Ministers their Due and every member of the Body its Due notwithstanding the Differences wherein every Member Differed from another by this keeping the Body perfectly joined together Paul being Spiritual tells them he planted and Apollo watered but God gave the increase and that neither he that planteth nor he that watereth is any thing but God is all he is to have the honour of all Chap. 3.6 7. He tells them also that Christ cannot be Divided he is not for those that are for Apollo more than for them that are for Paul nor for any party of them in contradiction to the rest though by this their Carnal Spirit they would Divide him into Parts and Parties He tels them further that they were to be only for him who was crucified for them and into whose Name they were Baptized This is the true import of the words Chap. 1.13 and 15. verses 5. VVALKING LIKE MEN Are ye not Carnal and walk as Men the works of the Flesh of the fleshly Man of the Men of the VVorld are Hatred Variance Emulation VVrath Strife Sedition Envy and such like Gal. 5.19 20 21. Now while we walk thus Carnally we walk like Men such Men the Men of the world not as Christians as those that are Spiritual that have the Spirit of Christ in them For they that are Christs have crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts thereof if we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit let us not be desirous of vain-glory provoking one another envying one another 24 25 26. verses 6. UNFITNESS to receive such Truths a making them not able to bear such discoveries of God and Christ and his Glory as Christ hath given him from the Father to discover unto and bestow upon his People I could not speak unto you as unto Spiritual but as unto Carnal even as unto Babes in Christ I have fed you with Milk and not with Meat for hitherto ye were not able to bear it neither yet now are ye able for ye are yet Carnal Chap. 3.1 2 3. These Corinthians that were enriched in all utterance and all knowledge that came behind in no gift are yet Carnal which hinders them that they cannot as the Apostles did with open face behold as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord and be as they were changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 No by this Carnality of mind they become as Babes not able to bear strong meat and so not fit for strong work that VVork which to enable his people to do it s absolutely necessary that the Lord give unto them such a full and large discovery of himself as this Carnality of spirit will not admit them to receive From these things Obs 1. This Carnality of Spirit bringing forth these Fruits is such a Distemper as the Highest Christians Christians of the Richest attainments that are enriched in every thing yea waiting for the coming of the Lord are too much and too too often troubled with to the great unhappiness of their own Souls hindring the Work of the Lord that is to be done in them and by them Of this Sort were those whom the Author to the Hebrews rebukes VVhen for the time ye ought to be Teachers ye need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the Oracles of God and are become such as have need of Milk and not of strong meat Heb. 5.12 Obs 2. This Carnality of Spirit opposes not Gifts but Grace All Gifts all Utterance all Knowledge may be in a Christian together with this Carnality So that Christians may think themselves fully prepared to meet the Lord be waiting for his coming and be yet Carnal But it hinders receiving of Grace it keeps them from being of and submitting to such a frame of Spirit as is absolutely necessary to enable them to grow from Glory to Glory to follow Christ whithersoever he will please to lead them Therefore saith the Apostle unto these Corinthians Chapt. 1.10 I beseech you Brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you but that ye be perfectly Joined together in the same mind and in the same Judgement This Same thing this Sameness of mind and this Sameness of Judgement which the Apostle exhorteth and beseeches them to cannot be that nor in that which any one of these Parties strove for against the other that wherein any of them Differed from the other for he rebukes them all for their Striving for and their vain glorying in that wherein they Differed He takes not Part with any One of their Opinions nor Waies but keeps close to his own Way and his own Judgement which was indeed that which he had Planted them in and upon from the Simplicity of which they through Carnality had strayed and that was Jesus Christ the only true foundation Therefore saith he Chap. 2.2 I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified for other Foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ Chap. 3.11 Paul had planted them in this Foundation this is that Same thing he would have them all to speak of and towards which he would have them all joined together in the same mind and of this he would have them all of the Same Judgement It 's impossible he could mean by this Same thing this Sameness of mind and Sameness of Judgement in it any One of the Parties they were Divided into for he rebukes them all a like as well he that was for Christ who its the most probable was the best and surely was of the best side as he that was for any of the other and it 's as irrational to conclude he was for any particular Opinion of any of the Parties wherein they differed from each other and so beseeches them all to be of the Same mind and Judgement with them For as the Differences were not such as were inconsistant with the Foundation so he seems to give them all an equal Allowance as being such things as they had received from the same Fountain from God But saith he If any man build on this Foundation Gold Silver Precious Stones Wood Hay Stubble every mans work shall be made manifest for the Day the further revelation of the Lord shall declare it is because it shall be revealed by Fire and the Fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is and that which is right shall abide and that which is wrong shall be burnt therefore Judge nothing before the time vers 12 13 14 15. with the 5th verse of the 4th Chapt. Look to the Foundation whereon ye are planted Jesus Christ him that was Crucified for you him into whose name ye were Baptized speak all the Same thing be ye all in this in the Same mind and in the Same Judgement
the prevalent remainders of this Carnal-mindedness in the Lords own people unfits them for the Lords work makes them uncapable of doing it or being used in it for this keeps them from being subject to the Law of God the Rule of the Lord by which he will square his work which he hath said he will Magnify and make Honorable Isa 42.21 By this we come to Dye and to be Dead to the Work of God If we would live to the Work of the Lord we must be Spiritually minded to be spiritual minded is Life and Peace ver 6. this is that must enable Jacob to take root and Israel to blossome and bud and fill the Face of the World with fruit Carnal-mindedness is Death to Jacob by it he becomes as a withered branch bringing forth no fruit to the Lord for while he is in that mind he is not neither can he be subject to the Law of his Work This Carnality of spirit respects either Natural worldly flesh as Paul tels us Rom. 8. minding the things of the flesh this world and the good things thereof which are not of the Father but of the VVorld for all that is in the VVorld The lust of the flesh the lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life is not of the Father but of the World which whosoever loves the love of the Father is not in him 1 Joh. 2.15 16. of which the Apostle Paul saith the world is crucified to me and I unto the world Gal. 6.14 otherwise he could not have been an Apostle of Christ Or it respects Religious flesh such a frame of Spirit in matters of Religion and Worship as is Fleshly and Carnal The more gross of this Sort the Apostle Paul complains of as those that would make a fair shew in the Flesh that they might glory in the Flesh and that to this unworthy end to avoid persecution for the Crosse of Christ Gal. 6.12 13. But saith he God forbid that I should Glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world ver 14. This was Pauls frame of spirit and such only are fit Christians for Christs service There are a more refined sort of these Carnal-minded Christians to cure whom the Apostle Paul takes a a great deal of pains in his three first Chapters of his first Epistle to the Corrinthians to the 8th verse of the fourth Chapter These Corinthians were Christians of such a high pitch of such high attainments as the Apostle saith of them In every thing ye are enriched in all Utterance and in all Knowledge so that ye come behind in no gift waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Notwithstanding all this they are yet Carnal I could not saith he speak unto you as unto Spiritual but as unto Carnal for ye are yet Carnal See what Fruit this Carnal frame of Spirit brought forth in these Corinthians and then we shall know what it is to be Carnal to be a Carnal Christian 1. PRIDE Proud boasting of their attainments a puffing up in the conceit of their own Opinion to be more truth and higher truth than others vainly glorying in that wherein they differ'd from others as if they received it not but had it of themselves and from themselves exalting themselves above their Brethren as full and rich reigning as Kings looking upon themselves as wise as strong as honorable whilst others yea Apostles themselves are accounted foolish and weak and are despised and that by themselves judged of of them This the Apostle tells them of and rebukes them for Chap. 4.3 6 7 8 and 10. verses A Spiritual mind would never have brought such Fruit but this was the fruit of their Carnallity by this Carnal wisdom the Apostle tels them they deceived themselves if we will indeed become wise we must deny our selves in this and become fools that we may be wise this is but the worlds wisdom which is vain and foolish with the Lord therefore let none glory with this glorying Chapt. 3.18 19 20 21. verses 2. ENVY I am for Paul saith one I am for Appollo saith another and he envies him that is for Paul I am for Caephas saith another and he envies the rest I But I am for Christ saith another and he Envies all because they are more for men than for Christ as he thinks I am for this saith one and I am for that saith another and he envies his Brother because he differs from him because he is not of his Opinion of his Judgement of his way not considering that what he hath is but received from another and therefore he hath not whereof to glory nor to exult over his Brother much less should he envy him while enviously one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are ye not Carnal 3. STRIFE These several parties Strive against each other for their Opinions those things wherein they differ from each other which of them should be most received and honoured as the ritchest truth as the highest attainment Striving and contending about whose Parts and Gifts are most deserving and worthy of honour to be followed after and hearkned to 4. DIVISIONS Chapt. 1.11 12. and Chap. 3.3 4. verses It hath been declared unto me of you my Brethren by them which are of the house of Cloe that there are contentions among you Now this I say that every one of you saith I am of Paul and I of Apollo and I of Caephas and I of Christ ye are yet Carnal for whereas there is among you Envy and Strife and Division are ye not Carnal and walk as Men For while one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are ye not Carnal The Apostle blames them not for being for Paul or for Apollo or for Caephas or for Christ or for being for them all for saith he Let men so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God Chap. 4.1 we are to be accounted of you ought to honour us as such But in this they were blame-worthy in this they transgressed that they were Enviously Dividingly Factiously for one against another and he that is thus for Christ Sins as well as he that is so for the Ministers of Christ his being for Christ will not excuse him while he is in this Frame and Temper of Spirit Are not these things a knowing Men and Christ after the flesh of which the Apostle tels these very Corinthians they for their parts they Apostles would not be guilty Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the Flesh yea though we have known Christ after the Flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more 2 Cor. 5.16 The Flesh profiteth nothing It s the Spirit that quickneth John 16.63 This Fruit a Carnal mind brings forth those who are Spiritual as Paul and others brought forth better Fruit giving every one their Due Christ his Due and his
but judg nothing before the time neither the Gold nor the Silver nor the Wood nor the Hay nor the Stubble but be ye Perfectly joined together in waiting upon the Lord till his Day come wherein he wil declare what he Allowes what he allowes not of what he will have to abide and what is to vanish away and perish Upon this Same Principle it is that this Same Apostle tels the Philippians I press towards the Mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you Nevertheless whereto we have already attained let us walk by the Same Rule let us mind the Same Thing This Same Thing is even Pressing towards the Mark waiting patiently and tenderly when God shall reveal even this to those who in any thing are otherwise minded This evil of Carnality is that of which the Lord so Affectionately complains in tendernesse and pitty towards his poor Flock and for which he so sharply deals with and Judges the guilty Ezek. 34.17 18 19 20 21 22. verses And as for you O my Flock thus saith the Lord God Behold I judge between Cattle and Cattle between the Rams and the He-goats Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good Pasture but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your Pastures And to have drunk of the deep waters but you must foul the residue with your feet And as for my Flock they eat that which ye have trodden with your Feet and they drink that which you have fouled with your Feet Therefore thus saith the Lord God unto them Behold I even I will judge between the fat Cattle and between the lean Cattle because you have thrust with side and with shoulder and pusht all the diseased with your Horns till ye have scattered them abroad Therefore will I save my Flock and they shall no more be a prey and I will judg between Cattle and Cattle How nearly this Scripture concerns us a due consideration of the whole of it will quickly make us sensible Here are such proud tramplings of the Pastures such envious Pudling in the Waters that though the Pastures of Gods house are good Pastures yet they are made as not so though the Waters of the Sanctuary are deep Waters yet they are fouled that the poor Lean of the Flock those who are hungring and thirsting after the fat things of Gods house are forced if they will have any food any relief to satisfie their weary and thirsty Souls to feed upon that which the fat Cattle those who are full and rich in Gifts and Parts and High attainments as these Corinthians were have trodden down and drink that which they have fouled