riches wherin they trusted cannot yeeld vnto them any comfort c. Thirdly we may obserue that howsoeuer our sins in mans Sinne maketh vs vgly in Gods sight carnall iudgement do exceedingly grace and adorne vs as beautifull ornaments yet in truth they defile both our bodies and soules and make them filthie and vgly in Gods sight yea and in our owne too when as we come to a true view and sensible feeling of them As for example ruffinlie oathes scurrilous iests which are but the scumme and excrements of the wit pride gorgeous attire vnfitting our callings painting the face and discouering the breasts luxurious nicenesse and excesse in diet furious thirsting after reuenge vpon the least shew of a disgrace offered and such like sinnes which are vsed of worldlings as ornaments to commend them but in Gods sight they make them to appeare deformed filthie and abominable Fourthly we may obserue how prone we are to trust in Our pronenes to trust in worldly meanes worldly meanes and in regard of our vaine confidence how apt we are to shrowde our selues vnder these vaine shields imaging that by them we shall be secured from Gods iudgements threatned against vs so the Israelites here trusted for deliuerance from all euils which were denounced against them by the helpe of their Idols And therefore the Lord to beate them from this vaine confidence telleth them that he will inflict his iudgements vpon them though their louers looked on neither should they be able to deliuer them out of his hands Thus the Israelites trusted to the outward presence of the visible Arke 1. Sam. 4. 3. 4. to the helpe of the Egyptians 1. Sam. 4. 3. 4. Esay 31. 1. 3. Hos 10. 13. Ierem. 49. 16. Esai 31. 1. 3. to the visible Temple Ier. 7. 5. to their multitude of strong men Hos 10. 13. Thus the Idomeans trusted to the strength of their seat Ier. 49. 16. And thus in our times men in dearth trust to their owne prouision in warre to their strength in sicknesse to their flight preseruations and medicines and when the thundering threatnings of Gods iudgements sound in their eares they hide themselues from them vnder the shadow of those outward titles the Gospell the Church and profession of Gods true religion But the Lord will inflict his iudgements euen in the sight of our louers and those things wherein wee trusted shall not be able to deliuer vs in the day of his visitation ANd so much concerning the second punishment The Vers 11 third followeth Vers 11. And I will also cause all her mirth to cease her feast daies her new moones and her Sabbaths and all her solemne feasts Although the people of Israel worshipped The exposition God not according to his word but according to their owne inuentions not in spirit and truth but after an idolatrous manner in their idols not in the place which hee had appointed to wit his Temple but in Dan and Bethel yet they exceedingly pleased themselues in their outward worship and externall shew of their new deuised religion as though they had done vnto God that seruice which he required imagining it could not go ill with them so long as they obserued some outward ceremonies of the law notwithstāding they declined in substance frō Gods true religion reuealed in his word And therfore the Lord here threatneth that he would plucke away from thē the visard of their outward profession stop the current of their superstitious deuotions by taking from them their corrupted ceremoniall worship wherein now they so much delighted and gloried that so they might the better see their miserable estate when as there remained vnto them not so much as an outward shew of religion nor an externall manner of worshipping God and hauing nothing to rest vpon might at length bee moued to forsake all their superstitions and to worship the Lord according to his reuealed will But let vs come to the words themselues And I will also cause all her mirth to cease Where the Lord threatneth that he would take away all ioy and recioycing which they took in their ceremoniall worship and the outward pompe of their religion especially in their feasts and solemne assemblies Yea but this mirth reioycing in their solemne feasts was commanded by God Deut. 16. 14. Thou shalt reioyce in thy feast c. And therefore the day of their feasting was called Deut. 16. 14. Num. 10. 10. a day of gladnesse Numb 10. 10. why therefore doth the Lord threaten to take this mirth from them which himselfe enioyned I answere because they did not reioyce in him but in their Idols neither did they reioyce with a spirituall ioy with thankfull hearts lauding and praising God which the Lord vnder the type of their externall mirth especially required and therefore their outward worship which was also idolatrous being seuered from the inward worship of the Spirit was odious in Gods sight as appeareth by the like places Esa 1. 13. 14. Amos 5. 23. 8. 10. Her feast daies As Esa 1. 13. 14. Amos 5. 23. 8. 10. the feast of blowing Trumpets which was celebrated in the first day of the seuenth moneth as appeareth Leuit. 23. 24. The feast of Expiation in the 10. day of the seuenth moneth as we may see Numb 29. 7. Leuit. 16. 30. Her new Moones Leuit. 23. 24. Numb 29. 7. Leuit. 16. 30. Numb 28. 11. Leuit. 23. 24. 25. 4. Which were in the first day of euery moneth Numb 28. 11. Leuit. 23. 24. Her Sabbaths Which were either the seuenth day from the creation or euery seuenth yeere Leuit. 25. 4. And all her solemne feasts Which were principally three 1. The feast of the Passeouer or of vnleauened bread Leuit. 23. 5. The feast of Pentecost or of weekes Leuit. 23. 15. 16. Leuit. 23. 5. 34. 35. The feast of Tabernacles of which reade verse 34 35. c. Now by these particulars he vnderstandeth all their ceremoniall worship and externall seruice in which they gloried and reioyced of all which together with the ioy which they tooke thérein the Lord depriued them when as hee caused them to be led captiue by the Assyrians And so much for the meaning of the words Out of which Hypocrites may reioyce in the outward seruice of God we may obserue that men not truly religious may in the hypocrisie of their hearts or the ignorance of their mindes reioyce and delight themselues in some external seruice which they performe vnto God seuered from his pure worship in spirit and truth as appeareth in the example of the Israelites in this place who reioyced with great mirth in their Sabbaths new Moones and solemne feasts appointed by God as also in the parable of the seede falling into the stonie ground Luk. 8. 13. In the Papists who exceedingly delight Luke 8. 13. in their outward and pompous religion in their sweete musicke odoriferous perfumes and masking showes and
ceremonies as Idolatrous worship the Lord condemneth it as a great sin not onely when men serue him with a false and Idolatrous worship but also when the manner Ceremonies and circumstances are repugnant vnto his word So the Israelites are here accused and condemned not onely for their wil-worship and superstition in the seruice of God it selfe but also because they failed in respect of the place for whereas God had straightly charged them that they should publikely worship him by sacrifices and oblations in his Tabernacle and Temple onely they contrariwise erected Alters and offred sacrifices vpon the hils and mountaines So Nadab and Abihu were presently Leu. 10. consumed with fire which came out from God because they offred strange fire though they worshipped the true God and that in other respects with such seruice as hee required Thus Saul was rejected and Vzziah was smitten with 2 Chro. 26. 18. 19. the Leprosie because they vsurped the Priests office The reason whereof is this because the Lord is author of that commandement which concerneth the circumstance as well as of that which concerneth the substance and is no lesse disobeyed in the one then in the other Neyther doth the Lord so much respect the matter or object of the transgression where about it is made as the minde of the transgressour and the neglect or contempt of his commaundement For example in the sinne of our first parents he did not respect the eating of the Apple but their disobedience to his precept their pride infidelitie and rebellion Hee did not regard the gathering of sticks on the Sabbath day but the contemptuous breach of his commandement which he had published immediately before In a word all the ceremonies of the law were in themselues matters of no such necessitie but forasmuch as the Lord had commaunded ceremoniall duties as well as morall and exercised the Churches obedience in them both therefore it was a great sin to contemne the ceremonies and cerimoniall worship because the commaundement of God was transgressed herein as well as in the neglect of morall duties And this is that which Samuell told Saul when he laboured to extenuate his sinne that disobedience was as the sin of witchcraft and to transgresse Gods expresse commandement wilfully though in a smal matter was as Idolatry in his sight 1 Sam. 15. 23. 1. Sam. 15. 23 The vse hereof serueth to teach vs that we submit our selues to be ruled by the prescript rule of Gods word as in all our actions so especially in performing the duties of his worship and seruice neither declining vnto the right hand nor to the left for to doe more then he requireth is superstition and to doe lesse profanenesse As therefore it was a sinne in the old Law to offer sacrifice in any other place but in the temple because God had restayned his publike seruice to that place alone so it is a sin of superstition in the time of the Gospell to put more holinesse in one Chruch then in another seeing now Christ hath abrogated the ceremonies of the Law and made all places alike requiring this alone of vs that in euery place we lift vp pure hands and worship God in spirit and truth as it is Iohn 4. 23. 24. Iohn 4. 23. 24. And as they superstitiously sinne which put difference in places dedicated to Gods publike worship and seruice seeing in his word he hath taken such differences away so they likewise offend who confound publike priuate worship together with the places allotted to either of them because god in the scriptures hath distinguished them For example when God requireth publike worship on his sabbaths in the assemblies and congregation it is a sinne for any man to neglect this though he offer vnto God his priuate seruice at home by reading and praying So whereas God in his publike seruice requireth vnanimitie and vniformitie it is a sinne for any in the assemblie to distract himselfe from the rest and to make a rent in these holy exercises as to reade priuately when the Minister with the congregation prayeth publikely or to pray when he preacheth For if it be an absurd kinde of vnmanerlinesse to speake to our better whilst he speaketh vnto vs because such confusion hindreth both our hearing and vnderstanding or whilst he conferreth with vs about important affaires to turne from him talke with another then is it no lesse absurditie to speake vnto God in prayer whilst he speaketh vnto vs in the Ministerie of the Word or when hee dealeth with vs about businesses of no lesse moment then the saluation of our soules to turne from him and giue our selues to priuate reading Secondly we are taught hereby not to extenuate our sins The maine euill in sinne is the transgression of Gods commaundement by alleadging that the things wherein we offend are but trifles and matters of small moment for the maine euill in sin is the transgression of Gods commandement the euill disposition of the sinner Now Gods commandement is broken in small matters as well as in great and a man may shew more malice and wickednes in committing a sinne but light in it owne nature when as it is committed vpon knowledge against the conscience presumptuously contemptuously against Gods majestie then another who falleth into a grieuous sinne which is not aggrauated by these circumstances What smaller matter in it selfe then to eate an apple yet here in our first parents did grieuously sinne because they transgressed Gods expresse commandement and shewed grose infidelitie and pride in this action What lesse matter then to gather a few stickes vpon the sabbath day yet Num. 15. 32. because it was an action of contempt against Gods majesty who in his law had newly forbidden it it was a more haynous sinne in Gods sight then Dauids murther adultery because the one proceeded from malice of hart and profane despite of God the other from the frailtie and infirmitie of the flesh The second thing to be obserued is the spreading leprosie The spreading leprosie of idolatrie of idolatrie which if it once haue infected vs though it seeme but a small specke or spot at the first it will in short time ouer spread the whole bodie At the first through Ieroboams instigation the Israelits erected Idols but in two places of the land namely Dan and Bethell but as we see it so increased in a small time that idols were erected and worshipped almost in euery hill and mountaine and vnder euery greene tree as appeareth in this place The like example we haue in the papists at this day in former times they onely erected images in Churches to put them in mind of Christ and of the Saints but when they had thus farre transgressed Gods commandement by their will-worship they did not stay here but haue also giuen vnto them diuine worship haue multiplyed their idols and images in number farre aboue any heathens and pagans the
So Matth. 2. 15. Out of Egypt haue I called my Sonne spoken by Hosea chap. 11. 1. Matth. Matth. 2. 15. Hos 11. 1. Matth. 9. 13. Hos 6. 6. Rom. 9. 25. Hos 2. 23. 1. Cor. 15. 55. Hos 13. 14. 9. 13. I will haue mercy and not sacrifice spoken by Hosea chap. 6. 6. Rom. 9. 25. As hee saith also in Hosea I will call them my people which were not my people c. Hose 2. 23. 1. Cor. 15. 55. O death I will be thy death O graue where is thy victory Hos 13. 14. Secondly the authority of this prophecy is sufficiently approued by the certainty of the euent which is a certaine signe that it was inspired by God and an infallible note to distinguish true prophecies from those which are false Deut. 18. 21 22. Deut. 18. 21 22 The second thing to be considered is the time in which he prophecied but of this I shall haue occasion to speake in the first verse of this prophecie Lastly we are to set downe the summe of this prophecie which consisteth in these points First he seuerely reprehendeth The summe of this prophecie the sinnes of the Israelites especially their sinne of Idolatry for whereas the Lord had restrained his publicke worship and seruice to be performed in the Temple at Ierusalem these ten Tribes by the instigation of Ieroboam made choice of two other places Dan and Bethel for this purpose where they erected golden calues and other Idols and built strange altars that they might as the Papists doe in their images worshippe God in these Idols whereas in trueth in stead of God they worshipped the diuell This sinne of Idolatrie the Prophet sharpely reprehendeth shewing the heynousnesse thereof how odious it is in Gods sight the miserable effects which it produced and the fearefull plagues and punishments wherewith the Lord would punish it Secondly hee exhorteth and vseth diuers arguments to perswade them to repentance that so they might escape these plagues and heauie iudgements shewing also how they should repent and turne vnto God Lastly he prophecieth of Christ and of his kingdome for the comforting of all those who did expect him and did rest vpon him for their saluation All which points are set downe partly vnder shadowes and types and partly euidently simply and clearely And so much in generall of this prophecie now I will proceede The order in this booke obserued to the more speciall handling thereof Wherein I will obserue this order first I will briefly set downe the summe or maine argument of euery chapter secondly I will diuide it into his generall parts thirdly I will expound and explane the particular verses and lastly gather out of them such doctrines and vses as shall offer themselues to our consideration and shall be most fit for our instruction and edification Let vs therefore come to speake of the first chapter the The argumēt of the first chapter maine argument whereof is this After that he hath prefixed the inscription wherein is contained the Author of this prophecie his calling from God and the time of his prophecying to the end that hee might make the hearers and readers more attenttiue hee accuseth the people of Israel of their sinnes and namely of their grieuous Idolatry vnder the type of an infamous harlot and her adulterous issue setting downe withall comminations of heauy iudgements which the Lord would shortly execute vpon them for their sinnes To which hee adioyneth a singular consolation to the faithfull that notwithstanding the sinnes and punishments of the rebellious people the Lord would shew himselfe constant in his promises which hee made to their forefathers and would multiply their spirituall seede in great numbers making them not onely his people but also his sonnes and children And this is the argument of this chapter out of which we The parts of this chapter may gather the seuerall parts thereof which are two First the inscription of the prophecie verse 1. And secondly the prophecie it selfe in the rest of the chapter the which may be diuided into two parts first legall comminations secondly Euangelicall consolations In the comminations is set downe first the sinne vers 2 3. and secondly the punishment vers 4 5 6 8 9. The consolations are first proper to the house of Iudah vers 7. and secondly common to Iudah and Israel vers 10 11. THe inscription is set downe verse 1. The word of the Verse 1 Lord which came to Hosea the sonne of Beeri in the dayes of Vzzia Iothan Ahaz and Hezechia Kings of Iudah and in the daies of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash King of Israel This inscription is prefixed for these ends First to make the hearer or reader attentiue in that it is not the word of Hosea himselfe or of mortall man but of the euerliuing God Secondly to gaine authority vnto and to shew the vndoubted truth and certaintie of this prophecie in that it is the word of the Lord not the deuice of man vttered after the things contained therein were come to passe but reueiled to Hosea and by him to all the people long before the things were accomplished not in an vncertaine time but in the raigne of these Kings here named Thirdly that hereby wee might be helped and furthered in the vnderstanding of the whole prophecie for knowing in what time and in whose raigne these prophecies were deliuered we may in the bookes of the Kings and Chronicles reade the story of those times and so come to the knowledge of the state of the Church and Common-wealth vnder the gouernment of these Kings which will giue no small light for the vnderstanding of the prophecie And these are the maine ends of this and the like inscriptions Now let vs come to the words themselues wherein are contained foure things First the principall efficient cause of this prophecie namely Iehouah Secondly the matter or maine argument thereof that is Gods word Thirdly the instrumentall cause by whom this word was deliuered to wit Hosea the Prophet Lastly the time of the publishing of this prophecie that is in the raigne of these Kings Concerning the first the principall author of this prophecie The Author of this Prophecie is Iehouah who hath his essence and being of himselfe and giueth being to all creatures The consideration whereof should make vs attentiuely to heare and dutifully to performe obedience to the wordes of this prophecie both in fleeing the vices therein condemned and practising and performing the duties therein commended and commanded vnto vs. For it is Iehouah who speaketh vnto vs who is infinite in wisedome and therefore his words are to be imbraced and obeyed as being most fit to guide and rule vs. Achitophels 2. Sam. 16. 23. words were receiued as Oracles because he was wise though his wisedome was mingled with sinne and corruption that is with foolishnesse how much more then are we to hearken to God himselfe speaking vnto vs whose
wickednesse with the heauy burthen of our corruptions And therefore Let vs cast away euery thing that presseth downe and the sinne that hangeth so fast on and let vs runne with patience the race which is set before vs as the Apostle exhorteth Heb. 12. 1. and according to Heb. 12. 1. his example Let vs forget that which is behind and indeuour our selues to that which is before and follow hard towards the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus as it is Phil. 3. 13. 14. The vertues of our parents are not hereditarie Phil. 3. 13. but their vices and their godlinesse will not priuiledge vs from falling into all wickednesse vnlesse we striue and labour non solùm ad Ruborem sed sudorem with all paines and diligence to follow after them in their steppes for through our owne corruption we easily degenerate and if at any time we cease to become better we then beginne to become worse Thirdly we may obserue that as it little auailed the people Outward titles nought auaile vs without inward vertues of Israel to be the sonnes of Iacob according to the flesh when they nothing resembled him in the spirit nor to be intituled with his name wheÌ„ as they disclaimed his graces and vertues seeing notwithstanding all this God now threatneth and soone after inflicteth vpon them most feareful punishments so it will little profit vs to be entitled Christians if we liue as prophanely as infidels to be called the Church of God if in our conuersatioÌ„ we resemble the synagogue of Satan to be counted professors of religion and the children of God when in our liues we denie the power thereof and spend our times like the sonnes of Belial to be the children and posterity of the godly if we degenerate from their Christian profession holy practise For God is not pleased with shadowes but with substance not with outward titles but with truth in the inward parts neither wil our pareÌ„ts vertues exempt vs from feeling Gods heauie iudgements if we like a degenerating ofspring be euill and vitious And this appeareth Ezech. 18. 10. 13. and in the examples of Cham Ezecb. 18. 10. 13 Esau Absolon Adoniah Iehoahaz and many others ANd thus much concerning the name wherein the punishment of the people is typically signified Now we are to speake of the reason hereof wherein this punishment is plainely denounced For yet a little and I will visite the blood of Iisreel vpon the house of Iehu and will cause to cease the kingdome of the house of Israel Vers 5. And at that day Verse 4. 5. I will also breake the bow of Israel in the valley of Izreel In which words are contained first the time of the punishment The exposition when it must bee inflicted yet a little 2. the punishment it selfe I will visit 3. the sinne for which the punishment is inflicted The blood of Izreel 4. the obiect or subiect of this punishmeÌ„t which is threefold 1. Iehu and his posteritie 2. the state of the kingdome of Israel 3. the whole power and strength of the Commonwealth Lastly the place appointed for execution in the vallie of Izreel The time is signified in these words yet a little whereby he intimateth two things first that the Lord would not presently inflict these iudgements threatned but that he would yet giue them some time of repentance and for a while deferre his punishments which long agoe they had deserued 2. That though hee spared them for a while yet the time should not be long vnlesse they preuented his iudgements by forsaking their sinnes and turning vnto him For in all threatnings though neuer so speedie this condition is to be obserued the which the Israelites neglecting the punishment was accordingly inflicted For at the most the Prophet prophesied but 14. yeeres before the end of Ieroboams raigne and after that his sonne Zacharias had reigned but sixe moneths he was killed by Shallum and so the kingdom 2. King 15. 8. 10. ceased in the house of Iehu at which time God begun to visit the people the which his visitation not onely of the sins of Iehu but of the house of Israel hee accomplished in the reigne of Hosea when as the King and people were led into captiuitie by Shalmaneser King of Babylon So that the sense of these words is thus much as if hee should haue said Although your rebellions bee great and the measure of your sinnes full yet such is your hardnesse of heart and carnall securitie that you promise vnto your selues immunitie from punishment putting the euill day farre from you as though you should euer escape but doe not thus flatter your selues for assuredly the Lord will very shortly visit you for your iniquities and pay you home for all It is true indeede that although your outragious wickednesse doth crie out for present vengeance yet the Lord to shew his patience and long suffering and to leaue you quite without excuse will a little deferre his punishments and expect your repentance but let not Gods delaies and mercifull patience cause you to deferre your conuersion for vndoubtedly if you obstinately persist in your impenitencie the Lord will very quickly execute on you these iudgements which he hath caused mee to denounce against you And this is the meaning of these words yet a little The The doctrines doctrines which hence we gather are these First we may obserue 1. Gods patience and long suffering Gods infinite mercy patience long suffering in sparing of this rebellious people long after their sins cried for vengeance in the meane time sending his Prophets vnto them to inuite theÌ„ to repentance that so they might escape his iust punishments He is long before he threatneth and rather striueth to master mens stubburnnes to incline them to obedience by his mercies and benefits and after he threatneth he is long before he is drawne to punish and after that his iustice vrgeth him to resolue vpon this and that the hainous sinnes of his people crie out in his cares that it is more then time that deserued punishment were inflicted yet hee spareth a little and like a louing father after he that hath taken his rod into his hand and hath lifted it vp to fetch his stroke he yet pauseth and staieth his hand expecting our submission and repentance that so hee may spare vs. And thus hee dealt with the old world as appeareth Gen. 6. 5. 12. 13. with Gen. 6. 5. 12 13. the Amorits who though they were most wicked idolaters yet he deferred their punishment 400. yeeres Gen. 15. 16. Gen. 15. 16. And thus also hath the Lord dealt with vs. So that the Lord is content to attend our leasure being more loath to punish then we to suffer punishment and therefore when the time is more then past wherein iustice bâ—ggeth for vengeance mercie intreateth yet a little that iudgement may be deferred yea and after
