An Exposition of Hosea 1-3

The Seventeenth Lecture.

B Ut how betroth? (this phrase seems to be very strange) she had been the wife of God before, and was gone a whoring from him; though God should be reconciled to her, one would have thought it should rather have been, I will receive you again, No, but I will betroth you. The reason of the phrase is, to note that God would receive her with that love as if she had been a pure virgin, and he would never upbraid her former departing from him: you have been an adulteress, bear your shame, but for my own Names sake I will be content to receive you again, No, but I will be • roth you unto me, you shall be as now taken to me, and your sins shall be no more remembered, they shall be as if they had never been committed. When God pardoneth sin he will remember it no more, the Lord will never charge upon sinners their former sins. And if God will not remember the sins of his people, of his repenting people, to charge them upon them, we should not remember them, to up brayd them for them; what ever they have been before, if now converted, it is too much boldness in any of us to upbraid them for any of their former sins. I remember Beza tells of himself, that the Papists upbraided him much for the sins of his youth, for his lascivious Poems he made before his conversion; but Beza answers them thus, Hi homines invident mihi graciam divinam, these men envy me the grace of God.

I will betroth thee unto me, yea I will betroth thee unto me, I will even betroth thee unto me.

The repenting Church might say, How is it possible that such an adulteress who hath been so vile, who hath been so impudent in her ways of forsaking the blessed God, her glorious husband, who hath so long continued in filthy whoredoms, should yet expect to receive mercy? What, this mercy, to be betrothed to God, to be taken as if she were a chaste Spouse before him? Yes saith God, I will do it, and therefore it is repeated three times for the assurance of the humbled repenting Church that God will again betroth himself unto her, and that with some Emphasis, I will betroth, yea I will betroth, even I will betroth: there is betrething, and betrothing, and betrothing, and I, and I, and I, showing how much the heart of God is in this thing. As if God should have said, Though you think such a thing can never be, you see nothing but cause of doubting and discouragement in your selves, but I will do it, yea I will do it, and it is thus repeated to note also the excellency of the mercy that is in it.

It is an excellent mercy indeed that the Lord will take a people into so near a communion with himself, from this mercy floweth most glorious mercies, I will do this saith God, I need say no more, here is mercy enough to satisfy any soul living, I will do it, I will do it, I will do it.

But will this mercy hold? will it hold? I have already apostatized from the Lord, I have still an apostatizing heart, & am like to fall off from God again, and so may condition is like to be worse then ever yet it was; no saith God, I will betroth you unto myself forever, my heart shall be forever towards you, and your heart shall be forever towards me, there shall never be any breach of conjugal love and communion between you and I any more.

[ 2] But the Lord is a righteous God, he is a God of infinite justice, and I have most fearfully sinned against him, oh the hideous sins that I stand guilty of before him! how shall that infinite justice of God be satisfied for my sins? this is the care of a repenting heart, not only to obtain mercy for pardon, but how shall that justice of God be satisfied? Yes saith God, I will have a way for that too, though you have been very sinful, yet when I receive you to mercy, it shall be in such a way as I will be righteous, as well as gracious, I will do it in righteousness, it shall be no dishonor at all to my righteousness, that I take you again to myself. And I will put such a righteous frame into your hearts, that it shall be no scandal unto me before the Nations that I have betrothed such a one as you unto myself.

[ 3] But what reason can there possible be that God should do thus? how can it be imagined that ever the Lord should do such a thing as this? God hath ten thousand ways to honor himself, though we perish forever, no people have ever provoked him as we have done saith this repenting Israel.

Well saith GOD, though you know no reason why it should be done, yea indeed though there be no reason at all in yourselves, yet that which I will do, I will do it in judgment too, I know a reason why I will do it, it is not a rash thing that I shall do, I will do it in judgment, it is no other thing that now I promise you, but that I have exercised my wisdom about from all eternity, it is not only a work of my grace and mercy toward you, but it is a work of my wisdom too, and there will one day appear a glorious shine of wisdom in this my work of taking you unto myself again, I know what I do in it, yea and on your part though hitherto you have seen no such excellency in my wayesto cleave to them, but you have departed from them, and followed other lovers, yet I shall when I come in ways of mercy to you, convince you so of the vanity of all other things your hearts run after, and of that fullness of good there is in me to satisfy your souls forever, that you shall see infinite reason to join yourselves unto me in an everlasting covenant. You though there were some more specious shows in ways of false worship, but when you shall be reconciled, you shall see there is infinite reason in those ways of worship your souls have heretofore rejected, you shall not only have your affections a little stirred, and have some heat for the present, but that change that shall be in you shall be out of judgment, I will betroth you unto me in judgment, in judgment on my part. I will have reason for what I do, and in judgment on your part, you shall see reason for what you do, you shall see so much reason in coming in to me, that you shall admire at the former folly of your hearts, when you departed from me, and sought your comforts else-where. The workings of my heart shall be in judgment toward you, and the workings of your hearts shall be in judgment toward me.

But take it at best that my heart doth indeed come in to God, yet I shall [ 4] remain a poor, sinful, weak creature, there will hang upon me many infirmities that will be grievous to the Spirit of the holy and just God. Well saith God, I will betroth you unto me in loving kindness. I will deal gently and favourably with you, I will not take advantage of your failings and infirmities, I will remember you are but flesh, I will have a tender respect to you.

But it may be there will not only be some ordinary infirmities which [ 5] may be grievous enough to the Spirit of God, but I may perhaps fall into grievous offenses that will provoke the Spirit of God bitterly against me, and so I shall fall into as woeful, yea worse condition then before: No saith God, I will betroth you unto me in mercy as well as in loving kindness, my bowels of mercy shall yearn toward you, not only to pass over lesser infirmities, but to swallow up greater iniquities. And accordingly I will work in you gracious dispositions of loving kindness towards me, you shall have a most sweet and ingenuous disposition of spirit, you shall do what you do for me out of principles of love, out of abundance of sweetness in all your ways, that perverse, surly, crooked, sour spirit of yours towards me shall be changed into a sweet, gentle, gracious frame. And this sweetness and loving kindness shall be in you toward one another, you shall have your hearts changed that were so rugged, and so harsh, and peevish toward one another afore, when I am once reconciled unto you, you shall be reconciled one to another. And you shall have bowels of mercy, as my bowels shall yearn towards you, so your bowels shall yern toward me, as it shall pity my soul to see you in misery, so it shall pity your soul to see me dishonored, and you shall have bowels likewise one toward another, pitying one another, and helping, and relieving one another in the greatest straits, I will betroth you unto me in loving kindness and in mercy.

But there are many glorious promises that we find God made to his people, [ 6] surely according to what we read in his word there are great things to be done for them, shall ever these promises be made good unto us? If we may have mercy, though we be never so low, if God's loving kindness be manifested unto • s in a way of reconciliation, though we be but hired servants; if we may be Spouses, though we be kept hardly, it will be well with us: But saith God, there are glorious promises made to the Church, and I will fulfill them all unto you; though you have departed from me, and provoked me against you, yet upon your returning you shall be so received, as to have interest in all the precious, gracious, glorious promises I have made to the Church, I will make them all good to you, for I will betroth myself unto you in faithfulness, as well as in mercy; look what ever I have said concerning my Church, that is yours to be made good to the uttermost, and there is nothing that can be for your good, that concerns me as a loving husband to do, but you shall be sure to have it: And as for you, howsoever your hearts have been hitherto unfaithful towards me in departing from me, yet now you shall have put into you a faithful spirit, there shall be faithfulfulnesse on your part as well as on mine, so as my heart shall confide in you, you shall not deal falsely with me as before; your hearts shall confide in me, that I will deal faithfully with you, and my heart shall confide in you, that you will deal faithfully with me, so that whatsoever befalls you, yet you shall be faithful to me, and faithful one to another, so as your hearts shall trust one in another. I will betroth you unto me in faithfulness.

And whereas it is but little that yet you have known of me, and this indeed [ 7] hath been the cause of all your vile departings from me, because you have not known me the Lord, therefore you shall know the Lord; know him in another manner then ever yet you knew him; I will show my glory to you, I will open my very heart to you, the secret of the Lord shall be with you, you shall all know me, though your parts be but weak and mean, yet you shall be taught of God; perhaps you may be ignorant of other things, but you shall know the Lord.

And as for outward blessings, you shall have your fill of them too, all the [ 8] creatures shall be moved towards you to comfort you, to succor you; Let Iezreelory to the corn, the corn shall cry to the earth, and the earth shall hear the corn, the earth shall cry to the heavens, the heavens shall hear the earth, and the heavens shall cry to me, and I will hear the heavens; There shall be in them, 1 a readiness to help, 2 a greediness to relieve you; yea 3 a concatenation of them all, 4 and I will join them for the good of Jezreel.

[ 9] But yet we are a people scattered about the world, and most of us are consumed: but, I will sow her unto me in the earth; you were scattered, this is a judgment, but now it is turned to a mercy, your scattering is as seed, you shall fructify, & increase abundantly, & so be a blessing to the whole earth.

But we have lien underthe curse of God a great while, and have seemed to be rejected; but saith God, I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained [ 10] mercy.

Lastly, we are a proverb uuto all the world (as you know the Jews are) [ 11] we are a by-word, a scorn, a reproach amongst all people, they say, God had rejected us, and so trample upon us: No saith God, I will not only betroth you to myself, but it shall appear to all the world you are my people, I will say to you which were not my people, you are my people; though you be a people scorned and vilified in the world, yet I will own you, and it shall appear so, your low and miserable condition shall not hinder me from saying, you are my people: and as for you, whatsoever you shall meet withal in my ways, whatsoever you suffer for my worship, though it be scorned and despised in the world, yet you shall own it before the world, and you shall say, Thou art my God.

Thus you have a short paraphrase upon this gracious expression of God to his reconciled people. You have here but a flash of this mercy of the Lord to his Saints.

But when was all this fulfilled you will say? or is it to be fulfilled? to what times does this prophesy refer?

There is in part the making good this prophesy, when ever a soul is brought into the embracing the Gospel; but the height of this shall be at the calling of the Jews, then not only the spiritual estate of particular converted souls shall be thus happy, but the Church state shall be thus, the visible Church shall be betrothed unto the Lord forever. We cannot say so of any visible Church here, there is no visible Church but may fall off from the visibility of it, but when God shall bring in the Jews, they shall never fall off from the visibility of their Church-communion. Revel. 21. 2. seemeth to have reference to this prophesy. And I John saw the holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband: And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. This hath almost the same words that we have here in this prophesy that is to be fulfilled in that glorious Church-estate, that shall be when God calls home to himself his own people: Mark there, God himself shall be with them; God is always with his people; but God himself, that is, a more especial, and immediate, and full presence of God shall be with them. But the words must have yet a more full search into them I will betroth thee. ]

The Scripture makes much mention of Espousals and of marriage, to express the great mystery of the grace of God to his people. The holy Ghost seems to delight much in this Allegory: there is none more frequent in Scripture then it, which is a very great honor to a married condition: And such ought to be the lives of those that are in a married condition, as much as may be to resemble the blessedness of the condition of a people reconciled unto God, for in all similitudes there must be something in the thing to resemble that which it is brought for. Married people should so live, as all that behold the sweetness, the happiness of their lives, may be put in mind thereby of that sweetness & happiness there is in the Churches comunion with Jesus Christ. I appeal to you, are your lives thus? Now in a married condition there are these four things most remarkable. First, There is the nearest unino that can be, They two shall be made oneflesh; this is the power of God in an Ordinance, consider it, two that not perhaps a month before were strangers one to another, never saw the faces one of another, did not know that there were such in the world, if they come under this ordinance, though it be but a civil ordinance, these two shall now be nearer one to another then the child that came out of the fathers loins, or out of the bowels of the mother, the fruit of the womb shall not be so near now to thee, nor must it love thee so much as this party, that not long since it was a mere stranger unto.

Whence cometh this but merely from the power of an Ordinance? One would think that the affection of a mother to the fruit of her own bowels should be more then it were possible for her to have to a stranger she had never seen before in her life; but it is not so, when a woman cometh under this Ordinance, she now cometh to have (according to that which is her duty) more affection to one that was ere while a stranger, then to the child that came forth of her own bowels, so a man then to one that came out of his own loins. Here is the power of God's Ordinance, though but civil.

Now then if an Ordinance of God, though but civil, hath such an efficacy in it, what efficacy have divine Ordinances then? Certainly they have mighty efficacy upon the soul when they are administered in the way of God. So it is here, I will betroth thee; as if God should say, thou wast not long since as a stranger unto me, one cast off, yea thou wast as an enemy unto me, but now all the creatures in heaven and in earth, the very Angels themselves shall not be more dear unto me, in a nearer communion then you. This is true of a wretched sinful creature that hath not only been as a stranger unto God, but an enemy unto him, he cometh now upon conversion and union with Christ, to be in a nearer conjunction and further communion with God then the very Angels in heaven are in some regard, for they are never said to be the Spouse of the Son of God so as the Saints are.

This is the mighty power and love of God in uniting his Saints to his Son.

Secondly, There is in nothing in the world that full communication of one [ 2] creature to another, as there is in that condition of marriage; so in our spiritual marriage with Christ, there is an inconceivable communion of one to another •• ally,

God hath two ways of communication of himself, one is infinite, that is to his Son in that inconceivable mystery of the generation of the Son; he hath other ways of communication of himself after a finite manner; but of all the finite ways this is the greatest, his comunication of himself to his Saints in Christ; God hath no such comunication of himself to all the creatures, as he hath to his Saints in his Son. God in comparison communicateth little or nothing of himself to the frame of heaven & earth, so as he doth to any one of his Saints. So far as there wants communion in a married estate, so far there wants the blessing of it, it should be full: The communion of God to his Church is a full communion, his wisdom, power, riches are made over to the Saints, the merits, the righteousness of Christ are made all over to them.

This is mutual, there is no such communication of any creature to another, as there is of the hearts of the Saints to God; one converted to God, lets out his heart into God in a fuller way then any creature can let out it self to another creature. Suppose all the creatures in the world should have their beauty and excellency put together in one, and present itself wholly unto thee to be an object of thy delight, yet it were not possible that thou shouldst communicate thyself so fully to it, as thy soul will communicate it self to God upon thy conversion. The soul gives up it self to God, as into an infinite ocean of goodness, so as it would not retain anything of its own, as a drop of water into a tun of wine, it retains not its savor or color that it had before, but it is as it were turned into wine. And hereby you may know whether your conversion be right yea or no, As that which is Christ's cometh to be thine, so that which is thine cometh again to be Christ's. My beloved is mine, and I am his, saith the Church. Hence it is that the honor that Christ the Husband hath, reflects upon the Saints; they shine with the brightness of his beams. Isaiah 43. 4. Since thou wast precious in my sight thou becamest honorable. It was wont to be the custom among the Romans in their marriages, when the wife was brought home, she had this speech, Where you are Ca • us, I am Caja. How mean soever the woman was before, yet being married, she partakes of the honor of her husband. So the Saints, whatsoever they were before, they are now looked upon as honorable in the eyes of the Father, in the eyes of Christ, in the eyes of the holy Ghost, and in the eyes of the Angels and the rest of the Saints, who are able to discern their excellency. And so on the other side, (for still it is mutual) as the Church hath honor from the luster of the beams of Christ's glory, so even the Church is a glory unto Christ. As the Scripture saith, The wife is the glory of the man. (which place heretofore you have had opened unto you) so the truth is, the Church is the glory of Christ. How is that? you will say: It is true, Christ is the glory of the Church, but that the Church who is a company of poor creatures should be the glory of Christ, how can that be? yes, it is so, Christ accounteth himself glorified before the Father, that he hath such a Spouse.

Mark that place, 2 Cor. 8. 23. Whether you inquire of Titus, he is my partner, or of our brethren, the messengers of the Churches, the glory of Christ, Titus and the brethren are there called the glory of Christ. And Ephes. 1. 23. the Church is said to be the fullness of him that filleth all in all. Howsoever we are to be low in our own eyes, yet this is certain, that it is the glory of Christ before the Father and the blessed Angels, that he hath such a Spouse as he hath. Hence Rev. 21. 9. Come, Behold the Bride, the Lambs wife: The very Angels rejoice in this, O come, behold the Bride, the Lambs wife. Certainly had it not been for the glory of Christ, the Angels would not in such a triumphing way have called all to behold the Bride the Lambs wife. They call to behold the glory of Christ in his Bride, Psalm, 45. the Church is described to be brought in to the King all glorious and beautiful, with ara • meant of needle-work, &c. Christ rejoiceth, and his very heart even springs again to present his Church unto his Father, Father here behold my Spouse that I have married unto myself. It is true, a child may sometimes marry against his fathers consent, such a one as he may be ashamed to think of bringing to his fathers house, because she will be a disgrace to his father and his friends: But how mean and sinful soever we are in our selves, when once we are betrothed unto Christ, he will not think it any dishonor, no not before his Father, that he hath such a Spouse, but he will account it his glory before him and the blessed Angels, that he hath betrothed her unto himself. And again, this communion makes the Afflictions of Christ the Churches afflictions, and the afflictions of the Church the afflictions of Christ. There is a communion in evil things as well as in good. The very sins of the Church come to be charged upon Christ; as a woman that was in debt before marriage and so subject to arrests, if she be once married she is no more troubled with the Serjeants, none can arrest her, but all the debts are charged upon the man: so though we be in debt, owing a debt of punishment because we have not paid the debt of obedience, and while we are out of Christ, before this blessed marriage, we may fear every moment to have some sergeant of the Lord upon us to arrest us, to hale us to prison, there to lie until we have paid the uttermost farthing; but when the soul is married unto Christ, all debts, all sins are all transacted upon Christ, all charged upon him, if the law come now and require satisfaction, if justice comes you may send them unto your husband to answer all, and he will not take it ill. A husband perhaps may take it ill, and think he hath brought himself to misery, when arrests come upon him for his wives debts, it may take off his heart from her, but Christ will never love you the worse for all your debts when they are charged upon him, he will willingly satisfy them, and he will rejoice in the satisfaction of them before his Father. And if there be any affliction befall you, Christ is afflicted with you. Isaiah 63. 9. In all their afflictions be was afflicted. So on the other side, all the afflictions of Christ are the afflictions of the Church; doth Christ suffer? you take it unto heart as if it were your own suffering. Christ takes your sufferings unto heart, as if 〈…〉 his own; 〈◊〉

And you take the sufferings of Christ unto heart as if they were your own.

Thirdly, In a married condition there is a mutual entire love. That is,

First, loving the person more then what cometh from him. True conjugal [ 1] love is pitched upon the persons mutually, rather then upon the estates, or anything they enjoy by the person. So on Christ's part, his love is pitched upon the persons of the Saints, Christ loves your persons more then all your actions. It is true, all these gracious actions you do are lovely before Christ, for they ate the fruits of his spirit, but know, the pitch of Christ's love is upon your persons chiefly. So the pitch of your love, if it be a right conjugal love, is upon the person of Christ rather then upon anything that comes from him; thou seest him altogether lovely in himself, besides those riches of pardon of sin and precious promises that thou enjoyest by him, his person is that which satisfies thy soul.

