the prevalent remainders of this Carnal-mindedness in the Lords own people unfits them for the Lords work makes them uncapable of doing it or being used in it for this keeps them from being subject to the Law of God the Rule of the Lord by which he will square his work which he hath said he will Magnify and make Honorable Isa 42.21 By this we come to Dye and to be Dead to the Work of God If we would live to the Work of the Lord we must be Spiritually minded to be spiritual minded is Life and Peace ver 6. this is that must enable Jacob to take root and Israel to blossome and bud and fill the Face of the World with fruit Carnal-mindedness is Death to Jacob by it he becomes as a withered branch bringing forth no fruit to the Lord for while he is in that mind he is not neither can he be subject to the Law of his Work This Carnality of spirit respects either Natural worldly flesh as Paul tels us Rom. 8. minding the things of the flesh this world and the good things thereof which are not of the Father but of the VVorld for all that is in the VVorld The lust of the flesh the lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life is not of the Father but of the World which whosoever loves the love of the Father is not in him 1 Joh. 2.15 16. of which the Apostle Paul saith the world is crucified to me and I unto the world Gal. 6.14 otherwise he could not have been an Apostle of Christ Or it respects Religious flesh such a frame of Spirit in matters of Religion and Worship as is Fleshly and Carnal The more gross of this Sort the Apostle Paul complains of as those that would make a fair shew in the Flesh that they might glory in the Flesh and that to this unworthy end to avoid persecution for the Crosse of Christ Gal. 6.12 13. But saith he God forbid that I should Glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world ver 14. This was Pauls frame of spirit and such only are fit Christians for Christs service There are a more refined sort of these Carnal-minded Christians to cure whom the Apostle Paul takes a a great deal of pains in his three first Chapters of his first Epistle to the Corrinthians to the 8th verse of the fourth Chapter These Corinthians were Christians of such a high pitch of such high attainments as the Apostle saith of them In every thing ye are enriched in all Utterance and in all Knowledge so that ye come behind in no gift waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Notwithstanding all this they are yet Carnal I could not saith he speak unto you as unto Spiritual but as unto Carnal for ye are yet Carnal See what Fruit this Carnal frame of Spirit brought forth in these Corinthians and then we shall know what it is to be Carnal to be a Carnal Christian 1. PRIDE Proud boasting of their attainments a puffing up in the conceit of their own Opinion to be more truth and higher truth than others vainly glorying in that wherein they differ'd from others as if they received it not but had it of themselves and from themselves exalting themselves above their Brethren as full and rich reigning as Kings looking upon themselves as wise as strong as honorable whilst others yea Apostles themselves are accounted foolish and weak and are despised and that by themselves judged of of them This the Apostle tells them of and rebukes them for Chap. 4.3 6 7 8 and 10. verses A Spiritual mind would never have brought such Fruit but this was the fruit of their Carnallity by this Carnal wisdom the Apostle tels them they deceived themselves if we will indeed become wise we must deny our selves in this and become fools that we may be wise this is but the worlds wisdom which is vain and foolish with the Lord therefore let none glory with this glorying Chapt. 3.18 19 20 21. verses 2. ENVY I am for Paul saith one I am for Appollo saith another and he envies him that is for Paul I am for Caephas saith another and he envies the rest I But I am for Christ saith another and he Envies all because they are more for men than for Christ as he thinks I am for this saith one and I am for that saith another and he envies his Brother because he differs from him because he is not of his Opinion of his Judgement of his way not considering that what he hath is but received from another and therefore he hath not whereof to glory nor to exult over his Brother much less should he envy him while enviously one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are ye not Carnal 3. STRIFE These several parties Strive against each other for their Opinions those things wherein they differ from each other which of them should be most received and honoured as the ritchest truth as the highest attainment Striving and contending about whose Parts and Gifts are most deserving and worthy of honour to be followed after and hearkned to 4. DIVISIONS Chapt. 