hearing their sinnes reprehended Fourthly we are to obserue that this our Prophet was sent as Gods ambassadour when he was but young and continued No age exempted from Gods seruice it vntill his old age Whence we learne that no age is exempted from Gods seruice nor any time so vnfit but that if it please the Lord to grant the assistance of his Spirit a man may in it aduance the glory of God and benefit the Church And therefore we may not excuse our selues by our youth as though it were not time for vs to begin to serue God nor by our age as though that should exempt vs from Gods seruice as being too painefull and laborious but as we are to beginne betimes so we are to hold out to the end seeing nothing is more honourable then a gray head in the waies of righteousnesse Pro. 16. 30. Prou. 16. 30. More especially the people may here learne not lesse to The youth of Gods Ministers not to be despised esteeme Gods ambassage by reason of the youth of the ambassadour seeing the Lord hath called both young and old and fitted the one as well as the other for this seruice to the end that we should not rest and depend vpon the person of the Minister but vpon his owne ordinance the ministerie of his word and on the blessing of his holy Spirit whereby onely it is made effectuall for our saluation Ieremy was but a childe that is young in yeares when he was called to be a Prophet Ier. 1. 6. but yet he must not be afraid to speake to Jer. 1. 6. 8. the ancient and mighty because God was with him to deliuer him vers 8. Timothy was called to be an Euangelist whilest he was yong but yet no man might despise his youth 1. Tim. 4. 12. 1. Tim. 4 12. Hosea prophecied in his young daies but they were not excused hereby who would not heare him nor exempted from feeling Gods iudgements Fiftly we may here obserue that he did prophecie the ruine The ruine of Israel foretold when it most flourished of the kingdome of Israel not in the declining state thereof but in the raigne of Ieroboam vnder whom it most flourished when there was no appearance of such future calamities as were foretold by the Prophet for Iehoash his father had gotten the vpper hand of Amaziah King of Iudah and had carried away the treasures of the Temple and the Kings house and Ieroboam himselfe hauing obtained many notable victories against his enemies inlarged the borders of the kingdome to her ancient limits So that now the idolatry of those times might be defended in that it had more prosperous successe then the pure worshippe of God in the kingdome of Iuda but in these times God sendeth his Prophet being young of yeares to reproue King and people for their idolatrie and to denounce and foretell the vtter subuersion of the kingdome Where first we may obserue the vndoubted truth of this prophecie seeing he could by no other meanes but by the inspiration of Gods Spirit attaine to the knowledge of the ruine of the Kingdome when in respect of the present flourishing estate thereof there was nothing lesse feared or expected Secondly whereas it is said that the Prophet prophesied The Prophets courage in the time of Ieroboam and in that flourishing estate of the kingdome foretold the ruine thereof hence we obserue that notable boldnes and couragious fortitude of this Prophet who durst vndertake and go through a matter of such great difficultie and danger For seeing the victorious King and people were made drunke with prosperitie exceedingly lifted vp in pride in their good successe and long hardned with their customable liuing in all maner of wickednes it may easily be guessed with what scoffes and taunts they entertained the Prophet and vnto how many dangers hee exposed himselfe where he prophecied of their destruction which they not so much as feared The which serueth to teach Gods Ministers in these times boldly and couragiously to deliuer Gods embassage euen before Kings and great Potentates when they are called hereunto and not to be daunted with the face of man when they speake in the place of God nor to be discouraged with scoffes taunts and reproches difficulties and dangers which they vndergo in performing their dutie for hee that hath set them on worke will giue them their wages so that they shal not suffer the lest thing for his sake which he wil not recompence an hundred fould Thirdly wee obserue Gods maruelous and miraculous preseruation of this his Prophet in the middest of all these Gods power in preseruing his Prophet dangers for the space of many yeeres together so that though he was compassed about with wicked men and was vnder the gouernment of Idolatrous Kings against whose idolatrie he inueighed yet God deliuered him in the middest of all these perils and brought him in peace in his very old age vnto his graue as Epiphanius writeth The consideration whereof should encourage Gods Ministers to goe on in the performance of their dutie euen through the middest of dangers seeing the speciall prouidence of God watcheth ouer them and will preserue them in their waies though it seeme neuer so impossible so farre forth as God thereby may be glorified and their saluation furthered Examples of this marueilous preseruation wee haue in Noah Lot Moses Elias Iohn the Euangelist Martin Luther and many others Fourthly in the example of this Prophet Gods Ministers Vices are to be reproued when they most prosper may learne to set vpon and inueigh against vices not onely when they are discountenanced with Gods iudgements and vnder foote but then most especially when they are intertained with most prosperous successe and do seeme to be approued by God in regard of that peace and prosperitie which doth attend vpon them Lastly heere we learne that we are not to iudge of Gods loue and fauour nor of the vertues and religious godlinesse Prospertie no true signe of Gods loue of a State by their good successe and prosperous affaires for vnder the gouernment of this King Ieroboam such was the estate of this kingdome and people and yet the Lord sendeth his Prophet to shew them that they were out of his fauour and that he would diuorce them from him for their manifold adulteries that their religion which was accompanied with prosperitie and all worldly felicite was false idolatrous and superstitious and that they abounded in all sin and wickednesse ANd thus much concerning the inscription now it followeth that we speake of the legall comminations where first is set downe their sin and secondly their punishment Their maine and capitall sinne was idolatrie which is signified vnder the typicall mariage of the Prophet with a wife of fornications the which is enioyned by the Lord vers 2. and vndertaken by the Prophet vers 3. Vers 2. At the beginning the Lord spake by Hosea and the
Vers 2 Lord said vnto Hosea Go take vnto thee a wife of fornications and children of fornications for the land hath committed great whoredome departing from the Lord. In this verse is contained the Lords commandement and the reason thereof In the commandement is set downe 1. The time or order 2. The commander 3. The person vnto whom the commandement is directed 4. The thing commanded The time or order in these words At the beginning The expositiō At the beginning which some expound that the Lord first spake vnto this Prophet before he spake vnto any of the rest and sent him to prophecie vnto the people before any of the other Prophets But this being generally vnderstood is not true seeing before he had spoken to many as to Abraham Noah Elias Elizeus c. And if more particularly we vnderstand it of the Prophets of his time whose writings are extant it is not probable that Hosea was first but rather Ionas who prophecied in the beginning of Ieroboams raigne and did foretell all his famous victories as appeareth 2. King 14. 25. 2. King 14. 25. whereas it is very likely that Hosea prophecied not vntill the latter end vnlesse we would say that he prophecied 100. yeares for so much it is almost from the beginning of Ieroboams raigne to the beginning of Ezechias And moreouer it is heere said vers 4. that the iudgements threatned by Hosea should within a little while be inflicted which was not in Ieroboams raigne but in his sonnes and those who succeeded him These words therefore are rather thus to be vnderstood that this was the beginning of the Lords speech vnto Hosea or that the Lord thus began his speech vnto Hosea when he called him to be his Embassadour vnto the people and this the Hebrew text will well beare for it may as well be translated thus The beginning of the Lords speech as at the beginning the Lordspake seeing the word may indifferently be either noune or verbe The Commander is Iehouah who doth not speake vnto The Lord spake to Hosea the people immediately by his owne voice but by his Prophet Hosea the word in the originall signifieth that the Lord spake in Hosea which some expound that the Lord spake vnto Hosea some that he spake with Hosea some that he spake by Hosea but somewhat more is here to be vnderstood namely that he so spake by him as that also he spake in him prompting him as it were by his Spirit what hee should deliuer from him to the people In the first verse it is said that the word of the Lord came to Hosea by which we are to vnderstand not onely that the Lord barely spake vnto the Prophet for so the Lord also speaketh to all whom he instructeth by his word but that he spake vnto him immediately by himselfe and not as vnto an ordidary man but as vnto his Prophet whom he sent as his ambassadour vnto the people with his word in his mouth which he was to deliuer vnto them as in Gods owne person Here it is said that the Lord spake not onely to him and by him for he spake also by Balaams Asse vnto his Master vsing him as his instrument to reproue the Prophets folly but also that he spake in him because the Spirit of God dwelling in him directed his tongue so that he deliuered nothing according to his owne inuentions but the pure word of God The like phrase is vsed 2. Sam. 23. 2. Haba 2. 1. Heb. 1. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Sam. 23. 2. Habbac 2. 1. 2. Cor. 13. 3. Matth. 10. 20. 2. Cor. 13. 3. Seeing ye haue experience of Christ that speaketh in me Matth. 10. 20. For it is not you that spake but the spirit of your Father which speaketh in you By all which places it appeareth that God dwelling in his Prophets Apostles and Ministers by his holy Spirit doth vse them as his instruments in his owne stead to deliuer his word vnto his people In the words following he addeth That the Lord said vnto Hosea which hath relation vnto the speciall commandements which ensue So that here is somewhat more to be vnderstood then was expressed in the first verse namely that the Lord did not onely speake vnto the Prophet generally but that hee thus spake after this speciall manner as followeth And this is the meaning of the first wordes of this verse the summe whereof is this that the Lord when as he called Hosea to be a Prophet put his word into him and spake in him and by him as his Ambassadour who represented his owne person and for the beginning of his speech caused him to vse the words following vnto the people Now let vs come to the doctrines and instructions which arise out of these words First here we obserue that before The do ∣ ctrines the Lord sendeth Hosea to speake vnto the people he first speaketh vnto the Prophet and putteth his ambassage into God furnisheth all whom he sendeth on his Embassage his mouth preparing and fitting him vnto this great worke vnto which he called him From whence we learne that all who are called of God to the worke of the ministery are first by him so furnished with the gifts of his Spirit that they are in some good sort enabled to deliuer Gods word and message vnto the people And this is apparant through the whole course of the Scriptures for those who were after an extraordinarie manner called were also extraordinarily furnished for this worke as the Prophets and Apostles those who had an ordinary calling were prepared by ordinarie meanes as in the schooles of the Prophets as the vse also is still amongst vs at this day Whereby it appeareth that those blinde guides and dumbe Ministers which in these times abound were not sent of God for if an earthly Prince will not make choyce of an ignorant and speechlesse Ambassadour much lesse will God infinitely wise make choyce of such messengers especially considering that hee is in himselfe able to furnish any whom he sendeth with sufficiency of gifts fit for that calling vnto which he calleth them Secondly we may obserue that the Prophet doth not enter into the worke of his Calling before he is after a speciall An outward Calling necessary for Ministers manner sent from God although hee was furnished with gifts and had his minde illuminated by the Lord speaking to him and in him From whence we learne that we are not to thrust our selues into this Calling though wee had great knowledge and learning vnlesse we be first called and sent by God which extraordinarily was done by God himselfe to the Prophets and Apostles immediately and ordinarily by the Church or those which by the Churches consent are appointed for this purpose For though Christ had instructed his Apostles yet they preach not till he sendeth them Matth. 10. 5. Though Iohn the Baptist was strong in the spirit Matth. 10. 5. yet he
and therefore seeing the commandement of God made that action lawfull which otherwise would haue been theft in the people of Israel therefore the like commandement might make this mariage of the Prophet lawfull which in it selfe was vnhonest and vnlawfull To which I answere that there is great dissimilitude in these two examples for first God the soueraigne Lord and chiefe owner of heauen and earth and all that in them is in his own right and by his sole authority might take that which was his owne frō one and giue it to another Secondly this action was lawfull by the law of nature and nations that those who had long serued them as bondmen should haue some reward for their labours which because they tyrannically withheld the Lord like a Soueraigne monarch and iust iudge righted the cause of the oppressed and appointed vnto them this wages for their tedious seruitude And therefore there being no such equitie in this vnhonest mariage and seeing the Lord neuer by his sole authoritie commandeth things vnlawfull and dishonest this example maketh nothing for their purpose Againe they obiect that God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his owne sonne which action in Abraham should haue been vnnaturall and wicked I answere that this commandement in Gods purpose was a commandement of triall onely which he meant not should be put in execution Yea but though Abraham had slaine his sonne his action had been iust and lawfull I answere that this also is most true for seeing God who is absolute Lord of all creatures and chiefe iudge of heauen and earth hath vnlimited power of life and death and seeing the party was to be slame howsoeuer he was innocent towards his father yet had deserued not onely temporarie but also eternall death in respect of his sinnes against God Abraham being commanded by God to be his minister of iustice in executing deserued punishment vpon his sonne was to set aside fatherly affection and to yeeld obedience to Gods seruice but yet iust commandement Neuerthelesse because the outward administration of this act would haue seemed vnnaturall and against the law of nature and nations the Lord onely inioyned it by way of triall and neuer purposed that it should be put in execution although being the father of spirits it was easie for him to haue raised him againe from death to life And therefore this semblable commandement of a seeming vnlawfull thing affordeth no colour to proue that this dishonest marriage should bee actually inioyned and performed Secondly we may not giue such an exposition of one of Gods Commandements which contradicteth and crosseth an other but that one of such holy and high a calling as this Prophet should linke himselfe in marriage with an infamous and common harlot contradicteth and crosseth other commandements and therefore we are not thus to expound it The proposition needes no proofe the assumption is manifest by these reasons In that it was vnlawfull for the high Priest to take to wife a diuorced woman a woman polluted or an harlot nay he might not so much as marry a widowe Leuit. 21. 14. In that the Lord giueth speciall charge concerning Leuit. 21. 14. 1. Tim. 3. 11. Tit. 1. 6. the choyce of his Ministers that their wiues be honest sober and faithfull 1. Tim. 3. 11. and that they haue faithfull children not riotous or disobedient And therefore it is not likely that the Lord who hath had such speciall care of their marriages would inioyne his Prophet to take vnto him an harlot and her adulterous broode and so make his house which should be vndefiled a stewes or filthy brothell Thirdly by such a marriage God should haue made his Prophet contemptible and his ministery and that true religion which he professed should by this meanes haue beene despised and exposed to the slanderous reproach of vnbeleeuers who are apt to take all occasions whereby they may disgrace Gods Ministers and their ministery Fourthly whereas the Lord calleth not onely his wife a woman of fornications but his children also children of fornications hereby it is manifest that this was not actually done but in vision and parable for if we say that they were her children before marriage the text is plaine against it which affirmeth that she conceiued after marriage and bare these children vnto him if wee say that the Prophet had them by her in lawfull marriage how then could they bee truely called children of fornication though before marriage she had plaied the harlot Fiftly there was no necessitie why this should be actually done seeing if it onely appeared to the Prophet in vision and were deliuered to the people by way of parable it were sufficient to conuince them of their sinne which was the maine end the Lord aimed at Sixtly it should not haue been so fit for Gods purpose that this should be actually done seeing he could not marry her and haue by her three children one after an other in lesse time then almost three yeares whereas the Lord sendeth his Prophet to the end that hee should presently conuince the people of their sinnes and reclaime them from their corruptions which were so great that they needed present cure Lastly in the third chapter the Lord commandeth the Prophet to loue and take vnto him an adulterous harlot but this the Lord would not haue actually done for the Lord is a holy and pure Spirit who hateth and abhorreth adulterie and all vncleannesse but onely in type would haue the adulteries of the Israelites which they committed with their false gods discouered from which the great loue which he their Lord and husband had from time to time shewed vnto them could not restraine them And therefore seeing that is typically to be vnderstood why not this also But it is obiected that in the text this is plainely set down as an history of things actually done I answere that this Obiection 1 Answer is vsuall with the Prophets to the end that they may after a more significant and emphaticall manner expresse their mindes and leaue a more deepe impression in the mindes of their hearers to propound types and parables as histories of things done for the distinguishing whereof and the true expounding of such places we are to obserue this rule that where the litteral sense implieth any impossibility or grosse absurditie or any thing contrarie to the analogie of faith or some other plaine place of Scripture there wee are to expound it as a type or parable but in this place if wee take the litterall sense it implieth a grosse absurditie and contradicteth other places of Scripture as I haue shewed and therefore it is to be vnderstood typically and as a parable Neither are we to vnderstand this place so only but many other the like which seeme as plaine histories of things done as this here So Esay is said to haue walked naked and barefoote 3. yeeres Esa 20. 2. 3. So Ezechiel is commanded Esa 20. 2. 3. Ezech 3. 1. 2.
Rom. 11. 29. farre foorth as they will stand with their spirituall good as Dauid did 1. Sam. 17. 37. But this is no sure ground whereupon 1. Sam. 17. 37. secure men may build their presumption For if Gods mercies will not moue vs to feare and serue him he will not alwaies continue to be mercifull towards vs but as he hath a time for mercie so he hath also a time for iudgement wherein he will vtterly take vs away in wrath and bring vs to destruction An example whereof wee haue in this place and before the flood Gen. 6. 3. c. Secondly whereas the Lord threatneth that they should Gen. 6. 3. Captiuitie is the fruit of rebellion for euer remaine in captiuitie vnder the rule and dominion of their enemies here we may obserue a notable fruite of rebellion For so long as the Israelites serued God whose seruice indeed is the only true libertie they were freed from all seruitude and bondage but when they refused to serue God as their Lord and master would not be ruled by his word and Spirit they were compelled to serue crueli tyrants in a miserable and perpetuall seruitude yea which was worse they were not onely the captiues of their enemies but the perpetuall bondslaues of their arch enemie the diuell as many as did not turne vnto God and againe betake themselues to his seruice Thirdly whereas the Lord pronounceth this definitiue Release from temporall afflictions doth not alwaies follow true repentance Hos 1. 10. 2. 20 sentence that he would neuer haue pitie on them to deliuer them out of their bondage and yet vpon the true repentance of many of them pardoned their sinne and receiued them to mercie as appeareth vers 10. chap. 2. 20. hence wee learne that vpon the forgiuenes of sinne and reconciliation with God there doth not alwaies follow release from temporall afflictions which for sinne are inflicted vpon the faithfull For the Lord after that he hath pardoned his children their sin doth oftentimes chastise them afterwards for them that hereby he may weane them for the time to come from their corruptions and with this bitternesse of affliction may moue them to hate those sinnes which otherwise would be sweete pleasant to their corrupt flesh An example hereof we haue in Dauid 2. Sam. 12. 13. 18. 16. 12. And in Moses 2. Sam. 12. 13. 18. 16. 12. Numb 20. 10. 12. Num. 20. 10. 12. The consideration whereof should make vs carefully flee sinne if not for feare of eternall torments from which all the faithfull are deliuered by Christ yet at least of temporarie afflictions which haue in them more bitternesse then sinne sweetenesse c. ANd so much concerning their secōd degree of punishment the which is amplified by a dissimilitude vers 7. Vers 7 Yet I will haue mercie vpon the house of Iuda and will saue them Exposition by the Lord their God and will not saue them by bow nor by sword nor by battell by horses nor by horsemen In which words is contained a gratious promise to the house of Iuda of that mercie which in the former verse hee refuseth to vouchsafe the house of Israel Wherein we are to consider the partie to whō this promise is made namely the house of Iuda and secondly the benefits which are promised the which are two fold first his mercy and secondly saluation which is an effect thereof vnto which are annexed the true meanes whereby he would saue them to wit by the Lord their God and after the false and insufficient meanes are remoued in which notwithstanding men vsually put their confidence and will not saue them by bowes This gratious promise of mercie and saluation is made to the Iewes not for any excellencie or worthines which was in them which deserued such grace and mercie for they also oftentimes had grieuouslie rebelled against the Lord and had prouoked his wrath against them with their manifold sins which reigned amongst them especially by their grosse idolatrie as may appeare both by the historie in the bookes of the Kings and Chronicles and in the writings of the Prophets which were sent vnto them to wit Esay Ieremie and the rest But this mercie is promised vnto them first because they did not goe forward in these sinnes with such obstinacie and impenitencie as the Israelites did but vnder the gouernement of their godly Kings Iehosaphat Ezechias Iosias and the rest oftentimes returned againe to the Lord by true repentance and forsaking their idolatry restored Gods pure worshippe and seruice and after they were led captiue they made profitable vse of their afflictions and harkened vnto the voice of God brought vnto them by his Prophets whereas the Israelites after their first defection vnder Ieroboam neuer wholly turned vnto the Lord but grew worse and worse in their rebellion and grosse idolatry Secondly God spared the Tribe of Iuda that he might performe his gratious promise which he had made to Dauid that there should not be wanting one to sit vpon his seate till the Messias came whose kingdome should be eternall the which could not be accomplished if this Tribe likewise had been vtterly destroyed or the kingdome altogether ceased Now the reasons why this our Prophet which was sent to the Israelites maketh this gracious promise in the name of the Lord of that mercy and saluation vnto the Iews which was denied vnto the Israelites was first that he might hereby awaken them out of their deepe sleepe of carnall security and beate downe their pride and selfe confidence into which their present prosperity had brought them For at this time the Kingdome of Israel exceedingly flourished both in multitude as containing in it ten Tribes and in strength and all warlicke prouision hauing obtained many great victories ouer their enemies and particularly against the Iewes whom they had ouerthrowne and brought into great extremity in wealth also which they had gotten by spoiling their enemies and namely the Iewes whose Temple they had robbed and carried away all their treasures and vessels of gold and siluer whereas the Iewes were but a few in number as being but one Tribe and a halfe many of which were miserably slaine by their enemies disfurnished of their warlicke munition and meanes of defence and lastly spoiled of their riches and treasures which are the sinewes of warre and so brought into miserable pouerty In all which respects the Israelites despised the Iewes and proudly insulted ouer them in their miseries yea and which was worst of al they combined themselues with the Syrians the enemies of God conspired how they might bring the poore afflicted Kingdome of Iuda to vtter ruine as appeareth Esay 7. 5 6. And therefore the Lord to beate down this Esa 7. 5 6. pride and cruell insolency sendeth his Prophet to foretell their destruction who were many strong and abounding in all riches and contrariwise the preseruation and saluation of the Iewes who were few