sentence is pronounced that execution may be delaied and we reprieued till the next assises that in the meane time by true repentance we may procure our pardon and so escape deserued punishment And this is notablie set downe Esa 30. 18. Yet therefore will the Lord waite Esa 30. 18. that he may haue mercie vpon you c. Secondly we may obserue Gods infallible truth in performing 2 Gods infallible truth in performing his promises his promises notwithstanding mans vnworthines of the least of them After that Iehu had executed Gods iudgements vpon the house of Ahab the Lord promised him that he would confirme the kingdome vnto him and his posterity vnto the fourth generation Now after this promise made by God Iehu who had shewed his hatred to Achabs person and posterity shewed notwithstanding his loue to his sinnes forsaking the Lord and betaking himselfe to the worship of idols And in his steps did his progenie walke adding one outragious wickednesse to another but yet neuer the lesse the Lord made good his promises to him and his posteritie The consideration whereof may comfort those that are cast downe in the sight of their vnworthinesse thinking that because they deserue not Gods mercie therefore they shall not be partakers of it seeing we haue his gratious promises of grace and mercie the which though there be no cause in vs why he should performe yet there is cause enough in God himselfe who is infinite in mercy and infallible in his truth Rom. 3. 3 4. Rom. 3. 3. 4. Thirdly we may obserue that this people at this time 3. Pride goeth before a fall when as the Prophet threatneth Gods neere approaching iudgements were in the top of their pride presumptuous and secure fearing nothing lesse then such dangers and yet at this time destruction hasted and vengeance watched at the doore to seise vpon them Whereby it appeareth that when the wicked is most proud presumptuous and secure he is neerest to destruction when he thinketh himselfe out Psalm 37. 35. 36. of the gunshot of all danger then is hee most ready to be ouertaken of it as appeareth by the examples of Nebuchadnezzer Haman Herod and many others Lastly we may obserue that though the Lord spareth for 4. Punishmēts deferred are in the end inflicted a time yet he will not for euer deferre punishment for as sinne increaseth iudgement approcheth and though the Lord long delay to visit mens wickednesse yet the time runneth on and expireth and that which remaineth in the end will be very short and little before vengeance be inflicted And therefore let not Gods patience and long suffering harden vs in sinne and cause vs to deferre but rather hasten our repentance let vs lay hold of the acceptable time and day of saluation whilest it lasteth otherwise if we delay our conuersion the Lord within a little while when we least looke for it will cause his iudgements suddainly to surprise vs. And thus much concerning the time the punishment it selfe is expressed in these words I will visit The which word The Exposition is of ambiguous signification for it is sometime taken in the best part when as the Lord visiteth in mercy to bestow a benefite which hath been promised but somewhile deferred So he is said to haue visited Sara Gen. 21. 1. And so he promiseth to visit the children of Israel Exod. 13. 19. And Luk. Gen. 21. 1. Exod. 13. 19. Luke 1. 68. 1. 68. God is said to haue visited and redeemed his people Sometimes it is taken in the worst part and signifieth to reuenge and punish as in the second Commandement So Exo. 32. 34. In the day of my vengeance I will visit their sin vpon Exod. 32. 34. Psalm 89. 32. thē Psal 89. 32. I wil visit their transgression with the rod. And in this latter signification it is to be vnderstood in this place The doctrines which from hence we learne are these First The Do ∣ ctrines we may obserue the mercifull iustice of God who doth not rashly punish but first visiteth and then finding the fault inflicteth 1. Gods mercifull iustice who examineth before he punish Gen. 18. 20 21. Esa 26. 14. the punishment in which respect his punishments are called visitations And thus the Lord visited the Sdomites Gen. 18. 20 21. And so he is said first to haue visited and then to haue scattered and destroyed the wicked Esa 26. 14. Whence we are not to gather that the Lord needeth any such visitation to finde out mans wickednesse or that before he can spy out our sinnes he must make a quest of inquirie or priuy search for he is omnipresent and omniscient so that all things though neuer so much cloaked and disguised lye open before him and appeare naked in his sight as it is Heb. 4. 13. But by such borrowed phrases God setteth forth his orderly proceedings and approueth vnto men his iust Heb. 4. 13. iudgements in that they are not rashly executed but with good aduice and deliberation teaching them also in his own example to follow the like practise Here therefore Princes Magistrates Masters of families and all superiours are to learne their lesson namely that Superiours must visit before they punish they visit before they punish and by due examination finde out the fault before they giue sentence or proceede to execution for if God thus behaue himselfe in iudgement before whose eyes all things lie open how much more should men who are oft mistaken and easily deceiued vnlesse they vse great deliberation in their iudiciall proceedings Let therefore all such consider that where there is the most power there should be the least passion that rashnesse is a fault in all dangerous but in superiours pernicious that reasonable men should first iudge before they punish because punishment deferred may be inflicted but being inflicted cānot be recalled that they sustain the honorable place of a Iudge whilest they examine causes but the place of an executioner when without iudgement aduice they inflict punishmēt that they are Gods deputies represent his person therfore are according to his example first to visit and then to punish lest for want of due examination they punish the innocent in stead of offenders The second thing which hence we learne is that though God doth not rashly punish yet he will not suffer the wicked altogether to escape for though the Lord doth not punish euery day yet in the day of his visitation he will not spare And therefore let vs keepe our selues vndefiled from sinne or if we haue stained our consciences with sinne and haue as it were in these bookes registred vp our faults let vs by a liuely faith apply vnto vs the blood of Christ whereby these spots and writings may be washed away for if they remaine vntill the day of Gods visitation they will giue in such witnesse and euidence against vs as will conuict and condemne vs. In
the third place is set downe the sinne for which the Lord The exposition threatneth to visit in these words The blood of Iizreel The which words of diuers men are diuersly expounded but leauing to set downe all mens iudgements because many of them haue little likelihood of trueth I will onely propound two which seeme most probable Some thinke that by the blood of Iisreel is vnderstood the slaughter of Achabs familie and posterity Iesabel Ioram and his seuenty sonnes which were all destroyed by Iehu Others imagine this cannot be the meaning of the words because this was an action commanded by God 2. King 9 6 7 8. and commended in Iehu after it was by him performed and by God rewarded 2. King 10. 30. and done by Iehu in zeale of Gods glory as he professeth 2. King 10. 16. And therefore they rather 2. King 9 6 7. 2. King 10. 30. 2. King 10. 16. thinke that by Iisreel here is vnderstood not the Citie or valley of Iisreel but the people of Israel which by Iehu and his posteritie were continued in their grosse idolatrie and so made obnoxious to the iudgements of God and their destruction And this exposition doth the rather please them First because the name Iisreel signifieth the seede of God and therefore may be taken for the people of Issreel as appeareth Exodus chap. 4. verse 22. And secondly Exod. 4. 22. because the name blood is taken sometime for destruction either temporall or eternall of bodie or soule So Ezech. 3. 5. Chap. 33. 6. Thirdly because some Greeke Ezech. 3. 5. Chap. 33. 6. copies reade it Israel and not Iisrael and those which reade it Iisrael haue prefixed before it an article not of the feminine Gender but of the masculine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnderstanding thereby not the citie of Iisrael but the people of Israel Lastly because the same word Iisrael vsed Hos 2. 22. is by Hos 2. 22. all vnderstood of the people of Israel and not of the citie And this is the first exposition which hath in it great likelihood and probabilitie without any absurditie or great force offered vnto the text Which if we imbrace there ariseth from it this doctrine that kings are guiltie of the destruction Doct. of those who are vnder their gouernment if How princes are accessarie to the sinnes of the people by their authoritie commandement or example they draw their people from the seruice of the only true God to commit idolatrie and therefore in the day of Gods visitation he wil require their bloud at the princes hands and will seuerely punish them not onely for their owne sinnes but for the sinnes of the people into which they haue been either drawne by their authoritie or allured by their example Others as I said expound these words of the slaughter of Achabs familie and posteritie Iezabel Ioram Ahabs 70. Exposition sons Ahaziah and 42. of his brethren wherein they follow the plaine historie and the manifest words of the text without any change and alteration Which as I take it is the rather to bee imbraced for where the exposition is according to the plaine words of the text agreeing with the circumstances thereof the analogie of faith the rest of the Scriptures and containeth nothing improbable or absurd there it is to bee giuen and receiued without anie further search for one further fetched mysticall and hidden Yea but will some say this fact of Iehues was commanded of God to be done and commended and rewarded when it was done and therefore it is not likely that God would punish him and his posteritie for it I answer that we are to consider in this fact two things the outward fact it selfe and Iehues doing of it The outward fact it selfe was good and inioyned by God himselfe as a iust reuenge taken vpon Achab for his tyranny murther idolatry and other outrages by him committed and in respect hereof Iehu is commended and rewarded because he was Gods minister and instrument in performing a worke in it selfe commendable and acceptable vnto God But in respect of Iehu his doing of it it was wicked and vnlawfull for he did it not in the sinceritie and vprightnesse of his heart but with a corrupt minde poisoned with ambition as appeareth 2. King 10. 31. He did 2. King 10. 31. it not in zeale of Gods glory as he falsely boasted but his maine end was his owne aduancement which when he had attained vnto hee vtterly neglected the glory of God and grieuously dishonoured him by his grosse Idolatry He did not doe it in obedience to Gods commandement for then he would haue made conscience of the rest which hee transgressed resting and contenting himselfe like an hypocrite in this one outward act he did not doe it in detestation of Achabs sinne but for selfe-loue for hee continued in the same idolatry and although he destroyed Baals Priests and house yet following Ieroboams policie hee worshipped the golden calues in Dan and Bethel whereby he cleerely shewed that al he did was not in hatred of idolatry but for his worldly aduantage He did not when he was seated in the kingdome labour to restore Gods pure worship and seruice for which end and purpose he was stirred vp of God to destroy Achabs posterity but hauing satisfied his ambitious desire he laboured to confirme the kingdome to himselfe and his posterity by following Ieroboams policie and liuing in his Idolatry withholding his people from going to worshippe the Lord in his Temple at Ierusalem which was the place appointed by God for his publike seruice lest they should againe adioyne themselues to the house of Dauid So that hee onely made shew of religion and zeale whilest it stood with his owne worldly benefit but when it but seemed to crosse that he shooke handes with all and became an Apostate Howsoeuer therefore the fact as it was commanded by God was good and lawfull and in respect hereof was rewarded of God who will not let any shew of good goe vnrecompenced that hee may not onely heereby stop the mouthes of the wicked but also giue certaine assurance vnto his children that he will much more reward their true and sincere obedience yet if we respect with what mind and purpose it was performed by Iehu it was nothing but ambitious rebellion and cruell murther which therefore at the hands of God who respecteth not so much the outward action as the sincerity of the heart the inward obedience of his commandement the causes and ends of our actions it was sharpely and iustly punished The doctrines which from hence we learne are these First that wee doe not content our selues with outward workes Doctrines good in their owne nature and inioyned by God for vnlesse ther What is required to the doing of a good worke circumstances doe concurre they will be wicked and odious in Gods sight First therefore being assured that we do that which God hath commanded
let vs doe it in the loue of God which is the fountaine of euery good worke and in obedience to Gods commandement Secondly let vs propound as the maine ends of our actions the glory of God the good of his Church and our owne saluation Thirdly let our outward obedience proceede from the inward obedience of the heart and be done in sincerity and in vprightnes Fourthly let all be done in faith which by applying Christ and his pretious bloodshed vnto vs doth wash away the corruptions and imperfections wherewith our best actions are stained For though our actions in themselues be neuer so good yet if they be done in selfe-loue for our owne praise pleasure and profit without the sinceritie of the heart or true faith they are but glorious sinnes which displease God and make vs obnoxious to his iudgements and punishments Secondly we are here admonished that we doe not with Iehu and other hypocrites rest and content our selues in We must obey all Gods Commandements some one or two outward workes neglecting obedience vnto the rest of Gods Commandements assuring our selues that if our obedience be true and sincere it will be also whole and intire both in respect of the subiect and obiect that is both in respect of euery part of our selues who obey and in respect of al and euery of Gods commandements to which we are to yeeld obedience for true sanctification is not of one part alone but of the whole man and it maketh vs to hate all sinnes and to loue all vertues with the like affection although not in the same proportion Thirdly we here learne not to make our religion and the We must not make religion a cloake to couer our sins commandements of almightie God a cloak for our corruptions to couer our ambition malice cruelty morosity and other vices as Iehu did For if we do for corrupt and worldly ends imbrace and obey thē then when they wil not further but rather hinder vs in these respects we will cast them off and imbrace the contrarie sinnes and wickednesse according to the example of Iehu and all other apostates as appeareth daily by too too lamentable experience And so much for the sin of Iehu and his posteritie The fourth thing is the subiect or obiect of the punishment which is threefold first the house of Iehu by which is meant Iehu his posteritie which was destroyed by Shallum and so the kingdome taken from them namely Zachariah who was the last king of this family and the fourth from Iehu Here it may be demanded how it could stand with Gods How the child beareth the fathers sinnes Ezech. 18. 20. iustice to punish Iehues sinne in his posteritie seeing he saith that the child shall not beare his fathers iniquitie Ezech. 18. 20. I answere that the Lord may iustly punish the fathers sinne in the child by withholding his grace from him which he is not bound to giue him and so the child being destitute hereof and following his owne natural corruptions liueth in his fathers sin and transgressions and hereby iustly maketh himselfe obnoxious to Gods anger punishment It is true that the child is neuer punished with any positiue punishment for his fathers faults but for his owne sinnes into which being depriued of Gods grace he falleth For if he seeth his father sinnes and feareth and forsaketh them and indeuoureth to doe the contrarie workes of righteousnesse his fathers sinnes shall not be imputed vnto him but he shall liue in his owne righteousnesse as appeareth Ezech. 18. 14. which by Gods Ezech. 18. 14. infinite and vnlimited mercie oftentimes commeth to passe The vse hereof first concerneth parents that they be hereby Admonition to parents mooued to flee sin if not for their owne sake yet at least for their posterie seeing the child vnborne shall smart for their iniquities if the Lord as hee iustly may withhold his grace from them and suffer them to be carried away with their corruptions the which he often doth as he also threatneth in the second commandement Secondly the children of wicked parents may here learne Admonition to children of wicked parents carefully to flee their fathers vices and to indeuour to performe holy obedience vnto the Lord that so they may bee reconciled vnto him for if they follow their fathers steppes the Lord will certainely punish in them not only their own but also their parents sinne in the day of his visitation The second thing which here wee are to obserue is that God threatneth to begin his visitation with the King and God seuerely punisheth the sinnes of princes his posteritie because their owne sinnes were great and grieuous and also because they were accessarie to the sinnes of the people for whereas by their authoritie and good example they might haue restrained them from their open sinnes and stirred them vp to the profession and practise of righteousnesse and holinesse they contrariwise both by their law licensing idolatrie and by their practise liuing in it drew the people to follow their example and therefore the Lord first beginneth to punish them because they were the first agents and moouers vnto sinne So that here we may learne that it is not the great glorie and power of Princes which wil exempt them from punishment when God visiteth For howsoeuer they are gods Psal 82 6. 7. with men yet they are but men with God and as they shall die like men so shall they be punished like men neither shal their great authoritie and high place any thing priuiledge them Nay they aboue and before all others shall surely smart for it seeing they are seldome wicked alone but with their authoritie and example draw others into the like wickednesse The vse hereof concerneth not only Princes but also Magistrates and masters of families yea al that are in any place of authoritie ouer others that they most carefully auoide all sinnes especially such as are ioyned with scandall of their inferiours seeing against the day of Gods visitation they hasten and redouble their punishment The second obiect of this punishment is the state and Exposition kingdome in these words And will cause to cease the kingdome of the house of Israel The which punishment the Lord begun to execute presently after the ouerthrow of Iehues posteritie when as there were no lawful kings which gouerned the Commonwealth but such as vsurped the kingdome by treason murthers al outragious cruelty but it was fullie accomplished 41. yeeres after the death of Zachariah vnder the reigne of Hoshea when as all Israel were carried away captiue and neuer more had any kings of their owne to rule ouer them Where first wee are to obserue what a singular blessing Doct. of God it is when there is a continued sucession of lawfull Succession of lawfull Princes is a great blessing to a land Princes for it is the sinewes of a State wherein consisteth her chiefe strength which being cut
