and is able to set out the several parts distinctly to you in such a Climate in such a Countrey but yet when he hath done all he leaveth a great space for a Terra incognita for an unknown world and that unknowne world for ought we know may be five times bigger then the known world So they that have the most observant eye of Gods mercies and take the most notice of them that can best set out the mercies he bestoweth spiritual mercies temporall mercies preventing mercies past mercies present mercies delivering mercies c. yet when they have done all they must leave a great space for the Terra incognita for the unknowne mercies of God The truth is those mercies of God that are obvious to our knowledge every day one would thinke they were enough to melt our hearts to breake them in pieces but besides these mercies we take notice of there are thousands and thousands of mercies that we know not of As we daily commit many sins that we know not of so daily we receive many mercies that we know not of likewise And as in our confession of sins we should pray to God first to pardon our sins we know and so to name them in particular and when we have done then Lord forgive us our unknown our secret sins So in our thanksgiving first blesse God for the mercies before us and when we have done Lord blessed be thy name for all thy unknown mercies that I have little taken notice of We soone grow cold and dead if we doe good and men take no notice of us neither what we know nor what we doe is any thing to us except others know it too but this is the vanity and pride of mens hearts it is Gods prerogative above his creatures to doe all for himselfe for his owne glory and yet he doth much good in the world that none knows of we are bound to deny our selves in that we doe not to seeke our own glory The most excellent peece in the most excellent of our workes is our selfe-denyal in it why should we not then doe all the good we can doe cheerefully though it be not known we should doe good out of love to goodnesse it selfe and if we would doe so we should be encouraged in doing good secretly Fifthly and which commeth yet more fully up to the words They did not know c. In Gods account men know no more then they lay to heart and make good use of The Schooles distinguish of want of knowledge there is Nescientia and Ignoratia Nescience is of such things as we are not bound to know it is not our sinne not to know them but Ignorance is of such things as we are bound to know and that ignorance is two-fold there is an invincible ignorance let us take what paines we can wee can never know all we are bound to know and there is an affected ignorance when we do not know because out of carelesnesse we doe not minde what is before us and when we have minded it so farre as to conceive it yet if we lay it not to heart as we ought still in Gods account we know it not if we digest not what we know into practise God accepteth it not As God is said not to know when hee doth not approve I know yee not saith he so when any man hath a truth in notion and it doth not get into the heart when it is not imbraced there God accounts that that man knowes it not Therefore you have in Scripture such an expression as the Seer is blinde It is a strange expression it seemes to be a contradiction such a thing as we call a Bull The Seer is blinde But it is not so here because God accounts those that have never so much knowledge yet if it doe not sanctifie the heart so as to give him the glory they are blinde blinde as a Beetle The knowledge of the Saints is another kinde of knowledge then other men have We have saith Cyprian no such notions as many of your Phylosophers have but we are Phylosophers in our deeds we doe not speake great things but we doe great things in our lives 1 Thes 4. 9. You have an excellent expression for this you are taught of God to love one another what followeth And indeed so you do That is an evidence that you are taught of God when it pâ—evay leth with your hearts when it may be â—aid indeed so you doe VVho is there in the world but knowes that wee should love one another but men are not taught of God to love one another untill it may be said of them that indeed so they doe There is nothing more obvious to the understanding of a man then the notion of a Deity that there is a God we may as it were grope after him as the holy Ghost speakes but yet 1 Iohn 2. 4. He that saith he knowes him and keepes not his commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him Any man who ever he be though the greatest Schollar in the world if he saith he knowes God and keepes not his commandements he hath the lie told him to his teeth hee doth not know God at all though this of God be the most obvious thing to be understood that possibly can be and yet Christ saith no man knoweth the Father but the Sonne and to whom the Sonne shall reveale him Hence it is when a soul is converted you shall heare these expressions I never knew before I never knew what an infinite Deity meant I never understood the infinite soveraignty and Majesty of the great God I never knew what sinne meant before yet if you had asked him afore he would say I know God is a Spirit that he is infinite and eternall I know that sinne is the transgression of the law I never knew that Christ was before yet before hee would have told you that Christ was the sonne of Mary and came into the world to dye for sinners I remember an expression of a Germane Divine when he was upon his sick bed In this disease saith he I have learned what sin is and how great the Majesty of God is This man though a Preacher and doubtlesse he could preach of sinne and of the Majesty of God yet hee professeth he knew not these things untill God came powerfully upon his heart to teach him what they were The Hebrews say words of sense carry with them the affections or else they be to no purpose when men have notionall knowledge onely that comes not down into the heart they are like men that have weak stomacks and weake heads when they drink wine all flyeth up to the head it makes them giddy but if the wine went to the heart it would cheare warme it so all this mans knowledg flyeth up to his head makes him giddy whereas if it were digested got to the heart
