let us say Priests they say superintendents but let us keep the word Bishop it is a Scripture word indeed but not in that sense they call it for in the Scripture sense every Presbyter is a Bishop they say Sacrament let us keep the word Sacrifice and Host they say Congregation let us keep the word Church they morning evening prayer let us keep the words Mattens even-song and so Oblation Lent and Palmsunday and Christmas day c. This was the policy of Papists and it hath been the policy of many of us to bring in popery by Let us take heed of this for the Devill is subtile in this for though these words have some kind of good sense in the Originall yet there is danger in the use of them Augustine in his preface to his narration upon the Psalms hath this expression It is a better thing in the mouths of Christians to speak according to the manner of the Church so we may well say it had been better that in the mouths of Protestants there had been the ordinary language of Protestants not the language of Papists Certainly if God had not been very mercifull unto us the very language of Papists that began to be amongst us would have done abundance of mischief take heed as long as you live of the language of Papists whatsoever pretence they may have for their words In that place of the Rhemists Testament quoted they say Let us take heed of the words of hereticks they there confess that heretiques as they call us use many words that have no great hurt in them but because they are the words of heretiques let us not say they use them They are wise enough they will not use our words though they confesse the words themselves have no harme in them yet because they are our proper language as they make them distinct from themselves therefore no Catholiques should use them why should not we be as wise as they The second Observation Idolatry is a most loathsome and abominable thing Why Surely that is most loath some that we may not so much as mention that we may not so much as remember We must seek to abolish the very name the very remembrance of Idolatry as much as possibly we can First one that we hate we do not love his presence we do like his company Secondly if we hate him very much we doe not love so much as to see him and if perhaps we doe see him afar off out hearts rise that is a second degree But thirdly if our hatred be so great thee wee cannot endurâ—â—â— name him that is a greater degree of hatred But fourthly if wee cannot endure to remember him that is more then to name him Yet thus should it be in our manifestation of our hatred to Idolatry we should not admit it into our company much lesse then to joyn in the Ordinances of God We should not admit no not the very sight of it no not the name of it no not the memory of it without a great deale of indignation Jer. 44. 4. Oh doe not this abominable thing saith the Lord there The Lord cryes out with a shriek as it were Oh! doe not this abominable thing as if any of you should see one ready to murther your child or to cut the throat of your father you would shrick out Oh! what mean you to doe do not such a horrible villany as this so God cries out as it were with a shriek do not this abominable thing It is observable in the second commandement that God saith hee will visite the sinn upon the third generation of them that hate him none seem to love God more then wil-worshippers they will not only worship God as he hath appointed but will devise ways of their owne and yet God charges the breakers of no commandement with hatred of him but onely these As if God should say you pretend love to me in that you will finde out new wayes to worship me by you pretend decency and reverence but I account it hating me you can provoke me in nothing more Tertullian in his book De Idololatria hath this expression Idolatry is the principall hey nous crime of mankind it is the chief guilt of the world and the onely cause of judgment in the world It were good therefore seeing God hates it and loaths it so much that we should hate and loath it and therefore even cast out the name and the memory of it it were a happy thing if this could be obtained that now the names as of Popish so of heathenish Idols could be got out from the Church But I know not how it comes to passe that we Christians do still retaine the use of their names the very dayes of the week amâ—â—g us are called by the names of Planets or Heathen Gods Not that I think it a sin when it is the ordinary language of the world so to speak as may be understood for the Apostle as I said afore mentioneth the name of Castor and Pollux but if there could be an alteration by a generall consent it were a thing desireable as our brethren in New-England doe and it were very desireable likewise that our children might not be educated in the use of heathen Poems where the names of heathen Idols are kept up fresh amongst us The Papists themselves acknowledge so much in their notes upon the Rhemists Testament Rev. 1. 10. where they say the name Sunday is Heathenish as all other of the week dayes some imposed after the name of Planets by the Romans some by the name of certaine Idols that the Saxons worshipped to which they dedicated their days before they were Christians which names the Church used not but hath appointed to call the first day Dominike the Lords the other by the name of Feries untill the last day of the week which she calleth by 〈…〉 name Sabbath because that was of God and 〈…〉 imposition of 〈◊〉 â—eathen And in their Annotations upon Luke 24. 1. The first day of the Sabbath that is first after the Sabbath which is our Lords day And the Apostle 1 Cor. 16. 2. commanded a collection to be made on the first of the Sabbath whereby wee learn say they both the keeping that day the Churches count of days 2 3 4. of the Sabbath that is the second day the third day of the week and so on to be Apostolicall which S. Sylvister afterward named 2. 3. 4. Feriam Thus you have the Papists acknowledging the Lords day to be Apostolicall and the calling the days of the week the 2. the 3. the 4. c. to bee likewise Apostolicall The Heathenish Roman names of the days were from the seven Planets 1. Sol from thence Dies solis Sunday dedicated to the Sun 2. Luna Monday dedicated to the Moon 3. Mars Tuesday dedicated to Mars Our English Tuesday is a Saxon name from Tuisco who they say was chiefe leader and
