Hosea 11

Ver. 1. When Israel wa-i a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

Tins chapter is made by some the sixth sermon of Hosea’s prophecy. The scope of it is this: To clear God from severity, and to upbraid Israel for ungrateful and stubborn carriage, against mercies and means; and yet to promise mercy to the remnant, to his elect ones. This extends to the end of the 11th verse. As for the 1 2th verse, though made a jiart of this chapter, yet it were more aptly a great deal joined to chap. xii.; and so it is by some.

At the close of the preceding chapter there were di’eadful threatenings against Israel, that the mothers should be dashed in pieces upon then’ chUdi’en, and the king utterly cut oS’. But now, does not this argue God to be a God of rigid severity? ‘Where is the mercy, goodness, and clemency of God towards his people? What! to have the mother dashed in pieces against her children; to cut off the king of Israel utterly? Yes, saith God, for all this I am a God of mercy and goodness, for I have manifested abundance of mercy ah-eady, and am ready still to manifest more; but you have been a stubborn and a stout-hearted people against me. And from this general scope,

Obs. 1. God stands much upon the clearing of himself to be a God of love and mercy. Whatsoever becomes of the wicked, yet God will make it clear before all the world, that he is a God of much mercy. God takes it very ill that we diould have any hard thoughts of him; let us not be ready to entertain such thoughts of God, as if he were a ‘hard master. I remember Luther saith. That the general scope of

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the Scripture is, to declare the Lord to r“‘ciiM.e.,git,ne be a God of mercy and goodness; the tfiX’HT.’c^S’ whole Scriptures, saith he, aim especially S”„’i,’’js’;e’’mirer[‘- at this, that we should believe and be ‘,’;’,’,’™-^’“‘j”„’™’ confident that God is a gracious and

merciful God. And this is the scope of this chapter. Let us rather charge ourselves of wickedness, and ungrateful dealings with God, and let us for ever justify God, and acknowledge him to be not only a righteous, but a gracious God: though thou and thousands such as thou art shall perish to all eternity, yet the Lord shall be acknowledged a God of mercy before his angels and saints for evermore. But thus much for the scope.

“When Israel was a child.”

That is, at his first beginning to be a people, in his young time my heart was towards him. Indeed, the heart of God was to Israel, that is, Jacob, the father of the tribes, before he was born, before he had “done any good or evil,” Rom. ix. 11, 12. But here it is spoken not of the father, but of the tribes.

“When Israel was a child.” That is,

I. AVhcn he knew little of me.

II. ‘NMien he could do little for mo.

III. AVhen there was much vanity and folly in him, as there are generally in children.

rv. When he was helpless and succoiu-less, and knew not how to provide for himself.

But further, Tcrnovius, a learned comfcatTl?qJiic’S’’ mentator on this prophecy, thinks that ^Cfinm’a’ “^y3 lice translated “a child,” intimates F’^vilPioc. *’^^ stubbornness of Israel against God, ernov. in oc. shaken off the yoke of

parents, or of a master; and so ‘3 here translated “when,” sometimes signifies although; Although Israel was a child, a froward and perverse child, that shook off the yoke, yet then I loved him. And what a child Israel was when God loved him, you may find in Ezek. xvi. 4, 5, “And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all. None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; “but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born.” Then in the 6th verse, “And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.” Again and again is the command of mercy given. And then in the 8th verse, “Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine.”

Well, but wherein did God manifest that he did love Israel when he was a child?

Mark that 8th verse, “Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou became.-it mine.”

The love of God to Israel is expressed in these three particulars.

First, God “entered into a covenant” with him. Oh, it is a great mercy of God, and a fruit of great love, that such an infinite God would be pleased to make a covenant with his people, to bring them into covenant relation with him: all mankind was in covenant with God at first, but falling from that first covenant, God took into covenant with himself only a peculiar people, and made this distinguishing grace a fniit of his great love. Secondly, “Thou becamest mine:” that is, I had separated “thee for myself, and took thee for a peculiar one to me, and intended special mercy and goodness to thee; “thou becamest mine,” so as that I should have a special propriety in thee, and thou shouldst have a fq-.ecial propriety in me.

Thirdly, I confirmed all this by an oath, “I swaj-e unto thee.” Was not here love, for God to covenant, to take in to such propriety, and to swear that we should be his? Thus “when Israel was a child, then I loved him.” Now the observations are these: Ob.t. 2. It is the privilege of the church and of the saints, to be beloved of God. God loves his jjeoplc, this is their privilege, he loves them with a special love. In Jer. xii. 7, they are called, the “dearly beloved of mv” (God’s) “soul:” see how God loves his people. God delights in his saints, and there is nothing in the world that should sanctify a gracious heart more than this, that God loves him; and a.s God’s love is extraordinary to them, more than to other people, so their love again should be reflected upon God in a more than ordinary way. Nothing can be a recompence to love, but love: that is certain, love is never satisfied but with love; and therefore, seeing God professes love to his people, he expects love from them; therefore he will not be satisfied with any duties you perform, unless they flow from love. Love must hqve love; and know, that you cannot prize God’s love more than God jirizes vours; there is nothing in heaven and earth that God prizes more than the love of his saints, and therefore, if ever God’s love, or God’s prizing of your love, may gain love, O you saints, love the Lord.

06s. 3. It is a great aggravation to sin, to sin against love. For to that end God here shows that he loved them, that he might aggravate their sin so much the more, and clear himself. Often in the days of your humiliation, and at other times, you regard your sin as aggravated, as it is against knowledge, and does a great deal of hurt, and brings you under dreadful threatenings, provoking the wrath of an infinite God against you; these are things calculated to humble your hearts for sin; but this still more, that your sin is against love, that though God has shown much love to you, yet you sin against a loving and a gracious God. God begins with this aggravation, it being his scope here to clear himself, and to convict his people of ungratefulness: “When Israel was a child, then I loved him.” Sins against love are great sins indeed.

Ob.i. 4. It is very useful to call to mind God’s old love. “When Israel was a child, then I loved him.” His love to us when we were children; yea, his love to our forefathers. For a nation, too, to consider the ancient love of God to it at its fii-st beginning, is of verj- great use; nay, brethren, it would be of ven,- great use to us to consider God’s ancient love to England. And I will give you one remarkable proof of it, that it was the first nation which ever God set his heart upon to bring into the fold of the gospel, the first nation in the world that by ])ublic authority submitted to the gospel; and certainly God remembers that love of England. So wo find it recorded. True, indeed, we cannot give Scripture proof for this, because it was since the time of any Scripture; but so cvntur. c»ni. j. far as we may credit early records, we ^y.j’iiJ’Ec’I.’^^ find it, of all nations upon the face of the ex’j. n.iiri o.t.i. earth, the first that received the gospel ““”*” “‘’’™’” with the countenance of public authority. And this is not a little matter; certainly the Lord remembers “the kindness of” our “youth,” and the old love of I’.ngland, its “first love,” in “receiving the gospel. Indeed God caused the gospel to be preached to other places before it was to England; but no place by the countenance of public authority received it so soon as England did, and therefore, in that respect, England may be said to have been the very first-fruits of the gospel. Oh, it is good for us to consider of that, anil many good uses we mav make of God’s ancient love; when we see any further expressions of it, the tholights of his former love may encourage us to believe that surely God intends its continuance.

And then for ourselves individually, it is very good for us to look back to his ancient love. Some of you (I suppose) in this place may say, that God loved you when you were children: When I was a child, I had such and such expressions of God’s love toward me; it was love that I was born of Christian parents, and educated in Christian doctrine, that I was delivered from such and such dangers, yea, (it may be.) God began to reveal himself to me betimes. And if you would call to mind all the loving passages of God’s providence since you were children, you might have matter of meditation sufficient. Many of you complain that you cannot find matter for meditation: I will give you a rule to help you in meditation at any time, it is this: when you cannot meditate of other things, but you are presently bewildered and know not whither to go, then turn yourselves to this; to think of all the gracious passages of God’s providence towards you ever since you were children; and this theme the weakest may be able to piu’sue with profit.

Obs. 5. All God’s old mercies remain engagements to duty, and aggravations to sin. “When Israel was a child, then I loved him.” It is spoken of to aggravate their sin, and further to engage them to duty. Remember that the love and mercies of God to you when you were children, are engagements to duty when you are old, and aggravations of your sin: sins against old mercies are the greatest sins. Oh that you should sin against that love of God to you when you were children! God began with you then, and has continued his love and mercy to you ever since; oh then make this an aggravation of your sin in the day of your humiliation, charge it upon your own souls. These and these sins have I committed; though God loved me, though his mercy and goodness were toward me when I was a child, and have followed me ever since, yet I have walked unworthy of all that love and mercy. Know, that though you may forget the old love of God, yet the Lord remembers it; he remembers his old meroies, and he remembers your old sins.

Obs. 6. Let not our hearts sink in despairing thoughts, though we see that we are able to do but little for God, and though we are unworthy of his love. Though there be much vanity and folly in our hearts and in our lives, yea, though there has been much stubbornness, yet still let not our hearts sink in despairing thoughts. “When Israel was a child, then I loved him.” They could do little for me, and they knew little of me, and they were vain, and foolish, and stubborn, and yet ‘■ I loved them.” Certainly, the dealings of God toward Israel are as a tyjje of his dealuigs toward his saints, as the afflictions of Israel are typical with respect to the church: and as we gather an argument for patience in afflictions, when we read how God dealt with the people of Israel in the wilderness; so also should our faith he strengthened by the long-suffering and tender mercy shown them: though they were unworthy, and poor, and weak, yet God loved them. Therefore you, poor people, that find yourselves weak in understanding, alas! you know little, and can remember little, of that which is good, and you can do little for God; Yea, I find (perhaps saith one) much frowardness and stubbornness in my heart against God; but do you bewail it? if so, let not vour hearts he discouraged, do not think that these are things that will binder the love of God; God’s heart mav be towards you notwithstanding all this; God’s love does not find, but makes the object lovely; therefore God can love though thou knowest little, and canst do but little. But you will say. He can love, but will he love? If I did but know that, my heart would find peace. To that I answer.

First, When you hear that God loved Israel when he was such a child that “none eye pitied him,” this is

enough to help you against any concluding thoughts against God’s love, for God loved his people Israel when they were as unworthy as you are.

Secondly, The readiest way for you to know with certainty whether God will love you or not, is, 1. To raise up your faith, if you are able, upon such grounds as this, ‘The consideration of his love to his people when they were unworthy.

2. In quietness and meekness of spirit to lay thyself before the Lord as an object of his pity. Thou dost not think thvself worthy to be an object of love, yet lay thy heart before God as an object of pity, and theie resolve to wait till the time of love shall come, till God shall make known that his heart is toward thee for good. It is not the way for thee to be froward and veiing, because of thy unworthiness, meanness, poverty, and baseness, and so to determine that on account of these he will not love thee; no, I say, the way for thee to have the sense of God’s love, is this, when thou seest there is no worthiness in thee why he should love thee, yet to remember that there is enough in thee to make thyself an object of his pity.

06s. 7. God’s love begins betimes to his people, let not his people’s love be deferred too long. God is beforehand with you in love, and whenever we begin to love him it is upon this ground, “because be first loved us.” You who are young, love God betimes, for if you be such as ever shall be saved, God did not only love you when a child, but he loved you before you were born, before the foundations of the world were laid. Oh! it is a pity that the fh-st springing of your love should not be bestowed upon God. Certainly old love is the best love; as old love in God is sweet, so old love in the saints: it is a sweet thing to think that God loved me from a child; but then, if I can say this too, I loved God from a child, this will make it sweeter: put but these two together, and what is wanting to the comfort of one’s life? God loves that love which is from a child: “I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth,” Jer. ii. 2: God loves the love of young ones, the love of children. How sweet will old age be to thee if thou canst say. Lord, through thy mercy I have loved thee from a child, and that is an evidence that thou didst love me when I was a child! How many are there now old, whom God loved when they were young, that would give ten thousand worlds, if they had them, that they had known and loved God sooner than they did! I say, those whose eyes God enlightens, and hearts God converts to himself, would give ten thousand thousand worlds that they could but say this. Oh that I had but loved God from a child! Y’ou who are children and young ones, do you begin betimes to love God, that, if you live to be old, you may say, that God loved you from a child. It was an excellent speech of Austin, when it pleased God to work upon his heart, Lord, I loved thee too ^!ZW”Aai. late. And so it will be with any that begin to love God, they will say that they loved God too late; this tardy affection will be the great bui-den to their souls.

“And called my son out of Egypt.”

“And called;” that is, by Moses and Aaron, I sent them to call them out of Eg)“pt ^”“^ *” ^’’’“” ^^^’^ from thence. This seems to refer to Exod. iv. 22, where the Lord directs Moses to go to Pharaoh, and to speak on this wise, “Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even mv first-born.” So in Jer. xxxi. 9, “I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first-born.”

“My son:” the Seventy render it in the plural, ra rtKva avTov, his sons; but in the original it is ‘JsS my son; thus, although the Holy Ghost speaks of all the people in general, yet he puts them in the singular number, and in their very community calls them the sou of God.

CriAP. XI.

Obs. 8. The clun eh ip related to God as a son to the father, yea, the very first-l)orii. A’hnt God speaks of the people of Israel is especially intended towards his saints, which are the true Israel of God; they have the privilege to be sons unto God, to be children. “Seemeth it to you,” saith David, “a light tiling to be a king’s son-in-law?” What then do you think it is to be son to the King of heaven and earth, and hen’ of heaven and earth? “Is Ephraim my dear son?” Jer. xxxi. 20. This is the privilege therefore of the saints, that God deals with them as sons; “I will spare them,” saith the Lord in the prophet Malachi, chap. iii. 17, “as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.” And the special privilege that they have from this is, that they are not under the law as slaves, in reference to God; those that are in the state of slavery are under this law. Do, or die; if thou dost offend but in the least thou shalt perish for ever, the curse of the law is upon thee. But the sons of God are brought into another condition, not to be under that law; they indeed, if they do offend, may be corrected and chastised, Psal.lxxxix.30 — 32; but they are never under the law of the sentence of eternal death for their offences. There is a great deal of difference between the administration of God towards slaves, and towards sons: tins is the great privilege of sonship, that thou art not under the law, but art brought under another law, even the law of Jesus Christ; that though thy sin indeed, of its own nature, if God should deal with thee in justice, would be enough to put thee under an eternal curse, yet being a son, God puts thee under another law, and deals not with thee by that which pronounces a curse against every sin.

Obs. 9. Let wicked men take heed how they use the saints, for they are God’s sons; they are not slaves, they are the sons of the eternal God. “Is Israel a servant? is he a home-born slave? why is he spoiled?” Jer. ii. 14. How comes it to pass that Israel is so dealt with? What! is not Israel a son, and “Ephraim my dear son?” Jer. xxxi. 20.

When any of the people of God are under the power of any men, God looks upon them as sons; and if they deal hardly with them, God will inquire and say thus. Is such a one a slave? had he been a slave I would not so much have cared for youi’ dealing thus with him, but he is a son. You find in the Acts that they were afraid when they heard that Paul was a Roman. When thou knowest thou hast to deal with a son of God, know that though thou hast not liberty to misuse any, yet when thou niisusest him, thou dost it at thy special peril.

04s. 10. The saints are not only sons in their particular relation, but in their community. The whole community of the church, as members, are but as one son: “I called my son out of Egypt;” he speaks of the whole body of Israel. Now the Lord looks upon the community of his church as one son, in the singular number; one, not in outward incorporation and visible government, but in spiritual union and communion with their common Head. Many ])rivileges belong to the church of God in their community, as well as in their particular relation. And they should labour to unite themselves much together, seeing God joins them together in the singular number. Oh! the Lord loves unity in his church.

Obs. 11. God’s sons are not exempt from sore and grievous evils in this world; though they be sons, yet they may be in Eglpt: “And called my son out of Egypt.” So in Jer. xii. 7, “1 have forsaken mine house, I Lave left mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies.’’ Though “the dearly beloved of God’s soul,” vet “given into the hand of her enemies.” Though God*s son, yet in Egypt. So with the church under antichrist; for above twelve Innidrcd years God gave up his sons into that spiritual Egvpt.

We must not think therefore, as soon as we corr.e under grievous afflictions, that God has cast us off from being sons; though they were in Egypt, yet still they were “my son.” Now we are ready to think, that if God bring us into .sore afflictions then we ai’e no more sons; no, thou mayst be delivered up to the power of the enemy, and yet no slave, no enemy, but a son of God still. Deut. xxxii. 10, is much to be observed, where it is said of the people of Israel, that they were “in the waste howling wilderness,” and yet they were “as the apple of Goi’s eye.” So thou niayst be delivered up to suffer sore things, to be banished from thy house and home, and to wander up and down “in the waste howling wilderness,” and yet remain “as the apple of God’s eye.” It is a strange sight indeed to sec a child of God, an heir of heaven, a co-heir with Jesus Christ, one dearer to God than heaven and earth, subject to the power, the cajnice, and lusts of wicked, base, ungodly men; yea, it may be, for a time slaves to Satan; I say, even those whom God has an eternal love to are ofttiraes for a season slaves to Satan; but then they have not the comfort of this sonshi]), nor do they know it: but now they may know themselves to be sons, and yet slaves to the humours of wicked and ungodly men, and than this there is not a sti’anger sight in the world; I believe the angels in heaven do not see a stranger sight, nor one at which they more admire, than a godly man under the lusts of wiclied men. This is God’s permissive work for the present, but he intends to manifest himself in another way hereafter: for the present he fetches about the glorj- of his own ends this way, he lets even his own dear sons be in Egj-jit; but God has his time to deliver his people and call them out of Egv-jit: it is but a call, and it is done; it is as easily done as a man that gives a call for such a one out of such a place. Let our bondage be never so great, it requires but a word from God to deliver us.

Obs. 12. It is a great mercy to be called out of Egypt. This the Lord here brings as a great testimony of his love to them, that he called them out of Egjqjt. In Exod. xii. 42, ‘• It is a night to be much observed unto the Lord for bringing them out from the land of Egypt:” to be called from that Egy])t was a fruit of love; and so to be called fiom spiritual Egypt, (for man’s natural estate is a spiritual Egypt,) to be called from antichristian Egypt, is a great fruit of love: and as it is a fruit of love, so it is an aggravation of sin, for so it is brought, “I called my son out of Egypt,” and yet they did thus and thus.

If God remembered this mercy, of calling them out of Egypt .so many years before, as an aggravation of their sin, how much more may the Lord make that an aggravation of our sin, that he called us so lately out of our Egj-])t! In many ways I might show you that we were under as great, if not a gi’catcr bondage than the Israelites were under in Egyjit. And there has been as outstretched an arm (though not so obvious to sense) in calling us, as in calling them out of Egypt, Now let not this be an aggravation of our sin, that the sound of our cries under the yoke of our bondage is not yet out of our ears, and the ven,- sores of our shoulders through their yokes not yet thoroughly healed, and yet we grow to be wanton, foolish, vain, proud, cruel, oppressing one another, and abusing our liberty. Oh! our sin must needs be accounted exceeding great before God.

Well, but yet we sec not all, nor even the chief part, of the mind of God in this expression, for we find that, in Matt. ii. 1 j, the Holy Ghost cites this scripture which now I am opening to you, and interprets it of Jesus Christ. Wien Jesus Christ was liiin to fly into Egypt to save his life, the Holy Ghost saith, that it was to fulfil that “which was spoken of the Lord by the pr phet, saving, Out of Egypt hare I called my son.”

It is a very sti’ange interpretation, of which, however, we have other similar in the New Testament; and Jerome on the place saith, that Julian and some of the Jews, with others who hated the Christian religion, took much advantage of this quotation of Matthew in their arguments against the authority of the gospel, saying. Surely it proves Matthew very unskilful in Scripture, that he should make such a quotation as this, when it is apparent that it is spoken of the calling of the people of Israel out of Egypt. And truly we should never have thought that there had been such a meaning in this place of Hosea, had we not found it so interpreted by the Holy Ghost. But before we open this, and show how this scripture is rightly quoted by the evangelist, I would observe, that we may see by this intei-pretation, both of Matthew, and divers other places in the New Testament, that there is much more of the mind of God in the Old Testament than was gener-ally known to them who lived in those times. Which of the Jews could have so interpreted “I have called my son out of Egypt? “that is, Jesus Christ, after his birth, shall be persecuted and forced to fly for his life, and that into Egypt, and he shall come again out of Egj’pt; who could have thought this to be the intention of the Holy Ghost? Things were not understood till they came to be fulfilled, and then their accomplishment interpreted the prediction. And the truth is, as m the Old Testament so in the New, there are a great many scriptures of which we understand yet but little; the time of our ascertaining their full meaning, is reserved to the period of their fulfilment. !Many such prophecies we have in the Revelation and other places, that are (I am confident) as dark to us as this place of Hosea was to the Jews; and there is as excellent a spu’itual meaning in many places of the New Testament hidden from us, that will hereafter be revealed clearly to the church of God, as there were in the Old Testament; I know not whether I may say as many as those, but certainly as much hidden from us. Jesus Christ, the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world, is he who shall open the book that is sealed, Rev. v., as a fruit of his death; it is the Lamb, as he is a Lamb slain from the beginning of the world, that shall open the book that is sealed. There are many things in the book of God that are sealed to us this day, and it is the purchase of the blood ^”xx“ur’p”19’-“” °^ Jesus Christ to open it; and when his time comes, it shall be opened to us.

“And have called my son out of Egypt.”

Interpreters, I find, do much weary and tire themselves and their readers about the aptness of this as quoted in Matthew: their manifold opinions may, perhaps, be reduced to these three heads:

First, Some think that ^latthew quotes this but only by way of allusion or similitude; that there is a similitude between Chi-ist’s going to Egyqjt and returning, and the people of Israel’s going to Egypt and returning; but that is a frigid and a poor inteiijretation, and against what is said in Matthew, that Christ was taken down into Egypt, that the Scriptm-e “might be fulfilled.”

Secondly, Junius, that learned man, thinks that the very literal sense of the place, is lather a prophecy of Christ’s going into Egypt and returning again, than of the people of Isi-ael doing the same: and so, in his sixth parallel, (Paral. lib. i.,) he saith. It is as if God should say, I have threatened that I will utterly destroy the king of Israel, but shall I therefore wholly destroy Israel? No, no, I will not do that for my Son’s sake; for though Israel is unworthy and receive not my Son, and by my Son’s going into Egy-])t it is declared that they are so unworthy of him that they should never have my Son come among them again, yet he shall come among them again, and that shall be an evidence to them, that I will not cast off my peo- 2 H

pie Israel. This is a very spiritual and good interpretation; and we find often that, when the Lord did promise mercy to his people, and would give an evidence that he would not destroy them, he was wont to give a promise of Jesus Christ; as in Isa. ix. 6, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given;” he seals the promise that he will not cast off his people by promising the Messias. So Junius thinks that the Lord here seals this promise of mercy to the people of Israel, that he will not utterly cut off his own people; why? because he will call his Son out of Egyjjt. But yet I cannot think this altogether satisfactory, and will give you that which may more clearly appear to be the mind of God.

Thu-dly, This scripture in Hosea was intended not only to show what was past, that God did indeed call his people out of Egypt, but to typify God’s future intentions. Other instances occur in which many things spoken in the Old Testament literally of other matters, yet, apparently, are meant typically of Jesus C’hi’ist; as Exod. xii. 46, compared with John xix. 36: in Exodus, in the institution of the passover, God saith, “Not a bone of it shall be broken;” now in John xix. 36, it is said, when the soldiers came to break the bones of the two thieves that were upon the cross, through the ordering of Providence they found that Christ was dead, and so they brake not his bones. One would think now that this were a mere accidental thing; but yet the Holy Ghost saith, “These things w-ere done that the Scripture should bo fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.” Thus you see in things apparently very accidental, God has a special work, and often intends great things by what seem in our eyes to be of little moment. ‘What more light thing than that, that they should not break the bones of Christ? though clearly meant at first literally concerning the paschal lamb, yet it had an ultimate typical reference to Jesus Christ. Compare two other scriptures together, 2 Sam. vii. 14, with Heb. i. 5: the words in Samuel apparently concern Solomon, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son;” but now the apostle, in Heb. i. 5, applies them to Christ, and saith, “To which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee? And again,” saith he, “I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?” These refer primarily to Solomon, and typically to Jesus Christ. So the words of the prophet here refer hterally to Israel going into Eg)-i)t and returning back again, but yet have a fmther typical bearing on what would be done with Christ, that he should go to Egypt and return back again.

Obs. 13. God has an eye to Christ in all he does, all his works some way or other have reference to Jesus Christ: indeed God’s carrying his people to Egypt and bringing them back again, was one of his greatest works, but still in that he had an eye to Jesus Christ.

Obs. 14. It will be one great part of the glory of the saints hereafter, to see how God had reference to Jesus Christ in all his great works in the world. Now we look upon things and witness their influence, but we do not discern their reference to Jesus Christ; hereafter it will be a special part of the glory of the saints, that they shall see how in all the works of God he had regard to Jesus Christ. In the work of creation; God would not have created the world but for his Son: in the fall, and in every thing, he purposed the magnifjdng of the great work of his Son; and those who had a special work of the Spirit of God in those times did understand God’s meaning, though ordinarily they did not. I remember one learned interpreter, to show how they might understand God’s mind by his types, thus expresses himself: As it was with Jonathan, when he carried his bow and arrows into the field to notify to David whether he should flv awav for fear of Saul,

or return back again. Now when Jonathan shot his arrows, ho said to his lad, “Rehold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them;” or, “Behold, the arrows are beyond thee.” Now the youth knew no more but that he was to look for the arrow, but David knew more, that when he said it was beyond him, then he should do thus, and when it was on this side, then he should do thus. It expresses very well the difference of the tj-]ies and the letter of things: those who knew but merely the letter, were like Jonathan’s lad, that did but only according to what Jonathan said; but David knew the intention of the mind of Jonathan, and so was able to make use of it. Oh! it is an excellent thing to be able to understand the mind of God in his word; it is a fruit of the love of Jesus Christ to his saints. And certainly if the people of Israel had but known this, when they first went into Egypt, and returned back again, that the Lord aimed at Jesus C’hrist in it, would it not have been a comfort to them? If they had known that God intended to make them conformable to his Son, would not this knowledge have supported them? Then certainly it must needs be a comfort to the saints to know now, that in all their sufferings they have a conformitj’ to Jesus Christ; we know it now, and that the reason why we suffer is to make us conformable to Jesus Christ: the Jews did not know that this was the reason why God would have them suffer, but we know it, and therefore in all our sufferings we should exercise our faith in the sufferings of Jesus Christ. Do we suffer thus and thus? he flid so, to take away the sting of our sufferings. And in a special manner, you that have been driven from house and home, and compelled, perhaps, to fly for your lives, and to go among strangers; still your suffering is not so great as was the suffering of Jesus Christ; he fled for his life when he was but an infant, and did not only fly to strangers, but to his enemies, to the Egytians: you are driven but from one part of England to another. O, exercise your faith in this. It was a very strange work of God’s providence, that presently after he was born he must tiy for his life. You that are obliged to carry your children with you, O remember how Joseph and Mary were obliged to do it; and their flight was a great deal worse than yours, for they had no resource but to fly to Egypt. Now supposing it was by land, for which many reasons may be given, they were compelled to fly almost a hundred miles through the desert wilderness where there were no habitations: you fly from one town to another, and find relief; they were fain to fly above a hundred miles through the vei-y desert between the land of Canaan and Egypt. Now, though it is true the pcojile of Israel were forty years in the wilderness; but not through the length of the place, as three days’ journey might have carried them into the land of Canaan, had not God delayed them, and suffered them to entangle themselves on account of their stubbornness and rebellions; yet, although we have no reason to conclude that Joseph’s flight into Egj-jit was as tedious, certainly it must needs have been sad and miserable: it cannot be conceived that any of your flights should be so sad and miserable as that was, for they could not carry any provision with them, but were fain to fly in a private way to save the life of Jesus Christ. Oh, how often do you think did Joseph and Mary look upon this babe when they were fljing through the desert wilderness, and think, What! is this the Son of God; is this the Saviour of the world; is this he that should be the Redeemer of Israel; is this he that is God and man; is this he that is the Second Person in Trinity, that presently after he is born we must fly for his life through a desert wilderness? Oh the strange work of God in the very work of man’s redeni])tion! Things were so low and poor, and seemed to go on in such a contrary

way, as would have staggered any one’s faith, that Jesus Christ should do such great things as he afterwards did. O my brethren, this is the way of God, to task the faith of men, especially at first. So it was •nith Christ’s flight into Egypt.

Ver. 2. As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.

“As they called them.” That is, Moses and Aaron, and other prophets and ministers of God sent unto them, called them to serve the Lord, and to worship him according to his own way. And especially they called them from idolaters and false worship.

As I called them, koOuiq ii(rtKuli(ra aiirovc, Sept. That is, though they were so called, I called them, yet they went from them. “When the means of God are so powerful, to resist then is a very great evil. “If our gospel,” that is, our gospel preached with so much plainness and power, “be hid, it is hid to them that are lost,” 2 Cor. iv. 3. But take it here,

“As they called them.” That is, look what earnestness there was in Moses and Aaron, and other ministers of God, to call them from their evil ways, so much stubbornness and stoutness was it for them to resist. Calvin thinks it is. Because they called them, therefore they went fiom them. That is, they went from them for the very nonce, as we are wont to say. Because Moses would have us do thus and thus, we will for that very reason do just the contrary.

“So they went from them.” That is, turned theiibacks upon’ them: like stubborn children and servants, when they are called they will not hear, but turn their backs upon you; so did they to Moses. From whence,

Obs. 1. It is a mercy of tied to have God’s ministers calling us to obedience. Who are we that God should send his messengers after us? What need has God of us? Suppose we go on in the ways of death, and perish, what shall God lose by it? But this is God’s mercv, that he will call after us. God might say. If you will go, go on and perish everlastingly. Oh, but he doth not so.

Obs. 2. It is as great a mercy of God to call us out of sin to duty, as to bring us out of affliction, and we should account one as great as another. We think it a great mercy if the Lord will call us out of an affliction: but when God calls us out of sin to duty, do you think that that is as great a mercy? If you “do, it is a sign of a sanctified heart indeed. You are in sickness and under great extremity; if God should say, I will give out my word to deliver you, that would be a sweet word, you would say; yes, but when God gives forth his word to call thee out of thy sin to a duty, thou shouldst as joyfully take a hint of that word of God too. O, prize God’s call to you from sin to duty, as much as from misery to prosperity.

Obs. 3. It is a great aggravation of men’s sins, if they bo called to duty after God has called them out of misery, and they obey not. After thou comest out of an affliction, whether bodily or spiritual, God expects thou shouldst as diligeutlv hearken to his call that calls thee to duty, as thou (iidst take hold of his mercy when he held it to thee to deliver thee out of thine affliction. Charge thy soul thus. Oh WTetched heart that I have! I called to God, and he has heard my call, and delivered me; and now he calls me to duty, and shall Isto]i mine cars against God’s call? Oh how just were it for God to leave me in misery, when I tui-n my back to him when he calls me to duty!

Obs. 4. For men not only to disobey God’s call, but to turn away themselves from it, and from those who speak to them in his name, betokens a high degree of suil’ulness. In Jcr. ii. 27,” Thev have turned their

back unto me, and not their face; “and so Jer. xxxii. 33,” They have turned unto me the back, and not the face:” that is more than not to obey, it signifies to refuse to obey, to resolve not to obey. In Jer. xviii. 17, God threatens them that, “in the day of then- calamity,” he would show them his back too. As, when a traitor is petitioning his prince, so long as the prince is but willing to parley with him, and to read his petition, there is hope; but if the prince turn his back and will not look upon his petition, then hope is gone: so there is hope that we may bring persons to obedience so long as they will hearken to the word, but if once they turn their backs, then there is little hope: and when God turns his back upon sinners, woe unto them! Kemeraber, you that turn your back upon calls to obedience, O remember that scripture in Jer. xviii. 17, that God threatens in the day of your calamity he will turn his back on you. Men do not attain to this wickedness at once; at first they are loth to be convinced that such a thing is a truth, but at length, when the evidence of truth comes clear, they in a desperate way turn theii’ backs upon it, and resolve not to hearken to it. A striking instance you have of this in Jeremiah. At first they said that Jeremiah did not speak the word of the Lord, but afterward, ‘’As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee,” Jer. xliii. 2; xliv. 16.

Obs. 5. It is yet a higher wickedness to have our corruptions irritated and provoked by the word. “As they called them, so they went from them.” When men’s hearts are as lime, that the showers of the word serve only to inflame them, their condition is sad indeed; when the clearer evidence they have of the word, and the more power with which it is preached, the more desperately wicked they become. We find it so in some places, and you wonder at it; but wonder not, for where the word does not convert, it hardens.