prepared to meet Christ their Bride-groom when he cometh Marke that place Ezek. 40. 4. It is spoken of the glorious times of the Gospel especially of these times I am speaking of where God saith to the Prophet Behold with thine eyes and heare with thine eares and set thine heart upon all that I shal shew thee And what did God shew him hee shewed him the measure of the Temple and all the glorious things that there should be in the Church in future times So I say to you my brethren concerning that I have spoken of the great day of Jezreel behold with your eyes look into Gods book and see what is said there for I have named but little and heare with your eares and set your hearts upon what hath been set before you So in Isa 41. 20. You have a place somewhat like this speaking of the mercies of God to his Church in latter times saith the Text That they may see know and consider and understand together that the hand of the Lord hath done this and the Holy One of Israel hath created it Mark how one word is heaped upon another that they may see know and consider understand what God would do for his people And when God came to reveale the glorious things he intended for his Churches in future times in the book of the Revelation which is the special book that declareth this unto us Mark how the Lord beginneth It is said that God gave this first to Christ secondly Christ to the Angel thirdly the Angel to Iohn and then there is pronounced a blessing to him that reads and hears the words of this prophesie and understands it What a solemne way of blessing is here There is not such an expression in all the book of God where have you a blessing so solemnly proclaimed to the reading and hearing of any of the bookes of God as to that book Therefore though they are things that seeme to be above us yet certainly God would have us to inquire into these things It is the fruit of the purchase of the blood of Christ to open these seales Rev. 5. 9. we reade that there was no man in heaven nor in earth that was able to open the book and to loose the seales thereof only the Lambe that was slaine and that hath redeemed us unto God by his blood he was onely worthy to open the seales It is a fruit I say of the slaughter of Christ of his blood and therefore cry to him for the opening these things to thee And though thou beest very weake in regard of parts and thinkest with thy self How can I understand such things as these know that it is Christ that through his blood comes to open these seales and seeing it is a fruite of his blood it is no matter whether thou art weake or strong if he come to open them to thee as Ier. 13. 2. saith God to the Prophet Call unto me and I will shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not so I say to you be a praying people call upon God and he will cause you to understand great and excellent things that you have not known And my brethren seeing these things shall be thus O what manner of persons ought wee to be how heavenly our hearts should rise up from the earth seeing God intendeth to do such great things for his people As it is Isa 60. Arise arise shake off thy dust for the light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee So I may say to the Churches now Arise arise shake of the dust of your earthly affections for the light of God is now ready to arise upon you Now sur sum corda now lift up your hearts above the things of the world VVee reade in Rev. 4. of the foure living creatures that appeared unto John the first was like a Lyon and the second like an Oxe and the third had a face as a Man and the fourth was like a flying Eagle They are according to the interpretaâ—ion that reverend Brightman gives to set out unto us the foure states conditions of the Church The Primitive times were Lyon-like for their valour the second age like an Oxe to beare the burthens of Antichrist the third had a face as a man that stood for their liberties and would not be under such slavery and they are but times and then the fourth as an Eagle that sored aloft In the state of the Church hereafter they shall be like an Eagle have heavenly hearts no such drossy base earthly hearts as we have now Labour we even now to be so that we may be fit for that day And let us all prepare for the Bride groome against his comming How shall we prepare The cloathing that then shall be shall be white linnen which is the righteousnesse of the Saints That great Doctrine of our justification by the righteousnesse of Christ shall be the great businesse of that day in which the glory of the Saints shall much consist and they shall be clothed with that it shall be clearly understood of all men they shall be ashamed to rest upon duties and ordinances as now they do Let us study the Doctrine of the righteousnesse of Christ afore-hand for that is like to be our clothing at that day that is the white linnen of the Saints which shall be their glory Let us prepare our Lamps and keepe them all burning and shining the oyle not onely of juâ—â—â—cation but sanctification active stirring in our hearts that so we may 〈◊〉 to entertaine the Bride-groom whensoever 〈◊〉 〈…〉 And all of you labour now to instruct your children in the knowledge of God and of Christ bring them up in the feare of the Lord that they may be seed for that day Acquaint them with these things for though perhaps you may be dead and gone before this great day yet they may live to see it therefore catechize them and instruct them and drop into them those Principles that may fit them for the meeting of JESUS CHRIST their Bridegroome To conclude all Let us be all praying Christians It is that which is charged upon us in Isa 62. 6. All you that make mention of the Lord keep not silence and give him no rest till he establish till he make Jerusalem apraise in the earth God hath a day to set up Jerusalem as the praise of the whole earth Oh be praying praying Christians every one of you and give God no rest till he effect this And remember God of all his promises search the Prophets search the book of God and urge God with his promises to the Church in this way And you that are the weakest be not discouraged in your prayers and you may be a meanes to further and hasten this great day of Jezreel Psal 102. 17. The Psalmist had spoken before of Gods building up Zion and certainly that Psalme is a Prophesie of the glorious times
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
