young ones upon her wings that if any shoot at you to hurt you they must shoote through me first before they can come at you This was Gods mercy to them when they were in the wast howling wildernesse here is not such an And they were in a wildernesse yet God had much mercy upon them Thirdly milestone God brought them into a dry Land in this wildernesse they wanted water yet though they were ready to murmure he made them sucke honey out of the rocke and oile out of the flinty rocke Deut. 32. 13. You will say when did God make them suck honey out of the rock wee read indeed that water gushed out of the rocke in a dry land but here the Scripture speaks that he made them suck honey oile out of the flinty rock It is a note of Chrysostome speaking upon this very thing of Gods making them sucke honey and oile out of the rocke Not saith he that there was indeed honey or oyle came out of the rock but because they being in the wildernesse and in such great want the water that came out of the rock was to them as sweet and delightfull as if it had beene honey or oyle Thence he gathered that note that want and necessity will make every thing very sweet and comfortable water will be as honey and oile to them that want When you are at your full tables This wine pleaseth you not and that beere pleaseth you not but if you were in necessitie water would be as wine it would be as honey and oile to you Yea but what say you to the fourth And He will slay them with thirst Can you shew us any place wherein God did slay his people yet shew mercie to them Yes I can There is a place where it is said God slew his people yet for all that at that very time he shewed abundance of mercie to his people when God did come with his sword in his hand yet with abundance of compassion in his heart The Scripture is in Psal 78. 34. Marke what the Text saith there When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God and they remembred that God was their Rocke Well they sought him and they remembred this that God was their Redeemer but did God redeeme them at that time Yes verse 38. He being full of compassion for gave their iniquity and destroyed them not yea many a time he turned his anger away and did not stir up all his wrath Or as the old Translation hath it He called backe his anger which here he will not doe He was full of compassion and forgave their iniquity and called back his anger though he did slay them at that time He denieth to doe it here he letteth out his anger here to the full and will not call it back I will have no mercy upon them And it is observable in this Scripture that yet the Text saith before that they did but flatter God with their mouth though they did but flatter God with their mouth yet such was Gods mercie toward them that he calleth back his anger My brethren God hath a high esteeme of his worship in a Nation though it should be but externall but we must not rest in that yet many times externall humilliation and worshipping of God in a Nation hath beene effectuall to deliver them from externall judgements Therefore we have much cause to be incouraged in that God doth stirre up our Nation at this day yea and those particularly that are going in that expedition and service for the Kingdome that God doth stirre them up to goe forth worshipping of him Our adversaries come against them with Oathes and curses and they goe against them with fasting and prayer not externally onely but we hope internally many of them and thousands that joine with them in our Nation And if God will shew so much mercy to them when they did but flatter him with their mouth surely then when as there are so many true worshippers of him yea those that are the instruments of the work we have much cause to think that God will shew mercy to us and that if anger were come out against us yet God will call it backe Thus then we see that so long as Gods people be Gods people though they may be brought to great troubles we cannot be secured from troubles yet still there is mercie for them so long as they are his people so long as the knot is between God and them and they are in Covenant there is mercie for them But now when they are cast off now there commeth an and I will doe thus and thus bring them into these extremities and I will shew no mercy to them there shall be judgement without mercie The observation then from hence is when God commeth upon the wicked with wrath hee cometh with pure wrath Wrath without mixture of mercie and this is intolerable We have a remarkable place for this Isa 7. 5. An evil saith the Text an onely evil behold it is comming Marke there may come an evil to the people of God that which materially is evill but it can never be said of Gods people that an evill an only evill is comming If an evil come there cometh a great good together with that evil but now it is upon the wicked an evil an onely evil is coming God threatneth Psal 75. 8. that he hath a cup in his hand full of mixture the mixture of that is an aggravation of the wrath that is in it but here there is a cup in Gods hand without mixture and the want of mixture is the aggravation of the evil of this cup. VVhen wrath is pure then it is grown beyond anger and grown to hatred so long as it is but meere anger it admitteth of mixture of love but when once it is as we may speak grown to that height of sowerness that all the mixture of love is gone then it is turned to hatred There was a time when Israel spake in a murmuring way that God brought them into the wildernesse because he hated them Deut. 1. 27. But now God threatneth to bring them into the wildernesse and to hate them indeed according to that Hosea 9. 15. All their wickednesse is in Gilgal for there I hated them David prayeth Psal 6. 1. that God would not rebuke him in his wrath neither chasten him in his hot displeasure but what then Have mercy upon me O Lord So long as God sheweth mercie he doth not chasten in his sore displeasure but when God commeth with afflictions denyeth mercie then he commeth in sore displeasure indeed it is hatred Secondly When God commeth without mercie he commeth upon the wicked in the most unseasonable time for them that can be That is the difference betwixt the evills that come upon the godly and the wicked There may be evills that materially are so upon the godly but yet they shall come
but not their infirmities Obser Lect. 7. Obser God carrieth on his work in the face of his â—â—â—mies Obser 2 Sam. 15. 30. It is very grievous to be dishonoured before those we love Carnall friends grow strangers in time of adversity Obser Job 8. 14. James 5. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lect. 8. Wâ—â—kel men though under Godâ— wrath yet wâ—ll be jocund and merry Obser 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obs Difference between the spirits of the wicked and the godly in their affliction Obs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The wickness of men at feasts Animula mea vagubla blandula quo vadis non amplius jocoâ— dabis We must not then feast when God calls for mourning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We must not presume in way of imitation to God to devise things in his worship like to his former institutions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mendatâ—s Why a day may not be made holy as well as time set apart for a Lecture VVhat it is to dedicate a thing VVhat it is to sanctifiâ— a thing How it may be lawfull to set apart fasting dayes and how not The feast of new moons opened Benedctus esto conditor tâ—us O lâ— na benedictus aesto Dominus tuus Ter subsiliunt sâ—elum ver sus quod quanto sublimius possunt taute melius est lunamque alloquentes Quemadmodum inquiunt not â—e versus subâ—ilientes attingere â—e non possumus sic hostes nostri omnes nos ad malum attingere nobiâ—queâ—â—eere non poterunt Buxtorf Synag Iudaic. c. 17. Ier. 44. 17. 18. 19. Obser Lect. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iovialiter vivere Why a Sabath was ordained What speciall things in the seventh day Sabbath above other Sabbaths 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quartum praâ—eeptum egregium prae septum ad omnem virtutem excitandam utile pâ—etatem vero praecipue Dâ—esiderium dierum Veni spon sa mâ—a The meaning of the rest of the seventh yeere Mercy to the poore in regard of their debts Iubilee opened It is an observation of Ierome when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is written without vau then it signifies the fiftieth yeer but when it is with van then it signifies eternity but this Pagniâ—â— rejects for it will not hold The hard condition of servants in former times God win Iewish antiq lib. 3. c. 10. Reasons why land must return in the yeare of Iubile The trumpet of Iubile to blow on their fasting days and way What to be learned from that law requiring the Iews to go thrice a yeer to the place that God chose The Feast of Passeoever Obs 1. Apoc. 15. 1 Obs 1. When God offereth deliverance we should not bee sluggish Obser Obser Deliverances looked upon in reference to Christ are sweet The Iewish additions to their Pass-over Templum tuum brevi valde cito valde cito in diebus nostris citissime nunc aedifica templum tuum brevi Misericors Daus Magne Deus benigne Deus pulcher Deus dulcis Deus virtuose Deus Iudaica Deus nunc aedifica templum tuum brevi valde cito in diebus nostris valde cito valde cito nunc aedifica nunc edifica nunc aedifica nunc aedifica nunc aedifica templum tuum cito robuste Deus fortis vineus potens Deus c. Buxtorf de Synag Iud. c. 13. The Feast of Pantecost No blessing â—o be enjoyed from the earth but through Christ Hereditatom elegantiae Obs 1. Timely fruit is pleasing to God Obser Obs Obs Exod. 13. 19. Obser Obser Obser Obs Obs The difference of burnt offâ—â—ing sin-offering and peace-offering Lect. 9. Obser The feast of trumpets Non licet iniquas observaâ—iones agere Kalendarum â—ciis vacare gentilibus neque lauro aut viriditate arborum cingere doâ—mus Omnis enim haec observatio paganismi est Canon 74. Cavendae potiusquam Kalendae Sâ—atuit â—niversalis Ecclesia ieiunium publicum in isto die fieri Alâ—huvinus de divinis d 〈◊〉 c. 4. Lect. 10. The day of Atonement Festum expiationis eight things especially observable in it Obser Obs Non solum periculosum sed horribile est de deo extra Christum 〈…〉 Ps 128. Suidaâ— The Feast of Tabernacles Necte Hosannam God suites himselfe to oâ—r condition wee must suite our selves to him Obser Obser Obser A second end of the feast of Tabernacles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obs Obser Obser Lect. 11. Obser 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser Obser Obser It is a vile thing to attribute Gods blessings to our ways of â—in Obser Obs What soever is got by sin the curse of God is in it An example of trouble of conscience for ill gotten goods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lect. 11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser Sin makes men beasts yea worse then beasts Si nemo ist quin emari malit quam converti in aliquam figuram bestiae quam vis hominis sit mentem habiturus quanto est miserius in hominis figura animo esse esserato Lact. l. 5. c. 1. Obser God looks upon wicked great men with a contemptible eye Obser A fearfull judgement to fall into the hands of men One new sinne may bring upon us wrath for many formerly committed Papists like Heathen We must worship God in our private houses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We must not think that God will accept of our service because of any thing of our owne 〈◊〉 Cancilium gangrense anathematizat eos qui asiam vestem aliae sanctiorem aut plus facere ad pietatem iudicant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser Lect. 12 It is a dangerous condition when God is gotten on t of a mâ—ns thoughts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser The grace of the Covenant makes inferences from our sins to mercy Tota scriptura hoc agit ne dubitemus sed sperea mus confic damus eredamus deum miscricordam esse benignum patienteâ—â— Luther 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The mercy of God out bids all temptations 2 Cor. 12. 16. The sâ—cret waves of God drawing the heart to himselfe idem cum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Operabor miracula grandia facinora qualia edidi in deserto Thargum Ionathae Gods former wayes towards his people great helps to our Faith When God brings into trouble there is comfort in that trouble 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obser Nothing can ease a troubled conscience but Gods speaking to the heart Multo difficilius est conscientiam afflictam censolari quam martuos excitare Luther False applying comfort will not hold Obs Remittant aliquid de cura nitâ—ris culiusque verborum venustatis numerofit atis sententiarum verae humilitati mortificationi impendant ut charitatem habeant sine qua si linquis hominum loquantur angelorum facti sunt sicut as sonans vel symbalum tinniens Ribera Obser Obser Times of affliction Gods comforting times Obser Obser Obser 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cuidam philippum laudanti
