An Exposition of Hosea 1-3

The Second Lecture.

H Ere is much privation, six withouts, 1. without a King, 2. without a Prince, 3. without a sacrifice, 4. without an image, 5. without an Ephod. 6. without a Teraphim, but the last verse makes all up, They shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their King. These withouts show the woeful confused estate that Israel was to be in for many days, many years, both in regard of their Civil, and of their Church state.

The Civil State, without a King, without a Prince. Their Church, in the four that follow after. Though once they were the happiest people upon the face of the earth both in regard of their Civil and Church estate, yet now they shall be most miserable. This they had brought upon themselves, they had set up their Idols in Dan and Bethel, Dan is the place of judgment, Bethel the house of God, so the words signify; there was abundance of corruption both in places of judgment, and in the house of God, and now there comes upon them abundance of confusion both in their Civil and in their Church state. They received their order for both from God himself, from heaven, and their Laws as well for Cvill as for Church Government, which no other people yet ever did in the state manner; but they leave God's instituions, and so they are brought into all confusion.

They shall be without a King.

How without a King? When they were in captivity, yet they were under a King, the King of Babylon and the Assyrian, and now they are scattered under the Government of Kings and Princes still where ever they are.

They have Kings over them, but they have none of their own Nation to be their King, and that is the judgment; Neither are they governed by their own (or rather) by God's Laws, and for them to be in slavery under Kings, was to them as ill (yea worse) then to have no King at all.

It is a sad condition for a people to be so without a King, to protect them, without a King to maintain their Laws, their Privileges and Liberties.

When men reject God from ruling over them, it is just with God to put them under the rule of Tyrants, of Oppressors, of public enemies unto their state, of destroyers. The blessing of government is very great, if it be right, and therefore the Persians were wont after their Governor died to let all the people for five days be without any governor at all, that seeing the inconvenience and mischief of being without it, they might the more willingly yield themselves under Government, and be obedient to it when they came under it. It is a question among Polititions, whether Tyrannie or Anarchy be the better, Tyrannicall Government, or no Government at all. Though Tyrannie (except it come to a great extremity) may be better then Anarchy, yet certainly it is not better then to bring power to be regulated, though it be with some trouble, That power that at first raiseth power, that designs such persons and families to have the power, that limiteth that power, surely cannot want power to regulate that power that it should not be to its own destruction.

But here it is not only to be without a King, but without a Prince too. The word that is here translated Prince, signifieth a Ruler, Judge, or Governor, and so I find it often used in Scripture. 1 Chron. 27. 31. All these were rulers of the substance, Princes, the same word that is here used; and Nehem. 3. 9. The ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, the Prince. So that by Prince here is meant Judges or any kind of Rulers, they shall be without Prince, without any Judges or Rulers.

Though they had no Kings, yet if the government had been in the hand of eminent men, of Judges over them, their condition had not been so sad. Time was (not long before) that their happiness did not consist in being under the government of Kings, they were in a happy condition before ever these were over them, and the first time that ever they came under their government, it was upon their own choice: and so as God professeth they had rejected him, and God sent them their first King in his wrath. Therefore their misery certainly did not depend wholly upon being without a King.

If God restrain not Kings, they often desire to encroach upon the Liberties that the Laws of the Land, the light of Nature, and God himself gives Subjects. Plutarch tells us a story of Pyrrhus, who coming to Athens, the Athenians to show their respect, and to give honor to King Pyrrhus, let him come into their Castle, to sacrifice there, to Minerva, which was a place they were not wont to let strangers into. When he came out of the Castle, he told them that he was much engaged to them for that great favor; in requital of which, he told them he would give them this good counsel, Take heed, saith he, that you never let King come more into this place; Immitating how easily they may be persuaded to internch upon the liberties of those who come under their power.

And this should abide for many days. It did abide for 700. years and upward before Christ's time in regard of the ten Tribes, for from the sixth of Hezekiab to Christ it was so long, the ten Tribes never came under any Governor of their own in all that time: And since Christ's time neither Judah nor Israel have had either King or Prince of their own. Oh what a blindness is there upon this people! how dreadful is that darkness they are now in! That notwithstanding the Prophesy was so clear, that the scepter should not depart from Judah until Shiloh came; and yet now they have been without Prince these 1600. years, and yet they will not believe that Shiloh is come. Thus when God giveth over to blindness and hardness, things that are never so clear will not be believed.

But their confusion in their Church state is more grievous then the other, They shall be without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an Ephod, and without a Teraphim. Two of these four, express their being deprived of God's own Ordinances, and the other two their being deprived of their false worship. They made a mixture in worship, they would have their sacrifice & their Ephod, but together with them their image and their Teraphim. This is man's perverseness to make mixtures in God's worship, they will keep something of that which is God's, but they will bring in something of their own too, and that spoils all. I have read of an Emperor of Rome, that in one Temple he would have Christ and Orpheus worshipped both together. And those who were sent into Samaria by the King of Babylon, of whom we read, 2 Kings 17. 33. They feared the Lord, and served their own gods: but verse 34. it is said, they feared not God, that is, though they would acknowledge the true God, yet they would mix the worship of Idols with the true God, and so God rejected all, they did not fear 〈◊〉 God at all; It is no fear of God except we fear him only; it is no worship of God that is accepted, unless we worship him only. It is true, the Heathens are content with mixture in their worship; you may worship one God, and have the worship of another God mixed with it, because there is not any one of them who challengeth to himself to be the universal good, but God being the universal good, he must be worshipped alone without mixture.

There are two things wherein we must take heed of mingling; The one is in Divine worship, the other is in that great point of Justification. It is as much as our lives are worth to mingle in either of these, we must keep to the Rule very close and strict in these two, rather then in anything.

These people had both, and God threatens they should be without both; seeing they would not keep themselves fully to his institutions, they should have none at all, they should have neither God's institutions nor their own.

We are this day much like to Israel. In regard of our Civil state, much confusion there is in that, though not altogether so much as was in theirs. And in our Church state we are very like them; we have neither the right way of worship, nor the false, in regard of the Government of the Church; The false is cast away and professed against, yet we have not the true; Only here is the mercy of God that we are inquiring after the true, & seeking the Lord, and David our King. The Lord give us hearts to inquire to purpose.

Those who understand the Septuagint, shall find that they translate these four here, Sacrifice, Image, Ephod, and Teraphim, by words that only signify the true worship, and therefore for Image they put 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 an Altar, and for the Teraphim 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Priesthood, and for the Ephod, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 manifestation; a word used for the Vrim and Thummim. But the Hebrew is other ways, S • crafice, Image, Ephod, and Teraphim, as in your books.

