wheat and the fats shall overflow with oile 7. The Lord can and will make up the losses of penitents And when ever sinners do turne to God he will convince them in due time that they have been no losers by their afflictions of this truth we have a particular proof and instance in this promise and I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten c. 8. Our seeing of God and his hand in saddest scourges and losses will assure us that he can soon and easily make them up For saith he they were my great army which I sent among you and if he sent them and made them able to make such havoke then certainly he can not only remove them but send as remarkable plenty Vers 26. And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the Name of the LORD your God that hath dealt wonderously with you and my people shall never be ashamed 27. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel and that I am the LORD your God and none else and my people shall never be ashamed These promises and causes of their joy are amplified from some effects As 1. That they shall have the use of this plenty to their satisfaction 2. That they shall praise God for it 3. That by this his dealing and his other mercies toward them he will convince them of his relation to them who is God only and will confirme them and all the godly that they shall never be disappointed of their hope in him which he asserts twice for further confirmation And this is the first spiritual promise whereby he encourageth them to repent Doct. 1. It is an addition to the mercy of plenty when men are allowed the use of creatures to satisfaction without challenge of conscience and are not denied a blessing upon and with them nor are others permitted to take them away after they are growen up as Isa 62.8 For it is a promise Ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied 2. It is the duty of such as receive the good things of this life to make conscience of thankfulnesse to God whose providence supplieth their wants And true penitents and such as are turned to God will make conscience of this duty considering especially that these common favours come to them in special love and from their own God in Covenant with them Therefore it is added to their eating and satisfaction and shall praise the Name of the LORD your God See Isa 62.8 9. Deut. 8.10 3. It is our duty to stir up our selves to praise in this by considering the wonderfulnesse of the providence of God in providing continually our daily bread And especially in his sending great plenty after famine in which change of dealing both his providence and mercy shineth For it is added as an argument of praise that he hath dealt wonderously with you both in his ordinary providence and especially in that great change 4. The chief blessing and advantage of temporal benefits unto the godly is that by receiving and using of them they reap some spiritual benefit and advantage by confirmation of their faith and discovering of the love of God unto them so much are we taught by subjoyning this spiritual promise containing an effect of conferring this temporal favour 5. Gods dealing kindly with his Church or any one of them in any particular according to the Covenant may be a pledge that none be who they will that are his people will ever finde it in vaine to seek him or be ashamed or disappointed of their hope in him according to his Word For this is a general conclusion drawn from this particular proof of his love and my people shall never be ashamed 6. An interest in God by vertue of a Covenant and his manifested presence following upon that is the choice of mercies And it is sweet when this maybe read and seen shining in his mercies as a penitent is allowed to do For it is held out as the sweet effect and consequent of his bounty toward penitents ye shall know not only that I am the Lord your God but that he hath not withdrawn himself though the interest stand but that I am in the midst of Israel or these who are now left of Israel to be a people to him And however the Lord here promiseth prosperity to evidence this yet if the Lord clear it any other way it is sufficient 7. It is also a great addition to the Churches mercy that he who alone is her God is also the only true God and therefore is the only portion and above all the opposition that can be made to her felicity For I am the Lord your God and none else none beside him to prove a God unto her let her choose never so many 8. However the people of God may be oft put to pray against that sad affliction of being ashamed of their confidence as Psal 119.116 Yet it is to be believed and again and again inculcate that not only now but for ever Gods people have no cause of fearing disappontment that God will by actual performance of his promises put them from all cause of fear Therefore in opposition to the recurring of such tentations it is again repeated and my people shall never be ashamed Where it is given them as a ground of hope that God who chooseth and calleth them to be his peculiar people will not raise such an ill report upon his own love or service as thus to entertain them Nor will he make his own purpose and grace in election and calling void albeit they be worthlesse Vers 28. And it shall come to passe afterward