An Exposition of Hosea 1-3

The Eighth Lecture.

T He Lord proceeds still in his threats against Israel, in this verse we have as sore a threat as any, for it is in part spiritual.

Her mirth, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , so the Seventy read it, the word signifieth the right temper, the right posture of the mind, when the mind is in a right frame, then it may be merry; Whosoever is merry (saith S. James) let him sing; there the word though not the same, yet signifying the same thing; whoever hath his mind in a right frame, let him sing. No man can be truly merry except his mind be in a right frame.

I will cause [ all ] her mirth. God many times takes away from his Saints much of the matter of their mirth, but never takes away all. This is a dreadful threat to cause all their mirth to cease.

I will cause it to cease.

I will turn it away, so the Seventy. I can soon have all their mirth down, they shall never be able to rejoice more if I please; it is gone all with the turn of a hand.

It appears that Israel, though an apostatizing people, though a people of God's wrath, designed to dreadful judgments, yet was a merry jocund people, they went on still in their mirth and joviallity.

That which is here implied, is more fully expressed in Amos Chap. 6. 4. who was contemporary with Hosea, and he was the Prophet of the ten Tribes as Hosea was, now see there how Amos setteth forth the mirth of this people, They lie upon beds of Ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the Lambes out of the flock, and the Calves out of the midst of the stall, they chaunt to the sound of the Vial, and invent to themselves instruments of music like David, they drink wine in bowles, and anoint themselves with the chief ointment. This was their condition when they were under such fearful guilt and in such dreadful danger.

Sensuall men, while they prosper, they look upon themselves as above the word, and bless themselves in the satisfying of their own carnal desires, as if it were but a poor low and mean thing for them to be under the power of the word, to fear sin and threatenings, it is too low for such brave spirits as they have; But, come let us sing away all care, let us live merrily, let us take our pleasure for the present, and crown ourselves with rose-buds.

This is the disposition of carnal hearts under all their guilt and danger; They swim delightfully in that River of Jordan, and suddenly fall into the Dead Sea; they spend their days in pleasure, and in a moment go down into hell. This is all the portion of their cup they receive from the Lord: They have a little joy here, this is all they are like to have, and therefore they will take their fill of what they have.

But this will not hold.

I will cause this mirth to cease.

Sin and mirth can never hold long together; there must be a separation between them. The union that there is between sin and mirth at any time, it is a forced union; God never joins them together, and if you will join those things God never joined, your joining cannot hold: Sin is of such a canker-fretting nature, as it will soon fret out all the varnish of mirth and joy that is upon it.

If you will not take away sin from your mirth, God will take away mirth from your sin. It is indeed the happiness of the Saints that they shall have everlasting joy, the pleasures at God's right hand are for evermore, but the pleasures of sin must cease.

Thirdly, when afflictions come upon the wicked they are all Amort, their joy, their mirth is gone. We say of fire, it congregates things of the same kind, and separates things that are of diverse kinds. So it is with the fire of affliction, it congregateth things of the same nature, as thus, sin and horror, trouble, anguish, sorrow, vexation, accusation of conscience, condemnation, these are of the same kind; sin and these are Homogenall; now when affliction cometh, it congregateth all these; Here is sin, yea but sorrow, and anguish, and horror of conscience seemeth now not to be together with your sin, but when the fire of affliction comes it joins all these together. On the other side, sin and joy, and prosperity, and peace, these are Heterogeneall, things of another kind, now when the fire of affliction comes, it separates these Heterogeneall things; then the hearts of the wicked sink as lead, they lie down in sorrow, the candle of the wicked is blown out, all their mirth and joy it is but the light of a candle, affliction makes all to be but as a stinking snuff. And indeed ungodly men when affliction comes are men of the poorest spirits of any men, they quickly die, they succumb, they fall down under the least weight of affliction; They seem to have brave spirits, to out-brave the word of God, but they have poor, mean, and low spirits when they come to bear God's hand upon them; Affliction takes away all their good, that they conceive and understand good. There is nothing within them to support them, there is nothing but darkness and blackness within, nothing but guilt and gnawings of the worm; And they look upon every suffering they endure but as the beginning of eternal suffering; And there is the venom and curse of God goes together with their affliction, which drinks up their spirits.

Oh the happy advantage the Saints have in their afflictions over that the wicked have in theirs! They have spirits indeed that well may be called brave spirits, that can stand under the greatest weight of affliction, and that with joy, in the midst of them; Paul can rejoice in tribulation, yea and glory in it too. They have comfort in the creature, but they are not beholding to the creature for comfort; they depend not upon the creature for comfort, their joy is a great deal higher; That is precious light indeed that no storm can blow out. See an example of a brave spirit that way, that in the midst of affliction can have the light of joy, Habak. 3. 17. Although the Fig tree shall not blosome, neither shall fruit be in the Vines, the labor of the Olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stals; What then? Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation: All their joy shall not cease; perhaps in times of affliction, in sad dismal times, they may abate somewhat of their outward joy, but all their mirth shall not cease, there shall be joy within, though none without.

Lastly, I will cause all the mirth to cease.

All our mirth depends upon God, he can take it away when he pleaseth. God is called in Scripture, The God of all consolation; Joy is God's propri • ty, he gives it when he will, and takes it away when he will.

Tou have an excellent Text for God's hand in taking away joy from the hearts of men when he pleaseth, it is Lamen. 3. 65. Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse upon them: Mark it; Now that word that is translated sorrow of heart (I especially take the note from thence) A word that comes from that that signifies a helmet, or a shield to fence of anything, or to cover a thing as a thing is covered by a shield and helmet; And it doth note to us that disease which Physicians call Cardiaca passio, a kind of disease whereby the heart is so oppressed, and there is such a stopping, that it is as it were covered sicut scuto, as with a shield, there is a lid as it were put over the heart, a shield to keep out all things that should comfort, and to fence off all things that may be taken to be any refreshments to the spirits; let the most precious Cordials in the world be given to those that have that disease, they cannot be refreshed by any of them, and so the heart comes to be suffocated with sorrow. This is the meaning of the word here, Lord give them sorrow of heart; Put them into such a condition, as that their hearts may be so stopped and stifled with sorrow, that what ever means shall be used to bring any comfort to them, let it be kept off, that no creature in the world may be able to afford the least refreshment to them; They were wont to shield and fence off thy Word: when thy word was used to be delivered to them, wherein the treasures of thy mercies were, and they heard the sweet promises of the Gospel opened, yet they fenced off thy word as with a shield; Now when they are in affliction let their hearts be choked so, and let there be such a fence put upon their hearts, that though there be never so many promises brought to them, they may be fenced off by the secret curse.

As, Do we not find many wretches who have lived under the Gospel, and fenced off the treasures of mercies opened to them, when they have been in affliction they have been in horrible desperation, and whensoever anything out of the Gospel hath been spoken to them for their comfort, they have had strange kind of fences to put off such things; As those that read the story of Spira, may wonder what a cunning fencer he was to fence off all comfort that was brought to him. This was from the Lord, Lord give them sorrow of heart, that is, Lord put such a shield upon their hearts, as all comfort may be fenced of from them.

We see (my brethren) how we depend upon God for comfort, we all cry out for comfort, let us know and take to heart our dependence upon God for it, God can fence our hearts from comfort when he pleaseth, let us take heed we do not fence of his word form our hearts.

I will cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days.

These two are put together, for the hearts of men when they enjoy a more liberal use of the cheature then ordinary, and are amongst cheerful company are warmed, raised and inflamed at such times, If the heart of a man be gracious, and he feasts in a gracious way, his heart is warmed, and cheered, and enlarged in things that are good; so the heart of the wicked when they are at their feasts, all their lusts are warmed, and their spirits are raised & strengthened in the things that are evil. You have a notable example of the cheering and raising of the hearts of men in good things in the time of feasts, 2 Chro. 30. 21. the feast that Hezekiah made for the people of Jerusalem in that great Passover, the Text saith that they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness, and verse. 23. the whole Assembly took counsel to keep other seven days, & they kept other 7 days with gladness. Now mark how their hearts were raised, and mightily up upon this, Chap. 31. ver. 1. When all was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw downs the high places and the Altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Their hearts being up, and their feasts being in a gracious way, they were so inflamed, that now they took upon them a mighty courage in doing great things for God.

It were well if it were always so with us when God calleth us to feasting, (as sometimes he doth, though not now) that our hearts were always up in our feasting, warmed and enlarged to do much good. It is that which hath been the honor of this City, that in their Companies feasting yearly, they were wont heretofore usually when they had rejoiced one with another, when their hearts were up, to consult together what good to do for their countries in which they were borne, and then to resolve to send the preaching of the Word to such a great Town where most of them were bred, and to such another Town. This was a gracious feasting, and for this they were much envied at: And though these feasts were prohibited upon other pretences, yet the hindering this good done at those times, lay in the bottom of that prohibition.

Feasting also warms the lusts, and desperately inflameth wicked resolutions of ungodly men. When a company of ungodly men met together in a Tavern, and there have drunk and eat liberally, how desperately are they set against the ways of godliness! then they scorn and jeer godly Ministers, and Parliament, and Christians; they are then as if they were above God, their tongues are their own, and who shall control them? and all when their lusts are heated with wine and good cheer. Mark that Scripture, Ps. 35. 16. With hypocritical mockers at feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth. Here is scorning and violence, gnashing upon the Psalmist with their teeth, and this at their feasts. Hos. 7. 5. In the day of our King, the Princes have made him sick with bottles of wine, he stretched out his hand with scorners. They brought bottles of wine, and when his lusts were heated with wine and good cheer, then he joined with them in scorning the ways and worship of GOD; they scorned at all those that would go up to Jerusalem to worship according to the institution, these must be so precise that they will not join with us, as if we had not the worship of GOD among us, they tell tales to Jeroboam and the other Princes of the godly who would not yield to their idolatrous ways of worship, they scorned at their preciseness; Now saith the Text, The King stretched out his hand with scorners, takes them by the hand, and encourageth them in that way, and tells them he will take a course with them, not one of them shall be suffered to live in his dominions.

Their hearts were put all agog with their feasts, but God hath a time to take away feasting times from a people, a time when those who have delighted themselves so in the use of the creatures, shall have all those merry meetings and brave times cease, never feast more, never meet with such merry company more; As that Pope Adrian said when he was a dying, O my soul whither art thou going? thou shalt never be more merry.

For Kingdoms also, though there be times for feasting, yet there is a time of mourning; and God seems this day to be coming to us to take away our feasts, to call upon us to spend our times in another way; It were good for us to do what we can to prevent God, by humbling ourselves in a voluntary way, to take away our own Feasts, and to change our Festivities into Humiliations. The times call for fasting now, rather then feasting; and it is a most dreadful sin then for men to give liberty to themselves for feasting, when God calls for mourning and fasting. It is not at your liberty to feast when you will.

Isa. 22. 12. is a most dreadful place, that might make the hearts of those who are guilty in this kind tremble. Vers. 12. And in that day did the Lord of hosts call to mourning, and to girding with sackcloth, and behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, killing sheep, drinking wine. Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till you die, saith the Lord God of Hosts. While the bread is taken away from our brethren, and the land is so miserably spoiled, and when such a black cloud hangeth over our heads, here is no time for Festivities. Whatsoever your customs have been, at this time now coming (I mean that which you call your Christmas Festivity) you are certainly bound now to turn it into a time of mourning; For if we should grant it lawful for men to appoint Holy-days that way, for feasting, (of which more by and by) yet certainly it cannot be but a sinful thing, so to set those days apart, as whatsoever providence of God falls out, yet they will continue what they themselves have set. You will all grant this, that if it be lawful to keep this time of Festivity, yet this not that that God himself hath set apart and enjoined. We never have it required by Christ, or by his Apostles, that at such a time, just when the year cometh about, that we should have solemn days of Festivity. Well then, at the most, if we suppose it lawful, it is but the institution of man; if it be man's institution, then certainly it must give way to God's work, to providence. For man to put so much upon his institution, because he hath appointed such a day when the year cometh about to rejoice in, that whatsoever work of God falls out in the mean time, that calls for humiliation and fasting, yet he will hold to his own institution; what is this my brethren but to make the commandments of God to be of none effect through man's tradition? It is apparent breach of that Scripture. For this is certain now that it is the commandment of God that you should mourn and fast, if then because of man's institution you will put by the command of God, and now spend time in feasting and rejoicing, which ought not to be but in such times when God shines upon a Kingdom in ways of mercy, know this is sin unto you. If you can say that God shines upon us now in present extraordinary mercies then we may feast. I confess they are extraordinary mercies in regard of what we may hope to be the event and effect of them; but for the administrations of God towards us, they are such as if ever they called for fasting, they call for it at this day. Therefore here by God's works amongst us, we know we have God's will revealed to us, namely to fast; the other at most is but man's institution and tradition. Now the traditions of man must yield to the commandments of God.

With what conscience now can you take such a plentiful use of the creature, and suffer your brethren to want clothes and bread? If God have yet granted to you such a comfortable estate that you have so much to spare as to feast, know you are bound in conscience then to lay out that in relieving your brethren who have been so cruelly used, therefore God brings them to you to be objects of your compassion. It would be very acceptable to God if so much as any of you have usually spent in feastings, or intended to spend in these twelve days, you would set it now apart for the relief of those who want bread, and set the time apart also for mourning in your families, that God would pardon the sin of these times formerly committed. And now not only feasts in private Families should cease, but the feasts of Companies in your public Halls likewise.

What abundance of poor plundered people might be relieved, if all that were spent in one year in the feasts of your companies, were laid aside for their use! These are times for mercy, not for festivity; if we will not cease our feastings, let us know, God hath thousands of ways to take away feasts from a kingdom, and to bring cleanness of teeth among us, I will take away their feasts, saith the Lord.

The main thing in this verse to be opened to you, is, what these feasts of the Jews were.

In the opening of all these we shall be put upon the opening of much Scripture, and therefore I shall not make hast out of this verse.

The words here are Feasts and solmne Feasts; they are Feasts both in your English, but the words in the Hebr. differ much, the first comes from a word that signifies to rejoice and leap, the second from a word that signifies a stated, a settled time. Our English word Feast comes of the Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a gods, as the heathen so called, that which the Latins call Vesta, the goddess both of earth and of fire.

The Jews had their Civil feasts, and their Holy feasts.

Amongst their Holy feasts, some were of God's appointment, and some of their own.

Of God's appointment, some were more solemn, some less.

Their Civil feasts were times wherein they took a more liberal use of the creature, in rejoicing one with another upon some specially occasion, this they called a Good day, not a Holy day, so you have it, Esth. 8. 17. The Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day, so they were wont to express the day of feasting, facere Bonum diem, to make a Good day to their brethren, it will appear by examining that Text of Esther, that that day thought it was set to be kept every year, yet it was but as a good day to them, and could not be said to be a holy-day; we do not read of any religious solemn exercise that they had for the day: Such a day I take to be our fifth of November, a Good day, not a Holy-day, wherein we have a more liberal use of the creature then at other times, and remember the mercies of God with thanksgiving: But we know the day is not set apart for this end, so as it is unlawful to be exercised in any other thing, and we shall show afterward, how that days cannot be set apart Annually, or be made holy by men.

Their Religious feasts which they presumed themselves to make holy, were [their] feasts rather then God's, and for that you have the example of Jeroboam, he appointed a feast even of his own head; it is in 1 King. 12. 32, 33. And Jeroboam (saith the Text) ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast which is in Judah, so he offered upon the Altar which he had made in Bethel, the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart, and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel. Mark here, Jeroboam is rebuked for appointing a feast of his own heart, like the feast God had appointed; this is no excuse that he would be an imitator of God. This reason many think will justify their superstitious way, they do but imitate what God did, as thus, God had an Ephod for the Priests, therefore they will have a holy garment; God had a Temple consecrated, they will have one so too God had his feast days and holy-days, they will have theirs too in imitation of God. This very thing that Jeroboam did, he is rebuked for, that he would set up a thing like unto God's.

Where God hath set his stamp upon anything, we must take heed we presume not to set our own stamp. Suppose any one should take a piece of silver, & should set just the same stamp as near as he can that the King doth upon his coin, be it but a two-pence, the silver is his own; well, but if he come to be examined, Why do you thus? What hurt saith he is there in it? I have done no more then the King, I have done but as he did; Why, may we not follow his example? will this answer think you serve his turn? It is as much as his life is worth: Just such a plea is this, they will do such and such things in God's worship, why? God hath done so before, and they do but imitate God; There is as much strength in the one as in the other. Therefore that word here [ devised of his own heart ] in the Hebrew comes from a word that signifies to lie, Jeroboam did lie, Isa 44. 25. He frustrateth the tokens of the liars, it is the same word: Jeroboam indeed in setting this day apart, he did it under a pretence to honor and worship God, but though it might seem to make God's honor and worship better then before, yet the Scripture puts the lie upon it, so the word is; I think this was the reason he set it apart in the eighth month, the Feast of Tabernacles was the fifteenth day of the seventh month; now he would not alter the day, but have it the same day that God's was, but in the eighth month, for the Feast of Tabernacles was appointed for this end, to praise God for the in-gathering of the fruits of the earth, and it was as upon our September; Now because upon the fifteenth of September perhaps all the creatures were not gathered in, there might be some remaining abroad, therefore Jeroboam might have this device, he would stay till everything be gathered in, till they had it in their barns, and in their vessels; when they had it all fully in, and it was fit to eat and drink, then saith Jeroboam, now it is the time to praise God, you praised God before when you were taking in of the fruits, but you have not taken them all in, you cannot come to use them, but now having them all in, and now being able to make use of them, now is the time to praise God.

This was Jeroboams wisdom, and he thought to make a Feast to take the people rather then God's Feast. There are no superstitious men but will have some argument and plea for their ways, to take the hearts of people to embrace those ways rather then God's simple, plain and pure Ordinances. Well, but though Jeroboam did it under this pretence, yet he lies still; so those men that will take upon them to sanctify days, or places, or garments, or any gesture that God never did, though they say they do it for God's honor, to make God's worship more glorious and decent; yet it is a lie: Just as those who will make Images, brave golden Images of God, O say they, it is for the honor of God, but mark what the Text faith, Hab. 2. 18. What profiteth the graven Image that the maker thereof hath graven it, the m • lten Image and a teacher of lies? If Images be lay men's books, they are books that have abundance of err • aes in them, they are full of lies.

Here now ariseth the Question about man's appointing Feasts, whether there may he holy Feasts (taken so in a proper sense) by man's appointment? Jeroboam is accused for it plainly: and Gal. 4. 10. there is a charge upon the Galatians, and that very severely. You observe days, and months, & times, and years, I am afraid of you le • t I have bestowed upon you labor in vain.

It appears by this that people's hearts are mightily set upon their Feasts, their days, and months, and years, they were loath to be taken off from them, so that the Apostle speaks with a deal of bitterness of spirit, I am afraid of you that I have lost my labor; and indeed when godly Ministers take pains amongst people whose hearts are set upon such things as these, for the most part they loose their labor, little good is done.

Yea will some say, to observe the Jewish days after they were abolished by God, that was sinful and dangerous, but we do not keep Jewish days.

But mark what these men say, God abolisheth his own, and yet they think he gives liberty to man to set up others. If this were so, that upon God's abolishing his own, men should have liberty to set up theirs, then the Christians are under a more heavy bondage and grievous paedagogie then ever the Jews were, for it is better to have a hundred days of God's appointing, then one of man's, it is more honorable. Further, if God appoint, there needs no scruple, as there is if man appoint; yea, if God appoint, we may expect a special blessing, and efficacy, and presence of God, we cannot expect such things in man's appointment. Now if this were so, when God hath taken away Jewish Ceremonies, man might lawfully appoint others as he pleaseth, and when God hath taken away Jewish days, man might appoint other days, we may pray to God with good reason to bring us under the pedagogy of the Law again, rather then to be thus under man's power.

