the vertues of their godly parents and then they may draw comfort from the godliness of their parents But lastly Hypocrites though degenerate will not only think to fare the better for their godly parents but they will think to have the same mercy as their godly parents had they little think of the difference that there is between Israel heretofore and that Israel that is now so basely degenerated It follows VER 3. Israel hath cast off the thing that is good the enemy shall pursue him THEY cry We have known thee but they cast off the thing that is good they profess to know God in word but in works they deny him What is it to say We know God and to cast off the thing that is good Now the word that is here translated cast off signifies Hath put off a great way yea hath abominated the thing that is good doth not only forsake the thing that is good but to cast off with a kind of abomination the thing that is good Hath cast off the thing that is good That is First cast off God Himself who is as Anselme speaks of Him that Good in which there is all Good God the highest and chief good they have cast him off Secondly The thing that is good indefinitely That is they will not be ordered by any rule they care for the good of no body but only to have their own lusts satisfied But that which I think is most properly aimed at by this phrase The thing that is good is the Worship of God My Worship They say We know Thee but in the mean time they cast off that good thing Oh that Good Thing that which I hold indeed to be the thing that is good Hence observe The true Worship of God is the GOOD Thing by way of excellency We account our Estates are goods we use to speak in that kind of language the goods of such a man Is our Estates our goods Are they such good things Oh! what is the Worship of God then The Worship of God that 's the thing that is good by way of excellency above all our goods that 's the good thing that a spiritual heart can prize that 's that which God delights in and wherein his people enjoy so much communion with Himself that 's the thing by which God lets out so much good to His People it 's the safety protection the blessing of a Kingdom the purity of Gods Worship where that is all other good things will follow that 's THE Good thing and it is a sign of a gracious spiritual heart to prize the Worship of God in the purity of it as the good thing above all good things that a Kingdom is capable of Secondly Yet Gods own Worship is by carnal hearts of men repelled and cast off as evil if it sute not their own ends and designs The spirits of men rise against it they will not so much as examin things in any peaceable and quiet way but by prejudice because they see it not sutable to their own waies their spirits rise abominating that which God Himself prises Thirdly Though first men do but only leave God forsake the thing that is good yet at length they grow to such a ripeness in sin as they cast it off with abomination and that 's a great deal worse Meerly to neglect that which is good is an evil but to cast off that which is good by way of abomination Oh then the sin of a people is grown to an height then they are neer to Judgment indeed when they cast it off thus men who heretofore have been very forward in the profession of Religion and seem to love and delight in the thing that is good but by degrees their hearts were drawn from the waies of God now they cannot bear the sight of those things to be presented nor bear the hearing of those things their hearts rise against any that they see practice them they now shut their eyes and stop their ears and with violence repel the Truth according to those in Jer. 44. 16. As for the Word of the Lord that thou hast spoken to us we will not hear thee Oh! are there not some that heretofore have thought they have received much sweetness in the waies of God and now not only left them but their hearts rise against them and if any thing be spoken for them shut their eyes and ears and cast it off and even abominate such Let such take heed that God cast not them off for ever 1 Chron. 28. 9. it is a speech of David to his son Solomon If thou seek Him He will be found of thee but if thou forsake Him He will cast thee off for ever How much more if thou dost cast off the thing that is good Oh! my brethren let us take heed of casting off the thing that is good we may pass over many Truths that it may be God hath convinced us off but let us take heed of casting off any Truth for then we are ripe to Judgment then the Lord may justly cast us off for ever Lastly If wicked mens hearts be so vile to cast off God and his Worship that hath so much good how much more should we cast off with abomination that that is abomination it self How much more should we cast off false worship with abomination and say Get thee hence and so all kind of evil and sin that would stick so fast upon us In Rom. 12. 9. Abhor that which is evil to abhor it as wel as to abhor Hell it self it comes from a word that is used for Hell Thus we should learn from wicked mens casting off what is good to cast off that which is evil and wicked One thing further Whatsoever knowledg of God or profession we make of worshipping Him yet if we cast off any thing that is good this deprives us of any interest we have in God of any comfort in crying to God in our afflictions I beseech you take notice of this They cry to me my God we know thee but saith God they have cast off that that 's good The Note is To cast off violently and that against light any one thing that is good though it be meant of the Worship of God principally yet it is spoken indefinitely to cast off any thing that is good any truth of God it is that which doth deprive the soul of having comfort and interest in God or crying to God in the time of distress Oh thou sinner how dearly doest thou pay for thy beloved sin at what a dear rate doest thou buy every beloved lust of thine when as it doth deprive thee of all comfort and interest in God that otherwise thou mightest have in crying to God in the day of distress The enemy shall pursue him When the good of duty is cast off evil of punishment will come in By casting off that which is
people to the sacrifices of their gods So They were abominable as they loved that is they being inticed to bodily uncleanness by the Moabitish women these drew them likewise to the worship of their Idols And so their loves to their Whores was that which drew them to this wickedness They were abominable as they loved that is they setting their love upon these wicked women that did intice them to uncleanness according to that love of theirs were they brought unto the love of Idolatry Solomons wives drew him to Idolatry And it 's usuall for people to be of that Religion that those are that they love if so be that their hearts be taken with any if they love any it's usual for them to be of that Religion that those are of that they love according to their kindred according to their friends according to the stock that they marry in so is their Religion Many that have been forward in waies of Religion and yet marry into a carnal stock that hath no savour of Religion you shall find they will grow cold according to what their wives dispositions are according to what they love so their Religion either burns hotter or grows cooler as it was usually laid upon Ahab for his wickedness such a one was his wife and so other Kings the daughter of Ahab was his wife his Religion was according as he loved And my Brethren if those who are in a false way can draw whom they love to it then certainly those that are in the Truth should as wel labor to draw those who they love to the imbracement of the Truth Wives that are naught wil draw their Husbands to that which they love to Idolatry to false worship Popish wives have drawn more husbands to their Popery than Godly wives I fear have drawn husbands to the Truth Why should not gracious Wives labor to draw their Husbands to good by love as well as wicked Wives to draw them to wickedness by their love And indeed those who would gain others to good must first gain their love The women of Moab gained the love of the people of Israel and so gained them to themselves in the matters of Religion So if you would do any good to people first labor to gain their love let women that have evil husbands that they would â—ain gain how would you gain them not by reproachful speeches but do you though they be never so evil walk lovingly towards them that they may be convinced that your souls do love them and so do you by your loving carriage gain their love and that 's the way to gain them to your God by that means So divers of the women in the primitive times that had Heathenish Husbands we have many stories of them that by their gracious loving carriage to their Heathen Husbands they gained them to the Truth of Religion And so Ministers if they would gain people to God they must gain their love so walk before them in such a gracious holy loving way towards them as they may gain their love and then they will gain their souls if there be wrangling between Minister and People there 's little hope that they will gain and do any good among that people for people wil do as they love very much And so your neighbors and friends if you would gain them to God any way gain their loves to you for it 's a mighty motive in matters of Religion for people to do as they love And thus much for this tenth Verse VER 11. As for Ephraim their glory shall fly away like a bird from the birth and from the womb and from the conception AS for Ephraim A Pathetical expression he makes a stop at Ephraim Oh Ephraim how sad how much to be lamented is thy condition As for Ephraim their Glory c. By it is meant all their pomp riches strength prosperity but especially by Glory here is meant their numerous progeny in which they did so much glory Ephraim the ten Tribes did prosper very much and were a very great multitude more than Judah This Scripture hath reference unto the prosperous estate especially in the time of Jeroboam the second of which you reade in 2 King 14. Ephraim was in a very prosperous condition and had prospered very much Their Glory Children and numerous progeny is accounted a glory unto people That in which they do much glory in Prov. 17. 6. Childrens children are the Crown of old men the Seventy are the Glory of old men Parents use to glory and pride themselves much in their children saith one Oh! lovely pride of the Mother so it may be said of many sons and daughters of children Oh! the delightful pride of the Father and the Mother in such and such children They accounted it their Glory For 1. By their children themselves are multiplied And 2. They see what excellency soever there is in the child they look upon it as their own as themselves the cause of it and men and women love themselves much and because they are pieces of themselves therefore they glory in them And 3. They have some hope of continuation from Generation to Generation in their children and this is their Glory But let Parents learn to give God the glory of their children and to bring them up to the glory of God then they may rejoyce in them indeed as a great mercy of God In Prov. 10. 1. A wise Son maketh a glad Father but a foolish Son is heaviness to his Mother Why is a wise Son said to be the gladness of the Father Why Doth not a Mother rejoyce in a wise Son too And why is a foolish Son said to be the sorrow of the Mother Why Doth not the Father sorrow and mourn for a foolish Son The holy Ghost not without reason doth express himself thus A wise Son makes the Father glad First because the Father usually hath a more strict hand over his Son in his education to bring him to wisdom more than the Mother ordinarily Mothers are tender over their children and they coâ—ker them and so make them fools some they cannot endure that they should suffer any hardship and hence their children proves foolish and fit for nothing and great sorrows to them And secondly A wise Son is fit for imployment abroad in the world therfore rejoyces the heart of his Father but a foolish Son is fit for nothing but to be at home in the Chimney corner with his Mother and as he grows up grows stout and stubborn against her there And if children be a glory to their Parents they should labor to be such as they may be a glory and not a shame to them indeed There are many which instead a glory to their parents are a great shame to them as it was said of Augustus Caesar he had three daughters that were wicked and
