Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	act_v	people_n	zion_n	20	3	9.6931	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77979	An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of the prophesy of Hosea· Being first delivered in several lectures at Michaels Cornhil London. By Jeremiah Burroughs. Being the fifth book, published by Thomas Goodwyn, William Greenhil, Sydrach Simson William Bridge, John Yates, William Adderly.	Burroughs, Jeremiah, 1599-1646.; Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.	1650 (1650)	Wing B6070; Thomason E588_1; ESTC R206293	515,009	635

strengthens himself In all the Scripture I know not such a short text so full for the strengthning of faith as this is and it is the special work of faith to make God to be ours in all these relations Ps 18.2 An eminent prop of faith Oh how beautiful would our praises for reviving mercies shew could we but exercise our faith thus upon all these titles of God as ours The real sight of deliverance from evil and the apprehension of Obs 6 certain mercy a coming is a strong argument to put the soul on to turn to God This people did make this use of mercy coming to them What wil God after two daies deliver and revive us Come then and let us return unto him let us not any longer stand out but come in that he may revive us and raise us up When the soul sees mercy coming it beholds God out-bidding all other temptations and over-powering all difficulties when men by sence can behold mercy coming they will then think it best to turn to God happy are those who by faith can see mercy coming a great way off and thereby are stirred up to turn to God when God lets such thoughts as these into the soul and settles them upon the spirit I am now in a very good condition well and in health for the present but where may I be within two daies I enjoy peace and have every thing that heart can desire both for necessity and delight but within a short time where may I and these be These are dreadful thoughts to consider of But on the other side to beleevers these words are very comfortable and full of sweetness I am in great extremity of misery but after two daies they will blow over then oh where shall I be in heaven in joy and blessedness for evermore at rest with my Savior dreadful are the meditations from these words to all the wicked but very sweet and comfortable to the Saints of God as any text I know This consideration made Paul over look all his afflictions 2 Cor. 4. ●7 he thus considered ' ●is true I am under great afflictions but they are but light and 't is but for a moment and what shall I have then An eternal waight of glory Therefore Christians should not be alwaies poring upon their afflictions but look up to mercy behold that which may comfort them as well as what may discourage them consider that within two daies God will raise us up again and this wil mightily raise our spirits and quel the tumults in our hearts as we should be sensible of Gods hand to be humbled for our sins the cause of it yet should we take care that we do not destroy our selves by our fears Obs 7 The apprehension of the death and resurrection of Christ is a special means to help faith in the times of the greatest afflictions Many things may help faith in this case but the consideration of Christs resurrection is the chief when the soul shall exercise faith thus I am thus and thus afflicted and in misery so was Christ and much more although he were the Son of God the first begotten of the Father and so blessed for ever he was delivered up into his enemies hands scorned persecuted and contemned nay he was crucified and put to a shameful death but my condition for the present is not thus but if it should be so it is no more than Christs was in this his great misery all his frinds forsook him which aggravates their misery which are in straits in so much that those two Disciples which went to Emmaus said We had thought that God would have delivered Israel by this man What a low condition did God bring Christ unto and yet this was the greatest work that ever was done and such a ●ork as brings God the most glory of any work in the world Christ therefore become miserable for our consola●●●● 〈◊〉 the Church ever in a lower condition than Christ himself was yet Christ was raised and delivered out of them all yea this was a special end why Christ was brought into such a low estate to be a comfort and a pattern for his Churches that may come into the same condition which he was in and seeing this is held forth unto us in a cleerer way than it was to the Jews under the Law we should make more use of it than they did was Christ so low that the wrath of God was upon him for satisfact●on even to death this surely was a very low condition and now is there any hope that ever he should be raised from this yea now was Gods time to shew his power and to diclare him to be his Son God be speaks his people in all their str●its thus Did my power raise my son in such a low estate it is able also to raise you as the Apostle argues in the 1 Cor. 15. If Christ be not risen the dead are not raised c. so from thence I also infer That the Church must rise because Christ is risen if the Church does not rise Christ is not risen and if so then our preaching is in vain and your faith is to no purpose therefore raise up your sadded spirits upon thi● ground wel Christ is risen and I also shall rise with him It was wont to be the salutation of the Christians in ancientt time Christ is risen t● antient form of salutatio among