will his heart is fixed because he trusts in the Lord. It follows For the people thereof shall mourn over it The people thereof Here he speaks about the Calf of Beth-aven in the singular Number for so I find it 's refer'd by most Interpreters The people of the Calf Of it not of Samaria From thence the Note would be thus That wicked men Idolaters did dedicate themselves to their Idols they are the people of the Idol Those that were the very peculiar of God and his Treasure the People of God now they are called the people of the Calf for they have none to go to for help but only that Idol of theirs they had forsaken God And it 's said That they yet mourn over it Though certainly at first the setting up of the Calf could not but be a very strange thing to the people of Israel yet within a while after they were used to it they did worship it and it took their very consciences so as they loved it and when it was taken away they mourn'd and were in extream distress and trouble Idolaters they do mourn when their false worship is taken from them At this day my Brethren how do many mourn after their superstitious vanities their superstitious customs that they were wont to have Now Prelates and Service-Book and Altars and such kind of things are taken away when they come to meet together Oh! now all Religion is gone So they perswade poor people in remote parts that the Parliament hath taken away all Religion and there is a great mourning in their spirits they think they know not how in the world to serve God if their Book be taken away from them and I make no question it hath been a cause that many have taken up Arms meerly to defend such superstitious vanities and customs that they were wont to have Their Burialls for the dead as they were wont to have Oh! they mourn for this and they would almost as lieve lose their lives as such kind of things as these are I remember I have read of the Indians that were wont to worship an Apes Tooth it was a Religious Relick among them and it was taken from them and there was a great mourning among them so that they came and offered a very great price that was valued at thousands to redeem but their Apes Tooth that was taken from them because it was a Religious Relick And so we have men this day though their superstitious vanities and customs be no better than a very Apes Tooth yet they mourn over them and would be willing to part with a great proportion of their estate to redeem them again they mourn after their Calves Oh! how should we mourn after the true Worship of God then how deer should that be to our souls For Calves Superstitious Relicks and Customs Apes Teeth and such things be so deer to Idolaters Oh! those Ordinances of God in which our souls have met with so much soul-refreshings and communion with God and so much of the Spirit of God let out to our souls through them Such enlightenings by them Oh! how should we mourn after them You that have gotten any thing by the Word by the Ordinances of God that ever hath known what it hath been to have communion with God in them you should think with your selves If these should be taken from me then I should have cause to mourn indeed I have lost much of my estate and my friends many of them are lost and these are cause of mourning Oh! but if I should lose the Ordinances and Worship of God Oh! what cause would there be then of mourning It follows And the Priests thereof that rejoyced on it The Priests they especially mourn The word that is here translated Priests it is in the Hebrew Chemarims and I find it signifies three things the word from whence it comes Chemar signifies to sound out and so some think that it is they are call'd Chemarims because of their clamorous sounds that they were wont to have in their superstitious worship Just as we were wont to have Bellowing in their Cathedrals so they were wont to have and therefore they were call'd Chemarims because of their mighty noises and sounds that they were wont to have Secondly It signifies to burn or to be hot Aud so Luther I find takes the word and saith That they were called Chemarims from their burning desires after their waies of false worship But I rather think there is a third that signifies to be Black from burning because those things that are burnt they are made black When the flame first takes hold upon a thing it makes it black and so Chemarims are as much as black ones or indeed Black Coats they were wont to be known by their black garments and therfore they are called by the name Chemarims because of their black garments that they were wont to use and I find in 2 King 23. 5. that this word that is here Priests is there Idolatrous Priests it 's the same word Those Black-Coats that were then they accounted it a kind of Religion to go in Black from thence they would have the name And though certainly it 's fit for the Ministers of the Gospel to go gravely and decently and not to express lightness and vanity in their garments yet to put a kind of superstition upon black as upon necessity they must wear black Coats and no other garments will serve the turn As heretofore thâ—re was a kind of superstitious vanity put on it Now though gravity be required in their very â—arments yet to stand so much upon the very colour there may be danger in it and those that are look'd upon as Religious men that should differ any way from others that they should be tied and bound to it I say this there is an evil in it they were wont to do so here and so almost all your Heathens and superstitious people they had alwaies a special colour for the garments of their Priests as the Turks have their green for the colour of the garments of their Priests But thus much only for the name Chemarims Their Priests that rejoyced Rejoyce that is They that did exult over the Calves Oh! the Priests the Calves made for them they got the King to be on their side and they made the Calves brave and they had brave kind of Worship about it and many pompous Ceremonies about it and the Priests they gloried in this for they had a special hand in all and because they had the countenance of Authority for their Calves that they were able to crush any that spake against them they exulted the text saith But now there 's a threatning That they shall mourn those Priests that did so glory in their Calves as who were they that did glory so much in pompous Altars and other braveries but your Priests they exulted and had all under them and would
have cause to bless the Lord from our souls that he hath delivered us from such a temptation from such a temptation lest we should be ashamed of our hopes though the truth is If we had right we should not have been ashamed for our hopes was not so much in the saving of our estates as this That God would own his Cause in the conclusion and so our hopes would not have fail'd I but if our hopes had but seemed to have failed in outward appearance that the Enemy should have prevailed I say it would have been a mighty temptation for us to have been ashamed of our hopes Oh! blessed be God for preventing this that the Lord hath not made his People to be ashamed of their hopes and prayers The Ministers of God can stand up and look comfortably in the Congregations because they put on people and encouraged the hearts of people in this Cause and they have comfort to their souls in this That when things were at the lowest yet still they could have their hopes in God and beleeve yet in God that he would go on in such a Cause as this is and the Lord hath not caused the expectation of his poor people to fail But if it be shame I say now for the present to be disappointed of some hopes Oh! remember upon all your disappointment of hopes Oh! what shame would it be before men and Angels if it should prove that any soul in this place should be so disappointed of their last hopes Thou hast hope of salvation and of eternal life and if it should prove when all secrets are to be made publick before the Lord Jesus and his Angels if then it should prove that all thy hopes were dash'd what would become of thee It is the prayer of David O Lord let me not be disappointed of my hope Let that be thy prayer especially in regard of thy last hopes In 1 Joh. 2. 