Hosea 2:1–7

Ver. 1. Sai, ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to yotir sisters, Ruhamah.

Some join the fust verse of this chapter to the end of the foi-mer; and (according to a sense that may be given of the words, agreeable to the scope of the latter part of the former chapter) it may seem more fit to be made the end of that, than the beginning of this. There God was promising mercy to Ms people, that those who were not his people should be his people, and those that had not received mercy shoidd receive mercy. Now he calls upon all whose hearts were with God, to .speak to one another of this great favoiuof God to his people, for their mutual encouragement, and for the praise of his name. As if he should say, WcU, you have been under di-eadful threats of God, yomsins have called for severe punishment, but my grace is free, it is rich and powerful, therefore you that were not my people shall become my people; you that had not obtained mercy shall obtain mercy: “Say unto your bretlu-en, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah;” that is, O you that are godly, speak one to another, and tell one another, for the quickening of one another’s hearts, of this great favour of God, his free gi-ace! O say, Ammi, Ammi, the people of God; Ruhamah, God’s mercy: we were not his people, but now Ammi again, God has promised to make us his people, we were rejected ft-om mercy, but mercy is come again, now Ruhamah. Oh the mercy of God! oh that free grace of our God! that we who have been so vile, we who have so provoked the eyes of his glory, we who have so sinned against mercy itself, that mercy should thus follow us, to make us his people, and to save us from his wrath! Ammi! Ruhamah!

Obs. 1. It is a good thing to speak of the loving-kindness of our God. “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High; to show forth thy lovmg-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness evei-)- night.” Psal. xcii. 1, 2. That psalm is appointed for the sabbath. It is a woik of the sabbath to be speaking one to another of the goodness of God; especially in tills case, when a people were afraid that they should have been for ever rejected, and yet God calls them agam, Ammi, my people, and says now that he will have mercy upon them. “One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts: I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondi-ous works,” Psal. cxlv. 4. 5. Atark what the works of God are .toward his chm-ch, when he comes in the ways of mercy: they are wondi-ous works of God, they arc the mighty acts of God, they are such wherein the honour of God appears, yea, they are the honour of his majesty, yea, they are the glorious honour of his majesty. He displays majesty, honoiu- of majesty, glorious honour of majesty, the mighty works of God, the wonderftd works of God. When these appear, these are fit to be declared indeed. And for them to be able to say

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to one another, Ammi, and Euhamah, it was to declare the -n-onderful works of God, and the glorious lionoui- of his majesty. Yea, it follows further in that psahu, ver. 6, “men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greati-.ess.” And ver. 7, “They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness.” Montanus renders it, eruclabunt, they shall not be able to keep it in, but break forth in the memoiy of thy goodness.

Happy are tho?e people to whom God grants such subjects of discoui-se, that they may say to their brethren and sisters, Ammi, and Ruhamah. It was not long since, that, when we met with our brethren, we could not have such a subject of discourse as this, but usually when Christians met together, after their salutations, their first question was; Oh! what shall we do? what course shall we talve? All the news almost in the kingdom, and the subject of discom-ses, specially among the saints, was this; buch a minister silenced in such a place, such a one banished in another place, such a one imprisoned in another place, such a one high-commissioned in another place, such signs of the wrath of God upon lts, we are afraid that God is going, if he be not quite gone already; we are afraid that he will not only reject us fi-om being his people, but reject us from being a people upon the face of the earth.

But, blessed be God, he has changed the subject of cm- discoiu’ses. Now, God’s ways have begun to be towai’ds us as if he intended to make us again his people. Now, when we meet together, we have plentiful subjects of discourse about God’s gi’ace and mercy; we say, Ammi, Ruhamah, O the Lord manifests goodness to an unworthy nation, we have hope that yet he will own us to be his people, that yet he wQl show mercy to us, though never so unworthy. Who would have thought to have seen and heard such things as we have seen and heard! who would have thought to have seen the hearts of the adversaries so daunted, their power so cui’bed, then’ rage so quelled, the wicked in their own works so insnared, and theii’ hopes so disappointed! ‘Tio woidd have thought to have seen the saints so rejoicing, theii- liberties so enlarged, their hearts and expectations so raised! This is the free grace of God: Ammi, Ruhamah, we have obtained mercy, God has dealt with us in abimdance of grace. But we must not discourse of this when we meet as matter of news only, we must speak of it to the praise of God, for the sanctifying of om- hearts.

Oiu- brethi-en in Ireland have another subject of diseom-se at this day. AVhen a brother and a sister meet, they say. Oh my father, my mother, taken such a day by the rebels and cruelly massacred; such a kinsman, such a kinswoman, taken such a day and fearfully murdered; such houses were fired, such cities and towns were taken! and with what sorrowful faces do they look one upon another, when they are thus relating these sad things? The word of God came out against England, but it has lighted upon Ireland. O unworthy are we of these mercies which we enjoy, if, when we meet together, oiu’ discourses be frothy and light, about vain and trivial tilings, when God has given us such a subject of disooiu’se as he has done by such gracious, wonderful, and glorious ways of his mercy towards us in this latter age.

Obs. 2. As the mercies of God are to be incidcated upon OIU- spirits, we should not only tell them one to another, but again and again impress them upon our hearts. “Say to your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.” Indeed God’s mercies at fii’st seem to take impression upon our spirits, but the impression is soon vanished.

Obs. 3. A gracious heart should rejoice in God’s mercies towards others.” Say to your brethren;’’ that is, according to some. Let Judkh, to whom God showed

special mercy, say to Israel, to the ten tribes, w’nich were more threatened to be cast off from being the people of God, than Judah was. Let Judah rejoice in this, that then- brethi-en are received again, to mercy. God’s mercies are an infinite ocean, there needs no envjing there, no grieving for that which ot’ners have. Tien one man is richer than another, another is ready rather to envy him than to rejoice. A courtier envies the favom- another has at comt; why? because these are naiTow tilings. But when wo come to God’s mercj’, there is room enough there; that soul which has been made partaker of mercy, counts it a great happiness when in any way the mercy of God is magnified!

Obs. 4. Those whom God has received unto mercy, we should receive into brotherly affection. “Say to your brethren and sisters:” has God showed mercy to such and such, well may vce account them our brethren and sisters then. If God takes them to mercv, we must be ready w iUingly to take them into brotherly society.

But if we take these words as the beginning of the second chapter, we shall see them interpreted ui a different way. And taking them so, as most do, I shall first show you the scope of the chapter in the parts of it, and then in what sense the words may be expounded, as the beginnmg of this chapter.

The scope of this second chapter is much accordhig to that of the first, viz. to show to Israel then- sin and danger; and, secondly, to promise God’s abundant grace and mercy again. The fii’st is especially from the beginning to the 14tli verse; and the second from the 14th verse to the end of the chapter.

Y’et this is not an exact division, neither can we give one, more than we could give of the other chapter, because things are so intermixed. They are the pathetical expressions of a loving, and yet a provoked, husband. He is convmcing his spouse who has dealt falseh* with him, and showing her her sm ond danger; but whilst he is manifesting his displeasure, the bowels of his compassion begin to yearn, and he must use some expressions of love in the midst of all; then, when he has had some expressions of love, he again rebukes her and shows her her sin, and then his bowels yearn, and he retmms to expressions of love again. We have found it so in the former chapter, and shall find it so in this: for though the beginning of this chapter, to the 14th verse, is specially spent in convincing of sin and tlu’eatening of judgment, yet in the 6th and 7tli verses there are promises of mercy and favoiu’, and expressions of love; and then in the 8th verse he thi-eatens again, and ill the 14th verse begins to express mercy again.

As God acts in this case, so should we. Wnen we rebulie others we should manifest love to them: and when we manifest love, to do it so as to take notice of what is amiss, and to reprove them. Many parents know not how to rebuke then- children, they do it with nothing but bitterness; and they know not how to manifest their love, they do it with nothing but fondhng and immoderate indulgence. God unites both together.

What then must be the sense and the scope of the words, “Say to your brethren, Ammi,” iS:c. Something must be siipphed for nialdng up the full sense. As if God had said, O Ammi, you whom I have reserved to be my people, you to whom I have showed mercy, there yet is remaming a handfiJ of you; while you remain to be my people, and others cast off, and you obtaining mercy, and others rejected, let it be your care to exhort, persuade, convince, and to use all the means you can to bring your brethren and sisters to that grace of God which “you have received.” Say to vour brethi-en:” say; it is not expressed what they should say, but by that which follows we may understand what the meaning of God is. “N^lien he saith, “Plead with your mother,” S:c., that is, Y’ou, the remnant, that have received mercy, and are my people, do oG

not think that, so long as you escape, and are well enough yourselves, it is no gi-eat matter what becomes of others; O no, but let your hearts be much toward your brethren and sisters, let your bowels yearn toward them. O seek, if it be possible, to draw them unto God, that they may receive mercy too; labour to convince them; say, and sjieak to them, that they may not yet stand out against God and he obstinate: “Say to your brethi-en, Ammi, and to your sisters. Ruhamah.”

Obs. 1. That in the most corrupt times God usually reserves a people, to deliver some from the guilt of the general con’uptions of the place where they live. This Ammi and liuhamah were a remainder, whom God delivered through his grace from the general corruptions of the place where they lived; for otherwise they had not been fit to have said to their brethren, or to have spoken to their sisters, in this sense..

Obs. 2. Those whom God delivers from the guilt of general corruptions, are to be acknowledged the people of God. Such as have received mercy from God in a special manner. It is free grace that has made this „ ,.. .... difTercnco between you and others. Aumiiiia, non ait reuc- gustme remarks on 1 Jvings xix. 18, “I r’mt”s’, Md’reliqS; have left me scvcn thousand in Israel,” Mm’^£“A“”°” God says not, there are left seven thouf “v ‘I’i c°Ts’’“’ ^^”fl’ o“” tl’^y h’^’6 Isft themselves, but 1 have left. It is the special work of God to preserve any for himself in evil times.

Obs. 3. The Lord takes special notice of those who are thus by his grace preserved in evil times. Ammi, Euhamah. There are a peo])le among these that are Ammi, my people, that have obtained mercy from nie, mine eyes are upon them, my heart is toward them; there is a number who have kept their garments undefiled even in Sardis, and I will remember this for ever for their good. “Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations,” Gen. vi. 9: and what then? chap. vii. 1, “Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.”

Obs. 4. Such as keep themselves from the coiTuptions of the times wherem they live, they, and only they, are fit to exhort and reprove others. Those that are not guilty themselves as others are, are fit to speak to others, to say to their bretlu-en and to theii’ sisters. They are Torpcidoctei, fit to exhort, who perfoi-m the duties c.im culpa rcdarguit themselves that they exhort unto. AVe “‘”’“”■ say it is a shameful thing for one to be

teaching, if he be guilty himself; he cannot with freedom of spirit say to his brethren and sisters, Ammi.

Obs. 5. It Ls the duty of those whom God has delivered from the con-uption of the times, to seek to draw all others to God; to seek to convmce others of theii- evil ways, and so bring them in to the truth. AVc read, Lev. xix. IT, ‘’Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heai’t: thou shalt in any wise rebuke” thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.” Surely those who have obtained mercy, and have the impression of God’s mercy upon their spirits, are far from having hateful hearts; now it is hatred for any to sutler sin to lie u]ion his brother, and not to do what in him lies to help him. It is des])erate pride for men to trium])h over others in theii- falls, and it is wiclced cruelty to suffer others to lie down when they are fallen, if they can raise them. Seafaring men, who are delivered themselves from shij)- wreck, and all is safe with them, if they see another ship ready to sink in the sen, and those on ship-board cry out to them to come to help to save them, though they be never so for remote, yet if it should be known that they decline to go out to help them, all the seamen would cry out shame on such, and be readv to stone them for letting a ship sink when they might have helped. Certainly it is the same case with those to whom God has showed mercy, if others lie in their sins, and they do not what they can for their help.

Obs. 6. The nearer the relation of any persons is to us, the more should our compassion be towards them, in seeking to deliver them from their sins. “Say to your brethren, and to your sisters.” There is more likelihood of prevailing with your brethren and sisters. Has God converted you, and have you a brother or a sister not converted, or any of your kindred? go, and tell them of the danger of their evil ways, tell them of the excellency of the ways of God, exhort them to come in, and to make ti-ial of the blessed ways of God. AATien a brother speaks to a brother, or a sister to a sister, it is the bringing a hammer of gold to work upon gold, and of silver to work upon silver.

Obs. 7. Exhortations to and reprehensions of others, should be given with much love and meekness. “Say to your brethi-en and sisters.” Look upon them as brethren and sisters, though they have not yet obtained the like mercy that you have. St. Paul, 2 Thess. iii. 15, speaking of one that walks inordinately, from whom we are to withdraw in familiar society, yet, saith he, “admonish him as a brother.” Those who reprove and admonish others with bitterness of spirit and evil speaking, are like a foolish fowler, who seeks to get the fowl, but goes boisterously, and makes a noise: the way, if he would get it, is to go on quietly, softly, and gently; so the way to gain a brother, is not by boisterousness and violence, but softness, and gentleness. It is observed by some of the Jews concerning Exod. xxv. o, where the matter of the tabernacle is said to be gold, and silver, and brass, still you do not hear of iron required for the building of it; no, u’on, rigid, severe, hard dispositions, are not fit either to be- matter of the tabernacle themselves, or to di’aw others to be the matter of it.

Yea, but if saying will not be enough to do the deed, then follows jilcading. That is the second. Say to them, admonish them, exhort them, but what if that will not do? do not leave them immediately, but “plead,” yea, and •’ plead with youi- mother” too, not only with yoiu’ bretlu-en and with your sisters, but with your mother.

Ver. 2. Plead it-ilh your mother, plead: for she is not viy jt’ife, 7ieither am I her husband: let her therefore put auat, her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;

13>” Plead, Litigate, so some, Contendite, Strive; the Vulgate reads Judicate, Judge your mother. It may seem to be a harsh phrase at fii-st, but we shall labour to acquaint you with the mind of God in it. Here is an exhortation to the private members of the church, to all, one or other, to plead with then’ mother, to plead even with the church of which they are members, and so to plead as to deal plainly, and to tell her that she is not the wife of God.

Ohs. 1. Here we see God’s condescension, that he will have us plead the case betwixt others and himself, as Isa. V. 3, “Judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.” This shows the equity of God’s dealing. Plead the case; perhaps some of you might think I deal hardly with your mother in so rejecting her, and in bringing such judgments upon her. No, not so, but plead you the case, plead rather with her, than complain of me for my dealing with her.

Obs. 2. Wlicn exhortations and admonitions will not do, we must strengthen ourselves by pleading. If there be any way more powerful than exhortation and admonition, we should take that way, and not presently give over; for though it is not said here. Plead with your brothers and sisters, yet they arc included in this, when ho saith “Plead with your mother.”

06*. 3. It is a hard thing to convince idolaters of their sin, and of the justice of God coming against them

for theii- sin. “Plead with your mother, plead;” she will not acknowledge it, she will stand it out, and say she has not done so ill, she is not worthy to be cast oti’; you had need plead, and plead hard with her. Idolaters have so many distinctions, evasions, and pretences, that it is a thousand to one if you prevail with them. AMicn you deal with pajjists about worshipping of images, they will have such thstinctions of worship per se, and worship per accidens, of honoui’ing the crcatm-e propter se, el propter aliud, proprie, improprie, and a Imndred of such distinctions and evasions, till they distinguish away the truth, and scarce understand themselves what they mean by then- distinctions. Hence, idolaters scorn at judgments threatened, they think only a company of foolish and timorous people fear such tilings; they ci’V out, Say they that we are idolaters, and that grievous judgments of God are coming upon us? a company of fooUsh, melancholy people, they fear their own fancies! Was it not so heretofore, -when we were going on in the ways of idolatry apace? Was it not the jeer and scorn of all such spiiits? If any seem but to question about idolatry, they would never be convinced of such a sm.nor ever fear any judgment hanging over our heads. Though God has prevented it through his grace, and has showed his prerogative in the ways of his mercy, yet certainly there was sign enough of drcadfid wrath hanging over us, and what yet may be we know not.

Obs. 4. God loves to have people dealt with in a convincmg way. “Plead with your mother, plead.” It is a forensic word, and carries with it such a kind of pleading as must be convincing and powerful. The Lord does not declare to the prophet, or to those other good people who were free from idolatry, that the people of Israel were generally corrupted; he does not bid them go and terrify them, and .speak bitterly to them; but go and plead the cause with them, seek to convince them, not rail upon them, but convince them. God loves to have people dealt with in a convincing way. Let not therefore any one think it enough, either minister or lapnan, that he can speak terribly to people, and en’ out against their sins; but let him labovu- to convince them, to deal with them as rational creatiu’es, and to take away then- secret objections and shifts, and to make then’ sins plain before then- consciences. A convincing preacher, and a convincing Christian, is such a one as may be very useful, and do abundance of good to the church of God.

Obs. 5. It is very fit that God should have some to plead for him, to plead his cause, as well as Satan has to plead his. The devil never wants pleaders. ‘Mien did there ever such a bad cause come to a bench, or to any society, but found .some that would plead for it? A shame that the worst cause in the world should have pleaders for it, and many times the cause of God sutlers by men being mute. God will take this very ill at thelihands. It is true, God saith he will plead his own cause, and we are bound to pray, according to the psalmist, that God would “arise and plead his own cause.” And indeed, if God had not risen and pleaded his own cause better than we did, his cause would have been in the dirt before this. God is raising up his OMii cause, no thanks to us; we have cause to lay oiu’ hands ujion our mouths as guilty, in that we so basely and cowardly let the cause of God suffer; and God appearing so immediately and gloriously, is the rebuking of us because we did not, we would not, before stand up to plead his cause.

Obs. 6. AVhen any have found mercy from God, the sweetness of that mercy so warms their hearts, that they cannot endure to see that blessed God dishonoured. Plead you, Animi, Ruhamah: AMiat, my people, those to whom I have showed mercy, what’ though it be your mother, what though it be any dear to you, what

though they be gi’eat ones, what though they be a multitude, yet plead, plead for me against them. God”s mercy is so sweet, it so inttames them, that they must plead for God against any in the world.

“Plead with your mother.” That is, with the church, called a mother, because, as the mother is as it were the root from whence chikhen come, and divides herself into branches; so the community of a commonwealth or a church is called in Scripture a mother, and the jiarticular members are as several branches that grow from that root, they are as children. Therefore you have such expressions in Scripture, as “the daughters of Jerusalem;” and there is no great difference between calling Jerusalem which is the state, mother, or Jerusalem which is the church, mother; for indeed the church and state were mixed both together. Learn hence,

Obs. 7. It is lawful for childi-en to plead with their parents. Though it is true, this aims at something higher than what is between natural children and their parents, yet fi’om the expression this is intimated and implied. That it is lawful for chQcben to plead with their parents. If chUdi’en see then- parents in an imgodly way, they may lawfully plead with them, and their parents are bound to hearken to then- pleachng God’s cause. It is a speech of Tertul- ^,„,„^,,, „, lian’s. The begetter is to lie beloved, and ior.’siii’, ripuuaiwe may add, he is to be honoured, but our Creator is to be preferred. Childi-en must give due respect to their parents, yet so, as preferring the Lord before them; and if the parents go agamst God, even then- chikhen must plead against them. As it is a great sin for parents to prefer their childi’en before God, so it is a great sin for childi’cn to prefer theu- parents before God.

L)o not think I aim to set chilch’cn against then- parents, be but content to hear to the end, and you will be convinced that it is fit for children to plead with then- parents when they go from God. Thus we see it was with Jonathan, 1 Sam. xix. 4; he pleaded with his father, when he saw him in such a ])assionate mood and cruel sph’it toward poor David, “Let not the king sin against his servant, against David.” “Let not the kmg,” he gives him very respectfid words, and shows his due honour to his father: “Let not the king sin against his servant,” and then goes on and tells his father of the good service David had done, and that David chd not deserve such ill usage from him. Thus, when childi-en see their fathers or mothers in a passion, it is fit enough for them in a humble, submissive manner to say, I beseech you, father, or mother, consider that by these tUstempered passions, instead of helping youi’self, you sin against God; you know by experience, that often in such passion many sins have broken from you, and you have grieved for it afterwards, oh do not again that wluch your conscience has so often checked you for. If chUdreu thus plead with their parents, they do no more than then- duty, and their parents are tjound to hearken to them. I confess, they shoidd be very careful to preserve due respect to thenparents, and not speak pertly, but with all reverence and submission; and privately too, if possible, not to (Uvulge their parents’ weaknesses. You know Ham was cursed for di-scovering his father’s nakedness, though he was drunk, he did not show due respect at that time to him; but if he had sought to cover his father’s nakedness, and after had come and pleaded the case with him, certainly he had not been cursed, but received a blessing.

Yea, and there is a great deal of reason that childi-en should plead with their parents, and that you should give them leave so to do, because, you know, childi-en are the worse for your sins, God threatens to” visit the sins of the parents upon the children, to the third and

fourth generation;” there are many threateuir.gs against children for the sins of their parents, therefore it concerns Your children that they should plead with you, and tfiat you should suffer them. For if you say. Sirrah, what have you to do with me? v.hat does it concern you? Yes, the child, if he does it in modesty and humility, may say, O father, it does concern mc, I may fare the worse for your sins; God may come upon me for them; therefore give me leave, I beseech you, to plead the cause of God with you. And if you will not give your children leave in this, they may rise up as witnesses against you another day.

It is a very suitable and powerful pleading, that when children cannot prevail by humble and submissive address, then to plead with teai-s. We read that when C’ranmer and Ridley came to King Edward the Sixth, and were so earnest that he should give way to his sister, the Lady Mary, to have mass, he stood out and pleaded the case with them, and told them it was a sin against God. They used many carnal arguments to persuade the king, but he withstood them a great while. At length, when King Edward, who was but about fifteen years of age, saw he coidd not prevail by pleading with words against those grave men, he burst into tears, and that so prevailed with them, that they went away, and concluded that the king had more clilinity in his little finger than they had in all their bodies, and so yielded to him. Certainly, in such pleadings, the heart of a parent must needs be much hai-dened if he will not break and yield to his child.

You that are parents, look upon your children’s pleading with you, and consider vdth yourselves, WHiat! does God send one of my childi-en to come and plead the cause of God with me, to Axav; me from the ways of sin, and to do good to my soul for ever? surely it is a mercy to have one out of my own bowels to stand for the cause of God; sm’ely God is in it; I see this child in other things walks humbly and obediently unto me. As indeed you cliildrcn, that plead -with your parents, need be careful so much the rather to be obedient to them, and not use an unseemly manner to check and reprove them; and then it cannot but convince the heart of a parent. AVliat a blessing will it be to you children, if you, who have received your natural life from your parents, should be a means of their spiritual and eternal life!

Obs. 9. The members of a state and church shotdd behave towards it as children to a mother. They should have the affection of childi-en to it, they should take much to heart those things that conccni it, the sufferings of state or clun’ch should be the sufferings of all its members. There are children of Belial risen up among us, a viperous generation, who are even tearing the bowels of om- mother: let om- hearts break for this, as Psal. XXXV. 14, “I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.” Let us not lift up otir heads and be merry now, but for the present bow do-n heavily, as those that arp called, though in some respects to rejoice, yet, in many others, to mourn this (lay for our mother. Yea, let our hearts rise against those vile monsters that join with a party to bring such woeful confusion and ti-ouble to our mother. We may say to them justly, as Saul said to Jonathan passionately, “You children of the rebellious and perverse, why have you chosen to join with them to your own confusion, and to the confusion of your mother’s nakedness?” Let us do what we can to help. Shall we see her bowels torn, and not stu- at all? She calls now to us to come and help her, and lets us know that if it go ill with her it cannot go well lnth us. If the mother’s breast, through some incm-able disease, must be cut off, the tender father takes away the children, and will not suffer them to behold the torture of their mother. Who knows but that this has been God’s end in taking aw-av his

dear children in former times, because he would not have their tender hearts see so much sorrow and evil as should befall their mother? And what God has reserved for us to see in the sufferings of om- mother, we do not know. However, let her not suffer by us, let her not suffer for want of our help, let her not suffer without us, let us not be so unnatm-al as every one to be shifting for himself, neglecting our mother, that shoidd be as dear to us as the bowels out of which we came.

06*. 10. Those that are godly should not only devote themselves to do good to themselves or friends in private, but they are to labom- to do good to the public also. Not only say to yoiu- sisters and your brethi-en, but “plead with your mother.” There are many uan-owspiiited men, who, if they can discharge, as they think, their consciences with their families, and can plead with their servants and children, or some of their own near acquaintance, they have done enough, though for the public they take no care at all.

06*. 11. It Ls apparently implied, that all those who are members of any chiurch ought to be men of knowledge. Why? because they are such as are called upon to plead -mih their mother. It is not for an ignorant sot to plead ^ith a chmeh of God. The members of evei-)- church, therefore, should be enlightened, as in some cases they must plead ‘ndth their mother.

Obs. 12. God gives liberty to some private members of churches, yea, it is their duty in some cases to plead with the whole chm-ch. This we must speak of a little more. God’s ways and his cause are so equal, that private Christians, though they are verj- weak, yet they may be able to plead with a chm-ch. It is true, a poor, weak, private Christian has a great disadvantage when he is to deal with a whole church, where there are many godly and learned: but if there is a disadvantage one way, the advantage is as much the other way, as the cause of God is on the one side, and not on the other. The goodness of the cause is as great an advantage, as the abilities and number on the other side is a disadvantage. And sometimes particular members of a church have no other way to free themselves from the guilt of the sins of the church, but by pleading with them.

Yea, and sometimes God has blessed the pleading of some few, and of weak ones too, with a multitude. Perhaps you may have heard of that notable story we have in ecclesiastical history of Paphnutius, who being in the council of Nice, where there were three himdred and eighteen bishops, and the business was about the marriage of ministers; generally they decided, that those who were single shoidd not man-y. Paphnutius alone pleads against them all in that case, and God so wrought, that he carried the cause, and he, one man, convinced all these tlii-eo hundi-ed and eighteen bishops. Therefore it is no discom’agement for one man to stand up and plead against a great many. So Petrus AValdensis, in the storr of the Waldenses, though he was but one at first, yet ho stood against many thousands, and God blessed that which he did for the conversion of thousands. And Luther, you know, stood against almost all the world.

. Yea, and though this one man may be but a private man, a weak man, God may bless that which he saith sometimes more than that which more learned men shall say. I have read in the Centuries this story: A company of bishops being met together, there was a philosopher that stood out agauist the Christian religion, and so reasoned against them all, that he seemed to have the better of it. Amongst them there was one very godly and holy man, but a very weak man; he, seeing the cause of CTod likely to suffer, desired leave to speak and encounter this philosopher. All the rest were troubled at it. thinking that God’s cause would suffer

more by him, knowing that he was a verj- weak man; but yet, knowing withal that he was a reiy holy man, none would oppose, but let him speak. So he began with the philosopher, reciting many articles of the faith; TeU me, said he, -with majesty and authority, do you believe that these things are so? do not so reason the case about these articles of our faith, but do you believe? Presently the philosopher acloiowlcdged himself overcome. Hitherto, said he, I have “udM’e?vQba%d- heard words, and returned words, but S^Jirti’Sit’’ °°’”’ I f^l Di-ine power, and I canijim respondere ’ not fmlher answer; and so yielded to be a Christian upon the pleading of this poor weak man, yet a veiy holy and godly man. God has blessed the pleading of weak ones, though against those that are very strong, therefore they must not be contemned.

Qicolampadius saith,* Christ would be contemned and dishonom’ed, if we woidd not hear, were it but a child speaking with his Spmt, though all the world shoidd be against it. And in Isa. xi. 6, there is a promise, that in the times of the gospel the spirits of men should be so brought down, that they shoidd not stand upon their greatness and learning, but “a little ehUd should lead them;” that is the humble temper that God would have imder the gospel.

But it may be said, “Will not this argue self-conceit? “^Miat! for one man, a private man, to plead with so many, with a church? It is a sign that such a one is very opinionated, that should think that v.hat he apprehends is sufficient to stand against the apprehension of so many learned and godly men as are in the church. How can this be freed from aiTogance and proud conceitedness? I answer, not so, it may be conscience, and not self-conceit, for the rvde of conscience is not the abOities, nor the holiness, nor the multitude of others, but it is that light that God lets in to convince according to his word. Nay, further, I suppose I may convince you that this pleading for God may proceed from much self-denial, and the not pleading may proceed from vile, sinful self-respect. How will that appeal”? Thus: for a private man when he sees the truth of God suffer, if he be of a humble and an ingenuous spirit, it cannot but be exceeding gi’ievous to him to think, that he must contest with such a multitude of able and godly men. He would rather a hundred times, if he looked at his own quiet and ease, sit down: For, thinks he, if I speak, by this I shall be endangered to be accounted self-conceited, I shall have the accusation of pride, I shall displease many of my friends, I shall make a great disturbance in myself; I am sure of my own peace, whatever I do to others, and how much better were it for me to sit still and be quiet. A htunble spirit would reason thus, but conscience puts him upon it: I shall contract guilt to myself if I be not, at least, a witness for God’s truth; therefore though I shall suffer so much in it, yet, rather than the truth shall suffer, rather than conscience shall plead against me, I will plead, though never so much to my (hsadvantage. Now, if such a one can-y it humbly and quietly, certainly he is rather to be accounted a selfdeming man; for it is a very hard task. AVhereas, on the other side, self-love is more likely to think thus: It is ti-ue, these things are not right, I see they are not according to the truth of God. Conscience indeed would have me speak, but I shall trouble myself, and what will they think of me on the other side, where there are so many able and godly men? sm-ely I shall be thought a conceited fool,- and therefore I were as good hold my peace, and sleep in a whole skin, and be quiet. Thus because they have so much self-respect, and love

* Contemneretur ecclesia Christi, si vel unum puelliim ejus Divino Spiritu loquentem non audiremiis, etiamsi oranes reclament. CEcolampadius.

then- own quiet, and cannot endure to suffer any trouble, they win leave the truth to suffer, and theij- consciences to be pleading against themselves, rather than thus plead for the cause of God.

Certainly they that are charitable would rather take things in the better part, than in the evil. It is possible that a man may through pride of spirit plead with others, but yet you may perceive it in the gei;eral course of his conduct. Now if, in the general com-se of a man, he carries himself humbly and submissively, so that you see him yielding as much as he can in all lawful things, and when he pleads against an evil he is not sudden, nor rash, nor pleads against every light evil, but approaches it with trouble in his spii’it, and carries it with all quietness and humility; it is your rigidness, and that spirit which does not beseem a Christian, which is not the spfrit of Chi’ist in this thing, to judge this to be pride. For certainly under this false judgment the cause of God has suffered much.

You will say. How can it be imagined, that one man should see more than many, more than others equally able? To that I answer. In a community, where there are many, though they should be godly, yet many of them may have their spirits biassed with prejudice and self-ends, and so not come to see the truth, though they are more able. Again; perhaps, though they may be more able in most things, yet in some one thing God may leave them; yea, though they may be more able at other times, yet for some one time God may leave a man in a thing that he is very able m at another time. And perhaps a great many of them for the present may have so much distemper of spirit, as they may not speak according to what they think themselves. Therefore it may be useful for some one man to be pleading vdtb many others.

I beseech you consider this, it is verj- useful. Men must not think that God dispenses the knowledge of his truth always according to natm-al abilities. For want of this consideration many are led into much evil. For they think with themselves,- if a man have more ability to understand natui-al things than others have, therefore he must needs have more ability to imderstand spiritual things than others have. This is a mistake. A learned man may have great abiUties, and understand the rules of natm-e, yet a poor weak man may have the mind of Chiist more than he has. For the promise is to them that fear God: “The secret of the Lord is vrith them that fear him,” Psal. xxv. 14. It may he another man has more abilities, but his spirit may be more distempered than the poor weals, man’s. “I thank thee, 0 Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things fr’om the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so. Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight,” Matt. xi. 25, 26.

