that we should add to the praise of God Men desires to ad more and more to the States of their Progenitors and so your Children they will add a little to the estates that you leave them and so men account it their ambition to raise their families My Brethren we should have an holy Ambition by practice of Religion more and more in every age as Jehu said in 2 King 10. 18. Ahab served Baal a little but Jehu shall serve him much So others as he said of false worship though in a fained way we should say of the true Worship of God we have served the Lord a little but we will serve him more we have more mercies than they had more light than they had if they served God a little we will serve him more And then Ephraim hath made many Altars to sin God still remembers the first and the chief Actors in sin Ephraim he speaks to the ten Tribes and yet only names Ephraim because the Governors were of that Tribe The chief in a family by whom the whol family is corrupted and the chief in a Town or Country God hath an eye upon them and though others escape they shall not Ephraim hath multiplied Altars to sin they intended not to sin it was not their intention when they made Altars that they might sin they thought they pleased God but God accounts it â—n and a provocation to him And from thence the Note is only this That whatsoever names we may give to things yet it may be God will give other names and titles to them we may say that it is devotion God will say it is superstition we may say it 's good intention but God may say it is presumption we may say it is prudence and wisdom but God may give it another name and say it is temporising 't is time-serving God doth use to give other names to things than we do in the Scripture they call their Images their delectable things God calls them detestable things No question if you would ask them why they built Altars they would say to the honor of God but saith God You built Altars to sin And then Altars shall be unto him to sin Shall be to him That 's thus Seeing they will have them they shall have them they shall have enough of them let them go on in their way let them multiply their sin When mens hearts are set upon false waies of worship it 's just with God to let them have their desires to the full They shall have their way that they do contend for they keep a great deal of stir for it and have it they must they refuse to see the light they are prejudiced against the way of Gods Worship let them have what they would have saith God they shall have Governors to establish what they would have by their Authority and they shall have their Teachers that shall defend by subtil Arguments those things to be lawful they multiply Altars to sin and they shall be to sin even to harden them and so the Seventy seem to take the meaning of these words by their translation of them whereas you have it They shall be to sin their Altars shall be to love their hearts are set upon them and they will have them and love them and they shall be hardened in them and this is the heavy judgment of God to give unto men their hearts desires in what is evil and as it shall be to them for sin so it shall be to them for their misery for the fruit of sin for so sin is taken very frequently in Scripture for the fruit of sin they will have them to sin and they shall find the fruit of sin by what they are so eagerly set upon them And thus much for the eleventh verse It follows VER 12. I have written to him the great things of my Law but they were counted as a strange thing THIS Verse in the reading of it appears a greatness in the very sound of it and there is as much in it as the sound doth import and therefore though we pass over other things more briefly yet because there is very much of Gods mind in this and we should wrong the Scripture if we should pass over this too slightly I have written to him the great things of my Law This is made an aggravation of their sin they multiply Altars to sin and yet saith God I have written to them the great things of my Law they find no such things in my Law written to them this was against the very written Word of God and what that written Word of God against those many Altars was that you had the last day but in that from this connexion that these are made sins because they were against the written Word of God from thence the Note is That whatsoever is urged to us or practised by us in matters of Worship it must have Warrant out of the written Word of God It was sin Why because I have written to them saith he the great things of my Law and they counted it a strong thing though that which they did had a great deal of seeming devotion in it yet it was otherwise than that they found written in my Law This Question should be put to any that tender to us any way of Worship or Doctrine of Religion under any specious shew whatsoever Where is it written To the Law and to the Testimonie Isaiah 8. 20. If they speak not according to this Word it is because they have no light in them Oh they seem to be very judicious and wise but if they speak not according to this Word they have no light in them not only to the Law and Testimonies but to the written Law and Testimonies this must be the Standard at which all Doctrines and waies of Worship must be tried Many may put fair colours upon their waies that it is for Common Peace and a great deal of good may be done by it and the like But is it written Did I ever command it saith God Policy may say it's fit Reason may say it's comely and Experience may say it's useful But doth the written Law say it should be Nay it 's not enough to say That we cannot say it is forbidden But where is it written In matters of Worship this is a certain rule Saith Tertullian about the Crowning of the Soldier with Baies If it be said It is lawful because the Scripture doth not forbid it it may equally be retorted It is therefore not lawful because the Scripture doth not command it No matter what the thing be saith Luther in matters of Religion but who it is that bids it who it is that commands it we must look to that Never argue thus in any point of Religion I beseech you consider it is a point that hath been is and may yet
further prove to be of great use to us never argue thus Why what hurt is there in it is it not very comely I cannot think but it may do a great deal of good these arguments are weak arguments in matters of Worship but to all these Arguments we must answer Is it written As Christ answered the Devil and his temptations it was enough to say it was written thus and thus So if you can but bring a word written against it and if you can put them unto it to shew what they would have you to do let them shew it where it is written in Exod. 39. we find in that chapter at least ten times it is said they did according to what the Lord had commanded Moses and in the conclusion of the chapter Moses blessed the people the people are blessed when in the matters of Worship they keep unto what is commanded And again As we must not make what we think the rule for worship so neither the Opinions of Learned men nor Custom nor Antâ—quity must be the rule of our Worship but what 's written I have written to them the great things of my Law they must keep to that whatsoever use we may make now of the Opinions of Antients and the like yet if the Antients themselves were alive they would abhor the use that many make of their quotations Cyprian in one of his Epistles saith We must not look what this man or that man that were before us he speaks of his predecessors what he did or what he taught but what he that was before all namely Christ who alone is the Way the Truth and the Life And so Augustin hath another Speech to the same effect speaking of the Antients of learned men saving all due respect that is due to them yet for us to think that we may not cast out even reject from their writings some things because they were learned men this must not be admitted for saith he such a one I 'le be in respect of the writings of other men and such a one would I have those that understand my writings to be to me I will not think of the writings of any other men before that there should be nothing cast out nor mended neither would I have any body think so of my writings And so Ambrose Where the Scripture is silent we must not speak Thus we see that those men for the maintaining of that which is evil they will make use of Quotationâ— and Antiquities yet we see the Antients did abhor this Christ and his Apostles they quoted none of the Learned men before them but Moses and the Prophets But you will say Though we must not take that which other men write to be the Rule yet that which other men write may help us to understand