shame to their children 222 Parents must give their children good education 266 Passions Disordered passions cause sad conclusions 284 Peace see Leagues People People give power to Kings 16 Common people follow the great Ones 381 Peace Many while they provide for peace provide for ruin 60 Perplexed Why the wicked are perplexed in the day of the Lords wrath 177 Persevere We ought to persevere in duties though we have no present comfort 428 Plow Wee should plow in hope all our lives 428 Wee must continue plowing 471 Plow-men see Ministers Policy see Reason Pomp see Superstition Popery Popery almost brought in at London 25 Pride There is much pride in dejection 169 Pride is the root of not hearing 295 See Stubborness Prayer Weak prayer may be strong 315 Preservation Gods preservation of us all our daies shewed 245 Princes Princes when they come first to the Crown promise faire 276 Princes are not to be trusted in 338 None so perfidious as Princes 338 Prophane see Idolaters Prosper We may prosper and yet have no cause to joy in it 141 Prosperity Take heed in prosperity 250 Professors Yong Professors should be kept down 308 Why Professors are empty 314 See Yong Question Q Question A Question answered by a Professor 180 Quick-sightedness The quick-sightedness of the enemy comes from the Lord. 20 R Racha The word Racha explained 303 Religion When Arms may be taken for Religion 21 Good acts in Religion may be evil in the doer 77 Religion is a Saints recreation 165 Reason Reason Pollicy and Experience may go one way and yet Gods Word another 85 Redemption see Sabbath Recreation see Religion Reformation Reformation cannot prosper except Justice be established 379 Revelations Revelations besides the Word are dangerous 91 Riches Riches in goods work is the best wealth 321 Righteousness What Righteousness is 479 Rod We must not chuse our sin and rod too 427 Romans see Crucifying Ruin Gods mercy prevents our ruin 67 False worship is the ruin of a Land 159 See Peace Rule A Rule to teach common people how to judge of their Ministers 197 Cautions to the same RULE 198 See Scripture S Sabbath The Sabbath was appointed for Commemoration of our Redemption 110 Saints The Saints prize the Law of God 100 The Saints should sorrow most for sin 151 How the Saints rejoyce in Gods vengeance 175 Saints admonished 219 The Saints should prize the enjoyment of God 251 Satan What Satans great design is 200 Scripture The Scripture is the Rule and the Expositor to understand the Rule 87 The Scripture should be looked upon as particular to our selves 92 Self People stick much at what comes from self 30 Self-denial God requirs self-denial in temporal things 119 Servants Great is the danger of servants at their own hand 54 Servants to great men exhorted 277 Service To be employed in publick Service is the making of a man 123 Service-book Service-book and Altars all some mens Religion 387 Sin God knows how to make use of mens sins 22 A man may commit the sin against the holy Ghost and yet continue in Duties 115 God remembers the sin of wicked men when they perform holy duties and why 122 See Altars Rod. Signs Signs of much wrath 126 Sound see Threatning Smiting Smiting with the Pen is worse than smiting with the Sword 281 Sinner God may damn a lesser sinner and save a greater sinner 152 Soul The Excellency of the Soulâ—â— 33 Soldiers Soldiers are Gods Priests 174 Sorrow see Lumpish Spirit The Spirit of God forsaw this generation 114 States States may judg of the right of a Kingdom 2â— Stubborness Stubborness is the fruit of pride 53 Strong Strong places are not to be trusted in 132 Success Sometimes God gives success in judgment 421 Succession Succession ads to Idolatry 80 Superstition How it was superstition in the Israelites to build temples 130 Who mourns most for superstition 391 Why carnal men contend for superstition 490 Superstitious Superstitious men regard outward pomp 27 A note to the Superstitious 204 Superstitious children admonished 258 Sword see Smiting T Taxes Taxes upon mens estates are but mean burdens 66 Teachers Teachers establish worship 84 Temple see Superstition Threatning The threatning of God is a terrible sound 3 Men should be sensible of the threatnings of God 68 Distance of time in commandements and threatnings is not to be heeded 80 Trumpet see Luther Themistocles The saying of Themistocles at his death Thoughts The shifting thoughts of carnal hearts in time of danger 181 Time Evil timâ— are good times to die in 265 Time for England to seek God 477 See Threatning V Vanity Scripture expressions of the vanity of great persons 403 Vessels Gods grace to the vessels of mercy 49 Vile Vile things are many times hid under glorious titles 191 Vileness see Diffidence Villany The villany of malicious Commanders against the Godly 257 