If multitudes had been an ai’gumeut against the truth, then in the primitive times, when the Chi-istian reUgion began, certauily very few would have followed Jesus Chi’ist. Yea, and” there is not more disadvantage and disproportion between one or two private members of a church and the whole church, than there was at that time between the whole church and the world. St. John saith, “We know that we are of God. and the whole world lieth in wickedness,” 1 John v. 19. “We know:” what a singular spirit was here! here was singularity indeed, if you talk of singidarity; you are aii-aid you should be counted self-conceited and singulai- in differing fi-om others. “We know that we ai-e of God, and the whole world Ueth in wickedness.”

Thus we see the thing a little cleared, as this point had need be, but we have not yet done with it. There must be some rules given, or otherwise we should wrong the point in naming it.

Christians may plead with their mother, yet they must observe these rules.

First, They must not plead -with her for eveiy light thing; for the Scripture gives us this rule, “Love covereth a multitude of sins.” We must not stand pleacUng for ever)’ infirmity with our brother, but rather pass by many and cover them; much less then with the church. But if there be that which is notorious, so that I cannot have communion with them, and I shall be wrapped up in the guilt except I testify the truth, certainly then I am bound to plead

Secondly, It must be orderly done; that is, if possible, you must make the officers of the church to be your mouth in pleading. I say, if it can be. If it come to declaring the evil to the chmxh, it should rather be by him whom God has appointed to be his mouth to the church; for you do it in God”s name, therefore the most orderly way to do it, if it may be done, is by him that is God’s mouth.

Thii-dly, It must be so as you must manifest all duo respect to the church; showing in your can-iage, that you are apprehensive and sensible, even at this time, of that distance that is between you and that whole society whereof you are a member.

Fourthly, You must do it in a yeiy peaceable way, so as to manifest that you desire peace, and not to be the least disturbance to the peace of the church, but that the peace of it is dear and precious to you. Therefore, -nhen you have witnessed the ti’uth, and discharged your conscience, you must be then content to sit down quiet, for so the rvde is in that case; that the spirits of the prophets must be subject to the prophets. But if it should jjrove that the church continues the evil, after all means used and all patience exercised in such a case, you may desire to be dismissed from it, and depart; but in as peaceable a way as possible, continuing due respect to the church, though you should depart, only leaving your witness behind you.

The papists cry out against us for pleading against them, and say it is an ill bird that will defile its own nest, and they tell us the curse of Ham is upon us for discovering our parent’s nakedness. They are to know this, that there is more Uberty for a member of a church to plead with a church, than” for a child to plead with his parent. Though there be liberty for a child, yet there is more liberty for the member of a church. For a parent, though he should be never so evil, yet he does not lose his right over his child. Though your parents should be very wicked, yet know, that their wickedness does not discharge you of your dutv; that all children should take notice’of. But a church may so fall ofi’ from God, as that the members of it may be free from their duty to it, and therefore may have more liberty to plead, than a child with his parent. And certauily, so far have they fallen from God, when they discharge those that plead against them.

Well, but if a member may plead with a church, with their mother; certainly, then, there is no one member of a church so high, but he may be jileadcd with by another; yea, any that is an officer of a clun-ch may be pleaded with, even by private pcojile in that church. Col. iv. IT, “Say to Archippus, Take heed to thy ministry.” It is an exhortation to all the church, to say to Archiijpus, and admonish him to look to his ministrv. For though the officer of a church bo nearer to Chi-ist the Head than other members are, as the arm is nearer the head than the hand; yet if the arm shall send forth any thing to the hand that it has not from the head, (as in a flux of putrid humours that rest in the ann.) then it would be the strength of the hand to resist t’aose ill humours which the arm sends forth. So if any officer of the church shall send forth that which he did not receive from the Head, to any member, but some putrid humour of his own, it is the vurtue

of that member to resist the receiving of any such humour.

It is the pride of many that scorn any private person’s pleading. Pride in men, which, through want of that right order which should be in all churches, is grown to such a height, that those who take to themselves, as proper, the name of clergy, think it a dishonour to them for any one who is not a clergyman to speak to them or achnonish them, or to reason with them about any thing; or when they have preached, to come to them for further satisfaction in somewhat that they have delivered; or if they be neghgent in their duty, to tell them of it, though never so submissively and meeldy; their pride makes them rise so high. And observe, that they do so upon the ground that they are the clergy, which signifies God’s inheritance and God’s lot, and so contemn others as inferior. You shall find in Scripture, that the people are called clergy in distinction from the ministers, and never the ministers in the New Testament in distinction from the people, the word Kli]poQ is not attributed to them to my remembrance, but I am sure it is attributed to the congregation, to the private members, by way of distinction from them. That you see in 1 Pet. v. 3, “Neither as being lords over God’s heritage.” Mijii’ uig KUTaKvpuvovTiQriiv Mfpuiv, not lording it over God’s clergy, over God’s lot. Certainly, that exhortation is adckessed to the officers of the church, that they must not lord it over God’s inheritance, that is, over God’s clergy. The word k-Xijpoj, therefore, from whence clergy comes, is, you see, attributed to the jicople. We find in Acts xviii. 24, that Apollos, “an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures,” and a man of a fervent spii-it, permitted AquUa and Priscilla, who were private people, to take him unto them, and expound to him the way of God more perfectly.” AMiere have you an Apollos now, an eloquent man, a scholar, a great clergjinnn, Ijut would scorn and contemn a poor man and his wife, who should attem))t to take him home and instruct him in the way of God more ])crfectly? Y’et Apollos, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptm-es, took it well, and was willing to receive further instruction from these people. And we find, Cant, v., that in the time of the refomaation of the chiu’ch, the church went to the watchmen, and the watchmen beat her, she had more relief from the daughters of Jerusalem than from them.

There may, however, be a notorious abuse of both these, and it is exceccUngly difficult for a people to understand their liberty without abusing of it, either against the church, or against the officers of a church. This power may be abused by ])ersons, who in pride, arrogancy, and a spirit of contention, take delight in contradiction. There are many ])eople of such a humour, that it is their very delight to contradict, and they think they are nobody except they have somewhat to say against then’ officers, or against hat is delivered; and upon that very groimd will quarrel not out of mere conscience, but that it may appear to others that they see farther than other men. And if they be in a community, they conceive that every one would think them nobody if they say nothing, therefore, that they may appear to be somebody, they will find fault, though they scarce understand what they say, or whereof they affirm, showing their disapprobation in a vh’ulent spirit, and insulting those whom God has set over them. Certainly, this is a gross and abominable thing, whereas the rule of Christ is, “Rebuke not an elder, but entreat him as a father,” 1 Tim. v. 1; do not think that because you may plead with them, and God’s cause may suffer by your sdencc, that tlu’refore you may rebuke them in an undecent and unseendy manner. You may indeed go in a humble manner, acknowledging the distance betwixt you and him, he being an officer, and so “entreat him as a father.” Do many of you so when you

go and reason the case with a minister, whom you yourselves will acknowledge to be an officer of Christ? It may be that sometimes, through bitterness of spirit, you cast them off from being otKcers of Chi-ist before you have sufficient warrant for it; and therefore the apostle saith in the same chapter, ver. 19, “Against an elder receive not an accusation but before two or three witnesses:” mark, you must not “receive an accusation,” much less a condemnation, for the credit and honour of the ministers of Christ are very dear and precious unto him; therefore take heed how, through a violent and turbulent spu-it, you cast any dishonour upon those whom Christ has set over you.

Thus I have endeavoured to discover the truth to you, and so Kmited as I hope it may be for edification, and not for injury to any.

“She is not my wife, neither am I her husband.” This pleading has much bitterness in it, yet it is in as fair terms as can be set out. “She is not my wife.” He does not bid them say to their mother, she is a harlot, but, “she is not my wife.” You will say, Why? what cHfFerence is there between her not being his wife, and her being a harlot? Jlay we not call things as they are? True, the thing is the same, but hence the Spirit of God teaches us, that those who plead against others must not give ill terms, especially when they plead against superiors; you may declare your minds fully, but in as fair, modest, comely, and the least provoking terms possible. It is a foul evil in many, if they see ministers or churches act im-I)roperly, to give reviling speeches; they cry out. There is one of Baal’s priests; eveiy tiling they dislike they call antichristian; whereas they should study if there be any term more mollifying than another, and use that: although the fault you plead against might bear a harsher term if rebuked by one in authority, yet they who are but private Christians should be very careful, in the fairest, gentlest terms to reprove what they dislike.

“She is not my wife.” That a people who have been God’s people, may prove not to be God’s people, we have aheady met with in the former chapter. “We shall not speak of it as then we did. Only now we have it more fully, that a chiu’ch may come to be unchurched. This is a difficult case. When I began this jjrophecy of Hosea, though I had spent some time in it before, I little thought to have met with so many things so fully presented to me as I have found, that, l5y God’s providence, so nearly concern us and the times. I would not violently introduce any thhig but what is so presented to us, but I should injure the Scripture, and you, not to notice it. We have already met with chfficidt points, and this also is exceeding difficult I desire in this to interpret as I have done, your own consciences witnessing with me as in the other, without the least spirit of contention and division, or meddling with controversies, but laying the truth in the principles of it plainly before you.

When may a church, that had God before to be her Husband, come not to have God to be her Husband P

I confess that I cannot find any thing to pitch upon certainly, when the Jewish church ceased to be a church, but this; either when God sent them a bill of divorce by some extraordinary men, (as they always had some prophets amongst them,) or when they wholly left off the schoolmaster which God put them under; for I find that then- idolatry was not enough actually to cut them off fi-om being a church. It is true their idolatry deserved it; they broke the marriage bond by theijidolatry, but God did not always take advantage of that, and alwajs send them a bill of divorce when they committed idolatry. These ten ti’ibes had been idolaters a long time before God said to them they were not his wife. Therefore, idolatry merely did not cut off the Jews. Neither do I think that all idolatry (if it be tlu-ough ignorance) cuts off a church now in the time

of the Christians. The Lutherans are certainly guilty of idolatry by consequence, and so other churches may he through ignorance, and yet they do not cea.se to be churches. ‘Therefore, in the time of the Jews, I say I do not find any particular sin that actually cut them off, so long as they kept under the pedagogy of the law; unless God by some extraordinary messenger sent them a bill of divorce, they yet remained the people of God. “Where is the bUl of your mother’s divorcement?” saith God, Isa. 1. i. It is true you have deserved it; but where is it? I have not given you a bill of divorce; therefore they were a church.

But for the time of the gospel, this I think may very safely be asserted, that so long as there is a communion of saints embodied, holding forth the profession of all fundamental truths, and joining in all orcUnances as far as they are convinced, this multitude, though it should have abundance of corruptions, though many wicked be mingled amongst them, yet they are a church of God. Though they should not set up all ordinances, though perhaps, tlrrough ignorance, they are not convinced that such an ordinance is an ordinance of God; yea, though they be convinced that it is an ordinance, and yet perhaps they are not convinced that it is God’s mind they should set it up, though this shoidd be then* eiTor, yet this communion of saints embodied remains a true church of Chi-ist. Y’et, though it be a true church of Christ, it may be such a church, that perhaps you, or I, or another, cannot have communion with.

You will say. How is that possible for any church to be a true church of Christ, and yet we may not have communion with it? I answer, communion we may have, so far as to acknowledge it to be a church, and to have communion in some duties; but it may be a true church of Christ, and I may acknowledge it so, and yet not have communion in all ordinances. In what cases may that be? Fu’st, if this chm-ch shall so mingle any ordinance, any work of then- public communion, as I for the present cannot join without contracting guilt upon me, as not seeing God’s will in it, I cannot have communion with them in such ordinances. Yea, secondly, if a church shall requu”e me to jaeld in my judgment, and subscribe to such things as I cannot satisfy my conscience in, they put me off communion with them. It is not my fault, but they violently keep me off. Thirdly, when they shall not sufi’er me to do the duty that God requires of me, I cannot have communion with them; because if I should join with them, not doing my duty which my conscience tells me I am Ijound to do, I thereby contract guilt. Nay, further, a man may be of a chui’ch, and perhaps they may not be so ill, but it may be lawfid to have communion with them in many ordinances, and yet, for those who are free, and are not by any special call of God tied to such a place, they are bound in conscience in some cases not to join with them, as members, in a constant way. As thus:

(1.) “When I cannot enjoy all ordinances lrith them, but God opens a door to another place where I may have communion in all ordinances, I may receive sacraments with them occasionally, and yet not be constantly with them as a member of that church. If God did shut the door that I could not enjoy all ordinances any where, then it were better to join with a church that has not all, though I do but enjoy some.

(2.) “Tien God offers me elsewhere that I may enjoy the ordinances with more power, purity, and fi-eedom of spu-it, and I am not tied; then, if there be nothing but outward accommodations that shall cast the balance on the one hand, and the purity and power of the ordinances on the other, if I shall rather choose the one than the other, it will be apparent that I love my body better than my soul. In this case conscience bids me to show more respect to my soul than my body. This

can be no controversy, for it is generally acknowledged liy all, that if one will but remove his residence from one parish to another, he may go and join with that parish. But that which 1 affinn is not so far as that; I only suppose that a man is free, and not yet actually joined; then he should regard more the purity and power of the ordinances than outward accommodations.

Obs. 1. The end of all pleading and exhortation, is reformation, and not contention.

Plead with her; to what end? “let her put away her whoredoms.” Plead with her that she may reform, do not plead for contention’s sake. There are many men who will rebuke others, and plead with others, but what for? merely in a spii-it of contention, merely that they may triumph over them, and shame them; not out of love, to reform them, they caie not whether they reform or not; if they have vented their gall and malice, they have what they wish.

But how will you know that? How can you know
a man’s heart?

First, You shall know that men plead not for reformation, but for contention, if they rather make it appear that they are glad of the sms of their brethren, and do not giieve for them. Many a man comes in a fui-y to rebulte those against whom he has advantage, but not v.ith a spirit of sorrow and moui-ning; if he came to plead and rebuke them for reformation, he should have come with a mom’ning spirit. Ye should have mourned, that such a one “might be taken away fi-om among you,” saith the apostle to the Corinthians, 1 Cor. v. 2. Y”ou should mourn at your- very’ hearts, that the church, or the member of it, has offended.

Secondly, “When men are partial in their pleading, when they will sharply rebuke others who are distant, but are careless of such as are near.

Tm-n ye, turn ye, that ye may not die, Ezek. xviii. 32, “turn yourselves, and live.” Now the word is laicn do you make to return, for so the Hiphil form may vp cil be translated. Alias ^lontanus renders it reverli facile, make others to return. Y’ou must plead so as to desire reformation, not that you may get the victory and have the bettor of it by youi’ pleading, but with bowels of compassion seek reformation; you must not cut as an enemy to conquer, but as a sui-geon to heal. Therefore before you go to rebuke and to plead, you must go to prayer, that God would bless your rebuking and your exhortation to youi’ brethi’en; and when you have done, pray again to God for a blessing upon it. And look after yom’ reprehensions, and see what becomes of them; and if they do not prosper to reformation, then momTi, and cry to God for your brethi-en; and if they prosper, then bless God that you have converted a som. Thus when the tiibes on this side Jordan pleaded with the tribes on the other side Jordan, you find that the answer of their brethren “pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and did not intend to go up against them in battle,” Josh. xxii. 33. So you should go and plead with your brethren; perhaiis your brethi-en may plead best, ahd convince you that that which you apprehend to be a sin is not a sin. Now many men perhaps are angry, and will not be convinced that it is a sin; Shall I go away with the shame? shall I rebuke him of a sin, and is it no sin? Jlany a man holds on in an argument which he has begun, and is loth to yield that it is not a sin, whereas he should be glad to jield it. If a minister plead or preach that men commit that which he conceives is a sin, and another come and convince him that it was no sin, it is a vUe spuit in any minister not to bless God that he is mistaken: why? because the guilt of his brother is removed from his heart. If I had not been mistaken, my credit had been greater; but I am mistaken, the sin is removed from my brother; oh blessed be God that my brother is not gviilty,

though I am mistaken. If we plead against others with such a spirit as this, God will bless it.

“Let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts.” “Plead with your mother,” and plead so as to teU her plainly that she is no more my wife, she has her biU of divorce, she is now none of mine. Well, it seems then there is no hope, no help, God has forsaken us, he ha-; said we are no more his wife, we have our bill of divorce, and must be gone. Not so either, but now it follows, “let her put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts.’’ Hereby insinuating at least, that her condition, notwithstanding the gi-eatness of her sin, and the fearfulness of the threat, is not altogether hopeless, but he would have those that plead with her, exhort her and bid her even then to put away her whoredoms. It is true, when a man puts away his wife for whoredom, and gives a bUl of divorce, he wUl never take her again upon any tei-ms. Jer. iii. 1, Will a man, when he putteth away his wife, retiu-n unto her again? As if he should say. No, certainly, no man will do it. “But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the Lord.”

Obs. 1. God mercies ai’e beyond man’s. There is no di’eadful tlu-eatening against any sinner in the word of God for any sms, (if we except the sin against the Holy Ghost,) but there is a door of hope left. Here seems to be the greatest sin, idolatiy and forsaking of God; and the most di-eadful thi-eatening, “she is not my wife,” .she is divorced from me. Y’et here is insinuated a hope of mercy. See that notable text, Judg. x. 13, 14, compared with ver. 16. In the 13th and 14th verses, saith God, “Y’e have forsaken me, and seiTed other gods;” what then? “I will deliver you no more.” I am resolved against you now; I have delivered you often, but now “I Till deliver you no more. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them de-Uver you in the time of yoiu- tribulation.” One would think this people to be in an ill case, to whom God thus spake; for observe these four things: Fu-st, God charges them with the gi’catest sin, they had forsaken God and tiu’ncd themselves to idols. Secondly, This great sin is aggravated with the most aggravating cu’cumstance, they had done it notwithstanding God was wonderfully merciful to them, and had often delivered them. Thu-dly, Here is one of the most pcrcmptoiy resolutions against showing mercy that we can imagine, “I will deliver you no more,” now I have delivered you so oft. Foiu-thly, Here is a most bitter sarcasm, a biting, upbraiding, taunting speech for their sening other gods. As if he should say, AMiat! do you come now? do you cry and how 1 to me now you are in your trouble? In yom- prosperity I was no God for you, you left me then for other gods, and now I will be no God to you; to other gods I leave you; go now and cry to those other gods, and see whet’licr they will help you. Put these together, and one woidd think this people were in n hopeless condition. Is there any help for this people yet? are they not a lost people? Is not repentance too late for them? No, for all this, repentance is not too late; for mark the 15th verse, “And the children of Israel said unto the Lord, We have sinned; do thou unto us whatsoever secmcth good unto thee; deliver us only tills day:” and ver. 16, “They put away the sti-ange gods from among them, and served the Lord.” They do not lie down sullenly in their sins, and say, There is no help, therefore we may as well go on in our sinful ways; but they venture to put away then- strange gods, and cry unto the Lord, and tell him that they had sinned. ‘NATiat then? The “.soul” of the Lord “was grieved for the misery of Israel.” Though he had thus pronounced against them, yet his soul was grieved for them. It is true he said, “I will deliver you no more,” you impemtent ones; but God did not say he would not give them repentance; but when they bad put away then- strange gods, though they had grieved Gods Spirit with their sins, God was grieved for theii- aifliction; though God had thus thi-eatened them, yet his bowels now yearn towai’ds them; he comes again with mercy, subdues then- enemies under them, he conquers the c!iilch-en of Ammon, and gives them twenty of theircities, Judg. xi. 33.

God never thi-eatens any people, but the condition of mercy upon repentance is either expressed or implied, it is therefore the frowardness and suUenness of the hearts of sinners to give up hope, upon the thought of the greatness of then- sins, or the severity of God’s threatenmg against them. Oh no, you great sinners, who have been guilty of many horrible sins, come

hope in Israel concermng

Many carnal hearts cavil against many faithful and zealous” ministers, that they do nothing but preach judgment and threaten damnation, and say people shall be damned, and go to hell, and the Like. This they speak agamst them, not mentioning the conditions upon which damnation and hell is threatened. Certainly, there can scarce a minister in the world be found that threatens damnation or heU absolutely, but upon the terms of impenitence. I will give you one scripture, to show how the perverse spiiits of men will take a piece of the words of the prophets, and separate the threatening from the condition, on pui-pose that they may cavil at the word. In Jer. xxvi. 4, 5, saith God to the’ prophet, “Thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord; If ye ^411 not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you, to hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you; then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a cm-se to all the nations of the earth.” See how fairly the words of the prophet go, ‘■ K ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, wluch I have set before you, to hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you,” then I will do so and so. The prophet delivers his message fau-ly. But see now their perverseness in the Stli verse, “It came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak imto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying. Thou shalt sui-ely die.” What is the matter? “ATiy hast thou prophesied in the name of the Lord, saj-ing, This house shall be like Shiloh?” They leave out “if,” whereas he said, ‘■ If you will not return and hear the words of the Lord, this house shall be as Shiloh.” They lay hold upon him with -siolence, “‘^Tiy hast thou said. This house shall be like Shiloh?” and leave out the other. This is the perverseness of the hearts of men. Well then, the conclusion of this observation is this, that the best pleading against any for then- sins, is not to sink them in despair-, but to tui-n theu- hearts towards God that they may receive mercy. “Let her put away her whoredoms.”

Obs. 2. While God is pleased to speak to a people, and exhort them to turn to him, the condition of that people is not desperate. After such pleading, that included in it a most di-eadful thi-eatening, ‘■ She is not my wife,” yet God exhorts, “Let her put away her whoredo.ms.” Exhortations from God argue that the condition of a people may be hopeful. So long as the king is but speaking to a traitor, especially giving him good counsel, there may be hope. If he turn his back upon him, and will speak no more, then he looks upon himself as a lost man. Slany people are troubled, that God continues exhorting so constantly by his ministers and others, and they cannot be at rest. ‘If thou hadst

such a qidet, as that God should leave exhorting and di-awing thee from thy sins, woe to thee, thou wert a lost creatiu-e! !Make much of exhortations and threat enings.

Come we now to the exhortation itself, ‘■ Let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts.” “Her whoredoms,” and “her adulteries,” in the plural number, they were many, she must put them all away. If a wife who has been naught, shall be contented to forsake divers of her lovers, and retain but one, there is no reconciliation, all her adulteries must be put away.

Let her put them away out of her sight. The eye is the receiver of much uncleaimess into the heart, and by it the uncleanness of the heai-t is much expressed. The Scripture speaks of eyes full of adultery. “Let her put her whoredoms out of her sight,” let them be abominable now in her eyes; those things that before were delectable, let them now be detestable. Let them cast away then.- idols, and ■«’ith indignation say. Get ye hence.

Or, from before her face, so it is m the Hebrew, noting her impudence in her idolatry, that it appeared in her very face. Though men at fii-st may be a Uttle wary, yet “at length they grow to manifest outwardly their idolati-y in their very face.

And because Israel did not, according to the exhortation of those who pleaded with her, put her whoredoms out of her sight, God put Israel out of his sight, for so we have it, 2 Kmgs xvii. 22, 23. “The chilcben of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they depai-ted not from them;” promises could not di-aw them, threatenings could not deter them: ‘■ untU the Lord removed Israel out of his sight.” They might have prevented this; if they had put their whoredoms out of then- sight, God would never have put them out of his sight.

“From between her breasts.” Harlots used to discover their filtliiuess, either in the nakedness of theiibreasts, or in those ornaments which they hung about them, as they were wont to do in those countries, to entice then- lovers.

The nakedness of the breasts has been condemned, not only m the churches of God, but amongst the heathen. Tertullian, in his book de Habitu itj. e Hat. JIuhebri, has this expression: AVomen “”i- <=• adorning themselves immoderately with gold, and silver, and precious apparel, is crimen ambitionis, the sm of ambition; but for them to seek to adorn themselves solicitously about then- hah- and their skin, and those parts that draw the eyes, this is crimen prostitutionis, the sin of prostitution.

Yea, besides, Tertullian, in his De velandis Virginibus, introduces the heathen rebuking Christian women in those times. The very women of Ai-abia, j„ai»abunt vo, saith he, shall judge you, for they not AiabisjtEmmiE^^^ only cover their faces, but even their caput’SsladcSi” hea“ds; rather than immodestly expose JJ’gT’uC’mo“’ theli- whole face, they will let the light ?^„”;°SSi’SSi but into one eye. Now if the heathen J;;jy’,’„£’^’’f„i,m did so, if they would not have their na- prostjtuere T«tui. kedness in any thing appear, much more ’ “” “=’“■ “’ should Christians cover those parts that are incitements to lust. That which is the maniac’s madness, and the beggar’s misery, namely, nakedness, that is the harlot’s pride and glory.

“Let her therefore put away her whoredoms out ot her sight, and her adidteries from between her breasts.” That which is intended especialh” here, is, that they should not be content merely with a change of thenhearts, to say. Well, we will acknowledge the Lord to be the true (3od, and oui- hearts shall wholly ti-ust iii him, but for these external things, what great sm is there in them? Oh no, they must abstam from all appearance of evil, fr-om the badges of idolatry-, there must cot be so much as the garb and dress of a harlot (H

upon them, they must take away their adulteries from between their breasts.”

The breasts of the church are her ordinances, for out of them the saints suck sweetness and spii-itual nourishment; so they are called in Isa. lxvi. 11, “That ye may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations.” Now certainly it is an evil thing, for any thing that is adulterous to be in the ordinances of the church. No, the breasts are so near the heart, that it is a pity any thing should be ujjon them but Christ himself; it is most fit that he should lie there. Cant. i. 13, “A bundle of mjTrh is my well-beloved unto me, he shall lie all night between my breasts.” JIjttIi we know is a bitter thing, but though Christ were as a bundle of mjTrli, and brought many afHictions which add bittemess to the flesh, yet the church would have Christ lie between her breasts, and she would rejoice in Christ; Christ was sweet to the church, though with afflictions, As “a bvmdle of m-rh is my well-beloved.” So, many faithful ministers of God have been contented, yea, joj-ful, to keep Christ between their breasts, and in the ordinances, though as a bundle of mjTrh: he has brought some afHictions to them; yet, rather than they would endure any expression of that which is adulterous upon the ordinances, the word and sacraments, Christ Jesus, a bundle of mjiTh between their breasts, has been delightful to them.

I find another reading of the words in the Septuagint translation. Whereas we render it, “Let her put away her whoredoms out of her sight;” they regard it as a speech of God, and translate it, iapu’i tt/v wopviiav avrijg U jrpouuiTrou /jou, I will take away her whoredoms from my face. And Cn-il, reading the words thus, has an excellent remark: God, saith he, threatens

VvireptaitTpuiTov,, ■!, 1 1 11

Tffii. iv To.t cuiua- that he will take away her whoredoms l’iJxth’i”,i;^p’v f’-’O’ia his face; as when a member of a Tfui’eTa, ,17«i, body is so putrified that it cannot be «i’c.“cinL’m’’Ho«. c. cured by medicine, it is cut off, and the disease removed: so God labours to cure the people of Israel by admonitions, by exhortations, by threatenings, by promises of mercy, and when all would not do, he threatens to cure them another way, that is, by cutting them oft’ by the Assp-ians; I will send an enemy against them, and he shall take them out of their own land, and carry them into a strange land, and then they shall be far enough from their calves, far enough from Dan and Bethel; so I w ill take their whoredoms from before my face. Thus, many times God takes away the sins of a people, or of a particular person, from before his face. As for instance, thou cb’unkard, thou unclean person, hast had exhortations, threatenings, and many merciful expressions from God to draw thee from thy sins; they will not do; God comes with some noisome disease ujjon thy body, that thou shall not be able to act thy sin any more, and God takes away the act of thy sin in such a violent manner by his judgments. Sometimes men and women who have estates will be proud, and vain, and make their estates the fuel of their lusts; when the word cannot take away their sins and the exjjressions of their wickedness, God by some violent judgment takes away their estates, that tney shall not be able to commit those sins they did before, though they woidd never so fain. This is a di-eadful taking away of sin. Yea, God shall so take away the sin of men and women, as to take away their .souls together with their sin: for so it is threatened. Job xxvii. 8, “What is the ho])e of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God takelh away his soul?” Thou that wouldst not suffer the word to take away thy sin, must expect that God will take it away anoflier way, even by taking away thy soul. It may be said of some sinners, as in Ezek. xxi. 29 God tln-eatens, their “day is come, when their iniquity shall have an end.” God will suffer them to

live no longer to sin against him: he will take away their sins, but so as to take away their souls, they shall not sin any more against God in this world.

Ver. 3. Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the dui, thai she teas born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay Iter with thirst.

There is much in these words, and because they are so exceeding suitable unto us, you must give me liberty to insist a little upon them.

“Lest I strip her naked.” It seems by this that Israel, when she was born, had been in a very low condition, in a very pitiful estate; but God had put many ornaments upon her; and now he threatens to bring her again into the same condition, and to strip her naked.

“In the day that she was born.” This, I find, interjireters refer to divers conditions of Israel, but met to the time of their deliverance out of Egypt, called here lpy God, “the day that she was born.” “We must inquire, first, ‘lliat was the condition of Israel “in the (lay that she was born.” Secondly, ‘lat ornaments God had put upon her afterwards: and then we shall come to sec the strength of the threat, that God would “strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born.”

For the first two we shall not need to go far, we have them fully and most elegantly set out unto us in Ezek. xvi. That chapter may be a comment upon this, what Israel was in the day wherein she was born, and what ornaments God had ])ut upon her. In the third verse, “Thus saith the Lord God unto-Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite.”

^^’hen thou wert born, thou wert in this condition. AATiat! their father an Amorite, and then- mother an Hittite? Abraham was their father, and Sarah their mother; why here an Amorite and an Hittite? Because there were other nations besides Amoritcs and Hittites, there were the Jebiisites and the I’erizzites; why r’ather an Amorite and Hittite, than a Jebusite and Pcrizzite? These two questions must be answered.

First, Though Abraham was then- father, yet, because they were in such a disposition, so like the Amorites and Hittites, so vile and so wicked, they deserve not to have the honour of Abraham’s being their father, but to be called the chilch-en of the Amorite and the Hittite. As John Baptist calls the Pharisees the viperous, the serpentine brood, so those that are like the devil, are called the chikb’en of the devil.

Secondly, Why the Amorite and Hittite rather than others? For the first, the Amorite; because the Amorites were the chicfest of those nations in Canaan which were driven out. All the five were called by the name of Amorite: “The sins of the Amorites are not yet full.” Sccondlv, the Hittite, because they seemed to be the vilest of the five, and there is a text of Scriptm-e that seems to infer so much. Gen. xxvii. 4G, “I am weary of my life” (saith Rebekah) “becau.se of the daughters of Heth.” She only mentions the daughters of Heth, and those that were now called Hittites were of the daughters of Heth: and saith she, “What good will my life do me. if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth?” Why, there were other daughters besides them, but those were the vilest, therefore she only mentions them. Yea, but what was Lsrael at this time, when they w ere delivered out of Eg’jjt? for that is the time wherein she was born that is spoken of here. Were they in so ill a condition, as that their father was an Amorite and their mother an Hittite at that time? There are two most useful observations that flow from hence, before we proceed any further in the explication of the words.

Obs. 1. Israel, though they had been four hundred

Vli;. 3.

THE PIIOPIIECY OF HOSEA.

years in Egypt under grievous afflictions, yet they continued exceeding abominable and wiclved. The fire of their afflictions seemed to harden their heai’ts, as much as the foe of tire furnace liardencd the bricks. Their hearts were clay, foul, dii’ty hearts, and were hardened by their afflictions.