men from their sins God usually cometh with greater and sorer I see some of them will break through the hedge I will make a wall therefore that is I will come with stronger and greater afflictions and so keep them off Levit. 26. 18. If you will not for all this saith God turne unto mee I will punish you seven times more and I will breake the pride of your power you thinke there is a power in your hand and there is pride in your power for power raiseth the heart up to pride I will break it I will never leave till I have broke your hearts in spight of you and you shall find ein that Chapter four or five times mention of seven times more This is after the hedge then there cometh a wall And they shall not find their paths Hence God is able to strike men with blindness that they shall not see their way Though there be an evill way of mischief before them yet God knows how to strike them with blindness though there be nothing to hinder them in it God can strike men with blindness one way or other that they shall not bee able to see their way before them We have this this day exceedingly fulfilled in our eyes how doth God blind and befot our adversaries that they cannot see their way the truth of that Scripture Job 5. 13. is this day before our eyes He taketh the wise in their owne craft inesse and the counsel of the froward is carried head long How hath God taken wise men in their own craftinesse the counsell of froward men their spirits are froward because they are crost they are vexed their counsell is carried headlong God takes away their understanding and doth baffle them in their own counsels A notable Text we have in Psal 75. 6. The stout-hearted are spoiled they have slept their sleep and none of the men of might have found their hands They are cast into a slumber and know not what in the world to doe they know not how to make use of that power they have in their hands It followeth further in that Psalme At thy rebuke O God of Iacob both the charet and horse are cast into a dead sleep A strange expression that a Charet should be cast into a deepe sleepe the meaning is they can no more tell how to make use of them then if they all lay for dead or asleepe Let us not be afraid of the power of adversaries suppose they had power in their hand God can strike them with blindnesse they shall grope to find the door they shall be baffled in their own waies they shall not tell how to make use of their own power Isa 29. 14. Behold saith God I will proceed to doe a marvailous worke even a marvailous work and a wonder What is it The wisedome of their wise men shall perish the understanding of their prudent men shal be hid This is a wonderfull thing that God will doe yea and he will mingle a perverse spirit in the midst of them so you have it Isa 19. 11. Surely the Princes of Zoan are fooles the counsell of the wise counsellours of Phaâ—aoh is become bruitiâ— and verse 12. Where are they where are thy wise men And againe verse 13. The Princes of Zoan are become fooles the Princes of Noph are deceived and verse 14. The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit it in the midst therof they have caused Egypt to erre in his worke as a drunken man that staggereth in his vomit Here is the judgement of God upon Men when he list he can blind them in their way that they shall erre in their worke and they shall stagger in their own counsels and designes as a drunken man in his vorâ—it they shall not finde their paths they shall not know in the world what to doe VVell Thus God dealeth with wicked men But now let us consider this in reference to the Saints to Gods own people they shall not finde their paths then the Observation is It is a good blindnesse for men not to see the way of sinne It is promised here in a way of mercy that they shall not finde their paths this darkeness it is not the shadow of death but the way of life It is rich mercy I have read of one Maris a Bishop of Calcedon a blinde man to whom Julius the Apostate giving some opproptious words and calling him blinde foole because he had rebuked Julian for his Apostacy the good man answered thus I blesse God that I have not my sight to see such an ungracious face as thine So many may blesse God for their bodily blindnesse because it may be it hath prevented abundance of sinne that might have beene let in at the casements of their eyes But especially for blindnesse not to see the way of sinne if we may call that blindnesse It is a mercy that God doth not grant to all it is a singular mercy to the Saints For you shall finde there are abundance of people exceedingly quick-sighted in the way of sinne that can finde the path there and yet are exceedingly blinded in the way of God and cannot find the path there On the other side that Saints are blinded in the way of sinne but are quick-sighted in the wayes of God How many men are wise to do evill as the Scripture saith they are able to see into the depths of Satan they are profound to damn themselves they can finde out such objections against the 〈…〉 answer such things that are said against 〈…〉 devises contrivances how to get to their sinfull wayes but when they come to the wayes of God as blind as Moles they cannot see such necessity of such strictnesse they cannot understand men of great parts great Rabbies of great understanding otherwise they have no skill in the wayes of God I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth saith Christ that thou hast hid these things from the wise and learned and hast revealed them unto babes Whereas on the other side you shall find that the Saints are able when they come to Gods waies to see farre into the excellency and glory of them they have understanding there though they be but weake otherwise they can see into the great mysteries of God into the beauty of his wayes so that it dazeleth all the glory of the world in their eies they are not easily catched with temptations but can see into the subtilties of the devill that would draw them out of Gods waies but when they come to the wayes of sin there they want understanding and it is Gods mercy to them to doe so there they are but bunglers they do but grope as blinde men they are not their crafts masters they are not cunning artists in those waies but as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 1. 1â— Wee have not received the spirit af the world wee cannot shift for our selves as the men of the
