in a visible church communion to the Jewes and in the spirituall communion of Christ with the soule for the present Of the visible form first Isa 60. 15. I will make thee an eternall excellency a joy of many generations I thinke this is not onely meant concerning the spiritual happines of the Saints but that God hath a time to make his visible church to be an eternall excellency and a joy of many generations an excellency that shall never have an end And this their perpetuall condition their enduring happinesse shall arise from three grounds First from the precious foundation that shall be laid upon that Church when it shall be Isa 54. 8. With everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord but mark the ground vers 11. Behold I lay the foundation with Saphires all the rubbish shal be taken away it shal not be raised upon a rubbish foundation God will lay the foundations of it with Saphires and then with everlasting mercy he will embrace that Church Secondly that Church shall be in a peaceable condition no rent no division there therefore in a perpetuall condition Esay 33. 20. A Tabernacle that shall not be taken down not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed Why the very words before shew the reason Jerusalem shall be a quiet habitation Thirdly this Church shall look wholly at Christ as their Judge and their Law-giver and their King Isa 33. 22. The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King Churches are ready to change while they mixe other things with the worship of Christ and the lawes of men with his laws but when they can look to him I mean in that which is spirituall as their Law-giver as their Judge and as their King then the happinesse of it shall be perpetuall never to cease in this world the Lord Christ will betroth this Church unto him for ever Though I verily think the holy Ghost aymeth at this in great part yet we are to understand this betrothing for ever further of the spirituall communion the soul hath with Christ When Christ betroths himselfe unto a soule it is for ever the conjugall love of Christ with a gracious soule shal never be broken At the first mans condition was such as man laid hold upon God and let goe his hold but now God lays hold upon man and hee will never let goe his The bond of union in a believer runs through Jesus Christ it is fastned upon God and the spirit of God holds the other end of it and so it can never be broken This union is in the Father who hath laid a sure foundation 2 Tim. 2. 19. Rom. 9. 11. In the Son who loves his to the end Iohn 13. 1. In the Spirit who abides in the elect for ever John 14. 16 17. Esay 54. 10. The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee My loving kindnesse shall be more stable with thee and endure longer then the mountains themselves It is as sure as the ordinances of heaven Jer. 31. 35 36. Thus saith the Lord which giveth the Sun for a light by day and the ordinances of the Moon and of the Stars for a light by night if those ordinances dopart from before mee then the seed of Israel shall cease c. And Jer. 33. 20 21. Thus saith the Lord if you can break my covenant of the day and my covenant of the night that there should not be day and night in their season then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant You have these three expressions of the abiding of Gods love to his people 1. The continuance of the mountains 2. The continuance of the ordinances of heaven and earth 3. Gods covenant with night and day Here is the bottome of consolation to the Saints They shall be kept by the power of God 1 Pet. 1. 5. As if God should say the speciall power that I meane to put forth in this world shall be to uphold the spirits of my Saints to bring them to salvation certainly it is so The speciall work that God hath in this world to exercise his power about is to keep Christ and the Saints together Though it be through Gods power that the heavens and the earth be kept up yet if God must withdraw his power from one hee would rather withdraw it from upholding heaven and earth then from upholding one gracious soule that hath union with his Son The union that is between Christ and his people it is too neere an union ever to be broken I remember Luther hath a notable expression about this As it is impossible for the leaven that is in the dough to be separated from the dough after it is once mixed for it turneth the nature of the dough into it selfe so it is impossible saith he for the Saints ever to be separated from Christ For Christ is in the Saints as neerly as the leaven in the very dough so incorporated as that Christ and they are as it were one lump Christ who came to save that which was lost will never lose that which he hath saved Heb. 7. 16. it is said that Christ was made a Priest not after the law of a carnall commandement That is he was not made a Priest as the Priests in the law after a ceremonial way but after the power of a indissoluble life Coeli virture by a celestiall vertue so Calvin upon the place The argument why Christs life is indissoluble rather then the Priests in the law is because they were made by the power of a carnall commandement not by a Celestiall power So those who professe godlinesse according to a carnall comandement in a ceremoniall way may faile vanish and come to nothing in their way of worship as many have done but such as are professors of Religion by the vertue of Gods Spirit in them they have the power of a life indissoluble There are two soul-staying and soul-satisfying grounds to assure of Christs betrothing himselfe for ever First when any soul is taken in to Christ it hath not onely all the sinnes that it hath committed heretofore pardoned but there is a pardon laid in for all sin that is to come There is forgivenesse with thee Psal 130. 4. There lyes pardon with God before hand for all that is to come as well as for that which is past There is no condemnation unto them which are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 1. That is there is no instant of time after they are once in Christ Jesus wherein it can be said they are under the sentence of condemnation Now were it not that there were a pardon laid before-hand for all sin that is to come there might upon commission of a new sinne be said at that time that now they
be seene and another thing to do a thing that it may be seen And yet Gods people may do both not do good onely that may be seen but if they keepe still the glory of God above in their eye as the highest ayme they may desire and be willing too that it may be seene to the praise of God But this I confesse requireth some strength of grace to do it and yet to keep the heart upright The excellency of grace doth consist not in casting off the outward comforts of the world but to know how to enjoy them and to over-rule them unto God so the strength of grace doth consist not in forbearing of such actions as are taken notice of by men or not to dare to ayme at the publishing of those things that have excellency in them but the strength of grace consists in this in having the heart enabled to do this and yet to keepe it under too and to keep God above in his right place Thirdly It shall be said they are sonnes c. It is a great blessing unto Gods children that they shall be accounted so before others Not onely that they shall be so but that they shall be accounted so Blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God This is a blessing not onely to be Gods children but to be called Gods children We must account it so and therefore we must walk so as may convince all with whom we do converse that we are the children of God and not thinke this sufficient well let me approve my heart to God and then what need I care what all the World thinks of me God doth promise it as a blessing to have his people called the children of God then this must not be slighted You shall find it often in the Gospel that Christ made a great businesse of this to make it manifest to the world that he was sent of God he would have them to know that his Father sent him and that hee came from him So the people of God should count it a blessing and walk so as they may obtaine such a blessing that the world may know that they are of God Further. In the place where it was said unto them Ye are not my people there it shall be said unto them Ye are the sonnes of the living God Marke It is not said thus that in the place where it was said they are not my people it shall be said to them they are my people No but further it shall be said they are sonnes and sonnes of the living God this goeth beyond being his people Hence then the observation is That The grace of God under the Gospell it is morefull and large and glorious then the grace of God under the Law For this is spoke of the estate of the Church under the Gospell They were Gods people indeed under the Law but the sonnes of the living God this is reserved for the times under the Gospel Sometime they under the Law are called by the name of sonnes but it appeareth by this Text that in comparison of that glorious son-ship that they shall have under the times of the Gospell that they in former times were rather servants then sonnes There is very little of our adoption in Christ revealed in the Old Testament No that was reserved for the Sonne of God to reveale for him that came out of the bosome of the Father and brought the treasures of his Fathers councel to the world the revelation of these things were reserved to the time of his comming both adoption and eternal life was very little made knowne in the time of the Law therefore Saint Paul saith that life and immortality were brought to light through the Gospel 2 Tim. 1. 10. 2. Sonnes Because in the time of the Gospell the spirits of the Saints are of son-like dispositions they are ingenuous not mercenarie In the time of the Law God carried on his people in offering rewards especially in outward things but in the time of the Gospell we have no such rewards in outwards but the Scripture speakes of afflictions most there is not spoken so much of afflictions in the time of the Law but much outward prosperity there was then but in the time of the Gospel more affliction because the dispositions of the hearts of people should not be so mercenary as they were before they should be an ingenuous a willing people in the day of Christs power 3. Sonnes Because of the son-like affection to be much for God their Father out of a naturall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they should have more then in the times of the Law I suppose some of you have heard of the story of Craesus his sonne though he was dumb all his dayes when he perceived a souldier striking his father his affection brake the barres of his speech and he cryed out to the Souldier to spare his rather This is the affection of a sonne and these affections doth God looke for from his children especially in the time of the Gospel that they should heare no wrong done to him but though they could never speake in their own cause yet their should be sure to speake in their Fathers cause 4. Sonnes Because they have not such a spirit of servility upon them as they had in the time of the Law Christ is come to redeem us that we might serve the Lord in holinesse and righteousnesse before him without feare all the dayes of our life to take away the spirit of feare Hence the Apostle saith We have not received the spirit of feare but of love and of a sound minde And Heb. 2. 15. Christ is come to redeem those who through feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage The spirit of a sonne is not be spirit of feare We have not received the spirit of bondage to feare again but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father It is unbeseeming the children of God especially in the time of the Gospel to be of such servile spirits as to feare every little danger to be distracted with fear and presently to be amazed Hath not God revealed himselfe to us as a Father to his children that we must not feare He would not have us feare himselfe not with a servile sear as men do and therefore surely not to fear men be they what they will be We are sons Again Not only sons for so we might find in Scripture where the people of God under the Law perhaps are sometimes called so but elder sons sons come to yeares It is true they were before us and so in that respect we are not elder bnt sons that are come to our inheritance that is it I mean that we are such sons Not children under tutorage not under School-masters and governours as they were in the time under the Law You know what comparison the Scripture makes of the difference betweene
have had already even of free-cost as much mercy as these troubles come to Sixtly these troubles that we are in are making way for glorious mercies to come though there be some pangs yet they are not the pangs of death they are but the pangs of a travelling woman that is bringing forth a man-child And certainly any Prince would think that though his Queen should be put to some paine in travaile yet her condition is better then when shee had nopaine and was barren or then that she should lye upon her sick bed and her senses benummed and she ready to dye The pains of a travelling woman are better then a sensless dying And yet further if you thinke that you had better times heretofore then now what times will you refer your selves unto in making the comparison I suppose you will instance in the time of the first Reformation then things were in a good way when those worthy Lights of the Church and blessed Martyrs had such a hand in the Reformation Many there are that do magnifie the â—â—nes of the beginning of Reformation for their owne ends that they may thereby hinder Reformation now This you know is the great argument that prevaileth with most What were not those Prayers composed by learned godly men as Cranmer Latimer Ridley and others and can we be wiser then they did not they seale their profession with their blood My brethren we need goe no further to shew the weaknesse of this argument but only to shew how it was in the Church in those times and you wilâ— find that you have cause to blesse God that it is not so with you now as it was then and if that will appeare then the argument you will see can no further prevail with rationall men Certainly those first Reformers were worthy Lights and blessed instruments for God I would not darken their excellency but weaken the argument that is abusively raised from their worth It is reported of Mr. Greneham that famous practicall Divine who refusing subscription in a Letter of his to the Bishop of Ely gives his reasons and answers that Prelates objection against him namely that Luther thought such Ceremonies might be retained in the Church his Answer is this I reverence more the revealed wisdome of God in teaching Mr. Luther so many necessary things to salvation then I search his seeret judgements in keeping back from his knowledg other things of lesse importance The same do I say of those worthy instruments of Gods glory in the first Reformation that it may be cleare to you that God kept back his mind from them in