shall be upon such as it was upon Balaam Satans spelman they shall be a portion for foxes Psal 63.10 as those that Astutam vapido servant sub pectore vulpem because of their own counsels He that goeth to school to his own carnall reason is sure to have a fool to his master an ignis fatuus that will bring him into the bogges and briers The wisdome of the fiesh is enmitie to God Nemo laeditur nisi à seipso See the Note on chap. 10. vers 6. Vers 7. My people are bent to backsliding from me they have a principle of Apostacie in them as those Galathians had of whom the Apostle I marvaile that you are so soon removed unto another Gospell Gal. 1.6 and as those old Apostates in the wildernesse who so soon as Moses his back was turned almost cryed out to Aaron Make us golden Gods This people was before accused to be acted by a spirit of fornication a certain violent impetus a strong inclination to whoredome and to be apt to backslide with a perpetuall backsliding all their recidivations and revolts were but a fruit of the bent of their spirits which were false and unsettled not resolved whether yet to turne to God though they were beset with so many mischiefs they hangd in suspence and rather inclined to the negative then else Suspensi sunt so Calvin Pareus and others read this text My people are in suspence or in a mamering whether to turne to me or not they hang in doubt as the same word is rendred Deut 28.66 God liketh not that his people should stand doubtfull as Sâ—â—pticks and adhere to nothing certainly to be in religion as idle beggars are in their way ready to goe which way soever the staffe falleth but that they should strive to a full assurance in what they beleeve Luk. 1.4 to be fully perswaded as ver 1. and to a firm purpose of heart in what they should practise Act. 11.23 Irresolution against sin or for God can hardly consist with the power of Godlinesse be not off and on with him halt not hang not in doubt what to do but follow God fully as Caleb did come off freely as David who had chosen Gods precepts when he was solicited to have done otherwise Psal 119.173 And again I have chosen the way of truth thy judgements have I laid before me ver 30. I have waighed them and am resolved to keep them I am come to a full determination Mr. Deodate senseth the words thus They desire and expect that I should turn in favour to them and relieve them whereas they should turn to me by repentance which they will not do and herein he followeth Arias Montanus Thus those stiffnecked Jewes in Jeremy expected that God should still deale with them however they dealt with him according to all his wondrous works chap. 21.2 presuming and promising themselves impunity and thus Judas also had the face to ask Mat. 26.25 as the rest did Is it I as resting upon Christs accustomed gentlenesse and that he would conceale him still as he had done certain daies before though they called them to the most High They that is the Prophets as vers 2. called them with great importunity upon every opportunity to the most High to God in opposition to those Dii minutuli petty deities whom they doted on See chap. 7.16 to come up to him to have high and honourable conceptions of Him not casting him in a base mould as those miscreants did Psal 50.21 but saying as David and with a David-like spirit Thous Lord art high above all the earth thou art exalted far above all Gods and there-hence inferring Ye that love the Lord hate evil Psal 97.9.10 I am God Almighty walk before me and be upright Gen. 17.1 The God of glory appeared to Abraham Act. 7.2 he so conceived of God and hence his unchangeable resolutions for God none at all would exalt him Heb. together he exalted not scarce a Hee a single man that would do it that would lift up his head to listen to such good counsel so some sence it or that would exalt and extol the most High who though he be high above all praise as Neh. 9.5 and cannot be praised according to his excellent greatnesse Yet is he pleased to account himself exalted and magnified by us when considering the infinite distance and disproportion that is betwixt him and us we lay our selves low at his feet for mercy we set him up in our hearts for our sole Soveraign 2 Sam. 18.3 we esteem him as the people did David more worth then ten thousand we give him room in our soules and with highest apprehensions most vigorous affections and utmost endeavours wee bestow our selves upon him as the only Worthy Now this is done but of a very Few and well done but of fewer yet so drossy and drowsy are mens spirits and so little is the Lord liâ—ted up by the sons of men See the Prophet Esay his complaint chap. 64.7 Vers 8. How shall I give thee up Ephraim Here beginneth the second part of this chapter full of many sweet Evangelicall promises and here if ever Mercy rejoyceth against Judgment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cervix or treadeth on the very neck of it as St. James his word importeth chap. 2.13 The Lord seemeth here to be at a stand or at strife with himself about the destruction of this people fore-threatened which well might have been a gulf to swallow them up and a grave to bury them in for ever being most worthy to perish as were the Cities which God destroyed in his wrath Gen. 19. Howbeit God in the bowels of his mercy earning and taking pitty of his Elect amongst them for he had reserved 7000. hidden ones that had not bowed their knees