world and all Nations set by God are as a drop of a bucker or dust of a ballance they can no more stand before him then a glasse-bottle can before a cannon-shot 1 Cor. 8.4 Isai 40.15 It was bootlesse therefore for this adulteresse to hope for help from her lovers when God once took her in hand He would give her her due Ipsis spectantibus stantibus instar stipitum whiles they look on and stood like so many stocks not daring to stir for her rescue and relief See for this Rev. 18.10 with the Note Verse 11. I will also cause her mirth to cease Idolaters are frollick and jovial the greatest mirth-mongers the merry Greeks of the world set altogether upon the merry pin Job 21.13 they spend their dayes in pleasure and suddenly turn into hell Thus it was with these old idolaters See Amos 6.4 And thus it is with the Papists at this day They have a Proverb amongst them Spiritus Calvinianus est spiritus melancholicus A Calvinisticall spirit is a melancholy spirit Turn Protestant once and you must for ever bid adieu to mirth and jollity and lead a Monkish melancholy life In their supplication to King Iames for a Toleration they used this as an argument for their Religion above ours because more suitable and pleasing to mans nature Revel 13. It is indeed an alluring tempting bewitching religion Sir Walter Rawleigh knew what he said That were he to chuse a Religion for licentious liberty lasciviousnesse and merry-living he would be a Papist Hence the whole world is said to wonder after the Beast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quâ—d omnium animalium amicus sit Isidor which is said to be like unto a Leopard or Panther Now the Panther is admired and followed by most other beasts of the field and thence hath his name either for the beauty of his hide or for the sweetnesse of his smell So is the Pope for those sensual delights and swinish pleasures he alloweth his followers Lupanar utriusque Veneris Roma condidiâ— saith Agrippa concerning Pope Sixtus Quintus But what should I rake in that dunghill Such sinfull mirth as it is base born so it is of short continuance God will make it to cease and to go soon out in a vexing snuffe For why There is a snare or cord in the sinne of the wicked sc to strangle their joy with but the righteous sing and are merry Prov. 29.6 yea they are merry or right set in their mindes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Sept. here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostles word signifies Iames 5.13 and therefore they sing yea and shall sing for joy of heart when wicked men shall crie for sorrow of heart yea howle again for vexation of spirit Esay 65.14 Mean-while their mirth is but the hypocrisie of mirth It may wet the mouth but not warm the heart smooth the brow but not fill the breast It is like a little counterfeit complexion As they repent only in the face Mat. 6.16 so they rejoyce only in the face 2 Cor. 1.5.12 Indeed they revel rather then rejoyce the end of that mirth is heaviness Pro. 14.13 as lightening is attended with thunder as comets end in a pestilent vapour Let the Lord but turn his hand take away his corn c. destroy vine and fig-trees c. and this carnal mirth is at an end their light is put out in obscure darknesse they lye down in sorrow and are all Amort they are filled with unmedicinable perplexities and are ready to run mad Deut. 28.34 Whereas a godly man as he hath a constant spring of comfort within him and can be merry without musick so he can stand under the greatest weight of affliction without buckling as Paul he can be medjis tranquillus in undis as Noah he can confidently say wth Habakkuk Although the figtree shall not blossom neither shall fruit be in the Vines c. Yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation Chap. 3.17 Her feast-dayes her new-moones Not the matter of their joy onely shall be abolished but the times too She shall neither have holy-dayes nor good dayes as they are called Esth 8.17 to keep and celebrate Here then the Lord shewes how he will uncover this harlots nakednesse Viz First he will strip her of her spirituals and next of her temporals Verse 12. Her feast-dayes new-moons sabbaths and solemn-feasts were but apish imitations of those commanded by God whose ape Satan will needs be Habent vespae favos simiae imitantur homines Waspes also have honey-combs as well as Bees and apes will be doing at mens actions Satans synagogue may seem a true Church The ten revolted Tribes kept also diverse solemne dayes partly commanded by the Law as new-moons and sabbaths and partly instituted by Ieroboam in honour of their idols as now among the Papists in pretended honour of the Saints with feasting dancing ringing roaring of organs c. These solemnities therefore the Lord here first utterly disowneth calling them her feast-dayes her sabbaths c. and none of his because they did lacte gypsum miscere mingle lime with milk as Irenaeus saith of Plato Non mea tua funt as Martial saith of his Epigrams ill read by another And secondly that he will take them away sc by carrying themselves away captive See Chap. 9.4 5. and so pull off their vizour wash off their varnish of rites and ceremonies and lay them open to all in their own colours Verse 12. And I will destroy her vines and her fig-trees Not her wine and her figs onely i. e. her delicious drinks and sweet-meats even all her plenty sed vineta ipsa ficeta as Rivet observeth which shews a great deal of anger for fruit-trees were not to be destroyed in an enemies countrey like as he discovered a great deal of fear of the Spanish Inquisitours Heyl. Geog. 52 c. that brought one of them his pears which he had sent for tree and all by the roots It is wisdome to meet God by repentance lest he stub up root and branch together lest he overturn overturn overturn so as it shall be no more Ezek. 21.27 lest he crie Cut it down Luke 13.7 why cumbreth it the ground sith it is not for fruit let it be for the fire whereof she hath said These are my rewards The wages of my wickednesse the hire of my Harlotry Deut. 23.18 Ezek. 16.34 pretium mâ—ritorium Adultery is costly Whores must have their rewards they lie in wait for a prey Prov. 23.20 and will soon bring a rich man to beggery Prov. 6.26 Solomon himself was so exhausted by such shee sinners so they call them Cruces et crumenio ulgas suck purses the Poet calleth them that he was forced to oppresse his Subjects to supâ—ly his coffers which occasioned the losse of ten Tribes Harlots know no other language but that of the
so when he dies he can call his soul to rest and sing old Simeons Nunc dimittas Lord now let thy servant depart in peace c. for the mouth of the Lord of hosts And what better assurance can we desire sith God can neither die lie nor denie himself Sith secondly he is the Lord of Hosts and so armed with power to make good what he hath spoken Peter had a will to deliver Christ from the Jews but wanted power Pilate had power to have done it but wanted will God wanteth neither of these to do for his people and to deliver them out of danger Courage therefore Verse 5. For all people will walk every one in the name of his god They will do so they are resolved not to alter their religion as Tully said Me ex ea opinione quam à majoribus accepi de cultu deorum nullius unquam movebit oratio I will never be disswaded by any one from that way of divine worship which I have received from my forefathers How wilfull at this day are Jews Papists Pagans Heretikes And how much easier a matter do we finde it to deal with twenty mens reasons then with one mans will A wilfull man stands as a stake in the middest of a stream le ts all passe by him but hee stands where he was Nay but wee will have a king say they when they had nothing else to say Nay but I will curse howsoever though against my conscience said Balaam and do not the Popish Balaamites as much as this many of them As for the Vulgar sort of them they are headlong and headstrong resolved to retaine contra gentes the senselesse superstitions transmitted unto them by their Progenitours But what saith the Oracle Rev. 14.7 Feare God and give glory to him for the houre of his judgement is come and what ever your ancestours did worship you him that made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountaines of waters and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God This was well resolved and is as well practised by all Christs faithfull people who dare not follow a multitude to do evill Exod. 23.2 dare not walk by their fathers practise Iosh 24.2 14 15. for they consider that no commandement doth so expresly threaten Gods judgements upon posterity as the second They therefore resolve to walk in the name that is by the lawes and under the view of the Lord their God who is God of Gods and Lord of Lords a great God a mighty and a terrible as Moses describeth him in opposition to all other deities whether so reputed or deputed Deut. 10.17 for ever and ever We will not only take a turn or two in his wayes as temporaries who are hot at hand but soon tire and give in but we will hold on a constant course of holinesse and not faile to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Psal 1.2 Ioh. 8.12 and 10.4.14 Rev. 7.17 As for those Apostates that change their God that change their glory for that which doth not profit as they therein commit an horrible wickednesse such as the heavens have cause to be astonished at Ier. 2.11 12 13. so they could not chuse out for themselves a worse condition Heb. 10.37 38. for why they put the son of God to an open shame chap. 6.6 like as those that are carted amongst us are held out as a scorn and do in effect say that they have not found him such as they took him for Verse 6. In that day sc of grace and of the Gospel It is called a day and that day by an excellency in regard of Revelation Adornation Consolation Distinction speedy Preterition saith the Lord Whose word cannot be broken Ioh. 10.35 and is therefore the best security 2 Cor. 1.20 will I assemble her that halteth Heb. that goeth sideling that is maimed disioynted lamed Esa 35.3 torn Psal 35.15 and tired out with long journeys into captivity as the Jewes were by the Babylonians Greeks and Romanes before Christs comming that they might breath after those dayes of refreshing from the presence of the Lord Mal. 3.1 and I will gather her that is driven out Or rejected thrust away with a force that is the Gentles suffered to walk in their own wayes Act. 14.16 and carried away unto dumb idols even as they were led 1 Cor. 12.2 and her that I have afflicted Both Jewes and Gentiles the whole community of people for God shooke all nations then when the desire of all nations Christ Heb. 12.25 was to come Hag. 2.7 See verses 22 23. Junius after the Septuagint rendrâ—th it ut veniant desiderati omnium gentium that the Saints those desirable ones out of all nations may come for unto Shiloh in a most afflicted time when the scepter was departed from Judah c. was the gathering of all people to be Gen. 49.10 Esa 26.8 9. See Esay 66.20 rather in litters as lame people are carried should they come then not at all rather on one leg with Jacob should they wrestle then not prevaile Verse 7. And I will make her that halted a remnant Yea a renowned remnant Zeph. 3.19 Not many Jewes were converted in comparison of the Gentiles hence they are called a remnant They both killed the Lord Iesus and their own Prophets they have also persecuted us saith the Apostle or cast us out as by an Ostracisme and they please not God and are contrary to all men 1 Thess 2.15 16. forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles c. Thus the generality of them then and so to this day they continue crosse and cursing Christ and his followers thrice a day in their synagogues Hieron in Esai l. 12. c. 49. l 14. c. 42. Buxtorf Synag Howbeit at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace Rom. 11.5 and that remnant became the seminary of the Christian Church and her that was cast far off a strong nation Numerous and valorous Vide fidem passionem martyrum de gente robusta non ambiges saith Hierome here Consider the faith and patience of the Martyrs and you will easily yeeld them to be a strong nation indeed Christians have shewed as glorious power in the faith of Martyrdome as in the faith of miracles They can do that which others cannot turn their hands to they can suffer wrongs best of any Compell them to go a mile they 'le be content to go two yea as far as the shooes of the preparation of the Gospel of peace will carry them There is nothing that they date not undertake and undergo for the glory of their God Thi courage in Christians Heathens counted obstinacy Tertull. in Apologet. but they knew not the power of the spirit nor the privy armour of proof that the Saints have about their heart which maketh them insuperable more then Conquerours and the Lord shall raigne over them in mount Zion i. e. In the Christian
But they do better that expound it by that of Solomon Keep thy heart with all diligence Prov. 4.23 and by that of the Apostle Mortific therefore your members which are upon earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evil concupiscence c. Col. 3.5 These are those that defile the man Mat. 15.19 20. These make his heart a filthy dunghill of all abominable lusts and his life a long chain of sinfull actions a very continued web of wickednesse therefore take head to your spirits that is to your affections keep those pure and chaste abstain from fleshly lusts that fight against the soul Take heed where you set gunpowder sith fire is in your heart Austin thanks God that the heart and temptation did not meet together Look well to the affections for by those maids Satan woes the mistresse Look to the cinque-ports the five senses shut those windows that death enter not in thereby Take heed to thy fancy we allow an horse to praunce and skip in a pasture which if he doth when backt by the rider we count him an unruly and unbroken jade So howsoever in other creatures we deny them not liberty of fancy yet wee may not allow it in our selves to frisk and rove at pleasure but by reason bridle them and set them their bounds that they shall not passe The Lord quieteth the sea and turns the storme into a calme Psal 107.29 If then the voluptuous humours in our body which is but as a cup made of the husk of an acorne in respect of the Sea will not be pacified when the Lord saith unto them Be still every drop of water in the sea will witnesse of our rebellion and disobedience and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth He had convinced them of this sinne before verse 14. Now he admonisheth them to abrenounce and abandon it Lo this is the true method and manner of proceeding in administring admonitions The judgement must be convinced ere the affections can be wrought to any thing like as in the law the lamps were first lighted before the incense was burned First know thine iniquity and then turn from it Jer. 3.13 14. Exhortation is the end of doctrine science of conscience reformation of information conversion of conviction and wo be to those that being convinced or reproved for their faults get the bit between the teeth as it were and run away with their rider When I would have healed Ephraim then his iniquity brake out as if it were to crosse me like the leprosie in his forehead Hos 7.1 what can such sturdy rebels expect better then that God should resolve as Ezek. 24.13 as if he should say Thou shalt have thy will but then I will have mine too I shall take another course with thee sith thou refusest to be reformed hatest to be healed thou shalt pine away in thine iniquities Levit. 