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
Lords own People whom he hath ordained to be his Instrument by which he will do the great Work of his terrible Day that except this be done that cannot be done a Curse will come upon the Earth instead of a Blessing Quest What Curse is this the Earth must be Smitten with in case this Reconciliation between the Fathers and the Children be not wrought Answ It cannot be those Judgements of God which he will pour down upon the World by the hand of his People in this terrible day for though that day Begin with Jndgement it Ends with Blessing Now a Curse is pure Judgement without mixture of Blessing pure wrath without mixture of Mercy and this Curse being put in Opposition to those Blessings which these people reconciled shall obtain it 's as much as if the Lord had said If these Fathers and Children will be Reconciled and Turn their Hearts to each other I will Bless them to the enabling them to goe forth and grow up as Calves of the Stall in treading down the wicked that they shall be as Ashes under the Soals of their Feet But if not I will Smite all with a Curse not only the Wicked but they themselves too all shall be Cursed and Perish together as that Generation that Sinned against me in the Wilderness were Cursed and Perished Mount Ebal shall be their portion not Mount Garizim The Lord will Turn the Heart of the Fathers to the Children and the Heart of the Children to their Fathers As at the first he took away the Partition Wall between Jew and Gentile between those sheep of his Fold So now he will again take away the Partition-wall that Carnal Dividing Spirit that is among the Sheep of his Fold at this Day As then he made of Twain One New man so now of many he will make One Rev. 14.1 Ps 2.6 Isa 24.23 Mic. 4.7 Isa 18.7 8 18. 31.4 Obed. 17 21. Psal 48.2 Heb. 12 22. Hill One Mount for Christ to stand upon and sit on as King and Reign and that for ever this is the Place of the Name of the Lord of Hosts the Place where he dwells it 's when his People come into this state that the Lord will fight for them it 's upon the People of God in this state that Deliverance shall be upon this State upon Mount Sion shall come Saviours it's this state of Jacob that makes him the Joy of the whole Earth the Joy of the whole Earth is Mount Sion and this is that state the People of God in this Gospel Day are to come unto By this we see what fruit the Lord expects his present Afflicting hand upon us should bring forth in us what it is he expects from us before he will judge us fit for Deliverance and Bestow it upon us A forsaking our Carnal Envying and Striving and Dividing and the Turning of our Hearts to each other in a true sincere Love uniting upon the One True Foundation Jesus Christ Other than which no man can lay Abundance more might be said to prove this both from the Old and New Testament Pauls Epistles yield plentiful proof that this frame of Spirit is the Onely true Gospel frame But I forbear If it be objected That we are Commanded in several Scriptures in the Old and New Testament to be separate and not touch the unclean thing and to come out of Babylon upon the penalty of being partaker of her Sins and so of her Plagues therefore how can this union pleaded for be according to the mind of God I Answer It s a certain truth that touching the unclean thing and abiding in Babylon are inconfistant with this Union pleaded for A Holy Separation from the unclean thing and coming out of Babylon of necessity must precede this Union otherwise it cannot be for in a Defiled house the Lord will not dwell But yet we must be careful lest we call that unclean which the Lord doth not account so and so cast away that which the Lord will gather up as his and call that Babylon which the Lord looks upon as belonging to his Sion though weak and infirm Therefore it 's necessary to resolve this Case that we consider what is to be understood by this unclean thing and by coming out of Babylon 1. By coming out of Babylon we must of necessity understand coming out of whole Babylon her Civil Tyrannical State and her Religious Idolatrous State otherwise we shall neither be fit for nor can we come unto this Union To prove this a multitude of Arguments and Scriptures might be brought but taking it for granted I would onely caution this There are Tyrrannies and Idolatries which are not Properly her's for every thing that is like Babylon is not Babylon and we must be careful lest we mistake one for the other by which many Erring Inconveniences may follow 2. By the unclean thing I conceive we are to understand 1. What soever is inconsistant with the only true Foundation Jesus Christ laid by the Apostles That we must not touch with have any fellowship with or be united unto for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteonsness what concord