concerning Christ 1 Cant. 12. a bundle of mirth â—s my well Beloved to me he shall lye all night betweene my brests Oh saith the soule Christ shall have the chiefest seate of residence in my heart and his lawes shall beare sway in my life what though I am imprisoned reproached disgraced counted a fectious person one that troubleth the State yet this is no trouble at all unto such a heart for he looks up to Christ desiring with him to indure the Crosse and despise the shame but on the contrary mens hearts being set upon the creature their desires being set upon excelencies here reject the excelency of Iesus Christ and the profession of his truth 3. Rea. And last why men in an externall Covenant with God those that God ownes as his may fall back degenerate is because that men nay and they which have more in them then men even the Saints of God themselves doe neglect their spirituall watch they suffer their spirits to wander and then it s no marvell that he who wanders up downe the whole earth seeking whom he may devoure doth meet with this wandring spirit and turne it out of the way and so we see Davids eye was wandering upon Bathsheba Sathan soon caught him in a snare as you may see in 2 Sam. 11.2.4 these with many other reasons might be laid downe for the confirmation of this truth but I judg these may suffice The second thing observable from the words is the meanes it selfe used by God to reduce them to their former state laid downe in these words though she seeke after her Lovers she shall not come as them as if he should say I will take a sure course with them to reclaime them to my selfe though she do goe a whoring after her Lovers and followes other Gods and loveth so to doe she shall not find them that is she shall find no content nor satisfaction in them as formerly she hath done from whence we may observe That when God intends to do any soules good either to reclaime them from a falen condition or to bring persons to the knowledge of himselfe the usuall way that he takes herein is to discover to them the emptinesse and insufficiency of all things that is here below as not being able to give any content or satisfaction to the soule there is something of this truth me thinks appearing in the 14. vers of this Chapter where the Lord saith I will bring her into the Wildernes now we know a Wildernes condition is a condition distitute of all helpe nothing is to be found therein but wild Beasts ready to devoure no help is to be expected in the Wildernes from it so indeed when men are brought into a Wildernes condition having neither penny nor pennies worth as the Prophet saith Esai 55.1 Then is God pleased to speake comfort to his People and then doth he cause them to look upwards but for fuller proof 3 Ierc. 23. see there the ground of their returne to God truly say they the hope of hâ—ls is but vaine nor the multitude of mountaines what then but in the Lord our God is the health of JSRAEL when they were brought to see the strength of all things to help them was but weaknes then they cry in the Lord our God is the health of Israel So in 1 Ecles 1.2 Solomon after his setting his heart to find out content in the creature and after his following other Gods and forsaking the Lord who had appeared twise unto him you shall find upon his returne this is the accompt that he leaves behind him all is vanity and vexation of spirit the reason why God takes such a course with men is because while the soule sees any fullnesse in any thing in heaven or earth whereby to leane to besides Christ it will fasten at the hornes of that Altar be it what it will and never make any further search or inquiry after Christ the cariage of the soule in this case is like the cariage of Iacob in an other for while ther was corne in Canaan Iacob never thinks nor mentions going into Egypt but when there was none there then saith old Iacob Gene. 42.2 why gaze ye one upon another seeing there is Corne in Egypt so in deed while there is any food to be got for the soule here below it looks no higher and therefore it is that the Lord is pleased to out off all springs of comfort and peace to be had from any thing here below that so the soule may see Iesus Christ to be he who has all the Well-springs of comfort and peace and joy and refreshment to the soule 1. Vse Let us a little from the consideration of this Doctrine examine our spirits and see how our hearts stand affected or what our Spirits is fraught with whether with high conceits of the world of the excellency and fulnes and glory of it Or whether with the excellent fullnes goodnesse that is in Iesus Christ certainely this is an undoubted truth that if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in them let them professe what they will therefore it behoves every man to looke about him and see whether God hath ever yet made this discovery to the soule namely that all the things of the world is empry and poore weake not able to give out the least dram of trve comfort to the soule I beseech you let us againe aske our hearts this question as Christ did in the like case are we able to drink of the Cup that Christ hath drunk of And to be baptized with the Baptisme that Christ is baptised with We do not know what imployment Christ may put us upon certaine it is that that heart which is in the last ingaged to the world will never doe any great matters for Iesus Christ he will play fast and loose with Christ this we all professe to know that we cannot serve two Masters God Mammon their commands are so opposite one to each other as that if we obey the one we must reject the other wherefore let us commune with our owne hearts and see a little how our spirits stand affected to Christ do we find upon serious examination that Christ and his laws doth beare sway in our hearts that excellency that is in them doth in the eyes of our soules weigh downe all that riches and honours and pleasures and preferments of the world nay more then this do you see so much excellency in Gods wayes as that it will beare your charges with great allowance through those miserics and sorrowes reproaches and losses that you shall sustaine in this life yea even life it selfe we shall see Paul when he cast up his accompt of matters of this nature he triumphs in that glorious allowance that he saw provided for him by God 2 Cor. 4.1 saith he our light afflictions which are but for a moment they worke for us
