when hee seeth his child after hee hath often corrected him for his faults grow thereby more stubburne and disobedient iudgeth him past all grace and without hope of amendment and therefore giueth him ouer and thrusteth him out of his house So doth God deale with vs all Thirdly we may here learne that if hauing one affliction or punishment laid vpon vs we do not make good vse therof If Gods former chastisements doe not amend vs he will inflict greater punishments of for our amendment but casting Gods iudgements behind our backs become more and more stubburne and rebellious the Lord will surely increase our punishment if we increase in sinne vntill he haue brought vs to vtter destruction for the pit of his vengeance can neuer be drawne drie neither will he euer want thunderbolts of his wrath of all sizes to dart against sinners sinne they neuer so often but after a plague he can send a famine after famine the sword after priuate euils publike mischiefes after corporall spirituall and after temporarie eternall punishments And this appeareth Leuit. 26. Deu. 28. by the former examples of Pharaoh the Israelites in the time of the Iudges and in this place and this wee likewise shall find true by our owne experience if we do not in this time of respite make vse of Gods former iudgements For the Lord hath pulled backe his hand to spare vs if we repent but if we securely go on in our sinnes he is in this time and space but lifting vp his hand the he may strike the greater stroke The last thing which we will here obserue is that if wee decline in our vertues graces and manners we shall also decline So much we decline in courage and strength as we decay in vertue in our strength and manlinesse if we waxe cold in the zeale of Gods glorie he will also coole our courage and if with effeminate inconstancie wee turne from him hee will also effeminate our minds and take away our valor strength and fortitude and so becomming weake impotent and dastardly cowards we shall bee made a fit pray for our weakest enemies And those who heretofore trēbled at our names whilest seruing God he filled our hearts with courage and our hands with strength shall after our defection when our hearts are changed and made effeminate giue vs shamefull foiles and obtaine an easie victorie And this appeareth in Jos 7. the example of the Israelites Iosua 7. in the time of the Iudges in the reigne of Saul and Dauid and the rest of the Deut. 28. 7. 25. Leuit. 26. 7. 8. 17. Kings according to the word of the Lord Deut. 28. 7. 25. 32. 30. Ios 23 10. Leuit. 26. 7. 8. 17. And so much for the second punishment as it is shadowed vnder the name of the Prophets child Now wee are to consider of it as it is plainely expressed in the reason giuen why this name is imposed For I will no more haue pitie vpon the house of Israel but I will vtterly take them away The words in the originall are For I will not adde go forward or continue Exposition to haue mercy By which he signifieth that howsoeuer heretofore he had multiplied his mercies vpon them and after that he had cast them off for their rebellions had often receiued them againe into his former loue and fauour yet now seeing they had abused his mercie and patience he would not proceed any longer to shew mercie but the acceptable time of grace being past he would inflict his iudgements vpon thē which long agoe they had deserued For I will no more haue pitie The word here vsed signifieth generally to haue mercie but is fitly here translated pity for whereas there are two kinds of mercie the one spirituall the which especially sheweth it selfe in the forgiuenesse of sinnes the other temporall whereby the Lord seeing the misery of men pitieth them and in his tender compassion deliuereth them out of temporarie affliction the former kind of mercie God denieth not to the Israelites seeing none are excluded from this mercie who repent and beleeue but the latter namely freedome and deliuerance out of their miserable captiuitie Whereas therefore the Lord saith that hee will no more haue mercie vpon them his meaning is that he will not anie more in pitie and compassion deliuer them out of their enemies hands as he had done in former times as in the daies of Ioash 2. King 13. 23. 25. from the Aramites and in the daies 2. King 13. 23. 2. King 14. 26. of Ieroboam 2. King 14. 26. 27. besides those manifold deliuerances in the time of the Iudges Saul and Dauid but that now their enemies should for euer haue the dominion ouer them It followeth But I will vtterly take them away The which words are diuersly translated The Vulgar readeth it I will vtterly forget them as though this should be the sense I will be so farre from pitying them that I will not so much as remember them But this translation the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will not admit vnlesse wee would change the third radicall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Others reade it I will vtterly take them away namely out of the land of promise into captiuitie by their enemies which will well stand with the words sense and the euent Iunius readeth it thus I will not proceede anie more to haue mercie one the house of Israel that I should by any meanes pardon them The which translation also well agreeth with the text and with al circumstances for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 followeth it commonly signifieth to pardon and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes Gen. 38 15. Iudg. 8. 6. Jer. 13. 14. Amos 7 8. signifieth that as Gen. 38. 15. Iudg. 8. 6. And in this sense we haue the like threatning Ier. 13. 14. Amos. 7. 8. And so much for the meaning of the words The doctrines which from hence we gather are these First whereas he saith Doctrine that he will no longer proceede to haue pity on them hence Gods former mercies abused doe not exempt vs from future iudgements we learne that it is a false inference which carnall and secure men make namely that because the Lord hath multiplied his mercies vpon them in former times therefore they are sure that he will do so still notwithstanding that they continually abuse his mercie and take occasion thereby to go on in their sinnes without repentance For this was the case of the Israelites in this place against whom he threatneth that he would turne his mercies into iudgements It is true indeede that Gods faithfull children may make such conclusions from their former experience of Gods mercies in his spirituall gifts and graces for in them hee is vnchangeable Rom. 11 29. And also concerning temporall benefits so
greatnesse and in respect of our owne base vilenesse and vnworthinesse Lastly the wiues ignorance of her husbands perfections 6. The Lord marrieth his Church in knowledge whereby shee neither knoweth nor acknowledgeth his excellencies and good parts and whereby as she is often ready to vnderualue his worthinesse so also with an ouerweening conceit to ouerprize the gifts and qualities of strangers is a notable meanes to alienate her mind from her husband as being vnworthie of her loue and to moue her to affect others so the ignorance of the spouse the Church of Gods excellencie mercie goodnes and all perfections is a chiefe cause that moueth her to leaue the Lord and to follow her louers for if she did but know the Lord she should need no other arguments to rauish her heart with his loue nor any further inducement to moue her to forsake all others and to embrace him alone with constant affection And therefore the Lord in the last place promiseth that he will eternize the mariage betweene him and his Church by illuminating her mind with a true knowledge of him whereupon it must necessarily follow that shee will preferre him aboue all idols and false gods seeing she clearely perceiueth that he infinitly excelleth them all in goodnesse perfection and all true worthinesse The like promise we haue Esay 54. 13. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord Ier. 31. 34. And they shal teach Esay 54. 13. Jer. 31. 34. no more euery man his neighbour and euery man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord. So Ioel. 2. 28. 29. which was accomplished Act. 2. 17. Joel 2. 28. Act 2. 17. Now this knowledge of which he here speaketh is not so much what Christ is in himselfe namely most infinite most mightie most wise c. but especially what he is vnto vs to wit a carefull head and a most louing husband who hath not only created vs but also redeemed vs with his precious blood shead and hereby obtained for vs the pardon of our sinnes reconciliation sanctification and eternall saluation who giueth vnto vs also all benefits spirituall and temporal and protecteth vs frō all dangers With which sauing knowledge whosoeuer are indued it is impossible they should forsake Christ their husband or preferre a strange loue before the loue of him who hath so dearely loued them And thus haue I shewed the meaning of the words and The Do ∣ ctrines the chiefe points contained in them In the next place wee are to consider of those doctrines which arise out of them both for our instruction and consolation And first out of Gods couenant is grounded vpon his vndeserued grace goodnesse this contract of mariage wee may obserue that the couenant of grace betweene God and his Church is grounded vpon Gods free mercie and vndeserued goodnesse without any condition of our owne workes and worthinesse Neither is it here said that hee would marrie the Church if she were iust holy faithfull and worthie his loue but hee absolutely promiseth without all conditions that hee will marrie her and being married will endow her with righteousnesse iudgement pardon of her sinnes faithfulnesse so that these are not the causes mouing the Lord to espouse the Church but because in his free loue he hath married her therefore hee will prosecute her with his loue and bestow all these graces and benefits vpon her But this most cleerely appeareth whereas hee saith hee will marrie her in benignitie and mercie for benignitie presupposeth the Churches want and pouertie and mercie presupposeth her miserie neither if she were rich in her selfe should she neede the Lords beneficence nor if she were in happie estate should she neede mercie and compassion Secondly wee may obserue that the Lord alone is the author of this spirituall mariage for when wee neither seeke nor desire it hee wooes vs and also inclines vs to grant his suite And therefore let the Lord haue the whole glorie of his owne worke and let not vs rob him of any part thereof by ascribing it to our owne free will merits or worthinesse Thirdly we here leanre what is the great dignitie and excellencie The dignitie of the faithfull of the Church and of euery faithfull man for howsoeuer they are basely esteemed of in the world and accounted the very ofscouring of al things yet in truth there is none equall with them in honour and worthinesse seeing it hath pleased the Lord of Lords and King of Kings to espouse them vnto himselfe When Saul offered Dauid his daughter in mariage hee thought it such an high degree of honour as he was altogether vnworthie of so that in sight of his owne meannesse he crieth out What am I and what is my life or the 1. Sam. 18. 18. familie of my father in Israel that I should be sonne in law to the King how much more then may we filled with rauishing wonder exclaime what are we dust and ashes miserable and wretched men that wee should be aduanced to this royall dignitie as to be the spouse of the glorious King of heauen and earth The vse which we are to make hereof is that if we are not We must desire the spirituall honour of the faithful as yet inuested with this honour we labour to attaine vnto it for if we doe as it is the nature of all men desire honour and preferment why doe wee follow a shadow and neglect the substance why doe we like children runne after the bubble of vaine and momentanie glorie and in the meane time neuer seeke after that superexcellent and eternall glorie of being espoused vnto God especially considering that worldly honour is vncertaine both in getting and in the keeping and seeing if wee labour after this honour of being married vnto God wee shall most surely attaine vnto it for the Lord himselfe publisheth and offereth this contract and there can no impediment hinder it vnlesse we our selues forbid the banes And secondly those that are aduanced alreadie vnto this height of honour must neuer forget to be truly thankfull vnto him who is the author of their aduancement when they deserued by their sinner ignominie and disgrace Fourthly wee may heere learne that the poorest faithfull The poorest faithfull man richer then the wealthiest worldling man is in better estate and possessed of more rich treasures then the wealthiest Mammonist in the world for they haue Christ himselfe and all his benefits they are true owners of the treasures of his righteousnesse and obedience yea and by vertue of this spirituall mariage they haue right and interest not only to all the temporall benefits of this life but they also haue the ioynter of Gods kingdome assured vnto them Fiftly being espoused to God let vs euer remembring this We ought to behaue our selues as it becommeth the spouse of Christ honourable aduancement
that vve highly valew and esteeme these outward signes of Gods presence namely a ciuill and That the magistracie and ministerie are highly to be esteemed peaceable gouernment in the common-wealth vnder a lawfull Prince and a faithfull and painefull ministrie in the Church by vvhose meanes vve injoy the publike vvorship seruice of God For vvhilest both these are setled amongst vs vve haue assured testimonies that God hath joyned himselfe vnto vs in a neere communion And on the other side when these for our sinnes are taken away then doth the Lord hide his face from vs and maketh a visible seperation betweene vs and him The consideration vvhereof should make vs rejoyce and magnifie the name of the Lord vvhen vve injoy these vnualuable blessings and to sit downe and mourne like a desolate vviddow vvhen vve are depriued of them Secondly this serueth for the reproofe first of Popish Popish traitors reprooued Traytors who are euer plotting and contriuing the death of Christian Princes and continually labour to disturbe and ouerthrow all peaceable and vvell setled gouernment that so bringing in all disorder and confusion they may haue better opportunitie of fishing in these troubled waters For what doe they else herein but euen offer violence vnto Gods own person when as they hurt Princes whom he hath placed as his liuely Images to represent his presence in the common wealth What doe they else but as much as in them lyeth seuer that communion which is betweene God and the people and bring their country into the mournefull estate of an afflicted Widdow How farre are these from the precept of the Apostles Rom. 13. 1. 5. 1 Pet. 2. 13. 17. And from the Rom. 13. 1 5. 1 Pet. 2. 13. 17. practise of Dauid whose heart throbbed because he had but cut the garment of the Lords annoynted though hee were already rejected of God and himselfe chosen to his place 2 Sam. 24. 6. 2 Sam. 24. 6. Secondly hereby are reprooued sedicious Mal-contents Seditious mal-contents rebuked who neuer thinke nor speake of the manifold blessings and benefits which the land injoyeth by the gouernment of their lawfull Princes as Peace Plenty Safety the Preaching of the Gospell and such like but are euer talking of the infirmities of their gouernours and of the defects and imperfections of their gouernment the which seditious murmurings work no reformation of things amisse but incense the Prince and discontent the people Lastly hereby is condemned the practise of the Brownists who depriue themselues of the outward signes of Gods presence the Ministrie of the word and the outward meanes of his publike worship and seruice because of some blemishes and corruptions remaining in the Church from which the Church in no age was euer perfectly purged ANd so much concerning the first fruite of Gods loue whereby he approueth it vnto the people namely by inflicting vpon them his fatherly chastisements now followeth the second fruite which is the sanctifying of these afflictions for their conuersion Verse 5. Afterwards shall the Verse 5 children of Israell conuert seeke the Lord their God and Dauid their King and shall feare the Lord and his goodnesse in the latter dayes In which words is set downe the conuersion of the people of Israell and the time thereof Their conuersion it selfe is first expressed and then a two-fold effect thereof their conuersion in these words Afterwards shall the people of Israell conuert or rather shall be conuerted The which words haue relation to their former afflictions as though he should say after they haue beene long exercised with grieuous afflictions at length the Lord will so sanctifie them to their vse as that hereby they shall be truely humbled conuerted and brought to vnfained repentance The which promise tended to the singular comfort of the afflicted Israelites when as being almost ouerwhelmed with miseries they were assured not onely that at length they should haue an end but also that they should bring forth this notable fruit of their true conuersion The effects of their conuersion are shewed in the words following first That they shall seeke the Lord their God and Dauid their king Where by this phrase of seeking the Lord we are to vnderstand that hauing bewailed their former apostacy and forsaken their sinnes by true Repentance they should labour to be reconciled vnto God in Christ worship and serue him according to his Word inuocate his Name make profession of his true Religion and imbrace the true Iehouah as their onely God by a liuely faith And this large signification hath this phrase of seeking the Lord not onely here but also else where So Psal 24. 6. and 27. 8. Esay 55. 6. Psal 24. 6. and 27. 8. Esay 55. 6. It is further added And Dauid their King In which words are implyed two things First that the Israelites had formerly made a defection from the kingdome of Dauid namely vnder the raigne of Rehoboam 1 King 12. And secondly 1 Kings 12. that now they should make vp this breach by readjoyning themselues as obedient subiects to this kingdome Where by Dauid we are not to vnderstand the sonne of Ishai who was long agoe dead but our Sauiour Iesus Christ who vsually in the Prophets was called Dauid as appeareth Ezech. 34. 23. 24. And I will set vp a Shepheard ouer Ezech. 34. 23. and 37. 24. them and he shall feed them euen my seruant Dauid And 37. 24. Dauid my seruant shall be king ouer them c. Ier. 30. 9 Ieremie 30. 9. They shall serue the Lord their God and Dauid their king The reason hereof is first because Dauid was a Type of Christ secondly because he came out of his loynes and in this respect is vsually called the sonne of Dauid thirdly because the promise made to Dauid concerning the eternitie of his kingdom was knowne commonly to all the people of which they are here put in minde for the better strengthening of their faith So that by seeking the Lord and Dauid their king is meant that they should know and acknowledge worship and serue both God the father and his sonne Iesus Christ according to that Iohn 17. 3. This is life eternall that they Iohn 17. 3. know thee the onely very God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ For as when they were said to haue made a defection from Dauid the meaning was not that this defection vvas made from his person seeing hee was dead many yeeres before but from his kingdome established in his posteritie so when they are here said to seeke Dauid their king the meaning is that they should not seeke his person which was dead but his kingdome established for euer in his seed Iesus Christ The second effect of their conuersion is expressed in these Morrall words And shall feare the Lord and his goodnes or as the Hebrew hath it shall feare vnto the Lord. Wherby we are not to vnderstand that they should performe that
giuing them to vnderstand God judgeth vs according to our vsuall conuersation and not our extraordinarie actions that hee would not in examining and judging of them stand vpon their errours by-pathes and extraordinary actions but vpon their vsuall behauiour and vpon their ordinarie course in their life and conuersation From whence we learne that the Lord in the day of his visitation will not regard nor examine our sinnes to punish them nor our good actions to reward them if they be extraordinarie and extrauagant but will deale with vs according to our customable carriage of our selues and vsuall demeanure so that if our way and course of life wherein we walke be the way of holynesse and righteousnesse he justifieth and approueth of vs notwithstanding our many slips and fals in this way and errours by-pathes and digressions out of this way for not onely they are to be accounted blessed of God who sinne not seing thus the blessing should belong to none of the sonnes of Adam Christ excepted but they also are blessed Who haue not stood in the way of sinners nor sate in the seate of the scorners as it is Psal 1. 1. that is who haue not made Psal 1. 1. a custome and vsuall practise of sinne and wickednesse and the reason is because the Lord doth not judge vs as he findeth vs in some by-way where into we haue bene thrust with some violent or suddaine passion but according to that way wherein we walke with a constant purpose and setled resolution So it is saide that they are blessed who are vpright in their way and walke in the Law of the Lord Psal 119 1. Psal 119. 1. that is they are blessed notwithstanding all their infirmities and imperfections who in the vprightnesse of their harts desire to keepe a constant course in godlynesse and howsoeuer they often goe astray through errour and corruption yet make choise of Gods Law as the way wherein they desire to walke For if the Lord should marke what is done amisse who were able to abide it Psal 130. 3. If hee should Enter into iudgement with vs and examine our particular Psal 130. 3. faults none that liueth should be iustified in his sight Ps 143. 2. Psal 143. 2. But the Lord knoweth our weaknesse and accepteth of our desire and indeauours he doth not deale with vs after our sins nor rewards vs after our iniquities but as a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him for he knoweth whereof we be made he remembreh that wee are but dust as it is Psal 103. 10. 13. 14. Psal 103. 10. 13. As therefore a louing father beareth with the infirmities of his childe when he seeth that he taketh good courses indeauoureth with an earnest desire to please him so the God pardoneth our infirmities when we haue good indeauours Lord much more accepteth of the imperfect obedience of his children when as he seeth that with vpright harts they desire to serue and please him couering their imperfections with Christs perfect righteousnesse and washing away their corruptions in his most precious blood so as in the day of judgement they shall not arise against them to their condemnation Although Dauid did make a fearefull digression out of the way of righteousnesse when as he committed murther and adulterie and numbred the people yet God did not judge him according to these particular slips because in the whole course of his life he kept the wayes of the Lord and hated all by-wayes of falshood and iniquitie as himselfe professeth Psal 18. 21. and 119. 104. Hee did not condemne Peter for digressing into the way of iniquitie Psal 18. 2. and 119. 104. when as he denied his maister because he did not voluntarily make choise of this way but was suddainely thrust into it by violent feare nor Paul because he sometimes did the euill Mat. 26. which he would not being taken captiue with the violence of sinne seeing he was in his generall course delighted in the Rom. 7. law of God and did earnestly striue against his corruptions So in like manner he judgeth the wicked according to their wayes and not according to their particular actions God respecteth not ague fits in religion neither doth hee respect their ague fits of Religion and justice when as generally in the course of their life they cast his lawes behind their backe and willingly walke in the wayes of wickednesse but judgeth them according to their wayes and the constant course of their conuersation So it is saide that the wicked should eate the fruite of their owne wayes Prou. 1. 31. And the Lord threatneth to visit Iacob Pro. 1. 31. according to his wayes Hos 12. 2. Though Pharaoh sometimes Hos 12. 2. confessed his sinne and justified God though Saul vttered many good speeches and performed many actions which might well haue beseemed a better man though Iehu in a fit shewed great zeale in suppressing idolatrie and in erecting Gods true worship though Ahab once humbled himselfe before God and by outward signes testified his repentance and though Herod hard Iohn the Baptist willingly and in many things yeelded obedience to his admonitions yet none of all these were approued by God because whatsoeuer their particular actions were yet they were wicked in their wayes that is in their life and conuersation The vse of this doctrine is that wee labour for vpright We must labour for vpright harts harts and constantly resolue to forsake all sinne and to imbrace all righteousnesse in our liues and conuersations and then if besides our purpose and desire we digresse out of the right way by falling into some sinne through infirmitie and the violence of our corruptions the Lord will spare vs as a father spareth his childe who desireth to please him as hee professeth Mal. 3. 17. Neither shall our imperfections and Mal. 3. 17. slips with-draw Gods loue or hinder our saluation because he doth not visite nor punish men according to their errours and slips but according to their wayes and ordinarie course of life Secondly it serueth for the terrour of hipocrites who securely God regardeth not the extrauagant good deeds of hipocrits goe on in the course of sinne thinking that God will be well pleased if at sometimes they make a shew of religion by going to the Church or giuing an almes to a poore man or by performing some other workes of justice mercy or liberalitie But such are to know that vnlesse they keepe a constant course in godlines and make the path of righteousnesse and holinesse their ordinary way all their particular good workes which are but as it were so many steppings aside out of their constant course of sinning will little profit them in the day of Gods visitation because they shall bee judged not according to their extrauagant good deedes but according to their wayes and ordinary conuersation