1.11 12. and Chap. 3.3 4. verses It hath been declared unto me of you my Brethren by them which are of the house of Cloe that there are contentions among you Now this I say that every one of you saith I am of Paul and I of Apollo and I of Caephas and I of Christ ye are yet Carnal for whereas there is among you Envy and Strife and Division are ye not Carnal and walk as Men For while one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are ye not Carnal The Apostle blames them not for being for Paul or for Apollo or for Caephas or for Christ or for being for them all for saith he Let men so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God Chap. 4.1 we are to be accounted of you ought to honour us as such But in this they were blame-worthy in this they transgressed that they were Enviously Dividingly Factiously for one against another and he that is thus for Christ Sins as well as he that is so for the Ministers of Christ his being for Christ will not excuse him while he is in this Frame and Temper of Spirit Are not these things a knowing Men and Christ after the flesh of which the Apostle tels these very Corinthians they for their parts they Apostles would not be guilty Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the Flesh yea though we have known Christ after the Flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more 2 Cor. 5.16 The Flesh profiteth nothing It s the Spirit that quickneth John 16.63 This Fruit a Carnal mind brings forth those who are Spiritual as Paul and others brought forth better Fruit giving every one their Due Christ his Due and his
is under sore rebuke and trouble as the preceding 17. Verse manifests The Lord waits that he may be gracious Heaven is ready to Save if Earth were but as ready to be Saved There 's no Obligation no tye upon God to shorten his hand to hinder it from Saving if Jacob were but prepared and ready to receive Salvation Therefore saith the Prophet will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you How will the Lord exalt himself that he may have mercy In Judgement for the Lord is a God of Judgement The Lord will exalt himself and his Glory by his judging of Jacob and while this correcting Judgement is working its natural Effect by the help of the co-working of the mighty Spirit of God in the heart of Jacob he waits to be gracious waits to Save he waits the good hour wherein his Corrections having wrought the desired Effect he may be gracious his Grace may abound above Jacob's Sin in delivering him out of the hands of all his Enemies that he may serve him without fear in Holiness and Righteousness before him all his dayes Thus was it with Jacob in the Wilderness of Old The Lord was ready to give him the Promised Land the Time was come for him to possess it the Iniquity of the Amorites was full the Enemy was ripe for Judgement yea the Lord told him so by the mouth of his two faithful Witnesses Caleb and Joshua Num. 14.8 9. They are bread for us their defence is departed from them and the Lord is with us But Jacob was not ready to receive it his Sin hinders his Possession This is our Case It 's our own Sin and not anothers that hath hindered our Salvation and brought a sore Affliction upon us And that too at a Time when the Lord's hand was not nor is not shortened by any Consideration of a Time or any thing else on his part but is prepared ready to Save It 's only our own Sin that stands in the way of our Salvation it 's that that Causes the present Hidings of the face of our God from us by it we have as it were Caused God to go out of that path of Salvation he was graciously and wonderfully going on in and to steer another course that he may take away our Sin that which hinders his saving of us and to wait till this Let be taken out of the way that he may be gratious unto us and Save us Q. It may be asked What are those sins which have hindered our Salvation by which we have provoked the Lord our Father so severely to chastise us An. I had thoughts to have enlarged upon this Subject but lest I should grieve the Spirits of any and hoping that a word a hint may prove sufficient I shall do no more This SIN which hath brought Affliction upon us which hath provoked the Father of mercies to chastise us with bloody stripes to take it away is that which hath made us both unfit for God to use in and unable to do the Work the Lord hath appointed to be done by his People Any Sin less than such Sin the Lord would have born with and the Intercession of our Mediator would have prevailed for us as the Children of Israel of old in the Wilderness through the Intercession of their Mediator were many times born with and found favour and grace from God till they came to sin that Sin which unfitted them and put them out of a capacity to receive that great Gift of his Grace and favour he was in a readiness to bestow upon them and to do that Work the Lord had to do by them Now I would only Query whether some parts and parcels of this provoking Sin be not these First Love of this Old World This is a killing Sin most pernitious to Jacob's Happiness while this remains he cannot be a fit Instrument for the Lord to use and so not fit for Deliverance See what the Apostle John saith of it 1 Joh. 2.15 Love not the World neither the things that are in the World If any man love the World the Love of the Father is not in him The reason of this the Apostle James tells us Jam. 4.4 The friendship of this VVorld is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend to the VVorld is the Enemy of God How much and how powerful this Sin hath prevailed amongst us and how far it hath hurried us into other provoking Evils every seeing eye and discerning spirit cannot but be sensible of The reasons why I put it upon the Query whether this hath not provoked the Lord to chastise us are 1. Because