some things Consider whether you would be willing that should be done now that was then As in the administration of baptisme we find that in the book of Lyturgy in King Edwards time which was composed by those worthy men first the child was to be croft in the fore-head and then on the breast after a prayer used then the Priest was to say over the child at the Font I command thee thou unclean spirit in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost that thou comest out of this infant thou cursed spirit remember thy sentence remember thy judgment remember the day is at hand wherein thou shalt bee burnt with everlasting fire prepared for thee and thy Angels presume not hereafter to exercise any tyranny over this infant whom Christ hath bought with his precious blood Then they dipped the childe thrice in the water the Godfathers and the Godmothers laid their hands upon the child and the Priest putteth a white vestment over it called a Crysome saying Take this white vesture for a token of thine innocency which by Gods grace in this holy Sacrament of baptisme is given to thee for a signe whereby thou art admonished as long as thou livest to give thy selfe to innocency Then the Priest must anoint the Infant upon the head saying Almighty God c. who hath regenerated thee by water the holy Ghost who hath given thee remission of all thy sins vouchsafe to anoint thee with the unction of his holy Spirit Would you now have your children baptized after this manner yet these learned holy men thought that to be a good way So at the buriall of the dead the Priest casting earth upon the corps shall say I commend thy soule to God the Father Almighty and body to the ground and in another prayer Grant to this thy servant that the sinnes he committed in this world be not imputed to him but that he escaping the gates of hell and pains of eternall darknesse may ever dwell in the region of light You will say things are otherwise now True therefore I say there is no strength in that argument that those men that composed that liturgy were worthy lights in the Church for they were but newly come out of Popery and had the scent of Popery upon them therefore it is too unreasonable to make that which they did the rule of our Reformation now as if we were to goe no further then they did The like may be said of the Primitive times which many plead for the justification of their superstitious vanities for the Christians then came but newly out of heathenisme and lived amongst Heathens and therfore could not so soon be delivered from their heathenish customes I could relate to you sad things there were in Qu. Elizabeths dayes in K. James his dayes but I must not take too much liberty in this digression onely let us hereby learn not so to cry out of evill times that we are faln into as to be unthankfull for present mercies let us blesse God for what wee have had and looke unto the rule for further reformation For shee did not know that I gave her corn and wine and oyle and multiplyed her silver and gold which they prepared for Baal c. The Spirit of God returneth here again to convincing upbraiding accusing threatning Israel The sin of Israel went very near to the heart of God and God speaks here as a man troubled in spirit for the unkindenesse unfaithfulness unreasonableness of the dealings of his Spouse with him it runneth in his thoughts his heart is grieved at it and he must vent himselfe and when he hath told his grief and aggravated his wrong he is upon it again again still convincing upbraiding charging Israel for dealing so unfaithfully and treacherously with him all shewing the trouble of his spirit For she did not know c. These words depend upon the 5. ver for the 6. 7. they are as a parenthesis She hath done shamefully for she said I will goe after my lovers that give me my bread my water my wool my flaeâ—â—e c. For she did not know c. She did thus and thus for she did not know that I gave her corn and wine c. What was Israel worse then the Oxe or the Asse that knows
gods and goddesses This promise to take away the names of Baalim comes in upon Gods reconciliation to his people From whence the next note is when God is reconciled to his people there will be a thorow Reformation both outward and inward Idolatry is cast out not onely from the heart but from the mouth the taking away the names from their mouthes is a synechdoche and notheth the uttertaking away of all wayes of Idolatry in the outward practice as well as in the inward affection The more reconciliation there is with God the more enmity against Idols and superstitious worship A fruitfull signe then it is that we in England were never thorowly reconciled unto God because we never yet have cast off our Idols As some remaynders of superstition abiding amongst us did not long since break forth to most horrid and vile ways of false worship so some remainders of Gods wrath that hath been amongst us this day breakes forth into a most dreadfull flame When the people of the Iews shall be called again and God shall be perfectly reconciled to his Churches then Idolatry shall be perfectly rejected and there shall never be so much as mention of their Idols any more this Text aymes at those times and shall perfectly be fulfilled at that day that is the day when God will do it They shall call me no more Baali but Ishi my husband Thence the note is When a people is reconciled to God then they call God theirs my husband Isbi Psal 16. 3 4. David professeth that he would not so much as take up their names into his lips of which before Now mark what followeth presently upon that ver 5. The Lord saith he is my portion when the Prophet is so taken off from Idols as not to mention the names of Idols then The Lord is my portion So here now Ishi the Lord is my husband now can we claim a peculiar interest in God indeed This is the evil of sin it hindereth a nation a soule from clayming this interest in God God is a blessed and glorious God yea but what is that to this people to this apostatizing people what is that to this apostatizing soule but when the soule comes into God comes off throughly to the work of Reformation then this God is my God Ishi my husband Can any comfort any profit that you have in ways of sinne countervaile this great loss you gaine some contentment in the flesh some profit in your estate but you lose the comforts of your interest in God what is your gaine now thinke of this when any temptation comes I may be yeelding to this temptation get this contentment to the flesh but I shall lose this blessed priviledg of clayming an interest in my God I shall not be able to say Ishi my husband Thirdly Ishi The word compared with the former Baali is a word of more love then the former Baali is a word though it signifies my husband too as well as Ishi but it is husband under the notion of dominion under the notion of power that causeth feare but Ishi is a husband under the notion of love and protection Hence the note is God delights to have his people look upon him with love and delight It is Gods care and it is his good pleasure that his people should not looke upon him so much as one that hath dominion over them but that they should look upon him with joy and love and call him Ishi The more reconcyled we are unto God the more have we the use of the loving appellations of God For a soule to be alwayes under the spirit of bondage to looke unto God only as the Lord of all this is not so pleasing to God but when you come to have the spirit of adoption the spirit of grace an Evangelicall spirit that you can look upon him with love and say Ishi my husband that title of love and goodnesse this pleases God at the heart It is reported of Augustus that he would not have the title of Lord given to him he refused it and would rather have his people to looke upon him under the notion of love as a father rather then to feare him It were happy that all Princes were of this minde to desire that their people should rather love them then feare them It is a most villainous wicked and cursed principle that is in some who infuse into the spirit of Princes let your people feare you no great matter whether they love you or no. Suetonius relateth this passage of Augustus when a poor man came to present a petition to him with his hands shaking and trembling out of feare the Emperor was much displeased and said It is not fit that any should come with a petition to a King as if a man were giving meat to an Elephant that is afraid to be destroyed by him God doth not love the bread of mourners to be offered up in sacrifice hee loveth to have people come unto him with a holy boldnesse with a filiall not with a servile and slavish spirit Christ laid down his life to redeeme us that wee might serve the Lord without feare Fourthly They shall call me Ishi that is My strength The Church should looke upon Christ as the strength of it Thy maker is thy husband and who is he The Lord of Hosts is his name thy redeemer the God of the whole earth shall he be called When the people of God can look upon Christ their husband as the Lord of hosts and their Redeemer as the God of the whole earth then they finde quiet and satisfaction in their spirits Psa 89. 17. God is said to be the glory of the strength of his people Though we be weake in regard of our outward helps let us looke up to Christ our strength he hath been our strength he is the glory of it Fiftly I will take the names of Baalim out of their mouth and they shal be no more remembred by their name Repentance must be proportionable to mens sins How doth that arise before ver 13. God charged them that they had forgotten him They went after their lovers and forgat me saith the Lord. Now saith God your Idols shall be forgotten your hearts were so far set upon your idols as you forgat me now in your repentance your hearts shall be so much upon me as you shall forget your Idols Those men who have beene so wicked and ungodly heretofore that they have forgot God God hath not been in all their thoughts God expects now from them that their lusts should not be in all their thoughts It is not enough that you forbeare the act but you must not roule the sweet of them in your thoughts you must not so much as remember them except it be with the detestation of them If there be not a proportion between your repentance your former sins you may expect there will be a proportion
only blesse God but the Text saith They lifted up their hands and they bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground Why because the book of the Law was read to them and expounded How comes it to passe that their hearts were so taken with it now to hear the book of the Law expounded to them Surely it was because they were newly returned out of their Captivity and now they came into their owne Land and heard the Law of God opened to them they blessed his great Name bowed their faces to the ground worshipping him This day my brethren witnesseth to us our great deliverance and returne from our bondage It was not long since that wee could have either Ordinances or Truths or Religious exercises but onely according to the humors of vile men But now through Gods mercy a great deliverance is granted to us as this day witnesseth that wee may come and have free liberty to exercise our selves in the Law of our God O doe you blesse the Lord and bow your faces to the ground worshipping of him In the 12. vers of that Chap. we read that after they had heard the Law read and expounded to them they went their way to eate and to drink and to send portions and to make great mirth Why Because saith the Text they had understood the words that were declared unto them I hope if God shall please to give in assistance unto this work many of you shall goe away hereafter from this Assembly rejoycing because you will come to know more of Gods mind revealed in his word then formerly And this will be the comfort of your meat and drink and of your trading and the very spirits of all the joyes of your lives As the sweetnesse of the fruit comes from the graft rather then from the stock so your comforts and the blessings of grace in you must come from the word ingrafted in your soules rather then from any thing you have in your selves In the first vers the Text saith that all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water-gate to desire Ezra to bring the book of the law and to read it and to open it unto them Behold it is thus this day in this place here are a great company met together perhaps some to know what the businesse will be some for novelty and some for other ends howsoever come unto us you are and we hope many for this end that you might have the booke of the Law read opened unto you Now we expect that from you which is said of them ver 3. And the ears of all the people were attentiâ—e unto the book of the law when it was read opened to them And truly that attention that you now begin withal doth promise unto us that we shall have an attentive auditory But that is not all let us have further a reverential demeanor and carriage in the hearing of the Law as it becomes those that have to deale with God in it The Text saith vers 5. that when Ezra opened the book of the Law all the people stood up We doe not expect the same gesture from you but by way of Analogie we expect a reverentiall demea nour in the carriage of he whole worke as knowing we are to sanctifie Gods Name in it And as those people after the first dayes exercise were so encouraged that they came again the second day for so the Text saith vers 13. On the second day were gathered together the cheife of the fathers of all the people the Priests and the Leviâ—es unto Ezra to understand the words of the Law so I hope God will so carry on this worke that you shall find encouragement too to come again and again that you may know more of the mind of God and that this work shall not be only profitable to the younger and weaker sort but to the Fathers to the Priests and Levites too Let it be with you as it was with them according as you have any truth made known unto you submit to it yeeld to it obey it presently and then you shall know more of Gods mind He that will doe my will shall know my doctrine to be of God Thus did they for vers 14. when they found it vvritten in the book of the Law that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh moneth This was one passage of the Law that was expounded how they should keep the feast of Tabernacles and what booths they should make the people went forth presently unto the mount and fetched Olive branches and Palm branches and branches of thick trees and made themselves booths every one upon the roofe of his house In this Prophesie of Hosea you shall find many sutable truths to the times wherein we live the Lord grant you obedient hearts to what shall be delivered I must not retard the work nor your expectations any longer with large prefacing to it only somewhat have been said about the rules for interpretation of Scripture I will say no more of that but this to interpretation of Scripture a Scripture frame of heart is necessary a heart holy heavenly sutable to the holinesse heavenlinesse that is in the word as it was said of Tullies eloquence that nothing but the eloquence of Tully could set out the excellency of it So it may be said of the Scriptures spiritualness nothing but a heart filled with Scripture spiritualness can set forth the excellencies of it and because the authority of Scripture is dreadfull wee desire the prayers of you all to God for us that his feare might fall upon our hearts that seeing we are menfull of errour and full of evill yet howsoever wee may not bring any Scripture to the maintenance of any erroneous conceit of our own heads nor any evill of our own hearts This wee know to be a dreadfull evill It was a fearfull evill for Lucifer to say I will goe and ascend up be like the Highest it is as great an evill for any to seek to make the Highest to become like Lucifer for so do they that make the Scripture come down to justifie any erroneous opinion or any way of evill they goe about to make the blessed God and the holy Ghost to be the fathers of lies It is counted a great evill in a Common-wealth to put the Kings stamp upon false coine and to put the stamp of the Spirit of God upon an error upon a conceit of a mans owne is certainly a great evill before the Lord and it was for this that God did make the Priests vile and contemptible before the people because they were paâ—tiall in the Law Mal. 2. 9. And for you my brethren our prayer shall be that the feare of God may fall upon you likewise that you may come to these Exercises with Scripture-frames of heart What frame of