hath Christ with Belial 2 Cor. 6.14 15. Now those Petty Differences I call them Petty because they cannot so much as move the Spiritual Man he sees them what they are and lives above them they are onely great and powerful to the disturbance onely of the Weak and Carnal Christian I say those Petty Differences that are among the People of God who are planted in and built upon this true Foundation are so far from being to be cast off as not agreeing with the Foundation as that they are not to be Judged Judge nothing before the time saith the Apostle but to be let alone to be born with till the Day declare of what sort they are The Apostle reckons up many several sorts Gold Silver Precious Stone Wood Hay Stubble 1 Cor. 3.12 the Carnal Christian looking upon these as very Heterogenious matter such an Impure mixture as is not to be suffered would burn up the Wood the Hay and the Stubble in the Fire of his own Spirit not considering that thereby he would rob the Gold and Silver and the Precious Stone of some part of their Glory by the smutting smoke of his wrathful Fire by this manifesting himself to be one Spirit with that combustible matter which yet he would destroy seeing he is so easily set on fire but saith the Apostle the Spiritual man Judge nothing before the time let them alone till the Day declares and tryes of what sort every mans work is till the Lord clearly manifests to the sincere in heart who are yet otherwise minded who yet Differ about and are not able to Distinguish between these things what he will have to Abide and what he will have to be Burnt 13. and 15. verses compared with Phil. 3.15 2. The meer Natural Man who hath never passed through the New Birth 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
GOOD NEVVS OR Wine and Oyle Poured into the Wounds of SINNING and DISTRESSED JACOB In some Meditations on Isa 27.6 7 8 9 verses Directing to the Cause wherefore and the End for which The present Affliction is come upon him Hinting at the Means by which his Deliverance will be wrought And Comforting him against the Extremity of Affliction come and coming upon him By PAIN LuMLE A WELCH christian Jer. 30.7 Alas for that day is great so that none is like it it is even the time of Jacob's Trouble but he shall be saved out of it Lam. 2.1 3.18 21 22 31 32. How hath the Lord covered the Daughter of Sion with a Cloud in his Anger and cast down from Heaven unto the Earth the Beauty of Israel and remembred not his footstool in the day of his Anger I said My Strength and my Hope is perished from the Lord. It is of the Lord's Mercy 's that we are not consumed because his Compassions fail not â— for the Lord will not cast off for ever but though he cause grief yet will be have Compassion according to the multitude of his Mercies Isa 61.9 All that see them shall ACKNOWLEDGE THEM that they are the SEED which the Lord hath BLESSED London Printed in the Year 1661. TO Sinning and Distressed JACOB LEt not your Heart be troubled saith our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to his Disciples when they were going through the withdrawing of his blessed bodily Presence into a scattered persecuted desolate helpless Condition full of Sorrows Now with what doth he fortifie their Heart against Trouble With his Gracious Ends in going away from them which were first To Prepare a Place for them in his Father's House In my Father's House are many Mansions I go to prepare a Place for you there a better State and Condition than I can either fit you for or bring you into while I am present with you here on Earth and then I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also And secondly after I am glorified I will pray the Father and he shall in the mean time give you another Comforter even the Spirit of Truth who will be a greater Comfort unto you than either I have been or can be or you can be able to receive I have yet many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now till I have carried your Nature the humane Nature which I have assumed into the Same Glory I had with the Father before the World was Therefore it is Expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you and he shall guide you into all Truth He shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you and all things that the Father hath are mine Joh. 17.5 and 16.7 13 14 15. verses Strongly inculcating not only his Gracious Ends for their Eternal Good but the Necessity of his going away to accomplish those Ends which would not nor could not be effected except he withdrew from them Therefore Let not your Heart be Troubled but Believe in Me that I will do these things for you As the Lord Jesus had these Glorious Ends at Thâ—â— Time in his leaving and withdrawing from his Disciples So he hath Glorious Ends in all his Dealings with his Chosen to the End of the World the