Hosea 13

Ver. 1. When Ephraim spake Irembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but uhen he offended in Baal, he died.

Tins chapter is partly legal and partly evangelical. Legal; charging this people with their sin of idolatry and of ingratitude, showing them God’s wrath, partly already inflicted, and further threatened them, to the Hth verse, and again in the loth and 16th verses, there returning to further threats; but in the Hth verse there is something mixed of the gospel in the midst of these charges and threats. Ephraim would have put off all the evil that came on him upon God; but God

charges Ephraim himself with it: all the change of Ephraim’s condition from what it had been, comes from his own sin; and the evil that is like further to come upon him will be for his own sin.

“When Ephraim spake, trembling;” not, when Ephraim spake tremblingly; but, when Ephraim spake, (there should be a stop,) trembling; as much as if it were said, there was trembling when Ephraim spake, those that heard him did tremble. When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling. There was a time when Ephraim was very honourable among the tribes, when the very speaking of Ephraim had great power, and took great impression u])on whomsoever he spake to. Yea, though Ephraim was the younger brother, that came of Joseph, yet, by the guidance of the hand of Ciod upon Jacob’s hand, the blessing came upon him more especially; and so from time to time God put much honour upon this tribe of Ephraim, according to the blessing he had from Jacob, when his right hand did lay hold upon the head of Ephraim. Joshua was of the tribe of Ephraim, and when Joshua spake what trembling was there among all the people! what mighty power and authority had he! And you read in Judg. viii. 1, 2, in their speaking to Gideon, what ti-embling they caused, and what yielding presently ensued: “And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply. And he said unto them, Mliat have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of EjAraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer?” And so in Judg. xii., when Ephraim came to fight with Jephthah they had thought to have done the same, they spake great and swelling words; Ephraim took much upon him, and made account that all should tremble and shake when he spake.

“He exalted himself in Israel.” Jeroboam was of the tribe of Ephraim, and so it refers in a more especial manner to him, and his house, the princely power being put upon that tribe of Ephraim in Jeroboam, and they having power in their hands prevailed very much at the first, and caused trembling in all those to whom they spake. As if the Holy Ghost should say. There is a great change now in Ephraim, he is not now as he was, nor likely to continue so. Ephraim presuming upon his excellency, and upon his strength and worth, ventured to sin, “he offended in Baal,” that is, in a way of idolatrv, for so Baal sometimes is a general woid for an idol: Jer. ix. 14, “But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim,” after their idols. And the Chaldee paraphrase seems to allow of this; They did sin, in that they did worship idols.

“^^’hen he offended in Baal.” But though this is meant immediately of Jeroboam, including his calf, yet it has special reference to the idolatry that was afterwards in this princely tribe, in the successors of Jeroboam, and in a more special manner in Ahab; 1 Kings xvi. 31, he did not satisfy himself in worshipping of the calves, but added this, to worship Baal, the god of the Sidonians.

“He died.”

“He died.” His spirit even died; he was of a stout, but afterwards came to be of a low, base, and sordid spirit, and so “died.” They were under the sentence of death; Jeroboam’s house was cut off, and Ahab’s house cut off; and the jieople died at la.st; they became vile and contcmjitible, so that every body could insult them. When a lion is alive and roars, he is terrible to all the beasts; but the most timorous thing w’ill run over, or trample ujjon, a dead lion. So Ejihraim was tcrrililc to all about him, but when he had “offended in Baal” his honour was taken from him. and he w as fain to crouch to everv one and the wTath of

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God pursued and never left him, nor his family, nor the people, but they died and came to nothing. Oh the poor sph’it that thei’e ‘svas in this tribe after they “offended in Baal!” In 1 Kings xx., you shall see what a low and mean spirit they had: whereas before, when they spake men trembled, none could make them tremble; but there, ver. 1 — 1, it is said of Ben-hadad, the king of Sp’ia, that he “gathered all his host together;” “and he sent messengers to Ahab lung of Israel into the city, and said unto him. Thus saith Benhadad, Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine. And the king of Israel answered and said. My lord, 0 king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.” They had a low and mean spiiit, yielding to any thing; and yet of a perverse, froward spirit, to be cruel over those that were under them: the Lord was departed from them, and so their spirits were gone, and they were as a dead carcass, which every one could insult with im])unity. Thus you have the general meaning of this scripture; yet we shall consider it more particularly when we examine it in reference to Jeroboam. But from what has been said, there are these observations:

Obs. 1. It is an honour to have respect fi’om others when Ave speak, to have what we say received with re-Aerence and respect, showing that it impresses the hearts of others, and is not cast out as a vain and worthless thing. Thus Job describes his honour, chap. xxix. 9, 10, “The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on theii’ mouth. The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.” And in the 21st verse, “Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.” A gi’cat honour it was to Job, that when he spake his speech was so regarded.

Let children, and servants, and all inferiors, learn to nive due honour to those whom God has set above th.era; not to scorn at nor slight their words, nor when they speak to them to go away and smile and jeer: I nit it is fit when a father speaks to his child, that the child show reverence and respect in its very countenance and caiTiage; and so when masters speak to their servants, and superiors to then- inferiors. But e’^pecially let us give God such honour’ when he speaks, oil let there then be trembling! Should inferiors honour their superiors by showing reverence when they speak? O let us give this to God. “Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word,” Psal. ciii. 20. The angels excel in strength; and what! do they slight and disregard the word of God? Oh no, they hearken unto the voice of his word, showing for it a reverent respect; and it infinitely beseems us, when God speaks, to “stand in awe,” and “do his commandments.”

Obs. 2. Those who are in place of power over others account it their honour, not only that those under them should regard, but that they should tremble at what they say. Man greatly delights to lift up himself above others, and to lord it imperiously over them: we might give divers examples of men who have had great jjower in their hands, who, when any thing has dis- ]jleased them, would speak so as to make others to shake and ti’emble: nay, not only men in great place will do this, but you will find the same disposition in men that are very mean and of a very low rank. And in families too, how many when they do but speak to their wives, though they be collateral, and not directly under them, yet how imperiously will they speak, yea, so as even to make the house shake almost! and so with their servants and chilch’en; and this they account their glory. My brethren, though this be often through much distemper, and pride, and vanity in men, to de- 2.

light to make all that are under them to tremble when they speak, yet this is an honour due to God, and God expects it from us; for the Lord is infinitely above us, we are all under the feet of God, and at his disposal, both for our present and eternal state.

And it is fit for us therefore to show reverence to God when he speaks, to have a heart to tremble at his word, that is what God looks for. So Isa. lxvi. 2, “To tills man will I look,” saith the Lord, “even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word:” the word that God speaks is that which has the cbeadful authority of God in it; it is that which binds conscience, that word which, if thou obeyest not, will bind thee over to eternal death. It becomes the greatest monarchs in the world to tremble when God speaks: oh! who art thou that canst stand against the voice of God? Oh, bold and hard of heart art thou, that canst stand out against God’s voice. “The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty,” Psal. xxix. 4. And Hab. iii. 16, ““WTien I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivei’ed at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself.” This is the honour that is due to God. Oh, it is a comely thing to see a congregation sit even trembling under the word of God, manifesting their hearts to be affected with the authority and majesty of that which God speaks; for “the voice of God is full of majesty.”

“When Ephraim spake, there was trembling.”

This the prophet mentions as an aggravation of his sin and misery afterwards. As if the prophet should say. There was a time that God did subdue the hearts of people, so that Ephraim had a gi’eat deal of authority over those that were under him; “when Ephraim spake, there was trembhng.” AVhence, with Parens,

Obs. 3. The subjection of the hearts of men to those in authority, is a work of God, God is to have the glory of it. It is from God that the hearts of multitudes are brought under some few, so as to fear them, and to receive what they speak with trembling. Thus we read in Josh. iv. 14, “On that day the Lord magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.” Before Moses’s death Joshua was but his servant, and we do not read that he was so magnified among the people that they feared him. No, the fear was then upon INIoses, because Closes was in place of authority; but when Closes was taken away, and Joshua was to succeed him, then the Lord magnified him, the Lord put a lustre upon him, and the Lord caused the people to fear him, as they had feared Moses. It is a work of God to cause people to fear magistrates. So in Dan. V. 19, “For the majesty that he gave him,” that is, that God gave the king, “all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him.” It is God that puts majesty upon governors, to make those that are under to fear. Psal. lxxvii. 14 deserves to be noted; it is there said of God, “Thou art the God that doest wonders.” What are those wonders and marvellous things? If you read, you shall find among others, “Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron;” that is reckoned among the -n onders and marvellous things that God did, that he did lead his people “like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.” That so great a multitude should be so led by the hands of two, is a wonderful work of God, God is to have the glory of it: it is for the maintaining of government and order in the world, that God so subdues the hearts of many under few.

Obs. 4. The meaner the beginnings of men are, the more imperious oftentimes they prove in power. “When Ephraim spake, there was trembling.” This was the younger brother, and had power, not according to the ordinary common course, but by a special providence

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of God; and so we very often find that men of mean quality and inferior rank, if any providence raises them above others, they prove the most imperious.

Obs. 5. Sin will bring men’s honour down. “But when he offended in Baal, he died.” Though there was a time that every one reverenced Ephraim, and did much regard what they spake, yet, they falling to sin and wickedness, it is just with God to bring their honour and esteem doliTi, to bring them into the dust, and to make them vile and contemptible in the eyes of those that ere while did reverence them. We find this threatened both to magisti-ates and ministi7. With respect to magistrates, in Job xii. 21, “He poui-eth contempt upon princes:” God poui-s contempt; though they had very great honour and esteem, yet through their sin contempt is thrown upon them. And then for those in the ministr)-, in Mai. ii. 9, “Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people.” “The priest’s lips should keep knowledge,” and those that were faithful were very honourable; but when they became “partial in the law,” that is, wlicn they began to tm-n the word of God to their own ends, the’ Lord made them vile in the eyes of the people. The main charge against them was, that they were “partial in the law;” they would handle the word of God partially, what they could get to drive on theiiown ways by, they would improve that to the uttermost, and turn the word which way they pleased; they thought by this means to prevail, and to get esteem of the people, yet this was the thing that God tlu-eatens, to make them thereby to be vile and contemptible in the eyes of the peoj)le. AMjen people come to discover that men do indeed drive on their own designs and their own ends in the ways of God, nothing will take away their repute and then- honour more. Oh the great change that there is in the honours and esteem of men! God for then- sin casts them out, and there pours contempt on their names, as those who have outlived then- honours, even in the very hearts of the saints. Indeed when there is a change in the outward condition from prosperity to afflictions, then wicked and carnal men will not regard those whom they before honoured. As in Job’s case, in chap. xxix. he tells us how he was honoured, and regarded, and reverenced where he lived in prosperity; but when he was in affliction, chap. XXX. 1, he saith, “But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of ray flock.” This is our wickedness, to change our minds of the esteem of men because of their prosperity or adversity; it evidences great vanity of spirit: surely, if now God by his providence has brought down, in regard of his outward estate, one who has been high in place and godly in the exercise of his functions, he is yet to be honoured still, continuing in his integrity and holiness. But now 1 speak of this as a judgment of God upon men, when God casts out their names from the very hearts of the saints, and that worthily too, when they deserve to be looked upon as dead carcasses, though heretofore in much honour and esteem. Heretofore they were as gardens that had many sweet flowers, excellent common gifts, for which they were respected; but now like gardens overgrown with weeds, which no man regards. As houses that were hung with costly hangings, but afterwards pulled down and nothing left but the bare walls; so their gifts were very precious. As houses once opulent, which their owners have deserted, leaving nothing but bare walls, it may be mice and vermin run up and down in rooms that were once hung bravely; so it is with many who hud excellent gifts, which were highly honoured and esteemed by people that knew them, but now the hangings are gone, there is nothing but vermin running up and down in their spirits. Oh what a mighty

havoc sin will make! how it will bring men’s honours down!

Let men therefore take heed of trusting in their former repute, for let them have done what they will heretofore, yet If they depart from God then- honour will depart too. Men that are in place of authoritj’, or in the ministry, had need consider this point well; for it is a matter of great moment for them to keep up theii- repute and esteem, that they may be the more useful, and do service, not only for themselves, but for God. And it is one of the great designs of the devil, to seek to cast dirt upon those whom God is wont to use as instruments for good: oh, it concerns them to look to it that they be chargeable with nothing justly. It is very observable how God remembers Ephraim for dishonour a long time after. In Revelation, chap, vii., where the tribes are reckoned up, only two tiibes are left out, Dan and Ephraim; Ephraim is not mentioned there by his olni name, but by the name of Joseph; and the reason that is given is, because those two tribes were ringleaders in idolatry. If you read Judg. xviii., you find the children of Dan there setting up “the graven image;” and you know the great changes that Ephraim made in the worship of God, by Jeroboam’s setting up of calves, and so aftei’wards sinning in Baal: hence the great dishonour by omission that God put on them afterwards. “A^^len Ephraim spake.”

“Spake” what? What did Ephraim speak when he caused trembUng? Om- observations hitherto have been general, but referring it to Jeroboam, that was of Ephraim, and so to his courtiers, what did they speak? They spake these two things, and so caused ti’embling in the hearts of the people.

I. About the alteration in the government, about the taking off the ten tribes from the house of David; “What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse,” 1 Kings xii. 1 6. Allien this was mentioned, there was trembling; it did certainly at first cause the people’s hearts to shake, they thought it was a very great matter, they knew not what would come of it; what! to forsake the house of David, and to have a change of government? this caused many thoughts of heart, and much trembling, lest evil might result. “AA’hen he spake, there was trembling,” but, “he exalted himself.” Notwithstanding such concussions of spiiit, yet Jeroboam went on in his way, and would venture the worst; let come of it what would, he would on, “he exalted himself.” But then afterwards he sins in his idolatry, as his successors sin in their Baal, and then “he died;” God struck him, and his family, and so the ten tribes. From whence our notes of observation ai-e,

Obs. G. Alteration in government is a matter of veiy great hazard and difficulty. Men that have to deal in any kind of alteration in matter of government, had need be very wise in their carriage in it in respect of” the people, for much depends upon them. When there was any alteration in government there was trembling, mighty fears and troubles in the hearts of the people.

06s. 7. Resolved spirits will break through difficulties.

06s. 8. A’Tien God intends to have a work accomplished, he will raise up men to go through with it, notwithstanding any difficulties there arc in it. “He exalted himself.’” Though the people’s minds were very much troubled, and there was a great deal of shaking throughout the land, yet he lifts up himself; he had some encouragement from the prophet, and otherwise, so that he uould go through with the matter. It was a purpose which God had purposed, that he might fulfil what was threatened to Solomon for his former sin.

06s. 9. If the workers together with God, after duties are accomplished, rest in their own parts or strength, so

as to forsake and sin against God, it is just with him to leave them, that they shall vanish and come to nothing. •’ He exalted himself,” and pi-evailed in what he spake, notwithstanding the trembling of the people; and now, having got himself warm in the nest, and strong in his kingdom, he lifts up himself in another manner, and forsakes God, and trusts in his own strength, and then he dies; God casts him ofl’.

ilen had need take heed, though they be carried through many and great difficulties by a spirit more than ordinary, they had need take heed (I say) that afterwards they do not walk in their own strength, but walk humbly before God: if they forsake God, they will die and perish.

n. About the alteration in religion: this likely caused more trembling than the other. What did Jeroboam speak? That now they were not to go up to worship at Jerusalem, God did not stand upon such things: no, they might save themselves that long lOurney: and so there was a calf set up at Dan and Beth-el. and they must go and worship there: this was a mighty alteration in their worship. And surely when this was mentioned first to the people, there could not but have been great trembhng: the spirits of the godly surely would tremljle at such a motion, they would look upon it as a most di’eadful curse of God upon the kingdom, that there should be such a change in the matters of religion, from truth to falsehood; and even among others, too, there was a general trembling, for men have some kind of conscience with regard to religion and the worship of God, and this was so flat against the word, that where there was but any conscience of God they could not but have had some fear, they could not tell what might come of it, and therefore there could not but be a very great concussion of spirit in the people of the land. At first this was so; but yet afterwards their spirits became dead spii-its, that he might do with them what he would: and so they joined with Jeroboam, and even with Ahab, and sinned more and more.

Obs. 10. Alteration in religion is a very difficult business. It cannot be expected but the hearts of people wUl stu’ much upon the alteration of religion: though it be from worse to better, yet the hearts of people will stir very much at first. ^Vhen the Reformation from popery took place here, what a stir was there! the)- were presently ready to take up amis in Cornwall. What ado was there for the book of Common Prayer! so that the king was fain to write to them, that it was no other than the sum of what they had before, only translated into English, with some amendments. And certainly the casting out of prelacy has caused a great deal of trembling; a great ado there is. How hard it is to get but a single rotten tooth out of a man’s head! it costs a great deal of pain and trouble. Though the wars were undertaken for the maintenance of our liberties, as subjects and men, and for the civil right we have to our religion also; yet we see that the very thoughts of any kind of change whatever in matters of religion, causes the hearts of men to shake and to be unsettled. A change in matters of religion, even though from the worse to the better, is an affair of great moment, and therefore requires much prayer. If it cause trembling when the change is from the better to the worse, it will likewise cause ti’embling where it is changed from the worse to the bcttei’: and therefore it requires that all the godly should join all their strength together, against those that would oppose their strength against it.

Oba. 11. Alen of resolute spirits will go on, even in matters of religion, though it be from the better to the worse. You may say. The people will not bear nor endure it. Yea, but they will venture to go on-with their way and design, though it be fi-om the better to

the worse; but now, if the change be from the worse to the better, then it is a special gift of God to give men hearts to persevere, notwithstanding difficulties.

Obs. 12. Gradual encroachments under fair shows further designs. “He exalted himself,” though there were “trembling:” that is, he succeeded in this his change of religion, not by open violence presently, but he carried things on by fair shows, one thing after another, and so prevailed with. the people. This is the way to compass an object.

b/is. 13. God’s long-suffering must not be abused. “but when he offended in Baal, he died.” Though God may suffer men to make some alterations in religion, though they be for the worse, and let them pros])cr, yet if they will grow from one degree to another in forsaking Ciod, then God comes upon them with his wrath, and they die; if they know not where to hold, God will not continue patient towards them any longer.

06.«. 14. A family or people from which God has withdrawn his protection and blessing, is as a dead carcass. “He died.” I understand similarly Matt, xxiv. 28, “For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together.” Though it is true that this is spoken about the coming of Christ, yet I do not think that the carcass is Christ, and the saints the eagles, although it has been interpreted so by several; but Christ’s coming, here meant, is his coming against Jerusalem, his coming in his judgments against the people of the Jews: they were now as a dead carcass, God having forsaken them; and the eagles, birds of prey, would come upon them: this might refer particularly to the Romans, whose ensign is the spread eagle. The body of the Jews that had forsaken God and his truth, and so were but as a dead carcass, would become the prey of those eagles. A people or family that forsakes God and Ms worship is as a dead carcass, the prey of the spoiler.

Obs. 15. Corruption of worship- causes God thus to withdraw from a people, and make them to be as a dead carcass. “But when he offended in Baal, he died.” As it was said of Troy, so long as they kept the Palladium, the image of Minerva, Troy was impregnable, but when that was gone, then was it overcome and spoiled; so when God’s woi’ship, which is the life and safety of a place, is corrupted and gone, then cometh death. Though I do not think that God always observes the same strictness in matters of wor.shipas with the Jews; for the Jews cerfahily. though they had a covenant of grace in which God dealt ^^■ith them, yet they had too a special covenant which God made with them, respecting their being in the land of Canaan. Now indeed God goes by general rules, that is, to jjunish the disobedient and to reward those that are godly, his ways now towards nations and people, with regard to outward punishments and mercies, are but according to general rules; but his administration towards the Jews, besides general rules, were according to a special covenant made with them about then- living in the land of Canaan, either prosperously, or in adversity.

Obs. 16. AVhen wicked men are most active in evil, yet then may they be under the sentence of death. When they seem to have the greatest power to do what they list, yet then they may be as a dead peo])le. “When he offended in Baal, he died.” If you will but observe the story, for these prophets cannot possibly be understood without reference to the history in Kings and Chronicles: observe but the account in the Kings: when was it that Ephraim “offended in Baal?” It was in Ahab’s time; they were never more active for their idolatrous ways than then, nor was there ever more violence or cruelty exercised on the prophets of the Lord; for then Jezebel had her hundred prophets set at her table, but the prophets of God were fain to

be hid in a cave, and Elijah to shift for his life: and yet “when he offended in Baal, he died.” Pied! why he scorned to be full of life, and activity, and vigour, and thought to do what he list, and to trample all under feet that would stand against that way of worship. But for all this theii- bravery and pride they were dead, sailh the Holy Ghost, they were a base people, and under the sentence of death; God was gone from them, and they were decaying, and so they should deny him more and” more till they utterly perished. “A^Tien he offended m Baal, he died.”

Vcr. 2. A7id now they sin more and more, and have made them molten viiages of their silver, and idols accoidin” to their owti understanding, all of it the icork of the craftsmen: they say of them. Let the men that sacrifice k’iss the calves.

“And now they sin.”

The family of Ephraim and the ten tribes, for so Ephraim is taken for Jeroboam sometimes, and sometimes for the whole tribe, and sometimes for the governors, and sometimes for all the ten tribes as distinct from Judah.

“Now they sin more and more.” From whence I beseech you observe the taking in the people now together with Ephraim: at first it was, “when he offended in Baal, he died;” but now it is said, “Ikey sin more and more:” all the people join with him in sin.

At first, when he began to speak about the alteration of religion, the people trembled to think of it; but it seems afterwards they could swallow it down well enough, they could join with Jeroboam, yea, and .lhab too, ‘• more” and more;” let them impose what they would upon them, they could yield to it.

Obs. 1. Use makes a mighty alteration in men’s spii’its. How many men’s hearts and ways are different from what they seemed to be! If one had mentioned formerly such things as they do now, they would have trembled”. K about six years since one could but have presented in a map all our speeches and actions one against another, and told us how things should be, our hearts would have shaken, and we would have trembled at the very thoughts of it; but now “more and more” we go on, and God knows whither we shall go; oh the alteration that a little time makes in men’s spu-its! Now (saith he) they are a dead, heartless people; you may do what you will with them; they will now do things altogether opposed to their fonner ])rinciples. A man would wonder that this peojjle, who were so astonished at the bare thoughts of the change in religion, should now be swallowed up in idolatry.