28. Abide in him that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming Oh! that 's the comfort of the Saints that they shall not be ashamed at the coming of Jesus Christ and many that are not ashamed now yet at the coming of Jesus Christ Oh! the shame that shall be cast upon them But the main emphasis lies in the words that follow Israel shall be ashamed of his own Counsels Now what was that Counsel What why it was this counsel 1. The Counsel that was between Jeroboam his Princes and the Priests together with some eminent of the people for the setting up of the way of false worship And secondly For the forcing of al men that belonged to the ten Tribes to forbear going to Jerusalem This was thought a notable Plot a notable Counsel they thought this was the only Counsel to keep things in peace among them Why say they if we shall suffer men that every one that hath a fancy in his head that they shall go to Jerusalem to worship we shall have nothing but confusion and therefore let us take such a course that people shall have a place to worship in that they worship thus it is but only some people that are so strict that they must needs worship in Jerusalem and therefore let us determine this That we will have a constant way that every one shall be bound unto and we will have no more going to this Jerusalem to worship but they shall be content to worship at Dan and Bethel and this will keep things in peace Now this counsel seem'd to be a fine plot to keep things in order But saith the Lord They shall be ashamed of it though they think they have wise men that do thus advise sage men and some men it may be that seem to have some good in them too and stand for peace thus it was a Counsel cried up mightily yet the Lord he sits in Heaven and laughs at this Counsel and saith he They shall be ashamed of their Counsels perhaps now whilst they are let go on and carry all before them they bless themselves in their Counsel and think it is a very excellent plot and God favors it but when my time shall come when they shall see what evil it brings upon them then they shall be ashamed of their Counsels From thence there 's these two Notes First That mens own Counsels bring them to shame especially in matters of Religion Secondly That men are strong in their own Counsels till they see some eminent evil to come of them and then they will be convinced and ashamed but not before To speak a little of each of these Mens own Counsels bring shame to them especially in Religion For men naturally are very blind in the things of God they do not see far in them mens hearts are ful of corruption they are byassed by their corruptions seeing there 's much self-love in men If there be any appearance that is mens own that 's much regarded a great deal more than truth that is another mans if it be their own they mind that but let another man speak that which hath truth that 's little regarded There is in mens hearts much violence to maintain their own Counsels and therefore very like that their Counsels will bring them to shame There 's nothing that men can bear to be contradicted in less than in their Counsels And the more men are set upon their own Counsels the more it is like to bring shame in the conclusion And besides There 's a Judgment of God upon mens spirits that if they will set upon their own Counsels I say there 's ordinarily a Judgment of God upon men to leave them to folly when they rest upon their own Counsels and it 's threatned in Psal 81. 12. as a great Jugment of God upon men to give them up to their Counsels Saith God They would not hearken to my Counsel therefore did I give them up to their own Counsel Oh! it 's a terrible place I beseech you consider of it These are times wherein every one is plotting Oh! tremble at that text I gave them up unto their OWN COVNSELS Mens own Counsels bring them to shame often times they come to nothing after they have made a great deal of do and they will do this and they will go on at length it comes to nothing so that they are fain to sit down and there 's an end of all their labor and stir perhaps they have labored to put on their Counsels by much evil much sin much heart burning and when it comes to all there it lies there 's an end of it thus they are ashamed of their counsels Yea many times the Counsels of men work quite contrary God doth much glory in this in making use of mens own Counsels to bring them into snares What hath brought our Adversaries into snares but their own Counsels What brought the Prelates
them to maintain that way of theirs they had countenance from men of Power they had strength enough to crush any that should oppose them That 's the Note that lies plainly before us When the outward strength of a Kingdom goes along with a way of Religion then men think it must needs be right and that all men are but weak men that appears against it Mark the connexion They trusted in their way that is as I find generally Interpreters go The way of Religion And then their Mighty Men these two are put together so that you see the Note is very evident before you that 's the way that generally men will trust in and men will go that way were the scale turn'd and the strength of the mighty men went another way As now Suppose that the strength of the Kingdom of the ten Tribes had been bent to go up to Jerusalem to worship and not to worship at Dan Bethel Do you think there would have been almost any considerable party that would not have gone up to Jerusalem but worshiped at Dan Bethel but when the strength of the Kingdom held the other way when the mighty Men and the way of Religion went both in one the generality of the people went that way that the mighty men went This is the vanity and the exceeding evil of mens hearts that which way soever the mighty men go that way they will trust in There are very few that will deliberatly say so I will go that way that I see the mightie men go in But this is a secret byass poise upon the spirits of men w ch inclins them to harken to what may be said for that way not willingly to what may be said for another And secondly It is such a poise upon their spirits as makes them to be willing and ready to let in any probability if there be but the least probability for the way that the mighty men go on in they take in that and when they have taken in one probability that makes way for another and another and so they drink in more and more so com to be strengthned for that way so as to put off the strength of any thing that can be said against the way except it be so apparent as whether they will nor no they must be forced to sin against their consciences directly if they go another way I say when the spirits of men are byassed by seeing the strength of the Kingdom go in a way though perhaps they may have some good lie at their hearts yet there is that corruption in mans heart that except we can make the other way so cleer that notwithstanding all shifts and all kind af reasonings that may be they shal be self-condemned in their own consciences that their consciences shall tell them they go directly against their light I say except we can come thus we cannot prevail with mens hearts when the sway of a Kingdom goes another way And there are many Truths of God that concerns his Worship that cannot be made so cleer but that a man may have such a diversion to satisfie his conscience in this That I in going another way do not go against my conscience God would have us that what is most likely to be his mind that way to go without any consideration of any outward respects Now if there be a temptation for outward respects that they will come into the ballance do but turn the ballance and suppose in your own heart that all outward respects were in the other ballance that all the mightie men were of the other way what would your hearts think In Revel 13. 3. That when Power and Authority was given unto Antichrist The whol World wondred after her So it is ordinary that way that the mighty men go that way mens hearts will generally go Oh! the little honor that Jesus Christ hath by us Our hearts are swayed for the most part by carnal Arguments and carnal Motives Again They trust in their way and in the multitude of their Mighty Men. Great Armies are the things that are the Confidence of Carnal hearts when they can get a great Army up of a multitude of Mighty Men let there be never such threats in the Word yet if they think they have strength enough to bear them out they bless themselves in that Oh! let us take heed of this Carnal Confidence Through Gods Mercie the Lord hath given us now that we have the multitude of Mightie Men on our side let us take heed that our Faith do not eb and flow as our Armies do and I wil give you one Scripture that shews how far a gracious heart is from making flesh his Arm Cursed is that man you know the Scripture that maketh flesh his Arm. But an example of a godly man to shew how far he was from trusting in an Armie of mighty men in 2 Chron. 14. 11. It is nothing saith Asa with thee to help with many or with them that have no power Why Lord though we have no power yet thou canst help us Why did Asa speak thus Had he no power You shall find in the Chapter a little before that Asa had five hundred and fourscore thousand valiant fighting men Almost six hundred thousand valiant men that he had at that time when he is pleading with God Lord thou canst save where there is no power We account it a great Army if we have twentie or thirtie or fourty thousand men he hath almost six hundred thousand men and yet goes to God and praies Lord thou canst help where there is no power And yet further from the connexion of these two Their way in which they trusted That is The way of Religion they thought that was good But had they had nothing else to trust in but that their trust would not have been very sure From thence the Note is this That those who trust to any way of their own had need of creature strengths to uphold them It 's a Note of very great use they had need of bladders to be under their arm-holes if they trust in a way of their own But now if the Way be the Way of God that a man hath confidence in why then though all outward helps should fail him though all encouragements should fail in this world though we should see the creatures at never so great a distance yet the heart that hath confidence in Gods way hath enough to uphold it here 's the difference between men trusting in their own way and in Gods way Indeed when men trust in their own way so long as the Sun shines upon their way that they have external helps they can go on confident but let outward helps fail and their hearts sink within them But now when the heart is upright with God and trusts in the Word and Promises then it is able to say with Habakkuk in Chap. 3. 17.