Thus far we grant, that upon any special work of God, the very revolution of the year hath a naturalness in it to put me in mind of such a thing, and so far as there is a naturalness in it, there is good in it, I may make use of it. Therefore I dare not say that is altogether unlawful at such times to have some outward rejoicing, when God doth not call for mourning some other way, (except the argument from the extraordinary abuse there hath been of it may be of force) Nay that there may be advantage taken of the people's leisure, to preach the word, and to hear Sermons upon such days we deny not. We know that Christ was in the Porch of the Temple at the feast of Dedication, which was one of the days of their own appointing, not that he was there to countenance or honor the Feast, but because he had been there before at another Feast of God's appointment. Now there being a multitude of people at that time also gathered together, he takes advantage of the concourse of the people to come to the out-porch to preach to them. So much therefore as we may grant, we will not deny.

For the understanding of this point, the setting apart days, I suppose there are these two things will be questioned.

First, Why may not governors of the Church set apart days, as well as appoint times for preaching, or as well as others of themselves will appoint such times, as once a week so much time set apart for a Lecture?

Secondly, We may appoint fast days, and days of thanksgiving, these are set apart by man, how cometh it to pass then that this can be clear that a man may appoint a time for preaching constantly once a week, and he may appoint times of fasting, and days of thanksgiving, and yet not have this liberty, to make a day that may be properly called a holy-day?

We must clear that point from this objection, or else we do nothing; and for the clearing this we must know there is a great deal of difference in these three things, the right understanding of which will clear all the matter.

Between deputation, and dedication, and sanctification of a thing.

I may depute a creature to be made use of to help me in holy things, and yet still this creature is not sanctified by its deputation, and so we do a time for a Lecture, such an hour in such a day deputed, but the time is not made holy by it the place is deputed, but is not made holy by it.

Yea I will appoint such a garment that I have when I am in such a service such a day to wear, but yet the garment is not made holy by it. A creature is not made holy merely by being made use of at holy exercise or in a holy thing. As thus, suppose I go to read the holy Scripture, I make use of a candle to read it by, I do not make the candle holy by this, because I make use of it. If the making use of a creature in a holy duty did make the creature holy, then it would fall out generally in all creatures. I make use of the very light and the air when I am reading and speaking holy things in public assemblies, I do not make the light and air holy, because I make use of them in holy things; so I make use of this hour to preach in, though I make use of it in a holy duty, I make it no further holy then a man doth his spectacles that he useth to read the Scripture by. A deputation is this, when such a creature as I shall think most commodius for such a service shall be put a part for such a service, or when such a creature, as I have use of for such a service, will be a natural and useful help to me, to appoint it for that service upon that ground.

The second is dedication, that is when I give a thing out of my own power, for a pious use, that I cannot make use of for anything again. As when a man hath given so much of his estate to build a School or an Hospital, it may be said to be a kind of dedication, he hath devoted, given so much of his estate to that end, so that he cannot make use of it himself to another end. Now we do not so set apart the time of preaching, as that we cannot make use of this time for any other end, we may as we see cause alter it, where it is from 9. to 11, we make it from two to four, whereas if it were a thing that we had dedicated, that is given out of our own power then it cannot be changed by us. That is a second degree, this is not sanctifying yet.

Now sanctification is beyond dedication, that is when any creature or time is so set apart for holy things as it must not be used in anything but that that is holy; and though the same holy actions be done at another time, and with the use of another creature, they shall not be accounted so holy as at this time, and when this creature was made use of.

This is the proper sanctification, and the setting apart of any day thus, that is, such a day God giveth to me to make use of for my occasions, if I shall thus set it a part, so devote it for such a business, as it may not without sin to me (whatsoever falleth out) be used to any other occasion.

And secondly, when I have set it apart I shall put so much in it as if the same holy actions be performed to another time, they shall not be accounted so holy as at this time, although that time hath as much natural fitness in it, now I sanctify time to myself, but thus I cannot do without sin.

You shall find that there are these two things in all holy feasts, and indeed in all things that are accounted holy.

First, it was a sin for them to make use of that time for any other thing, or any other ways then God had appointed: Secondly, the actions that they did at that time were such as were more acceptable to God then if they had done the same thing at another time. Yea it was so in their very days of humiliation, that were once a year, a day of Expiation, this day must not be used for anything else; and if they humbled themselves or fasted upon another day, that would not have been so acceptable to God as upon this day.

So we shall see it in all superstitions of men when they set apart either days, or places, or things, they put these two upon them.

As for places, They say we appoint a place for people to meet in a religious way; yes, but when comes it to be superstitious? Thus first when it comes so to be set apart, so as I shall make conscience of using it to any other use but this; Secondly, when I shall be persuaded in my conscience that God accepts of service done him in this place better then in any other though as decent as this. So for superstitious garments. You will say, may not Ministers be decent? I have heard a great Doctor give this argument for a surplice; sometime saith he I ride abroad to preach and my cloak is dirty, is it fit for me to come into a Pulpit with a dirty garment? and therefore there is always appointed somewhat to cover it; it is decent.

Suppose it be so, but if it be so that this garment must be made use of for nothing but such a holy exercise, and secondly if I think the wearing of it doth honor the service, and that God accepts of the service performed in such a garment rather then in another, this is superstition; as in one place in Suffolk when that garment was lost, there was a strict injunction to the poor countrymen that there might not be any service or sermon till they had got another: for which they were appointed ten days, and this being upon a friday, there were two Sabbaths without any service, therefore it is apparent they put the acceptation of the duty upon it. So for days, for any man to set apart a day, so that it shall be a sin, that a man's conscience shall condemn him before Ged as sinning against him, if he do any thing upon that day but such holy duties. Secondly, That though the same holy duties be done upon another day, they shall not be accounted so acceptable to God as done upon that day, this is superstitious. Yer certainly of this nature have many of our days been, for if you opened your shops, what a deal of disturbance was there in the city! It was a profaning of the day, every Proctor and such fellows had power given them to molest you: 2. did not they account it a greater honor to God for to have service read that day then to have it read upon an ordinary teusday or thursday? yea preaching upon a Lecture day that was not one of their holy days, they accounted not so acceptable unto God as service upon that day. Here comes their institution, their institution puts upon it more then God puts upon it, so it cometh to be sinful.

So if you should set apart this time you call Christmas, so as you should make conscience of doing any other service or work that day, and besides, you should think that to remember Christ and to bless God for Christ upon another day is not so acceptable to God as to do it upon that day, here comes in the evil of thus putting man's institution upon days.

Well, but this is not clear • except we answer another objection. But doth not the King and Parliament command days of fasting and days of thanksgiving, and are not they of the same nature? Will not you say it is sin for us to open shops upon these days.

I answer, our days for fasting and thanksgiving have not those two ingredients in them, for first, if God by his providence call any particular man to any particular business in his family, then (let this man take heed he do not appear in a way of contempt) he need not have his conscience condemn him though he spend all that day in that business. They may set apart a day to be spent publicly, yet with this limitation, not to enjoin every particular man, that whatsoever God's providence calls him to in particular businesses, he must leave off all, & make as much conscience of doing this as upon the Lord's day.

You will say, upon the Lord's day, if we have any extraordinary thing fall out, we may go a journey or do business, as a Physician may ride up and down, works of mercy may be done, therefore this makes no difference between God's day and these of man's appointment.

I answer, Though a Physician do a work of mercy upon the Sabbath day, yet he is bound to do it with a Sabbath days heart, as a work of mercy; whatsoever calls him off from those services that are God's imediate worship, he must do that thing with a Sabbath days frame of heart, he is bound in conscience to do it so, and he sinneth against God if he rides up and down to Patients with such a heart as he may do it upon another day, he may follow it as a business of his calling upon another day, but not so now; but if he do it with a Sabbath days frame of heart as a work of mercy, he keeps the Sabbath in that. But if there were a necessity upon a Fast day to ride, a man's conscience need not to condemn him before God, if he went about that work as the work of his calling at that time. It is not therefore so dedicated but God's providence may take us off to do other civil actions, and that as the works of our calling. Secondly, Neither is it so sanctified as if the same works done at another day were not so acceptable to God as done upon this day. As our fast days set upon the last wednesday of the Moneth, to think that the work done upon another day were not so acceptable to God as done upon that day, this is a sanctification of the day, and such a sanctification is sin. The same answer may be given for days of thanksgiving. Besides, yet there is another thing considerable, that is in the stating of the time. Though men may thus depute and appoint days to worship God, yet they cannot state any such days, but only as God's providence calls them to it, according to the present occasion.

Therefore it were certainly a sin if a state should appoint once every year to be a fasting day in a religious way, God did so, but men have no power to do so, the reason is this, because they do not know but God may call them to rejoicing upon that day, they have not the liberty of the time. All that we can do is this, when God calleth us to fasting, we must appoint days of fasting; when God calls us to rejoicing we must appoint days of rejoicing. Therefore to appoint the time of Lent as a religious fast is sinful, and the Statute it self threateneth a mulct upon that man that shall call it a religious fast; for civil ends it may be, but stated fasts which are not limited by providence, are certainly evil; and so for these monthly fasts that are now enjoined, if we should say we will have a fast once a month upon this day these twelve months, or these two years, I persuade myself the State should sin: but to have it as long as God's hand is upon us, as long as the occasion lasteth, and God's providence calls us to it, that is justifiable.

Our Brethren in Scotland wholly deny both stated Fasts and all other days: Nay they will scarce agree to this monthly fasting we have, because they are so loath to yield to any stat a jeiunia. And I remember I have heard of a speech King James once made in Scotland, blessing God that he was borne at such a time, and was a member of such a Church; and the reason he giveth is this: For, saith he, the Church of Scotland exceeds in this all other Churches. England though it hath pure doctrine, hath not pure discipline; other Reformed Churches have pure doctrine and discipline, but they retain the observation of many holy days; but the Church of Scotland hath pure doctrine and discipline, and keeps no holy days, and therefore saith he, it is a purer Church then any in the world.

Thus I have endeavored to show you how far things may be set apart, & how far not, when it cometh to be a sin for any one to sanctify a day.

By this we may see what a mercy it is to be delivered from those men who have robbed the Kingdom of so many days as they have, and put so many superstitious respects upon them, and so have involved us in much guilt, bless God for delivering us from them, and for those days that God giveth us liberty to exercise ourselves in his worship, let us know our liberty in them. Thus much for those Feasts that are called their Feasts, that were of their own appointment.

Her new moons.

The ordinance of God in the new moons is in Numb. 28. 11. In the beginning of your new moons you shall doc thus and thus, &c. It was God's ordinance that the Jews at the beginning of every month should have a holy day, when they had a new moon they should keep that day holy to God.

That which the Latins call Calends, were their new moons.

The holy solemnity of these days was in three things. First, the offerings that were there appointed by God particularly for that time, were many & [ 1] chargeable, two young bullocks, & one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot, besides their flower & oil for their drink offerings, and one kid of the goats for a sin-offering.

Secondly, At these times they were wont to repair to the Prophets for instruction, to know the mind of God. That you have 2 King. 4. 23. where the husband of the Shunamire said to his wife, wherefore wilt thou go to him today? it is neither new moon nor Sabbath. Indeed if it were new moon or Sabbath you may go, but while it is neither, why will you go? That implieth that this was a thing in use among the Jews to repair to the Prophets for instruction, and to hear God's word from them upon those days.

Thirdly, yea it was unlawful to buy and sell upon those days, Amos. 8. 5. When will the new moon be gone that we may sell corn? they were weary of it, it seems, because they might not buy and sell in it.

These three things we find in Scripture upon their new moons. Now Euxtorphius who relates to us the Jewish way, he tells us of three other things they were wont to do in their new moons.

First, Those that were most devout among them, used to set apart a day for fasting and prayer to entreat God to bless the new moon to them.

2. As soon as there was an appearance of the new moon, one steppeth up and crieth, O thou Creator of the moon, be ever blessed, and so he goes on in the benediction of God for this creature.

3. They used to leap and to reach toward the moon so soon as they saw it, speaking after this manner: We reaching to the moon, we cannot reach it; so all our enemies that reach at us, are as unable to reach us to our hurt, as we that.

But why did God appoint this feast of the new moon?

It was appointed for these 4. ends.

[ 1] 1. Because God would be acknowledged to have the government of all inferior things in the world, and especially of all the changes of times. As the Sabbath was for putting us in mind of God's creating the world, so the new moons were appointed for them to bless God for the government of the world, for many nations have attributed much of the government of the things of the world to the moon; the tydes you know ebb and flow according to the moon, the great work of God in the seas seem to be governed by God in the use of that creature, yea things seem to be governed more sensibly by this creature then by others, to the end therefore that they might not stick in the creature, but give God the glory: therefore he appointed the feasts of the new moon; if they had any changes of times and seasons, God caused it, rather then this creature, and as the heathens, so they called the Moon the Queen of Heaven, and they would not be taken off from offering cakes to the Queen of heaven, they attributed all their prosperity to her, as we read in the Prophet. Now from this, God would take them off, therefore he appointed this solemn feast of the new moon,

2. God would hereby teach, that the bringing of any light unto us after darkness is merely from himself, and he must be acknowledged in it. The [ 2] Moon is a glorious creature, and causeth much light, but soon after there is darkness, and after this darkness light springeth up again. Here is the work of God, we are taught a moral lesson from this Feast, that is, Hath God at any time brought darkness upon a Kingdom, or upon a Family, or upon a particular soul, doth he begin to bring light? He must be acknowledged and praised for it.

3. God would teach them this also, that the beginnings of all mercies are [ 3] to be dedicated to him; when God reneweth a mercy, at the very first, before it comes to perfection, it is to be given up unto God; they were to celebrate this Feast upon the beginning of the light of the Moon.

And lastly, which is more, this aimed at Christ, as all other Ceremonies of the Law did. It pointed out our condition in our depending upon [ 4] Christ, for our light must be renewed by our conjunction with Jesus Christ who is the Sun of righteousness; as the light of the Moon is renewed by her conjunction with the Sun, that gives the great light to the world. And as the light of the Moon increaseth, as it takes it from the Sun, so doth our light increase as we take it from the Sun of Righteousness. Thus this feast was typical, and thus we see these feasts were of special use.

But when they come to abuse these Feasts, saith God, I will take them away, you shall have no more; and therefore Isa. 1. God professeth a loathing of their feasts, and amongst others of their New Moons. Not but that they were holy in themselves, but when they came to abuse them, by adding their own superstitious vanities, or else had not the due end for which God appointed them, then God is offended. Now saith God, you acknowledge darkness to be from me, and light to be from me, and change of time to be from me, but what use do you make of your time? You seem to give up the mercies you receive unto me, but you do not honor me with them, nor for them.

You seem to think of the Messias in these things, but your hearts are not with him, but all your ways are after your lusts. I loath your feasts. Just as if a man comes to God, and prays devoutly, Lord lead me not into temptation, and as soon as he has done, he presently goes into wicked company, God loatheth you for going quite cross to your prayers; you pray, Lord give us this day our daily bread, as if you should say, Lord I depend upon thee every day for my bread, and for a blessing upon all my outward estate; and as soon as you have done, you cozen, and cheat, and go presently to the Devil for your bread: God loatheth these prayers of yours, as God loatheth their New Moons, because when he appointed such a worship for those and those ends, yet they went quite contrary.

Yet there are two th • ngs exceeding observable about these New Moons. We often read of these things, but we pass them over and do but little mind them.

First, God will have the glory of his creature, of the New Moon, and that solemnly, yet it must be at that time when the Moon is very little, scarce any at all, it must not be at the full, when the Moon is most glorious, God doth not call to be glorified in that creature when it is fullest of glory; but when that creature is (as we may say) in the meanest condition, when it hath but a little light beginning, scarce any at all, then God will be glorified. This is the instruction and moral lesson from hence, which is no strained one, but I think intended by God himself, in appointing this feast, in that God will have the glory due to him from this creature in the beginning of its light, rather then at any other time. We are taught in this,

That there is a great deal of danger when we are giving God the glory of the creature, of sticking in the creature, and not passing through the creature speedily enough, and going from it to God. God is very jealous of his glory this way. God hath made many glorious creatures indeed, & he would have his glory from all his creatures, he would have us give due esteem to his creature; but when we esteem it for any excellency there is in it, God is jealous lest any of his glory should stick in the creature, therefore he calls for it at that time when the creature is most mean. That is the reason that God's Ordinances are so plain, we have but plain bread, and plain wine, and a plaintable, and no brave pompous attire, because God saw that when we are to deal with him spiritually, if we had pompous things we would stick there; and we see men that are taken so with pompous things, they give not God that glory that is due to him, but they stick much in the creature, and honor it rather then God. It seems that the Heathens making the Moon to be their goddess, especially looked at it when it was most light, as appears, Job 31. therefore Job to clear himself from that idolatry, saith, If I beheld the Sun when it shined, or the Moon walking in brightness: They used to worship the Moon thus when they saw it walk in brightness, because they could not reach the Moon, they kist their hand, and so bowed to the Moon in acknowledgment of a Deity, therefore Job would free himself from that, If I beheld the Moon walking in brightness, or if my mouth have kissed my hand, that is, saith he, I have not worshipped this creature. This is it I note it for, that when the creature is most glorious, there is danger of giving God the less. It is thus with us many times, God hath many times more glory from us when our estates are little, then when they are very great; there is many a man, who when he hath been in full light of prosperity never minded God, bus when God hath brought him into darkness, then he hath given God glory, and then it hath been indeed most acceptable, because then he sees God's hand helping him without the creature.

Further, God had most glory from the Moon when it had the least light, so God may have glory from us though our light be extinguished, it is no great matter.

[ 2] There is yet another thing that is remarkable concerning this Feast. You shall observe what difference there is between the Feasts of the new Moons by God's appointment under the Law, and the Feasts of the new Moons as they are set forth to us in Ezek. I lay this for a ground, that those Chapters in Ezek. from the fourth & so on, though they seem to speak of the Jews ceremonies, and Temple, and Feasts, yet the scope of those texts is to set out the glorious condition of the Church of God in the time of the Gospel; As in Isa. 66. 22. Then they shall worship me from Sabbath to Sabbath, and from Moon to Moon, that is, their constant worship shall be in comparison as a Sabbath, and they shall not only worship me at the beginning of the Moon, but all times, their worship shall be so full & so constant: Therefore though in that place of Ezek. there be speaking of new Moons & other Feasts, yet it is to set out the condition and blessed estate of the times of the Gospel under those shadows & types, the Prophet speaking according to the Jewish language in that way. This being granted, let us compare the institution of the Feast of the new Moon, In Num. 28. with what is laid in Ezek. 46. in Num. 28. they were to offer for a burnt offering two Bulloks, one Ram, & seven Lambs, but in Ezek. 46. 6, In the days of the new Moon there should be but one bullock & six lambs. God himself had said, that in their new Moons they should offer two Bullocks & seven Lambs, yet when the Prophet would set out a more glorious condition of the church, he saith, they should not offer so much as they did before, they should offer but one Bullock and six Lambs.

What are we taught from this? We are taught by this two excellent lessons, [ 1] which are the reason of the difference. First, that there is such a blessed estate of the Gospel coming, that shall not be subject to such changes as hath been heretofore, but a more settled condition of peace and rest, so that they shall not have such occasion to bless God for his providence in the changes of times as before they had. Their solemnity of the new Moon, that is, of doing that spiritual thing that was done in a ceremonious way, that was to give God the glory for the change of times: now in the times of the Gospel they shall not have so many Sacrifices, to make it such a solemn business as it was then, Why? because the Church shall be in another condition of more rest & safety, and more constancy in their ways, not hurried up and down by men's humors, and lusts, and wills as before. Secondly, that the state of the Gospel shall not be so subject to danger neither as it was before, there shall not be that occasion to bless God for bringing of light presently after darkness, for that is one end of the Feast of the new Moon, that when they could not see the Moon a great while, and it was dark, as if that creature had been lost out of Heaven, now they see it again they were to bless God for it: But in the time of the Gospel that is coming, there shall be no such darkness, this time is not yet come, we yet had need to have our seven lambs and two bullocks for we have much darkness, those places in Ezek. aim at some special time more then other, there is a glorious time of the state of the Church, when there shall not be such occasion of blessing God for delivering us from darkness as there hath been.