06s. 2. The sudden affections and sudden expressions of people are never to be regarded. Though people may seem to be up and very forward in their affections and expressions, yet, I say, never rest too much upon them. Nothing is more uncertain than Mobile vuigu.. ^yg spirits of the multitude, and therefore it is the most irrational thing for any of wisdom to think to carry things that way for a constancy; you may find them forward in one way at one time, but ihcy will be quickly off again, and that which one time they will extol, at another time they will cry down; and such alteration of spirits these times will be a witness to, I believe, as great as ever occurred from the beginning of the world. “Now they sin more and more.” “And now.”

There is a gi-eat emphasis in this particle, “now.” “They sin more and more; “that is, even” now,” when the very sentence of death was out against them, even “now “they do it. Thus did .Vhab in 1 Kings xvi. 30,” And .Vhat) the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the

Lord above all that were before him;” he added evil to evil. From whence,

Obs. 3. When destruction is neaiest evil men are most wicked. Now their sin ripens apace: when the scum grows highest, then it is nearest the fire; and so the nearer it is to the fire the higher it will grow. It is a great sign that the times of men are not long, when they grow notoriously wicked. See a man that hitherto has been forward in that which is good, he may have failings, and yet the Lord may pity him; but now let this man grow to be very wicked, not only to abate of his profession, but to become 0])enly sinful, expect the ruin of that man suddenly, it will not tarry long.

04s. 4. It is a great aggi’avation of men’s wickedness to sin after God thi’eats, and in the times of judgment, when they are under God’s hand. Oh, when God appears against us we should jjresently submit, at the least holding up of his finger: but this is the pride of men, not to stoop even when the hand of God is against them, and the rather because they would justify their sin; if they should stooj) and yield on the hand of God coming out against them, this would debase them, but they rather will stand out the more that they might justify their sin, that they are not as men would take them to be.

Obs. 5. “WTien men have lost their credits, honour, and esteem thi-ough the just judgment of God, they grow more base and vile in their sinful ways than ever. Ephraim had a great deal of esteem and honour, but he lost it through God’s just judgment, and now he, and the people together, “sin more and more.” “We find this usual, that men’s esteem and credit, though they have very base hearts within all the while, yet will keep them in a very fau- way; and, on the contrary, many who have lived very fair so long as they had esteem and credit, yet if their credit be but cracked, and theu- esteem gone, will prove very base and sordid. As in a garden, if a man have but a few weeds in it, he will have them pulled up: but if it be overgrown with weeds, then he cares not much for it, but lets it run more and more: so in men’s hearts, though there be something amiss in them, and yet their names kept up, they will reform; but if once they have fallen, so that their” honour, credit, and esteem are gone, they go on further and further in wickedness. Or as it is with a man when he has a new garment, he is afraid at fii’st of every little spot, and much more of a rent; but when afterwards the garment becomes much suUied, he becomes careless of it, he never stands brushing of it as before: it is thus for all the world with men in respect of their hearts and of their lives, and therefore it is good for them to look to it betimes, when their names begin but a little to be lost, when they may see the just hand of God beginning to come, then to reform; for if they let themselves go upon liberty, they will grow vile and abominable. “They sin more and more.”

04s. 6. There is no stop in apostacy. Let men once apostatize from God, and there is no stop then; they cannot tell whither they may go, if once they begin to roll down. A man may think thus, 1 will bu’t roll thus far, and there I will stop. No, if once you begin to roll, you will roll and roU down to the bottom; you know not whither you may roll, or where you may fall. If a man should leap into the water, and say, I will sink but thus far, to the middle and no farther, this were but folly; you will sink more and more: so it is with apostates; I verily believe those that did make slight at first, did not think that they should go so far. Oh, God forbid that they should do tilings so vile and so abominable! yea, but when once they ai-e rolling, when once they are sinking, they roll and .sink more and more, till they roll into the bottomless pit of hell; they sink more and more, till they sink into the very bottomless gulf, into such things as they would before

have shrunk from with abhorrence. There is a curse upon the wicked in Psak xxxv. 6, “Let their way be dark and slippery; and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.” When men tcill go out of the ways of God into slippery paths of their own, it is just with God that an evil spirit should di-ive them on in those ways. As in your travelling in champaign countries, a highway goes to such a town, and another lies close by it, and you, it may be, choose the wrong one, and so go on and think it will bring you to the place where you are travelling; but it winds so that you go further and further fi-om the right road, perhaps many miles before you are aware of it: so it is in apostacy; it may be, at first, when men depart from the ways of God they think it not of much moment, but then these evil ways wind gradually, and, it may be, almost imperceptibly, widening the tlistance between them and God. “They sin more and more.”

I will give you the steps of an apostate’s departure from God.

L Some slight sin against knowledge, though never so little, for sin of mere infirmity I cannot call apostacv; but if it be ever so little a sin against knouiedge, it breaks the bond of obedience: when you will venture to do that which you know is against God, this bond of obedience being broken, no marvel though you fall and “sin more and more.”

2. Every act of sin tends to increase the habit. Corruption grows by acting; as with grace, every act of grace extends grace in the heart of a man; and the way to grow in grace is, to act grace much; so that when you are acting your grace, you do not only that which is yoiu’ duty, but you are growing in grace: so when you are acting of corruption, you are not only doing that which is evil, but you are increasing the tendency to it: and therefore every sin that causes us to decline from God, makes us to go more and more from God.

.3. Every sin against conscience weakens the work of conscience. The authority of conscience will quickly be weakened when it is once broken; break but off the yoke of conscience, and conscience will be weaker than it was before. The first time a man sins against conscience, his conscience, having a great deal of strength in it, mightily troubles him; but having had a flaw, (as it were.) it grows weaker. I remember a notable story which that reverend and famous divine. Dr. Preston, relates of one in Cambridge, who, after having committed a great sin,, had this temptation. Do the act again, and your conscience will trouble you no more: this temptation prevailed with him, he did it again, and then he grew a very sot indeed, and went on in his wickedness. Every sin does somewhat to weaken conscience, and therefore one that falls off from God will “sin more and more.”

4. A man loses his comfort in God according to the degree of his departure from him. For some kind of comforts hyiocrites may have; as there may be common gifts of the Spu-it to enable them to do service, so there may be common gifts of the Spirit to comfort them, they may taste of the powers of the world to come. Many have some flashes of joy; but when they are departed from God they cannot have so much comfort as they were wont to have, and when they have not that comfort they must have it some way, and are fain to go sharking up and down to get it some where else: I cannot have that comfort in God which I was wont to have; I was wont, when I was troubled, to go and read the word, I could find comfort there; let me go into good company, I could find comfort there; but in the presence of God I could find comfort; but now I cannot: and so the heart must have comfort some way or other, and therefore goes more and more from God.

5. A^Tien one has sinned against God, holy duties

become very unsuitable to his soul. It is a more difficult thing to engage his heart in them than before, and so he comes to neglect duties, and by neglecting them his corruption grows. They were a powerful means to restrain corruption; for when a man is abroad and inclined to licence, yet when he thinks thus, Yea, but before I go to bed I must pray, and how shall I then beg grace from God, when now! wilfully sin against him? this curbs a man: so long as he can keep any kind of suitableness between his heart and holy duties, though he should fail in some things, he would quickly recover; but when he begins to have holy duties so veiled as to leave them off, then he will “sin more and more,” for the ciu’b is removed.

6. The presence of God is terrible to an apostate. He cannot think of God without some terror; before he would often think and speak of God, but now he puts off the thoughts of God, the thoughts of him and his presence bemg terrible; it must needs be that he must wander up and down even more and more, be as a Cain wandering away from the presence of God.

7. The thoughts of whatsoever might turn an apostate’s heart to God, are grievous to him. If he thinks of tm’ning to God, presently will be presented to him some difficulty that will make him even put off all those thoughts, and rather give himself liberty to his own ways.

8. One sin cannot be maintained without another. As now, you find when one man has done wrong to another, he knows not how to carry it out but by doing him more wrong, to crush him if he can. And so there are divers sins that have many sins depending upon them; if a man be engaged in a business that is sinful, that he may carry it on successfully he must commit a great many other’sins, and so fall ofl’ more and more.

9. The pride of men’s hearts is such, that they will attempt to justify transgression. Men love to justify what they have done; when they have sinned, they will grow more resolute and violent, that all people might think that their hearts recoil not in the least. You think many times when you see men very strong and violent in an evil way, that surely they are fully satisfied in it; oh! you are mightily mistaken in that, they may be very violent and very strong in their way, only that they may persuade other folk, though their own consciences tell them that they are not satisfied. Thus the pride of men’s hearts makes them “sin more and more.”

10. WHien men have gone far in sin, they grow desperate. They little hope ever to recover themselves, and therefore “sin more and more.”

11. God in his just judgment withdraws himself from apostates. God withckaws those gifts and common graces that they had, and saith, Let them go on; “he that is filthy, let him be filthy still.”

12. God gives up apostates to their corruptions, and to the power of the devil. It is a di-eadful thing when the chm-ch does it, although it be for the salvation of the soul, and for the destruction of the flesh, 1 Cor. v. 5; but when God delivers up one to his corruptionSj it is for the soul’s destruction: Do you rule him, saith God, because he would not be ruled. No marvel then though an apostate ‘■ sin more and more.”

O, stand with all your might against the beginning of sin; tremble, and stop on the tlu-eshold. Had this people done so, at the fu-st they trembled, oh, had they but kept that trembling heart continually, it would have preserved thera from abimdance of evil: and so, do not some of you remember that there has been a heart-trembling and hesitancy at the very thought of those things which, it may be, some of you now practise? oh, happy had it been for you had you kept such a frame! You young beginners, you tremble at temptations, you tremble at the thoughts of sin, at the fiist

rising of con-uption in your hearts; oh keep this frame, and regard not that boldness of spirit which there is in some. Some venture to the edge of the precipice, but it is a dangerous situation; rather keep a trembhng, sin-fearing heart, for if you lose that, and bemn but to tamper with some sin, if the devil thus beguile you, it is most likely that after the first offence you will sin more and more, and never pause till you are wholly involved in the snares of the devil.

And let us learn, my brethren, to be more and more in the ways of God, as apostates are more and more in the ways of sin. Oh that it were so with us! Let us not content ourselves to do a little for God, but still more and more, as David, in Psal. lxxi. 14, “I will yet praise thee more and more,” I will add to thy praise, so the original signifies: Lord, some praise thou hast had in tlic world, oh that I could live to add any thing to. it! ‘• i will yet praise thee more and more.”

Obs. 7. Idolatry is a very growing sin. “Allien he offended in Baal, he died,” and now “they sin more and more.” Gross idolatry has grown upon men under faupretexts and upon plausible principles.

Jly brethren, do but break this one bond in the matters of worship, that all worship must be by institution, I say, all the worship of God must be either that which is written in man’s heart, or that which is in the word by uistitution: if so be that men will break this, and venture to exalt any creature beyond what God, either in a work of nature or by an institution, has raised it, then begins superstition; this, I say, is the fruitful source of all false worship, to raise any creature higher than God, either in nature or by institution, has raised it; do but venture to put upon any one ceremony more than nature or Divine institution has put upon it, and you know not where you shall stop. You know to what a height of idolatry popery is grown, but it began fair at first. And so we were going to most ^•ile and abominalile idolatry; but by what steps? We had broken the bond of regulating the worship of God by the word, and were bringing in men’s own reason and inventions, and were beghming to put a religious respect upon that which God had never done: now do but grant such a licence in the least matters, and then you know not whither you will run in the way of idolatry, you will “sin more and more.”

Oh let reformation be to us as idolatry is to wicked men, let us not rest in any degrees, but still refomi more and more: idolaters will not stand still, oh why should they then who seek to reform stay their hands?

“And have made them molten images of their silver.”

They were at great charge in making them, and so went on strongly m their way; though it cost them much, yet still they would go on.

“They have made them molten images.”

Tertullian inveighs much against the maker of any images for religious senices, and saith. It is not enough for you to say. We will not worship them, but you must not make them.

“Of their silver.”

“Their silver” is put for their money; silver is used in dilcrs languages for money in general. The calves were of gold, but it is said they were of silver, because the people contributed their money; and other images they added to them that they made by their money: their idolatry was chargeable to them. To avoid trouble in going to Jerusalem, and expenses in their sojouni there, they would not go to Jerusalem to worship; but they were willing to part with their silver for their idolatrous worship. Thoughmen will not have God’sservice to be chargeable to them, yet their own ways are often so.

Hoc aitur de cultii Dei, in quo cessare debet quicquid est prudentia;, quicquid est ratiouis in hominibus, quicqiiidcunsilii el mniiis eorum sensi’is; nam si hie tantiUum sibi ^jcrluiitunl, nihil aliud quain Dei cultum vitiaut. Hoc priuciinuui

“And have made them molten images of silver, and idols according to their own understanding.” The word □•33ty translated •’ idols “signifies griefs, or things that do terrify or cause grief: and indeed idolatry vill bring grief, and men of superstitious, idolatrous spirits are often filled with fears. But this is all “according to their own understanding,” that is, as they thought fit themselves, such as should be suitable to their own ends, they took the liberty to tender up theu- respects to God according to their own inventions; and hence indeed comes superstition. Hence come the great corruptions in the worship of God; when men ii-ilt interpose their own understandings, will leave the simpUcity of the rule, and go then- own way; when they think that the worship of God is not pompous enough of itself. They who do not worship God in a spmtual way, will labour to make up the want of the spiritual part Ijy the addition of many externals, invented by “their own understanding;” and because such things in the service of God are rational to them, they think they must be acceptable to God, and therefore wonder that any should oppose them.

Calvin on this very test has most memorable expressions against men bringuig their own understandings into the worship of God; saith he, * Here the worship of God is spoken of, in which whatsoever is of man’s prudence, whatsoever is the dictate of mere reason, must yield, prudence and reason must give way; yea, whatsoever are the counsels of men, they must not judge by sense, by reason, or by prudence, in the matters of God’s instituted worship; if they do permit themselves in the least degree, they do nothing but defile the worship of God. And again, he saith. This is the very principle whereby men must be taught to worship God aright, that they must be made fools fu-st themselves. If men will come to worship God, they must deny and lay down their understandings, they must not so much as allow themselves to be wise. And thus he heaps these expressions one upon another, adding. Let them listen to the word of God alone, for this condemns whatsoever is pleasing to the judgment and reason of men.

God is indeed little beholden to men’s understandings in those two things, matters of worship, and of faith. Respect, it may be, for the man, may somewhat the more make such an expression pass cm-rent, that it b the very principle of right worshipping of God for men to be fools. Hence many of the learned men of the world have accounted them fools and simple men; as heretofore the Nonconformists, were not they so accounted because they would not yiclA to those things which were imposed upon them? yea, we must be fools. It is true, when once we have an institution men’s prudence and reason are required to guide us in the right management of it; but to raise up any thing in the worship of God beyond what I have warrant for in the word is no where allowed. In such a case it is not enough for men to say; This is good, and what hurt is there in it? and without this there will come a great deal of stu-; and can any reasonable man deny its excellence? I say, when we come to matters of wor-ship, wherein we expect a presence of God for a spiritual work on the soul of man, all these arguments we must lay aside, they are inadmissible. I cannot here argue for a thing, that it is good, and that I have need of it, and therefore must have it; but I may argue, that it is good, and that I have need of it, because instituted. Luther, likewise, saith. In matters of worship we must not regard so much u/iat the thing is, but uho it is that cotumaiids it: do not let us lean to our own understandings. Thus much for their sin of idolatry.

est rite colendi Dei, ut homines stulti fiant ncque permittaut tibi sapcve, scd tantum prebeant aurcm Deo; Hie damnat quicquid ari’idet Judicio houiiuuui vel ralioui. Calv. in loc.

But further, they thought to carry themselves in a prudential “way, but the Lord condemns it as sottish; they thought they were very wise in it, yea, but their wisdom was very foolishness. For there follows,

“All of it the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.’’

As if he should say, What a sottish thing is this, that when they themselves put all its excellency on the ereatiu’e, they will yet worship it, and say to the men that sacrifice, “Kiss the calves!” “Whereas God challenges worship on this ground, because he is himself the supreme, the only soirrce of all excellency.

Obs. 8. Those who trust most to their own understandings in matters of worship, God gives most up to sottishness. I say, if men will venture to go according to then’ own understandings in worship, God may justly give them up to sottishness, and none are given lip more than those who think to be most prudential ;id wise. In Isa. xxix. 13, God saith,” Their fear

‘” ard me is taught by the precept of men.” What

:lcn?” Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a

marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous

work and a wonder.” What is the marvellous work,

‘“hat is the wonder?” The wisdom of their wise men

hall perish, and the understanding of then’ prudent

,.eii shall be hid.” What! they will lean on their

i n understandings in my worship, and they will pre-

-libe what I should have, and they think they are

iry wise in what they do; I will do” a marvellous

ork and a wonder.” ‘UTiat is this? I will cause

the wisdom of their wise men to perish, and the un-:”.rstanding of their prudent men shall be hid;” they hall be left to sottish and absurd ways, that all that; e about them shall see that they are judiciaUy blinded.

O my brethren, we see this fulfilled at this day; those that will venture upon their own imderstandings in worship, how hath the Lord left them to blindness! though men of excellent parts in former times, yet their parts begin to be blasted.

And observe it, you will find this to be the case more and more: such men as bring their own understandings into God’s worship, I say, the Lord will blast at one time or other, so that others shall see, and take notice, and stand and wonder at it.

“All of it.”

“All of it.” As if he should say. If there were any thing of God in it, possibly it might be accepted, but when it is all of man.

This may be said of many of our services; they are all of man, there is nothing of God, nothing of the spirit of Christ in them; no marvel though they vanish, and we vanish in them.

“They say of them. Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.” ^iplt” D’Sjy CIS ‘nsi The Seventy render these words thus, eiaare avOpuTrovg, fioffoi yap Ule-Xoirraaf which interpretation the Vulgate likewise adopts. In zeal to their idols they sacrificed men. According to which reading the sense would be. Those are worthy to kiss the calves that sacrifice men. This was forbidden, Lev. xviii. 21, and xx. 2. But it was done in a perverse imitation of Abraham, who would have ofi’ered up Isaac. It prevailed much among the heathen; the king of Moab sacrificed his eldest son, who should have reigned in his stead, 2 Kings iii. 27; and Tertullian saith, Apolog. cap. 9, that it continued till the time of Tiberius. Lactantius, Just. lib. i. cap. 21, records of the Carthagmians, that being vanquished by Agathocles, king of Sicily, they thought the gods were displeased with them, and that they might appease them, they sacrificed two hundred of the noblemen’s sons.

The place where the Jews sacrificed men, was in Tophet, in the valley of the son of Hinnom. Hinnom i? derived from a word signifying to lament, and roar,

because of the noise of those that were sacrificed; whence Gehenna.

Tophet, of a word signifying to beat on a drum; which they used, not only to diown the noise, but all the kindred of the sacrificed person did rejoice with timbrels and dances in great mirth, till the sacrifice was fully consumed. The Hebrews are quoted by Seidell De Diis Spris., Cognati omnes tympanis et chordis summa cum Imtitia eocultanl quoad omnino combust us fuerit.

But to pass by that interpretation, and to take it as it is read in our books: by these words they call upon the sacrificers, and encourage them in then- idolatrous ways. ...

“Kiss.” The kiss is a ceremony of worship; Psal. ii. 12, “Kiss the Son;” but also it expressed theii-love and delight, as well as their homage. Hercules’ chin, in Sicily, was worn bare with kissing, saith Cicero. And if “they could not reach the chin, then they kissed the hand. Hence Job xxxi. 27,” If my mouth hath kissed my hand.” How foolish were they, ub -s •.”

to forsake the blessed God to worship “’ •-■”’’- calves! How should we be forward and cheerful in the worship of the blessed God, in coming to kiss the Son!

Obs. 9. It is false worship, to give religious respect to any creature, by kissing, as well as by bo^ing to it. I know no reason why a book may not be set up to be oowed to, as well as to be kissed, in taking an oath. The lifting up of the hand to the high God, in an oath, we find in Scripture, therefore that is safe.

Ver. 3. Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff that is driven icith the irhirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chivmey.

Here are four elegant similitudes to set forth Ephraim’s weak, vanishing condition; God’s power over them, the swiftness of the punishment, its violence, and his utter desolation, so that his place shall not be found.

1. “A morning cloud.” Ephraim was risen, seemed to thi’eaten gi’eat things, overcast the leaves like a cloud; but on the brightness of God’s justice appearing, all was dispelled. Their “goodness” (chap. vi. 4) was “as a morning cloud, and as the early dew;” now they shall be so themselves.

2. “Early dew.” The dew seems to bespangle the grass; but the sun rising, it is soon dried up. Ephraim’s estate was beautiful, but the heat of God’s wrath consumes all presently.

3. “Chafi’.” ‘y’ca signifies the smallest of the chaff, the dust of the chaff-heap, and that abroad, where their floors were, and a whirlwind coming upon it. Psal. XXXV. 5, “Let them be as chafi’ before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord chase them.”

Obs. 1. Many, when they begin to be unsettled, the angel of God, as a messenger of wrath, drives on apace to misery.

4. “Smoke.” “The smoke out of the chimney,” it seems to darken the heavens, but presently it is scattered. The original signifies a chink or ^^yf,.^ sijniiicat hole; because in Judea there were not J°“7™;,’°,’’,^15’ such chimneys as we now use, but as it ami.u, quaiibus were windows, or open places in the up- sid fenestra supe per part of the house, or in the waU.as ^fTfnfSiei’e’.’^atiat present in Norway and Sweden, saith °;J”on™il°rf°

a learned interpreter upon the place, suecii Temov. in We may hence,

06s. 2. The vanity of jjroud men. Here God compares to such mean, vile things, persons that heretofore were so lofty. So 1 Kings xiv. 10, Jeroboam’s house is threatened to be destroyed, “as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone.”