of Hamath unto the Sea of the plain And ver 28. He recovered Damascus and Hamath which belonged to Judah for Israel This Hamath that he speaks of was of great use it was the in-let of the Assyrians and for Jeroboam to conquer that place land to recover Damascus and to add that to the Crown of Israel which belonged to Judah it shews that after their bitter affliction God granted a great mercy by Jeroboams means and that now Israel flourished greatly and grew exceeding prosperous There is much of Gods mind held out to us in this As in that the people of Israel had been under sore affliction and delivered yet God sent Hosea to them to shew them their horrible wickednesse and to threaten destruction Hence see the perversenesse of the children of men that after great deliverances granted them from bitter and sore afflictions yet they will continue still in their wickednesse and rebellion The Lord grant this may not be true concerning us God hath delivered us in great measure from those sore and bitter afflictions and heavy oppressions under which wee lately vvere and many gracious liberties are restored to us Now have we not need of an Hosea to be sent unto us to rebuke us and to threaten judgment for the evill of our wayes This is a sad thing Further God may let a sinner continue a long time in the way of his sin and when he hath flourished many years and thinks surely the bitternesse of death is past then God may come and threaten judgment Jeroboam reigned 4â— years and it cannot be but that Hosea prophesying so long after Jeroboams death came in the latter end of Jeroboams time Jeroboam might think what doth he come to contest with me and to tell me of my sin and wickednesse and to threaten judgment have not I continued these 40 years King and have prospered and surely God hath been with me Well a sinner may hold out long and yet afterward judgment may come Thirdly A people in a flourishing condition when they prosper most and overcome their Enemies and have all according to their hearts desire even that may be the time for God to come out in his wrath against them So it was here therefore we must not judg our Enemies to be happy nor feare them because of their flourishing estate for the present neither let us be secure our selves because of the mercies wee enjoy God doth not alwayes so but sometimes he is pleased thus to deale with sinners to stay till they be at the height of their prosperity and then to come upon them as here he did Sometimes God is more sudden it is like Zechariah the son of this Jeroboam thought he might venture as well as his Father his Father prospered in such wayes 41 years and why may not I No God came upon him in six moneths 2 King 15. 8. Fifthly Hosea when he came to prophesie against Israel he saw them in their prosperity and yet continueth to threaten judgment against them It was a further argument of the Spirit of God that taught him and of a speciall insight he had into the mind of God that he should thus prophesie destruction to them when they were in the height of their prosperity It is true if Hosea had come afterward in Zachariah his dayes when the Kingdome was declining or if Hosea had pophesied in Shallums time and others after him then he might have seene by the working of second causes that the kingdome was going downe indeed No but he comes in Jeroboams time when there was no appearance of second causes at all of their destruction and then prophesieth destruction unto them It is a sign of speciall insight the soule hath in the wayes of God that can see misery under the greatest prosperity The Prophet did not think Israel in a better condition because of their outward prosperity A signe his prophesie was from God Yet further this being in the reign of Jeroboam when they were in great prosperity surely their hearts were exceedingly hardned against the Prophet and it cannot be imagined but that they entertayned his prophesie with scorn and contempt for it is an usuall thing when men are in the height of their pride and in their ruffe then like the wild asses colt to scorn and contemn all that comes against them It is nothing for a Minister of God to deale plainly with people in the time of adversity when they are down the wind but when men are in the ruffe of their pride and in all their jollity to deale faithfully with them then this is something and thus the Prophet Hosea did That their great prosperity did raise up harden their hearts with pride against the Prophet it appears plainly if you will but read Amos 7. 10. for we must finde Gods minde by comparing one place with another there you shall find what the fruit of Jeroboams prosperity was for Amos and Hosea were contemporary When Amos was prophesying Amaziah the Priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam King of Israel saying Amos hath conspired against thee the land is not able to beare his words This was said of Amos it is like that Hosea did not meet with better measure then this Amaziah the Priest of Bethel did this If there be any enemies against the faithfull Ministers in a place they are the Priests of Bethel idolatrous and superstitious Ministers And what course doe they take They send to the King to the Governours O they have conspired against the King they are seditious persons factious men that keep a stirre in the kingdome and break the peace of the Church the Land cannot bear their words Such a message as this you see did Amaziah send concerning Amos he turns off all from himself to the King and all the punishment that must be inflicted upon Amos must be in the name of the King And mark the 12. ver of that Chap. Also Amaziah said unto Amos O thou seer goe flee away into the land of Judea and prophesie there We are not holy enough for you forsooth we are Idolaters we doe not worship God aright we are no true Church get you to Judah among your brethren and prophesie not any more here at Bethel why Because it is the Kings Chappell it is the Kings Court It seems then in those times that the Kings Chappell the Kings Court could not beare with a faithfull Prophet And what was the ground of it but because at this time Jeroboam prospered in his way and the kingdome was in such a flourishing condition as it never was before Here then was the tryall of the faithfulnesse of Hosea's spirit yet to goe on in the work of his Prophesie Yet further In that Hosea did prophesie in the time of Jeroboam by that it will apppear that he was the first Prophet that ever brought these hard tidings to them of the utter destruction of Israel It will appeare by that
your peace with God for them Though you were then young and did not fear the wrath of God to come upon you yet now you are old the wrath of God may come upon you for sinnes committed in your Apprentiship A sinner of a hundred years old shall be accursed Yet a little while In reference to the house of Israel Yet a little while and I will cease the Kingdome of the house of Israel This Nation had continued a pompous successfull Nation thoughidolatrous for about 260. years before the wrath of God came upon it that was here threatned God may come a long time after the flourishing of a Nation upon it in wayes of judgement Which may make us look back to the sins committed in Henry the 8 his time and in Queen Maries time Let us not plead for our fore-fathers for the maintenance of superstitious worship but let us look to the sins of our fore-fathers and bewaile them before the Lord for God may come upon a Nation for former sins after it hath flourished a long time But at length it will prove but a little while What was it but a little while from the beginning of this Prophesie till the ceasing of the Kingdome of the house of Israel Yes my brethren it was many yeares and it is very observable that from the beginning of this Prophesie which was in the end of the raign of Jeroboam to the rulfilling of what was here threatned to the ceasing of the Kingdome of the house of Israel it was 76. years For as I reckoned the last day to shew the time of Hoseas Prophesie from the end of Jeroboam here spoken of ver 1. unto the time of Hezekiah was 70. yeares and in the 6. yeare of Hezekiah Israel was destroyed by the King of Assyria and yet God saith here by Hosea which was in the time of Jeroboam for then was the beginning of Hoseas Prophesie as ver 1. Yet a little while Seventy six years is but a little while in Gods account Sinners thinke either in wayes of judgement or mercy a little while to be a great while If God do but defer mercy seven yeares it is a great while in our account We think our Parliament hath sate a long time How long almost two yeares A great while Wee think every day a great while for that wee would faint have but 76. years yea a hundred a thousand years are but as one day unto God So for judgement a sinner if hee hath committed a sinne seven years agoe he thinketh it is a great while and he hath not heard of it thereforre surely it is forgotten But what if it be seventy years agoe you that are sinners of seventy yeares old all is but a little while in regard of God Againe Yet a little while The apprehension of a judgement just at hand is that which will stir the heart and worke upon it most Yet a little while and God will cause the kingdome to cease therefore if ever you repent repent now for it is but a little while ere God will cause the kingdome to cease The apprehension of a sinner to be upon the brink of judgment when a poore soule shall see him selfe ready to lanch into the infinit ocean of eternall destruction to lie under the scalding drops of the wrath of the Almighty this works upon the heart indeed It is the way of the flesh and the divell to put far from us the evill day to make us believe the day of death is a great way off But it is the way of God to present things present and reall and in this consisteth the efficacy and power of faith to make things that are to come as if present Wee say in nature there must be a contiguity and neernesse between things that must work So wee must apprehend a neernesse between the evill that is to come upon us and our selves that so it may work upon our hearts An excellent place you have to this purpose in 1 King 14. 14. where the Lord threatneth to stir up a King over Israel who should cut off the house of Ieroboam that day but what saith he he presently calleth back his word even now you may think the day a great way off but it is even now and therefore now come in return and repent Oh sinners consider that your danger is now not only in that day of Christ but what even now it may be at hand Lastly Yet a little while Jeroboam had continued above forty yeeres in his sin but now Zachariah his son upon whom this threatning was fulfilled continued but six moneths perhaps he thought to escape as long as his father No God suffereth some sinners to continue long others he cutteth off presently though the father continue old in his sins if the son presume to follow his steps he may be cut off presently And I will cause to cease the Kingdome of Israel Kingdomes great Kingdomes and Monarchies are subject to change What is become of all the glorious Monarchies in the world how hath the Lord tossed them up and downe as a man would tosse a ball Idolatry is enough to destroy the greatest Monarchy the greatest Kingdome in the world But here is some instruction in the elegancy of the word It is in the Originall I will cause to cease It is a Metaphor according to some taken from instruments that a man makes use of for a while and when hee hath done with them either hangs them up against a wall and regards them no more or else bringeth them to the fire to be burned So saith God yet a little while and I will cause to cease c. As if he should say Indeed there was a time wherein I had some use of this way of the rent between Judah and Israel and of this Kingdome but I have done with that use there is an end of it now the use is over I intended now I will cause to cease the Kingdome I will take them away they shall be to mee as an instrument not to be used any more or for the Fire When the Lord hath any use of a people or of any particular men to do him service he will preserve them though they be wicked and when he hath done with them he either layes them aside or else brings them to the fire A Husband-man so long as he hath use of thornes to stop a gap with them he lets them alone but when there shall be no further use of them he then bring them to the fire so God here I will cause to cease the Kingdome of the house of Israel But how and where will God cause to cease the Kingdome of Israel Vers 5. I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel By breaking the bow is here meant the blasting and bringing to nothing all the strength of their warlike power all their Armes and Ammunition