292 Use Do not slight it 293 Obs 4 When men are violent in wickedness God will be violent in his judgments ib. Use Take heed of being violent in the wais of sin 294 Obs 5. In matters of Gods Worship we must hearken to God ib. Obs 6 It is a judgment to have an unsetled spirit 296 Obs 7 Prize the Communion of Saints 298 CHAP. X. VERS I. Obs 1 The Church is compared to a Vine 300 Reasons 1 It hath an unpromising outside ib. 2 It is the most fruitful plant that grows ib. 3 No plant requires so great care ib. 4 It is the most depending creature 301 5 If not fruitful it is most unprofitable ib. 6 It is the emblem of peace 302 Obs 2 Emptiness of professors is a very great evil 303 Reasons 1 'T is unnatural 304 2 'T is a dishonor to their root ib. 3 It frustrates the Lord of all his care ib. 4 There is no blessing upon thy soul ib. 5 If there be Grace it cannot but bear fruit ib. 6 Common gifts shal be taken away 305 7 An empty spirit is fit for the Devil to possess 306 8 God doth not let us sit empty of blessings ib. 9 The Lord hath justly made our Vine bleed for its emptiness ib. 10 The evil of emptiness is great according to the greatness of opportunities ib. Use 1 If it be evil to be empty what an evil is it to bring forth ill Grapes ib. Use 2 Let us prize fruitfulness 307 Obs 3 It is all one to be an empty Christian and to bring forth fruit to ones self 315 Obs 4 When God is spoiling a Nation it is vain for people to think to provide for themselves 317 Obs 5 To encrease our wickedness by Gods blessings is an abominable thing 319 Reasons 1 It is against the ingenuity of a Christian 320 2 Christian Principles are above estate ib. 3 It is against our prayers ib. Obs 6 The love Idolaters have to their Idols is according to that ability they have to shew their love 320 VERSE II Obs 1 Though men strive never so much to maintain what is evil God will break it 326 Obs 2 Though men be convinced of an evil yet if the temptation abide they will fall to it again 327 Obs 3 Superstitious Images and Altars are to be taken away ib. Obs 4 If we give that respect that is due to God to another thing the Lord will destroy it ib. Obs 5. If God break down what is evil let not us set it up ib. Obs 6 We must not break down Images to make up our own broken estates 328 Obs 7 Mens divisions break the neck of what they contend for ib. VERS III. Obs 1 It is a great evil for a people not to have the protection of a right Government 331 Obs 2 It is a great evil not to fear the Lord 332 Obs 3. When men have the countenance of great ones there is little fear of God amongst them ib. Obs 4. The taking away of Kingly power is a punishment for the want of the fear of God 333 Obs 5. The times of Gods wrath forceth acknowledgment from their hearts that fear not God 334 Obs 6 When the heart is humbled it will not put off the cause of evils to other men 335 Obs 7 When God forsakes a people there is nothing can do them good 337 Obs 8 It is just with God to make those things unuseful which sinful people dote upon ib. Obs 9. God can soon change the hearts of people in reference to their King 339 Obs 10 The difference between Gods people and wicked men ib. Obs 11 The stouter creature confidence is the more do they sink when they are crost in their hopes 340 Obs 12 When a carnal heart is knockt off from creature confidence then he despairs ib. VERSE IV. Expounded 361 Obs 1 Carnal hearts in their straits take shifting courses because they have no God to go to 364 Obs 2 It is an evil thing for professors to combine with wicked men 365 Obs 3 There is no trust to wicked mens Oaths and Covenants 365 Obs 4. Breaking Covenant though with wicked men is a great wickedâ—ness ib. Obs 5 Injustice and Oppression is a forerunner of Ruin 372 VERSE V. Obs 1 Those that fear God least are most afraid of any thing else 379 Obs 2 In times of danger we should be most solicitous about the Worship of God 384 Obs 3 Cities that are safe should be sensible of the miseries of others 385 Obs 4 Idolaters that dedicate themselves to Idols are the people of that Idol 387 Obs 5. Idolaters account their Idol worship glorious 391 VERSE VI. Obs 1 Our depending upon men for help is dearly bought 392 Obs 2. It is the fashion of Idolaters to rejoyce much when they get one anothers gods ib. Applied to England ib. Obs 3 Mens own counsels in matters of Religion bring them to shame 396 1 Because it is much regarded ib. 2 God leaves them to folly ib. 3 They provoke God by them 398 Use 1. What to avoid in Counsels 1 False principles ib. 2 Wicked men ib. 3 Self ends ib. 4 Pride and conceitedness ib. 5 Flesh and blood ib. 6 Passion and frowardness ib. Use 2 What we should attend in our counsels 1 Look up to Jesus Christ 399 2 Pray much ib. 3 Let the fear of God be strong 400 4 Keep to the Word of God ib. 5 Be not put off with shews of Reason 401 6 Be humble ib. 7 Consult with an indifferent judgment ib. 8 Do as you would be done by ib. 9 Whether it may not cost too dear though good ib. VERSE VII Obs 1 Vngodly men in their greatest rage are but as foam if God come against them 403 Scripture Expressions touching the vanity of great persons 404 VERS VIII Obs 1 God destroies the glorious Names of Idolatry 406 Obs 2 The nearer a thing comes to the nature of sin the viler it is ib. Obs 3 False worship is the great sinne 407 Obs 4 We may so abuse the creatures that we may turn them into sin it self ib. Obs 5 When any Ordinances of God are abused they are to be but purged but inventions of men are to be destroyed ib. Obs 6 Mans sin brings destruction upon the creatures 408 Obs 7 If it be sad that false worship is neglected how sad is it that true worship is 409 Obs 8 The ruin of Idolatrous places is more pleasing to God than their pomp 410 Obs 9 What men account highly of in matter of worship when the enemy coms in he contemns them ib. Obs 10 God can make an alteration in Cities and Kingdoms 413 Obs 11 It is a great misery to fall into the hands of ones enemies 414 Obs 12 The wrath of God is very dreadful ib. Obs 13 To live in misery is worse than present death 415 Obs 14 The misery of wicked men in affliction is wonderful 416 Obs 15 Desperation is a dreadful thing ib.
VERSE IX Opened 418 Obs 1 To comit the same sins our ancestors did is greater than theirs was 419 Obs 2 God takes it ill when those whom he hath used to punish others for sin commit the same sins themselves ib Obs 3 Children of iniquity may escape once and again 423 VERSE X Expounded 425 Obs 1 When God hath a mind to bring about a thing he will gather a people 427 Obs 2 God will chuse his rod he will scourg us with ib. VERSE XI Obs 1 Such as are divided in prosperity shall be bound together in bondage 430 Obs 2 It is a sign of a carnal heart to avoid any work God cals to because it is difficult 431 Obs 3 Hypocrites are content with such services as bring present comfort ib. Obs 4 It is a sign of a carnal heart to seek present accommodation 432 Obs 5 God looks with indignation upon such as mind nothing but ease and delicacy 455 Obs 6 It is an honor for men to go thorough difficultiâ—s for God 439 Obs 7 Let no men boast they live more at ease than others ib. Use Comfort for the afflicted Obs 8. Those that for sake the true Worship of God 't is well if they come into the meanest condition among Gods People 441 VERSE XII Obs 1. Though the sins of people be great and judgments near we know not what an exhortation may do 441 Obs 2 The actions of men are seeds 445 Obs 3 They shal come up in the same kind ib. Obs 4 The seed lies in the ground rotting a while yet afterwards comes up ib. Obs 5 The seed sowen comes up through the blessing of God upon it ib. Obs 6. The better the seed is the longer it lies under ground 446 Obs 7 The Ministers of God are sowers ib. Obs 8 Large oportunities of doing service for God should be our riches ib. Obs 9 It is not every seed will serve the turn 447 Obs 10 As a man sows so shall he reap 450 Use Let the Saints set a price upon the actions of Righteousness 451 Obs 11 God will give abundantly above our good works 455 Obs 12 The hearts of men naturally are fallow grounds 456 Obs 13 It is high time to seek the LORD 474 Reasons 1 God hath been a long time patient ib. 2 Mercy is even going ib. 3 It is an acceptable time ib. Obs 14 It is time for England to seek God 478 Obs 15 God will come to sow Righteousnes in time 480 Obs 16 Sometimes God doth not presently rain Righteousness upon his people that sow it 481 Obs 17 Those that seek aright will continue seeking till God comes ib. Motives to continue seeking 1. Thou art doing thy duty 482 2. Thou canst not do better ib. 3. While you are waiting God is working good ib. 4. While thou art seeking thou art not without some dews 483 5. When he comes he will come more fully ib. Obs 18 To those that are content to seek God till he comes he will come with plentiful showers 484 Obs 19 The help of those that seek God is from Heaven 485 Obs 20 When God comes he makes his people fruitful ib. Obs 21 God comes in righteousness to them that seek him 486 Obs 22 Though the good we do be our own good yet God rewards us as though he got by it ib. VERSE XIII Obs 1 The fruits of false worship is the encrease of sin 490 Obs 2 A man is ready to trust in his own way 492 Use What a shame is it Saints should not trust in Gods way 495 Obs 3 When great men go along with Religion men think it must needs be right 497 Obs 4 Great Armies are the confidence of carnal hearts 498 Use Examine what your confidence is 499 VERSE XIV Obs 1 Tumults are a token of great wrath of God 500 Obs 2 Pollicy will not prevail if God be against us 507 Obs 3. Great is the rage of war if God let it out 508 Obs 4 The sins of parents many times comes upon little ones ib. Obs 5. The judgments of God when neer us should awaken us 509 VERS XV. Obs 1 Miserable judgments many times arise from causes we little think of 510 Obs 2 From places of Idolatry come the greatest evils to a Kingdom ib. Obs 3. False worship is the great sin God is provoked against a Nation for 511 Obs 4. God takes notice not only of mens sins but their aggravations ib. Obs 5. According to the greatness of sin is the greatness of wrath 512 Obs 6 When people have some enlightening then Gods displeasure breaks out upon them 514 Vse for England ib. Obs 7 God loves to draw forth great sinners to the light 516 Obs 8 God will make quick work with great sinners ib. The Names of several Books printed by Peter Cole at the sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil by the Exchange in LONDON A PHYSICAL DIRECTORY or a Translation of the London DISPENSATORY Whereunto is added The Vertues of the Simples and Compounds And in the second Edition are 784. Additions the general heads whereof are these Viz. 1 The Dose or quantity to be taken at one time and Use both of Simples and Compounds 2 The Method of ordering the Body after sweating and purging Medicines 3 Cautions to all ignorant people upon all Simples and Compounds that are dangerous With many Additions in every Page marked with the letter A. Five Books of M r Jer. Burroughs lately published As also the Texts of Scripture upon which they are grounded VIZ. 1. The rare Jewel of Christian Contentment on Phil. 4. 