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
driven from their habitations if God should ever restore them to their habitations againe then their hearts would be enlarged in blessing God then they would be more sensible of the uncertainty of the comforts of the creature then ever before Thirdly The Feast of Tabernacles had an aime at Christ and the state of a Christian it was to typifie JESUS CHRIST to come into the world and to pitch his tents amongst us as John 1. 14. he dwelt amongst us he came and pitched his Tabernacle amongst us it is in the Greek and the state of a Christian likewise is an abiding Tabernacle 2 Cor. 5. 1. If our earthly house of this Tabernacle be dissolved till we goe where JESUS CHRIST is gone before us to prepare mansions for us Iohn 14. our dwelling is in Tabernacles In the offerings that God appointed to offer in this their feast Numb 29. 12. there are some things very observable but hard to finde the meaning of the feast was to be kept seven dayes the first day was a great day and the last day a great day the first day there were 13. bullocks to be offered and 14. lambes the second day there was but 12. bullocks and the third day but 11. and the fourth day but 10. and so every day one decreased as you may see there and the last day there was but one offered Now divers Expositors have sought to finde out the meaning of this I doe not finde any such thing in all the Scripture as this is but onely in this place Calvin confesses when he speakes of this that for his part he doth not understand the meaning of it and rather then to make guesses of it uncertainties I will saith he be silent in it yet he ventures upon a conjecture a very unlikely one therefore I shall not name it That which is most likely seems to be in two things The first is they must offer every day lesse and lesse that is saith another interpreter to shew their increase in sanctification that they should grow to more and more perfection every day of their feast and so have lesse need of Sacrifices then they had before and so it will afford a good note to us that when we come to keepe dayes to God every day we should grow more and more in sanctification and have lesse and lesse sin to answer for then we had before Another interpretation that is given is that it was to shew the cessation of the sacrifices of the Jewes that they were to decrease day by day and this I take rather to be the meaning because the last day is but one bullocke that was offered and yet the Text saith that that was the great day of the Feast when there was fewest sacrifices to be offered Ioh. 3. 37. The last and the great day of the feast Jesus cryed if any man thirst let him come unto me there is somwhat to be noted about Christ there though it is true it was the feast of dedication which was their own Feast from whence many would prove the lawfulnesse of holy daies yet the truth is upon examination you shall finde there is scarce strength enough from that place to prove it though it be lawfull to take the advantage of such times but it will appeare there that it was the Feast of Tabernacles as in 2 Chro. 8. 9. Their Feast of the dedication of the Temple was at that time that the Feast of Tabernacles was one thing is to be observed from Christs being there at the Feast the last and the great day Jesus cryed if any man thirst let him come unto me Why did Christ upon the great day of the Feast cry out thus If any man thirst let him come unto me to drinke one reason may be because when men are most strongly possessed with the uncertainties of all outward things in the world then they are fit to entertaine the gospell then fit to heare of JESUS CHRIST when their hearts are taken off from the world and they looke upon all things here as unsetled the conclusion of that feast is a speciall preparation to the Gospell Esay 40. 6. 7 c. The preparation to the good tidings of the Gospel is the Proclamation that All flesh is grasse and all the goodlinesse thereof as the flower of the field yea the withering of the grasse and the fading of the flower must be proclaimed again and againe And then seasonably and acceptably it followes ver 6. O Zion that bringest good tidings behold your God Tremelius thinkes that the reason of the expression of CHRIST at this time was from the custome of the Iews at this Feast at the feast of Tabernacles the Iews were wont with great joy to bring store of water out of the River of Shiloh to the Temple where being delivered to the Priest he powred it out upon the Altar together with wine and all the people sung that of Isaiah with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation though it were their own invention Christ takes a hint upon it they accustomed themselves to draw water and powre it out Christ saith what do you stand upon this ceremony of yours this your custome will die and perish in the use of it but come to me and there you shall have water I am the well of salvation a spring of grace shall be continually in the heart of that man that beleeveth in me One note more is observable in this Feast we have a prophesie that in the times of the gospel the feast of Tabernacles should be kept then that is in the truth of it not in the ceremony In Zach. 14. 16. there is a Prophesy that when Christ cometh the very truth of the feast of tabernacles then all people shall worship the true God and keep the feast of Tabernacles Why is it there Prophesied that all people shall come and keep that feast the reason may be this this feast is named because in the times of the gospel men shall acknowledge their outward comforts to be from God 〈◊〉 â—ertainty of all things here and that they are strangers and pilgrims 〈◊〉 in the times of the gospell this shall be made more evident to the hearts of people then ever before the more JESUS CHRIST shall be known in the world the more shall the hearts of men be taken up with the knowledge of God in every creature and of the uncertainty of every creature and have their hearts taken of from the comforts of the world and never account any setled condition here but account themselves pilgrims and strangers that is a signe that the Gospel hath prevailed with your spirits if you have your hearts taken off from the creature and you looke upon your selves as strangers in the world and looke for an abiding City then do you keep in an Evangelicall sense this feast of Tabernacles Or secondly if it be meant of the glorious setled condition God in