lest the Lord seeing vs vncorrigible likewise reiect vs as he did the Iewes for If God spared not the naturall branches let vs take heed lest he doe not spare vs who are but wild branches as the Apostle reasoneth Rom. 11. 21. Rom. 11. 21. The Prophets holy bouldnes in deliuering his message Fiftly we are to obserue that when the Prophet threatneth against the people their finall reiection they were in a most flourishing and prosperous estate and therefore no doubt giuing small credit to the Prophets words it was an ambassage exceeding dangerous exposing him to the malice and outrages of an insolent people But yet notwithstanding remembring who had sent him on his message he ouercommeth all these difficulties and faithfully deliuereth the word of God which was put into his mouth Sixtly we may here learne that though their present estate Outward things no true signe of Gods loue or hatred were very prosperous yet they were out of Gods fauour and euen marked to vtter destruction whereby it appeareth that we cannot rightly iudge by outward things either of Gods loue or hatred seeing these things come alike to all and the same outward condition is to the iust and to the wicked as the Wiseman speaketh Eccles 9. 1. 2. Nay oftentimes Eccles 9. 1. 2. the wicked most flourish for a time and the godly are afflicted as appeareth in the example of Esau and Iacob the Egyptians and the Israelites Saul and Dauid the Pharisies and Iesus Christ himselfe and his Apostles And therefore if wee iudge them in Gods fauour who are in a flourishing estate and condemne them as miserable who are in affliction we shall iustifie the wicked and condemne the generation of Gods children as it is Psalm 73. 15. Psalm 73. 15. God reiecteth not his people before they reiect him Lastly we may here obserue that God reiecteth not this people before they had first reiected him neither doth hee refuse to rule and protect them as their Lord before they had refused to obey him as his subiects And this may appeare by the order of the words where he saith Yee are not my people therefore I will not be yours Howsoeuer therefore in Gods eternall decree he reprobateth whom hee pleaseth for the manifestation of the glorie of his iustice yet in the administration of this decree he neuer reiecteth any who do not first forsake him And therefore leauing Gods secret counsailes vnto himselfe let vs imbrace his reuealed will and according therunto let vs conforme our selues vnto holy obedience and liue like the people of God submitting our selues to bee ruled by his word and spirit and so wee may be assured that the Lord will continue to bee our gratious God and will neuer cast vs off seeing he refuseth none who do not first refuse him neither denieth his fauour to any who doe not denie vnto him their obedience ANd thus much concerning the Legall comminations Euangelicall consolations Now follow the Euangelicall consolations for our Prophet Hosea hauing in the former part of the chapter according to the vsuall method of the Prophets first set down their sins and then the iudgements of God and the punishments due vnto them doth not end his Sermon before hee had comforted Gods faithfull children who were deiected with the former threatnings by assuring them of the inlargement of the kingdome of Iesus Christ the promised Messias and the propagation of the Church through the mercie of God forgiuing their sinnes and reconciling them vnto himselfe in his Sonne vnto whom they are vnited by Gods spirit and a liuely faith Where Gods Ministers may obserue in Gods owne practise The best method of conuerting a sinner what is the best methode and order for the conuerting of a sinner namely first to bring men to a sight of their sins secondly to set before them the anger of God the curse of the law and all those fearefull punishments temporall and eternall which by them they haue deserued And when thus by the preaching of the law they are thorowly humbled in the sight of their owne misery then they are to raise them vp again by the preaching of the Gospel containing in it Gods gracious promises of mercie and forgiuenes in Iesus Christ For this is the order which the wisdom of God hath thought most fit as appeareth in this place and in al the writings and sermons not only of the Prophets but also of the Apostles Acts 2. 23. 37. 38. Rom. 1. 2. 3. So Peter Act. 2. 23. 37. 38. And Paul Rom. 1. 2. 3. c. But let vs come to the words themselues verse 10. Yet the Verse 10 11. number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand in the sea which cannot be measured nor told And in the place where it was said vnto them ye are not my people it shall be said vnto them Ye are the sonnes of the liuing God Verse 11. Then shall the children of Iuda and the children of Israel be gathered together and appoint themselues one head and they shall come vp out of the land for great is the day of Izreel In which words is contained a sweete consolation for all Gods afflicted children taken from the flourishing estate of The exposition Gods Church vnder the Kingdome and gouernment of Iesus Christ The which their prosperitie and happinesse is first described in the 10. verse and part of the 11. verse and then magnified in the last words for great is the day of Izreel It is described by foure arguments The first is their multitude that they should be in number numberlesse The second is their dignity that they should be not onely Gods people but also the sonnes of the liuing God The third is their vnitie and vnanimity that they should be gathered together and appoint vnto themselues one head vnder whom they should ioyntly be gouerned The last is their liberty and full redemption that they should come out of the land polluted with idolatry and should be adioyned vnto the true Church of God The first argument of consolation taken from the multitude of Gods Church is contained in these words Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea which cannot be measured nor told Whereas he saith Yet the number c. he meeteth with an obiection of the hypocriticall Israelites and withall comforteth Gods children who were deiected with the former threatnings For the Prophet hauing shewed that the Lord would reiect the people of Israel from being his people the hypocrites among them would be ready to charge the Prophet that his prophecie Obiection could not be true seeing it contradicted Gods promise made to Abraham that he would multiply his seed as the starres of heauen and as the sands by the sea side the which he should not performe if now he should reiect and cast them off To which the Prophet answereth that though God did reiect all these
Christ their head In the last place this their felicity is amplified in these words for great is the day of Izreel The which words by others are otherwise translated and The exposition expounded Some reade them thus When as the great day of Izreel shall be or shall haue been some thus Although great shall be the day of Izreel Both vnderstanding by day of Izreel the day of the calamitie of the people when they were ouerthrowne in the valley of Izreel and so led captiue by their enemies According to which translation they make this to be the sense of the place that after this great destruction the Lord would cause this great deliuerance or although this great calamity should certainely befall them yet this should not hinder the performance of Gods promises concerning the prosperous estate of the Church vnder the gouernment of Christ their head But as I take it we are not to vnderstand here by this great day of Izreel the day of their great affliction and calamitie but the day of their great felicitie and happinesse not the day of their ouerthrow and captiuity but of their restoring and deliuerance out of their enemies hands for in the fift verse hee had spoken of this iudgement and now hee speaketh onely of mercie and deliuerance whereby hee would comfort Gods people who were deiected with the former threatnings as appeareth by that both which went before and that also which followeth Now it is called the great day because it should be a day wherein the Lord would shew the greatnesse of his mercy power wisedome and goodnesse in the deliuerance of his people and the destruction of their enemies and because it should bee a day of great reioycing and triumph to the Church when as they should be gathered together vnder their head and King Iesus Christ and by him bee deliuered out of the land of darkenesse and kingdome of Satan where they were inthralled and so ascend into the Kingdome of God the kingdome of grace first and afterwards the kingdome of eternall glory And it is called the day of Izreel because it is a day of their redemption and saluation so Luk. 19. 41. 44. Where by Izreel wee are to vnderstand the Luk. 19. 41. 44. seed and sonnes of God not as in the fourth verse the seede which God would scatter and disperse but which in the time of the great haruest he would reape and gather into his garners of grace and glory And this is the meaning of the wordes The doctrine which from hence ariseth is this Here we may obserue what What is the chiefe day of our reioycing we are to esteeme the day of our great reioycing and as it were our solemne festiuall not wherein wee attaine some worldly riches or temporary preferment or wherein we are freed from some corporall calamitie although in some measure we may lawfully reioyce in these respects but the day of our ioy and triumph is when as we are deliuered out of the bondage of Satan and are gathered into the Church of God and are ruled protected and gouerned by Christ our head seeing in this day wee are freed from the greatest euils and aduanced to the greatest dignities and preferments And therefore let vs say with the Prophet Dauid vpon an other occasion This is the day which the Lord hath made let vs reioyce and be glad in it Psal 118. 24. And that wee may shew Psal 118. 24. and testifie this our ioy and gladnesse let vs solemnly assemble together to praise Gods name and to render thanks to God as for all other his benefites so especially for this great worke of our deliuerance FINIS LETCVRES VPON THE SECOND CHAPTER OF THE PROPHECIE OF HOSEA THe argument of this chapter is like The argument vnto the former for herein the people of Israel are accused and sharply reproued for their sinnes of idolatrie and vnthankfulnesse towards God and withall Gods fearefull iudgements are denounced both against the whole Synagogue and Church of Israel and also against the particular members thereof With which threatnings lest the faithfull and true children of God should bee too much amased and beaten downe with excessiue griefe for the downefall of the Church hee raiseth them vp againe with sound comfort preaching vnto them the glad tidings of the Gospell wherein he foretelleth their reconciliation with God the espousals of the Church to her husband Iesus Christ and the manifold benefits which should accompanie this happie contract And this is the maine argument of this chapter Out of The analysis which we may obserue the parts thereof which are two first legall threatnings secondly Euangelical promises The first part beginneth vers 2. and continueth to the 14. Wherein is set downe both their sinne and punishment and these are intermixed one with another Their sinne is twofold first their idolatrie secondly their ignorant ingratitude which also consisteth of two branches first their ascribing of all the benefits which they inioyed to their idols vers 5. Secondly their not acknowledging God to be the author of them vers 8. Their idolatrie is set downe in the 2. 3. 4. and 5. verses Wherin is contained 1. a denunciation of a diuorce between God and the Church of Israel vers 2. And the cause thereof namely her spirituall whoredomes vers 5. The dinorce is first inioyned that it should be denounced and then the causes or ends of the denunciation are expressed which are two First that the Church of Israel taking notice of it might lay it to heart and be mooued thereby to repent of her spirituall whoredomes vers 2. And secondly that she repenting the Lord might not be mooued in his iust displeasure to punish neither her vers 3. nor her children vers 4. And this is the generall resolution of this chapter Now let vs come to the words themselues Vers 1. Say vnto your Verse 1 brethren Ammi and to your sisters Ruchamah In the last verse Exposition of the former chapter the Prophet had shewed that the faithfull which appertained to Gods election should be gathered together should set ouer themselues one head Iesus Christ and so becomming subiects of his kingdome and members of his bodie should by vertue of this vnion ascend out of the kingdome of sinne and satan into the kingdome of grace and glorie Now he exhorteth them to congratulate one another in respect of these great benefits receiued and with mutuall incouragements to stirre vp euerie man his neighbour and brother that with a godlie care and earnest desire and indeauour and with a liuely faith they would receiue and applie to themselues this grace of God and most mercifull benefits which in Christ are offered vnto them and not only so but being themselues made partakers of these inestimable benefits he exhorteth them not to rest contented with their owne happinesse but to labour that it may be communicated to their brethren and being escaped out of their
of the first sort were their peace kingdom protection from enemies plentie and abundance of all worldly profits and delightes of the other were the law the priesthood some relikes of Gods worship in the ministrie of the word in the vse of the Sacraments and prayer the fauour of God and pardon of their sinnes from which they were not as yet vtterly excluded as it may hereby appeare in that the Lord laboureth to recall them by his Prophet vnto repentance and forewarneth them of these iudgements that repenting they might escape them And these are the benefits of which he threatneth to spoile them Now the manner and nature of their stripping and spoyling is further described and illustrated by diuers comparisons for first hee threatneth to strip them and to leaue them as destitute of all his benefits as they were at the day of their birth in these words and set her as in the day that shee was borne By the day of the children of Israels birth we may either vnderstand the day of their forefather Abraham his calling out of an idolatrous nation that hee might be the father of the faithfull or the day of the peoples deliuerance out of the bondage of Egypt which I take to be the more probable because he speaketh not here of the birth of one man but of the whole nation Now this day of the peoples birth was a time wherein they were in great miserie pouertie impotencie and manifold extremities and therefore not vnfitly compared to a childs birth seeing in many things it resembleth it in regard of the wretchednesse thereof and that both in respect of their persons and also in respect of their state And first for their bodies as the child is borne so impotent that it is vnable to resist the weakest enemie so they came out of Egypt weake vnskilfull and vnarmed altogether vnable to resist their enemies the Egyptians And so in respect of their soules as the child is borne defiled in his blood as it is described Ezech. 16. 6. so Ezech. 16. 6. they were defiled with their sins especially their grosse idolatrie which they learned of the Egyptians as the childe is borne destitute of wisedome and actuall vnderstanding so they were ignorant and without the sauing knowledge of God and his true religion In respect of their states likewise there is great similitude for as the child is borne poore and naked so they came out in great pouertie being not onely destitute of the heauenly gifts of Gods Spirit but also of glorie power and riches as the childe liueth as it were imprisoned a close prisoner in the straite prison of the wombe so they were held in a straite and miserable seruitude till God deliuered them and as in the birth it is in greatest danger and extremitie so that it no sooner breatheth the aire but it crieth out with sense of paine so they howsoeuer they had formerly indured many miseries yet they were in greatest extremitie of all euen as it were in the very birth and deliuerance when as they were pursued by their enemies and beset on all sides with vnauoydable dangers so that in anguish of soule they cried out for feare Lastly as the child Exod. 14. being borne is vnable to helpe it selfe either in respect of defence from outward iniuries or of prouision of food and necessaries so they being brought into the wildernesse were vnable to defend themselues from the iniuries of the weather either by day or night had no other prouision of food then the Lord prouided for them after a miraculous maner And this was the miserable condition of the people of Israel at the day of their birth and deliuerance out of Egypt the which is excellently and largely described by the Prophet Ezechiel Chap. 16. Out of which base estate the Lord aduanced them to the greatest and highest dignitie for after Ezech. 16. that he had led them into the wildernesse hee espoused this people vnto him for his wife hee loued and protected her he fed and nourished her he decked and adorned her he multiplied his benefits vpon her both spirituall and temporall induing and as it were endowing her with riches glorie pleasures and all happinesse he gaue vnto her his law containing the couenants of marriage betweene them hee gaue also a Priesthood a kingdome a land flowing with milke and honie a Tabernacle a Temple his word and Sacraments and all things needefull both for soule and bodie But shee being surfetted with pleasures vngratefully forgat Deut. 32. 14. 15. her former base condition and also him who had aduanced her to this great dignitie and happinesse and forsaking her Lord and husband who had been thus gratious vnto her went a whoring after false gods and therefore the Lord is faine to put her in mind of her former wretched estate and to threaten her that vnlesse she repented and turned vnto him he that had raised her would pull her downe and make her as poore contemptible and miserable as when he first met and matched with her And this is the first comparison whereby hee describeth and aggrauateth the miserie which hee threatneth to bring vpon them The second is that he would make her as a wildernesse or the wildernesse as the article prefixed portendeth where he alludeth to the desert wildernesse in which the children of Israel were led 40. yeeres Others resolue it rather thus And wil place her as in the wildernesse that is bring her into the same condition wherein shee was in the wildernesse But the other translation better pleaseth me seeing it is without addition of any word and seeing it is likely hee threatneth here a farre worse state then that which at this time she liued in because then she inioyed Gods presence she was his spouse she was led and fed defended and sustained by the Lord her husband And therefore I thinke rather he threatneth to make her like that wildernesse that is to make her selfe desert and barraine of all his gifts and graces temporall and spirituall to suffer her to be inhabited of her vices and corruptions as it were with so many wild beasts to lay her kingdome countrie and cities waste like a wildernesse being ouerrunne burnt and spoiled by their enemies as the Lord threatneth Deut. 28. 51. Leuit. 26. Deut 28. 15. Leuit. 26. 31. 32 31. 32. Thirdly he saith that hee will leaue her like a drie land that is he will depriue her of all her comforts pleasures and delights like a drie and schorched ground where for want of moisture all the pleasant herbes and sweet flowers wither and fade away Lastly he threatneth that he will flay her with thirst that is he will ouerwhelme her with the greatest miseries for water is more easily come by then foode and therefore the extremitie of their want is hereby in a liuely manner described when as they should want euen water to quench their thirst and saue their life Where he
welles of water which they had digged in the daies of Abraham c. that is he redigged them But as I take it the word in this place hath a greater emphasis in it and signifieth thus much that howsoeuer the Lord seemed by his long deferring of punishment and by the continuance of his mercie in suffering them still to enioy his gifts either to approue or at least not to regard their wickednes and grosse abuse of his benefits yet now he would take a new course with them so as they should see that he was a iust God who would not let sin for euer go vnpunished In former times the Lord had multiplied his gifts vpon them as their corne wine oyle c. and that oftentimes beyond all hope and expectation in respect of naturall causes that so they might not rest vpon the starres and planets nor feare the signes according to the custome of the Gentiles but relie vpon his al-sufficient prouidence as himselfe commandeth them Ier. 10. 2. And hauing Jerem. 10. 2. his blessings powred vpon them as it were with his owne immediate hand they might learne hereby to acknowledge and praise him as the author of these his gifts But when notwithstanding all this they would not learne hereby to praise the Lord as being the cause of all their benefits but ascribed them to their Idols the Lord threatneth that hee would returne and alter his former course by depriuing them of all his blessings euen when in respect of inferiour causes and meanes they seemed most assured of them that so if his extraordinarie manner of bestowing them would not yet his extraordinarie taking them away might moue them to acknowledge that he alone was the bestower of them Now the things of which the Lord threatneth to depriue them of are their corne and wine their wooll and flaxe all which before they had ascribed to their Idols and abused to their seruice vnder which particulars here as before wee are to vnderstand not only all things appertaining to their food and apparell but all other commodities belonging to this life So 1. Tim. 6. 8. When we haue food and raiment let vs therewith 1. Tim. 6. 8. be content And further wee are to note that the Lord calleth these things his my corne and my wine c. whereby hee meeteth with the erroneous conceit of the Israelites who imagined that these blessings of God were giuen vnto them by their Idols as a reward of their seruice and therefore that they were so become their owne that they might vse or rather abuse them at their pleasure vers 5. But the Lord telleth them that they were not their Idols gifts but his blessings which because they did not hold of him as of the grand Lord and owner of them therefore hee would as hee iustly might take away from them these things which were his owne vnto which they had no right that so they might learne to giue vnto him the praise of his owne gifts The time also when the Lord threatneth to resume his gifts is expressed I will take away my corne in the time thereof that is in the time of their haruest and my wine in the season thereof that is in the vintage as though he should say When most especially they expect these benefits I will frustrate their hope and so make their affliction more intolerable because it shall come vnlooked for and in such a time wherein they made sure account of plentie And I will bring such a scarcitie amongst them of these blessings that there shal be a want of them euen in the time of haruest and vintage when they vsually most abound and therefore if they wanted in the time of their greatest plentie how great was their penurie like to be when that small store they had was spent and consumed The which dearth was caused either by the curse of God vpon their land so as it could not yeeld her increase which is threatned Leuit. 26. 20. or through the abundance Leuit. 26. 20. of caterpillers grashoppers wormes drought of which wee reade Deut. 28. 23. 24. 38. 39. c. Ioel 1. 4. or by their enemies Deut. 28. 23. Ioel 1. 4. who vsually at the time of haruest goe into the field because then they may most endamage them against whom they make warre by wasting their countrie furnish themselues with all prouision which the Lord threatneth Deut. Deut. 28. 33. Ioel 2. 3. 28. 33. Ioel. 2. 3. And I will recouer my wooll c. The word here vsed signifieth with strong hand to plucke away from one that which he vniustly possesseth It is vsed Gen. 31. 9. where Iacob saith Gen. 31. 9. that God had taken away Labans substance and giuen them vnto him because it was wrongfully possessed by Laban seeing it belonged vnto Iacob as a reward of his painfull seruice So the Israelites are commanded to take away the Egyptians goods and to spoyle them because they wrongfully withheld them in their hands from the Israelites seeing they were due to thē for their great paines and tedious bondage Exod. 3. 22. Others translate it thus I will free and set at libertie my Exod. 3. 22. wooll and my flaxe c. which commeth all to the same end for when the creatures of God are vniustly possessed and abused to other ends then those for which God hath giuen them they may bee said to bee in a kinde of bondage from which they are freed when God plucketh them from such Rom 8 22. Hab. 2. 11. vniust owners So Rom. 8. 22. Hab. 2. 11. The meaning therefore of these words is that the Lord would plucke out of the hands of the idolatrous Israelites these his blessings because they vniustly possessed them and abused them to wicked purposes They possessed them vniustly because they did not acknowledge them as held of the Lord the true owner of heauen and earth for as he hath no right to his lands which are held in capite of the Prince who will not acknowledge him his grand Lord but rather some forraine enemie and therefore is iustly dispossessed so in this case And as he who hauing receiued either authoritie or riches from his King that hereby hee may th◠better be enabled to serue him if he abuse his Princes gifts by vsing them against him and seruing his enemies is iustly stript of all so here c. Lent to couer her shame The word here vsed signifieth her nakednesse and more especially the nakednesse of the secret parts Whereby some vnderstand that these idolaters abused the gifts of God to couer their spirituall nakednesse and did hide their sinnes vnder the vaile of Gods benefits But as I take it the more simple and plaine interpretation is best and most agreeable to the text namely that the Lord would take away from her his wooll and flaxe because whereas hee had giuen vnto them these things that they might with them apparell