11. Wherein is shewed 1 What Contentment is 2 It is an holy Art and Mysterie 3 The Excellencies of it 4 The Evil of the contrary sin of Murmuring and the Aggravations of it 2. Gospel-Worship on Levit. 10. 3. Wherein is shewed 1 The right maÌ„ner of the Worship of God in general and particularly in Hearing the Word Receiving the Lords Supper and Prayer 3. Gospel Conversation on Phil. 1. 27. Wherein is shewed 1 That the Conversations of Beleevers must be above what could be by the light of Nature 2 Beyond those that lived under the Law 3 And sutable to what Truths the Gospel holds forth To which is added The Misery of those men that have their Portion in tbis life on Psalm 17. 14. 4. A Treatise of Earthly-mindedness Wherein is shewed 1 What Earthly-mindedness is 2 The great Evil thereof on Phil. 3. part of the 19. vers Also to the same Book is joyned a Treatise of Heavenly mindedness and walking with God on Gen. 5. 24. and on Phil. 3. 20. 5. An Exposition with Practical Observations on the 4 th 5 th 6 th 7 th Chapters of the Prophesie of Hosea Twelve several Books of M r Will. Bridge collected into one Volumâ— VIZ. 1. The great Gospel-Mysterie of the Saints Comfort and Holiness opened and applied from Christs Priestly Office 2. Satans power to tempt and Christs love to and care of
only materially good but formally also that is which is done in obedience to God And that shews the dangerous condition of ignorant people all their actions are sin because they know not Gods mind in them Thirdly To go about great businesses without consulting with God it is sin Even the Heathens were conscious of this therefore Pullius Scipio would never go out about any great business but would go to the Capitol to pray to the gods Fourthly Alteration in Civil Government is a great business God had need be much consulted withal especially if there be any Church-work mingled with it there was never a time that England had the calling for such consulting with God as it hath at this Now England is about the greatest and weightiest business that ever it had since it was a Nation The very alteration but of an Officer is a great matter and requires much consulting with God and especially if it be in the Church it is very observable of our Savior in Luke 6. 12 and 13. verses when as Christ was to send out his twelve Apostles as Officers for the Church the text saith That he was at prayer all night before then in the morning he calls his Disciples and so sends forth twelve of them and gives them his Commission But he makes a preparation all night long in praying to God Surely those that are about chusing Church Officers Ministers of God to be their Pastors and Teachers they had need spend daies and nights in prayer Here they did not consult with God in setting Jeroboam over them and therefore saith God they have made them Kings but not by me Lastly When we are about great businesses we must look at Gods ends we must take heed of our passionate wills and our own self ends else we do it not by God In Civil Affairs a man that is a Magistrate perhaps doth that which is just but he is carried on in his passion but this is not by God and so in Church affairs the Church Elders the party doth deserve it yet if they be carried on in passion and self-ends this is not done by God They have set up Kings but not by me And then further As the people sin'd and God would not own what which they set up so Jeroboam sin'd too Why Jeroboam might say Lord didest not thou send thy Prophet to tell me that I should have the ten Tribes and yet wilt thou not own me No God would not own him First Because Jeroboam did not seek God And secondly Jeroboam did not stay Gods time As David he was anointed by God and though he had many opportunities for to have taken away Sauls life he would not and to come to the Kingdom but he did wait till he saw the time was come that he should be brought to the Kingdom But Jeroboam would not do so Thirdly Jeroboam had not right ends in taking the Kingdom Fourthly Jeroboam did not administer the Kingdom for God and therefore God would not own him and so some reade the words They have not administred the Kingdom by me but administring the Kingdom by their own lusts therefore God would not own them From whence you may have these Notes First That when God promises a mercy if we stay not Gods time we can have no comfort of the mercy Secondly When we have a mercy promised we must be brought into it by God by lawful means he that beleeves makes not hast saith the Scripture many they are so greedy of places and preferments and other things they desire that they make so much hast as if they did fear that if they stay for the orderly coming into the place they desire they fear they should go without it What blessing then can there be in that which we would seek to get without God in making so much hast And again When we have a mercy that 's the third note when we have what we would have yet if we do not improve it for God we do thereby renounce our acknowledgment of it from God God hath given thee an Estate or Honors or Preferment What doest thou do Doest thou now abuse this for thine own lusts Thou doest hereby renounce thy acknowledgement that thou hadst it from God They have set up Kings but not by me I will not own that Why because in the way of their Administration they have indeed renounced any right I have to their Government And so the Seventy translate the words They have reigned to themselves Yea but it may be said How were the people that were living now guilty of this this was a long time ago when the people did thus set up Jeroboam and rend themselves from the house of David how came they to be guilty of this The Answer is That they continuing and retaining the Government of Jeroboam upon the same ground their progenitors first raised it are guilty of their sins Children going on in the way of their parents contract the guilt of their parents sin upon them And Mercer upon this place quotes an Hebrew David Kimchi That the people now when they saw what Jeroboam and his successors did that they would keep them from going to Jerusalem before the Lord and when they saw that he made them Idols and so forsook Gods true Worship they saith the Hebrew Doctor should have driven him from the Kingdom that was his opinion but meerly for Religion it cannot be except the Law of the Country will bear them out in it any farther than the Law of a State the Civil Law will bear men out in it and therefore War it is not meeely undertaken for maintaining Religion immediately but for maintaining those Laws by which Religion is established the Civil Right that men have to the practice of their Religion And so Wars may be undertaken If it were in a place indeed where the Law of the Kingdom were utterly against Religion could not there be justified except those that had power likewise for the altering those Laws should alter them and then take up Arms. But now Our taking up Arms is justified in this To maintain the Civil Right that we have to the practice of our Religion so that our Case is not the Case of the Christians among the Heathens There is a Law of Nature I confess beyond the Right of any Law and the Right in that cannot be given away by any Predecessors But because the mischief would be infinit great if it were left to every man to judge when by this Law of Nature he might resist and so to resist upon it this would cause infinit mischief therfore there is a necessity that men should for their particular suffer rather than so to resist it is necessary for us to stay till we be helped by some orderly legal way I say the God of Order never leaves people to such miserable
one and this it was that made them a National Church It is not enough to have the same kind of worship as now we al pray and reade the Word in all Congregations we have all the same Sacraments but they must joyn in one individual worship If the Nation of the Jews had worshiped the same God after the same manner in divers Temples and upon divers Altars this had not been a National bond to them but by coming up to the same Temple and offering upon the same Altars and when the Sacrifice and Incense was offered for them all they were joyned in the very act all of them in that one thing this was the thing that did unite them into a Church-union in another manner than any Church-union can be in this world til we have such a kind of Institution as they had We have no Institution for worship but where people may personally joyn together but for thousands of Congregations to be bound by Institution to joyn in the very same bond of worship in the very same individual act such an union we have not in these daies and without the understanding of this aright we understand not the scope why they had but one Altar for burnt offerings and one Altar for Incense But now it may be said That it doth not seem to be such a sin to erect Altars for that 's the sin charged upon Ephraim That they did erect many other Altars for the Scripture speaks of many Altars that were Gods Altars 1 King 19. you know it is the complaint of Elias that they had cast down Gods Altars They have cast down thine Altars now this was spoken after the time of the Law when there was but only two Altars appointed by God and the Prophet did not mean them the Altar for burnt offerings and Incense Therefore the Answers that Divines give to this is That this is spoken of those Altars that the Patriarks and others had built for the honor of God to sacrifice upon before the time that the Law was given by Moses for that one only Altar of sacrifice and here he complains they had cast down those Altars for it was Lawful before the command was given to build divers Altars but after the command was given it was not Yea but still the Objection will be How could it be a sin to cast down those Altars when they were of no further