“Vhy then should wicked men be feared who are

thus before the Lord? Do not bless yourselves in any prosperity, never think yourselves settled; for when you are most prosperous, and likely to continue so, yet are ye but “as the morning cloud;” yea, as “the early dew,” “the chaff,” “the smoke.”

Ver. 4. Vet I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egi/pl, and thou xhalt know no god but me: for there u )io saviour beside me.

“Yet I am the Lord thy God.” This is spoken,

I. As an aggravation of their sin. “Yet I am the Lord thy God;” as if he should say, You have thus provoked me, notwithstanding I am the Lord thy God. I have done very great things for you and for your forefathers.

Obs. 1. It is very evil to sin against great works of mercy. When we do any thing for another wherein we think we might gain him to ourselves for ever, and - he yet — this is very grievous.

II. By way of encouragement. “Yet I am the Lord thy God;” I am ready to show thee the like mercy still. This is to break their hearts, and to provoke them to come in to the Lord. He .sjjeaks to an apostate people; as if he should say, AVere you yet what you sometimes seemed to be, oh how gracious should I be to you! I am yet whatever I seemed to be to you; why arc you so jierverse towards me? Jcr. ii. 2, “I remember thee, the kindness of thy j’outh, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.”

III. As a strong argument to obedience. “Yet I am the Lord thy God.” When the will of God is once known, saith Ijuther, on Gen. xxvii., we are no further to dispose of rights, because neither parents, lords, nor masters have this title, “I am the Lord thy God.”

“From the land of Egj-j)t.” As if he should have said, What a state had you been in, if I had not delivered you out of Egypt, from the iron furnace, a low, base employment! ye had been bond-slaves, and might have spent your days there in sorrow and trouble. Consider then, 1. Yom- low estate. 2. How your strength might have been spent. 3. AVhen this anguish was upon you, what crying to me, and my delivering of you! Hence note, that,

Obs. 2. Deliverance from Egypt is a proof of God’s being our God.

But does this concern us?

Much. There is a sjjiritual Egypt from which we have been delivered, as the apostle makes use of the paschal lamb in a spii-itual sense, 1 Cor. v. 7. The power, severity, and holiness of God, appear in the delivery of his people from Eg)-pt; so also in our deliverance fi-om antichrist, as Kev. xv. 2, 3, the church is brought in singing the song of Moses (which the children of Israel sung for their deliverance from Pharaoh) for its deliverance from antichrist. Pharaoh was the dragon in the waters, Psal. lxxiv. 13, 14, .so is antichrist, Kev. xii. The city of Zurich engraved the year of their deliverance from antichrist upon pillars in letters of gold.

“And thou shalt know no god but me.”

That is. Thou shalt effectually acknowledge, worship, serve, love God as a God; no other.

06s. 3. The end of God’s great work is, that he may be known to be a God, a sincere, gracious, and holy One. The knowing God to be a God, is a special part of that worship which is due to God.

To acknowledge God to be God, is to know him in his excellency, majesty, and glory, above what is known of him by the light of nature.

This cannot but have a mighty operation on the heart. For,

To know God to be a God, is, 1. To know him to

be the first Being of all. 2. The infinite, ail-sufficient God. 3. The fountain of all good to his saints.

1. This must needs gain the heart to him. 2. There is no worship of God where this is not. 3. Where this is all follows. 4. The right knowledge of God keeps from false worship. “But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements,” the Jewish ceremonial worship? Gal. iv. 9.

“Thou shalt know no god but me.” This is the first commandment, of which Luther saith, All duties flow from that great ocean of the first commandment, and again return thither. We see the projjhets to be most exercised in the use of the first commandment.

Obs. 4. It is not good to know idolaters’ worship at all. For this is spoken in the text by way of opposition: “Thou shalt know no god but me;” that is, thou shalt be acquainted with no other worship. As in Deut. xii. 30, “Take heed to thyself, that thou inquire not, saying, How did these nations serve their gods?”

Therefore those that are not gi’ounded, (and who is so grounded if it be against the precept of God?) should not even inquire after, much less go to see, the worship of idolaters.

Obs. 5. Nothing should be known or acknowledged to have any good in it, but with an infinite distance between it and God. “Thou shalt know no god but me;” that is, nothing but with a difference from me, as much as between God and the creature; “For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? who among the sons of the mighty can be Likened unto the Lord?” as saith the psalmist, Psal. lxxxix. 6, and elsewhere. There is an infinite distance between God and every creature: we may know creatures as ereatm-es, but nothing as God, but God.

Obs. 6. We should know and acknowledge God when we are in misery and straits. So the church, “Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour,” Isa. xlv. 15. Many in time of prosperity will know God and acknowledge him; but when troubles come, they change their thoughts.

“For there is no saviour beside me.” Hence the observations are:

06s. 7. God delights to manifest himself a Saviour God. Thus Jer. xiv. 8, “O the hope of Israel, the Saviour thereof in time of trouble.” Isa. Ix. 16, “Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of .Tacob;” and lxiii. 1, “Who is this that cometh from Edom? — I that speak in riglitcousness, mighty to s;xvc.” And Acts v. 31, speaking of Christ, “Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” There is his glory, and there should ours be also. He might manifest himself a God in our ruin.

06s. S. Saving mercies are great mercies.

06s. 9. Though God does more for us than any, yet he receives not so much from us.

06s. 10. No creature can do us any good further than God enables it.

06s. 11. Our faith should be exercised on God as a Saviour, to whom there is none like. “Be strong in the Lord,” (saith the apostle,) “and in the power of his might,” Eph. vi. 10: if our dangers are more than any, yet our Saviour is more than any also. “I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies,” 2 Sam. xxii. 4.

06s. 12. God must be acknowledged in all salvation. “They forgat God their Saviour, which had done great things in Egj-])t,” P.sal. cvi. 21.

Obs. 13. We should make use of all God’s saving mercies, to engage our hearts to him. For, 1. God saves from such evils as none else can. 2. He saves

Vep. 5.

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seme from as great or greater than ever he has. 3. God saves from all evil. 4. Without means. 5. Above means. 6. Contrary to means. 7. None saves but by him. “There is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviom-; there is none beside me,” Isa. xlv. 21. 8. God saves in all modes of saving, 2 Sam. xxii.; Psal. xviii.

But will he be such a Saviour to me in my condition?

Yes; he expresses himself thus in the midst of threats; in that chapter of Isaiah just cited, ver. 22, he saith,” Look unto rae, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth:’’ even then when he threatens, look up to him as a Saviour above all. God magnifies this his title evei-y day, to some in one manner, to some in another: time is coming when he will magnify this in saving them wholly from all evil.

Obs. 14. Though God does us more good than any, vet for our hearts not to be with him as with other things, is vile.

06s. 15. Happy are they who have an interest in this God. If we have interest but in one man that is able to do us good, we bless ourselves in it.

Obs. 1 6. We are never safe but when our peace is made with God.

Obs. 17. Unless you pray to God as a God, having all power to save, you pray to an idol. Isa. xlv. 20, “They have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.”

Obs. IS. God is not worshipped as God, but when he is worshipped as a Saviour. It is not to say God is our God, but to rely on him as a Saviour.

Ver. 5. / did know thee in the uilderness, in the land of great drought.

“The wilderness,” where there grew not one grain of corn. You who were so poor in the wilderness, depending on me for every morsel of bread; yet after, when you were fed, how proud and wanton grew you!

“But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked then he

forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation,” Deut. xxxii. 15. In Ezek. xvi. 49, the Sodomites are condemned for behaving themselves contemptuously against the poor; but these do it against God.

God evidences this his knowledge and acknowledgment of them as his people, in leading them through the wilderness, by several instances and expressions: he takes notice of this wilderness, Deut. viii. 15, “Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness;” Luctus ubique paror, et plurima mortis imago. He knew them as “a peculiar treasure above aD people; a kingdom of priests, an holy nation,” Exod. xix. 5, 6. “He kept him as the apple of his ey e;” as an eagle beareth her young ones on her wings, “so the Lord alone did lead him,” Deut. xxxii. 10 — 12. They “lacked nothing,” chap. ii. 7. He led them “with his glorious arm,” Isa. lxiii. 12.

Now God knew them in the wilderness, 1. In respect of their sin, which he visited. 2. In regard of their wants, which he provided for. We may connect both thus:

They went three days and found no water; and when they found it, it was so bitter they could not drink of it. Then he sweetened it by a mu’acle, Exod. XV. 22, 23, 25. Then in the wilderness of Sin they complained that the whole assembly would be slain with hunger; then came manna, a rain of manna, Exod. xvi. They loathed manna, and then quails were sent. Numb. xi. They “pitched in Rephidim, and there was no water,” so that they were “almost ready to stone” ISIoses; then water out of the rock is given

them, Exod. xvii. 1 — 6. But, ver. 8, “Then came Amalek and fought with Israel:” when Moses held up his hand Israel prevailed; and when Moses’s hands hung down Amalek prevailed; ut last Joshua discomfited them, vei’. 9 — 13. Exod. xviii., Jethro is sent to refresh them, with Moses’ wife, and his two sons; and chap, xix., XX., God gives them his law. Numb, xii., Miriam and Aaron contend with Moses: that sedition God rebukes. Numb, xiii., spies being sent, they discourage the people, yet God leads them on. Numb, xvi., Korah, Dathan, and Abiram conspire, upon which the earth opens and swallows up the rebels. “But,” ver. 41, “on the morrow all the congregation,” a hundi’cd forty and seven thousand, murmur against IMoses and Aaron for it; upon which the plague comes. They had other idols besides the calf, Amos v. 25, 20; Acts vii. 42, 43. Numb, xxi., “King Ai-ad the Canaanite fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners.” Ver. 5, Their souls loathe manna, fiery serpents are sent. Ver. 23, Sihon, king of the Amorites, comes out against them and fights. Ver. 33, Og, the king of Bashan, goes out against them. Chap, xxii., Balak sends Balaam to curse them. Chap, xxv., The people “commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab,” and go “unto the sacrifices of their gods” at Baal-peor, upon which a plague ensues. Chap, xxxi.. They war with Midian, slay then- five kings, destroy theixcities, women, children, fiocks, thirty-two thousand women that had not known man they take captive. And in this war they lost not one man, ver. 49. Now our observations are:

Obs. 1. Man’s wickedness strangely contrasts with God’s goodness: God knew then- sin and yet destroyed them not; they receive mercies and yet sin.

Obs. 2. It is a great mercy for God to know a man in time of distress. This is (3od’s way. ISIen know in prosperity; but let us make God our friend, he will be a friend otherwise than men will be.

Obs. 3. We should not be dejected in times of trouble; that is the time for God to know thee: be willing to follow God in any estate.

Obs. 4. God’s knowing us in distress is a mightyengagement. Let us look back to the times when we were in trouble.

Obs. 5. Let us know God’s cause w’hen it suffers, and know our brethren in their sufferings.

Obs. 6. God’s knowledge is operative and working; it does us good. Our knowledge of God should be so too. To sin against our knowledge of God is evil, but to sin against God’s knowledge of us is worse.

Ver. 6. According to their pasture, so uere they filled; they te ere filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me.

You heard in the preceding verse of the gracious providence of God towards his people while they were in the wilderness: “I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great di’ought.” God glories much, and mentions often, his care over, and goodness to, his ])eople in the wilderness; When they had got out of the wilderness into the land of Canaan, where there was much pasture, they thought themselves to be well, that now they could live of themselves; and so they lived to themselves, and in a little time destroyed themselves: the truth is, they were in a worse condi- tion then than when they were in the wilderness, for, saith he, “According to theii’ pastui’e, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me. Therefbre I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them: I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps.”

Wc do not hear such terrible things against them when they were in the wilderness.

“I did know thee in the wilderness,” but now it is otherwise.

From the connexion note first,

06s. 1. It is better to want the comforts of the creature, and to have God’s protection, than to have abundance of the creature, and depend on oui-selves. We do not love a dependent life, but it is safest; many have more of God’s presence with them, and protection over them, when they are in the wilderness, when they are in adversity, than they have when they come into proslperity, when they come to enjoy abundance of the creature: God knows them when they are in afflictions, and they know God; but when they become pros- {jerous, God neither knows them so much, nor they mow God so much.

Examine, I beseech you, when you were low; say, had you not more of God’s presence with you then than you have now? Did not God know you more then? did not you know God more then? had you not more sweet communion in those times than you have now? Oh, God made you know him by gracious visitations of his Spirit, and there were gracious workings of your spirit towards him. Arc not you gi-own flat, dead, djrossy, and carnal now more than before? do not you seek greedily after tlje world to fill yourselves therewith? and do not you begin to be exalted in your own hearts? do not you begin to be ])utfed U])? have you no friends that are so? If you know but any of your friends that, when they were lower than they now are, knew God better than now they do, and God knew them, and there was more sweet converse between God and them, put them in mind of this text: “I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought. According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me.” God deliver them from the remaining part of the text, “I will be unto them as a lion; as a leopard by the way; — as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps.” You seldom find in Scriptui’e any of God’s saints worse for afflictions; give me any one example: for my part, I know not one in all the book of God that came worse out of an affliction than when they went in; but I can tell you of many, even of God’s dear people, that came worse out of prosperity than when they came in. Therefore it is observable in 2 Chron. xvii. 3, it is said in commendation of Jehoshaphat, that he walked in “the first ways” of David his father. David his father at first was in an afflicted estate, afterwards in a more prosperous condition; he was hunted like a partridge at fii’st, but when he came to prosperity his ways were not so good, therefore the Holy Ghost puts a commendation on his “first ways” rather than upon his after ways. I fear it may be said so of some, that their first ways, when they were low, were a great deal better than their after ways. This for the connexion.

“According to their pasture, so were they filled.” According to the fatness and riches of the land when they came into it they were filled; they fell upon whatever sensual pleasure they could enjoy to the uttermost of their means. They would improve all the means and opportunities they had to give contentment to the flesh; “so were they filled.” Thus you sec men that love to live in the gratification of the flesh up to the height of their means, will be sure to have satisfaction if possible; if they go abroad and see any thing that may give content to the fiesh, they resolve to have it if they can when they come home. According to all the means that they have, so they will have the flesh satisfied. How happy were men if they were 80 wise for their souls, il according to the means of grace we sought to fill our souls! Oh, how does the

Lord lead us in green pastures, and yet what empty souls have we!

“Acconling to their pasture, so were they filled.” But can we say, that according to the green pasturi in which God leads us, so are we filled? AVe live i: green pastures, and yet are we empty. Here we stt that men regard their bodies, regard the sensual pleasures of the fiesh abundantly more than spiritual, as i! there were a greater good in sensual delights than then if in all spiritual comforts.

“According to theu- pasture, so were they filled: they were filled.” Twice we have “iilled.”

A little will serve man’s desires in spiritual things, but they will fill, and fill themselves again, in things sensual.

It notes the greediness of their spirits in falling upon those contentments which they had for the flesh. Wnc;. they came into a fertile land “they were filled; tht were filled:’’ such is the nature of carnal men, to fall with greediness on creature-comforts, and to think on nothing but filling themselves, tilling, filling. In P.sal. lxxviii. 29, you may see what their disposition wa: even before they came into their fat pastures, when God but in the wilderness granted them flesh, “the did eat,” saith the text, ‘• and were well filled.” So it i in your books, but the force of the Hebrew is, the were filled very much, they were filled exceedingly they filled themselves to the uttermost Prov. xxiii. J. well describes the greediness of men’s hearts after carnal contentments; “Wilt thou set thine eyes upon thir which is not?” speaking of riches: thus it is in yor. books, “Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which inot?” but the more correct translation is, Wilt thou make thine eyes to fly upon that which is not? When a carnal heart sees any ojiportunity of enjoying carnal contentments, he makes his eyes to fly upon them, to fly upon them with eagerness: great is the greediness of carnal heart!

“Acconling to then- pasture, so were they filleiL”

They thought of nothing but filling themselves, whereas other thoughts should have mingled with their self-gratification, when God brought them into their fat pastures. True, we may enjoy what God gives us; yeo. but we must not only seek to fill om’selves, but we an.- to labour to mix such thoughts as these with the goo ’ things which we enjoy. .Vs thus, now:

1. Here I enjoy abundance of good in the creatun whence have I all this? is it not from God? They dii: not think of this, so be it they might fill themselvc-As the swine under the acorn tree seeks to fill tli belly, but never looks from whence the acoms conif so carnal hearts fill themselves, but never look wlieiic the blessings come; whereas a gracious heart take the comforts of the creature that God aflbrds, but. while it is receiving them, it looks up to God the principal of .ill.

2. ANTiat do I think God aims at? God gives nu abundance of the creature, but what. is God’s end? iit only to satisfy my flesh? has God no further end than this?

.’J. I now possess these contentments, but what opjiortunities have I by these to do good more than bifore? Surely these are not given me merely to pampi: the flesh, but arc given me as large opportunities o! stTvice for God.

4. Now I enjoy abundance. What is the rule that God has set in the word for the ordering of my heart in the time of plenty?

5. I have much now in the world more than before; but oh my unworthiness! how unworthy am I of these comforts I unworthy of the least morsel of bread, and yet my table is furnished, and I am filled. Carnal hearts fall upon their dishes, and pour down their full cu]is, and never think of their unworthiness, how uiiwortliy Iheij are of the least drop of water.

5od

6. God gives me abundance of the creature; but what is it that makes the diifercnce between me and others? Some others ai’e empty enouo-h, their bellies are empty, their houses empty, their cupboards empty; but I am filled; why should God deal thus with me rather than with others?

7. I enjoy abundance here in the creature; but is there not danger, is there not a snare in the possession? Have not I a naughty, vile heart? How if these should prove to be temptations to me to di’aw my heart from God? were I not better without them? In the Epistle of Jude, ver. 12, it is spoken of as an evidence of carnality, that they feast, “feeding themselves without fear;” they fall upon what is before them and fill themselves, but ‘’without fear:” whereas we should never enjoy fulness in the world, but with fear; fear of the snare that there may be in the abundance.

8. I have abundance; but what uncertainty is there in all these things! I have it now, but how quickly may it be gone; these things taken from me, or I from them!

9. I have much, and therefore I have a great account to give to God of these my pastures; this my fulness will make my account so much the greater.

10. I have much: oh, but, considering how little service I do for God, may not I fear that this which I have is to be my portion?

11. Do not many obligations attend on my possession? That fulness which I have, does it not more fully engage me unto God than others? Carnal hearts ai’e void of these thoughts in the enjo)”ment of their fulness, they cai’e not, so be it they can but fill themselves, how they get, or how they use their abundance.

O my brethren, our hearts should be filled with these thoughts in our fulness; but it is with most as in Isa. lvi. 12, “Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong chink; and to-morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant:” there is all that they care for.

Those especially fall most greedily upon carnal contentments that have been kept short a long time. So it was here.

“I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought. According to their pasture, so were they filled.” “They were filled,” they minded nothing but filling themselves, they gormandized; as it is usual with them that have lived very sparingly and meanly before, if they come to a full diet they fill themselves so greedily, as even sometimes to distemper themselves, and occasion plagues and grievous diseases: when a man has fasted to starving almost, he had need be very careful what he does when he comes to a full table. Physicians will not suffer men that have fasted long to eat much: it brings many diseases on soldiers and others, because sometimes they want much, and sometimes they have abundance, and so they spoil themselves; as we read of Saul’s men, that they fell upon the cattle so that they did eat the blood. Oh let us take heed of this; it should be a seasonable lesson to those who have known what emptiness has meant in these times, and are now going into theii’ countries again, and to enjoy their possessions; oh let them take heed how they fall upon the comforts of the creature greedily; they should rather prepare themselves beforehand, and season their hearts with those thoughts, that may keep them from the danger of fulness. And when “they come to their houses and lands, and begin to stock them again, they should think. Oh, M”hat were those sins of mine when I was here before in my house, and enjoyed fulness! how little honour had God by my abundance before! Let me now remember all my nrurmurings and repinings when God took away my estate, and let me seek to make peace with God even for them. In the time of my distress, I cried to God, and

I was afraid that I should never enjoy my estate again; and has God given it to me? on let me improve it better for his service than ever I have done. Such thoughts men should have when they come to their estates again, and not fall upon them as if they only sought to make up for interrupted pleasures, and thought of nothing else. There is a great deal of danger here, God has ways to make men cast out their sweet morsels when they regard nothing but the filling of themselves.

“And then- heart was exalted.”

This their fulness puffed them up: pride is a disease that ordinarily follows fulness. It is omQiit est esse hard, saith Bernard, to be in honour ;» tonore sine

., ,T -ri 1. 1 T /» tumore. Bern.

Without swelling. Pride is the disease oi prosperity; so, Psal. lxxiii., David describes the prosperity of the wicked, and in ver. 6 adds, “Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment:” and hence that caveat of the apostle, 1 Tim. vi. 17, “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded.” “Charge them,” saith the apostle, for it is usual for men that are rich, that are full, to be high-minded. “Charge them, that they be not high-minded.” Because,

1. That these things in the world are great things in their eyes, yea, they are the only good things to a carnal heart; they are his happiness, and therefore he blesses himself m them, and is puffed up on account of them.

2. When they enjoy fulness in the world, then their lusts are satisfied, then they have fuel for their lusts, which makes them grow mighty high.

3. They can live of themselves and depend upon none, and this essentially puffs them up. In Psal. x. 5, speaking of proud men in prosperity, the psalmist saith, •’ As for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.” They care for nobody in the world, they can live of themselves; others depend upon them, and they depend upon none, and this elates them.

4. They conceive some excellency in themselves. Why, they have more than others; as if it were because they had more excellency in themselves, and were more worthy than others; they are not common people, but are called out from among others as the prime and chief, as if there were more worth in them: this puffs them up.