that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesie your old men shall dream dreams your young men shall see visions 29. And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those dayes will I poure out my Spirit The second spirituall promise is that under Christ and in the dayes of the Gospel as it is expounded Acts 2.16 17 c. he will poure out his Spirit more amply then before upon all sorts of persons of all Nations both old and young sons and daughters bond and free whereby they shall be endued with such knowledge of the mysteries of salvation as may be compared with the knowledge of the ancient Prophets For clearing this a little Consider 1. By the Spirit here promised is not to be understood any natural or moral endowments conferred upon men But partly the spiritual common gifts conferred upon men for the edification of the Church And partly the saving graces of the Spirit conferred upon the Elect in order to their eternal salvation 2. By all flesh on whom the Spirit is to be poured out we are not to understand all and every one for this promise is made only to these within the Church and to these who at least by visible Covenant become the Lords as it is
it in sons and daughters old men and young servants and handmaids It may teach 1. No rank or sex or condition of persons are secluded from the promise of the Spirit â—e they old or young male or female bond or free 2. The efficacy and fulnesse of the Spirit of God is such as to refresh and prevaile with all these sorts of persons young ones who are not capable of mans teaching yet are not secluded from his teaching Mark 10.14 16. Luke 1.15 The Spirit hath vertue to illuminate and subdue young men notwithstanding all the power of their corruptions 1 John 2.13 14. to keep men fresh and lively in old age Psal 92.13 14. and to make servants happy in their condition 1 Cor. 7.22 3. It is Gods sure promise to the Church of the Gospel that the knowledge of him and of his truth shall be continued and propagated therein from generation to generation For therefore is it put in the first place your sons and daughters rising up to succeed you shall prophesie Doct. 10. As for these wayes of revealing the will of God of old by prophecie visions and dreams albeit they point all at one thing and seem to be named all here to let out the fulnesse of Gospel-knowledge answering to all of them and therefore seem to be comprehended all under prophesying as it is attributed to his servants of all sorts and ages Acts 2.18 Yet seeing they are distinctly named and attributed to several sorts of persons as prophesying to sons and daughters visions to young men and dreames to old men We may from it take up some steps and degrees of the knowledge of God wherein they grow up who are under the Spirits teaching As 1. By prophesying attributed to sons and daughters we may understand simply the knowledge of divine things 2. By visions attributed to young men we may understand their clearer insight and uptaking of these mysteries then they had in their younger dayes For vision doth represent the thing revealed more sensibly 3. By dreams wherein men have their senses shut up from the world and which are attributed to old men we may understand a further degree of illumination when light received doth take hold on the affections to sanctifie and subdue them So that mens hearts are taken off the world and filled with the things of God And so this gradation will teach That the knowledge of God which is communicated unto men by the Spirit will be on the growing hand till from a common notion and remembring of it it come to be more seriously pondered and laid to heart and till it take hold upon the affections and conquer the whole heart to God Ver. 30. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth blood and fire and pillars of smoake 31. The Sunne shall be turned into darknesse and the Moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the LORD come To prevent all secure and carnal thoughts as if upon embracing of the Gospel and receiving of the Spirit men should be rid of all outward trouble The Lord foretells of great commotions which were to be in the world after the pouring out of the Spirit Whereof though there were some particular accomplishments in these primitive times and before that dreadful day of the destruction of Jerusalem Yet the prediction stretcheth forth to all ages after the pouring out of the Spirit till the second coming of Christ to judgement which is here called the great and terrible day of the LORD The expressions pointing out these commotions of wonders in heaven earth c. may be understood either literally that there shall be signes of blood fire darknesse and eclipses of Sun and Moon going before these calamities as presages thereof or figuratively that there shall be such commotions and such signes of Gods anger for sin such judgements and calamities of sword famine and sicknesses such persecutions desertions tentations heresies schismes c. as if heaven and earth were going through other the course of nature overturned and the world full of dreadfull fights of blood fire and darknesse and neither Sunne or Moon affording wonted light or comfort To dip further into what may be connceived to be figuratively pointed at under every