[ 2] Secondly, In prising the love each of other, true love can be satisfied witht nothing else but love, love villifies everything that is tendered, except it comes as a fruit of love, and if there be love, a little is highly prized, if it be but a cup of cold water, it is more then a kingdom without it, the giving the body to be burned is nothing without it. I will give you two Scriptures, one wherein the Saints prize God's love, the other wherein God prizes the Saints love, Psal. 36. 7. How excellent is thy loving kindness O God. Psal. 91. 14. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deli • er him, I will set him on high.

[ 3] Thirdly, This entire love is a love in all conditions. Christ loves his Church in their afflictions as entirely as he doth out of their afflictions. Deut. 32. 10. He found him in a desert land, and in the wast howling wilderness, he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. Mark, they were in the wilderness, in the wast howling wilderness, yet even there they were dear unto Christ, they were kept as the apple of his eye. The Church on the other side looks upon Christ in his afflictions as lovely still as ever, Cant. 1. 12. A bundle of myrrh is my well beloved unto me, he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts. Myrrh is a bitter thing, yet the Church professeth that Christ though bitter in his afflictions, should lie as lovely between her breasts as a bundle of myrrh. I remember Herodotus reports of one Artemesia, Queen of Halicarnaffus (and Pliny speaks something of her too) when her husband was dead, she took his ashes & drank it in wine out of respect to him though dead. The Church loveth a crucified Christ as well as a glorified Christ. A most notable example of the love of a Spouse to her husband we have in our English Chronicle, Elenor the wife of Edward the first, the King having got a wound by a poisoned dagger, she to show the entire love she bare to her husband, because she thought if the poison did stay a while in the wound there would be no cure, therefore with her own mouth she sucked out the poison that was in the wound, & so ventured the loss of her own life to preserve her husbands. Here was love in a Spouse to her husband. There is the like love of the Church unto Christ, if Christ be wounded with the poisonous tongues of ungodly men in reproaches and blasphemies, let him be never so persecuted in the world, they that are truly gracious are willing to suck in that very poison to themselves, so they may take it from him. Let the reproaches of Christ fall upon me, O let me suffer rather then Christ. It was Ambrose his wish, Oh that God would turn all the adversaries of the Church upon me, that they might turn all their weapons upon me, and satisfy their thirst with my blood, this is the disposition of a true spouse of Christ.

The fourth is unspeakable delight; communion hath delight: the greatest communion, the greatest delight: the greatest delight that God hath is to communicate himself, to his Son firstly, and next in letting out himself to his Saints. If there be delight in God in letting out himself to the Saints, in reason one would think there must needs be delight in the Saints, in letting themselves out into God, in flowing into God. God takes such delight in letting out his mercy to his Saints, as that he was well pleased with the death of his own Son as a means conducing thereunto. One would think that the death of Christ should be the most abhorring to the heart of God of any [ 4] thing in the world, yet the Scripture saith God was well pleased with it, Isaiah, 53. 10. Why was God pleased with it? Because the Lord saw this was the way for him to communicate himself in the fullness of his grace unto his Church, and therefore though it cost him so dear as the death of his own Son, yet he was well pleased with it. And as for Christ, he takes delight in letting out himself to his people, after he had suffered, the Text saith, he was satisfied when he saw of the travel of his soul. As if Christ had said, O let me have a Church to communicate myself unto, though I see it hath cost me my blood, it hath cost me all these fearful sufferings, yet I am satisfied, I think all is well bestowed, so I may have a people to partake of my love and mercy forever. Cant. 4. 9. Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse, thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes. Then for the Saints, the delight they have in communicating themselves unto Christ is unutterable. Stay me with flaeggons, comfort me with apples, for I am sick of love, saith the Church, Cantic, 2. 5. Psal. 63. 5. My soul shall be satisfied with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips, when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate of thee in the night watches.

Take this note, the more fully you lay out yourselves for Christ, the more comfort you shall have in your lives. Here is the great difference between hypocrites and others in the comfort of their lives. It is impossible that any hypocrite can have that comfort in his life as a gracious heart can have, upon this ground, because a hypocrite reserveth somewhat of himself for something else, there is not a full comunication of himself unto Christ, he always keeps somewhat back and thereby loseth his comfort: But a gracious heart fully letting out himself into Christ, from thence cometh the comfort, & sweetness that he hath in the ways of Christ above all hypocrites in the world.

Perhaps you think that the only comfort you can have is by receiving some benefit, some mercy from God, you are much mistaken, the comfort of letting your hearts out to God, is a greater comfort then any comfort you have in receiving anything from God.

And now, Oh how happy are they unto whom Christ is thus espoused! How comfortably may you live being made sure to Christ? and how comfortably may you die? It is our work to seek to draw souls to Christ, to allure souls to be in love with him. Gen. 24. 35. You may see what course Abraham's servant took in drawing the love of Rebekah and her friends to his Masters son, he begins wi • h telling them that he is the servant of Abraham, and that the Lord had blessed his Master greatly, so that he was become great, and that the Lord had given him flocks, and herds, and silver, & gold, and that he had an only soon that was to be heir of all this. This is the work of Ministers, to tell people what riches of mercy there are in God, and that all the treasures of those infinite riches of the infinite God are in JESUS CHRIST and to be let out in him, this gains the heart. Yea it is not only the work of Ministers, but it should be work of every gracious heart thus to seek to draw souls to Christ, as Rev. 22. 17. not only the Angels there say Come, but the Bride saith Come, and let him that he eth say Come, and let him that is a thirst come, and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely.

Were I not in such a way of explication as I am, surely we could not get off such a point as this; but that which I shall say for the present is only this. Know that it is not want of any worth in you that can hinder communion with Jesus Christ, do not reason in that manner. I am a poor wretched sinful creature, will ever Christ be married unto me? It is not thy sinfulness, it is not thy base condition that can hinder thee; Christ never joins himself to any because they are worthy, but he joins himself to them that they may be worthy, he makes them to be worthy in joining himself unto them. The woman is not married unto the King, because she is a Queen, but the King maryeth her, to make her a Queen. And further know, if your hearts be not taken with Christ to join with him in his holy marriage, if he be not your husband to enjoy conjugal communion with you, he will be your judge to condemn you. But besides this betrothing between Christ & a soul, there is a betrothing between Christ & a visible Church, especially the Church of the Jews when they shall be called.

God shall appear in his glory when this marriage shall be between Christ and the Jewish Church, the King will then be in his Robes, if a man of estate have a son to marry, and intends to solemnize the marriage according to his estate, if he have any better clothes then other, he puts them on that day; so at the calling of the Jews, the King of heaven will be in his robes; God will appear in a most glorious manner to the world then ehe did since the creation. Yea and you know the Bridegroom too will be very fine upon the marriage day; so Jesus Christ will then appear, (whether personally or otherwise we say not) but certainly he will gloriously appear at that day. Tit. 2. 15. We look for the glorious appearance of the great God, and our Savior jes • s Christ. And 2 Thes. 1. 10. Christ shall come so as to be admired in all them that believe; the Church likewise shall then be arrayed in her fine clothes, she shall be then clothed in white clean, and fine li • nen, as it is Rev. 19. 8. all in the righteousness of Christ, the great doctrine of justification by Christ shall be made out full and clear. Yea and the creatures, her servants, shall put on the best raiment, as in a great marriage the servants in the house have new clothes, at that day there will be a change in all the creatures, and another kind of face in the world then now there is. Then will be the marriage supper, and happy shall those be that shall then be found worthy to enter into the bed-chamber; let us now love Christ, let us now cleave to him, let us now suffer for him; we may perhaps be some of those, who beside our eternal enjoyment of christ in heaven, may enjoy him in this marriage upon the earth. But we must leave this argument, we spake something of it in the end of the first chapter.

And I will betroth thee unto me forever.

[ For ever. ] This adds to the mercy to make it glorious, this [ forever ] makes a misery though never so little, an infinite misery, and a mercy, an infinite mercy. This betrothing forever, shall be fulfilled in a visible church communion to the Jews, and in the spiritual communion of Christ with the soul for the present. Of the visible form first.

Isa. 60. 15. I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. I think this is not only meant concerning the spiritual happiness of the Saints, but that God hath a time to make his visible church to be an eternal excellency, and a joy of many generations, an excellency that shall never have an end. And this their perpetual condition, their enduring happiness shall arise from three grounds.

First, from the precious foundation that shall be laid upon that Church [ 1] when it shall be. Isa. 54. 8. With everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord; but mark the ground, verse. 11. Behold I lay the foundation with Sapphires; all the rubbish shall be taken away, it shall not be raised upon a rubbish foundation. God will lay the foundations of it with Sapphires, and then with everlasting mercy he will embrace that Church.

Secondly, that Church shall be in a peaceable condition, no rent, no division [ 2] there, therefore in a perpetual condition. Isaiah 33. 20. A Tabernacle that shall not be taken down, not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed: Why? the very words before show the reason, Jerusalem shall be a quiet habitation.

Thirdly, this Church shall look wholly at Christ as their Judge, and their Law-giver, and their King. Isa. 33. 22. The Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Law-giver, the Lord is our King. Churches are ready to change, while they mixe other things with the worship of Christ, and the laws of men with his laws; but when they can look to him, I mean in that which is spiritual, as their Law-giver, as their Judge, and as their King, then the happiness of it shall be perpetual never to cease in this world, the Lord Christ will betroth this Church unto him forever.

Though I verily think the holy Ghost aimeth at this in great part, yet we are to understand this betrothing forever, further of the spiritual communion the soul hath with Christ. When Christ betroths himself unto a soul, it is forever; the conjugal love of Christ with a gracious soul shall never be broken: At the first, man's condition was such, as man laid hold upon God, and let go his hold; but now God lays hold upon man, and he will never let go his. The bond of union in a believer runs through Jesus Christ, it is fastened upon God, and the spirit of God holds the other end of it, and so it can never be broken; This union is in the Father who hath laid a sure foundation, 2 Tim. 2. 19. Rom. 9. 11. In the Son who loves his to the end, John 13. 1. In the Spirit, who abides in the elect forever, John 14. 16, 17. Isaiah 54. 10. The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. My loving kindness shall be more stable with thee, and endure longer then the mountains themselves. It is as sure as the ordinances of heaven. Jer. 31. 35, 36. Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the Sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the Moon and of the Stars for a light by night, if those ordinances dopart from before me, then the seed of Israel shall cease, &c. And Jer. 33. 20, 21. Thus saith the Lord, if you can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, that there should not be day and night in their season, then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant. You have these three expressions of the abiding of God's love to his people.

1. The continuance of the mountains. 2. The continuance of the ordinances of heaven and earth. 3. God's covenant with night and day. Here is the bottom of consolation to the Saints, They shall be kept by the power of God, 1 Pet. 1. 5. As if God should say, the special power that I mean to put forth in this world, shall be to uphold the spirits of my Saints, to bring them to salvation, certainly it is so. The special work that God hath in this world to exercise his power about, is to keep Christ and the Saints together.

Though it be through God's power that the heavens and the earth be kept up, yet if God must withdraw his power from one, he would rather withdraw it from upholding heaven and earth, then from upholding one gracious soul that hath union with his Son.

The union that is between Christ and his people, it is too near an union ever to be broken. I remember Luther hath a notable expression about this: As it is impossible for the leaven that is in the dough to be separated from the dough, after it is once mixed, for it turneth the nature of the dough into it self; so it is impossible, saith he, for the Saints ever to be separated from Christ:

For Christ is in the Saints as nearly as the leaven in the very dough, so incorporated as that Christ and they are as it were one lump. Christ who came to save that which was lost, will never lose that which he hath saved. Heb. 7. 16. it is said that Christ was made a Priest not after the law of a carnal commandment: That is, he was not made a Priest as the Priests in the law, after a ceremonial way, but after the power of a indissoluble life: Coeli virture, by a celestial virtue, so Calvin upon the place. The argument why Christ's life is indissoluble, rather then the Priests in the law, is because they were made by the power of a carnal commandment, not by a Celestial power. So those who profess godliness according to a carnal commandment in a ceremonial way, may fail, vanish, and come to nothing in their way of worship as many have done; but such as are professors of Religion by the virtue of God's Spirit in them, they have the power of a life indissoluble. There are two soul-staying and soul-satisfying grounds to assure of Christ's betrothing himself forever.

First, when any soul is taken in to Christ, it hath not only all the sins that it hath committed heretofore pardoned, but there is a pardon laid in for all sin that is to come. There is forgiveness with thee, Psal. 130. 4. There lies pardon with God before hand for all that is to come, as well as for that which is past. There is no condemnation unto them which are in Christ Jesus, Rom. 8. 1. That is, there is no instant of time after they are once in Christ Jesus wherein it can be said they are under the sentence of condemnation. Now were it not that there were a pardon laid beforehand for all sin that is to come, there might upon commission of a new sin be said at that time, that now they are under condemnation; for if the least sin be not pardoned, there is condemnation: but this cannot be. I do not say the sin is pardoned before it is committed, for that is a harsh & improper speech: for when we speak of pardoning sin, we speak of a work applied to the creature, not of that which is in God: a pardon is laid up to be applied by God when ever the sin is committed, so that there shall be no instant of time wherein the sinner is unpardoned, & so under condemnation. Then surely he can never fall off from Christ; for what doth endanger the falling off from Christ, but commission of sin? Christ hath as well merited at the hand of God pardon for any sin that is to come, as he hath merited pardon for sin past; do not say this opens a gap to licentiousness, then we need not care; No, the grace of Christ hath no such malignity in it, in saying thus thou speakest against thy life. The second soul-staying argument for perseverance is, that perseverance is a spiritual mercy purchased by Christ as well as any grace, Ephes. 1. 3. Blessed be God who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Jesus Christ. Now you will say, Faith is a blessing, and Humility is a blessing, and Joy is a blessing we have in Christ, why is not Perseverance a blessing, a spiritual blessing too? Christ hath as truly and as really laid down his blood to purchase the perseverance, as to purchase thy pardon, as to purchase anything he hath purchased for thee.

That which Christ hath laid down his blood to purchase, surely must be had, the purchase of Christ's blood shall not be frustrate. Is there anything thou hast by virtue that purchase? Thou mayest be as sure of perseverance, for Christ hath laid down his blood to purchase that also.

Christian then satisfy thy soul in this, God gives the comforts in this world, but he gives them not forever, but when he betrotheth thee unto his Son he betrotheth thee forever. Perhaps the Lord in mercy hath made thy life here in this thy pilgrimage very comfortable in giving thee a comfortable meet yoke-fellow, in this thy betrothing thou art happy, but this happiness is not forever, thou canst look upon thy yoke-fellow as a mercy of God unto thee, that makes thy pilgrimage sweet, but there must be a dissolution between thee and her; but thy union with thy Husband Christ is forever, there shall never be dissolution of that. Perhaps some of you have lost comfortable yoke-fellows, death hath come and snapped asunder the union between you, and you complain never woman lost such a husband, never man lost such a wife as I have, if you be godly you have a husband that you shall never lose, it is he that will fill up relations, he saith, Thy maker is thy husband, Isaiah, 54. 5.

And further, this is mutual, I will betroth thee unto me forever, & I will give thee a heart that thou shalt cleave unto me forever. This will afford unto us another useful meditation, viz. When the Lord chooseth any soul to himself, as he setteth his own heart forever upon thar soul, so he gives unto that soul a principle of grace to cleave unto him forever too; to give up himself unto him in an everlasting covenant, Psal. 119. 112. I have inclined my heart to perform thy statutes always; Is not that enough? No, he must have another word to express the thing, always, even to the end. David's heart was much taken with the statutes of God, O Lord through thy mercy my heart is inclined to keep thy sta • utes, yea and it is so always, yea and it shall be unto the end. It is a kind of pleonasme, or rather the expression of the fullness of his heart, in his resolutions never to depart from God.

But what are those riches Christ bestoweth upon his people whom he betrotheth to himself? the bracelets, and ornaments he putteth upon their necks and upon their hands are these.

I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, & in loving kindness, and in mercies, I will ever betroth thee unto me in faithfulness, and thou shalt know the Lord.

There is much of the Gospel in this.

In righteousness.]

This according to some is understood, as opposed to dissimulation, Sine fuco, without any dissembling, in this he assures his people that they shall find his dealings with them altogether right and equal, and so I expect from you, and will cause it in you, that in your dealings towards me, you be right and equal, there shall be nothing feigned betwixt us, all shall be plain, right, and just.

You know there is often a great deal of dissimulation in marriages, great pr • ffers, and promises, and overtures of what one should enjoy in the other, and when they meet not with what they expect, it causes great dissention between them, and makes their lives exceeding uncomfortable; But now saith God, there shall be no dissimulation betwixt you and me, I will deal with you in the plainness of my heart, and you shall deal with me in the plainness of your hearts. So the word [ righteousness ] is taken in Scripture, Isa. 48. 1. They make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth nor in righteousness, one expounds the other, I will receive you again though you have departed from me, in the very integrity of my soul, do not fear me, do not suspect me, do not think though he make a show of love unto me, and of great favor, yet he intendeth to cast me off at last: These are the jealous thoughts of many troubled consciences. Indeed I hear of mercy, and God is working toward me as if he intended mercy to me, but I am afraid he will cast me off in the conclusion; No saith God, do not fear, do not suspect me, this mercy I offer is bona fide, it is in the very truth of my heart, therefore let there not be such suspicious thoughts betwixt you and me, you may be sure that what is fit and right for you to have from such a husband as I am, that doth belong to such a Spouse as I profess to take you to be, you shall certainly have it, you need not be afraid, for you shall have plain and upright dealing with me. This I take to be one part though not all of the meaning of the holy Ghost here, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, that love I profess to you I do not do it to mock you saith God, but I do it in truth. From whence the notes which are very useful may be,

First, guilty hearts are full of suspicions of God's real meaning in all his expressions of love and mercy. They judge God by themselves. As they first slight sin, because they judge of God by themselves, they see not such a dreadful evil in sin, they think God sees it not: so after they have sinned, they judge of God's mercy by their own, they think thus; if any had offended us so as we have offended God, though we might say we would be reconciled to him, yet we could not bring our hearts fully to come off to it, something would remain in our hearts, they therefore think so of God, they suspect God that he doth not mean really in his expressions of love and mercy to them. But take heed of this, do not judge of God by yourselves, though you have a base and cruel heart, and cannot be reconciled to those that provoke you; it is not therefore so with God. There are these two evils in sin, first in the nature of it there is a departing from God; secondly, it causeth jealousies and suspicions of God, and so hinders the soul from coming unto God again.

Secondly, God is very careful to prevent all these suspicions in the hearts of his people. God desires that you should have good thoughts of him, and this is that we plead with you for, and do often open the riches of God's grace to this end that you may have good thoughts of God, and to take off your jealousies and suspicions of him, as if there were no real intention in all the proffers of mercy he makes to you; do not think that all those riches of God's grace are mere words, they are certain intentions of God's heart towards you. I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness.