with their feet their Carnal uncomely unbrotherly walkings Here are such wrathful strivings and Pushings of the strong Cattle against the poor diseased Cattle and the poor weak Lambs of the Flock that they are scattered abroad This the Lord takes very much to heart Seemeth this a small thing unto you saith he I have given you good Pastures enough to feed my whole Flock and I have given you deep Waters sufficient for my whole Flock to drink of And now through Pride do you think them not worthy to eat in my Pastures and to drink of my Waters which I have provided for them as well as for you and so what your selves cannot eat you tread down and what you cannot drink you foul with your Feet If you cannot keep them from it yet by your Carnal uncomly Walking you cause their Souls even to loath my good Pastures and my deep Waters and I have Lambs and Lean and Sick and Broken Cattle in my Flock and do you proudly and enviously strive against these to keep them out of my good Pastures and from my deep Waters that I have given them to feed upon and drink of as well as you Do you thrust with Side and Shoulder and push with your Horns these poor needy ones till ye have scattered them abroad as if they were not of my Flock did not belong to my Fold Know saith the Lord if this seem a small thing unto you it doth not so unto me I will judge of these matters I will seek that which was lost by you by your proud disesteem of them not looking after them and bring again that which was driven away by you by your Envious striving against them and bind up that which was Broken by your thrusting with Side and with Shoulder and the Pushes of your Horns and that which is sick will I strengthen Thus will I deal with them whom you despise but you the F at and the strong that work this mischief in my Flock I will destroy I will feed you with Judgement ver 16. By this time I suppose it plainly appears how dangerous and Pernitious this Evil is to a Christian yea that it s so subtil so curious a resined Spirit that it many times enters into and dwels in the Richest Christians Christians of the highest attainments in Gifts and Parts These Corinthians were enriched in every thing in all Utterance and all Knowledge coming behind in no Gift and that which adds to all they were waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ yet these kept not themselves free from this evil frame of Spirit It 's only the conformity to a crucified Jesus that can expel this Evil spirit that can Cure this dangerous distemper that can kill this Soul-canker But we must know and be conformable to him as he is a Crucified Jesus before we can become Spiritual Christians indeed This the Apostle strongly hints to us while he tells the Corinthians I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him Crucified Also the great displeasure of the Lord against this Sin this Carnality of Spirit which brings forth Proud-boastings vain-gloryings which brings forth Envy which brings forth Strife which brings forth Divisions which causes to walk as men and which so unfits for higher Communion and fellowship with the Lord than at present is attained and for higher and more Noble work than at present the Christian is exercised in causing an inability to feed upon strong Meat and so to do strong work that till Christians are cured of this Distemper they cannot become a fit Instrument in the hand of God to do his great Work How far Christians poor sinning Jacob at this day have been and are with these Corinthians guilty of this pernitious Evil CARNALITY OF MIND and how far we have been and are yet from that Sweet Heavenly Thriving Strengthning frame of Spirit that Spiritual mind that Paul and the rest of the Apostles and compleat Christians were in in their Day the Day of the Gentiles our Espousals let every seeing Eye and sensible Heart judge how far we have been guilty of
making a fair shew in the Flesh glorying in it how far we have been glorying in the Flesh our Gifts and Parts our Differences our Opinions waies of Worship wherein we Differ from our Brethren that yet are Planted upon the same Foundation of a crucified Jesus Carnally dividing from each other upon such Differences upon such things wherein we Differ from others as yet are but received and received from the same Fountain that gives to One as well as to the other what he hath even the Lord Jesus Christ Carnally envying of Striving against and Smiting each other Proudly exalting our selves above and Despising our Brethren Thrusting and Pushing the Lambs and Lean and Sick and Broken of the Flock to the scattering them abroad In these things walking like Men the Men of the World and not like the Children of the Heavenly Father whose Conversation as Pauls was is in Heaven above these things And how far we come short of the Spiritnal mind that was in the Apostle and those who were Perfect in that Day and the Lord expects should be in us at this day the reflection of but a Dim Eye will clearly Discern Now that this Evil is a peice of that Sin for which the Lord is Judging his People will appear plainly if we seriously consider what the Lord saith Mal. 4.5 6. Behold I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful Day of the Lord and he shall turn the heart of the Fathers to the Children and the heart of the Children to their Fathers lest I come and smite the Earth with a Curse What great and dreadful Day of the Lord is this here spoken of Surely it s none other than that Day of God's coming to his People the Day of the Lords Executing his Judgements and pouring out his Vengeance upon the wicked World wherein the wicked shall be burnt up leaving them neither root nor branch wherein this People shall tread down the wicked and they shall be as Ashes under the solas of their Feet 1 and 3. verses Before this Day come before the Lord will bring his People from under the †Mal. 3.1 2. Isai 10.5.12 and 27.7 Cant. 6.4.13 Isai 4.5 6. Zach. 9.14.15 Refiners fire and Fullers Sope Take the Assyrians Rod the Rod of his Anger from off their back deliver them from under the present smitings and slayings of their Enemies make them terrible as an Army with Banners as the Company of two Armies and create a defence upon them from the Heat Storm and Rain all the rage and malice of their Enemies that they may goe on with Might and irresistable Power as the Lightning in the work of the Lord devouring and subduing treading down the wicked as Ashes under their Feet slaying their enemies with a greater slaughter than ever they were able to slay them with so that neither Root nor Branch shall be left them Before this day of God comes the Lord Will send Elijah the Prophet Either by his Messengers or by his Providences or by both co-working together beget such a frame and temper of Spirit in his People as shall lead them to Horeb to the Mount of the Lord where God himself at first revealed his Will to his Chosen led them into that State and Condition wherein the Lord met with them and was with them and manisested himself unto them at the first in the Day of their Espousals that Day of Love in the glory of which the Lord so much delights that he remembers it and forgets it not Isaiah also strongly hints this whilst he tells us The remnant shall return even the remnant of Jacob unto the mighty God Chapt. 10.21 as they shall no more crouch and bend the knee to their Smiters for their favour so they shall no more run Carnally after Apollo nor Paul not Caephas after this or that Opinion or Way or Party or Man but they shall return from these things from being led Captive by the Pessions and Lusts such courses hurry them into to the Lord the Mightâ—y God alone to Jesus Christ the true Foundaton they shall come into such a Spiritual Christ-like frame of Spirit as shall Turn the Heart of the Fathers to the Children and the Heart of the Children to their Fathers Who are these Fathers and who are these Children that being at a distance need a Reconciler Surely these Fathers and Children are not only of the True Seed of Jacob but of that part of the True Seed too who shall be used in the Work of the great Day of God spoken of before the Stress the absolnte Necessity the Lord laies upon their reconciling and uniting strongly implies so much The Apostle John tells us there are little Children Fathers and young men in Christ 1 John 2.12 13 14. I write unto you little Children because your sins are forgiven you for his Name-sake I write unto you Fathers because ye have known him that is from the beginning I have written unto you young men because ye are strong and the Word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one These are the strong and the weak Christians Christians of several measures of several Degrees of a several Pitch in Grace and Knowledge these through weakness and imperfection having strayed from the Simplicity that is in Christ run into Variance and Strife and Envyings and Divisions biting and devouring one another Walk like the Men of the World and not as the Children of one Father the Father of Mercies the Heavenly Father Now this unchild-like temper must be taken away by a Reconciliation wrought between these Fathers and Children turning the Hearts of these several sorts of Christians towards each other that they may walk as becomes the Children of one Father of such a Father as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is Turn the Heart of the Fathers to the Children c. They shall be of one Heart serve the Lord with one consent there shall be such a Heart-love begotten in them towards each other as that all Variance all Division all Distance shall be swallowed up there shall be no Thrusting nor Pushing nor Trampling upon nor despising one another being by a reconciling spiritual frame of Spirit brought to see themselves the Children of one Father they shall sit at one Table eat in one Pasture drink of the same Water together because the Lord provided the same for all his Children then we shall not hear them quarrelling with and judging of one another but then this shall be the voice Come all ye that love the Lord Jesus Christ Come feed in his good Pastures Come drink of his deep Waters that he hath provided for you all ye Children of our Heavenly Father who bear his Image upon you And this must be saith the Lord Lest I come and smite the Earth with a Curse There is such an absolute Necessity that this Reconciliation be wrought in and among the
Son of Old Adam with all his fleshly and Dead Works Those Carnal uncleannesses under the Law several Diseases the Menstruous Corruptions of Nature the Dead Man c. which were then made unclean in that day as to that worship were Types of this This is clearly the scope of the Apostle 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16 17. be ye not unequally yoked with unbelievers for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness or what part hath he that believeth with an Infidell wherefore come out from among them and be ye seperate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing c. Believers and Unbelievers Believers and Infidels are not to unite together are not to be Cemented together in one building The Unbeliever the Natural man the Son of Old Adam is that unclean thing which the Believer the Spiritual man the Son of the New Adam Jesus Christ is to come out from to be separated from and not to touch with if he will be the Temple of the living God for him to Dwell in and walk in 3. IDOLS What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate c. Idols are a part of that unclean thing which those who will be the Temple of the living God must be separate from and not touch with Babylon and her Idols All will grant yea the Carnal fry of Christians will grant that they are to be separated from even while in the mean time they are hugging a more Refined sort of Idols in their hearts crying out against another as guilty of Idolatry and Wil-worship while yet they mind not the Idols in their own Hearts Dividing withdrawing communion from each other looking upon each other as not the Sheep of Christs Fold for their Opinion their waies-sake for the sake of those things wherein they Differ notwithstanding they all are by the mighty working of the Spirit of God planted in the true Foundation Jesus Christ putting their Opinions their Waies their Differences in the Room and Place of the Foundation Jesus Christ making them the Standard and Boundary of their Communion and Separation by which they become their Idols from which the Lord in his due time will separate them induing them with such a Spiritual frame of Spirit as should abolish their Idols the Idols he shall utterly abolish †See Tillinghurst upon this Scripture Isa 2.18 These things of a Religious Nature may be and too too often are as really the Heart Idols of Carnal Christians as the Silver and the Gold of this World are either unto such or unto the men of the World Of these Heart Idols the Lord expresses exstream detestation Ezek. 14.3 4 5. Son of man these men have set up their Idols in their Hearts and should I be inquired of at all by them Therefore speak unto them and say unto them thus saith the Lord God Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his Idols in his heart the Lord will answer him according to the multitude of his Idols And these Religious Heart Idols when we are joined to them make us so tenatious so obstinate so perverse that there is no dealing with us God himself thinks not fit to deal with us while in this Condition except in a way of Correction to scourge them out of us but saith Ephraim is joined to Idols let him alone Hosea 4.17 when men have Idolatrous hearts adoring either the Idols of this World the Silver and the Gold the good things of this Life or those more curious Idols those Religious things wherewith a world of Professors cheat their own poor Souls while they hug their Form for the Power while they make their Opinion and Way the Measure and Standard of their Religion there 's so little hope of them that saith God He is joined to Idols let him alone as Solomon saith of his Conceited man Pro. 26.12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit there is more hope of a Fool than of him So it 's as true there 's more hope of a meer Natural man that never knew what belongs to making a Profession of the Name and worship of God than of such a one whose Opinion or Way or Judgement are his Heart Idols Let him alone saith God I will answer him deal with him by my self and that so as ye shall know that I am the Lord Ezek. 14.7 8. None can deal with such but the Lord and he deals with such a People by terrible things utterly abolishing the Idols that the Lord alone may be exalted See Isa 2.17 18 19. verses 4. Covetousness which is Idolatry Col. 3.15 This is another part of the unclean thing which must be separated from and not touched with This Sin was then of such an unclean Nature that it caused the Lord who was among them and in the midst of them to withdraw from Israel upon which they fell before their Enemies neither would the Lord be with them till they had cleansed themselves by separating from it Joshua 7.1 and 12. verses It was Covetousness made Achan put forth his hand to the accursed thing and to steal from the Lord part of his due that he had consecrated to his use as appears by ver 11. compared with Chapter 6.18 And the same that the Lord Consecrated to himself in that day he hath said he will again consecrate to himself in these last daies when Sion shall arise and thresh and beat in pieces many People Mich. 4.13 and he will as little bear with it in his People now as then for this is One of Babylons Sins for which the Lord Judges her Jer. 51.13 and it 's for the Iniquity of our Covetousness that the Lord is wroth with us and smites us Isa 57.17 Now it 's worth our searching into whether Achans sin hath not been one great cause of that Stop put to the Work of God and of that great Affliction which is fallen and is yet falling upon poor sinning Jacob at this Day Instead of Consecrating the gain unto the Lord have we not taken it to our selves and put it among our own Stuff From this Sin will the Lord separate his People making them his Redeemed from the Earth Rev. 14.3 Notwithstanding this and that the Apostle tells us Eph. 5.3 that Covetousness ought not to be so mnch as named amongst us as becometh Saints Yet how partial have poor Carnal Christians been in this day a small difference an Opinion hath caused them to Divide to Separate and Flce from each other as from Monsters while in the mean time this pernitious Idolatrous Evil is not so much as taken notice of Nay looked on as a Vertue or at least past over as an Infirmity For this as well as for other Evils the Lord is Judging his People Let these things be Separated from and I think I may safely without presumption say the People of the Lord will quickly come into such an undesiled united