19. and Esa 36. and 37. And secondly when as being led captiue into Babylon he moued Cyrus and Darius to haue compassion on them and to returne them againe into their owne Country And this is that which is meant by these benefits promised Doctrines Now the things which hence are to be obserued are All Gods benefits included vnder his mercy these First that he includeth all his benefits promised vnder the name of his mercy to note vnto vs that they doe not come vnto any by merit and desert but of free grace and Gods vndeserued goodnes for mercy doth not presuppose merit but rather misery both in regard of sinne and the punishment due vnto it And further to assure vs that if we haue Gods mercy and be in his fauour we shall neede no benefit either for our maintenance or else our defence and preseruation whereas on the otherside without this mercy we can haue no assurance of either Secondly we may obserue that he knitteth these two together Mercy the cause of saluation mercy and saluation and setteth mercy in the first place because it is the cause of saluation and the fountaine from which this streame of our deliuerance floweth Whence we learne that when the Lord saueth and deliuereth vs out of the hands of our enemies we doe not ascribe our deliuerance to our goodnesse workes or worthinesse but to Gods free mercy and vndeserued grace The third thing to be considered is the meanes whereby Exposition the Lord would saue them which are described first affirmatiuely by the Lord their God and after negatiuely where the false and insufficient meanes are remoued And will not saue them by bow c. Concerning the first by the Lord their God we are to vnderstand the true Messias Iesus Christ the eternall Iehoua Gen. 19. 24. with his Father and holy Spirit who onely saueth and deliuereth his Church out of the hands of their enemies and procureth for them eternall saluation and happinesse first as the meritorious cause for his sake and merits we haue saluation and all other benefits deriued vnto vs from God the Father who if he should behold vs out of his Sonne in our sinnes and corruptions would in stead of benefits heape vpon vs plagues and punishments and in stead of saluation would plunge vs into euerlasting death and destruction And secondly as the efficient cause of our saluation for the Father saueth vs but by his Son who is his strong power whereby he not onely created vs but also hath redeemed and saued vs. Moreouer he saith that he would saue them by the Lord their God rather then that he would saue them by himselfe to the end that he might hereby signifie not onely that the house of Iuda did make choyce of him the true God whom they worshipped and serued but also that he was not the God of the Israelites seeing they had forsaken him and betaken themselues to the worship of idols But here it may be demanded how this can be true that he was not the God of the Israelites but of the Iewes onely seeing he professeth himselfe to be the God of all the seed of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and also seeing the Israelites at this time professed that they serued him in their idols I answere that God accounteth himselfe to be no God vnto them who had refused him and that they had in truth refused him whatsoeuer shew and profession they made to the contrary when as they did not worship him after the prescript forme of his word but in hypocrisie and in idols not in his temple vnto which place hee had limited and restrained his publike worshippe but in groues and high places And this was the true meanes whereby he would saue them In the next place hee expresseth and remooueth the false and insufficient meanes of their saluation And will not saue them by bow nor by sword nor by battell by horses nor by horsemen As though hee should say Although they bee so weake poore and impotent as that they may appeare vnto themselues and others to lie open for a pray to their enemies yet this shall bee no meanes to hinder their saluation and deliuerance seeing my purpose is not to saue them by any power riches or meanes of their owne but by mine owne might which without all humane helpe is in it selfe omnipotent and omnisufficient Whereas then he saith that hee will not saue them by bow nor by sword c. his meaning is that hee would not saue them by their owne power and strength or by any humane and worldly meanes but that their deliuerāce should whollie come from and by himselfe the which accordingly was effected first in the reigne of Ezekias when as being inuaded with the mightie host of Senacharib hee caused his Angell to slay 185000. of their enemies and so without their owne bow sword or battell deliuered them And after that they were led captiue into Babylon he gaue thē grace in the eies of Cyrus and Darius and when otherwise they were altogether vnable by force to relieue themselues he caused their enemies in pitie and compassion to free them out of captiuitie and to restore them againe into their owne countrie Now the reason why the Lord excludeth all their owne strength and meanes was first to beate downe the pride and insolencie of the Israelites who thought it impossible that the house of Iuda in regard of their weakenesse pouertie and small number should bee deliuered out of their hands especially hauing combined themselues with the Syrians to worke their ouerthrow and secondly to strengthen the Iewes in the assurance of their deliuerance notwithstanding they saw no possible meanes in regard of humane power which was exceeding needfull considering that through our naturally corruptions we are readie to doubt of our deliuerance when as we are abandoned of outward helpes And this is the meaning of these words The doctrines which The doctrines from hence arise are these First wee may obserue that the 1. That we haue all benefits from God in and for Iesus Christ saluation of Gods Church and elect children and all other benefits which they receiue either spiritual or temporal is in and for Iesus Christ alone and not from their owne meanes nor for their own merits And this appeareth in this place where the Lord promiseth to saue the Iewes out of the hands of the enemies but not by their own means but in the Lord their God the promised Messiah And as this is true concerning our temporall deliuerances so especially concerning our eternall saluation for there is not saluation in any other c. Act. 4. 12. And he is able perfectly to saue all those who Acts 4. 12. Heb. 7. 25. come vnto God by him Heb. 7. 25. The vse hereof is that wee doe not with the Papists looke for saluation elsewhere not in our owne merits nor in the merits and intercession of Saints nor ascribe the
of all and euery of them neither must we imagine that these two not my people and the sonnes of the liuing God are alike generall as though all and euery man amongst them of whom it might be said not my people of them it should be said that they were the sonnes of the liuing God but it is to be vnderstood of Gods elect onely who should be called from amongst them both and added to the Church For many were eternally reiected many who neuer heard of the Gospel and of Christ many outwardly called by the ministery of the word who were not called effectually and so neither iustified nor made Gods soones by adoption and grace The third thing which is signified in these words is the instrumentall cause or meanes whereby they should attaine vnto this dignity namely by the preaching of the Gospell the which is implied by the phrase of speech here vsed for he doth not say they shall begin to be or they shall be made or they shall be adopted the sonnes of God but it shall be said vnto them Yee are the sonnes of the liuing God to wit in the preaching of the Gospell which is the strong power of God to saluation vnto all that beleeue Rom. 1. 16. and the onely ordinary meanes of begetting faith Rom. 10. 17. by which Rom. 1. 16. 10. 17. Iohn 1. 12. 1. Cor. 4. 15. faith we attaine vnto this prerogatiue of being the sonnes of God Iohn 1. 12. And this the Apostle plainely sheweth 1. Cor. 4. 15. where affirming himselfe to be the Corinthians spirituall father who had begotten them vnto God he sheweth likewise whereby they were begotten and regenerate namely through the preaching of the Gospell Furthermore it is to be obserued that it is set down absolutely it shal be said vnto them without expressing by whom but we are to vnderstand it of God himselfe who had said ye are not my people for he onely after their reiection from being his people could make them his sonnes notwithstanding we are not to vnderstand it that this should be spoken by God himselfe immediately but as he said yee are not my people by the ministery of his Prophet so he saith yee are the sonnes of the liuing God by the ministery of his Apostles and Ministers in the preaching of the word The last thing to be considered is the dignity or prerogatiue it selfe expressed in these words Yee are the sonnes of the liuing God Where we are to note that he doth not obserue a perfect antithesis betweene these and the former words which should haue bin thus expressed In the place where it was said yee are not my people it shall be said vnto them ye are the people of God but in stead thereof he saith ye are the sonnes of the liuing God The reason whereof is this first because he would hereby signifie that through Christ in the couenant of grace we haue a far more excellent estate then vnder the law by the couenant of works for then they were but the people or subiects of God but now they are his sons adopted in Iesus Christ and being sonnes they are likewise Rom. 8. 17. heires and coheires with Christ as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 8. 17. Then they were the people of God on the condition of their perfect obedience to the Law which when they obserued not they lost this dignity and were reiected from being Gods people but now they are sonnes on the condition of faith and heires of an inheritance immortall vndefiled and that fadeth not away as the Apostle speaketh 1. Pet. 1. 4. because 1. Pet. 1. 4. they shall neuer fall from the couenant nor forsake or be forsaken of God seeing his seed remaineth in them 1. Iohn 3. 9. 1. Iohn 3. 9. Secondly by this phrase he excludeth in the worke of our saluation all kind of merit and sheweth that it is wholly to be ascribed to the free grace of God If he had said ye shall be called Gods people it had not so fully excluded all merit seeing there may be some desert in a people which mooueth the Prince to take them for his subiects but when he saith Ye shall be called sonnes it shutteth out all merit seeing no sonne can deserue of his father to be begotten of him before he hath his being Thirdly he vseth this phrase of speech because it containeth All the benefits of the Gospell comprised vnder this title The sons of God in it the summe of those benefits which are offered and bestowed in the Gospel is as it were a briefe abridgement of the whole worke of our saluation for those who are sons are likewise predestinate to eternall life seeing he hath therfore predestinate vs to bee adopted through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe as it is Eph. 1. 5. If we are sonnes then need we not Ephes 1. 5. to doubt of the loue of our heauenly father if we are sons then are we called to this high dignitie seeing before our calling we were strangers and enemies if sonnes then are we iustified in Gods sight freed from sinne and indued with righteousnesse and so fully reconciled vnto God seeing the Lord infinit in iustice would neuer admit any into such a high degree of fauour who were yet polluted in their sinnes and destitute of righteousnesse If we are sonnes then haue we receiued the spirit of adoption which leadeth and ruleth vs mortifieth our corruptions and quickneth vs in the inner man raising vs vp from the death of sin to holines and newnes of life Finally if we are sons then also we are heires and coheires with Christ of the kingdome of glorie Rom. 8. 17. Rom. 8. 17. Lastly as hereby he expresseth the inestimable benefits of The name of sonnes stirreth vs vp to all Euangelicall duties the Gospell so also doth he hereby stirre vs vp to all Euangelicall duties for sonnes more beleeue trust hope in loue their fathers then people their gouernours and with more alacritie and diligence performe obedience vnto their commandements and therefore if wee bee the sonnes of God wee must bee mindfull to performe these duties to our heauenly father The last thing to bee considered in this royall dignitie is that they shall be called the sonnes of the liuing God whereby the greatnesse of this benefit is amplified as though hee should say Ye shal be the sonnes of a God not like vnto the idols and Gods of the heathen which either neuer liued or but for a short time but of the eternall and euer liuing Iehouah who is and will be euer willing and able to defend and prouide for you who are his children And as hereby is signified the eternitie of our heauenlie father so there is implied also the eternitie of vs his children For as Christ saith God is not the God of the dead but of the Matth. 22. 32. liuing so may I say hee is not a father of the dead but of the liuing
of Gods couenant but were as yet in about the sheepfold as appeareth Luk. 1. 68. 7. 16. and then the Israelites who by a certaine kind of right in regard of Gods promises made to their forefathers were to be gathered together and added to the Church and lastly the Gentiles who by occasion of their calling were together called with them as appeareth Rom. 1. 16. The time when they should be gathered was not present but to come and this is signified by the future tense here vsed that is not in the time of the Law but of the Gospell when the true Messias should be exhibited The person by whom this vnion should be made was not themselues who rather were ready more and more to wander and go astray but Iesus Christ their great and onely true shepheard and therefore he saith not that they should assemble themselues but that they should be gathered together namely by another that is Christ so Esai 11. 12. Hee shall set vp a signe to the Nations and assemble the dispersed Esay 11. 12. Israel and gather the dispersed Iuda from the foure corners of the world Iohn 10. 16. Other sheepe I haue also which Ioh. 10. 16. 11. 52. Eph. 2. 14. are not of this fold them also must I bring c. Iohn 11. 52. Eph. 2. 14. The meritorious cause of this vnion is the death and merits of Christ whereby both Iewes and Gentiles were reconciled vnto God and made his Church and family For he therefore died that by his death he might gather together in one the children of God which were scattered Iohn 11. 52. Iohn 11. 52. And Christ saith that if he were lift vp from the earth that is crucified he would draw all men vnto him so Eph. 2. 13. Eph. 2. 13. The meanes are either externall or internall Externall the preaching of the Gospell whereby we are called to the knowledge of Christ and the mystery of our redemption wrought by him Eph. 4. 11 12. He therefore gaue some to be Apostles and some Prophets c. for the gathering together of Eph. 4. 11 12. the Saints Internall on Christs part is his holy Spirit on our part a true and liuely faith whereby we all are vnited vnto Christ our head and one with another as fellow members of the same body The manner of this collection is either spirituall or corporall and locall the spirituall vnion or gathering together is the communion of all the Saints when as they are vnited and knit together in one mysticall body in one spirit in one hope one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and Father as the Apostle speaketh Eph. 4. 4 5 6. And this vnion and collection Eph. 4. 4 5 6. is not hindered by distance of place seeing the spirit of God which is the bond of this vnion filleth all places and vniteth the faithfull of all countries and nations into one body whereof Christ is the head And this collection is here principally vnderstood The other is corporall and locall when as the Saints of God vnited in that spirituall vnion are also gathered together in the same place country and congregation the which of all the faithfull is exceedingly to be desired for the mutuall comfort and edification one of another which commeth vnto all them who being vnited by the same spirit and faith are also knit together in the same company and fellowshippe The Do ∣ ctrines And this is the meaning of these words The doctrines which arise from them are these First whereas the promises That we ought not to maligne the people of the Iewes of God concerning the gathering together of his Church are made both to the Iewes Israelites and Gentiles and vnto the Iewes in the first place Hence we learne to lay aside that antient enmity which is in worldly men towards that Nation and to loue those which are conuerted to the faith as brethren and likewise to pray for those which are not yet called that they may be added to the Church The malice of men towards this nation hath bin such that it is growne into a prouerbiall speech to hate one as they hate a Iew the which howsoeuer it is a iust iudgement of God vpon the Iewes for their obstinacy in their infidelity and vnthankfulnesse yet it is a sinne in them seeing this people haue in diuers respects deserued well at our hands in that they were for a long time together faithfull treasurers of Gods diuine oracles the Law and Prophets in that they were our mother Church vnto which wee were added from whom we haue receiued our light and knowledge and in that by their fall saluation is come vnto vs Gentiles Rom. 11. 11. And therefore Rom. 11. 11. let vs not boast our selues against the naturall branches who were branches of the wild Oliue tree For if God spared not them let vs take heede lest he also spare not vs Rom. 11. 21. Yea but will some say they crucified the Lord of life Rom. 11. 21. and therefore deserue to be hated of all I answer that we are rather to turne the edge of this hatred against our owne sinnes which were the principall cause of Christs death whereof they were but instruments and as it were our executioners Besides God in his exceeding mercy and goodnesse hath turned this their cruell fact to our exceeding good euen to the redemption and saluation of our bodies and soules and therefore if this were a sufficient cause to appease Iosephs anger towards his brethren because God turned their malice to all their good euen the aduancement of Ioseph Gen. 50. 20. and presetuation of their whole family then surely the like reason should pacifie our wrath towards our elder brethren the Iewes seeing God hath in his infinite goodnesse made their hatred and rage a meanes of our redemption and eternall saluation by Christs death and bloodshed Secondly we here obserue who is the chiefe and principall Christ principally gathereth vs into the Church cause of our gathering together into the Church namely our Sauiour Christ for we were like wandring sheep gone astray in the wildernesse of the world continually vnder the power and at the command of the spirituall wolfe Satan who at pleasure might pray vpon vs notwithstanding any resistance we were able to make out of which dangers we could by no meanes quit our selues seeing the eyes of our mindes were so blinded with ignorance that we could not finde the way to our sheepfold the Church of God where onely is safety and security nay rather we were ready more and more to wander and lose our selues in the Labyrinth of our owne errors and though we had got some smal glimpse of the right way yet we were so intangled in the brires of our sinnes and corruptions that we could not haue trauailed in it And in this fearefull condition we remained till Christ our good shepheard came to seeke vs and
adulterie and therefore they were the children of fornication Now as they are rightly called bastards which are not begotten of the lawfull husband but of the seed of a stranger so the Lord in respect of the spirituall generation accounteth them bastards which hee hath not begotten by the immortall seede of his word made powerfull by the inward 1. Pet. 1. 23. opperation of his Spirit And therefore those who are begotten vnto the Church by false doctrines and lying spirits and according to their birth are so brought vp they are to be accounted the children of fornications But such was the birth and bringing vp of these children for their mother the Church of Israel vnder the reigne of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat committed spiritual whoredom when as forsaking the Lord shee worshipped the golden calues in Dan and Bethel whilest she plaied the harlot the posteritie which came of her were borne vnto the idols when as being brought vp in ignorance destitute of the knowledge of God and his religion they were instructed in false doctrine and idolatrie and so became as grosse idolaters as their predecessors And therefore being in adulterous issue of an adulterous mother both she and they were iustly reiected And this was the first and chiefe sinne for which the mother was diuorced and the children disinherited namely because she plaied the harlot and the children were begotten in her adultery Now this their sinne is aggrauated first by her shamelesse filthinesse therein shewed and secondly by her impudent and obstinate resolution to commit it The first is expressed in these words she that conceiued them hath done shamefully The Hebrew text hath it Shee that conceiued them is affected or confounded with shame whereby is not meant that she was shamefast or ashamed of her sinnes for this agreeth not to the disposition of an harlot especially to such a shamelesse harlot as this whose fornications were in her face and her adulteries betweene her breasts and who impudently professed that shee would goe after her louers but that she had committed such shamefull actions and had liued so filthily and infamously that shee had exposed her selfe to all shame and reproch The meaning therefore of these words is this that shee had not fallen into her sinnes of infirmity or after shee was fallen carried her selfe after any moderate manner but that she often committed these sins and defiled her selfe with so many kindes of idolatry and superstition that shee was growne infamous and iustly reproched of all who heard of or saw her abominable filthinesse Now this hee proueth and with all further aggrauateth the greatnesse of her sinne by giuing a particular instance of her wickednesse in these wordes for she said I will goe after my louers c. Whereas he saith that she thus said he implieth that shee did not follow her louers and forsake the Lord through infirmitie ignorance or as one ouertaken at vnawares but aduisedly wilfully vpon a deliberate and setled resolution shee determined to doe it and not onely so but in an impudent manner she professed that renouncing God her lawfull husband she would follow her louers Where by her louers we are to vnderstand her idols and false gods which are compared fitly vnto louers for as louers that is adulterers allure intice mens wiues to withdraw their hearts from their lawfull husbands and to fixe it vpon them to breake their coniugall faith and to commit whoredome by offering vnto them gifts and pleasures So the spouse of God is allured and inticed by idols to forsake the Lord and to set her heart vpon them and to violate her mariage saith by leauing his pure worship and seruice and prostituting her selfe to commit spirituall whoredome with them when as they seeme to offer vnto her as a reward some profit or delight And this also appeareth in the reason which she yeeldeth of her apostasie in the wordes following that giue mee my bread and my water my wooll and my flaxe mine oyle and my drinke In which words is also contained the exceeding great vnthankfulnesse of the people in ascribing all the benefits which they inioyed vnto their idols and false gods whereas the Lord alone was the author and fountaine of them The which their sinne was so much the more vnexcusable because in the Law the Lord had promised all these gifts vnto them to the end that they should expect them from him alone hauing receiued them they should ascribe the whole praise vnto him onely of his owne gifts Leuit. 26. 4 5. Deut. Leuit. 26. 4 5. Deut. 28. 2 3. 28. 2 3 4 5 c. Now vnder these particulars here named hee vnderstandeth all kind of benefits necessarie either for their sustenance and preseruation or for their pleasure and delight For by bread and water in the Scriptures is vsually signified all kind of meate and drinke food and sustenance as appeareth Exo. 34. 28. Deut. 23. 4. 1. King 13. 17. Esa 3. 1. By wooll and Exod. 34. 28. Deut. 23. 4. 1. King 13. 17. Esa 3. 1. flaxe is vnderstood all kind of clothing apparrell and furniture made of them By oyle and drinke is vnderstood all their pleasures and delicacies for oyle in those hot countries was vsed for pleasure ornament smell agilitie and strength and by drinke is meant not ordinarie drinke for that hee comprehendeth vnder the name of water but their drinkes which were most costly and delicate and further the word here vsed is of the plurall number and deriued from such a roote as signifieth to drinke abundantlie whereby is vnderstood their plentie of such delicacies And so much for the meaning of these words The instructions Sinne the cause of all punishment which hence arise are these First wee may obserue what was the cause of all those punishments before denounced both against the Church of Israel her children namelie their sinnes especially their idolatrie and vnthankfulnes For because the mother plaied the harlot and her children were begotten in her adulteries and not onely so but also liked and approoued imbraced and followed the whoredomes of their mother therefore ioyning in sin they were ioyned in punishment And indeede the sinne of man is the cause of al the miseries and euils which he suffereth for God who is the chiefe goodnesse taketh his delight in doing good and in multiplying his benefits vpon his creatures according to that Psalm 145. 9. The Lord is good to all and Psal 145. 9. his mercies are ouer all his workes and that of Micah Chap. 7. vers 18. He retaineth not his wrath for euer because mercie Mich 7. 18. pleaseth him Neither doth he punish but when mens sinnes vrge his iustice and draw vpon themselues his iudgements Whence we learne when we are punished not to murmure against God nor to looke to inferiour meanes but rather to examine our owne consciences and to search out our sins Psalm 51. 4. which are the cause
her first husband who indeed alone deserued the name of a husband seeing the other were but louers seducers and adulterers The reason mouing her to make this returne vnto her husband is expressed in these words For at that time was I better then now that is I will now at length forsake these Idols and returne vnto the Lord because I plainly see and sensiblie discerne that my state and condition was farre better and more happie when I cleaued vnto the Lord my only true husband with all my heart louing seruing and obeying him alone and performing vnto him that pure and sincere worship which is described in his word then it hath bin since I forsook him and prostituted my self to commit spirituall vncleannesse with Idols for by this my apostasie I haue moued my louing husband in his iust displeasure to reiect me to strip me of al those benefits which he had bestowed on me I haue depriued my self of al true comfort ioy and peace of conscience and am now filled with horror feare and anguish of mind and I haue plunged my selfe into a sea of miserie and innumerable afflictions out of which my louers in whom I trusted and whose helpe I haue implored cannot deliuer me And therefore what remaineth but that I forsake my louers and my sinnes with them committed seeing they are miserable comforters in my greatest need and distresse and returne and reconcile my selfe vnto my husband who is infinite in mercie and compassion And so much for the meaning of this verse The doctrines The Do ∣ ctrines which arise out of them are these First we may obserue the superstitious blindnes of idolaters who when the Lord punisheth Idolaters in their afflictions flie vnto their Idols and not vnto God them for their idolatries do not repent of their sins and returne vnto the Lord crauing mercie forgiuenes release of their punishmēts but rather haue their recourse vnto their Idols with more then ordinarie deuotion seruing them with their Pilgrimages Vowes Inuocations Oblations and other rites and ceremonies wherewith they imagine they may be best pleased supposing that their slacknes and remissenes in these superstitious deuotions hath bin the cause of all their afflictions whereas in truth their superstitions and idolatrie is the chiefe cause of all their miseries and therefore the multiplying of them doth not release them of their punishment but rather redoubleth it An example whereof we haue in this place in Micha Iudg. 17. 13. Ahaziah 2. King 1. 2. and in the Papists who when the Lord Judg. 17. 13. 2. King 1. 2. punisheth them for their idolatries seeke freedome and deliuerance from the euils they suffer by their vowes pilgrimages prayers and oblations to their Idols and Images as though they could drie themselues being wet by leaping into a riuer or ease themselues being burnt by leaping into the fire Esay 1. 28. 29. Esay 1. 28. 29. Our naturall pronenes to Idolatrie Secondly we may obserue our naturall pronenesse vnto idolatrie for not only we easilie fall into it but being fallen we are hardly recouered and recalled from this sinne no though the Lord to his word shewing his truth and the falshood and abominablenes of idolatrie do also adde his rods of afflictions that at least sense of paine may make vs wearie of our sinnes And therefore it is not to be wondered at that the most part of the world do forsake Gods pure worship and liue in idolatrie seeing mans nature is so inclined thereunto that though he smart for it he will not leaue it and how much more then will he embrace it when he is allured and drawne vnto that which of his owne nature he is prone vnto by pleasures profit and preferments for the Lord doth not hedge in all with afflictions which resolue to follow their louers but onely those whom it is his purpose to conuert as belonging to his eternall election Thirdly we may obserue that affliction in it selfe is not sufficient to make vs forsake our sins and to turne vnto the Affliction if it be not sanctified doth not turne vs vnto God Lord by true repentance vnlesse it bee sanctified and made effectuall for this purpose by the inward working of Gods Spirit For though the Lord had hedged his people in with afflictions that they might not goe forward in their idolatries yet it is said heere that notwithstanding all this they the more followed and sought after their louers So Pharaoh the more hee was punished the more hee was hardened the more the children of Israel were afflicted in the wildernesse the more they murmured the more they were smitten the more they fell away Esai 1. 5. But I shall not need to go far Esai 1. 5. for examples seeing wee haue a present example amongst our selues who haue made no vse of Gods late visitation c. And therefore when we are afflicted let vs earnestly desire the Lord to sanctifie our afflictions vnto vs and to ioyne with his outward corrections the inward working of his Spirit whereby we may be moued to lay them to heart and to humble our selues vnder the hand of God Fourthly wee may obserue the corrupt nature of sinfull Corrupt man seeketh all other meanes before he flieth vnto God man who when he is in trouble and affliction assayeth all other meanes for his deliuerance before he flieth vnto God for helpe so here the Israelites being hedged in with afflictions flee vnto their Idols So Saul went to the witch Asa to the Physitions the Papists to their Saints and Images And thus many make gods vnto themselues for their deliuerance of their friends riches or of their owne power and policie when as being in trouble and affliction they do not in the first place flee vnto the Lord for helpe but rest vpon these meanes vntill they be altogether depriued of them or haue experience of their insufficiency in yeelding vnto them any helpe Lastly we may obserue that the Lord taketh from those God frustrateth other meanes that we may rest vpon him which he purposeth to conuert and saue all these Idols in whom they trust and these outward meanes wherupon they rest or at least teacheth them by lamentable experience that they are altogether insufficient to deliuer them out of their afflictiōs So he threatneth here that his elect people following after their louers should not come at them and seeking them to the end they might be by their helpe deliuered out of their afflictions they should not find them that so being made frustrate of their wicked hopes and abandoned of all outward meanes wherein they trusted and despairing of all other helpe might hereby be driuen to flee vnto the Lord for mercie and deliuerance And therefore when being in affliction or any distresse we are disappointed of our hopes and depriued or forsaken of those meanes wherein we trusted for deliuerance let vs perswade our selues that the Lord hereby doth chastise our vaine