christian Christus resurrexit Christ i● risen so the Saints may conclude though brought very low yet that power which raised the head will in his time raise the body and make it glorious with himself And we shall live in his sight As Israel was repenting so it was beleeving Israel also Faith an● repentan●● mu●ually act one another and as their beleeving furthered their repentance so their repentance furthered their faith they were confident that they should live in his sight When God grants mercies to his people he would have them of Obs 1 lively spirits to be quick and vigorous and of active spiri●s And this is the scope of the holy Ghost in this text however the Saints may seem as dead men when wicked men prevail over them yet when God gives rest and life they shall be lively and full of spirit God loves not to see his people of a sad fullen pensive disposition when that they have mat●er of the greatest joy in the world When God is reconciled to 〈◊〉 people his face is then towards his Obs 2 people he looks then upon them and loves them Apo● 22.4 And they shall see his face God doth nor deal with us as David did with his son 2 Sam. 14.24 And the King said Let him not see my face any more But if God be once reconciled all the frowns in his face are turned into smiles he is all lovely towards them Use 1 Now how incongruous a thing is it that when God smiles we should lowr be heavy

come in Gods Name to reprove is a great aggravation of sin and hastning of judgment Page 81 Obs 9. If publick means prevail not there is little hope of private Page 84. VERS V. Obs 1. Those in office must go on though they be striven against Page 85 Obs 2. When a threatning comes to particulars then it works ib. Obs 3 The falls of the Prophets are falls in the night Page 87 Obs 4. It is a sad judgment for people in affliction to have no Prophet amongst them ibid VERS VI. Obs 1. Ignorance is both father and mother of distruction Page 90 1. The rational creature is working in the midst of snares ib. 2. The way to eternity is in the midst of a hundred cross waies Page 91 3. Man must not go with his own light ib. 4. Our work is a most curious work ib. 5. Ignorance makes men objects of Gods hatred ib. Use 1. How vile a thing it is to deny the means of knowledg to men to satisfie the humors of others Page 92 Use 2. Hopes for England because the knowledge of God begins to shine in it ib. Obs 2. Suffering truths will hardly go down with many Ministers Page 94 Obs 3. There is a peculiar way of Gods rejecting wicked Ministers Page 95 Obs 4. Vnfaithfulness in service provokes God to cast men out of service Page 96 Obs 5. It is a great judgment to be rejected from the Priests office ibid Obs 6. It is a blessing for godly children of godly Ministers to succeed them in their office Page 97 Obs 7. The families of wicked Ministers are many times forgotten ibid VERS VII Obs 1. It is a usual thing where there is encrease of number to be encrease in sin Page 98 Obs 2. It is mens vile disposition to encrease in sin as they encrease in mercies Page 99 Obs 3. God doth love to stain the pride and haughtiness of man Page 100 Obs 4. It is usual with wicked Priests if they be countenanced by authority to glory Page 102 VERS VIII Opened Page 104 VERS IX Obs 1. Evil Ministers in a country are the causes of miseries in the country Page 112 Obs 2. If Priest and People be alike in sin God will make them alike in punishment ibid Obs 3. Look how Ministers are so usually the people are Page 114 Obs 4. God hath his daies of visitation wherein he will narrowly enquire into the waies of men Page 119 Obs 6. God will call men to an accompt for their thoughts Page 120 Obs 7. Wickedness in thought is the worst wickedness ibid Obs 8. Sin passeth away in the act with much sweetness but God will make it return in the guilt with much bitterness Page 120 Obs 9. The good works of the Saints shall return again with much comfort and peace Page 121 VERS X. Obs 1. Whatsoever a man undertakes unlawfully he can never expect to prosper Page 124 Use It is the best way to keep us to Gods Ordinances Obs 2. Idolaters seldom come in and return Page 125 Obs 3. Take heed of your not taking heed Page 126 Obs 4. The way to keep the heart and life in order and obedience is to take heed to the Lord. ibid Obs 5. All things in Gods worship should be according to Gods rule Page 127 Use Take heed of Idolatry ibid VERS XI Opened Page 128 Obs 1 It is just with God that those that will not seek to satisfie themselves in him should be given over to the sinful lusts of the flesh Page 129 Obs 2. Sensuallity is a besotting sin ibid Obs 3. Ministers when once they grow negligent usually grow sensual Page 132 VERS XII Obs 1. Bodily and spiritual whoredom usually go together Page 133 Use We are not to marvail that such as seem to be men of understanding are given to Idolatry ibid Obs 2. What poor waies Idolaters had to know the minds of their gods Page 135 Use Let us bless God that we have his word ibid Obs 3. There is an eagerness of spirit in men to things that are evil ibid Use 1. Look to your spirits when you find an eagerness in them to a thing Page 136 Use 2. Labor to be acted by the Spirit of God Page 137 Use 3. Pray to God that he would satisfie us not only in body and in soul but in spirit ibid Obs 4. All false worship doth put a man from the protection of God Page 138 Obs 5. So far as we are from being under Gods command so far we are from being under his protection Page 129 VERS XIII Obs 1. General accusations without particular