And for your parts, I will give you a heart, you shall return to me bona fide, you shall do it in the plainness of your hearts. There was a time indeed, as Psal. 78. 34, 35, 36. God complained of his people that they sought him and returned unto him, nevertheless they did flatter with their mouth, and lied unto him with their tongues, there was no reality in their returning unto him, they made great promises, that whatsoever God should say unto them they would do it, but there was no reality in it, yea but saith God, there shall come a time that you shall have righteous hearts, and that which you promise to me you shall promise really, there shall not be that falseness in your hearts, those shows and overtures that were heretofore, but you shall return to me with all your hearts in righteousness.

God hath made ado at first with us to make us believe that he is in good earnest with us in his proffers o • mercy; and much ado there is before our hearts can be gotten to work towards God in good earnest.

Further note, this is one reason why God doth betroth forever, because he doth it in the plainness of his heart; and this is also a good reason why the Saints continue forever, because what they do to God is in the plainness of their hearts. Those who return to God in an hypocritical way, will fall off, but they that return in uprightenesse will hold constant with him, Prov. 8. 18. it is said of Wisdom, that with her are durable riches and righteousness, they are put together; where there is true righteousness in the heart, there is durable riches.

But yet there is another thing in this betrothing in righteousness, and that I think hath more in it then the former. God will be so reconciled to his Church, as yet he will manifest himself to be a righteous God. In the works of the riches of his grace he will manifest the glory of his justice too; I will do it in righteousness, though indeed the Lord intendeth to glorify rich grace, yet so as he will declare his righteousness to men and Angels, that in this very work of his he shall be acknowledged by them unto all eternity to be a righteous God; GOD will make such a way for this his love and goodness as that he will have satisfaction to his justice in it. That place, Rom. 3. 25, 26. is remarkable for our purpose; Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood; How? To declare his righteousness for the remission of sins. Mark it, it is not that he had set forth Christ to be a propitiation, to declare his mercy in the forgiveness of sins; you will say, What is there in the forgiveness of sins but only the mercy of God? Yes, there is somewhat else, there is righteousness too, and the Lord doth declare his righteousness in the forgiveness of sins, and therefore it is that he hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation, that he might declare his righteousness. If the Lord should have said but thus, Well, you are great and grievous sinners, I will be content freely to forgive you all your sins, this would have declared God's mercy, but not his righteousness: but now when the Lord hath set forth Christ as a propitiation, and forgiveth sins through the blood of his Son, in this God declareth as much righteousness as grace. This text Luther had a great deal of do to understand, and he prayed much before he could get the right meaning of it; yea it is repeated again, To declare, I say, his righteousness, that he might be just, & the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus; not that he might be merciful in justifying him that believeth in Jesus, but that he might be just in justifying him that believeth in Jesus.

And this is the great mystery of the Gospel, this is that which the Angels pry into, the Saints and Angels shall admire & bless God to all eternity, for the reconciling riches of mercy, and infinite justice both in one. This was that which set the infinite wisdom of God on work from all eternity, how to find a way to save sinners, and to be infinitely righteous notwithstanding. If all the Angels in heaven, and all the men in the world had been put to it, to find out a way to answer this question, How shall sin be pardoned, the sinner reconciled unto God, and God glorify his justice? they could never have done it, but God in his infinite wisdom hath found out a way to do it. This cost God dear, it cost him the heart blood of his own Son, and that was a sign that God's heart was much in it, and indeed we are not Christians until in some measure we see, and have our hearts taken with the glory of God in this mystery. We must look at righteousness in our reconciliation, as well as to loving kindness and mercy.

When God is reconciled unto a sinner, there is not only his mercy glorified, but in that way that God hath found out to save a sinner, he hath the glory of his justice as much, yea more then if the sinner were eternally damned in hell.

How is that you will say?

I make that good three ways.

[ 1] First, when God appointed a surety, his Son, and charged his debt upon him, to satisfy his justice, in that God would not spare this Son of his the least farthing token, I mean, not the least degree of punishment, he would not remit anything to his Son, the Lord did hereby show a stronger intense love unto justice, then if he had damned ten thousand thousand creatures Suppose a malefactor comes before a Judge, the Judge will not spare the malefactor, but requireth satisfaction to the law, this shows that the Judge loves justice: but if the Judges own son be a delinquent, and it appears before all the Country that the Judge will not spare him, but he must satisfy the law to the uttermost, you will say the Judge doth honor unto justice more in this, then in condemning many other malefactors. So when the Lord shall cast many thousands into hell, there to be tormented forever, this showeth that God loveth justice; but when his own Son shall take our sins upon him, but by imputation, & God will not spare him (that is the very word of the Scripture, He spared not his own Sonn, saith the Text) this declareth God's love to righteousness, more then if all the world had been damned.

Secondly, suppose the sinner that is reconciled had been damned, then the justice of God had been but in satisfying, and never had fully been satisfied; [ 2] but in that way that God hath found out to save a sinner, his justice is not only satisfying, but it comes to be fully satisfied, to have enough. Now it is a greater honor to justice to be fully satisfied, then to be in satisfying.

As for instance, suppose a man be a Creditor to one who owes him five thousand pounds, this man is poor, and the utmost he can pay is but six pence, or twelve pence a week; suppose the Creditor should lay him in the Jail until he had paid all, this man would be paying, but would never be paid so long as the Debtor liveth; but if another rich man should come and lay down five thousand pound at once, the man is presently satisfied. Here is the difference between God's satisfying his justice upon sinners, and upon Jesus Christ; God cometh upon the sinner, he requireth the debt of punishment, because he did not pay the debt of obedience, God cast him into prison, the uttermost he can pay is but twelve pence a week as it were, that is but a little, and thereforefore he must be still paying and paying eternally, which is the very ground of their eternal punishment in hell, because they cannot pay enough in any finite time: Now cometh Christ, and he fully pays the debt, so that justice saith it hath enough, it is satisfied, this is the greater glory to the justice of God.

Thirdly, If the sinner had been sent down to hell, God had had the glory of his justice passively upon him, he should be forever under the power [ 3] and stroke of justice, but in the mean time the sinner would have hated God for his justice, and hated justice; but when justice is honored actively, the sinner falleth down and acknowledgeth himself guilty, putteth himself under the stroke of God's justice, and accepteth of the punishment of his iniquity; now God is delighted more abundantly in this active way of glorifying his justice, then if the sinner should have been eternally in hell to have satisfied.

And now Devils and all wicked men must needs have their mouths st • pped forever, they cannot cry out of God becanse he will marry himself to such sinners, this is mercy, but where is his righteousness? where is the glory of his justice? here is an answer to them all, though the Lord setteth his love upon vile sinners, yet so as he doth it in righteousness. And this is a great encouragement to come in and believe, as thus, if the sinner be terrified with the apprehension of his sin, I see by them the wrath of God is incensed, and infinite justice comes upon me, and I hear that crying for satisfaction; this bids the sinner know likewise, that God hath a way to satisfy infinite justice, and yet to save thy soul, he will marry thee unto himself, and yet he will do it in righteousness.

And this is a mighty help unto a sinner against all failings afterward, a mighty establishment against a thousand objections the sinner may make against himself. Thus we must seek to God when we seek for reconciliation, to be received again when we have departed from him, whatsoever GOD doth for us, he must do it in the way of righteousness as well as in the way of mercy. Take this with you sinners, if ever you have a pardon sealed unto you, it must be sealed in the Court of justice as well as in the Court of mercy; therefore thou needest not appeal from the Court of justice to the Mercy-seat, for in that way of the mystery of godliness that there is in God reconciling himself unto a sinner, there may be as much comfort in standing before the bar of justice as at the Mercy-seat, that is, by standing there, in and through Christ, for he hath made justice propitious to us, and now it pleadeth to mercy for us.

And indeed this is the very work of Faith, to go unto God this way, when by Faith the sinner shall tender up unto God the Father the righteousness of JESUS CHRIST for an atonement and satisfaction for sins; It brings the comfort of justification this way. When you come to God in any other way but this, it is but in a natural way, not in a true evangelical way; A man by nature may know thus much, that when he hath sinned he must seek unto God for mercy, to pardon his sin, or else he is miserable; but to seek unto God for pardon with a price in our hand, to tender up the merits of Christ for a satisfaction to Divine justice, here is the mystery of faith; faith is not only to rely upon God's mercy for pardon, but this, I see riches of grace in Christ, and Christ my surety hath made an atonement, hath laid down a price, now by faith I tender up this unto God the Father, and by this way I believe my soul shall be accepted in him.

What a mighty engagement is this for us to be righteous with God? the Lord betrotheth us unto himself in righteousness, & we should give up our selves to him in righteousness too. O my brethren, take this away with you, what ever you forget; If the Lord hath thus engaged himself unto us in a way of righteousness, and if it hath cost him so dear to show himself righteous unto us; what an infinite engagement is this unto us to be righteous before him, to glorify God's righteousness in our conversations: I will do it in righteousness, and you shall have such a righteous heart, as you shall never be a dishonor unto me before the people, neither devils nor wicked men shall ever be able to upbraid me, that I set my love upon such creatures as you, because whatsoever you were, you shall be now righteous. When ever we express ourselves to be the Spouse of Christ, and be unrighteous in our conversations, we upbraid Jesus Christ, we are a dishonor unto him before Men and Angels; what you the Spouse of Christ, where is this ornament, this bracelet of righteousness then? whosoever Christ maryeth, he putteth upon them this Jewel of righteousness. He blasphems Religion which he seems to honor, says Cyprian; who makes not good in his life what he professes.

The Eighteenth Lecture.

I N Judgment ] Some Interpreters we find make this and righteousness to be all one, according to that Psal. 33. 6. He loveth righteousness and judgment, and so pass it over, but we must not do so, for we shall find much of God's mind in this.

Others take judgment, as divers times it is taken in Scripture for sanctification, so they would make this promise suitable to that of Christ, John 16. 10. 11. I will send the Comforter, and he shall convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; that righteousness there, is the same with that here; judgment there by many Interpreters is understood of sanctification; because the Prince of this world is judged, the power of Satan is already broken, he is already cast out of your hearts.

And they think to strengthen that by that place in Mat. 12. 20. He will not quench the smoking flax, nor break the bruised reed, till he send forth judgment unto victory, that is, until he perfect the work of sanctification, that it shall overcome corruption. This text in Matthew is quoted out of Isaiah, 42. 3. but there we have the words somewhat different, there it is, He shall bring forth judgment unto truth. Now if that should be the meaning, that by judgment is meant sanctification, then we may learn an excellent note from the comparing these two Texts together; that it is all one to bring judgment, sanctification unto truth, and to bring it unto victory, when it is in truth it will certainly be in victory. But we shall a little more examine this interpretation of Judgment presently; for my part I do not think that it is meant either in this Text, or in any of the Texts named.

Thirdly, I find others make this [ in judgment ] to be God's judgment against the adversaries of the Church. I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness; I will deal with you in a way of righteousness, and for your adversaries, I will deal with them in a way of judgment, you shall have judgment against them. So I find Luther carries it, and he saith that judgment here is the second pearl of the Husbands ring he gives to his Spouse, God promiseth to exercise judgment & vengeance against the adversaries of the Church, and so he applieth it unto those times wherein he lived in Germany; saith he, for these many years wicked Magistrates have oppressed the Church, and profane Doctors have corrupted the doctrine of it, but Germany hath seen God judging his adversaries.

And if we should understand it in this sense, we have a suitable place, Isaiah 54. 5. where God telleth his Church, that He that is her maker is her husband, even the Lord of hosts, and her Redeemer the God of the whole earth; the word there is Vindex, the avenger, he that will avenge thee of thine enemies, is the God of the whole earth, he is thy husband. This might afford a sweet meditation, that the Lord will defend his Church from the rage of adversaries, as the husband will defend his Spouse being betrothed unto her; the Lord certainly will take a valuable consideration at the hands of the adversaries who wrong his Church. But this I think not to be the scope of the place,

Another is [ In Judgment ] Though things be now out of order, all things seem to be in confusion, yet the time is coming when all things shall be ordered in the Church according to equity and right.

These two I think are meant in the former Texts, I will convince the world of judgment, that is, the world shall be convinced that Christ hath all judgment committed unto him, and he shows it in this, that the Prince of this world is judged; so that place before in Matthew, I will cause judgment to return unto victory, that is, though the adversaries of the Church be many, yet he will cause them all to be vanquished, judgment shall conquer over them all; though there be much opposition and confusion in the Church, yet I will bring all things in the Church to be ordered & composed in a right way according unto equity.

That place likewise Isaiah 4. 4. where the Lord saith, he will purge his Church by the spirit of judge • ent and by the spirit of burning. I know some carry it as if it were meant of the spirit of sanctification, that is as fire to consume lusts, but rather thus, whereas there were such as did oppress the Church by false judgment, the Lord would cleanse the Church from wrong and oppression by giving a spirit of judgment unto those that should be the Officers of it, and consuming the adversaries.

But yet I think we have not the full scope of this place. I rather would pitch upon this as that which is more principally intended, though the other may be in some degree included, viz. I will betroth thee unto me in judgment, that is, there shall be a good reason for what I do, that which I will now do in betrothing thee unto myself shall not be out of rashness, it shall not be done unadvisedly, but with understanding, with good deliberation, I know what I do in it, and I know what glory I shall have by it, I will do it in judgment.

So I find the word judgment taken in scripture, Jer. 4. 2. Thou shalt swear in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness. In judgment, that is, when you swear, know it is a worship of God, and you must do it in judgment, you must not only swear in truth, that is; swear to that which is true, and in righteousness, that is, not to the wrong or prejudice of your neighbor, for you may sin in swearing though you swear in truth if you have an intent to wrong any; but thirdly you must swear in judgment too, you must understand what you do, that is, when you take an oath you must know that it is not as the Ex Officio was, to swear to answer to everything that shall be asked you, but you must understand beforehand what you are to swear to, and so swear out of judgment; So saith God, I will betroth thee unto me in judgment, that is, I have considered what I am to do in this thing, and I do it out of judgment. And for your parts when you shall come and close with me, in this blessed conjugal union and communion you shall do it out of jndgement too; I will betroth you in judgment so as to make it appear before the world that I had good reason so to do, and you shall likewise close with me as you shall be able to justify it before men and Angels, that you had reason for what you did, that it was out of judgment. There is nothing wherein there is more need of judgment then in marriages & contracts; therefore the heathens were wont to set Mercury, there god of wisdom, by Venus, their goddess of marriage, to note that there was need of judgment there, yet there is nothing usually in the world undertaken with less judgment, with more rashness and inconsideratness then contracts and maryages, which is the reason of the trouble of their lives ever after. But though there be many contracts between men and women that are not out of judgment, yet saith God I will betroth you out of judgment. Christ's match with his Church is a match of judgment, Christ considereth of our meanness before he marrieth with us, he knoweth us fully what we are, he knows our sinfulness, our wretchedness, he knows, we are in debt before he maryeth us, and whatsoever else we can think might be any hindrance, he knows as perfectly as ever he shall know it, & yet he goes on. Yea the match between Christ and his Church is that which hath been plotting in Heaven from all eternity, it is not a sudden, rash match, it hath been plotting between the Father and the Son from everlasting. God the Father giveth consent to this match, God the Holy Ghost is sent to draw the hearts of his people to come in and consent to this match, it is a match out of the deepest judgment that ever thing was done.

Though it be true that God can see no reason in us why we should be thus united to his Son, yet he can see abundance of reason in himself; therefore the conversion and salvation of a soul, is not only out of God's mercy, but it is from God's wisdom too, Hence the Scripture attributes our pr • destination and our calling, unto his wisdom as well as unto the freeness of his grace, as Ephe. 1. 11. Being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Mark, it is not only because God will. I will have mercy because I will have mercy, I will choose such, and I will refuse such, I will do it; no, but it is after the Cou • sell of his will. We indeed are set upon our wills many times to do a thing & there is no reason for it, there is no counsel of our will; but God even in this thing that we can see no reason for at all, he works according to the counsel of his will; and Ephe. 3. 10. the Apostle having said before, verse, 8. that he was to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ, he saith, he was to preach it to the intent that now might be made known the manifold wisdom of God. In all things in the Gospel there is a great deal of wisdom; Vocation is one of the mysteries of the Gospel, and 1 Cor. 1. 24. the Gospel is said to be the power of God and the wisdom of God; the Apostle there instances in one thing, which one would think hath as little reason in it as anything in the Gospel, that is, the leaving of the rich, wise and noble, the great ones of the world, and calling the poor; but herein is not only the power, but the wisdom of God, God doth even this in judgment. And although we can now understand little or nothing of any reason that there can be of God's choosing us unto himself; yet this will be made known at the great day of judgment. It will be a great part of the glory of that day for the Lord to make known the counsel of his will; we now know his will, but we shall then know the counsel of his will, and praise him to all eternity for it; this shall be the glory of the Saints, that they shall see into the counsel • of God's will in choosing and calling them, and letting others go.

God's betrothing himself thus to his people in judgment, is an especial reason of the perpetuity of this betrothing. I will betroth thee unto me for ever; Why? First, it is in righteousness, therefore it will hold. Secondly, it is in judgment, therefore it will hold too. Things that are done rashly will seldom hold, but though we are set upon them for the present, we quickly undo them afterward, but that which is done in judgment holds; the calling of a sinner, and uniting him unto Christ, is done in judgment, therefore it will hold, that is the ground of the perseverance of a sinner; If a man before marriage knoweth perfectly all the faults his wife hath, or ever shall have, and knows perfectly her estate & all the incumbrances he shall have with her, yet loveth her out of judgment, surely this love will hold: It is so between Christ and his Church; Christ before he betrotheth his Church, perfectly knows all the faults the Church hath, or shall have, all the sins that ever she shall commit, and all the incumbrances & dishonor she shall have, yet out of judgment he betroths her to himself, therefore surely this will hold. Comfort yourselves with this Christians, though there be many failings after your coming to Christ, Christ knew them all before you were united to him, yet out of judgment he betrothed himself unto you.

There must also be judgment on our parts; I will put into you a judicious heart, to choose me out of judgment. The Saints who choose Christ, know what they do. They shall be all taught of God; everyone therefore that hath heard, and learned of the Father, cometh unto me; None cometh unto me, but such as are taught of God, who hear & learn of the Father, they come to me out of judgment; I know whom I have loved, saith Paul, and so may every Christian say. They do not come to embrace Christ and his ways out of novelty, because they are new things, • o not any truth of Christ, out of mere novelty as many do, and so vanish to nothing; though it is true, there is always some new excellency in Christ, I mean newly revealed; Christ hath always something that is further revealed more then we knew before, and delightful I he is in that regard, if we love novelty: It is not a sufficient plea against any truth, because it is now revealed, and was not known before; 2 Pet. 1. 12. Be established in the present truth: though truths be from the beginning yet there are present truths in regard of manifestation: But the Saints must not therefore receive them, merely because they are new to them, neither must any reject them, because they are but now cleared, whereas before they lay in the dark; but all out of judgment, we must examine them, when any truth is presented, though it seems new, because you heard not of it before, reject it not upon that, neither embrace it upon that, but try it, and when you are convinced, then out of judgment embrace it. Neither must the Saints follow God, or any way of truth, merely from the example of others, but out of their own judgments. Perhaps you see such and such, of whom you have a reverent esteem, and that justly do thus and thus; I confess, that is enough to put you upon examining, to bethink yourselves, surely there is something in it, or else it is not like they would do it, but that must not be the only reason, but if upon examination you find it to be good, then embrace it out of judgment, never rest until you come to that that the men of Samaria said to the woman, Now we believe that this is the Messiah, not because of thy sayings, because you told us so, but we have heard him ourselves, and we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world. At the first they came to Christ upon her relation, but they did not believe in Christ, but upon seeing and hearing Christ themselves. You may come to examine the ways, the truths of God upon the relation and example of others, but you must not engage your hearts in them until you see the reality of them yourselves.