one of these I conceive is not very safe Doct. 1. Whatever breathing times God may allow upon his Gospel-Church yet it is her duty to look for commotions and troubles especially after times of pouring out of the Spirit and times of much light and reformation For upon the one hand Satan will bend all his power to oppose the progresse of the Gospel and will set the world in opposition to the Church and on the other hand God will poure out all sorts of calamities upon the visible Church to punish them who contemne his rich offer and do not walk answerably to such dispensations and to trie the graces of his own that they may aspire toward spiritual happinesse in heaven And he will punish secret and open enemies for the injuries they do to the Church For these causes is this prediction subjoyned to the former promise 2. It is the Churches duty not only to look for troubles but to expect that they will be great and very dreadful such as may testifie the greatnesse of Gods displeasure against sin and of mens fury against the Church such as may throughly trie the godly and bring about Gods deep counsels For there will be wonders in the heavens or the firmament and several regions of the aire and in the earth blood and fire c. 3. Whoever be employed in raising these great commotions and whatever be the designes and malice of men in them yet it is the Churches good and safety to see a supreme hand of God in all of them For saith he I will shew wonders c. 4. Though the Church in several ages may get times of breathing and tranquillity yet these will not be permanent but interrupted with sad blasts till the second coming of Christ which as it is certainly approaching so it will put a period to all stormes wherewith the godly are tossed For these things will be before the great and terrible day of the Lord come that is in all ages till that time and belike very violently immediately before Math. 24.29 30. 5. The day of Christs second coming will be great and terrible and as it is Acts 2.20 a notable or illustrious day A despised Christ will be seen great there great things will be done in that day He will then reach his full and final end of all his works All things will then be revealed and made patent the glory of God will be seen face to face the secrets of hearts the glory of Saints and the truth of promises and threatenings will then be made manifest And though the godly will then be free of all terrour yet it will be in it self a day of much state and majesty of the Lord and of great
learn 1. In times of defection it is good to be well acquainted with and scene in the causes of it and what distempers draw men to that height they go Therefore doth the Prophet here point at it 2. It is a great plague on men that they cannot guide prosperity well and know no way how to use it but to feed sensuall lusts by it for all the use they made of Gods bounty was Whoredome and wine 3. Sinnes go seldome there alone but are linked together and draw on one another and particularly Whoredome and intemperancy go often hand in hand together Therefore are they conjoyned Whoredome and wine and new wine He mentions wine and new wine because as drunkards use to do they tried all kinds of it or the latter is by way of explication because new wine makes soonest drunk 4. It is a great plague on unclean and sensual men that thereby they not only abuse their bodies and become guilty of self-murther and do wear out any spark of conscience that they had but that by following these brutish lusts they renounce even humanity and turne brutish without sense and common understanding so that they know not what they do nor can discerne or be ashamed of any ill course nor fear any threatening of danger and do render themselves unuseful either in Church or State and effeminate and unable to encounter any trouble for Whoredome and wine and new wine take away the heart or sense and understanding The word signifieth oft-times to take by force or by industry to shew that however at first there may be some wrastlings betwixt lust and mens sens sense and principles of reason yet at last lusts given way unto will carry it 5. As it is Gods judgement on unfaithful Ministers that they are given up to sensuality so that will soone besot them and make them saplesse in their doctrine and carelesse in their duty for in particular it is true of them whom he had challenged before Whoredome and wine and new wine take away the heart Vers 12. My people aske counsel at their stocks and their staffe declareth unto them for the spirit of whordomes hath caused them to erre and they have gone a whoring from under their God 13. They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains and burne incense upon the hils under oakes and poplers and elmes because the shadow thereof is good therefore your daughters shall commit whoredome and your spouses shall commit adultery The fourth article of this accusation is general against the whole people for their grosse and heathenish idolatry which is as adultery a forsaking of God and their duty of subjection to which they stand bound by the marriage-Covenant This is instanced in their consulting with their stocks of Images and their staves or arrowes which flowed from their strong inclinations to Idolatry cherished