First then to inquire after that which was right, the true worship, Sacrifice and Ephod, what that was, and then the other, Image and Teraphim.

Sacrifice. They should have no sacrifice at all, for since their Temple was destroyed they could never have any. That is the reason that they pray with that mighty fervency of spirit that God would build the Temple again, (as I remember I formerly shown you out of Buxtorfius.) Aedifica, aedifica, aedifica; cito, cito, cito, Lord build, build, build thy Temple, in our days, &c. Because they knew they could have no sacrifice so long as their Temple was down; And this was a sad condition they were in; this is their lamentable estate to this day, they have not the legal sacrifices, nor that which was typed out by them. There were these three things in their sacrifices.

1. Their tendering up of themselves to God, the showing their respect to him in that way he required, that was in their Burnt-Offering.

2. Seeking the expiation of sin, that was in their Sin-Offering.

3. Seeking for mercy and thanksgiving, that was in their Peace-offering.

Now to have no sacrifice in either of these three kinds, that is, to have nothing to tender up to the high and blessed God to show our respect to him; to have no means to expiate our sins when we have offended him; to have no way to seek to God for mercy when we need, nor to return praise, this must needs be a sad thing. This the Jews have not for the present, we have Christ who is to us all these, the tendering up of him. to God, is the tendering the greatest respect to God that possibly can be, the tendering of him is the expiation for our sins, it is the seeking of whatsoever mercy we would have, and it is our Eucharisticall sacrifice too for all our mercies. But those who are without Christ, are to this day without sacrifice, they have nothing to tender up to God. If thou wilt tender up thy estate, thy body, or thy liberty, or thy name, this is no sacrifice acceptable unto God, except thou hast Christ to tender up to him, and canst tender up all in him and through him, then indeed God accepts of these. When thou hast sinned what sacrifice wilt thou offer to God to explate thy sin? all thy prayers, thy tears are nothing, except they come with this sacrifice, Jesus Christ; in him indeed a contrite heart is a sacrifice very acceptable to God. But so long as thou art without Christ, the judgment of the Jews is upon thee, thou art without a sacrifice.

And without an Ephod.]

By this he meaneth, first, that they should be without the Priesthood. They should not have any Church Officers, And secondly, they should have no means to know the mind of God. That is the scope, which appears thus.

First, That by the Ephod is meant the Priests, is clear by that expression 1 Sam. 22. 18. where it is said that Doeg slew four-score & five persons that did we are a limen Ephod, that is, four-score and five Priests.

Secondly, Without the means of knowing God's mind, for the Vrim and the Thummim, was upon the pectoral, upon the breast-plate thas was fastened upon the Ephod; So that when they were without the Ephod, they must needs be without their breast-plate, for the breast-plate was annexed to the Ephod, and could not be used for the knowing the mind of God but only by applying it to the Ephod, 1 Sam. 30. 7. David said to the Priest, Bring me hither the Ephod, and David inquired at the Lord, saying, shall I pursue after this troop? It was by the presence of the Ephod, that he did inquire what the mind of God was what he should do in this business that he was now about, whether he should follow the troop, yea or no. And the Text is very observable in the sixth verse, you may see at what time it was that David was so careful to make use of the Ephod, to know the mind of God what he should do, he was in an exceeding distressed condition, for Ziklag his own City that he had the charge of was burnt, and the men of the City were all in a fretting mood, and talked of stoning him, because the Amalekites had come in his absence & taken away their goods, their wives and children, and burnt the Town.

This is the condition of men in public places, if anything fall out unsuccesfully, the people are ready in rage to fall upon them; this makes men in public places to be in a hard condition, very dangerous and troublesome. We had need pray much for them, we are ready to envy those that are above us, & employed in public services; but considering what danger they are in, & how everything that falleth out amiss, otherwise then we desire, the blame is presently laid upon them, their condition is not so happy as we imagine. This was David's condition, nay the Text saith, that being in this condition, he and the men that were with him wept, so as they had no more power to weep their hearts were so broken, yet in this sad and grievous condition, he encourageth himself in the Lord his God, and he calleth for the Ephod to inquire, and know the mind of God what he should do in it. You shall observe that this is the first time we read that David in his Wars and Battells called for the Ephod, when he went to Achish, then he did not inquire, when he invaded the Geshurites, and Amalekites before, he did not inquire, but now when he was brought into straits, when his heart was broken, when he was in a weeping condition, now he calleth for the Ephod: When God brings men into straits, and humbles them, then they will inquire of God to purpose. We are now about to inquire of God, to know his mind but we are not humbled enough, our straits have not broken our hearts, and perhaps we shall not so readily know God's mind, God may yet humble us more, and then when we come to inquire God's mind, it may be to further purpose.

But to open this garment a little. The word Ephod is that Hebrew word, which signifies to close in, and to compass about, to gird about, because of the fitting garment to the Priests, and the girding of it about them. There were divers sorts of these Ephods, one peculiar to the high Priest, that you have Exod. 28. 6. Others that the ordinary Priests had, that you have in the former places I named about the fourscore and five Priests slain by Doeg; A third was common for the ordinary Levites, thus Samuel, 1 Sam. 2. 18. ministered before the Lord girded with a linen Ephod. And there was a fourth that other people did we are in their holy actions, especially before Kings, David danced before the Lord, girded with a linen Ephod, 2 Sam. 6. 14. And to this day the Jews have a kind of linen garment, but not of the fashion of our Ephod, but some little kind of resemblance to it, they wear it upon their heads, and so downward. When Alexander came to Jerusalem, I addus the high Priest came with all his Priestly garments to meet him, which caused him to fall down, prostrating himself before him, out of reverence to him; Josephus tells us in that story, that the people came with white garments, garments that had some kind of resemblance to this Ephod: Josephus saith that this Ephod was a garment but of a cubit long, only covering the shoulders and the breast, open above and on either side, and girt about the breasts; others make it a longrobe, reaching down to the very feet, But there was a robe beside the Ephod, the Ephod was over another robe so Christ appeared unto John, Rev. 1. 13. Cloathed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle, like the Priests, for so they were wont to be arrayed; And Revel. 15. 6. the Ministers of the Churches called by the name of Angels, are described, clothed in white linen, having their breasts girded with golden girdles; not girt about their loins, but about their breasts, near their hearts. That which makes Ministers of the Gospel ready prepared for the work, is the girdle of truth, and this must be about their hearts; if their own plottings and self-ends shall gird them, that is, put them on to a readiness to do what may serve for those ends; this girdle is not the golden girdle, but like that rotten girdle of Jeremiah's, Chap. 31. 7. that was profitable for nothing.