specification will not prevail with stubborn hearts Page 140 Use Godly Ministers must not leave things in general if they would convince ibid Obs 2. What seems most specious in our eyes if it be not according to the rule may be most abominable in the eyes of God Page 141 Obs 3. Ministers ought to present to the people the foulness of those things that they think have least evil in them ib. Obs 4. When God chuseth a place he puts a stamp of holiness upon the place Page 143 Obs 5. Idolatry is brazen faced and loves to be publick Page 148 Use Labor to make the worship of God as publick ibid Obs 6. When the Ordinances of the Gospel come to be publick then it is time for Babylon to fall ibid Obs 7. Idolaters seek to rise to the height of their way in false worship ibid Use Let us labor to do so in Gods worship ibid Why they sacrificed under trees 1. Because the Heathens dedicated the trees to their gods Page 149 2. In imitation of the Patriarchs ibid 3. The shadiness of the place struck some reverence in the hearts of men ibid 4. They thought the spirits of their Worthies were there Page 150 5. They were fit places for the committing of filthiness ibid 6. They conceited God was the more honored by it ibid Obs 8. Superstition thinks it hath a great deal of reason for what it doth Page 151 Obs 9. It is the pride of mens spirits to think Gods Ordinances are too plain ibid Obs 10. God sometimes punisheth sin with sin Page 152 Obs 11. It is a great reproach for any family to have uncleanness committed in it Page 154 Use Let Governors have a care of their families ibid Obs 12. Our unfaithfulness with God is made more sensible when those that dwell neer us are unfaithful to us ibid Instances 1. When our children are stubborn Page 155 2. Ill wives ibid 3. Friends unfaithful Page 156 VERS XIV Opened Page 157 Obs 1. It is one of the most fearful judgments in all the world for the Lord not to restrain men from sinning Page 158 Obs 2. When parents are filthy and unclean what can be expected but their children should be so too Page 161 Use Take heed how you sin before your children ibid Obs 3. Those that are filthy and unclean will sometimes make shew of Religion Page 162

they did fall on the right hand or on the left before or behind so they did divine their good luck or their ill luck as they call'd it A third way was this they used to peel off the bark of some part of a stick and then cast it up and divined according to which part of the pith either black or white appeared first A fourth was which we find in the Roman antiquities that their Augures or South-sayers used to sit upon the top of a Tower or Castle and the air being very cleer and fair without any clouds having a crooked staff in their hand which the Latines c●ll Li●uus there they quartered out the regions of Heaven so much as was for their purpose when they had quarter'd them out they did reach forth this staff having first offered sacrifices and prayers to their gods upon the head of a person or a thing they would divine for and so they came to have good or ill luck to be shewed according to what at that time they observed in the Heavens the birds flying c. when that staff was upon the head of the party This the Romans did and it is like they had it somewhat from the Jews they did ask counsel of their staff By all this we may see what poor waies Idolaters have had to know the mind of their gods Obs When men forsake the right way of knowledg of Gods mind what poor waies do they go to know the mind of God Use Oh by this how should our hearts be raised up to bless God that we have such a way to know his mind that we have his Word that we have his Son that come out of his bosom to declare the eternal counsel of his father unto us These are the poor waies that Idolaters have to know the mind of their gods Now follows the ground of all For the spirit of whoredomes hath caused them to e● and they have gone a whoring from under their God For the spirit of whoredoms Some would have it thus that look as there are particular sins so there are particular Devils to attend upon them As there is a devil especially to attend upon Idolatry another to attend upon whoredom another upon drunkenness another upon envy another upon pride another upon passion and the like and so the spirit of whordom that is say they that devil that especially attended upon this sin caused them to er But I think this not to be the scope but this rather the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to er the spirit that is that impetus of spirit that was in them there is an impetus an ardency a vigour an activity of their spirits to such a kind of sinful way it is that which hath carried them on and caused them to er The Scripture oft speaks of several sorts of spirits as sometimes the spirit of perversness Esa 19.14 it is translated in your books a perverse spirit but the words are Spiritus perversitatum a spirit of perversness there is an impetus of spirit that hath caused Egypt to er in every work thereof So the spirit of uncleanness Zech. 13.2 it is translated in your books the unclean spirit but it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit of defilements or uncleanness so the spirits of lying 1 King 22.22 the spirit of error 1 John 4.6 He that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error that is there is an Impetus a strength of spirit that carries men on unto such an erronious way Use And the consideration of that will be of mervailous use unto us Let us look to our spirits my brethren strong