by Satan and in their sacrificing openly to Idols on mountains under the shade of groves esteeming that heathenish way best for this the Lord threatens to give up their daughters and daughters in law and others whom they would have chaste to bodily filthinesse Whence learn 1. When ever the visible Church forsakes God he will not forget his kindness to her to aggreage her sinne and to prove that she hath done it without provocation Therefore againe the title is my people to shew that he had intreated them as such and that he having chosen them from among all people for himself and as his portion Deut. 32.8 9. Isa 43.21 it was a greater sinne in them then in any so to behave themselves 2. Albeit Idolaters will not take with it that they worship stocks and sticks yet in reality they do so and hereby they prove their own madnesse in subjecting themselves to these creatures that are inferior to them and the basenesse of their Religion in that they have so poore wayes to know the mindes of their Idols for they aske counsell at their stocks and so consult with them as their gods and performe religious worship to them that they may know their minde and their staffe declareth unto them that is any illusion they get they take it for a divine response For the way of divination by a staffe or arrowes See Ezek. 21.21 22. It seemes that when he doubted which City to assault first severall staves or artowes having the names of the severall places on them being shaken together in a quiver that which was first drawn out determined the question And so Idolaters resolved other cases 3. The backsliding and Idolatry of the visible Church is not to be looked on lightly or as an infirmity but as flowing from the power of Satan working upon that strong inclination that is naturally in all men and specially in these who have not received the love of the truth to follow error Therefore is it given as a reason For the spirit of whoredomes hath caused them to erre which is to be understood both of their own inclinations and of the working of the evill spirit 2 Thes 2.9 which makes them so bent and zealous in it and warnes us not to be taken up with every zeale nor with every religion wherein men seeme to be zealous 4. They who commit Idolatry and follow false Religions and so do renounce subjection to God and put themselves from under his directions they do also put themselves from under his protection for in both these respects it is true they have gone a whoring from under their God renouncing that subjection due to him by violating the Marriage-Covenant and so depriving themselves of that protection which was ensured to them by the Covenant 5. Sin is then come to a great height and very ripe for judgement when men cast off all veiles of pretences or shame and do openly and avowedly commit it for he challengeth when they sacrifice upon the tops of the mountaines c. avowedly without shame and not in corners onely 6. It is high presumption in fraile men to think to invent finer ordinances of worship by their wit then what God hath appointed or that they can put holinesse on things or places for it was their sin to choose mountaines and hils and shadowes of trees and groves in imitation of he Patriarchs whom the heathen did also imitate as if these places were more sacred and to do this as good and better and more apt to strike men with reverence then what God had appointed 7. It is no strange thing that men in choosing their Religion be led by their own fleshly lusts and that they account that best which pleaseth these most for in this respect also they accounted the shadow good that is more delectable to their flesh 8. Sin may be very sadly punished when no stroakes are inflicted but the sinner given up to more sin and particularly spirituall adultery may be punished with bodily filthinesse for Therefore your daughters shall commit whoredome and your spouses shall commit adultery to which they
expounded of the servants and handmaids Acts 2.18 But it is to be understood of all sorts of persons of whatsoever Nation of these who embrace Christ and that there should be many of them in comparison of the times under the Law who should participate either of the gifts or graces of the Spirit or of both 3. As for the effects of the pouring out of the Spirit here mentioned that there shall be prophecies dreams and visions it is true that in that signal accomplishment of this promise Acts 2. and afterward in these primitive times there were such extraordinary wayes of manifestation of God and of his will for many did prophecie then even women as is instanced in the daughters of Philip Acts 21.9 Paul and Peter had visions 2 Cor. 12.1 2 c. Acts 10.10 11. And God appeared to Joseph in a dream Mat. 1.20 But this was but a partial accomplishment of this promise and a mean to carry on the full accomplishment therof And therefore we are to conceive that the Prophet speaks of Gospel-times and mercies in tearmes borrowed from the times of the Old Testament and the meaning is that as of old the excellent way and measure of the knowledge of God was by prophecie vision and dreams Numb 12.6 So under the New Testament beside what was extraordinary all who get the Spirit of God may for knowing the mysteries of salvation be compared