superstitious people who are forward and zealous in their own way of Worship yet they are very slight and negligent in Gods way of Worship little regard that Indeed their own Altars they were accounted great things that way which they appointed themselves they did not care what cost they were at in that way but as for Gods way that was as a strange thing unto them We have seen it very evident and do see it in great part to this day how those that are very zealous in superstitious worship are the most negligent in Gods way of Worship to instance you know in late times what a deal of stir did men make with their own forms of Worship with their own Ceremonies and Waies of Worship which they appointed how zealous were they in them and devout were they in them when they came in publick Congregations to bow and cring and for other Ceremonies that they said were only for the decency of Gods Worship how stiff were they in them that the mouths of the most Godly Ministers must be stop'd if they would not conform to them But even these men would scorn and jeer at strictness in Gods Waies and slight any man that would be consciencious in the Waies of God and they were Rebels that should not yeild to a Ceremony because it was disobedience to Magistracy For men to be consciencious for little things as they thought in Gods Law seemed strange when as they would urge men to obey to the uttermost in little things in their own so in another point that fals out as full and reasonable for the time as in the point of their own Feastivals and Holy daies those that would persecute to the uttermost men that should work but to get bread for their families on a Holy-day yet they could publish Books of Sports for the prophanation of the Lords Day And thus the great things of Gods Law they were strange things but their own things Holy-daies were great matters Surely if it were such a great matter to keep the Festival of Christs Nativity we should have some hint of it from the beginning of Matthew to the end of the Revelations but when God gives not the least hint of any such time And mark it those people that stand most upon such Festivals they stand least upon Gods Sabbaths and indeed you shall have many people which think it a strange thing for men not to have regard to such Festivals Why may not we keep the birth of our Savior Now that you might not think it a strange thing do but consider of this that when God hath set apart any thing for a holy use it is no strange thing but it should be strange in man to venture to imitate God in the things of his Worship to do that in Gods worship which God himself hath done before thus God hath set apart a holy time viz. the Sabbath it is set apart for to solemnize all the work of Redemption both the Nativity of Christ and his Life and Death and Resurrection and Ascention and the coming of the Holy Ghost all the things about mans Redemption I say God hath set the Sabbath apart to that end that we might have a Holy day to keep the remembrance of them Now when God hath set one day apart for man to dare to venture to set another apart this is presumption So because Christ hath set outward Elements and Sacraments to be a remembrance for his body and blood for man to say Christ hath set apart a piece of Bread and Wine why may not I set some other thing apart This you would all say were a great presumption Certainly the presumption is the same in the former Again it is observable in this expression They counted it as a strange thing It is a dangerous thing for men to have their hearts estranged from Gods Law and from the other Spiritual Truths that are in Gods Word from the knowledg of that Law which we have been educated in and that heretofore we have made profession of for thus it was with this people they had been educated in Gods Law and made profession of it and whatsoever God should reveal they would obey but now their hearts were estranged from what they were educated in and made profession of Oh! let men take heed of this for ever You that have had good education you have been brought up in the knowledg of Gods Law you have had gracious principles of Gods Law dropt into you in your youth you have made fair profession of Gods Law of obedience to it take heed now of being estranged from those truths that heretofore have been familiar to you that you have made profession of and therefore take heed of the several degrees of the estrangement of the heart from the Law of God I will but only name them to shew how the hearts of men do grow strangers from Gods Law First It fares with his heart as it doth with a man that grows to be a stranger from his friends A man that hath a familiar friend he doth not estrange himself suddenly but by degrees it may be visit one another less than they were wont to do and yet there is no contention between them but by degrees they grow to be strange and then at length they grow to be very enemies And thus it is with mens hearts when men grow strange from the Word that he was acquainted withal before first he begins to call things in question whether things be so or no and especially those things which most concern the mortifying of sin and the strictness of holiness Secondly He begins upon this or rather I think that 's the first he begins to abate his delight in the truths of God he was wont to take abundance of delight to meditate in the Word Oh how sweet it was when he awaked in the night season he was wont to take a great deal of delight about conferring in Gods Word and when he came into any company but now it is abated that 's the first Secondly he calls those things into question that he was very confident in before whether they be so or no. Thirdly He begins to have some hard thoughts of Gods Word Many men that heretofore did prize the Word and those Truths that were the joy of their hearts yet now they begin to have hard thoughts of them Yea fourthly He begins to wish that those things which are in the Word were otherwise than they are he cannot see enough to perswade him that the things are true but his heart coming to be estranged from the Word he doth desire they were not true as a man that comes to be estranged from another he could wish he were further off from him Fifthly He begins to listen to those things which are against the Word there was a time that he would never regard any things
shame to their children 222 Parents must give their children good education 266 Passions Disordered passions cause sad conclusions 284 Peace see Leagues People People give power to Kings 16 Common people follow the great Ones 381 Peace Many while they provide for peace provide for ruin 60 Perplexed Why the wicked are perplexed in the day of the Lords wrath 177 Persevere We ought to persevere in duties though we have no present comfort 428 Plow Wee should plow in hope all our lives 428 Wee must continue plowing 471 Plow-men see Ministers Policy see Reason Pomp see Superstition Popery Popery almost brought in at London 25 Pride There is much pride in dejection 169 Pride is the root of not hearing 295 See Stubborness Prayer Weak prayer may be strong 315 Preservation Gods preservation of us all our daies shewed 245 Princes Princes when they come first to the Crown promise faire 276 Princes are not to be trusted in 338 None so perfidious as Princes 338 Prophane see Idolaters Prosper We may prosper and yet have no cause to joy in it 141 Prosperity Take heed in prosperity 250 Professors Yong Professors should be kept down 308 Why Professors are empty 314 See Yong Question Q Question A Question answered by a Professor 180 Quick-sightedness The quick-sightedness of the enemy comes from the Lord. 20 R Racha The word Racha explained 303 Religion When Arms may be taken for Religion 21 Good acts in Religion may be evil in the doer 77 Religion is a Saints recreation 165 Reason Reason Pollicy and Experience may go one way and yet Gods Word another 85 Redemption see Sabbath Recreation see Religion Reformation Reformation cannot prosper except Justice be established 379 Revelations Revelations besides the Word are dangerous 91 Riches Riches in goods work is the best wealth 321 Righteousness What Righteousness is 479 Rod We must not chuse our sin and rod too 427 Romans see Crucifying Ruin Gods mercy prevents our ruin 67 False worship is the ruin of a Land 159 See Peace Rule A Rule to teach common people how to judge of their Ministers 197 Cautions to the same RULE 198 See Scripture S Sabbath The Sabbath was appointed for Commemoration of our Redemption 110 Saints The Saints prize the Law of God 100 The Saints should sorrow most for sin 151 How the Saints rejoyce in Gods vengeance 175 Saints admonished 219 The Saints should prize the enjoyment of God 251 Satan What Satans great design is 200 Scripture The Scripture is the Rule and the Expositor to understand the Rule 87 The Scripture should be looked upon as particular to our selves 92 Self People stick much at what comes from self 30 Self-denial God requirs self-denial in temporal things 119 Servants Great is the danger of servants at their own hand 54 Servants to great men exhorted 277 Service To be employed in publick Service is the making of a man 123 Service-book Service-book and Altars all some mens Religion 387 Sin God knows how to make use of mens sins 22 A man may commit the sin against the holy Ghost and yet continue in Duties 115 God remembers the sin of wicked men when they perform holy duties and why 122 See Altars Rod. Signs Signs of much wrath 126 Sound see Threatning Smiting Smiting with the Pen is worse than smiting with the Sword 281 Sinner God may damn a lesser sinner and save a greater sinner 152 Soul The Excellency of the Soulâ—â— 33 Soldiers Soldiers are Gods Priests 174 Sorrow see Lumpish Spirit The Spirit of God forsaw this generation 114 States States may judg of the right of a Kingdom 2â— Stubborness Stubborness is the fruit of pride 53 Strong Strong places are not to be trusted in 132 Success Sometimes God gives success in judgment 421 Succession Succession ads to Idolatry 80 Superstition How it was superstition in the Israelites to build temples 130 Who mourns most for superstition 391 Why carnal men contend for superstition 490 Superstitious Superstitious men regard outward pomp 27 A note to the Superstitious 204 Superstitious children admonished 258 Sword see Smiting T Taxes Taxes upon mens estates are but mean burdens 66 Teachers Teachers establish worship 84 Temple see Superstition Threatning The threatning of God is a terrible sound 3 Men should be sensible of the threatnings of God 68 Distance of time in commandements and threatnings is not to be heeded 80 Trumpet see Luther Themistocles The saying of Themistocles at his death Thoughts The shifting thoughts of carnal hearts in time of danger 181 Time Evil timâ— are good times to die in 265 Time for England to seek God 477 See Threatning V Vanity Scripture expressions of the vanity of great persons 403 Vessels Gods grace to the vessels of mercy 49 Vile Vile things are many times hid under glorious titles 191 Vileness see Diffidence Villany The villany of malicious Commanders against the Godly 257 Vine The fruitfulness of Vines 300 The Church compared to a Vine ibid. See Emptiness Unclean Why Mourners for the dead were so long uncleane 167 Use Use for the afflicted 440 W Waies see Follow Wealth Wealth is wicked mens glory 223 Wicked men Wicked men are as Eagles in their rage 5 Wicked men first serve their turns of the godly and then scorn them 47 Wicked men are wild upon their lusts 52 Wicked men are contemptible 53 See Perplexity Wind Who they are that sow the wind 37 Ministers must beware they sow not the wind 41 Rules how ib. See God Wine Wine in sacrifices what it signified 162 Wil-worship Will-worship an empty thing 303 Work see Ministers Works see Good Word It is a singular blessing to have the written Word 88 By whom the Word is counted strange 105 World see Christ Worship Gods Worship is an excellent thing 12 Gods Worship is cast off by carnal hearts ibid. Gods Worship must not be imitated 110 The Worship of God is a great matter 104 True Worship must be mourned after 388 See False and Invention Wrath The wrath of God is many times executed in answering our desires 150 The wrath of God called Wine and why 174 See Signs Writers see Men Y Yoke Christ's yoke easier than the yoke of the enemy 436 Young Young Professors their danger 45 Young Professors should be kept down 308 See Vine Young ones Young ones exhorted 214 Young ones the hope of a Nation Youth Youths sins are Ages terrors 121 FINIS 1. Text. 2. Apptic by paraphrase Obs 1 Luther called the trumpet of rebellion simile Pliny Why crucifying on a tree was so hateful to the Romans Expos 3. Obser 2. The paraphrase Obs 3. Luther Author The Assyrians Army why an Eagle Why the Eagle was unclean under the Law Obs Goâ— accepts not Eagles but Doves Obs 1. Gualt Applied to England Obs 2 Obs 3. Luther Author Obs 1. Obs 2. A true Church Use 'T is good dwelling in Gods house Ps 26. 8. explained Officers of the Church Obs 3. The good of Christians depends upon the Covenant
of his people so the Curse of God is upon the wicked projects of his enemies God may seem many times to leave many a good action but God doth carry it through at length though it seems to have many things that would crush it in the very bud yet God carries good projects through many difficulties and God crushes wicked projects through much prosperity Lastly To have the satisfying of our desires to go on a while and to have them cut off before we enjoy them is a great judgment but just with God it should be so for ordinarily we are thus in our obedience that usually withers before it comes to any ripeness if it get up to the stalk it may be it comes not to a bud if to meal some strange lust or other comes in and devours it Oh how many times doth our strange lusts devour our good actions that comes forth a good way How many in their young yeers we had thought very gracious seed began to sprout forth and we had thought that the seed grew to a stalk and when they came to be for themselves we had thought they had begun to bud in gracious actions we had thought it came to be meal to their middle age but to their old age strange lusts hath come and devoured all It 's great judgment for strangers to devour our estates when we have scraped a deal together truly for strange lusts to come to devour thy hopeful beginnings it 's a greater judgment than for strangers to devour thy estate that thou hast gotten by a great deal of labor Many men have labored all their lives and taken pains and that which they have done hath seemed to come to something and the truth is in the conclusion the Devil hath had the advantage of all And God seems to be out against us in some degree even in the waies of his judgments at this day thus as many of the Adversaries projects so many of ours the Lord hath blasted before they come to a stalk and when they have been budded the Lord hath blasted them by unfaithfulness of some or others when we have had our greatest thoughts the Lord hath seem'd to blast us and what God will do with us we know not only let us make sure that our seed be good and though this doth not prosper or the other doth not yet at last God will bring the greater Harvest upon us VER 8. Israel is swallowed up now they shall be among the Gentils as a vessel wherein there is no pleasure ISRAEL they had made so many Leagues among other People til they were even swallowed up by them And truly my Brethren if there be not a great care had there is much danger in making Leagues with other Nations lest upon the need they see we have of them they should incroach upon us and at length even have Laws given to us by them It was so with the people of Israel that by their League with other people they were so incroacht upon by them as at length they gave them Laws and swallowed them up And thus many of the People of God yea of the Churches of God by mingling themselves with the world are even swallowed up so as they lose their beauty and there 's no difference appears between them and the men of the world It 's one thing for wicked men to creep into the Church unawares and certainly there 's none can expect that any Church in the world can continue but wicked men and hypocrites will mingle themselves but it 's one thing when they creep in unawares and another thing when the fence is broken down so as it is very hard to see any face of a Church among them thus it was with Israel But now shall they be among the Gentils as a vessel wherein is no pleasure By these words Vessel of no pleasure is meant a vessel that is for the carrying up and down of excrements only the Scripture when it mentions such vile things speaks in a modest way but that 's the meaning of the word as if he should say Even my people shal be in a vile contemptible condition among the Gentiles as a vessel that is fit for nothing but excrements Jehoiakim is threatned in Jer. 22. 18. though a great man yet he is threatned to be as a vessel wherein is no pleasure they had wasted their substance in seeking help from the Egyptians and Assyrians and these made a prey of them so long as they had any thing of value continued then they made much of them but their estates being once wasted and they swallowed up in their very estates they look now upon them as vile and contemptible in their eyes And this is the way of wicked men while wicked men are serving their own turns upon any they will hug them and make much of them but if that be done then they scorn them contemn them non are more scorn'd and contemn'd than Professors of Religion who have basely crouched to wicked men and sought to shelter themselves under them when their estates are once consum'd and gone they are more scorned by those that served themselves of them than any and therefore let us learn wisdom and how far we venture to make use of men and do not please our selves in this that they hug and commend us if it be but to serve their own turns when they have gotten what they would have they will then scorn you and look upon you as base people and kick you out Again A vessel wherein is no pleasure The Seventy translate it an unprofitable vessel But there is more intended certainly in this expression a vessel imployed in base and contemptible uses Israel shall be so imployed and thereby he shall know a difference between my service and the service of their enemies Oh it is a sad expression what Israel a vessel imployed and received to empty out excrements 1. Israel were a people precious and honorable in the eyes of God Isa 43. 4. 2. An holy people unto the Lord Deut. 14. 2. 3. They were Gods peculier People above all Nations in the world in the same place 4. Gods Portion Deut. 32. 9. 5. Gods Inheritance Isa 19. 25. 6. Gods pâ—â—ulier Treasure Exod. 19. 5. 7. Gods Glory Isa 46. 13 8. Gods Deligâ—â—â— Isa 62. 4. 9. Israel were the deerly Beloved of Gods Soulâ— Jer. 12. 7. and yet now Israel is become a vessel only to take in and empty out excrements Oh what a change doth sin make they were holy vessels imployed in holy services in attending upon God and His Worship so as no people were but now oh what a change hath sin made in them How doth sin vilifie men to be imployed in base services it is the most against an ingenuous spirit that any thing can be I remember I have read of a young man of Sparta that being taken by Antigonus and sold for