our Lord Christ doth so severely warn us to take heed of it Luke 21.34 Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be over-charged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this Life and so that day come upon you unawares In these words he hath relation to the two extream conditions men are in in this World Full or Empty either in a full possession of it and so out of abundance of Love and Delight they have to it and take in it they drown themselves therein Or being Empty out of a Love to it they are carefully reaching after the possession of it This he equally warns us of and commands us to watch and pray against upon no less penalty than being not accounted worthy to escape the Judgements of God and to stand before the Son of man when he Comes for when he Comes he will neither have the surfeiting drunken Lover nor the careful Lover of this World to be his Follower This is clearly imployed in the 36. Verse 2. Because our Lord Jesus to express his hatred of this Sin sets forth the wickedness of the VVorld at that Day when he comes in Judgement to it by this Love of this VVorld Luke 17. from the 26. to the 30. V. As it was in the dayes of Noah so shall it be also in the dayes of the Son of man They did eat they drank they married VVives they were given in Marriage until the day that Noah entered into the Ark and the Flood came and destroyed them all Likewise also as it was in the dayes of Lot they did eat they drank they bought they sold they planted they builded but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from Heaven and destroyed them all The bare being exercised about these things Christ here reckons up as the sinful state of the World cannot be his meaning for all these things are either necessary to our Being as eating and drinking or else to our Well-Being in this Life They are such things as at his coming he finds also those exercising themselves about whom yet he takes to himself to follow him leaving the rest to Iudgement They were all eating and drinking and marrying and at the Mill and in the field together as well those that he takes to himself as his own Peculiars
as those that he leaves as the subjects of his displeasure Therefore the Evil must lye some where else it must needs lye more secret and inward the Sin surely must lye in this in the hearts standng in and sitting close to these things And this seems to me to be clearly hinted to us by Christ while he commands us though we be but on the House top and our stuff in the House not to go down to it and though we be but in the field near home yet not to return to it He blames us not for having Houses and Stuff but commands us not to be so in Love with not to six our hearts so upon our Possessions in this World as to return to them and be solicitous in securing of them when he Comes to take us to call us from them to lead us in that Path and VVay to do that VVork he would have us to walk in and to do to enable us to walk in and to do which it 's absolutely necessary we forsake ALL of this World 3. Because of Christs severity against this Sin Remember Lots Wife Whosoever shall seek to save his Life shall lose it Our Lord is so severe against this Sin that that Love to the good things of this Life which the VVorld of Professors call a Vertue a Duty he warns us to flee from lest with Lots VVife he make us examples of his Justice It 's not dainty food not dilicious drinks but eating and drinking it 's not cozening and cheating but that which is at other times lawful buying and selling it 's not planting curious Gardens nor building glorious Structures but bare planting and building it 's not wheredom nor adultery but marrying of Wives the Lord instances in as the sinful state of the World in which when he Comes he shall find them to their sorrow So that it 's not enough that we can say we can part with our dainties things for delight but can we say we can part with forsake and love not our meat and drink that which maintains the very Being of our Bodies and with Elijah live upon the pure Providence of God for our Life and Being If not the Love of the Father is not in us but the love of the World And this Christ will not bear with in his People If at such a time as this when Christ is calling his People out of and from the World to his Work and Service there be but a dram of this Love a bare looking back towards a hankering after this Worlds good things but a little solicitousness after them a going but from the House-top a returning but back out of the field the back-side as it were into the House a going but a little out of the way Christ calls us into though it be but to save our Stuff yea our Life this will set us in the path of Judgement under his displeasure Remember Lot's Wife saith our Lord if when I come I find this temper in you as sure as she was so shall ye become a Monument of my severity A little love to this World but a looking back towards it hath turn'd and as little now but a returning back a little way towards it shall again turn Living Monuments of Mercy into Standing Monuments of Justice Secondly I fear upon a serious search it will be found that our Love to our Stuff the good things of this Life to keep and maintain our possession of these hath hurried us into such by-wayes such courses as have brought BLOOD