Words withâ—â—â— practice 〈◊〉 no more of the things of the day that belong to thy salvation in this thy day notwithstanding those specious shews of light and knowledge which thy acquired abilities have taught thee Consider Jehonadab whither thy waies tend if not down to the gates of death the wages of the hypocrite where is nothing but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth How have I heard thee in our streets crying out against those very things that thou now counsellest others to thou hast gotten the Pharisees chair and art thou not become a very Pharisee examine thy self thou hast gotten the mammon of Baals Priests and art thou not become a Priest to the golden Calves What is become of thy hopefulness we had thoughts thou wouldst have gone in the front of the battel and carried the Ark before us into the promised land â—ur deviations 〈◊〉 practice from 〈◊〉 former â—achings have â—eady made â—e Atheists by â—ousands then â—er your Mistery made â—nverts and it is no acâ—â—dental but natural effect your folly for which you must â—â—ve an acâ—â—unt but behold thou drawest us back to Egypt we had hopes thou wouldst have given us an example of living by that faith which thou hast so affectionately preached to us but behold the greatest hardness of unbelief we thought thy heart would have been as wax ready to receive every impress of the seal of the Spirit that we might behold his glory in thee but behold what oppositions what quenchings what grievings of the Spirit are evident in thee how dost thou put out the light of the Spirit which once did blaze in thee how dost thou give that good profession the lye which once thou madest how diametrically contrary are the paths of thy prosperity to the waies of thy adversity how heavenly then but how earthly now nothing but glory it self was then in the time of adversity thy pretension but behold are not now thy hands fastened upon the basest things of this earth and is it not evident thy stony-heart hath found out it's centre here in this world who then a more sheep-like harmless innocent creature having no gall no sting at all but now who more like wolves who more like the Princes of this world Lording it over the heritage of God who then more against Baals Priests but who now more for the golden calvish Priests though the lowest of the people and all to maintain an interest which is as contrary to God as light is to darkness yet is grown so lovely in thy eyes since thou hast gotten a large share in it as thou darest to hazard the loss of thy soul for the maintenance of it But as if these things had been a light thing to thee thou hast taken the eyes and heart of thy Prince and hast entic'd him and caused him to go a whoring after thy Idolatries Thou by thy wiles hast ensnar'd him and brought him into danger and that upon the pretence of maintaining Religion but what is it I pray it's no other then the worship of thy Calves that thy kingdom and his kingdom as thou perswadest him may not be ruined and taken away But know all shall avail thee nothing the purposes of God shall stand he hath decreed thy ruine if thou repent not and it shall come upon thee irresistibly all thy policy all thy wisdom all thy superstitious sanctity will avail thee nothing Gods chosen ones who are clothed with his holiness shall tread thee under their feet and make thee as dung upon the earth I have commanded my sanctified ones Isa 3.2 I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger even them that rejoyce in MY HIGHNESS all thy mammon all those good things that thou goest a whoring after shall be the portion of others yea and thy lovers shall hate thee What canst thou expect when it shall be laid to thy charge that through the prevalency of thy counsel and advice urged with such specious arguments and pretences Jehu forsakes his God his Leader lets him go onward if he please but follow who will Jehu for his part will go no further and why because thou Jehonadab hast flesh'd his lust and heighten'd his heart by the specious shews of thy reasons That thou didst fright Jehu from destroying the golden Calves by those dismal destructions and fearful events that thy wisdom did in a lively manner represent unto him would follow and that thou didst hinder Jehu from taking away the ancient bounds and limits of an Idolatrous kingdom and from giving the people free liberty and authority to go up to Ierusalem to worship by representing to him the ruine that would follow telling him These bounds keep all in order take them away and confusion would seize upon all things like an inundation of waters when the dams are broken up and that it 's contrary to the foundation of Magistracy to suffer ruine to come upon a State or Nation to please the fancy of a company of fanatick fellows Thus Iehonadab thou bringest upon thy own head the guilt of all the transgressions deviations of thy Prince and people with all that dreadful wrath and vengeance that hangs over their heads When God came down into his garden to see what our first Parents had done and called them to an account for their deviations they made the best excuse poor hearts they could they laid the fault on one another but the Serpent from whose advice and temptation the mischief came paid for all and shall you fare any better judge ye your transgressions are so circumstantiated as that one day your selves shall judge and condemn your selves those mouths that are now so full of words in your own defence shall then be struck dumbe and mute A word to the people of God The last word I have to