The Ninth Lecture.

O F the Jewish new moons the last day, God threatens likewise to take away her Sabbaths. Sabbaths. ]

Plutarch thought that the Sabbath of the Jews was from Sabbos, a name of Bacchus, that signifies to live jocundly, and bravely, and merrily. Indeed the Sabbaths that many keep have such a derivation, their Sabbaths are sabbaths of Bacchus, to be merry, and to eat, and drink, and play, is the end of all their Sabbaths.

But the word hath a better root. God would have us upon the Sabbath rest from all other works, that we may be free to converse with him: therefore it is so much the more inexcusable if when we have nothing else to do we shall deny to converse with God as he requireth of us. If a friend should come to your house to converse with you, and he should know you have no business to take you up, yet you will scarce see him, or spend a little time with him, will he not take it ill? If indeed you could have such an excuse that your business is extraordinary, though your time be less you spend with him, it would not be so ill taken; but when he knows you have nothing to do, and yet you deny time to converse with him, will not this be taken for a slighting him? Thus you deal with God; Had you indeed great occasions and businesses to do upon that day, though you did not so converse with God in holy duties, it were another matter; God might accept of mercy rather then sacrifice. But when he shall appoint you a day to rest, wherein you have nothing to do but to converse with him, yet then to deny it, this is a slighting of the Majesty of God.

Now the Jews had diverse Sabbaths, amongst others these were principal ones. The Sabbaths of days, and the Sabbaths of years.

The Sabbath of days, every seventh day they had a Sabbath, and it was kept unto the Lord. Now this Feast of theirs had so me what in it Memorative, somewhat Significative, and somewhat Figurative. It was a Memorial, a Sign, and a Figure. A Memoriall of two things.

1. Of the works of God's Creation. After God had finished his works of Creation, then he rested, and sanctified the seventh day, and Psalm. 92. being appointed for the Sabbath, the Argument of it is the celebrating the Memoriall of God's great works.

2. Of the deliverance out of Egypt, in remembrance of the rest that God did give them from their bondage. So you have it Deut, 5. 15. Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence, through a mighty hand, and by a stretched-out arm: Therefore he commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day.

Secondly, it was Significative, a Sign, Exod, 31. 17. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever: And verse 13. It is a sign betweeue me & you, that I an the Lord that do sanctify you. God made it a sign, that as this day was by his command to be sanctified, set apart from other days, so God had set apart this nation of the Jews from other nations.

Thirdly, It was Figurative, it did figure out or typific the rest that did remain for the people of God, Heb. 4. There remaineth a rest to the people of God, both here in the time of the Gospel, and in heaven eternally.

Now we are to know there was some speciality in this day of rest, in this Sabbath of the Jews more then in any other Sabbath. As,

First, in the Antiquity of it. It was the most ancient of all the days, set apart for an holy use, being from the time of the Creation.

Secondly, it was written with God's own finger in the Tables.

Thirdly, God rained no Manna upon this day, and that even before the Law was given in Mount Sinai, for the honor of this day.

4. The whole week doth take denomination from the Sabbath. Luke 18. 12. I fast twice in the week, twice a Sabbath, so the words are in the Greek. So Mark 16. 2. The first day of the week, the first of Sabbaths, so the words.

5. This Sabbath is called an everlasting Covenant by way of eminency, as if nothing of God's Covenant were kept if this were not. Exod. 31. 16. Ye shall keep the Sabbath for a perpetual Covenant.

Yea 6. God puts a remembrance upon this day, and not upon any other Sabbath. If a friend who would fain converse with you, send to you three or four days, or a wecke beforehand, I pray think of that day, I will come to you then and converse with you, we will enjoy communion together; now if when he doth come he shall find you emplyed in unnecessary businesses, will he take it well? God doth so with you, saith God, I desire to converse with your souls, and I appoint you such a day, think of it, remember that day that you and I may be together, and converse sweetly one with another; if God find you then occupied in unnecessary businesses, he will not take it well.

This Sabbath the Jews rejoiced much in, and blessed God for it, Nehem. 9. 14. as a great mercy. And Philo Judaeus speaking of the fourth Commandment saith, It is a famous precept, and profitable to excite all kind of virtue and piety. And the Hebrews say we must sanctify the Sabbath at the coming in and going out, and bless God that hath given us this Sabbath: Yea it is called by some of the Hebrews, the very desire of days; And Drusius telleth of a Jew, who when the Sabbath d • y approached, was wontto put on his best clothes, saying, Come my. Spouse, &c. as being glad of tharday, as a Bride-groome of his Spouse.

It is not my work to handle the point of the Sabbath-day, or Lord's-day now, but to open it as we have it here in the Text, to show what kind of Sabbath the Jews had; only observe this one thing about this Sabbath; If you compare Numb. 28. 9. with Ezek. 46. 4. you shall find that the offerings in the time of the Gospel prophesied of, were more then those were in the time of the Law. In Numb. you find but two Lambes, but in Ezekiel you find six Lambs and a Ram for the Sabbath: This by way of type shows, that in the settled times of the Gospel, God's worship upon the Christian Sabbath should be solemnized more fully then it was in the time of the Law.

The next is the Sabbath of years, and they were of two sorts. There was one to be kept every seven years, and another every seven times seven, every fiftieth year. Every seventh year there was a rest of the land; as every seventh day there was a rest of the labor of their bodies, so every seventh year there was a rest of the land. Exod. 23, 10. Six years thou shalt sow thy land and gather in the fruits thereof, but in the seventh year thou shalt let it rest analye still, they must not prune their Vines, nor gather their vintage one year in seven. The Sabbath of days signified that they themselves were the Lord's, therefore they ceased from their own labors: But the Sabbath of years, the resting of the land signified that the land was the Lord's, at God's dispose, and that they were to depend upon the providence of God for their food in the land; God would dispose of the land, when they should plow, and when they should sow, and gather in the fruits thereof as he pleased.

We must acknowledge (that is the moral of it to ourselves) that all lands are the Lord's, & the fruit that we enjoy from the land it is at his disposing. If any man should ask, what should we eat that seventh year, seeing they might not plow, nor sow, nor reap, neither have vintage, nor harvest? The Lord answers them, Levite. 25. 20. 21. I will command my blessing upon thee in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years. God you see will not have any to be losers by his service. Let us trust God then, though perhaps you have now one year in which you have no trading; People cry out, Oh this twelve-month we have had no trading in the City, we can get no rent out of the Country neither. Do not murmur, trust God; It may be God hath been beforehand with many of you, you have had full trading formerly that may preserve you comfortably now: If not before, trust God for the next; the Jews were fain to trust God every seventh year, they had nothing coming in for one year in seven. If once in all your life time God take away your trading upon extraordinary occasion, do not murmur, do not give less to the poor now; I speak to those whom God hath blessed in former years, so as that they are not only able to subsist, but to give too; See for this Deut, 5. 9. Beware thou sayest not in thine heart the seventh year is at hand, and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him • ought, and he cry unto the Lord against thee, and it be sin unto thee. If now because you have not such a full Income as you were wont to have in your trading, if a company of poor distressed plundered people come among you and desire your help, if you deny to relieve them, if they cry unto God against you, it will be sin unto you.

Now this rest of the land was to put them in mind that there was a time coming when God will free them from labor; Now they were fain to eat their bread in the sweat of their brows, but God would supply them once in seven years without the sweat of their brows in • illing the land, showing that there was a time where in God would bring his people to such a rest that they should have full supply of all things without labor.

But further, besides this there was a second thing, in this seventh year all debts that their brethren owed to them were to be released. Deut. 7. 15. it is called there, the Lord's release, the Lord is merciful to those that are in debt. God knows what a grievous burden it is for his people to be in debt, it is indeed an inconceivable burden; rich men who are full-handed do not understand what a burden it is for men to hang upon every bush, to be in debt to every man they deal with, they cannot sleep quietly, they can have but a little joy and comfort in their lives, the burden is so grievous.

Now God in mercy to his people that they might not all their days go under such a burden, and so have little joy of their lives, therefore he granted this favor to them, that once in seven years their debts were to be released: But it was the debt of an Hebrew, Deut. 15. 30. Foreigners debts they were not bound to release: By that we are to learn this instruction, that there should be more pity and commiseration shown to those that are our brethren in the flesh, or our brethren in regard of Religion and godliness, in regard of their debts then others.

It is true, there is a complaint of many that are godly, that they have little care and conscience in paying their debts: the justness of that complaint I know not, but there may be a slothfulness in many, if not unfaithfulness, and if there be carelessness & unfaithfulness in some, it is enough to cast an aspersion upon all that are godly: but though those that are godly should be more careful of paying their debts then others, but if they cannot, you are bound to be more merciful unto them then to others, because they are godly, and not to seek to take advantage the rather upon them, because they are godly, this is a vile and a wicked heart, to take advantage so much the rather, if thou seest them godly & laborious in their calling, and it be merely a providence of God, and not any negligence of theirs, thou art bound to show much commiseration unto them. In that forenamed place, Deut. 15. 9. Beware there be not an evil heart in thee, to be less merciful to thy poor brother because of the seventh years rest of the ground, or because the debt was to be released that seventh year, but (verse 10.) thou shalt surely give it him, and thy heart shall not be grieved, because for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou put test thy hand unto.

Notwithstanding there must be a cessation of plowing, and sowing, and vintage in the seventh year, yea and notwithstanding thou wert bound to release thy debt in the seventh year, yet you must do this, and not do it grudgingly, you must not murmur and say, what doth God require of us that we must neither plow uor sow, and that we must release our debts and give too, nay and give, and not have our hearts grieved too, that we must not complain of this? Oh my brethren, God loveth exceedingly cheerful givers, and hearts enlarged with bowels of compassion, he doth no: love hearts grumbling and objecting against giving. Many men have no quickness of understanding in anything else but against works of mercy, how quick are they in their objections, and can find such subtle ways to save their purses that a man would wonder at it, against this there is a solemn charge, Deut. 15. 11. Thou shalt open thy hand wide unto thy brother, to the poor and needy in the land.

The third thing to be done once in seven years was the release of servants too, they must go free, and they must not be sent away empty neither, as ver. 18. of that Deut. 15. It shall not seem hard to thee when thou sendest him away free from thee, you must give them liberty, as ver. 14.

It is true, we are not bound to the letter of this, every seven years to do thus, but there is a moral equity in it, when servants have done you faithful service, you must not think that it is enough that you give them meat and drink, and cloth, but you must be careful of your servants how they should live after they are gone from you. This was the first Sabbath of years.

But the second was most famous, and that was the rest that was every seven times seven years, the fiftieth year, which was called the year of jubile, from that trumpet that they were wont to proclaim that year by, which as the Jews tell us was a Rams-horn. In this year there were divers of the same things done that was in the seventh year, as the release of debts, the release of servants. But there are some things observable that were done at this time beyond what was done every seventh year.

As for servants, the release of them was not only of such servants as had then served seven years, yea if they had served any time, they were then to be released, but besides there was order taken by God for release of some servants that would not be released in the seventh year, for when the seventh year came, though all servants might then be released, yet there were some that would not be released, and there was an order taken by God for that, Exod. 21. 6. if there were a servant that loved his master and would not go free, then his Master should bring him to the post of the door, and with a nail bore his ear, and then the Text saith, he should serve him forever: Now that [ forever ] is by Interpreters interpreted but for a time of Jubile, and then he should have rest. Here it is to be understood of the 50. year, the year of Jubile.

There are some kind of spirits that are so slavish that when they may have liberty they will not, they deserve to have their ears bored, to be slaves to the fiftieth year, if not forever. Many amongst us this day have such spirits. God offereth us a release from bondage, how many of us love servitude still! It is just with God that we should have our ears bored, and that we should be slaves even forever, but we hope there will be a Jubilee come at length for our deliverance, God would have a Jubilee even to deliver those that were of the most servile spirits, and might justly be left to serve forever. It is true, when God began with us in the beginning of our Parliament, like the seventh year God offered to us a release, and we refused it then, and since we deserve that our ears should be bored; but God is infinitely merciful, though we be of servile spirits, and know not how to pity ourselves, we hope the Lord will pity us, and grant us out of free and rich grace a Jubilee, even to deliver those who have a mind to be bond-slaves; I am sure God doth so spiritually. If God should not deliver those that are minded to be slaves, he should deliver none.

It was a great mercy so to provide for servants, that they might be delivered. The greater, because servants then were not as they are now, there was a great deal of hardship that servants endured then more then now, they were bought and sold, not only other nations, but the Hebrews were bought for servants also, so you shall find it, Exod. 21. 2. Besides, servants were in such bondage then, as if the Masters did beat them with a rod until they killed them, yet they must only be punished, they must not have blood go for their blood, yea though he died under his hand, yet he was but to be punished, and if the servant lived but 2. or 3. days after, the Master was not to be punished at all, so you have it, Exod. 21. 20, 21. If a man smite his servant with a rod, and he die under his hand, he shall be surely punished, notwithstanding if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished, for he is his money.

Oh that servants would consider of this, and bless God for the liberty they have now more then servants had in former times! It was so likewise with the Romans, the word [ servant ] cometh à Servando, because the Romans used to have such for servants as were preserved in time of war, that should otherwise have been put to death, whether they were those or others, yet the condition of all was very servile both amongst Jews and Romans, which may justly rebuke the pride of servants now, if they be but crossed in their minds in the least thing, they make such a complaint as if they were exceedingly wronged. Let servants rather bless God for their condition, then murmur at a little hardship they endure, for the hardship of servants in former times was another manner of hardship then any you can endure who have the hardest masters. Hence it is that in the day of Jubilee the servants did so rejoice; Jewish antiquities tell us that nine days before their release, the servants feasted and made merry, and wore garlands, because of their freedom approaching.

The second thing extraordinary in the day of Jubile, was, that not only debts, but lands were released. Lev. 25. 22. The land shall not be sold for ever. And there were divers reasons for this, why the land must not be sold forever, but must return to the first possessors in the year of Jubile.

[ 1] One reason is in the Text, Lev. 25. 23. For the land is mine, saith God, for ye were strangers and sojourners with me: God would hereby teach them that they must not account themselves absolute lords of the land, the land is mine; and you that are the greatest land-lords of all are but as strangers and sojourners with God, the land is still God's. And verse. 28. If a man be not able to redeem his land, nor his kinsman for him, it shall remain unto the year of Jubilee, and in the Jubilee it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession. If he could redeem his land himself or a kinsman for him, he was to redeem it before; but if a man should be so poor as he could not give anything to redeem it, yet in the year of Jubilee it should return unto him.

[ 2] God would not have his people too greedy to bring the possession of the Country in to themselves, to have a perpetual inheritance to themselves and their posterity. This is the greediness of many covetous and ambitious men, oh that we could lay land to land, and house to house, to get a perpetual inheritance for ourselves and posterity! God would not have his people be of so greedy dispositions, for a few of them to get the whole Country into their own possession, therefore he would have no man that ever had any possession, but once in fifty years that possession must return to that family again.

[ 3] The land was to return to the first owner, that the distinction of Tribes might be continued, which was known much by the continuance of their possessions that belonged to every tribe & family. God had great care before Christ's time to keep the distinction of tribes, that so it might be clear out of which tribe Christ came.

But further, this year of Jubilee aimed at a higher thing, it was a type of Christ, to set out the blessed redemption that we have by Christ. The trumpet of the Gospel which the Ministers blow is a trumpet of Jubilee. That place Isa. 61. 1, 2. seems to have reference to a Jubilee, there the Text saith, that Christ was appointed to proclaim liberty to the captives, & the opening of the prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord; now that acceptable year was the year of Jubilee, there was the opening of the prison, and the releasing of them that were bound. Psal. 89. 15. saith the text, Blessed are the people that hear the joyful sound, that hear the Jubile. Oh blessed are our ears who live to such a time as we do, to hear the trumpet of Jubilee blowing in one congregation or other almost every day! now we have a release of our debts & bondage, this is the joyful sound. We are all by nature in debt (sins you know are called debts in the Lord's prayer) every soul is bound over to God's eternal justice to answer to the law, for not obeying the law; now cometh this Jubilee and releaseth all debts. And we are all bond-slaves, in bondage to sin, to the law, and to the devil, now cometh the Gospel, this Jubilee, and releaseth our bondage, sets us at liberty. 3. We have forfeited our right to the crea ure, yea to heaven itself; now the Gospel comes and restores all, we have right now to the comforts of this world, and to heaven. Canaan was a type of heaven, and the loss of their inheritance, there was a type of the loss of heaven, and the bringing them again to the possession of it, a type of the restoring of right to heaven; Oh happy are they then who hear this joyful sound, not only with the ears of the body, but who have it sounding in their hearts, and that by the work of the spirit of God in them.

In this year of Jubilee there is one thing further very remarkable, and that is the time when this trumpet that was to proclaim this year was to blow, Lev. 25. 9. the trumpet was to blow upon the tenth day of the seventh month. What remarkable thing is there in this, that the trumpet must be blown the tenth day of the seventh month? yes, there is this remarkable in it, the tenth day of the seventh month was their day of expiation (the day of their atonement, their public fast) This day appointed every year for all Israel to afflict their souls before God, to humble themselves for their sins, and to seek for mercy from God (as we shall show you more largely when we come to open the solemnity of that day) I only mention it now to show that the trumpet of Jubilee was to be sounded upon that day. It is a strange thing that upon that day wherein they were to afflict their souls before God, and to mourn for their sins, the trumpet of Jubilee was to sound, that was to proclaim joy and mirth, things of a contrary nature to humbling and mourning. Yea but this affords us divers excellent instructions. As

First, God would have his people so to mourn as to know their joy is coming. [ 1] In the darkest day they had, wherein they were bound to afflict their souls most, yet they were so to mourn, as to know there was a Jubilee at hand. We are not to mourn as those without hope: in our most grievous & sorest mournings we must have our hearts sink in desperation, we must so mourn as to expect a Jubilee. Yea further, the Saints mourning [ 2] is a preparation to a Jubilee o • joy. Joy then is near at hand when the Saints must mourn in a godly manner. Did not the Lord deal graciously with us the last fast day when we were mourning before him? There was amongst our brethren in other parts a kind of trumpet of Jubilee blown; the Lord was then working for us; what great deliverance did God grant that very day at Chichester? God shows that the mourning of his people doth make way for joy. Yea further, then indeed is the sound of the trumpet of Jubilee sweetest, [ 3] when we are most afflicted for our sins. When we are most apprehensive and sensible of the evil of sin, then the joy of God, the comforts of the Gospel are sweetest to the soul. When the trumpet of Jubilee is blown in congregations, if it meets not with hearts afflicted sensible of sin, they are not delighted with the sweet sound of this trumpet, it is not melody in their ears, it rejoy ceth not their hearts: But let a poor soul be brought down and made sensible of the evil of sin, and God's wrath, then let but one promise of the Gospel be sounded forth, how sweet, how joyful is it!

Again, pardon of sin is the only foundation of all Jubiles. For this tenth day of the seventh month, wherein the trumpet of Jubile was to be sounded, was a day of Atonement. What is that? A day of covering (for so the word is) of pardon of sin to the people of God. Many men keep a continual Jubile, live merrily and bravely, do nothing but eat, and drink, and play, and dance, and laugh, and cannot endure these fadde melancholy people. What is the foundation of this thy Jubile? Art thou sure there is an Atonement made between God and thy soul? Art thou sure thy sin is pardoned? Is this the foundation of thy rejoicing? Know it will not last, it is not God's, but the Devils Jubile, except there be an atonement made between God and thee as the foundation of it.

Yet further, in that the sound of the Jubile was at that time when the day of Atonement was. Note this,

When God hath pardoned us, then our hearts are in a fit frame to pardon others. Now comes the Jubile, and now you must release your lands, your debts, and forgive those that owe you anything. This is the day wherein God testifieth his mercy in pardoning your sins, and they might well say, Now Lord command us what thou wilt in showing mercy to our brethren, we are ready to pardon, to release them, to extend the bowels of our compassion towards them, for thou hast pardoned our sins. The reason of the rigidness, of the cruelty, the hardness of the hearts of men, and straitness of their spirits to their brethren, is this, because God hath not witnessed to their souls the pardon of their own sins, an atonement between God and them.