confidence and carnall affiance whereby we trust and rest vpon rather the creature then vpon him our Creator and withall doth beate vs from those worldly hopes that we might flee vnto him for succour and rest vpon his promises and prouidence for our deliuerance And these are the doctrines which arise out of the former God doth not suffer his to remaine alwaies in their sinne and idolatrie part of this verse containing the first effect of the peoples afflictions Now out of the latter part wherein is shewed the second effect namely their forsaking their Idols and turning vnto the Lord these instructiōs are further to be obserued First we learne that howsoeuer those that belong to Gods election may for a time leaue Gods pure worship and follow Idols yea and be so blinded in their superstitions that when they are afflicted for their sinne they doe with more earnestnes embrace idolatrie yet the Lord will not so leaue them but at length he will open their eyes that they shal see their sinnes and sensiblie discerne that they are the causes of their punishments though for a time in their ignorance and superstition they preferre idolatrie before his true worship yet at last he illuminateth their iudgemēts so as they may see how much better it is to follow him then to follow idols to embrace his true religion reuealed in his word then to follow their owne inuention Examples hereof we haue in Abraham in the Israelites comming out of Egypt and in the time of the Iudges and in many at this day who haue forsaken the idolatries of the whore of Babylon and haue embraced Gods true religion Secondly we may obserue that as soone as they spie their As soone as the faithfull see their errors and sins they reforme and forsake them errors they do not go on further in them but they returne into the way of truth as soone as they see their sins they forsake them as being the causes of their miserie when they see the vainenes of their idols then they returne vnto the Lord their true husband neitheir is it enough to see our sins if wee continue in them nay rather this will redouble our punishment it is not sufficient to know truth and error vnlesse we Luk. 12. 47. embrace the one and forsake the other it will not profit vs to see our former grossenesse in following idols vnlesse Matth. 11. 21. hereby we be moued not only to forsake them but also to returne vnto our husband the Lord our God worshipping him according to his will So that here we learne what is the practise of true repentance it consisteth not in the knowledge only or acknowledgment of our sins for thus far did Pharaoh and Saul proceed thus did Iudas and thus do many worldlings repent but we must so see our sinnes as that with the sight of them wee bee exceedingly displeased with our selues we must so acknowledge them as that withall we vnfainedly bewaile them we must when we behold them also hate and detest them and not only forsake our sins but also returne vnto the Lord with full purpose of heart resoluing and endeuouring to serue and please him in holinesse and newnes of life Thirdly we may obserue the profit of afflictions when as The profit of afflictions they are sanctified vnto vs by Gods Spirit for whereas prosperitie maketh vs blind through pride selfe-loue and securitie so as we can neither see our sinnes nor Gods approaching iudgements aduersitie openeth our eyes and rectifieth the iudgement so as then we not only see our sins but are readie also to condemne our selues iustly to haue deserued those euils which we suffer yea and far greater if the Lord should enter into iudgement with vs for when as the light of nature our owne conscience and the written Word of God teach and conuict vs of this that God is the chiefe goodnes most gratious most mercifull and in his owne nature not apt and readie to hurt and punish any of his creatures but rather to extend his bountie multiply his benefits vpō all when we fall into miseries and calamities we must needs iustifie God in his iudgements and condemne our selues whō Lam. 3. 22. we know to be full of all corruption and wickednes An example whereof we haue in Iosephes brethren Gen. 42. 21. in Gen. 42. 21. the Israelites vnder the Iudges in Dauid Psal 51. 4. yea in Psal 51. 4. Exod. 10. 16. 17 Pharaoh himselfe Exod. 10. 16. 17. Where as prosperitie maketh vs dissolute and licentious in our waies affliction serueth in stead of a thornie hedge to stay vs from running on in the course of sinne to our perdition Whereas prosperitie maketh vs negligent in performing the duties of Gods worship and seruice miserie and affliction maketh men zealous forward and deuout according to that Esa 26. 16. O Lord in Esa 26. 16. trouble they haue visited thee they powred out a prayer when thy chastening was vpon them And because men at such times are most fit and readie to performe such duties therefore then the Lord especially requires them Psal 50. 15. Lastly whereas Psal 50. 15. prosperitie makes vs to forget God and to flee away from him affliction maketh vs to remember him and by true repentance to turne vnto him An example wee haue in this 2. Chron 33. 12. 13. place in the Israelites in the time of the Iudges in Manasses and the prodigall sonne Luke 15. Lastly wee may obserue the motiues perswading the The motiues which perswade the Church to turne vnto God Church to returne vnto God the first whereof is contained in the word husband for therein she gathereth vnto her selfe some assurance of his loue for although for her sinnes she was diuorced yet vpon her true repentance she might gather certaine hope that she should be pardoned and receiued into former grace seeing she had not to deale with an enemie or stranger and an ordinarie friend but with a most louing and gratious husband who was as readie to forgiue as she to aske forgiuenes Ierem. 3. 1. 12. 22. The second motiue Iere. 3 1. 12. 22 is the assurance of the bettering of her estate for she could speake by experience that her estate whilest she serued the Lord was much better then when she followed Idols and by the assurance of faith and hope she was assertained that repenting she should be receiued to grace and restored to her former state condition The like example we haue in the prodigall sonne who returned vnto God because hee knew him to be his gratious father and was assured that being reconciled vnto him hee should be deliuered out of his present miserie into a state of happinesse Where we may learne that true faith is the cause of vnfained repentance for vntill we haue some assurance of Gods loue and mercie in Christ wee flee from him as from a seuere Iudge but when
riches wherin they trusted cannot yeeld vnto them any comfort c. Thirdly we may obserue that howsoeuer our sins in mans Sinne maketh vs vgly in Gods sight carnall iudgement do exceedingly grace and adorne vs as beautifull ornaments yet in truth they defile both our bodies and soules and make them filthie and vgly in Gods sight yea and in our owne too when as we come to a true view and sensible feeling of them As for example ruffinlie oathes scurrilous iests which are but the scumme and excrements of the wit pride gorgeous attire vnfitting our callings painting the face and discouering the breasts luxurious nicenesse and excesse in diet furious thirsting after reuenge vpon the least shew of a disgrace offered and such like sinnes which are vsed of worldlings as ornaments to commend them but in Gods sight they make them to appeare deformed filthie and abominable Fourthly we may obserue how prone we are to trust in Our pronenes to trust in worldly meanes worldly meanes and in regard of our vaine confidence how apt we are to shrowde our selues vnder these vaine shields imaging that by them we shall be secured from Gods iudgements threatned against vs so the Israelites here trusted for deliuerance from all euils which were denounced against them by the helpe of their Idols And therefore the Lord to beate them from this vaine confidence telleth them that he will inflict his iudgements vpon them though their louers looked on neither should they be able to deliuer them out of his hands Thus the Israelites trusted to the outward presence of the visible Arke 1. Sam. 4. 3. 4. to the helpe of the Egyptians 1. Sam. 4. 3. 4. Esay 31. 1. 3. Hos 10. 13. Ierem. 49. 16. Esai 31. 1. 3. to the visible Temple Ier. 7. 5. to their multitude of strong men Hos 10. 13. Thus the Idomeans trusted to the strength of their seat Ier. 49. 16. And thus in our times men in dearth trust to their owne prouision in warre to their strength in sicknesse to their flight preseruations and medicines and when the thundering threatnings of Gods iudgements sound in their eares they hide themselues from them vnder the shadow of those outward titles the Gospell the Church and profession of Gods true religion But the Lord will inflict his iudgements euen in the sight of our louers and those things wherein wee trusted shall not be able to deliuer vs in the day of his visitation ANd so much concerning the second punishment The Vers 11 third followeth Vers 11. And I will also cause all her mirth to cease her feast daies her new moones and her Sabbaths and all her solemne feasts Although the people of Israel worshipped The exposition God not according to his word but according to their owne inuentions not in spirit and truth but after an idolatrous manner in their idols not in the place which hee had appointed to wit his Temple but in Dan and Bethel yet they exceedingly pleased themselues in their outward worship and externall shew of their new deuised religion as though they had done vnto God that seruice which he required imagining it could not go ill with them so long as they obserued some outward ceremonies of the law notwithstāding they declined in substance frō Gods true religion reuealed in his word And therfore the Lord here threatneth that he would plucke away from thē the visard of their outward profession stop the current of their superstitious deuotions by taking from them their corrupted ceremoniall worship wherein now they so much delighted and gloried that so they might the better see their miserable estate when as there remained vnto them not so much as an outward shew of religion nor an externall manner of worshipping God and hauing nothing to rest vpon might at length bee moued to forsake all their superstitions and to worship the Lord according to his reuealed will But let vs come to the words themselues And I will also cause all her mirth to cease Where the Lord threatneth that he would take away all ioy and recioycing which they took in their ceremoniall worship and the outward pompe of their religion especially in their feasts and solemne assemblies Yea but this mirth reioycing in their solemne feasts was commanded by God Deut. 16. 14. Thou shalt reioyce in thy feast c. And therefore the day of their feasting was called Deut. 16. 14. Num. 10. 10. a day of gladnesse Numb 10. 10. why therefore doth the Lord threaten to take this mirth from them which himselfe enioyned I answere because they did not reioyce in him but in their Idols neither did they reioyce with a spirituall ioy with thankfull hearts lauding and praising God which the Lord vnder the type of their externall mirth especially required and therefore their outward worship which was also idolatrous being seuered from the inward worship of the Spirit was odious in Gods sight as appeareth by the like places Esa 1. 13. 14. Amos 5. 23. 8. 10. Her feast daies As Esa 1. 13. 14. Amos 5. 23. 8. 10. the feast of blowing Trumpets which was celebrated in the first day of the seuenth moneth as appeareth Leuit. 23. 24. The feast of Expiation in the 10. day of the seuenth moneth as we may see Numb 29. 7. Leuit. 16. 30. Her new Moones Leuit. 23. 24. Numb 29. 7. Leuit. 16. 30. Numb 28. 11. Leuit. 23. 24. 25. 4. Which were in the first day of euery moneth Numb 28. 11. Leuit. 23. 24. Her Sabbaths Which were either the seuenth day from the creation or euery seuenth yeere Leuit. 25. 4. And all her solemne feasts Which were principally three 1. The feast of the Passeouer or of vnleauened bread Leuit. 23. 5. The feast of Pentecost or of weekes Leuit. 23. 15. 16. Leuit. 23. 5. 34. 35. The feast of Tabernacles of which reade verse 34 35. c. Now by these particulars he vnderstandeth all their ceremoniall worship and externall seruice in which they gloried and reioyced of all which together with the ioy which they tooke thérein the Lord depriued them when as hee caused them to be led captiue by the Assyrians And so much for the meaning of the words Out of which Hypocrites may reioyce in the outward seruice of God we may obserue that men not truly religious may in the hypocrisie of their hearts or the ignorance of their mindes reioyce and delight themselues in some external seruice which they performe vnto God seuered from his pure worship in spirit and truth as appeareth in the example of the Israelites in this place who reioyced with great mirth in their Sabbaths new Moones and solemne feasts appointed by God as also in the parable of the seede falling into the stonie ground Luk. 8. 13. In the Papists who exceedingly delight Luke 8. 13. in their outward and pompous religion in their sweete musicke odoriferous perfumes and masking showes and
pleasure in their idolatrie and with these pompous shewes intice others to ioyne with them in committing this spirituall whoredome And here we are further to obserue that hee calleth them her iewels and her earings to note vnto them that they had not receiued this whorish and idolatrous maner of worship from the Lord but that it was their owne not enioyned by God but hammered out in the forge of their owne inuentions and cast in the mould of their owne braine Thirdly he saith that she followed her louers whereby is signified their obstinate persistance in this their sin for they did not once or twice fall into this sin through errour or infirmitie but they followed their idols and went on in the course of their superstitions walking in their idolatries as in their vsual path and common high way So vers 6. Fourthly he saith that their hearts were so wholly set vpon their idols and that they followed them with such great earnestnes and intention of minde that they forgate the Lord like vnto harlots who are so bewitched and wholly transported with a furie of blind loue or rather lust towards their louers that they altogether forget their lawfull husbands and all the benefits which they haue receiued from them So that heere he aggrauateth the impious folly and more then brutish blockishnes of this people who were so blinded and euen drunken in their idolatrous superstitions that neither Gods word nor his works neither his blessings and benefits nor his iudgements and punishments would put them in minde of God and of those duties which they owed vnto him But how could the Israelites be said to haue forgotten God seeing still they professed themselues his people and performed some kind of seruice vnto him I answere they are said to forget him because they did not remēber him to be such a God as he had reuealed himselfe in his word namely that he was a Spirit most holy most pure and infinite in all perfections but figured and represented him in a little image whom heauen and the heauen of heauens cannot containe and because they forgat to performe vnto him that pure worship which he had enioyned vnto them in his word and in stead thereof offered vnto him their owne wil-worship and the idolatrous inuentions of their owne braine and thus one is said to forget another when they forget to performe those things which the one required and the other promised And these are the degrees of their sinne of idolatrie Now in the last place the Prophet concludeth all the former reprehensions of their sins denunciations of punishmēts by telling them that all he had spoken was not of or from himselfe but the word of Iehouah and this hee doth to gaine authoritie vnto the former prophecie to confirme the vndoubted certaintie thereof and to moue the people to receiue it with reuerence and to lay it more neerely to their hearts that thereby they might be moued to turne vnto God by true repentance And so much concerning the meaning of these words The Do ∣ ctrines The doctrines which arise out of them are these First wee may obserue that the Lord in the ministrie of the word causeth The Lord causeth his messengers to repeate the same reprehensions his messengers and Ministers to repeate againe againe the same reprehensions of sin the same punishmēts which are due vnto them and this he doth partly in respect of our incredulitie whereby at first wee giue no credit to his word and therefore to confirme the truth thereof the better in our hearts he causeth the same things to be againe repeated and the same speeches to bee as it were with greater vehemencie redoubled and partly in regard of our negligence securitie and forgetfulnesse whereby wee either doe not attentiuely marke or conscionably applie or fruitfully remember his word at the first hearing And therefore when wee heare the same reprehensions and threatnings deliuered oftē by Gods ambassadours let not these repetitions cloy vs with sacietie but rather sharpen our attention perswading our selues that the Lord causeth vs to heare the same things repeated either because through our negligence wee haue not learned or through our securitie and forgetfulnesse haue not applied nor made profitable vse of them at the first hearing or finally that hee meeteth with our incredulitie by confirming his word with a second repetition Secondly we may obserue that the same things which the The estate of the Church of Rome like the Church of Israel Prophet heere condemneth in the Israelites are at this day practised by the Church of Rome For first they haue their Baalims their pettie gods and patrons whom they religiously serue worship they offer vnto them incense vowes oblations they decke and adorne not onely their Idols but also themselues when they solemnize their feasts and approch into their presence placing a great part of their holinesse and deuotion in their outward pompe and brauerie which are not prescribed by God but inuented by themselues and therefore may fitly be called their own All which decking and adorning of themselues and their Idols they like impudent harlots vse that with these baites of outward pompe and beautie they may allure others to goe a whoring with them after their Idols they haue also a long time liued in their spirituall adulteries with great impudencie and obstinacie boasting and glorying in their sinne and finally they haue so set their hearts vpon their louers and are so intent earnest in their seruice that they may be truly said to haue forgotten the Lord because they do not so remember him as he hath reuealed himselfe in his word because they haue forgotten to worship him in spirit and truth and in stead thereof offer vnto him their owne inuentions and also because they vse much more care and diligence and spend much more time and labour in the seruice of the Virgin Mary Saints Angels Images and other Idols then in the seruice of the true and euerliuing God From whence wee may assuredly gather that the Lord will visite vpon them the daies of Baalim though for a time to shew his own patience and to make them the more vnexcusable hee deferre their iustly deserued punishments And therefore let al those come out of Babylon who would not be partakers of her plagues Apoc. 18. 4. Apoc. 18. 4. We must not place our religion in outward pompe Thirdly we may hence learne to auoid the foolish superstition of idolaters who place their religion in outward pompe and sumptuous shewes and to worship the Lord in spirit truth according to the prescript forme of his word Wherein many amongst our selues may iustly be reproued who thinke they haue done God good seruice if on his Sabbaths they come to the Church in their best apparell outwardly decked and adorned when in the meane time they come with their workaday soules full of worldly distractions and cogitations and altogether vnprepared and
their calling to deliuer their embassage and seeing in resisting them they rebell against God himselfe neither is it possible that any should be obedient vnto God who maligne his messengers for his message sake And secondly when Gods iudgements are denounced out of his Word against them for their sinnes they are not to neglect them but to lay them to heart that therby they may be moued to vnfained repentance notwithstanding they see no appearance of danger or any likely meanes wherby such punishments may bee deriued vnto them seeing the Lord whose Word it is which we heare is able to effect it though to vs it seeme impossible ANd so much concerning the first part of this Chapter containing in it legall threatnings denounced against the people of Israel for their sinnes Now we are to speake of the second part containing in it Gods gratious promises of diuers excellent benefits which hee would bestow vpon his Church and people the true Israel of God in the time of the Gospell The first whereof is their effectuall calling and conuersion vnto God wherby they are freed out of the spirituall captiuitie of Satan chosen out of the world and made Gods Church and peculiar people The second is true consolation wrought in their hearts by the glad tidings of the Gospell made effectuall by the inward working of his holy Spirit Both which are contained Vers 14. in these words Vers 14 Therefore behold I will allure her and bring her into the wildernesse and speake friendly or confortablie vnto her Where the The exposition Lord sheweth that howsoeuer being prouoked vnto wrath by their sinnes he would execute vpon them all those punishments before threatned yet he would not retaine his anger for euer but in the end when he had laid vpon them such afflictions as were sufficient measuring their proportion by the rule of his fatherly loue and not according to the hainousnes of their sins he would turne all their chastisements to their good and gathering them into his Church multiplie his mercies vpon them But let vs come to the words themselues wherein we are to consider first the context and secondly the benefits promised the context in these words Therefore behold This may seeme a strange kind of consequence for in the former verse he had set downe their obstinacie in their grosse idolatrie and that they were so wholly deuoted to their Idols that they had quite forgotten the true God and now hee presently inferreth hereupon that therefore he would allure her and speake comfortablie vnto her But howsoeuer this may seeme but a bad inference if we regard their sinnes vpon the recitall whereof it should rather haue followed that therefore they should haue such punishments inflicted vpon them as their sinnes had deserued yet it hath good dependance if we respect Gods infinite mercie and his eternall purpose whereby he hath of his free grace and vndeserued goodnes ordained to call them who belong to his election out of their sinnes that being conuerted they may also bee saued As though he should haue said Seeing they follow their idols with delightfull obstinacie and haue altogether forgotten me and seeing their hearts are so blind and obdurate that all my punishments will not reclaime them and finally seeing it is not my purpose to giue them ouer to destruction and to suffer them to run headlong to condemnation therefore I will not let them go forward in their owne courses nor be ruled by their owne obstinate wils for then they would neuer returne vnto me but I wil work vpon their hard harts by my Word and Spirit alluring and perswading them to leaue their idols and false worship and to returne vnto me that they may worship me according to my reuealed will and submit themselues vnto me in all holy obedience And because this is a wonderfull mercie of God farre aboue all humane conceite and therfore not lightly and negligently to be passed ouer hence it is that the note of attention is added Therefore behold that we might more carefully obserue and obseruing praise and magnifie this vnspeakable goodnes of God who by our sinnes is moued rather to pitie then to punish vs. And so much for the context The first benefit here promised is their effectuall calling whereby working vpon their hearts with his Word and Spirit hee would allure and perswade them to forsake their idolatrie and to come out of the seruice of sin and Satan that they might become true members of his Church and liue in holy obedience vnto his will as his true subiects and seruants All which is contained in these words I wil allure her and bring her into the wildernesse where he alludeth to their first deliuerie out of the captiuitie and from the blind idolatrie of Egypt when as first he allured and perswaded them by his seruants Moses and Aaron to desire earnestly to come out of that bondage that they Exod. 4. 30. 31. might become his seruants and people and hauing so inclined their hearts hee brought them out with a strong arme and led them into the wildernesse where he made his couenant with them and afterwards brought them into the land of promise where he multiplied vpon them his manifold benefits as it followeth in the next verse So the Lord by his seruants and Ministers doth worke in the ignorant minds and stubborne hearts of those that belong to his election a desire to come out of the thraldome of the spirituall Pharaoh Satan and hauing thus inclined and allured them by his powerfull Spirit applying vnto them the benefits of Christs death and obedience hee deliuereth them out of this miserable bondage notwithstanding hee doth not presently bring them from Egypt to the heauenly Canaan but causeth thē to passe first thorow the wildernesse of this wicked world where howsoeuer hee prouideth for them and causeth their safetie by his almightie protection so that they are now in far better estate then whilest they liued in the spirituall captiuitie of sinne and Satan yet they are there afflicted with many miseries hunger thirst heate cold sicknesse and diseases with inward mutinies and sedition amongst themselues and with the outward malice and violence of the spirituall Cananites their worldly and wicked enemies with which hauing a while exercised and humbled them and withall wrought in their hearts an earnest desire to come into their heauenly countrey in the end he bringeth them into the spirituall and new Ierusalem The like allusion the Prophet Esay hath speaking of this spirituall deliuerance through Christ Esa 11. 15. 16. Esa 11. 15. 16. Whereas then hee saith I will allure her the meaning is that by his word and holy Spirit he will bring them to true repentance effectually perswading them to leaue the bondage of sinne and Satan and to adioyne themselues to his Church and familie and more specially that he will incline them and change their obstinate resolution in following their idols and make