God for London and London hath not yet been the valley of Jezreel but an Israel the strength of the Lord hath prevailed with God as an instrument therefore we blesse God for that we have had But yet let us not trust in that we have for even in London in the valley of Jezreel the bow may be broken and God knows how to bring things about so as to make the Ammunition of London to be broken in pieces and turned against themselves Oh therefore do not trust here Only let it be your care you of this City of London that you prove not the valley of Jezreel and then we shall do well enough our bow shall not be broken What attempts have there been to have made London by this time the valley of Jezreel that is a scattered vally to have brought divisions in this City that it might be a scattered people wo to the kingdom if this had bin effected better these men had never bin born then that they should have had success in that horrid enterprise Oh London now the blessing of God is over you the meanes of grace abundantly among you The eys of the kingdom are upon you take heed you be bee not the valley of Iezreel your divisions will cause great thoughts of heart continue you untyed one to another and then you are as one Israel of God the instrument of God for our strength Pardon me this litle digression though it be a little from an expository exercise Thus we have done with the Mother and with the first sonne The Third Lecture Hosea 1. 6. 7. And she conceived again and bare a daughter Iune 6. 1641 and God said unto him call her name Loruhamah for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel but I will utterly take them away But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah and will save them by the Lord their God will not save them by bow nor by sword nor by baâ—tell by horses nor by horsemen COncerning Hosea's first son the last day Shee conceived again This conception sets out also the estate of Israel in regard of her sin and misery Sin it is fruitful and what bringeth it forth Parents bring forth a likeness to themselves and so doth sin and what is that Nothing but ruine misery This second child it is a daughter it noteth the weaknes of the state of the ten Tribes at this time they were grown to be effeminate in regard of their lust and the basenes of their spirits and in regard of their strength also they were like the female sex There are 3. estates of the people signified by the 3. children of Hosea the first was their scattered estate and that was signified by Jezreel the first son of which the last day And the story of that you had in 2 K. 15. ver 9. to the 19. where you may read their wofull sedition for Zachâ—riah reigned but 6. months then Shallum sleâ— him reigned in his stead and he reigned but one month for Menahâ—â— came smote Shallum slew him reigned in his stead So here was nothing but murthers and seditions amongst them A scattered people The 2. state of the people of Israel was their weake condition that they were brought unto signified by this daughter and the history of that you have from v. 16. of that Ch. onwards where when Pul the K. of Assyria came against Israel Menahem presently yeelded to him what hee would have giveth him IOCO talents of silver to go from him so layeth a taxation upon the people for it Here they were brought to a very low weak condition And afterwards this K. of Assyria cometh again and carryeth part of them into captivity The 3. child was Loammi and the history of the state of the people signified by that you have in 2 K. 17. 6. where they were fully caryed away wholy rejected for ever And because they were a little before that time grown up to some strength more then formerly therefore this last was a son We are now to speak of the second She conceived again and bare a daughter From that interpretation I have given of it to note the weaknesse and effeminacy of the state of the people at this time a little before their ruine The observation from thence is this When the manliness courage and vigour of the spirits of people are taken away then they are under a fearfull judgment and neare to ruâ—ne Even when their men shall be as women as Nah. 3. 13. when there shall be such basenesse of spirit in people that for the enjoyments of their present ease and quiet they yeeld to any thing So it was with these and in thar their effeminatenesse was shewed When the King of Assyria came to them they yeeelded to any termes he would appoint to give him any thing he would demand and when the taxes were laid upon the people they enquired not whether they were just or no but meerly for their peace safety they yeeld We must take heed of bringing our selves into trouble we were better pay this then venture the loss of all we must not displease those that are above us we know not what hard things may follow it is our wisedome though things are hard and we complain the taxations are heavy yet to suffer something they had rather have a little though with basenesse then venture any thing for further peace and liberty for themselves and their posterity 2. The effâ—minaâ—enesse of their spâ—rits were shewne in this that they were willing to bow downe their necks to submit to the government of most vile murtherers without any enquiry after them or taking any course or way at all to finde out their murthers and wickednesse Zecharia was slain by Shallum then commeth Menahem and hee killed Shallum after Menahem raigned Pekahiah and against him conspired Pekah the sonne of Remaliah and smote him in Samaria and with him killed 50. men and reigned in his roome then cometh Hoshea the sonn of Elah and he made a conspiracy against Pekah and slew him and reigned in his stead Here were murtherers upon murtherers and yet the people all this while bow down their necks and looke not after these things They have gotten power in their hands and we must take heed of looking so high to enquire after things that are above us and it is ill displeasing of them we were better a great deale be quiet and hold our peace say nothing than to enquire after such high matters as those are and so they let all goe and bowed their necks to the yoke and by no meanes such horrible guil of murthers must be questioned because the murtherers had got power in their hands Their cowardly timerous spirits were much like the temper of Issachar we read of Gen. 49. 15. Isachar is a strong asse couching down between two burthens he saw that rest
was good and the land that it was pleasant and he bowed his shoulders to bear became a servant unto tribuâ—e And when mens spirits are effeminate in regard of the civill state they quickly grow so in regard of their consciences and religion too Purity of religion in the Church cannot stand long with slavery admitted in the State We read Rev. 4. 7. of 4. Ages of the Church set out by four living-creatures the 3. living-creature the Text saith had the face of a man and that was to note the state of the Church in the time of reformation they began then to be of manly spirits to cast off that yoke of bondage that was before upon them to enquire after what liberty God had granted to them Not then like those we read of Isa 51. 23. that would bow down to such as would say to their soules Bow downe that we may goe over them This my brethren hath been the condition of many of us there hath bin that effeminateness of spirit in us that we have bowed down our necks yea our souls to those that would go over us yea as it is there in 51. Isa they made themselves the very street to them that went over them their very consciences were trampled upon by the foot of pride and all for the enjoyment of a little outward accomodation in their estates in their shops and in their trading Oh they must not venture these rather yeeld to any thing in the world And truly we were afraid not long since that God was calling us by the name of this daughter Loruhamah in regard of our effeminateness of spirit that the Lord was departing from our nation But blessed be God that now here hath begun to be a rising of spirit among us especially among our worthies in Parliament and their warmth vigour life hath put warmth vigour spirit and life into the whole Kingdome Now our Kingdom will never bow downe and submit their Consciences nor Estates nor liberties to that bondage and oppression that heretofore hath been No they had rather die honorably then live basely But why do I make such a disjunction dy honorably or live basely Had we spirits we might free our selves and posterity from living basely and we need not dye at all for the malignant party hath neither spirit to act nor power to prevail if we keep up our spirits and be strong in the Lord we are safe enough yet we shall not have our name Loruhamah but Ruhamah the Lord will have mercy upon us 1 King 14. 15. God threatens to smite Israel that they shall be as a reed shaken with the wind and then mark what followeth and then he would root them out of this good land which hee gave to their Fathers If this judgement be upon England that our spirits be shaken as a reed with the winde that wee bow and yeeld to any thing in a base way the next may justly follow that the Lord may root us out of this good Land As it was with Israel before their destruction they grew effeminate so it was with Judah too before theirs Isa 3. 3. when God intended judgment against them you may observe there that He took away the mighty man the man of war the prudent and the ancient the Captain the honourable man the Counseller men of truly noble spirits were taken away their Nobles became to be vile and sordid to yeeld to any humors and lusts then they were neer the ruine and ver 12. the Text saith women rule over them for women that have many spirits to rule is no judgment at all but for women of revengeful spirits to rule over a nation is a most fearful judgment But so much of the first that it is a daughter that is here born to Hosea What is this daughters name Call her name Loruhamah Non dilecta so some Non misericordiam consecuta so others both come to one either not beloved or one that hath not obtained mercy for Gods mercy proceedeth from his love I will no more have mercy I will add no more mercy Nothing that God had shewed abundance of mercy to Israel before but now he saith I will not adde any more I will shew no further mercy to them But I will utterly take them away Tollendo tollam so turned by some In taking them away I will take them away Levaho levando so others I will lift them up that I may cast them down so much the more dreadfully The old Latin hath it thus Obliviscendo obliviscor forgetting I will forget And this was upon a mistake of the Hebrew word because there is little difference in the Hebrew between the word that signifieth to to forget and that which signifieth to take away The 70. setting my selfe against them I will set my selfe against them Well the name of the child must bear this upon it that God will have no more mercy upon them Hence then first Sometimes the very children of families and in a kingdom do bear this impression upon them that God will have no mercy upon this family upon this kingdome One may my brethren read such an impression upon the children of many great families in this Kingdome when wee looke upon that horrible wickedness of the young ones that are coming up how different from their former religious Ancestors we may see with trembling hearts such an impression of wrath as if God had said I have done with this family I intend no further mercy to this family As sometimes when we see in a family gracious children gracious young gentlemen noble men we may see the impression of Gods mercy to that family Ruhaniah I intend mercy to it It was not long since that we might and we thought indeed wee did see such an impression upon the young ones of this kingdome the young ones in the City the yong ones in the chief families in the Country that we vvere afraid that Lornhamah to England was written upon them for oh the rudenes and wickednes of the young ones But blessed be God that we see it otherwise now now in regard of that graciousnesse that forwardnesse of so many young ones amongst us we may see written upon them Ruhamah to England mercy to England God hath taken away his Lo and writeth only Ruhamah mercy to you this great change God hath made For the great ground of the hope we have for mercy to England is the impression of God upon the young ones When God hath tender plants growing up in his Orchard certainly he will not break down the hedg or dig it up Secondly Call her name Loruhamah for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel There is a time when God will not have mercy upon a kingdome or upon a particular people Gather your seves together oh nation not worthy to be beloved before the decree come forth There is a