Their solemn feasts.

Among their feasts, they had three that were especially very solemn feasts more then others: And they were

• The Feast of
  • The Passover.
  • Pentecost.
  • Tabernacles.

These three were very solemn, especially in this one regard, wherein they are all three united in one thing, that is, upon these three Feasts all the Males were to ascend up to Jerusalem to worship, to the place which God did choose, and so you have it, Deut. 16. 16. Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose in the feast of unleavened bread, (that was the Passover) and in the feast weeks, (that was Pentecost) and in the feast of Tabernacles.

But how could the ten Tribes then keep these Feasts? for they went not to the Temple.

You may as well say, how had they an Ephod? of which Chap. 3. Jeroboam was wise enough to keep the feasts, though not in that way God appointed, he could tell them the going to the Temple was but circumstance of place.

From this connection of these three together in this solemnity, upon which these three were especially called their solemn feasts, there are divers things to be noted.

First, we may see a reason why there were sometimes so many believers [ 1] at Jerusalem. An argument is brought by some from that place, Acts 21. 20. to prove that there may be in one Church more then can possibly assemble together in one Congregation, for the Text saith there, Thou seest how many thousands of Jews there are which believe, how many millions it is in the Original; now say they, there could not be so many millions to join in one Congregation: The answer to this is clear, that the time of which this place speaketh, was when the people of the Jews were all assembled together at Jerusalem to keep the feast of Pentecost, for Chap. 20. verse. 16. the Text saith, that the Apostle hastened, if it were possible for him to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost; now reading the story on, it plainly appears, that in that journey in which he did so hasten, he did get to Jerusalem at the day of Pentecost, and being there at that time, no marvel that they said, Dost thou not see how many thousands of Jews there are that believe? For all the males of the people of the Jews were got together at Jerusalem, according to the institution, so that they were there by reason of that Law that as yet they submitted to, they were not in a Church state at Jerusalem, therefore there is no strength in that objection against congregational Churches.

Secondly, where there is a national Church, there must be an uniting of [ 2] them in some way of National worship. There is this National worship that the Jews by institution from God were united in, three times in a year to go up to the Temple to worship: And except there shonld be some such kind of individual worship, not in the same species, that is, as others are praying, so are we, and as others are hearing, so are we, for so all the Churches in the world may be joined, but to join in one act of worship together, as that was of going up to the Temple, there must be such a thing. And that made the Jews a National Church, because we have no such institution now, no Nation in the world can in a proper sense be said to be a National Church as theirs was; in some figurative sense we may so call it, but not in that proper sense as it was among the Jews.

Thirdly, there are some Ordinances that cannot be enjoyed but in the [ 3] way of Church-fellowship. The Jews could not enjoy these feasts as they ought (indeed it may be Israel, the ten Tribes would make a kind of patched up feast, but they could not feast so as they ought) unless they went to Jerusalem in that way God appointed. As among the Jews, there were some Ordinances they might enjoy in their Synagogues and private houses, but some which they could not enjoy but in the Temple; so there are some Ordinances we may enjoy in our families, but others we cannot enjoy but in Church-communion, which Jerusalem is a type of. A fourth thing observable is, these three times wherein they were to go up to Jerusalem, were all [ 4] in the Summer time, not in the Winter.

For the first, which was the Feast of the Passover, was in the latter end of our March, and the beginning of April; the Feast of Pentecost was fifty days after, the Feast of Tabernacles was about the middle of our September. It was indeed a very laborious thing for them to go up to Jerusalem to worship, but God did so commiserate and pity them, that they were not to go in the winter time. That is the reason of that phrase in Acts. 27. 9. Sayling was dangerous, because the Feast was already past, that is, the Feast of Tabernacles was past, which was about the fifteenth of September, and so it began to be winter. God would be so indulgent to his people that they should have the Summer time to go up to Jerusalem in. If it would be an affliction to go up to Jerusalem in the winter, and therefore God would favor his people in that; Oh what an affliction is it then to fly from Jerusalem before our enemies in the winter time? We had need pray the more hard now for those that are in danger of the enemy, that God would be merciful to them in this.

[ 5] A fifth note is when they did go up to these three Feasts, they must not come empty, but full-handed, so you have it, Deut. 16. 16. Ye shall not appear before the Lord empty; Noting thus much, That when ever we come to acknowledge God's mercy for anything, we must come with full hands, and liberal hearts, with hearts ready to distribute, or otherwise we do but take God's Name in vain.

[ 6] The last is, the wonderful providence of God toward them, though all the males in the whole Country were to come up to Jerusalem three times in the year, yet their Country should not be in danger of the enemies: For the Jews had not such walls of Seas about their Country as we have, but they lived in the very midst of their enemies, they were surrounded with them, on the East the An • onites and Moabites; the West, the Phylistims; the South, the Egyptians. Idumeans; the North, the Assyrians, to whom the Prophet seems to have reference, Zach. 1, 18. Now they might say, shall our males go up to Jerusalem three times a year, why then our enemies that lie close in our borders, (for they lay as near them as York, or any other shire is to us) may come upon us and destroy us; therefore God laid in a caveat and provision for the encouragement of them, Exod. 34. 24. he tells them there, None shall desire thy land when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in thee year; God took care that none should desire their land.

Let us go on in God's service, and he will take care to deliver us from our enemies. Many times out of slavish fear of the danger of enemies, and what disturbance they are able to make amongst us, we are ready to betray the cause of God, and neglect his worship. Let us learn from hence to go on in God's ways, and not fear any hurt our enemies can do us, God saith that he will take care when they are all at Jerusalem in the exercises of his worship that none should desire their land.

Now for the opening these several Feasts, in it you may be helped fruitfully to read much Scripture in the Old Testament, for much of it is spent in things concerning some of these.

The first was the Passover. You have the history of it Numb. 28. 16. 17. and in divers other Scriptures: That Feast was in the beginning of the year. It is true, our Scripture was the beginning of their Annus Civilis their year for Civil affairs, but the Month Abib, which was the middle of March, and part of April, was Annus Ecclesiasticus, the Ecclesiastical year, and it was so appointed, upon their deliverance out of Egypt when God commanded them then to celebrate their Passe-over, he told them that that Month should be unto them the beginning of months, the first month of the year.

Noting thus much, That deliverance from great evils are mercies that we are highly to prize; the Jews were to begin their year in memorial of the mercy they had upon that Month.

For the name [ Passover ] from God sending forth destroying Angels that yet passed over the houses of the Israelites that night; he went thorough the land and destroyed all the first borne of the Egyptians, but saved the Israelites, this Feast was also called the Feast of unleavened bread, Luc. 22. 1. because they were to go out of Egypt in hast, and could not have time to leaven their bread, but took only a little flower and water together, and so carried it upon their backs; Josephus tells us that they took only a little flower with water together that might serve them with a great deal of sparing but for thirty days, there was all they had for so many thousand thousands only for so many days, God put them to it, to depend upon him.

We are ready to murmur if we see not enough to serve us many years, if our armies have not enough for so long time: they had but a little meal and water that might serve them for thirty days, and they knew not where to have more when that was spent; no marvel that it is said of Moses, Heb. 11. 27. by faith we went out of Egypt. This bread is called the bread of affliction, Deut. 16. 3. and it was unleavened bread, not only to typify that we must not have our hearts leavened with malice, but to put them in mind of that sore affliction they were in, not only when they were in Egypt, but when they went out of Egypt, that they had then but a little meal and water to serve them for thirty days.

Now this Passover was partly Memorative, and partly Figurative.

Memorative, First to remember the deliverance of their first borne.

Secondly, to remember their deliverance from the bondage of Egypt.

When others are smitten (that is the moral signification) and we pass over, this is a great mercy. [ 2]

Again, Deliverance from bondage, and in that outward man and bondage in respect of Religion and conscience is a mercy for everto be celebrated. God is pleased now to offer us this mercy of deliverance from both these bondages, certainly we are a people devoted to misery if we shall not take God's offer of mercy.

We have been in bondage in our estates and liberties, God offereth us freedom, and freedom also from Antichristian bondage which is worse then Egyptian bondage. The Text saith when they were delivered from the bondage of Egypt Moses sang, and in the Revelation when they were delivered from Antichristian bondage they sang the song of Moses.

We were long since delivered from a great part of this bondage, now the Lord ostereth to deliver us altogether. But to let that go.

They were to eat this Passover with their staves in their hands, this was to note their hasty going out of Egypt. We should not when God offereth us mercy of deliverance, go forth slowly. This is our misery at this day, the Lord offereth deliverance and we lie slugging on our beds, and are like that foolish child the Prophet speaks of that sticks in the birth: We have stuck these two years in the birth, whereas we might have been delivered long before this. It concerns us all to consider what the cause is, and to lament it before the Lord that we may make our peace with him.

But further. In thanksgiving for a mercy we are ever to remember what we were before that mercy. They must eat unleavened bread at this Feast, the bread of affliction, they must remember the afflictions they were in before they had this mercy, whereof this Feast was a Memoriall; when we bless God for a deliverance, we must really present before our souls the sad condition we were in before we were delivered.

Further, The special thing that is aimed at in the Passover, was that it should be a type of Christ, who was that pascal lamb that was to take away the sins of the world, he that was roasted in the fire of God's wrath for our sins, as that Lamb that was to be eaten in the Passe-over was roasted in the fire: And if ever the Angel of God's vengeance do pass over us, it is thorough the blood of that Lamb sprinkled upon our hearts, which was signified by the sprinkling the blood of the Lamb upon the posts of their houses. In the Lord's Supper we celebrate in effect the same Feast of the Passe-over they did: and by this we may learn this excellent note.

There is little comfort in the remembrance of outward deliverances, except we can see them all in Christ.

They were in this Feast to remember their deliverance out of Egypt, but withal they were in it to have a figure and type of Christ, that sweetened their remembrance that made the Feast a joyful Feast, when they could see their deliverance out of Egypt as a fruit of Christ's sufferings, when this Lamb that was to put them in mind of it, did put them in mind likewise of Christ the paschal Lamb.

In all deliverances from any kind of affliction, if you would have the remembrance of them sweet unto you, you must look upon them all in the blood of Christ, and so remember them, and then your hearts will be enlarged to bless God.

This was the Ordinance of God in the Passe-over, but besides God's Ordinance, the Jews added divers other things.

The first thing observable that they added, was earnest prayer to God for the building of the Temple; which many of them observe to this day. Those who writ of the customs of the Jews tell us, that because the Temple is destroyed where they were to go up thrice in the year to solemnize these Feasts, therefore they pray so earnestly and mightily for the Temple in this manner: They cry altogether to God, Lord, build thy temple shortly, very quickly, very quickly, most quickly in our days: & then they go over it again, Merciful God, great God, kind God, high God, sweet God, with divers other epithets, Now build thy Temple quickly, very quickly, &c. Now, now, now, five times together, • o Euxtorfius tells us. They teach us how much the Temple doth concern us. Here is only their mistake, they rested in the material Temple, they did not consider that This Temple was a type of Christ, therefore as earnestly as they prayed for the building of their material Temple, so we are to pray for the building up of the mystical body of Christ, now Lord, build quickly, do not defer it, even in our days do it.

A second thing they added was the manner of casting out of unleavened bread, in this they observed three things, their inquisition, their extermination, their execration, first with a candle they would narrowly search every corner of the house, to see if they had the least crumb of leaven, if any were found they cast it out with solemnity, and then they used to wish a curse upon themselves if there were any left in their houses that was not cast out.

This moral Observation we may be taught from it, it should be our care when we are to receive the Sacrament, to make narrow inquisition, to get the candle of the word, and to search every corner of our hearts, every faculty of the soul, to see if there be no leaven in it. 2. Whatsover we see to cast it out of doors. And 3. to be so much set against sin, as to be willing to take a curse upon ourselves, if we should willingly let any known sin be in our hearts, and to acknowledge that God might justly curse us in his Ordinance, if we be false in this.

Thirdly, they used to show forth all their brave rich things, if they had any [ 3] bravery in clothes, in furniture, in any good thing, they would show all at this Feast. By their superstition we may learn this note, that in the time of our coming before God, it is fit for us to manifest his graces, to exercise all those beautiful graces that the Lord hath endowed us with by the work of his Spirit, for there is the riches of a Christian, there is his brave clothes, and his plate, all his excellencies are his graces.

The fourth thing they did was, after the Passe-over was at an end, they [ 4] would fast three days, to humble themselves for their failings in keeping that Feast. This was not God's Institution, but it was their custom, and we may learn this from it, (though not to bind ourselves to that they did) too look back to our receiving the Sacrament, and to bewail all our miscarriages; I believe if things were examined to the quick in our receiving the Sacrament, you would find matter enough to fast and pray for the humbling your souls from your miscarriages.

[ 5] Lastly, in the Passe-over they used to read the book of the Canticles, because that book treats especially of the conjunction of the soul with the Messiah, which is sealed up especially in the Passe-over. And that indeed is a special meditation for us when we come to the Lord's Supper, to meditate of our conjunction with Christ.

The next is the Feast of Pentecost. This Feast is called also the Feast of Weekes, because there were seven weeks to be reckoned, and then at the end of them it was solemnly to be kept, you shall find it, Levite. 23. 15. There you have the Feast of the Passe-over, and in that the first day of seven, and the last day of seven was solemnly kept; now they were to count from the morrow after the first Sabbath, seven Sabbaths, that is, seven weeks complete; the first Sabbath of the Passe-over was the fifteenth day of the month Abib, and then the next day from that they were to count seven weeks, and at the end of seven weeks was the Feast of Pentecost to be kept. Now in this first day wherein they began to count their weeks (for the preparation to this Feast of Pentecost) you shall find that the first fruits were to be offered up to God, it was a kind of distinct Feast, called the East of the First-fruits, in which they were to bring a sheaf of the first fruits of their harvest unto the Priest to be offered to God; And the reason was, because new their harvest began: As soon as ever the Passe-over was killed, and they had kept the first Sabbath of the Passe-over (for they were to keep it seven days) they began their harvest, they must not put a Sickle into the corn, nor reap anything of their ground until they had kept the Passe-over; it affordeth auto us this instruction. We cannot enjoy any sweetness nor any blessing from any fruits of the earth, but through the blood of Jesus Christ: After they had solemnized the memorial of the blood of Christ, then they might put a Sickle into the corn & reap it, and not before, & as soon as they had solemnized the remembrance of Christ in the Passe-over, they might go with comfort and take the fruits of the earth & rejoice in them, but not before. Now this was in the month of Abib, that is part of our March, & part of April, then began their harvest, & thence it hath its name, for Abib signifies an ear of corn. Now their harvest began so soon in the land of Canaan, not only because it was a hot Country, for it is observed that Africa was a hotter Country then theirs, and yet their harvest began not so soon; but because of the blessing of God upon that land, therefore Ier. 3. 19. it is called a goodly heritage, because of the timely bringing forth the fruit; the words translated goodly heritage, signifies an heritage of comliness; the same word that is here for goodly, signifies a Roe-Buck, to which this land was compared, and so it may be said to be a land of a Roe-Buck, because of the speedy and swift ripening of the corn. The observation is, It is the blessing of the Church to have their fruit ripe betimes, not to stay too long before they be ripe, for Canaan was a type of the Church. You young ones consider of this; the Lord loveth to have the fruits of Canaan ripe betimes; if you grew in the wilderness, though you did not bring forth fruit in your young time, God did not so much regard it; but if you live in his Church, in Canaan, the Lord expects you should beg in betimes, in the very spring of your years you should bring forth fruit un to God. Men do much rejoice in timely fruits, they are lovely: Yea and God rejoiceth in them too, Micah. 7. 1. My soul desireth the first ripe fruits, this is true of God himself. Your parents and Godly friends may say, our soul desires that grace may spring up betimes in these young ones, so it may be said of God, the very soul of God desireth to see the first fruits; fruit in young ones is that which is pleasing to God's soul.

We may further note, when we have had communion with God in holy things, then we may have a holy and more comfortable use of the creatures. As before we noted when we have solemnized the blood of Christ, then we may enjoy sweetness from the comforts of the earth; so now, when we have enjoyed communion with God in his Ordinances, then it is a fit time to have a holy use of the creatures, yea then you must be careful of having a holy use of the creatures; as soon as ever they came from the Passe-over the first day they were to celebrate the first fruits unto God,

From whence,

Thirdly, After the blood of Christ is sprinkled upon the conscience, then men will be ready to dedicate things unto God. Then as Zacchaeus said, Halfe my goods I give to the poor; here are my goods, here is my estate, doth the Church, doth my brethren stand in need of help? Loe we are ready to offer them up unto God.

Fourthly, The first of blessings are to be offered up unto God. God gives them a charge, that the first of the first of all the fruits of their land should be offered unto him, all that cometh afterward should be the more blessed. Learn this you young ones, dedicate the first of your years unto God, the very first of your first, the dawning of your years.

Now as soon as they had dedicated their first fruits, when harvest was done, then comes the Feast of Pentecost: then they rejoiced in the consummation of harvest. If you dedicate your young days unto God, when the consummation of your years comes, how may you keep a Feast of Pentecost! The Jews first deditated the first fruits, fifty days before, and then at the fifty days end they kept their joyful Feast of Pentecost, so might you if you dedicated your young years unto God, On the other side, what a sad thing will it be for old men that but now begin to think of God and Christ; it is well you do so; but you cannot do it comfortably as you might have done, if you had begun in your younger years. If the Jews when their harvest was done had brought two loaves unto God, might God say, why did you not bring the first fruits unto me? God might so upbraid you, but however come into God and he will not upbraid you, he upbraideth no man, but yet the comfort will not be so much because your consciences will upbraid you.

Fifthly, note this, Happy is the man that when he comes to reap the fruit of his actions, shall have a feast of joy. Thus is was with the Jews, the very beginning of their harvest was with a Feast, and the conclusion with a Feast toe. All the actions of our lives are a sowing of seed, if you sow sparingly you shall reap sparingly, and happy those men when they come to reap, that both the beginning and conclusion of their reaping shall be a joyful feasting. Many sow merrily, but they reap horror and anguish; but when the Saints come to reap, they shall have a Feast of joy. At thy right hand are joys and pleasures for evermore.

6. At the fiftieth day then they were to solemnize the mercy of God in giving to them the fruits of the earth for their harvest.

Hence this Note,

Much praise is due to God for the Fruits of the earth, for outward comforts, How much praise then is due for JESUS CHRIST, and all spiritual mercies in him? Though we ought to bless God for the things of the earth, yet we should be so swallowed up in blessing God for his word & Ordinances, and spiritual mercies, as in comparison our hearts should be above the Fruits of the earth. Therefore it is observable, that in Ezekiel where there is a Prophesy of the state of the Church, set out by the Jewish way of Feasts, though there be mention of the Passover, and new moons, and Sabbaths, and of the Feast of Tabernacles, yet there is no mention of the Feast of Pentecost, no mention of keeping a Feast for blessing God for these things. Not but that they should do so, but that their hearts should be so carried up with abundance of spiritual mercies, that then all for Christ, and for heaven, and for eternity, their hearts should be wholly set upon spiritual things.

7. It was a great engagement to them to use the creatures, when in the first beginning they had dedicated them unto God, and in the conclusion of harvest they had solemnized his mercy in giving them the creatures. For God did thereby teach them that they might be further engaged to use all creatures for his service. As it is a mighty engagement to any man if God give him a heart to dedicate the beginning of a mercy unto God, and when he hath got the mercy fulfilled, then in a solemn manner he blesseth God for it, to make use of this mercy for God's honor. Certainly the reason why many are so loose in their conversations, and do not employ the creatures of God to his glory, is, because they do not in a solemn manner bless God for that they enjoy. As in your trading, suppose you have some comfortable Incomes, perhaps you take these comforts, and thank God in a slight manner for them, how do you use them afterwards? only for yourselves and for the flesh. But when you hear of Incomes of riches flowing in upon you, if you can then presently take the first. Fruits and give some part to God's service as a testimony of thankfulness, and in your families and closets in a solemn manner give God the glory for the good success you have had in your estate, this will be a mighty engagement to you to use your estates for his service.