them to see their sinnes or bring them to repentance Where hee taketh away an objection vvhich might bee made by the hipocrites namely that it would not stand with the justice of God to deale so seuerely vvith the people for they had a good meaning in all their deuotions and if they fayled in the manner of vvorshipping God it was through ignorance and therefore to bee excused To which objection the Prophet seemeth to answere that they were ignorant indeede and by reason hereof they fell into all manner of sinne but their ignorance did not excuse their faults neyther was it selfe to bee excused seeing they contemned the meanes of knowledge and remayned ignorant because they would be ignorant and affected the darknesse of superstition more then the light of Gods truth The punishment denounced is that they shall fall that is because they are indocible and will not by any meanes bee informed in the right course therefore the Lord will giue them ouer to their owne blindnesse of minde that so they may goe on in their superstition and Idolatryes and remaine perplexed in their reprobate errours vntill at length they stumble and fall into the pit of vtter ruine and destruction And this is the meaning of the words The Doctrines The doctrines which arise out of them are these First we here learne that it is a fearefull judgement of God vpon eyther a Common wealth or familie when as hee suffereth sinne and wickednesse It is a fearefull judgement when God doth not restraine vs from sinne by his chastisements to abound and doth not restraine men by his punishments nor reclaime them by his corrections And contrariwise that it is a signe of Gods loue and fatherly care ouer those whom hee doth chastise with manifold afflictions for their sinnes that so hee may reclaime them from their euill wayes whereas if they should flourish in their wickednesse it would be a notable meanes to hearten them in their sinne and to make them securely to goe forward in their euill courses without euer calling themselues to a reckoning And this may appeare both by testimonies of Scripture by Examples and by Reason For the first the Apostle Paul sayeth that the Lord doth suffer with long patience Rom. 9. 22. the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction to shew his wrath and to make his power knowne that is hee suffereth them to goe on in their sinnes without punishment that when they abuse his patience and long suffering as incouragements in their wickednesse hee may haue just occasion to manifest his power and wrath in taking due vengeance on them So when the Israelites did goe on in their sinnes and would neyther bee reformed by his mercyes nor his judgements hee threatneth that hee will correct them no more Esay 1. 5. Wherevpon it would follow Esay 1. 5. that being left vnto themselues they would desperately and securely liue in sinne for when as God doth not visite men for their sinnes they goe forward in them as though they should neuer bee called to a reckoning as it appeareth Ecclesiast 8. 11. Because sentence against an euill worke is Eccles 8. 11. not executed speedely therefore the heart of the Children of men is fully set in them to doe euill So the Lord rendreth this reason why the people did not reuerence nor feare him nor remember him nor his word Esay 57. 11. Is it not saith Esay 57 11. hee because I hold my peace and that of long time therefore thou fearest not me But on the other side it is a notable signe of Gods mercy It is an notable signe of mercy when God correcteth vs for sinne and loue when as hee crosseth vs in our wicked courses and will not suffer vs to prosper in our sinnes that being by these afflictions discouraged in our euill wayes wee may returne backe and preuent his heauy judgements by true repentance To this purpose the Apostle sayth that when wee are iudged wee are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world 1 Corinth 11. 32. And 1. Cor. 11. 32. therefore hee maketh it a signe of Gods loue and an argument of our adoption when as wee are chastened of the Apoc. 3. 21. Heb. 12. 6. 10. 11. Lord. Hebrew 12. 6. Whom the Lord loueth hee chasteneth and scourgeth euery sonne whom hee receiueth And on the other side concludeth that those who liue in sinne and are not chastised they are bastards and no sonnes For as impunitie causeth these to goe on in wickednesse to their destruction so affliction howsoeuer for the present it is not ioyous but grieuous yet it is profitable because it helpeth to mortifie our sinnes and bringeth forth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse vnto them which are thereby exercised as it is Hebrewes 12. verse 10. 11. This also appeareth by examples When the Sodomites The former doctrine confirmed by examples liued in their sinnes hee suffered them still to injoy their pleasures and abundance and neuer reclaymed them from their wickednesse by his chastisements but suffered them to continue in their sinnes till the cry of them ascended into heauen and called for that last and fearefull vengeance whereby they were vtterly destroyed So hee suffered the Cananites to possesse that pleasant land which flowed with Milke and Honie in great peace and securitie till the measure of their sinnes being full hee powred out vpon them the full Viols of his Wrath. So Diues liued in all pompous pleasures till Death brought him into hell torments And thus Iob doth at large describe the great prosperitie of the wicked euen to the time of their funerals Iob. 21. 7. to the 13. And Dauid often obserueth Iob. 21. 7. 8. how exceedingly the wicked flowrished in their wickednesse euen to their vtter destruction Psal 37. 35 and Psal 37. 35. 73. 3. 4. 5. 12. 73. 3. 4. 5. 12. c. But the case of Gods Children and Seruaunts is farre otherwise for vvhen they sinne the Lord doth chastise them for their amendment and will not suffer them to goe on in their sinnes to their destruction Wee read but of one sinne which Noah committed that is to say his sinne of drunkennesse and yet the Lord punished it by exposing him to the derision of his owne wicked sonne so wee read but of three crimes which holy Dauid fell into though hee were a King exposed to manifould tentations his adulterie murther and pride in numbring the people and yet the Lord suffered none of the three to goe vncorrected for hee punished his adulterie committed in secret with anothers mans wife by letting his sonne defile his concubines in the sight of all the people his murthering of his seruant with the death of his child and by not suffring the sword to depart from his house his numbring of the people by an exceeding plague and pestilence so that if Dauid a man according to Gods owne hart doe but step
whoredome departing from the Lord. The Hebrew text hath it From after the Lord that is forsaking the Lord and leauing to follow after him in the paths of true holinesse and righteousnesse and cleauing vnto their idols following them in the by-paths of superstition and idolatry The sense therefore of these wordes is this Goe and propound vnto the people of Israel this parable and thereby conuince them of their grosse idolatry for howsoeuer they may flatter themselues through selfe-loue yet the trueth is they are no better then common harlots for after that I haue vouchsafed them this dignity to espouse them to my selfe and they haue plighted vnto me their faith and vowed their obedience they both forgetfull of my mercie and of their owne dutie haue commonly impudently and continually committed spirituall whoredome with stockes stones and diuels forsaking me their Lord and husband and refusing to follow me in the waies of my commandements and prostituting their bodies and soules to commit spirituall fornication with their idols according to their owne inuentions and their burning and vnbridled lusts and appetites Where first we may obserue that the Lord intending to The vse of parables to conuince the sinner of his sins conuince this people of their sinnes doth before he plainely sets downe their sins propound it vnto them by way of parable to the end that they who were blinded with selfe-loue and partiall Iudges in their owne cases might better see their sinnes in the person of others and without partialitie condemne them when they appeared like strangers which they would suffer to passe without any hard censure if they discerned them to be of their familiar acquaintance And thus Nathan dealt with Dauid 2. Sam. 12. And our Sauiour Christ with the Scribes and Pharisies Matth. 21. 33. 2. Sam. 12. Matth. 21. 33. And here in this place the Lord maketh the people to condemne themselues and their sinnes in the person and practise of an adulterous harlot and so inticeth them as it were to wound and kill their beloued friend whilest it is masked and disguised in the habit of an enemy Out of which we may further gather how farre wee are naturally in loue with our sinnes so that we cannot be moued Our naturall and corrupt loue to sinne to hate condemne and mortifie them so long as they beare our owne names but rather are ready to mince excuse and defend them vntill we view them in the person of others and see them enrolled vnder their names Secondly wee may note our too too great loue of our selues and too too small loue towards our neighbours That selfe-loue makes vs exceeding partiall which maketh vs easily to discerne and heauily and seuerely to censure other mens faults whereas we are readie to excuse or defend the same or greater in our selues and therefore â—â—â— Lord when he would haue vs to see and condemne our sinnes doth not offer them to our censure as they are in our owne selues whom we loue too much but in the person of others whom for the most part we loue not so much as we should as appeareth in the former examples and in this place wherein the Lord is faine to deale with vs as tender mothers deale with their wanton and wayward children whom when they would as willingly amend as vnwillingly displease them they vse to chide and beate the standers by and sometime shadowes and pictures for those faults which their children haue committed to the end that so they may see and learne to dislike their faults in others which they would not so easily discerne nor so vnpartially condemne in themselues Thirdly we may obserue what exordium or beginning The thundring exordium of the Prophet of speech the Prophet here vseth namely hee doth not vse faire words and sweete inticing allurements to make them attentiue hee doth not first sweeten his seuere and bitter reprehensions and legall threatnings with any commendation of their persons or mitigation of their faults but by propounding vnto them this parable whereby he laboureth to make them vnpartiall Iudges of their owne sinfull and miserable estate he accuseth them to be no better then an adulterous generation of adulterous parents adulterous children and that by their often adulteries they had made the land as it were a common stewes and therefore that the Lord would no longer beare with their spirituall whoredomes but would withdraw his loue and diuorce them from him So that now our Prophet commeth not as an Ambassadour sent from God with conditions of peace and with gracious promises to allure them to obedience but as a sonne of thunder and like an Herauld sent from the Lord to denounce open warres against the people for their grosse idolatry and outragious rebellion hee beginneth his speech vnto them The reason why the Lord causeth his Prophet thus thunderingly to beginne his prophecie was because the Why the Prophet dealeth so roughly with the people people had a long time euen since the beginning of Ieroboams raigne continued in their sinnes especially their grosse idolatry notwithstanding that the Lord had sent diuers of his Prophets to reproue them for their sinnes of which their consciences were conuinced by Gods law and to draw them to repentance sometimes by propounding vnto them Gods sweete promises of gratious benefits if they would turne vnto them and sometimes by threatning punishments against those who went forward in their sinnes All which notwithstanding the people continued vncorrigible and grew worse and worse and therefore the Lord causeth the Prophet to deale with them in this hot and rough manner because they had a long time lien frosen in the dregs of their sinnes And this course haue other of Gods faithfull ambassadours vsed when they had to deale with such obstinate and incurable sinners As Iohn the Baptist with the Saduces and Pharises Matth. 3. 7. Peter with Ananias and Sapphira Act. Matth. 3. 7. Act. 5. 8. 13. 10. Matth. 21. 23. Gods Ministers must sit their speech to their auditory 5. and with Simon Magus Act. 8. Paul with Elymas Act. 13. 10. And our Sauiour Christ himselfe with the Priests and Pharises Matth. 21. 23. Out of which examples Gods Ministers may learne in the deliuerie of Gods word spirituall discretion in fitting their speech according to the condition of their auditorie and not to deale with ignorant and vntaught men after the same manner that they deale with wilfull and obstinate sinners but as Physitions put a difference in their patients applying to ordinarie sicknesses ordinarie remedies and to desperate diseases desperate physicke and as Chirurgions to small cuts applie healing plaisters and for the curing of deepe festered wounds vse eating corrosiues and the sharpe lancher So the Physition and Surgion of the soule for the curing of some desperate disease or healing of some festered sore which sinne hath made in mens consciences must vse bitter potions a rough hand and desperate
weake and in want of all things but want of misery Secondly because he was a Prophet sent not to the Iewes but to the Israelites he doth not meddle with their sinnes which were many nor denounceth Gods iudgements against them but leauing that to their owne Prophets he applieth himselfe to his owne people by all meanes seeking to humble and bring them to true repentance and because this promise of saluation and mercy vnto the Iewes was effectuall to this purpose therefore he reciteth it that their hearts being wounded with griefe and emulation and their pride and insolency being beaten downe they might in some sort be prepared for true repentance And thus much for the vnderstanding of the first point The doctrines which from hence we learne are these First Doctrines That in common calamities God hath aspeciall care ouer the faithfull that when the Lord exerciseth his iudgements vpon the wicked he hath in the meane time a speciall care of the preseruation of those that feare and serue him to deliuer them out of the middest of common calamities as appeareth in this place for though he suffered the people of Israel to be ouerthrowne by their enemies yet he so curbeth them in with the strong raine of his prouidence that they could not enter into the next bordring countrie of Iuda whom they hated with equall malice albeit they were much fewer in number and weaker in power and in outward appearance altogether vnable to make any resistance And this is manifest by many such examples of like deliuerances out of common euils So was Noah preserued in the common deluge Lot in the destruction of Sodom the Israelites from the plagues of Egypt For the iust Iudge of heauen and earth will not destroy the iust with the wicked Gen. 18. 25. And the Lord knoweth to deliuer the godly out of tentation and to reserue the Gen. 18. 25. 2. Pet. 2. 9. vniust to be punished Secondly we here learne that though our sinnes be great Gods mercy to those that repent and our imperfections and corruptions manifold yet this will not withhold from vs the course of Gods mercies if we turne to God by repentance The Iewes were not much behinde the Israelites in rebellion idolatry and all wickednes and yet because they often forsooke their wicked waies either when they were admonished by Gods Prophets or exercised with afflictions and turned vnto God by true repentance therefore the Lord promiseth vnto them mercy and deliuerance whereas the Israelites who continued obstinately in their impenitency were giuen ouer of God to vtter destruction The like example we haue in Saul and Manasse Peter and Iudas and many others Thirdly we learne that it is a notable argument to moue the Lord to spare a people when as they maintaine amongst God spareth those who maintaine his pure worship though they be polluted with many corruptions them Gods pure and sincere worship and seruice notwithstanding they are polluted with many corruptions and imperfections but when as true religion is banished or despised when Gods sincere worship is neglected and idolatry and superstition erected this is a strong motiue to cause the Lord to powre downe his fearefull iudgements as appeareth in the example of the Israelites and the Iewes Whilest the wise continueth her loue and mariage fidelity towards her husband he is content to beare with many infirmities and to put vp many iniuries but if she violate her faith and place her loue vpon a stranger he is kindled with rage and iealousie and will neuer indure such intolerable wickednesse so whilest the Church which is Gods spouse continueth in her loue and obserueth her mariage promise that she will obey and respect him aboue all he is content to spare her though she be full of corruptions and imperfections but when she withdraweth her loue and setteth it vpon idols and disclaiming her promised obedience neglecteth his pure religiō sincere worship and seruice then will his iealousie burne like fire and his wrath wil suddenly breake forth and vtterly consume her being now no better then an adulterous harlot It is true indeed that where Gods true religion is established and his Gospell sincerely preached there if the people doe not liue according to their professiō bring forth the fruits thereof it will not priuiledge them from afflictions and punishments nay rather the Lord will first visit them because they are of his owne family as appeareth 1. Pet. 4. 17. Ier. 25. 29. Heb. 12. 6. Apoc. 3. 19. But these visitations are in 1. Pet. 4. 17. Ier. 25. 29. Heb 12 6. Apoc 3. 19. 1. Cor. 11. 32. mercy that by his fatherly chastisements he may reclaime them lest running on in their sinnes they should be condemned with the world as it is 1. Cor. 11. 32. But yet so long as they doe not withdraw their loue from God nor violate their faith by neglecting Gods true religion and his sincere worship and seruice and erecting idolatry and superstition the Lord will not vtterly forsake them nor altogether withdraw his mercy from them as we may see in the example of the Iewes and haue sufficiently learned by our owne experience Fourthly we here learne that no vice is more intolerable God abaseth the proud in Gods sight then when by our prosperity and Gods gratious and free benefits we be puffed so vp in pride and selfe-confidence that we despise oppresse and insolently insult auer those who are in affliction and misery For this was the cause which moued the Lord to withdraw his mercies and benefits from the Israelites when as they abused them to pride and to bestow them vpon the Iewes who were contemned and oppressed by them And thus much for the first point The second is the benefits promised to the house of Iuda first in generall that he Exposition will haue mercie vpon them secondly that he will in mercy saue and preserue them from their enemies In which benenefits promised there is a secret antithesis vnto the iudgement threatned against the house of Israel in the former verse they should bee lo-ruchamah such as should haue no mercie but the house of Iuda should bee ruchamah that is such as should obtaine mercie they should be vtterly taken away and neuer returne out of their captiuitie but these how they should also be led captiue yet they should continue but a while in their seruitude and at the end of 70. yeeres be againe restored into their owne countrie The which benefits promised were accordingly performed First in the daies of Ahaz when they were deliuered out of the hands of Rezin King of Aram and Pecah the sonne of Remaliah as it is Isai 7. 1. and also in the daies of Ezechias when as the Lord gaue vnto them a meruailous deliuerance by sending his Angell to destroy the host of Senacharib euen 185000. men as appeareth 2. King 18. and 2. King 18. 19. Esa 36. 37.