GOOD NEVVS OR Wine and Oyle Poured into the Wounds of SINNING and DISTRESSED JACOB In some Meditations on Isa 27.6 7 8 9 verses Directing to the Cause wherefore and the End for which The present Affliction is come upon him Hinting at the Means by which his Deliverance will be wrought And Comforting him against the Extremity of Affliction come and coming upon him By PAIN LuMLE A WELCH christian Jer. 30.7 Alas for that day is great so that none is like it it is even the time of Jacob's Trouble but he shall be saved out of it Lam. 2.1 3.18 21 22 31 32. How hath the Lord covered the Daughter of Sion with a Cloud in his Anger and cast down from Heaven unto the Earth the Beauty of Israel and remembred not his footstool in the day of his Anger I said My Strength and my Hope is perished from the Lord. It is of the Lord's Mercy 's that we are not consumed because his Compassions fail not â— for the Lord will not cast off for ever but though he cause grief yet will be have Compassion according to the multitude of his Mercies Isa 61.9 All that see them shall ACKNOWLEDGE THEM that they are the SEED which the Lord hath BLESSED London Printed in the Year 1661. TO Sinning and Distressed JACOB LEt not your Heart be troubled saith our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to his Disciples when they were going through the withdrawing of his blessed bodily Presence into a scattered persecuted desolate helpless Condition full of Sorrows Now with what doth he fortifie their Heart against Trouble With his Gracious Ends in going away from them which were first To Prepare a Place for them in his Father's House In my Father's House are many Mansions I go to prepare a Place for you there a better State and Condition than I can either fit you for or bring you into while I am present with you here on Earth and then I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also And secondly after I am glorified I will pray the Father and he shall in the mean time give you another Comforter even the Spirit of Truth who will be a greater Comfort unto you than either I have been or can be or you can be able to receive I have yet many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now till I have carried your Nature the humane Nature which I have assumed into the Same Glory I had with the Father before the World was Therefore it is Expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you and he shall guide you into all Truth He shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you and all things that the Father hath are mine Joh. 17.5 and 16.7 13 14 15. verses Strongly inculcating not only his Gracious Ends for their Eternal Good but the Necessity of his going away to accomplish those Ends which would not nor could not be effected except he withdrew from them Therefore Let not your Heart be Troubled but Believe in Me that I will do these things for you As the Lord Jesus had these Glorious Ends at Thâ—â— Time in his leaving and withdrawing from his Disciples So he hath Glorious Ends in all his Dealings with his Chosen to the End of the World the Consideration of which should fortifie the Hearts of the distressed and peeled People of Jacob against all Heart-trouble What 's the Meaning of all that Chequer-work between Christ and his Spouse in the Canticles a Prophecy that reaches through many various Dispensations to the coming of our Lord to work a Total Deliverance for his Chosen as is asserted by Persons of no mean repute in the Church of Christ for Piety and Learning Sometimes hiding himself from her making her sick of Love and sometimes in the strength of his affection towards his Spouse He is Leaping and Skipping towards her Sometimes he Hides himself behind the Wall and again shews himself forth at the Window discovers himself through the Latess Sometimes he quite withdraws himself and is gone yet at last after she had undergone very hard usage from the hands of men the Smitings and Woundings of the Watchmen and the Insulting Robberies of the Keepers of the Wall he meets her and comforts her in his Garden among the beds of Spices What is the Reason of these various Becloudings of his so often hiding and withdrawing himself from his Beloved Surely it's to No other End as the whole current of the Prophecy and the Advantages the Spouse gaines after every casting down will tell us it is but to carry her from Glory to Glory from one Degree of Glory unto another until she be fitted for such a Total Deliverance and Salvation as shall never be clouded more and then the cry is Who is this that cometh up from the Wilderness out of all her Trouble and Wilderness-straits leaning upon her Beloved And now at this time O thou Afflicted tossed with Tempests the fury of men and not yet comforted though the Cloud that is over thee grow darker and darker and this terrible Storm shake all the Pillars of thy fleshly Building yet let it not touch thy Heart with anxious trouble only Believe thy God is the same to thee that ever he was if he withdraw himself it is that he may come again and shew thee greater Mercy 's such as shall never be taken from thee if he hide his face from thee it is that he may fit thee for and shew thee more of his Glory than ever he did before if thine Enemy weaken thee it is that by waiting upon the Lord forsaking thy Idols thou mayest renew thy strength if he Imprison thee in Holes and Corners it is that the Lord may be glorified in fitting thee for it hearing thy Groanings if he appoint thee to Death it is that the Lord may be glorious at the appointed time in loosing those that are appointed to death Nay surely the Lord hath this Gracious End in Afflicting thee at this time viz. To fit thee for a Compleat Salvation that Manifestation of the Sons of God that Glorious Liberty of the Children of God which the Creature Earnestly Expects and the whole Creation Groaneth and Travelleth after yea which the Saints of God who have received the first fruits of the Spirit Groan within themselves for waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Bodies Rom. 8.19 21 22 23 v. that being fitted for that Work the Lord hath purposed to do by thee thou mayest go forth to it thrive and prosper in it both in Soul and Body and grow up to a compleat preparation to meet Our Lord when he shall come again without Sin unto Salvation All God's Ends towards thee in all his Dispensations are full of Glory to himself and Salvation to thee Therefore
Nothing that Jacob meets withal in this World should trouble his Heart but his Sin and that no further neither than is necessary to his thorow-forsaking of it it being only that which hinders the shining of the face of his God upon him and grieves the Spirit of the Lord causing him to withdraw his sweet Influences and leave us to feed upon the Husks of our Gifts and Parts till we are become sensible of the want of that True Bread which is to be enjoyed in our Father's House by those who forsake their Sin and this World with the things therein How many strong Obligations doth the Heart and Hand of God working thus graciously for us lay upon us to be Examining and Trying our Wayes and diligently searching out what that is which stands as a Partition Wall between us and those Everlasting Kindnesses that Glory which shall never be removed which the Lord is waiting a fit time to bestow upon us and to wash and cleanse our selves from it And now give me leave to take a little liberty to warn you of a few things which surely if among us at this time very much grieve the Holy Spirit of God 1. Take heed our Tongue of Profession run not beyond our Feet of Practice Let us not outbid our selves lest when we come to perform we have neither Strength nor Heart to follow our Tongue and so dishonour the Lord that bought us with so great a Price putting him to open-shame by whose Name we are called giving the world of Unbelievers occasion to think him not a sufficient Saviour able to save us from the Power of Sin and Temptation That Sin of the Scribes and Pharisees which our Lord while on Earth was so severe against and Austeer in Reprehending was of the like nature with this speaking great Words but doing little when it came to practice it was but tything Mint and Cummin small things and leaving the weightier things undone The Sad and woful Effects this Sin hath brought forth amongst us for many years past are too too evident 2. Take heed lest shunning that you fall not into another Sinful Extream almost as bad which is Not making an Open Profession of the Truth we believe lest we should not be able to walk answerable to it Knowing that which is convenient and lawful for one man to do is no way lawful nor convenient for another who makes a greater and higher Profession Now lest we should not have strength to come up to that strict Circumspection such a Profession requires to the honouring of it we hide our Light put not our hand to the work our Light would lead us to sit still out of a fear of our own weakness and infirmities this is a subtile Temptation and refined Snare of the Evil One. He that hath had experience of this Evil can tell you that it is of a pernicious nature it not only clearly speaks forth a secret liking of and unwillingness to part with some Beloved Sin that such a degree of owning Truth would necessitate the mortifying of but by this means every Sin that Nature is propense to gets a greater latitude to exercise it self in the whole Man Corruptions grow strong and stout and the Man careless by a mis-use of that Word that tells him That is Lawful and Convenient for him which is Not for another to do and this hinders that Fellowship and Communion with the Father and the Son through the Spirit which otherwayes he might attain unto This is of the same nature with that Temptation Moses himself was troubled with a sinful sense of his own VVeakness and of that Failing of his if it may be so called in the manner of putting his hand to the Work God had ordained him to when he slew the Egyptian Send I pray thee saith he to the Lord by the hand of him whom thou wilt or shouldest send as if he had blamed the VVisdom of God in pitching upon such an unfit and unworthy an Instrument as he was which kindled the Anger of the Lord against him Exod. 4.13 14. and had it not been for the Riches of the Grace of God to him-ward it had lost him the Happiness and Glory he afterward enjoyed in doing the Will and Work of God Our Sin should not hinder but provoke us to honour the Lord more by our Obedience than we have dishonoured him by our Disobedience If any man Sin saith the Apostle we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and this he writes unto us that we sin not 1 Joh. 2.1 And may I say that we sin not a Sin of this nature but looking upon and considering the Advocateship of Jesus Christ on our behalf we take courage and run the Race that is set before us by the Command of God our Father 3. Take heed lest that you upon whom the Extremity of Affliction is not yet come after the measure it is fallen upon others that you do not adde Affliction to the Affliction of your Brethren by your Slighting Undervaluing and Brow-beating them Look over all the Scriptures that relate the sad Condition of Distressed Jacob and see how unkindly God takes this kind of dealing at the hands of any he finds thus exercising themselves and how Severely he threatens to deal with them know of a Truth that before the VVheel of Affliction hath turned round it shall reach you also and it may be the heaviest Spoak may light on you This Sin is of the same nature with that the Lord was so wroth with Amos 6.1 and so on to the 7th verse VVo to them saith God that are at Ease in Sion c. But they are not grieved for the Affliction of Joseph Therefore now shall they go Captive with the first that go Captive How uncomly and unnatural a thing is it for him that professes to participate of the New Nature to make the Rule and Standard of his Valuation of and Respect to his Brother and so it is lesse or more according to his Enjoyment of the Good things of this life I am sure the Apostle James abhorred this Jam. 2.2 3 4 5 6. and upon this account as well as upon any other he cryes Chap. 5.1 Go to now ye Rich men Rich Professors for to such he writ Weep and Howl for your Miseries that shall come upon you I shall adde no further but intreat a serious Consideration of the following Treatise and if the Lord administer any Benefit or Comfort by it to any of Jacob's Afflicted Children or any Glory redound to the Name of God thereby I have my End I proposed to my self both in Writing and Printing this Discourse The good Lord make it fruitful to his Glory and the Good and Comfort of Distressed Jacob. Farewell READER AMong several other lesser Faults escaped the Press thou art desired to take notice of these more Material VIZ. Pag. 8. line 29. for him read them P. 13. l. 17. r. is done