the Scripture Now I remember Luther hath such a Speech That Scripture should rather help us to understand mens writings than mens writings to understand the Scripture Many men they will make mens writings to be as a judg and to be the rule of understanding Scriptures not the Judg of Truth but the rule of understanding Scripture whereas saith he the Scripture should rather be the rule of understanding them And so Hilary saith he for the sense of Scripture and understanding them He is the best Interpreter that rather takes the sense from out of Scripture and by comparing one Scripture with another than bring any new sense therefore the understanding of Scripture is more by Scripture than by the Writings of any man living And yet still no question we may make use of the gifts of God in others but so as to keep us close to the written Word for the Rule yea and for the meaning of the Rule they may help us to see whether the Scripture will justifie this Truth or this sense for there lies the mistake Most people in the world will think this indeed That whatsoever any man writes if it be contrary to the Word we may not receive it but we must understand the Word in what sense they take it now we must not go so far For the Scripture written is not only that we might know what the Rule is but it is written that we might understand the meaning of the Rule and we must fetch out the meaning of Scriptures by Scripture Now so far as the Writings of men wil help us to fetch out the meaning of Scripture by Scripture so far we may make use of them but we cannot say this is the meaning because it is the judgment of such and such Learned men but such and such Learned men will give you Reasons and compare one Scripture with another to shew why it is the meaning of it and they will shew you the History of the time and shew you how to compare old and new Testament one with another and this is the use of Writers for understanding the Scriptures Then you wil say Why do we make use of Writers so much Why thus they shew how one Scripture looks towards another and to compare one Scripture with another and shew the coherence of things The sense of things is to be resolved in the Scripture its self and therefore we must keep our selves very close to what is written Written It was not so at first it was delivered but from hand to hand but afterwards when the Church began to multiply then the Word was written And this is a mighty blessing of God that we may have the mind of God written so as we may look into it and search to know the mind of God by reading it over and over again and taking it into our hands when we are lying upon our beds if we light a Candle in the night we may be reading and looking into the mind of God If we should only hear of such a Book that were in the world that were in China in the uttermost parts of the habitable world if we should hear that there were such a Book that God had written or that God had used men to write by an inspiration of His own Spirit a Book that was certainly indited by the holy Ghost every word of it wherein the Lord had revealed the great Counsels of his Will concerning Mans eternal estate if we should hear that there came such a Book down even from Heaven and this was in the uttermost parts of the earth Oh! what a longing desire should we have to see that Book What man or woman but would give their whol estate to have a week or a fortnights time to see and reade in such a Book as that is if one could he would be willing to travel to the end of the world to have the use of such a Book as that is No man need say Shall I go to the uâ—â—â—rmost parts of the earth for it is in your hands it is in your houses there is the Book wherein the great God hath written
say therefore do I keep them but therefore doth my soul keep them Oh my very soul is in this in keeping thy Testimonies for I look upon them as wonderful things It 's a good sign of the Spirit of the great God in a man when it doth raise him above other things to look upon the things of his Word as the only great things that are in the world All flesh is grass saith the Scripture but the Word of God endures for ever there is a vanity in all things of the world but in that which the Word reveals Oh! there is an eternity there we should therefore admire at nothing so as at the Word and we should greatly delight in Gods Commandements an ordinary admiration is not sufficient for the Commands of God for the Law of God nor an ordinary delight is not sufficient but great admiration and great de-delight there should be in the Law of God And all things that are taken from Gods Law should be great arguments to prevail with you It may be there comes such and such temptations to draw you to such and such evils and you say they are strong temptations But that which is in the Law that should be a greater argument there is that which is greater in Gods Law than there can be in any temptation whatsoever Therefore know it is a dangerous thing for men and women to look at any thing in Gods Law as a little thing so as to despise it and to think it is no great matter though we do such and such things though we should go from the rule of the Word a little what great matter is it are we not all sinners Prov. 13. 13. Who so despiseth the Word shall be destroyed That is looks upon any thing in Gods Word as a light thing It was a speech of one that should say when he was convinc'd of a thing that was evil That he must make bold with God Almighty sometimes Do not you make bold with Gods Word and secretly jeer at those that are so nice they cannot venture a little remember this text in Prov. 13. 13. Who so despiseth the Word shall be destroyed take the least thing that you think so despicable in Gods Law and you will veture upon it but God will make it a great matter for when you have broke the Law in the least thing all the Angels in Heaven and Men in the World cannot satisfie God for that wrong if they should come and say Lord here 's a poor creature that hath broken thy Law but in this one thing that he thought to be a little matter we are content to be ten thousand yeers in torments to satisfie for thy Law Nay saith God this will not do it Therefore take heed of despising Gods Law or despising any thing that is reveal'd by him for certainly it will prove a great matter and when the Law hath been broken let us not think it is a little matter that it is but a Lord have mercy upon me at the last Again The Prophet is convincing them of false worship and upon this ground Because they would venture to make Altars to worship God in another way than God revealed in his Law from thence note That the Worship of God is a great matter every thing in Gods Worship is to be look'd at as a great matter They may think it a matter of indifferency whether they do it or no at least in some things My Brethren let us learn to know that every thing in the Worship of God is a great matter God looks much upon it God doth not say that he is jealous for any thing but for his Worship Vzzah he thought it a little matter for him to go and catch the Ark and especially having a good intention It 's true the Law of God is that it should be carried upon mens shoulders but may it not as well be carried in a cart he thought it but a little matter but it proved a great matter So that which we think little in Gods Worship is a great matter So Vzziah in 2 Chron 26. No question he thought it no great matter to go into the Temple and offer sacrifice Is it not as good that a King offer it as a Priest it was in the Temple and the true Worship and Vzziah because he was a great man he thought he might venture for there you find that he had an Army of three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred Soldiers A great Captain And Nadab and Abihu no question they thought it no great matter to go and offer strange fire and it hath not been forbidden in Gods Word this fire but it was a great matter before God for God came with fire from Heaven to destroy them Hence it is that God in his Word would set out the glory of his Worship to that end that he might take off mens hearts from all false worship he would have them to think the matters of his Worship great things that so they might not have their hearts taken with any false worship Ezek. 7. 20. The beauty of his Ornament he set in Majestie and hereby God aggravates their sin of Idolatry Oh my Worship and Service I made it as beautiful and glorious as could be but they worshiped their Images their detestable things So in Jer. 17. 