’ 064’. 2. “When God came to deliver Isi-ael out of EgjiJt, God found them in a very wicked condition. Then their father was an Amorite, and their mother an Hittite. They were thus vile when God came to deliver them, in the day wherein they were born. Oh the freeness of God’s grace! God often told them that his grace was free, and so indeed it was. Read the story of the people of Israel, and you find, when God sent Moses unto them, they were a very wicked and stubborn people, even at that very time when God came with his deliverance.

Let us then raise up oiu’ hearts, and look up to the free gi’ace of God even toward us. We are vile, we are wicked; mercies and chastisements have hardened us; and yet all this hinders not the free grace of God for the deliverance of a people. God has begun to deliver us; and when did he begin? Certainly England, never since it was born, since it was delivered out of spiritual Eg)i)t, out of the bondage of popery, was in a worse condition than when God came in lately with his mercies to us. Then, if ever, it might be said, that our father was an Amorite, and our mother an Hittite. We were in the very highway towards Egyit again, when God came with his free grace to deliver us. As he dealt with his own people, so he has dealt with us. Magnified be the free grace of God towards us, an unworthy people!

Further, Ezek. xvi. 4, “Thy navel was not cut.” The loathsomeness of their condition is set out by that. Natui’alists observe, that the noxu-ishment which the child hath fi’ora the mother is by the navel: as afterward, the child sucks the breasts, and so is fattened; but all the while it is in the womb, by a string in the navel it di’aws nourishment from the mother. Now when God deUvered Israel from Egypt, they had not their navel cut, that is, they di’ew their noimshment from Egypt; they fattened themselves, and sucked out the Egy-])tian manners, and customs, and superstitions; and in their gi’oii’th up, they seemed rather to have their noiu-ishment ft’om Egypt than fi-om God; so God himself charges them, Ezek. xxiii. 8, “Neither left she her whoredoms brought from EgjiJt.”

Is it not thus in part with us? Let me a little speak of this, by way of allusion at least. Is our navel cut to this very day? It is true, God has delivered us from popery, from Egj-jjt, as he did Israel, but stUl do not we continue sucking, di’awing noiu’ishment from oiuold superstitious ways of popery? We seem to live still upon them, and to have our hearts delighting in them. Oh how just were it with God, to come in a violent way and cut oui’ navel, even by the sword! It is mercy he comes not thus to cut it, and so take from us all those secret hankerings that we have after the old Egyjrtian customs.

Yet again, seeing it is such a full allusion, we may apply it to those that seem to be born again; those that seem now to make very fan- profession of religion, and to forsake many evU ways in which formerly they have delighted: but yet then- navel is not cut; they secretly suck sweetness from their former lusts; the curse of the serpent is upon them, upon then- belKes they go, and dust they eat; their souls even cleave to the dust.

“Neither wast thou washed in water.” This also sets forth the woeful condition of Israel when he was born, he was not washed. AMien the infant comes into the world, it emerges from blood and pollution in which it was wrapped, so that (as Plutarch saith) it is rather

like a child killed, than a child born; ATuan ici’pand were it not for a natural affection fpLufm. kL<” stirring in parents, they would even loathe .?’^i’;i”:^“‘’.i’.,”1.i, the fruit of then- bocUes. It is true, pa- i;;“‘’;”- f“”*’„“”’ rents may see that with their bodily eyes, ;; tyv’q.v’Je, q’,- but there is more pollution in their deAjiioie’p’rolis. souls; they are wrapped up in original sin and filth, more than their bodies were WTapped up in blood and pollution in the womb. Therefore infants are washed; but thou wast not washed, thou wast let go in thy filth. The barbarous Lacedemonians, when then- childi-en were born, used to thi-ow them into the riler, to consolidate their members and to make them strong.

“Thou wast cast out in the open field.” WTiat is the meaning of this? We cannot xmderstand it fully, without examining the custom of the people in those times. We find in histories, that the custom of divers of the heathen was, when theii’ chikben were born, to observe by their countenance, or by the structure of their members, whether they were likely to be useful to the commonwealth or not; if not, they threw- them away, and if they were likely to be useful they nourished them up. They nourished up no other chikben but those that they judged by their countenance or shape would do good to the commonwealth. Strabo tells us that the Indians and Brahmins had certain judges appomtcd for that very end; their office was, that when any child was born, to judge by the countenance and parts of the body of the child, whether it was likely to do any good in the commonwealth, and so either to save it or cast it out. So likewise jEIian tells us, that the Thebans made an express law among them in these toeat’i Jfant,-m°e.f words. That none of them should cast [‘ariaJ°m;f’ii“‘ii out their childi’en; noting thereby that it was wont to be the custom amongst them. So Clemens Eomanus tells us, as a thing pecu- „ liar to them, that amongst the Jews their ii.rans naius expochildi’en are not cast out. “‘“”’

So that the Holy Ghost alludes to the way of the Gentiles and barbarous people, and tells Israel that they were as a child cast out, such a one as the countenance promised no good. “Thou wast cast out in the open field,” because they never hoped to have any good of thee; and indeed (as if God should say) if I had regarded what I saw in you, I might have passed this judgment upon you too, there was little hope of good from you.

But vlhat though the child be cast out in the field, yet some may pass by accidentally, as Pharaoh’s daughter did, who may ])ity the chQd, and have compassion on it. No, saith God, thou wast not only cast out, but worse than this, thou wast so cast out as “none eve pitied thee.” You have sometimes poor children laid at yom- doors, and left there, some in baskets, or other wavs, yet, when you open them and see a cluld, and a child weepmg, there is some pity in you, and you will take care some way or other that it may be fed and brought up. But, saith God to Israel, “thou wast cast out in the open field,” and “none eye pitied thee;” that is, all the heathen were against you, and others in the land rose against you; the Egy])lians came out to desti’oy you, you had the sea before you, and them behind you, none had pity upon you. This was the condition wherein you were born.

Now see what ornaments God had put upon them. They were in a son’y condition, you see, when they were born. But mark, I took thee, ‘• and entered into covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine,” Ezek. xvi. 8. That is the way a people become God’s, his entering into covenant with them. The Lord has begun to enter into covenant with us, and we with him in former protestations, and if any further

covenant binding iis more strictly to God be tendered to us, know that God in this deals with us as he did with his owti people. We are as childicn cast out in the open field, and no eye pities us; but many plot against us and seek our ruin. If God will be pleased now to enter into covenant with us, and give all the people of the land hearts to come closer to the covenant, to renew their covenant with him, and that to more ])urpose than in fonner covenants, the Lord yet will own us. The covenant of God was the foundation of all the mercy the people of Israel had from God, and we arc to look upon it as the foundation of om- mercy; and therefore, as in the presence of God, willingly and cheerfully to renew it with him.

After God’s taking this people to himself as his own, it follows, ver. 11 — 14, “I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and ean’ings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty.” Thus God did with the people of Israel; he added to what they had when they were born. Miserable they were then; but the mercies of God toward them are thus set out. lud now he thi’catens that he will strip them naked, and set them as in the day wherein they were born.

Yet fui-thcr, for the opening of this, we must know that it was the custom among the Jews, when any married, that what dowiy they brought their husbands was wi-ittcn down in a table; and if aftenvard he should divorce his wife, except there could be proved some gross and vile thing agamst the woman, though she should go away, yet she was to go away v. ith her table, with her dowry, she must not go away naked. But if there could be proved some notorious villany that she had committed, then she was sent away sine tabulis, naked, without those tables wherein her dowry and other things were ‘written, and destitute of all things, as bemg unworthy of them, because she had played the harlot. Thus God threatens this people. “She is not my wife,” but unless she put away her whoredoms fiom before her face, and her adulteries from between her breasts, I will strip her naked as in the day wherein she was born. She shall be sent away without any tables, naked and wholly destitute. Thus you have the opening of the words.

Obs. 1. The beginnings of gi’cat excellencies are sometimes very low and mean. This plainly rises from the opposition of her condition when she was born, and what she had gotten from God afterward; “lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born.” Therefore it is clear she was born in a very mean condition, and gotten up to a verj- excellent condition; though now high and glorious, yet once verv low and mean. God many times raises up golden pillars u])on leaden bases, and the most glorious works of God have had the lowest beginnings. This beautiful frame of licaven and earth was raised out of a chaos of confusion and darkness. This is tme, both personally and nationally, and that in regard of outward conditions, or sjiiritual. How poor, and low, and mean have many of your beginnings been in the world! “Who could ever have thought that such low beginnings could have been raised to such high things, as some of you hiSle been raised to in the world? It was not long since when you came hither to this city, (which may be said to be the dav wherein you were born for your civil estate, though not for yom’ natural.) yoy were low enough, mean enough: you had but little to begin

withal; you came hither “with your staff,” and “now behold two bands.”

It is sometimes so, likewise, in regard of the spiritual estate. You may remember, not long .since, what darkness and confusion abounded in your minds and hearts: what poor, low, and mean thoughts had you of God, and the things of his kingdom; what unsavoury spuits, when at first God was pleased to work upon you! Oh what a poor condition were you in then! Though you had some light put into you, yet you were as a child new born, Tapped up in filth and blood, many noisome distempers there were in your hearts, as it is usual with new converts; like a fu-e newly kindled, where there is a great deal of smother and smoke, that afterward wears away. But now, behold the shiuino; of God’s face upon your souls. Oh the abilities that God has given you to know his mmd and do his ^-ill! Oh the blessed communion that you have with God, and the sparkling of that Divine nature! The glory and beauty of the Di-ine natm-e is put upon you.

So for nations, we will not go. farther than our own. How low and mean were we at the first! We were as rude, barbarous, and savage a people, almost, as lived upon the earth. Britons had their name fiom hence; in the old Britain language. Brith signifies blue-coloured, because those who lived here, instead of good clothes, as you have, with woad besmeared their bodies blue. Tania was added, as it is usual in other languages, for the signification of such a region, or countiT, as Mamitania, Lusitania, Aquitania, &c. So that Britannia is as much as to say. The region of the blue-coloured people; so called because they were thus painted. The best food they were wont to eat (historians teU us) was bark of trees and roots. HoUinshed in his Chronicle says, ITiere were old men that he knew who told of times in England, that if the good man in the house had a mattress or flock-bed, and a sack of chafi’to rest his head on, he thought himself as well lodged as the lord of the town, for ordinarily they lay upon sti-aw pallets covered with canvass, and a round log under their heads instead of a bolster. They said pillows were fit only for women in child-bed: and in a good farmer’s house it was rare to find four- pieces of pewter, and it was accounted a great matter that a farmer could show five shillings or a noble in silver together.

Camden, in his Britannia, tells of Aylesbury, a town in Buckinghamshire, where there was a king’s manor, and the condition of holding certain lands there was, that the possessor or holder of them should find straw for litter for the king’s bed, when he came there. Latimer, in a sermon before King Edward, relates, that his father, who, he says, kept good hospitality for his poor neighbours, and found a horse for the ting’s service, brought him (Latimer) up at learning, and married his sisters with five pounds, or twenty nobles, apiece for their portions. This was the poor and mean condition of those times. And Jerome, contra Joviuianum, and Diodorus Sicidus, tell us concerning the people in Ireland, our neighbours, that the best delicacies they used to eat in former times, was the flesh of yoimg children; that the ships they used, were sallows wreathed together, and boughs twisted, and covered with the hides of beasts; and the wives they had, were common to all their brethren and parents. As for their religion, they offered to the devil man’s flesh, they worshipped Apollo, and Jupiter, and Diana, And Gildas, one of the most ancient historians, who relates the condition of these British people, says ilie idols they had were horrible, devilish, monsti-ous things, and that they even surpassed the Egln)tian idols in number, „, ^.., JSn people had so many idol-gods, and so ?<■■«• numm>«fyi>- monstrous, as the Egyptians, and yet “”*’“■”” “• these went beyond them.

Afterward, no people in the world were more rent and torn with ei%’il wars than England has been. And in the times when popery was here professed and established, oh the outward and spiritual bondage we were under then! Cm- bodies, our .souls, our estates, ouiconsciences, were in miserable thi’aldom.

It is the most sordid and miserable slavery possible for a rational creatiu-e to be under, not only to be bound to practise, but to believe for ti-uth, the dictates and determinations of men, yea, and that upon pain of eternal damnation. To believe what they say, as the articles of faith upon which salvation or damnation depends, and conscience must not question, or scruple any tiling: if any man that is a rational creatm-e should think there is any such distance between man and man, he debases himself beneath a man, and advances the other above a man. Better it is to be in slavery to another, to scrape kennels, than to be in this slaveiy. And to have the Scriptures kept from us, the epistle that God has sent fi’om heaven to us, that which enlightens the world, revealing the great counsels of God concerning eternal life, is worse bondage than to be chained up in dark holes all the days of our lives. To have no ordinances but according to the lusts and humours of vile men, how great a slaverj- is this! The manifestation of the least suspicion of the falseness of the vilest eiTors, dislike of the basest practices, was enough to confiscate estate, to imprison, yea, to take away life. Was not this a low condition, a base slavery, in which England was? could any bear it. but such as were slaves to their own lusts? But now, what ornaments has God put upon us! No nation under heaven more renowned than we have been, oiu- renown has gone through the earth. England: its people. Angli, quasi Anoeli; and itself, Albion, from the whiteness of its cliffs. From oiu’ happiness we see now, that glorious excellences have many times low beginnings.

Obs. 2. God’s mercy is a people’s beauty and glory. When we have any exceUencyj any beauty upon us, it is God’s mercy that is all oiu- beauty. “I will sti-ip you naked, and set you as in the day wherein you were born.” If you have any excellency, it is my mercy. We have nothing belonging to us but shame, confusion, and misery; if we have any ornaments, it is mercy, free mercy: therefore, in Ezek. x. 14, Thou wert perfect in beauty; how?” through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord.’’ Let God take away his mercy, we are quickly left naked, and poor, and miserable; lilce the i-ugged walls in the court, when the king goes away, and all the rich hangings are taken down, what a difference is there in thenappearance! the beauty of the walls were the hangings, when the king was there. So, if we have any thing that makes us beautiful, they are the hangings that God has put upon us; his mercies are those hangings of gold, and silver, and needle-work; and when they are gone, we are poor, and ragged, and miserable.

Obs. 3. Though sinners deserve gi-eat elils, to be stripped of all comforts, yet God, in patience and clemency, continues them a long time. “Lest I strip her naked.” God had said before, that she was not his wife, she was guilty of whoredoms, yet it seems she was not yet stripped naked; she was yet left with God’s ornaments upon her, notwithstanding her sin. Sinners may be under fearful threatenings, and yet retain many comforts; yea, the truth is, it is possible for a people to be cast off from God, and yet to continue for a while in outward prosperity. The tree that is cut up by the roots, may have the leaves gi’een for a while. Saul was rejected of God, 1 Sam. xiii. 14, yet, after that, God suffered Saul to prosper exceedingly in overcoming the Philistines and the Amalekites.

Obs. 4. The mercies that God bestows upon a nation, are but common favom-s, not spiritual graces, they are

such ornaments as a people may be stripped of. The great mercies a people have, they may wholly lose. Here is the difference between true spiritual graces, in which Jesus Chi-ist adorns his spouse. When Chi-ist not only takes ill an outward way a people to himself, but marries them to himself in a spiritual way, he decks the soul with such ornaments, bestows .such mercies upon them, as shall never be taken away. Such a soul has no cause to fear that ever it can be stripped, as in the day wherein it was born, you need not fear that you shall ever lose the jewels given you at that marriage day. You may be stripped of common graces and gifts,.as many professors are, who have not truth at heart. “Ulien they prove naught, God takes away their gifts from them; they have not that gift of prayer they were wont to have; though they have excellent words, yet a man may perceive such an unsavoiu-iness iflixed with their gifts, that it breeds loathing in others to join with them. As, when the king goeth away from his palace, the hangings are taken do-mi; so, when God departeth from a soul, (as from such he may,) then then’ hangings, those excellent gifts, are taken from them. But of spu-itual gifts they are never stripped. We read in Ezek. xlvi. 17, when a king gave gifts to his servants, they were to return to him again at the year of jubilee; but when ho gave them to his sons, they were to be their inheritance. There are many who arc outwardly in the church as God’s sers’ants, they have many gifts, but God ^^& take his gifts away, and strip them naked; but then there are his children, they shall have their gifts as an inheritance for ever. It is ti’ue, God may stay a while: as, when the king is gone fi-om court, if there” be any thought of his retm-n the hangings continue, but if” the message come. The king will not be here these twelve months, or a long time, or, it may be, never any more, then the hangings are taken down; so, though these gifts of the hj-pocrite may stay a while, yet they will vanish at last.

Obs. 5. Continuance in sin, and especially the sin of spu-itual whoredom, is that which will sh-ip a nation fi-ora all their excellences, from all then’ ornaments and beauty. The continuance in that sin especially: for so the -words imply, “Let her put away her adulteries from between her breasts, lest I strip her naked.” If she continue thus, certainly naked .she shall be. This always brings nakedness meritoriously, but if continued in, eifectually, it makes them naked.” In Exod. xxsii. 25, you may” see what made the people naked at that time: the “text saith, that “Aaron had made them naked,” that is, Aaron, by consenting to the people to make the calf, had made the people naked; that is, destitute now of God’s gracious protection, deprived of those favours fi-om God, which formerly they had. And as the priest had made them naked, so you may find, in 2 Chi-on. xx-iii. 19, that the king made them naked too: “The Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgi-essed sore against the Lord.” “He made Judah naked,” that is, by countenancing idolati-)-, by siding with those who were idolaters, he made Judah naked at that time.

Here we may see who they arc that are liliely to sti-ip us, if ever God should come to strip us. We have many amongst us that see false bm-dens of all -the miseries and” troubles that come upon the nation; they blame the puritans, and others that they say are factious, seditious, and turbulent spii-its, and all must be laid upon them. Certainly, whoever has eyes in his head, may easily see who makes us as naked as we are, and, if we be made more naked, who -will be the cause of all. Those who stand against the way of reformation, those that wUl keep their whoredoms in their sight, and thenadulteries between theii- breasts, those that will not be willing that the church should be puiged fi-om that filth

and whorish attire it uses; these are they that make us naked. We read in Lam. ii. 14, “Thy prophets have seen vain and fooUsh things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquit)’ to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens, and causes of banishment.” ISIark it, “Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things, and they have not discovered thine iniquity; “they have not dealt plainly with thy people, neither have they told them the reason of their captivity;” but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.” The prophets say. It is a company of these precise and strict ones, that will not be obedient to authority, and will not do what is commanded in such and such tilings, and (when there were corruptions in God’s worship) they would not submit to such and such orders. The prcqihets lay the blame ujjon them; but they see false burdens, sa’ith the text, and folse causes of banishment. We have many such prophets amongst us, who see false burdens and causes of banishment, and they blame those who certainly are the causes of our peace, and of the good of the kingdom. Tertullian tells us, that in the primitive times, “if they had any ill weather, or trouble, they would blame the Christians as the cause of it, and presently the voice was, Ad leones, Let the Christians be ch-agged to the lions, and devoured by the lions. It has been so amongst us. But may we not answer, as EKjah answered Ahab, when Ahab told him that he was the man that troubled Israel, “I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father’s house.” May we not well .say to them, as Jehu to Jehorara, when he asked him whether there was peace, “AMiat peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?” Those that have been pojjish, certainly they have endangered us of being stripped of all. AMio were the causers of the first disturbances amongst us, even of all the persecution here of God’s saints, and of all the discontent among the people? who were they that persuaded the bringing in of an arbitrary government? who were the cause of laying such things upon the people, that they could not bear? who were the causers of the troubles in Scotland, and sending of books thither full of superstitious vanities? was it not that prelatical faction, who are those that hinder the reformation at this day? Certainly, if it were as apparent that they who are called puritans, had been the cause of such charge to the kingdom, and disturbance to the state, as the prelatical faction has been; it had been impossible for them to go in the sh’eets, but they would have been stoned to death. I speak not this as though we should do the like, but to show what the virulence of their spirits would have been to them, if it had been apparent that they had been such charge to the kingdom, and such disturbei-s of the state. The truth is, we may charge our papists, and others that are of that way, (and we know who are next to them,) as the cause of stripping us so naked as we have been. It is clear enough, those that put not away their whoredoms fi-om them, but continue still superstitious and idolaters, they are they who endanger a people to be stri]5ped naked.

Obs. 6. That it is time for peo])le to plead, when there is danger of desolation. “Plead with your mother, ])k’ad.” AVhyso? why should we not be quiet? “Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born.” ‘Miat! )ou are in such a condition as you are in danger to be strip)(cd naked, and to be left desolate as a wilderness? Is it not time then to plead? O jilcad with God, and plead with those that are in authority, and plead one with another, and plead with all; stir up yourselves, and do what you can; let there lie no sluggish spii-it, no neutralizing spirit. It is no time for any to be neuters now. It is time now for all to :ome and plead, not so much now to dispute of

things, but for every one to stand, and apjiear, and plead, not only verbally, but otherwise, as God calls them to it. Allien John saith, “The axe is laid unto the root of the trees,” Luke iii. 9; what then? Then every one cometh and saith, “AATiat shall we do?” “He,” saith he to some, “that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none;” and to the soldiers, when they say, “What shall we do?” “Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with )our wages.” Mark, “when the axe is laid to th.e root of the trees,” every one then comes in, and saith, “What shall we do?” You that are women and inferior, do you pray, and cry, and fiu’ther your husbands in all good. Be not you backward, do not cbaw them away, thi’ough your extravagance and folh’, when they would be liberal and forward, and adventure themselves. And you that are men of estates, if you ask what you should do, it is apparent; “He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none,” be willing to part with much of your estates in such a cause as this. And so, soldiers, if you ask what you should do; behave yourselves so as you may con’ince others; “Do violence to no man,” but act according to an orderly way: and “be content with yom- wages;” perhaps it may not come in so fully afterwards, yet let it appear that it is the cause that strengthens you, rather than youi- wages. Thus, every one should be of an inquiring spuit when “the axe is laid to the root of the trees.” When we are in danger to be stripped of all, it is not time then to stand about cm-iosities and niceties.

Obs. “i. Those who will not be convinced by the word, God has other means to convince them besides the word. If pleading and connncing arguments will not do it, well then, stripping naked shall do it. The expression is usual in the Scriptui-e, “Then ye shall know that I am the Lord,” when I do thus and thus. As you do with those who are of a sleepy disposition; if you call up a servant that is sluggish and sleepy, he answers. Anon, and then falls down and sleeps again; you call him again, and he answers, and sleeps again; at length you come up and pull the clothes ofi’ him, and leave him naked, and that will awake him. So God calls upon them to leave their whoredoms and idolatries, and to repent; he threatens, and ofi’ers mercy, and they seem a little to awake, but to it again. AA’ell, saith God, I will come another way, and strip you naked, and that will do it.

Obs. 8. AMiatever are the means of stripping a nation naked, it is God that doth it. “Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day wherein she was born.” Lest / do it. It is God that gives, and it is God that takes away. But let that pass.

Obs. 9. It is a grievous judgment, for one that is advanced from a low to a high degree, to be brought down again. “Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day wherein she was born.” Thus Job (chap. xxix. and XXX.) aggravates his misery: “The cantHe of God shined upon my head; I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil; my glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand,” &c. “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 my flock.” Thus he aggravates his judgment, because he was brought into a low condition, having once been in a high one. The like aggravation of misery have we. Lam. iv. 2, “The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of men’s hands!” and ver. 5, “They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.” Thus the Scrijiture is clear, and your experience is enough to confirm it. For a man who has been a bond-slave in the galleys, and afterward ransomed by the liberality of his friends in

England, if lie should be taken and brought back again to the galleys, oh how tedious and grievous would it be! but if he had lived long here, and floui-ished, and gotten preferment, and had grown a great merchant, and after this to be brought again to the galleys, how much more ten’ible would this be to him! If some of )0u that have been beggars heretofore, if God by some way or other should bring you to your former poverty, oh how tedious would it be! We see that many men, who have been raised fi’om a low estate to a high one, are so afi-aid of returning to a low estate again, that they will ventiu’e soul, and conscience, and God and all, rather than they will endanger themselves in the least degree in then- estates.

Hence it is very observable, that the chief curse that God thi-eatens the people of Israel, is that they should return to Egj-jjt again, that the Lord would bring them back to the condition wherein once they were. That whole chapter, Deut. xxviii., is spent in denouncing most dreadful curses upon the people; now the conclusion of all is the chief curse of all the rest, ver. 68, “The Lord shall bring thee into Egj-jit again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee. Thou shalt see it no more again, and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.”

AVere it not a sad thing for us who have been acquainted with the glorious light of the gospel, and with the blessed privileges that come in thereby, for us to be brought into popish bondage and thraldom again? AVe may reason with Ezra, “Now for a little space grace hath been showed from the Lord oiu- God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little revivmg in our bondage. Shoidd we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations?” Ezra ix. S, 14. As for ourselves, who have had of late a little taste of the sweetness of om- outward ])rivilcges and liberties, who could endure to be imdcr that bondage in which we were thi-ee or four years ago, under every apparitor, promoter, pursuivant, commissary, chancellor, and tyrannical prelate, as formerly? We could not have met together, and enjoyed the liberty of such exercise.s as these; no, you could not have met in your families to pray, but one or other would have been upon you and endangered your estates. The bondage was intolerable; we may well complain, it was a yoke that neither we nor our lathers could bear.

Obs. 9. When God has delivered a people out of miseiT, and bestowed upon them gi’eat mercies, it is then- duty often to think of the poor condition in which they were, and to use all the means they can that they may not be brought thither again. God loves this, that we should remember and seriously take to heart what once we were. “Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born;” as if he should say, I would have you consider what a low condition you were in when you were born, and consider the danger you are in to be brought thither again, look then about you, and seek to prevent it, if you have the hearts of men in you. This we shall find in Deut. xxvi. 1, 2, 5, 6, AMien thou art come into the land which the Lord giveth thee for an inheritance, and dwellest therein, “thou shalt take of the &-st of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose, to place his name there. And thou shalt speak, and say before the Lord thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, gi-eat, mighty, and populous: and the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted u.s, and laid upon us hard bondage.” And Isa. li. 1,” Look unto the rock

whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.“‘It is very useful for us to consider our former low condition. Mr. Deering, in a sermon preached before Queen Elizabeth, uses this bold expression to her, If there were a tune that you thought yourself tanquam ovis, as a sheep ready to be slain, take heed that the words of the prophet be not now true, that )ou be not tanquam indomila jxivencula, as an untamed heifer. You may note the chfference between the spu’its of men in former times, in their- plainness and boldness; and if there were an excess that way, how far the other way are oiU’ court sermons now! Queen Elizabeth was once in a very low condition, and she thought herself to be as a sheep appointed for the slaughter. It is usual for men raised up from a low condition to forget God and themselves, and to grow proud and scornt’id. Nothing is more sharp than a low thing when it gets up high; so there is none that have more proud and scornful spirits than those who are raised from the dunghill, they know not then where they are: as the proverb is. Set a beg- ^^.^^ gar on horseback, and he knows not how humiii cum surgit nor whither to ride. ‘” ‘“”’

Thus it was with Saul: the way to humble Saul, was for him to consider what he once was; and that is the way to humble us all who are subject to be proud of our prosperity, to which God has raised us. When thou wast little in thine own sight, then thou wert made the head of the tribes of Israel. There was a time that he was little in his own eyes, and I beseech you observe the difference between the spirit of Saul when he was in a low condition, and his spu’it when he was raised. AVhen Saul was in a low condition, his spu-it was low, therefore, in 1 Sam. x. 27. you find that though there were some children of Behal that would not have Saul to reign over them; AVhat! say they, •’ how shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no jjresents. But he held his peace.” But, chap. xi. 12, when Saul had gotten some credit and honoiu’ by his victories, some of the people said, ‘• “Alio is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men that we may put them to death.” No, saith Saul, “There shall not a man be put to death this day.” Oh how meek was Saul! what a quiet spu-it had he before he got up high! But afterward, when he had had many victories, what a furious and outi-ageous spu-it had Saul! You know the story of the fourscore and five priests that must be slain in the city of Nob, and the whole city, men, women, and chikben, sucklings, oxen, asses, and sheep, must be put to the sword. “WHiy? because one of them only gave a Uttle refreshment to David. AMiat a different spirit is here in Saul to that which he had when he was low!

Is it not so with many of you? When God has brought you low, you seem to be humble, meek, and quiet; then you are content with every thing, and prize every little mercy. Oh a huncb-cd times more mercy will not serve yoiu’ turn now, as you would have been glad of then, and blessed God if you had had it. But now )ou know not yourselves, your hearts are raised up as your estates are. Well, it is good for you to look to the condition you were in when )0u were low; as we read of Agathocles, that king, who was a potter’s son, and after advanced to a kingdom, woidd always be served at his table in earthen vessels, to put him in mind of the condition he was in before. Certainly, if in any place in England it be seasonable to speak of this, it is in London, where many that have been potters’ childi-en, and in a low degree, have been raised up high, and acquired great estates. Let them remember in what condition they were, that they may be humbled, and so may prevent the danger of being brought thither again. Many put others in mind of it in a taunting way, — I know what you were not long ago.

I know what your father was! but do you put your own souls in mind of this in a humbling way? this is the way to continue mercies.

But now apply we it a little to ourselves generally, and then we shall conclude all. Let us work this upon our hearts. Look we back to what we were lately, and let us check our hearts for any discontent in oiu: present estate. Not long since would not many of us have been willing to have laid do’mi our lives, to have purchased that mercy we have had this year or two? God has granted to us our foraier mercies, and raised us fi-om om- low condition, of fi-ee cost hitherto. God has been beforehand with us; and what if those mercies that are to come, are at somewhat dearer rate than those we have had akeady? Those mercies we have had already have been veiy precious and sweet; but sui-ely tl’cy that are to come are more precious and sweet, and t’uerefore we may be content though they cost us dear. Yet how vile are the spirits of men in foi’getting the sad condition they were in, the taxes, and monopolies, and uncertainty of enjojing any thing that was your own! and now, if there be but a little charge, you immediately murmur- and repine: Oh these heavy burdens! the ])arliament bui-dens the kingdom and the countiT, and as good have ship-money and other taxes as these burdens. O, unworthy, unworthy are you to live to see the goodness of the Lord in these days! unworthy to have your eyes open to see what God has done, and thus to murmur! Thou shouldst magnily-God’s mercies, and not miinnur at his proceedings. We have a notable parallel to this (Numb, xvi.) in the story of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; those muiTnurers, when they were but in a little strait, came to Closes, and said, “Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey?” ver. 13. “VMiat land was that, that ]Ioses brought them up out of, that they said fioT.-ed with milli and honey? It was the land of Egj-pt, the land of theu- bondage. Indeed they were promised a land of Canaan, that should flow with milk and honey, and they put that upon the land of Egj-pt; though they had been in bondage and slavery in Egypt, and were now going to Canaan, yet when they endured some trouble in the way, and had but some opposition, and were put to some straits, then Egyit was the land that flowed with milli and honey, and who would come out of Egj-pt? So though God be bringing us to Canaan, to a tlesscd land that flows with milk and honey, yet because there ai’e some straits in the way, some difficulties, some oppositions that may cost us Epmething, how do men cry out, We were better before! you talked of reformation, but, for our part, would we might have but what we had before, and be as quiet as we were then! why will you bring us out of a land that flows with milli and honey? O base, murmuring, and discontented spii-its, that forget what once they were, and rather prize the bondage they were in before, than arc thankful for God’s present mercies.

For us not to look back to God’s former mercies, goes to the very heart of God. God has an expression in Ezek. xvi. 43, that it frets him to the very heart; “Because them hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast fi’etted me in all these things.” It is a thing that frets God to see a peojile so unworthy of mercy, when God comes in such ways of mercy to them. My brethren, God has done great things for us, ■tthatever others say and think. Let them murmur, and repine, and say what they will; let us .«ay God lias done gieat things for us. Let us lay to heart our late condition, that so we may be stirred up now to seek after God, that we may never be brought into that condition again. If ihey would have it again, much good may it do them; but for us, let it be our care to seek God, and to use all lawful means to jnevent our bringing back to it again.