This garment of the Ephod was a holy garment then, and others must take heed of meddling with such garments, or of seeking to imitate to make the like garments. We read of Gideon, Judges 8. when God had given him a great victory over the Midianites, he would imitate this Ephod, of the spoil he had gotten of the Midianites, he made a rich and glorious Ephod, but the Text observeth that thing proved to be the destruction of Gideon's house, for the people went a whoring after it; he made it with a good intention to testify his thankfulness to God for his victory, not thinking that ever it should be worshipped. It is a dangerous thing for governors to imitate God's ordinances in garments or the like, and to preserve them amongst people, though it be with never so good an intention, their good intention will not excuse them; Gideon's presumption in making an Ephod, in imitation of the Ephod appointed by God proved to be the destruction of his house, yet this was Gideon who a little before had destroyed the altar of Baal, though he was so much against Idolatry before, yet now he doth that which furthereth Idolatry: so many Governors, if they take not heed, they may pull down one kind of false worship, and set up another.

The Jews have many mysteries about this garment, it would weary you to hear them. I shall only observe that which is most useful for you, we must not read the books of the Old Testament, as if they concerned us not. First, upon the shoulders of the Ephod there were set ranks of precious stones, upon them were in graven the names of the twelve Tribes according to their generations: And in the middle of the Ephod upon the breast-plate, which was to be four-sq • are, there were four rouse of precious stones, upon those likewise were engraven all the names of the Tribes of Israel, & he bore them upon his heart. There is much to be observed in this.

First, Let the Tribes be what they will be in themselves, though never so mean, yet upon the Ephod they were precious stones. The Priest wearing the Ephod was a type of Christ; let those who are godly, be never so mean in themselves, yet in Christ God looks upon them as precious stones.

Secondly, These precious stones that were upon the shoulders of the Ephod are called a memorial, Exod. 28. 12. that was to signify Christ, bearing the names of all the Saints before his Father for a memorial, those 12, tribes presenting all the Churches that should be unto the end of the world. When God remembers his Church, it is thorough Christ; God never remembers his Church, but it is by Christ carrying it before him, that is the comfort of the Saints; therefore he can never remember them to revenge himself upon them, for he never thinketh of them but only as Christ presenteth them unto him.

And further, A memorial (say the Jews) not only because the Priests were to bear the names of the twelve Tribes engraven in those stones for a memorial before the Lord, but to signify that the Priests themselves were to remember to pray for the Tribes.

And thirdly, A memorial to signify that both the Priests and all the people were to remember their godly Ancestors and Predecessors, and to follow their virtues, and not to be any dishonor unto them.

But the first is the chief, these precious stones with the names of the tribes were first upon the shoulder, and then upon the heart: upon the shoulder, this notes that Christ carries his Church upon his shoulder, he bears the burden of his Church, all their weight, all their afflictions upon his shoulder, the shoulder of Christ standeth under the Churcher, certainly therefore they shall never sink.

But may they not be so burthensome to Christ as that he may shake off his burden? No, therefore he hath them upon his breast-plate too as well as upon his shoulder, there was upon the breast-plate in the midst of the Ephod the names of the twelve Tribes, Christ carries the memorial of his Churches at his heart as well as upon his shoulders, & that makes Christ put his shoulders to the good of the Churches because they are so near his heart. An infinite comfort it is in the spiritual meaning of this Ephod that belongs to all the godly, Christ night and day hath thee upon his shoulder, and upon his heart as a precious stone before God the Father. This one thing further is observable about it, you shall find if you read that place in Exodus, that the names of the twelve Tribes were to be engraven upon these stones in order according to their birth, now in Revel. 21. the twelve Apostles who in regard of their Doctrine are made the twelve precious stones of the foundation of the new Jerusalem, you shall read that they are all the very same precious stones by name excepting four, and those four I find that Interpreters think to be the same that the other were, only with different names, for precious stones either in regard of the places where they are found, or in regard of their quality or color carry divers names, so that it is very probable that those precious stones in Rev. were the same with these in Exo. but there we do not find that they are set according unto any dignity of one Apostle before another, as they were in the setting of the names of the Tribes, for the first precious stone that was to be set of the foundation of the new Jerusalem, of the glorious Church that should be, it is the stone of Benjamin who was the youngest; And if there might be any mystery in it, we may think it signifies thus much, at least we may make use of it by way of allusion, that the Lord will use of the young ones of this generation, who shall make way for the new Jerusalem before any of the other tribes; God will cull out them to the first stone of the foundation of that glorious Church. In that we find there was not such order set of the Apostles as was of the Tribes, we are taught that Christ would not have us look upon the Apostles as one above another; therefore you shall find the Apostles are never named in one and the same order; in one Evangelist they are set down in one order, and in another, in another, as Mat. 10. Mar. 3. Luc. 9. so Act. 1. In all these they are named in a different order, noting thereby that there is no superiority nor inferiority in the Ministers of the Gospel.

Upon the Ephod there was likewise the Vrim and Thummim. It is very hard to tell you what this Vrim and Thummim was, it costs a great deal of time to find out what men think it was, and if I should tell you the variety of the guesses of men about this, it would be tiresome unto you and me. Austin in his 117. question upon Exod. In venire quid sint deficile, what this Vrim and Thummim was, it is hard to find, and Cajetan saith, none ever yet explained what it was, and they tell us that even the Rabbins themselves say, the Jews were very ignorant of this. But most probable one of these two, especially the latter. Some think that they were some stones set in the breastplate, which by their brightness or darkness did give an answer to what they demanded of God, that is thus; when the high Priest went to demand of God what was to be done in any great and public affairs, he presented this breast-plate with these stones before the Lord, and if God would give an affirmative answer, the stones gave a more then ordinary brightness and luster; but if he would give a negative answer, then the stones were darker then they were before; but we are not certain of this, we may rather conclude upon the other, viz. that the Vrim and Thummim, (though we know not what matter they were made of, no more then we know what Manna was made of) it was somewhat that God gave Moses to put into the breast-plate, which by him was appointed as an ordinance which was to be presented before the Lord by the Priest when they would know the mind of God, & when this was presented before the Lord, God did then usually give an answer to the Priest, either by an audible voice, or by secret inspiration, yet not always tying himself to give it thus; for we find in Scripture, sometimes God did not give an answer when he was sought by Vrim and Thummim, as when Saul inquired of God by Vrim & Thumim there was no answer from God; and it is like Josiah would not have sent only to Huldah the prophetess if he could have had answer by Vrim and Thumim; but when God pleased he would give an answer this way.