Obs. 6. God’s free grace is very gi’eat and very strong. The Lord was merciful to his people that were thus stubborn and stout, but the more they were called to obedience the more wicked they grew, and yet God’s mercy continued towards them for a long time together; and indeed, in that God should set his heart and love upon such a people as this, is almost one of the greatest helps against despair that we know of. Do but look into the book of God, and read of the people of the Jews, what a wretched, froward, perverse, stubborn, stout-hearted nation they were, and yet that the God of all the people of the earth should choose them to be his peculiar people; oh the free grace of God! nothing God has more at heart than to honour free grace. I confess I had thought to have spent some time in showing you the extreme stubbornness of the Jews, with the special view of magnifying the free grace of God towards such an unworthy people: you find that God does so himself; when he speaks of his mercy to that people, he gives them this notice, that he would have them to know, that what he did for them was not for theii’ own righteousness: thus Dent. ix. 6, “Understand therefore, that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiff-necked people:” as if God should say, 1 magnify fi-ee grace: whereas I might have chosen some other people that might have been more yieldable to my hand, I chose you, that it might appear that all that I did was out of free grace. In Psal. lxxviii. 8, “their fathers” are called “a stubborn and rebellious generation;” they seemed to be of strong spirits, but their strength was against the truth; and though stubbornness has a seeming glory in it, yet the truth is, its strength is but very weakness. Thus Ezek. x-sd. 30, “How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord God, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman!” They are said to be strong-hearted, “imperious,” but

saith the Holy Ghost, “How weak is thine heai-t!” And you shall find in Scripture that they are called stiffnecked, and iron-sinewed, impudent and rebellious children, that walked contrary to God, and had hardened their hearts and made them like an adamant; so Stephen saith. Acts vii. 51, “Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost:” moreover it is vei’y observable, if you examine the Scri])tures, that presently after the)’ came out of the land of Egypt, within three days after God had shown them such a miraculous work they fell to murmuring; nay, they did not stay so long, for it is said in Psal. cvi. 7, “They provoked the Lord at the sea, even at the Ked sea.” In Exod. xvi. 2; xvii. 2, the people chide with Closes. So throughout Exodus, Numbers, Deuterononi)’, Judges, and the Kings, you find them continually rebelling, a people with an ii’on sinew against God; and yet for all that the Lord makes choice of this people, and loves them: oh! free grace, the free grace of God! When yom- chilcben are stubborn and stout against you, and you think it a grievous affliction to you, reflect, none in the world are so crossed with stubborn children as God himself.

And though an)- of j-ou should find your hearts verystubborn, yet for all that do not allow them to sink into despau’, for God’s grace is fi-ee to overcome even stubbornness of heart, as it did here. You have a most remarkable confii’mation of this in Exod. xxxiv. 8, 9, “And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. And he said, K now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people.” Then- being “a stiflhecked people” was no argument of despair, that God should not go among them; but Moses uses it as an argument with God, Lord, they are “a stiffnecked people,” yet “let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us;” “and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.” We may by the way here note how the Chaldee paraphrase renders this. Let the majesty of the Lord go among us; the majesty or divine presence; the Hebrews call it Shechinah, m’SW which they usually distinguish from God the Father, and say there is no coming before the blessed high King without the Shechinah. So our Saviom’ more plainly, John xiv. 16. But to return:

Obs. 7. None should despair’. God holds forth by this example that he would have none sink with despair, but be brought in by his fi’ee grace, not-withstantling the stubbornness of theii’ hearts against him.

Now as for the latter part of this 2nd verse, respecting then’ sacrificing to Baalim, and burning incense to graven images, I shall not enter upon it, as I have spoken of it fully before.

Ver. 3. / taught, Ephraim also to go, talcing them by their arms; hut they knew not that I healed them.

Here we have the third degree of God’s goodness towards Ephraim, the fruit of his love; he called them out of Eg)-pt, and he called upon them” by his prophets, and he taught them to go.

“I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms.” God here compares himself to a nurse, or to a tender parent, that carries along the child, guiding it by the hand and feet, and in rugged, foul places, taking it up in the arms; such were my dealings towards Ephraim, saith God. In Psal. lxxvii. 20, God is said to lead them by the hand of Moses and Aaron, like a flock of sheep.” But here he is said to lead them like a nurse or a parent; and this expression seems to have reference to Dent. i. 31, “In the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the Lord thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went:” look, as a man leads his son by his hand, and when he comes to difficulties, bears him up and

takes him in his arms, so did the Lord thy God deal towards thee “his son;” and, as a loving parent, taught thee how to go in thv way out of Egyi)t, and kd thee all through the wilderness until he brought thee into Canaan.

When they came first out of Egj-])t they knew not which wav to go no more than a child, and if God had then left tlicm, certainly they had perished; their way was very full of difficulty, and God did seem to lead them about, but the Scripture saith, “he led them forth by the right way,” Psal. evil. 7. Though they were forty years in the wilderness, whereas they might have gone through within a few days, yet still they were led in “the right way,” God “taught them to go.”

Obs. 1. “When God calls his people out of afflictions, they know no more than a Uttle child how to guide themselves in their way. AVe think if we be delivered from such and such an evil we are well; but when God does grant deliverance, if he should leave us there, we would quickly spoil ourselves, and turn our mercies into miseries. The pride of men’s hearts inclines them to self-confidence, hence they get many a knock and bruise. Oh how many stumble and perish because they will be going themselves, and not depend upon God’s hand!

■Ve find this Ijy experience: God has in a great measure called us out of Egj’pt, and we hope that he intends a Canaan to us, yet, what childi-en are we! we do not know how to take a step in our way; oh how often since have we been at a stand, in a maze, not knowing which way to take, this or that! and how often, alas, have we fallen and gone astray! If ever people reqmied God to teach them how to go, we do so at this day; our path is an untrodden path, and there are many stumbling-blocks in our way, and we often stumble and fall in “them. Poor children do not more require the hand of the parent or nurse, when they go upon the ice or in slippery ways, than we need the hand of God upon us to lead and guide us in these our ways.

Obs. 2. The way in which God often leads people, may be a way of much difficulty. He “taught Ephraim also to go,” and “led him forth by the right way.” If we inquire what that way was; it was the way through the wilderness, yea, the way before they came into the wilderness, before they came to the sea: thus, Exod. xiv. 9, “The Egviitians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pi-hahu-oth, before Baal-zcphon.” They were in a very strait wav, the sea before them, Pharaoh and all his army behind them, and they were “encamping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth,” at the mouth of those mountains which compassed them round about; and they were “before Baal-zophon,” that is. The god of watching, the god which the Egyptians believed did watch those that went out of their countrj- without permission. Yet, under the eye of this their watchinggod, hemmed in between mountains, the sea before them and a great army behind them, God “taught them to go.” In what way does God teach them to go? God “taught them to go” even through the sea. And when they have gone through the sea, is all the evil over? No, they must go into the waste howling wilderness, and there be led about for forty years together; and yet God here reckons up such guidance of them as a fruit of his love.

So long as we arc in God’s way, though it be difficult, yet have we cause to bless him that we are in it; and let not us be troubled at the difficulties we meet with, when we see God before us, leading us in our way.

Obs. 3. The more difficult their way is, the more care God has of his people. We do not find such an expression of God’s care to teach them in any other

way but when they went first out of Egj-pt; because then their way was the most difficult, therefore God took upon him in a special manner their guidance.

Be not discouraged at your difficulties. i)ut when you are in your way, and your conscience tells you that it is not a way that you have chosen to yourselves, look up to God for guidance, cry to him; as you find in Psal. cvii. G, ‘• They cried unto the Lord in their trouble;” and then, ver. “, “he led them forth by the right way.” Mark how these two are joined together; “They cried unto the Lord in their trouble,” and “he led them forth by the right way.” When )ou are in straits, cry to God in your trouble, and the Lord will lead you forth “by the right way.” When we have been in the greatest straits, and have had the hardest way to go, how has God taken us up in his arms! Through God’s mercy, though we be ver)- weak, yet we are gone on a gi-eat way from Egy])t, even bondage in our spiritual Egy])t. It is unthankfulness in people to say, We are in as bad a condition as ever we were. AVhat God may bring us to through the unthankfulness of men we know not; but certainly, through God’s mercy, we have been led along a great way on oiu: journey. God has taught us to go; it has not been the wisdom nor foresight of men that has carried us so far on in our way, no, we have found, apparently, we are not much beholden to the wisdom of men for thai way in which we have been carried, but it is God fnas has come in in our straits. We see by what has fallen ouf, how othenise we should have perished in our way, or even returned back again into Egi,-pt: how often have we been ready to think. Would things were with us as heretofore! oh! such has been the peevish discontent of our spirits, that we have been thinking of turning back into our Eg-pt: as it was with Israel of old, though God was with them in their way, yet often they thought of returning back again. M’e have been ready to think of by-ways for ourselves, and every one to trust to his own devices; and what cross paths have we walked in, first one way, and then another, undoing what we have done! first engaging men, and then discouraging the same men that we have encouraged; though they have continued the same, yet our spirits toward them have not remained unchanged. We may apply to ourselves Jer. xxxi. 22, which is spoken in reference to their way, coming out of their captivity; “How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter?” AVe may well say to England at this day. Oh, how long wilt thou go about? that is, shifting this way and that, and not daring to trust God in his way. We are afraid, that if we should go on in the right path in which God guides us, that we should miscarry, and therefore we go about, and that is the reason it is so long before we have our deliverance; we follow our own way, and do not submit ourselves to the guidance of God. God makes to his people an excellent promise in Jer. xxxi. 9, in reference to the guiding of them in their way from their captivity: “Thev shall come with weeping, and with supphcations will 1 lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a sti’aight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and tphraim is my first-bom.” This is a passage very suitable to the scripture we are now opening. It is a fruit of fatherly love to guide us in a straight way, and keep us from stumbling. But mark how this shall be done; “They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them;” there must we weeping and supplication, to cry to God for guidance in our way: as a poor child, if it be left a little by the mother or nurse, stands cr) — ing for support and guidance; so it should be our care, in all our straits, not to fly upon this or that instrument, but to crj’ to God to lead us forth by the right way. Wc may apply this to God’s guidance of the

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soul from spiritual Egy-j)t; when God brings the soul out of spiritual bondage he guides it in the way to the heavenly Canaan. You whom the Lord is bringing out of your spmtual bondage, look up to God to teach you how to go. ‘Tiy? For the way on which you have entered is a hard way, a straight way, and narrow way; it has many stumbling-blocks in it, and many by-paths near it, that are very like to it: your way is a very slippery way, and you had need be taught how to go; else you may slip and fall, and grievously wound yourselves. You that are young beginners in the way of religion, be not too confident in your- own understanding and your own sti-ength. ISIanypoor children, for want of the care of then- nurses, have gotten such falls when they were children that have lamed them and made them go crooked all theu- days: and so it has been with many young professors of religion; because they have been too bold and confident in their own understanding, the Lord has left them to such fells that they prove but crooked all the days of their profession; and though they do go on in the ways of religion, they are but maimed and crooked professors. And truly we have very great cause to fear, that they who survive but a few years, to see the present young professors of religion live to be something old, I say, Tre have cause to fear that those that live to see it, will see a gi-eat many maimed and crooked professors among them; for many young ones in these slippery times, that Tenture so much upon the ice, upon doubtful things that they understand not, get such falls and bruises as are like to stick to them as long as they live. Oh, let young ones take heed of venturing upon doubtful things, let them look up to God to make their way plain before them, and not lean to their own understandings, lest (I say) they meet with falls attended by bruises that they may feel another day.

Obs. 4. Seeing God makes it a fruit of his love to teach his people how to go, when you see others slip and stumble in their profession of religion, bless God for his mercy towards you, that he teaches and upholds you in your way. As when a man is riding upon the road in winter time, it may be he sees some before him whose horses get into holes and stumble, to the great danger or even serious injury of their riders; now, if you should see a man thus falling and bi’eaking his leg or arm, would you not have cause to bless God that delivered you from such a mishap: so, when you see professors of religion falling in the ways of their profession, O bless God that he teaches you in your way, upholds and guides you. In slippery ways you ■wili take hold of the hands of tender women to guide them; and so God does with you: know, the whole course of yoiu” way from spiritual Egj-pt to spiritual Canaan, is so covered with ice and so rugged, that God is fain throughout it all to take you by the hand. Oh the goodness of God, to condescend thus to his poor creatures, to compare himself to a nurse! Oh how often would we run into harm’s way (as we are wont to say) if God did not lead us!

Obs. 5. Take heed, you who are weak, and have need of teaching, that you be not wayward and wanton, that you be not foolish and um-uly, and that you do not wilfully run into rugged and slippery ways. God indeed is as a nurse to teach you how to go; yea, but be not you as wayward and froward children, that sometimes tire their nurses. It is more difficult to teach some children than others how to go, they are so froward and wilful that, if the eye of their nurse be from them but never so little, they will go their own way. O take heed you be not among those froward, wilful children, that will still be going their own wa)-.

Obs. 6. God’s ministers and all of us should labour to follow God in this his tender care of others. “V”e should be like our Father. God takes a delight in

teaching weak ones how to go, and in guiding them in their way. Truly, we that profess ourselves to be God’s children, should imitate our Father: and especially God’s ministers should take a delight to help weak ones on in their way; yea, to carry them in their very arms. That which God is said here to do, is elsewhere ascribed to Moses, as in Numb. xi. 12, “Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me. Cany them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?” It seems Moses, though he thought it to be very hard to bear so many people in his arms, (as it were,) yet God gave that commission to him, and he did it according as he was able, carrying the people as a nurse or a parent carries the sucking child in their bosom.

Obs. T. God’s ministers must not be discouraged though they meet with those that are very froward. We are as froward in reference to God, as any can be in reference to us; and therefore ministers, when they meet with young professors, and other beginners in the ways of godliness, and find them often untoward and peevish, should not because of that cast them OB’S but consider, if God had cast off you because of that, what would have become of you? No, instruct with meekness even them that oppose themselves; though they kick and spurn, yet instruct them with meekness. In 1 Thess. ii. 7, we have a notable pattern how a minister should carry himself in this respect; “But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children.” Thus ministers should be of gentle spirits, and know that Cod places them to teach chikh-en how to go in their way. So we find in Tit. i. 7, that they must not be “soon angry;” ministers must not be of angry dispositions. You would be loth to put your childi-en to froward nurses, their very milk would some way savour of them, and injure your childi“en; it is a special qualification, and necessarily required in a nurse, that she be of a gentle and patient disposition. Now God’s ministers are compared to nurses; and do not think the comparison too mean, for God himself is compared to a nurse, when he saith, “I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms.”

Obs. S. That the love and tender care of parents and nurses in bringing up chilcben, and enduring much trouble with them, imposes a great obligation on children when grown up to requite with duty and due respect then’ parents and nurses; and if they do not, it greatly aggravates their guQt. You that are grown up from children, remember the care, the soitow, and th» trouble of your bringing up, and be ashamed of youi undutifulness. How is it that you have all your limbs, but from the care of your parents and nurses? You are to bless God for the care of those to whom you were committed when childi’en, and know that you r:i<~. due respect unto them for it. He is an apostate to the gi-eat law of nature, who violates charities due to parents and nurses. I remember I have read of the Pisidians, a certain heathen people, that when they were feasting at any time, the first-fruit of all theu- feast they would off’er to their parents, as thinking it unseemly for them to rejoice in the use of the creatiu-e, without showing due honour to their parents, from whom they had their being and education. Heathens have ever condemned and punished undutifulness in children; and the law of God (we know) does punish a stubborn chUd with death.

“But they knew not that I healed them.” Many times children, though there be a great care to teach them how to go, yet wUl by their very venturesome wantonness get many a knock and bruise. So it was with this people; Indeed my care was towards them, but they would go their own way, and often to their own hurt. Well, did God therefore reject them, and say. It

is through your own fault that you have gotten these bruises and maims? No, “I healed them,” saith God. Though they were never so froward, and got thereby many” bruises, pet my ])ity was so great, that I healed those very wounds arid bruises occasioned by their own wilfulness.

Though in the reading of this we may pass it easdy by, yet it is as remarkable a scripture as most we have in the book of God. WTiat is the reason our consciences do so misgive us, and that we are so afraid that the Lord will leave us to ourselves? Our accusing consciences tell us this, that we may thank ourselves for our state; the Lord showed us another way, but we, through our sinful frowardness, would take our own. Can we then think that the Lord will have care of us in our sores that we got ourselves by our wilfulness? Yes, (saith God,) such was my compassion towards Ephraim, that I taught them how to go; and yet they got bruises; but still “I healed them.”

Obs. 9. God will not cast off his chikben though they get hurt; yea, though they get hurt by their own sin, yet the Lord is so gracious as to heal them. There are remarkable words respecting this in Isa. lvii. 17, 18, “For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.” “He went on frowardly” when “I smote him.” What then? In the 18th verse, “I have seen his ways.” One would have thought there should have followed, I will therefore smite him, and jilague him, and make him to know what it is to deal so frowai-dly and perversely with me; but behold the goodness of the Lord! God’s “ways arc not our ways, neither are his thoughts our thoughts,” for he saith, “I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.” I will not say, I will never lead him more, because he would not regard my teaching, but go his own ways and get many bruises; no, I have seen his ways, and will heal him, and lead him, notwithstanding.

O be not discouraged when you have gone out of God’s way, but be troubled and ashamed; make use of this promise: the Lord sees the frowardness of his people, and yet will heal them, and lead them, and restore comfort to them.

And, my brethren, thus has the Lord dealt graciously with us in our inconsiderate, foolish, sinful courses. How often have we in this land been brought low by them I we have been sore wounded, yea, in danger of bleeding to death, by the falls that we have got; we have oflen given up all for lost, as it were; men’s ways have been so perverse and cross, and there has been so little hope of any good, that sometimes, when we have met together, we have even said, All is gone, we are but betrayed, and therefore there is little hope of any good. Have not we oftentimes said thus? but the Lord has come in and healed us, and that scripture in Isa. lvii. has been made good to us; the Lord has beheld the frowardness of our ways, and yet has healed us, and has led us. You have gone on in such and such ways, saith God, and you have even undone yourselves in them, and you were despised, and others squandered away your estates, and nothing came of it; well, you knew not what to do, I will lead you in ways that you do not think of, in such ways as you have the least hopes of good by, I will lead you on in those ways, and restore comfort’ to you. My brethren, tFie ways by which the Lord has this last summer restored comfort to England, were they ways that any of you thought of this time twelvemonths? Certainly, it was never in the imaginations and thoughts of men to be brought by such ways as the Lord lias led us in, and by which he has restored to us comfort; the Lord saw that the old army was not the way to restore comforts to England, and he has devised other means, new-modelled our army: well, let God’s healing of the bruises that we got in walking in our own ways make us thankful, and careful that we run not wilfully into any such ways any more, that we be not still more venturous and more cai’eless; if we be, God may suffer us to break our bones; for though God be patient, and loving, and merciful, yet he has time to leave men to the perverseness of their own ways. It may cost us dear before we are healed, if God leave us; though God may not lake away his love to cast us wholly off, yet we may be forced to cry again and again with David, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;” “make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice,” Psal. li. David would go out of his way, and he fell so as to break his bones; Oh “that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.” Vlien God heals us, he expects that we should take notice of his work, and acknowledge in it his hand.

“But they knew not that I healed them.” I healed them, saith God, but they knew not that I healed them.

Obs. 10. God does us much good that we know not of: “but they knew not that I healed them.” I say, God does us much good that we know not of, not only in preventing mercies, but in healing mercies; we attribute our healing to this and the other cause, but it is God in the use of means, sometimes even beyond means, though means oftentimes have been used without any good result, till at last God by a secret and invisible blessing comes and heals us. We must not envy at the honour due to instruments; but certainly, by the healing that we have had this last summer, we have cause to look beyond all men and means; and though God has used means, yet we should attribute all the glory immediately to God. Oh! let not us by our pride and stoutness, our oppression, our foolishness, make it a])pear that we do not acknowledge that God has healed us: God stands much upon being acknowledged to be the healer of his people, because it is his glory. In bodily healings we are ready to acknowledge those that heal us; what thankfulness is given to physicians when they have been instruments of good to us! Before the cure, what would men give! all their estates, that they might be healed of such a disease; but when healed, it may be, some will neglect the physician; but only those of base spirits, for men generally are very ready to show gratitude in such a case: how gainful therefore is the practice of physicians that God makes use of to heal men’s bodies! Louis XL of France allowed his chaplains twenty shillings a month, but his ])hysician, one John Cottiore, ten thousand crowns; four crowns must serve his chaplain, while ten thousand are barely sufficient for his physician; so gainful is the practice of the latter, because men are more sensible of the healing of their bodies than the healing of their souls.

AVell, any of you who have been in great sickness and distress of body, yea, and in distress of soul too, and are healed, do not now, by the inconsidcrateness of your minds, and the abuse of your strength in the ways of sin, manifest that you do not know that God has’ healed you; both in respect of national healing, and in respect of personal healing, let every one make use of those words of David, Psal. ciii. 1 — 3, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me. bless his holy name:” and again, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases.” Oh that we were able to join these two together now, “^V^lo forgiveth all thine iniquities,” and “healeth all thy diseases!” Healing is a mercy indeed, but how much more sweet a mercy when it is a fruit of forgiveness! God has in great measure healed the land and nation, oh that we could say that he had forgiven us! Our healiiif; -nithout our forgiveness will be to little purpose; and therefore, in the times of our greatest wounds, we should cry for forgiveness in the first place, and not be satisfied with any healing without forgiveness of our sins. And so particularly, God, it may be, has healed some of you, or some in your families, of bodily diseases, and has been pleased to relieve you in your sad condition; yea, but can you put both together, bless the Lord who has forgiven all the iniquities of my family, and healed all their diseases? Do not satisfy yourselves with any thing short of this; when thou findest the one, “all thy diseases” healed, be not satisfied except by faith thou canst see the other, “all thine iniquities” forgiven.

Ver. 4. / dreic them icith cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.

This is a great verse, and it will be very hard to pass over it in an expositoi-y way only.

“I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love.”

Here is a fifth expression of God’s love. Two occurred in the former verse, “I taught them to go,” and “I healed them,” and others preceded them; now here is the fifth, “I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love.” God still aggravates his mercy that they may see the aggravations of their sin. There is no such way to be kindly humbled for sin, as to see it has been committed against much mercy.

“I cb’ew them with cords of a man.”

Some understand this as if it were a proper name, with the cords of Adam, for the word is ms a man of red earth.

But it is rather to be taken appellatively; “with the cords of a man,” that is, I did not deal with them like beasts, which must be di’awn or forced on with violence; my way was not thus with thera, to draw them and force them on with iron chains or strong cords about them; no, saith he, I dealt with them like men, “I (bew them with cords of a man.” Which denotes these three things:

I. I dealt with them rationally, as men, not as beasts, and so sought to draw them.

II. I dealt with them gently, not with rigour and violence, but as a man, for they were human; so my ways were ways suitable to their humanity: as the Scripture sometimes speaks of the rods of men, I will chastise them with the rods of men, by which some think is meant, I will deal with them gently.

in. I dealt with them honourably, in a manner suitable to that respect which is due to man. I considered that they were men, made at first according to my image, that they were the most excellent creatures that I had upon the earth, and therefore I dealt with them in a way suitable to preserve the honour of their human nature, rationally, gently, honourably.

I. Consider how God dealt rationally with this people.

1. The statutes which I gave them were according to the very principles of right reason, therefore, in Dent. iv. 6, he saith, “Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say. Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. Why? Mark the 8th verse;” What nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day? “Mark, all the nations that are about you shall say, “lniat naticn is there so wise, that has statutes and judgments like this nation? surely then my law had abundance of reason in it, reason sufficient to convince, not only you, but all the nations round about you. “I di’ew them with cords of a man,” that is, rationally.

2. God strengthened it with many arguments, which is some way beyond the manner of men. If the Lord had but only given forth his law, and left men to discover its meaning, it had been enough; yea, but the Lord “drew thera with cords of a man,” that is, added to his law many ar-guments and reasons to show its equity. Now men think it enough if they give out a law, you are not used to have the proof and the reason of it; yea, but saith God, “I di-ew them with cords of a man;” I gave them a law that had reason in it, and explained that reason: as, if we should go no further than the very moral law, see how God begins, “I am Jehovah thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt;” evei-y word containing a reason to back the law. “I am Jehovah;” therefore obey. I am “thy God;” therefore obey. I am thy God “which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt;” therefore obey. You thus see how the Lord argues his law by the strength of reason.

3. Yea, he not only employs reason, but many persuasions, and motives, and exhortations, as man deals with man: if you read the 4th, 5th, and 6th chapters of Deuteronomy, you shall find all these, calculated to allure to obedience as well as to convince; motives and persuasions being as the “cords of a man,” to draw man as a rational creature.

4. If they had any objections, I answered them all. Do you not find when you come to hear the word, that it meets with every secret objection? you can have no secret objection against any thing that God requires, but at some time or other the word meets with it.

5. Yea, I called them to reason with me, therefore I dealt with them like rational creatures; as in Isa. i. 18, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord;” see how God deals with people after the manner of men: as now, if you should fall out with a jieighbour, who, it may be, is li’oward and humorous, when you are able to overcome your own passion, you go to him and say, I pray thee let us reason the case together, and if it be yours, take it; so God saith. Let us reason the case together, be not carried on with humour and passion, but let us come and fair-ly reason the case one with another.

6. God earnestly desires that they woidd but consider of things. In Deut. xxxii. 29, “O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!” Now when you have to deal with the froward and passionate, if by the strength of reason you could control your own passion, you would be ready to express yourselves thus. Oh that I could but find such a man exercising his reason, that he were but wise, that he would but weigh things! Thus God saith concerning his people. Oh that they were wise, and considered, and understood!

7. God pleads with them after the manner of men. In Jer. ii. 35, “Behold, I will plead with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned.” Thou art righteous in thine own thoughts; come then, I will plead with thee, and convince thee, saith God. As now, if any m-ong you, and yet will not acknowledge their fault, perhaps some” of turbulent spirits will make them know that they have wronged them by casting them into prison; but God does not do so, he pleads the case with them.

8. The Lord will appeal to their own consciences whether they have dealt well with him, yea or no; he will make them to be the judges. In Isa. xlvi. 8, “Remember this, and show yom-selves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors: “do not be led on like beasts in your passion and humour, show yourselves but men, and do but remember, and think of it. I will leave it to you to judge:” Judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard,” Isa. v. 3. And then again,” Ai-e not my ways equal? are not your ways

Chap. XI. unequal? “Ezek. xviii. 29. Now all these expressions ai-e to show how God drew them with the “cords of a man,” rationally.

II. He drew ‘them gently. As if God should say, I have not driven them on with rigour, but I have dealt gently with them, like men. Indeed as to one who was alwaj’s striking a youth, or servant, or man, you would be ready to say. You have not to do with a beast, or a dog, but with a man: saith God, I remembered I had to deal with a man, and therefore I dealt gently. There are these six or seven particulars, in which God expresses his dealing gently with them.

1. I suited myself to their very dispositions. This now is to deal in a gentle way. As a schoolmaster looks upon his scholars not as a company of beasts, but as the children of men, and therefore considers their dispositions and tempers, and, if he be a wise schoolmaster, suits himself thereto, and draws them on with such ways and cords as are suitable to human natuie: so I do, saith God, I lead them gently, drawing them as “with cords of a man.”

2. I observed when they were in the best temper, and have sought to work upon them then. If you that ai’e wives will deal with your husbands like men, observe when they arc in a good temper, and then seek to draw them. God does so: I observed when they were in the best possible temper, and then I came upon them to draw them with the most strength.

3. I gave them time to consider. Though they were never so untoward, jet I did not instantly chasten them, but gave them time to bethink themselves: many scriptures we might adduce on this point. Now when we fly upon others presently, without thus giving them time to consider, we deal not with them like men, but beasts; but “I drew them,” saith God, “with cords of a man.”

4. I hired them to obedience by my gifts. I do not only in an imperious way command them to obey at their peril, but I have come and hired them to the ways of obedience, and gave them gifts to draw them, and so I dealt with them like men.

0. When they did not obey, I considered whether it were thi’ough weakness or wilfulness, and, putting a difference between them, dealt with them accordingly.

6. In all afflictions that were brought upon them, I considered that they were but men of weak natures, and could not bear much; I did not lay on as if I were laying upon an ox, or some such creature that had much strength to bear, but I considered that they were men, and their natures tender, and I laid on my strokes gently: as you know the prophet speaks in Isa. lvii. 16, “I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.” The Lord looks upon the weaknesses of his ])eoplc, and therefore will not contend, lest their spirits should fail before him.

7. In their afflictions I sym)>athizcd. So you know what the Lord saith, “In all their afflictions I was afflicted,” Isa. lxiii. 9. As a tender father, or wise master, if he strike the child or servant, the veiT blows, in a manner, will be felt by himself; but it is not so with you when you strike a beast. So saith God, when I afflicted them, it went to my very heart, and I was afflicted as well as they.

III. He drew them honourably. That is, so that the honour and respect which were any way due or suitable to such a creature were preserved.

1. My instructions over exceeded my con-cctions. I never inflicted more stripes than I gave instructions. It is a dishonour to manknid for any superior to give more blows than instructions; but I dealt with them like men, suitalile to the respect which is, in a manner, ^lue to human nature.

2. Whatsoever spark of ingenuousness remained in

them, I took care to preserve it. If there were but a spark of this virtue in any of them, I not only did not quench it, but took great care to preserve it in all my dealings towards them.

3. I aimed at their good as well as mine own glory in all things. Many scriptures confirm this. When you strike beasts, you do not consider of the good of the beast, but of the benefit you may derive by the furtherance of your work; but when you strike men, you should regard their good as well as your own advantage. No parent should strike a child, but with reference rather to the benefit of the child than to the gratification of their own humour: when you strike merely for your own advantage, without aiming at the good of those you punish, you deal not with them like men, but like beasts.

4. In all my dealings I still held forth hope of reconciliation upon their returning unto me. Though they deseiTed never so much, and I seemed to come against them in the harshest manner, yet I never so dealt against them but there was hope preserved that, on their repentance, I would be reconciled to them: this is to deal with them like men. When you, parents or governors, deal with any that offend you, never be so harsh as not to leave, though they be verj- evil, some hope that upon their coming in they may be reconciled to you.

5. In all my dealings with them, though they were hard sometimes to flesh and blood, yet I put a difference between them and other people. Other people were to me in comparison but as dogs, but these as men, yea, as free-men. So in Jer. ii. 14, “Is Israel a servant? is he a homebom slave? why is he spoiled?” What! Israel a servant, a home-born slave? No, he must be looked upon as a free-man. So in Isa. xx■ii. 7, “Hath he smitten him, as he smote those that smote him?” No, I look on them in a different respect, and as men, yea, as free-men, and deal with them accordingly.

6. SMiensoever they began to return, I met them half way. I did not stand it out to the uttermost, to discourage their hearts, but I met them half way in all their returnings. And did not God deal honourably with them? Indeed, if you desire to treat contemptuously those who have oflended you, you say, Let them wait; but if to honour others, if we see them but coming afar off, we go forth with haste to meet them, as the father of the prodigal did: so saith God, I did not deal with them in a contemptuous manner, but “I drew them with cords of a man,” and honourably entreated them.

Thus you have this expression opened, “I ilrew them with cords of a man.”

Now there are divers things to be obserled on these three points.

Obs. 1. The ways of God are very rational, so that they may draw any man of understanding to love them. If man’s nature were not degenerated, if we did but stand right in regard of our principle of reason, it were impossible but the ways of God should draw us, at least to an outward obedience to them: there is no reason in your ways, but there is reason in God’s ways; and therefore, if you had but the hearts of men, though you had not tie hearts of saints, you would be constrained to approve at least of God’s ways, and di-awn to an outward conformity with them. If men were not besotted with their lusts, and did but bethink themselves of the ways of God, they certainly never would be so confident in their wickedness. “If thv people,” saith Solomon, 1 Kings viii. 47, “shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives;” there is .so much reason in God’s ways, that if one did but bethink himself. “I considered,” saith David, Tsal. cxix. 59, “my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.” Oh, it is a great mercy to have a considering heart; and it is a great judgment of God to leave any to a slight and vain spirit, not to weigh and ponder things. Most people are led on in a continued hun-y of passion, like to the horse in the battle, and no man saith, What have I done? O, couldst thou but attain so much power over thy passion and the violence of thy lusts, as to get alone and weigh God’s ways, surely thou couldst not but be convinced that the ways of God are better than thy ways, they are so rational.

06s. 2. The way to prevail w’ith men, is to deal with them in a rational way. The way that I took to prevail with this people, was to draw them with the cords of men. Certainly the means God adopts to prevail with people are the best.