inclinations of spirit and consider what spirit we are of especially when we are carried with an Impetus of spirit to a thing that is when we find an eagerness of spirit that way to such a thing we would fain have let us then take heed to our selves when you find I lay your spirits very eagerly and strongly set upon such a thing examine then what spirit you are of that it be not a spirit of lust of envy of malice as sometimes there is in mens hearts when they are carried with a more than ordinary strength after such a way There is many people when they find themselves carried on with such an impetus and ardency and fervency they cannot endure that any body should cross them in it no but they must have it As they in Samuel that would have a King when they heard all the reasons that could be to perswade them against it they would not answer one reason but held to their conclusion No but we will have a King say they So a man that hath a spirit of such an evil A spirit of envie a spirit of error a spirit of Antichrist in him a spirit of domineering in him a spirit of crueltie a spirit of bitterness in him first he will rush upon such a thing without examining of it and further if there come any thing against it any truth he slights it presently and casts it off and thinks there is nothing in it why because he hath a spirit that carries him that way and if the truth come more strongly that he is convinced by it yet he hath a spirit that carries him on and though he meet with many difficulties in the way he will break through them all Oh it is a dangerous thing when men have a spirit of errour or a spirit of bitterness You shall find some men that have much remaining of Antichristanisme in them do but speak to them of any thing that concerns an Ordinance of Christ of Christs institution of the will of Christ in the word assoon as it is but mentioned you shall not hear any answer to the argument but you may perceive a spirit of bitterness a spirit of envy a spirit of frowardness and passion presently to rise in them So in other things you shall find men and some that have good things in them that if you do but discourse with them of some things that you know are according unto the mind of Christ yet they have been brought up otherwise and have drunk in other principles and they have a spirit of bitterness and anger and vexation that presently will appear in them to cast off any truth that is suggested unto them But let us labour on the other side rather to be acted by the Use 2 Spirit of God the Children of God are led by the spirit And it is true the Saints of God have a Spirit of holiness in them as wicked men have a spirit of uncleanness in them so Gods children are carried on with a spirit of holiness the love of Christ hath taken hold of their hearts and perhaps they are weak and cannot reason out the case with some subtill Sophisters but they have the spirit of Christ an Impetus of

work upon them Satan Oh let me put it on as much as I can The Devil doth so when he see us in a framable disposition to sin he setteth tempters on work to improve it and we know it was the way of Idolaters Idolaters when they saw England in a framable disposition to Idolatry what abundance were sent amongst us to improve it Oh the mercy of God toward England that when we were framing our doings to return to Idolatry the Lord cometh and putteth the frame of England more from thence than before it was Oh let not us lose this framableness though it is not so much as we desire yet let not us lose what it is England would be in a lamentable condition if it should lose what it hath got from God already Yet further They will not frame their doings The Note from hence is That Obser Apostates seldom have any inclination to turn unto God No meltings of spirit no yeildings but their hearts are hardned and they depart further and further from God for so he speaks of Israel as an apostatizing people I dare almost challenge you all when did you ever know a notorious Apostate turn unto God very rarely I will not say it is impossible but especially for Apostates that are men of parts and have gone far from God if they have but proceeded so far as to turn to be persecutors of the truth or contemners of it as these Israelites here were when did you ever know any of them to turn unto God They will not frame their doings To turn unto their God Their God 1. By profession 2. Their God who hath shewed much mercy to them and hath done them much good 3. Their God who is yet willing to be their God They will not return unto Him This is the aggravation of their sin that they will not turn to such a God What not turn unto Him whom they profess to be theirs whom they flatter with their mouthes and they say that all their good and happiness is in Him Not to Him that hath done so much good as He hath done to them all their daies Not to Him who is yet willing to be reconciled unto them O this is a sore and bitter evil indeed that they will not turn unto this God But yet there is a furth●r thing observable here Their God that is this That True repentance it is not only to leave evil and to do good Observ True repentance to turn to as our God but to turn unto God as our God To turn unto God as a God in covenant with us as a God in whom is our portion and happiness as a God willing to be reconciled Here indeed is the very formality of repentance A man may by the terors of the Law turn from the practice of a sin not to live wickedly so as he hath don heretofore he may by the strength of natural