and people of the Lord that mourned for the sins of the Land Yea so exemplary they were in their outward holiness and obedience This piece of â—olicie is one of â—he chief recreâ—tions of our â—ehu's that the Prophet takes up a parable from them to condemn the house of Israel in vers 14. Now Iehu engages these holy men and of what advantage is it to him Verily it 's of exceeding great advantage to him How acceptable is it to the people when the good men of their times are countenanced nourished and exalted Yea doth it not savour of much piety that he will have the good and holy men for his Counsellors Yea they must be the men that must plead for him in case he slip or discover his nakedneses they with the credit of their words with the people must cover all they must trumpet out his excellencies and pray for him and speak of him as if he were the onely Protector and Deliverer of the Lord's people from their great oppressions Yea he is not contented to have the Lords Prophets on his side from whom he had his Commission but good man he must have all good men satisfied or he will not be satisfied not so much as a Iehonadab shall be dissatisfied if he may have his will Iehu was a good and sweet-temper'd man now it 's true he was hot and furious in the field like a Lion in God's work there but is like a Lamb in his Chamber and Palace his words are smoothe as butter and oil he will maintain all good mens liberties though of different opinions and profession they are all alike dear to him O heavenly Iehu that hast such a large heart to hold all good men in it wherewithal shall we honour thee what service shâ—â—l we do thee We will joyn our selves to thee and make thy hands stâ—ong to do whatsoever thou deâ—â—est But stay good soule Iehu will turn separatist shortly and let you know when you proceed to the taking away his golden Calves his sins â—ounded on State-polâ—cy that he can tell how to separate and divide yâ—u and keep only those in his favour that will serve his turn although he turn from God 6. And lastly Iehu's policie appears in the matter of the worshippers of Baal Jehu was now at a stand he knew not what to do to root out all the Priests and worshippers of Baal he knew well enough that he could not be secure in his Throne if they continued in the Land and he forsake Baal they would remember their old friend Ahab and avenge his death if by any means they could accomplish it and he might think too that if he performed not the chief ends of God God would remove him himself and some sparks of light of conscience might tell him it was his duty and one chief end why God had anointed him King that he might destroy Baal out of Israel But it was his corrupt and deceitful heart that drew him to play the hypocrite and dissemble Now Jehu's chief motive that carried him on in all his work being his own outward glory and security in it he thought himself not safe unless Baal and his worshippers were destroyed To take courage to himself That this is an exact embleme of this present season a little time will discover and do it openly according to the command of the Lord by the voice of his Prophets his wisdom would not suffer him no that was too dangerous a course that would ruine all but he must deal wisely forsooth use policie and beat the devil with his own staff And what was this good piece of policie but to play the hypocritical dissembler In vers 18. Ahab served Baal a little but Iehu shall serve him much Jehu was acquainted with that Princely Maxime Qui nescit dissimulare nescit regnare He that knows not how to dissemble knows not how to reign Ahab served Baal a little he gave a little encouragement to his worship priests and worshippers small gifts and riches it may be to a favourite or here and there some eminent man he would give largely But I will serve him much I will have all to taste of my fatness and feel of my warmth enjoy the benefit of my good-will to Baal they shall all be the better for me those that could not live on the short commons of their Tythes and Oblations shall now have more In this shameful business Iehu had his Jehonadabs his outwardly-holy men to assist and counsel him but not one Prophet of the Lord appeared in it they were mourning I 'll warrant you for the sins of the Land for that black cloud that was coming over them which at best did foretel no likelihood of going up to Jerusalem to worship without more earthquakes first And now he proclaims a solemn assembly of all those idolatrous worshippers of Baal and he sends thorow all Israel that none might be wanting for he would make a great feast for Baal So that by this he set them on such work as fitted them for slaughter and destruction they must offer sacrifices to Baal put on their vestments be in all their gallantry They must take to themselves their full power not suffer one of the Lords people not one against their opâ—nion to be among them Oh how zealous a King have we Ahab was not to be compared to him for zeal for our God we shall have happie days we shall see no sorrow we shall never be removed long live Jehu let thy days be as the sand of the sea for number But stay Sir Priest make not your selves drunk in the conceit of your Elysian joys your joy shall be turned into mourning there 's death in the pot though the broth seem never so pleasant your sacrifices shall be dyed in your blood and your Baal shall be buâ—ied in your ruines But Jehu did it in subtilty to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal And thus he destroyed Baal out of Israel Good God! what vicissitudes and changes are here how mutable and uncertain is the heart of man This little world man ruling over the greater makes false deceitful reeling work Come Lord Iesus come quickly and take away this sinful wicked mouldering tottering world and give us new heavens and new earth that thy people may live to sing Hallelujahs to thee for evermore But in the Jehu's Zeal Fourth place Let us view Iehu this mighty man in his zeal O how gloriously zealous is he full of zeal and good works his heart seems on fire for God and his glory not one tittle of the word of the Lord shall fall to the ground he will slay all that belongs to the house of Ahab not leave a man to pass against the wall and as hath been before observed he will deliver the people of God fully from their oppressions and take off every heavie yoke But let us view the particulars wherein his zeal shews it self so
