An Exposition of Hosea 1-3

The Thirteenth Lecture.

T He words are an excellent expression of mercy to Israel; For the opening of which these three things are to be inquired into.

• 1. What this valley of Achor was.
• 2. The reason of the name.
• 3. Why this is said to be a door of hope.

For the first, Achor was a very pleasant, delightful, fruitful rich valley, and lay near Jericho; The first place that Israel came into, in the entrance upon, and taking possession of the land of Canaan, Isaiah, 65. 10. And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me. First it is joined with Sharon, Can. 2. 1. I am the rose of Sharon, that was a sweet pleasant place.

Secondly, It is said to be a place for the herds to lie down in; a fat pasture that they shall even tumble in. And thirdly, It is promised as a bless ••• 〈…〉 the Lord.

The reason of the name Achor. That history we have Josh. 7. showeth Achan, who 1 Chron. 3. 7. is called Achar, having taken the accursed thing, God left the Campe, and Israel fell before the men of Ai, which was the first battle that ever they fought for the possession of Canaan, upon that their hearts were exceedingly troubled, as if the whole work had been at an end; so frail is man's nature, so soon discouraged when it meets with opposition, notwithstanding all the experiences of God's mighty power going along with them, so lately bringing them over Jordan so wonderfully, and given them Jericho so miraculously, yet now at the loss of 36. men, their hearts begin even to fail, Joshua falls with his face upon the earth; and Josephus in his history of the Jewish Antiquities, sets down Joshua's prayer at large, these are some expressions, Beyond all expectation, having received an overthrow, being terrified by this accident, and suspicious of thy promises to Moses, we both abstain from war, and after so many enterprises, we cannot hope for any successful proceedings, by thy mercy relieve our present sorrow, and take from us the thought of despair, wherein we are too far plunged.

Now God comes to him and asks him, Why he lay upon his face, and bad him get him up, for Israel had sinned in the accursed thing; upon search made, Achan was found out, whereupon Joshua tells him, that he had troubled the Hoast of Israel, and God would trouble him; upon which they stoned him, and from thence it was called the valley of Achor, verse. 26. that is, Va •• is tribulation is, the valley of trouble.

The third thing is the principal, why this valley is called a door of hope. Herein two things, First, how it was a door of hope to Israel then, when they first came into Canaan. Secondly, how it is promised to be a door of hope to repenting Israel in after-times.

For the first, It was a door of hope to them in two respects.

First, because it was the first place wherein they took the possession of Canaan, when they began to have outward means of substance, to eat of the corn of the land, all the while they were in the wilderness although God provided wonderfully for them, by sending them Manna from Heaven, yet because they had no way of substance by ordinary means, they always feared lest they should want upon any strait they were brought into, their hearts began to sink. Now in this valley God gives them outward means, & this raises hope in them, that their danger was over, and that they should do well enough.

This is our nature when ordinary means fail, our hearts fail, yea though in regard of God's extraordinary workings, we have never so many gracious encouragements, and when God grants means again, then we hope. Secondly, God made their great trouble there a means of much good unto them, for by that they were brought to purge their Campe, they learned to fear the Lord, and were prepared more then before, for so great a mercy as the further possession of that good land. The Septuagint instead of those words a door of hope, have these, to open their understanding for there indeed they learned the dreadfulness of God, who for one man's sin was so sorely displeased; there they understood to purpose, that the God that was amongst them, was a holy God, and that he would have them to be a holy people.

But how should this valley of Achor be a done of hope to Israel in after times?

First, the Jews think that Israel shall return into their own country again, yea and the same way, they shall come again into Canaan by that valley which shall be a door of hope to them.

Secondly, but rather by way of Analogy, as God turned this valley of trouble to much good unto them, so he would turn all the sore afflictions of Israel in after days to their great advantage, grievous afflictions should make way for glorious mercies.

Thirdly, But especially thus, in this expression, God follows the Allegory of marriage; now it was the custom of the Jews in their marriages, that the Husband gave his Spouse according to his quality, as a dowry, some piece of ground, rich as he was able, and this he gave as a pledge of his love to her, to assure her that whatsoever was his, she should have the benefit of it; so saith the Lord, although you have gone a whoring from me, and may justly expect that I should forever reject you, yet I will marry you to my self, and I will fully perform all marriage rights for the expression of my love towards you to the uttermost, you shall know that you are married to a Husband who is rich, I will give you a rich and plentiful dowry, and this but as a token and pledge of further love, mercy, riches, that you shall enjoy by me, it shall be that valley of Achor, that rich, delightful, fruitful valley. By this he means he would bestow some special choice mercy upon them, at his first taking them into his favor again, and that should be a pledge of, and making way to much more mercy, that he intended for them a door of hope to let in greater things, as the first fruits of all those glorious things that he had treasured up for them.

From this valley of Achor, as it concerned Israel before.

First, Sometimes when God gives men their hearts desires, when they think themselves happy, as if all trouble were past, then he comes in upon them with great and sore afflictions.

Secondly, although God hath been humbling men's hearts with sore and long afflictions, yet just before he bestows great mercies, he afflicts again, to humble and break their hearts yet more.

Thirdly, sin will make the pleasantest place in the world, a place of trouble.

Fourthly, the afflictions of the Saints do not only go before mercies, but are doors of hope to let in to mercies, means to further the way for mercies. God commands light to shine not only after darkness, but out of darkness. Josephs prison, David's persecution, Daniel's den, made way for glorious mercy God had in store for them; that which once The mistocles said to his children and friends, the Saints may much more say to theirs, I had been undone, if I had not been undone; had it not been for such a grieyous affliction, I had never come to the enjoyment of such a mercy. Hence we must learn not only to be patient in tribulation, but joyful.

But the especial thing intended in this expression is this: When God is reconciled to his people, then present mercies are doors of hope to let in future mercies; the Saints may look upon all mercies received as in-lets to further mercies to be received. Every mercy a door to another mercy, and all mercies here put together, are a door to eternal mercy. When Rachel had a son she called his name Joseph, Gen. 30. 24. saying, The Lord shall add to me another son. Every mercy the Saints have may well be called Joseph, it brings assurance of mercy to be added, this is the high privilege of the Saints: every mercy that a wicked man hath, he may look upon as his utmost, as his all, he may write a ne plus ultra upon it; one misery, one judgment upon a wicked man makes way toanother, but not one mercy: howsoever God in his bounty may lengthen out mercies to him, yet it is more then he can expect, he rather hath cause to wonder he hath so much, then expect more, but God ever draws out his loving kindness to his Saints. Psal. 36. 10. Draw out thy loving kindness unto them that know thee, and thy righteousness to the upright in heart. First, the good that others have from God is bounty, patience, but that which the Saints have is loving kindness. Secondly, that which others have is no ways tied to them by promise, but that which the Saints have they have by promise. it is righteousness, Ps. 23. Thou makest me lie down in green pasture, thou anointest my head with fresh oil, my cup runneth over. Here is a great deal, but is here all? no, ver. 6. surely mercy & goodness shall follow me all the days of my life. That we read of David, 2 Sam. 5. 12. is very observable, from God's prospering him in his present way, he draws an argment to confirm him in the assurance for the future, that his Kingdom was established to him, why? did not Saul prosper at the beginning of his reign as well as David? & yet it was no evidence of his establishment; but David could see God's mercy coming to him after another manner then Saul could, all mercies the Saints have come from the covenant in which there is a rich treasure of mercies, a blessed connection of the mercies. The covenant between David & Jonathan was, 1 Sam. 20. 15. That loving kindness must not be cut off from the house of Jonathan. The covenant between God and the Saints is, that loving kindness shall never be cut off from them, but the links of mercies shall be fastened one to another, so as they shall reach eternity.

Mercies to the Saints come from love, & amor nescit nimium, love knows no such thing as excess. The Saints understanding this mistery in the way of God's grace towards them hence they follow God in seeking his face then, especially when he is most in the way of mercy; whereas the men of the world who know not this, seldom seek after mercy, but in times of affliction, when God is in a way of justice and wrath, this is their folly.

Infinite reason there is; O ye Saints of the Lord, that one duty should for ever make way for another, seeing on mercy makes way for another: here lies a great difference between doing duties from the strength of common grace, and from sanctifying grace: in the one the spirit by doing some things is wearied and thinks now it may rest, but in the other, the very doing still increaseth strength, and puts the heart upon doing more.

But may not security promise continuance of mercy?

Yes, but if so, then when affliction comes, the heart will sink for fears of continuance in misery, as well as before it hoped for continuance of mercy.

When then may we assure ourselves that our mercies are doors of hope to further mercies.

First, When they are created mercies wrought by a more imediate hand of God, generation may be imperfect, but creation never; omne creatum est perfectum, Isaiah, 26. 12. Lord thou wilt ordain peace for us, What is the argument? for thou hast wrought all our works in us.

Secondly, When they are spiritual mercies, Ezek. 39. 29. Neither will I hide my face anymore from them, What is the argument? For I have poured forth my spirit upon the house of Israel; but is not this your private opinion that this argument will hold? No, the words following are, Thus saith the Lord God.

Thirdly, When mercies carry us to the God of mercy, and are turned duties, as if we can turn our duties into mercies, that is, account every duty a mercy, that is a good argument that we shall hold out in duty, when we can turn mercies into duties, that is, make every mercy an engagement to duty, that is a good argument that mercy will hold out.

But are there not interruptions many times in the ways of God's mercy to his own people? We sometimes think there is an interruption, when if we knew all we should see a blessed concatenation, but it must be granted that there may sometimes be some kind of enterruption in such a particular. After Israel's return from captivity and beginning to build the temple, there were such enterruptions as it was seventy years before it was finished: but though there may be enterruptions for a time, yet not a quite breaking off, there is yet a strength in the grace of the covenant that carries the work on and perfects it at last; by ceasing in one way of mercy, God prepares for another; the very ceasing in such a way may be a mercy; we ourselves at this day are a sad spectacle of the interruption of the ways of God's mercies towards a nation.

Mercy that ere while shined in her beauty upon us, hath now seemed in a great measure to have withdrawn the beams of her glory; our door of hope that we thought to be so wide open, seems almost shut against us. I dare not say that it is shut, lest I should wrong the present grace of God yet continuing to us. But

First, Sin, yea our many and fearful sins, lies at this our door, Gen. 4. 7.

Secondly, And now a crowd of difficulties seem even to stop up the door, they come thronging still to it, as if they would certainly stop it up against us.

Thirdly, As the Prophet Ezek. 11. 1. 2. saw at the door of the gate five and twenty men, amongst whom there were some chief ones, who devised mischief and gave wicked council in the city, so may we at this day, see many even of the chief ones, devising mischief, and giving wicked counsel, by which they labor to shut, yea to lock, and bolt up this our door of hope.

Fourthly, We hoped that this our door of hope would have been like the doors that entered into the oracle, of which we read 1 Kings 6. 31. made of the olive tree, yea the side-posts and lintels were of olive tree, & carvings of palm trees & cherubims, all overlaid with gold, but now our door seems to be of Iron, the way to our help and mercy must be through the Iron gate, we must get to it by suftering hard things.

5. Our door that was wide, whereat mercy began to come flowing in apace freely, now it seems to be straitened, it is now the strait gate, we must be content to strip ourselves of a great part of our estates, of many of our outward comforts, yea we must venture them all, and well if possibly at length we may crowd in.

6. Yea, our door-posts are like the Israelites in Egypt, besprinkled with blood, the keeping up of our means of mercy hath cost much blood, and may cost more.

7. Now when we knock, when we would step in the dogs bark at us, and are ready to fly upon us, yea it may be the servants, yea some of our brethren are discontented at us, frown upon us, speak against us.

8. Alas we have rejected the right key that should have opened this our door, no marvel then though we stand blundering at it, and it opens not unto us. What is that right key that would have opened it before this time, had we made use of it? That key of David that we read of, Apoc. 3. 7. That openeth and no man shutteth. This key the Church of Philadelphia had, therefore it follows, ver. 8. I have set before thee an open door, that no man can shut. But what is this key of David? It is the ruling power of Jesus Christ in his Church; David in his government was a special type of Christ, the first godly King over his people that ever was: Government is emblematically set forth by a key, Isaiah, 22. 22, God promised Eliakim to commit the government to him by that expression, The key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder, Isaiah, 9. 6, 7. The government is said to be upon Christ's shoulder, and he sits upon the throne of David; that is observable that to Eliakim there was promised, but the key of the house of David; but to Christ the key of David himself; the one was to govern but as a steward, the government of the other was to be Princely. If we had been the Church of Philadelphia, united in brotherly love, and had had this key of David amongst us, we might before this time had had a door set open amongst us, that no man could have shut against us; but woe unto us, how many amongst us say of Christ, We will not have this man to rule over us? Mr. Brightman more then thirty years since paralelld this Church of Philadelphia with the Church of Scotland, he made it in a typical way to set forth the ways of God towards that Church in after times; and indeed they have been very like one another divers ways, and God ways towards the one hath been the same with his ways towards the other in many things.

1. They are both Philadelphians, united so in a brotherly covenant, as no Churches in any kingdom more. 2. It was said of Philadelphia, it had but a little strength, and yet it kept God's word. What Churches in any Nation have been more contemptible, then those in Scotland? They have been accounted a poor beggarly people, despised of all, and yet God hath enabled them to do great things. 3. God hath caused their enemies to come and bow before them, and to know that he hath loved them, even those who said they were lews and were not, that they were the only Church, when indeed they were the Synagogue of Satan; & they have rejected false government, and have received much of the government of Christ, the key of David is more received among them then in any kingdom in the world; no marvel then though their door be so opened that none could shut it, thorough God's mercy; our Houses of Parliament have cast away the false key, (The Lord deliver them and us) forever meddling with it anymore whatsoever come of us. They have further professed their desires to inquire after the true key. This door of hope we hope will open to us in due time, so as none shall shut it. 9. We have lost many opportunities for the opening this door, never had a people fairer opportunities for mercy then we have had, we cannot look back upon them without trembling hearts, we may see cause to lament the loss of them with tears of blood, even this hath cost much, and is yet like to cost more blood.

10. Yea woe unto us, out father comes forth and seems to be angry with us, and bids shut the door against us, yea he shuts us out himself; is not that complaint of the Churches, Psal. 80, 4. truly ours, O Lord of Hosts how long wilt thou be angry with the prayer of thy people? If God be angry without knocking, what shall we do?

11. And well may God bid shut the door against us, for we have shut it upon ourselves: This our door of hope hath a spring lock, it is easily shut too, but it cannot so easily be opened again: we have stood wrangling and struggling one with another, and have clapt to the door upon ourselves before we were aware. That Scripture Hos. 7. 1, is as truly ours, as ever it was Israel's, When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria. When the Lord would have healed England, then the iniquity thereof hath been discovered more then ever. There is the vilest spirit of malignity, against godliness, against the Saints, against the way of Christ in his Ordinances, that ever was upon the face of the earth. Now men care not though they ruin themselves, though they bring themselves and posterity to be bondslaves, so they may but have their wills upon those that are godly to suppress them. The controversy now is almost grown to that height, that the kingdom divides it self into those who have some show of Religion, and the haters of it. Those times complained of in Micah are even ours, Chap. 7. 5. Trust ye not in a friend, put no confidence in a guide, keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom; Yea, it is almost come to that in the fourth verse, The best of them is a briar, the most upright is sharper then a thorny hedge. There is much frowardness, much perverseness even in the best, many contentions and grievous breaches even amongst them; they cannot endure you should be jealous of them, and they give cause of jealousy daily. This generation for a great part of it, show themselves to have such sullied, such puttid spirits, so defiled with superstitious vanities, so imbittered with a spirit of malignity, that we may fear God hath no pleasure in the generality of it: yea Moses and Aaron have sinned, the best have so sullied themselves with Antichristian pollutions, that just it were with God that this whole generation should be first taken away, and that the young generation that is coming on, who have not so defiled themselves, should have this door that lets into Canaan opened to them, that they only should go into, and possess that good land, but our carcasses should fall in the wilderness.

You who are godly young ones, whose hearts began betimes to yearn after Jesus Christ, know the heart of Jesus Christ yernes after you: and although some of you may fall in fighting for your brethren, & so be received to heaven, yet you are of that generation God will open this door of mercy unto, you shall go in & possess Canaan, all this valley of Achor is but a door of hope to you; continue you on in your sincerity, God will reveal himself more fully to you then he hath done to us, if we be cut off before those treasures of mercy that God has ready for his people be opened, we must accept of the punishment of our iniquity, and even bear this indignation of the Lord because we have sinned against him. 12. Yea the Lord hath struck us with blindness at the door, we grope up and down and we cannot find it, as Gen, 19. 11. Never were a people at a greater loss, in a greater confusion then now we are; every man runs his own way, we know not what to do, nay the truth is, we know not what we do.

