making a fair shew in the Flesh glorying in it how far we have been glorying in the Flesh our Gifts and Parts our Differences our Opinions waies of Worship wherein we Differ from our Brethren that yet are Planted upon the same Foundation of a crucified Jesus Carnally dividing from each other upon such Differences upon such things wherein we Differ from others as yet are but received and received from the same Fountain that gives to One as well as to the other what he hath even the Lord Jesus Christ Carnally envying of Striving against and Smiting each other Proudly exalting our selves above and Despising our Brethren Thrusting and Pushing the Lambs and Lean and Sick and Broken of the Flock to the scattering them abroad In these things walking like Men the Men of the World and not like the Children of the Heavenly Father whose Conversation as Pauls was is in Heaven above these things And how far we come short of the Spiritnal mind that was in the Apostle and those who were Perfect in that Day and the Lord expects should be in us at this day the reflection of but a Dim Eye will clearly Discern Now that this Evil is a peice of that Sin for which the Lord is Judging his People will appear plainly if we seriously consider what the Lord saith Mal. 4.5 6. Behold I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful Day of the Lord and he shall turn the heart of the Fathers to the Children and the heart of the Children to their Fathers lest I come and smite the Earth with a Curse What great and dreadful Day of the Lord is this here spoken of Surely it s none other than that Day of God's coming to his People the Day of the Lords Executing his Judgements and pouring out his Vengeance upon the wicked World wherein the wicked shall be burnt up leaving them neither root nor branch wherein this People shall tread down the wicked and they shall be as Ashes under the solas of their Feet 1 and 3. verses Before this Day come before the Lord will bring his People from under the †Mal. 3.1 2. Isai 10.5.12 and 27.7 Cant. 6.4.13 Isai 4.5 6. Zach. 9.14.15 Refiners fire and Fullers Sope Take the Assyrians Rod the Rod of his Anger from off their back deliver them from under the present smitings and slayings of their Enemies make them terrible as an Army with Banners as the Company of two Armies and create a defence upon them from the Heat Storm and Rain all the rage and malice of their Enemies that they may goe on with Might and irresistable Power as the Lightning in the work of the Lord devouring and subduing treading down the wicked as Ashes under their Feet slaying their enemies with a greater slaughter than ever they were able to slay them with so that neither Root nor Branch shall be left them Before this day of God comes the Lord Will send Elijah the Prophet Either by his Messengers or by his Providences or by both co-working together beget such a frame and temper of Spirit in his People as shall lead them to Horeb to the Mount of the Lord where God himself at first revealed his Will to his Chosen led them into that State and Condition wherein the Lord met with them and was with them and manisested himself unto them at the first in the Day of their Espousals that Day of Love in the glory of which the Lord so much delights that he remembers it and forgets it not Isaiah also strongly hints this whilst he tells us The remnant shall return even the remnant of Jacob unto the mighty God Chapt. 10.21 as they shall no more crouch and bend the knee to their Smiters for their favour so they shall no more run Carnally after Apollo nor Paul not Caephas after this or that Opinion or Way or Party or Man but they shall return from these things from being led Captive by the Pessions and Lusts such courses hurry them into to the Lord the Mightâ—y God alone to Jesus Christ the true Foundaton they shall come into such a Spiritual Christ-like frame of Spirit as shall Turn the Heart of the Fathers to the Children and the Heart of the Children to their Fathers Who are these Fathers and who are these Children that being at a distance need a Reconciler Surely these Fathers and Children are not only of the True Seed of Jacob but of that part of the True Seed too who shall be used in the Work of the great Day of God spoken of before the Stress the absolnte Necessity the Lord laies upon their reconciling and uniting strongly implies so much The Apostle John tells us there are little Children Fathers and young men in Christ 1 John 2.12 13 14. I write unto you little Children because your sins are forgiven you for his Name-sake I write unto you Fathers because ye have known him that is from the beginning I have written unto you young men because ye are strong and the Word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one These are the strong and the weak Christians Christians of several measures of several Degrees of a several Pitch in Grace and Knowledge these through weakness and imperfection having strayed from the Simplicity that is in Christ run into Variance and Strife and Envyings and Divisions biting and devouring one another Walk like the Men of the World and not as the Children of one Father the Father of Mercies the Heavenly Father Now this unchild-like temper must be taken away by a Reconciliation wrought between these Fathers and Children turning the Hearts of these several sorts of Christians towards each other that they may walk as becomes the Children of one Father of such a Father as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is