The word Vrim & Thummim signifies light and perfection, some would make it to signify the knowledge and integrity of life that is to be in Ministers, but I rather think the meaning is, that they were bright precious stones which were of a great perfection, and fit to do that which God did appoint them for. The Septuagint calls this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the Oracle. Hence 1 Pet. 4. 11 Let 〈◊〉 speak 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as the Oracles of God.

Now this must be upon the breast-plate of the Priest, which the Priest making use of, thereby the people came to know the mind of God. This was to signify that we must look for the mind of God by Christ. It is Christ who is come from the Father to reveal his counsels to us; if we look to have the mind of God any other way but through him, we are mistaken. And further, this Vrim and Thummim, this breast-plate of judgment, was to be upon the heart of the high Priest, and that when he went in before the Lord, as Exod. 28, 30. There are two notable moral observations to be observed from thence.

First, The answer that any Minister of God in the name of Christ should give his people, should be such an answer as should lie at his very heart, he must speak nothing but his very heart unto them; when he would answer any case of conscience, or make known anything of the mind of God, his answer must lie at his heart.

Secondly, It must be as in the presence of the Lord, it must be as before God, he must consider in whose place he standeth to answer as from God, from the great Prophet of the Church.

It is a great judgment threatened to be without Vrim and Thummim, seeing it was of so great use to them. And this should be for many days. Josephus saith, that they were without this two hundred years before he wrote his Antiquities, that was an hundred and five years before Christ; but it appears that they had no Vrim and Thummim long before that time, for at their return from captivity, Ezra 2. 63. the Tirshatha, that is, the Ruler, said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things till there stood up a Priest with Vrim and Thummim, therefore they had not then a Priest with Urim and Thummim, they expected to have one, but whether ever they had one after it is not know. This was the reason of that complaint of Asaph, Psa. 74. 9. We see not our signs, there is no more any Prophet, neither is there any among us that knoweth how long; that is a grievous complaint. Now it is like that Psalm was made about the very time of their return from captivity; for Ezra 2. 41. Asaph is named among those that came to Jerusalem from the captivity, The singers, the children of Asaph, an hundred twenty and eight. But let it be then or after, by this Psalm we may find that it was a very lamentable complaint to be without Urim and Thummim.

The result of all is, that it is a grievous thing to the Saints, that in the time of their strait they dono • know God's mind. At any time when God brings his people into straits, yet if they can know the mind of their God, they are refreshed and encouraged; but when they shall seek to know God's mind, and the Lord resuseth to discover it to them, this is a sad condition indeed.

I find one note more of Jerome’s about their being without an Ephod. We may observe, saith he, the hardness of the hearts of the Jews, that they should be so many hundred years without sacrifice and without Ephod, without the true worship of God among them, and ways to know God's mind, and 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 yet they are not guilty of any greater sin then the sin of Idolatry, except it be of the killing of JESUS CHRIST, that they should not reason thus, what sin is it that thus provokes God against us more then ever he was provoked? Surely there is some greater sin then ever yet we have committed; but saith he, they can never find any other offense, beside the killing of Christ, to be a greater offense then Idolatry, and yet they have a greater judgment upon them then ever they had, though they are not guilty of that sin as they were formerly; surely were they not extremely hardened, they would be convinced that all this is because of our rejecting & crucifying Christ the Son of God.

As they had the Ordinances of God, so they had ways of false worship of their own, Images and Teraphim. I must show you what those were, and then how it is a threatening that they should be without those.

Image, That seemeth to refer to the two calves they had set up in Dan & Bethel, which they so much gloried and rejoiced in, they should be taken away.

Teraephim, that likewise should be taken away. Now if you ask what this Teraphim was? in the general, Taraph is a divining image; as the Ephod was God's Ordinance to know the mind of God by, so the Teraphim was a way of the Devil, an idolatrous way to know things that were to come. It was an Image made after this fashion, so I find those that write of it tell us, The Teraphim was the image of the head of a man wrung off his body, salted and bespiced with precious spices, and then upon this head there was a plate of gold with the name of that spirit they would divine by, (or, as some) the name of the unclean spirit was to be put un der the tongue of this head, and this being set upon a wall, there were burning candles and incense offered to it, and that under the constellation of some star, and so enquiring to know something that was to come, by it the devil was used to answer, and to tell them of such things as were to come; it was an oracle of the devil that told them what success they should have in this or the other business; sometimes it hit right. See the superstition of the Jews; they desired much to know the mind of God, now because they were afraid they should not know all by the Ephod, which was the ordinance of God, they would join with the Ephod, the Teraphim. From hence there is this profitable note. It is a very great and fearful evil for men in searching to know anything of God's mind, not to keep themselves to God's ways of knowledge, to God's own Ordinances.

It concerneth us much now at this day. We are about enquiring the mind of God, that we may know it about matters concerning the Commonwealth, but more especially about Religion, I suppose there is none of us but will acknowledge that way that God hath appointed for the revealing of his will in the Scripture; that we must look into the Scripture, and seek to know God's mind there; that is good, but let us not join Teraphim with it; then do we join Teraphim, when we rest not upon Scripture alone, but search after rules of man's devising, and what will stand with our own carnal ends. The Lord may justly meet with us in wrath, if we presume to join our Teraphim with his Ephod. Pray that at this day where there is so much searching after God's mind, that those who are employed in it, may keep themselves to the Ephod, to the Scriptures, to that which is God's Ordinance for the revealing his mind, that they may not join the Teraphim, their own fancies and inventions of men with the Scriptures; so long as we keep to that rule, we may hope to do well enough; but if the Teraphim be joined with the Ephod, if anything be joined with the Scriptures, though it may seem to be never so rational, we have cause to fear God will leave us.

We find this word Teraphim used sometime in Scripture for the image of any man: as 1 Sam. 19. 13. when Michael took an image, and laid it in the bed instead of David, the word in the Hebrew is Teraphim: so when Rachel stole away her fathers images, the word is, she stole away her fathers Teraphim, and some think they were her fathers Divining Images, & that she did rather steal those then any others, because she would not have her father Divine which way they were gone. Zachar. 10. 2. it is said the Idols have spoken vanity; the word is the Teraphim. By which we may see they were wont to ask of their Idols about their successes. And sometime we find in Scripture that Idolatry is called by this name, as 1. Sam. 15. 23. stubbornness is as Idolatry, the word is, is as Teraphim.