write is to the despised people of God you may First observe from hence How far a man may go in the way of the Lord and yet be unsound at heart at the bottom there may be nothing but a love to an interest destructive to yours Your interest is to go up to Jerusalem to worship to exercise your selves in the high and pure appointments of God and to hold forth to the world both by doctrine and obedience to it the whole minde and will of God the whole and every part of his truth that so you may possess the promises and enjoy as much of God here as possibly you can attain to but this must not be suffered forsooth for fear c. but an interest must be carried on contrary and destructive to this When men have done so much of the work of God as they think will serve their turns and bring about their design then are they for God nor his work no longer but for their Calves their own devisings and their interest which they have created to themselves and whatsoever opposes that or is contrary to that although it be never so precious in the
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
too he puts the Levites away from performing that service God had appointed them to in his worship and having instituted a new worship of his own devising he constitutes new Ministers and Priests to serve in that worship Quest If it be asked How I can say this is a resemblance of our times surely we have learned and high-minded Ministers that minde high things Answ If ever there were a time wherein the lowest of the people were made Ministers in the worship of God it 's now I confess it and that with joy there are many considered by themselves precious holy servants of the Lord true Ministers of the Gospel in this our Nation of England but by that time these great Kings whoredome drunkenness swearing lying covetousness eating the poors bread ignorance and pride have ranged their subjects under their banners from among the Ministers of England the remaining number will be so few that I fear God will hardly have his Tythe duely set out and if these be not of the lowest of the people I know not who are The truth of these things is so obvious to every man that I suppose it 's not required of me to prove this great charge Thirdly Another of Jeroboams sins that Iehu would not depart from was his devising new wayes of worship and that as like the true worship of God as his received worldly principles and interest would permit him whereby to take the hearts of the people and draw them after him the more Though he would have a worship as like Gods worship as possible might be yet Gods worship he would not have because he thought it contrary to his worldly interest O saith he now shall the kingdom return to the house of David if this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Ierusalem then shall the hearts of this people return again unto their King even unto Rehoboam and they shall kill me But saith Ieroboam I will prevent that by my wisdom and policie I will have new Gods and new Worship and new Priests and suffer not the people to go up to Ierusalem to worship If the peoples worshipping the true God according to his own appointments will in his apprehension hinder his enjoyment of his outward worldly interest then farewel Priests worship and God too I will finde out new wayes of my own devising that shall be as bulwarks to secure my state and compel the people to walk in them and if any dare rebuke my doings I 'll venture the withering of mine arm by stretching it out against them But stay for all your hasty fury you may be glad to beg the Prophets prayers on your behalf for mercy Something appeares like this now in our dayes and it 's to be feared more will follow this I am sure of the people of God had gone a great way further then they have in destroying the remainders of Babylon and Antichrist among us and had ere this time taken away the antient political bounds that hindred the people from going up to Ierusalem to worship had not something hindered Cursed be those Achitophels whose pernicious counsels have hindered the Son of David from raigning but this is our comfort that whosoever they be they shall but hinder for a season when the appointed time comes will they nill they they shall be removed and Christ will take to himself his great power and raign in the midst of his people But Aggravations of Jehu's sin Secondly consider the aggravations of this mans Iehu's sin beyond those that went before him they are great and many 1. Iehu had the example of the wrath of God upon three Kings before him for the same sins Ieroboam first committed this sin but had no presidents of the warth of God to scare him it 's true he had presidents good and many of the wrath of God upon Idolaters but the temptation under which he lay the fear of losing his Kingdom made him to think that good and righteous end of securing his Kingdom and making good the word of the Lord in establishing it to himself would bear him out But Iehu had no excuse at all but the perverse unbelief of his own hard heart and the wicked tendency of his soul for he saw that notwithstanding the plausible and in some measure righteous pretence of Ieroboam the wrath of God consumed him and his house he had the presidents of the wrath of God upon Ieroboam the inventer and Baasha the follower of these sins in such a terrible manner as to cut them off from the face of the earth and he executes the severe vengeance of God upon the head of a third transgressor of the same kinde and yet to provoke this jealous God to more and greater wrath