not some few times for he threatneth often but seldome punisheth he denounceth many kindes of iudgements before he inflicteth any one of them whereby it manifestly appeareth that in his threatnings he aimeth at our conuersion and not at our subuersion and destruction and that he is not willing to punish in his owne nature vnlesse we force him thereunto by our stubborne impenitencie Secondly wee here learne not to trust in the fruitfulnesse We must not trust in the fruitfulnesse of our countrie for our sustenance of our countrie for our prouision and sustenance notwithstanding wee continually prouoke the Lord vnto anger by our sinnes for though it abound with vines and figge trees with corne and wine with pleasant orchards and fruitfull fields yet the Lord can easily finde meanes either by laying his curse vpon the land or by giuing vs ouer to the spoyle of our enemies to make the most fruitfull places a desert wildernesse And therefore let vs so liue as his children and seruants performing obedience vnto his will and then we may rest boldly and securely vpon his neuer failing prouidence otherwise our best meanes will not preserue vs when with our sins and wickednes we prouoke his anger and moue him in his iust displeasure to strip vs of all his benefits as appeareth in this place in the example of Sodom and Gomorrah so Ioel. 2. 3. And this is that which the Psalmist speaketh Joel 2. 3. Psal 107 34. Psal 107. 34. A fruitful land he maketh barren for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein Thirdly we may obserue that howsoeuer these idolaters Idolaters vsually pleade their merits do ascribe vnto their idols all the benefits which they enioyed yet not as their free and vndeserued gifts but as rewards and hire which they had bestowed vpon them for that idolatrous worship seruice which they had done vnto them and this is the disposition of all idolaters and superstitious persons to share with their idols in the praise of the benefits which they enioy imagining indeed that they haue bestowed them vpon them but for their deserts and merits And as the Heathen idolaters dealt with their idols so after the same manner at this day deale the Papists with God himselfe sharing with him in his glorie by ascribing part of the praise vnto him and part vnto their owne workes and merits Lastly we may heere obserue that howsoeuer the Lord Affliction endeth in destruction without repentance threatneth before he punisheth and when he beginneth to correct proceedeth by degrees from lighter to heauier punishments that his mercy goodnes and long-suffering may appeare in his so long sparing vs yet is neither his threatnings nor more easie corrections will reclaime vs nor mollifie our stonie hearts with true contrition his iudgements will end in our vtter destruction and desolation When his vineyard is fruitlesse first he vseth the pruning knife of affliction he diggeth and dungeth it and then expecteth fruit but if still it be barren and vnprofitable he taketh away the hedge and breaketh downe the wall and layeth it waste and desolate as it is Esay 5. 5. 6. If the knife will do no good to Esai 5. 5. 6. make the tree fruitfull by pruning the branches he will lay the axe to the root and cut it downe Mat. 3. 10. Luk. 13. 6. 9. Matth. 3. 10. Luk. 13. 6. 9. If his husbandmen with their much labouring in the vineyard cannot make it to yeeld her grapes the Lord will let the wilde boore out of the wood destroy it and the wilde beasts of the field to eat it vp as it is Psal 80. 13. So in this Psal 80. 13. place c. And this appeareth in the example of Pharaoh and the Egyptians and of the Iewes Matth. 23. 38. Luk. 19. Matth. 23. 38. Luk. 19. 43. 44. 43. 44. ANd so much concerning the punishments which particularly are threatned against the Israelites In the last place he concludeth the former part of the chapter with a repetition of their sinne of idolatrie the punishment which he would inflict vpon them for it Vers 13. And I will visite Vers 13 vpon her the daies of Baalim wherein she burnt incense to them and she decked her selfe with her earings and her iewels and she followed her louers and forgate mee saith the Lood In which words he repeateth their sinne and punishment that hereby The exposition he might the more aggrauate their sinnes and confirme the certaintie of their punishments that by hearing the often repetition of both they might be the rather moued to serious repentance The denunciation of their punishment is expressed in these words I will visite Where the Lord sheweth that he would no longer defere his punishments nor seeme to wincke at their sins but now he would begin to inflict his iudgements on them which their wickednes deserued yet not rashly but aduisedly and vpon mature deliberation as hee noteth by the word visite of which I haue more largely spoken when I handled the fourth verse of the first chapter Their sinne is first generally signified in these words The daies of Baalim By which we are to vnderstand the daies of their idolatrie or all the time wherein they had worshipped idols since the Lord had made his couenant with them and had maried them vnto himselfe which was soone after their comming out of Egypt So that heere he threatneth to visite vpon them not only the idolatrie which in their owne time was committed but the idolatrie of their fore-fathers of which we may reade Exod. 32. 1. vers 34. Numb 25. 1. 3. Exod. 32. 1. 34. Numb 25. 1. 3. Jud. 10. 6. Iud. 10. 6. c. because they did not forsake their sinnes but approued liked and liued in them According to that in the second Commandement For I am the Lord thy God a iealous God visiting the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children c. Secondly he setteth downe their progresse in the particular kinds of their idolatrie first that they burnt incense that is performed vnto them idolatrous seruice in offering vnto them sacrifices and oblations secondly that they were so bewitched with that pleasure and delight which they tooke in their idolatrie that they thought no pompe cost decking with precious ornaments sufficient to set forth their idolatrie in these words And shee decked her selfe with her earings and her iewels where he still alludeth to the manner of harlots for as they being to come into the companie of their louers do vse all their art and skill in setting themselues foorth by putting on their richest ornaments that by these baits they may more forciblie allure them to commit vncleannesse with them so these idolaters when as they were to celebrate their solemne festiuals in the seruice of their idols placed a great part of their superstitious deuotion in decking and adorning both themselues and their idol gods that so they might take greater
pleasure in their idolatrie and with these pompous shewes intice others to ioyne with them in committing this spirituall whoredome And here we are further to obserue that hee calleth them her iewels and her earings to note vnto them that they had not receiued this whorish and idolatrous maner of worship from the Lord but that it was their owne not enioyned by God but hammered out in the forge of their owne inuentions and cast in the mould of their owne braine Thirdly he saith that she followed her louers whereby is signified their obstinate persistance in this their sin for they did not once or twice fall into this sin through errour or infirmitie but they followed their idols and went on in the course of their superstitions walking in their idolatries as in their vsual path and common high way So vers 6. Fourthly he saith that their hearts were so wholly set vpon their idols and that they followed them with such great earnestnes and intention of minde that they forgate the Lord like vnto harlots who are so bewitched and wholly transported with a furie of blind loue or rather lust towards their louers that they altogether forget their lawfull husbands and all the benefits which they haue receiued from them So that heere he aggrauateth the impious folly and more then brutish blockishnes of this people who were so blinded and euen drunken in their idolatrous superstitions that neither Gods word nor his works neither his blessings and benefits nor his iudgements and punishments would put them in minde of God and of those duties which they owed vnto him But how could the Israelites be said to haue forgotten God seeing still they professed themselues his people and performed some kind of seruice vnto him I answere they are said to forget him because they did not remēber him to be such a God as he had reuealed himselfe in his word namely that he was a Spirit most holy most pure and infinite in all perfections but figured and represented him in a little image whom heauen and the heauen of heauens cannot containe and because they forgat to performe vnto him that pure worship which he had enioyned vnto them in his word and in stead thereof offered vnto him their owne wil-worship and the idolatrous inuentions of their owne braine and thus one is said to forget another when they forget to performe those things which the one required and the other promised And these are the degrees of their sinne of idolatrie Now in the last place the Prophet concludeth all the former reprehensions of their sins denunciations of punishmēts by telling them that all he had spoken was not of or from himselfe but the word of Iehouah and this hee doth to gaine authoritie vnto the former prophecie to confirme the vndoubted certaintie thereof and to moue the people to receiue it with reuerence and to lay it more neerely to their hearts that thereby they might be moued to turne vnto God by true repentance And so much concerning the meaning of these words The Do ∣ ctrines The doctrines which arise out of them are these First wee may obserue that the Lord in the ministrie of the word causeth The Lord causeth his messengers to repeate the same reprehensions his messengers and Ministers to repeate againe againe the same reprehensions of sin the same punishmēts which are due vnto them and this he doth partly in respect of our incredulitie whereby at first wee giue no credit to his word and therefore to confirme the truth thereof the better in our hearts he causeth the same things to be againe repeated and the same speeches to bee as it were with greater vehemencie redoubled and partly in regard of our negligence securitie and forgetfulnesse whereby wee either doe not attentiuely marke or conscionably applie or fruitfully remember his word at the first hearing And therefore when wee heare the same reprehensions and threatnings deliuered oftē by Gods ambassadours let not these repetitions cloy vs with sacietie but rather sharpen our attention perswading our selues that the Lord causeth vs to heare the same things repeated either because through our negligence wee haue not learned or through our securitie and forgetfulnesse haue not applied nor made profitable vse of them at the first hearing or finally that hee meeteth with our incredulitie by confirming his word with a second repetition Secondly we may obserue that the same things which the The estate of the Church of Rome like the Church of Israel Prophet heere condemneth in the Israelites are at this day practised by the Church of Rome For first they haue their Baalims their pettie gods and patrons whom they religiously serue worship they offer vnto them incense vowes oblations they decke and adorne not onely their Idols but also themselues when they solemnize their feasts and approch into their presence placing a great part of their holinesse and deuotion in their outward pompe and brauerie which are not prescribed by God but inuented by themselues and therefore may fitly be called their own All which decking and adorning of themselues and their Idols they like impudent harlots vse that with these baites of outward pompe and beautie they may allure others to goe a whoring with them after their Idols they haue also a long time liued in their spirituall adulteries with great impudencie and obstinacie boasting and glorying in their sinne and finally they haue so set their hearts vpon their louers and are so intent earnest in their seruice that they may be truly said to haue forgotten the Lord because they do not so remember him as he hath reuealed himselfe in his word because they haue forgotten to worship him in spirit and truth and in stead thereof offer vnto him their owne inuentions and also because they vse much more care and diligence and spend much more time and labour in the seruice of the Virgin Mary Saints Angels Images and other Idols then in the seruice of the true and euerliuing God From whence wee may assuredly gather that the Lord will visite vpon them the daies of Baalim though for a time to shew his own patience and to make them the more vnexcusable hee deferre their iustly deserued punishments And therefore let al those come out of Babylon who would not be partakers of her plagues Apoc. 18. 4. Apoc. 18. 4. We must not place our religion in outward pompe Thirdly we may hence learne to auoid the foolish superstition of idolaters who place their religion in outward pompe and sumptuous shewes and to worship the Lord in spirit truth according to the prescript forme of his word Wherein many amongst our selues may iustly be reproued who thinke they haue done God good seruice if on his Sabbaths they come to the Church in their best apparell outwardly decked and adorned when in the meane time they come with their workaday soules full of worldly distractions and cogitations and altogether vnprepared and
hearken vnto the glad tidings of the Gospell and earnestly desire the Lord that with the speech of his word he will ioyne the speech of the Spirit and with them both replenish our hearts with this sweete consolation Fourthly we may obserue when the Lord speaketh comfortably God doth not speake comfortably vnto vs till we be humbled vnto vs namely not whilest we liue in impenitencie and carnall securitie but after that hee hath brought vs into the wildernesse that is after that wee are by manifold afflictions thorowly humbled when hee hath brought vs to a true sight and sense of our sinnes so that wee grone vnder them as vnder a heauie but then and when he hath lead vs as it were into a desert of desperation by causing vs to apprehend his anger and the manifold punishments which are due vnto vs c. Where Gods Ministers haue an example for their imitation not to speake the comfortable and glad tidings of the Gospels to those who sit by the flesh pots of Egypt liuing in their carnall delights with all sensuall securitie vntill first they be brought into the wildernesse of affliction and be humbled in the sight and sense of their sins Lastly wee may learne that it is the dutie of Gods Ministers Gods Ministers must speake comfort to the heart and not to the eare alone 1. Cor. 2. 4. 5. when they would replenish any with sound comfort not so much to speake to the eare with wittie conceits humane eloquence and in the inticing speech of mans wisedome but they must speake to the heart in the plaine euidence of the spirit and of power otherwise their comforts will be but like Dauids musicke to Saul for as whilest Dauid plaied Saul was eased but when hee ceased the wicked spirit returned and vexed Saul so whilest one afflicted in conscience heareth their sweete tunes of consolation which rather delight the eare then touch the heart and conscience though for the present they may bring some refreshing yet when the sound ceaseth the comfort vanisheth and their terrors and doubtings returne and vexe them no lesse then in former times ANd so much concerning the second benefit which is the consolation of Gods Spirit Now in the third place he promiseth that hee will not onely be reconciled vnto her receiuing her into his loue and fauour and giuing vnto her the inward comfort and peace of conscience but that he will also giue further assurance of his fauour and her reconciliation by multiplying his temporall benefits vpon her the which shall not only in their owne vse be comfortable but much more in respect that they are offered by God and receiued by the Church as pledges of Gods eternall loue and earnest-penies of her heauenly happinesse in Gods kingdome with all which she shall be so replenished with ioy and true thankfulnesse that she shall with all cheerefulnesse sing the praises of God the author of all her welfare and felicitie All which is contained vers 15. in these words And I Vers 15 will giue her her vineyards from thence and the valley of Achor for the doore of hope and she shall sing there as in the daies of her youth and as in the day when she came out of the land of Egypt In which words is contained first a benefit which God promiseth The exposition to the Church and secondly the Churches thankfulnesse which she returneth vnto God for it In the benefit promised is set down first the benefit it selfe secondly the time when God bestoweth it and thirdly the end why it is giuen and receiued The benefit it selfe is expressed in these words I will giue her her vineyards and the valley of Achor Where the Lord opposeth his benefits here promised to the punishments before denounted vers 12. for there he threatneth to take away her vines and figge trees and here he promiseth to restore them againe and that with aduantage as is signified by the change of the word for there hee threatneth to take away her vines and here he promiseth to giue her vineyards which consist of manie vines the which also is expressed in the plurall number to intimate their multitude and abundance Now vnder this one kind synecdochically are to be vnderstood all other corporall benefits of which before hee had threatned to strip them and all other of like nature as before I haue shewed and much more by these types and shadowes we are allegorically to vnderstand Gods spirituall gifts and graces which vnder them are vsually signified the Lord applying himselfe to the rudenesse ignorance of the Church in the time of her infancie who could not conceiue of Gods spirituall benefits vnlesse they were after a palpable manner described and shadowed vnto them And amongst many particulars hee especially promiseth vineyards the better to expresse Gods large bountie and the Churches great plentie for bread and foode are necessarie for the preseruation of life but wine aboundeth the vse whereof seruing not only for sustentation but also for comfort and delight as the Psalmist sheweth Psal 104. 14. 15. there he saith that God giueth hearbes and bread for the vse Psal 104. 14. 15 of man and wine to make glad his heart Whereas therefore he promiseth to giue them vineyards the meaning is that hee would measure out his benefits with a large and plentifull hand so as they should haue abundance and that not only for the relieuing their necessitie but also for delight and comfort He saith further that he will giue her the valley of Achor Where he still continueth the former Allegorie alluding to the deliuerance of the people of Israel out of Egypt who after that they had been tried a long time in the wildernesse they were at last brought into the borders of Canaan and ouercame the citie Iericho where Achan stealing the excommunicate thing was by Iosua and the people brought into a valley neere adioyning where he and his familie were stoned which valley afterwards Iosua named the valley of Achor because the people of Israel being ouerthrowne by the men of Ai were exceedingly troubled so that their harts melted like water as appeareth Ios 7. 5. the which reason of Ios 7. 5. 25. 26. the name Iosua himselfe giueth vers 25. 26. as it also signifieth being deriued from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turbauit But howsoeuer this valley of Achor was to the people of Israel for a time a valley of trouble yet afterwards it was vnto them a place of great ioy and comfort both because they obtained victorie against their enemies the men of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and also because they enioyed this valley which was exceeding fertill and fruitfull especially of vines and fruitfull trees Wheras then the Lord promiseth to giue vnto his Church the valley of Achor the meaning is that as the people of Israel after they had wandered in the wildernesse 40. years destitute of corne wine oyle and all other benefits