be look'd upon as great things the things of Gods Word That 's the first And then especially The things that concern Gods Worship are to be look'd upon as great things for so it hath reference to them but the expression aims at that which is more general the great things of my Law the honorable magnificent and glorious things Now the things of the Law are great things First Because they are from the great God and they have the stamp of the Authority of the great God upon them there is a dreadful Authority in every Truth in every thing that is written in Gods Law I say there is a dreadful Authority of the great God that binds Kings and Princes in chains that laies bonds upon the conscience that no created power can yet this doth when we come to hear the Word we come either as to a Soveraign to receive Laws from or as to a Judg to receive the sentence of death it hath the dreadful Authority of the great God in it and therefore every thing that is in the Word is to be look'd upon as a great thing a piece of Parchment and a little Wax and a few Lines in it what are they but having the Authority of the great Seal of England such a piece is to be look'd upon as a great thing The things of Gods Law are great things for they have great Authority which goes along with them And Secondly They are great things because of the lustre of the great God that shines in them Take all the Creatures that ever God made in Heaven and Earth and I say there is not so much glory of God in Sun Moon Stars Sea and Plants and al things in the world as there is in some few sentences of holy Scripture therfore they are great things Psal 138. 2. Thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name The Name of God appears in his great work of Creation and of Providence We are to look upon Gods Name as very great yet thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name it 's more than al Gods Names besides It may be when there are some extraordinary works of God in the world Thundring and Lightning c. we are ready to be affraid and oh the great God that doth appear in these great works Were our hearts 〈◊〉 they ought to be when we reade the WORD we would tremble at that more than at any manifestation of God since the world began in all his Works and if so be thou dost not see more glory of God in his Word than in his Works it is because thou hast little light in thee and therfore let the world think of the things of Gods Law that are written as they wil yet they are the great things of his Law Thirdly They are the great Mysteries of Gods Will the great Counsels of God about the Souls of men about his way to honor Himself and to bring Mankind to Himself to Eternal life the great Counsels great Mysteries that are contained in the Word of God such as the Angels themselves do desire to pry into as in Prov. 8. 6. it is said of Wisdom Hear and I will speak of excellent things The Word of God speaks of excellent things right excellent things such great Mysteries of Gods Wisdom as should take up our thoughts yea and doth take up the Angels and shall take up the Angels and Saints to all Eternity to be prying into the great things which are revealed in Gods Word Psal 119. 27. Make me to understand the way of thy precepts so shall I talk of thy wondrous Works Mark how these are joyned together Make me to understand the way of thy precepts so shall I talk of thy wonderous works Why David couldest not thou see the wonderous works of God in the book of the creature in Heaven and Earth Oh no Make me to understand the way of thy precepts and then shall I talk of thy wonderous Works We many times talk about vain and slight things because we have nothing else to talk of but did we understand the way of Gods precepts we should be furnished with discourse of the wondrous works of God And then It 's a great WORD because that they are of great concernment The things of Gods Law are of great concernment for all our present good or evil depends upon the things of Gods Law Prov. 3. 22. They are life unto thy soul and grace unt◠〈◊〉 neck So saith Moses in Deut. 32. 46. Set your hearts unto all the words which I testifie unto you this day for it is not a vain thing it is your life they are of great concernment there 's a curse annexed to the breach of every thing in Gods Law Cursed be every one that abideth not in every thing that is written in the book of the Law Is it not a great matter then Certainly there is nothing in the Law that is to be look'd upon as a little matter because the Curse of God is annexed to the breath of every thing that is written in Gods Law and there we have the casting of our souls for eternity and is not that a great matter Did we come to hear the Word or did we reade the Word as the Word by which we must be cast for our eternal estates we would look upon it as a great Word Again The things are great things in Gods Law in regard of the great power and efficacy that they have upon the hearts and consciences of men when God sets home the things of his Law they will bring down the proudest heart and the stoutest stomach that is they will enlighten the blindest mind and convert the hardest heart that is in the world the Law hath a mighty power upon the soul and therefore it is great Further They are great things because they make all those great that do receive them they make them great even because they have but the keeping of them much more than if they receive them in Deut. 4. 8. What Nation is there so great that hath Statutes and Judgments so righteous as all this Law that I set before you this day What Nation so great as you are why wherein are we greater than other people Wherein In this What Nation is so great that hath Statutes and Judgments so righteous as all this Law which I set before you this day This was that which made the People of Israel a great Nation beyond all the Nations in the world they were not great in multitude but in that they had the Law of God and the great things of his Law revealed to them in this they became a great Nation The Lord honors a Nation highly but to reveal the things of His Law to them But how great then doth a soul come to be that doth imbrace those things that hath all those great and good things reveal'd in the Law made to it as its own priviledg Surely that soul
of God When a man is crying for an Alms but for a piece of bread to be rejected is something but when a man is crying for his soul then to be rejected and by God himself this is more grievous Secondly The bread for their soul that is The bread they have to maintain their lives withal if they would offer that to the Lord it should not come into the house of the Lord to be accepted for by bread for their souls may be meant the bread that they have to maintain their lives for so we find the Scripture cals the soul the life of a man in Mat. 6. 24. Is not the life more worth than meat the words in the original are Is not the Soul of man It is here the bread for the soul that is the very bread that they have to maintain their lives their necessary bread that they have to live on although they should be willing to offer that to the Lord it shall not come unto him Now this is as if the Prophet should say to them Now you cannot be brought to them to offer your superfluity to God but your condition shall be such as if you would offer the necessary bread you have to preserve your lives if you would offer that to God God will not accept of it As if a man were so poor that he were ready to starve and yet for all that such a man would say Wel though I starve yet I wil offer this I have to live on and I would offer this to God rather than have it my self now you would think this should be an argument of a great deal of devotion But the case shall be now that though you would seek God with such earnestness yet the heart of God shall be so hardened against you as they will not be accepted Those who in time of prosperity are loth to deny their ease and loth to lay out any thing of their superfluity for God but time may come that though they should be willing to bite off their very nails and pluck out their eyes and tear their very flesh in indignation for their sin in respect unto God any way yet this God shall not vouchsafe to have regard unto Therefore this learn by it to seek God while he may be found and not to stand upon your own terms with God in the day of your prosperity and to say I cannot spare this and that for him but if we deny God now what is his due though we would give to him hereafter that that our lives lay upon yet it shall not be accepted 3. Bread for their souls that is they shall have no more bread than will serve for their very life from hand to mouth they shall have nothing to bring to the House of the Lord they shall be so put to it when they are in captivity they shall be kept so strictly as to have nothing but bread and water nothing but from hand to mouth they shall be far enough from having any thing to offer to the Lord to be accepted of him if they should think of bringing any thing to the House of the Lord alas what have they nothing but a little bread for their soul From whence the Note is this To have no estate to offer to God in his service in the waies of his publick worship is a great affliction It follows VER 5. What will ye do in the solemn day and in the day of the feast of the Lord NOW they shall remember their solemn daies their feasts and see themselves cut off from any further enjoying of them it must needs be a great sadning unto their spirits to think what daies once they had Oh what solemn times and feasts that they did keep to God for any to sit down in times of affliction and say I remember what daies of joy in the service of God I once had but now they are gone Oh! the daies that I was wont to have how sweet were they but all is now past and we must sit down in sorrow and affliction There was a time saith God by the Prophet that you would not suffer any to go up to the feast but now you shall be far enough from Jerusalem or any other place of Worship and the very remembrance of those solemn daies shall be grievous to you Oh! what will you do in those solemn daies Those solemn daies were daies of joy in Numb 10. 10. Thus I think some carry it they make those feasts to be the feasts that they should have gone up to Jerusalem in but I take not this to be the scope of the holy Ghost here but rather thus by the solemn Daies and Feasts of the Lord is here meant the solemn day of Gods wrath and vengeance upon them now for the making out of that I shall shew first that in Scripture the day of Gods wrath is call'd the solemn day and the day of Gods feast is the day of his wrath a day wherein God feasts First The solemn day it is the day of Gods wrath in Lament 2. 22. Thou hast call'd as in a solemn day my terrors round about so that in the day of the Lords Anger none escaped So that the solemn day is the day of the Lords anger there And Secondly The day of Gods Feast that time when God doth execute his wrath upon wicked men is the day of a feast to God In Revel 19. 17 18. verses besides other texts An Angel cried with a loud voice to all the fowls that fly in the Heavens Come and gather your selves together to the supper of the great God that ye may eat the flesh of Kings and the flesh of Captains and the flesh of Mighty men and the flesh of Horses and of them that sit on them and the flesh of all men both free and bond both smal and great it is the day of the Lords feast Now 't is a solemn day a day of the execution of Gods wrath because now God executes wrath publickly and brings much wrath together Thou hast call'd as in a solemn day my terrors round about You know that in the day of a petty Sessions there may be some justice done but more privatly But in a day of solemn Assizes when there is a full Goal delivery then judgment is done publickly so God executes justice sometimes upon men particularly but God hath his solemn day to execute his judgments publickly before all and then the Lord feasts The day of execution of Gods wrath upon wicked men is a day of feast upon this ground First Because the day of their feasts were daies of slaying sacrifices so they should now be slain and God would account even their bodies that were slain to be as sacrifices for this great feast of his In Isa 34. 6. The Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozrah and a great slaughter in the Land of Idumea And in
Zeph. 1. 7. The day of the Lord is at hand the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice he hath bid his guests And then it shall come to pass in the day of the Lords sacrifice that I will punish the Princes and the Kings Children c. He hath bid his guests so here 's the feast of God and the slaughter of great men are here the dishes as it were of sacrifice that God would have at this his feast the Executioners of Gods wrath are now his Priests to kill his sacrifices Soldiers and Executioners they are turned the Priests of God for to kill his sacrifice for this his feast Hence in Jer. 6. 4. Prepare ye War against her it is in the Original Sanctifie the War and in another Scripture those that were the executioners of Gods wrath were call'd Gods Sanctified ones And then further A day of Feasting is a day of Rejoycing this day of the execution of Gods wrath upon sinners especially great sinners that do escape mens hands it is a day of Rejoycing to God as in a day of Feast And this word that is translated Feast it signifies Dancing it is a day wherein the Lords heart doth as it were leap within him because of joy God rejoyces in the execution of his righteous judgments upon them therefore Gods wrath in Scripture is call'd Wine They shall drink of the Wine of his wrath the Lord at length when sinners continue impenitent is as much delighted in the execution of his Justice as men can be in drinking of Wine In Deut. 28. 63. As the Lord rejoyced over you to do you good so the Lord will rejoyce over you for evil And in Ezek. 5. 13. Thus shall mine anger be accomplished and I will cause my fury to rest upon them and I will be comforted It 's a very strange expression Oh! let us my Brethren take heed how we rejoyce in sin God may rejoyce in the execution of his Judgments upon us due to our sin Men have their daies in joy and mirth in sin and God hath his daies of joy and mirth in the execution of his wrath Oh! how sad is the condition of a creature when the infinite merciful God shall rejoyce in his ruin Surely then if God doth so rejoyce in the exceution of his wrath upon wicked men then the Saints also may rejoyce in Psal 58. 10. The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked Taken from the custom of those Countries that were wont after their travels to wash their feet with cold water and that did refesh them so the blood of the wicked should be refreshment to the righteous Now this is not an insulting joy over them but rejoycing in the honor that God hath and in the good that doth come to the Church by the execution of such men both unto God and to his people So that it follows in Psal 58. 