that mercy of his therefore he gives these fields this title calls them by this name and this custome of the Jews seemes to have warrant from Scripture it self Canticles 8. 5. Who is this that commeth up from the wildernesse leaning upon her beloved That was the way of marriage they came out of the fields leaning upon their beloved and so were brought unto the Bridgegroomes Fathers house So Christ brings his Spouse through this world which is as the wildernesse and Christ is here solemnizing his espousals and hath his nuptiall songs in this world and the Church leanes upon Christ all the while she is in the world but Christ is carring her to his Fathers house and ere long we shal be with him there solemnizing the marriage of the Lambe in a more glorious way This expression goes on clearly thus I will allure her and bring her into the wildernesse As the Bridegroome speakes sweet and comfortable words to his Bride and carries her abroad into the fields and there solemnizes the nuptials and so comes back againe having his Spouse leaning upon him and bringing her to his Fathers house so I will deale with you in the fulnesse of my grace I will performe all the nuptiall rites with you I will be married againe unto you and looke what the most solemnity in your City of Jerusalem or any of your Cities there is in any nuptials I will make as great a solemnity in the nuptials betweene you and me It is true when a marriage is such as people are loath to make it known then there is no such solemnity but when it is a great marriage indeed and such as marry together with their friends would glory in it then there is the more full solemnity so saith God I will not be ashamed to take you againe but I will take you openly I wil have the solemnity of my marriage with you as publickly as may be I will carry you abroad into the fields and look what rights soever there are in the most solemne marriages amongst you those rights I will performe unto you that it may be a most glorious marriage solemnity between you and me again thus I will bring into the wildernesse and speake comfortably unto them And speake comfortably to her These words that are translated here speake comfortably in the Hebrew are loquar super cor or ad corejus I will speake to her heart I will speak to her either so as to prevaile with her heart or speake to her so as to do her good at the very heart Many Scriptures may be brought to shew that speaking kindly friendly or comfortably the Hebrews expresse by speaking to the heart I will give you two or three instances Genesis 34. 3. Shechem spake kindly to the Damosell the words are in the Hebrew Shechem spake to the heart of the Damosell So Ruth 2. 13. Thou hast comforted me for that thou hast spoken friendly to thy handmaid thou hast spoken to the very heart of thy handmaid there are two more remarkable places for this one is Esay 40. 2. Speak comfortably to Jerusalem the words are speak to the heart of Jerusalem What should be spoke to the heart of Jerusalem Cry unto her her warefare is accomplished her iniquity is pardoned These are the comfortable words that God required should be spoke to the heart of Jerusalem O that God would speak thus to England this would do good at the very heart if God would speake thus from heaven Her iniquity is pardoned and her warefare is accomplished But yet a place that is more suitable unto this expression in the text it is Iudges 19. 3. There you have the story of a Levite whose wife having played the harlot yet he was willing to be reconciled to her the text saith that he went spake friendly to her Now the words are in the Hebrew Hee went and spake to her heart And indeed it is a word to the heart of an adulterous spouse if her heart be humbled when she knows that her husband will be willing notwithstanding her playing the harlot to be reconciled to her this was the condition of Israel who had gone a whoring from God yet when God promises a renewall of the marriage rites he saith he will speake to her heart from whence we might observe this note That an Apostatizing people or an Apostate soul had need have words of comfort spoke to their hearts or else there can be little ease to their terrified consciences We read of Spira that famous Apostate he had words of comfort enough spoke to his eare but they did him little good God did not come in and speak to his heart therefore his conscience could not be quieted the throbs of it could not be eased How many lie under the troubles of an accusing conscience and have the throbs and bitings of a guilty spirit because they have been back-sliders from the truth and though they come to Sermons one after another hear the Covenant of grace opened to them in the fulnesse of it the riches of Gods goodnesse set before them in the beauty of it yet they goe away without comfort why the words come to the eare God all this time speaks not to the heart sometimes it pleases God to take but the hint of a truth and dart it upon the heart of a troubled sinner that he feeleth it at the heart and sayes Well this day God hath spoken to my heart so he goes away rejoycing eased comforted pacified when as perhaps such an one had heard a hundred Sermons before wherein there were blessed and glorious truths presented to him and it did no good untill Gods time and when the time of Gods love is come some little hint of a piece of a truth God darteth to the hearts and that doth the thing God shews hereby that it is not in the word of man to comfort an afflicted conscience Hence an expression Luther hath in his Comment upon Genesis It is far harder to comfort an afflicted conscience then to raise the dead you think it is nothing to Apostatize from the Lord you thinke it is easie to receive comfort you will find it is not so easie you will find it as easie to raise the dead as to comfort your afflicted consciences But you told us before how rich the grace of God was that God tooke advantage from the greatnesse of our sins to shew the riches and greatness of his mercy grant it let the grace of God be never so rich but till this grace be applyed to the heart till God be pleased to speak himself to the heart of a sinner it will not do I remember a story of one who had made profession of Religion and afterwards Apostatised and made little of it when his acquaintance told him that those things he now did he would smart for one day he thought because he had some knowledg in the Gospel that it