we may obserue that the more heauy the iudgement is which is denounced the longer the Lord deferreth The greater the iudgement is the more loath the Lord is to inflict it to inflict it as though he were loth to vse extremities if mans wickednes did not deserue it and his iustice require it seeing lighter punishments will not preuaile When Iizreel was borne Lo-ruchamah was soone after conceiued but she conceiueth not Lo-amni whereby the vtter reiection of the people was signified before Lo-ruchamah was weaned all which time the Lord gaue them to make vse of his former iudgements and expected their amendment with admirable patience that he might not vtterly reiect them Wherein the Lord behaueth himselfe like vnto a good and tender-hearted Surgeon who leaueth no good meanes vnassayed before hee will cut off the member which is ill affected c. Thirdly we may note that before the Lord doth vtterly God taketh away his liuerie before he turne men out of his seruice reiect them from being his people he first weaneth them from the milke of his word and foode of his Sacraments debarring them of all their publike assemblies the meanes of his worship and seruice and taking from them all their priuiledges and prerogatiues which they inioyed whilest they were his people Like vnto Noble men who vpon the ill behauiour of their seruants first pull off their liuery before they turne them out of seruice not onely because they are vnworthy of any such credit or protection as it might cause vnto them but also because they should not by abusing themselues in such habits dishonour their Lords who haue reiected them Fourthly we may here obserue the greatnesse of this punishment That it is a fearefull punishment to be reiected from being Gods people which may be considered in the inestimable benefits whereof they were hereby depriued and in the intolerable euils and miseries into which they were plunged whilest Iehouah was their Lord and King they were vnder his protection and so secured from the danger of all enemies they were prouided for by his al-sufficient prouidence and therefore sure to want nothing indued with many noble titles prerogatiues and priuiledges as being his seruants children heires yea his spouse partakers of many vnualuable benefites temporall and spirituall his word Sacraments and such like and after a short time of their seruice here on earth they were assured to receiue for wages an immortall Crowne of glorie and eternall felicitie and happinesse in his Kingdome But as soone as they are cast out of his Kingdome and reiected from being his people they were stripped of those benefits exposed to the danger of their enemies sinne Satan and the world who speedily assault and easily ouercome all those who are out of Gods protection and so taking them captiue inthrall them in a miserable seruitude the wages whereof for the time present is misery horrour of conscience and desperation and in the life to come eternall death Rom. 6. 23. As therefore we iudge their case most wretched Rom. 6. 23. who hauing been the subiects and seruants of some gratious Prince vnder whom they haue inioyed all the benefits of a peaceable and well gouerned kingdome are for their crimes and misdemeanors banished into a Country in it selfe vncomfortable and amongst the middest of cruell enemies so and much more miserable is the state of those who are banished out of the kingdome of grace where is all good and felicitie and liue in the kingdome of Satan where is nothing but all woe and misery And this is that punishment which here is threatned Now let vs further consider vpon whom it is inflicted euen Gods former mercies priuiledge not a rebellious people from future iudgements vpon the people of Israel the chosen people of God vnto whom in former times he had bestowed innumerable benefits Whereby it appeareth that though a people haue in former times been partakers of neuer so great priuiledges and neuer so much inriched with Gods benefits though God haue made his outward couenant with them of his grace and the continuance of his fauour yet if they breake their couenant which interchangeably they haue made with God denying vnto him their obedience and liuing in all sin and wickednesse all this wil not priuiledge them from Gods fearefull punishments no not from finall reiection and destruction And therefore let vs not thinke it enough that God hath outwardly made his couenant with vs vnlesse it be also written in our hearts and we perform at least in our holy indeuour that part thereof which concerneth our selues for vnlesse we liue like his people and seruants he wil not acknowledge vs for such but will cast vs off as he did the Israelites Now the sinnes for which especially the Israelites were Idolatrie and impenitencie the cause of the peoples reiection reiected were first their grosse idolatrie whereby they had forsaken God and betaken themselues to the seruice of idols and secondly their obstinacie and impenitencie in their course of rebellion from which they would not be reclaimed neither by Gods bountifull benefits nor by his seuere threatnings nor yet by his chastisements and more grieuous punishments which first like a tender father and after like a iust Iudge he inflicted on them but rather grew worse and worse and more and more intolerable in their wickednesse For this is the last course and meanes which the Lord vseth for the conuersion of a sinner which when it will not preuaile he giueth them ouer as being past all help seeing they are past all grace If the skilfull surgeon find that healing salues are not fit to heale a deep festered wound he vseth drawing corrasiues and the lancher but if he seeth the part diseased notwithstanding all good and fit meanes vsed to be past cure he will no longer lose his labour and cost but cutteth it off The gratious Iudge when he hath for the offenders first fault giuen him some fatherly admonition or threatned some seuere punishment if he offend again he punisheth him with a whip or with a burning iron but if all these chastisements and punishments will not reclaime him he condemneth him to exile or death as being past hope of amendment And so the Lord when he seeth that neither the healing plaister of his gracious promises nor the sharpe corrasiue of his threatnings and punishments will cure a people of the deepe festered sores of sinne when hee seeth that neither admonition nor gentle chastisement nor seuerer punishment will restraine the sinner from outragious wickednesse then doth he cut and cast them off as men of a desperate estate and past all cure And this was the estate of the Israelites in this place and of the Iewes of whom the Lord complaineth Esa 1. 5. and of Pharaoh Saul Esa 1. 5. and many others The vse which we are to make hereof is that wee doe not neglect Gods mercifull visitations and fatherly corrections
Christ their head In the last place this their felicity is amplified in these words for great is the day of Izreel The which words by others are otherwise translated and The exposition expounded Some reade them thus When as the great day of Izreel shall be or shall haue been some thus Although great shall be the day of Izreel Both vnderstanding by day of Izreel the day of the calamitie of the people when they were ouerthrowne in the valley of Izreel and so led captiue by their enemies According to which translation they make this to be the sense of the place that after this great destruction the Lord would cause this great deliuerance or although this great calamity should certainely befall them yet this should not hinder the performance of Gods promises concerning the prosperous estate of the Church vnder the gouernment of Christ their head But as I take it we are not to vnderstand here by this great day of Izreel the day of their great affliction and calamitie but the day of their great felicitie and happinesse not the day of their ouerthrow and captiuity but of their restoring and deliuerance out of their enemies hands for in the fift verse hee had spoken of this iudgement and now hee speaketh onely of mercie and deliuerance whereby hee would comfort Gods people who were deiected with the former threatnings as appeareth by that both which went before and that also which followeth Now it is called the great day because it should be a day wherein the Lord would shew the greatnesse of his mercy power wisedome and goodnesse in the deliuerance of his people and the destruction of their enemies and because it should bee a day of great reioycing and triumph to the Church when as they should be gathered together vnder their head and King Iesus Christ and by him bee deliuered out of the land of darkenesse and kingdome of Satan where they were inthralled and so ascend into the Kingdome of God the kingdome of grace first and afterwards the kingdome of eternall glory And it is called the day of Izreel because it is a day of their redemption and saluation so Luk. 19. 41. 44. Where by Izreel wee are to vnderstand the Luk. 19. 41. 44. seed and sonnes of God not as in the fourth verse the seede which God would scatter and disperse but which in the time of the great haruest he would reape and gather into his garners of grace and glory And this is the meaning of the wordes The doctrine which from hence ariseth is this Here we may obserue what What is the chiefe day of our reioycing we are to esteeme the day of our great reioycing and as it were our solemne festiuall not wherein wee attaine some worldly riches or temporary preferment or wherein we are freed from some corporall calamitie although in some measure we may lawfully reioyce in these respects but the day of our ioy and triumph is when as we are deliuered out of the bondage of Satan and are gathered into the Church of God and are ruled protected and gouerned by Christ our head seeing in this day wee are freed from the greatest euils and aduanced to the greatest dignities and preferments And therefore let vs say with the Prophet Dauid vpon an other occasion This is the day which the Lord hath made let vs reioyce and be glad in it Psal 118. 24. And that wee may shew Psal 118. 24. and testifie this our ioy and gladnesse let vs solemnly assemble together to praise Gods name and to render thanks to God as for all other his benefites so especially for this great worke of our deliuerance FINIS LETCVRES VPON THE SECOND CHAPTER OF THE PROPHECIE OF HOSEA THe argument of this chapter is like The argument vnto the former for herein the people of Israel are accused and sharply reproued for their sinnes of idolatrie and vnthankfulnesse towards God and withall Gods fearefull iudgements are denounced both against the whole Synagogue and Church of Israel and also against the particular members thereof With which threatnings lest the faithfull and true children of God should bee too much amased and beaten downe with excessiue griefe for the downefall of the Church hee raiseth them vp againe with sound comfort preaching vnto them the glad tidings of the Gospell wherein he foretelleth their reconciliation with God the espousals of the Church to her husband Iesus Christ and the manifold benefits which should accompanie this happie contract And this is the maine argument of this chapter Out of The analysis which we may obserue the parts thereof which are two first legall threatnings secondly Euangelical promises The first part beginneth vers 2. and continueth to the 14. Wherein is set downe both their sinne and punishment and these are intermixed one with another Their sinne is twofold first their idolatrie secondly their ignorant ingratitude which also consisteth of two branches first their ascribing of all the benefits which they inioyed to their idols vers 5. Secondly their not acknowledging God to be the author of them vers 8. Their idolatrie is set downe in the 2. 3. 4. and 5. verses Wherin is contained 1. a denunciation of a diuorce between God and the Church of Israel vers 2. And the cause thereof namely her spirituall whoredomes vers 5. The dinorce is first inioyned that it should be denounced and then the causes or ends of the denunciation are expressed which are two First that the Church of Israel taking notice of it might lay it to heart and be mooued thereby to repent of her spirituall whoredomes vers 2. And secondly that she repenting the Lord might not be mooued in his iust displeasure to punish neither her vers 3. nor her children vers 4. And this is the generall resolution of this chapter Now let vs come to the words themselues Vers 1. Say vnto your Verse 1 brethren Ammi and to your sisters Ruchamah In the last verse Exposition of the former chapter the Prophet had shewed that the faithfull which appertained to Gods election should be gathered together should set ouer themselues one head Iesus Christ and so becomming subiects of his kingdome and members of his bodie should by vertue of this vnion ascend out of the kingdome of sinne and satan into the kingdome of grace and glorie Now he exhorteth them to congratulate one another in respect of these great benefits receiued and with mutuall incouragements to stirre vp euerie man his neighbour and brother that with a godlie care and earnest desire and indeauour and with a liuely faith they would receiue and applie to themselues this grace of God and most mercifull benefits which in Christ are offered vnto them and not only so but being themselues made partakers of these inestimable benefits he exhorteth them not to rest contented with their owne happinesse but to labour that it may be communicated to their brethren and being escaped out of their
confidence and carnall affiance whereby we trust and rest vpon rather the creature then vpon him our Creator and withall doth beate vs from those worldly hopes that we might flee vnto him for succour and rest vpon his promises and prouidence for our deliuerance And these are the doctrines which arise out of the former God doth not suffer his to remaine alwaies in their sinne and idolatrie part of this verse containing the first effect of the peoples afflictions Now out of the latter part wherein is shewed the second effect namely their forsaking their Idols and turning vnto the Lord these instructiōs are further to be obserued First we learne that howsoeuer those that belong to Gods election may for a time leaue Gods pure worship and follow Idols yea and be so blinded in their superstitions that when they are afflicted for their sinne they doe with more earnestnes embrace idolatrie yet the Lord will not so leaue them but at length he will open their eyes that they shal see their sinnes and sensiblie discerne that they are the causes of their punishments though for a time in their ignorance and superstition they preferre idolatrie before his true worship yet at last he illuminateth their iudgemēts so as they may see how much better it is to follow him then to follow idols to embrace his true religion reuealed in his word then to follow their owne inuention Examples hereof we haue in Abraham in the Israelites comming out of Egypt and in the time of the Iudges and in many at this day who haue forsaken the idolatries of the whore of Babylon and haue embraced Gods true religion Secondly we may obserue that as soone as they spie their As soone as the faithfull see their errors and sins they reforme and forsake them errors they do not go on further in them but they returne into the way of truth as soone as they see their sins they forsake them as being the causes of their miserie when they see the vainenes of their idols then they returne vnto the Lord their true husband neitheir is it enough to see our sins if wee continue in them nay rather this will redouble our punishment it is not sufficient to know truth and error vnlesse we Luk. 12. 47. embrace the one and forsake the other it will not profit vs to see our former grossenesse in following idols vnlesse Matth. 11. 21. hereby we be moued not only to forsake them but also to returne vnto our husband the Lord our God worshipping him according to his will So that here we learne what is the practise of true repentance it consisteth not in the knowledge only or acknowledgment of our sins for thus far did Pharaoh and Saul proceed thus did Iudas and thus do many worldlings repent but we must so see our sinnes as that with the sight of them wee bee exceedingly displeased with our selues we must so acknowledge them as that withall we vnfainedly bewaile them we must when we behold them also hate and detest them and not only forsake our sins but also returne vnto the Lord with full purpose of heart resoluing and endeuouring to serue and please him in holinesse and newnes of life Thirdly we may obserue the profit of afflictions when as The profit of afflictions they are sanctified vnto vs by Gods Spirit for whereas prosperitie maketh vs blind through pride selfe-loue and securitie so as we can neither see our sinnes nor Gods approaching iudgements aduersitie openeth our eyes and rectifieth the iudgement so as then we not only see our sins but are readie also to condemne our selues iustly to haue deserued those euils which we suffer yea and far greater if the Lord should enter into iudgement with vs for when as the light of nature our owne conscience and the written Word of God teach and conuict vs of this that God is the chiefe goodnes most gratious most mercifull and in his owne nature not apt and readie to hurt and punish any of his creatures but rather to extend his bountie multiply his benefits vpō all when we fall into miseries and calamities we must needs iustifie God in his iudgements and condemne our selues whō Lam. 3. 22. we know to be full of all corruption and wickednes An example whereof we haue in Iosephes brethren Gen. 42. 21. in Gen. 42. 21. the Israelites vnder the Iudges in Dauid Psal 51. 4. yea in Psal 51. 4. Exod. 10. 16. 17 Pharaoh himselfe Exod. 10. 16. 17. Where as prosperitie maketh vs dissolute and licentious in our waies affliction serueth in stead of a thornie hedge to stay vs from running on in the course of sinne to our perdition Whereas prosperitie maketh vs negligent in performing the duties of Gods worship and seruice miserie and affliction maketh men zealous forward and deuout according to that Esa 26. 16. O Lord in Esa 26. 16. trouble they haue visited thee they powred out a prayer when thy chastening was vpon them And because men at such times are most fit and readie to performe such duties therefore then the Lord especially requires them Psal 50. 15. Lastly whereas Psal 50. 15. prosperitie makes vs to forget God and to flee away from him affliction maketh vs to remember him and by true repentance to turne vnto him An example wee haue in this 2. Chron 33. 12. 13. place in the Israelites in the time of the Iudges in Manasses and the prodigall sonne Luke 15. Lastly wee may obserue the motiues perswading the The motiues which perswade the Church to turne vnto God Church to returne vnto God the first whereof is contained in the word husband for therein she gathereth vnto her selfe some assurance of his loue for although for her sinnes she was diuorced yet vpon her true repentance she might gather certaine hope that she should be pardoned and receiued into former grace seeing she had not to deale with an enemie or stranger and an ordinarie friend but with a most louing and gratious husband who was as readie to forgiue as she to aske forgiuenes Ierem. 3. 1. 12. 22. The second motiue Iere. 3 1. 12. 22 is the assurance of the bettering of her estate for she could speake by experience that her estate whilest she serued the Lord was much better then when she followed Idols and by the assurance of faith and hope she was assertained that repenting she should be receiued to grace and restored to her former state condition The like example we haue in the prodigall sonne who returned vnto God because hee knew him to be his gratious father and was assured that being reconciled vnto him hee should be deliuered out of his present miserie into a state of happinesse Where we may learne that true faith is the cause of vnfained repentance for vntill we haue some assurance of Gods loue and mercie in Christ wee flee from him as from a seuere Iudge but when