sauing those which the Lord miraculously bestowed and in this respect howsoeuer they were preserued by God yet had they stil the image of death before them and after they had been tried and humbled by many afflictions were in Gods appointed time brought into the confines of the land of Canaan the countrie of Iericho and the valley of Achor where they enioyed all these blessings with great comfort and contentation so that in respect of the great and sudden alteration they seemed newly transported from death to life So the Church in the time of the Gospell after she is reconciled vnto God and hath passed thorow a wildernesse of affliction for her triall and humiliation is not only sustained in the middest of all her troubles with the inward comfort of Gods Spirit but also is further assured of Gods loue by the outward testimonie of his manifold benefits wherewith she is replenished with such ioy and consolation that shee seemeth vnto her selfe restored from the death of sorrow and miserie to the life of comfort and happines But yet whilest she remaineth in the valley of Achor and but in the borders of the heauenly Canaan howsoeuer shee hath great cause of ioy and contentment in regard of the manifold benefits which God bestoweth vpon her yet is her ioy often intermixed with sorrow and trouble through that cursed Achan the flesh which eagerly coueting the pleasures of sinne and the golden baites of wickednes is thereby allured to sinne and to prouoke Gods wrath by seasing vpon vnlawfull pleasures and profits accursed by God by which inward rebell shee is betrayed vnto her outward enemies those cursed Cananites the world and the diuell so that for a time they preuaile against her But yet in the end she hath an happie issue out of all her afflictions for as when Achan was stoned Israel hauing hereby appeased Gods wrath obtained a famous victory against the men of Ai so when the flesh is mortified which betrayed vs we obtaine a glorious victorie ouer the world and the diuell and so enter into a full possession of the heauenly Canaan And thus appeareth the great similitude which is betweene the passage of the children of Israel out of Egypt into the land of promise and our passage out of the spirituall Egypt the kingdome of sinne and Satan into the heauenly Canaan the true countrie and inheritance of all the Saints which moued the Lord allegorically to allude vnto it in this place as also Esay 65. 10. Esay 65. 10. And this is the benefit here promised The second thing specified is the time when the Lord would bestow it in this phrase from thence which in the Scriptures is sometimes referred to the time and sometime to the place and accordingly here it is diuersly interpreted by some of the place referring it to the desert namely that as soone as they came out of the wildernesse of affliction they should enter into this valley of pleasure by others of the time vnderstanding it thus from thence forward or as soone as I haue brought her thorow the wildernesse and haue replenished her with the inward comfort of my Spirit I will giue her a reall assurance of my loue and not only speake comfortablie vnto her heart by my word and Spirit but also in effect and deed assure her further of my loue and fauour by multiplying vpon her my mercies and manifold benefits The which interpretation is not much different from the other but the rather to be embraced because it hath better dependancie with the former benefit for as soone as the Lord hath inwardly comforted his people by his word and Spirit then presently hee giueth them a true sense of his loue and fauour by bestowing vpon them innumerable benefits spirituall and temporall The third thing heere expressed is the end why God giueth and the Church receiueth these his gifts and graces not onely that shee may haue by them ioy and comfort in their present vse but that they may serue as pledges and earnest penies to confirme their hope and assurance of the possession of eternall happines the which is signified by this phrase For the doore of hope For that is said to be the doore of hope which giueth entrance vnto hope by offering some assurance that we shall obtaine the thing hoped for As therefore the Lord gaue to the people of Israel the valley of Achor that it should be vnto them a doore of hope because the possession of the borders was a pledge vnto them that they should enioy the whole land of promise so the manifold benefits which the Lord bestoweth vpon the faithfull whilest they be in the borders of Canaan the Church militant are vnto them a doore of hope being assured pledges that after we haue a while fought with our spirituall enemies wee shall haue full possession of the heauenly Canaan and the new Ierusalem And these are the benefits which are here allegorically promised Now the reason why the Lord speaking of the spirituall deliuerance and happines of his people alludeth to their temporall deliuerance out of Egypt and entrance into the land of Canaan was first that hereby he might strengthen their faith in the full assurance of his promises seeing they had alreadie experience of his truth power mercy and goodnes in their former deliuerance when as the grieuous sins and great vnworthines of their forefathers could not moue him to change his purpose nor frustrate his word because his couenant was grounded not vpon their deserts but vpon his owne vndeserued loue and meere good will And secondly in promising new benefits he doth by this allusion put them in minde of the old that by the remembrance of these and hope of the other they might be moued to true thankfulnes and obedience The second thing to bee considered in this verse is the Churches ioy and thankfulnesse in the present fruition of Gods gifts and future hope of greater benefits signified in these words And she shal sing there as in the daies of her youth and as in the day when as she came vp out of the land of Egypt In which words is expressed the Churches ioy and thankfulnes together with the place or time thereof their ioy and thankfulnes is signified by their singing of praises vnto God the author of all these benefits which continuing in the former allegorie and allusion he compareth to that reioycing and praising God which the Israelites vsed after their deliuerance out of Egypt when as they saw Pharaoh and his armie drowned in the red sea of which we may reade Exod. 15. vnder which speciall we are generally to vnderstand all Exod. 15. their reioycing and songs of praises for all Gods benefits especially when they were in the valley of Achor and had entred into the possession of the land of promise Whereas then he saith that she shall sing as in the daies of her youth and childhood we are hereby to vnderstand the time of her
comming out of the Egyptian seruitude which is fitly compared to the birth and infancie of the Church as before I haue shewed in vers 3. and therefore the words following are added exegeticâ—s by way of exposition plainly expressing what is meant by the time of her childhood namely the day when she ascended out of the land of Egypt The meaning therfore of these words is this that as the people of Israel after their deliuerance out of the Egyptian bondage and after that they enioyed Gods manifold blessings in the valley of Achor did reioyce before the Lord and expressed their ioy by singing his praises so the true Israel of God in the time of the Gospell after they are deliuered out of the spirituall bondage of sin and Satan and are made partakers of all Gods manifold blessings both spirituall and temporall being filled not onely with ioy but also with thankfulnes hauing nothing else to returne to the Lord for all his benefits they burst foorth into praises and thanksgiuings The time or place when the Church shall performe this dutie is expressed in this word there whereby is signified that they shall thus reioyce and praise God in the valley of Achor whilest they were in the vineyards which God had giuen them Where hee alludeth to the custome of grape-gathers in ancient time who whilest they gathered their grapes and trode in the Wine-presse sang praises vnto God vnto which custome the Prophet alludeth Esa 16. 10. wherby Esa 16. 10. is signified that great should be the Churches alacritie in praising God so as she should not defer this dutie or slothfully goe about it but euen in the fruition of Gods benefits she shall be so filled with ioy and comfort that not being able to containe her selfe she shall presently burst foorth into his praises and that not after a vulgar manner as those who haue receiued ordinarie benefits but like vnto those who are raised from death to life from sorrow and miserie to all ioy and happinesse And so much for the meaning of the words The doctrines The Do ∣ ctrines hence to be obserued are these First here wee learne that after the Lord hath allured vs and spoken vnto our hearts by We must labour after true conuersion if we would enioy Gods benefits his word and Spirit that is after that he hath conuerted and brought vs to repentance and giuen vnto vs inward comfort peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost then doth hee giue vnto vs further assurance of his loue and our reconciliation by multiplying vpon vs not only corporall but also spirituall benefits Whence we learne first that if wee desire to be made partakers of Gods temporall benefits we doe aboue all things labour after true conuersion and to feele the kingdome of Iesus Christ erected in our hearts and the inward ioy and comfort of Gods Spirit and then will the Lord also giue vs vineyards and the valley of Achor that is abundance of his benefits not only sufficient for our necessarie sustenance but also for our honest delight according to that Matth. 6. 33. Matth. 6. 33. Yea but the faithfull sometimes want these things I answer if the Lord withdraw temporall benefits in stead of them he bestoweth more excellent gifts euen his spirituall graces faith hope patience c. as appeareth in the example of Iob. And though they haue no superfluitie yet they haue sufficiencie which they enioy with great comfort and contentation for either the Lord fitteth their state to their mindes or their mindes to their state as appeareth in the example of the people of God fed daily with Manna and water springing out of the rocke of Elias fed with Rauens of the poore widow sustained by her cruise of oyle and handfull of meale Yea and how little soeuer the faithfull haue yet are they better prouided for then the wicked in the middest of all their abundance for this may faile bee spent or taken away but Gods prouidence will neuer faile in prouiding for his neither will the fountaine of his bountie bee euer drie although it doe not at all times flow alike plentifully and with a full streame Psal 37. 16. 17. Psal 37. 16. 17 Our graces no cause of our conuersioÌ„ Againe whereas vnder these vineyards and valley of Achor are promised not only corporall benefits but also spiritual graces hence we learne that we are first allured and conuerted before these gifts of Gods Spirit are bestowed vpon vs and therefore our inward graces and vertues are no causes mouing the Lord to conuert and call vs but effects of our vocation neither doth the Lord allure and call vs because we are furnished with these graces but he therefore furnisheth vs with them because he hath called vs Rom. 8. 30. Rom 8. 30. And lastly from hence we learne not to expect full assurance of Gods loue and our reconciliation all at once but Full assurance of Gods loue not to be expected all at once by one degree after another for first God allureth vs and then speaketh comfortably vnto vs by his word and Spirit assuring vs that wee are his children the which assurance is more and more confirmed when he giueth vnto vs the portion of his children his spirituall graces and temporall benefits Secondly we may here obserue that howsoeuer the Lord God mingleth benefits with crosses giueth vnto the faithfull plentie of vineyards the valley of Achor that is innumerable benefits both spirituall and temporall yet not without the mixture of many crosses and calamities For as long as wee are in this life our prosperitie is mingled with affliction our ioy with sorrow and so long as we are but in the borders of our heauenly Canaan this valley of pleasure shall be vnto vs also Achor that is the valley of trouble partly in regard of our treacherous flesh which being allured with vnlawfull pleasures and profits doth moue vs to offend God whereby we are hindred in our iourney towards our heauenly countrie and wanting the feeling of our assurance of attaining to our eternall rest wee are turmoyled with feare and doubting and afflicted with much sorrow and heauinesse of spirit and partly in respect of those cruell assaults which the cursed Cananites the world and the diuell make against vs wherewith we are sometimes foiled and alwaies troubled But yet wee are not hereby to be discouraged for the Lord will giue a good issue to all our trials and in the end will grant vnto vs a glorious victorie ouer all our enemies and changing this valley of trouble into a valley of triumph will so bring vs into full possession of our heauenly Canaan where wee shall obtaine comfort without mixture of affliction ioy without sorrow and eternall rest from the assaults of all our enemies When as then wee are in any affliction let vs remember that though the Lord for a time seeme to frowne vpon vs yet in the end
thankfulnesse of the faithfull Yea in truth so much our ioy and thankfulnesse should exceed theirs as the greatnes of the benefit of our spirituall deliuerance out of the miserable captiuitie of sin and Satan exceedeth the deliuerance of the Israelites out of the bondage of Egypt We must then reioyce and be as thankfull as those ought to bee who haue passed from death to life from the greatest miserie to the highest happines and are exalted from being the firebrands of hell to be the sonnes of God and heires of heauen ANd so much cōcerning the second benefit In the third place the Lord promiseth that he will giue grace to his Church and people that they shall embrace his pure worship and seruice and abolish all idolatrie and superstition in these words Vers 16. And at that day saith the Lord you Vers 16. 17. shall call me Ishi and shall call me no more Baali Vers 17. For I will take away the names of Baali out of her mouth and they shall no more be remembred by their names In which words the Lord The exposition promiseth two things first that hee will restore his sincere worship secondly that he will roote out all idolatrie The former in these words And at that day saith the Lord shall you call me Ishi Where is set downe first the time when the Church should performe this dutie and secondly the dutie it selfe The time in these words And at that day that is when the Lord hath effectually called her spoken comfortablie vnto her and multiplied his benefits vpon her then should she in loue and thankfulnes shew her selfe zealous in offering vnto God his pure worship and in abolishing all reliques of idolatrie The dutie which the Lord promiseth she shall performe is that she shall call him Ishi that is my husband where the Lord alludeth to the couenant which is made betweene him and his Church wherein the Lord promiseth that she shall be his spouse and she promiseth that she will acknowledge the Lord alone to be her husband and performe all duties of a wife vnto him As though he should say Howsoeuer in former times thou hast run after thy louers yet when I haue called and conuerted thee thou shalt remember the couenant of mariage betweene vs made and so forsaking thy idols thou shalt acknowledge and professe that I alone am thy husband Now whereas he saith that she shall call him Ishi we are first hereby to vnderstand that the Church mindfull of her couenant shall embrace him as her only husband not verbally alone or with an idle shew but in deed and truth behauing her selfe towards him as it becommeth the Lords spouse that is first in generall she shall worship and serue him purely and sincerely according to his will more specially that she shall obserue coniugall fidelitie loue him aboue all depend vpon him alone with a true affiance for all blessings and call vpon his name the which dutie is implied in the text for it is not said she shall call me husband but Ishi O my husband namely inuocating his name by prayer Secondly he sheweth here that the Church shall not only internally worship the Lord as her only husband in Spirit and truth but also that she shall outwardly make profession hereof which is implied in that he saith shee shall call him husband and not onely acknowledge him so to bee in her heart and mind And this is the first dutie which the Lord promiseth that the Church shall performe The other is that as she should be carefull to aduance his pure worship so she should shew the like zeale in abolishing all reliques of idolatrie signified in these words And thou shalt call me no more Baali or O my Baal that is As I would not haue thee to ioine idols with me in my worship so I would not haue thee to worship and call vpon me in an idol or after an idolatrous maner but in spirit and truth purely sincerely Where the Lord sheweth first that the Church shall not only worship him but also that she should worship him alone and renounce all her idols and false gods Secondly that she shall not worship him after an idolatrous manner in images and idols as it was the manner of the Israelites who worshipped God in the idoll Baal as appeareth in this place but shall come vnto him immediatly and not by a substitute or inferiour patron and call vpon him who is a Spirit spiritually and not in an image But the image of Baal being abolished why would not the Lord be called vpon by the name of Baal seeing it signifieth a god lord or patron and sometime also a husband as well as Ish I answere the Lord would be called Ish rather then Baal first because Baal being a name of empire and dominion brought with it some seruile feare the other name Ish signifying properly a husband offereth nothing to our consideration but loue fidelitie grace and protection and therefore the Lord refuseth the former name in the time of the Gospell as being too austere sauouring only of authoritie and Lordship and will be called by the amiable name of Ish or husband to shew that he hath renewed his couenant is reconciled to his Church and is now become most louing and gratious vnto her The second cause which I take to be the more principall is that he might hereby shew his detestation of idolatrie in that hee would not endure to bee called by the name of an idoll though otherwise good in it owne signification And this his detestation he further sheweth when as he saith that they should bee so farre from worshipping idols or him in them that they should not so much as name them Vers 17. For I will take away the names of Baali out of her mouth c. Vers 17. Where is set downe who it is that thus purgeth the Church from all the relikes of idolatrie namely the Lord himselfe I will take away Secondly the manner or degree how it must be purged to wit from all the relikes of idolatrie and superstition so that it shall not be lawfull for the people of God so much as to name an idoll vnlesse it bee as they name the diuell with hatred and detestation The like places vnto this we haue Exod. 23. 13. Ye shall make no mention of the name of Exod. 23. 13. Deut. 12. 2. 3. other gods neither shall it be heard out of thy mouth Deut. 12. 3. Ye shall vtterly destroy all the places wherein the nations which ye shall possesse serued their gods vpon the high mountaines c. 3. Ye shall hew downe the grauen images of their gods and abolish their names out of that place An example whereof wee haue in Dauid Psal 16. 4. 5. Their offerings of blood will I not offer nor make mention of their names with my lips Psal 16. 4. 5. Thirdly hee expresseth the end why hee would not haue them so much
consciences for the recouerie of our health c. The vse hereof serueth for the refuting of a twofold error Ignorāt ideots and carnal hypocrites confuted the first of secure worldlings who liuing in their ignorance and naturall blindnesse content themselues with their good meaning the other of hypocrites and carnall Gospellers who thinke it sufficient if they haue knowledge enough to discourse of religiō though they make no vse of their knowledge either for the sanctifying of their affections or the reforming of their life and conuersation The first sort are to know that whosoeuer are espoused vnto Christ they are also indued with knowledge of him and his truth of which being vtterly ignorant they cannot challenge Christ for their husband and consequently can make no claime to any of his goods blessings and benefits Neither can they haue any assurance that they are of the Church howsoeuer they are in the Church seeing the Lord hath certainly promised that euery member thereof shall know him from the least to the greatest of them Iere. 31. 34. And the other are to remember that Ier. 31. 34. Christ hath not onely married his Church vnto himselfe in knowledge but also in righteousnesse and faithfulnesse that he hath not only espoused vnto himselfe our tongues lips but also our hearts and hands and therefore they who are vnfaithfull destitute of righteousnesse impure in their hearts and prophane in their actions and conuersation they haue no title or interest in Christ nor in any thing which belongeth vnto him ANd so much concerning the fifth benefit which is the mariage of Christ with his Church The sixth followeth which is that being ioyned vnto Christ in this neere bond of mariage he will gratiously heare all her suites grant her requests and supplie all her wants with the riches of his benefits Vers 21. And in that day I will heare saith the Lord I Vers 21 will euen heare the heauens they shall heare the earth 22. And the earth shall heare the corne and the wine and the oyle and they shall heare Israel The which words doe well depend vpon The exposition the former for as the wife by vertue of that neere vnion betweene her and her husband may iustly challenge a fauourable hearing of her suites and requests in such things as are lawfull and conuenient and take vpon her the rule of the familie next and immediatly vnder her husband and the vse of his goods with which he hath endowed her so Christ being married vnto the Church promiseth to heare her suites and seeing he is Lord of heauen and earth to grant vnto her rule ouer his creatures so as they shall become seruiceable vnto her and be readie to supplie all her wants So the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 3. 22. 23. All are yours and ye are Christs and Christ Gods 1. Cor. 3. 22. 23. But let vs come to the words themselues wherein is set downe the time when God would endow his Church with these benefits In that day that is in the time of the Gospell when he had made with her his new couenant of grace and had knit her vnto himselfe in this neere vnion of mariage Secondly the author of these gifts namely the Lord of hosts vnder whose rule and conduct all the whole armie of the creatures are subiected Thirdly here is expressed the benefit promised namely that he will make all his creatures both in heauen and earth to become his instruments and meanes to deriue his blessings benefits vnto his spouse the Church in these words I will heare the heauens c. Where he alludeth to the contrarie curse threatned against the transgressors of the law Deut. 28. 23. And the heauen which is ouer thy head shall be brasse and Deut. 28. 23. 24 the earth that is vnder thee iron 24. And the Lord shall giue thee for raine of thy land dust and ashes c. And sheweth that after he hath made his new couenant with his Church and is reconciled vnto her in Christ his curse shall be turned into a blessing Now vnder this particular of hearing his Church in the time of dearth he doth synecdochically promise that he will heare and relieue her in all her wants and necessities according to that Ioh. 16. 23. And vnder these speciall benefits Joh. 16. 23. of corne wine and oyle are vnderstood all temporall benefits necessarie for the vse and comfort of Gods Church so Psal 4. 7. Yea vnder them wee are typically to vnderstand all Psal 4. 7. spirituall gifts and graces for it was vsuall in the time of the law to prefigure the kingdome of Christ vnder the kingdom of Dauid spirituall peace vnder worldly peace eternall life vnder old age the riches of heauen vnder the riches of the earth our heauenly patrimonie and inheritance vnder the possession of the land of Canaan and the earthly Ierusalem Fourthly here is set down the maner how and the meanes whereby he would deriue these blessings by a notable gradation I will heare the heauen and the heauen shall heare the earth c. Where it is implied that the meanes of obtaining thē shall be prayer the which by an hyperbolical metaphor and wonderfull loftinesse of speech is ascribed to vnreasonable and vnsensible creatures though it properly appertain vnto man that it might after a more emphaticall manner moue the mindes of the faithfull The like figure is vsed in many other places as Psal 93. 3. 98. 8. 107. 21. 27. Hab. 2. 11. Psal 93. 3. 98. 8. 10◠21 Hab. 2. 11. Rom. 8. 22. Esa 1. 2. Rom. 8. 22. Esa 1. 2. So heere the Prophet bringeth in man calling for corne wine and oyle these praying to the earth the earth to heauen and heauen to God For the vnderstanding whereof we are to know that man is said to call vpon food when as there is dearth and scarcitie and corne wine and oyle are said to heare him or as the word here vsed signifieth hearing to answere him when as they offer themselues vnto him for the supplying of his wants in great plentie and abundance And corne wine and oyle are said to call vpon the earth when as the earth doth not bring them foorth but through her barrennesse maketh a scarcitie of them and contrariwise the earth is said to heare them when by her vertue strength and moisture she affoordeth store of these blessings And so the earth is said to pray vnto the heauens when as wanting moisture she gapeth and as it were earnestly desireth the first and latter raine whereby she may become fruitfull and the heauen is said to heare the earth when accordingly she distilleth her seasonable and pleasant shewers whereby the earth and the fruites thereof are refreshed The heauen is said to pray vnto God when as her cloudes and vapours are dried vp or restrained so as she cannot gratifie the earth with her moisture and the Lord is said to