Turn the Heart of the Fathers to the Children c. They shall be of one Heart serve the Lord with one consent there shall be such a Heart-love begotten in them towards each other as that all Variance all Division all Distance shall be swallowed up there shall be no Thrusting nor Pushing nor Trampling upon nor despising one another being by a reconciling spiritual frame of Spirit brought to see themselves the Children of one Father they shall sit at one Table eat in one Pasture drink of the same Water together because the Lord provided the same for all his Children then we shall not hear them quarrelling with and judging of one another but then this shall be the voice Come all ye that love the Lord Jesus Christ Come feed in his good Pastures Come drink of his deep Waters that he hath provided for you all ye Children of our Heavenly Father who bear his Image upon you And this must be saith the Lord Lest I come and smite the Earth with a Curse There is such an absolute Necessity that this Reconciliation be wrought in and among the
is under sore rebuke and trouble as the preceding 17. Verse manifests The Lord waits that he may be gracious Heaven is ready to Save if Earth were but as ready to be Saved There 's no Obligation no tye upon God to shorten his hand to hinder it from Saving if Jacob were but prepared and ready to receive Salvation Therefore saith the Prophet will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you How will the Lord exalt himself that he may have mercy In Judgement for the Lord is a God of Judgement The Lord will exalt himself and his Glory by his judging of Jacob and while this correcting Judgement is working its natural Effect by the help of the co-working of the mighty Spirit of God in the heart of Jacob he waits to be gracious waits to Save he waits the good hour wherein his Corrections having wrought the desired Effect he may be gracious his Grace may abound above Jacob's Sin in delivering him out of the hands of all his Enemies that he may serve him without fear in Holiness and Righteousness before him all his dayes Thus was it with Jacob in the Wilderness of Old The Lord was ready to give him the Promised Land the Time was come for him to possess it the Iniquity of the Amorites was full the Enemy was ripe for Judgement yea the Lord told him so by the mouth of his two faithful Witnesses Caleb and Joshua Num. 14.8 9. They are bread for us their defence is departed from them and the Lord is with us But Jacob was not ready to receive it his Sin hinders his Possession This is our Case It 's our own Sin and not anothers that hath hindered our Salvation and brought a sore Affliction upon us And that too at a Time when the Lord's hand was not nor is not shortened by any Consideration of a Time or any thing else on his part but is prepared ready to Save It 's only our own Sin that stands in the way of our Salvation it 's that that Causes the present Hidings of the face of our God from us by it we have as it were Caused God to go out of that path of Salvation he was graciously and wonderfully going on in and to steer another course that he may take away our Sin that which hinders his saving of us and to wait till this Let be taken out of the way that he may be gratious unto us and Save us Q. It may be asked What are those sins which have hindered our Salvation by which we have provoked the Lord our Father so severely to chastise us An. I had thoughts to have enlarged upon this Subject but lest I should grieve the Spirits of any and hoping that a word a hint may prove sufficient I shall do no more This SIN which hath brought Affliction upon us which hath provoked the Father of mercies to chastise us with bloody stripes to take it away is that which hath made us both unfit for God to use in and unable to do the Work the Lord hath appointed to be done by his People Any Sin less than such Sin the Lord would have born with and the Intercession of our Mediator would have prevailed for us as the Children of Israel of old in the Wilderness through the Intercession of their Mediator were many times born with and found favour and grace from God till they came to sin that Sin which unfitted them and put them out of a capacity to receive that great Gift of his Grace and favour he was in a readiness to bestow upon them and to do that Work the Lord had to do by them Now I would only Query whether some parts and parcels of this provoking Sin be not these First Love of this Old World This is a killing Sin most pernitious to Jacob's Happiness while this remains he cannot be a fit Instrument for the Lord to use and so not fit for Deliverance See what the Apostle John saith of it 1 Joh. 2.15 Love not the World neither the things that are in the World If any man love the World the Love of the Father is not in him The reason of this the Apostle James tells us Jam. 4.4 The friendship of this VVorld is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend to the VVorld is the Enemy of God How much and how powerful this Sin hath prevailed amongst us and how far it hath hurried us into other provoking Evils every seeing eye and discerning spirit cannot but be sensible of The reasons why I put it upon the Query whether this hath not provoked the Lord to chastise us are 1. Because our Lord Christ doth so severely warn us to take heed of it Luke 21.34 Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be over-charged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this Life and so that