5. They see all desire what they have; they see a great distance between them and others, and those that are under them do highly esteem them. “They call the proud happy;” the rich have many flatterers. “They were filled, and their heart was exalted,” not only above men, but above God. Psal. lxxiii. 9, “They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.” They will speak against every one when they are high themselves, scorning at the ways of Ciod, and at his saints. WTien do wicked men that are of scornful spirits, scorn and speak most roughly against the people of God and Ms ways, but when they are filled? when at taverns they have filled themselves with wine and good cheer, then they scorn, and blaspheme, and “set then- mouths against the heavens, and their tongues walk” throughout the city and country, against parliament, and all indiscriminately; their tongues are free when they are filled. Hence Psal. xxxv. 16, “With h)-])ocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.” In the time of then- feasts, when they were filled, then they were “mockers,” and “they gnashed upon me with thcu- teeth.” Abundance of evil is done by scorning and contemning at feasts; and in that respect their wine, with which they then fill themselves, may be called, as in Deut. xxxii. 33, “the poison of di’agons, and the cruel venom of asps;” for as it fills their bodies with heat, so their sjiirits with rage and malice. And especially those who were heretofore

low, if they come to be filled, their hearts are most exalted. Oh the sad examples we have of this at this day! many not long since in a low and mean condition, havinfj gotten places, they have got estates and power in their hands, oh how are their hearts exalted! ‘Would you ever have thought to have lived to have seen such a change in their s[)irits as at this day? In how many ways do they discover their pride now they are promoted!

1. In their estrangement towards those that they were familiar with heretofore. They keep aloof from you; they are filled, and now their hearts are exalted.

2. Their carriage is very high and lofty; you must wait now if you would but speak to them.

3. Now they need no advice or counsel. They were wont to communicate themselves to you, and to be willing to hearken to advice and counsel; yea, but they are filled now, and theh’ hearts are exalted, as if the exaltation of their estates put more wit into their heads.

4. Now they are harsh; to those that are under them they speak harshly and ruggedly, and care not for any under them. When they lived formerly among their neighbours, then they would complain of the harshness and rigidness of others, but since they are filled they are as harsh as any; and so before, when they were low, they cried out of oppression, but when they come once to be in place themselves, and to be filled, then they act as others: hence that in Psal. lxxiii. 8, “They speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily:” if you complain of oppression, they speak thus. It is spoken of wicked men in prosperity.

5. They show their jiride. When they are filled they cannot bear contradiction now as they were wont, they cannot now endure rcjirchension.

6. Those mercies which not long since they would have highly prized, they now slight, they are now in their eyes as mean things.

7. All the use they make of what they enjoy now more than before, is to got higher and higher, for that alone they use it all. Those who have been low and mean in their estates, now they begin to be filled their hearts are exalted; and thus do they discover the exaltation of their hearts. Oh! but this is a great and a sore evil, for so it is rebuked by the prophet. O thou that hast thy heart exalted on being filled, it is a sign that thou hast a poor, low spirit of thine own, to be so lifted up with those things which thou dost enjoy.

For, 1. Mliat low and mean things are they! AVhat are they but crumbs that the Master of the family casts to dogs?.

2. They are such things as make thee never a whit the better, nor the more excellent. Indeed it is said, that knowledge puffs up the heart, for it puts an excellency upon the man; but the heart of the wicked is little worth, let him have never so much prosperity.

3. Those things in which thou pridcst thyself, are no ether than may be, and have been, the portion of a reprobate. They are no other than may, consist with God’s eternal hatred of thee, and his eternal wrath against thee.

4. They are such things as may come from God’s wrath, and like enough they do; and when thou art filled with, and thereby puffed u]) by them, it is a sign that there is a curse mixed with tlicm. If a man comes to a table and eats, and then swells presently, God be merciful to mc, am I ])oisoned? saith he. If thou fillest thyself, and art puffed up, it is an argument thy l)rosperity is poisoned, the curse of God is on it. Had not you rather have the coarsest diet, were it only wholesome, than the daintiest dish with poison in it? Is it not better to have the russet coat that is not dangerous, than a velvet coat that has the plague in it? Thy condition, if thou knewest it, may be was a great deal better before. Oh that any considerations might abate

the elation of men’s spirits, that are so puffed up with outward prosperity!

5. Thou art less fOled with spiritual good than before; that which is substance thou hast lost, and thou art filled with wind.

6. Ere long what thou hast must be taken away.

7. Perhaps the right to what thou dost enjoy, is but the right that a malefactor has to his supper before the day of his execution.

8. The evil of any one sin is a gi’cater evil than all thy prosperity is a good; if it but occasion any one sin to thee, it brings more evil upon thee than all the filling thou hast is good unto thee.

9. Thou art filled; but oftentimes it falls out so, that the very time for God to let out Ids wrath upon wicked men is when they are most filled. Job xx. 22 remarkably confu-ms this: “In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits:” it is an expression to be noted; they think they have sufficient now to live of themselves, but “in the fulness of theh- sufficiency they shall be in straits.” And in ver. 23, “Allien he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him.” And in Psal. Isxviii. 29 — 31, “So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire; they were not estranged from their lust. But whde their meat was yet in their mouths, the wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them.” Oh, thy fulness is no cause for thee to Uft up thy heart, for when thou art fullest, then is the time for God’s hottest wrath to be let out upon thee, thine abundance but prepares thee for slaughter. How much better is it for the beast to feed on the common and live, than to be brought into fat pasture and prepared for the butcher! AATien thou wert feeding on the common, thou wert in a way of preservation; but now thou art come into the fat pasture, it is to prepare thee for slaughter: be not exalted then in thine own heart because of thy fulness.

10. It may be God has respect to others in thy fulness, it is not in regard to thee.

11. Hereafter thou mayst perhaps curse the time that ever such an estate befell thee, curse the time of thy fulness. Perhaps upon thy sick bed thou mayst lie and wish, Oh that I had kept my shop still, and been continued in my low condition! I had gone out of the world with a great deal less guiltiness than now I am like to appear before God with. Oh, be not exalted because thou art full.

“Therefore have they forgotten me.” Proud men forget God; “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God,” Psal. x. 4. They have forgotten what need they had once of me, what cries they sent up to me, what moans they made before mc; they have forgotten how gloriously I wrought for their deliverance, and all their consequent engagements to me; they have forgotten to acknowledge me, or sanctify my name, in all the good they enjoy. Oh, this is a sore and great, and yet an ordinary, evil; as soon as we have our turns served, God is minded no more. “They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy,” Psal. lxxviii. 42. Oh, it should have been in their memory, to have sanctified the name of God in their gi-eat deliverance; but when they were delivered they rcmemcmbcred it not. “Call upon me in the time of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me,” saith God. We call upon God in the time of’ trouble, and God hears us, and delivers us, but the latter part is forgotten; and that soon too; “They soon forgat his works,” saith Psal. cvi. 13: sometimes we forget before the work is quite accomplished. Oh! the Lord deliver us from this great evil. Shall I say. Deliver us? I may say, not deliver us from this evil only, but oiU of it, for it is upon us already. Oh the great

things that God has done for this land within these six years! Never, since Joshua’s or Moses’s time, was there a story of God’s worliing for a people so wonderful as the story of this last six years would be if faithfully recorded; and yet, though the Lord be going on in his ways of mercy towards us, we have forgotten. Oh, does it not appear so? What do men look after? Every man his own advantage and ends, seeking to fill themselves, minding nothing else. And what mighty haughtiness of spirit is there in many men within this six years! Oh how have we forgotten the Lord, forgotten those instruments that God has made use of for good to us! God had more honour from us when there was not the hundi’edth part done for us; now we (as it were) shake our ears, and, let God do as he will, we hope we can contrive to shift pretty well for ourselves. Oh! the Lord deliver this city out of, and from, this evil of forgetting the Lord when we are filled. Your trading is becoming more abundant now than formerly; now the country begins to be open, and they repair to the city for all. Oh, the Lord deliver this city from siu:feiting by their fulness, and from this sin of forgetting the Lord. Oh that we could but say. That the Lord having restored the trading to the city, and that in a measure exceeding former experience, that we are resolved to sanctify the name of God more than ever we did. Oh! do you remember God every time you see customers come into yom- shops, every time you see the waggons come out of the country into yom- streets, do you bless God? and how is he therefore honoured among you? Oh that it were so! It is a sore and grievous evil to forget the Lord, after he has granted us fulness; it is a horrible ingratitude, as if there were nothing to be regarded but ourselves. And especially dangerous, because,

1. It is against many previous warnings of God. If you read Deut. vi. 10 — 12, and viii. 10 — 20, you shall find there how the Lord charges his people: “When the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land, when thou shalt have eaten and be full-, then beware lest thou forget the Lord.” “Then beware lest thou forget:” again and again this is inculcated, showing how prone we are to forget the Lord in oiu’ fulness. Oh that you, whom Providence has brought here this morning, would consider these scriptures! Now God is beginning to come in with more fulness than before; O, beware that you forget not the Lord God in the midst of your fulness; let there be as much or more prayer in your family than there was in former times, that you may have a sanctified use of the fulness which you now enjoy. Yea, to forget is worse than beastly. “The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib; but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.” If the ox be but fed, he knows his owner. Who is it that feeds you? Is it not the Lord? and will you forget him? Oh! this will lose the blessing of all you enjoy, and your hearts will grow wicked beyond what you can imagine; you cannot imagine the evil that your hearts will grow to, if you forget God in the enjoy-ment of that estate in which God sets you.

2. It is a sin that God knows not how to pardon. For so he expresses himself, Jer. v. 7, “How shall I pardon thee for this!” As if he should say. Though I be a God of infinite mercy, yet here is a sin I know not how to pardon. Why, saith he, when I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery, and they abused that fulness. Oh! “how shall I pardon thee for this?”

3. If ever you have need of God again, how will conscience be stopped? With what face could you go to God again for help, if brought low? conscience will presently say. You were once empty and God filled you, and what honour had God from you? No, your hearts were exalted, and you forgot God.

4. To forget the Giver in the enjoyment of his gifts, is most foolish. We depend upon God in the midst of all our fulness as much as before, every moment we lie at God’s mercy; though perhaps you are not sensible of it, yet certainly it is so.

5. Your forgetting God will make you forget yourselves; and just it may be with God to forget you, and to change the course of his administration towards you. Oh! take heed then of beuig exalted, and of forgetting the Lord, in your fulness.

Truly, brethren, God had rather have his people fall into almost any sin than pride, and consequent forgetfulness of him. Therefore you find in Scripture, that God will rather set the devil upon his people, than have their hearts exalted. As Paul, lest he should be lifted up above measure, he had a thorn in the flesh, the buffeting of Satan. God had rather see the devil bufi’et his people than sec theii’ hearts exalted.

Yea, he had rather sufl’er them to fall into any other sin. Charge your souls, then, against this, as David; “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name; bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,” Psal. ciii. 1, 2. See what a charge he puts upon his soul; “O my soul,” thou hast received many benefits from the Lord, and there is this deadness in thee; if but left to thyself, thou wilt forget the Lord, and this wUl be a sore evil in thee; “bless, then, the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” Oh that you would go home and charge your souls not to forget the Lord and all his benefits! let husband put wife in mind with this charge, and wife the husband, but especially yourselves in secret, between God and yourselves, to charge your souls not to forget his benefits. On the contrary, the more we remember God in our blessings they will be,

1. The more sweet to us. Y’ou have a great many mercies, but when you forget God you lose the very sweetness of all your mercies. Oh! when you can see a mercy, and see the God of that mercy, then it is sweet: when I can see a mercy, and the fountain from whence it comes, and whither it tends, then the mercy is sweet: oh! therefore you deal foolisUy in forgetting the Lord.

2. The more safe.

3. The more eminent will we be in grace. Oh what a lovely object is it to behold a man or woman heavenly and spiritual in the midst of all outward enjoyments! I say, the graces of such do indeed glister like diamonds, like most precious pearls; and therefore, remember the Lord in all the good things that you enjoy.

Ver. 7. Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them.

!Most dreadful expressions follow here. God is exceedingly provoked with the exaltation of men’s hearts, and theu- forgetfulness of him in prosperity.

Is this the same God that spake so of E])hraim heretofore? “Is Ephraim my dear son?” Ephraim “my pleasant child.” “How shall I give thee up, Ephraim?” “mine heart is turned within me;” “ever since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still,” and “my rel)entings are kindled together.” Is this the Lord that now wilfbe “as a lion,” “a leopard,” “a bear bereaved of her whelps,” “a wild beast,” unto Ephraim? AVhat! is this the God that heretofore can-ied them as eagles do their young upon their wings, and nourished them as the eagle nourisheth her young ones? Is this the God that was as a gracious father unto them, to whom this people were as “the dearly beloved of God’s soul;” and now God “a lion,” “a leopard,” “a bear bereaved of her whelps,” “a wild beast to tear them?” Is this the merciful God? Is it thus that God appears who is love and mercy itself? 0 my brethren, how dreadful docs

5d8

sin render God to his creature! But all this while there is no change in God’s heart; God is the same in himself as before; the change is in the creature. The sun that softens the wax, the same sun hardens the clay. The same blessed, infinite, glorious Being, that does good to his creature in one condition, is in another aspect dreadful to the creature. “With an upright man thou wilt show thyself upright, and with the froward thou wilt show thyself froward,” Psal. xviii. 2.5, 26. Above all, God sets himself out in a most ten-ible manner against those whose hearts in prosperity were exalted and forgot him.

Obs. 1. The Lord pities men, yea, sinful men, in the time of theu- adversity; but when they arc at the height, and forget him, his anger is especially hot against them. I will cite one passage to show how God has legard to men in low conditions; but against those that are fatted up in prosperity, his anger burns most fiercely. Ezek. xx.xiv. 16, “I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which W’as driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.” “That which was lost,” “I will seek;” “that which was broken,” ‘• I will bind up;” “that which was sick,” “I will heal;” but “I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.” Here surely is a scripture full of comfort for the hearts of those that are in an afflicted condition. See how God regards such; but God has not such regard to “the fat and the strong,” he “will feed them with judgment,” and destroy them. The care and protection of God is more over the lost ones, and the broken ones, and the sick ones, than the fat ones and the strong ones; they are to be fed with judgment. “I will be to them as a lion;” and the reasons of this are,

1. Their heai’ts are very much hardened in their sin, their sin is grown to a height.

2. There are so many creatures that they have use of more than others, that do cry against them. Poor people have not so many creatures to cry against them as the rich have.

3. They can make friends to avoid the stroke of justice from men, but the poor fall under it unpitied; therefore God takes them into his hands and deals with them more severely.

4. ^^’hen judgment comes upon them it is more observed, and therefore God to them will be “as a lion.”

“As a lion.” You have a parallel passage in Psal. 1. 22, “Consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.” Their h’.-jrts were exalted, they forgot God, “therefore I will be unto them as a lion.”

1. A lion is the most terrible creature. “The lion hath roared, who will not fear?” Amos iii. 8. O my brethren, the threats of God should be to us as the roaring of a lion, and our hearts shoidd ti-emble at them.

2. None can take away the prey from a lion. “As a young lion among the flocks of sheep; who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and tcareth in pieces, and none can deliver,” Micah v. 8. None can deliver out of God.Iiand.

3. A lion is strong, and crushes at once the whole com])ages of a man’s bones. Alas! man, what is he? In Job iv. 19, he is said to be “crushed before the moth;” much more then before a lion: oh, then, much more before the Lord God when he comes as a lion!

4. The lion will narrowly mark any one that wounds her. If there were hundreds of men together, and one did but shoot at or wound her, she will be sure to mark that man. The Lord marks out those that sin against him, and that wound his name; they must not think to e8ca|>e among others. The Lord’s eye is upon them particularly.

5. The lion sleeps but little, and with her eyes open. So the Lord. As ‘■ he that keepeth Israel neither slumbereth nor sleepeth,” Psal. cxxi. 4; so he that destroys his enemies does not slumber nor sleep.

6. The lion will fall upon no creature except from hunger or provocation. The Lord, though his wrath be terrible as a lion, yet is not so ready to fall ujion his creature; it must be for some special end, or from some provocation, but then he falls terribly indeed.

7. It is observed of the lion, that if you do but fall down on the ground, and submit and yield, it will pass by, and will not tear and rend where there is a humble submission, whereas other creatures will. Oh! thus God is a lion, terrible, but yet only to those that stand out against him.

8. The naturalists observe of the lion, that it cannot endure to be looked asquint upon by any. Thus it is with the Lord; the Lord loves no squint-eyed Christians, I mean, none that have by-ends of their o«ii: the Lord loves uprightness in our ways and dealings.

9. They say of the lion, that it is a gi’eat enemy to apes and wolves. So is God to flatterers and tyrants. Thus God is comi)ared to a lion.

“As a leopard by the way will I observe them.” isrK “^il-’^y 1C33 The Seventy render this Kaui tijv oc’ur ‘Affavpiwv, by the way of the AssjTian: so the Vulgate and Jerome.

The she-leopard is the same as that which they call a panther; and the Lord compares himself to it, because,

1. It is so fierce, that it presently flies „,. ,,.

m the face of a man.” As a leopard, I .iiun.bb. 2.c=p.j3. will fly in the very faces of such; such S’^’S- E’’-^- manifest much pride in their faces, and I will fly in their verj’ faces, saith God.

2. It is a very swift creature, Hab. i. 8. So the Lord will swiftly come against wicked and ungodly men, “as a leopard,” swiftly, and overtake them.

3. A leopard watches its prey, being very subtle, to observe the fit times and opportunities to fall uj)on the prey. So the text, “As a leopard by the way will I observe them:” this strongly intimates the fearful wrath of God against wicked men. As in Jer. v. 6, “A leopard shall watch over their cities.” I say there is much of God’s wrath in this, it is ver’ terrible; the Lord sets his infinite wisdom on work to watch fit times and op))orlunities to let out his wrath upon ungodly men. “I will watch over them for evil,” as in another scripture is threatened. Those arc truly in a sad condition whom the Lord watches over for evil: God watches over his people for good; but such as, when they are full, exalt themselves and forget the Lord, God watches over them for evil: they should be destroyed soon; But, saith God, I have a fitter time than now, wherein I will both get myself a greater name, and it shall be worse for them; in due time shall their feet slide. This is the reason why men live so long in their prosperity, and go on and satisfy theii- wills, because God is watching over them, and his time is not yet come.

4. When the leopard comes upon its prey, it leaps upon it suddenly. And so does the Lord to ungodly men; he comes in an hour that they expect not. and leaps upon them. And therefore you must not think that you are as well, because you are in as safe a condition, as you were a year or seven years since. It is as well with me, saith one, as it has been with me in nil mv life-time. What then? you may be never a whit the further off from dangers, for the way of God in bringing his wrath is many times sudden.

5. The leopard sometimes will sleep a very long time, even three days together, but after it awakes it is more fierce than before. And so the Lord, thou”’’ sometimes he may be patient towards .sinners, yet, wl he comes to awake out of his sleep, he is more terri!

“Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep. And he smote his enemies in the hinder part: he put them to a pei’petual reproach,” Psal. lxxviii. 65, 66.

Ver. 8. / will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her tvhelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there icill I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them.

The third creature is the bear: “I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps.”

This creature is very fierce and ten-i-SibiVifJI’M’’ ble; accordingly we read in 2 Kings ii. 24, “There came forth two she-bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of of them.” “Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly,” Proy. xvii. 12. She is fierce at all times, but above all, if she be “robbed of her whelps.” It is observed that no creature loves her young ones more than the bear, and yet they are the most deformed of anj’; an emblem, it may be, of a man that loves his own deformed fancies. One interpreter remarks upon it: Oh, how will the Lord be in a holy rage, if his childi’en be wronged, his own children, who bear his image; when the instinct of nature in this creature, the bear, incites it to such rage when she is robbed of such ugly things as her whelps are! 2 Sam. xvii. 8, saith Hushai to Absalom, “Thou knowest thy thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field.” Thus the Scripture often compares exceeding fierceness and rage, to the fierceness of “a bear that is bereaved of her whelps;” therefore it is added here,

“And will rend the caul of theii- heart, and there will I devour them like a lion.” Here he mentions the lion the second time. The word in your books is the same, but in the original it is somewhat different.

As the lion is named here the second time, we may observe, that when it comes on its prey it rends the body asunder, and loves to suck the blood and the fat that is about the heart; and as for the other parts, except in extreme hunger, it leaves them for other beasts to prey upon; but the heart, and the blood, and the fat about the heart, the lion loves to suck. And therefore saith God here, “I will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion.”

Luther well observes on this, The Lord here will do as a lion does, he more immediately will strike out their hearts, and jjunish them with spiritual plagues and judgments; and as for then estates and bodies, he will leave them to other beasts, and they shall plague them and punish them that way: they had a film upon thciihearts, and instructions could not reach them; but God will tear that caul, will tear that film from off’ their hearts that kept off instructions. Oh! let us take heed of this that keeps out of our heart,s the word of God, take heed of that for ever, for God has ways to tear this film from off thy heart.

As Bernard, putting his finger on his brother’s side, who was a soldier, and disregarded his good instructions and admonitions, said. One day a spear shall make way to this heart for instructions and admonitions to enter: so I may say to such whose hearts have a film upon them, that what the preacher saith cannot find entrance, God may justly come and rend this caul from off’ thy heart that keeps out the admonitions of his word. Arias Montanus notes, that it may refer to the sending the plague upon their hearts, and leaving theii’ estates and comforts to the Assyrians.

“The wild beast shall tear them.” Why, did he not name wild beasts enough before? There was “the lion,” and “the leopard,” and “the bear,” and “the lion” again, and yet he adds, “the wild beast;” as if he

should say, If there be any terror, any dreadfulness. in any wild beasts whatsoever, there is that in my wrath, if you escape one wild beast another shall tear you; and now he comes to all wUd beasts; put them all together, and such is the fierceness of my wrath. There arises from hence one excellent observation:

Obs. All the cbeadfulness of all creatures in the world combined meets in the wrath of God. As all the good that is in all creatures together is in the love and mercy of God; so all things that can in any way bring any torment on, Tjr torture to us, and the quintessence of all this is in God’s wrath: “The wild beast shall tear them.”

LTa thinks that this prophecy was fulfilled when they were carried captive, and in their jouraey many died, and so they were cast into fields and deloured by wild beasts: and it is likely it may be fulfilled in part so; as usually, when soldiers carry an enemy captive, they throw them, if they be sick unto death, with little concern into a ditch, that is all they care for them. And so it was with this people; the Lord, though he knew them in the wilderness, and his protection was over them, yet now forgets them, and lets them be carried into captivity, and cast to wild beasts to tear and devour.