11. Verily there is a reward for the righteous verily there is a God that Judgeth in the earth The Saints may look upon wicked men when they see them executed and pitty them as men but they may rejoyce in this because they see such a spectacle before them as makes this Scripture to be good Verily there a reward for the righteous verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth And in Psal 52. 6. The Righteous shall see and fear and laugh Mark though he may rejoyce yet he must have fear mixed with it he shall see and fear and laugh And note that Scripture is spoken of a great Courtier of Doeg one that was a most desperate enemy to Gods people one that watch'd all the waies he could to do mischief and especially to do mischief to David and he was the man that came and stir'd up the King against David this 52. Psalm is made concerning this Doeg and a Prophesie of his destruction saith the Spirit of God The Righteous shall see and fear and laugh If a man can keep his heart spiritiual sanctifying Gods Name in the beholding such an object those that are eminent wicked men brought to execution he may Lawfully according to the mind of God feast his eyes in the beholding of it such a day is call'd the Feast of the Lord. And the Lord doth not use to feast himself but he calls his Saints to feast with him in Prov. 11. 10. When it goeth well with the righteous the City rejoyceth and when the wicked perish there is shouting And this is according to Gods mind it should be so And therefore Christians above all men should be far from a proud insulting even over these men but yet when God laies an object before them wherein they may see the answer of so many prayers and the fruit of the cries of so many thousands that were oppressed yea of so many thousand conscience oppressed ones that have cried against such a one if at the stroke of God they with hearts lift up to him shall give a shout that shall come up to the Heavens this pleases God and the holy Angels and it is musick fit for the day of the feast of the Lord thus the Saints may do in the day of the feasts of the Lord. Yea but saith the holy Ghost here by the Prophet But what will you do the Saints may do thus when God makes this his feast in the execution of such eminent wicked men he calls you to it to rejoyce and bless his Name he bids you look here and see is it not good waiting upon me the Saints may do so and bless God But what will YOV do in the day of the feast of the Lord What will wicked men do in that day what will become of all your jolity what will become of all your stoutness and wilfulness of all your pride of all your scorning of all your vain hopes when this solemn day comes and when the feast of the Lord comes In Isa 10. 3. we have a Scripture paralel to this What will you do in the day of visitation what will you do and to whom will you fly for help and where will you leave your glory Can you tell what in the world to do You can tell what to do now you have your wills and pride it and stout it out now but what will you do in the day of visitation when Gods solemn day and this feast comes Oh! what can they do but as the great and mighty men Revelations 6. they cry to the hills to fall upon them and to the mountains to cover them for the great day of the Lambs wrath is come Those that are the most bold and presumptuous in their sins when this day of the Lord comes they shall be in the most miserable perplexity not knowing what to do they know not how to bear that which is
of such poor things as they have in the Creature should imbolden their hearts against the great God of Heaven and Earth yet thus it is men little consider but even those things that their hearts do so much rest upon they are absolutely at the dispose of this God whom their hearts do not fear But note let the Saints of God take this Note with them Shall creature confidence take mens hearts off from Gods fear Then let Gods fear take your hearts off from creature confidence Certainly there 's a great deal more reason Oh! 't is infinitely irrational that creature confidence should take the heart from Gods fear but it 's infinitely rational that Gods fear should take our hearts off from creature confidence Thirdly Now they shall say We feared not the Lord. The taking from a People the protection of and benefit they might have by Kingly Power is a punishment of the want of the fear of God in them We have no King we are deprived of the benefit of the good that we might have the protection that we might have by Kingly power it is because we feared not the Lord what evil we feel in this let us attribute it to the want of the fear of God in our selves and in the people of the Land We complain of those that are about the King and of Her that lies in the Bosom of the King and of the evil of his own heart in part but whence is it that God hath left him either to them or to any evil in his own spirit The Lord in this punishes the sins of the People 't is usual for God to punish the sins of the People in leaving Governors unto evil courses in 2 Sam. 24. 1. you have a remarkable Scripture for this saith the text there And the Anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel and what then And he moved David against them to say Go number Israel and Judah The Anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he moved David against them to what God lets temptations be before David for to fall into that sin that might bring evil upon the people It was because the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel It 's because that a people fear not God therefore it is that the Lord leaves Kings leaves their Governors to those evil waies that they are left unto and therefore learn we when we hear of any evil that is done by countenance of Kings or any power learn we to lay our hands upon our own hearts and say even this is because we feared not the Lord how easie had it been with the Lord to have wrought upon his heart Oh! what prayers hath been sent up unto the Lord for the heart of one man never since the world began more prayers for the heart of one man but the Lord hath seem'd even to shut his ears against the prayers of his people now let us lay our hands upon our hearts God hath denied our prayers it is because we have not feared him now certainly there hath been but little fear of God amongst us and little fear of the great God is still to this day among us And that 's the third Observation We have no King because we feared not the Lord. And then the Fourth is this The times of Gods Wrath and Judgments forces acknowledgment from men that they did not fear God When God comes against them in waies of wrath now they can acknowledg that they feared not God should the Prophet have come to them before and told them Oh! you are a wretched vile people there is no fear of God among you Why wherein do not we fear God as in Malac. 1. they would not be convinced but Now shall they say c. Now when the wrath of God is upon men now they shall say we see now apparently we feared not the Lord. As it 's said of Cardinal Wolsie when he was in distress Oh saith he Had I but served God as well as I served the King it would have been otherwise with me than it is but I sought to please the King rather than God and now I am left in this distressed estate He would have scorned that any should have told him before that he pleased the King more than God but afflictions they will draw forth acknowledgment for in afflictions God appears dreadful to the soul it is no dallying and trifling and putting off then we see we have to deal with an infinite Glorious and dreadful God and in times of affliction now conscience will brave over men it will not be quieted and still'd so as in the times of prosperity but it will speak as we reade of Zebul in Judges 9. 38. saith Zebul Where now is thy mouth wherewith thou saidest Who is Abimelech So saith conscience in times of affliction to wretched creatures Where now is that bold and presumptuous heart of thine Thou scornest at fearing and trembling before God and slightest his Word but where now is that proud wretched heart of thine And in times of afflictions now are mens hearts abased and humbled and therefore now they are ready to say It is because they feared not the Lord. Mark here they do not when they are in afflictions and troubles say I we may thank these kind of people there were a company of factious people and they would not yield to any thing and we may thank them for all this you hear no such words Oh no but it is Because we feard not the Lord. When the heart is in any degree humbled it will not put off the cause of evils to other men or other things but will charge its self as the cause of the evils that are upon it Oh how much better my Brethren were it for us to see the want of the fear of God by his Word to us and his Spirit in us than by his wrath against us or his stroke upon us Let us every day examine our hearts How hath the fear of God been in me this day hath the fear of God acted and guided me in al my thoughts counsels and actions this day How happy were it when we ever lie down to rest to have such a short meditation Hath the fear of God been the thing that hath Acted and Governed and Guided me in my course this day But it follows What then shall a King do to us or for us Suppose we had him now he is gone but if we had him what good would he bring to us if we had him As if they should say we speak much concerning our King but now we have not the King with us as he was but if he were with us again what should he do for us what would our condition be better than it is And indeed what good had their Kings done for them The People of Israel they were very desirous of a King they must
if they have not mercy if they have not a Righteousness beyond their own If mercy comes not in to plead for them wo to Abraham Isaac and Jacob if mercy comes not in to plead for them if at the great day if they have nothing to tender up to God but their own righteousness they are certainly lost and undone for ever Al that we can do is infinitely unworthy of the Majesty of God Oh! the text that you have in 1 Chron. 29. 14. when the people did offer so much to God for the building of his Tabernacle Mark how David was affected with it Who am I saith David and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort for all things came of thee and of thine own have we given thee And when David in 1 Chron. 22. 14. when David had provided a thousand thousand Talents of silver and an hundred thousand talents of gold for the building of the Temple of God besides brass and iron without weight yet when all comes to all Out of my poverty have I offered this so Arias Montanus turns it In your books it is In my trouble have I done this but the same word that signifies trouble and affliction signifies poverty likewise and saith David after al this yet in my poverty have I done this whereas this was a mighty thing that was offered I remember Sir Walter Rawleghâ— it is in the 17. Chap. of his 2 d Part and 9 th Sect. he reckons up the sum of what David did there prepare for the Temple of the Lord he makes it more than any King in the world is worth he makes it to come to three thousand three hundred and thirty and three Cart-load of Silver allowing two thousand weight of Silver or six thousand pound sterling to every Cartload besides threescore and seventeen Millions of French Crowns and yet when he had done all Out of my poverty have I done this As if he should say Lord what is this in respect of thee who art the great God If thou wilt but accept of this I shall be infinitly bound to thee Oh my brethren let us learn for ever after all our duties not to be proud keep your hearts low and humble before God Hath God enabled thee to sow in Righteousness our hearts are puft up presently Oh no thou must keep thy heart still under Alas such is the proudness of our spirits if we be but enlarged a little in Prayer we are ready to be puft up presently Oh! what 's this to the service that a creature owes to the blessed and eternal God hadst thou spent all thy daies since thou hadst any understanding night and day in the work and service of God hadst thou been the greatest Instrument of Gods service that ever was in the world yet thou hast cause to lie down at Gods Mercy-seat and cry Mercy Lord Mercy for a poor wretched vile Creature after thou hast done al we are so unable to do any thing our selves It 's an expression of Luther The very Act of Thanksgiving is from God And therefore be humbled and cry Grace grace to al that hath been And let all Publick Instruments not take too much upon them but lie low And there 's a man that 's worth his weight in Gold that can be an Instrument of great and publick work and yet lie low before the Lord. Oh! did we but know God we would be so after our duties we would be low There 's a notable story I find concerning Cyprian when he came to suffer martyrdom and you will say that was a great service to lay down his life for God In his last prayer he had these two expressions which are remarkable in it The first expression was this Lord saith he I am prepared to powr forth the very sacrifice of my blood for thy Name sake yea Lord I am prepared here to suffer any torment whatsoever These two expressions he had You will say Now surely this man might stand upon his terms with God But he goes on But when thou doest lift up thy self to shake the Earth Lord saith he under what clift of the rock shall I hide my self to what mountain shall I speak even to fall upon me As if he should say Lord though I be here ready to give up my body to be massacred for thee to give up my blood to be an offering and to suffer any torment yet when I consider what a God I have to do withal if thou shouldest deal with me as I am in my self Oh! I must cry to the Rocks to cover me and the Hils to fall upon me Oh! this should teach us to keep our hearts low and humble after we have done the greatest work whatsoever I remember one of the Germane Devines when he was full of fears and doubts when he was to die say some to him You have been so imployed and have been so faithful why should you fear Oh! he gives this Answer The Judgements of man and the Judgments of God are different I am to go before the great and Al-seeing God though it 's true God would not have us daunted with any terrible apprehensions of him but yet he would have us be possest with reverence so as to be humbled when we think what a God it is we have to do withal you must reap in mercy Oh! this shall be the song of the Saints to all eternity Mercy Mercy Not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thy Name be the praise And then the other Note from that expression that we have there is That God will give abundantly above our works Oh! it 's a point that hath very much encouragement to poor troubled sinners that are low raise up thy faith it 's not what thy work is though it be low and mean and though there be many failings in thy work yet is there uprightness are they seeds of Righteousness that thou hast sown thou shalt reap according to what shall honor the mercy of an infinite God at last I remember Alexander when he was giving a gift to a poor man Oh! the poor man dar'd not receive it it was too great yea but saith he though that be too great for thee to receive yet it is not too great for me to give So I may say to poor souls when they hear of the glorious promises to poor people Oh! their hearts are ready to think this is too good news to be true it is too great a mercy for thee to receive as thou art in thy self but if God will give according to the proportion of his mercy it is not too great for him to give Now that 's the way that God will deal with those that are in Covenant with him that have all their fruit to come from the seed of righteousness Christ in the heart I say there the Lord will