ominously First against the sins and wickedness of the times When he met Joram saith the King Is it peace Jehu Peace saith he What peace so long as the whoredoms witchcrafts of thy mother Jezebel are so many Peace belongs not to thee no peace with thy abominations I will not sheath my sword until I have destroyed all those Oppressions in the State and Innovations in the Church Was not this our practice in our first motions that have provoked God to wrath against the Land and hindered the people from worshipping the true God What peace with Ahab peace with Iezebel No you shall know I am raised up and inspired by God to avenge the blood of his servants upon your heads correct your tyrannies and destroy the cause of them out of the Land I will not withdraw my hand until I have purged the Land from all those things that pollute it and Cursed be he that withholdeth his hand from shedding of blood Well said Iehu thou art hot now but thou wilt be cool enough anon when thine own turn is serv'd when thou hast done as much as is needful for thy own designes then thou wilt let Gods work go whither it will for thee they are fools and asses that mind THEN any thing more then setling the State in peace and quiet that they may enjoy the fruits of their labours Secondly his zeal puts forth it self in this He would not have one to remain alive of Baals priests he would kill them all every mothers childe yea whosoever let one of them escape his life should go for it But have a care Iehu thou art not at last as furious against the Lords own Prophets as thou art now against Baals Thirdly his zeal appears in this These things have been done visibly before our eyes That he brake down all the images of Baal and brake down the house of Baal and made it a draught house How zealous was this man for God! one would have thought that surely this man liv'd in heaven and his thoughts were always upon Jerusalem and his heart thitherward Can it be imagined how glad the hearts of the unfeigned servants of the Lord were at the sight of this Will it be counted an errour to think that their hearts heads mouths were filled with the thoughts of their going up to Jerusalem to worship and behold the glory of God in his Ordinances But alas poor hearts you are mistaken in Iehu the golden Calves in Dan and Bethel will stop you there 's no passiâ—g those ancient bounds founded upon so much State-wisdom He departed not from the sins of Ieroboam the son of Nebat Jehu's Profession In the fifth place let us view him in his profession he profest himself to be one that studyed much the minde and will of God to regulate all his actions by that model he had received from God by his Prophets Thus saith the Lord This is the word of the Lord as you may observe all along the history When he met the King what was the profession he made but that his work was the rooting out all those abominations that had provoked the Lord to anger What peace so long as the whoredoms and witchcrafts are so many When he had slain Ioram he profest he did nothing but what he was commanded of the Lord Cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Iezreelite for remember how that when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father the Lord laid this burden upon him c. He would have a Word for all his actions and nothing would he seem to do This is a true and compleat Character of some in these our reforming times but what was consonant to the minde and will of the Lord. Again when he had slain Jezebel and she was eaten by the dogs what application did he make It was the will of the Lord This is the word of the Lord which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite saying c. O heavenly man whose tongue is tipt with Scripture the experiences of the Saints and the Revelations of the Prophets When he had subtilly caused the seventy sons of Ahab to be slain what was the conclusion That the people should know that nothing of the word of the Lord should fall unto the earth which he had spoken by Elijah concerning Ahab And when he met with Iehonadab what was his profession but to be zealous for God What a profession of sincerity and plainness of heart in the cause of God did he make How curious was he of his associates and companions He would have none but such as were like himself holy men in appearance If thy heart be right as my heart come and see my zeal for the Lord be my companions otherwise not By the way observe how poor Iehu praises himself if thy heart be right as my heart he praises his own sincerity his zeal come and see my zeal there 's none like mine his grace his conformity to the will of God his performance of the Word of the Lord the effects of the Spirit upon his heart O none like his Surely he had forgot Solomon's counsel Let a stranger praise thee And did not that Pharisee write by this copie that said Lord I thank thee that I am not as that Publicane is c. And Iehu was a great Preacher too whether he were in the field or in the palace or in the gate of the city he was always preaching as the story mentions This is the word of the Lord Remember what the Lord said c. He seem'd as if he could speak no other language but the words of God Notwithstanding all this he walked not in the law of the Lord with all his heart Jehu's Hypocrisie Sixthly Let us view him in his hypocrisie How close a hypocrite was this seeming-heavenly Iehu Who could discern him to be counterfeit till he came to the touch He had as fair an outside as ever man had yet he was as a whited sepulchre full of dead mens bones within nothing but corruption and deceit lodging in his heart This man's hypocrisie appeared clearly in his dealing with Baal and his priests playing the counterfeit and dissembler with them Now what a case may we think the poor people of God were in in this time of temptation and trouble what could they do but make their complaints to their all-seeing God and Father who they knew would hear their sighs and groans Is not this the case now disputed in these our dissembling times and give an answer full of grace and love Well but when he had discovered himself but to dissemble with Baal and his Priests and to mean otherwise then he at that time pretended how could he shift off the guilt of hypocrisie before the people of God who knew by the experience they had of their own hearts that it could not stand with a sincere spirit with Water-men to look one way and
Christ himself lived their policy kept them from receiving Christ the true God caused them to reject him for say they If we receive him IF WE LET HIM THVS ALONE ALL MEN WILL BELIEVE ON HIM and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation And what great afflictions and destructions it brought upon them we see in the story of the Macchabees yea what utter ruine at last overwhelmed them is evident have they not been as dung upon the face of the earth for more then 1200 yeers So that there 's nothing more clear then this That the ruine of States and Kingdomes is founded in and bottomed upon their State-policy at one time or other first or last their walking by the rules and maximes of this policy breaks them to pieces and brings them to their utter ruine Secondly consider The pernicious loathsome abomination of Jehonadabs counsel Hypocrisie is most odious to God most provoking yet Iehonadab counsels to that the righteousness of thy counsellors will not save thee ô Iehu although they have been exemplary for holiness and as a beacon upon a hill to shew men the way of life yet now they commit adultery with this grand strumpet State-policy God leaves them and they are become abominable by how much the more close and