Vine The fruitfulness of Vines 300 The Church compared to a Vine ibid. See Emptiness Unclean Why Mourners for the dead were so long uncleane 167 Use Use for the afflicted 440 W Waies see Follow Wealth Wealth is wicked mens glory 223 Wicked men Wicked men are as Eagles in their rage 5 Wicked men first serve their turns of the godly and then scorn them 47 Wicked men are wild upon their lusts 52 Wicked men are contemptible 53 See Perplexity Wind Who they are that sow the wind 37 Ministers must beware they sow not the wind 41 Rules how ib. See God Wine Wine in sacrifices what it signified 162 Wil-worship Will-worship an empty thing 303 Work see Ministers Works see Good Word It is a singular blessing to have the written Word 88 By whom the Word is counted strange 105 World see Christ Worship Gods Worship is an excellent thing 12 Gods Worship is cast off by carnal hearts ibid. Gods Worship must not be imitated 110 The Worship of God is a great matter 104 True Worship must be mourned after 388 See False and Invention Wrath The wrath of God is many times executed in answering our desires 150 The wrath of God called Wine and why 174 See Signs Writers see Men Y Yoke Christ's yoke easier than the yoke of the enemy 436 Young Young Professors their danger 45 Young Professors should be kept down 308 See Vine Young ones Young ones exhorted 214 Young ones the hope of a Nation Youth Youths sins are Ages terrors 121 FINIS 1. Text. 2. Apptic by paraphrase Obs 1 Luther called the trumpet of rebellion simile Pliny Why crucifying on a tree was so hateful to the Romans Expos 3. Obser 2. The paraphrase Obs 3. Luther Author The Assyrians Army why an Eagle Why the Eagle was unclean under the Law Obs Goâ— accepts not Eagles but Doves Obs 1. Gualt Applied to England Obs 2 Obs 3. Luther Author Obs 1. Obs 2. A true Church Use 'T is good dwelling in Gods house Ps 26. 8. explained Officers of the Church Obs 3. The good of Christians depends upon the Covenant
of works than servile works though you do not put your hands to servile labor But then you through your delicacy if you meet with any hard work will do nothing for God the Lord looks upon such dispositions as sinful and with Indignation and God hath his time to bring them to hardness as he hath done to many How many delicate and fair necks that could not endure any difficulty hath God brought the yoke upon in these daies that were so nice and tender and complaining of every little difficulty in any work that God would have them to do God hath made the yoke to pass over ther heads and to lie heavie upon their necks God threatens this to the Daughters of Babylon to the Antichristian party especially in Isa 47. 1 2. Come down and sit in the dust O Virgin Daughter of Babylon sit on the ground there is no Throne O Daughter of the Caldeans for thou shalt no more be call'd Tender and Delicate Take the Mill-stones and grind meal uncover thy locks make bare the leg uncover the thigh pass over the rivers And then in the 3. vers Thy nakedness shall be uncovered yea thy shame shall be seen I will take vengeance and I will not meet thee as a man That which you cannot endure so much as to hear of now your very ears are so delicate as well as your necks that I 'le bring upon you Oh my Brethren how much better is it to be willing to endure hardships for God than to be brought to hardships by our Adversaries And rather to put our necks under the yoke of Jesus Christ than to have God put our necks under the yoke of his wrath and displeasure But God hath his time to bring upon them hard things and therefore though God spares you for your bodies that you need not put your bodies to that servileness that others do yet be so much the more willing to do service for God otherwise venture your selves among your kindred that 's the work that God calls Ladies to do You meet with carnal friends that are honorable and of great rank in the world now for one to appear in the midst of them for the Cause of God this is as hard a work as to labor with ones hands and they may do a great deal more service by such work as this to speak for those that are Godly When you come in company that is carnal be willing to put forth your selves to endure hardships in that way that God calls thee to and God accepts of it but if thou through the delicacy and niceness of thy spirit thy spirit comes to be as delicate as thy skin is and thou must not displease any nor suffer any thing for God it 's just with God to bring thee to suffer in spight of thy heart But it follows I 'le make Ephraim to ride Still take this in a way of threatning in Scripture it 's applied both to a way of Mercy and Judgment in Isa 58. 14. Then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the Earth And I find it in a way of Judgment in Job 30. 