Religious use for after the Command of God for that one Altar then the other were to be demolished Was it not commended in the godly Kings that they cast down high Places and cut down Groves though some of them formerly were for the true Worship of God yet after God had appointed a peculiar place for His Worship and those other places were abused to superstition then they were to be cast down and so there 's no question to be made but all other Altars that were built for Religious uses were to be cast down after Gods own Altars were made The Answer to it therefore is this That the evil that Elijah complains of it was the prophaness of the people their casting off all fear and reverence of God because they did not cast down those Altars out of love to God and his Worship upon this Principle that they would not suffer any thing that might be dangerous to superstition that was not the Principle whereby they were acted in casting them down but they cast them down as led thereunto by malice and rage against Religion and to satisfie their lusts and thus if men oppose that which is indeed superstitious yet if it be not out of a true love to God and his Honor if it be not out of a desire to set up and to maintain the true Worship of God but in a bitterness and rage meerly out of self-ends to please themselves in a way of revenge or through any distemper though I say the thing be evil that these men do oppose yet God will not own it as any service to him it is a sin in them to cast down that which should be cast down if they do not cast it down out of a right and gracious Principle Then what evil is it for men in bitterness of spirit to oppose that which is in its self good if God account it sin to oppose that which which should be opposed if it be through bitterness of spirit and not through gracious Principles They have made many Altars Whatsoever is made by man in a Religious Worship it is rejected of God there must be nothing of mans making in Divine Worship the very spirit and life of the second Commandement it consists in this Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image That 's one instance in the matter of Worship but by that we are to understand any thing in Divine Worship we must not make to our selves I say there lies the very life and the very spirit of the second Commandement the making to our selves if God will appoint Ceremonies significant to put us in mind of Heavenly things and stir up our hearts on high we are to use them with reverence and respect but if we will presume to do things as God hath done that 's the ground of all superstitious Ceremonies because they find God makes some they think that they may presume to make others to imitate God now it is a sin against the second Commandement for us to presume to make any thing in matters of Divine Worship Further They have made many There 's no stop that 's the Note in superstitious Worship if men leave the rule they know not where to stay hence is the multiplying of things thus among the Papists five hundred Altars in some one Temple And Austin in his 19 th Epistle complains of the multitude of Ceremonies that were in the Church in his time What complaints would he have now All things in the Church were full of presumptions they did multiply one thing after another and indeed let but the right way once be left and there 's no limits Oh let us take heed how we multiply in Gods Worship there 's much controversie between the Papists and us about multiplying in the Worship of God We would have but one MEDIATOR they would have many We would have but one rule of Faith but they will give power to Pope and Church to make Articles of faith we would have but one object of Worship they would have many we would have but one Sacrifice they would have many Oblations for the quick and dead we would have but one Satisfaction they would have many we would have but one Merit they would have many And thus by multiplying the unity of the Church is divided but we must keep to the unity that we find in the Scriptures And then further They have made many Altars In the opening what a sin it was to make any other Altar but that
that we should add to the praise of God Men desires to ad more and more to the States of their Progenitors and so your Children they will add a little to the estates that you leave them and so men account it their ambition to raise their families My Brethren we should have an holy Ambition by practice of Religion more and more in every age as Jehu said in 2 King 10. 18. Ahab served Baal a little but Jehu shall serve him much So others as he said of false worship though in a fained way we should say of the true Worship of God we have served the Lord a little but we will serve him more we have more mercies than they had more light than they had if they served God a little we will serve him more And then Ephraim hath made many Altars to sin God still remembers the first and the chief Actors in sin Ephraim he speaks to the ten Tribes and yet only names Ephraim because the Governors were of that Tribe The chief in a family by whom the whol family is corrupted and the chief in a Town or Country God hath an eye upon them and though others escape they shall not Ephraim hath multiplied Altars to sin they intended not to sin it was not their intention when they made Altars that they might sin they thought they pleased God but God accounts it â—n and a provocation to him And from thence the Note is only this That whatsoever names we may give to things yet it may be God will give other names and titles to them we may say that it is devotion God will say it is superstition we may say it 's good intention but God may say it is presumption we may say it is prudence and wisdom but God may give it another name and say it is temporising 't is time-serving God doth use to give other names to things than we do in the Scripture they call their Images their delectable things God calls them detestable things No question if you would ask them why they built Altars they would say to the honor of God but saith God You built Altars to sin And then Altars shall be unto him to sin Shall be to him That 's thus Seeing they will have them they shall have them they shall have enough of them let them go on in their way let them multiply their sin When mens hearts are set upon false waies of worship it 's just with God to let them have their desires to the full They shall have their way that they do contend for they keep a great deal of stir for it and have it they must they refuse to see the light they are prejudiced against the way of Gods Worship let them have what they would have saith God they shall have Governors to establish what they would have by their Authority and they shall have their Teachers that shall defend by subtil Arguments those things to be lawful they multiply Altars to sin and they shall be to sin even to harden them and so the Seventy seem to take the meaning of these words by their translation of them whereas you have it They shall be to sin their Altars shall be to love their hearts are set upon them and they will have them and love them and they shall be hardened in them and this is the heavy judgment of God to give unto men their hearts desires in what is evil and as it shall be to them for sin so it shall be to them for their misery for the fruit of sin for so sin is taken very frequently in Scripture for the fruit of sin they will have them to sin and they shall find the fruit of sin by what they are so eagerly set upon them And thus much for the eleventh verse It follows VER 12. I have written to him the great things of my Law but they were counted as a strange thing THIS Verse in the reading of it appears a greatness in the very sound of it and there is as much in it as the sound doth import and therefore though we pass over other things more briefly yet because there is very much of Gods mind in this and we should wrong the Scripture if we should pass over this too slightly I have written to him the great things of my Law This is made an aggravation of their sin they multiply Altars to sin and yet saith God I have written to them the great things of my Law they find no such things in my Law written to them this was against the very written Word of God and what that written Word of God against those many Altars was that you had the last day but in that from this connexion that these are made sins because they were against the written Word of God from thence the Note is That whatsoever is urged to us or practised by us in matters of Worship it must have Warrant out of the written Word of God It was sin Why because I have written to them saith he the great things of my Law and they counted it a strong thing though that which they did had a great deal of seeming devotion in it yet it was otherwise than that they found written in my Law This Question should be put to any that tender to us any way of Worship or Doctrine of Religion under any specious shew whatsoever Where is it written To the Law and to the Testimonie Isaiah 8. 20. If they speak not according to this Word it is because they have no light in them Oh they seem to be very judicious and wise but if they speak not according to this Word they have no light in them not only to the Law and Testimonies but to the written Law and Testimonies this must be the Standard at which all Doctrines and waies of Worship must be tried Many may put fair colours upon their waies that it is for Common Peace and a great deal of good may be done by it and the like But is it written Did I ever command it saith God Policy may say it's fit Reason may say it's comely and Experience may say it's useful But doth the written Law say it should be Nay it 's not enough to say That we cannot say it is forbidden But where is it written In matters of Worship this is a certain rule Saith Tertullian about the Crowning of the Soldier with Baies If it be said It is lawful because the Scripture doth not forbid it it may equally be retorted It is therefore not lawful because the Scripture doth not command it No matter what the thing be saith Luther in matters of Religion but who it is that bids it who it is that commands it we must look to that Never argue thus in any point of Religion I beseech you consider it is a point that hath been is and may yet