who but a Iehu a heart hardened by love and mercy could or durst do it Alas how little doth the by-past judgements of God move our hard and flinty hearts in these our dayes although the generation before us fresh in memory God hath made them as dung upon the face of the earth and scattered them that they are not found and brought them to nothing yet we will not be warned but we have made that which was but as a mote in their eye a beam in our own we have gotten into their places and are fallen to commit adultery with their sins and we will not depart from those sins that have made God so terrible to them and to do such wonders in our dayes to the dying his garments red in blood Who durst do thus but those whose hearts are made fat eyes blinde and ears deaf and that by mercy as if indeed we were a people fatted for slaughter and prepared for utter destruction 2. Another aggravation of this sin was this he had an enlightned conscience so much light as that he could bring the word of God to confirm every action of his And certainly he knew much of the minde of God he was much acquainted both with the promises and prophesies of God to and concerning his people as the story throughout sufficiently evidences he had so much light and knowledge that God did justly expect he should walk in his law with all his heart vers 31. but his heart his heart was faulty O that little thing within us hath more deceit in it then a whole world of other creatures have his light enabled him to make the most glorious profession that ever any King of Israel did that we read of since Solomons daies his light made him bold couragious and full of outward zeal yet against all this he sins when so much of the work was done as that he could sit down and taste the sweetness of present enjoyments though mutable and earthly his heart waxes fat presently and could go no further his light goes out and he becomes blinde at noon-day the sight of the glory of an earthly kingdom though none had more experience of the uncertainty vanity and vexation
are many voices in the world we may soon be deceived It 's a special character of Christ's sheep That they now his own voice from a strangers voice and a stranger they will not follow Christ is raising his voice and calls aloud to his people to prepare for his coming and gives many signes of his nigh â—pproach And the devil raises his voice too and transforms himself into a glorious angel of light If Moses do strange and wonderful things the Magicians will do so too The cry and voice of the kingdom of Christ is up and begins to rise high and Satan raises many confused voices to stifle that cry that through the noise and din that he makes about the ears of mens souls they may not hear and believe and be saved Therefore now it behoves us to have a great care lest we be deceived to search and try every thing ere we receive it as truth but above all take heed of being offended lest we prove offended at the Truth and so perish for that is that at which we are most apt to be offended If there be one Truth incumbred about with through Antichristian fogs and mists a hundred Errours a thousand to one if we take not great heed we shall pass all those errours with a favourable construction at least and be offended at that one Truth and so stumble and fall foul on it and what follows then PERISHING Wo. As for this Treatise I shall onely say thus much It might have been enlarged and many things further proved and illustrated but I desired brevity for thy accommodation and knowing how well thou lovest thy money I was loth to intrench too much upon thy purse Read it over considerately and compare one thing with another and I suppose thou wilt see a line of truth going thorow it and something that may deserve laying up in our hearts and pondering If we do hearken to the truth in it we may possibly finde the way to get such a frame of heart as may free us from the bitterness of that Cup which the Author of this book fears may be the porton of this generation to drink the dregs of Onely I intreat thee again beware of offences they are the ready way to destruction there 's no hope in that path but that which is perishing And let me adde this That he that takes offence not given is both the giver and the taker of the offence and then what MILL-STONES OF WRATH may he expect to grinde him to powder Now the good Lord teach thee and me to know the voice of Christ the true Shepherd from a strangers voice and follow him alone and fully Farewel An Image of part of our Reforming Times OR JEHV in his proper colours displayed In some EXERCITATIONS on 2 Kings 9 and 10 Chapters 2 Kings 10.29 31. Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin Jehu departed not from after them to wit the golden calves that were in Bethel and that were in Dan. But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam which made Israel to sin SOlomon the wisest of men upon his great experience tells us that there is no new thing under the sun Indeed every generation of men are but as new Editions of their forefathers one differs from the other onely in circumstantials Perhaps other faces and shapes but the same flesh and blood the same humours of the body the same faculties and passions of the soul Now there being such sameness and likeness in the fountain there must needs follow the like in the streams Mens actions and ways are as their hearts and affections are Likeness in sin and wickedness brings likeness in afflictions and publishments Times past seem to be a type or figure of the present and the present