hath not entred in here thus yet Oh! let not our sin cause a meroiful God to go out and a provoked God to enter in VER 10. They shall walk after the Lord He shall roar like a Liyon THey shall not walk after their own inventions any more nor after the lusts of their own hearts nor after the examples or the counsels of men but after the Lord they shall see God before them their hearts shall be drawn after him as they shall see God in his various administrations so they shall turn this way or that way which way soever God leads them though in paths they have not known before yet now they shall walk after him though in paths that few others walk in yet Through fire and water though in difficult paths never so dangerous to outward appearance though God should lead them from their dearest comforts sweetest contents though it did not appear to them whither the way tended what God meant to do with them yet seeing God before them they shall be willing to walk after him they shall account that way God is in the best way the safest way the most comfortable way Revel 14. 4. These shall follow the Lamb whither soever he goeth these were redeemed from among men being the first fruits to God and to the Lamb. They shall walk in a constant steady course of obedience after the Lord. It is the Lord the blessed glorious God whom their souls love whom they desire to honor to whom they have given up souls bodies lives liberties names estates whatsoever they are have or are able to do When Peter heard it was the Lord he threw himself into the Sea that he might walk after him there Thus the soul converted to God loves to walk after him But this is spoken of the Church as walking after the Lord in times of Reformation especially that famous time of the restitution of all things when God shall call home his people the ten Tribes who yet are scattered up and down wandring and groping in darkness They shall walk after the Lord the Lord shall be a Captain to them leading them along as his redeemed ones working by them glorious things in the earth and bringing them through all opposition to places of rest and fulness of all good God shall appear in such visible administrations of his so as they shall say Lo this is our God this is the Captain of the host of the Lord yea it is even the Lord himself we will joyn together and follow him whose wisdom faithfulness and courage is infinite we will follow no other but him and in subordination to him The sight of such a Captain going before them shall put life courage and magnanimity into them whatsoever they were before Hence note Obs It is the infinite goodness of the Lord to be the Captain of his people Obs It is the honor safety happiness of the Saints to have God before them to be walking after him He shall roar like a Lyon If God appears thus it will make them fly from him No they shal notwithstanding this walk after him Obs That the majesty and terribleness of God in his wonderful and dreadful works causes the wicked guilty conscience to fly from him But the Saints shall follow after him and cling unto him Isa 33. 14. The sinners in Syon are afraid fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites Who amongst us shall dwell with devouring fire who amongst us shall dwel with everlasting burnings He that worketh righteously and speaketh uprightly Act. 5. 13 14. Of the rest durst no man joyn himself to them And Beleevers were the more added to the Lord multitudes both of men and women Psa 46. Luthers Psalm 2. We will not fear though the Earth be moved though the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea though the waves thereof roar though the Mountains shake Vers 6. The Heathen raged the Kingdoms were moved be uttered his voice the Earth melted The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our Refuge Nahum 1. 2. The Lord revengeth the Lord revengeth and is furious the Lord will take vengeance of his adversaries Vers 3. The Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm Vers 5. The Mountains quake at him the Hills melt and the Earth is burnt at his presence Who can stand before his indignation who can abide the fierceness of his anger his fury is powred out like fire and the Rocks are thrown down by him Vers 7. The Lord is good a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him Joel 3. 15 16. The Sun and the Moon shall be darkened and the Stars shal withdraw their shining the Lord shall roar out of Syon and utter his voice from Jerusalem The Heavens and the Earth shall shake but the Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the children of Israel Hab. 3. 17 18. Although the Figtree shall not blossem c. yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation Oh! the blessing of a clean Conscience it looks on th 〈…〉 Terror of the Law and of God with comfort Where there is neighing of Horses beating of Drums ratling of Pikes foaring of Cannons yet if a friend be the General we fear not Al the terror there is in God is comfort to the Saints the wicked have the dark side of the Cloud the Saints the bright Deut. 33. 2. From his right hand went a fiery Law Vers 4. Moses commanded us a Law even the inheritance of the Congregation of Jacob. Nehem. 9. 32. The great mighty and terrible God will keep Covenant and Mercy Psal 47. 