8. Mark at the first, in their preparation, they were to bring but a sheaf, but afterward, Levite. 23. 17. they were to bring two loaves; in the first they were to offer one he-lamb without blemish, but afterward seven lambes, & a young bullock, and two Rams, &c. both burnt-offerings, and sin-offerings, and peace-offerings when they had received the full harvest.

Thence learn, though you be forward to give God glory when you are young, the first fruit of your years, yet when you come to be old, you should flourish in the Courts of God's house. First they offered but a little unto God, afterward abundance. Do you so? I appeal to all old men that are here this day, if God did give you any heart to give up your young years to him, bless God for it; but now when you are old, are you as forward as ever you were? You ought to be not only so, but much more abundant in the work of the Lord. Nay cannot others witness against you, that there was such a time wherein you were more forward, and that now you begin rather to temporize? The LORD forbid this should be spoke of any old men.

God expects more afterward then at the first fruits; and though nature may decay, yet their is a promise that in their old age they shall flourish in the Courts of God's house, and shall manifest the graces of his Spirit much more. We are ready at the first Fruits to offer unto God some what, when his mercy cometh first; but when mercy comes afterward more fully, we should be more in our offerings.

You will say, what is the meaning of this, that there is a burnt offering, a sin-offering, and a peace-offering in the Feast of Pentecost? what is the difference of these three offerings?

The difference is this; The burnt offering was in testimony of their high respect to God, they wholly had respect to God in the burnt offering; that is, they tendered up something to God as a testimony of the high & honoraable esteem they had of his Majesty, it was wholly to be given up to him.

Now in the other they had respect to themselves, the sin-offering was not to offer a sacrifice merely to testify respect to God, but to be a typical signification of Christ's sacrifice for sins; they were to look through their sacrifice to Christ, and their sin-offering was to be an atonement for their sin.

The Peace-offering was in thanksgiving for a mercy, or when they would petition to God for a further mercy. All this must be done in the day of Pentecost. But besides this end of Pentecost, to solemnize the mercies of God in their harvest, there is another that is constantly affirmed by the Jews, and I find many Divines making no question of it; but I find it not so clearly laid down in the word.

They say God in this feast did solemnize the giving of the law, and this is their ground, because fifty dais after their coming out of Egypt was the time of God's giving the Law, and so they say Pentecost was appointed to bless God for giving the law. The Jews say that God dealt with them, as a King should deal with a poor man in prison, first he releaseth him of his bondage, and withal tells him, that after such a time he will marry him to his daughter; now say they, will not this man count every day, & long until this time come? So when God did deliver us out of Egypt, he told us that after such a time he would give us his law, and marry us to his daughter, which is the law, and this is the reason why we count so disigently the very weeks, nay the days, as longing for that time when we are to be married to the law, when the Lord shall grant to us such a mercy.

From whence we may note, that we are not only to keep God's law, but to rejoice in God's law; not only to look at what is commanded as a duty, but as a high privilege, and so bless God for the law. It is a higher thing to love God's law, and rejoice in it then to obey it; Great peace shall they have that love thy law; David professed that he loved the law of God more then silver and gold, that it was sweeter to him then the honey and the honey comb. The Jews at this day do much rejoice when the law of God is read, and in their Synagogues when the law of God is brought out, they lift up their bodies in a kind of exlatation, rejoicing that God gave this law unto them.

Further, the time of their Pentecost was the time of the descending of the holy Ghost upon the Apostles: as God at that time gave the law by Moses, so the Spirit at that time came by Christ, to show that we are in the Gospel to receive the Spirit of God, to enable us to fulfill the law. They had the letter of the law, but in comparison of what we have, they had not the Spirit, but now the holy Ghost is come in a full measure; as he then came upon the Disciples, so he comes now in the time of the Gospel in a fuller way then formerly, there is a continual Pentecost.

But the works of God do not of themselves sanctify any time, except we take that note with us, we may run into a thousand absurdities; if we argue thus, because the Jews had such a time we may have such a time, or because there were such blessings at that time, therefore we may sanctify that day. No, the works of God do not sanctify any time of themselves, it must be the Word, some institution or other, either the Word written, or some immediate dictate of the Spirit that must sanctify any day. Certainly the work of our redemption itself is not enough to change the Sabbath, if we had not s • me footing for a new institution. We usually give this ground for a change of the day, because of the greatness of the work; but though the works of God be great, though never so great, it is not for us to sanctify a day, it must be an institution of God, or else we sin in sanctifying any set and stated time for any such work, for Christ's resurrection, or sending of the Spirit, except there come an institution, though the work be as great as anything God ever did for the Jews, it will be but will-worship in us, and God will not be put off with this, What is not this as great a work as that the Jews had, and may not we celebrate the memory of it as they did? but God will say, Who required these things at your hands? Thus far you may do, that is, bless God for those works all the days of your lives, but to sanctify any particular day for them, certainly that cannot be done without sin; we have our warrant for the Lord's day as well as the greatness of the work, because of the practice of the Apostles who were inspired by the holy Ghost.

The next is the feast of Trumpets, only one particular about it at this time, because providence makes it so seasonable. In the seventh month, (which was the first month of their Annus Civilis ) there were three feasts.

• Festum
  • Tubarum,
  • Expiationis,
  • Tabernaculorum.

The first was the feast of Trumpets; now there was a three-fold use of Trumpets among the Jews. 1. For the calling of the congregation together, as we use to do with bells. 2. The calling of them to war. 3. For the solemnizing of their feasts. This feast of trumpets you have, Numb. 17.

There are four ends given by Divines of the feast of Trumpets, some I confess are very improbable, but there are two very probable. The one is, this feast was to celebrate the New-year with them; as upon every new month, that was called the feast of the new Moon, to celebrate the beginning of the month, so in the beginning of the year they had a feast to celebrate the beginning of the year, that was this feast, for it was on the first day of their civil year; so that it is very probable that feast was appointed to bless God for the new year, as well as they had one to celebrate the new month. It was God's insti • ution for that time to have the New-year consecrated by that feast, yet this can be no ground for us now to consecrate the beginning of every new year unto God: that was Jewish, and it is ceased, if we will have any consecration of a new year, it must be by virtue of some institution or other, let (who can) show the institution: we must not think because it hath a show of wisdom, and it seems to be reasonable to us, therefore it may be this is not enough in matter of worship, you must strictly tie yourselves to an institution in matters of worship, in consecrating of times. As it is Jewish, so it is Heathenish, the Heathens consecrated their new year to the honor of their god Ianus, and we read in Concilium Antisiodorense, in France in the year 614. it was the judgment of that Council that it is not lawful to observe the festivities of the Gentiles, to keep their worship and observation of their Calends, (that is, the beginning of their months) to adorn houses with lawrel & bayes, for all these practices saith the Council) savor of paganism. And likewise an ancient writer saith, that the Kalends of January are rather to be taken heed of, then to be accounted Kalends, and so to be sanctified; And further, he saith, the Church hath appointed a solemn feast to be upon that very day, because o • the notorious abuses there were wont to be upon that day. And Polydore Virgil saith, that these solemnities of Laurel and Bayes, and masques, and mummings, and such vanities, they all come from the Heathens Bachanalia, and Saturnalia, that were wont to be at that time of the year. However therefore we put them upon Christ, and think we honor him, and call it the Circumcision day of Christ, yet by those customs we dishonor him, for they are rather Heathenish then Christian, To do it, I say, because we think to consecrate • ine; though there may be some natural reason of rejoicing, yet no ground for consecration.

Let no man object and say, these solemnities have been a long time in the Church. It is true, these are ancient, but from whence comes the antiquity? It comes from hence, because Christians being newly converted out of Paganism, they would keep as much as possibly they might of the Pagan customs, only they would give them a turn, turn them to Christian solemnities, but the rise was from their Pagan customs: therefore all the argument of antiquity, either for these, or Ceremonies, or Prelatical government, it comes from this ground, because their pagan customs were so, and they lived among pagans, and having been lately pagans, they savored and smelt of Heathenism still. So now, many plead that such things were in the first Reformation: no marvel they retained them, for they were but newly come out of popery, and they savoured and smelt of popery. Indeed to plead the antiquity of these things, which men must show when they are put to it, is one of the greatest arguments against them. Thus was they Feast of All-Saints turned from the Feast Pantheon, and so the Feast of the Virgin Mary, which they call Candlemas, the Heathens had the festivity of their goddess Febru (who was the Mother of Mars ) upon that day, from whence the name of our month February cometh, they did then celebrate that time with Candles, and such things, as papists do now. This antiquity have you for celebrating of Candlemas.

The like may be said for the argument of antiquity for the Prelates. O say some, such a kind of government hath been ever since Christian Religion hath been in England. Grant that there hath been some kind of Bishops ever since, but from whence came they? We find in Histories, that when the Pagans were here in England, they had their Flamins, and their Archflamins, London was one, and York was another, and when they were converted to the Christian Religion, yet still keeping some of their Heathenish customs, instead of their Arch-flamins, they made Arch-bishops, and of their Flamins, Bishops, and that in their very places, as London and York, and some say Chester, they kept their Bishoprics still. This is the very •• und of the antiquity of them; therefore my brethren, let not us be put off with such arguments as these, men delude you, they baffle you by these arguments.

The Tenth Lecture.

W EE began the last day to speak something of the Feast of Trumpets, you shall find the institution of it in Leviticus 23. 24. You shall have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of Trumpets, Now there were divers ends of God's institution of this Feast, I have spoken of one; the second reason of that Feast, the Hebrews think, was a remembrance of Isaac's deliverance, when he should have been sacrificed, and the Ram caught by the horns to be sacrificed in his stead; they drew it from this argument, because that Feast is called A memorial, (say they) to remember the deliverance of Isaac, and it must be by the Trumpets of Rams horns, to call this to remembrance, the deliverance of Isaac, and a Ram sacrificed in his stead; this is the Jews opinion of it, but it seems to be far from the meaning of the holy Ghost. A third reason of the Feast of Trumpets, some say, ( Cajetan amongst others) was instituted for a memorial of God's giving the lay by sound of the trumpet; that is not likely neither, because this Feast was not kept at the time of God's giving the law, if there were any time for the celebration of giving the law, it must be at the Feast of Pentecost.

A fourth, it was for a celebration of a memorial of God's goodness to them in the time of war, for all the mercies of God unto them in their wars, which was declared by the blowing of the trumpets. But I rather take another reason, to be a main and principal reason of God's institution of this Feast, to be a preparation to the Feast of atonement and expiation, and therefore (saith Calvin ) it is called a memorial, Levite. 23, for this reason, to put them in mind to humble themselves before God, to afflict their hearts in the day of atonement; and secondly, a memorial before God, that God may remember them for mercy, so the Jews observe from the seventh day of the first month, unto the tenth day, there was more then ordinary exercises in giving of alms, in praying, in going to their synagogues, they were very devout for those ten days in way of preparation for the day of Atonement, of Expiation. From whence note,

It is of this use to us to prepare for the day of Fasting; Ministers should blow their trumpets to the people to prepare them for that day: God hath accepted of those poor kind of fasts that we have kept, abundance of mercies we have received on them; there is scarce any one Fast day that is kept, but we presently hear good news after it; if we had kept Fast days as we ought, if we had been prepared as we should, O what might we have obtained of God by this time! if God accepts such poor things as we do, (as God knows they are poor and mean) if we had every time a trumpet blown before us to prepare us for the day of atonement, what atonements might England have made with God before this time! to read understandingly those things you read about the Feast of Trumpets. The next Feast was the feast of Expiation, in the tenth day; I thought not to have spoken of that, because the Feast of Expiation is a Fast rather then a Feast, but that is meant here as well as any of the other, for this reason, though it were a Fast, yet the Hebrew word here that is translated solemn Feasts, signifies only a settled, stated, solemn time.

And Secondly, It was a great mercy to them to have such a day of Fast; though the day of atonement, be a day of afflicting themselves, yet it is the cause of rejoicing to a nation, that God grants them such a day of atonement; it is the special means to make way to the joy of a nation, and therefore this is included amongst the other: now the history of that, you have in these two famous Scriptures, Levite. 16. and Levite. 23. In this day of atonement, the tenth day of the seventh month, there are divers things very observable, and useful for these times.

[ 1] The first is, The solemn charge that God gave for the afflicting men's souls upon that day; you shall find in a few verses three several times a solemn charge to afflict their souls, to humble their souls, Levite. 23. 27. 29. 32. God appointed one day in the year for all the Jews to afflict their souls, to make an atonement between God and them, in a day of Fast, and they were charged to be sure to afflict their souls then, and that soul that did not, God threatened to cut it off.

[ 2] The second thing observable is, that the Priest was to go into the Holy of Holies, where he was to go but once a year; Levite. 16. the beginning and the latter end compared together; you shall find it. This may teach us thus much; If ever we are to look upon JESUS CHRIST in the presence of God, to go into the Holy of Holies, making intercession for us, it is in the day of atonement, in the day of public Fast of the Kingdom, then are we to exercise our Faith upon Christ, as entering before God into the Holy of Holies for us, after we have charged upon our souls our sins, and afflicted our souls, we must likewise cast up an eye of Faith, beholding Jesus Christ our high Priest at that day before the Father making intercession [ 3] for us. The third thing observable is, at that day the Priest was to make an atonement for all the holy things; in Lev. 16. 20. When he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, the Tabernacle, and the altar, &c. the Priest was not only to seek to make reconciliation between God and the people, but to reconcile the holy places, even the Holy of Holies had a kind of pollution in it, and must be reconciled then, and the Tabernacle, and the Altar, all of them had a kind of pollution upon them: so infectious is the sin of man, and all these were to be 〈…〉 a day of atonement.

〈◊〉 teacheth us, That in a day of Atonement, of F • sting, we are then 〈…〉 special care to sc ••• mercy from God, to be •• conciled to us in regard of all our holy things, our holy duties, and offerings; we are to seek then to get the best services that ever we performed in all our lives, to be cleansed, that God may be pacified in regard of the filth and uncleanness that hath cleaved even to them. You are not in the day of a Fast, only to confess your notorious sins to God, those that in their own nature are sinful, but you are then to examine all your holy duties, and to humble your selves before God, and to seek to make peace with God, in regard of the uncleanness that hath been in them. This few think of, they 〈◊〉 the day of a Fast confess such sins as are vile in themselves, but to be made sensible of the uncleanness of holy duties, that is little thought of in the day of their Fasts.

4. In their day of Atonement, the Priest was to lay the sins of the congregation [ 4] upon the scape goat. The story of the scape goat was this, The Priest must come and confess the sins of the congregation, laying his hand upon the head of the goat, and then he must send this goat into the wilderness.

The meaning is of great use to us; Jesus Christ he is the scape goat, and we are in the days of our humiliations to come and lay our hands upon Jesus Christ, and to confess all our sins over him, and look upon all our sins as laid upon him. Now the scape goat was to be sent into the wilderness: What is that? That is, sent into a land of forgetfulness, so as the Jews should never come to see that goat again that their sins were laid upon, it signified to them, that their sins were now so forgiven them, that they should never hear of their sins again. Thus are our sins upon Christ, as we shall never come to see, nor hear more of them, In the day of our Fasts we should thus exercise our Faith upon Christ.

A fifth thing that was to be done, was to sprinkle the blood of the slain [ 5] goat upon the mercy-seat, and before it. It is the blood of Christ that is upon, and before God's mercy-seat, that procures mercy from thence for us.

The sixth thing. In the 16, of Leviticus, ver. 12. the Priest must take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the Altar, and his hanfull of sweet incense beaten small. This he must do in the day of Atonement; to teach us, That in the day of our solemn Fasts, we must be sure to get our hearts full of burning coals from the Altar, full of affection and zeal, full of mighty workings of spirit to God, although you that are godly, and so are Priests to God, at other times come with few coals from the Altar, a little affection, your affections are scarce heated, but in a day of Atonement you must come with your hearts full of coals, and be sure it be fire from the Altar, do not satisfy yourselves in natural affections then, but be sure you be full of spiritual affections; and then full of incense.

What was that? it typically represented our prayer, you must be sure [ 6] to have your hearts full of prayer, to send up abundance of incense before God; the incense must be of spice • beatou small, what is that? the prayer • that we are to send up to God, in the day of Atonement, must come from much contrition of spirit, our hearts must be beaten small to powder, when the hearts of men are beaten to powder, then they are able to send forth such incense, as is a sweet favor in the nostrils of God. Many of you in the day of a fast seem to be full of prayer, but is this prayer a sweet incense to God or no? how shall I know that? by this, God hath appointed the incense, upon the day of atonement, to be that, that must come from spices beaten, if thy heart be beaten to powder, and thy prayers be but the savor, and the odour of thy graces that are as spices, and heated by the fire of God's spirit: then here is the incense that pleases God. First, graces, which are the spices, the contrition, that is the beating small, then the fire of God's Spirit to cause the incense to rise up in the nostrils of God as a sweet savor.

Further, a seventh thing in the day of atonement was, the cloud of the incense must cover the Mercy seat, ver. 13. and then the blood both of the bullock, and the goat, must be sprinkled upon the Mercy seat, and that seven times, and ver. 15. the blood of the goat must be sprinkled not only • pon the Mercy seat, but before the Mercy seat; what is the meaning of this? must our mercy seat be clouded in the day of atonement? we had need have it appear to us, and not be clouded; yes, in the day of atonement it must be clouded, but clouded with incense; the incense that was sent up, was a type of the sweet perfume of the merit of Jesus Christ; Now in the day of atonement we must look up to the mercy seat, as clouded with the merit of Christ, clouded, that is, the merit of Jesus Christ round about it, as a cloud, and covering the Mercy Seat, to teach us that no man must dare to look upon the Mercy Seat of God as it is in it self, but he must have the incense of the merit of Christ round about it, the reason was given why the Lord must have the incense as a cloud to cover the Mercy Seat, lest he die; if he had entered into the holy place, and there looked upon the Mercy Seat, and not clouded by the incense, he must have died for it; those men that think to come into God's presence, and look upon God out of Christ, and think to receive mercy from God out of Christ, they die for it, this is the damnation of men's souls, to look upon God as merciful out of Christ, mercy is an attribute of God, but if we dare (who are sinful creatures) to look upon this attribute of mercy, and not have the incense of Christ merit, it is the way to destroy our souls. O how many thousands are in hell for this! many who are afflicted for their sins, and cry to God to forgive their sins, and believe he is merciful, and think to exercise their faith upon God as merciful, and yet not looking upon the mercy seat as clouded with the merit of Christ, it proves the destruction of their souls. In a fast, when you come to look upon God, you must not look upon God as the Creator of heaven and earth, or as merciful in himself barely, but look upon God's mercy in his Son, and so exercise your faith, or else you can never make an atonement, but rather will procure God's wrath. It is not only dangerous, but horrible, once to think of God without Christ, says 〈◊〉 .

Again, the blood of the Bullock and the Goat must be sprinkled seven time 〈◊〉 the mercy seat, when we come to make our atonement with God, we must exercise our faith in the blood of Christ, and sprinkle it seven times, again and again upon the mercy seat; we looking upon God when we pray to him as a God of mercy, and we present ourselves in our humiliations before the mercy seat, but know this, that the mercy seat will do us no good, without the blood of Christ; faith must take this blood of Christ, and sprinkle it, tender it up to God his Father, for the atonement of our souls and procuring mercy to us; and not only so, the blood of the Bullock & the Goat must be sprinkled upon the Mercy seat, but before the Mercy seat; we must not only think there can be no mercy obtained from God, but by the blood of Christ, but we cannot so much as have access to God's Mercy seat without the blood of Christ, we must not dare to enter but by the blood of Christ, by him we have access to God; we must all know, that all sinners are banished from the presence of God, and must not have access to God's presence as they are in themselves.