But here comes in the question, God threateneth to take away the Sacrifice and the Ephod, that plainly is a threatening, but how is this a part of the threatening to take away the Image & the Teraphim? You may understand it as a threatening by this similitude; It is as if God would threaten to bring Israel into such a desolate condition as a strumpet is brought into, not only when all her friends leave her which were her kindred, her true friends, but when all her lovers leave her too, even those who were filthy with her, those who pretended the most love to her, in whom she took abundance of comfort, and from whom she expected protection; yet now she is brought into such a condition, as she sitteth desolate, for lorne and helpless: So shall ye be, saith God, your Sacrifice and your Ephod, yea and Teraphim shall leave you.

Or rather thus, Howsoever it is a mercy for God to take away false worship from a people, Images and Teraphim, yet in this regard it comes in a way of threatening, because it would cross and vex them to be deprived of these Images and Teraphim, it would be a Judgment in their apprehension: As for instance, what a deal of stir have we with people, when they conceive that any false worship shall be taken away from them, they think they are undone in it; when the inventions of men in God's worship are but questioned, what a do is there! men think their gods are taken away; as Judges 18. when the children of Dan came to the house of Micah, and took away his Ephod and his Teraphim, he cried out after them, Ye have taken away the gods that I have made, and what have I more? what worse thing could you have done more? I had rather you should have taken away all I had, and yet you say unto me, What aileth thee? Is it not so at this day? What is it that now breedeth such disturbance in England at this time, but that people think their Teraphim shall be taken from them? whereas they have heretofore worshipped God in a false way, after the inventions of men, and now God is pleased to discover light, and there is an enquiring after the government of the Church in the right way, and the true manner of worshipping God, they are even mad upon this, and would rather lose their lives and their estates, then their Teraphim should be taken away; let that be taken away, and how shall they be able to pray? what, will you take away their Religion? This is the language of men in many ignorant places in this Kingdom, yea, the very language of many even amongst us here, they are verily persuaded that the Parliament are intended to take away all Religion in the Kingdom, and such principles the adversaries go about to infuse into men, that the Parliament are a company of Brownists, merely because they go about to inquire after the true way of worshipping God, and would have the Land purged of all superstitious vanities; Thus people cry out for their Teraphim, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. You may read the like in the history of the life of king Edward the sixth, when he had but banished the Mass, there was an Army rose in Devonshire, and they sent several Articles unto the King about their grievances, as causes of their rising;

First, they said that their children were denied to be baptized, as now they cry out that none but a company of Anabaptists do all this; the Popish Priests did then infuse into the people that were in those remote Countries, that they were to have no more children baptized, thinking this would exasperate the people then against King and Parliament: And then they complained that their Service was taken from them (meaning the Mass) King Edward was fain to write to them, to tell them that they were exceedingly abused, that they should still enjoy what was according to the word of God, that their children should be baptized; and for the Mass, saith he, the Common-prayer Book is that Mass the same that it was before, only whereas it was in Latin before, now it is turned into English, and so he quieted the people of that Country. Thus it comes to be a threatening, that God will take away their Image and Teraphim, because the hearts of people are so vexed when their superstitious ways are taken away. Now upon this confusion, when they are without King, Prince, Sacrifice, Ephod, Image and Teraphim, when all is come to this confusion, then comes the time that they shall return and seek though Lord their God, and David their King.

When God's time is come to raise the most glorious Church that ever was in the world, a little before that there is like to be the greatest confusion that ever was in the world: Lactantius (I have made use of before in speaking of the first Chap. Great shall be the day of Jezreel ) tells us, that just before the glorious Church (he speaks of it at large, in lib. 7. c. 15. 24. & 28.) all right shall be confounded, Laws shall perish, men shall possess all things by force, good men shall be scorned & contemned: and though these times, saith he, wherein we live be naught, so that one would think that wickedness were grown up to the height, yet in comparison of those evil days that shall be a little before this glorious time, these days may be called the golden age. God will bring all into a Chaos first, as he did in the first Creation, & then bring a glorious building out of that Chaos. We know the raising of that glorious Church that is so much prophesied of, is called a creation, a creating a new heaven and a new earth; and it is probable enough, that as the heavens and the earth were first made out of a Chaos, so those new heavens and new earth that God is about to make, will be raised out of a Chaos, out of that which seemeth to us to be but confusion. What do people cry out of at this day but of confusion? all things they say are brought into confusion: It is true, confusion is an evil thing, and we are to grieve for it, and to seek to prevent it, yet let us not be too much troubled, for you see when the greatest confusion comes upon the people of the Jews, then follows the greatest mercy, then they shall return and seek the Lord their God, never return before that time. Indeed till men be taken off from all, they will not return to God, if they have anything to go unto, they will never return to God. When Saul had but a witch to go to, he would rather go to her, then seek the face of God in way of repentance. Let not this be our way, because God seems to leave us for the present, and letteth us be in a confusion, and we know not what to do, let not our hearts fiet and vex, let us not go to unlawful means; For mark, it was just a little before Sanl was to be destroyed that he was grown to that height of evil. There was a time that Saul did inquire after God's mind, and God refused to answer him, but yet he would not take such an unlawful course then, but he searched to see whatsin was amongst the people that caused God to refuse to give him an answer, so you have it in the case of Jonathan, 1 Sam. 14. 33. when he took the honey, he inquired of God, and God answered not, and Saul said, draw near and see wherein this sin hath been this day. But afterward he grew to a great • height of evil, when he was in a strait, and God answered him not, presently he goeth to the witch, but it was when he was near destruction.

The note from thence is, Wicked men near destruction (as Saul was) finding things in a confusion, and God not showing them what is to be done, presently are in a rage against God, then they frer, and seek after unlawful means to help them. The Lord forbid that this should b • our condition. Let not us say, things are now in such a confusion that we know not how to find out the mind of God, we consult with Ministers and they know not what to say, they have cast out such a government, and they know not what to bring in, and therefore it were better we were as before. If this should be our teasoning, it is a sign we are like Saul nigh to destruction. Let us be content to wait, they shall be many days without a King, &c. and then they shall return; this shall be the fruit of being without a King, and Prince▪ & Ephod, and Sacrifice, not vexing and raging, but returning to God and repenting. It things be worse, & we be brought into greater straits then ever we thought of, let us not murmur, but let us repent. Everyone is complaining, but who is repenting? If there were as much repenting as there is murmuring, then we should soon know the mind of God.