them into your hearts As first That such is the vileness of every sin as it seperates the soul from God and puts it under an eternal Curse This one Truth you must get this into your hearts and get it deep into your hearts it will help to unloosen the roots of the thorns and bryars that are there the setled apprehension of this Truth And then secondly This Truth That there is such a breach between God and my soul by sin that all the power in all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth is not able to make up this breach here is a sharp plow-share to get into the heart And then thirdly This Truth that by nature I am full of this sin my heart is full of it all the faculties of my soul are filled with sin that is of such an hainous nature Here is a sharp plow-share to get into the heart And then fourthly That every action that ever I have done in all my life in my unregenerate estate it is nothing else but sin nothing else but sin that hath such a vile nature Yea further That if any sin be pardoned to me it is by vertue of a price paid that is more worth than ten thousand worlds This Truth Now here 's the Gospel as well as the Law for the plowing is but the spiritualness of the Law the Truths of the Law in a Gospel way for you must take notice that the Law as Law accepts of no humiliation for sin it is as it is reveal'd in a Gospel way in a Gospel way it doth tend to humiliation for let men be humbled never so much the Law never accepts of them for their humiliation but the Law in a Gospel way so it comes to humble the soul so as to do it good Now therefore the Consideration of the Truths that the Law requires having reference to the Gospel they serve for the humbling of the soul Now get in these truths and see what they will do in thy Soul you must work them in And let conscience be put on to draw this plow These are as the Plow-share and the working of Conscience is the drawing of this plow while the plow stops as when it meets with a thorn and bryar now a strong Conscience will draw it on and will make the thorns and bryars to be rent up by the roots if the Conscience be put upon with strength to draw these Truths in the soul and though they put you to pain yet you must be content to draw them on in the soul And if these and the like Truths be got into thy soul and thou beest at plow and thy Conscience be drawing This is that I shall say God speed the Plow yea God speed these Truths that Conscience is drawing on in the soul for it may tend to a great deal of good to prepare thee for the seed that may bring forth Righteousness and Mercy to thy soul for ever I confess it is a hard work to be thus plowing Indeed for men and women only to hear Sermons and be talking and conferring of good things these things are pretty easie but to go to plow to plow with such Truths as these are to get up the thorns and bryars by the roots this is a very hard task but we must be willing to do it and to continue plowing as the fallow ground must not only be plowed once but it may be it may stand in need of plowing the second and third time before it may be fit for the seed to be cast in and so it must be with our hearts It may be some of you have got in some Truths and you have been plowing yea but since that time you have had many weeds and thorns grown up and you must to plowing again it may be it is divers yeers ago since you have been thus plowing and your hearts have lain fallow all this while do not think it enough that once you have been humbled but be often plowing up this fallow ground you were as good have the plow get into your hearts though it be sharp as to have the Sword of Gods Justice be upon you We have in these times a wanton generation that have risen up that cannot endure to go to plow they would be doing nothing but taking in the sweet as I told you before in a former Exercise Treading â—ut the Corn. But this plowing they cry out of meerly through a wantonness and tenderness of their spirits a sinful tenderness because they would have nothing but jolity and licentiousness in their hearts and waies yet the Scripture in Luke 9. 62. compares the Ministers of the Gospel to the plow He that puts his haud to the plow and looketh back is not fit for the Kingdom of God not fit to be imployed in the administration of the Gospel Though these men cry out so much of humiliation for sin which is as strange a Generation as ever have risen up that should cry out of that when there 's nothing more humbles for sin than the price that was paid for sin in the blood of Jesus Christ and there is no such sharp plow-share as that If I were to preach one Sermon in all my life for the humbling of men for sin I would take a text that might shew the great price that was paid for it and therein open the breach that sin hath made between God and mans soul But they will not make use of the Gospel neither so much as to be a plow to plow the heart for the work of humiliation Well God hath prospered this work heretofore and notwithstanding al the wantoness of mens spirits this way yet I say still God speed the plow God speed this way of plowing the hearts of men and getting in those Truths that do humble the hearts of men for their sins these were the Truths that God hath blest in former times and there 's none that ever did live to the honor of the Gospel so much for this generation that is come up they talk of the Gospel but they live not to the honor of it the Gospel hath not honor by them nor Jesus Christ hath not honor by them But the former generation of men though in some things they might fail yet certainly God blest them in their way so far as it was according to Truth No mervail though these men bring forth such little fruit of Righteousness it is because they sow among thorns presently they are up at the top and so confident presently in their way their seed is among thorns and therefore it doth not prosper And thus much for this expression about the plowing up of fallow grounds both in reference to general Reformation and Humiliation and concerning mens Souls in particular It follows For it is time to seek the Lord. It is time First Yet you have time to seek the Lord 'T is well for you that you have
God would have but one Altar 74 Answ 1. These Altars did typifie two things 1 That Christ was to be the only sacrifice 74 2 That all our services are accepted only in him ib. 2. That it might be the bond of the Church Other Objections Answered 76 Obs 1 Mans inventions in Gods Worship are rejected of God 77 Obs 2 There is no stop in superstitious worship 78 Obs 3 We are ready to imitate our forefathers in what is evil but not in what is good 79 Obs 4. Take heed distance of time make us not to fear the threatning the less 80 Obs 5 Every age ads something to Idolatry and false worship 81 Obs 6 What ever names we give to things it may be God will give other names and titles 83 Obs 7 When mens hearts are set upon fals waies of worship it is just with God to let them have their desires to the full ib. VERSE XII Obs 1 Whatsoever is urged or practised in matter of worship it must have warrant out of the written Word of God 85 Obs 2 We should look upon the Scriptures as concerning our selves 92 Obs 3 The things of Gods Worship are to be looked upon as great things 96 1 Because they are from a great God ib. 2 The lustre of the great God shines in them ib. 3 They are the mysteries of Gods will 97 4 They are of great concernment 98 5 They have great power on the heart of man ib. 6 They make all those great that receive them 99 7 They are great in Gods account ib. Obs 4 The word is matter for the greatest spirits to exercise themselves about 101 Obs 5 It is a special means to obedience to have high thoughts of Gods Law 102 Obs 6. The worship of God is a great matter 103 The Word of God accounted strange 1 As not concerning them 105 2 Strange in their apprehensions 106 3 There is no sutableness between their hearts and the Doctrine 107 4 They use the Word as a stranger viz. for their own ends 108 Obs 7 Superstitious people that are very zealous in their own way of worship are very negligent in Gods way 108 Obs 8 It is a dangerous thing for men to have their hearts estranged from Gods Law 110 The Degrees of the hearts estrangement from God 1 His delight in God abates 111 2 They are less frequent together ib. 3 He hath hard thoughts of Gods Word ib 4 He wisheth the things in the Word were otherwise ib. 5 He begins to listen to things that are against the Word 112 6 He will not search throughly into truths ib. 7 An engagement in some unlawful practice ib. 8 Weighty arguments now become weak ib. 9 He violently rejects the Word ib. Obs 8 That which mens corrupt hearts will not close withal they put it upon Christ as if Christ had delivered them from it 113 VERS XIII Obs 1 Men may continue in outward profession and yet the great things of Gods Law may be strange to them 115 Obs 2 Most men offer up nothing to God in sacrifice but flesh 116 Obs 3 To aim at Self in serving God eats out true devotion 117 Obs 4 If Self be regarded all is rejected 119 Obs 5 Men may be much in holy services and yet their sins stand upon the score nevertheless 120 Obs 6 Howsoever God may forbear wicked men a time yet he hath a time to remember all ib. Obs 7 God remembers the sins of wicked people especially in the performance of holy duties 122 1 Because we come into Gods presence ib. 2 Holy Duties are aggravations of sin ib. Obs 8 God visits mens sins when they think he neglects them most 123 Obs 9 Carnal hearts when God visits their sins plot which way to shift for themselves 124 Obs 10 It is one of the most dreadful