Captiuitie vnder their enimies for when they will not serue the Lord who loueth them the Lord will make them serue their foes who hate them Secondly Ignominie and base contempt for those that dishonour God by their Idolatry and vnthankfulnesse the Lord will cause them to be dishonoured scorned and reproched Thirdly Pouerty and want for those that will not be thankfull to the Lord for his benefits nor imploy them to his glory he will depriue them of them and by their penury teach them to acknowledge him the author of them Those that forget God by reason of their fulnesse he will cause them through emptines and want to call him to their remembrance Where wee may note how the Lord fitteth his punishments to their sinnes because they refused to vse their liberty to gods glory in worshipping and seruing him but rather abused it to the seruice of sinne and Sathan the Lord made them Captiues and slaues to their enimies because they were not moued by that high degree of honour of being Gods peculiar people to giue glory vnto God but grew hereby proud and disdainfull the Lord deiecteth them into a baser estate then the vsuall condition of a seruant or Captiue because by their fulnesse and luxurious excesse in all dainties and delicatenesse they were growne wanton forgetfull of God and vnthankfull the Lord cureth their surfet by allotting them course and slender dyet And so much concerning the first part of their miserie consisting in the euils which they suffered The second part respecteth the good things whereof they were depriued which was their communion with God and the comfortable fruition of his presence also of the outward signes thereof both in the Ecclesiasticall and politicall gouernement and in his publike worship and seruice And this is set downe typically Verse 3. Where the Prophet continuing in the former Allegory or Parable compareth the depriuation of Gods presence and the outward signes thereof vnto the widdow-hood of the Adultresse And afterwards this Type is expounded Verse 4. THe Type is contained in these words And I said vnto Verse 3 her thou shalt abide with mee or rather thou shalt abide vnto me or waite for me many dayes thou shalt not play the Harlot and thou shalt be to no man and I will bee so vnto thee The which words are the speach of the Prophet vnto the Adultresse after that hee had bought her vnto him wherein he telleth her that howsoeuer in loue to her he had bought her yet considering that she was an Adultresse his purpose was for a time to keepe her single and seperate both from himselfe and all others that so he might make tryall whether indeed she did truely repent of her former wicked courses and so vpon sufficient experience of her reformation hee might take her againe to wife But let vs come to the words And I said vnto her that is after I the Prophet had bought the Adultresse in my vision I did likewise in vision say vnto her Thou shalt abide me The words are Thou shalt sit for me which in this phrase of speach haue this sence Thou shalt waite for me So Exod. Exod. 24. 14. 24. 14. the same phrase is vsed Sit for vs here that is tarry and waite for vs. The meaning is I will not marry thee presently but thou shalt wait my leasure for as yet thou art not fit to bee my spouse seeing thou art not cleansed from thy Adultries neyther as yet haue I had sufficient experience of thine vnfained repentance Where he alludeth to the rite in the old Law Deut. 21. 13. which required that those Deut. 21. 13. who had taken Captiues and desired to make them their wiues should not presently marry them but keepe them in their house a Moneth till they were after a Legall manner purged from their Gentillisme He further addeth Thou shalt not play the Harlot that is thou shalt not liue in thy adultries and vncleannesse with thy louers as thou hast done in former times but thou shalt wholy weane thy hart and affections from them that thou maiest fixe it wholy vpon me And thou shalt be to no other man or thou shalt be to no man that is thou shalt remaine like a desolate widdow and spend thy time in sorrow and mourning for many dayes without either louer or husband for neither will I my selfe bee married vnto thee neither will I suffer thee to marry with any other man but thou shalt abide single and solitarie till I see fit time to take thee to wife Now because it might seeme some wrong if the Prophet restraying this adultresse from all others should in the meane while reject her and make choyse of some other wife therefore to comfort her that she might beare her widdow-hood with greater patience he assureth her that in the meane time hee will make choyse of no other but remaine single and alone as well as she And this he signifieth in these words And I will be so vnto thee that is as thou shalt not come at mee nor match thy selfe with any other so I will neither joyne my selfe vnto thee as yet nor in the meane time reject thee vtterly and make choyse of any other but I will remaine single as well as thou that when thou hast giuen sufficient testimony of thine vnfayned repentance I may againe joyne thee vnto my selfe in marriage And this is the meaning of the words being vnderstood typically of the Prophet the adultresse which being fitted vnto the Lord and the Church of Israell which are the parties represented in this type by the Prophet and the Harlot doe signifie thus much that howsoeuer the Lord so loued this harlot the people of Israell that he tooke care of her conuersion and saluation and to this end vsed meanes that shee might forsake her idols spirituall whoredome yet so horrible and odious were her adultries and vnthankfulnesse in his sight that he would not be reconciled vnto her and admit her into the former communion of marriage till by many tryals much experience she had giuen assured testimony of her vnfayned repentance And therefore his purpose was to afflict her with a tedious captiuitie wherein hee would restraine himselfe from her haue no communion with her either in respect of politicall or ecclesiasticall gouernment for neither should she haue any form of a common wealth wherein hee should rule as their King nor of a Church wherein hee should bee worshipped as their God with such publike seruice as he required in his word and as he would restraine them of the publike meanes of his worship so also he would not suffer them to forsake him and to make choyse of other Gods and so to commit spirituall whoredome with their idols as they had done in former times but they should keepe themselues from idolatrie waiting the Lords leasure till in his sonne Iesus Christ he would be reconciled vnto them and againe contract them vnto
that vve highly valew and esteeme these outward signes of Gods presence namely a ciuill and That the magistracie and ministerie are highly to be esteemed peaceable gouernment in the common-wealth vnder a lawfull Prince and a faithfull and painefull ministrie in the Church by vvhose meanes vve injoy the publike vvorship seruice of God For vvhilest both these are setled amongst vs vve haue assured testimonies that God hath joyned himselfe vnto vs in a neere communion And on the other side when these for our sinnes are taken away then doth the Lord hide his face from vs and maketh a visible seperation betweene vs and him The consideration vvhereof should make vs rejoyce and magnifie the name of the Lord vvhen vve injoy these vnualuable blessings and to sit downe and mourne like a desolate vviddow vvhen vve are depriued of them Secondly this serueth for the reproofe first of Popish Popish traitors reprooued Traytors who are euer plotting and contriuing the death of Christian Princes and continually labour to disturbe and ouerthrow all peaceable and vvell setled gouernment that so bringing in all disorder and confusion they may haue better opportunitie of fishing in these troubled waters For what doe they else herein but euen offer violence vnto Gods own person when as they hurt Princes whom he hath placed as his liuely Images to represent his presence in the common wealth What doe they else but as much as in them lyeth seuer that communion which is betweene God and the people and bring their country into the mournefull estate of an afflicted Widdow How farre are these from the precept of the Apostles Rom. 13. 1. 5. 1 Pet. 2. 13. 17. And from the Rom. 13. 1 5. 1 Pet. 2. 13. 17. practise of Dauid whose heart throbbed because he had but cut the garment of the Lords annoynted though hee were already rejected of God and himselfe chosen to his place 2 Sam. 24. 6. 2 Sam. 24. 6. Secondly hereby are reprooued sedicious Mal-contents Seditious mal-contents rebuked who neuer thinke nor speake of the manifold blessings and benefits which the land injoyeth by the gouernment of their lawfull Princes as Peace Plenty Safety the Preaching of the Gospell and such like but are euer talking of the infirmities of their gouernours and of the defects and imperfections of their gouernment the which seditious murmurings work no reformation of things amisse but incense the Prince and discontent the people Lastly hereby is condemned the practise of the Brownists who depriue themselues of the outward signes of Gods presence the Ministrie of the word and the outward meanes of his publike worship and seruice because of some blemishes and corruptions remaining in the Church from which the Church in no age was euer perfectly purged ANd so much concerning the first fruite of Gods loue whereby he approueth it vnto the people namely by inflicting vpon them his fatherly chastisements now followeth the second fruite which is the sanctifying of these afflictions for their conuersion Verse 5. Afterwards shall the Verse 5 children of Israell conuert seeke the Lord their God and Dauid their King and shall feare the Lord and his goodnesse in the latter dayes In which words is set downe the conuersion of the people of Israell and the time thereof Their conuersion it selfe is first expressed and then a two-fold effect thereof their conuersion in these words Afterwards shall the people of Israell conuert or rather shall be conuerted The which words haue relation to their former afflictions as though he should say after they haue beene long exercised with grieuous afflictions at length the Lord will so sanctifie them to their vse as that hereby they shall be truely humbled conuerted and brought to vnfained repentance The which promise tended to the singular comfort of the afflicted Israelites when as being almost ouerwhelmed with miseries they were assured not onely that at length they should haue an end but also that they should bring forth this notable fruit of their true conuersion The effects of their conuersion are shewed in the words following first That they shall seeke the Lord their God and Dauid their king Where by this phrase of seeking the Lord we are to vnderstand that hauing bewailed their former apostacy and forsaken their sinnes by true Repentance they should labour to be reconciled vnto God in Christ worship and serue him according to his Word inuocate his Name make profession of his true Religion and imbrace the true Iehouah as their onely God by a liuely faith And this large signification hath this phrase of seeking the Lord not onely here but also else where So Psal 24. 6. and 27. 8. Esay 55. 6. Psal 24. 6. and 27. 8. Esay 55. 6. It is further added And Dauid their King In which words are implyed two things First that the Israelites had formerly made a defection from the kingdome of Dauid namely vnder the raigne of Rehoboam 1 King 12. And secondly 1 Kings 12. that now they should make vp this breach by readjoyning themselues as obedient subiects to this kingdome Where by Dauid we are not to vnderstand the sonne of Ishai who was long agoe dead but our Sauiour Iesus Christ who vsually in the Prophets was called Dauid as appeareth Ezech. 34. 23. 24. And I will set vp a Shepheard ouer Ezech. 34. 23. and 37. 24. them and he shall feed them euen my seruant Dauid And 37. 24. Dauid my seruant shall be king ouer them c. Ier. 30. 9 Ieremie 30. 9. They shall serue the Lord their God and Dauid their king The reason hereof is first because Dauid was a Type of Christ secondly because he came out of his loynes and in this respect is vsually called the sonne of Dauid thirdly because the promise made to Dauid concerning the eternitie of his kingdom was knowne commonly to all the people of which they are here put in minde for the better strengthening of their faith So that by seeking the Lord and Dauid their king is meant that they should know and acknowledge worship and serue both God the father and his sonne Iesus Christ according to that Iohn 17. 3. This is life eternall that they Iohn 17. 3. know thee the onely very God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ For as when they were said to haue made a defection from Dauid the meaning was not that this defection vvas made from his person seeing hee was dead many yeeres before but from his kingdome established in his posteritie so when they are here said to seeke Dauid their king the meaning is that they should not seeke his person which was dead but his kingdome established for euer in his seed Iesus Christ The second effect of their conuersion is expressed in these Morrall words And shall feare the Lord and his goodnes or as the Hebrew hath it shall feare vnto the Lord. Wherby we are not to vnderstand that they should performe that
sinnes I see no reason why in our exposition we may not comprehend them both Yea but this people transgressed the first table in many other respects as namely by their grose Idolatry false worship contempt of Gods word and profanation of his Sabbaths why then doth he onely here accuse them of this sin of swearing I answere hee doth vnder this one particular comprehend all the rest eyther because this sinne most notoriously raigned amongst them or els because this prophane and false swearing is vsually accompanied with all impietie for he that maketh no conscience of vaine vsuall and false swearing maketh conscience of no impietie But let vs consider what kinde of swearing is here condemned neither must we vnderstand this of all manner and kindes of swearing seeing a lawfull Oath is in Gods word commaunded as a notable part of his worship and seruice So Deut. 6. 13. Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and serue Deut. 6. 13. and 10. 20. him and shalt sweare by his name Chap. 10. 20. Yea and sometimes it signifieth the whole seruice of God as Psal 63. Psal 63. 11. 11. All that sweare by him shall reioyce in him But here onely vnlawfull swearing is condemned which sinne is diuersly committed as first in regard of the object Esay 65. 16. when men sweare by any thing besides the Lord alone Secondly in respect of the manner when as they doe not sweare in truth justice and judgement Thirdly in respect Ier. 4. 2. of the end when as in their oathes they do not chiefly ayme at Gods glory or their owne or their neighbors good which sinne they commit who sweare rashly ordinarily and in their rage and fury But of this argument I purpose to speake more largely else where therefore I will here passe it ouer The other sinne signified by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is cursing and direfull imprecations which is vsed against our selues Of Cursing or against our neighbours against our selues when as rashly vainely and vnnecessarily we inuocate Gods feareful Iudgements against our state person body or soule for the needlesse confirmation of some truth eyther in our asseuerations or promises or for the binding of our selues to the performāce of some vnprofitable or euil action An example wherof we haue in Iesabel 1 King 19. 2. Against our neighbours when in malice or rage we desire God to poure vpon them 1 King 19. 2. some grieuous punishment The which is an horrible abuse of Gods name power and justice when as we goe about to make him our instrument of vnjust reuenge and the executioner of our malicious and wicked outrages and likewise a haynous sinne against our neighbours when as our malice exceeding our power vve wish vnto them those euils which we are not able to inflict And this our Sauiour condemneth though it be vsed against those vvho curse and persecute vs. Math. 5. 44. So Rom. 12. 14. Mat. 5. 44. The second sinne of which the people of Israell are accused Rom. 12. 14. and conuicted is Lying for the better vnderstanding Of Lying whereof that knowing it we may auoyde it vve will consider the nature and kindes thereof A Lye is when by any meanes a man vttereth an vntruth or the truth vntruely and with a purpose to deceiue So that What a Lye is there are two sorts of Lyes the first vvhen as a man speaketh not as the thing is the second vvhen hee speaketh the 2. Sorts of lies truth but deceitfully with a desire to be otherwise vnderstood then the truth is The first which is a logicall or a reall Lye is of two sorts first when as a man speaketh an vntruth against his minde and knowledge and this is the chiefe kind of Lying from whence in the Latine it hath his name for mentiri est contra mentemire Secondly when a man inconsiderately and through errour vttereth an vntruth thinking that hee speaketh true Which howsoeuer it bee a lie in the generall signification yet he that vttereth it cannot bee called a lyar because howsoeuer his words agree not with the thing yet they agree with his minde Onely hee offendeth through inconsiderate rashnes in that hee affirmeth that as certaine truth of which hee hath no certaine knowledge and thereby giueth offence to those that heare him who discerne the vntruth but doe not know the minde of him that vttereth it Secondly hee lyeth who speaketh the truth with a purpose to deceiue not knowing that to bee true which hee auoucheth or thinking it to be otherwise or knowing it to That he lyeth who speaketh the truth to deceiue bee truth desireth to be vnderstood otherwise then he speaketh it and this is as great a sinne as a plaine lie for as it is a lesser fault in regard it hath more shew of truth so it is greater because it is ioyned with more deceipt As therefore a man may pronounce an vntruth and yet be no lyer so hee may be a lyar in vttering the truth when as hee doth not speake it with a simple heart And these are the diuers kindes of lying which are here condemned the which howsoeuer they seeme small sinnes That lying is a great sinne in gods sight in the sight of men as appeareth by their common practise yet they are great in Gods sight and therefore carefully to be auoyded by all christians which that we may the rather doe let these motiues perswade vs. First because the Lord in the scriptures hath straightly forbidden it Leu. 19. 11. Ye shall not lye one to another Eph Leu. 19. 11. 4. 25. Cast of lying and speake the truth euery man to his neighbour Ephe. 4. 25. for wee are members one of another Col. 3. 9. Lye not one to another seeing ye haue put off the old man and his workes Col. 3. 1. Secondly because it is condemned as a greuous sinne namely as an abhomination to the Lord Pro 12. 22. as a sin which God abhoreth Pro. 6. 17. As being the cursed off-spring Pro. 12. 22. of that wicked father the diuell Ioh. 8. 44. The which is to bee vnderstood not onely of pernicious lyes but also Ioh. 8. 44. merry lyes for God condemneth it as a sinne to make Princes merry with lyes Hos 7. 3. Yea of officious profitable lyes For truth must not be sould at any price Pro. 23. 23. Hos 7. 3. Pro. 23. 23. And it is vnlawfull to lye for Gods cause Iob. 13. 7. 9. and Iob. 13. 7. 9. therefore much lesse for any worldly benefit Thirdly as truth maketh vs to resemble our heauenly father Lying maketh men resemble the Diuell who is the authour and fountaine of truth so Lying maketh men to resemble the Diuell who is the father of Lyes and as truth is the badge or cognisance of a Christian in earth and Heire of heauen so Lying is a note and Psal 15. 2. token of
men with patience to suffer themselues to be directed by these spirituall guides to be admonished by these spirituall fathers without expostulations to be cured of these spirituall Physitions without murmuring or repining c. least by crossing Gods holy ordinance they moue the Lord to take away from them these meanes of their conuersion and giue them vp to a reprobate sense Secondly it serueth for the just reproofe of the people Those rebuked who reproue their teachers of this land and especially of this Citie who are growne vnto that height of pride and insolencie that they will take vppon them to teach their teachers and bring all that is spoken to the rule and censure of their shallow conceipt as also those who when they heare their sinnes reproued out of gods word in stead of amending their wicked wayes are ready to expostulate with their teachers to reproue them for their rebukes and to cast in their teeth their faults imperfections As if the vngracious Scholer because he is corrected should lash his Schoolmaister with the same rod or as if the frantick patient should pull off his plaister and cast it into the Physitions face ANd so much concerning the second bill of inditement the Verse 5 sentence of condemnation is affixed Verse 5. Therefore shalt thou fall in the day and the Prophet shall fall with thee in the night I will destroy thy mother In which words we are Exposition to consider first the punishment denounced secondly the cause thereof thirdly the persons against whom it is threatned fourthly the time when it is inflicted The punishment is expressed in these words thou shalt fall the which is a metaphor borrowed from such as being eyther blind or walking in the darke are ready to fall into the ditches and pits Whereby is signified that because they loued darknesse better then light and erring in their owne wicked wayes would not indure to be directed and guided by the light of Gods word but hated their guides and dispised their admonitions therefore they should fall into the pit of Gods fearefull iudgements and perish therein both people and Prophets Now these iudgements into which the Prophet saith the people shall fall are as I take it properly to bee vnderstood of those temporary punishments into which soone after they did fall namely the sword captiuitie and desolation howsoeuer it may well bee that vnder these as types may bee vnderstood their fall into gods spirituall judgements death and eternall condemnation when as the light of the Gospell appearing and the sunne of righteousnesse clearely shyning they would not receiue the promised Messias but as though they had beene still in the darke or starke blind they stumbled at him as at a stone of offence and so fell into the pit of eternall perdition according to the Prophecies Esay 8. Esay 8. 14. Luke 2. 34. Rom. 9. 32. 1 Cor. 1. 23. 14. Luk. 2. 34. Which wee see accomplished Rom. 9. 32. 1. Cor. 1. 23. Secondly the cause why they fell into the pit of Gods judgements is implyed in this word Therefore as it is fitly here translated whereby is signified that because they refused the light of Gods word and would not harken to his faithfull Prophets nor suffer themselues to bee guided by them but contemned their admonitions yea and insolently rebuked their reprouers chusing rather to harken vnto false Prophets who seduced them and flattered them in their sins therefore running on in the wayes of darknesse like blinde people after blinde guided they should both fall into the pit of Gods judgements the deepe pit of temporary punishments and the bottomlesse pit of eternall destruction Thirdly the persons against whom these punishments are threatned are first more distinctly specified and after comprised in one generall summe They are specified whereas he saith that both people and Prophets should thus fall The people are expressed in this word Thou where he maketh an Apostrophe and conuersion of his speach to the people and hauing spoken of them in the former Verse in the third person hee now vseth the second for the greater emphasis that hee might point them out who were marked by God vnto punishment and the singular number as though hee would cull them out man by man And this was just with God that this people who wilfully shut their eyes against the light of Gods truth and despised his faithfull seruants admonishing them should be giuen vp of God to a reprobate sense to follow the delusions of false Prophets and to walke in their owne wicked wayes vntill they fell into the pit of destruction It is further said that their Prophets should fall with them by which wee are not to vnderstand their true Prophets who admonished them of their sinnes and so becomming guiltlesse of their transgressions saued their owne soules and were not pertakers with them in their punishments but their false and flattering Prophets who soothed them in their sins and sowed cushions vnder their elbowes that they might more securely goe on in their wickednesse And here also he vseth the singular number indefinitely for the greater emphasis as though hee should say howsoeuer diuers may thinke that they shal be exempted in the common punishment by their wit learning pollicie authoritie or fauour with the people yet not one of them shall escape And this was just with God that the false Prophets who had seduced the people should being accessarie to their sins bee pertakers in their punishments Secondly hee saith that hee will destroy their mother whereby we are to vnderstand the whole Common-wealth Sinagogue and Church of the Iewes which the Lord threatneth so to ouer-turne and ruinate that there should not remaine so much as an outward face of a kingdome nor the glorious title of the Church wherein they so much boasted as though hee should say my purpose is to destroy all and some particular persons and the whole state both of church and common-wealth so as I will not leaue so much as your goodly shewes and glorious titles vnder which you shelter your selues from the storme of Gods judgements and so securely liue in your sinnes without repentance Where the Lord vseth the name of Mother to comprehend the whole Synagogue of the Israelites both to shew the grieuousnesse of the judgement in that the Lord killed the damme together with her young and also that hee might more sensibly affect their stonie and secure hearts with compassionate griefe seeing by their sinnes they had not onely destroyed themselues but also their mother who in respect of this neere alliance ought aboue all things in the world to be most deere vnto them Now this fearefull judgement the Lord accordingly inflicted vpon them when as first he destroyed innumerable numbers of the Israelits both by their ciuill dissentions and forraine invasions and afterwards when as the remnant which remained were carryed Captiue into Assiria and the Assirians planted their Colonies in the Land of