to Baal spareth to lay upon them the extremity of his wrath and is ready to save them for his mercies sake Heare how father-like he melts over them how should I expose thee O Ephraim how should I deliver thee up O Israel How should I dispose the as Admah how should I set thee as Zeboim q. d. Justice requires that I should lay thee utterly wast and even rain down hell from heaven upon thee as once upon Sodom and her sisters But Mercy interposeth her four several How 's in the Originall two onely expressed but the other 2. necessarily understood and by Interpreters fitly supplied foure such patheticall Interrogations as the like are not to be found in the whole book of God and not to be answered by any but God himself as indeed he doth to each particular in the following words My heart is turned within me that is the first answer The second My repentings are kindied together The third I will not execute the fiercenesse of my wrath The fourth I wil not return to destroy Ephraim And why First I am God and not Man Secondly the Holy One in the middest of thee My heart is turned or
carried captive two hundred thousand with much spoyle these were times of great mirth and Jollity 't is confessed But are there not with you even with you sins against the Lord your God as the prophet Oded there bespeaks them and should not those sins be bewailed Besides are they not your brethren whom you have slaughtered and captivated and can you have any joy of such a conquest of civil wars that are nullos habitura triumphos that are such a misery as all words how wide soever want compasse to expresse Hear what the propheâ—t mos who was Hosea's contemporary saith to this Ye which rejoyce in a thing of nought so he calleth their victories present prosperity pomp and pride which say have we not taken to us horns by our own strength Behold I will raise up against you a nation O house of Israel that shall tame you and take you a link lower as they say so that your laughter shall be turned into mourning and your joy into heavinesse There is ever a snare or a cord in the sin of the wicked Jam. 4.9 viz. to strangle their joy with but the righteous sing and rejoyce Prov. 29.6 For thou hast gone a whoring from thy God That 's a foul businesse and may well damp thy joy Sins are the snuffes that dimme our candlestick the leaven that sowreth our passe overs the Sanies of a plague-sore that threatneth our very life And whereas the sinnes of others are but rebellions against God the sins of his professed people are treacheries they go a whoring from their God desuper Deo suo velomisso Deo suo from under their God or laying aside their God casting him as it were into a by-corner Hence those pathetical compaints in Jeremy Chap. 18.13 Ask ye now among the heathen who hath heard such things the virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing filthiness in a stewes is nothing so odious as filthiness in a Virgin And again Chap. 32.30 The children of Israel and the children of Judah have onely done evil from their youth God takes evil so hainously from them as if they had never done him any good service all their dayes or as if they were the onely sinners upon earth they were so much worse because they ought to have been better then other nations Now God expects our sorrows should be proportionable to our sins Rejoyce not therefore but by a Liptote weep and houl for the miseries that shall come upon you Thou hast loved a reward or a harlots hire upon every corn-floor i. e. Thou hast prostituted thy self to a loose Idolatry Mercedem meretriciam like to a common whore that goeth a whoring up and down the threshing floors Hence Boaz his fear lest it should be noised that Ruth had lain at his feet and that a woman came into the floor Ruth 3.14 Or else he meaneth saith Diodate some particular kind of idolatry used in the time of harvest and threshing as if they would have acknowledged their increase to come by their idols goodnesse Such was that of the Metapontines of whom Strabo storieth that when they had had a good harvest and were grown rich thereby they dedicated to Apollo at Delphos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an harvest of gold See more of this Chap. 2. with the Notes Verse 2. The floor and the winepresse shall not feed them Culpam poena premit comes Punishment attendeth sin at the heeles They had abused their plenty and ascribed it to their idols therefore shall they be cut short either in their store as Hag. 3.6.10 and 2.16 or in their strength as Hos 4.10 and 8.7 See Chap. 2.8.9 with the Notes One way or other their hopes shall be frustrated the creature shall lie to them and not answer their expectation The new wine shall fail in her Mustum mentietur ei see the like phrase Hab. 3.17 Es 58.11 Job 41.6 they shall come to the corn-floors and wine-presses as men come to a lottery with heads full of hopes but depart disappointed with their hearts full of blanks As they have lied to God idolatry is nothing else but a large lie and dealt deceitfully with him in the covenant so shall all things lie to them and not answer their hopes Look how a certain Prince paid a false traitour who for a summe of money had betrayed his countrey to him in false coyn so shall it fare with such as falsifie with God he will blast their hopes and curse their blessings cut them short in the height of their expectancies strike them in the things that their hearts are most set upon the new wine shall lie to them and so set them a howling Joel 1.5 Vers 3. They shall not dwell in the Lords land Because they would not live by the Lords lawes they shall therefore be turned out of his house so this land was called Chap. 9.3 as rebellious children that are a disturbance and a disgrace to their fathers family they shall hold no longer as tenants of him the chief Landlord because so backward to send a lamb as rent or an homage penny to the ruler of the land Esay 16.1 they were tenants at will and held upon condition of obedience Levit. 