judgments of God upon a Nation when he hath delivered them from one bondage to deliver them into the same again 125 Obs 11 It is just with God that those that inherit their fathers sins should inherit their fathers judgments ib. Obs 12 All places are places of misery when God forsakes a People ib. VERSE XIV Obs 1 God punisheth for sin when men are most secure 126 Obs 2 It is Gods favor that makes a man 127 Obs 3 The greater excellency God raiseth a man to the viler is his sin to forget God 128 Obs 4 When mens hearts are farthest off from God then are they forwardest in superstition 128 Objections answered 129 Obs 5 Men are more subject to secure themselves from outward things than from Gods wrath 132 Obs 6 When men bless themselves in their own thoughts they should consider what are Gods thoughts 133 Obs 7 Brave things are subject to Gods devouring fire 134 CHAP. IX VERS I. Obs 1 That 's a sad war where the Conqueror hath cause to be sad at the Conquest 137 Vse for England ib. Obs 2 Leagues wherein we much rejoyce may prove occasions of sorrow 138 Use Be not greedy of peace before the time ib. Obs 3 Carnal hearts bless themselves in in outward prosperity 139 Obs 4 When men be jolly and merry they should consider whether it be from God or not 140 Obs 5 We may prosper and yet have no cause of joy ib. Obs 6 Carnal hearts are immoderate in joy 141 Exhortations 1 Be not taken with the worlds jollity 142 2 Imitate them not in their waies of rejoycing ib. 3 Do not rejoyce as a People 143 4 Rejoyce not profanely ib. 5 Rejoyce not as having so much cause as others 144 Obs 7 Many that scorn mean men may not be in so good a case as they ib. Obs 8 Although we enjoy the same blessings that othess do yet we may not have the same cause to rejoyce that they have 144 Obs 9 It is a great argument of mens misery that others rejoyce when they cannot 145 Obs 10 That which we call little matter in corrupting Gods Worship God calls a going a whoring from him 147 Obs 11 A People may be free from the gross evils of another people and yet be in a worse condition than they 147 Proved 148 Obs 12 To be constant to evil principles is not so great an evil as to be false in good principles ib. Obs 13 The sins of Gods People are the greatest sins of all 149 Obs 14 Idolaters love outward prosperity because it is a reward of their service to their Idols 153 VERSE II. Obs 1 God often lets wicked men come near a mercy and then cuts them off 154 Obs 2 God strikes wicked men in those things their hearts are mâ—st set upon ib. Obs 3. The promises of the creature will lye the promises of the world will not 155 Obs 4 Men shall fail at last in what they think they to get in a way of sin ib. VERSE III. Obs 1 It is a great judgment of God to drive men out of a Land for sin 159 Obs 2 The state of the Church of God
of undoing themselves yet they shall not go on in them I will pity them who cannot pity themselves But then it follows in which the greatest difficulty of the verse is And they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the King of Princes This hath more darkness in it and yet upon the searching into it we shall see it cleer and many excellent Truths cleered from it There are these Five Things to be enquired after for the opening of these words First Who is this King of Princes that is here meant Secondly What was this burden of the King of Princes Thirdly Why doth he call this the burden Or rather thirdly thus When was this threat fulfilled that they should sorrow for the burden of the King of Princes Fourthly Why doth he call it the burden of the King of Princes Fiftly What 's meant by sorrowing a little These five things will cleer the text Indeed we cannot see the full meaning of the holy Ghost without understanding somewhat of these five First Who is meant by the King of Princes We are here to understand the King of Assyria because he was a great King whose Nobles were Princes and we find this both by Scripture and likewise by humane Story in 2 King 18. 24. How then wilt thou turn away the face of one Captain of the least of my Masters Servants And in Isa 36. 13. Hear the word of the great King the King of Assyria And how wilt thou turn away the face of the Captains of the least of my Masters Servants His Captains and Nobles were as Princes And so Josephus in his 1. Book 10. Chapter as I remember saith That at the time before Sodoms destruction the Assyrians were Lords of All Asia so that the Assyrian was a great King and here called the King of Princes Thus God suffers his enemies to grow great in the world an Assyrian a dog a wicked wretch under the curse of God and yet is he the great King even the King of Princes as Luther hath such an expression concerning the Empire of Turkie it is saith he but one crum that the great Master of the family doth cast to dogs What are your estates then Certainly though you be never so great in the world what 's any of your estates to the whol Turkish Empire and if that be but a crum that the great Master of the family casts to a dog you should never then bless your selves in the enjoyment of a little of the world But though the Assyrian may be called the King of Princes in regard of his power over some great men yet most properly our Lord Jesus Christ he is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords in Revel 19. 16. and he hath on his Vesture and on his Thigh a name written KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS Why was it written upon his Vesture and why upon his Thigh Vpon his Vesture That is he will appear openly to be the King of Kings there was a time when Christ seem'd to be as it were a servant under the dominion of Antichrist but now his name shall be upon his Vesture openly and then upon his Thigh that is upon his lower parts his Church Militant it shall have the Kingly power among them for its good so as they shall be above the Nations according to the Prophesie in Isa 60. 13. He will make the place of his feet glorious the Church in their low condition He doth not say he will have the name upon his Crown but upon his Thigh that is upon his lower parts upon his people that were in a low condition he will make the very place of his feet to be glorious even there shall be written The King of Kings and Lord of Lords But Secondly What was this burden This burden was those Taxes that were upon the people whereby they maintained their correspondence with this King of Assyria correspondence with wicked men it is burdensom for the the more they are sought to and yeelded to ordinarily the more burdensom they are and whatsoever they do for you for a while it is indeed to serve their own ends and this they brought upon themselves for they would go to Assyria and they found the Assyrians to be burdensom to them When men will follow their own waies and think to have more ease in their own way than in Gods it is just they should find those waies to be burdensom to them I am perswaded there is not one in this Congregation but hath found the experience of this when you think your waies will bring more ease to you than Gods waies have not you found your waies burdensom But thirdly When was this fulfilled If we would know the meaning of the Prophet we must refer to the History of the Kings and in 2 Kings 15. 19. there you may find when this Prophesie was fulfil'd Phul the King of Assyria came against the Land and Menahem gave Phul a thousand talents of silver that his hand might be with him to confirm the Kingdom in his hand And Menahem exacted the money of Israel even of all the mighty men of wealth of each man fifty sheckles of silver to give to the King of Assyria There was one burden And then in the 29. ver In the daies of Pekah King of Israel came Tigâ—ath-Pileâ—er King of Assyria and took Jion and Abel-Beth maachah and Jauoah and Kedesh and Hazor and Gilead and Galilee all the Land of Nephtalie and carried them captive to Assyria There was a further burden But yet the whol Land was not it was only the other side of Jordan at these two times was this Scripture fulfil'd Fourthly Why doth the holy Ghost say The burden of the King of Princes In speaking of the burden that was upon the people he doth give the Assyrian such an Epithite Why it seems to be a dimunition of their burden rather than any aggravation for he speaks of sorrowing but a little as if it should not be so great a burden as afterwards should be upon them noâ—ing thus That they were burdened a while with Taxations from a great King but they should afterwards come under the power to be at the wils lusts of al kind of base people of the very dregs of people And it is not so great an evil to be under the power of men of rank and quality no not under their oppression as to be under the oppression of many people of people that are of very mean quality and condition the very refuse of a Nation to come to be under their power it 's a great deal worse And by the way this Note it should teach us even those that are of mean breeding and whose lives have been very low in the world of mean condition if they be put into place of any power and Authority to take heed how they behave themselves for their oppression
further prove to be of great use to us never argue thus Why what hurt is there in it is it not very comely I cannot think but it may do a great deal of good these arguments are weak arguments in matters of Worship but to all these Arguments we must answer Is it written As Christ answered the Devil and his temptations it was enough to say it was written thus and thus So if you can but bring a word written against it and if you can put them unto it to shew what they would have you to do let them shew it where it is written in Exod. 39. we find in that chapter at least ten times it is said they did according to what the Lord had commanded Moses and in the conclusion of the chapter Moses blessed the people the people are blessed when in the matters of Worship they keep unto what is commanded And again As we must not make what we think the rule for worship so neither the Opinions of Learned men nor Custom nor Antâ—quity must be the rule of our Worship but what 's written I have written to them the great things of my Law they must keep to that whatsoever use we may make now of the Opinions of Antients and the like yet if the Antients themselves were alive they would abhor the use that many make of their quotations Cyprian in one of his Epistles saith We must not look what this man or that man that were before us he speaks of his predecessors what he did or what he taught but what he that was before all namely Christ who alone is the Way the Truth and the Life And so Augustin hath another Speech to the same effect speaking of the Antients of learned men saving all due respect that is due to them yet for us to think that we may not cast out even reject from their writings some things because they were learned men this must not be admitted for saith he such a one I 'le be in respect of the writings of other men and such a one would I have those that understand my writings to be to me I will not