a Son What is the meaning of this I told you the last day that by the second childe was noted the state of the people at that time that it grew weaker and more effeminate weaker in regard of their outward strength and more effeminate in regard of their spirits And that I made good to you out of the History of those times in the book of the Kings Well but now it is a son what doe they grow stronger then before now they are come neerer to destruction then before Yes though neerer to ruine and destruction and more heavy wrath then they were before yet they get up a little strength before that time Therefore the third childe is a sonne Concerning the strength that this people had got at this time a little before this their utter rejection upon which their spirits were raised you shall finde the History of it in 2 Kings 17. 4. where you have a declaration of the state of the ten Tribes then when Lo-ammi was borne for the Text tells us that they began to joyne in confederacy with the King of Egypt and so whereas formerly they had done homage by presents to the King of Assyria now being confederate with the King of Egypt they refused to bring any more presents to him they begin now to be a jolly people and hoped to cast off that yoke of bondage under which they were in regard of the Assyrians God sometimes letteth men and Nations and Churches to rise a little out of their affliction before their utter ruine he gives them a little reviving they have a little lightning before their death Many men think themselves in a very good condition if having been in affliction their afflictions doe begin once to abate and they begin to get a little up now they think they are safe and they are ready to say with Agag Surely the bitternesse of death is gone surely the worst is past But you may sometimes be recovered when God intendeth you should be suddenly rejected Many may be preserved from some judgements because they are reserved to greater judgments The Lord hath begun indeed to give us in England a little reviving a little strength to enable us to rise against the oppressions of our Adversaries those cruel oppressions But let us not be secure notwithstanding this for though we have some little reviving if we follow not God on in the way of humiliation and reformation this our little reviving may be but a lightning before our death And yet further it is very observable when the condition of Israel was at this time when God was about to say Lo-ammi they are not my people what it was not only in regard of their strength but what it was in regard of their sins For you shall finde if you examine the History that the people of Israel were at this time somewhat better then they had been before not only had gotten somwhat more strength but they were somewhat better in regard of their sins then they had been Imeane they had lesse sins then they had before yet now God is saying to them Lo-ammi You are not my people And for that observe 2 Kings 17. 2. if you reade that Chapâ—â— you shall finde that the very time of the utter rejection of Israel was in the dayes of Hoshea and the Text saith He did evil in the sight of the Lord the King in whose dayes they were so rejected did evil in the sight of the Lord but not as the Kings of Israel that were before him He was not so bad as the former Kings of Israel and yet in his dayes there comes utter destruction upon Israel Yea and as the King was not so bad then as others before him so it may seeme the people were not so bad as in former time for ver 9. the Text saith That the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the Lord their God Indeed they were sinful but their sinfulnes was secret they did not sin with such an open impudent face as it seemed as heretofore Yet in this Kings time and when these people were thus commeth their utter ruine What may we learne from hence This That sometimes when there are greater sinnes patience stayes judgement and yet afterward when a people seeme to be in a better condition not onely in regard of their outward strength but then in regard of their sins too yet then God cometh with his wrath upon that people Let us not flatter our selves although we can say that some things here amongst us are not so bad as heretofore they have beene Suppose there be some partial reformation this is not ground enough to secure us We cannot reason thus Why heretofore the Land was more sinful then now and the Governours were more oppressing then now there hath been thanks be to God much reformation This is not enough we may be neerer the forest misery at this time if our reformation be not a through reformation then we were before And the reason is this because God when he comes against a Nation he doth not onely come against it for the present sins that they are actually guilty of at that time but to reckon with them for their sins comited fore though the judgement falls out to be inflicted just at that time It may be a concourse of many passages of Gods providence might so fall out as might suâ—e with Gods ends that the destruction of this nation should be at this time rather then before yet the nation not more sinful then before but to fulfill other passages of providence that God intends and then he comes to reckon with them for sins that were along time ago committed for their present sinnes altogether As hee doth sometimes with particular persons perhaps they have been drunkards unclean wicked 20. yeers agone God hath spared them afterward upon some lesser sins God may take advantage to come against them for all their other sins together We use to say It is not the last blow of the axe that fells the oak perhaps the last may be a weaker blow then any of the former but the oake was a felling down all the while before the other blowes made way for the felling of it and at length a little blow comes and doth it So our former sinnes may be the things that make way for our ruine and then at length some lesser sinnes may do it You that have been guilty of grosse sins take heed of small sins for though God hath pared you when you were guilty of great sins do not say that he will spare you now you commit lesser sins but at this time of committing lesser sins you may be called to an account for grosser Did you never know a house stand out against many strong and blustring winds yet afterward some little puffe of wind hath tumbled it down So it is with Nations and people that somtimes stand out through
through those Meatus terra that they speake of Thus they are deluded in their conceits But yet more generally In that place Whereas the place of my people was confined into a little and narrow roome hereafter it shall be inlarged and even among the Gentiles that shal be made spiritual Israel where I was not known among the Heathen even there shall I come to be known and I shall have a people there and not only people but sons the sons of the living God and that so apparently that it shall be said unto them Yee are the sonnes of the living God Thus Saint Peter seems to interpret this place in the 1 Pet. 2. 10. speaking of the Gentiles whom God would have a people among them saith the Apostle Which in times past were not a people but are now the people of God Generally Interpreters doe conclude that the Apostle had reference to this very place in Hosea And so we may build then upon this interpretation howsoever that it is the intention of the Spirit of God that God would call home the Gentiles to himself so they that were no people should become his people his sons It should be said in that place where before it was said that they knew him not that now they are his sons Yea the Heathen shal be brought in so as they shall be convinced of the vanity of their Idolatry We worshipped dead stocks our gods were dead stones stocks that we were vassals unto but now we see a people that is come in to the profession of this Christian Religion they worship the living God their God is the true God certainely here are the sons of the living God This is the scope of the holy Ghost For observation 1. It is a comfortable thing to consider that in those places where God hath not been known worshipped that afterward in those places God should be known worshipped That such nations such Countreys and Towns that have lived in darkness Idolatry should now have the knowledge of the true God that the true God should come to be worshipped amongst them this is a blessed thing England was once one of the most barbarons nations in the world and in that place where it was said you are not my people where there was nothing but a company of savage barbarous creatures that worshipped the Devill how in this place in England is it said even by the nations round about us surely they are the sonnes of the living God! And so many times in dark corners in the Countrey where they never had the knowledge of Jesus Christ but were nuzled up in Popery and in all kinde of supesticious vanity God is pleased to send some faithful Minister to carry the light of the knowledge of Christ unto them and efficaciously to work faith in their hearts and now oh what an alteration is there in that towne the like of a family It may be said of many a house and family in which nothing but blasphemy and atheisme and scorne of Religion and uncleannesse and all manner of wickednesse hath been now it is a family filled with the servants and sonnes of the living God As it is a grievous thing to think of a place wherein God hath been truely worshipped that afterward the Devil should come to be served there so it is a comfortable thing to think of other places wherein the Devil hath beene served that God is truly worshipped there Some stories report that the Turkes having possession of the Temple at Jerusalem there where was the Arke and the Cherubins and the Seraphims there now are Tygres and Beares and savage creatures But on the other side to consider that in places where there have been none but Tygres and Bears and savage creatures they should now be filled with Cherubins and Seraphims this is a comfortable thing Secondly It shall be said they are the sonnes of the living God It shall be said so God hath a time to convince the world of the excellency of his Saints They shall not onely be the sonnes of the living God but it shall come to passe that it shall be said they are the sonnes of the living God all about them shall see such a lustre of the glory of God shining upon them that they shall all say Verily whatsoever other people have said hertofore whatsoever the thoughts of men have beene these are not onely the servants but the sonnes of the living God We have an excellent prophefie of this in Zachar. 12. 5. The governours of Iudah shal say in their heart The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God Not onely the people shall be convinced of this but the Governours of Judah they shall say in their hearts our strength is in the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the Lord of Hosts their God Howsoever they were heretofore scandalized as seditious and factious and as enemies of the State yet now the Governours of Judah shall acknowledge that their strength is in them and in the Lord their God that this Lord of Hosts is their God That time will be a blessed time when the Governours of Judah shall come to be convinced of this when God shall so manifest the excellencies of his Saints as that both great and smal shall confesse them to be the sonnes of the living God It is promised to the Church of Philadelphia Revel 3. 9. that the Lord would make them that said they were Jews and were not said they were the Church and were not but were of the Synagogue of Satan to come and how before their feete and to know saith he that I have loved them There is a time that ungodly men shall be forced to know that God doth love his people And one thing amongst the rest that will much convince the men of the world of the excellency of the Saints will be the beauty of Gods ordinances that shall be set up amongst them that shall even dazel the eyes of the beholders For this you have an excellent promise Ezek. 37. 28. The heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctifie Israel How shall they know it when my sanctuary shall be in the middest of them for evermore then they shall know that I the Lord do sanctifie Israel when the beauty of my ordinances shall appeare in them then they shall know it And if God be not onely satisfied in doing good to his people but hee will have the world know it and be convinced of it Let the people of God then not be satisfied onely in having their hearts upon God but let the world know that they love God too You must do that that may make it appeare to all the world that you are the children of the living God Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorifie your Father which is in heaven It is one thing to do a thing that may
fallen from God as they have discharged those that plead against them Well but if a member a particular may plead with a Church a whole Church with their mother Certainly then there is no one Member of a Church so high but he may be pleaded withall even by private people in that Church Colos 4. 17. Say to Archippus look to thy Ministry It is an Exhortation to all the Church to say to Archippus and admonish him to looke to his Ministry For though the officer of a Church be nearer to Christ the head of which you heard before then other members are as the Arme is nearer the head then the hand yet if the arme shall send forth any thing to the hand that it hath not from the head as in a flux of putrid humours that resteth in the arme then it would be the strength of the hand to resist those ill humours that the arme sends forth So if any Officer of the Church shall send forth that which he did not receive from the head to any Member but some putrid humour of his own It is the virtue of that Member to resist the receiving of any such humour Certainly it is the pride of many that thinke it scorne for any private people any way to have to do with them It is I say a pride in men which thorough want of that right order that should be in all Churches is growen to that height that those that take to themselves as proper the name of Clergy they think it such a dishonor to them for any other that is not a Clergy-man as they speak to speak to them or admonish them of any thing or to reason with them about any thing or when they have preached to come to them for further satisfaction in somewhat that they have delivered or if they be negligent in their duty to tell them of it though never so submissively meekly their pride makes them rise so high And for that observe because they do it upon that ground that they are the Clergie which signifies Gods inheritance and Gods lot and so contemning others as inferiour You shall find in Scripture the people are called Clergy in distinction from the Ministers and never the Ministers in the New Testament from the people the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not attributed to them to my remembrance but I am sure it is attributed to the Congregation to the private members by way of distinction from them That you shall see in 1 Pet. 5. 3. Be not Lords over Gods inheritance Doe not Lord it over Gods Clergy over Gods Lot so the words are Now in that he saith do not Lord it certainly that is spoken to the Officers of the Church and they must not Lord it over Gods inheritance that is over Gods Clergy for so I say the words are The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore from whence Clergy commeth is you see attributed to the people And we shall find in Scripture Acts 18. 