21 22. With thy strong hand thou opposest thy self against me thou liftest me up to the wind thou causest me to Ride upon it and dissolvest my substance And so there might be shown other Scriptures where this expression is in a way of Judgment and so it 's thought by Interpreters that it hath reference to the speedy captivity of the ten Tribes that they shall be carried out of their own Country As if God should say by his ease and by his much feeding in treading out the Corn he is grown so fat and lusty that there 's no ruling of him yea but saith God I will ride him though he kicks and spurns and is so unruly with his fat feeding yet I 'le put such a Curb into his mouth as I 'le order him and rule him according as I please He is so fierce for so I find that the word in the Hebrew that is for fierceness tumultuousness and insolency it is by divers taken for the word that signifies to be at Peace because that Peace and Ease and Rest makes the hearts of men and women insolent It was so with Ephraim just like a pamper'd horse that is kept at full feeding none can ride him I but I 'le cause him to ride saith God God hath waies to curb men and women that through their prosperity are delicate and unruly though they may champ upon the bit and foam at the mouth and stamp again yet God will rule them I 'le cause Ephraim to ride And Judah shall plow That is Judah shall take pains and go through many difficulties in the waies of my Worship and shall suffer much while Ephraim lives delicately for a long time yet Judah suffered more difficulty Judah suffered much more difficulty and hardship than the ten Tribes did And I think that this Scripture hath reference to those two Scriptures that we find the first is in 2 King 18. from ver 3. to ver 9. and the other Scripture is in 2 Chron. 28. 6. Judah shall plow and be kept in a great deal of hardship in that time when Ephraim was so frolick as he was In 2 King 18. you shall find the great Reformation that Hezekiah made in the Worship of God in Judah and Jerusalem And then for his suffering that you have in 2 Chron. 28. 6. and 2 King 14. 13. In 2 Chron. 28. 6. it is said That Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day which were all valiant men It 's a very strange Scripture Israel the ten Tribes they were worse than Judah Israel forsook the true Worship of God Judah kept themselves to the true Worship and yet God let Israel so prosper that they did prevail against Judah and the Tribe of Benjamin so as to slay in one day an hundred and twenty thousand valiant men Oh! what crying and shreeking was there in the Country then that of two Tribes an hundred and twenty thousand valiant men should be slain in one day We think it 's a dreadful battel to have three thousand slain in the Field but here 's a battel of an hundred and twenty thousand slain in one day and that of two Tribes And in 2 King 14. 13. Hoshea King of Israel took Amaziah King of Judah the son of Jehoash son the of Ahaziah at Bethshemesh and came to Jerusalem and brake down the wall of Jerusalem c. Here they were put to a great deal of trouble even by Ephraim Judah and Benjamin those two Tribâ— that kept to the Worship of God were to put a great deal of afflictions by Ephraim the ten Tribes that did forsake the Worship of God in the forenamed place 2 King 18.
292 Use Do not slight it 293 Obs 4 When men are violent in wickedness God will be violent in his judgments ib. Use Take heed of being violent in the wais of sin 294 Obs 5. In matters of Gods Worship we must hearken to God ib. Obs 6 It is a judgment to have an unsetled spirit 296 Obs 7 Prize the Communion of Saints 298 CHAP. X. VERS I. Obs 1 The Church is compared to a Vine 300 Reasons 1 It hath an unpromising outside ib. 2 It is the most fruitful plant that grows ib. 3 No plant requires so great care ib. 4 It is the most depending creature 301 5 If not fruitful it is most unprofitable ib. 6 It is the emblem of peace 302 Obs 2 Emptiness of professors is a very great evil 303 Reasons 1 'T is unnatural 304 2 'T is a dishonor to their root ib. 3 It frustrates the Lord of all his care ib. 4 There is no blessing upon thy soul ib. 5 If there be Grace it cannot but bear fruit ib. 6 Common gifts shal be taken away 305 7 An empty spirit is fit for the Devil to possess 306 8 God doth not let us sit empty of blessings ib. 9 The Lord hath justly made our Vine bleed for its emptiness ib. 10 The evil of emptiness is great according to the greatness of opportunities ib. Use 1 If it be evil to be empty what an evil is it to bring forth ill Grapes ib. Use 2 Let us prize fruitfulness 307 Obs 3 It is all one to be an empty Christian and to bring forth fruit to ones self 315 Obs 4 When God is spoiling a Nation it is vain for people to think to provide for themselves 317 Obs 5 To encrease our