13. Yea many because they have found some difficulties at the right door, they have gone away from it, and have sought back doors to help themselves by, even base, false, shifting, treacherous ways, seeking to comply for their own private ends, as if their skins must needs be saved, whatsoever becomes of the public.

14. This is yet a further misery, that we are groping up and down at the door, and night is come upon us, storms, tempests are rising, dangers are approaching, and yet God opens not to us.

15. Above all our misery this is yet the greatest, that even our hearts are shut up too, there lies a stone rolled at the door of our hearts, and such a stone, as is beyond the power of an Angel to roll away, were it that after all our hearts were but open, our condition yet had comfort in it.

Oh now what shall we do • ▪

1. Let us resolve to wait at this door, •• aite upon God in those ways of help that yet in mercy he affords unto us; Certainly we are at the right door, let us say with Shecaniah, Ezra. 10. 2. We have sinned against the Lord, yet there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.

Let us resolve whatsoever becomes of us not to go from our fathers door, if we perish, we will perish at his gates.

2. Let us worship the Lord at this our door, though we be not entered in; yet let our hearts bow before the Lord in the acknowledgement of his greatness, power, dominion that he hath over us; to do with us what he pleaseth: as Ezek. 46. 2. it is said, The Prince shall worship at the threshold of the gate, and the people of the land shall woe • ship at the door,

3. Let us look in at the key-hole, or at any crevice that we can, to see something of the riches of mercy that this door opens into. Within on the other side o • the door we may see what liberty of conscience, what enjoyment of Ordinances, the blessing of God's worship in his own way, we may see the ways of God and his Saints would be made honorable in this kingdom, yea in a higher degree then anywhere upon the face of the earth; yea we may see many sweet outward liberties, the free enjoyment of our estates, peace, plenty, prosperity in abundance, all these, and more then we can think of, if this door were but once opened to us; howsoever it is good 〈◊〉 look in, to quicken our hearts, and set on our desires and endeavors the more strongly in the mean time. Oh how happy were we if we had these mercies!

4. Let us yet knock louder, and cry louder at our Fathers door.

But did not you tell us our Father seemed to be angry at our knocking?

Mark what we have in that very Scripture, where the Church complains that God is angry with her prayer, Psal. 80. 4. How long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people? Yet ver. 7. Turn us again, O God of Hosts, and cause thy face to shine▪ And ver. 14, Return we beseech thee, O God of H • sts, look down from heaven, behold & visit this vine: ver. 19. Turn us again O Lord God of Hosts, cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved.

5. Let everyone take away his sins that lie at this door, let everyone sweep his own door, Zech. 8. 15. 16. Again have I thought in these ••• yes to do well unto Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah, fear not. But yet mark what follows, These are the things that ye shall do, Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbor: execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates. Let none of you imagine evil in his heart against his neighbor. Both private men, and men in public place must reform, How far are we from this? Never more plottings, more heart-burnings one against another, & those in public place neglect the execution of judgment; they would have their policies beyond God's wisdom. God puts these two together, and commends one as a means to the other, the execution of judgment and peace; but they have a further reach they will not exe cur ••• dgement for fear of a breach of peace. It is just with God that we should never have peace, till we can trust God for it in his own way.

6. Let us seek to God again, and call to him for the right key. Lord reveal the way of thy worship, and thy government to us, and we will yield ourselves unto it.

7. Stir we up ourselves against all difficulties. Things are not yet so bad, but we may help ourselves, if we have hearts. Our Father hears us, he can command many Angels to come to help to roll away the stone; yea he hath opened divers doors to us already. We are indeed come to the • ron gate, the Lord can make that at length fly open of its own accord, as Acts 20. 10. The Church was praying, and after the pr •• on do • es were opened to Peter, and he had passed the first and second gate, he came unto the iron gate that led into the City, and there he found as easy passage as anywhere else. In the mount will the Lord be scene.

8. Let us exercise Faith in the blood of Christ, let us as it were besprinkle this our door with the blood of the Lamb; yea look we up to Christ as the true door to let into all mercy; let Faith act as well as Prayer.

9. Let us now especially watch all opportunities of mercy, and take heed we neglect no more as we have done many very foully, lest hereafter we knock, and cry, Lord open to us, and it proves too late.

10. Let us open to God who knocks at our doors; it we would have him open to us, God knocks at the door of everyone of our hearts, open we to him fully, set all wide open for him, Openye gates, stand open ye everlasting doors, let the King of glory come in. These who do thus are the true generation of those that seek the Lord; let England open, for God yet stands at the door and knocks, and if we will yet open to him, he will yet come in and sup withus, and we shall sup with him. It is true God rebukes and chastens severely, so he did Laodicea at that time when he stood at her door and knocked, Apoc. 3. 19. 20. if any Church be or ever was like to that of Laodicea, we have been; luke-warm as that was; a mixture of God's worship hath been amongst us, more then in any reformed Church; we have been a proud people, we have thought ourselves rich, & wanting nothing, whereas we knew not that we were indeed wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked: and those who would be Angels of this Church, how hath God spu • d them out of his mouth! they are cast out as filthy, they have lain upon the stomach of God and his Saints a long time; they with all that belonged to their Courts, have made themselves a most • oathsome generation of men; and now God is at our door & knocks, calls to us to let him in, that he may come and rule us, that he may bring peace & salvation unto us; But howsoever whether Christ be admitted by the State yea or no, yet let the Saints who are willing that Christ should rule over them, hold on to the end, the promise is even to those in Laodicea, to him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his Throne.

11. • et us encourage what we are able; all our faithful door-keepers, those who are the public instruments of God for our good, upon whom so much of the great affairs of the kingdom, under God depends.

And for the quickening of our hearts that we may do all we can, that this our door of hope be not shut against us, Consider further,

First, This door was opened to us when we began to think, yea almost to conclude that all doors of hope had been shut against England, when we were ready to give up all for lost.

Secondly, It was opened to us after much knocking by prayer. If ever there were a Parliament of prayer since the world began, this was, and is, How dreadful then would it be to have this door shut against us!

Thirdly, It was opened by a mighty hand of God. Josephus tells us of a door of the Temple that used to have thirty men to open it, and yet as a prognostication of some great thing to fallout, it opened of its own accord: This our door was more hard to be opened, thousands of men could not have opened this, it was the mighty work of God to do it.

Fourthly, It is a door that opens to the greatest mercies that ever England had: how happy would England be in the happy success of this Parliament!

5. It is a door that our adversaries have labored all they can to shut by policy, and by force, and thorough God's mercy, yet they cannot.

6. How sweet have the manifestations of God been to us, in the beginnings of his goodness, and our endeavors! Can • . 5 4. 5. My beloved put his hand at the door, & my bowels were moved, my hands dropped myrrh, and my fingers sweet smelling myrrh upon the handles of the lock, the beginning of reformation: but the hand upon the door is sweet, what would the work completed be?

7. If this door should be wholly shut against us, what a miserable people should we be? if these men have their wills, then never expect Parliaments more, or never good from Parliaments, They will be the most contemptible and servile things that can be, if any, they will be doors to let in all misery, to frame mischief by a law; then what are we and our posterity but slaves? the Popish party must, yea will be gratified, their design will be effected; what contempt of the Saints, of Religion? what hatred? what persecution will then follow? what horrid blasphemies? how will they be hardened in all manner of wickedness? our estates, our liberties, our Religion are then gone, yea it is like our lives, and if not so, so miserable would our lives be, as we had better have the grave open her mouth upon us, and we be shut in it, then to live to see, hear and feel such things as we and our friends, are like to hear, see, and feel.

It would be the most horrid judgment that ever was against a nation, it may be told to all the nations of the world, God gave England a fair opportunity to help itself, to be a most happy nation, but they had no hearts, they were blinded, their hearts were taken from them, those worthies they chose, who ventured themselves for them, they basely deserted, and betrayed, they have also vilely betrayed themselves, their liberties, their Religion, their posterity, and now are become the most miserable nation, the most fearful spectacle of God's wrath upon the face of the earth. Wherefore beloved in the Lord, let us make sure of Christ, who is our hope, and who says of himself that he is the door, as indeed he is to let in all mercies of God into us, that whatever disappointment we have of our hopes here, yet we may not be disappointed of our last hopes, though it should prove that here looking for light, behold darkness, yet we looking for the light of God's face eternally, we may not be driven out to everlasting darkness. But shall I end thus? nay the close of all shall rather be the close of the 31 Psal. Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord hope yet that God will make the valley of Achor adoor of hope unto us. The next words in this Scripture are words of joy, She shall sing as in the days of her youth. Was there ever a time wherein she had cause to sing praise to God? there are times coming that shall be as joyful as ever yet times have been, God hath mercy for his people, he hath singing times for them.

The Foureteenth Lecture.

Y Ou have heard formerly of the valley of Achor, that God gave to his people to be a door of hope. This day you shall hear of God's people standing singing at this door of hope. Though it be but a door of hope, yet at that day they shall there sing, as in the days of her youth, when they came up out of the land of Egypt.

There are six things needful to be opened for the meaning of God's mind here in this their singing at the door of hope.

First, the reading of the words are to be cleared. 2. The scope is to be shown. 3. What the days of youth that are here spoken of are, is to be opened. 4. What was the song that they did then sing in the days of their youth, is to be declared. 5. What cause they had to sing in this the day of their youth, is to be inquired after.

Lastly, how this is appliable to repenting Israel, and what time this prophesy a • meth at, likewise is to be manifested.

For the first, the reading of the words, you have it in your books [ they shall sing as in the days of their youth ] There are only two words that have need of opening.

First, the word translated [ singing. ]

Secondly, that which is translated coming up out of the land of Egypt.

For the word [ singing ] the Septuagint have it thus, She shall be •• mbled; A strange translation you will say; how much different is it from this in our books, She shall sing! I find divers translate the word so [ she shall be humbled) Cyril, Theodoret, and he carrieth it thus, that she shall be humbled by the Assyrians, as she was before humbled by the Egyp • ians. But certainly the words cannot be carried so, for it is spoken of ascending, of coming up out of the land of Egypt. But they might easily mistake in translating the words, because the Hebrew word signifieth both humiliavit, and it signifieth likewise ce • init and contavit, both to be humble, and to sing. The Hebrews divers times by the same word set forth contrary things; As 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth both to bless and to curse, many there might be named in the same kind.

This word likewise that is translated singing, signifieth, (and so it is translated by some) Respondebit, she shall answer, and I find a very excellent note from it in Cyril, and some others: She shall answer as in the days of her youth: What answer did she make? Thus, God in the days of her youth, when she came out of Egypt, did bring her to his Covenant, and gave his land to her, as Exod. 19. 5, 6. Now therefore (saith God) if you 〈◊〉 obey my voice indeed, and keep my Covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people; (A sweet promise to all in Covenant with God, that they shall be a peculiar treasure unto him above all people. ) Now verse. 8. All the people answered to gether and said, all that the Lord hath spoken we will do. Thus they answered him in the days of their youth, so some would carry it, they should answer as in the days of their youth, when they came up out of the land of Egypt, as if the meaning should be thus; whereas God in the days of their youth did tell them, that if they woul • keep his Covenant, they should be a peculiar treasure unto him above all people of the earth, they all with one consent answered, All that the Lord hath spoken that will we do. So saith God, when I shall again convert them to myself, I will renew my Covenant with them, and upon the declaration of my Covenant to them, they shall freely, readily, and will • ingly answer, Lord we accept of thy Covenant. Thus it is carried by some, and the exposition is very sweet.

But we shall join both the significations of this word together, both •• ing, and to answer; And that I take indeed to be the meaning of the Spirit of God, they shall sing by way of answering: Thus, they were wont to sing, • lternis choris, they were wont in their joyful songs to answer one another, his praecinentibus aliis succinentibus, some singing before, and some answering. So that it was not a bare singing, but a singing of a Canticum dramaticum, or such a kind of song, as they did answer one another in their singing. And thus (saith God) shall be the melody of my people, when I am again reconciled to them upon their repentance, there shall be mutual singing, one singing to another, and the others answering in a joyful way.

The other word to be opened, is that which is translated, coming up out of the land of Egypt. The word you have in your books [ came up ] it is ascended, as in the day when they ascended up out of the land of Egypt. And we are to take notice of the manner of the expression, because it will afford to us a profitable note anon. They ascended out of the land of Egypt, partly because Egypt was a Country that lay very low, and in that respect they may be said to ascend. But that is not the chief, they were in a low condition, they were in a state of bondage, and in that regard they were said to ascend.

The second thing to be shown is the scope, what the Spirit of God aimeth at, They shall sing as in the days of their youth, when they ascended out of the land of Egypt. Read it so, and

It is a further expression of the nuptial solemnity that there should be between God and his people, in the time of their reconciliation (for so I have told you formerly, that God goeth along in this second part of the Chapter, in that continued Allegory, to show his bringing of his people to him in a way of marriage, in a betrothing way, which afterward is expressed more fully; and all the way God expresseth it, is in the manner of Nuptiall solemnities:) As if he should say, Marriage is an ordinance I have appointed for mutual joy and delight that the man and wife should have one in the other, so I will bring you and marry you to myself, and there shall be a great deal of joy that I will have in you, and you shall have in me; there shall be the singing of the Epithilamium, the Nuptiall long between us; there shall be a time of abundance of rejoicing between us, when I shall take you again to myself. Do you think with yourselves, when was the greatest time of joy that ever you had in your lives; Know I will bring you to as much joy as ever yet you had. Look what mercy you had when you came out of the land of Egypt, and rejoiced in it, you shall hereafter have mercies as great as that. Did I then appear in a miraculous way to you? I will do so again. Had you mercies that were promised long before, and rejoiced in them? you shall have the like again. Had you mercies that you a long time prayed for before? you shall have the like again. Did Moses and Miriam go before you in singing, and you followed after? there shall be the like time again, when both Governors and people shall join together in singing and praising the name of the Lord. This is the scope.

The third thing is, what is meant by the days of their youth? The days of their youth is the same that after wards is expressed, and the day when they came up out of the land of Egypt, that is, the time when they were delivered out of bondage, after they had passed through the Red-sea, and had seen the great works of God in their deliverance, then was the day of their youth. Jer. 2. 2. I will remember the kindness of thy youth when thou followedst me in the wilderness. The time that this people were delivered from Pharaoh, and saw the great works of God in the wilderness, is the time of their youth, in the time of their bondage; they did not outwardly appear to be the Lord's; but when God manifested himself so gloriously in their deliverance, then God did as it were take them again to be his people, and they did seem as it were then to be born again, and the time of their being in the wilderness was God's training them up as it were in their youth. For a people that are under bondage can scarce be said to be born, they are but as the Enbryo at least in the womb in that prison. They cannot be said to be a people when they are under bondage, at least they are not a living people. Hence Chap. 13. of this Prophesy, when they were in bondage under Jeroboams wicked commands, the Text saith, verse. 1. that they died. When Ephraim spake, trembling, in Israel he exalted himself; but when he offended in Baal, he died. A people under bondage are as a dead people; before they have their liberty, they are to be accounted as not born; and if they lose their liberty, they are to be esteemed as if they lost their lives.

But here a question ariseth. How can God have reference to this time, and tell them they shall sing as then, whereas in the beginning of the Chapter we find that when God threateneth them, he telleth them he will set them as in the day wherein they were born? so that to be brought to the same condition they were in, is a threatening; How then is it here a promise?

The answer to that is, it is true, the time when they came up out of Egypt was indeed a time of much mercy, but they were in great straits in regard of external helps, as a succorless, helpless, and shiftless people, when therefore God threateneth to set them as in the day wherein they were born, he only aimeth at that, that is, to bring them into a succourless, helpless, and shiftless condition in regard of creature-helps as formerly they were. But when God promises mercy, and telleth them he will bring them into that condition they were in their youth, he doth not consider of their succorless & shiftless condition, but rather looks at all the mercy they had in their deliverance out of Egypt. As it is a great affliction for a people to be brought into the same condition that once they were in, that is, to have all the sour & bitter without any of the sweet, so it is a great privilege for a people to be brought into a former condition, when they shall have all the sweet without the sour, when God shall take away all the branne, & give them only the flower, strain out all that is evil, & give them all that is good, that is a comfortable condition; but when God shall strain out what is good, and give them what is evil, that is a sad condition, and that is the threatening before, and this is the promise now.