to be a re-acting or doing over again those things either more clearly or more obscurely that the former times brought forth Vicissitudes and changes are sutable to the mutable nature of Man What one Age doth or builds up another undoes or pulls down a third comes and would reform all if they could tell how yet still it 's but like the hand of a Dyal that goes from One to Twelve and then to One again There is no new thing under the sun Nothing can properly be said to be new but the new creature the works of God and of the Spirit of God are new but the works and ways of men are old at best but new images of old things and all old things must pass away nothing will be durable till all things become new new heavens new earth These three parts of time past present and to come are very nigh of kin they are so like each other that they may well be taken for brethren An indifferent Judgement studying the times past may cast the waters and give a true Judgement of the present and a prudent eye may by the same rule be able to give a shrewd ghess at the times to come especially times nigh or next at hand Those who make Cornelius Tacitus Titus Livius or other Romane Stories their Gospel will tell us that Julius Augustus and Tiberius Caesar's parts are acting over again in the world by other persons and under another Vizard and I could heartily wish that they had not so much ground as they have for their conjecture But the Saints and people of God have a more sure Word of prophecie The good and unerring Word of God and the promise of the Spirit to interpret it It was not for nought that our Lord so sharply reprehended the Scribes and Sadduces for not observing the signes of the times And the men of Issachar are characterized by the holy Ghost for their wisdom having understanding in the times What though they be counted the half-witted men the asses of the times it's no matter seeing they have the holy Spirit to stand by them and encourage them Christ our Lord rode to Hierusalem on an ass and he will again make use of the worlds asses the foolish things of this world when he goes up to his kingdom to the shaking of the earth and the heavens also I say yet not I but Solomon the wise-man saith That the present times are but an Image of times past there is nothing new under the sun Is there any thing whereof it may be said See this is new Eccles 1.9 10. It hath been already of old time which was before us and there is nothing new under the sun Ponder these things in your hearts and you will not wonder nor be prejudiced in your thoughts if I tell you that this story of Jehu is An exact description of part of our Reforming times or of a great part of our times Reformers Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin Iehu departed not from after
row another Why he had his Iehonadabs with him that had a great reputation and esteem for their holiness and sanctity among the people to plead his cause and tell them His meaning and end was good and that it was a wise course for by this means he prevented further opposition that in all likelihood would be made for many of the people without question did cleave to them and he knew he should finde it a more difficult thing to root out Baal and his Priests then Ahab's posterity Superstition makes the heart more stout and sets upon more hazardous and desperate attempts then love to a King or Prince will and so in the quarrel the blood of some others of the people might be shed which were not appointed to destruction It 's a good and commendable thing to prevent shedding of innocent blood and it 's a course of quick dispatch too drawing them into a snare altogether doing that at once which would otherwise take up a great deal of time trouble and difficulty to do and so in stead of furthering the work of God prevent it and make it longer in the birth by creating new troubles and new disturbances among the people and if there were a failing in the way to the accomplishing that good end why failings are incident to the best of men and nothing can be expected perfect here in this world to come from men Excellently pleaded Iehonadab thou shalt have two Crowns or a flap with a Fox tail when Iehu is setled in his kingdom for thy great and faithful services Thus they skin over the sore that it appears not to every eye Well Iehu but this will not serve thy turn thy hypocrisie will be made evident by and by and God will discover thy nakedness and thou shalt know what it is to sin against and provoke the God of heaven and earth to great jealousie and wrath who hath done so much for thee and exalted thee from the dust to govern his people A full discovery of this man's hypocrisie and apostatizing heart we have in the words we have chosen mainly to insist upon and that by undeniable demonstrations When the peoples expectations were full and high and there wanted nothing but a command or license for their going up to Jerusalem to worship behold the golden Calves stood in the way and hindered Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin Jehu departed not from after them to wit the golden Calves that were in Bethel and that were in Dan. But Jehu took no heed to walk in the Law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam which made Israel to sin Poor Jehu could go no further in stead of going to the true God he runs to his golden Calves and takes up his resting-place there Why because that notwithstanding all his glorious outward appearance he had not the root of the matter in him and his heart not being of a heavenly nature what