rule with God though it be the whole house of Israel God hath no mercy for the whole house of all the people of Israel Let no man presume to sin against the Lord because there are Multitudes that do offend think that he shal escape with the Multitude No all the nations of the world with the Lord are but as the drop of a bucket as the small dust of the ballance nothing even lesse then nothing And yet further No mercy upon the house of Israel Though it be the house of Israel yet no mercy upon her If it were the house of Pharaoh it were not so much but what no mercy to the house of Israel The neareness of any to God exempts them not from the wrath of God God hateth sin and hateth sin most when it is nearest him You have I knowne of all the families of the earth therfore wil I punish you for your iniquities saith the Lord. As we hate a Toad in our bosoms more then when it is at a further distance so God hateth sin in those that are nearest to him more than in those that are further off for God will be sanctified in all those that draw neer unto him But wherefore is all this that God wil have no more mercy upon the house of Israel what hath the house of Israel done that God should be so angry with it It is worth our searching and enquiring after why the Lord will at this time have no mercy upon the house of Israel It concerns our selves neerly The first and main reason is because of their continuance in their false way of worship notwithstanding all the means that God had used to bring them off not only by his Prophets sending them again and again to shew them the evill of their false worship in those 2. Calves in Dan and Bethel but by most remarkable works of his providence against them As for example The work of God against Jeroboam when hee was but stretching out his hand against the Prophet that came to denounce judgement against that Altar upon which he was offering Sacrifice his hand that he put forth against him dryed up so that he could not pull it in again to him and upon the prayer of the Prophet it was restored became as was before Again the remarkable work of God in anointing Iehu to destroy the house of Ahab and his seed for their Idolatry Yet notwithstanding these Prophets and these works of God with many other they still persisted in their way of Idolatry And this caused the Lord now not to have mercy upon the house of Israel Let us take heed of this God hath used and still doth use means to bring us off fully from all wayes of false worship not only by sending his Ministers from time to time to declaim against such things but by wonderful and remarkable works of his providence towards England especially at this day Never had any Nation never had England heretofore more remarkable works of God to draw them off from all wayes of false worship to bring them to worship God in the right way according to his will Now let us tremble at this sentence I will not add mercy I will have no more mercy God hath added mercy to us again and againe from time to time And now me thinks in this work of Gods mercy that he is about concerning us he speaks to us as he did to the people Come and put off thy ornaments that I may know what to do with thee Come now and humble your selves that I may know what to do As if God should say Come give in your last answer Certainly in that way that God is now in with us he calleth England to give its last answer as if he should say Now I am sheing mercy once more take heed of rejecting it lest you have a Loruhamah upon you I will adde no more mercy consider not onely what wee have done but what we do how we have abused mercy and how wee doe now abuse present mercy how opposite the spirits of most are against the work of reformation now in hand who even say to the Lord Christ depart from us we desire not the knowledg of thy ways When the people of Israel were offered Canaan and God bade them go in and possesse it they were then neer unto it but when they then refused Canaan God sware in in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest If ever a people were offered Canaan were offered the Ordinances of God in his owne way certainly wee are at this time Let us tremble lest God if wee reject this mercy should swear in his wrath I will have no more mercy upon you and so we prove to be a Loruhamah indeed But a second reason why this people could have no mercy might be because of their forsaking God even in the civill State For you are to know that this people of Israel had not only left God in their Church State and defiled themselves with false worship but they had in their civill government wickedly departed from that that God had appointed over them They had departed from the house of David and rent themselves from it It is true this was of Gods permission but yet it was the wickednes of their hearts no excuse at all for them Hence Chap. 8. 4. God chargeth them that they had set up Kings but not by him From whence this may bee observable That it is a most dangerous thing for a people to forsake that government to rebell against that civill government that God doth set over them When the people in 1 Sam. 8. 7. had required a King and would not be ruled by Judges any more saith the Lord to Samuel They have not rejected you but rejected me that I should not reigne over them A most dreadfull place And I confesse freely to you this one Text of Scripture was the first Scripture that took impression upon my thoughts and heart about fearing to goe on in a way of Church-government that God had not appointed For thus my thoughts reasoned What is God so provoked against a people that will reject but a Civill government a government that hee hath appointed that specially concernes but the outward man Then if it proves that God hath appointed any government in a Church that is Divine Institution that concerns the good of the soule and is immediately to work upon that surely God will be much more provoked there for rejecting it And going yet further upon search finding that though we have not a civill government appointed by God as the Jewes had yet for the Church state wee have one appointed even by God himself And reason there must be for it for whatsoever hath a speciall efficacy upon the heart must have a spirituall rule for the warrant and direction Indeed prudence and reason is enough for the ordering of things that
concern the outward man except God will come in with his owne institution But when it cometh to the ordering of the heart and there is a spirituall efficacy expected as in all Church ordinances there must be and that authority by which they are executed giveth a great influence into them now nothing can goe beyond its principle therefore it must have a divine institution to give it its efficacy It may here be demanded whether hat not God appointed over us a particular civill government as he did over the Jews That our government and all lawfull government of other Nations is appointed by God we must conclude is a certain truth But not so appointed by God as the government of the Jewes was And the reason is this because the Church and Common-wealth of the Jewes was involved in one and therefore the Apostle speaking of the Church hee saith they were Aliens and strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel It was meant of the Church state There was such a kind of Paedagogy under the Law that the Church and State were involved in one for Christ would be the head of the Church and Common-wealth too and appoint them lawes And so their government was imediately from heaven Now for us That we should have a government according to the rules of wisdome and justice that indeed is appointed by God God would have us have a government But he leaveth the ordering of that government to generall rules of prudence and justice So that now it is lawfull for any Kingdome or Country to agree together and according to the rules of wisdom and justice to appoint what government they wil as vvhether it shall be a Monarchy or an Aristocracy or a Democracy and to limit this according to Covenant of agreement as whether that the fundamentall povver shall be vvholly put out or any part reserved hovv farre this or that Man or society of Men shall have the Managing of it and the like then so farre as it is agreed upon vvee are bound in conscience to obey either actively or passively but no further are vvee bound to obey any Man though he be in authority yet vvee are not bound to obey him either actively or passively conscience is not tyed Though those men be in authority yet it is no resisting of authority at all not to do what they would have Yea though the thing be lawfull they would have yet if it be not according to the law of the kingdom to the first agreement I may be bound by the rules of prudence to save my selfe but it is not authority that binds me to obey out of conscience For we must of necessity distinguish between men in authority and the authority of those men Wherefore so long as wee seeke but to keepe authority in the right channell that it flows not over the banks we cannot be charged for resisting the government God hath set over us though we do not obey the wills of those who are set over us and therefore there is no cause that we should fear that God should say to England upon this ground Loruhamah hee will have no mercy To proceed But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah The people of Israel they might say Hosea thou art a Preacher indeed what preach nothing but judgment nothing but wrath to be utterly taken away Is there no mercy at all Is not God a mercifull God Yes saith the Prophet though you be taken away God knoweth how to glorifie his mercy he hath others that he can make to be objects of his mercy though you be destroyed From whence first you see that though God utterly reject some yet in the mean time he hath others to shew mercy unto Therefore it is no plea for any sinner to say thus well I have sinned indeed but God is mercifull What if God be mercifull so he may be though thou be damned and perish everlastingly Yea whole kingdoms nations may perish yet God may be mercifull God hath stil infinite ways to glorifie his mercy Many people in desperate moods lay violent hands upon themselves certainly there is a kind of spirit of revenge in it as if they thought there would be some trouble about it and so God should lose some honour But if you will have your will in this or in any thing else though you be dead and rotten and your souls perhaps in chains of darkness God will have wayes to be glorious in his mercy whatsoever come of you But 2. I will have mercy upon the house of Judah God will alwayes have a Church he will never destroy his Church at once the Lord loveth publique worship in the world Though he will utterly take away the house of Israel yet he will have mercy upon the house of Judah Again Israel might say what will not God be mercifull to us why I pray you what doth Judah get by her worshipping of God in that which you say is the only right way Judah indeed keepeth her selfe to Ierusalem keepeth her selfe to worship in the Temple but what doth she get by it for ought we see Iudah is in as hard an estate and in as low a condition as we nay as we shall see afterward Iudah was in a lower condition than Israel and certainly such kind of expressions as these they would be ready to have against the Prophet Well saith God let Iudah be what she will I will have mercy upon her Though carnal hearts when they look upon the low condition of the true worshippers of God think that there is no difference between those that are in a good way and themselves that are in the ways of sin yet God will make a difference I will have mercy upon Iudah but not upon Israel Many carnal men please themselves with this I see others that are strict that pray in their families that run to Sermons and wil not do thus and thus as others do yet they are as poor in as mean a condition as any others what do they get by their forwardness in religion Are not we in as good a condition as they Well friend though thy carnal heart think there is no difference between him that serveth God him that serveth him not God hath a time to manifest a difference There shall a time come saith God Mal. 3. 18. that you shall returne and discerne between the righteous and the wicked between him that feareth God and him that feareth him not I will not have mercy upon Israel but I will have mercy upon Iudah Fourthly Judah had at this time many grosse and fearful evils amongst them yea scarcely delivered from Sodomy it will aske a great deale of time to shew you the state of Judah in regard of the horrible wickednesse that was in it yet God saith I will have mercy upon the house of Iudah What is the reason of this Because though Iudah had many grosse evils yet Iudah kept
a Son What is the meaning of this I told you the last day that by the second childe was noted the state of the people at that time that it grew weaker and more effeminate weaker in regard of their outward strength and more effeminate in regard of their spirits And that I made good to you out of the History of those times in the book of the Kings Well but now it is a son what doe they grow stronger then before now they are come neerer to destruction then before Yes though neerer to ruine and destruction and more heavy wrath then they were before yet they get up a little strength before that time Therefore the third childe is a sonne Concerning the strength that this people had got at this time a little before this their utter rejection upon which their spirits were raised you shall finde the History of it in 2 Kings 17. 4. where you have a declaration of the state of the ten Tribes then when Lo-ammi was borne for the Text tells us that they began to joyne in confederacy with the King of Egypt and so whereas formerly they had done homage by presents to the King of Assyria now being confederate with the King of Egypt they refused to bring any more presents to him they begin now to be a jolly people and hoped to cast off that yoke of bondage under which they were in regard of the Assyrians God sometimes letteth men and Nations and Churches to rise a little out of their affliction before their utter ruine he gives them a little reviving they have a little lightning before their death Many men think themselves in a very good condition if having been in affliction their afflictions doe begin once to abate and they begin to get a little up now they think they are safe and they are ready to say with Agag Surely the bitternesse of death is gone surely the worst is past But you may sometimes be recovered when God intendeth you should be suddenly rejected Many may be preserved from some judgements because they are reserved to greater judgments The Lord hath begun indeed to give us in England a little reviving a little strength to enable us to rise against the oppressions of our Adversaries those cruel oppressions But let us not be secure notwithstanding this for though we have some little reviving if we follow not God on in the way of humiliation and reformation this our little reviving may be but a lightning before our death And yet further it is very observable when the condition of Israel was at this time when God was about to say Lo-ammi they are not my people what it was not only in regard of their strength but what it was in regard of their sins For you shall finde if you examine the History that the people of Israel were at this time somewhat better then they had been before not only had gotten somwhat more strength but they were somewhat better in regard of their sins then they had been Imeane they had lesse sins then they had before yet now God is saying to them Lo-ammi You are not my people And for that observe 2 Kings 17. 