Thirdly, you must embrace Christ and his ways out of judgment, not out of sudden flashes of affection; suddeu flashes go out as soon as they come. You have a notable example for this, Luke 14. 15. Happy are they that may eat bread in the Kingdom of God: O this is blessed doctrine indeed. But by that which follows we may find that they were such as presently went to their Farms and to their Oxen, and prized them before Christ, & refused to come to the supper. Sudden flashes there were in thsoe that cried Hosanna, Hosanna, but presently they cried, Crucify him, crucify him. Josh. 24. 19. the people seemed to be moved with sudden affections, they would serve the Lord, yea that they would, but they considered not what they said, You cannot serve the Lord, saith Joshua to them. So Deut. 5. 27. All that the Lord our God hath said unto us, that will we do, but presently, saith God, Oh that there were such a heart in this people to do it! The truth is, they know not what they say, they have sudden affections, but they will quickly vanish. We must choose Christ out of judgment.

Again, Not choose him out of mistakes, we must understand who he is. we must sit down and cast with ourselves afore-hand what we are like to suffer in his ways. Compare for this Cant. 5. 9. with the beginning of Chap. 6. What is the •• loved, say they, more then another beloved?

Let us know what thy beloved is: Then the Church falls a commending her beloved, and in the beginning of Chap. 6. Whither is thy beloved gone? whither is thy beloved turned a side? that we may seek him with thee, that he may be our beloved too.

Nor out of by-ends, but out of a right knowledge of the excellencies of Christ, having our judgments overcome that way. We must not choose any truth or ways of God, because the times favor that way; we have now a company of Parliament converts, who were formerly Prelatical and ceremonial; they see how the times sway, this is not out of judgment. Every Christian should be a judicious Christian. Those adorn Religion, they are an honor to Christ. As the more deliberation and judgment there is in sin, the worse it is; so the more deliberation, the more judgment there is in godliness, the better it is. When a soul chooseth Christ and his ways upon this, Oh I see a beauty in the Lord Jesus that I never see afore, I see him to be the character, and the engraven form of the image of the Father, in him dwells all treasures, the very God-head dwells in him bodily, he is the most precious among ten thousand, the ways of God are holy and righteous.

Here is the rule of eternal life, here lies the happiness of the rational creature, these are the ways that my soul closeth with, and shall cleave to forever, whatsoever I suffer in them, for I see the excellency, the beauty, the equity, the glory of them, the Lord is worthy of all honor from all his creatures. This is a choice will hold. The world thinks the Saints are giddy headed people, why? because they cannot see any reason for what they do; they cannot see bottom enough in reason of such forwardness, and strictness, and zeal as there is in them; they think they do in calescere in re frigida, that they are very hot about a very poor, sorry, cold business, and therefore they count their ways folly; that any man will do, when he seeth another do a thing that he understands not the reason of, he will either suspect his own judgment, or otherwise think the man foolish; now wicked men are too proud to suspect their own judgments, to think their own reason folly, therefore they count the ways of God foolishness. They look upon God's ways at a distance, therefore they think there is no reason for them.

It is reported of that notable Convert Marcus Galeasius, that he was converted by a sermon of Peter Martyrs, coming to hear him he expressed the excellencies of God's ways, and the mistakes of the world in this similitude, the men of the world (saith he) mistake God's ways, as if a man see a company of Musicians that were playing and dancing according to the most exactest rules of art, if he see them at a distance, he sees them skippiug and leaping up and down as a company of mad men, and wonders what they mean; but when he comes nearer and hears the melodious sound, and observes how all their motions are directed according to rules of art, then he begins to change his thoughts; so the men of the world look upon the ways of God, and upon the Saints at a distance, and 〈◊〉 think the motions of God's people and their ways are madness, but when they come nearer, and observe the exactness of the rule they walk by, and the wisdom of God that appears in them, they change their judgments, and begin then to think, surely there is something in them more then they thought. This similitude God blessed, so as it was the means to convert that Noble man, and made him leave all his possessions in Italy, and come to Geneva, where he became such a pattern of self-deny all, as scarce any age ever had the like, God working by such a thing upon his heart. When you come near God's ways and see them indeed, you will see infinite reason in them, and charge your selves o • infinite folly that you should have such low thoughts of them as you have had.

This is the reason why the Saints hold on in their ways. This judgment is as the ballast of the ship; many hurry on in a kind of profession of Religion, and the truth is, they know not what they do, nor what they profess, if there be any new opinion, I mean not only in regard of new manifestation, but in regard of the thing it self, presently they follow it that they may be counted somebody, and seem to go beyond other men, they are as a ship that moveth a mighty pace, all the sails are up, and winds blow fairly, but there is no ballast, so the ship topples up and down, but never comes to the end of the voyage. Lu. 8. 6. when the seed was sown in the stony ground, it sprung up presently, but because there wanted moisture at the root, it withered away. This judgment is as moisture at the root, that is the reason that Mat. 13. 21. we read of the stony ground, that notwithstanding it received the word with joy, yet when persecution arose because of the word, by and by they were offended, they were mightily taken with the ways of God, with the great things of the Gospel at first, but not having judgment as soon as suffering came, by and by they were offended. If times should change again, & the adversaries should prevail (which God forbid) we shall soon have experience enough of abundance of professors who have chosen the ways of God not out of judgment by and by they will be offended.

Thirdly, I will betroth thee unto me in loving kindness. Though Christ takes us to himself, and will not cast us off, yet he may see such failings and frailties in us, as we may be grievous and burthensome unto his spirit, we shall enjoy but little sweetness in our comunion together through the wretchedness of our hearts. No saith Christ, I will betroth you unto me in loving kindness, my heart and ways toward you shall be full of gentleness and sweetness, and I will put such a frame likewise into your hearts both toward me and toward one another, you shall have hearts full of sweetness and gentleness. The Scripture speaks much of the loving kindness of God to his people in Christ, Eph. 2. 7. The exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. Tit. 3. 4. After the kindness & love of God our Savior toward man appeared. You have these Epithets given unto God's kindness; great kindness. Neh. 9. 17. Marvelous kindness. Psal. 31. 21. Merciful kindness, 〈◊〉 19. 2. Everlasting kindness, Isa. 54. 8. Excellent • ving kindness, Ps. 〈…〉 Multitude of loving kindness, Isa. 63. 7. Thus full is is the Scripture of the loving kindness of God towards us in Christ.

To open it a little, The kindness of God unto us in Christ, consisteth.

First, In the freeness of God's goodness: kindness in a friend is seen much in this, when he doth a thing merely out of his good nature freely, when he doth a kindness so as he doth not burden it, he doth not upbraid his friend with what he hath done; as he expects little before, he will not be mercenary, so when he hath done he doth not upbraid him with it, he expects not such great matters in lieu and recompense of what he hath done, as shall make his kindness worth nothing, but leaves it to his friend to answer him in a way of kindness again as he thinks fit.

Thus it is in all God's dealings with us, he looks not for much at our hands before, but that he doth is out of his free grace, he doth not upbraid us, he giveth liberally and upbraideth no man, he doth not burden his kindness towards us. But doth not God burden his kindness? he requireth that we should give up ourselves unto him, and serve him, and suffer for him, for his kindness; I answer, there is nothing God requireth in lieu of all his kindness to us, but it is another kindness in God to enable us to do it, and a further kindness in him to accept it at our hands when we have done it, therefore his kindness is free. The Heathens were wont to paint their Gratiae, their goddesses of kindness naked, upon this ground, because all works of kindness should be free, not clogged, not burdened, The blessing of the Lord maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. The kindnesses of this world are ordinarily clogged, scarce worth the having; the kindn • ss of God not so, it is free.

Again, kindness consists much in this, in our tenderness over those we show kindness to. The kindness of God in Christ is much this way, in tendering our weakness and dealing with us in all his ways accordingly, Isaiah, 57. 16. I will not contend forever, why? lest the spirit which I have made should fail before me. He considereth our weakness. Psal. 103. 13. The Lord knoweth our frame, and heremembreth we are but dust, Isa. 40. 11. Christ gathers the Lambes with his arm, and carrieth them in his bosom, and gently leadeth those that are with young. Isaiah, 63. 9. In his clememcie (so the word is) he redeemed them, and he bare them, and carried them always, continually. Kindnes makes one longsuffering, he bare them always and continually. It is kindness for the Man to consider all the weaknesses of the wife, and to deal with her in a loving way accordingly, tendering her good; this is the kindness of Christ to his Church,

Thirdly, kindness is passing by all infirmities, not taking advantages against his people because of them. Christ takes notice of all the good that is in his people though it be never so little, but that which is a weakness he will pass it by; The Lord is not strict to mark what we do amiss, but the Lord is strict to mark what we do well, if there be never so little good in an action that hath an hundred weaknesses in it, Christ will mark what good there is in it, and pass by all the weaknesses. 〈◊〉 commended by Pecer for calling her husband Lord, in that speech of hers there was nothing but sin saving that word, and the holy Ghost takes notice of that one word and lets go all the other. If thou aimest at serving Christ, and canst appeal to him that thy heart istowards him, to honor him as he requireth, I say though there be an hundred weaknessesin an action, if there be but one thing good, all thy weaknesses are past by, that one good thing is taken notice of.

Again, kindness is in a loving, sweet, amiable carriage toward one another [ 4] in our converse one with another. Oh the sweet, amiable carriage that is in Christ toward his people! and that Christ expects likewise from them to him again. If you read the book of the Canticles you shall find what sweet, amiable expressions there are between Christ and his Church, what rebounding as it were there is of love and kindness one to another, Thy love is better then wine, saith the Church unto Christ; and, thy love is better then wine, saith Christ unto his Church, This ought to be between man & wife, this is kindness, 1 Cor. 13. 4. Love is there said to be kind, there is no morosity in love, but all a sweetness.

Fifthly, kindness is in easiness to be entreated, Jam. 3. 17. Peaceable, [ 5] gentle, and easy to be entreated. Thus in Christ, he is easy to be entreated by his Church, and the Church should easily be entreated, and indeed is: when the hearts of the Saints are right, there is an ingenuity in them, they are soon moved to any service Christ calleth for.

Lastly, kindness is compassionate, sensible of all sufferings, so Christ [ 6] and his Saints mutually. Such loving kindness as this should be in all marriage-communion; where there is this loving kindness there is a sweet conjugal communion indeed, and so far as any of this is wanting, so far the blessing of a marriage estate is wanting; one reason amongst others, why God makes so much use of this Allegory of marriage, to express so great a mystery of godliness, as the union between Christ and his Church, is to teach those that are married to live so together, as they may express all that excellency of communion that is between Christ and his Saints.

Now I put it to you who are in a married condition, is there this lovingkindnes in you, as may hold forth the loving kindness that is between Christ and his Spouse? so far as you want in your endeavors after this, so far there is an evil; when you go home take this lesson with you, labor to walk so in that way of loving kindness one to another, as that you may express how the loving kindness of Christ is unto your souls. There are many frailties in the man, in the wife, but not so many frailties as there are in you in reference to Christ, Christ beareth with more frailties in you then you can bear with in your wife; Christ is not morose to you, he is not a bitter husband to you.

I have read of Monicha, Austin's Mother, who lived near a Heathen, and she had a very ill husband, of a very cross and perverse disposition; this Heathen comes to her one time, and asked her, how cometh it to pass that you and your husband live so well together as you do?

We know your husband is of a very cross and perverse disposition, yet we see nothing but there is a great deal of sweetness and love between you; it is not so with us, we cannot do so for our lives: Monicha gives her this answer, It may be, saith she, when your husband is untoward & perverse, you are perverse again, and you give cross answers; but Christian Religion teacheth me otherwise, when my husband cometh home and is in passion, Christian Religion teacheth me to be as loving, and dutiful, & amiable to him as I can, and so I have gained the heart of my husband. It were a happy thing if all women would take this home with them, and learn this of Monicha Austin's Mother, And so on the other side, the man in reference to his wife, this loving kindness is between Christ & his Spouse, let it appear between man & wise who profess their interest in Christ.

And this loving kindness of Christ, Oh how should it draw our hearts unto him! What more prevalent means to draw then loving kindness? Mark that Scripture to show the power of loving kidndnes, 2 Chron. 10. 7. If thou be kind unto this people, they will be thy servants forever, say those ancient Counselors of Rehoboam, who gave him wise counsel. If this be the way to draw the heart, surely Christ must need have our hearts, he is not a bloody husband, but a kind husband to us, let us then be his servants forever. It were a good lesson for all Governors to consider of, that it is kindness that draws the hearts of people, they rule not over beasts, but men, therefore if they would rule over them with comfort and safety to themselves, they should rule with kindness. Hence Cant. 4. 10. it is said, that the Charet of Solomon was paved with love for the daughters of Jerusalem, it is an expression of Solomon's gentleness toward the people of Jerusalem. I have read of Alexander Severus, when his Mother and his wife would put him upon harsh ways, & objected to him his mildness & yeildablenesse to his subjects, saying, you have made your power more contemptible by your kindness & yielding so much to your people; his answer was, At securiorem, but more secure and lasting. Certainly, it would be so if Magistrates had not the evil council of young Gallants; if they would follow the counsel of the ancient Counselors, to be kind to the people, they would be their servants forever, their peace and safety would be more then now it is. Christ expects loving kindness from you unto himself, & loloving kindness likewise one unto another.

First. Christ expects you should be full of loving kindness unto him. O blessed Redeemer, what is that we should do, that we should be kind to the! The very phrase seems to be too low for Christ, that Christ should look for our kindness. Yes, Christ looks for our kindness, and he prizeth it dearly, nothing in the world is prized by Christ more then your kindness; as a kind husband prizeth nothing in the world more in his wife then kindness. But how kind to Christ?

Thus, you are kind to him first, when you cleave to him, when he standeth in most need of you, 2 Sam. 16. 17. saith 〈…〉 Hoshi, is this thy kindness to thy friend? that is, what is thy friend in danger, and hath now need of thee, and doest thou now come from him? Is this thy kindness to thy friend? thou shouldst now be with thy friend in time of his danger and need, and that is kindness. So I say, there are sometimes wherein Christ standeth in more need of us then at other, in suffering times, in times wherein his cause hath many enemies, and our help is called for, if we should now forsake him in times of suffering, may not Christ, nay may not the holy Angels and Saints say, Is this your kindness to your friend? To come to Christ when you have need of him is not so much kindness, but to come to him when he hath need of you, this is kindness.

Secondly, It is kindness when we serve Christ in the midst of difficulties. [ 2] You have a notable place for this, Jer. 2. 2. I remember the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness. To be willing to follow Christ in the wilderness, that is kindness. Christ doth not account it kindness for us to serve him when we may prosper in his service, when serving of Christ may stand with our own ends, when we may keep our shops, our lands and possessions, when there is no difficulty at all in his service, what great kindness is this? but when for love to the Ordinances, & the truths of Christ, you are willing to follow Christ even in the wilderness, this is kindness & Christ will account it so; however some men have thought that they have shown great kindness unto Christ, in that they have staid & born the brunt; but how have they born it? by yielding to superstitious vanities, & being ceremonial and Prelatical; it will be found that those who have been willing to follow Christ in the wilderness, our of love [ 3] to him, his truth and ordinances, that Christ will remember that for kindness.

Thirdly, For young people to give up their young years to Christ, that is kindness, by way of allusion at least we may make use of that Scripture, I remember the kindness of thy youth; when thy bones are full of marrow, and when the world seeks to draw thy heart after the vanities of it, when thou mayest have thy delights and pleasures in the flesh to the full; if then thou beest willing to deny all, and to give up thyself to Christ, this is loving kindness; one that is old may possibly come to heaven upon repentance, but what kindness is that for him, who hath nigh worn out all his days and strength in ways of sin, in the pleasures of the flesh, and now when he is going out of the world, and can have no more pleasure in his sin, he comes to Christ for mercy; what kindness is here? here is self-love indeed, but little kindness.

Secondly, loving kindness one to another, I will bet roth thee unto me in loving kindness; I will put such a spirit into you of loving kindness unto your brethren, as I have towards you; The word that is here used for loving kindness, you shall find it often in Scripture used for Saints; those who are called godly, and Saints in your books, in the Hebrew are called kind ones, it may be as well translated kind ones; as thus, Psal. 4. 3. Know ye that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: It is a most admirable text, as if he should say, there are multitudes in the world, and all the world is mine, but I look upon all the world, as refuse in comparison of some few, only here is a godly man, a godly woman, I set them, apart, they are for myself; but the note I observe is, That that word which in your books is godly, in the Hebrew is the kind one, the Lord hath set apart those that are kind, those that are of sweet, gentle, kind dispositions. And Psal. 16, 10. Not suffer thy holy one to see corruption, the Hebrew is, not suffer thy kind one to see corruption, it comes from the same root with that that here is translated loving kindness. So Psal. 149. 1. Sing his praise in the congregation of the Saints, of the kind ones; and the same word again is verse 5. Let the Saints be so full in glory; the Saints, that is, the kind ones; noting what an ingredient loving kindness is to Saint-ship, unto godliness; therefore it is not enough for Christians to be godly, but they must be kind one unto another too. 2 Pet. 1. 3. And to godliness add brotherly kindness: You think you are godly, but you are of a rugged rough-hewn disposition, surly, cruel, rigid, severe, froward, perverse, know here is the exhortation unto you this day from God, if you will approve yourselves to be godly, Add to your godliness brotherly kindness, except you add that, you can have little comfort in your godliness. It is impossible indeed for one that hath the power of godliness, and hath the true comfort and sweetness of it, to be of a rugged and rigid disposition; the reason is, because there is that infinite satisfaction as I may so say, that such a heart hath in God, that there is nothing that can come from without that can make such a heart bitter, there is so much sweetness in that satisfaction that it hath in God, as the Scripture saith, A good man is satisfied from himself; that it is not all the bitterness from without that can sour such a heart.

It is true indeed if you have a vessel of honey, a little gall will make all that bitter, but if you have a vessel of gall, a little honey will not make that sweet: But in grace it is thus, though there be a great deal of bitterness in a man or woman's nature, though they be of rugged natures, yet a drop of true saving grace will sweeten all that gall; and if they be once gracious, a great deal of gall & bitterness that cometh from without will not embitter that sweetness.