Some think that the expression of God’s wrath by these beasts, has reference to the four monarchies, which God would make use of to be very terrible to his saints. In Dan. vii. you find the four monarchies of the world, the Babylonian, the Persian, the Grecian, and Roman monarchies, set forth in the same manner, as here the Holy Ghost sets out the wi-ath of God against Israel; for the ti’uth is, those things that we have here in Hosea were to set forth God’s ways to his people in after-times, and not merely when they were to be carried captive. In Dan. vii. 3, there appeared four great beasts; the first lilie a lion, by which was signified the Babylonish empire; the second like a bear, the Persian; the thnd like a leopard, the Grecian; for Alexander was as a leopard, exceeding swift, all his exploits he performed in twelve years, and was but thirty-three years old when he died. Moreover, they observe of the leopard, (which is named fi-om a panther,) that its body smells ex- lepTriur’AS ceeding sweet above all beasts; of Alex- P’“”- -s-onnoi

,,,.. .,,.,. “O. 9. cap. u.

ander s bod)’, too, it was said, that it had a peculiarly sweet smell. Then the fourth being the Roman empu’e, mark how it is imaged, just as God here sets out his wrath; he names not any particular beast, but describes it as “dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great Li-on teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.” You know now that that was divided :ito ten kingdoms, or ten sor governments at several times.

This is the Roman empu’e, the power of which antichrist was to have; by both which the Lord would exercise his people, and be very terrible to his people, especially those people of his that were apostatizing people, that would worship him according to then own ways: God would be thus terrible to them wherever they lived; under any of the former empnes, they should have God either as a lion, a leopard, a bear, or like this last-mentioned di-eadful creature.

But you win say. Why do you speak thus? Or it may be people would speak thus to the prophet, O, why do you speak of God in this ten-ible manner? Is not our God a gracious and a merciful God? why then will you render God thus terrible? In answer the prophet saith:

Ver. 9. O Israel, thou, hast destroyed thi/self; but in me is thine help.

O, do not find fault with the dreadfulness of God, that God appears thus clothed in terrors to you; and do not blame the ministers of God, that they rei)resent God in this dreadful manner before you. Though it is true, that God ap])cars ready to destroy you, yet still the Lord is infinite, holy, and blessed, and a God of mercy and goodness in himself: “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself,” thou mayst thank thyself for all this. Many of you, when you hear the ten’ors of God set before you, perhaps your hearts rise against them, and your spii’its exceedingly loathe such manifestations. Why then do ministers make God apjiear so terrible, when he is such a merciful and gracious Godf O, rather lay thy hand upon thine own heart and say, God indeed is thus gracious and merciful, but it is my wickedness arrays God in terrors. The judgments of God are called “strange things,” because God delights not in the execution of wrath, in a])pearing like “a lion,” “a leopard,” and “a bear.” That which pleases the heart of God, is to appear as a Father to do good to his people; but, “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself”

Obs. 1. This will one day aggravate men’s judgments, that they are themselves the cause of all the evils which they suffer. You may think to put it over on God, and say. Oh how di’cadful is God’s justice! but God knows how to put it all upon yourselves. The destruction of sinners will ap])car to be from themselves; God will clear it up to all the world, before men and angels, and will clear it up to men’s own consciences: the damned in hell shall not be able to speak against God’s justice at all, but shall be forced to charge themselves with all the evil that is upon them: Oh! it was through this wretched, vile, and wicked heart of mine; God was not wanting to me in any means of good, but I had a rebellious heart, and I have brought all this evil upon myself; I have destroyed myself.

“O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself” Destroved himself! did not God, in the words immediately before, say, that he would “meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps,” and “rend the caul of their heart,” that he would be as “a lion” to them, and as “a leopard?” and yet here he saith, “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself!”

06s. 2. Though God makes use of instruments to execute severe wrath on a people, yet their destruction is to be attributed to themselves. “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself,” thou mayst thank thyself for all this. The original S.’sit” nnrn? is by some rcrjioue, Israel, rendered differently; by Calvin anil many others, It has destroyed thee, Israel.’

The old English translation, wherein Beza’s (the Geneva) notes arc, renders it, one has destroyed them: the word may be so translated; one has destroyed them, or, it has destroj-cd them, or, somewhat has destroyed them; as if God should say. Not I, but somewhat else has destroyed them.

Trcmelius translates it, thy king has

tulii!’’”Trem.’’ destroyed thee; for so the context will

bear. “Has destroyed us” (so are the

words.) Has? what has? Mliv your king lias devi,„, „ I. stroyed you, saith ‘iVcmelius. Most of

the Hebrews complete it thus, your calf has destroyed )ou, your idols have destroyed you. Co„.ni.ii„Bct,u. ■^’^’^” ^’•™> 5’°“‘’ feigned comforts have E” destroyed you. Drusius reads it interrooiTupi. ui pativel’y, A^’ho has destroyed thoc? Your fulness, of which ver. fi, or your own heart and wickedness, have destroyed you. ‘The Greek thus, Ty hafp-Sopn Tov I/rpai’/Xrif (3on9i;(i«, Who shall give help to the corruption of Israel? Though the words be read so

diversely, yet most agree in giving them the same meaning as your books; your ovin wickedness has destroyed you; your sinful, ungodly, idolatrous living, forsaking God and his ways, and putting confidence in an arm of flesh, that has destroyed thee.

“But in me is thine help.” Those words are somewhat different in the original, for there are two ins, TiT>’3 ‘3-’3 in me, in thy help. And so you may observe, that in your Bibles is is printed in a diflerent character, which notes that it is not directly according to the original. In me, in thy help.

Drusius on the text saith. In me, in thy help; that is, I am in thy help, and eftaxiSum luum ’ thy help is in me. This seems to be “‘’”’°’^- ‘’“” according to the intention of the Holy Ghost, ^^^latsoever help thou hast, I am in it, and thy help it is in me. “In me is thine help.”

Parens reads it, against thy help, and .^ ^^. so supplies the word, thou hast rebelled «u«uutoreir against thy help. Thou hast destroyed thy “‘“^’^ ‘’”“” help; why? because thou hast rebelled against thy help. The original will bear this, against thy help.

But the other more full and general interpretation, and more in accordance with the original, is, thy help is wholly in me, and I am wholly in thy help; thou hast destroyed thyself, but thy help is wholly in me. This shall suffice for the reading of the words. Now for the several truths that are to be here held forth to us out of them.

Obs. 2. Men would fain put off their evils from themselves to God. Men are naturally loth to charge themselves with the evil that comes upon them, it is their ill hap, their 01 fortune, their ill luck; or they could not help it, they did what they could; and so think to attribute it all to God; it is for want of means, for want of this or that thing which God denied to them, it is because God put them into such and such a condition; but never come to charge themselves. But the prophet speaks here in a compassionate way; O Israel, (saith he,) never stand charging it upon God, ‘• thou hast destroyed thyself”

Obs. 3. God knows how to turn all the evil upon ourselves. Though we may think to lessen our evil by putting it upon God, God will turn it all upon our own heads, and make it clear to all the world that we were the cause of all the evils that were upon us, both temlporal evils, and those evils that shall come upon such as shall perish eternally. It will be one of the great works at the day of judgment, to make it manifest to men and angels, that all the misery that comes upon the damned is from themselves; their own consciences will acknowledge it, and God will be justified before all: it will be found that the cause of man’s perdition is not in the decree of God; God’s decree damns none; their sin damns them, not the decree. For,

1. The decree of reprobation is but the leaving men to be dealt with in a way of justice. Wiereas saith God, Here are some upon whom I am resolved to magnify my grace to all eternity, whatsoever comes between to hinder it, I am resolved that these shall be subjects for me to exercise my grace on to all eternity; that i< election: but there are others whom I will le.we to a way and course of justice, they shall have what they earn, and no otherwise. So that the decree is not the cause of men’s damnation; their sin comes in between that and their damnation, so that they destroy themselves.

2. It infuses not any evil into them. You will say. Sin comes in between decree and damnation; but howcomes sin in? Certainly not by any infusion from God, but by man himself, man himself is its author.

3. It is not by any coaction. You will say. Though sin in men is the cause of it, yet men cannot helj) it, men cannot but sin. Now to reply: 1. Man sins as freely as if he could do otherwise. God made man in

such a condition that he might not have sinned; and though it is now true that, through their fall, men cannot do that which is good, they cannot but sin, “having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin,” as the apostle saith of some, yet they sin as freely as if they had power to keep from sin; sin pleases their wills, it is suitable to them: so it is true that the saints in heaven cannot but glorify God, but yet they glorify God with freedom too; they are so set in an estate of glory, that they cannot sin, but yet they honour God freely, that is, in honouring God they do that which is suitable to their own spirits. 2. Every sinner that perishes, murders himself. All that are damned eternally, all of them are self-murderers: this is a grievous thing: “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself.” The more there is of self in men’s destruction, the more grievous is their condition. It would make our hearts bleed to see a bird shot with an arrow feathered from its own body: all the judgments of God, all the arrows of the Almighty, that come against sinners, are as it were feathered by that which comes from sinners themselves, they are the cause of their own evils. The more self in sinners’ destruction, the more hard is their condition. Self appears in sin,

1. When men bring misery upon themselves without any temptation. The less temptation, the more self: and some destroy themselves so, that it comes merely from themselves without any temptation.

2. WTien men’s sins are plotted, contrived sins. The more plotting and contriving about sin, the more art thou the author of thine own evil or destruction.

3. When men sin, although warned beforehand of their sin. They are told beforehand of the evil, yet still are wilful in it, and will go on in it: such may thank themselves for their destruction.

4. When men, notwithstanding they are often stopped in their sin, and though God many times in the dispensations of his providence, and by his word, stays them in their course of sin, and yet still they will go on. Thank thyself if thou be undone.

5. The more means to the contrary they enjoy, the more enlightenings, the more di-awings of the Holy Ghost to win them from their sin, and yet unavailingly.

6. When men’s sins are of that nature, that they do not only deserve, but they actually work, thcu- destruction. All sins deserve it, but some sins work it; as drunkenness, and some others which might be named; the very sin there destroys the sinner.

7. AVhen men shall presume to venture further in any danger than they can help themselves out of. They think they will go but thus far, and no farther, and so they venture on beyond thek power to help themselves; they destroy themselves.

Now this evil of self-destruction is so much the more grievous, when men destroy themselves in things in which they most bless themselves, in which they do most glory, and in which they promise to themselves the greatest good; if this proves to be their destruction, it is so much the more grievous. Oh, it is a sad thing to be a self-destroyer; for,

1. What pity can there be for such? Who will pity any who are the cause of all their own evil, who wilfully bring it upon themselves? You will say. Thank yourselves; who will pity you? Oh, this will be the condition of all that perish; neither God, nor angels, nor saints shall pity them; neither the father out of whose loins they came, nor the mother who have them; they shaH see that they have undone themselves.

2. The extreme vexation that there will be in men’s spii-its when they shall be convinced of this, when the Lord shall present to them all the means they have had, and all the mercies they have enjoyed, so that their consciences shall ily in their faces and tell them, You may thank yourselves for this, it was that

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wretched heart of thine that thou hast so talked of; I told you of this before; that pride, that hypocrisy, that self-seekmg, and that falseness of thine, have brought thee to all this. Oh this will be an eternal vexation, it will be the matter for the worm to gnaw upon in hell hereafter. Oh, we have destroyed ourselves!

3. God will revenge this upon men; for no man has the power over himself; thou destroyest one of God’s creatures in being a self-murderer, thou shalt be punished for destroying thyself. Because they have not the disposal of themselves, they are God’s creatures. It is a greater sin for a man to murder himself, than his father or mother. Austin was wont to say. It is a greater sin than parricide, to be a self-murderer; and the reason he gives is. For the nearer the relation, the greater is the sin of the murder: as it is a greater sin for me to murder a kinsman than a stranger, a greater sin to murder a brother than a kinsman more remote, a greater sin to murder a father than a brother, so it is a greater sin for me to murder myself than my father; why? for I am nearer myself than my father: and so the sin is greater for any to lay violent hands upon themselves than upon another. You would think it a hoiTid thing if the devil were to come with a temptation. Go, take a halter and hang up your mother that bore you, or take a knife and cut your father’s throat; but when you are tempted to murder yourselves the sin is still greater. Self-murder is a great evil, and yet all people in the world that perish are self-murderers. When we do but hear of a man that hangs or drowns himself, we think it is a very sad thing: now when you look upon wicked men going on in the ways of sin and destruction, look upon them as so many men running to drown themselves, and plunge themselves into the bottomless gulf; as so many men cutting their own throats, and hanging themselves, for so they assuredly do. Hence let us learn,

1. To charge ourselves with all the evil that is upon us. Do not so put it off. neither on God nor the devil, but charge ourselves still, for certainly we cause more evil to ourselves than all the devils in hell. Jll llie devils in hell could not undo us, if we did not undo ourselves. We are ready to charge it upon wicked men, or temptations of the devil; and if not so, then upon God; for so you do, when any thinks to excuse his sin thus, God knows I do what I can: that is as much as if you should say. For my part, I am free of any evil that comes upon me, if I perish I am guiltless; I do what I can, and it is because God does not give me grace: thus you put it from yourselves on God. No, let us learn to charge ourselves with evil: a tender heart will take even that which is the devil’s to himself, and a carnal heart will put over that which is from himself on the devil. Observe the difference between one that has a tender spirit, and another; when any temptation originating really with the devil comes, he presently charges his own heart. Oh what a wretched, vile heart have I! whereas it may be but mere suggestions and temptations of the devil, and not the steam and filth of his heart; but he judges his heart from those temptations, and thinks it is nothing but its uncleanness and filthiness. But you shall have another man that has a most filthy, wicked heart, and there come most abominable steams which break forth into foul diseases, and though it comes altogether from himself, yet saith he. The temptations of the devil lead me aside, and I cannot tell how to resist him. It is not from temptations, it is from thyself, from that wicked, unclean heart of thine; and were there no devils in hell at all, thou hast the seeds of all sin in thy heart, thine own uncleanness is their fruitful source.

2. To be afraid of ourselves, and to pray to God to be delivered fi-om ourselves. Better to be given up to the devil than to 07ie’s self. Y’ou know the incestuous

person was delivered up to Satan, but it was for the destruction of the flesh, and the saving of his soul, 1 Cor. V.; but when one is given up to himself, it is for the damning of his soul: then we may well say by anticipation of the lost, “Thou hast destroyed thyself.”

And, my brethren, we have cause to think of this very seriously likewise in respect of the kingdom and nation. Certainly, il’ ever this kingdom be destroyed, it must needs be written for the generations to come. Here i.»a kingd?in that has destroyed itself. Certainly we cannot say it is from God, if we perish: what God will do with us we know not, but truly, this we may plainly see, that if God leaves us but a little more to ourselves, we are in a very fall- way to destroy om — selves; and that after all that God has wrought for us. God has wrought like a God for us; but we, how do we deal for ourselves? Like men, shall we say? Oh no, like brute beasts: if men, mad-men, men that. aic ai)pointed to destruction. It will be the saddest story that ever was in the world against a people, if so be that at length we perish, after God has done so much for us. Truly, now God has wrought like a God to deliver us from our common enemies, God has need to work as much for us like a God to deliver us from ourselves. Great have the works of God been in delivering us fi-om the rage of those of whom we thought, and that justly, that they intended oui’ destruction. If God should now say, A’”ell, I have done my work, I have delivered you from those you were afraid of, and now I will leave you to yourselves, oh! we had cause to fall upon our faces, and say, O Lord, do not so, for it had Icen better that they had destroyed us; for if thou shouldst leave us to ourselves, our destruction would be a more bitter desti’uction. Do not we see how fast we run towards destruction? being but a little left to ourselves, what a perverse spirit is there now amongst us! We say sometimes of the prelates, The hand of God is against them; how have they brought themselves into a snare! Now they may stand and look upon us, and even laugh almost at us, and say. Well, let them alone; as we speak of some, Give them line enough and they will quickly hang themselves; Let them alone, and they will fall out one with another, and destroy one another, they will quickly ruin themselves if they be let alone. Oh, we have as much experience as any of the vanity of men’s hearts, of their folly, pride, hj-pocrisy, and frowardness. Who could ever have thought this five or six years ago? If this had been jiresented as it were in a map to us. You shall be in great dangers, you shall have mighty enemies rise ready to swallow you up; but I will appear and work for you, I will put forth my glory, the right hand of my power and excellency shall a])pear for you; and when all this is done, you shall undo yourselves, and out of your own selves shall be your ruin, even from those in whom you much trusted, and much applauded, even they shall be cause of the evil; yea, and you who now think your hearts are so right, and have said, Oh, if God would but deliver us, how we would magnify his name! you yourselves shall be the cause of the evil of the kingdom. Had any said so of some of whom now our hearts have cause to shake within us, when we think, (as the prophet did of Ilazael,) You shall do tlms and thus, they would have been ready to answer, AVhat! are we dogs? are we dead dogs, that we should do such things? Well, the Lord deliver us from ourselves.

“But in me is thine help.”

We can easily destroy ourselves, but can wo save ourselves? A child can break a glass that all the men in the country cannot mend. Every fool may do mischief to himself, yea, and to others, but can he hell)? It is God only that is the help of his people; it is not means that help, but God; yea, God nmcli glories in

that very thing, to be accounted the cause of all good; be would have all evil cast upon men, but all good from himself, even present good, and eternal good, he would have attributed to himself.

One, though a Jesuit, comments thus on these words, “In me is thine help.” d«,ln,on™ ?S^. Hence it follows, (saith he,) that nredes- ‘’’““”’• >-• gratum

...’ ^, ‘•* J non cMip p. ptsnistmation, vocation, and grace, do not pm^iiTmtorum come from the foresight of the merits of !Si“‘«’.“^’ur.v” those that are predestinated, but from f,!.vIi’,“tM,:,’.(!i’i~™. God’s predestinating, calling, preventing,’f’-”,’u’,a,’,Si’i Dti” with his grace: these things are the help J^’“‘’- “^p”’’ ‘•> of God. Even from the mouth of a Jesuit we have this thus acknowledging sometimes in theiiwritings, and when they are serious, that neither predestination, nor vocation, nor grace, comes from anv foresight of what man would do, but only from God’s predestinating, calling, preventing the predestinated by his grace; and this is the help of God. God is the centre of all good, both present and eternal.

Austin was wont to say, God does many good things in a man that a man m<« pma facu docs not himself; man does nothing qui non fjcii hono which God does not that man may do. quU’iVul’non’hcii This point we must not speak at large to, ^;^f|;™“‘°°’»- •^” but pass by presently, for we met with it before in the prophecy, where it was said, “There is no saviour beside me,” chap. xiii. 4.

‘• In me is thine help.” That is, thy continued helj); not only hell) for the jjresent, but whatsoever help thou hast continued to thee, it is all in God. “Be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble,” Isa. xxxiii. 2; not only their help for the jjresent, but they need still a continued supply and help every morning. We may here, fui-ther,

Obs. 4. There is no misery that man can bring himself to in this world, but there is help for it in God. Though thou hast destroyed thyself, yet in me is thy help; there may yet be help in God. As if God should say, I do glory in being a helper. It is God’s gloiy to help men in miseiy; let it be ours.

It is the glory of many men to destroy, to do mischief; but it is the glory of God to be a helper.

Luther, on the place, saith, I desire to defend thee, to preserve thee, this mdeed !;“Kl’„f ta?,’™ is to be a God. To be a helper, God “<;, Drum glories m this. Oh that we could account it our glory to be helpful to one another!

Let us also look upon God in this his glory, and make him the object of our faith in times of distress. Let us not lie vexmg and fretting under our misery, but lift up oui’ eyes to God the Helper. Let no want of means, no unworthiness in us, cause our hearts to sink: those despairing temptations that say to us, There is no help in God, they are very sinful at any time, let the condition be never so bad.

You will say, I am a wretched creature, I have undone myself.

W’e, though thou hast, yet desponding, despairing thoughts, which lead us to say. There is no help in God, are wicked and sinful. God accounts it his glory to help men even when they have destroyed themselves. There is a time indeed when there will be no help for sinners; but whilst in this world, we may say as Shechaniah, in Ezra x. 2, “Yet uow there is hope in Israel concerning this tiling.” Oh make use of lliat scripture when thou seest thyself sink down even to the ver)’ gulf, oh, yet there is hope in the God of Israel for this very thing. Suppose thy condition be worse than any in the world, yet you ki.ow, it ha.s not been known what God has laid up for them that love him; there is still help in God.

Yea, but will he help? O doubting soul, reason thus:

1. There is help in God, and he accounts it his glory

to be a helper. He accounts it not so much his gloi-y to be a destroyer, no, that is his “strange work,” but to be a helper, that is his great glorj’.

2. T^Hien men are most undone, even then is the time for God to help. “Thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.” Oh, come and return, there may yet be help for thee, though thou hast destroyed thyself

“Thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.” This may be said in aggravation of their sin and stubbornness: “Why dost thou not come in to me? have not I always been a help to thee in all times of straits and distresses? You are in great misery; now I am the same that I ever was, there is yet help enough .in me: fi-om whence,

Obs. 5. If the misery of those who have heretofore seen help in God increases, and they sink yet lower and lower, they had need examine themselves thoroughly. Surely they have shut the door against themselves for help, for God is never weary of doing good; “The Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God,” Isa. lix. 1,2. I beseech you mark but this, there is a great difference between God and man in this helping. Men that are very kind and helpful sometimes, yet at other times will be very surly and harsh towards the same whom formerly they much befriended, and that not fi’om any cause without, but merely from the temper of their own hearts, and the change that has taken place in their own spirits; not because those that they have been kind to are worse now than before, no, but because of a froward, surly, harsh humour that is risen up in themselves: you shall see such a difference in men who have been very sweet, loving, and helpful to you at some times; but come to them at other times, and you shall find them dogged, and surly, and harsh, and you cannot tell what has provoked them; it arises from nothing but a distemper within. Thus it is with men, but it is not so with God. “Thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thine help;” it is still; I have been thy helper all thy days, and still am the same God, ready to do thee good, and to help thee.