deliver you from that I will not assist you So though we have strong walls yet we must look for a cover from Heaven which is our peace with God through Jesus Christ Again They have multiplied fenced Cities For outward safety men think they have never enough to secure themselves from poverty and from their enemies but to secure themselves from Gods wrath they think they have enough In spiritual things we are content with a little but when it comes to our outward security we think we can never be too safe and indeed this will be an argument what it is that your hearts are most upon that that you endeavor to secure your selves most in that 's your chiefest good that that you would make most sure of and if any thing in the world could make you more sure you endeavor to do it a gracious heart will never say May I not go to Heaven though I do no more but can there any thing more be done doth God require any thing more of his creature God that knows all things knows my heart is ready to do all thingt that he hath reveal'd to me and if there were any thing more to do Oh that I knew it that I might fulfill even all righteousness But I 'le send a fire Saith the text They multiplied Cities but I will send a fire When we bless our selves most in our own thoughts we should consider but what are Gods thoughts we think we will do thus and thus and I 'le save my self this way or the other way poor wretch thou saiest thou wilt do thus and thus yea but think what if Gods thoughts be otherwise at the same time thou art plotting to save thy self but God is plotting to destroy thee What if there prove to be a disjunction between Gods thoughts and my thoughts Wicked men have plots and devices for themselves but God comes with his disjunctions I 'le do thus and thus And this we are to hope that God will deal graciously with us in regard our enemies they are full of plots but God hath been pleased to come in with his disjunctions Gods thoughts hath not been as their thoughts blessed be his Name But I 'le send a fire it may be that they think that their Forts are so strong that they cannot be beaten down but I 'le send a fire to burn them down But I rather think this fire is meant metaphorically I 'le send their enemies which shall be as a fire and so enemies are call'd a fire many times in Scripture And I 'le send a fire By whatsoever means fire comes Gods hand is to be look'd upon in all 〈◊〉 If there hath been a fire in your streets or houses you will enquire by what means it came look up to God whatsoever the means was it is God that sends the fire And it shall devour their Palaces Brave things they are subject to Gods devouring fire Oh let us as when the Disciples look'd upon the fair buildings of the Temple and wept saith Christ There shall not be a stone left upon a stone so when we look upon our brave Palaces Oh let us consider how quickly the fire of Gods wrath may come and not leave a stone upon a stone Let us look up to that place where Christ is gone to prepare mantions for us and to that building that is eternal in the Heavens made without hands And thus through Gods mercy and assistance we have gone through this Eighth Chapter CHAP. IX VERS 1. Rejoyce not O Israel for joy as other people for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God thou hast loved a reward upon every corn-flour HERE begins another Sermon of the Prophets Gualter thinks this to be the sixt Sermon that the Prophet HOSEA preached to these ten Tribes wherein he yet goes on in the way as he did before convincing of sin and threatning of wrath against Israel and this Sermon was preached in a prosperous time when Israel the ten Tribes seemed to be in their greatest ruff of pride jolity It refers according to Interpreters to one of these two times Either to some special time when when they prevailed against their Enemies or to the time when they made their League with the Assyrians The time when they prevailed against their Enemies and so it 's thought to refer either to the time thâ—â— we reade of in 2 King 13. 15. the time of Jehoash when he beat Benhadad three times and recovered the Cities of Israel Or that time in 1 King 14. 13. And Jehoash King of Israel took Amaziah King of Judah and came to Jerusalem and brake down the wall of Jerusalem and took all the Gold and Silver and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord and in the treasures of the Kings house and hostages and returned to Samaria This certainly was a time of great jolity and mirth among the ten Tribes or in the time of Jeroboam 2 King 14. 28. and so in the time of Pekah 2 of Chronicles the 28. that was a time of great jolity and mirth to the ten Tribes because of their prevailing the text saith They slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day all valiant men and the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand women sons and daughters and took also away much spoil from them and brought the spoil to Samaria Now in this time their hearts did swell much for in vers 10. the Prophet Obed came to them and saith Behold because the Lord God of your fathers was wrath with Judah he hath delivered them into your bands and ye have slain him in a rage that reached up unto Heaven And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bond-men and bond women unto you But are there not with you even with you sins against the Lord your God It seems to be almost the same expression as we have here in the text as if he should say Now you purpose to keep the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bond men and bond-women and you insult and rejoyce and you think you have gotten the day and you have prevailed but are there not sins among you just as he saith here Rejoyce not O Israel for you are gone a whoring from the Lord as if he should have said though God hath given you a victory and you think you have matter of much joy yet rejoyce not O Israel as other people As other people Why First Because the conquest you have gotten it is over your Brethren therefore rejoyce not as other people do not rejoyce in your slaying your Brethren as other people the Nations about you would rejoyce in the slaying of them That 's a sad War when the Conquerer hath cause to be sad at the very Conquest It were no great matter though if other people had gotten the victory
of his children that were so eminent in office and were destroyed so with such a visible hand of God fire from Heaven when Moses was angry that the Priests had not eat of the sin offering saith Aaron If I had eaten of the sin offering to day should it have been accepted It would have been but as the bread of mourners I that have bin struck this day and am in such a dreadful condition Would God have regarded the sin offering God required joy in his services in Deut. 1â— 7. 18. verses and hence that profession was required in Deut. 26. 13 14. verses Then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house and also have given them unto the Levite and unto the Stranger to the Fatherless and to the Widdow according to all the Commandements which thou hast commanded me I have not transgressed thy Commandements neither have I forgotten them And then in the 14. vers I have not eaten thereof in my mourning c. They were to profess this to God That they had not eaten thereof in their mourning this was to shew that sacrifices offered with a sinking heart in sorrow is not pleasing to God God loves a cheerful giver We must not pine away in our iniquities sullenness and dumpishness even in sorrow for sin it sowres our spirits and services and makes them unacceptable to God I say a sullen dumpishness of spirit though it be in sorrow for sin it sowres our spirits and makes our services unacceptable to God There is a groaning and a sighing one to another or rather against one another that is condemn'd in Scripture in Jam. 5. 9. the words in your books are thus Grudge nor one against another but in the Original Sigh not or groan not one against another you shall have many that in company with others have a pensive dumpish spirit sighing and groaning and making their society to be burdensom to others Saith the holy Ghost do not sigh and groan one unto another there is a sullen dumpish sighing of spirit and dejection of soul that is as unpleasing to God as it is unto men it polutes the heart and pollutes duty But you will say Is all mourning forbidden that here the holy Ghost should say Their offerings should be as the bread of Mourners Christ saith blessed are the Mourners and the Sacrifice of God is a contrite heart It 's true an evangelical sorrow is accepted but that hath sweetness in it it is not bitter that 's not a dejected spirit it 's not a mourning that causes dejection or sullenness or straightness of spirit but that mourning doth enlarge the heart and makes it active for God hence in Ezra 9. 5. although we reade before that Ezra was astonished at the sin of the people yet saith he at the 5. verse I arose from my heaviness at the evening sacrifice when the time came that I should sacrifice unto God my heaviness did not hinder me in holy duties But how many are there that sink down in their heaviness and when God calls upon them for any duty they cannot arise they are so over-burdened with heavy spirits There they sink down in a sullen way and shall God accept of such a service as this is You may please your selves in it and think it is humiliation but there may be much pride in dejection there is none so proud a spirit as the Devil is and yet no spirit so dejected as the Devil is Lead we know it melts soonest but it consumes in the melting and many times there may be such a spirit that may be ready to sorrow upon any occasion and to melt but it 's such a melting as consumes the strength of it that it is unfit for any service that God calls for now such services as you in such a mourning way tender up to God are not accepted of him Remember this text Their offering shall be as the bread of mourning Gualter hath a Note from this God would not accept of the offering of Mourners they were unclean yet saith he there are many that seek to get their greatest gain from Funeral mournings and fall of enveighing against them that get gain that way as their Priests and Officers that use to tend upon Funerals for gain he calls them Vulturâ— and Crows that do flock to dead bodies and Sepulchers Dogs those are his words that seek to get advantage by Funerals And we know heretofore what abundance of advantage there was gotten by Funerals scarce could you bury a child under three or four pounds such kind of fees there were and made them even rejoyce when others did mourn and getting a great part of of their livelihood from the bread of Mourners And Theophylact hath another Note from this place The bread of Mourners That is those things offered to God gotten by oppression as thus suppose a man or woman gets an estate and gets it in an oppressing way it may be they are at home and merry but it may be the poor children or widdow is mourning for those morsels that thou art rejoycing in but it is the first Note that is the most according to the mind of the holy Ghost the mourning that hath respect to the funerals and so especially at the dejection of spirit in holy duties It follows The bread for their soul shall not come into the House of the Lord. The bread for their soul That is When they are seeking God even for their very lives By Bread is to be understood their oblations more generally not only Bread but their Oblations As Malac. 1. 7. Ye offer polluted bread upon mine Altar it 's taken generally for all kind of offerings upon Gods Altar So The bread for their souls that is those offerings that they did offer for their very lives Now from thence the Note is this That it 's a sad thing when a creature would seek to God for his very life yet then God rejects him and his offering too Before these people they did reject the voice of the Lord at the Temple and they kept others from going to the House of the Lord they thought sacrifices elsewhere would serve the turn as well but now they shall be far enough from bringing any sactifices to the House of the Lord though they should desire to do it for their very souls Thus many who in the time of their prosperity do neglect the Worship of God and slight it and think there is no great matter in it but afterwards when they see their very lives their souls lie at the mercy of God then they would fain seek God for their lives they see they are undone if God be not merciful to them yet then God rejects them their offerings then for their souls shall not come into the House of the Lord that is will not be accepted
upon them nor how to avoid it nor what course to take what can you do in such a day For First All your comforts they are gone all such things that your hearts closed withal and made as Gods to your selves they are gone Secondly Now God himself fights against you in Isa 13. 6. Howl ye for the day of the Lord is at hand it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty But it may be you look only upon such and such men that are the Instruments No but it is a destruction from the Almighty and therefore what can you do Thirdly Conscience in that day that will terrifie you Fourthly You shall not know whither to go for help To the creature that cannot help you your vain hopes in the creature hath the very heartstrings of them broke you thought that you might shift and help your selves there but now you see there is no help there What then you cannot go to God then the very thoughts of God must needs be terrible to you and then what will you do Further For these miseries they are but the beginning of sorrows this day of the Lord it is but a preparation for another day there is yet a more solemn day of the Lord in coming than this present Oh! what will ye do in the day of the Lord Howsoever a man may resolve to set a good face upon a thing Oh! but my Brethren though you cannot see daunting in a countenance yet did you but see the black bosom and the woful guilty spirit that there is by sin within you would know that they could not in the world tell what do do in the day of the Lord. It 's strange what a man may do even before death in the presence of men although his own conscience tells him quite otherwise and though men are ready to be taken with dying mens expressions yet many times there is much deceipt in them Why you will say What a man doth profess when he is ready to die certainly it must needs be a truth There is a notable story concerning this that Bishop Latimer hath in one of his Sermons he tels of the desperate stoutness of a certain mans heart even when he was to die as he was â—iding he comes to a place where the execution of a man was to be he turns aside and when the people saw him they made way and he comes to speak with the man and both he and all that were about him could not get out of him to give glory to God for the guiltiness of the fact for which he was to be executed but stood out in it that he was not guilty and when they could get nothing out of him they turned the ladder and the rope being cut and he down they thought the life had been gone from him but at length they saw a little motion in him and by rubbing and chaâ—ing of him they got life so as he was able to speak and then he confest all that he was guilty of those very things that he had took upon his death that he was not Thus it 's possible for men in the stoutness of their hearts even at the last rather to venture their souls upon it and well may they that ventur'd their souls so much before upon other things think that they may make bold with God at such a time as this is But howsoever there is much dejection of spirit and they know not in the world what to do Well it 's happy for us to consider what we do and to lay to heart what we have done that so in such a day of the Lord as this we may know what to do the Servants of God who have walked conscionably before him they know what to do in the day of publick calamity ` For first ' They can bless God that ever they knew him that ever they knew his waies that ever he put it into their hearts to fear his name Secondly They know what to do in a day of calamity they can exercise their faith upon that Word in which the Lord hath caused them to trust they can make it to be the support of their souls and the joy of their hearts even in such a day Thirdly They know what to do they can sanctifie God Name in his righteous judgments they can see mercy and the love of a Father in the sorest and heaviest afflictions that do befall them Fourthly They know what to do they can ease their souls by powring them forth into the bosom of a gracious and reconciled Father Fifthly They know what to do they can see beyond all these present evils they can see Immortality and Glory they can see that on the other side a little beyond these troubles and afflictions there is an everlasting joy and day of peace coming to them A Job can tell what to do he can profess that though God kill him he would trust in him A David can tell what to do In the multitude of the sorrows that I had in my heart thy consolations refresh my soul A Habacuk can tell what to do Although the fig-tree should not blossom nor fruit be in the vines the labor of the Olive shall fail and the fields shall yeeld no meat the flocks shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no heard in the stalls yet will I rejoyce in the Lord yet will I joy in the God of my salvation Thus you see the Saints they know what to do in such a day and this is the excellency of grace that it can never be put so to it in any strait but it can tel what to do as David said to Achish in 2 Sam. 28. 2. Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do So the Saints in time of common distresses they should set their graces so on work that all may see what their faith and humility and patience can do that they may be able to say well you shall see now what the Servant of the Lord can do If one should say to one that hath made profession of Godliness You spake much of the excellency of grace but what can you do with it The answer that such a one may well give is this When you cannot tell what to do in the world nor which way to turn your selves yet through Gods mercy I can tell what to do Grace will be able to carry a man through fire and water that faith of mine and the grace that I have gotten by the Word that you can scorn at it 's that doth through Gods mercy enable my soul to rejoyce yea to triumph in Tribulations Can you do that You can rejoyce now when you are in a Tavern but in the day of Tribulation when a dismal day shall come to the world what will you do then I thank God I have that that can rejoyce my heart in such a day as this is and that that