wickedness by Gods blessings is an abominable thing 319 Reasons 1 It is against the ingenuity of a Christian 320 2 Christian Principles are above estate ib. 3 It is against our prayers ib. Obs 6 The love Idolaters have to their Idols is according to that ability they have to shew their love 320 VERSE II Obs 1 Though men strive never so much to maintain what is evil God will break it 326 Obs 2 Though men be convinced of an evil yet if the temptation abide they will fall to it again 327 Obs 3 Superstitious Images and Altars are to be taken away ib. Obs 4 If we give that respect that is due to God to another thing the Lord will destroy it ib. Obs 5. If God break down what is evil let not us set it up ib. Obs 6 We must not break down Images to make up our own broken estates 328 Obs 7 Mens divisions break the neck of what they contend for ib. VERS III. Obs 1 It is a great evil for a people not to have the protection of a right Government 331 Obs 2 It is a great evil not to fear the Lord 332 Obs 3. When men have the countenance of great ones there is little fear of God amongst them ib. Obs 4. The taking away of Kingly power is a punishment for the want of the fear of God 333 Obs 5. The times of Gods wrath forceth acknowledgment from their hearts that fear not God 334 Obs 6 When the heart is humbled it will not put off the cause of evils to other men 335 Obs 7 When God forsakes a people there is nothing can do them good 337 Obs 8 It is just with God to make those things unuseful which sinful people dote upon ib. Obs 9. God can soon change the hearts of people in reference to their King 339 Obs 10 The difference between Gods people and wicked men ib. Obs 11 The stouter creature confidence is the more do they sink when they are crost in their hopes 340 Obs 12 When a carnal heart is knockt off from creature confidence then he despairs ib. VERSE IV. Expounded 361 Obs 1 Carnal hearts in their straits take shifting courses because they have no God to go to 364 Obs 2 It is an evil thing for professors to combine with wicked men 365 Obs 3 There is no trust to wicked mens Oaths and Covenants 365 Obs 4. Breaking Covenant though with wicked men is a great wickedâ—ness ib. Obs 5 Injustice and Oppression is a forerunner of Ruin 372 VERSE V. Obs 1 Those that fear God least are most afraid of any thing else 379 Obs 2 In times of danger we should be most solicitous about the Worship of God 384 Obs 3 Cities that are safe should be sensible of the miseries of others 385 Obs 4 Idolaters that dedicate themselves to Idols are the people of that Idol 387 Obs 5. Idolaters account their Idol worship glorious 391 VERSE VI. Obs 1 Our depending upon men for help is dearly bought 392 Obs 2. It is the fashion of Idolaters to rejoyce much when they get one anothers gods ib. Applied to England ib. Obs 3 Mens own counsels in matters of Religion bring them to shame 396 1 Because it is much regarded ib. 2 God leaves them to folly ib. 3 They provoke God by them 398 Use 1. What to avoid in Counsels 1 False principles ib. 2 Wicked men ib. 3 Self ends ib. 4 Pride and conceitedness ib. 5 Flesh and blood ib. 6 Passion and frowardness ib. Use 2 What we should attend in our counsels 1 Look up to Jesus Christ 399 2 Pray much ib. 3 Let the fear of God be strong 400 4 Keep to the Word of God ib. 5 Be not put off with shews of Reason 401 6 Be humble ib. 7 Consult with an indifferent judgment ib. 8 Do as you would be done by ib. 9 Whether it may not cost too dear though good ib. VERSE VII Obs 1 Vngodly men in their greatest rage are but as foam if God come against them 403 Scripture Expressions touching the vanity of great persons 404 VERS VIII Obs 1 God destroies the glorious Names of Idolatry 406 Obs 2 The nearer a thing comes to the nature of sin the viler it is ib. Obs 3 False worship is the great sinne 407 Obs 4 We may so abuse the creatures that we may turn them into sin it self ib. Obs 5 When any Ordinances of God are abused they are to be but purged but inventions of men are to be destroyed ib. Obs 6 Mans sin brings destruction upon the creatures 408 Obs 7 If it be sad that false worship is neglected how sad is it that true worship is 409 Obs 8 The ruin of Idolatrous places is more pleasing to God than their pomp 410 Obs 9 What men account highly of in matter of worship when the enemy coms in he contemns them ib. Obs 10 God can make an alteration in Cities and Kingdoms 413 Obs 11 It is a great misery to fall into the hands of ones enemies 414 Obs 12 The wrath of God is very dreadful ib. Obs 13 To live in misery is worse than present death 415 Obs 14 The misery of wicked men in affliction is wonderful 416 Obs 15 Desperation is a dreadful thing ib.