Therefore those who would prevail to bring any to adopt their views, should deal with them in a rational way: so the Spirit of God, in John xvi. 8, “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin;” that is, he shall come with demonstration, for so tXkyKn literally signifies: to convince by way of demonstration so clearly, that one cannot possibly deny. And so the apostle saith, Our preaching was iv airo?£1?fi vvivp.aTo<; km Smdiieug, in the “demonstration of the Spirit and of power,” 1 Cor. ii. 4: mark, “in the demonstration of the Spirit,” and so in “power.” This concerns ministers more especially: if ministers would speak powerfully to people, let them speak in demonstration, the demonstration of the Spirit indeed it must be, there is a spiritual reason in the Scripture. Ministers must not think to scare men into the ways of godliness, though I know sometimes God makes use of the bare terrors of the law; but the main thing whereby ministers must have hope to do good to their people, must be by preaching convincingly, to overcome their very reason as far as possible, and to set the law of God so before them, that if they will but judge between God and their own souls, they shall condemn themselves, and approve of God. That ministry is likely to be the best soul-saving ministry, which meets with every objection of theuhearts, and at every tui’n reveals their secrets. O remember 3’ou preach to men, and therefore make use of that reason which you find in Scripture. I Icnow reason alone will never do it; but yet when God works to the salvation of souls, he works upon them after the manner of men, and therefore the ministers of God, that are co-workers with God, should work in a manner correspondent.

And not only ministers, but magistrates too, must labour to draw them with the cords of men, that is, by reason rather than violence, in difficult cases of conscience. In such things as men cannot be convinced, and yet are not wilfully ignorant, they must not make prisons and fines their arguments, these are not the cords of men: indeed in civil matters, that can in »!■ i r very face the light of common equity and justici.’, magistrates need not stay to persuade or convince, but may enforce obedience by punishments; but in all things of a more dubious nature, and that, from their connexions and consequences, are difficult to be understood, and are conti’overted even among godly and wise men, there they must proceed with tenderness and caution: people must first be instructed and informed, and then, if they do not oppose wilfully, but seem to desire to understand, and yet cannot, they must not be dealt with in a way of violence. That is not to deal with men like men, to force them to things for which they discern no reason, and with all their labour are unable to understand; certainly in such cases forbearance must be shown; and especially the rather, because that Christ, by an apostle, has charged us not to yield to any thing in matters of religion, tUl we understand the reason of it; “Whatsoever is not of faith, is sin.” ‘Mien Christ saith thus, that we must not receive a thing because such and such men enjoin it, till we examine and understand it for ourselves; surely, then, the uttermost that the power of violence and force may do is this, to make men examine things; but it should proceed no further. And so parents and masters should use conviction rather than connection.

Obs. 3. It is a great aggravation of men’s sin, to stand out against reason, not to be drawn by these “cords of men.” Many stand out against the ways of God, while yet their consciences fly in their faces and condemn them. Oh what a wretch thou art, that though the Lord has sought to di-aw thee with the “cords of a man,” with reason, and has convinced thee, yea, has gotten the cords into thy conscience, and would pull thee to himself, thou wilt not be di-awn by them! this is indeed an aggravation of your guilt. Some vain reasonings can draw man to sin as a cart-rope: They “draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart-rope;” that is, their vain reasonings that they have for their sin, twisted together, make a strong cart-rope to draw iniquity. Oh! shall not God’s cords be as strong as the devil’s cords or man’s cords? Many there are, though God seems to di-aw them with these “cords of a man,” yet whose lusts are so strong, that, like pampered horses in a team, they will break the cart-ropes, break all their harness to pieces; theu- unruly spirits even say like those in Psal. ii., “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” Well, thou shalt one day be held by the cords of thine own sin, (as the Scripture speaks,) and thy conscience shall lash thee with those cords of conviction that failed to draw thee. Shall not the cords of conviction cbaw thee from thy sin? they shall serve to be as whips to lash thy soul even to all eternity. Know that the rules of right reason and Scripture reason shall stand, when thou, and thousands of such wilful fools as thou art, shall perish eternally. And these are the notes for God’s dealing in a rational way.

Obs. i. Man’s nature, if not degenerated, is loving and gentle. So saith God, “I drew them with cords of a man;” that is, gently, in accordance with man’s nature, as fair means will work upon it rather than rigid severity: hence, in ordinary speech, kindness is called humanity, Let men have some humanity in them, that is, let them be courteous; to be courteous and to show humanity we use as synonj-mous. So that the nature of men, though fallen, yet if not twice dead, and overcome by its corruptions exceedingly, is naturally kind and gentle.

O, you that profess religion, labour to be eminent in courteousness, in gentleness, in humanity; know that grace, though it does elevate above humanity to Christianity, yet it does not take away humanity. No, it raises” it higher; and therefore, seeing there is something left in man’s nature of gentleness and fairness, surely those that have grace and a principle within to curb corruption, should covet earnestly these most excellent gifts.

Obs. 5. We should di-aw our relations with gentleness. Seeing that gentleness is the cords of men, we should use it to draw on to goodness those whom we desu-e. Ministers, parents, governors, neighbours, observe the dispositions of those you have to deal with, suit yourselves to them, labour so to gain their hearts if possibly you can; and that they may have good thoughts of the wavs of godliness, manifest no bitterness,“uor sourness. Did not God gain upon your hearts by gentleness? But if God did come in a harsh way to your apprehensions at fii’st, yet know, there is no such distance between you and your neighbours, your children, or servants, “as there is between God and you; therefore it is for )0U to deal with yom- fellow creatures in a gentle, kind manner. If a hunter would get his game, he does not make a hooting and noise, but steals on them gently and quietly; and so, if you would win

souls, you must attract and allure them by “the beauties of holiness.” Learn this, you that are of harsh tempers, who do nothing but attempt to terrify to good, saying. If you will not do thus and thus, I will deal with you thus and thus: O, try what gentleness will do; do not so domineer over others as to think that it is for you to satisfy your wills upon them, but laboui’ to be all things to all men.

And never chastise children nor servants but with grief; and put a difference between weakness and wilfulness; and let your hand be heavy on lliem only upon mere necessity, when all other means have been tried unavailingly: God deals thus with his people.

Obs. 6. Gentle means rejected, aggravate sin. As now, if you can bring gifts to a man, you can quickly blind his eyes: we have found that man’s nature, even in the place of justice, loves gifts; they are the cords of men, suitable to their natures indeed. Now God does thus (as I may so speak) bring gifts; but if God shall not prevail with his gifts, this will be a great aggravation of your sin.

Obs. 1. Always preserve the honour of inferiors. It is a rule that will be very hel])ful to those that have young ones to bring up; though the fault be great, yet put them not to so much shame before others, as they shall have no esteem or honour to lose, they will grow desperate then; and so long as the bridle of shame is on them, you may keep them from much evil. And this is the reason that your gaol-birds never almost come to any good; why? because they have no honour to lose, all is gone already, and therefore they grow desperate. Nothing is more suitable to a man’s nature to deter from evil, than the fear of the loss of respect and of honour; and therefore the veiy doom of the damned at the day of judgment is thus expressed, they shall rise “to shame and everlasting contempt,” Dan. xii. 2. “To shame,” that is as much against human nature as anything: and therefore you that have to deal with men, take heed how you deal; always keep such a hand over them, as those that are under you may see that they have yet some honour to lose; do not deprive yourselves of such a means to bricDe your children or servants. Some of you have for your servants persons of s;c.)a birth in this city, divers have children well born and well educated; use them accordingly, draw them with correspondent cords: if you be ot meaner birth and education, and had hard breeding, and were drawn by iron cords, do not think to deal thus with others who have had better breeding than yourselves, but deal with them fairly, with due consideration of what suits their quality and condition.

Obs. 8. How will the shame and confusion of men be aggravated hereafter, who disregarded God’s using them in an honourable manner! This is the way to bring shame and confusion upon you for ever, as hereafter men and angels, and your own consciences, shall say: Just it is with God to punish me with eternal shame and confusion; why? for God had respect to me when I lived, and dealt with me honourably, seeking to draw me with the cords of a man; and it is just that now he should give me my portion among devils and reprobates, and that he should no more regard me as a creature, but rather hate and abhor me as a devil, for I would not regard his dealing with me as a man. This will justify God in that wrath which will one day fall on you.

Obs. 9. Not to be drawn to our duty but by violence and strength, is bestial. Brute beasts can roar and cry out when the pain is upon them; and so it is with many men, they never cry out of their sins, never fear God, never yield to his hand, but only when his strokes are upon them, then they cry out and bellow like beasts. Well, God delivers them; but they turn to their lusts as formerly, and as soon as they are delivered forget

their vows and covenants with Go.l; they sin again, and God comes uijon them again, and again they bewail their sins: Oh that we had spent, say they”, our time in praying, and in lamenting our sins’ which we spent in such and such company! This is when God’s hand is upon you, and the effect of the hearing of his word: to be drawn by the word is to be like a man; not to be moved but by blows evidences a bestial and bi-utish heart. Charge yourselves with this brutishness of spirit; I fear some of you have cause to say. In all the course of my life my heart has never yielded to God, but just when his strokes have been upon me. I beseech you, brethren, deal with God like men; God deals with you like men.

Obs. 10. The Lord deals with us suitably to our nature. “I drew them with cords of a man.” O let us then deal with God, as far as we are able, suitably to his nature. ATiat! does God regard us as men? let us then regard him as God, let us glorify God as God. AVhen the Lord has to deal with us he considers we are men; w’hen we have to deal with God, let us consider he is God; and as the Lord is pleased to condescend to us as men, O let us labour to ascend to him as God.

“With bands of love.”

“Bands,” that is, thick cords; not only with “cords,” as before, but thick cords, so rrsya here translated “bands” signifies; for its primitive nsjl means to wTcath, and to thicken with wreathing; as you see those that make cords and lines, take their hemp and form one wreath, and then another, twisting many of them together, so as to make a strong cord.

“With bands of love;” that is, with such bands as have many wreaths in them, many plies joined together to make them a strong cord, a cord as strong as a cart-rope: so I find the same word used in Isa. v. 18, where it is said, “AVoe unto them that di-aw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope V The word pisysi there ti-anslated “cords,” is the same that occurs in the former part of our verse, the “cords of a man;” but now- the other, “and sin as it were with a cart rope,” is the same word here rendered, the “bands of love;” that is, a thick rope, as of a cart, with many wreaths in it: so that though the former word, “cords,” in your English, seems to imply as much as the latter, “bands,” yet, according to the Hebrew, this is especially emphatical. As indeed when we come now to open the “bands of love” with which God did draw this people, we shall find many cords wreathed and twisted together to bind them fast to God. An expression somewhat parallel to this occurs in Jer. xxxi. 3, “With loving-kindness have I drawn thee.”

I di-ew them “with bands of love;” that is, I used them in a loving way; if love could have gained them, could have overcome their enmity, and bound them to me, they have wanted no love, saith God: whereas theft- sins deserved the bands of iron, instead, they have had “bands of love.”

If you ask me what were those “bands of love,” by which God drew this people of Israel unto himself, I answer,

1. Separation from all other people. God did wonderfully separate this people from all the nations in the world, to be a people unto himself, and that out of love; and this was a great fruit of love, and a strong wreath to bind them, that God should set his heart upcm this to be his own people above all other people in the earth. In Exod. xxxiii. 16, “‘WTiercin shall it be known that I and thy people have found grace ’ in thy sight? is it not jn that thou goest with us? so” (saith he) “shall w-e be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.” It is in your hooks, only, shall be separ- „|,|„„„,„ ated, but i:’Sb3> signifies wonderfully om,’„i”. i’,.,.. separated, we shall be wondcrfidly separ-TilE PROPHECY OF HOSEA. ated from all the nations of the earth. Indeed the Lord did wonderfully separate this people from all the nations of .the earth, and this only out of love, and not from any excellency he saw in them. “The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people,” Beut. vii. 7.

Obs. 11. The Lord does not always stand upon the greatest number. Lideed our argument is, that so many go in such a way, and so few in another, and so surely God is most like to approve of that which the majority adopt. No, God does not always stand upon number: “I did,” saith he, “not choose you because you were more in number than any people, for you were the fewest of all people;” therefore it was only love that made the Lord choose this people at first, and separate them from other nations.

2. Election of the parents and their seed. “I chose you, and your seed also.” And this was a great mercy: If I had but only set my heart upon youi-selves, it had been somewhat, but it was upon you and your seed, so as to bring you and your seed into covenant with me. There are two twists (as I may so say) in this band of love, that he should choose them and then- seed, and bring them both into covenant, for thus you have it in Deut. iv. 37, “Because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them;” and in Ezek. xvi. 8, the text saith, “Thy time was the time of love; and I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou beeamest mine.” The time was a time of love; and that made the Lord to enter into covenant with this people. God showed it was a time of love indeed, that he would take such a people as this was, and enter into covenant with them.

3. God’s setting his heart upon them to delight in them. I made them my portion, my inheritance, my treasure, the dearly beloved of my soul, my glory, a royal diadem to myself; I could show you Scripture for every one of these expressions: Deut. vii. 6, “The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself;” a “special people,” and he gives them all those epithets. Surely these are “bands of love.”

4. Pitying them in their afflictions. If so be at any time they were in any afflictions, I pitied them, and looked upon them with the eye of mercy, and reheved them, and redeemed them out of their afflictions: “In his love and in his pity he redeemed them,” Isa. lxiii. 9.

5. God engaged all his attributes for then” good. I set on work all my wisdom, and my power, and my mercy, to do them good above all nations, working great wonders for them, Now for this we shall not need to cite any particular passage, the whole story of God’s carrying them from EgJTJt through the wilderness to Canaan, and there providing for them, is a sufficient testimony. So, in Isa, lxiii, 9, we named before God’s redeeming of them, he adds this too, “and carried them all the days of old,” The Lord never was so glorious in his power towards any people as towards them, the right hand of his power and excellence was stretched out for them, Exod, XV,

6. A continued watchful eye over them, “With bands of love,” I had a continual watchful eye over ihem and their land, mine eye was upon their land where they dwelt for good, above all other lands that were upon the earth: “A land which the Lord thy God careth for: the eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto tie end of the year,” Deut, xi. 12, Canaan was a land that God eared as little for as any place of the earth before his people came into it, a land wherein God was as much dishonoured as in any other place; but now when his people came into it, it is a land that his eye is upon, that the Lord takes care of, from the beginning of the

year to the end of the year: such respect did God show to his people.

7. He gave them his oracles, the revelation of his will. This was another notable fruit of the love of God to this people. “In Judah was God known: his name was gi-eat in Israel.” “He showeth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not linown them,” Psal. cxlvii. 19. 20. This was a notable privilege that Israel had above all other people. In Kom. iii. 1, it is asked, ““N^Hiat advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?” In ver. 2, the apostle replies, “Much every way:” the Jew has much advantage every way above all other people of the earth. Why, wherein? “Chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.” Other men had the book of nature, they could see God’s name, as it were, ■nTitten in the characters of that book; yea, but the special things of God, the counsels of God concerning the eternal state of the childi’en of men, were not then revealed: but saith he, I gave to this people my oracles, I revealed to them those counsels of mine concerning man’s eternal state, I opened to them my whole heart and soul, all that I would have known to the children of men for that time I opened to them. Oh this is a band of love indeed, to have the oracles of God committed to a people.

8. The Messiah was to come of them. This was the eighth twist (as it were) in these “bands of love,” to make them a great cable to bmd them unto God. I set my heart so upon, as to have the Messias to come from them, in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed. I rather chose this people than another to have my Son to be born of them, to be of their stock.

9. A law, the sum of which was nothing but love. I showed before, that the law of God had strength of reason in it, and so God “drew them with the cords of a man,” that is, his law was rational. So here he draws them “with bands of love,” gives them a law, the sum of which was nothing but love, as thus: ^Miat is the sum of the first and second table of the law? The sum of the fu’st table is, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul;” and the sum of the second table is, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself;” so that love is the sum of the whole law.

10. God gave them more than any else could offer. He outbid all temptations. Whatsoever good, pleasure, deUghts, honour they could expect in following any thing else, I showed them that they might have all these and much more in myself; there was nothing they could have in following after any of then- false worship, but I made it appear that they might have as much in myself, I outbid all temptations in order to encourage them in my ways. Accordingly, throughout the whole Scripture, we find the Lord propounding himself to his people as a lovely object, on purpose to draw theii- hearts away from all other things which might seem to be lovely, that he might have the whole soul to himself.

11. He heard all their prayers. Whensoever they were in any want, if they did but cry to me, I heard them. “‘Miat nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for?” saith Moses, Deut. iv. 7.

12. And lastly, I have done so much for them, that it cannot be conceived that I should have done more. ““ATiat could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it?” Isa. v. 4. Let any one speak what more love they could conceive posssible from a God to his people than I have shown. So that put all these together, and you see how God drew this people “with bands of love.” Now this for the explication; our observations from hence are,

Obs. 12. Love has strong bands; yea, “strong as death,” Cant. viii. 6. None are so strongly bound together as friends that are bound in love. The bands of nature are not so strong as the bands of love. “A friend is nearer than a brother,” saith the Scripture. The bands of love are the strongest bands, they are a twisted band. For,

1. Love is in itself a lovely thing to behold, there is an amiablcness in love to attract the eve and the heart. So Cant. vii. 6, “How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!” How fair and how pleasant is love! Take “love” for the affection of love, it is fair and pleasant for delights; and when the beloved is called by the name “love,” it shows that love is very amiable and very beautiful.

2. Love has in it much sweetness, much power to insinuate itself into the heart. Base, adulterous love we know has a great deal of power to insinuate itself into the heart; so in Eccl. vii. 26, the hands of the whorish woman are called “bands;” how much more attractive power must dwell in true, gracious love!

3. Love is generative, love has a great generative

power to beget love. Augustine saith, ai!o!«m’pTo’’iSM’io, There is no greater provocation to love, JmiSdo!”Aug’ *° begin to love. Love can drawiron hearts. Magnes amoris amor, love is the loadstone of love, it will draw love, and, wherever it is, beget love.

4. AVhere love is got into the soul it commands all the faculties and understanding. Look, what a man loves his powers are exercised about: if a man love his sin, his understanding will work for it; oh what subtle arguments will men have for the sin they love! a man’s heart will be very subtle to argue for the object of its regard. So, on the contrary, when once the Lord has taken the heart with love, this love commands the undei’standing, and then all reasonings are for God, and the soul hearkens to none that are against him, or against his ways. If a man’s heart be taken with love to a woman, he will hear nothing against her; but if his mind be alienated from her, then every report against her he will readily receive, and even aggravate to the uttermost. So when a man’s heart is taken with the things of God and of religion, it will hear nothing against them; but if the ways of God cease to please, then they are glad if they can hear any thing that makes against them. Love commands all the faculties of the soul, the understanding and the thoughts; it commands the will and affections; it commands the body, and estate, and liberty; it commands all that a man has, or is, or can do. Love has the absolute commanding power of all; oh! love has strong bands.

6. Love makes all services for the beloved delightful; it not only commands, but renders the obedience easy: “I will rest in my love, and rejoice over them with singing,” saith God. “When the heart is once taken with love, I say, it not only does that which is good for the object of its regard, but does it with delight.

G. Love knows not any bounds, it never sets itself any limits, but would even infinitely prevail.

7. In its service love knows no w carincss. The soul is never weary in the actings of love. Men that love their pastime will sit up all night and never be tired; 60 with those who love the ways of God, though the flesh may be weak, yet the spirit flags not.

8. Love is strong, so that it stands out against all op|)Ositions, nothing can prevail against it. “Love is strong as death.” “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it,” Cant. viii. 6, 7.

9. Love rejoices in suffering; not only delights in doing, but delights in suffering. If one that loves another shall suffer for him whom lie loves, he will rejoice in those sufferings.

10. And lastly. Love seeks not its own, suffers not itself to be itself, (as it were.) to be at its own disposal. The heart once taken with love is no longer its own, but gives itself into the possession of that which it loves. Join all these together, and you may see that love has strong bands.

Obs. 13. Let us do as God does; that is, labour to cast the bands of love upon those with whom we have to deal. It is God’s way to bind his people to himself, “I thew them with bands of love.” Then, saith God, I have enough, I have them secure enough, if I get them within the bands of love. Oh, if you would draw any to you, let it be by love. You that are ministers, and especially appointed to the work of drawing others to God, what should you do? Open the love of God to them, present the grace of the gospel to souls, labour to work upon their hearts by all the mercies of God; by the mercy of God tendered to them, received by them, and bestowed upon them: there is no such way to draw souls to God as this. “Kepent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” Mark i. 15, that is, the preaching of the gospel. The first of all Christ’s sermons, and of his disciples’, was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” As if he should say, O sii’s, look about you, consider your ways; there is a glorious kingdom now at hand, a kingdom of righteousness and mercy, wherein the glory of the grace of God is revealed to the children of men in another way than ever formerly. This is the way to bring men to repentance. True, it is good to use all means, to show the greatness, and the justness, and the holiness of God, and the like; but the prevailing argument above all to bring men to repentance is, that ‘■ the kingdom of heaven is at hand:” and indeed we would do so if we considered that repentance is a gospel grace; it comes not by the law, the law recognises it not, but the gospel, and therefore to present the love of God to the children of men as manifested in the gospel, is the way to draw to repentance. AVe have a notable story in the Book of MartjTS, as also in Euse- Book or M^rtjrsbius’s Ecclesiastical History: John the b i.^euku ub. j. apostle having committed a young man who was very hopeful to the care of a bishop, the youth afterwards proved to be very wicked, associated himself with thieves, and so became in time the captain of a company of thieves and robbers; with them he lived in the mountains, wholly bent on slaughter, murder, and extreme cruelty. After this, John comes to this bishop, and bids him restore to him the charge which he and Christ had committed to his custody; whereupon the elder, looking down with a heavy countenance, sobbing and sighing, said. He is dead. John inquiring when, and by what kind of death, he answered, He is dead to God, for he is become the captain of a company of thieves in such a place. The apostle then, rending his garments in great sorrow, said. Prepare me a horse, and let me have a guide. And so he rode in haste, and, being come to the place, is stopped by the thieves’ watch. The apostle neither flies nor resists, but saith. For this puq)Ose came I hither, bring me to your captain. He, in arms, stood awaiting his approach; but when he perceived that it was John, he was struck with shame, and fled away. The old man, forgetful of his years, pursues him fljing, and cries, My son, why flics’t thou from me thy father, unarmed and old? O son! tender my case; be not afraid, as yet there remains hope of salvation, I will undertake for thee with Christ. And thus he runs after him, crying, that yet there was hope of mercy and pardon, and that he would die for him. He, hearing this, fii-st stood still, turning his countenance to the ground, next shook off his armour, then trembled for fear, and wept bitterly; so that this “band of love,” this affectionate concern of the apostle, broke his heart, and he returns back and

falls weeping upon the neck of John, and became afterwards an eminent Christian.

Whatever may be thought of this story, yet certainly there are no such bands as these of love to draw the hearts of people to God. Have you to deal with stony hearts? the way is to lay them upon the soft pillow of the gospel, and so you may break them. Lay a stone upon a stone, and it starts from you and does not break; but if you lay it upon a pillow, you may presently break it with a hammer. The word is compared to a hammer; yea, but we must labour to lay the hearts of people upon the pillow (as it were) of love, upon the grace of God in the gospel, that is the way to subdue them. None are so bound to God as those who are bound to him by love: those that are bound to God by fear, unmixed with love, their bands will not hold, they will seek quickly to break through their restraints; none (I say) that are held to God by the bands of fear alone, but will seek after any occasions to break those bands, and if they can but get any opportunity, they will, and commonly at last do, break through them: but now, those who are held by bands of love, are bound for ever unto God.

Obs. 14. When men cast off the sweet of their sin by the sweet of the love of God, then they will never return to their sin again. If it be only the bitterness of the law, and its punishment, that makes them cast off sin, they will be ready to turn to their sin again; but when it is cast out by the sweet of love, when one sweet enters for another, such hold on their way. Austin, speaking of a sweet of sin, saith. Thou, ■’”^’s.’iSi.’f L ‘’’■ Lord, didst cast out those sweetnesses, and thou didst enter in thyself instead of them, who art more sweet than any pleasure whatsoever. And it was from hence that he held on so in his way, because God, casting out the sweet of sin, instead thereof did himself enter into his soul. Oh, said he then, how sweet it is to want those sweetnesses! No marvel though grace be so persevering, and we read so much of perseverance, especially in the times of the gospel, because that there are none truly converted to God, but have that sweet come into their souls through love, which is more delightful to them than all the sweet they had by sin before.

Never be afraid, you whom God is beginning to turn to himself, never be loth to part with any sweetness you had in the ways of sin, for by turning to God you shall find a thousand times more in God and his ways. Oh, they are things that you love, and you are loth to part with them; yea, but when you arc turned to God, God will be as lovely to you as ever any thing in the world was. If the ice be but broken over-night by the husbandman, when he comes the next day he finds it frozen up again; but let the sun dart on it his warm beams, and then it runs down in streams: so the breaking of the heart by the terrors of the law, is but like the breaking of the ice with a pole by the husbandman to give the cattle drink; but when the love of God comes to the heart, then the corruptions of the heart dissolve, even as the ice dissolves when the warm beams of the sun rest upon it.

The way, therefore, to gain the hearts of men is by love. And we should the rather do it, because it is the great design of God in the gospel, to manifest his love to the chikh-en of men; he has in it opened his heart, and the treasures of his love. What is the gospel, but the manifestation of the treasures of the love of God? those eternal loving-ldndnesses of God towards mankind are all displayed in the gospel; and no minister can be a faithful minister of the gospel, who does not endeavour to open this heart-love of God to the childi-en of men in Jesus Christ. Oh! it is a pleasant work to be a minister of the gospel in this respect, to be always searchmg into the treasures of love,

and to array them before souls to win them unto God.

And then, likewise, if you have to deal with men, you must labour to draw them with the bands of love. In Phil. ii. 1,2, “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love,” saith the apostle. Oh! let it be through love that you come to be “like-minded;” and do not think to force men mto the same mind, by using bitter language and expressions to them if they differ in judgment from yourselves. But if there be any love, be of the same mind; labour to get into one another’s hearts, if you would do good one to another. A minister, if he would do good to his people, must labour to get into their hearts, that the people may love him: therefore it has been observed, that your wrangling ministers and bitter men, who, if they be but crossed in any thing, presently vent their own bitterness, never do any good at all; but those that are willing to deny themselves, and to sufi“er for the cause of the gospel, prevail most. So, if you would do good to any of your kindred, do what you can to get into their hearts; labour to win their love, and so you may be a means to draw them to the ways of God: if once they be persuaded that you love them, you may then reprove any thing that is evil in them, and persuade them to any thing that is good, they take nothing ill from you. Therefore men of sour and bitter spirits labour under a great disadvantage in compassing their designs; if they speak any thing, though never so good, yet is it rejected, because that people think it proceeds not from love. But on the other side, let one-of a sweet and loving disposition speak never so harshly, yet the party will take it well, because he knows he loves him. Oli! these “bands of love,” my brethren, they are mighty strong. When you meet together in any society, if you would effect your object, do not seek to get your will by wrangling and frowardness, but by “bands of love.” I confess there are some of such perverse spirits, that the more advances are made, the further they recede, they have even lost all ingenuousness; but if you have to deal with men whom you believe to be gracious and upright, then do not think to gain any thing from them but by love.

These “bands of love,” in the text, the devil seeks to break; his great design is, to make men have hard thoughts of God and his ways, to make them believe that God hates them, and that though they have some good things from him for the present, yet that the heart of God is not towards them; and so he labours to make a separation between the soul and God. In like manner he strives to break the “bands of love “between Christian and Christian. That was a fearful judgment which we read of in Zech. xi. 14, when the staff that was called” Bands” was broken, intimating, as a judgment, the disruption of the brotherhood between Judah and Israel, and the ruin attendant on their rejection of Christ. “When the staff of “Beauty,” “the covenant which God had made with all the people,” was broken, the “other staff, even Bands,” “the brotherhood between Judah and Israel,” was “cut asunder.”

My brethren, never were the “bands of love” more broken among Clu-istians than they are now. We read of “bands of love,” but what is become of them? They are broken. They were in former times twisted in so many wreaths, (as I told you the original signifies,) that one would have thought they could never have been broken; but now, on every occasion, we find they snap asunder. Oh how justly might God bind us with u’on bands, seeing that the “bands of love” will not bind us! God has cut the cords of divers of our yokes asunder, and has broken the bands of the oppressor, and now, behold, we break the “bands of love.”

Oil! unworthy wretches that we are, we look with a jealous eye one upon another, every one shifting for himself, there are no “bands of love” in our hearts. Of the wicked it is said in Scripture, “there are no bands in their death,” that is God’s patience; but woe to us, we live without bands! and that results from our sin, and the wrath of God upon us. In Eccl. iii. 8, it is said, there is “a time to love.” WTien is the time? Certainly, if ever there were a time to love, this surely is it.

O Divine love! whither art thou gone? hast thou left the earth as unworthy of thy beauty and glory? Oh that thou wouldst come again into the hearts of the saints, and bind them together! The want of the “bands of love” every one complams of; Oh those soul-refreshing and soul-ravishing meetings that we were wont to have! But, especially, we find the bands of public love quite gone, and quite broken: read but over 1 Cor. xiii., and see the effects of love there, and by that you will find the “bands of love” quite gone. Love, the scripture tells us, “thinkcth no evil,” it puts the best interpretation possible on all things. Now sui’cly there is great want of love amongst us, that when men, in the uprightness and sincerity uf their hearts, desire to find out the mind and will of God, and that merely out of conscience, because they dare not go any further than they see the mind of God go before them, therefore they shall be judged to be a stififnecked people, and to be the great hinderers of reformation. Is this the best intci-pretation that possibly can be made of things? Can there be no other grounds why they differ t-om then- brethren, but merely stiff-neckedness? how if it shall be owned by Jesus Christ at the great day, that it was out of sincerity, because they desired to liuow the mind of Jesus Christ fully, and yet they could not see what their brethren say they did? We should put on every thing the best possible interpretation. Love “hopeth all things,” and “beareth all things;” now for such public striking against any such forbearance, and cry’ing out that we would have a tolevf ‘.ion of all tilings in religion; for this is thpir great argument, whereas they know in their consciences that their brethren do join with them in the doctrinal part and in the main points of religion, and the things wherein they differ are matters of no such great moment, but may be forborne with jieace enough if men’s hearts were peaceable and still; now to infuse that into the people’s heads, that if forbearance be shown in any thing, there must be a toleration of all things, surely this is not a fruit of love, this is not that which the Holy Ghost saith, that love bears all things. I am loth to proceed, lest it should serve as an occasion of stirring up any spirits, and so hindering the fruit of love: let me say, on the contrary, there may be too eager censure the other way, that is, we may too readily accuse such as are of a different way and judgment, that they do it altogether out of their self-ends and self-aims. I verily believe, that those brethren on the other side who do differ, may be conscientious in their way, and do it out of zeal to God, and to what they apprehend to be truth; we should apprehend one another so, if we see corruption of heart manifested in nothing else but merely in the judgments and opinions. Now if both could but thus judge each of other, that they both are upright in what they pursue; one side imagines that their party follows God’s mind, and the other that the side which they espouse is the Lord’s side: let us judge now that they do- it in uprightness, except it appears some other wav, then we should quickly close and join hearts together, if we had such u])right opinions one of another: the more it is the design of the devil to break those bands of brotherhood and of love, the more should we labour to unite together; we should countermine Satan.

And you who are superiors, labour you to gain your inferiors by love. Do not say of them. They are of untoward dispositions, and how can my heart be towards them to love them? Oh I none of your inferiors are more untoward to you than you are to Christ; and Christ, if he should not love you because of )our untowardness, what would become of you? Now consider this, when your servants and children are untoward. Why should that hinder love, whereas my untowardness does not hinder the love of Christ to me? I remember to have read of Monica, Austin’s mother, that some of her neighbours who had Christian husbands wondered how she and her husband, who was a heathen, managed to live so lovingly together. Our husbands, said they, are Christians, and yours a heathen, and yet you live more lovingly with him than we do with our husbands. She answered them. It may be, when your husbands do any thing that provokes you, you are presently froward with them; but I labour to overcome my husband by love, and so to gain his heart to me, and thereby we live so loTngly together; Christianity teaches me to perform the duties of a wife to my husband, though he be a heathen. I verily believe there are manv godly couples, who for want of love live worse than when one yoke-fellow is carnal. You will say, How can that be? Yes, though there be godliness, yet there may be such H’owardness and passion as may cause wonderful disturljance: but on the other side, where there is godliness and love, there is such an overcoming with love, that though the man be wicked and never so harsh, yet, having the nature of a man in him, he w iU be overcome by love. Would you then be united more than you have ever yet been? Labour to cast the bands of love one upon another; let the husband study how to overcome his wife with love, and so the w ife the husband, and then there will be a sweet union uidced. And so for masters and servants, there should be love there to unite one to another: though the master be above the servant, yet the master should account his servant’s regard a happiness: there is not such a distance between you and your servants, as between God and you. Oh! it is a sweet thing when a man can say in his family, I bless God, all my family love me; and whatsoever they do, they do it out of love to me. It may be you are harsh towards your servants, and you will make them do what you command them to do, and they dare not do otherwise: yea, but what is that? do your servants love you? do they do all for you out of iove? you might have as much and a great deal better obedience from your servants than jou have, if it sprang from love. And so likewise in a family, when one servant loves another: as it was said of David in 1 Sam. xviii. 22, “all his seiTants love thee,” all Saul’s servants did love David; so servants should labour to live so in families that all the other servants should love them.