For even our present straits are an aggravation of our former miser)- and present mercy, it shoxdd not therefore make our fonner misery, or present mercy, seem less, but gi-eater. How is that? you will say. Thus: if now we have so much help and power- to hinder a party that seek oiu- ruin, yet they have so much sti-ength and resolution, what w-ould have become of us if this had been before, when we had no way nor means to help us? If men complain now, what would they have done then? Therefore, whereas some make use of our sti-aits to lessen our foi-mer miscn-, and thinlc we are now in a worse condition than before, rather let us make it an aggi-avation of God’s mercy towards us; and if we be in such straits now, when God has raised up such means beyond all our thought to resist the flowing in of misery upon us. Lord, w-hither w-ere we going? what would have become of us if the stream, which had been so long s-welling, had broken in upon us when there was no means to have resisted it? We may well see now, that if their intentions and resolutions are so sti-ong for mischief as will not be hindered, notwithstanding the present strength God has granted us to oppose them, surely they had most vile intentions, and dreadful things were determined against us, which would hale brought us low indeed, and have made us the most miserable people upon the earth, if God had not come in so miraculously for our help, as he has done at this day.

Therefore, as we read in Jer. xxsra. 20, “Let my supplication,” saith he to the king, “I pray thee, be acceptable before thee, that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.” So let us present om- supplications to the King of heaven, that we may not be sent back to that condition we were once in, that God may not strip us and leave us naked. We have many blessings; Lord, do not strip us, do not striji us of all the oi-naments thou hast put upon us.

And would you not have God stiip you of your ornaments? be you willing to strip yourselves of your oi-naments. Exod. xxxiii. 5, God calls upon the people there, “Put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.” This is true and seasonable at this time, in the literal sense, you are called now to strip you of youi- ornaments. Strip from your fingers yom- gold rings now when there is need of them; perhaps one of yom- gold rings would serve to maintain a soldier a month or five weeks, or more; and yet you may have the benefit of it again aftenvard. Strip your cupboards from yom- pompous show of plate. It is much if you should not be willing to have youifingers stripped naked, when we are in danger to have the state stripped naked of all our comforts and oi-naments. Is it such a great matter to have yom- cupboai-d naked of plate now? what if a white cloth were upon it, and all that glittering show taken away, were that such a great sacrifice now, when God is about to strip us naked, and set us as in the day wherein we were born? Certainly all of you, who shall keep your plate now for the pompous adorning of cupboards, cannot but be ashamed of it. Surely you must rather keep it up in your trunks. It cannot but be both a sin and a shame to sec such glittering ])omp and gloi-y in such times as these.

Strip yoiu-selves of your ornaments, that God sti-ip you not; and not only outwardly, but strip yourselves of your ornaments by your humiliation, for that is the meaning of that place in Exodus. O come and humble yom-selves, and come now with naked hearts before the Lord; open your hearts befoi-e God, bring them naked and sincere before him, lest he strip you and the kingdom naked. Cry unto God for mercy: O Lord, thou knowest what a vile heart I have had, a l)ase, time-serving heart; yet, Lord, I desire to take away all these cloaks now, and to rend and bring this

ler. 3.

heai-t naked before thee; though it be a fihliy heart, yet open it. Lord, thou knowest those vile things, those inuovations, those superstitions, those horrible wickednesses that were in danger to be let into the chui’ch and commonwealth, yet they were things that went down very well with me, and I had distinctions to colour them; but, Lord, it was my base heart that I could not trust thee, but now here I open it naked before thee. O Lord, these ordinances of thine, of the purit)’ and power of which others spake so much, they have been things unsavoury to me, I had no skill in such things. Thou knowest I had a neub-ahzing spirit, I looked which way the wind blew; how just were it for thee to give me up to be of a desperate malignant .spirit! Now, Lord, I come as a naked, wretched creatm-e before thee, in the shame and guilt of my sin, and here I acknowledge thou mayst justly strip me naked of all the comforts of my estate, and leave me in the most miserable condition in which ever poor creature was left. My heart is open before thee, show me what I shall do; and if thou dost reserve any of my estate and comforts which I have forfeited, in testimony of my humiliation for my former sins, I bring it before thee, and am willing to give it up for the public good, and to prevent that evil and mischief that I am sm-e my sins call for, for my sins cry for WTath against the land, that thou shouldst strip it naked. If all had been such base spii-its as I have been, what would have- become of the land by this time? In testimony therefore of my humiliation for ‘my sins, here I bring in this of my estate; though indeed, if I had not been guilty of such sins, yet, out of common prudence, and respect to my own security, I might bring in some part; but here is so much the more of my estate, because my conscience tells me of my former guilt. And, Lord, for the time to come, I am resolved to do the uttermost I can for thee and thy cause. And those worthies that carry their Uves in then- hands for me, God forbid that I should have the least hand in betraying them, in withdi’awing my hand and assistance fi-om them. Lord, here I give up myself to thee, and my estate, I sm — render it to thee in an everlasting covenant. This is to come with a naked heart indeed before the Lord.

Were it not better that we should be willing to strip om-selves naked, than that God should do it by violence, that God should send soldiers into our houses to strip us naked, as they have dealt with om- brethi-en in Ireland? they took not away their estates only, but all then- clothes, and sent them in di’oves as naked as they were born. We know we have deserved the like. If you W’ill not strip yourselves of your superfluities, God may justly by them strip you naked; and not only bring you into the same condition you were in, but into a far worse; for so he thi“eatens in Deut. xxviii.. You shall not only be carried back again into Egypt, but “there you shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you;” they should be in a worse condition than when they were first in Egypt. So, if there be any of you willing to sell your consciences in hope of preferment, the other side may get power and prevail, and so, instead of being preferred, you may be disappointed, not only be brought into as iU, but into a far worse condition. And perhaps, though you would have sold yovu’selves, yet nobody will buy you; if the papists come to have the power of your bodies and estates, you may miss that preferment you think of. So saith Ezi’a, chap. ix. 1-t, after he had spoken of God’s mercy in giving them liberty, and remitting their captivity, “Shoidd we agam break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldst thou not be angTy with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping?” And, certainly, if God do not awaken the hearts of people now, if God

do not give the people throughout the kingdom a heart to stick to the cause of ti’uth, and to those whom they have intrusted with theii’ estates, liberties, and lives, in every good way, it would be the heaviest judgment of God that ever was upon a nation since the beginning of the earth, it would never be paralleled; that a people should have such an opportunity put into their hands to help, and to vindicate themselves fi’om slavery and bondage, yet, out of I know not what respects, to beti’ay all those that have ventm’ed their lives for them, I say it would be such an example as were not to be paralleled since the beginning of the world. Therefore I beseech you, my bretlu-en, let us lay this to heart, and the Lord make known to us all what is to be done in such a time as this, that we may not be “stripped naked, and set as in the day wherein we were born.”

“And make her as a wilderness, and set her like a cb’y land.” God would bring this people, who dwelt in the land of Canaan., flowing with milk and honey, and were, for the beauty which God had put upon them, “excellent for beauty,” now to be “as a wilderness.” In the former chapter, the state of the ten tribes was set out by Hosea’s wife, whose name was “Gomer,” and this Gomer was the “daughter of Dlblaim.” Gomer signifies perfection, and what Diblaim signifies I told you then. But there is another signification of this Diblaim, which we are to refer .to this expression of the Lord in this place, that he will “make her as a wilderness;” for you find, Ezek. vi. 14, that mention is made of a desolate country, and a “wilderness towards Diblath,” to which this that the prophet speaks of Gomer seems to have reference.

Diblath then, it appears, was a place where there was a very desolate wilderness, and Gomer was the daughter of this Diblath, &om whence Diblaim; that is, though the ten tribes were as Gomer, in regard of then- beauty, perfect, for so they were; yet she was the daughter of Diblath, or Diblaim, that is, she came forth out of a low and mean condition, and was even brought out of a wilderness; now she shall be brought again mto the same estate wherein she was, for I will set her ‘• as a wilderness.”

“As a wilderness.” The chm-ch of God is in itself God’s garden, Cant. iv. 12, “A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse.” It is the place of God’s delight, not a place for beasts to invade, but enclosed, they are to be kept out of it; a place where very precious fruits grow, which are very pleasing to God; a place that has the dew-, the showers of God’s blessing, “the dew of Hermon,” the dew “that descended upon the mountains of Zion; there God commanded his blessing, even life for evermore,” Psal. cxxxiii. 3. But now she must come to be “a wilderness.”

For, first, the hedge, the pale, the wall of God’s protection shall be taken away fi-om her, and she shall be laid open, liable for all wild beasts to come in and devour her. They loved liberty, and were loth to be enclosed, though it were in God’s garden, though it was with the pale and wall of God’s protection; well, seeing you wUl have liberty, you shall have liberty, and this pale and wall of my garden shall be taken away, and yom- condition shall be like the condition of the beasts in the wilderness.

Again, you shall be “as a wilderness.”^ There shall no good grow among you. No good thuig grew amongst you, that was your sin; and there shall no good grow among you, that shall be your plague and punishment. The blessing of God shall be taken away from you, you shall not have those showers of blessing as formerly you were wont to have, but you shall be “as a wilderness.” ‘• Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.” Why?” For he .shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when

good .Cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not

hiTwlSi? Vstib “^ idolaters; they are (by, unsavour)- they are destitute of all spiritual good. “And I will set her like a dry land.” af’ lidtvioJ ‘^’^’^ Scptuagint read it, I will order her as a diy land. Your sins bring you out of order; but God’s plagues order that which sin disorders. “As a dry land.” This is eontraiy to the blessing of the godly man, for he is said to be as the “tree planted by the rivers of waters,” Psal. i. 3. The gi-aces and comforts of God’s Spirit are compared to waters in the Scripture: “AH my springs are in thee,” Psal. Isxxvii. 7; all my comforts, all my gifts, all the graces that I have, are in thee. But now God will set them as a cby land, he will take away his gifts and their comforts from them, and so leave them waste and desolate. Obs. That sin is of a wasting nature: sin lays waste countries and places in which people live. We have a most remarkable place of Scri])tvn-e for that, Zech. vii. 14, “They laid the pleasant land desolate.” They; who are they? you shall find it, ver. 12, those that “made theu- hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the fonner prophets;” they made the pleasant land desolate. AVe not only blame those that strip and waste, but commence actions against them. O let us not lay waste this pleasant land, this good land of ours, this garden of the Lord. It is indeed as an Eden, as a paradise; our forefathers have left us this our land, as God’s garden; let not us, through oiu’ sins, leave it to our posterities as a wilderness, and a dry land. In Psal. cvii. 34, there is a thi-eatening that (3od will turn “a fruitful land into baiTenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.” Sin has heretofore laid waste as jjleasant and fruitful countries as om’s. Those who travel in GeiTuany, their hearts bleed within them to see the spots where famous towns have stood, now overgrown with nettles, and laid waste as a wilderness. And in this God acts after the manner of great kings, who, when their subjects obey them not, threaten to lay then’ countries waste, and to destrov thcLr cities. Ecclesiastical stories tell us of Theodosius, who laid gi-eat taxes upon the city of Antioch. at which the inhabitants were much grieved, and imagining, it seems, that the queen had a special hand in it, they pulled down the brazen statue of the queen, that was in the city, in anger. Upon this, Theodosius threatened to lay the city and country- waste, as a fruit of his displeasure. It IS a fruit of the anger of kings, accortUng to their power, to manifest it, not only upon particular men, but to lay whole countries waste. God is the great King, and he threatens this against his people for their sins, that he li ill lay them waste as a wilderness. God had rather that the wild beasts should cat up the good of the land, than that wicked, stubborn sinners should enjoy it: God had rather have a land imdcr his curse, to have nothing but thoms and briers brought forth of it, than that wicked wretches should jiartakc of the sweetness and fniit of it; for sin not only pollutes the sinner, but the land, and puts both the sinner and the land under a curse.

“And slay them with thirst.” In Psal. xxxvi. 8, we have a full expression of the ])lentiful provision of God’s ])Cople that dwell in the house of the Lord; “They shall be abundantlv satisfied with the fatness of thy house: and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.” Oh what a sweet promise to those that dwell in God’s house, and walk with God as hesecms those that are in his house! they shall have fatness, and drink of the river of his pleasures; but

here is threatened, that God will not only take away those rivers, but even (hops of water; they shall not have a drop to cool their tongues, but shall be slain with thirst. There was a time when God had such pity upon his people that he woidd cause water to gush out of the rock, rather than then- thii-st should not be satisfied; but now God threatens that he will make “the heavens as brass, and the earth as u-on;” and though a little water might sale then- lives, they should not have it, he will slay them with thii-st. Oh what an alteration does sin make in God’s administration of his ways towards us!

It Ls a great judgment thus to be slain with thirst. I knew a man once, lying in a burning fever, profess, that if he had all the world at his disposal he would give it all for one (h’aught of beer: at so low a rate is the world at such a time as that. K the want of a little beer or water to satisfy thirst for a little while, be so great a judgment, what is it for all good to be etemallv withdrawn from all the faculties! I have read that w hen Darius fled from his enemies, and being in great thirst, (though those kings had a delicate drink that was peculiar to them, which they called coaspis, and others, vcojp fiamliK6v,) he met with a duly puddle of water, with can-ion h-ing in it, but he drank very heartily of it, and professed, that it was the sw-eetes’t (b-aught that ever he drank. If a little dirty water can aftbrd so much comfort inM^m’S“-”’ when the faculties are in such a (hsposi- “nbiis inqoiuatimtion as fits them to draw comfort out of it, uliqlSip sT^ltUe oh, then, -nhat comfort and goodness arc qii’km’’™iBe”t’“”rt there in an infinite God, when he shall iiifSiinsbiSSt. communicate to his creature all that good which is communicable! and when all the faculties of soul and body shaD be in a fidl disposition to receive all the good that is communicated; and not put into a disposition by reason of want, but by reason of the excellency of the faculty- raised to such a height, and enlarged to receive what good God himself has to communicate to his creature.

But further, it is observable, though God brought them into a wilderness, and set them in a th-y land; yet if they might have some drink, though but water,” to refresh them in the wilderness, and in this dry land, it were not so much. Though they wei-e in a scorching country, in the wilderness, parched with heat, might they have but some refreshment there, the judgment were not so great; but they shall be in a wilderness, in a (b-y land, and there they shall be scorched with heat, and then God shall deny them all succom-. He will slay them w-ith thirst.

Obs. God bruigs wicked men into extremity, and there leaves them destitute of all succour. AVe have an excellent scripture for this, in Ezek. xxii. 20, “I will gather you in mine anger and in my fuiT;” and what then? “I will leave you there, and melt you,” saith God. This may be a comment upon this text, I will bring into the wildei-ness, and set them in a (b-y land, and slay them with thii-st. The saints may be brought into great extremity, but God leaves them not there. God makes their extremity his opportunity for mercv, he brings refreshing to them then. They never have more sweet refreshings from God than when they are in the greatest extremities in regard of trouble” and affliction. God promises that he will be ‘• a shadow for them in the day time from the heat, and for a i)lace of refuge, and for a covert from stoi-m and from ram,” Isa. iv. G. This is God’s peculiar mercy to the saints; jierha])s they have no shelter now, but when the storm comes they have a shelter then; and they have a shadow when the heat comes; in their extremity they have comfort. But it is otherwise with the wicked; the wicked perhajis mav have many slielters before the storm comes, hut when it arrives they ai-e destitute;

Vi;k. 4.

tliev may have many shady places before the heat comes, but -when it is felt they are left succom-less, then they are slain vdXh thu-st. When wicked men are in prosperity, there may come one blessing after another (I mean that which is in itself a blessing) heaped upon them, but when they come into adversity, when they have most need of comfort, they are left destitute.

This slaying “with thirst” is applied by some spiritually; I will bring a spu-itual famine upon them. When they shall be in a wilderness, in a dry land, when they .shall have most need of comfort for their souls, they shall be deprived of it. Many men, in the time of their health and prosperity, have sweet promises of the gospel revealed to them, many blessed manifestations of God’s free grace and goodness in his Chi’ist made kno-rni to them, but they sUght and disregard them. But when God brings them into the wilderness, and causes them to be under the torment of a scorching conscience, then perhaps they may long. Oh that I had one cb’op of water, one promise out of the word to comfort me! Oh that I might have but never so little refi-eshing! Oh that I might hear again those things I have heretofore heard and neglected! But then God may deny one drop of water to cool their scorching consciences, and slay then- souls with thirst at that time: and thus many poor creatures are slain with thirst, who so little regarded those rivers of consolation, which in the time of their prosperity they might have had.

Ver. i. Jnd I will not have inerci, upon her children, for they be the childreyi of uhoredoms,

T confess, at the fii’st view, looking upon this verse I thought I might quickly pass it over; the rather, because we had some such expressions in the former chapter, where God threatened that he would have no mercy upon them: but the Scripture is a vast depth, and there are many excellent treasures in it, there is always alinuid reviienlibus, something for those that come and look again, and this something will appear to be much more than before had been observed.

“And I will not have mercy.” This particle a)id has much in it, it is a most terrible and. This conjunction many times in Scripttu:e is as a pleonasm, and does not serve for much use; but in this place it is of great use, and is filled with terror, as full as it is possible for such a little particle to hold.

I know there may be many curious observations of particles and conjunctions; but we shall not meddle with any curiosity, but speak of that which is plain, and the intention of the Holy Ghost here. I say this and is most dreadful; mark the conjunction, you had four ands before: saith God, I will “strip her naked, and set her as in the day wherein she was born. a7id make her as a wilderness, and set her as a dry land, and slay her with thirst.” Is not here enough? O no, there comes a fifth, and that is more terrilile than all the former four; ‘■ And I will have no mercy upon her chikhen.” This adds terror to all the rest. Suppose that all the other foiu- had been executed, “I wUl strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and I will make her as a wilderness, and set her as a dry land, and slay her with thirst,” yet if there might be mercy in all this, then- condition had not been so miserable; but (saith God) I will do all these, “and I will not have mercy upon them.” O this has terror in it, impossible for the heart of a man that apprehends it to stand under.

And for the opening of this, I shall show you that all the former four, not only may stand with God’s mercy, but that they have stood with God”s mercy; that God had heretofore showed mercy to them when they were in the low conchtion in which they were born, when

they were in the wilderness, when they were in a dry land, yea, when he did slay them, he showed mercy unto them. But now he saith, he will do thus and thus, and show no mercy unto them. So that then, though this and be conjunctive in grammar, yet in divinity it is a disjmictive, and a most dr-eadful disjunctive, to pai-t them and mercy asunder, yea, to part many of them and mercy eternally asunder. To show you, therefore, that in the fom- former God showed them mercy; and that this is a more di-eadful condition in which God wUl show them no mercy, — observe.

First, “In the day wherein they were born,” they were “cast out in the open field,” and they were “in then- blood,” and “not washed,” and the like: but mark, “I passed by thee, and looked upon thee; behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skii-t over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine,” Ezek. xvi. 8. Here are the highest and fullest expressions of God’s grace; first, “I looked upon thee,” and then, “the time was a time of love,” and then, “I spread my skirt over thee, and I entered into covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine:” here are all these expressions of mercy, at that time when they were cast out as forlorn in the open field, and no eye pitied them; but now they are threatened to be cast out into the field again, and no eye to pity them in heaven or in earth; no, nor the eye of God to pity them: now God threatens to cast them off for ever, so that he will see them in then- blood, but it shall be no more a time of love, but a time of WTath, and he will no more enter into covenant with them, neither shall they be his.

Secondly, When God brought them into the wilderness, he there showed them mercy: see Deut. xxxii. 10, “He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness;” but mark, “he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.” Though they were in a waste howling wilderness, yet they were as dear to God “as the apple of his eye.” Yea further, ver. 11, “As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wuigs, so the Lord alone did lead him.” Paulus Fagius, citing Rabbi Solomon upon this verse, observes, The eagle carries her young ones not as other birds, for other birds carry their young ones in their claws, the eagle bears hers upon her wings; and this is the reason, because the eagle is more tender of her young ones than other birds are; why? for the other birds carrj-ing their young ones in their claws, if any shoot at them, they hit the young ones and kill them first, and may miss the old one, but the eagle can’ies hers upon her wings, that whoever shoots her young ones, they must shoot through her fii’st. So saith God, I cai’ried you in the wilderness, as the eagle carries her young ones upon her wings, that if any shoot at you to hurt you, they must shoot tlu’ough me before they can come at you. This was God’s mercy to them when they were in the waste howling wilderness; here is not such an and.

Thirdly, God brought them into a dry land. In this wUderness they wanted water, yet (though they were ready to mmTiiur) “he made them suck honey out of the i-ock, and oil out of the flinty rock,” Deut. xxxii. 1.3. You will say. When did God make them suck honey out of the” rock? we read indeed, that water gushed out of the rock in a ch-y land, but here the Scripture speaks, that “he made them suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock.” Clu-ysostom, speaking upon God’s making them suck honey and oil out of the rock, remarks: Not, saith he, that indeed honey or oil came out of the rock, but because they being in the wilderness, and in such great want, the water that came out of the rock was to them as

Chai’. II.

sw’eet and delightful, as if it had been honey or oil. Thence he gathers, that want and necessity will make every thing very sweet and comfortable, water will be as honey and oil to them that want. When you are at your full tables, this wine pleases you not,’ and that beer gratifies you not; but if you were in necessity, water would be as wine, it would be as honey and oil to you.

Yea, but what say you to the fourth and, “He will slay them with thirst? “Can you show us any place wherein God slew his people, yet showed mercy to them P Yes, I can. There is a place where it is “said, God slew his people, yet at that veiy time he showed abundance of mercy to them; God came with his sword in his hand, yet with abundance of compassion in his heart. The scripture is Psal. lxxviii. 34, 35, “Alien he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and inquired early after God, and they remembered that God was their rock, and the high “God their redeemer.” “Well, “they sought him;” and “they remembered” this, that ‘“’ the high God was their redeemer;” but did God redeem them at that time? Yes; ver. 38, “He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquitv, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his WTath;” or, as the old translation has it. He called back his anger, lyhich here ho will not do. He -was “full of compassion,” and “forgave then- iniquity,” and called back his anger, though he slew them at that time. He denies to do so here, he lets out his anger to the full, and will not call it back; “I will have no mercy upon them.” And it is observable, that the psalm declares before that, they did but flatter God with their mouth: though they did but flatter God with their mouth, yet such ■^vas God’s mercy toward Ihcm, that he called back his anger. My brethi-en, God has a high esteem of his worship in a nation; though it should be but external, (but ■n-e must not rest in that.) yet external humiliation and worshipping of God in a nation, has been effectual to deliver them from external judgments. Therefore we have much cause to be encouraged, in that God stirs up our nation at this day, and those particularly who are going in that expedition and ser-ice for the “kingdom, to worship him. Our adversaries come against them with oaths and curses, and they go against them with fasting and prayer, not externally only, but we hope many of them internally, and thousands’ that join with them in our nation. And if God will show so much mercy to them ■n’hen they did but flatter him with tlieu- mouth, surely, when there are so many true worshippers of him, yea, those that are the instruments of the work, we have much cause to thinlt that God will show mercy to us, and that if anger were come out against us, yet “God will call it back.

Thus then we sec, that so long as God’s people be God’s people, though they may be brought to great troubles, yet still there is ‘mercy for them; so long as the knot is between God and “them, and they arc in covenant, there is mercy for them. But now when they are cast off, there comes an avcl, I will do thus and thus, bring them into those extremities, and I will show no mercy to them, there shall be judgment without mercy.

064’. The oljservation then from hence is.AMien God comes upon the mckcd with wrath, he comes with pure ln-ath. wrath without mixture of mercy; and this is intolerable. “We have a remarkable passage in Ezek. vii. 5, “An c il, an only eil, behold, is come.” Mark, there may come an evil to the people of God, that which materially is evil, but it can never be said of God’.s people, that an evil, an only evil, is coming; if an evil come, there comes a great good with that eli: but ujion the wicked an evil, and an only evil, is coming. God tlu-eatens, Psal. lxxv. 8, that he ‘has “a cup” in his hand, “full of mixture;” the mixture is an aggravation of the wrath in it: but here there is a cup in God’s hand without mixture, and the want of mixture is the aggravation of the evJl of this cup.

1. AVhen wrath is pme, then it is grown beyond anger, and gi-own to hatred. So long as it is but mere anger, it admits of mixture of love, but when once it is (as we may speak) gro^ii to that height of somness, that all the mixture of love is gone, then it is turned to hatred. There was a time when Israel spake in a murmuring way, that God brought them into the wilderness because he hated them, Deut. i. 27. But now God threatens to bring them mto the wilderness, and to hate them indeed, according to Hosea ix. 15, “All their wickedness is in Gilgal, for there I hated them.” David prays, Psal. vi. 1, that God ■n’ould not “rebuke him in his anger, neither chasten him in his hot displeasure;” but what then? “Have mercy upon me, O Lord.” So long as God shows mercy, he does not chasten in his sore displeasure; but when God comes with afflictions, and denies mercy, then he comes in sore displeasure indeed, it is hatred.

2. AVhen God comes without mercy, he comes upon the wicked in the most unseasonable time for them. That is the difference betmxt the evils that come upon the godly and the wicked. There may be esils (that materially are so) upon the godly, yet they shall come upon them when it shall be seasonable for them; but when they come upon the wicked, it shall be when they are most unseasonable for them. As a husbandman, if he would cut his tree so as only to lop it that it ma)- grow and flourish again, he mil be sure to do it in due time, as in January or Febi-uaiy, but if he would cut it that it may die, he will lop it when it flourisheth most, at midsummer. God indeed lets wicked men grow up and flourish to the height of theii- prosperity, and then he lops them, because then he knows they must die and perish. It were better to be lopped in January, in winter time before you flourish, then you may live for yom- good; but if you stay tiU the summer, you die for it. You have an excellent scripture, Zeph. ii. 4, “They shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day.” In those countries where the sun was exceedingly hot and scorching, shepherds, and others who had theii- business abroad, used to keeji within then- houses at noon day, or get into some shady places and sleep. Now when God threatens a judgment in wTath, and denies mercy, he saith, “They shall di-ive out Ashdod at noon day,” in the worst time that Ashdod can be driven out, in the midst of scorching. Because God intended to. destroy them, he drives them out at noon day.

3. “VATien God comes upon the wicked and denies mercy, he regards not the proportion of any aflftiction or any elil; whether it be enough or not enough for them, what is that to him? “VMien he comes upon his own people he weighs out his WTatli. Never did any skilful apothecary more carefully weigh even” ilram of the potion which is to be given to a child, than God weighs out everv affliction which he sends upon his children. The difference is, just as if you should go to the apothecary’s to take ratsbane to poison vermin; you do not weigh out how much you shoidd take, but give them it at an adventm-e, and let them take as much as they will, and die: but if you take any thing for your child, if it have any strong virtue in it. or without com- ))osition may poison, you will take heed not to take a di’am or a grain too much, but will be sure to weigh it out exactly. Thus, though when God comes to his childi’cn, he weighs out their afflictions, yet when he comes with judgments upon the wicked, he cares not how much, how many or great they be, whether suitable to their conditions or no, whether they can bear them or no, whether their backs break or no; he comes with judgments u])on them to destroy them.

4. AAlicn affliction comes without mercy upon the

Vkk. 4.

wicked, God stops his ears at tlieii- cries. If they cry when God comes -with judgments against them, he calls their crying howling; he tells them, though they cry aloud, yea, cry -svith tears, he will not hear them, Hos. vii. 14; Ezek. viii. 18.

5. God commands all creatures that they shall deny help to them. They may stand and be amazed, but help them they cannot. They all say, How can we help, seeing God helps not?

6. There is the curse of God mixed with every judgment to ch-ive them further from God, and to harden them more in then- sins.

7. One judgment is but the making way for another; yea, all judgments in this woi-ld are but the forerunners of eternal judgments. This is the poi-tion of the cup of the wicked, when God saith he will show them no mercy. The afflictions of the saints may seem to be more grievous outwardly, but thus God never afflicts them, there is mercy always for them. “V^lierefore, all ye saints of God who are under any affliction at any time, be patient and contented under it, for though your afflictions are sore and grievous, yet God delivers you from such afflictions as these, wherein he saith he will show no mercy.

“I will not have mercy upon her childi-en.” “Her children.” -The judgment of God in punishing the sin of the fathers upon the children, we spoke somewhat of in the chapter before; we will wholly let that pass now, and only consider childi-en politically, for certainly that is the meaning of the text; “I will not have mercy upon her children,” that is, I will not have mercy upon the particular people that belong to Jezreel. Private persons are called the daughters of Jerusalem, the daughters of such a country. So that the whole community together, with the officers and governors, are as the mother, and private persons are as the children. So that when God saith he wUl have no mercy upon her chikben, he not only tlii’eatens the state and the chm-ch, the governors and the whole community thus, but he threatens every particular person of them. Though you that are in the multitude perhaps think you may escape in the crowd; No, saith God, I wUl look to every one of the private and particular persons of Israel, and my wrath shall not only come out against those that are in higher place, but it shall come out against you also, I will slay her childi“en. It is tiiie, indeed, the heads and governors of places are usually most involved in the guilt of the sins of nations, and their judgments are usually most di-eadful when God comes with national judgments; as Numb. xxv. 3, 4, “Israel joined herself to Baal-Peor, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord, against the sun.” The Lord’s anger was kindled against the people, but he bade Moses especially look to the heads, and take them and hang them up before the Lord, that the fierce anger of the Lord might be tm-ned away from Israel. Certainly execution of wrath upon such as have been heads in elil, is a sacrifice exceedingly well pleasing to God. But though God aim at them especially in national judgments, yet private persons must not think to escape; and that upon these grounds.

Fii-st, Because for their sins God often suffers their governors to do so much evil as they do. As Israel had sinned, and God was wToth with Israel, therefore David did what he did in numbering the people. When you see yom- governors do that which is naught, lament for your own sins; do not spend your time only in ci-)’ing cut against them, but look to yourselves, it is for yom- sins that God has left them to do as they have done.

Secondly, The reason why governors do not refoim, may be the perverseness of people, that they are not in

a preparation to receive that good which, otherwise, our governors had in then- hands and hearts to accomplish. As 2 Chron. xx. 33, “Howbeit the high places were not taken away:” why? “for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of then- fathers.” Should they have pulled down the high places? No; but they should have been in a preparation for the pulling of them down. Certamly this is the great cause why our high places are not pulled down, why reformation has gone on no better than it has, and why we have so much evil remaining amongst us, because the people have not prepai’ed theii- hearts, are not in a cUsposition to receive the mercy that om* governors have hearts to bring to us. They have hearts to work for us, but when we speak to them of what is fit to be done, their answer is. But is England in a fit disposition to receive such a thing? So that the truth is, although you are ready to blame yom- governors, and to say. They have power in their hands, why do they not reform things? yet the guilt, in great part, devolves upon the people, they are not in a fit disposition to receive such reformation; therefore God threatens the childi-en, the people, here.

Again, further. It may be that the governors who are evil, are so much encouraged and abetted in that which is evil by you; though you do it not, yet you so much encourage them that the guilt redounds upon you.