25. that Apollos an Eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures and a man of a fervent spirit yet the Text saith that Aquila and Priscilla that were private people tooke him unto them and expounded to him the way of God more perfectly Where have you an Apollos now an Eloquent man a Scholler a great Clergy man but would scorne and contemne that a poore man and his wife should take him home instruct him in the way of God more perfectly Yet Apollos an Eloquent man mighty in the Scriptures tooke it well and was willing to receive further instruction from these people And we finde Cant. 5. that in the time of reformation of the Church the Church went to the watch-men the watch-men beate her shee had more reliefe from the daughters of Jerusalem then from them But we must not leave this so neither It is true there may be a notorious abuse of both these and it is exceeding hard for a people to understand their liberty without abusing of it either against the Church or against the Officers of a Church This power may be abused in people very much in too much pride arrogancy mallapertness a spirit of contention in some taking a delight in contradiction There are many people I say that are of such a humor that it is their very delight to be in a way of contradiction they think they are no body except they have somewhat to say against their officers or against what is delivered and upon that very ground will go quarrelling not out of meere conscience but that it may appear to others that for their parts they have a further reach than other men It is true such things are delivered generally they are received yea but men must know that they look into things further then others doe And if they be in a community they conceive that every one would think them no body if they stand still and say nothing therefore that they may appeare to be some-body they will speake they will have somewhat to finde fault withall though they scarce understand what they say or whereof they affirme and shew it they will in a virulent spirit in a domineering way and brave it to the faces of those that God hath set over them Certainly this is a grosse and abominable thing giving it may be reproachfull tearmes to such Whereas the Rule of Christ is Rehuke not an Elder 1 Tim. 5. 1. but intreate him as a Father do not you think presently that because you may pleade with them that Gods cause may not suffer by your silence that therefore you may rebuke them in an undecent and unseemly manner You may indeed in an humble way goe as acknowledging the distance betwixt you and him hee being an Officer and so inEreat him as a Father Doe many of you so when you go and reason the case with a Minister whom you your selves will acknowledge to be Officers of Christ yet it may be sometime through bitternesse of spirit you will be casting them off from being Officers of Christ before you have sufficient warrant for it and therefore the Apostle saith in the same Chapter ver 19. Against an Elder receive not an accusation but before two or three witnesses Marke you must not receive an accusation much lesse a condemnation for the credit and honour of the Ministers of Christ are very deare and precious unto him therefore take heed how through a violent and turbulent spirit you cast any dishonour upon those that Christ hath set over you Thus I have indeavoured to discover the truth unto you and so limited as I hope it may be for edification and not for hurt at all to any Pleade with your Mother But what is this pleading She is not my wife neither am I her Husband It hath much bitternesse in it indeed if it be considered of yet it is in as faire termes as can be set out Shee is not my wife He doth not
Bolton who died not long since It is repoâ—ted that upon his death-bed he had his children come to him he speaks thus unto them I doe believe saith he there is never a one of you will dare to meet me at the tribunall of Christ in an unregenerate condition So let me say to you that are evill children of Godly parents let me in their names speak to you How dare you with what face doe you think you shall dare to meet with your godly father and gracious mother before the judgement seat of Jesus Christ at that day if your godly father stand at the right hand of Christ how dare you appeare before that face in the guilt of those horrible wickednesses that you now live in Certainly the thought of this hath power to daunt your hearts She hath done shamefully The word in the Hebrew it is in Hyphil and so it may be translated transitively signifieth She hath made ashamed as well as done shamefully and so I find it according to some thus rendered Shee hath made ashamed her husband she hath made ashamed her children shee hath made ashamed her self and all these three may be meant Yea I conceive the intent of the holy Ghost is to expresse them all Her husband first the Church is the Spouse of Jesus Christ Christ is the husband of the Church and you know the Scripture saith that the woman is the glory of the man I remember I gave the meaning of that heretofore So the Church being the Spouse of Christ should be the glory of Christ the woman should be the glory of the man but yet being wicked and filthy she makes her husband many times ashamed The evil of the wife is a shame to the husband so the evill of the Church is a shame to Iesus Christ The Church in Scripture is called the glory of Christ 2 Cor. 8. 23. If our brethren be enquired after they are the messengers of the Churches and the glory of Christ Isa 4. 5. Vpon all the glory shall be a defence It should be so but when it commeth to be defiled it shameth Christ their wickednesse reflects upon Christ Christ is said to walke in the middest of the golden Candlesticks Rev. 2. 1. Every Church is a Candle-stick and it should be a golden Candle-sticke but if it come to be a filthy rustie Candle-stick it is a dishonour unto Christ who walketh amongst them Wicked men doe not shame Christ but godly doe My brethren let us take heed of that It is an evill thing to bring shame to our selves and one to another but to bring shame upon JESUS CHRIST is the greatest evil Many of you perhaps are ashamed of Christ take heed you be not a shame to Christ They are ashamed of Christ that are ashamed to appeare in the cause of Christ but as for you that are so Christ hath more cause to be ashamed of you for you are a shame to him It is true I cannot deny it but many Churches of God and that of late have brought some shame to Jesus Christ by their dissentions and fractions and they must take shame to themselves and they have taken shame to themselves they have acknowledged it to the glory of Christ and in that regard in some measure have washed off that shame that they have brought to Christ Againe further a shame they are to their children Wicked Parents are a shame to their children when a child appeareth forward towardly and hopefull and it be said Would you not wonder to see him so forward the father of him is a beastly drâ—nkard a filthy whore-monger of a vile and malignant spirit now the child is ashamed to heare of the evil of his father and of the evil of his mother As foolish children are a shame to their Parents so wicked Parents are a shame to their children You that have gracious children take heed you be not a shame to them and so a shame to your selves And then a shame to her selfe she hath plaid the harlot she hath done shamefully Wherein had she done shamefully I will onely mention one particular Certainly that shame of hers was especially in subjecting Religion to carnall policie For what did she doe what was the great sinne of the ten Tribes It was this because they were afraid that if they did go up to Jerusalem to worship the people would then depart from the house of Jeroboam to the house of David therefore out of politicall regards they would have the worship set up at Dan and Bethel there they would have Calves they must not goe up to Jerusalem the place which God had appointed to worship in but at Dan and Bethel This was a meere politique fetch for they could not but acknowledg that God did require that they should worship at Jerusalem where the Temple was and there was no other reason why they would worship at Dan and Bethel but meerely out of State policie that they might prevent the people from going backe to the house of David and indeed they did professe so much themselves Here then they did shamfully The Observation then from hence is that for governours or any to subject Religion to policie is a shamefull thing It is shamefull to make Religion an underling and to make policie the head Perhaps they call this wisedome a prudentiall way wee must be carefull and wise to foresee inconveniences that may follow But what if God give it another name God may give it a name of base temporizing a name of folly and wickednesse to subject Religion to policie it is shamefull because it abaseth that which is the great honour of any Country it makes it an underling what is the excellency of man but Religion what is the excellency of a Country but Religion and what hath England been glorious for more then for Religion Now to put the excellency of a thing under any inferiour this is shamefull to put the Crown that is for the head under ones foot is a dishonour to it although a thing hath in it self but little excellencie if it be brought beneath it selfe under other things that have not so great an excellency in them it makes it vile And shamefull also it is because it holdeth forth this that we dare not trust God for our civill estate and for our peace therefore Religion must come under Shamefull it is again because it is grosse folly for there is no such way to breede disturbance in a politicke state no such way to undoe a State as to make Religion an underling to policie Was it not so here That very way that they tooke to uphold their policie was the way to destroy their State did destroy it at last even their corrupting of Gods worship What cause had they then to be ashamed of this that God should take that which they thought to helpe themselves by and make that the very thing that should cause their ruine And certainly it
children If you should see a malignant party come with their spheares and pikes and your children sprawling upon the toppes of them and their blood gushing out what would your gold-rings what would all your niceties and braver doe you good I will give you for this because it is a point of such concernment foure notable expressions in Scripture about Idolaters eagerness and earnestness of spirit in following after their Idols The first is Isa 57. 5. The Text saith there that they were inflamed after their Idols they were on fire after them The second is Jer. 50. 38. They were madde upon their Idols Thirdly You have a text more sutable to that I am speaking of It is Isa 46. 6. it is said there that they did laviâ—h gold out of the bagga They did not onely give their gold rings that were of no use and part with that which they could well spare but they did lavish gold that was in the bagge they would not onely bring some of it but they did lavish it for so the word is and they lavished not their silver but their gold and that not a piece or two out of a paper but out of the bagge they brought their bagges of gold and did lavish gold out of them and this they did for their Idols Oh what a shame is it then that any should be penurious and not come off full in the publicke cause of the Church and Common-wealth The fourth Text is Jerem. 8. 2. and there we have five expressions together of the pursuance of the heart of Idolaters after their Idols the like wee have not in all the booke of God in one verse Speaking of their Idols First he saith whom they have loved Secondly whom they have served Thirdly after whom they have walked Fourthly whom they have sought And Fifthly whom they have worshipped and all this in this one verse O how are the hearts of people set upon the wayes of Idolatry I remember Cambden reports of a King of England Canutus that spent as much upon one crosse aâ— the revenues of the Crowne came unto in a whole yeer he was so profuse in charges about his superstitious vanities Master Calvin in a Sermon of his upon that Text seeke ye my face hath this expression Foolish Idolaters when they endure much in their pilgrimages spend their money waste their bodies and abused in their travail yet they goe on and thinke all sufficiently recompenced if they may see and worship some Image of a Saint or holy relicke Shall the beholding saith he some dead carrion or apish Idol have more power to strengthen them then the face of God in his ordinances shall have to strengthen us My lovers that gave me my bread and my water my wool and my flaxe mine oyle and my drinke What were these Idols The Idol that gave their bread was Caeres shee was the goddesse that the Heathens did worship for corne For their water Luna the Moone was the Idol they worshipped for their drinke and all moist things For their wool and flaxe Ashtaroth was their god And for their oyle Fryapus The seventy translate that which wee say here wooll clothes and that which we say flaxe they linnen and they likewise for the fuller expression adde a word or two more and all other necessary things So they though their Idols gave them all flaxe and wool and hempe and all things Observe from hence Idolaters have a great many idols to supply their severall wants My lovers in the plural number The idols of the Heathen do not supply all good but one one thing and another another thing And that is the difference betweene the true God and Idols The excellency of the true God is that he is an universal good we have all good flaxe and oyle and bread and wine and all in one in our God in our lover And that is the reason that God chalengeth the whole heart Idols are content with a partiall obedience because they are but partiall in bestowing of good things but God justly requires the whole heart of his worshippers because he is an universall good to them My Lovers that gave me my bread c. Marke The end that Idolaters ay me at in their worship is very low They follow their lovers and are very earnest for what I pray for their wool and their flaxe and their bread and their water their oyle and their drinke These are the things they aime at they desire no more they look no higher may their flesh be satisfied give them but-liberty to sport on the Lords day to have their feasts their wakes merry meetings and they care for no more Their spirits are vile and accordingly is their worship Therefore their worship is external it is bodily because their aimes are at externall and bodily things As a mans end is so is a man either base or honourable There are many men that cry out as if they aimed at God and Religion in many things they doe they make a noise about Religion and God and Christ and his Ordinances and the publicke good but the truth is their aimes are at gaine and credit and at their wool and their flaxe and herein they shew the baseness of their spirits like the lapwings that make a loud cry as if they were come neere their nests when their neasts are somewhere else VVhatever their cry be for God and the publicke good but if you marke them their neast is in their wool in their flax in their profit in their honour and preferment in these outward things But the end of the true worshippers of God is a great deale higher they soare aloft there is a spirituall heighth of soule whereby they are raised upwards by the grace of God A godly mans feete are where a wicked mans head is that which he accounteth his chiefe good a godly man can trample under his feete He lookes at God himselfe at his service he worshippeth the high God he is a child of Abraham not Abraham but Abraham what is the signification of that Pater excelsus a high Father for he is the father of children of high spirits not only of Children that are beleevers but of those that have high raised spirits so Abraham signifieth a high father Cleopatria told Marcus Antonius that he was not to fish and angle for gudgeons and trouts but for Castles Forts and Towns so I may say of a Christian he doth not fish angle especially in matters of Religion for wool and flax and oile he hath no such low and base ends but at God and Christ and heaven and glory and imortality he lookes there he serves God not for these things hee desires these things that by them he may be fitted more to serve God One that hath beene acquainted with the free grace of God in Christ will serve God for himselfe without indenting with him he will be willing to go into Gods Vineyard and not