18.26 it was divided amongst them by lot Ioshua divided it amongst them and left none to himself The people gave him a portion and he was content with it though it were but a mean one in the barren mountains as Hierome noteth He had the promise that God would never leave him noâ— forsake him and he well knew that if he trusted in the Lord and did good he should dwell in the land and be verily fed Psal 37.3 He and Caleb were of another spirit and fulfilled after God therefore they onely of all that generation entred the promised land the Lords land which because Moses might not do it was a great grief to him These Idolaters here are threatened to be cashiered and cast out of this good land and to have their pleasant land laid desolate to be spewed out as the Canaanites had been before them Levit. 18.28 and so consequently to be deprived of Gods favour help and protection and altogether dispriviledged yea disinherited This was an heavy judgement to them and must be a warning to us that yet live in the bosome of the Church and under the joyful sound that we forfeit not our present enjoyments that we sinne not away our precious priviledges as the seven Churches and others have done Alterius perditio tua sit cautio We stand upon our good behaviour as they did See Deut. 30.19.20 But Ephraim shall return to Egypt which they ought to have been sensible of as a punishment long since threatned Deut. 28. ult see Hos 8.13 with the Note though now of their own accord they returned to it for fear of the Assyrian whom by their false-dealing they had justly incensed yet that should not shelter them but Gods hand would find them out and
cause before he proceedes to judgment this deserves admiration and acknowledgement in the highest degree O the depth Verse 4. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt Here God twits them with his former favours which he never doth but in case of brutish unthankfulnesse Now there was brutish and worse To render good for evill is divine good for good is humane evill for evill is brutish but evill for good devilish This makes God contrary to his custome upbraid people with what he hath done for them and angrily call for his love-tokens back againe as Hos 2.9 For their deliverance out of the Egyptian servitude how great a mercy it was see the Note on Hos 11.1 such as they were againe and againe charged never to forget Deut. 6.12 and 5.15 and 26.5 to 12. How much more bound are we to God for our Redemption by Christ for what 's Pharaoh to Satan Egypt to this present evill world Egyptian bondage to fins slavery Seeing then that our God hath given us such deliverance as this should we againe break his commandements c. Well might the hills and mountaines testify against such a monstrous unthankfullnesse and disingenuity and redeemed thee out of the house of servants Gradatim progreditur saith Calvin It was somthing to be brought out of the land of Egypt a most superstitious place where they turned the glory of the incorruptible God to the similitude of the image of a corruptible man for they defiled their king Osiris and of birds for they worshipped the hawk and Ibis and of foure-footed beasts for they worshipped an ox Rom. 1.23 a dog a cat a swine and of creeping things for they worshipped the Crocodile Ichneumon c. yea they worshipped plants and pot-herbs Hence the Poet Felices gentes Iuven. quibus haec nascuntur in hortis Numina To be brought out therefore from amongst such hatefull Idolaters was no small favour lest they should smell of their superstitions as Mica's mother did after all that ayring sin in the desert Judg. 17.3 and Jeroboam by being there awhile had learned calf-worship hence that strickt charge never to make leagne with them But to be redeemed out of the house of servants was more out of the iron furnace Deut. 4.20 Ier. 11.4 where they wrought night and day in latere luto Exod. 1. in setting up those famous Pyramids and treasure-cities for Pharaoh where they served with rigour Exod. 1.13 their lives were made bitter with hard bondage ver 14. till God withdrew their shoulders from the burden and their hands did leave the pots Psal 81.6 till they saw the God of Israel and there was under his feet as it were a paved-work of a Saphire-stone Exod. 24.10 to shew that God had now changed their condition their bricks made in their bondage to Saphirs Confer Esay 54.11 and consider what God hath done for us by bringing us into the glorious liberty of his own children who were once the devils drudges and dromedaries serving diverse lusts and pleasures Tit. 3.3 which gave lawes to our members Rom. 7. and held us under in a brutish bondage much worse then the Heathens mil-house the Turks gallies Bajazets iron-cage the Indian mines or Egyptian furnace For there if they did their task they escaped stripes but here let men do the devill