done And upon the sight of that and hearing the occasion of it the people were amazed and said Never was such a thing done or seen since the people of Israel came out of the Land of Egypt Wherefore all the People even from Dan to Beersheba thâ—y all assembled to consult what should be done in the 20. chap. they resolved to go against the City of Gibeah in the 11. verse the text saith All the people were gathered together against the City as one man and in the 13. verse they required those Delinquents to be delivered up to them Now those Children of Belial they stood it out and would not deliver them up yea and they got the Benjamites to joyn with them twenty six thousand Armed men to joyn with them to stand in defence of these notorious Delinquents they got up an Army which one would not have thought that among the People God there should have been gotten up an Army to have defended such notorious villains as those were yet they did but the people of Israel joyned all together and were resolved that they would have such notorious wickedness to be punished there was four hundred thousand joyned together Now in the 18. verse they asked counsel of God what they should do God gave them leave to go and bid that Judah should go up first so they went to require these Delinquents and went up against them but the Benjamites the first day got the victory and slew two and twenty thousand men Upon that the Children of Israel went up to God again and wept before the Lord and God gave them leave to go again they went the Benjamites came out again slew eighteen thousand more of them These wicked Malignants got the Victory two daies and slew fourty thousand of the Children of Israel that went not only by Gods leave but by his sending and yet for two daies together they fel before those wicked and vile wretches but yet afterwards they went and wept and fasted they knew that their cause could not but be good and they were resolved they would go to God again and humble their souls before God and fast and pray and then they overthrew those wicked Bonjamites and these of Gibeah and whereas there were twenty six thousand came out against them there was twenty and five thousand and an hundred men slain by the sword and the City of Gibeah was burnt with fire so God executed wrath upon them at length This is the story that the Prophet hath reference to Now these men are wicked as in the daies of Gibeah look how it was in the daies of Gibeah so now it is there 's many remarkable things to be observed from that story in reference to this which the Prophet doth quote it for the story in general was thus That they stood out to defend wicked ones so as they did it doth concern us fully in our times and our wars are almost the very same now as then they were for what is the main cause of our War but to fetch Delinquents to the execution of Justice and who would have thought that such Delinquents whose burdens we groaned under in former times and we accounted the great evil of the times that these should find an Army to defend them Yet perhaps sometimes we may be overcome by them and they may for a while prevail but let us fast before God and humble our selves more throughly and certainly God will own his Cause in time as there he did But particularly from the story first observe That when we make use of men as a shelter and to seek protection from them if they shall deal vilely with us and accuse us and make a prey upon us this is a most abominable and cursed wickedness in the eyes of God This Levite came from Jebus and would not lodg with them but to Gibeah thinking to have had protection there and yet these deal vily Doth any man put himself under any of you for protection and do you deal falsely Oh! this is an abominable thing in the eyes of God Secondly That sometimes we may meet with worse usage from such who profess Religion and more strictness in their waies than from those who outwardly are further off from profession It may be if they had gone to Jebus they would not have met with such ill usage as they did when they came to Gibeah sometimes it is so that they that make profession of Religion they are guilty of more ill usage to the servants of God than others that are prophane and ungodly or of another Religion Oh! let men take heed of this how they behave themselves towards their Brethren that they may not have cause to say Lord were we among the Indians or among some moderate Papists or under some of the Prelates again we should not find such hard usage as we do from some of our Brethren who profess thy Name and seek Reformation this were a sad thing I say if ever there should be cause for the Servants of God to make their moans to Heaven and cry to God God forbid Thirdly Whereas Israel thought themselves holy and devout for God in the multitude of their sacrifices and their devotion and their services that they tendered up to God yet God looks upon them as filthy and wicked as the men of Gibeah were that committed sodomy and such kind of filthiness saith God You have corrupted your selves as in the daies of Gibeah whatsoever your fair shews are and your sacrifices be that you offer yet you are lookt upon as thus vile and abominable before God From whence therefore the Note may be That men may have very fair shews in the Worship of God and do that which may seem to be much for the honor of God and yet God looking with other eyes than men do God may behold them as filthy abominable and loathsom in his sight God will not be put off with words of Reformation and the Service of God for men may have such base ends in it and may mix so much of themselves to corrupt the right way of God and to keep out the right service of God with shews of serving him that this may make them and their services to be as odious to God as the most filthy thing in the world that 's the cleer and plain Note from thence We do not reade of such abominable filthiness of body as was in the daies of Gibeah but because of the corruptions of Gods Worship that they carried fairly yet the Lord lookt upon it as filthy as that was in the daies of Gibeah Fourthly For men after wickedness is committed to stand impudently and boldly in the defence of it and to be so far from the acknowledgment of their sin as they will rather venture desperately the undoing of themselves than they will come in to acknowledg or let Justice have its course this is an
give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts But rather according to most Interpreters I think this expression is rather an expression of Commiseration that is foreseeing the lamentable condition that the ten Tribes should be in ere long the Prophet pities their condition and would fain come in and pray for them and he begins Give them O Lord saith the prophet and then he makes a stop as if he should say but O Lord what shall I say for them Give them but Lord I know not what to ask for them I am at a stand when I consider what they are what the many mercies they have had already what warnings they have had how hardened they are in their sin and how thy word is gone forth but Lord give them shall I say Lord give them deliverance give them peace give them prosperity still Lord I dare not that I cannot ask all means have been used for to bring them unto thee and yet they stand out against the Lord thou knowest they are deer to me they are of my flesh and I should be glad that they might be saved but thy glory is dearer to me then they are and therefore for that I cannot pray and therefore the Prophet praies Give them seeing all this misery must befal them what shall the enemies be let out upon them shall they and their children be made a prey to the Murderer Lord rather let no more be born of them rather let those children that otherwise should have been born and might have lived in their own Land Lord God 〈◊〉 them not be born rather than come to live to so great misery so he doth not pray for a miscarrying womb and dry breasts absolutely but compartively From whence the Notes are First That mens sins make many times Gods Ministers and his Saints at a point that they know not what to say in prayer Truly though there hath bee a mighty Spirit of prayer through Gods mercy in the Kingdom yet considering that since God hath come to shew himself willing to deliver us and Christ hath been coming even upon his white Hors in peace to take the Kingdom to himself since that time such a spirit of Malignity hath appeared against Christ and his Saints as ever was in the Kingdom it puts many of the Ministers and Saints of God to a non-plus in their prayers and straightens their very hearts in the day of their fasting when they are to seek God that the Lord would give forth mercy The Lord knows that the condition we are in is more unfit for mercy than we were at the very first day Thus a Nation thus particular people may put the Servants of God to a stand in their prayers and straighten their hearts Oh! were it that people had gone on in the imbracing of Reformation as they seem'd to do at the first Oh! how enlarged would the herrts of the Saints have been in prayer Oh Lord give England mercy give England deliverance And then a second Note is this That the fruitfulness or the barrenness of the womb it is from God Give them give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts This is from God in Gen. 30. 2. when Rachel cried for children Give me children or else I die the text saith that Jacobs anger was kindled against Rachel and said Am I in Gods stead Paulus Phagius that learned man saith that the Hebrews have this speech that there are four keys that are in Gods hand that he gives not into the hand of any Angel 1. The Key of the Rain and that you have in Deut. 28. 12. The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure the Heaven to give thee rain unto thy Land in his season 1. There 's the Key of Food in Ps 145. The eyes of all wait upon thee and thou givest them their meat in due season thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing 3. There 's the Key of the Grave in Ezek. 37. 12. Behold Oh my people I will open your Graves and cause you to come up out of your Graves 4. And lastly The Key of the Womb and that is in Gen. 38. 22. These four Keys God keeps in his own hand and therefore Gods providence is to be observed in this and there ought to be a submission to his hand in it Thirdly Sin may bring such evil time upon a people as better those who live to such times had not been born or died before those times had come Give them a miscarrying womb and a dry breast if they should have children that should live to endure all the miseries of those times that are coming they had been better not to have been born or have died long before this time saith the Prophet We must take heed of wishing this upon every little affliction that doth befall us as it is the frowardness of many people even with God himself that if their children do but anger them to wish they had never been born or cold in the mouth many years ago I wish I had gone to your Grave Parents many times are ready to wish their children that they had never been born of them but this is frowardness against God himself and wickedness those that are so ready to wish their children had not been born they are the least sensible of the sin that doth cause the affliction upon which they do wish such a thing as that is Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts First There may be either such miserable slaughters as that Parents might even wish that they never had any Children Or Secondly They may live under such cruel tyranny for their souls and bodies Or thirdly They may be drawn from God by false Religion and so may be in a condition worse than if they had not been born Hence Parents to whom God denies children or takes them away they should quiet themselves in Gods dispose especially in such times as these are it may be God hath taken away your children to deliver them from greater evils as in the house of Jeroboam there was but one child that had any good in it and saith God That child shall die and gives the reason Because it had some good in it So that God takes away many that he hath the most love unto and lets others to live that he hath not so much love unto Yes some may say If I were sure that their souls were safe though God doth take them away if I were sure of their salvation then I would be content That 's true indeed If your children were saved what hurt is that to be taken away here and received to Heaven and there to live for ever with Christ not to sin or sorrow more but howsoever you may satisfie your selves in these three things First That they are under an indefinite promise though not an
politick fetches and let Prophets let any of the Godly come to shew them the mind of God they were resolved in their way they would not be perswaded but were wilful and they would have this way and whatever came of it they would venture their lives and the loss of their Kingdom but they would have it in a desperate way they were set upon their wills come of it what would they would go on in this way Men that are great in Power and Authority they think it a dishonor to them to be perswaded to alter their minds but rather will go on desperately to the ruin of themselves and the ruin of their Kingdoms rather than they will hearken to counsel they were all of them men that would not be perswaded and Luther upon the place hath this expression saith he Being lift up in the pride of their hearts by their Power that they had they would be above the Word it 's self they think it much to have their hearts come under the Authority of the Word This is the wickedness of mens hearts when they grow great they swell above the Word of God They are all wicked all of them revolters Some of them there were that made some kind of shew at their first coming in when they came first to the Crown they gave great hopes some of them that they would have better times than they had before and that things that were evil in former Princes Reigns would now be reformed but within a while they went all the same way you know Jehu and so some others went in a fair way at first but they all turned to be revolters from whence our Notes are First See what CREATURE ENGAGEMENTS are see what engagements will work in the hearts of men when they are engaged in their honors and in their preferments in their great places of Dignities and Powers and Profits and Gain see what they will do evil Princes being engaged and afraid of losing their power if any should go to Jerusalem to worship they all went in one stream not one of them was taken off from their great Engagements indeed many in smaller matters may be taken off to God but if it come to a great matter then none perhaps some poor Ministers that had little livings you know heretofore they would be taken off and see the Truths of God and the sinfulness of Ceremonies but where did your Deans and Bishops where did any of the Prelates that had great Engagements they would never see the Truth that now almost every body sees their great Engagements hindered them And so the great Engagements of Princes hindered them though the Truth was cleer enough Secondly This is brought as the cause of the evil of the People they were all wicked no mervail though the people were so According to peoples interests so they are as they see those above them go that have power over them that way people will go Ephraim was wicked because all their Princes were revolters Those that are in places of power they drive the people along before them for I say God hath little honor in the world but as it sutes in mens Interests according as they have Interest this way or that way Thirdly They are all Revolters From this the Note is this That Princes though they should be used with reverence yet must not be flattered but their sins must he shewed plainly unto them They are all Revolters though they can hardly bear it Touch the Mountains and they will smoke touch the great men reprove but them and presently the heat of their wrath rises and they smoke even w th indignation But yet those that are faithful about them they should trust God with their places and estates and with their lives Oh had we but those about Princes that would deal faithfully and shew to them how far the guilt of blood may be upon them and the evil of it might be upon them Certainly it would be otherwise with us than it is at this day had we but Latimers and Deerings that worthy Preacher in Queen Elizabeths time It 's said of Latimer that sending a Book to King Henry the Eigth he writes in the first Page of it Whoremongers and Adulterers God will Judg and Deering in his Sermons even before the Queen speaking of disorders of the times and these and these things are thus and thus and you sit still and do nothing and again even before her face preaching to her saith he may we not well say with the Prophet It 's the mercy of the Lord that we are not consumed seeing there is so much disobedience both in Subjects and in Prince Certainly much good might come had we men of such Spirits as heretofore have been All their Princes are Revolters Fourthly When Princes one after another are wicked there 's little hope of good then to a people The Saints under the persecution of one they groan and cry to God but another comes and oppresses them more We had need therefore pray for those in high places for Princes for it concerns much the people as we shall see more after It follows VER 16. Ephraim is smitten their root is dried up they shall bear no fruit EPHRAIM is smitten God had threatned Ephraim long before but now he is smitten not threatned only but smitten Observe this Note the manner of the phrase is as if he were smitten from Heaven by a Thunder-bolt in a dreadful manner God himself smote him observe this God will not alwaies forbear sinners at last God smote he threatens a long time but he smote at last God may be a long time bending his Bow and making his Arrows ready and preparing the instruments of death but at length he smote and when he smote he smote terribly How sad is the condition of a wicked man who hath had many warnings and much patience of God hath been shewed towards him and at length this is the news that one neighbor tells another Oh! such a man is smitten of God the wrath of God hath pursued and hath overtaken such a man the fearful stroke of God is upon him and this certainly will be the news of wicked impenitent sinners secure sinners this will be the news that will be told of you such a one is smitten Oh! and what sad reports are there at this day in all Countries about us even through the world what 's the news throughout the world almost but this the Christian world England is smitten the Lord hath smote them the Lord hath smote us with a dreadful stroke and still he continues smiting of us That Scripture in Isa 5. 25. is made good upon us this day The anger of the Lord is kindled against his people and he hath stretched forth his hand against them and hath smitten them mark what follows The Hills did tremble Oh that our