think of the writings of any other men before that there should be nothing cast out nor mended neither would I have any body think so of my writings And so Ambrose Where the Scripture is silent we must not speak Thus we see that those men for the maintaining of that which is evil they will make use of Quotationâ— and Antiquities yet we see the Antients did abhor this Christ and his Apostles they quoted none of the Learned men before them but Moses and the Prophets But you will say Though we must not take that which other men write to be the Rule yet that which other men write may help us to understand the Scripture Now I remember Luther hath such a Speech That Scripture should rather help us to understand mens writings than mens writings to understand the Scripture Many men they will make mens writings to be as a judg and to be the rule of understanding Scriptures not the Judg of Truth but the rule of understanding Scripture whereas saith he the Scripture should rather be the rule of understanding them And so Hilary saith he for the sense of Scripture and understanding them He is the best Interpreter that rather takes the sense from out of Scripture and by comparing one Scripture with another than bring any new sense therefore the understanding of Scripture is more by Scripture than by the Writings of any man living And yet still no question we may make use of the gifts of God in others but so as to keep us close to the written Word for the Rule yea and for the meaning of the Rule they may help us to see whether the Scripture will justifie this Truth or this sense for there lies the mistake Most people in the world will think this indeed That whatsoever any man writes if it be contrary to the Word we may not receive it but we must understand the Word in what sense they take it now we must not go so far For the Scripture written is not only that we might know what the Rule is but it is written that we might understand the meaning of the Rule and we must fetch out the meaning of Scriptures by Scripture Now so far as the Writings of men wil help us to fetch out the meaning of Scripture by Scripture so far we may make use of them but we cannot say this is the meaning because it is the judgment of such and such Learned men but such and such Learned men will give you Reasons and compare one Scripture with another to shew why it is the meaning of it and they will shew you the History of the time and shew you how to compare old and new Testament one with another and this is the use of Writers for understanding the Scriptures Then you wil say Why do we make use of Writers so much Why thus they shew how one Scripture looks towards another and to compare one Scripture with another and shew the coherence of things The sense of things is to be resolved in the Scripture its self and therefore we must keep our selves very close to what is written Written It was not so at first it was delivered but from hand to hand but afterwards when the Church began to multiply then the Word was written And this is a mighty blessing of God that we may have the mind of God written so as we may look into it and search to know the mind of God by reading it over and over again and taking it into our hands when we are lying upon our beds if we light a Candle in the night we may be reading and looking into the mind of God If we should only hear of such a Book that were in the world that were in China in the uttermost parts of the habitable world if we should hear that there were such a Book that God had written or that God had used men to write by an inspiration of His own Spirit a Book that was certainly indited by the holy Ghost every word of it wherein the Lord had revealed the great Counsels of his Will concerning Mans eternal estate if we should hear that there came such a Book down even from Heaven and this was in the uttermost parts of the earth Oh! what a longing desire should we have to see that Book What man or woman but would give their whol estate to have a week or a fortnights time to see and reade in such a Book as that is if one could he would be willing to travel to the end of the world to have the use of such a Book as that is No man need say Shall I go to the uâ—â—â—rmost parts of the earth for it is in your hands it is in your houses there is the Book wherein the great God hath written
his mind hath written all things unto you which concerns you Eternal Salvation hath written there whatsoever he would have you to know and beleeve to Eternal Life this it is that you have in your hands however we prize it now heretofore it hath been prized at an high rate How many of the Martyrs would venture their lives to keep but a few Leaves of Scripture in their houses But how vile is it then for us to neglect the reading of this written Word I have read of one Theodorus a Physitian at Constantinople that he sent to Gregory the great a great sum of money for the redeeming of Captives and Gregory he commends his Liberality but though he was so liberal and bountiful to redeem Captives yet he writ back again to him in way of reprehending him for not reading Scripture and uses this expression to him The Emperor of Heaven the Lord of the Angels and Men hath sent to you that which concerns your life and will you neglect to reade them with a fervent with a zealous spirit He would not but blame him even at that time when he sent such gifts to him it did grieve him to think that such a one so bountiful to the poor should so neglect the reading of Scripture Many men and women that have excellent parts and yet for all that they find but little savor in the Scripture There 's no books that are written that should take us off from this written Word although we have cause to bless God abundantly for what is written for those excellent helps which we have written yet we must take heed that there be no written book in the world take us off from this written Word of God Luther therefore hath such a speech I even hate mine own Books and I often times even wish that they were burnt that they might perish Why because I fear lest they should be any way of hinderance to men or withdraw them from reading the Scriptures and so he fals a comending the Scriptures It is the only fountain of all wisdom and further saith he I am even terrified I tremble at the example of the former age upon this Because saith he many Divines spent so much time in reading of Aristotle and Averres and other Writers and spent so little time in reading Scripture And the truth is it was that which brought so much ignorance into the world in the time of the School-men which was a time of great learning and yet the time of the greatest ignorance in the Mysteries of godlines because they minded Scripture very little but only turn'd things into Questions and Disputes that tended not according to Scripture though we may make use of the labors and gifts of other men yet look we especially to the written Word and let not other writings take us off from them hence we say the Scripture in way of excellency we must keep our selves to the written Word and therefore take heed of being led aside by any traditions of men that 's a most detestable derrogation from the written Word but we find in the Counsel of Trent speaking of the Scriptures saith one of the Cannons of the Counsel of Trent We saith he do receive Scripture and reverence Scripture but saith he moreover we receive and reverence traditions with the same affection of piety and reverence as we do the Scripture Those are the very words that all Papists are bound to hold and for them to deny any counsel there were death unto them It argues men to be in the dark to mind Traditions so As the Jews that 's the reason that they vanish so in their thoughts and understand the Scripture so little because they mind traditions as much as Scripture and more for so they say that divide a mans life into three parts one part mnst be spent in reading Scripture and two parts more in the two several parts of their Talmond which is their traditions and some of them say that this is one tradition among them that Moses did study the Scripture in the day time and those Talmoduical traditions that they have they were studied in the night and indeed it is night-work and it is a sign that the world is so much in darkness because they look so much at Traditions the written Word of God which we must look at more than if one came from the dead or if an Angel from Heaven came and preached to us But you will say That we must not look to it more than if God should reveal any thing to us suppose it were a voice of God from Heaven We have warrant to have regard to the written Word of God more than the voice of God from Heaven 2 Peter 1. 19. there it 's spoken of the voice that came down upon the transfiguration at the Mountain but saith the Apostle there We have a more sure word of Prophesie more more even than that was that is it is more sure to us and there is not so easie a way to be deceived by resting upon the written Word as if we look for Revelations from God we have a more sure word of Prophesie therefore it is not so much after Revelations that we are to look especially in such times as these are but to the written Word of God There is a Generation of men rising now if not risen that begin to have vile thoughts of the written Word of God and think to understand the mind of God otherwise they finding the written Word of God to keep their hearts too close and lay too strong bonds upon them but because they would fain be loose they would feign and imagin to themselves other waies of Gods mind but when they are rotten and it may be when their souls are perished eternally in Hell the written Word of God shall stand and be honorable in the eyes of his Saints I have written The Prophet doth not say he hath written but he brings in God saying I have written And that first upon these two reasons First To put the greater emphasis upon it for it is more for God himself to come and say I have written as if a Father or Master say to his Child or Servant I command you to do such a thing it is more than if a Brother or fellow-Servant should say my Father hath bidden or my Master hath bidden you to do such a thing Secondly Whosoever were the Pen-men of the Word it is I that write it I take it upon my self The Word is so much his that God claims not only the truths that are in the Word but the very ordering for the words and in 2 Pet. 1. 21. it is said of holy men they spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost they were carried on with a kind of violence as the word signifies and not only moved but carried on with a kind of violence to write what they did both