accepted of him therefore take this trueth for helping of you against this fore temptation when you are in affliction which will be apt to come in Oh I cry to God now in my affliction I should have done it before surely God will not heare me now This may be a temptation I confesse I cannot speake in this point without a trembling heart lest it be abused but the Text presents it fairely to you and you must have the minde of God made known unto you though others abuse it Psal 88. 9. Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction Lord I have called daily upon thee This is spoken of Heman and God did accept of him as it is apparrent in the Psalm yet he cryed by reason of affliction and Psal 120. 1. In my distresse I cryed unto the Lord and he heard me though it were in my distresse yet the Lord heard me Onely take this one note about it It is true Though our being stopped in all other wayes may make us cry to God and God may heare us but when God doth hear us he works more then crying out by reason of that affliction though at first our affliction be the thing that carryeth ns unto God yet before God hath done withus and manifest and any acceptance of us hee workes our hearts to higher aymes then deliverance from our affliction Againe further I will goe and returne A heart effectually wrought upon by God is a resolute heart to returne to God As they were resolute in their way of Idolatry I will follow after my lovers so their hearts being converted they shall be as resolute in Gods wayes she shall say I will returne to my first husband When God will worke upon the heart to purpose he causeth strong arguments to fasten upon the spirit and nothing shal hinder it no not father nor mother nor the dearest friend Perhaps the Lord beginneth to worke upon the child and the father scornes him and the mother perhaps saith What shall we have of you now a Puritane This grieveth the spirit of the child yet there are such strong arguments fastned by God upon his heart that it carryeth him thorough he is resolute in his way he will returne Further Those who have ever found the sweetnesse of Christ in their hearts have yet something remaining that though they should be apostates will at length draw them to him Christ hath such hold upon their hearts as at one time or other he will get them in again there will be some sparkes under those embers that will flame and draw the soule to returne againe to Christ Therefore if any of you ever had any friends in whom you were verily perswaded there was a true work of grace though they be exceedingly apostatized from Christ do not give over your hope for if ever there were any true tast of the sweetnesse that is in Christ Christ hath such a hold upon their hearts that he will bring them in again one time or other Further I will return to my first husband for them was it better with me There is nothing gotten by departing from Christ You goe from the better to the worse when ever you depart from him What fruit have you in those things whereof you are now ashamed I the Lord saith God Isa 48 17. teach to profit sinne doth not teach to profit you can never get good by that but the Lord teacheth to profit It may be you may think to gaine something by departing from Christ but when you have cast up all the gain you may put it into your eye and it will doe you no hurt Job 27. 8. It is a notable place What is the hope of the hypocriâ—e though he hath gained when God taketh away his soul Perhaps a hypocrite that is departed from God a back-flider that was forward before in the way of godlinesse and now like Demaâ— he hath forsaken those wayes and cleaved to the world he thinkes he hath gained and perhaps is grown richer and liveth braver then before yet what hope hath this back-slyder this hypocrite when God taketh away his soul then he will see that he hath gotten nothing As it is said of the Idolater Isay 44. 20 A deceived heart hath turned him aside he feeds upon ashes that he cannot deliver his soul nor say Is there not a lye in my right hand What shall there be more in a lust then in the blessed God then in JESUS CHRIST who is the glory of Heaven the delight of Angels the satisfaction of the Father himselfe Can a lust put thee into a better condition then Christ who hath all fulnesse to satisfie the soul of God himself certainly it cannot be Againe There must be a sight and an acknowledgement of our shamefull folly or else there can be no true returning unto God I will goe and return to my first husband for then it was better with mee then now As if the Church should say I confesse I have plaid the foole I have done shamefully I have loft by departing from Christ it was better farre then it is now Ier. 3. 25. We lie downe in our shame and our confusion covereth us for wee have sinned against the Lord our God saith the Church there so it should be with all that come in to return to Christ they must lie downe in their shame This I note as very seasonable in these times we have many now who not long since have been very vile apostates they have gone with the times they saw preferment went such a way and their hearts went that way Now they see they cannot have preferment in that way they went and God of his mercy hath changed the times they will bee Converts Wee have in England many parliamentary Converts but such as wee are not to confide in Why should wee not confide in them If they will repent and returne God accepteth them and why should not we It is true such an one was before an enemy and followed superstitious vanities but now he is grown better and preacheth against them and why should not wee receive him To that I answer It is true if deep humiliation have gone before that reformation if together with their being better they have been willing to shame themselves before God and his people to acknowledg their folly in departing from God and be willing to professe before all that knew them and have been scandalized by them It is true God began with mee and shewed me his wayes when I was young I began to love them and to walk in them but when I saw how the times went and preferment went the Lord knows I had a base time-serving heart I went away from God they were no arguments that satisfied my conscience but meerly livings and preferment and now I doe desire to take shame and confusion of face to my selfe Woe unto me for the folly and falsenesse of my heart it is
and is able to set out the several parts distinctly to you in such a Climate in such a Countrey but yet when he hath done all he leaveth a great space for a Terra incognita for an unknown world and that unknowne world for ought we know may be five times bigger then the known world So they that have the most observant eye of Gods mercies and take the most notice of them that can best set out the mercies he bestoweth spiritual mercies temporall mercies preventing mercies past mercies present mercies delivering mercies c. yet when they have done all they must leave a great space for the Terra incognita for the unknowne mercies of God The truth is those mercies of God that are obvious to our knowledge every day one would thinke they were enough to melt our hearts to breake them in pieces but besides these mercies we take notice of there are thousands and thousands of mercies that we know not of As we daily commit many sins that we know not of so daily we receive many mercies that we know not of likewise And as in our confession of sins we should pray to God first to pardon our sins we know and so to name them in particular and when we have done then Lord forgive us our unknown our secret sins So in our thanksgiving first blesse God for the mercies before us and when we have done Lord blessed be thy name for all thy unknown mercies that I have little taken notice of We soone grow cold and dead if we doe good and men take no notice of us neither what we know nor what we doe is any thing to us except others know it too but this is the vanity and pride of mens hearts it is Gods prerogative above his creatures to doe all for himselfe for his owne glory and yet he doth much good in the world that none knows of we are bound to deny our selves in that we doe not to seeke our own glory The most excellent peece in the most excellent of our workes is our selfe-denyal in it why should we not then doe all the good we can doe cheerefully though it be not known we should doe good out of love to goodnesse it selfe and if we would doe so we should be encouraged in doing good secretly Fifthly and which commeth yet more fully up to the words They did not know c. In Gods account men know no more then they lay to heart and make good use of The Schooles distinguish of want of knowledge there is Nescientia and Ignoratia Nescience is of such things as we are not bound to know it is not our sinne not to know them but Ignorance is of such things as we are bound to know and that ignorance is two-fold there is an invincible ignorance let us take what paines we can wee can never know all we are bound to know and there is an affected ignorance when we do not know because out of carelesnesse we doe not minde what is before us and when we have minded it so farre as to conceive it yet if we lay it not to heart as we ought still in Gods account we know it not if we digest not what we know into practise God accepteth it not As God is said not to know when hee doth not approve I know yee not saith he so when any man hath a truth in notion and it doth not get into the heart when it is not imbraced there God accounts that that man knowes it not Therefore you have in Scripture such an expression as the Seer is blinde It is a strange expression it seemes to be a contradiction such a thing as we call a Bull The Seer is blinde But it is not so here because God accounts those that have never so much knowledge yet if it doe not sanctifie the heart so as to give him the glory they are blinde blinde as a Beetle The knowledge of the Saints is another kinde of knowledge then other men have We have saith Cyprian no such notions as many of your Phylosophers have but we are Phylosophers in our deeds we doe not speake great things but we doe great things in our lives 1 Thes 4. 9. You have an excellent expression for this you are taught of God to love one another what followeth And indeed so you do That is an evidence that you are taught of God when it pâ—evay leth with your hearts when it may be â—aid indeed so you doe VVho is there in the world but knowes that wee should love one another but men are not taught of God to love one another untill it may be said of them that indeed so they doe There is nothing more obvious to the understanding of a man then the notion of a Deity that there is a God we may as it were grope after him as the holy Ghost speakes but yet 1 Iohn 2. 4. He that saith he knowes him and keepes not his commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him Any man who ever he be though the greatest Schollar in the world if he saith he knowes God and keepes not his commandements he hath the lie told him to his teeth hee doth not know God at all though this of God be the most obvious thing to be understood that possibly can be and yet Christ saith no man knoweth the Father but the Sonne and to whom the Sonne shall reveale him Hence it is when a soul is converted you shall heare these expressions I never knew before I never knew what an infinite Deity meant I never understood the infinite soveraignty and Majesty of the great God I never knew what sinne meant before yet if you had asked him afore he would say I know God is a Spirit that he is infinite and eternall I know that sinne is the transgression of the law I never knew that Christ was before yet before hee would have told you that Christ was the sonne of Mary and came into the world to dye for sinners I remember an expression of a Germane Divine when he was upon his sick bed In this disease saith he I have learned what sin is and how great the Majesty of God is This man though a Preacher and doubtlesse he could preach of sinne and of the Majesty of God yet hee professeth he knew not these things untill God came powerfully upon his heart to teach him what they were The Hebrews say words of sense carry with them the affections or else they be to no purpose when men have notionall knowledge onely that comes not down into the heart they are like men that have weak stomacks and weake heads when they drink wine all flyeth up to the head it makes them giddy but if the wine went to the heart it would cheare warme it so all this mans knowledg flyeth up to his head makes him giddy whereas if it were digested got to the heart
