Lectures Upon Hosea 1-4

ANd so much concerning the dignity of the Church and people of God. In the next place is set down their unity and vnanimity, verse 11. Then shall the children of [Verse 11] Judah, and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head. In which words he alludeth unto their separation and division which was between the Israelites and the Jews, when as for the sins of Solomon, they were disunited and disjoined in the reign of Rehoboam, into two several Ringdomes, under the government of their two Kings: and likewise to their scattering and dispersing amongst the Gentiles, in the time of their captivity, when as they wandered like sheep without a shepherd: showing that at the coming of the Messias, they who were disjoined should be reunited; and they which were dispersed, should be gathered together: and whereas in former times, they were either without a King, or divided under the government of two Kings, upon which followed bloody wars, desolation and misery; now they should be gathered together into one Kingdom, under the rule of Christ their only King; under whose government they should enjoy peace, happiness, and abundance of all blessings; as it is plainly set down, Ezech. 37. 22, 23, 24.

But let us come to the words more particularly: where first is set down their reunion into one Kingdom, who by discord and dissension had been disunited. The which is signified by this phrase of gathering together: for whereas the people of Israel and Judah, had like sheep gone astray, and had dispersed themselves amongst the Gentiles, as in a waste wilderness, the Lord promiseth, that by the great Sheepheard of our souls, Jesus Christ, they should be recollected and gathered into one flock and one sheepfold.

The parties then who being dispersed, should be gathered together, are the Israelites and the Jews, where (as before) by Israelites, we are to understand the sons of Abraham, according to the Spirit: that is, all the faithful and true believers, both Israelites and Gentiles; and by Judah, the people of the Jews, who also belonged to God's election, and were endued with the faith of Abraham; neither were all the Jews, according to the flesh, added unto Christ's Kingdom, but only the true Jews, who were children of the promise: for as the Apostle saith; All are not Israel which were of Israel; Rom. 9. 6. so he saith; he is not a Jew which is one outward, but he is a Jew wihch is one within: Romans 2. 28, 29. so Apoc. 2. 9.

Now the order of their gathering together, may be observed out of the order of the words; for the Jews have the first place, because they were still the Church and people of God, and were not rejected out of God's covenant, but were as yet in & about the sheepfold; as appeareth, Luk. 1. 68. & 7. 16. and then the Israelites, who by a certain kind of right, in regard of God's promises, made to their forefathers were to be gathered together, and added to the Church: and lastly, the Gentiles, who by occasion of their calling, were together called with them; as appeareth, Rom. 1. 16.

The time when they should be gathered, was not present, but to come; and this is signified by the future tense here used: that is, not in the time of the Law, but of the Gospel, when the true Messias should be exhibited.

The person by whom this union should be made, was not themselves, who rather were ready more and more to wander and go astray, but Jesus Christ their great and only true shepherd: and therefore he saith, not that they should assemble themselves; but that they should be gathered together, namely by another; that is, Christ: so Isaiah. 11. 12. He shall set up a sign to the Nations, and assemble the dispersed Israel, and gather the dispersed Judah from the four corners of the world. John 10. 16. Other sheep I have also which are not of this fold; them also must I bring, &c. John 11. 52. Eph. 2. 14.

The meritorious cause of this union, is the death and merits of Christ, whereby both Jews and Gentiles were reconciled unto God, and made his Church and family. For he therefore died, that by his death he might gather together in one the children of God, which were scattered: John 11. 52. And Christ saith; that if he were lift up from the earth (that is, crucified) he would draw all men unto him: so Eph. 2. 13.

The means are either external or internal. External, the preaching of the Gospel, whereby we are called to the knowledge of Christ, and the mystery of our redemption wrought by him. Eph. 4. 11, 12. He therefore gave some to be Apostles, and some Prophets, &c. for the gathering together of the Saints. Internal on Christ's part, is his holy Spirit; on our part a true and lively faith, whereby we all are united unto Christ our head, and one with another, as fellow members of the same body.

The manner of this collection is either spiritual, or corporal and local: the spiritual union or gathering together, is the communion of all the Saints, when as they are united and knit together in one mystical body, in one spirit, in one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father; as the Apostle speaketh, Eph. 4. 4, 5, 6. And this union and collection is not hindered by distance of place, seeing the spirit of God, which is the bond of this union, filleth all places, and uniteth the faithful of all countries and nations into one body, whereof Christ is the head. And this collection is here principally understood.

The other is corporal and local; when as the Saints of God united in that spiritual union, are also gathered together in the same place, country, and congregation; the which of all the faithful is exceedingly to be desired, for the mutual comfort and edification one of another, which cometh unto all them, who being united by the same spirit and faith, are also knit together in the same company and fellowship. [The Doctrines.]

And this is the meaning of these words. The doctrines which arise from them, are these. First, whereas the promises of God, concerning the gathering together of his Church, are made both to the Jews, Israelites, and Gentiles; and unto the Jews in the first place. Hence we learn to lay aside that ancient enmity which is in worldly men towards that Nation, and to love those which are converted to the faith as brethren; and likewise to pray for those which are not yet called, that they may be added to the Church. The malice of men towards this nation hath been such, that it is grown into a proverbial speech; to hate one as they hate a Jew: the which, howsoever it is a just judgment of God upon the Jews, for their obstinacy in their infidelity and unthankfulness; yet it is a sin in them, seeing this people have in diverse respects deserved well at our hands; in that they were for a long time together, faithful treasurers of God's divine oracles, the Law and Prophets; in that they were our mother Church, unto which we were added, from whom we have received our light and knowledge; and in that by their fall, salvation is come unto us Gentiles: Rom. 11. 11. And therefore let us not boast our selves against the natural branches, who were branches of the wild Olive tree. For if God spared not them, let us take heed lest he also spare not us: Rom. 11. 21. Yea, but will some say, they crucified the Lord of life, and therefore deserve to be hated of all. I answer, that we are rather to turn the edge of this hatred against our own sins, which were the principal cause of Christ's death, whereof they were but instruments, and as it were our executioners. Besides, God in his exceeding mercy and goodness, hath turned this their cruel fact to our exceeding good, even to the redemption and salvation of our bodies and souls: and therefore if this were a sufficient cause to appease Joseph's anger towards his brethren, because God turned their malice to all their good, even the advancement of Joseph, and presetuation of their whole family: then surely the like reason should pacify our wrath towards our elder brethren the Jews, seeing God hath in his infinite goodness made their hatred and rage, a means of our redemption and eternal salvation, by Christ's death and bloodshed.

Secondly, we here observe, who is the chief and principal cause of our gathering together into the Church; namely, our Savior Christ; for we were like wandering sheep gone astray in the wilderness of the world, continually under the power, and at the command of the spiritual wolf Satan, who at pleasure might pray upon us, notwithstanding any resistance we were able to make: out of which dangers we could by no means quit our selves, seeing the eyes of our minds were so blinded with ignorance, that we could not find the way to our sheepfold, the Church of God, where only is safety and security; nay rather we were ready more and more to wander and lose our selves in the Labyrinth of our own errors; and though we had got some small glimpse of the right way, yet we were so entangled in the brires of our sins and corruptions, that we could not have travailed in it. And in this fearful condition we remained, till Christ our good shepherd came to seek us, and having found us, carried us on his shoulders into his sheepfold of grace and happiness.

Thirdly, we are to observe the means whereby Christ gathered us into his Church; namely, by shedding his blood: for sin which excluded us out of it, and scattered us abroad, could not be done away, but by Christ's death, whereby God's justice was to be satisfied, and his wrath appeased. The consideration whereof, as it should make us most thankful to our good shepherd Christ, who hath not spared to give his life for his sheep; so it should make us most careful to walk in the ways of God's Commandments, and to avoid the by-paths of error and sin; lest after we are gathered together, and brought into Christ's fold, we wander again and go astray, and so fall into the jaws of the spiritual wolf, who daily seeketh to devour us. For if we neglect the pains and labor, yea the loss of the precious blood of our good shepherd, which he spilled in seeking us, that he might free us from danger, and bring us safe to his sheepfold, and suffer our selves to be allured with every vain triffle, to leave his flock, and to wander in the deserts of the wicked world, till we are again lost and subject to the former dangers from which he freed us: let us take heed lest he also basely account of us, as being unworthy of a second labor in seeking of us.

Fourthly, we are to observe, that the means whereby he applieth the former benefit unto us, making it effectual for our gathering into his Church, is the ministry of his word, his holy spirit, and a lively faith; and therefore we are carefully and conscionablie to hear God's word, which is the voice of our shepherd, whereby he gathereth us into his sheepfold. And forasmuch as we are dull of hearing, and slow in coming, both in respect of the stiffness of our limbs, and stubbornness of our willes; therefore let us continually implore our good shepherd, not only to call us with his voice, but also to send his holy spirit to assist us; for he alone openeth our deaf ears, suppleth our stiff joints, and mollifieth and inclineth our stubborn willes, making us both able and willing to come unto him, when he in the ministry of the word calleth us. And seeing we also before we can come unto Christ, must be endued with a lively faith; therefore let us use all good means ordained of God, to attain unto it, and not cease begging of it at the hands of our heavenly father, seeing it is not of our selves, but we have it only by his free gift, as appeareth, Eph. 2. 8.

Lastly, we are to observe, that this collection of God's people is spiritual, because the spirit of God is the bond of this communion, which is amongst the saints; and therefore it cannot be hindered by distance of place, because the spirit of God filleth all places in heaven and earth. The which serveth notably for our comfort, in that we have by virtue of this spiritual and inseparable union, part with all the saints in all their fastings, prayers, & all good exercises, and holy duties of God's worship and service, though we should be exiled into the uttermost parts of the world, because we are united unto them by the same spirit.

But besides this spiritual communion, there is also a local and corporal gathering together in the same visible Church and congregation; which as much as in them lieth is to be desired and attained unto of all the faithful; for they are the sheep of Jesus Christ, and therefore they are not wild beasts to be scattered and singled everyone from another in his own den, but to flock together in their own sheepfold, that they may jointly perform service to the great shepherd, in hearing his word, receiving his Sacraments, praying for those things they want, and praising him for those good things which they have received: that also by this outward collection of their bodies, they may testify the the inward conjunction of their minds and souls; and not only testify, but also confirm and increase it, by performing all mutual duties one to another, as instructing the ignorant, helping the distressed, relieving the poor, comforting those that mourn, defending the weak, and exhorting one another to all holy actions of piety and righteousness. Neither must they consort themselves with wolves, goats, bears and such wild beasts; that is, with worldly and wicked men, who either will seduce, or else destroy them; seeing it is the nature of the true sheep of Christ to flock together, and to sequester themselves from all other company, as much as they can in this wordly wilderness, wherein oftentimes necessity, and not choice intermingleth those which should be severed.

And thus much for the unity of the faithful. The second thing expressed, is their unanimity, which appeareth in their joint consent, and general agreement in the choice of their head and governor. For after they are called by God, and gathered together into the Church and kingdom of Christ, then being thus chosen to be Christ's people and subjects▪ they likewise make choice of him to be their king and head, And this is signified in these words: And shall appoint (or as the decorum of the matter requireth, & the words may well bear) choose, or set over themselves one head, that is, one king, and supreme governor, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ. For he alone is the great King of his people, the great shepherd of his flock, the head of his members, which is his Church, as appeareth in many places of the Scripture: So Ezech. 34. 23. 24. 37. 22. 23. 24. John. 10. 16. 1. Cor. 11. 3. Ephes. 1. 22. 5. 23.

But here it may be demanded, how this here is ascribed to the Church, to set over them a king and head, seeing in other places this is attributed unto God himself: as Ezech. 34. 23. Ephes. 1. 22. To which I answer, that God the father first and principally doth appoint Christ head and king over the Church; and the people of God do set Christ over themselves, when as they give their mutual assent to God's appointment, and by a lively faith receive Jesus Christ for their king and head, promising unto him their allegiance and obedience. Thus Saul was appointed and anointed King over Israel by God, 1. Sam, 10. 1. And the people also are said to have made him king over them in Gilgal: 1. Sam. 11. 15. So that it is not enough, that Christ should be appointed of God to be our king and head, unless we receive him for our sovereign, yielding unto him our faith and obedience: which if we neglect, notwithstanding God hath appointed him king and head over his Church, yet he is not so unto us.

Now the Church receiveth Christ to be their king: first, when as with free consent of will and by a lively saith, they do acknowledge and embrace him alone, for their king, head and Savior, resting wholly upon him, and upon no other whatsoever for their protection, preservation, redemption and salvation; promising and vowing unto him alone their allegiance and obedience, as being their only Sovereign. For by true faith we are joined and united unto Christ, as subjects to their king, and members to their head, and when we do believe in him, we do as it were with our suffrages and voices, choose and embrace him for our king and head.

And secondly, when as believing this in their mind and heart, they are ready with their tongues openly before men, to make confession and profession thereof; assembling themselves as his subjects in the public congregation to worship and serve him their Lord and king, in hearing his word, calling on his name, and receiving his Sacraments.

He further saith; that they shall set over themselves a head. Whereby he signifieth, one should not choose a head for another, but every man for his own self. For as the just shall live by his own faith, and not by another man's: so by his own faith, and not another's, he receiveth and embraceth Christ for his King, head and Savior.

But what then shall we think of infants, who have not actual faith; are they therefore deferred from having Christ their head and Savior? I answer no; for Christ blesseth and prayeth for them, affirming that the kingdom of heaven belongeth unto them. And the promises of God are made not only to the faithful, but unto their seed also: Gen. 17. 7. Act. 2. 39. in all which they could have no part, unless they were united unto Christ, in whom alone is salvation. What then, are they saved by the faith of the Church, or of their parents? I answer, no, for every man liveth by his own faith: unless we understand it thus; that the Church or their parents, grounding their faith upon the promises of God made to the faithful and to their seed, do by their prayers obtain faith, or the seed and spirit of faith, for their children, whereby they live. Neither must we imagine, that they have actual faith, before which goeth illumination, and knowledge of God's promises made in Christ, which the believer applieth unto himself; seeing then they should lose it again before they come to age, which is not incident unto true faith, which once had is never lost. But we are to know, that the ordinary course of uniting them to Christ by faith, not agreeing to their age, which is not capable thereof, God useth extraordinary means, supplying all things needful for this work, by the inward operation of his holy Spirit, whereby he regenerateth and sanctifieth them, as he did Jeremiah and John the Baptist in their mothers womb, as appeareth Jer. 1. 5. Luk. 1. 15. and uniteth them unto Christ their head, it being the chief bond of this union, and so being members of his body, they have part in the righteousness and merits of Christ their head, whereby they are justified and saved.

Furthermore, speaking of the Kingdom of Christ over his Church, he doth not say, that they should set him over them for their King, but for their head; which he purposely doth, to show the near union that is between Christ and his Church; for there is a far more near conjunction and union between the head and the body, then is or can be between the King and his subjects.

Now this so agreeth to Christ to be the head of his church, as that it agreeth to no other besides him; for it was necessary that the head of the church should be both God and man: for if he had been God alone, there could have been no proportion, and consequently, no communion between the head & the members; if man alone, he could not have quickened his body, which was dead in sin, nor offered to God the Father a sufficient price for the redemption thereof, nor vanquished the spiritual enemies of our salvation, the devil, the world, sin, death, and the grave. It was necessary therefore that our head should be of both the divine and human nature, that he might be united unto us, and unite us unto God: and so as the Father is his head, so he might be head of his Church; as the Apostle speaketh, 1. Cor. 11. 3.

Christ then alone is the head of the Church, and consequently the Pope doth falsely arrogate this title unto himself; for as the Church is but one body, so it hath but one head; otherwise it should be a monster. And this the Prophet here showeth, when as he saith, that they should set over them one head, and not be like the Kingdom of Israel and Judah, who were rent and divided under the government of two heads.

Neither is Christ an idle head, who hath referred all the government of his body the Church, to his visible and ministerial head the Pope; but he is in every respect a true head indeed: for he it is from whom we derive our life, sense, and motion, in all the actions of holiness and righteousness; he it is that quickeneth his body dead in sin; he it is that provideth for it, and protecteth it from all dangers, and the malice and power of all enemies; and he also it is who by the scepter of his word, and the direction of his holy spirit, guideth and governeth it; as he promised, John 16. 13.

And this is the meaning of the words. The doctrines which from hence arise are these. First, out of the connection of this with the former point, we learn, that we are first gathered together by God into his Church, effectually called and chosen to be God's people, before we choose Christ to be our King and head, or will submit our selves to be ruled by the scepter of his word and Spirit: whereby it appeareth, that we are not causes of this spiritual union with Christ, nor of those royal dignities, and excellent benefits, which hereby are derived unto us; but the free grace and mercy of God, which before we have any desire of attaining hereunto, preventeth us with his love, calling and choosing us to this glorious and happy estate, when we had neither ability nor will to aspire unto it. God therefore did not choose us for his subjects, because first we made choice of him to be our King and head; but as the Apostle saith, of his love, we loved him because he loved us first: 1. John 4. 19. so may we speak of the fruits of his love; we come unto him, because first he called us; we choose him for our King and head, because first he chooseth us for his subjects and members; we submit our selves to his government, because first he ruleth and overruleth us by his spirit, with the inward working thereof inclining us to holy obedience, who naturally are stubborn and rebellious: so that all our works and duties towards God, are but the effects of his gracious working in us, and nothing but inferior motions of that first mover, and as it were but reflections of those heavenly beams of God's grace and goodness which shine upon us.

The second thing which we are to observe is, that as soon as we are gathered into the Church, and chosen by Christ to be his subjects and members; then presently do we choose him to be our King and head, submitting our selves to be ruled and governed by the scepter of his word and holy Spirit. For God doth not work upon us as upon stocks and stones, but as upon reasonable creatures, who being first set a work by his holy Spirit, do work together with him. Whereby we may learn, whether God hath chosen us and effectually called us, to this high dignity of being the members of Christ; not by entering into God's secret counsels, but by descending into our selves, searching and examining our own hearts, whether we have made choice of Christ to be our head and governor: for if we have so done, then assuredly he hath called and chosen us, seeing our choosing of him to be our head, is but an effect of his choosing of us to be his members. Now further we may know, whether in deed and truth we have chosen Christ to be our head, by examining our own hearts, whether we have submitted our selves to be guided and directed by his holy Spirit. Which if we have not done, then certainly whatsoever we profess, we have not chosen Christ to be our head, and consequently, we can have no assurance, that we are chosen by Christ, to be the members of his body.