be look'd upon as great things the things of Gods Word That 's the first And then especially The things that concern Gods Worship are to be look'd upon as great things for so it hath reference to them but the expression aims at that which is more general the great things of my Law the honorable magnificent and glorious things Now the things of the Law are great things First Because they are from the great God and they have the stamp of the Authority of the great God upon them there is a dreadful Authority in every Truth in every thing that is written in Gods Law I say there is a dreadful Authority of the great God that binds Kings and Princes in chains that laies bonds upon the conscience that no created power can yet this doth when we come to hear the Word we come either as to a Soveraign to receive Laws from or as to a Judg to receive the sentence of death it hath the dreadful Authority of the great God in it and therefore every thing that is in the Word is to be look'd upon as a great thing a piece of Parchment and a little Wax and a few Lines in it what are they but having the Authority of the great Seal of England such a piece is to be look'd upon as a great thing The things of Gods Law are great things for they have great Authority which goes along with them And Secondly They are great things because of the lustre of the great God that shines in them Take all the Creatures that ever God made in Heaven and Earth and I say there is not so much glory of God in Sun Moon Stars Sea and Plants and al things in the world as there is in some few sentences of holy Scripture therfore they are great things Psal 138. 2. Thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name The Name of God appears in his great work of Creation and of Providence We are to look upon Gods Name as very great yet thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name it 's more than al Gods Names besides It may be when there are some extraordinary works of God in the world Thundring and Lightning c. we are ready to be affraid and oh the great God that doth appear in these great works Were our hearts 〈◊〉 they ought to be when we reade the WORD we would tremble at that more than at any manifestation of God since the world began in all his Works and if so be thou dost not see more glory of God in his Word than in his Works it is because thou hast little light in thee and therfore let the world think of the things of Gods Law that are written as they wil yet they are the great things of his Law Thirdly They are the great Mysteries of Gods Will the great Counsels of God about the Souls of men about his way to honor Himself and to bring Mankind to Himself to Eternal life the great Counsels great Mysteries that are contained in the Word of God such as the Angels themselves do desire to pry into as in Prov. 8. 6. it is said of Wisdom Hear and I will speak of excellent things The Word of God speaks of excellent things right excellent things such great Mysteries of Gods Wisdom as should take up our thoughts yea and doth take up the Angels and shall take up the Angels and Saints to all Eternity to be prying into the great things which are revealed in Gods Word Psal 119. 27. Make me to understand the way of thy precepts so shall I talk of thy wondrous Works Mark how these are joyned together Make me to understand the way of thy precepts so shall I talk of thy wonderous works Why David couldest not thou see the wonderous works of God in the book of the creature in Heaven and Earth Oh no Make me to understand the way of thy precepts and then shall I talk of thy wonderous Works We many times talk about vain and slight things because we have nothing else to talk of but did we understand the way of Gods precepts we should be furnished with discourse of the wondrous works of God And then It 's a great WORD because that they are of great concernment The things of Gods Law are of great concernment for all our present good or evil depends upon the things of Gods Law Prov. 3. 22. They are life unto thy soul and grace unt◠〈◊〉 neck So saith Moses in Deut. 32. 46. Set your hearts unto all the words which I testifie unto you this day for it is not a vain thing it is your life they are of great concernment there 's a curse annexed to the breach of every thing in Gods Law Cursed be every one that abideth not in every thing that is written in the book of the Law Is it not a great matter then Certainly there is nothing in the Law that is to be look'd upon as a little matter because the Curse of God is annexed to the breath of every thing that is written in Gods Law and there we have the casting of our souls for eternity and is not that a great matter Did we come to hear the Word or did we reade the Word as the Word by which we must be cast for our eternal estates we would look upon it as a great Word Again The things are great things in Gods Law in regard of the great power and efficacy that they have upon the hearts and consciences of men when God sets home the things of his Law they will bring down the proudest heart and the stoutest stomach that is they will enlighten the blindest mind and convert the hardest heart that is in the world the Law hath a mighty power upon the soul and therefore it is great Further They are great things because they make all those great that do receive them they make them great even because they have but the keeping of them much more than if they receive them in Deut. 4. 8. What Nation is there so great that hath Statutes and Judgments so righteous as all this Law that I set before you this day What Nation so great as you are why wherein are we greater than other people Wherein In this What Nation is so great that hath Statutes and Judgments so righteous as all this Law which I set before you this day This was that which made the People of Israel a great Nation beyond all the Nations in the world they were not great in multitude but in that they had the Law of God and the great things of his Law revealed to them in this they became a great Nation The Lord honors a Nation highly but to reveal the things of His Law to them But how great then doth a soul come to be that doth imbrace those things that hath all those great and good things reveal'd in the Law made to it as its own priviledg Surely that soul
superstitious people who are forward and zealous in their own way of Worship yet they are very slight and negligent in Gods way of Worship little regard that Indeed their own Altars they were accounted great things that way which they appointed themselves they did not care what cost they were at in that way but as for Gods way that was as a strange thing unto them We have seen it very evident and do see it in great part to this day how those that are very zealous in superstitious worship are the most negligent in Gods way of Worship to instance you know in late times what a deal of stir did men make with their own forms of Worship with their own Ceremonies and Waies of Worship which they appointed how zealous were they in them and devout were they in them when they came in publick Congregations to bow and cring and for other Ceremonies that they said were only for the decency of Gods Worship how stiff were they in them that the mouths of the most Godly Ministers must be stop'd if they would not conform to them But even these men would scorn and jeer at strictness in Gods Waies and slight any man that would be consciencious in the Waies of God and they were Rebels that should not yeild to a Ceremony because it was disobedience to Magistracy For men to be consciencious for little things as they thought in Gods Law seemed strange when as they would urge men to obey to the uttermost in little things in their own so in another point that fals out as full and reasonable for the time as in the point of their own Feastivals and Holy daies those that would persecute to the uttermost men that should work but to get bread for their families on a Holy-day yet they could publish Books of Sports for the prophanation of the Lords Day And thus the great things of Gods Law they were strange things but their own things Holy-daies were great matters Surely if it were such a great matter to keep the Festival of Christs Nativity we should have some hint of it from the beginning of Matthew to the end of the Revelations but when God gives not the least hint of any such time And mark it those people that stand most upon such Festivals they stand least upon Gods Sabbaths and indeed you shall have many people which think it a strange thing for men not to have regard to such Festivals Why may not we keep the birth of our Savior Now that you might not think it a strange thing do but consider of this that when God hath set apart any thing for a holy use it is no strange thing but it should be strange in man to venture to imitate God in the things of his Worship to do that in Gods worship which God himself hath done before thus God hath set apart a holy time viz. the Sabbath it is set apart for to solemnize all the work of Redemption both the Nativity of Christ and his Life and Death and Resurrection and Ascention and the coming of the Holy Ghost all the things about mans Redemption I say God hath set the Sabbath apart to that end that we might have a Holy day to keep the remembrance of them Now when God hath set one day apart for man to dare to venture to set another apart this is presumption So because Christ hath set outward Elements and Sacraments to be a remembrance for his body and blood for man to say Christ hath set apart a piece of Bread and Wine why may not I set some other thing apart This you would all say were a great presumption Certainly the presumption is the same in the former Again it is observable in this expression They counted it as a strange thing It is a dangerous thing for men to have their hearts estranged from Gods Law and from the other Spiritual Truths that are in Gods Word from the knowledg of that Law which we have been educated in and that heretofore we have made profession of for thus it was with this people they had been educated in Gods Law and made profession of it and whatsoever God should reveal they would obey but now their hearts were estranged from what they were educated in and made profession of Oh! let men take heed of this for ever You that have had good education you have been brought up in the knowledg of Gods Law you have had gracious principles of Gods Law dropt into you in your youth you have made fair profession of Gods Law of obedience to it take heed now of being estranged from those truths that heretofore have been familiar to you that you have made profession of and therefore take heed of the several degrees of the estrangement of the heart from the Law of God I will but only name them to shew how the hearts of men do grow strangers from Gods Law First It fares with his heart as it doth with a man that grows to be a stranger from his friends A man that hath a familiar friend he doth not estrange himself suddenly but by degrees it may be visit one another less than they were wont to do and yet there is no contention between them but by degrees they grow to be strange and then at length they grow to be very enemies And thus it is with mens hearts when men grow strange from the Word that he was acquainted withal before first he begins to call things in question whether things be so or no and especially those things which most concern the mortifying of sin and the strictness of holiness Secondly He begins upon this or rather I think that 's the first he begins to abate his delight in the truths of God he was wont to take abundance of delight to meditate in the Word Oh how sweet it was when he awaked in the night season he was wont to take a great deal of delight about conferring in Gods Word and when he came into any company but now it is abated that 's the first Secondly he calls those things into question that he was very confident in before whether they be so or no. Thirdly He begins to have some hard thoughts of Gods Word Many men that heretofore did prize the Word and those Truths that were the joy of their hearts yet now they begin to have hard thoughts of them Yea fourthly He begins to wish that those things which are in the Word were otherwise than they are he cannot see enough to perswade him that the things are true but his heart coming to be estranged from the Word he doth desire they were not true as a man that comes to be estranged from another he could wish he were further off from him Fifthly He begins to listen to those things which are against the Word there was a time that he would never regard any things