Consideration of which should fortifie the Hearts of the distressed and peeled People of Jacob against all Heart-trouble What 's the Meaning of all that Chequer-work between Christ and his Spouse in the Canticles a Prophecy that reaches through many various Dispensations to the coming of our Lord to work a Total Deliverance for his Chosen as is asserted by Persons of no mean repute in the Church of Christ for Piety and Learning Sometimes hiding himself from her making her sick of Love and sometimes in the strength of his affection towards his Spouse He is Leaping and Skipping towards her Sometimes he Hides himself behind the Wall and again shews himself forth at the Window discovers himself through the Latess Sometimes he quite withdraws himself and is gone yet at last after she had undergone very hard usage from the hands of men the Smitings and Woundings of the Watchmen and the Insulting Robberies of the Keepers of the Wall he meets her and comforts her in his Garden among the beds of Spices What is the Reason of these various Becloudings of his so often hiding and withdrawing himself from his Beloved Surely it's to No other End as the whole current of the Prophecy and the Advantages the Spouse gaines after every casting down will tell us it is but to carry her from Glory to Glory from one Degree of Glory unto another until she be fitted for such a Total Deliverance and Salvation as shall never be clouded more and then the cry is Who is this that cometh up from the Wilderness out of all her Trouble and Wilderness-straits leaning upon her Beloved And now at this time O thou Afflicted tossed with Tempests the fury of men and not yet comforted though the Cloud that is over thee grow darker and darker and this terrible Storm shake all the Pillars of thy fleshly Building yet let it not touch thy Heart with anxious trouble only Believe thy God is the same to thee that ever he was if he withdraw himself it is that he may come again and shew thee greater Mercy 's such as shall never be taken from thee if he hide his face from thee it is that he may fit thee for and shew thee more of his Glory than ever he did before if thine Enemy weaken thee it is that by waiting upon the Lord forsaking thy Idols thou mayest renew thy strength if he Imprison thee in Holes and Corners it is that the Lord may be glorified in fitting thee for it hearing thy Groanings if he appoint thee to Death it is that the Lord may be glorious at the appointed time in loosing those that are appointed to death Nay surely the Lord hath this Gracious End in Afflicting thee at this time viz. To fit thee for a Compleat Salvation that Manifestation of the Sons of God that Glorious Liberty of the Children of God which the Creature Earnestly Expects and the whole Creation Groaneth and Travelleth after yea which the Saints of God who have received the first fruits of the Spirit Groan within themselves for waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Bodies Rom. 8.19 21 22 23 v. that being fitted for that Work the Lord hath purposed to do by thee thou mayest go forth to it thrive and prosper in it both in Soul and Body and grow up to a compleat preparation to meet Our Lord when he shall come again without Sin unto Salvation All God's Ends towards thee in all his Dispensations are full of Glory to himself and Salvation to thee Therefore
Nothing that Jacob meets withal in this World should trouble his Heart but his Sin and that no further neither than is necessary to his thorow-forsaking of it it being only that which hinders the shining of the face of his God upon him and grieves the Spirit of the Lord causing him to withdraw his sweet Influences and leave us to feed upon the Husks of our Gifts and Parts till we are become sensible of the want of that True Bread which is to be enjoyed in our Father's House by those who forsake their Sin and this World with the things therein How many strong Obligations doth the Heart and Hand of God working thus graciously for us lay upon us to be Examining and Trying our Wayes and diligently searching out what that is which stands as a Partition Wall between us and those Everlasting Kindnesses that Glory which shall never be removed which the Lord is waiting a fit time to bestow upon us and to wash and cleanse our selves from it And now give me leave to take a little liberty to warn you of a few things which surely if among us at this time very much grieve the Holy Spirit of God 1. Take heed our Tongue of Profession run not beyond our Feet of Practice Let us not outbid our selves lest when we come to perform we have neither Strength nor Heart to follow our Tongue and so dishonour the Lord that bought us with so great a Price putting him to open-shame by whose Name we are called giving the world of Unbelievers occasion to think him not a sufficient Saviour able to