might be another in thy family or place that might bring forth fruit to God but thou hinderest God might have more Rent as I may so say for all his possessions in the world the great Rent is the fruit that the Church brings forth in Cant. 8. 11. it is said that Solomon let out his Vineyard and it brought him in a thousand pieces of Silver for the fruit of it And God he lets out his Vinyard and his Rent I say it is the fruit that the Saints bring forth to him What glory hath God in the world if those that profess themselves to be his people should be empty 8. God doth not let us sit under empty Vines our Vines they have bin fruitful Vines shall we then be empty Vines our selves 9. The Lord hath justly struck this Vine here in England and our Vine bleeds it bleeds and is in danger to bleed to death and what though it doth it hath brought forth little fruit and therefore it 's just with God that he should let this Vine even bleed now to death 10. According to the greatness of the opportunities that any man hath or any society of men so is the greatness of the evil of emptiness Oh! now to be empty when God puts great opportunities of great service into our hands now to be empty when God expects great services Oh! it is the most vile thing of all Oh my brethren that we were but sensible of this But if this be an evil thing to be empty than what is it to bring forth the Grapes of Sodom and the Clusters of Gomorrah to bring forth the Wine of the Gall of Asps wild Grapes And yet a great deal of such fruit there hath been brought forth And truly the fruit that most men have brought forth now they are wild Grapes at the best If men do any thing yet they do so mingle the vanity of prid the sowreness of their own spirits the rigedness of their own nature with what they do that all is but sowr before God Well To conclude this about the emptiness of the Vine Oh! let us prize fruitfulness more and say as the Vine that is brought in in the 9 th of Judges Shall I leave my Wine which cheereth God and man and go and reign over you Oh so Shall we leave our fruitfulness upon any earthly advantage in the world Let us account it a greater advantage to bring forth much fruit to the glory of God than to glory in any earthly advantage No matter what becomes of us so we may be but fruitful though God dung us though he cast all the filth and reproaches in the world upon us yet if God will make this but cause us to be fruitful it is no great matter But further from the manner of the Phrase Israel is a Vine emptying its self That is an aggravation of emptiness when we empty our selves when God is not wanting to us in means but we are the Cause of it And what is the cause of emptiness but the emptying out our strength and spirits to our lusts and the world No mervail though we have no fruit for God and strength in his service when we let out all to other things And the old Latin here turns it A leavie vine And the Seventy they have it A Vine that brings forth goodly branches And yet it 's said here empty that is all the strength and juyce of it is let out in the goodliness of the branches and leaves Oh! so many Professors in these daies they empty out all their strength that they have and all their parts meerly into leaves and have goodly branches make goodly outward profession and goodly words they give and will speak much of Religion but nothing but leaves nothing but words all this while Pliny in his 17. Book and 22. Chapter saith of Vines that it is fit at least for two years together after their planting that they should be cut down to the very ground that they may not sprout out in leaves and so to lose their juyce and strength at the root And truly this is that that hath lost the hopeful beginnings of many yong people in these times they have presently sprouted out into leaves for never was there a more hopeful time of yong people than at the beginning of this Parliament and no greater encouragement was there than from them at that time I will not say it is wholly lost but Oh! how many of them that began to understand the waies of God hath let out all their strength in leaves and contests and disputes and wranglings and strange kind of opinions and little fruit is come of any thing Nay there is little savor at all in their spirits Oh! how happy had it been if so be that God had kept them down in a work of humiliation to the very ground for a yeer or two together Now that 's a thing that is altogether laid aside any work of humiliation but presently they sprout out into leaves My Brethren whatsoever may be said or whatsoevee heretofore hath seem'd to be preached to the contrary yet certainly if rightly understood hath been but the same things that must of necessity be acknowledged we do not press Humiliation as the Condition of the Covenant of Grace we look not at it so but Humiliation keeps the spirits of men low and empties them of themselves and keeps them down I say this is that which would have made them a great deal more fruitful and they could not have run up as meer leaves and their strength spent and so how many of them are fallen off again not only to be slight and vain but to be wicked and ungodly and quite naught because they were not kept down low for a while but God ordering things that they should live in times of liberty Oh! how luxurious have they grown that way When God lets a people grow rank and prunes them not they quickly grow barren We had never so many rank Christians as we have at this day that grow out in luxurious branches and they think they have over-topt all because they can talk more than others do when as there are some poor Christians that grow low to the ground and when they get a little comfort it is gone away from them presently and they walk humbly before God and no body takes notice of them but are despised and contemned O! these will grow and be delightful to the pallate of God when such rank professors as these shall wither and be cast out The pruned Vines bring forth the best fruit and therefore that 's observable compare Isa 5. with the 27. there 's a Note very observable In the 5. Chapter God complains of his Vinyard that he lookt for Grapes and they brought forth wild Grapes but there the Prophet speaks of the time before the Captivity but in the 27. Chapter there is a
defend but by being zealous and forward for his waies they hop'd to have promoâ—ion by him they did not fear to be questioned for any thing no matter whether they went against Law or not they could shelter themselves under the power and favor of the King the Pomp and Glory of the Court that was a great thing in their eyes they were bold in their Idolatrous way and oppression because of the power and greatness of the King who should controul them in any thing that they did But now saith the Prophet You have had your day you have had your time that you could thus shelter your selves under the power of the King and do what you list and oppress and rage and no body durst meddle with you because of the power of the King but now the case is altered But now they shall say We have no King Had they no King Yes Hoshea was their King but the meaning is It 's all one as if we had no King his power is so broken that the truth is he cannot help us Saith Drusius upon the place he cannot protect us which is the property of the King and therefore it is as if we had none now they shall say We have no King Alas he is not able to save himself he can do nothing for us his Pomp his Power Bravery is in the dust he is distressed himself and we are miserably disappointed of our hopes we are undone who can help us now whither shall we go what shall we do our consciences upbraid us now for our bold presumptuous wickedness Oh! how far were our hearts from the fear of the Lord we dar'd the God of Heaven and all his Prophets we boldly ventured upon those waies which we were told yea which we knew in our very consciences were a provocation to the Lord we set up our own worship we pleased our selves we made our wills to be the rules of all our actions that we did we took liberty to satisfie our lusts we mingled our own waies with Gods Ordinances we subjected Religion to publick ends we were riged we were cruel towards those who differed from us we upheld the Authority of the King against God and his People and now God hath justly brought this distressed estate upon us that now the Kings Power that we trusted so in is now broken and in a manner gone Oh! now we see we feared not the Lord we have none to help us now we now know what it is not to fear the great God God is above us and therefore now what can a King do to us what could he do for us Suppose we had him again Alas our misery is beyond his help seeing God is provoked with us and hath forsaken us what should a King do for us And thus in this short Paraphrase you have the scope of the words as if the People should have spoken in this manner But now the question is what times doth this refer to Now they shall say We have no King c. When did they say so The times that this refers to seems to be those that we reade of in 2 King 17. If you read that Chapter you shall find the times that this hath reference to then they might well say We have no King because we feared not the Lord What then should a King do to us For the Observations from it the first is this It 's a great evil for a People not to have the Protection and the Blessing that might be enjoyed in the right Government of a King over them A great evil And they complain of it as a great evil and so far their complaint is right That they are now deprived of the Protection and good that otherwise they might have had from the right Government of a King over them And my Brethren our condition is even such in regard of the personal presence and protection of a King in those regards we may almost use the same words as here and say We have no King among us And whether it be better for a People to have no King or to have no Protection from their King But that which is contrary to Protection is a Question fitter to be discussed and determined in a Parliament than in a Pulpit and to them I shall leave it But the Church of God shall never have cause to make this Complaint That they have no King in Psal 29 10 11. The Lord sitteth King for ever The Lord will give strength unto his People the Lord will bless his People with peace In Psal 45. 6. Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever the Scepter of thy Kingdom is a right Scepter Psal 145. 13. Thy Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and thy Dominion endureth throughout all generations Psal 149. 