that were said against the strictest way of holiness but now he can be ready to listen to Objections As a man when he was intimate with his friend he could not endure to hear any thing that was said against him but now being estranged from him he can drink in any thing which is said against him Sixthly When the heart is estranged from the Word it wil put off thoughts and through examination of truths it will not search into things as it was wont to do but is willing to put off and shut his eyes and will rather search into any thing that may make against the Truth than that which will work for it I beseech you observe these workings of your hearts Seventhly There will be an engagement in some practice not allowed by the Word Then a man grows further estranged from his Friend when he doth not only refrain coming into his company but he will engage himself into some others that are against him Eighthly It comes to have a slight esteem of what before they thought had great weight in it there was a time when such such things were thought to have very great weight in them but now they are nothing they are of another judgment Just as when a man is estranged from his friend he thought before he had a great deal of excellency in him but now he esteems him not and this is the argument of the estrangement of his heart from him Lastly If men take not heed when they are by these degrees grown to be estranged from the Truth they will at length violently reject the Truths of the Word they will grow to be open enemies to the Truth Men that have bin familiar with Gods Word and Truth and made profession of them and seem'd to love them most by several degrees they have grown to be strangers from them and at length to be enemies to them Apostates have proved to be the most desperate enemies to the truths of God of any in the world take heed therefore of the strangeness of your hearts from the Truths of God lest you afterwards prove to be an enemy to God it 's an evil thing to account the Law of God a strange thing but much more to account it an enemy to us and our hearts to be an enemy to it Isa 5. 24. Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble and the flame consumeth the chaff so their root shall be rottenness and their blossom shall go up as dust why because they have cast away the Law of the Lord of Hosts and despised the Word of the holy One of Israel Oh! let us for ever take heed of this and therefore let our prayer be that of the Prophet David in Psal 119. 18 19. Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law And then it follows I am a stranger in the earth hide not thy Commandements from me Lord I account my self a stranger here in the world Oh! let not thy Word be a stranger to me I beseech you observe this Those men and women that account themselves strangers in the world will never account the Law of God a strang thing to them but such men as account themselves to be the inhabitants of the world they will have Gods Law to be a stranger to them Observe it and you shall find this to be a Note When your hearts begin to close with the things of the world you do not meditate in Gods Word so much as you did before nor delight to reade it but now if you can keep your heart from the things of the world to use them as if you used them not then this will be your prayer Lord hide not thy Commandements from me Oh thy Word is sweet unto me as honey and the honey comb One Note more about this They accounted this as a strange thing Men they have a strange way now a daies to estrange the Law from them and themselves from the Law That which their corrupt hearts will not close withal as for a rule of holiness that they will put upon Christ as if Christ had delivered them from it This is a strange way indeed of estranging themselves from Gods Law many men will eestrange themselves from the Law of God by too much familiarity in the world but for people to have this way by their familiarity with Jesus Christ because they come now to know Christ more therefore they should be greater strangers from the Law than they were before this is a strange way of estranging mens hearts from Gods Law The holy Ghost foreseeing such a generation which would be in the times of the Gospel that would boldly assert that whosoever the people of God were bound to under the old Testament yet in the new Testament they have nothing to do with the Law of Moses it is very observable In Malac. 4. 2. 4. the very close of the old Testament even then when there is a Prophesie of Christ to annex the old Testament and the new together saith the text there Vnto you that fear my Name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings to you that fear my Name shall Christ arise what then then you shall have nothing to with the Law when Christ arises Mark then in the 4 th vers Remember ye the Law of Moses almost the last words in the old Testament and the Conclusion as if the holy Ghost should say now I have done revealing all my mind about the old Testament and you must never expect any more Prophets nor any further Revelations of my mind till the time of the new Testament but instead of the Prophets you shall have the Sun of righteousness arise Well then I hope they shall never have any thing to do with the Law of Moses more Nay but saith the holy Ghost Remember ye the Law of Moses my servant c. VER 13. They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifice of mine offering THE Jews might object Why how do we account the Law of God a strange thing do not we continue in sacrificing do not we offer our sacrifices to God why do you say we account the Law a strange thing From the connexion therefore this Note may be observed That men may continue in outward profession and performances of duties of Religion and yet the great things of Gods Law may be a strange thing to them They do offer sacrifices still and yet they accounted Gods Law as a strange thing to them Do not think that sufficient that you continue in outward profession of Religion Nay shall I say more I make no qustion but a man may continue in outward duties and yet Apostatize from God so far as to commit the sin against the holy Ghost and that 's evident from the example of the Scribes and Pharisees that Christ charges for commission of the sin against the
Prophets whom they followed in times of their prosperity But God would have a time wherein they should know they were but fools and the spiritual man but mad And this was likewise because of their great hatred the great hatred of the the true Prophets their spirits were against them and therefore God gave them up to those that were false the same argument follows here in the eigth verse The watchman of Ephraim was with my God but the Prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his waies and hatred in the house of his God The watch-man Such who profess themselves watchmen that take upon themselves glorious titles Prophets and Ministers of God are called watchmen and these made great profession that they would be as careful to foresee and labor as much to prevent danger to the People as any of them all they profest to be very useful unto the people and to be as much for God as any but they were a snare and this title of theirs and this profession of theirs proved to be a snare unto the people Many vile things are hidden under fair and glorious titles as many excellent things are disgraced under base and ignominious titles You know what a deal of evil was lately covered among us by names and titles as the Clergie and the Church and likewise what abundance of good had dirt cast upon it by titles as Conventicles and Puritans and the like and now the titles of things may be changed into others but may be as dangerous some other way as formerly these titles were both one way and the other Let people for ever take heed of titles and examin what lies under them be not led away one way nor other either by fair or specious titles or by ignominious titles Ordinarilie people that do not examin things to the bottom they are taken with names and titles But somewhat of these heretofore The watchman of EPHRAIM The people of Israel the ten Tribes they had no mind to the true watchmen because they threatned hard things against them they were willing to close with any others that would preach more pleasing things so they might set one against another and this quieted them although the truth was that these watchmen were a most grievous snare to them Thus many who have carnal hearts and are not able to bear the evincing and threatning power of the Word in the mouths of the true watchmen of faithful Ministers they seek to help themselves by the opinions judgments of other Ministers and so think they are safe when they have the opinion and judgment of some that are learned and have repute of godliness too for so certainly these watchmen had here and then they can set the opinion and judgment of one against the opinion and judgment of the other they think they are safe now and may be quiet yet this proves a dangerous snare When there is cleer conviction of a truth it is a dangerous thing out of a lothness to yeeld to that to seek the opinions of others I confess when a man hath the opinion and judgments and if out of love to the truth that he might be confirmed in the Truth or that he might know fully what the Truth is for him to seek help from others is a good thing but if out of distast to a Truth if because the heart is weary of it and would fain not have it to be true because it may bring some trouble upon that ground he goes to seek the opinion of some other and hopes before he goes that he shall find the opinion of others to be contrary and so he may have something to quiet his spirit this is a great snare to the souls of those that have been guilty of it The Watch-man of Ephraim Ephraim had Watch-men as well as Judah No cause so ill but will have some in the