save us from the Power of Sin and Temptation That Sin of the Scribes and Pharisees which our Lord while on Earth was so severe against and Austeer in Reprehending was of the like nature with this speaking great Words but doing little when it came to practice it was but tything Mint and Cummin small things and leaving the weightier things undone The Sad and woful Effects this Sin hath brought forth amongst us for many years past are too too evident 2. Take heed lest shunning that you fall not into another Sinful Extream almost as bad which is Not making an Open Profession of the Truth we believe lest we should not be able to walk answerable to it Knowing that which is convenient and lawful for one man to do is no way lawful nor convenient for another who makes a greater and higher Profession Now lest we should not have strength to come up to that strict Circumspection such a Profession requires to the honouring of it we hide our Light put not our hand to the work our Light would lead us to sit still out of a fear of our own weakness and infirmities this is a subtile Temptation and refined Snare of the Evil One. He that hath had experience of this Evil can tell you that it is of a pernicious nature it not only clearly speaks forth a secret liking of and unwillingness to part with some Beloved Sin that such a degree of owning Truth would necessitate the mortifying of but by this means every Sin that Nature is propense to gets a greater latitude to exercise it self in the whole Man Corruptions grow strong and stout and the Man careless by a mis-use of that Word that tells him That is Lawful and Convenient for him which is Not for another to do and this hinders that Fellowship and Communion with the Father and the Son through the Spirit which otherwayes he might attain unto This is of the same nature with that Temptation Moses himself was troubled with a sinful sense of his own VVeakness and of that Failing of his if it may be so called in the manner of putting his hand to the Work God had ordained him to when he slew the Egyptian Send I pray thee saith he to the Lord by the hand of him whom thou wilt or shouldest send as if he had blamed the VVisdom of God in pitching upon such an unfit and unworthy an Instrument as he was which kindled the Anger of the Lord against him Exod. 4.13 14. and had it not been for the Riches of the Grace of God to him-ward it had lost him the Happiness and Glory he afterward enjoyed in doing the Will and Work of God Our Sin should not hinder but provoke us to honour the Lord more by our Obedience than we have dishonoured him by our Disobedience If any man Sin saith the Apostle we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and this he writes unto us that we sin not 1 Joh. 2.1 And may I say that we sin not a Sin of this nature but looking upon and considering the Advocateship of Jesus Christ on our behalf we take courage and run the Race that is set before us by the Command of God our Father 3. Take heed lest that you upon whom the Extremity of Affliction is not yet come after the measure it is fallen upon others that you do not adde Affliction to the Affliction of your Brethren by your Slighting Undervaluing and Brow-beating them Look over all the Scriptures that relate the sad Condition of Distressed Jacob and see how unkindly God takes this kind of dealing at the hands of any he finds thus exercising themselves and how Severely he threatens to deal with them know of a Truth that before the VVheel of Affliction hath turned round it shall reach you also and it may be the heaviest Spoak may light on you This Sin is of the same nature with that the Lord was so wroth with Amos 6.1 and so on to the 7th verse VVo to them saith God that are at Ease in Sion c. But they are not grieved for the Affliction of Joseph Therefore now shall they go Captive with the first that go Captive How uncomly and unnatural a thing is it for him that professes to participate of the New Nature to make the Rule and Standard of his Valuation of and Respect to his Brother and so it is lesse or more according to his Enjoyment of the Good things of this life I am sure the Apostle James abhorred this Jam. 2.2 3 4 5 6. and upon this account as well as upon any other he cryes Chap. 5.1 Go to now ye Rich men Rich Professors for to such he writ Weep and Howl for your Miseries that shall come upon you I shall adde no further but intreat a serious Consideration of the following Treatise and if the Lord administer any Benefit or Comfort by it to any of Jacob's Afflicted Children or any Glory redound to the Name of God thereby I have my End I proposed to my self both in Writing and Printing this Discourse The good Lord make it fruitful to his Glory and the Good and Comfort of Distressed Jacob. Farewell READER AMong several other lesser Faults escaped the Press thou art desired to take notice of these more Material VIZ. Pag. 8. line 29. for him read them P. 13. l. 17. r. is done