wisedome against their follie nor suffer their stubborne willes to crosse my will and eternall counsell but I will now begin to take care of them seeing they will take no care of themselues and because they haue nothing profited by all my threatnings and punishments I will mollifie their hard hearts and incline their stubborne and rebellious willes with my gratious promises and mercifull benefits So that the Lord behaueth himselfe like a tender hearted father and we demeane our selues like stubborne children though our stiffe harts relent not vnder his corrections yet his heart yearneth at our paine and he is sooner wearie of punishing then we of suffering punishment and when his chastisements will not ouercome our malitiousnesse hee laboureth to ouercome vs with his goodnesse and kindnesse and as the carefull and louing Physition is not moued by the desperate wilfulnesse of his impatient patient both refusing that which is good for him and eagerly seeking that which is hurtfull and pernicious to giue him ouer to himselfe but vseth the greater care and diligence by how much the lesse hee seeth that hee careth for himselfe and when he heareth for all his loue and labour nothing but distempered and railing speeches from his patient is rather thereby mooued to pitie then reuenge so dealeth the Lorde with vs who are sicke in sinne c. The vse which we are to make hereof is that we not onely praise the Lord for this his mercie and goodnesse but also that wee striue to follow his example not seeking reuenge when wee are iniured but striuing to ouercome euill with goodnes as the Apostle exhorteth Rom. 12. 19. 21. and so Rom. 12. 19. 21. shall wee indeed approue our selues to bee the children of our heauenly father as our Sauiour teacheth vs Matth. 5. Mat. 5. 44. 45. 44. 45. Thirdly we may heere learne that neither Gods terrible The Lord only leadeth to repentance threatnings nor sharpe afflictions are auaileable to worke in our hearts true repentance vnlesse the Lord allure and incline our harts with the inward operation of his holy Spirit for the more God punisheth the more naturally we repine and murmure and our steely hearts like the anuill with more blowes do waxe the harder and sooner will we breake then bow vnlesse the Lord incline vs as appeareth in the example of Pharaoh Saul the Israelites Esay 1. 5. and in our owne experience Esay 1. 5. Fourthly we here learne that the Lord is the principal and The Lord is the sole cause of our conuersion sole cause of our conuersion for vntill he incline and allure our hearts to leaue our sinnes and to returne vnto him neither his promises nor his threatnings neither his benefits nor his punishments will worke in our hearts vnfained repentance And as this is manifest in this place so also in diuers other places of Scripture Ieremie telleth vs that the Black-moore may as well change his skinne or the Leopard his spots as we can do good that are accustomed to euill Ier. 13. Jer. 13. 23. 23. And therefore the Lord when he would conuert his people saith that he will giue them a new spirit and taking the stoheart out of their bodies will giue them a heart of flesh Ezech. Ezech. 11. 19. 36. 26. 11. 19. so Ezech. 36. 26. And our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs that no man can come vnto him except the Father draw him Ioh. 6. 44. the Apostle likewise saith that before our conuersion Iohn 6. 44. we are not only sick but euen dead in our sins and therfore no more able to raise vp our selues from the death of sin to the life of righteousnes then a dead man to rise out of his graue Ephes 2. 1. Ephes 2. 1. But it may be demaunded that if this be so to what purpose serueth the ministerie of the Word and exhortations to repentance seeing he speaketh in vaine that perswadeth a dead man to rise to life I answere that the ministerie of the Word is the meanes of our conuersion which the Lord by the inward operation of his holy Spirit maketh effectuall for this purpose in the hearts of all his elect These exhortations therefore vnto repentance are not in vaine seeing the Lord worketh not vpon men as vpon stocks and stones but as vpon reasonable creatures whom he exhorteth to repentance and withall working vpon their hearts by his holy Spirit inclineth them to performe that vnto which hee exhorteth them and as he outwardly commandeth so inwardly he inclineth and enableth them to do that which he commandeth and hence it is that our Sauiour saith that the words which he spake were Spirit and life Ioh. 6. 63. because Ioh. 6. 63. they were not like the law which only commanded and did not enable to yeeld obedience but being made effectuall by the Spirit which gaue life vnto them they both enioyned and wrought in vs true obedience And this the Prophet implieth when as he saith that the Lord will allure or perswade them to turne vnto him so that his word is the instrument whereby he doth not only moue vs but throughly perswade vs to true repentance and this we may see verified Act. 13. 43. in the example of Lydia Act. 13. 43. 16. 14. 18. 4. 28. 23. chap. 16. 14. 18. 4. 28. 23. The vse which we are to make hereof is that we yeeld vnto him the whole praise of our conuersion and not with the Papists share with him ascribing part of the glorie vnto him and part to our selues Secondly seeing it is the work of God alone we must not rest in our owne power and strength for the effecting of this great worke but we must call vpon God for this grace saying with the Church Lament 5. 21. Conuert vs O Lord and Lament 5. 21. we shall be conuerted much lesse are we to deferre our conuersion from day to day as though it were a matter which we can easilie performe at our owne pleasure but considering it is the Lords free gift let vs receiue it when he offereth it and turne vnto him when he allureth and perswadeth vs to repentance And so likewise because it is the Lord alone who allureth and turneth the heart it behooueth al those who would conuert others not to rest too much in the force of their owne eloquence or the strength of their owne reasons but to ioyne with their earnest labour and endeauour humble and hartie prayers vnto almightie God desiring the assistance of his holy Spirit by which alone their perswasions are made effectuall to perswade Fifthly we here learne not to expect presently vpon our We must not expect secure peace after our conuersiō conuersion vnto God and adioyning to the Church secure peace and flourishing prosperitie for after the Lord hath allured and perswaded vs to turne vnto him he leadeth vs into the wildernesse of affliction before he bringeth vs to rest in our heauenly Canaan The
world that hated our head Christ will also hate vs which are his members as our Sauiour hath told vs Ioh. 16. 18. 19. Satan continually assayleth Ioh. 16. 18. 19. vs labouring to regaine vs into his thraldome and though we had no outward molestation yet our inbred enemie the flesh will not let vs want combersome trouble and vexation And therefore let vs not look for a paradise in this world which was appointed for our pilgrimage nor expect victorie and triumph before wee haue vndertaken and finished our warfare neither let vs imagine that we shall be conformable vnto Christ in glorie before we haue been conformable vnto him in his afflictions or that we shall raigne with Rom. 8. 17. 18. him before we haue suffered with him or finally that wee can passe into the kingdome of heauen but by many afflictions and tribulations Examples hereof we haue in Adam Act. 14. 22. Abel Abraham Isaac Iacob Dauid and in the Apostles yea in our Sauiour Christ himselfe who first suffered and so entred into glory And this is that which our Sauiour hath forewarned Luk. 24. 26. vs of in many places Mat. 10. 17. 26. 38. 16. 24. 24. 9. Iohn 15. 20. 16. 20. 1. Thess 3. 3. 4. 2. Tim. 3. 12. And therefore before we giue our names vnto Christ and make profession of his Gospell but let vs as he counselleth vs sit downe and with the wise builder count the cost lest hauing begun this great worke and not being able or willing to finish it we expose our selues to derision Let vs with Luk. 14. 28. 2. Cor. 6. 8. the Apostle resolue to go forward in our Christian course by honor and dishonor euill report and good report and make full account if we will be followers of Christ to waite vpon him with our crosse on our backes otherwise if we embrace Christ and his Gospell for worldly respects we will be ready to forsake him when we see our hopes frustrate with Iudas Simon Magus and Demas And though for a time we heare the Word with gladnes and bring forth the blade of a glorious profession yet when the sunne of affliction ariseth it will wither and in the time of temptation we shall fall away Luk. 8. 13. Luk. 8. 13. And these are the doctrines which we are to obserue out The Lord is the sole author of all true comfort and only giueth it to the conuerted 2. Cor. 1. 3. 4. 7 6. Rom. 15. 5. of the first benefit promised in the former part of the verse Now out of the second benefit namely the comfort and consolation of the Church promised in the latter part of this verse these things are to be obserued First we here learne that the Lord is the author of all true comfort which hee imparteth onely vnto those whom hee hath first allured and perswaded that is effectually called for where there is no peace with God nor peace of conscience there is no sound comfort but there is no such peace till we be conuerted and reconciled vnto God according to that Esa 57. 21. Howsoeuer therfore worldlings may laugh Esay 57. 21. from the teeth outward yet they haue no sound comfort till the Lord conuert them and speake comfortablie vnto their hearts their mirth being continually checked with the pangs of an euil conscience which continually summoneth them to appeare before Gods iudgement seate No Traitour being condemned can hartely reioyce till he haue his pardon c. The vse which we are to make hereof is that wee doe not seek for ioy consolation in worldly vanities in the meane time being destitute of the comfort of Gods Spirit but first let vs labour for assurance of our true conuersion and then being at peace with God wee shall be replenished with the ioy of the holy Ghost And secondly seeing there is no true comfort till God the author of consolation speake vnto our hearts let vs not seeke it elsewhere but with the Apostle beg it at Gods hand by prayer 2. Thess 2. 16. 17. 2. Thess 2. 16. 17. God afflicteth his but doth not ouerwhelme them with miseries Secondly wee heere learne that howsoeuer the people of God after their conuersion are lead into the wildernesse of affliction yet they are not left desolate to be ouerwhelmed with their miseries for though all other helps faile the Lord himselfe will speake comfortably vnto them and keep them from fainting or sinking vnder the heauiest waight of affliction Neither in truth is there any miserie so intolerable but it may be borne with patience and ioyfulnesse of them vnto whom the Lord hath spoken by his word and Spirit assuring them that they are reconciled vnto him and in his loue and fauour that they haue their sinnes pardoned and haue escaped condemnation that all things shall worke together for the best and that these momentanie and light afflictions 2. Cor. 4. 17. shall cause vnto them a superexcellent and eternall weight of glorie Examples hereof we haue in Abraham Iacob Dauid Elias in the Apostles Act. 5. 11. in the Thessalonians Act. 5. 11. 1. Thess 1. 6. who receiued the word with much affliction and with ioy of the holy Ghost 1. Thess 1. 6. And finally in all the faithfull who being iustified through faith and being at peace with God doe not onely reioyce vnder the hope of the glorie of God but also in tribulation Rom. 5. 1. 2. 3. Rom. 5. 1. 2. 3. And therefore when we heare of or feele sharpe affliction for the profession of the Gospell let vs not bee daunted or discouraged for the Lord when he hath brought vs into this wildernesse will speake comfortably vnto vs he will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our power but will giue a good issue to all our trials and will so arme vs with inward comfort 1. Cor. 10. 13. that we shall easily indure all outward afflictions So that when we are brought into the wildernesse of affliction so far are we to be from doubting of Gods loue and fauour and of the comfort of his Spirit that then aboue all other times wee are surely to expect them Thirdly we are to obserue the meanes whereby this comfort The meanes whereby God comforteth vs. is deriued vnto vs namely by Gods speaking vnto vs the which speech is twofold the outward speech of the Gospell containing the glad tidings of our reconciliation with God and all the gratious promises of life and saluation in Christ and the inward speech of the Spirit crying in our hearts Abba Father and testifying vnto our spirits that we are Rom. 8. 15. 16. the sonnes of God And hence it is that the Spirit is called the Comforter Ioh. 16. 7. and our spirituall comfort the consolation Ioh. 16. 7. of the Spirit Act. 9. 31. If then we would haue this inward Act. 9. 31. ioy and comfort let vs with al diligence and attention
hearken vnto the glad tidings of the Gospell and earnestly desire the Lord that with the speech of his word he will ioyne the speech of the Spirit and with them both replenish our hearts with this sweete consolation Fourthly we may obserue when the Lord speaketh comfortably God doth not speake comfortably vnto vs till we be humbled vnto vs namely not whilest we liue in impenitencie and carnall securitie but after that hee hath brought vs into the wildernesse that is after that wee are by manifold afflictions thorowly humbled when hee hath brought vs to a true sight and sense of our sinnes so that wee grone vnder them as vnder a heauie but then and when he hath lead vs as it were into a desert of desperation by causing vs to apprehend his anger and the manifold punishments which are due vnto vs c. Where Gods Ministers haue an example for their imitation not to speake the comfortable and glad tidings of the Gospels to those who sit by the flesh pots of Egypt liuing in their carnall delights with all sensuall securitie vntill first they be brought into the wildernesse of affliction and be humbled in the sight and sense of their sins Lastly wee may learne that it is the dutie of Gods Ministers Gods Ministers must speake comfort to the heart and not to the eare alone 1. Cor. 2. 4. 5. when they would replenish any with sound comfort not so much to speake to the eare with wittie conceits humane eloquence and in the inticing speech of mans wisedome but they must speake to the heart in the plaine euidence of the spirit and of power otherwise their comforts will be but like Dauids musicke to Saul for as whilest Dauid plaied Saul was eased but when hee ceased the wicked spirit returned and vexed Saul so whilest one afflicted in conscience heareth their sweete tunes of consolation which rather delight the eare then touch the heart and conscience though for the present they may bring some refreshing yet when the sound ceaseth the comfort vanisheth and their terrors and doubtings returne and vexe them no lesse then in former times ANd so much concerning the second benefit which is the consolation of Gods Spirit Now in the third place he promiseth that hee will not onely be reconciled vnto her receiuing her into his loue and fauour and giuing vnto her the inward comfort and peace of conscience but that he will also giue further assurance of his fauour and her reconciliation by multiplying his temporall benefits vpon her the which shall not only in their owne vse be comfortable but much more in respect that they are offered by God and receiued by the Church as pledges of Gods eternall loue and earnest-penies of her heauenly happinesse in Gods kingdome with all which she shall be so replenished with ioy and true thankfulnesse that she shall with all cheerefulnesse sing the praises of God the author of all her welfare and felicitie All which is contained vers 15. in these words And I Vers 15 will giue her her vineyards from thence and the valley of Achor for the doore of hope and she shall sing there as in the daies of her youth and as in the day when she came out of the land of Egypt In which words is contained first a benefit which God promiseth The exposition to the Church and secondly the Churches thankfulnesse which she returneth vnto God for it In the benefit promised is set down first the benefit it selfe secondly the time when God bestoweth it and thirdly the end why it is giuen and receiued The benefit it selfe is expressed in these words I will giue her her vineyards and the valley of Achor Where the Lord opposeth his benefits here promised to the punishments before denounted vers 12. for there he threatneth to take away her vines and figge trees and here he promiseth to restore them againe and that with aduantage as is signified by the change of the word for there hee threatneth to take away her vines and here he promiseth to giue her vineyards which consist of manie vines the which also is expressed in the plurall number to intimate their multitude and abundance Now vnder this one kind synecdochically are to be vnderstood all other corporall benefits of which before hee had threatned to strip them and all other of like nature as before I haue shewed and much more by these types and shadowes we are allegorically to vnderstand Gods spirituall gifts and graces which vnder them are vsually signified the Lord applying himselfe to the rudenesse ignorance of the Church in the time of her infancie who could not conceiue of Gods spirituall benefits vnlesse they were after a palpable manner described and shadowed vnto them And amongst many particulars hee especially promiseth vineyards the better to expresse Gods large bountie and the Churches great plentie for bread and foode are necessarie for the preseruation of life but wine aboundeth the vse whereof seruing not only for sustentation but also for comfort and delight as the Psalmist sheweth Psal 104. 14. 15. there he saith that God giueth hearbes and bread for the vse Psal 104. 14. 15 of man and wine to make glad his heart Whereas therefore he promiseth to giue them vineyards the meaning is that hee would measure out his benefits with a large and plentifull hand so as they should haue abundance and that not only for the relieuing their necessitie but also for delight and comfort He saith further that he will giue her the valley of Achor Where he still continueth the former Allegorie alluding to the deliuerance of the people of Israel out of Egypt who after that they had been tried a long time in the wildernesse they were at last brought into the borders of Canaan and ouercame the citie Iericho where Achan stealing the excommunicate thing was by Iosua and the people brought into a valley neere adioyning where he and his familie were stoned which valley afterwards Iosua named the valley of Achor because the people of Israel being ouerthrowne by the men of Ai were exceedingly troubled so that their harts melted like water as appeareth Ios 7. 5. the which reason of Ios 7. 5. 25. 26. the name Iosua himselfe giueth vers 25. 26. as it also signifieth being deriued from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turbauit But howsoeuer this valley of Achor was to the people of Israel for a time a valley of trouble yet afterwards it was vnto them a place of great ioy and comfort both because they obtained victorie against their enemies the men of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and also because they enioyed this valley which was exceeding fertill and fruitfull especially of vines and fruitfull trees Wheras then the Lord promiseth to giue vnto his Church the valley of Achor the meaning is that as the people of Israel after they had wandered in the wildernesse 40. years destitute of corne wine oyle and all other benefits
sauing those which the Lord miraculously bestowed and in this respect howsoeuer they were preserued by God yet had they stil the image of death before them and after they had been tried and humbled by many afflictions were in Gods appointed time brought into the confines of the land of Canaan the countrie of Iericho and the valley of Achor where they enioyed all these blessings with great comfort and contentation so that in respect of the great and sudden alteration they seemed newly transported from death to life So the Church in the time of the Gospell after she is reconciled vnto God and hath passed thorow a wildernesse of affliction for her triall and humiliation is not only sustained in the middest of all her troubles with the inward comfort of Gods Spirit but also is further assured of Gods loue by the outward testimonie of his manifold benefits wherewith she is replenished with such ioy and consolation that shee seemeth vnto her selfe restored from the death of sorrow and miserie to the life of comfort and happines But yet whilest she remaineth in the valley of Achor and but in the borders of the heauenly Canaan howsoeuer shee hath great cause of ioy and contentment in regard of the manifold benefits which God bestoweth vpon her yet is her ioy often intermixed with sorrow and trouble through that cursed Achan the flesh which eagerly coueting the pleasures of sinne and the golden baites of wickednes is thereby allured to sinne and to prouoke Gods wrath by seasing vpon vnlawfull pleasures and profits accursed by God by which inward rebell shee is betrayed vnto her outward enemies those cursed Cananites the world and the diuell so that for a time they preuaile against her But yet in the end she hath an happie issue out of all her afflictions for as when Achan was stoned Israel hauing hereby appeased Gods wrath obtained a famous victory against the men of Ai so when the flesh is mortified which betrayed vs we obtaine a glorious victorie ouer the world and the diuell and so enter into a full possession of the heauenly Canaan And thus appeareth the great similitude which is betweene the passage of the children of Israel out of Egypt into the land of promise and our passage out of the spirituall Egypt the kingdome of sinne and Satan into the heauenly Canaan the true countrie and inheritance of all the Saints which moued the Lord allegorically to allude vnto it in this place as also Esay 65. 10. Esay 65. 10. And this is the benefit here promised The second thing specified is the time when the Lord would bestow it in this phrase from thence which in the Scriptures is sometimes referred to the time and sometime to the place and accordingly here it is diuersly interpreted by some of the place referring it to the desert namely that as soone as they came out of the wildernesse of affliction they should enter into this valley of pleasure by others of the time vnderstanding it thus from thence forward or as soone as I haue brought her thorow the wildernesse and haue replenished her with the inward comfort of my Spirit I will giue her a reall assurance of my loue and not only speake comfortablie vnto her heart by my word and Spirit but also in effect and deed assure her further of my loue and fauour by multiplying vpon her my mercies and manifold benefits The which interpretation is not much different from the other but the rather to be embraced because it hath better dependancie with the former benefit for as soone as the Lord hath inwardly comforted his people by his word and Spirit then presently hee giueth them a true sense of his loue and fauour by bestowing vpon them innumerable benefits spirituall and temporall The third thing heere expressed is the end why God giueth and the Church receiueth these his gifts and graces not onely that shee may haue by them ioy and comfort in their present vse but that they may serue as pledges and earnest penies to confirme their hope and assurance of the possession of eternall happines the which is signified by this phrase For the doore of hope For that is said to be the doore of hope which giueth entrance vnto hope by offering some assurance that we shall obtaine the thing hoped for As therefore the Lord gaue to the people of Israel the valley of Achor that it should be vnto them a doore of hope because the possession of the borders was a pledge vnto them that they should enioy the whole land of promise so the manifold benefits which the Lord bestoweth vpon the faithfull whilest they be in the borders of Canaan the Church militant are vnto them a doore of hope being assured pledges that after we haue a while fought with our spirituall enemies wee shall haue full possession of the heauenly Canaan and the new Ierusalem And these are the benefits which are here allegorically promised Now the reason why the Lord speaking of the spirituall deliuerance and happines of his people alludeth to their temporall deliuerance out of Egypt and entrance into the land of Canaan was first that hereby he might strengthen their faith in the full assurance of his promises seeing they had alreadie experience of his truth power mercy and goodnes in their former deliuerance when as the grieuous sins and great vnworthines of their forefathers could not moue him to change his purpose nor frustrate his word because his couenant was grounded not vpon their deserts but vpon his owne vndeserued loue and meere good will And secondly in promising new benefits he doth by this allusion put them in minde of the old that by the remembrance of these and hope of the other they might be moued to true thankfulnes and obedience The second thing to bee considered in this verse is the Churches ioy and thankfulnesse in the present fruition of Gods gifts and future hope of greater benefits signified in these words And she shal sing there as in the daies of her youth and as in the day when as she came vp out of the land of Egypt In which words is expressed the Churches ioy and thankfulnes together with the place or time thereof their ioy and thankfulnes is signified by their singing of praises vnto God the author of all these benefits which continuing in the former allegorie and allusion he compareth to that reioycing and praising God which the Israelites vsed after their deliuerance out of Egypt when as they saw Pharaoh and his armie drowned in the red sea of which we may reade Exod. 15. vnder which speciall we are generally to vnderstand all Exod. 15. their reioycing and songs of praises for all Gods benefits especially when they were in the valley of Achor and had entred into the possession of the land of promise Whereas then he saith that she shall sing as in the daies of her youth and childhood we are hereby to vnderstand the time of her
comming out of the Egyptian seruitude which is fitly compared to the birth and infancie of the Church as before I haue shewed in vers 3. and therefore the words following are added exegeticâ—s by way of exposition plainly expressing what is meant by the time of her childhood namely the day when she ascended out of the land of Egypt The meaning therfore of these words is this that as the people of Israel after their deliuerance out of the Egyptian bondage and after that they enioyed Gods manifold blessings in the valley of Achor did reioyce before the Lord and expressed their ioy by singing his praises so the true Israel of God in the time of the Gospell after they are deliuered out of the spirituall bondage of sin and Satan and are made partakers of all Gods manifold blessings both spirituall and temporall being filled not onely with ioy but also with thankfulnes hauing nothing else to returne to the Lord for all his benefits they burst foorth into praises and thanksgiuings The time or place when the Church shall performe this dutie is expressed in this word there whereby is signified that they shall thus reioyce and praise God in the valley of Achor whilest they were in the vineyards which God had giuen them Where hee alludeth to the custome of grape-gathers in ancient time who whilest they gathered their grapes and trode in the Wine-presse sang praises vnto God vnto which custome the Prophet alludeth Esa 16. 10. wherby Esa 16. 10. is signified that great should be the Churches alacritie in praising God so as she should not defer this dutie or slothfully goe about it but euen in the fruition of Gods benefits she shall be so filled with ioy and comfort that not being able to containe her selfe she shall presently burst foorth into his praises and that not after a vulgar manner as those who haue receiued ordinarie benefits but like vnto those who are raised from death to life from sorrow and miserie to all ioy and happinesse And so much for the meaning of the words The doctrines The Do ∣ ctrines hence to be obserued are these First here wee learne that after the Lord hath allured vs and spoken vnto our hearts by We must labour after true conuersion if we would enioy Gods benefits his word and Spirit that is after that he hath conuerted and brought vs to repentance and giuen vnto vs inward comfort peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost then doth hee giue vnto vs further assurance of his loue and our reconciliation by multiplying vpon vs not only corporall but also spirituall benefits Whence we learne first that if wee desire to be made partakers of Gods temporall benefits we doe aboue all things labour after true conuersion and to feele the kingdome of Iesus Christ erected in our hearts and the inward ioy and comfort of Gods Spirit and then will the Lord also giue vs vineyards and the valley of Achor that is abundance of his benefits not only sufficient for our necessarie sustenance but also for our honest delight according to that Matth. 6. 33. Matth. 6. 33. Yea but the faithfull sometimes want these things I answer if the Lord withdraw temporall benefits in stead of them he bestoweth more excellent gifts euen his spirituall graces faith hope patience c. as appeareth in the example of Iob. And though they haue no superfluitie yet they haue sufficiencie which they enioy with great comfort and contentation for either the Lord fitteth their state to their mindes or their mindes to their state as appeareth in the example of the people of God fed daily with Manna and water springing out of the rocke of Elias fed with Rauens of the poore widow sustained by her cruise of oyle and handfull of meale Yea and how little soeuer the faithfull haue yet are they better prouided for then the wicked in the middest of all their abundance for this may faile bee spent or taken away but Gods prouidence will neuer faile in prouiding for his neither will the fountaine of his bountie bee euer drie although it doe not at all times flow alike plentifully and with a full streame Psal 37. 16. 17. Psal 37. 16. 17 Our graces no cause of our conuersioÌ„ Againe whereas vnder these vineyards and valley of Achor are promised not only corporall benefits but also spiritual graces hence we learne that we are first allured and conuerted before these gifts of Gods Spirit are bestowed vpon vs and therefore our inward graces and vertues are no causes mouing the Lord to conuert and call vs but effects of our vocation neither doth the Lord allure and call vs because we are furnished with these graces but he therefore furnisheth vs with them because he hath called vs Rom. 8. 30. Rom 8. 30. And lastly from hence we learne not to expect full assurance of Gods loue and our reconciliation all at once but Full assurance of Gods loue not to be expected all at once by one degree after another for first God allureth vs and then speaketh comfortably vnto vs by his word and Spirit assuring vs that wee are his children the which assurance is more and more confirmed when he giueth vnto vs the portion of his children his spirituall graces and temporall benefits Secondly we may here obserue that howsoeuer the Lord God mingleth benefits with crosses giueth vnto the faithfull plentie of vineyards the valley of Achor that is innumerable benefits both spirituall and temporall yet not without the mixture of many crosses and calamities For as long as wee are in this life our prosperitie is mingled with affliction our ioy with sorrow and so long as we are but in the borders of our heauenly Canaan this valley of pleasure shall be vnto vs also Achor that is the valley of trouble partly in regard of our treacherous flesh which being allured with vnlawfull pleasures and profits doth moue vs to offend God whereby we are hindred in our iourney towards our heauenly countrie and wanting the feeling of our assurance of attaining to our eternall rest wee are turmoyled with feare and doubting and afflicted with much sorrow and heauinesse of spirit and partly in respect of those cruell assaults which the cursed Cananites the world and the diuell make against vs wherewith we are sometimes foiled and alwaies troubled But yet wee are not hereby to be discouraged for the Lord will giue a good issue to all our trials and in the end will grant vnto vs a glorious victorie ouer all our enemies and changing this valley of trouble into a valley of triumph will so bring vs into full possession of our heauenly Canaan where wee shall obtaine comfort without mixture of affliction ioy without sorrow and eternall rest from the assaults of all our enemies When as then wee are in any affliction let vs remember that though the Lord for a time seeme to frowne vpon vs yet in the end