with these ancient Prophets And as of old by these wayes of manifestation men attained to the knowledge of the mysteries of God so should they by the Spirit of God in the use of ordinary means 4. This may also serve to clear that the Prophet is not foretelling that under the Gospel all who receive the Spirit and know the mysteries of salvation thereby are therefore warranted to exercie the office of Prophets or Ministers For Prophecie being so strictly taken is not given to all upon whom the Spirit is poured out as is clear from 1 Cor. 12.29 5. It is also clear that the Prophet is not here speaking of any revelations to be given unto men without or beside the Word or which are not to be tried thereby for beside what is alrerdy said for exposition of this promise if we look to the most solemne and signal accomplishment of this promise we will finde the conceit refuted For in the very first Sermon of Peter after the Spirit is poured out he leads the hearers all along to Scripture both to justifie the strange change wrought upon them and to justifie the doctrine which being thus endowed he preacheth Acts 2.16 17 25 30 31 34. Doct. 1. The times of the Gospel are the times of letting out spiritual encouragements and wherein men ought to be more spiritual and made up with spiritual advantages however it go with them outwardly Therefore the Prophet entering upon spiritual promises and refreshments after these temporal promises for the comfort of this people doth remit them to what shall come to passe afterward or in the last dayes as it is expounded Acts 2.17 2. The Lords letting out of his Spirit in gifts and spiritual graces is the great Gospel-refreshment and encouragement as making the mysteries of God known and applying all Christs purchase to Believers So that all who would finde the advantage of the times of the Gospel ought to seek much of the Spirit for this is the promise I will poure out my Spirit 3. The letting out of the Spirit is God and his Son Christs free promise and gift and therefore to be sought of him and expected from him by these who are in themselves unworthy For it is a promise I will poure out my Spirit which Christ did performe Acts 2.33 See Luke 11.13 4. Albeit the Spirit of God was communicated unto the Church under the Law yet it is the advantage of the times of the Gospel 1. That the Spirit is let forth in more ample measure then formerly being poured out largely and not dropped out only So that we may seek largely and not be content with little nor be straitened in our own bowels 2. That this gift is not restricted now to one Nation of the Jewes with their proselytes and but to a few of them but is free to all sorts of persons and Nations and to many of them For it is upon all flesh the Spirit is poured out Doct. 5. Whatever be the abundant measure of the Spirit that is poured out yet there is still infinitely more in God to communicate as need requireth Therefore doth Peter Act. 2.17 expound it I will poure out of my Spirit or but some portion of that fulnesse that is in him Which is not only true in respect of Christ who hath the Spirit without measure John 3.34 but also in respect of the infinite fulnesse that is in God 6. God in pouring out his Spirit will not disdain men because of their frailty or felt sinfulnesse And where the Spirit is given it will keep men still sensible of their condition and what they are in themselves Therefore are they designed flesh or fraile and sinful creatures upon whom the Spirit is to be poured out shewing that their being such doth not hinder his bounty and his bounty will not make them forget that they are such 7. It is a special advantage reaped by the enjoyment of the Spirit that not only doth he water and refresh and fructifie the barren spirits of these in whom he dwels and therefore is said to be poured out like water on the ground See Isa 44.3 But that also he doth illuminate men with the knowledge of God He doth make known the mysteries of salvation furnisheth instruments to carry the glad tydings of salvation leads into all truth and maketh knowen the things that we have freely received Therefore doth he cause to prophesie and to dream dreams c. as is before explained See John 16.13 Acts 1.8 1 Cor. 12.7 8. and 2.12 to 15. 8. The knowledge of the mysteries of salvation which is communicated by the Spirit under the Gospel is comparable to any measure of knowledge attained by ancient Prophets of old Not only doth extraordinary revelation under the New Testament in the primitive times parralel what they had then But even the gifts of light and knowledge conferred in ordinary upon men and the saving knowledge conferred upon Believers may be compared therewith for whereas these revelations were but at fits and times only this is constant and these albeit they were singular in the manner of communicating yet the truth conveighed thereby was but more darkly held out and under a vaile whereas now truths are seen with open face Therefore as is before cleared are the names of prophecie visions and dreams given to this knowledge So that the ignorance of men under the Gospel doth speak but little enjoyment of the Spirit 9. Whereas he is not content to say only in general that all flesh shall receive of the Spirit but doth instance