spiritual their iniquities are by so much the more wicked and abominable they are to God as the most excellent things once depraved are most vile base and abject most destructive so these men now going astray no counsel so destructive so contrary to God in the aggravations of it as theirs But now Iehu at parting I shall leave to your serious consideration some few of the words of God it may be you may get meat out of them 〈◊〉 15. â—3 28. And Samuel said Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord Behold â—o obey is better then sacrifice and to heaâ—ken then the sat of rams 〈◊〉 6.14 Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord he hath rejected thee from being king The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day and hath given it to a neighbour of thine that is better then thou 〈◊〉 â—3 But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord even against the word of the Lord which he kepâ— not And also by the hand of the Prophet Jehu the son of Hanâ—ni 2 Kin. 16.7 came the word of the Lord against Baasha and against his house even for all the evil that he did in the sight of the Loâ—d in provoking him to anger with the work of his hands in being like the house of Jeroboam AND BECAVSE HE KILL'D HIM And he said unto him 1 King 20.42 Thus saith the Lord Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction therefore thy life shall go for his life and thy people for his people Hosea 1.4 And the Lord said unto him Call his name Jezreel for yet a little while and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel Gal. 2.18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed I make my self a transgressor 1 Chron. 28.3 But God said unto me Thou shall not build an house for my name because thou hast been a man of war and hast shed blood 2 Chron. 19.2 And Jehu the son of Hanani the Seer went out to meet him and said unto King Jehosaphat Shalt thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord therefore wrath is upon thee from before the Lord. 2 Chron. 26.16 But when he was strong his heart was lifted up to his destruction for he transgrest against the Lord his God ch 32.25 But Hezekiâ—h rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up therefore was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem ch 28.10 11. And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bond-men and bond-women to you but are there not with you even with you sins against the Lord your God now hear me therefore and deliver the captives again which ye have taken captive of your brethren for the fierce wrath of God is upon you Wherefore it shall come to pass Isa 10.1 13. that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon Mount Sion and on Jerusalem I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Assyria and the glory of his high looks For he saith By the strength of my hand I have done it and by my wisdom for I am prudent and I have removed the bounds of the people and have robbed their treasuries and I have put down the inhabitant like a valiant man The Lord of hosts hath purposed it to stain the pride of all glory ch 23.9 and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth And it came to pass 2 Chron 25.16 as he talked with him that the King said unto him Art thou made of the Kings counsel forbear why shouldst thou be smitten then the Prophet forbare and said I know that God hath determined to destroy thee because thou hast done this and hast not hearkened to my counsel Now the good Lord help thee Iehu that upon reading this the maist understand the minde and will of God and repent and do tâ— first works lest c. A word to Jehonadab Jehu's counsellor In the second place I have a word to speak to Iehonadab hâ— excellent hast thou been how perspicuous hath thy glory shin'd the face of men insomuch that the Princes have taken notice of thâ— and have chosen thee for their counsellour thinking surely they shoâ— be happy and prosper if such counsellors as thou art teach theâ— Thou hast been counted worthy to ride in the chariots of the noâ— of the earth and thou hast been so far taken and ravished with tâ— sight of worldly glories from those mounts that thou hast fallen down and done worship to them notwithstanding all thy excellencies and perfections thou art overcome and fallen Repent and do thy first works or else saith the Lord I will come quickly and take that away that thou hast take away thy candlesticke Thou hast climed up the ascending steps to those Altars which are not of Gods appointment and your feet have slipt and you are fallen to the discovering of all your nakedness Remedies against this thou thy self O Jehonadab hast taught the people but now the disease hath overtaken thy self may we not justly say Physitian cure thy self but thy unskilful dealing with and carelesness towards thine own soul and thy being so slightly and so easily overcome makes it appear thou art really ignorant
which draws nigh to be given to you for an inheritance but I shall leave that as the work of one more knowing in those great and deep mysteries of the Fathers love then my self being one who hath more need to learn and to be taught of the meanest and weakest amongst you and indeed none can make you sensible of these things but the Spirit himself Onely I have out of that feast of far things of marrow and wine upon the lees well refined that God hath prepared for his chosen ones I say Out of that feast I have gathered a collation for you made up of such dainties as I conceive most suitable to your present state and condition Mal. 3.16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name Mic. 4.13 Arise and thresiâ— O daughter of Sion for I will make thy â—orn iron and I will make thy hoofs brass and thou shalt beat in pieces many people and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth Isa 17.13 14. The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters but God shall rebuke them and they shall flee far off and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the winde and as a rolling thing before the whirlwinde and behold at evening-tide trouble and before the morning he is not this is the portion of them that spoil us and the lot of them that rob us Isa 4.2 3 4 5. In that day shall the Branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel and it shall come to pass that he that is left in Sion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy even every one that is written among the living in Ierusalem when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughter of Sion and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgement and by the spirit of burning and the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Sion and upon her assemblies a cloud and smoak by day and the shining of flaming fire by night for upon all the glory shall be a defence Yea the Lord will answer Joel 2.19 32. and say unto his people Behold I will send you corn and wine and oil and ye shall be satisfied therewith and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen and it shall come to pass that whosover shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered for in mount Sion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance as the Lord hath said and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call For unto us a child is born Isa 9.6 7. unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of peace Of the encrease of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it and to estabish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever Fear thou not for I am with thee ch 41.10 11. be not thou dismaid for I am thy God I will strengthen the yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness Behold all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded they shall be as nothing and they that strive with thee shall perish Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable ch 43.4 and I have loved thee therefore I will give men for thee and people for thy life And the ransomed of the Lord shall return Isa 35.10 and come to Sion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away The meek also shall encrease their ch 29.19 20 21. joy in the Lord and the poor among men shall rejoyce in the holy One of Israel for the terrible one is brought to nought and the scorner is consumed and all that watch for iniquity are cut off that make a man an offender for a word and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate and turn aside the just for a thing of nought ch 54.17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousness is of me saith the Lord. Mal. 4.1 2 3. For behold the day cometh that shall burn as an Oven and all the proud yea and all that do wickedly shall be stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord of hosts that it shall leave them neither root nor branch but unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with heaâ—ing in his wings and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves of the stall and ye shall tread down the wicked for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this saith the Lord of hosts Fear not O land Joel 2.21 be glad and rejoyce for the Lord will do great things The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this Isa 9.7 What shall one then answer the messengers of the nations ch 14.32 that the Lord hath founded Sion and the poor of his people shall trust in it Make hast my beloved Cant. 8.14 and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountaines of spices I am come into my garden Cant. 5.1 my sister my spouse I have gathered my myrrhe with my spice I have eaten my hony-combe with my hony I have drunk my wine with my milk eat O friends drink yea drink abundantly O beloved Zac. 12.3 And in that day I will make Jerusalem a burthensome stone for all people all that burthen themselves with it shall be cut in peices though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it Luke 21.34 And take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts he overcharged with surfeting and drunkenness and cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares FINIS
build upon and which were so notably built upon as had not an Almighty providence prevented the seed of the Serpent had utterly destroyed and devoured the seed of the woman in our Land these are the darlings these would some in our days have pull'd up by the roots and so have made thorow-work of it but they are not permitted and that upon strong reasons of State too You will then bring all into confusion presently we must go prudently and wisely to work and do things more gradually otherwise we shall lose all If you pull up the foundation will not the building necessarily fall to pieces But doth not this dilemma say You would not have the son of David to reign And is not this â—ur darling Secondly Iehu's sin was cleaving to rules of State-policie and he obeyed not the minde and will of God in his present generation It was policie of State that set up those golden Calves to secure the kingdom and he made it appear it was his opinion That all the Laws of God and men were to stoop to Reason of State and that Princes have a latitude beyond all men given them by God that as gods they may by the implicite Laws of their own brest do their will and pleasure and although they break all the Laws of God and Nature yet they are righteous still And why Why forsooth they will tell you it's reason of State to prevent an extraordinary unpresidented evil that hangs over our heads ready to fall upon us and such must have extraordinary and unusual remedies otherwise the Ant will be too hard for the Lion and his power majestie and great glory will be tumbled into the dust But what became of all this policie what was the fruit of it why it brought ruine upon him and his house as the story evidences He that seeks his life shall lose it by the very same evil ways that men take to secure themselves in their state their ruine shall inevitably come all their craft and cunning shall not be able to prevent it Iehu kept his kingdom for a while but he was not beholden one jot to his wicked policie for it but to the abundant mercy of God who would not let him go unrewarded for his so great service in destroying the house of Ahab and Baal out of Israel Because thou hast done that which is right in mine eyes c. he should have the kingdom to the fourth generation a little while and what comes then nothing but utter ruine and destruction And the Lord said unto him Hos 1.4 Call his name Jezreel for yet a little while and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu Consider this O England's Princes and tremble lest God make you a by-word and a hissing to the Nations round about you State-policie reason of State ruin'd this when time was Saint-like Iehu Give God your whole hearts and he will give you the whole possessions of the Lord Jesus purchased by his blood But Secondly more particularly to set down what those sins of Ieroboam are that Iehu would not depart from We have a full description of them in 1 King 12. vers 28. to the end of the Chapter and they were First Idolatry withdrawing the people from the true God telling them that the golden calves were their Gods that brought them out of the land of Egypt Secondly Putting the true Priests from their service and making Priests or Ministers of the lowest of the people Thirdly Devising a new worship for these calves their golden Gods For the first IDOLATRY A sin so provoking unto God as that it had cost the Israelites their utter ruine at their first commission of it had they not had a faithful Mediator to plead their cause with God Exod. 32.10 11. a sin that deprived them of the presence of God Exod. 33.3 a sin against which there is so much wrath of God pronounced by all the Prophets and of which God had much complained how it grieved his holy Spirit and provok'd him to anger yet nothing would warn Jeroboam nor Jehu but for the love of this world the honours vanities thereof they would stick by it no perswasion would move them to depart from it Behold