upon us I shall only mention two Scriptures and leave it to a serious consideration 1. If Baasha execute Justice upon the House of Jeroboam according to the Word of the Lord and become like the House of Jeroboam in Sin and Wickedness that piece of justice becomes BLOOD-GUILTINESSE to him is imputed to him as Murder and he must dye for it 1 King 15.29 16.3 7. V. And it came to pass when he reigned that he smote all the House of Jeroboam he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed until he had destroyed him according unto the saying of the Lord which he spake by his Servant Ahijah the Shilonite Behold I will take away the Posterity of Baasha and the Posterity of his House and will make thy House like the House of Jeroboam the Son of Nebat And also by the hand of the Prophet Jehu the Son of Hanani came the Word of the Lord against Baasha and against his House even for all the Evil that he did in the sight of the Lord in provoking him to anger with the work of his hands in being like the House of Jeroboam and because he killed him That Blood which Baasha shed in Obedience to the Command of God by his Servant the Prophet in a way of Justice he walking in the same path of wickedness is required at his hand 2. If Jehu execute Justice upon the House of Ahab and do it so exactly too as that every piece of it is according to the Word of the Lord as the story mentions 2 King 9. 10. Chapters Notwithstanding this piece of Justice if done so exactly according to the Rule to the Word of the Lord yet Jehu through the Love of this World not departing from the Sins of Jeroboam but doing the Work of the Lord negligently by halves becomes GUILTY OF THIS BLOOD this act of Justice is imputed to him for Murder and the Blood is required at his hand Hos 1.4 Call his Name Jezreel for yet a little while and I will AVENGE THE BLOOD of Jezreel upon the House of Jehu I need not add further Thirdly Another Branch of the present Afflicting Sin that I would mention I conceive is PRIDE both NATURAL and SPIRITUAL PRIDE How contrary this is to the Lord in all Ages at al times I need not mention the Scriptures are full in expression of it Therefore much more at such a time as this when his design is to be ALONE exalted against which no Sin sets it self so much in opposition as this This Sin so extreamly unfits Jacob were he otherwise quallified for the Work of God that the Lord * Prov. 6.16 17. 13.10 Psal 10.2 86.14 Deut. 17.20 Prov. 16.18 Hos 5.5 hates it it 's Abominable to him This Sin is the source of wickedness by it comes contention which brings forth persecution and this proceeds to violence and causes Rulers in Israel to turn aside from the way of the Lord. Therefore this Sin must needs bring down a Correcting Judgement But Fourthly And the last I shall mention is CARNAL Mindedness Carnality of Spirit And this I would expatiate a little upon because it is the most Spiritual Evil and so needs the greatest battery gainst it The Carnal mind of the Natural man who is after the flesh is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.5 7. this brings Death to him v. 6. And
Lord will perform upon Sion and Jerusalem till which is performed he will not punish the stout heart of the King of Assyria nor burn the Rod with which he is scourging and correcting his People for their unchild-like carriage towards him their Father In which there is 1. A sore Affliction Verse 7. 2. A Cordial to bear up the heart of Jacob from sinking under the severity of the Rod V. 8. 3. The Cause of it Sin implyed in Ver. 9. 4. The End of this Affliction which is two-fold 1. To take this Sin away expressed Ver. 9. And as the proper effect of this 2. To cause Jacob to take root and Israel to blossom and bud Ver. 6. 1. It 's a sore and dreadful Dispensation not only smiting but smiting to blood not only drawing blood letting out a little bad blood but the very Life blood SLAYING Hath he SMITTEN him as he smote those that smote him Or is he SLAIN according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him It 's the same manner of smiting with which Jacob in former times smote his Enemies It 's the same manner of slaying as Jacob shall after he comes out of this cleansing Dispensation slay his Enemies withal For though the Prophet speaks here in the Present tense ARE SLAIN yet of necessity we must refer it to the future for we cannot rationally conceive slain men can slay men Therefore we must look upon this as one of those Scriptures wherein the Lord is pleased to call things that be not as though they were as the Apostle speaks and that out of a gracious design to strengthen our Faith signifying thereby the certainty of the thing that it 's as certain as if it were in present action Poor Jacob goes into by-wayes wayes of his own invention to save his Blood to save his Life and behold he loses it making good that saying of our Lord He that seeks to save his Life shall lose it Sinning Jacob in his Laodicean frame of Spirit cryes out with the sloathful person Prov. 26.13 A Lion is in the Way a Lion is in the Street the Lord would have me pass through and fleeing from this Lion a Bear meets him and tears him and rends him as Amos speaks But lest the drooping Spirits of feeble Jacob should sink and dye under this trying and rending Dispensation under these Bloody smitings