P. 15. l. 20. r. brought forth P. 19. l. 6. r. this Same P. 20. l. last leave out that P. 21. l. 4. leave out But. P. 22. l. 12. r. his People and l. 32. r. lead them P. 27. l. 15. r. One another and l. 27. r. shall P. 28. l. 6. leave out own P. 32. l. 36 r. rebellious part P. 34. l. 11. r. It is that and l. 33. r. He shall P. 36. l. 25. r. give thee P. 37. l. 22. r. he may P. 42 l. 30. r. yeelded P. 45. l. 10. leave out will P. 47. l. 40. r. this is GOOD NEVVS OR VVINE and OYLE Poured into the Wounds of SINNING and DISTRESSED IACOB c. Isa 27.6 7 8 and 9. Verses He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root Israel shall blossom and bud and fill the face of the world with Fruit. Hath he smitten him as he smote those that smote him or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him In measure when it shooteth forth thou wilt debate with it he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the East wind By this therefore shall the Iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the Fruit to take away his sin THESE last dayes this last part of the time of this old World in the beginning of which our Lot is fallen to Be is that part of time in which all the Brophesies in Scripture except those that particularly relate to the World to come the new Heavens and the new Earth will have their compleat performance it 's the time in which they all meet as the lines of the Globe in the Center Hence it is that the Lord doth so complain of his Peoples Deafness and Blindness and checks them for it Isa 42.18 19 20. Hear ye DEAF and look ye BLIND that ye may see Who is BLIND but my Servant or DEAF as my Messenger that I sent Who is BLIND as he that is perfect and BLIND as the Lords Servant Seeing many things but thou observest not opening the Ears but he heareth not Notwithstanding the light of a multitude of Prophesies shining round about him Jacob is still Blind notwithstanding the Voice of strange Providences performing Prophesies sounds in his ears yet this Blind Servant of the Lord is still Deaf he opens his ears but he hears not notwithstanding he sees the wonderful Works of God performing the Words of God yet through Blindness he observes not the Lords meaning in them he observes not that which the Lord would have him to observe and doth so plainly hint out to him by his Word and Works he sees not the Way the Lord would have him to Walk in hears not the Voice that cryes This is the Way walk in it Therefore doth the Lord complain with an Admiration Who is BLIND but my Servant DEAF as my Messenger Who is BLIND as he that is perfect and BLIND as the Lords Servant To clear Jacob's Eyes to take away those thick scales of darkness that through various kinds of distempers and temptations are grown upon them that they may See and to open his deaf Ears that he may Hear the Lord will deal with Jacob according to the tenour of these words I have chosen to treat of It seems necessary before I come to the Words that I mind two things The Time to which and the Persons to whom this Prophesie in a special manner belongs In the 24 25 26 and 27. Chapters is a continued uninterrupted Discourse of what great things the Lord will do for and among his People That it hath a particular and peculiar Relation to the last times and that these dayes wherein we live are those last times I suppose will be readily granted and therefore I need not use words to prove it And that this Prophesie hath Relation to the Gentiles I suppose is as clear not onely the Prophet's speaking of the Isles of which the natural Seed of Jacob had no possession but the Work of God it self treated of makes it evident This Earth which the Lord saith he will Empty in the 24. Chapt. some would restrain to these Islands but I would rather say we are to understand by it the whole Antichristian Earth Babylons Earth the old Serpents Earth in which he is bruising the Heel of the Womans Seed Both because we find the Prophet speaking of the utmost parts of the Earth in the 16. ver of the 24. Chapter and because he positively saith in his 28. Chapt. which hath Relation to this time also I have heard from the Lord God of Hosts a Consumption even determined upon the whole Earth But many particulars in these Chapters tell me also That this Work of God here spoken of shall have its beginning in the Islands and from thence issue forth to the other parts of the Earth therefore saith the Prophet Israel shall blossom and bud and fill the face of the WORLD with Fruit. Further This People to whom this Prophesie doth belong are a People that having been afflicted formerly by their Enemies the Serpents brood have encountered Smitten those Enemies of theirs Hath he smitten him as he SMOTE those that smote him Again They are a People that at present are under the Smitings of their former smitten Enemies Hath he SMITTEN him as he smote those that smote him And that which strengthens me in interpreting these smitings to be the smitings of these two Seeds against each other is what the latter part of the Verse speaks Or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him I can see no reason why these smitings may not be the smiting of the two Seeds of each other as well as the slaying here mentioned is their slaying of each other Again They are a People that foreseeing the rising up of these their old Enemies to smite them afresh endeavour to prevent them and bring them under in the 26. Chap. 17 and 18. Verses Like as a Woman with child that draweth near the time of her delivery is in pain and cryeth out of her pangs so have we been in thy sight O Lord. We have been with child we have been in pain we have as it were brought forth wind we have not wrought any deliverance in the Earth neither have the Inhabitants of the world fallen Out of a deep apprehension of the evil approaching great anxiety of Spirit and pain of Heart puts them upon earnest endeavours to bring down the Enemy that is arising to hinder the old smitings again But all will not do nothing is brought forth but wind no deliverance is wrought in the Earth the Inhabitants of the world fall not but instead thereof they fall themselves to the death Thy DEAD men shall live c. So that now I suppose I may without presumption say This is our Scripture belongs to us as a teaching Lesson particularly appointed for us at this day to learn The Words contain the Work the
the glory of his high looks consuming his glory that they shall be as feeble and weak as when a Standard-bearer fainteth To prevent Objections that might arise I lay down this Position That this smiting and slaying of these two Seeds of each other hath relation not to several Generations Father and Son but shall have its performance to the full in the space of the time of one Generation And that upon these grounds 1. Because the Prophet throughout this large Discourse speaks of a particular day In that day and that day saith he and that in distinction from the VVorlds day This is a day wherein the Lord comes to empty the World to empty the Earth and this VVork of his upon Jacob is but in order to it 2. Because this Evil the Lord brings upon Jacob is altogether outward and temporal it relates not to Eternal matters it respects the Body not the Soul It 's like unto that Affliction the Lord laid upon the Children of Israel in the VVilderness that related to their Bodies deaâ—h in the VVilderness that deprived them of an earthly Canaan but it would be very uncharitable to say those that perished in the VVilderness because of that Judgement were excluded the Heavenly Canaan of which the Earthly was a Type 3. Because otherwise the Promise of restraining and measuring out the Affliction stopping it when it hath brought forth such an Effect would not nor could not yeeld such strong comfort and consolation to poor Jacob as it seems to me the Lord intends it should for what great comfort would it be for the Father to know that his Son his Child shall upon such and such conditions be delivered from the Evil that shall yet destroy him 4. If so be that this measuring out the Affliction here spoken of were only its ending in the destruction of the present Generation upon whom it falls then what difference is there between an Old Testament and a New Testament Measure The Measure of the Old Testament was the destruction of that Generation of rebellious Jacobs and saving their Children their little Ones whom their unbelief said would be destroyed together with themselves and if it be not otherwise now wherein doth Christ appear to be a better Mediator of a better Covenant established upon better Promises as is said Heb. 8.6 Lastly The Lord in this very Scripture it self doth clearly hint thus much by speaking in the Present tense Is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him that the SAME GENERATION of Jacobs Seed who are smitten and part of whom are slain by their Enemies shall get up again and slay them with a greater slaughter limiting it to a short space of time for performance of it 3. The CAUSE that brings this Sore Dreadful Dispensation upon the Seed of Jacob is their SIN This is strongly and closely implyed in the 9. Verse For if the taking away of Sin and Iniquity be the End of its coming then of necessity Sin is the Cause of its coming This is a People ROBBED and SPOILED they are all of them SNARED IN HOLES and they are hid in PRISON-HOUSES they are for a PREY and none delivereth for a SPOIL and none saith Restore VVho gave Jacob for a Spoyl and Israel to the Robbers did not the Lord He against whom we have SINNED FOR they would NOT VVALK IN HIS wAYES neither WERE THEY OBEDIENT uNTO HIS LAW Therefore he hath poured upon him the FuRY OF HIS ANGER and it hath set him on fire round about c. Isa 42.22 24 25. Ver. It 's Jacobs Sin that Causes the Lord to visit him in wayes of Affliction and Correction it 's his Sin that Causes the Lord to lay upon him his Fatherly Chastenings and Rebukes and that in Love that being cleansed from Sin he might be a partaker of his Holiness Consider Isa 59.1 2. Behold the Lords hand is not shortened that it cannot save neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear But YOUR INIQUITIES have separated between you and your God and YOuR SINS have hid his face from you that he will not hear How nearly this Scripture doth concern us will appear if we consider it doth not only speak of what God will do in the last dayes but to the Islands also V. 18. We see here the Lord in a posture ready to save and to hear his People His Hand is not shortened it 's ready prepared to save his Ear is not heavy it 's open to hear There 's no such thing as the Time being not come on the Lords part to hinder him from saving Jacob But it 's Jacob's Sin that Causes the Separation between him and his God It 's his Sin that Causes these Hidings of the face of his God from him It 's his Sin that retards his Salvation It 's not any thing in the Enemy it 's not to ripen his Sin that he may fill his Measure that so the Justice of God may fully seize upon him as some vainly conceit that is the reason why the Lord suffers this Affliction to befall his People No it 's Jacob's own Iniquities your Iniquities it's Jacob's own Sins your Sins that Causes God to separate himself and hide his face from him Was it think we for the Assyrians sake that the Lord might take an occasion against him to destroy him to be as a fire and a flame to him to burn him up Or for Sion's and Jerusalem's sake for the sake of that Work the Lord had to perform there that the Lord made him the Rod of his Anger against his People and by him sorely Afflicted him suffering him to be as Bryars and Thorns tearing and rending their flesh Surely it was for his Peoples sake Had not their Sins made a Work for the Lord to perform upon them by a Rod of Correction the Assyrian had never exalted himself over them No the Lord loves his People better than so if he Correct and Afflict them it 's for their own sake not for the sake of any other that through his Peoples Affliction he might destroy them The Lord loveth Jacob so that he will give men for him and People for his Life but we never find the Lord giving up his People for the sake of any other under Heaven either for their good or for their hurt Nothing can bring Affliction upon Jacob but his own Sin And Jacob's Sin brings Affliction and Sorrow upon him even then when the Lord is ready his hand is open prepared to bestow Salvation upon him when the Lords time is come to hear and save him yea even then when the Lord is waiting to be gratious Isa 30.18 Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you That the Prophet here speaks of the same Time and to the same People he speaks of and to in his 27. Chap. will clearly appear if the whole Chapter be seriously considered This waiting of God to be gratious is while Jacob
as those that he leaves as the subjects of his displeasure Therefore the Evil must lye some where else it must needs lye more secret and inward the Sin surely must lye in this in the hearts standng in and sitting close to these things And this seems to me to be clearly hinted to us by Christ while he commands us though we be but on the House top and our stuff in the House not to go down to it and though we be but in the field near home yet not to return to it He blames us not for having Houses and Stuff but commands us not to be so in Love with not to six our hearts so upon our Possessions in this World as to return to them and be solicitous in securing of them when he Comes to take us to call us from them to lead us in that Path and VVay to do that VVork he would have us to walk in and to do to enable us to walk in and to do which it 's absolutely necessary we forsake ALL of this World 3. Because of Christs severity against this Sin Remember Lots Wife Whosoever shall seek to save his Life shall lose it Our Lord is so severe against this Sin that that Love to the good things of this Life which the VVorld of Professors call a Vertue a Duty he warns us to flee from lest with Lots VVife he make us examples of his Justice It 's not dainty food not dilicious drinks but eating and drinking it 's not cozening and cheating but that which is at other times lawful buying and selling it 's not planting curious Gardens nor building glorious Structures but bare planting and building it 's not wheredom nor adultery but marrying of Wives the Lord instances in as the sinful state of the World in which when he Comes he shall find them to their sorrow So that it 's not enough that we can say we can part with our dainties things for delight but can we say we can part with forsake and love not our meat and drink that which maintains the very Being of our Bodies and with Elijah live upon the pure Providence of God for our Life and Being If not the Love of the Father is not in us but the love of the World And this Christ will not bear with in his People If at such a time as this when Christ is calling his People out of and from the World to his Work and Service there be but a dram of this Love a bare looking back towards a hankering after this Worlds good things but a little solicitousness after them a going but from the House-top a returning but back out of the field the back-side as it were into the House a going but a little out of the way Christ calls us into though it be but to save our Stuff yea our Life this will set us in the path of Judgement under his displeasure Remember Lot's Wife saith our Lord if when I come I find this temper in you as sure as she was so shall ye become a Monument of my severity A little love to this World but a looking back towards it hath turn'd and as little now but a returning back a little way towards it shall again turn Living Monuments of Mercy into Standing Monuments of Justice Secondly I fear upon a serious search it will be found that our Love to our Stuff the good things of this Life to keep and maintain our possession of these hath hurried us into such by-wayes such courses as have brought BLOOD upon us I shall only mention two Scriptures and leave it to a serious consideration 1. If Baasha execute Justice upon the House of Jeroboam according to the Word of the Lord and become like the House of Jeroboam in Sin and Wickedness that piece of justice becomes BLOOD-GUILTINESSE to him is imputed to him as Murder and he must dye for it 1 King 15.29 16.3 7. V. And it came to pass when he reigned that he smote all the House of Jeroboam he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed until he had destroyed him according unto the saying of the Lord which he spake by his Servant Ahijah the Shilonite Behold I will take away the Posterity of Baasha and the Posterity of his House and will make thy House like the House of Jeroboam the Son of Nebat And also by the hand of the Prophet Jehu the Son of Hanani came the Word of the Lord against Baasha and against his House even for all the Evil that he did in the sight of the Lord in provoking him to anger with the work of his hands in being like the House of Jeroboam and because he killed him That Blood which Baasha shed in Obedience to the Command of God by his Servant the Prophet in a way of Justice he walking in the same path of wickedness is required at his hand 2. If Jehu execute Justice upon the House of Ahab and do it so exactly too as that every piece of it is according to the Word of the Lord as the story mentions 2 King 9. 