conscience and self ends set upon good duties but here is no true repentance True repentance is this When we look upon God as a God tendring Himself unto us in the way of a covenant in Christ and so we turn unto Him In Jer. 3.22 Jer. 3.22 explained Return ye back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will heal your back-sliding Now mark the answer of true penitents Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Here is true repentance When God shall call upon a sinner O wretched vile sinner return O return unto the Lord for He is willing to be your God in an everlasting covenant He manifesteth His grace toward you in His Son and offereth mercy there yea He is willing to heal all your backslidings He is willing to be your portion He i● willing to be the happiness of your souls When a sinner shall answer unto this cal of God B●hold we come unto Thee for Thou art the Lord our God True indeed we have sought after vanity but here is not our happiness and our portion Our good our happiness is in Thee We come unto Thee the Lord our God It follows For the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of her Here is the reason why they turn not unto the Lord The spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of her Expos 1 First That evil unclean spirit that did possess them So I find divers do take the words And then the Note is That Obser The danger of forsaking the truth It is Gods just judgement to give men over to the Devil to be blinded and hard●ed when they s●all forsake Him and His Truth Do not excuse thy sin by saying it is the Devil that tempts thee for this may prove to be the agravation of thy sin that by the just judgment of God thou art now given up to be under the power of the Devil and to be acted by him As in Eph. 2.2 the scripture speaks of the miserable estate that men are in by nature Dead in sin the children of wrath and amongst other aggravations of their misery this is not the least they walk according to the spirit that now work●th in the children of disobedience The word translated working there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the greatest activity that can be the spirit that is the unclean spirit Satans temptation may be an aggravation of our sin the prince of the power of the air that now worketh in those children of disobedience This is an aggravation of their misery and not any excuse unto them for their sin Thou hast rejected the good Spirit the holy Spirit of God and now the spirit of whoredome an unclean vile spirit hath possest thee Expos 2 But rather thus The spirit of whoredoms A violent inclination of spirit unto uncleanness to spiritual and bodily uncleanness that they have got by custom We have had this phrase before in Chap. 4.11 The spirit of fornication that impetus of spirit that violent inclination of spirit So then saith the Prophet they will not turn unto the Lord for there is a violent inclination of spirit an impetus with which they are carried on in the waies of wickedness but there is little hope of turning them unto God The spirit of whoredoms that is that efficacy that there is in that wicked disposition of their hearts that carries them on so violently In 2 Thes 2.11 2 Thess 2.11 the Scripture saith that because men love not the truth the Lord gives them up unto the efficacy of error God saith he for this cause shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeve a lye so it is in your translations but the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie the greatest active efficacy of errours to carry on with the greatest strength unto error that possibly may be We find sometimes men that are carried on to erronious opinions and come to speak with them about them and you shall perceive such an impetus of spirit such an efficacy of the error

like those in Christs time who put him to a stand they were so difficult and cross that neither John nor Christ himself could please when John came they cryed out of him that he was ridged and harsh and when Christ came he was mild and gentle and of him they said he was a winebibber and a friend of publicans and sinners John had that which Christ had not and Christ had that which John had not and yet neither of them could please these But it may be objected God knew not what to do Object how is that he could have put forth his almighty power and turned their hearts and that presently how then is it said God knew not what to do To this I answer that God was not bound to do this Answ for God had used all means to prevail with Ephraim and Judah which the most loving and compassionate friend could have done Suppose a man were in such a condition that for his cure there were all the Doctors of Physick in the Country where he lived gathered together and these should consult advise and p●●pound things for his recovery and nothing do it you would wonder what the matter should be would not all this aggravate and set forth the danger of the disease and the difficulty of the cure All this is in God and much more and it is put forth for the good of souls I have put forth more power wisdom love and mercy than man can do now shall this be an aggravation in respect of the creature and not of the Creator all means to do you good have been put forth excepting my almighty power and yet the work is not done Obs 5 The condition of that people is very sad when no means can do them good then that fearful judgment may be pronounced upon them Jer. 6.30 Reprobate silver shall men call them because the Lord hath rejected