12. A glorious high Throne from the beginning of our Sanctuary Mark what follows All that forsake thee shall be ashamed and they that depart from thee shall be written in the Earth because they have forsaken the Lord the Fountain of living Waters As if God should say Oh vile hearts of men when there is such a glorious Worship of mine that I present unto them yet they turn even to their own vile Inventions and not regard that glorious Worship of mine I beseech you Brethren labor to look upon Gods Worship as a glorious thing But now the Reprehension that follows But they were accounted as a strange thing Here 's the wickedness of people that though God shews forth his Glory in his Word yet they look upon it as a strange thing as a thing that they shall get little good by if they do obey or little hurt by if they do disobey We should now have shewed wherein this people did account Gods Worship a strange thing and what particulars of Gods Law they accounted strange things But especially this one among the rest they did count strange viz. That God should so stand upon it that He must needs be worshiped Jerusalem at the Temple and at no other Altar whatsoever came of it Now because they thought that if the people went to Jerusalem to worship it would be very prejudicial to the State this was a strange thing that which we can see no reason for So people are ready to think if any thing be propounded for the Worship of God out of the Word Yea but
God would have but one Altar 74 Answ 1. These Altars did typifie two things 1 That Christ was to be the only sacrifice 74 2 That all our services are accepted only in him ib. 2. That it might be the bond of the Church Other Objections Answered 76 Obs 1 Mans inventions in Gods Worship are rejected of God 77 Obs 2 There is no stop in superstitious worship 78 Obs 3 We are ready to imitate our forefathers in what is evil but not in what is good 79 Obs 4. Take heed distance of time make us not to fear the threatning the less 80 Obs 5 Every age ads something to Idolatry and false worship 81 Obs 6 What ever names we give to things it may be God will give other names and titles 83 Obs 7 When mens hearts are set upon fals waies of worship it is just with God to let them have their desires to the full ib. VERSE XII Obs 1 Whatsoever is urged or practised in matter of worship it must have warrant out of the written Word of God 85 Obs 2 We should look upon the Scriptures as concerning our selves 92 Obs 3 The things of Gods Worship are to be looked upon as great things 96 1 Because they are from a great God ib. 2 The lustre of the great God shines in them ib. 3 They are the mysteries of Gods will 97 4 They are of great concernment 98 5 They have great power on the heart of man ib. 6 They make all those great that receive them 99 7 They are great in Gods account ib. Obs 4 The word is matter for the greatest spirits to exercise themselves about 101 Obs 5 It is a special means to obedience to have high thoughts of Gods Law 102 Obs 6. The worship of God is a great matter 103 The Word of God accounted strange 1 As not concerning them 105 2 Strange in their apprehensions 106 3 There is no sutableness between their hearts and the Doctrine 107 4 They use the Word as a stranger viz. for their own ends 108 Obs 7 Superstitious people that are very zealous in their own way of worship are very negligent in Gods way 108 Obs 8 It is a dangerous thing for men to have their hearts estranged from Gods Law 110 The Degrees of the hearts estrangement from God 1 His delight in God abates 111 2 They are less frequent together ib. 3 He hath hard thoughts of Gods Word ib 4 He wisheth the things in the Word were otherwise ib. 5 He begins to listen to things that are against the Word 112 6 He will not search throughly into truths ib. 7 An engagement in some unlawful practice ib. 8 Weighty arguments now become weak ib. 9 He violently rejects the Word ib. Obs 8 That which mens corrupt hearts will not close withal they put it upon Christ as if Christ had delivered them from it 113 VERS XIII Obs 1 Men may continue in outward profession and yet the great things of Gods Law may be strange to them 115 Obs 2 Most men offer up nothing to God in sacrifice but flesh 116 Obs 3 To aim at Self in serving God eats out true devotion 117 Obs 4 If Self be regarded all is rejected 119 Obs 5 Men may be much in holy services and yet their sins stand upon the score nevertheless 120 Obs 6 Howsoever God may forbear wicked men a time yet he hath a time to remember all ib. Obs 7 God remembers the sins of wicked people especially in the performance of holy duties 122 1 Because we come into Gods presence ib. 2 Holy Duties are aggravations of sin ib. Obs 8 God visits mens sins when they think he neglects them most 123 Obs 9 Carnal hearts when God visits their sins plot which way to shift for themselves 124 Obs 10 It is one of the most dreadful judgments of God upon a Nation when he hath delivered them from one bondage to deliver them into the same again 125 Obs 11 It is just with God that those that inherit their fathers sins should inherit their fathers judgments ib. Obs 12 All places are places of misery when God forsakes a People ib. VERSE XIV Obs 1 God punisheth for sin when men are most secure 126 Obs 2 It is Gods favor that makes a man 127 Obs 3 The greater excellency God raiseth a man to the viler is his sin to forget God 128 Obs 4 When mens hearts are farthest off from God then are they forwardest in superstition 128 Objections answered 129 Obs 5 Men are more subject to secure themselves from outward things than from Gods wrath 132 Obs 6 When men bless themselves in their own thoughts they should consider what are Gods thoughts 133 Obs 7 Brave things are subject to Gods devouring fire 134 CHAP. IX VERS I. Obs 1 That 's a sad war where the Conqueror hath cause to be sad at the Conquest 137 Vse for England ib. Obs 2 Leagues wherein we much rejoyce may prove occasions of sorrow 138 Use Be not greedy of peace before the time ib. Obs 3 Carnal hearts bless themselves in in outward prosperity 139 Obs 4 When men be jolly and merry they should consider whether it be from God or not 140 Obs 5 We may prosper and yet have no cause of joy ib. Obs 6 Carnal hearts are immoderate in joy 141 Exhortations 1 Be not taken with the worlds jollity 142 2 Imitate them not in their waies of rejoycing ib. 3 Do not rejoyce as a People 143 4 Rejoyce not profanely ib. 5 Rejoyce not as having so much cause as others 144 Obs 7 Many that scorn mean men may not be in so good a case as they ib. Obs 8 Although we enjoy the same blessings that othess do yet we may not have the same cause to rejoyce that they have 144 Obs 9 It is a great argument of mens misery that others rejoyce when they cannot 145 Obs 10 That which we call little matter in corrupting Gods Worship God calls a going a whoring from him 147 Obs 11 A People may be free from the gross evils of another people and yet be in a worse condition than they 147 Proved 148 Obs 12 To be constant to evil principles is not so great an evil as to be false in good principles ib. Obs 13 The sins of Gods People are the greatest sins of all 149 Obs 14 Idolaters love outward prosperity because it is a reward of their service to their Idols 153 VERSE II. Obs 1 God often lets wicked men come near a mercy and then cuts them off 154 Obs 2 God strikes wicked men in those things their hearts are mâ—st set upon ib. Obs 3. The promises of the creature will lye the promises of the world will not 155 Obs 4 Men shall fail at last in what they think they to get in a way of sin ib. VERSE III. Obs 1 It is a great judgment of God to drive men out of a Land for sin 159 Obs 2 The state of the Church of God