Thirdly, we are to observe, that the Church doth not only after a general manner, set over them Christ to be their head; but every member thereof doth particularly make choice of him to himself: whereby we learn, that neither the faith of the Church, nor the faith of our parents is sufficient to make us true members of Christ's body, unless we particularly appropriate him unto our selves by our own faith; for as no man is rich, wife, or learned by the riches, wisdom or learning of another man, but by his own; so is no man faithful by another's faith, unless himself believe. The consideration whereof, should make us not to content our selves to be reckoned outward members of a faithful congregation, or to be the children of most faithful and religious parents; seeing every man is united unto Christ, justified and saved by his own faith, and not another man's; and therefore everyone is earnestly to labor by all means to attain unto this gift of God, that he may not only say generally with the Church, we believe, but particularly, I believe, as in the Creed also we profess.

Fourthly, as everyone is to choose a head unto himself, so but one only head Jesus Christ, seeing a body with two or many heads, is of all esteemed monstrous. And therefore we are to renounce the Pope from being our head, and to keep us to our only head Jesus Christ, submitting our selves wholly and only to be guided and directed by his word and holy Spirit.

Lastly, we are to observe what kind of head our Savior Christ is unto us, not an idle head, or in title only; but such a one as in deed and truth hath in him the nature and disposition of a head, in the highest degree of all perfection. For he is such a head as entirely loveth us, as being the members of his own body; he is an almighty and most powerful head, who is able to protect and defend us from all dangers and malice of enemies; he is a most vigilant and provident head, who observeth all our wants, and by his all-ruling providence, provideth for us: and finally, he is a most wise head, to govern and guide us in all our ways, not only illuminating us, and giving us sight to discern which is the best course; but also deriving unto us strength and motion, whereby we are enabled to walk in it. And therefore seeing we have a head so absolute and perfect in the highest degree of all excellency; let us take heed that we make not choice of any other, nor of our selves to be our head, but renouncing all other, keep us wholly and only unto him. And seeing he is a most loving head, let us rejoice in his love, and return love unto him again: and as the arm offereth it self to be cut off, rather then the head should be wounded; so let us, who are the members of Christ's body, be ready to endure blows, wounds, yea death it self, rather then any wound of dishonor should be inflicted on our head Christ. And seeing he is an almighty head, let us trust wholly in his power, resting and relying upon him alone for deliverance out of the midst of all dangers, and from the raging violence of all enemies; and seeing he is our careful and most provident head, let us not rest so much upon our own provision, industry and labor, which will often fail us, as upon his all-sufficient, all-seeing, and all-ruling providence, who knoweth all our wants, better then we our selves, and never faileth either in will or power to supply them. And lastly, seeing he is such a head as is infinite in wisdom, and all knowledge, let us submit our selves wholly and only, to be instructed, governed and guided by him; not following others directions and traditions, nor our own inventions. For he is the light of the world, and he that followeth him, shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life: John. 8. 12. Which light being taken away, there remaineth nothing but palpable darkness, John. 12. 35. He is his fathers dearly beloved son, whom we must hear, Mat. 17. 5. He is our only master and teacher, of whom we must be instructed, Matth. 23. 8. 10. In a word, he is our only head, and therefore as the members do not guide, direct and govern themselves, but submit themselves to be guided and directed by their head; so must we not direct and rule our selves by our own wisdom, but wholly give over our selves to be lead and ruled by him. And this is lively set down by the Apostle, 1. Cor. 11. 3. Christ is the head of every mā, and the man is the woman's head; and God is Christ's head. That is, as Christ did nothing of himself, but by the counsel and direction of his father, so ought every man to do nothing by his own wisdom and direction, but as he is guided and ruled by Christ his head; and so likewise the woman is to follow the direction and counsel of her husband, who behaveth himself towards her, as Christ to his Church, and not her own conceit. And if we thus give our selves to be ruled and directed by Christ our head, and abandon our own wisdom, we thus becoming fools in our selves, shall be wise in Christ: 1. Cor. 3. 18. Whereas contrariwise, if we will not submit our selves to be guided and governed by Christ, but follow our own inventions, and be directed by our own wisdom, then though we be never so wise in the world, we shall be infatuated, and whilst we labor to be wise in show, we shall become fools in truth: Rom. 1. 21. 22. As therefore without the direction and government of the head, all the members are out of order, and perform their functions and actions amiss, the foot stumbleth, the tongue balleth out follies, the hand faileth in all actions; so if we be not guided by Christ our head, we shall stumble and fall into all errors, heresies and sins; when we think to speak most wisely, we shall but blurt out our own follies; when we purpose to perform glorious and good actions, we shall do such things as in themselves are wicked, or after so ill a manner, and for such ill ends, as that our actions which we deem best, shall be odious, and displeasing in the sight of God.

And so much concerning the unity, and unanimity of the Church. The fourth point expressed, is the liberty thereof out of their captivity; in these words: And they shall come up out of the land, or, They shall ascend from the earth, &c.

Some expound these words of the liberty of the Jews and Israelites out of their corporal captivity, and of their return into the land of Canaan out of Assyria and Babylon. But this interpretation cannot stand, because the Israelites never returned out of their captivity, as appeareth by the second judgment before threatened, verse. 6. and also by the event, as histories bear witness; neither is it here said, that they shall ascend out of Chaldea, Assyria or Medea, or that they shall come up to Judea or Canaan, but indefinitelie that they shall ascend out of the land. Moreover, the children of Judah came up out of their captivity of Babylon, long before the coming of the Messias, whereas the Prophet here speaketh of the coming up of the people after his coming, by virtue of that union which should be between them and their head: and therefore it cannot be understood of that corporal liberty and local coming out of Babylon.

Seeing then these words cannot be understood of a carnal and corporal liberty, & deliverance out of a worldly & temporary captivity; it followeth necessarily that we expound them of spiritual liberty and deliverance of the whole Israel of God, his Church and faithful children, consisting of all nations, Jews, Israelites, and Gentiles, out of the miserable servitude and captivity of sin, Satan and the world, effected by Jesus Christ their Savior, and most perfect Redeemer.

And this exposition agreeth well with the context and circumstances of the place: for having in the former words shown, that the Church and faithful people of God, belonging to his eternal election, should be effectually called, and being collected and gathered out of the world, should be joined to the Church and kingdom of Christ, he acknowledging them for his subjects and members, and they acknowledging him for their head and king; now he showeth that these who were thus effectually called, should by their Savior Christ be justified, sanctified, and in the end perfectly glorified. All which he signifieth by this phrase of coming up out of the land, wherein he alludeth to the corporal & local coming up of the people of Judah, out of Babylon to Jerusalem. For as they were set at liberty out of the hands of their enemies, and came up out of their captivity unto the land of Canaan: so the faithful being united to Christ, and having made choice of him to be their king and head, are by him redeemed and set at liberty out of the hands of their spiritual enemies, and come out of the land of their captivity, and out of the dominion of their tyrannous Lord's, sin, Satan, the world and the flesh, and so ascend into the spiritual Canaan, and new Jerusalem, that is, first, into the kingdom of grace, and then into the kingdom of glory, where they enjoy the perfect liberty of the sons of God.

The land therefore out of which the Church and people of God ascend, is the land of darkness, the kingdom of Satan, sin and the world; the place whereunto they ascend, is the kingdom of Jesus Christ, first the kingdom of grace, and then the kingdom of glory; for as soon as Christ hath chosen his Church to be his subjects and members; and they have chosen him to be their king and head, then the will of their sovereign is, that being elected his subjects, they should no longer live in the kingdom of sin and Satan, where they were captives, but that they should be admitted into his own kingdom, that where he their king is, there they his subjects should be also: as it is, John. 17. 24. 12. 26.

Now they are said to ascend out of the land, because the kingdom of sin and Satan is wordly, earthly and below; whereas the kingdom of Christ is spiritual, heavenly and above; and therefore they who will come unto it, must not lie groveling upon the earth, but must ascend unto it. And of this the earthly Jerusalem was a type, which was situated in a hie place; in regard whereof the children of Judah, when they came out of the land of their captivity, were said to ascend out of the land. And to this the Prophet here alludeth, as also the Prophet Isaiah, Chap. 2. 2.

The Church then, and people of God, after that they are redeemed and set at liberty by Christ, must not abide below in the kingdom of darkness, but they must ascend into the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of grace, where they are to live like God's subjects, and do service to their Lord and Savior, who hath redeemed them to this purpose; and then to the kingdom of glory, where they shall receive a rich reward for their service, even a crown of glory, and everlasting happiness.

First then they must ascend out of the kingdom of darkness, sin and Satan, into the kingdom of grace: which is done first, when as Jesus Christ hath effectually called them, gathered them into his Church, and united them unto himself, making them members of his own body, by virtue of his holy spirit, and the fruit thereof a lively faith. By which union they have right and propriety unto the righteousness, death and merits of Christ their head, whereby they are justified in the sight of God: for the justice of God being fully satisfied by the death and merits of Christ, and the debt of our sins being discharged, they are pardoned and done away, and we being clothed with his righteousness and actual obedience, are accepted and reputed of God as just, and so reconciled unto him, and adopted for his sons in Christ. And this is the first kind of our ascending out of the land and kingdom of darkness, when as we are freed and delivered out of the power of Satan and sin, in respect both of the guilt and punishment thereof; so that now it cannot condemn us, nor any longer detain us as prisoners under the arrest of the law, in the prison of death and utter darkness. And of this ascension the Apostle speaketh, Ephes. 2. 4. 5. 6.

Secondly, they ascend out of the kingdom of sin & Satan, into the kingdom of Christ, when as being united unto him, they have part in his death and resurrection, by the virtue and power whereof sin is mortified in them, and they raised from the death of sin, to holiness and newness of life: so that now their harts and affections, their words and actions, their life and conversation is quite changed; for whereas whilst they lived in the land of darkness, under the kingdom of sin and Satan, they were wholly earthly, carnal and diabolical: now being ascended out of the land into the kingdom of Christ, they are spiritual and heavenly: their heart and affections which in former times did lie groveling on the earth, minding nothing but wordly and carnal things, are now mounted aloft, so that though their bodies be on the earth, yet their conversation is in heaven, from whence they expect their Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Phil. 3. 20. And being risen with Christ, they do not seek those things which are on the earth, but those things which are above; as the Apostle speaketh, Col. 3. 1. And as they rise aloft in heart and affections, so also in words and actions, which are not as in former times carnal and earthly, but spiritual and heavenly. Of this ascension the Apostle speaketh, Rom. 6. 4. 5. 6. And this is that first resurrection, of which John speaketh, in which whosoever have their part are blessed, because on such the second death hath no power: Apoc. 20. 6.

And thus the Church and people of God ascend out of the land of darkness, and the kingdom of sin and Satan, first by their justification, whereby they are freed from the imputation, guilt and punishment of sin, so that it cannot accuse and condemn them; and secondly by their sanctification, when by virtue of God's spirit dwelling in them, and applying unto them the death and resurrection of Christ, they do by little and little subdue and mortify the power of sin, so that it doth no longer reign and rule in them as in former times; and having lessened and abated the corruption, do begin to rise from the death of sin to newness of life, yielding voluntary obedience to God's commandments.

The second manner of the Churches going up, or ascending, out of the land of darkness, the kingdom of sin and Satan, is, when they ascend into the kingdom of glory; whereof there are three degrees; the first whereof is in this life, which is only in hope, and in respect of the certain assurance of their full and perfect deliverance out of the kingdom of sin and Satan, and of their entrance into and possession of the kingdom of heaven. The which their hope and assurance is grounded upon their union with Christ; for being assured that Christ their head, clothed with their flesh is ascended into heaven, they have no less assurance that they his members shall also ascend thither, seeing the union between them is inseparable. And this is that ascension of which the Apostle speaketh, Ephes. 2. 4. 5. Of which in respect of the certainty of faith, God's people have such full assurance, that they are said not only to hope for it, but already to have entered into it, and to have taken possession of it, John. 3. 36. He that believeth in the Son, hath everlasting life. So 1. John. 3. 14. We know that we are translated from death to life, because we love the brethren.

The second degree of their ascension out of the kingdom of sin and Satan, into the kingdom of glory, is at the time of their dissolution, when their bodies resting in the grave, their souls have entrance into a real possession of the heavenly joys. And of this the Wise man speaketh, Eccles. 12. 7. And dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God that gave it. And the Apostle Paul thus desireth to be dissolved, that his soul might be with Christ: Phil. 1. 23.

The last degree is their full and perfect liberty, which shall be at the day of the general resurrection, when as body and soul shall be united together, and being fully freed from the power of Satan, sin, death and corruption, shall forever inherit the unspeakable joys of God's Kingdom. And this also they attain unto by virtue of that union which they have with Christ, whereby their bodies and souls being inseparably joined unto him, they by virtue of his spirit dwelling in them, and applying unto them the power of his resurrection, are also raised and ascend into heaven, that where he their head is, there they his members may be also. And of this the Apostle speaketh, Rom. 8. 11. But if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead, dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies, because his spirit dwelleth in you. And this is that full liberty and perfect redemption of which our Savior speaketh, Luke 21. 28. When these things begin to come to pass, then look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth near.

And this is the meaning of these words. The doctrines which from hence arise are these. First, we may observe, that [The Doctrines.] after Christ hath gathered his Church, and they being gathered, have by a lively faith chosen and embraced him for their King and head, then presently they ascend out of the land of darkness, the Kingdom of sin and Satan; and that in respect both of their justification, whereby their sins being not imputed, they are freed from guilt and punishment, and are accepted as righteous, being clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ; and in respect of their sanctification, whereby they are freed from the power and corruption of sin; when as the Spirit of God dwelling in them, applieth unto them the virtue of Christ's death and resurrection, whereby their sins are by little and little mortified and subdued, and they raised from the death of sin, to holiness and newness of life. Whosoever therefore are gathered into the Church, and have chosen Christ for their head, they may be assured that they are justified in God's sight, and so freed from the guilt and punishment of their sins; and also that they are sanctified, and in some measure freed from the power and jurisdiction of sin, so that it shall no longer reign in their mortal bodies; for these go inseparably together, so that having one, we may be assured that we have all the other, and that wanting one, we want all the rest.

Secondly, we may observe, that the Church being set at liberty out of the land of darkness, doth ascend into the Kingdom of God; first into the Kingdom of grace, and then into the Kingdom of glory. So that the Church of Christ, and all the true members thereof, are no longer earthly, carnal, and worldly, but spiritual and heavenly; they are no more citizens of the world, but of the new Jerusalem which is above; their hearts are not now groveling on the earth, but they have their conversation in heaven, minding not earthly but heavenly things. For after that our Savior Christ our sovereign Prince, having overcome our spiritual enemies, in whose bondage we were inthralled, hath pronounced the sentence of our liberty, we then begin to shake off the bolts and chains of our sins and corruptions, and to come out of the prison and power of sin and Satan; neither will we then make a stay there, but make all haste possible to get out of their kingdom and dominion, lest again we should be overtaken and inthralled in their bondage: and because no other place can secure us from this danger, therefore we ascend into the kingdom of Christ, desiring his aide and protection, who alone is able to defend us: and forasmuch as whilst we continue in the suburbs of this kingdom the Church militant, although we be never overcome, yet we are continually assaulted with our spiritual enemies; therefore we continually desire and hope to enter within the walls of the heavenly Jerusalem, the Church triumphant in heaven; where not only we shall be free from danger of being subdued, but also from assault and molestation: in the mean time, settling our minds and hearts not upon things present, but upon those future joys, of which we are assured when we shall be admitted citizens of God's kingdom of glory, and attain unto our full redemption.

And these are the steps and degrees whereby we ascend out of the land of darkness, into the kingdom of glory, the highest whereof none can attain unto, but they who begin at the lowest: for first we must be subjects of the kingdom of grace, before we be subjects of the kingdom of glory; we must first be members of the Church militant, before we be members of the Church triumphant; first we must enter into the suburbs, before we can come into the city; first we must have assurance of our heavenly inheritance by faith and hope, before we shall enjoy the actual possession: and lastly, we must have our minds, hearts, and affections transported into our heavenly country, or else our bodies & souls shall never ascend thither. So that in this point also, one of these steps and degrees being ascended, it giveth us assurance that we shall still ascend till we come to the highest; and on the other side, if we begin not at the first, we shall never ascend to the last, namely, the glorious joys of God's kingdom.

The last thing to be considered, is, by what virtue and power we ascend out of the land of darkness, into the kingdom of glory; to wit, not our own, but Jesus Christ's; for he alone is it, who by his death and merits, hath set us free out of the land of darkness, and delivered us from the guilt and punishment of our sins; and he only it is, who by virtue of his Spirit, applying his death and resurrection unto us, doth enable us to ascend out of the power of sin, and to subdue and mortify the corruptions thereof. And none but he raiseth up our minds from the earth and earthly things, and giving us entrance into his heavenly joys by faith and hope, doth transport our hearts and affections thither, whither our souls and bodies shall afterwards ascend. In a word, it is he alone, who by virtue of the same spirit, uniting us unto him as members of his body, doth cause us to ascend in soul at the hour of death, and in body and soul joined together at the general resurrection, and giveth them full and actual possession of God's kingdom. And therefore let us beware, that we trust not to ascend up into heaven by the broken ladder of the merits of Saints, or our own works and worthiness, for so shall we rob Christ of his glory, and our selves of all comfort in this life, and happiness in the life to come: seeing these rotten and broken steps will most fail us when we most rest upon them; but let us look to ascend by Christ alone, who is the only sound and strong ladder, upon which the Angels descend to carry us up with them into Abraham's bosom, John 1. 51. and the true and straight way whereby we may ascend out of this vale of misery, into the Kingdom of everlasting glory: as himself speaketh, John 14. 6.

And thus much concerning the description of the Churches happiness, under the government of Christ their head. In the last place, this their felicity is amplified in these words; for great is the day of Izreel.

The which words by others are otherwise translated and expounded. Some read them thus: When as the great day of Izreel shall be, or shall have been: some thus; Although great shall be the day of Izreel. Both understanding by day of Izreel, the day of the calamity of the people, when they were overthrown in the valley of Izreel, and so led captive by their enemies. According to which translation, they make this to be the sense of the place; that after this great destruction, the Lord would cause this great deliverance; or although this great calamity should certainly befall them, yet this should not hinder the performance of God's promises, concerning the prosperous estate of the Church, under the government of Christ their head.