them Ezek. 24.13 Because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged any more until I have caused my fury to rest upon thee Obs 6 It is a thing that goes very neer the heart of God to see those that are nigh unto him to be perverse in their waies What for Judah to forsake me It is sad to find crosses and untowardness in Ephraim but to meet with them in Judah where my Ordinances are in a special manner and they so neer unto mee and I so tender of them 't is much to behold of what knotty crabid spirits Gods own people are A piece of wood may be sound yet full of knots and very tough What goes neerer a man than to find crossness in his wife his children or friend 't is not so much from a stranger as from one in relation Even so God takes the unkindness of his people to heart more than the wickednesses of the ungodly Obs 7 It is not enough to worship God better than others if we be of perverse spirits This was the sin of Judah because they had the Ordinances in a purer way and worshiped God better than Ephraim Applicat for Engl. they thought they might continue in this their sin Oh that this were not Englands sin at this day Let us be humbled for it that we may escape their judgment For your goodness is as a morning cloud and as the early dew it goeth away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benegnit●s miscricordia Also Sanctitas pictas vestrum vel est ri Vide Kimchi of kercher Your goodness That is your kindness or your mercy as the word signifies in the Original it is chesed the same word which we have in the sixt verse your mercy I will have mercy that is your piety and godliness in the strickt signification of it but mercy in the large sense The Seventy Translators render the words your mercy your goodness but why your goodness yours because either of Gods goodness towards them or their goodness their holiness which was in them Gods goodness towards them which is called ours somtimes Gods goodness as in Rom. 11.31 That through your mercy they might obtain mercy by that mercy which God bestowed on you you may encourage the gentile to come in 2. Their goodness which is double either to their brethren or their piety holiness both these were as the morning cloud or as the early dew that goeth away If the first signification of them be taken then the sense runs thus Gods goodness to them was as the morning cloud that is They by Expos 2 their sin had drove away Gods mercy and goodness from them even as the wind carries the dust before it God was in the way of mercie to them in appearances and they by their sins put them all away from them Bernard Bernard saith that the wind of their unthankfulness did drive away the flouds of mercy from them much more the dews of mercy Now God forbid that this should be our condition the clouds of mercy are over us and the dews of mercy are upon us now should we by our sins drive these away from us what a woful case should we be in Therefore let us not only pray to have the dews of mercy but also the clouds to shower down rivers of mercy Though I do not think this to be the principal scope and sense of the words ye it may be noted and afford us useful Expos 3 meditation but the proper meaning of the words seems to signifie their own goodnesse which may betaken 1. more strictly for mercy and compassion towards one another because in the sixt verse God calls upon them so earnestly for mercy notwithstanding all their shews and promises of reformation it was but in hypocrisie like those in Jer. 34.15 16. of whom God saith That they were turned and had done right in his sight in proclaiming liberty to their servants but they had polluted his Name again by causing those servants formerly set at liberty to return and bringing them into subjection so that people which are for a time pitiful and very merciful afterwards grow cruel and hardhearted Let us take heed of such a disposition which is so great an evil App●i● we when together sometimes can joyn in love and unity pittying each other and bearing with each others infirmities bearing Christian admonition patiently but these good words and fair shows are vanished come to nothing where are those refreshing showers of love friendship which you were wont to water each other withal in your Christian societies In the room of these there now grows nothing but the lusts of pride passions and sad dissentions among us which parch and dry up all these good seeds of love and gentlenesse I desire to presse this the more because the Scripture is pleased to make use of this expression of the dew to set out the sweetness of a Christian spirit Psal 133.3 Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwel together in unity How

pleasant is it It is like the dew of Hermon and like the dew that descended upon the mountain of Zion as that refreshed the grasse so is this affection of mercy and love in the Saints He compares it not to a dew that dried up presently but to a dew which descended down and there the Lord commanded his blessing Psa 133. expound Church-fellowship even life for evermore There Where Even in the communion of his Saints This is spoken particularly of Church fellowship Oh then take heed that your mercy and bounty in releeving your brethren and persecuted Saints be not as the dew that passeth away the Lord hath not made his mercie no not his mercy in dewing the earth as a morning cloud that vanisheth away and comes to nothing Oh let not our mercy and love be only in shows and proffers withot any truth and reality our mercies should come