1 2. Shout unto God with the voice of Triumph for the most high is Terrible Be godly and keep Conscience clean in these latter times train up your Children in waies of godliness Shall roar like a Lyon The roaring of the Lyon invites the rest of the beasts there is something for them Quest But when was this Answ Many think when the Babylonian Monarchy was broken by Cyrus then Belshazzars knees beat together and then the Captivity returned and that divers of the ten Tribes joyned in the return But this is spoken of the Body of them and if any such remarkable return had been Ezra would not have left out their Genealogyes Others refer it to the times of the Gospel Heb. 12. 26. Yet once more I shake not the Earth only but also Heaven The voice of the Gospel Repent and he that beleeves shall be saved but he that beleeves not shall be damned was a Terrible voice When secure minds saith Luther hear that salvation belongs to none but those that are baptized and that beleeve in the Name of Christ they indeéd tremble and are solicitous concerning their salvation Junius when he read the first Chapter of the
Gospel of John was terrified But I take this rather to be meant of some notable work of Reformation and calling in these ten Tribes to joyn with the Church The Lord will roar to terrifâ— the hearts of their Adversaries that they shall not be abâ—â— to hinder their return Hence note That when Gods time is come for a through Reformation and bringing in his people he will roar terribly in the world he will appear in such Majesty Glory and Justice that he will make the earth tremble Psal 102. 16. When the Lord shall build up Sion he will appear in his Glory It hath been his way in his appearing for his Church Psal 76. 1. Thou even thou art to be feared and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry Thou didest cause Judgment to be heard from Heaven the Earth feared and was still 〈…〉 God arose to Judgment to save the meek of the Earth 〈…〉 12. He shall cut off the spirit of Princes he is 〈…〉 Kings of the Earth Isa 34. 4. All the host of 〈…〉 be dissolved and the Heavens shall be rolled together as 〈…〉 and all the host shall fall down as a leaf for my Sword shall be bathed in Heaven Ver. 6. The Sword of the Lord is filled with blood it is made fat with fatness Ver. 7. The Land shall be soaked with blood Ver. 8. For it is the day of the Lords vengance and the yeer of the recompences for the controversie of Sion Ezek 17. 10. Shall it not wither when the East wind toucheth it At the raising of Christs Kingdom Psal 45. 4. Thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things Revel 6. 15. The Kings of the earth and the great Men the rich men the chief Captains the Mighty men hid themselves in the dens the rocks of the Mountains and said to the Mountains and Rocks Fâ—lâ— on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Thron and from the wrath of the Lamb. Dan. 12. 1. There shall 〈◊〉 a time of trouble such as was never since there was a Nation all that time thy people shall be delivered Lactantius Lib. Cap. 15. as then Egypt imitten so now all places as then signs and prodiges so now admirable wonders in all the Elements of the World Earth Sea Air. 1. Because the ungodly have been cruel against the Saints Psal 74. 4. Thine Enemies roar in the midst of the Congregation 2. The wicked will be secure yea his own people and will stand in need of roaring to awaken them 3. The Adversary will be stout and proud Consundetur omne jus Leges perilunt All right will be overturned and Laws perish 4. The difficulties will be great so as when Christ comes shall he find saith on the earth namely that ever his work shall be brought about Luke 18. 8. There will 〈…〉 ighty changes of things Hence observe 〈…〉 ir not though wicked men strengthen themselves 〈…〉 uch God can soon make mighty alterations 〈…〉 14. Be not afraid remember the Lord which is ve 〈…〉 and terrible Deut. 7. 21. Thoushalt not be afrighted at them for the Lord thy God is amongst you a mighty God and a terrible Again Hence learn to prepare for thosetimes When he shall roar the children shall tremble from the west Amos 3. 8. The Lyon hath roared who will not tremble There shal be mighty stirrings of heart Mens hearts shal shake within them so as there shall be way made for people whose hearts are awakened to come into the Church There is a trembling of the Enemies they shall be struck with such astonishment that they shall not hinder Their violence and rage shall be abated They shall say 〈◊〉 once the Egyptians Let us take heed what we do the Lord 〈…〉 t s for them And the hearts of those that God intends to call shall 〈…〉 wakened the slightness and vanity of their spirits shall be taken off The fear upon their hearts shall make them fear they shall be roused from their sluggishness they shall make hast to come in to joyn with the people of God Fear causes hast so the word here signifies and is rendered by some Men delay and trifle till God strikes their hearts with fear Spiritus sanctus nescit tarda molimma The holy Ghost likes not lazy laboring Isa 49. 17. Thy children shall make hast The children shall tremble from the west Those afar off which were most unlikely Isa 42. 4. Legem expect abunt Insulae The Isles shall wait for my Law The Mediterranean the Mid land Sea is in the west Isa 49. 1. 12. Hence note that There are like to be great stirrings in the Western parts VER 11. They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt and as 〈…〉 out of the Land of Assyria BEing strucken with fear they shall hasten so the word advolabunt they shall fly This some think to be fulfilled when divers of the ten Tribes joyned with Judah in the return of their captivity for the Monarcy of the Assyrians was subdued by the Persians whose King was Cyrus Therefore it is thought that the fame liberty was given in Assyria for the ten Tribes as in Babylon for Judah And not long after Cambyses the son of Cyrus overcame the Egyptians as Herodotus Lib. 8. Justinae Lib. 