never such doughty service they are sure of scourges and scorpions after all armies and changes of sorrowes and sufferings terrours and torments without any the least hope of ever either mending or ending This should make us lift up many an humble joyfull and thankfull heart to our most powerfull Redeemer saying with St. Paul Now to the King eternal immortal invisible the only wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen 1 Tim. 1.17 and I sent before thee Moses Aaron and Miriam As three principall guides and Miriam for one who did her part among the women Exod. 15.20 and having a prophetick spirit became a singular instrument in the hand of God who spake by her Num. 12.2 But her weak head was not able to bear such a cup of honour without being intoxicated which caused her father to spit in her face Num. 12.2 14. Her death is recorded in scripture Num 20.1 but not her age as is Sarahs Gen. 23.1 Some have observed that God thought not fit to tell us of the length of the life of any woman in Scripture but Sarah to humble that sex But as soules have no sexes so of some women such as were Miriam Deborah the Virgin Mary Priscilla Blandina the Lady Jane Gray Q. Elizabeth c. it may be said that in them besides their sex there was nothing woman-like or weak as if what Philosophy saith the soules of these noble creatures had followed the temperament of their bodies which consist of a frame of rarer roomes of a more exact composition then mans doth It is possible that Miriam might till that matter of emulation betwixt her and Moses his wife fell out be as helpfull to Moses and Aaron as Nazianzens mother was to his father Non solum adjutricem in pietate sed etiam doctricem gubernatricem Nazian Epitap pat not a help-fellow only but a doctresse and governesse Verse 5. O my people remember now what Balak There must be a Recognition of Gods mercies or else there will neither follow Estimation nor Retribution Else we that should be as temples of his praises shall be as graves of his benefits Our soules are naturally like filthy ponds wherein fish die soon and frogs live long rotten stuff is remembred memorable mercies are forgotten whereas the soul should be as an holy Ark the memory like the pot of Manna preserving holy truths as the Law and speciall blessings as Aarons rod fresh and flourishing This Israel did not and are therefore justly blamed Psal 106.7 13 21. and here againe reminded of one signall mercy among many that they might take notice of the enemies malignity Gods benignity and their own indignity and ingratitude that parching wind that drieth up the fountaine of divine favours Ventus urens exsiccans what Balack king of Moab consulted Joshua saith that he arose and fought against Israel chap. 24.9 that is he had a good mind to have fought but he did not because he durst not So Esth 8.7 Haman is said to have laid his hand upon the Jewes because he intended and attempted such a matter They that is the Sortilegi or Lot-sorcerers with whom Balack-like he consulted cast Pur that is the lot before Haman from day to day and from month to month viz. Esth 3.7 to find out what month or day would be lucky for the accomplishment of his intended massacre of the Iewes but before that black-day came Mordecai was advanced and Haman hanged Now as there by the speciall providence of God over-ruling the superstition of that wicked wreth way was made for the preservation of Gods people So
seeth no iniquity in Jacob nor transgression in Israel See he doth 't is true for he is all eye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 King 1.6 and all things are naked and open before him Yea he seeth enough in the best to provoke the eyes of his glory For though the crow think her owne bird whitest and some parents can see nothing amisse in their children as David in his Adonijah Jeb 4.18.21 25.5 6. yet he charged his Angels with felly and the starrs are not pure in his sight How much less man that is a worme c. He is neither so blinde as not to behold nor so fond as not to mislike the least fault in his best childe For he is of more pure eyes then to behold evil in whomsoever Habuc 1.13 with approbation he cannot look on iniquity and not shew his displeasure All which notwithstanding the truth of this point is irrefragable and the text alledged is no lesse firm then plain for us God seeth no sin in his children For besides that he will never throw them to hell which is the just hire of the least sin it 's often seen Rom. 6.23 that he never so much as corrects them no not with the rods of men for innumerable faylings and infirmities But winking at smal faults as we say nay passing by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage like as a father pittieth his children and pardoneth them their childishnesse so the doth lord pitty them that fear him Lo he pittieth them not punisheth them Psal 103.13 14. Or if he do proceed to correction as he must other whiles such is our frowardnesse yet amidst all he knoweth our frame he remembreth we are but dust Esay 2.22 a peace of earth neately made up that we carry our souls as a light in a paper-lanthorne that our breath in our nostrils is every moment ready to puffe out and that therefore if he should alwayes chide the spirit would fail before him we should soon faint and swoon under his hands wherefore he deals not with us after our sins nor rewards us according to our iniquities But as