26.39 O fearfull Verse 16. For the Lord the God of Israel saith that he hateth putting away Heb. Put away q. d. God hates that Put her away Put her away that is so much in your mouthes For because you are justly reproved for Polygamy for keeping two wives you think to mend that fault by putting away your old ones and plead you may do it by a law licensing divorces But the Lord would ye should know that he hates such your practises and the rather because you maliciously abuse his law as a cloke of your wickednesse Divorce is a thing that Gods soul hateth unlesse it bee in case of adultery which breaks the marriage knot and malicious perpetuall desertion This last was the case of that noble Italian convert 1 Cor. 7.15 Galeacius Caracciolus Marquesse of Vico as is to be seen in his life written by my much honoured brother Mr. Samâ—el Clark in the second part of his Marrow of Ecclesiasticall history pag. 101. who by the consent of Mr. Calvin Peter Martyr and other learned Divines who met and seriously debated the case sued out a divorce against his former wife who had first maliciously deserted him and had it legally by the Magistrate at Geneva granted unto him after which he married another Anno 1560. The Civill Law of the Empire permitted divorce for diverse other causes And these Jews for every light cause if but a blemish in the body or crookednesse of manners pretending to hate their wives would write them a Bill of divorce and turn them off Our Saviour deals against this matth 5. and 18. See the Notes there This sinne was also rife among both the Athenians who were wont to put away their wives upon discontent Archcol Attic. 140. or hope of greater portions c. and the Romans whose Abscessionale or Writ of divorce was this onely Res tuas tibi habeto Take what is thine and be gone It is ordinary also among the Mahometans But the Lord God of Israel saith here that he hateth it and it appeareth so by his practise to his Spouse the Church See Jer. 3.1 Joh. 13.1 and then say that Gods mercy is matehlesse and that he takes not advantages against his revolting people but follows them with his favour no otherwise then as when a man goes from the Sun yet the Sun-beams follow him shine upon him warm him c. Zanchy and some others reads the text thus If thou hatest her put her away in that discourse of divorces which he wrote upon occasion of Andreas Pixzardus his divorce as indeed agreeing best with the matter he undertook to defend But in another book of his he utterly disliketh the doings of Luther and some other Dutch Divines who advised Philip Lantgrave of Hesse to marry alteram hoc est Zanch. Misc Epist dedit adulieram his former lawfull wife being yet alive Archbishop Grindall by cunning practises of his adversaries Leicester and others lost Queen Elizabeths favour Camb. Elizab. Arslibishop Abbots also died in disgrace for opposing Semmersets abhorred match with the Countesse of Essex Figuier as if he favoured Prophecyings c. but in truth because he had condemned an unlawfull marriage of Julio an Italian Physician with another mans wife whilest Leicester in vain opposed against his proceedings therein for one covereth violence with his garment This Text had been easie had not Commentatours the Hebrew Doctours especially made it knotty Rabbi David in opening of it obscurior videtur quam ipsa verba quae explicare conatur seems to be more obscure then the words themselves which he undertaketh to open saith Figueir who also reciteth the expositions of severall Rabbines Concerning which I may say as One did once when being asked by another whether he should read such a Comment upon Aristotle answered Yes when Aristotle is understood then read the Comment The plain sence is this These wicked Jews pretended the Law of God as a cloke and cover of their sinne that it might be no sinne to them And though the Lord had protested to hate their divorces
several Kings reigns as did likewise Athanasius and Latimer Jeroboams especially the second of that name and here only named when six other Kings of Israel in whose time Hosea prophesied are not once mentioned but lie wrapt up in the sheet of shame because wicked idolaters such as God took no delight in and hath therefore written them in the earth And in the dayes of Jeroboam the son of Joash Not the son of Nebat that ringleader of the ten Tribes revolt from the house of Dauid but another little better and yet very prosperous and victorious 2 King 14.25 28. He reigned also fourty one years and did great exploits yet is Hosea sent to contest with him to declaim against his sin and wickednesse and to proclaim heavy judgements against him and his people This the Prophet did for a long while together with all fidelity and fortitude when the King was triumphing over his enemies and the people were not only drunk but even mad again by reason of their extraordinary prosperity as Calvin expresseth it Non tantum temulenti erant sed etiam prorsus insani Calvin Now that so young a Prophet should so sharply contend with so fierce a people in the ruffe of their pride and jollity that he should so rouse and repple up these drunkards of Ephraim with their crown of pride Esay 28.1 this shews him to have been of an heroical spirit Jonah his contemporary flinched when sent against Nineveh Micah the Morasthite another of Hosea's contemporaries prophesied in the dayes of Hezekiah King of Judah and spake to all the people of Judah saying Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Zion shall be ploughed like a field and Jerusalem shall become heaps and the mountain of the house the high places of a forest Yet did not Hezekiah King of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death c. Jer. 26.18 19. He and Hosea though they prevailed little with the people they preached to yet they were better dealt with then the Prophet Esay their contemporary too of whom Hierom tels us out of the Rabbines that he was sawn asunder because he said he had seen the Lord and secondly because he called the great ones of Judah Hieron in Isa 1. Princes of Sodom and rulers of Gomorrah Isaiah 1.10 Verse 2. The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea Heb. In Hosea to note that the Lord was both in his mind and mouth in his spirit and speech God spake in him before he spake out to the people His prophesie must therefore needs be divine and deep That 's the best discourse that 's digged out of a mans own breast that comes a corde ad cor from the heart to the heart And blessed are the pleople saith one that have such Ministers that shall speak nothing to them but what hath been first spoken by God in them saying with David and Paul We believe therefore have we spoken we also believe 2 Cor. 4.13 and therefore speak we have experimented what we deliver we believe and are sure that God is in us of a truth and that we preach cum gratia privilegio The beginning Hence some gather that Hosea was the first Prophet Hoseas videtur tempore majestate aliis prior saith O Ecolampadius Certain it is he began before Esay because he prophesied in the dayes of Jeroboam who was before Vzziah whether before Amos or no is not so certain Di praep Evang l. 20 â—ulut Eusebius tels us there was no Greek History extant before Hosea's time Well therefore might that ancient priest of Egypt say to Solon You Grecians are all boyes and babies in matters of Antiquity neither is there one old man amongst you Samuel is counted the first Prophet Acts 3.24 Plato in Timâ—o but Hosea was the first of those that lived in these Kings dayes and likely held out longest see the Note on Verse 1. as did father Latimer preaching twice every sabbath day Act. Mon. though of a very great age and rising to his study winter and summer at two of the clock in the morning Others read the words thus At the beginning when the Lord spake by Hosea he said to Hosea himself Go take unto thee c. An uncouth precept and a rough beginning for a young preacher whose youth might be despised and whose sharpnesse might be disgusted But truth must be spoken however it be taken and a preacher should take the same liberty to cry down sin that men take to commit sin Esay 58.1 Hierom was called fulmen Ecclesiasticum the Church thunderbolt And our Mr Perkins applied the word so close to the consciences of his hearers that he was able to make their hearts fall down Mr Fullers Holy State and their hairs almost to stand upright But in old age he was more milde and delighted much to preach mercy as did also our Prophet Hosea whose prophesie is comminatory in the fore-part consolatory in the latter part And the Lord said to Hosea This is now the third time inculcated for more authority sake which the people so rubb'd and menaced would be apt enough to question He therefore shews them his commission and that he hath good ground for what he saith that they may have no cause to cavil Melch. Ad. but reply as that good Dutch Divine did if God would give them a heart so to do Veniat veniat verbum Domini submittemus ei sexcenta si nobis essent colla Let the word of the Lord come yea let it come and we will submit there unto though we had six hundred lives to lose for so doing Go take unto thee a wife of whoredoms An arrant whore a stinking strumpet Calvin scortum obsoletum a known and trite harlot such as were Thais Lais Phryne c. yea and such a one as after marriage with a former husband at least went astray after other sweet-hearts for so the application of the figure to the subject Chap. 2. requireth it to be understood Whereby it appears saith Diodate that all this was done in a vision Others infer as much from that phrase in this verse The beginning of the word of the Lord in Hosea that is saith Polanus appearing and speaking to him by an inward vision as it were in an extasie Besides in the third chapter and three first verses the Prophet is bidden to marry another harlot to buy her for his own use and to keep her at his house for a time Now scimus hoc non fuisse completum saith Calvin we know that this was never really done It follows therefore that this figure was only proposed to the people that they might perpceive in the looking-glasse of this allegory first their duty toward God second their disloyalty thirdly their penalty for the same It is not an historical narration but a Prophetical vision Children of fornication a bastardly brood such as this evil and adulterous generation is
the face of Iesus Christ and he shall come unto us as the rain As the showres of blessing Ezek. 34.26 rain of liberalities Psal 68.9 rain of righteousnesse Hos 10.12 Citò exaudi me Domine complue me saith Austin upon those words of David My soul thirsteth after thee as a thirsty land Hear me quickly O Lord rain righteousnesse upon my dry soul fill me with the fruits of thy Spirit whose work it is to illuminate and sanctifie as it is the Fathers to heal verse 1. and the Sons to revive and raise us together with himself the first-fruits of them that sleep verse 2. as the latter and former rain unto the earth sc in perfection of gifts and graces by degrees wrought in our hearts Or in seasonable and sutable comforts as rain in seed-time softening the ground and a little before harvest to plump and fill up the corn in the ear Verse 4. O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee c See how soon the Prophet changeth his note Hitherto he had set forth their repentance in sense of mercy now all on the sudden he upbraideth and threatneth them for their incorrigiblenesse and inconstancy Ministers must turn themselves as it were into all shapes and fashions both of speech and spirit to win people to God Aarons bels must be wisely rung saith One. Sometimes the Treble of Mercy sounds well M. Neh. Rog. At other times the Tenour of Judgement or Counter-tenour of reproof sounds better and it oft falls out that the Mean of Exhortation soundeth best of all It is his wisdom to observe circumstances and know how to curse as well as blesse chide as well as comfort and speak warre to a rebell as well as peace to a friend And herein indeed lieth the wisdom and faithfulnesse of a Teacher Then and onely then shall he prove himself sincere and unpartiall when he holds this course What shall I do unto unto thee It is as if God should say I have done mine utmost as Esay 5.5 Mich. 5.3 and now am at a stand and can scarce tell what to do more See the like expostulatory complaints Ier. 2.30 31. Chap. 5.3 Amos 4.6 Esay 26.10 Matth. 11.16 17 18. 23.37 I would but thou wouldest not As the loving hen is alwayes caring for her chickens and calling them about her that she may gather and guard them from the mischief of all vermin but they will needs be stragling and so perish So if Gods people will not hearken to his voice if Israel will none of him what can he do lesse then give them up to their own hearts lusts Psal 81.12 yea give them up to the devil to be further hardened to their just destruction saying That which will die let is die All that God can do is as here to mourn for their obstinacy and fool-hardinesse in rejecting his grace as he wept over Jerusalem Luke 19.42 We should also do the like Esay 24.16 Jer. 4.19 Rom 9.2 Acts 2.40 crying out with Esay My leannesse my leannesse and with Jeremy My bowels my bowels and with Paul I have great heavinesse and continuall sorrow in my heart for my perverse Countrey-men Peter calleth them an untoward generation such crooked pieces that there was no working upon them A cunning Carver can cut the similitude of any creature yet not on a crooked or rotten stick Where lieth the fault surely in the crookednesse of the stick and not in the Carvers cunning so is it here When men wrestle with God as Deut. 32.5 shift him off 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostles word signifieth Heb. 12.25 take up the bucklers against the sword of his Spirit lest it should prick them at heart as Acts 2.37 and let out the life-blood of their lusts that they might live what can the Lord do in this case more then pity their unhappinesse and punish them for their stubbornnesse as the Judge pitieth a malefactour as he is a man but yet condemneth him as a thief or murtherer Tell me not here that God could have done more for Ephraim and Iudah then the did Matt. 8.2 and they might have said in answer to Gods question here as that Leper in the Gospel did Why Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean Hence it is God by his absolute power can make iron swim rocks stream forth water stones to yeeld children to Abraham he can do whatsoever he pleaseth save without means c. But it is his actuall power that man must look to And so he having tied the end and the means together cannot say Divines because hee will not bring men to the end without their using those means which tend unto the end for that is the ordinary course which he hath decreed to use and which he will not alter but upon speciall occasion as our Saviour noteth in the cure of Naaman and in the feeding of the widow of Sarepta Luke 4.26.27 for your goodnesse is as the morning cloud c. This people hearing God say What shall I do unto you might possibly reply why what should you do but rain down righteousnesse upon us and load us with loving-kindnesses for we are good all over we have returned and done right in thy sight as it is said of those hypocrites Ier. 34.15 16. and as Peter saith of some Apostates in his time that they were clean escaped from them who live in errour and for matter of practise they had also escaped the pollutions of the world knew the way of â—ighteousnesse and seemed very forward in it were as the fore-horses in a Teem â—ing-leaders of good exercises c. who yet afterwards fell off to the world tur◠〈◊〉 from the holy commandements and returned with the dog to their vomit and with the washed sow to her wallowing again in the mire And this is that which the Lord here upbraideth this people with and so stops their mouthes viz. that their goodnesse or mercifulnesse their piety toward God and charity toward men â—as nothing else but a morning-cloud Jude ver 12. a waterlesse cloud as Jude hath it a meer flaunt or flash an out-side onely an empty sound a vain pretence It was also as the morning-dew which is soon dried up by the Sun-beams In a word they were both false and fickle unsteady and unstable constant onely in their inconstancy Hence this patheticall complaint of them God knew not where to have them and therefore not what to do with them These were never right with God because not stedfast in his covenant Psal 78.36 37. they are unstable as water therefore they shall not excell Gen. 49.4 they never were a willing people in the day of Christs power Psal 110 3. his power was never put forth upon them to subdue their wils to Gods will They never yet attained to that spirit of power of love and of a sound minde 2 Tim. 1.7 Inconstancy comes from weaknesse The strength of Israel repenteth not 1 Sam.