see but little of it there I but saith God my people have my Law where my mind is written plainly and they may see it there and know what my Covenant is with them and therefore their sin is so much the greater they have transgressed against my Law The Seventy translate these words They have dealt ungodlily against my Law and the word especially hath reference to the worship of God that is commanded in the Law they have not worshiped me according to my Law for though God looks at every part of his Law yet more especially at that that requires his more immediate worship And in the Hebrew it is they have prevaricated against my Law they have made a shew that they would do what my Law requires but they do quite contrary that 's the propriety of the word in the Hebrew What people is there in the world but will make some shew that they would obey Gods Law no people but say it is fit that they should be obedient to Gods Law what variety of opinions and practices are there among men and yet all will father their opinions and practices upon Gods Law and mark but they do prevaricate in this they pretend one thing but they go quite the contrary way and this is that which God charges his people withal upon which he would send his enemies even an Eagle upon them It follows VER 2. Israel shall cry unto me My God we know thee THE words as they are in the Hebrew are somewhat different from what they are in your books for Israel in your books is in the first place but in the Hebrew it is in the last that is To me they shall cry My God we know thee Israel What difference is this yes the words thus read have more elegancy in them than otherwise and they hint some observations that would hardly be hinted to us as it is in your books as thus If you reade it as it is in your books then it is only a speech of God to them But if you reade it according to the Hebrew they shall cry to me My God we know thee Israel They here seem to put God in mind who they were as if they should say we are Israel who know thee remember we are not strangers to thee They shall cry unto me My God we know thee Israel It 's Israel that cries to thee Oh my God! Or as if they should put God in mind of their Father Israel in whom their confidence was They shall cry to me My God we know thee Israel Oh remember our Father Israel and deal graciously with us for the sake of our Father Israel Just like those in Matth. that would cry We have Abraham to our Father so here this people would cry in their cries in the time of their affliction they would cry to God that they had Israel to their Father we have reference to Israel who did so prevail as a Prince with God and therefore we hope we shall fare the better for Israel Or thus They shall cry to me My God we know thee Israel That is we know thee to be the God of Israel we have known how thy waies have been in former times for the good of thine Israel and Lord remember how thou hast wrought for thine Israel heretofore and work now for us in the same manner thus there is a great deal in this word Israel if you set it in the last place in the verse more than if you set it in the beginning From hence the Notes are these First That in affliction men see their need of God So the Chaldae paraphrase upon this place Alwaies when I bring straights upon them then they pray before me and say Now we see plainly that we have no other God besides thee Oh! redeem us because we are thy people Israel so that 's the meaning Secondly Even Hypocrites and the vilest Wretches that are in the time of their distress will claim interest in God and cry to him even those that have departed most from him will be ready to claim interest in him in their distress What an impudency was it for this people that had so grosly departed from God that had gone so against their light and yet they will come boldly and claim their interest in God in the time of their affliction Truly we see the same spirit in men at this very day the most wicked and vile ungodly man or woman that is yet will be ready in afflictions to claim interest in God My God I appeal to you in this Congregation if one should go from one end of the Congregation and speak particularly to every one and ask but this question Do you hope that God is your God Every one would be ready to say Yes we hope he is This is the impudency of mens hearts that will take liberty to go on in a way of rebellion and fighting against God all their lives and yet in the time of their distress claim interest in God Thirdly That knowledg and acknowledgment of God in an outward formal way is that which Hypocrites think will commend them much to God in time of affliction that by which they shall have favour from Him because they have made some profession of God We know thee as if they should say Lord we were not as others that had forsaken thee we continued Israel still we did not turn to be Heathens It is very hard for mens spirits to be taken off from trusting in formality in outward worship we are all Christians we are not turned Heathens so they shall call to me My God we know thee Israel we continue Israel still Oh! how sweet and comfortable is it then to have a true interest in God in the time of affliction to be able to say in truth Lord we know thee and blessed be thy Name Lord we have known thee we have had experience of thy goodness and faithfulness mercy love and tender compassion towards us we have known thee an infinite al sufficient good thou hast satisfied our souls with thy love the light of thy countenance it hath been the joy of our hearts and blessed be the time that ever we knew thee Oh blessed be the time that ever the Lord made himself known to us we can say Lord we have known thee and therefore now Lord have mercy upon us Oh let us all learn to make more of our interest in God and to labor to know Him more and more that we may have this comfort in our afflictions to be able to say in truth Oh Lord thou art our God and we have known thee If Hypocrites think it to be so great a comfort that they are Israel Oh what is it then to be a true Israelite in whose heart is no guile Fourthly Degenerate children they think to have favour for the sake of their godly parents We have known thee Israel Children should imitate
only materially good but formally also that is which is done in obedience to God And that shews the dangerous condition of ignorant people all their actions are sin because they know not Gods mind in them Thirdly To go about great businesses without consulting with God it is sin Even the Heathens were conscious of this therefore Pullius Scipio would never go out about any great business but would go to the Capitol to pray to the gods Fourthly Alteration in Civil Government is a great business God had need be much consulted withal especially if there be any Church-work mingled with it there was never a time that England had the calling for such consulting with God as it hath at this Now England is about the greatest and weightiest business that ever it had since it was a Nation The very alteration but of an Officer is a great matter and requires much consulting with God and especially if it be in the Church it is very observable of our Savior in Luke 6. 12 and 13. verses when as Christ was to send out his twelve Apostles as Officers for the Church the text saith That he was at prayer all night before then in the morning he calls his Disciples and so sends forth twelve of them and gives them his Commission But he makes a preparation all night long in praying to God Surely those that are about chusing Church Officers Ministers of God to be their Pastors and Teachers they had need spend daies and nights in prayer Here they did not consult with God in setting Jeroboam over them and therefore saith God they have made them Kings but not by me Lastly When we are about great businesses we must look at Gods ends we must take heed of our passionate wills and our own self ends else we do it not by God In Civil Affairs a man that is a Magistrate perhaps doth that which is just but he is carried on in his passion but this is not by God and so in Church affairs the Church Elders the party doth deserve it yet if they be carried on in passion and self-ends this is not done by God They have set up Kings but not by me And then further As the people sin'd and God would not own what which they set up so Jeroboam sin'd too Why Jeroboam might say Lord didest not thou send thy Prophet to tell me that I should have the ten Tribes and yet wilt thou not own me No God would not own him First Because Jeroboam did not seek God And secondly Jeroboam did not stay Gods time As David he was anointed by God and though he had many opportunities for to have taken away Sauls life he would not and to come to the Kingdom but he did wait till he saw the time was come that he should be brought to the Kingdom But Jeroboam would not do so Thirdly Jeroboam had not right ends in taking the Kingdom Fourthly Jeroboam did not administer the Kingdom for God and therefore God would not own him and so some reade the words They have not administred the Kingdom by me but administring the Kingdom by their own lusts therefore God would not own them From whence you may have these Notes First That when God promises a mercy if we stay not Gods time we can have no comfort of the mercy Secondly When we have a mercy promised we must be brought into it by God by lawful means he that beleeves makes not hast saith the Scripture many they are so greedy of places and preferments and other things they desire that they make so much hast as if they did fear that if they stay for the orderly coming into the place they desire they fear they should go without it What blessing then can there be in that which we would seek to get without God in making so much hast And again When we have a mercy that 's the