in the feminine gender the she Calves that is in a way of Contempt of them The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the Calves of BETH-AVEN Why the inhabitants of Samariah The Calves were not there Samaria was their chief City as London is to England so Samaria was the chief City to the ten Tribes And Samaria shall fear Samaria was a very strong City And when the Assyrians came and carried away the ten Tribes captive they took all the Country round about before they took Samaria it was with Samaria as with London in these sad times when there hath bin wars round about in England London hath bin safe for these three years together And so when there was wars in al Israel yet Samaria continued safe yea not only when some Towns but when every Town was taken Samaria was so strong as to be able to endure a siege for three years together thus you shall find in 2 King 17. 5. That the King of Assyria came and besieged Samaria three years yet this it was and yet the text saith The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the Calves of Beth-aven That is though they were a strong City yet when we heard that their gods were taken away yea when they did but hear that Bethel and Dan were in danger to have their gods taken away Oh! they were sensible of this though they were safe for their outward condition for the present and had strength enough to resist the Enemies yet they were afraid that is there was a solicitous fear in them about the Calves of Bethaven before they were taken and when they were taken their hearts were daunted and knew not what in the world to do So you see the meaning of the words from whence the Note is this First That in times of danger our hearts should be most solicitous about the Worship of God It was so in the time of their danger their hearts were especially solicitous about Bethel Oh! that was the place where they had the Worship of their Gods So are Idolaters solicitous in time of danger not so much because of their outward peace it is not said that they were afraid because the enemies would come and take their Corn or their Estates but Beth-aven where the Calves were they were afraid of that When there is any danger that should go next to our hearts The honor of God his Church his Ordinances Thus it was with old Eli in 1 Sam. 4. 13. the text saith That Eli sat upon a seat by the way side watching for his heart trembled for the Ark of God Why he had his sons in the Army his heart did not tremble for them and that if the enemies should prevail he was like to lose his estate and there would come woful misery upon the Land for the outward condition of it No but his heart trembled not for that but for the Ark of God I appeal to you what was that which your hearts trembled most for in the time of our greatest danger Was it for the Ark of God was it because of his Ordinances Oh! if they prevail they will trample the Ordinances of the Lord and the Saints of God under feet the true Worship of God and the Power of Godliness did your hearts tremble because of this Certainly if your hearts were right they would do so What shall Idolaters tremble because of their Calves and shall not we have our hearts tremble because of our God 1 King 8. 44. If thy People go out to battel against their enemies whithersoever thou shalt send them what should they do and look towards the City which thou hast chosen and towards the House that I have built for thy Name then hear thou in Heaven They when they are in prayer must look towards the City and the Temple for the Temple was a type of Christ so the City was a type of Gods Ordinances where the people went up to Worship Oh! that should be in our eyes the City where the Ordinances of God are when we go to War let that be in our eyes and let that make us fight valiantly and when we are praying to God let us not pray so much that we may be delivered from our Adversaries as that the Temple and the City of our God may be preserved Again further In that it is said the Inhabitants of Samaria should thus fear From thence the Note is That Cities that are strong and safe themselves should be sensible of the miseries of others Oh! God knows how far we have been wanting in this very thing If a stranger should have come out of another Country into London and walk about the streets could he have imagined that there were such Civil Wars in this â—and as there is such wonderful desolations as hath been made in other parts Oh! how little did we lay the afflictions of others to heart because they were at some distance from us Oh! the mercy of our God that hath not brought us into the same evils and miseries this one sin had been enough to have provok'd God against us because we were so little sensible of other Countries and Cities that were about us This wicked Samaria yet when they heard that Bethel and Dan and their other Cities when they heard what dangers they were in Oh! they