But as I take it, we are not to understand here by this great day of Izreel, the day of their great affliction and calamity, but the day of their great felicity and happiness, not the day of their overthrow and captivity, but of their restoring and deliverance out of their enemies hands: for in the fifth verse he had spoken of this judgment, and now he speaketh only of mercy and deliverance, whereby he would comfort God's people, who were dejected with the former threatenings: as appeareth by that both which went before, and that also which followeth.

Now it is called the great day, because it should be a day wherein the Lord would show the greatness of his mercy, power, wisdom, and goodness, in the deliverance of his people, and the destruction of their enemies: and because it should be a day of great rejoicing and triumph to the Church, when as they should be gathered together under their head and King Jesus Christ, and by him be delivered out of the land of darkness, and kingdom of Satan, where they were inthralled; and so ascend into the Kingdom of God, the kingdom of grace first, and afterwards the kingdom of eternal glory. And it is called the day of Izreel, because it is a day of their redemption and salvation: so Luk. 19. 41. 44. Where by Izreel we are to understand the seed and sons of God; not as in the fourth verse, the seed which God would scatter and disperse, but which in the time of the great harvest, he would reap and gather into his garners of grace and glory.

And this is the meaning of the words. The doctrine which from hence ariseth is this. Here we may observe, what we are to esteem the day of our great rejoicing, and as it were our solemn festival; not wherein we attain some worldly riches, or temporary preferment, or wherein we are freed from some corporal calamity, although in some measure we may lawfully rejoice in these respects: but the day of our joy and triumph is, when as we are delivered out of the bondage of Satan, and are gathered into the Church of God, and are ruled, protected, and governed by Christ our head, seeing in this day we are freed from the greatest evils, and advanced to the greatest dignities and preferments. And therefore let us say with the Prophet David upon another occasion; This is the day which the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it: Psal. 118. 24. And that we may show and testify this our joy and gladness, let us solemnly assemble together to praise God's name, and to render thanks to God, as for all other his benefits, so especially for this great work of our deliverance.

ANd so much for the consequent duty to be performed of the faithful, after themselves are made partakers of the Evangelical benefits. In the next place the Prophet returneth to the legal threatenings; in these words: Vers. 2. Pleade (or, contend) with your mother, plead with her, [Vers. 2] for she is not my wife (or, as the word is sometimes taken, that she is not my wife) neither am I her husband; but let her take away (or, that she may take away) her fornications out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts. Where the Lord commandeth that a divorce should be proclaimed between him and the Israelites, and withal showeth the cause or end of this denunciation, namely, that they might repent and turn from their spiritual whoredoms.

But let us come to the exposition of the words, and after observe the doctrines which arise out of them. Plead with your mother. These words may seeeme to contradict the former: for there the Lord promiseth, that he would gather his Church, and unite them unto Christ, that he might be her head, she his members, he her husband, and she his spouse; and now presently he threateneth that he will give her a bill of divorce, and break off the marriage between them. But we are to know, that the former words were an Evangelical promise, which was not presently to be performed, but in the time of the Gospel, after the coming of Christ: but in the mean time because the Israelites were not terrified with y ^e former threatenings, nor allured to reap̄tance by God's gracious promises, therefore having by y ^• former consolations comforted God's children amongst them, who were truly humbled; now he beginneth again to thunder out God's threatenings against the obdurate and impenitent, showing that notwithstanding God would extend such mercy to the faithful in the time of the Gospel, yet this should be no privilege to exempt them who lived in impenitence from God's judgments, but he would for their sins certainly reject them, unless they speedelie repented of them. And this is usual with the Prophets, to intermixe mercy with judgments, consolations with threatenings, y ^t neither the humbled may despair, nor the obdurate and impenitent presume: as also to mingle their prophecies which concerned the present time, with those which concerned the kingdom of the Messias, in the time of Gospel; for as their main end was to point at Christ, that at his coming their prophecies being fulfilled in him, he might be received; so they were not to neglect their present auditory, but by showing their sins and God's judgments, to bring them to God by true repentance. And if this be observed it will give great light to the understanding of them, whereas contrariwise the not observing hereof causeth great confusion and obscurity.

But let us come to the words themselves. Plead with your mother, &c. Where we are to consider, who they are whom the Lord commandeth to plead as children: secondly, who this mother is, that is to be divorced: and thirdly, the divorce it self. Concerning the first, diverse are of diverse judgments, some understand it of the faithful in the time of the Gospel, that they after they were added to the Church should plead with their mother the Church of the Jews, that laying her sins to her charge they might bring her to repentance. But this cannot agree with the rest that followeth; for they are commanded to accuse her for her idolatry, in forsaking the Lord and worshipping the Heathen gods, which sin was not committed by the Church of the Jews in the time of the Gospel, nor after their return out of the captivity of Babylon.

Others understand it of the two Tribes of the kingdom of Judah, that everyone of them who were faithful, should admonish their mother; that is, their Church and synagogue, that she should take example of the ten Tribes, and forsake her idolatry, lest she should likewise be divorced and rejected. But this is not likely, seeing the Prophet was not sent to the Jews, but to the ten Tribes; and therefore to them he directeth his speech for their conversion, and not unto the other, who were not belonging to his charge.

Others expound it of the faithful who lived in the Prophets time amongst the Israelites, especially the Prophets and Priests called to this public office, that they fearing God, and hating the wickedness of the times, should reprove the Church and Synagogue of Israel for her spiritual whoredoms. The which their exposition though I reject not, yet I think another more probable, and better fitting the circumstances of the place.

And that is of those who expound it generally of the rebellious and hypocritical Israelites, who when they were reproved for their sins, and heard God's judgments denounced against them by the Prophet, instead of laying them to heart, that they might be humbled thereby, were ready to plead against God himself, and to condemn him of untruth and cruelty. For whereas the Lord had threatened that he would utterly reject them, they were ready to object; first, that this could not stand with the truth of God's promises, made to Abraham concerning the multiplying of his seed. To which objection the Prophet answereth in the two last verses of the former chapter, as I have shown.

Now because the Prophet had deferred the accomplishing of that promise unto the time of the Messias, the hypocrites would be ready in the second place to object; that God had promised perpetually and continually to be their God, and that they should be his people; and therefore if he did reject them, though it were but for a time, he must needs be untrue of his promise. To this the Prophet answereth, that this imputation was not to be laid upon God, but upon their mother the Synagogue and Church of Israel: for whereas the Lord had joined her in marriage unto himself, a mutual stipulation being made between them; on the Lord's part, that he would acknowledge her as his spouse, protect her, and multiply his benefits upon her; on her part, that she would keep her conjugal faith plighted unto him, and wholly and only reserve her self for his worship and service; she had broken her covenant and falsified her faith, by forsaking the Lord, and prostituting her self unto idols, and had most unthankfully ascribed unto them, all those benefits which the Lord had bestowed upon her. And therefore their divorce was not to be ascribed unto any inconstancy or cruelty in God, but to their own whoredoms and unthankfulness.

By the children then who are to plead with their mother, we are to understand all those amongst the Israelites, who upon the hearing of the divorce and rejection of the Church, were ready to expostulate with God, and (to excuse themselves) would not stick to lay the fault of their rejection upon him.

Secondly, by their mother in this place, we are to understand the Synagogue and Church of Israel, and more especially their rulers and governors both ecclesiastical and civil: for whereas they above others should have maintained God's pure worship & service, and contained their inferiors in holy obedience; they were the first who did forsake God, and betook thenselves to the worshipping of idols, drawing others by their authority and example into the like wickedness; and that in a twofold respect: the first concerned their religion, when as they were mislead by the false doctrine of their ecclesiastical governors, and drawn from God to their idols: the other concerned their policy, when as by their civil rulers, they were moved to join themselves in league and in near friendship with idolatrous Nations, whereby also they themselves were corrupted and seduced.

Now we are further to observe, that he redoubleth the word, plead, or contend: whereby he implieth the importune impudency of the people, which was such, that their mouths would not easily be stopped, but still they would calumniate God's justice and truth; and therefore with greater earnestness (which is often expressed by such redoubled speeches) he biddeth them to plead against their mother again and again, and to lay the fault where it was, not upon God, but upon themselves. As if he should have said; Do not plead and expostulate with me, in that your mother is divorced, and you rejected as an adulterous issue; for the husband is not to be blamed for putting away an adulteress, but she rather for her filthiness and unfaithfulness: and therefore, seeing your mother hath forsaken me, and prostituted her self to idols, acquit me of all wrong and injury, and contend and expostulate with her, in that by her unfaithfulness and uncleanness, she hath moved me justly to divorce her from me, and to reject you as being an adulterous issue of an adulterous mother.

The third thing to be considered, is the divorce it self between God and the Church of Israel, expressed in these words; for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband. Which that we may understand, we must know what the marriage between them was; namely, a contract and mutual stipulation; on God's part that he would be her Lord and husband, to love, protect, and provide for her, multiplying his gracious benefits from time to time, as he should see most for her good; on her part, that she would forsake all others, and cleave only and wholly unto the Lord, loving, obeying, worshipping, and performing all holy duties unto him; and finally, keeping this her faith plighted unto him inviolable. They are therefore said to be divorced, when as this contract is broken off, and the covenants not performed; as when the Lord not acknowledging her for his spouse, doth cast her off, and ceaseth to defend and provide for her; and when she withdrawing her love from God; and fixing it upon idols, breaketh her marriage faith, refusing to worship and obey the Lord her true husband, and prostituting her self by spiritual whoredom unto false gods.

Now that the cause of this divorce was not in the Lord, but in the Church of Israel, appeareth by the order of the words: where first it is said, that she was not his wife; and then, that he was not her husband: for the Lord did not forsake her before she forsook him, he did not deny to be her husband, before she refused to be his wife; he did not cease to perform his covenants which he made with her, of grace, protection, and preservation, before she withdrew her love, falsified her faith, denied her service and obedience, and went a whoring after strange gods. And therefore there was no cause, why for this divorce they should expostulate with God, and impute any fault unto him; but rather they were to lay the blame upon themselves, who by their spiritual fornications had broken off the marriage knot, and had refused to be the Lord's spouse; so that he was constrained to proclaim this divorce, because she had first refused him.

The like place unto this we have, Isaiah 50. 1. Thus saith the Lord; Where is the bill of your mothers divorcement, whom I have cast off? or who is the creditor unto whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities are ye sold, and because of your transgressions is your mother forsaken. Where the Lord expostulateth with the Jews concerning the cause of their rejection, and showeth that the cause was not in him, but in themselves: and this he proveth by an old rite and custom under the Law, which was, that those who were put away by the husband, had a bill of divorce given unto them; and that parents which were deeply indebted, sold their children to satisfy their creditors; as appeareth, Exod. 21. 7. 2. King. 4. 1. But I (saith the Lord) never put you away; for if I did, where is the bill of divorcement? neither did I sell you, for where is the creditor to whom I stand indebted? And therefore the fault is not in me, but in your own iniquities, and in the transgressions of your mother, why you are sold, and she divorced. So Ier. 3. 8. Ezech. 16.

And this is the meaning of the divorce, which the Lord commandeth should be denounced. The doctrines which hence arise are diverse. First, out of this mixture of Legal comminations, with Evangelical consolations, God's Ministers may learn spiritual discretion, neither only to thunder out the threatenings of the Law, nor wholly to stand upon Evangelical promises, but in their sermons to mixe the one with the other, that whilst they beat down the pride and presumption of secure hypocrites, they do not altogether exanimate & deject those who are truly humbled; and contrariwise, that whilst they comfort and raise up God's children who are afflicted in mind and dejected, they do not confirm proud hypocrites in their security and presumption. Neither is this course profitable alone in respect of hypocrites, and secure worldlings, but also in respect of God's deer children: for being partly flesh, and partly spirit, as in respect of their spiritual part, they have need to hear the sweet comforts of the Gospel for the confirmation of their faith; so had they in regard of the flesh need to hear often of the threatenings of the Law, to restrain them from sin, to beat down pride, presumption and security, and to contain them in holy obedience.

Secondly, we may observe the nature of hypocrites, who when they suffer the punishment due unto their sins, are ready to expostulate with God, and to calumniate his justice of cruelty, as though their punishment were either altogether undeserved, or else at least far greater then their sins. To this purpose they use all frivolous pretences to excuse their faults, laying them of themselves upon others, yea rather then fail, they will not stick to accuse God that they may excuse themselves. And therefore the Lord is fain oftentimes to expostulate the matter with them, to clear himself from all imputation of fault, and to convince them of their sins, that they may be brought to true repentance. An example hereof we have in our first parents: Gen. 3. 12. 13. In Cain, Gen. 4. 13. In the Jews: Ier. 2. 35. Mal. 3. 8. In Ahab. 1. King. 18. 17. In the unprofitable servant, Mat. 25. 24. 26.

Thirdly, we here learn, when we suffer affliction, or bear our punishment, that we do not murmur and expostulate with God, as though he dealed more severely and rigorously with us then we have deserved; but let us descend into our selves, and examine our own hearts and consciences, and so shall we find that not the Lord, but our selves are in fault, that our punishment is far less then our sins, and that it is the great mercy of the Lord that we are not utterly consumed, as the Church confesseth, Lament. 3. 22. And this course must be taken of everyone of us, before we will ever be truly humbled, and brought unto God by unfeigned repentance, or before the Lord will ever be moved to pardon our sins, or release our punishment. For none will ever sorrow for those sins, of which they think they are not guilty, there is none will lay them to heart & be humbled under the weight of them, so long as they pretend excuses, and seek to put off their burden from their own to others shoulders, and so long as we content our selves with these fig-leaves, we will never look after a better garment to hide our nakedness. Again, the Lord will never absolve us before we condemn our selves, he will not pardon our sins till we setting aside all excuses, ingenuously and freely confess them; he will never case us of this burden, whilst with false pretences we seek to vnloade our selves; neither will he ever make us partakers of his mercy, till we acknowledge that we have deserved the extremity of his justice, as may appear by the former examples.

Fourthly, we are to observe, that the children are commanded to expostulate, not only one with another, but also with their mother the Church, that so both the particular members, and the whole Church in general, coming to a sight of their sins, and condemning themselves for them, they might be brought to true repentance. Whence we learn what duty is owed by children to their parents, and by particular members to the whole body of the Church, namely, they are so to honor them, that God be not dishonored, so to excuse them, that God be not accused, so to hide their faults from others, that they do not ignorantly foster them in themselves. The Papists cry out upon us for discovering the nakedness of their Church, which they falsely call our mother; they will not endure, that her sins should be reprehended, and affirm it to be impudent saucinesse, for the children to reprove the parents faults. But first we answer, that she is not our mother, but a common strumpet, who long ago was divorced from God, for her spiritual fornications. And secondly, though she were our mother, yet she were to be reproved for her faults, that so she might be brought to a sight of her sins, and turn unto the Lord her husband whom she hath forsaken by her whoredoms.

Fifthly, we may observe, the grievousness of the sin of idolatry, which appeareth in the greatness of the punishment, which is utter rejection and separation from God: other sins move the Lord to afflict his spouse, but this causeth him to divorce her; other sins provoke the Lord to correct his children, but this moveth him to disherit them. Now what more fearful punishment can be imagined, then to be divorced from God, to be excluded from his grace, protection and preservation? all which idolaters incur through their spiritual whoredoms. The consideration whereof should make us to flee this sin, that so we may escape the punishment.

The last thing which we are to observe, is out of the order of the words: namely, that the Lord never rejecteth his Church from being his spouse, before she hath cast him off from being her husband; he never withdraweth his grace, mercy and protection, and providence from watching over us, till we alienate our minds from him, denying unto him our faith, obedience and allegiance: and therefore let us cleave unto the Lord, and he will most certainly cleave unto us; let us keep our faith and covenant with him, and he will never fail us; let us ever acknowledge him for our husband and father, and he will acknowledge us for his spouse and children.

And so much concerning the divorce. Now the end why the Lord would have it denounced, is twofold, first, that hereby they might be moved to repent of their wickedness; and secondly that repenting, they might escape punishment; verse. 3. The first end is expressed in these words; that she may take away her fornications out of her sight, (or from her face) and her adulteries from between her breasts. In which words the Lord showeth the cause, why he would have the divorce between him, and the Church of Israel proclaimed, namely, not for any hatred of her person, but that being brought unto a sight of their sins, they might repent of them, and so forsaking their spiritual whoredoms, they might be received again of the Lord as his spouse, as it is in the latter part of the chapter.

But let us come to the meaning of them. Some understand by fornication of the face, external idolatry, and by the adultery of the breasts, that idolatry which is in secret committed. But as I take it the Prophets purpose here, is to show that the people were grown impudent in their sins, so that they made an outward profession of them, not caring who beheld them. For before he had shown that the Lord had divorced them, and consequently, that they had committed adultery, and played the harlots, for in other cases diuorces are not by God approved; and now he intimateth that they had the conditions and qualities of an harlot; for as harlots in continuance of time grow past shame, so that they do not only in secret commit adultery, but publikelie make profession of it, as of their trade, decking themselves with such gorgeous and garish apparel, as beseemeth not honest matrons, glauncing with wanton eyes at their lovers, painting their faces, and laying out their naked breasts, that they may not only profess themselves wanton and lascivious, but also with these baits allure others to commit wickedness with them: so the Church of Israel, living in spiritual whoredom, grew to that impudency in sin, that she was not content to commit it in secret, but also to profess it, yea to defend and boast of it; and because she would be known to be an harlot, who had forsaken the Lord, and given her self over to commit this spiritual uncleanness, therefore in every corner they erected images and idols, they adorned them with gold and precious ornaments, they in most impudent manner prostituted themselves unto them, to commit spiritual whoredom in the sight of all the world, worshipping and serving them instead of the true God; and like shameless harlots, they did not only themselves commit this wickedness, but also allured others to go a whoring with them.

These words then are metaphorical, borrowed from the practice of harlots, who that they may display the filthy uncleanness of their minds, and allure others to unlawful lust, do seek to entice them by wanton looks, painting of their faces, and laying out their naked breasts: and hence it is that the Prophet attributeth fornication to the face and eyes, and adultery to the breasts; because unto harlots these parts are the instruments of their uncleanness, whereby they testify, and as it were proclaim, that they are ready and willing to commit whoredom, and also allure others to join with them in their beastliness. So the Apostle Peter saith of some, that their eyes were full of adultery: 2. Pet. 2. 14. because by their eyes they discovered their adulterous hearts.