10. Chapters Notwithstanding this piece of Justice if done so exactly according to the Rule to the Word of the Lord yet Jehu through the Love of this World not departing from the Sins of Jeroboam but doing the Work of the Lord negligently by halves becomes GUILTY OF THIS BLOOD this act of Justice is imputed to him for Murder and the Blood is required at his hand Hos 1.4 Call his Name Jezreel for yet a little while and I will AVENGE THE BLOOD of Jezreel upon the House of Jehu I need not add further Thirdly Another Branch of the present Afflicting Sin that I would mention I conceive is PRIDE both NATURAL and SPIRITUAL PRIDE How contrary this is to the Lord in all Ages at al times I need not mention the Scriptures are full in expression of it Therefore much more at such a time as this when his design is to be ALONE exalted against which no Sin sets it self so much in opposition as this This Sin so extreamly unfits Jacob were he otherwise quallified for the Work of God that the Lord * Prov. 6.16 17. 13.10 Psal 10.2 86.14 Deut. 17.20 Prov. 16.18 Hos 5.5 hates it it 's Abominable to him This Sin is the source of wickedness by it comes contention which brings forth persecution and this proceeds to violence and causes Rulers in Israel to turn aside from the way of the Lord. Therefore this Sin must needs bring down a Correcting Judgement But Fourthly And the last I shall mention is CARNAL Mindedness Carnality of Spirit And this I would expatiate a little upon because it is the most Spiritual Evil and so needs the greatest battery gainst it The Carnal mind of the Natural man who is after the flesh is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.5 7. this brings Death to him v. 6. And
Lords own People whom he hath ordained to be his Instrument by which he will do the great Work of his terrible Day that except this be done that cannot be done a Curse will come upon the Earth instead of a Blessing Quest What Curse is this the Earth must be Smitten with in case this Reconciliation between the Fathers and the Children be not wrought Answ It cannot be those Judgements of God which he will pour down upon the World by the hand of his People in this terrible day for though that day Begin with Jndgement it Ends with Blessing Now a Curse is pure Judgement without mixture of Blessing pure wrath without mixture of Mercy and this Curse being put in Opposition to those Blessings which these people reconciled shall obtain it 's as much as if the Lord had said If these Fathers and Children will be Reconciled and Turn their Hearts to each other I will Bless them to the enabling them to goe forth and grow up as Calves of the Stall in treading down the wicked that they shall be as Ashes under the Soals of their Feet But if not I will Smite all with a Curse not only the Wicked but they themselves too all shall be Cursed and Perish together as that Generation that Sinned against me in the Wilderness were Cursed and Perished Mount Ebal shall be their portion not Mount Garizim The Lord will Turn the Heart of the Fathers to the Children and the Heart of the Children to their Fathers As at the first he took away the Partition Wall between Jew and Gentile between those sheep of his Fold So now he will again take away the Partition-wall that Carnal Dividing Spirit that is among the Sheep of his Fold at this Day As then he made of Twain One New man so now of many he will make One Rev. 14.1 Ps 2.6 Isa 24.23 Mic. 4.7 Isa 18.7 8 18. 31.4 Obed. 17 21. Psal 48.2 Heb. 12 22. Hill One Mount for Christ to stand upon and sit on as King and Reign and that for ever this is the Place of the Name of the Lord of Hosts the Place where he dwells it 's when his People come into this state that the Lord will fight for them it 's upon the People of God in this state that Deliverance shall be upon this State upon Mount Sion shall come Saviours it's this state of Jacob that makes him the Joy of the whole Earth the Joy of the whole Earth is Mount Sion and this is that state the People of God in this Gospel Day are to come unto By this we see what fruit the Lord expects his present Afflicting hand upon us should bring forth in us what it is he expects from us before he will judge us fit for Deliverance and Bestow it upon us A forsaking our Carnal Envying and Striving and Dividing and the Turning of our Hearts to each other in a true sincere Love uniting upon the One True Foundation Jesus Christ Other than which no man can lay Abundance more might be said to prove this both from the Old and New Testament Pauls Epistles yield plentiful proof that this frame of Spirit is the Onely true Gospel frame But I forbear If it be objected That we are Commanded in several Scriptures in the Old and New Testament to be separate and not touch the unclean thing and to come out of Babylon upon the penalty of being partaker of her Sins and so of her Plagues therefore how can this union pleaded for be according to the mind of God I Answer It s a certain truth that touching the unclean thing and abiding in Babylon are inconfistant with this Union pleaded for A Holy Separation from the unclean thing and coming out of Babylon of necessity must precede this Union otherwise it cannot be for in a Defiled house the Lord will not dwell But yet we must be careful lest we call that unclean which the Lord doth not account so and so cast away that which the Lord will gather up as his and call that Babylon which the Lord looks upon as belonging to his Sion though weak and infirm Therefore it 's necessary to resolve this Case that we consider what is to be understood by this unclean thing and by coming out of Babylon 1. By coming out of Babylon we must of necessity understand coming out of whole Babylon her Civil Tyrannical State and her Religious Idolatrous State otherwise we shall neither be fit for nor can we come unto this Union To prove this a multitude of Arguments and Scriptures might be brought but taking it for granted I would onely caution this There are Tyrrannies and Idolatries which are not Properly her's for every thing that is like Babylon is not Babylon and we must be careful lest we mistake one for the other by which many Erring Inconveniences may follow 2. By the unclean thing I conceive we are to understand 1. What soever is inconsistant with the only true Foundation Jesus Christ laid by the Apostles That we must not touch with have any fellowship with or be united unto for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteonsness what concord hath Christ with Belial 2 Cor. 6.14 15. Now those Petty Differences I call them Petty because they cannot so much as move the Spiritual Man he sees them what they are and lives above them they are onely great and powerful to the disturbance onely of the Weak and Carnal Christian I say those Petty Differences that are among the People of God who are planted in and built upon this true Foundation are so far from being to be cast off as not agreeing with the Foundation as that they are not to be Judged Judge nothing before the time saith the Apostle but to be let alone to be born with till the Day declare of what sort they are The Apostle reckons up many several sorts Gold Silver Precious Stone Wood Hay Stubble 1 Cor. 3.12 the Carnal Christian looking upon these as very Heterogenious matter such an Impure mixture as is not to be suffered would burn up the Wood the Hay and the Stubble in the Fire of his own Spirit not considering that thereby he would rob the Gold and Silver and the Precious Stone of some part of their Glory by the smutting smoke of his wrathful Fire by this manifesting himself to be one Spirit with that combustible matter which yet he would destroy seeing he is so easily set on fire but saith the Apostle the Spiritual man Judge nothing before the time let them alone till the Day declares and tryes of what sort every mans work is till the Lord clearly manifests to the sincere in heart who are yet otherwise minded who yet Differ about and are not able to Distinguish between these things what he will have to Abide and what he will have to be Burnt 13. and 15. verses compared with Phil. 3.15 2. The meer Natural Man who hath never passed through the New Birth the
State that all that see it will praise and bless it as the Daughters the Queens and the Concubines did Cant. 6.9 such a Light will shine round about it and such a Glory will arise upon it that there shall be such a Confluence unto it of those who being in Love with its Glory are converted into it that we shall cry out with Isaiah Who are these that flee as the Clouds and as the Doves to their Windowes Isa 60.1 5 6 7 and 8. verses I shall conclude this part of this Discourse with the words of the 133. Psalm Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is for Brethren to dwell together in this pure unity It 's like the precious Ointment upon the Head this Ointment was made of the most sweet and Odoriferous Spices Exod. 30.23 24. so that when it was poured out it made a most fragrant savour in the Nostrils of all those that were near unto it that run down upon the Beard even Aarons Beard that went down to the skirts of his garments it 's the very Image of the holiness of God stampt upon the Royal Priesthood of the Lord his Holy Nation and Peculiar People that must shew forth the praises of him that hath called them out of darknesse into his marvellous Light 1 Pet. 2.9 And that wrought by the mighty working and Annointing of his Holy Spirit It is as the Dew of Herman and as the Dew that descended upon the Mountains of Sion which made them both pleasant and fruitful for there the Lord commanded the Blessing even Life for evermore This is the State and Condition of his People which the Lord will Blesse with an Everlasting Blessing LIFE FOR EVERMORE which State shall suffer no alteration nor Change so long as the Son and Moon indure till the time of the Fabrick of this World ceases to be For upon the dwelling places of Sion and upon her Assemblies come into this State and frame of Spirit will the Lord create a Cloud and Smoke by Day and the shining of a flaming Fire by Night he will work as wonderfully as ever he did of Old to defend this Glory And there shall be a Tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat and for a place of refuge and for a covert from Storme and from Rain even from ALL that their Enemies can by the help of the Powers of Darkness be able to do against them We come now to consider the END of the Lord in Correcting and Afflicting his People which is 1. To take this Sin away This is fully expressed By this therefore shall the INIQUITY of Jacob be PURGED and this is all the Fruit to take away his Sin This Verse gathers up the preceding verses into it By this by what By the means fore-mentioned by the Smitings and the Slayings of the Enemy By this therefore wherefore Why will God make use of those means to purge Jacob First because the Lord will measure out the Affliction that it shall continue no longer then this effect is wrought in Jacob. Secondly because he hath in a readiness wherewithal to stop the Current and Stream of this Affliction to stay this rough-wind as soon as ever it hath wrought its effect If the Lord did not take care of this these means would not do the work to which the Lord appoints them instead of purging only they would destroy Jacob instead of taking away his Sin only they would take away his Being in this World By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be Purged and this is all the fruit to take away his Sin The End of God in this Affliction is to Cleanse and Purifie Jacob from his Sin yea from those sins already hinted at From hence we may lay down this Position It 's not SINNING-DEFILED Jacob God will DELIVER but it 's CLEANSED and PURIFIED Jacob whose iniquity is Purged and whose sin is taken away the Lord will bestow his salvation upon Therefore it is that the Lord will wait to be gracious he is waiting upon Jacob till the means he hath appointed the Affliction hath wrought its effect Washed and Cleansed Jacob from his Sin and the Daughtets of Sion from their Filth and Jerusalem from her Blood that he may Deliver and Save him that he may blesse Jacob that he may Take root and Israel may blossome and Bud and fill the Face of the World with Fruit. The Lord will put a Glory upon Sion and then create a defence upon all that Glory but first he will Wash and Purge her from her Filth and from her Blood Esa 4. and that by the great and terrible work mentioned in the second and third Chapters Christ will make his Spouse Terrible as an Army with Banners yea as the company of two Armies But first he will make her sick of Love exercising her under sore Afflictions the Smitings and Woundings of the Watchmen and the Robery of the Keepers of the Wall till she become undefiled looking forth as the morning fair as the Moon and clear as the Son Cant. 5. and 6. Chapters God will enable his People to tread down the wicked like Ashes under the Soles of their Feet But first he will sit as a Refiner and Purifier of Silver Purifying them and Purging them as Gold and Silver is Purged in the Fire Purging away their dross and taking away all their Tin Mal. 3. and 4. Chapters compared with Isa 1.15 The Lord Christ hath a great and glorious work to lead forth his people to do in the World but first he writes his Fathers Name in their Fore-head he redeems them from the Earth from among men makes them Pure Virgins having no Guile at all in them without fault before the Throne of God and then they follow the Lamb whithersoever he leads them into what Path or whatsoever work he pleases Rev. 14. Yea Christ hath Vials full of wrath to pour out upon the Earth But he will pour them out by Angels cloathed in pure and White linen having their Breasts girded about with Golden Girdles Rev. 16. The Lord will destroy Babylon but he will do it by his Sanctified ones such as rejoice in his Highness Esa 13.3 Christ hath a People that shall Reign with him but they must first suffer with him 2 Tim. 2.12 If Christs Witnesses will ascend up to Heaven as Christ did they must first be conformable to his Death Rev. 11. If it were necessary that Christ himself though he were a Son should learn obedience by the things which he suffered Heb. 5.8 much more will it appear necessary that we should through suffering learn to obey those commands which God in these last daies hath laid upon his people as his will they should do which are so contrary to flesh and blood and hard for it to bear And if it Became the Captain of our Salvation to be made Perfect through Suffering Heb. 2.10 how much more Becoming is it that his Followers his