The fourth thing for explication is, what the song was that they did then sing in the days of their youth when they came up out of the land of Egypt.

That song of theirs you shall find, Exod. 15. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, &c. And afterwards you shall read that Miriam and all the women sang likewise. In this song of theirs, there are these five things Observable.

First, this song o Moses, Exod. 15. was the most ancyent, the first song that ever was in the world that we know of. Orpheus, Musaeus and Linus, the most ancyent of the Poets were 500, years after this time.

Secondly, It was a triumphing song; Then sang Moses and the children of Israel, the Lord hath triumphed gloriously, &c. When they saw God's judgments upon the adversaries, then they sang in a triumphing way. But you will say, how could they sing thus when they saw such a dreadful spectacle before their eyes? What, sing at such a lamentable object, when the Egyptians were so miserably destroyed, when they were sprawling up and down in the water, and it is like they heard their shriekings, their doleful cries, and saw their bodies how they were cast upon the shore; And then shall Moses and the people of Israel sing? O cruel hearted people that should sing at such a lamentable object as this! What, to triumph over their adversaries thus fearfully perishing?

To that we answer. We must not be more pitiful then God is, Psa. 58. 10. The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance, he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

But you will say, this is austerity, they are cruel hearted people that shall do so. Not so neither. Moses was the meekest man that ever lived upon the face of the earth, the lovingst man except Christ that ever was; yet Moses sang thus when he saw the Egyptians destroyed; so that to rejoice in God's judgments against the ungodly, may stand with meekness & quietness of spirit, with a loving and sweet disposition as Moses had.

It is true, we ought not to insult over wicked men in way of revenge, in respect of ourselves, but when we consider the righteous judgments of God upon his adversaries, we may be swallowed up in the consideration of God's justice, and rejoice in it; But so, as not altogether to be without some pity and commiseration of the persons perishing: As Titus Vespation is said to weep, when he saw the destruction of Jerusalem, though his enemies.

But there is a time coming when all the Saints shall be so swallowed up with God, so as they shall rejoice in the destruction, yea in the eternal damnation of the wicked, without the least pity & commiseration of them; they shall wholly mind God and his glory without pitying of them, yea though they were the fruit of their own bodies, and came out of their own loins. But for the present, though we are to rejoice and triumph in the works of God and his judgments upon the wicked, yet with some mixture of pity and compassion towards their persons.

And mark by the way some difference between God's affection toward his people, and toward wicked men. It is very observable, that when God's people come to be in an afflicted condition, if there shall be any that dare to be so wicked as to rejoice in that, God will avenge himself on them; yea if they do but look upon his servants that are in affliction with any kind of contentment, the Lord will be avenged on them for it. But when the wicked are destroyed, God doth not only give us leave to look at them, but to rejoice and sing praises to God for their destruction.

I will give you a Text for this, Obad, verse 12. Thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother, neither shouldest thou haeve rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction. Mark, God hath a quarrel against them that did but look upon the day of their brothers distress, and rejoice. But when destruction cometh upon the enemies of God, then the people of God may look, and rejoice, and triumph.

Thirdly, It is a song most excellent, in regard of the elegancy of the expressions, and variety of the matter. For verse 1. He hath triumphed gloriously, or thus, He is become gloriously glorious, or, in magnifying himself, he hath magnified himself. What an elegant expression is here, He is magnified above the magnificent, so some. All God's works are glorious, but some are gloriously glorious; and so is this work of God towards his people.

Rivet hath a good note upon this: The greatest glory of God, wherein he is most glorious, it is in doing good to his own people; so (saith he) great men should account it their glory not in spoising others, especially those that are their own, but in doing good, that was the great glory of God wherein he was gloriously glorious, in delivering of his people, not in spoiling them. In Isaiah, 14. 20. there is threatened a dishonorable burial to the King of Babylon, upon this ground, saith the Text, Thou hast destroyed the land, and slain thy people: Yea he threateneth his seed, The seed of evil doers shall never be renowned, because he had destroyed his land, and spoiled and slain his people, his own people.

Again, the elegancy of this song is in those expressions that are in the abstract; He is Fortitudo mea, and Laus mea, and Salus mea: He is my strength, and my praise, and my salvation, all in the abstract.

So in that elegant Epiphonema, or pathetical eruption of spirit, which though it should have been in the close as comprehending all the rest, yet he breaks forth in the midst of the song, verse 11. Who is like unto thee, O Lord? glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders. In many other particulars, we might show abundance of elegancy in this song.

Fourthly, it is not only narrative of what was, but prophetical of what is to come. A Prophetical song, The Dukes of Edom shall be amazed, the mighty men of Moab trembling, &c. ver. 15. Fifthly, it is typical, that is, a song that doth typify out the rejoicing of God's people in after time, when the Saints shall overcome Antichrist, then the song of Moses shall be sung over again: That is a very observable place, Rev. 15. 2. 3. of those that overcome the beast, the Text saith, They sung the song of Moses, that is, they sung that song, which this of Moses was but a type of.

Sixthly, according to some, this song was a miraculous song, so Augustine hath it in his Tractate, De mirabilibus Scripturae, a miracle worthy of admiration without measure.

Wherein did he think the Miracle of this song to be?

In this, that he imagined that both Moses and all the people, were at one instant inspired by God to sing this song: this is that which hath been thought by some. But we are not able to make out that there was such a miracle at this time, but rather God inspired Moses only, and the other people followed Moses as he sung this song.

I note it the rather for this, because here by we may see that singing is an Ordinance in the Church of God, not only in the time of the Law, but in the time of the Gospel, for this place, She shall sing as in the days of her youth, is spoken of the time of the Gospel, Therefore not only when one man hath an extraordinary gift, (as the Scripture speaks, if any one hath a Psalm, an extraordinary gift in the Congregation of making a Psalm) that he should sing, but it is an Ordinance to join with others who have the gift of making a Psalm; so were the people to do here.

The fifth thing to be inquired after is, the reason of their singing, what cause they had thus to sing in the days of their youth. The reason was because of their great deliverance they had from Egypt, and therein indeed are many things considerable, that will afford unto us many excellent observations. First, then they sang because of their freedom from outward bondage. Bondage hath three things in it.

1. When any one is under the power of another, under any Law without his consent given, either explicit or implicit.

2. When he serveth another without any respect to his own good; only aiming at the satisfying of the will of him whom he doth serve.

3. When he is forced to do what he doth with rigor.

Here you may see the difference between a free subject, and a slave; no [ 1] free subject is bound to any laws of men, as men's laws, but such as some way or other he giveth his own consent unto; thus it is with us in England, that is the difference between us and the Turks, who are slaves, they are bound merely to the will of those above them; but in England, every freeholder, some way or other gives consent to whatsoever law he is bound unto, therefore there is none can challenge any further power over him by any Law, but what he hath either explicitly or implicitly given his own consent [ 2] unto. Secondly, he is a slave that is forced to obey, without any respect of good to himself, but only to satisfy the will of him whom he doth obey. There is no such distance between one man and another, that one should serve another, without respect to his own good. Indeed there is such a distance between God and us, that the more we are swallowed up in aiming at God, and the less we aim at ourselves, it is the better service; but there is not such a distance between men and men, we are not bound to serve men, but in some aim and respect to our own good, so far as it concerns men, Therefore in England when anything is granted to the King, it is usulaly so, as to send up some other Bill, that may be for the good of the subject, as giving him somewhat, but withal expect some good and benefit from him to them.

Indeed in our service to men, we are to aim at God, and in the condition God hath put us, to seek to glorify him, more then to provide for our selves; but so far as our service hath regard to man only, and looks no further then him, we are not bound to serve him, further then with respect to ourselves and the good of others. Wherefore subjects may know that they are not made merely for the will of those that are above them, they indeed serve them, but they serve them for the good they expect from them.

[ 3] The third is to serve out of love, and not to have only rigorous Laws to force them to such service.

Now the people of Israel were under bondage in all these three respects. First, they were forced to serve without any consent at all. Secondly, they that did govern them, did not at all aim at their good; It is no matter for them, let them perish as dogs, we will have our work done, and well done too. When men shall govern so as they care not what become of thousands of others, so they have their wills satisfied, this is to make free subjects bondslaves. And thirdly, all was done out of rigor, they forced from the people what they did, as for their love they cared not for that. Wherefore when they were freed from these three things, they sung, and they had cause so to do.

[ 4] Secondly they sung when they came out of the land of Egypt, because they were not only in bondage in Egypt, but in bondage under such a King as they were. For, consider who it was they were in bondage unto, and then to be delivered from such a one, you will see a great deal of cause of singing.

[ 1] First, They were bondslaves to a King of another Nation. Sometimes Country and kindred sake moves compassion, but being they are another people, to whom I have no relation, but only to serve my own turn of them, it is no matter what becomes of them; let become of them what will, I will have my will satisfied.

[ 2] Secondly, They were bondslaves to a King that ruled by an arbitrary government, there was but only his will for the Law, he would impose what work and tasks he pleased, how many bricks they should make, and when he pleased take away their straw, and yet tie them to the making of so many. He governed them not by Law, but by Will.

[ 3] Thirdly, They were in bondage under a cruel King, for the King of Egypt in the Scripture is called a Dragon, for his cruelty, Ezek. 23. 3. I am against thee Pharaoh, King of Egypt, the great Dragon.

Fourthly, They were in bondage to a King that was an unnatural King; [ 4] unnatural in this, that whereas the predecessors of the Israelites had saved Egypt from perishing, saved the King and his family from destruction; yet now, without any regard to what was done in former times by their predecessors, having this power over them, he oppresses them in such an unnatural way, so as not to care what becomes of them. Fifthly, they were in bondage under a King that extremely hated them, & that is a sad thing. The text [ 5] saith, Gen, 43. 32. The Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is abomination to to the Egyptians.

Sixthly, They were in bondage under a willful King, under one who was extremely set upon his will; we scarce read of any one that ever was so set upon his will as this King was, therefore they express this in their song which they sung when they came out of Egypt. Exod. 15. 9. blessing God that they were delivered from such a willful Prince as he was. In the 9. ver. four times he saith [I will] I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, I will draw my sword, and the 5. time, my lust shall be satisfied upon them, but of this before, to be slaves to such a one, so willful, was a very hard condition, the like willfulness hath been already noted of the King of Babylon, and none the like to these two; the Text speaks from their deliverance in part from under the King of Babylon also, as if he should say, you did sing when you came up out of Egypt merrily, and joyfully, because you were delivered from such a cruel willful King, you shall sing so again, for you shall be delivered again from as cruel and willful a King as he was; for though not all the ten Tribes came back, yet it was in part fulfilled by many of them. [ 7]

Lastly, They were in bondage under a suspicious and jealous King, lest they should grow to a head, and so rise against him, one that thought he could not confide in them. It is a sad thing when there are such suspicions between King and people, or people and King, that they cannot tell how to confide and trust one in another.

Well might they sing therefore in the days of their youth, when they came up out of the land of Egypt.

Thirdly, They sang when they came up out of the land of Egypt, because [ 3] they were freed from what hindered them in the exercise of Religion. Hence Moses told Pharaoh, that they must go three days journey in the wilderness to sacrifice unto the Lord their God; they could not sacrifie in Egypt, therefore when they got freedom to sacrifice to God, this being a great mercy they sang praises. Fourthly, They sang, because their deliverance [ 4] out of Egypt was wrought with a mighty hand. The Lord hath triumphed gloriously, hath been gloriously glorious; so the words are. And ver. 6. & 7. mark what the Text saith, Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power. The hand of God is God, strength, but the hand of God in power is a greater expression. Thirdly, God's right hand in power. Fourthly, the right hand of God is glorious in power, this is a mighty expression, surely great was the work of God in their deliverance. Yea and further, ver. 16. it is said, by the greatness of his arm, not only God's hand, but his arm, and the greatres of his arm was in this work. And ver. 7. In the greatness of thine excellency, Mulititudine celsitudinis excellentiae, superbiae elationis, in the greatness of thine excellency, in the multitude of thy height, of thy elation of the lifting up of thyself in a kind of pride, (for the word that is translated excellency there signifies pride too.) Now God did this in the multitude of his excellency, that is, he did such a work toward his people, as had a multitude of glorious works in it, which if you could analyse, anatomize, you should find a multitude of glorious excellencies in it. Well might they sing, when God did manifest himself thus.

All these will afford us excellent and sweet observations by and by.

[ 5] Further, they sang when they came up out of the land of Egypt, because this mercy was the fulfilling of a promise made long before. Therefore the Scripture telleth us, That at the end of 430. years, even the self same day, the hosts of the Lord went out of the land of Egypt; which hath reference to a promise, and showeth us that God kept his word to a very day. Hence in verse. 2. of that 15. of Exod. He is my God, I will prepare him an habitation, my fathers God, and I will exalt him; As if he should have said, O Lord thou didst make promises to our forefathers, now thou hast fulfilled those promises, thou art our God, and our Fathers God. This made them sing so merrily.

[ 6] 6. It was a mercy that was got by much prayer, for Exo. 3. 7. it is said, they cried unto God by reason of their afflictions, there were many cries sent up to God before their deliverance, and now being delivered, this made them sing.

[ 7] 7. It was a mercy that came after a sore and long bondage.

[ 8] Lastly, It was a mercy that they had in order to that great mercy of leading them into Canaan, therefore this they mention as the especial cause of the joy of their hearts in the 13. verse. Thou hast guided thy people in thy strength to thy holy habitation, and ver. 17. thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance. The holy Ghost speaks here as if the thing were done already, as if he should say thus, O Lord thou hast indeed granted unto us a great mercy in delivering us out of Egypt, but herein we prize thy mercy that it is in order to the bringing us to thy habitation, and it will bring us at length to the mountain of thy holiness; it is not so much that were are delivered from bondage, as that we expect to be brought to thy holy habitation.

Now saith the Lord, you shall sing as you did then, look what causes you had then to sing, you shall have the same causes to sing again, when I am reconciled to you.

The last thing for the explication is, when this was fulfilled, or to what time this is to be referred.

There are four times that this prophesy aims at, and refers unto.

[ 1] First, It began in some degree to be fulfilled at their return out of their captivity from Babylon, though it is true few of the ten tribes returned, yet it is clear in Scripture that many of them did then return, and had the beginning of this mercy, and there was joy and singing. Isa. 12. the whole chap. is a song blessing God for their return from the captivity, Jehovah is my strength, and my song, he also is become my salvation, &c.

[ 2] 2. This prophecy aims at spiritual Israel; so in Rom. 9. it is applied to the calling of Jew & Gentile together; when the Gospel was first preached, Jews and Gentiles being called home, became the spiritual Israel of God, then there was singing, Rom. 15. 20. Again he saith, rejoice ye Gentiles with his people.

The third time that it refers unto, is the delivery of God's people from under the tyranny of Antichrist, typified by the tiranay of the Egyptians: for that, the former place is very full, Rev. 15. 2. there you shall observe, Those that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stood upon a sea of glass mingled with fire, having the harps of God in their hands, and they sang the song of Moses, & the song of the Lamb, saying, Great & marvelous are thy works Lord God almighty, just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints, &c. In this song, which I make no question but this Scripture hath reference unto, there are divers things observable. To take them up briefly by the way.

1. That they that sung were those that had gotten victory over the beast, over his image, and over his mark; that is a full victory, not only abominating Antichrist himself, but any image, any character of him, anything whereby they might seem to allow of him, to be owned by him.

2. They stood upon a sea of glass mingled with fire. The sea of glass, I [ 2] find interpreted, Christian doctrine, so called, for the clearness of it, though not so clear as afterward it should be, for there is some darkness even in glass, but clear in comparison of what it was before; for 2 K. 25. 13. The sea was of brass, which is far thicker and darker. But there was fire mingled with this sea of glass, that is, though they had a clearer doctrine then before, yet there were many contentions in the Church through many different opinions, and much division there was even amongst the godly. It was a sad condition indeed, yet it is ordinary, especially when Doctrines come to be first cleared, to have great contentions grow in the Church among godly men. It is no wonder though good men should be of different opinions, yea and have some heat of spirit one against another, when the light first breaks forth. When men are in the dark they sit together, and walk not at such a distance; but when light comes, it cannot be expected but there will be differences. But yet mark, the godly then, they did not reject the doctrine, because there was fire mingled with it, because there was heat of contention, but the Text saith, they were there with their harps in their hands, they were professing this doctrine and rejoicing that ever they lived to that time, to have the Gospel so clearly revealed unto them.