Now in these words the Prophet aimeth at three things: first, he closely intimateth what was the cause of their divorce; namely, their idolatry, which he calleth adultery and fornication, which they committed with all audacious impudency openly and in the sight of all.

Secondly, he cleareth God of all imputation of fault, in that he divorced them not for any hatred to their persons, nor for small transgressions, but for their gross idolatry and spiritual whoredoms; and therefore there was no cause why they should contend with him, but with their mother. For if she would leave her sins, and return unto him by unfeigned repentance, he would receive her to mercy, and acknowledge her for his spouse; as he after showeth.

Thirdly and principally, he laboreth by earnest exhortation, to move her to leave her spiritual whoredoms, and her professed audaciousness and shameless impudency, in prostituting her self unto idols, and forsaking him their Lord and husband, not in a secret corner, but in the view of all the world.

And this is the meaning of these words. The instructions which from hence we gather are these. First, we may observe, [The Doctrines.] that though the Lord by his Prophet had sharply reproved the people for their spiritual whoredoms in the former chapter, and denounced his fearful judgments against them; yet because they did not repent, but obstinately and impudently continued in their idolatry, the Lord contenteth not himself with once reproving of them, but causeth his Prophet to beat again & again upon the same point, that at least by his importunity he might bring thē to repentance. Whence we are to learn, that it is not sufficient, either in the public ministry of the word, or in private conference, to reprehend and beat down sin once only, but considering how many shifts and devices the hypocrisy of man's heart findeth to hide, excuse, and extenuate their sins, and how soon they forget and cast behind them the remembrance of their sins, and God's judgments due unto them, it must not be thought much, either of public or private persons, oftentimes to use the same admonitions and reprehensions, and to denounce again and again the same judgments of God against the same sins, which are not as yet forsaken by true repentance.

Secondly, we may observe the infinite mercy of God, who when his spouse the Church, had innumerable times committed spiritual whoredom with idols, and professed her filthiness like an impudent harlot openly to all the world, yet laboreth to bring her to repentance, that so he might receive her to grace and fouour again: for to this end he causeth her sins to be laid before her, and the divorce between him and her to be denounced; not because he hated her, or was delighted with her rejection and destruction, but that she might forsake her idolatry, which so impudently she professed, and return unto him her Lord & husband, that so he might receive her to grace, and pardon her former wickedness. And therefore when we hear our sins sharply reproved, and the judgments of God denounced, let us not think that this is done for want of love either in God or in his Ministers; but to this end, that we should hereby be brought to true repentance, and so be received into God's grace and favor.

Thirdly, out of the metaphors and borrowed speeches here used, we may observe, that the sin of uncleanness, is not only committed in fact, but that also there is a fornication of the face, and an adultery of the breasts, when as harlots with glancing and wanton looks, by painting of their faces, and laying out of their breasts, do not only by these signs testify the adultery and uncleanness of their hearts, but also with these baits of lust, endeavor to allure others to commit filthiness, and to inflame their hearts with the fire of unlawful concupiscence. Whereby may appear, how common this sin of adultery and uncleanness is in our times, wherein the signs and means thereof do so abound; seeing not only those who are harlots by profession, but even such as would be reputed pure virgins and chaste wives, show these outward signs of their inward filthiness, and use these baits to catch the foolish in the nets of uncleanness, by painting their faces & setting forth thenselves with adulterate beauty, and by laying out their breasts after a whorish manner to be seen and touched: for is it likely, that those who lay thē out to y ^e show, would have them only seen? Neither hath this corruption of manners entered into the court alone, where wantonness and immodesty challenge unto themselves a place by the right of prescription and long custom; but it is crept also into the City and Country, amongst those that should be modest virgins and grave matrons, and examples of sobriety unto others. Even here natural beauty is hid with a painted vizard, and naked breasts are laid out to the view; if at least they may be called naked which are commonly covered with false colors, or uncovered when as they are masked in a net.

But as there is no sin so vile, which maketh not some kind of Apology for it self; so this, against which I inveigh, wanteth not her excuses: for whē those who are vain & wanton in their attires, have their immodesty laid to their charge, they are ready to say, that whatsoever they seem in show, yet their hearts are chaste and honest. But to these I reply, that if they have the hearts of honest and chaste matrons, what have they to do with the habit of an harlot? why do they disguise themselves under the vizard of a false beauty, unless they meant to deceive and allure? why do they make show of their wares, unless they would offer thē to sale? why do they display the banners of lust, unless they meant to be at defiance with chastity and all honesty? why do they play the hypocrites by appearing that they are not? if they be honest in deed, why should they seem harlots in show? if they be dishonest in show and truth, why do they slander and disgrace the name of honesty and chastity, by intitling themselves unto it? In a word, if either they are pure virgins; or chaste matrons, and would have others so to judge of them, let them take away their fornications from their face, and their adulteries from between their breast.

But they further answer, that though in their own judgment they like not of these practices, yet they yield unto them in regard of the fashion, because they must be like others of their sort and rank. To which I answer, that if this be a fashion, it is the fashion of harlots, who first invented it, and most commonly practice it: and therefore why should this move any that are honest women to embrace it, & not rather to detest it? that we are commanded by God, not to fashion our selves to the world, nor to follow a multitude in that which is evil; that if they will follow the fashion, they must set themselves to work wickedness, seeing no fashion is more common; that those who for fashions sake are thus immodest and impudent, would become far worse if it were the fashion; that those who profess themselves Christians, should fashion themselves according to the example of those who are modest, sober, and religious, and not of the wanton and lascivious; for otherwise they will plainly discover themselves, that their hearts are corrupt and wicked, seeing they like and embrace rather the fashion of profane worldlings, then of the faithful and virtuous. And lastly, that if they sin for company, they are like for company sake to suffer the punishment of sin in hell fire.

But they will say, that they do not thus adorn themselves, either to show their own lust, or to provoke it in others, but that their beauty (which in it self is good and commendable) may be liked and praised of the beholders. To this I answer, that vn • si qua placet, culta puellasat est: grave matrons are to think themselves beautiful enough, when they please and content their husbands; that by these wanton and lascivious ornaments, they do not more commend their beauty to the eye, then disgrace the deformity of their minds to any sober judgment; that they do not hereby grace and adorn, but rather disgrace and deform themselves: for whereas by their creation they are God's beautiful and excellent workmanship, by their painting and daubing, they make themselves but like walking pictures, and talking images; that if beauty be a good, it is such an one as is not bettered by communicating; that they are not hereby liked and praised of the good and virtuous, but of those (if of any) who like themselves are vain and wanton. Yea but they thus set forth themselves, that they may be liked and loved of their husbands, unto whom they cannot make themselves too amiable. I answer, that no wise husband would have his wife set out to sale, if he would reserve her to his own proper use; that this is but a false pretence to excuse a false beauty. For as the Satirist saith; moechis foliata parantur: they use these wanton arts, not to please their husbands, but to inflame the adulterer; that the habit and behavior of an harlot cannot be pleasing and amiable unto any husband that desireth to have an honest and chaste wife; that they must not so labor to please men, as that in the mean time they displease God; for their wanton behavior and habit is offensive, and at least evil in appearance, and therefore to be forborne of Christians; they derogate from God's wisdom, by altering and adding to his workemanshippe, which kind of injury an ordinary artificer cannot patience brook: and therefore seeing they are new creatures of their own making, quite altered from their first creation, it is not likely that the Lord will own or acknowledge them for his work. In a word, they break and transgress the seventh Commandment, both by showing the signs of wantō uncleanness, & using the means to kindle & inflame lust both in themselves & others.

The last thing to be observed is, that as all kinds of idolatry, and of all other sins are odious and loathsome unto the Lord; so especially those which are of the face and breast, that is, such as are openly professed, and impudently defended. Whilest sin lurketh in the secret corners of the heart, not daring to show it self in the face and outward actions, it maketh the sinner but like a poor fugitive, who having offended his Prince, through self guiltiness shunneth his presence; but when it grows so presumptuous, that it dare show it self in the face, words, or external actions, and not only so, but also vaunt it self to the public view, daring God's justice, and provoking him as it were to his face; then the sinner becometh a proud rebel, who regardeth not his Princes presence, and contemneth his authority; or like unto an impudent adulteress, who not contenting her self with her secret whoredoms, doth prostitute her self to her lovers in the sight of her husband; and like Absalom, pitcheth a pauilion even at noon day upon the top of the house, that he may be seen of all men. This is the height of sin, when as men do not only consent unto it, but also act it; not in a corner, but in the face of the world; not as blushing and being ashamed at it, but impudently defending it, boasting and glorying in their wickedness. And as it is the height of sin, so it shall be plagued with the height of punishment, even with the divorce and separation from God: and therefore let all that would be God's spouse, above all other sins flee these; and though they fall through infirmity humanie frailty into sin, yet at least let them take it away from their face, and from between their breasts, that is, let them not defend it, and much less vaunt and glory in their wickedness.

ANd so much concerning the first end of the denunciation of the divorce, namely, the repentance of the people. Now concerning the second end, which is a consequent of the former, that is to say, their freedom from punishment, upon their unfeigned repentance: and this either respecteth the whole Church or the particular members thereof. The first is expressed, verse. 3. Lest I strip her naked, and set her as [Vers. 3] in the day that she was borne, and make her as a wilderness, and leave her like a dry land, and slay her for thirst.

In the former verse the Prophet shown, that the Lord had divorced the Church of Israel, but howsoever he had inflicted on her this judgment, yet such was his infinite goodness, that in wrath he remembered mercy; for although he might justly (as husbands used to do in such cases) when he divorced her, have stripped her of all his gifts and benefits, yet in mercy he did not thus far proceed in punishing of her, but though he had put her away, he suffered her still to enjoy the good things which he had bestowed upon her, at least in some measure: and that to this end, that they might remain with her as pledges of his love, not altogether as yet extinguished, and as undoubted arguments to assure her that as he had not divorced her for any hatred of her person, but for her sins, so if she would repent of them, he would be ready to receive her again into his former love and favor.

But because she abused the mercy of God, and continued in her impenitence, therefore he threateneth that unless she would seriously repent of her sins, he would not only divorce her, but also strip and spoil her of all those his gifts and benefits, which he had bestowed upon her, and which as yet she enjoyed. Wherein the Lord alludeth to the behavior of kind husbands, who having put away their wives for their whoredoms, do notwithstanding allow unto them liberal maintenance; with which benefits, when they are not restrained from their sin, and brought to amendment, but rather abuse their gifts as means to further them in their uncleanness, and by bestowing them on their lovers; they threaten to strip and spoil them of all those benefits which they enjoy, and to leave them destitute of all maintenance. As though he should have said, Although upon your divorce justly caused by your whoredoms, I might also have deprived you of all my benefits, which I have bestowed upon you, yet such hath been my mercy, that I have spared you hitherto, and suffered you to enjoy them, in hope of your amendment; but do not continue to abuse my patience and mercy, for unless you repent, and take away your fornications and adulteries, which with such audacious impudency you commit, I will strip you of all my benefits, which as yet you enjoy, and leave you as naked and beggarlie as you were, when I first took you in marriage.

Now the benefits which the Lord threateneth to spoil the people of Israel of, were either temporal and corporal, or else spiritual; of the first sort were their peace, kingdom, protection from enemies, plenty, and abundance of all worldly profits and delights; of the other were the law, the priesthood, some relics of God's worship in the ministry of the word, in the use of the Sacraments, and prayer; the favor of God and pardon of their sins; from which they were not as yet utterly excluded, as it may hereby appear, in that the Lord laboreth to recall them by his Prophet unto repentance, and forewarneth them of these judgments, that repenting they might escape them.

And these are the benefits, of which he threateneth to spoil them. Now the manner and nature of their stripping and spoiling is further described and illustrated by diverse comparisons; for first he threateneth to strip them, and to leave them as destitute of all his benefits, as they were at the day of their birth, in these words; and set her as in the day that she was borne.

By the day of the children of Israel's birth, we may either understand the day of their forefather Abraham his calling out of an idolatrous nation, that he might be the father of the faithful; or the day of the people's deliverance out of the bondage of Egypt, which I take to be the more probable, because he speaketh not here of the birth of one man, but of the whole nation. Now this day of the people's birth was a time wherein they were in great misery, poverty, impotency and manifold extremities, and therefore not unfitly compared to a child's birth, seeing in many things it resembleth it, in regard of the wretchedness thereof, and that both in respect of their persons, and also in respect of their state. And first for their bodies, as the child is borne so impotent that it is unable to resist the weakest enemy; so they came out of Egypt weak, unskillful, and unarmed, altogether unable to resist their enemies the Egyptians. And so in respect of their souls, as the child is borne defiled in his blood, as it is described, Ezech. 16. 6. so they were defiled with their sins, especially their gross idolatry which they learned of the Egyptians: as the child is borne destitute of wisdom and actual understanding; so they were ignorant, and without the saving knowledge of God and his true religion. In respect of their states likewise there is great similitude: for as the child is borne poor and naked; so they came out in great poverty, being not only destitute of the heavenly gifts of God's Spirit, but also of glory, power and riches: as the child liveth as it were imprisoned a close prisoner in the strait prison of the womb; so they were held in a strait and miserable servitude, till God delivered them: and as in the birth it is in greatest danger and extremity, so that it no sooner breatheth the air, but it crieth out with sense of pain; so they howsoever they had formerly endured many miseries, yet they were in greatest extremity of all, even as it were in the very birth and deliverance, when as they were pursued by their enemies, and beset on all sides with unavoidable dangers, so that in anguish of soul, they cried out for fear. Lastly, as the child being borne is unable to help it self, either in respect of defense from outward injuries, or of provision of food and necessaries: so they being brought into the wilderness, were unable to defend themselves from the injuries of the weather, either by day or night, & had no other provision of food then the Lord provided for them after a miraculous manner.

And this was the miserable condition of the people of Israel, at the day of their birth and deliverance out of Egypt, the which is excellently and largely described by the Prophet Ezekiel, Chap. 16. Out of which base estate the Lord advanced them to the greatest and highest dignity; for after that he had led them into the wilderness, he espoused this people unto him for his wife, he loved and protected her, he fed and nourished her, he decked and adorned her, he multiplied his benefits upon her both spiritual and temporal, induing, and, as it were, endowing her with riches, glory, pleasures and all happiness; he gave unto her his law containing the covenants of marriage between them, he gave also a Priesthood, a kingdom, a land flowing with milk and honey, a Tabernacle, a Temple, his word and Sacraments, and all things needful both for soul and body. But she being surfeited with pleasures, ungratefully forgot her former base condition, and also him who had advanced her to this great dignity and happiness; and forsaking her Lord and husband who had been thus gracious unto her, went a whoring after false gods: and therefore the Lord is fain to put her in mind of her former wretched estate, and to threaten her, that unless she repented and turned unto him, he that had raised her would pull her down, and make her as poor, contemptible and miserable, as when he first met and matched with her.

And this is the first comparison, whereby he describeth and aggravateth the misery which he threateneth to bring upon them. The second is, that he would make her as a wilderness, or the wilderness, as the article prefixed portendeth; where he alludeth to the desert wilderness, in which the children of Israel were led 40. years. Others resolve it rather thus, And will place her as in the wilderness, that is, bring her into the same condition wherein she was in the wilderness. But the other translation better pleaseth me, seeing it is without addition of any word: and seeing it is likely he threateneth here a far worse state then that, which at this time she lived in, because then she enjoyed God's presence, she was his spouse, she was led and fed, defended and sustained by the Lord her husband. And therefore I think rather he threateneth to make her like that wilderness, that is, to make her self desert and barraine of all his gifts and graces, temporal and spiritual, to suffer her to be inhabited of her vices and corruptions, as it were with so many wild beasts, to lay her kingdom, country and cities waste like a wilderness, being overrun, burnt and spoiled by their enemies: as the Lord threateneth, Deut. 28. 51. Levite. 26. 31. 32.

Thirdly, he saith that he will leave her like a dry land, that is, he will deprive her of all her comforts, pleasures and delights, like a dry and schorched ground, where for want of moisture all the pleasant herbs and sweet flowers wither and fade away.

Lastly, he threateneth that he will flay her with thirst, that is, he will overwhelm her with the greatest miseries; for water is more easily come by then food, and therefore the extremity of their want is hereby in a lively manner described, when as they should want even water to quench their thirst, and save their life. Where he also alludeth to the state of the Israelites in the wilderness, who had no water but what the Lord brought out of a rock in a miraculous manner. Neither doth he only aim at this bodily thirst for want of water, but also at the thirst of the soul, for want of the water which floweth from the sanctuary the word of God, of which Amos speaketh, Chap. 8. 11. 13. And of the water of life, of which whosoever drinketh, shall never more thirst, even the Spirit of God, of which our Savior speaketh: John. 4. 14. 7. 38. 39.

And so much for the meaning of the words: wherein the Prophet aimeth at these four things principally: first, he setteth forth the admirable and infinite patience, love, clemency and bounty of God, who when his spouse the Church of Israel had often and impudently played the harlot, and for her whoredoms was divorced from him, yet he did not (according to the just custom of husbands in like cases) take his gifts and rich benefits from her, which he had bestowed on her, but suffered her to enjoy them still: and this he implieth, when as he willeth her to repent, lest he should spoil her, noting thereby, that as yet he had not done it.

Secondly, in these words he intimateth, that if she would repent, he was ready to forgive her, and to suffer her still to enjoy his benefits; for he had not as yet spoiled and stripped her as he justly might, and was loath to go about it, and therefore he exhorteth her to turn from her sins, that he might not be urged to do it in his just displeasure.

Thirdly, he laboreth to work in her true repentance, by forewarning her of an increase of punishment, namely, that if that great punishment of divorce and separation from God would not move them to turn from their sins, he was ready to inflict other punishments upon them, which though they were not so great as the former in their own nature, yet perhaps they were far more grievous in their opinion and apprehension. For where he willeth her to take away her sins lest he spoiled her, he implieth, that unless she repented, he would not content himself with that punishment of her divorce, but would most certainly spoil her of all the ornaments, gifts and benefits which he had bestowed on her.