he will turne vnto vs his gratious countenance and whilest wee are in the confines of Gods kingdome the Church militant let vs patiently beare our crosse remembring that ere long wee shall haue full possession of our heauenly Canaan where we shall enioy a perpetuall rest from all troubles and be fully replenished with all ioy and happinesse Thirdly we here learne that the Lord bestoweth his temporall Gods temporall benefits are to the faithful earnest penies of those which are eternall benefits corporall and spiritual vpon the faithfull not only for their present vse and comfort but also for the confirming and increasing of their faith and hope in the assurance of farre more excellent gifts euen the vnualuable treasures of his eternall kingdome for hee giueth the valley of Achor for the doore of hope that is the benefits of this life that they may be pledges and earnest penies to assure vs of all his benefits belonging to the life to come The which as it may be vnderstood of all Gods gifts bestowed vpon the faithfull so especially of the inward graces of Gods sanctifying Spirit namely charitie zeale patience humilitie loue to the Gospell sanctification of life and the rest so that whosoeuer finde themselues indued therewith they may be assured that they haue so many pledges and earnest penies of their eternall happinesse and that it is not possible that their hope should become void and frustrate which the Lord hath confirmed with so many seales The consideration whereof should make vs to labour aboue all things for these spiritual gifts and graces whereby this doore of hope may be opened vnto vs and wee confirmed in the assurance of our election and saluation vnto which dutie the Apostle exhorteth vs 2. Pet. 1. 10. especially let vs by all meanes seeke to obtaine 2. Pet. 1. 10. the gift of Gods Spirit which giueth vnto vs an assured testimonie that wee are his children and heires of eternall life Rom. 8. 16. 17. sealeth vp this assurance in our harts and consciences Rom. 8. 16. 17. Eph. 1. 13. Eph. 1. 13. and also is the pledge and earnest penie of our heauenly inheritance 2. Cor. 1. 22. 2. Cor. 1. 22. We must meditate vpon Gods blessings new and old to increase our thankfulnes Fourthly whereas the Lord making new promises doth shadow them out vnder the allegorie of ancient benefits to the end that our assurance of future blessings by experience of his former goodnesse and truth may be ratified and confirmed and that in remembrance of pasted benefits in the fruition of his present blessings and in assured hope of his future goodnesse wee may be stirred vp to true thankfulnesse and obedience let vs learne hereby seeing we stand in need of all these helpes to make this profitable vse of them that is first let vs call to minde Gods mercies of old of which our selues haue had experience as also his goodnesse truth and power which he hath shewed towards others in preseruing sustaining and defending them and so shall we with greater affiance and confidence depend vpon his neuer failing promises and all ruling prouidence in the middest of all extremities And secondly let vs not only thinke vpon those benefits which we presently enioy but let them serue also to call to our remembrance Gods former goodnes towards vs as also those more excellent blessings and rich treasures of his heauenly kingdome wherof all these are but pledges and earnest penies that so this threefold cable of Gods gratious benefits being as it were twisted together in our memories may more strongly draw vs to true thankfulnes and obedience and that this infinite flame of his loue towards vs may at least kindle in our hearts some sparks of loue towards him againe And these are the doctrines to be obserued out of the benefits Whosoeuer haue part in spirituall blessings are filled also with ioy gladnesse and thankfulnesse here promised Now out of the Churches dutie wee may further obserue that whosoeuer are made partakers of the former benefits they are also hereby filled with ioy and gladnes the which they expresse by singing Gods praises not only with the voice but also with the heart and by glorifying Gods name not only with verball thankfulnes but also with the fruits of holy obedience in the whole course of their liues for as certainly as God promiseth our reconciliation conuersion and all other his benefits so doth hee likewise promise that those that are possessed of them shall laud and magnifie his name And therefore whosoeuer haue not this inward ioy gladnes in their harts nor expresse the same by lauding and magnifying Gods name it is certaine they haue no true taste of Gods spirituall benefits For this inward fire of ioy and thankfulnes will not be smothered in the heart but the flame thereof wil burst out into praises and thanksgiuing Now because euery one may say that he is filled with inward ioy and may faine and straine out a verball thankfulnes therefore we must labour to approue them by our outward actions and a continuall course of holy obedience to be true and sincere and so they will giue vs assurance that we haue indeed our part in al the former benefits which otherwise we cannot haue seeing the Lord giueth the one as well as the other and to this end bestoweth his benefits that we may glorifie his name by thankfulnes and obedience as appeareth 1. Pet. 2. 9. 1. Cor. 6. 20. 1. Pet. 2. 9. 1. Cor. 6. 20. We must not deferre our thankfulnesse Secondly we may obserue that this our thankfulnesse is not to be deferred but presently to be expressed euen whilest we are in the vineyards that is whilest our hearts are replenished with ioy in regard of the comfortable vse of Gods present benefits and our assured hope of those greater mercies in the time to come for negligent delaies cause forgetfulnes which is also the mother of the grossest kinde of vnthankfulnes But contrariwise then will our praises and thanksgiuings be most zealous and feruent when they issue from a hart presently inflamed with the ioyful sense of Gods benefits An example hereof we haue in Dauid 2. Sam. 7. 18. 2 Sam. 7. 8. Exod. 15. 1. Luk. 1. 46. in the Israelites Exod. 15. 1. in the Virgin Marie Luk. 1. 46. Thirdly we may here obserue that as the ioy so the praises The praises of the faithfull must not be slight but great and feruent Esay 9. 3. and thanksgiuings of Gods people are not slight and ordinarie but exceeding great and feruent not only like vnto the ioy in haruest that is in the fruition of Gods common benefits but like the ioy wherewith men reioyce after some famous victory obtained against their enemies yea and such enemies as haue in former times held them in most seruile and slauish seruitude for this was the ioy of the Israelites vnto which the Prophet compareth here the ioy and
thankfulnesse of the faithfull Yea in truth so much our ioy and thankfulnesse should exceed theirs as the greatnes of the benefit of our spirituall deliuerance out of the miserable captiuitie of sin and Satan exceedeth the deliuerance of the Israelites out of the bondage of Egypt We must then reioyce and be as thankfull as those ought to bee who haue passed from death to life from the greatest miserie to the highest happines and are exalted from being the firebrands of hell to be the sonnes of God and heires of heauen ANd so much cōcerning the second benefit In the third place the Lord promiseth that he will giue grace to his Church and people that they shall embrace his pure worship and seruice and abolish all idolatrie and superstition in these words Vers 16. And at that day saith the Lord you Vers 16. 17. shall call me Ishi and shall call me no more Baali Vers 17. For I will take away the names of Baali out of her mouth and they shall no more be remembred by their names In which words the Lord The exposition promiseth two things first that hee will restore his sincere worship secondly that he will roote out all idolatrie The former in these words And at that day saith the Lord shall you call me Ishi Where is set downe first the time when the Church should performe this dutie and secondly the dutie it selfe The time in these words And at that day that is when the Lord hath effectually called her spoken comfortablie vnto her and multiplied his benefits vpon her then should she in loue and thankfulnes shew her selfe zealous in offering vnto God his pure worship and in abolishing all reliques of idolatrie The dutie which the Lord promiseth she shall performe is that she shall call him Ishi that is my husband where the Lord alludeth to the couenant which is made betweene him and his Church wherein the Lord promiseth that she shall be his spouse and she promiseth that she will acknowledge the Lord alone to be her husband and performe all duties of a wife vnto him As though he should say Howsoeuer in former times thou hast run after thy louers yet when I haue called and conuerted thee thou shalt remember the couenant of mariage betweene vs made and so forsaking thy idols thou shalt acknowledge and professe that I alone am thy husband Now whereas he saith that she shall call him Ishi we are first hereby to vnderstand that the Church mindfull of her couenant shall embrace him as her only husband not verbally alone or with an idle shew but in deed and truth behauing her selfe towards him as it becommeth the Lords spouse that is first in generall she shall worship and serue him purely and sincerely according to his will more specially that she shall obserue coniugall fidelitie loue him aboue all depend vpon him alone with a true affiance for all blessings and call vpon his name the which dutie is implied in the text for it is not said she shall call me husband but Ishi O my husband namely inuocating his name by prayer Secondly he sheweth here that the Church shall not only internally worship the Lord as her only husband in Spirit and truth but also that she shall outwardly make profession hereof which is implied in that he saith shee shall call him husband and not onely acknowledge him so to bee in her heart and mind And this is the first dutie which the Lord promiseth that the Church shall performe The other is that as she should be carefull to aduance his pure worship so she should shew the like zeale in abolishing all reliques of idolatrie signified in these words And thou shalt call me no more Baali or O my Baal that is As I would not haue thee to ioine idols with me in my worship so I would not haue thee to worship and call vpon me in an idol or after an idolatrous maner but in spirit and truth purely sincerely Where the Lord sheweth first that the Church shall not only worship him but also that she should worship him alone and renounce all her idols and false gods Secondly that she shall not worship him after an idolatrous manner in images and idols as it was the manner of the Israelites who worshipped God in the idoll Baal as appeareth in this place but shall come vnto him immediatly and not by a substitute or inferiour patron and call vpon him who is a Spirit spiritually and not in an image But the image of Baal being abolished why would not the Lord be called vpon by the name of Baal seeing it signifieth a god lord or patron and sometime also a husband as well as Ish I answere the Lord would be called Ish rather then Baal first because Baal being a name of empire and dominion brought with it some seruile feare the other name Ish signifying properly a husband offereth nothing to our consideration but loue fidelitie grace and protection and therefore the Lord refuseth the former name in the time of the Gospell as being too austere sauouring only of authoritie and Lordship and will be called by the amiable name of Ish or husband to shew that he hath renewed his couenant is reconciled to his Church and is now become most louing and gratious vnto her The second cause which I take to be the more principall is that he might hereby shew his detestation of idolatrie in that hee would not endure to bee called by the name of an idoll though otherwise good in it owne signification And this his detestation he further sheweth when as he saith that they should bee so farre from worshipping idols or him in them that they should not so much as name them Vers 17. For I will take away the names of Baali out of her mouth c. Vers 17. Where is set downe who it is that thus purgeth the Church from all the relikes of idolatrie namely the Lord himselfe I will take away Secondly the manner or degree how it must be purged to wit from all the relikes of idolatrie and superstition so that it shall not be lawfull for the people of God so much as to name an idoll vnlesse it bee as they name the diuell with hatred and detestation The like places vnto this we haue Exod. 23. 13. Ye shall make no mention of the name of Exod. 23. 13. Deut. 12. 2. 3. other gods neither shall it be heard out of thy mouth Deut. 12. 3. Ye shall vtterly destroy all the places wherein the nations which ye shall possesse serued their gods vpon the high mountaines c. 3. Ye shall hew downe the grauen images of their gods and abolish their names out of that place An example whereof wee haue in Dauid Psal 16. 4. 5. Their offerings of blood will I not offer nor make mention of their names with my lips Psal 16. 4. 5. Thirdly hee expresseth the end why hee would not haue them so much
as name idols to wit that they may no more be remembred by their names that is that hauing nothing to doe with idols neither in deede nor word the memorie of them may perish and men may be freed from all danger of falling into idolatrie which being preserued there remaineth a continuall baite to intice vs which in regard of our corruption and pronenesse to idolatrie we are apt to swallow to our perdition And this is the meaning of these words The doctrines The Do ∣ ctrines which arise out of them are these First out of the 16. verse we may obserue that as soone as we are conuerted and assured Assurance of Gods loue makes vs zealous in his seruice of Gods loue by the inward testimonie of his Spirit confirmed by innumerable his gratious benefits which are so many earnest penies and pledges of his fauour and our reconciliation then doth the Lord also giue vs this grace to shew our selues forward in the duties of his worship and seruice and in rooting out all superstition and idolatrie If therfore wee be truly conuerted and indued with Gods Spirit and with the graces thereof then will we also be zealous and deuout in performing seruice vnto God in hearing his word calling vpon his name receiuing the Sacraments c. as also in purging our selues from idolatrie and superstition and in remouing all false meanes of his worship but if this care and zeale be wanting it is manifest that as yet wee are not conuerted nor haue tasted of the comfort of Gods Spirit and the graces thereof for when God hath bestowed these then at that day also he stirreth vs vp to loue and serue him as our Lord and husband forsaking all idols and idoll worship as appeareth in this place Secondly we may obserue that those who are truly conuerted Those who are truly conuerted openly professe their conuersion and indued with Gods Spirit they doe not onely inwardly serue the Lord as their onely husband but also outwardly make a confession hereof to the glorie of God and edification of others for it is not said here that the Church and members thereof should onely in heart acknowledge but also by voice professe that God was her husband and forsake and disclaime with the like open plainnesse idols and idolatrous worship And surely this is a singular fruite of our saith and vnfained repentance when as we doe not only serue the Lord and embrace his true religion in our hearts and soules but also make an outward profession hereof to all the world though thereby wee expose our selues to the scoffes and contempt obloquie and slander malice and violence Matth. 5. 16. 1. Pet. 2. 12. and 3. 13. Rom. 10. 10. Psal 22. 22. Ioh. 9. Act. 5. of prophane and wicked men Which holy dutie is commended to Gods seruants in many places Matth. 5. 16. 1. Pet. 2. 12. 3. 15. Rom. 10. 10. An example whereof we haue in Dauid Psal 22. 22. in the blind man Ioh. 9. in the Apostles Act. 5. in Paul Act. 24. 14. With which holy profession whosoeuer Act. 24. 14. glorifieth God the Lord will giue glorie vnto him by professing and acknowledging him for his sonne and heire of heauen Matth. 10. 32. Matth. 10. 32. Thirdly wee may obserue that the Prophet speaking of Our spirituall mariage compriseth al coniugall duties those duties which the Church being conuerted and reconciled vnto God should performe vnto him comprehendeth them all vnder this one that she should call him husband because indeede it containeth all the rest as being the fountaine from which they spring For if wee embrace the Lord as our husband then haue we giuen him both our heart and hand then haue we plighted vnto him our faith and then do we also loue him aboue all feare his displeasure depend vpon his prouidence and shew our selues zealous in performing all good duties vnto him Of which inward graces and outward obedience whosoeuer are destitute they are not espoused vnto God c. Fourthly wee heere learne that it is not only vnlawfull to It is vnlawfull to worship God in Idols worship idols but also to worship the true God in them Neither did the Israelites worship the image of Baal or the false god Baal thereby represented but in the idoll they worshipped the true Iehoua for hee doth not heere forbid them to worshippe Baal the god of the Sidonians but that they should call him any more Baal that is call vpon and worship him in the image So that the Papists excuse vnder which they maske their idolatrie is vaine and friuolous for they say that they worshippe not the images before which they fall but God in them and likewise when they worship Saints departed they affirme that they worship God in and by them The which their assertion is false as appeareth by their falling downe before them their making of vowes offering oblations and their going on pilgrimage vnto them and though it were true that they did not worship them but God in them yet hereby they are not cleered seeing they commit the same idolatrie which God here condemneth in the Israelites Lastly wee here obserue that the Lord is now no more to be esteemed of the Church a seuere Lord or fearefull Iudge The Lord is a gratious husband of the Church but as a gratious and louing husband The consideration whereof serueth first to replenish our hearts with all ioy and comfort in that we who were enemies and strangers are admitted into so neere league of friendship and into so inuiolable a bond of loue and amitie with God as is betweene a most louing husband and his beloued spouse Secondly it serueth notably for the confirming our saith and affiance in God in the middest of all wants dangers and extremities in that we haue a husband who is most able and readie to protect and prouide for vs. Thirdly it serueth to confute the doctrine and practise of the Papists who dare not goe directly vnto God by prayer but by the mediation of Saints for if Christ be espoused vnto vs to whom may wee preferre our suites with greater boldnesse and confidence then vnto our gratious husband or who is more neere vnto vs then Christ or more deare vnto Christ then we his beloued spouse that we should make choice of to be out Mediatour betweene vs and him And lastly here we learne how we should performe our obedience vnto God not seruilely for feare as vnto a terrible and straight master but with loue and reuerence as vnto a gratious husband whose will wee performe rather to auoid thereby his displeasure then for any hope of gaine or feare of punishment And these are the doctrines to be obserued out of the 16. The Lord purgeth his Church from all idolatrie and superstition verse Out of the 17. verse wee may further obserue who it is that purgeth the Church from all idolatrie and superstition and restoreth Gods true
and were diuorced and cast off for their spirituall whoredoms it could not be fitly said of them that the Lord would espouse or contract them to himselfe seeing they only are properly said to be espoused who neuer before were taken to wife but rather he should haue said of them that he would againe be reconciled to her and receiue her to grace So that hereby wee are not to vnderstand that the Lord The properties of our spiritual mariage 1. it is not tēporarie but perpetuall would renue or confirme the old couenant of workes betweene himselfe and the Church of Israel for that was made frustrate by their spirituall whoredomes and rebellion for which they were diuorced and reiected but that hee would make a new couenant betweene himselfe and all the faithfull in the time of the Gospell receiuing them into this neere bond of mariage as pure and vndefiled virgins the which is inuiolably to continue for euer and euer Thirdly the parties contracted are Christ and his Church signified in these words I will marrie thee vnto me Where by thee wee are not to vnderstand the people of Israel according to the flesh but according to the spirit that is all the faithfull both Iewes and Gentiles and by me wee are to vnderstand Iesus Christ who in this spirituall mariage is vnited to his spouse the Church essentially and substantially bodie with bodie and spirit with spirit as before I haue shewed And so much for the contract it selfe The adiuncts hereof are first the perpetuall continuance of this mariage and secondly the conditions thereof which are as it were the mariage bands wherewith it is held inuiolable The perpetuall continuance is noted in these words for euer where the Lord maketh a secret opposition between the couenant of works made betweene him and the Israelites and the couenant of grace made betweene him and all the faithfull for that former mariage was not perpetual but temporarie and of short continuance because the Church of Israel perfidiously violated her mariage faith and persisted not in her loue and obedience towards the Lord her husband but forsaking him prostituted her selfe to commit spirituall whoredome with false gods and therefore was iustly diuorced from him as before we haue shewed but the new couenant of this spirituall mariage betweene Christ and the faithfull shall be perpetuall and inuiolable because he will write the lawes and conditions thereof not in tables of stone but in the fleshie tables of their hearts and will so rule and ouerrule them by his gratious Spirit dwelling in them that they shall neuer breake their couenant nor depart from the Lord their husband The like places of Scripture which may serue for an exposition of this wee haue Esa 54. 8. With euerlasting mercie haue I had Esa 54. 8. 9. 10 compassion on thee saith the Lord thy redeemer vers 9. For this is vnto me as the waters of Noah for as I haue sworne c. vers 10. For the mountaines shall remoue and the hilles shall fall downe but my mercie shall not depart from thee neither shall the couenant of my peace fall away saith the Lord that hath compassion on thee Ierem. 31. 31. Behold the daies come saith the Jere. 31. 31. 32 Lord that I will make a new couenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Iacob 32. Not according to the couenant I made with their fathers when I took them hand by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt the which couenant they brake although I was an husband vnto them saith the Lord. 33. But this shall be the couenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those daies saith the Lord I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people c. So chap. 33. 20. 21. 22. 25. 26. Iere. 33. 20. 21. Ezech. 16. 59. Iere. 32. 38. 39. Ezech. 16. 59. I will confirme vnto thee an euerlasting couenant Ierem. 32. 38. 39. 40. By all which places it is cleere and manifest that the couenant betweene the Lord and the faithfull is permanent and perpetuall and that both in respect of God and of the faithfull and not only on Gods part as the Papists would haue it who affirme that we may haue certaine assurance of the continuance of this couenant in respect of God because hee for his part will most certainly performe the conditions thereof Iere. 31. 32. howbeit there is cause of doubting that it will be violated and made frustrate by the faithfull because they may lose their faith and all other graces and so forsake the Lord but according to this doctrine there should be no difference betweene the old couenant of works and the new couenant of grace in respect of the perpetuitie thereof for that also on Gods part was most firme and permanent seeing there was not one tittle of his promises which was not accomplished neuerthelesse on the part of the Israelites it was made voide and frustrate because they performed not the condition of faith and obedience Whereas the Lord promiseth that his couenant with the faithfull should be perpetuall and euerlasting not onely on his part but also on the faithfuls because hee would by the finger of his Spirit write his lawes in their hearts Iere. 31. 33. and because hee would also put his feare Iere. 31. 33. 32. 40. into their hearts so as they should not depart from him as it is Iere. 32. 40. And so much for the perpetuitie of this spirituall mariage The meanes whereby the couenant of our spirituall mariage is made perpetuall In the next place he setteth downe the manner how and the meanes whereby hee would make his couenant perpetuall and euerlasting namely by remouing all causes and meanes whereby it might be violated and by tying the faithfull vnto himselfe by such inuiolable bands as it should not bee possible for any thing whatsoeuer to cause a diuorce and separation All which is signified in these words I will marrie 1. The church is maried in righteousnes thee vnto me in righteousnesse and in iudgement c. Where the Lord sheweth first that whereas sinne and vnrighteousnesse might be a sufficient cause to make a diuorce and breake off the perpetuitie of the Churches mariage with him for what communion hath light with darknesse righteousnesse with 2. Cor. 6. 14. vnrighteousnesse he would therefore marrie the Church vnto him in righteousnes that is he would make her righteous first by washing away her sinnes with his own most pretious blood and imputing vnto her his righteousnesse full satisfaction and perfect obedience Of which the Apostle speaketh Esa 54. 14. Rom. 5. 17. 19. And secondly by working in her inherent righteousnesse that is sanctification integritie sinceritie and Rom. 5. 17. 19. vprightnes of heart whereby it should come to passe that
howsoeuer she might fall through infirmitie yet she should neuer fall away though she may offend her husband by her corruptions and imperfections yet she should neuer forsake him nor desist in her faith and holy obedience So that neither her sins past nor her sins to come should be able to separate her from the Lord her husband not her sins past because they should be blotted out of remembrance and washed away by Christs blood nor her sinnes to come for as much as shee should be endued with such sinceritie and indignitie of heart that she should neuer sin with full consent of will nor euer leaue the Lord to commit spirituall adulterie with sinne and Satan Neither should want of righteousnes cause her to be reiected seeing shee should bee adorned with the glorious robe of Christs righteousnes imputed vnto her and also by vertue of Gods Spirit dwelling in her she should be enabled to walke before the Lord in the integritie and vprightnes of her heart indeauouring to performe all duties of holines and righteousnes vnto him Secondly whereas error and blindnesse of iudgement is a 2 The Church is married vnto Christ in iudgement cause of diuorce and separation seeing thereby the wife is moued to preferre an adulterer before her lawfull husband therfore that this may not be a cause of separation betweene him and his Church the Lord promiseth that he will endue her with a cleare and wise iudgement whereby she shall bee able to discerne betweene good and euill right and wrong and how much more profitable will it be for her to embrace the Lord as her only husband louing reuerencing and obeying him in all things than to forsake him and to follow after her adulterous louers that is idols the world Satan and the pleasures of sinne which last but for a season and in the end bring euerlasting destruction and how much better it is to embrace his pure worship reuealed in his word then to follow humane traditions and her owne inuentions Thirdly the wife is moued to breake her coniugall fidelitie 3. The Church is maried to Christ in mercie and beneficence and to leaue her husband and follow her louers when as she is brought into doubt of his loue and good will in respect of his illiberall cariage towards her and when as by his niggardly restraining her of necessaries she is brought into extremitie and want for then being hopelesse at home she rangeth abroad and seeketh help of strangers when her husband neglecteth her Whereas contrariwise when shee hath assured testimonie of his loue by his readines to supplie all her necessities to the vttermost of his power it is a notable meanes to work in her loue towards him and to preserue her faith inuiolable And thus it fareth in this spirituall mariage when we doubt of Gods loue and fauour and are brought into extreame exigents through our spirituall or corporall wants then our corrupt nature inclineth vs to leaue trusting and depending vpon the Lord and to follow Idols Saints Angels and Images looking for by them a supplie of that wherein we thinke that the Lord is defectiue And therefore he heere promiseth that he will also marrie her vnto himselfe in mercie or as the word may more fitly in this place signifie in benignitie and beneficence that is that he will so multiplie vpon her mercies and benefits as thereby shee shall haue full assurance of his loue and prouidence watching ouer her and shall by his bountie be so furnished with all necessaries that she shall not need to depend vpon any other The which promise is accomplished both in respect of corporal and spirituall benefits for if the first be wanting the Lord giueth the other in such plentie and abundance that in the middest of worldly wants she shal haue little cause to doubt of Gods loue and liberalitie seeing he doth bestow vpon her these rich treasures and gifts of greatest value And thus haue we this prophecie expounded Ier. 32. 40. I will make an euerlasting couenant with them that I will neuer turne away Jer. 32. 40. 41. from them to do them good c. 41. Yea I will delite in them to do them good c. Fourthly because when the husband is of an austere rigorous and impacable nature so as he will not beare with his 4. The Church is married to Christs compassion wiues infirmities but punisheth euery fault in all bitternesse and extremitie it is a notable meanes to worke in her alienation of minde and to moue her to affect others more then him and contrariwise compassion and readines to pardon faults and passe by infirmities is a singular meanes to nourish loue and fidelitie therefore the Lord promiseth in the next place that he wil marrie the Church in mercy and compassion so that though through frailtie she fall and by her sinnes offend him yet this shall bee no sufficient cause to moue her desperately to forsake and flee from him seeing he is so full of mercie and compassion that she can be no more readie to repent then he to forgiue nor to aske pardon then he to grant it And that not only for light and veniall sinnes nor for offences seldome committed but for all her sinnes most grieuous and innumerable and this is implied in that he here vseth the plurall number saying that he will marrie her in mercies to note the multitude of his mercies whereby he is readie to forgiue a multitude of sinnes The like place vnto this we haue Ier. 31. 34. For I will forgiue their iniquitie Jer 31. 34. Esay 54. 10. and remember their sinnes no more So Esay 54. 10. The mountaines shall remoue and the hilles shall fall downe but my mercy shall not depart from thee c. Fifthly because all loue and benefits cannot restraine an 5. The Lord marrieth his Church in faithfulnes inconstant woman who is naturally addicted to lust and vncleannesse but that vpon euery occasion she is apt to forsake her husband and follow her louers therefore in the next place the Lord saith that he will marrie his Church in faithfulnes wherby we are to vnderstand that not only the Lord himselfe will continue faithfull and constant in his loue to the Church but that also he will by his holy Spirit wherewith his Church and he are ioyned in marriage so rule her affections mortifie her naturall lightnesse and pronenesse to spirituall adulterie and confirme and strengthen her in constancie and fidelitie that shee shall euer keepe her mariage faith inuiolable and reserue her selfe for him alone pure and vndefiled Where we may further note that he doth the third time repeate these words I will marrie thee vnto me to this end that we might by this his redoubling of his speech bee the more vndoubtedly assured of the certaintie of this holy and heauenly contract of which we are easily moued to make some question in respect of Gods glorious Maiestie and incomprehensible