like showers upon those who have been parched with the burning rage nnd malice of the adversary help those that suffer for a good cause Now the Lord expects more from us in this duty than at other times we must not only pity them and give them good words saying Alas my Brother and alas my Sister and no more I would I could help you the Lord pity you and help you you must not only do thus but in actions and reality you must releeve them with your money and provisions Is it not with too to many of us as it was with those in James 2.15 who say to a brother Depart in peace be ye warmed and filled but give them not wherewith to do it what good doth this passing cloud do them it is but an overture but perhaps you will say that you have not been as an overture a cloud passing away you have bedewed the Saints in their need you have given something but perhaps t is but a poor pittance and that out of your abundance know that this is not sufficient it must be a constant dew and proceed on in degrees of mercy we should rejoyce that God gives us an opportunity to shew our love and mercy and not think much at it doing that you do forcedly or repiningly therefore let not our mercy be as the dew that passeth away Thus much of the words in this signification of mercie Now if we take the words in a large sense as in Scripture they are often taken and in this place also for their goodness and piety and in this sense there is much of the mind of God in the words they are so full of marrow and sweetness as can be desired Now in that God should express godliness and piety by such a word as mercy Note from thence The necessity of this grace of love and brotherly kindness in regard Obs 1 godliness it self receives its name from them though by nature men are passionate and rugged grace will mollifie them of covetous men it will change them to liberal and make them free-hearted for grace is part of the Divine Nature Nothing is so communicative as God the highest good The more excellent the nature the more cōmunicative and according to the height of any creature is the communicativeness of it as the Sun being sublime and excellent is most communicative so a gracious man hath he parts they are not for himself but for the Church hath he an estate he distributes and communicates of it to the Saints and according as grace ariseth in the soul wil communicativeness arise a true Christian is not close handed If grace hath its denomination from hence Then surely this Obs 2 grace of mercy is most excellent because the whol frame of the new man is set out by it and by this it is expressed When we use to set out the whol of any thing by a part we do not express it by an inferior part but in some thing which is eminent in it as by prayer many times is expressed the whol worship of God as be that cals upon the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved Rom. 10. Expos 1 As the morning cloud and as the early dew In these words God charges this people for three things in which their notorious hypocrisie was expressed Clouds and dew passing what they imploy For their vacuity and emptiness their words were empty sounds they were clouds without water as Jude expresses it Jude 12. 't is the high commendation of Christians to be full of God of Christ and ful of grace and knowledg of which Ephraim had a shew but it was but a shew Expos 2 For their falfness and desembling they had a heart and a heart towards God they dealt treacherously with God they were all in shows but in the bottom nothing but vanity Expos 3 For their unconstancy and sickleness As rain in the clouds shews much but is by the wind presently blown over the clouds now are all black and lowring but in a short time are blown over and there is a perfect cleer sky even thus it was in their goodness though they made glorious shows in their reformation yet were they all empty false and unconstant Thus it was in the general in the reformation of the Land when things were reformed in the Kingdom it was but by halves and in their particular turnings it was but as the morning cloud many times there was great appearences of reformation but they were like the early dew which presently goeth away The ten Tribes and Judah did make such beginnings in reformation and setting up the worship of God that if God were truly worshiped by any people in the world it would be by these that they would set God up high in their thoughts high in their practices and this was very burdensom to the Spirit of God therefore he saith What shall I do unto thee Ob Ephraim What shall I do unto thee Oh Judah We find glorious shows of reformation to come to nothing as appears in these many examples 2 King 1 9. and the 10. chapters Jehu made great shows when Joram asked him Is it peace Jehu he answered him What peace so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many And in the 10. chapter what a slaughter doth he make upon the Priests of Baal Well what came of this reade but on in the chapter verses 29. and 31. it is said That Jehu departed not from the sins of Jeroboam who made Israel to sin What a cloud of hopes was there in Ahahs time 1 Kings 18.39 all the people cryed The Lord is God the Lord he is the God upon the miracle which was wrought by Elijahs prayer when the fire came down and consumed the sacrifice but this all vanished in the people and for Ahab himself the text saith he did abominably in following of Idols so that there was none like unto him who sould himself to work wickedness 1 Kings 21.26 27. When the Prophet comes to him