Members should goe on to Perfection through the same Path of Sufferings hence it is that the Apostle Paul makes this the Path through which he expected to attain that Perfection he so earnestly prest after Phil. 3.10 11 c. That I may know him and the fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable unto his Death If by any means I might attain to the Resurrection of the Dead not as though I had already attained either were already Perfect c. So here in this Prophesy Jacob must take root and Israel must blossome and bud but that he may be thus Blessed the Lord will first Purge him from his Iniquity and take away his Sin and that by a Sore and Sharp Affliction a Smiting and Slaying Affliction I have Enumerated these Instances to hint these two things 1. The Agreement that there is between the Old and New Testament in holding forth to us the Manner of Gods proceeding with his People in order to fit them for his Salvation and so for that Work he hath to do by them 2. That God will not have his Work done with Defiled but with Pure hands according to that word Job 22.30 He shall deliliver the Island of the Innocent and it is delivered by the Pureness of thine hands or as it is in the Margent of some Bibles The Innocent shall Deliver the Islands Impure foul and dirty hands will so sully and Besmear the Work of God that it will appear more like Mans Work than Gods Work and so the Lord loses the Glory of his Works now because he will not lose this Glory nor suffer it to be given to Another he therefore comes to his People with Smarting and Bloody Strokes with Fire and with Sope to Purge and Cleanse them that they may do his Work so that it may Evidently appear to be Gods Work had not Mans. How far what hath been done and befaln us in our daies doth confirm this let the Seeing Eye and understanding Heart judge I shall give but one Instance more to confirm the Position and that is Num. 23.21 and 23. verses He hath not beheld Iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seen Perversness in Israel the Lord his God is with him and the shout of a King is among them Surely there is no inchantment against Jacob neither is there any Divination against Israel according to THIS TIME it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel What hath God wrought the Sinning rebellions of Jacob was Judged Died in the Wilderness but this Judgement of God upon him having Purged Jacob from his Iniquity and taken away his Sin that the Lord beholds not iniquty in Jacob neither sees perversness in Israel but they are brought into a Purified humble Obedient State According to THIS TIME it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel what hath God wrought This is the Time wherein they shall be Blessed with Blessings that men cannot reverse verse 20. and no Inchantment nor Divination shall prevail against them wherein God wil Bless him that Blesses them Curse him that Curses them Ch. 24.19 From this Time it is that such Blessings shall attend Jacob such great things the Lord will do for him and by him that those who believe the Works of God shall with great Admiration cry out What hath God wrought while Jacobs Sin was upon him he could not Possess the Promise but is Smitten by his Enemies But when the Corrections of the Lord upon him had Cleansed and Purged him from his Sin and taken away his Iniquity then the Promise was his Portion he entred the Good Land and none could hinder So it stands firm both upon Old and New-Testament grounds that the Cause that brings Correcting Afflictions upon Jacob is his Own Sins and his Own Iniquities and the End of the Lord in Afflicting and Correcting of him is to take his Iniquity away and to Purge him from his Sin 2. But the GREAT END of all this is that he may Cause them that come of Jacob to take Root and Israel to blossom and Bud and fill the face of the world with fruit The Lord Loves Jacob and all his waies towards him are pathes of Love Love is in the Bottom and End of all his Dealings with Jacob. If he Correct and Afflict him it 's in Love in Measure to Purge him from his Iniquity that he may become Precious in his sight and then in the same Love that he Corrects him he will give men for him and People for his Life Isa 43.4 God will deal in wrath with the Nations I will make a full End of all the Nations Jer. 46.28 but he loveth Jacob though he Frowns it 's in Love though he strike it 's in Love though he visits so sorely that the Rod even threatens the Destruction of Jacob yet it 's Still in Love for though Jacob provokes the Lord to Command his Enemies to go upon his Walls and Destroy yet this Love gives them a Check their Measure but make not a full End Jer. 5.10 yea though Jacob's Sins provoke the Lord to make a Desolation in the Land his Love will not suffer him to make a full End yet will I not make a full End saith Jacobs Father Jer. 4.27 No the Lord Loveth Jacob with an Everlasting Love If he Correct if he Smite and that to the drawing of his Blood yet it 's not to destroy but it 's only in Love to Save him from his Sin and so from that Destiuction his Sin would bring upon him If the Lord be Wrath so that he Hides his Face it 's not with Jacob but with his Sin The Lord Loveth Jacob still In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with Everlasting kindness will I have mercy upon thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Isa 54.8 So that here 's the Great End of God in his Dealings with Jacob that he may Fit him for and so Bestow upon him Everlasting kindness Everlasting Mercy Though the Lord in a little wrath against our sins Afflict so Sorely Smite so Smartingly that he seems as if he watched over us to Pluck up and to Break down and to Throw down and to Destroy as he did his People of Old Jer. 31.28 yet it 's in Much Mercy Everlasting Love If that he may Cause them that come of Jacob to take Root Though he seems to Pluck us up by the Roots it 's but to Transplant us into a Better Soil To cause Jacob to take Root Hitherto Jacobs Seed have had little or no Rooting have only spread a little over the surface of the Earth but now when the Lord hath Purged and Cleansed Lopped and Pruned Jacobs Plant it shall take Root He will cause them that come of Jacob to take Root and such Root too as that all our Enemies shall never be able to Pluck us up any more for the Lord will watch over us to Root us and to Plant us The same Mighty Arme that hath
Pluckt up all our Defences even then when we could not believe it possible being lifted up and set on high because Isa 1 2 3. Ch. the Cedars of Lebanon and the Oaks of Bashan were the Stakes in our Hedg and the high Mountains and Hills and High Towers and fenced Walls were our Defences and Pleasant Pictures Gold and Silver were our Ornaments and we were strengthned by the Mighty Man and the Man of War the Judge and the Prophet and the Prudent and the Ancient and the Honourable man and the Counsellor and the cunning Artificer and the Eloquent Orator The same Mighty Arme of the Lord of Hosts that hath been and still is upon all these in the midst of us Plucking them up and Beating them down with the Rod of his Anger shall put forth its Almighty Power in Rooting and Planting them that come of Jacob I shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root and not only so But Israel shall Blossome and Bud. It 's not a Bare taking Root but such a Rooting as shall bring forth a Blooming Budding Flourishing State though this Winter night of Affliction may cause Israel in appearance to be as a Withered Dead Tree yet his Life shall appear in its Season he shall Blossome and Bud spring forth into a Flourishing State And fill the Face of the World with fruit Israels Tree shall so flourish so spread forth its Boughs as that the Beasts of the feild shall have shadow under them and the Fowls of the Heaven shall dwell in them the fruit of the Tree shall be much yea so much as it shall be meat for all all flesh shall be fed of it the whole World shall be filled with its fruit The * Isa 27.4 and Mal. 4.1 Bryars and the Thornes the worldly Professors in the midst of Jacob in his faln State shall be burned up and Israel the true Seed shal fill THEIR place with fruit the Proud and the Wicked of the world shall be burnt up as stubble and Israel shall fill THEIR place with fruit Though through our Sin and Stubborness in it we provoke the Lord to suffer us to be slain to be as Dead yet when our Sin is done away and our Iniquities purged we shall Arise though we be brought to dwell in the Dust yet we shall Awake and Sing our Dew shall be as the Dew of Herbs Isa 26.19 such Influences from Heaven shall descend down upon us as that we shall Spring again and Live and Flourish and fill the Face of the world with fruit What Fruit this is would require a large discourse to tell and it not being my work at this time to treat of therefore I leave it I shall only say this That it 's such Fruit such excellent Fruit of such a Divine Nature that it causes glorious effects that men shall fear the Name of the Lord from the West and his glory from the Rising of the Sun the Spirit of the Lord by his mighty working brings forth this fruit Isa 59.19 It 's to this People who are put into a capacity by the means appointed of the Father to bring forth such fruit that the Redeemer comes It 's this People who are brought into this Light upon whom the Glory of the Lord is thus Risen that must Arise and Shine upon whom the Lord shall Arise and upon whom his Glory shall be Seen Isa 59.20 and 60.1 2. These are the People to whom the Great gathering shall be mentioned Isa 60. Having Fixed the Prophesy and Opened it and shewed the Cause and End of the Present Affliction I would now draw a few Conclusions from the whole 1. That in the Last Daies at this Day the Lord will use the same means to Purge and Cleanse and Purifie his People that he makes use of to Destroy his and their Enemies Outward and Sore Afflictions Smiting and Slaying Death it self Jacob the true Seed Smites the Enemy to Destruction and the Lord permits the Same Enemy to Smite Jacob to Blood to Pnrge him from his Iniquity and take away his Sin 2. That this Sore Affliction the Lord makes use of as the means whereby he will Purge and Cleanse his People Ends not in Smiting only but Proceeds to Slaying to Blood slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him It seems Jacobs Disease is so highly Pluretick as the skilfullest Physitian in Heaven and Earth can find no way to cure Jacob of his Distemper but by letting out his Blood 3. The sharpness of the Affliction clearly shewes to Jacob the Hainousness of his Sin The tender Fathers of our flesh will not lay sharp and Sore Corrections upon their Children but for exceeding great Faultiness If we see a tender Father whipping a beloved Child till the Blood run down his back we say surely that Child hath committed some exceeding great fault Much more may we say Jacob hath Sinned a Great Sin when we see the God of Jacob who is the Father of Mercies whose thoughts of Mercy are as far above our thoughts as the Heavens are Higher than the Earth Isa 55.9 when we see him Smiting Jacob and Smiting him to Blood that he even faints under his Correcting hand yea so Sorely Afflicting Jacob that were it not measured out in measures of mercy did not the Lord in tenderness as it were stand upon his watch to put a stop to it when it comes to such a pitch it would deprive poor Jacob of Being This surely is an open Declaration of the Greatness of Jacob's Sin In a case like this we have the Lord mourning over him Hosea 11.8 How shall I give up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel How shall I make thee as Admath How shall I set thee as Zeboim mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together 4. The continuance of this Sore and sharp Dispensation will be either Lengthned or Shortned according as Jacob behaves himself under it as he is Obedient or Disobedient to the voice of the Rod Isa 1.19 20. If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the Land but if you refuse and rebel ye shall be devoured with the Sword Jacob's willingly doing the will of God may prevent this devouring Sword 's passing over him but if Jacob will not it must have its course saith the Lord of Hosts This Affliction must abide till it hath wrought its Effect Purged Jacob of his Iniquity and taken away his Sin So that the sooner Jacob departs from his Sin the sooner will the Rod of Gods displeasure be taken off his back Consider again that place we have already discanted upon Isa 59.1 2. Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot save but your Iniquities have separaed between you and your God and your Sins have hid his Face from you that he will not hear The Lord is now as Able so Ready to bestow Salvation it 's only our own Sin that hinders his hand