Obs. 6. The more God has helped any, the greater will be then- destruction, if they be destroyed at last. “Thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.” I have been a help always, I was ever ready to help and to do good, and yet thou art undone. Oh, to be destroyed when God is at hand to help, to perish when there is a fountain just before us, as Hagar, this will be sad indeed! To perish in the midst of means, and in the midst of mercies, what an aggravation will this be to men’s sins another day, when they are past the time of mercy to help, then to think. Oh how gracious was God to me while I Kved!

And as a nation, too, we should apply this to ourselves. “Thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.” It will be the aggravation of our misery if we should yet perish. O my brethren, consider, shall all the great stories and remarkable accounts that we have given of God’s mighty working in helping us, shall they be of no other use but to aggravate our miseries at last? It would be a sad termination.

Ver. 10. / will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges ofichom thou sai-dst, Give me a king and princes?

First, to speak a little to the words as you have them in your books, for the Hebrew will admit of such an

* Vid. Bucer in Matt. xvii. 27. Citncta supreme niagistrattis concedenda propter conscientiam; i. e. The supreme magistrate is to be submitted to in all things, but matters of conscience. He speaks of private men, not of those

interpretation; and then I shall show you another reading, in my judgment, as suitable to the original.

“I will be thy king.”

Notwithstanding all your plots, all your rage, I will govern you. “I wUl be thy king,” and will do that which beseems me as the great King of heaven and earth; I will not be borne down by you with all your tumult, I will govern you, I will have mine own ends, do what you can; things shall not go as you will, but they shall go as I will have them; you would cast off my authority, but I will maintain it; “I will be thy king.”

Obs. 1. It is a sad condition when God rules over a jieople in spite of their hearts. And yet God many times rules over people in spite of their hearts, whether they will or no; while they are plotting and striving for themselves this way and that, God is bringing about his own ends in their ruin. “The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble,” Psal. xcix. 1. It is not thy fretting and wilfulness that will hinder the course of God’s ordering things in the world, he will be King at last do what thou canst; while thou and thousand thousands such as thou art shaD perish eternally, God will be King. Oh, it is infinitely” better for thee to fall down before the Lord and say, Lord, thou art above us, thou hast power over us, thou shalt be our King for ever. It is always just with God to say, “I will be thy king;” but certainly God has not made such a distance between man and man that any should say. Notwithstanding my injustice, and the misery it entails on the people, yet “I will be thy king,” I will have mine own ends, mine own will. The bond between kings and states certainly is mutual.*

“I will be thy king.”

I will not cast off all care of them, I will not leave them to the mercy, or rather to the cruelty, of others; iDut let them come and return to me, and I will deal with them as a king to defend, to govern them, and to do them good.

That God should be King over a people is his mercy, and man’s felicity. This should be our prayer, Lord, give us not up to be ruled by our lusts, but do thou rule over us; and, Lord, give us not up to be ruled by the lusts of wicked men, suffer not unjust and «ruel tnen to rule over us, but do thou reign over us. Let us say, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”

But the words are read otherwise, thus, in the old translation, where Beza’s (the Geneva) notes are; I am, where is your king that may save thee in all thy cities? And I find most interpreters adopt this.

So the Septuagint, Troii 6 jianiKtiiQ aov oirog, where is that your king. And the Chaldee paraphrase, where is your king that should save you in all your cities? The sense is much the same.

As if he should say, I am the same God that ever I was, but where is your king that shouli save you in your cities? Oh may the words read so pierce the hearts of some, if ever they have had any acquaintance with God, and known what communion with God has meant, to hear but God say these words, “I am,” I am the same God that ever you knew me to be: but where is your king that should save )-ou? And if, with Pareus, you read it as here, I will be, and there make the stop; I will be, what he had’ said „.,

r” Pareus in loc.

before, as a lion, a leopard, and as a oear

bereaved of her whelps; and then, where is your king

that should save you?

This is God’s name, in Exod. iii. 14,” I am that I

who by laws are appointed to be a screen between the prince and people, such as Calvin’s Instit. lib. iv. cap. 20. sect. 31, saith the three estates in parUament are.

6(H

^:

am,” or, “I will be what I will be.” So saith God here, 1 am, I will be; but then where is “thy king? wlicre is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst.Give me a king and princes?” ‘Sly brethren, I am no i)roi)het, and have not the spirit of one to prophesy of things before, or order scripture when it should be preached on ancwhen not; I am, you see, pursuing my ordinary course, and meeting with this scripture, am bound (according to my ability) to demonstrate to you wherein its force lies. I hope yom- consciences will witness that there shall not be the least straining of it, but that I endeavour to give you the story, and the temper of the people at this time. It appears plainly that there were three things that they much rested upon: 1. The king. 2. The city. 3. The nobles. Put king, and city, and nobles together, and who can prevail against us? Saith God, “AVhere is thy king? where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst. Give me a king and princes?” These three they put together. If our king come to the cities he will have a party and strength there, and we know the cities are able to command all the country and kingdom. The militia, and a numerous comi)any of men and riches, are congregated in the cities, and therefore the king, together w ith them, and the princes, the nobles of the land who favour him, these all surely render our condition safe; and yet in the midst of all these God asks them, by way of derision and insultation, “‘Where is thy king? where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities?” The notes from the words are,

Obs. ‘2. The tilings that carnal hearts rest U))on will vanish. Where are they? saith God; what is become of them? You :ould encourage one another, and say. Come, we shall have a day yet, for we have this strength, and the king and nobles for us. Where are they? Those things on which carnal hearts rest will vanish and come to nothing.

06s. 3. God loves to insult over men in their carnal confidences. For so, he doth not say here. Your king shall not save you, nor your cities shall not save you, nor your princes and nobles shall not save you; but, AVhere are they? in a kind of irony: God loves to insult over the carnal confidences of men. And we find in Scripture many such passages, as in Deut. xxxii. 37, “And he shall say, AATiere ai’e their gods, thek rock in whom they trusted?” And in Isa. six. 12, “Where are they? where are thy wise men?” AATiat! we have got statesmen, men versed in state affairs, we have them with us. But “where are they?” saith God. Thus the Lord insults over men that put their confidence in the flesh, and especially when they have been confident in their own ways, forsaking God, and so bringing themselves to misery; when tlicy have brought themselves to misery by forsaking the ways of God, then God insults. Now where arc these things in which you so confided?

And h’uly, even the saints, so be it they do it in a holy, humble way, may hale some kind of triumph over ungodly men; only as so much carnality still adlieres to them, there is danger, they had need keep their hearts very low; but if they do it in the strength of God, we have it in Scrijiture, “The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn.” Only keep your hearts (I say) low, and you way come to sec the glory of God, and then triumph in .his, that God has heard your prayer, and has been with his people; and that though the enemy has had so much power and strength in the flesh, yet the Lord has disappointed them.

<)h.i. 4. It will greatly confound carnal hearts, when they shall be asked, Where is their confidence? They Kllall be found speechless. AVhcn they shall be asked, AVhere is your bravery, and pride, and the stoutness of

your hearts? they shall be able to say nothing. Oh! this will pour confusion and shame upon them. Certainly, ere long, all carnal heai-ts that make their boast in the pomp and glory of the world shall be greatly confounded.

“AA’here?” I say, this confounding “where” will be asked of every wicked and ungodly man: what will they be able to say then? In Judg. ix. 28, we read of one “Gaal the son of Ebed,” who said, “If’lio is Abimelech?” but in ver. 38, when Abimelcch came with strength against him, Zcbul said to him, “AVhere is now thy mouth, m herewith thou saidst, AVho is Abimelcch, that we should serve him?” AATien men are in their ])ride and bravery, then tliev scorn at God and men, they little regard any thing ttat is said to them; but when God brings them. down low, then where is that mouth of thine that did so boast, and speak so proudly?

Jly brethren, let us learn from hence, therefore, to seek after, and rest upon, those things of which we may be able always to give an account where they are, if it should be asked us. The saints, if it should be asked them, AA’here is their God? can answer. It is the God of heaven that we have trusted in, the God that is in the highest heavens, and in the hearts of the saints; we can tell where our God is. It is just with God that wicked men should be insulted over, because they insult over the saints: if God do but seem to absent himself from his people, they will presently triumph over them, sajiug. Yea, where is your God? where are your prayers and fastings? Have not some of you heard such language many times in this kingdom? The saints of God can always give an answer to this “AVhere?” they can tell where their fastings and prayers are: but the wicked are not able to tell what is become of their confidences and boastings.

Therefore, O you saints of God, never be afraid of evil men, for ere long it will be demanded of them, where their ])onip, and glory, and pride are, and they will not be able to answer.

“And thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes.”

By judges, sometimes kings are meant, as Amos ii. 3, “I will cut off the judge re!r?c5piant.’’«t from the midst thereof;” (he speaks, saith *JSnj<ii»iS*’“” Drusius, of the king of Moab:) but we mwijoiuL iprcgc

, -, c,.,,, MuKU loquitur.

are to understand here their nobles and g:cat men, upon whom they relied, for so they are called in Scripture. They had indeed judges before that time, when they said, “Give me a king and princes;” they had judges, but they were of meaner rank in comparison of those they had after: they had judges that by God’s appointment governed them, but they were too mean for them; no, they must have a king, they must have princes, they must have judges that are kings and princes, great men, for these that they had to rule over them were but of their own rank, and this would not satisfy them, they must have such as were great ones, high above them: those were but ordinary men; what were they but the commons, of the same rank with other men, raised up but a little while ago from the grade of ordinary men? and why should we be ruled and governed by them? No, we must have a king, and nobles, and they must govern us: “Give me a king and princes.” Kead but the story of the judges, and you shall find that God had evermore appeared with them, I do not remember any one of them who prevailed not when God raised him up: but now this peojjle regard them not; why? because they were but mean men of their own rank, though God did assist and prosper them so exceedingly.

Obs. 5. Though God be much with men, yet if they be of a low rank, carnal hearts regard them not. Let them do never so great services, and be never so instru-,

5C5

mental for the kingdom, even those that have had their estates, then- liberties, and all preserved by them, and by the mighty spirit that God has put into them, yet, vvlien the work is over, they look upon them but as mean, ordinary men, men of a common rank, and so let them go: after all the great things that God has done by them, still their thoughts and minds are upon others that are above them, upon princes, and nobles, and such men; they regard and rely more upon men in whom they see outward pomp and glory, than upon those who have evidently the presence of God with them. Oh, we see that that which has been is still to this very day.

“Of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes.”

Where did they say so? They said so in 1 Sam. viii. 5, “Make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” Indeed the word “princes” we do not find there, but here the Holy Ghost adds, “and princes;” but that must of necessity be supposed, for if there be a king, a king must have his court and nobles about him, and, as a fountain of honour, confer honour on the great men about him; so that though princes be not named there, )’et the Holy Ghost supplies them as a thing that must of necessity be understood; Come, let us be governed by a king and the great ones attendant on him. But you will ask me,

AVhat is the reason that nothing would satisfy them but a king and nobles?

If you read 1 Sam. viii., you will find that they were almost mad upon it, a king they must have, and would have. Oh! it was very grievous to Samuel’s spirit: he told them their great sin, and the Lord said, “They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me.” Samuel told them what God said, and God bade Samuel tell them what a king they should have, that he would oppress them extremely, exercise arbitrary government to the full, take away their servants and children, and do with them what he pleases; You will be brought to be his slaves, any parasite at court may easily get your estates; you shall be accounted an offender for a word, and fined at pleasure; you shall be in most miserable bondage, if you have a king. But now after Samuel had told them all this, “Nay,” say they, “but we will have a king.” If any one should come and reason. Why do you desire a king so much? what will you get by it? do not you think that he will have your estates, your liberties, and all you possess, at his disposal? no one could deny this, they did not deny the least word that Samuel said, but they held their conclusion, “Nay, but we will have a king.” What should make them thus? These seven reasons may be given for it.

1. For novelty’s sake. They had tried other kinds of government before, but now they would have somewhat more. Men’s spirits ar6 very much given to change, though they can give no rational account why they desire it.

2. They might entertain some disti-ust of their former judges; because they were men of meaner rank, they might think that they should not be able to help them; Let us, say they, have a king that shall go before us in our wars. Though the)’ had never so much experience of the judges, yet they thought there would be more good if they had great ones, and they were afraid that these men of a lower, meaner rank would fail them at last.

3. They might desire to be like other nations, because they loved pomp. What! say they, shall we see our neighbouring nations governed by those who have great pomp and glory, and shall we be governed by men that were but tradesmen a while ago? No, they would be like other nations.

4. Perhaps they had experienced some oppressions from the former judges. Though most of them were good, yet certainly there can be no human government

but will afibrd some cause at one time or other for some to complain. Take the best government that can be in the world, yet, seeing it is a government of men and administered “by men, there will be some cause or other at some period for complaint. Now this is the peevishness of men’s hearts, that if there be but any condition wheVein they suffer, they do nothing but complain of their suffering, and desire a change; and they never think of the inconveniences and sufferings that may result. They would be rid of these to whom they were now subject, and would have a king. These men angered them, laid on them some odious taxes; now, so be it they might get rid of them, they care not what they bring upon themselves; and therefore, “Nay, but we will have a king.”

5. Out of a spirit of opposition against the way of God’s appointment. God was their Governor, and their hearts rose against his rule, through a mere spirit of opposition, though they could give no reason why they might not be as well under it as any other: but it was God’s way, and there is an opposition in the heart of man to any thing that has God in it.

6. They had some ho])es that they should have more liberty for their lusts. Now, in their present form of government, there was more inspection over them, and they could not so easily corrupt their rulers; but in a merely human government, if they could but make a friend of their ruler, they might do what they list; if they would but consent to be a slave to him, they might make all their neighbours slaves to them: they had probably a great deal more hopes of licence for their lusts in this than their jn’esent government.

7. jMany of them had hopes to get preferment this way. Let us have a king and princes, and we shall so get preferments and places in the court, therefore we will not be satisfied with any other way but this; we live in a mean, low condition without this, but we shall get preferments by the change, therefore give us a king.

But now this is observable, Though they thought they had a great deal of reason for themsehcs, yet after they had once smarted, and found indeed that there was upon them, after they had these kings and princes, more oppression than ever they were under in their lives; now was a time that Hosea could speak freely to them, and say in the name of God, Where is your king, and those men for whom you were so earnest? what good have you got? For it is observable, though they were never so eager upon having a king, yet, if you read the story in Samuel, when God did but thunder from heaven, then they exclaimed, “We have sinned.” ^’hen they Were under oppression, then Hosea could speak freely and plainly to them, Where is your king? and where are these men?

Obs. G. Men will not hear so long as they do not suffer. If men be once bent upon a certain course, and have their estates about them, and countenance from great ones, speak what you will against their way, they will not hear you; but let these men smart, and find by experience ‘the evil of their course, then you may speak to them and say. Do you think now that was wisely done, for which you were so eager? do you think you dealt well for yourselves? Oli then they will be ready to say, I confess I did not think so seriously of those things before, I looked only upon that which appeared good for the jiresent, and now after-wit is bought, although it be dear, I see cause to repent.

]liy brethren, surely kings and nobles are great blessings of God when they are good. Y’ou see I have not in the least strained the place, but held forth to you its true scope. Let none go away and say, that I inveighed against kings, or nobles; certainly in themselves they are great blessings of God, and we must acknowledge it fitting to have a difi’erence between man and man.

It is a slander that is upon a sort of people, as if they would have all things to lie level, and one to have as much honour as the other. God forbid we should have such a thought: let us give honour to those whom God would have honoured, and never envy nor grudge at their honour: if God pleases to send those that are good, I say, they may be great instruments of great blessings of God to us. But now mark the very next words that follow in the 11th verse. They would have a king.

Ver. 11. / gave Ihee a king in mine anger, and look him away in my wrath.

They were ready to say. Why do you thus blame us for our eager desire? did not God approve of it? God himself was content we should have one; God himself chose our first king, Saul, and appointed Samuel to anoint him. And if you understand it of tUe other king, Jeroboam, for so interpreters go, they might say. And Jeroboam also; did not God foretell by the prophet, that Jeroboam should have ten tribes? and did not the man of God tell us that this was from the Lord? And therefore why should you so much upbraid us about our kings? it is the mind and will of God that we should have them.

The answer of the prophet is: True, God did give you a king, and appointed Samuel to anoint him, and foretold that Jeroboam should be king over the ten tribes: yea, but it was in his anger: he gave you one indeed, but it was in his anger. You were so set upon it, that you would have one; If you will, take him, saith God, and take- him with all that shall follow .,... ., after: so that it was (as one speaks) quam lib ciorato rather irom an angrj’ God, than irom an °°’ entreated God.

“I gave thee a king in mine anger.” Saul and Jeroboam were given in anger, those primarily, as a punishment of their sin: Saul as a punishment of their sin in rejecting Samuel, and in their disobedience to Samuel, and the way of government that they had then. And Jeroboam was given as a punishment of their sin of idolatry, that was committed in Solomon’s time (as also of their rebellion and apostacy): and yet it is said that God did it.

06.?. 1. God may have a hand in things wherein men sin exceedingly. They sinned in getting a king, they sinned exceedingly in setting up Jeroboam, and yet God has such a hand in it, that he saith, I gave them these things. Calvin, (and I the rather cite his words here, Ijccause the adversaries would cast that aspersion on him, that he held that God was the author of sin,) on this very place, saith,* From this place we learn, that God does so exercise his judgments, that whatsoever evil there is, it is to be ascribed to men; whatsoever good, to himself: God seems to direct this work wholly to his own providence. From hence let us learn soberly to admire the secret judgments of God; neither let uS imitate those impure dogs: impure dogs! what are they that do therefore grin and bark at God, because they cannot understand how God doth use wicked men? because they understand not this, they conclude lliat God is the cause of sin. He calls them the impure dogs, because they understand not how God doth work in making use of wicked men, that God is the author and cause of sin. His spirit was much against this, and therefore it was an extreme slander upon him, as if he should hold such an opinion. That is the first. God may have a hand in things wherein men sin extremely, and yet he remain holy.

Kx hoc loco (lisciinlis, Dcuin sic exercore sua juclici,i, iit ii”icqiiiil mali est, <lolpcat hominibus ascribi: Ucus viilf lur hue totuin tliri’nrr sii.i proviiliMitia. discaimis adniirari subrioarciiitt Uci judicia, neiiuc iaiitomur irapuros istiis cam’s qui

Obs. 2. Things that are very evil, may yet have present success, it was a veiT evil thing for them to desire a king at this time, and likewise for the people to rend from the house of David, yet both of them succeeded according to their desire. Let us then learn never to judge of the goodness of a thing by its success. Say some, I warrant you we will have this; and if they get what they desire, they think God approves of it’: they may desire a thing, and be set upon it, and though much be said to the contrary, yet they may drive on theii- designs, and prosper in it; but this is no argument that God owns it as good: never judge of things by success.

Obs. 3. God’s gifts are not always in love. “I gave thee a king,” saith he, but “in mine anger.” God’s gifts are not always in love; no, they are in anger many times. Read but Numb. xi. 18 — 20, you shall find there God giving people their desires. He lets them have them, but how? “Say thou unto the people. Sanctify yourselves against to-morrow, and je shall cat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the Lord, saling, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the Lord will give you flesh.” You have wejit and cried, saying, “^Mio shall give us flesh?’ “The Lord will give you flesh;” and “ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten davs. nor twenty days; but even a whole month, untif it come out at your nostrils;” you shall have enough of it, even till “it be loathsome unto you:” why? “because that ye have despised the Lord which is among you.” The Lord gave them their desires, because they had despised him. So you are ready to bless yourselves that you have what you would have, and think that therefore God regards you, whereas God give-; you what you desire because you have sinned against him; if he were not angry with you, he would not give it. Saith Augustine, God many times in Dj„d„i„^|„„ „, giving is angry, in denying is merciful, ■famio mu<rciu’r. It is because he is angry that he gives “^’” ’ you such things as you would have. So in Psal. ixxviii. 29 — 31, God gives them flesh according to then- desires, but “while their meat was yet in their mouths, the wrath of God came upon them.” If wo j had time a little to open this most excellent point, it might quiet our desires; for we might endeavour to speak of the several ways of God’s giving, that, by comparing one thing with another, we might learn to distinguish whether a thing be given in love or in anger, come to know how much is in it of God’s loving-kindness.

But only now let me leave this with you about it, Take heed of immoderate desires for any worldly thing: take heed of saying. I nnist, and I will, and I will have it; whenever you find your hearts strongly risuig to a thing, then be afraid, be afraid of having it, as much as you were of having any thing in your lives. No one can have any comfort in any thing as coming from God’s love, until they can first quiet their hearts, and be willing to be at God’s disposal, be willing to be without it; that is one main sign of God’s giving in anger, or in love. AVhen anv find an eager desire after a thing. Oh it is verj- suitable to such and such a purpose; yea, but now if I can go alone and consider that God is wiser than I, and knows what is best for me; if I can labour to work my heart to this. Lord, if it be good for me, then I desire it; but if thou seest i”. would not be good, then Lord, here I am, do with mr what seems good in thine eyes; as David did: surely nature could not but work strongly in his case, when leaving the holy city, yet he saitl,” If I shall fin<l

ipbs;aniunt, quia non possunt agnoscere quomodo Deus utatiirdiiuu iinprobis hnmmibus, quia hoc non pereipiunt, concliidiiut Douuuum esse causa peccati. Calv. in loc.

favour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, and show me both it. and bis habitation: but 3’ he thus say. I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him,” 2 Sam. XV. ‘2), 26. Yea, this was a trial indeed, and doubtless this temper of David’s heart in his affliction was the thing that gave him so much enlargement to praise God. when he returned to the ark and city again. Had David vented himself in impatient complainings; What! must I go from the city of Jerusalem? how doth God deal with me! I am resolved I will return to Jerusalem and take possession of the city, whatsoever comes of it, though it even cost me my life; perhaps David might have gotten thither, but there would not have been so much love of God in it, as when he could give up himself to God’s disposal. And so, if this people could have said thus. True, Lord, thou art our King, but we are despised because we are governed by men of such mean quality: and the truth is, God had proraised them a king also, and therefore it was not such an evil thing to desii’e a king, the evil lay in the eagerness of their desu’e, they would have him now: if they had been but quiet, and said, Lord, thou dost tell us in thy word of a king that we shall have. Lord, fulfil this thy word, and for the present we are content to submit to thee, as long as thou thinkest fit; now, it may be, God would have given them a king then, or presently after, and so they might have had a holy and gracious king; but they must have him now, and so they had him with the anger of God. You remember the words of Rachel to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die.” She had a child and died; though it was not in God’s anger as an enemy, yet it was a fatherly anger. O think but of this, you women that are so desirous of children, or any outward blessing. You, too, who are desirous of altering your condition, as in marriage, and must needs have such a one, although you beg yoiubread all your days, and although parents are against it, and you cannot, even yourselves, discern evidences of grace. Now, saith God, you shall have it, you shall join together, and you shall work your own misery by this eagerness of your spirit. 0 brethren, let us learn to be moderate in our desires, and commit them with our hearts to God.