third note when we have what we would have yet if we do not improve it for God we do thereby renounce our acknowledgment of it from God God hath given thee an Estate or Honors or Preferment What doest thou do Doest thou now abuse this for thine own lusts Thou doest hereby renounce thy acknowledgement that thou hadst it from God They have set up Kings but not by me I will not own that Why because in the way of their Administration they have indeed renounced any right I have to their Government And so the Seventy translate the words They have reigned to themselves Yea but it may be said How were the people that were living now guilty of this this was a long time ago when the people did thus set up Jeroboam and rend themselves from the house of David how came they to be guilty of this The Answer is That they continuing and retaining the Government of Jeroboam upon the same ground their progenitors first raised it are guilty of their sins Children going on in the way of their parents contract the guilt of their parents sin upon them And Mercer upon this place quotes an Hebrew David Kimchi That the people now when they saw what Jeroboam and his successors did that they would keep them from going to Jerusalem before the Lord and when they saw that he made them Idols and so forsook Gods true Worship they saith the Hebrew Doctor should have driven him from the Kingdom that was his opinion but meerly for Religion it cannot be except the Law of the Country will bear them out in it any farther than the Law of a State the Civil Law will bear men out in it and therefore War it is not meeely undertaken for maintaining Religion immediately but for maintaining those Laws by which Religion is established the Civil Right that men have to the practice of their Religion And so Wars may be undertaken If it were in a place indeed where the Law of the Kingdom were utterly against Religion could not there be justified except those that had power likewise for the altering those Laws should alter them and then take up Arms. But now Our taking up Arms is justified in this To maintain the Civil Right that we have to the practice of our Religion so that our Case is not the Case of the Christians among the Heathens There is a Law of Nature I confess beyond the Right of any Law and the Right in that cannot be given away by any Predecessors But because the mischief would be infinit great if it were left to every man to judge when by this Law of Nature he might resist and so to resist upon it this would cause infinit mischief therfore there is a necessity that men should for their particular suffer rather than so to resist it is necessary for us to stay till we be helped by some orderly legal way I say the God of Order never leaves people to such miserable
be look'd upon as great things the things of Gods Word That 's the first And then especially The things that concern Gods Worship are to be look'd upon as great things for so it hath reference to them but the expression aims at that which is more general the great things of my Law the honorable magnificent and glorious things Now the things of the Law are great things First Because they are from the great God and they have the stamp of the Authority of the great God upon them there is a dreadful Authority in every Truth in every thing that is written in Gods Law I say there is a dreadful Authority of the great God that binds Kings and Princes in chains that laies bonds upon the conscience that no created power can yet this doth when we come to hear the Word we come either as to a Soveraign to receive Laws from or as to a Judg to receive the sentence of death it hath the dreadful Authority of the great God in it and therefore every thing that is in the Word is to be look'd upon as a great thing a piece of Parchment and a little Wax and a few Lines in it what are they but having the Authority of the great Seal of England such a piece is to be look'd upon as a great thing The things of Gods Law are great things for they have great Authority which goes along with them And Secondly They are great things because of the lustre of the great God that shines in them Take all the Creatures that ever God made in Heaven and Earth and I say there is not so much glory of God in Sun Moon Stars Sea and Plants and al things in the world as there is in some few sentences of holy Scripture therfore they are great things Psal 138. 2. Thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name The Name of God appears in his great work of Creation and of Providence We are to look upon Gods Name as very great yet thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name it 's more than al Gods Names besides It may be when there are some extraordinary works of God in the world Thundring and Lightning c. we are ready to be affraid and oh the great God that doth appear in these great works Were our hearts 〈◊〉 they ought to be when we reade the WORD we would tremble at that more than at any manifestation of God since the world began in all his Works and if so be thou dost not see more glory of God in his Word than in his Works it is because thou hast little light in thee and therfore let the world think of the things of Gods Law that are written as they wil yet they are the great things of his Law Thirdly They are the great Mysteries of Gods Will the great Counsels of God about the Souls of men about his way to honor Himself and to bring Mankind to Himself to Eternal life the great Counsels great Mysteries that are contained in the Word of God such as the Angels themselves do desire to pry into as in Prov. 8. 6. it is said of Wisdom Hear and I will speak of excellent things The Word of God speaks of excellent things right excellent things such great Mysteries of Gods Wisdom as should take up our thoughts yea and doth take up the Angels and shall take up the Angels and Saints to all Eternity to be prying into the great things which are revealed in Gods Word Psal 119. 27. Make me to understand the way of thy precepts so shall I talk of thy wondrous Works Mark how these are joyned together Make me to understand the way of thy precepts so shall I talk of thy wonderous works Why David couldest not thou see the wonderous works of God in the book of the creature in Heaven and Earth Oh no Make me to understand the way of thy precepts and then shall I talk of thy wonderous Works We many times talk about vain and slight things because we have nothing else to talk of but did we understand the way of Gods precepts we should be furnished with discourse of the wondrous works of God And then It 's a great WORD because that they are of great concernment The things of Gods Law are of great concernment for all our present good or evil depends upon the things of Gods Law Prov. 3. 22. They are life unto thy soul and grace unt◠〈◊〉 neck So saith Moses in Deut. 32. 46. Set your hearts unto all the words which I testifie unto you this day for it is not a vain thing it is your life they are of great concernment there 's a curse annexed to the breach of every thing in Gods Law Cursed be every one that abideth not in every thing that is written in the book of the Law Is it not a great matter then Certainly there is nothing in the Law that is to be look'd upon as a little matter because the Curse of God is annexed to the breath of every thing that is written in Gods Law and there we have the casting of our souls for eternity and is not that a great matter Did we come to hear the Word or did we reade the Word as the Word by which we must be cast for our eternal estates we would look upon it as a great Word Again The things are great things in Gods Law in regard of the great power and efficacy that they have upon the hearts and consciences of men when God sets home the things of his Law they will bring down the proudest heart and the stoutest stomach that is they will enlighten the blindest mind and convert the hardest heart that is in the world the Law hath a mighty power upon the soul and therefore it is great Further They are great things because they make all those great that do receive them they make them great even because they have but the keeping of them much more than if they receive them in Deut. 4. 8. What Nation is there so great that hath Statutes and Judgments so righteous as all this Law that I set before you this day What Nation so great as you are why wherein are we greater than other people Wherein In this What Nation is so great that hath Statutes and Judgments so righteous as all this Law which I set before you this day This was that which made the People of Israel a great Nation beyond all the Nations in the world they were not great in multitude but in that they had the Law of God and the great things of his Law revealed to them in this they became a great Nation The Lord honors a Nation highly but to reveal the things of His Law to them But how great then doth a soul come to be that doth imbrace those things that hath all those great and good things reveal'd in the Law made to it as its own priviledg Surely that soul