from Saving and his eare from Hearing our cry If we would but turn from our Sin which brought the Rod upon us the Lord would Hear and Save us immediately The Lord is so ready to save that he is waiting upon his watch to see when we will return to him that he may save us Deliverance is fixed to no Time but only to the Time of our Turning from our Sin the sooner we Turn from it the sooner we shall be Saved till we turn from it we shall not be Saved for the Rod is brought upon our back to Turn us from it till which is done it will not be taken off and as soon as ever we Turn from our Sin the Lord will take that oportunity that Time to shew forth his Almighty power and get him self a Name and a Praise in the Earth in Saving of his People 5. From hence we may behold The Exceeding Riches of the Grace and Love of God to his People Though Jacob Sin and Sin at such a rate that compels the Father of Mercies who had rather be giving men for him and people for his life giving them as the dust to his sword and as the driven Stubble to his Bow for precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints notwithstanding this Father of Mercies is so highly provoked as that he is compelled to give up Jacob into the hand of his Enemies that so by such a sever Correction we may be brought to return to the Rock of his Salvation which he hath lightly esteemed then the remnant shall return even the remnant of Jacob unto the Mighty God Isa 10.21 yet through this dark cloud of displeasure he manifests a Fathers Love to uphold the drooping Spirits of Sinning Jacob In measure when it shooteth forth thou wilt debate with it c. as if the Lord had said Fear not Jacob though I deal thus sharply with thee know it 's only to Purge and Cleanse thee from thine Iniquities and Sin to Cut out the remainders of that rotten Core of Iniquity that is in thee to Lance those Boils of Corruption that are yet in thy flesh unbroken this Smiting and Cutting Dispensation shall proceed no farther My Rough Wind shall only blow away thy Chaff and then will I debate with it put a Stop to its rigorous proceedings I have an East-wind in my hand ready as soon as ever this potion I have given thee hath done its work for which I intend it to send forth to Turn this Rough Wind backward and make a way for thee to escape for this is all the fruit to take away thy Sin Thou wouldest not give me that Praise which was my due and I expected from thee for former kindnesses therefore thou hast compelled me to gain that Praise by making use of the Wrath of Man to Correct thee but the Remainder of wrath will I restrain Psal 76.10 They are only the Bryars and the Thornes in the midst of thee that set themselves against me in Battel that oppose my Work and my Intendments that I would bring to passe to get my self a Name and a Glory in the Earth it 's only these that I would Destroy and Burn together but my End in all this is to fit thee for that I may bestow upon thee Salvation therefore take hold of my strength and make peace with me and thou shalt make peace with me as it is in the 4th and 5th verses 6. Though the Immediate Minute of the Time of Jacobs Comfort is not yet come the Time wherein Jerusalem can say her warfare is accomplished Isa 40.1 2. Mal. 3.2 Isa 27. compared with Cant. 5.7 she hath received of the Lords hand double for all her Sins notwithstanding this terrible tryal may be as Hot as the Refiners Fire and as sharp as the Fullers Sope this Smiting may be to Wounding and Blood yet do not despond let not thy heart sink under it for the Lord hath not only said he will measure it out for thy good but he hath also said there is Hope in thine End This Affliction though it may be Sore and Terrible Smarting and Bloody yet it shall not make an End of Jacob. †Jer. 31.16 17 and 30.10 11. and 46.27 28 and 4.27 and 5.10 18. Fear thou not O my Servant Jacob saith the Lord neither be dismaid O Israel for loe I will save thee for I am with thee saith the Lord to save thee though I make a full End of all Nations yet will I not make a full End of thee though I leave thee not wholly unpunished yet will I Correct thee but in measure though the whole Land be desolate yet will I not make a full end though I command the Enemy to goe upon thy Walls and destroy yet not to make a full End yea in those daies saith the Lord I will not make a full End with you Though these Scriptures speak but Colaterally to us yet they speak as fully and as strongly to us as they did to them in the same Condition For if the Lord under the Old-Testament Administration bore so much Love to his Servant Jacob as not to suffer the punishment of his Sin to make a full End of him in that day much more will he not suffer the punishment of our Iniquities to make a full End of us in this day of the punishment of our transgressions under the New-Testament Adminstration Therefore let not our Hearts sinck under our Affliction but let us lift up our heads for our Redemption draweth nigh there is Hope in our End the Lord will yet Cause them that come of Jacob to take Root Israel shall Blossome and Bud and fill the face of the World with fruit though to Cause us to * Isa 10.21 Deu. 32.15 36. compared with Isa 59.16 return to the mighty God the Rock of our Salvation which we have lightly esteemed to bring us quite home to himself the Lord may fuffer the Afflictton to arise so high that it may be even ready to overwhelm us that there is no man left to stand up for us no Intercessor to plead on our behalf No Saviour our power is gone and there is none shut up or left then will the Lord repent himself for his Servants and his own Arme shall bring Salvation 7. As the Great End of the Lord in all is GOOD to Jacob all things the Smitings the Woundings the Slayings of his Enemies work together for good to Jacob So the Lord hath engaged to debate with and stay his Rough-wind the Smitings and Slayings of the Enemy the Present Affliction when it hath shot forth to that measure to that degree to the bringing forth of that Good he intends to Jacob by it it shall proceed no further if the Enemy of Jacobs Happiness offer to carry it on further to Jacobs hurt the Lord will by his East-wind that he hath in readiness for that purpose put a stop to it He stayeth
his Rongh-wind in the Day of the East-wind Though our Sin and Perversness in it compel the Lord for our Good to suffer the †Isa 10.24 25 26. Deut. 32.37 41 42 43. verses Assyrian to Smite us with a Rod and to lift up his Staff against us after the manner of Egypt yet saith the Lord O my People be not afraid of the Assyrian for yet a very little while and the Indignation shall cease and mine anger in their Destruction The Lord of Hosts shall stir up a Scourge for him according to the Slaughter of Midian at the Rock of Oreb and as his Rod was upon the Sea so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt Though we by our Stubborness force the Lord to afflict us after the manner of Egypt to Purge us and Cleanse us from that which keeps us from him and him from us to do which his Glory engages him yet when that is done as our Affliction is so shall our Deliverance be after the manner of Egypt a stronger hand shall come to Deliver us than came to Afflict us What though the Assrrian our Enemy think not so but exalt himself saying where are their Gods their Rock in whom they trusted The Lord saith If I whet my glittering Sword and mine hand take hold of Judgement I will render vengeance to my Enemies and will reward them that hate me I will make mine Arrowes drunk with Blood and my Sword shall devour flesh and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives from the beginning of revenges upon the Enemy Rejoice O ye Nations with his People for he will avenge the blood of his Servants and will render vengeance to his adversaries and will be merciful to his People 8. Let us not say with Gideon Judg. 6.13 If the Lord be with us why then is all this befaln us Now the Lord hath forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of the Midianites But as our Lord Jesus Christ said of himself to his Disciples Luke 24.26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and so to enter into his Glory So Consider all the Prophesies in the Old and New-Testament that concern these last Daies and then judge whether the body of Christ his Members Distressed Jacob at this Day ought not to suffer these things to undergoe this Trial the Refiners Fire the Fullers Sope the Smitings and Slayings of their Enemies now at last to fit them for Glory If this be the way through which Christ entred into his Glory surely his Members his Followers must enter the same way into their Glory Yea this is the Great End wherefore the Lord is Afflicting Jacob that he may become glorious with such a Glory as may Deserve and upon which he will Create a Defence such a Defence as shall never be taken away as all their Enemies shall never be able to rob them of And the Lord is Waiting the Time wherein he may be thus Gracious he desires only our Acknowledgement of our Sins and then he will work his Great Work Jer. 3.13 14 15. Return thon Back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine Anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and I will not keep Anger for ever only ACKNOWLEDG thine Iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God and hast scattered thy waies to the Strangers under every green Tree and ye have not obeyed my voice saith the Lord. Turn O back-sliding Children saith the Lord for I am married unto you and I will take you one of a City and two of a Family and I will bring you to Sion and I will give you Pastors according to my heart which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding Lastly this Prophesie and what hath been drawn from it doth Earnestly Call upon Sinning and distressed Jacob to †Isa 1.19 Za. 8.12 Isa 10.21 37.32 66.19 24.15 Joel 2.32 Isa 1.20 Mal. 4.6 wash and Cleanse himself from all these Evils laid down before him If thou dost hearken and do thou shalt live and eat the good of the land partake of those Blessings the Lord hath in store for the Remnant that by a true and through Repentance shall escape the Evil of the Day returning from their Idols unto the Mighty God shall again take root down-ward and bear fruit upward declare the Glory of the Lord glorify the Name of the Lord God of Israel in or among whom shall be Salvation But if thou wilt not but dost resuse and rebel know of a truth this present Affliction shall devour thee If the Hearts of the Fathers and Children in Jacob will be still stubborn against and not be turned to each other the Lord will Curse instead of Bless the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it the Glory of the Lord is engaged in it Know of a truth that till you come into your Cleansed Undefiled United Sate you will not be a fit Instrument for the Lords Work Surely Jesus Christ had much of this in his Eye when he prayed so earnestly to his Father that they all might be †Joh. 17.20.21 22 23. verses One not only his then Disciples but those also that should Believe on him through their word and that he would give so great a price for it as the Glory which the Father gave him and that he should lay so much Stress upon this as that which is Necessary to make it manifest to the World that he was Sent of God and that God bears the Same Love to his People that he doth to Him I shall conclude this Discourse with this Word As an Afflicting Wilderness State is that into which the Lord will bring his People to Plead with them face to face as he Pleaded with them in the Wilderness of Old causing them to pass under the Rod to Purge out from among them the Rebbels and the Transgressors Ezek. 20.35 36 37 38. verses So it 's that State into which he will bring them in the last Daies and give them as a DOOR OF HOPE I will give her the valley of Achor for a Door of Hope The valley of Achor this Day of Trouble this State of Lowness and Affliction which Achans Sin hath brought upon us is given to us as a Door of Hope under the New Covenant in these last Daies of Jacobs Affliction in New-Testament Times a Ground to Hope the Lord hath Smiles for us after these Strokes the fruits and tokens of a Fathers Love after these Stripes of his Fatherly Displeasure a morning of Joy after this evening of Trouble he only waits till we have done Justice upon Achan that Sin that hath Troubled Israel and then I will allure her and bring her into the Wilderness Into the Wilderness of this Wilderness State He will Allure us by the Glorious manifestations of himself by the Mighty Workings of his Spirit into such through forsakings of all things of all of this
World for himself and for his Sake that this State shall be unto us as the Holy of Holies comparatively wherein he will speak Comfortably unto us And speak Comfortably unto her Better words than ever we heard before from him such as shall make us forget all our Trouble and Sorrow And he will not only give Good Words but Gracious Gifts too And it shall be at that day saith the Lord that thou shalt call me Ishi my Husband and shalt call me no more Baali my Lord. Behold he hath been a Gracious Lord but now he will be a Tender Loving Husband unto us he will bring us into more Near and Intimate Converse and Communion and Fellowship with himself than ever we enjoyed all our Days before And this Grace extends not only to our Inward Man but to our Outward Man also I will give her Vineyards from thence Whatsoever we forsake for his Sake to follow him and keep close to him he will not suffer us to be losers by it if we lose a Vineyard any possession in this world to follow him to keep him company in the Wilderness he will give it us again there with advantage according to the Promise of our Lord Jesus Every one that hath forsaken houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my Names sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit Everlasting life Mat. 19.29 Yea so great shall be the manifestation of the Love of God and so abundant shall be the Gifts of God to us there as shall Cause our Exceeding Rejoycing She shall sing there as in the Daies of her youth and as in the Day when she came up out of the Land of Egypt Though this Day of Wilderness-Troubles and Straits brings Sorrowes hard to be undergone yet such shall be the Gracious dealings of the Lord with us as that we shall be made to forget all our Sorrows there 's no Day that ever we yet enjoyed yeelding so much cause of Joy as this shall do the Lord will make us Sing for Joy And now who would not rather choose the Trouble of this Day the very Wilderness of this Wilderness State than the Serenity and Glory which the Children of this world are drowned in which shall be consumed by the burning like the burning of a fire which the Lord of Hosts the Light of the Holy one of Israel shall kindle under it POSTSCRIPT NO thing can Provoke the God of Jacob the God and Father of Mercies to throw him into the Furnace of Affliction and to pour down his Fury upon him but such a degree of Sin as will either being let alone Destroy Jacob seperate him from his God or Deprive God of his Glory even the Glory of those Great and Wonderful things he hath done for his Jacob and even then when he is thus provoked to deal with him in wrath and anger his Eternal Love is at the Bottome of all to draw Jacob Neerer to himself and to make him the People of his Praise and Glory I have Refined thee but not with Silver I have Chosen thee in the Furnace of Affliction for mine own sake even for mine own sake will I do it For how should my Name be Polluted and I will not give my Glory to another Isa 48.10 11. Therefore it is that when these Effects are wrought the Lord so often speaks of Burning the Rod wherewith he Corrects them and punishing their Persecutors and Afflictors Now that the Dealings of the Lord with us may not seem too hard nor discouraging but just and righteous and full of Grace and Love I would mind you of two Scriptures the first is Num. 14. from 20. to 26. And the Lord said I have pardoned according to thy word But as truly as I live all the Earth shall be filled with the Glory of the Lord because all those men which have seen my Glory and my Miracles which I did in Egypt and in the Wilderness and have tempted me now these ten times and have not hearkned to my voice surely they shall not see the Land which I sware unto their Fathers neither shall any of them which provoked me see it but my servant Caleb because he had another Spirit with him and hath followed me fully him will I bring into the Land whereinto he went and his Seed shall possess it Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the Valley To morrow turn you and get you into the Wilderness by the way of the Red Sea We find these Children of Israel in the Wilderness very near Canaan very neer their journies End when these words were spoken unto them They were very neer going out of their Wandering Wilderness State into Canaan a setled happy Condition setled upon the Lords Foundation but their unbelief brought forth Rebellion against the Lord and his Messengers Caleb and Joshuah which hurryed them back into their Wilderness State by the way of the Red Sea the same way by which they came out of Bondage that must be the way now by which they return into Misery These words are the Lords answer to Moses upon his Intercession on behalf of Provoking Israel God had said in his Wrath he would Smite this People and Disinherit them and make of Moses a greater and a mightier Nation than they but upon Moses his Earnest Intercession who was the Mediator of that outward Covenant that was between the Lord and this People as a Nation the Lord is Pacified he grants him his request as far as would stand with his Glory saith the Lord I have pardoned according to thy word but as truly as I live all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord c. as if he should have said to spare all this People the Rebbels as well as the Innocent will not stand with the Glory of my Name thou so much pleadest to me but I will do so and so and by this means will I glorifie my Name this Evil Congregation have Dispised I would but take notice of a few things in the words which I conceive are worth your observing 1. The SIN which thus provokes the Lord. It 's no Common Ordinary Sin for such Moses their Mediator would have prevailed for pardon this People had Sinned against the Lord nine times before and all that was pardoned but this Sin is such a Sin as touches the Lords Glory the Glory of his Name that he had gotten to himself by all those Woundrous Works he had done for them It was Unbelief to such a Degree as was Despising the voice of the Lord in the mouth of his faithful Witnesses and running back towards Egypt towards that State and Condition to Deliver them out of which the Lord had wrought so wonderfully thereby despising that Blessed State and Condition the Lord had Promised and was Ready to bring them into This touches the Eyes of Gods Glory to the quick and brings down Devouring Judgements