the earth and I will haue mercie vpon her that was not pitied and I will say vnto them which were not my people thou art my people and they shall say thou art my God In which words is set downe first the multiplication of the Church and secondly The exposition the meanes whereby it should bee multiplied The first in these words And I will sow her vnto me in the earth The which speech is allegoricall borrowed from the practise of husbandmen who desiring increase of their corne doe sow it in the ground so the Lord promiseth that hee will sow his Church that is he will multiplie and exceedingly increase it as the seed is multiplied which is sowne in the earth so that it shall no longer be contained within the narrow borders of the land of Canaan but be propagated farre and wide ouer the whole face of the earth Where he alludeth to the name Izreel signifying the seed of God of which hee had spoken in the former verse although the word her being of the feminine gender hath relation vnto the spouse for whereas his meaning was that hee would sow Izreel his seed he saith he will sow her because all this while he had spoken of his Church and faithfull people vnder the name and title of a wife But besides the multiplying of the Church here is also as I take it promised the continuall stabilitie therof for so this word sowing or planting signifieth as appeareth Ier. 24. 6. I will plant them and not roote them out Psal 92. 13. 14. Ier. 31. 27. 28. 42. 10. Iere. 24. 6. Psal 92. 13. 14. Iere. 31. 27. 42. 10. Further he saith that he will sow her vnto himselfe where he noteth the end why he would multiplie his Church and people namely that they being chosen and called might glorifie his name by seruing and obeying him and this is the maine end not onely of our calling but also of our creation and redemption 2. Cor. 6. 20. Ephes 1. 4. Tit. 2. 14. 2 Cor. 6. 20. Ephes 1. 4. Tit. 2. 14. Againe whereas hee saith that hee will sow her in the earth without any special restraint vnto any particular place the meaning is that hee would sow her thorowout the whole earth and no longer confine her within the limits of Canaan the which promise was accordingly accomplished when Christ gaue commandement to his Apostles and Disciples that they should goe teach all nations Matth. 28. 20. the which they also performed as appeareth in the Acts of the Apostles Matth. 28. 20. And this is the promise concerning the multiplying of the Church Now the meanes whereby hee would increase it to so great a number is expressed whereas he saith that hee will haue mercie vpon Lo-ruchamah and will call Lo-ammi his people wherby he vnderstandeth the calling not only of the ten tribes but also by occasion of them the Gentiles amongst whom they were scattered as the Apostle plainly expoundeth this prophecie Rom. 9. 24. 1. Pet. 2. 10. for of whom it might be said Rom. 9. 24. 25. 1. Pet. 2. 10. that they were without mercie and not Gods people of thē he promiseth that he would haue mercie and chuse them for his people but this might be said not of the Israelites alone but also of the Gentiles as the Apostles testifie and therefore of them also this prophecie is to be vnderstood And these are the meanes whereby the seed of the faithfull is multiplied In the last place he setteth downe the disposition affection and dutie of the Church being called in these words And they shall say thou art my God Where there is implied the entire loue of the Church towards God in that she vseth here the vocatiue case as the originall hath it and by a certaine kind of hearty acclamation crieth out O my God which briefe maner of speech doth most pathetically expresse the otherwise vnexpressable affection passion of the heart So Thomas rauished with Christs assured presence crieth out My Lord and my God Ioh. 20. Ioh. 20. 28. 28. and Mary v. 16. Rabboni Master Rom. 8. 15. Secondly that Rom. 8. 15. she shall not only beleeue that the Lord is her God but also acknowledge and make profession hereof for she shall not only thinke it but also say it Thirdly that she shall inuocate and call vpon his name as is signified in this phrase of speech O my God And this is the meaning of these words The doctrines which The do ∣ ctrines arise out of thē are these First whereas the Lord saith that he will sow his Church hence we learne that the Lord is the sole cause of The Lord is the principall cause of multiplying the Church Ephes 2. 5. the multiplying of his Church by his word and Spirit and not our owne inclination and free will for we are as seed in the hand of the sower vnlesse hee husband vs wee will euer remaine vnfruitfull Eph. 2. 5. And this the Apostle affirmeth namely that the faithfull are not borne of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Ioh. 1. 13. Iohn 1. 13. God multiplieth his church for his owne glorie 1. Pet. 2. 10. 11. 12. Secondly we learne here that the Lord doth sow or multiplie the Church vnto himself that is for his own glory worship and seruice that the Church being chosen to be a royall Priesthood and holy nation may abstaine frō fleshly lusts haue their cōuersation honest that so God may be glorified euen of those that are without And therfore seeing the Lord hath made choice of vs for this purpose let vs labour to attaine vnto our end otherwise we can haue no assurance that we are in the nūber of Gods people seeing it is impossible that he shuld be frustrate of his end Thirdly by this chāge of names no mercy into mercy no Gods anger turned into loue people into a people we learne that in the time of the Gospel Gods anger is turned into loue iudgement into mercy punishment into reward cōdemnation into life saluation by vertue of Christs merits mediation The which serueth notablie for the consolation of al those that mourne in Sion whē as being beaten downe by the apprehēsion of Gods anger the sight of sinne and the curse of the law they consider that Christ hath freed them from them all reconciled them vnto God and procured for them remission of their sinnes Fourthly we here learne that the wall of separation is broken The Iewes and Gentiles gathered into one Church downe both Iewes and Gentiles admitted into one and the same Church so that as our Sauiour speaketh there is now but one sheepfold one shepheard Ioh. 10. 16. See p. 125. 133. 135. Fiftly we here learne that our vocation was altogether free and vndeserued for when as we were without mercy deseruing Our vocatiō is
this place may be vnderstood but yet principally as I take it of the latter For whereas the people had long contemned Gods verball contentions by the Prophets and continued in their impenitency without any amendement the Lord now threatneth that he will contend with them after another manner namely by inflicting vpon them his reall Iudgements seeing words would not preuaile with them The like place to this we haue Gen. 6. 3. Therefore the Gen. 6. 3. Lord said my spirit shall not alwayes striue with man because he is but flesh and his dayes shall be an hundred and twenty yeers The meaning is that because the world was rooted in a desperate wickednesse and would not be reclaimed by his spirit preaching vnto them by righteous Noah therefore hee would no longer contend with them in verbal controuersies seeing they were wholy carnall and corrupt but would bring vpon them reall punishments and that within the space of an hundred and twenty yeeres vnlesse in the meane time they preuented his Iudgements by turning from their sinnes by true repentance So here the Prophet telleth them that because Gods word was of no force with them for their amendment the Lord would no longer thus striue with them and seeing his Prophets and their reprehensions were derided neglected and contemned therefore hee would take his owne cause into his owne hand and contend no longer verbally but really with them proceeding from words to blowes from threatnings to punishments The parties betweene whom this debate is are the Lord The parties betweene whom the controuersie is and the people of Israell which are here called the inhabitants of the land whereby he implyeth First that the Lord himselfe was now become their aduersarie seeing there is no controuersie or contention but betweene aduersaries as though hee should say the contention shall not be hereafter betweene you and the Prophets because ye contemne their persons as weake and base men and deride and neglect their admonitions reprehensions and threatnings as though they were false and rediculous but betweene the Lord himselfe and you who is most wise to finde out your sinnes and most just to punish them And this controuersie shall be begun in the Court of Conscience before the Tribunall Seate of Gods Iudgement where by the law which you haue transgressed you shall be conuicted and after shall be fully determined when as hee shall inflict vpon you such reall punishments as your sinnes haue deserued Secondly he hereby implyeth that the Israelites are guilty of enormious sinnes and grieuous transgressions when as he saith that the Lord hath a controuersie with them for such is Gods exact justice that he sueth none but such as are indebted vnto him neyther contendeth he with any but onely such as haue wronged and offended him Thirdly whereas he saith that the Lord had this controuersie with the Inhabitants of the Land hereby first he conuinceth them of their breach of Couenant which they had made with God for howsoeuer the Lord had made good his promise in driuing out the Canaanites and giuing vnto them the Land in possession yet they had broken their promise made to God violated their faith forsaken Gods true Religion and denied their obedience vnto his lawes Secondly he aggrauateth their sinnes and grose ingratitude in that after the Lord had cast out the Canaanites the auncient inhabitants of this country for their Idolatry and other sinnes and giuen this land to the people of Israell for their possession that therein they might make profession of his true religion and glorifie his name by worshipping and seruing him according to his will they neuerthelesse neither remembring gods judgements inflicted vpon the Canaanits nor his mercies multiplyed vpon themselues forsooke the couenant of their God broke his lawes committed idolatrie and all other outragious sinnes and so defiled the land with the same sinnes for the which the Canaanits were expelled in the which gods true religion holinesse of life and righteousnesse should haue raigned and flourished And this was the cause or matter of their inditement in all which the Prophet aymeth at this that he might bring the people to true repentance vpon some hope of their reconciliation for whereas he saith that the Lord had a controuersie with the people hee doth herein include a secret admonition that seeing the Lord was not only far mightier then they but also had the law equitie on his side therefore they should labour after reconciliation by turning vnto him by vnfayned repentance for other meanes there was none to escape his just judgements And this is indeed the maine end at which the Lord aymeth in all his threatnings namely that those his people whom hee threatneth hearing of his judgements might preuent and escape them by their repentance For as a louing father when he threatneth his child sheweth that he hath no desire to punish him seeing by threatning hee giueth him warning to desist from his faults that so he may escape so our gracious and heauenly father threatneth his judgements in the ministerie of the word that heareing them wee may auoyd them by forsaking our sinnes and humbling our selues before him and this end of the Lords contending with his people is plainly Esay 1. 18. Eze. 33. 10. 11. Ier. 18. 7. 8. expressed Esay 1. 18. Ezech. 33. 10. 11. Ier. 18. 7. 8. And so much concerning the cause why the Israelits are arraigned Now wee are to speake of the particular crimes The sinnes whereof the Israelits are accused and condemned whereof they are accused conuicted and condemned and these are of two sorts the first priuatiue or sinnes of omission verse 1. the second positiue or sinnes of commission verse 2. The sinnes of omission whereof they are accused either respect their neighbour or God himselfe those that respect their neighbour are reduced to two heads First sinnes of injustice vnder the word truth Secondly neglect of mercy The sinnes which respect God are all included vnder one namely that there was no knowledge of God in the land and consequently no religion no faith no obedience The first sinne whereof he accuseth them is that there The first sinne that there was no truth in the land was no truth in the land for the vnderstanding whereof we are to know that truth respecteth either the minde and hart and then it is called simplicity or integritie or else the outward carriage and behauiour and that either in our words or speaches which properly is called veritie or else in our workes and actions which is called justice or vpright dealing Whereas therefore he chargeth them that there was no truth in the land the meaning is that there was no simplicitie or integritie in their minds and harts no verity in their speaches nor justice in their actions and because vertues and vices are contraries without meane so that the denying of the one in a subiect capable of it is the affirming of the other therefore
hereby hee implyeth when he saith there was no simplicitie in the land that it was full of hipocrisie and dissimulation and when he affirmeth that there was no veritie he implyeth that there was lying and when he accuseth them to be without truth or justice in their actions he intimateth also that they were full of all manner of fraud and deceit The second sinne whereof he accuseth them is that they The second sinne that they wanted mercy were without mercie the word signifieth either benignitie or beneficence and in the former signification it is referred to the minde and hart and so is called mercy and compassion and in the latter to the words and works and then it is called beneficence and comprehendeth in it all workes of charitie and christianitie as when in our words we are ready to help and benefit our brethren by exhortation counsaile consolation admonition and reprehension and in our workes by defending them with all our power and relieuing them with our riches Whereas therefore he chargeth them to be without mercy his meaning is that they were destitute of all these vertues and neglected all these christian duties and contrariwise he implyeth that their minds were full of malice and cruelty their words rotten and vnsauorie their workes replenished with oppression violence and barbarous inhumanitie And these were the sinnes which respected their neighbours and the breach of the second table their sinnes which immediately respected God are all comprehended in this that there was no knowledge of God in the land vnder The third sin no knowledge of God which particular he compriseth the neglect of all the duties injoyned in the first table and of all religion piety for as from the true sauing knowledge of God as from the root of all graces there springeth Faith affiance hope loue the feare of God obedience and all true worship of God so contrariwise ignorance is the roote of all impietie infidelity diffidence presumption despaire hatred of God contempt disobedience superstition idolatrie And therefore whereas he chargeth them that they were without the knowledge of God he necessarily implyeth that they were vtterly destitute of all grace piety and all true religion and guilty of the breach of all the commandements of the first table for where the roote is dead there the braunches must needes perish Now these their sinnes are aggrauated in that hee saith that there was no veritie mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land First in that it was a Land which God in great mercy had bestowed vpon them to the end that therin they should worship and serue him a land wherein he had protected and preserued them a land wherein he had plentifully afforded vnto them the meanes of attaining these graces of truth mercy and knowledge namely his Word and Sacraments Secondly in that this impietie and neglect of Religion did not onely lurke in some few corners but ouerspread the whole land neyther were there onely some few men tainted with these vices and corruptions but generally the whole body of the people So that they did not onely hide these sinnes as being ashamed of them but being come to bee as it were a common fashion they impudently professed and defended them And so much for the meaning of this first Verse the That the Lord himselfe will contend with those who contemne the ministerie of his Prophets doctrines which are to be obserued are these First we here learne that if Gods Prophets haue long contended vvith a people in Gods cause as his aduocates and doe not preuaile with them by causing them to humble themselues before him by true repentance then the Lord will take his cause into his owne hands and ceasing to contend with them any longer by his word and spirit will prosecute his controuersie with them by afflictions and punishments and if hauing often sent his Ambassadours with reasonable conditions of peace men neglect them and refuse to hearken vnto their ambassage then will this powerfull king march against them with an armie of his judgements and neuer cease encountring them with his plagues till he hath eyther humbled or destroyed them And this appeareth in this place as also Gen. 6. 3. In the example of the Iewes led captiue into Babilon Gen. 6. 3. and afterwards destroyed by the Romaines So that God first dealeth with men by his word and then if this will not preuaile by his chastisements and lastly if these will not reforme them by his destroying plagues and punishments Would we therefore escape his corrections then let vs suffer our selues to be reformed by his word would we not be destroyed by his fearefull punishments then let vs labour to profit by his gentle chastisements The vse hereof serueth for the comfort of Gods faithfull A comfort for Gods ministers Ministers when their persons are disgraced and contemned and their Ministerie neglected and dirided by wicked men then they are to remember that they being the Lords aduocates to pleade his cause against an impenitent people are sure to be strongly backed by the Lords own power wherby those shall be brought vnder who would not submit them selues to be ruled by the scepter of the word Secondly it serueth for the terrour of all those scoffers A terror for contemners of Gods word and desperate wicked men who contemne and deride those threatnings which they heare denounced in the ministerie of the word against them for their sinnes for let such know that if they will not be reclaimed from their wicked courses by the ministery of Gods Prophets the Lord himselfe will follow his owne cause and ceasing any longer to contend with them with his word and spirit he will prosecute them by his judgements and punishments The second thing to be obserued is Gods judiciall course The just administration of Gods iudgements of proceeding in the execution of his Iudgements although being infinite in wisedome power and justice he might sodainely inflict his punishments vpon sinners as soone as they haue offended yet first to approue the justnes of his judgements hee doth in the Ministery of his word summon them before his seate of Iustice arraigne and conuince them that so they may be moued to sue for a pardon by turning vnto God by true repentance hereby preuent deserued punishments So he sent Noah to the old world before he brought the Deluge Lot to Sodome before he destroyed it with fire and brimstone Moyses to Pharaoh before he drowned him in the red sea The Prophets to the Iewes and Israelites before he brought them into Captiuitie and our Sauiour Christ and his Disciples before their vtter destruction and desolation All which as it serueth to commend Gods mercifull justice so also to condemne the hardnes of mens harts and to leaue them without excuse who will not after so manifold warnings turne from their sinnes by vnfained repentance that so they might escape these fearefull punishments Thirdly
these benefits belonging to the Priest-hood and so expose them to shame reproach As though he should haue said because you haue vngratefully abused all those benefits and prerogatiues which I haue endowed you with aboue all the rest of my people and in stead of the fruits of loue thankfulnesse and obedience haue taken occasion by my benefits the more to dishonour me and to prouoke my displeasure by multiplying your sinnes against me therefore I will strip you vtterly of all my blessings in which your chiefe glory consisteth and so expose you to be scorned and despised of all who haue seene your passed glory and now behold your present misery And this punishment was accordingly inflicted First when as the Lord exposed these ignorant Priests to the contempt of the people but principally when as they were led into captiuitie at what time not only the glory of the Priest-hood but the Priest-hood it selfe ceased and so they who were Captaines and leaders became as common souldiers yea as miserable captiues vnder their enimies who had no respect of their place and calling And so much for the meaning of the wordes the The priuiledges of the Ministerie doctrines are these First wee may obserue that the Lord aduanceth his Priesthood Ministerie and endoweth them with many singular prerogatiues and priuiledges aboue the rest of the people as he noteth in this place the which may further appeare if wee consider their function and calling for they are chosen of God to stand in his stead to represent his owne person and to performe his owne worke which himself performed vnto his Church in the dayes of the Patriarks vntil Moses time For then the Lord taught them with his owne mouth vntill the Israelites being terrified with his feareful voyce earnestly desired that they might be informed in Gods will by the Ministerie of men Deut. 18. 18. So Deut. 18. 18. our Sauiour performed this office and function whilest he remayned on the earth but when he ascended into heauen he appointed his Ministers to supply his place to instruct his Church Mat. 28. 19. So that now they are in his stead Mat. 28. 19. and as his ambassadours doe deliuer the word of reconciliation vnto the people 2 Cor. 5. 20. Whose voyce if the people 2. Cor. 5. 20. here and obey the Lord acknowledgeth that obedience as done to himselfe whom if they dispise he accounteth the contempt offered against his owne person Luk. 10. 16. Luk. 10. 16. But their dignitie and the greatnesse of their priuiledges God Ministers are his mouth to the people will better appeare if wee consider their office and Ministerie and the titles wherewith in the Scriptures the holie ghost hath honoured them For First in the Ministerie of the word they are the mouth of God to the people and his ambassadours who performe his owne worke as it is 1. 1. Cor. 16. 10. Cor. 16. 10. euen the worke of reconciliation justification sanctification and saluation And therefore the Lord vouchsafeth them this dignitie to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fellow 1. Cor. 3. 9. labourers with God vnto whose most glorious and infinite Maiestie it is an aduancement aboue the worthynesse of the most excellent creature to be acknowledged his meanest seruant So in prayer they are the mouth of the people vnto God The mouth of the people to God and as it were the ambassadours generall of the earth by whom they make their suits knowne vnto God intreat a supply of their wants and returne thanksgiuing vnto the Lord for all his benefits In like manner the Lord hath committed vnto them the administration of the Sacraments which are the seales of his They are the keepers of Gods seales the Sacarments couenant whereby all his gracious promises are ratified confirmed vnto vs so that as in respect of the rich treasure of Gods word committed to their disposing they are the Lords treasurers so in respect of the Sacraments they are the keepers of his great seales Now if these offices be great vnder mortall Princes in corruptible thinges how are these officers aduanced who are vnder in these places the King of Kings who dispence not transitorie trifles but heauenly treasures nor seale assurances of earthly patrimonies but of an eternall inheritance and a most glorious kingdome But come we from their office to their titles and we shall The titles giuen to the Ministerie find that they are much aduanced aboue others For the rest of Gods people are called his seruants these his stewards Luk. 12 42. who haue the custodie of his keyes committed Luk. 12. 42. vnto them that they may releeue those of the familie who are obedient out of their store and shut the stubborne and rebellious out of the doores Mat. 16. 19. They are called the Mat. 16. 19. Lords sheepe these the shepheards Ezech. 34. 2. They the Ezech. 34. 2. Lords corne and haruest these his husbandmen Mat. 9. 37. Mat. 9. 37. They the Lords Plants in his garden Cant. 4. 13. these his Cant. 4. 13. gardeners who plant water them 1 Cor. 3. 6. They liuing stones in the temple of God these maister builders 1 Cor. 3. 1. Cor. 3. 6. and 3. 9. 9. who finish this worke and bring it to perfection Ephe. 4. 12. 13. They children in Gods familie these spirituall fathers Ephe. 4. 12. 13. who by the seede of the word beget them vnto God 1 Cor. 4. 15. 1. Cor. 4. 15. And these were the spirituall prerogatiues with which The temporall priuiledges of the Ministerie the Lord hath endowed his Priesthood and Ministerie besides which hee allotted vnto them many temporall priuiledges as for example the double honour of reuerence and maintenance for in respect of the first none were in greater honour account among the people next vnder the King then the Lords Priests and for the other none more plentifully maintayned then they who had not onely the tithes but the first fruits oblations and daily sacrifices all which they had not at the peoples deuotions but chalenged them in Gods right as being his portion which when he gaue vnto them the land he reserued for himselfe Neither is the Lords liberalitie shortened towards his Ministers in the time of the Gospell for he hath commanded the people to giue vnto them double honour the honour of reuerence and the honour of maintenance as appeareth 1 Tim. 5. 17. 18. For if 1. Tim. 5. 17. 18. the Lords care were such both for the honour and maintenance of the legall Ministrie and Priesthood which was the Ministerie of the letter which killeth the Ministrie of death and condemnation how much more that the Miinsterie of the new couenant which is the Ministerie of the spirit that giueth life and the Ministerie of righteousnesse that is whereby we of sinners are made righteous should excell in glorie as the Apostle