of God and hence are put to it so much to make a connection betweene that that went before and this therefore but wee need not go so farre the right knowledg of the fulnesse and the riches of the grace of the Covenant will help us out of this difficulty and tell us how these two the greatnesse of mans sin and the riches of Gods grace may have a connection one to another and that by an Illative therefore I confesse the Hebrew word is sometimes conjunctio ordinis rather then causalis a conjunction that only sets out the order of a thing one thing following another rather then any way implying any cause but the reading here by way of inference I take to be according unto the scope of the Spirit of God and it gives us this excellent note Such is the grace of God unto those who are in Covenant with him as to take occasion from the greatnesse of their sinns to shew the greatnesse of his mercy from the vilenesse of their sins to declare the riches of his grace And the Scripture hath divers such kind of expressions as these as Gen. 8. 21. The Lord said in his heart I will not again curse the ground any more for mans sake VVhy For the immagination of mans heart is evill from his youth A strange reasoning I will not curse the ground for mans sake for the imagination of mans heart is evill from his youth One would have thought it should have been rather I will therefore curse the ground for mans sake because the imagination of mans heart is evill from his youth but the grace of God knowes how to make another manner of inference then we could have imagined So likewise Isa 57. 17 18. For the iniquity of his covetousnesse was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart I have seen his wayes saith God Now one would have thought that the next word should have been I will therefore plague him I wil destroy him I will curse him but mark the words that follow I will heale him I will 〈◊〉 him also and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners I will create the fruit of the lips peace to him This is a consequence at least if not an inference David understood this reasoning to be indeed the true reasoning of the Covenant of grace and therefore he pleadeth thus with God Psal 25. 11. Pardon my iniquity for it is great Lord my iniquity is great therefore pardon it Hearken you Saints hearken I say this is the great blessing of God unto you who are in Covenant with him whereas otherwise your sins should have made you objects of Gods hatred your sins now render you objects of his pitty and compassion this is the glorious fruit of the covenant of grace I would only the Saints heard me in this thing but why doe I say so I will recall my word let all sinners heare me let the vilest the worst sinners in the world heare of the riches of the grace of God in this his Covenant that if they belong to Gods election they may see the fulnesse the glory of Gods grace to be inamoured with it their hearts ravished with it that they may never be at rest till they get evidence to their soules that God indeed hath actually received them into this his Covenant If then God be pleased in the riches of free grace to make such an inference therefore let us take heed that wee make not a quite crosse inference from the greatnesse of our sins nor on the other side from Gods grace As thus You have followed your lovers you have forgot me therefore will I allure you An unbelieving heart would make this inference I have followed my lovers I have followed after vanity and folly and therefore God hath rejected mee therefore God will have no mercy upon me therefore I am undone therefore the gates of mercy are shut against me unbelieving heart do not sin against the grace of God he saith you have forgotten me therefore will I allure and speake comfortably to you doe not you say I have forgot the Lord and therefore the Lord will for ever reject me these discouraging determining despairing therefores are very grievous to the Spirit of God God would have us have all good thoughts of him It is a maine thing that God intendeth through the whole Scripture that his people should have good thoughts of him and that they should not think him a hard master It is an excellent expression of Luther saith he the whole Scripure doth principally aime at this thing that we should not doubt but that wee should hope that we should trust that we should believe that God is a merciful a bountifull a gracious and a patient God to his people It is an excellent expression that I have read of Master Bradford in one of his Epistles saith he O Lord sometimes me thinks I feel it so with me as if there were no difference between my heart and the wicked a blind mind as they a stout stubborn rebellions spirit a hard heart as they and so he goes on shall I therefore conclude thou art my Father nay I will rather reason otherwise saith he because I do believe thou art my Father I will come unto thee that thou mightest enlighten this blind minde of mine that thou mightest soften this hard heart of mine that thou mightest sanctifie this unclean spirit of mine I this is a good reasoning indeed and is worthy of one that professes the gospel of Jesus Christ Again as the inference of this unbelieving heart is grievous to Gods spirit so the inference of a prophane heart an unbelieving heart makes his therefore from the greatnesse of sin against Gods mercy and the prophane heart makes his therefore from the greatnesse of Gods mercy to the hardening of his heart in his sins what shall God make his therefore from our sin to his mercy and shall we make our therefore from his mercy back again to our sins where sin abounds grace abounds but where grace abounds sin must not abound because God is mercifull to us who are very sinfull let not us be very sinfull against him who is so mercifull God takes occasion from the greatnesse of our sins to shew the greatnesse of his mercy let not us take occasion from the greatnesse of his mercy to be emboldened in greatnesse of our sins Therefore behold Behold Here is a wonder to take up the thoughts of men and Angels to all eternity even that that we have in this inference behold notwithstanding all this yet you men and Angels behold the fulnesse the riches of Gods grace I will allure her what will not God cast us away notwithstanding the greatnesse of our sins let not us reject Gods ways notwithstanding the greatnesse of any sufferings we meet with in them there is a great deale of reason in
books should be made spears This peace is a most amiable thing and lovely in all our eyes every man desireth it and God promiseth it unto his people in many places as a most speciall fruite of his love unto them Esay 33. 10. Jerusalem shall be a quiet habitation a tabernacle that shal not be taken down And Num. 6. 25 26. The Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace the shining of Gods face appeareth in giving of peace to a Nation therefore Jer 16. 5. where God threatneth the taking away of peace marke the expression I have taken away my peace from this people saith the the Lord even loving kindnesse and mercies He doth not say I have taken away peace but I have taken away My peace and then when My peace is taken away I will even take away loving kindnesse and mercies how easie were it to let out ones selfe in large discourses in the high commendations of peace God teaches us in these days to set a high price upon it We have had a peace a long time and the Lord knowes we have not priced that mercy now we know what a sad thing it is to have war in our Gates And if this be a fruite of Gods Covenant to have peace we have cause to bewayle the breach of our Covenant Surely there is a great displeasure of God out against us this cup of blood that is prepared and powred forth and drunke in a great measure is a most dreadfull one our brethren have drunke deepe of it we have been afraid of it long since we have heard of rumours of wars and when the Cup was abroad we prayed that if it were possible it might passe from us this Cup did passe and went to our brethren in Ireland and now it is come unto us the sword hath had its circuite and now it is come amongst us and that which is come is exceeding dreadfull because our wars are not with forreign enemies but Civill wars the worst of all I have read in the Romane Chronicles that in a battell between Sylla and Marius there was a souldier by accident killed one not knowing who it was but after he was slaine he saw it was his brother presently in anguish of spirit he ran his sword into his owne bowels This we finde to be ordinary among us even brother to be against brother yea son against father of each side at this time Certainly therefore it is time for us to fall upon our knees and to be humbled before the Lord for the breach of our peace Peace is a sweet mercy therefore pitty it is that it should not be improved pitty is it that it should be abused Oh how have we abused our former peace God gave us peace before to what end That we might be edifyed and so built up in the feare of God and comfort of the holy Ghost as Acts 9. 31. it is said the Churches had rest were edifyed and did walk in the feare of God and the comforts of the holy Ghost We have not made this use of the rest God hath been pleased to afford us but we have growne wanton with our peace with this precious jewell and just it is with God to take it from us And now we doe desire peace but to what end Still ayming at this especially at this that we might have more freedome to satisfie our lusts and to make provision for the flesh that is the very ground of most mens desire of peace whereas if we did understand the true worth of peace indeed we would thinke it a very low end to desire peace onely to attaine this Ezek. 37. 26. Marke the promise that is there I will make a Covenant of peace with them it shall be an everlasting Covenant with them and I will place them and multiply them and will set my sanctuary in the middest of them for evermore Yea that is a comfortable peace to be desired indeed when God by peace shall make way to set his sanctuary amongst us If we did desire peace upon these termes we might have peace sooner then we are like to have it Againe Peace is sweet therefore pitty it is that it should be falsifyed Ps 28. 3. there are some that speake peace to their neighbours but mischiefe is in their hearts It is pitty that such a precious thing as peace should be serviceable to mens lusts that it should be pretended only to drive on a mischievous designe Peace is too good to be serviceable to mens base ends Yet further Peace is a great blessing therefore pitty it is that it should not be endeavoured for to the uttermost Yea cursed be that warre that hath not peace for the end of it it is that which ought to be as the Embleme of every souldier to have it written upon his sword Sic quaerimus Pacem even thus doe we seek peace It is a great deale better to have a war that aymes at and works peace then to have a peace that aymeâ— at and works war It is true war produceth very dreadfull effects but war that shall bring forth peace is better then peace that produceth war and the more we do commend peace the more doe wee still commend that war that tends to the bringing forth true peace rather then to seeke for a false peace that will produce most dreadfull war afterwards Peace is a great blessing from God but we must take heed we buy it not too deare we may say of this as we use to say of Gold we may buy gold toodear You will say how is it possible to buy peace at too deare a rate Yes if you give these three things for it you have but a deare bargain of it First if you sell truth for it selling any truth for peace you buy peace too deare for the least truth is better then all the kingdomes of the earth It first cost the blood of Christ and since hath beene watered by the blood of thousands of Martyrs Secondly if you shall betray those that have beene most active for the publique good onely that you may be way of complyance provide for your own particular peace this peace costs you too deare Thirdly if you for love of peace shall subject your selves to tyranny or slavery This is peace at too deare a rate and the posterity that comes after may curse that basenesse of spirit and cowardlynesse of the generation that went before that should buy peace for themselves so deare as to bring not onely themselves but their posterity under the bondage of miserable tyranny and woefull slavery It is true it is a great deale easier for a man that is striving and fighting with his enemy to lie downe then to spend his strength with fighting and striving he shal not spend so many of his spirits in the act of lying down why will he
have staid born the brunt but how have they born it by yeilding to superstitious vanities being ceremoniall and Prelaticall it will be found that those who have been willing to follow Christ in the wilderness our of love to him his truth and ordinances that Christ will remember that for kindnes Thirdly For young people to give up their young yeares to Christ that is kindnes by way of allusion at least we may make use of that Scripture I remember the kindnesse of thy youth when thy bones are full of marrow and when the world seekes to draw thy heart after the vanities of it when thou mayest have thy delights and pleasures in the flesh to the full if then thou beest willing to deny all and to give up thy selfe to Christ this is loving kindnesse one that is old may possibly come to heaven upon repentance but what kindness is that for him who hath nigh worn out all his dayes and strength in wayes of sinne in the pleasures of the flesh and now when he is going out of the world and can have no more pleasure in his sin he comes to Christ for mercy what kindnes is here here is selfe-love indeed but little kindness Secondly loving kindnes one to another I wil bet roth thee unto me in loving kindness I will put such a spirit into you of loving kindnes unto your brethren as I have towards you The word that is here used for loving kindness you shall finde it often in Scripture used for Saints those who are called godly and Saints in your bookes in the Hebrew are called kinde ones it may be as well translated kinde ones as thus Psal 4. 3. Know ye that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself It is a most admirable text as if he should say there are multitudes in the world and all the world is mine but I looke upon all the world as refuse in comparison of some few onely here is a godly man a godly woman I set them apart they are for my self but the note I observe is That that word which in your books is godly in the Hebrew is the kind one the Lord hath set apart those that are kinde those that are of sweet gentle kinde dispositions And Psal 16 10. Not suffer thy holy one to see corruption the Hebrew is not suffer thy kinde one to see corruption it comes from the same roote with that that here is translated loving kindnesse So Psal 149. 1. Sing his praise in the congregation of the Saints of the kind ones and the same word againe is verse 5. Let the Saints be so full in glory the Saints that is the kind ones noting what an ingredient loving kindness is to Saint-ship unto godlinesse therefore it is not enough for Christians to be godly but they must be kinde one unto another too 2 Pet. 1. 