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
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
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
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
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
never sinke But may they not be so burthensome to Christ as that he may shake off his burthen No therefore he hath them upon his breast-plate too as well as upon his shoulder there was upon the breast-plate in the middest of the Ephod the names of the twelve Tribes Christ carryes the memoriall of his Churches at his heart as well as upon his shoulders that makes Christ put his shoulders to the good of the Churches because they are so neare his heart An infinite comfort it is in the spirituall meaning of this Ephod that belongs to all the godly Christ night and day hath thee upon his shoulder and upon his heart as a precious stone before God the Father This one thing further is observable about it you shall finde if you reade that place in Exodus that the names of the twelve Tribes were to be ingraven upon these stones in order according to their birth now in Revel 21. the twelve Apostles who in regard of their Doctrine are made the twelve precious stones of the foundation of the new Jerusalem you shal reade that they are all the very same precious stones by name excepting four and those foure I finde that Interpreters think to be the same that the other were only with different names for precious stones either in regard of the places where they are found or in regard of their quality or colour carry divers names so that it is very probable that those precious stones in Rev. were the same with these in Exo. but there we do not finde that they are set according unto any dignity of one Apostle before another as they were in the setting of the names of the Tribes for the first precious stone that was to be set of the foundation of the new Ierusalem of the glorious Church that should be it is the stone of Benjamin who was the youngest And if there might be any mystery in it we may think it signifies thus much at least we may make use of it by way of allusion that the Lord wil use of the young ones of this generation who shal make way for the new Jerusalem before any of the other tribes God will cull out them to the first stone of the foundation of that glorious Church In that we find there was not such order set of the Apostles as was of the Tribes we are taught that Christ would not have us look upon the Apostles as one above another therefore you shall find the Apostles are never named in one and the same order in one Evangelist they are set down in one order and in another in another as Mat. 10. Mar. 3. Luc. 9. so Act. 1. In all these they are named in a different order noting thereby that there is no superiority nor inferiority in the Ministers of the Gospel Upon the Ephod there was likewise the Vrim and Thummim It is very hard to tell you what this Vrim and Thummim was it costs a great deal of time to find out what men think it was and if I should tell you the variety of the guesses of men about this it would be tiresome unto you and me Austin in his 117. question upon Exod. In venire quid sint deficile what this Vrim and Thummim was it is hard to find and Cajetan saith none ever yet explained what it was and they tell us that even the Rabbins themselves say the Jewes were very ignorant of this But most probable one of these two especially the latter Some think that they were some stones set in the breast-plate which by their brightness or darknesse did give an answer to what they demanded of God that is thus when the high Priest went to demand of God what was to be done in any great and publique affairs hee presented this breast-plate with these stones before the Lord and if God would give an affirmative answer the stones gave a more then ordinary brightness and lustre but if he would give a negative answer then the stones were darker then they were before but we are not certain of this we may rather conclude upon the other viz. that the Vrim and Thummim though we know not what matter they were made of no more then we know what Manna was made of it was somwhat that God gave Moses to put into the breast-plate which by him was appointed as an ordinance which was to be presented before the Lord by the Priest when they would know the mind of God when this was presented before the Lord God did then usually give an answer to the Priest either by an audible voyce or by secret inspiration yet not always tying himself to give it thus for we find in Scripture somtimes God did not give an answer when he was sought by Vrim and Thummim as when Saul enquired of God by Vrim Thumim there was no answer from God and it is like Josiah would not have sent onely to Huldah the prophetesse if hee could have had answer by Vrim and Thumim but when God pleased he would give an answer this way The word Vrim Thummim signifies light and perfection some would make it to signifie the knowledg and integrity of life that is to be in Ministers but I rather think the meaning is that they were bright precious stones which were of a great perfection and fit to doe that which God did appoint them for The Septuagint calls this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Oracle Hence 1 Pet. 4. 11 Let 〈◊〉 speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Oracles of God Now this must be upon the breast-plate of the Priest which the Priest making use of thereby the people came to know the minde of God This was to signifie that we must look for the mind of God by Christ It is Christ who is come from the Father to reveale his counsels to us if we look to have the mind of God any other way but through him we are mistaken And further this Vrim and Thummim this breast-plate of judgment was to be upon the heart of the high Priest and that when he went in before the Lord as Exod. 28 30. There are two notable morall observations to be observed from thence First The answer that any Minister of God in the name of Christ should give his people should be such an answer as should lie at his very heart hee must speak nothing but his very heart unto them when he would answer any case of conscience or make known any thing of the mind of God his answer must lie at his heart Secondly It must be as in the presence of the Lord it must be as before God he must consider in whose place he standeth to answer as from God from the great Prophet of the Church It is a great judgment threatned to be without Vrim and Thummim seeing it was of so great use to them And this should be for many dayes Josephus saith that they were without this