they the adjuncts as the vices the subject of the Soule And further this proannesse is called a spirit Metonimically to point out vnto vs the chiefe authour and fountaine from whence it is diriued euen Sathan the spirit of all wickednesse Moreouer it is called the spirit of fornications rather then the spirit of idolatrie not onely because he would persist in the former allegorie of marriage but also that hereby he might point out as it were in liuely colours the disposition of idolaters As though he would say it fareth with these filthy idolaters as with vncleane adulterers who are so blinded and inflamed with their lust and so besotted and hardned by their vice that without either shame or wit like brute beasts they runne headlong into their sinne and into all those mischeifes which doe accompany it as though they were vtterly depriued of all judgement and vnderstanding And for this cause also he vseth the plurall number fornications rather then the singular to note both their furious earnestnesse and their accustomed practise in committing this sinne Whereby he plainly sheweth that howsoeuer their Priests vtterly neglected their duty yet were not the people hereby excused of their sinnes both because they gaue themselues to voluptuous pleasures and thereby were depriued of their vnderstandings and became proane vnto all wickednes and also because they were not onely outwardly mislead by their false teachers but also had inwardly in themselues a spirit of fornications that is a vehement pronesse vnto idolatry wherwith they were wholy besotted Finally he addeth And they haue gone a Whoring from vnder their God that is they haue quite shaken off the marriage yoke and with-drawing themselues from vnder the gouernment and subjection of God their lawfull husband haue wholy giuen themselues ouer to spirituall vncleannes and to commit whordome with their impure Idols The which words may be vnderstood as a cause of the former that they therefore forsooke the Lord and gaue themselues ouer to be ruled by their Idols because they were possessed with a spirit of fornications which caused them to fall into these grosse and absurde errours or as an effect that therefore they were mislead by the spirit of fornications because hauing forsaken the Lord and his truth he had giuen them ouer to a reprobate sense suffred them to be deluded by a spirit of errour with strong delusions because they would not imbrace nor loue the truth For these are mutual and reciprocall causes to imbrace false worship idolatrie to forsake God for when the idolater beginneth to worship his idols hee renounceth the worship of God and when he will not loue nor delight himselfe in Gods true worship and seruice then the Lord giueth vp him to a reprobate sense and to be deluded with strong delusions as the Apostle sheweth Rom. 1. 23. 24. 2 Thes 2. 11. Rom. 1. 23. 24. 2. Thes 2. 11. And so much concerning the meaning of the words the The doctrines doctrines which arise out of them are diuers First we may obserue that it is no true honour to grace vs nor any sound The title of Gods people doth not grace or profit vs vnlesie we liue like the people of God benefit to profit and comfort vs that wee beare the title of Gods people and abound in his temporall gifts and blessings if our life be not conformable to our titles and priuiledges and if wee doe not thankfully imploy Gods benefits bestowed vpon vs to the aduancement of his glory the good of his Church and the furthering of our owne saluation yea contrariwise if wee vse them as incouragements to harten vs in our sinnes and vngratefully abuse them to Gods dishonour and the disgrace of our profession making them serue as vayles vnder which we may more cunningly hide our leprous sores of sinne and close acted wickednesse then are they so farre from gracing vs that they wholy tend to our discredit and so farre from being truely profitable that they serue as so many arguments to aggrauate our sinnes and to approue the justice of Gods righteous judgements when as hee taketh the most rigourous course in inflicting punishments It was an high priuiledge of honour to the people of Israell to be intitled the people of God but when they contemned his true worship forsooke the Lord and consulted with Idols all this tended to their vtter disgrace and to make their idolatrie much more abhominable then the idolatrie of the Gentils So it was a great dignitie to the wicked Angels that they were created the most excellent of the creatures and were made the immediate Ministers of God and as it were courtiars to the great King of heauen and earth but when as they most vngratfully sinned against such as gratious creator their excellencie did not benefit them but aggrauated their sinne and plunged them into the deepest bottome of just condemnation It was a great mercie of God vouchsafed to the Sodomites that they were placed in Gen. 13. 8. the garden of the world where they abounded in all Gods temporall blessings but when they abused Gods goodnesse and by his benefits became more rebellious they were not hereby priuiledged from punishment but inflamed Gods Gen. 19. more fearefull wrath against themselues which caused fire and brimstone to raine downe from heauen and consume them It was a great priuiledge to the Israelites to be the vineyard of the Lord which he had hedged in from the rest of the world for his owne vse and delight but when they answered not to Gods mercy in their obedience but in stead of the sweet grapes of righteousnes brought forth the sowre Esay 5. grapes of sinne the Lord did not onely forsake it but also pull downe the hedge and layde it open to the common spoyle It was a singular prerogatiue vnto them that they had amongst them the profession of Religion and the Temple of God the place of Gods worship but when they abused it as a visard of hypocrisie to countenance their sinne and as a shield to fence off all Gods threatnings of punishment God sendeth them to Shilo to see a patterne of his fearefull Ier. 7. 4. 12. vengeance which should also ouer-take them vnlesse they repented Finally it was a great dignitie and royall priuiledge to the people of the Iewes that they injoyed all earthly benefits in the land of Canaan that they were Gods peculiar people with whom he had made his couenant his chosen nation his royall Priest-hood the treasurers of his word the keepers of his seales and that they had the first offer of eternall saluation by Christ and of the joyfull tidings of the Gospell but when they abused this rich mercy by continuing in their rebellion by stopping their eares to Christs heauenly Sermons by crucifying the Lord of Life and by continuing in finall impenitencie after they were long called there vnto by the preaching of the Apostles all Gods patience long-suffering
1 Sam. 15. 11. and 1 King 11. 33 Because 1. Sam. 15. 11. 1. King 11. 33. they haue forsaken me c. and haue not walked in my wayes Againe the Lord is our true husband and the couenant of marriage on our part is that we will obserue marriage fidelitie and keepe our faith which we haue plighted vnto him inviolable which wee performe when as wee worship him alone in spirit and truth according to his reuealed will when as therefore we either goe a whoring after Idols or in stead of Gods true worship offer vnto him our owne will-worship and humane inventions wee violate our faith break the bond of marriage betweene vs and so renounce the Lord from being our husband The vse hereof is that we most carefully avoide all manner of Idolatry Superstition and will-worship and not flatter our selues with a conceipt that the Lord will be content with our devotion and good meaning though it dissent from his word that we may prostrate our bodie vnto an image and reserue our hearts for God and that his will our owne wils his Law and humane inventions may well stand together in his worship and seruice for God and Idols the Ark and Dagon light and darknesse righteousnesse and vnrighteousnesse true religion and sottish superstition will neuer agree together but as soone as we receiue the one we doe ipso facto exclude and forsake the other and therefore wee are put to our choise whether wee will forsake the true Iehouah or the Idoll Baal Gods true religion or our owne Superstions HEtherto we haue spoken of their first kind of Idolatry that is to say their consulting with Idols The second followeth which is their worshipping of them by offring vnto them sacrifices and oblations Vnto which is annexed the punishment which is inflicted vpon them for both the one and the other Verse 13. They sacrifice vpon the tops of Verse 13 the mountaines and burne incense vpon the hils vnder the Oake and the Poplar tree and the Elme because the shadow thereof is good therefore your daughters shall be harlots and your spouses shall be Whores c. The which words containe two parts The expositiō the first is an accusation of sinne the second is a denunciation of punishment Their sinne was their Idolatrous worship which also was performed in places prohibited by Gods expresse commaundement They sacrifice vpon the tops of the mountaines Where hee more plainely sheweth what he meant by the spirit of fornications in the former Verse namely that they had forsaken the Lord and his true worship together with the place vnto which it was appropriated and committed spirituall whoredome with their idols which they erected to themselues vpon euery hill and mountaine So that here he accuseth and condemneth them of a double sinne the first was their Idolatrie wherby they worshipped God in Idols and Images of wood and stone contrary to the expresse Word of God both in the second commandement and else where the second was that they worshipped in prohibited places for the Lord had expresly charged them that they should offer their sacrifices in no place but in his Tabernacle and Temple and that they should erect no other Alters but the Alter for the burnt offrings and for the incense which himselfe had caused to be made and placed first in the Tabernacle and then in the Temple as appeareth Deut. 12. 11. 13. 14. 2 Chro. 7. 12. Exod. 20. 24. Deut. 12. 11. 2 Chro. 7. 12. Exod. 20. 24. Deut. 27. 5. 6. Ios 22. 10. 16. Deut. 27. 5. 6. 7. Ios 22. 10. 16. 19. Both that hee might hereby restraine them from will-worship and also that hee might typically teach them that as they had but one Temple to serue in so they had but one God to serue as they had but one Alter for their sacrifices and one for their incense so there was but one Mediator which sanctified all their oblations and perfumed all their prayers whereby they became like sweet odours in Gods nosthrils But they neglected the commaundements of God and erected altars and offred sacrifices vpon the hils and mountaines imitating therein the heathenish Gentiles who erected their Temples in woods and groues vpon the tops of hils according to that Lucus in vrbe fuit media laetissimus vmbra c. Vir. Aeneid lib. 1. Hic Templum Iunoni ingens Sidonia Dido Condebat Whereof also their Temples were called Phana because in respect of their high situation they were eminent and conspicuous to which they were moued by these considerations because being more stately majesticall they thought them more fit for diuine worship and also because they thought these places in regard of their eminencie nearer vnto heauen which is the place of Gods chiefe residence wherin they preferred heathenish wil-worship and their owne naturall reason before the expresse word of God And this was that idolatrous superstition which is so often condemned in the bookes of the Kings Chronicles namely that they did worship in the groues and high places yea kings otherwise godly religious are blemished with this note of disgrace that they suffred such kinde of worship and did not cut downe the groues and vtterly demolish these idolatrous places Thus Salomon sinned in erecting an high place for Chemosh the abhomination of Moab in the mountaine c. as appeareth 1 King 11. 7. And thus the Israelites 1. King 11. 7. Esay 57. 7. Ier. 2. 20. Ezech. 6. 13. daily prouoked Gods anger against them as we see both in this place in diuers others Esa 57. 7. Ier. 2. 20. Ezec. 6. 13. It is further added by way of more particular description that they burned incense vpon the hils vnder the Oakes the Poplar tree and the Elme and the reason mouing them therevnto is adjoyned because the shadow therof was good the meaning is that they sacrificed and burnt incense in their groues and made choyse for this purpose of such trees as were most pleasant and by reason of their broad and thick leaues most fit to cast a delightful shadow which would not onely shelter them from the schorching heat of the Sun but also stirre vp in them a kind of superstitious deuotion The which also was increased by a conceit which they had of the trees themselues for as they put more holynesse in the hils then in the vallies so also in one tree more then in another in respect of the diuers idols vnto which they were consecrated according to that Populus Alcidae gratissima vitis Iaccho formosae myrtus veneri sua laurea Phoebo Virg. eglog 7. That is the Poplar tree is most acceptable to Hercules the Vine to Bacchus the Myrrhe tree to Venus and the Bay tree to Apollo Whereby the Prophet sheweth that they were vtterly fallen away from the true religion to Paganisme and Heathenish superstition and idolatry for which sinnes they were much more vnexcusable both because for
did I approue it and when yee did eate and drinke did yee not eate and drincke for your selues should ye not heare the words which the Lord hath cryed by the ministery of the former Prophets c. The reason hereof is plaine for as the Lord hath appointed vs to trauaile so also he hath appointed our way out of vvhich whosoeuer turneth aside the faster hee goeth the further hee is from the end of his iourney and so spendeth his labour not onely in vaine but to losse This is the way walke in it If vve vvould offer our bodyes a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto God which is our reasonable seruing of God vve must not follovv our ovvne inuentions nor humane traditions but labour to finde out what is the good will of God acceptable and perfect as it is Rom. 12. 1. 2. And if vve would doe good Rom. 12. 1. 2. vvorks indeed vve must not follovv our owne phantasie but Gods commandements for vve are created vnto good works in Christ Iesus which God hath ordayned that wee should walke in them as it is Eph. 2. 10. Lastly this may restraine vs from Wil-worship and Ephe. 2. 10. superstition in that whatsoeuer our good meaning deuotion Wil-worship is the seruice of sathan not of God is yet in truth whilst vve offer vnto God superstitious idolatrous seruice we doe not worship the Lord but sathan the vncleane spirit chiefe author of this spirituall whoredome So when the Israelites vvorshipped idols and offred sacrifices vnto then howsoeuer they pretended that they vvorshipped the true Iehouah in them yet the Lord plainely saith that they did not offer vnto God but vnto diuels Deut. 32. 17. So Psal 106. 37 They offred their sonnes and daughters vnto Diuels And the Lord plainely saith that Deut. 32. 17. Psal 106. 37. whilest they worshipped their images in the wildernesse they did not offer vnto him whatsoeuer they pretended as it is Amos. 5. 25. The reason hereof is plaine for whose will Amos. 5. 25. vve obserue them vve obey and their seruants vve are to whom we yeeld obedience as the Apostle sheweth Ro. 6. 16 Rom. 6. 16. But the vvill of God is that we should vvorship him in spirit and truth according to the prescript rule of his Word turning aside neither to the right hand nor to the left the vvill of Sathan is that either vve doe not vvorship God at all or that we worship him vvith our owne wil-vvorship superstitious deuotions and therefore they vvho leaue the sincere and pure vvorship of God and vvill not obey his reuealed vvill but serue him vvith their owne inuentions humaine traditions they may be truely said notwithstanding their good intentions to vvorship the diuell rather then the true God The fourth thing to be obserued is that the Lord doth God punisheth one sinne with another not onely punish sinne vvith punishments properly so called but also doth punish one sinne vvith another not by infusing vvickednesse or by tempting that is alluring or prouoking men vnto sin for God thus tempteth no man as it is Iam. 1. 13. Iames 1. 13. But by withdrawing his grace and giuing them ouer to bee misled by their owne corruption Thus hee punished Pharaoh with hardnes of hart not by making it hard but by denying the oyle of his grace whereby it should haue beene softened Thus hee tempted Dauid to number the people 2 Sam. 24. 1. because his wrath was kindled against Israell 2. Sam. 24. 1. for their sinnes Thus he punished the Gentiles Idolatry by giuing them vp to their own vile affections to a reprobate sense Rom. 1. And thus in these latter dayes because men Rom. 1. will not loue and imbrace his truth he sendeth amongest them strong delusions that they should beleeue lyes 2 Thes 2. 11. And 2. Thes 2. 11. this is the most grieuous punishment which can be inflicted in this life for other punishments through the blessing of God are vsuall meanes to bring vs vnto him by true repentance but when vve are punished by adding sinne vnto sin we doe more and more flye from him Other punishments are sharp eye salues to make vs see our misery that vvee may be moued to sue for Gods mercy and do make vs loath sin when as we feele the smart and see the cursed fruite vvhich it bringeth forth but by this punishment mens vnderstandings are darkned and their hearts hardened and their consciences seared and so multiply their sinnes and increase in fearfull manner the measure of their condemnation More particularly vve here learne that the Lord punisheth God punisheth spiritual whordome with corporall vncleannesse Num. 25. 1. 2. spirituall whoredome with corporall vncleanesse euen as contrariwise he punisheth carnall adultery vvith spirituall fornication Of the former vve haue an Example in this place and in the Israelites who joyned with the Moabites first in their Idolatry and then in filthy whoredome Yea and in our owne times the Lord punisheth the spirituall fornication of the Whore of Babilon the Church of Rome by giuing them vp to vile affections and to all kindes of abhominable filthinesse which maketh them infamous throughout the world Of the latter wee haue an example in Salomon who being vnmeasurably addicted to the sin of vncleanesse and therefore giuen ouer of God to his owne lusts was seduced by his strange wiues to commit also with them spirituall whoredome with their Idols The vse of the generall doctrine is that we carefully take That it is a most dangerous punishment when God punisheth one sinne with another heede least vvee securely lie vnder that heauie punishment whereby God punisheth one sinne with another otherwise we may easily deceiue our selues and think our state happy when it is most miserable When the Lord layeth vpon vs corporall punishments our very sense and feeling putteth vs in minde of our sinnes and with a kinde of vrgent necessitie forceth vs to sue for Gods fauour by vnfayned repentance but for the most part we are insensible of this heauy punishment through the pleasing sweetnesse of sinne and the blindnesse of our vnderstanding in spirituall things But the more difficulty there is in the matter the more circumspection let vs vse in watching ouer our selues and when Gods word teacheth vs that God is just in punishing of sin and our owne consciences tell vs that we haue grieuously offended if we haue no sensible punishments layed vpon vs for our sinnes in vvhich we lye vvithout repentance let vs obserue if the Lord doe not punish vs by this other way namely by giuing vs ouer to security and hardnes of hart and to commit sinne vpon sin without any remorse or touch of conscience Now the best meanes to prevent this iudgement is to make a holy vse of Gods more gentle chastisements to be moued thereby vnto true repentance for vsually the Lord doth not inflict vpon his Church
because hee dishonoured GOD and caused his holy name to be blasphemed amongst the Gentiles by his sinnes of adulterie and murther as also by his indulgency towards his Children whom he not onely corrected not but not so much as reproued the Lord punished him not onely as hee was a King but also as hee was a Father by suffering both Children and Subjects to neglect their duetie and as both by the sword of the Children of Ammon and his owne vncleanesse hee had dishonoured God so the Lord vsed both the sword and filthines of his owne Children to his dishonour and disgrace For Ammon his Sonne defiled Thamar his Daughter and then Absalon murthered Ammon because his Father had not as hee ought duely punished his abhominable filthinesse And then againe when as justice was not executed against Absalon for his murther according to Gods Law hee liued to the dishonour of his Father who had not giuen glory to God by inflicting deserued punishments for sinne defiling his Concubines in the sight of the people and thrusting him for a time out of his kingdome with extreame perill of his life The vse of this Doctrine serueth first to teach vs that aboue all things wee labour in the performance of all holy Dueties to aduance the glory of Gods holy Name whereby it will come to passe that the Lord will bee carefull of our honour and reputation and so guide and direct by his holy Spirit all those who belong vnto vs that they shall performe all good Dueties vvhich may both credit and comfort vs. Whereas on the other side if wee dishonour God by neglecting such duties as hee requireth he will withdraw his spirit and giue ouer our inferiours to their owne vnnaturall stubbornesse and perversnesse and then they by neglecting all good duties will dishonour and disgrace vs. 1 Sam. 2. 30. 1 Sam. 2. 30. Secondly from hence wee learne whence originally Whence chieflie proceede all disorders in families proceede all disorders and enormious Crimes in families namely because the chiefe heads neglect their duety towards God and so dishonour his holy Name It is an vsuall complaint which soundeth in euery mans eares in these our dayes that children are vndutifull to parents stubborne and disobedient and that Seruants vvere neuer so negligent in performance of all dutyes towards their superiours and men wonders to see such a great difference betweene these times and those which went before But if wee would goe to the fountaine of these euils and finde out the core of all these corruptions wee shall finde that howsoeuer inferiours cannot be excused yet the fault is principally in the Superiours and gouernours Either because they neglect their dutie towards them from whom they expect dutie as by being like Elie indulgent not correcting the vices of their Children and so honouring them more then God or by being loose in their gouernment or lewde and scandalous in their example or finally because they doe not like Abraham instruct their familie in the wayes of the Lord themselues nor take care that they may be instructed by others and so liuing in ignorance and neglecting all duties which they owe to God it is no meruaile that they are vndutifull and disobedient to parents and gouernours seeing the loue and feare of God is the fountaine of all loue and dutie towards men Or if so be men can pleade not guiltie in all these inditements yet if they be arraigned at the barre of Gods iudgement and haue their owne consciences produced as witnesses against them they will bee forced to confesse that they haue ben exceeding negligent in performing all good duties towards God himselfe and through their coldnesse backwardnesse want of zeale and disobedience they haue beene wanting to God in the aduancement of his glorie and contrariwise haue dishonoured his name and scandalized their profession and therefore it is most just with God that hee exposeth them to shame and reproach by suffering their children and seruants to liue in such infamous sinnes and rebellious wickednesse as disgrace and discredite the whole familie without any inward restraint of his spirit or any outward stop by afflictions and punishments Thirdly whereas hee saith that this people who did Ignorance doth not free vs from the punishment of sinne not vnderstand that is who continued ignorant of God and his will should fall and bee ouerwhelmed with Gods judgements hence wee obserue that ignorance will not free vs from punishment but rather will make vs to bee swallowed vp of vengeance in the day of wrath For the better vnderstanding whereof wee are to consider what ignorance is lawfull and good and what is sinfull and wicked what ignorance excuseth and extenuateth sinne and mittigateth punishment and what doth aggrauate them Of diuers kinds of ignorance 1 Commendable ignorance And first wee are to know that there is a lawfull and commendable kinde of ignorance when as wee doe not presume to vnderstand aboue that which is meete to vnderstand but that wee doe vnderstand according to sobrietie as God hath dealt to euery man the measure of Faith as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 12. 3. And when as wee leaue the secret things Rom. 12. 3. not reuealed in Gods word to the Lord and earnestly labour to informe our selues in those things which are reuealed as it is Deut. 29. 29. not curiously prying into Gods hidden Deut. 29. 29. Mysteryes but rather drawing before them the curtaine of reuerent ignorance For example it is no sinne to bee ignorant of Gods secret will and counsaile and of his works before the Creation of the orders and degrees of the Angels or not to comprehend by a cleare and distinct knowledge the Mysterie of the Trinitie the hypostaticall Vnion of Christ two natures nor the Vnion betweene Christ and his Church seeing some of these are not manifestly reuealed but as it were in a darke Myrrour and some being infinite and incomprehensible can no more bee comprehended by our shallow vnderstanding then the whole world can bee grasped in a mans hand or the maine Ocean can be contained in a nut-shell The sinfull ignorance is of two kindes The first necessary Of sinfull and necessary ignorance the other voluntary and affected Necessary ignorance is eyther that darknesse of vnderstanding and blindnesse of minde deriued from our first Parents which is one of the branches of originall sinne or that actuall ignorance which continueth in vs after wee come to yeares when as we are depriued of the meanes of knowledge both which cannot bee excused much lesse defended in that wee are ignorant of those things which wee ought to know and that through our owne default as being guilty of the sinne of our first Parents for God in them indued vs with a cleare light of knowledge but wee in them did fall into sinne and thereby put out the light and defaced the image of God in our vnderstanding But howsoeuer this ignorance is the euill of
bee reclaymed So when the people of Iuda grieuously sinned the Lord hauing compassion on his people sendeth his Prophets to call them to repentance But when as they mocked the Messengers of God and dispised his words and mis-vsed his Prophets then there being no remedy the wrath of the Lord was kindled against his people and hee deliuered them into Captiuitie and made their Land desolate as appeareth 2 Chron. 36. 15. 16. 17. And in the time of our Sauiour 2 Chro. 36. 15. 16. Christ when as they stopped their eares against his gracious call and would not vnderstand the great woorke of Redemption wrought by him which was so euidently declared both by his Word and workes hee pronounceth against them the fearefull sentence of desolation and destruction Luk. 13. 34. 35. Luk. 13. 34. 35 The reason hereof is because the Lord the most wise Physition of our soules will not loose his labour by ministring his Physicke to such Patients whose diseases are desperate and therefore when they wilfully refuse to bee cured rend in peeces his prescripts pull off his plaisters and reject those wholesome Potions which hee ministreth to purge them from their corruptions and to restore them to their spirituall health he giueth them ouer to themselues to dye and perish in the sicknesse of their soules Secondly as the Lord hateth all other sinne so his soule abhorreth the contempt of his Word which hee hath appointed to bee the meanes of the conversion and saluation of all sinners And therefore if his sword of the spirit will not make a separation betweene vs and our sinnes hee will make it a sword of vengeance and destruction to cut vs off in his fierce wrath For it is neuer drawne out but it accomplisheth eyther the work of his mercy or of his iudgement So the Lord saith Esay 45. 23. I haue sworne by my Esay 45. 23. and 55. 11. selfe the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse it shall not returne c. And 55. 11. So shall my word bee that goeth out of my mouth it shall not returne vnto me voyd but it shall accomplish that which I will and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it So the Apostle saith that Gods word is the sauour of life to them that are saued and the sauour of death to those that perish 2 Cor. 2. 15. 26. 2. Cor. 2. 15. 16. The vse hereof serueth to teach vs that with all carefull diligence wee make profitable vse of the meanes which the Lord hath giuen vs both for the inlightening of our vnderstandings and the reforming of our liues For if hauing the word of God purely and sincerely preached wee continue in wilfull ignorance and will not vnderstand if being allured by God mercies and inforced by his judgements wherwith diuersly at diuers times hee hath exercised vs wee notwithstanding continue in our impenitency and securitie what remayneth but that the Lord should giue vs ouer as a desperate cure and suffer vs to runne on in the course of sinne vntill at length wee fall into the pit of destruction in this life and into the bottomlesse gulfe of condemnation in the life to come AND thus much concerning the former part of this The second part of the Chapter Chapter in which I haue shewed are contayned diuers bils of Inditements against the rebellious and apostate Church of Israell now because they were desperately suncke in their wickednesse and past all hope of recouerie In the second part of the Chapter hee laboureth to perswade with the house of Iuda that they should not joyne with them in their sinnes nor be seduced by their euill example to make the like Apostasie least accompanying them in their defection and rebellion they were also made pertakers of their punishments And this is the Prophets maine drift and scope in the second part of this Chapter The parts thereof are two The first is an admonition to the house of Iuda to auoide the sinnes of the Israelits The second contayneth certaine reasons to enforce it taken both from the haynousnesse of their sinnes and the greatnesse of their punishments The admonition is expressed verse 15. Though thou Israell play Verse 15 the harlot yet let not Iudah sinne Come not yee into Gilgall neyther goe yee vp to Beth-auen nor sweare The Lord liueth In which admonition he doth first ingenerall disswade them The expositiō from imitating the Israelites in their sinne and especially from their Idolatrie and Apostasie and then hee dehorteth them from certaine speciall meanes whereby they might easily be brought to communicate with them in their impietie namely joyning with them in irreligious societie and intermingling Gods pure worship with their superstition and Idolatrie The generall disswasion is contayned in these words Though thou Israell play the harlot yet let not Iuda sinne as if hee had said although thou Israell being wholy possessed with a spirit of fornication art so desperately addicted to idolatrie and spirituall whoredome that there is no hope remayning that euer thou wilt be reclaymed yet let not the Lord be as it were robbed of both his sonnes in the same day O let not Iuda who is not as yet come to that desperate degree of sin be seduced by your bad neighbour-hood and euill example and deriue the same guilt of iniquitie vpon himselfe for so the word Assam vsually signifieth such a fault or guilt as is deriued from one to another the one being the motiue and impulsiue cause of the other sinne The ground of this disswasion was the dangerous estate of the people of Iuda first in regard of their neere neighbour-hoode with these idolatrous Israelites who were ready to seduce them both by their example and allurements the which is implyed in the first words Though thou Israell c. As though he should haue said seeing thou Israel which art so neere a neighbour and kinsman to Iuda art so defiled with idolatrie that there is great daunger least thou should poyson them with thy contagion yet let Iuda carefully take heede to auoide thy leprous infection Secondly this amplyfieth their daunger that they were already tainted with their superstition and idolatrie which through their naturall corruption and proanes vnto this sin was apt to spread further and further and therefore like a good Phisition he laboureth to cure their ague in the first fits and to stay them from falling any deeper into this sicknesse of sinne And to this purpose hee admonisheth them that they should not imitate the Israelites in their Idolatrie but purge away their dreggs of superstition wherewith they were alreadie corrupted and restore Gods pure worship in his Temple amongst them by the office and Ministerie of his true Priests and Leuites Now howsoeuer this admonition did principally concerne the people of Iuda yet the Prophet doth here publish it to the Israelites speaking of Iuda in the third person as being absent And this hee doth