of condescension with them though they bee unfaithfull to him yet he will be faithfull to them Oh my brethren this point hath abundance of sweetnes in it take heed of abusing it Thy sins cannot overcome Gods goodnesse let Gods goodness overcome thy wickednesse And they shal know the Lord They shal know that I am the Lord so the Septuagint hath it so the old Latin thou shalt know because I am the Lord but we rather reade it as it is in your bookes They shall know the Lord. But how comes this in In faithfulnesse and they shall know the Lord. Thus upon these two reasons First because this shall be the means to keepe the Church the Spouse of Christ in faithfulnesse for ever they shall know Christ to be the Lord. As if Christ should say The reason of all your vile departings from me all this while what is it you doe not know me you doe not see into the bounty and glory into the excellency of my worship and what I am that is the reason you are gone from me and have been unfaithfull to me but when I betroth you my self again you shall know me you shall see so much beauty and excellency in me mine Ordinances that you shall never depart from me Low thoughts of God are the cause of superstitious vanities Had men high and honourable thoughts of God they would never thinke to put him off with such bauble-worship as they do Acts 9. 7. it is said the God of glory appeared to Abraham that is given as a ground why Abraham would forsake his Countrey his fathers house and his kindred if we once knew the Lord and that the God of glory had appeared to us we would be ready to forsake all for him and give up our selves unto him in an everlasting covenant Secondly And they shall know me This is as a fruit of my betrothing my self unto them as a fruite of the Covenant Jer. 31. 34. They shal teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their iniquity c. It is a fruit of the conjugall union betwixt Christ and the soul As it is betwixt man and wife when they are but only suitors well willers they do not communicate their secrets one to another but when they once come to be marryed together then they open all their hearts there is no secret but they will disclose one to another So saith God when I am once marryed to you I will open my whole heart to you the secret of the Lord is with them that feare him Those that have but natural knowledge understands something of the wayes of Religion of the minde of Christ As a man that is in the dark may know where he is by feeling he may know what length and thickness many things in the house are of but when the light of the day comes then hee knowes what the â—â—is in the roome after another manner then he did in the darke this is the difference betweene knowledge of God in a natural man and the knowledge of one espoused to Christ by his naturall knowledge he may understand the hystory of the Gospell he may have some generall notions of God and of Christ but when the Sun of righteousnesse ariseth then be sees the excellency and glory of God then he sees God shining in all his attributes he sees that in Christ which drawes his heart unto him in an everlasting Covenant As we reade Cant. 7. 5. Christ is held in the galleries that is Christ assoone as he is marryed to the foule takes it as it were by the hand and walkes into the Galleries and there openeth his heart unto her There is many a sweet turne that a gracious heart hath with Christ in his ordinances wherin Christ openeth even his whole soul unto it Joh. 15. 15. All things saith Christ that I have heard of my Father I have made knowne unto you An admirable Text surely you cannot but know the Lord then Here is the fruit of our union with Christ Oh that our hearts were inflamed with desire after further conjugall communion with him according to the capacity of the soul so Christ makes knowne to it what he hath heard of the Father Certainly Christ hath heard great things of the Father he is the wisdome of the Father he hath been with the Father from all eternity and the Father loves him he will tell him all the glorious things he hath in his heart and Christ will hide none of those things from his Saints This is the priviledg of a Saint who would not be godly by which he shall come to know the minde of the Father according to what Christ knowes of it Yea and Christ makes God known to the Saints in another way then others know him 2 Sam. 7. 27. Thou O Lord God of Hosts hast revealed unto thy servant so you reade it in your bookes but it is in the Hebrew Lord thou hast revealed this to the eare of thy servant I wonder how that word to the eare comes to be left out in your books in which indeed the emphasis lye I am sure it is so in the Text. When God makes known himselfe to his people he revealeth things to their Eare as we to a friend who is intimate with us we speake a thing to his eare There is many a secret which JESUS CHRIST speakes in the eart of his Saints which others never come to be made acquainted with 2 Cor. 4. 6. God who commanded the light to shine out of darknes hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ It would aske time for the full opening the gradations of this Scripture here is knowledg the knowledg of the glory of God the light of the knowledg of the glory of God and shining and shining into our hearts and into our hearts in the face of Jesus Christ Surely then they shall know the Lord and they shall know him in a very spirituall way The light of the Saints is a light three story high First they have the light of nature which other men have the light of reason Secondly they have the light of common gifts which other men have too and that is a story higher then the other Thirdly they have the light of a sanctifying spirit that is a third loft and they shall come to a fourth story and that is the light of glory The light that other men have is but as the light you have in a lower room in ware-houses which in some you know is so little that you are faine to use a candle at noone day so some natural men have onely the light of reason which indeed is rather like your cellars that have but a little light