wisedome against their follie nor suffer their stubborne willes to crosse my will and eternall counsell but I will now begin to take care of them seeing they will take no care of themselues and because they haue nothing profited by all my threatnings and punishments I will mollifie their hard hearts and incline their stubborne and rebellious willes with my gratious promises and mercifull benefits So that the Lord behaueth himselfe like a tender hearted father and we demeane our selues like stubborne children though our stiffe harts relent not vnder his corrections yet his heart yearneth at our paine and he is sooner wearie of punishing then we of suffering punishment and when his chastisements will not ouercome our malitiousnesse hee laboureth to ouercome vs with his goodnesse and kindnesse and as the carefull and louing Physition is not moued by the desperate wilfulnesse of his impatient patient both refusing that which is good for him and eagerly seeking that which is hurtfull and pernicious to giue him ouer to himselfe but vseth the greater care and diligence by how much the lesse hee seeth that hee careth for himselfe and when he heareth for all his loue and labour nothing but distempered and railing speeches from his patient is rather thereby mooued to pitie then reuenge so dealeth the Lorde with vs who are sicke in sinne c. The vse which we are to make hereof is that we not onely praise the Lord for this his mercie and goodnesse but also that wee striue to follow his example not seeking reuenge when wee are iniured but striuing to ouercome euill with goodnes as the Apostle exhorteth Rom. 12. 19. 21. and so Rom. 12. 19. 21. shall wee indeed approue our selues to bee the children of our heauenly father as our Sauiour teacheth vs Matth. 5. Mat. 5. 44. 45. 44. 45. Thirdly we may heere learne that neither Gods terrible The Lord only leadeth to repentance threatnings nor sharpe afflictions are auaileable to worke in our hearts true repentance vnlesse the Lord allure and incline our harts with the inward operation of his holy Spirit for the more God punisheth the more naturally we repine and murmure and our steely hearts like the anuill with more blowes do waxe the harder and sooner will we breake then bow vnlesse the Lord incline vs as appeareth in the example of Pharaoh Saul the Israelites Esay 1. 5. and in our owne experience Esay 1. 5. Fourthly we here learne that the Lord is the principal and The Lord is the sole cause of our conuersion sole cause of our conuersion for vntill he incline and allure our hearts to leaue our sinnes and to returne vnto him neither his promises nor his threatnings neither his benefits nor his punishments will worke in our hearts vnfained repentance And as this is manifest in this place so also in diuers other places of Scripture Ieremie telleth vs that the Black-moore may as well change his skinne or the Leopard his spots as we can do good that are accustomed to euill Ier. 13. Jer. 13. 23. 23. And therefore the Lord when he would conuert his people saith that he will giue them a new spirit and taking the stoheart out of their bodies will giue them a heart of flesh Ezech. Ezech. 11. 19. 36. 26. 11. 19. so Ezech. 36. 26. And our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs that no man can come vnto him except the Father draw him Ioh. 6. 44. the Apostle likewise saith that before our conuersion Iohn 6. 44. we are not only sick but euen dead in our sins and therfore no more able to raise vp our selues from the death of sin to the life of righteousnes then a dead man to rise out of his graue Ephes 2. 1. Ephes 2. 1. But it may be demaunded that if this be so to what purpose serueth the ministerie of the Word and exhortations to repentance seeing he speaketh in vaine that perswadeth a dead man to rise to life I answere that the ministerie of the Word is the meanes of our conuersion which the Lord by the inward operation of his holy Spirit maketh effectuall for this purpose in the hearts of all his elect These exhortations therefore vnto repentance are not in vaine seeing the Lord worketh not vpon men as vpon stocks and stones but as vpon reasonable creatures whom he exhorteth to repentance and withall working vpon their hearts by his holy Spirit inclineth them to performe that vnto which hee exhorteth them and as he outwardly commandeth so inwardly he inclineth and enableth them to do that which he commandeth and hence it is that our Sauiour saith that the words which he spake were Spirit and life Ioh. 6. 63. because Ioh. 6. 63. they were not like the law which only commanded and did not enable to yeeld obedience but being made effectuall by the Spirit which gaue life vnto them they both enioyned and wrought in vs true obedience And this the Prophet implieth when as he saith that the Lord will allure or perswade them to turne vnto him so that his word is the instrument whereby he doth not only moue vs but throughly perswade vs to true repentance and this we may see verified Act. 13. 43. in the example of Lydia Act. 13. 43. 16. 14. 18. 4. 28. 23. chap. 16. 14. 18. 4. 28. 23. The vse which we are to make hereof is that we yeeld vnto him the whole praise of our conuersion and not with the Papists share with him ascribing part of the glorie vnto him and part to our selues Secondly seeing it is the work of God alone we must not rest in our owne power and strength for the effecting of this great worke but we must call vpon God for this grace saying with the Church Lament 5. 21. Conuert vs O Lord and Lament 5. 21. we shall be conuerted much lesse are we to deferre our conuersion from day to day as though it were a matter which we can easilie performe at our owne pleasure but considering it is the Lords free gift let vs receiue it when he offereth it and turne vnto him when he allureth and perswadeth vs to repentance And so likewise because it is the Lord alone who allureth and turneth the heart it behooueth al those who would conuert others not to rest too much in the force of their owne eloquence or the strength of their owne reasons but to ioyne with their earnest labour and endeauour humble and hartie prayers vnto almightie God desiring the assistance of his holy Spirit by which alone their perswasions are made effectuall to perswade Fifthly we here learne not to expect presently vpon our We must not expect secure peace after our conuersiō conuersion vnto God and adioyning to the Church secure peace and flourishing prosperitie for after the Lord hath allured and perswaded vs to turne vnto him he leadeth vs into the wildernesse of affliction before he bringeth vs to rest in our heauenly Canaan The
as name idols to wit that they may no more be remembred by their names that is that hauing nothing to doe with idols neither in deede nor word the memorie of them may perish and men may be freed from all danger of falling into idolatrie which being preserued there remaineth a continuall baite to intice vs which in regard of our corruption and pronenesse to idolatrie we are apt to swallow to our perdition And this is the meaning of these words The doctrines The Do ∣ ctrines which arise out of them are these First out of the 16. verse we may obserue that as soone as we are conuerted and assured Assurance of Gods loue makes vs zealous in his seruice of Gods loue by the inward testimonie of his Spirit confirmed by innumerable his gratious benefits which are so many earnest penies and pledges of his fauour and our reconciliation then doth the Lord also giue vs this grace to shew our selues forward in the duties of his worship and seruice and in rooting out all superstition and idolatrie If therfore wee be truly conuerted and indued with Gods Spirit and with the graces thereof then will we also be zealous and deuout in performing seruice vnto God in hearing his word calling vpon his name receiuing the Sacraments c. as also in purging our selues from idolatrie and superstition and in remouing all false meanes of his worship but if this care and zeale be wanting it is manifest that as yet wee are not conuerted nor haue tasted of the comfort of Gods Spirit and the graces thereof for when God hath bestowed these then at that day also he stirreth vs vp to loue and serue him as our Lord and husband forsaking all idols and idoll worship as appeareth in this place Secondly we may obserue that those who are truly conuerted Those who are truly conuerted openly professe their conuersion and indued with Gods Spirit they doe not onely inwardly serue the Lord as their onely husband but also outwardly make a confession hereof to the glorie of God and edification of others for it is not said here that the Church and members thereof should onely in heart acknowledge but also by voice professe that God was her husband and forsake and disclaime with the like open plainnesse idols and idolatrous worship And surely this is a singular fruite of our saith and vnfained repentance when as we doe not only serue the Lord and embrace his true religion in our hearts and soules but also make an outward profession hereof to all the world though thereby wee expose our selues to the scoffes and contempt obloquie and slander malice and violence Matth. 5. 16. 1. Pet. 2. 12. and 3. 13. Rom. 10. 10. Psal 22. 22. Ioh. 9. Act. 5. of prophane and wicked men Which holy dutie is commended to Gods seruants in many places Matth. 5. 16. 1. Pet. 2. 12. 3. 15. Rom. 10. 10. An example whereof we haue in Dauid Psal 22. 22. in the blind man Ioh. 9. in the Apostles Act. 5. in Paul Act. 24. 14. With which holy profession whosoeuer Act. 24. 14. glorifieth God the Lord will giue glorie vnto him by professing and acknowledging him for his sonne and heire of heauen Matth. 10. 32. Matth. 10. 32. Thirdly wee may obserue that the Prophet speaking of Our spirituall mariage compriseth al coniugall duties those duties which the Church being conuerted and reconciled vnto God should performe vnto him comprehendeth them all vnder this one that she should call him husband because indeede it containeth all the rest as being the fountaine from which they spring For if wee embrace the Lord as our husband then haue we giuen him both our heart and hand then haue we plighted vnto him our faith and then do we also loue him aboue all feare his displeasure depend vpon his prouidence and shew our selues zealous in performing all good duties vnto him Of which inward graces and outward obedience whosoeuer are destitute they are not espoused vnto God c. Fourthly wee heere learne that it is not only vnlawfull to It is vnlawfull to worship God in Idols worship idols but also to worship the true God in them Neither did the Israelites worship the image of Baal or the false god Baal thereby represented but in the idoll they worshipped the true Iehoua for hee doth not heere forbid them to worshippe Baal the god of the Sidonians but that they should call him any more Baal that is call vpon and worship him in the image So that the Papists excuse vnder which they maske their idolatrie is vaine and friuolous for they say that they worshippe not the images before which they fall but God in them and likewise when they worship Saints departed they affirme that they worship God in and by them The which their assertion is false as appeareth by their falling downe before them their making of vowes offering oblations and their going on pilgrimage vnto them and though it were true that they did not worship them but God in them yet hereby they are not cleered seeing they commit the same idolatrie which God here condemneth in the Israelites Lastly wee here obserue that the Lord is now no more to be esteemed of the Church a seuere Lord or fearefull Iudge The Lord is a gratious husband of the Church but as a gratious and louing husband The consideration whereof serueth first to replenish our hearts with all ioy and comfort in that we who were enemies and strangers are admitted into so neere league of friendship and into so inuiolable a bond of loue and amitie with God as is betweene a most louing husband and his beloued spouse Secondly it serueth notably for the confirming our saith and affiance in God in the middest of all wants dangers and extremities in that we haue a husband who is most able and readie to protect and prouide for vs. Thirdly it serueth to confute the doctrine and practise of the Papists who dare not goe directly vnto God by prayer but by the mediation of Saints for if Christ be espoused vnto vs to whom may wee preferre our suites with greater boldnesse and confidence then vnto our gratious husband or who is more neere vnto vs then Christ or more deare vnto Christ then we his beloued spouse that we should make choice of to be out Mediatour betweene vs and him And lastly here we learne how we should performe our obedience vnto God not seruilely for feare as vnto a terrible and straight master but with loue and reuerence as vnto a gratious husband whose will wee performe rather to auoid thereby his displeasure then for any hope of gaine or feare of punishment And these are the doctrines to be obserued out of the 16. The Lord purgeth his Church from all idolatrie and superstition verse Out of the 17. verse wee may further obserue who it is that purgeth the Church from all idolatrie and superstition and restoreth Gods true
to be made betweene all creatures and Gods children because after they are reconciled vnto God and become his sonnes by adoption and grace then is their ancient title and right of dominion and rule ouer all the creatures renued which was lost by the fall into the possessiō of which right they enter in this life but enioy it not in full perfection vntill the life to come for the subiection of the creatures vnto vs dependeth vpon our subiection and obedience to God and therefore because this is but begun and imperfect in this life theirs also to vs is imperfect and but in part And this is the first part of our peace and securitie which respecteth the brute creatures Now because there is no greater enemie to man then man according to the prouerbe Homo homini lupus therefore the Lord likewise promiseth his Church peace and securitie in respect of those manifold dangers which men might cause vnto them And I will breake the bow and the sword c. Where vnder these instruments of warre the sword and bow we are to vnderstand warre it selfe as though hee should say I will not onely make peace betweene my Church and the brute creatures but also between men themselues so that all warre hatred and contention shal cease and florishing peace and tranquillitie shall be established vpon the earth The like places vnto this wee haue Esa 2. 4. and 11. 6. 7. 8. 9. and 32. 17. 18. Esa 2 4 11. 6. 7. 32. 17. 18. How God performeth the couenant of peace vnto the Church Yea but the Church is not freed from warres nay rather as soone as we professe our selues Gods seruants we are sure to haue the world to bee our enemie who bendeth all her force against Gods Saints and laboureth both by secret treason and by open force to bring them to destruction And againe our Sauiour hath taught vs that he came not to bring Matth. 10. 34. peace but warre euen betweene neerest friends and that in these latter times we are especially to expect warres vprores and cōtentions how therfore is this promise accomplished I answere it is performed either in respect of an outward and worldly or an inward and spirituall peace If wee vnderstand it in the first sense then this promise of a worldly peace being a temporarie benefit is to be vnderstood with the condition and limitation before prefixed namely of Gods glorie and our spirituall good Secondly God thus performeth his promise not by freeing them altogether from warres but by defending and deliuering them in the day of battaile so as the force and furie of their enemies shall not hurt them and this is signified by the phrase here vsed for hee doth not say that hee will take cleane away the bow sword and battaile but that hee will breake them that is weaken abate and ouerrule their force and power so as they who depend vpon him shall not bee destroyed by them Thirdly this promise is accomplished among the faithfull themselues which howsoeuer before their conuersion they are one to another as cruel and hurtful as lions tigers beares yet after they ioyne themselues to Gods Church they lay aside their malice and brutish nature and performe all mutuall duties of loue Christian amitie as appeareth Esa 11. 6. Esa 11. 6. The spirituall peace of the faithfull But especially vnder the type of this outward peace wee are to vnderstand that Euangelicall and spirituall peace which is inwardly seated in the heart and conscience after that we are assured of our reconciliation with God through Iesus Christ which the Angel first proclaimed Luk. 2. 14. and our Sauiour afterwards promised to all the faithfull who are truly humbled Luk. 2. 14. and haue subiected themselues to beare his yoke of holy obedience Matth. 11. 29. of which the Apostle also speaketh Matth. 11. 29. Rom. 5. 1. Rom. 5. 1. and so often wisheth to the Churches vnto whom hee writeth And this peace is twofold peace with God and the fruite thereof peace of conscience with which whosoeuer are endued they haue tranquillitie and Christian securitie in the midst of their worldly enemies who though they rage neuer so furiously against them yet they cannot disturbe this peace much lesse take it from them but in the middest of all garboyles and fierie afflictions they may ioyfully triumph in this their peace with the Apostle Rom. 8. 31. Rom. 8. 31. to the end of the chapter If God be on our side that mattreth it who oppose against vs c. So that this spirituall peace may well stand with our worldly troubles and persecutions of which our Sauiour hath forewarned vs and therefore he ioyneth them together Ioh. 16. 33. In me yee shall haue peace in the world yee shall haue affliction So Ioh. 14. 27. Peace I leaue Ioh. 16. 33. Ioh. 14. 27. with you my peace I giue vnto you not as the world giueth giue I vnto you c. And the Prophet Dauid sheweth that howsoeuer the bodies of those that feare the Lord are tossed and turmoiled yet their soules shall dwell at ease Psal 25. 13. Psalm 25. 13. And this is the peace both outward and inward which is here promised to the faithful in the time of the Gospel both which are but begun in this life and imperfect as all other The securitie of the faithful our gifts and graces are which we haue receiued and shal be fully perfected in the life to come Now in the last place hee setteth downe an effect of this peace namely that being protected from the danger of the brute creatures and also of men who oppose against them He wil cause them to sleep safely or securely Whereby we are not to vnderstand that the faithfull in the time of the Gospell shal be slothful and carelesse as though they were exempted from all danger but that in the middest of all troubles and dangers they shall be so comforted with the feeling of their inward peace and so assured of Gods protection and prouidence watching ouer them that they shall be freed from that terror and desperate feare which wholly possesseth the wicked in the time of danger and howsoeuer they carefully watch and ward and diligently prepare themselues to endure the assaults of their enemies in regard of their owne frailtie and their great power and malice yet not with any distempered and tumultuous passion but so as in the middest of their feare they quietly sleepe and peaceablie rest vnder the shadow of Gods protection An example whereof we haue in Dauid Psalm 4. 8. Psalm 4. 8. I will lay me downe and also sleepe in peace because thou Lord only makest me dwell in safetie So Peter though hee were in prison loaded with chaines watched with souldiers and destinated euē the next day to the slaughter yet in the middest of all these imminent dangers resting vpon Gods prouidence he also tooke his naturall rest and