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
Him see to it where my soul shall rest who took so much care for it as that he laid down his life for it Verse 28. And it shall come to passe afterwards sc In the dayes of the Messiah which is called the world to come Heb. 2.5 but especially after his Ascension see Ioh. 7.37 Act. 2 where this prophesie was fulfilled and this place taken for the first text preached on by the Apostles verse 17. to the conversion of three thousand soules at one sermon For together with the word there went forth a power Luk. 7. 2 Tim. 1.7 even that Spirit of power of love and of a sound mind here promised to be powred out not distilled only see the Note on Zech. 12.10 and that upon all flesh Spirit upon flesh the best thing upon the basest yea upon all flesh without respect of persons or difference made of sex age or condition provided that they know and acknowledg themselves to be but flesh Gen 6.3 corrupt and carnal animas etiam incarnavimus Bern. as an Ancient complaineth and that whatsoever is of the flesh is flesh Ioh. 3.6 for who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean that whole Man is in evill and whole evill in Man neither can it be gotten out in any measure till the heart be mollified and made tender as flesh Ezeh 11.19 and 36.26 27. which cannot be done till men be taught of God and drawn out of darknesse into his marvelous light till they be spiritualized 2 Cor. 3.18 and transformed into the same image from glory to glory as by the spirit of the Lord. and your sons and your daughters shall prophesie This was fulfilled Act. 2. as St. Peter sheweth For the new Testament is but the old unfolded and fulfilled as was also typified in the two Cherubims of the sanctuary looking intently into the Propitiatory Christ Rom. 3.25 but with their faces turn'd one towards another Exod. 25.20 See Act. 26.22 It was fulfilled I say in that visible descension of the holy Ghost upon the Apostles and the rest Act. 2. Act. 8.15 17. and 10.44 So that this makes nothing at all for the Enthusiasts raptures and dotages the true offpring they are Funcc Chronol of those ancient Euchites or Messalanii who leaving their trades gave themselves to much sleep and called their dreams and phantasies prophesies Anno Dom. 371. your old men shall dream c. your yong men shall see visions i. e. God will no less open his will unto them then he did of old to the Prophets by dreams and visions for by the conduct of the Spirit they shall be led into all truth and holinesse they shall be all a royall Priesthood 1 Pet. 2.5 Rev. 1.6 full of all goodnesse filled with all knowledge able also to admonish one another Rom. 15.14 Verse 29. And also upon the servants they shall be the free-men and women of Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 7.22 by as full a measure of Gods free and noble Spirit bestowed upon them as upon their Masters and Mistresses The Trent Translation hath it upon my servants and my handmaids But there is no such pronoun in the Original though it is true that all that have the spirit are his and the contrary Rom. 8 9. Eph 1.13 The scope of the text is as Mercer well noteth to shew that ut gratuitum commune Christi beneficium sic spiritus as the benefits of Christ are free and common to all his people so is the Spirit And surely next to the love of Christ in dwelling in our nature we may well wonder at the love of the holy Ghost that will dwell in our defiled soules and act in them as he doth For there are diversity of gifts but the same Spirit 1 Cor. 11.4 as the divers smels of flowers come from the same influence and the diverse sounds in the organ froin the same breath Verse 30. And I will shew wonders in the heavens Prodigia beneficia credentibus a Lapid malefica horrifica incredulis saith Cornelius a Lapide who interpreteth the text of those signes and wonders that shall precede the day of judgment and for confirmation here of alleageth chap. 3.2 together with Mat. 24.29 Luk. 21.25 And had he looked a little higher into those chapters and taken in all the troubles that befell the Church from our Saviours ascension to his second comming together with those horrible calamities and confusions that shall befall the wicked for contempt of the Gospell and persecution of the professors thereof he had done right in mine opinion It is ordinary with the Prophets to set forth horrible commotions by such figurative expressions See Ier. 4.23 c. Isay 13.10 Rev. 6.12 Those that have received the Spirit of Adoption must not dream of a delicacy but expect persecution Christ came to send fire on the earth Luk. 12.49 Neither may Persecutors hope to escape unpunished but look to be pursued by divine justice See the Note on Rev 6.15 How heavie was the hand of God upon Jerusalem that slaughter-house of the Saints and afterwards upon the Ten Persecutors of Rome 1 Nero whom Tertullian rightly calleth Dedicatorem damnationis Christianorum quippe qui orientem fidem primus Rema cruentavit the first bloody Persecutor of the Christian religion lost thirty thousand of his subjects by the pestilence had his army utterly routed and cut off in Britanny both the Armenia's revolted from him the Senators rose up against him and compelled him to be his own deaths-man 2 Demitian was butchered by his souldiers 3 Trajan dyed of a dropsie 4 Severus dyed miserably here at York 5. Maximinus with his sonn was cut in peeces 6. Decius dyed in a farr country 7. Valerian was flea'd by Sapores king of Persia who took him prisoner 8. Aurelian was slain by his own men 9. Dioclesian poisoned himself 10 Maximian hang'd himself What should I speak of Julian Anastasius Heraclius c. The French persecutors Francis the second Charles the ninth Henry the third the Guises c. Philip the second of Spain who returning out of the Low countries fell into a storm and suffered shipwrack to the great danger of his life Hist of Gennc of Trent 417. He said he was delivered by the singular providence of God to root out Lutheranisme which he presently began to do with all his might He afterwards died miserably of the lousie disease Q. Mary died of a tympany or else of grief of heart for K. Philip's unkind departure Speed forraine losses Callice surrendred hurt done by thunders from heaven and by fire in the royal navie extream dearths raging her conceptions fayling c. What heavy judgments befell divers particular persecutors of those times Poole Gardiner Bonner Morgan Story Burton see Acts and Mon. 1902. 1904. c. 1915. George Eagles alias Trudge-over the world having hid himself in a cornfeild was Mr. Leigh his Saints Encouragement Ep. to Read for mony descried
and I will one day read them aloud in the ears of all the world Fac ergo confitendo propitium quem taeciendo non facis nescium saith Austin Make therefore God thy friend by confessing thy sins to him which thou caust not by any means conceal from him they afflict the just they pinch and distresse him by their oppressions which are often here laid in their dish as an abomination to the Lord for he is mercifull See Chap. 2.6 they take a bribe Cophe◠A ransome to blinde their eyes as 1 Sam. 12.3 or a pacification of their pretended displeasure against heinous crimes brought before them Olim didici quid sint munera said a worthy man Once I have learned long since how dangerous a thing it is for men in place to meddle with gifts A publike person as he should have nothing to lose so nothing to get he should be above all price or sale c. they turn aside the poor in the gate that is in the place of Judicature This makes many that go to law to be at length of Themistocles his minde who professed that if two wayes were shewed him one to hell and the other to the barre he would chuse that which went to hell and forsake the other Another said that hee wondered much at two sorts of men viz. those that go to sea and those that go to law not so much that they did so at first but that after triall they would ever go a second time Verse 13. Therefore the prudent shall keep silence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 According to that old and good rule Either keep silence or speak that which is better then silence There is a time to keep silence and a time to speak Eccles 3.7 and it is a singular skill to time a word Esay 50.4 to set it upon its circumferences Prov. 25.11 so to speak and so to do as those that shall be judged by the law of liberty Iam. 2.12 He that would be able to speak right and forcible words must first learn how and when to keep silence It is not good casting pearls before swine nor pulling a Bear or mad dog by the ear 'T is the true ambition of a Christian to study to be quiet 1 Thess 4.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to meddle with his own businesse to affect rather quietnesse from the wicked world then acquaintance with it and to passe thorow it with as little noise and notice as he can Not but that Gods faithfull servants must cry aloud and not spare lifting up their voyces like a trumpet c. Esay 58.1 and casting away the inverse trumpets of Furius Fulvus which sounded a retrait when they should have sounded an alarme But this must be done with godly discretion Zeal should eat us up but not eat up our widome saith One nor should policie eat up our zeal The Apostles professed that they could not but speak the things that they had heard and seen they must either vent or burst And yet holy Paul who was full of the spirit of judgement and of burning Esay 4.4 though he preached at Ephesus where hee lived two yeers and more together that they be no gods that are made with hands yet he made no particular invective against their great goddesse Diana whereon they so impotently doated Act. 19.26 37. He that hath a good mixture of zeal and prudence is like a ship well ballasted that sails with a prosperous gale but zeal without discretion is like fire on the chimney-top or like mettle in a blinde horse or the devil in the demoniack that cast him sometimes into the fire and sometimes into the water What a storm of persecution raised Bishop Abdias in Persepolis by his intemperate zeal not bridled with discretion as the Poets fable that Minerva put a golden bridle upon Pegasus lest he should flie too fast And it was some disadvantage to Paul when in the Councel though provoked and unjustly smitten he called the high-priest whited wall he was glad to excuse it by his ignorance We may not be too bold or too forward to speak in a good matter to such as hate him that rebuketh in the gate and abhor him that speaketh uprightly verse 10. for it is an evil time by reason of an evil and adulterous generation that make it so It is a day of evil as Psal 41.1 that is of difficulty and danger to those that dare speak out Such as were Tiberius his times That Tyger laid hold with his teeth on all the brave spirits that could speak their minds fitly and durst do it freely He put to death a certain Poet which in a Tragedie had inveighed against Agamemnon suspecting himself to be intended Senec. Freedom of speech used by the Waldenses in blaming and reproving the vices dissolute manners life and actions of great ones made them looked upon and persecuted as hereticks Girardus and enemies to the Sea Apostolike as Manichees Catharists what not Verse 14. Seek good and not evil that ye may live See verse 4. and 6. Oh Seek seek seek saith our Prphet as some of the Martyrs cryed out Pray pray pray Mr. Sanders and Mrs. Askew repeated those words two severall times together Mr. Marsh once adding Never more need To seek God is to seek good and to finde life for with him is the fountain of life Psal 36.9 To seek evil is to seek the devil who is that evil one it is as Solomon saith in a like case 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death Prov. 21.6 and so the Lord the God of Hosts shall be with you to assist and accept you in seeking good to protect and provide for you in shunning evil Deal couragiously therefore and God shall be with the good 2 Chron. 19. ult as your seven-fold shield 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and exceeding great reward Gen. 15.1 See the note there as ye have spoken Vt praedicatis jactitatis as ye boast and bear your selves bold upon saying as Mic. 2.11 Is not the Lord amongst us none evil can come upon us But that 's as you make it for ye are upon your behaviour The fault is not in God but wholly in your selves if ye live not happily reigne not everlastingly at Paris ut vivat regnetque beatus Cogi posse negat Horat. ep 2. God is far from mens hearts and therefore far from their help for can two walk together except they be agreed Chap. 3.3 Verse 15. Hate the evil and love the good God doth so you must also or else never look for his gracious presence with you for idem velle atque idem nolle ea demum vera est Amicitia Cicer◠True friends do both will and nill the same things Minutius Foelix saith that he and his friend Octavius did so The like did Basil and Nazianzen Jonathan and David Corporibus geminis spiritus unus erat All Gods