day come upon you unawares In these words he hath relation to the two extream conditions men are in in this World Full or Empty either in a full possession of it and so out of abundance of Love and Delight they have to it and take in it they drown themselves therein Or being Empty out of a Love to it they are carefully reaching after the possession of it This he equally warns us of and commands us to watch and pray against upon no less penalty than being not accounted worthy to escape the Judgements of God and to stand before the Son of man when he Comes for when he Comes he will neither have the surfeiting drunken Lover nor the careful Lover of this World to be his Follower This is clearly imployed in the 36. Verse 2. Because our Lord Jesus to express his hatred of this Sin sets forth the wickedness of the VVorld at that Day when he comes in Judgement to it by this Love of this VVorld Luke 17. from the 26. to the 30. V. As it was in the dayes of Noah so shall it be also in the dayes of the Son of man They did eat they drank they married VVives they were given in Marriage until the day that Noah entered into the Ark and the Flood came and destroyed them all Likewise also as it was in the dayes of Lot they did eat they drank they bought they sold they planted they builded but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from Heaven and destroyed them all The bare being exercised about these things Christ here reckons up as the sinful state of the World cannot be his meaning for all these things are either necessary to our Being as eating and drinking or else to our Well-Being in this Life They are such things as at his coming he finds also those exercising themselves about whom yet he takes to himself to follow him leaving the rest to Iudgement They were all eating and drinking and marrying and at the Mill and in the field together as well those that he takes to himself as his own Peculiars
Ministers their Due and every member of the Body its Due notwithstanding the Differences wherein every Member Differed from another by this keeping the Body perfectly joined together Paul being Spiritual tells them he planted and Apollo watered but God gave the increase and that neither he that planteth nor he that watereth is any thing but God is all he is to have the honour of all Chap. 3.6 7. He tells them also that Christ cannot be Divided he is not for those that are for Apollo more than for them that are for Paul nor for any party of them in contradiction to the rest though by this their Carnal Spirit they would Divide him into Parts and Parties He tels them further that they were to be only for him who was crucified for them and into whose Name they were Baptized This is the true import of the words Chap. 1.13 and 15. verses 5. VVALKING LIKE MEN Are ye not Carnal and walk as Men the works of the Flesh of the fleshly Man of the Men of the VVorld are Hatred Variance Emulation VVrath Strife Sedition Envy and such like Gal. 5.19 20 21. Now while we walk thus Carnally we walk like Men such Men the Men of the world not as Christians as those that are Spiritual that have the Spirit of Christ in them For they that are Christs have crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts thereof if we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit let us not be desirous of vain-glory provoking one another envying one another 24 25 26. verses 6. UNFITNESS to receive such Truths a making them not able to bear such discoveries of God and Christ and his Glory as Christ hath given him from the Father to discover unto and bestow upon his People I could not speak unto you as unto Spiritual but as unto Carnal even as unto Babes in Christ I have fed you with Milk and not with Meat for hitherto ye were not able to bear it neither yet now are ye able for ye are yet Carnal Chap. 3.1 2 3. These Corinthians that were enriched in all utterance and all knowledge that came behind in no gift are yet Carnal which hinders them that they cannot as the Apostles did with open face behold as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord and be as they were changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 No by this Carnality of mind they become as Babes not able to bear strong meat and so not fit for strong work that VVork which to enable his people to do it s absolutely necessary that the Lord give unto them such a full and large discovery of himself as this Carnality of spirit will not admit them to receive From these things Obs 1. This Carnality of Spirit bringing forth these Fruits is such a Distemper as the Highest Christians Christians of the Richest attainments that are enriched in every thing yea waiting for the coming of the Lord are too much and too too often troubled with to the great unhappiness of their own Souls hindring the Work of the Lord that is to be done in them and by them Of this Sort were those whom the Author to the Hebrews rebukes VVhen for the time ye ought to be Teachers ye need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the Oracles of God and are become such as have need of Milk and not of strong meat Heb. 5.12 Obs 2. This Carnality of Spirit opposes not Gifts but Grace All Gifts all Utterance all Knowledge may be in a Christian together with this Carnality So that Christians may think themselves fully prepared to meet the Lord be waiting for his coming and be yet Carnal But it hinders receiving of Grace it keeps them from being of and submitting to such a frame of Spirit as is absolutely necessary to enable them to grow from Glory to Glory to follow Christ whithersoever he will please to lead them Therefore saith the Apostle unto these Corinthians Chapt. 