“I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.”

I have observed before that God’s gifts are not always in love, and now, because it is an important point, there are two things which I desu-e to do very briefly.

I. To show )”ou, how a man may know that what God gives him is given in anger, and not in love.

II. To draw some corollaries from the foregoing.

I. How we may” know that what God gives is in anger, and not in love. It is a very hard thing to convince men, if they have their desires satisfied, that it is rather from anger than love. Men are so well pleased with the satisfying of their desires, that they can very hardly be convinced but that God intends good to them in it; and therefore you shall find, in 1 Sam. xii. 17, that God was fain to do one of his great and wonderful works to convince this people that the king whom he gave them there was given in anger rather than in love: “Is it not wheat harvest to-day? I will call unto the Lord, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking you a king.” Samuel had before, in chap. viii.. told them of their sin in asking a king, but they would not be convinced; “Nay,” say they, “but we will have a king over us.” Now saith Samuel, It is wheat harvest; and whereas it was a strange and wonderful thing for the Jews to have rain then, but though it be harvest time, yet it shall rain and thunder; and all to the end that you may be convinced of your great wickedness in asking you a king. They had not only had their desires granted before this time, but, as they thought, had them, in some wise, confii’med; for Saul had prospered after he had been a king: but yet for all that, (saith he,) I will give you an evident demonstration, that it is not in love that you have him, but it was your gi-eat wickedness in seeking you a king. “So Samuel called unto the Lord; and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day.” And then, in ver. 19, “All the people said unto Samuel, Pray’ for thy serv.ant.s unto the Lord thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our siits this evil, to ask us a king:” now we do acknowledge it to be a very great and sore evil indeed, tlAugh our king has prospered a while, yet God shows us now that it is an evil. And by this you may see that it is hard for men to be convinced, when they have according to their hearts’ desires, that it is in anger rather than in love.

But to give you some notes, whereby you may be helped to see, whether what you have granted by God according to your desires be in anger or love:

1. When you desire a gift, rather than God in it. When your desires are for the gift rather than the Giver, you can have no comfort that there is love in it. There is no man that has to deal with another, if he knows that what he does deske from him, it is not.out of love to him, but merely from the love of the gift, certainly, though he may give him for some other ends, yet he does not give it out of love. Those desires that are not out of love, are not satisfied from love. Love satisfies no desires that are not raised by love; love acts always upon love. Now God knows what the ground of our desu-es is; if we desire the gift rather than the Giver, rather than God in it, we can have no comfort that our enjojTnents proceed from love. Whatsoever a gracious heart would have from God, yet this is the main thing in its desires. Oh, let me have God in them! such is my condition in this world, that God appoints that I shall not enjoy him immediately altogether, but I shall enjoy him through such and such mercies, oh then that I might have these mercies, that I might enjoy him ui them! Certainly any thing that thou hast in satisfaction of such desires is out of love; but when thou lookest no further than the creature, wouldst have the thing. but lookest not at God in it, thou canst not expect the love of God to be conveyed by it.

2. When our desires are immoderate and violent. This was just the case of this people here: “Nay, but we will have a king over us,” we must needs have him; whatsoever comes of it, we will have him. ‘When God satisfies the desires of his people in his love, he first quiets their hearts, bringing them into a sweet and blessed moderation; but when men’s hearts are so violent, that the thing they desire they must have, God many times saith. You shall have it then, take it: but then he speaks not in love, that is very remarkable: Numb. xi. and Psal. lxxviii. 29 — 31, and other passages, confirm this point. But I would further remark of that Psalm, that the Lord, after ho had showed that he did not answer their desii’es in love, but in wrath, then, in ver. 31, saith, after the judgments of God had come upon them in the satisfying of their desires, that many of them were slain by God; and the parallel passage referred to in Numbers saith, “He called the name of that place Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people that lusted;” that is. The sepulchres of the lusts of their desu’es: God sets a brand upon that place, Here, saith he, ai’e the graves of the desirers; they must needs have flesh, and they stood upon their desires, their desires must be satisfied; and here are the graves of the desirers, saith God. O remember, you that lust after evil things, remember when your desires are immoderate and violent, it is just with God to set a brand by some remarkable hand of his against you, and

say, llore is the mark of these desires that were so immoderate and so violent.

3. When God grants men their desires before the due time. They have what they would have, but they have it not in God’s time. Children long with desire after green fruit, but if they could stay but a few weeks or months, one apple then would be worth a hundred when they are green; but they cannot stay, they must have the fruit when it is green; they have it, but it does them no good. So when we have our desires satisfied before the due time, it i)roceeds not from love. God had promised that Israel should have a king in due time, that there should come kings from the loins of Abraham; and in Deut. xvii. 14, there is a prophecy of the king they should have: yea, but they would not stay God’s time, and therefore he was given not out of love. Psal. cvi. 13, it is said of those that did so lust that God gave them their lusts in his wrath, “they waited not for his counsel.” That is noted there. Oh, we should be willing to wait for God’s counsel. ‘e would have the thing presently done; yea, but God’s counsel works one thing after another, in mutual dependence, and we should be willing to wait for his counsel: if we will not mind God’s counsel, but must have our desires satisfied, and that now, we cannot expect love in them, but rather wrath: he gives unto them in his anger.

4. “VMien God grants us what we would have, but without the blessing. He grants the thing, but takes away the blessing of the thing, he takes away the comfort and satisfaction of it; “They shall eat, but they shall not be satisfied.” So in Psal. cvi. 15, “He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul:” this is a similitude transferred from the body to the soul. iMcn may often have a dog’s appetite, (as the physicians call it,) that is, a mighty greedy stomach, but they cannot digest what they eat, and so the body is lean; so here, they had a mighty desire, but as in the body many limes there is such a disease that the meat turns not to nourishment, so in their souls, they had even that which their souls desired, yea, but their souls could not be satisfied. The body thrives not with what it eats when it has such a disease upon it; so, though the soul virtually has what it desired, yet it had a distem))er with it; thus it could not be satisfied, nor thrive, nor prosper with what it had: “He sent leanness into their soul.” How often arc we greedily desirous of certain things, and think, Oh how happy should I be if I had them! It may be God lets you have your desires, but when he has he snatches away the comfort of it; you shall have a well, but it shall have no bottom, you shall not be able to get out the good and comfort in what you have. Surely God is not in it, for the blessing of God maketh rich, and addeth no sorrow with it; no, it brings comfort.

5. When that which we desire is merely to satisfy our lusts; merely that we might have our humours and lusts satisfied, that is all. We do not desire such and such things that by them we may be fitted for the service of God, we cannot give an account why these and tliesc things .should hell) us in the work of the Lord, but that we may go on as well without them; but they are suitable to our lusts. Oh! if God does give thee any thing to satisfy thy lusts, certainly he gives it in Ills wrath: as now, if a man have a disease in his body, and his enemy know what wUl feed his disease, he will gladly give it him that he may be the sooner dcs])atched; no faithful ])liysieian, no loving friend, will give to any that which will I’eed their disease, but will rather take it from them in love. Oh! the Lord sees men’s hearts set ujjon such and such lusts, and if certain things which lliey desire are granted them, their lusts will be fed by I’r.cm i They shall have them, saith God. It is as dangerous a sign of reprobation as any thing, to give them

that which shall be most suitable to .their lusts, that shall most harden them; and on the other side, a token of the greatest love, when God shall take that from his childi’en which he knows will but feed their lusts. ISIany diseases are such, that the only way to cure them is to keep the jjatient on a short diet; though they cry for food, and be very hungry, yet they must be kept very low; why? because the nature of the disease is such as will di’aw all nourishment to its own increase: and so God is fain to do with his own people, when he sees them sick of a disease which will naturally draw to its centre all the nourishment afl’ordcd.

6. When men are so eager that they care not whether the gift comes from a reconciled or a i)rovoked God; it is all one to them: Let me have it; but whether it comes from God reconciled, or God provoked, they little care. In Numb. xi. is the notable story before referred to, of God’s satisfying desires in his wrath. In the beginning of the chajiter God is veiy much ])rovoked with the people: “M’hen the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. And the people cried unto Moses,” and so the judgment was removed from them. But then, presently after, they fell to murmuring befoi’e ever any thing was done to reconcile God and their souls together. You do not read of any work of humiliation to seek reconciliation with God, between the time in which God manifested his sore displeasure against them, and that in which he satisfied their desires; no, they looked not at that, let them only have their desires; hence it came to be that their desires were satisfied in wrath.

Does thy conscience tell thee that there has been a time wherein God has been displeased with thee, and his anger has burst out against thee? Perhaps thou art in a better condition now than thou wast before; O, but tell me, hast thou humbled thy soul before God to make up thy peace with him? Has there been a day of atonement between God and thy soul? Has God’s displeasure been out against thee, and now does he come and satisfy thee in what thou dost desire, before any thing has been done in falling down before him and seeking his face, and making peace? Thou canst not have comfort in this. Thy desires are satisfied rather in wrath than in mercy.

7. AVlien God regards not our preparation for a mercy. Carnal heai’ts take no gi-eat care themselves of it, Let me have it, say they, our fitness matters not. It is your sin and wickedness not to regard the preparation of your hearts for what you have; and it is God’s judgment to give it to you before you be prepared. A gracious heart, when it would have a mercy, is as careful to get the heart prejiared for the mercy, as to obtain it. Those things would indeed suit me, but is my heart fit for such a deliverance? is my heart fit for such mercies? If it be thy care to prepare thy heart when thou art labouring for the mercy, surely, when it comes, it must be sweet indeed; but when there is no preparation before, thou canst not know that it is in love. AVe little think that we have need of preparation for mercies. If indeed God should threaten some judgment, we would think that we had need be prepared; but certainly there is as gi’cat need for preparation for mercies, to be able to make good use of them, as for afllictions, to be able to bear them. This I have likewise from Numb. xi. 18; it is said, “And say thou unto the people. Sanctify yourselves against to-morrow.” There is a charge that they should sanctify themselves against to-morrow, for God would give them flesh. I do not find that they did do it, but Apn God promised to give them flesh, )ic bid them sanctify themselves; as if he should say, If that your desires 1

Ver. U.

5G9

cfme liefore you have sanctified yourselves, it will be i;i wrath, not in mercy. O, therefore, when earnest to have your desires satisfied think thus, The Lord charges thee to sanctify thyself; do I take care of this V do I make it my endeavour to sanctify myself before the mercy comes? Then thou mayst have comfort in it, and not otherwise.

8. “WTien we rest on the means we use, and seek not God by prayer. AVhatevcr we enjoy that we get not by prayer before, or sanctified by prayer after, we cannot know that it proceeds from “love. “Thou preventest him,” saith David, Psal. xxi. 3, “with the blessings of goodness.” God sometimes acts so towards his saints, but generally, when he intends a mercy from love, he first fills the’ heart with the spirit of prayer; when a mercy comes after much prayer, then it is surely a mercy from love. When the saints have been praying, and then God has come in with mercy, oh then they have gathered arguments of God’s love to them; This I had because I sought thee: as Hannah did concerning Samuel: how did she rejoice in Samuel! “For this child I prayed,” saith Hannah unto Eli; oh this is the mercy that I prayed for; therefore she called her child’s name Samuel, one “asked of the Lord.” And so when we can call every gift we have, Samuel, that is, a gift asked of God, a gift gotten by prayer, this is an argument of love. But otherwise we can have no assurance that it is from love. True, a king was not unlawful for them to desire, because they had such intimations in Scripture; but they acted not so much out of regard to them; no, they come to Samuel, and say, “Give us a king;” we do not read that they go to God for it. Such a great change of their state as that was, one would think, should have required divers days in seeking of God. It was a mighty change, to a new kind of government, from one that was offeod’s own appointment, to a form of government similar to that of the surrounding nations. Yet we find no days of prayer for this great change, and therefore it was in wrath that they had it. Therefore when you would have any thing, look not so much to come by it according to second causes, but be much in prayer, according to the excellency of the thing for which you seek.

9. A’Tien God gives our desires, but not a sanctified use of them. When God gives you the shell, but not the kernel, surely it is not in love. If your children should ask a nut of you, and you give them a nut that has no kernel, they will not think (if so be that you knew it) that it is in any great love. Truly, all the good things that wicked men have, they are but shells without kernels, they are not in love. The kernel of every blessing is a proportionable measure of grace to use it for God. You have a great desire that God should change your condition; if he should, and not give you a heart fit for that, you had better be without the change. You have a desire that God should prosper you in such a business; yea, but if he does not teach you how to abound, you had been better never to have abounded. Now it is not in love for God to give any success, except he gives a measure of grace proportioned to the success; therefore this you should all examine; The Lord has altered my condition, and many good things I have more than before; but what graces have I more than before? what exercise of grace, what work of grace, more than before? Certainly if it be in love it will be so.

10. When a secret curse attends what we have. If so be that a man should be very hungry, and have a mighty desire to satisfy himself, and he falls greedily upon his meat and eats it, but as soon as he has eaten it his body swells to an enormous size, surely he begins to think then that all is not well. Lord have mercy upon me, saith he, afraid that he is poison- <’d. So God gives you your desire, and as soon as

you have it you begin to swell, you are bigger than you were before, your hearts are proud, and you can look scornfully upon others; oh, you are poisoned; this is an ill satisfying of your hunger, you are poisoned surely in this. In Isa. x. 16, you have a notable expression to this purpose; “Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the bm-ning of a fire.” Even such things wherein there appears to be a great deal of glory, such things perhaps as when your desires are satisfied you can glory in; oh you glory in such and such a mercy, such a good thing you have above others; but under this glory there is a burning kindled, there is a great deal of the wrath of God in it, a secret curse attends it.

11. AVhen we regard not what becomes of others, so we have our desires satisfied. And this is from their example here. Let us have a king. A king! what shall become of Samuel then? has not he judged you, and been faithful with you? What! will you show yourselves so ungrateful to him for all the good he has done to you, as to reject him, and his house, and family? Oh, they cared not for that; Let us have a king; let what will become of Samuel and his house, what care they? And so when men are greedy in theu- desires. Let us have such and such a thing, but care not what becomes of others, it is another note of desires not granted in love.

12. When God, in satisfj’ing of our desii-es, makes way for some judgment. Now indeed the thing that we have is comfortable, but stay awhile, and you shall see there is some judgment approaching by that very thing which you receive; and w-hen the judgment is come, afterwards you will see how the mercy made way for it: very great judgments many times befall men, that are made way for by the satisfying of their own desires. God has many ways to prepare a path for his anger, often by giving you your desires; there is nothing more ordinary in experience than this, and therefore we need not stand upon it. If you will but examine the course of your lives, sometimes you may see, that if God had satisfied your desires in such and such things, it would have made way for the greatest misery that ever you had in all your lives; and when God denies sometimes to his people, they can confess, O Lord, I see that had I had my desu-es gratified, I had been undone. And on the other side, you will find that those things which you account the greatest mercies to you, do make way for the greatest evils; surely, then, they were not given in love.

13. A’hen men are greedy of things to the disregard of the results; when they would have their desires satisfied in a foolish way, never minding what inconveniences may follow, but merely looking to their present comfort. Thus it was here; they would have a king; Samuel came and told them all the inconveniences that would follow upon it, how that they should have this affliction and the other; You that are so desirous of him, if he pomes among you, he will bring you into slavery, your estates and your children shall be under his power, you will be in slavery to every courtier. Nay, but we will have a king for all this: they would needs change the way of government; Oh that we might have a king! and they would be brought more under law than before; for indeed in the time of the judges, you find that the people of Israel enjoyed a great deal of liberty, and obeyed the judges in a great measure voluntarily; you thus find but two tribes that followed Barak and Deborah, and so of Jephthah, and Samson, those that “offered themselves willingly among the people” followed them, Judg. V. 0; and with Gideon those of Ephraim “did chide sharply,” Judg. viii. 1; so much freedom there was in the time of the judges. Yea, but we will have a king.

AN EXPOSniOX OF

and we will all then be tied to the same thing, and be under the same power, and so there will ensue fii’munion: we shall no longer act each according to his ovm will, but all shall come in and join under the same law, and so we shall go on unitedly. Certainly this was their reasoning in their desire of having a king. Now this kind of union among the people, doubtless, was very good, but they considered not what inconveniences might result from their being thus chained together. Prisoners that are chained at a post are together all the day long; but would you have such a kind of union, would you be united with such chains? Consider, that with the union slavery may come upon you. But they did not consider any such things; No matter, say they, come, let us all be joined in one, and let the same law be upon every one. But now, how this would bring them under bondage and slavery in those things they would be loth to be brought under in, they considered not at all.

14. ‘len men seek to have theii’ desires satisfied merely because they love change. We cannot have any comfort that God’s gifts proceed from love, when they are sought for out of a foolish, inconstant spirit. They thought they had been long enough under judges, and in a mere desire of novelty, not knowing what might come of such a change, demanded a king. And so people, though there be never so much good in a way, yet out of a novelty they would fain have a change; and if God gi’ant them a change when they have no other gi-ound but that for it, it is a sign that there is wrath in it, and not love.

15. AVhen it is through impatience to submit to God in a former condition. It is ill when granted to gi-atify the appetite for novelty, but when given to impatience, then it is sure to be in wrath, and not in mercy. If your condition be changed, God has put you in a lower and meaner condition, it is true, it is lawful for you to desire a change; yea, but if you desire it because you cannot submit to God’s hand, and it is given to you, then it is a sign that it is given in wrath: but when you have brought your hearts to this. Lord, here I am, dispose of me as thou pleasest, I am content to lie under thy hand, but. Lord, I look up to thee for mercy; consider I am a poor weak creature, and it is fit that thou shouldst have thy will, and not I mine; then if God make a change, you may have comfort that it is in mercy; but if you have it through impatience, you can have no comfort at all in it. It was just so here; they could not bear the hand of God in any present trouble that they had upon them, and so thought to help themselves by having a king, and God gave them one, but it was in his anger.

16. ‘NAHien our desires of further mercies make us forget former mercies. They would have a king that might go before them, and fight for them. Fight for them! did not God fight for them before? Oh, wonderful and glorious battles thcv had when they were under their judges, wlicn they had Samuel to direct them, they never afterwards had more glorious victories than then: nay, you shall find in the whole story of the judges, that they did always prevail; and their judges generally were good, and guided them in God’s ways; but the kings did not so, for the kings of Israel were none of them good, from the first to the last. O unthankful wretches that they are, so eager to have another condition, never minding nor blessing God for what they had, forgetful of all the good they had received. Samuel could appeal to them, “Whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded?” 1 Sam. xii. 3. Ho had judged them righteously. But they forget all God’s goodness and mercy towards them, and must change their condition. (), consider this, you that desire a change; be not unthankful for what you have had; if you be S5

eager to have more as to forget what you have had, if God should send you more your case is like ,to be worse than it is now. If one should take meat to eat before he has digested his previous food, because the new dishes brought to the table please his palate, this does not nourish him, but tiu-ns to evil humours, and so does him hurt; but if he would stay till he has digested what he has eaten before, then he might eat and be thereby nourished. You that would fain have more and more, have you digested what you have had? are you thankful for former mercies? has God had the glory of what you have had before? then, if God gives you any thing, you may have comfort to your souls that it comes out of love.

17. ‘VMien men desire new things out of distrust of God, and make such conclusions of unbelief; Sm-ely if God should not gi’ant such and such things unto them, then they are lost and undone, and there is no way in the woiid to help them. Their desires are excited by distrust; whereas, (my brethren,) gracious desires are the fruit of faith, it is the prayer of faith that does good; it is faith that inflames the gracious desires which are sent up to God, they are sent up by the strength of faith, and not the strength of unbelief. It is the strength of unbelief that makes the desii-es of people so strong as they are, as thus: These people desired a king; why? because they could not trust God to have but only judges as they had before. Samuel was an old man, and his sons were naught, and they see themselves in a hard condition; yea, but now seeing God had not spoken to them about a new government, they should have had it from God, if at all, God should have chosen them one; but they thought that they must have one to go before them in their battles, or else they would miscarry, and they saw the princes of the earth that they went before their subjects in their battles, and therefore they woidd be like unto them, and durst not trust God in that way in which they were before. And therefore it was in wrath that God gave them their desu’es.

18. If, when God changes our condition, we bring the sins of our old condition into our new, we can have no assurance that the change proceeds from love. Our care should be, when our condition is changed, to ask, What were the sins of my former condition? what were the sins of my afflicted, my low condition? Let me take heed that I do not bring into my new state my former coreuptions.

19. If we seek to attain our desires by unlawful means, certainly that is cursed. If God does let us prosper in ways that are unlawful in themselves, we cannot believe that what we enjoy proceeds from love, but from wrath.

I have the more willingly enlarged on this point because of its great usefulness.

II. Now then, by way of coroUaiT, from all that has been said, let us learn,

1. To take heed that we quiet ourselves in our desires. Be not too earnest in your desires. Remember that scripture, 1 Cor. x. 0, “Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.” It refers to their lusting for their quails, here called “lusting after evil things;” though the things themselves were good, yet the manner of their lusting made them evil to them. These are for our example, that we should not lust so as they lusted. When you read Numb. xi. and Psal. lxxviii., and there find how they lusted after evil things, and how the wrath of God came upon them when they had their desires satisfied, remember that these things “are written for our admonition,” 1 Cor. x. 11. And so when we read of their eager desires after a king, and what they met withal when they had him, it should teach us so far to moderate our desires, as to labour to regu-THE PROPHECY OF HOSEA.

late tlicm by the word, and to subject them to the mind of the blessed God.