were mightily affected with it Learn we from hence to be humbled for our want this way and if ever the Lord should yet try us further let us learn to be sensible of the miseries of others that are about us Lastly They are afraid because of their Calves When their Calves are gone all their Confidence is gone and then their hearts are over-whelmed with fear There is no staidness of heart in resting upon any thing but upon the living God They that stay themselves upon any thing else if any afflictions or dangers falls out their hearts are fill'd with fear presently When men have nothing to rest upon but their own inventions their own waies no mervail though they fear in times of danger They begin to bethink now that all is vanity to them that they rested upon yea the service of God that men in times of prosperity can rest upon and can satisfie their consciences withal yet in time of danger it will not do no inventions of men nor no external duties of Religion especially such as are mixt with superstition they will not uphold the heart in times of danger but the heart will be overwhelmed it 's only the confidence in the living God the union of our souls with Jesus Christ and enjoyment of communion with him in his own Ordinances that can comfort our souls in time of danger But it 's said of the Godly in Psal 112. 7. He shall not be afraid of evil tydings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. His heart is established and he shall not be afraid It 's again repeated let evil tydings come what
shall one day be taken from them you shall not alwaies have the creatures of God to abuse them to sin there will be a time when God will deliver his creatures from this vanity that they are subject to And then lastly They shall be destroyed Mans sin brings destruction upon the creatures It is as poyson in a glass that causes the glass to be broken and cast upon the dunghil The Thorn and the Thistle shall come up on their Altars This expression is to note the great vastation that shall be made in those places where they had Altars in Bethel especially Samaria being besieged for 3. years together The enemies had Bethel in their own hands and they manifested their rage upon their Altars and upon all their Religious things presently they pull'd them down and made them lie in heaps of rubbish that in the space of three yeers the very thistles and thorns grew up in the place where they had their Alters It 's a usual expression of the devastation of a place that the grass shall grow where their houses were shall Corn grow where the City was here there shall be Thistles and thorns grow where their Altars were And secondly It 's an expression of indignation as if God should have said I 'le take more delight to see the Thorns and Thistles grow out of the very rubbish of the Altars than of all the Images and brave pictures and gildings that are about them Just as if it should have been said about the Service-Book Oh now you honor it much and it must be bound bravely and gilt bravely and strung curiously if one should have said about seven or eight yeers ago This that you do so Idolize now within a while it shall be but wast papers it shall be thrown to the Mice and Rats to eat this would have been an expression of indignation against it Obs First If it be sad that places of false worship should not be frequented as formerly they were wont to be how much more sad is it that places of true worship should be neglected as thus They were wont to go to Bethel to worship with their Altars yea but saith God they shall go no more thither but those places shall be fill'd with Nettles Thorns and and Thistles they accounted that sad Yea but we should account it sad that the pathes to the true Worship of God should not be beaten as in former times where there was an Altar as it were for the Worship of God those places that were frequented much but had our Adversaries had their wills we should have had those paths that were wont to be beaten to the true Worship of God to have had Nettles and Thorns grown up in them Secondly If it be so sad to have such an ill succession here in false worship sad to false worshipers what sadness is there for the true Worshipers of God to have an ill succession in the Church Truly much like me thinks it is when there hath been in a place a godly and a powerful Ministry and afterwards for the sins of the people God takes it away and instead of a powerful Ministry there comes up a pricking Thorn a Bryar a Thistle a Nettle there comes an unworthy man of no gifts or graâ—es but only can gall and prick and do hurt and mischief this is a succession like to the succession that God here threatned that there should be Thistles and Thorns succeed their Altars And Hierom upon the place seems to hint some such kind of