a man chasteneth his son saith Moses and he would have us wisely to consider of it too so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee Deut. 8.5 Break their stomackes he will but not their bones their hearts but not their heads And albeit they such is their peevishnesse under the rod give up all for lost and make desperate conclusions upon their corrections Judg 6.13 2 Tim. 2. as Gideon did yet the foundation of God remaineth sure The Lord knoweth who are his he knows their souls in adversity I said in my haste I am cast out of thy sight Here was a poor prayer And yet thou heardest the voyce of my prayer poor though it were when I cryed unto thee Psal 31.22 So Zion when under the lash sud The Lord hath forsaken me and my God hath forgotten me Esay 49.15.16 Can a woman forget her sucking childe that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea she may forget and some Tigresses have done it yet I will not forget thee Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands c. Look how a natural mother turns her childe out of doors for dabbling himself or some other shrewd turn and with a thump on the back bids it be gone a begging yet when the childe begins once to make a lip whimper and set up his lure Jer. 31.20 she takes him in again and puts him in her bosom the very like dealing we may read of in God with Ephraim his dear son his pleasant childe Hos 13.1 2 3. c. Ephraim of trembling and tender conscienced became a flagicious offendour a desperate idolater Ver. 1.2 And was not it high time then to take him in hand therefore they shall be as the morning cloud as the early dew as the chaffe before the whirl-winde as the smoke out of the chimney No lesse then utter desolation is threatened against them But the Lord soon repents him concerning his servants witnesse the words following Yet I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt I am thy sole saviour Here 's now mercy in the midst of judgement Oh but they abuse mercy forget their God and sin again Ver. 6. Why therefore God threateneth them again with a more terrible judgement Vers 7 8. Behold I will be unto them as a Lion and a leopard as a bear bereft I will rent the kell of their hearts and devour them Oh fearful condition who would ever think of such but as of deplored and desperate yet see the sequel O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help Ver. 9. Thou hast done thy utmost utterly to undoe thy self but yet I have thought of a way for thy help I will be thy king where is any other that would save thee as I do in all thy cities And albeit thou art an unwise son yet I will binde up thine iniquity as a cancelled bond and hide thy sin Ver. 12. And although the travels of a sorrowful woman be upon thee such is thy dulnesse in not coming off roundly with God work with those lively Israelitish women Exod. 1.19 but staying too long in the birth which might justly be thy death as it was Racâ—els yet I will ransome thee from the power of the grave I will redeem thee from death Ver. 14. Ey but for how long might they say I shall be likely breaking out again and then thou wilt undoe me after thou hast done me good No saith God repentance shall be hid from mine eyes He will not cast away a perfect man saith Bildad Iob 8.20 The Lord will not cast off for ever saith Ieremy but though he cause grief Lam. 3.31 32. yet will he have compassion according to the multitude or the magnitude of his mercies And this was that miracle that amused so and amased the Prophet Micah chap. 7.18 who is a God saith he like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of his heritage He retaineth not his anger for ever And will ye know a reason That text supplies us with two for failing and both from God 1. He delights in mercy 2. He provides for his own glory as occasioning hereby his pardoned people to praise him for present saying as here who is a God like unto thee c. and to trust him for future He will turn again he will have compassion upon us c. Thou wilt perform thy truth to Iacob c. ver 19.20 SECT II. The reasons are of two sorts First respecting God Reas 1 FIrst God will father-like pitty and pardon his poor people Psal 19.4 Eccles 7.25 Numb 14.8 2 Sam. 15.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 2.13 because he delights in mercy Now delight will do any thing as we say If the sun delight to run his race who
followeth his trade whereto he is bound apprentice though he be far from being his trades-master he shall have honour and life honour in earth and life in heaven Prov. 21.21 Yea but displeasing service is double dishonour Obj because we displease God in that act wherein he specially lookes to be pleased I grant that a powerlesse performance of holy duties Sol. proceeding from a spirit of sloth joyned with presumption so highly provoketh God against his own dear children that he hath much a doe to forbear killing them as he had to forbear Moses when he met him in the Inne Ready he is to have a blow at them as he had at David when he brake his bones and felt his fall to his dying-day Psal 51 But they that see and sigh under their wants and weaknesses with shame and sorrow need not be discomforted Christ appeats for them in heaven with their names upon his bosom and their services in his hand which he not only presents but perfumeth not only puts them up but adds weight to them nonsuting and casting out of the court all accusations