And they sang the song of Moses, and not only of Moses, but the song of the Lamb too. What was that? First, great and marvelous are thy works, in that we see we are delivered from Antichristian bondage, as the people of Israel were delivered from Egyptian bondage with a mighty hand of thine; Oh it is a marvelous work of God that we are thus at liberty. Therefore know this, that whensoever the Church shall be delivered from Antichristian bondage, it shall be a marvelous work of God, therefore we may not be discouraged, because we meet with some difficulties by the way, for we shall never be delivered, but so as it shall appear to be a wonder; if we should be delivered without difficulties, we should not see the marvellousness of the work.

Further, Just and true are thy ways. God in that deliverance will show the fulfilling of all his promises, and he will fully satisfy the hearts of his people, who have been a long time seeking him, and suffering for him. Whereas the adversaries, because God did forbear a while in his patience and let them prosper, thought there was no God in heaven that looked upon them, they scorned at the fastings, and prayers, and faith of the Saints; But though the hearts of the Saints were ready to fail, yet at last they shall say, Just & true are thy ways, Lord we now see all thy good word fulfilled, all thy promises made good; now we see it is not in vain to seek thee, it is not in vain to wait upon thee, for just and true are thy ways.

O thou King of Saints. God will appear then to be a King of Saints. He is indeed the King of the world now, and the King of his Saints, but he doth not appear so clearly, the kingdom of Jesus Christ as King of Saints hath been much darkened in the world; We have some what indeed of the Priestly and Prophetical office of Christ made known to us, but very little of his kingly office; but when God shall fully deliver his people, then they shall magnify Jesus Christ as the king of Saints in an especial manner.

Lastly, they shall say, Who will not fear thee thou King of Nations? As if they should say, we see now it is good to fear God, we see now God hath made a difference between him that feareth him, and him that feareth him not. The Angel that John saw, Apoc. 14. 6, 7. Flying in heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach, cries with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; The fear of God will be mighty upon the hearts of the Saints in those times. This shall be the song of Moses that this Scripture aimeth at, they shall thus sing as they did in the days of their youth, when they came up out of the land of Egypt, yea and the truth is, their song shall be much more glorious.

[ 4] The last time this prophesy aimeth at, is the great calling of the Jews, then the Scripture saith, Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads, they shall obtain gladness and joy, and all sorrow and mourning shall flee away. They shall so sing, as never mourn more in this world, in regard of any malice and rage of their adversaries. This was not fulfilled at their return out of the Babylonish captivity, therefore there is yet a time for the fulfilling of it, and the Scripture is clear about the fulfilling it, even in this world; that place Rev. 21. 4. is a repetition of that prophecy, he saith there, God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more sorrow nor crying. When Jews and Gentiles shall join together, then they shall siug indeed to purpose, as they did in the days of their youth, when they came up out of the land of Egypt.

First, it is a great mercy for people to be delivered from outward bondage. It will be found a great mercy when the world shall be delivered from their outward bondage, when men shall see they were born free-men, and not slaves, though Subjects, yet not slaves, when men shall see that the world was not made for twenty or thirty to do what they list, and they to account all the rest as beasts, yea dogs; as if it were not so much for the lives of thousands of them to go, as for their humors and lusts not to be satisfied; but when men shall know, that they are men and not beasts, and so shall live like men, and not like beasts, to be at the will of others, this will be a great mercy. But to be delivered from Antichristian bondage, is a greater mercy, then it was for the children of Israel to be delivered from their Egyptian bondage. For,

First, when they were in the Egyptian bondage, we read not that their [ 1] consciences were forced, that they were forced at all to any false worship. Pharaoh did not this, but Antichrist forced to Idolatry.

Secondly, Though Pharaoh laid heavy tasks and burdens upon them, yet he did not kill them, indeed at length they killed their first borne, but the people of Israel themselves might have their lives still, though with hardship. [ 2] But Antichrist thirsts for blood; Papists are bloody men.

Thirdly, It was the affliction of God's people to be in bondage in Egypt, [ 3] but it was not their sin: But to be in bondage under Antichrist, is not only an affliction, but it is sin, and that of a high nature too.

4. Though they were under Egyptian bondage, yet they were delivered [ 4] from Egyptian plagues; but those that are under Antichristian bondage, shall come under Antichristian plagues. Come out of her my people, lest you be partaker of her plagues. You must not think to escape so as they escaped out of Egypt; if you stay in that bondage, you will be involved in their plagues. With what an eye therefore should we look upon those who would bring us into this bondage again, when God hath begun to give us a little reviving? Jer. 37. 20. O my Lord the King (saith Jeremy) let my supplication, I pray thee be accepted before thee, that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the Scribe, lest I die there. So let us ery to the King of heaven and earth, O Lord our King, let our supplication be accepted before thee, since we are begun to be delivered from that bondage, do not cause us to return to that house again. The second is, A reconciled condition is a singing condition. When there is a harmony between heaven and the soul, between God and a sinner, there is a sweet melody indeed, there may well be singing, Isaiah, 35. 10. The ra • somed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads. And Isaiah 44. 23. Sing Oye heavens, for the Lord hath d • ne it; s • out ye lower parts of the earth, break forth into singing ye mountains, We being justified by faith having peace with God, saith the Apostle, we not only rejoice in hope of glory, but we even rejoice and boast in tribulation: Having peace with God, though war withal the world, we rejoice.

Thirdly, It is a great mercy, when Magistrates and people shall generally join together in praising God, when they shall sing as they did in the days of their youth, (for that is the promise.) How is that? Moses beginneth, and Miriam followeth, the leaders of Israel, and then all the people join together, and answer one another in their singing.

When that day shall come that God shall stir up the hearts of Magistrates and great ones, that there shall be singing Hallelujahs to him that sitteth upon the throne, and the Lamb for evermore; and when God shall generally move the hearts of the people, that they shall answer one another in their singing, and so join in a sweet melody; this will be a blessed time indeed. Now perhaps in one place there is singing, and blessing God for what is done, in another place there is cursing, and cursing those that do sing. Some men's hearts are rejoicing in the great things God doth, other men's hearts fret and rage when they hear of the great works of the Lord, this makes no melody in heaven. Perhaps now in the family the Husband singeth, and the wife frets; perhaps the wife singeth, and the malignant husband is enraged; the servant rejoiceth, and the master chafeth; the children sing, and the parents vex; this is harsh music. This is our condition at this day; there are better times coming, when Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, and all the people shall join in singing praise to our God.

4. Thankfulness to God, for mercy cannot be without joyfulness. A grumbling, pensive, sad, dumpish disposition, cannot be a true thankful heart as it ought. God will not accept in this sense of the bread of mourners. It is grievous to the Spirit of God, that we should be pensive and sad in the midst of abundance of mercies.

5. They shall sing there. There, where? at the door of hope in the valley of Achor. You may remember in the opening of that valley of Achor, I gave you what might be understood by it according to the most, that is, that God would make the greatest trouble and affliction of his Church to be a door of hope, to bring mercy to them: And if you take it in that sense, here rises an excellent observation.

When God brings into straits, yet if he shall sanctify our straits, making them means of good to us, we have cause to rejoice. You have an excellent Text, Isa. 35. 6, 7. For in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert, and the pa • ched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water. Those things that seem to go most contrary to you, I will work good unto you out of them, saith God. Well, what is the fruit of this? This is set as the reason of the words immediately before, Then shall the lame man leap as an Hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing. Because the Lord shall make the parched ground become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water, this shall make the lame to leap as an Hart, & the tongue of the dumb to sing. Though our tongues be dumb, yet it should make us sing when we see God working good out of contraries, when we see things that of themselves tend to our ruin, and would bring us to misery, that are as the valley of Achor, yet God working good out of them; if we have the hearts of men in us, much more the hearts of Christians, though we were dumb before, this should make us sing. Yea all this is brought in as an argument to strengthen the weak hands, and the feeble knees, and as a reason why those that have weak hearts should not fear, because God works good out of that which seemeth the greatest evil; verse. 4. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, be strong, fear not, and then followeth this in the 6. verse.

Are we in the valley of Achor, a place of trouble and straits? we have cause to sing even in this valley of Achor, for we have not yet been brought into any straits, but God hath brought good out of them; he hath turned the parched ground into a pool, and the thirsty land into springs of water. It is our great sin, that when God calleth us to singing, we are yet concluding of rejecting; we are ready to think if we be brought into the valley of Achor, we are presently cast off: Oh no, God calleth you to singing, nothwithstanding you meet with difficulties. Isa. 49. 13. Sing O heavens (saith the Text there) he joyful O earth, break forth into singing O mountains, for God hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted; But mark now the next words, But Zion said, the Lord hath forsaken me, & my God hath forgotten me. At that very time, when the Lord was calling for singing, even then they were concluding of rejecting. Take we heed this be not our condition.

But take the words as then I told you as I conceived them to be the meaning of the spirit of God, that this valley of Achor was some special mercy that God gave at first as a door of hope to further mercies he would give afterward, and there they shall sing.

Then the observation is,

When the Lord is beginning with his Saints in the ways of mercy, though they have not all that they would have, yet it is a singing condition. Though you be but yet brought into the valley of Achor, and be but at the door of hope, and not entered into the door, though you have not yet got the possession of all the mercy God intendeth for you, yet God expects you should sing. You must not stand grumbling, whining, complaining, and murmuring at the door, because you have not what you would have; though God makes you wait at the door, you must stand singing there. It may be said of God's mercy as of his word in Psal. 119. 130. The entrance into thy word giveth light, so the entrance of God's works of mercy giveth light. Psal. 138. 5. Yea they shall sing in the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord. In the ways of the Lord they shall sing, though God be but in the ways of his mercy, and they have not what they would have, yet they shall sing.

This is certainly one great reason why our door of hope is not yet opened to us as we desire, or at least that we have not that entrance that we would have at that door, because we stand murmuring; yea we stand quarrelling one with another at the door, whereas God expects that we should stand singing and praising his name there. Though we have not what we desire, yet let us bless God that ever we lived to this day, to see so much of God as we have done, though we should never see more, though the mercy we look for should be reserved for the generation that shall follow, yet we have cause to bless God while we live, that we have seen and do see so much of God 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 as we have done & daily do. Let us stand at our Fathers door singing, and if we must sing at the foot of Zion, what song shall we sing when we come to the height? Ier. 31. 12. They shall come and sing in the height of Zion they shall flow to the bountifulness of the Lord. If there be any one with whom God is dealing in a way of mercy, though you can see but a little light thorough the key-hole, yet you should sing there. There are many poor souls, with whom God is beginning in very gracious ways, yet because they have not their minds enlightened, their hearts humbled as they desire, power over corruptions, abilities to perform duties as they expect, they are presently ready to conclude against themselves, surely the Lord will not have mercy, we are rejected. They think they have nothing, because they have not what they would. O unthankful heart! This is the very thing that keepeth thee under bondage, because when the Lord is setting open a door of hope unto thee, thou wilt not take notice of it, but art presently murmuring and repining, because thou hast not all that thou wouldest. Wouldest thou enter in at this door, and have God perfect the mercy he hath begun? take notice of the beginnings, and bless God for what thou hast. This would be an observation of marvey lous use to many a drooping soul, if they would learn by this days coming hither, to sing hereafter at the door of hope.

Yet further, They shall sing there as in the days of their youth. It is the condition of God's own people many times, when first they enjoy liberty, then to be in a singing condition, but afterward to lose their joy. At first indeed when God's mercies were fresh to them, in the days of their youth, O how their hearts were taken! how then they sung merrily and cheerfully, Moses and all the people! but in process of time it appeareth they had not kept up this singing, this harmonious, this melodious heart of theirs, therefore God promiseth they should sing as in the days of their youth.

We find it so in people, when they first come to enjoy liberty out of bondage, Church liberties, Oh how they rejoice in them! how do they bless God for them! O how sweet are these mercies at their very hearts! they rejoice that ever they lived to this time; but within a while the flower of their youth is gone, and they soon have the teats of their virginity bruised. At first indeed, O the sweetness! but stay a while and you shall find contention or scandoll arising amongst them, or deadness of heart befalling them. Oh the blessed condition that God hath brought us to, to have these liberties and ordinances according to his own way! but within a while we may say as the Apostle to the Galatians, Where is the blessedness you spake of? They would have pulled out their eyes for Paul, What is become of all now? All their beauty & glory is quite damped, let us take heed that when our hearts seem to be raised and mightily affected with mercies, we do not soon loose our vigor & heat. It hath been so with England, when they have had fresh mercies at first, they rejoiced in them exceedingly. I have read of the City of Berne, when they were first delivered from Antichrist, they wrote the day of their deliverance upon pillars with letters of gold. Was it not so with us here in England?

I will only instance in that deliverance upon the fifth of November, how mightily was both King and Parliament affected with it! their hearts were exceedingly up, then there was blessing God, for their deliverance from Papists, then there were prayers and thanksgivings set forth, and in them, this expression against Popery, Whose faith is faction, whose Religion is rebellion, whose practice is murthering of souls and bodies; When the mercy was fresh, how did their spirits work? then they professed against all kind of Popery. Read but the Proclamation about the solemnity of that time, and the expressions of the prayers then set forth, and one would have thought verily then that Popery should never have prevailed in England again; who would ever have thought it possible that a Popish Army should ever have had any countenance in England more? Certainly, if a Popish Army had been raised at that time when men's hearts were so up, all the people of the land (if it had been but with clubs) would have risen and beaten them to pieces.

It is so with many young people, when God first beginneth to work upon their hearts, O how are they for God! then their spirts are mightily up for Christ, Psal, 90. 14. O satisfy us early with thy mercies, and then we shall be glad and rejoice all the days of our lives; It is a sweet thing when the latter part of that prayer followeth, when God satisfieth young people with his mercy, and that satisfaction abideth, so as they rejoice all the days of their lives afterward. The Lord doth many times satisfy young ones with his mercy, but they quickly grow dead and cold, and their hearts are soon hardened and polluted, and they do not rejoice all the days of their lives. Another Observation, that restored and recovered mercies, are very sweet and precious mercies. They shall sing as in the days of their youth; They were once in a blessed sweet singing condition, they had lost it, but now God promiseth to recover them. Job 29. 2. O that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me, when his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I warlked thorough darkness; as I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my Tabernacle. Job desireth this earnestly, that he might have restored, recovered mercies; What a happy condition should I be in then, saith he, if it were now with me as in the days of my youth! May not many in this place say so? God hath been gracious to them in former days, he hath given many sweet manifestations of his love, many soul-ravishing communications of himself unto them! but how have they lost them! They may well say, O that it were with us as in the days of our youth! Oh that God would restore to us what mercy we once had! what a blessed condition should we be in then! But God here giveth a gracious promise, that he will restore them, that he will give them that which is the petition of David, Psa. 51. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation; Lord I have lost it, O that I might have it again! How happy should I be! So Ps. 132. 1. By the Rivers of Babylon there we sat down, yea we wept there when we remembered Zion, we hanged our harps upon the willows.

They were in this sad condition, but if one should have come to them and have said, what will you say if you shall be restored again and go to Zion, to Jerusalem again, and have songs there, as much and as delightful as before? their hearts could not have held in them. This mercy would be like that wine mentioned, Cant. 7. 9. that is so sweet, that it causeth the lips of those that are asleep to speak; If there be any life left, such a mercy will raise and actuate it. Psal. 126. 1. 2. When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, our mouths were filled with laughter, and our tongues with singing, when God granted them a recovered mercy. As a poor prodigal, that hath left his fathers house, and afterward is come to beggary and misery, and is under bondage, & is almost starved; he sitteth down under a hedge, wringing his hands, falleth a lamenting the loss of his Fathers house, and considering what comfort he had in his Fathers presence, crieth out of his folly and madness; but if one should come and say to him, what will you say if your Father should be reconciled to you, and send for you home, and promise to put you in as comfortable a condition as ever? O how would this cause singing in his heart! Thus God promiseth to his people, that he would restore them to that singing condition they had lost.

They shall sing as in the days of their youth.

That which made this mercy so sweet, was because it was a promised mercy. Hence this Note.

Promised mercies are sweet mercies. Luke 16. 61. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up a home of salvation to us, in the house of his servant David, as he spake by the mouth of all his Prophets. And ver. 77. To perform the mercy promised; there is the cause of singing, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, that hath performed the mercy promised.