hearts did and their carkasses were torn in the midst of the streets and so it hath been with us And for all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still And thus it is with us And the principal cause that is there given of such woful smiting it is as you may observe in the 20. and 23. verses the crossness of mens spirits in turning things quite contrary and cross to that which God would have them As thus They call evil good and good evil they put darkness for light and light for darkness bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Justifying the wicked and taking away the righteousness of the righteous This is the cause of this smiting and never was there such perversness in the hearts of men to turn things quite cross to cry out of Truth for Falsehood to cry out of the Waies of Christ as the Waies of Sedition and the great troublers of the Kingdom to cry out of the Saints that are for peace as the great Stirrers up of the Kingdom and to justifie the wicked in many places What favor hath many Malignants and those that have most appeared in the Cause of God how are they discountenanced This is the Cause why God would smite them and why their Carkasses should be torn in the very streets The Lord hath smitten us this day as he did the people in 1 Kings 14. 15. The Lord shall smite Israel as a reed is shaken in the water and then it follows after he shall root them out of the good Land So it 's here Ephraim is smitten and his root dried up The Lord this day hath smote us as a reed is shaken to and fro that which men cried up at first they cry down again presently after and forward for a little while and then quite the other way again and wavering and unconstant in all their waies and know not indeed what they would have thus the Lord hath smote us yea the Lord hath smitten us so as he hath fetcht blood fetcht blood yea the Lord hath smitten us by those that should protect us and that 's a sore smiting to smite us by the hand of such as should protect us that threatning that is denounc'd in Zach. 11. 6. Oh how is it made good upon us this day saith the text there I will no more pity the inhabitatns of the Land saith the Lord but lo I will deliver the men every one into his neighbors hand and into the hand of his King and they shall smite the Land and out of their hand I will not deliver them It 's a very strange Scripture I know not the like in all the Book of God God threatens to smite this people and how Oh! this is a sore smiting I will deliver every one into his neighbors hand and they shall smite one another and I will deliver every one into the hand of his King Why is it so great an evil to be delivered into the hand of our neighbor and into the hand of our King truly at this time it seems it was Oh! the Lord smites us this day he smites us sorely by giving us up to smite one another We smite one another with the tongue in Jer. 18. 18. Come let us smite with the tongue say they When was there ever such smiting with the tongue as there is now yea even good men smite one another There was a time when the Prophet desir'd to be smitten by the Righteous in Psal 141. 5. Let the Righteous smite me saith the Prophet it shall be as Oyl to my head but now we may justly cry out to God Lord let not the righteous smite me the very smiting of the righteous is a sorer smiting this day than the smiting of enemies to smite with the tongue yea and worse too in Isa 58. 4. In the day of their fast they smite with the fist and smite with the pen that is a sorer smiting sometimes than smiting with the sword And smite with the sword too for Brother is against Brother and Father is against Child and Child against Father and this is a forerunner of Gods smiting the earth with a Curse in Malac. 4. 5 6. verses the very close of the old Testament there Eliah is prophesied to come and to turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children and the hearts of the Children to the Fathers lest saith the text the Lord come and smite the earth with a Curse Oh! that Eliah might come among us otherwise What can be expected but the Lords smiting the Land with a most dreadful Curse When was Fathers against Children and Children against Fathers as now and that in matters of Controversie It was wont to be a Proverbial speech among the Jews when they had any knotty Controversie that they could not untie When Elias shall come then we shall come to know the meaning of this We may say this day well because we see what Controversies there are and what differences of this the other way judgment the Lord Christ whose forerunner Elias was to be he will come ere long and he will open all things to us the Messias will come again and tell us all and satisfie us in all our difficulties and put an end to all our desputes But for the present the Lord smites us not only by the sword but he smites us as he smote the men of Sodom with blindness and that Curse threatned in Deut. 28. 28. is even upon us The Lord saith the text there shall smite thee with madness and blindness and astonishment of heart and thou shalt grope at noon daies as the blind gropeth in darkness and thou shalt not prosper in thy waies and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled ever more and no man shall save thee Oh my Brethren how is this fulfilled at this day with what blindness and madness and astonishment are the people of the Land smote If it were not the smiting of God to smite men with blindness it 's impossible but they should see what should be done in such a time as this is and you are only oppressed Indeed now almost every man in the Kingdom cries of being oppressed and spoiled ever more We thought that when spoylers and oppressors were amongst us that we were safe and well when it was over Oh! but it is renewed again and then come the spoilers the second time and the third time spoyling ever more and this is the fruit of Gods smiting men with blindness and madness And yet who is it that returns to him that smites him But Lord seeing thou art a smiting Oh! that thou wouldest smite once more smite these rocks of ours these hearts of ours if thou wilt but smite there that might free us from other strokes that there might gush out tears of repentance smite there that we may every man
Scripture that seems to refer to the times after the Captivity and there the Vinyard of God is said to be a Vinyard of red Wine and God speaks much unto it what it should be after the time of the Captivity it should bring forth the best kind of Wine for then God prun'd it they thought that God would come in a furious manner upon them no saith he Fury is not in me but this is all the fruit to purge away their sin The Vines that are prun'd bring forth the best and the most fruit But I find other Interpreters upon this text Israel is an empty Vine They turn it thus Is a spoiled Vine And Luther refers it to the emptying of the abundance of her riches and prosperity Indeed these two go together Emptiness of fruit and being emptied of our comforts and prosperity to be spoiled Israel hath spoiled her self and I have for her sins let the spoilers come among them and so hath emptied her of all her good even while she enjoyed her outward prosperity she was emptied of the blessing of God upon her but after the Lord emptied her even of all her outward good too And that 's the Note from thence That sin will empty a Land of all the blessings God hath bestowed or empty a family or person Sin is an emptying thing sin empties Lands and Families and persons of all their outward comforts in Isa 4. 11. there God threatens the Line of confusion and the Stones of emptiness for sin and Oh! how hath it emptied many parts of our Land how hath sin emptied us what empty houses are there in many places houses that were wont in every room of them to be fill'd with furniture so brave and glistering now the Owners come into their houses and look upon the bare walls and see them empty of all the rich furniture that was in them Oh! what empty chests that were fill'd with such brave cloaths heretofore now they are broken to pieces and those places that were fill'd with diet and plenty are now empty Barns empty Purses empty and Bellies empty and the Veins of men emptied even of their very blood Oh! how are we a spoiled Vine now at this day the Vine that a while since was so delightful to God and man and so glorious even in the esteem of all round about us yet Oh now now hath the Lord sent his emptiers to empty us as in Nahum 2. 2. The Lord hath turned away the excellency of Jacob as the excellency of Israel for the emptiers have emptied them out and marred their Vine brances This text is fulfilled towards many parts of this Kingdom at this day An empty Vine and brings forth fruit to her self This is very strange Empty and yet bring forth fruit If she brings forth fruit how empty Yes it may very well stand together she brings forth fruit to her self but she is empty in regard of any fruit she brings forth to me but yet she hath juyce and sap enough to bring forth fruit to her self Oh! how many people that are barren towards God and have no abilities to do any thing for God but when they come to themselves to do any thing Oh how active and stirring are they but when you put them upon any duty for God then they are weak and unable the like but if it was in a matter that concern'd themselves there they have spirit enough to much a great deal If parents have children that sin against God they are not sensible at all but if they do any thing against themselves Oh! how do their spirits rise and what rage is there in the family The truth is were our hearts as they should be if we have no strength for God we should have none for our selves yea we would even reason so when as we complain Oh! that we are weak in our memories and are not able to resist temptation and we can do nothing for God we should take a holy revenge upon our selves and say Certainly if I can do nothing for God I will do nothing for my self neither If I cannot rejoyce in God I will not rejoyce in my self and if I cannot take care for God I will not take care for my self to be barren to God and fruitful to our selves this is a great disproportion He bringeth forth fruit to himself The old Latin is even like himself so they turn it he brings forth fruit like to himself Men of base principles will do base things corrupt hearts will have corrupt waies An ingenuous spirit sometimes wonders to see the waies of many men so base and vile as they are men imployed in publick imployment that have opportunity to do God a great deal of service and when it comes to it how sordidly and basely do they carry themselves not caring what becomes of the publick good of God and Kingdoms and Churches so be it they may scrape but a little to themselves Yea but do not wonder it is fruit suitable to themselves they are men of base spirits of base corrupt principles and therefore they bring bring forth fruit like themselves fruit like the stock that they are on And so many times children are like their parents their parents are wicked and they wicked accordingly Like an Imp or Branch of such a stock such are the fruits of many But he brings forth fruit to himself That is in all that he doth he aims at himself he hath regard to his own ends to fetch about his own designs to bring his own plots to an issue and all must be subservient to some design that he drives on Ephraim had many designs and plots that they drove on to make themselves to be rich and all their strength and what they were able to do it was for nothing but to be subservient to their own designs It was said of Judah in their Captivity in Zach. 7. 5 6. They did fast and eat and drink to themselves all that was done it was nothing but to themselves whereas the fruit that they should have brought forth it should have been to God and not to themselves There is a very sweet place for that in Cant. 7. 13. At our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits new and old which I have laid up for thee O my beloved Thus should every gracious heart say and especially he should say so then when God makes your hearts most fruitful with pleasant fruit new and old Have ye at any time found your hearts most enlarged to God and you could melt towards God and had full expressions in the presence of God and acting of your graces Take heed now that this pleasant and sweet fruit that you have that is new from God and your old experiences that you have had heretofore of Gods goodness let not corruption reap that that God hath sown you know it
deal according to the proportion of infinite Grace Take this one Meditation That where there is any uprightness when thou shalt come to reap from God thou shalt reap so much from God as must manifest to all Angels and Saints to all eternity what the infinite Mercy of an infinite God can do and that'â— enough one would think the poorest Christian that doth but the least for God when he comes to reap shall have an Harvest that must manifest the infinite riches of the infinite mercy of God and what he is able to do for the raising up of a Creature to glory Comfort thy self in this in thy poor low condition in which thou art and in the performing of thy poor services Thus for the manner of the Phrase Break your fallow ground for it is time to seek the Lord till he come and rain Righteousness upon you Break up your fallow ground c. The Prophet exhorted them in the words before to sow in Righteousness that they might reap Mercy But you must not sow without plowing that were a preposterous way therefore though the words come after yet the thing is to be done before Look that you plow up the fallow ground you have been sinful and ungodly in your way It will not be enough for you now to set upon some good actions we will do better we will do such and such good things that God requires of us No that 's not the first work you must fal upon but it must be to plow to plow up your fallow grounds In this expression you have here implyed first That the hearts of men naturally are as follow grounds nothing but thorns and bryars grows upon them they are unfit for the Seed of the Word And by this word is here meant these three things when he bids them plow up their fallow grounds First The work of humiliation the Truths of God both of the Law and of the Gospel must get into their hearts and rend up their hearts even rend it up as the plow doth rend up the ground And secondly That weeds thorns and bryars must be turned up by the roots the heart must be cleer'd of them It is not enough to weed out a weed here and there and to pluck out a thorn here and there but plow up the ground turn all upside down and get up al the baggagely stuff and thorns that was in your hearts heretofore And then thirdly Get a softness to be in your hearts as when the ground is plowed that which was before hard on the outside and bak'd by the heat of the Sun being now turned up there is a soft mould of the ground and so by the softness of the mould of the ground it is prepared to receive seed There are many evils in us that we would reform but we have not been humbled for them for our ceremonies and subjection to false Government of the Church Who hath bin humbled for these things as sin We reform them as things inconvenient but not being humbled for them as sin the very roots of these things are in the hearts of many so as if times should change a distinction would serve their turn to come and submit to them again so that we sow before we plow I find in Jer. 4. 