〈◊〉 saies And it 's like he would be favorable to the ten Tribes as his father had been to Judah But Ezra as was noted above in likelihood would not then have omitted their Genealogies Howso 〈…〉 in the great Restauration of things this will be fulfill 〈…〉 The Jews were strongly set to go to Egypt now they shall as strongly desire to get out to joyn with the Churches Fly as a bird not come as a snail get over all difficulties having their spirits elevated raising them from earthly drossie things they have no consideration of them Now all their desire is to joyn with the Saints that they together with them may follow after the Lord. And as a Dove out of the Land of Assyria 1. Doves are sacred there Euseb Preparat Evang. Lib. 8. 5. 2. They are terrified with the least noise Terretur minimo penae stridore Columba 3. Doves fly swiftly Oh! that I had the wings of a Dove saith the Psalmist Psal 55. 6. 4. They fly by flocks Isa 60. 8. Who are those that fly as a cloud and as the Doves to their windows 5. It may be from those Countries Doves come at certain times of the yeer as several sorts of Fowls do to to us in their seasons And I will place them in their houses saith the Lord. i. e. I will provide lockers for them he followeth the the former metaphor of Doves Gods people have been tossed up and down they have had no abiding in their houses But God hath his time to place them in their houses in rest quietness and safety to
5. He shall not return into the Land of Egypt but the Assyrian shall be his King because they refused to return He shall not return TO give you first a short paraphrase of the words for there 's no difficulty in them and then the Notes of Observation It is As if the Prophet should say Howsoever he thinks to help himself with ease to shelter himself there yet he shall not but he shall go into Captivity into Assyria for all means that have been used would not bring him to return So then the Observations First That which hardens mens hearts against threats in their sin is some shifts that they have in their thoughts let the worst come that can be yet I have such a relief My Brethren it 's a great mercy of God to take mens spirits off from all their vain shifts and hopes so as to be throughly convinced that there 's no help in any thing in the creature in Heaven and Earth but only in my turning to God and casting my soul down before Mercy if that saves me not I am undone for ever when the heart comes to this I say God is in a gracious and merciful way working I see my sin my affliction that is upon me and feel it though my heart would be shifting this way and that way yet God hath convinc'd me nothing can do me good but I am lost and undone what ever course I take except I return to God and humble my soul before him and seek his face and obtain meroie from him Secondly He shall not return to Egypt It was a verie strange perverseness to think of this shift to go back to Egypt why was not Egypt the place of his bondage and the Egyptians still retained their cruelty and yet they thought of this help that they would turn to Egypt rather than to God From whence the Observation is A stout heart cares not whither it goes rather than it will return to God As the Prodigal will rather go to the Swine to feed upon husks than to his father like some stout children they care not what miseries they suffer rather than they will come and humble themselves to their parents They will hang themselves and drown themselves and seek their fortune as they use to say rather than be perswaded to come in and submit themselves No never as long as they live though they die yet they will not and thus their hearts are stout and while they think they are stout against their parents they are stout against God too yet God hath waies to bring mens stout hearts to yeeld Thirdly A stubborn heart though God be in any way of mercy God calling them to waies of mercy yet if any thing crosses them they will foolishly and desperately wish their return to their former condition of misery If you make any thing that God doth an argument to a stubborn heart for duty if it pleases him not he will reject all that 's done for him and say he had rather be as he was before let me go into Egypt again stubborn hearts if they meet with any cross in their way this is their unthankfulness that because they are vext and crost in some one thing they will I say foolishly and desperately wish that they were in the the condition that heretofore they have been in Oh! thus it is with many of us how foolishly how wickedly have we thought and said it was better with us heretofore then now let us return to our former condition This is thy folly and thy desperat wickedness But saith the text He shall not return though he thinks of returning as if the holy Ghost should say do not please your selves to think it is but to return to Egypt you cannot be worse than now you are for God hath worser things for you And my brethren this is our case this day let not us think of returning to our former condition certainly if we should take such a course to return to our former condition we should be far worse than we were before our danger would be far greater this is certain