Altars this was when their hearts were warmed with joy in blessing the name of God VVhen God once warmeth the hearts of people it is much what they will doe for God then They will not stand examining every nicety but they will fall upon the work directly the joy of the Lord was the strength of their hearts at this time as it is with the lusts of wicked men when they get into company at feasts in Taverns and there they are drinking while their lusts are warmed then what desperate resolutions have they to doe wickednesse So when Gods Saints are exercised in Gods Ordinances and are refreshed with the sweet love of God when that lies glowing at their hearts what strong resolutions have they for God! then they can doe any thing for God Now the very name of Baalim must be taken away VERSE 16. And it shall be in that day saith the Lord that thou call me Ishi and shalt call me no more Baali 17. For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth they shall be no more remembred by their name Here we have as full a Prophesie and promise of as thorough reformation of the Church as any I know we have in Scripture God hath a time to reforme his Church thorowly the very names of their Idols the very remembrance of them shall be taken away This reformation is â—ods worke I will doe it saith God I will take away the names of Baalim They shall call me Ishi and no more Baali Why what great difference is there betweene these two names Ishi and Baali that God will have one but not the other The truth is both of them signifie even almost the same thing Both of them are names very fit for a wife to call her husband by Ishi is my husband and Baali is my husband too But the word Ishi cometh from a word that signifieth strength the woman being the weaker vessel therefore shee calls her husband Ishi my strength for the husband should be strength to the wife he should live with her as a man of knowledge he should be a protection to her he should help her in all her weaknesses afflictions Baali signifieth my Lord as well as my husband it is a word that moteth rule and authority Ishi is a word that hath more love and familiarity in it Baali is a word that noteth the inferiority of the wife to the husband Now God saith he will be called Ishi but not Baali why there is no hurt in the word Baali it selfe the word Baali is a very good word and hath a good signification it is proper to God as any word that can be given to him by the Church but that God did forbid it here for it is no more when the church cals God Baali then if the Church should say O God that art my Lord my husband who art to rule govern me Yea and we find that God gives to himself this name Isa 54. 5. Thy Maker is thy husband so it is in your books but the word in the Hebrew is the same that we have here Thy Maker is thy Baali so that husband and Baal is the very same But now because they had abused this word Baal and given into their Idols therefore God would have no more of it though it was a good word a significant word and as proper to God as any was As the word Tyrannus was a name once for a King Kings were called Tyrants without any such ill signification as now it carries with it but because they had gotten the sole power into their hands they did so oppress abuse their power therefore oppressors were called Tyrants So the Latine word fur which is for a thiefe it was once the ordinary word for a servant Fures and Servi were wont to be the same and without any ill signification but because afterward many servants grew to be false to steale from their Masters therefore fures was altogether taken in the worst part onely for theeves So Sophista a Sophister was one that studied wisdome but because they did so much degenerate many under the colour of the study of wisdome deceived others therefore the name Sophister was used in the worst part I might instance in many other For further opening this May not the name Baal be mentioned God tells them that he would take away the name of Baalim out of their mouths VVhy may not we use this word Baali in our mouths To this I answer Yes it is not unlawfull for us to mention the word notwithstanding this for the holy Ghost a long time after this mentions the word in an historicall way Rom. 11. 4. hee speaks there of those that had not bowed their knees to Baal the word you see is mentioned remembred by the spirit of God therefore it was not a sin nay not only the word Baal bâ—r it is not unlawfull to mention the names of any Idols of the heathen for the holy Ghost doth so likewise Acts 18. 11. speaking of the ship that they sayled in he saith there whose signe was Castor and Pollux the names of two heathen Idols And you may observe that here in the text the remembring is as much forbidden as the mentioning Now if it were a finne meerly to mention the names of the heathen gods it were a sin to remember them Therefore God means the mentioning of them Honoris gratia any way for their honour or without detestation of them The words being thus opened you have many excellent observations out of them very usefull and seasonable for our times First There is a great deale of danger in words and names You shall call me Ishi I will not have you call me Baali I will not have that word used the Devill hath got much by words and names heretofore by the word Puritane though 〈◊〉 knew not what it meant now by this new name that he hath of late invented the devill hath alwayes some words some names for distinction of men in which he sees advantage is to be had The speakiâ—â—â—f the ways of 〈…〉 the language of superstition doth much hurt 〈…〉 a notabl◠〈◊〉 â—etion from the Papists themselves concerning that it is in the Rhemists Testament in their notes upon that place 1 Tim. 6. 20. Keep that which is committed to thy trust avoyding prophane and vaine bablings so we translate it they translate it prophane novelties this is their note upon it Let us say they keep our fore-fathers words and we shall easily keepe our old faith you shall see that wee had not long since the very spirit of these men breathing in many amongst us The Hereticks call repentance amendment but let us say they keep the old word Penance they say the Lords Supper but we will keep the old word Masse they say Communion Table but let us keep the old word Altar Was it not just thus with us the call Elders and Ministers