Fourthly, because pride and true repentance will not stand together, therefore he seeketh to humble her, both by putting her in mind of her miserable and base estate, wherein she was before he advanced her; and by assuring her that if she did not humble herself, forsake her sins, and turn unto him from her idols, he would leave her as he found her, deprive her of all his gifts, and ourwhelme her with an unsupportable load of woe and misery.

And these are the main things at which the Prophet aimeth [The Doctrines.] in these words. The doctrines which from hence are to be observed are these. First, we may observe, what is the cause why the Lord denounceth his judgments against his people; to wit, that they may repent of their sins, and that repenting they may escape punishment, which his justice urgeth him to inflict upon them continuing in their sins. So he causeth the divorce to be proclaimed, that they may take away their adulteries, and that repenting of them, they might not be stripped of all the gifts and benefits which as yet they enjoyed. So that the end of God's threatenings is, that we may repent, and of our repentance that we may escape punishment; and the end of one punishment is, that making good use of it, we may escape another. Whence we may observe, that God even in wrath remembereth mercy; for he threateneth that he may not punish, and punisheth that he may not destroy; he punisheth unwillingly after a sort, and therefore before hand he giveth warning that we may escape it; and having inflicted it, he laboreth to apply it to our senseless hearts, that by our obstinacy we do not urge his justice to proceed in punishing. And therefore let us not by our stubbornness and impenitency make God's end frustrate, and turn mercy into justice; but when he threateneth, let us repent that we may escape punishment; or at least let us turn unto him when he punisheth, that we do not move him to deal more severely with us.

The second thing to be observed is, that after the Lord hath rejected a people, he doth not always presently upon the divorce, withdraw his gifts and benefits from them; but leaveth them with them for a time to be enjoyed, that this his love, patience, and bounty may move them to forsake their sins, that so they may be received into his former love and favor. Whereby, as we have occasion to admire and praise the indefatigable patience, and infinite bounty of our gracious God, so may we hereby be admonished, not to judge of God's love and favor, nor of our own happiness by outward benefits, whether they be civil or spiritutuall; as namely, peace, plenty, a flourishing estate, the word, Sacraments, &c. seeing after the divorce he vouchsafeth to the divorced such benefits for a time; as appeareth in this place. The like example we have in Cain, who being banished God's presence, flourished in the world: and in Saul, who though he were rejected, yet the Lord suffered him a long time to enjoy the Kingdom: and in Ahab, whose destruction was long determined before it was effected.

Thirdly, we may observe, that because the Church of Israel did not repent upon the hearing of the divorce proclaimed, therefore the Lord threateneth another punishment, namely, that he would strip and spoil them of all his gifts. So that although in his love and patience he doth not presently after he had divorced them, deprive them of his benefits, but giveth them a time to make use of his former punishment; yet his justice will not ever suffer him to wink at their sins; but if his first judgment will not reclaim them, he will go forward to a second, which usually is more grievous then the first. Notwithstanding in this he first denounceth the divorce, which is the greater punishment, and after the withdrawing of his gifts, which is the less; for separation from God is infinitely a more heavy judgment then to be deprived of all other happiness. And this he doth, because howsoever these things are in their own nature, yet to worldly men and profane hypocrites, the loss of God is more lightly esteemed then the loss of his gifts; for so they may enjoy their worldly glory, riches, and delights, they can be content to live deprived of God's favor, and to be divorced from him. And therefore the Lord fitteth his speech to them, showing that if this heavy judgment of separation from himself, would not touch them with any sense of their misery, he had another judgment in store for them, which he knew they would feelingly apprehend; to wit, the withdrawing of his gifts and benefits from them, which they far better loved then himself.

Fourthly, we may observe, that the abuse of God's graces and benefits, doth move him justly to spoil and strip us of them; as appeareth here in the example of the Israelites: for therefore the Lord suffered them to enjoy still his gifts, which with a liberal hand he had bestowed upon them, that his mercy and bounty might lead them to repentance, and might move them with all earnestness to seek reconciliation with him, who had been so good and gracious a God unto them: but when as contrariwise, they the rather forsook the Lord, & impudently committed spiritual whoredom with their idols, abusing God's benefits as means to harten them in their sin, and spending their wealth upon their false gods, the Lord threateneth that if they would not speedily repent of these sins, he would strip them of his gifts rather then they should be thus abused. If therefore we would have God's benefits continued unto us, let us take heed that we do not abuse them to pride, wantonness, forgetfulness of God, insulting over our brethren, or by misspending them upon any evil uses to further us in any sin; nay, not only this, but also let us be careful to employ them well, to God's glory, the good of our brethren, and for our own furtherance in all virtue and godliness; for though we do not abuse them, yet if with the unprofitable servant we hide them in a napkin, and do not use them, the Lord will take his talent from us, and not only strip us of his gifts, but also cast us into utter darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth; as appeareth, Matth. 25. 30.

Fifthly, we may observe, that in the Lord's threatening, whereby he indeauoureth to bring the Church of Israel to repentance, he putteth them in mind of their former baseness, misery, and nakedness, not only to work in their hearts a true love and reverent respect towards him, who from such a contemptible condition had advanced them to such high dignity, but also to beat down their pride, with which in respect of their present prosperity they were puffed up, and to humble them with the remembrance of their own natural vileness. As if a Prince having taken to wife a mean servant, and (perceiving her to wax proud and insolent towards him, and to neglect him who had advanced her, setting her love upon others) should after this manner say unto her: There is no reason why thou shouldest be so proud & insolent; for howsoever I have now advanced thee, thou wast when I found thee poor, base and beggarly; especially considering that I who have raised thee up, have power in my hand to pull thee down, and to place thee in as base condition as thou wast in former times, if thy preferments puff thee up in pride, and move thee in thy insolency to neglect and despise me, who have been the only cause of thine advancement. And hereby it may appear how easily by God's grace and bounty we are made insolent, wanton, and forgetful of God; how odious a vice this is in God's sight, in that he useth such means to draw us from it; and that there is no better course to bring us to repentance, then by beating down this our pride, by calling to mind what we were before the Lord called us and advanced us, namely, base, poor and miserable, destitute of all good, and replenished with all evil.

Lastly, we may observe the manifold miseries and calamities, which the Lord bringeth upon those, who forsake his pure worship and service, and give themselves over to commit idolatry; for he not only diuorceth them from himself, but also unless they repent, he strippeth them of all his gifts and benefits, which he had bestowed upon them; he taketh from them the light of their understanding, and suffereth them to be deluded and infatuated in their own imaginations, as appeareth, Rom. 1. 21. 22. 2. Thess. 2. 11. He taketh from them the sunshine of his word, and suffereth them to walk in darkness, and in the shadow of death; he strippeth them of all his gifts both of body and mind, & leaveth them in their natural nakedness, defiled with sin, ugly and deformed; he taketh from them the name of his servants, children and spouse, and leaveth them as he found them, the slaves of Satan, the children of wrath, and heirs of perdition. He maketh them like a desert wilderness, barren of all grace and goodness, and inhabited with their own lusts, corruptions and passions, which like wild beasts torment and even rent them in pieces; yea, he maketh whole cities and countries of idolaters waste and desolate, exposing them to the common spoil of their conquering enemies, as our Savior threateneth the Jews, Matth. 23. 38. In a word, he depriveth their souls of all true joy and sound comfort, and letteth them perish in the extremity of their want. So that the end of idolaters, who having known God, and do renounce his pure worship and service, is worse then their beginning, For better had it been for them not to have known the way of righteousness, then after they have known it to turn out of it, as the Apostle speaketh, 2. Pet. 2. 20. 21. So Matth. 12. 45.

ANd so much concerning the punishment of the adulterous mother, the whole Synagogue & Church of Israel. In the next place he forewarneth her of the punishment of her children, verse. 4. And I will have no pity upon her children; [Vers. 4] for they be the children of fornications. In which words are contained two things, first the punishment, & secondly the cause thereof. In the first we are to consider, first, against whom this punishment is threatened, & secondly, the punishment it self.

The persons against whom this punishment is denounced, are the children of the adulterous mother; And I will have no pity upon her children. Whereas he saith, And I will, &c. by this connection he signifieth, that unless his adulterous spouse whom he had divorced, would take away her fornications and adulteries by true repentance, he would not content himself with her divorce and spoil, but he would go forward in his course of just vengeance, to inflict the like punishments upon her children.

Whereas by mother, we are to understand in general the whole Synagogue & Church of Israel, especially their magistrates, superiors & goueruours, both ecclesiastical and civil; so by the children we are to understand the particular members of this Church, especially subjects and inferiors. For the Lord contenteth not himself with a general denunciation of his heavy judgments against the whole Church; but he descendeth to particulars, and specially applieth his threatenings to every particular member of this body, that so he may bring the mother and the children, the whole body and the several parts, superiors and inferiors unto true repentance. Superiors when as they consider, that not only they themselves shall have the greatest measure of punishment inflicted on them, because by their authority and example they have been the ringleaders unto all wickedness; but also that the poor people committed to their charge (whom they ought as tenderly to love as the kind mother her dear children) shall through their bad example and ill government, fall into the like sins, & so be made obnoxious to the like punishments. So likewise inferiors may be drawn to repentance, when as they consider that their following of the example of their superiors, and obeying their authority in evil, will not privilege them frō God's judgments; but being partakers with thē in sin, they shall also be partakers of their punishments.

And so much for the persons. The punishment it self is, that the Lord will have no mercy or pity upon them; not that the Lord will utterly and absolutely exclude them from mercy, but only on this condition, if they persevered in their sins without repentance: neither doth he debar them of all mercy in regard of their eternal salvation, but in respect of their temporary rejection, from being his people and children; as may appear by the latter part of the chapter. The meaning therefore of these words is this, that as he had denied to have pity upon the mother, and had divorced her, stripped her, and made her like a wilderness, &c. so neither would he have any compassion of the children to to spare them; but would bring upon them the same punishments which he had denounced against their mother.

And this is the punishment here denounced. The cause moving the Lord to inflict it is expressed in these words; For they be the children of fornications. In which words is contained a twofold cause of the children's punishment: the first, because they are the children of fornications; that is, the issue of an adulterous mother: or more plainly thus; because they are members of an idolatrous Church, who by their governors civil and ecclesiastical are nuzled and nursed, brought up and instructed in idolatry and a false religion.

The first cause therefore why the Lord rejecteth the children, is in the mother; that is, in the whole Church, especially their governors and rulers, both ecclesiastical and civil; because by the former they were taught not a true, but a false and idolatrous religion; and by the other were not restrained from idolatry and false worship, and urged to worship the true God after a true manner, but rather by their example enticed, and by their authority forced to forsake the true God and follow idols.

But here it may be demanded, whether the sin of the governors is a just cause to move the Lord to punish the subjects. To which I answer, that there are two sorts of punishments: the first corporal and temporal: the second, spiritual and eternal. In respect of temporal punishments, it is just with God to punish the sins of parents in children, and of governors in the subjects; because in respect of the whole body, they are parts and members belonging unto them as the chief and principal; and therefore whilst the children and subjects suffer punishment, the parents and governors are punished in them. 2. Sam. 12. 14. 24. 12. 17.

But in respect of spiritual and eternal punishments, the Lord doth not inflict them upon the children and subjects for the sins of the parents and governors positively, unless they likewise partake with them in their sins, and follow their wicked example; howsoever he may justly for their sins, lay upon them privative punishments, by withholding from them his grace, and the gifts of his holy spirit, which he is not bound to give; of which they being deprived, run into sin, and so make themselves obnoxious to positive punishments. Now these children of which the Prophet speaketh, were not only borne of an idolatrous mother, but also they themselves lived and continued in that idolatry in which they were bred and instructed.

And this is the more principal cause why these children are punished, because they liked and approved, embraced and lived in the idolatry of their mother; for not simply to have been the children and members of an idolatrous Church, nor to have been brought up and instructed in her idolatries, is a cause which moveth the Lord to reject any; if afterwards they hate and forsake the idolatry of their mother, and love and embrace the pure and sincere worship of God. The which was the state of many of God's children in the common apostasy of the Israelites; and is the state of many who have come out of the spiritual Babylon, being begotten unto God by the immortal seed of his word.

But these of whom the Prophet speaketh, had not only in times past been, but presently were the children of fornications; they were not only brought up in idolatry, but still they liked and lived in it: and this he implieth when as he faith; not that they had been, but presently were the children of fornication.

And this is the meaning of these words. The doctrines to be observed out of them are these. First we may note, that the Lord contenteth not himself with a general denunciation of his judgments against the whole Church of Israel; but also applieth them specially to the particular members thereof. The which example is to be imitated of God's Ministers, especially considering that such is the self-love, pride, hypocrisy, and security of men, that they will make no application of general reprehensions and threatenings unto themselves, so long as they can shift them off, and apply them unto others. An example hereof we have in the secure Israelites, Esa. 28. 15. and in the Priests and Pharisees: Matth. 21. 41. yea David himself made no use of the general parable for his humiliation till it was particularly applied, 2. Sam. 12. 7. And therefore because that which is spoken to all, is spoken to none; it hath been the custom of all God's true Prophets and Ambassadors, to make particular application of their general doctrines, to the special use of their own hearers: so Nathan to David, 2. Sam. 12. 7. Peter to the Jews, Act. 2. 23. all the Prophets to their several people's, to whom they were sent. And this duty is to be performed of all faithful Ministers, for they are God's stewards, and therefore they are not to suffer everyone to rush into the storehouse of God's word, and to take what pleaseth them; but they must give every man his own portion in season; as it is, Luke 12. 42. They are the Churches Surgeons to cure their spiritual wounds and sores of sin; and therefore they must not only make good plasters, but also they must apply them to their sores and wounds, for otherwise many are so senseless that they feel no pain, and therefore desire no help; many so wayward and impatient, that they will rather let their spiritual wounds putrefy through security and presumption, then abide the cure, fearing the plaster more then the wound.

Secondly, we may observe, that the idolatry and other grievous sins of the whole Church, especially of the governors both ecclesiastical and civil, being not repented of, do move the Lord, not only to punish the whole body, but also the particular members; that is, subjects and inferiors, if not with spiritual, (as when they are not partakers with them in their sins) yet at least with temporal punishments; because being one body, the sin of superiors is not only punished when the punishment is inflicted on themselves, but also upon the inferiors, as being parts of them, and members of the whole body. But besides corporal afflictions, they make them also obnoxious unto God's wrath and eternal punishments, when as by their false doctrine, authority and evil example, they move and allure them, to embrace their idolatry and other sins. An example whereof we have in the papacy, where because the whole Church is idolatrous, especially their Magistrates and Clergy, therefore private men being by their false doctrine, authority and example nuzled and instructed in idolatry, are together with them divorced from God, and overwhelmed in the common destruction. So that the first and more remote cause of this their punishment, is in the whole Church and governors thereof, the next and immediate cause is the idolatry of every particular man, which himself committed being seduced by the false doctrine and evil example of their adulterous mother. The consideration whereof should make superiors most careful to acquaint themselves with God's truth, and to embrace and profess his true religion, to forsake and detest all manner of false worship and idolatry, and to avoid all other grievous and open sins; or if they have fallen into them speedily to repent of them; seeing hereby they do not only draw upon themselves the heaviest measure of punishment (for the mighty shall be mightily tormented) but also by their sins not repented of, do make their subjects and inferiors which they should love as their children and parts of their own body, guilty of their sins, and obnoxious to their punishments: 2. Sam. 24. 17.

Thirdly, subjects, inferiors, & private men may here learn, that in respect of their religion it is not sufficient to conform themselves to the religion of their governors, nor in respect of their faith, to believe as the Church believeth, nor in respect of their manners to live according to the example of their superiors, but everyone ought to inform himself of God's true religion, and to be assured out of God's word, that he worshippeth the true God after his revealed will; and to lead his life not according to the example of others, but according to God's precepts, with which he is thoroughly to be acquainted; for it will not excuse us to say, that we have been seduced by false teachers, mislead by ill governors, allured by the wicked example of superiors, seeing every man is to live by their own faith, to be directed by his own knowledge, and to be approved or condemned by his own life and actions. And therefore the only privilege which he shall have by the false religion, idolatry and wicked examples of his superiors, is, that having sinned with them for company, they shall have their company also in suffering punishment.

Lastly, we may here observe, that the Lord will not reject us because we have been the children of an adulterous mother in time past, so that we hate and forsake her fornications, and leaving her as an adulterous harlot, do cleave unto our heavenly father; for it is not said here that the Lord would exclude them from his mercy because they had been, but also presently were the children of fornications, that is, not only borne of an adulterous harlot, but also approving and following her spiritual whoredoms. The consideration whereof serveth for the comfort of those, who having been borne and brought up in popery and idolatry are converted unto the truth; for howsoever if they had continued with thir mother the great whore of Babylon, and committed with her spiritual whoredom, they should have been forsaken, and so perished together with her; yet being now come out from Babylon, they shall not be partakers with her in her sins and punishments, but being regenerate and borne anew unto their heavenly father, by the immortal seed of his word and Gospel, they shall be exempted from her plagues, admitted as legitimate, and made capable of that heavenly inheritance which God rescrueth in store for all his children.

ANd so much concerning the divorce between the Lord and the Church of Israel. In the next place is the cause thereof expressed, to wit, the sin of the people; especially their idolatry and unthankfulness; and afterwards the punishments due unto their sins are threatened. The first is contained in these words: Vers. 5. For their mother hath [Vers. 5] played the harlot; she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink. In which words are contained, first their idolatry and spiritual whoredoms, and secondly their ingratitude. Their idolatry is first plainly expressed, and afterwards aggravated. It is expressed in these words: For their mother hath played the harlot. Where still he continueth the allegory, of marriage, adultery and divorce; showing and proving that there was just cause why the mother was divorced, and the children rejected, because the mother had played the harlot, and so her children were an adulterous issue. Neither had she only before or after committed whoredom, but even in the generation of these her children she had conceived them of the seed of fornication; for otherwise howsoever she was a harlot, yet her children should have been legitimate, and therefore unlawfully disinherited: but they were not only borne of an harlot, but also in adultery, and therefore they were the children of fornication.

Now as they are rightly called bastards, which are not begotten of the lawful husband, but of the seed of a stranger: so the Lord in respect of the spiritual generation, accounteth them bastards which he hath not begotten by the immortal seed of his word, made powerful by the inward opperation of his Spirit. And therefore those who are begotten unto the Church by false doctrines and lying spirits, and according to their birth are so brought up, they are to be accounted the children of fornications.