Lastly, this day divers times is called A Sabbath of rest, that is, A Sabbath of Sabbaths, so it is in the Original, as one of the principal Sabbaths that they had; I did not handle it amongst the Sabbaths, because it comes in now more fully amongst these solemn Feasts; there must be more rest in the days of atonement, then in other of their solemn days: There was that permitted in other solemn days, that was not permitted in that day; this may teach us, that in the days of fasting, above any days, we must get our souls now separated from the world, there must be a rest in our hearts, a rest from sin, a rest from the world, it must be a Sabbath of Sabbaths unto us.

Now notwithstanding God had given this solemn charge for this day of atonement, yet Theodoret tells us, that in his time they did so degenerate, that they spent this day in sports, and made it a day of mirth, God grant that the ordinariness of our days of atonement do not grow to this abuse, as in some places it is amongst us; the most solemn things that ever God gave charge of yet in time degenerates, this is the wickedness of men's natures.

One note more from this Feast of Expiation, it is very probable that the Grecians did use yearly in expiation of their Cities, in this manner from this we find amongst the stories of the Grecians, that yearly they were wont to have a kind of Expiation, in imitation of the ways of the Jews (the Devil is God's Ape) for their Cities, there was this custom amongst them, certain condemned persons were brought forth, with garlands in manner of Sacrifices, and these they were wont to tumble down from some steep place into the midst of the Sea, and so offer them up to Neptune the God of the Sea, with these words, Be thou a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for us; The like was used by them in the times of public infection, when they had a public plague in their Cities, they used such a custom to make an atonement between them and their gods, there were certain men brought to be sacrificed to their God's, for an expiation for there whole City, and they were called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 this word was used to signify that that man that was to expiate for all the sins of their Cities to their gods, ing all their sins upon him, was as filth and 〈◊〉 -scouring; and from these two words it is probable the Apostle in the first to the Corinthians 4. 13. hath that expression, by which we may come to understand the meaning of those two words there, We are (saith he) made the filth of the world, and off-scouring of the people; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ▪ in these alluding to the manner of the Grecians, We for our parts (saith he) are made as despicable and odious in the sight of the people, and are as much loaded with the curses of the people, as those condemned persons that had all the sins and curses of the people put upon them, and so were offered to their God's for expiation.

The Feast of Tabernacles. The history of this Feast is Leviticus 23. 34. & soon; In this Feast the Jews were to take boughs off the trees, and make booths of them; and those that write the history in their manners, they tell us, they used to carry boughs in their hands, because they could not make booths & Tabernacles for all the people, therefore some of them thought it sufficient to carry boughs in their hands, and those boughs they carried in their hands they used to call Hosanna; Do thou fold, or prepare the Hosanna, so they used to speak, therefore when Christ came to Jerusalem, they cried, Hosanna to the Son of David; the meaning was not a prayer, Save us O thou Son of David, as some would have it; but Hosanna to the Son of David, that is, we hold forth these boughs to the honor of the Messiah, the Son of David, the Feast of Tabernacles was to point at the Messiah; now for those boughs, ver. 40. there was a command of God, they should be goodly trees, palm trees, or willows of the brook, but why so? it noted that thereby they were to acknowledge God's goodness to them, that whereas they had lived forty years in the wilderness, in a dry place, they were now brought to a fruitful land, that had much water, which was a great matter in those hot countries, and therefore they were to bring the willows of the brook, and goodly trees, those that might most testify the goodness of God to them in delivering them from the wilderness, and in bringing them to a land, filled with sweet and pleasant brooks: Things observable in this Feast are, First. The end why God would have this Feast kept, he aims at these three things chiefly.

[ 1] First, God would have them to bless his name for his mercies to them in the wilderness, when they dwelt in boothes; it was appointed by God, that they should once a year call to mind the great mercies of God, while they were in the wilderness, and there dwelt in boothes, and had no houses, for so was the dispensation of God towards his people, for forty years they were to be in the wilderness, and not to have a house in all that time, but dwelt in Tabernacles; this was a mighty work of God, and manifested his exceeding protection over them, and provision for them, and his providence every way to provide necessaries for them, even as well as if they had had the strongest houses; that so many hundred thousands should live forty 〈◊〉 , and never have a house built all that time, was a great work of God; God • old declare thereby, that the Church in this world is not to expect any certain habitation, any settled condition, but to be as men that dwell in tents, removing up and down, and so seek after a City that hath foundations, as it is said of Abraham.

At this Feast the Jews were wont to read the Book of Ecclesiastes, principally because it speaks so much of the works of God's providence. All the while God's people dwelt in boothes and Tabernacies, God himself would dwell in a Tabernacle; God would never have a house built unto him, till he had brought his own people to be settled in houses of their own; and therefore when David began to think that he had a house of Cedar, and therefore surely God must have one too, God tells him, Did ever I speak of a house for me? as if he had said, As long as my people went up and down in booths and Tabernacles, I was content to have a Tabernacle, and a booth for my dwelling, thus God is willing to suite himself with the condition of his people; Is the condition of his people in a fleeting way, then I will be so too, saith God; If your conditions be afflicted, and unsettled, I will be so too; In all their afflictions, God was afflicted, in all their unsettledness, God seemed to be so too.

Indeed afterwards when God's people came to be in a settled estate in Jerusalem, then God would have a house built him; God would hereby teach us, That if himself be content to be in a condition like us, then we must be content to be in a condition like him, as thus; when we are afflicted will God be afflicted with us? when we are unsettled, will God be (as it were) unsettled with us? then let us not think it much, if afterwards God be in an afflicted way, his truth and his Gospel be in a suffering way; let us be willing to suffer with God; when God is magnified and praised, then our hearts should be enlarged too, and rejoice in his praise; we should consider the condition that God is in the world, & we must suite ourselves with that. Again, would God have them once a year to celebrate the remembrance [ 2] of their dwelling in boothes and Tabernacles, and that after they came to Jerusalem? From hence note. It is good to remember our low estates, to have a real remembrance of our low & mean conditions we had heretofore; doth God now bring us into a more settled condition then heretofore? Let us not forget in what an afflicted condition we were in, how unsettled, how ready we were to fleet up and down; If God should grant his people, that they should think themselves settled in their own kingdoms, yet let them never forget the time, when they were unsettled in this & other countries, there hath been a great part of the people of God, whose thoughts have been, what shall become of them, & whether shall they go, and perhaps to this day many have such thougts, unless there be some special mercies of God prevent it, yet may be the condition of thousands in the land, before a year go about; If God should prevent you, ever remember your fleeting condition once you were in; It was God's great care of the people of Israel, that they should never forget their dwelling in Tabernacles.

Thirdly, Note the time of their Feast of Tabernacles, they were to dwell in booths, upon the fifteenth day of their month, it was but five days after their day of atonoment, so that being so presently after the day of public atonement; this lesson may be learned.

After our humiliations for our sins, and making up our peace with God, it is good to keep our hearts low with the meditation of the uncertainty of all things in the world. You have been humbling yourselves, and making your peace with God, yet when your hearts are comforted with the hope of your alonement made, keep your hearts low, take heed of pride; the feast of Tabernacles must be kept, presently after the feast of Atonement; this is one special means to keep your hearts low, to have a real remembrance of the uncertainties of the comforts of this world. This lifteth up men's hearts to conceive some excellencies in things here; therefore go into your boothes, and work your hearts down, keep your feast of Tabernacles.

[ 4] Fourthly, God would have their hearts kept low by the actual going into their booths and tabernacles, though they had fair and sumptuous houses in the City, yet they were to go out, and live in their booths a while; you might think, were it not enough for the Priest to tell them, and bid them remember their dwelling in Tabernacles, but they must go forth from their houses and abide in booths.

It is a good way to keep those men humbled, that are raised from a low condition to a high, even actually to go into those houses that are low and mean, go into the houses of poor men, look into the cupboards, see what provision they have, this will be a means to humble your hearts, when you consider, This was once my condition.

A second end of this feast was, to bless God for all the fruits of the earth they had received, when they had received all in, their Vintage and all. As the feast of Pentecost was to bless God for their first fruits, and their harvest, but now all the fruits of the earth, Vintage and all were gathered in. Now they were to join all together, and to bless God for all the fruits of the Earth. That this is God's end, is clear in Deut. 16. 13, 14. Thou shalt observe the feast of Tabernacles, after thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine, and thou shalt rejoice, &c. because the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy increase, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice.

From hence there is this lesson.

It is useful to remember what a poor condition we were once in, and the uncertainty of all things that we have; even when we have got our riches into our houses, when all things are in our possession, it is not so much to think how uncertain they are, when they are growing in the field, but after the Vintage was gotten in, then they were to keep the feast of Tabernacles, to remember the uncertain condition of all things in the world, this we are very loath to do, it is unsuitable to our natures, and therefore this feast of Tabernacles was much neglected among the Jews until such time as they 〈◊〉 been in captivity, after God had carried them into Babylon, and the •• b • ought them back again into their own Country, then they kept the feast of Tabernacles, more solemnly then ever they had done, as we find Nehem. 8. 17. Since the day of Joshua the son of Nun, they had not done so, they never kept the feast of Tabernacles so solemnly from their first coming into Canaan, as then they did, now being come out of prison they could remember the uncertainty of all things in the world; men forget the uncertainty of all things in the world, but if they be driven from house and home, and lose all, then they remember what they have heard and confessed; of the uncertainty of all worldly things: some of our brethren who are plundered and driven from their habitations, if God should ever restore them to their habitations again, then their hearts would be enlarged in blessing God, then they would be more sensible of the uncertainty of the comforts of the creature then ever before.

Thirdly, The Feast of Tabernacles had an aim at Christ and the state [ 3] of a Christian, it was to typify JESUS CHRIST to come into the world, and to pitch his tents amongst us, as John 1. 14. he dwelt amongst us; he came and pitched his Tabernacle amongst us, it is in the Greek, and the state of a Christian likewise, is an abiding Tabernacle, 2 Cor. 5. 1. If our earthly house of this Tabernacle be dissolved, till we go where JESUS CHRIST is gone before us, to prepare mansions for us, John 14. our dwelling is in Tabernacles.

In the offerings that God appointed to offer in this their feast, Numb. 29. 12. there are some things very observable, but hard to find the meaning of, the feast was to be kept seven days, the first day was a great day, and the last day a great day, the first day there were 13. bullocks to be offered, and 14. lambes, the second day, there was but 12. bullocks, and the third day but 11. and the fourth day but 10. and so every day one decreased, (as you may see there) and the last day, there was but one offered,

Now divers Expositors have sought to find out the meaning of this. I do not find any such thing in all the Scripture, as this is, but only in this place, Calvin confesses when he speaks of this, that for his part he doth not understand the meaning of it, and rather then to make guesses of it, & uncertainties, I will saith he be silent in it, & yet he ventures upon a conjecture a very unlikely one, therefore I shall not name it. That which is most likely seems to be in two things. The first is, they must offer every day less and less, that is (saith another interpreter) to show their increase in sanctification, that they should grow to more and more perfection, every day of their feast, and so have less need of Sacrifices then they had before, and so it will afford a good note to us, that when we come to keep days to God, every day we should grow more and more in sanctification, and have less and less sin to answer for, then we had before.

Another interpretation that is given, is, that it was to show the cessation of the sacrifices of the Jews, that they were to decrease day by day, and this I take rather to be the meaning, because the last day is but one bullock that was offered, and yet the Text saith, that that was the great day of the Feast, when there was fewest sacrifices to be offered. John. 3. 37. The last and the great day of the feast, Jesus cried, if any man thirst, let him come unto me; there is somewhat to be noted about Christ there, though it is true, it was the feast of dedication, which was their own Feast, from whence many would prove the lawfulness of holy days, yet the truth is, upon examination you shall find there is scarce strength enough, from that place to prove it, though it be lawful to take the advantage of such times, but it will appear there, that it was the Feast of Tabernacles, as in 2 Chro. 8. 9. Their Feast of the dedication of the Temple, was at that time that the Feast of Tabernacles was; one thing is to be observed from Christ's being there at the Feast, the last and the great day, Jesus cried, if any man thirst, let him come unto me; Why did Christ upon the great day of the Feast cry out thus, If any man thirst, let him come unto me to drink? one reason may be, because when men are most strongly possessed with the uncertainties of all outward things in the world, then they are fit to entertain the gospel, then fit to hear of JESUS CHRIST, when their hearts are taken off from the world, and they look upon all things here as unsettled, the conclusion of that feast is a special preparation to the Gospel. Isaiah, 40. 6. 7, &c. The preparation to the good tidings of the Gospel, is the Proclamation that All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof as the flower of the field: yea the withering of the grass, and the fading of the flower must be proclaimed again and again. And then seasonably and acceptably it follows, ver. 6. O Zion, that bringest good tidings, behold your God.

Tremellius thinks that the reason of the expression of CHRIST at this time was, from the custom of the Jews at this Feast; at the feast of Tabernacles the Jews were wont with great joy to bring store of water out of the River of Shiloh to the Temple, where being delivered to the Priest, he poured it out upon the Altar, together with wine, and all the people sung that of Isaiah, with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation; though it were their own invention, Christ takes a hint upon it, they accustomed themselves to draw water, and pour it out, Christ saith, what do you stand upon this ceremony of yours, this your custom will die and perish in the use of it, but come to me and there you shall have water, I am the well of salvation, a spring of grace shall be continually in the heart of that man that believeth in me. One note more is observable in this Feast, we have a prophesy that in the times of the gospel, the feast of Tabernacles should be kept then, that is in the truth of it, not in the ceremony. In Zach. 14. 16. there is a Prophesy that when Christ cometh, the very truth of the feast of tabernacles, then all people shall worship the true God, and keep the feast of Tabernacles. Why is it there Prophesied that all people shall come and keep that feast? the reason may be this, this feast is named, because in the times of the gospel, men shall acknowledge their outward comforts to be from God, & 〈◊〉 • ertainty of all things here, and that they are strangers and pilgrims 〈◊〉 in the times of the gospel, this shall be made more evident to the hearts of people, then ever before, the more JESUS CHRIST shall be known in the world▪ the more shall the hearts of men be taken up with the knowledge of God in every creature, and of the uncertainty of every creature, and have their hearts taken of from the comforts of the world, and never account any settled condition here, but account themselves pilgrims, and strangers; that is a sign that the Gospel hath prevailed with your spirits, if you have your hearts taken off from the creature, and you look upon yourselves, as strangers in the world, and look for an abiding City, then do you keep in an Evangelical sense this feast of Tabernacles.

Or secondly, if it be meant of the glorious settled condition God in the latter days shall bring his Saints unto, yet then they shall remember with thankfulness, what their poor unsettled condition once was.

Thus you have had a view of the chief of the Jewish Feasts, which God threatens here shall cease.

There are only these three Observations to be drawn from altogether.

First, Even those things that are appointed by God himself, if once they be abused, God will not own them, but then they are accounted ours rather then God's, her sabbaths, why not my sabbaths? why not God's sabbaths? God did appoint them, but because they had abused them, God would not own them; her sabbaths, and her solemn Feasts. The Ordinances of God, though never so good in themselves, if you pollute them, God rejects them, they are your ordinances then and not God's, look then that all ordinances be, as God would have them.

Secondly, It is a grievous and lamentable affliction upon any people, for God to deprive them of his sabbaths and ordinances, his ordinances are included in their solemn Feasts, nay (saith God) you will go on in your wickedness, and would put me off with your sabbaths, and solemn meetings, and with those things that were once my ordinances, you will satisfy me with them, though you continue in your wickedness, no, you shall be deprived of them, you shall have no more sabbaths, no more solemn Feast days; it is a sad affliction for a people to have no more sabbaths.

How many of you neglect solemn meetings of God's people? time may come when God will rend these privileges from you, and then your conscience will grate upon you, O the sabbaths that once we had! O the solemn meetings that once we enjoyed! but our hearts were vain and slight; we did not make use of them, and now they are gone, now perhaps thou art cast into a goal, or into a dungeon, and there thou keepest thy sabbaths & thinkest upon thy solemn meetings. O how unworthy is this land of sabbaths? how did we set ourselves to persecute those that kept sabbaths? there was never any such a thing in any Christian nation: other places though they are somewhat loose upon their sabbaths, yet they never persecute them that will keep Sabbath: how justly might God have taken away our sabbaths? let us acknowledge God's free grace; what reproach hath it been in England to assemble to hear Sermons? how justly might God have taken away these solemn Assembles from us long before this? let us pray that what ever judgment God sends upon us, he will not take away our Sabbaths, nor our solemn assemblies, but that we may still enjoy those we have, and enjoy them to better purpose then ever we have done.

3. God hath no need of our services; If God call upon us to worship him, it is for our good, not for any need he hath of what we do. What do I care, saith God, whether I have any Sabbaths kept or no? I can provide for my glory, what ever becomes of your duties; I need them not, I can be glorious without you.

But these threats are but to take away things that are spiritual; carnal hearts think if they may live and prosper in the world, what care they for Sabbaths, and for solemn meetings? Tell them of taking away Ordinances, tell them of truth of God's worship, what is that to them? Let us have our peace, our trading, and our outward blessings, and truth will follow, O no, a gracious heart will rather reason thus, O Lord, let us have thy Ordinances, let us have thy Gospel, and then for our Vines and Fig-trees, our tradings, and our outward blessings, we will leave them to thy dispose; if thou will give us thy Sabbaths, and thy Ordinances, we will trust thee for our Vines, and for our Fig-trees. But if the Lord be so angry to deny us his Ordinances, how can we ever think that he will be so merciful to us, to continue our peace, or our civil liberties? No sure, if Truth be gone, Vines and Fig-trees will not stay long: The next words therefore are, I will destroy her Vines and her Fig-trees. The Lord may suffer those places that never had Sabbaths and Ordinances to prosper in their Civil • eace a long time, but where these have, and the wrath of God be so incensed as to take away these, it cannot be expected that outward peace and plenty can hold long there, First seek the kingdom of heaven, saith Christ, and all these things shall be added unto you: No, (say they) let us first seek the kingdom of earth, and the things of heaven will be added to us; which shows the sleightnesse of their account of heavenly things. As the paper and the thread in a shop, is given in to the commodity, it is added, if a man bargain for the paper and thread, and think the commodity will be given in, what a folly were it? Many men have their thoughts altogether upon the things of this life, and they think the Gospel will be given into the bargain, as if they have peace, they shall no question have truth, as if the Gospel were the paper and thread, and the things of the world were the commodities. It is your wisdom if you would enjoy outward peace, let your hearts be for Ordinances, cry to God for Ordinances, and then God will take care you shall sit under your Vines, and under your Fig-trees peace.

The Eleventh Lecture.

G ODS threatening Israel, in taking away spiritual mercies; their Sabbaths, and Ordinances, their solemn Feasts, you have in the former verse; but because they might not be much sensible of such a judgment, to be deprived of Sabbaths, and solemnities of worship, would not be so grievous to many, but the destroying of the fruit of the ground, the spoiling of their land, the loss of those things wherein their riches and outward comforts lay, would be more grievous, therefore God joins this threat with the former, And I will destroy her Vines and Fig-trees; In these two, Vines, and Fig-trees, there is a Synecdoche, by these are meant, all her outward prosperity; I will not lop their Vines, I will not cut down some branches of their Fig-trees only, but destroy them.

If God stays long before a judgment comes, he comes fearfully indeed, he comes with destroying judgments, then he strikes at the very roo • e of all a people's prosperity, and leaves them hopeless of ever recoveriug themselves; It concerns us to humble ourselves under God's hand, when he doth but cut off some branches of our vines and fig-trees, of our outward comforts, lest ere long there follows a destroying judgment, a cutting to the very root: Doth God come in your families, and cut off a branch or two, a child or two? Humble your souls before him, he may cut down the tree, stub up the root ere long, he may come to the Mother, or the Father, and so root out the family: So in a Nation, it is a very remarkable place that you have, Ezekiel, 21. 27. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, when was this spoken, and to whom? It was spoken unto Israel, and to Israel when they were in captivity, and yet God threatens them thus even there, I will overturn, overturn, overturn,

Whereof she hath said, these are the rewards that my lovers have given me; The word that is translated reward, signifies Merces meretricia, it comes of the Hebrew word that signifies hired with wages, but such wages as are given to harlots, and yet she is so impudent as to make use of that very word, these are my rewards; the word she useth here might upbraid her, but so impudent doth Idolatry make men to be; If we be guilty of whoredom, we have our rewards of whoredom then, (say they:) Whoremasters use to give rewards unto their whores; whoredom is a costly sin to many a man; Many men secretly wast, and consume in their estates, and their neighbors wonder how they come to be so low; Uncleanness is as a Gangrene, as it will consume the body, so the purse, it beggars many men, when the world little thinks of the cause.