Yea, lastly. If you obey them in any thing that is exil, the guilt devolves upon you, for you should not do it, but rather obey God than man. Jlany think to make this their plea, they are commanded to do thus, and governors would have them do it, and it is a law, and the like; and they think upon this plea they may do any thing in the world. This will not secure you, God may come with judgment without mercy upon the chilcb-en, as well as upon the mother. And if God’s vrxa.Xh should come in national judgments against England, let the people know that they are likely to smart most dreadfully, for never was there a time in our days, nor in om- forefathers’ daj-s, that so much depended upon the people as at this day; never were they called to afford such help as they are now. So that the people now may have reformation and blessings, if it be not thi-ougli their own fault. As in Cant. vii. 1, the church is described in her beauty, and it begins at her feet, “How beautiful are thy feet!” And in Cant. V. 11, Cluist is described in his beauty, and it begins at the head, “His head is as the most fine gold.” God sometimes makes use of the people to be great means, and perhaps the beginning of means, to bring beauty to the church, though they cannot perfect it. Heretofore private persons could do little; alas, they were under gi’ievous oppressions, they knew not how to help themselves. !^Ian)’ men that had pm’ses, and strength, and heads, and heails, and all, knew not what to do, but make their moan one to another, and to Heaven; but now it is otherwise, you may do somewhat besides making your moan one to another, yea, besides making youi- moan to Heaven: you that have piu’ses may see ways to employ them for the public good, for religion, for liberty; you that have strength of body may know what to do; you that have parts, you are called to help, you may join together for good, and the good of your countrj-, you may do much more than heretofore could be done. ‘^1ierefore now, if you should desert the cause of God, and those you have trusted, you must expect the most dreadful -nTath of God upon the people, and that without mercy, that ever was upon any nation since the beginning of’ the world; for never any nation had more depending upon the people, than there is at this day upon the people of England. Consider it, and oh that all the people of the land did but know what God would have them to do in such a time as this!

“1 will not have mercy upon her children;” upon

pai-ticular private persons in the society. One note more upon that, It is a dangerous thing for men in any society to do as the most do. If they be in a civil society, or in a church, to give their votes, and to act as the greater part act, without any examination, is dangerous. For though the community may do that which is evil, you shall not be excused by saying, “Miy, what could I help it, when the most did the same? God comes upon private and jjarticular men, upon the children, even every one of them: and why?

“For they are the children of whoredoms;” that is, either passively or actively: passively, because they were begotten of whoredoms, and brought up, their education had been in whoredom, they had it from their parents: or else they are “the children of whoredoms” actively, they live in the same whoredoms their mother did. From hence,

OLs. 1. There is little hope of children who are educated wickedly. If the dye have been in the wool, it is -hard to get it out of the cloth. If evil principles have been dropped into children, there is little hope of them for good, especially of those children who have been brought up in ways of superstition and idolatry, their hearts being so defiled and hardened in superstitious and idolatrous ways, that they seldom come to any good. Therefore that which has been ])roposed is very good, namely, to take the chikh-en of pajiists, and to bring them up in the education and knowledge of the truth.

06*. 2. This shall not excuse childi-en, though they be ‘• children of whoredoms.” It is no excuse for them to say, they had it from theii- parents, and they did as their parents have done, and as they commanded them, and according as they brought them up. for the wrath of God Cometh u])on “the children of disobedience.” Then what a mercy is it for us to be brought up in the truth; to have parents that profess the truth, and for our education to be in the way of truth! It is a mercy of which we do not consider to give God the glory. How dangerous is it to have superstitious, idolatrous parents, and to have such kind of education! If they have Turks, or Jews, or papists to their j)arcnts, and such education, it is not one of ten thousand that alters his religion. Therefore it is likely our contlition would have been the same, if God had not ordered it, that our parents should be such as profess the truth, and our education be according to the truth. Bless God for this. And you that are parents, look to your childi-en, and bi-ing them up in the truth. Chikben who have gracious principles dro])]icd into them, and watered by prayers and tears, there is hope of them; and not of them alone, but of the nation where they live.

Obs. 3. AV’hen God’s judgments are abroad in the world, let “the chikb’en of whoredoms “look to it, God threatens” he will have no mercy u])on them, for they are the children of whoredoms.” They are the butt of God’s WTath when his judgments come. God saith in Isa. xxvii. 4, “Fury is not in me,” that is, it is not in me toward my saints; though I cojne out in fury, yet it is not in me towards them. AVhat then? “Who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would bimi them together.” ■When my wrath comes against the briers and thorns, I will go through them and bm-n them together; but toward my children,” fiuy is not in me.’’ AMien God’s wrath is abroad in the world, let not the children of the bride-chamber fear, but let the ehikh-cn of whoredcmis tremble. Let briers and thorns fear, but not the fruitftil trees in God’s garden. God’s judgments know how to make a difference between men, they are distinguiphing things when they come abroad: God sends not his judgments hand over head, but puts into them a distinguishing quality. God bas a chamber of rest and safety for his people, wherein lie will hide them till

his indignation be oveqjast; but for the children of whoredoms, superstitious, idolatrous, wicked, and ungodly people, they are the people of God’s indignation, they are like Idumea, the people of God’s curse, as you have it in Isa. xxxiv. 5.

There are a people this day amongst us who are certainly the people of God’s curse, and let them look to it well. Kev. xiv. 8, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen,” saith an angel; and mark what follows, ver. 9, 10, ‘• And the third angel followed them, saying, with a loud voice. If any man worship the beast and bis image, and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand, the same shall (b’ink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is pom-ed out without mixture into the cup of his indignation.” According to this text, God will have no mercy, they shall (b’ink of the wine of the wrath of God, without mixture of any mercy at all. And fm-ther, ‘• He shall be tormented with fii-e and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” Here is a di’eadful threat against such as follow the ways of that great whore of Babylon. Blessed are they that in these times have testimony in their own consciences, that it has been their care above all things to draw themselves out from the guilt of all superstitious and idolatrous vanities, and to keep themselves, according to the light that God has tUscovered to them, pure from the pollutions of that man of sin. Blessed, I say, are these, they need not fear this day; but for those who have involved themselves in the guilt of those pollutions, they have need to himible their souls before God, and to ciy mightily, for wrath is going out against the children of whoredoms. It is not meant only of hell hereafter, but of judgment even in this world. And above all times that have been since antichrist began, it is a most desperate thing to be a papist in these days, because now is the time for God to make these cliikben of whoredoms the very butt of his WTath and indignation.

We hear of wars, and rumours of wars: my brethren, keep your hearts chaste to God, and fear not, for God has another manner of people to deal with than you; you shall be sealed fb’st, before the WTath come out. Though I cannot excuse you altogether from suffering some afflictions, these children of whoredoms may bring some trouble upon the saints for the present, yea, jierhaps some of you may have yom- blood spilt, but God has mercy to bestow upon you: but for them there is wrath, and wrath without mixture, God saith he wUl have no mercy upon the children of whoredoms.

Let such as are going forth then in the service of religion and liberty, go forth with courage and undauntedness of spbit; why? for they fight against none but those whom God fights against. Wio are they, but those who have showed themselves fighters against God, most abominable swearers and blasphemers, such as make no other use of the light of the gospel, but to scorn and contemn it; such as are open despisers of God and his truth, and of his jicople? Certainly, if there be a cursed generation upon the face of the earth, these arc the people, whose mouths are full of curses; and God’s curse is upon them, who are so full of cursings themselves. If there be any of you here that are now going, or hereafter may go forth in this service, yoiu- spirits should rise with indignation against suc’n monsters upon earth, and go against them as David against Goliath, AVhat! shall this uncircumciscd Philistine defy the host of the living God? Thus vour hearts should rise if you have any love to God and his truth; Shall a company of cursed monsters, that do nothing but blaspheme, and curse, and swear, and defy God, and

THE PROPUECY OF HOSEA.

his servants, and his tabernacle, aiiJ worship; shall these uncircumcised Philistines go on thus, defying God and his truth >. If you have the hearts of men within you, especially of Christians, methinks you shoidd not be able to bear it, but go forth against them with fulness of spii-it and resolution. Certainly, God will make them a prey to you; they are such as not only have put off Christianity, and are become atheists, but they have put off all kind of humanity, and are rather tui-ned monstrous beasts, or devils. Fear them not, though their hearts be full of pride and rage, and though they boast never so much what they are, or what they have done, or what they will do; I say, fear them not, for this is part of the curse of God upon them, that though God fights against them, they will not see it, they shall not see it because God intends to destroy them; though judgments are out against them, yet they wUI not repent. You find divers times in the book of the Revelation, that those who followed antichrist, though they were tormented, and all the judgments of God were against them, yet they repented not. Rev. ix. 21; xvi. 9, 11. This, I say, is the curse of God upon such, God will not give them repentance unto life, for they are the childi’en of whoredoms, upon ■n-hom God intends to have no mercy: therefore the higher their rage rises, the higher your hearts should rise against them.

Ver. 5. For their yiwlher hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefullij: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give vie my bread and my icater, my ivoot and my flax, mine oil and my drink.

“Their mother,” that is, the state and the church, for they were both involved in one, “hath played the harlot.” This “for” has reference two ways; either it may have reference to those words, “I will not have mercy upon them,” for not only they are defiled with whoredoms, but theu- mother also, she has played the hai-lot: or secondly, it has reference only to the latter part, “they are the children of whoredoms, for their mother hath played the harlot:” either it refers to the reason why God will not have mercy upon them, because their mother hath played the harlot; or to the reason why they are the chikben of whoredoms, for theii’ mother hath played the harlot. And from both these references we have very usefid observations.

Obs. 1. God cannot endm-e a succession in wickedness. I will not have mercy upon them, “their mother hath played the harlot,” and they are children of whoredoms themselves, there is a succession of wickedness among them, and that I cannot bear. The ground is, because those that keep up a succession of wickedness from the mother to the clulcben downward, are guilty of all the wickednesses that went before them in that line: else, how can that be understood, where Christ saith he will require all the blood from Abel to Zaoharias upon that generation, but because they, continuing in that way of sin, kept up the succession of that sm; and so that generation was guilty of all the sins of that kind that went before, even unto Abel. The father is a whoremonger, and the child proves to be one too, and so it descends; the child is not only guUty of his ovra sin, but of his father’s, and of his grandfather’s, and of all that land of sin committed before, even up to the beguming of the world; why? because he keeps up the succession of that sin in the world. This is a most terrible thing to consider, enough to wound the strongest heart in the world, especially of those that know they have had wicked parents.

Obs. 2. Children usually follow the example of their parents. “For their mother hath played the harlot,” is assigned as the reason why the are children of

whoredoms. It is a usual thing where there are profane parents, to have profane children; if the parents swear, to have swearing children; if parents be superstitious, to have superstitious childi-en; if parents be scorners at religion, to have children scoruers too. That new nick-name brought against the godly in room of the former, is as frequent in the mouths of children as in others, because chilch’cn follow then’ fathers. 2 Kings ii. 23, when Elisha the prophet was going up to Bethel, “there came forth little chdcben out of the city, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald-head; go up, thou bald-head.” The thing that I note it for is this, that not only the children did it, and so were destroyed, (for two she-bears came out of the wilderness, and tare forty-two of them,) but what chikbeii were they? If you observe the text, you find that they were the childi’en of Bethel; and what place was that? one of the places where the cahes were set up, a place of much superstition, and the childi’en were as superstitious as their parents. A place that had the name. The house of God; but no jilace degenerated more from the name than it, it was a Beth-aven, a house of vanity and wickedness. The place was most superstitious, and its children were those who scorned at the prophet. Again, the prophet saith, Jer. vii. IS, “The chiltbcn gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead then’ dough: “the children joined, you see. Pelagius thought that there was no sin came into the world, but by children imitating then’ parents. Certainly, imitation is of great power and force to prevail with the hearts of chikben. You that are wicked parents, had need look to what you do before your chikb’en. He that sins before a child, especially a parent, sins doubly, for a child will be ready to imitate it. “JueKspre“” ^Vhat! wUl you not only sin against God, and be enemies unto him, but will you leave a succession, part of yourselves, to blaspheme God after you are dead? Suppose, parents, you had a plague-sore upon you, would you go amongst your chilch’en and breathe upon them? This cruelty is much worse: will you go into your families, and breathe infection into yom’ chilcben, and so make them like you, and guilty of your sins, and of the plagues of God together with you? O cruel parents!

On the other hand, as they were chikken of whoredoms, because “theu- mother hath played the harlot,” why then should not childi-en be gracious and godly, who have gracious and gocUy parents? Why should it not be said. This child is a godly child, for his mother was a gracious woman, his father was a godly man? Children, let this be your encomium, Y’ou are godly and gracious chikben, because you had godly and gracious parents; this will be yoiu’ honour before the saints. But how vile is it, when it may be said. Here is a wicked wretch, yet he had a godly father and mother; here is an unclean and filthy liver, yet he had gracious parents! It is no wonder to say. This man is filthy, for his father was unclean, and his mother was a harlot; but to look upon one and say, Here is an adulterer, yet his father was a godly, gracious man; here is a harlot, yet her mother was a holy woman: oh how vile is this! The reverend Mr. Bolton, upon his death-bed, called his chikb-en to come to him, and thus addi-essed them, “I do believe not one of you will dare to meet me at the tribunal of Christ in an um-egenerate condition.” You that are evil chilcben of godly parents, let me, in their names, speak to you: AVith what face do you think you shall dare to nieet your godly father and gracious mother before the judgment-seat of Chi-ist Jesus? at that day, if yom- godly father stand at the right hand of Chi-i’st, how can you appear before that face in the guUt of those horritjle wickednesses in w’hich you now live? Certainly, the thought of this has power to daunt your hearts.

“She hath done slramefully.” The word rnr»3in is in Hi])hil, and may be translated transitively, she hath made ashamed, as well as done shamefully; and by some it is thus interpreted, she has made ashamed her husband, she has made ashamed her chOdien, she has made ashamed herself: and all these three may be meant; yea, I conceive the intent of the Holy Ghost is to express them all.

Her husband first. The church is the spouse of Jesus Christ; Christ is the husband of the church; and you know the Scripture saith that ‘■ the woman is the glory of the man;” so the church, being the spouse of Christ, should be the glory of Christ. The woman should be the glory of the man, but yet, being wicked, she makes her husband ashamed. The evil of the wife is a shame to the husband; so the evU of the church is a shame to Jesus Christ. The chiurch in Scripture is called the glory of Chi-ist: If “our brethren be inquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Clu-ist,” 2 Cor. viii. 23. “Upon all the glory shall” be a defence,” Isa. iv. 5. It should be so; but when it is defiled it shames Christ, its wickedness reflects upon Chiist. Chi’ist is said to “walk in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks,” Rev. ii. 1. Every- chm-ch is a candlestick, and it should be a golden candlestick: but if it be a filthy and rusty candlestick, it is a dishonour to Christ who walks amongst them. Wicked men do not shame Clu’ist, but the godly do. Mv brethren, let us take heed of that; it is an evU thing to bring shame to ourselves and one another, but to bring a shame upon Jesus Clu’ist is the greatest eli.. Many of you perhaps are ashamed of Christ, take heed that you be not a shame to Christ. They are ashamed of Christ that are ashamed to appeal- in the cause of Christ; but as for you that are so, Christ has more cause to be ashamed of you, for you ai’e a shame to him. I cannot deny, but many chmches of God of late have brought shame to Jesus Christ by their dissensions and fractions. They have taken shame to themselves, and have acknowledged it to the glory of Christ, and thus, in some measure, have washed off that shame which they have brought to Christ.

Again, wicked parents are a shame to their childi-en. “WTien a child appears in a place, and is luiown to be very hopeful, some who knew his family say, I wonder to see him so forward, for his father is a drunkard, and his mother of a lile and malignant spirit: how the child is ashamed to hear of the evil of his f;ither, and of the evil of his mother! As foolish children arc a shame to their parents, so %rickpd parents are a shame to theiichildren. You that ha-le gi-acious childi-pn, take heed you be not a shame to them, and so a shame to youi — selves.

And then a shame to herself. “She hath played the harlot: she hath done shamefully.” Wherein had she done shamefully? I lrill only mention one particular. Her shame was especially in subjecting religion to carnal policy. For what was the gi-eat sin of the ten tribes? It was this, the)- were afraid, if they went up to Jerusalem to worship, the people would then depart from the house of Jeroboam to the house of David, therefore out of political regards they would have worship set up at Dan and Bethel; there they would have cahes, and they would not go up to Jei-usalem, the jilnce which God had appouited for worship. This was a mere politic fetch, for they could not but acknowledge that God required them to worship at Jerusalem where the temple was. Here then they did shamefully.

Obs. 1. For govei-nors, or any other persons, to subject religion to policy is a shameful tJimg. (1.) It is .shameful to make religion an underling, and to make pohcy the head. Perhaps they call this wisdom, prudent conduct. We must, say they, be careful and wise to foresee inconveniences that may follow. But what

if God give it another name? God may give it a name of base temporizing, a name of folly and wickedness. To subject religion to poHcy is shamefid, because it abases that which is the gi-eat hoiioiu- of any country-, and makes it an underUng. “ATiat is the excellency man but religion? what is the excellency of a count i. but religion? and what has England been glorious for more than for religion? Now to put an excellent thing under an inferior, is to put the croAA-n, which is for the head, imder one’s foot: although a thing has in itself but little excellency, if it be brought beneath itself under other things which have not so great an excellency in them, it makes it vile.

(2.) Shameful, because it holds forth this, that we dare not ti-ust God for our cUil estate, and for our peace, therefore religion must come under.

(3.) Shamefid, because it is gross folly; for there ino such way to breed disturbance, or to tmdo a state, as to make religion an underling to pohcy. Was it not so here? That verj- way which they took to uphold their pohcy, was the way to destroy their state; and did desti-oy it at last. Wiat cause had they then to be i ashamed, when God took that by which they thought I to help themselves, and made that the very- thing that caused their ruin! And certauily it will be so; they that use the most deep and poHtic artifices, if they think to seem-e themselves, and preserve their peace, by the principle, that religion must come under, God will ] make them ashamed one way or other, it will be the ’ only way to undo themselves and us. In matters of religion some commands are aftu-mative precepts; these, though they ligare semper, yet not ad semper, there is not a necessity that at every time and mstant they should be urged; so that a people may be in such a frame that men cannot but by degrees bring in a reformation, and then it is not carnal pohcy to bring in such ways of God graduaDy, as are commanded by affirmative precepts: but negative precepts bind seviper and ad semper; and the state must see, that they do nothing against Christ out of jiohcy, that they do not hinder the gospel of Cluist by any positive law; for though Chiist may be willing to forbear some ordinances for a time, and out of mercy to a people, and I will have mercy and not sacrifice, yet he will never allow any tiling done against him m that time. If, out of any state pohcy to preserve peace, or to gi-atify an evil party, they sacrifice any part of religion, or any godly person, Christ accounts this a shameful thing’; and whoever does so will be ashamed of it at the last. Now, my brethren, why should not God be trusted? Let us look at religion in the first place, and pray that those who are reformers, who have power in their hands, may never prove guilty of puttmg religion under pohcy. When Joshua had brought the people of Israel over Jordan, which you know was the begmning of their entrance into Canaan, they were to encounter all their enemies. You may imagine, that when Joshua had passed the river, Israel might suppose that all the eounti-y woidd be about then- ears. One woidd think, that pohcy would have taught them to lay aside all thoughts of religion then, and to look to their enemies who were at hand; If ever they are outrageous it will be now, therefore now let us mind nothing but arming ourselves against them. But mai-k, God goes another way to work; as soon as they were gone over Jordan, and were upon the borders ot the land of Canaan, they must circumcise themselves, and when they were circumcised they could not fight. Simeon and Levi destroyed a whole city when tney were circumcised, because they w-ere not then able to fight or defend themselves, but lay at the mercy of their enemies. But this was God’s wisdom. Nay further, they must keep the passover too, they must mind and attend to religion: and mark the latter end of the chapter, that after they had been cuxumcised and kept the passover, then appeareth one to Joshua with a di-awii sword, and <iaith, “I am the Captain of the host of the Lord.” ‘Die Captain of the Lord’s host appeared to fight for them when they had obeyed; whereas, had they neglected cuxumcision and the passover, and thought of fighting only, they might have missed the Captain of the Lord’s host to have fought for them, and what would have become of them then? So you see, God would have us mind religion in the most dangerous times; and though we think we must mind our peace and safety, and lay oiu- hands upon our swords for omdefence, yet let us be careful of om- religion, and then we shall have a Captain of the Lord’s host come and fight for us.

In Mark viii. 15, we are charged to take heed of two sorts of leaven, “the leaven of the Pharisees, and the leaven of Herod.” The leaven of the scribes and Pharisees is cori-uption m chiu’ch afi’airs; the leaven of Herod is corruption in religion, in bringing the things of God under the affau’s of the state: for in this Herod was like Jeroboam, he was afraid of his kingdom, as Jeroboam was; he had many ways and plots to keep himself in that kingdom, as Jeroboam had; and many cleaved to Herod in his plots, as Israel clave to Jeroboam in his; therefore says Christ, Take heed not only of the leaven of the scribes and Pharisees, but of the leaven of Herod. And it may be, the Lord saw us too prone to ways of sinful compliances, even ready to have sacrificed much of his worship and many of his saints, for obtaining peace ui the state, and so to have fallen off from that reformation that both God and his people expected; hence he has taken the work uito his own hands; he will bring about his ovra work, though it maycost us dear, who knows how much blood?

Obs. 2. That sin, but especially whoredom, is a shameful thing. Prov. xiii. 5, “A wicked man is loathsome, and Cometh to shame.” Prov. xiv. 34, ■’ Sm is a reproach to any- people.” Sui, of its own nature, let it be what it will, is shameful. All sin brings a man beneath the excellency of a man, it is conti-aiy to the image of God m man, to that wherein ti’ue honour, beauty, gloiy, consist. It makes men vile: Dan. xi. 21, “And in his estate shall stand up a ile person.” ■^Mio was that? It was, according to interpreters, Antiochus Epiphanes, the great king of AssjTia, and yet a vile person. Josephus tells us, when the Samaritans were in danger of suffering from him, because he thought them to be Jews, they wrote to him in this manner. To Antiochus the might)’ god; and his very epithet, Epiphanes, is in English ‘as much as illustrious, Antiochus the illustrious, the famous, bright in his glory. He that was so illustrious and gi-eat a prince, as to be addressed as the might)- god, yet in Scriptm-e language, being wicked, is “a ^-ile person.” It is a special mark of one that is fit to dwell in God’s mountain, Psal. XV. 4, that he is able to see the vileness of sin through all the glory of the world; “in whose eyes a vile person is contemned.” Sin is a shame, because it deceives a man: ‘■ The way of the wicked shall deceive him.” “What fruit had ye then of those things, whereof ye are now ashamed?” It is a good sign of gi’ace, to be able to see into the deceits of sin, so as to be ashamed of it. But, though all sin be shameful, yet whoredom especially, and that either bodily or spuitual.

First, bodily. The expression of shamefulness, though it especially aims at then- idolatry, yet has its rise from bodily whoredom; if that were not shameful, the expression coidd not be appropriate, that .she had played the harlot, and done shamefidly. Prov. vi. 32, 33, ““WTioso committeth adultery with a woman, laeketh understanding, he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. A wound and dishonoiu- shall he get; and his reproach ihall not be wiped away.” It makes one to be as one

of the fools in Israel: “And I,” (saith Tamar, when Amnon defiled her,) “whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel,” 2 Sam. xiii. 13. Amnon, though a king’s son, yet by his uncleanness makes himself as one of the fools in Israel. Deut. xxiii. 18, “Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the Lord;” they are joined together, for Scriptiu’e makes those to be dogs who are unclean and filthy. When Ishbosheth charged Abner with the sin of uncleanness, 2 Sam. iii. 8, “Am I a dog“s head,” saith he, “that thou chargest me to-day with a fault concerning this woman?” Many adulterers go veiy fine and spruce, many young wantons are bravely di’essed, but in God’s esteem they are as dogs for then* uncleanness. It is not a harsher title than the Spfrit of God gives them. I have read of a people amongst the heathen, who condemned this sin with a shameful death, according to its nature. The adulterer’s or adulteress’s head was put into the paunch of a beast, and stifled to death; a punishment fit for so filthy a sin. This sin is ever shameftd, but especially the more lovely any yoke-fellow is who is forsaken, and the more vile and foul the harlot is, so much the more shameful is the sin. Athenaeus introduces Plato, bewailing himself and his own condition, that he was taken so much with a filthy harlot. It is more shameful for Christians than for heathens, because they know that the covenant of marriage is the “covenant of God,” Prov. ii. 17.

But fiu’ther, con’uption in God’s worship is most shameful, for that is aimed- at especially here. The shamefulness of corrupting the woi’ship of God is expressed in Exod. xxxii. 2.5. Aai’on made the people naked unto then- shame; how was that, but by false worship, though it was of the true God? In false worship there is shame, because in that a man subjects his conscience to •v’ile tilings. Conscience, which is not to be subject to any creatm-e, only to God himself, is here made subject to low and vile tilings. It is not shameful to subject our consciences to God in the use of creatures, though never so mean, if appointed by himself; but those that subject them to creattu’es in wavs of false worship not appointed by God, subject not their consciences to God but to those creatures, and that is shameful. In false worship, though there may seem to be a great deal of humility, )’et there is notorious pride and presumption, and therefore much shame. For a creatm-e to take upon him, by his own fancy and conceit, to raise up creatiu-es higher than God has raised them, to put higher respects upon crcatm-es than God has done, is boldness and presumption. Yea, he presumes, by his own conceit, to raise up the creature so high, that God himself must come nearer to men, and be more present with these creatures than otherwise he would. Thus men presimie to bring God under their fancies; and is not this shameful?

Fm-ther, it is extreme folly, for we contradict oiu — selves when we think to honom- God, and yet go against him, when we put high esteem upon such things as are abominable and detestable. “I sent unto yOu all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Ob, do not this abominable tiling that I hate,” Jer. xliv. 4. Mark, God cries out with energy. All my servants the prophets I sent, saying, “Oh, do not this abominable thing;” it is a delightfiJ thing in your eyes, but abominable in God’s. And, Ezek. xxii. 3, they are denominated n’SlSj a word that signifies the very excrements of a man; they glory in them, but he saith, they defile themselves by them. “Mien God opens theii- eyes they will see false worship a shameful thing; and when they do so God will show them the excellency of his own.” Son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern.

ClIAP. II.

And if they be asliamcd of all that they have done,” that is, of all their false worship; what then? “shoy them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and wTite it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof and all the ordinances thereof, and do them,” Ezek. xliii. 10, 11. Mark, my brethren, you see how God stands upon forms, “all the forms thereof,” and “all the forms thereof,” and “the whole form thereof” Let us not slightly account any thing in God’s worship, for God stands much upon his own form in his own worship. Many who have no religion but a form, yet neglect God’s form. Men love to stand much upon their own forms; let them know God stands much upon his forms, and it is no hinderance, but a furtherance, to the power in religion, to keep close to God’s form. If we would know what are God’s ordinances, for many cry out. Oh that we could but know what is the right way, this is one way for you to know: First, be ashamed of what you have done, be ashamed of your former false worship, and then God will show you the ordinances of his house, and the true beauty of his worship: till then there are so many distinctions, and evasions, and objections, that you never come to understand it. When God humbles the heart, and makes it ashamed of what has been naught before, all the distinctions, and evasions, and objections, vanish away as the mist before the sun.

And the more excellent the Lord is, and those ordinances are, from which we depart, the more shameful is that false worship to which oui’ hearts decline. “She hath done shamefully:” why? she has forsaken such a Husband, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is so lovely; she has forsaken the blessed ordinances that God has appointed, and turned herself to vanities of her own. Christ is said, Cant. v. 16, to be altogether lovely, there is lovehness enough in Christ to satisfy the soul for ever. Ezekiel says, chap. vii. 20, ‘• As for the beauty of his ornament,” “(speaking of God’s orduiances in his temple,) “he set it in majesty: but they made the images of their abominations and of then- detestable things therein.” Oh how shameful was this! This shows the shamefulness of it, because God set the beauty of his ornament in majesty. The ordinances of God which he appointed himself, are God’s “ornament,” they are “the beauty of his ornament,” they are “the beauty of his ornament set in majesty;” and shall these beautiful and glorious things be forsaken for vanities of our o-mi inventions? This is shameful.

Obs. 3. Sin, especially whoredom, either bodily or spiritual, if suffered to grow, wUl make those who commit it not only shameful, but shameless in their doings. “She hath done shamefully, for she hath said.” Here it is implied, that the thing done was not only shameful, but that she was shameless. ““Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? Nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush,” Jer. vi. 15. At fii’st, sin may seem to be a little shame-faced, but afterward it grows brazen-faced; modest a little at first, but bold, impudent, and darmg afterward. If men were told beforehand what they would do afterward, they would be ready to say, as Hazael to the prophet, ‘• ]5“ut what! is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? “their hearts woidd even shake at the thought of it: yet, when sin has hardened their hearts, they will do it, “and that with open face too. AMiore- (liini, you know, at first, is that at which every man blushes; but, within a while, unclean ones can boast of their filthiness. But especially spiritual whoredom, the coiTuption of God’s worship, at first may be a little modest, but sec to what a height it grows if in time it be not prevented. I will give you a notable example

of this. At first we find Solomon very modest in the matter of idolatiy. - Chron. viii. 11, saith, that he “brought up the “daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David, to the house he had built for her, for he said. My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel; “why?” because the places ai-e holy, whereunto the ark of the Lord hath come.” INIark, how careful Solomon was not to pollute any thing that had any seeming holiness in it. I have so much resjject to the ark of God, to the worship of God, and to those places that are holy, that my wife shall not so much as dwell there. But oh what did Solomon grow to afterward! he suffered idolatry most shamefully, he “went after Ashtaroth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after !Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites, — and built a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of :Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem,” 1 Kings xi. 5, 7; just there he built it too, as if it had been in defiance to the tem])le of God and his true worship; and that “for Jlolech the abomination of the chikb-en of Amnion; and likewise did he,” saith ver. 8, “for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.” Thus shameless was he grown! And thus we see it in experience. How fab- are men in their ways of superstition at fii-st! decency is all they plead for. Well, afterward it rises from dc-cency to significancy, that is a little higher, to put men m mind. Thirdly, from significancy it rises to efficacy, to stir ujj the dull mind of man. Fourthly, from efficacy it rises to necessity, that now it must be done, and the worship of God cannot be without it, and there shall be no ordinance, no administration at all without it. Decency, significancy, efficacy, and necessity; thus it rises to be shameful at last. So, amongst the papists in their tracbtions, at first they came with this argument, AVhat! will you not regard them as you woidd other books and “histories? they arc the traditions of om- forefathers; but at length they came to this, in the fourth session of the council of Trent, the synod nmnes i.i.ros i»m “doth take and honour the books of the T’l’mJi’”’ nil ‘ou Old and New Testament, and the ti-a- ‘■“‘’’”-“”’’’Ji’^^ ditions of the fathers, with equal affec- !I“reKreni’n sus.” tion of piety and reverence.” To this “f’ »’= >™“-’’”“‘- shamefulness they grew at last. And so for worshippping of images, why, it is for the decency of churches to have them, and they are but to put you in mind, at the most; but at length these ,y y,,,^,,^ are the veiy words,” the same honoiu’ is imagini et c»cmdue to the image and to the exemplar.” ‘’ “‘’

Obs. 4. “^ATien men grow shameless in evil, there is little hope of them. “I will have no mercy upon them;” why? for they have done thus, they are grown thus impudent. It is a good tiling to keep the bridle of shame as long as we can upon our children, servants, and any of our inferiors: therefore take this one instruction, be not too ready to rebuke and chastise your servants, or your children, m a reproachful manlier before others,’ lest you bring them to see that they have no honour to lose, and then there is little hope of them: evermore keep such a hand over your chikkcn and servants that they may see they have some respect to lose; that they may not” be so shamed by you, as for them to think th”cy cannot be worse, or more disgraced; there is no such way to make them desperate as that. It is very gi’cat wisdom in governors to keep the briiUe of shanie. Your bridewell or jaU-birds seldom or never come to good; why? because they have no bridle to keep them in, they have lost all their honour, and they can lose no more; and there is no rational creature’ but would have honour. Not the meanest servant you have but has a respect to honoiu-, and that will do more than blows, except they are become very beasts.

But how docs he prove that it is shameful? Thus:

Vle. 5.