place of Watch-men that have the repute of wise learned and judicious men to maintain it The Watch-man of Ephraim was with my God They professed more than ordinarie judgment in the knowledg of Gods mind and acquaintance with the waies of God and yet they were snares to the people Whence observe Every man in his erronious opinion doth pretend to be with God and for God and without this indeed he could never be a snare to those that profess themselves to be the people of God With my God It must needs be a great grief to those who have the true knowledg of God and indeed have interest in him to see others who are false to maintain that which is evil and yet to pretend to God as if they were for God and for the glory of God and to set up God as much as any The Prophet seems to speak in grief and trouble these Watch-men of Ephraim those among the ten Tribes they will pretend to be for God to be for my God Vatablus hath a further Note upon this saith he Ephraim made to himself a Watch-man and would hear him and would hear them together with his God like mad-men would hear them together with God and so they would worship Idols and God too they would seem to respect the true Prophets and false Prophet both which is a meer madness thus he The Watchman of Ephraim was with my God They would not wholly depart from God and yet they would maintain false worship they would mingle both together But then The Prophet is a snare a snare of a Fower That is he catches poor simple deluded souls as a Fowler catches the bird with casting baits that are pleasing unto the bird hiding from the bird the snare that presently comes upon it so saith he the Watchmen of Ephraim do thus First they come to the people with very fair and specious things and labor to drop in those principles and do not discover what inferences they intend to make of them afterwards they do not discover what designs they have and what their scope is for the present they come to them and desire them to yeeld to such things that seem to be as fair as any thing in the world and with much pretence that it is only for their good and they intend nothing but good now when they have brought them to yeeld to such things they know that there are some inferences to be brought from those things that will make them to yeeld to other things which had they been presented to them at first they would never have yeelded to but the inferences lay at a distance as the snare doth and they not seeing what would follow they are brought to yield to such things that afterwards they cannot tell how in the world to avoid but they must yeeld to further things thus the Watchman is as a snare of a Fowler that laies things that seem to be very plausible at first but intend afterwards to bring the people to yeeld to other things that would
it yea but the corruption of thy heart makes thee unwilling to hearken to the Truth the corruption of mens hearts makes them that they would fain have such a thing not to be a Truth I appeal to you have you never felt some corruptions stirring this way that when you are engaged another way and you see that if you should be taken off from that a great deal of ease and liberty and outward comforts would be gone and upon this your hearts are very loth that that should be true and therefore you are not willing to hearken to hearken with a cleer heart so as to be willing to entertain the Truth if it doth prove to be a truth that soul that shall be willing to retain every truth and be willing to let the truth prevail what ever it be that 's a sign of a gracious heart but the lusts of mens hearts do hinder them from hearkening and they are loth to hearken to those Truths that come neerest to them but when a man or woman shall be able in the presence of God upon examination of his or her heart to say Oh Lord let thy Truth prevail thou knowest that I am willing to hearken to every Truth of Thine though it should pluck away all my outward comforts I would fain know thy Truth and I would know the strictest Truths what Truths they are that most concern thy Glory and thy Worship in the best manner whatever becomes of my Credit or estate Lord let thy Truth prevail in my heart I say here 's a gracious heart that will thus hearken to God and his Truth But they have uncircumcised ears they cannot hear saith Jeremiah so through the corruption that is in mens spirits they cannot hearken to those things that seem to make against them But the last words of all here is the threatning They shall be wanderers among the Nations It is a judgment to have an unsetled spirit wandring up and down and can settle to nothing somtimes in this place sometimes in that sometimes in this way and sometimes in another this is a judgment of God Solomon hath such an expression The sight of the eyes is better than the wandring of the desires the wandring of mens appetites and desires work a great deal of vexation to them Again observe that Those who are cast away out of Gods house they can have no rest they go about like the unclean spirit seeking rest but can find none Psal 139. Here will I rest for ever The Church of God and his Ordinrnces are Gods rest and should be the rest of the hearts of his people and they are indeed the rest of the hearts of those that are gracious but alas poor soul who art wandring from God Whither goest thou where indeed will be thy rest It was the Curse of God upon Cain to be a wanderer up and down upon the face of the earth But you will say May not men be wanderers that is may not they be cast out of their Habitations and Countries and wander up and down and yet not be cast off from God It 's true we reade in Heb. 11. that the Christians wandred up and down in Sheep skins and Goats skins whom the world was not worthy of But that was in a way of persecution for God and for his Truth it was not because they would not hearken but because they would hearken and though thou shouldst be forc'd to wander from thy Brethren and the sweet Habitation that thou hadst and thy Friends perhaps thou art fain to wander up down even for thy life yea but canst thou say Yet I hope I am not one of Gods cast-awayâ— It 's one of Gods Epithites that he glories in That he will gather the out-casts of Israel Man hath cast me out yea but I bless God I carry a good Conscience with me and that man or woman needs not be troubled with wandring that can carry a good Conscience with them you are cast out from your Friends yea but still thou hast the Bird that sings in thy bosome Canst thou say I have not cast away thy CoÌ„mandements Lord Indeed if a mans conscience tel him that he hath cast away Gods Commandements then if he wanders it is dreadful to him What though thou art wandring from thy house from thy outward comforts but not from Gods Commandements Cast me not out of thy presence saith David though thou beest from thy friends yet not from God presence here it is I will cast them out among the Nations It was a Curse in Psal 44. 11. Thou hast scattered us among the Heathen It was a great Judgment of God to be scattered among the Nations for they were a people that were separated from the Nations and not to be reckoned among the Nations and Gods peculiar Treasure There were these three expressions not only to be wandering among the Nations not only among Strangers but among Heathens among Blasphemers this must needs be a heavy and sore judgment to be cast among Idolaters This Curse is upon the Jews to this very day how are they wanderers among the Nations Let us learn from hence To prize the communion of Saints let us learn what a blessing it is to live among our own People especially among the Saints in the enjoyment of Gods Ordinances let us make use it now lest God teach us what it is by casting us away and making us to wander among the wicked and ungodly then your conscâ—ences will fly in your faces and tell you Oh! what times we once had and what sweet communion had we but we began to neglect the prize that God put into our hand Oh! if we were where once we were we would meet often and pray and confer and we would labor to edifie one another in our most holy faith and warm one anothers spirits not spending all our time in wrangling and jangling Oh! but now those times are â—one and we are cast away and are wandering up and down among wicked and ungodly people Truly there hath not been a time in many years when the communion of the Saints hath been so little improved as at this day we now wander as it were among our selves and little converse one with another what should we do living together Just were it with God to bring this Judgment upon us that we should wander among wicked people here and there and that we should not come to see the face of a Saint to have converse or communion with them Thus we have finished this Ninth Chapter CHAP. X. VERS 1. Israel is an empty Vine he bringeth forth fruit unto himself according to the multitude of his fruit he hath encreased the Altars according to the goodness of his Land they have made goodly Images HERE Gualter makes the beginning of Hosea's seventh Sermon The Argument is like unto the former upbraiding and threatning Hosea had to deal with
that we hope the Lord is even revenging himself upon them for breaking Covenant even in that very place Now my Brethren that even Heathens themselves are convinc'd of this great evil that is so dreadful an evil what cause have we to lay our hands upon our hearts this day in respect of that part of our Covenant that concerns one another for certainly since the time of our solemn Covenant there was never more treachery than there hath been in England and in Scotland too there hath been as much treachery since that time as ever yet was since either of them were a Nation we have been false one to another so far as it relates to our selves But I find that Calvin in his Notes upon this Scripture understands this Oath and Covenant not to be a Covenant to men but their Covenant with God in promising repentance and new obedience and so they spake only words Swearing falsly they did but deceive him in swearing and making a Covenant and this indeed is a sore and dreadful evil to swear to the high God and to Covenant with him to draw so nigh to him and yet to be false God threatens in Levit. 26. 