3. And to godlinesse adde brotherly kindeness You thinke you are godly but you are of a rugged rough-hewen disposition surly cruell rigid severe froward perverse know here is the exhortation unto you this day from God if you will approve your selves to be godly Adde to your godlinesse brotherly kindnesse except you adde that you can have little comfort in your godlines It is impossible indeed for one that hath the power of godliness and hath the true comfort and sweetnes of it to be of a rugged and rigid disposition the reason is because there is that infinite satisfaction as I may so say that such a heart hath in God that there is nothing that can come from without that can make such a heart bitter there is so much sweetnes in that satisfaction that it hath in God as the Scripture saith A good man is satisfied from himselfe that it is not all the bitterness from without that can sowre such a heart It is true indeed if you have a vessel of honey a little gall will make all that bitter but if you have a vessel of gall a little honey will not make that sweet But in grace it is thus though there be a great deale of bitterness in a man or womans nature though they be of rugged natures yet a drop of true saving grace will sweeten all that gall and if they be once gracious a great deale of gall bitternes that cometh from without will not imbitter that sweetnes I beseech you take notice of this one note when God hath left men they grow more passionate and froward then they were before And I verily beleeve this is one ground of the frowardnesse and passionateness that is in professors they have made breaches between God and their soules their peace between God and them is broken and nothing then can give them content As usually it is when a man hath been abroad and others have angred him when his inward comfort and joy is gone then every thing angreth him he is pleased with nothing his countenance is lowring and he is unto ward to every one and why because he hath lost the sweetnesse of his own spirit and now nothing from without can content him all seems bitter unto him but let this man goe abroad and things fall out well it may be he gets a good bargaine hears of excellent good newes that his goods are come home safely hee can now beare a hundred times as much as before and you can scarce anger him why because his heart is filled with sweetness So it is here let a Christian walke close with God keepe his peace with him he will have so much sweetnes in his heart that it is not easie to put him into any passion of frowardnes why he hath enough within perhaps his friend his wife his neighbour is crosse but his Christ is loving though there be little comfort in my maryage with one who is so peevish perverse yet in my marryage with Christ there is satisfaction enough But when the heart hath made breaches between Christ and it self when it hath lost the sweetness in that marryage communion no marvaile if there be no sweetnes in the other maryage communion I will give you a notable example of this a man who before his breach with God was of a sweet disposition was very milde and loving but after he was of a perverse and cruell froward disposition The example is Saul When he was first chosen King how humble was he hee acknowledges himself to be of the least of the tribes of Israel and the least in his fathers house and when some raysed npon him and said shal this man raigne over us the text saith he held his peace and when others would have had them killed no by no means they must not be slain because God had shewen him mercy in a late victory given him But after Saul had fallen from God O the rugged perverse cruell disposition of his spirit then even to Jonathan his son a gracious loving sweet natured son then Thou
Gods care saith Bernard which is beyond providence such as is out of faithfulnes as well as out of love Christ here condescends to his Spouse as a man is willing to give satisfaction to his wife her friends though the truth is he would doe any thing in the world out of love to his wife yet in regard of her weaknesse and to satisfie some friends he is content to enter into bond to do any thing that is fitting it is good to make all things sure before-hand say her friends he presently yeilds for it is no other but what he is willing to doe without bonds onely to satisfie her and their minds Thus it is between Christ and his Spouse The truth is the love of Christ is enough to make a supply of any of our wants but wee are weake and would faine have things made sure therefore saith Christ to helpe our weakeness I will even enter into bond and you may be sure I will be faithfull then I will binde my faithfulnes to you for all the good you would have And this faithfulnesse of Christ is either in regard of the great Marriage-Covenant there hee will be sure to be faithfull to his Spouse Or in regard of all particular promises that are under things as it were There is the great marriage-covenant about reconciling God and paying all debts that are owing and satisfying Gods justice and bringing to eternall life but there are many under-promises and Christ will be faithfull in them all Ps 25. 10. you have a promise worth a kingdome All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth not onely mercy but mercy and truth mercy ingaged VVicked men may have mercy from God from the generall bounty and goodnesse and mercifull disposition of God but what the Saints have is from â—ruth as well as from mercy it is bound to them God stands much upon this that the hearts of his Saints should confide in him He accounts not himselfe honoured except we confide in him therefore marke how Christ suiteth himselfe unto our weaknesse that wee may confide in his faithfulnesse What is it saith he that you poore creatures do one to another when you would make things sure betweene you Wee answer thus Lord we ingage our selves by promise one to another I will do so saith Christ you shall have my promise my faithfull promise Acts 2. 39. Peter invites to Baptisme upon this ground because the promise is made to you and to your children and to as many as the Lord our God shal call The first he speakes to the Jews the other to the Gentiles As if he should say Come in and receive Baptisme for to you and to your children the promise is made to you that are Jews and to your children and to the Gentiles they have the promise that you have they come under the same Covenant for the maine the promise is to them and to their children too And this promise that Christ hatâ—ing aged himself in is no other then a draught of that which was before the world began from all eternity and therefore it is so much the more sure Tit. 1. 2. the Gospell is called a promise before the world began All promises in the Scripture are but a draught of that grand promise that God the Father made to his Son before the world began As if Christ should say Will you have engagement by promise This is past long agoe my Father hath engaged himself to me from all eternity if you have any promise it is but a draught of that first copie of that great promise my Father hath made me from all eternity VVhat doe you doe more when you would make things sure one to another VVe answer we doe not onely make a verball promise by word of mouth but we write it God hath therefore given us his Scripture and the chiefe thing in Scripture is the promise God hath set to his hand to his promise in Scripture Hence Luther hath a notable expression The whole Scripture doth especially aim at this that we should not doubt but believe confide hope that God is mercifull kind patient VVhat do you more Here you have my promise and my hand is there any thing else you use to do to make things sure VVe answer Lord wee take witnesses I will do so too saith God VVhen we would make things sure indeed we take not only two but three or four but half a dozen witnesses sometimes You shall have witnesses saith God as many as you will witnesses of all sorts witnesses in heaven witnesses in earth In heaven I Iohn 5. 7. The Father the Word and the holy Ghost witnesses authenticall of credit enough the three Persons in the Trinity upon earth the spirit the water and the blood What do you more to make a thing sure Lord we set to our seales too you shall have that too saith God you shall have seals of all sorts you shall have the broad seale of Heaven the Sacraments the seals of the Covenant and you shall have my privie seale I will take my Ring off my finger I will give you even the seale of the spirit and do but shew this seale it is authenticall enough Is there any thing more Yes we answer there is one thing more we take an oath I will do that too saith God that you may be sure and confide in my faithfulnesse Heb. 6. 17. God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his councell consirmed it by his oath As if he should say there is no such need of an oath but I will be abundant to you because I would have you trust mee And mark this is for the sake of the heirs of promise God would never have done this for other men it is for your sakes onely who are the heirs of promise in regard of your weaknesse he conrfims all with an oath And if wee would have things sure wee will not have the oath of such as are of no great credit Mark therefore it is that God sweareth and that by the greatest oath ver 13. Because he could sweare by no greater saith the text he sware by himselfe Is there any thing more saith God that you use to do among your selves to make things sure Yes Lord we use to take a pawn too You shall have that too saith he I will give you a pawn and such a pawn as if you never had any thing more you would be happie what is that 2 Cor. 1. 22. Who hath sealed us and given us the earnest of his spirit in our hearts I will send my spirit to be an earnest of all the good that I intend to do for you everlastingly Is there any thing else you would require of me that you may confide in me Yes if God would doe some great notable work as a beginning as an ingagement of that which is to come after this is yet more then a
tabernacle of David that is convert the Gentiles to the profession of Christ But you will say how is this quoted right for that was James his intention in the Assembly and it concerns those who are of such a grave Assembly as that was to speake what they speake to purpose But how doth James here speake to the purpose for the point he was to speake to was that the Gentiles were to be called and he proveth it by that Scripture where it is said that God would raise the Tabernacle of David how doth that prove that God would call the Gentiles You may see if you looke into the prophesie whence this was quoted that this text was right to the purpose The Prophesie is Amos 9. 11. 12. there it goeth thus after he had said that he would raise the tabernacle of David it followeth that they may possesse the remnant of Edom and of all the heathen which are called by my Name So that the Tabernacle of David indeed is the Tabernacle of Christ and it shall be raised to this end that he may possesse the remnant of Edom and all the Gentiles that were to be called by the name of God David is Christ because he was his type and Christ was the seed of David The second Question but why is David rather named then any other rather then Abraham Isaac or Jacob others were types of Christ as well as he and Christ was their seed as well as Davids The reason is because David typified Christ especially in his Kingly power over his own people David was the first godly King that ever was over Gods own people Melchisedech was a King King of Salem but over the people of God David was the first type of Christ Thirdly Why doth the holy Ghost adde this to seeking the Lord that they shall seeke David Why was it not as full if the holy Ghost had said When Israel these ten Tribes for he speakes of them especially when they shall return they shall seeke the Lord and the Messiah but that they shall seek the Lord and David The reason is the expression is brought to this end to put these Tribes in minde of that great sinne of theirs in their defection from the house of David there was an intimation in this expression of that defection they had from David when they shall repent this will lye neere their hearts they will mourne for this their sinne when they choose Christ to be their King they shall do it under the name of David As if they should say we indeed have cast off the house of David sinfully but we now come and choose the Son of David to be our King Thereby putting us in minde of this note of instruction True penitents in mourning for their sinne and returning to God will go to the roote of their sin as much as they can to their first defection mourn for that and labour what lies in them to reforme in that very thing wherein the root and beginning of their sin lay The fourth is why seeking the Messiah under what name soever is here joyned to seeking the Lord the very marrow of all the Gospel is in these words they shall seeke Jehovah and David their King It is added for this end to shew us that none can seek God rightly but through Christ they must seek God in Christ This is eternal life to know thee and thy Son to know God alone is not eternall life but to know God and his Son so to seek God alone is not eternal life not will it ever bring to eternal life except there be a seeking of God in Christ seeking Jehovah and David putting them together Grace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ those must goe together no grace from God the Father but from him through Christ so no seeking of God the Father Jehovah but it must be with seeking of David likewise it is not only dangerous but it is a horrible thing to think of God without Christ the very thought of God not through Christ is a most dreadfull thing to the heart of any who knows God Indeed there are a company who have bold presumptuous hearts who will go into Gods presence though reeking in the very guilt of their sin lately committed and seeke to God for mercy and never think of Christ the Mediator they understand not the necessity of seeking God in Christ because indeed they know not with what a God it is they have to deale but that soul that knows what God is dares not think of God much lesse come into his presence seek him but only through Christ It was wont to be the way as Plutarch in the life of Themystocles reports of some of the Heathens the Molossians when they would seek the favour of the Prince they tooke up the Kings Son in their armes and so went and kneeled before his Altar in his Chappell so Themystocles did when he sought the favour of King Admetus It should be the way of Christians in seeking the face of God the great King to take up his Sonne in the armes of Faith A notable speech Luther hath in Psal 130. Often and willingly saith he doe I inculcate this that you should shut your eies your eares and say you know no God out of Christ none but he that was in the lap of Mary and sucked her breasts he means none out of him We must not we should not dare to looke upon â—od but through Christ and seeke him together with David This is the Evangelâ—call way of seeking God when we have sinned if there be any way of help it must be by seeking this mercifull God thus farre nature goes and most people goe no further yea most Christians though they have the name of Christ in their mouths yet the worke of their hearts is no further then natural principles carry them on But the seeking God in Christ is the true supernaturall way the Evangelicall way that is the mystery of godlinesse to tender up a Mediator to God every time wee come into his presence I feare that many of our prayers are lost for want of this There is much Fasting and Prayer thorough Gods mercy amongst us and I would to God there were no abating that way but though wee thinke will God leave his people when there is such a spirit of Prayer If it be not a seeking of God in his Son know it is our own spirits rather then the Spirit of God VVee may be earnest in prayer and cry mightily to God yet if we take not up his Son in the armes of faith and tender him to the Father thousands of prayers and fasting days may be all lost for want of this The truth is wee must not depend so much upon our prayers though we are to rejoyce and to blesse God that there is so much prayer but Gods wayes towards us seeme as if hee would take us off from means