But you will say, They are so wicked, how can I hope to have love from them?

Yes, though they cannot love thee because thou art godly, yet godliness has something in it common to the excellency of man’s nature.

Yea, and magistrates should labour to gain those subject to them by love. As the greatest in a family, if he be a lord, or an earl, should not think it too much to gain a servant by love; so those intrusted with the greatest power in government, should not think it too much to gain the affections of their meanest subjects. We se» It was thus with David, 1 Chron. xxviii. 2, “Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said. Hear me, my brethren, and my people.” What a sweet expression respecting a great prince! “Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people;” he did not sit do« n magisteriidly, and say, piy people, and you that are my

subjects and servants, I command you to do thus and thus; but he stands up to them, and saith, “Hear me, my brethren, and my people.” This was a way to gain the hearts of people to him. You know Absalom sought in a false way to steal away the hearts of people by a gentle carriage. I have read of John the Second, of Portugal, that he chose for his emblem a pelican, because when her young have been bitten with serpents, she feeds them with her o™ blood, and thereby cures them: thereby he would testify his readiness to let out his blood for the good of his subjects, for the healing of his subjects; he would not feed upon his subjects’ blood, but he would rather let out his own blood for their good. This is the commendation of a prince, not to seek to feed upon his subjects’ blond, and to raise up his honour and prerogative by shedding it; but to love them so as to be willing to let out his own blood for then’ good, if requked. The maxim that some have laboured to infuse into princes,

I had rather be feared than be loved, is ‘’^’““”m’S^’“‘’”’ a maxim beseeming only tjTanny, and

no way suitable to an ingenuous mmd. Certainly that man, be he what he will, who is actuated by such a principle, is a man of a sordid and base spirit; a man of a generous, ingenuous mind would rather be beloved than feared. Let every man seek to gain another by love. If you strive to gain any but by love,

1. You are not likely to prevaO.

2. If you do prevail, there will be more previous trouble than fruition will repay.

3. ‘When you do prevail, and men do as you would have them, they dare not do otherwise; yes, but they hate you: what good is it for a man to have his will upon another, if in the mean time he hate him?

4. If you do not prevail by love, they will do no more than just needs must. And this is the reason, indeed, why hyocrites are hide-bound toward God, why they do so little for him; God has never gained their hearts by love, but only by fear, and therefore they will do no more for God than of necessity they must; whereas (as I said before) love never propounds bounds.

5. If you do not get them by love, they watch for all opportunities to fling off. Now what a poor gain is this, to gain one with a deal of trouble, and for him to do what I would have him, and yet to hate me, and to do no more than needs must, and then to watch for all opportunities to appear against me! ^Tierefore, my brethren, to close this, let us follow after and provoke one another to love; you will find sweetness in your own love, sweetness in the very exercise of it, and sweetness in the fruits of others’ love.

Obs. 15. As love has such bands in it, let us make use of the love of God to bind our hearts to him. You have heard that love has bands; you have heard too that we should do as God does. Is this then God’s way? Oh! let us make use of all the love that ever God has shown to us to gain our hearts to him.

This would be a large theme to speak of, if we should attempt to open to you what the love of God has been to you, how much love God has shown to the nation, and to ourselves, to gain our hearts. Oh the many twists of this cord! it is a strong cord indeed to bind us to God. This is that which God seeks by all his love, to work our hearts to love.

Not to speak now of the love of God to you as to creatures, nor as to men; but to speak a little of his love to you as you are saints. I shall show you very briefly what strong cords of love God has cast upon you, to gain your hearts to love him. God’s love, then, to you is,

1. Eternal. Beforeever you were born the bowels of God yearned towards you (as I may so speak with holy reverence). God was twisting these bands of love from

all eternity that he might gain your hearts; and thinking that at such a time such and such persons shall live upon the earth, I will make preparation by such bands of love now as, when revealed to them, shall unite and fasten them close to myself. It was love from eternity. Oh the ti’ansactions that were between the Father and the Son from all eternity to manifest love to your souls! the great counsels (I say) that were transacted between the Father and the Son before the world was, were about these yom- bands of love.

2. Elective and separating. When he left many thousands, he set his heart upon you. Mai. i. 2, “AYas not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob.” So, wert not thou of such a family? and yet thou seest how God has cast off a great part of that family, and yet has he loved thee! Wert not thou such a one’s brother, such a one’s sister, that remained wiclied and ungodly, and, it may be, died so? and yet God has loved thee; he has passed by so many great ones in the world, and so many of thy kindi’ed, and rather pitched his love upon thee. It is a love of choice, and therefore might the rather gain thee to thy God.

3. Free. “I will love them freely,” Hos. xiv. 4. “The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people,” Deut. vii. 7. God there would manifest his love to his people to gain their hearts to him: “The Lord did not set his love upon you,” saith he, “because you were more in number; but,” as in ver. 8, “because the Lord loved you.” It is a strange mode of arguing, “The Lord did not set his love upon you because you were more in number,” but the Lord did set his love upon you ‘• because he loved you.” He could go no higher; there can be no other reason why the Lord should love you, but because he did love you. VTe are wont to say, It is a woman’s reason to say, I will do such a thing because I mil do it. Now if any of you would have a reason why God loved you, why thus. He loved me because he loved me. The Lord did not set his love upon you for this reason; but he did set his love upon you because he loved you; so it is a free love. Oh let the freeness of it be another ingredient, so as to bind your hearts unto him.

4. God so loved you that he gave his Son for you. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,” John iii. 16. Sometimes it has been in the thoughts of men, whether there might not be more worlds than this our world. Certainly God in his infinite power might make a thousand worlds more glorious than this, such worlds that the meanest creature in them might be as high in excellency above the sun, as the sun is above a piece of earth. But now this we may know, let there be never such excellent creatures made, they cannot have a greater fruit of love than mankind has fi’om God. Oh I this is the love of God to mankind, and calls aloud to the childi-en of men to love God; here is a fi-uit of love beyond that shown to angels, for the Lord took not upon him the natm-e of angels, but the nature of man.

5. He has given himself too, as well as his Son. Not only given the Second Person in the Trinity, but himself. He does not think it enough to give heaven and earth to thee to be thy portion, but he will make himself thy portion, he will be thy God. You would think it a great matter if God should say, Well, all this world I will give for thv portion: yea, that I may give thee a testimony that I love thee, 1 will make another world for thy sake, and make thee the lord of it ah: but in that God has given thee his Son, and given thee himself, this is a greater degi-ee of love; and the soul of man, were it so enlarged as it might be, yea, so as grace does enlarge the hearts of the saints, such a soul would

say, Lord, what wilt thou give me, if thou givest me not thy Son, if thou givest me not thyself? though I be less than the least of thy mercies, yet, except I have thyself as my portion, all else is not sufficient for me. AWll, saith God, that thou nwyst know that my heart is set upon thee for good, I will give thee my Son, I will give thee myself and my Spirit. Oh, what love is this to the children of men, that ever we should live to have our ears filled with such a sound from heaven!

6. God so loves his people, that, in comparison of his saints, he cares not what becomes of all the world. Thus, Isa. xliii. 4, “I have loved thee; therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.” If thy case be so that it shall not be well with thee without great evils that shall come upon the generality of the chil- (ken of men, and people, and nations; I do not so much care for them, (saith God,) my heart is upon you. so much so, that, in comparison of you, I care not what becomes of all the world. Oh the love of God to his saints!

7. A pardoning love. “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,” Rev. i. 5. You do not hear it said, that Christ has loved us and purchased great kingdoms for us, has made us lords, and earls, and countesses, and so loved us; no, but “unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.” Now it is a good argument that the love of God is upon you, if you account this to be a great fruit uf love, to wash you from your sins by the blood of Jesus Christ. Surely if he will do so much for you, as shall cost him so dear as his own blood, he loves you; the love of Jesus Christ broke through the difHculties, for when there were such transactions between the P’athcr and Son about redeeming the soul, God said. If thou wilt take upon thee to deliver them from their sin, thou must come thyself and be made a curse for their sins. And Jesus Christ replied, Lord, thy will be done in it, yet let me deliver them from their sin; though I lose my life, though it cost me my blood, though I be made a cm’se, whatsoever it cost me, yet let their sins be washed from them. He has washed us from our sins at the price of his own blood. Oh the love of Christ to his saints! what bands of love have we here! I have seen some who, that they may twist and bind their cords the more fast, will wet them: the cords of the love of Jesus Christ are wet with his own blood.

8. A conforming love puts loveliness on the creature, even God’s own nature. If one could say any thing greater than has been said, this, one would think, should be very high and gi’eat: for God so to love us, as to make us partakers of the Divine nature; so to love us, as to put his own life into us, to enable us to live the very same life as himself does; so to love us, as to put his own image upon us; oh, this is the love of God to his .saints!.

9. He loves thee with the very same love wherewith he loves Jesus Christ himself. Thus John xvii. 26, “That the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them,” saith Christ to the Father. Oh to have the same love as that with which the Father loves Christ! Is not this a strong band to bind thy heart to God? If God had loved thee only so as to give thee an estate and honours here in this world, this were no other than the love which the reprobate may have; and will this love satisfy thee? Oh the difference between the love of God to his saints and the love of God to other men! he loves the great ones of the world, that are wicked, with no other than the love wherewith he loves a reprobate; but he loves the saints with the same love wherewith lie loves his Son; and this love will bring thee one day to be one with the Father and with the Son: is it not then a strong band of love to gain thy heart to himself?

10. A love of communion. God delights in communion with his saints: God indeed does all this for his saints, puts the Divine nature and the life of God into them, and sets so much love upon them; why? that he might have a people to enjoy everlasting communion with him. I would fain, saith God, have some ereatui’es that might live with me, to enjoy communion with me; that might live to see my face, and to behold all the glory that I intend to manifest to all etcrnitv. O blessed God! hast not thou the angels that are’ with thee to enjoy thy glory, to have communion with thee? No, saith God, but I would have these poor creatures that are so low and mean in the world, I would have them raised up to enjoy communion with myself. This is the end of God’s bestowing any grace upon his saints, it is that he might raise them to enjoy communion with him, and to delight in him, and he to delight in them; that he might have creatures to communicate the ti’casures of his goodness to, and that thou mightest communicate what thou art able to him. Surely Christ does not account himself full without his saints; and thei-efore you find in Eph. i. 23, that the church is called “the fulness” of Jesus Christ; and therefore he prays, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am,” John xvii. 24: I shall not account myself full except they be with me, and see my glory. Oh the love of Jesus Christ to his saints!

1 1. A sweetening and sanctifying love. Thou mayst see love in every thing; though thou hast now less of the creature than others have, yet thou hast it out of love; on all thy mercies thou mayst see the eternal love of God to thee. The Lord from all eternity saw that such a kind of life was the best calculated to further the eternal good he intended for me, and therefore he has chosen to place me in this condition. Oh how sweet may the life of any be when they can reason after this manner. Well, this condition in which now I am in, the Lord from eternity saw the fittest condition to work my heart to himself, and therefore it is that I am in this estate rather than another. And then thou findest daily by experience how the Lord has helped thee in thy straits, and heai-d thee in thy prayers, and answered thy desires. This I told you, in the opening of the text, was a fiuit of love to the people of Israel, and so it has been with thee.

12. An overcoming love. God’s love overcomes all our unworthincss, both before and after conversion. He foresaw all, yet still his love was not quenched toward thee, but saith the Lord, My love shall break through all. Many times you set your love upon some who prove untoward and unworthy, and you think with yourselves. Could I have but foreseen this untowardness they should never have had my love: but now the Lord foresaw all thy ill requitals, and yet it did not hinder the love of God towards thee.

13. In the love of God there is the love of all relations. As now, the love of a father towards a child; the Lord takes ujion him the relation of a father: the love of a husband; the Lord takes upon him the relation of a husband: and the love of a friend too, a friend “that sticketh closer than any brother.”

14. God’s love is an everlasting and unchangeable love. This croTis all, his is a love that shall never be quenched. He that the Lord loves, he loves unto the end; “he will rest in his love,” Zeph. iii. 17; Jer. xxxi. 3. If thou knowest that he has loved thee in his Son, thou hast hereby an “everlasting consolation;” let heaven and earth meet together, let there be what changes and alterations there will, yet there is “everlasting consolation” for thee, if thou knowest but this love of God, 2 Thess. ii. 16.

Now, my brethren, all this I have done that your hearts may be gained unto God. And what wilt thou

Vki;. 4.

do now? Wilt not thou now love the Lord thy God? shall not all this love of God to thee in Christ constrain thee? “The love of Christ eonstraineth ns,” saith the apostle, 2 Cor. v. 14. “O love the Lord, all ye saints;” if the Lord ha thus loved you. love ye the Lord, all ye his saints. Then God is love himself, he is the element of love: and whither should love go but up to its kindred element? Air desires to be in its proper place; and earth will descend to its proper place: the proper place of love is God, God is (as it were) the element of love, for so the Scripture saith, “God is love; and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God,” 1 John iv. 16. O labour to be rooted and stablished in love: “That ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,” Eph. iii. 17 — 19. Being rooted in love, thereby ye come to comprehend with all saints the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge. Neither the strength of natural parts nor learning so teach us the love of Christ as love; get but your hearts “rooted and grounded in love,” and you will come to understand the glorious things of the gospel in another manner than ever you did. And mark what follows, “that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” Had we not such an expression in Scripture, we should not dare to make use of it. What! for a poor creature to be filled with “God,” to be filled with “the fulness of God,” to be filled with “all the fulness of God?” This is the reason why Christians are so scant in their obedience, and empty in their spirits, because they are. not acquainted with this “breadth, and length, and depth, and height” of “the love of Christ.” 0 know that God prizes thy love, and is satisfied with nothing but thy love. In Cant. vii. 12, “There will I give thee my loves,” saith the spouse. MTien thou comest to the ordinances to hear the word, to receive sacraments, or to prayer, yet if thou comest not to give the Lord Christ thy “loves,” it is nothing; “There will I give thee my loves.” Christ prizes love at a high rate; and that love which will serve for other things, certainly will not serve Christ. He loves thee too little (saith Augustine) who loves any thing besides thee, or will not love that thing for thee. You may love w’ife, and children, and friends, yea, but you must love them all for God; when you see any thing lovely in them, think it is but a beam of the loveliness of God. And thus I have endeavoured now to raise your hearts to God by love: the Lord has cast bands of love upon your souls; oh that, by the ministry of his word this day, these bands may be somewhat strengthened, that you may go away with your hearts more strongly than ever united to the love of God!

But there is one point more observable in these ‘bands of love” by which God draws people to himself.

The scope of the prophet here in mentioning these ‘■ bands of love,” is to aggravate their sin; from whence,

Obs. 16. Nothing more aggravates sin than that it is committed against love. God has three bands to bind us to obedience.

1. The band of his law.

2. The bands of afflictions.
.3. The bands of love.

But now to break the bands of the commandments, and the bands of afflictions, and the bands of love too, this aggravates sin veiy much.

O thou sinner! charge thy sin with this aggravation. What! sin against such a God, such love? Oh what a vile heart have I! Augustine saith, The sjjirit is too hard, which, though it will not bestow, yet will not requite love. O let not there be such a hardness in the spirits of the saints. Thou didst not begin with

God to love, thou didst not begin to bestow love; be not so hard towards God as not to requite love. Do not we see how base, adulterous love can gain u])on men’s hearts? what strong bands that love has! The giving of gifts and bribes, what bands they are to tie men’s hearts, and hands, and tongues! And shall not the love of God, and the fruits of that love, be a stronger band to tie thy heart unto him? Nothing goes more to the heart of man or God than the abuse of love; a man can better bear the abuse of his money, the abuse of any thing, than of his love. God’s Spirit is grieved with his saints: we do not read that the Spirit of God is grieved with the wicked; God may be “angry with t’ne wicked every day,” but not grieved; but when the saints sin against him the Spirit of God is grieved, because their sins are against love. AVhen thou sinnest against God, the Lord looks upon thee, as Csesar once upon Brutus: Wiat! thou too. my son? What! thou whom I have so loved? What! break all those bands? “^Tien we read in the 2nd Psalm of the kings and princes of the earth, who said,” Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us,” we think that is great rebellion; but for thou that professest thyself to be God’s, it is a greater evil to break these “bands of love.” O thou, my son, ray child, thou on whom I have bestowed so much love, yet thou to sin against me! When thou art committing any evil, conceive with thyself as if God were looking upon thee, and pleading with thee, by all those fruits of his love that ever thou hast received from him; and wilt thou yet sin against him for all this? We read in Luke xxii. 61, 62, when Peter had sinned, Christ did but look upon him, and he ‘■ wept bitterly: “oh! Peter saw love in the looks of Jesus Christ; and therefore we know, when Christ afterwards came to him, he pleaded with him with this argument of love, “Lovest thou me?” and “lovest t’nou me?” Oh! when he saw the eyes of Christ so sparkling with love, and then considered that he had sinned against that Christ who had so loved him, had broken all those “bands of love,” then “he went out, and wept bitterly.” The word in Mark xiv. 72, is imjialwv, breaking out in weeping; so it may imply the force employed in doing any thing; he did break out, break out in weeping, he was not able to bear it, his heart burst even in sunder, when he considered how he had burst asunder the “bands of love.” What! after such manifestations of mercy and goodness, such warmings of heart in communion with Jesus Christ? O my soul! what canst thou find in any ways like God’s ways? canst thou find the like love and the like sweetness in any as thou hast done in God? yet for all these unkind, unloving dealings, God follows thee with love, his heart is yet open unto thee. As a man may go from the sun, and yet still the beams of the sun follow and warm him; so the hearts of the saints do many times decline from God, yet they have the warm beams of love following after them to di’aw their hearts again to him. Oh! return, retm’n into this bosom of infinite love, here thy soul may have everlasting embracings.

“And I was to them as they that take off the yoke on theii- jaws, and I laid meat imto them.”

Here is a fruit of love in dc•li■ering them from their bondage. As a husbandman who is merciful to his beast will not tire it too much with hard labour, but takes off the yoke, lifting it up with his hands, and gives it food; so did I, saith God, I did not tire Ephraim with labour and servitude. When you were in Egypt, and often afterwards when under your enemies’ yokes, 1 freed you from your bondage; as the husbandman, when the beast has been ploughing and begins to be hot, lifts the yoke up to cool the neck that the beast may refresh itself.

“As they that take off the yoke on their Jaws.”

Because of some instruments, some bridle that was fastened to the yoke that was on their neck and put into their jaws. Therefore this phrase, “As they that take off the yoke on their jaws.”

Luther on the place understands this of that spiritual ease which there is in the yoke of Jesus Clu-ist; and so saith, The Lord by his Spirit helps us to obey; he docs not only command, and tell us what to do, but assists us with his Spirit, and gives us power, and lifts up the yoke, and beai-s it together himself with us; and hence saith Christ, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Indeed it is an easy yoke in comparison of the law: the law saith. Do this, and live; do not, and die: the law takes advantage upon every infirmity, it admits not of endeavours without performances, it gives no strength to what it commands: but the yoke of Christ is easy; Chi’ist “continues strength;” there is never a command without an appropriate promise of strength, as an artery that runs together with the veins. And Christ accepts of endeavours; his yoke is far easier than the yoke of the law.

We must not think this too far-fetched, because we find that the Holy Ghost in the New Testament interprets the beginning of this chapter concerning Christ, whidi we would never have thought to have been meant of Christ, “I called my son out of Egyjit.” Now if so be that God had an eye to Christ in the words, “I called my son out of Egypt,” why should we not think that Christ might be also referred to, when he saith, “I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws;” I delivered them from the yoke which neither they nor their fathers could bear, and I brought on them the more easy yoke of the gospel?

But though the Holy Ghost may have had an eye to this, yet that which is primarily and literally meant is, the deliverance from oppression, I delivered them from the oppressions that were upon them. AVTience then the observations are,

Obs. 17. Deliverance from oppression is a great mercy. Oh what case is there in it! how does it cool our necks! “I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright,” Lev. xxvi. 13. AVe had once heavy yokes upon us, that made us stoop, we stooped under them; but through God’s mercy these bands of our yokes are in a good mea.sure broken, so that we may go upright; and woe to us if we go not upright now! In Ezek. xxxiv. 27, “They shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of tjiose that served themselves of them.” My brethren, if ever God manifested himself to be the Lord towards us, it has been in breaking the bands of the yokes that were upon us, and in delivering us from those who served themselves of us. Wo were under a proud and cruel generation of men, that minded themselves, and cared not what became of the consciences, estates, liberties, or lives of men, if only they could have their humours and their lusts gratified; and what means could we see for the deliverance of ourselves from their yoke? But the Lord has appeared; and then, saith the text, “They shall know that I am the Lord;” if we did not know that God was the Lord before, yet now we may know him. And the truth is, such have been the wonderful works of God towards us in the breaking of our yokes, that methinks it were enough to convince an atheist; those of you who have been heretofore troubled with temptations of atheism, the strange ways of God towards this nation in freeing of us from the yokes which have been upon us, may convince you of a God, may make you say, Surely there is a God in heaven that beholds the ways of the children of men: “the Lord, he is God.” Then “they shall know that 1 am the Lord.”

Oh that upon the manifestation of God in this way

of mercy we may come to know that God is the Lord! The Lord might have forced us to have known that he was the Lord by laying more grievous yokes upon us, by bringing us under more dreadful evils than we have ever yet experienced; but the Lord has rather been pleased to choose another way, to make us to know that he is the Lord by taking our yokes ofi’ from us. This God has done.

Obs. 18. To grow wanton after deliverance from yokes is very sinful. This arises naturally from the scope of the context here, which is, to aggravate their sin so much the more; as if he should say, I have taken off the yoke from your jaws, and yet now you are wanton, and kick and spurn with the heel against me. AMiat! now when we come to have a little more liberty, and begin to feel our necks freed of those yokes that were upon them, shall we begin to frisk, and spurn, and kick, and that against God himself, who has taken the yoke from off us? Oh, this is very dreadful. What! to abuse our liberty from bondage to all manner of licentiousness in horrid and wanton opinions, in wicked and abominable practices? certainly this is an ill requital of this fruit of love, in lifting up the yoke from off our jaws. This is a very great evil which we are this day guilty of; if ever there were a people guilty of this evil, of kicking and spuming against God so soon as he has taken off the yoke from their jaws, then we are at this day. Could any have believed, if it had been revealed from heaven but six years since, that within six years this people of England should be delivered from those sore yokes under the burden of which they cried to heaven, yea, that the Lord would work in a miraculous way. to deliver them; and yet, upon their deliverance, there should be such wantonness, such horrid, blasphemous opinions, and wicked, licentious ways, even among the very professors of religion; could it have been believed? Certainly if our godly forefathers that were under the yoke, and that cried to God for deliverance, were to rise out of their graves now, and hoar a full narration of all that liberty which God has granted to his people in England, in the breaking of cul those yokes of tyranny, both in the civil and in the ecclesiastical state, they would presently think that they should see wonderful, glorious results from all this in England; but if, after conversing for a little time with men, they were to hear such monstrous opinions, and to see the extreme licentiousness and wantonness in the hearts of men, as expressed in their actions, they would be ready to spit in the very faces of their children, to disown with contempt those that now live in such times as the present. The wantonness of our hearts in abusing our deliverance is very evil in these respects:

1. It hardens our adversaries. Our former oppressors, the prelates and others, will not they say, (or do not you give them occasion to say,) Now you see what is the fruit of casting us out; was there such wantonness before? were there such horrid opinions when we had power? We kept down all such things, in our time of authority we could easily curb them; but you see what extravagancies there are, how men run wild, as soon as our power is taken from us. By this means they are hardened: and others that are of a prelatical spirit are hardened, and begin to think, Surely the other is the better way. And indeed if this be a good argument, if the keeping men in union, and suppression of errors by violence, prove the truth of any way, or of any government, it may as well prove prelatical as any other, for we know that they kept men by violence from venting such notorious errors; but shall we, because there is not this tvTanny upon us, “T^jiiTtlln’il’ be more erroneous, and more wanton in

our spirits?

2. It darkens the glory of this great work of God.

The Lord has been pkased to magnify his name in the deliverance of these kingdoms from the yoke; now what should be the care of all the people of God, but to seek to magnify the great work of God, to make it beautiful and glorious before the eyes of all? But now, by this wantonness and licentiousness, men do darken the glory of God, and obscure its lustre and beauty. In Psal. cxlix. 4, the Lord promises to beautify the meek with salvation; “He will beautify the meek with salvation:” now the Lord has wrought so towards us as to beautify us with salvation, and indeed there is a gi-eat beauty in the salvation which he has wrought: but this does (I say) darken the glory of God, and takes away the beauty of the work of God in our salvation. What! has God done all this for us, that men might turn wanton, and run wild into monstrous opinions and blasphemies? Oh, woe to thee! how unfit art thou to live in such a time as this is, to darken the glory of such a glorious work as God has wrought for us here in England!

3. It deprives others of just libertj’. It is on your account who are so wanton, and run so wild in your opinions and in the looseness of your lives, that the discreet, and wise, and holy, and peaceable, who desire to make use of their liberty in Christ, must be denied it for your sakes. Whatever denial they have of that liberty which they wou4d use in a gracious and peaceable way for the honour of God, will one day be laid to your account, for by your wantonness it is occasioned.

4. It may bring the yoke on us again, or be the means of bringing others under heavier bondage.

.5. It justly prejudices rational men against liberty, and inclines them to think that they shall do God good service by laying heavy yokes upon men who thus dishonour his name. If ever, instead of the great strings that have tied j’okes upon you, you should have lesser strings, and these meaner instnmients of oppression should be multiplied to tie still heavier yokes upon )’0u, thank yourselves, you are the cau.se of it. ■’ The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand,” Lam. i. 14. The Lord may justly bind the yoke of your transgressions upon you. Oh that God would humble us for the abuse of our freedom from our yokes! Oh let us take heed of this, and say with ourselves. Surely this is not the use that we should make of our deliverance; no, but rather this use, we will rather so much the more willingly take the yoke of Jesus Christ upon us. In Exod. xii. 25, after the people of Israel were delivered from the yoke of Egyptian bondage, presently it is said, “ye shall keep this service;’’ speaking of the passover, that was to be kept upon their deliverance from Egj’pt, “ye shall keel) this service.” The word there for “service” is may the same that is used sometimes for their service and bondage under the Egyptians; as if the Lord should say. You were once in service indeed, there was a service that the Egyptians required of you, a servile service it was, and your necks were under it; now I will work thus miraculously to deliver you from that servility, and you shall keep this my service, which is a great deal better than the service under your enemies. And indeed this should be the use; we were slaves to our adversaries, let us be willing now, seeing we are free-men, to be servants of Jesus Christ, and to take his yoke; but the growing wanton upon the removal of our yoke is a great aggravation of sin. “Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, untU he have destroyed thee,” Deut. xxviii. 47, 48.

Obs. 19. Oppression of others after deliverance from

oppression is a crying sin. If this be a mercy that we should bless God for, that we are delivered from the yokes of men, and the abuse of it in our wantonness be a great sin, then it must needs be an aggravation of our guilt, to begin to la)- yokes one upon another. If it be the mercy of God to take off your yokes, we should seek to take the yokes off from our brethren, to make their ways as easy to them as we jjossibly can, and not devise means to pinch their consciences; conscience oppression of all oppressions is the most grievous. There was heretofore a generation of men, who studied what would pinch conscience most, and that which they found most likely to do so, they would urge to the uttermost upon men; this was devilish; I hope we have not many so vile as these were. Though such and such opinions and ways may serve our turn, we sh6uld consider whether they may not be burdensome to othfrs.

Well, but though they be burdens, if they be truths, why should they not be ui’ged?

Nay, suppose they be truths, yet, except they be necessary, let not men be instrumental in imposing them upon others: if a necessity exists, then no plea can be admitted. Some men, however, are so happy (if I may so call it) that they have a latitude in their judgments, that which way soever the times turn they can find out a distinction to help themselves, that- so their fair necks should never come under a yoke: it is their singular good fortune that their judgments always suit with the times.

I will not condemn such men, for possibly it may be God gives them to see further than others do; but yet, by this they have ease: but now, were these men ingenuous, they should consider their brethren thus: I have a latitude, and I could conform myself to the complexion of the former times, as, now times are changed, I can to the present; but some others, whom I have reason to judge as faithful and as gracious as myself, have no such latitude; it falls out unhappily for them, for in former times their judgments could not suffer them to do what was enjoined them, they were fain to suffer, and to be deprived of estates, and livings, and whatsoever they had; well, now the times are changed, it happens that their- judgments cannot conform to the alterations the changed times bring along with them; and yet surely this arises not from frowardness, nor perverseness, for take these men in all things else, I find them as conscientious, as spiritual, as myself. Alas! must they now suffer, and shall I add to then- afflictions? shall my hand be used to lay the yoke on them and to press it hard? God forbid; I will rather study, though I will not yield any truth, but stand to defend whatever I am persuaded in my conscience is a truth, yet I will rather study as far as I possibly can to ease them, and to make their lives comfortable. I know God has given them ability and hearts to do him service, and it may be as much as I; oh why should they be hindered and discouraged in their work? I will study what latitude there may be for them. This were somewhat Uke, this were ingenuousness indeed, this would truly savour of a good spirit, and be a gracious testimony of your thankfulness to God for breaking off the yokes that were upon you. My brethren, when our yokes are taken away or lifted up, we must have regard to others as well as omselves, and not think or say. Let them bear, let their necks bear; oh no, what ai-e our necks more than theii’s? If God pities his people and will lift up the yoke, let us do what we can to put under our hand to relieve others, although we bear somewhat ourselves. Some men glorj- in imposing burdens; but it is not such a glorious thing to lay yokes upon others, the glory is in lifting up the yoke from off them. This is the glory of God, to take off the yoke from the jaw and from the neck. Christ professes his” yoke is

Chap. ai.

easy,” his “burden is light;” oh! let not ours then be hard and heavy, if Christ’s be easy. And especially in these days of our fasting and prayer, oh! let us be very careful to lift up the yoke from off our brethi-en as far as possibly we can williout sin. “Is not this the fast” (saith God) “that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?” Isa. lviii. 6. “Is not this the fast that I have chosen, — that ye break every yoke.” And in the 9th verse, “Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say. Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke.” Still mark how God urges this removal of the yoke, when you come to fast: Is this the fast lliat I require, to do thus and thus? no, saith he, but “to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ve break every yoke:” and again, if you shall do so, “Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say. Here I am.” God stands much upon this in the days of our fasting, that we lay no burdens and yokes upon our brethren, but that we do what we possibly can to take off yokes, that we may be able to appeal to God, Lord, thou knowest that I do as nilich as I can, and I pray that thou wouldst direct mc in mine endeavours to render comfortable the li cs of those whom I believe to be faithful and conscientious. This is not to give liberty to evei-y kind of licentiousness and blasphemy, but when I see that certain things may consist with godliness, and godly and peaceable men have many doubts among them, and especially seeing I hold these my present views but a short time, and did not see heretofore as now I do, I will do what I possibly can with a good conscience, that my brethren may enjoy thy ordinances in what liberty thou wilt afford unto them. This savours like the spirit of a Christian indeed.

And, likewise, you that are in any authority, seeing God accounts it his glory to take off the yoke from his people, O, be you tender towards them that are luider you; as magistrates, as governors, as parents, as masters, lay not, my brethren, too heavy yokes on your children and servants: fathers should “not provoke their children to wrath,” and masters should be gentle towards them that are under them, knowing they have also a Master in heaven. Give them therefore whatever liberty may consist without sin, even outward liberty; keep them not continually at work, but afford them some times of recreation and refreshment. True, yomholy-days are taken away, but surely there is no such likely way to bury them’ in oblivion, that they should never be thought of again, as to have some set times for servants and children to recreate themselves. It is, too, the only way to keep the sabbath pure; for if they have no recreation during the week, they will have it on the sabbath, or return once more to their former superstitious holy-days. The beast must not always lie ploughing, sometimes the yoke on his jaws must be taken off.

“And I laid meat unto them.”

Luther saith, I so WTOught for them, .^STTuih.”’ that they should cat their meat quietly: as if the pro|)het should say, You did not j)rovide for yourselves yoxu’ meat, God jirepared it for you, and came and laid it before you. Thus God laid meat before them when he rained manna from heaven; when the quails were he provided them. AVhencc,

Obs. 20. Mercies pre])ared, provided, and laid liefore us, are to be prized. When we receive a mercy, I say, that did not cost us much, but is prepared and set before us, it is to be prized.