Secondly, These are my rewards, these that you call Idols, give me liberal rewards, I have what I served them for.

God may suffer men in wickedness to prosper, to gain their hearts desire.

Thirdly, It is a dangerous thing for sinners to look back to their sins committed, and then to bless themselves, as if they had gotten by them; Indeed, before a sin is committed, the sinner by temptation may be persuaded there is much gain to be had in that way; and in the very act of commission, the sinner may find some flashie false contentment and delight, but usually after the act is over, when the sinner looks back, he sees nothing but shame, guilt and horror; Sinners scarce dare look back to their sins after they are committed, except such as are most desperately hardened in their sins, they dare not think of what they have done: but here you see, they look at what they have done, and bless themselves, as if they had got a goodly reward by it: As the sight of the evil consequences of sin is a means to humble, so the apprehending of gaining by sin, is a special means to harden in sin. Judas thought it a brave thing to get the thirty pieces, yet when he saw the evil fruit that his sin produced, he looked with horror upon his sin, his soul sunk under the burden of it: If a Judas looking after sin, hath his spirit filled with horror, what hope is there then of such a one, as looking after it, blesseth himself as a gainer by it! If a man either prospers at that time he sins, or prospers more a little after he hath committed a sin, then he did before, or so prospers as that he conceives his sin to be some way instrumental to bring in that gain that was got: this hardens exceedingly.

Fourthly, These are the rewards that my lovers have given me.

It is a provoking sin to attribute the blessings of God to our own wicked sinful ways, and thereby to harden our hearts in those ways. It is too much to attribute any of God's blessings to second causes, to our lawful endeavors, to our industry, to our care, to any instruments, but to attribute them to our wickedness, this is abominable, God expects glory in the acknowledgement of every mercy, and improvement of it unto him: where then there is not only a denial of this to him, but a giving it to his enemy, to wickedness, to the Devil, whom he hates, this goes exceeding near to the heart of God. It is a great part of our sanctifying of God's name in the use of all the creatures, to acknowledge him in all, that all depends upon him, and thereby to be quickened in his service: but to think all depends upon that which is contrary to God, and therefore if we want what we would have, to begin to think we have not served our lust enough, and to be put on to serve them more, this exceedingly provokes. I will give you one notable example of this wretchedness of man's heart, and indeed it is a very dreadful one, I had very credible relation from a Minister, who being at Hamburg, he was told this story. There was a consultation of many of the Ministers of Germany at that Town in the time of the sorest distresses and calamities that were in Germany, the Ministers were Lutherans, they consulted to find out what might be the cause why the hand of God was so heavy upon Germany, in those parts where they lived, that so they might reform what was amiss, and make their peace with God, the isse of their consultations came to this, that the reason of their calamities and troubles that were upon them, was because the Images of their Churches were not adorned enough: because there was not cost enough bestowed upon them, they were not decked as they thought they should have been: and therefore for the preventing of the continuance of those calamities in those parts of Germany, they unanimously consented to improve all the strength they had to beautify and adorn the Images in their Churches more: this was a sad thing for Ministers who professing against Popery, as the Lutherans do, they indeed keep Images in Churches: But could it be thought that they should be thus vain, yea wicked, as to attribute the want of their Vines and fig-trees to the want of their superstitious vanities, and to bring up their consultations to this conclusion, that if they were more zealous of the one, they should the more prosper in the other? was not this a sore and grievous evil, going near to the heart of God?

Many attribute the increase of their estates to their lying, to their overreaching, their swearing, and rejoice in this, this I have got by these ways; Zeph. 1. 9. God threatens to punish those that leap on the threshold, and fill their masters houses with violence and deceit: That is, the servants of great men, who by oppression and by fraud bring in gain to their Masters houses, and then they leap upon the threshold for joy, applauding themselves in the success they have had in their wicked ways: It is usual in whatsoever ways men are, if they meet with any prosperous success, to bless themselves, as if this success came in the rather because of those ways, let the ways be never so wicked: Of late have not some made the world believe they have had great success, & have made an argument that their ways have been good, and God hath blessed them, because they have done as they have, though we know their ways to be such as brings most fearful guilt upon themselves, and their families, and we have all cause to have our hearts tremble within us, to think of them; and if it be through seducement, and not through a worse principle, to pray to God, O Lord forgive them, for they know not what they do: and for the success they boast of, who would not if he might wish such success to his Enemy?

But if Idolaters can encourage themselves in those ways they are in, from what good they suppose they have by them, for their rewards; how much more then should the Saints encourage themselves in the rewards that they have from their lover, from the Lord Christ? Psal. 129. 56. This I had (saith David) because I kept thy word; this is the reward I have had from my lover; I bless God, I have in some measure got my heart to break before the Lord, and to melt after him, and the Lord hath come in mercifully to me, though indeed there be no worthiness in what I have done, yet the Lord hath been gracious, he hath encouraged his poose servant in his way; these and these mercies the Lord hath given me as a fruit of seeking him; he hath not said to the seed of Jacob, seek ye me in vain; I have sought for comfort, for peace, and at last it is come, I will call upon the name of the Lord, as long as I live; we should consider of God's mercies we have, and rejoice in them as the love-tokens that come from our beloved; These are the rewards, these are the love-tokens that come from our dearly beloved. Hereafter when the Saints shall come to heaven, how will they bless God, and bless themselves in their God, for those glorious things, those blessed rewards that they then shall receive from their beloved, and enjoy forever with him! then they shall triumphingly say, the world said heretofore, What profit is there in serving of the Lord? But blessed be God, that I went on notwithstanding in the ways of God, and now I see there is profit to purpose; O these joys! O this glory! O this crown! this happiness! these are the rewards that I have from my beloved.

A fifth, what any man gets by sin, or looks upon as gotten by sin, or uses as a means to harden himself in sin, the curse of God is in it, and it will rend it from him, he shall not ever enjoy it; I will destroy their vines & their figtrees, whereof they have said, these are the rewards that my lovers have given me, 1 Kings 21. 16. you shall find that Ahab blessed himself in getting Naboth's vineyard, by the device of Jezebel, the text saith, He rose up to go to take possession, but verse 9. Thus saith the Lord, hast thou killed, and also taken possession? in the place where the dogs licked the blood of Nabeth, shall dogs lick thy blood, even thy blood; What, you have got an estate now, you have got the vineyard, you have got possession, how got you it? by wickedness, though you bless yourselves in it now, as a reward of your vile ways, certainly the Lord will either force you in the anguish and terror of your souls, to vomit up those sweet morsels again, you shall not hold them, or some fearful judgment of God upyou, will rend them from you; that which many have got by unjust and sinful ways, they have indeed rejoiced in for a while, but after a while that estate hath been in their consciences as drops of scalding lead in the very apple of a man's eye; so terrible hath it been unto them.

For this I will only give you an example, a late one, that came to my own hands in restoring that that was wrongfully got many years ago, from one near myself, I shall the rather name it because the party desired that the thing might be made known to the glory of God, He sends that that he had wrongfully got; divers years after, with a letter with these expressions; Many a throb of conscience had I about it, many an • king heart, and many promises have I made of restitution, and thousands of times have I wished unto you your silver again; what shall I do? to keep it, it is to continue in sin; to give it to the poor, alas, it is not mine own; or at least the evil purchase of gain hourded up in the stuff of my iniquity; to send it home, the owner is dead, I would to God I had sent it before, that it might not have layne so hard upon me; but seeing that is past, and cannot be recalled, here I sent it you, I ask God forgiveness, and pray you fail not to pray for me; Sweet Jesus forgive me: It was kept divers years, but was biting all the while in the conscience of the poor man, and at length it must break forth in such expressions as these are.

Consider of this, everyone who hath got anything by a sinful way, and have blest himself in it, this is the reward I have got by such a cunning device, and such an unjust and deceitful way, you got it cleverly, and have enjoyed it, and been merry with it, well, one day it may thus lie grating in your conscience, O then how rerrible will it be to you! this is the best way to be rid of the rewards of sin, when they begin to cause aking in your consciences, cast them out yourselves, all your praying to God for forgiveness will never ease you without this way; if you be able to restore, but if you will not do it this way, God may come by some hideous judgment, and force them from you in spite of your hearts, and then how terrible will it be to you, when you look upon them as going from you, as being rent by God from you! O now I must part with all that gain, and sweetness that such and such ways of sin have brought me in; the gain, the sweet is gone, but the guilt, the curse, the dregs, the filth, that remains upon my spirit, and for ought I know must stick by me to all eternity; God's judgments will be upon you one day, but as strainers to let out whatsoever is sweet, & delightful to you, and to keep in the filth and dregs; Remember this, you that have got rewards by sinful ways, your rewards of sin may now delight you, but there is a time you shall have rewards for your sins, that will not please you. I will make them as a forest.

God threatens his people to make them as a forest, the Seventy they read it otherwise, I will put those things as a witness; you will say here is a great difference; I will make her as a forest, and I will put those things as a witness; Those things, that is, those rewards; they rejoice in the rewards that they have had of their iniquity, but I will make them to be as a witness against them; Certainly there is a truth in this, Those things that you rejoice in as got by sin, the Lord will make them to rise up, and witness against you; be sure now you cast them out, they will be witnesses against you another day else; A man that is guilty, would be glad, when he knows one that would witness against him, were dead, or out of the way; have you got anything by a sinful way? have you got anything by a sinful course? put it out of the way, for otherwise it will be a witness against you, either upon your sick-bed, or at the great day of Judgment; but how can thesee-two readings be reconciled, I will make them as a witness against you, and I will make her as a forest? It is true, the words in the English seem to be very wide one from another, but there is an easy mistake that might cause the Seventy to read those words, so as to render them thus, I will put them as a witness, for [ 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ] signifies a forest in the Hebrew, and [ 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ] signifies to witness, so it is used, Zach. 3. 6. Montanus reads those words, Contestabatur Angelus; now those that are skillful in the Hebrew know that there being no more difference in the words then in those letters which are so like one another, one is [ 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ] the other is [ 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ] there might easily be a mistake in that regard; but we take it as it is here, I will make her as a forest. The Church is God's garden, hedged in with God's protection, but God here threatens to take away the hedge, and let in the wild beasts; Concerning the hedge of God about his Church we have spoken before: The wild Beasts are one of God's sore judgments often threatened: Those who will not be subject to the blessed holy God, they shall be subject to the ravening and rage of Beasts: And it is like the Seventy understood it, even literally of that judgment of noisome beasts to be let in upon them; for I find that they add to these words [ the beasts shall eat them ] the fowls of the Heaven, and the creeping things of the earth shall devour; but though I find that in the translation of the Seventy, yet I do not find it in the Hebrew Text, and therefore we must let it pass, and only speak of what we have here, of the beasts eating: Now therefore by that according to most Interpreters, I incline to think, and am persuaded, that it is the intention of the holy Ghost to express a judgment beyond the judgment of letting in of noisome beasts, namely the Assyrians, the adversaries of Israel, who should come upon them as ravening beasts to devour them; from whence the words being so opened, you have these three notes of great use concerning us.

The first is, sin makes men like Beasts, the beasts of the earth, he means the Assyrians, great ones, and yet he calls them the beasts of the earth, to be like a beast, is worse then to be a beast; for to be a beast is but to be as God made the creature, it is no dishonor to it: but to be like a Beast, that is the corruption of a creature, and the deformity of it, the worst deformity that possibly can be: Chrysostom shows it thus, Beasts (saith he) have but some particular evil, take the worst of all, as the Swine, sensuality, the Tiger, and the Bear, cruelty; the Fox subtlety, &c. But wicked men have all evils that all beasts in the world have in them. One wicked man hath the sensuality of a Swine, and cruelty of a Tiger, of a Bear, the subtlety of a Fox, and whatsoever is set out Emblematically by any Beast, a wicked man hath it all in his heart; yea and farther, wicked men are worse then beasts in this, that they do corrupt themselves in those things that they have common together with beasts, more then beasts do. As the Drunkard corrupts himself in his drink, which a beast will not do, a glutton corrupts himself in his mea •• ore then ordinarily a beast will do, and that I think is the 〈◊〉 〈…〉 in 〈…〉 Jude, ver. 〈…〉 of that they know not, and what they know naturally as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. As for their intellectual parts, they will be speaking evil of what they know not, they will take upon them as if they knew much, but the truth is, they understand little, and yet they will speak evil of that they know not. It is a dreadful Text against such as will be crying out against men and their ways, when as in truth they know not what they are; but further, in that they know naturally as brute beasts, in that they corrupt themselves, that is, in things they do know merely by sense, as brute beasts do, they know by tasting, and by smelling, as brute beasts do, in those very things they corrupt themselves more then brute beasts, that is, by excess in meats and drinks.

Would not any account it to be one of the greatest judgments that could befall him, if God should turn him into the fashion of a Beast while he lives here in this world, though he should still retain the mind of a man in him? Suppose God should inflict this judgment upon a Drunkard, he should still have his intellectual parts as now he hath, but yet his body should be turned into the form of a Swine, or a railer into the form of a dog, as they say Hecuba Priamus his wife was for her railing; would not this be a fearful judgment? It is an expression of a heathen, Lactantius hath it from Cicero, (saith he) If it would be such a judgment as a man would be willing to endure any misery in the world, rather then to have his body turned into the fashion of a Beast, is it not as great a misery to keep the fashion of the body, and to have the mind to become like a beast, to keep a human shape with the soul of a beast? surely it is worse then to have the shape of a beast with the soul of man.

Secondly, God looks upon wicked men who do great things in the world with a contemptible eye: the Beasts shall devour, that is, the great King of Assyria, and all his Courtiers about him, and Cavaliers with him, they shall come to devour them, they are but the beasts, God speaks in a contemptible manner, as he doth against Sennacherib that King of Assyria, in Isa. 37. 29. God threatens to put a hook in his nostrils, and a bridle in his lips, because of his rage and of his tumult, that is, he would use him as a beast, to hook his nose, & to put a bridle into his jaws. Mark likewise how contemptible God speaks of the King of Babylon, and his whole army, Joel 2. 20. His stink and his ill savor shall come up, because he hath done great things; and so in Psal. 59. 7. They belsh with their mouths (saith David) and they go up and down the City grinning like a dog: these are the expressions of David, and in that Psalm he means no other but those his adversaries, that were about Saul in his Court: and Ezek. 38. 3, 4. To the chief Prince of Meshech and Tubal, I will put hooks in thy jaws (saith God) and in Dan. 7. the four great Monarchs, Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, Roman, are set out by four beasts, & the fourth Monarchy which by most Interpreters interpreted the Roman Empire, Dan. 7. 7. it is described to be dreadful and 〈…〉 and strong exceedingly, & it had great iron teeth, it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it, and it was divers from all things that was before it; Now this beast raged first in the heathen Empire, and after it gave its power to the beast Antichrist, as you may read in Rev. 13. and that beast was like a leopard spotted, full of uncleanness and filth, or as some translate it, a panther, who by the scent of it draws other beasts to him, but devours them, and his feet like a Bear, and his head like a Lyon. Thus you see how God describes the great ones of the world, to be as beasts looking with a contemptible eye upon them.

Thirdly, It is a sore and a heavy judgment for a people to be delivered up to the rage of cruel adversaries; the beasts shall devour them. I will give you up to them who will bring you under, you will not be obedient to me, but to them you shall, I will let out cruel wicked men upon you. Hence David prayed, Lord let me not fall into the hands of men, when God would put him to his choice, to choose what judgment he would have, he was quickly resolved what to refuse, he would be sure he would not have that judgment, to be given up to the hands of men, that he knew was dreadful; and Psal. 55. 6. he prays, O that I had the wings of a dove, that I might fly into the wilderness, and there abide. Into the wilderness! Why he should be among the wild beasts in the wilderness, and yet he cries, O that he had the wings of a dove, he would abide in the wilderness! Why what is the matter here? it was because of the cruelty of Saul, and his courtiers, David apprehended them so cruel, that he had rather fall into the hands of Tigers, and wild beasts in the wilderness, then into theirs. I could give you notable examples of people that would rather endure any misery in the world, then be given up into the hands of their enemies. That story is most famous of Numantia in Spain, when Scipio came against it, and they were afraid it would be taken, all the young men first took all the old men in the City and killed them with as fair a death as they could; then they brought all the treasure and riches of the City to the market place, and set all on fire, and after that they all took poison and poisoned themselves, and thus in one day old and young, and all in the City, were quite destroyed, rather then they would fall into the hands of their enemies. Psa. 22. 20. Deliver my soul, saith David, from the sword, my darling from the power of the dog, the power of the dog, and the sword, is but one the interpretation of the other; and that text is observable, 1 Cor. 15. 32. That I have fought with beasts at Ephesus after the manner of men; some interpret this literally, that he did indeed really fight with beasts, as being one way of torment they put the Christians to, to fight with beasts; but it is rather thought by most interpreters, that the meaning is with men that were beastly, with cruel men, and Esthius thinks those men to be no other, but those that are mentioned in Acts 19. 9. of whom the text saith there, that divers were hardened, and spake evil before the multitude, Paul then departed from them, and 〈◊〉 he disciples, Paul says that it was a most 〈…〉 to get the multitude to be gathered together, and there to speak against him and his doctrine, and against Christ, when all the multitude were got together, now their malice thought that a fit opportunity to vent all their venom against Paul and his doctrine, upon that the spirit of Paul was so provoked (saith the text) that he departed from them, and separated the disciples: he saw them desperately set upon it with malice that they would take such an advantage, so to speak against him and his doctrine before the multitude; it is thus with many, the more sedition is raised, the better are their designs furthered. Christ tells his Disciples, Mark 16. 18. that Serpents should do them no hurt, and drinking poison shall not hurt them; yea, in the 19. of Luke the beginning, he tells them they shall have power over devils; Serpents shall do them no hurt, poison shall do them no hurt, they shall have power over Devils: but Matthew. 10. 17. Beware of men; they might say, why blessed Master, what need we be afraid of men? Serpents shall do us no hurt, we shall have power over Devils, and yet for all this, Christ bids them take heed of men; as if there weere more danger of hurt from wicked men, then from Devils, or from Serpents, and therefore S, Paul in the 2. of the Thessalo. 3. 2. prays that they may be delivered from absurd men; so the words are, that those that had lost the very principle of reason, and were even as beasts. There are a generation risen up amongst us, who have sucked up the poison of the old Serpent, and are sweld with it, who are set on fire of hell, and the poison of Asps is under their lips, and in their hands, and as it was said of Romulus and Romus, the founders of Rome, they were suckled by wolves, so are these, who desire to build up Rome again; much like the first founders of that Rome, they seem to be men suckled by wolves, or as the Poets fain of Lycaon, turned into a wolf for his cruelty; or as it is said of their S. Dominick, that was the Father of the Dominicans, that when his Mother was with child of him, she dreamed that she brought forth a wolf, with a firebrand in his mouth; according to that representation she had in her dream of her child, she proved afterwards; and if we look to the cruelty, and the rage of these kind of men, we may even think, that their Mothers have brought forth wolves with firebrands in their mouths; in these Satan rages, and we hope therefore his time is but very short, because he rages so much; had they prevailed, and brought all under their power, no Chronicle of any Nation under Heaven would afford the like stories of horrid cruelties, as the Chronicles of these times would have done; where they have prevailed, in Ireland, there have been the beginnings of such barbarismes, as here would have risen to the perfection of all rage and horrible cruelties; they may be fair a little while, till they get more strength; but certainly had they their will, there would never be parallel examples of that horrible rage and cruelty as you would find among them, the Lord deliver us from being scourged with these Scorpions; let us humble our souls before God, that God may not humble us before such beasts, that we may not say that England shall be as a forest, and these beasts shall devour them; in the mean time let us not be offended at their prevailing in some places, for then we should be as beasts ourselves, Psal. 73. 22. So ignorant was I, I was as a beast before thee, (saith David) Genesis 9. 5. God saith, He will require of the beasts the blood of his people, Certainly, God will require of these beasts, the blood that hath been shed, it is precious blood that they have drunk; had it been corrupt blood, God would not so much have cared for it, but it hath been the blood of his Saints; let us believe that God will turn the rage of man, the rage of beasts, to his praise, Psal. 76. 10. Surely the Lord cannot possibly behold without indignation such vile beasts to worrie his Lambs, who are so dear to him, even such so precious in his eyes, to be torn and worried by such beasts as these are, the eyes of the Lord are purer then to behold such iniquity as this is, we may well cry out with the Prophet, Haback. 1. 2. 3. How long shall we cry out of violence and wrong? spoilings and violence are before me, whe • efore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously and holdest thy tongue, when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous then himself? The higher the scum ariseth, the nearer we know it is to the fire. I have read of Philo, when the people of the Jews made use of him to apologize for them unto Cajus the Emperor, Cajus used him very ruggedly, when he came out of his presence, the Jews came round about him, well, (saith he, to encourage them) Surely Cajus will arm God against himself for us.