upon their head 2. See their SAD CONDITION their Sin brought them into They cannot stand before their Enemies the Nation Cursed from the Lord to be rooted out from having a being upon the face of the Earth Amaleck drives them back into the Wilderness and they must return by the way of the Red Sea back towards Egypt they would needs return to Egypt wickedly saying It were better for us to return to Egypt than to run through those Straits Dificulties and Dangers we must pass through and overcome if we get Canaan Therefore saith the Lord get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea you have seen a little of Canaan at a distance now go look upon Egypt see the Difference that FEARED DEATH you would Run from through your own Inventions shall seize you in the VVilderness in your returning towards Egypt that Condition to Deliver you out of which I have done such Great things Saith the Lord you will not Believe me though I confirmed my Promise to your Fathers with an Oath and to perswade you to Believe me I shewed you my Glory the Glory of my Power and the Glory of my Faithfulnesse in working Miracles in Egypt for your Deliverance and bearing with you these nine times in this Wilderness still doing Woundrous Works before your Eyes to convince you of the Folly of your unbelief and of the Stability of my Promise yet you are still Tempting of me and this Temptation of yours doth so far Cloud my Glory that I will not bear with it but I will swear unto you as truly as I live saith the Lord as ye have spoken in mine Eares so will I do to you vers 28. Will you Believe me now you say you shall dye and I will not Perform my Promise in giving you the Good Land for there are so many Dangers and great Straits in the way to the possession of it that neither you nor I are able to remove them this was the purport of their language well saith God it shall be so you shall be in the truth though I be counted the lyar but before I have done with you I will make you know my breach of promise vers 34. in bearing your Iniquities tasting the fruit of your sin you shall know that it 's You that have broken the Covenant not I and that it 's your Sin grown up to such a height that it will not consist with the Glory of my Name that Glory which I have gotten to my self by all those Woundrous Works and Miracles I wrought for your deliverance and among you while I have been leading you through this Wilderness to spare you at this time which is the Cause of your falling short of the Promise into Misery 3. Gods END in all this severity towards his Israel is The vindication of his Name of his Glory As truly as I live all the Earth shall be filled with the Glory of the Lord Glory is the Great End the Lord proposes to himself in all his Works Therefore it 's no wonder he is so highly provoked when he sees any about to Rob him of his Glory The Lord had gotten himself a Glorious Name among the Heathen by those Great things those Wondrous Works he had done for this People and upon their Enemies for their sake and these Unbelieving Provoking Children would make him lose all that Glory by their unbelief and their going about to return to Egypt that State and Condition out of which the Lord had Delivered them by a Mighty Out-stretched Arme This Provokes the Eyes of Gods Glory their Tongue and their doings were against the Lord to the Provoking the Eyes of his Glory Isa 3.8 and he shewes himself a Jealous God for so he will be at such a time I will be Jealous for my Holy Name Ezek. 39.25 and this Glory the Lord will not part with I will not give my Glory unto another Isa 42.8 This Chosen People by their Rebellion and Great Unbelief would not suffer God to reap this Glory of his Name from them nor by them saith the Lord I will not lose it for the Same Glory of my Name these deny to give unto me will I have and fill the Earth with it all the Earth shall be filled with my Glory and that by their Destruction performing my Promise to my faithfull followers and their Little Ones whom their unbelief saith shal become a Prey The Lord is so Jealous of his Glory least it should be given to any other that as he will be prevailed with to pardon every Sin but such a Sin as Clouds his Glory rather than destroy his Chosen so he will destroy all things yea part with his Chosen People and destroy them as to their being in this life rather than part with his Glory that Great Fruit he expects to reap from all his Great Works both of Correction and Salvation Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples and they are written for our Admonition upon whom the Ends of the world are come as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 10 11. not only for the Corinthians but for ours also upon whom the Ends of the world are come The other Scripture I would put you in remembrance of is the 102 Psalm but especially the 13 and 14. verses Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Sion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come for thy servants take pleasure in her Stones and favour the Dust thereof That this Psalm treats of a very sore Afflicting Day that shall befal the people of God the whole of it evidently demonstrates And that it concerns us in these last Daies the Generations of Sion then to come and the People then not created not then brought within the compass of the Walls of Sion to praise the Lord the 18. verse sufficiently evidences If we take a View of the troubles of it we shall find it so full of Terrors that well may Jeremy cry our of it Alas for that day is Great so that none is like it it is even the time of Jacobs Trouble This DAY It 's the Day wherein God hides his sace from his Chosen and seems though he be a God hearing Prayer to be deaf unto his cry implyed in the 1. and 2. verses It 's the day of Gods Indignation and Wrath wherein the Lord in Wrath casts him down who formerly in Mercy and Loving-kindness he had lifted up verse 10. And the wrath of God waxeth so hot against this Afflicted that it burns bis Bones as an hearth and by it his daies are consumed like Smoke ver 3. The strokes of Gods wrath are such that they make him groan sorely and weep with a bitter weeping vers 5.9 to the withering and breaking of his heart vers 4. It deprives him of all his Outward Comforts drives him into the Wildernesse into the Desarts implyed in the 9. and 6. verses and as to his friends and acquaintance he is quite become
Desolate left alone forfaken of all implyed in the 6. and 7. verses And add to this the Reproaches of the enemy ver 8. which is a very sore affliction It 's a Day wherein enemies not only Reproach but are Mad against the Afflicted through hatred and malice having lost the right use of their reason they become Mad against him and these are Sworn against him to the taking away his life v. 8. comp with v. 20. It 's a Day of the Groaning of Prisoners a Day wherein Prisons are filled with the Afflicted vers 20. It 's a Day wherein some of the Afflicted are Appointed to Death or become the Children of Death as the margent of some Bibles hath it ver 20. Yea It 's the Day wherein Sion shall become so Desolate that her Buildings her Assemblies and Societies shall be broken to Peices her Stones scattered here and there and her Cement Crumbled into dust this is strongly implyed vers 14. of all her Buildings there 's only the Stones and the Dust left Agreeable to this is that of Isaiah Isa 1 2 and 4. verses speaking to the City where David dwelt that City which the Lord did Chuse out of all the Tribes of Israel to put his Name there 1 Kings 14.21 A Professing People that Kill Sacrisices are full of Right Outward Performances in matters of worship which yet the Lord hared they were a trouble to him and he was weary to bear them because of their Pollution in Morrals as the complaint is throughout the first Chapter yet saith God I will Distress Ariel and there shall be Heaviness and Sorrow and it shall be unto me as Ariel And thou shalt be brought down and shall speak out of the Ground and thy speech shall be low out of the Dust and thy voice shall be as of one that hath a familiar Spirit out of the Ground and thy speech shall whisper out of the Dust This City is brought into this State of Heavines and Sorrow of Lowness and Distress by reason of her Hypocrisie complainned of vers 13. but immediately before the Day of her visitation wherein the Lord will turn his hand upon her Enemies that fight against and Distress her and Destroying them Deliver her by his Thunder and Earth quakes and great Noise with Storm and Tempest and the flame of Devouring Fire Thus much surely the 6 7 and 8. verses tell us How far this may or doth concerne us I leave it to serious Consideration Lastly It 's the Day wherein the Afflicted are in this sad Desolate condition quite Destitute of any help from any under Heaven implyed in the 17. verse Yet This the Time the set Time for God to Arise and to have Mercy upon Sion For by this Time Sion is so Purged and Purified that she can offer up an Offering of Righteousness which is Pleasant unto the Lord as Malachy speaks she is enabled to Pray such a Prayer as the Lord will Reward and not despise and hearing her cry he Arises to have Mercy upon Sion he appears in his Glory and Saves her out of all her Troubles so that the Heathens fear the Name of the Lord all the Kings of the Earth his Glory 15 16 17. verses So that as the Sin of Jacob may sometimes be so Circumstantiated that it engages the Lord for his Gloriessake nor to pass it by but to Deal with him in wrath and Displeasure and as the stubborness of Jacob in his Sin may sometimes make his Affliction Long and Great So when the Affliction hath wrought its desired Effect humbled him and brought him to Gods soot though it bring him never so low and make him never so destitute even to the Dust that to the Eye of Reason he can never rise again yet then is the Time for God to arise and to have Mercy upon his Chosen The Lord having broken the Impure Buildings of Sion and separated the precious stones from the Vile and Winnowed its Dust by the rough wind of his sury from the defiling attoms among it now is the Set Time come for God to arise to have Mercy upon Sion and hear their cry and the groanings of the Prisoners and to lose those that are appointed to death now will the Lord appear in his Glory to Build up Sion for this is that State of Sion which the servants of the Lord will take Pleasure in and Favour Such is Gods Love to Jacob that when he seems to Cast him off in wrath and displeafure hiding his face from him yet then he Chuses him afresh as it were I have chosen thee in the Furnace of Affliction when the fire of affliction hath Refined Jacob burnt up his Drosse and his Tin then in this refining furnace the Lord Chuses him to be his For mine own sake even for my own sake will I do it for how should my Name be polluted and I will not give my Glory unto another As the Lord will not Save nor Deliver Jacob but at such a Time and in such a Way wherein he may save his Glory too so his Glory is as much and more engaged to Save and Exalt Jacob as ever it was to Afflict him and cast him down I will not give my Glory to another nor suffer my name which is called upon by thee to be polluted therefore will I not suffer thee to be cut off but chuse thee in this thy Low Estate Deliver thee and save thee Isa 48.9 10 11. compared with the 14. verse Wherefore seeing we have such evidences of the Love of God in all his dispensations towards his Jacob let uâ— not be discouraged let nor our Spirits droop and faint under our Burdens but let us lay aside every Weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the Race of suffering that is set before us looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the Joy that was set before him endured the Crosse despising the shame and is set down at the ight hand of the Throne of God For the Day of Deliverance is at hand nothing hinders it but our own Sin The Lord is fully ready prepared to save Jacob to deliver the Captives of the Mâ—ghty and the Prey of the Terrible to contend with him that now contends with thee and Save thy Children Isa 49.25 he is only waiting till Jacob is ready prepared to be Delivered the Time wherein Deliverance may be a thâ—rrow Salvation indeed that he may nor be put to an after-work of Refining Jâ—câ—b and sweeping his house with the Beesoms of his wrath but that he may bestow Peace and Glory upon him and set a Defence upon it that may never be raken away again For a sinall moment have I forsaken thee but with Great Mâ—ciâ—s will I gather thee In a little Wrath I hid my Face from thee for a Moment but with EVERLASTâ—NG KINDNESS will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer For this is as the waters of Noah unto me for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more goe over the Earth So have I sworn that I would not be wrath with thee nor rebuk thee For the Mountains shall epâ—rt and the Hills be removed but my KINDNES SHALL NOT DEPART from thee neither shall the COVENANT OF MY PEACE BE REMOVED saith the Lord that hath Mercy on thee Isa 54.7 8 9 10. verses THE END