then what the Scripture reporteth of them The Chaldees cut off abundance of them together with the Moabites Ammonites and other neighbour nations After that Iudas Macchabeus and his nephew Hircanus slew a great sort of them and then lastly the Romans and other Princes rooted them utterly out See Ioseph Lib. 1. Antiq. cap. 10. 1 Maccab. 5.65 2 Mac. 10.16 32. Verse 17. But upon Mount Zion shall be deliverance God will turne againe their captivity as the streames in the South He stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to send them home he restored unto them both Religion and Liberty he did all that could be done for them by sending his Son amongst them in the fulnesse of time made of a woman c. made also unto all his people wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 Jesus hath delivered us from the wrath to come 1 Thess 1.10 Neither is there any other Name whereby heaven is to be had but onely by the Name of Jesus and there shall be holinesse Holinesse to the Lord as Zach. 14.20 See the Notes there All the Lords people shall be an holy nation 1 Pet. 2.9 Every inhabitant of the city of God shall be partaker of holinesse both imputed and imparted that for justification being inherent in Christ imputed to us this for sanctification imparted by Christ inherent in us and the house of Jacob shall possesse ' their possessions They returning from Babylon shall not onely recover their own possessions out of the hands of the Edomites Samaritans and Syrians by vertue of an Edict from king Darius but they shall also possesse the Edomites themselves and their territories when converted to the faith of Christ they shall bring their wealth unto the Church and as it is faid of Tyrus Esay 23.18 feed and clothe therewith the Saints of God Verse 18. And the house of Jacob shall be a fire c. The house of Jacob are the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin the house of Joseph are the ten tribes of Israel whereof Ephraim was the head The sence is this those two tribes together with such of the ten as joyned themselves to them either before or after the captivity shall invade Idumea burn it and subdue it as fire doth stubble fully drie This was done by Hircanus and Judas Macchabeus who compelled the Edomites to bee circumcised and so wholly possessed those parts Joseph 13. Ant. 17. that there were not any reliques of them remaining no not so much as one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Septuagint render it or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some read them any to carry corn after the camp or fire before it according to the custome of the Greeks and Easterlings which torch-bearer might as little bee violated as an Embassadour but here hee should bee cut off with the rest and not so much as a messenger left to relate the overthrow The Edomites were so utterly rooted out by Hircanus Alex. ab Alex. l. 5. c. 3. that they thenceforth ceased to bee Edomites and became Jews Those of them that were converted by the preaching of the Gospel ceased to be either Edomites or Jewes and became Christians The Apostles burning with the zeal of Gods glory and love to mens souls devoured and wasted the infidelity idols and vices of the Gentiles where-ever they came preaching Hence Chrysostom saith Peter was a man made all of fire walking among stubble Paul was insatiabilis Dei cuâ—tor an insatiable servant of Christ And to the like purpose it was that to one that desired to know what kind of man Basil was it is said there was presented in a dream a pillar of fire with this Motto Talis est Basilius Such an one is Basil And old Latimer when he was demanded the reason why so little powerfull preaching answered Deest ignis the spark of the spirit is wanting Howbeit this Prophecy as it began to be fulfilled at first by the Apostles and the Apostolicall persons that came after them so it is daily and shall be continually to the worlds end fulfilled by the faithfull preachers of Gods holy word who are clothed with a spirit of judgement and of burning Esay 4 4. and out of whose mouth proceedeth fire Rev. 11.5 to purge the gold and to consume the stubble Verse 19. And they of the South shall possesse the mount of Esau Those of the South that is the tribe of Judah For Iudaea was divided into five parts Josh 15. whereof one was Southward toward the coast of Edom ver 21. Another was in the vale or plain near unto the Philistines ver 33. Here then Obadiah sheweth that the Jews shall not onely recover their ancient inheritances but also much enlarge the same whereby he signifieth that the Church of Christ shall grow so very great that Jewry shall be too narrow for them see Zach. 10.10 the ancient bounders shall not receive them See Num. 24.17 Esay 11.14 The Gospel was soon spread not onely to the neighbour nations but to all the ends of the earth the Edomites Philistines c. are onely mentioned as being better known and more adverse to the Jews then other nations were and they of the plain the Philistines i.e. those five Lordships Gath Gaza Ascalon Ekron and Azotus all which countrey called Sarona Acts 9. Augustus gave to Herod the Ascalonite and after his death to his sons dividing it into Tetrarchies Luke 3.1 and they shall possesse the fields of Ephraim and the fields of Samaria All which Hircanus subdued and destroyed their Temple built in mount Garizim and Benjamin shall possesse Gilead that is shall propagate and extend his habitation beyond Iordan and in respect of his exceeding great multitude shall be compelled to hold and possesse Gilead all the countrey betwixt Iordan and mount Libanus Thus Hierom with the Hebrew Scholiasts and many others who do also note that under these earthly felicities heavenly are described and that all this is chiefly accomplished under Christ when as the faithfull are made heirs and lords of all things by Him who is their Head See Ezek. 37.16 c. Verse 20. And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel c. i.e. the multitude of the Jews carried captive to Babylon returning at length into their own countrey shall possesse all the places of the Canaanites all the Maritine cities all the tract of ground as farre as Sarepta which is betwixt Tyre and Zidon therefore called Sarepta of Zidon 1 King 17.19 Here dwelt the Canaanites whom Asher could not expell Judg. 1.31 32. See Mat. 15.22 and the captivity of Jerusalem which is in Sepharad that is either in some citie of Assyria or in the utmost bounds of the Babylonish dominion as some interpret the word Sepharad by taking it asunder or as farre as Apharad so the Septuagint that is Euphrates The Hebrew Doctors as by Canaanites here they understand the Dutch and by Zarephath France so by Sepharad they will needs
10.4 5. and bringing in not the heads but hearts of those whom they had subdued as Paul did of Sergius Paulus the Proconsul Acts 13.9 where also he is first called Paul in memory belike of those first spoils hee brought into the Church By shepherds here are meant saith Gualther the Ministers and Preachers of the word who feed defend and watch over the flock By principal men Magistrates endued with that free or as the Chaldee hath it kingly spirit Psal 51.12 to decree and act for the good of the Church Such shepherds in the time of the Assyrian warre were Esay Micha Joel c. such principall men were Hezekias and Eliakim Isa 22. c. Such after the captivity were Ezra Haggee Zachariah Malachi Zorobabel Nehemiah Judas Macchabeus c. Qui nutantem remp Ecclesiam suis consilijs fortibus gestis fulserunt who under-propped and kept up the tottering Church and Common-wealth by their prayers counsels and valiant atchievements both before and since the dayes of Christ upon earth Verse 6. And they shall wast the land of Assyria Heb. They shall eat it down as shepherds do pastures with their flocks Pascere is put for perdere saith Calvin they shall leave nothing there safe or sound but either bend or break the Churches enemies bring them to Christ by the sword of Gods word or utterly ruine them by temporall slaughters Aut poenitendum aut pereundum Thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian It is Christ that delivereth his what instruments soever he please to make use of Luke 1.71 1 Cor. 15.24 anâ— he must have the praise of it The Grecians thankfully acknowledged to Jupiter their deliverance from the Persians wrought by Themistocles and therehence called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Romans for like cause Sospâ—tator presenting a Palme to him and sacrificing a white Ox Liv. lib. 6. d. 3. â—o acknowledging it was his power whereby the conquest was atchieved Our Edw. 3. after his victory at Poâ—â—â—ers where hee took the French king Anno 1356. took speedy order by Sâ—mon Archbishop of Canterbury that eight dayes together should be spent in giving God the thanks and glory How much more should wee praise him for spiritual deliverances Polyd. Virg. lib. 19. from sinne Satan the world c. and consecrate our selves wholly to his service sith Servati simus ut serviamus Luke 1.74 deliverance commands obedience Ezra 9.14 Verse 7. And the remnant of Jacob The remnant according to the election of grace Rom. 11.5 these are but a few in comparison as a remnant to the whole peece or an hand-full to an house-full but they shall increase and multiply by Gods blessing upon them as is here set forth by two similitudes First for their propagation and multiplication the Prophet compareth them to the dew which is ingendred and distilled from heaven immediatly Therefore also Psal 110.3 new converts are compared to dew and Gods begetting them to the womb of the morning See M. Tho. Goodw. fastserm Apr. 27. 1642. when over-night the earth was dry Secondly for their growth and increase he compareth it to the sprouting up of herbs and grasse in the wildernesses where man cometh not and so their springing tarrieth not for man nor waiteth for the sonnes of men for them to come with their watering-pots to nourish them as herbs in gardens do but these have showers from heaven that give the increase I the Lord do keep my vineyard I will water it every moment Esay 27.3 There is an honour due to Gods Ministers 1 Thess 5 13. but the word onely must be â—â—â—â—fied Act. 13.48 and Christ earnestly intreated that as of old the Manna â—â—me down with the dew which covered the Manna whence that expression hidden Manna Rev. 2.17 so He himself who is the bread of life would descend into us by the word of his grace and fill us with the fruits of righteousnesse that he would rigare recreare refresh and cherish our hearts as the dew from heaven doth the dry and fady fields Vers 8. And the remnant of Jacob as a Lion among the beasts of the forrest The saints shall prosper and do great exploits as being indued with an invincible force of the spirit making them as so many Cuer-de-lions or as Chrysostom saith of Peter that he was like a man made all of fire walking among stubble What Lion-like men were all the Apostles those white horses upon which the Lord Christ rode about the world conquering and to conquer Rev. 6.2 That lion of the tribe of Judah Rev. 5.5 had put upon them of his own spirit Ioh. 1.16 and of his fulnesse bestowed upon them grace for grace hence their transcendent zeale and courage for the truth Steven was amongst his country-men the Jewes as a Lion among the beasts of the forrest So were in their severall generations Athanasius Basil Ambrose Luther Latimer Farel c. that noble army of Martyrs One of them told the Persecutours that they might pluck the heart out of his body but never pluck the truth out of his heart Another Act. Mon. 1430. 1438. that the heavens should sooner fall then he would turn A third that if every haire of his head were a man he would suffer death in the opinion and faith that he was now in A fourth said Can I die but once for Christ And generally the valour of the patient and the savagenesse of the persecutours strove together till both exceeding nature and beleefe bred wonder and astonishment in beholders and readers and in some effectual conversion as in Justin Martyr in Calberius in those 400. said to be converted at the Martyrdome of Cecilia and lastly in Silvester the executioner at the martyrdome of Simon Laloe at Dyion in France where seeing the great faith and constancy of that heavenly Martyr he was so compuncted with repentance Act. Mon. fol. 829. and fell into such despair of himself that after much adoe being comforted and converted he removed with all his family to the church of Geneva But what a silly conceit is that of the â—ewes at this day that when Messias comes they shall be these Lions among the Gentiles in the middest of all other people to tread them down and to teare in peeces without rescue and what a true character hath a late writer given of them that they are a light aeriall S. H. Blount and fanaticall-brain'd people and easily apt to work themselves into the fooles paradise of a sublime dotage Verse 9. Thine hand shall be lift up upon thine adversaries q. d. Adversaries thou shalt be sure of O my Church but thou shalt have the better of them Thou shalt keep footing still under the stanâ—ard of the crosse and prevaile Sub militia crucis Calv. The mountaine of the house of the Lord shall overtop all other mountaines of worldly power chap. 4.1 It shall be as that mountain not far from Arbela
〈◊〉 Sept. or else from porters who set their several shoulders to the same burden The Saints may the better doe so because they have the Spirit to lift with them and over anent them as the Apostles word importeth Rom. 8.26 Let them therefore endeavour by all good means 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Eph. 4.3 that they may say as holy Miconius did of himselfe and his colleagues at Gotha in Thuringia Cucurrimus certavimus laboravimus pugnavimus vicimiv viximus semper conjunctissimi We ever ran together strove laboured fought vanquished and did altogether in much peace and concord This is Christian-like indeed See Act. 1.14 and 2.1.46 and 4.32 animo animaque inter se miscebansur saith Tertullian they were all of one heart and of one minde The very Heathens acknowledged that no people in the world did hold together and love one another so as Christians did To see their travels saith Master Fox concerning the Saints here in times of persecution their earnest seeking burning zeal readings watchings sweet assemblies love concord godly living faithfull marrying with the faithfull c. Act. Mon. 750. may make us now in these our dayes of free profession but lamentable divisions to blush for shame They served the lord with one shoulder we shoulder one another they kept unity with purity without schisme much lesse heresy glorifying the God and Father of ovr Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and with one mouth Rom. 15.6 with a pure lip as it is here we are quot homines tot sententiae so many men so many mindes How many religions are there now amongst us saith one Old heresies new vampt Our Saviour Christ saith if the Son of man come shall he find faith c Yes sure he may find many faiths so many men so many faiths Pudet opprobria nobis c. It is not peace but party that some men mind saith another 1 Cor. 14.23 their chief studies are studium partium studium novarum rerum part-taking and novelling But what saith the Apostle If ye speak with several tongues will not he that comes in think ye are mad so when the world hears of so many dissonant opinions will they not think wee are runne wild Is it not a shame to us that the Turks should say we may sooner look that the fingers on our hands should be all of one length then that the Christians should be all of one judgement why should any Julian jeare us for our divisions why should any Campian hit us in the teeth with our many sects and schismes Pardon may be got for our other sinnes by faith in Christs blood Ad fratres in Suevia Lutheran discordiam neque si sanguinem fundamus expiabimus saith Oecolampadius to the Lutherans of his time our scandalous discords God will judge Verse 10. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia Heb. of Chush that is of Arabia Chusaea which lay betwixt Judea and Egypt Confer Esay 18.1 7. Some understand it of Ethiopia which is beyond the river Nilus and hath two very great rivers See this in part fulfilled by that Ethiopian Eunuch Act. 8. Euseb lib. 1. cap. 1. Alvarez hist Aethiopic neither may we think that he was alone in that countrey Matthias the Apostle is said to have preached the Gospel to the Ethiopians The large region of Nubia there had from the Apostles time as 't is thought professed the Christian faith till about 200 years since it forsook the same The kingdome of Habassia held by Presbyter John See Breerw Enquiries 156.197.159.174 are yet Christians differing from us in a few ceremonies onely See the Note on Chap. 2.12 My supplyants My praying people that ply the throne of grace and multiply strong suits pouring out a flood of words in humble supplication as the Hebrew signifieth continuing instant in prayer as knowing that their safety here and salvat on hereafter is of me alone Even the daughter of my dispersed Jews and Gentiles elect of both sorts Joh. 11.52 scattered here and there as the salt of the earth upon the face thereof to keep it from putrifying Danaeus thinketh that there is mention made of the daughter of the dispersed affectionately namely both to describe the earnestnesse of the Saints in serving God for women quicquid volunt valdè volunt and that this so goodly and and joyfull a spectacle or sight of women worshipping and servng God and of Virgins especially might stirre up and move affections It is easy to observe that the New Testament affordeth more store of good women then the old who can make masculine prayers mingled with tears And as Musick upon the waters sounds further and more harmoniously then upon the land so doe prayers well watered Shall bring mine offering Heb. my meat-offering or rather my wheat-offering their hodies and souls Rom. 12.1 that best of facrifices for a reasonable service Minchath◠a solemn present such that the Chaldee paraphrast might expresse He translateth it thus They shall bring as presents unto me the banished of my people who were carried captive and shall return by my mercies Some think that here is foretold the return of the Jewes to their own land toward the end of the world to set up the spirituall worship of God there the famous Church that shall be among them full of sanctity and ridde of all wicked ones verse 11 12 13. the joy and gladnesse that shall possesse their soules verse 14. through Gods removing of all cause of fear from them verse 15. the encouragement they shall receive from others verse 16. and which is the cause of all this the apparent arguments of Gods great love and favour vers 17. the quality of those that shall be received to be citizens of this New Jerusalem verse 18. the utter rooting out of all their enemies verse 19 the fame and dignity that this Church of the Iews shall be of among all nations vers 19 ◠Thus they quà m rectè iudicium sit penes Lectorens Verse 11. In that day shalt thou not be ashamed There is an holy shame for sinne such as was that of Ezra chap. 9.6 of the penitent Publican Luk. 18.13 and of those good souls in Ezekiel who blushing and bleeding loathed themselves for their abominations To be ashamed on this sort is no shame Ezek. 16. but a signe of that godly sorrow that worketh repentance never to be repented of and not to know shame to be frontlesse and impudent is the note of a naughty man Verse 5. But that which God promiseth here is that he will cover their sinnes not impute them Psal 32.1.2 and that he will by his grace preserve them from scandalous and reproachfull practises that might render them ignominious and despicable see Psal 19.39 shiring upon them himselfe and giving them honour in the hearts of others as he did Solomon Them that rejoyce in the
to mens souls as it did to the Gaolers Acts 16. and Peters converts Act. 2. And this partly through the frowardnesse of our affections and partly through the malice of Satan fearing the ruine of his kingdome For as for the Gospel this effect followes it by accident See Matth. 10.34 35. with the Note there See also Luke 12.49 It is by accident to the Sun that it maketh the dunghill stink It is by accident to the Sea that it maketh the passenger sick the ill humours in his stomack disease him So here And the Desire of all Nations shall come that is Christ Valete meae desideria Cic. lib. 14. epist 2. ad uxor filiam for so the Apostle expoundeth it Heb. 12.25 And the Church saith of him Totus ipse desideria Cant. 5.16 he is all-over desireable And again Esay 26.9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within mâ—e will I seek thee early And unto Shiloh shall the gathering of the people bee saith Iacob Gen. 49.10 as unto the Standard-bearer Cant. 5.10 the carcase Mat. 24.28 as the doves scour to their columbaries Esay 60.8 When I am lifted up saith He I will draw all men after me Joh. 12.32 that is all mine Elect these will follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth as the hop and Heliotrope do the Sun And because the Nations had not heard of Christ till he came in the flesh and this comming of the desire of all Nations seems to follow presently upon the preaching of the Gospel therefore Junius renders it Desiderati the Desireable ones of all Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and interprets it of the Elect the Septuagint also say the same who should come to the second Temple in a spirituall sence worshipping the same God that these good Jews did and should come with strength of affection as the Hebrew importeth should make hard shift to come Esay 66.20 They shall bring your brethren as an offering to the Lord upon horses in chariots and in litters that is though sick weakly and unfit for travell yet rather in litters then not at all Neither shall they come empty-handed but with all their desirable things so some render this text colligent omnes suos thesauros saith Calvin they shall come with strong affections with liberall contributions as Act. 4.34 and as Tyrus who when once converted leaves hoarding and heaping up wealth as formerly and finds another manner of employment for it namely to uphold Gods worship and to seed and cloath his Saints Isa 23.18 and I will fill this house with glory This reedified Temple shall be honoured with Christs bodily presence and the spirituall Temple which is the Church Diodate shall be honoured by my presence in spirit the abundance of my graces the light of my word and power of my spirit who shall rest upon my people as a spirit of glory when the world loadeth them with greatest ignominy 1 Pet. 4.14 rest upon them by a blessed Shechinah Verse 8. The silver is mine and the gold is mine saith the Lord of Hosts Whereas the Jews might object that it was not likely the second Temple should be more glorious then the first sith they wanted that wealth wherewith Solomon abounded God answereth in like sort as once he did Moses alledging the slownesse of his speech Who hath made muns mouth c so here whose is the silver and the gold Exo. 4.10.11 am not I the true Proprietary and chief Lord of all cannot I furnish you out of my great purse the earth and the fulnesse thereof Psal 24.1 Terra est marsupium Demint what is silver and gold but white and red earth the guts and garbage of the earth as one phraseth it things that I have no need of Psal 50.13 They lye furthest from heaven the best of them are in Ophyr perhaps the same with Peru furthest from the church Adam had them in the first Paradise Gen. 2.11 12. in the second you shall not need them Iob. 26.2 3. c. In defect of other I my self will be your gold and you shall have plenty of silver Iob 22.25 Rev. 1.12.13 Christ girt about the paps that seate of love with a golden girdle shall walk in the middest of his seven golden candlesticks with a golden censer in his hand perfuming and presenting the prayers of his people upon the golden Altar Rev. 8.3 and measuring that city of pearle his church with a golden reed Rev. 21.15 Ribera and some others think that God as of old he had stirred up Cyrus and Darius both of them Heathens to contribute to the building of the Temple so afterwards he stirred up Herod a wealthy king not long before Christ came to bestow abundance of cost upon the same Temple and that this was here fore-prophesied But I should rather incline to Calvin who doubteth not but that the devill stirred up Herod to do as he did that the Jews doting upon the splendour of that brave structure the disciples did no lesse Mat. 24.1 2. might cease looking for Christ or trusting in him And who knowes saith He whether Herod himself might not have such a fetch in his head Howsoever the devil was in it doubtlesse to take off their minds from the expectation of Christs coming which was now at hand by those externall pompes and to withdraw the spirits of the godly from the furniture and gayety of the spirituall Temple We know how the disciples who leavened with the leaven of the Pharisees dreamt of an earthly kingdome were taken with the beauty and bravery of Herods Temple shewing the same to our Saviour and fondly conceiting that by that goodly sight he might be moved to moderate the severity of that former sentence of his Behold your house is left unto you desolate Mat. 23.38 with 24.1 But his thoughts were not as their thoughts The bramble reckoned it a great matter to raigne over the trees So did not the Vine and Olive The Papists hold that God is delighted with golden and silver vessels in the administration of the Eucharist and offended with the contrary But the Primitive Christians celebrated the sacrament of the Lords supper in vessels first of wood and afterwards of glasse That saying also of Ambrose is well known Aurum sacramenta non quaerunt nec auro placent quae auro non emuntur It was grown to a proverbe soon after Constantines time Once we had golden Ministers and woodden vessels now we have woodden Ministers and golden vessels Religion brought forth wealth and the mother devoured the daughter Verse 9. The glory of this later house shall be greater then of the former Because Christ shall appeare and preach in it as ver 7. who is the brightnesse of his Fathers glory ac consequenter vrbis orbis any relation to whom heighteneth and ennobleth both places and persons Bethlehem though it be the least Micah 3.6 is yet not the least
this it was reinhabited for that bloody Herod that slew the Infants was borne there being sirnamed Ascalonita and at this day it is a strong garison of the Saracens Saladine pulled down the walls of it but our Richard the first set them up again as Adrichomius telleth us out of Gul. Tyrius Verse 6. But a bastard shall dwell at Ashdod Perhaps he meaneth Alexander In descripâ— Tur. sanâ— who was a bastard by his mother Olympia's confession The Greek here hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a stranger an alien or one of another generation as the Greeks under Alexander and afterwards the Jews under the Maccabees Whence the Chaldee turnes this Text thus The house of Israel shall dwell in Ashdod and shall be there as strangers which have no father In the Acts we find that the Jewes were scattered up and down Palestina and some found at Azotus or Ashdod chap. 8.40 and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines that is their wealth strength and whatsoever else they gloried in and grew insolent and injurious to the Church Verse 7. And I will take away his blood out of his mouth That is his bloody prey for saith Aben-Ezra these Philistines did according to the salvage custome of those times eat of the flesh and drink of the blood of their slain enemies and I will keep them from devouring my people any more and his abominations Hoc est praedas abominabiles saith Calvin his abominable spoils his bloody robberies and pillages and he that remaineth The small remnant of Jews not yet altogether devoured by these cruell Canniballs the Babylonians Philistines and other enemies even he shall be for our God Though they be but an Hee a small poor company of them yet God will both own them and honour them and he shall be as a governour in Iudah They shall all be Magnifico's little Princes of high rank and dignity even as Governours in Iudab God will honour them in the hearts of all men See chap. 12.8 and Ekron as a Iebusite i. e. either slain or slave and tributary I know this Text is otherwise expounded by Iunius and others but I now like this Interpretation as most proper Verse 8. And I will encamp about mine house Though it be otherwise but ill fenced and fortified yet I will see it safegarded and secured from the inrodes and incursions of enemies who are ranging up and down and not onely robbing but ravishing Psal 10.9 For what was Alexander but an Arch-pirate a strong theef as the Pirate whom he had taken told him to his teeth And whether here be intimated by these words because of him that passeth by and him that returneth something of Alexanders voyages who passed by Judaea into Egypt and to Ammons Oracle with his Army and thence returned to Persia by the same way not hurting the Jewes or something about the many expeditions of the Seleucidae and Lagedae to and fro from Egypt to Syria and back again among which hurly-burly the Jewes State stood fast though sometime a little shaken I dare not say saith a learned Interpreter It may be both those and all other the like dangers are here generally comprized and no oppressour shall passe thorow them any more Chald. No Sultan not the Turkish tyrant Lord of Greece as verse 13. say those that take the text of the Jew glorious state at last Calvin thinkes that by this clause he only expounds what he had figuratively said before Danaeus takes it of violence and oppression among themselves or of wringing and vexing by their own rulers they shall be free from violence both abroad an at home for now have I seen with mine eyes i. e. I have taken good notice of it I have seen I have seen as Exod. 3.7 and mine eye hath affected mine heart I have well observed that the enemy is grown unsufferably insolent and therefore come to rescue and relieve my people The Chaldee hath it thus I have now revealed my power to do them good Ahen-Ezra makes these to be the Prophets words of himself q. d. I have seen all this in a manifest vision But this is frigidum imo insulsum saith Calvin and odd conceit unlesse we refer it with Montanus to the following words and make this the sense which yet I like not so well Behold I see in the spirit with the eyes of my mind the Lord Christ comming and entring with state the city and temple Verse 9. Rejoyce greatly O daughter of Zion Draw all thy waters with joy out of this welspring of salvation Loe here is the summ of all the good news in the world Ier. 31.12 and that which should make the saints everlastingly merry even to shouting and singing in the height of Zion that their king commeth This should swallow up all discontents and make them sing Hosanna in the highest Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord. behold thy King commeth Not Zorobabel or Judas Maccabeus as some Jewes interpret it nor yet Alexander the Great as some others but a greater then he even Messiah the Prince as Christ is stiled Dan. 9.25 who shall cut off the charret c. as it followeth in the next verse yea all the 4 charret or Monarchies as some expound chap. 6. how much more Tyrus Gaza Ekron Damascus c. of which he spake before in this chapter unto thee i. e. meerely for thy behoof and benefit and not for his own Other kings are much for their own profit pleasures pomp c. Christ emptied himself of all his excellencies that we might be filled with his fulnesse he is just and having salvation That he may justifie thee by his righteousnesse and save thee by his merit and spirit The Vulgar rendreth it Iust and a Saviour so doth the Chaldee Salvation properly denotes the negative part of mans happinesse freedome from all evils and enemies but it is usually taken for the positive part also viz. fruition of all good because it is easier to tell from what then unto what we are saved by Jehovah our righteousnesse lowly Or poor afflicted abject See them set together Zeph. 3.12 and Phil. 4.12 I have learned to want and to be abased Poverty rendreth a man contemptible and ridiculous Pauper ubique jacet men go over the hedge where it is lowest the poor are trampled upon and vilipended as Luke 16.30 This thy Son he scorned to call him brother because he was poor Now Christ became poor to make us rich 2 Cor. 8. Rom. 2.7 a worm and no man nullificamâ—n populi as Tertullian phraseth it that we might be advanced to glory and honour and immortality Neither was he more low and mean in his estate then lowly and meek in mind as farr from pride and statelinesse as as his state was from Pomp and magnificence riding upon an asse A poor silly beast used by the meaner sort of people yea upon a colt the foale of an asse Heb. asses