1.10 I beseech you Brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you but that ye be perfectly Joined together in the same mind and in the same Judgement This Same thing this Sameness of mind and this Sameness of Judgement which the Apostle exhorteth and beseeches them to cannot be that nor in that which any one of these Parties strove for against the other that wherein any of them Differed from the other for he rebukes them all for their Striving for and their vain glorying in that wherein they Differed He takes not Part with any One of their Opinions nor Waies but keeps close to his own Way and his own Judgement which was indeed that which he had Planted them in and upon from the Simplicity of which they through Carnality had strayed and that was Jesus Christ the only true foundation Therefore saith he Chap. 2.2 I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified for other Foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ Chap. 3.11 Paul had planted them in this Foundation this is that Same thing he would have them all to speak of and towards which he would have them all joined together in the same mind and of this he would have them all of the Same Judgement It 's impossible he could mean by this Same thing this Sameness of mind and Sameness of Judgement in it any One of the Parties they were Divided into for he rebukes them all a like as well he that was for Christ who its the most probable was the best and surely was of the best side as he that was for any of the other and it 's as irrational to conclude he was for any particular Opinion of any of the Parties wherein they differed from each other and so beseeches them all to be of the Same mind and Judgement with them For as the Differences were not such as were inconsistant with the Foundation so he seems to give them all an equal Allowance as being such things as they had received from the same Fountain from God But saith he If any man build on this Foundation Gold Silver Precious Stones Wood Hay Stubble every mans work shall be made manifest for the Day the further revelation of the Lord shall declare it is because it shall be revealed by Fire and the Fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is and that which is right shall abide and that which is wrong shall be burnt therefore Judge nothing before the time vers 12 13 14 15. with the 5th verse of the 4th Chapt. Look to the Foundation whereon ye are planted Jesus Christ him that was Crucified for you him into whose name ye were Baptized speak all the Same thing be ye all in this in the Same mind and in the Same Judgement
but judg nothing before the time neither the Gold nor the Silver nor the Wood nor the Hay nor the Stubble but be ye Perfectly joined together in waiting upon the Lord till his Day come wherein he wil declare what he Allowes what he allowes not of what he will have to abide and what is to vanish away and perish Upon this Same Principle it is that this Same Apostle tels the Philippians I press towards the Mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you Nevertheless whereto we have already attained let us walk by the Same Rule let us mind the Same Thing This Same Thing is even Pressing towards the Mark waiting patiently and tenderly when God shall reveal even this to those who in any thing are otherwise minded This evil of Carnality is that of which the Lord so Affectionately complains in tendernesse and pitty towards his poor Flock and for which he so sharply deals with and Judges the guilty Ezek. 34.17 18 19 20 21 22. verses And as for you O my Flock thus saith the Lord God Behold I judge between Cattle and Cattle between the Rams and the He-goats Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good Pasture but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your Pastures And to have drunk of the deep waters but you must foul the residue with your feet And as for my Flock they eat that which ye have trodden with your Feet and they drink that which you have fouled with your Feet Therefore thus saith the Lord God unto them Behold I even I will judge between the fat Cattle and between the lean Cattle because you have thrust with side and with shoulder and pusht all the diseased with your Horns till ye have scattered them abroad Therefore will I save my Flock and they shall no more be a prey and I will judg between Cattle and Cattle How nearly this Scripture concerns us a due consideration of the whole of it will quickly make us sensible Here are such proud tramplings of the Pastures such envious Pudling in the Waters that though the Pastures of Gods house are good Pastures yet they are made as not so though the Waters of the Sanctuary are deep Waters yet they are fouled that the poor Lean of the Flock those who are hungring and thirsting after the fat things of Gods house are forced if they will have any food any relief to satisfie their weary and thirsty Souls to feed upon that which the fat Cattle those who are full and rich in Gifts and Parts and High attainments as these Corinthians were have trodden down and drink that which they have fouled with their feet their Carnal uncomely unbrotherly walkings Here are such wrathful strivings and Pushings of the strong Cattle against the poor diseased Cattle and the poor weak Lambs of the Flock that