should he do there or in the ways that lead effectually to it Therefore it was most sutable to him to abide here belowe amidst the vanities of a depraved world Jeroboam's sins that Jehu departed not from That so we may be acquainted with the minde of God in this Scripture it 's necessary for us to enquire and consider First What these sins of Jeroboam are that Jehu departs not from Secondly The aggravations of this mans sins beyond those that went before him Thirdly The reason why Jeroboam and this Jehu would not depart from their sin For the first What those sins of Jeroboam are that Jehu answered not the expectation of God in departing from We shall consider them 1. More generally 2. More particularly First more generally which relate to Jehu more particularly then to Jeroboam â—s not this sin â—ritten in large â—haracters in â—ur foreheads 1. Cleaving to the sins of his fore-fathers He departed not from the sins of Ieroboam the son of Nebat yea though they were such as became national sins through their imposition upon the people yet from them he would not turn and this became a sin c. because his predecessor Ieroboam had set up Political bounds of his kingdom beyond which the people should not go to worship at Jerusalem that so he might secure the kingdom to himself and because there was so much reason of State for it therefore he would run the hazard of the hot displeasure and wrath of God against him rather then venture the loss of his kingdom in his carnal and unbelieving apprehensions Saith he If the Calves be taken away those ancient Political bounds and fortresses of the kingdom then shall the kingdom return to the house of David and I what shall I do How then shall I reap the fruit of my labours and enjoy the purchase of my hardships and dangers that I have run into and blood that I have shed No all will be lost if once I go over this bank and pull down this hedge Indeed Iehu went as far as can be expected for a hypocrite to do he went to the very borders of heaven there was but one thing wanting he could not overcome his worldly interest and live by faith upon God for the disposal of that and so he made this world his god all that provok'd God should go down but that Baasha's and Ahab's sins too but when once Ieroboam's sin came to be medled with that touch'd him to the quick it was of so neer concernment as he thought to his kingdom Do any thing but that I would please God and do his will but I must not lose my kingdome My outward worldly interest is very dear to me I pray spare that Unbelief will carry a man though he be never so outwardly glorious in profession to the greatest precipices of apostatizing danger And is not this the very picture of our times How zealous were we many years for God! and pull'd down all before us that stood in our way we pull'd down and utterly destroyed Ahab and his whole house and left none remaining but now we are gotten to the Calves and alas they are golden ones have a great deal of good gold in them it 's pity to destroy them We pull'd down King and House of Lords yea and Commons too and pull'd down many gross Tyrannies in Worship and Commonwealth yet now how is our heat and zeal cool'd with Iehu's We can go no further Oh if we do we shall bring all things into confusion we say The kingdom will be lost presently And I could wish this gall of bitterness were not at the bottom of many glorious professors hearts saying Lest the son of David come to reign over us The sins of the generation before us we explode but the old sins of the Ancients Ieroboam's sins those inventions they made to maintain their kingdom those foundations that they laid for their children to
of spirit that the greatest glories here below yield yet that takes him and he is overcome and besotted so as that he cannot stir one foot from it his heart is glued to it and he commits Idolatry worships the devil that he may enjoy it all his work now is to endeavour to maintain what he hath got But Iehu it 's but for a little while thou canst keep it Here he takes up his abiding place and gives all to understand he can live by faith no longer he must now live by sense How many of such Jehu's have we in these our dayes rather then the loss of their mammon their belly-gods shall be hazarded by Christs raigning over his people in the world they will fight with sword and buckler against him and do what in them lies to hinder him Those that have formerly preached up the kingdom of Christ sounded the alarms to prepare for his coming having now joyned themselves to the powers of this world turne their note and begin to tell another tale Witness the letter sent to the Norfolk-Ministers headily and injuriously charging the people of God with things that are not true falsities but their folly shall be made manifest to all men 3. Another aggravation of Iehu's sin is this That he had commission given him from God and his people to execute the vengeance of God upon Ahab and Iezebel for the very same sins that he now commits himself onely he keeps from he more gross sins as the worshipping Baal and the like For one man to execute the judgements of God written upon another man for breaking the Laws of God and men and then to do the same things himself it 's most hainous Hosea 1.4 Surely in the end there will be found an instrument to execute the same vengeance upon thy head O Iehu which thou hast executed upon others though judgement linger out of mercy for a little while to the fourth generation It 's evident how guilty we are of the same sins our forefathers were yea those