coming in at a grate others have somewhat more light they have common gifts which is like the light in the next story somewhat more clear but the light of the Saints is higher then all these they know God as their God great is the excellency of his knowledge the soul hath blessed satisfaction in it let us see the Father and it sufficeth us the fulnesse of glory that is let out into the soul the sanctification of the heart by the presence of the beams of the glory of God being transformed into the same Image it is the very beginning of eternall life Take onely this note about our knowledge of God by Christ what a different way have we to know God by from that which Heathens had If you reade the Hystories of the Romanes you shal find the poor mean ways of those wise men had to know God as thus they would look into the intrails of beasts thereby to finde out the mind of their gods they would observe how the beasts came to the slaughter whether willingly or not willingly whether haled or not haled they guessed somewhat at the minde of their Gods by that then they would looke into the colour of the bowels of the beasts then observe whether the entrals were sound or not then they would observe the fire of their sacrifices whether the flame ascended right or not thus they came to know the mind of their Gods What poor wayes are these we have JESUS CHRIST God blessed for ever the eternal Son of the Father who is come from the bosome of the Father to make all known to us the mind of God his and our Father We know the truth as it is in Jesus not onely as it is in the works of nature some know much of God in the works of creation and providence wee may know much of God in those great things the Lord hath of late done amongst us but to know the truth as it is in Jesus to know God in Christ this is another manner of knowledge then to know God in the way of his works here we see the truth really indeed when wee see it in CHRIST JESUS Certainly then none united unto Christ in a conjugall union can be an ignorant sot for Christ ingageth himselfe in his faithfulnesse upon this marryage of a soul with himselfe to reveale himselfe and the Father unto it Joh 8. 54. Of whom ye say he is your God but mark the next words yet ye have not knowne him A likely matter that he should be your God and you not know him a likely matter that Christ should be your Saviour and you not know him seeing he hath ingaged himselfe in his faithfulnesse that if you bee married to him you shall know him and his Father Ver. 21. And it shall come to passe in that day I will heare saith the Lord I will heare the heavens c. Now come in temporall promises after the assurance of mercy in the Covenant then come promises for corn and wine and oyle God would teach us this lesson by it that all our outward things at the least the sweetness and comfort of them depend upon the covenant in Christ I will heare The word is Respondebo I will answer so it may be rendred as well God will so hear as that he will answer Many times a poor man cryes to the rich he hears him but he will not answer but saith God I will hear so as I wil answer This is a most elegant expression I wil hear the heavens and they shall heare the earth and the earth shall hear the corne and the wine and the oyle and they shal heare Iezreel Miraorationis sublimit as a wonderfull sublimity of speech saith one Expositor of it hyperbolica metaphora a hyperbolica metaphor saith another pulcherrima prosopopoeia a most beautifull and delightful prosopopoeia saith another these creatures being put as it were in the person of a man as if they understood what they did As if the Lord should say thus My people you indeed through your sinnes have been brought into great straits you have wanted corne and wine and oyle you have been scattered in your banishment but when I shall betroth my self unto you and enter into a covenant with you then when you shall cry O that we might have these outward comforts presently the corne and the wine and the oyle as if they heard your complaints shall say Oh Lord we would help Jezreel and satisfie these thy servants the corne shall cry to the earth O earth let me come into your bowels I will rot there that so I may bring forth fruit for this people the vines and the olive shall desire the earth to receive them to give juice and nourishment to them that they may refresh these reconciled ones to God the earth shall say O that I could entertaine the corne and wine and oyle that I may be fruitfull in my kinde but O heavens I can doe nothing except I have your influences and the shine of the sun to warme mee to make mee fructifie therefore O heavens come in and assist me that I may fructifie for Jezreel and the heavens they shall cry Lord we would faine help the earth that the earth may helpe the corne and wine and oyle that they may supply Jezreel but we can doe nothing without thine hand therefore doe thou heare us do thou give us leave to raine upon the earth that it may be fruitfull Thus the creatures are brought in crying to help Jezreel Take these Observations First See our condition in this world though reconciled to God yet while we are here we must be beholden to the corne and wine to the earth and heavens we know not how to doe without them Secondly VVhen we are reconciled to God then the creatures will be serviceable to us yea they will be greedy to do us good they will cry for it Let us take heed of provoking God the creatures then will be against us I have read of Cordius a martyr giving this answer to those who would have had him deny the truth if deny it saith he the Sun Moon starres will deny me light If we serve God the creatures will account it their happines to serve us Thirdly God useth to work good for his people by second causes He doth not send these things immediately from heaven but the heavens heare the earth and the earth hears the corne and the wine We must looke to second causes but take heed of resting upon second causes It hath been Gods work amongst us of late in finding out treacheries giving successes to manifest himself very strangly when the means have been very poor Nay indeed God hath made as much use of mens weaknesse as of their strength but let not us therefore be slack in the use of means let us do the best we can though God sometimes work beyond means and contrary to means