Giving out of a promise is sweet to a gracious heart, it can sing then; much more sweet is the promise when it cometh to be fulfilled. 2 Chron. 20. 17. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, there is the promise. Mark now how Jehoshaphat and the people were affected with the promise: And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipped the Lord. And the Levites, and the child en of the Koathites, & the children of the Korhites shall stand up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high. And ver. 21. He appointed singers unto the Lord that should praise the beauty of holiness, and to say, Praise the Lord, for his mercy endureth forever. Jehos • phat had not got the promise fulfilled, it was only made; they had not got the victory over their enemies, but only a promise that God would be with them, & presently Jehoshaphat & all the people fell a singing.

A gracious heart seeth cause enough to sing, if he have got but a promise, but much more when he hath got the performance.

If the promise of a mercy hath such sweetness in it, what sweetness then hath the mercy of the promise?

But the promise was not only barely fulfilled, but fulfilled with a high hand, and that made them sing. This may be another Observation:

When God appeareth remarkably, with a high hand in delivering his people, then the mercy is to be accounted a precious mercy indeed, and all the people of the Lord should sing and praise him. Isaiah 43. 19. 20. mark there, when God had told of an extraordinary hand of his in a way of mercy, saith he, I will plant them in the wilderness, and so goeth on: Then (saith he) shall this be, that they may see, and know, & understand, & consider, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it. When God's imediate hand doth a thing, when it helps a people in an extraordinary way, he expects that they should see, and know, and consider, and understand together: All these expressions are heaped one upon another. And if any people be called to this, we are at this day; God hath appeared extraordinarily to us. Oh that we had eyes to see! Oh that we had hearts to consider and understand, that we might give God the glory that is due to him!

The Fifteenth Lecture.

S Ome few Observations are to be added to the 15. verse.

Mercies that have been much sought for, that have had many cries sent up to God to obtain, when once they are granted, should cause singing forth the praises of God. The people of Israel cried much, before God granted them deliverance from Egypt, Exodus 3. 7. I have heard their cries, saith God: And God says here, They shall sing as they did when they came out of Egypt. Psal. 22. 26. They shall praise the Lord that seek him. The more we seek God for any mercy, the more we shall praise God when we have obtained that mercy. Psal. 28. 6. 7. Blessed be the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my supplication; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped. What followeth? Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth, and with my song will I praise him. Because God had heard the voice of his supplication, therefore with his song he would praise him. Those mercies that we get by crying unto God, those are singing mercies indeed. Such mercies as come to us only through a general providence, without seeking to God, they are not such sweet mercies; as Hannah said to Eli concerning her son whom she had got by prayer, (and therefore named him [ Samuel, ] Sought of God) As thy soul liveth, this is the son, this is the child that I was here praying for, and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him.

This she spake, triumphing in God's goodness. Mercies got by prayer may be triumphed in. When you want a mercy, pray much for it; the more you pray for it, the more you will sing when you have it, and the less prayer went before, the less singing will follow after.

Further; Mercies that make way for the enjoyment of Ordinances are very sweet mercies, singing mercies, They shall sing as they did when they came up out of the land of Egypt. Why did they sing when they came up out of the land of Egypt? Because that mercy, that deliverance from Egypt made way to that rich mercy of the enjoyment of God's worship in his Ordinances. How doth that appear? Thus, Exod. 15. where they sung when they came out of Egypt, ver. 2. I will build him an habitation saith Moses, together with the people; they rejoiced in that, that now they were going on in the way to build God an habitation; but more, ver. 13. Thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation: as if Moses and the Israeli • es should say, this indeed is a great deliverance that we are delivered out of bondage, but what is this but in order to a higher mercy that we look at yet further, that is, guiding of thy people in thy strength to thy habitation? we look upon this present mercy of our deliverance, for which we do now sing and give thee praise, but in order to the guiding of thy people to thy habitation, and that in thy strength: as if Moses should say, Lord there will be a great many difficulties between this and our coming to enjoy thy habitation, but thou wilt guide us in thy strength, thy strength shall carry thy people along till it bring them to thy habitation; this was that which made them sing so cheerfully as they did. And again, v. 17. Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established. This was that that made them so sing. So David, Psa. 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, & to inquire in his Temple; That is a choice mercy, therefore all mercies that make way for that mercy, are indeed sweet mercies. So we should look upon all our deliverances, from outward troubles, and whatsoever peace God giveth us to enjoy, as sweet and comfortable, in order to this mercy of enjoying God's mountain, of living in God • habitation, that we may dwell there all the days of our life.

A third Observation is,

New mercies should renew the memory of old. They shall sing as in the day when they came up out of the land of Egypt, that is, I will grant to them yet further mercies, and that mercy that I shall grant, shall renew the memory of all the former mercies they have enjoyed from me. As new guilt renews the memory of former guilt, so new mercies the memory of former. Hath God delivered you from any danger now? were you never delivered before? if but when you were a child, those deliverances you now have should bring into your memory what then were.

So in a nation, doth God grant to a nation any new mercy? this new mercy should bring into the memory of that nation all the former mercies that ever that nation hath received. Psal. 68. 26. Bless ye God in the congregatations, even the Lord from the fountain of Israel. Not only you who are true Israelites, but in your blessing God now, let present mercies be to you but as streams to bring you to the fountain. Consider of all the mercies along till you come to the fountain, even that Covenant that God hath made with Israel.

A fourth is, All former mercies to God's people should help Faith in believing future mercies. That is raised from hence. Why doth the Prophet tell them or coming out of the land of Egypt? He speaks of some mercy that was to come to Israel; now he names this coming out of the land of Egypt, that he might help and strengthen their Faith in the believing of what mercy was to come: As if he should say, That God that hath wrought so wonderfully for you, in delivering you out of the land of Egypt, is able, and willing to make good his word in granting to you deliverance for time to come. We have excellent Scriptures for this, as Psal. 66. 6. He turned the sea into dry land, they went thorough the flood on foot, there did we rejoice in him. Mark, they went thorough the flood, and there did we rejoice in him: How did we rejoice in him? it was many hundred years after that we came to rejoice: But upon the manifestation of God's great goodness to his people in former days, our faith cometh to be strengthened in God's mercies for our times, and there did we rejoice in him, we did rejoice in the work of God when they went thorough the Red-sea upon dry land, for it is an argument of God's mercy to us of the power, goodness, and faithfulness of God to us. Another temarkable Text is, Hos. 12. 4. He had power over the Angel, he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us: Mark, he had power over the Angel, he found him in Bethel; Who was that? It was Jacob, who many years before, but there he spake with us, he did not speak with Jacob only, but there he spake with us, that is, whatsoever goodness the Lord did show to Jacob in Bethel, it concerned us for the strengthening of our faith, Mat. 22. 31. 32. Have ye not read that which was spoken unto you, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? This was spoken to Moses many hundred years before; but that expression of God's grace then, was a strengthening the faith of the godly, when Christ spake, and is the same to us now.

A fifth is, where there is a proportion of mercies, there ought to be a proportion of thankfulness. They shall sing as they did in the day when they came out of Egypt. I will grant unto you as great mercies as they had, and I expect as great thankfulness from you as I had from them; as they sung to my praise, so must you sing too. God showeth as much mercy to you now, as he hath done heretofore, I appeal now to you, nay God appeals to your consciences, Is there a proportion of thankfulness as of mercies?

There hath been a time when you have sung to the praise of God, when your hearts have been enlarged to give God praise, why should it not be so now? A sixth observation is, deliverance out of Egypt is an ascending condition, That ariseth from the words as they are in the Original, They shall ascend out of the land of Egypt, so I told you the words were in the Hebrew; as then God would never rest till he brought them up to Mount Zion, so when God beginneth to deliver his people from Antichristian bondage, they should never rest in their spirits, until they be got to the height of Reformation, to the height of their deliverance, that is, to come to enjoy God's Ordinances in his own ways, in the purity and the power of them. This is our misery and our b • senesse, that upon some little deliverance we presently are ready to rest, whereas we should rise yet higher and higher, and expect that God should go on still with us, and raise us in the ways of mercy, until he hath brought us even to the top of Mount Zion.

Seventhly, From the connection of these words with what follows, They shall sing as in the day when they came up out of the land of Egypt, and they shall call me Ishi, and shall call me no more Baali, for I will take even the very names of Baalim out of their mouths, and they shall remember them no more, that is, there shall be a most glorious reformation, & they shall be delivered from all the remainders of their Idolatrous worship, they shall not so much as remember their very names, the Reformation shall be so perfect;

From thence the Observation is,

When God raiseth the spirits of people to rejoice in his mercy, then is the time for them if ever, to set up a through Reformation; then when their hearts are warmed, inflamed, and enlarged with the goodness of God unto them, then is the time to cast out all the remainders of all superstition, of all kind of false worship. I will give you two excellent Scriptures for this, the one is, Isaiah 30. 19. Thou shalt weep no more (saith he) he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; The Lord promiseth abundance of mercy, he tells them that they shall weep no more, he will be very gracious; now mark what followeth in the 22. verse, Ye shall defile the covering of thy graven Images of silver, the ornaments of thy molten Images of gold, thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth, thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence; The other Scripture is, 2 Chron. 30. 26. there you find that there was great joy in Jerusalem, such joy as the text saith, was not since the days of Solomon, it was upon the celebration of their Passe-over, there had not been the like; Mark then in the beginning of the next Chapter, saith the text, when all this was finished, that is, when they had celebrated a Passover so full, and had such abundance of joy, such a joy as had not been in Jerusalem since the time of Solomon; Now all Israel went out to the Cities of Judah, and brake the Images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places, and the Altars out of all Judah & Benjamin. Their hearts were inflamed with the joy they had, & they went with resolution and brake down 〈◊〉 •• ages, &c. And mark it, the Text saith, it was 〈…〉 that did this; 〈◊〉 went out into the Cities of Judah, and brake the the Images in pieces, and threw down the high places, & the Altars out of all Judah: What had Israel to do with Judah? Judah and Israel were divided; But now their hearts were so inflamed for God, that they were not able to abide any false worship amongst their brethren, though it belonged to Judah, yet they would go help their brethren to cast down all their Images, and to cut down their Groves and Altars, this was when their hearts were warmed with joy in blessing the name of God. When God once warmeth the hearts of people, it is much what they will do for God then: They will not stand examining every nicety, but they will fall upon the work directly; the joy of the Lord was the strength of their hearts at this time: as it is with the lusts of wicked men, when they get into company, at feasts, in Taverns, and there they are drinking, while their lusts are warmed, then what desperate resolutions have they to do wickedness! So when God's Saints are exercised in God's Ordinances, and are refreshed with the sweet love of God, when that lies glowing at their hearts, what strong resolutions have they for God! then they can do anything for God.

Now the very name of Baalim must be taken away.

VERSE 16. And it shall be in that day, saith the Lord, that thou call me Ishi, and shalt call me no more Baali.

17. For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, & they shall be no more remembered by their name.

Here we have as full a Prophesy and promise of as thorough reformation of the Church, as any I know we have in Scripture, God hath a time to reform his Church thoroughly, the very names of their Idols, the very remembrance of them shall be taken away. This reformation is • ods work, I will do it saith God, I will take away the names of Baalim

They shall call me Ishi, and no more Baali.]

Why? what great difference is there between these two names Ishi and Baali, that God will have one but not the other?

The truth is, both of them signify even almost the same thing; Both of them are names very fit for a wife to call her husband by, Ishi is my husband, and Baali is my husband too. But the word Ishi cometh from a word that signifieth strength, the woman being the weaker vessel, therefore she calls her husband Ishi, my strength; for the husband should be strength to the wife, he should live with her as a man of knowledge, he should be a protection to her, he should help her in all her weaknesses, & afflictions. Baali signifieth my Lord, as well as my husband; it is a word that moteth rule and authority, Ishi is a word that hath more love and familiarity in it; Baali is a word that noteth the inferiority of the wife to the husband. Now God saith he will be called Ishi, but not Baali; why? there is no hurt in the word Baali it self; the word Baali is a very good word, and hath a good signification, & it is proper to God, as any word that can be given to him by the Church (but that God did forbid it here) for it is no more when the church calls God Baali, then if the Church should say, O God that art my Lord, my husband, who art to rule & govern me;

Yea and we find that God gives to himself this name, Isa. 54. 5. Thy Maker is thy [ husband, ] so it is in your books, but the word in the Hebrew is the same that we have here, Thy Maker is thy [ Baali, ] so that husband and Baal is the very same. But now because they had abused this word Baal, and given into their Idols, therefore God would have no more of it; though it was a good word, a significant word, and as proper to God as any was. As the word Tyrannus was a name once for a King, Kings were called Tyrants, without any such ill signification as now it carries with it; but because they had gotten the sole power into their hands, they did so oppress, abuse their power, therefore oppressors were called Tyrants. So the Latin word fur, which is for a thief, it was once the ordinary word for a servant, Fures, and Servi were wont to be the same, and without any ill signification; but because afterward many servants grew to be false, to steal from their Masters, therefore fures was altogether taken in the worst part, only for thieves. So Sophista, a Sophister, was one that studied wisdom, but because they did so much degenerate, many under the color of the study of wisdom, deceived others, therefore the name Sophister was used in the worst part. I might instance in many other.

For further opening this. May not the name Baal be mentioned? God tells them that he would take away the name of Baalim out of their mouths. Why may not we use this word Baali in our mouths?

To this I answer, Yes, it is not unlawful for us to mention the word, notwithstanding this, for the holy Ghost a long time after this mentions the word in an historical way: Rom. 11. 4. he speaks there of those that had not bowed their knees to Baal, the word you see is mentioned & remembered by the spirit of God, therefore it was not a sin; nay not only the word Baal, b • r it is not unlawful to mention the names of any Idols of the heathen, for the holy Ghost doth so likewise, Acts 18. 11. speaking of the ship that they sailed in, he saith there, whose sign was Castor and Pollux, the names of two heathen Idols. And you may observe that here in the text the remembering is as much forbidden as the mentioning. Now if it were a sin merely to mention the names of the heathen gods, it were a sin to remember them. Therefore God means the mentioning of them Honoris gratia, any way for their honor, or without detestation of them.

The words being thus opened, you have many excellent observations out of them very useful and seasonable for our times.

First, There is a great deal of danger in words and names. You shall call me Ishi, I will not have you call me Baali, I will not have that word used; the Devil hath got much by words and names, heretofore by the word Puritan, though 〈◊〉 knew not what it meant; now by this new name that he hath of late invented; the devil hath always some words, some names for distinction of men, in which he sees advantage is to be had. The speaki •• • f the ways of 〈…〉 the language of superstition doth much hurt. 〈…〉 a notabl • 〈◊〉 • etion from the Papists themselves concerning that, it is in the Rhemists Testament in their notes upon that place, 1 Tim. 6. 20. Keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane, and vain babblings, so we translate it, they translate it, profane novelties, this is their note upon it; Let us (say they) keep our forefathers words, and we shall easily keep our old faith; you shall see that we had not long since the very spirit of these men breathing in many amongst us. The Heretics call repentance amendment, but let us say they keep the old word Penance, they say the Lord's Supper, but we will keep the old word Mass; they say Communion Table, but let us keep the old word Altar; Was it not just thus with us? the call Elders and Ministers, let us say Priests; they say superintendents, but let us keep the word Bishop; (it is a Scripture word indeed, but not in that sense they call it, for in the Scripture sense every Presbyter is a Bishop ) they say Sacrament, let us keep the word Sacrifice and Host; they say Congregation, let us keep the word Church; they morning, evening prayer, let us keep the words Matins, even-song; and so Oblation & Lent, and Palmsunday, and Christmas day, &c. This was the policy of Papists, and it hath been the policy of many of us to bring in popery by. Let us take heed of this, for the Devil is subtle in this; for though these words have some kind of good sense in the Original, yet there is danger in the use of them. Augustine in his preface to his narration upon the Psalms hath this expression. It is a better thing in the mouths of Christians to speak according to the manner of the Church, so we may well say, it had been better that in the mouths of Protestants, there had been the ordinary language of Protestants, not the language of Papists. Certainly if God had not been very merciful unto us, the very language of Papists that began to be amongst us would have done abundance of mischief, take heed as long as you live of the language of Papists, whatsoever pretence they may have for their words. In that place of the Rhemists Testament quoted, they say, Let us take heed of the words of heretics, they there confess that heretics (as they call us) use many words that have no great hurt in them, but because they are the words of heretics, let us not (say they) use them; They are wise enough, they will not use our words, though they confess the words themselves have no harm in them, yet because they are our proper language (as they make them) distinct from themselves, therefore no Catholics should use them, why should not we be as wise as they?