How many of you have all your mercies ])rc))ared for you! when you go abroad on business, you take no care for provision at home in yom’ families, you do but

rise and dress, and go abroad, it may be to a sermon, or other company, and return home again; you have your tables spread, and find full dishes upon them, without any care of yours, all is prepared for you. O, consider the mercies of God towards you in this thing. ^’hereas many poor people are fain, before they can get bread for their families, their wives and children, to work hard; but the Lord lays meat before you. God is to be acknowledged in this.

The propriety of the word is, I made it to descend; it came down from heaven, dcSndcrc^Kit it was neither too high nor too low, but it came just to you, fitted for you: which teaches us further,

Obs. 21. In receiving our food, we must look up to heaven. AVe are more beholden to the heavens than to the earth for our bread. God is to be acknowledged in that “he satisfieth the poor with bread,” yea, and that he satisfies the rich with bread; the richest of you all are to see how it comes from heaven: I made it to descend. I say we should look from whence our very food descends, it descends from heaven. Lift up thine eyes to heaven when thou art eating meat; be not as the switie under the tree, that looks downward to the acorns, but never upward towards the branches of the tree from whence the acorns fall; but look up to heaven from whence thy meat and thy provision did descend.

Obs. 22. The service of God’s people is easy, and their provision bountiful “I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.” Now the service of many of your servants is hard, and their provision very penurious, you would have them do your hard labour, and yet provide little food for them; oh, this is the basest of all cruelties, to put servants to hard labour, and yet not to provide comfortably for them for their food.

But, my brethren, the main thing that I would note from hence is, How great are the mercies of.God to us, who has eased our yoke this day, and laid meat too befoi-e us! My brethren, who would have thought four years since, that there would be civil wars for almost four years together in our land; and such cruel, bloody wars, and so general throughout the whole kingdom; and that yet we should at this day have provision so ])lentiful as we have? Did not all say, even at the fii-st year when the wars began. Surely things will be very scarce? many began to lay in corn and other provision, and we had cause enough to fear; but behold the bountifulness of the love of God, that has eased our yokes, and has laid meat before us, that “the poor is satisfied with bread,” and there are “no conijjlainings in our streets;” we have not only our bread, but our tables filled. AVhat difference do you see in the table.^ of men now from former times! If a stranger should come into this kingdom, hearing what miserable wars there have been, (as bloody and cruel as ever were in any kingdom,) and yet sec every man’s table so filled, he could not but stand and wonder: certainly strangers think our condition to be far more sad in respect of provision than it is. Let us not then be wanton with our plenty. AA’e were wont to say. If we might have but bread and cheese and the gospel, it were good cheer; now, mv brethren, we have food of earth, and the bread ot life too. ^^’hat! is it sweet to be freed from outward bondage, and to have meat laid before us? how sweet is it then to be freed from spiritual bondage, and to have the food of life laid before us! yet this is our condition. Our blessing specially consists in this, in having our spiritual vokes taken off from us, and having the bread of life laid before us in a more plentiful mca-sure than ever we had: was there, ever n time that this city had so much meat laid before it for the soul, as at this day? The misery of other parts of the kingdom is your mercy; the Lord grant that you do not loathe and despise your manna: God has ways enough to cut you short.

Ver. 6. He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assi/ria)i shall be his king, because they refused to return.

To give you first a short paraphrase of the words, (for there is no difficulty in them,) and then the notes of observation: it is as if the prophet should say,

Howsoever he thinks to help himself with ease, to shelter himself in Egypt, yet he shall not, but he shall go into captivity into Assyria; for all the means which have been used would not bring him to return. The observations then are,

Obs. 1. That which hardens men’s hearts against threats in their sin, is some expedient that they have in their thoughts; Let the worst come that can be, yet I have such and such a relief.

My brethren, it is a great mercy of God to be so wholly taken from all carnal props, from all vain shifts and hopes, as to be thoroughly convinced that there is no help in any thing, or in any creature, in heaven and earth, but only in turning to God, and casting the soul down before mercy; If that saves me not, I am undone for ever. When the heart comes to this, God is working in a gracious and merciful w’ay: I see my sin, my affliction that is upon me, and feel it; though my heart would be shifting this way and that way, yet God has convinced me nothing can do me good, I am lost and undone whatever course I take, except I return to God, and humble my soul before him, and seek his face, and obtain his mercy.

06s. 2. A stout heart cares not whither it goes, rather than it will return to God. “He shall not return into the land of Egj-jjt.” It was a very strange perverseness to think of this shift, to go back to Egypt. Why, was not Egy])t the place of their bondage, and the Egj’jitians still retained their cruelty? and yet they thought of this help, that they would turn to Egypt rather than to God. So the prodigal will rather go to the swine to feed upon husks, than to his father. And some stubborn children care not what miseries they suffer, rather than they will come and humble themselves to their parents; they will hang themselves, and drown themselves, and seek their fortune, as they are wont to say, rather than be persuaded to come in and submit themselves; no, never as long as they live, though they die, yet will they not: and thus their hearts are stout. But while they think they are stout against their parents, they are stout against God too, and God has ways to bring men’s stout hearts to yield.

Obs. 3. Stubborn hearts, though God be dealing with them in mercy, will, foolishly and desperately, if any thing cross them, wish to return to their former condition of miseiy. If you make any thing that God does an argument to a stubborn heart for duty, if it pleases him not, he will reject all that is done for him, and say he had rather be as he was before, Let me go into Egypt again. This is their unthankfulness, that because they are vexed and crossed in some one thing, they will foolishly and desperately wish that they were returned to their former condition. ’

Oh, thus it is with many of us; how foolishly, how wlckedl;,, have we thought and said it was better with us before than now, let us return to our former condition! this is thy folly and thy desperate wickedness. But saith the text, “He shall not return,” though he thinks of returning: as if the Holy Ghost should say, Do not ])lease yourselves to think it is but to return to Egypt, that you can no where be worse off than you are now; God has worse things in store for them who harden their necks.

And, my brethren, this is our case this day; let not us

think .of returning to our former condition: certainly, were we to attempt to return, our condition would be far worse than before, our danger far greater. This is certain, to the view of any men that have their eyes open, that our condition in England must, if we return, be far worse than before. !Many say, OIi, we were thus and thus in former times, and if we were now but as then we should do well enough! O, let us not think so; we must certainly be far worse off than we were, for if we think of returning it will not be to Egypt, but to Assyria.

06s. 4. God knows how to cross the wills and mar the plots of wicked men. They please themselves with their devices, they will do thus and thus; if they be put to this shift, then they have a second, and a thii’d. Yea, but there is a God in heaven who has determined otherwise.

Never were wicked men more crossed in their plots than they are at this day; they have said that they would do thus and thus, but God has said they should not, and they have not.

Now God in his mercy defeats the sinful projects of his people; but when the wicked are crossed iii their sin, it is because God has other ways to bring about greater evils on them: “the Assyrian shall be his king.” Well then, whatsoever any man’s thoughts and desires are, the Lord deliver us from turning into Egypt again. And likewise the Lord grant the Assyrian may not be our king.

“But the Assyrian shall be his king.” The Lord deliver us from both Egypt and Assyria. AVhy an Assyrian? why was he threatened to be their king? You shall find that he was one of a cruel and proud heart; the Ass3Tians were generally so, a generation of men cruel, proud, stout, and hard-hearted. ‘• O AssjTian, the rod of mine anger,” saith God, Isa. x. 5; and in ver. 7, “It is in his heart,” in the heart of the king of Ass)Tia, “to destroy and cut off nations not a few.” And in the 12th verse, “Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.” Oh! it it is a sore evil to be subject to the rage of a proud and stout-hearted man, who will set his heart against God himself; who, though God fights against him, yet will stand it out; and though his design is crossed, yet will not come in; who will not give glory to God though his will cost him the blood of many thousands, but will go desperately on, regarding more his own will and lusts than the blood or lives of millions. How sad and dreadful is the condition of those who have such a stout heart to reign over them, armed with power, inflated with pride, enraged with cruelty! This is that which the Lord threatens here; and why? ‘■ because they refused to return.” I beseech you observe this; “He shall not return into the land of Egypt,” saith God, “but th& Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return.” From whence further,

06s. 5. If we will not do God’s will, God will cross us in our own. They would have their will, they would retm-n,but they shall not, saith God; they will not return to me, therefore they shall not return whither they will themselves. God can cross us in our own wills at every turn. Foolish men! who will presume to cross God in his will, when God has them at such infinite advantages to cross them every way in eveiy thing 1 If you cross God in that in which he delights, you may expect God will cross you in that in which you most delight.

O, when you are crossed in any thing that you have set yo)ir thoughts and heart most upon, commune with yourselves thus; Have not I crossed the mind of God, in that upon which God most set his heart? It is a good way. my brethren, to take a holy revenge upon our-AX EXPOSITION OF

.selves, and if we cannot get our hearts to work for God as they otighf, not to suffer them to work for ourselves as they iroutd.

Obs. 6. God is not so much displeased at our sins, as at our not returning. He saith not, that the AssjTian should rule over them because they have sinned, but because they refused to return. “Because they would not return.” It is too much that thou hast sinned, but as soon as ever thou hast sinned it concerns thee to think of returning; God expects as soon as ever the sin is noticed, that thou shouldst presently begin to return. It is dangerous to continue in the least sin; this aggravates thy sin dreadfully, and endangers thy sealing up to wrath everlasting.

Obs. 7. To refuse to return, notwithstanding means used, and mercies tendered, is a fearful aggravation. Not to return is evil, but to refuse to return, notwithstanding means used and mercies tendered, oh this is fearful indeed.

O lay this to heart, thou convicted sinner; what offers of mercy has God made to thee! what callings to mercy hast thou heard, outward calls in prolideuce, and inward calls by the Spirit of God! Oh how has God called after thee, “Return, return, thou Shulamite;” return, return, return, thou wretched, wilful sinner; O, come in and return! What means of all sorts hast thou had to cause thy heart to return to God! and yet standest thou out? i’hink of what the Spirit saith in Job ix. 4, “^^’ho hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?” What! dost thou think to hai’den thyself again-t God, and yet to pros|)er? “AVHio hath hardened himself against him, and hath pros])ered?” And mark what follows; “Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger. Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.” And yet cannot thy heart be overturned, can it not tremble? In this, that thou refuses! to return, thy sin is aggravated above the sin of the devils themselves, for we do not know that ever the devils refused to return, for they were never offered mercy; God did never offer the devils mercy, God never sent to preach to them, either by his ministers, or word. Betuni, and ye shall have mercy; here is a price i)aid, here is a salvation for you, your sins may be pardoned: the devil had never such an offer. Who linows what the devil might do if such an offer were made to him? But now these offers are made to thee, and thou refusest to return. O return, therefore, thou sinful soul that art wandering from God in the ways of death and destruction, this day give in thine answer: as we read in Jer. iii. 22, where the Lord calls his backsliding children, “Ilttiun, ye backsliding childicn, and I will heal your backslidings.” Mark the answer ihey give to God, “Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God.” Oh that there might be such an answer given this day from some backsliding soul that is turned from God! O poor soul! whither art thou gone? God calls this day to thy soul, Keturn, return; and professes that he is willing to heal thy backslidings. O give in this answer, “Behold, we come mito thee; for thou art the Lord our God.” Oh that some soul might this hour refuse no longer to return. AXliy wilt not thou return? God is content to return to thee: thou art turned from God, and God in the ways of his administrations is turned away from thee; but mark the promise in Jer. viii. 4, 6, “Thus saith the Lord; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall ho turn away, and not return? Why then is this people of Jerusalem sliddenback by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.”

Some interpret the words here, “Shall he turn away and not return,” of God. The Lord is not so turned back, hut he is ready to return; oh! why shouldst thou liickslideTvith “a perpetual backsliding?”

“Because they refused to return.” The word i:»c translated ‘’they refused,” may signify they scorned. What! talk to him of returning, tell him of his sin against God, and its greatness, and the greatness of the danger, and the threatenings of God against his sin? he des])ises all these things, these are poor things to scare children withal; tell him of the mercies of God in pardoning his sin, he slights all. This humiUation now for sin, this breaking off’ of sinful courses, they deride the motions of them, they scorn to return. Hence, further,

Obs. 8. Scornful spirits, when called upon in the bowels of mercy to return from their evil ways, do not only refuse to return, but also scorn and slight what is said to them, ^^’ell, howsoever thou dost scorn and contemn it, know there are some who admire at God’s mercies in calling thee to return, who admire at mercy tendered to themselves, and prize it more than all things in the world; they turn to the Lord with all their souls, nothing in all the world can stop them; they bless God that ever their ears heard the call of God, wooing them to return, and they would not for ten thousand thousand worlds but they had heard it, and felt the Spirit of God working their hearts to return to him.

Ver. 6. And the sword shall abide on his cities, and shall consume his branches, and devour them, because of their own counsels.

“And the sword shall abide on his cities.” They relied on their cities and therefore refused to return; but saith the Lord here, vnya ain nSm “The sword shall abide on his cities.” The Vulgate and Jerome translate it. The sword has begun on their cities.

If we understood it thus we might derive a very profitable meditation.

Obs. 1. It is time for a people to return, when God doth but whet, or draw out, his sword. “At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; if that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their e■il, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them,” Jer. xviii. 7, 8. Oh! happy had it been for us, if, when the sword begun with us, we had turned from our evil.

But we must rather take it as in our version, and so the words are more proper, “The sword shall abide on his cities.”

The evil of the sword I have already opened in the latter end of the former chapter, but that which I here would note is. The abiding of the .sword upon their cities. From whence,

Obs. 2. The abiding of the sword is a sore judgment. So it was here, for afterwards, in the reign of Hoshea, was this prophecy fulfilled, when Samaria was besieged for three years together. When God threatens fearfully, he threatens the abiding of the sword; “the bathing it in heaven,” its being “filled with blood,” “made fat with fatness,” and that it “shall devour,” and “shall be satiate,” and “made drunk with blood.” All tliesc six expressions you have in two scriptures, Isa. xxxiv. 5, 6, and Jer.’xlvi. 10. Oh! this a dreadful thing, for the sword to abide. It has abode long on Germany, the Lord has been angry with them for almost these thirty years: we think three or four years long for the abiding of the sword amongst us.

But if it be such a fearful judgment for the sword to abide, how vile are they that seek to prolong its abiding on a people, and that for their own advantage! Oh! that is a cursed thing; such men live upon blood, every draught they drink they drink blood, who have endeavoured the prolonging of the sword upon this kingdom for their private advantages.

Mv brethren, we have cause to bless God, that he

has raised up instruments * for us, who have hazarded the shortening of their own lives to shorten the war, who have done their work of late as if they took it by the great. There is a froward and envious generation of men, who will say of some, because in certain things they differ from them, that they would be glad that these troubles might continue, because then they might have the more liberty. But we see these men, though of different judgments, do not contrive measures to continue the trouble, but hazai-d themselves to conclude it as soon as possibly they can, and that to admiration, doing things in the winter season, that is not ordinarily heard of among other nations; and all this, that the sword may not abide upon their country, but that peace may be hastened: on such surely the blessing of God must rest.

Obs. 3. The sword has its commission from God, and will abide as long as God will have it. He that is the Lord of hosts, gives the commission to the sword, and till he recalls his commission the sword shall go on. We may think the wars at an end; oh! let us look to it that we may make up our peace with God, and then we may hope it; but otherwise the Lord may cause “a serpent to come out of the cockatrice’s egg,” the Lord may kindle fires otherwise than we can imagine; therefore saith God, “The sword shall abide.” It may be they thought, that indeed if the enemy come he will not stay long; but, saith God, he “shall abide.”

I verily persuade myself, that there were many, yea, and some of the wisest in this kingdom, who persuaded themselves at the beginning of the taking up of the sword, that it would scarce have held twelve months together, it was so impossible to have foreseen the abiding of the sword so long upon us as it has. Yea, but if God gives commission it must abide: there is a notable text for that, in Jer. xlvii. 6, 7, “O thou sword of the Lord, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still.” Mai-k the answer there: “How can it be quiet, seeing the Lord hath given it a charge?” It must go on, it must abide, seeing the Lord hath given it a charge.

Obs. 4. It is a sad thing for the sword to be in the field, but still worse for the sword to be in the cities, for in the cities is the strength of the kingdom. “And the sword shall abide on his cities.” ‘VATien the sword comes into the cities, oh the fearful sights of houses fired, of streets running with blood, the hideous noise of shrieking women and children! JosejSoUbi^Sp.T. phus, in his account of the Jewish Wars, reports of Jerusalem, that when the Romans came against it and took it, the narrow’ streets were so filled with dead bodies that there was no passage; and he adds, that the streets ran with the blood of the inhabitants, and many things set on fire, were quenched with the blood of men and women which deluged the streets, so dreadful was the sword there. The number of those that were slain and died during the time that the sword was stretched out against that one city, he saith, was eleven hundred thousand, it having been surrounded when crowded with strangers at the time of the celebration of the T’assover. Oh! for the sword to come to jiopulous cities is very dreadful.

And the more dreadful it is, the greater is the mercy of God to our city; the Lord has so wholly delivered it from the sword that it has not come upon it at all. If the sword had come to this city, oh! it would have raged indeed; for this was the butt of the malice of the adversaries, their fury was reserved for this city; but the Lord has protected it, it has been the city of the Lord of hosts, the Lord has commanded that no army should meddle with it for hm-t: Isa. xxxvii. 35, “I will defend this city,” saith God,” to save it for mine own

* The new-modelleJ army. Ann. IG45. 1646.

sake.” Y’ea, it is for God’s own sake indeed that he has said to the sword, “Go through the land;” and indeed quite through the land, except this city, and a few surrounding counties about it: as in Ezek. xiv. 17, “Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say. Sword, go through the land,” &c. The sword has even devom-ed from one end of the land to another, and yet this city is preserved, and not only preserved, but made a refuge and a succour for all the godly party flying fiom the rage of the sword. “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised” in this city, preserved by the Lord; except it had been preserved by the Lord, the watchmen certainly had waked “but in vain,” Psal. cxxvii. 1.

“And shall consume his branches, and devour
them.”

The “branches,” that is, the towns and villages about the city; for the cities in a kingdom are like the root or the body of a tree, while the villages or towns are as the branches; and here are threatened both city and branches.

And this city has been as a great body of a tree, that has sent out juice, and sap, and succour to all the towns and villages in the kingdom, “len the sword is upon the city, there is little hope that the villages shall escape. Isa. xiv. 31, “Howl, O gate; cry, O city, thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved.” AATien the city cries, then whole Palestina is dissolved. No mai’vel then, though there has been such plotting in this city, by making divisions, besides other treacherous and villanous ways, to bring the sword upon it to spoil it. A’i’hat efforts have there been to betray us, one plot upon another! as soon as one is broken up, presently another is formed, and all against this city. Oh what a pleasant sight would it have been to our adversaries, to have seen it in confusion, and wallowing in its own blood! But the more there is depending upon it, the more carefully should all that love peace, and the welfare of the kingdom, labom’ for its good; every one should labour for the peace of it, that it may be a city compacted with unity within itself, that all that are godly and faithful therein may unite together, and every one bear the infirmities of his brother; that there may be no grating upon one another’s sphits, no exasperation, no stirrings-up of violence one against another, especially against those that are gracious and peaceable. The more plotting, and falseness, and treachery there is against this city, the more faithfully should we labour for its good, yea, and the more should we increase our prayers for it. So Psal. Iv. 9 — 11, “I have seen violence and strife in the city. Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it. Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.” What then? In the 1 7th verse, “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.” What saith the psalmist? “I have seen violence and strife in the city,” yea, and “deceit and guile depart not from her streets.” What shall I do then? “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray.” We complain of contentions, and divisions, and strifes in the city, and that there are so many plots and treacheries against the city; O let not us only talk of these things, but increase our prayers in frequency and fervency. Let there be no family without prayer to God in it, evening and morning at least; and if you prayed twice a day before, then” pray thi-ice a day now, because of the strife, and treachery,’ and deceit in the city; and the Lord will hear our voice. And he concludes the Psalm thus, “Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.” Let them be never so bloody-minded, and desire never so much to imbrue the city in blood, yet saith the text,” Bloody

and deceitful men shall not live out hall’ tlivir days; but I will trust in thee.”

“Because of their own counsels.”

The evil, folly, and danger of men’s own counsels, we we have spoken to, in the 10th chapter, 6th verse, “Ephraira shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.” Now only a word here in reference to the abiding of the sword upon them.

The sword has abode upon us divers years: the wisest amongst us did not think the sword would have continued so long as it has done; and yet who can tell when there will be an end of these things?

Among other evils, certainly this evil of our own counsels is a great evil, that has made the sword to abide upon us: every man follows his own counsel, one man for his friend, and another for his friend. Men’s own counsels, both in parliament, in city, in the army, in the country, throughout the kingdom, have been a great cause of the abiding of the sword so long a time upon us.

“Their own counsels.” The Vulgate renders it, connecting it with the foregoing words. Sua con.silia comedent capita eorum, shall eat up, or destroy, theii’ heads. Those men that seemed to be the wisest and most full of counsel among them, even they were the cause of the continuance of this evil upon them. Montanus and Vatablus render it, their counsellors; because those that put them upon such counsels were the cause of the abiding of the .sword. So in Ezek. xi. 2, of Jaazaniah and Pelatiah, ])rinces of the people, it is said, “these are the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city.” God has an eye upon such as “give wicked counsel in this city,” as the men that are the causes of the evil that is upon it. There is nothing more useful in troublesome times than counsel, if set aright; and nothing more dangerous in troublesome times than counsel, if it be wrong. The Lord deliver us, both parliament, army, city, and kingdom, from our own counsels. This will ever be; men will ever follow their own coiuisels, till they be taken off from their own designs and their own ends, till they can trust God with his work, and be willing to have their own private advantage swallowed up in the public good. Squint-eyed and selfish counsel will destroy us, if God be not infinitely merciful to us: yea, and it may be there are some well-intentioned for God, who yet in their counsels may be led aside by carnal principles: as for instance, many of good intentions, many who dcsu-e the furtherance of the kingdom of Christ, and can appeal to God that their hearts are sincere in their desire, think that there is no such way for the furtherance of the kingdom of Christ, as by the correspondency of it with the kingdoms of the world. Tills they regard as a sovuid fundamental princi])le; but certainly they are mistaken, for as the kingdom of Christ is not of this world, so the way to promote it is not by endeavouring the correspondency of it with the kingdoms of this world. God has laid the great work of man’s salvation, the greatest work that concerns the glory of his name, in that which is foolishness to men; and almost all the great works of (iod. cs])ecially those that have a more immediate subserviency to the kingdom of his Son, he brings about, not by man’s counsel, but by ways and means which seem folly to the counsels of men carnally wise. “For it is written, 1 w ill destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent,” 1 Cor. i. 19.

■Ver. 7. And my people are bent to backilidinf; from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all icould exalt him.

“And my people are bent to backsliding.” Sometimes they may begin to reform, but they are quickly off

again, for there is a principle of apostaey in them. “My people are bent to backsliding.” If they do any thing in the way of reformation it is upon some external motive; then’ hearts are inclined another way: they are like a bough of a tree bent contrary to its nature by an external force; it may be for the present it yields, but there is in it an inclination, a propension, to return whither its own nature careies it. Thus it was often with Israel, upon some extraordinary work of God they would do such and such things, but they were as a deceitful bow that soon starts back.

My brethren, let us search our hearts. There was a great forwardness of reformation in the beginning of the parliament; how did men stir then! their spirits seemed to be then otherwise disposed than now: but it appears that in many of them it was only a spirit against those that had oppressed them, and a triumphing and rejoicing in having their wills upon them, and in the novelty of the change of things, but their hearts remained as carnal, diossy. and vain as ever. Therefore when men’s wills were a little satisfied, and they saw that the godly people of the land began to rejoice, hoping for gi-eater freedom than ever for, and countenance of, the religious party, and they found that there were some difficulties in the work of reformation, and that thereby their lusts should be curbed, that they should not, as before, have a licence to sin, upon this their heai-ts “are bent to backslidmg;” that is, they fall off from the godly people of the land, with whom they formerly closed, and seemed much to rejoice in, their hearts are now against them as much as ever they seemed with them; yea, their hearts do vex and fret at any liberties they may possibly enjoy, or at any work of reformation that is begun. Thus it is with the nation at large, men’s hearts “are bent to backsliding.”

And if we look at men individually, their hearts “are bent to backsliding” from the ways of godliness which they began to profess, as thus; many young ones, and others, who have had workings on their hearts, and have made great profession of religion, yet, never having had their hearts changed, start back now; and that for many reasons.

1. God’s ways have been unsuitable to them, and therefore they have found them hard and tedious.

2. To other things they have had a greater inclination, oidy they have been kept fi’om them by the strength of conviction and external motives.

3. “They have grown weary of the ways of God: that is a third degree, weariness of the ways of God.

4. They have watched all advantages how they might get off from their profession.

5. They have been sony that they have engaged
themselves so much as they did.

(). Any objections against such ways they greedily embrace, and diligently improve.

7. They are very ready to take any offence.

8. They watch for offences.

9. Anv opinion that will give them a liberty from that straitness which they made profession of before, they are willing to embrace and entertain; if there be any practice that may give them any more liberty, they fall presently to it, and so they come to backslide. Now their actual backslidings are but a fruit of the bent of their sjiirits; their spirits were bent to backsliding before, and what they do now is but a fruit of the inward inclination. Let such know, that if they have no need of the ways of godlines.s, the wavs of godliness have no need of them; the ways of godliness shall he justified and honoured, when they shall perish and be swejit off as filth and dung from the face of the earth. I will leave only that scripture with them, “If any man draw back, mv soul shall have no pleasure in him,’” Heb. X. 38.

But I find “natt’oS D^Ni’rn which we translate “bent to backsliding,” rendered variously; and indeed the Hebrew does seem to countenance divers readings. Calvin, Pareus, and others of our later writers, render the words suspeyisi sunt, they are as men hanging in suspense; for n’SiSn they say, translated by us “bent,” signifies a jjropension to a thing; and is accordingly rendered by them, in suspense; the Septuagint favours this, translating it by f7riicpf;mfi£)’og. Now then, if the translation of the word be thus, which is for aught I know as suitable, or rather more so, than our version, why then there are these two things mainly in it.

First, They are in suspense; that is, they being insti-aits know not what to do. I find’ in Deut. xxviii. 66, the same word that here is translated “bent,” is there rendered “shall hang in doubt:” “thy life shall hang in doubt before thee;” and that makes me the rather think that this interpretation may set out the mind of the Holy Ghost in this scripture. So then the meaning would be this:

They see themselves in such a sad condition that they know not which way to turn; they see their plots take not, their designs prosper not, they see God is out against them; and they would fain devise new plots, but they see as great an unlikelihood to prosper in their new, as in their former plots; what the issue of them may be they know not: thus are they in suspense and in doubt, not knowing which way to turn themselves.

And blessed be God who has put our adversaries in suspense and doubt: this is a judgment of God upon men who cannot trust God in his right and holy ways; they must have ways of then’ own, they must follow their own counsels, and these their own counsels insnare them, and bring them into most miserable straits, from whence they know not how to extricate themselves. God makes the wajs of the righteous plain lo them; but the counsels of men’s hearts bring them into straits. They thought to deal wisely for themselves, but the truth is, their counsels, in which their wisdom was much applauded, bring them into such miserable straits and extremities, that they know not what to do.

Secondly, Luther has a very good interpretation of

this, reading the words thus: My people

biut’an “w redite doubt whether they will turn to me or

ad me. Luiii. jjQj.. ^[^gy ggg jjjgy profit not in their

way, their consciences misgive them, they have some thoughts of returning to me, sometimes they are persuaded it is best for them to return; but the corruption of their own hearts stirs up temptations, and when they are presented to them, they know not what to do; they give many onsets, but they come not oflT freely; my people do hang in doubt and suspense, and do not come off freely to my way.

And this is according to the Chaldee

ra°t’’s“e’’com™’e!rad paraphrase, Jly people hesitate to conrGaS.’para“phra!c. ‘^’^”^ themselves to my law: there are

tossings to and fro in their minds, they

are in doubt, and come not to a full resolution.

Obs. 1. It is a great evil for men to strive with their consciences. When their consciences put them upon the ways of God, they think there is good in God’s ways, and that God is not well pleased with their present courses, and that it might be well for them if they reformed: yea, but then, on the other side, there come in temptations, and there are such difficulties in the way, I shall discountenance such and such great ones, I shall have opposition from some whom my measures will displease, I shall hazard myself, and the like; I must deny myself and go against the hair in many things, I must cross my heart in certain things on which it is strongly bent; why may I not do well enough in some other way, without so much trouble to myself? Thus their hearts reason within them: and yet again at other times serious thoughts begin to work, and their

consciences thus to stir. Have not I to deal with a holy and glorious God? how if things shall prove otherwise than they are apprehended by me? what good will iddo to me to cozen my own soul? were it not better for me to return? Oh that I could but tell how to speak this day to such as are perhaps yet in suspense! It may be there are some such here this day; they cannot bequict in their present state, when they awake in the night season their consciences trouble them, and yetp when they come abroad among company then that carries them away again; and thus their lives do as iij were hang in suspense, and they are vexed and troubled in their own thoughts, not knowing what to do. Oh that I could (I say) speak to such hearts this day, that I could but tell how to present to them some determining thoughts! I will but in a few words suggest four or five meditations to such, that may help them to come to a determination; for the truth is, this is the cause almost of all the wickedness of such as have enlightened consciences under the means of grace, they do not come to a fidl determination. If thou art in suspense, let me cast into the scale these thoughts:

1. These stirrings now upon thee, which put thee thus to ojjpose the ways of sin, and bring thee so far as to be in suspense, know, they are the work of the Holy Ghost in thee; I do not say, that all going against such stirrings and workings is Ihe sin, that nvpardonable sin; but this I say, the sinning against those stirrings and workings of thy conscience is a sin against the Holy Ghost: take heed then of sinning against the good Spirit of God; the Holy Ghost has begun to conceive in thee, take heed thou dost not destroy the child in the womb. A’S’e know it is murder to destroy a child in the womb, when it is but beginning to be conceived; and thou that art in this suspense, thou hast a conception of the Holy Ghost in thee; take heed of murdering it.

2. If the Spirit of God leaves thee after this, thou wilt be more hardened than ever: let this be in thy thoughts. Thou hast stirrings of conscience, and some propension to the ways of God, but yet thy corruptions hang off; look to thyself while these worldngs of God are u])on thee, if they leave thee they will leave thy heart harder than before.

3. In matters of such infinite consequence, certainly the safest way is the best way. It is not enough for thee to say. Is it necessary? and why must I do thua and thus? and what need” it? and may not I do well enough without it? But when thou art reasoning about matters that concern eternity, though thou canst not fully satisfy thy mind, yet to take the safest way is the best way; and that thou art upon the safest way, is enough to countervail whatever trouble thou mays’o meet with; though it should not be absolutely necessary that thou shouldst take such a course in such a particular, yet if thy conscience but suggests to thee, that this way is safer than the other, to go the safest way is best.

4. There is more evil in the least sin, than there can be good in whatsoever all the creatures in the world can tender to thee. Resolve upon this; this is a certain, undeniable principle: There is more evil in the least sin, than there can be good in all that all the creatures in the world can tender to thee.

5. It is best for me to do that now, which I would wish I had done if I were now to die. Put that meditation into the scale. Art thou in suspense, inclining now this way, now that, whether fully to come off fronj those ways of sin that thou art upon, or no? put this fifth thought into the scale. It is best for me now to do that which I would wish I had done if I were now to die. This will tend mightily to weigh down abundanca of temptations that may be put into the other scale; and so thou mayst come to a determination, and deliver thy soul.

“Bent to backsliding,” rendereil liy Calvin and others, they are in suspense, the Vulgate translates, My people hang in a kind of hope that I will return, and that all may be well with them at last; that though they do thus and thus, yet ;ill may be well with them at last; God has often delivered them out of great atflictions, and why may not he deliver them still? And so they hang in expectation of Ciod’s coming to them. So they make ‘n3Wt:S here translated “backsliding,” to be a returning, a returning of God. I confess the word has something in it that signifies returning; but those who are skilful in Hebrew say, it is not used in a good sense, but in an evil; it is rather a going from, than a returning. Still, as the Vulgate has it, the hope of God’s returning, and that tilings may be well, is the cause of the hardening of many hearts in sin; they hang as it were in the air, thinlung that it may be well with them, and that things may not prove so bad as they hear. But cursed is that hope of comfort which has nothing else to ground upon, but only. It may be things ai-e not so bad as we hear out of the word.

“Though they called them to the most High.” That is, the prophets and messengers of God “called them to the mo.st High,” they wanted not means in the ministry of the word, they were called to “the most High,” that is, to God. Now that God is “the most High,” we have shown, chap. vii. 16, where he has also the title of “the most High.” You who are highest, look upon God as above you; know that God looks upon you, and all men that are lifted up in the pride of their own hearts, as infinitely below him.