expression of much love also to Israel but yet withall God tells them of that meane and low estate they are like to be in before that time comes for the fulfilling of all that good that God intends to them God purposes great mercy for them his heart is much set upon them but they must for a long time beare their iniquity they must be brought into a vile and desolate condition in their captivity even untill a second appearing of Christ But in all this time the heart of God would be toward them his intentions would be strong for good to that people above all the people upon the face of the earth though they might seeme to be utterly rejected of the Lord and that for many yeers yet hee would look toward them as a people that he intended yet to marry unto himself in time mercy should breake forth gloriously upon them and his name should be magnified in their returning unto him so as their hearts should melt toward his goodnesse they should not abuse it any more as formerly they had done but they should returne and seeke the Lord their God and David their King and feare the Lord and his goodnesse in the latter dayes This is the scope of the Chapter In which you have three things 1. Gods love continued unto an adulteresse Israel 2. The low and mean condition of this adulteresse for a long time 3. The returne of God in infinite mercy toward them at the latter day together with their returne unto him And the Lord said unto me goe yet love a woman beloved of her friend yet an adulter esse We have here a new injunction to the Prophet and that somewhat harder then his former In the first Chapter God commanded him to goe and take awife of whoredomes but here God commanded him to love an adulteresse which is somewhat more then to take her unto himself What that was of taking a wife of whoredomes hath been opened in the former Chapter and may spare some labour in this It is here a vision as it was there As if God should say unto Hosea Hosea it is just with me as it would be with thee if thou shouldst goe and have a wife an Adulteresse notwithstanding all the love she hath found yet still an Adulteresse thine heart should be upon her so as thou couldest not take thy heart from her but thou must needs love this Adulteresse still This people whom I have loved for whom I have done so much good yet they have gone a whoring from me they are an Adulteresse yet for all that my heart cannot be taken off from them but is still toward them yet I love them This is through the strength of the Covenant that Gods love is so permanent Others who are not in covenant with him God casts out for lesser sins for any sins but as for his people who are in Covenant with him no not their adulteries their idolatries takes not the heart of God wholly from them Surely then if thou canst appeale to God O Lord thou knowest all things knowest that there is nothing of thy mind revealed to me but my heart is ready to do it and if I faile in any thing thou knowest it is the greatest burden of my soul O that I knew more of thy minde and that I had power to doe more surely God will love thee you heare he loves his people though an adulteresse as before so now take this lesson thy sinnes cannot over come Gods goodnesse let Gods goodnesse overcome thy sinfulnesse An adulteresse beloved of her friend This is as some carry it Calvin Vatablus and many others beloved of her husband as if God should say had they any such excuse for their departings from me that I have been a bitter husband to them that I have used them hardly and rigidly then indeed they might have some plea but I have loved them dearly I have done much for them they were beloved of me I have carried my selfe to them in the most friendly way that possibly could be yet they are gone a whoring from me The wife that followes other lovers thinks if she have but this to say her husband is hard to her hee cares not for her he loves her not it excuses in part her adulteries and so the husband a company keeper an adulterer if he can say what will you have me to doe I never come home but my wife is alwayes bâ—awling and she loves other men he thinks this is plea enough for him But Israel could not have this excuse for her selfe for she was an Adulteresse yet beloved of the Lord. If we take the words thus the notes briefly would be these First The husband should be a friend to his wife There should be nothing but friendly carriage betweene man and wife Yea the love of the husband to the wife should farr surmount the love of any friend in the world but a friend at least to comfort her to cherrish her in time of sorrowes to beare the burthen of affliction with her and so the wife towards the husband Secondly A base heart will be base against all bonds of love beloved of her friend yet an adultoresse if you should ask who is he or where is he that is so base Lay thy hand upon thine owne heart and consider what the love of God hath been towards thee all the dayes of thy life and how thou hast carried thy selfe toward him what love thou hast had from God that might breake the heart of a devill yet when any temptation comes to draw thee from God thy base heart listens to it Thirdly It is a great aggravation of sin to sinne against much love We ought to doe our duties to those that we stand in relation unto though they doe not their duty to us if a wife hath a froward husband a bitter churlish rugged wicked ungodly husband yet she is bound to doe her duty to him she is bound to love him to obey him to be observant of him in what may give him all lawfull content So if servants have froward churlish cruel Masters or Mastresses yet they are bound to be obedient to them 1 Pet. 2. 18. Be subject to your masters not onely to those that rae good and gentle but to the froward It is no sufficient excuse for the wife to say My husband is froward and unquiet and therefore what shall I doe Nor for the servant to say My Master or Mistresse are unreasonable they are cruell what can I doe You must doe your duty to them though they doe not theirs to you But if you have a loving husband tender over you then love is required much more Love above all things should draw the heart the knowledge that it is duty may force obedience but it is love that draws the heart most kindly So if a servant have a godly Master and Mistresse who respects and tenders his good if