and allegations made against them either by sin or Satan and drowning their noise by that blood of sprinkling Heb. 12. that speaketh better things then the blood of Abel This he doth for them in heaven as on earth he is touched with the feeling of their infirmities and hath taken order with their enimies for their security Joh. 18.8 and with their friends for their kinde acceptance commanding the stronger to receive them into their affections Rom. 14.1 and to restore them in their outstraies Gal. 6.1 promising also to give strength to him that fainteth and to increase power to him that hath no strength Even the youths that trust to their own strength or to any measure of grace acquired which is but a creature and to trust in it is to trust in the arme of flesh lo those youthes shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint Esay 40.29 30 31. In regard of the Authours absence and the misplacing of his Copy the Reader is desired to referre this Exposition of the 18. ver of the 3. Chapter to its proper place Verse 18. Then shall ye returne you wicked blasphemers that have flandred Gods hous-peeping and brought up an evill report of his providence and justice as if in managing the matters of the world he were lesse equall or lesse carefull You I say shall returne not to your right minds by a through conversion by an entire change of the whole man from evill to good alasse for your misery t is past time of day with you for any such good work But you shall alter your opinions when your eyes are once uncealed by the extremity of your suffering Plin. Prov. â—â— 25 Eâ—â— 4.30 Dan. 11.21 Vasallos Christi Socrat. as the Mole eyes are said to be when pangs of death are upon her to see and acknowledge a sensible difference between the righteous ever more excellent then his neighbour let him dwell where he will because sealed up to the day of redemption and the wicked who is but a vile person an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him be as great as Antiochus Epiphancs the great King of Syria between him that serveth God accounting it the highest honour to be his vassall as Constantine Theodosius and Valentinian their Emperours called themselves And him that serveth him not but casteth off the yoke of his obedience being a son of Belial and counteth it the only liberty to live as he lists and not to be ruled by God Then shall ye returne Then when it it is too late when the day of grace is past the gales of grace gone over the gate shut the draw-bridge taken up Then shall ye wretched lingerers and loytorers Epimetheusses postmasters after-wits that come in at length with your fooles Had-I-wist return not as the Prodigall did who seasonably and savingly came to himself Luk. 15.17 having bin before utterly bestraught 1 King 8.47 and quite beside himself by the deceitfulnesse of sin called foolishnesse of madnesse Eccles 7.25 nor as those true converts mentioned in Solomons prayer that bethink themselves and repent and make supplication to their judge Par. in Rev. 18.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 27.3 Fox Martyrol But as Iudas who whilst he plai'd alone wan all but haunted with the furies of a guilty conscience which would needs make one with him he repented after a sort with a poenitentia sera Iscariotica as Pareus calleth it had some after-thoughts but not to a transmentation some inward wamblings but they boyled not up to the full height of a godly sorrow and therefore came to nothing Or as Iames Abbes with his hideous All too late All too late So these wicked ones in the text when they shall see Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdome of heaven and themselves thrust out Lazarus in Abrahams bosom and their selves in the burning lake Mat. 13.43 Christs poor despised fellow-sufferers shining forth as the Sun in the kingdome of their father and themselves cast out into outer darknesse then shall they change both their minde and their note then shall their odious blasphemies be driven back again down their throats and then made to say with Pharaâ— Exod. 9.27 The Lord is righteous and so are all his people Esay 60.21 but I and mine associates are wicked and therefore deservedly wretched We once counted the proud happy but now we see that of David verified which erst we beleeved not Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed for that they erred from thy commandements Psal 119.21 We looked upon the righteous as calamitous as worms and no men as the nullisicamen populi Tertullians expression fit to be set with the dogs of the flock De resurrect Iob 30.1 and as the off-scouring of all things But now we can vote with that man of God and say Happy art thou O Israel Who is like unto thee O people Deut. 33 29 saved by the Lord the shield of thy help and the sword of thine exeâ—â—ncy and thine enemies are now found liars unto thee for thou treadest upon their high places when they are troden under foot as unsavoury salt Woe unto 〈◊〉 spoilers for now we are spoiled c. Isa 33.1 Ier. 4.13 Isa 33.14 Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire Who can abide with ever lasting burnings Behold the day is come that burneth as an oven Mal. 4.1 and we are now as stubble fully dried that it may burn the better Nah. 1.10 We are put away even all the wicked of the earth like drosse Psal 119.119 thrust away as thorns 2. Sam. 23.6 placed as vile things under Christs feet Psal