how can it be with peace it wil cause contention now to stand upon such things that they conceive may breed some trouble they account it a strange thing that God should require such things as may produce such troubles first men will frame troubles in their own thoughts and put them upon Gods Worship whereas indeed they do not bring such trouble but if they be examined they may stand well enough with the peace of States I make no question but this is one especial thing aim'd at by the holy Ghost here That they accounted Gods Law that very Law of God that reduired them to worship at Jerusalem as a strang thing that they could not see such reason for why they might not venture and especially when it was for the peace of the Civil State Now they accounted this and the other particular of Gods Law as a strange thing in Four regards First As a thing that had little or no reference to them as a thing that did not much concern them They took not to heart the breaches of Gods Law neither did they much regard the keeping of it it was no great matter to them they made account that it was ad libitum what they did that way much did not depend upon it either good or evil As a stranger accounts it not to concern him what the Master commands or as we account it no great matter what strangers do what cloaths they wear or what course they take we let them pass by and not mind them Secondly They accounted them as a strange thing that is They were strange things in their apprehension they could see no reason as we say of a thing that we do not understand that we see no reason of it it is strange we say so they in the text that God should say thus and thus when we cannot see that any account can be given for it they are strange things Strange things that they did not apprehend the reason of and especially among other things of Gods Law as was said before the way of Gods Worship was a very strange thing to them that God should stand so much upon it that he must be worshiped no where in the way of publick worship but at Jerusalem at the Temple no sacrifices must be offered but there yea that whatsover come of it though people dwelt a great way off though as they thought it would bring a great deal of disturbance unto the Kingdom of Israel for to go to Jerusalem to worship yet that God should stand so upon it that they must go and that the Prophets should urge it with that fervencie as they did that they must go to Jerusalem come of it what will they must venture their peace they accounted this a strange thing And indeed it is very strange unto people to think that we must look to the exact way of Gods Worship whatsoever comes of it whatsoever trouble or disturbance comes of it we must not go a hair against the way that God hath set for his right Worship this is a strange thing to carnal hearts And Luther upon the place seems to interpret it thus as if this Text had especial reference to this Note that I am now speaking of saith he They did condemn and contemn the Prophets Sermons as a Doctrine that did hurt the Common-wealth the Sermons that the Prophets taught had in them much anxiety specially this Doctrine against going up to Jerusalem to worship and they thought it was hurtful to the Common-wealth and upon that they contemn'd it and damn'd it What strange thoughts have carnal hearts of many parts of Gods Law they think them foolishness even those very things wherein the Wisdom of God is revealed to the children of men those things wherein the deep Connsels of God concerning mans eternal estate is revealed even those are the things which they acount foolishness Thirdly They accounted them a strange thing that is There was no sutableness between their hearts and the things that the Law did reveal unto them they did not make the Law of God familiar to them as that which had a sutableness to their spirits As if a man that goes into strange company company which are altogether unsutable to him yea perhaps they speak another language and have altogether other customs and diet than we have we are weary of them and we turn from them and are tired in the society for they are strange things unto us that our hearts are not sutable unto So when the Law of God is look'd upon as unsutable to the dispositions of our hearts to our ends to our waies our hearts turn from those things as from strange things whereas indeed our hearts should be familiar with the Word of God Gods Word and the things therein should not be as strrnge things to our souls but as the holy Ghost saith it should be as our Kinswoman and as our Delight continually Prov. 6. 21. Bind them continually about thy heart and tie them about thy neck When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee and when thou awakest it shall talk with thee there should be a familiarity between our hearts and the Commandements of God to talk with us when we awake and when we are in our journy we should take the Law of God as our companion in our journies we should awake with it in the night time and meditate on it day and night therefore God would have his people in the Law when they rose to talk of those things when they go to bed when they rose up when they walked in the way they should be conferring about the things of Gods Law to make them familiar to them that they might not be estranged from them God sees that mens hearts would quickly grow strange from his Law therefore Commanded that by all snch means and waies they should endeavor to make the Law to be familiar to them Fourthly They use the Law as a stranger that is they use the Law slightly only for their own turns As usually men when strangers comes into their Country those that have been strangers in other Countries know it that the Natives of the Country they use them slightly but if they do seem to shew any respect unto them it is meerly for their own turns As they may have any advantage by them so far they shew respect to them and no further So they accounted the Law a strange thing that is they made use of the Law but meerly to serve their own turns so far as obedience to the Law sutes to their own ends so far they yeelded to it and no further Now it 's very observable that those who are so forward in their false worship that the text saith they did multiply Altars and had special regard to their Altars yet for the Law they accounted that as a strange thing From whence the Note is That
shame to their children 222 Parents must give their children good education 266 Passions Disordered passions cause sad conclusions 284 Peace see Leagues People People give power to Kings 16 Common people follow the great Ones 381 Peace Many while they provide for peace provide for ruin 60 Perplexed Why the wicked are perplexed in the day of the Lords wrath 177 Persevere We ought to persevere in duties though we have no present comfort 428 Plow Wee should plow in hope all our lives 428 Wee must continue plowing 471 Plow-men see Ministers Policy see Reason Pomp see Superstition Popery Popery almost brought in at London 25 Pride There is much pride in dejection 169 Pride is the root of not hearing 295 See Stubborness Prayer Weak prayer may be strong 315 Preservation Gods preservation of us all our daies shewed 245 Princes Princes when they come first to the Crown promise faire 276 Princes are not to be trusted in 338 None so perfidious as Princes 338 Prophane see Idolaters Prosper We may prosper and yet have no cause to joy in it 141 Prosperity Take heed in prosperity 250 Professors Yong Professors should be kept down 308 Why Professors are empty 314 See Yong Question Q Question A Question answered by a Professor 180 Quick-sightedness The quick-sightedness of the enemy comes from the Lord. 20 R Racha The word Racha explained 303 Religion When Arms may be taken for Religion 21 Good acts in Religion may be evil in the doer 77 Religion is a Saints recreation 165 Reason Reason Pollicy and Experience may go one way and yet Gods Word another 85 Redemption see Sabbath Recreation see Religion Reformation Reformation cannot prosper except Justice be established 379 Revelations Revelations besides the Word are dangerous 91 Riches Riches in goods work is the best wealth 321 Righteousness What Righteousness is 479 Rod We must not chuse our sin and rod too 427 Romans see Crucifying Ruin Gods mercy prevents our ruin 67 False