I beseech you take notice of this one note, when God hath left men they grow more passionate and froward then they were before; And I verily believe this is one ground of the frowardness, and passionateness that is in professors, they have made breaches between God and their souls, their peace between God and them is broken, and nothing then can give them content. As usually it is when a man hath been abroad and others have angered him, when his inward comfort and joy is gone, then everything angreth him, he is pleased with nothing, his countenance is lowering, and he is unto ward to everyone, and why? because he hath lost the sweetness of his own spirit, and now nothing from without can content him, all seems bitter unto him; but let this man go abroad and things fall out well, it may be he gets a good bargain, hears of excellent good news; that his goods are come home safely, he can now bear a hundred times as much as before, and you can scarce anger him, why? because his heart is filled with sweetness. So it is here, let a Christian walk close with God, keep his peace with him, he will have so much sweetness in his heart that it is not easy to put him into any passion of frowardness, why? he hath enough within, perhaps his friend, his wife, his neighbor is cross, but his Christ is loving; though there be little comfort in my marriage with one who is so peevish & perverse, yet in my marriage with Christ there is satisfaction enough. But when the heart hath made breaches between Christ and itself, when it hath lost the sweetness in that marriage communion, no marvel if there be no sweetness in the other marriage communion.

I will give you a notable example of this, a man who before his breach with God was of a sweet disposition, was very mild and loving, but after he was of a perverse, and cruel, & froward disposition. The example is Saul; When he was first chosen King, how humble was he? he acknowledges himself to be of the least of the tribes of Israel, and the least in his fathers house, and when some raised npon him and said, shall this man reign over us? the text saith, he held his peace; and when others would have had them killed, no, by no means they must not be slain, because God had shown him mercy in a late victory given him. But after Saul had fallen from God, O the rugged, perverse, cruel disposition of his spirit then, even to Jonathan his son, a gracious, loving, sweet natured son, then Thou son of the perverse, rebellious woman, he cast a jave lin at him to kill him, then the fourscore & five Priests in the City of Nob must be all slain in his anger; What was the bottom of all this? It was the breach between God and his own spirit. Oh take heed of breaches between God and you, for they will put you into a perverse and froward disposition. What doth a man get by the want of this kindness and loving disposition. He troubleth himself, Pro. 11. 17. He that is cruel, of a sharsh disposition, troubleth his own flesh. I appeal to you, do you not lose much of the sweetness of your lives, you that are in a married condition? What comfort have you in your lives when there is nothing but snarling at, and crossing one another? you trouble your own house, and your own flesh; whereas if there were loving kindness betwixt you, it would sweeten all your comforts, yea all your crosses. The loving kindness of a man or a woman is the beauty of a man or woman. Pro 19. 2. The kindness of a man, is the desire of a man, saith the text there; And of a woman, Pro. 31. 29. among other high comendations of a virtuous woman who had done excellently, this is one, The law of kindness is in her tongue, kindness giveth a law to her mouth, many women have no law given to their mouths, their tongues are lawless when they are angered, but a woman that is commended of God, the Text saith, the law of kindness is in her tongue, the kindness of her heart doth give a law to her mouth, & that is the honor of a woman. To be of a sweet, kind disposition is an exceeding beauty, it adds a glorious luster to any man living. Isa. 40. 6. All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field, the word is in the original 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the same word that is here, that word which signifieth kindness is translated there goodliness, noting that kindness is the goodliness of the spirit of a man or woman; what the beauty of a flower is to a flower, that is kindness to a man or woman, it is goodliness. Just in Martyr in his Apology for the Christians faith, that their adversaries did hate only the name of a Christian, they had nothing against the Christians, and what is there saith he in the name? Nothing but that which is good and lovely enough, now saith he, it is not just to hate that which is profitable & gentle, for so the word signifieth, they are Christians, what if you call them Christiani, of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 mild, profitable? for to they are indeed, they are profitable, gentle, sweet natured people, and why should you hate those people? 2 Cor. 6. 6. Being filled with the holy Ghost, and kindness, are put together, there is much of the holy Ghost where there is much kindness. The spirit of Christ is a spirit of kindness and gentleness, and though you may think that your rigidness and roughness may argue bravenesse of spirit in you (for it is ordinary for froward and passionate people to think they have more brave spirits then others) but know that your spirits are more base and vile then the spirits of others. I will give you only one Text for that, Psal. 45. 4. it is said of Christ, In thy majesty ride prosperously, because of truth and meekness; now the same word that is here translated meekness, 2 Sam. 22. 26. is gentleness; thy gentleness hath made me great; Mark, gentleness, magnificence or majesty may stand together, yea Christ is magnificent and full of majesty in the gentleness, and quietness of his spirit, ride on in thy majesty prosperously because of thy meekness, because of thy gentleness. Would you have a brave spirit like unto the spirit of Christ in his glory? let your spirits be gentle, sweet, and loving spirits.

I will betroth thee unto me in mercies.

Loving kindness and mercies may seem in the reading as if they were the same, but there is a great deal of difference in them.

And in mercies. ] Viscera, so the word is, I will betroth thee unto myself in bowels. Not the fruit only, but the root; not the water only, but the fountain; thou shalt have the fountain of all good, my very bowels, from whence flows all mercies. Wherefore Christians you need not fear the want of the supply of mercies, why? because you have the fountain of mercies from whence they spring. God may grant to wicked men many fruits of his bounty and goodness; yea but they have not his bowels, they have not the fountain, the root from whence all springs.

Here is the happiness of a Christian, not only to have much good from God, but to have those very bowels from whence that good cometh. Here lies the dignity, the glory of a Christian, the vastness of his riches.

Christians, you shall not therefore need fear to give up any mercy God calls for at your hands, for you have got the bowels of mercy to be yours, you have got the spring-head of all mercy to be yours, whence you may fetch all seasonable, all suitable mercies when you will. Here is the reason why many who are carnal, when they have got a mercy from God, they keep it so sure, they are afraid to lose it, they are loath to part with it, though God calleth for it again. Why? because they are not acquainted with the true privilege of a Christian, they do not know what it is to possess the bowels of God, they know not where to go for more, therefore they are loath to part with what they have. Now the Saints can part with anything for God, let him take what he will have, let him strip me as naked as he pleaseth, I have the bowels of God, I have the spring-head to go to for all mercies again. It is true, if there were want of water, and you had only water in a cistern, if your neighbor came to borrow of you, you would be loath to lend any; but if you have a well-spring, and a fountain that never was dry, and never will be drawn dry, is it a great matter for you to lend water then? So, it is true, the men of the world are needy creatures, they have something indeed, but it is as water in a cistern, when that is gone, they think that all is gone, therefore they will not lend it, no not unto God himself when he calls for it. But the Saints have the bowels of mercy, the spring-head of all mercy, therefore whatsoever God calls for, they presently say, Lord here take all, I know where to have it again, and much more then that. This makes godly men so ingenuous for God, and so free hearted to him and to his servants.

I will berroth thee unto me in mercies.

A little to search into these mercies: It is an argument that hath much depth in it.

First, they are a depth swallowing up the greatest evil of sin or affliction. [ 1] If you should pour a paile of water upon the planchers in your chamber, it seems a great deal of water, like a little sea; but take a paile of water, and pour it into the deep Ocean, and it is there swallowed up, and appears nothing. Our afflictions that are upon us, and our sins, in themselves appear great, but when they come to be swallowed up in these bowels, in these depths of God's mercies, in which he betrotheth himself unto us, they are as nothing in comparison. Therefore the Scripture hath such strange expressions of the wonderfulness of God's mercies to his people in Christ.

The Scripture hath three notable words to express the fullness of God's mercies in Christ. The first is Ephes. 2. 7. the abundant riches of his grace, the riches that are cast in, over and above. The second word is in Rom. 5. 20. The grace of God hath been more then exceeding, there is a second 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .

And a third is, 1 Tim. 1. 14. The grace of God was exceeding abundant, it had a pleonasme asore, yea but here is a super-pleonasme. Here are three 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 put upon God's mercy, to note the riches of the glory, and depth of the mercy of God in Christ.

Secondly, consider these mercies in the effects. They set on work all [ 2] that is in God for the good of his people. If there be anything that God's wisdom, or power, that all that blessedness that is in GOD can do, for the bowels of mercy yearn toward thee, and they will set all on work 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 for thy good if thou beest in Christ.

Yea further, know that it is such mercy as it is the great design, yea the greatest design that ever God had from all eternity to honor this his mercy, to set out the infinite glory and the riches of this his mercy in Christ. Certainly God had great designs in doing such great things as he hath done, but above all the designs that ever God had in all his works, that is the chief, to glorify the riches of his mercy in Christ. They are indeed bowels of mercy, when they are such as in the glory of which God attaineth his great design in making the world, he would never have made the world, had it not been for that.

[ 4] Fourthly, They are the heart-blood mercies of JESUS CHRIST, they are such mercies as are worth all the blood of Christ, and his blood was certainly most precious blood, when Christ sees any converted and brought home to him, to be made a subject of God's mercy, he thinks his blood well bestowed. The text saith, he shall see his seed, and his soul shall be satisfied. I have enough for all the blood I shed. Indeed I came from my Father, and was made a servant, a curse, I suffered the wrath of my Father, my blood was shed, but if this be the fruit of it, that such and such a soul shall have this mercy, I have enough for all my blood, I am glad that ever I shed it.

[ 5] Yea God the Father is well pleased with it, he thinks the blood of Christ but a valuable price to purchase such mercies as these. As for all the glory of the world God can give that unto men that he hates, to reprobates, as Luther saith of the whole Turkish Empire, it is but a crumb of bread that the Master of the house throws to his dogs; but when it cometh to his mercies in Christ, they are such as are worth the blood of his Son, that must go to be the price for the purchasing of them.

6. They are such mercies as God bestows on purpose that he may declare to all eternity before Angels and all his Saints, what God is able to do for a creature, to what a height of excellency and glory these infinite mercies are able to raise a poor creature unto. These must needs be great.

Yea they are such as must be the object for Angels and Saints to admire at, adore and magnify the name of God for, everlastingly.

What shall I say more in naming any fruits of these mercies? Such mercies as whereas before sin made thee to be the object of God's hatred, it makes thee now to be an object of his pity, God takes the rise from thy sin to show his mercy. Take heed of abusing it, it is children's bread, that which I now speak, let us not sin that grace may abound, God sorbid; seeing thy sin cannot overcome God's goodness, let God's goodness overcome thy sin; Only let us learn to admire at these riches of mercy in Christ, and let us exercise much faith about them. Certainly we should thrive in godliness much more if we did exercise faith in the bowels of God in Christ. Those kind of fruits, as your Apricocks and your May-cherries, that grow up by a wall in the open sun-shine, and have the hot reflection of the sun, come to be sooner ripe & have more sweetness then those that grow in shady places; your grass you know that is shaded by the trees, in Orchards, is sour; So that fruit that Christians bring forth under discouragements and despairing thoughts, is very sour; some things they do conscience hales them to duties, but alas it is sour fruit; though it be better to do what conscience requires then not, for we must not go against conscience, but to do it merely because conscience hales to it, it is but sour grass. But when a Christian can by Faith set himself before the Sun-shine of these mercies of God in Christ, and continually live in the midst of the luster of the grace of God in Christ, he groweth ripe sooner, and his fruit is sweeter. You may know whether it be the Sun of righteousness or no that you are set in, Doth your fruit grow ripe? and is it sweet fruit? Those who talk of mercy and of Christ, who have the name of Christ in their mouths, but is their fruit sour, does nothing come from them but crabbed fruit? these men are not in the Sun, they are blind, they cannot see the Sun, they are but in a light of their own fancy, and in a heat of their own making.

Ephes. 3. 18. 19. The Apostle prays for the Ephesians, that they may be able to comprehend, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, & height of the riches of God in Christ: Mark, the Philosophers tells us but of three dimensions, but here are four; but what is the fruit of this? And that you may know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God; Here is the effect of it, when we come to know the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of God's love, and have that knowledge by the Spirit of God that passeth all natural knowledge, then we come to be filled with all the fullness of God. Here now is a glorious Christian, a Christian filled with all the fullness of God. Would you be so? Learn then to exercise faith much about the infinite riches of the mercy of God in Christ, this will fill you with all the fullness of God, you complain of barrenness and emptiness in your hearts and lives, it is because you exercise so little Faith in these mercies of God in Christ.

God betrotheth his Church unto himself in mercies, in bowels. Let us learn to plead these mercies before the Lord, to plead them when we are in any strait, to plead with God for bowels, Isaiah, 63. 15. Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holy esse and thy glory, where is thy zeal, and thy strength, the sounding of the bowels, and of thy mercies towards us? are they restrained? Lord, hast thou not said that thou wilt betroth thy Church unto thyself in bowels? Where is the sounding of thy bowels? Lord let us have these bowels of thine in which thou hast betrothed us through Christ.

Oh what confusion will there be one day unto those that shall miss of all these mercies of God, in which the Lord hath betrothed himself unto his Church! What, will you content yourselves now with crumbs that God casteth to dogs, with the fruits of God's general bounty and patience, when you hear of such glorious mercies as are in Jesus Christ? These things should so raise our hearts, that we should protest as Luther did, I protest saith he, God shall not put me off with these things of the world, with my portion here. Oh no, the Lord hath shown me greater riches, though I be unworthy of any, yet I know his mercy is free, why then should not I have my portion in these glorious things?

Come in then▪ come in oh sinful soul, be in love with Jesus Christ, & the ways of godliness, know that all these mercies are tendered unto thy soul this day, to break thy heart, even that hard heart of thine, and they are as free for thee as for any. There is nothing more pleasing unto God then for thee to be taken with the glory of the riches of his mercy. Thou canst perform no duty so acceptable unto God as this, to have thy heart break upon the codsideration of his bowels, to have thy bowels yern again, and to come in and close with this infinite, rich, and glorious grace of his.

Which if thou dost, know that the first moment thou art united to Christ, thou dost launch into the infinite Ocean of mercy, now thou breathest in the element of mercy, now thou livest upon nothing but mercy.

Is it so? Then know God expects a merciful disposition from thee too. God betrotheth thee in righteousness, and putteth righteousness into thee; in judgment, and gives thee judgment too; in loving kindness, and makes thee loving and kind likewise; in mercies, and putteth mercies into thee, bowels into thee also.

First, toward himself. Why? can we be merciful unto God? what good can we do to God? God expects you should have bowels toward him; How? Thus, Dost thou see the name of this blessed God thy husband to be dishonored in the world? Oh thy bowels should yern, thou shouldst have bowels working now. What, doth God look upon thee in thy blood, in thy misery, and doth his bowels yern toward thee? Canst thou look upon God in his dishonor, and his cause trampled underfoot, and do not thy bowels yern toward him? It should pity thy soul to see this blessed God to be so much dishonored in the world as he is, to see that there are so few in the world that love and fear this God, who is thy God, and hath done thee so much good. What, is there any good cause up wherein the name of God should be honored? Thy bowels should work presently toward it. Cant. 5. 4. My beloved put his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. When Christ did but begin to open a door, put but in his hand, when there was any good but beginning to be done; Oh my bowels were moved, saith the Church, and I could never be at quiet until I had inquired after, yea and found my beloved. Is there any beginning to let in Christ into the Kingdom in his government amongst us? Dowe feel him putting in his hand at the door? (certainly if we be skilled in the way of Christ, we may feel him putting his hand in at the door) Oh that our bowels would yern, and cause our hearts to flow to the bo • ntisulnesse of the Lord, and join with Christ in that blessed work of his that he is about.

Our bowels must also be toward the Saints. It is extremely against the spirit of Christ for a Christian to be hard-hearted toward his brethren, Christ expects bowels; And as you would account it • grievous misery to have your bowels rotten, to have diseases in your bowels, know it is as great an evil to have your hearts unmerciful, that is, to have a disease in your bowels, so the Scripture phrase is, Amos 1. 11. He cast off all pity, & his anger did tear perpetually, so it is in your books; but the words in the Original are, And corrupted his bowels; their bowels were corrupted when they were not pitiful toward their brethren in misery. It was a grievous condition that Jehoram was in, 2 Chron. 21. 15. when his bowels came forth by reason of his disease. An unmerciful heart is a worse disease then this.

What are we, and who are we that God's mercies should be shown towards us? why not our mercies toward our brethren then? The Scripture calleth exceedingly for mercy in the Saints toward one another. Col. 3. 17. Put on as the Elect of God bowels of mercy and kindness. Would you have an argument unto yourselves that you are God's Elect? put on bowels then. Never was there time since you lived, or your forefathers lived, wherein God called for bowels more then now. Do you hear of the miseries of your brethren, their goods spoiled, houses burnt, wives, children ravished, themselves imprisoned, their bodies wounded, and yet no bowels all this while; what, you hard-hearted in the mean time? Are you the elect of God? why I pray you, what is your flesh more then the flesh of others? what are your comforts more then the comforts of others? why should you lie soft and safe more then others? Is there any such difference betwixt you and your brethren, that they should be in misery, and you must be pampered, and scarce feel the very wind to blow on you, and yet in the mean time your hearts hardened towards them? It is true, God it is that hath made the difference you will say; and God may make a difference where he pleaseth. I grant it, and it would not grieve God to make such a difference between you and them, if he saw your bowels yern towards them. But if God lays such afflictions upon your brethren who are better then you, and have done more for him then ever you have done, and yet you are hard-hearted, this will grieve God at the heart. 1 John. 3. 17. He that seeth his brother hath need, and shuiteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? If thou hast bowels, and shuttest them up from thy brother, surely thou never knewest what the love of God meant.

Mark that place▪ 2 Cor. 9. 8. what encouraging expressions we have unto bounty and liberality toward our brethren, for the opening our bowels toward them. God is able to make all grace abound towards you, that ye always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. There is no such text in all the book of God to encourage to the opening our bowels to the administering to the necessities of the Saints, for that Scripture is brought to that end, that part of the Chapter is spent about that argument, if you believe anything in the Scripture, if you have any experience of God's bowels towards you, read over this, and see if it will not open your bowels.

God is able to make all grace abound; Grace abound, that is something; all grace, that is more; but all kind of grace, that is more then that, & that from God's almighty power too; but that is not enough, Mark, that you always having all sufficiency in all things. It were enough one would think God should say, you shall have all things needful, no you shall have all things, If he had said thus, you shall have sufficiency in that you have, that is something, no but you shall have all things, and sufficiency in all things, and all sufficiency in all things. Yea but I may want before I die? No, you shall have always all sufficiency in all thiugs. Well, this may make us do something, you may think if I do this good work, and another, and another, I hope I do my part, no but you must abound, you must do every good work and abound in every good work. But I shall draw myself dry if I be so abundant in every good work; No, God is able to make all grace in you to abound towards you, that you always having all sufficiency in all things may abound; You shall never be drawn dry, for you have the bowels of God's mercy. Alexander giving large gifts, some asked him, what will you keep for yourself? Spes, saith he, I will keep Hope for my self, I will make account that still there are greater things coming for me; what he had he gave away, because he had a spirit that looked after and hoped for great things to come; certainly Christians have that left, always they have hope, they may expect great things, why? because they have the bowels of God's mercies to be theirs.