his Sin hath brought upon him 2. Here 's a Soveraign Cordial ready to revive him to support him In measure when it shooteth forth thou wilt debate with it He stayeth his Rough wind in the day of the East wind The Lord hath measured out the Affliction of Jacob and meted it in the measure of Grace and Love The end of all is Grace and Love to Jacob that he may be purged from his Iniquity and his Sin taken away that he may be so far from being utterly destroyed as that he may fill the face of the World with Fruit. Yea this very Affliction these smitings and slayings that pass over him shall have the Love of a Father written upon it he shall be able to read a Fathers Love in and through all It shall not be beyond measure but in measure God will not suffer Jacob to be tempted beyond what he is able to bear as the Apostle speaks But fear thou not O my servant Jacob for I am with thee saith the Lord to save thee though I make a full end of all Nations yet will I not make a full end of thee but will correct thee in measure and will not leave thee altogether unpunished and in the LATTER DAYES ye shall consider it Jer. 30.10,11 24. V. When the Affliction hath shot forth to such a measure to such a degree to the working such an Effect which is humbling for and purging from Sin then will the Lord DEBATE with it When the Lord hath finished his whole Work upon Sion then will he Punish the stout heart of the King of Assyria when the Assyrian Rod would carry on the Affliction of Jacob farther than the Lord hath purposed it shall be then will he Debate with it How will he Debate with it He stayeth his Rough Wind in the day of the East Wind. By this Rough Wind I understand the same with the smitings and slayings before mentioned onely by this difference of expression the Lord would have us to understand the purging nature of the Affliction that the Lord will by this Wind by this Affliction as thorowly purge and cleanse his People from their Sin as the Husband-man cleanses his Corn from its Chaff by winnowing it in the Wind. And this Rough Wind these smitings and slayings this sore Affliction will the Lord stay put a stop to But when and how In the day of the East Wind. In that day in which the Lord hath appointed the East Wind to blow which is when the Rough VVind the smitings and slayings the Affliction hath done its work for which it was sent upon Jacob then in that day will the Lord stay this Rough VVind put a stop to these smitings and stayings take away this Affliction And that by The East VVind We shall see what VVind this is that taking place at its appointed time shall stay the preceding Rough VVind if we look into the Type Exod. 14.21 23. Moses stretched out his hand over the Sea and the Lord caused the Sea to go back by a strong East wind all that Night and made the Sea dry Land and the VVaters were divided and the Children of Israel went into the midst of the Sea upon dry Ground and the VVaters were a VVall unto them on their right hand and on their left This East VVind is that which Isaiah saith in his 51. Chapter dryed the Sea the Waters of the great Deep that made the depths of the Sea dividing it a VVay for the Ransomed to pass over and that when the VVaves thereof roared When the Rough VVind the smitings and slayings the present Affliction hath wrought its proper Effect upon Jacob then is the time come and a strong East VVind from the presence of the Lord shall blow and stop the breath of the Rough VVind The Lord will so deal with this Sea of Jacob's trouble the VVaves whereof are roaring upon poor Jacob as that a VVay through the Sea a VVay through the Rough VVind a VVay through the very smitings and slayings of the Enemy shall be made and found out for Jacob to escape And what then The Light of Israel shall be for a fire and his holy One for a flame and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his bryars that are scratching and tearing the flesh of distressed Jacob in one day Chap. 10.17 In ONE day A day known to the Lord even that day wherein he will staying his Rough Wind by his East Wind putting a stop to the Enemie's smiting and slaying of his Jacob healing his VVounds Punish the stout heart of the Assyrian and
Pluckt up all our Defences even then when we could not believe it possible being lifted up and set on high because Isa 1 2 3. Ch. the Cedars of Lebanon and the Oaks of Bashan were the Stakes in our Hedg and the high Mountains and Hills and High Towers and fenced Walls were our Defences and Pleasant Pictures Gold and Silver were our Ornaments and we were strengthned by the Mighty Man and the Man of War the Judge and the Prophet and the Prudent and the Ancient and the Honourable man and the Counsellor and the cunning Artificer and the Eloquent Orator The same Mighty Arme of the Lord of Hosts that hath been and still is upon all these in the midst of us Plucking them up and Beating them down with the Rod of his Anger shall put forth its Almighty Power in Rooting and Planting them that come of Jacob I shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root and not only so But Israel shall Blossome and Bud. It 's not a Bare taking Root but such a Rooting as shall bring forth a Blooming Budding Flourishing State though this Winter night of Affliction may cause Israel in appearance to be as a Withered