“For she said, I will go after my lovers, that give mc ray bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my chink.”

Obs. 1. Dehberate sins are most shameful sins. She hath said. This is a proof of her shamefulness, because that which she has done, she has done upon deliberation; she said she would do thus and thus, she considered before what she would do, and yet she did it. Wickedness committed de industria, ex consUio, of piu’pose resolved upon, is very shameful. Godly men may be overtaken with a fault: “If a man be overtaken with a fault,” Gal. vi. 1. It is one thing to be ■EoiKt.; irpoXr’nd- overtaken with a sin, and another thing to overtake a sm; a gracious heart may have sin overtake it, but it is a shameless heart that overtakes sin.

Obs. 2. Those who are gtiilty of whoredom usually gi’ow extremely wilful. “She said, I will go.” As if she had said. Let all the prophets say what they can, let them talk out then- very hearts, I will have my mind, I will follow my lovers still. Of those who commit this sin bodily, it is said, Prov. ii. 19, “None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.” It is a most dieadfid scripture against all adulterers and unclean persons: make it out how you will, there is “none that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.” These are the words of the Holy Ghost: I leave the words with you. So Prov. xxiii. 27, “A whore is a deep ditch, and a strange woman is a narrow pit;” they cannot easily get out, nor will they easily get out, they are so plunged in. “Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin,” 2 Pet. ii. 14. AVhy cannot they cease to sin? it is not because they have a heart but no power, but their wills are brought into that bondage and subjection that they cannot will otherwise; therefore in Ezek. xlvii. 11, we find that though the -Raters of the sanctuary were very heahng. yet the miiy places and the marshes were not healed: mu-y, filthy, unclean hearts are veiy seldom healed by the waters of the sanctuaiy. jEKan rcjiorts, that there was ‘^’’“fiSor!’’“’ harlot who boasted she could easily get scholars away from Socrates, but Socrates could get no scholars from her, none of her followers. It is true that a harlot is prevalent, and when she has once overcome, it is almost impossible to get away from her. Therefore Heb. vi. 6, which speaks of that sin from which it is impossible to be renewed again to repentance, is intei”preted by Tertullian to be no other than the sin of uncleanness. The author of this Epistle (saith he) knew no promise of second repentance to the adulterer and fornicator; showing how ordinarily those that are guilty of that sin, and are given up to it, grow wilful in it. And therefore in Eph. iv. 19, these two are put together, “being past feeluig,” and “having given themselves over unto laseiviousness.” Wantons usually grow past feeling.

And for spiritual adultery, that usually is very wilful too, for those who are left by God to superstition and idolatry, seldom return again, but grow exceeding wilful in that mckedness. You have a notable text for that, Jer. xliv. 16, 17; the people say there, “As for the word thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken imto thee; but we will do whatsoever Cometh out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven.” We will go on to burn incense to the queen of heaven, talk as long as you will. And so Jer. ii. 10 — 12, “Pass over,” saith God, ‘■ the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing. Hath a nation changed then- gods, which are yet no gods? “Alen are settled in the ways of idolatry, and will never give over worshipping their gods: “hut my people have changed then- glory for that which doth not profit:” therefore “be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord.” So Micah iv. o, “All people will walk every one in the name of his god.” Theu- hearts are set upon it, they will do it. Spmtual whoredom mightily besots the heart. Isa. xliv. 19, 20, “None considere’th in his heart, neither is there knowledge and understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fii-e; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it; and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that ho cannot deliver his soul, nor say. Is there not a lie in my right hand?” And so Rev. xvi. 11, where those who were given up to antichrist, though they were tormented they “blasphemed the God of heaven, because of their pains and their sores, and they repented not of their deeds.”

06*. 3. Wilfulness in any sin, but especially in this sin, is a very great aggravation of it. “I will have no mercy upon them,” I will give them up; why? they have “done shamefully, and they have said, “I will go after my lovers.” There are many who, in their passion, think it a brave spirit to say, I will, and I will, and I care not, say what you can, or whatever becomes of it, I win do, or I will have this. Especially men in place, and of estates, are not able to endure the controlling of then- will in any thing; and therefore when their wills are but crossed,’ they biu’st out into outrageous speeches, and fall blaspheming, and swearing, and saying they will have their will, though it cost them then- lives. Thus we find it in the people of Israel, 1 Sam. viii. 19, when Samuel came from God and told them in a long narration what hardship they should endm-e in having a king, for that was not then according to God“s mind; they heard him all that he said, and they do not stand to answer any of Samuel’s arguments, but presently they break out into this resolution,” Nay, but we will have a king.” Those whom God leaves to hardness of heart, and intends to ruin, he usually gives them up to this wilfulness in their evil ways. The Scripture records Pharaoh as a famous example of one hardened and prepared for ruin. He was of a most wilful spiiit. Exod. XV. 9, you shall find his wilfulness expressed four times in that one verse: “I will piu’sue,” saith he; and then again, “I will overtake;” and, thu-dly, “I will divide the spoil;” and then, fourthly, “I will draw my sword.” There ai’e two other expressions to the same effect, which are equivalent to the former, even in the same verse, “jNIy lust shall be satisfied, my hand shall destroy them.” Put all these six expressions, which you have in that one verse, together, and where have you such an exhibition of a wilful creature as Pharaoh was? and what became of him you all know. Onlyone more example I find in Scripture parallel to this, and that is the king of Babylon: Egjirt and Babylon were two countries most eminent for idolatry, and the persecution of the church, and these are the two most famous examples for wilfulness. In Isa. xiv. 13, 1-4, you have in those two verses five times / will: 1. ‘• I will ascend into heaven.” 2. “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.” 3. “I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation.” 4. “I will ascend above the height of the clouds.” 5. “I will be like the :Most High.” And what became of him you likewise know; yea, the next words tell you, “Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell.”

These two little words, I and icill, do a great deal of mischief in the world. Luther, upon ^.^^^ .^.^^^^ Psal. cxxvii., saith, I am of that opinion, sum. monarchias and verily persuaded, monarcliios would tms, J m’marcSe far longer endure, if those who are high ;;,°°„“°™rSnt. monarchs woidd but omit this one pro- ‘” ‘”^ noun, /. It is true, in public ways they

exjiress themselves in the pltiral number, ue, but private resolutions are ni the singular number, /. The second is will, “I will,” that is a little -word too; but I may say of this will, as James saith concerning the tongue, It is indeed “a little member” in the body, but “it setteth on fire the course of natiu’e, and it is set on fire of hell.” So it is true that this little icill is but a little word, but it sets whole kingdoms on fire, towns and cities on fii-e, and is itself set on fii-e of hell. Bernard „ ... remarks, Take away 2L’ill once, and there «r noil erit infi-rn.is. Will be no hell. Oil the mischiet that it docs in the world! I will only say these two tilings to those that keep such ado with these two little words, /, uill.

Fust, That which thou usest with so much pride, and thinkcst thyself such a man that canst say, I wUl, know, it may be .is heavy a judgment of God as can befall thee in this world, lor God to give thee up to thy will. There is nothing wherein God poui-s out his wiath upon the chOchcn of men in this world, more than in giving them up to then- will. Therefore, tremble when thou usest so many expressions, I will, and I will do this. Observe what the Scriptm-e saith of those who had their will in ways of false worship; “Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if you will not hearken unto me,” Ezck. xx. 39. Go, saith God, you will not hearken to me; you hear out of the word what should be the way of my worship in its piu-ity, but you say, I love novelty, and you will not have it thus; you answer not Goct’s arguments, but you cast off his worship, and say you will not have it: Well, saith God, if you will not hear me, if you are set upon your will, go and serve youi- idols, and take yom- fill of your oflTi ways. And Psal. lxxxi. 11, “My people would not hearken to my voice, and Israel would none of me;” they were all upon their will, they would not and they would not. Mark what follows; “so I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lusts, and they walked in theii- own counsels.” You will have yoiu- own counsels, and your own will, and so God gives you up to them; and then woe to you, you are undone!

Secondly, You that are set upon your will in that which is evO, know, God is and will be as wilful toward you as you can be toward him. Mark that notable text, Jer. xliv. 25, which sets out the notorious height of mcke(hiess that was in the people of those times: “Ye and your vives have both spoken with yommouths, and fulfilled -with yoiu- hand,” that which is evQ; you will not only say you will do it, but will do it mdeed. WeD, saith God, you have done so, “ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with yom- hand, saying. We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out di-ink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish yom’ vows, and surely perform your vows.” You will” go on in your false w ays of worship. jSIark what follows in ver. 26, “Therefore hear ye the word of the Lord, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn,” you have vowed, and I have swoi-n, “I have sworn by my gi-eat name, saith the Lord, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of .Tudah in all the land of Egypt:” and ver. 27, “Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egj-pt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.” God will be as resolute as the stoutest sinner: you will, and God wOl; who shall have their will, think you? Answer to this, you stout-hearted that are away from God; answer to this, you stout-hearted children, and servants, and wives. A wilful man never wants woe. If you will be resolute in any tiling, my brethren, be resolute m that which is good; be resolute in the work of repentance, with

David, Psal. xxxii. 5, “I will confess my transgressions:” indeed I had many thoughts to come and shame myself, and open all unto God, but I could not get it off; at length I grew resolute and said, I will, and I have sworn to keep thy righteous precepts: and as they, Micah iv. 5, “We will walk m the name of the Lord oiu-God:” and as Joshua, I and my house will serve the Lord; do you what you will, we are resolute that we will serve the Lord. This is a blessed wilfuhiess indeed. Oh that the stoutness and wilfulness of many people might be turned to this resolution for God and for his truth! Especially, carry this note home with you, you that give such often expressions of yom- will, and turn it to the willing of that which is good. I will follow my lovers, says the apostate fi-om God: I Mill follow my beloved, who is altogether lovely, let every gracious soul say.

Obs. 4. Professed sins are shameful sins. “She said,” she professed what she would do. It is an evil for sin to Ue Imking in any one’s heai’t, but for sm to break out into open profession, is a greater evil. This is to prove that she had done shamefully, because she said she would do it. There is a great deceit in the hearts of many men, they are ready to say, I may as well say so as think so; I say so, and perhaps others think so, it were as well for me to speak it as to keep it in my heart. My brethren, there are two deceits in this kind of speaking.

First, Y’ou suppose that when you speak so, it is not in your heart, and you make the comparison of what is in other men’s hearts and in yom’ mouths; as if the evil were in your mouths only, and in their hearts only; as if the comparison lay thus, they think and do not speak, and you speak and do not think. Here is the deceit, for if you speak you have it in yom’ hearts too, you both speak and think, for so the Scriptm’e assiu-es us, that “out of the abmidance of the heart the mouth spcaketh:” if you speak mahciously, you have a maUcious heart; if you speak uncleanly, you have an unclean heart; if oaths be in yoiu’ mouths, you have a profane heart.

Secondly, Here likewise lies the deceit, as if you should have less in yoiu’ heart because you vent it; as passionate people will say, I may as well vent my mind, and then I shall be quiet. Thou dceeivest thyself; the venting of corruption that lies in thy heart will never lessen it, but increase it. It is not with the corruption of om’ hearts as it is with liquor in a vessel, that the more it is let out the less is witMn; but as it is with a fii’e in a house, that when it is kindled within, and bursts out, there is not less within because it bursts out; no, the more it flames out, the more it burns within: and as it is with water in a fountaui, when it flows out of the fountain, there is not the less water in the fountain; it may rather have the less by stopping, and fu’c may be lessened by smothermg. Know, therefore, that professed wickedness is aggi’avated wickedness. Secret sms may be more dangerous m regard of the cure, but these arc more abominable to God in regard of the open dishonour that is done to him by them. The aggravation of the blood that was shed by the people is described. The blood that was shed, “she poured it not upon the groimd, to cover it ■n’ith dust; that it might cause fiu-y to come up to take vengeance,” Ezck. xxiv. 7, 8; you did not conceal the blood, you did not cover it, but set it “upon the top of a rock.” “^’hat then? Not being covered, but being professed and laid open, this causes fui’y to come up witn vengeance against them. G’d’s anger would have been against them if they had shed blood, though they had covered it; but to shed blood and not to cover it, causes the fury of the Lord to come with vengeance. So you know he saith in Isa. iii. 9, “They declare then’ sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul!” woe unto them when they shall presume to declaie then- sin as Sodom. And as I said before, God will bo as wilful in punishing a sinner, as a sinner is wilful in sinning; so here, God will be as professed in plaguing, as thou shalt he professed in sinning. In that forenamed place of Ezekiel, they did not cover the blood; well, mark it: saith God, “I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Woe to the bloody city! I will even make the pile for fire great.” I will be as professed in my plagues and punishments as you are professed in yom- sins.

My brethi-en, if we will profess any thing, let us profess that which is good, let us do that as openly as we can. 2 Cor. ix. 13, saith, that God is glorified for their professed subjection to the gospel; for then- subjection of profession, so the words are. It is not ‘Eji t;J tiroToT.? enousfh to be subject to the gospel, but there must be a proiessed subjection to it: therefore, in Piom. s. 10, confession with the mouth is made as necessary to salvation as believing with the heart, they are put together. There may be times that confession may be called for, as well as believing, and as necessary to salvation. When the friends of Gordius, a martyT, came to him, and would have him keep his heart to himself, and only with his mouth deny what in his heart he believed was true; O no, saith he, it is fit that my mouth, which was made for God, should, speak for God. And ZuingUus is of the

Ad aras JOTis aut ^.., ,, i. i

Veneris adoraie ac opmiou, that WO may as wcU worship the fi’deii°o’i’cidtare. altar of Jupitor, or Venus, as hide our zuin. ep. 3. jfjjjj profession when we live under

antichrist. The way to honoiu- religion and bruig it into credit, is for those who are godly to profess what they know. I luiew one that was noble both in birth and grace, and who had to act often with those of his rank, who scorned at religion under the name of puritanism: he would usually take this coiu-se, — when he entered into such company, he would begin and own himself to be one of those whom they called pmitans, and by that means prevented much sm in them, and much scorn of religion, by thus avowing it. It is certain, that the best way to honour religion is for every one to own it, though ignominious terms are put upon it. If ever we were called to profess what we believe, we are now called to it in these days. Certainly, God professes for us; God not only respects us, but he does it professedly, in the eyes and before the faces of omadversaries. Let us not only have God in our hearts, but profess his name openly before the faces of om- adversaries. It is time now to do it. It had been well, if you had professed heretofore when God’s truth called for it. It may be, many of you are found gi-ulty of betraying the truth of God, for professing no sooner than you did; but, however, betray it not now for want of profession; be willing now to profess of what party you are, that, as we read of Jonah, chap. i. 9, when he was in the storm, and the mariners awoke him, he said unto them, “I am an Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the di-y land,” making an open profession of himself. My brethren, if we be not in a present storm, yet the clouds gi’ow black; therefore, awake, you sluggards, you that are secure, awake out of your secm’it)’, and now profess what you are. I am a Hebrew that fears God; however they give such men ignominious term.s and titles, I am one of them, and I am willing to appear so. Like Nicodemus, many of you come to Jesus by night, you are afraid to be seen. You would give money to the parliament, and help forward that work which God has in hand, but you are afraid to be seen. I know there may be possibly some reason why some men should not appear, but not many, the cases are very rare; ordinarily, it is not enough to do it, but to do it professedly,

let it be declared who you are, and what side you take.

If you say, We live in evil and wicked times, it is dangerous to appear; I may not only keep my heart right, but I will do as much as another, but why should I appear? 1. The worse the times are, the more thou shouldst appear. Mark viii. 38, “WTiosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words m this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” K the generation were holy, it were nothing to appeal’, not to be ashamed or afraid; but we must not be either ashamed or afraid m the midst of an adulterous generation. 2. Why should wickedness have this advantage, that it dares appear, but godliness dares not? 3. If all should reason as you do, what would become of the cause? Why should others venture themselves more than you? Vhat is youi’ flesh, yotu- estate, your hbertj’, more than theirs? 4. You must appear for example sake, to provoke others. This is a duty as well as any. 5. If the adversaries prevail, they will find yon out, except you mean to give up your consciences to them, and then you will escape no more than others; to be sure, you will not have so much peace as others who have most appeared.

Obs. 0. It is a very dangerous and sinful thing for the people of God to jom in association with foreigners who are of an idolatrous religion, and to expect help fi-om them. “I will go after my lovers;” — who are they? either the Egyptians or Assyrians with whom they associated, or then- idols. Let us suppose the former: the people of God, Jer. xlii., were deteimined to have association with Egypt, and they coidd not be brought fr’om it: if you read that story, thefr conduct will appear very vile and dangerous; they seemed to yield to God, that they woidd do what he w-ould have them, and they would not go into Egj-jjl if he forbade it; but m chap, xliii., when Jeremiah told them the mind of God, that they should continue in the land of Judah, and not go down into Egj-jit, “Then spake Azariah the son of Ploshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the Lord our God hath not sent thee to say. Go not into Egypt to sojourn there.” They are loth to break ofi’ their association with Egj-pt. Gualter, in his comment upon Hosea, though not upon this text, states that the Grecian churches, who in the year 1438 were afi’aid of the Tm-ks breaking in upon them, sent to the bishop of Rome, and offered to be under his subjection, merely that they might have the help of the Latin churches to keep them fi-om the rage and tyraimy of their adversaries; imt within a few years they were destroyed, Constantinople and the empire were subdued, so that heathenism and atheism prevailed; and tills is the fruit, saith he, of seeldng the association of others m a sinful way. But because this is not the chief tlung that is aimed at, we pass it by. She said she would go after her lovers, that is, her idols. Hence,

Obs. 6. Idolaters usually keep good thoughts of thenidols. They call them then- lovers, they look upon their idols as those that love them; and hence they used to call them Baahm, from Baal, a husband. So it» shoidd be the care of the samts evermore to keep good thoughts of God, to look upon God as then- lover, as one that attends to then- good. My brethren, let us not be ready to entertain hard thoughts of God, it is a dangerous thing. God’s great care is to manifest to us and to all the world that he loves us. He has done much to manifest to us in England, and to our brethren of Scotland, that he loves us and them. In Rev. iii. 9, Christ saith of the church of Philadelphia, that God loved them. Foi-tv vears ago, Ir. Brightman inter-

preted that text of the chui’ch of Scotland. Philadelphia signifies brotherly love. You know how they are joined in covenant one with another, and we see that those who said they were Jews, that they were the church, but proved themselves to be of the sjniagogue of Satan, are forced to bow before them; and if they were not mad with malice, they must needs acknowledge that God has loved that chiu’ch. And since God has done great things for us, to manifest that he is the lover of England, let us keep good thoughts of God.

Obs. 7. Idolaters highly prize the love of their idols. They do not only maintain good thoughts of their idols, or think that their idols are their lovers, but they set a price upon them. She said, I will follow my lovers; I make account of their love, they will do me good, for aught I know, more than any thing you speak of It is true both of bodily and spii-itual whoredom. I will only make use of one scripture, to daunt the heart of unclean persons, who so much prize the love of their hai’lots. You prize their love, but what get you by it? you get God’s hatred by it. Y’ou rejoice that you have their love; and for that God hates and abhors you. Make that good, you will say. I will: “The mouth of a strange woman is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein,” Prov. xxii. 14. MTiat get you by this? your harlots embrace you, and God abhors you. If there be any unclean wTetch in this congregation, either thou art an atheist, or this text must strike thee at thy heart. Art thou in that way, and yet not repenting, thou art the man whom this day God tells thee to thy face, that he abhors thee.

But how then should we prize the love of Jesus Christ our Husband! “We will remember thy love more than wine,” Cant. i. 4. The church prizes the love of Jesus Christ, more than men in the world prize theu- delight in wine. And, my brethren, do you prize Oirist’s love; then Christ will prize yours: and it is observable, that according to the degree and way of yoiu- prizing Christ’s love, so Christ will prize your love. In Cant. iv. 10, you have the same expression of Christ’s love to his church, answerable to hers before: “Thy love is better than wine,” saith the chm-ch to Christ; “How much better is thy love than wine!” saith Christ to the chm-ch.

Obs. 8. The hearts of whoremongers and idolaters follow hard after their undeanness in bodily and spiritual filthiness. “I will follow them;” not only say they are lovers, but I will express it by following them’. For bodily filthiness, observe how unclean men follow their lovers. Josephus. in his Antiquities, states, that Decius Mundus offered to give many hunch-cd thousand drachms, which amounted to six thousand pounds sterling, to satisfy his lust one night with a harlot, yet could not obtain his desire. AVill not ye be content now who have been guUty of spending a great part of your estate in imcleanness, now to do as much for religion, for God, and Christ, and his kingdom, as ever you have done for that sin? If there be anv in this place who have been profuse for their undeanness, and yet now arc strait-handed in these jmblic affairs, such are fitter to be taken out of Clu-istian congregations, and to be shut u]) in prisons.

For sjiiritual whoredom, I shall show you how sujier- ‘stitious and idolatrous peo])Ie, as they prize theii” idols, so they follow hard after them. AV’hen the calf was to be set up. upon jiroclamation all the men and women took oft” their earrings and their jewels, and brought them to Aaron to make the calf. AVhat a shame v.ill it be to us if we slioidd keel) our earrings, and our jewels, and things perhajis that have not seen the sun a great while, now when God calls for them! Let women do that for God and his truth, for their own liberties and ])osterities, that they did for their idol. Though you have earring*, and jewels, and rings, that you prize

much, yet let them be given up to this public cause. And it were a shame that gold rings should be kept merely to adorn the fingers, when the church and state are in such necessity as they are. Away with vour niceties, your fineness, and bravery, now, and look to necessities, to the preservation of the lives and liberties both of yourselves and yom’ childi-en. K you should see a maUgnant party come with their spears and pikes, and your children writhing u]ion the tops of them, and theu- blood gushing out, what good would your gold rings and all your ornaments do you?

The Scripture strikingly describes the eagerness and earnestness of spirit which idolaters manifest m following after then- idols. Isa. lvii. 5, exhibits them “inflaming themselves with idols.” In Jer. 1. 38, God says, “they are mad upon their idols.” In Isa. xlvi. 6, it is said, “they lavish gold out of the bag.” They not only gave theii- gold rings which were of no use, and parted with that which they could well spare, but they lavished gold that was in the bag; they would not only bring some of it, but they lavished it; and they lavished not their silver, but their gold; and that not a piece or two out of a paper, but out of the bag, they brought their bags of gold, and lavished gold out of them. This they did for their idols: oh •nhat a shame is it then that any should l)e penm-ious, and not act generously, in the public cause of the chwch and commonwealth!

In Jer. viii. 2, we have five expressions in one verse, describing the pm-suance of the heart of idolaters after their idols; the like we have not in all the book of God. First, he saith, “whom they have loved.” Secondly, “whom they have served.” Thirdly. “after whom they have walked.” Foiurthly, “whom they have sought.” And, fifthly, “whom they have worshipped.” Oh how are the hearts of people set upon the ways of idolatry! Camden reports that Canute, king of England, spent as much upon one cross, as the revenues of the crown came to in a whole year, he was so profusely liberal about his superstitious vanities. Calvin, in a sermon upon that text, “Seek ye my face,” remarks: Foolish idolaters! they endure much in then- pilgi-images, spend their money, waste their bodies, and are abused in their journey; yet they go on, and think all sufficiently recompensed, if they may see and worship some image of a saint, or holy reUc. ShaD the beholding some dead carrion, or apish idol, have more power to strengthen them, than the face of God in his ordinances shall have to strengthen us?

“My lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my tb-ink.” AMiat were these idols? The idol that gave their bread was Ceres, she was the goddess whom the heathens worshijipcd for corn. Luna, the moon, was the idol they worsnip]Kd for their cb-ink, and all moist thuigs. For theii- wool and flax, Ashtaroth was their god; and for their oil, Priapus. The Seventy tian.slate that “clothes” which we call here “wool;” and that which we term “flax” they translate “linen.”

Obs. 1. Idolaters have a gi-eat many idols to supply their several wants. “My lovers,” in the plural number. The idols of the heathen do not su])ply all good, but one one thing, and another another thing. And that is the difference between the ti-ue God and idols. The excellency of the true God is, that he is a universal good; we have all good, flax, oil, bread, and wine, and all in one, in our God, in our lover. And that is the reason why God challenges the whole heart. Idols arc content with a partial obedience, because they are but partial in bestowing good things; but God justly requires the whole heart of his worshippers, because he is a imiversal good to them.

Obs. 2. The end at which idolaters aim in their worship is very low. They follow their lovers, and arc very earnest; for what, I pray? for their wool and their

flax, and their bread and their water, their oil and their di’ink. They desire no more, they look no higher; satisfy their flesh, give them but liberty to sport on the Lord’s day, to have their feasts, their wakes, and merry meetings, and they care for no more. Their S])ii-its are vile, and so accordingly is their worship. Therefore their worship is external, it is bodily, because their aims are at external and bodily things. As a man’s end is, either base or honoiu’able, so is he. There are some men who seem as if they aimed at God and religion in many things they do, they make a noise about religion, and (3od, and Christ, and his ordinances, and the public good; but the ti’uth is, theu- aims are at gain and credit, at their wool and then’ flax; and herein they show the baseness of their spirits; like lapwings, that scream aloud as if they were come near their nests, when their nests are some where else. MTiatevcr their cry be, for God or the public good, if you mark them, their nest is in their wool, in theii- flax, in their profit, in then- honour and preferment, in these outward things. But the end of the true worshippers of God is higher, they soar aloft, there is a spiritual height of soul whereby they are raised upwards by the grace of God. A godly man’s feet are where a wicked man’s head is; that which he accounts his chief good, a godly man can trample under his feet. He looks at God himself, and his service. He worships the high God: he is a child of Abraham; not Abram. but Abraham; what is the signification of that? Pater ea:celsus, A high father, for he is the father of chikhen of high spirits, not only of children that are believers, but of those that have high and raised spu’its. Cleopatra told ISIarcus Antonius, that he was not to angle for gudgeons and ti’out, but for castles, and forts, and towns; so I may say of a Christian, he does not angle, especially in matters of religion, for wool, and flax, and oil, he has no such low and base ends, but at God, and Christ, and heaven, and gloiy, and immortality. He desu-es these things only that by them he may be fitted more to serve God. One who has been acquainted with the free grace of God in Christ, will serve God for himself without bargaining with him, he will be willing to go into God’s vineyard, and not indent for a penny a day. You that will indent with God m his service, and have your penny, you who have such low and mean spirits, God may give you your penny, and there’s an end of you. Obs. 3. That way of religion by which we can get most bread, and wool, and flax, and oil, is the religion that most people will follow, because the hearts of most people are low and base, and aim at no higher things. That religion which brings the largest estate, and can please the sense, is the religion that pleases most people.

Pamchtius, a heathen, once said. Make me cSffnaflr” bishop, and though I be now a heathen

yet I will be a Christian as well as any other. He saw in what pomp the bishops lived, and by that he thought it was a fine thing to be a Christian. By outward pomp and glory antichi-ist draws many followers; they go where they can have most wool anil flax; they can get most preferment that way. ^neas Silvius observed, the reason why the pope prevailed against the council, though it was a general council, which was above the pope, was this, that the pope had a great many places of preferment and honour to give, the general council had none: the general council can inquii’e after truth, and present its decision, and can tell what is God’s mind, but it has no honour, no promotion, no prefemient to give; therefore, alas, the general council prevails little, the pope gets all, and all because he has bishoprics, and cardinals’ places, and livings, and great honom-s, to bestow. Luther, in „. ,.. his comment upon this text, relates that

e uuo canonic.-,iu oue whoui liB knew, who lived like a «°!i“i?m”13ito°de- nobleman by his many ecclesiastical preferments, when excellent bread and wine ii.aiiorempanem,et were brought to the table, jiointing to siiutTsHmumSat them, said, These are the things that make ^mJ’l’.’T^ul’f;,.“‘’ me that I cannot leave this kind of life. gl;;,”’,“js’;°;Vre*on These are the arguments that [jrevaU hbrat Tnobuiiire most in the world; arguments taken from bread, and flax, and wool, and oil, are stronger arguments than any taken from the Scrijjture, than any thing taken fi’om the honour of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. “When men come with Saul’s arguments, 1 Sara. xxii. “i, ‘■ Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and lineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds?” will you follow him? can he prefer you? O no, he can do little for you. And when men argue, I pray what will this way bring you in? what preferment wQl jou get by this? you may get preferment in the other way; this draws, this prevails. In a speech delivered by the vice-chancellor, not many years ago, in a public commencement at Cambridge, speaking to the young scholars, and wishing them to take heed of being pvu’itans, he said, “WTiatcan you get in that way? you Ma;is soiicLti de shall live poorly, perhaps you may have ““”’“^f’”“’ some three-halfpenny benefice in follow- taJ’;, lilii)eoi ing them; but come to be chikb-en of “i’’.i“‘udai’”ua’!li™’ the chm-ch, and then you may be sure of ^’’“”” ‘’““”»’■ good benefices, you may come to be prebends, to be deans, to be bishops. Thus he persuaded the young scholars to take heed of puritanism. There is mighty strength in this argument upon the hearts of most.

Hence the poverty of Christ is a great scamlal and offence to most people. A’hen they see that religion win not bring them flax, and wool, and oil, but that they must live poorly, they are offended at this exceedingly. Charles the Great, having war with Aygolandus, king of Africa, who, being anxious to make peace with Charles, made some profession to become a Christian; Charles was very glad of this, and brought him to his court to parley with him. There he saw thirty poor persons whom Charles fed, who were halt, and maimed, and blind, and in a very ])oor garb. Charles the Great did this, because he would have poverty before his eyes continually, that he might not be too high in and proud of his prosperity. When Aygolandus saw them, he said, “ATio are these? These, saith Charles, are the servants of God. Nay then, replied he, if your Ciod keep his servants no better, I will be none of his; I thought to be a Christian, and to serve your God, but seeing those that serve him have no better food or raiment than these, I will be none of those servants. Thus it is with many, though their consciences are convinced which is the best way, yet. because of the want of flax, and wool, and oil. they will not decide for Christ.

Obs. 4. It is a shameful thing for men to put religion in subjection to their wool, and corn, and oil. Before I showed, that it is shamefid to subject religion to the political affau’s of a kingdom, but to subject religion to our own base sensualities, for profit and preferment, this is very shameful. Gain gotten this way, is filthy lucre, as the Scriptm-e calls it, yet hujusmodi lucri dulf M’ odor, the smell of this gain is very sweet to many. Is thy religion serviceable only to gain a trade, to gi-atify sensual lusts? what is this, but to stop the hole of a mud wall with diamonds and precious pearls? That were a folly, you will say, to make such precious things serviceable” to such base ends: thou dost as much, thou wouldst make religion subject to that ^^■hieh only satisfies the flesh, llehgion, my brethren, is the glory of a man, and the glory of a nation; and shall we turn this glory into shame?” It is a base thing in magistrates, to subject the acts of justice to their base ends, for gain and profit; for a judge, or a justice of peace, or a prelate, to .show most favour where there is most flax, and wool, and oil, where butts of beer or

rundlets of sack are to be gained, this is baseness in them. But to subject religion to such ends as these, this is the villany of all baseness. A generous spirit is far from this. It is observed of the generous spuit of Luther, that when a papist was vexed at him for his preaching and writing, one bishop remarked to another, There is such a stir with this Luther, why do you not stop his mouth with preferment? He presently answered, That German beast cares not for ‘jSfXi“w’!2S!’’ money, he is above money. He called him beast in his anger, whereas he might have called him an angel, because his spii-it was above these things, his mouth would not be stopped with them. A bishop in this land, hearing that a kinsman, of his was a zealous preacher; Well, saith he, let me alone, I will .silence him; and indeed he did; how? he gave him two livings, and they silenced him presently. Some men’s lust of malice goes beyond then- lust of covetousness, like those cockatrices, Jer. viii. 17, that “will not be charmed.” It is a shameful tiling then, that our zeal for God should not go beyond our lust for gain. To subject your religion to flax, and wool, and oil, springs from a base diffidence in God, as if he w ould not provide for us such outward things; therefore Luther saith in his comment upon Ilosca, ut’dirSJ.^TcS”: They followed their idols for bread, and Sf.’^liaUalito ■“■oolj and flax, and oil, as if God would not give bread to his church, or as if it were more safe to go to Satan for it. O let us trust God for all, for our clothes, for our meat and drinlv, for our estates, for om- childi-cii; God certainly will feed his chm-ch. And yet the men who have hearts so base themselves, thinli it impossible for any man not to be taken with such arguments: They may talk of religion and conscience, say they, but I will warrant you they may be bought with money, and preferment, and places of profit and honour. They think it impossible for men to stand against these arguments. It reminds me of that speech that Balak used to Balaam, “Did not I earnestly send unto thee to call thee, wherefore camest thou not unto me? Am I not able to promote thee to honour?” As if he had said. Thou art a sti-ange man indeed; did not I send thee word that I would promote thee o great honour, and give thee silver and gold, or whatever thou wouldst have? AVhat! will not preferment and money tempt you? I thought this would have tempted any man in the world. And thus many men think: but let all such know that there is a generation of men in the world of true generous spmts, who are above these things, and take as much delight, and have as much sweetness, in denying these places of honour, and preferment, and gain, as those that ofler them Iiave in enjoying them. It was a notable S])cech that Pliny made concerning Cato, in his Epistle Dedicatory to his Natural History, Cato took as much glory in those dignities and honours which he refused, as he did in those which he enjoyed. Certainly it is so with the saints, the true generous spirit of Christians take as much content in those places of preferment they deny for Christ, as in any gain they enjoy. There is no tempting such men..