One thing more (to knit all together) all righteousness, all judgment, all loving kindness, all mercies comes from God through our union with Christ.

Though God be an infinite ocean of goodness, yet we can expect nothing from God but through our union with Christ, Man hath forfeited the title he had to all the goodness of God, and now the title upon which he is to hold all his good, it is the union he hath with this husband, with JESUS CHRIST by virtue of this marriage. Whensoever Faith goes to heaven for any good from God, it goeth to heaven by virtue of this right, and obtaineth all the good it gets from God by virtue of that conjugal union the soul hath with JESUS CHRIST.

How blessed then was the time when Christ was first revealed to the Church! Cant. 3. 11. Behold King Solomon with the Crown where with his mother crowned in the day of his espousals, in the day of the gladness of his heart, These things opened in our espousals with Christ, must needs make that day the day of the gladness of our hearts. O how dear should this Christ thy husband be unto thee! how happy, when thou shalt have full communion with him! when Jsaac met Rebekka, he carried her into his mothers tent: when the Lord Christ shall meet his spouse, he will carry her into his Fathers pillace. Behold the riches, the glory of my Father whom I told you of, these are all yours in my right eternally.

The Nineteenth Lecture.

I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness.

Here is a third betrothing, I will betroth, I will betroth, I will betroth, Jerome hath a note upon that and saith, that it is thrice repeated to note three several times of God's betrothing himself unto his people. 1. When he called Abraham. 2. After they went out of Egypt and were in the wilderness at Mount Sinai. 3. In the time of the Gospel. And of this Exposition Calvin saith, it may be accounted witty, but it is frivolous. He giveth a better reason (which I think to be the mind of the holy Ghost) why it is thrice tepeated; Because apostatizing Israel could hardly believe that ever God would do such a thing as this, what after the Lord had cast Israel away? yea cast her to the beasts (for so he threateneth in the former part of the chapter) yet now betroth her to himself, this was unlikely.

I will [ even ] betroth thee, so you have it in your books; now the truth is, the word in the Original is Vau, the same that is translated and before, but because the third time it is said [ and ] the Translators thought there was an emphasis in the third And, and therefore to express that emphasis they put in the word [ even. ] Infaithfulnesse ] In steadiness, so the word signifieth, I will betroth thee unto me in a steady way, my goodness toward thee shall be stable and sirme. So the word is often used in Scripture, Exod. 17. 12.

His hands were steady, the same word that we have here for faithfulness, So Deut. 28. 59. I will make thy plagues of long continuanoe, thy plagues stable and constant, the same that is here for faithfulness. And 1 Sam. 2. 35. I will raise me up a faithful Priest, and I will build him a sure house, there the word is of the same root, a sure house, a firm, steady house. Faithfulness here imports, God's stability & steadines in his Covenant with his people. It notes not so much the perpetuity, for that was before, I will betroth thee unto me forever: But firmeness & constancy, as opposite to fickleness & uncertainty. There is much inconstancy & fickleness in our love one to another, but the love of God to his people is stable, settled, firm & constant love.

That is the meaning in the first place, though not all. Isaiah 62. 5. As the Eridegroome rejoiceth over the Bride, so shall thy God rejoice • ver thee, that is, the love of Christ after thousands of years is still but as the love of a bridegroom upon the wedding day, then ordnarily love is hot & appears much; not the love only of the husband, but as the Bridegroom.

There is no moment of time, but Christ rejoiceth not only as a husband, but as a Bridegroom over every gracious soul.

Christ's love is steady, because it is pure, without mixture; it is a holy love. Observe the comparing of two Texts, Isaiah 55. 3. The sure mercies of David are promised there. In Acts 13. 34. that Scripture is quoted, and there it is The holy things of David; As noting, because the love of God is holy, therefore it is sure and steadfast.

Christ's love unto his people is in righteousness, as before, and in judgment, and in loving kindness, and mercies: It is from the sweetness of his nature, and therefore it is steady & firm. With him there is no shadow of change. It is grounded upon a sure covenant, therefore firm. Though indeed the love of Christ may be to us as the shining of the Sun, not always in the fruits of it, shining out so gloriously, but the Sun keeps his course in a steady way, though sometimes it is clouded, and we have it not so gloriously as at other times. The Saints should fasten upon the love of Christ in the Covenant; and though other things be never so uncertain, yet they should quiet their hearts in this, that their happiness in the Covenant of grace is certain. Perhaps the love of our friend is uncertain, very fickle and inconstant; those who will glavor upon you, and seem as if their hearts were with you, but what sullen moods and fits will there be at times! and when you have most need of them, you know not where to find them. But the love of Christ is certain and stable, 2 Sam. 23. 5. Mark how David comforted himself in the stableness of the love of God in the covenant. Though he doth not cause my house to grow, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure, and this is all my desire & all my hope, that is, that the Covenant is sure and steadfast.

And (as we have opened it in all the former) so here it must be mutual.

I will betroth thee in faithfulness, and make thee faithful too; that is, thou shalt have a steady, firm, stable spirit in thy love to me, though not in that degree that Christ's is, yet there is a stability in the hearts of the Saints unto Christ, they are not carried up and down with every wind of doctrine, with every puff of temptation as other men are. The righteous is an everlasting foundation, Pro. 10. 25. The upright holdeth on his way, Job. 17. 9.

It must needs be so, because the affections of the Saints unto Christ are holy affections too, though not perfect, they have indeed some mixture, therefore some instability; but they have holiness, therefore stability.

And they choose Christ in righteousness and in judgment. And they have the Divine Nature in them; and as that hath no shadow of change, so they come to have something like to the immutability of the Divine Nature, some shadow of it. Isaiah 26. 3. A godly man is described thus, Whose mind is staid upon God: he hath a stable spirit, not a wandering, fickle, roving spirit, he hath fixed himself upon God, he can say, My heart is fixed. The men of the world, because they have not that which can satisfy, run up and down, first, after one contentment, then after another, they have no where to fix: but the Saints find all-sufficiency in God, when they are there, their hearts are satisfied, and there they fix. As a Be lighting upon a flower, finding but a little honey, gets away to another, and to another, and to another; but when it comes to a flower, where it may suck honey enough it fixeth, it stayeth there. The hearts of the Saints find a fullness of good, in God, and there they fixe. A fickle, wavering, unstable spirit is exceeding unbeseeming a Christian. As it is in the body, some who have flushings of heat, have a very good color for a while, but when we know this good color is but a flush, it is rather an argument of a disease, then of a good complexion. An end of a candle that burns in the socket gives some flashes of light now and then, but a candle that is set upon a table gives a steady and constant light. Mad people you know have their Iudicia intervalla, some times wherein they do acts of reason, but you may perceive they are not in their wits, because there is not constancy, and evenness in their actions.

This stablenes, this evenes in a Christian way is the beauty and glory of it. Though you be never so forward sometimes in that which is good, yet if at other times your hearts be off, there is no beauty in your conversation. But give me a Christian whose ways are even, that you may find a constancy in him in all his ways.

Those who have such fickle, uncertain, inconstant hearts, are never like to excel; if they have any truth in them, yet they will never be eminent Christians, Gen. 49. 4. it is said of Reuben, Reuben unstable as water, but he shall not excel; so it may be said of a Christian unstable; here is one of good affections, at sometimes very forward, but unstable as water, he shall not excel. Constancy in love is exceeding comely and beautiful between man and wife, from thence is the expression of the holy Ghost here; it adds much unto the luster and comfort of their lives. For men to seem sometimes to be mighty fond, & other times to be bitter and sour, like Nabal's; or the wife to be very fond sometimes, and to be grievous & irksome at other times, this takes away the beauty, the comfort of their lives.

But there is more in this faithfulness then stability and firmeness, I will betroth thee in faithfulness; I will certainly perform all the good you can expect from me, which is befitting a husband, yea such a husband as I am, to do to my Spouse; you may confide in me, I will be faithful to you, not only my love, but my faithfulness shall bind me to you: My loving kindness, my merciful disposition is a great bond, but my faithfulness shall bind me also, I will be content to engage myself to you, that you may certainly confide in me, so as you may not only expect it from my love, but challenge it from my faithfulness. We deny not God's providence to other creatures, but the Spouse challengeth God's care, saith Bernard, which is beyond providence, such as is out of faithfulness, as well as out of love. Christ here condescends to his Spouse, as a man is willing to give satisfaction to his wife & her friends, though the truth is he would do anything in the world out of love to his wife, yet in regard of her weakness, and to satisfy some friends he is content to enter into bond, to do anything that is fitting; it is good to make all things sure beforehand, say her friends, he presently yields, for it is no other but what he is willing to do without bonds, only to satisfy her and their minds. Thus it is between Christ and his Spouse: The truth is, the love of Christ is enough to make a supply of any of our wants, but we are weak, and would fain have things made sure, therefore saith Christ to help our weakeness, I will even enter into bond, and you may be sure I will be faithful then, I will bind my faithfulness to you for all the good you would have.

And this faithfulness of Christ is either in regard of the great Marriage-Covenant, there he will be sure to be faithful to his Spouse; Or in regard of all particular promises, that are under things as it were. There is the great marriage-covenant, about reconciling God, and paying all debts that are owing and satisfying God's justice, and bringing to eternal life; but there are many under-promises, and Christ will be faithful in them all. Ps. 25. 10. you have a promise worth a kingdom, All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, not only mercy, but mercy and truth, mercy engaged.

Wicked men may have mercy from God, from the general bounty and goodness, and merciful disposition of God, but what the Saints have is from • ruth, as well as from mercy, it is bound to them.

God stands much upon this that the hearts of his Saints should confide in him. He accounts not himself honored except we confide in him: therefore mark how Christ suiteth himself unto our weakness, that we may confide in his faithfulness. What is it (saith he) that you poor creatures do one to another when you would make things sure between you? We answer thus, Lord we engage ourselves by promise one to another. I will do so saith Christ, you shall have my promise, my faithful promise. Acts 2. 39. Peter invites to Baptism upon this ground, because the promise is made to you and to your children, and to as many as the Lord our God shall call: The first he speaks to the Jews, the other to the Gentiles; As if he should say, Come in and receive Baptism, for to you and to your children the promise is made, to you that are Jews and to your children, and to the Gentiles, they have the promise that you have, they come under the same Covenant for the main, the promise is to them and to their children too. And this promise that Christ hat • ing aged himself in, is no other then a draught of that which was before the world began, from all eternity, and therefore it is so much the more sure. Tit. 1. 2. the Gospel is called a promise before the world began.

All promises in the Scripture are but a draught of that grand promise that God the Father made to his Son before the world began; As if Christ should say, Will you have engagement by promise? This is past long ago, my Father hath engaged himself to me from all eternity, & if you have any promise it is but a draught of that first copy of that great promise my Father hath made me from all eternity.

What do you do more when you would make things sure one to another? We answer, we do not only make a verbal promise, by word of mouth, but we write it. God hath therefore given us his Scripture, and the chief thing in Scripture is the promise, God hath set to his hand to his promise in Scripture. Hence Luther hath a notable expression, The whole Scripture doth especially aim at this, that we should not doubt, but believe, confide, hope that God is merciful, kind, patient.

What do you more? Here you have my promise and my hand, is there anything else you use to do, to make things sure? We answer, Lord we take witnesses. I will do so too, saith God. When we would make things sure indeed, we take not only two, but three, or four, but half a dozen witnesses sometimes. You shall have witnesses; saith God as many as you will, witnesses of all sorts, witnesses in heaven, witnesses in earth; In heaven, I John 5. 7. The Father, the Word, and the holy Ghost, witnesses authentical, of credit enough, the three Persons in the Trinity, upon earth, the spirit, the water, and the blood.

What do you more to make a thing sure? Lord, we set to our seals too; you shall have that too saith God, you shall have seals of all sorts, you shall have the broad seal of Heaven, the Sacraments, the seals of the Covenant; and you shall have my privy seal, I will take my Ring off my finger, I will give you even the seal of the spirit, and do but show this seal, it is authentical enough.

Is there anything more? Yes we answer, there is one thing more, we take an oath, I will do that too, saith God, that you may be sure, and confide in my faithfulness. Heb. 6. 17. God willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his council, confirmed it by his oath. As if he should say, there is no such need of an oath, but I will be abundant to you, because I would have you trust me, And mark this is for the sake of the heirs of promise, God would never have done this for other men, it is for your sakes only who are the heirs of promise, in regard of your weakness he conrfims all with an oath. And if we would have things sure, we will not have the oath of such as are of no great credit. Mark, therefore it is that God sweareth, and that by the greatest oath, ver. 13. Because he could swear by no greater, saith the text, he sware by himself.

Is there anything more saith God that you use to do among yourselves to make things sure? Yes Lord, we use to take a pawn too. You shall have that too saith he, I will give you a pawn, and such a pawn as if you never had anything more you would be happy. what is that? 2 Cor. 1. 22. Who hath sealed us, and given us the earnest of his spirit in our hearts. I will send my spirit to be an earnest of all the good that I intend to do for you everlastingly. Is there anything else you would require of me that you may confide in me? Yes, if God would do some great & notable work as a beginning & as an engagement of that which is to come after, this is yet more then a pawn, when there is some special thing done in way to that which we make account of, that we are not only promised it, and have it under hand and seal, and have an oath and a pawn, but it is in a great degree begun, and so begun as the difficulty is over. Those who live under the Gospel see the greatest part of our salvation already done for us. God made a promise of sending his Son into the world; Now in God's performing that promise that God-man should come into the world to be made a curse for sin, this is the greatest work of all that is to be done to all eternity, and if God would have failed in anything it would have been in that. It is not so much for God to deliver us in this world, it is not so much for him to bring us to heaven, as it is to send his Son into the world to be made a curse for us. Now when God hath done so great a work and hath been faithful in that great promise, he hath taught us forever to trust in him, to believe his faithfulness in making good other promises. If a man who owes five thousand pound, and pays you four thousand nine hundred of it, you think surely he will never break for one hundred, I may trust him for the rest, seeing he hath dealt so faithfully with me in the great sum. God hath paid the four thousand nine hundred and much more, in comparison of what God hath done for us, take all the glory of heaven, we have not one hundred of the five thousand left behince, therefore we may well confide in him for the payment of the rest. But is God able? It is true, God is faithful: This is seldom an objection, at least an explicit objection in the mouths of people, but surely an implicit one it is in the hearts of many; that appears by those cautions, God gives to take away that objection, 1 Pet. 4. 19. Commit the keeping of your souls unto him as unto a faithful Creator, as if he had not said enough in saying he is faithful, he adds faithful Creator, as if he should say, f there be no means to help you I will create means, I will put forth my Almighty power to create help for you, but you shall have help, Dan. 9. 27. The Lord will confirm the Covenant; the word is used for a mighty man, a Giant in Scripture. Gen. 19. 8. He began to be a mighty one in the land, as a Giant in the earth, the word here is of the same root, God will come forth as a Giant, as a mighty man to make sure the Covenant he hath made with his people, if there be anything in the world wherein God will stir up his infinite power, the excellency of his power, the glory of his right hand, it will be in confirming his Covenant to his Saints, Isaiah 26. 4. Trust ye in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength, Isaiah. 54. 5. Thy Maker is thy husband, the Lord of Hosts is his name, the God of the whole earth shall he be called.

Seeing God is so faithful, let not us be faithless. But things go very cross, and how shall we believe, our faith shakes? the true genuine love of the Saints is such as will love God without gifts, for himself, so the genuine art of faith, is to believe in God without experience, yea though things seem to go contrary. That love is but a lame love that loveth God only for that which we receive from him for the present, and that is but a lame faith that believeth only in • od for that which we see for the present.

Do things go cross? they are corrections, and those may come from faithfulness as well as anything the Church enjoys, Psal. 119. 75. I know O Lord that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me; As God comes down to you and suits himself to you as his poor creatures, so you should labor to raise your hearts to him, to believe in him as a great God. • od deals with you as having to deal with weak creatures, you should deal with him as having to do with an infinite God. You must give God leave to do his work his own way. The object of our confidence in God, it is, the thing will be done, it is not how it will be done, or when it will be done, but that God will carry his work thorough. Shall our weakness be so much regarded, as that things must not work so as to show God's power? Certainly it is too too much for us to think our weakness must be so far condescended to. One would think that it is enough, that God condescendeth so much as to express himself so to you as you may believe; would you have God condescend to express himself so to you, as he should not have the glory of his work, nor you the glory of your faith? this is too low. Though we be bound to deny ourselves much, because of the weakness of our brethren; Must God deny his glory because of our weakness? We burden God too much with our weakness. It is for God's glory that things go as they do; Lazarus was dead, and dead so long, that the work of God might appear.

But I find not things go so as I expected, I think I have believed, at such a time in prayer I thought my heart did close with the promises of God, but yet things go not so as I expect. Though things be otherwise then thou expectest, yet it may be God calls for new acts of thy believing, and it is because there is no renewing of thy faith in his faithfulness. You must know, the continual actings of Faith draw out the continual actings of the power of God. I will give you for that one famous Text, perhaps you may read it often and hear it, but not perceive the strength there is in it. Psal. 31. 19. O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee! but mark what followeth, which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee. Great is the goodness thou hast laid up. God's goodness is great to admiration for them that fear him, but how? It is laid up for them, but now mark, which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee.

All the goodness that is in God, is for them that fear him, but it is not fearing God that will bring it to work, it is laid up in a treasury indeed; do you fear God? God hath laid up abundance of goodness in a treasury for you, but you must not expect this will work for you, unless you trust in him; your Faith must bring it forth into work, and that before the sons of men; thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of men.