to the view of any men that have their eyes open that our condition in England must either be far better than it was or far worse than it was There 's many say Oh! we were thus and thus in former times and if we were but as we were we should do well enough Oh! let 's not think of that we must certainly either be far better or far worse than we were for if we think of returning it will not be to Egypt but to Assyria which will be worse The Fourth Note is this God knows how to cross wicked men of their wills to spoil them of their plots they please themselves with this and the other thing they will do thus and thus if they be put to this shift then they have a second and a third yea but there 's a God in Heaven that hath determined otherwise Never were wicked men more cross in their plots than they are at this day They have said that they would do thus and thus but God hath said they should not and they have not done it Now God in his Mercy crosses his people of their wills that are set upon sin but when the wicked are crost upon their sin it is because God hath other waies to bring about greater evils to them To bring them to Assyria Well then whatsoever any mans thoughts and desires are the Lord deliver us from turning into Egypt again And likewise the Lord grant the Assyrian may not be our King It follows The Assyrian shall be his King The Lord deliver us from both That an Assyrian may not be our King Why an Assyrian why was he threatned to be their King You shall find that he was one of a cruel stout heart an hard heart and a proud heart the Assyrians were so They were a generation of men of cruel proud stout hard-hearted men Isa 10. 5. Oh Assyrian the rod of mine anger saith God and in the 7. verse It is in his heart to destroy saith God of the King of Assyria and in the 12. verse When the Lord hath performed his whol work upon Mount Zion and on Jerusalem I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Assyria and the glory of his high looks Oh! 't is a sore evil to be put under the rage of a proud and a stout hearted man who will set his heart against God himself who though God fights against him yet will stand it out though his design is crost yet he will not come in he will not give glory to God though his will cost him the blood of many thousands yet he goes desperatly on he regards more his own will and lusts than the blood or lives of millions For people to have such a stout heart armed with power raised with pride enraged with
cruelty to reign over them how sad and dreadful condition are those in This is that the Lord threatens here and why Because they refused to return I beseech you observe this saith he They shall not return to Egypt but the King of Assyria shall reign over them because they refused to return From whence the Observation is this If we will not do Gods will God will cross us of our own They would have their will they would return but they shall not saith God for they will not return to me therefore they shall not return whither they will themselves God can cross us in our own wills at every turn Foolish men who will presume to cross God in his will when God hath them at such infinite advantages to cross them every way in every thing If you cross God in that he delights in you may expect God will cross you in that you most delight in Oh! when you are crost in your minds in any thing that you have set your thoughts and heart most upon reflect upon your own hearts and think thus Have not I crost God in his mind in that which God hath set his heart and mind upon It 's a good way my Brethren to take a holy revenge upon our selves if we cannot get our hearts to work for God as they ought not to suffer them to work for our selves as they would Again For they would not return saith God God is not so much displeased at our sins as at our not returning He doth not say that the Assyrian should rule over them because they had sinned but because they refused to return It is too much that thou hast sinned but as soon as ever thou hast sinned it concerns thee to think of returning God expects presently as soon as ever the sin is taken notice of that thou shouldest begin to return it is dangerous to continue in sin in the least this aggravates thy sin dreadfully and endangers thy sealing up to wrath everlasting And then Thirdly He refuses to return after all means used after all mercies tendered after all callings after thee yet to stand out this is yet worse Not to return is evil but to refuse to return notwithstanding means used mercies tendered Oh this is fearful indeed Oh! lay this to heart thou convicted sinner what offers of mercie hath God made to thee what calling unto mercie hast thou heard outward calls inward calls of the the Spirit of God Oh! how hath God called after thee Return return thou Shulamite Return return return thou wretched wilful sinner Oh come in and return what means of all sorts hast thou had to cause thy heart to return to God and yet standest out think of that Scripture in Job 9. 