himselfe in marriage Now because this tedious captiuitie and confused anarchie should not be without comfort therefore the Lord giueth them some testimonie of his loue by assuring them that hee would as well waite for their true conuersion as they for his mercy and that in the meane time he would not reject them and make choyse of some other people to be his Church but would stay his choyse till vpon their true repentance hee might receiue them into his former loue and fauour And this is emphatically signified in these words And I wil be so vnto thee wher the Lord not doth explicate his meaning at large but like those whose mindes are exceedingly perturbed with griefe indignation or some singular commiseration he vseth this abrupt and broken speach as though it so much grieued him to deferre reconciliation and to withhould the outward testimonies of his loue from his people that he was not able to pronounce this his definitiue sentence at large but in these abrupt and broken speeches So that here is Iudgement mixed with Mercie Iudgement in that he with-houldeth from them the signes of his loue for a time Mercie in that he with-houldeth them not for euer Iudgement in that he would not as yet admit them to be his people Mercy in that for their sakes he wil make choyce of no other but expecteth their repentance that thereupon hee might be reconciled vnto them But against this there may be made two obiections first An answere to a two-fold obiection that this testimonie of Gods loue and hope of their future reconciliation will not stand with Gods former threatnings namely that hee would no more haue mercy vpon them Chap. 1. Ver. 6. That they should not be his people nor he their God Ver. 9. That hee had vtterly diuorced and rejected them Chap. 2. Ver. 2. And secondly that it will not stand with the euent seeing the Lord did neuer after espouse this whole people nor yet them alone Both which obiections are taken away with one answere namely that this Prophecie is not to be vnderstood of the whole body of the people but of the faithfull amongst them which belonged to Gods Election of which it is truely verified so as it may well stand with the former Prophecie and the future euent For though he rejected the whole body of this people yet he reserued a remnant according to the Election of grace Rom. 11. 5. whom after their repentance and conuersion he did espouse to him and for these hee reserued his grace so as he would not after the people were excluded from the outward couenant admit of any other neyther before the comming of Christ nor after he was come till he had called and reconciled them and so vpon occasion of their calling and conuersion hee called also and conuerted the elect Gentiles amongest whom they were scattered and to them both who only were the true Israelites according to the spirit he made good his promises of mercy and grace and this appeareth Math. 10. 5. 6. 15. 24. 26. Act. 13. 46. Mat. 10. 5 6. 15. 24 26. Act. 13. 46. And so much for the exposition of the words the doctrines which from hence arise are these First whereas the Lord saith that he will not presently be reconciled vnto the Length of affliction no signe of our rejection Church of Israell but she shall waite his pleasure and bee content to liue in an afflicted estate vntill hee saw fit time of giuing vnto her assurance of his loue and fauour hence we learne to arme our selues with patience when our afflictions are tediously continued and not desperately to cast aside all hope as though the length of our afflictions were a signe of our vtter rejection for as it appeareth in this place the Lord causeth the afflictions euen of those that belong to his Election to endure for a long time together and maketh them to wayte and expect till hee seeth the fit time for their deliuerance Examples hereof we haue in the captiuitie of Aegypt and Babilon in Dauid Iob and many others The vse hereof is that though our afflictions be of long We must waite vpon God for deliuerance frō our afflictions continuance we waite the Lords leasure and possesse our soules with patience and so in the end wee shal be assured of deliuerance An example hereof we haue in Dauid Psal 40. 1. I wated patiently for the Lord c. In the faithfull grieuously Psal 40. 1. and 123. 2. Esay 8. 17. afflicted Psal 123. 2. Esay 8. 17. in Iacob Gen. 49. 18. Which duety that we likewise may performe let vs consider first that the Lord inioyneth and requireth it at our hands Psal 37. 34. Wayte thou on the Lord and keepe his Psal 37. 34. way Secondly that the Lord wayteth vpon vs that hee may finde vs fit to receiue his mercy that is humbled in the sence and feeling of our owne misery and want and earnestly hungring after his grace Esa 30. 18. Yet therefore will the Lord Esay 30. 18. wait that he may haue mercy vpon you Seeing then the Lord wayteth on vs to shew mercy great reason haue we to wait that we may receiue mercy for waiting and attending better becommeth suiters then benefactors Thirdly let vs waite vpon the Lord because the holy Ghost commendeth it vnto vs as a good thing Lamen 3. 26 Lamen 3. 26. It is good to trust and to waite for the saluation of the Lord. Fourthly if being afflicted we doe not onely watch but also wayte in prayer it is a good argument to confirme our faith in this assurance that our prayers shall be heard and our petitions graunted and therefore the Church vseth this reason for the strengthening of her faith Esay 33. 2. O Lord Esa 33. 2 haue mercy vpon vs we haue wayted for thee And Mich 7. 7. Mich. 7. 7. she joyneth these two together I will wait for God my sauiour my God will heare Of this Dauid had experience Psa 40. 1. Psal 40. 1. I waited patiently for the Lord and hee inclined vnto mee and heard my cry Fiftly because our waiting and patient abiding the Lords leasure shall assuredly haue a good issue for he will not suffer those that wait vpon him to goe away ashamed Esay 49. 23. And howsoeuer the hope of the afflicted may bee Esa 49 23. deferred yet it shall not perish for euer Psal 9. 18. But those Psa 9. 18. that attend the Lords leasure in the end shall be exalted haue the land in possession Psal 37. 34. They shall be saued and deliuered Psal 37. 34. from all euill Pro. 20. 22. Yea they shall be eternally Pro. 20. 22 blessed Esay 30. 18. The Lord is the God of iudgement blessed Esa 30. 18. are all they that wait for him Howsoeuer therefore the hope of the afflicted being deferred is for the present bitter and irkesome yet
yeare of Ezechias wherein the Israelites were led captiue into Assiria by Salmanaser was 680. yeares Thirdly he implyeth the sorrow and mourning of the people by this phrase of sitting which vsually in the Scriptures is ascribed to those who are in griefe and heauinesse for not knowing which way to ease themselues nor hauing any appetite when they are oppressed with sorrow to go about any thing they sit down bewaile their miserie So it is said of Iobs friends that they sate downe to mourne with him when they could not help him Iob. 2. 13. Of Nehemiah that Iob. 2. 13. he sate downe and wept and mourned for certaine dayes Nehe. Nehe. 1. 4. 1. 4. Of Ierusalem that she sate solitarie like a widdow mourning and lamenting her afflictions Lamen 1. 1. 2. And Babilon Lamen 1. 1. 2. sayeth of her selfe that shee would not sit as a Widdow Esa 47. 8. Esay 47. 8. Fourthly hee sheweth wherein her widdow-hood consisteth namely in being depriued of the outward signes of her communion with God both in regard of Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall gouernement and of the meanes of Gods pure and publike worship as also in being restrained from worshipping and seruing Idols false Gods All which are expressed in these particulars Without a King and without a Prince that is without any Magistrate of their owne nation or any publike forme of gouernement whereby Gods presence is represented in the common wealth And without an Offring that is they should not offer Sacrifices and Oblations for neyther was it lawfull to erect an Altar or offer a Deut. 12. 13. 14. Sacrifice any where sauing at Ierusalem the place appointed for Gods publike worship And without an Image namely made to represent Gods presence such as were the Images erected by Ieroboam in Dan and Bethell 1 King 12. 28 29. 1 King 12. 28. and those spoken of 2 King 17. 10. And without an Ephod 2 King 17. 10. of which there were two kinds the one made of Gold blew Silke Purple Scarlet and twined Linnen in which were the two Onix stones wherein were graued the name of the twelue Tribes and the Vrim and the Thummin and this was proper to the high Priest of which we may read Exod. Exod. 28. 6. 28. 6. c. The other made of Linnen of which wee may read 1 Sam. 2. 18. 2 Sam. 6. 14. The meaning is that they 1 Sam. 2. 28. should bee without a Priest-hood which should instruct 2 Sam. 6. 14. them and aske counsell for them of the Lord. Lastly hee saith that they should be without a Teraphim that is they should haue nothing to doe with the Idoll Gods of the heathen for the Teraphims were Images which the Idolatrous Heathens worshipped of which kinde were those Teraphims or Images which Rachell stole from her Idolatrous father Laban Gen. 31. 19. and that Teraphim in Michaes Gen. 31. 19. house Iudg. 17. 5. Iudg. 17. 5. So that hereby it appeareth in what the widdow-hood of the Church of Israell consisted namely that she should haue no signe of Gods presence in the ciuell gouernment for she should haue no King nor Magistrate nor yet in the Church for she should haue no offring nor Ephod that is no Priesthood nor publike meanes of worshipping God according to his word Neither yet should shee follow her louers and commit Idolatrie with them for she should not worship the true God after a false manner as Ieroboam did in images nor the heathen idols for she should be without a Teraphim Now the Lords end in all this was that he might weane the elect Israelites from their vaine hopes by withdrawing from them all those things wherein they trusted that so hauing no other hope of being deliuered out of their miserie they might turne to the Lord by true repentance and so expect from him alone freedome from their afflictions For as long as they had any Kings and gouernment or any forme of a common wealth whilest they had any shew of Religion or any outward meanes of worshipping God though they were neuer so much depraued and corrupted they rested nay they boasted in it as though they were in good estate and therefore to beate them from this vaine conceipt the Lord threatneth to bring vpon them a confused anarchie to depriue them of all shew outward appearance of a Church that so being humbled in the sight and sense hereof they might be moued laying aside all other hopes to expect saluation in Iesus Christ and be the better fitted to receiue him when he was exhibited as their onely King Priest Prophet and Redeemer And this is the meaning of the words from whence we That the beames of Gods fauour are often clouded with afflictions may obserue these instructions First whereas he saith that the people of Israel shal sit waiting in heauines without any outward signes of gods comfortable presence hence we learn that euen Gods dearest children oftentimes haue the beames of Gods fauour so clouded from them in their afflictions that they seeme vnto themselues desolate and vtterly forsaken of God as appeareth in this place So Iob complayneth Chap. Iob. 13. 24. 13. 24. Wherefore hydest thou thy face and takest mee for thine enimie And Dauid Psal 13. 1. How long wilt thou forget mee O Lord for euer how long wilt thou hide thy face from me Psal 13. 1. And 88. 14. Lord why doest thou reiect my soule and hidest Psal 88. 14. and 46. 89. thy face from me 89. 46. So Esay complaineth in the name of the faithfull Chapter 45. 15. Verely thou O God hidest thy Esa 45. 15. selfe The Church likewise Lamen 5. 20. Wherefore doest Lamen 5. 20. thou forget vs for euer and forsake vs so long time Yea this was the complaint of the sonne of God himselfe when as he bore our iniquities Math. 27. 46. Not that indeede the Lord Math. 27. 46. doth euer forsake those whom he hath once chosen but onely for a time with-houldeth the outward signes and inward feeling of his comfortable presence that hee may moue them more seriously to sorrow for sinne more earnestly to beg and pray for the returne of his fauour and more preciously to esteeme of it being restored vnto them when they perceiue how barraine of all comfort and ioy their soules are as soone as the Sun-shine of Gods fauour is ecclipsed from them The vse hereof is that if euer the Lord seeme thus to withdraw himselfe from vs in our afflictions wee be so humbled hereby as that in the meane time we sincke not into desperation as though we were vtterly rejected and to this end let vs remember that this hath beene the lot of the dearest of Gods children and therefore let this comfort vs that the same afflictions haue beene accomplished in other of the faithfull 1 Cor. 10. 13. 1 Pet. 5. 9. Secondly let vs call to
morral dutie of fearing God as our English translation seemeth to import but that they should fearefully hasten vnto the Lord and his goodnesse that is being affrighted with the sight and sence of their sinnes the curse of the law the anger of God death and damnation due vnto them they shall with all possible speede flye vnto the Lord to his goodnes and by a liuely faith lay hold vpon gods mercie offred vnto them in Christ and rest vvholy therevpon for their saluation So that this seemeth to be a Metaphor taken from Birds which being sodainely feared doe fearefully flye vnto their retiring places of greatest safety And thus this word is taken Chap. 11. 11. Hosea 11. 11. They shall feare as a sparrow out of Aegipt that is being affrighted they shall flye with great hast And in this sence the Latine vvord trepidare is vsed as Liuij annalium 23. Moxque in sua quisque ministeria discursu trepidat ad prima signa Virgil Aeneid 9. Ne trepidate meas Teucri defendere naues id est ne festinate Neuè armate manus c. And the rather doe I thus expound the vvords first because it is an vnproper manner of speach to expresse the morrall dutie of fearing God by this phrase of fearing vnto God Secondly vve are not said to feare Gods goodnesse but rather his justice and judgements True it is that God is feared for his goodnesse according to that Psal 130. 4. Psal 130. 4. namely as a gracious father whom for his goodnesse towards vs we are loath to displease but his goodnesse it selfe is not fearefull or terrible but sweet and comfortable Thirdly because the vvord is so taken in other places The meaning therefore of these vvords is briefely thus much that the people of Israell being terrified and affrighted with the sight and sense of their sinnes and the punishments due vnto them should flye speedily vnto the Lord as being their protector sure defence comforting themselues in the assured hope of his grace and goodnesse vvhereby they should bee assured that their sinnes shall bee forgiuen them and they freed from them both in respect of their guilt and punishment And these are the effects of their conuersion The time is expressed in these words in the latter or last dayes that is after that Iesus Christ the true Messias is exhibited in the flesh which vsually in the Scriptures is called the last dayes Deut. 4. 30. Esa 2. 2. Micha 4. 1. Heb. 1. 1. 1 Pet. 1. 20. 1 Iohn 2. 28. The which time is specified First to shew their obstinacy in their sinnes and corruptions seeing these tough humours could no otherwise be purged away but by the long working potions of tedious and bitter afflictions Secondly that they might prepare themselues patiently to beare these miseries thus tediously continued when as they were forwarned of them for praemonitus praemunitus Thirdly that they might hereby bee refreshed with some comfort when as they were assured that howsoeuer their troubles were tedious yet at length they should haue a happie end seeing they should bring them vnto God by true repentance and a liuely faith And this is the meaning of the words the instructions God sanctifieth the afflictions of his Elect for their conuersion which from hence arise are many first wee here obserue how the Lord sanctifieth the afflictions of the Elect for their conuersion and true repentance for after that the people are grieuously afflicted at the length they are humbled in the sight of their sinnes and turne vnto the Lord. The like examples wee haue in Dauid the Israelites in the Iudges time Manasses the prodigall Sonne and many others and this is that which the Prophet speaketh Esay 26. 16. O Lord Esay 26. 16. in trouble they haue visited thee they haue poured forth a prayer when thy chastening was vpon them So that affliction humbleth them whom prosperitie puffeth vp with Pride it softneth those whom prosperitie hardened it conuerteth into the wayes of righteousnesse those whom prosperitie made to wander into the by-pathes of sinne But yet they worke not these good effects in all but onely in those vnto whose vse they are sanctified by Gods spirit as we may see in example of Pharaoh Saul Ieroboam c. who the more they were hammered and beaten vpon with afflictions the more hard and obdurate they waxed The vse hereof serueth to comfort all the faithfull in their greatest troubles and miseries seeing they may bee assured that the Lord vvill sanctifie their afflictions for their humiliation conuersion saluation For wel may we be contented to be beaten that wee may bee betred to bee put into the furnace of affliction that being purged from the drosse of our corruptions wee may like pure gold be treasured vp in the treasury of eternall happinesse to be pruned that wee may become more fruitfull to be hammered that our hard hearts may be made contrite and not onely with patience but also with joy and loue may we kisse that rod which maketh vs to run vnto God for mercy and forgiuenesse But forasmuch as the tree of affliction bringeth forth no such fruits vnlesse it be vvatered vvith the sweet dew of gods spirit therefore let vs also make this vse hereof that when we are afflicted we earnestly pray vnto God that hee will sanctifie our miseries to our vse and benefit and out of this poyson gather for our good this sweet hony of humiliation and obedience that is that our pouerty may turne to our spirituall inriching with the gifts of his spirit that our trouble may tend to eternall rest our shame to glory our sence of paine to the encrease of our sence of sinne and that our light and momentanie afflictions may cause vnto vs a superexcellent 2 Cor. 4. 17. and eternall waight of glory Secondly we learne that the Elect in their afflictions go directly vnto the Lord by his Sonne Iesus Christ that they may be reconciled vnto him and be receiued into grace and not vnto Saints and Angels as it is the custome of the Papists who when they are in any daunger or trouble make their prayers and vowes vnto the Virgin Mary Peter and other Saints Thirdly wheras he saith that they shall seeke Iehouah and Christ is true God coequall with his father Dauid their king that is Iesus Christ here we obserue that the same diuine worship is ascribed vnto Christ which also is attributed vnto God and consequently he is not meere man but God coequall with his father for vnto God alone belongeth diuine worship and this Christ chalengeth to himselfe Iohn 5. 22. 23. Where he sheweth that the father hath Iohn 5. 22. 23. committed all Iudgement vnto the Sonne that all men might honour the Sonne as they honour the Father Christ true man Secondly we hence gather that he is not God alone but man also for as this diuine vvorship yeelded vnto him prooueth him to be