2. if you reade that Chapâ—â— you shall finde that the very time of the utter rejection of Israel was in the dayes of Hoshea and the Text saith He did evil in the sight of the Lord the King in whose dayes they were so rejected did evil in the sight of the Lord but not as the Kings of Israel that were before him He was not so bad as the former Kings of Israel and yet in his dayes there comes utter destruction upon Israel Yea and as the King was not so bad then as others before him so it may seeme the people were not so bad as in former time for ver 9. the Text saith That the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the Lord their God Indeed they were sinful but their sinfulnes was secret they did not sin with such an open impudent face as it seemed as heretofore Yet in this Kings time and when these people were thus commeth their utter ruine What may we learne from hence This That sometimes when there are greater sinnes patience stayes judgement and yet afterward when a people seeme to be in a better condition not onely in regard of their outward strength but then in regard of their sins too yet then God cometh with his wrath upon that people Let us not flatter our selves although we can say that some things here amongst us are not so bad as heretofore they have beene Suppose there be some partial reformation this is not ground enough to secure us We cannot reason thus Why heretofore the Land was more sinful then now and the Governours were more oppressing then now there hath been thanks be to God much reformation This is not enough we may be neerer the forest misery at this time if our reformation be not a through reformation then we were before And the reason is this because God when he comes against a Nation he doth not onely come against it for the present sins that they are actually guilty of at that time but to reckon with them for their sins comited fore though the judgement falls out to be inflicted just at that time It may be a concourse of many passages of Gods providence might so fall out as might suâ—e with Gods ends that the destruction of this nation should be at this time rather then before yet the nation not more sinful then before but to fulfill other passages of providence that God intends and then he comes to reckon with them for sins that were along time ago committed for their present sinnes altogether As hee doth sometimes with particular persons perhaps they have been drunkards unclean wicked 20. yeers agone God hath spared them afterward upon some lesser sins God may take advantage to come against them for all their other sins together We use to say It is not the last blow of the axe that fells the oak perhaps the last may be a weaker blow then any of the former but the oake was a felling down all the while before the other blowes made way for the felling of it and at length a little blow comes and doth it So our former sinnes may be the things that make way for our ruine and then at length some lesser sinnes may do it You that have been guilty of grosse sins take heed of small sins for though God hath pared you when you were guilty of great sins do not say that he will spare you now you commit lesser sins but at this time of committing lesser sins you may be called to an account for grosser Did you never know a house stand out against many strong and blustring winds yet afterward some little puffe of wind hath tumbled it down So it is with Nations and people that somtimes stand out through
of my patience to be yours you shall not have my creatures to be yours you shall not have those fruites of my bounty to be yours No but I will not be yours I my selfe will not be yours This is the sorest threatning that posibly can be to a gracious heart It is a greater misery to lose God himself then to be deprived of whatsoever commeth from God And this indeed is one special difference between an hypocrite and a true gracious heart an hypocrite is satisfied with what cometh from God but a true gracious heart is satisfied with nothing but God himselfe though God lets out never so many fruits of his bounty and goodnesse to him yet he must have union with God himselfe or else he is unsatisfied It is a notable speech of Bernard Lord saith he As the good things that come from me please not thee without my selfe so the good things that come from thee please not me without thy selfe This is the expression of a gracious heart Let us tender up to God never so much never such duties with never so great strength except we tender up to God our selves they never please him So let God bestow never so many favours upon us except God give us himselfe they should never pleaseus I mean please us so as to satisfie us so as to quiet us if for our portion You know what God said to Abraham Fear not I am thy exceeding great reward But Lord what wilt thou give me seeing I goe childelesse What is all this to me so long as I have not the promise fulfilled that so I may come in Christ to enjoy thy selfe And Moses would not be contented though God told him his Angel should goe before them No saith hee Except thou goe with us thy selfe let us not depart hence It is the difference between the Strumpet and the loving wife the strumpet careth not so much for the person of her lover as for his gists for what she hath by him but the true lover cannot be satisfied with lovetokens but she must have the person himselfe So it is with a gracious heart It is very observable that of David in Psal 51. 9. Turne away thy angry face from my sins It seemes Gods face was angry and yet presently ver 11. Cast me not away a facie tua from thy face Gods face was an angry face yet David would not be cast away from this face of God Oh no rather let God be present with a gracious heart though he be angry though his anger continue yet let me have his countenance This is plainly gathered hence in that God saith not I will not give you these and these favours but I will not be your God that this is the sorest threatning that possibly can be to a gracious heart 5. This is the judgement for sin Gods not being their God It hence appeares that sin carryes along with it in it selfe its own punishment How is that Thus By sin we refuse to have God to be our God by it we depart from God we do not trust God nor love him nor fear him The very nature of sin hath this in it that it causeth a sinner to depart from God yea to reject God from being a God unto him and this is the punishment I will not be your God And this is the sorest punishment to a sinner that he shall not for ever have God to his God Lastly You are not my people and I will not be your God Hence learn this When any forsake God from being their God we should do as God doth reject them from being ours if they will not be Gods neither should they be ours will not such a man have acquaintance with God will he forsake him and his wayes then he shall not have our acquaintance we will forsake him How far we may withdraw from a Church that it shall not be ours we shal fully meet with all in the second Chap. somewhat will be said about it there Onely now thus much though it be true when a people forsake God we are to forsake them yet let them grow never so wicked our natural and civill relations cannot be broken because of their wickednesse but the relations of husband and wife father and childe master and servant must be acknowledged servants must be dutiful to their masters though never so wicked And the wife must be loving and dutiful to her husband though he be never so wicked a man But for any inward intimate familiarity with those not thus joyned in such Relations ought not to be if they reject God if they will not be Gods they should not be ours It is said Iob. 8 20. That God will not take the ungodly by the hand It should be true of us all wee should not take the ungodly by the hand Thus much for the name of this third childe Lo-ammi you are not my people and I will not be your God That which remaineth in the Chapter it is a promise of mercy both to Israel ver 10. and afterwards to Israel and Judah together ver 11. To Israel first and that is Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the Sea which cannot be measured or numbred c. And so he goeth on with wonderful gracious promises of mercy to Israel in future generations though for the present God had determined what to do with this Israel Here then we have first a promise of mercy to Israel in the middest of the sorest judgement that God threatneth he comes in with promises of mercy even unto Israel And Secondly this mercy to be in future generations And thirdly to consist in the multitudes that should be gathered to Israel These three things are observable in general First That there is such a gracious promise immediately after such a sore and dreadful threatning as this as indeed it is one of the most dreadful threatnings we have in all the Book of God yet here in the close of the Chapter we have as gracious a promise again as is in the whole Book of God From whence we may observe thus much That the Lord in Judgement remembreth Mercy It is a sore thing when God in mercy shall remember judgement but it is as comfortable when God in judgement remembers mercy When God threatneth most dreadfully yet he promiseth most graciously Wee should therefore when we most feare the threats of God yet looke up to the promises of God looke up to see when wrath is denounced in the most hideous and dreadfull way whether we cannot spie a Promise whether there be not yet a little cloud though but as big as a mans hand whether there be not yet a little crevis through which we may see whether God doth not break forth with a little light in a way of promise It is a usual thing when we are in prosperity to forget all threatnings and fo it is
admonitions will not doe we must strengthen our selves and falla pleading If there be any way more powerfull then exhortation and admonition we should take that way and not presently give over for though it is not said here Pleade with your brothers and sisters yet they are included in this when he saith Plead with your mother Thirdly It is a hard thing to convince Idolaters of their sin and of the Justice of God comming against them for their sinne Plead with your mother plead shee will not acknowledge it she will stand it out and say she hath not done so ill shee is not worthy to be cast off you had need pleade and plead hard with her she will stand out else Idolaters have so many distinctions so many evasions so many shifts and pretences that it is a thousand to one ever almost to prevaile with them When you deale with Papists about worshipping of Images they will have such distinctions of worship perse and worship per accidens of honouring the creature Propter se propter aliud Proprie improprie and a hundred of such kinde of distinctions and evasions till they distinguish out the truth and scarce understand themselves what they meane by their distinctions Hence Idolaters scorne at judgements threatned they thinke onely a company of foolish timorous people fear such things they cry out say they that we are Idolaters Idolaters and grievous judgements of God are comming â—â—on us a company of foolish melancholly people they feare their own 〈◊〉 Was it not so heretofore when we were going on in the wayes of Idolatry space Was it not the jeere and scorne of all such spirits If any did seeme but to make a question about Idolatry they would never be convinced of such a sinne nor never feare any judgements hanging over our heads Though God hath prevented it through his grace and hath shewed his preroâ—ation in the ways of his mercy yet certainly there was signe enough of dreadfull wrath hanging over us and what yet may be we know not Fourthly Plead with your mother pleade It is a 〈◊〉 of forensecall word and carrieth with it such a kinde of pleading as must be a convincing a powerfull pleading God loveth to have people dealt withall in a convincing way The Lord doth not cry out to the Prophet or to these other good people that were free from that Idolatry that the people of Israel were generally corrupted withall he doth not say I say bid them go and terrifie them and cry out of the◠〈◊〉 speake bitterly unto them but 〈◊〉 and pleadâ— the cause with them seeke to convince them doc not goe and 〈◊〉 upon 〈◊〉 〈…〉 them God loveth to have people dealt withall in a convincing way Let not therefore any thinke it enough either Minister or other that they can speak terribly to people and cry out of the sinnes of the people but let them labour to convince them to deale with them as rationall creatures and to take away their secret objections and their secret shifts and to make their sinnes plaine before their consciences A convincing Preacher and a convincing Christian is such a one as may be very usefull and doe aboundance of good to the Church of God Fifthly Pleade with your mother It is very fit that God should have some to pleade for him to pleade his cause as well as the devil hath to pleade his The devill never wants pleaders When was there ever such an ill cause came to a Bench or to any society in any publique way but found some that would