But such was the birth and bringing up of these children, for their mother the Church of Israel, under the reign of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, committed spiritual whoredom, when as forsaking the Lord, she worshipped the golden calves in Dan and Bethel; & whilst she played the harlot, the posterity which came of her were borne unto the idols, when as being brought up in ignorance destitute of y ^e knowledge of God and his religion, they were instructed in false doctrine and idolatry, and so became as gross idolaters as their predecessors. And therefore being in adulterous issue of an adulterous mother, both she and they were justly rejected.

And this was the first and chief sin for which the mother was divorced, and the children disinherited; namely, because she played the harlot, and the children were begotten in her adultery. Now this their sin is aggravated; first by her shameless filthiness therein shown: and secondly, by her impudent and obstinate resolution to commit it. The first is expressed in these words; she that conceived them hath done shamefully. The Hebrew text hath it; She that conceived them is affected or confounded with shame: whereby is not meant, that she was shamefast or ashamed of her sins; for this agreeth not to the disposition of an harlot, especially to such a shameless harlot as this, whose fornications were in her face, and her adulteries between her breasts, and who impudently professed that she would go after her lovers, but that she had committed such shameful actions, and had lived so filthily and infamously, that she had exposed her self to all shame and reproach. The meaning therefore of these words is this, that she had not fallen into her sins of infirmity, or after she was fallen, carried her self after any moderate manner, but that she often committed these sins, and defiled her self with so many kinds of idolatry and superstition, that she was grown infamous, and justly reproached of all who heard of or saw her abominable filthiness.

Now this he proveth, and with all further aggravateth the greatness of her sin, by giving a particular instance of her wickedness, in these words; for she said, I will go after my lovers, &c. Whereas he saith that she thus said; he implieth that she did not follow her lovers and forsake the Lord through infirmity, ignorance, or as one overtaken at unawares; but advisedly, willfully, upon a deliberate and settled resolution she determined to do it; and not only so, but in an impudent manner she professed, that renouncing God her lawful husband, she would follow her lovers.

Where by her lovers, we are to understand her idols and false gods, which are compared fitly unto lovers: for as lovers, that is adulterers, allure & entice men's wives, to withdraw their hearts from their lawful husbands, and to fixe it upon them; to break their conjugal faith, and to commit whoredom by offering unto them gifts and pleasures. So the spouse of God is allured and enticed by idols, to forsake the Lord, and to set her heart upon them, and to violate her marriage saith by leaving his pure worship and service, and prostituting her self to commit spiritual whoredom with them, when as they seem to offer unto her as a reward, some profit or delight.

And this also appeareth in the reason which she yieldeth of her apostasy, in the words following: that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink. In which words is also contained the exceeding great unthankfulness of the people in ascribing all the benefits which they enjoyed unto their idols and false gods, whereas the Lord alone was the author and fountain of them. The which their sin was so much the more inexcusable, because in the Law the Lord had promised all these gifts unto them, to the end that they should expect them from him alone, & having received them, they should ascribe the whole praise unto him only of his own gifts: Levite. 26. 4, 5. Deut. 28. 2, 3, 4, 5, &c.

Now under these particulars here named, he understandeth all kind of benefits necessary either for their sustenance and preservation, or for their pleasure and delight. For by bread and water in the Scriptures is usually signified all kind of meat and drink, food and sustenance, as appeareth, Exo. 34. 28. Deut. 23. 4. 1. King. 13. 17. Esa. 3. 1. By wool and flax is understood all kind of clothing, apparel, and furniture made of them. By oil and drink is understood all their pleasures and delicacies; for oil in those hot countries was used for pleasure, ornament, smell, agility and strength: and by drink is meant not ordinary drink, for that he comprehendeth under the name of water, but their drinks which were most costly and delicate: and further the word here used is of the plural number, and derived from such a root, as signifieth to drink abundantlie, whereby is understood their plenty of such delicacies.

And so much for the meaning of these words. The instructions which hence arise are these. First, we may observe what was the cause of all those punishments before denounced both against the Church of Israel & her children, namely their sins, especially their idolatry and unthankfulness. For because the mother played the harlot, and her children were begotten in her adulteries; and not only so, but also liked and approved, embraced and followed the whoredoms of their mother, therefore joining in sin, they were joined in punishment. And indeed the sin of man is the cause of all the miseries and evils which he suffereth, for God who is the chief goodness, taketh his delight in doing good, and in multiplying his benefits upon his creatures, according to that, Psalm. 145. 9. The Lord is good to all, and his mercies are over all his works; and that of Micah, Chap. 7. verse. 18. He retaineth not his wrath forever, because mercy pleaseth him. Neither doth he punish but when men's sins urge his justice, and draw upon themselves his judgments. Whence we learn, when we are punished, not to murmur against God, nor to look to inferior means, but rather to examine our own consciences, and to search out our sins which are the cause thereof, that so we may clear God and accuse our selves. And likewise if we would have the punishment removed, we must not use evil means, for the evil of sin will not remove the evil of punishment; nay rather it will redouble it, as being the chief cause thereof: but if we would have our punishment taken away, let us first take away our sins by unfeigned repentance, for if the cause be removed, the effect will cease.

Secondly, we here learn, that the Church doth only so long remain the spouse of God as she keepeth her marriage faith, loving and obeying, worshipping and serving him aloue: but if she playeth y ^e harlot, either by forsaking the true God and worshipping idols, or by so worshipping the true God as she worshippeth idols; that is, after an idolatrous manner, & not after the prescript rule of his word, this causeth the Lord to divorce her from him, and to strip her of all his benenefits. So that it is not sufficient for a Church, that she hath been the spouse of Christ, that she hath plighted he faith unto him, and worshipped him according to his word, unless she persevere in her faithfulness, love, and sincere and pure obedience; for this was the estate of the Israelites who were divorced for their apostasy. So that the Church of Rome doth in vain pretend her long continuance and succession of Bishops, to prove her self to be the spouse of Christ: seeing they have made an apostasy, breaking their faith, forsaking God's pure worship, and embracing their own will-worshippes and inventions, worshipping instead of the true God, their breaden god, Saints, Angels, crosses, crucifixes and images. And therefore having played the harlots, the mother together with the children, they were long ago divorced from God, and stripped of his spiritual benefits.

Thirdly, we may observe, that after men have forsaken the Lord and his pure worship, and given themselves over to commit idolatry, they can contain themselves in no moderatiō, but behave themselves most shamefully, infinitely multiplying their superstitions, and kinds of idolatry, according to the variety of every man's invention. An example whereof we have in the old Egyptians, in the Gentiles, Rom. 1. In the Papists at this day, whose idolatries are manifold, and their superstitions innumerable: for they do not only make Idols, but they also worship them, by kneeling and praying unto them, offering unto them incense and oblations, consecrating unto them Churches, going on pilgrimage, ascribing unto them power to do miracles and forgive sins. The consideration whereof should make us most carefully to avoid all will-worship, and to restrain our selves unto that worship which God hath revealed in his word.

Fourthly, we may observe the impudency of idolaters, and their resolved obstinacy in their sins: for they do not only fall of ignorance and infirmity, nor content themselves with their idolatries in secret committed, but like shameless harlots they make a trade and open profession of their sins, not sticking openly to say that they will follow their lovers. An example whereof we have in this place, as also in the Papists, who not only in secret, but also in their Churches, market places and open processions bear about their Idols, and make open profession of their idolatry and apostasy.

Fifthly, we may here observe the palpable ignorance and willful blindness, the gross ingratitude, and carnal worldliness of idolaters; their ignorant blindness, in ascribing their prosperity and plenty unto their sin of worshipping Idols, which is the cause of their misery, poverty and nakedness; their unthankfulness, in attributing the praise of all those benefits which they enjoy, through the free mercy and bounty of God, unto their lovers, that is, their Idols and false gods, which are no causes of their blessings, but of their punishments; their carnal worldliness, in that they make choice of their religion, not for the love of God and of his truth, but for worldly benefits, pleasures and preferments. So the idolaters here in their ignorance and unthankfulness ascribe their riches and pleasures to their lovers, professing that therefore they will follow them, because they were benefited by them. Thus they ascribed their deliverance out of Egypt to the golden Calf, Exod. 32. 4. and to their Calves in Dan and Bethel, 1. King. 12. 28. Thus the men of Judah impudently and stubbornly refused to hear the word of the Lord, by the mouth of Jeremiah, and stiffly affirmed that they would do sacrifice to the Queen of Heaven, because whilst they committed this idolatry, they had plenty of victuals, and were well and felt none evil, &c. Jer. 44. 17. 18. 19. And thus many in these days, through their gross ignorance and unthankfulness, approve and justify, like and live in the idolatrous religion of the Papists, because whilst they worshipped the Queen of Heaven, the Virgin Mary, and their Saints and Images, they had plenty of victuals, and all things good cheap. But as the Apostle saith of such, Their end is damnation, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is to their shame, which mind earthly things, Philip. 3. 19. Thus also do they offend, who ascribe the benefits which they enjoy, not to the free mercy and bounty of God, but to their own wits, industry and labor, sacrificing to their own nets, and burning incense unto their yearn, because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous, as the Prophet Habacuc speaketh, Hab. 1. 16. But most grievously of all in this respect do the Papists offend, who rob and spoil the Lord of the praise of his gifts, by ascribing almost every particular benefit which they enjoy, to some Saint or Idol, as the peculiar patron, author, and preserver thereof, unto whom they pray and go on pilgrimage, when they stand in need of any of these benefits, and unto whom they offer oblations and praises when they abound with them.

Lastly, as it is the nature and disposition of idolaters, out of their religion to seek their gain and profit, and accordingly to esteem that religion best and truest, whereby they may reap unto themselves the greatest harvest of worldly benefit; so if they be put to the proving and justifying of their religion, the main argument which they commonly use for this purpose, is their worldly prosperity, and abundance of pleasures, riches and preferments, thinking themselves most approved of God, and their religion most true when they most abound in these worldly things. This we see in this place, in the example of the Jews in the time of Jeremiah, Jer. 44. 17. 18. And in the Papists at this day, who approve their religion, by the outward pomp and prosperity of their Church, especially of their Pope, Cardinals and Bishops.

ANd so much concerning the people's sin of Idolatry, and the first branch of their unthankfulness, in ascribing their benefits to their Idols. In the next place he denounceth threatenings against them for their sins in these words: Vers. 6. Therefore behold I will stop thy way with thorns, and [Vers 6 7.] make a hedge, that she shall not find her paths. Or thus: Therefore behold I will hedge thy way with thorns, and will make a wall, &c. Vers. 7. Though she follow after her lovers, yet shall she not come at them; though she seek them, yet shall she not find them. Then shall she say; I will go and return to my first husband, for at that time was I better then now. Or thus, And she shall follow her lovers, and shall not come at them, and she shall seek them, and shall not find them, &c.

In which words are contained two things: first a punishment denounced, and secondly, the effects of this punishment in the people. In the first we are to consider the parties, against whom it is denounced, and the nature and quality thereof. The parties are those amongst the idolatrous Israelites, who (though they were not yet called) belonged to God's election: for though the Prophets speech be directed to all those idolatrous Israelites, who said, I will go after my lovers: yet it is to be understood Synecdochically, of those alone amongst them, whom it was God's purpose to convert & save. For not only the reprobate, but also the elect fall into this sin of idolatry, sometimes of ignorance, and sometimes of infirmity, being either drawn with fear, or allured by profit, pleasure or preferment: & such were these unto whō the Prophet speaketh, who said y ^t they would go after their lovers, telling them, that the Lord would cross them in their resolution, and stay them in the midst of their course.

And that it is to be understood of the elect only, it may appear, first, because the Lord doth not lay thorns in the way of the reprobate, to discourage and hinder them from their idolatry, and other wickedness, but leaveth them to their own wills and lusts, to run on without impediment in the broad way, which leadeth to destruction; but he crosseth those in their wicked designs, who belong to his election, and either first or last he hindereth thē in their wicked ways, not suffering them to run on in their course of sin, into which their corrupt flesh leadeth them. Secondly, it is said in the 7. verse. that being thus crossed in their purposes, they should, having come to a sense and feeling of their misery, return unto the Lord by true repentance; which cannot be understood of the reprobate idolaters, but only of the elect.

And so much for the persons. In the punishment it self is expressed, first the cause thereof, secondly the quality of the punishment, thirdly, the end why it is inflicted. The cause in these words, Therefore behold: which have relation to the former verse, and point out the sin, which was the cause of this punishment; as though he should say, Because you have been so obstinate & impudent in your idolatries, as that you have not stuck to say openly, that you would still go after your lovers, therefore you shall not have your wills, nor be able to perform your wicked purposes; for I will lay thorns in your way, and so hinder you, that you shall not go forward in your course.

The quality of the punishment is expressed in these words: I will hedge thy way with thorns, and make a wall; (for so the original text readeth.) Where he continueth the allegory, showing, that if they like harlots, wander abroad, and run after their lovers; he will keep a more strait watch over them, and restrain them, will they nill they, from gadding abroad: or else (which I rather think) he alludeth to the custom of husbandmen, who when their beasts will not keep in their own pasture, do make strong their fence, and hedge them in; and if this will not contain them, they make walls of mud or stone, to make them sure for leaping over. So the Lord threateneth, that if they will not be contained in his Church, but will leap over unto their Idols and false gods, he will provide a hedge, and a wall to keep them in.

Now this hedge of thorns and strong wall, of which he speaketh, are crosses and afflictions, as the diseases of the body, sorrow of mind, war, famine, poverty and such like, which are compared to thorns: for as when thorns lie in our way, they prick, molest and grieve us, keeping us from going forward, unless it be with great pain and difficulty: so in the way of our pilgrimage, these thorns of afflictions vex and trouble us, by tormenting the body, and wounding the mind. And in this sense is the word taken, Ios. 23. 13. where the Lord threateneth, that the cursed nations, whom the Israelites had not cast out, should be as whips on their sides, and thorns in their eyes, that is, causes of their great affliction and molestation. So Ezech. 28. 24. The Lord promiseth, that the Zidonites should be no more a pricking thorn to the house of Israel. Whereas therefore the Lord threateneth, that he would stop their way with thorns, and with a wall, the meaning is, that he would keep them from following their Idols, by afflictions; and if lesser afflictions would not contain them, he would inflict upon them such grievous calamities, as like a strong wall should keep them in and hinder them from following their false gods. By which, as he understandeth in general, all the afflictions and miseries which he sent amongst them; so especially, their siege and captivity by the Assyrians: for when they were besieged by them, and when being vanquished, they were led away captive; then they were hedged in, and compassed with a strong wall, so as they could not as in former times, go to worship their golden calves in Dan and Bethel.

The end why the Lord thus dealeth with them, is expressed in these words, That she should not find her paths: whereby is meant, that the Lord would therefore hedge and wall them in with afflictions, that they should not go forward in their ordinary course of committing idolatry: the which is called her paths, because, as by often going in the same way, a path is made by the continual treading of men's feet; so she so usually and commonly frequented her Idols, that her idolatries seemed as her path and common way, wherein she daily and continually walked.

And this is the meaning of these words. The instructions that we are to gather out of them, are these. First, we may observe, that howsoever the Lord doth often suffer the wicked and reprobate to go forward in their sins, without any check and controlment, and to have a prosperous course, and wished success in their wicked designs, without any let or hindrance; yet he dealeth not thus with those that belong unto his election: but if they, through the corruption of the flesh, either of ignorance, or of infirmity, resolve to prosecute wicked courses, though he may suffer them for a time, yet in the end he will lay in their way the thorns of crosses and afflictions, to hinder them from achieving their wicked ends; that so being stayed, they may return back again unto him by true repentance. So he suffered the Gentiles to go forward without stop, in their idolatries: but when the Israelites forsook him, and followed idols, he laid continually thorns of affliction in their way, to cause them to desist in their course, and to return unto him, as appeareth in the history of the Judges, and the Kings: the like examples we have in Jonah, in David, 2. Sam. 11. 12. in reprobate Jeroboam, and elect Manasseh, in the Scribes and Pharisees, and the Apostle Paul, Act. 9. in the rich Glutton, & the prodigal son, Luk. 15. & 16. Whereby it appeareth, that the Lord will not suffer those which belong unto him, to be so evil as they would be: but when they resolve to go forward in sin, he layeth in their way a hedge of thorny afflictions, either trouble of mind, or sickness, or loss in their state, that so they may not go on in the paths of sin, but return again by true repentance. Whence we may gather a notable sign, whether we belong to God's election, or be in the number of the reprobate; for if we go forward in our wicked courses, without stop or hindrance, with ease and prosperity, it is a sign that we belong not to God, for then he would not suffer us to go on in the way of perdition: but if we no sooner resolve upon some wicked design, but straight we are either crossed in it, or afterward afflicted, that we cannot proceed in it as we purposed, surely it is a sign that the Lord hath a care of us, in that he holdeth us back from running headlong to everlasting destruction.

Secondly, because, though the Lord lay these thorns in our way, yet through our negligence and security, though we see the hedge, and feel the pricks of affliction, piercing our souls and bodies, we oftentimes neither consider who hath set this hedge in our way, nor for what cause, but are ready to ascribe our afflictions to chance and fortune, to our own want of providence, to the malice of our enemies, or some secondary cause; therefore the Lord willeth them to behold, and to consider, that he it was that set this hedge in their way, and for this cause, in that they had resolved to go forward in their sins, that knowing the meritorious cause of their punishment to be their sins, they might labor to take them away by true repentance; and knowing the Lord to be the author of them, they might humble themselves under his hand, and implore mercy and forgiveness.

Thirdly, we may here learn, that it is impossible for God's elect to perish, for he will not suffer them to go on in sin to their perdition; yea though they will desire and resolve to live in wickedness, the Lord will find means to pull them out of it: for his will is above their wills, his eternal purpose and decree, which is unchangeable, causeth a change in their wicked designs and unlawful purposes, so that they shall not achieve them according to their settled resolutions: as we may see in the example of Jonah, David, Paul, and many others. So that God's elect may certainly be assured, that seeing their sins are insufficient, therefore nothing else is effectual to separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Rom. 8. 38. 39.

Fourthly, here we learn most carefully to take heed, that we do not when the Lord setteth this hedge in our way to restrain us from sin, leap over it: for if the fence be not strong enough he will make it stronger, and instead of an hedge he will set a wall to restrain us, that is, if lighter afflictions will not withhold and stay us from going forward in the course of sin, he will inflict those which are heavier and more intolerable.