25. That he will send a sword to avenge the quarrel of his Covenant and when we see the sword rageth so as it doth we may have cause to fear that the Lord hath a quarrel against us in avenging the late Covenant that hath been made I mean our falseness in it and that we may see further our guiltiness and evil in swearing falsly in making a Covenant we must know that many waies our hearts may be false in our Covenants with God It is a dreadful evil to be false any way in Covenant with God any of you that upon your sick beds have been solemnly promising to God reformation if God restor'd you if you be false Oh know that the Lord hath a quarrel against you and he hath a dreadful evil to charge upon your souls How many of you have been false in your private Covenants But to be false in publick Covenants that 's most dreadful But our hearts may be false divers waies As First If we take our Covenant meerly upon politick grounds we make the solemn Worship of God wherein we express our fidelity for Reformation of Religion to be meerly subserviant to politick grounds here 's a falsness of heart we are false in swearing thus and making a Covenant we do not sanctifie the Name of God as we ought Or Secondly If we put false Interpretations we are false when we shall make our Covenant a meer 〈◊〉 to our Brethren let us consider how far any of us are guilty of this and let the Lord judge between us I say when we seek to make it a snare even to our Brethren How have those been accused for the breach of this Oath which have not accorded in things that are in Controversie with our Brethren as if this Oath were put upon all men to determin most abstruse and difficult points of Controversie to bring men to submit to things as are very abstruse and difficult to understand this were to make an Oath a Snare and to take the Name of God in vain in a fearful manner Certainly the Lord never would have Oaths put to men to this end that men that are of different waies and opinions in Controversal things for to be forced by way of an Oath to be of the same judgement and to do the same things this is a great abuse of this Oath wheresoever it is urged so far Certainly there 's no man guilty of the breach of this Oath and Covenant that shall but endeavor what he can to understand what the mind of God is and then to practice according as he understands though he should mistake as in the point of Schism in that point of the Covenant the thing its self being a sin we may as well swear against it as David did to keep Gods Commandements but now if David did labor to understand Gods Commandements and do as far as he did understand suppose he did not understand all things aright it might be his weakness but not his perjury So let us be in point of Schism or any other point of the Covenant if men do endeavor to understand what is Schism by the Scripture and accordingly do in their several places by what means their consciences tels them is lawful endeavor to oppose it though they should not think that to be Schism that their Brethren do think or perhaps is so yet they are not forsworn this is evil to make a Covenant to be a snare unto us and our hearts so far are false in it And then thirdly Then is the he heart false in making a Covenant when it doth not fulfill it according to the nature of it when it goes quite opposite against it As since our Covenant hath been made When was there ever greater divisions Our Covenant is for unity When more ungodliness our Covenant is against it when more injustice Our Covenant is against all these and yet since England was a Nation there was never stronger cries came to Heaven for these sins than there hath been since our Covenant And therefore certainly there 's a great breach between God and us in this regard And then fourthly When men make their Covenant to be a cloak for Malignity that is Though they have Malignant and vile wicked spirits yet they can but take the Covenant and then all is well Here they swear falsely in making a Covenant Thus Judgment springeth up as Hemlock in the furrows of the field After this their Covenant there is a great deal of injustice among them Judgment By Judgment some understand the Judgments of God and then the sense is Those wicked waies of yours are the seeds that brings up Gods Judgments that is as Hemlock bitter and deadly there 's a truth in this Interpretation though I think it is not the full scope of the words here but it may be the holy Ghost would hint some such thing unto us in it That our actions are as seeds and what they are sown here they will bring forth according to the nature of them Wicked actions when they are sown will bring forth bitter fruit will bring forth Hemlock It may be saith he you look for peace and prosperity but contrary to your expectation behold Hemlock and bitterness I beseech you take heed of preparing your selves a potion of Hemlock against you lie sick and are cast upon your death bed a man hath sown his field he thinks to have a good crop of Corn but Judgment the Judgment of God comes up and there 's Hemlock instead of it But because I think this not to be the scope of the place therefore I pass it by and rather think that by Judgment is here meant Righteousness Equity and Justice That whereas there should
Policy 2. Reason 3. Experience may be one way and yet 4. Religion and the written Word another Luther Exod. 39. 43. explained * Opinions of the Learned nor Custom nor Antiquity the Rule of Worsâ—ip but the written Word only †Nobis noÌ„ liceat saluâ honoriâ—â—centâ—a quae illis debitur aliquid in eorum Scriptis reprobare atque respuere talis ego sum in scriptis aliorum tabesque volo esse intellectores meorum August Ambrose Object Answ Luther The Scripture is both 1 the Rule 2 the exposi or to shew the meaning of the Rule How mens writings may help us to understand Scripture The written Word a singular blessing Theodores Physitian Luther Schoolmen Synodus pari pietatis affectu reverentia recipit ac reveratur Concil Trid. sess 4. decret prim Quest Answ 2 Pet. 1. 19. illustrated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more sure than revelation The danger of revelations beside the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obs 1. Psal 119. 105. illustrated Use And Vers 106. An apt simile Expâ—s Law what 1. the whol word of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 docuit Multiplices Leges Scribitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Legitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 70. Adoro plenitudinem scripturaruÌ„ Tertul. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 simile Ps 138. 2 illustrated Psal 119. 27. opened Deut. 4. 8. applyed Mat. 5. 18 explained Isa 42. 21 noted Contemners of the Law Antinomians Saints prize the Law Apoc. 6. 9. Obs 1. Deut. 17. 18. 19. illustrated Alphonsus King of Aragon Obs 2. Psa 119. 129. illustrated Isa 40. 6. illustrated Prov. 13. 13 enlightened Obs 3. Uzza a Levite Uzziah a King Nadab Abihu Ezek 7. 20. enlightened Ier. 17. 12 illustrated The Reprehension The Word accounted strange 1. As not concerning us 2. Strange in their apprehensions Luther 3. No sutableness between their hearts and the doctrine simile Prov. 6. 21. applied 4. Vse the Word as a stranger i.e. for our own ends only Obs 1. Confirmed from the late times in England Holy-daies Sabbaths Christmass God not to be imitated in his worship The Sabbath is for commemoration of al the particulars of our redemption Obj. 2. Us of Admonition The degrees of the hearts estrangment from God 1. Less frequent 2. His delight abats which is also the first degree 3. Takes up hard thoughts of spiritual truths 4. Wisheth the things in the word were otherâ—wise simile 5. Harkens to contrary doctrine simile 6. Will not search throughly into truths 7. An Engagement in som unlawful practice 8. Former weighty arguments now weak simile 9. Become open enemies Isa 5. 24. Psal 119. 18 19. Obs 3. Vs against Antinomians The Spirit of God forsaw this generation Mal. 4. 24. enterpreted Object Answ Obs 1. Aman may continue strict in duties and yet have committed the sin against the holy Ghost Expos Obs 2. Prayer Preaching Isa 40. 3. enterpreted Gifts and Parts Expol. 1. 2 The Authors Exp. Obs 3. Instance in Feastivals and Fasts Why Christmass is so zealously kept An apt simile 1 King 13 In the present War The Cause The Pay God expects Self-denial in temporal not in spiritual things Obs 4. Amos. 5. 22. Amos Hosea contemporaries consent in Doctrine Obs 5 How to exercise Faith for Pardon in holy Duties Obs 6. 1 Sam. 15 20. Sins of youth punished in age simile Use to young ones and others youth sins ages terror Ier. 2. 2. Heb. 10. 3 illustrated Obs 7. Reasons simile Gen. 21. Exod. 4. Obs 8. Exod. 32. 34. Micah 7. 4 Isa 10. 3. 1. It notes their sin 2. King 17. 4. Obs 9. 2. Their judgment Deut. 28. Obs 10. Applicat to Engl. Obs 11. Quest Answ Ier. 44. Obs 12. the answering our desires is the execution of Godswrath oftimes Obs 1. A sign of much wrath Eccles 12. 1. 1 Sam. 12. 6. To be imployed in publick service is the making of a man Obs 2 Isa 43. 7. Obs 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Church is Gods palace Obs 3. Obs 4. Instanced in the late times in England Quest Answ Their sin in building Temples Hag. 2. 2â— and 4. 9. How superstition in them to build Temples what made the Temple at Jerusalem Holy and Peculiar to it No argument therfore from thence for the holiness of Churches Praying in Churches no more accepted unless with the holy Congregation Chrysost Hom. 79. ad Populum Some Heathens against it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dogm Zen The Persians Xerxes magi Josephus l. 15. c. 14. Paule-work Strong places to be dedicated by prayet and reformation A notable story Obs 1. Obs 2. Englands enemies should have considerrd this Expos 1. Expos 2. Obs 3. Obs 4. Gualt The time of this Prophesie Expos Observ Use for England A 3d time The time helps to understand the Prophesie Israels malignants Obs Leagues and peace wherin we much rejoyce may prove occasions of sorrow Us Be not greedy of peace before the time Obs 1. Seculi laetitia est impunita nequitia Aug. in John tract 12. Amos 6. 4. Obs 2 Obs 3. We may prosper yet have no cause of joy An apâ— simile Obs 1. Expos 1. 1. Be not taken with the worlds jolity 2. Imitate them not in waies of rejoycing * Preached in Christmass 3. Not as a people The Dolphin 4. Not prophanely 5. not having so much cause as others Obser Instanced in this Nation Obser An apt simile Luk 13. 28. A fit similitude Obs 1. Obs 2. Object Answ Object Answ No Nation but Israel forsook their gods Ier. 2. 10. explained Obs 3. A special note Obs 4. Amos 3. 2 Rom. 2. 9. Ier. 18. 13. expounded Ier. 32. 30. opened Act. 17. 1 Sam. 6. 7. with 2 Sam. 6. 3. noted Some Antinomians noted Saints should sorrow must for sin Quest Answ God hath liberty to damn one for a lesser sin and save one that is guilty of a greater Instanced in the examples of Saul and David Expicat Applicat Observ simile simile Explic. Obs 1. Obs 2 Obs 3. Obs 4 simile Levit. 18. 26. Levit. 25. 23. A meditation in our walking into the Fields Canaan the Lords Land in a special manner Reas 1. Psa 95. 7. Heb. 3. 7. c. 4. 1. 1 Chron. 16. 15. Obser England another Canaâ— Corruptors of Gods worship the ruin of the Land Obser Use 1. The happiness of Beleevers Use 2. Obs 1. Obs 2. Obs 3. Wine and Oyl in sacrifice what it signified Obs 1. Obs 2. Iudg. 9. 13 enlightned Duties of Religion a Saints recreation Delicatares est spiritm sanctus Tert. Num 19. 11. 14. The dead carcass of a beast did not somuch defile as the carcass of a dead man Numb 11. 31. What this signified Why a dead body defiled Funeral mournings Why if imoÌ„derate not pleasing to God Why they were to be so long unclean that mourned for the dead Levit. 10. 19. enlightned Deut. 12. 7. 18. Chap. 26. 13 14. illustrated Even sorrow for sin must