worship is the ruin of a Land 159 See Peace Rule A Rule to teach common people how to judge of their Ministers 197 Cautions to the same RULE 198 See Scripture S Sabbath The Sabbath was appointed for Commemoration of our Redemption 110 Saints The Saints prize the Law of God 100 The Saints should sorrow most for sin 151 How the Saints rejoyce in Gods vengeance 175 Saints admonished 219 The Saints should prize the enjoyment of God 251 Satan What Satans great design is 200 Scripture The Scripture is the Rule and the Expositor to understand the Rule 87 The Scripture should be looked upon as particular to our selves 92 Self People stick much at what comes from self 30 Self-denial God requirs self-denial in temporal things 119 Servants Great is the danger of servants at their own hand 54 Servants to great men exhorted 277 Service To be employed in publick Service is the making of a man 123 Service-book Service-book and Altars all some mens Religion 387 Sin God knows how to make use of mens sins 22 A man may commit the sin against the holy Ghost and yet continue in Duties 115 God remembers the sin of wicked men when they perform holy duties and why 122 See Altars Rod. Signs Signs of much wrath 126 Sound see Threatning Smiting Smiting with the Pen is worse than smiting with the Sword 281 Sinner God may damn a lesser sinner and save a greater sinner 152 Soul The Excellency of the Soulâ—â— 33 Soldiers Soldiers are Gods Priests 174 Sorrow see Lumpish Spirit The Spirit of God forsaw this generation 114 States States may judg of the right of a Kingdom 2â— Stubborness Stubborness is the fruit of pride 53 Strong Strong places are not to be trusted in 132 Success Sometimes God gives success in judgment 421 Succession Succession ads to Idolatry 80 Superstition How it was superstition in the Israelites to build temples 130 Who mourns most for superstition 391 Why carnal men contend for superstition 490 Superstitious Superstitious men regard outward pomp 27 A note to the Superstitious 204 Superstitious children admonished 258 Sword see Smiting T Taxes Taxes upon mens estates are but mean burdens 66 Teachers Teachers establish worship 84 Temple see Superstition Threatning The threatning of God is a terrible sound 3 Men should be sensible of the threatnings of God 68 Distance of time in commandements and threatnings is not to be heeded 80 Trumpet see Luther Themistocles The saying of Themistocles at his death Thoughts The shifting thoughts of carnal hearts in time of danger 181 Time Evil timâ— are good times to die in 265 Time for England to seek God 477 See Threatning V Vanity Scripture expressions of the vanity of great persons 403 Vessels Gods grace to the vessels of mercy 49 Vile Vile things are many times hid under glorious titles 191 Vileness see Diffidence Villany The villany of malicious Commanders against the Godly 257 Vine The fruitfulness of Vines 300 The Church compared to a Vine ibid. See Emptiness Unclean Why Mourners for the dead were so long uncleane 167 Use Use for the afflicted 440 W Waies see Follow Wealth Wealth is wicked mens glory 223 Wicked men Wicked men are as Eagles in their rage 5 Wicked men first serve their turns of the godly and then scorn them 47 Wicked men are wild upon their lusts 52 Wicked men are contemptible 53 See Perplexity Wind Who they are that sow the wind 37 Ministers must beware they sow not the wind 41 Rules how ib. See God Wine Wine in sacrifices what it signified 162 Wil-worship Will-worship an empty thing 303 Work see Ministers Works see Good Word It is a singular blessing to have the written Word 88 By whom the Word is counted strange 105 World see Christ Worship Gods Worship is an excellent thing 12 Gods Worship is cast off by carnal hearts ibid. Gods Worship must not be imitated 110 The Worship of God is a great matter 104 True Worship must be mourned after 388 See False and Invention Wrath The wrath of God is many times executed in answering our desires 150 The wrath of God called Wine and why 174 See Signs Writers see Men Y Yoke Christ's yoke easier than the yoke of the enemy 436 Young Young Professors their danger 45 Young Professors should be kept down 308 See Vine Young ones Young ones exhorted 214 Young ones the hope of a Nation Youth Youths sins are Ages terrors 121 FINIS 1. Text. 2. Apptic by paraphrase Obs 1 Luther called the trumpet of rebellion simile Pliny Why crucifying on a tree was so hateful to the Romans Expos 3. Obser 2. The paraphrase Obs 3. Luther Author The Assyrians Army why an Eagle Why the Eagle was unclean under the Law Obs Goâ— accepts not Eagles but Doves Obs 1. Gualt Applied to England Obs 2 Obs 3. Luther Author Obs 1. Obs 2. A true Church Use 'T is good dwelling in Gods house Ps 26. 8. explained Officers of the Church Obs 3. The good of Christians depends upon the Covenant
do others rejoyce scorn at the threats of God So Ephraim had mixt himself amongst the Nations and so did scorn at what was said by the Prophet Do not rejoyce prophanely do not rejoyce slightly vainely do not rejoyce presumptuously promising to your selves continuance in your prosperity But that which I think is especially aim'd at is this Rejoyce not as other people for you have not such cause to rejoyce as other people Why Israel Though you be Israel yet there is not so much cause for you to rejoyce as other Nations have Israel the ten Tribes prides themselves in their Priviledges above other people they despised all people in comparison of themselves But now God tels them that their sins had brought them into a worse condition than other people were in and they must not rejoyce so much as they And from thence this profitable Note may be raised Many who look upon others as mean and low with scorn and contempt in comparison of themselves yet even these may be in a worse estate than those are whom they look upon so much beneath them For instance It may be you may be a man of parts and of esteem and a man employed in high employments for Church and Common-wealth Another is in a mean low condition is of little use a weak-parted man and yet that guilt may be upon you that you have not such cause to rejoyce as this poor man hath which you so contemn as one laid by and not worth any thing It may be you have excellent gifts in Prayer and are an eminent professor another man or woman is no body in your eyes they are no professors at all I but if all were known you have not cause to rejoyce as they have that you contemn Secondly Rejoyce not as other people Although we enjoy the same blessings that others do yet we have not alwaies the same cause to rejoyce as others have though we enjoy the same blessings I say it may be others have more cause to rejoyce in a little than we have to rejoyce in abundance Do not say in your hearts Others are merry and chearful Why should not I be so too I have as good an estate as such a one hath as fair a dwelling as he hath as comly children as he hath why should not I be merry But it may be ther 's not that breach between God such a one as between God thee it may be there is not so much guilt upon the spirits of such men as upon thy spirit therefore thou must not rejoyce as they do though thou hast the same outward blessings that such and such have yet it doth not follow that thou shouldest rejoye as such do you have cause rather to have your thoughts work thus such and such men are chearful indeed yea they may for they have not provoked God as I have done I am conscious of those sins that I beleeve they are free from A man that hath a sore disease about him in his body when he sees others that are merry he thinks with himself yea indeed you may be merry but if you felt that that I do you would have little cause to be merry The third Note is this Rejoyce not as others When men have brought misery upon themselves this is one great argument of their misery That they shall see others rejoycing but all matter of joy shall be taken from themselves It 's not for them to rejoyce as others do that which is the cause of the rejoycing to others you have had and abused it you have abused those mercies of God and now you must not rejoyce as other people do That place is very notable for this in Luke 13. 28. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth When ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God and you your selves thrust out This is the aggravation of our misery to see others in happiness and in a rejoycing condition and you your selves cast out you must not rejoice as others do As if a man were cast into a dungeon neer the street and there should be a day of triumph and feastivitie and jolitie there should be much rejoycing musick and bravery without in the Citie and he lying in a dark dungeon and hears the jolitie of the Citie this would be a great aggravation to his misery yes would he think such that have their liberty may rejoyce but I must not rejoyce as they do and this will be the aggravation of the misery of the damned hereafter when they shall see Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God and themselves cast out it may be the Father shall see his Child in the Kingdom of God and himself in Hell being cast out they shal rejoice eternally when I must be in everlasting torments The reason follows Rejoyce not as other people for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God The ground of joy or sorrow is the terms that are between God and us sin hath an evil in it to damp all our joy if we would have joy in any thing let us take heed of defiling it by sin of all sins the sin of forsaking God forsaking or corrupting Gods Worship that 's such an evil as is enough to take away the joy of a Nation whatsoever a Nation hath if it hath forsaken God in matter of worship it hath little cause of joy though we should have peace and outward prosperitie yet if there be not making up of our peace for our going a whoring from God let there be all the peace that can be made yet we have little cause to rejoice in it but a people retaining the true Worship of God whatsoever it be in other respects that people hath cause to rejoice Yea and as a whol Nation so any particular soul particular men or women Christians that live in a Nation if their consciences can tell them that they have not complied with the times and gone a whoring from God in waies of false worship as others have done they have cause to rejoyce whatsoever befals a Nation whereas the others that have had complying spirits though the Nation should prosper never so much yet they have little cause to rejoyce in that joy let us therefore be solicitous about nothing so much as about the true Worship of God Yea but this people might say Suppose we have some corruptions in the Worship of God yet we do retain more than other Nations do Nay saith God you have gone a whoring and so you are more guilty than other Nations From whence the Notes are First That which we may think a little matter in corrupting Gods Worship God may call it a going a whoring from Him it 's true might they say we may fail in some Circumstances we go not up to Jerusalem to worship but still we worship the true
God and we observe the Law of Moses No saith the Lord You have gone a whoring from Me. I but still Why may not we rejoyce as other people to be sure we are not worse Idolaters than they therefore though we may not rejoyce more than others yet why not as others they make Idols to be their gods there is nothing so vile among us as among the Nations about us From whence therefore the Observation is this that God charges them more than others First That a people may be free from the gross evils that there are in other people and may have many good things that other people have not and yet may be in a worse condition than other people You will say How can this be Thus There may be some sins that they have among them that may have greater aggravations than any sins that other people have that may make their condition all things considered worse We here in this Land have much rejoyced heretofore in this that we have had the Doctrine of Religion so pure among us as no people more and certainly except it hath been through some few that of late daies have sought to corrupt it certainly that must be said that the Doctrine hath been kept very pure as the main things of Religion and in some things we have gone beyond other reformed Churches as in the point of the Sabbath a great deal beyond them and so there hath been here in England for Family Duties never had God more honor from any people in the world than he hath had from us in many respects but yet for all this it seems by Gods dealings with us at this day that God is more provoked with us than with other people and the truth is take these one or two things and I think that no people upon the face of the earth can paralel our guilt not only no people that are now but never any people since the world began as that bitterness of spirit in the hatred of the power of godliness and the opposing of it and persecuting of it never was any people so guilty as we have been in other reformed Churches men may be as forward and zealous as they will and they are not persecuted as they are here though they kept the Sabbath more loosly yet they never persecuted men that kept it strictly there was never heard that stopping of the mouth of the faithful Ministry so generally as here in England if there were but any stirring Ministry in any place presently fly upon them and so it may well be said to us at this day Rejoyce not as other people God hath spit in our faces to tell us that our condition is worse than the condition of other people Yea but still If we be Idolaters would the ten Tribes say they are so too Here was one particular aggravation upon Israel that was not among other people and that was this There was no other people would forsake their gods as Israel had forsaken theirs Jer. 2. 10. there was never such a thing as for a Land to change their god the worst people for Kedar was the worst sort of people they were a vile people and yet go to Kedar and see and search diligently whether any Nation hath ever forsaken their Gods But you have forsaken Me. And from thence there may be this Note That to be constant to ill principles is not so great an evil as to be false against good principles I say God accounts it not to be so great an evil for men to be constant to their prinâ—les though they be evil principles as for men to forsake good principles as now if a man hath been brought up all his daies in superstition and thinks verily this is the right certainly this man is not so guilty before God as another that hath been educated in the true worship of God and hath made profession of the contrary and yet afterward doth apostatize and backslide God had rather that men should keep to their principles though they be evil than entertain good principles and forsake them There are none so vile in Gods eyes as Apostates there is not so much sordidness and baseness of spirit in those men that will keep constant to their principles though they be evil as in such as will betray their principles that are good And then the Principal Observation is this That the sins of Gods People are the greatest sins of all the sins of the Saints are the greatest sins of all and they are to mourn more than any In Amos 3. 2. You only have I known of all the families of the earth therefore will I visit you for your iniquities your sins are greater And that in Rom. 2. 9. Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also the Gentile And we have these two excellent texts in Jer. 18. 13. Ask ye now among the Heathen who hath heard such things the Virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing that 's the aggravation that it is the Virgin of Israel that hath done such a horrible thing But especially that text in Jer. 32. 30. For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil from their youth Now Hierom hath such a Note upon this What the children of Israel saith he and Judah only done evil from their youth What hath none done evil but they he gives this answer He that hath the knowledg of God and goes from it he alone sins in the eyes of God as for unbeleevers they sin too but it is as if God saw it not and as if God minded it not as he saith in the Acts that he winks at the daies of their ignorance but they only sin that have had the knowledg of God We reade of this Philistims that they ventured to carry the Ark upon Carts God did not manifest himself provoked against them that carried the Ark so but when the Levites would presume to carry it upon carts the Lord makes a breach upon them and strikes Vzzah with death he did bear with it in the Philistins which was a little before and it may be they presumed and thought the Philistins carried the Ark upon a cart why may not we That which God will beare from others he will not bear from his own their sins are against Covenant and that 's a special thing there hath not been that solemn Covenant between me and other people as between you and me This is a mighty aggravation against the sins of Gods people more than against any people in the world that they are against Covenant Oh! remember this you that do often covenant with God when you are in Prayer Oh! how do you renew your Covenant with God What promises do you make with God in Prayer and yet you grow again loose and false and vile afterwards