they are scattered abroad This the Lord takes very much to heart Seemeth this a small thing unto you saith he I have given you good Pastures enough to feed my whole Flock and I have given you deep Waters sufficient for my whole Flock to drink of And now through Pride do you think them not worthy to eat in my Pastures and to drink of my Waters which I have provided for them as well as for you and so what your selves cannot eat you tread down and what you cannot drink you foul with your Feet If you cannot keep them from it yet by your Carnal uncomly Walking you cause their Souls even to loath my good Pastures and my deep Waters and I have Lambs and Lean and Sick and Broken Cattle in my Flock and do you proudly and enviously strive against these to keep them out of my good Pastures and from my deep Waters that I have given them to feed upon and drink of as well as you Do you thrust with Side and Shoulder and push with your Horns these poor needy ones till ye have scattered them abroad as if they were not of my Flock did not belong to my Fold Know saith the Lord if this seem a small thing unto you it doth not so unto me I will judge of these matters I will seek that which was lost by you by your proud disesteem of them not looking after them and bring again that which was driven away by you by your Envious striving against them and bind up that which was Broken by your thrusting with Side and with Shoulder and the Pushes of your Horns and that which is sick will I strengthen Thus will I deal with them whom you despise but you the F at and the strong that work this mischief in my Flock I will destroy I will feed you with Judgement ver 16. By this time I suppose it plainly appears how dangerous and Pernitious this Evil is to a Christian yea that it s so subtil so curious a resined Spirit that it many times enters into and dwels in the Richest Christians Christians of the highest attainments in Gifts and Parts These Corinthians were enriched in every thing in all Utterance and all Knowledge coming behind in no Gift and that which adds to all they were waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ yet these kept not themselves free from this evil frame of Spirit It 's only the conformity to a crucified Jesus that can expel this Evil spirit that can Cure this dangerous distemper that can kill this Soul-canker But we must know and be conformable to him as he is a Crucified Jesus before we can become Spiritual Christians indeed This the Apostle strongly hints to us while he tells the Corinthians I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him Crucified Also the great displeasure of the Lord against this Sin this Carnality of Spirit which brings forth Proud-boastings vain-gloryings which brings forth Envy which brings forth Strife which brings forth Divisions which causes to walk as men and which so unfits for higher Communion and fellowship with the Lord than at present is attained and for higher and more Noble work than at present the Christian is exercised in causing an inability to feed upon strong Meat and so to do strong work that till Christians are cured of this Distemper they cannot become a fit Instrument in the hand of God to do his great Work How far Christians poor sinning Jacob at this day have been and are with these Corinthians guilty of this pernitious Evil CARNALITY OF MIND and how far we have been and are yet from that Sweet Heavenly Thriving Strengthning frame of Spirit that Spiritual mind that Paul and the rest of the Apostles and compleat Christians were in in their Day the Day of the Gentiles our Espousals let every seeing Eye and sensible Heart judge how far we have been guilty of
his Rongh-wind in the Day of the East-wind Though our Sin and Perversness in it compel the Lord for our Good to suffer the †Isa 10.24 25 26. Deut. 32.37 41 42 43. verses Assyrian to Smite us with a Rod and to lift up his Staff against us after the manner of Egypt yet saith the Lord O my People be not afraid of the Assyrian for yet a very little while and the Indignation shall cease and mine anger in their Destruction The Lord of Hosts shall stir up a Scourge for him according to the Slaughter of Midian at the Rock of Oreb and as his Rod was upon the Sea so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt Though we by our Stubborness force the Lord to afflict us after the manner of Egypt to Purge us and Cleanse us from that which keeps us from him and him from us to do which his Glory engages him yet when that is done as our Affliction is so shall our Deliverance be after the manner of Egypt a stronger hand shall come to Deliver us than came to Afflict us What though the Assrrian our Enemy think not so but exalt himself saying where are their Gods their Rock in whom they trusted The Lord saith If I whet my glittering Sword and mine hand take hold of Judgement I will render vengeance to my Enemies and will reward them that hate me I will make mine Arrowes drunk with Blood and my Sword shall devour flesh and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives from the beginning of revenges upon the Enemy Rejoice O ye Nations with his People for he will avenge the blood of his Servants and will render vengeance to his adversaries and will be merciful to his People 8. Let us not say with Gideon Judg. 6.13 If the Lord be with us why then is all this befaln us Now the Lord hath forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of the Midianites But as our Lord Jesus Christ said of