saith Jeroboam thy Gods O Israel c. as if he had said and Jehu's actions spake the same language these Calves had wrought those wonderful revolutions as had then happened to Israel that there was no more of a deity manifested in them then was in these calves a prophane speech making it evident Ieroboam's God was the God of this world the Devil having shewn him the glory of this world he falls down worships him that so it may be his portion to enjoy it thus Ieroboam and so Iehu drew the people from their God by preaching to them when their expectations were raised high great after their going up to Jerusalem to worship and that upon apprehensions of an Almighty and extraordinary providence of God bringing things so marvelously about giving such extraordinary success to their proceedings that this apprehension of theirs was but a fancy as great things had been done for by others as these and as great revolutions had been made in the world in times of old and yet all things remain as you see as at the beginning and by such-like Arguments as these perswade the people from their belief of the Omnipotency and faithfulness of God in performing his promises and so bring them by this means to submit to their innovations and usurpations being thus blinded not being able to see by faith God's making bare his arm bending his bow sharpening his arrows and whetting his sword to fulfil his promises made to his chosen ones And surely it 's too too evident that we are after these mens example running to our old Idolatry onely new gilded over with specious pretences and under another form the serpent the old dragon having furnished us with a new mold to cast our Image in and helping us by his wisdom to bring our old calves into the new fashion If we have done all that God hath commanded what means this bleating of the sheep and lowing of the oxen no but in stead of pulling down and taking away the remainders of Idolatry we are setting up new Idols under other and more specious pretences every way of our own invention though it be never so good in it self to never so righteous an end yet if it be not of Gods appointment it 's Idolatry it 's superstition will-worship and it may justly be asked Who required this at your hands surely God did not but your Idolatrous calvish hearts that are full of many inventions Secondly Taking away the true Ministers of God in his worship and making other Priests of the lowest of the people this was another of Jeroboams heinous sins that Jehu departed not from having taken away the worship of God he takes away his Ministers
he made Solomons prayer he should have had Solomons return and had been a ruler after Gods own heart as David was and so have been made partaker of Davids full enjoyments of God in his Ordinances But 2. To be a ruler over the Lords people it 's of great advantage for what was he not able to do by their mighty power and force in faith and prayer If we look into the Scripture and see what wonderful things have been done by the faith and prayers of the Lords people we cannot but say of a truth Iehu had as great an advantage to become a second Solomon for wisdom not State-policy a second David for valour and might in conquering enemies as ever man had It 's more to be ruler over the Lords people then to be Emperor of the whole world besides to be ruler over the Lords people that have the mighty and faithful God so neerly and strongly tied and bound to them by so many great irrevocable and infallible promises as he hath made to them in his word and hath so often sworn the certainty and truth of them with the highest and greatest oath a people that have done and are still able to do such mighty and wonderful things by faith and prayer yea had done such great wonders before this Iehu's eyes witness the acts of Elijah Elisha and many other of the Lords Prophets in those dayes to be ruler over such a people what greater thing could be done for a man on earth what greater advantage over the world could be given to him Yet against all this Jehu sins though God made him ruler over his people to these and these ends and purposes and thereby gives him so many and great advantages yet he steers a contrary course in stead of leading the people to Jerusalem to worship he leads them to his calves at Dan and Bethel instead of pulling down all those inventions of their own which provoked God to so great wrath he pulls down onely those new more gross inventions which he could with no credit nor any the least shadow of conscience keep up but the old ancient fundamental bounds and limits of an Idolatrous kingdom Jeroboam's sins they must stand still and keep the people of God from going up to Jerusalem to worship from behaving themselves like the Lords people when God had carried himself so like a gracious God towards them they must stand still for the same reason and upon the same account they were first invented All that God had done for Jehu did not convince his dark minde nor his hard Idolatrous heart of the folly of those things and the reason on which they were founded nor of the equity safety happiness honour and glory that there was in and to be found in obeying the will of the Lord in leading his people up to Jerusalem to worship in Gods own appointments Now truely we need not Diogenes lantern and candle to finde out that man whom God hath made taller by the head and shoulders then the rest of his brethren and made leader of his people in this our day who hath led the people of the Lord on prosperously to the destruction of our Ahabs c. on whom the eyes of the Lords people have been fixed even to high and great expectations of the performance of many vows and promises and when we have found him shall we not see him taking up his station among the calves those antient inventions that our fore-Fathers found out to maintain an Idolatrous-kingdom and making them his own and if so will he not make that great wrath and punishment God hath so often entail'd upon them his own too shall we not behold him leading the people back again into those wayes to redeem his people out of which God hath made bare such a mighty arm of power and providence and it 's my prayer that our eager marching back towards Egypt may not hurry us to the brink of the red-sea ere we make a stand A sixth aggravation of Jehu's sin was His deceiving Gods expectations But Jehu took no heed to walk in the way of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart Saith God I have done thus and thus for Jehu anointed him King over Israel honoured him in executing my judgements upon mine enemies by him and because he hath done all that was in my heart against the house of Ahab mine and my peoples enemies I have given him the kingdom and now I expected he should have brought forth fruit answerable to my kindness with all his heart But Jehu took no heed to that Will not the loving kindness of thy God work upon thee O Jehu what will then Love in its effects is like the Sun it either softens or hardens one of these two are the inseparable effects