“They called them to the most High;” that is, they called them in the ministry of the word, that they might,

1. Know him; that is, that they might know him, “the most High,” to be the infinite, supreme, glorious Majesty; that they might know the infinite distance which there is between God and the creature, and that they might know him to be the highest end of all things, so as to work after him submissively.

2. Acknowledge him; that they might thus fear him, that they might worship him, and love him, and trust in him, as the most high God.

3. Submit their wills to him whose will is supreme above all, and especially in matters of worship.

■4. Come to have this high God as their God, and enjoy him as their portion. Thus the prophets “called them to the most High.” ‘Wliercas their hearts were drossy, and low, and base, they minded only the satisfying of their flesh, and having their wills one upon another; their hearts hung down to their devised worship, which, though suitable to their public ends, and carrying great wisdom in their adoption of it, yet God would not own; God despised that worshi]) of theirs with which they thought to honour him: the prophets therefore called them from these base, drossy things, to the most high God. Hence,

Obs. 2. Men’s hearts naturally sink down to low and mean things; things unworthy of their souls, unworthy of that excellent nature with which they are endued. Men indeed have swelling hearts in their base, sinful way, but this very pride is their disease. The heart of man wants a true elevating principle, and the knowledge of “the most High” would more dignify and exalt it than pride can ever do: sin, wheresoever it is, debases man’s nature.

06*. 3. It is the end of the ministry- of the word, to call to the most high God those who nave their hearts grovelling after low and base things. Have not you found this fruit of the ministry of the word in your hearts, calling you many a time to the most high Ciod from the vanities on which your hearts were fixed, telling you of the great and glorious Being with whom you have to deal in all your ways, who will have to deal with you to all eternity? I question not but many of

your consciences have found this, even a word darted into your hearts that has called you from low, base things to the high and blessed God.

Obs. 4. It is a great and sore evil to stop our eai-s against the calls of the word. What! not answer to God’s call? Does God call you, and you not answer to him? We say to a child, Your father calls you, or to a servant. Your master calls you, will you not answer? Oh I to shut our ears against the call to the most high God is a dreadful thing, it will lie heavy upon thee one day; those calls which thou hast had in thine cars will ])rove to be terrors in thy heart. Certainly, though thou lettest go the invitations of the word calling thee to the most high God, remember this, the calls which thou hast to the high God, being neglected by thee, will prove terrors in thy heart. Poor creature, to what dost thou listen? what invita tions engage thy heart, that the calling to “the most High” cannot overcome thee?

Obs. o. The calling ‘■ to the most High,” is a special means to cause those that are in suspense to come to a full resolution. In Psal. xc-ii. 9, “Thou, Lord, ait high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.” AVhat follows in the 10th verse? “Ye that love the Lord, hate evU.” God is a high God above all gods; hate evil then; set yourselves against evil, be resolved in the ways of God. “N^Tien you are called to “the most High,” you may see how infinitely worthy God is of all glory from you, what infinite good there is in him, and what infinite power he has to avenge himself of you, if you neglect his call; therefore there is a mighty deal of force to cause resolution. In Acts vii. we have a notable speech of Stephen concerning Abraham. Abraham was called from his father’s house, and it cannot be imagined but that he had many thoughts to keep his heart in suspense; when called from his kindred, and all the contentment and comfort he had there, it is impossible but flesh and blood would suggest many thoughts to Abraham to keep his heart in suspense. But what led Abraham’s heart to resolve fully what to do in such a case? The text saith, “The God of glory appeared to him,” Acts vii. 2; it was not only God, but “the God of gloi-y.” My brethren, when God is calling you oB from all creature comforts, from all things that may quiet your hearts in the world, and you nave strong temptations to keep you in the ways of sin, let but the God of glory appear to you, and this will engage your heai-ts. this will bring them to a full resolution. Oh! blessed, blessed are those souls to whom, though they have continued long in suspense, yet at length the God of glory has appeared in the midst of their doubts and temptations.

And if there be such a force in this, then learn to present before thy soul that is in such a suspense, the glory of the great God; look up to this great God; It is the infinite high God to whom I am called. 0 thou hesitating, wavering soul, look u]), and answer this call of God unto himself, answer it thus:

O Lord, thou art an infinite, blessed, glorious Being, the Supreme Being of all. I am a poor, vile worm. that lies under thy feet, and it is of thy mercy that thou wilt vouchsafe to look towards me; thou mightest have let me gone on in my baseness, and have suflered me to perish to all eternity, without giving me any call to thyself; but now that thou shouldst give me a call to thyself, thou, the high, and glorious, and blessed Lord, this is mercy: Lord, I come, and with fear and trembling fall down before thee, saying, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” Those who have been wavering and afterwilrds settled, have found that this has been the thing which has settled them, some dreadful authority of the high God that has come to their hearts in some truth beyond their former experience.

Obs. 6. The true worship of God is an elevating *hing. Then are they called to “the most High,” when they are called to the true worship of God, for it raises the soul to “the most High.” Men’s inventions are low, base, and unworthy things. O consider whether thou findest this in the worship of God? Dost thou find thy soul raised up to “the most High” in his worship? if not, thou dost not worship God aright. Let no man look upon the worship of God as a low, mean thing; know, when thou art worshipping God, thou hast to deal with “the most High,” whom angels worship and adore, with that God who is far above all creatures in heaven and earth: thus thou art to regard the worship of God. Oh how far are most men from this in their worship of God! veiT few there are that lift up their hearts to “the most High,” even in the duties of worship. And so it follows in the words,

“None at all would exalt him.” Wiy, If God be the most high God, how can he be exalted?

I answer, he is so high, that he cannot be more high than himself, God cannot be more excellent than he is in himself God cannot make himself better than he is, nor more glorious in himself than he is: therefore no creature can make him more than he is: all that all the creatures in heaven and earth can do for God, can add nothing to him. “Blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise,” Neh. ix. 5.

Yet then God accounts himself to be exalted, when he is known and acknowledged as the high, supreme, first Being; when we fear him as a God; w’hen we humble ourselves before him as before a God; when we are sensible of the infinite distance there is between him and us; when we are willing to lay down what we are, or have, or can do for the furtherance of his praise; when his will is made the rule of all our ways, and especially of his worship; when we make him the last end of all; when it is the great care of our souls and work of our lives to do what possibly we can, that he might be magnified and lifted up in the world; and when we account the least sin a greater evil than can be recompensed by all the good which heaven and earth can afford us: when we do thus, God accounts himself exalted by us. And this is the work that we all have to do, to give up ourselves to the exalting of the name of this blessed God. He is worthy, so worthy of honour from us creatures, that though ten thousand millions of men and angels should perish eternally for the furtherance of the least degree of his honour, h§ is worthy of it all; and therefore let us know it to be our work to endeavour in our places to exalt him: and blessed is that man or woman, who when about to die is able to say, O Lord, thou hast been high in my heart; thy wisdom I have adored, and submitted mine unto it; thy will I have honoured, and yielded mine likewise to it; and it has been the great care of my soul that I might, according to the ability given unto me, do something in my place to lift up thy name: such may go out of the world in peace, as having in some measure fulfilled their mission into it.

O you whom God has exalted, let it be your care to exalt God; and especially ye saints of the Lord, know God has exalted you on high, and expects that )0U should lift up his name: he has lifted you up out of the depth of misery, from the nethermost hell, he has joined you to, and made you one with, his Son, he has loved jou with the same love wherewith he loved his Son, with him he has made you heirs, even “joint-heirs.” he has given his angels to be ministering spirits to you, he has made it his great design to honour himself in your eternal good, he has prepared a crown of glory for you; O then, do you join together to exalt the name of this God who has lifted up you who were such poor vile worms, let the high praises of this God

be in youi- hearts and mouths for ever. Thus Psal. cviii. 4, “Thy mercy is great above the heavens, and thy truth reachethunto the clouds:” mark what follows in the 5th verse, “Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; and thy glory above all the earth.” O Lord, we see thy mercy is exalted above the heavens, and thy truth to the clouds; then, Lord, be thou exalted above the heavens, that is, in our hearts and in our lives. Oh that God may be exalted in an answerable way above the heavens in what we do for him, as he has been exalted above the heavens in what he has done for us. Let us all exalt God’s name: in either our everlasting destruction or salvation he will be glorified; let us pray that our safety may be identified with his glory.

jMy brethren, God has exalted himself of late in our eyes, in a glorious manner. “Be thou exalted, Lord,“in thine own strength,” Psal. xxi. 13. The Lord has exalted himself in his o-rni strength: but mark what follows, “so will we sing and praise thy power.” O let us sing and praise the power of God, who has of late so exalted himself in his own strength, and for the good of his own peo])le.

Obs. 1. God has little honour in the world. “None at all would exalt him.”’ Men seek to exalt themselves, but none to exalt God; every man follows his own ways and his own lusts, but the blessed and glorious God is exalted by few, or none. Men will arise to lift up antichrist, the kings of the earth will give their power to the beast, but none will exalt the Lord. Oh let this grieve the hearts of the saints, to see that the blessed God, so blessed in their eyes, should be exalted by so few.

And consider, every one of you, how little he has been exalted by you in all your ways. And why should you vex and fret that yon have not honour and respect, when the blessed God, so infinitely worthy of honour and glory, is yet respected by almost none. Well, let this be our resolve from it; the less glory I see God have from the children of men, the more let me labour to honour him.

“None at all would exalt him;” so yom- version reads it: Luther and others, however, offer another interpretation, which, although not so good, may consist with the original, DCIT nS for if you observe the words, “him” is not there: they accordingly render it, there is’none that lifts up himself; and explain it thus. Men are in a sleepy, sullen mood, that when God calls them, they will not stir up themselves to listen. And Luther makes use of this similitude. As a stubborn servant, or child, when the master calls him, will not stir and lift up himself to his call, there are none will lift up themselves; drossy, base, drowsy spirits, that are sleepy, and sink down to base, low things, they will not lift up themselves when they are called to the most high God. “They called them to the most High, there is none that lifts up himself.”

It is a great evil to give way to a dead, dull sullenness of heart. When you come to the ministry of the word, you come with hearts dead and sinking down with discouragements. Now, when God calls, you should stu- and lift up your hearts to close with those truths of God which do” concern you; and it is a great evil in manv, when they hear excellent truths which might do them good, that yet they do not lift up their hearts to close with those truths.

Ver. 8. How shall I give thee up, Ephraivi? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within vie, my repentiiigs are kindled together.

Here, according to Luther, ends the 11th chapter, and the 12th begins at the next verse.

For the words themselves, we have not in all the

book of God a more full expression of the palhetieal affections of mercy and compassion in God. “How shall I give thee up, Ephraira? ‘’ I beseech you observe, God was in the midst of his threatenings of judgment, and of charging them with their sin: “The sword shall abide on his cities, and shall consume his branches, and devour them, because of their own counsels. And my pconlo are bent to backsliding from me: though tliiy called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him.” How! not one would come in? what should follow? One would think, Now let wrath pursue them, let the curse of the Almighty overtake them; one would wonder that it did not: but mark a greater wonder; after charging them with this wickedness, and in the midst of threatenings of the most dreadful judgments, God exclaims, “How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? “’ &c.

The Lord here takes u])on him (as it were) the person of a loving father towards a stubborn and rebellious child. The child has gone away from the father, and has continued in it.s stubbornness; it may be the father sends after it; it will not come, it will not return, but goes on perversely. The father has many w orkings in his heart to cast it off; He shall never be the better for me, let him beg his bread from door to door, he is unnatural. Yea, but in the midst of these resolutions, and these sad thoughts towards the child, there comes a turning of his heart on a sudden: How shall I give it up? how shall I disinherit it? how shall 1 do it? It is my child, though stubborn; why may it not return? why may not yet God work good upon it? It is very evil, but how shall 1 give it up? I know not how in the world to bring my heart to it. Thus the Lord breaks out here. Here we have in your books four hows: “How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Adniah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? “I confess in the Hebrew there are but two, yet they have the sense of four, and accordingly the interpreters insert them; How? how? how? how shall I do it? There are four interrogations here, and four answers. Four jjathetical interrogations that God asks as it were himself: First,” How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? “Secondly,” How shall I deliver thee, Israel? ‘’ Thirdly, “How shall I make thee as Admah?” Fourthly, “How shall I set thee as Zeboim?” And to these there are four answers, as thus: First, “Mine heart is turned within me.” Secondly, “My repentings are kindled together.” Thirdly, “I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger.”

Fourthly, “I will not return to destroy Ephraim.” These are the four answers; and for the last of them two reasons are given:

F’irst, “I am God, and not man.” Secondly, “The Holy One in the midst of thee.” Now what the force of these reasons is we shall see when we come to them. But now to open to you briefly the words in a way of paraphrase, and then the several doctrinal notes from them.

“How shall I give thee up, Ephraim?” or, as some read it. What shall I do to thee, I’.phraim?

I am as it were at a stand what to do; as the father, that with the rod in his hand comes to correct, and lets the rod fall out of his hand, his affections work so strongly.

What shall I do? As if God should say. Oh, were there but any repentings, I would rejoice; yea, I would accept them were they but ever so little. Could I but tell now to vindicate mine honour in any other way than by your destruction. I would do it; oh, what shall I do? It i.s your foolish, wilful stubbornness, going on in such a vile, sinful way, that puts God to such a stand. What shall I do? God seems here to

have his heart troubled within him, much like that in Exod. xxxiii. 5, when God was offended with the people, “Put off thy ornaments from thee,” saith he, “that I may know what to do unto thee.” It is a strange expression; as if he should say, Come and fast and pray, “put oft” thine ornaments,” and humble yourselves before me, that I may know what to do to you: oh! why may there not be some hopes? “Put off thine ornaments,” if there be but any repentings.

Or if you take it as it is in your books, “How .shall I give thee up, Ephraim?” then the scope is. Thou art upon the very brink of destruction, in the very mouth of ruin; wrath and misery stand waiting only for my giving thee up; oh! but how shall I do it? but I cannot tell how to find in my heart; how shall I do it? “How shall I give thee up, Ephraim?”

“E])liraim.” This word contained a strong argument to move the compassion of God. If thou wert indeed the refuse of the world, I would not so much care for many thousands of them; but thou art “Ephraim,” “my pleasant child,” “my dear son,” Jer. xxxi. 20. “How shall I give thee up, Ephraim?”

“How shall I deliver thee?” As if he should say. Justice calls for thee, that I would deliver thee up to her; justice pleads that thou art her due; but how shall I do it? how shall I do it? how shall I deliver thee? “Mine heart is turned within me.”

The Septuagint and Vulgate render the words, Howshall I protect thee?

The mistake arises from this: the same radical letters in the Hebrew that stand for deli-, ^-.^^ induit vering, signify likewise a shield, and cirpi-iir;3i3 proir«:t therefore they translate it. How shall I “^ «- protect thee as with a shield? but the sense is much the same, thus. How shall I protect such a one as thou art? how .shall it be for mine honour that thou shouldst be under my protection? Men, indeed, do abuse their power to give protection to others, (and you know there has been a great abuse of this kind since the parliament began,) but saith God, How shall I do it? that is, I who am a holy and infinite God, how shall I protect such a one as thou art?

“How shall I deliver thee, Israel?” “Israel;” here is another argument: Israel, I remember thy father, I remember that mighty prince who wrestled with me and prevailed, and I account it my glorv’ to be the glory of Israel and his seed. What! art thou the jjosterity of Israel, of one so dear to me, of a prince that heretofore so prevailed with me in prayer? what! art thou his posterity? “How shall I deliver thee, Israel?” When God looks upon them he sees them sinful and v^TCtchcd, but when he looks upon what they were in reference to their forefathers, “How shall I give thee up, Israel?”

“How shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I. sot thee as Zeboim?”

Admah and Zeboim were the names of two of they five cities of the plain; now four of these five citie were destroyed by fire from heaven for their wickednness, and one only spared for Lot’s sake. But thu .ldmah and Zeboim were two of the cities on which the judgments of God were most terrible. The apostle Jude in his Epistle, ver. 7, saith, they, with “Sodoiri and Gomorrha,” “are set forth for an example, sufl’ering the vengeance of eternal fire.” Now, saith God here, the truth is, you have provoked me as much as Admah and Zeboim have done, their sins were not greater than yours, and as great wrath belongs to you as to them; but oh! how shall I do it? “How shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim?” how shall I constrain my heart to such a measure?

Jerome on the place moves this question. Why docs he mention Admah and Zeboim, and not Sodom and Gomorrah?

Veil 8.

The answer which he gives is this: Judah is compared in their sin to Sodom and Gomorrah, Isa. i.; Ezek. xvi.; for Judah had more means than Israel had, Judah had the temple amongst them, and therefore their sin was more aggravated. So Sodom and Gomorrah were the chief sinners; Adraah and Zoboim did but as it were follow their example, and, by so doing, inwrapped themselves in the same judgments; but yet their sin was not altogether like Sodom’s and Gomorrah’s; therefore Judah, that had more means, is compared to Sodom and Gomorrah, and the ten tribes to Admah and Zeboim.

“Mine heart is turned within me.”

Luther, according to his usual way in magnifying the grace of God, saith here. It is as if mncitlt“m?,l’p’op. ‘he heart that is stu-red with anger forter pcccaia horn., tlic sins of mcu. Were not the true heart Dei cor, vcrum Dd of God; and therefore saith he, “Mine Sai.SsiV^rquJKi heart is turned to me,” mine own heart: ftonc.TJtirEjpos. low I have mine own heart indeed, when I have thoughts of jieace; when I had thoughts of wrath it was not as it were mine own heart. So in Isa. xxviii. 21, God calls his execution of judgment, “his slrange work.” God’s oicn heart is affected with our evil, and even turns with mercy towards us. So, Mine heart is come to me, saith God, as if it were gone before.

But otherwise, “Mine heart is turned within me;” that is,

As when a man’s heart is much affected with love and compassion, there is the working of the spirits and blood round about it, and within it mighty motions and stirrings; so, saith God, methinks I find all my blood, as it were, and spirits, so working and stirred, that I find my heart even turning up and down within me, when I come to the execution of wrath. And then, “My repentings.” That is, those thoughts of God by which he came to do such things as men do in their repentings.

“Are kindled together.” That is, all the thoughts that could ])0ssibly be mustered together to turn my heart from the dictates of justice to the ways of mercy, conjointly conspire (saith God) to kindle a flame within me. As a number of brands being laid together make a great flame; so all those thoughts, presented together, mightily stu- and burn within me.

Oh, this is the goodness of God to his people, to have all things that in any way may be a motive to do them good, to come together before him, and make a fire in the very bosom of God. All the reasonings, as it were, of my heart being joined together for them, have kindled a fire, so that I cannot hold, but I must needs vent myself thus, “How shall I give thee up, Ephraim?”

But you will say, “Why does God express himself thus?

God might, without any more ado, pardon, and help,

or deliver; why then should he express himself thus?

To this Calvin answers, He accommo-Accommodat se ii. ii.. i /-,,

Tudiiaii nosuK. dates hmiselt to our weakness. God, ‘^°’’’ who disdained not to take man’s nature

upon him, disdained not to personate a man who, being much wronged, is reasoning in himself what to do; his heart is full of pity, his bowels ye:.rn, and he would fain find a way for mercy; and when provocation of execution comes into his mind, it is as a dagger to his heart: Oh, how shall I do this?

God personates such a man, and saith, How shall I do it? and mercy and justice are introduced to plead the case, both against and for Ephraim.

Justice comes in and pleads. Lord, their sins are great and many; their mercies have been great, the means which they hale had have been exceeding many, thou hast been patient a long time towards them, and this thy long-sufl’ering has been abused, their hearts are still hardened, thy name is blasphemed because of

them. These arguments are advanced against them. But then mercy steps up and pleads, But, Lord, art not thou a God? Thou art a God: these actions indeed may overcome men, but shall they overcome thee? Is not this Ephraim? are not they thy people? are they not in colcnant relation with thee? Spare them. Lord, for their forefathers’ sake, for Abraham’s sake, for Israel’s sake, who was so mighty with thee. Remember, Lord, “the kindness of their youth,” the wonders that thou hast done heretofore for them, when they were stubborn and rebellious. Lord, thou hast many of thine elect among them, and wilt thou then utterly consume them? Wien the Lord hears mercy thus pleading against justice, he exclaims. How shall I do it? I cannot do it. Thus you have seen the opening of the words, with the paraphrase.

Thus you have the words explained and paraphrased, and if any one of you should think that I do not confine myself to a mere brief exposition of this scripture, I may even answer you. How shall I do it? it were a very great burden upon one, to open such scriptures as these in an auditory that desire to have something spoken to theu- hearts, and to jiass them over with a mere brief exposition. But for the notes, the first observation is,

Obs. 1. The greatness of men’s sin hinders not the working of the bowels of God’s mercies towards them. “None at all would exalt him:” they followed their own counsels, and did what they list, yet, “How shall I give thee up?” I will give you a like instance, and that is as remarkable a one as we have in all the book of God. What sins were greater than the sins of Jerusalem against Christ when he lived? yet Christ looks on Jerusalem, and weeps over it; w’eeps over it, when he considered of its destruction. Yea, and mark, though Jerusalem was guilty of the blood, yea, took away the very life, of Christ; yet when Christ was risen again, one of the first things recorded of him, is his saying to the disciples going to Emmaus, “That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem,” Luke xxiv. 47. Repentance and remission of sins preached to all nations: oh, but surely Jerusalem must be left, Jerusalem that did slay the prophets, and was so injurious, yea, Jerusalem which put Jesus Christ to death; though all nations should have repentance and remission of sins preached to them, yet one would think Jerusalem now should be excepted. No, saith Christ, “beginning at Jerusalem;” Jerusalem shall be the first place where I will have repentance and remission of sins preached, even that Jerusalem which took away my life; I will have repentance and remission of sins preached there first of all. Truly God’s mercies are beyond man’s iniquities.

My brethren, consider on this, first. If the bowels of God’s mercies work towards us, notwithstanding our great sins, why should not the bowels of our compassions work towards our brethren, notwithstanding their infirmities? why should we, upon every little discontent, cast off allpity and love to our brethren? What! such great unworthiness in us, and yet it move not God to cast us oft”, but still, “How shall I give thee up?” O, when you look upon your brethren with whom your hearts did once close, and who were to you as your own souls, in the contemplation of being any instruments of evil to them you should have such reasonings as this. How shall I do it? I see infirmities in them, yea, but notwithstanding my great sins, God saith of me, “How shall I give thee up?”

Secondly, Why should great afflictions for God hinder our hearts working to him, when our great sins against God hinder not God’s heart from working towards us? Why should any great afflictions for God hinder our hearts working towards him? Surelv if

God will be merciful to us notwithstanding our sins, we should go on in the ways of obedience to him notwithstanding any consequent afflictions.

Obs. 2. Sinners are at the very mouth of misery, the brink of destruction, when they think not of it; nothing is required but for God to give them up.

Obs. 3. Nothing but God’s fi-ee mercy keeps us from being destroyed; “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed.”

Obs. 4. Sin puts God to a stand. How shall I do it? It brings disorder into the world; God must set his infinite msdom on work to bring things about to his own glory. Sin has brought disorder and confusion; Now, saith God, I must set mine infinite wisdom on work to bring glory out of this confusion. If God has any good intentions to thee, know, thy sin lays such difficulties in God’s way to find out a channel for his merer toward tlice, as puts him to a kind of stand; as thus, for God to find out a way that all the wrong which sin has done to him should bo atoned for, and yet thy soul saved, is the hardest thing in the world. Thou canst commit sin easily, but (I say) when the sin is committed, for God then to discover a way whereby all that dishonour which is done to him may be made up, (as it must be, for otherwise all the disorder will not be brought into order,) and yet thy soul saved, is the hardest thing in the world; and were not God a God infinite in wisdom, he would never be able to devise the means of reconciliation. God does seem, as it were, to be at a stand; How shall I act so as to save these sinners, and yet not wrong myself? Oh this should humble us for our sins! As if a child should de jo much evil as to bring himself into such briers and troubles, that if his tender father, being affected with his sad condition, would help him, he is put to abundance of difficulties, and is fain to beat his brains, and study ways and means how he shall contrive to save this his child from utter undoing: now if the child has any ingenuousness in him. he will not think, It is no great matter, so be it 1 be delivered; oh! but this will break his heart. Oh what troubles have I brought my father into! It is thus with us in reference to Go J, if we look upon God thus as personating a man.

Obs. 5. The salvation of a sinner breaks through a great many reasonings and workings of God’s heart. How shall I do it? saith God. We little think what reasonings there are many times between mercy and justice about our lives, about our souls; could we but hear them as they debate in heaven regarding us, it would go to our hearts. The great salvation that comes by Christ was not determined without many reasonings between mercy and justice; there was presented to God whatsoever justice could say, and whatever mercy could say: What! (saith God.) must my son be under my wrath, and be made a curse, for the satisfying of justice? yet this must be; justice requires satisfaction; how can it be done without the Son of God being made a curse for man’s sin? Such reasonings there are in the heart of God about man’s salvation. In 1 Sam. xxvi., we read of Abishai and David’s debating about Saul’slife: “God,” saith Abishai to David, “hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him,” &c. No, saith David, “destroy him not.” And thus they reasoned one with another. Saul was in a very dangerous situation when there was that reasoning about his life: in a like state arc we many times; the justice and mercy of God reason about our lives and souls. Oh, how do we depend upon God for our lives and souls! and if we be saved, we are saved through many reasonings.

Obs. 6. According to the relation a sinful people have to God, so God finds it a difficult thing to execute wrath upon them. How shall I do it? The wrath of God is many times brought to the birth, and God cannot, as it were, (to speak after the manner of men,) know how to put strength to it to bring it forth. This is the reason that in Scripture we have such sending after sinners, and crying to them to return, such earnest wishes. Oh that they would return I and such pleadings with them. They will not come in, and return: this is the reason why we read of the Lord whetting his sword, and bending his bow, and preparing his arrows.

Why, is not God ready at any time to execute judgment upon a sinner?

No, he will be whetting, and bending, and preparing, and all because it is a work that he is loth to go through with (as it were): and this is the reason why God will not stir up his wrath, or if it be sliiTed up, he will call it back again. Lam. iii. 33, “The Lord doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men;” and all this is, because it is God’s nature to be merciful; mercy pleases him, and the Lord perfectly foresees, and has perfectly in his view, all the reasons that might move him to mercy, and stand in the way of his justice: as now thus:

1. The many prayers of the saints. Justice must break through all the prayers of all the saints of God that are in such places; and this is not an easy matter. We account it not an easy matter to break through a mighty army. God cannot come to a people that he is related to, and is worshipped by, but he must break through an army, the army of the prayers of his people: now saith God, How shall I do it? a mighty aiTay of the prayers of my people stands between me and tli’em.

2. The little ones, yea, the children of his own people, in a place. You know when God was about to destroy Nineveh, he looked upon the many thousands that could “not discern between their right hand and their left hand,” Jon. iv. 11. But when God comes to destroy a kingdom that worehipshim, he looks upon those many infants, and sees in many of them the i)osterity of his servants. As they are but little ones, that moves his bowels; they have not been guilty of those sins wherewith their parents have sinned: And as they are, many of them, the little ones of mine own precious servants, how shall I destroy this place, even for their sakes?

3. God considers that he has but little worship in the world. There are but few in the world who worship him at all; And though it is true there are such mixtures in worship here, that in respect of that I cannot accept of what they have done, yet it is somewhat that I am worshipped; there are very few in the world that own me to worship mo at all.

4. Services formerly rendered to him in that place. True, thinks God, but few there honour me now, but there are many of my servants that have done much, and suffered much; how many have I that have stood out to witness for me, and my truth! Certainly, my brethren, the Lord, in saving any kingdom when in danger, if it be a place that he has been honoured in, and where his people have suffered much for his name’s sake, then he remembers it: and there is not a louder argument, next to the blood of Jesus Christ, in the ears of God, to save a place from ruin, than the blood of his people that has been shed for him; and therefore such a place is beholden to all that have suffered there for God.

5. The remnant of his saints. Some are yet left. And would I have saved Sodom if there were but ten righteous persons? now I will reckon how many I have here; not ten, or a hundred, but (it may be) God shall find thousands of righteous persons. Now the blood of my Son pleads for them, and how then shall I give them up?

6. A foresight t)f the miseries of the afflicted. Oh! their veiy cries are in mine ears already. If I should deliver them up into the hand of their enemies, oh the

Vbe. 8.

extrenuty thfey -n’ould endure! how would they he plundered of all they have, put into prison, and miserably tormented! what shriekings and cries would there be, even from my people that serve me! Methinks mine ears are filled already with their cries beforehand. Often when we speak of the sorrows and miseries of people, before they come we are a little affected with them, but when we are eye-witnesses of them we are much more moved; as if any of you have seen the woeful miseries of those that have been under the power of their adversaries here, your heai’ts must have been affected indeed: but now all these miseries are pi-esent before God, as if they were now in real being, and therefore, “How shall I give thee up?”

7. The insulting triumph of the adversary. If I should deliver them, they will not honour me, they will blaspheme, they will scom at their prayers and fastings, and at all their trusting in God, and at their good cause; What is become of your good cause, they will say, and of your so laying claim to God as you have done? Now the Lord foresees these blasphemies and insultings of the proud adversaries, how they will triumph, and tread upon his saints as dirt under their feet.

8. Many of mine elect are to come out of theii’ loins, and therefore though I do not preserve the kingdom for their own sakes, yet for those elect ones that come out of their loins. If I should deliver them up to the rage of the enemy, then the line of my election would even be cut asunder, and therefore, “how can I give thee up?” I shall wrong myself in this thing, m giving them up I shall cut asunder even the very thread of election.

9. Other objects of wrath. If my wrath must be satisfied, let it run out upon others, “who will set the briers and thorns before me, that I may go through them and bum them U]) together.”

10. The affliction of the saints is God’s own affliction. True, they will suffer very much, but in all then- afflictions I must be afflicted too; I foresee how their afflictions wUl affect mine own souL

11. I am bound to fetch good out of all their evils. Suppose I should give them up; yea, but then I must work for mine own glory, and fetch out good from all their sufferings; and will it not be as easy for me to be patient towards them, as to work good from their sufferings when they are given up? God reasons in this manner.

12. If I destroy them, what glory shall I have? I shall have the glory of ray justice; yea, but it will be but passively: and will that be much, to have justice so glorified? I have enough in hell to glorify my justice in a passive way.

13. Lastly, Mercy may yet work upon their hearts. Who knows but if yet I continue the gospel amongst them and deliver them from their present great straits, who knows but then- hearts may be turned to me?

O my brethren, I question not but at this day all these reasonings have been in the heart of God concerning England. When we have been at the very pit’s brink, the Lord has been often saying even concerning England, “How shall I give thee up,” England? “how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is tui-ned within me, my repentings are kindled together.” Before the parliament, when forces were raised against our brethren of Scotland, then said the Lord, “How shall I give thee up?” And then at Edge Hill, and at Brainford, and at Newbury, and Marston Moor, and Nazeby fight, we were at every one of them even at the point of being delivered up to the rage of the enemy; and then came in these reasonings of the heart of God, Oh! how shall I make them as other people, as Germany, or other nations? besides other mercies in former times, as in

1588, and the powder treason, these have been the workings of the bowels of God towards us, a poor, wretched, and sinful people. And let us now learn to acknowledge whence our preservation is. It is not from this man, and the other man, so much as from the reasonings of the heart of God thus for good to us-ward.

Hence let us learn what to do when temptation to any sin comes. What! is it thus with God? does God say when we are in danger of being destroyed. How shall I do this? Then when tempted to sin against God, let us say, How shall I do this, and sin against God? Joseph reasoned thus: when he had as fit an opportunity to sin as almost a man could have had, yet presently there came this reasoning into his heart, How shall “I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” Reason itself dictates this. When God has fit opportunities to destroy us, God’s mercy reasons within him; so when we have oui- temptations to sin, our hearts should consider, Oh! how shall I do this, and sin against the Lord my God? Let us present to our souls every argument against sin. Men will gather pleas for their sins; and so we should gather all we possibly can against them. It were well, my brethren, if men after they have sinned would say. Oh! what have I done? But it is better if men before they have sinned would say. How shall I do it? Oh! certainly our minds are very barren, that we have not, upon every occasion when a temptation comes, pleaehngs within to move us against it. Indeed after a sin is committed, men then can think of this and the other reason. Oh! it would be ill for us if God should thus deal with us, first deliver us up and destroy us, and then think of this and that which might have been done to have preserved us: therefore God, just when the danger comes, thinks of every thing calculated to avert ruin from us; so, when the temptation to a sin comes, then should we think of every motive that might defer us from its commission.

Obs. 7. A choleric disposition is none of God’s image. AVhen God comes to execute anger he cannot do it, but he must have a How shall I do it? before he does it, he must make a stop. Proneness to anger, suddenness to let out wrath, is not the image of God in any, man or woman.