The second Observation, Idolatry is a most loathsome and abominable thing; Why? Surely that is most loath some that we may not so much as mention, that we may not so much as remember. We must seek to abolish the very name, the very remembrance of Idolatry as much as possibly we can. First, one that we hate, we do not love his presence, we do like his company.

Secondly, if we hate him very much, we do not love so much as to see him; and if perhaps we do see him afar off, out hearts rise, that is a second degree. But thirdly, if our hatred be so great thee we cannot endur ••• name him, that is a greater degree of hatred. But fourthly, if we cannot endure to remember him, that is more then to name him. Yet thus should it be in our manifestation of our hatred to Idolatry: we should not admit it into our company, much less then to join in the Ordinances of God. We should not admit, no not the very sight of it, no not the name of it, no not the memory of it without a great deal of indignation. Jer. 44. 4. Oh do not this abominable thing, saith the Lord there; The Lord cries out with a shriek as it were, Oh! do not this abominable thing, as if any of you should see one ready to murder your child, or to cut the throat of your father, you would shrick out, Oh! what mean you to do? do not such a horrible villainy as this; so God cries out as it were with a shriek, do not this abominable thing. It is observable in the second commandment, that God saith he will visit the sin upon the third generation of them that hate him: none seem to love God more then will-worshippers; they will not only worship God as he hath appointed, but will devise ways of their own, and yet God charges the breakers of no commandment with hatred of him but only these. As if God should say, you pretend love to me, in that you will find out new ways to worship me by, you pretend decency and reverence, but I account it hating me, you can provoke me in nothing more. Tertullian in his book De Idololatria, hath this expression; Idolatry is the principal hey nous crime of mankind, it is the chief guilt of the world, and the only cause of judgment in the world.

It were good therefore, seeing God hates it, and loathes it so much, that we should hate and loath it, and therefore even cast out the name and the memory of it; it were a happy thing if this could be obtained, that now the names as of Popish, so of heathenish Idols could be got out from the Church; But I know not how it comes to pass that we Christians do still retain the use of their names, the very days of the week am •• g us are called by the names of Planets, or Heathen God's: Not that I think it a sin, when it is the ordinary language of the world, so to speak as may be understood; for the Apostle (as I said afore) mentioneth the name of Castor and Pollux: but if there could be an alteration by a general consent, it were a thing desirable (as our brethren in New-England do) and it were very desirable likewise, that our children might not be educated in the use of heathen Poems, where the names of heathen Idols are kept up fresh amongst us; The Papists themselves acknowledge so much in their notes upon the Rhemists Testament, Rev. 1. 10. where they say, the name Sunday is Heathenish, as all other of the week days, some imposed after the name of Planets by the Romans, some by the name of certain Idols that the Saxons worshipped, to which they dedicated their days before they were Christians; which names the Church used not, but hath appointed to call the first day Dominike, (the Lord's) the other by the name of Feries, until the last day of the week, which she calleth by 〈…〉 name Sabbath, because that was of God, and 〈…〉 imposition of 〈◊〉 • eathen. And in their Annotations upon Luke, 24. 1. The first day of the Sabbath, that is, first after the Sabbath, which is our Lord's day. And the Apostle (1 Cor. 16. 2.) commanded a collection to be made on the first of the Sabbath; whereby we learn (say they) both the keeping that day, & the Churches count of days, 2, 3, 4. of the Sabbath: that is, the second day, the third day of the week, and so on, to be Apostolical, which S. Sylvister afterward named 2. 3. 4. Feriam. Thus you have the Papists acknowledging the Lord's day to be Apostolical, and the calling the days of the week, the 2. the 3. the 4. &c. to be likewise Apostolical. The Heathenish Roman names of the days were from the seven Planets, 1. Sol, from thence Dies solis, Sunday, dedicated to the Sun. 2. Luna, Monday, dedicated to the Moon. 3. Mars, Tuesday, dedicated to Mars. Our English Tuesday is a Saxon name, from Tuisco, who they say was chief leader and ruler of the German Nation from the Tower of Babel, who in honor of him called this day Tuisday, Tuisco his day. 4. Mercurius, to whom Wednesday is dedicated. Our English is from the Saxons, Woden, who was a great Prince amongst them: after his death they adored his Image. The 5. Jupiter, to whom Thursday is dedicated: Our English is from the Saxon Thor, the name of an Idol which they anciently worshiped. The 6. Venus, to whom Friday is dedicated: Our English is from Friga, an Idol of the Germans. This Idol represented both sexes, as well man as woman, an Hermaphrodite. She was reputed the giver of plenty, and the causer of amity, it is like it was the same which the Romans called Venus. The 7. Saturnus, dedicated to Saturn, from whence our Saturday hath the name: or as others think, from Seater, an Idol of the Germans. Exod. 23. 13. we have this charge, In all things that I have said unto you, be circumspect, & make no mention of the names of other God's, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth. Psal. 16. 4. David professeth he will not take the names of Idols into his lips. A third note is, that little things in point of God's worship, any way tending to Idolatry are to be taken heed of. The very word Baali, merely to mention it, one would think to be one of the smallest things that could be, but yet we see God would have his people take heed of that.

There is no Commandment wherein God speaks of himself as a jealous God, but in the second: now jealousy you know doth not only cause one to be offended at some gross thing, but at anything that doth but tend that way, as if a Husband be a jealous Husband, he is not only offended if he should meet with his wife committing the very act of adultery with another man, but the least glance of a wanton look will displease him, the least thing that is any way tending that way will offend him. So saith God in this commandment. I am a jealous God, to note that though we should not agree to gross Idolatry, to worship Images in a gross way, yet if we do anything that doth but tend that way, that hath but any likeness to superstition, the Lord is jealous of that, even such a thing would displease him, in matters of God's worship little things are not to be contemned (if in any things in the world) we are to make conscience of little things then in point of worship, when we come to deal with God, we had need to look to the smalest things.

No question but the Pharisees when they washed their hands, and Christ would not was his, would be ready to accuse him of too much preciseness, what is there any hurt in the washing of a man's hands? yet Christ would not wash his hands. Though this might seem to be but a little matter before others, yet because it had some kind of tendency to show some respect to their superstitious way, Christ would not agree to them therein.

There is a story in the Primitive times of that noble servant of God and Minister of the Church Marcus Arethusius, who in the time of Constantine had been the cause of overthrowing an Idol Temple, afterward when Julian came to be Emperor, he would force the people of that place to build it up again, they were ready to do it but he refused it, whereupon those that were his own people, over whom he had been Bishop, took him and stripped him of all his clothes, and abused his naked body, and gave it up the children to lance it with their pen-knives, and then caused him to be put in a basket and anointed his naked body with honey, and set him in the sun to be stung with wasps, and all this cruelty they shown because he would not do anything toward the building up of this Idol Temple; Nay they came to this, that if he would do but the least thing towards it, if he would give but a half-penny to it they would save him; but he refused all, though the giving but of one half-penny towards the re-edification of that Idol Temple might have saved his life, he would not do it, for a little thing in that which concerns the worship of God in Religion, is of more concernment then your or my life.

I have read in Theodoret of Valentinian, who was afterwards Emperor, going before Julian into the Temple of the goddess Fortune (which by the way, because we are speaking of the names of Idols, take this note; The word Fortune, as it is commonly used, such a man hath a good forture, should be forborne: The Heathen had a goddess that they called Fortune, and we should not continue those names) when they went up into that Temple, the Priest there had his holy-water, (just as the Papists who imitate the Heathens) as he sprinkled it upon Julian, by accident there came but one drop of water upon Valentinian, he thereupon presently struck the Priest, and withal took his garment and cut that part of it in pieces upon which the water was sprinkled. Some would say, alas what was that? It was but a little water that dropped upon him, & that by accident; yet in detestation of that Idolatry, he cut in pieces that part of his garment. We cannot show our hatred against Idolatry fully, except we show it in little things, as well as in things that are very gross and vile.

Theodoret lib. 4. cap. 15. tells of the zeal of children of Samosaten, who because a Tennis-ball with which they played, had but touched the foot of the Ass whereon L •• ius their heretical Bishop rode, they cried out it was defiled, and burnt it in the Market-place presently; hatred is much shewn in little things.

Fourthly, It is the 〈◊〉 of all God's people, to keep themselves as free from Idolatry and superstition as can be, from the very verges of it: Why? Here they must not so much as mention the very names of their Idols, certainly therefore they must keep themselves at a great distance from it: We must not think it enough to say, Can any man convince us that this is Idolatry? Though it be not, yet if it but borders upon it, it is your duty to keep yourselves from it. Ps. 81. 9. You shall not have any strange God with you, or by you. It is not only sorbidden that you shall not worship a false God, but you shall not so much as have a false God by you; as Deut. 25. 13. when God would forbid the sin of injustice, of selling wares by false weights, mark what the expression is, Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights▪ a great & a small one, it was sin to have a great and a small weight in a man's bag; Why? if you should find a great and a small weight in ones bag, perhaps you would say, but can you prove that ever I sold wares by the small weight, or took wares in by this great weight? Yea, bnt saith God, to the end you may be far off from the sin of injustice, I require you that you shall not have them in your bag; God would have us keep off from the very verge of that sin, much more from Idolatry, which is the worst of all other sins; Isaiah 65. 4. God chargeth upon them, not only that gross sin of eating swine's flesh, but the having the broth of abominable things in their vessels; They might say, we will not eat the flesh, but the broth; no you must not have the broth of abominable things in your vessels, you must keep far off from that defilement; As the Lord speaks concerning corporal whoredom, Prov. 5. 8. Remove thy way far from her, come not • igh the door of her house; If one should say, we will not commit uncleanness, but saith God, you must remove your way far from her, and you must not come nigh her, no not nigh the door of her house. We must not come nigh Popery, we must abstain from the appearance of that evil.

Certainly, it hath been a great distemper in many of your hearts, that you went so nigh to Popery as you did, especially at such a time when the Tide was coming in upon you; for a man to stand just at the edge of the water when the Sea is coming in, especially if you were in some places, as in the Washes in Lincolneshire, is a dangerous thing, to stand at the edge when the tide is going away, is not so dangerous: Many of you when the tide of Popery and superstition was coming in, you stood upon the very edge of the water; this is a sin you ought to repent off.

Fifthly, The Church of God must not worship God after the manner that Idolaters do: They must not so much as make mention of the names that they did, certainly then not worship God in the way they do, in those orders and ceremonies they do.

Mark that place; Deut. 12. 30. Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, and that thou inquire not after their God's, saying, How did these Nations serve their God's? even so will I do likewise; thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God; then verse 32. What thing soever I command you, observe to do it, thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it.

Thou shalt not so much as inquire how others serve their gods, what their rites and ordinances, and manners of serving their gods are, thou shalt not worship me so; How then Lord? as if they should say, Whatsoever thing I command you, observe to do it, thou shall not add thereto, nor diminish from it, you must keep to that, and not think to worship me, as others worship their Idols. The Lord stands much upon this, though the thing in itself may be a lawfulthing, yet because it is the way idolaters have taken up, therefore it must be rejected, Ezek. 44. 20. there is a commandment to the Priests of the Lord, that they shall not shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long, but they shall round their heads, so the words are rendered in the old Translation, and Arius Montarus translates them thus, They shall clip equally their hair all of a length, that is the meaning of the words as they are in the Hebrew; the old Translation, They shall round their heads, is according to the Hebrew; the reason is this, because the idolatrous Priests, according to the several ways of worshipping their Idols, some did shave their heads, others wore long hair as women, some kind of Idols being worshipped one way, some another, all in excessive ways: Now saith God to his Priests, they shall do neither; so that it is the injunction of God to his Ministers there to be Round-heads. Certainly the Devil forgot that place of Scripture when he raised up such a name to reproach men by, which we have the express word in Scripture for the enjoining it: And on the other side, when the Scripture would describe the enemies of God, it describeth them by the contrary, the hairy scalp.

I remember I have read of the Lacedemonians, when they would reform excess in apparel, which was much amongst them, at length their consultation came to this result, that there should be a law made, that none but harlots should wear pompous and rich clothes, and by this means they thought to get all women that regarded their credits, or chastity, to go in mean or plain clothing, by this they attained their end: If by the light of nature once a thing come to be in fashion with harlots, grave and sober Matrons will never meddle with it, then what Idolaters take up in worship, the Church should abstain from; if there must not be a conformity between Matrons and harlots, there must not be a conformity between the Church of God and Idolaters.

Arius Montanus in a Treatise he hath De Templi fabrica, saith, that the Jews report of 13. tables of stone that were in the outward court of the Temple, at which men were wont to pray, & all of them were made, saith he, so as some looked to the North, some to the South, and some to the West, but not one toward the East: And so God built his Temple that the Holy of holiest was not to look toward the East, but toward the West: Hence Ezek. 8. 16. it is said that ••• se that worship 〈◊〉 the Sun, with their faces toward the East, they had their backs upon the Temple, so that it appeareth plainly, that the Temple stood west-ward, and upon this ground, because there were so many among whom the Jews lived, that were worshippers of the Sun, and in their worship they would ever look Eastward, & upon that very reason the Lord would not have the Holy of holiest built Eastward; Now all your Chancels in England are built Eastward, and it was wont to be the order and way of your superstitious worshippers evermore when they came into such a place to look Eastward, and bow solemnly themselves, not only to the Altar, but Eastward. I have seen myself a Bishop, who when the Communion table was set down in another place, he neglected that, and goes to the East end of the Chancel, and boweth himself, though his back was upon the table. And you shall observe it in all your burials, the corps are laid East and West, for this end by some, that when Christ comes to Judgment, they may be ready to look him in the face, it being a trodition that he shall come from the east. You must not think, that those who do not follow the old customs of superstition, do it out of crossness of disposition; it is the same way that God brought his people up in, when they saw Idolaters worship one way, they should worship another way; we must take heed of borrowing from the Egyptians, if you borrow from them you may think it riches, but you may get their botches and boils: we have enough in the word of God, we need no imitation of Idolaters and Papists in the way of worship.

Yet further, that which lies more fully in the Text is, such things that in themselves considered have no hurt in them, yet when they come to be abused to Idolatry, they must be cast away; I will take the name of Baali out of your mouths, the name was good, but being abused, was to be taken away; yea not only such things as are in the original of them from Idolaters, but even such things as in the beginning were of God's own institution, if they do not yet continue his institutions, if God do not require the continuance of them still, they must be taken away, not only corrected, but removed, and wholly rejected from God's worship. I will give you an instance for both these together, Exod. 34. 13. Ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, cut down their groves. Many will easily grant, those things that came from Idolaters at first, should be rejected by us: but they say those ceremonies we have, we have them from the ancient Fathers in the primitive times before Popery was. For a full answer to that which may forever stop the mouth of that objection, you have an express command here, that those groves were to be cut down whose original was not from Idolaters, for Gen. 21. 33. the text saith that Abraham built an Altar, and planted a grove, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God; groves and altars had a good original from Abraham, but afterwards being abused by Idolaters, God requires of them now to cut down the groves. And that example 2 K. 18. 4. of the Brazen Serpent, it had a good beginning, and was an ordinance of God for a time, only it did not continue as an ordinance afterward, but they might think and so plead that it was kep • as a religious monument:

But H • zekiah according to the command of God by Moses, beat down the Braz • n Serpent, and called it Nehustan in a way of contempt, a piece of brass, though it had been a notable instrument of good to the people of Israel in former times, yet now it was but Nehustan, but a piece of brass.

And further, to the abolishing those things that have been abused to Idolatry there is added a gracious promise, Isaiah 27. 9. By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit to take away his si • ne, when he maketh all the stones of the Altar as chalk-stones that are beaten in sunder; Then indeed hath Jacob's correction the true fruit npon him to purge away his sin, when he makes all the stones of the Altar as chalkestones; And Josiah is commended 2 King. 23. for destroying the high places, the groves and altars and the chariots for the sun, &c. And repenting Manasseh, 2 Chron. 33. 18. is commended that he did take away the strange gods, and the Idols out of the house of the Lord, and all the altars; and Daniel, chap. 1. would not eat of the Kings meat, because it had been abused and consecrated to his Idols.