Dead Tree yet his Life shall appear in its Season he shall Blossome and Bud spring forth into a Flourishing State And fill the Face of the World with fruit Israels Tree shall so flourish so spread forth its Boughs as that the Beasts of the feild shall have shadow under them and the Fowls of the Heaven shall dwell in them the fruit of the Tree shall be much yea so much as it shall be meat for all all flesh shall be fed of it the whole World shall be filled with its fruit The * Isa 27.4 and Mal. 4.1 Bryars and the Thornes the worldly Professors in the midst of Jacob in his faln State shall be burned up and Israel the true Seed shal fill THEIR place with fruit the Proud and the Wicked of the world shall be burnt up as stubble and Israel shall fill THEIR place with fruit Though through our Sin and Stubborness in it we provoke the Lord to suffer us to be slain to be as Dead yet when our Sin is done away and our Iniquities purged we shall Arise though we be brought to dwell in the Dust yet we shall Awake and Sing our Dew shall be as the Dew of Herbs Isa 26.19 such Influences from Heaven shall descend down upon us as that we shall Spring again and Live and Flourish and fill the Face of the world with fruit What Fruit this is would require a large discourse to tell and it not being my work at this time to treat of therefore I leave it I shall only say this That it 's such Fruit such excellent Fruit of such a Divine Nature that it causes glorious effects that men shall fear the Name of the Lord from the West and his glory from the Rising of the Sun the Spirit of the Lord by his mighty working brings forth this fruit Isa 59.19 It 's to this People who are put into a capacity by the means appointed of the Father to bring forth such fruit that the Redeemer comes It 's this People who are brought into this Light upon whom the Glory of the Lord is thus Risen that must Arise and Shine upon whom the Lord shall Arise and upon whom his Glory shall be Seen Isa 59.20 and 60.1 2. These are the People to whom the Great gathering shall be mentioned Isa 60. Having Fixed the Prophesy and Opened it and shewed the Cause and End of the Present Affliction I would now draw a few Conclusions from the whole 1. That in the Last Daies at this Day the Lord will use the same means to Purge and Cleanse and Purifie his People that he makes use of to Destroy his and their Enemies Outward and Sore Afflictions Smiting and Slaying Death it self Jacob the true Seed Smites the Enemy to Destruction and the Lord permits the Same Enemy to Smite Jacob to Blood to Pnrge him from his Iniquity and take away his Sin 2. That this Sore Affliction the Lord makes use of as the means whereby he will Purge and Cleanse his People Ends not in Smiting only but Proceeds to Slaying to Blood slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him It seems Jacobs Disease is so highly Pluretick as the skilfullest Physitian in Heaven and Earth can find no way to cure Jacob of his Distemper but by letting out his Blood 3. The sharpness of the Affliction clearly shewes to Jacob the Hainousness of his Sin The tender Fathers of our flesh will not lay sharp and Sore Corrections upon their Children but for exceeding great Faultiness If we see a tender Father whipping a beloved Child till the Blood run down his back we say surely that Child hath committed some exceeding great fault Much more may we say Jacob hath Sinned a Great Sin when we see the God of Jacob who is the Father of Mercies whose thoughts of Mercy are as far above our thoughts as the Heavens are Higher than the Earth Isa 55.9 when we see him Smiting Jacob and Smiting him to Blood that he even faints under his Correcting hand yea so Sorely Afflicting Jacob that were it not measured out in measures of mercy did not the Lord in tenderness as it were stand upon his watch to put a stop to it when it comes to such a pitch it would deprive poor Jacob of Being This surely is an open Declaration of the Greatness of Jacob's Sin In a case like this we have the Lord mourning over him Hosea 11.8 How shall I give up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel How shall I make thee as Admath How shall I set thee as Zeboim mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together 4. The continuance of this Sore and sharp Dispensation will be either Lengthned or Shortned according as Jacob behaves himself under it as he is Obedient or Disobedient to the voice of the Rod Isa 1.19 20. If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the Land but if you refuse and rebel ye shall be devoured with the Sword Jacob's willingly doing the will of God may prevent this devouring Sword 's passing over him but if Jacob will not it must have its course saith the Lord of Hosts This Affliction must abide till it hath wrought its Effect Purged Jacob of his Iniquity and taken away his Sin So that the sooner Jacob departs from his Sin the sooner will the Rod of Gods displeasure be taken off his back Consider again that place we have already discanted upon Isa 59.1 2. Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot save but your Iniquities have separaed between you and your God and your Sins have hid his Face from you that he will not hear The Lord is now as Able so Ready to bestow Salvation it 's only our own Sin that hinders his hand