of its influences Whether wilt thou be hardened with Pharaoh and drowned in the Red-sea or softened with Hezekiah and have thy dayes prolonged canst thou remember the goodness of God to thee and bring forth no hearty fruit answerable to his expectations but deceive him totally Well Jehu thou wilt repent of this when it is too late I fear How have we in our dayes been guilty of this deceiving the expectations of our God in not in any measure answering the mercies of our God What returnes have we made to him for his mercy at Naseby Dunbar Worcester and many other places Yea such is the deceit and hypocrisie of our hearts that we cannot tell how to perform those LITTLE VOWES that the glory of those mercies extorted from us in the present ravishment of our hearts with their glorious beauty The Seventh and last aggravation of Jehu's sin is necessarily implied in the words that it was against all the faith and prayers of the people of God Can it be supposed that such a man as Jehu was so full of holy profession so outwardly zealous for God and the performance of his word who would not have one tittle of it fall to the ground should not such a man as this have a large-share in the hearts of Gods people and so in their faith and prayer and yet to deceive them and sin against these What mighty sins were these sins of Jehu's guilty of such aggravations surely the sins of Corah Dathan and Abiram were but Pigmies to these Giants if their sins opened the earth to the swallowing them up alive certainly the head of these reach heaven it self and cry aloud for veangeance and wrath And may not our Jehu's cry guilty here too what faith what confidence of Gods performing his promises now to the latter ages of the world what a spirit of prayer hath been amongst the people of God in these dayes by beholding the glorious out-goings of God in his providences and his beginning to execute his wrath upon Babylon the kingdom of the Beast and have not you sinned against these consider it have not you frustated and deceived the expectations of the people of
over the world arise from their so much love of the world as they care not who gets the heart of man so they may have the world and the dominion thereof to themselves disturbe not them in the enjoyment of their mammon and outward glory and they care not who rules the heart whether God or the devil This might be evidently demonstrated but it 's too too irksome to me to rake into their rottenness But for a parting word know that this kingdom of Christ over the world is a spiritual kingdom so spiritual as that it 's apparent you are not acquainted with it and through your unbelief though some of you may live to behold it yet you shall not taste the sweetness of it Now O 〈◊〉 England 〈…〉 commune with your own hearts bring them before the judgement-seat and examine whether you are guilty or not ask your consciences if they be not feared they will tell you the truth of the matter Have not you gone a whoring after the sins of your fore-Fathers committed adultery with those State-policies those inventions of their own which brought ruine upon them and so have wrought folly in Israel Have you not withdrawn the peoples hearts from the Lord by your personal deviations from that good profession you once made by turning the wheel back again and unraveling that bottom which you have been winding up so many years and many other wayes Do you not endeavour to stifle the word of the Lord in the mouth of the Prophets spoken to you in this your day Are you not making new Priests to serve your own turns that will do your drudgery serve your interests in stead of the interest of the Lord Christ even men of the lowest of the people men of the most servile base serpentine nature that will turn and winde through the most Meandrous paths of darkness to accomplish their ends the enjoyment of their earthly dunghil-mammon This I speak not of all I say God fordid there should be this spirit in all the Ministers no there 's some wheat good corn amongst this great deal of chaff And God and your own hearts are onely able to tell you whether you intend to impose new devisings of your own in matters of the worship of God upon the people of God This is evident that you endeavour to keep up as much of the old decayed deformed withered worship as with any credit you can Yea all these and other of your sins are guilty of many high and great aggravations Are there not such dreadful circumstances accompanying your abominations as raise their cry up to Heaven if your repentance prevent not provoked vengeance seising upon you will let you know it to your cost You have had many examples before your eyes of the wrath of God sweeping away the generation before you for those sins which now you have made your own Yea have not you your selves executed the judgements written against those very sins that now you make your darlings Have you not had the special Testimonies of God going along with you while ye were doing his work yea to the filling of your hearts with a present joy but you have stony-hearts and will sin still Have you not deceived the just expectations of your God and lastly Have you not had the faith and prayers of Gods people going along with you to strengthen you in Gods work yet against all this you have sinned And what reason can you give for these your whoredoms God knows as wretched a foolish reason as ever poor soul 〈…〉 raign lest the kingdom return to the house of David Can you give no other reason No truely you cannot all your other Pleas are but sprigs that spring from this root this is the totum of all Lest the Son of David should reign Is it possible for you to think this will bear you harmless in the day of Gods wrath will this quit you in the day of your accounts and discharge you in the day of Gods judgements no you will be found guilty yea you are found guilty already and though in mercy the long sufferance and forbearance of God may be towards you for a little season yet you will know to your smart though God hath if I may with reverence use that similitude woollen feet he hath leaden hands Hearken to your judgement and doom written of old that hath brought to the dust so many mighty ones of the earth for committing the same sins you have done though far less aggravated Jer. 4.19 20 30. My bowels my bowels I am pained at my very heart my heart maketh a noise in me I cannot hold my peace because thou hast heard O my soul the sound of the trumpet the alarm of war destruction upon destruction is cried for the whole land is spoiled suddenly are my tents spoiled and my curtains in a moment And when thou art spoiled what wilt thou do though thou clothest thy self with crimson though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold though thou rentest thy face with painting in vain shalt thou make thy self fair thy lovers will dispise thee they will seek thy life Isai 1.4 Ah sinful nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of evil doers children that are corrupters they have forsaken the Lord they have