But for the opening of this there will be something required by way of answer to an objection. You will say, are not those prohibitions there particular, concerning the Jews and not so fully concerning us? they sometimes are forbidden to take of the gold and silver of the Idols, do such prohibitious concern us in everything that hath been abused to Idolatry?

For answer, I confess I think we are not bound in every particular circumstance according to those commandments that God required of them: neither do I think that they had been bound if they had not had some express commandment in some things that they did, if they had made use of the silver, or gold of an image, for some civil use, before the express prohibition came to them, it had been no sin unto them, those things being required of them by some positive Law, and not required in the second Commandment further then there is a moral equity in them.

[ 1] But how far do they bind us? All those rules God gave to the Jews to destroy all things abused to Idolatry, bind us in these three cases.

First, we must retain nothing whereby any false worship may retain any honor. If Mordecai would not bow to a living monument of that nation, whose name God had ordained to be blotted out from under heaven, much less should we reverence dumb monuments of those Idols which God hath devoted to destruction; we must not show respect to anything that Idolaters have abused, when our reserving of them, or respect to them may any way keep up any honor of them. Therefore certainly thi • is a truth, that to take a ceremony from Papists, to bring it into the most solemn Ordinances of CHRIST, yea so into them to that end that it may add to the honor of that Ordinance, can never be justified. There never was any ceremony more abominably abused then that of the Cross; Now though it be not a sin to make a cross, yet to bring it into one of the most 〈◊〉 Ordinances of Christ in his Church, and to make it there to conduce to the honor of such an Ordinance, it is impossible but men must shut their eyes if they do not see it a great evil. So for vestments, suppose there might be some use of them some other way, yet to bring them to make the worship of God to be decent, to think that those vestments that have been • o notoriously abused, should add to the honor of divine worship must needs be sinful, surely all those scriptures that required the Jews to abolish those things that have been abused by Idolaters, if they have any morality [ 2] in them, they will cast out these. Secondly, When anything that hath been abused to Idolatry, shall in the use of it imply any communicating with Idolaters, then it must be rejected: that is clear out o • Rev. 2. 20. there the Church of • hyatira is charged that they did eat things sacrificed to Idols; Why? the meat sacrificed to Idols was good meat, a good creature of God, and we have that rule, that every creature of God is good, if it be sanctified by the word and prayer, yet they are charged for it as a sinning against Christ in it; You will say what is that to them if it were offered to Idols? they might eat it as God's creature: But it was a sin because the eating of that did argue communion with them, that is plain in that 1 Cor. 10. 18. 19. 20. where you have the argument of the Apostle against eating things offered to Idols, thus he reasoneth, When you eat the same bread in the Sacrament it is a note of your communion one with another, so when you eat of the things sacrificed to idols, that is a note of your communion with them: that is the argument of the Apostle in that place, and upon that ground it is made a sin, You cannot (saith he) partake of the Table of the Lord, and the table of devils, if you eat of their meat, you communicate with them & so it is sin to you.

Thirdly, To make use of anything abused by Idolaters when it cometh [ 3] to be a scandoll to our brethren, a snare to those that are weak, then it is a sin against God, 1 Cor. 10. 28. eating meat offered to Idols, is forbidden in the former place upon a ground of communicating, but in this 28. ver. it is forbidden upon the ground of scandoll, that is enough: Calvin in his Epistle to the Lord Protector in King Edwards days, hath these words; What other things were those ceremonies maintained by in England but so many pleasing allurements that ensnare poor miserable souls, & bring them into evil? certainly these that we have retained have brought abundance of evil this way, they have been the ensnaring of many souls. In these three things the rules that concern the Jews have a morality concerning us.

But yet these rules must be observed with some cautions, or else we may go away and not understand the ruels aright.

They must be understood first in things that are not Ordinances continued by God; for certainly if it be an Ordinance that God hath appointed, though Idolaters abuse it never so much, we must go on in it. It is true, the brazen serpent was an Ordinance of God, but it was an Ordinance but for a time, it was not a continued Ordinance, and therefore being abused to Idolatry it was to be destroyed; but when a thing is an Ordinance appointed by God to be continued in the Church, we must go on in the use of it, though it be abused.

As in Baptism, the ordinance is water, though they abuse water, we must continue the use of it; in the ordinance in the Lord's supper is the use of bread and wine, though they abuse those elements, we must continue them, why? because no abuse is an argument to refuse that which is a duty; the subject of scandal is a thing indifferent, but if it be an ordinance, we must continue our obedience, whether men be offended or not offended.

[ 2] Secondly, Neither can any of these rules hold in anything that is of necessary use for the worship of God, so as we cannot enjoy the worship of God without them. As for places, supose Idolaters have abused a place of meeting for God's worship, when we have no other place to meet in, this is (for the present at least) of necessary use to God's worship, there is a natural necessity of a place, and if no other for the present may be had, we are bound to worship in that place, the abuse of men must not hinder God's worship, God hath never put his worship under the power of wicked men, so as they should keep his people off from it when they please.

[ 3] Thirdly, If it be any ceremony that of its own nature (not by virtue of any institution from man) hath that decency in it as that the want of it would be an undecency, then though it be never so much abused, we are to go on in it; for it is the duty of God's people to worship God in a decent way; It is the rule of the Apostle, Let all things be done decently, but there is a mistake in that use that many make of that Scripture, this rule is, that which the light of nature teaches, though we had never found it in Scripture, it is not meant of such a decency as the institution of man puts upon a thing, but such a decency as God in the nature of the thing puts upon it, so that if it were wanting, the work would be undecently performed: But if the things be merely man's inventions and institutions, having their supposed decency, not from what is indeed in the things themselves, but from that which man's institution puts upon them, then they come not under that rule of the Apostle, but the abuse of them is argument enough for their rejection.

But it may be objected, If we can instruct people what the abuse is, and what right use they may make of such things, will not that serve for the retaining them?

No certainly, it had not been enough for the Jews to use the name Baali, though their Prophets had taught them what the abuse of it was.

This is as if a man should keep a company of rags, that have lien a great while upon plague sores, and say it is enough, I will wash them clean, and lay them out to air them; will any wise man keep such rags in his house upon this precence? Those things that have had poison in them, none will be so unwise to keep them by them, upon pretence of washing them clean; if they be broken vessels of which there is no use, they are cast upon the dunghill with less trouble and more safety.

All things that are of man's invention, yea those things that have been God's Ordinances, but now are out of date, & are not for the present God's Ordinances the Scripture calls them beggarly rudiments; you cannot compare men's inventions to clothes, or anything worth the erring or keeping, but the truth is, all such things that have been abused to Idolatry, are no other but as such dirty rags, and plasters laid upon plague-sores.

But further you will say, If that use we receive them for be not the same use they were in, if we retain them for another use that is good, why may we not do it?

The text answers that, though the Jews should call God Baali in a right sense, it was not enough, they must wholly reject the very mentioning of the name. But further, suppose a harlot should be brought out of a most notorious stews in Rome or Paris, and brought to Dover into an honest man's chamber, is she not a harlot still? and is there not a provocation in her to uncleanness, though she become now to lie not in the stews, but in the chamber of an honest man? So in all those things that have been abused to Idolatry, though you should think you make use of them in a better way, it is no other then to bring a harlot out of the stews, into a place not so vile, and to company with the harlot there.

Besides, if a man's wife whom her husband had not without just cause suspected for uncleanness with another man, should get something from that man, and keep it in her bosom, or lay it next her heart, and should tell her husband, true, she keeps such a thing, but she intends no hurt in it, it is a good thing, only she had it from him, will this think you satisfy any jealous husband? The Church is the wife of Christ, he is jealous, and he hath cause to be jealous, for he knows while we are in the flesh, we are prone to spiritual filthiness; and if we take any ceremony from Popish Idolatry, and join with his own Ordinances, and think to put off Christ thus, we intend to make no ill use of it, this will not satisfy Christ.

If any say, why should we not retain our liberty if the things be good?

But why shouldst not thou manifest thy hatred to all Idolatry? And why shouldst not thou tender thy brethren so, as to prevent all scandal that may come by the use of such things?

But you will say, the idolatry of Papists, and the idolatry of Heathen is not the same, there is a great deal of difference between the Heathens in worshipping their Idols, and the Papists worshipping of God, though in a false way?

Indeed the difference seems to be much, but yet the Idolatry is even the same in both; for you are mistaken, if you think that many of the Heathens worshipped a false God, otherwise then the Papists do; though they made stocks and stones their Idols, yet they worshiped the God that was Primum Ens, the first Being, in and through those Idols: Therefore Austin upon Ps. 96. brings in one answering thus, We do not worship a stone, but the virtues, the strength, and the powers of the great God we worship: And another, one Maximus Madaurensis that Austin speaks of in his 43. Epistle, Who is so mad, or so void of sense that will doubt whether there be more God's then one? we invocate the virtues of this one God under many names, diffused through the frame of the whole world.

What more fair answer can Papists give for their Idolatry then they did? Therefore the thing continueth still clear, that (with those rules and cautions that have been named) such things as have been abused to Idolatry, must wholly be cast away; we must not retain them, and think to put off God with such distinctions. To what end do we retain them? Is there not sufficient in the worship of God it self to make it acceptable to him?

The Sixteenth Lecture.

T O add a word or two more about that principal Observation in these words opened the last day; god would not have his people to worship him in that way that Idolaters worship him; It hath always been the care of the Churches of God, to distinguish themselves in ways of worship from Idolaters. The Manichees were wont to keep their fasts upon the Lord's day, and upon that the Churches did utterly prohibit the keeping of Fasts upon that day, because they would not do as the Man • chees did. Tertullian saith it is Nefas, a detestable wickedness to fast on the Lord's day. And Ignatius saith; to fast on the Lord's day is to kill Christ. There is a notable and famous Tractate of Tertullian's, concerning a Christian soldier being in the Army of the Heathens, when they in honor of their Idol gods did wear upon their heads a coronet of bayes, he took his coronet, and instead of waring it upon his head, he held it in his hand, upon this there was a great mutiny in the Army, his fellows storming at this, that one soldier should be in a different garb from all the rest, surely this was some nice conscienced soldier, that (he forsooth) must not do as others did, he must hold the coronet of bayes in his hand, whereas others wore it on their heads: The mutining of the soldiers came at length to the Officers of the Army, and upon that this Christian soldier was called to question, why he was in a different kind of way from his fellows; he gives this answer, I am a Christian, and therefore it doth not beseem me to do as these do, that we are the bayes upon their heads in honor of their Idol gods; upon that they were all in a mighty rage, against this soldier, and not only himself, but all the Christians that were near hand were in danger of a great persecution; Nay, there was a great mutining amongst other Christians, that this one man for such a nicety should endanger not only himself but other Christians. Tertullian therefore writes a whole Tractate to defend this Soldier for this his practice, and he saith of him, that he was holier then his holy brethren, who thought and presumed they might serve two Lord's, that they might comply themselves for the avoiding of persecution with the Heathens in the observation of their superstitious way of worship; and he cries out in an exclamation, in commendation of this Soldier; Oh most glorious soldier, who would thus venture himself, and not comply with Idolaters! and whereas some would plead against him, even Christians, that would rather comply then endure the hazard, and say, where is it written in all the word of God that we should not wear bayes upon our heads? Tertullian answereth again, Where is it written that we may do it? saith he, we must look into the Scripture to see what we may do, and not think it enough that the Scripture doth not directly forbid this or that very particular. By this we see that some to avoid trouble and persecution, will as much as ever they can comply with the ways of Idolatry, yet those that are of a true Christian heroic spirit indeed, will not comply with them, but will rather hazard the sorest persecution.

Thus it should be with us, we must not retain anything that hath been abused to Idolatry, so as to keep the honorable memorial of it; we must not comply with Idolaters that way; and especially in regard of that great Idol of the Cross (which we instanced in, the last day) not so far to retain it as to bring it into the Ordinances of God, the very Sacrament, this puts a great honor upon it; yea and too too great an honor is put upon it in reserving it in the eminentest place of the City, and to think it is an ornament unto it, whereas it is indeed a great disgrace and dishonor, and retains the memory of your forefathers superstition, which is their and your shame. Augustine says, it is better to die with hunger then to eat that which is offered to Idols, so far were these ancients from suiting themselves with Idolaters. Gabriel Biel saith the Church of Rome though meet to use leavened bread, lest in unleavened they should seem to be like Ebion the Heretic: and Bellarmine would not have Paul called Divus Paulus, but Beatus, because Divus and Diana were the words of the heathen for their gods and goddesses. This promise to take away the names of Baalim comes in upon God's reconciliation to his people. From whence the next note is, when God is reconciled to his people, there will be a thorough Reformation both outward and inward. Idolatry is cast out not only from the heart but from the mouth, the taking away the names from their mouths is a synechdoche, and notheth the uttertaking away of all ways of Idolatry in the outward practice as well as in the inward affection. The more reconciliation there is with God, the more enmity against Idols and superstitious worship. A fruitful sign then it is that we in England were never thoroughly reconciled unto God, because we never yet have cast off our Idols.

As some remaynders of superstition abiding amongst us, did not long since break forth to most horrid and vile ways of false worship, so some remainders of God's wrath that hath been amongst us, this day breaks forth into a most dreadful flame. When the people of the Jews shall be called again, and God shall be perfectly reconciled to his Churches, then Idolatry shall be perfectly rejected, and there shall never be so much as mention of their Idols anymore, this Text aims at those times, and shall perfectly be fulfilled at that day, that is the day when God will do it.

They shall call me no more Baali, but Ishi, my husband.

Thence the note is,

When a people is reconciled to God, then they call God theirs, my husband, Isbi. Psal. 16. 3, 4. David professeth that he would not so much as take up their names into his lips, of which before. Now mark what followeth presently upon that, ver. 5. The Lord (saith he) is my portion, when the Prophet is so taken off from Idols, as not to mention the names of Idols, then The Lord is my portion; So here now Ishi, the Lord is my husband, now can we claim a peculiar interest in God indeed. This is the evil of sin, it hindereth a nation, a soul from claiming this interest in God. God is a blessed and glorious God, yea but what is that to this people, to this apostatizing people? what is that to this apostatizing soul? but when the soul comes into God, & comes off thoroughly to the work of Reformation, then this God is my God, Ishi, my husband. Can any comfort, any profit that you have in ways of sin countervail this great loss? you gain some contentment in the flesh, some profit in your estate, but you lose the comforts of your interest in God, what is your gain now? think of this when any temptation comes, I may be yielding to this temptation, get this contentment to the flesh, but I shall lose this blessed privilege of claiming an interest in my God, I shall not be able to say, Ishi, my husband.

Thirdly, Ishi, The word compared with the former Baali, is a word of more love then the former. Baali is a word, though it signifies my husband too as well as Ishi, but it is husband under the notion of dominion, under the notion of power that causeth fear; but Ishi is a husband under the notion of love and protection. Hence the note is,

God delights to have his people look upon him with love and delight. It is God's care, and it is his good pleasure that his people should not look upon him so much as one that hath dominion over them, but that they should look upon him with joy and love, and call him Ishi. The more reconciled we are unto God, the more have we the use of the loving appellations of God. For a soul to be always under the spirit of bondage, to look unto God only as the Lord of all, this is not so pleasing to God; but when you come to have the spirit of adoption, the spirit of grace, an Evangelical spirit, that you can look upon him with love, and say Ishi, my husband, that title of love and goodness, this pleases God at the heart. It is reported of Augustus that he would not have the title of Lord given to him, he refused it, and would rather have his people to look upon him under the notion of love as a father, rather then to fear him. It were happy that all Princes were of this mind, to desire that their people should rather love them then fear them! It is a most villainous, wicked, and cursed principle that is in some, who infuse into the spirit of Princes, let your people fear you, no great matter whether they love you or no. Suetonius relateth this passage of Augustus, when a poor man came to present a petition to him with his hands shaking and trembling out of fear, the Emperor was much displeased, and said, It is not fit that any should come with a petition to a King, as if a man were giving meat to an Elephant that is afraid to be destroyed by him. God doth not love the bread of mourners to be offered up in sacrifice, he loveth to have people come unto him with a holy boldness, with a filial, not with a servile and slavish spirit. Christ laid down his life to redeem us that we might serve the Lord without fear.

Fourthly, They shall call me Ishi, that is, My strength. The Church should look upon Christ as the strength of it; Thy maker is thy husband, and who is he? The Lord of Hosts is his name, thy redeemer, the God of the whole earth shall he be called. When the people of God can look upon Christ their husband as the Lord of hosts, and their Redeemer as the God of the whole earth, then they find quiet and satisfaction in their spirits, Psa. 89. 17. God is said to be the glory of the strength of his people; Though we be weak in regard of our outward helps, let us look up to Christ our strength, he hath been our strength, he is the glory of it.