the prevalent remainders of this Carnal-mindedness in the Lords own people unfits them for the Lords work makes them uncapable of doing it or being used in it for this keeps them from being subject to the Law of God the Rule of the Lord by which he will square his work which he hath said he will Magnify and make Honorable Isa 42.21 By this we come to Dye and to be Dead to the Work of God If we would live to the Work of the Lord we must be Spiritually minded to be spiritual minded is Life and Peace ver 6. this is that must enable Jacob to take root and Israel to blossome and bud and fill the Face of the World with fruit Carnal-mindedness is Death to Jacob by it he becomes as a withered branch bringing forth no fruit to the Lord for while he is in that mind he is not neither can he be subject to the Law of his Work This Carnality of spirit respects either Natural worldly flesh as Paul tels us Rom. 8. minding the things of the flesh this world and the good things thereof which are not of the Father but of the VVorld for all that is in the VVorld The lust of the flesh the lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life is not of the Father but of the World which whosoever loves the love of the Father is not in him 1 Joh. 2.15 16. of which the Apostle Paul saith the world is crucified to me and I unto the world Gal. 6.14 otherwise he could not have been an Apostle of Christ Or it respects Religious flesh such a frame of Spirit in matters of Religion and Worship as is Fleshly and Carnal The more gross of this Sort the Apostle Paul complains of as those that would make a fair shew in the Flesh that they might glory in the Flesh and that to this unworthy end to avoid persecution for the Crosse of Christ Gal. 6.12 13. But saith he God forbid that I should Glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world ver 14. This was Pauls frame of spirit and such only are fit Christians for Christs service There are a more refined sort of these Carnal-minded Christians to cure whom the Apostle Paul takes a a great deal of pains in his three first Chapters of his first Epistle to the Corrinthians to the 8th verse of the fourth Chapter These Corinthians were Christians of such a high pitch of such high attainments as the Apostle saith of them In every thing ye are enriched in all Utterance and in all Knowledge so that ye come behind in no gift waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Notwithstanding all this they are yet Carnal I could not saith he speak unto you as unto Spiritual but as unto Carnal for ye are yet Carnal See what Fruit this Carnal frame of Spirit brought forth in these Corinthians and then we shall know what it is to be Carnal to be a Carnal Christian 1. PRIDE Proud boasting of their attainments a puffing up in the conceit of their own Opinion to be more truth and higher truth than others vainly glorying in that wherein they differ'd from others as if they received it not but had it of themselves and from themselves exalting themselves above their Brethren as full and rich reigning as Kings looking upon themselves as wise as strong as honorable whilst others yea Apostles themselves are accounted foolish and weak and are despised and that by themselves judged of of them This the Apostle tells them of and rebukes them for Chap. 4.3 6 7 8 and 10. verses A Spiritual mind would never have brought such Fruit but this was the fruit of their Carnallity by this Carnal wisdom the Apostle tels them they deceived themselves if we will indeed become wise we must deny our selves in this and become fools that we may be wise this is but the worlds wisdom which is vain and foolish with the Lord therefore let none glory with this glorying Chapt. 3.18 19 20 21. verses 2. ENVY I am for Paul saith one I am for Appollo saith another and he envies him that is for Paul I am for Caephas saith another and he envies the rest I But I am for Christ saith another and he Envies all because they are more for men than for Christ as he thinks I am for this saith one and I am for that saith another and he envies his Brother because he differs from him because he is not of his Opinion of his Judgement of his way not considering that what he hath is but received from another and therefore he hath not whereof to glory nor to exult over his Brother much less should he envy him while enviously one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are ye not Carnal 3. STRIFE These several parties Strive against each other for their Opinions those things wherein they differ from each other which of them should be most received and honoured as the ritchest truth as the highest attainment Striving and contending about whose Parts and Gifts are most deserving and worthy of honour to be followed after and hearkned to 4. DIVISIONS Chapt. 