God so his name Dauid implyeth that he is man descended of Dauids posteritie Againe from the conjunction of these two seeking God and Dauid vve gather that God is then alone vvorshipped God is to bee worshipped in Christ aright vvhen as he is worshipped vvith his sonne and in his sonne For in him alone the father is reconciled and well pleased Mat. 3. 17. In him alone we are graciously accepted Ephe. 1. 6. Math. 3. 17. Eph. 1. 6. In him he vvill be vvorshipped and serued and vvhosoeuer vvorshippeth not God the father in his sonne Christ they doe not vvorship the true Iehouah but an idoll of their own framing for vvhosoeuer hath not the sonne hath not the father 1 Ioh. 2. 23. Because howsoeuer they are distinguished 1 Iohn 2. 23. in persons yet they are one in substance of the selfe same nature coessentiall and coeternall Where it appeareth that howsoeuer the Iewes and Turkes doe professe that they worship God the Father yet in truth they do nothing lesse seeing they neither know nor acknowledge his sonne Iesus Christ as their onely Sauiour and redeemer Fourthly whereas he calleth Christ by the name of Dauid The Royall dignitie of the faithfull vve may here obserue the great and royall dignitie of the faithfull in that the Lord vouchsafeth to call himselfe by their name and to call them after his name Because Dauid faithfully serued him in his life therefore he honoureth him after his death reuiuing his memory and eternizing his name by taking it vpon himselfe and so because vve professe his religion and vvorship him though vvith much vveakenesse and imperfection he vouchsafeth vs this dignitie that according to his owne name vvee should bee called Christians Thus hee honoured the Patriarkes Abraham Isaac and Exod. 3. 15. Iacob Exod. 3. 15. And his people Israell in that though he vvere the God of the whole Earth yet he vvould be called after a peculiar manner the God of Israell The vse hereof is that vve zealously serue the Lord and If we honour God hee will honour vs. seeke his glory in honour and dishonour euill report and good report not fearing any vvhit at all that we shall be reproched haue our names traduced and loose that reputation which we haue in the world by being ouer forward and precise in performing the duties of Gods worship and seruice for let vs assure our selues that whilest by our Godly conuersation we honour God hee will not onely cause vs to be honoured in our liues but euen after our death our names shall liue and be kept vpon record in the honourable roule of his holy Seruants and bee calendred amongst the Saints Whereas on the other side the name of the wicked though it be neuer so glorious in their liues yet shall it be ignominious in their death and putrifie in the ayre as fast as their bodyes in the earth as the wise man sheweth Prou. 10. 7. The Prou. 10. 7. memoriall of the iust shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot Fiftly we may obserue that when the people of Israell That we neuer flie to God before wee are throughly humbled are affrighted and terrified with the sight and sence of their sinnes and those miseries which doe accompany them they doe then and not before flye vnto the Lord for grace and mercy in whose example wee haue a notable president of our owne disposition and practise whilest wee continue in our carnall securitie and hardnesse of heart we neuer desire mercy and forgiuenesse whilest we thinke our selues whole and sound wee neuer seeke to our heauenly Physition to be cured of our spirituall Leprosie and sicknesse of sinne whilest we thinke our selues rich and haue no sence of our pouerty and nakednesse we neuer labour after the riches of Gods mercy and Christs merits nor to be clothed with the glorious garment of his innocency and obedience whilest we haue no sence of our owne vnrighteousnesse wee will neuer hunger after Christs righteousnesse whilest wee thinke our selues already highly in gods fauour we neuer seeke to Christ our Mediator to reconcile vs vnto his father but when our hearts are broken contrite our consciences wounded then doe wee earnestly desire the oyle of Gods mercy and the precious baulme of Christs bloud that thereby we may be cured when we see our owne pouertie we labour after the riches of his merits and in a word when we are terrified with the sight and sence of sinne and labour vnder it as a heauie burthen then doe we flye vnto the Lord for comfort and sue vnto Iesus Christ that according to his gracious promise hee will ease and release vs. Of the former we haue Math. 19. 16. 20. Luk. 18. 11. 14. Iob. 41. 6. Luk. 15. and 18. Acts. 2. 37. examples in the young Iusticiarie Mat. 19. 16. 20. The Pharisie Luke 18. 11. 14. And in the Pharasaycall Papists Of the latter in Iob Chap. 41. 6. In Dauid Psal 51. In the prodigall sonne Luke 15. In the poore Publican Luke 18. And in the Iewes Act. 2. 37. Sixtly we may obserue that howsoeuer the Elect are affrighted Son-like feare maketh vs to draw neere vnto God and terrified with the sight and sence of sinne and the apprehension of Gods displeasure yet this their feare doth not make them to flie Gods presence but moueth them with all possible speede to hast vnto him and his goodnesse for they are not like vnto slaues who hauing offended and being without any assurance of their maisters loue do for feare of the whip runne away but like ingenious and well nurtured children who hauing by their faults displeased their father doe not flye his presence but rather runne vnto him and fall downe at his feete acknowledging their fault promising amendement and imploring pardon and forgiuenesse For howsoeuer the apprehension of his displeasure greatly feareth them yet the perswasion of his loue moderateth their feare and begetteth in them some hope of remission and reconciliation So that here wee haue a plaine difference betweene The difference betwene son-like and seruile feare the Son-like feare of the faithfull and the desperate and seruile horrour of the wicked for that causeth them with awfull reuerence to flye vnto the Lord for mercy and forgiuenesse because of the experience which they haue of his goodnesse and the other causeth the wicked to flye from God by reason of the fearefull expectation which they haue of Gods just vengeance Of the former wee haue examples in Dauid Psal 51. In Daniell Chap. 9. 5. And in the prodigall Psal 51. sonne Luk. 15. Of the latter in Saul Iudas and in the Dan. 9. 5. reprobate Apoc. 6. 16. Luke 15. Seauenthly whereas he saith that being affrighted with Apo. 6. 16. the sight and sence of sinne they should hast vnto Gods goodnesse here we learne what is our best place of refuge Gods mercy our best
that the Magistrates in the feare of the Lord execute righteous judgement without hauing respect of any mans person place or state not peruerting justice for feare fauour or reward knowing that there is a supreame Magistate aboue them before whom they must be also judged who cannot be corrupted or peruerted from judging righteously because there is no iniquitie with him nor respect of persons nor receiuing of rewards as Iehosaphat speaketh to his Iudges 2 Chron. 1 Chron. 19. 6. 7. 19. 6. 7. So likewise Maisters of families are so to behaue themselues towards their familie and seruants in loue peaceablenesse and justice as knowing that they also haue a maister in heauen and a judge of all their actions who will judge without all partialitie the person of the Maister and seruant being vnto him both alike and this vse the Apostle maketh of this doctrine Eph. 6. 9. Ephe. 6. 9. The second thing to bee considered is that howsoeuer God doth not continually punish our sins but deferreth his punishments to certaine dayes of visitation wicked men doe daily by their sinnes prouoke Gods wrath yet the Lord doth not continually inflict his punishments but as a just and mercifull Iudge deferreth them vnto certaine times of visitation and as it were vnto certaine dayes of Assises as appeareth in this place for howsoeuer the Priests were so wholy corrupted in their wayes that they deserued present punishment yet he doth not presently inflict it but deferreth it to the day of his visitation so when the whole world was wholy corrupted with sinne yet he deferred their punishment for the space of an hundred yeares Though Sodome and Gomorrah abounded in all wickednesse yet he put off the day of his visitation till the measure of their sinnes was full and though the Cananites were outragiously sinfull yet the Lord deferred to punish them for many yeares till their sinnes were come to full ripenesse The causes of which delayes are diuers the first and principall is Gods owne nature euen his patience and long-suffering which maketh him long in resoluing to punish and when he hath resolued slow in execution and this the Lord himselfe professeth in that discription whereby hee maketh himselfe knowne Exod. 34. 6. The Lord the Lord strong Exod. 34. 6. mercifull and gracious slow to anger So Dauid Psal 103. 8. Psal 103. 8. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy slow to anger and of great kindnesse 9. He will not alway chide c. And this made Ionah lothe to denounce destruction against Nineueh because he knew that he was a gracious God and mercifull slow to anger repenting him of euill As it is Ion. 4. 2. The second cause is Ion. 4. 2. that men may haue time to turne from their sinnes by repentance and so escape his punishments For God taketh no delight in their destruction but in their conuersion and saluation as hee protesteth Ezech. 33. 11. And this end Ezech. 33. 11. the Lord plainely noteth Esa 30. 18. Yet therefore will the Esa 30. 18. Lord waite that he may haue mercy vpon you c. And the Apostle plainly expresseth it Rom. 2. 4. where he saith that Rom. 2. 4. Gods patience and long-suffering leadeth vs to repentance The Apostle Peter likewise whereas he saith that the Lord is patient towards vs because he would haue no man to perish but would haue all men to come to repentance 2 Pet. 3. 9. Lastly that he 2 Pet. 3. 9. may leaue the wicked and impenitent without excuse for when as he hath shewed himselfe lothe to punish both by his delayes and by vsing all meanes to reclaime them and yet they stubbornly persist in their wickednesse then are the judgements of God inflicted vpon them approued by all men and euen by their owne guilty consciences Notwithstanding howsoeuer the Lord for these and diuers Gods delaying judgement maketh men secure other causes deferreth the execution of his just vengeance yet men abuse this his long-suffering vnto sin either imagining with the Atheist that he hath not thunderbolts inough to dart against euery sinner for euery fault or that there is no prouidence no justice no God that regardeth the sins of men or with the secure Worldling that they may go on in their sinnes without repentance because these punishments which are so long delayed will neuer be inflicted according to that Eccle. 8. 11. because sentence against an euill worke is Eccl. 8. 11. not executed speedely therefore the hart of the children of men is fully set in them to doe euill An example whereof we haue in the euill seruant Mat. 24. 48. who because his maister Mat. 24. 48. deferred his comming so behaued himselfe as though hee would neuer come and in those mockers who because the day of judgement is deferred therefore walk after their owne 2 Pet. 4. 3. lusts like herein vnto foolish theeues who imagine that because the Iudge doth not euery day sit vpon the judgement seat therefore they may securely steale because the Assises will neuer come But such are to know that as Gods mercy and patience will not suffer him to make hast in the punishing of sinne so his justice will not suffer him for euer to let it go vnpunished and howsoeuer hee doth not vse martiall law in executing justice as soone as the offence is committed yet let them assure themselues that vnlesse by repentance they plead their pardon he will surely visite them either at his quarter Sessions in this life or at his generall Assises in the life to come Though Saul were long repriued after he was condemned yet at last came the fearefull day of his execution Though Naboths bloud was long vnreuenged yet at last God visited this sinne both vpon Ahab Iesabell and all their posterity Though for a time Ieroboam flourished in his Idolatry yet at length it brought a fearefull destruction vpon his whole familie And though the Lord for a long while suffered the people of the Iewes with great patience and long-suffering yet at last he payed them home so that now they are a spectacle of his heauy wrath vnto all nations and a reproach and hissing to the whole world The vse of this doctrine is first for our instruction that we imitate the Lord in his patience and long long-suffering not letting the raines loose to fury and reuenge vpon euery occasion but rather striuing to ouercome euill with goodnesse Secondly for our admonition that we doe not abuse Gods patience to impenitencie and hardnesse of hart least whilst we thus heape vp the measure of our sinnes we doe also treasure vp for our selues wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God who will reward euery man according to his workes as it is Rom. 2. 5. 6. Rom. 2. 5. 6. The third thing to be obserued is that he saith he will visit their wayes vpon them thereby
of the same Saint negiected and disregarded Secondly their excuse is vaine seeing this is that Idolatry which is so much condemned in the Scriptures for the Israelites when they worshipped Images did professe that they did not worship the Idols of wood and stone but God in them so when they made a golden Calfe in the wildernesse they had therein a respect to God who brought them out of the land of Aegypt and professed that in it they worshipped the true Iehouah as appeareth Exod. 32. 4. 5. So Exod. 32. 4. Micah his mother saith that shee had dedicated the siluer vnto the Lord to make a grauen and moulten Image Iud. 17. 3. Iudg. 17. 3. So Ieroboam hauing made the golden Calues saith behold O Israell thy Gods which brought thee out of the land of Aegipt 1 King 12. 28. that is the Image and similitude which representeth 1 King 12. 28. the true God neither would any haue beene so sottish as to beleeue that the Calues which themselues had lately made had freed their fore-fathers out of their captiuitie And as we haue heard the people worshipped not the Image of Baal but God in the Image and therefore the Lord saith they should no more call him Baali Chap. 2. ver Hos 2. 16. 16. Yea euen the heathens themselues thus excused their Idolatrie as Austine witnesseth Non ego illum lapidem colo In Psal 96. adoro quem video sed seruio ei quem non video Quis est ille Numen quoddam invisibile quod praesidet illi simulachro that is I doe not serue and worship that stone which I see but I serue him whom I doe not see And who is hee a certaine invisible and Diuine power which hath the charge of that Image The vse of this Doctrine is first that we laude and magnifie We must laud Gods name for freeing vs from popish idolatry the name of our gracious God who hath freed vs from this more then Aegyptian darknesse of Idolatry and superstition and hath placed vs in his Goshen and true Church where by the cleare shining light of his Gospell he hath dispelled these foggy mists of sottish ignorance and hath plainly discouered euen to the eyes of little children those doltish follies with which the wisest of their fore-fathers were blinded and misllead Secondly it serueth to admonish vs that we doe not with the vnthankfull Israelits desire to returne againe into this We must not desire to return into this Romish seruitude Egyptian seruitude because we would injoy those pompous pleasures which the aduocates of Rome doe offer vnto vs but that we rather make choise of the afflicted way of gods truth which wil in the end bring vs to the heauenly Canaan And to this purpose we must auoide not onely the grosest kindes of Idolatrie and superstition but also all the pettite sorts therof yea we must carefully flye the meanes of idolatrie as will-worship society with Idolaters especially in that neere bond of mariage ignorance of Gods true religion whereby wee make our selues like blind men which may easilie be led any way and as it were an easie pray to be deuoured of those locusts the Priests and Iesuits which are come out of the bottomelesse pit Lastly we are hereby admonished to imbrace and loue We must loue Gods truth if we would not be seduced with Papists delusions the truth which the Lord by the Ministers of his word hath in such plentifull manner and measure deliuered vnto vs least for the contempt of his Gospell he giue vs ouer to strong delusions and to beleeue lyes which seduction is a certaine forerunner of eternall condemnation as the Apostle sheweth 2 Thes 2. 11. 12. And whilest we make profession of the 2. Thes 2. 11. 12. Gospell let vs labour to bring foorth the fruits thereof in holinesse and righteousnesse least the Lord doe cause his kingdome to be taken from vs bestow it vpon some other nations who will be more fruitfull for what should they doe Mat. 21. 43. with the light who wilfully shut their eyes against it and to what purpose should they injoy the Gospell of righteousnesse who in their liues bring forth nothing but the fruits of iniquitie The third thing to be obserued is that the Lord condemneth That it is an haynous sinne to vse diuination it as an haynous sinne to consult with idols and to vse diuination for direction in time of daunger or for knowledge of future things which are contingent And this may further appeare both by Gods earnest prohibitions of the vse of these vnlawfull arts and by the punishments threatned and inflicted vpon the offenders The Lord hath straightly forbidden them Deut. 18. 10. 11. Let none be found amongst you Deut. 18. 10. 11. that maketh his sonne or daughter to go through the fire or that vseth Witchcraft or a regarder of times or a marker of the flying of Foules or a Sorcerer or a Charmer or that counsaileth with spirits or a Southsayer or that asketh counsaile of the dead for all that doe such things are an abhomination vnto the Lord c. The punishment denounced is death Exodus 22. 18. Exod. 22. 18. Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to liue So Leu. 20. 27. If a man Leu. 20. 27. or woman haue a spirit of Diuination in them they shall dye the death c. The which punishment was accordingly inflicted by Saul 1 Sam. 28. 3. 9. And by Iosias 2 King 23 24. The 1 Sam. 28. 3. 9. 2 King 23. 24 execution of which punishments the Lord taketh vpon himselfe if the Magistrates neglect it as it is Mich. 5. 12. I will Mich. 5. 12. cut off thine Inchanters out of thy Land Besides which temporall death the Lord denounceth death eternall consisting both in the separation from the joyes of heauen as appeareth Apoc. 22. 15. and also in the torments of hell fire as Apoc. 22. 15. and 21. 8. it is Chap. 21. 8. The like may be said of them who consult with diuiners That it is a great sinne to consult with Witches Leu. 19. 31. and aske counsaile of them for as they joyne together in their horrible sinne so they shall not be disioyned in their punishments Their sin is forbidden as haynous Leu. 19. 13. Ye shall not regard them that work with spirits neyther Southsayers yee shall not seeke to them to be defiled with them I am the Lord your God Their punishment denounced by God is death and seperation from the Church of God as appeareth Leu. 20. 6. The which punishment was inflicted vpon Leu. 20. 6. Saul for consulting with the witch of Endor 1 Chr. 10. 13. 1 Chro. 10. 13 And vpon Ahaziah for asking counsaile of Baal-zebub the God of Ekron 2 King 1. 3. 4 2 King 1. 3. 4. The vse hereof serueth to reproue many amongst vs who when either themselues or their friends