Israell whereby all hope of restitution was vtterly cut off The last thing expressed is the time of these calamities in these words in the day and in the night The words are originally to day and to night whereby he signifieth first that their punishments should be very sodaine and speedy and secondly that they should be continuall one following in the neck of another as the day doth immediately follow the night As though he should say I will speedely destroy the people in their sinnes and although I do not presently attach with my judgements the false Prophets because the people must beare the first brunt of the war yet hauing done with the one I will immediately begin with the other vntill I haue made an end of all because all haue joyned together in this rebellion And this is the meaning of the words The Doctrines The doctrines which arise out of them are these First we may obserue that They who wil not be admonished shall be destroyed those who cannot indure to be admonished of their faults nor reproued for their sinnes by Gods true Prophets but rather desire to bee soothed and flattered in their wicked wayes by false and lying seducers shall fall into the pit of Gods fearefull judgements So it is said Prou. 29. 1. A man Prou. 29. 1. that hardeneth his necke when he is rebuked shall sodainely bee destroyed and cannot be cured Examples hereof we haue in 1 King 22. 26. 2 Chron. 25. 15. 16. 23. 27. Esay 30. 10. 13 2 Thes 2. 11. Ahab 1 King 22. 26. 27. 34. In Amaziah 2 Chron. 25. 15. 16. 23. 27. In the people of Israell Esay 30. 10. 13. And in the limmes of Antichrist 2 Thes 2. 11. The reason hereof is manifest for admonition and reprehension are the meanes to bring the sinner to repentance repentance is the principall meanes to preuent Gods judgements those therefore who refuse the meanes of amendement continue obstinately in their sinnes and so remaine continually liable to deserued punishments Gods Ministers are the spirituall Physitions who cure those who are diseased with sinne by ministring vnto them the wholesome preseruatiues of admonition and the bitter potions of reprehension rebuke If therefore these medicines be applyed there is hope of recouerie but if the patient contemne the Physitions counsell and refuseth to take these wholesome medicines but rather hearkeneth to some vnskilfull Empericke who promiseth cure without any trouble to the patient such a one is neere death and destruction because he cannot be cured as the wise man sheweth Prou. 29. 1. Prou. 29. 1. The vse hereof serueth first to moue all men willingly to hearken vnto admonitions and patiently to beare reproofes seeing it is a notable meanes sanctified by God for our amendement that so we may escape Gods heauy judgements An example hereof wee haue in Dauid Psal 141. 4. 5. Who would not eate the delicates of the wicked but desireth Psal 141. 4. 5. that the righteous should smite and reproue him because their rebukes were as a precious Balsamum to cure his spirituall wounds of sinne Secondly it serueth to perswade all Christians with chearfulnesse to performe this duetie of admonition and reprehension seeing it preserueth their brother from death and destruction for if we are bound when we see the beast of our enimie endaungered to relieue him by keeping him from running into the ditch or by helping him out being fallen how much more are we bound in conscience to helpe the person not of our enimie but of our neighbour yea of our brother and to preserue him by our Godly admonition from falling in the pit of vtter destruction This duety God requireth Leu. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine Leu. 19. 17. heart but thou shalt plainely rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer him to sinne And is commended as a singular work of charitie Iam. 5. 19. 20. Which who so performeth howsoeuer Iam. 5. 19. 20. for a time he may be suspected as an enimie or taken for a rigorous troublesome friend yet in the end he shall bee preferred before the most pleasing flatterers as appeareth Prou. 28. 23. Hee that rebuketh a man shall finde more Pro. 28. 23. fauour at the length then he that flattereth with his Tongue Lastly it serueth to shew the miserable condition of this The impatiencie of men in these daies to heare reproofe land and state which abounding in sinne is notwithstanding impatient of reproofe and is so desperately setled in wickednesse that it is now more daunger for a godly man to reproue sinne then for offenders to commit it Neyther are priuate men alone discouraged from performing of this dutie with the taunts and violence of the wicked ones but euen Gods faithfull Ministers are so hampred if they freely and plainely reprehend the iniquities of the times that except the word of God be as fire in their bowels which cannot be smothered they take little pleasure in censuring sinne or in being the Lords heraulds to denounce his heauy judgements Yea so vnmeasurably are Gods ambassadours restrayned from deliuering the word of reproofe that euen Stageplayers may more freely and safely scoffe at the vices of great offenders then Gods Ministers may sincerely reprehend them out of Gods word Seeing therefore wee are growne desperate in sinne and impatient of reproofe what remaineth but that with the Israelites we fall into the pit of Gods fearefull judgements The second thing to be obserued is that not onely the The Prophets who seduce the people shall perish with them people who liue in wickednesse but also the Prophets who seduce them or boulster them vp in their sinnes shall fall into the pit of Gods judgements in the day of his visitation So the Prophet Ieremie threatneth Pashur the sonne of Imner the Priest that because hee had preached lies he and Ier. 20. 6. and 23. 31. all that belonged to him should dye in captiuitie Ier. 20. 6. So the Lord threatneth that in his wrath hee will come against the Prophets which haue sweete tongues seducing the people with pleasing Lyes Chap. 23. 31. So when the false Prophets bore the people in hand that they should not serue the king of Babell for this their sinne in seducing the people and the sinne of the people in giuing credit rather to them then to the true Prophets the Lord denounceth destruction both against the Prophets and people Chap. 27. Ier. 27. 15. and 14. 14. 15. 16. 15. See Chap. 14. 14. 15. 16. The Prophet Ezechiell likewise threatneth the false Prophets that because they proclaymed peace where the Lord denounced warre played the dawbers in couering the faults and sinnes of the people with vntempered morter that they and their worke should both perish Ezech. 10. 14. And in generall the Lord deliuered Ezech. 13. 10. 14. this denunciation by the same Prophet that if the watchman seeing the sword comming did
not giue the people warning nor admonish them of their wicked wayes the wicked should dye in their sinnes but their bloud should be required of the watchmans hands The reason hereof is manifest Ezech. 33. 8. for if those whom he hath appointed to be his ambassadors vnto the people liuing in their rebellion that they may tell them of their sinnes and denounce his judgements doe conspire with the people against God sooth them in their sinnes and become the heraulds to proclaime Gods mercies not caring to displease God so they may please the people the Lord in his justice can doe no lesse but punish the rebellions of the people and the treacherous treason of such ambassadours The vse of this doctrine serueth first to stirre vp Gods Ministers Sinceritie required in the Ministers in Preaching Col. 1. 10. with all care and conscience to deliuer that ambassage which they haue receiued from God purely and sincerely not as men pleasers but as the seruants of Iesus Christ Least in seeking popular applause by not reprouing of sinne they cause both themselues and the people to fall into the pit of Gods judgements in the day of his visitation 1. Kin. 22. 14. 1. Kin. 22. 14. Secondly it teacheth the people with all patience and reuerence to receiue the word of admonition and rebuke as Patience and reuerence required in the people in hearing being the meanes sanctifyed by God to bring them to a sight of their sinnes and vnfayned repentance that so both they and their ministers may escape Gods justly deserued wrath and vengeance If one walking in a pleasant way should be admonished by a friend that if hee went forward he were in danger to fall into an hidden pit or into an ambushment of enimies though his walke were delightfull who would not turne backe and shew himselfe thankefull to him from whom he had receiued such a friendly admonition but this is our case we walke in the pleasant wayes of sinne which lead vs into the pit of destruction and cause vs to fall if wee goe forward in them into the ambushment of our spirituall enimies sathan hell and condemnation who therefore being admonished to desist in this daungerous though pleasing course would not willingly turne backe and render thanks vnto him by whose admonition he was preserued from such imminent daunger Lastly this serueth for the iust terrour of all time-seruers Terrour for time-seruers who sooth men in their sinnes and men pleasers who will not or dare not deliuer Gods ambassage nor admonish or reproue great personages for their sinnes for feare of incurring their displeasure or loosing those rewards which they hope to receiue by soothing them in all their wicked wayes in this respect worse then Balaam himselfe who howsoeuer hee loued the reward of iniquitie yet protested that he would not speake any other thing then that which God put in his mouth for to gaine thereby all the wealth of Balaac whereas they for a farre lesse matter speake the cleane contrarie commending where God condemneth blessing where he curseth and cursing where he blesseth proclayming peace where he denounceth warre and giuing a Quietus est and generall acquittance to those whom the Lord for their great grieuous debts is ready to arrest and attach such although for a time they get the fauour of great personages and flowrish in the world yet they are in a most miserable condition seeing the time will come when as the Lord will cause his judgements to apprehend them as being traitours to his Majestie in deliuering a quite contrary ambassage to that which they receyued from him Traytours vnto their Prince and Country in that they haue not admonished them of imminent daungers but soothing them in the pleasing wayes of sinne haue encouraged them to goe forward in them till they fall into the pit of punishment and traytours to their owne soules in that as they accompany them in their sinnes so also they shall accompany them in their punishments Thirdly we are to obserue that God will inflict punishments God seuerely punisheth those who contemne admonition speedely continually and one in the neck of another vpon that people who despise admonitions and are impatient to heare rebukes for when his soueraigne salues of instruction will not heale them nor his sharpe corasiues of rebuke keepe them from putrifaction and rottennesse what remaineth but that with the sword of vengeance hee should cut them off And thus the Lord punisheth contemners of his word by suffering them to fall into errours and heresies and by giuing them vp to strong delusions and to beleeue 2. Thes 2. 11. lyes by giuing them ouer to a reprobate sense to runne on in their wicked wayes without check or stop and lastly by bringing vpon them calamitie vpon calamitie and punishment vpon punishment till they bee vtterly destroyed and cut off An example whereof wee haue in the Churches of Israell and Iuda in Ieroboam in Ahab and many others The vse is that if we would escape these manifold and A perticular Church may cease to be a true Church continuall calamities we submit our selues to be ruled by the scepter of the word and bee as well contented to heare our selues admonished of our faults and reproued for out sinnes as to heare of comfort when we doe well and of the gracious promises of the Gospll when we haue turned from our sinnes by vnfayned repentance Lastly we may obserue that howsoeuer the Catholike and invisible Church of Christ cannot faile and cease to be his Church yet a particular and visible Church may as we see in the example of the Church of Israell in this place For when Idolatry Will-worship and humaine traditions thrust out Gods pure and sincere worship when the ministery of the word ceaseth and in stead thereof lyes are published and imbraced when the Sacraments are neglected or wholy corrupted and depraued such assemblies whether particular or nationall cease to be the Church of Christ and begin to be the Synagogue of Sathan This heauy judgement Christ also threatneth against the Church of the Iewes Mat. 21. 43. The kingdome of God Mat. 21. 43. shall be taken from you c. And against the Church of Ephesus Apoc. 2. 5. I will come against thee shortly and will remoue Apoc. 2. 5. thy Candlestick out of his place except thou amend that is I will translate my Church from thee to some other nation The fearefull execution of all which threatnings we see at this day for all those famous Churches mentioned in the Scriptures are vtterly perished and become both in their soules and bodyes the Vassals of Gog and Magog the Turke Mahomet and the seauen headed beast the Antichrist of Rome The vse which we are to make hereof is first to admonish Wee must not rest in outward priuiledges vs that we doe not flatter our selues in those glorious titles and goodly priuiledges which yet through Gods
worldly riches then would we also neuer forget it but meditate therein day and night The third cause of the forgetfulnesse of Gods Law is Gods mercies make vs vnmindfull of him our pride of heart through the vnthankfull abuse of our prosperitie for such is our corruption that whereas Gods benefits should make vs mindfull of his Law that in lue of thankfulnesse we might obey it contrariwise the abundance of Gods mercies makes vs to forget not onely the Law but euen God himselfe so the Lord complaineth Hos 13. 6. Hos 13. 6. As in their pastures so were they filled they were filled and their heart was exalted therefore haue they forgotten me Hence it is that the Lord giueth the Israelites so oft warning that when they abounded in Gods blessings they should not suffer their hearts to be lift vp so to forget him the authour of all their good Deut. 8. 11. 12. A man would thinke that as tokens Deut. 8. 11. 12. sent serue to put vs in minde of an absent friend so the innumerable tokens of Gods loue which as it were from heauen he sendeth vnto vs should serue as so many remembrancers to put vs in minde of him who sendeth them vnto vs but though against all reason it falleth out otherwise for the tokens of Gods loue as riches pleasures and honours make vs forget the sender and therefore wise Hagur seeing this corruption in himselfe doth intreat the Lord to restraine his bountie and not to bestow too much vpon him least being full he should denie him say who is the Lord. Prou. 30. 8. 9. Pro. 30. 8. 9. Seeing therefore our corrupt nature is so inclinable to The greatnesse of this sinne of forgetfulnesse this vice of forgetfulnesse let vs labour not onely to see it but also to subdue and mortifie it which that we may the rather performe with the greater care and conscience let vs consider the grieuousnesse of the sinne and the greatnesse of the punishment which doth attend it The grieuousnesse of the sinne herein appeareth in that it is not onely in it selfe haynous but a cause also of innumerable other sinnes In it selfe it is a haynous sinne as appeareth by the Lords often and earnest forbidding of it So Deut. 4. 23. Take heed vnto Deut. 4. 23. and 8. 11. your selues least you forget the couenant of the Lord your God and 8. 11. Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God not keeping his commaundements And when the people notwithstanding these admonitions did forget the Lord he grieuously complaineth of this neglect So Deu. 32. 18. thou hast forgotten Deut. 32. 18. Esay 57. 11. Ier. 2. 32. the mightie God that begat thee and formed thee Esa 57. 11. Ier. 2. 32. Can a maide forget her ornament or a bride her attire yet my people hath forgotten me daies with out number Secondly to forget God and his word is a kinde of Athisme seeing they haue not God nor his law in their principall parts namely their heart minde and soule for they who so haue them doe also remember them Thirdly this forgetfulnesse is ioyned with singular contempt of Gods word for they who regard it doe also remember it they that can say with Dauid that they delight in his statutes may also adde that which hee addeth that they will not forget his word Psal 119. 16. Psal 119. 16. Fourthly as this forgetfulnesse is in it selfe a sinne so it is the cause of almost all sinne Whereof it is that forgetfulnesse and the transgression of the law are often joyned together as the cause and effect Deut. 8. 11. Beware that thou Deut. 8. 11. forget not the Lord thy God not keeping his commaundements Ier. 3. 21. They haue peruerted their way and haue forgotten the Lord their God Prou. 2. 17. Which forsaketh the guide of Ier. 3. 21. Pro. 2. 17. Ezech. 22. 12 her youth forgetteth the couenant of her God Ezech. 22. 12. Iud. 3. 7. The children of Israell did wickedly in the sight of the Lord and forgat the Lord their God The reason is because Iud. 3. 7. they who doe not so much as remember the law of God can much lesse obserue it and those vvho neuer thinke neyther on gods promises nor threatnings are neither incouraged to that which is good nor discouraged from that which is euill But as this forgetfulnesse is to be auoyded in that it is a The punishment of the sinne of forgetfulnesse grieuous sinne so also because God inflicteth vpon it grieuous punishments As in this place he threatneth the Priests that because they had forgotten his Law he would not onely forget them but their children the which was a fearefull judgement whether we consider it in the generall or in this particular In the generall for if in God we liue and moue and haue our being Act. 17. 28. If when hee but hideth his face Act. 17. 28. we are troubled Psal 104. 29. If when he neglecteth vs we are straight depriued of all good and exposed vnto all euill Psal 104. 29. then what is Gods forgetfulnesse but our destruction so likewise in this particular where by Gods forgetting their children is meant his neglect of them the with-drawing of the signes of his loue the disinheriting of them of the honour of Priest-hood as if he would call backe his commission and suffer them no more to beare the name of his ambassadours turne them out of their stewardship and make them more base then common seruants make them of shepheards worse then the meanest of the flocke and of Captaines common souldiers which also with the rest should be casheerd out of his Campe the Church militant Besides this heauie judgement there are diuers others threatned against this sinne of forgetfulnesse in the booke of God and these both temporall and eternall Of the first sort is the punishment of barrennesse and dearth Esay 17. Esay 17. 10. 11 10. 11. Desolation and destruction of their cities Hos 8. Hos 8. 10. 10. Bondage and subjection vnder tyrannicall enimies 1. Sam. 12. 9. The Lord scattereth those that forget him and 1 Sam. 12. 9. his word as stubble before the winde Ier. 13. 24. 25. Hee Ier. 13. 24. Ier. 18. 17. ouerthroweth them in the day of battaile Chap. 18. 17. But the most grieuous punishment of all is that they shall beare their wickednesse which is a burthen intollerable and presseth all that are vnder it euen down to hell Ezec. 23. 35. Ezech. 23. 35. So likewise it is punished with eternall punishments for as it is Psal 9. 17. The wicked shall turne into hell and all the nations that forget God And therefore I conclude this point Psal 9. 17. and 50. 22. with the Psalmist Psal 50. 22. O consider this O ye that forget God least I teare you in peeces and their be none to deliuer you And these are