Lastly, we may here observe the great benefit which our afflictions cause unto us, for they serve for sharp thorny hedges & strong walls to contain us in the ways of God's commandments, and to keep us from leaping over into the pleasant pastures of sin and wickedness, where we should but be fatted to the slaughter; the Lord layeth in our way these thorny afflictions, not to kill us, but to prick us, and by pricking to restrain us from going the broad way that leadeth to destruction: for when we are thus judged, we are chastened of the Lord, because we should not be condemned with the world, 1. Cor. 11. 31. He correcteth us not because he hateth us, but because he entirely loveth us, even as his own children; not for our hurt, but for our profit, that we might be partakers of hie holiness, Heb. 12. 7. 10. And though no chastening seemeth to be joyous, but grievous for the present: yet afterwards it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousness unto them which are thereby exercised, Heb. 12. 11. Though these afflictions be bitter and unpleasant to the flesh, yet are they profitable to the spiritual part: for whilst the outward man perisheth, the inward man is renewed daily, 2. Cor. 4. 16. Though these thorns prick us, yet they do not mortally wound us, only they let out the wind of vainglorie, and humble us that we be not exalted out of measure. Though they seem tedious and intolerable and tending to our destruction, yet in truth they are but light and momentary, and cause unto us a superexcellent and eternal weight of glory: 2. Cor. 4. 17.

But yet we are not to imagine that affliction in it own nature worketh all these benefits; but by the secret operation of God's Spirit inwardly applying it unto our hearts, and teaching us to make a holy use of it: for such is our obstinate stubbornness, that we will like untamed and wild beasts rush thorough this hedge of afflictions, that we may still continue our course in sin: and such is our senselessness in our security, that either we feel not y ^e pricking of these thorns, or at least are not by the smart moved to sorrow for sin, as being the cause thereof; or to flee unto God by true repentance that we may have ease, unless the Spirit work together with our afflictions, making them effectual for these purposes. As we may see in the example of Saul, Jeroboam, 1. King. 14. 1. 2. the Israelites, Esa. 1. 5. and in our own late experience.

ANd so much concerning the punishment denounced. The effect of this punishment in the people is twofold. The first is expressed in these words: And she shall follow her [Vers. 7] lovers, and shall not come at them; and she shall seek them, and shall not find them, &c. In which words are contained two things: first, the behavior of these idolaters, when as God had hedged them in with the hedge of afflictions, namely, they follow and seek after their lovers, and that with great anxiety of mind, care and earnest endeavor; for so the word here used signifieth. The second is, that God maketh frustrate all their labor, so as they follow and seek after them in vain.

Concerning the first▪ after these idolaters were afflicted for their sins, and so hedged in with troubles and inextricable miseries, that they could not tell what course to take, nor which way to turn themselves; yet they do not presently turn unto the Lord and repent of their sins, nay rather they endeavor to flee from him, and to seek help of their Idols; and as though all these afflictions had betided them, because they had been no more zealous and devout in their superstition and idolatry, therefore they double their diligence, and with greater care and endeavor they worship and serve their Idols, hoping and expecting deliverance from them▪ as a reward of all their pains.

Wherein the Prophet alludeth to the practice of adulterous wives, who when they are restrained in their wicked courses by their husbands jealous and watchful eye, or by some rougher and stricter course, do not presently forsake their lovers and amend, but rather study and invent out means how they may escape out of their husbands custody and again come into their lovers company: or else to the manner of beasts and cattle, who being restrained with a new fence from their old haunt, do not presently feed quietly in their own pasture, but range along by the hedge side to find a gap, or some easy place where they may leap over or burst thorough into those fields into which they have ranged in former times: so this idolatrous spouse being restrained with the chastisements of her husband from following Idols, doth not at first forsake her sin, and turn unto the Lord by true repentance, but with greater madness she endevoreth to proceed in her adulteries, superstitions and idolatry, and seeketh help of her lovers and Idols, that thereby she may be freed from those afflictions which God hath laid upon her.

So that here the sin of these idolaters is further aggravated, in that they made no use of God's afflictions, but rather behaved themselves more impudently then in former times: for whereas this adulterous spouse though she were resolved to live in uncleanness, yet rather should have been sought unto by her lovers, then to seek after them, she contrary to all womanhood so far exceeded the bounds of modesty, being transported with the blind fury of her lust, followeth after them when she is neglected, and seeketh them when she is not sought.

But here it may be demanded, how she can be said to follow and seek after her lovers, when as he saith in the former verse that she was so hedged and walled in that she could not find her paths? I answer, that he here describeth, potiùs adulterae affectum quàm profectum, rather the affection then the action of this harlot; it is true that she could not attain unto her desire, but still notwithstanding she desireth; she was hedged in, but nevertheless she wandreth about to find a gap; she could not indeed find or come at her lovers, but yet she rangeth in the pursuit, and seeketh to come into their company.

And this appeareth by the second point which I propounded, namely, the frustrating of her labor: for it is said, that though she followed her lovers, yet she should not come at them; though she sought them with all care and diligence, yet she should not find them. In which words, the Lord showeth, that though this adulterous spouse, and untamed heifer, would endeavor to break thorough the hedge of afflictions, which he had set about her, to the end that she might again with like prosperity, as in former times, follow her lovers, and live in her whoredoms; yet she should not be able to accomplish her desire; though she should seek her Idols, with more then ordinary devotion, praying, proffering unto them sacrifices and oblations, to the end, that by their help she might be freed out of her afflictions, and attain unto her former prosperity, which in her blind ignorance and superstition she ascribed unto them, yet she should spend all her labor in vain, seeing her Idols sought should not be found, that is, she should not find them any ways able to remove her afflictions, or to help her out of her misery and distress.

Whereby he aggravateth the wretchedness of her estate, and in a most lively manner setteth forth the desperatenes of her misery. For though one be in misery and distress, yet if they have hope that they may have access to such friends, unto whom when they have made known their case, they shall find them both able and willing to relieve them; this is a strong argument to work in them patience: but if either they cannot come at them, whom they most trust and rely upon, or else find them altogether unable to do them any good, then the frustrating of their hope being added to the weight of their misery and afflictions, ouerwhelmeth and presseth them down, and maketh their burden unsupportable.

And this is the first effect of the Churches afflictions. The second is expressed in these words, Then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband, for at that time was I better then now. In which words is contained the Churches repentance, and the reason moving her hereunto. The first is expressed in these words, Then shall she say, I will go and return unto my first husband: that is, after she seeth her self crossed in her wicked courses, and so hedged in with afflictions, that she cannot follow her Idols, and enjoy her former prosperity, after she hath long in vain sought for help and deliverance at the hands of her Idols, and hath now no hope by their means, either to come out of her present misery, or to enjoy her former prosperity, being destitute of all other help; then she shall say, that is, she shall resolve and determine, yea and also profess this her purpose and resolution, that she would no longer sit still in this misery, and suffer her self to be swallowed up of grief, and desperation; but she would go, and forsaking her lovers, and adulterous Idols, return unto her first husband, who indeed alone deserved the name of a husband, seeing the other were but lovers, seducers, and adulterers.

The reason moving her to make this return unto her husband, is expressed in these words: For at that time was I better then now: that is, I will now at length forsake these Idols, and return unto the Lord, because I plainly see, and sensibly discern, that my state and condition was far better, and more happy, when I cleaved unto the Lord, my only true husband, with all my heart, loving, serving, and obeying him alone, and performing unto him that pure and sincere worship, which is described in his word, then it hath been since I forsook him, and prostituted myself, to commit spiritual uncleanness with Idols: for by this my apostasy I have moved my loving husband, in his just displeasure to reject me, & to strip me of all those benefits which he had bestowed on me: I have deprived myself of all true comfort, joy and peace of conscience, and am now filled with horror, fear, and anguish of mind; and I have plunged myself into a sea of misery, and innumerable afflictions, out of which my lovers, in whom I trusted, and whose help I have implored, cannot deliver me. And therefore what remaineth, but that I forsake my lovers, and my sins with them committed, seeing they are miserable comforters in my greatest need, and distress, and return and reconcile myself unto my husband, who is infinite in mercy and compassion?

And so much for the meaning of this verse. The doctrines [The Doctrines.] which arise out of them are these. First, we may observe the superstitious blindness of idolaters, who, when the Lord punisheth them for their idolatries, do not repent of their sins, and return unto the Lord, craving mercy, forgiveness, & release of their punishments: but rather, have their recourse unto their Idols, with more then ordinary devotion: serving them with their Pilgrimages, Vowes, Inuocations, Oblations, and other rites and ceremonies, wherewith they imagine they may be best pleased; supposing that their slackness and remissenes in these superstitious devotions, hath been the cause of all their afflictions: whereas in truth their superstitions and idolatry, is the chief cause of all their miseries, and therefore the multiplying of them doth not release them of their punishment, but rather redoubleth it. An example whereof we have in this place, in Micah, Judge. 17. 13. Ahaziah, 2. King. 1. 2. and in the Papists, who when the Lord punisheth them for their idolatries, seek freedom and deliverance from the evils they suffer, by their vows, pilgrimages, prayers, and oblations to their Idols and Images; as though they could dry themselves being wet, by leaping into a river, or ease themselves being burnt, by leaping into the fire, Isaiah 1. 28. 29.

Secondly, we may observe our natural proneness unto idolatry, for not only we easily fall into it, but being fallen, we are hardly recovered and recalled from this sin: no, though the Lord to his word showing his truth, and the falsehood and abominablenes of idolatry, do also add his rods of afflictions, that at least sense of pain may make us weary of our sins. And therefore it is not to be wondered at, that the most part of the world do forsake God's pure worship, and live in idolatry, seeing man's nature is so inclined thereunto, that though he smart for it, he will not leave it: and how much more then will he embrace it, when he is allured and drawn unto that, which of his own nature he is prone unto, by pleasures, profit, and preferments? for the Lord doth not hedge in all with afflictions, which resolve to follow their lovers, but only those, whom it is his purpose to convert, as belonging to his eternal election.

Thirdly, we may observe that affliction in it self, is not sufficient to make us forsake our sins, and to turn unto the Lord by true repentance, unless it be sanctified and made effectual for this purpose, by the inward working of God's Spirit. For though the Lord had hedged his people in with afflictions, that they might not go forward in their idolatries: yet it is said here, that notwithstanding all this, they the more followed and sought after their lovers. So Pharaoh the more he was punished the more he was hardened, the more the children of Israel were afflicted in the wilderness, the more they murmured; the more they were smitten, the more they fell away, Isaiah. 1. 5. But I shall not need to go far for examples, seeing we have a present example amongst our selves, who have made no use of God's late visitation, &c. And therefore when we are afflicted, let us earnestly desire the Lord to sanctify our afflictions unto us, and to join with his outward corrections, the inward working of his Spirit, whereby we may be moved to lay them to heart, and to humble our selves under the hand of God.

Fourthly, we may observe the corrupt nature of sinful man, who when he is in trouble and affliction, assayeth all other means for his deliverance, before he flieth unto God for help: so here the Israelites being hedged in with afflictions, flee unto their Idols. So Saul went to the witch, Asa to the Physicians, the Papists to their Saints and Images. And thus many make gods unto themselves, for their deliverance, of their friends, riches, or of their own power and policy: when as being in trouble and affliction they do not in the first place flee unto the Lord for help, but rest upon these means, until they be altogether deprived of them, or have experience of their insufficiency in yielding unto them any help.

Lastly, we may observe, that the Lord taketh from those, which he purposeth to convert and save, all these Idols in whom they trust, and these outward means whereupon they rest, or at least, teacheth them by lamentable experience, that they are altogether insufficient to deliver them out of their afflictions. So he threateneth here, that his elect people following after their lovers, should not come at them, and seeking them (to the end they might be by their help delivered out of their afflictions) they should not find them, that so being made frustrate of their wicked hopes, and abandoned of all outward means, wherein they trusted, and despairing of all other help, might hereby be driven to flee unto the Lord for mercy and deliverance. And therefore, when being in affliction, or any distress, we are disappointed of our hopes, and deprived or forsaken of those means, wherein we trusted for deliverance; let us persuade our selves, that the Lord hereby doth chastise our vain confidence and carnal affiance, whereby we trust and rest upon, rather the creature, then upon him our Creator; and withal doth beat us from those worldly hopes, that we might flee unto him for succor, and rest upon his promises and providence for our deliverance.

And these are the doctrines which arise out of the former part of this verse, containing the first effect of the people's afflictions. Now out of the latter part, wherein is shown the second effect, namely, their forsaking their Idols, and turning unto the Lord, these instructions are further to be observed.

First, we learn, that howsoever those that belong to God's election, may for a time leave God's pure worship, and follow Idols, yea and be so blinded in their superstitions, that when they are afflicted for their sin, they do with more earnestness embrace idolatry; yet the Lord will not so leave them, but at length he will open their eyes, that they shall see their sins, and sensibly discern that they are the causes of their punishments; though for a time in their ignorance and superstition they prefer idolatry before his true worship, yet at last he illuminateth their judgments, so as they may see how much better it is to follow him, then to follow idols, to embrace his true religion revealed in his word, then to follow their own invention. Examples hereof we have in Abraham, in the Israelites coming out of Egypt, and in the time of the Judges, and in many at this day, who have forsaken the idolatries of the whore of Babylon, and have embraced God's true religion.

Secondly, we may observe, that as soon as they spy their errors, they do not go on further in them, but they return into the way of truth; as soon as they see their sins they forsake them, as being the causes of their misery; when they see the vainenes of their idols, then they return unto the Lord their true husband, neitheir is it enough to see our sins, if we continue in them, nay rather this will redouble our punishment; it is not sufficient to know truth and error, unless we embrace the one, and forsake the other: it will not profit us to see our former grossness in following idols, unless hereby we be moved, not only to forsake them, but also to return unto our husband, the Lord our God, worshipping him according to his will. So that here we learn what is the practice of true repentance, it consisteth not in the knowledge only, or acknowledgment of our sins, for thus far did Pharaoh and Saul proceed, thus did Judas, and thus do many worldlings repent: but we must so see our sins, as that with the sight of them, we be exceedingly displeased with our selves; we must so acknowledge them, as that withal we unfeignedly bewail them; we must when we behold them, also hate and detest them, and not only forsake our sins, but also return unto the Lord, with full purpose of heart, resolving and endeavoring to serve and please him, in holiness and newness of life.

Thirdly, we may observe the profit of afflictions, when as they are sanctified unto us by God's Spirit; for whereas prosperity maketh us blind through pride, self-love, and security, so as we can neither see our sins, nor God's approaching judgments; adversity openeth our eyes, and rectifieth the judgment, so as then we not only see our sins, but are ready also to condemn our selves, justly to have deserved those evils, which we suffer, yea and far greater, if the Lord should enter into judgment with us: for when as the light of nature, our own conscience, and the written Word of God teach and convict us of this, that God is the chief goodness, most gracious, most merciful, and in his own nature not apt and ready, to hurt and punish any of his creatures, but rather to extend his bounty, & multiply his benefits vpō all, when we fall into miseries and calamities, we must needs justify God in his judgments, and condemn our selves, whō we know to be full of all corruption, and wickedness. An example whereof we have in Joseph's brethren, Gen. 42. 21. in the Israelites under the Judges; in David, Psal. 51. 4. yea in Pharaoh himself, Exod. 10. 16. 17. Whereas prosperity maketh us dissolute and licentious in our ways, affliction serveth instead of a thorny hedge to stay us from running on in the course of sin to our perdition. Whereas prosperity maketh us negligent in performing the duties of God's worship and service, misery and affliction maketh men zealous, forward and devout; according to that, Esa. 26. 16. O Lord in trouble they have visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them. And because men at such times are most fit and ready to perform such duties, therefore then the Lord especially requires them, Psal. 50. 15. Lastly, whereas prosperity makes us to forget God and to flee away from him, affliction maketh us to remember him, and by true repentance to turn unto him. An example we have in this place, in the Israelites in the time of the Judges, in Manasseh, and the prodigal son.

Lastly, we may observe the motives, persuading the Church to return unto God: the first whereof is contained in the word husband, for therein she gathereth unto her self some assurance of his love: for although for her sins she was divorced, yet upon her true repentance, she might gather certain hope, that she should be pardoned and received into former grace, seeing she had not to deal with an enemy or stranger, and an ordinary friend, but with a most loving and gracious husband, who was as ready to forgive as she to ask forgiveness, Ierem. 3. 1. 12. 22. The second motive is the assurance of the bettering of her estate; for she could speak by experience that her estate whilst she served the Lord, was much better then when she followed Idols, and by the assurance of faith and hope she was assertained, that repenting she should be received to grace, and restored to her former state & condition. The like example we have in the prodigal son, who returned unto God because he knew him to be his gracious father, and was assured that being reconciled unto him, he should be delivered out of his present misery into a state of happiness.

Where we may learn, that true faith is the cause of unfeigned repentance: for until we have some assurance of God's love and mercy in Christ, we flee from him as from a severe Judge: but when we know that Christ our Mediator hath satisfied for our sins, and reconciled us unto his Father, then do we bewail our sins, because we have by them dishonored and displeased our gracious Father; and having repented of them, we go boldly unto the throne of grace, craving mercy and forgiveness: Heb. 4. 16. 10. 22.

ANd thus much concerning the punishments which the Lord threateneth against the people for their idolatry, and the first kind or degree of their unthankfulness; as also concerning the effects of these punishments. Now followeth the second degree of their unthankfulness, together with the punishments denounced against them for it. Their ingratitude is expressed, Vers. 8. And she did not know, that I [Vers 8] gave her corn and wine and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they bestowed upon Baal. In which words he accuseth her of double ingratitude: first, that she did not know, or knowing did not acknowledge the Lord to be the author of all those benefits which she enjoyed: secondly, in that she did not use these benefits to the glory of God, but bestowed them upon her Idols.

The first is expressed in these words: And she did not know that I gave her corn, &c. By this conjunction copulative he knitteth these words with the former, and showeth that God justly punished them, seeing to their other sins they added another kind of gross ingratitude: as though he should say, And moreover, besides the sins before spoken of, she hath shown her self grossly ungrateful, both in not acknowledging God the author of the benefits which she enjoyed, and in abusing them to God's dishonor in the service of her Idols, and therefore it is just with God to afflict her with the former and following punishments, that she may learn to ascribe unto God the praise of his own gifts, and may desist to abuse them by bestowing them upon Baal.