When any of you are about to do any thing, especially against your brethren, against those to whom you are related, be not over-passionate, reason the case first in thine own heart: How shall I do this? True, I think they are in the wrong, but what good will result if I do thus and thus? Are they not those with whom I have had sweet converse, and whose godliness I have witnessed? Would it not be more for the honour of God if I forbore? Will any good come to the public? Shall not I rather serve the designs of the enemies with such sharpness and bitterness? will they not laugh and scorn at religion? Oh, how shall I do this? Oh, when we have workings in our own thoughts as bitter as gall, if, before we vent them, we would but put this question to ourselves. How shall I do this? by presenting all the arguments we possibly can to stop our anger, much good would result.

Yea, when ministers have prepared something to deliver, yet if there be any tartness in it, they should think. How shall I do this? what may come of it? I may vent myself, but what good will result? what glory to God? what advantage to the chiu-ch? We should make many pauses, and many stops to our anger. As sometimes, when travelling in the country, you ceme upon some steep hill, you find that the countrymen lay here and there in several places something to turn the current of the water, for otherwise it would gore too much if it should run down swiftly, but when it has some stop it does not do so much hurt. Oh how does the anger of men gore deep! Why? Because it runs

down headily, and violently, having nothing to stop it. Men in anger are very full’of thoughts and resolutions, and all the reasonings of their hearts in their anger tend to nothing else hut to heat their hearts more; all their thoughts work that way, till their hearts arc made fiery hot, and so they burst’out and cannot stay; they muse upon nothing else but that which may further their anger and displeasure: and those that arc barren enough in their thoughts otherwise, yet are verj- quick in invention, and witty in the letting out of anger and wrath. Hut this would be your wisdom, had you the image of God prevailing in you, when you find anger stirring in your bosom, to rather muster vip reasons that may qualify and allay it, and to muse upon those things which may serve to be a stop to it for the present, as <jod doth here. Oh! did men but pause, and say, How shall I do this? what peace and quiet might we have among us!

Obs. 8. Saints may heboid in seeking God in prayer. ^Vhat! does God find it hard to him to execute wrath, does he muster up all possible arguments to .stop his anger, and consider continually how he may manifest goodness and mercy? A’hy, then, if thou hast any arguments to ])lcad with (Jod for mercy, thou mayst come up w ith boldness and freedom to him; he is ready to receive thee, for thou bringest unto him that vvliich is exceedingly suitable to him, sliitable to his very heart. “IVhat! dost thou apprehend that the displeasure of God is out against thee, or against a land to which God is in any wise related? hast thou any arguments at all to ])lead with God in jirayer? God gives his creature leave to plead with him, as if he ■nere a man: come, then, with a free spirit, come cheerfully, and full of hope, for thou comest now to do that which God’s heart is full of. Could a man know the thoughts of other men, and what most occupied their minds, and fould he suggest thoughts to them suitable to what was passing within, what entertainment would he have! When a poor sinner, then, (if a penitent sinner,) comes to God, and suggests any arguments for mercy, I say thou dost suggest that of which the heart of God was full, and which is exceedingly suitable to it: thy pleadings mercy has been pleading akeady; and mercy canies on those arguments with a great deal more strength than thou art able to do, but it takes it well at thy hand to present any arguments to it. Thou art loth to perish, and God is as loth thou shouldst perish. If God give thee a heart to come to him to stop wrath, thou comest to him to do a work as acceptable to God as it can possibly be unto thee. AVhcn thou appreliendest judgment ready to be executed, look up to mercy: it mav be the Holy Ghost may raise an act of faith, which will set on work the bowels of God’s mercy. That which is very ready to work, a little thing will set on work; the least act of faith then would certainly constrain God to show mercy. Mercy has been ])leading n great while, and justice pleading: mercy calls thee in to help, and to assist her to jjlead for thee, and who knows but the casting voice stays for thy coming in? though there have been ])leadings in God’s heart, yet the dispensations of God mav be such that the casting voice shall not be given till thy pleadings are heard; by them the matter may be determined.

06.?. 9. How different were the dealings of the Father with his own Son. Do the bowels of God thus work towards poor sinners, pleading for them when wrath is readv to be executed; then we may here see the great difference between God’s dealings with his saints and with his Son. When God comes to deliver up his people to punishment, for their sakes he saith. “How shall I deliver thee?” AVe do not find that God said so concerning his Son. God did deliver up his Son to wrath without a How shall I do it? yea, the heart of God was in it; there is no such expression of

reluctancy about this work, but the Scripture saith that “it pleased the Lord to bruise him.” Indeed it wa.s for glorious ends which God had in view. Whvso? God might have ends enough to bring forth his glorv’ in our bruising: but yet, notwithstanding any thing that he might efl’ect, he saith. How shall I do it? God doth not delight to grieve the children of men, but God did grieve his Son, he bruised him, and it pleased him to bruise him. You find such an expression in Isa. liii. 10; and in Psal. xl.. “In the volume of the book it is vfritten of me, I delight to do thy will.” It was the will of God that Christ should come and suffer what he did. ‘hen Kphraim was bemoaning himself, God’s bowels were troubled within him, he lets the rod fall out of his hand; thus, in Jer. xxxi. 18 — 20, when Ephraim was bemoaning himself, mark how God’s bowels of mercy work, but the Scripture saith, that “God spared not his own Son;” God would spare E])hraim. Jesus Christ did bemoan himself when he cried out, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me;” and, “OGod, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Oh what a bemoaning of himself was this! and yet in Rom. viii. .32, it is said, “He that s))ared not bis own Son;” he did not spare him, notwithstanding all the moans that he made to him, but he delivered him up. M’c read here, and divers times in Scripture, of God’s repenting of the execution of justice upon sinners; but when he speaks of Christ. “1 have made him a Priest for ever;” that is, so as he should be a sacrifice, both the Priest to offer, and the sacrifice itself: in Heb. vii. 21, “The Lord sware, and will not repent.” Oh, certainly it was from this work of God, the delivering up of his Son, that the Lord has such working of bowels towards sinners when wrath comes to be executed: How shall I give thee up?”

Obs. 10. The saints that walk close with God must needs be very secure. If the Lord deal thus with rebellious sons, what will he do with a son that serves him, that walks close with him? Though a son be very vile, very sinful, yet there is a “How shall I give thee up?” O, then, thou whose conscience witnesses of thy sincere endeavour to walk close with God continually, know that thy estate must needs be secure.

06s. 1 1. ‘When God delivers up his own jicople to any judgments, it is for some weighty cause. Never docs any affliction come to them, but it breaks through many reasonings of God’s heart; God intends by it something great. Does judgment begin at the house of God? It is because the Lord has some great intents to bring forth, and not because the Lord takes lilc.isure in the moans of his people, in the sorrows and sufferings of his seiTants; for certainly these bowels of compassion would not let such sore and grievous evils pass, if there were not some great ends and purposes of God to bring about.

06.?. 12. There is a difference between the day of patience and the times of wrath. For the sake of the godly there God’s patience speaks thus towards the body of the people, “How shall I give thee up?” Rut there is a time that God will laugh at the destruction of sinners, and “will mock when their fear cometh,” when he will execute his wrath, and be comforted, as the Scripture speaks. There is a time indeed when God saith, “How shall I give them up?” but there is another time wherein God gives forth “the wine of his wrath,” Rev. xiv. 10. “The wine;” it delights the Lord as wine does a man. A’hcn indignation shall be as wine to God, then mercy and patience shall hold their peace, for they have had then their glory already, they will never speak more j but turn over the sinner to justice, yon, plead to justice against the sinner.

Obs. 1:5. If God thus hastens not judgment against us, we should not hasten it again.st ourselves. Rut let us make use of these dealings of God for the breaking

of our hearts, and causing them to return unto him; let not us assist justice to our own destruction; seeing mercy pleads against the execution of wrath, let us take heed of new provocations: when God ponders the letting out of his wrath, let not us pull it upon our own heads; seeing God keeps off, and forbears, let not us hasten it. If Sodom had but known God’s reasonings with Abraham in its behalf, one would have thought it would have broken the very hearts of Sodom. And let us consider the reasonings of God in this, and lay them to our hearts to break them, and think thus with ourselves, Lord, why should it be so hard with thee to deliver me up, when it is so easy with me to sin against thee? No pleadings have stopped me in the course of my sin, the word has pleaded, conscience has often pleaded, but I have not been stopped; oh, why should any pleadings stop thee in the course of thy wrath? The Lord cause such workings to be in our hearts to break them, considering, that indeed it is through the pleadings of mercy that any of us are alive, that we are out of the nethermost hell. And thus much for those words, “How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel?” There follows,

Obs. 14. God’s people are subject to as sore evils as the worst of men. “How shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? “Indeed, the sins of the saints have such great aggravations, that if God should deal with them according to a covenant of works, and not in a covenant of grace, their condition would be sadder than the vilest and most wicked. In Amos ix. 7, God saith,” Are ye not as the children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? “You have had, indeed, deliverances, and so have they: and what are you better than the children of the” Ethiopians unto me, if I should look upon you as in yourselves? Therefore in Isa. i. 10, the princes of Judah are called the “rulers of Sodom,” and the people, the “people of Gomorrah.” And in Lam. iv. 6, “The punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom.” Ezek. xvi. 48, “As I live, saith the Lord God, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters.” “As I live;” God swears to it, that Sodom was not guilty of such gi’eat sins.

You will say. Yea, but we are delivered fi’om such evils, by being under another covenant.

Yea, but that should not at all hinder the work of your humihation, but rather further it, considering what you are in yourselves.

Obs. 15. When sinners are nearest to judgment, yet bowels of mercy are working towards them. ‘Mien they deserve to be as Admah and Zeboim, even then, saith God, “How shall I give thee up? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim?”

06s. 16. Those that are in relation to God have a great privilege, which others have not. Thus, as if God should say. Let Admah and Zeboim perish if they will, let fire and brimstone come from heaven and eternal fire pursue them, what care I for Admah and Zeboim? but “how shall I make thee as Admah? and set thee as Zeboim?” I know not how to find in my heart to make thee so. Those in relation to God have a great privilege, which others have not; God disposes his mercies as he pleases.

It may be, some of you think that your sins are not so great, or not greater than the sins of others, and therefore you may escape as well as they. No, you may mistake in that; God may save some that “are guilty of greater sins than you, and yet damn you, damn you for sins less than theirs. God’s mercy is his own; if God will destroy Admah and Zeboim eternally, who can speak against God’s dealings with 2 K

them? But “how shall I make /liee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim?” God knows how to make a difference between man and man. Let none presume, and say, Because others commit as great sins as I, I may escape as well as they; no, thou reckonest in this without thine host; God may make a great difference between his deaUngs with them and with thee, and still do thee no wrong, for the mercies of God are his own.

Obs. n. If God be unwilling to make his people like .the wicked in punishment, let not them make themselves like to them in sin. Does God put a difference between reprobates and his people in punishment? Oh, let the saints then labour to put a difference between themselves and such as are of the world in respect of sin; let that be no argument to them, Such and such do thus, and why may not I do so too? that is no argument with God. I have destroyed such and such, and why may not I destroy thee? that argument will not prevail with God. Thou comraittest such a sin, and I have some in hell whom I sent thither for the same sin: this argument prevails not with God. O, let not such an argmnent prevail with thee, that because such and such sin, therefore thou too wilt venture.

Obs. 18. Though God be never so much inclined to mercy, yet this doth not hide from his eyes the sins of his own people. He still sees them, he sees what they are in themselves, and he sees what would become of them if they were left to themselves. Now I am in a way of mercy towards you. yet I look upon you now as such as have deserved to be as Admah and Zeboim: do not think that because my inercies work towards you, that therefore your sins are not before mine eyes; I know your iniquities, and yet am gracious and merciful.

And is it so? Neither then should the hope, or encouragement, of mercy fi’om God, hide our sins from us. As the thoughts of God’s mercies to us do not hide our sins from him, so our hope of mercy from God should not hide our sins from our own eyes; but at the very time we think of the greatest mercy, we should look upon ourselves as, in ourselves, the most wretched, miserable, forlorn creatures.

“Mine heart is turned within me.”

The word “isnj here translated “is turned” signifies, some great stirring, some change into another condition, and not only denotes (as I see several interpreters observe) that God changes the sentence of his vTath, yet without any change in God’s nature.

But I think the words besides have another special meaning, and that is, they denote the strong affections in God: in all this we must speak of him after the manner of men; as now, we know that strong affections in us, whether they be affections of love, or of joy, or of anger, carry the heart along with them, and cause in it very strong motions. I will give you one scripture that has this very phrase, which will show you the meaning is not “turned within me,” that is, in a way of change, so much, as that it denotes the strong motions that are in the heart of God toward sinners: in Lam. i. 20, the church is lamenting her sin, and expressing the mighty workings of heart which she felt in herself by reason of her sin, and of her affliction, and there the same expression occurs that you have here: “I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me.” The meaning there is not that I am changed in my heart, so as to be turned from my sin; but that I find a mighty moving in my heart, through the mighty workings of” it, and the strong affections of my heart. You may make my heart to leap within me, (as we say sometimes,) or pant, or ache within me. Any kind of strong affections makes strong stirrings in the heart. So here,” ray heart is turned with-Chap. XI.

in me,” I find strong motions and mighty stirrings in my heart.

Obs. 19. Strong raovings of the licart of a penitent after God, give strong encouragement to come to God, for there are strong motions in God’s heart after him. “-My heart is turned,” there are mighty strong movings in my heart for mercy to you. Do you find such movings in your hearts as you never before were acquainted with? before your hearts lay dead, and dull, and nothing would stir them, and now you find them mightily moved; do your hearts work strongly towards God.’ be encouraged in those stirrings; there are as strong stirrings in God’s heart towards sinners.

Ol).i. 20. Let arguments of obedience to God cause ■itimngs in our hearts; let them not lie dead and dull within us As arguments for mercy, oh how stirring are they in God’s heart! If any argument for mercy toward sinners be propounded, the heart of God mightily stirs. Oh what arguments do you ofton meet with coming from the word, which one would think might work upon the heart of a devil to draw to obedience, and yet your hearts lie dead and dull under all those ])0werful arguments! Oh how unsuitable are your hearts to God! Do you expect that God’s heart should work strongly towards you to do you good, and yet nothing stir in you?

Ob.f. 21. Let us not think it too much to have our hearts turned from strong resolutions to do evil. “Mine heart is turned within me,” turned in respect of the revoking of the sentence. Men often have strong resolutions to a thing, and they see arguments that might tin-n them, but yet, they have resolved, and they are loth to change their thoughts and resolutions: oh! take heed of this, for God expresses himself after the manner of men. There h.ive been many times strong resolutions found to destroy thee eternally, but the Lord does that which man would do when he changes his resolutions, though there be no change in God’s nature; and he would, by expressing himself after this manner to us, inculcate this, that we should take heed we stand not upon our resolutions when there are arguments to the conti’arj’, but be willing to have it known that now we are otherwise minded than before.

“My repentings are kindled together.”

Surely God repents not as man does. You know the answer of divines, viz. that his administrations are such as if he did repent: but the word ‘cinj here translated “repentings,” comes from Dnj which signifies as well to comfort as to repent, noting that repentance and comfort are very near akin one to another: as the Hebrews express sin and punishment by the same word Ntsn so they do repentance and comfort.

“Are kindled.” My bowels yearn within me; which expression you have in Gen. xhii. 30, Joseph’s “bowels did yearn upon his brother;” and 1 Kings iii. 26, when the mother of the child saw it wotdd be cut to pieces, “her bowels yearned upon her son:” the word “yearned” there is the same here with “kindled,” her bowels kindled within her.

“Arc kindled together.”

AVhatsoever might cause any repentings, they all come together, they lie glowing at the neart. The notes are the.se:

Obs. 22. God’s repentings are mighty encouragements to prayer. AVhcn we present arguments to God for mercy, to think, that those arguments which we present, and all other that possibly may be presented, lie glowing at God’s heart, yea, they lie glowing warm at the heart of God; they are not only before God, but there they lie as a number of sticks collected together and glowing, and ready to flame out; so all considerations that any way may serve to benefit the saints, do lie glowing together at the heart of God. It may be sometimes, when we come in prayer, alas! we are straitened in our own bowels, perhaps we cannot express ourselves, it may be but in one or two particulars we are able to give vent to our feelings, and that which conies out of our hearts comes ver)’ cold; but when we are straitened in our own bowels, and can express but little for ourselves, if we be such as belong to God’s covenant, we must know that all considerations for our good that possibly men and angels can express, are all with God, all of them lay in a heat at God’s heart. I do not know such a full expression as this is of repentings kindled: “kindled together.”

Obs. 23. Ne must gather together as many arguments as we can to kindle repentance within us. Surely there is all the reason for it in the world. Does the Lord gather all together that may be for our good, and lay them upon his heart, and there keep them till they kindle and work powerfully upon his heart for our good? then, when we would repent, (for there is reason that we should repent as well as expect that God should for us,) we should be gathering all arguments we possibly can, and never leave till we find them kindled and warm at our hearts.

Oh! many of you have sometimes one argument that sticks at your hearts, and at another time another; at such a time some one truth darted in, and took possession of your hearts, and you would say as those that went to Emmaus, Did not we find our hearts burn within us? So you found truths coming in successively at such sermons. Yea, but now coidd you get but all the arguments for repentance that ever God darted into you together, and work them upon your hearts, and never leave till they be kindled, and continue crying to God, as Elisha did, till he got fire to come from heaven to consume the sacrifice; O Lord, my heart has a deal of watery stuff in it, that will not kindle, till the fire of the Holy Ghost descends; oh that it were with us, as David in Psal. xxxix. 3, “My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fii-e bunied:” so we shoidd go into our closets, and gathering all things together that we can, to work upon our hearts, continue musing till we find the fire burning within us; nay, our hearts so inflamed, as to break forth with our tongues, to say. The I;Ord, he is God, he is worthy for ever to be feared, and honoured, and served; I have lived like a base and sinful, wretched creature, without a God in the world, but the Lord is God, and worthy to be honoured with my body, and soul, and estate, with my name, and liberty, and life, and whatsoever I am, or can do: now if it would break forth in such a resolution, how excellent would it be! Oh! let us be humbled, I beseech you, for the coldness of our hearts, that nothing can kindle there. What a damp is there upon our spirits, that when any argument is laid it goes out presently! We have truths laid upon us when we come to the word, but our damp hearts quench them all, they do not kindle. Many are witty enough to gather arguments for sin, and lay them upon their hearts, and so to kindle wickedness within; as in Psal. xli. G, where you have a notable scripture of wicked men that came to David; “If he come to see me, he s])eaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad he telleth it.” All things that might suit with their wicked hearts, and for the furtherance of their ungodly ways, they gathered together for the encouraging and strengthening of themselves in their wickedness: so it should be the care of the saints to gather all things that might further repentance in them. That is the reason why wicked men are so hot in that which is evil, they gather arguments together; and hence it is that wicked men, when they have been in wicked company, come from it so hot in their resolutions to sin; why? because they have gathered a groat deal together to’ inflame their hearts: and so shoulc! the saints, when together in holy communion and fe’-

lowship, be gathering one from another, eveiy one should afford something to hiy (as it were) to kindle the fire. But how? Laying their light ends together, and not their dead ends.

06s. 24. Our mercies to others should not be cold, but burning. Let us be merciful, as our heavenly Father is merciful; that is, not only wishing good to others, but let there be kindled mercies within us so ardent that we may not be able to confine them. I sup])0se many of you, especially of estates, have had many thoughts that you would do this and this for such good uses, and you see some reason v.hy it should be so; yea, but now, have these arguments burnt in your hearts, so as to cause you to break forth into resolutions? Well, though I have had thoughts and inclinations to make use of my estate thus and thus, yet I have been kept off; but now they are kindled in my heart, and I am resolved upon it. Thus it was with God, and let it be so with you.

Ver. 9. / will not execute the /ierce7iesis of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city.

“I will not execute the fierceness,” the burning, “of mine anger,” pbn |i”in

True, your sins, and arguments against you, did lie at my heart, and did even burn it; but I will not execute that: I will execute the kindling of my mercy, but not the kindling of mine anger. ‘Slark the several phrases, “repentings are kindled” in the w’ay of mercy, and wrath is kindled; there was burning wrath, and burning mercy, but that which prevails is, the burning mercy. I will not execute the burning of m.ine anger. Why? For “my repentings are kindled together.”

But how was this true? Was not Israel carried into captivity, and continued there many years, and never yet returned again (as some think); and when they were carried into captivity, for three years together there was a siege at the city? and yet God saith here, “I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger.”

That which before was said, will sufficiently answer this: “How shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim?” that is, though God did suffer them to be carried away captive, and their enemies prevailed against them, yet he did not make them as Admah, nor set them as Zeboim; the fierceness of God’s anger, the burning of the anger of God, was not out against them. And, even in their carrying into captivity, the Lord had respect to his elect ones, and to this very day he purposes to do them good: and so we shall find in the next verse, that there is a promise of their returning from their captivity; and, therefore, though they were for a long time to continue there, yet still God did “not execute the fierceness of his anger.”

Sin indeed stirs uj3 anger, and fierce anger, in God. The Septuagint translate the words thus, Ou f(j; rroio-w Ka-i Trjv 6py>)v rov Bw/iou /iov, I will not do according to the anger of my wTath; that is,” in extremity, I will not do thus with you. There were mighty stirrings in God’s heart, pleadings of justice an’d pleadings of mercy, but God’s mercy overcomes, gets the day, as it were; mercy triumphs over justice.

Obs. 1. The stirrings of mercy in our hearts should rather prevail with us than the stirrings of wrath. When we have workings this way and that way, we should consider which is the most benign side. The arguments had need be very much stronger for wrath than for mercy: if the arguments have any equality, or nearly any equality, in them, certainly the arguments for mercy should prevail: they do so with God’s heart: O, be you like God in this.

Obs. 2. Stirrings for God should rather prevail with us than temptations to sin. Have not you found it thus many times in yourselves? You have had stirrings in your hearts to certain duties, and at the same time temptations to certain sins; now I put it to your consciences, as in the name of God, cannot you tell how the temptations to sin have often got the day? Y’ou have been rather carried from God to yoiu- base, sinful lusts, and yoiu- conscience has been overcome: conscience has pulled, and the drawings of the Sphit have been very ])owerful, but yet temptations have been more powerful, and you have yielded: oh, be ashamed of this, that it should ever be said, that, at such a time, conscience and temptations strove together within you, and temptations overcame conscience.

06s. 3. God’s mercies do not free his people from all fruits of displeasure. “I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger.” My brethren, this is not meant merely of the times of the law; for this anger of God U]5on them is to this very day. But yet it is not “fierceness of anger,” like that of Admah and Zeboim: there are, doubtless, among them the elect ones of God at this day. God will not have this called “the fierceness of anger:” it is displeasure, it is captivity, long captivity; they are a reproach and a by-word to the world; and yet there has not fallen on them “fierceness of anger.” Our discontented hearts are ready to call every little affliction “fierceness of anger:” Oh how fierce is God! if we suffer ever so little. Yet did we indeed but know what anger our sins deserve, we would learn not to call every affliction that is upon us, no, nor our greatest afflictions, “fierceness of anger.”

06s. 4. We should acknowledge mercy, though we suffer hard things. If yet we be not uttei’ly, nor everlastingly, cast off, let us acknowledge mercy. It is a mercy that “my repentings are kindled.” “I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger.” Why? Be- ’ cause they were not as Admah and Zeboim.

Let us then all learn this. Whatsoever afiSictions are this day upon us, though it may be we are ready each of us to think our own afflictions to be the greatest of all, yet learn thou, I say, to bless God that fir-e has not been rained from heaven to consume thee and thy family; for this might have been thy portion, this “fierceness of anger.”

“I will not return to destroy Ephi-aim.”

God here compares himself to a captain that comes with his soldiers to a town. I suppose many in this place may easily understand the meaning of this word, by what they have seen and felt themselves. Soldiers come to a town, pillage, and leave it; and so the poor people think. Soldiers have been here, and we hope we shall do well enough now, as the worst is over: but it may be, within a month or two after the same soldiers come again, and utterly ruin the place and strip them of all. But now saith God, “I will not return to destroy Ephi-aim;” that is, Though I lay my hand upon them, and afflict them, and take away many comforts from them, yet when I have done that, there I will leave them, I will not come back again with a purpose utterly to ruin them; this I might do, I might return upon them with one evil upon another, but I will not do so.

06s. 5. Sinners should not be secure when some evil is upon them, and think now they know the worst. No, God may justly return upon them again and again. If thou turnest not to God under thy affliction, God may justly return upon thee to ruin thee. Indeed, if thy afflictions have been such as have caused thy heart to return to God, thou mayst then hope that God will not return upon thee; but if so be thou behavest thvself frowardly under thy aflUctions, thou mayst justlv ex])ect the return of God.

66s. 6. God is very gracious to his people when evil is upon them. He will not add and add sorrow till

.VN- EXPOSITION OF

he utterly destroy them, but lie will forbear that lie may have some subject for his mercy, he “will not contend for ever.”

For I am God, and not man.”

Here is an argument that is very full: ‘• I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, 1 will not return to destroy Eplu-aim: for I am God, and not man.”

God before personated a man in those yearnings of his bowels, that is, when God would e.Kpress his mercy, he came in the most familiar way to reveal it; but when he comes to speak of anger, there he would have us know that he is not like to a man in the way of anger. ^Vith respect to mercy, saith he, if there be any man on earth specially remarkable for mercy, know that I am like him; but with regard to anger, I am not like man. God is very desirous that we understand fully his heart in the ways of his mercy, but when he •pciiks of the execution of his wrath, I will not do that; why? “for I am God, and not man.” Mark the strength of this expression, ‘• for I am God, and not man.” The difference between God and man in the execution of wrath, you will find it vei-y useful to consider: we shall proceed therefore to discuss it, and 1 icn draw from it several observations.

1. Man is of a weak spirit, not able to rule his anger. If men be but a little excited with anger, it is turned into rage, and there is no rule at all; but I am not man, saith God; 1 am God, I am no man, it is not with me thus, I am not of a weak spirit, I am able to nile my anger; and can repress it in the midst of the expression of my greatest wrath. ‘■ I am God,

and not man;” the word is not mtt but ‘w-M “‘“^ ““” s’’“0”g man, or a noble man; I am

Sn God, a strong God, and able to rule
anger so as man cannot.

2. Man is of a revengeful and cruel disposition, and cares not what he does so that he may have his lusts; but I am of a loving, sweet, and tender disposition; “I am God, and not man.”

3. Man, many times, because he has not satisfaction within his own heart, therefore is in a rage with every body; he flies upon others, not so much for any thing that they do, but because of the disquiet of his own heart: but “I am God, and not man,” I am infinitely all-sufficient of myself, and there is no disquiet in me; all is at rest and quiet within me, and this makes me to be of such a quiet disposition toward my creatures.

4. If there be any mercy in a man, it is but very little, a little matter will stop the current of man’s mercy; but “I am God, and not man,” there are infinite mercies in me, an infinite current, and the current of the mercy that is in me cannot easily be stopped, for “I am God.”

5. Man is of a fickle and inconstant disposition, but “I am Jehovah, I change not, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”

6. If man iiasses by an offence, it is from some motives or some persua,sions from without; if there be none of these, he is severe and rigid: but “I am God, and not man;” I have enough in mine own heart to prrsuadc me; though there be no arguments from without, there is enough within me, in my own bowels, to persuade me, for “I am God.”

7. Man thinks it a dishonour to him to begin reconciliation with those that have ofl’ended him; What! shall I go and disgrace myself to begin with my inferior? let him begin with me if he will: this is man’s disposition; but “I am God, and not man,” I account it my glory to begin the work of reconciliation, there is not such a disposition in me as in man.

S. Man cannot foresee the consequences that may follow upon his forbearing or pardoning of offences, and therefore he is loth to do either; but” I am God,

and not man,” I have infinite wisdom, and can foresee all the results.

9. Man cannot work good out of evil shown toward him, and that makes him not forbear; but “I am God, and not man;” I know how to work mine own ends, and the glory of my name, out of all the sins of my people.

10. Man, though he promises much mercy, yet ofttimes, if those to whom he promises mercy offend him, he will recall his promise again; and he thinks he may do so justly; all man’s promises are but conditional: yea, but “I am God, and not man,” I do not so; though I know beforehand there will be many weaknesses and infirmities in my creature, yet I have some promises that are absolute promises to my elect ones, and I will not recall them, though they be unfaithful and sinful. Man not only recalls promises when there is occasion given, but many times through unfaithfulness. Therefore Brentius, an approved divine, remarks on this place, The word is /.y/i,not Adam: and so he translates it, I am God, and not a noble man; you shall not have such dealings with me as from yom- great men, many of whom make great and fair promises, and you depend upon them, but they will deceive you, as is said in Psal. lxii. 9, “Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie:” your courtiers and great men, how do they deceive the expectation of those that are with them, especially in their need! they leave them in the lurch many times; but “I am God, and not man;” you shall not have such unfaithful dealings from me.

11. K man forbears and passes by offences now, he cannot have the offenders again at advantage when he pleases, and therefore he thinks he had best avail himself of the present opportunity; but “I am God, and not man,” my creatures I have always at advantage; I can spare them now, for I can have them under my feet again, and again, and again, and therefore I have no such reason to take advantage of my poor creatures as one man has of another.

12. Man is bound to positive rules of justice that are set to him; but “I am God, and not man;” I will have mercy on whom I uilt have mercy, and whom I icill I harden, Rom. ix. 18.

Obs. 5. Goodness and mercy is that wherein God glories. It is true, the Lord is high above man in all excellencies; but mark here, how he glories that he is “God, and not man,” in the execution of wrath. Many glory in their anger, and make that to be their excellency; oh they are brave men, and of brave spirits; when they can vent their wrath, when they can rail and speak evil, and make others submit to them, and strike or punish them, why now they are brave men; I will make you do thus and thus: as in a family, you shall have sometimes a poor man or woman manifest abundance of pride of spirit, as if they were princes and monarchs, they will do thus and thus, and thiy think themselves of brave spirits; but mark, God glories in this, that he does not execute the fierceness of his anger.

I am infinitely above man. Wherein, O Lord, art thou above them? I am above them in this, that I can rule mine anger, and am merciful to those beneath me. Herein lies God’s glory.

My brethren, this scripture (were there no other) shows that jiassion and anger debase man. God glories in his long-suflering and patience towards his creature. Thus in Numb. xiv. 17, “And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast s|)okcn.” What had God spoken, or where had he spoken any thing? Mark, this scripture refers to the latter end of Exod. xxxiii., where God promised that Moses should see his glory, and in chap, xxxiv. God made his glory pass by him; and what was it,?” The

Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,” &c. Nowhere ]Moses refers to this, and lays hold upon it, as if he should say, O Lord, was not there a time that I was pleading with thee? and didst not thou promise to show me thy glory? and was it not ‘■ the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” Why now. Lord, manifest thy glory; now. Lord, show thyself to be a glorious God. In doing what? Mark the 19th verse of that chapter of Numbers, “Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people:” such is God’s glory, and such the manifestation of his power. One would think that the power of God should rather be manifested in the destruction of sinners; no, the power of God is manifested in mercy rather than in misery and destruction: and we find, that those who come nearest to God are the most loving, and gracious, and merciful; yea, if they do but come near to God as fiir as possibly natural men may, their conformity appears in their love, forbearance, meekness, and gentleness. Even the heathens could say. The greater anv one is, the more placable is his anger j a generous mind is not easily moved. And so they compare the lion, and bears, and wolves together: The lion, said they, is a magnanimous creature, therefore it is enough to fall down before it; but for wolves and bears, they insult over the prostrate; so those who have the most magnanimous spirits have likewise jiatient, and forgiving, and pardoning spirits. This note is as cross to a carnal heart as it almost possibly can be, I mean, to one who gives way to the lusts of his passion, for he thinks himself only magnanimous when he can vent his anger; often, were it not for the dread of being accounted a fool, he would forbear his anger. Yet know this, anger is not thy honour; it makes thee base in the eyes of thy servants, and children, and wife; it makes them look upon thee and despise thee, when they see thee coming into thy house like a mad fool, and cb’unken, as it were, with thy passion.

6. If God were like man, sinners could not be forborne. As if God should say. The truth is, your sins were such as, were not I God, it were impossible that I could bear: for so it is, though we think not of it; the evil of sin is so great, that if all the patience, in all the men that ever existed since the world began, were combined in one man, if he knew the great evil that there is in sin, he would destroy the world, he would not forbear, if his heart were but holy, as God is holy: “The Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.”