But it may be said by some, surely these men are not beasts, for they are skillful warriors, they are not so brutish as you take them to be, but are skillful enough in their ways; mark that text of Ezekiel 21. 31. I will deliver thee into the hand of brutish men, skillful to destroy; they are skillful to destroy, and yet brutish men; we have a promise from God, and our prayers should hasten the fulfilling of it, in Ezek. 34. 25. He will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land, and ver. 28. the beasts of that land shall no more devour them; O that that time were come! O that the Lord would so work for us as to cause our beasts to cease out of our land, that they might no more devour! Isaiah 35. 9. No Lyon shall be there, no ravenous beast shall be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there; there is such a time coming; let us be patient in the mean time, and comfort our selves in these Scriptures, though our brethren endure hard things, by these cruel beasts, and though God may perhaps bring some of us under the rage of them, yet there is an estate of the Churches, that will be ere long that they shall be troubled no more with such unclean, such outrageous beasts.

VERSE 13. And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burnt incense to them, and she decked her self with her ear-rings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgot me, (saith the Lord.)

Here is the conclusion of the threatening part of the Chapter; Now God will come upon them for all their sins together, if a generation shall succeed 〈…〉 esse, God may justly come upon 〈…〉 , for all the suns of the former generations; all the blood from Abel to Zechariah shall be required of this generation; I will visit all the days of Baalim, ever since they served Baal, let men take heed of continuing in the ways of sin, who can tell what sin may put a period to the time of God's bringing his judgment upon a Nation, a family, or a particular person? though God hath spared heretofore, upon the next sin committed, there may be such a period put, as God now may come upon the family, not only for that sin, but for all the sins of the family, that ever have been committed since it was a family, and so upon a Nation, for all the sins of a nation, since it was a nation, and all thy sins, ever since thou wast a sinner. Men go on a while in the ways of sin prosperously, but when God cometh to visit, what will become of them? Isaiah 10. 3. What nill you do in the day of your visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far, to whom will ye flee for help? and where will you leave your glory? Now you are merry, and laugh, now you fear nothing, but what will you do in the day of visitation? what will become of you then? whether will you flee then? and where will you leave your glory?

I will visit upon them the days of Baalim; in the plural number Baalim, by which some think and that not improbably, that it is meant of their under God's that they had, which they called Baalims, for the Heathen had their chief God's, and their Dii minores, their lesser God's, that were unto them, as mediators to their chief God's, and so our Papists have, they have their Diiminores, lesser God's, who are tutelary God's, either over Nations, or over families, or over particular diseases, &c. As they say, for England, S. George, for Erance, S. Dennis, for Ireland, S. Patrick, for Wales, S. David, for Scotland, S. Andrew, &c. These Saints they are in imitation of the Heathens, Baal, or in the Chaldee dialect Bel, was the King of Babylon after Nimrod, the first that was deified, and reputed as a God after death, whence those men that were deified after their death, and worshipped as God's, as the Papists worship their Saints, they called Baalims, as from Julius Caesar, the other that followed after, were called Caesar's: This interpretation gives unto us much light to understand that Scripture that you have in the first of the Corinthians, 8. 5. 6. Though there be that are called Lord's whether in heaven or in earth, as there be God's many, & Lord's many, but to us there is but one God the Father, and one Lord Jesus Christ; If the Apostle had spoke in Hebrew, it would have been thus, though there be many Baalims, there is to us but one God, and one Baal; for in Hebrew, Baal is Lood, there are many God's, (say they) there were divers greater God's, and there were many Lord's, many Baalims, that is, there are many amongst the Heathens that are mediators to their other chief God's; But to us (saith he) there is but one God, and but one Lord, but one Baal, we have not Baalims, we have not many mediators, to mediate between us and God, but as we have but one God, so we have but one Lord, but one Mediator, who indeed in regard of his human nature is inferior to the Father, but yet such a Lord by whom are all things, and we by him, we acknowledge not greater God's, and less God's: the Papists acknowledge but one God, but they have many Lord's, many Mediators, many that must be between God and them, but this is a heathenish opinion.

Again, Baalim in the plural number. Another reason given by some, and not improbably, is, that in regard of the several images they had of their Baal, in several places, even in their private houses; for Idolaters would not satisfy themselves in worshipping their God's in public, but would worship them in their private houses also.

Now though the Jews had only two Idols set up, one in Dan, another in Bethel; yet they had some representations of those images in their private houses, which may be grounded upon that text Hosea 10. 5. Because of the calves of Bethaven, that is of Bethel, calves of Bethel. Why, how many calves were there? there was but one calf set up there, and yet here it is in the plural number: now the reason of that is given, because though there was but one calf set up for the public worship, yet they had in their private families, the picture of that calf, and so would bring the worship of their Baal into their families. A good lesson for Christians, not to satisfy themselves with public worship, but to bring as much of the worship of God as they can into their families. Wherein she burnt incense to them.

Incense was a typical signification of prayer, in two respects. First, in the sweet savor of it. And secondly, in the ascending of it by fire, so all our prayers should be as incense, sweet before the Lord, and ascend up with the fervency of zeal, and Faith; it is properto God alone to have incense burnt unto him in a religious way, the heathens burnt incense to their Idols, imitating the worship of God. She decked her self with her ear-rings, and her jewels: they worshipped their Idols in sumptuous manner, adorning themselves with as costly apparel as they could, especially their foreparts: the word that is translated jewels, signifies the nose jewel, the same word that you have in Isaiah, 3, 21. nose jewels, they hanged upon their faces, jewels to make themselves beautiful before their Idols: whores use to adorn themselves more pompously then grave matrons, by this many simple people are drawn to the love of Idolatry, which is spiritual whoredom; outward braveries draw the senses; they thought God would accept of their service the rather, because of their costly jewels, that hung about their ears and nostrils. From hence this note.

To think that God will accept our service the rather, because of any apparel, or anything of our own devising, is to deal with God as the heathens with their Idols; we must take heed of that: the Heathens instituted garments, that so they might be accepted. There was a Council in the 333. year of Christ, that hath this Canon in it, it anathematizes all those that shall judge one vesture, one garment more holy then another, & make more for piety then another doth. We are to learn from Idolaters thus much, to 〈◊〉 adorn our souls, when we come into the 〈◊〉 of God; did they deck their bodies, and hang jewels about ears and noses when they came before their Idols for acceptance? Let us beautify our souls every time we come before the living God; and would you know what fine clothes you should have, when you come into God's presence? I will tell you, and especially women who delight so much in fine clothes, 1 Pet. 5. 5. Be ye clothed with humility; so the word is to dress with a dress that Gentlewomen used to wear in those times, with ribband; about their heads; well (saith the Apostle) would you have a fine dress ye women? be ye clothed with humility; the finest dress you can possibly have: and I will tell you another dress too, in 1 Pet. 3. 4. Adorned with a quiet and meek spirit, which is with God of great price; it is much set by of God, so translated in some of, your books. You love to be fine, if you come into God's presence with quiet and meek spirits, and clothed with humility, you will be as fine as can be in the very eyes of God; but withal remember, both men and women, the robes of Christ's righteousness, except you come clothed and decked with that garment also, certainly you can never find acceptance.

They followed after their Idols, but forgot me (saith the Lord. ) Their lovers were remembered, but I was forgotten, saith God; God speaks here in a lamenting way, as a man bemoaning his sad condition: as if he should have said, how am I flighted by my people? the Idols can be followed, they can be remembered, but I am neglected, I am forgotten, they have activity for their Idols, none for me, memory for them, but none for me.

God takes it very ill, when men can find memory, strength, and activity enough for their sinful ways, but none for him; many complain of strength, they are weak, but who was ever so weak, but had strength enough to sin? though memories be weak, yet sinful ways can be thought on.

Forgot me, that is, First, they have forgot what a God I am. Secondly, what I have done for them, the great works I have done before them. Thirdly, all their engagements to me; many follow wicked ways, yet so as sometimes they have checks of conscience, they have somewhat of God yet sticking upon their hearts, some remembrances of God, and so long there is hope; but when a sinner hath so far departed from God, and followed on his ungodly ways, as God is quite worn out of his thoughts, then he is in a sad case indeed. I appeal to you, is it not the case of some here? there was a time that you had mighty impressions of God upon your spirits, and then you could never go up and down in your shops, streets, fields, but the thoughts of God were in your mind, and when you awaked in the night season, the thought of God was in your hearts; but there was some haunt of wickedness that your hearts hankered after all that while, temptation came, and you have given way to it, and now (friend) you can go up and down, one day after another, and scarce think of God at all? what is the matter that you have no thoughts of God now, as you were wont to have? yet perhaps you are not gone so far, but that now and then there cometh in some darting thoughts of him, but so as your conscience knows they are very terrible to you, you can never now have a thought of God, but it is as a clagger at your heart, and indeed it must needs be terrible to a guilty conscience that is departed from God. Well, take heed what thou doest O thou sinner, go not on so long in thy sinful ways, till thou wearest out all the thoughts of God, for some have done so, though they had checks of conscience, when they have been in wicked company, God hath come into their thoughts, and troubled them, but they have gone to wicked company again, and some thoughts of God have yet followed them, but they have gone again and again, and now they have forgot God, as if there were no God at all in heaven, as if God had nothing to do with them, and they nothing to do with God, O this is a sad condition indeed. If any of you be declining into such a condition as this is, the Lord stop you, this day the Lord awaken your consciences. Ordinarily the more prosperity men have, the more forgetful they are of the Lord; They forgot me, as Genesis 48. 20. Jacob set Ephraim before Manasseh, first Ephraim, then Manasseh; Ephraim signifies fruitfulness, and Mansses signifies forgetfulness; thus it is with men, Ephraim comes first, f • uit fullness, God is fruitful to you, and blesseth you in your estates, & then comes Manasseh, forgetfulness; you are forgetful of his goodness to you:

My brethren, if always we had such impressions of God, as we have sometimes, O how happy were it! It will terrify hereafter, when God shall again so present himself to you, and cause you to remember what impressions of his divine Majesty once you had; let us hold forth our continual remembrance of God, so as all that behold our conversaions, may say, surely the thoughts of God are mighty upon the spirits of these men; thus we should live before our brethren: I will give you this one rule for your lives; Live such lives as by them you may hold forth before your brethren such remembrances of God, as they may conclude by that they see in your conversations, Certainly there are deep thoughts of God upon the heart of this man, there was a time indeed he walked lightly; vainly, foolishly, but now he is serious in his way, he is considerate, he is heavenly, he walks with fear; Certainly there are great impressions of the divine Majesty upon his heart; if it be so with us, how joyful will it be to us hereafter, when God shall appear in his glory, then to have our consciences tell us, the impressions of the Majesty of this God, that now I see so high and great have been upon my soul, in the whole course of my life, I now see the glory of the great God shining, and blessed be his name, even this God that appears so gloriously, hath appeared often to my soul before, and I have kept the impressions of his glory upon my heart, and he was continually in my thoughts. It is a wonder that God should ever think of us, who are so forgetful of him as we are; Psalm 8. What is man that thou rememberest him? (saith the text) what is man? The word there that is translated man, some would bring forth the Hebrew root which signifies forgetfulness; I find Eusebius taking it thus, What is man O Lord, that thou shouldst remember him? that is, what is forgetful man, that thou shouldest remember him? yet I confess the Hebrew word that is there translated man, comes from another root that signifies weakelinesse, sicklinesse; what is weak man, what is sick-man; yet if this word come not from that root that signifieth to forget, yet I am sure there is a word that cometh from that root that signifies to forget, that is used for women, because of their forgetfulness; we would be glad to have God remember us, in the day of our adversities, let us remember God now; all you young ones, remember God, remember your Creator in the days of your youth; you old people, whatsoever you forget, forget not the Lord; let us all remember the Lord, who hath remembered us all; who hath remembered England, in its low estate. for his mercies endure forever.

We have done with the threatening part, now it follows, Therefore, behold I will allure her, bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably to her; [Therefore] Beloved, it is a strange therefore; what, they followed after their Idols, they have said, that all their prosperity was a reward of their Idols, they have forgot the Lord, they have decked themselves with their jewels, to honor their Idols; (and mark) it comes presently, Therefore I will allure her, and I will speak comfortably to her; one would rather have thought it should have followed; Therefore I will yet plague her, therefore my judgments shall pursue her, and cut her off; but mark it follows, Therefore I will allure her, and speak comfort ably unto her; O the rich and free grace of God to his people! But of that the next day.

The Twelfth Lecture.

H Ere begins the second part of this Chapter; the former was in conviction, threatening, pronouncing judgments: this from verse 14. unto the end, is the opening of the free and rich grace of God to Israel. It may be said of this Chapter, as Psalm 85. 10. Mercy and Peace are met together, Righteousness and Truth kiss each other,

There is a blessed conjunction between threatening of judgment, and proffering mercy; but where is the copula of this conjunction?

What is that knits these two together? Here is a conjunction, but it is very wonderful, it is in the first word, therefore; that is the copula, [ therefore ] I will allure her; Wherefore? This therefore hath a very strange and wonderful wherefore, if we consider of what went before; the words immediately before were, She went after her lovers, and forgot me, saith the Lord, [ therefore ] behold, I will allure her; there needs an Ecce be put to this [ therefore ] be hold; Behold, I will allure her. Lyra could not see how these things could be joined together, therefore he thinks that this verse hath not reference to that that immediately went before, but to the words in the beginning of the Chapter, Say to your brethren, Ammi, my people, and to your sisters, Ruhamah, she that hath obtained mercy, therefore: And Cornelius à Lapide not understanding the cause of such a connection, he would refer the beginning of this verse to the end of the seventh verse: She shall say, I will go to my first husband, for then it was better with me then now, therefore also I will allure her; these two, though learned men, yet are Papists, and therefore understand but little of the free rich grace of God, and hence are put to it, so much, to make a connection between that that went before, and this therefore; but we need not go so far, the right knowledge of the fullness, and the riches of the grace of the Covenant, will help us out of this difficulty, and tell us how these two, the greatness of man's sin, and the riches of God's grace may have a connection one to another, and that by an Illative therefore. I confess the Hebrew word is sometimes conjunctio ordinis, rather then causalis, a conjunction that only sets out the order of a thing, one thing following another, rather then any way implying any cause, but the reading here by way of inference, I take to be according unto the scope of the Spirit of God, and it gives us this excellent note.

Such is the grace of God unto those who are in Covenant with him, as to take occasion from the greatness of their sins, to show the greatness of his mercy, from the vileness of their sins, to declare the riches of his grace. And the Scripture hath divers such kind of expressions as these, as Gen. 8. 21. The Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground anymore for man's sake; Why? For the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth: A strange reasoning; I will not curse the ground for man's sake, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth. One would have thought it should have been rather, I will therefore curse the ground for man's sake, because the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; but the grace of God knows how to make another manner of inference then we could have imagined: So likewise, Isa. 57. 17, 18. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him, I hid me and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart; I have seen his ways (saith God) Now one would have thought that the next word should have been, I will therefore plague him, I will destroy him, I will curse him; but mark the words that follow, I will heal him, I will 〈◊〉 him also, and restore comforts unto him, and to his mourners; I will create the fruit of the lips, peace to him. This is a consequence at least, if not an inference. David understood this reasoning to be indeed the true reasoning of the Covenant of grace, and therefore he pleadeth thus with God, Psal. 25. 11. Pardon my iniquity, for it is great; Lord my iniquity is great, therefore pardon it. Hearken you Saints, (hearken I say) this is the great blessing of God unto you who are in Covenant with him, whereas otherwise your sins should have made you objects of God's hatred, your sins now render you objects of his pity and compassion, this is the glorious fruit of the covenant of grace.

I would only the Saints heard me in this thing, but why do I say so? I will recall my word, let all sinners hear me, let the vilest, the worst sinners in the world hear of the riches of the grace of God in this his Covenant, that if they belong to God's election, they may see the fullness, the glory of God's grace, to be enamored with it, their hearts ravished with it, that they may never be at rest till they get evidence to their souls, that God indeed hath actually received them into this his Covenant. If then God be pleased in the riches of free grace to make such an inference, therefore let us take heed that we make not a quite cross inference from the greatness of our sins, nor on the other side, from God's grace. As thus, You have followed your lovers, you have forgot me, therefore will I allure you. An unbelieving heart would make this inference: I have followed my lovers, I have followed after vanity and folly, and therefore God hath rejected me, therefore God will have no mercy upon me, therefore I am undone, therefore the gates of mercy are shut against me, unbelieving heart do not sin against the grace of God, he saith, you have forgotten me, therefore will I allure, and speak comfortably to you; do not you say, I have forgot the Lord, and therefore the Lord will forever reject me; these discouraging, determining, despairing therefores are very grievous to the Spirit of God. God would have us have all good thoughts of him. It is a main thing that God intendeth through the whole Scripture that his people should have good thoughts of him, and that they should not think him a hard master. It is an excellent expression of Luther, (saith he) the whole Scripure doth principally aim at this thing that we should not doubt, but that we should hope, that we should trust, that we should believe, that God is a merciful, a bountiful, a gracious, and a patient God to his people. It is an excellent expression that I have read of Master Bradford, in one of his Epistles, (saith he, O Lord sometimes me thinks I feel it so with me, as if there were no difference between my heart and the wicked, a blind mind as they, a stout, stubborn, rebellions spirit, a hard heart as they, and so he goes on; shall I therefore conclude thou art my Father? nay, I will rather reason otherwise; saith he, because I do believe thou art my Father, I will come unto thee, that thou mightest enlighten this blind mind of mine, that thou mightest soften this hard heart of mine, that thou mightest sanctify this unclean spirit of mine; I this is a good reasoning indeed, and is worthy of one that professes the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Again, as the inference of this unbelieving heart is grievous to God's spirit, so the inference of a profane heart, an unbelieving heart makes his therefore from the greatness of sin against God's mercy, and the profane heart makes his therefore from the greatness of God's mercy, to the hardening of his heart in his sins; what, shall God make his therefore from our sin to his mercy, and shall we make our therefore from his mercy back again to our sins? where sin abounds, grace abounds, but where grace abounds, sin must not abound, because God is merciful to us who are very sinful; let not us be very sinful against him who is so merciful. God takes occasion from the greatness of our sins, to show the greatness of his mercy; let not us take occasion from the greatness of his mercy, to be emboldened in greatness of our sins.

Therefore [behold.]

Behold. Here is a wonder to take up the thoughts of men and Angels, to all eternity, even that that we have in this inference, behold, notwithstanding all this, yet you men and Angels behold the fullness, the riches of God's grace,