provoked the holy one of Israel to anger they are gone away backward Your burnt-offerings are not acceptable Jer. 6.20 21. nor your sacrifices sweet unto me Therefore thus saith the Lord Behold I will lay stumbling-blocks before this people and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them the neighbour and his friend shall perish For the Pastors are become brutish ch 10.21 and have not sought the Lord therefore they shall not prosper and all their flocks shall be scattered Thus saith the Lord concerning the Prophets that make my people erre that bite with their teeth Mic. 3.5 6 7. and cry Peace and he that putteth not into their mouths they even prepare war against him Therefore night shall he unto you that you shall not have a division and it shall be dark unto you that ye shall not divine and the Sun shall go down over the Prophets and the day shall be dark over them Then shall the seeâ—s be ashamed and the diviners confounded yea they shall all cover their lips for there is no answer of God Zach. 11.3 There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds for their glory is spoiled Lam. 4.13 For the sins of her Prophets and the iniquity of her Priests that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her Isai 9.14 16. Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail branch and rush in one day for the leaders of this people cause them to erre and they that are led of them are destroyed Mic. 6.16 For the statutes of Oâ—ri are kept and all the workes of the house of Ahab and ye walk â—n their
counsels that I should make thee a disolation and the inhabitants thereof an lâ—ssing therefore ye shall hear the reproach of my people Jer. 11 10 11. They are turned back to the iniquities of their fore-Fathers which refused to hear my words c. therefore thus saith the Lord Behold I will bring evil upon them which they shall not be able to escape and though they shall cry unto me I will not hearken unto them Isai 3.14 15. The Lord will enter into judgement with the ancients of his people and the Princes thereof for ye have eaten up 〈◊〉 vineyard the spoile of the poor is in your â—ouâ—â—s What mean ye thaâ— ye beat my people to peices and grinde the faces of the poor saith the Loâ—d God of hosts Mic. 1.2 â—o to thâ—m that devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds when the morning is light they practice it because it is in the power of their hand Behold I am against thee Jer. 50.31 32. O thou most proud saith the Lord God of hosts for thy day is come the time that I will visit thee and the most proud shall stumble and fall and none shall raise him up and I will kâ—nale a fire in his cities and it shall devour all round about him For he bringeth down them that dwell on high Isa 26.5 6. the lofty city he layeth it low he layeth it low even to the ground he bringeth it even to the dust the foot shall tread it down even the feet of the poor and the steps of the needy And I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease ch 13.11 12. and will lay low the haugheiness of the terrible I will make a man more precious then fine gold even a man then the golden wedge of Ophir How is the faithful city become an harlot it was full of judgement ch 1.21 22 23 24. and 3.25 26. and 4 1. righteousness lodged in it but now murderers thy silver is become â—hoss thy wine mixt with water thy Princes are rebellious and companions of thieves every one loveth gifts and followeth after rewards â—â—â—y judge not the fatherless neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them Therefore thus saith the Lord the Lord of hosts Beware the mighty one of Israel Ah! I will case me of mine adversaries and avenge me of mine â—nemies Thy men shall fall by the sword and thy mighty in the war and her gates shall lament and mourn and she being deâ—olate London shall sit upon the ground and in that day seven women shall take hold of one man saying we will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel onely let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach â—o unto them that joyne house to house that lay field to field ch 5 8 9. till there be no place that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth In mine ears said the Lord of hosts Of a truth many houses shall be desolate even great and fair without inhabitant ch 30.1.9 10 12 13 27. Wo to the rebellious children saith the Lord that take counsel his not of me and that cover with a covering but not of my Spirit that they may adde sin to sin lying children children that will not hear the law of the Lord which say to the seers See not and to the Prophets Prophesie not unto us right things speak unto us smooth things prophesie deceits Wherefore thus saith the holy one of Israel Because ye dispise this word and trust in oppression and perversness and stay thereon Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall swelling out in a high wall whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant Behold the name of the Lord cometh from far burning with his anger and the burthen thereof is heavy his lips are full of indignation and his tongue as a devouring fire ch 6.9 10 11. And he said Go and tell this people Hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and convert and be healed Then said I Lord How long and he answered Vntil the cities be wasted without inhabitant and the houses without man and the land be utterly desolate I will send him against in hypocritical naâ—ion ch 10.6 and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge to take the spoile and to take the prey and to tread them down like the mire of the streets And when you spread forth your hands ch 1.15 I will hide mine eyes from you yea when you make many prayers I wll not hear your hands are full of blood Then said the Lord unto me Jer. 15.1 Though Moses and Samuel stood before me yet my minde could not be towards this people cast them out of my sight and let them go forth Behold Isa 59.1 2 3. the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot save neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear but your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear for your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity your lips have spoken lyes your tongue hath muttered perversness Now therefore be ye not mockers Isa 28.22 lest your bands be made strong for I have heard from the Lord of hosts a consumption even determined upon the whole earth I shall close up this discourse with a word to these three parties so neerly concerned in it Jehu Jehonadab and the people of God A word to Prince Jehu First to thou O thou mighty man have I somwhat to say thou hast been curious and lovely in thy apparel and thy face hath shin'd as if thou hadst been on the mount with Christ thy profession hath been so excellent that we have been ravished with thee we never had such hope of the satisfaction of our souls in the free service of our God in the enjoyment of the promised land in going up to Jerusalem to worship in the highest of Gods appointments as we have had in thee and wilt thou now deceive us whither shall we go to complain but to our God who anointed thee whose messenger we took thee to be yea and we are sure thou wast so long as thou didst keep in his way Thou ô Jehu didst run well who hath hindred thee who hath bewitched thee But blessed be God for anointing Jehu to do his work and blessed be God for giving Jehu a heart to do so much of the work as he hath done but what reason can be given why Jehu should play the hypocrite at the lattet end of the day Is this the reason Jehonadab counselled him so to do to take that wise course truely