which he not onely casteth but thrusteth into the bottom of the sea whence it cannot be boyed up This Angel might well be Luther with his Book de captivitate Babylonica confer Jer. 51.63 whom God strangely preserved from the rage of Rome and Hell like as he did from that deadly danger by the fall of a stone whereof Mr. Fox writeth thus Acts Mon. Upon a time saith He when Luther was sitting in a certain place upon a stool studying a great stone there was in the Vault over his head where he sate which being staid miraculously so long as he was sitting assoon as hee was up immediately fell upon the place where he sat able to have crusht him in pieces if it had light upon him But no malice of man or devil could antedate his end a minute whilest his Master had work for him to do as the two witnesses could not bee killed till their businesse was dispatched Rev. 11.7 Verse 4. Turk Hist I will smite every horse with astonishment Great is the strength of the horse and the rage of his rider Jehu marched furiously Bajazet the great Turk of his fierce and furious riding was surnamed Gilderun or Lightening But God can make the Egyptians to appear men and not Gods and their horses flesh and not spirit When the Lord shall but stretch out his hand and that 's no hard matter of motion both he that helpeth shall fall and he that is holpen shall fall down and they shall all faile together Esay 31.3 See Psal 76.5 6. Psal 33.17 An horse is a vain thing for safety though a warlike creature full of terrour but safety or victory is of the Lord Pro. 21.31 In nothing be terrified saith the Apostle Philip. 1.28 The Greek word is a metaphor from horses when they tremble and are sore affrighted as it fell out in the Philistines army when the Angels made a bustle among the mulbery-trees 2 Sam. 5.24 in the Syrians army when the Angels likewise made an hurry-noise in the ayre of charrets of horses and of a great host 2 King 7.6 in the army of Sennacherib when at Gods sole rebuke both the charret and horse were cast into a dead sleep Psal 76.6 Lastly in the German wars against Zisca and the Hussites in Bohemia where God smot every horse with astonishment and his rider with madnesse Parei Meduè hist Profan pag. 785. such a panick terrour seized upon the enemies of the truth though they came in with three potent armies at once that they sled before ever they looked the enemy in the face How this Prophesie was litterally fulfilled to the Maccabees see 2 Mac. 10.30 and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah who before seemed to wink or to be asleep Now will I awake saith the Lord Now will I arise Isa 33.10 now will I lift up my self for the relief and rescue of my poor people and that because they called them outcasts saying This is Zion whom no man looketh after Ier. 30.17 Verse 5. And the Governours of Judah The Dukes of Chiefetaines meaning the Maccabes who ware not any kingly crown but were only Governours Rulers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Commanders in chief such as went before others like as in the Alphabet Aleph is the first letter So Omega nostrorum Mors est Mars Alpha malorum Saith the Poet wittily shall say in their hearts i. e. shall say heartily from the root of the heart and not from the roof of the mouth only Profession of the truth and prayer for so some make this verse to be are not a labour of the lips but a travel of the heart The voice which is made in the mouth is nothing so sweet as that which comes from the depth of the brest As in instrument-musick the deeper and hollower the belly of the Lute or Violl is the pleasanter is the sound the sleeter the more grating and haâ—sh in our eares the inhabitants of Iorusalem shall be my strength Though now there be few found in it yet it shall be much repeopled and fortified so that under God it shall be a fortresse to the whole countrey and the Governour shall so take it to be Or thus there is strength to me and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem in the Lord of Hosts their God Every governour shall say so for his own particular And this seemes to me to be the better reading The Maccabes did so as appeared by their posy whereof before their prayers and their singular successe as appeares by their history and by Josephus Deo confisi nunquà m confusi They that trust in God shall never be confounded Our father 's trusted in thee and they were delivered O trust ye in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Look not down on the rushing and roaring streames lest ye grow giddy but look up to the heavens from whence comes your help and fasten by faith on Gods power and promises Faith unseined breeds hope unfaileable such as never miscarrieth O trust in him at all times ye people c. Psal 62. for with God is wisdome and strength Iob. 12.13 Plutarch saith of the Scythians that they have neither wine nor musick but they have Gods Say that the Saints have neither power nor pollicy as their enemies yet they have all in God who is more then all Verse 6. In that day will I make the governours c. This is the third similitude whereof the scripture is full according to that I will open my mouth in parables c. These are of excellent use to adorn and explain and yet they are evermore inferiour to the matter in hand They are borrowed from things well known and easy to be conceived as here from an harth of fire among wood Now we can all tell how great a matter or wood a little fire kindleth Iam. 3.5 As when Nero for his pleasures sake set Rome on fire among other stately buildings that were quickly burnt down the Circus or race-yard was one being about half a mile in length of an ovall form with rowes of seats one above another capable of at least an hundred and fifty thousand spectatours without uncivil shoulderings As the fire burneth a wood and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire So persecute them with thy tempest and make them afraid with thy storme saith the Church Psal 83.14 15. Thus they pray'd and thus it is here promised and was accordingly performed in those first warrs of the Maccabees as appeareth in the first book of their story Antiq. lib. 12. and in Josephus Diodate and others understand this text of the Apostles and Evangelists who should fill the world with wars and dissentions by preaching the Gospell Luke 12.49 whereby the enemies should be ruinated Hieron Remig. Albert. A Lapide and the church reestablished Obad. 18. thorough the spirit of judgement and of burning Esay 4.4 To which purpose Chrysostome saith
Padres do their Novices And yet the most people are to this day wofully to seek for the warrant of their worships resting on that old Popish rule to follow the drove and beleeve as the Church beleeves Act. 19.32 As at Ephesus so in our Church-assemblies the more part knew not wherefore they were come together They will say in generall to serve God But who he is how to be served wherein and in whom to be served they know not There is in a printed sermon a memorable story of an old man above threescore who lived and died in a parish Mr. Pemble Serm. misch of lâ—â—â—r where there had been preaching almost all his time This man was a constant hearer as any might be and seemed forward in the love of the word On his death-bed being questioned by a minister touching his faith and hope in God he made these strange answers Being demanded what he thought of God he answered that he was a good old man And what of Christ that he was a towardly yong youth And of his soule that it was a great bone in his body And what should become of his soule after he was dead That if he had done well he should be put into a pleasant green meddow These answers astonished those that were present to think how it were possible for a man of good understanding and one that in his dayes had heard at the least two or three thousand sermons yet upon his death-bed in serious manner thus to deliver his opinion in such main points of Religion which infants and sucklings should not be ignorant of But we may be sure this man is not alone there be many hundreds whose gray haires shew they have had time enough to learn more wit who yet are in case to be set to their A. B. C. againe for their admirable simplicity in matters of religion Blind they are and blind sacrifices they offer never once opening their eyes till death if then as Pliny reporteth of the Mole but alwayes rooting and digging in the earth as if thorough the bowels of it they would dig themselves a new way to hell is it not evill Or as some read it It is not evill q. d. 't is good enough and may serve turn well enough Or thus It is not evill in your opinion who rather then you would lose any gaine say Melius est ill quà m Nil 't is Osianders rime better that which is ill and bad then nothing at all But they which count all good fish that comes to net will in the end catch the devill and all The sense is much clearer in the interrogative Is it not evill It is It is and therefore studiously to be declined and avoided as poyson in your meat or a serpent in your way 1 Thess 5.22 Abstain from all appearance of evill saith that great Apostle how much more from all apparant evils such as stare you in the face and are so directly contrary to the plain word of God Such are sins with an accent wickednesse with a witnesse great transgressions Psal 19.13 and if ye offer the lame and languishing He offers the lame that brings his sacrifice with a wicked mind Pro. 21.27 as Balac and Balaam did Num. 21.1 2. that walks not evenly before the Lord and with an upright foot Gen. 17.1 that halts between two opinions as the people did 1 King 18.21 inter coelum terramque penduli hanging betwixt heaven and earth as Meteors uncertain whether to hang or fall Such were Ecebolus Baldwin Spalatensis Erasmus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyprian calleth such ancipites palpatores temporum in levitate tantum constantes doubtfull-minded men St. James calleth them double-minded men unstable in all their wayes Jam. 1.8 Bradsords letters Rev. 3.14 as he is that stands on one leg or as a howle upon a smooth table But what said that Martyr If God be God follow him if the Masse be God let him that will see it heare it and be present at it and go to the devill with it But let him do what he doth with all his heart God cannot abide these Neuter-passives I would thou wert either hot or cold He requires to be served truly that there be no halting and totally that there be no halving To halt between two opinions to hang in fuspence to be in religion as idle beggars are in their way ready to go which way soever the staff falleth how hatefull is it When some took Christ for Iohn Baptist some for Elias some for Jeremias But whom say you that I am said our Saviour to teach us that Christ hates to have men stand doubtful and adhere to nothing certainly to have them as mills fit to be driven about by the devil with every wind of doctrine or as hunting dogs betwixt two hares running assoon after this assoon after that and so losing both This for point of judgement And for matter of practise the soule is well carried when neither so becalmed that it moves not when it should not yet tossed with tempests to move disorderly A wise mans course is of one colour like it self he is homo quadratus a square stone fet into the spirituall building 1 Pet. 2.7 he is Semper idem as Joseph was no changling but one and the same in all places and estates of life his fcet stand in an even place as Davids did Psa 26.12 that is in an equall tenour Uniformity and ubiquity of obedience are sure signes of his sincerity when godlinesse runs thorough his whole life as the woof runs thorough the warp But the legs of the lame are not equall saith Solomon Pro. 26.7 The hypocrites life is a crooked life he turneth aside to his crooked wayes Psal 125.5 saith David as the crabfish goes backwards or as the Planets though hurried from East to West yet by a retrograde motion of their own steal their passage from West to East It 's a crooked life when all the parts of the line of a mans life be not straight before God when he lifteth not up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees and maketh straight paths for his feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way Heb. 12.12 13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not rather healed and rectified or set to rights as the Apostles word signifieth That 's a sick soule that is not right set for heaven and that 's a gasping devotion a languishing sacrifice that leaneth not upon Christ and that is not quickened by his spirit fitly called by the Apostle a spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind 2 Tim. 1.7 Surely as a rotten rag hath no strength so an unsound mind hath no power to do ought that may please God Frustra nititur qui Christo non innititur saith a Father He loseth his labour that leaneth not upon Christ who is the power of God and the wisdome of God that leaneth not wholy upon