bee no remedie as it is said Chro. 36. 14. 2. Chro. 36. 14 The vse hereof serueth first to confute the practise of the Brownists who leaue and forsake the Church of Christ for some small spots and little wrinkles their Ministers refusing to preach and the people to heare in our congregations But herein they nothing resemble the Lord whose children they would seeme to be who when the Church of Israel had made a feareful apostasie from Gods true religion and was wholly defiled with superstition idolatrie and all wickednesse and obstinately continued in these sinnes notwithstanding the manifold and continuall meanes which the Lord vsed to call them to repentance yet still hee sendeth his Prophets vnto them to teach admonish and reproue them that they might be brought to amendment and when as they desperately perseuered in sinne and were now past all hope of recouerie he causeth his Prophet to admonish the Iewes to auoid their sinnes and punishments when as their state also was exceedingly corrupted Secondly it serueth for our comfort and incouragement The Lord hath mercy in store for those who forsake their euill waies if that now at the length we will forsake our euill waies and take hold of the meanes of our conuersion whilest God offereth them vnto vs. For howsoeuer wee are sunke deepe in our rebellion and haue many waies prouoked Gods wrath continuing in our sinnes notwithstanding the Lord hath afforded vs such plentifull meanes to bring vs to amendment yet if now wee will begin a new course and consecrate our selues to the seruice of God there is assured hope of pardon For yet the Lord waiteth that hee may haue mercie vpon vs Esa 30. 68. yet he patiently granteth vnto vs the meanes of our conuersion and wee may assure our selues that if hee be so gratious when as wee obstinately perseuere in sinne hee will be much more mercifull if we turne vnto him by true repentance But on the other side if wee contemne so great a mercie of God we shall haue a more fearefull iudgement laid vpon vs for laesa patientia furor the greater Gods patience is which wee despise the more furious reuenge hee will take on vs in the day of his visitation Rom. 2. 4. 5. The second thing to be obserued is that Gods Ministers Rom. 2. 4. 5. ought not to surcease their paines in their Ministerie though The Ministers must not surcease their paines in the Ministerie they plainly discerne that the estate of the people committed to their charge is altogether desperate and past hope of recouerie For though there were no apparance of hope at home yet he is painfully to persist in the worke of the Ministerie that hee may conuert those who are abroad and want the preaching of the word that so hee may helpe to gather those into the Church which are elected and increase the number of the faithfull as much as in him lieth So when the Israelites to whom our Prophet was sent were past cure he laboureth to conuert the Iewes vnto God And so when the Iewes desperately refused the meanes of their conuersion and saluation the Apostles ceased not their labours but turned to the Gentiles and by their painfull preaching endeuoured to conuert them vnto the faith For howsoeuer our hearers profit not there is a necessitie that lieth vpon vs and a fearefull woe denounced against vs if we preach not the Gospell 1. Cor. 9. 16. Whatsoeuer bee the successe of our labours wee 1. Cor. 9. 16. are charged as wee will answere it before God and before the Lord Iesus Christ which shall iudge the quicke and the dead at his appearing that we preach the word and be instant in season and out of season and that wee improue rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine 2. Tim. 4. 1. 2. Whether the people 2. Tim. 4. 1. 2. will heare vs or no we must tell them of their sinnes and giue them warning of Gods approching iudgements and then though they die in their sinnes yet wee haue discharged our dutie and shall saue our owne soules Ezech. 33. 7. 8. 9. Ezech. 33 7 8 9. Those reprooued who surcease their paines in the Ministerie The vse hereof serueth to reprooue those who surcease their paines in the worke of the Ministerie because they cannot see the fruite of their labours but contrariwise finde that the more diligently they preach vnto their people the more obstinately they contemne the meanes of their saluation lothe the food of their soules and persist in their impenitencie For the neglect of other mens duties must not be an argument to make vs neglect ours but rather should make vs more earnest in the worke of the Ministerie Neither doe we know whom nor when the Lord will call the Spirit bloweth where it listeth and when it listeth and the Lord who hath the hearts of all in his hand can make those who were lions Esa 11. and beares and wolues yesterday to become this day gentle as lambes innocent as doues and of mockers of his word he can make zealous conuerts of persecuting Saul a preaching Act. 2. 13. 37. Act. 9. Paul Besides though they had certaine assurance that they should neuer conuert a soule of those people which are committed to them nor build vp any one in the faith of Christ yet are they not discharged of their worke nor hereby haue receiued a priuiledge of idlenesse seeing when these who haue often heard them doe obstinately stop their eares there are perhaps others who would willingly haue the benefit of their Ministerie And though there were not yet must we preach the word euen when wee are assured that it is the sauour of death vnto death because the Lord who hath set vs on worke and will surely pay vs our wages is as well glorified by executing iustice against obstinate sinners as by shewing mercie to those who are by his word moued to repentance and amendment of life The third thing to be obserued is that as al men had need The danger of euill neighbourhood to be admonished of their waies in the ministerie of the word so especially those which liue neere vnto wicked and vngodly neighbours who by their manifold inducements allurements and euill examples are alwaies readie to seduce them out of the way of righteousnesse into the way of sinne For this was the case of the people of the Iewes in this place who being themselues corrupted had the wicked Israelites for their neighbours who by all meanes were ready to draw them more and more from God into the bywaies of sin and wickednesse and therefore the Lord thought it good and necessarie to stop them in these euill courses not only by the admonitions of their owne Prophets who were purposely sent vnto them but also causeth our Prophet who was sent to the Israelites to admonish them to beware of being corrupted by their euill example So when the
in their apostasie superstition and idolatrie they should also participate with them in all these calamities and grieuous miseries And thus much for the meaning of the words The doctrines The Do ∣ ctrines which arise out of them are diuers First generally we may here obserue that as by nature we are inclinable to follow That we are hardly drawne from bad company when we are intangled with it bad companie so when wee are once intangled with it wee are hardly drawne from it with the best arguments and most effectuall disswasions An example hereof wee haue in this place for when the people of Iuda had found a wicked sweetnesse in the societie of the idolatrous Israelites they were hardly drawne from frequenting their companie and therefore the Lord thought it necessarie by his Prophet to vse so many forcible reasons some whereof are taken from the hainousnes of their sinnes and some from the grieuousnes of their punishments to disswade the men of Iuda from haunting the impions fellowship of the Israelites So how often and earnestly did the Lord charge the people of Israel when they entred into the land of promise not to make any couenant not to haue any societie with the inhabitants of the land as wee may see Exod. 23. 32. Deut. 7. 1 2 3 4. Exod. 23. 32. Deut. 7. 1. 2. 3. Notwithstanding all which warnings they kept them still amongst them and would not quite expel them out of their countrie as appeareth Iudg. 1. 28. 2. 1 2 3. The like may be Iud. 1. 28. 2. 1. 2 said of Lot and his wife who were so bewitched with the pleasures of Sodome that they would not leaue that wicked cōpanie though they had strong inducements so to doe both in respect that their sins were most outragious as also in that Gen. 14. they had alreadie tasted of their punishments being together with them spoyled of their goods and led captiue had not God stirred vp Abraham to rescue them Yea and when God had absolutely told them that hee would destroy Sodome and was now purposely come to execute his fierce wrath vpon them yet they made such slow haste to depart that the Angell of the Lord was faine to vse a kinde of forcible Gen. 19. 16. 26 violence and by strong hand to draw them out of the citie And after they were escaped the danger though they had a direct prohibition from God yet Lots wise looked backe as being loth to depart and longing to returne into this sincke of sinne So how miserably was good Iehosaphat insnared in that euill fellowship with Ahab and his familie in as much as neither their horrible idolatries and hainous wickednesse nor Gods fearefull iudgements threatned and inflicted vpon them could weane him from their companie 1. King 22. 4. 2. King 8. 18 2. Chron. 20. 35 36. nor restraine him from entring into the neerest contracts and alliances with them to the vtter corrupting and peruerting of his house Now the cause hereof is partly the corruption of our own The flesh and wicked worldlings are in neere alliāce flesh the greatest and worst part of our selues which whilest we continue here holdeth great correspondence and neere familiaritie with the world and wicked worldlings and partly because wicked men haue many worldly baits of pleasure and profit which like Circe her poysonous potions doe so bewitch vs that we haue no power at all to flee frō this wicked fellowship But as Sampson being spoyled of his strength was made an easie pray to the Philistims who put out his eyes made him like a slaue to grind in their prison house so these cursed Dalilaes vse all their bewitching charmes to rob vs of our spirituall strength and then we are easilie surprized of our spirituall enemies and haue the eyes of our vnderstanding so blinded that we cannot see either the hellishnesse of their behauiour or the fearefull plagues which hang ouer their heads nor haue any power or desire to make any euasion out of their pleasing thraldome vntill the Lord repaire our strength by his holy Spirit and worke in our hearts a true hatred of their wicked tyrannie The vse hereof is that we learne hereby to hate the companie We must shun the company of wicked mē of wicked men as well when they smile as when they frowne when they flatter and allure as when they threaten and offer violence seeing when they most fawne vpon vs they most defile vs they mortally stab vs whilest they kindly embrace vs and whilest they are entred into most friendly parlies of peace and loue they are vndermining our State and plotting treacherous treasons against both our soules and bodies especially let vs bee carefull to withstand their first allurements and turne away our eyes from their inticing baites and euen stoppe our eares against these Syrens songs before wee heare their charming notes for if this worldly birdiime of wicked company haue once taken hold of vs like sillie birds the more we striue the more we shall be inuegled and made vnfit to flie from them and if we do but giue them audience they will so allure vs with their bewitching tunes that we shall haue no power to withhold vs from their company though Syren-like they entice vs to come amongst them that they may deuour and prey vpon vs. The second thing to be heere obserued is that both the The sins and punishments of wicked mē should weane vs from their company sinnes and punishments of wicked men should be effectuall reasons to disswade the faithfull from frequenting their company for these are the arguments which the holy Ghost here vseth to disswade the men of Iuda from resorting vnto the Israelites because they were rebelliously stubborne in their sinnes and like vnrulie heifers had shaken off the yoke of gouernment and because by these sinnes they had made themselues liable to Gods fearefull punishments of captiuitie and manifold calamities which in short time should bee inflicted on them Concerning the former we are not to vnderstand it of all sinnes for then we should auoid all companie in the world for as much as all men are sinners but only of such sinnes as being wilfully committed are also obstinately defended For when men are come to this passe that they commit their sinnes against their knowledge and conscience presumptuously and with an high hand against God and that after they haue been often instructed admonished and rebuked both in priuate conference and in the publike ministrie of the Word when they become like vnrulie heifers stubbornely casting off the yoke of Gods gouernment and do in rebellious manner oppose against God himselfe defending their sinnes and glorying in their wickednes as the Israelites did in this place then are wee carefully to flee and auoid all manner of familiar friendship and fellowship with them For first whereas the maine end why we should resort into the companie of wicked men is to
vnto which wee are preferred so behaue our selues as beseemeth our high place and calling A Prince will not seruilely drudge for day wages nor sell his honor for a small trifle nor set his minde vpon base obiects no more should we who by vertue of this royall mariage are called to higher honour then the whole world affoordeth spend our sweate and labour to obtaine vncertaine richer and filthie pleasures wee should not dimme our glorie and impeach our honour by behauing our selues like the slaues of sinne and Satan nor affect with the highest pitch of our desires worldly toyes and base trifles seeing things of farre greater excellencie are reserued for vs. Lastly as hereby wee may be put in minde of our honour We must performe coniugall duties vnto Christ and dignitie so also of our dutie namely that being married vnto Christ wee labour to performe vnto him all duties required of a good wife seeing he is wanting in nothing which belongeth vnto a most gratious and kinde husband that is let vs loue him aboue all the world and shew our loue by our readinesse to lay downe our liues for his sake who is our louing husband seeing he hath laid down his for vs euen whilest wee were his enemies Let vs yeeld vnto him voluntarie and absolute obedience and submit our selues to bee ruled and guided by his word and Spirit Let vs keepe our coniugall fidelitie reseruing our selues pure and vndefiled as from all other sinnes so especially from idolatrie and superstition Let vs who haue communion both in Christ and all his benefits not grudge to giue our selues and the best things we haue vnto him for the aduancement of his glorie and the furthering of his worship and seruice especially let vs giue vnto him our hearts which he so much desireth Let vs reuerence him as our heauenly husband fearing his displeasure as the greatest euill and mourning for no losse so much as for the losse of his fauour Let vs rest wholly relie on his prouidence for the supplie of all our wants and for protection from all dangers In a word let vs labour to performe all duties which belong to such a husband and to deck our selues with all graces which may make vs appeare amiable in his sight and so wee shall confirme our selues in this assurance that we are espoused vnto Christ and shal be made partakers not only of himselfe but also of all his benefits And these are the doctrines which are to be obserued out Nothing can frustrate the couenant betweene God and vs. of the contract it selfe Now follow those which arise out of the adiuncts and properties of this mariage and first out of the perpetuitie thereof Where first wee may obserue to our singular comfort that it is impossible for any thing whatsoeuer to breake off the couenant betweene God and vs or to make a separation after hee hath once contracted vs to himselfe in this holy mariage nor all our spirituall enemies Satan the world the flesh nor all the power of hell ioyned together no nor yet our owne sinnes past present or to come for the Lord hath here promised that he will espouse vs vnto himselfe for euer Who therefore would not labour with his whole endeuour to attaine vnto this most honourable estate accompanied with such inestimable benefits seeing they are infinitely more excellent in their owne nature then all the glorie and riches of the world and besides they are eternall and neuer to be taken from vs. He that is in honour to day may be in disgrace to morrow he that is now rich may within a while be brought to extreame pouertie but who so is aduanced to this spirituall honour of being espoused vnto God shall neuer be depriued of it neither in this life nor in the life to come Secondly seeing the vnion betweene Christ and vs is perpetuall seeing the bonds of this vnion is the Spirit of God and a true and liuely faith hence we learne that Gods Spirit and this faith after we are married vnto Christ shall neuer be taken from vs for then the mariage bonds being broken the mariage also should bee dissolued which is contrarie to the promise of God in this place And these are the things to be obserued out of the perpetuitie Whosoeuer are married vnto Christ are made righteous of this mariage Out of the properties and conditions thereof we may further note these instructions First whereas the Lord promiseth that hee will espouse the Church in righteousnes hence we learne that whosoeuer are maried vnto Christ they are also made righteous that is they are not only clothed with the wedding garment of Christs righteousnesse imputed vnto them by which they are iustified in Gods sight but also are made righteous by the sanctification of his Spirit dwelling in them the which their righteousnes consisteth in the integritie and vprightnes of their hearts and in their earnest and sincere desire and endeauour to performe obedience vnto Gods Commandements the which their obedience is in this life mingled with manifold infirmities and imperfections but shal become perfect in the life to come Secondly we learne that though this righteousnesse bee Our righteousnesse constant and perpetuall weake and imperfect yet shall it be perpetuall euen as our mariage with Christ is perpetuall and eternall And therefore although wee must worke out our saluation with feare and trembling and labour earnestly to haue this our righteousnes more and more strengthned and increased yet when we feele our slow progresse in the pathes of righteousnes and finde it mingled with our great corruptions and imperfections like a few graines of corne in a heape of chaffe let vs not be vtterly discouraged as fearing lest this little sparke of righteousnes will be altogether quenched with the floud of our corruptions seeing the Lord hath promised that as this his couenant of mariage with vs shall bee perpetuall so also that it shall for euer continue in righteousnes c. Thirdly whereas the Lord promiseth that he will marrie Our righteousnesse is not the cause of our vnion with Christ his Church in righteousnes not by chusing her being righteous but by making her righteous being chosen hence we learne that our owne righteousnes is not the cause of this holy and happie vnion but that this vnion is the cause of our righteousnes for after we are vnited vnto Christ by the Spirit of God then this Spirit dwelling in vs doth applie vnto vs the vertue of Christs death which purgeth vs from not only the guilt and punishment of sin but also from the corruption power and dominion thereof and the vertue of his resurrection whereby wee also are raised from the death of sinne to holines and newnes of life And this notablie appeareth Ezech. 16. 8. 9. 10. 11. c. Ezech. 16. 8. 9. Secondly whereas the Lord saith that he will marrie his Church in iudgement hence we learne that whosoeuer
are Those who are married vnto Christ haue a sound iudgement espoused vnto God they are so inlightned and haue their iudgements so enformed by his word and Spirit that they can discerne betweene truth and error religion and superstition God and an idoll and far preferre the sincere worship of God reuealed in his Word before their owne wilworship and humane inuentions so that it is not possible that they should be seduced and withdrawne from God and his pure seruice to idols and idolatrous worship by all the slights and subtilties of Satan the world Antichrist and all his false Prophets as our Sauiour teacheth vs Matth. 24. 24. because the Lord Matth. 24. 24. hath married them vnto himselfe in iudgement wherby they are moued to prefer the excellencie of their husband Christ and his reuealed will before all their louers and all their alluring baites with which they endeauour to draw them from him Whence it appeareth that they who are drawne vnto idolatrie or wedded to that cōmon strumpet the world and the vanities therof are not indued with this soūd iudgement and consequently were neuer maried vnto Christ 1. Ioh. 2. 19. 1. Joh. 2. 19. Thirdly whereas he promiseth that hee will marrie his Christs benefits should cause vs to loue him Church for euer in benignitie wee learne hence what vse wee are to make of Gods manifold benefits which hee bestoweth vpon vs namely that they serue as helpes to eternize our mariage with Christ by knitting our hearts vnto him in true loue and entire affection For what wife would not dearely loue a husband so bountifull and gratious who neuer is wearie in bestowing vpon her benefits and in seeking by all meanes her good and happines especially considering that he requireth nothing else at her hands but her heart and louing affection But alas such is our corruption that wee cannot afford him thus much yea rather as some wiues by their husbands benefits do wax so wanton and insolent that they begin in the pride of their hearts to contemne him of whom they haue all their ornaments and aduancement so do many of vs deale with Christ c. Fourthly whereas he saith that he will marrie his Church Our sins must be no cause to alienate our minds from Christ in his mercies hence we learne that there is no cause why our sinnes should alienate our minds from Christ seeing so manifold are his mercies that he is alwaies readie vpon our repētance to forgiue vs. It is a Machiauellian principle put in practise by too too many in our daies that whom they haue offended those they will neuer forgiue because in their self-guiltie consciences they expect from him whom they haue iniured deserued reuenge and therefore to such one degree of wrong is an occasion vnto another This hellish policie so odious in the sight euen of a ciuill mā our corrupt nature is inclined to vse towards Christ for when we haue offended him in stead of flying to him and seeking reconciliation we are readie to flee from him and in guiltines of conscience to distrust of his fauour and to seeke for helpe of Idols Images Saints Angels Popish pardons and such like wicked meanes therein making amends for our former sinnes by adding others vnto them much more grieuous But little cause haue we to be thus Italianate towards Christ seing his mercies are infinite so that he is alwaies readie freely to forgiue and after reconciliation wil neuer beare a secret grudge nor watch for opportunitie of reuenge Fiftly whereas he saith that he will marrie vs vnto himselfe Our naturall vnfaithfulnes and faithfulnes through grace in faithfulnes hence we learne first that by our naturall disposition we are vnfaithfull and readie to breake the bond of marriage by forsaking the Lord and following idols till the Lord giue vnto vs this singular gift of fidelitie And secondly being indued herewith it is impossible there should be a diuorce and separation betweene vs seeing the Lord for his part is most faithfull in keeping his couenant with vs and seeing we also being indued with fidelitie shall keepe our couenant with him and shall neuer depart from him as it is Ier. 32. 40. Jerem. 32 40. We are naturally ignorant Luk. 1. 78. 79. Lastly whereas he promiseth that shee shall know him hence we learne that naturally we walke in the darke vale of ignorance till God illuminate our minds with knowledge and that wee are thus illightned by vertue of our spirituall vnion with Christ whose Spirit dwelling in vs doth with his bright beames dispell the darknes of our minds so as we are enabled in some measure to know God and his truth as appeareth 1. Ioh. 2. 20. 27. Ioh. 16. 13. 1. Joh. 2. 20. 27. Joh. 16. 13. Secondly we here learne that all those who are truly maried Those who are married vnto Christ are endued with sauing knowledge vnto Christ are endued with the knowledge of God seeing this is one of the conditions of this happie contract and that not only with a bare and idle speculatiue knowledge whereby they are able to discourse of the nature of God his persons attributes and workes seeing the diuels also can do this as well as they but with a true sauing and sanctifying knowledge whereby knowing we beleeue and beleeuing applie vnto our selues make profitable vse of those things which we know concerning God and his truth not onely for the rectifying of our iudgements but also for the sanctifying of our affections life and conuersation as when knowing Gods iustice and power we be made thereby afraide to offend him knowing his mercie wee are moued thereby to loue and obey him knowing his all-seeing and all-ruling prouidence we be moued hereby to trust and depend vpon him knowing his omnipresence wee alwaies walke before him so behaue our selues as in his presence c. So knowing that Christ is a Sauiour we also know that he is our Sauiour and wholly and onely rest vpon him for our saluation knowing that he hath suffered death satisfied Gods iustice vanquished Satan and all the power of hell c. we also beleeue that hee hath done all this for our sakes for as it helpeth not the Physitian being sicke that he hath skill to make soueraigne medicines not only for curing himselfe but also others affected with the like diseases vnlesse he make vse of his skill and applie his medicines to himselfe so it will little auaile vs though wee haue such a great measure of knowledge that we are able to informe our owne iudgements in the greatest difficulties and to instruct others also who are ignorant vnlesse we make vse of our knowledge for our own benefit it will little profit vs that wee haue skill enough to cure others of their diseases of sinne by the precious potion of Christs blood and the soueraigne baulme of his merits vnlesse we do apply them likewise vnto our owne soules and