be sicke or when they haue lost their goods by theeues or other casualties or when they curiously desire to know what shall befall them in the time to come are ready to vse these wicked and Diabolicall meanes for the satisfying of their desires wherein they bewray notable diffidence impietie folly diffidence in that if the Lord defer his helpe a little while they will not waite his leasure nor trust in his promises but rather relye vpon the diuell and vpon the direction of his wicked instruments Their impietie is hereby manifested in that they seeke to free themselues from those afflictions which God hath laid vpon them by Sathans helpe as it were whether God will or no for if it were his will they should be released he would graunt them lawfull meanes Lastly they shew their folly not onely in that they inquire of them who haue a spirit of diuination and of the Southsayers who murmure and whisper and leaue the Lord most wise and most mighty and goe from the liuing to the dead contrary to the admonition of the Prophet Esay 8. 19. but also in that they imagine they Esa 8. 19. can preuaile against God by Sathans assistance who is but his slaue and so fast tyed in chaynes that he is not able to stir without his permission Fourthly we here learne what is the cause why Idolaters The cause why the wisest Idolaters liue in sottish superstitions who otherwise are exceeding wise doe liue in most sottish superstition and are blinded with such childish follies as may moue in any just cause of admiration namely because they are seduced with a spirit of fornications that is not onely abandoned of Gods spirit who leadeth vs into all truth but also wholy lead with the vncleane spirit Sathan the chiefe author of spirituall whoredome who begetteth in these children of disobedience a spirit of Idolatry that is a vehement and earnest desire to liue in this sinne with which they are so wholy transported that they goe forward in their grosse and absurd courses not onely against religion and the reuealed will of God but against reason nature and common sense An example hereof wee haue in the Israelites who howsoeuer they had so manifold experience of Gods mercy and power in multiplying his benefits vpon them and in their miraculous deliuerances preseruation from their enimies and of his seuere justice in punishing their Idolatries yet were so seduced with this spirit of fornications that neither Gods mercyes nor judgements could restraine them from forsaking his true worship and seruing the Idols of the Heathens in as grose manner as those who neuer heard of God and his word The like experience we haue in the Papists at this day who howsoeuer they are worldly wise in the things of this life yet being bewitched and carried headlong with this spirit of fornications they suffer themselues wittingly and willingly to be abused by their false teachers as if they were the most ignorant ideots in the world they beleeue the carnall presence of Christ in the Sacrament of the aulter contrarie not onely to religion but also to reason nature and their owne sense and adore their breaden God with diuine worship they are content with great summes of money to purchase pardon of their sinnes of the Pope who is a sinfull man like themselues yea the man of sinne they whip and torment themselues before their idolls like Baalls Priests they creepe to the Crosse and goe on pilgrimage to images of wood and stone and by praying vowing and offering vnto them they acknowledge them as their Gods seeing they giue vnto them all parts of diuine worship whereas they are creatures more base and impotent then themselues and whence proceedeth all this but that they are giuen ouer of God to strong delusions and to beleeue lyes bewitched of the euill spirit sathan and wholy transported and mislead with the spirit of fornications The vse hereof is that howsoeuer we are sometime led We must take heed we be not transported with the spirit of sinne captiue of sinne and through infirmitie be ouertaken with the corruption of the flesh yet that we carefully take heede we be not transported wholy with the spirit of sinne desiring to breake Gods commandements delighting in our transgression Let vs watch ouer our harts that they may do faithfull seruice vnto God though the other members bee sometime inthralled in the bondage of sin though in the spirituall conflict we receiue some wounds of sathan the world and the flesh yet let vs be sure to keepe fast buckled vnto vs the brest-plate of righteousnes sinceritie and integritie so as we may truely say with the Apostle Paul that we delight in Rom. 7. 22. the law of God concerning the inner man howsoeuer wee find another law in our members rebelling against the law of our minds leading vs captiue vnto the law of sinne Let vs wholy resigne our selues ouer to bee guided by the spirit of God that so we may be assured that we are his sonnes and children for if Gods spirit be not our guide to leade vs into all truth Rom. â— 14. we shall be seduced by the spirit of sin and carried headlong into all manner of sottish and outragious wickednesse Fiftly we here learne that as soone as men addict themselues They that addict themselues to idolatrie shake of Gods yoke to wil-worship superstition and idolatrie they shake off Gods yoke and withdraw themselues from vnder his gouernment as the Israelits in this place who when they went a whoring after their idols are saide to haue departed from vnder their God So Deu. 31. 16. They will goe a whoring Deut. 31. 16. after Gods of a strange land and will forsake me and breake my couenant And so themselues confesse that they did forsake the Lord when they serued Baalim Iudg. 10. 10. though Iudg. 10. 10. they professed that in Baal they serued the true God as appeareth Hos 2. 16. Thus the Lord saith that as soone as the people burnt incense vnto their Gods and worshipped the Hos 2. 16. worke of their owne hands they forsooke him Ier. 1. 16. Ier. 1. 16. The reason is manifest for they who refuse to be gouerned by the kings law and either make their owne will a law or submit themselues to be ruled by the law of a strange Prince they doe not onely reject the law but also refuse to haue that Prince for their gouernour but the word of God is his law and the scepter of his kingdome whereby he ruleth all his subjects and therefore they who will not be ruled by this law but by their owne will and humaine inuentions and traditions in refusing Gods law they refuse and forsake God himselfe and will not admit him for their gouernour And hence it is that the Lord joyned these together where he saith that Saul had forsaken him had not performed his commandements
a side out of the way of righteousnesse the Lord is readie to whip him into it againe by the scourge of afflictions and that not for want but in the abundance of his loue because hee should haue no incouragement to goe on in sinne which would bring him to destruction And this Dauid himselfe well knew and therefore saith that before hee was afflicted hee went astray but being afflicted hee kept Gods word Psal 119. 67. And therefore hee saith that it was good for him that hee had beene afflicted seeing hereby hee had Psal 119. 67. and 94. 12. learned Gods statutes verse 71. And Psalme 94. 12. Hee pronounceth them blessed whom God doth chastise and teach in his Law So the Lord telleth Dauid that if his sonne Salomon sinned hee would chasten him with the rod of men but his mercy should not depart from him 2 Sam. 7. 14. giuing vs to vnderstand that hee will not let his children escape 2. Sam. 7. 14. in their sinnes without correction and yet neuerthelesse remaineth mercifull vnto them Finally howsoeuer the gentiles were suffered to goe on in their idolatrie and to flowrish in their sinnes yet as soone as his owne people Israell did leaue his pure worship and follow Idols hee did seuerely punish them as appeareth Exod. 32. and in the History of the Iudges and Kings Exod. 32. Lastly this appeareth by cleare euidence of reason for The former doctrine prooued by reasons as impunitie is a manifest signe that God giueth men ouer to goe on in their sinnes to their destruction because he denyeth them the meanes whereby they might come to the sight of their sinne and vnto true sorrow for it so it is a good signe that God loueth vs as his Children when hee vseth vs like his Children that is correcteth vs for our faults and affordeth vnto vs the meanes whereby wee may bee reclaymed Wee are so blinded with carnall securitie and selfe loue that wee cannot see our transgressions and iniquities and afflictions are that sharpe but yet soueraigne water which helpeth to the recouery of our sight when as therefore the Lord denyeth to afflict vs liuing in sinne what doth he else but leaueth vs to our own naturall blindnesse to goe on in our sins till we fall into the pit of destruction They are those precious salues which serue to draw out the core of our corruptions and those wholesome though vnpleasant potions whereby wee are purged from our sinnes when as therefore the Lord afflicteth vs hee intendeth to cure and purge vs but when he with-holdeth these meanes his purpose is to let vs fester and rot in our sin and to let vs abound in these grose humours which will bring the sicknesse and death of the soule vnto vs they are those purging fires which purifie vs from the drosse of our corruptions and therefore when the Lord casteth vs into them his purpose is to make vs pure gold fit for his treasurie of eternall happinesse but when he letteth vs alone in the drosse of our sinnes his meaning is to let vs rust and canker and to cast vs away as refuse siluer The vse hereof serueth to confute the vaine bragges of The Papists confuted who glory in the outward pomp of their church the Papists who boast of the glory pompe riches and the flourishing estate of their Church vsing it as an argument of Gods loue towards them and of the truenesse of their Church and Religion that they are blessed with great prosperitie and on the other side objecting the crosse and manifold persecutions which the professours of the Gospell are subject vnto as a reproach to their Religion But seeing so many sinnes are not onely committed but also tollerated yea defended and countenanced in that Church their immunitie from afflictions and punishments can bee no signe of Gods Loue but rather that in his heauie displeasure hee hath giuen them ouer as a desperate cure and because by no meanes they vvill bee reclaymed from their Superstitions Idolatryes Adulteries and other enormious crimes that therefore they are giuen vp to a reprobate sense and to their owne filthy lusts that so committing sinne with greedinesse they may treasure vp against themselues wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God And the like vse also may secure Worldlings make of this Doctrine who blesse themselues in their sinnes because they are not crossed in their euill courses seeing nothing ought to bee a greater terrour vnto them then this that the Lord leaueth them to themselues and with-holdeth from them this wholesome meanes of their amendement Lastly it serueth for the comfort of Gods Children when as they are sharply afflicted for their sinnes seeing this is no signe of Gods hatred and of their rejection but rather of his Loue and Fatherly care ouer them which causeth him to lay vpon them these chastisements that hereby they may bee reclaymed from their sinnes and not suffered to runne on in their euill courses to their destruction The second doctrine which wee here learne is that if If we dishonor God he will dishonour vs. wee doe neglect our dutie to GOD hee will make those who owe vs dutie to neglect this dutie when we most expect it and if wee dishonour him by our sinnes hee will cause vs to bee dishonoured and disgraced not onely by our enimies and strangers but also by our nearest and most familiar friends So because the people of Israell who professed themselues the spouse and children of God did by forsaking the Lord their husband and father and adhaeâ—ing vnto Idols grieuously dishonour his holy name the Lord layeth vpon them a proportionable punishment that their wiues and daughters should neglect to them all loue conjugall duties and filiall obedience whereby they should not onely inwardly bee vexed and grieued in their minds but also outwardly in their names be exposed to infamie and reproach The like example wee haue else where in the booke of God when Noah neglected the duty of temperance and sobriety towards God his wicked sonne C ham neglected the dutie of reuerence towards him When Elie was so indulgent towards his sonnes that hee would rather displease God by suffering them to dishonour his name then hee would displease his sonnes by giuing them due correction whereby they might haue beene reclaymed from their sinnes they neglected all dutie to their father contemned his holy admonitions and so brought shame and reproach vpon the whole familie For the Lord caused in one day not onely the glory to depart from Israell when the Arke was taken which chiefly redounded to the dishonour of Elie who then was the Iudge of Israell but also tooke away his sonnes which were to be the glory of his house and togeather with them the office of the Priesthood and so made him inglorious both in the Common-wealth Church and in his owne priuate familie The like may be sayd of Dauid who
bee no remedie as it is said Chro. 36. 14. 2. Chro. 36. 14 The vse hereof serueth first to confute the practise of the Brownists who leaue and forsake the Church of Christ for some small spots and little wrinkles their Ministers refusing to preach and the people to heare in our congregations But herein they nothing resemble the Lord whose children they would seeme to be who when the Church of Israel had made a feareful apostasie from Gods true religion and was wholly defiled with superstition idolatrie and all wickednesse and obstinately continued in these sinnes notwithstanding the manifold and continuall meanes which the Lord vsed to call them to repentance yet still hee sendeth his Prophets vnto them to teach admonish and reproue them that they might be brought to amendment and when as they desperately perseuered in sinne and were now past all hope of recouerie he causeth his Prophet to admonish the Iewes to auoid their sinnes and punishments when as their state also was exceedingly corrupted Secondly it serueth for our comfort and incouragement The Lord hath mercy in store for those who forsake their euill waies if that now at the length we will forsake our euill waies and take hold of the meanes of our conuersion whilest God offereth them vnto vs. For howsoeuer wee are sunke deepe in our rebellion and haue many waies prouoked Gods wrath continuing in our sinnes notwithstanding the Lord hath afforded vs such plentifull meanes to bring vs to amendment yet if now wee will begin a new course and consecrate our selues to the seruice of God there is assured hope of pardon For yet the Lord waiteth that hee may haue mercie vpon vs Esa 30. 68. yet he patiently granteth vnto vs the meanes of our conuersion and wee may assure our selues that if hee be so gratious when as wee obstinately perseuere in sinne hee will be much more mercifull if we turne vnto him by true repentance But on the other side if wee contemne so great a mercie of God we shall haue a more fearefull iudgement laid vpon vs for laesa patientia furor the greater Gods patience is which wee despise the more furious reuenge hee will take on vs in the day of his visitation Rom. 2. 4. 5. The second thing to be obserued is that Gods Ministers Rom. 2. 4. 5. ought not to surcease their paines in their Ministerie though The Ministers must not surcease their paines in the Ministerie they plainly discerne that the estate of the people committed to their charge is altogether desperate and past hope of recouerie For though there were no apparance of hope at home yet he is painfully to persist in the worke of the Ministerie that hee may conuert those who are abroad and want the preaching of the word that so hee may helpe to gather those into the Church which are elected and increase the number of the faithfull as much as in him lieth So when the Israelites to whom our Prophet was sent were past cure he laboureth to conuert the Iewes vnto God And so when the Iewes desperately refused the meanes of their conuersion and saluation the Apostles ceased not their labours but turned to the Gentiles and by their painfull preaching endeuoured to conuert them vnto the faith For howsoeuer our hearers profit not there is a necessitie that lieth vpon vs and a fearefull woe denounced against vs if we preach not the Gospell 1. Cor. 9. 16. Whatsoeuer bee the successe of our labours wee 1. Cor. 9. 16. are charged as wee will answere it before God and before the Lord Iesus Christ which shall iudge the quicke and the dead at his appearing that we preach the word and be instant in season and out of season and that wee improue rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine 2. Tim. 4. 1. 2. Whether the people 2. Tim. 4. 1. 2. will heare vs or no we must tell them of their sinnes and giue them warning of Gods approching iudgements and then though they die in their sinnes yet wee haue discharged our dutie and shall saue our owne soules Ezech. 33. 7. 8. 9. Ezech. 33 7 8 9. Those reprooued who surcease their paines in the Ministerie The vse hereof serueth to reprooue those who surcease their paines in the worke of the Ministerie because they cannot see the fruite of their labours but contrariwise finde that the more diligently they preach vnto their people the more obstinately they contemne the meanes of their saluation lothe the food of their soules and persist in their impenitencie For the neglect of other mens duties must not be an argument to make vs neglect ours but rather should make vs more earnest in the worke of the Ministerie Neither doe we know whom nor when the Lord will call the Spirit bloweth where it listeth and when it listeth and the Lord who hath the hearts of all in his hand can make those who were lions Esa 11. and beares and wolues yesterday to become this day gentle as lambes innocent as doues and of mockers of his word he can make zealous conuerts of persecuting Saul a preaching Act. 2. 13. 37. Act. 9. Paul Besides though they had certaine assurance that they should neuer conuert a soule of those people which are committed to them nor build vp any one in the faith of Christ yet are they not discharged of their worke nor hereby haue receiued a priuiledge of idlenesse seeing when these who haue often heard them doe obstinately stop their eares there are perhaps others who would willingly haue the benefit of their Ministerie And though there were not yet must we preach the word euen when wee are assured that it is the sauour of death vnto death because the Lord who hath set vs on worke and will surely pay vs our wages is as well glorified by executing iustice against obstinate sinners as by shewing mercie to those who are by his word moued to repentance and amendment of life The third thing to be obserued is that as al men had need The danger of euill neighbourhood to be admonished of their waies in the ministerie of the word so especially those which liue neere vnto wicked and vngodly neighbours who by their manifold inducements allurements and euill examples are alwaies readie to seduce them out of the way of righteousnesse into the way of sinne For this was the case of the people of the Iewes in this place who being themselues corrupted had the wicked Israelites for their neighbours who by all meanes were ready to draw them more and more from God into the bywaies of sin and wickednesse and therefore the Lord thought it good and necessarie to stop them in these euill courses not only by the admonitions of their owne Prophets who were purposely sent vnto them but also causeth our Prophet who was sent to the Israelites to admonish them to beware of being corrupted by their euill example So when the