very abominations for which God hath cast out and caused the Land to spue out that generation of men before us are to be found rise amongst us worshipping the Mammon of this world Pluralities Non-residents c. with this addition The forsaking the Churches of Christ and cleaving to this present evil world for filthy lucre's sake Innovations both in State and in the Worship of God or if you will something like that course Ieroboam took to establish the Kingdom to himself is now taken in the things of a spiritual concernment what meaneth else this new invention of Tryers an Innovation a thing never heard of before that men must have a Commission from humane hands upon a humane account to preach the Gospel or else no Wages Is not this like the proceedings of the Beast Antichrist that would not suffer any to buy or sell but such as had his mark Consider I pray how neer this comes to Antichrist's making merchandise of souls Let our Jehu's look to it God will remember them in the day of his accounts when he makes enquiry for blood and out of their own mouth they shall be condemned in that they have condemned and executed the judgements written against others and committed folly with the same sins themselves 4. Another Aggravation of Iehu's sin lies in this in that God did honour him with that special anointing by a special messenger as he did none of the Kings of Israel beside since Solomon's days no not Ieroboam Indeed God sent a messenger to Ieroboam to tell him what he would do for him but he was not anointed as Iehu was One Tyrant slew another and usurp'd the Kingdom to themselves but none was anointed but Iehu he was anointed to do the Lords work yet against this Anointing against this special testimony of God did Iehu sin O ungrateful Iehu But God will reward thee according to thy works Can we shift this Aggravation also off from our selves What Anointings hath God anointed us with What special and signal Testimonies hath he given of his being with us giving us Commission to do his work and being well pleased with us for obeying his voice witness Naseby Dunbar and Worcester besides many other Read over the Story of our times and see if ever God dealt so signally-graciously with any people since Israel's time Yet against all this do we sin for the present our hearts like the stony ground received them with joy and how full of resolutions were we to do for God and to the glorifying of his Name by following him fully whithersoever he would lead us but loe how soon are we turned out of the way we are sitting still building cieled houses for our selves and making sure the kingdom that it return not from us to the Son of David though God hath said that though the heathen rag and the people imagine a vain thing and Kings and Rulers take counsel together against his anointed laughing them to scorn and having them in derision he will yet set his King upon his holy hill of Sin on and give him the utmost ends of the earth for his possession O kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish in the way when his wrath is kindled but a little If a little wrath will perish you what ruine will that great wrath which you deserve bring speedily upon you if you prevent it not by a timely repentance 5. A fifth aggravation of Jehu's sin was this He was anointed King of the people of the Lord. This people were the Lords people and he was their God God set this Iehu ruler over this his people If they be the Lords people and the Lord be their God then he onely must he worshipped and served and feared by them they must bow down to no other Gods but him they must serve him in his own appointments not by any inventions of their own they must worship him in the place where he will be worshipped not upon the Altars of mens devising at Dan and Bethel If the people of the Lord they must walk in the Lords Wayes obey his Laws Precepts and Commands and no other All this and much more is intimated in these words The people of the Lord. And this manner of expression of the Prophet to Jehu did intimate to him that God did expect that he should lead the people on to the performing of all this God had made him the leader of his chosen ones and now he expected that he should lead them in the wayes God had chosen to communicate himself in Quest Now what benefit is this to Jehu to be King over the people of the Lord more then over any other people Answ Truely it 's a very great benefit for 1. He was in a very fair way to the fullest enjoyment of God attainable on this side heaven in his own appointments his Ordidances for being made ruler over the Lords people had
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
things as are abominable to the least spark of honesty Application of this reason to our times Consider with your selves I pray you the Jehu's of our age can you give a better account then your great grand-Father Iehu hath done before you for the same reason of State that ruled him rules you surely your consciences upon a strict examination will tell you No you may be more skilful in palliating your sin then he was and have more cunning deceitful shifts then he had to blinde the eyes of your own consciences and others you may have more specious pretences and cloaks for your sin then he had By how much the times and the work of the times may afford you more matter to plead upon and by how much Satan your counsellor hath gotten more experience and perhaps hath found out more wiles now then he had then and so may furnish you with three or four shafts more in your quiver then Iehu had But