meditation he saith instead of true Doctrine there shall be a wilderness of very corrupt Doctrine where there was true Doctrine taught now it shall lie wast as a wilderness and corrupt Doctrine shall be taught instead of true Thirdly God doth account the ruin of the most glorious things abused to sin a more pleasing object than when those things were in the greatest pomp and glory Brave building and brave Altars when they were rubbish and grown over with Thorns and Bryars God lookt upon them as more glorious And so if a man hath a very beautiful comely body and abuse it to sin when God shall strike him and he shall be a filthy rotten carkass that the worms shall be gnawing upon when he shall be covered with worms as a filthy carkass God will look upon that as a more lovely sight than to see his body deck'd with all kind of ornaments Better that the creature perish than to have it abused to sin though it be the most glorious creature in the world And then lastly Those things that men account highly of in the matters of Worship when God lets in their enemies they contemn them They accounted highly of their Calves but when the Assyrians came they contemn'd them and pull'd them down and made them rubbish It 's not only so in matters of false worship but in matters of true those things that we highly esteem and bless God for and we think what infinite pity it is that they should not be continued yet if God should let our Adversaries in they would scorn us As now such liberties as these are what infinite pity were it that people should be deprived of them but if God should let our Adversaries in upon us they would scorn and contemn these things as the Assyrians did contemn those things that the Israelites did account to be as God It follows They shall say to the Mountains Cover us and to the Hills Fall on us This is an expression to shew First the dreadfulness of their misery It should be such a great misery as should make them be weary of their lives should make them rather desire death than life Secondly It is to note the wonderful desperation that in the apprehension and sence of this their misery they had no whither to go for help but their hearts should dispair and all the help that they should expect was to have the Mountains fall upon them and the Hills to cover them Now this expression I find Christ makes use of in the setting out the misery of the destruction of the Jews by the Romans afterwards in Luke 23. 30. and so I find the holy Ghost in expressing the misery of the Antichristian party when the wrath of God should come out upon them their misery shall be so great as to cry to the Mountains to fall upon them and the Hills to cover them in Revel 6. 16. there the Princes and the great men and mighty men and Captains they call upon the Mountains to fall upon them and the Hills to cover them I remember reverend Mr. Brightman upon that very Scripture interpreting the great men and the mighty men calling to the mountains to fall upon them and the hills to cover them he saith That it was fulfil'd in the time of Constantine when the Heathen Emperors were vanquished and he doth interpret it upon Dioclesian that
then it were another matter but now considering they have enough in them to make them subjects of Gods wrath God may take advantage the rather because of thy sin and therefore take heed ane especially take heed to Gods Worship for we do not find in Scripture where any children are so threatned as the children of Idolaters are And then a further Note is this That the Judgments of God neer to us should awaken us we should think Why may it not be upon our selves This was a heavy Judgment of God upon some City neer and God would awaken them Oh! what have we heard hath been upon our Brethren in other parts and we have been sottish and not sensible of it because iâ— hath not just come upon our Gates the Lord expects when we hear of any dreadful evil upon others that we should tremble and fear before him And then one thing further note from hence As Shalman spoiled Beth-arbel The word that is here Shalman it signifies the name of one that is peaceable one that is peaceable and yet he shall exercise his cruelty so as to dash the Mother upon her Children this is not one that bears cruelty in his name not a Tyger but a Shalman a peaceable man as his name carries it and yet thus cruel when he comes to have power Oh! men who have peace in their names and peace in their mouths and peace in 〈◊〉 yet when they come to have power often times are very cruel We were like to have found it so if our adversaries should have prevailed especially this Citie might have been made a Beth-arbel Mothers dashed upon their Children It 's true when the adversaries did prevail in any place they did not do so but it was not through any