2. To prepare our hearts for what we have, and to seek proportionable grace for any thing that we do desire. Treasure up this lesson. A^Hien thou wouldst have a mercy from God, O seek proportionable grace, and prepare thyself for the mercy.

3. Not to be too much exalted when thou hast thy desii-es satisfied. Methinks this point might be as a prick, to prick the bladders of the pride of men’s hearts. O, take heed, though you have prospered according to your desires. Saul prospered a great while, and yet it was in wrath. Certainly there is no great matter to be expected from such things as wo may have in God’s wrath, and therefore no cause to be exalted.

4. Never to di-aw any arguments of God’s love, by our desires in outward things being satisfied. It is a vain conceit of people to think thus, God loves me; why? because I have desired such and such things, and God has given them to me. K a man were to go and choose a wife, and knew her face were painted, would he conclude, Surelj- here is one of an excellent complexion? No, he would leather suspect it. Truly it would be as just to infer that this woman’s complexion, and the constitution of her body, are sound and good, as to conclude that my condition is good because God satisfies my desires.

5. Never to envy any men who have their lusts satisfied. There is little cause that you should envy them. Were you to see a man that loves wine di-ink some which you knew to be poisonea, or a man witn a satm suit which you knew had the plague in it, there were no cause of envying either; water, or a leather suit, were a great deal better. God satisfies men many times, but it is in wrath, and to prepare them for slaughter.

6. To be content to wait patiently, and when our desires are denied. Oh, this is a point of very great use, to teach us patience when God denies us. Be patient and content when God denies you your desires, for you do not know what God may aim at in it.

7. Not to rest in what you enjoy, but to seek to know the source from W’henoe it comes. And this I take to be as special a difference as any I know between a carnal and a gracious heart. A carnal heart thinks thus. If I have the thing, I care not for any more; but

;;vacious heart looks at the principle from whence it mes, he loves to look at the root and som’ce. A .,:adener that owes the flowers, regards the root more than the flower a great deal; but a stranger is more pleased with the flower than with the root. So carnal hearts look only at flow’ers, but gracious hearts look: the root. I have such and such a thing, but have I: evidence of God’s love? Look how high the head the fountain is, so high the water will go, and no her. AVater will ascend as high as the place was: m whence it descended. And so eveiy mercy we luive will cany us as high as from whence it came. If from conmion, general bounty, it carries us to God but in a common, general way; but if it comes in special ‘f ve through Christ, it carries us to God in Christ. S. To seek those gifts which God never grants to any it in love. There are some things of such a noble ;d excellent nature, that God never grants them toly but in love, they are precious things indeed. And ■.is one consideration shows the difference, as much as any thing I know, between spiritual and temporal blessings. Temporal blessings, though they are in themselves good, and attended with many sweet accommoda- ^’ ns, yet they arc of such a low nature, that many lies they come to men out of God’s wrath; the)’ may iisist with wrath, yea, they may flow from wrath. I’t spiritual blessings, the graces of God’s Spirit, those iritual blessings wherewith we are blessed in Christ

Jesus, are of such a nature that they can never come but from love, and out of love. From this you see, that a little grace is more worth than the enjo)-ment of all the world. God may give a man the empire of all the world, and he may do it in wrath, and the gift tend to the furtherance of wrath; but if you have but the least dram of grace, if you have but any spiritual knowledge of God in Christ, “this is life eternal:” “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent,” John xvii. 3. Faith; this is a precious gift. If thou hast any knowledge of the Divine nature, it comes from the infinite ocean of eternal love, and will carry thee to the infinite ocean of love. O, then, prize grace, seek after grace.

You whose hearts have been so eager and desu-ous after outward things, turn now the stream of your desires. I have been eager after such and such things; if I have them, yet I may have the wrath of Ciod with them, and what good will they do me then? Oh, but I hear of things that are to be had, which I can never receive but in love, they are the privileges that come to the saints in Jesus Clmst.

9. To bless God, if we know and find that what we have proceeds from love. You are to bless God for what you have; but in that he has given you your desires, and given them out of love too, here God blesses his blessings, and your blessings should be double, treble, seven, a hundredfold. ‘The Lord has delivered me from such an affliction, and I find it is in owe. As Hezekiah could say, when he “was recovered of his sickness,” “Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption,” Isa. xxxviii. 17; so I make no question but many of the people of God, even many of you that are before him this” day, are able to say. Well, from the observations which I have heard this day upon this point, thus- opened, I can say, to the glory of God, Out of love to my soul has he delivered me out of such an affliction, from such a sickness; out of love to my soul has he granted me such a mercy: I had been praying and crying to him for certain mercies, and out of love to my soul has he granted them to me. O, you may go away with comfort in what you have, be it never so little that God has given you. O, the Lord has given 50U a good portion, your lot is fallen into a good ground, you have a goodly inheritance, certainly you have a child’s portion, go away and be satisfied in it.

And now, my brethren, though this, in a practical point of view, is the chief, I confess I have not yet come to that which is held forth in the very words, and that is about the giving of governors in God’s wrath; I only have spoken concerning the giving of our desu-es generally: but now, for the particular, specific object of their’ desires, that God had given them a king in his wrath; that I confess is a point in which there may be much of the mind of God known, and which would require some time in fully opening. It would be hard to speak of such a point as this is without vei7 great deliberation, and to have full scope when at any time I speak of it; and therefore I do not intend at this time to meddle with this point of God’s giving kings in wrath, I shall rather defer it to the next day. Only one note further, and that is this:

Many get from their consciences the gratification of their lusts, as they strive to obtain from God the objects of their desires. They are very violent in their desires, and would fain have God grant them such and such things; at length, though it be a thing very displeasing to God, he saith. Let them have it. Just so it is in regard of conscience, for conscience is God’s vicegerent in the soul of man. Now many men are very desirous of things which their consciences at first strongly oppose. Oh, they would fain have such and

CiiAr. XIII.

such things: saith conscience, You may not, you will sin against God, you will wound me, and bring sorrow and affliction on yourselves. This makes them pause; they are very much grieved that their consciences will not sanction theii- desires, and it may be they are so far enlightened that they dare not act without their approbation: now, although they may restrain themselves for a while, yet still their lusts are very violent, and they would fain have their consciences to jield to them; they labour therefore and struggle with them, and seek to find out some evasions and distinctions whereby they may either lay them asleep, so that they may not trouble them, or at length to satisfy their consciences so far as to extort from them permission to gi-atify their desires. Now their lusts, when they are grown hot, send up such steams into their understandings as hinder the work of conscience, conscience begins to be more dull in its work, not so quick in the apprehensions of its duty, nor in the exercise of it, as before; and at length, after much ado, when they have tii’cd and wearied themselves, and tired conscience too, they at length do obtain even of their very consciences such things as they have a mind to; so that now their consciences begin to say to them. Seeing you have such a strong and earnest desire, do it: they do it with all eagerness, blessing themselves, and thinking they have gotten a great victory in that- they have prevailed on their consciences to sanction their pursuits. It may be these men will say. If I thought it were against conscience, if conscience did tell me that it ought not to be done, I would not do it for a world. Yea, but, friend, how do you obtain leave of your conscience? There was a time that conscience was opposed; how comes it now to sanction? is it not through the violence of your spirits? You would needs have it, you were set upon it that you must have your liberty and preferment, your ease and content, and you must not suffer such and such things, and by this violence of your spirits you fiucceeded in prevailing over your consciences: now conscience lets you go on; but remember, conscience will tear you for it another day: you have prevailed over it so that it does not accuse you of your evil ways, 6ut lets you go on; do you think you will not hear of it another day? O yes, certainly conscience, being God’s vicegerent, will do as God will do in this case: when men importune for their desires of God, Why, saith God, let them have them; but do not you think that God will call them to an account for it? so it is here. As men shall hereafter pay full dearly for those things which God suffers them to have here; so many will pay full dearly for those things which conscience now gives them liberty to enjoy: though you have liberty, yet it is a liberty forced from conscience, and conscience will have another reckoning with you hereafter. You know how it was with Lalaam, he desired, because of his preferment, to go to curse Israel, and though God did deny him once, yet he would ask again, and would not be satisfied till God said, at length, Go; yea, but for all that God met him in the way, and had like to have destroyed him. Just so do many ■«vith their consciences; it may be they sec some preferment that they may get in such a way,-«nd their consciences for the present have some tenderness, but they will ask their consciences, and if their consciences say No, they will ask again and again; and as, I say, God said at length to Balaam, Go, but said it to him in anger, and met him in the way, and had like to have destroyed him; so, though conscience may suffer thee to serve thy desires, yet will it one day come out with a drawn sword against thee, and be perhaps thy destruction.

Notes prepared by the author for another sermon on ver. Jl, which (being prevented by the Lord’s taking him to himself) he preached not.

Ver. 11. / gave thee a king in viine anger, and look him away in my wrath.

Obs. 1. Kings and princes sometimes are given to a people in anger. Job xxxiv. 30, “That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be insnared.” It is in anger if a hypocrite reign. Psal. cix. 6, “Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.” Dan. viii. 23, 24, “In the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his owti power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper.” So it was said of the Agrigentines, that I’halaris was given to them as a ])lague, and Marius to the Romans. Anastasius Nicenus, Quest. 15, in Script., speaks of one in the time of Phocas, pleading with God, and sanng, Wherefore, Lord, hast thou made Phocas emperor? The answer from heaven was. Because I could not find a worse. He tells also of the bishop of Thebais, who, being proud because advanced, had these words spoken to him: A^’herefore, miserable man, art thou proud? Thou wert not made bishop because thou wast worthy, but because the city deserved such a bishop.

But it may be demanded. When are kings and
princes given in anger? I answer,

1. When men are eager upon them. The men of Shechem were eager upon Abimelech, Judg. ix. 6; they had him, but in wrath; for, ver. 23, it is said, “Then God sent an evU spirit between Abimelech and the men of Sheehem.” ‘And what the issue was we know.

2. When kings and pi’inces are desired out of an opposition to what God would have them to be under, as here in the text: so 1 Sam. viii. 10, 19.

3. When such are given as were Saul and Jeroboam. For explication of this, obserle,

I. AVhat Saul was.

1. TjTannical. 1 Sam. viii. 11, compared with the title of Psal. xviii.

2. Bold and venturous, to do things of his own head in God’s worship. He sacrificed before Samuel came, 1 Sam. xiii. 9.

3. Hypocritical. He blessed Samuel, and pretended he had “performed the commandment of the Lord,” 1 Sam. XV. 13; whereas he had rebelled against it, ver. 22 23.

4. Rash. “Cursed,” saith he, “be the man that eateth any food until evening,” 1 Sam. xiv. 24; which was, first, a binderance to the execution of vengeance, ver. 29, 30; and again, all the people heard not, and he had like to have executed the curse on his son Jonathan, if the people had not rescued him.

5. Hardly convinced. He stands in the defence of himself agamst Samuel the prophet, 1 Sam. xv. 20.

6. Greedy of gain. Samuel charges him with flying upon the spoil, 1 Sam. xv. 19.

7. A respecter of the people more than of the commandment of Ciod. “I feared the people,” saith he, “and obeyed their voice,” 1 Sam. xv. 24.

8. A seeker of his own vain honour. “I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my ])eople, and before Israel,” 1 Sam. xv. 30.

9. Abandoned by God’s Spirit. “But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil sjimt from the Lord troubled him,” 1 Sam. xvi. 14.

10. Of a poor low spirit to help himself when God was departed. When he was troubled with the evil

spirit, he was fain to accept the poor help that music could afford him, 1 Sam. xvi. 17.

11. Subtle and crafty. David, speaking of Saul, saith, “They have prepared a net for my steps,” “they have digged a pit before me,” Psal. lvii. 6; cxlii. 3.

12. Proud and haughty. “For the sin of their mouth »nd the words of theu- lips let them even be taken in their pride,” Psal. lix. 1 2. “Will the son of Jesse give eveiyone of youfields and vineyards,” &c., 1 Sam. xxii. 7.

13. Given to cursing. “And for cursing and lying which they speak,” Psal. lix. 12.

14. Envious. When they had sung in the dance, “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands;” the text adds, “Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him;” “and Saul eyed David from that clay and forward,” 1 Sam. xviii. 6 — 9.

15. A hater of the saints. 1 Sam. xviii. 11, Saul cast his javelin at David, and said, “I will smite David even to the wall with it.” And ver. 12, 13, “Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul. Therefore Saul removed him from him.” And 1 Sam. xix. 1, “Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David.” And ver. 17, he calls him his enemy, saying to Michal, “Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped?”

16. Cruel. 1 Sam. xxii. IS, 19, he caused to be slain eighty-five priests; and smote the city of Nob, (the city of the priests,) “men and women, childi’en and suckHngs, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.” Psal. vii. 2, David prays for help, “lest he” (Saul) “tear my soul” (saith he) “like a lion, rending it in pieces.” And Psal. Ivli. 4, “My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.”

17. Treacherous: he pretends a benefit, intends a mischief. “And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the Lord’s battles. For Saul said. Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the PhiHstines be upon him,” 1 Sam. xviii. 17.

18. False of his word. “But it came to pass at the time when .Nlerab Saul’s daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife,” 1 Sam. xviii. 19. And 1 Sam. xxvi. 21, Saul saith, “I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm:” yet, chap. sxvii. 1, David was so pursued by him, that he fled to Achish king of Gath.

19. A disregarder of oaths. 1 Sam. xLx. 6, “Saul sware. As the Lord liveth, he shall not be slain;” yet, ver. 10, 11, he would have smitten him to the wall with his javelin, and missing that, he sent messengers to murder him in his house.

20. Stout against his conscience, and all the means which God used to reclaim him. 1 Sam. xxiv. 17 — 20, “Thou art more righteous than I,” cS:c. “I know well that (hou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thy hand,” &c. Hence David, Psal. lix., praying against Saul, as appeal’s in the title of the Psalm, saith, ver. 5, “Be not merciful to any wicked .transgressors.”

21. A preferrer of base men, and rejecter of good. David was his enemy, but Doeg a mighty man with him, 1 Sam. xxii. 18, 22.

22. He cares not for his own laws to satisfy his humours. Having suppressed wizards and witches, yet he seeks to them and promises them immunity, 1 Sam. xxviii. 9, 10.

23. Unwearied in his malice. He never rests, but follows David, as one hunts a partridge, from place to place; if disappointed one way, he tries another; sends

to David’s house, then to Naioth, then to Keilah, then to Ziph, then to Engedi, to Hachilah: “Saul sought him everyday,” 1 Sam.xxiii. 1-1. “Behold, he travaileth with iniquity,” Psal. vii. 14.

24. One that could not be overcome by kindness, love, faithfulness, &c., 1 Sam. xxiv. 4; xxvi. 8, 9.

25. Vexed because he could not have his mind. They “return, and make a noise like a dog,” vexed to lose his morsel, Psal. lix. 14, 15.

26. Desperate in forsaking God, and going to the devil for counsel, 1 Sam. xxviii. 7, and afterward wilfully kills himself, 1 Sam. xxxi.

n. ^Vhat Jeroboam was.

1. One that seemed to be much for the good of the people, but when he had power in his own hands, then none more fierce, 1 Kings xi. 27. He cared not for the people, Hos. xiii. 1.

2. One whose carriage was very taking, diligent, industrious, and valiant, a man fit for rule, 1 Kings xi. 28. But when he had got power into his own hands, there was nothing but imperious domi-. neering; as Tacitus saith of Galba, All cRpai’SpMSfiTisS’ men judged him fit for rule, till he ruled, ^r”^’’-

3. One who subjected religion to policy. “And Jeroboam said in his heart. Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David, if this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem. Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold,” S:c., 1 Kings xii. 26 — 28.

4. False,pretendingone thing, and meaning another. He said unto the peo])Ie, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt,” 1 Kings xii. 28.

5. Idolatrous.” But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images,’’ 1 Kings xiv. 9.

6. A conscience oppressor. He laid snares for those that went up to Jerusalem to worship, as was noted, Hos. ix. 8.

7. A scorner. “He stretched out his hand with scorners,” Hos. vii. 5.

8. Subtle. He ordained such a feast as was at Jerusalem, made a house of high places, and priests, that all might be furnished like the worship at Jerusalem, 1 Kings xii. 31.

9. Intemperate. “Intheday of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine,” Hos. vii. 5.

10. One who despised the true ministers of God and loved a base clergy. “Made priests of the lowest of the people,” 1 Kings xii. 31.

11. Enraged against the servants of God, and God himself, when opposed. “And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Beth-el, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying. Lay hold on him,” 1 Kings xiii. 4.

12. Exti’emely stout, notwithstanding such a hand of God upon him. “After this Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places,” 1 Kings xiii. 33.

13. A slighter of God and his worship. “And hast cast me behind thy back,” 1 Kings xiv. 9.

14. One who “did evil above all that were before him,” 1 Kings xiv. 9.

15. One who trusted to his many men and policy, not regarding what is said to him about fighting against God, 2 Chron. xiii. 8, 12, 13.

16. One who, though conquered before God’s servants, who relied on the Lord, so that he lost “five hundi-ed thousand chosen men” at one time, yet continued in his evil, 2 Chron. xiii. 17.

17. One who for his own ends would make use of God’s prophets, 1 Kings xiv.

AN EXPOSITIOX OF THE PROPHECY OF HOSEA.

18. A man of a base spirit. God threatens he will take his house away, “as a man taketh away dung,” 1 Kings xiv. 10.

19. One whose family was such, that, except in one little child, there was found in it no “good thing toward the Lord God of Israel,” 1 Kings xiv. 13.

20. One “who made Israel to sin.” The common
epithet the Scripture gives him.

21. One who ruined the kingdom by his sin. “He shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam,” 1 Kings xiv. 16.

Yet for all this, “the days which Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty years,” 1 Kings xiv. 20.

Seeing governors are sometimes given in wi’ath, let us pray that they be given to us in love. But there follows,

“And took him away in my wrath.” As if he should say, Though they were evil, yet I took them away, to make way for worse.

Obs. 2. Oppressors are taken away, and greater oppressors come in their room.

Cahin, thus, I will take away this kingdom from you, which I see to be an occasion of blindness to you; for if it remain, I shall be nobody with you, nor will my word be of any authority.

Obs. 3. ‘Wlial God gives in anger never prospere.

Expect not therefore help from those men or things that God gives in wrath.

Sometimes God accepts of repentance when it is unfeigned, as in David’s taking Bathsheba to wife, of whom he had Solomon, &c.; viz. if the thing itself be good.

Obs. 4. What God gives in anger cannot hold long with us. Caution, yet this kingdom of Israel continued twenty years.

Obs. 0. Those things that begin ill, prosper not usually. Initium malediclum, finis matedictus, Calvin in loc. The beginning is accursed, and so is the end. Thus many things begun in anger, end in wrath: this kingdom of Israel is an example of this from the beginning to the end. [But yet here also that holds, which the author noted above, ver. 9, that no condition is so bad, but there is help in God for it, and if so be that the continuance in it be not with sin, or the thing a sin in itself]

Obs. 6. When men have enjoyed their desires in wrath a while, God rends them in fury from them. This is terrible indeed, for as it was given in indignation, all the while it was enjoyed it was abused. “‘VA’hile the meat was yet in their mouths, the wrath of God came upon them,” Psal. lxxviii. 30, 31.

ra!inr .iorum ™ ^“’ 3’ “”’ ‘^ must licre note the difieri,iii.iorum tutor. ‘Bucc wliicli Parcus observes. That the “‘*”’ calamities attendant on what God gives

in displeasure, are indeed wrath to his own people, but to his enemies fury.

Obs. 7. God’s removal of a wrathful gift, is often but an instance of more wrath.

But here are two questions: 1. How may we know when God takes away, and not in wTath?

1. When the comfort or creature which he takes from us, began to draw our heart from him, and it is seasonably removed to our sanctification. 2. AVhen we can bless God and be thankful. 3. When God makes it up in himself, and in the comforts of his Si)irit.

2. MTien does God take away a thing in WTath?

1. When it is given in anger.

2. len he takes it away by violence in some ter-I’iblc manner. Psal. lviii. 9, “Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whu-hvind, both living, and in his WTath.” Psal. lii. 5, “God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living.” Lam. ii. 6, “Pie hath violently taken away his tabernacle;” as a man that is angry snatches away what he had given.

3. len he takes it in the hour of our t.^pusmhc inueed. Zeph. ii. 4, “They shall drive out S’^^riuiSHS” Ashdod at noon day;” when they should fKitntibu! ui have taken the benefit of their houses for caiidioriiM. “dJus. shelter, and theii- meat for refreshment. “’ ‘“”^

4. When we murmur and complain inordinately of our afiliction.

5. ‘WTien we shift and shirk out for succour.

6. Wicn there is nothing but bitterness, and only evil in the removal.

7. When one evil makes way to another evil, and none are sanctified. “He made a way to his anger,” Psal. lxxviii. 50.

8. “When the deprivation carries with it the marks of special sins; yea, when the sin itself is aUowod to deprive us of a mercy: as when intemperance takes away health; ambition brings into disgi’ace; covctousness takes away riches. “This is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away then- sins,” Rom. xi. 27.

9. ‘When it happens according to those misgiving thoughts which we have had, and to which yet we would not give heed.

10. WTien it brings sin into remembrance. “Thou makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth,” Job xiij. 26. “Art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?” 1 Kings xvii. 18.

ATiei’efore seeing this is so fearful, let us pray, with David, “O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure,” Psal. vi. 1.

Obs. 8. “Tiether we have our desires, or whether they be taken away, yet still all may be in wrath. To this state our sins may bring us.

Obs. 9. Change of oppressing government by foreign power, is a sign of wrath.

Obs. 10. God’s hand in a business excuses not man’s sin; he can make use of man’s sin to the furtherance of his ends, and yet be innocent.

Obs. 11. AVe must judge of nothing by success.