1.11 12. and Chap. 3.3 4. verses It hath been declared unto me of you my Brethren by them which are of the house of Cloe that there are contentions among you Now this I say that every one of you saith I am of Paul and I of Apollo and I of Caephas and I of Christ ye are yet Carnal for whereas there is among you Envy and Strife and Division are ye not Carnal and walk as Men For while one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are ye not Carnal The Apostle blames them not for being for Paul or for Apollo or for Caephas or for Christ or for being for them all for saith he Let men so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God Chap. 4.1 we are to be accounted of you ought to honour us as such But in this they were blame-worthy in this they transgressed that they were Enviously Dividingly Factiously for one against another and he that is thus for Christ Sins as well as he that is so for the Ministers of Christ his being for Christ will not excuse him while he is in this Frame and Temper of Spirit Are not these things a knowing Men and Christ after the flesh of which the Apostle tels these very Corinthians they for their parts they Apostles would not be guilty Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the Flesh yea though we have known Christ after the Flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more 2 Cor. 5.16 The Flesh profiteth nothing It s the Spirit that quickneth John 16.63 This Fruit a Carnal mind brings forth those who are Spiritual as Paul and others brought forth better Fruit giving every one their Due Christ his Due and his
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
Son of Old Adam with all his fleshly and Dead Works Those Carnal uncleannesses under the Law several Diseases the Menstruous Corruptions of Nature the Dead Man c. which were then made unclean in that day as to that worship were Types of this This is clearly the scope of the Apostle 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16 17. be ye not unequally yoked with unbelievers for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness or what part hath he that believeth with an Infidell wherefore come out from among them and be ye seperate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing c. Believers and Unbelievers Believers and Infidels are not to unite together are not to be Cemented together in one building The Unbeliever the Natural man the Son of Old Adam is that unclean thing which the Believer the Spiritual man the Son of the New Adam Jesus Christ is to come out from to be separated from and not to touch with if he will be the Temple of the living God for him to Dwell in and walk in 3. IDOLS What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate c. Idols are a part of that unclean thing which those who will be the Temple of the living God must be separate from and not touch with Babylon and her Idols All will grant yea the Carnal fry of Christians will grant that they are to be separated from even while in the mean time they are hugging a more Refined sort of Idols in their hearts crying out against another as guilty of Idolatry and Wil-worship while yet they mind not the Idols in their own Hearts Dividing withdrawing communion from each other looking upon each other as not the Sheep of Christs Fold for their Opinion their waies-sake for the sake of those things wherein they Differ notwithstanding they all are by the mighty working of the Spirit of God planted in the true Foundation Jesus Christ putting their Opinions their Waies their Differences in the Room and Place of the Foundation Jesus Christ making them the Standard and Boundary of their Communion and Separation by which they become their Idols from which the Lord in his due time will separate them induing them with such a Spiritual frame of Spirit as should abolish their Idols the Idols he shall utterly abolish †See Tillinghurst upon this Scripture Isa 2.18 These things of a Religious Nature may be and too too often are as really the Heart Idols of Carnal Christians as the Silver and the Gold of this World are either unto such or unto the men of the World Of these Heart Idols the Lord expresses exstream detestation Ezek. 14.3 4 5. Son of man these men have set up their Idols in their Hearts and should I be inquired of at all by them Therefore speak unto them and say unto them thus saith the Lord God Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his Idols in his heart the Lord will answer him according to the multitude of his Idols And these Religious Heart Idols when we are joined to them make us so tenatious so obstinate so perverse that there is no dealing with us God himself thinks not fit to deal with us while in this Condition except in a way of Correction