how they prescribe any lawes for the government of the Church that they step not up in Christs stead but this let all men know that Christ hath prescribed lawes already which are perfect and pure by which he both hath and doth and will governe his Church and therefore let this be the duty of us all to labour to know what these lawes and rules are that so we may be more and more subject unto them that wee dishonour not Iesus Christ by giving any thing to any other which is only of right due unto him 2. Vse If it be so that Christ is the head and husband of his Church and people then in the next place we may take notice of the wonderfull and singular love of Iesus Christ towards a poore company of creatures that Christ should stand under such a neere relation to them as a husband there is no reason can be given in respect of us why Christ should do it we may find reason enough in our selves why Christ should loath us condemne us reject us but that he should love us stand as a husband to us wee must seeke a reason of this elsewhere then from our selves and truely the Scripture doth declare the reason fully to us in the 2 Hos 19. I will marry thee to my selfe in mercy and compassion it has bin the meere mercies and compassions of Iesus Christ working in his owne brest hath brought this great and mighty worke to passe and truely the serious consideration of this thing were it well weighed by us it would cause us to be willing to be any thing to doe any thing yea to suffer any thing for him who hath bin and done and suffered so much for us 3. Vse exhorts all of us that seeing Iesus Christ is the head of his Church c. we should from hence be exhorted to yeeld subjection to Iesus Christ and his laws in all things And first of all our subjection to Christ must be free subjection Secondly it must be Universall subjection Thirdly it must be perpetuall subjection 1. Our subjection to Christ and his lawes must be free that is it must be raised within us from the consideration of that excellency that is in Christ and his lawes and from no by-end whatsoever this was Davids frame 119. Psal 94. saith he there I am thine save mee for I seeke thy Precepts as if he should say I seeke them meerely for that excellency that I see in them many may outwardly be subject to Christ but yet not under this consideration but as Christ saith 6. John yee seeke me for the Loaves so may Christ say to many you seeke mee you yeeld outward subjection to mee not freely from that excellency that is in me but for your owne by-ends and respects but wee must know that that subjection which Christ calls for must be free Secondly it must be Universall Christ calls for all 12. Mark 33. thou shalt worship the Lord thy God with all thy heart and soule and might and strength and saith the Apostle you are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your bodyes and in your Spirits which are Gods Thirdly it must be perpetuall Christ cannot indure that any should deale deceitfully with him but we must prove constant unto him what ever it cost us 2 Rev. 10. be faithfull to death and in 1 Luke 74 75. Christ expects that his people should serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our lives Not a little season for a spirt but constantly and if we do but a little cast our eye upon Christ wee shall see that which may ingage us hereunto as 1 Christs love was a free love secondly it was a full love and thirdly it is a durable love whom he loves once he loves to the end And therefore we should be ingaged freely and universally and constantly to submit to Iesus Christ 4. Vse Is for consolation to the servants of God that have given up themselves to be swayed by the Scepter of Christ I say consolation in divers particulars as first if Christ be thy husband then be comforted in this that he will provide for thee 34. Psal 10. the Lyons shall lack and suffer hunger but those that feare the Lord shall lack no good thing 54. Esa 4 5. feare not for thou shalt not be ashamed neither shalt thou be confounded for he that made thee is thy husband whose name is the Lord of Hosts Secondly Wee may expect as provision from Christ so protection from Christ he will certainely protect his people 33. Deut. 3. all thy Saints are in thy hand he will either keep his people from trouble or support them in trouble 43. Esa 2. when thou passest through the water I will be with thee through the fire it shall not hurt thee the servants of God in all their trobles sorrowes which they undergo for his name sake go no farther then Iesus Christ himselfe goes along with them 63. Esa 10. In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angell of his presence saved them Thirdly as we may expect provision and protection from Christ so preservation also 13. Heb. 5. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee it is not any thing that men or Devils can do that can any way by any of their subtlties or persecutions separate Iesus Christ from the soule but as Christ saith because I live you shall live also and therefore when there was but such a conception raised in the heart of the Church 49. Esa 14. SYON saith the Lord hath forsaken mee and my God hath forgotten mee see what answer the Lord there makes vers 15 16. Can a Woman forget her child though she may yet will not I forget thee behold I have ingraven thee upon the palmes of my hands thy walls are ever in my sight As if he should say it 's as possible for men to pull away my strength from my selfe as to pull away my people from me which seemes to be held out in these words I have ingraven thee upon the Palmes of my hands now that which is ingraven in a mans hands is as it were made one with the hand you may as well pull away the part of the hand as the ingraven in the hand so indeed so deeply are the People of God interested into that great attribute of Gods strength that men and Devills may as soone pull God out of Heaven as the Saints out of Gods hands The fourth thing observable in the words and that is the motive by which she is provoked to return to her first husband laid downe in these words for it was better with me then now the consideration of that goodnesse that formerly she had found in Gods waies did mightily provoke her to returne againe from whence we may observe thus much That it is ever best with the servants of God Churches of Christ when they keepe closest to God What it is to keepe close to
required to keepe a man from the feare of danger then from the danger it self as for instance a little apparell will keepe a man from nakednesse when a great deale both of money and apparell will not keepe him from the feare of nakednes and therefore if yee would be kept in times of trouble from overflowing feares of trouble then keep close to God for in â—o doing you will see so much fullnesse of strength and mercy and love in God as will swallow up all other inordinate feares 1. Vse If it be so that it is best with the servants of God whè they keep closest to him let us then who professe the name of Christ and appeare to be in the number of those who are made nigh unto God by the blood of Christ let us be exhorted therefore to take heed of back-sliding and let us labour to know that first it is an easie thing to backslide if we consider the many provocations hereunto by reason of the deceitfullnesse of our owne hearts and the snares of the world with the subtleties of Sathan And secondly it s a dangerous thing to back-slide if wee do but consider 1. From whom we back slide namely God who is the fountaine of life and the giver of all mercies Secondly To what we back slide namely to that which is not able to releive us nor helpe us in any miserie or strait that we fall into Thirdly If we consider what the cariages of God hath bin and is to back-sliders you shall see its dangerous he shall be filled with his owne wayes saith Solomon and if any one draw back my soule shall have no pleasure in him saith God 10. Hebr. 38. we shall therefore for the preventing of this great evill lay downe some signes of a soule declining from God And secondly we shall lay downe some meanes of prevention The signes of declining are these first a disregarding of the truth of Christ 2 Chron. 24.20 when the minds of men grow weary of the truths of Christ and their estimations of truth which formerly hath bin slackens it 's one shrew'd signe of declining A second signe is when men begin to grow distrustfull of God and his truth when many things which God hath said in his word seemes harsh to mens spirits they cannot well relish it as they in the 6. Iohn 60. when the sayings of Christ began to be hard and harsh to them then they draw back vers 66. A third signe is unfruitfulnesse under the meanes and mercies which God bestowes 13. Luk. 7. when men shall rather turne the truth of God which they have received into notions and please themselves more with talking of truth then of practising what they know then it is a signe that truth is bidding them farewell and they it The fourth signe is love of the world when mens spirits begin to hanker after the world or the honour therof they will soone loose Christ and his truth 1 Tim. 6.10 the love of money is the root of all evill which while some have covetted after they have erred from the faith and therefore from love to Christ he that loves the world had rather loose Iesus Christ then the world and it must needs be so because he loves it Fiftly and lastly another signe is spirituall pride else-confidence For before destruction thâ— heart is haughty when a man is proud of that which is â—oâ—… his owne it s no marvell if he soone prove a spirituall bankrupt therefore I beseech you let us looke to our selves if any man thinke he stand let him take heed least he fall Therefore to prevent it let us consider of some meanes First let us labour for soundnesse of judgement in the truths of God that so we may receive nothing upon other mens judgements and reports but trying all things wee may hold fast that which is good for ignorance is the mother of error and a corrupted life doth soone follow an erronious judgement wherefore let us be often in searching the Scripture and seeking of God by Prayer that he would be pleased to unfold those glorious mysteries of his will in his word unto us by his spirit that so we may be able to judge of things that differ Secondly let us labour to receive the truth in the love of it for when truth is received by men under this consideration of love when men see an excellency in truth and love the truth from that excellency that they see in it they will labour for it you know it 's the property of love to do much and suffer much and yet it lookes upon all that it doth and suffers as little because where true love is it will produce effects sutable to it self see this in that love of God 3. Ioh. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son c. marke if once God cast an eye of love up-the creature this very love will produce an effect sutable to its nature even the giving of Iesus Christ to dye for the creature so indeed if once the love of our soules be given up to the excellency of the truth then our lives our liberties our estates or friends will follow roundly but if there be a defect in our love to the truth there will soone be a deffect in our standing to or suffering for truth The third meanes let us consider that the truth of God is the portion of the Saints if we loose truth we loose Iesus Christ where will you have comfort and where will you have salvation if you loose truth And therefore saith Salomon Prov. 4.13 keepe her for she is thy life and there fore David hath recourse upon all occasions to the word 119 Psal 49 50. Remember thy word made to thy Servant why it s my comfort in my trouble as if he should say I have no other companion in my troubles but it and so in the 92. vers of the same Psalme saith he except thy law had bin my delight I should utterly have perished in mine afflictions And therfore as worldly men compt themselves with all they have by what they have are in the world so let the servants of God compt themselves with what they have are by nothing but what they have in Iesus Christ who dwels in the truth conveyes himselfe through the truth into the hearts and consciences of his People and therefore let us labour to compt it our portion and if Naboth would rather incurre the displeasure of the King then part with the inheritance given him by his fathers 1 Kings 21.3 4. how much more should wee be willing to incurre the displeasure of all men rather then to loose any part of the truth of Iesus Christ given unto us and purchased for us at so deere a rate as his owne precious blood Now we should come to the next words expressed in this 8th vers now she did not know that I gave her Corne and Wine and Oyle and multiplyed her Silver and Gold which they have bestowed upon Baal These words seemes to be a maine reason here given by God of this peoples declining from him and that is laide downe in the generall to be the not taking notice nor observing the mercies and favours of God given unto her In which words foure things are to be considered First the mercies themselvs laid downe in these words Corne and wine and Oâ—le c. Secondly the author of these mercies under the terme I gave them that is God Thirdly the persons to whom these mercies were given they were the Children of Jsrael Fourthly the carriage of this people towards God in the injoyment of these mercies and that is here declared First they tooke no notice of them from what hand they came expressed in these words now she did not know that I gave her Corne c. Secondly in spending them it should seeme she taking no notice from whom the mercies came takes as little notice or care how they go which appeares in these words which they have spent upon Baal the words being thus considered we may observe divers things from them for our instruction and comfort 1. Obs That God is the only giver of every mercy and favour that the creature doth injoy 2. Obs That it is the duty of the Saints to take speciall notice of the mercies and favours which God gives them 3. Obs That the not taking notice of mercy and favours of God is a speciall meanes to occasion men to depart from God As concerning the 1. Observ that God is the only giver of every mercy and favour wee injoy I conceive none will deny the truth of it because it is both a dommon truth and that which all generally will acknowledge Iames 1.17 every good and every perfect gift is from above comes down from the father of lights and therefore the consideration of this truth should teach all of us to take notice of the mercy of God in all the good things we enjoy to behold God in all the passages of his providence to us that so if we have any riches any honours any friends any grace any gifts all come from God And therefore we should take heed of sacrificing any thing to our owne nets but as all mercies we receive come from God so we must give the glory of all onely to him who is â—…lly worthy of all honour and glory and praise for eveâ— These bâ—â—ng the Observations and this the substance of all the matter which God was pleased to helpe me to deliver where I was apprehended as I am publikely called by many forth to suffer for them so I am not unwilling being requested to declare them to all to such and unto any it pleaseth God by his good providence to dispose of them desiring that all persons would try all things and hold fast that which is good 1 Th. 5.21 I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ for it is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth 1. Rom. 16. Be not thou ashamed of the Testimony of our Lord nor of mee his prisoner but be thou partaker of the affliction of the Gospell 2. Tâ—m 1.8 FINIS