4. Who hath hardened himself against him and hath prospered What doest thou think to harden thy self against God and yet think to prosper Who hath hardened himself against him and hath prospered and mark what follows Which removeth the Mountains and they know not which overturneth them in his anger which shaketh the Earth out of her place and the Pillars thereof tremble And yet cannot thy heart be overturned nor tremble In this that thou refusest to return thy sin is aggravated above the sin of the Devils themselves for we do not know that ever the Devils refused to return for they were never offered mercie God did never offer the Devils mercie God never sent to preach to them either by his Ministers or Spirit and to call them to return and you shall have mercie here 's a price paid here 's a salvation for you your sins may be pardoned the Devil had never such an offer Who knows what the Devil might do if such an offer were made to him But now these offers are made to thee and thou refusest to return Oh! return therefore O thou sinful soul who art wandering from God in the waies of death and destruction give in thine answer as we reade in Jer. 3. 22. where the Lord there calls his back-sliding children Return ye back-sliding children and I will heal your back slidings Mark the answer that they give to God Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Oh! that there might be such an answer given this day from some back-sliding soul that is turned from God! Oh poor soul whither art thou gone God calls this day to thy soul Return return and professes that he is willing to heal thy backslidings Oh! give in this answer Oh Lord behold we come for thou art the Lord our God Oh! that some soul might return and might refuse no longer to return Why wilt not thou return God is content to return to thee thou art turned from God and God in the waies of his Administrations is turned away from thee but mark the Promise in Jer. 8. 4 5. Thus saith the Lord Shall they fall and not arise shall he turn away and not return by then is this people of Jerusalem sliden back by a perpetual back-sliding they hold fast deceit they refuse to return Shall he turn away Some interpret this of God The Lord is not so turned back but he is ready to return Oh! why shouldâ—â— thou backslide with a perpetual back-sliding And then the last Note is They refuse to return The word that is translated they refused may signifie they scorned What talk to him of returning tell him of his sin against God the greatness of his sin and the greatness of the danger and the threatnings of God against his sin he despises all these things these are poor things to scare children withal Tell him of the mercies of God in pardoning his sin he slights all this humiliation now for sin this breaking off of sinful courses they deride the motions of them they scorn to return Scornful spirits when they are called upon in the bowels of mercy to return from their evil waies they do not only deny returning but they scorn and slight what is said to them Wel know there are some who admire at Gods mercies calling of them to return who admire at mercy tendred to them and prize it more than all things in the world they turn unto the Lord with all their souls nothing in all the world can stop them they bless God that ever their ears heard the call of God calling them to return and they would not for ten thousand thousand worlds but they had heard Gods call and felt the Spirit of God working their hearts to him to return howsoever thou dost scorn and contemn it Thus much for the 5th Verse It follows VER 6. And the Sword shall abide on his Cities c. THey relied upon their Cities and therefore refused to return but saith the Lord here The Sword shall abide on his Cities The old Latin hath it The Sword hath begun and Hierom in his Translation takes it so If we should take it
thus we might have a hint of a very profitable meditation It 's time for a people to return when God doth but wher his Sword or draw out his Sword in Jer. 18. 7 8. At what iustant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom to pluck up and to pull down and to destray it if that Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil I will repent of the evil I thought to do unto them Oh! happie had it been for us if when the Sword begun with us we had turned from our evil But we must rather take it as it is in our Books and so the words are more proper for The Sword shall abide on their Cities As for the evil of the Sword that I have already opened in the latter end of the former Chapter But that which I here would note is The abiding of the Sword upon their Cities From whence observe That the abiding of the Sword it is a sore Judgment So it was here for afterwards in the reign of Hoshea then was this Prophesie fulfilled when Samaria was besieged for three years together When God threatens fearfully he threatens the abiding of the Sword when he doth not only threaten the Sword but Bathing his Sword and being filled with blood and made fat with fatness and devour and shall be made Satiate and made Drunk with blood All these expressions we have in Scripture these six expressions in two Scriptures you have them all Isa 34. 5. 6. and then Jer. 46. 