to scourge them out of us but saith Ephraim is joined to Idols let him alone Hosea 4.17 when men have Idolatrous hearts adoring either the Idols of this World the Silver and the Gold the good things of this Life or those more curious Idols those Religious things wherewith a world of Professors cheat their own poor Souls while they hug their Form for the Power while they make their Opinion and Way the Measure and Standard of their Religion there 's so little hope of them that saith God He is joined to Idols let him alone as Solomon saith of his Conceited man Pro. 26.12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit there is more hope of a Fool than of him So it 's as true there 's more hope of a meer Natural man that never knew what belongs to making a Profession of the Name and worship of God than of such a one whose Opinion or Way or Judgement are his Heart Idols Let him alone saith God I will answer him deal with him by my self and that so as ye shall know that I am the Lord Ezek. 14.7 8. None can deal with such but the Lord and he deals with such a People by terrible things utterly abolishing the Idols that the Lord alone may be exalted See Isa 2.17 18 19. verses 4. Covetousness which is Idolatry Col. 3.15 This is another part of the unclean thing which must be separated from and not touched with This Sin was then of such an unclean Nature that it caused the Lord who was among them and in the midst of them to withdraw from Israel upon which they fell before their Enemies neither would the Lord be with them till they had cleansed themselves by separating from it Joshua 7.1 and 12. verses It was Covetousness made Achan put forth his hand to the accursed thing and to steal from the Lord part of his due that he had consecrated to his use as appears by ver 11. compared with Chapter 6.18 And the same that the Lord Consecrated to himself in that day he hath said he will again consecrate to himself in these last daies when Sion shall arise and thresh and beat in pieces many People Mich. 4.13 and he will as little bear with it in his People now as then for this is One of Babylons Sins for which the Lord Judges her Jer. 51.13 and it 's for the Iniquity of our Covetousness that the Lord is wroth with us and smites us Isa 57.17 Now it 's worth our searching into whether Achans sin hath not been one great cause of that Stop put to the Work of God and of that great Affliction which is fallen and is yet falling upon poor sinning Jacob at this Day Instead of Consecrating the gain unto the Lord have we not taken it to our selves and put it among our own Stuff From this Sin will the Lord separate his People making them his Redeemed from the Earth Rev. 14.3 Notwithstanding this and that the Apostle tells us Eph. 5.3 that Covetousness ought not to be so mnch as named amongst us as becometh Saints Yet how partial have poor Carnal Christians been in this day a small difference an Opinion hath caused them to Divide to Separate and Flce from each other as from Monsters while in the mean time this pernitious Idolatrous Evil is not so much as taken notice of Nay looked on as a Vertue or at least past over as an Infirmity For this as well as for other Evils the Lord is Judging his People Let these things be Separated from and I think I may safely without presumption say the People of the Lord will quickly come into such an undesiled united
from Saving and his eare from Hearing our cry If we would but turn from our Sin which brought the Rod upon us the Lord would Hear and Save us immediately The Lord is so ready to save that he is waiting upon his watch to see when we will return to him that he may save us Deliverance is fixed to no Time but only to the Time of our Turning from our Sin the sooner we Turn from it the sooner we shall be Saved till we turn from it we shall not be Saved for the Rod is brought upon our back to Turn us from it till which is done it will not be taken off and as soon as ever we Turn from our Sin the Lord will take that oportunity that Time to shew forth his Almighty power and get him self a Name and a Praise in the Earth in Saving of his People 5. From hence we may behold The Exceeding Riches of the Grace and Love of God to his People Though Jacob Sin and Sin at such a rate that compels the Father of Mercies who had rather be giving men for him and people for his life giving them as the dust to his sword and as the driven Stubble to his Bow for precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints notwithstanding this Father of Mercies is so highly provoked as that he is compelled to give up Jacob into the hand of his Enemies that so by such a sever Correction we may be brought to return to the Rock of his Salvation which he hath lightly esteemed then the remnant shall return even the remnant of Jacob unto the Mighty God Isa 10.21 yet through