pleade for it A shame that the worst cause in the world should have pleaders for it and many times the cause of God suffers by mens being mute that should pleade for it God will take this very ill at their hands It is true God saith hee will pleade his owne cause and wee are bound to pray according to that of the Psalmist that God would arise and pleade his owne cause And indeed if God had not risen and pleaded his owne cause better then we did his cause would have been in the dirt before this Though it is true God is raising up his own cause no thanke to us wee have cause to lay our hands upon our moâ—thes as guilty in that we did so basely and cowardly let the cause of God suffer and God appearing so immediately and gloriously is the rebuking of us because we did not wee would not before stand up to pleadâ— his cause Sixthly When any have found mercy from God the sweetnesse of that mercy so warmeth their hearts that they cannot endure to see that blessed God be dishonoured Pleade you Ammi Ruhamah what my people those to whom I have shewed mercy what though it be your mother what though it be any deare to you what though they be great ones though they be a multitude yet pleade plead for me against them this note is grounded upon the title that God giveth them who should plead Ammi and Ruhamah those that are Gods people those that have found mercy from God Gods mercy is so sweet it doth so inflame them that they must plead for God against any in the world Seventhly Pleade with your Mother That is with the Church called a Mother because as the Mother is as it were the roote from whence children come divideth her selfe into branches so the community of a Commonwealth or a Church any community is called in Scripture a Mother and the particulars they are as severall branches that growe from that roote they are as children Therefore you have such expressions in Scripture as the daughters of Jerusalem oftentimes and there is no great difference between calling Jerusalem that is the State Mother or Jerusalem that is the Church Mother for indeed the Church and State were mixed both together From this expression we learne that it is lawfull for children to plead with their parents Though it is true this aimeth at a higher thing then what is between natural children and their parents yet from the expression this is intimated and implied That it is lawfull for children to pleade with their parents If children see their parents in an ungodly way they may lawfully pleade with them and their parents are bound to hearken to their pleading Gods cause It is a speech of Tertullians the begetter is to be beloved and we may adde he is to be honoured but our Creator is to be preferred Children must give due respect to their parents yet so as preferring the Lord before them and if the parents goe against God even their children must plead against them As it is a great sinne for parents to prefer their children before God so it is a great sin for children to prefer their parents before God Do not think I come to set children against their parents in this be but content to heare to the end though I will not be long in this observation and you
upon them when it shall be seasonable for them but when they come upon the wicked it shal be when they are most unseasonable for them As a husband-man if he would cut his Tree so as onely to lop it that it may grow and flourish again he will be sure to do it in due time as in January or February but if he would cut it that so it may dye hee will lop it when it flourisheth most at Midsummer God indeed letteth wicked men grow up and flourish to the height of their prosperity and then he commeth and loppeth them because then hee knowes they must die and perish It were better to be lopped in January in winter time before you flourish then you may live for your good but if you stay till the summer you die for it You have an excellent Scripture Zeph. 2. 4. They shall drive out Ashdod at noon day In those Countries that were exceeding hot and scorching she pheards and others that had their businesse abroad used to keep their houses at noon day or get into some shady places and sleepe Now when God threatneth a judgement in wrath and denyeth mercie saith hee they shall drive out Ashdod at noone day in the worst time that possibly Ashdod can be driven out in the middest of scorching Because God intended to destroy them he drives them out at noone day Again thirdly When God commeth upon the wicked and denyeth mercie he regardeth not the proportion of any affliction or any evill whether it be enough or not enough for them what is that to him When hee cometh upon his own people he weigheth out his wrath Never did any skilfull Physitian or Apothecary more carefully weigh out to every dram what the potion should be that is to be given to a child then God doth weigh out every affliction that he sendeth upon his children The difference is just as if you should goe to the Apothecaries to take ratsbane to poyson or kill vermine you doe not weigh out how much you should take but give them it at adventure and let them take as much as they will and let them burst but if you take any thing for your child if it have any strong vertue in iâ— or without composition it may be poison you will take heed you will not take a dram a graine too much but will be sure to weigh it out exactly Thus though when God commeth to his children hee weigheth out their afflictions yet when he cometh with judgements upon the wicked he cares not how much how many or great they be whether sutable to their conditions or no whether they can beare them or no whether their backes breake or no he cometh with judgements upon them to destroy them Fourthly When afflictions commeth without mercie upon the wicked God stoppeth his ears at all their cryes If they cry when God cometh with judgements against them he calleth their cryings howling Hee tells them though they cry aloud yea cry with teares he will not heare them Fifthly God commandeth all creatures that they should deny help to them They may stand and be amazed but help them they cannot They all say how can we help seeing God helpes not Sixthly There is the curse of God mixed with every judgement to drive them further from God and to harden them more in their sinnes Lastly One judgement is but the making way for another yea all judgments in this world are but the fore-runners and makers-way for eternall judgements This is the portion of the cup of the wicked when God saith he will shew them no mercie The afflictions of the Saints may seeme to be more grievous outwardly but thus God never afflicteth them there is mercie alwayes for them VVherefore all yee Saints of God who are under any affliction at any time be patient and quiet be contented under it for though your afflictions before and grievous yet God delivereth you from such afflictions as these wherein he saith he will shew no mercie But further I will not have mercy upon her children Her children The judgement of God in punishing the sin of the fathers upon the children we spake somewhat of in the Chapter before wee will wholly let that passe now and onely consider children in another way then we did before in a politicall consideration for certainly that is the meaning of the Text I will not have mercy upon her children that is I will not have mercie upon the particular people that belong to Iezreel Private and particular people are called the daughters of Jerusalem the daughters of such a Country So that the whole community together with the officers Governours they are as the Mother and the private and particular people they are as the children So that when God saith he will have no mercy upon her children hee doth not onely threaten the State and the Church the Governours and the whole Community thus but he threatneth every particular person of them though you that are in the multitude perhaps thinke you may escape in the crowde No saith God I will looke to every one of you of the multitude of the private and particular persons of Israel and my wrath shalâ— not onely come out against those that are in higher places but it shall come out against you also I will slay her children It is true indeed the heads and governours of places are usually most invelved in the guilt of the sins of nations and their judgements are usually most dreadfull when God commeth with nationall judgements As Num. 35. 3. 4. The Text saith there that Israel joyned themselves to Baal Peor and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel and the Lord said unto Moses take all the heads of the people and hang them up before the sunne The Lords anger was kindled against the people but he bade Moses especially look to the heads and take them and hang them up beâ—â—re the Lord that the fierce anger of the Lord might be turned away from Israel Certainly execution of wrath upon great ones upon such as have beene heads in evill is a Sacrifice exceeding well pleasing to God But though God ayâ—â—e at them especially in nationall judgements yet the multitude and private people must not thinke to escape and that upon these grounds First Because many times it is for their sins that God suffereth their Governours to doe so much evill as they doe As Israel had sinned and God was wrath with Israel therefore David did what he did in numbring the people When you see your Governours doe that which is naught lament for your own sins doe not spend your time onely in crying out against them but look to yourselves it is for your sinnes that God hath left them to do as they have done Secondly It may be the reason why Governours do not reforme is in the perversenesse of people that they are not in a preparation to receive that good which
otherwise our Governours had in their hands hearts to bring to passe As 2 Chron. 20. 33. it is cleere there Howbeit the high places were not taken away why For as yet the people had not prepared their hearts to seeke the God of their Fathers Why should they have pulled down the high places no but they should have beene in a preparation for the pulling of them downe Certainly this is the great cause why our high places are not pulled downe why Reformation hath gone on no better then it hath and why we have so much evil remaining amongst us because the people have not prepared their hearts they are not in a disposition to receive the mercie that our governours have hearts to bring unto us They have hearts to work for us but when we speake to them of what is fit to be done their answer is but is England in a fit disposition to receive such a thing as that is so that the truth is although you are ready to cry out of your Governours you say they have power in their hands why doe they not reforme things yet the guilt in great part devolves upon the people they are not in a fit dâ—sposition to receive such reformation therefore God threatneth the childâ—en the peoâ—le here Again further It may be it is from you that the Governours that are evil are so much incouraged and abetted in that which is evill though you doe it not yet you so much incourage them as the guilt redounds upon you Yea lastly If you do but obey them in any thing that is evill in doing of that the guilt devolveth upon you for you should not do it but rather obey God then man Many thinke to make this their plea they are commanded to doe thus and thus and Governours would have them doe it and it is Law and the like and they thinke upon this plea they may do any thing in the world This will not secure you God may come with judgement without mercie upon the children as well as upon the Mother And if Gods wrath should come in nationall judgements against England let the people know that they are like to smart most dreadfully for never was their a time in our dayes nor in our fore-fathers dayes that so much depended upon the people as at this day never were they called to that help as now they are called to at this day So that the people now may have reformation they may have blessings if it be not through their own default As Cant. 7. 