Let us pray therefore for those who arc intrusted by us, not only for civU things, but for matters of religion, that bread, and corn, and wool, and flax, and wine, and oil may never tempt them; that prcfei-ment and gain may never bias their spirits. Such ways have not been left untried by some, and have prevailed; but through God’s mercy he has preserved others, and made the world know that Christ has a people to whom religion and the public good arc more dear than all the flax, and wool, and wine, and oil in the world; than all the estates, and high places, and great ])rcferments that can be offered them. And now, the Lord our God keep this in their and in our hearts for ever.

Obs. 5. Prosperity and success in an evil way, hai-den the hearts of men in sin. I will follow after my lovers, for they give me bread, and water, and wool, and flax. Eusebius reports that Maximilian the emperor, in an edict against the Christians, vilifying the Christian religion as an execrable vanity, and seeking to confirm the heathens in the worship of their idols, remarks. Behold, how the earth brings forth fr-uit for the husbandman in abundance, how our meadows are adorned with flowers and herbs, and moistened with the dews of heaven, what health we have, and what quiet and peaceable lives. Thus, by their prosperity, he seeks to confirm the hearts of idolaters in their wicked ways. Prosperity in a wicked way is exceedingly hardening. Dionysius, having committed sacrilege against the idols, by robbing then- temples, yet his voyage being prosperous, boasted that though he did not worship the gods as others did, he prospered as much as they. In that year when those innovations in God’s worship were principally brought in amongst us, especially in the diocess of Norwich, it proved to be a very fruitful year; and one commissary, among the rest in his court, after the harvest was taken in, addiessed the counti-ymen in this way. Do you not see how God prospers us? What a plentiful harvest have we had this year! This is suice you began to worship God with more decency than you were wont to do. Thus attributing all the goodness of God to that way. Let it be all our prayer, that God would never prosper us in a sinful way.

Obs. 6. Carnal hearts look upon what they enjov as their o’n, and think they may use it as their own; and especially such as are idolaters. It is very observable, how often this word “my” is iterated: give me my bread, and my water, and my flax, and my oil, and my wool; nothing but my. Though they will acknowledge that what they have comes from the idols, as here they did, for they said their lovers gave it them, yet when they had these tilings, they thought they might do with them what they would; they were theirs. Mine, mine, all is mine. Thus it is usual for carnal spirits to acknowledge in general, that what they have conies from God; but when they have it, they think it is theii’ own, not that God reserves the propriety of what they’ have after he has given it them. You mistake, if you think that that is’ all the acknowledgment you owe to God for what you enjoy, that you had it from God; but you must acknowledge likewise, that God reserves his propriety after he has given it you. God never gives any thing in the way that one fi-iend gives to another. A friend may give you a gift, yet, when you have it, it is your own, and you may use it as you please, your friend parts with his own propriety. God never gives any thing so as to part with his own propriety; though he has given it you, yet you cannot say, It is mine; in respect of God, it is still his.

There is no such bond upon conscience to use all the comforts we have for God as this, to look up to God, and see that all comes from him in the way of the covenant of grace. I say, that will lay a bond upon conscience, to make use of your estates, and of all you enjoy, for God, and not think to employ them for your own ends. It is not the slight acknowledgment idolaters make, that all comes from God, will do it. Carnal men look upon what they have coming from God through second causes, and no further; but a Christian looks upon that which he has as coming from God in a covenant of grace, and this engages the heart strongly to use all for God, from whom all is received in such a way.

Ver. 6. Therefore, behold, I will hedge up ihy way in’lh thorns, and’make a wall, llial she shall ml Jind her jmlhs.

This verse and the following are the workings of C’.’.T. bowels of mercy, a jiarenthesis of grace to the

elect, though mingled with some severity. They are indeed the epitome of the whole chapter, declarmg Israel’s sin, with threatening judgment, and yet promising mercy unto the elect, the penitent amongst them.

“Therefore.” This has reference to somewhat before, end answers to wherefore: Because I have dealt with you by the way of my prophets, in convincing, in admonishing, in threatenmg, and all this will not do, “therefore” I will deal with you in another way.

“Therefore, behold.” That way of mine of which I now speak, is a singular way; you shall find much of mv grace in it, the way in which I will deal with you is full of wonders, “Behold.”

“I will hedge up thy way.” There is a two-foldhedge that God makes about his people. There is the hedge of protection to keep evil from them, and there is the hedge of afiliotion to keep them from evil. The hedge of protection you have, Isa. v. 5, where God threatens that he “-n-ill take away the hedge “from his vineyai’d, that is, he will take away his protection; and it is said of Job, that” God had hedged him about.” But the hedge here meant, is the hedge of affliction. •’ I win hedge up thy way,” that is, I will bring sore and heavy afflictions upon you, but yet in a way of mercy; these afflictions shall be but as a hedge to keep you from evil, they shall not do evil to you, or bring evU upon you.

‘• I wlU hedge up thy way with thorns.” That is, I see you will go on in these ways of idolatry and false worship, I will make them difficult to 5-ou, you shall go thi’ough thorns: if you will get to yom- idols, you shall be pricked. It is a metaphor taken from a husbandman, who, when the cattle will break over pa.stm’es, makes thick and prickly hedges to prevent them, and to disti-ess them if they attempt it: so I -n-iU deal with you, saith God. Or, when a husbandman observes passengers make a path in his gi’ound where they ought not, and spoil the grass or the corn, he lays thoi-ns in the way that they cannot go into his corn; or if they do, they shall go vrith some pain and ti’ouble: so saith God, “I will hedge up thy way ■nith thorns.”

‘■ And make a wall.” I will waU a wall, so the words are. It may be they will get tlu-ough the thorns, but if they do, I have another way to deal with them, I will come with stronger afflictions, and they shall be of more power to keep them from their” sin, they shall be as a wall; and though they get through the thorns, they shall not get over the wall.

“That she shall not find her paths.” Mai-k the change of the person, “I will hedge up thy way,” fii-st; and then I will ‘■ make a waU, and she shall not find her paths.” It often occm’s in Scripture, and signifies some perturbation of spfrit. That maimer of speech is usual amongst men when their spuits are ti’oubled, they speak sometimes in one person, sometimes in another; and, indeed, the Lord here speaks after the manner of men, as if his spuit were troubled with the peiTerseness of his people. Besides, the change of the person is to express some indignation of God against their perverseness, therefore he speaks as if he would tm-n fi-om them, and rather speak to somebody else; as if he should say, I speak to these, yet they are stubborn: well, I lyill speak to all the beholders. Take notice of their stubbonmess and perverseness, and judge between them and me.

Obs. 1. Though .such as are in covenant with God, may for their sins be involved in the same judgment with others, yet God will make a difference between them and others that are not in covenant with him. God will have other ends in his afflictions towards his people, than he has towards the wicked; though the difierence be not in the things they suffer, yet it is veiy broad in the ends for which the’v sufler.’ When the

briers and thorns, Isa. xxvLi. 4, are set before God, the fire of God’s anger passes thi-ough them to destroy them; but when God comes to his people, though some anger be stin-ed up for a whUe, yet all the fruit thereof is to talce away their sin, ver. 9. See what difierence God makes between persons even under the same aflliction. In Jer. xxiv. 5, God saith, “Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for thek good.” Though they be carried into the land of the Chaldeans, I wUl acknowledge them there to be my people, and it shall be for then- good. Well, now there was likewise a basket that had “very naughty figs,” and they were carried away captive too, both went into capti ity; what does he say of them? ver. 9, “I will deliver them to he removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hm-t;” I win aim at thefr hm’t when I deUver them into captity.

This should be a might)’ support to the saints under all their afllictions, though the affliction be tire same to sense and view with that of the wicked, yet you see the difference is broad. It is true, may the troubled heart say, there may be different ends of God’s afflicting some and others; he may afilict some for trial, and others for then’ sins; but what will you say if an affliction come upon us for our sms? Is there a difference here? Yes, my brethi’en, though yom- afllictions come upon you for your sins, if you be in covenant with God, the difference still may hold: so it is here; tlrose afflictions wlrich God calls the hedge and the wall, were sore afflictions, and they were for thcu- sins, yet God intended good and mercy to them in those afflictions. This is the vu’tue of the covenant of grace, that it takes out the sting and curse even of afflictions, which are not only for trial, but for sin. If God bring some misery upon you, yet being in covenant with him, his blessing causes those troubles to keep you from greater misery that else would befall you.

Obs. 2. There is even in the samts such a slamh disposition remaining, that they will stand out against God a long time, even against the admonitions, exhortations, convictions, and threatenings of his word. Not only the reprobate, but such is the perverseness of the heai-ts of men. that even the elect of God mil many times do so; this is a sore and a grievous evd, that it should be said so of them. If there be ingenuousness in the spuits of men, the very intimation of the mind of God is enough to cause the heart to jield; and siurely grace makes the heart of a man ingenuous. God expects that there should be melting of spirit at the very notice given of his displeasm’e; yet, behold, even in the hearts of the godly there remains so much slavishness, that they will not return but upon God’s dealing very hardly with them. They must have many afllictions, they must be whipped home before they wUl return home; God must send the dog many times to worry his sheep before they will come into the fold. This God complains of: Jer. ii. 14, “Is Israel a servant? is he a home-born slave? why is he spoiled?” ver. 11, “Hast thou not procm-ed this unto thyself?” So it may be said of many of the saints, when we see the dealings of God towards them; yea, even God himself speaks thus, AMiat! is such a one a servant? is he a slave? is not such a one my child? how is it then that he must be dealt with like a slave, Ulie a servant?

Obs. 3. hen one means will not keej) ourselves or others from sin, we must not rest there, but look after other means to prevent it. “WTiat! will not this do it? Is there any thing else that possibly may do it? That means then shall be used. Thus God (we speak with reverence) studies his administrations towards his people, when he is frustrated in one, if that will not do, he bethinks with himself, Is there any thing else will do it? if there be any thing in the world can do it, it shall not

AN EXPOSTTIOX OF

he left unattempted. God does not presently cast off his people, because they stand out against him in the use of one means. It is true, for others that are not in covenant with him, God is quick ■nith them, and if they come not in presently, he cuts them off, and will have no more to do with them; but for his own people, though they stand out long, yet God tries one means after another. This is the grace of God towards his own.

It should be our care to imitate God in this. AATien you are to deal with others who are under you, with your chikken or servants, do not satisfy yom-selves with, I have admonished them, and tlu’eatened them, and persuaded them, yet they will not come in; what, tlicn, will you have no more to do with them? will you cast them off presently? You should study what further course may be taken, study their (Uspositions; “‘hat do I think will work upon them, if this do not? will fair’ means? will foul means? will any thing do it? If any thing will, you should labour to deal with them that way. So for your own hearts, when you are convinced of the evil of your sin, your consciences will not be quiet unless you use some means against it. Well, but I have used means, I have laid the threatenings, the promises, to my heart, and I have followed God’s ordinances. Will they not do? will not thy heart come off? is there no other means to be used? “Miat do you say to the afflicting of your soul? Try that: you have laid the word to your heart, and you find it does not work; try the afflicting of your souls in humiliation, fasting, and prayer, for the overcoming of your sins. “This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” Thus, when admonitions and exhortations of the prophet will not do, God saith, I will try another way, I will bethink mo of some other course; “I will hedge up their way with thorns,” and I will sec whether I can bring them in that way.

Obs. 4. For God to make the way of sin difficult to sinners, is a most singular mercy. “Behold! “It is better for the way of sin to be hedged with thorns, and to be made difficult to us, than to have the smoothest path for its commission. As it is one of the greatest judgments of God upon wicked men to lay stumbling-blocks before them in the way of righteousness; so it is one of the greatest mercies of God to his cliildi-en to lay stumbHngblocks and difficulties before them in the way of sin. It is usual with God in dealing with reprobates, to make theii- sins, and his providences, stumblingblocks to them in tlic way of life. They hate godliness, and therefore the hedge of thorns compasses about the way of righteousness to the wicked. In Pro v. XV. 19, it is said that “the way of the slothful man is an hedge of thorns;” that is, a .slothful man looks upon any duty that he should perform, as compassed about with a hedge of thorns. God, in his just judgment, suffers such difficulties at least to appear to the wicked in the way of his duties as make him have no mind to them. Now this is a grievous judgment of God, to cause the way of his fear to appear so difficult, and to scare them from it: ■“hat should I do meddling V ith such ways? I see I must suffer much; there are these stumblingblocks that I must go over, these troubles that I must meet; I had better sit still and be quiet, I shall never be able to go through them. Such stumblingblocks God lays in the way of godliness before the wicked, and they stumble at them, and fall, aiul ruin their souls. On the other hand, God, in abundance of mercy, casts stumblingblocks in the way of sin before his jieople, which they cannot get over; if they stumble, it is but to break their shins, and to save their souls. hut when the wicked stumble, they break llieir necks, and damn their souls. But the ways of (lid “are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge,” I’rov. viii. 9. God’s ways arc very plain to the godly, and sin’s ways

are very difficult; but on the other side, to the -wicked God’s ways are veiy difficult, and the ways of sin are veiT plain. O unhappy men, says Luther, when God leaves them to’ them- i^SlZtit selves, and does not resist them in their P’^» !!°?JSruut lusts! but woe to them, at whose sins notii’m fuiori et cu. God winks! AMicn God lets the way to !uis’iid’q™rum ™ hell be a smooth and ])lcasant way, it is Ei’^Lut’l“”’ a heavy judgment, and a sign of God’s indignation against men, a token of his rejection of them, that he docs not intend good unto them. You bless yomsehcs many times, that in the way of sin you find no difficulty; if a lewd or a malicious man, who would accomplish his own ends, find all things go on as he desires, so that lie has not in his way so much as a thorn, he blesses himself. Bless thyself! if thou knewest all, thou hast cause to howl, and wring thy hands, for the curse of God is upon thee, a dreadful cm’se to make the way of sin jjlcasant. On the other side, perhaps many of God’s saints, when they find the ways of sin somewhat difficult to them, are troubled that they cannot have theii- will. Troubled! thou hast cause to bless God who has thus crossed thee, for it is an argument of much love to thee. There is a “Behold” put to this, that God should be so mercifid to make theii’ ways of idolatry and superstition difficult to them.

Obs. 5. There is much brutishness in the hearts of backsliders. “I wUl hedge up her way with thorns.” Not only slavishness, but brutishness. That is, they must not only be dealt hardly with, as slaves, and so be brought home, but, as brute beasts, they must have some present evil put upon them. They will not return from their evil way, except their sin be grievous and troublesome to them. It is not enough, you know, to threaten beasts, but if we would keep them from the place to which we would not have them go, we must use something that will give them pain when they attempt to enter it. A man who has some understanding, though he has a slavish spirit, may be kept from sin by fear of futm’e evils; but when nothing but present evils will keep him off, he is worse than a slave; he cannot be kept from sin by the exercise of his reason, God must deal with him then as a brute beast, God must make some hedge prick him, or else he will go on in an evil way. This is brutishness, even in the hearts of the saints.

Obs G. See the proneness of men’s natm’es to idolatry. The way must be hedged up to keep them from it. It is not enough to forewarn men of it, for all means that can be used are little enough to deter them. How wicked then is the way of many amongst us, who seek to make the way to idolatry as smooth, ])lain, and open as they can! Yea, instead of stopping such as have inclinations to it, they lay before them the inciting and enticing occasions, which add to their own ])ro])ensity such delectation as puts them forward with a swift facility.

Obs. 1. Afflictions to the people of God, are God’s hedges to keep them from sin. The command of God is one hedge, and affliction is another. Therefore sin is called by the name of transgression; that is, going beyond our bounds, going over the hedge; a man that sins goes over the hedge. VCe find, Eccl. x. 8, “‘WTioso brcaketh an hedge, a ser])cnt shall bite him:” it is true in regard of the hedge of God’s command, he that will venture to break that hedge, must expect the biting of conscience, its anguish and hoiTor. But when that hedge is broke, God comes with another hedge to keep his peojile from sin; so you have it expressed in Job xxxiii. 17, 18: speaking of afflictions, By them “he withdraweth man from his ])urpose,” and “he keepeth back his soul from the ])it.” Suppose a beast running in a ])asture, bounded by a hedge at the brink of a preci])ice, perhajis he does not see (he hedge; if he should run a little further, he would fall over and be

destroyed; but the husbandman sets a hedge there, that when the beast conies to the thorns, they may withdraw him from his purpose, and so preserve his life: so it may be with a man that is running to such a sin, when he meets with something that hinders him, he is withdra’mi from his purpose, and his sold is kept back from death. If you live in the country near ditclies and pits of water, you will hedge them about, for fear your children should fall into them; and so the hedge keeps the children alive. As afflictions keep the saints from sin, as a hedge to them, so the difficulties in God’s ways keep the wicked from God. When difficulties therefore happen, it should teach us to consider what way we are in: why? for God uses to compass about sinful ways with difficulties, on purpose to keep his peo])le from them. Well, I am going on in this coui’se, I am sure I am compassed about with difficulties, it may be these difficulties are but God’s hedges to keep me from sin; how shall I know that? Sometimes difficulties are but trials of our graces, and they be in the most blessed ways of God’s people; then the work of the saints should be to stir up their graces, and to break through this hedge, though they be pricked and torn thereby. It is the excellency of then- faith that -n-ill carry them tlu-ough all difficidties in God’s ways. Therefore here is the trial; when I meet with difficulties, I must not forbear because there are difficulties, but I must examine. Is it the way of God or not? If it be the way of God, then lay aside the thought of difficulties; if I have authority for it, let the difficulties be never so many, and the hedge never so thick, I must break through, and God is so much the more honoiu’ed by it: but on the other side, if, upon examination, I find the way I am in is not warranted by God, then I must know that God’s end in laying difficulties in the way, is to stop my going on in it. and it is desperateness in me to seek to break through; in seeking to break through I may break my peace: therefore I must examine whether I have warrant from God for those ways in which I walk.

Oh that men would think of this when they meet with difficulties in their ways! How many of the saints have met with cbfficulties in their paths, and yet have gone on with strength! That of Jacob is one of the most famous examples we have in the book of God. The difficulties he met with were all in the way that God himself bade him take. God commanded him to return to his father Isaac, and yet he met with six or seven most prodigious difficulties, enough, one would have thought, to make him doubt whether he was in <Tod’s way or not, and to cause him to return back again. First, Laban pursued him, and intended mischief against him; then Esau comes to meet him with a purpose to desti’oy him; then his wife’s nm-se died; then Rachel herself died; then he had his daughter Dinah defloured; and then his two sons committed that horrible wickecbiess in murdering the Shcchemites! All these things fell out in Jacob’s journey; he might have said, Am I in the way that God would have me? Yes, Jacob was in his way, he had an express waiTant from God to go that journey. Difficulties therefore must not diseoui-age us, but we must break through them, especially in these times. It were a low and ])oor spirit, to be kept from a good way because of a few thorns that it meets in the way. If we know it be God’s way, go through it in the name of God. let the difficulties be what they will. But if the way be not warranted by God, let the difficulties we meet with stop us, for God intends them to be a hedge to keep us from sin.

Again, it should make us content when any affliction befalls us, because it is more than we know but that God intends abundance of good to us. It may be, if tins affliction had not befallen thee, thou hadst undone

thyself: if this affliction, that thou dost so VTiggle to get out of, and thinkest thyself so miserable under, had not befallen thee, thou m’ightest have fallen into the pit and been lost; therefore be not troubled so much at the affliction, but examine whether it be not a hedge that God has set, to keep thee from a further misery.

Oi.s. 8. The perverseness of a man’s heart is such, that he will break through many difficulties to sin. It seems that a hedge will not serve, there must be a wall, as well as a hedge.

Wc read of idolaters, who would cause their children to pass tlu-ough the fu-e to their idols; that was more than a hedge of thorns. We see often, that men’s hearts are so strongly bent upon then’ sins, that though they were to pass through much trouble, though they prick and tear themselves, yet they will have their sin. Ambrose tells us, that Philotimus, who brought his body to grievous diseases by imcleanness and ch-unkenness, when the physicians told him, that if he did not abstain he would certainly lose his eyes; as soon as he heard that, he answered, Valeat lumen amiciun, Farewell. O pleasant light; rather than I will deny myself in this, I w ill never see Ught more: he would ventm-e the loss of his eyes, rather than lose the satisfaction of his lusts. Thus it is w ith many. Oh what do they ventiu-e for their lusts! What an argument should that be to us to venture much for God, to endui-e hard things for the blessed God! though there be some hardship between us and om- duty, break through all to get to that duty; w icked men will break thi-ough great difficulties to get to their sins. There need be a wall as well as a hedge.

Obs. 9. God, when he pleases, will keep men from their sins in spite of their hearts, that they shall not have their desire. Well, if there be need of a wall I will have a wall, saith God; though she may break down the hedge, she shall not break down the wall, it is too sti-ong and too high. ATien God sees men set upon their wicked desfres, if they be those that belong not to him, perhaps God may condemn them for their wicked desires, and yet they shall not have them; they shall go to hell for them, and never accompUsh them. How desperately set was Saul to mischief David? but God made a wall that he could not get to have his desu-e, do what he would. Many, especially great men, how strongly are they set upon then- desu-o! they must have it, and they will have it, nothing comes from them but must and will: well, they may be deceived, God knows how to cross the most stubborn and stout hearts that live upon the earth, that they shall not have what they woidd have in this world. ‘• I will make a wall.” God thus makes a wall about men’s sins, by sending sore and heavy afflictions. When God brings some grievous disease upon the drunkard’s body, perhaps he is so stopped that he cannot drink, that is a wall about his sin, that he cannot follow it according to his desfre: so the unclean person, God brings such a disease upon him, that he cannot have the pleasure of his lust though he earnestly desu’es it: so God brings poverty upon others, that they cannot follow their ambition and pride, do what they can: these are as walls to them. But God does not always send this in a way of mercy.

Obs. 10. Wlicn “lesser afflictions will not serve to keep men from then- sins, God usually comes with greater and sorer. First a hedge, and then a wall. I sec some of them will break through the hedge, “I will make a wall” therefore, that is, I will come with stronger and greater afflictions, and so keep them off. Lev. xxvi. 18, 19, “If you will not yet for all this,” saith God, “hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for yom- sins. And I will break the pride of your power.” You think there is a power in yom- hand, and there is pride in your power, for power raises the heart up to pride; I will break it, I will never leave till

I have broken your hearts in spite of you: and you TV-ill find in that chapter four or five times mention of “seven times more.” This is after the hedge, then there comes a wall.

Obt. 11. God is able to sti-ike men with blindness, that they shall not see their way. “And they shall not find their paths.” Though there be an evil way of mischief before them, though there be nothing to hinder them m it, God can stiike men with blindness one way or other, that they shall not be able to see their way before them. We have it this day exceedingly fulfilled in our eyes; how does God blind and besot our adversaries, that they cannot see their way ‘The truth of Job V. 13, is this day before our eyes, ‘’He taketh the wise in then- own craftiness; and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.” How has God taken Avise men in their own craftiness! their spuits are froward, because they are crossed and vexed, and their counsel is carried headlong; God takes away their- understanding, and baffles them in their o^l counsels. “The stout-hearted are spoiled, they have .slept their sleep; and none of the men of might have found their hands,” Psal. lxxvi. 5; they are cast into a slumber, and know not how to make use of that power which they have in their hands. It follows, ver. 6, “At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chai-iot and horse are cast into a dead sleep:” a sh’ange expression, that a chariot shoidd be “cast into a dead sleep;” the meaning is, they can no more teU how to make use of them, than if they all lay dead, or asleep. Let us not be afraid of the power of adversaries; suppose they had power in then- hand, God can strike them with blindness, they shall grope to find the door, they shall be baffled in their own ways, they shall not tell how to make use of their power. Isa. xxix. 14, “Behold,” (saith God.) “I will proceed to do a maiTeUous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder.” ‘NMiat is it? “The wisdom of then- -n-ise men shall perish, and the tmderstandiug of then- prudent men shall be hid.” This is a wonderful thing that God will do; yea, and he will “mingle a pen-erse spirit in the midst of them.” Thus, Isa. xix. 11, “Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: “and ver. 12,” “NMiere aie they? where are thy wise menP” And again, vei-. 13. “The princes of Zoan are become fools, the jirinces of Xoph are deceived;” and ver. 14, “The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof; and they have caused Eg)pt to en- in every work thereof, as a th-imkcn man staggereth in his vomit.” Here is the jiidgmcnt of God upon men; w-hen he list, he can blind them in theii- way that they shall en- in then- work, and stagger in their comisels and designs, as a di-unken man in his vomit; they shall not find then- paths, nor know what to do.

Well, thus God deals with wicked men: but now let us consider this in reference to the samts, to God’s own people, “they shall not find their paths;” then,

Obs. 12. It is a good blinthiess for men not to see the way of sin. It is promised here m a way of mcrev, that “they shall not find their paths.” This darkness is not “the shadow of death;” but “the way of life.” It is rich mercy. Mai-is, bishop of C’halcedoii, a blind man, whom Julian the apostate called a blind fool, because he had rebuked Julian for his ajiostacy, answered him thus, I bless God that I have not my sight to see such an ungracious face as thine. So, many may bless God for their bodily blindness, because it lias prevented abundance of sin that might have been let in at the casements of their eyes. But especially for blindness, not to see the way of sin, if we may call that blinchiess. It is a mercy that God does not grant to all, it is a singular mercy to the saints: for you find abundance of people exceedingly quick-sighted in the

way of sin, that can find the path there, and yet are exceedingly blind in the way of God, and cannot find the path there. On the other side, the saints are blinded in the way of sin, but are quick-sighted in the ways of God. How many men are wise to do evil, as the Scripture saith, able to see into the depths of Satan, and are profound to damn themselves; they can find out so many objections against the ways of God, they can answer such arguments against tlieu- own ways, anil have such cunning devices to accompHsh them; but when they come to the ways of God, they are as blind as moles; they cannot see the necessity for such strictness; they cannot luidersfand, though men of great parts and of great understanding otherwise, yet they J have no skill in the ways of God. I thank thee, O / Father, Lord of heaven and earth,” saith Chi-ist, “that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” Hence the saints, though babes, are able to see far into the exceJlOTicy and glory of God’s ways, they have understanchng there, though but weak othei-wise; the beauty of the great mysteries of God. dazzles all the glorj- of the world in their eyes. They ai-e not so easily caught with temptations, but can see into the subtleties of the devil that would draw them out of God’s ways; but when they come to the ways of sin, there they want understanding, and it is God’s mercy to them that they do; there tlicy are but bunglers, they grope as blind men, they are not cunnuig artists in those ways. As the apostle saith, 1 Cor. ii. 12, “We have received not the spirit of the world,” we cannot shift for ourselves as the men of the world can, we are not so cunning to contrive plots, and ti-icks, and devices for our on-n end*. as the men of the world; but “we have received the Spii-it of God,” we can understand things (Uirough God’s mercy) to eternal life. There are many men cunning for theii- own desti-uction, they can find ever-)’ secret path of sin; though sin be a labyrinth, they trace it, and find out even’ by-path in that way. When the ways of God are propounded to wicked men, there is a mist before then- eyes, they cannot see; and when the ways of sin are propounded to the saints, God in mercy casts a mist before their eyes that they cannot see. Eccl. x. 15, The fool “knoweth not how to go To the city;” wicked men know not the path to the chmch of God, to the ordinances of God: they talk much about such and such ordinances, and setting up of Christ in the way of his ordinances, but they know not what the true worship of God means. No, a fool does not understand the way to the city of God, he cannot find out that path. But the saints, though they know not the ways of sm, yet they can find out the paths of God, they know the way to the city. Possidonius tells us, that when wait was laid for Austin’s life, through God’s providence he missed his way, and’ so his life was preser-ed, and his enemies were disapjiointed. So many times when )ou are going on in such a way of sin, perhaps you little think what danger there is in it; God in mercy therefore casts a mist before your eyes, and you miss tlrat way and save your lives.

Ver. 7. And she shall follow after Iter lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to mt, first husband; for then u;as it better tcilh me than now.

In the 5th verse it was but .laSN vadam, “I will go after my lovers;” but here it is, nsii “she shall follow,” from a root w-hich signifies persequor, to follow with eagerness; not only sectari, but itiscctari ,- the word is the same that is used for persecutors, who eagerly pursue those they persecute. Psal. vii. 5, David speaks of his enemies following him, and uses the. same word, “Let the enemy persecute Ka.Ta 110 a., ep. soul.” The fomi of the word being in Piel, signifies to do any tiling anxiously, diligently, carefully, whereas in K.al it signifies barely doing a thing. Thus it is interpreted by Polanus, anxie prosemta est, she has prosecuted or followed with a great deal of care. So that this is more than the other, for it seems that after she had some afiliction she grew worse for a while, and was more eager upon her idols than she was before.

“But she shall not overtake them.” Though she be never so much set upon that way of evil, yet I will take a com’se to keep her from it, she shall not overtake them. Yea,

“She shall seek them, but shall not find them.” The

word onit’pa signifies, to seek with much endeavour, not

only to seek in one’s thought and mind, but to walk

up and down, that we may find. The

‘^Tia’^lmi iai’’ Seventy use divers words, which signify

a seeldng more than ordinary.

“But shall not find them.” Let her be never so set upon her ways of idolatry, yet I will keep her from them.

“Then shall she say, I will go,” &c. This shall be the efiect of it. One would think all this were nothing but thi’eatening; O no, it is mercy, for it is for this end, that she might at length say, “I will go and retmn to my first husband,” &c.

You may take then the scope of this and the preceding verse in this short paraplu’ase: as if God should say, O Israelites, you have grievously sinned against me, in forsaldng me and following yom’ lovers. Sore and heavy eils are ready to befall you, even you, my elect ones, upon whom my heart is set for good. You have involved yourselves in the common guilt of tlris wickedness, therefore even you must expect to be involved in the common calamity that shall come upon the nation. “Vhen you are under those calamities, know that I understand how to make a difierence between sinner and sinner, though guUty of the same sm, and under the same afiliction. What shall be for the destruction of some, shall be in mercy to you, it shall hedge up your ways, keep you from further siiming, and make your ways of sin difficult, that so yom- souls may be saved; and although your hearts will be a long time perverse, and will not submit to me, yet I will so ’ order things, in the way of my providence, that at length I will so work upon your hearts, that you shall return unto me. You shall bethink yom-selves, and remember what sweetness once you had in my ways; and you shall take shame to yourselves, and acknowledge that it was then far better with you than it is now; and so I will remain to be your God, and you shall give up yom-selves to worship and serve me for ever. This is the meaning and scope of the words.