Would you be hid in the secret of God's presence from the pride of men? you must not only fear God, but trust in his faithfulness. Mat. 13. 58. Christ did no mighty works there because of their unbelief: And Ma • k. 6, 5. He could not do no works because of their unbelief. One says he did not, and the other says he could not, When we have a promise, let us put on to get the goodness of God to work, which is by believing. For that I will give you as notable an example as any I know you have in the book of God, of a believing heart, catching hold upon a promise upon God's faithfulness to work it out, 1 Chron. 17. 23. and so on. In the former part of the Chapter you shall find God had promised David to establish his house, to build him a sure house; Well, as soon as David had got the word, mark how he improves it, how he works upon God's word; As if he had said, Seeing I have got his word, I will hold to it, he shall not go from it, saith he, Therefore, O Lord, let the things thou hast spoken concerning thy servant and concerning his house, be established for ever, and do as thou hast said. Thou hast spoken, do as thou hast said. Ver. 24. Let it even be established, I expect it, seeing thou hast been pleased in such a gracious way to promise me thus, I will rely upon it, let it be even established, that thy name may be magnified forever. I will plead thy name in it, if there be anything to be pleaded more then other, I will plead it before thee; but is not this enough? Vers. 25. Thou O Lord God hast told thy servant that thou wilt build him an house, therefore thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before thee. He had said before, that God had spoken it; here he goes over it again, as making much of God's word, thou hast told me, and I pray for nothing but what thou hast told me. Nay yet still David encroacheth more upon God, Ver. 26. Now O Lord thou art God, & thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant. I have not to deal with a man that will be fickle and inconstant, wavering and unfaithful, but thou art God, and I will trust in thee as a God, thou art God, and thou hast promised this goodness, it is thine own goodness, now therefore do it. See how he followeth God upon his promise. And mark what admirable effects followed upon this, Chap. 18. ver. 1. After this, saith the Text, he prospered, when his enemies came against him, he took a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen from Hadarezer, and when the Syrians came to help that Hadarezer, he slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men. After this, mark the connection of that Chapter and this, after David had improved the promise, he might have what he would; thus the loving kindness of God was laid up in a promise, but wrought out by David's faith. This is our evil that we do not improve this faithfulness of God, we lose abundance by it. It is an argument that we have base spirits. It is a great evil between man and wife, when they cannot confide one in another, but are jealous, how can such live comfortably together? So we are jealous of God, we lose our comfort in him; Jealousy comes oftentimes from much baseness of spirit, and self-guiltiness, because we are of such base hearts ourselves, that is the reason we are so jealous of God. Where there is much love between man and wife, there cannot be much jealousy, and if there were entire love in the Spouse of Christ, there would not be jealousy. You have an excellent passage for that, John 5. 40. You will not come unto me that you might have life, you will not believe in me, that is the meaning: then ver. 42. I know you have not the love of God in you. Is there anything in the world more tedious to a Husband, then that the Wife should be jealous of him? think of it, the same tediousness it is unto the Spirit of Jesus Christ, that thou shouldst be jealous of him, and not confide in his faithfulness.

Surely if we did trust in God's faithfulness, we would not think to compound with him so as we do, but we would improve his promise to the utter most. As you that are Merchants, and have much owing you, all the while you confide in your debtors, you will not compound with them for less then your debt; if you should come to one that owes you money, and say, I pray Sir pay in my money, and I shall be content to take ten, or fifteen in the hundred; the party would think himself disg • aced; what, do you distrust me? Do you think I will break? No, I will pay you every penny, he stands upon his credit. The truth is, we poor wretches, because we have not God's promises presently fulfilled, we would compound with God, that is, if God would give us any little comfort for the present, we would be satisfied rather then wait for that which is to come, though it be infinitely more; this is a great dishonor to God, and an argument of our unfaithfulness. It is an argument of little faith, if thou canst be satisued, should God give thee ten thousand worlds for the present, if God should say, what will yon have? would you have your enemies destroyed? would you have your peace and your trading in the world, your ease and quietness? Is this all? This is to compound with God for twelve pence in the pound as it were. No saith a gracious heart, Lord thou hast promised mercy, & I expect it to the full, I will not abate the least farthing of it. God loveth we should stand with him for his promise unto the uttermost farthing. No, but I hope God give me Heaven at last, yet I doubt he will leave me here in the world. This is to compound with God another way; there are some who perhaps will pay eighteen, or fifteen shillings in the pound, but it is a dishonor to God to abate one shilling in the pound, therefore we must not only believe in God for heaven, but for earth, and for safety and comfort, and that in times of greatest trouble. God is well pleased with such kind of holy impudence, as we may say, that is, to follow him for the uttermost, and to urge him upon his word again and again, to pay what he is engaged for.

Again, had we faith in God we would set upon great things though we see but little means. Many of you who have but little stocks, yet if you have rich friends that have given you encouragement, and that you know will be faithful to you, you will trade for great things with your little stock, because you know you have those friends will stand by you. So though we have but little strength, if God call us, we should be willing to set upon great things, because God hath stock enough, and he hath engaged himself to stand by us.

I will bearoth thee unto me in faithfulness. As I will be faithful to you, and you shall conside in my faithfulness, so you shall be faithful to me, that I may confide in your faithfulness, as I fulfill all my promises, & covenant with you, so you shall be faithful to make good all the promises and covenant with me. The Spouse of Christ is such a one as the Spirit of Christ can confide in. It is said of the virtuous woman, Pro. 31. 11. Her husband trusteth in her. Let him be abroad or at home, in what company soever, yet his heart trusteth in her, he can leave all his business, his writing, or any thing that concerns him with such a wife: Where there is want of this trusting of the heart of the husband in the wife, there is want of comfort in their lives; thus God saith of his people, Isaiah 63. 8. They are children that will not lie; I can confide in them, I can turn them unto any business as I will, for they are children who will not lie.

They are faithful to God first in the great Covenant, in the surrendering themselves to God, as they do at their first closing with Christ. In the first act of believing▪ every gracious soul enters into solemn covenant with God, & it will be faithful in that covenant. And they will be faithful likewise in all their under promises & vows that they make to God, in days of fasting, and thanksgiving, and at other times. As God's promises are God's gifts unto us, so should our promises be as gifts unto God. 2 Tim. 1. 9. According to his purpose and grace, which was given unto us in Christ Jesus before the world began; not only promised, but given unto us in Christ Jesus. God's eternal purpose is called God's gift, so our purposes and our promises ought to be as sure as gifts unto God.

So in thy conversation thou must be faithful to Christ, not prostitute thy self unto another, but keep thyself for Christ. Indeed the spouse of Christ may be ravished by open violence, but she will not prostitute herself to any other, she keeps herself only for Christ. Thus the Saints are described, Ephe. 1. 1. faithful in Christ Jesus. There is a kind of natural faithfulness as I may so speak, as in that place Isaiah 8. 2. I took unto me faithful witnesses, Calvin saith it is meant of Vrijah, that base temporizing Vrijah, who made the Altar according to the pattern that Ahaz sent from Damascus, he is said to be faithful, that is, he was a fair, honest dealing man, his word was as good as his bond; so many civil men will be faithful of their words; But mark here in the Ephesians it is faithful in Christ Jesus, it is nnt only faithfulness between man and man, for many Heathens were so, they would rather die then cozen and cheat one another, but this is a higher degree of faithfulness; it is a faithfulness in Christ Jesus, so the Saints must be faithful, faithful to Christ Jesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus. They who are thus faithful, are fit for the service of Christ, Christ hath a great deal of work to do, they are only fit for it, Rev. 17. 14. The Lamb shall overcome, why? for they that are with him, are chosen, and called, and faithful, not called faithful, but called and faithful, and therefore the Lamb shall overcome. It were happy that all that are in this public service in the kingdom that are with the Lamb, with Christ in this cause, were called and faithful, the work would soon be at an end; It is faithfulness we shall be hereafter re •• rded for, Well done good & faithful servant; not well done good and rich servant, or servant who had great employment in public works, but well done good and faithful servant. Everyone of us cannot be eminent, everyone cannot be employed in public services, but you may everyone be faithful; you that are poor servants you may be faithful as well as a Magistrate, as well as a Minister; you that are poor laboring men, porters and water-men the meanest, you may be faithful as well as the Nobles of a kingdom; God regardeth faithfulness rather then service, he hath no need of the services of men, great or small, it is all one unto him, but he looks upon the faithfulness of their hearts. And as you must be faithful unto God and his cause, so you must be faithful one to another. You who are servants, if you be godly, be sure you be faithful to your Masters, that there may be no occasion of any such scandoll as often there is concerning those who are professors, such a servant is forward, he must go to sermons, and he is set against ceremonies, &c. But I never had any so unfaithful, if mine eye be but off him, he is from his business presently. God forbid there should be such scandols given. So Wives who profess godliness, be you sure you be faithful to your husbands and tradesmen who profess more then ordinary strictness in Religion, be you faithful in your dealings. Hath Christ married himself unto thee in faithfulness? he expects that his faithfulness to thee should have that reflection upon thy heart as to make thee faithful to others. There is one note that is to be taken from all together. As if God should say, O Israel, you have dealt unrighteously with me, you have broken your covenant, you have gone a whoring from me, but I will betroth you to me in righteousness. You have done foolishly in departing from me, but I will betroth you unto me in judgment. You have been unkind to me, but I will betroth you unto me in loving kindness. It hath not pitied your souls to see me dishonored, but I will betroth myself in bowels of mercy to you.

You have been unfaithful to me, but I will even betroth you unto me in faithfulness. The note from thence is this.

God dealeth not with those in Covenant with him as they deal with him. It is a note of admirable use and comfort. Mark the difference between God's dealing with others and those that are in covenant with him. Let others deal with God in a froward and perverse way, God will deal with them so too, Psal. 18. 26. With the froward thou wilt show thyself froward. Will you be froward with God? God will show himself froward with you. Will you be proud with God? In the thing you are proud God will be above you. Will you be subtle and contriving mischief against God and his truth? God will meet with the wicked, and ensnare them in the work of their own hands. Are you resolute in wickedness? God will be as resolute as you for your hearts, as Jer. 44, 25. 26. But when God comes to deal with his Saints in covenant, though they deal frowardly with him, he will deal gently with them: though they deal proudly with him, he dealeth in a way of condescension with them; though they be unfaithful to him, yet he will be faithful to them. Oh my brethren this point hath abundance of sweetness in it, take heed of abusing it; Thy sins cannot overcome God's goodness, let God's goodness overcome thy wickedness.

And they shall know the Lord, They shall know that I am the Lord, so the Septuagint hath it; so the old Latin, thou shalt know because I am the Lord; but we rather read it as it is in your books; They shall know the Lord.

But how comes this in, In faithfulness, and they shall know the Lord.

Thus, upon these two reasons.

First, because this shall be the means to keep the Church the Spouse of Christ in faithfulness forever, they shall know Christ to be the Lord. As if Christ should say, The reason of all your vile departings from me all this while, what is it? you do not know me, you do not see into the bounty and glory, into the excellency of my worship, and what I am, that is the reason you are gone from me and have been unfaithful to me, but when I betroth you myself again, you shall know me, you shall see so much beauty and excellency in me & mine Ordinances that you shall never depart from me.

Low thoughts of God are the cause of superstitious vanities. Had men high and honorable thoughts of God they would never think to put him off with such bauble-worship as they do. Acts 9. 7. it is said the God of glory appeared to Abraham, that is given as a ground why Abraham would forsake his Country his fathers house and his kindred, if we once knew the Lord, and that the God of glory had appeared to us, we would be ready to forsake all for him and give up ourselves unto him in an everlasting covenant.

Secondly, And they shall know me ] This is as a fruit of my betrothing myself unto them, as a fruit of the Covenant, Jer. 31. 34. They shall teach no more every man his neighbor and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord, for they shall know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity, &c. It is a fruit of the conjugal union betwixt Christ and the soul. As it is betwixt man and wife, when they are but only suitors, well willers, they do not communicate their secrets one to another, but when they once come to be married together, then they open all their hearts, there is no secret but they will disclose one to another. So saith God, when I am once married to you, I will open my whole heart to you, the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him.

Those that have but natural knowledge, understands something of the ways of Religion, of the mind of Christ; As a man that is in the dark may know where he is, by feeling he may know what length and thickness many things in the house are of, but when the light of the day comes, then he knows what the •• is in the room after another manner then he did in the dark: this is the difference between knowledge of God in a natural man, and the knowledge of one espoused to Christ, by his natural knowledge he may understand the history of the Gospel, he may have some general notions of God and of Christ, but when the Sun of righteousness ariseth, then be sees the excellency and glory of God, then he sees God shining in all his attributes, he sees that in Christ which draws his heart unto him in an everlasting Covenant. As we read Cant. 7. 5. Christ is held in the galleries, that is, Christ as soon as he is married to the foul, takes it as it were by the hand, and walks into the Galleries, and there openeth his heart unto her. There is many a sweet turn that a gracious heart hath with Christ in his ordinances, wherein Christ openeth even his whole soul unto it, Joh. 15. 15. All things, saith Christ, that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you. An admirable Text, surely you cannot but know the Lord then. Here is the fruit of our union with Christ. Oh that our hearts were inflamed with desire after further conjugal communion with him! according to the capacity of the soul, so Christ makes known to it what he hath heard of the Father. Certainly Christ hath heard great things of the Father; he is the wisdom of the Father, he hath been with the Father from all eternity, and the Father loves him, he will tell him all the glorious things he hath in his heart, and Christ will hide none of those things from his Saints. This is the privilege of a Saint; who would not be godly, by which he shall come to know the mind of the Father, according to what Christ knows of it?

Yea and Christ makes God known to the Saints in another way then others know him. 2 Sam. 7. 27. Thou O Lord God of Hosts hast revealed unto thy servant, so you read it in your books, but it is in the Hebrew, Lord thou hast revealed this to the ear of thy servant. I wonder how that word to the ear comes to be left out in your books, in which indeed the emphasis lie, I am sure it is so in the Text. When God makes known himself to his people he revealeth things to their Eare, as we to a friend who is intimate with us, we speak a thing to his ear. There is many a secret which JESUS CHRIST speaks in the eart of his Saints, which others never come to be made acquainted with, 2 Cor. 4. 6. God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. It would ask time for the full opening the gradations of this Scripture, here is knowledge, & the knowledge of the glory of God, & the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, and shining, and shining into our hearts, and into our hearts in the face of Jesus Christ. Surely then they shall know the Lord, and they shall know him in a very spiritual way. The light of the Saints is a light three story high; First, they have the light of nature, which other men have, the light of reason. Secondly, they have the light of common gifts, which other men have too, and that is a story higher then the other; Thirdly, they have the light of a sanctifying spirit, that is a third loft, and they shall come to a fourth story, and that is the light of glory. The light that other men have is but as the light you have in a lower room, in ware-houses, which in some you know is so little that you are fain to use a candle at noon day, so some natural men have only the light of reason, which indeed is rather like your cellars that have but a little light coming in at a grate; others have somewhat more light, they have common gifts, which is like the light in the next story, somewhat more clear, but the light of the Saints is higher then all these, they know God as their God, great is the excellency of his knowledge, the soul hath blessed satisfaction in it, let us see the Father and it sufficeth us, the fullness of glory that is let out into the soul, the sanctification of the heart by the presence of the beams of the glory of God, being transformed into the same Image, it is the very beginning of eternal life. Take only this note about our knowledge of God by Christ, what a different way have we to know God by, from that which Heathens had. If you read the Hystories of the Romans, you shall find the poor & mean ways of those wise men had to know God, as thus, they would look into the entrails of beasts thereby to find out the mind of their gods, they would observe how the beasts came to the slaughter, whether willingly or not willingly, whether hailed or not hailed, they guessed somewhat at the mind of their God's by that, then they would look into the color of the bowels of the beasts, then observe whether the entrails were sound or not, then they would observe the fire of their sacrifices, whether the flame ascended right or not, thus they came to know the mind of their God's; What poor ways are these? we have JESUS CHRIST God blessed forever, the eternal Son of the Father, who is come from the bosom of the Father, to make all known to us, the mind of God, his and our Father: We know the truth as it is in Jesus, not only as it is in the works of nature; some know much of God in the works of creation and providence, we may know much of God in those great things the Lord hath of late done amongst us; but to know the truth as it is in Jesus, to know God in Christ, this is another manner of knowledge then to know God in the way of his works, here we see the truth really indeed when we see it in CHRIST JESUS. Certainly then none united unto Christ in a conjugal union can be an ignorant sot, for Christ engageth himself in his faithfulness, upon this marriage of a soul with himself, to reveal himself and the Father unto it, Joh, 8. 54. Of whom ye say he is your God, but mark the next words, yet ye have not known him. A likely matter that he should be your God and you not know him, a likely matter that Christ should be your Savior and you not know him, seeing he hath engaged himself in his faithfulness, that if you be married to him you shall know him and his Father.

Ver. 21. And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear saith the Lord, I will hear the heavens, &c.

Now come in temporal promises, after the assurance of mercy in the Covenant, then come promises for corn, and wine, and oil; God would teach us this lesson by it, that all our outward things (at the least the sweetness and comfort of them) depend upon the covenant in Christ.

I will hear, The word is Respondebo, I will answer, so it may be rendered as well, God will so hear as that he will answer. Many times a poor man cries to the rich, & he hears him but he will not answer, but saith God, I will hear so as I will answer. This is a most elegant expression, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth, and the earth shall hear the corn and the wine and the oil, and they shall hear Jezreel. Miraorationis sublimit as, a wonderful sublimity of speech, saith one Expositor of it; hyperbolica metaphora, a hyperbolica metaphor, saith another; pulcherrima prosopopoeia, a most beautiful and delightful prosopopoeia, saith another; these creatures being put as it were in the person of a man as if they understood what they did. As if the Lord should say thus. My people, you indeed through your sins have been brought into great straits, you have wanted corn, and wine, and oil, you have been scattered in your banishment, but when I shall betroth myself unto you and enter into a covenant with you, then, when you shall cry, O that we might have these outward comforts, presently the corn, and the wine, and the oil, as if they heard your complaints, shall say, Oh Lord we would help, Jezreel and satisfy these thy servants; the corn shall cry to the earth, O earth let me come into your bowels, I will rot there that so I may bring forth fruit for this people, the vines and the olive shall desire the earth to receive them, to give juice and nourishment to them, that they may refresh these reconciled ones to God; the earth shall say, O that I could entertain the corn, and wine, and oil that I may be fruitful in my kind, but O heavens I can do nothing except I have your influences and the shine of the sun to warm me to make me fructify, therefore O heavens come in and assist me that I may fructify for Jezreel; and the heavens they shall cry, Lord, we would fain help the earth, that the earth may help the corn, and wine, and oil, that they may supply Jezreel, but we can do nothing without thine hand, therefore do thou hear us, do thou give us leave to rain upon the earth that it may be fruitful. Thus the creatures are brought in crying to help Jezreel.

Take these Observations.

First, See our condition in this world, though reconciled to God yet while we are here we must be beholden to the corn, and wine, to the earth, and heavens, we know not how to do without them.

Secondly, When we are reconciled to God, then the creatures will be serviceable to us, yea they will be greedy to do us good, they will cry for it. Let us take heed of provoking God, the creatures then will be against us. I have read of Cordius a martyr, giving this answer to those who would have had him deny the truth, if deny it saith he, the Sun, Moon, & stars will deny me light. If we serve God, the creatures will account it their happiness to serve us. Thirdly, God useth to work good for his people by second causes.

He doth not send these things immediately from heaven, but the heavens hear the earth, and the earth hears the corn and the wine. We must look to second causes, but take heed of resting upon second causes. It hath been God's work amongst us of late in finding out treacheries & giving successes to manifest himself very strangely when the means have been very poor; Nay indeed God hath made as much use of men's weakness, as of their strength; but let not us therefore be slack in the use of means, let us do the best we can, though God sometimes work beyond means, and contrary to means, yet ordinarily he makes use of second causes, not only to work, ad present iam, as Biel the Schoolman and others say, that is, only together with the creature; but there is say they no efficacy at all of them issuing into the effect; but the truth is, God doth make use of second causes otherwise, so that there is some virtue and efficacy in them to work the thing that God intends.