after him go up the mount towards him he will lead us to his Father and make us partake of the same glory he possesses at his right hand Who would not follow such a leader and venture a little to seek him out if at any time we lose sight of him through the terrible and uncouth shakings of earth-quakes 3. We have set before us the sins and iniquities of Iehu with their aggravations and it 's evident how neer these our times are allied to them It 's worthy our serious consideration whether the differences between the times and the dispensations of God in the times or any other circumstance accompanying our deviations may give us any good and sound ground to hope that Iehu's punishment the consuming wrath of that age will not be the portion of this generation seeing they have so notoriously espoused his adulterous deviations and apostacy We finde what sudden sad effects Iehu's apostacy brought forth In those dayes in the dayes of Iehu's apostacy the Lord began to cut Israel short and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel We finde already how our liberties begin to be cut short witness the persecution of the Lords people in Wales and other places In the margin it 's rendered to cut off the ends if the ends of the body the head and the feet be cut off what is the trunk able to do but roll in its own blood Come my people enter thou into thy chambers and shut thy doors about thee â—hide thy self as it were for a little moment Isa 26.20 and 63.4 until the indignation be overpast For the day of veangeance is in mine heart and the yeer of my redeemed is come 4 Again We here see the portion of those that joyn themselves to comply with Iehu in his abominable deviations RVâ—NE as soon as ever Iehu had accomplished his purposes and through Iehonadab's help kept the people within the ancient bounds and limits of the Idolatrous kingdom sad effects follow The Lord cuts Israel short Hazael smites Israel in all their coasts eastward and by that time there came to be a general compliance of the people and God had given them a little time to fill up the cup of their iniquity full then comes VTTER RVINE and behold they are not Is it not a great dispute among the learned what is become of them where the ten Tribes are the place of their abode is hid from the whole earth This is most certain That all those that cleave to comply with Iehu in his apostacies shall be partakers of that great wrath that God in due time will pour down from heaven upon the head of Jehu and all his companions in inquity Rev. 18.4 Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues 5. It 's worthy our observation That Jehu never afterward made use as we read of those Prophets of the Lord that anointed him that first did his work for him and help'd him to his power by which he got the throne When they had done so much as he could expect from them knowing their principles were not suitable to his design farewel then he had no more to say to them their hearts were too honest and brains too shallow for his deep politick designs they would walk answerable to their professions the glory of which affected the peoples hearts perform all their promises and engagements but these things stood not with Jehu's interest therefore no more of them adieu those half-witted fellows whose conscience cannot swallow a lye sealed with the highest asseverations that by such fine slights of State-wisdom we may clime the steps of honor But come thou Jehonadab thou art a righteous person and hast more wisdom then Myriads of those Idiots And indeed what can you expect more from a Jehu who sets up an interest contrary to God's never expect friendship or friendly dealing from him till God hath changed his heart and of a Jehu made him a David of a Saul a Paul Consider Jehonadab a little further then judge He was one that came to meet Jehu when he had made a sure progress in his work he was not at the beginning among the Prophets of the Lord to strengthen Jehu's hand in the work no but when he had slain the King and Jezebel and by a wile destroyed the Kings seventy sons and was going with power sufficient to make a full end of all his enemies Then comes good Iehonadab to congratulate Iehu to have a finger i' the pye before it 's put i' the oven And Iehu he strikes in with this holy man and engages him easily enough poor soul to be on his side Iehu knew full well that this wary wise man that knew the way to sleep in a whole skin till Iehu had almost made sure work and then comes and proffers his congratulatory service to his greatness would be a fitter instrument for his turn then those hardy simple-hearted fellows the Prophets of the Lord that to fulfil the minde of God would run through such hazards and dangers as they did to lift up Iehu into a capacity to do the will of God It 's this Iehonadab that Iehu is so eager to engage The text saith he lighted on him like a bird of prey and with his tallons he hoisted him up into the chariot a high place that diz'd poor Jehonadab's brains so as they could never get into their right posture again And what sweet complements past between them his whole discourse was about sincerity and uprightness of heart when God knows it was that he least cared for but Jehonadab understood him well enough and knew what counsel would please as appears in the matter of Baals Priests It 's this Jehonadab that Jehu loves and hugs in his bosome for you the Lords people who have not a Jehonadab's wisdom farewel he will have no more to do with you such fanatick silly fellows that are good for nothing but to ruine a State As we cannot finde it in the story that Jehu took any friendly notice of the Lords people to whom he was so much engaged after he came to the Throne so we shall never finde it in experience that a Jehu will be a friend indeed to those who in sincerity of heart look Sion-ward 6. From hence the Saints and people of God may see what their work is To bear the cross of Christ in bearing witness against those deviations and apostacies that are too too likely to over-run this generation of men to seek after the Lamb the Lord Jesus Christ for their Leader and follow him whithersoever he will lead them there 's no doubt nor Question to be made but his designes are right and adequate to the will of his Father who hath promised him the throne of his father David Much might be said to you the children of the most High of that full redemption and great glory