sword by his presence and preaching Surely his sanne is â—â— his hand though the devil and his imps would fain wring it out Augustin Mat. 3.12 Jer 23.20 and he will thâ—roughly purâ—ge his â—loo mali in area nobiscum esse possum in horrco non pessunt he will drive the chaff one way and the wheat another for what is the chiff to the wheat saith the Lord he will purifie the souls of his Saints in obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfained love of the brethren 1 Pet. 1.22 So that they shall be united to such and separated from sinners Fire we know congregat homog nea segregat heterogenea for what fellowship hath light with darknesse The spirit of Christ called a spirit of judgement and of burning washeth away lo here resiners fire and sullers 〈◊〉 the filth of the daughter of Zion and purgeth the blood of Jerusalem from the midest thereof Esay 4.4 By silth and blood understand their exceslive bravery mentioned chap. 3. which now they had learned to call by another name since their own names were written among the living in Jerusalem verse 3. And here God made good to them that he had promised Chap. 1.25 that he would purely purge away theeir drosse and take away all their tinne and that though their sinnes were as sear let they should be white as 〈◊〉 though red like crimson they should be as wooll verse 18. Fullers 〈…〉 as some render it is of singular use to fetch out stains and spots and to a biter wooll 5 Pâ—naria â—â—de Puin lib. 1â— chap. 3. 〈…〉 So much more is the blood and spirit of Christ to whiten sinfull 〈◊〉 and to make men his Candidates Such were those Corinthians 1 Eph. 6.11 Such were some of you that is as bad as bad might be lepers all over but ye are washed sc by that Fuller of soules Christ Jesus And if any ask How washed It sollowes but ye are sanctified but ye are just ified in the name that is 〈◊〉 by the merit of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God The Jews in their Talmud hammer at this when they question What is the name of Messias Their answer is Hhevara Leprous sc by imputation 2 Cor. 5. â—0 Esay 53.6 August de Râ—â—na in Concil Basil whence also he is said by one to be Maximus peccatorum the greatest of sinners and he sitteth among the poor in the gates of Rome carrying their sicknesses according to that Himself took our infirmities and here our â—â—knesses There are two things in guilt 1. The meit and desert of it 〈…〉 took not 2. The obligation to punishment this he took and so he 〈◊〉 that is bound to the punishment of sin which also he suffered even to the â—â—â—sion of his blood that true Pactolus or rather Jordan whereby he hath cleamed his people from sins both guiltinesse and filthinesse We have inveterate staines which will hardly be got out till the cloth be allmost rub'd to peeces 〈…〉 leaves so close to us Jer. 1â— 13 that fire and fullers sope is but needfull to setch it off Nature and custome have made our spots like that of the Leopard which no art can cure no water wash off because they are not in the skin only but in the flesh and bones in the sinews and in the most inner parts Hence David prayeth again and again to be washed thorowly to be purged with hyssop to be washed and wrung in this fullers sope of Christs blood and with the clean water of his holy spirit This is the only true Purgatory the Kings bath the fountain opened for sin and for uncleannesle Zach. 13.1 Here Christ washeth his not only from outward defilement but from their swinish nature that when washed clean they may not as else they would wallow in the next guzzle Here are those soveraign mundifying waters of the Sanctuary which so wash off the corruption of the ulcer that they cool the heat and stay the spred of the infection and by degrees heal the same Hither poor sinners need not come as to the poole of Bethesda one by one but as Turks to their Mahomet Papists to their Lady by troops and Caravans true Christians to their All-sufficient Saviour how much more In that poole of Bethesda the Priests used to wash their sacrifices because no unclean thing might come within the Temple Itinerar Scrip. pag. 20. The water was of reddish colour and ran into that place in great abundance and therefore it was called saith One the house of effusion This shadowed out that every of Christs sheep must be washed in the poole of his blood before they can be meet sacrifices an offering unto the Lord in righteousnesse as it is in the next verse Other blood slaines what is washed in it this blood of the spotlesse lambe whiteneth as fuilers sope and purifieth from all pollution of flesh and spirit Rev. 7.14 This is he that came by water and blood even Jesus Christ not by water only but by water and blood 1 Ioh. 5.6 The Priests of the old law were consecrated first with oyle and then with blood So was Christ first with the spirit Esa 61.1 and then with his own blood for our benefit Verse 3. And he shall sit as refiner i. e. he shall stick to the work and not start from it till he bring forth judgement to victory Mat. 12.20 that is till he have perfected the work of grace begun in his people for he is Authour and finisher of their faith Heb. 12.2 and by patience made them perfict and entire wanting nothing Iam. 1.4 Christ who is the God of all grace and hath called them to his eternall glory will after they have suffered 〈◊〉 in his fornace or fining-pot Pro. 17.3 of afflictions wake them perfect stablish strengthen settle them 1 Pet. 2 Cor. 9 8. 5.10 yea make all grace to abound toward them that they alwayes having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work For which holy purpose Christ our Refiner hath his fire in Zion and his furnace in Ierusalem Isai 31.9 his conslatories and his crucibles wherein his third part being brought thorough the fire shall be resined as silver is resened and tried as gold is tried Zach. 13.9 that the triall of their faith who have glorified him in the very fires Isa 24.15 being much more precious then that of gold that perisheth may be found to praise and honour and glory 1 Pet. 1.7 True gold will undergoe the tâ—iall of the seventh fire which Alchymy gold will not Christ Jesus after that he hath been to his people as a refiners fire and fullers sope that is after that he hath justified and sanctified them also in some part will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver that is he will be serious accurate and assiduous in scouring them from corruption by correption in purging out the remnants of sin by affliction
darknesse but reproove them rather s Eph. 5 11. with a number more that I might add with ease That one of Solomon for all My son saith he if sinners entive thee consent thou not If yet they say Come with us let us lay wait for blood c. Cast in thy lot amongst us let us all have one parse My son walk not thou in the way with them resrain thy foot from their path t Pro. 1 10 11 14 15. For their way in the issue of it is the way to hell going down to the chambers of death u Prov. 7.27 Even that second death as the scripture tearms it which though hand joyu in hand w Prov. 16.5 and they muster up and unite their forces as hoping haply to scape in the croud or to carry it away cleanly because a multitude yet they shall never be able to avoid or abide For the wicked be they never so many of them shall be turn'd into hell and whole nations that forget God x Psal 9.17 This the Patriarch Noah that I may shew you secondly the practise of the point in some particular examples of ancient and later times this I say Noah beleeved ere he saw and therefore lived to see what he had afore beleeved not whole Nations only but a world-full of wicked people swallowed up together in one universall grave of waters their spirits being now in prison 〈◊〉 in everlasting chaines under darknesse unto the judgement of the great day y 1 Pet. 3.19 The foresight whereof by a lively faith being warâ—â—â— of God of things not seen as yet z Heb. 11.7 made him walk uprightly with God evea in his geaeration a Gen. 6.9 Now for him to walk alone in a divers way to a worid of wicked people as Chrysoscome hath it b Solus ipse diversâ â—mbulavit viâ virtutem malitiae praeferens c. Chrysost Hom. 22. in cap. 6. Genef to keep himself unspotted in such a foul season as anotherspeakes of him c inter corruprissimos minere incorruptnÌ„ Pare in Gen 6 nay like a right orient and illustrious planet not only to hold out a constant counter-motion to that of the vulgar but also to shine so fair with a singularity of heavenly light spirituall goodnesse and Gods sincere service in that daâ—kâ—st midnight of damned impiety this was that whereby he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousnesse which is by faith e Heb. 11.7 The next in the Apostles roul there remembred and registred is Abraham that precious man pall'd as a brand out of Vr of the Chaldees from whence he went forth forsaking father f Iosh 24.2 house and friends who served other Gods beyond the slood not knowing whither he went saith the text g Hâ—b 11.8 nor much daring so long as he had God by the hand For whom also his first care was where ever he came setting up Altars to Jehovah h Gen. 12.6 7 8. 13.4 18. in the mid'st of those Idolaters and making open profession of his service before the people or the land which was a reall confutation of their heathenish fopperies Thus Aoraham then and thus after him Johua by his example which he therefore useth and urgeth in that parliament he called and held at Shechem a little afore his death I took your father Abraham saith he there in Gods behalf from the other side of the flood c. i Josh 24.2 whose children ye shall shall well approve your selves if ye walke in the sheps of his fâ—ith k Rom. 1.12 by putting away the â—trange gods from among you as he and serving the Lord l Josh 24.14 In which holy practue however you come off choose you this day whom you will serve though in evils of sin there be no choise whether the gods of your sathers leyond the slood Malorum non est electio Aâ—â—â—t or tke gods of the Amornes in whose land ye dwell but as for me and my house we will serve Jehoveh The time would fail me to tell of Job who would not part with his Integrity to die for it m Job 27.5 6 though instigated thereunto by the wife of his bosome n Job 2 9 Chrysostom set on doubtlesse by the Devil who of all the parts of his body had leâ—t his conâ—ue onely free from blisters if haply he might be drawn to curse God therewith and die To tell you next of David who therefore loâ—ed Gods statutes exceed ngly because min had made void his Lâ—w o â—sal 119.126 127. and Psal 39 2 resolving first uqon filence among wicâ—ed company could not hold his spirit so burnt c. p 1 King 19.10 Rom. 11.3 Of Elias who though alone and singular continued therefore zealsus for the Lord of Hosls because they had argg'd down has Aâ—â—s c. Of Micaâ—ah who would not flatter the King though 400. false prophets had done it afore him q 1 King 22 Of Obadith that fea ca God 〈◊〉 in a common defection r 1 King 8.12 c. Look to the New Testament and there you have our Saviour eaten up with the zeal of his Fâ—â—â—ers house when by all sorts polluted s Joh. 2.17 his Apostles soon after his departure resolving to obey God even comora goutes against whatsoever opposition and not to swim down the stream of the times for any menaces of the Council t Act. 4. Pâ—â—ul that heavenly spark burning in spirit against a Church full of unbeleeving Jewes at Corinth u Act. 18.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intus apud se aestuabat prae zeli ardore and openly contesting with the Gentiles at Athens about their senselesse superstition w Act. 17. So he gave thanks afore meat in the midst of Infidels Act. 27.25 What should I stand longer to tell you of Timothy so abstemious and temperate among the luxurious Ephesians x A people so dehauched that they made a law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let there bee never an honest man amougst us And it is storied that they therefore cast our one Hermodorus as by an ostracisme because he was a good busband and a temperate man that Saint Paul was fain to prescribe him a â—â—le wine for hish alihs 〈◊〉 y 1 Tim. 5.23 Of Antipas who held forth the word of life even to the death where Savans â—hâ—one was z Rev. 2.13 Of Neâ—o's family to whom Saint Paul sends salutations a Philip. 4 22. Of Polyâ—â—â— that blessed Martyr of sâ—â—us Christ who being sollicited by the Tyrant to do sacrifice to the â—doll and so to provide for his own safety as diverse others had done before him Fourâ—core and â—dde yzers sud he have I served my Master Christ and â—e never deceived me an shill I now desem him God forbid me any such wickednesse I scorn to be delivered upon any such dishonourable termes b
of the Apostle By him let us offer the sacrifice of praise and so any other spirituall service that shall finde acceptance to God continually h Heb. 13.15 And by him we have accesse by one spirit unto the father i Eph. 2.18 This was shadowed out of old by the door of the tabernacle which as it never was or any hard or debarring matter but of a veile easily penetrable so at the passion of our â—avâ—our it did of its own accord rend in sunder to shew our easie accosse unto and high acceptance with God in any holy duty through Christ the peace-maker k Eph. 2.14 This also was not obscurely typified by the high Priest's plate wherein was fairly engraven Holinesse to the Lord which was to be upon his forehead the forefront of his miter that he might beare the iniquitie of the offerings which the children of Israel should offer in all their holy offerings and it should be alway on his forehead to make them acceptable before the Lord l Exo. 28.36 38. But thirdly as it is by the mercy of the father and the me it of the son so is it also by the hand of the holy ghost upon them that God is so greatly pleased with the suite and services of his people the Apâ—stie instancet in â—ne religious duty we may safely extend it to all the rest Likewise saith he the spirit helpeth our infirmities m Rom 8.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he sets his shoulder to the work together with us as th word there imports For we silly soules know not what we should pray for as we ought we neither know what for the matter nor as we ought for the manner But the spirit it self against all the roarings and repinings of the flesh maketh loud and shâ—ill intercessions for us in this case with groanings which cannot be uttered * Excitat vehemens desiderium liberationis accendit quoque alios affectus ammi ut gaudium et amorem adeò ut ardeant supra modum eâ— naturam communem longè exaperent Rolloc and that thus 1. He lets us see our want of God which nature studiously covereth 2. He sets before us the excellency and worth of finding favour with God the thought whereof never entereth the naturall mans heart n 1 Cor. 2 9. 3. He stirreth up and kindleth in us strong affections in prayer dictating words and expressions answerable to those affections In short he workes all our workes in us o Esa 26.12 Quoties video te susphâ—rtem non dubito spiritum aspirantem â—yprian as the prophet saith for we cannot so much a suspirare unlesse he do first inspirare breath out a sigh for sin except the spirit do first breath it into us Much lesse can we make an effectuall and comfortable prayer or do any thing else that 's truely good without him Sith prayer think the same still of any other holy duty is the breath of the spirit the pulse of the spirit without whom what is prayer else but an empty ring a tinkling Cymball Pray saith St. Iude in the holy ghost p Iede 20. set 1 Cer 14.15 Eph 5 18. And then he that searech the heart will easily know the minde of the spirit that he intercedeth for us according to God q Bom. 8.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or worthy of God and to his greatest liking Such another phrase the Apostle hath of Godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7. where he calleth it A sorrow according to God r 2 Cor. 7.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Luke 6.12 he continued all night 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the prayer of God that is a spirituall god-like sorrow and such as issueth from the spirit of God For the wind must blow ere the waters flow Å¿ Psa 147.18 Dike saith the Prophet And it is the fire of the spirit saith a Divine in our hearts as in a still that sendeth up those dews of repenting tears into our heads that drop forth of our eyes Think the like of christian watchfulnesse Even Peter James and John those pillars t Gal 2.