Fifthly, I will take the names of Baalim out of their mouth, and they shall be no more remembered by their name. Repentance must be proportionable to men's sins. How doth that arise? before ver. 13. God charged them that they had forgotten him, They went after their lovers and forgot me, saith the Lord. Now saith God, your Idols shall be forgotten, your hearts were so far set upon your idols as you forgot me, now in your repentance your hearts shall be so much upon me as you shall forget your Idols. Those men who have been so wicked and ungodly heretofore, that they have forgot God, God hath not been in all their thoughts. God expects now from them that their lusts should not be in all their thoughts. It is not enough that you forbear the act, but you must not roll the sweet of them in your thoughts you must not so much as remember them, except it be with the detestation of them. If there be not a proportion between your repentance & your former sins, you may expect there will be a proportion between God's wrath and your former sins, Further, They shall not so much as be remembered by their name, they shall not think of them. The note from hence is, all superstitious vanities though they may seem for the present never so glorious, yet in time they will vanish and come to nothing, God hath a time to make them so to vanish, as they shall not so much as be thought off. Col. 2. 22. it is said of the rudiments of the world, that are according to the Doctrine of men, they perish in the use, in the present use, that is, they effect nothing that they seem to be appointed for, there is no good cometh of them for the present, but in the very use they come to nothing; but time shall be that God will cause them all to perish utterly, and the very remembrance of them shall be taken away. It is true for the present while men's hearts are set upon superstitious ways, O how glorious are they in their eyes▪ but these glorious things will come to nothing, whereas those Ordinances of God that seem to be but mean things, wherein the simplicity of the Gospel appeareth, they shall appear full of beauty, though for the present they seem to be darkened, they shall be glorious in the eyes of the Saints to the end of the world.

Not long since what a stir was there about the more then decent, even superstitious adorning of Temples, and building of Altars, and brave Canopies, what sumptuous things and fine knacks had they, and all to set out a pompous superstitious way of worship? this altogether prevailed; as for the purity and simplicity of God's ways and worship, how was it trampled under feet as an unworthy contemptible thing? but these things that for a while seemed so glorious, begin to vanish, and we hope ere long will come to nothing, the very memory of them shall perish, the purity of God's worship, and the simplicity of the Gospel in God's Ordinances shall recover their beauty and glory when those braveries shall be no more.

7. A true penitent cannot remember former sins without indignation, for so is the meaning of the phrase, they shall not remember. Some of us may remember how we have been entangled with ways of false worship, and how we have fullyed and wrung our consciences that way, we said we would yield as far as we could, but indeed we yielded further then we could, for id possumus qnod jure possumus, we have cause to remember it with shame and confusion of face. Ye old men may remember the sins of your youth, but how can you remember them and speak of them with joy and meryment? that is an evil, yea almost a desperate sign, do you so remember the sins of your youth as to tell tales of the pranckes of your younger days with joy? you are in a high degree left of God, and given up to hardness, you shall remember them with shame and indignation, the sweet morsels of former sins coming up into remembrance should be bitter and sower unto you.

The last note is, the taking off men's hearts from Idolatrous ways, is a special work of God, I will do it saith God. I will take away the names of Baalim out of their mouths. Certainly the people in these times hung much upon their false ways of worship, they had many arguments for their way, no question but they had many distinctions to uphold it: but there shall come a day saith the Lord, when I will take away the names out of their mouths. I will stop your mouths, I will take off your hearts from all those Objections and reasonings you have had to maintain such ways as those were, I will silence all, & then you shall see evidently & convincingly to your shame that you have been gulled by such vain & false distinctions, I will take off all those engagements your hearts were bound in, those being taken off I will soon take you off from all. What a deal of stir hath God (that we may speak with holy reverence) to take men's hearts from ways of false worship? What a company of distinctions and objections have men, their hearts clinging to them, being very unwilling to be taken off, now & then their consciences are wrung, yet they hold fast, and then conscience hath another wring, and then they another objection, and another distinction, and yet perhaps true grace lies at the bottom after all this.

But God having a love unto them, by some way or other takes off their hearts, if he doth it not by settling truths upon the heart by his Spirit, he will do it by some notable works o • providence; we find it by experience, so long as men's engagements hold, that they cannot enjoy their estates, liberties and comforts, without yielding to such ways of superstition, they will not be taken off from them; they please themselves in this (and perhaps they speak what they think) that they do nothing against the light of their consciences; for why? their engagements keep off the strength of truth, that it comes not to a full conviction of conscience: But when God shall by any work of his providence take off their hearts from engagements, and then come and set before them the same truths that formerly he did, they come to see now a convincing evidence in those truths, they stand admiring that they saw it not before, wonder what the matter was, they read such books before that had the same arguments against their ways, and for the truth, but they could not see the strength of them before, now they see it apparently, and they are ashamed of themselves every time they go into the presence of God, they are confounded in their own thoughts to think, that though truths were so clear before, they did not see them, now they see them with such cleareness, as they think they could lay down their lives for them, whatsoever they suffer for time to come, they can never yield to what they have yielded to heretofore: What is the matter? God hath come in with power, God hath taken off their hearts. God attributeth this to himself, I will take the names of Baalim out of their mouths; whatsoever they have to say for the keeping of such names and relics of Idolatry, yet I will come with power upon their hearts and take them out of their mouths.

Then indeed when God thus cometh the thing will be done. And let us take heed we do not stand out too long, lest God come to take off our hearts by some dreadful way of judgment or other; It were better our mouths were stopped, our objections silenced, and so all the relics and remainders of false worship were taken from us thorough the word and Spirit of God: If that will not do, God will come in some other way, and take the name of Baalim out of our mouths; And if we will keep the memory of superstitious ways, God may extirpate the memory of them by such ways as may prove fearful unto us, and make our hearts to ache, and our ears to tingle. We have a notable passage for this, Ezekiel 6. 6. In all your dwelling places saith God, your Cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate, (mark) that your Altars may be laid waste, and made desolate, and your Idols may be broken and cease, and your Images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished. Observe the Text, In all your dwelling places your Cities shall be laid waste; to what end? That your Altars may be laid waste; So that God will lay waste their Cities for this very end, that he may lay waste their Altars; if they will not lay waste their Altars, if they will not abolish their superstitions that are amongst them, God will abolish their Cities, lay waste their Cities that he may lay waste their Altars. God hath begun to put it into the heart of our governors, the Parliament, to abolish many superstitious pictures and crosses in divers places, there is yet one great one remaining, and we hope God upon the same grounds may put into their hearts the abolishing of that. It would be a dreadful thing unto you, if God now calling upon us to cast out the remainders of all Idolatry & superstition, to lay waste all Idolatrous Pictures, Images and Crosses, if we should not come off, but that God should lay waste your Cities, to lay waste your Altars, Crosses, and relics of Idolatry: You see God threateneth this here, as if God did not intend so much to lay waste their Cities, he would preserve them, but because he could not (that we may speak according to the manner of men) abolish their Altars, but by laying waste their Cities, saith God, rather then your Altars shall stand, your Cities shall down. God hath ways, and most terrible ways too to take away the memory of superstitious vanities; Oh that we had hearts to join with God before he cometh in such a dreadful manner to abolish the memory of such things! Were our Prelates in their power, such a speech as this could not be borne, when Master Vdal a godly Preacher in Queen Elizabeth's days, was charged with such an expression. If it come in, (that is, the true government of Christ as he meaneth,) by that means that will make all your hearts to ache, blame yourselves; for these words especially was he then condemned to be hanged; such was the rage and potency of the Prelates in those days: What I have said may be against the spirits of such as cleave to superstitious vanities, we have no cause to fear the exasperating of these, for surely they cannot be more exasperated then they are for the present, and it were a foolish thing to exasperate and provoke God, for fear of further exasperation in those who are for the present exasperated even to the utmost against us. And if they were not, but the exasperation would arise new, what is the exasperation of vile men, to the abiding of the wrath of God upon us?

VERSE, 18. And in that day I will make a Covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of Heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground; and I will break the bow, and the sword, & the batteli out of the earth, and I will make them to lie down safely.

In this verse God promiseth peace and security; peace, in regard of their deliverance from the beasts of the field, and fowls of the heaven, & creeping things of the ground; Peace from the hostility of their adversaries, he will break the bow & the sword, & the battle out of the earth; And security, they shall lie down safely.

I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, &c.

Some allegorize upon these words, the beasts of the field, they say are meant cruel wicked men; the fowls of the air, ambitious wicked men that are lofty in their thoughts & counsels; the creeping things of the ground, subtle adversaries, God here promises, they say, to deliver them from all these. But I desire not to fall upon Allegories, but when there is a necessity, therefore take the words literally, The beasts of the field, fowls of the air, and creeping things of the earth. But how may God be said to make a covenant for his people, with the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and the creeping things of the earth? For to speak properly, no creature is capable of a Covenant with God, but only the rational.

The meaning is, there shall be such an establishment of God's work upon the beasts and fowls, and creeping things for the good of his Church, as if God had bound them to do them good by way of Covenant; that way of God is called making of a Covenant with them; I will show it you in another Scripture, Ier. 33. 20. If you can break my covenant of the day, & my covenant of the night, that there should not be day and night in their season, &c. How doth God make a Covenant with the day, and a Covenant with the night? Thus, there is an establishment of God's decree upon the day, and upon the night, that it should be in such and such a way from the Creation unto the end of the world, and that establishment is called God's Covenant; so Oceolampadius upon my Text, I will order inviolably and unalterably, there shall be an establishing decree upon these creatures that they shall do you no hurt but good.

From hence the notes are these.

First, Sin hath caused enmity between man and the creatures; that is implied here, I will, saith God, make a Covenant (upon your reconciliation with me, and your reformation) with the creatures, now they shall be at peace with you, I will do it, noting that by our sin there is grown enmity between us and God's creatures. We have lost by sin a great part of our dominion that God gave us over his creatures, that was the result from that Image of God that man was created in. Therefore when you see any creature to rebel against you, be put in mind your rebellion against God. It is true, God hath kept a little of man's dominion over the creature still, to the end that the world and human society may be preserved. Sometimes you may see a little child driving before him a hundred Oxen or kine this way or that way as he pleaseth, it showeth that God hath preserved somewhat of man's dominion over the creatures. But a great part is lost by our sin. If we that are the servants of God rebel against him, it is just with God that the creatures that were made to be our servants should rebel against us. And you who are Superiors, when any of your inferiors are stubborn against you, your servants, your children rebellious, raise your hearts up to this meditation, My servant is rebellious against me, how have I been rebellious against the Lord! my child is stout and stubborn against me, how hath my heart been stout & stubborn against the Lord my Father!

Again, peace with God brings peace with the creatures. I will make a covenant with the beasts of the field, with the fowls of the air, &c. Job 5. 23. you have a strange kind of promise, Thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the earth shall be at peace with thee. This goes somewhat deeper then that which is here promised, there shall be a league, not only with the beasts, but with the stones of the field. How in league with the stones of the field? It is more easy to be understood, to be in league with the beasts of the field, for they are many times hurtful unto us. But how with the stones of the field? There are many interpretations given of that place. Only thus much for the present. It was wont to be the way (and so it is still in many places) in setting the bounds of their fields, they took stones which they set up for land-marks, and engraved upon their stones, to note to whom this or the other parcel of ground belonged. Now this is the promise, that the Lord would be so gracious to his people, that they should enjoy the bounds of their own habitations securely, they should not be wronged, their land-marks should not be taken away. The stones of the field shall be in league with thee, that is, the stones of the field that stand for your land-marks shall abide, and none shall take them away; I will preserve your bounds, as if you were in league with the stones that are your land-marks, as if they had agreed with you, and were in covenant that they would undertake to stand, and to set out the bounds of your fields forever: And the beasts of the field also shall be useful to you, and do you no hurt.

But you will say, sometimes the beasts of the field do hurt the Saints, how doth God make a covenant with them?

Many things might be answered to that, verse. 17. of that place of Job he speaks of a time when God corrects and men despise not the chastening of the Almighty, now this in verse. 23. hath reference unto that time: that is, when any do make use of God's correction, do not despise it but in a reverent way submit unto God's hand of correction, then God will make this league with the stones of the field, and with the beasts of the earth. If God hath corrected you with any sickness, and you do not profit by that sickness, it is just with God that a beast of the field, that some or other creature should meet you, and be more terrible unto you then ever your sickness was. And the promise here in Hosea is to those that are reconciled to God, who have cast off their superstitious vanities: And because we are not here perfectly reconciled, therefore this promise is not perfectly fulfilled; But I make no question but the holy Ghost here aimeth at the t • me of the call of the Jews, and then I believe that this promise shall be literally fulfilled, and those other promises in Isaiah and other places, where God says he will make the Lion to eat straw with the Ox, and the like, and that no venomous creature shall do them hurt; When the calling of the Jews shall be, the creatures shall be brought into such a kind of excellency in a manner as they were in Adam in Paradise, they shall come to the primitive institution, the Lion was not at the first creation wont to live upon prey: the creatures were not made to prey one upon another, therefore the promise is that the Lion shall live in that kind of quietness as it was to do in Paradise, if man had not sinned; And at the calling of the Jews it is very like there shall be such a restitution of all things (as it is called Acts 3. 21.) the creatures shall be restored to such a knd of excellency as it had at the first in the Creation: And though in part this may be fulfilled to God's people, so as the beasts of the field shall do them no hurt, that is, if they prevail against them it shall be for some gracious ends that God aymsat, yet for the literal fulfilling of it it is reserved for that day. Thirdly, When God is reconciled to his people, shall the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and the creeping things of the earth be at peace with the Saints? what a wicked and ungodly thing is it then in men, that the more any are reconciled unto God, the greater enemies are they unto them? God promiseth when his people be reconciled to him, the creature shall be reconciled unto them; yet thou a vile wretch when thou seest one grow up in the ways of reconciliation with God, thy enmity increases towards him; what a horrible wickedness is this? it is more then brutish by far, it is desperate wickedness; as it was with those Kings of Canaan, Josh. 10. 5. as soon as the Gibeonites had made peace with Joshua, and were in coveuant, the five Kings conspired against them, they lived quietly enough before with them, but when they heard that they had made a covenant with Joshua, they presently conspired against them; Thus it is with many at this day, when you had your companions who would drink, swear, and break the Sabbath, and be unclean, and scorn with you, they were good fellows then, how would you hug and embrace them, and delight in them? but so soon as God hath wrought upon their hearts, and they are brought from enemies to be reconciled unto God, now your hearts are opposite to them, now you look upon them as your enemies, now you hate them, now your spirits rise against them: O horrible & desperate wickedness! the Lord rebuke you this day, the Lord strike upon such a heart. Before Saul was converted hewas a man of repute, but as soon as he turned Christian, he was a pestilent, a seditious fellow, Away with such a man from the earth, he is not worthy to live, the next news we hear, forty of them conspired together, and bound themselves with an oath, that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed him.

Fourthly, I will make a Covenant, saith God, you shall have this mercy, and have it by covenant.

Mercy that cometh by Covenant is excellent mercy indeed. The same mercy that cometh in by a work of general providence is nothing so sweet, nothing so firm as that mercy that cometh in by Covenant. When the Saints enjoy a mercy, though it be outward, they are not so taken with the mercy, for the outward part of it, because they have some comfort and contentment to the outward man by it, but they are taken with it upon this ground, they see even this outward mercy cometh to them by virtue of God's Covenant with them, that sweetness and makes firm the mercy; when they go up and down the field and the beasts come not upon them to destroy them, they can look upon their present safety as enjoying it in the Covenant. You will say, the wicked can walk up and down in the fields, and the beasts not destroy them.

Though they do, yet a godly man hath more sweetness in this then he, in that he can see this his safety from the Covenant: when he rides a journey, his beast is not made an instrument of God's wrath to dash out his brains, perhaps it is so with his wicked neighbor that rides with him, but that from whence the preservation is, is different, it is a mercy to the godly man form the Covenant that God hath made with him, to preserve him in all his ways, it is but general providence to the other; wicked men may have the same mercies for the matter of them that the godly have, yet there is a kernel in the mercy which only the Saints enjoy.

There are two things observable in a mercy coming by Covenant.

[ 1] 1. It is more sweet. 2. More firm. More sweet, Psal. 25. 10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, to such as keep his covenant.