Obs. 7. It is a good way to exercise faith in God’s mercy, to look upon God as God, as a Being bevond us, beyond any creature; for so this is therefore expressed, to the end that the people of God might exercise faith in beholding God as God. That is the way to help thee in thy faith: wouldst thou exercise faith upon God? look upon him as God, and do not conceive him to be as a man. It is true, to look upon him sometimes as a compassionate man is a little help, but that will not alway suffice. Perhaps it would help a little some that are here to reflect thus: If thou hadst to deal with the most merciful man that ever lived upon the face of the earth, wouldst not thou hope then that thou mightest be saved if he had the disposal of thy eternal state? Suppose there were a judge of the most tender spirit in the world, and all the relentings that ever were in all men’s hearts met in him; if this judge had the disposal of thy eternal state, thou wouldst hope for mercy: but would it not help thee to know thou hadst to deal with one infinitely above that judge? That judge were a cruel tyrant, a savage tiger, in comparison of this God. God is “God, and not man,” he is infinitely above man in the ways of his mercy.

!Many times by looking on God as ourselves we are first bold in sin, and afterwards sink down in despair in our sin. So in Psal. 1. 21, “Thou thoughtest 1 was altogether such an one as thyself,” saith God; that is, because I was patient and long-suffering towards thee, thou thoughtest I was like a man. A man, though he be a little offended, you think you may please him again; and so you thought I was like to yourselves, therefore you went on in your sins. This is one of the devil’s stratagems; he first makes us look upon God like ourselves, and so we think that God has no greater hatred to sin than we have; but then, when we have once committed the sin, and the devil would tempt to despair, he makes us look to God as like to oiu’selves; that is thus, I find that I could not forgive such a one if he had so wronged me; and therefore from God they expect no mercy, regarding God as like to man, nay, like a corrupt man. Oh what a dishonour is this to God, that because thou thyself hast such a froward, perverse, cruel heart, that thou canst not forgive, thou therefore lookest upon God as if it were as hard for him to forgive as for thee! My brethren, the looking upon God as God, would help against many discouraging thoughts in poor sinners: as thus,

1. ]NIy sins are very great; men will forgive little offences, but God is “God, and not man,” and therefore great mercies are little in comparison to him.

2. I have sinned against many offers of mercy; but God is “God, and not man,” and God’s mercy is such as brings in men that have refused the offers of mercy.

3. None is so sinful as I; but God is “God, and not man,” and therefore he is above thee in the ways of his mercy: God has more mercy yet than ever he did manifest to any one creature in the world, and though I be the vilest of all sinners, yet let me look upon God as “God, and not man.”

4. I am unworthy of any mercy from God. Indeed, if you had to deal with a man it might hinder; but God is “God, and not man,” therefore it is not unworthiness that hinders mercy in God, mercy pleases God.

5. I am like to be of no use to God. True, if you were to deal with a man, he might not be pleased; but God stands in no need of you, or of any of his creatures, for he is, “God, and not man;” thou dost not honour God, as God, if thou dost not cast thy soul upon his mercy, as the mercy of God.

If I put this to thee, I hope the glory of it will be so great as will keep it from being abused. What! dost thou think thy condition is grievous? but dost thou think that such mercy as this which now I am naming would not serve the turn, that thou shouldst have such mercy as an infinite God should therefore manifest, to that end that he might show to men and angels to all eternity, what the power of his infinite mercy can do? Would’ not this mercy serve thy turn, such a mercy as is spoken of, Eph. ii. 4 — 7? I will name it again, abuse it at your peril: suppose thy condition so low, yet would not this serve thy turn, such mercy as an infinite God would show, to that end that he might make appear to men and angels to all eternity, what he is able to do in the infiniteness of his mercy? would not this serve thee, and help thee, and heal thee? Now this is tendered to thee in the gospel, even in Christ as an object of thy faith; and the very presenting of this is a work of the ministry of the gospel, that it might draw acts of faith, for it has a power to draw forth faith, yea, to beget faith; the very presenting such a thing as this is, has a quickening power in it. True, if you look u])on God only as a merciful man, the glory is not such as that the shining of it upon the soul will add life: as now, the shining of the moon, or a hundred torches, will never beget life in a garden, but the shining of the sun will do it; so the apprehending of the mercy of God any other way but as God, as God

in Christ, will never beget life in the soul. Look then on him in the infiniteness of his mercy, whose thoughts of mercy are beyond ours, as high as the heavens are above the earth; this is the way to beget faith. Therefore those who cannot believe take very ill courses for themselves, whilst they dwell only on such things as may discourage them, and think that this is pleasing to &od: certainly the way to beget or raise faith in thy heart is, to look upon God as God in Christ.

Yea, but you will say, The truth is, this that you speak of, that God is “God, and not man,” is rather a discouragement to my heart; it is God that I have sinned against, and not man: as in one sense it may encourage, so in another it discourages me: “Against thee, thee only have I sinned,” saith David, Psal. li. And, indeed, this is the most piercing thought in a truly penitent heart, My sin is against God; I have lived so long without God, and in my sins have struck at God himself Oh, wretch that I have been I I have been guilty of darkening the glory of the great God in the world. Now I will answer thee this in a word.

And is this that which aggravates thy sin in thy heart? Does this work upon thy heart most? Canst thou appeal to God, that of all the considerations of sin that ever thou hadst in thy life, nothing grieves thee so much, as that it is committed against God, because God is so glorious, so infinitely worthy of honour from all his creatures? Be of good comfort, and take encouragement from this point, and mark what I am saying; and with that I shall close all;

If the consideration of the glorj- of God above man thus aggravates thy sin to thy humiliation, then it will aggravate the mercy of God to thy consolation as well. If thou workest this thought upon thy heart, INIy sin is against “God, and not man,” and therefore my heart is humbled; then the Lord would have thee to make use of the consideration of his glory as a God for thy comfort: God is “God, and not man,” in the dispensations of his mercy.

“The Holy One in the midst of thee.” God glories much in his holiness, and that in the midst of his people.

God is here said to be “the Holy One,”

To show that the anger he would let out should be unmixed ■n’itb evil; that what considerations might be required to order and guide it should not be wanting. Men’s angers are very unclean, there is much smoke and filthy stuff in the fire of their wi-ath. But in Exod. xv. 11, God is said to be “glorious in holiness;” and in Rev. xv. 7, God’s vials of wrath are “golden vials.”

Let us labour to be holy in our anger. This is a rare thing: if there be any corruption in man’s heart it usually appears in his anger.

Obs. 8. God delights to show the glory of his holiness in mercy, and in pardoning rather than in avenging sin.

Obs. 9. God’s faithfulness is a special part of the glory of his holiness.

IIcMce see how holiness will help our faith. And we should learn to manifest our holiness in our faithfuhicss. I am holy to make them holy, to sanctify them to myself

“In the midst of thee.” Casting the beams of his glory on every side of him.

But how “in the midst,” when they were so vile, and cast off from being his people, a sink of idolatry and wickedness? “In the midst,” in respect of some of his elect saints.

04s. 10. God continues amon a people for his elect’s sake. The saints should consider of God, a holy God in the midst of them, and accordingly behave themselves. Lev. xxvi. 12, “I will walk among you, and

will be your God, and ye shall be my people.” And 2 Cor. vi. 16, speaks of a union still closer, “I will dwell in them, and walk in them.”

Obs. 11. Men of place and government should be in the midst of those that are under them, carrying themselves holily; yea, though those subject to them should be froward, pettish, and sinful, yet they should carry themselves according to rule in all holiness, gravity, wisdom, and moderation.

Rivet, Ternovius, and some others, think that here is enaltage numeri, a change of the number, holy, for holy ones, or saints: rendered so it would refer to the destruction of Sodom; there were no righteous, here are “the holy ones in the midst of thee.”

Obs. 12. The saints are of great use where they Uve. They are the cause of mitigation of judgments.

“And I will not enter into the city.”

Luther thus, God would signify him- c„„„,„ „j„„ „„„ self to be merciful to scattered Israel ponam una tanamong the Gentiles, ut tamen non redeant to“m mun’J™.’’” ad politiam Mosaicam, but so that they ‘’“”’’ should not return to the Mosaical law.

But it is rather to be taken in reference to the manner of God’s proceedings in the destruction of Sodom: after he had done conferring with Abraham, he entered into the city, and destroyed it by fire and brimstone.

Obs. 13. God many times stands at the gates of a city, ready to enter in and destroy it, but humiliation in prayer, and reformation, keep him out.

God has not yet entered thus in here. Oh! let not our sins cause a merciful God to go out, and a provoked God to enter in.

Ver. 10. They shall tralk after the Lord: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the irest.

“They shall walk after the Lord.”

They shall not walk after their own inventions any more, nor after the lusts of their own hearts, nor after the examples or counsels of men, but after the Lord; they shall see God before them, then- hearts shall be drawn after him; as they shall see God in his various administrations, so they shall turn. Which way soever God leads them, though in paths they have not known before, and in which few others walk, yet “they shall walk after the Lord.”

In difficult paths, though never so dangerous to outward appearance; yea, though God should lead them from then- dearest comforts, their sweetest contents, and though it do not appear to them whither the way tends, what God means to do with them; yet, seeing God before them, they shall be willing to walk after him. They shall account the way in which God is, the best, the safest, and the most comfortable. “These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb,” Rev. xiv. 4. “They shall walk” in a constant, steady course of obedience, “after the Lord.”

It is the Lord, the blessed, glorious God, whom theiisouls love; whom they desire to honour; to whom they have given up souls, bodies, lives, liberties, names, estates, whatsoever they aie, have, or are able to do. AVhen Peter heard it was the Lord, he threw himself into the sea, that he might walk after him there. Thus the soul converted to God loves to walk after God.

“They shall walk after the Lord.” This may be spoken of the church, as walking after the Lord in times of reformation, especially that famous “time of the restitution of all things,” when God shall call home his people, the ten tribes, who yet are scattered up and down, wandering and gro])ing in darkness. “They shall walk after the Lord;” the Lord shall be a Captain

Vkr. 10.

to them, leading them along as his redeemed ones, working by them glorious things in the earth, and bringing them through all opposition to places of rest, and fulness of all good. God shall appear in such visible administrations of his mighty power, that they shall say, Lo, this is our God, this is the Captain of the host of the Lord, yea, it is even the Lord himself; we will join together and follow him, whose wisdom, faithfulness, and courage is infinite; we will follow no other but him, and be in subordination to none else. The sight of such a Captain going before them shall put life, courage, and magnanimity into them, whatsoever they were before. Hence,

Obs. 1. It is the infinite goodness of the Lord, to be the Captain of his people.

06«. 2. It is the honour, safet)-, happiness of the saints, to have God before them, to be walking after him.

“He shall roai- like a lion.”

If God appear thus it will make them fly from him. No, they shall, notwithstanding this, walk after him.

06s. 3. The awful majesty of God, in his wonderful and dreadful works, causes the wicked, guilty conscience to fly from him; but the saints shall follow after, and cling to him. Isa. xx.liii. 14, 15, “The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. ‘Mio among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting bm-nings? He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly.” Acts V. 13, 14, “And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.” Psal. xlvi. (Luther’s Psalm) ver. 2, 3, “Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.” Ver. 6. “The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.” But, ver. 7, “The Lord of hosts is with us: the God of Jacob is our refuge.” Nahum i. 2, “God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries.” Ver. 3, “The Lord hath his way in the whu’lwind and in the stonn.” Ver. 5, 6, “The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the cartli is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poui’ed out like fii’e, and the rocks are thrown do’mi by him.” Now mark ver. 7, “The Lord is good. a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust ia him.” Joel iii. 15, 16, “The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall ■svithdi-aw then- shining. The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.” Hab. iii. 17, 18, “Although the fig tree shall not blossom,” &c., “yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

Oh the blessing of a clean conscience! it looks on the teiTor of the law, and of God, with comfort. Where there is neighing of horses, beating of drums, rattling of pikes, roaring of cannons, yet if a friend be the general, we fear not. AU the terror there is in God, is comfort to the saints; the wicked have the dark side of the cloud, the saints the bright. Deut. xxxiii. 2, “He came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.” Ver. 4, “Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.” Neh. ix. 32, “Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy.” Psal. “xlvii. 1, 2,” O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God

with the voice of triumph. For the Lord most high is teiTible.”

Be godly, and keep conscience clean, in these latter times; train up your children in ways of godliness.

“He shall roar like a lion.” The roaring of the lion, Plutarch saith, invites the rest of the beasts, there is something for them.

But when was this? Many think, when the Babylonian monarchy was broken by Cyrus; then Belshazzar’s knees beat together, and then the captivity returned, and divers of the ten tribes joined in the return. But this is spoken of the body of them; and if any such remarkable return had taken place, Ezra would not have left out their genealogies.

Others refer it to the times of the gospel, Heb. xii. 26, “Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.” The voice of the gospel, “Repent,” and, “He that believeth shall be saved; but he that believelh not shall be damned,” was a terrible voice. When seciu’e minds (saith Luther) hear that salvation belongs to none but those that are baptized, and that believe in the name of Christ, they indeed tremble, and are solicitous concerning their future state. When Junius read the first chapter of the Gospel of John he was ten’ified.

But I take this to be meant rather of some notable work of reformation and calling in of these ten tribes to join with the church. The Lord will roar to terrify the hearts of their adversaries, that they shall not be able to hinder their return. Hence,

Obs. 4. When God’s time is come for a thorough reformation in the world, he will make the earth tremble. Psal. cii. 16, “‘WTien the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.” It has been his way in his appearing for his church: Psal.lxxvi.7 — 9, “Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry? Thou didst cause judgment to be heard fi’om heaven; the earth feared, and was still, when God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth.” Ver. 12, “He shall cut ofl’ the spirit of princes: he is ten-ible to the kings of the earth.” Isa. xxxiv. 4, “All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falUng fig from the fig tree.” Ver. 5, “For my sword shall be bathed in heaven.” Ver. 6, “The sword of the Lord is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness.” Ver. 7, “Their land shall be soaked with blood.” Ver. 8, “For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance, and the year of recompenees for the controversy of Zion.” Ezek. xvii. 10, “Shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it?”

At the raising of Christ’s kingdom, “Thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things,” Psal. xlv. 4. “The kings of the eai-th, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us fi-om the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb,” Rev. vi. 15, 16. “There shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation: and at that time thy people shall be delivered,” Dan. xii. 1. As when Egj-pt was smitten there were signs and peTl,mi“Smi» prodigies, so now, in all places, admirable “^”“^jjp’-J”“”- wonders in all the elements of the world; because,

1. The ungodly have been cruel against the saints: Psal. lxxiv. 4, “Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations.”

2. The wicked wQl be secure, yea, his own people and will stand in need of roaring to awaken them.

3. The adversary will be stout and proud: Coufimdelur omne jus, el leges pevibuni, All right will be overturned, and laws perish.

4. The difficulties will be great, so that Christ asks if he “shall find faith on the earth” at his coming, faith that ever his work shall be brought about, Luke xviii. 8. Therewillbemighty changes of things. Hence,

Obs. 5. God can soon make mighty alterations. Despair- not then, though wicked men strengthen themselves never no much. ‘■ Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible,” Neh. iv. 14. ‘• Thou shall not be affrighted at them: for the Lord thy God is among you, a mighty God and ten-ible,” Deut. vii. 2L

Obs. 6. We should learn to prepare for those times.

“MTien he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west.”

“The lion hath roared, who v,ill not fear?” Amos iii. 8. There shall be mighty stirrings of heart; men’s hearts shall shake within them, so that there shall be way made for people whose hearts are awakened to come into the church. The enemies shall be struck with such astonishment, that they shall not hinder; their violence and rage shall be abated. They shall say, as did once the Egyptians, Let us take heed what we do, the Lord fights lor them.

And the hearts of those whom God intends to call shall be awakened, the slightness and vanity of their spirits shall be taken away. The awe on their hearts shall make them fear; they shall be roused from their sluggishness; they shall make haste to come in to join with the jieople of God. Fear causes cHimi^Treme“‘^ haste, SO the word used here signifies, and Properabunt, vau- it is SO rendered by some. Men delay and trifle, till God strikes their hearts with fear. Spirilus Sanctus nescit tarda molimina, The Holy Ghost likes not lazy labouring. “Thy children shall make haste,” Isa. xlix. 17.

“Then the children shall tremble from the west.”

Those afar off, which were most un-

^’mS’si™ likely. “The isles shall wait for his

law,” Isa. xlii. 4. The Mediterranean,

the mid-land sea, is in the west. See Isa. xlix. 1, 12.

Hence,

Obs. 7. There are like to be great stu’rings in the western parts in the times referred to here by the prophet.

Ver. 11. They shall tremble as a bird out of Emjpi, and as a dore out of the land of Assyria: and I will place them in their houses, sailh the Lord.

“They shall tremble as a bird out of

‘^“*uiS’i:’“”“‘Egvirt;” being struck with fear they

shall hasten, so the original may signify.

This some think was fulfilled when divers of the ten tribes joined with Judah in their return from captivitv, for the monarchy of the Assyrians was subdued by the Persians, whose king was Cyrus. Therefore it is thought that the same liberty was given in AssjTia for the ten tribes, as in Babylon for Juclah. And not long after, Cambyses, the son of Cyrus, overcame the Egyptians, Herodotus, lib. 8, and Justin, lib. 10. And it is likely that he would be favourable to the ten tribes, as his father had been to Judah.

But Ezra, as was noted above, in likelihood would not then have omitted their genealogies. However, in the great restoration of things, this will be fulfilled. The Jews were strongly set to go to Egypt; now they shall as strongly desire to get out, to join with the churches: fly as a bird, not come as a snail; get over all difficulties; their elevated spirits raising them, they consider not earthly, drossy things. Now all their desire is to join with the saints, that they together with them may “walk after tlK^Lord.”

“And as a dove out of the land of Assjiia.”

1. Doves are sacred there, Euseb. Preparat. Evang. lib. 8. 5.

2. They are terrified with the least noise. Terreturmiyiiyno pene stridore columbo.

3. Doves fly swiftly. “Oh that I had wings like a dove!” saith the psalmist, Psal. Iv. 6.

4. They fly by flocks. “Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?” Isa. Ix. 8.

5. It may be doves migrate from AssjTia at certain times of the year, as several sorts of fowls do with us in their seasons.

“And I will place them in their houses, saith the Lord;” that is, I will ])rovide lockers for them: he follows the former metaphor of doves.

God’s people have been tossed up and down, they have had no abiding in their houses. But “I will place them in their houses, saith the Lord.” Hence,

Obs. 1. God has his time to place his people in their own houses in rest, quietness, and safety; to deliver them from violence and wrong. “Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more,” 2 Sam. vii. 10.

Obs. 2. It is a good work to be instrumental in providing, that those who live godly and are peaceable may abide quietly in their houses, and not be tossed up and down, because they cannot conform their belief or practice to others’ standard. The tossing such up and down, though it may be from a zeal for Christ, yet Christ will never own.

Obs. 3. They that “walk after the Lord,” shall be placed in their houses. They were willing to leave their houses that they might follow him, and now God places them in them.

Learn, then, to trust God with your houses, resolve to follow the Lord whithersoever he goes; he has a time to ])lace his people in their houses, when others, who dared not trust God, shall wander in darkness.

Obs. 4. This must be the work of the Lord, it is only he can do it. “Saith the Lord.” That mercy that comes beyond all means, it is the sweetest mercy. No matter what the means be, whether any or no, so that you have a word of God for the thing.

Ver. 12. Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet rulelh icith God, and is faithful with the saints.

The Lord having manifested the bowels of his tender compassion towards Ephraim, the ten tribes, proceeds further to show what was that which stopped the way and course of his grace, of the grace that otherwise might have been let out unto them.

“Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit.” ‘jaSD besets me round with lies; I am, in respect of the sin of Ephraim, (that is, of the governors.) and of the house of Israel, (that is, the peo])le,) I am, in respect of their sins, as a man beset round, who would have egress, but when he goes one way, there he is stopped, and another way, he is stopped there too. God compares himself to such a man, as if, in going on in the ways of mercy, he is there stopped by some course of sin, and entering on another path, he is there stopped again.

“Ephraim compasseth me about with lies;” that is, with false worshi]), for that is a lie with false pretences; they ])ut fair glosses upon things, but all are but lies; they have beset me with politic shifts of their own devising.

These did beset God, yea, and beset the prophet too, for so I find some turn it; they think it is spoken as in the person of the ])rophet, the prophet complaining that he was beset with lies; that they might, as far as

50.;

they could, prejudice his ministry, and take off its power in their hearts, they beset him with lies, with false reports of this and the other thing. Upon which one has that note: A faithful divine, a JihiSuid estquam preacher, is nothing else but, as it were, a omncsuma doS! ccntro to whlch all the lines of falsehood rum tcnduM. tend; it is a great plot of the devil to

unerm c. ^j.^-nr his Hncs, and to let them make the ministers of God (whom God uses as any instruments of good unto his people) to be as the centre of them all.

But I rather take it as spoken in the name and person of God. “Ephraim compasseth me about with lies;” that is, they not only seek to blind men, but they would (if it were possible) deceive me, saith God. And indeed, when men seek to blind their own consciences, what do they but seek to deceive God? In the very act of worship (saith God) they are false; they profess honour and service to God, but they lie unto him, even when they are worshipping him.

Obs. 1. Many in their prayers, in the solemn act of worship, beset God with lies. Oh how many come into the presence of God, and there profess to God to acknowledge his greatness, his glory, his majesty, his power, his sovereignty, his dominion over them, and profess a great deal of fear of the name of God! and yet God knows it is not in their hearts, it is but as a lie to God. When they are worshipping God, they acknowledge their sin, and judge themselves for their sin, as if they were very much humbled and troubled on account of it; but God knows that all this is but a lie, there is no such humiliation of their hearts before God as their expressions would seem to convey: especially when they are the mouth-pieces of others, they cry to God for grace, and would fain above all things in the world have his grace; but God knows it is but a lie, all their prayers are even a besetting God with lies.

O, consider how far any of you, especially in praying with others, have been guilty of this, which is so marked with condemnation. Psal.ixxviii. 36, “They did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.” The word inins» translated “flattered,” signifies deceived, They deceived him with their mouth.

Why, can God be deceived?

No; but they did what lay in them to deceive him; if it were possible for God to have been deceived they would have deceived him. No marvel though men deceive men as they do: many that are of upright hearts, wonder when they hear that men’s spirits can be so false; no marvel, I say, when God himself complains of being deceived by them; that is, they are so false, and do so beset God with lies, that, if it were possible, he himself should be deceived.

Obs. 2. Many also beset the business and affau-s that they manage with lies. That is, thus, they plot with themselves how they may handsomely contrive to put together a goodly number of lies, that so they may beset men’s understandings. There are such cunning attempts in the world to beset the understandings of men, that men shall not know what to say to thhigs; and yet, whilst they cannot tell how to believe them, neither do they know what to say, things are so contrived. Deceitful men think with themselves. If such a thing shall be questioned, then I have such a shift to put it off; and if another thing shall be doubted of, then I have such a report, and such a fair pretence, to make it good. And thus they beset businesses with lies, and beset men’s understandings.

“But Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints.”

This of Judah’s ruling with God, Luther, Meisner, and others think has reference to the story which you find in 2 Kings xviii., of Hezekiah’s great reformation. Truly, if it be so, then it appears that this people had

continued very long in besetting God and his prophet with lies, for” then the prophet had been threescore years and ten a prophet to this people, and had been for that period showing to them their sin; for from the time of Hosea’s prophecy to the beginning of Hezekiah’s reign, it will appear to be above threescore and ten years, and still the prophet is complaining of this people, at that time when Judah did thus rule with God, that they still continued besetting God with lies. I would from this,

Obs. 3. When men are once engaged in shifts and lies, they grow pertinacious in them, there is litlle hope of their recovery. Then, let what will be said against them, let God’s hand never so much appear, let the truths be never so clear before them, they go on pertinaciously when once they are engaged in such a course.

“Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints.”

That is, Israel, the ten tribes, was not encciu-aged by her sister Judah’s example, for Judah did otherwise; though the ten tribes did beset God with lies thus, their worship was all false, and nothing but a lie, yet Judah continued still in the true worship of God.

Obs. 4. Though examples of evil in others are no excuses, yet where there is no such temptation the sin is so much the greater. If indeed Israel could have said thus. You indeed complain of our false worship; who do otherwise? Does not Judah do so as well as we? do not they follow the same course? we took om’ example from them. No, Israel could not say so. This would not have wholly excused, but it might somewhat have extenuated, their guilt; evil examples do somewhat lessen, but not wholly excuse. Yet when there is no examples at all, but men take up evil of themselves, and are rather examples to others, this is a gi-eat aggravation of their sin. Again note, that,

Obs. 5. To continue in false worship when there is a right way held forth by others, aggravates the sin. If indeed we could say. We have been all our days brought up in this way, we knew no better, we saw none that held forth to us any other way; this might be some palliation. But they could not say so, for “Judah yet ruled with God;” Judah held forth the right way of worship according to the mind of God, and therefore the sin of Israel is here aggravated.

Obs. 6. It is a great commendation to continue in the true worship, when others fall off. “Judah yet ruleth with God.” It was more to the commendations of Judah to continue in the true worship, after Israel had broken off; for in Israel were the ten tribes, more in number, and more flourishing as a kingdom a great deal than Judah; yet for Judah to hold on in the right worship of God, when so many fell off from it, and when a more flourishing kingdom than itself had continued so many years in false worship, this was a great commendation. Indeed there is a great temptation in this, when we see a multitude go another way; the devil prevails thereby much to draw men’s hearts to that way; but the stronger the temptation is, the greater is the commendation of those who shall stand out. What though there be but a few, and you see others who walk contrary in seeming present prosperity, yet if thou canst hold on in the way of truth, in the way of God’s worship according to his word, God looks upon this as a thing very pleasing to him; it is a very great commendation to those who do thus, and God takes it kindly from them: Judah does thus, whatsoever Israel does.

There were many evils, and those very gross, in Judah, but yet saith the prophet Hosea here, “Judah yet ruleth with God.” Why? For the prophet Hosea was a prophet to Israel, he was not sent to Judah to inveigh against Judah, but to the ten tribes; and there-AS EXPOSITION OF

fore, though there were many evils in Judah, he takes not so much notice of their evils, as of the evils of the ten tribes. Whence we may further

06s. 7. We should be more severe with those that are nearest to us, when they dishonour God, than with others. As now, a minister is not so much to inveigh against those over whom God has not set him, but if there be any evil in those that belong to his charge, there he should deal more plainly; and so for others, you are not so much to meddle .with othei’s who do not concern you, as with your own family, those that are under your immediate charge. True, we should not see God dishonoured, but we should some way or other (as God calls us to it) testify for him; but the main thing that we should look to is, those that are under our charge: many are veiT indulgent towards those that are under their charge, and very busy and bitter against others.

“Judah yet ruleth vnth God.” Jerome upon this place tells of a tradition that the Jews have here about Judah’s rule, and it is this: When the people came out of Egypt, and Pharaoh pursued them, and the Ked Sea was before them, and the mountains on either side, they were mightily tenified; yet God bade Moses to command them logo on. The people thought with themselves, Whither shall we go? and so were afraid. Now Judah had a spirit (say they) beyond the rest, and was the first tribe that ventured to go into the sea, and from thence obtained the principal place among the tribes. This is but their tradition.

But the meaning here is, that the kingdom of Judah yet continued according to God’s mind in the house of David, and maintained the true worship, and so ruled with God. There are divers excellent notes further from hence:

Obs. 8. To enjoy but little with God, is better than much without God. As thus, The kingdom of Judah was but small in respect of the kingdom of Israel; yea, but “Judah ruleth with God.” As here in a kingdom, so in an estate: hast thou a small estate? yea, but hast thou it with God? oh! it is a great deal better than to have a great estate and have much guiltiness with it, to have it without God. Israel maintained their rule by shifts; and that is a great evil. Though thou hast thy de-iires, yet if thou dost compass them, and still maintain them, by shifting courses, it is a sore and great evil, thou canst have little comfort in their enjoyment; for this is the meaning of the prophet, as if he should say, Israel ruleth, but how did they get and maintain their rule? It was in false, sinful ways. It may be thou hast thy will over thy brother; yea, but thou hast it in a sinful way: thou bles.sest thyself in that thou hast thy will, but thou hast little cause, if thou knewest all. Israel did not rule “with God.”

, „.., Luther, on the place, saith. Papists

Luther in loc. j., *,, ’

dare not venture to embrace the true doctrine, for fear their rule should be lost. So it is with many people, they are afraid of the loss of their rule, if they should entertain the true ways of God’s worship: they think that the true ways of God’s worshi)) cannot consist with their rule and ])Ower, and therefore they had rather retain them, and let the true worship of God go. Thus it was with Israel.

Or thus: “Judah yet ruleth with God;” that is, Judah, continuing in a right way of worship, does so refonn as he rules in an honourable condition; Judah rules with God. Judah, reforming as he does, “ruleth with God,” is in an honourable condition. Here, further,

Obs. 9. To serve God is to reign. The kingdom that serves God reigns indeed; yea, that individual who serves God reigns. It is an honourable thing to serle God; the Lord Christ “has made us kings” unto his Father, so honourable is the service of God.

“Judah yet ruleth with God.” The Vulgate understands ruling with God thus, T»t»dBc»^i cu.m Judah descends, or comes down, as a witness with God. And indeed the difference, though it may seem to be very great in English, ^diiuc ir ie.us -ir yet in the Hebrew it consists in the points, m 6»mnatui tu not in the letters. Ribera maintains this “‘■’■’ ■’”<:“”’’< “”’ reading, and suggests these two remarks on it:

First, ATien others leave the true worship of God, Judah continues, and so witnesses for God. A’Tience,

Obs. 10. God has never been without some witnesses to his truth. And in evil times, when others do forsake God and his worship, then for people to be willing to venture, and ajjpear any way to witness for God, is a very honourable thing. Oh! it is a blessed thing to be a witness to the truth; Therefore was I born, saith Christ, that “I might bear witness to the truth.” Those that are faithful and upright in evil times are God’s witnesses.

Secondly, He descends, that is, he is content to be in a lower condition, so that he may witness for God; though Israel be in a more flourishing condition, and we be kept low, it is no great matter so that we may be God’s witnesses. Hence,

06?. 11. A gracious heart shrinks not from humiliation which affords the opportunity of witnessing for God. I see, indeed, others in the world, they are brave, and have the countenance of the times, and have all things according to the desires of the flesh; but we are kept low. It is no matter, so that we may but witness for God: let others take the outward glory and bravery of the world, let us be witnesses ifilh and /or our God.

“And is faithful with the saints.” He is faithful, that is, he continues in the right government God would have him, and in his true worship.

06s. 12. To forsake the true worship and government God has appointed, is unfaithfulness; and cleaving to it, especially through much difficulty and suffering, i n special part of faithfulness. It is an enl not to be faithful with the state in civil affairs, but not to be faithful with God in matters of religion is a greater evil.

06s. 13. God has a special eye to a state’s faithfulness with him in point of worshi]). Though there may be otherwise many evils, yet if they be faithful to him in point of worship, God has a special regard to that.

06s. 14. Faithfulness consists in a constant persisting in good. It is not faithfulness only to profess good, but to continue in our profession. Judah “is faithful with the saints.” I find divers learned men take this to be an enallage of the number, and instead of ‘■ with the saints,” read, with the Holy One; for we may find instances in Scripture where the plural number is used for the singular, as in Josh. xxiv. 19, n’e-ip cnSs-o “for he is an holy God.” The word translated “holy” there is m the plural number, as here, and yet it must be understood and read in the singular, “he is an holy God;” and so some read here, faithful witlt the holy God.

But to take it as you find it in your Bibles, “faithful with the saints;” that is, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with Moses, with the prophets, with the forefathers; with them he continues laithful.

Or, faithful with such as are sanctified, the true priests of God, that God had sanctified to himself; faithful with the sanctified ones. Miereas Jeroboam took “of the lowest of the people,” and made them priests to God, Judah would have no other priests but the sanctified ones of God.

Or, lastly, faithful with the people of God. For all of Israel that were holy, that were godly, that were the saints, and were not detained by some special hand of God, went up from the ten tribes to Judah. to the true worship of God; now Judah entertained them, and used

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them well, and was faithful to them. But, on the contrary, Israel, the ten tribes, were unfaithful, by using the saints of God evilly that would worship God according to God“s own way; they were cruel and oppressing, and unfaithful to them, but Judah was faithful towards such, embracing and encouraging them. For us to go on in faithfulness, though we have none to join with, is a commendation; and the ways of God are excellent, whether any or no do join with us in them. But it is a great encouragement to be faithful with the saints; that is, to go on in those ways in which we see the saints walk: and to join with the saints, with such as are the choice saints of God, greatly encourages and strengthens the peojile of God in their way. “Faithful with the saints.” Oh! it is good to be with the saints, even with the scattered remnant; a great deal better is it than to be with abundance of the men of the world.

Obs. 15. We should look more at the example of a few saints, than at the examples of thousands of loose and carnal professors. Judah “is faithful with the saints.” It is true, the example of no man is to be a rule; but when the most gracious and holy saints adopt certain ways, it gives them a sanction, and mightily encourages and confirms others in them.