And this is the coherence of this verse with the former. Now let us come to the words themselves, in which is expressed the party offending, and the sin committed: the first in this word, And she, which hath an emphasis in it, and serveth to aggravate the sin. For though the Heathen nations should not have known or acknowledged the Lord to have been the giver of the benefits which they enjoyed, it had been no such great wonder, seeing they had only the light of nature, and the book of the creatures to look upon; but that the people of Israel should be ignorant hereof, was more then blockish senselessness and blind ingratitude, seeing they had the book of God wherein it was revealed unto them, that they had all the benefits which they enjoyed from the mere blessing of God, that the Lord gave them this land flowing with milk and honey by his own omnipotent power, casting out their enemies before them; that from him they had the first and latter rain, whereby their land was made fruitful; and seeing that they were entered into possession of all these benefits whilst they served the Lord alone, before they worshipped their Idols, so that they had no show of reason to ascribe God's gifts unto them, which they already enjoyed before they served them: and therefore the Lord might justly take up that complaint against them: Esa. 1. 2. 3.

The first branch of their sin was, they did not know that God gave unto them their gifts which they had received: whereby we are not to imagine that the Israelites were so blind and ignorant, as to think that they had all these benefits from their Idols only, and not from Jehovah, the God of Israel; for many of the Heathens though they worshipped Idols and petty gods, yet by the light of nature knew that there was a chief and superior power who was the original fountain of all goodness, and therefore the people of God could not be hereof ignorant: but they are said not to know that God gave them these gifts, because they did not know and acknowledge him alone to be the author of them, but joined Idols and petty gods with him, and so robbed him of part of his praise, they did not know that they had received these gifts of God's free grace and mere goodness, but for their golden Calves and other Idols, and for that new devised worship which they offered unto God in them, which they thought was more acceptable unto him then the service prescribed in his word. So Jer. 44. 17. 18. the Jews said they would worship the Queen of Heaven, that is, the Sun, because hereby they had plenty; not that they were so brutish as to think, that they had these benefits from the Sun only, but because they ascribed this power and virtue unto the Sun in it self, rather then unto God's blessing and providence, and so offered sacrifices and divine worship unto the Sun, as being a joint cause with God of these benefits, whereas it is only his instrument which doth nothing of it self, but by his appointment.

The second branch of their sin was, that they bestowed and spent the gifts which they had received of the Lord upon their Idols, expressed in these words: which they bestowed upon Baal. For the understanding whereof, we are to know that this word Baal, is in the Scriptures either taken generally, for all Idol gods, in respect of the general signification thereof, which is as much as a Lord or Patron; and in regard that in the Punicke tongue from whence it is taken, it signifieth a god; or else specially for a particular Idol of the Sidonians, which was called by that name; whose original was after this manner: Ninus who first reigned in Asia, and built that famous city, which was called Nineue, after his own name, was the son of one Belus, whom in his pride, according to the practice of Heathen Tyrants, he deified, and built a Temple unto him, wherein he appointed that he should be worshipped. And this Idol amongst the Sidonians was called Baal, and with the Babylonians Bel, and was worshipped amongst them as their god. Now this Heathen god did Ahab worship, and built a Temple and erected an altar unto him in Samaria, to gratify hereby Ithobal, or Eth-Baal his father in law, who was King of the Tyrians and Sidonians, as Josephus recordeth; of which also we may read 1. King. 16. 31. And although this Idol god Baal was one and the same, yet sometime the word is used in the plural number (Baalim, or Baals) either when it is taken in the general signification for all Idols, or in respect of the diverse statues, or images, erected in the honor of this Idol, a • Baalpeor, or Baal-phigor, Baal-zebub.

In this place, as I take it, we are to understand it in the general signification, for all their petty patrons and Idol gods; because we read that Baal the Idol, so specially called, and his Temple were destroyed by Jehu, neither do we find that any after him did restore him, or re-edify those ruins.

The sense therefore of these words is this, that the Israelites bestowed that wealth which they had received from God, upon their Idols and Images, making them of their gold and silver, as it is Hos. 8. 4. or else by decking and adorning them with rich ornaments, and all costly furniture, as appeareth 2. Chron. 24. 7. or by maintaining their priests, and offering sacrifices and oblations unto them, as we may see, 1. Kin. 18. 22. 26. Whereby the sin of this people is much aggravated, in that they did not only not glorify y ^e Lord in his own gifts, by giving unto him the first fruits, and offering unto him oblations and sacrifices, which he required in his law; but also spent these his gifts to the dishonor of God, in bestowing them upon their Idols, God's arch-enemies. Like unto adulterous harlots, who spend the goods which they have received of their husbands in the maintenance of their lovers, &c. The like place unto this we have, Ezech. 16. 17. 18. 33.

And so much for the meaning of the words. The doctrines which we are hence to observe are these. First, we learn that [The Doctrines.] the Lord esteemeth ingratitude as a grievous sin, and punisheth it with sharp afflictions even in his own Church and people. The which sin is committed when either through ignorance we know not, or through willfulness will not acknowledge; or both knowing and acknowledging, yet through negligence do not return thanks and praise unto the Lord for all his benefits: and secondly, when as in whole or in part, we attribute the praise of the gifts which we have received from the Lord, unto any other, as authors and principal causes thereof. And thus do men offend when as they ascribe extraordinary and unexpected blessings to chance and fortune, and not to God's providence; when as they ascribe their wealth to their own wit, labor, or friends, and do not know and acknowledge the Lord to be the chief author and bestower of the riches which they enjoy, or else do not return thanks and praise unto him for his benefits; when as they ascribe their health in the first place to their good diet, or to the Physician, and not to the Lord who is the chief preserver and restorer thereof. But most grievously in this respect do they offend, who rob the Lord of those thanks and that praise, which is due unto him for his spiritual benefits. For the greater the gifts are, the greater praise and thanks is due to the bestower, and consequently the greater injury and ingratitude when he is robbed of his right. And thus do those offend who ascribe the praise of these benefits unto the intercession of Saints, and so rob Christ of his glory, who alone by his intercession obtaineth them for us at his fathers hands: thus do they offend, who ascribe their justification and salvation either in whole or in part, to their works and worthiness, or unto the merits of Saints, which is to be attributed only to God's free mercy and Christ's all-sufficient merits: thus do they offend who do not know, or acknowledge, that it is the blood of Christ alone which washeth away all our sins, but think that they have remission, by Masses, popish pardons, penance, pilgrimages, oblations, Saints relics, holiwater and such like. All which and all other of the like kind are esteemed as idolatrous unthankfulness in God's sight.

Secondly, we here learn, that ignorance doth not excuse our sins, nor exempt us from God's judgments, nay so far is it from excusing other sins, and from exempting us from punishment, that it self is a sin and deserveth punishment, as appeareth in this place. Which notwithstanding, is not to be understood, of that ignorance which is natural and necessary, for want of the means of knowledge, for though this be not only the punishment of sin, but also a branch of our original corruption, yet doth it extenuate our sins, and mitigate our punishments, as appeareth, Luk. 12. 48. Act. 3. 17. 17. 30. 1. Tim. 1. 13. but of that ignorance, which is either through negligence, or obstinately affected, notwithstanding God granteth unto us plentiful means of knowledge; which is so far from excusing other sins, that it self is esteemed by the Lord a grievous sin, and is severely punished, as being not only a heinous sin in it self, but also the chief root of all other sins, either of omission, or commission.

Thirdly, we may here learn, that as ingratitude is a grievous sin in all; so especially in those who are members of the Church, as it is emphatically signified in these words: And she knew not, &c. For they not only receive from God the greatest benefits, and therefore should return unto him the greatest thankfulness, but also are sufficiently instructed, both by the word of God, and by their continual experience, that they have all these benefits from the Lord, and that of his mere mercy and grace, and therefore it is more then brutish ignorance, and impious ingratitude, either not to know and acknowledge the Lord to be the sole author of all these benefits, or not to return unto him continual thanks and praise for them. The which sin is too too common in our times, even in the clear light of the Gospel, both in respect of all other benefits which we enjoy, and especially in respect of our daily food, which men (as not knowing, or not acknowledging God to be the giver of it) do usually receive, without praising God or giving thanks, in which respect they are far worse then the ox or asse, as the Prophet speaketh, Isaiah 1. 3.

Fourthly, we here observe, that not to acknowledge the Lord to be the sole author of his gifts, nor to yield unto him the whole praise of them, is not to know, or acknowledge him at all, as appeareth in this place; for though the Israelites did in part, ascribe their benefits received unto God, yet because they did not acknowledge him the sole author of them, but joined with him copartners in his praise, because they did not acknowledge, that they had received them of his mere mercy, but for their new worship which they offered unto him in their idols, therefore the Lord condemneth them of ignorant ingratitude, as though he were not acknowledged at all. The reason is, because the Lord cannot endure any sharing or halting in his service, he cannot abide to have any partners of his praises, which are due to himself, and therefore he will have all or none: for well the Lord knoweth, that they who serve & praise him to the halves, will in the end neither serve, nor praise him at all. Whereby it may appear, that the service of the Church of Rome, which they perform unto God, is no better then abominable idolatry, and their praises odious in his sight, as savoring of gross ingratitude; for though they serve God indeed, yet not in spirit and truth, but in their Idols; though they acknowledge, and praise God as the author of his gifts, yet not him alone, for they join with him the virgin Marie, and innumerable Saints, many whereof are of their own making, as petty gods and patrons, unto whom they yield a chief part of their thanks and praise; though they acknowledge God to have given unto them the benefits which they enjoy, yet not of his mere mercy and grace, but for their own merits, and through the intercession of Saints. But the Lord esteemeth these half praises to be dishonors, and this party and shared thankfulness, to be no better then gross ingratitude, 2. King. 17. 32. 33. 41.

Fifthly, we may observe, what excessive cost idolaters are ready to bestow upon their idols and images: for though they highly esteem their gold, silver, and jewels, yet do they willingly bestow them upon Baal, that is, for the making and adorning of their idols, and for the furthering of their superstitions; though they will hardly part with the least trifle in obedience to God's Commandment, to the advancement of his glory, and furthering of his pure worship and service, yet they think their whole substance little enough to be bestowed upon their own will-worship, & for the maintenance of their idolatry. An example whereof we have in this place, and in the Israelites, Exod. 32. 3. Ezech. 16. 16. to 21. And in the Papists, who care not what they bestow upon the making and adorning of their images, in maintaining their Clergy, the Priests of Baal, in building Monasteries and Nunneries, in Copes, vestments, oblations, in procuring pardons, and such like their superstitions. The which their bounty in their will-worship and idolatry, should make us ashamed of our base niggardliness, in furthering, setting forth, and maintaining God's pure worship and service, which is enjoined in his word: for what a reproach is this to our Christian profession, that they should so much exceed in their blind zeal and forwardness unto idolatry, and we be so cold in God's true religion: that they should bestow such excessive cost in building Churches, in honor of their Saints, and we be so backward in repairing of God house: that they should so liberally maintain such swarms of locusts, and innumerable numbers of the Priests of Baal, and we suffer God's true Prophets, which in comparison are but few in number, to live in want, that idolaters should endow the Church with goods and lands; and professors of God's true religion, should rob and spoil it of necessary maintenance? Surely their fruitful ignorance shall condemn our barren knowledge; their superstitious devotion, our coldness and slackenesse; their liberality in evil, our niggardlines in that which is good; and their great love unto their idols and idolatry, shall rise in judgment against our little love to God and his truth.

Lastly, we may observe, that it is a grievous sin to abuse the gifts which we have received from God, to other or contrary ends, then those for which the Lord hath given them; for this is here condemned in the Israelites, in that they bestowed their gold and silver upon their idols, which they should have employed to the glory of God, and good of his Church. Thus the Papists offend, who bestow their wealth upon their Images, Copes, Monasteries. Thus carnal Gospellers offend, who spend their riches upon gorgeous attire unfitting their calling, upon excessive cheer and vain pleasures, which they have received from God, to this end, that out of their superfluity, they should relieve the penury of their poor brethren. Thus do they offend, who use their tongue to the blaspheming of God's name, which is given them to glorify him. And thus do they offend, who abuse their wits and learning, for the nourishing of contentions, and the maintenance and upholding of injury, oppression, and injustice, which were given them to make peace, right wrongs, and further justice, as it is the usual fault of the Lawyers of our times, &c. All which, being not only unprofitable servants, in not using the Lord's talents, but also wicked and malicious enemies, who abuse them to his dishonor, shall if they persevere in this sin without repentance, have their portion in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone.

ANd thus much concerning the sin of the people of Israel. In the next place he setteth down their punishments for whereas he had, verse. 6. in general threatened, that he would hedge her in with afflictions: now he proceedeth to specify the particular kinds thereof: First, that he would deprive her of all those necessary benefits, which appertained to the preservation of their life, verse 9. Secondly, that he would discover her shame in the sight of her lovers, and expose her to reproach and contempt, verse. 10. Thirdly, that he would cause to cease all her solemn festiuals, and take away all cause of mirth and rejoicing, verse. 11. Lastly, that he would destroy all her pleasant gardens, and fruitful vineyards, and turn them into a vast wilderness, verse. 12. After which comminations he repeateth again their sins, which were the causes of the punishments, namely, their unthankfulness, in the latter part of the 12. verse, and their idolatry, verse. 13. and so he concludeth the first part of this Chapter.

But let us come to the particulars. Vers. 9. Therefore I will [Vers. 9] return and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax, lent to cover her shame. In which words he threateneth, that because the Israelites would not acknowledge the Lord, to be the author and bestower of those manifold benefits, which they enjoyed, but ungratefully ascribed the praise of them to their idols, therefore he would strip them of all his blessings, to the end, that they who could not learn in the time of their plenty, that the Lord had bestowed upon them these his gifts, might at least learn this lesson by the want of them.

I will return and take away, &c. Some resolve these words thus: I will receive, or resume my corn: because the former verb in the Hebrew phrase, hath in it sometimes the nature of an adverb. So Genes. 26. 18. Isaac returning, digged the welles of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham, &c. that is, he redigged them. But as I take it, the word in this place hath a greater emphasis in it, and signifieth thus much; that howsoever the Lord seemed by his long deferring of punishment, and by the continuance of his mercy in suffering them still to enjoy his gifts, either to approve, or at least not to regard their wickedness, and gross abuse of his benefits, yet now he would take a new course with them, so as they should see that he was a just God, who would not let sin forever go unpunished. In former times the Lord had multiplied his gifts upon them, as their corn, wine, oil, &c. and that oftentimes beyond all hope and expectation, in respect of natural causes, that so they might not rest upon the stars and planets, nor fear the signs, according to the custom of the Gentiles, but rely upon his all-sufficient providence, as himself commandeth them, Ier. 10. 2. And having his blessings poured upon them, as it were with his own immediate hand, they might learn hereby to acknowledge and praise him, as the author of these his gifts. But when notwithstanding all this they would not learn hereby to praise the Lord, as being the cause of all their benefits, but ascribed them to their Idols, the Lord threateneth that he would return and alter his former course, by depriving them of all his blessings, even when in respect of inferior causes and means they seemed most assured of them; that so if his extraordinary manner of bestowing them would not, yet his extraordinary taking them away, might move them to acknowledge that he alone was the bestower of them.

Now the things of which the Lord threateneth to deprive them of, are their corn and wine, their wool and flax, all which before they had ascribed to their Idols, and abused to their service; under which particulars here as before, we are to understand not only all things appertaining to their food and apparel, but all other commodities belonging to this life: So 1. Tim. 6. 8. When we have food and raiment, let us therewith be content.

And further, we are to note that the Lord calleth these things his, my corn and my wine, &c. whereby he meeteth with the erroneous conceit of the Israelites, who imagined that these blessings of God were given unto them by their Idols, as a reward of their service; and therefore that they were so become their own, that they might use or rather abuse them at their pleasure, verse. 5. But the Lord telleth them, that they were not their Idols gifts, but his blessings; which because they did not hold of him, as of the grand Lord and owner of them, therefore he would (as he justly might) take away from them these things which were his own, unto which they had no right; that so they might learn to give unto him the praise of his own gifts.

The time also when the Lord threateneth to resume his gifts is expressed; I will take away my corn in the time thereof, that is, in the time of their harvest, and my wine in the season thereof, that is, in the vintage; as though he should say, When most especially they expect these benefits, I will frustrate their hope, and so make their affliction more intolerable, because it shall come unlooked for, and in such a time wherein they made sure account of plenty. And I will bring such a scarcity amongst them of these blessings, that there shall be a want of them even in the time of harvest and vintage, when they usually most abound: and therefore if they wanted in the time of their greatest plenty, how great was their penury like to be, when that small store they had was spent and consumed? The which dearth was caused, either by the curse of God upon their land, so as it could not yield her increase, which is threatened, Levite. 26. 20. or through the abundance of caterpillars, grasshoppers, worms, drought, of which we read, Deut. 28. 23. 24. 38. 39. &c. Joel 1. 4. or by their enemies, who usually at the time of harvest go into the field, because then they may most endamage them against whom they make war, by wasting their country, & furnish themselves with all provision, which the Lord threateneth, Deut. 28. 33. Joel. 2. 3.

And I will recover my wool, &c. The word here used signifieth, with strong hand to pluck away from one that which he unjustly possesseth. It is used, Gen. 31. 9. where Jacob saith, that God had taken away Laban's substance, and given them unto him, because it was wrongfully possessed by Laban, seeing it belonged unto Jacob, as a reward of his painful service. So the Israelites are commanded to take away the Egyptians goods and to spoil them, because they wrongfully withheld them in their hands from the Israelites, seeing they were due to thē for their great pains and tedious bondage, Exod. 3. 22. Others translate it thus: I will free and set at liberty my wool and my flax, &c. which cometh all to the same end: for when the creatures of God are unjustly possessed and abused to other ends, then those for which God hath given them, they may be said to be in a kind of bondage, from which they are freed when God plucketh them from such unjust owners. So Rom. 8. 22. Hab. 2. 11.

The meaning therefore of these words is, that the Lord would pluck out of the hands of the idolatrous Israelites these his blessings, because they unjustly possessed them and abused them to wicked purposes. They possessed them unjustly, because they did not acknowledge them, as held of the Lord the true owner of heaven and earth: for as he hath no right to his lands, which are held