1. The Church is there described in her beauty and it beginneth at her feete How beautifull are thy feete And Cant. 5. There Christ is described in his beauty and it beginneth at the head His head is as the most faire gold God sometimes makes use of the people to be great meanes and perhaps the beginning of means to bring beauty to the Church though they cannot perfect it Heretofore private persons could doe little Alas though they were under grievous oppressions they knew not now to help themselves Many men that had purses and strength and heads and hearts and all yet they knew not what to doe but to make their moane one to another and to heaven but now it is otherwise now you may do somewhat else besides making your moane one to another yea besides making your moaâ—e to heaven for you that have purses now you may see waies to employ them for the publique good for Religion for liberty you that have strength of body may know what to doe you that have head-pieces I mean parts you are called to help you may joyne together for God and the good of your Country you may do much more then heretofore could be done Wherefore now if you should desert the Cause of God and desert those that you have trusted you must expect the most dreadfull wrath of God and that without mercie even upon the people that ever was upon any nation since the beginning of the world for never any nation that we know of had more depending upon the people then there is at this day upon the people of England O consider of it and oh that all the people of the land did but know what God would have them to do in such a time as this Again I will not have mercy upon her children upon particular private persons in the society One note more upon that It is a dangeraus thing for men in any societie to do as the most doe If they be in a civill societie to give their votes and to do as the greater part doth if you be in a Church societie to do as the greater part doth without any examination of it this dangerous For though the greater part the communitie may doe that which is evil you shall not be excused by that for you to say why what could I help it whâ—n the most doth it God commeth upon private and particular men upon the children even every one of them And why For they are the children of whoredomes That is either passively or actively passively because they were begotten of whoredomes and brought up their education hath been in whoredome they have had it from their parents Or else they are the children of whoredomes actively they live in the same whoredomes their Mother did From hence First There is little hope of children brought up in wicked education who have wicked parents also If the dye have beene in the wooll it is hard to get out of the cloth If wickedness if evill principles have beene dropped into children there is little hope of them for good especially of those children that have been brought up in wayes of superstition and Idolatry their hearts being so soyled and defiled and hardned in superstitious and idolatrous wayes they seldome come to any good Therefore that which hath been mentioned is very good namely of wayes to take the children of Papists to bring them up in the education and knowledge of the truth Yet Secondly This shall not excuse children though they be the children of whoredomes It is no excuse for them to say they had it from their Parents and they did as their Parents have done and as they bade them and according as they brought them up No it excuseth not at all for the wrath of God commeth upon them that are the children of whoredomes Then what a mercie is it for us to be brought up in the truth to have Parents that doe professe the truth and for our education to bee in the way of truth It is a mercy that we do not consider of to give God the glory of it How dangerous is it to have superstitious Idolatrous Parents and to have such kind of education there is not one of ten thousand that altereth his religion If they have Turks or Jewes or Papists to their parents and such education it is not one of tenne thousand I say that altereth his religion
Therefore it is like our condition would have been the same if God had not cast it that our parents should be such as professe the truth and our education according to the truth Blesse God for this And you that are parents doe you look to your children and bring them up in the truth Children who have gracious principles dropped into them and those watred by prayers and tears there is hope of them and not of them alone but of the nation where they live Lastly which is the observation which mainely wee are to consider of When Gods judgements come abroad in the world let the children of whoredomes look to it God threatneth he will have no mercy upon them or they are the children of whoredomes The children of whoredomes are the butt of Gods wrath when his judgements come abroad in the world Isa 27. 4 Furie is not in me saith the Text that is it is not in mee toward my Saints though I come out in a kind of fury yet it is not in me toward them what then Who would set the briers and thorns against mee in battle I would goe thorough them I would burn them together When my wrath commeth against the briars and thornes I will go through them and burne them together but for my children fury is not in me toward them When Gods wrath is abroad in the world let not the children of the bride-chamber feare but let the children of whoredomes feare and quake let briars and thornes feare but not the fruitfull trees in Gods garden Godjudgements know how to make a difference between men they are dis stinguishing things when they come abroad God sendeth not his judgements hand over head but putteth into them a distinguishing quality God hath a chamber of rest and safety for his people wherein he will hide them till his indignation be over-past but for the children of whoredomes superstitious Idolatrous wicked and ungodly people they are the people of Gods indignation they are like Idumea the people of Gods curse as you have it Isa 34. 5. There are a people this day amongst us who are certainely the people of Gods curse and let them look to it as well as they will Rev. 14. 8. Babylon is fallen is fallen saith an Angell there and mark what followeth ver 9. And another Angel followed saying with a loud voyce If any man worship the beast and his image and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand the same shal drinke of the wine of the wrath of God which is powred out without mixture into the cup of his indignation It is according to that in the Text here God will have no mercy they shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God without mixture without mixture of any mercy at all And further He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels in the presence of the Lambe and the smoake of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever And they have no rest day nor night that worship the beast and his image Here is a dreadfull threat against the children of whoredomes against such as follow the wayes of the great whore of Babylon Blessed are they that in these times have testimony in their own consciences that it hath been their care above all things to draw themselves out from the guilt of all superstitious and Idolatrous vanities and to keep themselves according to that light that God hath discovered to them pure from the pollutions of that man of sin Blessed I say are these they need not feare this day but for those that have involved themselves in the guilt of those pollutions they have need to humble their souls before God and to cry mightily for wrath is going out against the children of whoredomes This Text here spoken of is not meant only of hell hereafter but it is meant of judgement even in this world And above all times that ever yet have been since Antichrist began it is a most desperate thing to be a Papist in these dayes because now is the time for God to make these children of whoredomes the very Butt of his wrath and indignation We heare of wars and rumors of wars and a great deale of stir there is abroad My brethren keep your hearts chast to God and fear not for God hath another manner of people to deal withall then you you shall be sealed first before the wrath come out Though I cannot excuse you altogether from suffering some afflictions these children of whoredomes may bring some trouble upon the Saints for the present yea perhaps some of you may have your blood spilt but God hath mercy to bestow upon you but for them there is wrath and wrath without mixture God saith he will have no mercy upon the children of whoredoms Let such as are going forth then in this Service for Religion and Liberty go forth with courage and undauntednesse of spirit why for they fight against none but those that God fighteth against Who are they but the children of whoredomes that they go to fight against those who have shewed themselves to be open fighters against God and his truth such as are most abominable swearers cursers and blasphemers such as make no other use of the light of the Gospel that they have but only to scorn and contemn it such as are open despisers of God and his truth and of his people Certainly if there be a cursed generation upon the face of the earth these are the people whose mouths are full of curses and certainely Gods curse is upon them who are so full of cursings themselves If there be any of you here that are now or hereafter may go forth in this service your spirits should even rise with indignation against such monsters upon earth and goe against them as David against Goliah What shall this uncircumcised Philistine defie the hoast of the living God Thus your hearts should rise if you have any love to God and his truth Shall a company of cursed monsters that do nothing but blaspheme and curse and sweare and defie God and his servants and his Tabernacle and worship shall these uncircumcised Philistins go on thus defying God and his truth If you have the hearts of men within you especially of Christians me thinks you should not be able to beare it but goe forth against them with fulnesse of spirit and resolution certainely God will make them a prey to you they are not only such as not only have put off Christianity and are become Atheists but they have put off all kind of humanity and are rather turned monstrous beasts or devils Fear them not though their hearts be full of pride and rage and though they beast never so much what they are or what they have done or what they will doe I say feare them not for this is part of the curse of God that is upon them that though God fighteth against them they
againe but grow exceeding wilfull in that wickedness You have a notable Text for that Jer. 44. 16. 17. the people say there The word that thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not heare but we well doe whatsoever commeth out of our own mouth to burn incense to the Queen of Heaven VVee will goe on in that way to burne Incense to the Queene of heaven talk as long as you will And so you have it Jerem. 20. 10. Goe saith God passe over the Isles of Chitrim and see and send unto Kedar and consider deligently and see of there be such athing Hath a nation changed their gods which yet are no gods Men are setled in the wayes of Idolatry and will never give over the worshipping of their gods but you have forsaken me therefore be astonished O ye heavens at this and be ye horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord. So Micah 4. 5. All people will walke every one in the name of his god Their hearts are set upon it they will doe it Spirituall whoredome doth mightily besot the heart I suppose you know the sext it is a very famous one Esay 44. 19. 20. None considereth in his heart neither is there knowledg nor understanding to say I have burnt part of iâ— in the fire yea also I have baked bread upon the coales thereof I have rosted flesh and eaten it and shall I make the residue thereof an abominaâ—â— shall I fall down to the stock of a tree He feedeth on ashes a seduced heart hath â—urned him aside that he cannot deliver his soul nor say Is there not a lie in my right hand And so Rev. 16. 11. where those that were given up to Antichrist though they were tormented they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores and they repented not of their deeds Thirdly wilfulnesse in any sinne but especially in these sinnes is a very great aggravation of it I will have no mercy upon them I will give them up why They have done shamefully and they have said I will goe after my lovers There are a great many who in their passion think it a brave spirit to say I will and I will and I will and I care not say what you can or whatsoever becommeth of it I will doe or I will have this and this Especially men in place and of estates are not able to endure the controlling of their will in any thing and therefore when their wills are but crost they burst out into outragious speeches and fall a blaspheeming and swearing and saying they will have their wills though it cost them their lives Thus we find it in the people of Israel 1 Sam. 8. 19 when Samuel from God came and told them in a long narration what hardship they should endure in having a King that was not them according to Gods minde they 〈◊〉 him all that he said and they doe not stand to answer any of Samuels arguments but presently they break out into this resolution Nay but we will have a King Those whom God leaveth to hardnesse of heart and intendeth ruine to he usually giveth them up to this wilfulnesse in their evill wayes The Scripture records Pharaoh for a famons example of one hardned and prepared for ruine He was of a most wilfull spirit Exod. 15. 9. you shall find his wilfulnesse expressed foure times there in that one verse I will pursue saith he and then again I will overtake and thirdly I will divide the spoile and then fourthly I will draw my sword and there are two other expressions that come to the same effect that are equivalent to the former even in the same verse My lust shall be satisfied my hand shall destroy them Put all these six expressions that you have in that one verse together and where have you such an expression of a wilfull creature as Pharaoh was and what became of him you all know Only one more example I find in Scripture paralleld to this and that is the King of Babylon Egypt and Babylon were two the most eminent for Idolatry and persecution of the Church that ever were in the world and these are the two most famous examples for wilfulnesse that ever were Esa 14. 13 14 you have in these two verses five times I will 1. I will ascend into heaven 2. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God 3. I will siâ— upon the mount 4. I will ascend above the heights 5. I will be like the most high And what became of him afterwards you all know yea the next woâ—ds tell you Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell c. These two little words I and Will doe a great deale of mischâ—efe in the world Luther I remember npon Psal 127. saith I am of that opinion saith he and verily perswaded Monarchies would longer time by farre endure if those that are high Monarchs and States would but omit this one Pronoun I this same Ego It is true in publique wayes they express themselves in the plurall number We but private resolutions are in the singular number I. This for that little word I. The second is Will I will that is a little word too But I may say of this little Will this little word as James saith concerning the Tongue It is indeed a little member in the body but it setteth the whole world on fire and it selfe is set on fire of hell So it is true that this same little Will it is but a little word but it setteth whole Kingdomes on fire it setteth whole Townes and Cities on fire and it is it selfe sâ—ton fire of hell Bernard hath an expression Take away Will once and there will be no hell O the mischiefe that it doth in the world I will only say these two things to those that keepe such ado with these two little words I Will. First That which thou dost so much pride thy selfe in and thinkest thy selfe such a man that canst say I will and I will know It may be as heavy a judgement of God upon thee as can befall thee in this world for God to give thee up to thy will There is nothing wherein God doth more let out his wrath upon the children of men here in this world then in this in giving them up to their will Therefore tremble at this when thou hast so many expressions I will and I will doe this I will give you a Scripture or two for it sutable to the businesse shevving the wilfulnesse of those that had their will in wayes of false worship perhaps some of you may be set upon this that you will have this and let men say what they can you will have this used The place is Ezek. 20. 39. Goe saith God serve yee every one his idols and hereafter also if you will not hearken unto me Goe saith hee you will not hearken to me you heare out of the word