Then they shall return.

Here is the use of sanctified affliction, it is to cause returning to God. Jerome expresses the life of an impenitent sinner by a line stretched out, he goes saith he from the center in a right line, and so goes in infinitum from it, but a penitent sinner is like a line bent, and turning back to the center, though by sin he goes from it, yet by repentance he turns to it again, they are gone from me a great way saith God, but I will give them a turn, they shall bend back again and return to me. They shall return.

Repentance is set out by this word, to note the folly of sin. In sin thou goest out of the way, and the truth is though you think you choose a good way for yourself, yet you must either come back again or perish. It is just like a man travelling in a rode, and he sees a dirty lane before him, which he is told is the way, he must go there, but on the other side of the hedge he seeth a green and pleasant way, and he gets over into that way, and so perhaps rides on a mile or two, at length he is compassed about with ditches and rivers so that he must either return back or else lie there & starve, he returns back, with shame, and if any one that before told him of the other way see him, he tells him now of his folly, I told you that the other was the way, and that if you went over the hedge you must come back again: So it is with sinners, there are ways of God that go directly to heaven, but because those ways are rugged, and they meet with trouble and persecution in them, & they see by-ways that lead to hell that are more plain & smooth, they get over, they will transgress, (for that is the word for sin) they are got over, now they are merry & sriske up and down for a while in this fine way; but friend you must come back again, and if ever you mean to be saved, you must go in the way that you have refused. Further, they shall return and seek the Lord their God. Here is an encouragement for old sinners. The Jews have been above 1600. years in this woeful condition, for saking God, but in their latter days they shall return and seek the Lord, and God shall be merciful to them. Hast thou been forty, fifty, sixty years going from God? there is hope for thy soul, Oh return, return you old sinners,

But further, 〈◊〉 shall return to Jehovah, and seek him, Jer. 4. 1.

If thou wilt return O Israel, saith the Lord, return unto me. They shall not return from one false way of worship to another, but from the false way to the true, they shall return to God. It is that we had now need look unto. We must not think it enough to cast one false way of government out of the Church, and turn to another, though not so ill yet not God's, if out of any political pretence we reject the way of God it will prove a sore evil unto us, it is one thing not to be able to bring in the way of Christ, and another to reject it,

They shall seek Jehovah, not their Idols, but God himself. The word signifies conatu ac studio quaerere, to seek with endeavoring, with study rather then merely to ask and inquire, they shall be studious in asking after God. They shall seek the Lord, that is,

First, They shall seek his face and favor for the pardon of all their evil ways, they shall come and acknowledge their false ways and their doings which have not been good, and seek mercy for pardon.

Secondly, They shall seek the Lord, that is, they shall seek the true worship of the Lord. Calvin in a Sermon upon that place Seek ye my face, interprets it to be seeking the Ordinances of God, the true worship of God, so Psal. 105. 4. Seek the Lord & his strength, what is meant by the strength of God there? It is the Ark, for that Psalm was made at the bringing in of the Ark into the place that David had prepared, as you may see by comparing that Psalm with the 1 Chron, 16. the Ark of God is called the strength of God, Psal. 78. 61. He gave his strength into captivity. Surely if the true worship of God be the strength of God, it is our strength too, a people are then strong when they entertain the Ark of God, the true worship of God, and then indeed we seek God aright when we seek to know the way of his worship.

Lastly, They shall seek the Lord, that is, they shall seek to know his will in all their ways, and to do it. It is not enough for them to be content to do just that which shall be put upon them, but they shall seek to know what his mind & his worship is. Some yield thus far to God, if any come to them and convince them that this is to be done, then they will do it, they dare not then but yield to it; but when the heart is in a true repenting frame, it is then in a seeking frame, it is laborious and industrious to know the mind of God. Whereas the heart of a sinner heretofore lay dead & dull, never stirred after God, now it is in a stirting, in an inquiring, in a seeking way, this is a sign of much good: though thou hast not what thou seekest for, yet be comforted in this that thou art in a seeking way, Their hearts shall re • oyce that seek the Lord. If thou beest seeking God in his ways, though thou complainest, I have been seeking a long time, but I know not the mind of God, I cannot apprehend the love of God, the pardon of my sins, yea, but the hearts of those shall rejoice that seek the Lord, if thou beest in a seeking way thou art in a saving way, there is cause thou shouldst rejoice in this, that God hath brought thee into such a way.

They shall seek the Lord, and that not saintly but to purpose, auxiously, Jer. 50. 4. 5. They (the children of Israel, and the children of Judah, when they shall be both together) shall go weeping, and seek the Lord their God, and they shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward. Many of you come to ask questions, but your hearts are not right, your faces & the strength of your spirits are not set to yield to the will of God when it is revealed to you. And mark how it appears that their faces are thitherward, Come (say they) let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten. This is to seek God, it is not merely to go to a Minister and ask him a question, but it is to go with our faces, with the strength of our spirits set to know the mind of God above anything in the world, and so to resolve to obey what shall be revealed to be God's mind, as to be willing to enter into a perpetual Covenant, to bind ourselves to yield to whatsoever God shall reveal. When you come to a Sermon, you must not come to get a little notional knowledge, but come with your faces towards Christ and his truth, before you come you should get alone (if you be a true seeker) and enter into Covenant with God, that whatsoever God revealeth to be his mind you will yield to it & obey it, though you have heretofore gone against many truths revealed to be the mind of God, but Lord no more now, here I am ready and willing to enter into an everlasting covenant to be under the command of every truth. Here is the right seeking of God. They shall seek the Lord their God; [their God] this hath two references, either to what is past, or to what is to come. To what is past, their God, that is, the God who was once the God of the Jews, the God of their forefathers, the God of Abraham. of Isaac, and of Jacob. And secondly, their God, that is, that God that is yet ready and willing to be reconciled to them, not withstanding all their sins. Thus they shall seek the Lord their God. These two references afford two excellent Observations.

First, This prevails much with the heart of an Apostate, when he can but think what God was once unto him before he did Apostatize, and what he was unto his godly parents and predecessors. There was a time that I enjoyed God sweetly, when I went to prayer I had blessed communion with him, it is otherwise with me now, I have apostatized. Let this consideration catch h • ld upon thy heart and turn it this day; Oh turn, turn thou apostate soul. God who was once thy God in a gracious manner is that God that thou hast vilely forsaken, yea thy fathers God also. Thou hast a godly father, a godly grand-father, remember what a blessed God he was unto them, and return.