2. Let the Children of Zion rejoyce in their King Because we feared not the Lord. It is a great evil not to fear the Lord. Fear ye not me saith the Lord who have placed the sands for the bounds of the Sea It 's an evil and a bitter thing that the fear of the Lord is not in men For God is a great God infinitly above us cloathed with Majestie and Honor trembling frames of heart becomes his presence non like unto the Lord great and mervailous are his works Oh! who would not fear him God hath infinite authority over us to save or to destroy us he hath us all at an infinite advantage by the least word of his mouth to undo us his wrath is insupportable Who among us shall dwel with the devouring fire who amongst us shall dwel with everlasting burnings Darest thou a vile wretch presume to rebel against any word of the Lord when the next word may sink soul and body into the bottomless gulf of eternal horror and despair Who art thou that doest not fear the Lord Doest thou not fear the Commanding Word of the Lord when the next word that proceeds out of his mouth may be a destroying word to undo body and soul for ever Secondly They said We feared not the Lord. And observe In times of prosperity when men have the favor and countenance of great Ones then there is little fear of God among them Now they said We feared not the Lord. Oh! those times when we had the favour and countenance of great Men there was little fear of God among us So long as men have any confidence in the Creature so long they see no need of God their hearts are swollen with pride God is not in all their thoughts they say to God Depart from us we do not desire the knowledg of thy Waies They set their hearts and tongues against the God of Heaven they can venture upon any thing then to tell them it's sin against God it 's a poor dry business it 's nothing at all with them how vile and foolish are the hearts of wicked men that the enjoyment
that we hope the Lord is even revenging himself upon them for breaking Covenant even in that very place Now my Brethren that even Heathens themselves are convinc'd of this great evil that is so dreadful an evil what cause have we to lay our hands upon our hearts this day in respect of that part of our Covenant that concerns one another for certainly since the time of our solemn Covenant there was never more treachery than there hath been in England and in Scotland too there hath been as much treachery since that time as ever yet was since either of them were a Nation we have been false one to another so far as it relates to our selves But I find that Calvin in his Notes upon this Scripture understands this Oath and Covenant not to be a Covenant to men but their Covenant with God in promising repentance and new obedience and so they spake only words Swearing falsly they did but deceive him in swearing and making a Covenant and this indeed is a sore and dreadful evil to swear to the high God and to Covenant with him to draw so nigh to him and yet to be false God threatens in Levit. 26. 25. That he will send a sword to avenge the quarrel of his Covenant and when we see the sword rageth so as it doth we may have cause to fear that the Lord hath a quarrel against us in avenging the late Covenant that hath been made I mean our falseness in it and that we may see further our guiltiness and evil in swearing falsly in making a Covenant we must know that many waies our hearts may be false in our Covenants with God It is a dreadful evil to be false any way in Covenant with God any of you that upon your sick beds have been solemnly promising to God reformation if God restor'd you if you be false Oh know that the Lord hath a quarrel against you and he hath a dreadful evil to charge upon your souls How many of you have been false in your private Covenants But to be false in publick Covenants that 's most dreadful But our hearts may be false divers waies As First If we take our Covenant meerly upon politick grounds we make the solemn Worship of God wherein we express our fidelity for Reformation of Religion to be meerly subserviant to politick grounds here 's a falsness of heart we are false in swearing thus and making a Covenant we do not sanctifie the Name of God as we ought Or Secondly If we put false Interpretations we are false when we shall make our Covenant a meer 〈◊〉 to our Brethren let us consider how far any of us are guilty of this and let the Lord judge between us I say when we seek to make it a snare even to our Brethren How have those been accused for the breach of this Oath which have not accorded in things that are in Controversie with our Brethren as if this Oath were put upon all men to determin most abstruse and difficult points of Controversie to bring men to submit to things as are very abstruse and difficult to understand this were to make an Oath a Snare and to take the Name of God in vain in a fearful manner Certainly the Lord never would have Oaths put to men to this end that men that are of different waies and opinions in Controversal things for to be forced by way of an Oath to be of the same judgement and to do the same things this is a great abuse of this Oath wheresoever it is urged so far Certainly there 's no man guilty of the breach of this Oath and Covenant that shall but endeavor what he can to understand what the mind of God is and then to practice according as he understands though he should mistake as in the point of Schism in that point of the Covenant the thing its self being a sin we may as well swear against it as David did to keep Gods Commandements but now if David did labor to understand Gods Commandements and do as far as he did understand suppose he did not understand all things aright it might be his weakness but not his perjury So let us be in point of Schism or any other point of the Covenant if men do endeavor to understand what is Schism by the Scripture and accordingly do in their several places by what means their consciences tels them is lawful endeavor to oppose it though they should not think that to be Schism that their Brethren do think or perhaps is so yet they are not forsworn this is evil to make a Covenant to be a snare unto us and our hearts so far are false in it And then thirdly Then is the he heart false in making a Covenant when it doth not fulfill it according to the nature of it when it goes quite opposite against it As since our Covenant hath been made When was there ever greater divisions Our Covenant is for unity When more ungodliness our Covenant is against it when more injustice Our Covenant is against all these and yet since England was a Nation there was never stronger cries came to Heaven for these sins than there hath been since our Covenant And therefore certainly there 's a great breach between God and us in this regard And then fourthly When men make their Covenant to be a cloak for Malignity that is Though they have Malignant and vile wicked spirits yet they can but take the Covenant and then all is well Here they swear falsely in making a Covenant Thus Judgment springeth up as Hemlock in the furrows of the field After this their Covenant there is a great deal of injustice among them Judgment By Judgment some understand the Judgments of God and then the sense is Those wicked waies of yours are the seeds that brings up Gods Judgments that is as Hemlock bitter and deadly there 's a truth in this Interpretation though I think it is not the full scope of the words here but it may be the holy Ghost would hint some such thing unto us in it That our actions are as seeds and what they are sown here they will bring forth according to the nature of them Wicked actions when they are sown will bring forth bitter fruit will bring forth Hemlock It may be saith he you look for peace and prosperity but contrary to your expectation behold Hemlock and bitterness I beseech you take heed of preparing your selves a potion of Hemlock against you lie sick and are cast upon your death bed a man hath sown his field he thinks to have a good crop of Corn but Judgment the Judgment of God comes up and there 's Hemlock instead of it But because I think this not to be the scope of the place therefore I pass it by and rather think that by Judgment is here meant Righteousness Equity and Justice That whereas there should
Ye reap iniquity The meaning is this You have your hearts desire to bring about your own ends to have what you plowed for Sometimes men do plow and take a great deal of pains in that which is evil and God crosses them but at other times God lets them reap that is Do you labor for to promote such a thing though it be not according to Gods mind it may be God will let you have it well you plow for it and you shall have it and doest thou bless thy self in that Oh! wo to thee it is a woful harvest that thou hast it is a fearful curse for any man or woman for to have their hearts desires satisfied in their sin it were a thousand times better that thy plowing were to no purpose at all that all thy labors and endeavors were quite lost thou art loth to lose thy endeavors in the waies of sin Oh! but it were a thousand times better that thy endeavors were all lost than that thou shouldest attain that which thou plowest for But I find the word that signifies Iniquity is used in Scripture to signifie The punishment of iniquity for the Hebrews have the same word to signifie Sin and the punishment of sin Or thus which I think the holy Ghost hath some aim at You plow saith he wickedness and reap iniquity the plowing was for their false worship and their reaping was iniquity I beseech you observe this Note further That The fruit of false worship it is the encrease of sin in a Nation You plow wickedness for so afterwards it is called The great wickedness and the fruit of that it is the encrease of much sin it brings forth a harvest for sin When men have striven to set up any false worship and have gotten it up what is the fruit of it There grows presently a formality in Religion Men have a Religion and yet they enjoy their lusts for only the true Worship of God is that which will not stand with mens lusts therefore when men set up any kind of false Worship this will be the fruit there will be a formality in Religion and this will please men exceeding well for they can live in worldliness and licentiousness and this will be the fruit of it And verily my Brethren this is one main thing that makes carnal loose hearts contend so much for a loose kind of worship that they may have loosness in their waies so much the more Endeavoring for this kind of evil the fruit of it will be the reaping of iniquity You have eaten the fruit of lyes First What are those lyes that they