but now the holy Ghost is come in a full measure as hee then came upon the Disciples so he comes now in the time of the Gospel in a fuller way then formerly there is a continuall Pentecost But the works of God do not of themselves sanctifie any time except we take that note with us we may run into a thousand absurdities if we argue thus because the Iews had such a time vve may have such a time or because there vvere such blessings at that time therefore vve may sanctifie that day No the vvorks of God do not sanctifie any time of themselves it must be the Word some institution or other either the VVord vvritten or some immediate dictate of the Spirit that must sanctifie any day Certainly the vvork of our redemption it self is not enough to change the Sabbath if vve had not sâ— me footing for a nevv institution VVee usually give this ground for a change of the day because of the greatnesse of the worke but though the works of God be great though never so great it is not for us to sanctifie a day it must be an institution of God or else wee sinne in sanctifying any set and stated time for any such work for Christs resurrection or sending of the Spirit except there come an institution though the work be as great as any thing God ever did for the Iewes it will be but will-worship in us and God will not be put off with this What is not this as great a worke as that the Iewes had and may not we celebrate the memory of it as they did but God will say Who required these things at your hands Thus far you may do that is blesse God for those works all the dayes of your lives but to sanctifie any particular day for them certainly that cannot be done without sin we have our warrant for the Lords day as well as the greatnesse of the work because of the practise of the Apostles who were inspired by the holy Ghost The next is the feast of Trumpets onely one particular about it at this time because providence makes it so seasonable In the seventh moneth which was the first moneth of their Annus Civilis there were three feasts Festum Tubarum Expiationis Tabernaculorum The first was the feast of Trumpets now there was a three-fold use of Trumpets among the Iewes 1. For the calling of the congregation together as we use to doe with bells 2. The calling of them to warre 3. For the solemnizing of their feasts This feast of trumpets you have Numb 17. There are four ends given by Divines of the feast of Trumpets some I confesse are very improbable but there are two very probable The one is this feast was to celebrate the New-yeer with them as upon every new moneth that was called the feast of the new Moon to celebrate the beginning of the moneth so in the beginning of the yeare they had a feast to celebrate the beginning of the year that was this feast for it was on the first day of their civill yeare so that it is very probable that feast was appointed to blesse God for the new yeere as well as they had one to celebrate the new moneth It was Gods instiâ—ution for that time to have the New-year consecrated by that feast yet this can be no ground for us now to consecrate the beginning of every new yeer unto God that was Iewish and it is ceast if we will have any consecration of a new yeer it must be by vertue of some institution or other let who can shew the institution we must not thinke because it hath a shew of wisdome and it seemes to bee reasonable to us therefore it may be this is not enough in matter of worship you must strictly tye your selves to an institution in matters of worship in consecrating of times As it is Iewish so it is Heathenish the Heathens consecrated their new yeer to the honour of their god Ianus and we read in Concilium Antisiodorense in France in the yeer 614. it was the judgement of that Councell that it is not lawfull to observe the festivities of the Gentiles to keep their worship and observation of their Calends that is the beginning of their months to adorn houses with lawrel bayes for all these practises saith the Councell savour of paganisme And likewise an ancient writer saith that the Kalends of Ianuary are rather to be taken heed of then to be accounted Kalends and so to be sanctified And further hee saith the Church hath appointed a solemn feast to be upon that very day because oâ— the notorious abuses there were wont to be upon that day And Polydore Virgil saith that these solemnities of Lawrell and Bayes and masques and mummings and such vanities they all come from the Heathens Bachanalia and Saturnalia that were wont to be at that time of the year However therefore we put them upon Christ and think we honour him and call it the Circumcision day of Christ yet by those customes we dishonour him for they are rather Heathenish then Christian To doe it I say because we think to consecrate â—ine though there may be some naturall reason of rejoycing yet no ground for consecration Let no man object and say these solemnities have beene a long time in the Church It is true these are ancient but from whence comes the antiquity It comes from hence because Christians being newly converted out of Paganisme they would keepe as much as possibly they might of the Pagan customes only they would give them a turn turn them to Christian solemnities but the rise was from their Pagan customes therefore all the argument of antiquity either for these or Ceremonies or Prelaticall government it comes from this ground because their pagan customes were so and they lived among pagans and having been lately pagans they savored and smelt of Heathenisme still So now many plead that such things were in the first Reformation no marvail they retained them for they were but newly come out of popery and they savoured and smelt of popery Indeed to plead the antiquity of these things which men must shew when they are put to it is one of the greatest arguments against them Thus was they Feast of All-Saints turned from the Feast Pantheon and so the Feast of the Virgin Mary which they call Candlemas the Heathens had the festivity of their goddesse Febru who was the Mother of Mars upon that day from whence the name of our moneth February cometh they did then celebrate that time with Candles and such things as papists doe now This antiquity have you for celebrating of Candlemas The like may be said for the argument of antiquity for the Prelates O say some such a kind of government hath been ever since Christian Religion hath been in England Grant that there hath been some kind of Bishops ever since but from whence came they We find in Histories that when
should have said Though you think such a thing can never be you see nothing but cause of doubting and discouragement in your selves but I wil doe it yea I wil doe it and it is thus repeated to note also the excellency of the mercy that is in it It is an excellent mercy indeed that the Lord will take a people into so neer a communion with himselfe from this mercy floweth most glorious mercies I will doe this saith God I need say no more here is mercy enough to satisfie any soule living I will doe it I will doe it I will doe it But will this mercy hold will it hold I have already apostatized from the Lord I have still an apostatizing heart am like to fall off from God againe and so may condition is like to be worse then ever yet it was no saith God I will betroth you unto my selfe for ever my heart shal bee for ever towards you and your heart shall be for ever towards me there shall never bee any breach of conjugal love and communion betweene you and I any more But the Lord is a righteous God he is a God of infinite justice and I have most fearfully sinned against him oh the hideous sins that I stand guilty of before him how shall that infinite justice of God be satisfied for my sinnes this is the care of a repenting heart not onely to obtain mercy for pardon but how shall that justice of God be satisfied Yes saith God I will have a way for that too though you have been very sinful yet when I receive you to mercy it shall be in such a way as I will be righteous as wel as gracious I wil doe it in righteousnesse it shal be no dishonour at all to my righteousnesse that I take you again to my self And I wil put such a righteous frame into your hearts that it shal be no scandal unto me before the Nations that I have betrothed such a one as you unto my selfe But what reason can there possible be that God should do thus how can it be imagined that ever the Lord should do such a thing as this God hath ten thousand wayes to honour himselfe though we perish for ever no people have ever provoked him as wee have done saith this repenting Israel Well saith GOD though you know no reason why it should be done yea indeed though there bee no reason at all in your selves yet that which I will doe I will doe it in judgment too I know a reason why I will do it it is not a rash thing that I shall do I will do it in judgement it is no other thing that now I promise you but that I have exercised my wisdome about from all eternity it is not onely a worke of my grace and mercy toward you but it is a work of my wisdome too and there will one day appeare a glorious shine of wisdome in this my work of taking you unto my selfe again I know what I do in it yea and on your part though hitherto you have seene no such excellency in my wayesto cleave to them but you have departed from them and followed other lovers yet I shall when I come in wayes of mercy to you convince you so of the vanity of all other things your hearts runne after and of that fulnesse of good there is in me to satisfie your soules for ever that you shal see infinite reason to joine your selves unto me in an everlasting covenant You though there were some more specious shews in wayes of false worship but when you shal be reconciled you shal see there is infinite reason in those wayes of worship your soules have heretofore rejected you shal not only have your affections a little stirred and have some heate for the present but that change that shal be in you shal be out of judgment I will betroth you unto me in judgement in judgement on my part I will have reason for what I doe and in judgement on your part you shall see reason for what you doe you shal see so much reason in comming in to me that you shall admire at the former folly of your hearts when you departed from me and sought your comforts else-where The workings of my heart shal be in judgment toward you and the workings of your hearts shal be in judgment toward me But take it at best that my heart doth indeed come in to God yet I shall remain a poor sinful weak creature there will hang upon me many infirmities that will be grievous to the Spirit of the holy and just God Well saith God I will betroth you unto me in loving kindnesse I wil deale gently and favourably with you I will not take advantage of your failings and infirmities I will remember you are but flesh I will have a tender respect to you But it may be there will not onely bee some ordinary infirmities which may be grievous enough to the Spirit of God but I may perhaps fall into grievous offences that will provoke the Spirit of God bitterly against mee and so I shall fall into as woful yea worse condition then before No saith God I will betroth you unto me in mercy as well as in loving kindnesse my bowels of mercy shall yearn toward you not only to passe over lesser infirmities but to swallow up greater iniquities And accordingly I will worke in you gracious dispositions of loving kindnesse towards mee you shall have a most sweete and ingenuous disposition of spirit you shall doe what you doe for mee out of principles of love out of abundance of sweetnesse in all your ways that perverse surly crooked sowr spirit of yours towards me shall be changed into a sweet gentle gracious frame And this sweetenesse and loving kindenesse shall be in you toward one another you shall have your hearts changed that were so rugged and so harsh and peevish toward one another afore when I am once reconciled unto you you shall be reconciled one to another And you shall have bowels of mercy as my bowels shall yerne towards you so your bowels shall yern toward me as it shall pity my soule to see you in misery so it shall pity your soule to see me dishonoured and you shall have bowels likewise one toward another pitying one another and helping and relieving one another in the greatest straits I will betroth you unto me in loving kindnesse and in mercy But there are many glorious promises that we find God made to his people surely according to what wee read in his word there are great things to be done for them shall ever these promises be made good unto us If wee may have mercy though we be never so low if Gods loving kindnesse be manifested unto â—s in a way of reconciliation though wee be but hired servants if we may be Spouses though we be kept hardly it will be well with us But saith God there are glorious promises made