10. Oh! this is a dreadful thing for the Sword to abide It hath abode long upon Germany the Lord hath been angry with them for almost this thirty years we think three or four years long for the abiding of the Sword But if it be such a fearful judgment for the Sword to Abide how vile are they that seek to prolong the abiding of the Sword upon a people and that for their own advantage Oh! that is a cursed thing these men live upon blood every draught they drink they drink blood that have endeavored the prolonging of the Sword upon this Kingdom for their private advantages My Brethren we have cause to bless God that God hath raised up instruments for us who have hazarded the shortening of their own lives for the shortening of the War who have done their work of late this year as if they took it by the great there is a froward and envious Generation of men that will say of some kind of men because they differ from them in somethings they would be glad that these troubles might continue because they might have the more libertie But we see that men though of different judgments they do not take a course to have the trouble continue you see how they hazard themselves to make all the hast possibly they can and that to admiration and doing things in the winter season that is not ordinarilie heard of among other Nations and all this that the Sword may not abide upon their Country but that peace may be hastened so that the blessing of God be upon such Again further The Sword shall abide as long as God will have it he that is the Lord of Hosts he gives the Commission to the Sword and till he calls for his Commission back again the Sword it shall go on We may think the wars may be at an end Oh! let us look to it that we make up our peace with God and then we may hope it but otherwaies the Lord may cause a Serpent to come out of the Cockatrice Eg the Lord may kindle fires otherwise than we can imagin therefore saith God The Sword shall abide It may be they thought that indeed if the enemy come he will not stay long Oh! but he shall abide I verily perswade my self that there were many yea and the wisest in this Kingdom that did perswade themselves at the begining of the taking up of the Sword that it would scarce have held twelve months together it was impossible to have foreseen the abiding of the Sword so long upon us as it hath Yea but if God gives Commission it must abide There 's a notable text for that in Jer. 47. 6 7. O thou Sword of the Lord How long will it be ere thou be quiet put up thy self into thy scabbard rest and be still Mark the answer there How can it be quiet seeing the Lord hath given it a charge It must go on it must abide seeing the Lord hath given it charge And then The Sword shall abide on his Cities It is a sad thing for the Sword to be in the Field but for the Sword to be in the Cities it is sadder for in the Cities there is the strength of the Kingdom when the Sword comes into the Cities Oh! the fearful sights of houses fired of streets running with blood the hideous noise of shreeking and cryings out of women and children I remember Joseph us in his story of the Jewish Wars reports of Jerusalem when the Romans came against it and took it that the narrow streets of the City of Jerusalem was so filled with dead bodies that there was no passage and he saith That the streets ran with the blood of men and there were many things set on fire that were quenched with the blood of men and women that ran in the streets so dreadful was the Sword there and the number of those that were slain died in that time that the sword was stretch'd out against that one City he saith was Eleven hundred thousand because it was that time that the people came-up to the Passeover and then he saith it was that they were surrounded Oh! for the Sword to come to populous Cities is very dreadful And the dreadfuller it is the greater is the mercie of God to our Citie the Lord hath wholly delivered it from the Sword that it hath not come at all upon it If the Sword should have come to this City Oh! it would have raged indeed for this was the But of the malice of the Adversaries their furie it was reserved for this City Oh! but the Lord hath protected it it hath been the Citie of the Lord of Hosts the Lord hath commanded that no Army should meddle with it for hurt Isa 37. 33. 34. 35. I will defend this City saith God and I will save it for mine own sake Yea it is for Gods own sake indeed that he hath said to the Sword Go through the Land and indeed quite through the Land except this City and a few Counties about it as in Ezek. 14. 17. Or if I bring a Sword upon that Land and say Sword go through the Land c. The Sword hath even devoured from one end of the Land to another Jer. 25. 15. And yet this Citie preserved Oh! not only preserved but made a refuge and a succour
deliver them from violence and wrong 2 Sam. 7. 10. Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel and I will plant them that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more It 's a good work to be instrumental in this that those who live godlily and are peaceable may abide quietly in their houses and not be tossed up and down because they cannot beleeve or practice what others do This tossing such up down though it may be from a zeal for Christ yet Christ will never own it Those who walk after the Lord shall be placed in their houses They were willing to leave their houses that they might follow him and now God places them in them Trust God with your houses Resolve to follow the Lord whithersoever he goes he hath time to place his people in their houses when others who dared not trust God shal wander in darkness Saith the Lord. This must be the work of the Lord it 's only He can do it That mercy that comes beyond all means it 's the sweetest mercy No matter what the means be whether any or no so be it you have a Word of God for the thing VER 12. Ephraim compasseth me about with lyes and the house of Israel with deceit THe Lord having manifested the bowele of his tender compassion towards Ephraim the ten Tribes he comes further to shew what was that that stopt the way and course of his grace of the grace that otherwise might have been let out unto them Ephraim