Secondly, Their God, that God that yet they may have hope to enjoy, notwithstanding all their departings from him. Hence the note is this, The apprehension o • a possibilty to obtain mercy from the Lord, is a strong means to draw the heart to return to him; when they look upon God as a God in covenant with them yet, and there is nothing to the contrary but he may be their God. Let this be an argument to catch hold upon the spirits of all sinners who are departed from God, thou hast departed from God in a soul and vile manner, but Men and Angels know nothing to the contrary but that he may be thy God for all this. Let me speak to the vilest sinner that is in this place before the Lord this day, thou hast indeed most desperately and wickedly sinned against God, the Jews have done so; Hast thou crucified Christ? they have done so; hast thou denied the truth and followed false ways? they have done so; Notwithstanding all thy wicked and evil ways, seeing thou art yet alive, I do this day yet once more pronounce thee in the name of the great God, that there is nothing to the contrary that either Angels or Men can possibly know, but that God may be thy God, and that this day God may enter into covenant with thee, & thou with him, this night he may come in and sup with thee, and thou with him, there may be a blessed reconciliation between God and thee, return, return thou sinful soul.

The Third Lecture.

T Hat the Jews shall return and believe in Christ, is most ordinary and famous both in the words and hearts of those that are faithful, says Augustine.

In this their return and seeking God, they shall seek David their King.

For the opening this, there are these five things to be inquired into.

• 1. Who this David was.
• 2. Why David is rather named then any other.
• 3. Why he is mentioned in this place.
• 4. Why joined with seeking Jehovah,
• 5. Why this Epithet is added to David here. David their King.

For the first, David clearly is meant JESUS CHRIST, Nothing is more manifest then that Christ is meant by the name of David, says Augustine. The Scripture is clear in this, it is usual in the Gospel to call Christ by the name of David. Compare Isaiah 55. 3. with Acts 13. 34. Isaiah 55. I will give you the sure mercies of David; what are those? Act. 13. that place in Isaiah is quoted, and there the word is Sancta Davidis, the holy things of David; the holy Ghost there going according to the Translation of the Septuagint, as it is usual in the New Testament. And that Psalm 16. 9. 10. where David seems to speak in his own person, Thou wilt not leave my soul in grave, nor suffer thy holy One to see corruption: this is interpreted of Christ, Act. 13. 36. 37. Act. 15. 16. In the Assembly the Church of Jerusalem, together with messengers of the Church of Antioch, James makes a speech to the Assembly, & tells them of a prophesy that God would raise the tabernacle of David, that is, convert the Gentiles to the profession of Christ. But you will say how is this quoted right, for that was James his intention in the Assembly (and it concerns those who are of such a grave Assembly as that was, to speak what they speak to purpose) But how doth James here speak to the purpose? for the point he was to speak to, was that the Gentiles were to be called, and he proveth it by that Scripture where it is said that God would raise the Tabernacle of David, how doth that prove that God would call the Gentiles? You may see if you look into the prophesy whence this was quoted, that this text was right to the purpose▪ The Prophesy is Amos 9. 11. 12. there it goeth thus, after he had said that he would raise the tabernacle of David, it followeth, that they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen which are called by my Name: So that the Tabernacle of David indeed is the Tabernacle of Christ, and it shall be raised to this end that he may possess the remnant of Edom, and all the Gentiles that were to be called by the name of God. David is Christ because he was his type, and Christ was the seed of David.

[ 2] The second Question, but why is David rather named then any other, rather then Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob? others were types of Christ as well as he and Christ was, their seed as well as David's,

The reason is, because David typified Christ especially in his Kingly power over his own people, David was the first godly King that ever was over God's own people; Melchizedek was a King, King of Salem, but over the people of God David was the first type of Christ.

[ 3] Thirdly, Why doth the holy Ghost add this to seeking the Lord, that they shall seek David? Why was it not as full if the holy Ghost had said, When Israel, these ten Tribes (for he speaks of them especially) when they shall return they shall seek the Lord, and the Messiah, but that they shall seek the Lord and David? The reason is, the expression is brought to this end, to put these Tribes in mind of that great sin of theirs, in their defection from the house of David, there was an intimation in this expression of that defection they had from David, when they shall repent this will lie near their hearts, they will mourn for this their sin, when they choose Christ to be their King, they shall do it under the name of David; As if they should say, we indeed have cast off the house of David sinfully, but we now come and choose the Son of David to be our King. Thereby putting us in mind of this note of instruction.

True penitents in mourning for their sin and returning to God, will go to the root of their sin as much as they can, to their first defection & mourn for that, and labor what lies in them to reform in that very thing wherein the root and beginning of their sin lay.

The fourth is, why seeking the Messiah (under what name soever) is here joined to seeking the Lord, the very marrow of all the Gospel is in these [ 4] words, they shall seek Jehovah, and David their King. It is added for this end, to show us, that none can seek God rightly but through Christ, they must seek God in Christ; This is eternal life to know thee and thy Son, to know God alone is not eternal life, but to know God and his Son; so to seek God alone is not eternal life, not will it ever bring to eternal life, except there be a seeking of God in Christ, seeking Jehovah and David, putting them together. Grace from God the Father, and from Jesus Christ, those must go together, no grace from God the Father, but from him through Christ; so no seeking of God the Father, Jehovah, but it must be with seeking of David likewise: it is not only dangerous, but it is a horrible thing to think of God without Christ; the very thought of God not through Christ is a most dreadful thing to the heart of any who knows God. Indeed there are a company who have bold presumptuous hearts, who will go into God's presence though reeking in the very guilt of their sin lately committed, and seek to God for mercy, and never think of Christ the Mediator; they understand not the necessity of seeking God in Christ, because indeed they know not with what a God it is they have to deal; but that soul that knows what God is, dares not think of God, much less come into his presence & seek him but only through Christ. It was wont to be the way (as Plutarch in the life of Themystocles reports) of some of the Heathens, the Molossians, when they would seek the favor of the Prince, they took up the Kings Son in their arms, and so went and kneeled before his Altar in his Chapel; so Themystocles did when he sought the favor of King Admetus. It should be the way of Christians in seeking the face of God the great King, to take up his Son in the arms of Faith. A notable speech Luther hath in Psal. 130. Often and willingly, saith he, do I inculcate this, that you should shut your eyes & your ears, and say you know no God out of Christ, none but he that was in the lap of Mary, and sucked her breasts; he means none out of him. We must not, we should not dare to look upon • od but through Christ, and seek him together with David.