himself to his Disciples Luke 24.26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and so to enter into his Glory So Consider all the Prophesies in the Old and New-Testament that concern these last Daies and then judge whether the body of Christ his Members Distressed Jacob at this Day ought not to suffer these things to undergoe this Trial the Refiners Fire the Fullers Sope the Smitings and Slayings of their Enemies now at last to fit them for Glory If this be the way through which Christ entred into his Glory surely his Members his Followers must enter the same way into their Glory Yea this is the Great End wherefore the Lord is Afflicting Jacob that he may become glorious with such a Glory as may Deserve and upon which he will Create a Defence such a Defence as shall never be taken away as all their Enemies shall never be able to rob them of And the Lord is Waiting the Time wherein he may be thus Gracious he desires only our Acknowledgement of our Sins and then he will work his Great Work Jer. 3.13 14 15. Return thon Back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine Anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and I will not keep Anger for ever only ACKNOWLEDG thine Iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God and hast scattered thy waies to the Strangers under every green Tree and ye have not obeyed my voice saith the Lord. Turn O back-sliding Children saith the Lord for I am married unto you and I will take you one of a City and two of a Family and I will bring you to Sion and I will give you Pastors according to my heart which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding Lastly this Prophesie and what hath been drawn from it doth Earnestly Call upon Sinning and distressed Jacob to †Isa 1.19 Za. 8.12 Isa 10.21 37.32 66.19 24.15 Joel 2.32 Isa 1.20 Mal. 4.6 wash and Cleanse himself from all these Evils laid down before him If thou dost hearken and do thou shalt live and eat the good of the land partake of those Blessings the Lord hath in store for the Remnant that by a true and through Repentance shall escape the Evil of the Day returning from their Idols unto the Mighty God shall again take root down-ward and bear fruit upward declare the Glory of the Lord glorify the Name of the Lord God of Israel in or among whom shall be Salvation But if thou wilt not but dost resuse and rebel know of a truth this present Affliction shall devour thee If the Hearts of the Fathers and Children in Jacob will be still stubborn against and not be turned to each other the Lord will Curse instead of Bless the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it the Glory of the Lord is engaged in it Know of a truth that till you come into your Cleansed Undefiled United Sate you will not be a fit Instrument for the Lords Work Surely Jesus Christ had much of this in his Eye when he prayed so earnestly to his Father that they all might be †Joh. 17.20.21 22 23. verses One not only his then Disciples but those also that should Believe on him through their word and that he would give so great a price for it as the Glory which the Father gave him and that he should lay so much Stress upon this as that which is Necessary to make it manifest to the World that he was Sent of God and that God bears the Same Love to his People that he doth to Him I shall conclude this Discourse with this Word As an Afflicting Wilderness State is that into which the Lord will bring his People to Plead with them face to face as he Pleaded with them in the Wilderness of Old causing them to pass under the Rod to Purge out from among them the Rebbels and the Transgressors Ezek. 20.35 36 37 38. verses So it 's that State into which he will bring them in the last Daies and give them as a DOOR OF HOPE I will give her the valley of Achor for a Door of Hope The valley of Achor this Day of Trouble this State of Lowness and Affliction which Achans Sin hath brought upon us is given to us as a Door of Hope under the New Covenant in these last Daies of Jacobs Affliction in New-Testament Times a Ground to Hope the Lord hath Smiles for us after these Strokes the fruits and tokens of a Fathers Love after these Stripes of his Fatherly Displeasure a morning of Joy after this evening of Trouble he only waits till we have done Justice upon Achan that Sin that hath Troubled Israel and then I will allure her and bring her into the Wilderness Into the Wilderness of this Wilderness State He will Allure us by the Glorious manifestations of himself by the Mighty Workings of his Spirit into such through forsakings of all things of all of this
World for himself and for his Sake that this State shall be unto us as the Holy of Holies comparatively wherein he will speak Comfortably unto us And speak Comfortably unto her Better words than ever we heard before from him such as shall make us forget all our Trouble and Sorrow And he will not only give Good Words but Gracious Gifts too And it shall be at that day saith the Lord that thou shalt call me Ishi my Husband and shalt call me no more Baali my Lord. Behold he hath been a Gracious Lord but now he will be a Tender Loving Husband unto us he will bring us into more Near and Intimate Converse and Communion and Fellowship with himself than ever we enjoyed all our Days before And this Grace extends not only to our Inward Man but to our Outward Man also I will give her Vineyards from thence Whatsoever we forsake for his Sake to follow him and keep close to him he will not suffer us to