3. you have this exhortation even in termiminis That They must plow up the fallow-ground of their hearts only exprest a little further They must not sow among thorns They must not think to mingle that which is good with that which is evil it may be a few good seeds are brought into a business yea but there is a great deal of evil My Brethren take heed of being deceived that way many though they do not intend to deceive you yet they may deceive you by mixing some good things with a great many evil and therefore examin things But I note this place in Jeremiah the rather from the consideration of the time of Jeremiahs Prophesie You shall find that the time of Jeremiahs Prophesie was in Josiahs time Now the time of Josiah was a time of great reformation there was very much reformation in his time yea but saith Jeremiaâ— What though you did reform what though you do many things you sow among thorns you do not plow up the ground you are not humbled the roots of your sin are not got out of you and therefore though there be a great deal of ill stuff that seems to be cast out and many good things are set upon in the Worship of God that was not formerly yet you must plow plow up your fallow grounds The holy Gost joyning of them together Sow Righteousness and plow up your fallow ground This Note I would have you observe That there are some that do Sow and not Plow and there are others that do Plow and not Sow but we must joyn both together There are that do Plow and not Sow that is They it may be are troubled for their sin it may be much humbled for their sin but they do not reform after their Humiliation there doth not follow Reformation Now as Reformation where Humiliation hath not gone before usually comes to little purpose so Humiliation where Reformation follows not after comes likewise to little purpose In Isa 28. 24. Doth the Husbandman plow all day to sow The text is brought to note thus much That God observes his times and that is the scope of the text that we must not be offended because that the Lord doth not do things as we would have him alwaies that is he lets wicked men prosper sometimes and the godly suffer afflictions but as if the holy Ghost should say here let God alone with his work God observes his times and seasons as the Plow-man doth he doth not alwaies plow so God hath his times and seasons and knows when to relieve his Church and afflict his Church and when the wicked shall prosper and be brought into adversity God instructs the Plow-man to know his season and so doth he and therefore be not offended And so should we know our seasons we should observe our times to be humbled and reform to reform and be humbled But this for the Reformation of a State But the plowing of the heart that 's the thing that is here especially intended and I desire to apply it particularly to every man and woman Those who have such sore necks who cannot bear the yoke yet you must be Plow-men and Plow-women for Alice Driver that I told you of her father brought her up to plow and both men and women the daintiest Ladies of all must hold this plow that is here spoken of Now for this plowing of humbling your hearts it is for the getting in of Truths into your spirits that may rend up your hearts I 'le name some few Truths that are as it were the Plow-share that you must not only know them but labor to get
time to seek the Lord It is mercy that there is any time at al to seek the Lord. It might have been past time with you for seeking the Lord God might have forc'd his honor from you in another way have fech't out his glory from you in your eternal ruin Oh! 't is mercy that God will be sought of you and therefore plow up your fallow ground and sow in Righteousness for it is time to seek the Lord. Oh! you that are the oldest and wickedest and yet live still Oh! remember this Scripture yet you have time to seek the Lord It is mercy that you have any time to seek the Lord If you did but understand what this mercy were ye would fal down with your faces upon the ground and bless the Lord that you have yet time to seek him What do you think those damned creatures in Hell would now give if it might be said of them That they have time to seek the Lord if they might have but one hour more to seek the Lord with any hope to obtain mercy from him What you are now they were not long since Oh! do you fear and tremble lest if you not seeking the Lord you ere long be as now they are that it shall be said of you Time is gon time to seek the Lord is past I will not now be sought of you Seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near It was a speech once of a woman in terror of Conscience when divers came to her it was in Cambridge divers Ministers and others coming to her in way of comforting of her she looks with a gastly countenance upon them and gives them only this Answer Call time again If you can call time again than there may be hope for me but time is gone Oh! that we had hearts to prize our time to seek the Lord therefore while he may be found And when thou goest home fall down upon thy face before the Lord and bless him that yet it is time to seek the Lord. It is time for the publick through Gods mercy it is time yet for us to seek the Lord. It might have been past time and who almost that did desire to know any thing of Gods mind for seven or eight yeers ago or more but did think that Englands time was even gone of seeking God But the Lord hath been pleased to lengthen out our time to seek Him and this we should prize and make use of Secondly It is high time to seek the Lord. For first God hath been long time patient towards you He hath been long suffering there is a time that the Lord saith He will be weary with forbearing and therefore the Lord having suffered so long it is high time for you to seek him for you to look about you lest the Lord should say That he would be weary in forbearing and forbear no more It is fit you should seek the Lord at all times but now it is high time when God hath been so long suffering towards you how do you know but that the time for the end of patience is at an end And that is the second consideration God hath been long patient And 2. Mercy it is even going for Judgments are now threatned by the Prophet as if the Prophet should say if ever you will seek him seek him now God is going and Judgments are at hand and therefore it is high time for you to seek the Lord. As a Prisoner when he is at the Bar he is pleading a great while when the Judg is at the Bench but if he sees the Judges ready to rise off the Bench and if they be gone then he is gone and undone for ever then he lifts up his voice and cries out Mercy mercy So it is high time to seek the Lord high time Mercy is going Judgment is at hand God as the Judg is going off the Bench now cry crie out for your lives or you are undone for ever Oh! this may well be applied to us both in the general and in the particular it is high time God hath shewn himself to be going and departing from us only there hath a company of his Saints been crying and as the Lord hath been going from us yet they have lifted up their voice and cried to the Lord so yet he grants us time And then thirdly It is an acceptable time because now God calls upon you and he holds forth the Scepter of his Grace towards you therefore it is now acceptable to seek God seek him now and he will be found 2 Cor. 6. Now is the accepted time the day of salvation while you do enjoy the means of Grace while God is offering mercy in the Gospel it is the accepted time therefore now is the time to seek the Lord The misery of man is great upon him for not knowing his time in Eccles 8. 6. There the wise man saith There is a time for all things but therefore is the misery of man great because he knoweth not his time Oh! 't is true in this regard we know not our time and therefore is our misery great upon us O that thou hadest known at least in this thy day those things that concern thy peace missing of time is a dangerous thing That may be done at one time with ease that cannot be done at another time with all the labor that possibly may be Thou canst not tell what may depend upon one day upon one minute perhaps even eternity may depend upon this moment upon this day A man goes abroad from his family and gets into company perhaps into an Ale-house or Tavern to drink and there spends the day in wickedness thou doest not know but upon that time the day of thy eternitie may depend it may be cast upon that day as Saul was cast upon that act of his saith Samuel to him The Lord had thought to have established thy Kingdom but now he will not so God may say Well notwithstanding all thy former sins I would have been content to have past by them if thou hadest sought me upon this day The consideration of this would make us take heed how we spend our time how one spends any day in ones life A Marriner may do that at one time that he cannot possibly do at another He hath a gale of wind and now he may quickly get over Sea but if he staies till another time if he would give his heart blood to get over he cannot and so sometimes thou hast such gales of the Spirit of God as may do good to thy soul for ever take heed thou doest not lose them if thou losest them thou maiest be undone for ever Oh! 't is fit to wait upon God for our time and if God gives us time take heed we do not trifle and say we shall have time hereafter therefore in Phil. 2. 12.
therefore blessed are they that wait for him Think of this and deny your own Judgments and your own thoughts and know that you are waiting upon God that is a God of Judgment that is infinitely wise to come to his People in a fit season and to come so that at last you would not wish that he had come sooner And know That all the while you are waiting God is working good We are waiting upon mens doors and they take no notice of it but if we knew that all the time we are a waiting our Petition were a reading and they in consultation about it and we only waited for the issue of the consultation it would satisfie us And so a gracious heart may be assured of this Hast thou sought the Lord in the truth of thy heart The thing is not come yet but ever since thou hast sought the Lord the heart of God hath been thinking of that thing which thou soughtest him for and wilt not thou be seeking God still till He doth come And then While thou art seeking God thou art not altogether without some dews Indeed God doth not come and rain in showers that Righteousness that he will hereafter but surely thou hast dews thou hast some encouragements and do not slight those dews of Gods Grace that thou hast for then thou maiest stay the longer before the showers of Righteousness come prize the dews of Gods Grace and the showers of Righteousness they will come the sooner Many Christians though they have many dews of Gods Grace upon their hearts to refresh them yet because they have not showers they think it is nothing what hast thou no dews of Grace What is it that keeps thy heart so tender as it is Thou wouldest not for a thousand worlds wilfully sin against God certainly if thy heart were hardened the Truths of God would not get into thy heart so as they do Indeed the rain comes in a visible way yea but there are dews of Grace that come in a secret way Thou doest not indeed see the comings in of those dews of Grace upon thy heart yea but others may see the effect of those dews And then lastly Seek the Lord till he comes why Because when he comes he will come more fully a great deal It was a notable speech of Mr. Glover the Martyr when he had been seeking God for the raining of Righteousness he was willing to give his life for God and yet God had absented himself from him Oh! God was not come he complain'd to his fellow Austin that God was not come well but saith his friend he will come and give me a sign before you die if you feel the Spirit of God come to your heart well the poor man continued all night when he was to be burnt the next day and yet he was not come yea the Sheriff came to carry him to the Stake and yet his heart was dead But he goes on till he came within the sight of the stake and then the holy Ghost came into his heart and fil'd him with joy so that he lifts up his hands and voice and cries He is come he is come Now there came a shower of Righteousness upon his heart he was content to seek the Lord till he came And that may be a fourth Note That those that are content to seek God till he comes when he comes he will come with plentiful showers in raining Righteousness Oh! how many how many cursed Apostates are there that will curse themselves one day for not continuing seeking of God till he comes Perhaps there are some that have had some convictions of conscience and because they have not had encouragement presently they were discouraged and so thou hast basely gone back and now God hath left thee and thou art become a base useless Hypocrite and art a dishonor and disgrace to Religion and all because thou wouldest not stay till God came Oh! but others staied till God came and God came at length so fully that now they bless his Name that they did stay I remember I have read of Columâ—us that was the first that found out the West Indies and the story saith of him that his men were even weary he was so long in sailing so they were resolved they would come back again that they would so that then all their labor had been lost But Columbus he came to them with all intreaties to go on a little time and at length prevail'd with them to go on but three daies longer So they were content to venture three daies and within that three daies they came to see Land and so discovered those parts of the world that were so little known to these parts Now what a miserable thing had it been if they had come back and lost all their Voyage Thus it is with many a soul sailing towards Heaven and eternal life Thou hast been a long time tost up and down in the waves of the Sea the waves of Temptation and of Trouble and thou thinkest it's best to come back again Oh! stay a while do not limit three daies but go on yet it may be said of some that had they proceeded in their voiage but three daies more they might have come and seen whereas now they have lost all Oh! seek the Lord then till he comes and rains Righteousness And then the fifth is this The help of those that seek God it is from Heaven Till HE Rain They do not so much expect help from Creatures as from Heaven they look up to Heaven for their help when all comforts in creatures fail they look upwards and there see their help And then the sixt Note is this That the fruit of Gods coming to his People after seeking it is To make them fruitful that 's the end of Gods coming the end of the Mercy of God in coming to people it is to make their seeds to grow up and be fruitful It may be you would have God come but wherefore to bring comfort to you No the end of Gods coming to his Saints it is To make them fruitful and this would be an Argument of the sincerity of your hearts in seeking God When you are seeking him what do you seek him for only for comfort and peace and to ease you from troubles Yea but do you seek God that you may be fruitful The Hypocrits seek to have Grace that they may have Comfort and the godly seeks Comfort that they may have grace so it is That God may rain Righteousness I am as a dry ground Oh! that God would come with the influence of his Grace to make me fruitful in the works of holiness Many of you would have comfort as now in these daies mens ears are altogether set upon comfort but is your comfort the showers of God doth it make the seeds of Righteousness fructifie in your hearts Certainly you can have little comfort of that comfort that