he should sinne against them this aggravateth the sinne exceedingly To wrong love is a very great sin Delicata res est amor love is a most delicate thing and it must not be wronged it is tender a precious thing A man who is of an ingenuous spirit had rather a great deale be wronged in his estate then in his love he cannot beare the injury that is done unto his love when his love is abused that goes to his very heart So it goes to the heart of God for his people to sin against his love therefore it is said of the Saints when they sinne that they grieve the Spirit of God he never saith so of wicked men they anger God but the Saints grieve him because they sinne so much against Gods love Charge this aggravation of your sinne upon your hearts and be humbled collect together all the expressions of Gods love to you and let them lye glowing at your hearts and melt them But in that God bids him take an Adulteresse beloved of her friend and calls not this friend Husband I thinke those who goe another way expresse the minde of the Holy Ghost in this more fully thus This friend is not meant of one who is fully married but rather one in a way of marriage Amongst the Jewes it was usuall for all women to be under the protection of some men or other Esay 4. 1. Seven women came and tooke hold of one man and said Let us be named by your name we will eate our own bread and weare our own cloathes onely let us be named by your name let us be under your protection Even whores were wont though they had many lovers yet to have some one speciall man under whose protection and care they would be who was to see them not to have wrong and to make provision for them and such a one they were wont to call their friend And many times these friends would so provide for them that if they would be reclaymed forsaking all their other lovers they would give them good hopes of marrying with them at length Arias Montanus refers us to one Propertius in his first Book and second Elegie to reade about the charge and care of such a friend The Grecians had that custome likewise they called him under whose protection they put themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whore was called from it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is said of Plato that he had a whore one Archenassa who was called Plato's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here the Lord would have the Prophet take an Adulteresse beloved of her friend that is one that was a common Adulteresse and yet under the protection of some speciall friend so as if he might come in place of that friend and gain the love and affection of this Adulteresse to himself and in time getting her to be reclaimed he might marry her unto himselfe This is according to the love of God to his people that is as if God should say This people is a going a whoring but I will be content to take them unto my selfe I will be as their friend and so love them as a friend to protect them to have care over them untill such a time that there may be some experience of their being reclaimed and then I will marry this Adulteresse fully unto my selfe for God is not now fully marryed unto the Jews neither will that marryage be untill that glorious time of their calling comes but yet God is as a friend to them to this day that is God takes this people yet under his protection though they seeme to be in a rejected condition and so as he gives hope yea makes many promises that upon their return unto him he will marry them unto himselfe yea there shal be a more glorious marriage between the Jews the Lord Christ then ever yet there was between him and any people upon the face of the earth This I thinke to be the very scope and meaning of the words Beloved of her friend Somewhat sutable is that we have Deut. 21. 12. 13. when one of the Jews took a captive woman he might not marry her presently to himself but if he had a love to her she was to continue a certaine time and to be so and so purified and then he was to take her The Jewes are for the present as that captive woman they are in bondage yet God hath a love to them unto this day but so as they must abide a while untill God be maryed to them they are beloved of God but yet with the love of a friend The Seventy reade these words Beloved of her friend One that loveth evill things upon the mistake of the Hebrew word for indead a friend and evill are the same letters only differing in the points so there might easily be a mistake Who looke to other gods Their eyes are upon other gods Where the heart is there the eyes is Timor figit oculum so Amor Feare fastens the eyes and so doth Love The workings of the soule appeares as much in the eye as in any member the workings of love of trust and confidence appeare much in the eye They looke to other gods that is they have confidence in other gods Looking up to a thing in Scripture phrase is to have some confidence in it Psal 121. 1. I lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence commeth my help That is I look for help I have confidence and expect help But how here to the hills then What doth Davids help come from the hills Some thinke this to be the place where afterward the Temple was built and was then the place of the Sanctuary but for that it is said that usually in Scripture is but in the singular number the hill of God not the hils therefore I finde Calvin Mollerus and others thinke that David here speakes of confidence in the creature because he presently retracts him selfe in the second verse My helpe is in Jehovah As if he should say I lift up mine eyes unto the creature for help this is the frailty of my nature and of the nature of man to look for auxiliary Forces from Jerusalem which was a hilly place I looke for Forces to come from Jerusalem but they doe not come well I will not rest any longer upon them Jehovah is my help so they carry it But now I would rather if it may be free the Prophet from vaine confidence in the creature and so the words being rightly understood may free him if you reade them thus doe I lift up mine eyes unto the hils doe I expect help from the creature God forbid I should doe it for my help is in God Further sometimes the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so it would bee translated above the hils other men look to the hils I look above the hils But rather thus I lift up mine eyes to the hils