in the end it amounts to one and the same account Lest the Son of David should raign the fear of losing your outward glory kingdom keeps you from submitting to the Son of David to his Scepter and command the unbelief of your hearts and your love to this present evil world will not suffer you to hazard in Gods own way the loss of your outward concernments and kingdom for Christ's the Son of Davids sake lest while you are doing Christ service you lose your darlings yea that fear hurries you on to the committing the worst of follies and vanities provoking him to the greatest anger And is it so then take warning Make your peace with him while it is to day hearken to his voice lest his anger be kindled and when he comes he consume you in his hot displeasure Hear what he saith Bring hither those mine enemies that would not that I should raign over them and I will slay them I tell you The wrath of his kingdom or the wrath he will manifest against his enemies when he goes up to his kingdom will be by many degrees more dreadful then the wrath he hath manifested at any other time or upon any other occasion You say indeed You would have him raign and be King you are for his kingdom as much as any but the time is not yet Ezek. 12.27 28. compare with 2 Pet. 3. it 's a great way off the vision is for many dayes but hear what the Lord of Hosts saith to such Pleas as these are Behold they of the house of Israel say The vision that he seeth is for many dayes to come and he prophesieth of the times that are afar off thus saith the Lord God There shall none of my words be prolonged any more but THE WORD WHICH I HAVE SPOKEN SHALL BE DONE SAITH THE LORD GOD. Alas poor hearts you are either afraid of rendering up an account too soon lest you be found light in the balance or your hearts cleave so close to this present world that you are loth to leave these vanities yet you would have a little more sport with them A little more sleep a little more folding of the hands saith the sluggard or you are afraid lest you have not yet gotten the wedding-garment on and so would fain have him stay long that you may have time enough to procure it because you apprehend it hard and difficult to come by if this be it why go to Christ you will finde him a willing Saviour his heart open to receive you Ask and you shall have knock and it shall be opened to you seek and you shall finde whosoever comes to me I will in no wise cast out saith Christ or is it because your conscience smites you and tells you You are of the left-handed companions of Christ that must go into utter darkness where is weeping and wailing gnashing of teeth Though you care not much for Heaven yet you would keep as long out of hell as you can and therefore put the evil day far from you the day that will bring evil to you though joy and glory to the Saints and people of God if so The Lord will come in a time when you expect him not Mat. 24.50 51. in a day when you look not for him before you are aware and cut you asunder and appoint you your portion with the hypocrites You say indeed You are for Christs kingdom and that you long for it as much as any but his kingdom is within in the heart in the inward man not in the outward man over the world of a spiritual nature not of this world Kinde subjects you will divide the kingdom between your selves and your Soveraign but you have so much self-love as to keep the greatest part for your own share If he rule not over the world How can he have the utmost ends of the earth for his possession according to the promise of the Father How shall the Saints judge the world â—f they believe â—he kingdom of Christ is onely â—hus spiritual in â—heir sence that is the reaâ—on the Jehonaâ—bs of our time â—o not keep to â—heir place and â—ffice in the â—uilding up of â—is kingdom â—ut seek so â—uch after the â—uâ—t and outâ—ard glory and â—ammon of this â—orld surely â—ey either â—eâ—eve not what â—ey say or their â—earts care not â—or what they â—elieve is the â—reatest happiâ—ess If he rule not over the world methinks that would be an impertinent expression viz. When he shall surrender up the kingdom to his Father can this kingdom be onely that over the heart How can he give his people to possess the gates of their enemies How can he deliver them out of the hands of all the enemies of their salvation How can he give the kingdom and dominion and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven to his people If he rule not over the world as King How can he give his people the possession of the promised land performing all the promises to them for that is such a gift as he cannot fully give them till he is a King and hath received the kingdom prepared for him and promised to him by his Father Then shall his people behold him in his glory and the day of his power shall seize upon them and make them as the chariots of Aminadab Much more might be said in answer to these Pleas and to prove and that without contradiction that Christ hath a kingdom to enjoy over this world and that he will raign amidst among his people and in that over the world when not a dog shall dare to bark or wag his tail against any servant of the Lord. But I suppose I have said sufficient for this place and referre you to those elaborate discourses that are already sent forth into the world on this subject but thus much give me leave to say That it 's too much to be feared that the Pleas of these men against the kingdom of Christ
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
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