and almost princely brauery are driuen to increase their fines and inhaunse their rents to excessiue rates and when all this is not sufficient to defray their charges they are faine to giue ouer hospitalitie and to hide themselues in corners to saue expences And thus also Citizens vying with one another who shall exceede in pride and excesse and not being able to maintaine themselues in this course by their lawfull gaines and honest labours are driuen to vse all manner of fraud and deceipt in buying and selling subtill slights and indirect wayes and when all this will not serue the turne they are at the last constrayned to breake and become bankrupts either vtterly ruined in their estates or that which is worst of all they keepe in their hands the goods of those who haue credited them and so seeke to rise againe by their fall to inrich themselues by bringing others into pouertie or if not so then they seeke to buy or farme some office wherein they may liue by bribing proling extortion and exaction or procure a patent for some Monopolie that so they may aduance and raise their owne gaines out of the losse hinderance of the whole land and common wealth The vse hereof is to moue men to liue within their compasse and to imbrace temperance and frugalitie as being Frugalitie is a good vertue excellent vertues in themselues and also singular meanes to preserue vs from many vices and to restraine vs from rushing into grieuous tentations For so long as a man liuing by his honest labours doth keepe his expences with in the compasse of his gaines so long he hath much peace of conscience and contentation of minde neither is he easily drawn by hazarding his credit and much lesse his soule to gaine that wealth which he can well want whereas those who spend their time in idlenesse pleasure and luxurious excesse haue alwayes their mindes stretched vpon the racke of want tormenting themselues with carking care how they may salue their credit and maintaine their idle brauerie and luxurious wast and not being able to compasse their desires by honest and lawfull meanes they lye open to all tentations of the diuell and are ready to entertaine any wicked and dishonest course which seemeth to proffer vnto them the least gaine Fourthly we may here obserue that the Lord condemneth That it is an haynous offence to indeauour to inrich our selues by the sinnes of others it as a haynous offence when as men desire to inrich themselues by the sinnes of others I say when as men desire the falls of their neighbours for their owne aduantage otherwise it is lawfull for Magistrates to take penall fines when as they doe not desire that their subiects should offend for their owne gaine but rather by these punishments indeauour to restraine them from committing of the like faults But to delight in the sins of our brethen because thereby we haue gaine and aduantage is outragious wickednesse in the sight of God for seeing the plagues of God death and condemnation is the due wages belonging vnto sinne what do these men but greedely desire gaine though it cost the price of mens bodyes and soules and cast the offenders downe into hell Now if it be an outragious sin to desire gaines though it be purchased with the bodily life of our neighbour what shall we thinck of the horriblenesse of their sin who seeke their owne profit by hazarding both their bodyes and soules to eternall destruction Thus doth the Pope of Rome offend who inricheth himselfe by selling dispensations for sinne and is content to tollerate filthy stewes that thereby he may increase his yearely revenew And thus doe Magistrates offend when they rejoyce in the peoples faults and transgressions because by inflicting vpon them a penal mulct they inrich their owne coffers Thus doe Lawyers offend who delight in the malice discord and contentions of the people because hereby they haue fit opportunitie to inrich themselues with fees Thus doe Iudges and Officers of such Courts offend as make a pray of the sinnes of the people watching after hopefully expecting the neglect of duties as after a booty or prize and rejoycing in their hearts when as they heare of adulteries slanders and other enormious crimes because they may out of them raise their owne profit which wickednesse they manifestly commit who change the course of the Law and turne open punishments into priuie mulcts and punishments which should be personall and exemplary into punishments of the purse Thus also do they sinne who that they may preuaile in their suites giue hire vnto the sons of Beliall to confirme their false euidence by wicked perjury And thus doe shop-keepers grieuously offend when as they can be content that their seruants should in selling their wares vse lying swearing and deceipt that thereby they may put them off at the higher rate But in this respect Ministers doe most grieuously sinne when as either they mislead the people in errours and heresies that they may haue the fitter opportunitie of inriching themselues or when as they flatter them in their sinnes and sow pillowes vnder their elbowes that they may more securely goe on in wickednesse that so by pleasing them in their lewde courses they may haue the greater interest in them in their purses And this was the sinne of the Priests in this place who by their false doctrine hartned the people in their sins teaching them that when they had sinned there was no more to bee done for the appeasing of Gods anger but to offer their sacrifices and thus the Scribes and Pharises countenanced children in their vndutifullnesse and rebellion against their parents if they would bring vnto them oblations Mat. 15. Mat. 15. 4. 5. 4. 5. 6. And this is the sinne of those false teachers which the Apostle Peter fore-telleth should be in these latter dayes which through couetousnesse should with fained words make merchandise of mens soules 2 Pet. 2. 3. The which prophecie 2 Pet. 2. 3. we may see most euidently accomplished in the Cleargie of the Church of Rome who for mony sell dispensations for sinnes and incourage the people in all manner of wickednesse by offring vnto them easie remedies to free them from this burthen namely by doing or buying out of penance by going on pilgimages by offring to Saints by purchasing of pardons indulgences and absolutions by auricular confession by giuing of money to haue masses trentals and dirges saide for their soules for what worldly man would not be incouraged to liue in his sinnes which are more deare vnto him then his wealth yea then the fruite of his owne body as the Prophet sheweth if he may be acquitted of the guilt Micah 6. 7. and punishments thereof by confessing them to the Priest and by giuing of money for the procuring of a pardon or dispensation The vse of this doctrine serueth to make vs abhor the sin Couetousnesse the roote
them principally the Lord had cast out the nations before them and also had giuen them expresse and straight commandement that they should vtterly demolish and deface all these idolatrous monuments destroy the places wherein the nations serued their Gods vpon the high Mountaines and vpon the hils and vnder euery greene tree and ouerthrow their aulters and breake downe their pillars and burne their groues hew downe the grauen images of their Gods and abolish their names out of the place Deut. 12. 2. 3. and 7. 4. 5. Deut. 12. 2. 3. and 7. 4. 5. So that they could not pretend ignorance for their excuse being sufficiently instructed both by Gods workes and also by his word and therefore it is manifest that being wholy carried away with a spirit of fornications they committed these sinnes proudly and presumptuously against Gods Majestie preferring humane inuentions and their owne superstitions before Gods reuealed will Neuerthelesse some colour of excuse they had to blinde their owne judgements gagge their consciences and to stop the mouthes of all reprouers namely because the shadow of these groues and trees was good that is both pleasant and profitable pleasant both in respect of the delightfull shade and the sweetnesse of the aire which vsually accompanyeth such places and profitable not onely for the inlarging their deuotions but because they were thereby also preserued from the scorching heat of the sunne with which the people of those countries were sometimes molested and so fitted as they thought with more alacritrie to performe their religious seruices So that the cause why they transgressed Gods commaundement was as it seemeth their good meaning whereby they imagined that by taking their owne courses they should be much better fitted for his seruice then by following his direction in his word which in truth was nothing els but carnall and abhominable pride in them whereby they thought themselues wiser then God himselfe and preferred their own wil-worship and humaine inventions before Gods reuealed will And thus haue we seene what their sinne was as it is here plainly expressed the which also in the same words is much aggrauated first in that they did not onely seldome fall into this sinne but made it an vsuall and common practise this is signified by the Verbe here vsed in the original which being in the second Conjugation of Actiues doth imply the frequency of the action as Tremelius obserueth as also where he saith that they sacrificed on the mountaines and hils in the plurall number and vnder the Oke Popler and Elme whereby he intimateth that the Israelites were not contented to commit this Idolatry in one or two places or vpon some few Altars but they had many hils many groues many Alters many Chappels and Temples which they had erected in euery part of the Land Wherein it seemeth they gloryed as though they were in better case and much to be preferred before the Iewes seeing they had but one Temple one Altar for sacrifices and another for sweet incense where as they had great varietie and choise of Temples and Alters for their deuotions Secondly their sinne was aggrauated by their shamelesse impudencie for they did not commit their spirituall whoredomes in secret corners but in the eye of the world in most eminent places Lastly in that they were not abashed at their wickednes but rather justified it by pretending their good meaning aduancing themselues before all who had not aspired to the same degree of sinne and that through affected and wilfull ignorance for their practise was repugnant and opposite to the expresse word of God which was not onely committed vnto them in writing but also faithfully expounded and zealously inforced by Gods true Prophets And this was the peoples sinne their punishment followeth whereof there is two degrees the first that he would punish them in their familie with shame and reproach the second that he would with-hold the meanes with which such abuses should bee reformed whereby they were discredited and disgraced The first is contayned in these words therefore your Daughters shall be harlots and your Spouses shall be Whores The which words some vnderstand as the fruit and effect of their Idolatry both because spirituall whoredome is vsually finished and perfected with corporall adultery as appeareth in the example of the children of Israell seduced by the daughters of Moab Num. 25. 1. 2. 6. and also because Num. 25. 1. 2. 6 husbands and fathers gaue their wiues and daughters fit occasion and opportunitie to play the harlots whilest they absented themselues in the hils and groues about their Superstitious deuotions yea and prouoked them also by their bad example when vnder colour of Religion they gaue themselues to all vncleannesse as it is the vsuall practise of Idolaters But I rather expound these words as the punishment the Lord threatneth to inflict vpon them for their Idolatry namely that he would punish their spirituall whoredome with carnall whoredome and because by their frequent Idolatries they had grieuously dishonoured his name therefore hee would disgrace and dishonour them by causing their houses to become stewes and their daughters and spouses or daughters in Law as the word may indifferently signifie to become strumpets and common harlots The which punishment the Lord inflicted vpon the Gentiles who because they turned the glory of the incorruptible God into the similitude of the image of a corruptible man and of birds c. therefore God gaue them vp to their owne harts lusts vnto vncleannes Rom. 1. 23. 24. and to defile their owne bodyes amongst themselues c. as it is Rom. 1. 23. 24. Where we are to obserue that the Lord punisheth one sinne with another not by infusing corruption or by prouoking vnto wickednesse but onely by with drawing his grace and by giuing men ouer to their owne vile affection Now this punishment by the Law of requitall is proportionated vnto their sin for as the Idolaters did rob God of his honour to giue it vnto Idols so the Lord threatneth to spoile them of their honours and to expose their names to infamie 1 Sam. 2. 13. and reproach by suffering their wiues and daughters to play the Harlots and because being his spouse and children they prostituted themselues to idols and exceedingly grieued him by their Adulteries therefore hee would vexe them also by suffering their wiues and children to defile themselues with Adulterers that so by their owne griefe they might learne how much they had grieued the Lord with their spirituall fornications Whereby the Lord sheweth that in the day of his visitation hee needeth not to seeke farre for meanes of reuenge seeing he could make them their owne executioners and their nearest and dearest friends the instruments of his wrath to inflict on them deserued punishents And this is the meaning of the words The doctrines The doctrines which arise out of them are these First we may obserue that God as well condemneth Idolatrous
bee reclaymed So when the people of Iuda grieuously sinned the Lord hauing compassion on his people sendeth his Prophets to call them to repentance But when as they mocked the Messengers of God and dispised his words and mis-vsed his Prophets then there being no remedy the wrath of the Lord was kindled against his people and hee deliuered them into Captiuitie and made their Land desolate as appeareth 2 Chron. 36. 15. 16. 17. And in the time of our Sauiour 2 Chro. 36. 15. 16. Christ when as they stopped their eares against his gracious call and would not vnderstand the great woorke of Redemption wrought by him which was so euidently declared both by his Word and workes hee pronounceth against them the fearefull sentence of desolation and destruction Luk. 13. 34. 35. Luk. 13. 34. 35 The reason hereof is because the Lord the most wise Physition of our soules will not loose his labour by ministring his Physicke to such Patients whose diseases are desperate and therefore when they wilfully refuse to bee cured rend in peeces his prescripts pull off his plaisters and reject those wholesome Potions which hee ministreth to purge them from their corruptions and to restore them to their spirituall health he giueth them ouer to themselues to dye and perish in the sicknesse of their soules Secondly as the Lord hateth all other sinne so his soule abhorreth the contempt of his Word which hee hath appointed to bee the meanes of the conversion and saluation of all sinners And therefore if his sword of the spirit will not make a separation betweene vs and our sinnes hee will make it a sword of vengeance and destruction to cut vs off in his fierce wrath For it is neuer drawne out but it accomplisheth eyther the work of his mercy or of his iudgement So the Lord saith Esay 45. 23. I haue sworne by my Esay 45. 23. and 55. 11. selfe the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse it shall not returne c. And 55. 11. So shall my word bee that goeth out of my mouth it shall not returne vnto me voyd but it shall accomplish that which I will and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it So the Apostle saith that Gods word is the sauour of life to them that are saued and the sauour of death to those that perish 2 Cor. 2. 15. 26. 2. Cor. 2. 15. 16. The vse hereof serueth to teach vs that with all carefull diligence wee make profitable vse of the meanes which the Lord hath giuen vs both for the inlightening of our vnderstandings and the reforming of our liues For if hauing the word of God purely and sincerely preached wee continue in wilfull ignorance and will not vnderstand if being allured by God mercies and inforced by his judgements wherwith diuersly at diuers times hee hath exercised vs wee notwithstanding continue in our impenitency and securitie what remayneth but that the Lord should giue vs ouer as a desperate cure and suffer vs to runne on in the course of sinne vntill at length wee fall into the pit of destruction in this life and into the bottomlesse gulfe of condemnation in the life to come AND thus much concerning the former part of this The second part of the Chapter Chapter in which I haue shewed are contayned diuers bils of Inditements against the rebellious and apostate Church of Israell now because they were desperately suncke in their wickednesse and past all hope of recouerie In the second part of the Chapter hee laboureth to perswade with the house of Iuda that they should not joyne with them in their sinnes nor be seduced by their euill example to make the like Apostasie least accompanying them in their defection and rebellion they were also made pertakers of their punishments And this is the Prophets maine drift and scope in the second part of this Chapter The parts thereof are two The first is an admonition to the house of Iuda to auoide the sinnes of the Israelits The second contayneth certaine reasons to enforce it taken both from the haynousnesse of their sinnes and the greatnesse of their punishments The admonition is expressed verse 15. Though thou Israell play Verse 15 the harlot yet let not Iudah sinne Come not yee into Gilgall neyther goe yee vp to Beth-auen nor sweare The Lord liueth In which admonition he doth first ingenerall disswade them The expositiō from imitating the Israelites in their sinne and especially from their Idolatrie and Apostasie and then hee dehorteth them from certaine speciall meanes whereby they might easily be brought to communicate with them in their impietie namely joyning with them in irreligious societie and intermingling Gods pure worship with their superstition and Idolatrie The generall disswasion is contayned in these words Though thou Israell play the harlot yet let not Iuda sinne as if hee had said although thou Israell being wholy possessed with a spirit of fornication art so desperately addicted to idolatrie and spirituall whoredome that there is no hope remayning that euer thou wilt be reclaymed yet let not the Lord be as it were robbed of both his sonnes in the same day O let not Iuda who is not as yet come to that desperate degree of sin be seduced by your bad neighbour-hood and euill example and deriue the same guilt of iniquitie vpon himselfe for so the word Assam vsually signifieth such a fault or guilt as is deriued from one to another the one being the motiue and impulsiue cause of the other sinne The ground of this disswasion was the dangerous estate of the people of Iuda first in regard of their neere neighbour-hoode with these idolatrous Israelites who were ready to seduce them both by their example and allurements the which is implyed in the first words Though thou Israell c. As though he should haue said seeing thou Israel which art so neere a neighbour and kinsman to Iuda art so defiled with idolatrie that there is great daunger least thou should poyson them with thy contagion yet let Iuda carefully take heede to auoide thy leprous infection Secondly this amplyfieth their daunger that they were already tainted with their superstition and idolatrie which through their naturall corruption and proanes vnto this sin was apt to spread further and further and therefore like a good Phisition he laboureth to cure their ague in the first fits and to stay them from falling any deeper into this sicknesse of sinne And to this purpose hee admonisheth them that they should not imitate the Israelites in their Idolatrie but purge away their dreggs of superstition wherewith they were alreadie corrupted and restore Gods pure worship in his Temple amongst them by the office and Ministerie of his true Priests and Leuites Now howsoeuer this admonition did principally concerne the people of Iuda yet the Prophet doth here publish it to the Israelites speaking of Iuda in the third person as being absent And this hee doth
bee no remedie as it is said Chro. 36. 14. 2. Chro. 36. 14 The vse hereof serueth first to confute the practise of the Brownists who leaue and forsake the Church of Christ for some small spots and little wrinkles their Ministers refusing to preach and the people to heare in our congregations But herein they nothing resemble the Lord whose children they would seeme to be who when the Church of Israel had made a feareful apostasie from Gods true religion and was wholly defiled with superstition idolatrie and all wickednesse and obstinately continued in these sinnes notwithstanding the manifold and continuall meanes which the Lord vsed to call them to repentance yet still hee sendeth his Prophets vnto them to teach admonish and reproue them that they might be brought to amendment and when as they desperately perseuered in sinne and were now past all hope of recouerie he causeth his Prophet to admonish the Iewes to auoid their sinnes and punishments when as their state also was exceedingly corrupted Secondly it serueth for our comfort and incouragement The Lord hath mercy in store for those who forsake their euill waies if that now at the length we will forsake our euill waies and take hold of the meanes of our conuersion whilest God offereth them vnto vs. For howsoeuer wee are sunke deepe in our rebellion and haue many waies prouoked Gods wrath continuing in our sinnes notwithstanding the Lord hath afforded vs such plentifull meanes to bring vs to amendment yet if now wee will begin a new course and consecrate our selues to the seruice of God there is assured hope of pardon For yet the Lord waiteth that hee may haue mercie vpon vs Esa 30. 68. yet he patiently granteth vnto vs the meanes of our conuersion and wee may assure our selues that if hee be so gratious when as wee obstinately perseuere in sinne hee will be much more mercifull if we turne vnto him by true repentance But on the other side if wee contemne so great a mercie of God we shall haue a more fearefull iudgement laid vpon vs for laesa patientia furor the greater Gods patience is which wee despise the more furious reuenge hee will take on vs in the day of his visitation Rom. 2. 4. 5. The second thing to be obserued is that Gods Ministers Rom. 2. 4. 5. ought not to surcease their paines in their Ministerie though The Ministers must not surcease their paines in the Ministerie they plainly discerne that the estate of the people committed to their charge is altogether desperate and past hope of recouerie For though there were no apparance of hope at home yet he is painfully to persist in the worke of the Ministerie that hee may conuert those who are abroad and want the preaching of the word that so hee may helpe to gather those into the Church which are elected and increase the number of the faithfull as much as in him lieth So when the Israelites to whom our Prophet was sent were past cure he laboureth to conuert the Iewes vnto God And so when the Iewes desperately refused the meanes of their conuersion and saluation the Apostles ceased not their labours but turned to the Gentiles and by their painfull preaching endeuoured to conuert them vnto the faith For howsoeuer our hearers profit not there is a necessitie that lieth vpon vs and a fearefull woe denounced against vs if we preach not the Gospell 1. Cor. 9. 16. Whatsoeuer bee the successe of our labours wee 1. Cor. 9. 16. are charged as wee will answere it before God and before the Lord Iesus Christ which shall iudge the quicke and the dead at his appearing that we preach the word and be instant in season and out of season and that wee improue rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine 2. Tim. 4. 1. 2. Whether the people 2. Tim. 4. 1. 2. will heare vs or no we must tell them of their sinnes and giue them warning of Gods approching iudgements and then though they die in their sinnes yet wee haue discharged our dutie and shall saue our owne soules Ezech. 33. 7. 8. 9. Ezech. 33 7 8 9. Those reprooued who surcease their paines in the Ministerie The vse hereof serueth to reprooue those who surcease their paines in the worke of the Ministerie because they cannot see the fruite of their labours but contrariwise finde that the more diligently they preach vnto their people the more obstinately they contemne the meanes of their saluation lothe the food of their soules and persist in their impenitencie For the neglect of other mens duties must not be an argument to make vs neglect ours but rather should make vs more earnest in the worke of the Ministerie Neither doe we know whom nor when the Lord will call the Spirit bloweth where it listeth and when it listeth and the Lord who hath the hearts of all in his hand can make those who were lions Esa 11. and beares and wolues yesterday to become this day gentle as lambes innocent as doues and of mockers of his word he can make zealous conuerts of persecuting Saul a preaching Act. 2. 13. 37. Act. 9. Paul Besides though they had certaine assurance that they should neuer conuert a soule of those people which are committed to them nor build vp any one in the faith of Christ yet are they not discharged of their worke nor hereby haue receiued a priuiledge of idlenesse seeing when these who haue often heard them doe obstinately stop their eares there are perhaps others who would willingly haue the benefit of their Ministerie And though there were not yet must we preach the word euen when wee are assured that it is the sauour of death vnto death because the Lord who hath set vs on worke and will surely pay vs our wages is as well glorified by executing iustice against obstinate sinners as by shewing mercie to those who are by his word moued to repentance and amendment of life The third thing to be obserued is that as al men had need The danger of euill neighbourhood to be admonished of their waies in the ministerie of the word so especially those which liue neere vnto wicked and vngodly neighbours who by their manifold inducements allurements and euill examples are alwaies readie to seduce them out of the way of righteousnesse into the way of sinne For this was the case of the people of the Iewes in this place who being themselues corrupted had the wicked Israelites for their neighbours who by all meanes were ready to draw them more and more from God into the bywaies of sin and wickednesse and therefore the Lord thought it good and necessarie to stop them in these euill courses not only by the admonitions of their owne Prophets who were purposely sent vnto them but also causeth our Prophet who was sent to the Israelites to admonish them to beware of being corrupted by their euill example So when the