earth c. As if he should say you are the peculiars of my love and therefore I would have you be peculiar in your carriages and that there might be nothing wanting on Gods part to make them compleat herein he therfore gives his Lawes unto Iacob and his Statues unto Israel not dealing so with any other Nation Psal 147.19 20. but now he having planted this noble vine and expecting fruit proportionable to the meanes but behold and see how soone they degenerated and fell from God and followed the inventions of their owne braine and the suggestion of their owne Spirits For no sooner was the ten Tribes rent from Rehoboam to Iereboam but they were rent from the profession of Gods truth to the following of Baall Which was occasioned by the subtle counsell of Iereboam who having gotten a Kingdom thought to keepe it by his owne policy rather then going in a way of truth for if we look into the Books of the Kings you shall there finde that that which was the great Master Piece of policy proved to be the great Master Piece of his misery and the truth of God herein apearing to be made good is well specified by the Apostle Rom. 8.7 the wisdome of the flesh is enmity against God But to come as briefly as I can unto the things intended in the words you shall therefore find after their apostacy from God the Lord is pleased to walke in a course of meanes towards them which meanes was the sending of his Prophets amongst them to discover their evils to them that so they might be reduced unto their former state and condition amongst the rest this Prophet Hosea was one who doth in this first and second Chapters declare unto them their sin as likewise the threatnings of God against them for that sin and that he might not bestow labour in vaine there is therefore in the 6 and 7. vers of the 2 Chapter declared the speciall meanes that God tooke which should take effect to reclaime some of them to himselfe the means is laid downe in the sixt vers and further amplified in the seventh In the sixt he saith he will stop her way he will hedge up her pathâ— wheras it might be objected though they may be stopped hedged up yet love will make men leape through hedg and ditch as we say to which Quest is Answ made in the seventh vers Though she doe follow her Lovers she shall not come at them as if he should say there shall not be left so much as a probability or possibility of meanes to come at them so that in this seventh vers wee may observe these foure things 1. The strength of these Peoples spirits in cleaving to affect her Lovers expressed in these words following after them and seeking them 2. The meanes which the Lord here useth to reclaime her from them expressed in these words though she do seeke after them yet she shall not find them she shall be disappoynted of her ends herein 3. The effect that this meanes wronght by the blessing of God upon it expressed in these words then she shall say I will returne to my first Husband c. 4. Here is laid a maine motive or consideration that wrought upon her spirit expressed in the latter clause of the vers for then saith she it was better with me then now From the former part of the words we may observe thus much namely that there is an aptnesse of spirit even in men professing religion which are in the visible Church of God to forsake God to follow other lovers other Gods this we shall see plainely proved to us if we do but a little examine the Scriptures 2 Jere. 13. The Lord there complaines my People have committed two evils they have forsaken Me the Fountaine of living Waters to dig them pits even broken pits that will hold no water Wee see here those that God owned for his People even these forsake him But before we farther prove it some may object and say but what is it to forsake God or how when mâ—y men be said to forsake God Ans That usually in Scripture men are said to forsake God when they forsake the law of God the Commandements of God or the worship of God and therefore saith the Lord to Moses Deut. 31.6 This People will rise up and go a whoring after the Gods of a strange Land and will forsake me and break my Covenant which I have made with them as if he should say by breaking my Covenant they forsake me and so in the 24 Iosua 20.10 Iudg. 10. to 13. 1 Sam. 8.8 2 Chron. 13.11 all which Scriptures prove that a People in outward Covenant with God have forsaken God and that then they are said to forsake God when they forsake the worship of God Now I come to the reasons how it comes to passe that such an aptnes of Spirit doth appeare 1 Rea. Because the termes which other Gods propound are more sutable unto mens carnall reasonings then the teâ—mes propounded by the Lord therfore in the 23. Ezek. 5. And Aholah plaid the Harlot when she was mine and she was set on fire with her lovers the reason is given in vers 6. which were clothed with blew silke and so indeed that honour and preferment which is held unto men by the hand of the whore as a Cup of Gold drawes all men high and low rich and poore to commit spirituall fornication with her whereas the termes which the God of Heaven tenders to men if they will follow him is that they must suffer for his name sake and that Foxes have holes and Birds of the Ayre have nests but the Son of man hath not whereon to lay his head the consideration of which termes makes men many times turne off the profession of Iesus Christ when tribulation or afflictions comes men are offended Math 13.1 2. Rea. Because men have more conversments with other Gods the harts of men naturally have more commerse with the world and sin and so with the worship set up by the men of the world rather then with God and the things of God and certainely where a mans thoughts is most pitched there is his love and delight for where the treasure is there will the heart be and therefore saith the Apostle Demas hath forsaken us and imbraced this present world as if the Apostle should say he hath coâ—sidered things beforehand concerning the world and hath found by his conversments with it that the world is good and therfore now he hath imbraced this present world he hath given up the strength of his heart and affections to it as on the contrary when the soule begins to have his thoughts pitched upon God and hath his spirit raised up to behold the lovelynesse and glory fulnesse and excellency that is in Iesus Christ the soule upon these considerations closeth with Christ imbraceth Christ and saith concerning him as the Church saith in the like case