eate the fruit of First Those arguments by which you justifie your selves in your iniquity Yea but they are but the fruit of lyes They would set up a way of false worship but they would have some Reasons for it they would have some arguments to defend it and those Oh how they hugged and closed with them and let any one bring and shew them that such a thing may be proved thus and thus by such an argument now because they had a mind to the thing their hearts closed upon those arguments and they fed upon it it did them good at their hearts Secondly You feed upon lyes that is Those comforts that you have from the way of false worship the way that you set up you have a great deal of comfort in it and you are very glad that it thrives It is but a Lye saith God Thirdly Their hopes that they had when that way was established of theirs they had such hopes that all should be so well and that there should be no more trouble between them and Jerusalem I but you feed upon Lyes saith God It is but a Lye that you feed upon The Fourth Lye that they fed upon was The Interpretation of Gods dealings in blessing them for the way of their false worship which they had set up then all kind of outward blessings which they had they made this Interpretation of them the goodness of God to them for that which they had done As that is usual in places where there is any thing in matters of Religion altered though it be not right yet you shall have men that are for that way what ever blessing comes upon a Nation they will interpret it as the fruit of that I but this will come to nothing And then fiftly The fift Lye was Those false reports that came to them against those that did oppose their way of false worship there were many that would not yield to the way of false worship and upon that reports were raised upon them what kind of men they were and what they had done and when these reports were brought to them of the other way Oh they did them good at their hearts I but You have eaten the fruit of lyes many mens Break-fasts and Dinners and Suppers are nothing else but lyes Surely now this will breed no good nourishment And what 's the reason that we have such a deal of ill blood among us It is because that men have such course food as they have Because thou didest trust in thy way and the multitude of mighty men Israel the ten Tribes had two great Confidences that are expressed in this lattter part of the 13. Verse 1. The Confidence of their Way 2. And the Confidence of their Mighty Men. Now the Way in which they did trust was the Way of Religion that they chose to themselves that way that was distinct from the way of Judah from the true Worship of God And the Mighty Men was the Power they had in their State These are two great Confidences of people First Thou didest trust in thy Way they were confident that was right they were not willing to hear any thing to the contrary And if they did yet their hearts were so byassed by their false worship that any thing that was said to the contrary was nothing to them they were very confident that there was no man able to say anie thing to purpose against them no we have so many understanding learned men for this way no question it is right there 's none but a company of silly weak men that are in any other way Thus they trusted in their way they please themselves and one another and did seek to harden themselves and one another in their way they have got the day no question they have laid all upon their backs that have opposed them there 's a great deal more reason for this way than for any other There 's no way of peace to the State to the Kingdom but this that which others would have namely to go to Jerusalem to worship it 's a most unreasonable way Yea they think that God is well pleased with their way and they do good service in opposing and persecuting those that are not of their way Thus they trust in their way From
Policy 2. Reason 3. Experience may be one way and yet 4. Religion and the written Word another Luther Exod. 39. 43. explained * Opinions of the Learned nor Custom nor Antiquity the Rule of Worsâ—ip but the written Word only †Nobis noÌ„ liceat saluâ honoriâ—â—centâ—a quae illis debitur aliquid in eorum Scriptis reprobare atque respuere talis ego sum in scriptis aliorum tabesque volo esse intellectores meorum August Ambrose Object Answ Luther The Scripture is both 1 the Rule 2 the exposi or to shew the meaning of the Rule How mens writings may help us to understand Scripture The written Word a singular blessing Theodores Physitian Luther Schoolmen Synodus pari pietatis affectu reverentia recipit ac reveratur Concil Trid. sess 4. decret prim Quest Answ 2 Pet. 1. 19. illustrated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more sure than revelation The danger of revelations beside the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obs 1. Psal 119. 105. illustrated Use And Vers 106. An apt simile Expâ—s Law what 1. the whol word of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 docuit Multiplices Leges Scribitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Legitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 70. Adoro plenitudinem scripturaruÌ„ Tertul. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simile Ps 138. 2 illustrated Psal 119. 27. opened Deut. 4. 8. applyed Mat. 5. 18 explained Isa 42. 21 noted Contemners of the Law Antinomians Saints prize the Law Apoc. 6. 9. Obs 1. Deut. 17. 18. 19. illustrated Alphonsus King of Aragon Obs 2. Psa 119. 129. illustrated Isa 40. 6. illustrated Prov. 13. 13 enlightened Obs 3. Uzza a Levite Uzziah a King Nadab Abihu Ezek 7. 20. enlightened Ier. 17. 12 illustrated The Reprehension The Word accounted strange 1. As not concerning us 2. Strange in their apprehensions Luther 3. No sutableness between their hearts and the doctrine simile Prov. 6. 21. applied 4. Vse the Word as a stranger i.e. for our own ends only Obs 1. Confirmed from the late times in England Holy-daies Sabbaths Christmass God not to be imitated in his worship The Sabbath is for commemoration of al the particulars of our redemption Obj. 2. Us of Admonition The degrees of the hearts estrangment from God 1. Less frequent 2. His delight abats which is also the first degree 3. Takes up hard thoughts of spiritual truths 4. Wisheth the things in the word were otherâ—wise simile 5. Harkens to contrary doctrine simile 6. Will not search throughly into truths 7. An Engagement in som unlawful practice 8. Former weighty arguments now weak simile 9. Become open enemies Isa 5. 24. Psal 119. 18 19. Obs 3. Vs against Antinomians The Spirit of God forsaw this generation Mal. 4. 24. enterpreted Object Answ Obs 1. Aman may continue strict in duties and yet have committed the sin against the holy Ghost Expos Obs 2. Prayer Preaching Isa 40. 3. enterpreted Gifts and Parts Expol. 1. 2 The Authors Exp. Obs 3. Instance in Feastivals and Fasts Why Christmass is so zealously kept An apt simile 1 King 13 In the present War The Cause The Pay God expects Self-denial in temporal not in spiritual things Obs 4. Amos. 5. 22. Amos Hosea contemporaries consent in Doctrine Obs 5 How to exercise Faith for Pardon in holy Duties Obs 6. 1 Sam. 15 20. Sins of youth punished in age simile Use to young ones and others youth sins ages terror Ier. 2. 2. Heb. 10. 3 illustrated Obs 7. Reasons simile Gen. 21. Exod. 4. Obs 8. Exod. 32. 34. Micah 7. 4 Isa 10. 3. 1. It notes their sin 2. King 17. 4. Obs 9. 2. Their judgment Deut. 28. Obs 10. Applicat to Engl. Obs 11. Quest Answ Ier. 44. Obs 12. the answering our desires is the execution of Godswrath oftimes Obs 1. A sign of much wrath Eccles 12. 1. 1 Sam. 12. 6. To be imployed in publick service is the making of a man Obs 2 Isa 43. 7. Obs 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Church is Gods palace Obs 3. Obs 4. Instanced in the late times in England Quest Answ Their sin in building Temples Hag. 2. 2â— and 4. 9. How superstition in them to build Temples what made the Temple at Jerusalem Holy and Peculiar to it No argument therfore from thence for the holiness of Churches Praying in Churches no more accepted unless with the holy Congregation Chrysost Hom. 79. ad Populum Some Heathens against it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dogm Zen The Persians Xerxes magi Josephus l. 15. c. 14. Paule-work Strong places to be dedicated by prayet and reformation A notable story Obs 1. Obs 2. Englands enemies should have considerrd this Expos 1. Expos 2. Obs 3. Obs 4. Gualt The time of this Prophesie Expos Observ Use for England A 3d time The time helps to understand the Prophesie Israels malignants Obs Leagues and peace wherin we much rejoyce may prove occasions of sorrow Us Be not greedy of peace before the time Obs 1. Seculi laetitia est impunita nequitia Aug. in John tract 12. Amos 6. 4. Obs 2 Obs 3. We may prosper yet have no cause of joy An apâ— simile Obs 1. Expos 1. 1. Be not taken with the worlds jolity 2. Imitate them not in waies of rejoycing * Preached in Christmass 3. Not as a people The Dolphin 4. Not prophanely 5. not having so much cause as others Obser Instanced in this Nation Obser An apt simile Luk 13. 28. A fit similitude Obs 1. Obs 2. Object Answ Object Answ No Nation but Israel forsook their gods Ier. 2. 10. explained Obs 3. A special note Obs 4. Amos 3. 2 Rom. 2. 9. Ier. 18. 13. expounded Ier. 32. 30. opened Act. 17. 1 Sam. 6. 7. with 2 Sam. 6. 3. noted Some Antinomians noted Saints should sorrow must for sin Quest Answ God hath liberty to damn one for a lesser sin and save one that is guilty of a greater Instanced in the examples of Saul and David Expicat Applicat Observ simile simile Explic. Obs 1. Obs 2 Obs 3. Obs 4 simile Levit. 18. 26. Levit. 25. 23. A meditation in our walking into the Fields Canaan the Lords Land in a special manner Reas 1. Psa 95. 7. Heb. 3. 7. c. 4. 1. 1 Chron. 16. 15. Obser England another Canaâ— Corruptors of Gods worship the ruin of the Land Obser Use 1. The happiness of Beleevers Use 2. Obs 1. Obs 2. Obs 3. Wine and Oyl in sacrifice what it signified Obs 1. Obs 2. Iudg. 9. 13 enlightned Duties of Religion a Saints recreation Delicatares est spiritm sanctus Tert. Num 19. 11. 14. The dead carcass of a beast did not somuch defile as the carcass of a dead man Numb 11. 31. What this signified Why a dead body defiled Funeral mournings Why if imoÌ„derate not pleasing to God Why they were to be so long unclean that mourned for the dead Levit. 10. 19. enlightned Deut. 12. 7. 18. Chap. 26. 13 14. illustrated Even sorrow for sin must