ingenuity or pity but out of fear but had they gotten the day then we might have expected even dashing of the Mother against the children VER 15. So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickedness SO shall Bethel What shall Bethel rise up against the rest of the ten Tribes and come and destroy Mother and Children together That 's not the meaning But Bethel shall do it that is Bethel is the Cause of this that dreadful slaughter that is like to be among you it shall come from Bethel Who would ever have thought that Oh my Brethren Miserable Judgments do many times arise from causes we 〈◊〉 think of that 's the Note from thence I say miserable Judgments do many times arise from causes we little think of From Bethel there should come this slaughter and dreadful blood-shed And as that Note more generally so more particularly this That from places of Idolatry comes the greatest evils to Kingdoms As 't is very observable on the contrary from the places of Gods Worship comes the greatest good so from places of Idolatry the greatest evil In Psal 76. 2 3. In Salem is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place iâ— Zion There brake he the Arrows of the Bâ—◠〈◊〉 Shield and the Sword and the Battel Did God break them there Was there a Fight in Zion and in Salem No that 's not the meaning but in Zion and Salem where Gods Tabernacle was those Servants of God that were worshiping of God in Jerusalem and in Zion and praying to God they got the Victory so we may say that such a place that was fasting and praying in the time of our battels there God brake the Arrow and the Bow in that place where they were praying and seeking God it was in Salem and Zion Where the true worship of God is from thence comes the good of a Kingdom And so in Isa 31. 9. Whose fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem The Lord is there threatning the Enemies of his people and he saith That his fire is in Zion and his furnace is in Jerusalem there God hath his furnace and from thence it shall go to destroy the adversaries And so on the contrary where Idolatry is set up and false worship maintained from thence comes evils and miseries upon us Because of your great wickedness The word is Because of the wickedness of your wickedness so the Hebrews express the suparlative degree by a genetive case the evil of the evil the wickedness of the wickedness From whence observe Other sins are great sins but this of false worship indeed is THE great sin that God is provoked against a people for Whence let us not make light account of the Worship of God for how little soever Gods Worship is in our eyes yet it is a great matter in Gods eyes and though you think that the sins against God in the matter of his Worship be but small yet God saith it is the great wickedness it is the wickedness of wickedness And great wickedness it may be call'd not only in respect of the nature of it but from many aggravations and long continuance in it notwithstanding all their means You may Note further from hence God takes notice not only of mens sins but of the aggravation of their sins Oh! let us do thus do not only look upon your sins and acknowledg your selves to be sinners but look upon the Aggravations of your sins Oh! this sin committed against so many Mercies so many Prayers and Resolutions and Vows and Covenants and so many Deliverances that I have had labor to lay the Aggravations of your sins upon your hearts and this is the way to humble your hearts before the Lord. Indeed the Saints of God they need not seek to excuse their sins be not afraid to lay the aggravations of sin upon your own hearts according to what great aggravations there may be Greaten your wickedness before the Lord do not so as ordinarily people do to extenuate your sins for if there be any extenuation that possibly can be Jesus Christ will find out that in his pleading Christ is your advocate who sits at the right hand of the Father and it is his work to plead your cause and therefore if there can be any thing to extenuate a sin he will do it you know that when he was here in this world when his Disciples did offend very much in that sleepiness of theirs that when Christ was to suffer they could not watch with him one hour that sin might have been aggravated with abundance of circumstances but saith Christ The flesh is weak but the spirit is willing he falls to extenuate and excuse Now that which Christ did there he wil be ready to do in Heaven for thou that art a Saint And then further According to greatness of sins so is the greatness of wrath great wickedness and great wrath they go together and therefore according to the greatness of sins should the greatness of our humiliation be For so it is said of Manasses That he humbled himself greatly and in Lament 1. 20. where the