compasseth me about with lyes Besets me with lyes that 's the word be besets me round I am in respect of the sin of Ephraim that is of the Governors and of the house of Israel that is the People I am as it were a man beset round As a men that would have a passage such a way he goes one way and there he is stopt and another way and there he is stopt so God compares himself to such a man as if he would be going on in the waies of mercy there he is stop◠in one co 〈…〉 of sin or another and going on in another way there 〈◊〉 is stopt again Ephraim hath beset me with lyes that is with false wor ship for that 's a lye with Pretences they put fair Glosses upon things but all are but lyes he hath beset me with politick shifts of his own These did beset God yea and beset the Prophet too for so I find some turn it they think it 's spoken as in the person of the Prophet the Prophet complaining that he was beset with lies that they might prejudice his Ministry that they might do what they could to take off the power of his Ministry in their hearts they beset him with lyes with false reports of this and the other thing Upon which one hath that Note A faithful Divine a Preacher is nothing else but as it were a Center to which all lyes of falsehood do tend they all go that way 't is a great plot of the Devil to draw his lines and to let them make the Ministers of God that God uses as any Instruments of good unto his people to be as the Center of them all Thus Meisnerus in his Comment upon the place But I rather take it as spoken in the Name and Person of God Beset me with lyes i. e. They do not only seek to blind men but they would do what they could if it were possible to deceive me saith God And indeed when men seek to blind their own consciences what do they but seek what they can if it were possible to deceive God In the very act of Worship saith God they are false they do profess honor and service to God but they lye unto him even when they are worshiping of Him Many in their prayers in the solemn act of Worship they beset God with lyes Oh! how do many come into the presence of God when they are worshiping of him and there profess to God the acknowledgment of his Greatness his Glory his Majesty his Power his Sovereignity his Dominion over them and profess a great deal of the fear of the Name of God! and yet God knows it is not in their hearts it is but as a lye to God when they are worshiping God there they acknowledg their sin and judg themselves for their sin as if they were very much humbled and troubled for their sin but God knows that this is but a lye to him there is no such humiliation of their hearts before him as seems to be in their expressions before God especially when they are in company they cry to God for grace and would fain above all things in the world have his Grace but God knows 't is but a lye all their prayers are even besetting God with lyes Oh! Consider how far any of you have been guilty of this especially in praying with others according to that Scripture Psal 78. 36. They flattered him with their mouth and lyed unto him with their tongue The word that is translated flattered it signifies deceived They deceived him with their mouth Why Can God be deceived No But they did what lay in them to deceive him if it were possible that he should be deceived they would deceive God No mervail though men do deceive men so much as they do many that are of upright hearts they wonder when they hear of the falsness of mens spirits that they can be so No mervail I say when as God himself complains of being deceived by them that is They are so false and do so beset God with lyes that if it were possible he himself should be deceived That 's the first Note And then Secondly As it was here with this people besetting God with lyes Thus many do compass and beset businesses the businesses and affairs that they mannage they beset them with lyes that 's thus They plot with themselves how they may handsomly contrive a company of lyes together by a handsom putting of them together that so they may beset mens unsterstandings there is such a cunning abroad in the world I say to seek to beset the understandings of men so as men shall not know what to say to things and yet they cannot tel how to beleeve them neither do they know what to say things are so contriv'd and so set they think with themselves If such a thing shall be questioned then I have such a shift to put it off and if another thing shal be doubted of then I have such a report to make it good some fair pretence or other And thus they beset businesses with lyes and beset mens understandings But Judah yet ruleth with God and is faithful with the Saints This of Judahs ruling with God Luther Meisnerus and others do think that it hath reference unto the story that you find in 2 King 18. the