this dark cloud of displeasure he manifests a Fathers Love to uphold the drooping Spirits of Sinning Jacob In measure when it shooteth forth thou wilt debate with it c. as if the Lord had said Fear not Jacob though I deal thus sharply with thee know it 's only to Purge and Cleanse thee from thine Iniquities and Sin to Cut out the remainders of that rotten Core of Iniquity that is in thee to Lance those Boils of Corruption that are yet in thy flesh unbroken this Smiting and Cutting Dispensation shall proceed no farther My Rough Wind shall only blow away thy Chaff and then will I debate with it put a Stop to its rigorous proceedings I have an East-wind in my hand ready as soon as ever this potion I have given thee hath done its work for which I intend it to send forth to Turn this Rough Wind backward and make a way for thee to escape for this is all the fruit to take away thy Sin Thou wouldest not give me that Praise which was my due and I expected from thee for former kindnesses therefore thou hast compelled me to gain that Praise by making use of the Wrath of Man to Correct thee but the Remainder of wrath will I restrain Psal 76.10 They are only the Bryars and the Thornes in the midst of thee that set themselves against me in Battel that oppose my Work and my Intendments that I would bring to passe to get my self a Name and a Glory in the Earth it 's only these that I would Destroy and Burn together but my End in all this is to fit thee for that I may bestow upon thee Salvation therefore take hold of my strength and make peace with me and thou shalt make peace with me as it is in the 4th and 5th verses 6. Though the Immediate Minute of the Time of Jacobs Comfort is not yet come the Time wherein Jerusalem can say her warfare is accomplished Isa 40.1 2. Mal. 3.2 Isa 27. compared with Cant. 5.7 she hath received of the Lords hand double for all her Sins notwithstanding this terrible tryal may be as Hot as the Refiners Fire and as sharp as the Fullers Sope this Smiting may be to Wounding and Blood yet do not despond let not thy heart sink under it for the Lord hath not only said he will measure it out for thy good but he hath also said there is Hope in thine End This Affliction though it may be Sore and Terrible Smarting and Bloody yet it shall not make an End of Jacob. †Jer. 31.16 17 and 30.10 11. and 46.27 28 and 4.27 and 5.10 18. Fear thou not O my Servant Jacob saith the Lord neither be dismaid O Israel for loe I will save thee for I am with thee saith the Lord to save thee though I make a full End of all Nations yet will I not make a full End of thee though I leave thee not wholly unpunished yet will I Correct thee but in measure though the whole Land be desolate yet will I not make a full end though I command the Enemy to goe upon thy Walls and destroy yet not to make a full End yea in those daies saith the Lord I will not make a full End with you Though these Scriptures speak but Colaterally to us yet they speak as fully and as strongly to us as they did to them in the same Condition For if the Lord under the Old-Testament Administration bore so much Love to his Servant Jacob as not to suffer the punishment of his Sin to make a full End of him in that day much more will he not suffer the punishment of our Iniquities to make a full End of us in this day of the punishment of our transgressions under the New-Testament Adminstration Therefore let not our Hearts sinck under our Affliction but let us lift up our heads for our Redemption draweth nigh there is Hope in our End the Lord will yet Cause them that come of Jacob to take Root Israel shall Blossome and Bud and fill the face of the World with fruit though to Cause us to * Isa 10.21 Deu. 32.15 36. compared with Isa 59.16 return to the mighty God the Rock of our Salvation which we have lightly esteemed to bring us quite home to himself the Lord may fuffer the Afflictton to arise so high that it may be even ready to overwhelm us that there is no man left to stand up for us no Intercessor to plead on our behalf No Saviour our power is gone and there is none shut up or left then will the Lord repent himself for his Servants and his own Arme shall bring Salvation 7. As the Great End of the Lord in all is GOOD to Jacob all things the Smitings the Woundings the Slayings of his Enemies work together for good to Jacob So the Lord hath engaged to debate with and stay his Rough-wind the Smitings and Slayings of the Enemy the Present Affliction when it hath shot forth to that measure to that degree to the bringing forth of that Good he intends to Jacob by it it shall proceed no further if the Enemy of Jacobs Happiness offer to carry it on further to Jacobs hurt the Lord will by his East-wind that he hath in readiness for that purpose put a stop to it He stayeth
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