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will be ready to sleep and buckle yea and that in the houre of remptation u Mat 26.41 too if the spirit do not quicken them and as it were hold up with forks their heavy eye-lids And for reading of the Scriptures look how the Philistines could never understand Sampsons riddle till they plow'd with Sampsons heifer x Judg 14.18 so neither can we conceive or relish the deep things of God without the ayde and assistance of the spirit of God y 1 Cor 2.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As on the other side With his holy spirit and by it we are sanctified unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus z 1 Pet. 1.2 purified in obeying the truth unto unfained love of the brethren a 1 Pet. 1.22 quickened unto all goodnesse righteousnesse and truth b Eph. 5.9 caused to keep Gods commandements c Ezek. 36.27 himself setting us to work * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 working all our works for us d Esay 26.12 sanctifying all the works of our hands yea sanctifying the offering up both of our selves and our services to God as the Altar sanctifies the gift e Rom. 15 16. and opening us a welcome accesse to to God in all our performances f Eph. 2.18 who as he knowes the meaning and minde of his spirit g Rom. 8.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so he cannot but accept that sacrifice that is kindled by the fire of his own spirit upon the true Altar Christ his own son This is the first Reason taken from the three persons in the Godhead SECT III. The Doctrine further confirmed by reasons from the Saints THe next respecteth the saints themselves whose persons first are elect holy and beloved Colos 3.12 whose performances in the second place have a true and reall goodnesse in them and are therefore dearly accepted and highly accounted of in the sight of God For the first It cannot be denied but that by nature all are alike hatefull to the Almighty Reas 2 Neither is it for any goodnesse he discerns in one more then another that he puts any difference He loves his people merely because he loves them h Deut. 7.7 the ground of his love being only in himself He adopts them according to the good-pleasure of his will i Eph. 1.4 without the least defect in himself or desert in the creature It is otherwise with us then it was with those maids in Ahâ—shueâ—osh his time they were first perfumed and purified afore he chose one for himself k Esth 2.10 God found us in our blood when he said unto us live l Ezek. 16.6 and Christ gave himself for his people that he might sanctifie and present them to himself a glorious church m Eph. 5 26 What was
the Saints are so set upon the thoughts of Gods Name they are taught and inabled thereunto by that holy spirit their domesticall Monitour and sweet inhabitant For know ye not that your bodies are the temples of the holy ghost that is in you p 1 Cor. 6 19 And if their bodies are the Spirits temples surely then their soules are his Holy of Holies wherein are continuall pillars of incense ascending q Cant. 3.6 good and holy thoughts I meane abounding by the operation of the Holy ghost whose immediate motions they are we being not able of our selves to think one good thought r 2 Cor 3.5 There never entred into the heart of a naturall man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him ſ 1 Cor. 2.9 10. ◠But God hath revealed them to us by is spirit whose worke it is 1. To enlighten 2. To enlarge the heart wherein he takes up His first work is to beat out new windows in the dark soules of men to let in a new light thereinto to give us thereby some fight of God some sense of his sweetnesse some glimpse of his glory Not as he is in himself in the brightnesse and perfection of his essence for so he is incomprehensible and the light whereby he should be seen inaccessible t 1 Tim. 6.16 Nor yet so perfectly here as he stands described unto us by his Attriutes and actions that 's reserved for a better life But his back-parts u Exo. 33.23 only with Moses that holy and reverend Name of his Jehovah Jehovah strong mercifull gratious longsuffering c. x Exod. 34.6 Thus much the spirit gives us to see of God though somewhat obscurely y 1 Cor. 13.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as through a grate only or as in a glasse in a riddle or as an old man through spectacles the greatest part of our knowledge being but the least part of our ignorance And Secondly having thus opened our eyes and turned us from darknesse to light he turnes us next from the power of Satan to God z Act. 26.18 that whereas heretosore we were acted and agitated by the Prince of the power of the ayre a Eph. 2.2 the God of this world who had first blinded our minds b 2 Cor. 4 4 and then set abroad upon our hearts and affections hatching out thence whole swarmes of evill thoughts and litters of lusts that fight against the soul c 1 Pet. 2 11 So now being possessed by a better spirit we are enlarged and enabled to captivate and conforme our thoughts to the soveraignty of Gods grace the rules of his word and the remembrance of his Name Fourthly their new Nature Reas 4 that blessed frame of Gods grace erected in them by the spirit that great Architect that plants the heavens and layes the foundation of the earth that he may say to Zion Thou art my people d Esay 57.16 This Divine Nature e 2 Pet. 1.4 as Peter calls it and renewed Image of God this habit of heavenly-mindednesse putteth Gods servants upon a continuall fresh succession of holy thoughts For besides that their phantasy or thinking-faculty being a chief inward sense of the soul is seizedupon for God to the utter dessolving of that old frame of vile thoughts and lusts those strong-holds wherein satan had entrencht f 2 Cor. 10.4 5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 himself the whole spirit soul and body of a Christian is sanctified throughout g 1 Thes 5.23 God writes his law in our hearts h Heb. 8.10 stamps his image upon the spirit of our minds i Eph. 4.23 makes us partake of the god-like nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world thorough lust k 2 Per. 1.4 c. Hence an ability of holy thoughts and affections for as the man is such are his dispositions and meditations The liberall man deviseth liberall things l Isa 32.8 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things m Mat. 12. And as from within out of the old heart proceed evill thoughts n Mark 7.21 c. so from the sanctified heart proceed sanctified thoughts and gracious considerations and respects to God and his Name Reas 5 Lastly we may argue for the truth and certainty of this point of the godly mans practise from the many near and dear relations he stands in to God together with the daily dealings he hath and often use he makes of his Name For God first he is the good mans friend and father Prince and portion God and guide his All in All o Colos 3.11 he hath given up his name to Gods truth devoted himself to his fear p Psal 119.38 sworne himself to his service q Psa 119.119 and endeavours nothing more then to love him with all his heart with all his soul and with all his thought which is that first and great commandement of the law whereupon the rest hang r Mat. 22.37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a hing upon a nail or as beads upon a string And secondly for the name of God they run to it in any stresse as to a strong tower ſ Prov. 18.10 they walk in his name t Micah 4.5 as in a Garden or gallery they rejoyce in it as in all treasure u Psal 119 14 yea what ever they do in word or deed they do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ x Colos 3.17 c. Now can we possibly rejoyce in Gods name run to it upon all occasions walk in it talk of it do all in it and yet not minde it not be much in the thought of it Again can we acquaint our selves with the Almighty vouch him for our God set him up for our Soveraigne coverse familiarly with him as our friend walk before him y 1 King 9 4◠in uprightnesse and integrity walk with him z Gen. 6.9 in an humble familiarity walk after him a Deut. 13.4 by an entire obedience and ready conformity and yet not frequently think on him 't is not possible SECT III. Vse 1. Those that habitually think not upon God fear not God NOw for application Are all Gods people such as think upon his Name Use 1 This then serveth first to shut all such out of this holy society andto evince them void of Gods true fear that think not dayly and diligently upon God that make not his name the matter of their meditation that say not in their hearts Let us now fear the Lord our God b Ier. 5.24 c. The wicked saith David through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts c Psal 10.4 Eating and drinking buying and felling building and planting plowing and reaping c. are in his thoughts but God falls not into his thoughts the whole day thoroughout Or
the Jews valued our Saviour at 2 Cor. 6 20 Zech. 11.13 the price of a slave but with the blood of God Act. 20.28 For we are not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold poor things to purchase a soul with more likely a fair deal to drown it desperately in perdition and destruction but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb undefiled 1 Tim. 6.9 1 Pet. 1.18 19 1 Pet. 1.2 Tit 2.14 and without spot who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify us to himself by that blood of sprinkling that saved us from the Destroyer a peculiar people and present us to himself a glorious church not having spot wrincle or any such thing Eph. 5.27 SECT IIII. Reason 4. 4. HE hath effectually called us with an high and heavenly calling Heb. 3.1 Reas 4 Whereby we that in times past were not a people as St. Peter after the Prophet hath it or if any a disobedient and gainsaying people Rom. 10.21 a people laden with iniquity Isay 1.4 a people of Gomorrah ver 10. a naughty people Ier. 13.10 good for nothing but to be cast off as a rotten girdle ibidem and therefore the people of Gods wrath Isa 10.6 and of his curse Esay 34.5 are now by a gracious calling and speciall priviledge become the people of God a righteous people Esay 60.21 a holy people Esay 62.12 wise and understanding above all people Deut. 4.6 a people in whose heart is Gods law Isa 51.7 the epistle of Christ written not with inke but with the spirit of the living God known and read of all men 2 Cor. 3.2 whiles we walk Phil. 2.15 as examples of the Rule harmelesse and blamelesse the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and corrupt nation amongst whom we shine as lights in the world holding forth the word of life as an ensigne or badge of our high and honourable vocation and as an holy nation a peculiar people shewing or preaching forth the vertues of Christ that hath called us out of Egypt into Goshen out of palpable darknesse into his marvelous light And this the rather 1 Pet 2.9 1 Cor. 1.24 because not many wise mighty or noble are called 't is a wonder that any But God hath made known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory even us whom he hath called according to purpose not of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles As he saith also in Osee I will call them my people which were not my people and clepe her beloved which was not beloved Rom. 9.23 24. yea I will betroth her unto me in faithfulnesse and marry her in mercy for ever Now marriage in it self is honourable among all men Hos 2.20 Heb. 1.2 How much more when to such and such an honourable personage as the Heir of all things Especially since to make her a fit spouse he purifies her as they did Esther and beautifies her as Abrahams servant did Rebeccah for he puts a Jewel upon her fore-head earerings in her eares and a crown royall upon her head Ezek. 16.12 he decks her as a bride-groom and as a bride adornes her self with Jewels Isa 61.10 thus is her beauty perfect through his comelinesse put upon her And herein the Lord Christ goes beyond all earthly bride-grooms whatsoever Moses married a blackmore and could not change her hue Solomon an Egyptian and could not convert her to the truth But Christs conveys and communicates his beauty to his bride every grace in that chaine about her neck wherewith Christ is ravished Caent 4.9 being as a costly Jewel set in fine gold and whensoever he calls a man to an heavenly kingdome as once Saul to an earthly he makes him to be of another spirit then before and to walk worthy of God and worthy of the vocation wherewith he is called Eph. 4.1 SECT V. Reason 5. LAstly God hath already glorified his people so the Apostle doubts not to deliver himself of sanctification begun here Reas 5 Rom. 8.30 and to be perfected hereafter set them together with Christ in heavenly places given them the earnest of their inheritance for a pawn of the whole bargaine Ephes 2.6 the first-fruits of the spirit as a foretaste a pledge of the whole harvest garnished them with that grace that will one day be glory nay is so already for what is grace but glory begun and what is glory but grace perfected They differ not in kinde but degree only whence it is that grace is in scripture put for glory and glory again is used for grace yea that Gods people 1 Pet. 4.14 for their graces are called the Glory Esay 4.5 46.13 as having the spirit of glory and of God resting upon them Indeed there is a naturall glory stampt upon the very persons of true Christians Colos 2. ult such as those that are but meer civil men cannot chuse but honour as the Hittites did Abraham Thou art a Prince of God among us nay the wicked and worst of men as Jehoram did the Prophet Elisha over whom when sick he wept out O my father Acts Mon. my father the horsemen of Israel and charets thereof And Master Bradfords death is said to have been bewayled of many Papists also that knew his piety in his life and patience in his death so much honour God did him in the consciences of his very enemies Vnde indicatur conscientiae puritas causae benitas Malcolm in Act. 7 Ephes 4 Mat 4 Cant. 4. Wisdome maketh the face to shine as it did St. Servens They saw his face as the face of an Angel such was the goodnesse of his conscience his cause and his courage And could they have seen his inside they should have discerned and admired a farre greater glory that new man I mean that new world above-mentioned that after God or according to the likenesse of the heavenly paterne is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse The transcendent beauty and bravery whereof is such that the Lord Christ himself who was nothing moved with an offer of the glory of the whole world professeth himself ravisht and lost in love toward a sanctified soul For albeit we are sanctified but in part and there be yet many flawes and blemishes in the best whiles here yet he considers us as we are in himself and as we shall be in the state of perfection like as we do kings children Colos 3.3 whiles yet in their nonage For when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory Israel in the mean-while is his glory Esay 46.13 a crown and a diadem in the hand of Jehovah actually possest of heaven aforehand as it were by turf and twig Joh. 5.24 1 Joh. 3.14 And albeit the Saints have not yet attained to the full degree of the shining brightnesse of