Fourthly, there is a concatenation of second causes, not only an use of them, but everyone in their order supplies the other, the heavens hear the earth, and the earth hears the corn, one after another. If we could see the comely order of the creatures, we should see them all hang together in a golden chain; as it is in the joints of the body, one bone supplieth another, one place is hollow to take in another, so one cause in nature supplieth, and cometh in to the other. As in our salvation there is a golden chain which we have Rom. 8. So in the creatures there is a golden chain of comely order and mutual supplyance.

Fifthly, God is at the higher end of the chain, and nothing can be done by any link of the chain of second causes, but by God's being at the uppermost link. Jezreel must cry to the corn, and wine, and oil, and they must cry to the earth, and the earth must cry to the heavens, he must be the highest cause.

Sixthly, It is most comely, and a great blessing, when the right order and chain of second causes hold; As it is in Nature, so in any Society, in a Common-wealth, in a City, when all keep their due subordination, as when the Trades-man works in his way, the Magistrate in his way, the Minister in his way, and every Officer in his place, everyone keeping his order. But when it is otherwise, when they are out of order, it is a great misery upon a City or Kingdom. As it was once among the Athenians, Themistocles saith of his son, a bol • youth, This boy can do more then any man in all Greece, Why? For saith he, the Athenians command the Grecians, and I command the Athenians, and my wife commands me, and my son commands my wife; here was the concatenation of that government. God deliver all societies from such a concatenation, that the beginning of any public work, I mean the lower link of the chain should be perhaps in a whoremaster, & he should command one, and that one another, and so one after another. This is a fearful judgment where soever it is.

7. God is the giver of all plenty, he accounts it his glory to give rain. Ier. 5. 24. God there wonders that men will not fear him because of that, Neither (saith he) do they say in their hearts, Let us fear God that giveth rain. As if he should say, It is a strange impudence in men, what, will they not say in their hearts, Let us fear God, seeing he gives us rain? Thus God glorieth in this great work, when he heareth the heavens, and the heavens hear the earth, the heavens will be as brass over us, and the earth as iron, unless GOD hear them, and send rain. Therefore let God be acknowledged in that rain we have had of late; the creatures wanted grass, and the grass cried to the heavens, and the heavens cried unto God, and God hath heard the heavens, and sent down rain, and so we see the earth hath been refreshed, abundance of good hath come to us by those showers. Give God the glory of this.

8. All plenty is given for the sake of the Saints. How? God hears the heavens, and the heavens hear the earth, and the earth hears the corn, and the wine and the oil, and they hear Jezreel. It is for Jezreels sake that the earth hears the corn, and the heavens hear the earth, and God hears the heavens. Were it not for the Saints, the earth wauld soon come to a confusion. They are the blessing of the earth, Isa. 18. 24.

9. If the creatures work so graciously for us, how should we then work for God, and one for another. What, shall the creatures cry one to another, and hear one another for our good, and shall God cry to us, and we not hear God? The senseless corn cries to the earth. O earth help me that I may help Jezreel, and the earth cries to the heavens, O heavens send down your influences, and the heavens say, We will hear, and the earth saith, I will hear; Shall the earth hear, and the heavens hear for our good, and shall not we hear when God cries for help? God cries to you many times to help in his cause, and wilt not thou hear to work for him? O vile creature, how unreasonable are thy ways before the Lord!

Again, how should we hear the cries of the poor? When we are in want, the corn cries to the earth, and the earth cries to the heavens, and the heavens cry to God for us. When the poor, I mean God's poor, whom God's hand hath made poor, cry, will not you hear? Will you be more hardhearted then the earth and the heavens are? seeing they hear you, do you hear the cry of your poor brethren.

Further, if God will hear the creatures when they cry for us, how much more will he hear Jesus Christ when he cries for us? It is our happiness in part, that we have all the creatures cry to God for our good, but the top of our happiness is this, that we have Jesus Christ the Mediator of the new Covenant, making intercession at the right hand of God continually for us.

Lastly, God's mercies go through when they work for the Saints, the corn beginneth to cry to the earth, that stays not here, but the earth goes on, and cries to the heavens, the heavens go on and cry to God. God's mercies to his Saints never leave till the thing be done.

And I will sow her unto me in the earth.

What great mercy is this for God to grant plenty, if he destroy his people? Our Country is plentiful, but if God should consume us out of the land what good wou • d our plenty do us? Therefore saith God, I will sow her unto me in the earth. Indeed she is now a poor contemptible people, & there are but few of them remaining upon the earth, but I will make them a seed, and a seed that the Lord hath blessed.

I will sow her. Here the Lord alludeth to the name Jezreel, which signifies the seed of the Lord, the sown of the Lord. It was used in the first Chapter in an opprobtious way, and in the latter end of that Chapter in a way of mercy. I speak of it there, therefore I shall not need say much now, only this, God makes use of the word here, to put her in mind of what she deserved; as if he should say, though thou beest a Jezreel, and deservest to be scattered, yet I will be merciful to thee out of free grace, I will sow thee, there shall come a blessing upon thee, and though thou beest scattered up and down in the earth, yet in all places thou shalt be as seed from whence my Church shall spring.

Hence the notes are: First, that God's people are the seed of the earth: But of that before in the latter end of the first Chapter, only I will add a note of Ribera about it: The seed, saith he, lies under the clods, and at length fructifies; so should the Saints be content to lie under the clods, and though they may seem in regard of their afflicted condition to be dead, to be rotten, yet they shall be glorious and fructify afterward. Before the time of the Churches glory, times of great calamity and distress come, which this rotting of the seed before the fructifying sets out unto us.

Secondly, every godly man should so live, as either in life or death he should be as a seed from whence many may spring; he should be a means that many should be begotten to God. It is reported of Cicilia, in the history of the Church, a poor Virgin, that by her gracious behavior in her mattyrdome, she was the means of converting four hundred to Christ: As in the Indies, one corn bringeth forth divers hundreds, so we should labor to convert as many as we can, that some that live after may continue to bear up the name of Christ, and the profession of his truth. Especially be careful of your children, leave them as seed to hold up the name of God in thy family when thou art dead and gone.

And further, I will sow her to myself. The Saints are sown unto Christ they are seed for Christ, therefore all their fruit must be given up unto Christ, Christ must have all the fruit we bear: who should have the fruit but he that soweth it? Therefore Cant. 7. 13. All manner of pleasant fruits new & old which I have laid up for thee O my beloved. Are we able to bear any fruit? Let us lay it up all for Jesus Christ, for it is he that soweth us unto himself, we must not sow to ourselves, not to the flesh, for then we shall reap corruption, but all for Christ.

And I will show mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy.

Divers things about God's showing mercy after rejection were spoken of in the first Chap. Only these notes for the present.

There are none so rejected, as that they can conclude that they shall never have mercy (those that have committed the sin against the holy Ghost excepted) though Israel had not obtained mercy, though they were cast out, yea cast out to the beasts to be devoured, yea saith God, I will show mercy upon her.

2. Children of wicked parents may at length obtain mercy from God. Though Israel be cast off, yet her children shall have mercy. A comfort to us in regard of the Idolatry of our fore fathers, yea a comfort in the regard of the children that are to come. Our fore fathers have broken the Covenant, why may not we obtain mercy? But suppose we should be the generation of God's wrath, and not obtain mercy, yet we may have hope that the posterity following shall have mercy. Thirdly, Mercy after it is thought to be past; if then it come, Oh it is sweet mercy indeed! when she seemed to be utterly rejected, then to have mercy shown, this is sweet.

Fourthly, Mercy is the cause of all the good the Saints have. One Scripture for it, Psal. 57. 3. Send from heaven saith David. David was in the Cave, in a poor condition, hunted for his life, persecuted by Saul; I see little hope from earth, saith he, therefore O Lord send from heaven; What, shall God send Angels from heaven to deliver thee David? No, but mark what followeth, God shall send forth his mercy & his truth; as if he should say, Lord though I have no help in earth, though I see no Angels from heaven to help me, yet let me have thy mercy and truth, and that is enough. This satisfies a gracous heart, if he may have God's mercy and his truth, that is God's mercy revealed in a promise. Lastly, God hath a special day of mercy for his people, for his Churches; I will have mercy upon her that hath not obtained mercy. Let us cry to God for the hastening of this day, let us open the miseries of our own Kingdom, and of Ireland; Oh when shall this day come that thou, wilt show mercy to thy own people which thou hast told us of! Oh that that day may hasten! Come Lord Jesus, come quickly. And I will say to them which were not my people.

This is that we had in the first Chapter only with some differences, there it is, In the place where it was said ye are not my people. And I shown you when I opened that place, both out of the Romans, and out of Peter, how the Apostle makes use, both of that in the first Chapter, and this here in the second, only take a hint of the truths in it. First, God hath a special interest in his people; they are his people, they are called his peculiar people, Tit. 2. 14. The word hath this emphasis in it, God looks upon all other things as accidents in comparison, and his substance is his people, they are his very portion, as Deut. 33. 19. and Exod. 19. 5. they are his peculiar treasure above all people in the world; and Isaiah 19. 25. Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance. I have made all people, but Israel is mine inheritance, This is the happiness of the Saints, therefore they are not as other people are. Num. 23. 9. This people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the Nations, this is a great ground of prayer, Lord leave us not, we are thy people, called by thy name, we have an interest in thee.

Again, This is an argument to walk so as God may not be dishonored by us, for we are his people. If those in a man's family walk disorderly, it is a dishonor to the Master of the family; it is no dishonor to him for a stranger, or one who hath little reference to him, to walk disorderly; It is not so much dishonor to God for the wicked to walk disorderly, as for the Saints, in regard of their nearness to God: And besides, their light is (as I told you) three story high, and if they sin, they sin against a greater light then others do, their sin is greater then the sin of the wicked in that regard.

Further, I will say to them which were not my people, thou art my people, I will own them before all the world.

It is a great mercy for God to make it known to the world, that his people are his people. The world will not believe it, they think they are a poor contemptible people, but there shall come a day that I will make it known they are mine; And amongst other things by which God will make all the world to know that his people are his, this is one, in s • tting up the beauty of his Ordinances amongst them, Ezek. 37. 27. My Tabernacle also shall be with them, yea I will be their God, and they shall be my people, and the Heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my Sanctuary shall be in the midst of them. Thus they shall know, saith God, that they are my people, and that I am their God, when I have set my Sanctuary in the midst of them forever. Were it that the Ordinances of God might be set up in their purity amongst us in England, were Reformation perfected, and the Saints walked humbly & peaceably as they should, the whole world will be convinced, that these are indeed the people of the Lord, and that God is amongst them.

And they shall say, thou art my God.

God must begin withus, we cannot begin and say, Lord, thou art my God, but God must begin with us first, and say, You are my people. There are a great many who say, God is their God, but God never said, they are his people, Joh. 1. 12. it is said of those who believed in Christ, that God gave them [ power ] to be the Sons of God, the word signifies authority, that they might with authority acknowledge themselves to be the sons of God, and call God Father, they had the broad Seal for it. Will you call▪ God Father? where is your 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , your authority? if God call you children, if he say you are my people, you may give the Ecchoto God's mercy and say, thou art our God. Secondly, When God speaks mercy to us, we must answer according to it. Doth God say, you are my people? we must answer, Lord, thou art our God. This is a great fault amongst Christians, God manifests himself to many a gracious heart in abundance of love and mercy, & they give an answer to God in a way of dispaiting and discouragement. God's ways toward thee speak thus, and say, thou art one of my people, but thy heart works as if God were none of thy God, Hath not God done much for thee? thou thinkest it is all in hypocrisy that thou dost, whereas the truth is, it is the fruit of his love and kindness to thee. He speaks aloud in what he hath done for thee, that thou art one of his people, and yet thy heart thinks that he is thy enemy, that he ha •• s thee, and will cast thee off at last. The ways of God are full of mercy to thee, and he hath set his stamp upon thee, & by his ways of love he tells thee, that thou belongest unto him. O unbelieving soul, answer Lord thou art my God! & lay aside these discouraging & sinking thoughts of thine; O that thou wouldst go away with such an answer in thy mouth! Do not answer God's loving kindness, and his gracious dealings towards thee with discouragement and sinking of heart, this is dishonorable to him, and tedious to his Spirit. Thirdly, God works an answerable disposition in the hearts of his people unto him. This is thy duty, but God will work it in time if thou belongest to him. As thus, doth God choose us to be his people? then the hearts of the Saints choose him to be their God; Doth God say, you are my people? the Saints say, Lord thou art our God; Doth God say, I will dwell with them? they answer Lord, thou art our habitation. Doth God say, I delight in them? they say, Lord our delight is in thee. Doth God say, I will rest in them forever? the Church saith, O my soul return unto thy rest. Here is a sweet answer, a rebound of all God's loving kindness. Lastly, the Saints must profess God to be theirs. It is not enough to believe with the heart, but thou must confess with the mouth; profess it outwardly: of this before.

Further, This is the highest happiness of the Saints, that God is their God, when they can say this, they have enough. If we could say, this house is mine, this street, this Lordship, this City, this Kingdom, this World is mine; What is all this? A Christian comes at length, and saith, this God that made all is mine. As it is reported of the French Ambassador, and the Spanish meeting together, saith the Spanish Ambassador, my Master is King of Spain; my Master (replied the French) is King of France; my Master said the Spaniard again is King of Naples: and my Master said the French is King of France; my Master is King of Portugal, and my Master is King of France; still he answered with that my Master is King of France, as being enough to answer all the several Kingdoms of the Spaniard. So one saith, I have this house, this land, this stock, this estate, this trade, yea but saith a Christian, I have God, God is mine; Surely having him thou hast enough. And if God be thy God, he will be a God to thee. 1 Chron. 17. 24. The Lord of hosts is God of Israel, even a God to Israel. So it must be with thee, if thou beest a Saint of God, be a Saint to God; Are we a people of God, then we must be a people to God. Blessed are the people that are in such a case, yea happy are the people whose God is the Lord. Thus we had opened the gracious manifestation of God to his Church, in part fulfilled spiritually, to spiritual Israel here, but more sensibly to be made good at the great day of Jezreel, that is, when the Jews shall be called, then the Spouse of Christ in a visible way shall be thus married unto him, and the Lord will be their God. Jerome saith upon the Text, All these things that are here promised to the Church, the Jews expect it at the end of the world, after the time of Antichrist. And I make no question though in a spiritual sense this Scripture is made good for the present unto the Saints, yet in a more visible and sensible way, all this Scripture will be made good to the people of the Jews, & the Gentiles then joining with them even literally, the glory of the Church shall be visible and apparent. More whereof in the next Chapter.

The First Lecture.

T He close of the former Chapter had much mercy in it, and this Chapter contains the expression of much love also to Israel, but yet withal, God tells them of that mean and low estate they are like to be in before that time comes, for the fulfilling of all that good that God intends to them.

God purposes great mercy for them, his heart is much set upon them, but they must for a long time bear their iniquity, they must be brought into a vile and desolate condition in their captivity, even until a second appearing of Christ. But in all this time the heart of God would be toward them, his intentions would be strong for good to that people above all the people upon the face of the earth: though they might seem to be utterly rejected of the Lord, and that for many years, yet he would look toward them as a people that he intended yet to marry unto himself, & in time mercy should break forth gloriously upon them, and his name should be magnified in their returning unto him, so as their hearts should melt toward his goodness, they should not abuse it anymore as formerly they had done, but they should return and seek the Lord their God and David their King, and fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days. This is the scope of the Chapter. In which you have three things.

1. God's love continued unto an adulteress, Israel.

2. The low and mean condition of this adulteress for a long time.

3. The return of God in infinite mercy toward them at the latter day, together with their return unto him.

And the Lord said unto me, go yet, love a woman (beloved of her friend, yet an adulter esse.)

We have here a new injunction to the Prophet, and that somewhat harder then his former. In the first Chapter God commanded him to go and take awife of whoredoms, but here God commanded him to love an adulteress, which is somewhat more then to take her unto himself,

What that was of taking a wife of whoredoms hath been opened in the former Chapter, and may spare some labor in this. It is here a vision as it was there; As if God should say unto Hosea, Hosea it is just with me as it would be with thee, if thou shouldst go and have a wife an Adulteress, notwithstanding all the love she hath found, yet still an Adulteress, & thine heart should be upon her, so as thou couldest not take thy heart from her, but thou must needs love this Adulteress still. This people whom I have loved, for whom I have done so much good, yet they have gone a whoring from me, they are an Adulteress, yet for all that my heart cannot be taken off from them, but is still toward them, yet I love them.

This is through the strength of the Covenant that God's love is so permanent. Others who are not in covenant with him, God casts out for lesser sins for any sins; but as for his people who are in Covenant with him, no not their adulteries, their idolatries takes not the heart of God wholly from them. Surely then, if thou canst appeal to God. O Lord, thou knowest all things, knowest that there is nothing of thy mind revealed to me but my heart is ready to do it, and if I fail in anything thou knowest it is the greatest burden of my soul; O that I knew more of thy mind! and that I had power to do more! surely God will love thee, you hear he loves his people though an adulteress, as before, so now take this lesson, thy sins cannot over come God's goodness, let God's goodness overcome thy sinfulness.

An adulteress beloved of her friend.

This is (as some carry it, Calvin, Vatablus, and many others) beloved of her husband, as if God should say, had they any such excuse for their departings from me, that I have been a bitter husband to them, that I have used them hardly, and rigidly, then indeed they might have some plea; but I have loved them dearly, I have done much for them, they were beloved of me, & I have carried myself to them in the most friendly way that possibly could be, yet they are gone a whoring from me. The wife that follows other lovers, thinks if she have but this to say, her husband is hard to her, he cares not for her, he loves her not, it excuses in part her adulteries; and so the husband, a company keeper, an adulterer, if he can say, what will you have me to do, I never come home but my wife is always b • awling and she loves other men, he thinks this is plea enough for him. But Israel could not have this excuse for her self, for she was an Adulteress, yet beloved of the Lord.

If we take the words thus, the notes briefly would be these.

First, The husband should be a friend to his wife. There should be nothing but friendly carriage between man and wife; Yea the love of the husband to the wife should far surmount the love of any friend in the world, but a friend at least to comfort her, to cherrish her in time of sorrows, to bear the burden of affliction with her, and so the wife towards the husband.

Secondly, A base heart will be base against all bonds of love; beloved of her friend, yet an adultoresse; if you should ask, who is he or where is he that is so base? Lay thy hand upon thine own heart and consider what the love of God hath been towards thee all the days of thy life, and how thou hast carried thyself toward him, what love thou hast had from God that might break the heart of a devil, yet when any temptation comes to draw thee from God, thy base heart listens to it. Thirdly, It is a great aggravation of sin to sin against much love. We ought to do our duties to those that we stand in relation unto, though they do not their duty to us; if a wife hath a froward husband, a bitter, churlish rugged, wicked, ungodly husband, yet she is bound to do her duty to him, she is bound to love him, to obey him, to be observant of him in what may give him all lawful content. So if servants have froward, churlish, cruel Masters or Mastresses, yet they are bound to be obedient to them. 1 Pet. 2. 18. Be subject to your masters not only to those that rae good and gentle, but to the froward. It is no sufficient excuse for the wife to say, My husband is froward and unquiet, and therefore what shall