common to those that are regenerate to slippe into the puddle of sinne but being defiled they are neuer at rest till they be washed and cleansed from their pollution with the blood of Christ applied vnto them by a true and renued faith but it is proper to the vnregenerate after they are fallen into this filthie sinck to wallow in it and to take their chiefe delight in their pollution It is incident to the faithfull to bee lead Rom. 7. 24. captiue of sinne howbeit being in captiuitie they are neuer quiet till they come out of this thraldome and obtaine desired libertie but it is peculiar to the wicked being made slaues to loue their bondage and being imprisoned as Satans vassals to delight in their prison and to be in loue with their greues setters and chaines of sinne wherewith they are held in his captiuitie The godly may do the euil they would not and neglect the good which they would do neuerthelesse they take no pleasure in their transgressions but they are delighted in the law of God in the inner man and it is as sweete vnto them as the honie or hony combe but to commit wickednes with the full swinge and consent of will to loath vertue and to be in loue with vice to offend God and to be well pleased when he is offended is the diuels badge whereby his seruants are knowne and distinguished from the seruants of God Lastly we here obserue that the Lord condemneth it as a great sin in the Rulers of Israel to take bribes and rewards in that not only thereby themselues were corrupted but also the whole state of gouernment disioynted and disordered because their bribing peruerted iustice and brought in impunitie and together with it all manner of sin and wickednesse But of this sinne my purpose is to speake more largely elsewhere and therefore I will heere passe it ouer ANd thus much concerning their sins Their punishmeÌ„t followeth Vers 19. The winde hath bound theÌ„ vp in her Vers 19 wings And they shall be ashamed of their sacrifices In which The exposition words he denounceth against them a double punishment the latter whereof is the effect of the former the first is captiuitie in these words The winde hath bound them vp in her wings the other is shame and confusion in the words following and they shall be ashamed of their sacrifices The former is expressed in a loftie allegorie wherein he resembleth the wrath of God pursuing the wicked Israelites to a swift winde or an vnresistable tempest and the people to dust or chaffe which thereby is caught vp and scattered ouer the face of the earth This similitude is here contracted but may be thus explicated As the wind catcheth vp the chaffe and carrieth it aloft with vnresistable swiftnes as though it were fast bound vnto his wings and hauing tossed it to and fro doth at last scatter it abroad vpon the earth so the anger of God stirred vp with the sinnes of the Israelites should seaze vpon them like a furious tempest and scatter them here and there in a miserable captiuitie amongst the Gentiles and nations who should be Lords ouer them The persons then thus to be scattered were the people of Israel signified by this word them which in the originall is expressed in the feminine gender and singular number ligauit eam hath bound her towit the nation of the Israelites or the tribe of Ephraim of which the former words are to be vnderstood The meanes whereby they should be thus scattered was the winde of Gods furie and fierce displeasure prouoked by their sinnes The like allegorie is vsed Iob 21. 18. Psal 1. 4. where it is Job 21. 18. Psalm 1. 4. Ezech. 5. 3. said that the wicked are as chaffe which the winde driueth away Ezech. 5. 3. Now the cause why he vseth this similitude was not only because these darke speeches were fit for a prophecie which is as a booke sealed vp vntill it be opened and expounded by the euent but also because in these few words being rightly vnderstood those heauie iudgements which were inflicted vpon the Israelites were most fully and fitly signified For first hereby is implied the suddennesse of this iudgement which should befall them when they least expected it for as a foule storme suddenly followeth a faire calme and the winde which commeth we know not from whence rusheth vpon vs with vnexpected speed so the Lord surprizeth the Israelites at vnawares with his heauie punishment of a miserable captiuitie and whilest they pampered themselues with the fleshly pleasures of drunkennesse and vncleannesse and hoarded vp the riches of iniquitie by bribing and extortion as though they were assured that they should neuer be dispossessed of them euen then suddenly the wrath of God attached them and brought vpon them the Assyrians who spoiled the land and led them into cruel bondage Secondly hereby is implied the swiftnesse of this iudgement which is here compared to the swiftnes of the winde and that wheÌ„ it goeth on Gods message with posting speed for as though the swiftnes of the winde were not quicke enough to expresse the speedines of Gods vengeance he giueth wings vnto it to double as it were his hast And thus this similitude is commonly vsed to signifie the hastie speedinesse of an action So when Dauid would in liuely manner expresse the speedie swiftnes which the Lord vseth in assisting his seruants and destroying his enemies he saith that He rode vpon the Cherub and did flie and he came flying vpon the wings of the winde Psal 18. 10. 2. Sam. 22. 11. and Psalm Psalm 18. 10. 104 3. 2. Sam. 22. 11. 104. 3. He maketh the clouds his chariot and goeth vpon the wings of the winde And in the same sense this similitude is vsed with prophane writers So Virgil Et ventis fulmiâ—â—s ocyor alis swifter then the winde or lightning Thirdly hereby is implied that this iudgement should come vpon them with such vnresistable furie that they should not be able by any meanes to withstand it and this is signified whereas it is said that the winde should binde them in his wings that is as they who are bound hand and foote are vtterly vnable to make resistance so they should bee so ouermatched and hampered by the Assyrians that it should be but folly to striue against their streÌ„gth seeing they should be debarred of all meanes whereby they might either defend themselues or offend the enemie And thus the vnresistable power of the Chaldeans is at large described Ioel. 1. 6. 7. 2. 2. 3. c. Joel 1. 6. 2. 2. 3. Fourthly hereby is signified the nature of their captiuitie namely that being led away by their enemies they should not haue any set place wherein they might rest and assemble themselues together for the performance of ciuill and diuine duties but that they should be tossed to and fro from post to pillar and be scattered and
1 Sam. 15. 11. and 1 King 11. 33 Because 1. Sam. 15. 11. 1. King 11. 33. they haue forsaken me c. and haue not walked in my wayes Againe the Lord is our true husband and the couenant of marriage on our part is that we will obserue marriage fidelitie and keepe our faith which we haue plighted vnto him inviolable which wee performe when as wee worship him alone in spirit and truth according to his reuealed will when as therefore we either goe a whoring after Idols or in stead of Gods true worship offer vnto him our owne will-worship and humane inventions wee violate our faith break the bond of marriage betweene vs and so renounce the Lord from being our husband The vse hereof is that we most carefully avoide all manner of Idolatry Superstition and will-worship and not flatter our selues with a conceipt that the Lord will be content with our devotion and good meaning though it dissent from his word that we may prostrate our bodie vnto an image and reserue our hearts for God and that his will our owne wils his Law and humane inventions may well stand together in his worship and seruice for God and Idols the Ark and Dagon light and darknesse righteousnesse and vnrighteousnesse true religion and sottish superstition will neuer agree together but as soone as we receiue the one we doe ipso facto exclude and forsake the other and therefore wee are put to our choise whether wee will forsake the true Iehouah or the Idoll Baal Gods true religion or our owne Superstions HEtherto we haue spoken of their first kind of Idolatry that is to say their consulting with Idols The second followeth which is their worshipping of them by offring vnto them sacrifices and oblations Vnto which is annexed the punishment which is inflicted vpon them for both the one and the other Verse 13. They sacrifice vpon the tops of Verse 13 the mountaines and burne incense vpon the hils vnder the Oake and the Poplar tree and the Elme because the shadow thereof is good therefore your daughters shall be harlots and your spouses shall be Whores c. The which words containe two parts The expositiō the first is an accusation of sinne the second is a denunciation of punishment Their sinne was their Idolatrous worship which also was performed in places prohibited by Gods expresse commaundement They sacrifice vpon the tops of the mountaines Where hee more plainely sheweth what he meant by the spirit of fornications in the former Verse namely that they had forsaken the Lord and his true worship together with the place vnto which it was appropriated and committed spirituall whoredome with their idols which they erected to themselues vpon euery hill and mountaine So that here he accuseth and condemneth them of a double sinne the first was their Idolatrie wherby they worshipped God in Idols and Images of wood and stone contrary to the expresse Word of God both in the second commandement and else where the second was that they worshipped in prohibited places for the Lord had expresly charged them that they should offer their sacrifices in no place but in his Tabernacle and Temple and that they should erect no other Alters but the Alter for the burnt offrings and for the incense which himselfe had caused to be made and placed first in the Tabernacle and then in the Temple as appeareth Deut. 12. 11. 13. 14. 2 Chro. 7. 12. Exod. 20. 24. Deut. 12. 11. 2 Chro. 7. 12. Exod. 20. 24. Deut. 27. 5. 6. Ios 22. 10. 16. Deut. 27. 5. 6. 7. Ios 22. 10. 16. 19. Both that hee might hereby restraine them from will-worship and also that hee might typically teach them that as they had but one Temple to serue in so they had but one God to serue as they had but one Alter for their sacrifices and one for their incense so there was but one Mediator which sanctified all their oblations and perfumed all their prayers whereby they became like sweet odours in Gods nosthrils But they neglected the commaundements of God and erected altars and offred sacrifices vpon the hils and mountaines imitating therein the heathenish Gentiles who erected their Temples in woods and groues vpon the tops of hils according to that Lucus in vrbe fuit media laetissimus vmbra c. Vir. Aeneid lib. 1. Hic Templum Iunoni ingens Sidonia Dido Condebat Whereof also their Temples were called Phana because in respect of their high situation they were eminent and conspicuous to which they were moued by these considerations because being more stately majesticall they thought them more fit for diuine worship and also because they thought these places in regard of their eminencie nearer vnto heauen which is the place of Gods chiefe residence wherin they preferred heathenish wil-worship and their owne naturall reason before the expresse word of God And this was that idolatrous superstition which is so often condemned in the bookes of the Kings Chronicles namely that they did worship in the groues and high places yea kings otherwise godly religious are blemished with this note of disgrace that they suffred such kinde of worship and did not cut downe the groues and vtterly demolish these idolatrous places Thus Salomon sinned in erecting an high place for Chemosh the abhomination of Moab in the mountaine c. as appeareth 1 King 11. 7. And thus the Israelites 1. King 11. 7. Esay 57. 7. Ier. 2. 20. Ezech. 6. 13. daily prouoked Gods anger against them as we see both in this place in diuers others Esa 57. 7. Ier. 2. 20. Ezec. 6. 13. It is further added by way of more particular description that they burned incense vpon the hils vnder the Oakes the Poplar tree and the Elme and the reason mouing them therevnto is adjoyned because the shadow therof was good the meaning is that they sacrificed and burnt incense in their groues and made choyse for this purpose of such trees as were most pleasant and by reason of their broad and thick leaues most fit to cast a delightful shadow which would not onely shelter them from the schorching heat of the Sun but also stirre vp in them a kind of superstitious deuotion The which also was increased by a conceit which they had of the trees themselues for as they put more holynesse in the hils then in the vallies so also in one tree more then in another in respect of the diuers idols vnto which they were consecrated according to that Populus Alcidae gratissima vitis Iaccho formosae myrtus veneri sua laurea Phoebo Virg. eglog 7. That is the Poplar tree is most acceptable to Hercules the Vine to Bacchus the Myrrhe tree to Venus and the Bay tree to Apollo Whereby the Prophet sheweth that they were vtterly fallen away from the true religion to Paganisme and Heathenish superstition and idolatry for which sinnes they were much more vnexcusable both because for
because hee dishonoured GOD and caused his holy name to be blasphemed amongst the Gentiles by his sinnes of adulterie and murther as also by his indulgency towards his Children whom he not onely corrected not but not so much as reproued the Lord punished him not onely as hee was a King but also as hee was a Father by suffering both Children and Subjects to neglect their duetie and as both by the sword of the Children of Ammon and his owne vncleanesse hee had dishonoured God so the Lord vsed both the sword and filthines of his owne Children to his dishonour and disgrace For Ammon his Sonne defiled Thamar his Daughter and then Absalon murthered Ammon because his Father had not as hee ought duely punished his abhominable filthinesse And then againe when as justice was not executed against Absalon for his murther according to Gods Law hee liued to the dishonour of his Father who had not giuen glory to God by inflicting deserued punishments for sinne defiling his Concubines in the sight of the people and thrusting him for a time out of his kingdome with extreame perill of his life The vse of this Doctrine serueth first to teach vs that aboue all things wee labour in the performance of all holy Dueties to aduance the glory of Gods holy Name whereby it will come to passe that the Lord will bee carefull of our honour and reputation and so guide and direct by his holy Spirit all those who belong vnto vs that they shall performe all good Dueties vvhich may both credit and comfort vs. Whereas on the other side if wee dishonour God by neglecting such duties as hee requireth he will withdraw his spirit and giue ouer our inferiours to their owne vnnaturall stubbornesse and perversnesse and then they by neglecting all good duties will dishonour and disgrace vs. 1 Sam. 2. 30. 1 Sam. 2. 30. Secondly from hence wee learne whence originally Whence chieflie proceede all disorders in families proceede all disorders and enormious Crimes in families namely because the chiefe heads neglect their duety towards God and so dishonour his holy Name It is an vsuall complaint which soundeth in euery mans eares in these our dayes that children are vndutifull to parents stubborne and disobedient and that Seruants vvere neuer so negligent in performance of all dutyes towards their superiours and men wonders to see such a great difference betweene these times and those which went before But if wee would goe to the fountaine of these euils and finde out the core of all these corruptions wee shall finde that howsoeuer inferiours cannot be excused yet the fault is principally in the Superiours and gouernours Either because they neglect their dutie towards them from whom they expect dutie as by being like Elie indulgent not correcting the vices of their Children and so honouring them more then God or by being loose in their gouernment or lewde and scandalous in their example or finally because they doe not like Abraham instruct their familie in the wayes of the Lord themselues nor take care that they may be instructed by others and so liuing in ignorance and neglecting all duties which they owe to God it is no meruaile that they are vndutifull and disobedient to parents and gouernours seeing the loue and feare of God is the fountaine of all loue and dutie towards men Or if so be men can pleade not guiltie in all these inditements yet if they be arraigned at the barre of Gods iudgement and haue their owne consciences produced as witnesses against them they will bee forced to confesse that they haue ben exceeding negligent in performing all good duties towards God himselfe and through their coldnesse backwardnesse want of zeale and disobedience they haue beene wanting to God in the aduancement of his glorie and contrariwise haue dishonoured his name and scandalized their profession and therefore it is most just with God that hee exposeth them to shame and reproach by suffering their children and seruants to liue in such infamous sinnes and rebellious wickednesse as disgrace and discredite the whole familie without any inward restraint of his spirit or any outward stop by afflictions and punishments Thirdly whereas hee saith that this people who did Ignorance doth not free vs from the punishment of sinne not vnderstand that is who continued ignorant of God and his will should fall and bee ouerwhelmed with Gods judgements hence wee obserue that ignorance will not free vs from punishment but rather will make vs to bee swallowed vp of vengeance in the day of wrath For the better vnderstanding whereof wee are to consider what ignorance is lawfull and good and what is sinfull and wicked what ignorance excuseth and extenuateth sinne and mittigateth punishment and what doth aggrauate them Of diuers kinds of ignorance 1 Commendable ignorance And first wee are to know that there is a lawfull and commendable kinde of ignorance when as wee doe not presume to vnderstand aboue that which is meete to vnderstand but that wee doe vnderstand according to sobrietie as God hath dealt to euery man the measure of Faith as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 12. 3. And when as wee leaue the secret things Rom. 12. 3. not reuealed in Gods word to the Lord and earnestly labour to informe our selues in those things which are reuealed as it is Deut. 29. 29. not curiously prying into Gods hidden Deut. 29. 29. Mysteryes but rather drawing before them the curtaine of reuerent ignorance For example it is no sinne to bee ignorant of Gods secret will and counsaile and of his works before the Creation of the orders and degrees of the Angels or not to comprehend by a cleare and distinct knowledge the Mysterie of the Trinitie the hypostaticall Vnion of Christ two natures nor the Vnion betweene Christ and his Church seeing some of these are not manifestly reuealed but as it were in a darke Myrrour and some being infinite and incomprehensible can no more bee comprehended by our shallow vnderstanding then the whole world can bee grasped in a mans hand or the maine Ocean can be contained in a nut-shell The sinfull ignorance is of two kindes The first necessary Of sinfull and necessary ignorance the other voluntary and affected Necessary ignorance is eyther that darknesse of vnderstanding and blindnesse of minde deriued from our first Parents which is one of the branches of originall sinne or that actuall ignorance which continueth in vs after wee come to yeares when as we are depriued of the meanes of knowledge both which cannot bee excused much lesse defended in that wee are ignorant of those things which wee ought to know and that through our owne default as being guilty of the sinne of our first Parents for God in them indued vs with a cleare light of knowledge but wee in them did fall into sinne and thereby put out the light and defaced the image of God in our vnderstanding But howsoeuer this ignorance is the euill of