be losers by it if we lose a Vineyard any possession in this world to follow him to keep him company in the Wilderness he will give it us again there with advantage according to the Promise of our Lord Jesus Every one that hath forsaken houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my Names sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit Everlasting life Mat. 19.29 Yea so great shall be the manifestation of the Love of God and so abundant shall be the Gifts of God to us there as shall Cause our Exceeding Rejoycing She shall sing there as in the Daies of her youth and as in the Day when she came up out of the Land of Egypt Though this Day of Wilderness-Troubles and Straits brings Sorrowes hard to be undergone yet such shall be the Gracious dealings of the Lord with us as that we shall be made to forget all our Sorrows there 's no Day that ever we yet enjoyed yeelding so much cause of Joy as this shall do the Lord will make us Sing for Joy And now who would not rather choose the Trouble of this Day the very Wilderness of this Wilderness State than the Serenity and Glory which the Children of this world are drowned in which shall be consumed by the burning like the burning of a fire which the Lord of Hosts the Light of the Holy one of Israel shall kindle under it POSTSCRIPT NO thing can Provoke the God of Jacob the God and Father of Mercies to throw him into the Furnace of Affliction and to pour down his Fury upon him but such a degree of Sin as will either being let alone Destroy Jacob seperate him from his God or Deprive God of his Glory even the Glory of those Great and Wonderful things he hath done for his Jacob and even then when he is thus provoked to deal with him in wrath and anger his Eternal Love is at the Bottome of all to draw Jacob Neerer to himself and to make him the People of his Praise and Glory I have Refined thee but not with Silver I have Chosen thee in the Furnace of Affliction for mine own sake even for mine own sake will I do it For how should my Name be Polluted and I will not give my Glory to another Isa 48.10 11. Therefore it is that when these Effects are wrought the Lord so often speaks of Burning the Rod wherewith he Corrects them and punishing their Persecutors and Afflictors Now that the Dealings of the Lord with us may not seem too hard nor discouraging but just and righteous and full of Grace and Love I would mind you of two Scriptures the first is Num. 14. from 20. to 26. And the Lord said I have pardoned according to thy word But as truly as I live all the Earth shall be filled with the Glory of the Lord because all those men which have seen my Glory and my Miracles which I did in Egypt and in the Wilderness and have tempted me now these ten times and have not hearkned to my voice surely they shall not see the Land which I sware unto their Fathers neither shall any of them which provoked me see it but my servant Caleb because he had another Spirit with him and hath followed me fully him will I bring into the Land whereinto he went and his Seed shall possess it Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the Valley To morrow turn you and get you into the Wilderness by the way of the Red Sea We find these Children of Israel in the Wilderness very near Canaan very neer their journies End when these words were spoken unto them They were very neer going out of their Wandering Wilderness State into Canaan a setled happy Condition setled upon the Lords Foundation but their unbelief brought forth Rebellion against the Lord and his Messengers Caleb and Joshuah which hurryed them back into their Wilderness State by the way of the Red Sea the same way by which they came out of Bondage that must be the way now by which they return into Misery These words are the Lords answer to Moses upon his Intercession on behalf of Provoking Israel God had said in his Wrath he would Smite this People and Disinherit them and make of Moses a greater and a mightier Nation than they but upon Moses his Earnest Intercession who was the Mediator of that outward Covenant that was between the Lord and this People as a Nation the Lord is Pacified he grants him his request as far as would stand with his Glory saith the Lord I have pardoned according to thy word but as truly as I live all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord c. as if he should have said to spare all this People the Rebbels as well as the Innocent will not stand with the Glory of my Name thou so much pleadest to me but I will do so and so and by this means will I glorifie my Name this Evil Congregation have Dispised I would but take notice of a few things in the words which I conceive are worth your observing 1. The SIN which thus provokes the Lord. It 's no Common Ordinary Sin for such Moses their Mediator would have prevailed for pardon this People had Sinned against the Lord nine times before and all that was pardoned but this Sin is such a Sin as touches the Lords Glory the Glory of his Name that he had gotten to himself by all those Woundrous Works he had done for them It was Unbelief to such a Degree as was Despising the voice of the Lord in the mouth of his faithful Witnesses and running back towards Egypt towards that State and Condition to Deliver them out of which the Lord had wrought so wonderfully thereby despising that Blessed State and Condition the Lord had Promised and was Ready to bring them into This touches the Eyes of Gods Glory to the quick and brings down Devouring Judgements