blood upon him When God comes to bring the guilt of sin and the punishment of sin on a mans own head and there leaves it upon him that 's sad indeed We reade in 2 Sam. 12. 13. there it is said when Nathan came and rebuk'd David for his sin David confest his sin and saith Nathan to him The Lord hath put away thy sin the word is translated by some thus The Lord hath made thy sin to pass away Oh that 's a happiness indeed when it may be said of God he doth make the sin and the guilt to pass away from the sinner that 's a happiness But on the other side when God shall leave the sin upon the sinner leave the guilt of the sin upon him as if God should say here 's the guilt of sin upon the head of such a man and let it abide and lie he shall leave his blood upon him as in Ezek. 22. 20. the Lord saith He will bring them into the fire and leave them there the Lord many times brings his Saints into the fire of afflictions Oh but he will not leave them there but when he brings the wicked into the fire he leaves them there And his reproach shall his Lord return unto him His reproach That 's thus They do what lies in them to bring a reproach upon me the living God as if there were not an Alsufficiency in me but I 'le make the reproach to turn upon their own heads yea they reproach my Saints too but I 'le make this to return upon their own heads Oh take heed of doing any thing to bring a reproach upon God You will say Can the Creature bring a reproach upon God I might shew you divers waies I 'le instance but in this one thing Apostatizing from God when professors of Religion that have been very forward and seem'd to rejoyce in the waies of God and to relie upon God and they shall forsake God to follow after their vain lusts I say these do bring a reproach upon God himself in Heb. 10. 29. they did despite to the Spirit of Grace they wrong and bring a reproach upon the Spirit of Grace And then Heb. 6. 6. They put the Son of God to an open shame saith the text they make him a reproach before all As when you cart people up and down the City you hold them out as a scorn so they put the Son of God to open shame they do as it were hold forth the Son of God to open shame so what thou professest There is more good to be had in a Whore than in Jesus Christ and God and the blessed Spirit that 's the language of a Whoremaster Well you that are Apostates and think to bring a reproach upon Religion and upon the Saints and they all suffer for you from whence is it that the people of God are reproach'd but because of Apostates Well do you bring a reproach upon God upon his Name upon Profession upon his Saints the Lord hath waies to turn the reproach upon your selves and usually such men as these before they die God doth put to open shame he leaves them to such vile courses as they come to be a shame a by-word a scorn and cast out as dung and filth not only to the Churches but from such as have any kind of civility or morality at all Oh! take heed of bringing a reproach upon God and so by bringing reproaches upon his Saints Oh! let the Saints go on in a constant way of holiness and faithfulness God will wipe away their reproach the Lord will return the reproach upon the heads of such as seek to reproach them And when there comes a reproach upon the wicked it shall be another manner of reproach than upon the Saints it 's call'd a perpetual reproach the reproach of the Saints is not a perpetual reproach but when it 's upon the ungodly it shall be a perpetual reproach and in Jer. 41. 18. those two things are joyned together a Curse and a Reproach Nehem. 4. 4. Hear O God for we are despised and turn their reproach upon their own heads saith Nehemiah Sanballat and Tobiah did reproach the Servants of God that did seek in the uprightness of their hearts to honor God but Lord return their reproach upon themselves saith Nehemiah And truly this is the best way when the Servants of God are reproached though they may by lawful means seek to vindicate their names yet their chief way is to pray Lord turn the reproach upon the heads or bosoms of our adversaries And then the last Note is this And his reproach shall His LORD return unto him His Lord What is God the Lord of this people his Lord shall turn it yes saith he 't is as if the Prophet should say thus you reject God and will not be in subjection to him you will not own him to be your Lord but he will be your Lord in spite of your heart God will be God and he will be Lord let wicked men do what they can and what they will he will be their Lord Christ hath purchased to be Lord over the world and he will be Lord over all over all Apostates Hypocrits wicked men let them do what they can against Jesus Christ Jesus Christ will be Lord over them in spite of their hearts Oh it s a blessed thing to give up our selves willingly to the subjection of Jesus Christ If we say we will not have thiâ— man to rule over us Christ will say but I will rule over you the Lord hath sworn by Himself and the word hath proceeded out of his mouth in righteousness that every knee shall bow unto him and every tongue confess his Name be still saith God and know that I am the Lord So I say to the most troublesome and tumultuous spirit that would cast off the yoke of God Oh! be still thou wretched thou proud spirit and know that God is the Lord he will prevail against you God made Julian to know this that when a dart was struck into him he cast his heart blood into the Air with an O than Galilean thou hast overcome me And so all wicked men shall be forced to say one day Well though I would cast off the Commands of God behind my back and break his Cords yet the Lord hath overcome me and though I perish to all eternity yet God will be God blessed for ever and Lord of the whol Earth And thus through Gods mercy we have gon through this Twelfth Chapter CHAP. XIII VER 1. When Ephraim spake trembling he exalted himself in Israel but when he offended in Baal he died THis Chapter is partly Legal and partly Evangelical Legal charging this people with their fin of Idolatry and of Ingratitude shewing them Gods wrath partly already inflicted and further threatned them to the 14. Verse and again in the