06*. 1. Until God .subdues the heart to himself, men will grow worse and worse in then- sins. Even God’s elect, to whom he intends mercy at last, tiU God comes with his grace to subdue theii- hearts, they may grow worse and worse. They would before ‘• go after their lovers,” and now here afflictions come upon them; yet still they vnH. follow their lovers, and that vdih more eagerness of affection, and with more violence, than before. Afflictions in themselves are part of the curse of God, and there is no healing vii-tue in them, but an enraging quahty to stir up sin, till God sanctify them by his grace; and God may suspend for a time “the sanctifying work of his grace to those to whom he intends good at last. Isa. h. 20, speaks of some whose afflictions were not sanctified, that “they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull m a net: they are full of the fury of the Lord.” They were full of the fury of the Lord, yet lay like a wild buU in a net, in a

raging manner. This distemper of heai-t proceeds from two gi-ounds. 1. When outward comforts are taken away by affliction, the sinner, having no comfort in God, knows not where to have comfort but in his sin; and if conscience be not sti-ong enough to keep from it, he runs madly upon it. 2. Because he thinks others look upon him as one opposed by God for his sin; therefore, that he may declare to all the world that he is not daunted, and that he has no misgiving thoughts, (though perhaps he has nipping gi-ipes ■nithin,) he will put a good face upon it, and follow his wajs more eagerly than foi-merly.

Obs. 2. A man may follow after the devices of his own heart, and yet may not overtake them. “She shall follow, but she shall not overtake.” There is a great deal of difierence betwixt following God’s ways, and om- own ways: there was never any in the world that was disappointed, if he knew all, in following God’s ways, he obtained either the ven- tiling he would have, or somethuig that was as good, if not better, for him; but in the ways of sin, in our own ways, we may and do meet with disappointment. Why should we not then rather follow God than om- o^^l desu-es? The desires after sin, as they are desideria futilia, so they are desideria inutilia, as one speaks; as they are foolish, so they are fi-uitless desn-es, they do not attain what they would have. How has God disappointed men in our days! they have not overtaken what they greedily sought after. Our adversaries blessed themselves in their designs, they thought to have their day, they propounded such an end and thought to have “it; but how has God disappointed them! But whether God has done this in mercy to them, as it is here, we know not; we hope God has crossed some of them in a way of mercy, though perhaps he may deal in another way with others.

Obs. 3. Disappointment in the way of sin is a gi-eat mercy. As satisfaction in sin is a judgment of God, and a fearful judgment; so chsappointment in sin is a mercy, and a great mercy. God says in Prov. xiv. 14, ‘•The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways.” A cbeadful threatening to backsliders and apostates! AVhen God has no intention of love and mercy for backsliders, he will give them theii- own devices, they shall have their fill of their own ways; you woidd have such a lust, you shall have it, you shall be satisfied to the full, and bless yom-selves in yom- own ways. This is the judgment of God upon backsliders. But for the saints, when tempted to such a way of sin, God will disappoint them, they shall not have it. We accoimt it orduiarily very grievous to be disappointed of any thing, and many times I have had this meditation upon it: What! does it so trouble the heart of men to be disappointed almost in auy- thing? oh what a di-eadfiil vexation and hoi-ror ■wUl it be for a man to see lumself disappointed of his last hopes! Remember this, when you are troubled at any disappointment; what wLU be the terror and anguish of spuit then, if it should prove that any of you are disappomted of yom- hopes for eternity! But those whom God disappoints in the way of sin, may have hope that God will deliver them from that great disappointment.

Obs. 4. Governors should take such a course as to remove idols and superstitious vanities from those that will worship them, and sm agamst God by them. She would have her idols, but God will take them away; though she follow after them, and have a great mind to them, yet “she shall not overtalvc them.” The meaning is, God will remove them from then- idols, or their idols from them; they should not come to their Dan or Bethel, they should either be removed far enough fioni their calves, or the e.ilves from them. Hence governors must either take people awav from those vanities, or theii- vanities fi-ora them; they should

not so much as suffer those things to be enticements and snares for the hearts of people; though they are very grand, and abundance of gold and excellent artificial work ai’e about them, yet, “Thou shalt not desh-e the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing,” Deut. vii. 25, 26. You shall not look upon the ingenious work of their idols, and upon the gi’eat cost bestowed upon them, and therefore spare them because of that; O no, but take them away, that men may not be insnared by them.

Obs. 5. Idolaters’ hearts are after their idols when they cannot get them. “She shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake thera.” Though they cannot get them, yet they will be following them. Their conduct is of excellent use for us: so should we do in piu’suing after God’s ordinances; though perhaps, for the present, we cannot enjoy the ordinances of God, yet be sure to keej) our hearts working after them. Many deceive themselves in this; they say. We would have all the orchnances of God, but we see we cannot; and so upon that sit still, and do not laboiu- to keep their hearts in a burning desire after them; and hence, many times they let slip the opportunities of enjopng them. But now if thou canst not have the beauty of an ordinance, if thou keejiest thy heart in a burning desire after it in the use of all means for attaining it, know then, that the want of an ordinance is an ordinance to thee. You shall find in the English Chronicle of Edward the First, that he had a mighty desu-e to go to the Holy Land; and because he could not go, he gave charge to his son upon his death-bed that he should take his heart thither, and a])pointed £32,000 to defray the charges of carrying his heart to the Holy Land, out of a superstitious respect he had to that place: though ho could not attain it, his heart should. Thus should our hearts work after ordinances.

And now we come to the blessed fruit of all this. “She shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them.” AVhat follows after all this? Now mercy appears; they shall return, at length they shall bethink themselves. “Then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.”

Obs. 1. In times of aflfliction, the only rest of the soul is to return to God. They kept wriggling, and shifting up and down, to provide for themselves, but they could find no rest. As a poor prisoner that is shackled keeps a stir with his chains, but instead of getting any freedom he galls his legs. But when the poor soul, after all shiftings, and turnings, and vexings, comes to think of returning to the Lord, and of humbling and repenting itself before him, then it finds rest. “Keturn to thy rest, O my soul.” Kemember, after all your afilictions, here is your rest, in returning to the Lord.

Obs. 2. So long as men can liavc any tiling in their sinful way to satisfy themselves M’ith, they will not return to God. Then they shall say, that is, when they are so stopped in their way, when they are hedged, and walled, and cannot overtake their lovers, then they shall return to the Lord. Tlicre is that pen-crseness of spirit in men. Only when men are stojiped in the way of sin, that they can have no satisfaction nor hope, then they begin to think of returning to God. As the prodigal; what shift did he make! he goes to the farmer, to the swine, to the husks to fill his belly, and it is likely if lie had had his bellyful of them he would never have thought of going to his father; but when he came to the husks, and could not tell how to fill his bellv there, when he was in a desperate state, then he begins to think of returning to his father. So you have it, Isa. lvii. 10,” Yet saidst thou not, There is no

hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved; “thou wast not brought to such a desperate stand as to say. There is no hope: that intimates that till men are brought to such a stand that they can saw. Certainly, there is no hope or help this way, they will seldom think of returning to God. Thus is God infinitely dishonoiu’cd by us. It is very strange how the hearts of men will hanker after their sin this way and that way, and tUl God take them quite off from hope of comfort by it, they will never have a thought to return to God. God is fain to be the last refuge. AVe account ourselves much dishonoured when we are the last d,”^t“^iur°dm”; refuge; when nobody will, I must. It seems God is fain to yield to this; when no one will give satisfaction to the soul, then men come to God, and God must.

Obs. 3. Returning to God, if it be in truth, though it be after we have sought out all other helps, yet God is willing to accept. This is an observation full of comfort, the Lord grant it may not be abused; but it is the word of the Lord, and a certain truth, that returning after men have sought other means, and can fuid no help, though they are diiven to it by afflictions, yet it may be accepted by God. !Man will not accept upon these terms, but the thoughts of God are as far above the thoughts of men, as the heaven is above the earth. It is true, sometimes God will not, nay, God threatens, Prov. i. 28, Though “they call upon me, I will not answer;” though “they seek me early,” yet “they shall not find me.” God is not thus gracious to all at all times; therefore you must not presume upon it. God sometimes at the very first affliction hardens his heart against men, that he will never regard them more, for his mei’cy is his own; but those that are in covenant with him, though they come to him upon such terms, yet they may be accepted of him; therefore, take this truth for helping you against this sore temptation, which, when you are in affliction, will be apt to intrude: Oh! I cry to God now in my afftiction; 1 should have done it before, siu’cly God will not hear nie now. I confess I cannot speak in this ])oint without a trembling heart, lest it be abused; but the text presents it fau4y to you, and you must have the mind of God made known to you, though others abuse it. “Mine eye nioumeth by reason of affliction: Lord, I have called daily upon thee,” Psal. lxxxviii. 9. This is spoken by Heman, and God did accept him, as it is apparent in the psalm, yet he cried by reason of affliction. And Psal. cxx. 1, “In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me;” though it wore in my distress, yet the Lord heard me. Only take this one note about it: Though our being stopjicd in all other ways may make us cry to God, and God may hear us, yet, when God does hear us, he works more than crying out by reason of that affliction; at first our affliction carries us to God, yet, before God has done with us, and manifests any acceptance of us, he works our hearts to higher aims than deliverance from our affliction.

06*. 4. A heart eflcetually wrought upon by God is a resolute heart to return to God. “I will go and return.” As they were resolute in their way of idolatry, “I will go after my lovers;” so their hearts, when converted, shall be as resolute in God’s ways; “she shall say, I will go and return to my first husband.” AVlicn God works upon the heart to purpose, he causes strong arguments to fasten upon the spirit, and nothing shall hinder, no, not father, nor mother, nor the dearest friend. Perhaps the Lord begins to work upon the child, and the father scorns liini, and the mother says, “What shall we have of you now? a iiiuitan? This grieves the sjiirit of the child; yet there are such strong arguments fastened by God u])on his heart, that it carries him through, he is resolute in his way, he will return.

Obs. 5. Those who have ever found the sweetness of Christ in their hearts, though they shoukl be backsliders, have something remaining that will at length draw them to him. Christ has such hold upon thenhearts, as at one time or other he will get them in again; there will be some spai’ks under those embers, that will inflame and cbaw the soul to retiu-n again to Christ. Therefore, if any of you have friends in whom you were verily persuaded there was a true work of grace, though they have exceedingly departed from Christ, do not abandon your hope, for if ever there were any true taste of the sweetness that is in Christ, Christ has such a hold upon their heai-ts, that he will bring them in again one time or other.

Obs. 6. There is nothing gotten by departing from Christ. “I will go and return to my fu“st husband, for then was it better with me.” You go from the better to the worse, whenever you depart from lum: “What fruit had ye in those things whereof ye are now ashamed?” Rom. vi. 21. “I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit,” Isa. xlviii. 17: sin does not teach you to profit, you can never get good by that, but the Lord teaches to profit. You may think to gain something by departing from Christ, but when you have cast up all the gain, you may put it into your eye, and it wlU do you no hiu:t. “What is the hope of the hj’pocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?” Job xxvii. 8. Perhaps a hj-pocrite, or a backslider who has departed from God, once forward in the way of godliness, but who now, like Demas, has forsaken those ways and cleaves to the world, thinks he has gained, and perhaps is grown richer, and lives braver than before; yet what hope has this backslider, this hypocrite, when God taketh away his soul? then he will see that he has gotten nothing. As it is said of the idolater, Isa. xliv. 20, “He feedeth upon ashes: a deceived heart hath tirrned him aside, that he cannot deliver his sold, nor say. Is there not a lie in my right hand?” ‘Tiat! shall there be more in a lust than in the blessed God? than in Jesus Chr-ist, who is the glory of heaven, the delight of angels, the satisfaction of the Father himself? Can a lust put thee into a better condition than Christ, who has all fulness to satisfy God himself? Certainly it cannot be.

Obs. 7. There must be a sight and an acknowledgment of our shameful folly, or else there can be no true retm-ning to God. “I will go and return to my fii-st husband, for then was it better with me than now.” As if the ehm-ch should say, I confess I have played the fool, I have done shamefully, I have lost by departing from Christ, it was better far than it is now. Jer. iii. 25, “AVe he down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us, for we have sinned against the Lord our God,” saith the church; so it should be with all that retmn to Christ, they must lie down in their shame. This is very seasonable in these times: we have many now, who not long since were vile apostates; they have gone with the times, they saw preferment went such a way, and their hearts went that way; now they see they cannot have preferment in that “way, and God of his mercy has changed the times, they will be converts. We have m England many parliamentary converts, but such we are not to confide in. Do you ask, Why should we not confide in them? If they repent and return, God accepts them, and why should not we? It is true, such a one was before an enemy, and followed superstitious vanities, but now he is grown better and preaches agamst them, and why should not we receive him? I answer, it is true, if deep humihation has gone before that reformation; if, together with their being better, they have been willing to shame themselves before God and his people, to acknowledge their folly in departing fi-om God, and be willing to profess before all that knew them, and have been scandalized by

them. It is true, God began with me and showed me his ways when I was young; I began to love them, anol to walk in them; but when I saw how the times went, and preferment went, the Lord knows I had a base, time-serving heart, I went away from God. No arguments satisfied my conscience, but merely livings and preferment, and now I desire to take shame and confusion of face to myself. AVoe unto me for the folly and falseness of my heart! it is infinite mercy of God ever to regard such a WTetch as I. If they did thus take shame to themselves, and acknowledge their folly, this were something. AVe read in the primitive times of Ecebolius, who, when he had revolted fi’om the truth, came to the congregation, and, falling down upon the thi’eshold, cried out, Calcate, calca/e insipidum salem; Tread upon me, unsavoury salt; I confess I have made myself unsavoury salt by departing from the truth, let all tread upon me. It was a sign of ti’ue retm-ning, when this went before, and reformation followed. We have done foolishly, it was better with us than now.

06^. 8. Though acknowledgment must go before, j’et returning must follow. “I will return.” It is not enough to see and acknowledge, but there must be a retm’ning; for as reformation without humiliation is not enough so humiliation without reformation suffices not. And I speak this the rather, because these are times wherein there is a gi’eat deal of seeming humiliation, and we hope time humiliation: but many in the days of their fasting will acknowledge how sinful, how vile, how passionate they have been in then- families, how worldly, what base self-ends they have had; and they will make such catalogues of their sins in those days of their humdiation, as cause admiration: the thing itself is good; but I speak to this end, to show the horrible wickedness of men’s hearts, that after they have ripped up all their sins, and with all aggravations acknowledged the folly of their evQ ways against God, yet they often manifest no returning; after all this, they are as passionate in their families, as froward, as peevish, as perverse, as earthly, as light and vain in their carriage as ever. They will acknowledge what they have done, but they will not return. Remember, humiliation must go before reformation, but reformation must follow after humiliation.

Obs. 9. How much better it was when the heart cleaved to Chi-ist, above what it is smce its departure from Chi-ist, is an effectual means to cause the heart to return to him. This is the way that Christ himself prescribed. Rev. ii. 5, “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent.” Thou wert in a better condition once than now thou art: O return; and that thou mayst retmni, “remember from whence thou art fallen.” I will give a little glimpse of what might be said in this point more largely. The reasonings of the heart in the sight of this may briefly be hinted thus: Heretofore I was able through God’s mercy to look upon the fiice of God with joy. AATien ray heart cleaved to him, when I walked close with God, then the glory of God shuied upon me, and caused my heart to spring within me every time I thought of him; but now, now, God knows, though the world takes little notice of it, the very thoughts of God are a terror to me, the most terrible object in the world is to behold the face of God. Oh, it was better with me than it is now.

Before my backsliding I had free access to the throne of God’s free grace, I coidd come with humble and holy boldness to God, and pour out my soul before him; such a chamber, such a closet, can witness it: but now I have no heart to pray, I must be haled to it by conscience; yea, every time I go by that very closet where I was wont to have that access to the throne of gi-ace, it strikes a terror to my heart; I can never come into God’s presence, but it is out of slavish fear. Oh, it was better with me then than it is now.”

Before, oh the sweet communion my soul enjoyed with Jesus Christ! one da)’’s communion with him, how much belter was it than the enjoy-ment of all the world! But now Jesus Christ is a stranger to nie, and I a stranger to him. Before, oh the sweet enlargements that my soul had in the ordinances of God! when I came to the word, my soul was refreshed, was warmed, was enhghtened; when I came to the sacrament, oh the sweetness that was there! and to prayer with the people of God, it was even a heaven upon earth to me: but it is othem-ise now, the ordinances of God are dead and empty things to me. Oh, it was better with me then than it is now.

Before, oh the gracious mitations of God’s Spirit that I was wont to have! Yea, when I awaked in the night season, oh the glimpses of God’s face that were upon my soul! what quickenings, and enlivcnings, and refi’eshings did I find in them! I would give a world for one night’s comfort I then had by the visitations of God’s Spii-it, but now they are gone. Oh, it was better with me then than it is now.

Before, oh what peace of conscience had I within! however the world railed and accused, yet my conscience spake peace to me, and was a thousand witnesses for me: but now I have a grating conscience within me; oh the black bosom that is in me, it flies in my face every day! I could come before from the society of the saints, and my conscience smiled upon me; now I go to ■n-icked company, and when I come home, and in the night, oh the gnawings of that worm! It was better with me then than it is now.

Before, the graces of God’s Spirit were sparlding in me, active and lively! I could exercise faith, humility, patience, and the like; now, I am as one bereft of all, anfit for any tiling, even as a dead log. Before, God made use of me, and employed me in honourable services; now I am unfit for any service at all. Oh, it was better with me then than it is now.

Before, I could take hold upon promises, I could claim them as mine own, I could look up to all those blessed, sweet promises that God had made in his word, as mine inheritance; but now, alas, the promises of God are very little to me. Before, I could look upon the face of all troubles, and the face of death, with joy; but now the thoughts of affliction and of death, God knows how ten-ible they are to me. Oh, it was better witlp me then than it is now.

Before, in all creattues I coidd enjoy God, I tasted the sweetness and love of God even in my meat and drink; I could sit with my wL*e and cliildrcn, and see God in them, and look upon the mercies of God through them, as a fruit of the covenant of grace; oh how sweet was it with me then! But now the creature is as an empty thing unto me; whether it come in love or Iiatred I do not know. Oh, it was better with me before than now.

Before, I was under the protection of God wherever I went, but now I cfo not know what danger and miseries I am subject to daily, what may befall me before night, God only knows. Before, the saints rejoiced with me in my company and communion; now every one is shy of me. Before, I was going on in the ways of life; now these ways I am in, God knows, and my conscience tells mc, are’ ways of death. Oh, it was better with me then than it is now. Now then, put all these together, as I make no question these thoughts are the thoughts of many backsliders, if we knew all that were in their hearts. As the prodigal, when he was feeding upon the husks, began to bethink himself; AVhat! is not there food enough in my father’s house? every servant there has food enough, and here I am ready to starve. So may many backsliders say, Alas! before, I had sweetness enough, and was satisfied with those abundance of pleasures that were in the house of God, and in his

word and ordinances; now I feed upon husks, and amongst swine: oh that it were with me as it was before! As Job speaks in another case concerning his aiflictions, “Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me; when his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness!” Job xxix. 2, 3. Before, I had some aiflictions, but I could walk through all afflictions by the light which I had from God. Oh that it were with me now as it was then; “as in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle, when the iVlmightj- was yet with me!” It may be said of many backsliders, as Lam. iv. 7, 8, they were once as polished sappliires, but now they are become “blacker than a coal.”

But oh that you had hearts to say. Let me retm-n, let me return, because it was otherwise with me heretofore than it is now! Oh that this day there might an angel meet thee, as he met with Hagar when she fled from Sarah! the angel said to her, “Hagar, Sarah’s maid, whence comest thou, and whither wilt thou go?” So I say to. thee, O backslider, whence comest thou, and whither wUt thou go? Mark, “Hagar, Sarah’s maid, whence comest thou?” Dost thou come from Sarah? fi’om Abraham’s family, where God is worshipped, where the church of God is? and whither goest thou? canst thou be any where so well as there? So I say to thee, thou who wert a forward professor before, whence comest thou? Dost thou come from such ordinances, from such communion with the saints? AVliat hast thou gotten by those base ways? Thou canst eat, and drink, and laugh a little, and have some esteem with such as are carnal; oh, whither wUt thou go? Oh that God would show you this day whither you go!

Obs. 10. Seeing there is so much grief and shame in complaining of oui- backsliding, whenever God awakens us it should teach all that are not yet apostates, to take heed what they do, that they may never bring themselves into such a condition. It is a note of caution to you who are, through God’s mercy, in his way; you are now well, know when you are well, and keep well. And you young ones who are beginning to give up yom’ names to God, take heed that you do not decline from what you now do, that you do not apostatize from God aftemard, lest this be yom’ condition at best; for this is at best, thus to lament the change of your condition. Perhaps you will go on, and God will never cause you to see your shame and folly, till you be eternally undone; but at best you must be brought to this shame and confusion of face, to acknowledge how much better it was with you before than now. How much better was it when I lived in such a family, under such a master, in such a to-mi! oh it was better then -with me than it is now! Oh the precious days that once I had when I was young! those days are gone, and whether ever they will come again, God knows.

Yet, further, when the judgment passes on God’s side, that it was better before than now, then the soul is in a hopefid way. So long as the judgment holds for God and his ways, though thou ai-t a backslider, though perhaps thy heart be drawn aside from God, and thy affections be »mruly, thou art not in a desperate condition, there is hope of thee. Tlierc are two sorts of apostates. There are some apostates, who though they are so through the unrulincss of their affections, and the strength of temptation, yet they keep their judgment for God’s ways, and acknowledge God’s peojjle to be best, and his ordinances to be best, and themselves in the danger; these arc properly backsliders. But tlicre are some apostates who so fall off from God and his ways, that they begin in their very judgments to think that those ways which they professed Ijcfore were but fancies, and that the people of God are but n com-THE PROPHECY OF HOSEA.

pany of humorous people, and bless themselves in theuown ways, and think that they are better now than they were before. Oh, this is a hideous thing. If thy judgment be once taken, that thou thinkest the ways of sin to be better than those ways of God, that thou professedst before, then the Lord have mercy upon thee, thou ai’t even a ruined man. We do not know what God will do mtli thee, but in the judgment of man thou art undone.

Latimer, in a sermon before King Edward, has this passage: I have Ivaown many apostates, but I never knew more than one that proved a scorner, and yet returned again. Take heed therefore, saith he, of apostacy. Though a man may fall from God, and possibly return; yet, if he fall off, so that his judgment is taken that he is become a scorner, that is a woefid condition, such a one scarce ever returns. Many such apostates you have in England, and I would challenge you all to give me one example of any one that ever retimicd again that so fell. I know many scorners are converted, but they that have been forward in professing, and then fall off, and prove scorners, where have you any of them come in? In Lev. sin. 44, you find when the priest shall come and see a man that has the leprosy in his head, he shall pronounce him utterly unclean; for the plague is in his head. Observe, when the priest found uncleanness in any other part, he was to pronounce it unclean, but if the leprosy be in the head, he shall pronounce the part utterly unclean; there is not that utter imcleanness any where as when the plague is in the head. So I may say here, when a man falls off fi’om the ways of God by some strong temptation or imi’uly affection, this man is unclean, verUy, he is unclean; but when it comes to the head, that his judgment is against the ways of God, and so contemns them and those that follow them, and thinks his o-wn ways better, this man is utterly unclean, for the plague is in his head. The Lord deliver you from that plague.

Obs. 11. Backsliders may have hope of attaining their former condition, to be as well as ever they were: “I will return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.”

In this, God’s goodness goes beyond man’s abimdantly. “They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the Lord,” Jer. iii. 1. Hence, ver. 22, the Holy Ghost exhorts to retm-n upon this veiy ground, “Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal youi- backslidings.” Is there any backsliding soul before the Lord? God now offers to heal thy backslidings, thou knowest that it is not with thee now as heretofore; lo, God tenders his grace to thee that thou mayst be in as good a condition as ever. Oh that thou wouldst give the answer of the church there, “Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God. Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the lulls, and fi-om the multitude of mountams: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.” It is true, God might justly satisfy thee in thy present ways of backsliding, as sometimes he does. “The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways,” Prov. xiv. 14; he shall have enough of them; and Prov. i. 31, “They shall eat the fruit of then- own way, and be filled with their own devices.” But, behold, wisdom itself caEs thee now to retm-n again, and makes this fan- promise, Prov. i. 23, “Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my sphit imto you.” There is not only a possibility of being received into thy former condition, but Christ woos thee, and calls after thee, he promises to pom- out his >Spirit imto you, yea, and there would be triumph in heaven upon “thy retiuTiiiig.

But let me say thus much to thee, though there be a possibility of coming again into as good a condition as thou wast in before, yet, 1. There had need be a mighty work of God’s Spirit to raise thy heart to believe this. It is not an easy thing for one who has been left of God to that fearful sin of backsliding, to believe that ever God shoidd receive him, and that he should retm-n to the ways of mercy and comfort as before. Yea, 2. Though there be a possibility to be recovered to mercy, yet you must be contented to be in a meaner condition if God shall please. You must come to God with such a disposition as to be content with the lowest condition, only that thou mayst have mercy at the last; as the prodigal, “Make me as one of thy hked servants.” And know, lastly, that if you do not return upon Iris gracious offer, God may give thee up for ever, take thy fill and there is an end of thee. “He which is filthy, let him be filthy still.”

Yet, further, this expression sti’ongiy presents occasion to digress a little in comparing our present times with former, to examine whether we can say, it was better with us heretofore than it is now? In these days there is much comparing our present times with times past, and divers judgments about present times; some complaining of the hazards and dangers we are in, in these present times. Much better was it heretofore, say they, than it is now.

‘To such let me say, fu-st, as the Holy Ghost saith. Eccl. vii. 10, “Say not thou, “What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.” Certainly, those people who make such grievous complamts of present times, comparing them with times past, do not wisely inquu-e concerning this thing. There are many sad things for the present amongst us, things that om- hearts have cause to bleed for, such misunderstanding between king and parliament, some blood shed ah-eady, and danger of sheddhig much more; yet, perhaps, if we inqiure wisely concerning this thing, we shall find that, notwithstanding all this, we have little cause to complain that it is worse with us now in comparison of what was before.

Consider, first, that which men most complain of, which makes the times hardest now, is but the breaking out of those mischievous designs that lay hid long before, and would have done us a great deal more mischief if they had been kept m. Now they break forth, and break forth as the desperateness of the hopes of those who had such designs; because they could now go no longer underhand, but being brought into a desperate pass, they are fain to see what they can do in ways of violence; and this certamly is better than that mischief should work secretly under-board. Secondly, by this we have a discovery of men, which way they stand, what was and is in tlicir hearts; and this is a great mercy. Tlui’dly, with the breaking forth of these things, God grants that help now to England, that it never yet had so fully in the like way, and puts such a fair price into the hands of the people of England, that never yet was put into their hands. Yea, and consider, fom’thly, that the more violent men are now, the more does it tell us what a lamentable time was before; for if now, when there is such means of resistance, and yet the adversaries prevail so much, what would they have been by this time, if this means of resistance had not been? “What a case were we in then, when they might do what they woidd, and we had no means to help om-selves? Certainly things then lay at more hazard than now. Fifthly, though there be many sad things amongst us, yet God hath been beforehand with us, we have had aheady, even of free cost, as much mercy as all these troubles come to. SixtMy, these troubles are maldng way for glorious mercies to come; though there be some pangs, yet they are not

the pangs of death, they are but the pangs of a travailing woman that is bringing forth a man-child. Any prince would think, that though his queen should be put to some pain in travail, yet her condition is better than when she had no pain and was barren, or than that she should lie upon her sick bed, and bereft of her senses, and ready to die. The pai:is of a ti-availing woman are better than a senseless dying. Yet further, if you think that you had better times heretofore than now, to what times will you refer in making the comparison? 1 suppose you will instance the times of the first reformation; then things were in a good way when thoi;e worthy lights of the church and blessed martjTS had such a hand in the reformation. Many magnifythe times of the beginning of reformation for their own ends, that they may thereby hinder reformation now. This, you know, is the great argument that prevails with most: AMiat! were not those prayers composed by learned, godly men, as C’ratmier, Latimer, and Ridley, and othei-s? and can we be wiser than they? did not they seal their profession with their blood?

My brethren, we need go no further to show the weakness of this argument, but only to show how it was in the church in those times, and you will find that you have cause to bless God that it is not so with you now as it was then; and if that will appear, then the argument you will see can no further prevail with rational men. Certainly, those first reformers were worthy lights and blessed instruments for God: I woidd not darken their excellency, but weaken the argument that is abusively raised from their worth. It is reported of Mr. Greerdiam, that famous practical divine, that in a letter to the bishop of Ely, in gi^ing his reasons for refusing subscription and answers to that prelate’s objection against him, that Luther thought such ceremonies might be retained in the church; he thus replied, I reverence more the revealed wisdom of God, in teaching Luther so many necessarj- things to salvation, than I search his secret judgments, in keeping back il’om his knowledge other things of less importance. The same I say of those worthy instruments of God’s glory in the first refonnation; and that it may bo clcai- to you that God kept back his mind fi’om them in some things, consider, whether you would be willing that should be done now that was then: as in the achninistration of baptism, we find that in the book of liturgy in King Edward’s time, which was composed by those worthy men; fii-st, the child was to be crossed in the forehead, and then on the breast; after a prayer used; then the priest was to say over the child at the font, “I command thee, thou vmclean spirit, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and ol the Holy Ghost, that thou comest out of this infant; thou cursed spirit, remember thy sentence, remember thy judgment, remember the day is at hand wherein thou shall be bm-nt with everlasting fire prepared for thee and thy angels, and presuine not hereafter to exercise any tjTanny over this infant whom Christ hath bought with his ]n-ec!Ous blood.” Then they dipped the child thrice in the water, the godfathers and the godmothers laid their hands upon the child, and the priest put a white vestment over it, called a chrysome, saying, “Take this white vesture for a token of thine innocency, which by God’s gi-ace in this holy .sacrament of baptism Ls given to tlice, and for a sign whereby thou art admonished as long as thou livest to give thyself to innocency.” Then the priest must anoint the infant upon the head, saying,” .Vlmighty God,” tVe, “who hath regenerated thee by water and the Holy Ghost, who hath given thee remission of all thy sins, vouchsafe to anoint thee with the unction of his Holy Spirit.” Would you now have your children bajitizcd after this order? yet these learned, holy men thought that to be a good way. So at the burial of the dead, the priest casting earth upon the corpse shall say,” I

commend thy soul to God the Father Almighty, and thy body to the ground;” and in another prayer, “Grant to this thy servant, that the sins he committed in this world be not imputed to him, but that he, escaping the gates of hell and pains of eternal daikness, may ever dwell in the region of light.”

You will say, things are otherwise now. True; therefore I say, there is no strength in that argument, that those men who composed the liturgy were worthy lights in the church; for they were but newly come out of popery, and had the scent of popery upon them, therefore it is too uMcasonable to make that which they did the nile of our reformation now, as if we were to go no fm-ther than they did. The like may be said of the primitive times, which many plead for the justification of their superstitious vanities, for the Cluistians then came but newly out of heathenism, and lived among licathens, and therefore coiUd not so soon be delivered from their heathenish customs. I coidd relate to you sad things there were in Queen Elizabeth’s and in King James’s days; but I must not take too much liberty in this digression; only let us hereby learn not so to cry out of e”il times m which we live, as to be imthankful for present mercies; let us bless God for what we have had, and look to him and his word for further reformation.