two hundred years before he wrote his Antiquities that was an hundred and five years before Christ but it appears that they had no Vrim and Thummim long before that time for at their return from captivity Ezra 2. 63. the Tirshatha that is the Ruler said unto them that they should not eate of the most holy things till there stood up a Priest with Vrim and Thummim therefore they had not then a Priest with Urim and Thummim they expected to have one but whether ever they had one after it is not know This was the reason of that complaint of Asaph Psa 74. 9. We see not our signes there is no more any Prophet neither is there any among us that knoweth how long that is a grievous complaint Now it is like that Psalme was made about the very time of their return from captivity for Ezra 2. 41. Asaph is named among those that came to Jerusalem from the captivity The singers the children of Asaph an hundred twenty and eight But let it be then or after by this Psalme wee may finde that it was a very lamentable complaint to be without Urim and Thummim The result of all is that it is a grievous thing to the Saints that in the time of their strait they donoâ— know Gods mind At any time when God brings his people into straits yet if they can know the mind of their God they are refreshed and encouraged but when they shall seeke to know Gods minde and the Lord resuseth to discover it to them this is a sad condition indeed I find one note more of Jeroms about their being without an Ephod We may observe saith he the hardness of the hearts of the Jews that they should be so many hundred years without sacrifice and without Ephod without the true worship of God among them and ways to know Gods mind and yet they are not guilty of any greater sin then the sin of Idolatry except it be of the killing of JESUS CHRIST that they should not reason thus what sin is it that thus provokes God against us more then ever he was provoked Surely there is some greater sinne then ever yet we have committed but saith he they can never finde any other offence beside the killing of Christ to be a greater offence then Idolatry and yet they have a greater judgement upon them then ever they had though they are not guilty of that sinne as they were formerly surely were they not extreamly hardned they would be convinced that all this is because of our rejecting crucifying Christ the Son of God As they had the Ordinances of God so they had wayes of false worship of their owne Images and Teraphim I must shew you what those were and then how it is a threatning that they should be without those Image That seemeth to refer to the two calves they had set up in Dan Bethel which they so much gloryed and rejoyced in they should be taken away Teraephim that likewise should be taken away Now if you aske what this Teraphim was in the general Taraph is a divining image as the Ephod was Gods Ordinance to know the minde of God by so the Teraphim was a way of the Devil an idolatrous way to know things that were to come It was an Image made after this fashion so I finde those that write of it tell us The Teraphim was the image of the head of a man wrung off his body salted and bespiced with precious spices and then upon this head there was a plate of gold with the name of that spirit they would divine by or as some the name of the uncleane spirit was to be put un der the tongue of this head and this being set upon a wall there were burning candles and incense offered to it and that under the constellation of some star and so enquiring to know something that was to come by it the devill was used to answer and to tell them of such things as were to come it was an oracle of the devil that told them what successe they should have in this or the other businesse sometimes it hit right See the superstition of the Jewes they desired much to know the minde of God now because they were afraid they should not know all by the Ephod which was the ordinance of God they would joyne with the Ephod the Teraphim From hence there is this profitable note It is a very great and fearfull evil for men in searching to know any thing of Gods mind not to keep themselves to Gods ways of knowledg to Gods own Ordinances It concerneth us much now at this day We are about enquiring the mind of God that wee may know it about matters concerning the Common-wealth but more especially about Religion I suppose there is none of us but will acknowledge that way that God hath appointed for the revealing of his will in the Scripture that we must look into the Scripture and seek to know Gods minde there that is good but let us not joyne Teraphim with it then do we joyne Teraphim when we rest not upon Scripture alone but search after rules of mans devising and what will stand with our own carnal ends The Lord may justly meet with us in wrath if we presume to joyne our Teraphim with his Ephod Pray that at this day where there is so much searching after Gods mind that those who are employed in it may keepe themselves to the Ephod to the Scriptures to that which is Gods Ordinance for the revealing his minde that they may not joyne the Teraphim their own fancies and inventions of men with the Scriptures so long as we keepe to that rule we may hope to do well enough but if the Teraphim be joyned with the Ephod if any thing be joyned with the Scriptures though it may seeme to be never so rationall we have cause to feare God will leave us We finde this word Teraphim used sometime in Scripture for the image of any man as 1 Sam. 19. 13. when Michael took an image and laid it in the bed instead of David the word in the Hebrew is Teraphim so when Rachel stole away her fathers images the word is she stole away her fathers Teraphim and some thinke they were her fathers Divining Images that she did rather steale those then any others because she would not have her father Divine which way they were gone Zachar. 10. 2. it is said the Idols have spoken vanity the word is the Teraphim By which we may see they were wont to aske of their Idols about their successes And sometime wee find in Scripture that Idolatry is called by this name as 1. Sam. 15. 23. stubbornnesse is as Idolatry the word is is as Teraphim But here comes in the question God threatneth to take away the Sacrifice and the Ephod that plainly is a threatning but how is this a part of the threatning to take away the Image