are a dishonor unto him before Men and Angels what you the Spouse of Christ where is this ornament this bracelet of righteousnesse then whosoever Christ maryeth he putteth upon them this Jewel of righteousnesse Hee blasphems Religion which he seems to honour sayes Cyprian who makes not good in his life what he professes The Eighteenth Lecture HOSEA 2. 19. And in judgement and in loving kindnesse and in mercies IN Judgement Some Interpreters we finde make this and righteousnesse to be all one according to that Psal 33. 6. He loveth righteousnesse and judgement and so passe it over but we must not do so for wee shall finde much of Gods minde in this Others take judgement as divers times it is taken in Scripture for sanctification so they would make this promise sutable to that of Christ John 16. 10. 11. I will send the Comforter and he shall convince the world of sin of righteousnesse and of judgement that righteousnesse there is the same with that here judgement there by many Interpreters is understood of sanctification because the Prince of this world is judged the power of Satan is already broken he is already cast out of your hearts And they thinke to strengthen that by that place in Mat. 12. 20. He will not quench the smoaking flaxe nor breake the bruised reed till he send forth judgement unto victory that is untill he perfect the work of sanctification that it shall overcome corruption This text in Matthew is quoted out of Esay 42. 3. but there we have the words somewhat different there it is He shall bring forth judgement unto truth Now if that should be the meaning that by judgement is meant sanctification then we may learne an excellent note from the comparing these two Texts together that it is all one to bring judgement sanctification unto truth and to bring it unto victory when it is in truth it will certainly be in victory But we shall a little more examine this interpretation of Judgement presently for my part I do not think that it is meant either in this Text or in any of the Texts named Thirdly I finde others make this in judgement to be Gods judgement against the adversaries of the Church I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse I will deale with you in a way of righteousnesse and for your adversaries I will deale with them in a way of judgement you shall have judgement against them So I finde Luther carries it and he saith that judgement here is the second pearle of the Husbands ring he gives to his Spouse God promiseth to exercise judgement vengeance against the adversaries of the Church and so he applyeth it unto those times wherein he lived in Germany saith he for these many years wicked Magistrates have oppressed the Church and prophane Doctors have corrupted the doctrine of it but Germany hath seene God judging his adversaries And if we should understand it in this sense we have a sutable place Esay 54. 5. where God telleth his Church that He that is her maker is her husband even the Lord of hosts and her Redeemer the God of the whole earth the word there is Vindex the avenger he that will avenge thee of thine enemies is the God of the whole earth he is thy husband This might afford a sweet meditation that the Lord will defend his Church from the rage of adversaries as the husband will defend his Spouse being betrothed unto her the Lord certainly will take a valuable consideration at the hands of the adversaries who wrong his Church But this I thinke not to be the scope of the place Another is In Judgement Though things be now out of order all things seeme to be in confusion yet the time is coming when all things shal be ordered in the Church according to equity and right These two I thinke are meant in the former Texts I will convince the world of judgement that is the world shall be convinced that Christ hath all judgement committed unto him and he shews it in this that the Prince of this world is judged so that place before in Matthew I will cause judgment to returne unto victory that is though the adversaries of the Church be many yet he will cause them all to be vanquished judgement shal conquer over them all though there be much opposition and confusion in the Church yet I will bring all things in the Church to be ordered composed in a right way according unto equity That place likewise Esay 4. 4. where the Lord saith he will purge his Church by the spirit of judgeâ—ent and by the spirit of burning I know some carry it as if it were meant of the spirit of sanctification that is as fire to consume lusts but rather thus whereas there were such as did oppresse the Church by false judgement the Lord would cleanse the Church from wrong and oppression by giving a spirit of judgement unto those that should be the Officers of it and consuming the adversaries But yet I thinke we have not the full scope of this place I rather would pitch upon this as that which is more principally intended though the other may be in some degree included viz. I will betroth thee unto me in judgment that is there shall be a good reason for what I doe that which I will now do in betrothing thee unto my selfe shall not be out of rashnesse it shal not be done unadvisedly but with understanding with good deliberation I know what I do in it and I know what glory I shall have by it I will do it in judgement So I finde the word judgement taken in scripture Jer. 4. 2. Thou shalt sweare in truth in judgement and in righteousnesse In judgement that is when you sweare know it is a worship of God and you must doe it in judgement you must not only sweare in truth that is sweare to that which is true and in righteousnesse that is not to the wrong or prejudice of your neighbour for you may sinne in swearing though you sweare in truth if you have an intent to wrong any but thirdly you must sweare in judgment too you must understand what you doe that is when you take an oath you must know that it is not as the Ex Officio was to sweare to answer to every thing that shall be asked you but you must understand beforehand what you are to sweare to and so sweare out of judgement So saith God I will betroth thee unto me in judgement that is I have considered what I am to doe in this thing and I doe it out of judgement And for your parts when you shal come and close with me in this blessed conjugall union and communion you shall doe it out of jndgement too I will betroth you in judgement so as to make it appeare before the world that I had good reason so to do and you shall likewise close with me as you shall be able
the Teraphim You may understand it as a threatning by this similitude It is as if God would threaten to bring Israel into such a desolate condition as a strumpet is brought into not only when all her friends leave her which were her kindred her true friends but when all her lovers leave her too even those who were filthy with her those who pretended the most love to her in whom she took abundance of comfort and from whom she expected protection yet now she is brought into such a condition as she sitteth desolate for lorne and helplesse So shall ye be saith God your Sacrifice and your Ephod yea and Teraphim shall leave you Or rather thus Howsoever it is a mercy for God to take away false worship from a people Images and Teraphim yet in this regard it comes in a way of threatning because it would crosse and vex them to bee deprived of these Images and Teraphim it would bee a Judgement in their apprehension As for instance what a deal of stir have we with people when they conceive that any false worship shall be taken away from them they think they are undone in it when the inventions of men in Gods worship are but questioned what a do is there men think their gods are taken away as Judges 18. when the children of Dan came to the house of Micah and took away his Ephod and his Teraphim he cryed out after them Yee have taken away the gods that I have made and what have I more what worse thing could you have done more I had rather you should have taken away all I had and yet you say unto me What aileth thee Is it not so at this day What is it that now breedeth such disturbance in England at this time but that people thinke their Teraphim shall bee taken from them whereas they have heretofore worshipped God in a false way after the inventions of men and now God is pleased to discover light and thereis an enquiring after the government of the Church in the right way and the true manner of worshipping God they are even mad upon this and would rather lose their lives and their estates then their Teraphim should be taken away let that be taken away and how shall they be able to pray what will you take away their Religion This is the language of men in many ignorant places in this Kingdome yea the very language of many even amongst us here they are verily perswaded that the Parliament are intended to take away all Religion in the Kingdome and such principles the adversaries go about to infuse into men that the Parliament are a company of Brownists meerly because they goe about to enquire after the true way of worshipping God and would have the Land purged of all superstitious vanities Thus people cry out for their Teraphim Great is Diana of the Ephesians You may read the like in the history of the life of king Edward the sixth when he had but banished the Masse there was an Army rose in Devonshire and they sent severall Articles unto the King about their grievances as causes of their rising First they said that their children were denyed to be baptized as now they cry out that none but a company of Anabaptists doe all this the Popish Priests did then infuse into the people that were in those remote Countryes that they were to have no more children baptized thinking this would exasperate the people then against King and Parliament And then they complained that their Service was taken from them meaning the Masse King Edward was fain to write to them to tell them that they were exceedingly abused that they should still enjoy what was according to the word of God that their children should be baptized and for the Masse saith he the Common-prayer Book is that Masse the same that it was before only whereas it was in Latin before now it is turned into English and so he quieted the people of that Countrey Thus it comes to be a threatning that God will take away their Image and Teraphim because the hearts of people are so vexed when their superstitious ways are taken away Now upon this confusion when they are without King Prince Sacrifice Ephod Image and Teraphim when all is come to this confusion then comes the time that they shal return and seeke tho Lord their God and David their King When Gods time is come to raise the most glorious Church that ever was in the world a little before that there is like to be the greatest confusion that ever was in the world Lactantius I have made use of before in speaking of the first Chap. Great shall be the day of Jezreel tels us that just before the glorious Church he speaks of it at large in lib. 7. c. 15. 24. 28. all right shall be confounded Laws shall perish men shall possesse all things by force good men shall be scorned contemned and though these times saith he wherein we live be naught so that one would thinke that wickednesse were grown up to the height yet in comparison of those evill dayes that shall be a little before this glorious time these days may be called the golden age God will bring all into a Chaos first as he did in the first Creation then bring a glorious building out of that Chaos We know the raising of that glorious Church that is so much prophesied of is called a creation a creating a new heaven and a new earth and it is probable enough that as the heavens and the earth were first made out of a Chaos so those new heavens and new earth that God is about to make will be raised out of a Chaos out of that which seemeth to us to be but confusion VVhat do people cry out of at this day but of confusion all things they say are brought into confusion It is true confusion is an evill thing and we are to grieve for it and to seek to prevent it yet let us not be too much troubled for you see when the greatest confusion comes upon the people of the Jewes then follows the greatest mercy then they shall return and seeke the Lord their God never return before that time Indeed till men be taken off from all they will not return to God if they have any thing to go unto they will never return to God VVhen Saul had but a witch to go to he would rather go to her then seek the face of God in way of repentance Let not this be our way because God seems to leave us for the present and letteth us be in a confusion and we know not what to do let not our hearts fiet and vex let us not go to unlawful means For mark it was just a little before Sanl was to be destroyed that he was growne to that height of evill There was a time that Saul did enquire after Gods mind and God refused to answer him but yet