whence the Note and Point is That which is a mans own way he is very ready to trust in to make much of Whatsoever is a mans own way we have for this a notable Scripture in the Book of Judges 2. 19. Oh the strength of spirit that there is in men when the way is their own saith the text there They cease not from their own doings nor from their stubborn way I beseech you observe it 't is but a several expression own doings and own way the doings were their own such things as they had contriv'd to themselves Their own way and then they ceased not from they would stick to their own way they were stubborn in their way because their way was their own Prov 12. 15. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes but he that hearkeneth to counsel is wise A fool one that understands little yet if the way be his own he will not hearken to counsel he thinks he is sure he needs not counsel with any he is so strong in it because it is his own way It 's a hard thing to get men out of that way that they have contriv'd to themselves in matters of Religion and therefore it 's observable what God saith of all the Heathen in Jer. 2. 10 11. Have any of the Nations changed their gods but my people hath saith he No Nation would change their gods whom they had chose only Gods People they were peculiar in this to make change of their God Why because the gods of the Nations were of their own making What waies are of mens own that they stick exceeding much to They trusted in their own way as when an object is too neer the eye the eye is not able to see it to see any evil in it If a foul thing be put too neer the eye the eye cannot see it so the evil that is neer ones self very neer that is ones own that is very hard to see and yet what great difference is it between ones being defil'd by ones own dung and by the dung of another If a mans heart be engaged in a way of his own he will be ready to father it upon God himself and say It is Gods way and he will be ready to think that all other waies different from his are mens own No men are more ready to charge others of pride than proud men and no men more ready to charge others of going to their own way than those that do most stick to their own waies it 's one fruit of a mans heart sticking to his own waies and conceits to think that whosoever differs from him doth stick to his own conceits and his own waies It 's a hard thing to make a man or woman that sticks much to their own waies to own it that it is their own but how ever men wil not own what is theirs but put it upon God many times yet the Lord he will one day discover all the waies of men discover all the waies of men and women and shew how much is their own in it It 's a notable text for that in Prov. 21. 2. Every way of man is right in his own eyes but the Lord pondereth the heart or the Lord weigheth the heart for pondering and weighing is all one Mark every way of man is right in his own eyes but the Lord pondereth the heart that is Though we chuse waies to our selves and think they are right and we are ready to think that our waies are Gods that we might justifie our selves so much the more but saith the text God pondereth the heart that is God weigheth exactly how much there is of his own and how much there is of our own in it Oh! it were a happy thing if we were able to do so it 's a great part of the skill of a Christian to be able so to ponder his own waies as to know how much of God how much of himself is in a thing There 's very few in the world knows this there 's scarce any action that the best of us do but there is somewhat of self in it there is somewhat of God and somewhat of self but now here 's the skill to be able to weigh how much of God and how much of our selves is in an action It 's a great skill that your Goldsmiths have they can presently tell you how much gold and silver is in a vessel an unskilful man looks upon it and thinks it 's all gold but your Refiners will tell you even how much to a drachm is mixed with it Oh! it were an excellent skil to be able in all our actions thus to ponder al our waies to know how much of God and how much of our selves is in our waies for want of thiâ— it is that we do miscarry so much in our waies as we do every way of man is right in his own eyes but God ponders God weighs mens actions to see how much of himself and how much of us there is in our actions But now then Is it so that it is in the hearts of men to trust so much in their own way because it is their own Oh! what a shame is it then that we should not have our hearts close with and trust in Gods way Let a way be never so base and vile yet if it be a mans own his heart doth close and trust and is strong in it Oh then when the way is apparently Gods why should we be so fickle and unsteadie as we are almost alwaies in the way of God Make but the way of Religion to be thy own and then thou wilt be strong enough in it but till that time is till we have given up our Wils to the Will of God and we have made Gods Wil to be our own Wil we are never like to be strong in the Waies of God When there is but one Will between God and us that Gods Will is our Will then we are strong when Gods Interest is our Interest when Gods Glory is our Glorie then we come to be strong Oh! happie are they that have so given up themselves to God as that they look upon their own good to be more in God than themselves this is the work of Grace to look upon ones own good and Wil and comforts of our hearts and happiness of our lives to be more in God than in our selves that 's the way to persevere in Godliness as thus As it is between man and wife when the wife comes to make the Will of her husband her own then she loves him strongly and constantly so when Gods will is made to be our own then we will fol Gods will strongly and shall persevere in it It follows And in the multitude of their Mighty Men. This made them very confident in their way Why they had an Army to back them they had an Army to fight for
Church is humbling its self before God for the great wickedness and the great wrath that was upon them Behold Oh Lord for I am in distress my bowels are troubled mine heart is turned within me for I have grevously rebelled Mark here you have these two points together The Church aggravates her sin I have grievously rebelled and what then Oh Lord I am in distress my bowels are troubled my heart is turned within me Oh! remember this text you whose consciences do tell you of grievous Rebellions The last words follow In a morning shall the King of Israel be utterly cut off Now for the understanding of this we must consider to what this refers what King of Israel this was and when this was fulfilled For that if you reade 2 King 17. it hath reference to the story there and this King of Israel that is here spoken of is Hoshea that was the last King of Israel and therefore it 's said That he shall be utterly cut off For he and all his family was utterly cut off there was an end of the Kingdom of Israel that had continued so long provoking God saith he I have forborn the Kings of Israel a long time but now they shall be utterly cut off in Hâ—shea This King of Israel his spirit was stout enough against God and his Prophets and he would and he would My Brethren It is not the stoutness of the greatest men upon earth to say They will and they will and they will venture their Lives and Kingdoms Why if they Will God Will too he hath a Will as well as they at length Gods Will grows as strong as theirs and proceeds against them and against their very families The King of Israel shall be utterly cut off Kings of the Earth they suffer little from men What a brave business iâ— it for a man that he shall be able to go up and down in Countries and rend and tear and oppress and bring thousands into woful miseries and extremities and yet be afraid to suffer nothing at all Himself therfore it is fit for God to take in hand those men that are above the power of men when men cannot deal with them it is the Lord himself he takes them into hand and they are so much the more under the imediate Justice of the Infinite God Shall be utterly cut off But when shall this be In a morning There is a sad morning coming But I find Cyril carries it thus God in his Patience is compared to a man asleep and in the execution of Judgment is said to awake God brings his Righteous Judgements to light every morning But that 's a little too forced But Secondly In a morning that is Early betimes so in Jer. 21. 12. O house of David thus saith the Lord Execute Judgment in the Morning So the King of Israel shall be early cut off And indeed this King of Israel he was early cut off he did not reign above eight or nine yeers at most God doth take some in the morning of their time in their youth when their day is but as it were dawning he takes some sinners sooner than others In the morning he shall be cut off But Thirdly In the morning which comes yet neerer and more full to the sense and the scope of the Spirit of God here that is even when the light comes when they have hopes of further good then he shall be cut off And so you shal find if you reade the story in the book of Kings at this time when Hoshea was to be cut off that it was when he had entred into League with the King of EGYPT and now Hoshea thought a morning would arise and he should have a brave day and live many merry daies now and when he thought the light began to come in a morning doth God come to cut him off Oh! so it is many times my Brethren That at that time when people have some enlightening and they think that now light is breaking out when after a long night of darkness then Gods displeasure breaks forth upon them We cannot but acknowledge that the Lord hath granted us a morning light but let us fear and tremble for the time of Gods displeasure somtime it is in the morning when we think we have light breaking forth God may have other waies to bring darkness upon us than we are aware of we know how dreadful a day it was with Sodom after a Sun-shine morning It 's very observable the difference of Gods dealing with his own People and with those that are carnal and of the world compare this Scripture with Zach. 14. 7. Here In a morning shall he be utterly cut off But in Zach. 14. 7. where God is speaking of mercy to his People he speaks of a day that should be known to God and saith he At evening time it shall be light He comforts his People thus But when he threatens the wicked saith he When the morning comes it shall be darkness The Lord doth use to turn the darkness of the Saints into light and to turn the light of the wicked and ungodly into darkness Oh! let us learn to fear that God then that is able to turn light into darkness and darkness into light Amos 5. 8. Seek him saith the text that turneth the shadow of death into the morning and maketh the day dark with night He can turn the shadow of death into morning Suppose there be the greatest darkness upon you God can make that a morning of light and suppose there be a morning of light God can turn that into darkness Many men they set upon some waies and because they have a morning they bless themselves and think all must needs go on according to their way it is a very ordinary thing in the hearts of men especially that are compassing some notable design of their own if it doth prosper in the begining they think al wil go on Oh! thou maiest be utterly deceived thy designs may have a morning and then God may cut thee off and thy designs and all thy thoughts may then perish We reade that Saul had many Victories after that God had pronounced that he should be rejected And therefore we had need fear that God that can turn the morning into darkness and darkness into light Fourthly God did not discomfit the Host of the Egyptians until the morning God loves to draw forth great sinners to the light not to come upon them in the dark but to bring forth his judgments in the morning openly and cleerly And lastly In the morning he shall be cut off That is Suddenly God will be quick at his work They thought by their power to hold it out No saith God I will not make a daies work of it it shal be in the morning so the old Latin turns it It shall pass as the morning as the light of the morning quickly passes
over as you heard before as the King of Israel is compared to the foam so he is here compared to the morning Now my brethren to close this Chapter Oh! what alteration of things God is able to make in a morning They it may be the day before and over night were jolly and merry and blest themselves in their way they had confidence in their way and multitude of their mighty men but in a morning all is spoiled God can make mighty alterations in a Kingdom in a morning and in Cities and Families and particular Persons mighty alterations in a morning My Brethren Who knows what a day may bring forth who knows what a morning may bring forth Ezek. 7. 5 6 7. Thus saith the Lord God An evil an only evil behold is come An end is come the end is come it watches for thee behold it is come The Morning is come unto thee O thou that dwellest in the Land the time is come the day of trouble is near As if God should say Al this while that thou hast bin in the act of the pride of thy heart and vanity of thy spirit I did determin that such a morning such an evil should come and it 's come it is come it is come saith God Again again and again the morning is come O! think when you lie down at night think what thou hast done this day do not dare to lie down but first make thy peace with God thou knowest not what may be in the morning and when thou risest up in the morning look up to God and seek blessing and mercy from the Lord for though thine eyes be opened and thou come to see the morning light yet before the morning be quite gone thou knowest not what may befal thee and therefore seek to make thy peace with God both in the night and in the morning for great changes may come to thee both in the night and in the morning that thou never thoughtest of in all thy life And thus through Gods blessing we have finished the Tenth Chapter FINIS An Alphabetical TABLE of the Eighth Ninth and Tenth Chapters of the Prophesie of HOSEA Page A Acceptance NO acceptance but by Jesus Christ 74 Admonition Admonition to Saints 59 Admonition to England 66 Admonitions both to Popish and Godly Wives 219 Admonition to those that sin wilfully 425 Affliction In Affliction men see their need of God 9 Affliction teacheth men and what it teacheth them 189 In Affliction God is dreadful 335 Age Every age ads to Idolatry 81 Aggravate The sins of parents aggravate the sins of the children 209 Agreement All Government comes by Agreement 17 Altars Why there were no steps on Altars nor tools lifted up upon them 70 The Altar of Insence explained 71 Why there was but one Altar 74 The Altar typified out Christs sacrifice 74 Why it was sin to errect Altars 76 Altars and Images to be removed by Saints 327 See Christ Service-book Alphonsus The diligence of Alphonsus King of Aragon in searching the Scripture 101 Allegory A fit Allegory of a good Preacher 288 Alteration God can make a speedy alteration in Cities 413 Ambition We should have an holy ambition in Religion 82 Ancestors There is more expected of us then of our Ancestors and why 82 Antinomians Antinomians confuted 100 Antinomians reproved 114 Antiquity Antiquity is no rule for Religion 86 Apis What manner of Idol the Egyptian Apis was 29 Apes An Apes tooth worshiped in the Indies 388 Application Application to the Court 365 Argument There is no argument for the holiness of a Church 130 Arms see Religion Assyrian Why the Asâ—yrian Army was called an Eagle 4 Authority Compulsion of Authority is no excuse for sin 283 B Backsliding Backsliding is dangerous 13 Bare Necks The evil of Bare Necks 433 Bassil A custom at Bassil 34 Black Patches The evil of Black Patches 433 Brethren Brethren admonished 207 Beleevers The happy state of Beleevers shewed 159 Breeding see Men Burden see Kingdom C Calf The Calf of Samaria why it was so called 25 Caution see Kings Canaan Canaan was the Lords Land in an especial manner and why 157 Cause The Cause of God prospers at last alwaies 206 Children Children should beseech their parents to repent 260 See Parents and Mothers Christ Christ is our Altar in the time of the Gospel 72 Christ is little beholding to most Kings 337 Chemarims What the word Chemarim signifieth and its diverse acceptations 388 Christian Good Christians depend upon the Covenant they have made 7 It is a very dangerous thing for Christians to be without Ordinances 54 Christians should not endure wickednesse in their families 273 Why Christians complain of emptiness 317 A Christian Principle 320 Church God doth not cast off his Church though guilty of many sins 5 Church Officers are to be chosen with great care 18 It is dangerous for the Church to mix with the world 47 The Church is Gods pallace 128 The Church is compared to a Vine and why 300 See National and Vine Christmass Why Christmass was wont to be so zealously kept 118 Cleaness God regards not outward cleaness where there is inward uncleaness 161 Commandement The second Commandement expounded 78 The second Commandement illustrated 258 Comfort see Grace Commanders see Villany Compulsion see Authority Communion To neglect the communion of Saints is dangerous 298 Controversie The Controversie between us and the Papists 78 Confidence see Fear Consideration A dreadful consideration 416 Consideration for men of quality 440 Custom Custom is no rule for Gods worship 186 Continue We must continue seeking God and why 482 Covetous see Idolaters Covenant Breach of Covenant is punished by the sword 365 In what cases men may be false in a Covenant made 366 Counsels Mens own counsels oft deceive them 397 What ought to be avoided in our counsels 398 What ought to be attended in our counsels 399 Creature Better the Creature perish than be abused 412 Crown see Princes Crosness The crosness of mens spirits in England 279 Crucifying Why crucifying was so hateful to the Romans 〈◊〉 Curse A dreadful curse lies upon the Jews to this day 298 Cyprian Cyprian's Prayer at his Martyrdom 454 D Dead Dead bodies why they defiled 166 Death Some wicked men put a good face upon the matter even at death 177 Delight see God Deering Deerings speech in his Sermon before Queen ELIZABETH 278 Depart When God begins to depart we should cry mightily 253 Despairing The sad speech of a despairing woman 473 Destruction Destruction is the fruit of not hearing the Word 293 Devil A sinner is a creature the Devil empties his excrements into 49 Diffidence The vileness of diffidence in God 50 Distance see Time Displeasure see God Distress see Hypocrites Divine The speech of a German Divine at his death 189 Divinity Man cannot put Divinity upon a creature 31 Dove Why God accepts not the Eagle but the Dove 4 Duty Good Duties being