This is the Evangel • call way of seeking God; when we have sinned, if there be any way of help, it must be by seeking this merciful God; thus far nature goes, and most people go no further, yea most Christians, though they have the name of Christ in their mouths, yet the work of their hearts is no further then natural principles carry them on. But the seeking God in Christ, is the true supernatural way, the Evangelical way, that is the mystery of godliness, to tender up a Mediator to God every time we come into his presence. I fear that many of our prayers are lost for want of this. There is much Fasting and Prayer thorough God's mercy amongst us, and I would to God there were no abating that way; but though we think, will God leave his people when there is such a spirit of Prayer? If it be not a seeking of God in his Son, know it is our own spirits rather then the Spirit of God. We may be earnest in prayer, and cry mightily to God, yet if we take not up his Son in the arms of faith, and tender him to the Father, thousands of prayers and fasting days may be all lost for want of this. The truth is, we must not depend so much upon our prayers, though we are to rejoice and to bless God that there is so much prayer; but God's ways towards us seem as if he would take us off from means, and make us look up to free grace, not take us off from the practice of any, but from relying upon any, only to rely upon free grace in Christ. As this is the supernatural seeking God, so it is the most powerful way of seeking him. It is not enough to seek God by virtue of a promise, except we seek him by virtue of Christ, who is the foundation of all the promises. We seek him because he is merciful, that is one way; yea we seek him because he hath promised mercy, this is a higher degree; but we must go higher yet, we must look to his Son, in whom all the promises are Yea & Amen; otherwise, though we seek him never so earnestly, though we challenge his promises, and cry to him to remember his promises, yet if we do not act our faith upon his Son, we may miss in all,

And herein we sanctify that great name of God in that which is the great work of his, his master-piece as we may say, or the great design he hath to honor himself in the world here, and everlastingly hereafter. Certainly, though God hath made the creature for his own glory, & expects we should honor him in beholding him in the creature, yet the great design God hath to honor himself in and by, is in that glory of his that is manifested in his Son, to have the children of men behold this his glory, and reflect it upon his own face; except you give God his glory in this, he cares not much for what soever glory you can give him otherwise.

You must not therefore expect when you seek God, that you must have good things from him merely because he is merciful, you must not think that the mercy of God serveth to eike out our righteousness. Perhaps some will say, it is true, we are poor sinful creatures, and what can we expect from God being fin full? but we hope that God will pardon our sin, and so will accept of the poor services that we perform; This is the way that most go, they do as it were employ God's mercy in such a work that God never intended it for, that is, they would make the mercy of God to eike out their own righteousness, and so both put together, they think they will serve to be a means of atonement: No, you mistake God's mercy; the work of God's mercy is not this, but it is to show us our unrighteousness, our misery, our unclearnesse, to show us Jesus Christ, to draw our hearts to him, to empty us of ourselves, that we may wholly rely upon that righteousness that is by faith in him, and tender up that to the Father for sanctification and atonement, that is the work of God's mercy; when it hath this work, then it hath the true genuine work indeed.

The fifth is, why here added King. True, we must seek the Lord and Christ, but why Christ the King? The reason is, because Christ in the latter days shall be fully honored in his Kingly power: they shall look upon him not only as Prophet and Priest, but as King. Hitherto Christ hath been much honored in his Prophetical and Priestly office, but not so much in his Kingly; but in the latter days when God shall call home his people (the Jews) then Christ shall be fully honored in his Kingly office. The Tabernacle of Christ was raised in the Primitive times, according to that speech of St. James we had before, Acts 15. 16. God shall raise the tabernacle of David, he puts it as fulfilled then; but there is a time when God shall not only raife the tabernacle of David, but the throne of David; Christ the King shall appear in glory. Ezek. 37, 24, 25. And David my servant shall be King over them. It was spoken upon the union that there should be between Judah and Israel, then David my servant shall be King over them. David was dead a great while before, there is a time that David must again be King, that is, Christ, upon the union of all the Tribes together; And again, David shall be Prince forever, when they are brought again into their own land, David shall be Prince over them forever, saith the Text: surely this prophesy is yet to be fulfilled. And Luke 1. 32. The Lord shall give him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

I know we usually think that this is meant only of his spiritual reign, but there is a mistake in it, certainly there is to be a fulfilling of this prophesy in a reign that shall outwardly appear before the children of men, which will appea more in comparing this with other Scriptures. Revel. 11. 15. The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of the Lord & his Christ, and so he shall reign forever and ever. Why in a spiritual sense the kingdoms of this world are always the kingdoms of the Lord and of Christ, but there is spoken of some famous notable time when the kingdoms of this world shall appear to be the Lord, and his Christ's, and then he shall reign forever and ever, after another manner then now he doth. Revel. 3. 21. To him that overcometh will I give to sit with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. Mark this Text, as one of the most notable of any we have.

That kingly rule that Christ hath for the present is upon his Fathers throne; he is not yet upon his own in comparison of what he shall be, the kingdom that Christ hath now is the joint reign of him with the Father, but there is a time for Christ to have a Throne himself.

Now that Throne of Christ it may be you will think it is in heaven at the day of judgment; but we find 1 Cor. 15. 24. that at that day he comes to refigne the kingdom, the words do not seem to import as if he came to take it, but that then he doth give up the kingdom unto God the Father, therefore there is a time for Christ himself to have a Throne, with whom the Saints shall reign. Matth. 21. 9. The children cried out Hosanna to the son of David, because they looked upon the son of David as one who was to reign.

In these latter days CHRIST shall break the Kings of the earth who stand against him, as indeed many, yea most of the Kings of the earth have ever stood out to hinder this kingdom of his. There will be a mighty shaking of the kingdoms of the earth when this shall be, Heb. 12. 26. Whose voice then shook the earth, but now he hath promised, saying, yet once more I shake not the earth only but also the heaven; quoted out of Hag. 2. 6. 7. God in giving the law shook the earth, but he will shake the earth and the heaven • , which some Interpreters expounds thus, not only the meaner power of people, but the powers of Kings and Emperors the highest powers in the world, whatsoever is lofty in the world shall be shaken when Christ comes to take the kingdom to himself, the Father will set him King upon his holy hill;

Though the Kings of the earth set themselves, and the Rulers take counsel together against the Lord & against his Anoynted, saying, Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their cords from us; he that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh, the Lord shall have them in derision, then shall he speak to them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure, Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion, yet have I done it, though the kings of the earth and great ones of the world fret, vex, and rage, and gather power together, though they blaspheme and say he shall not reign, the Lord sitteth in heaven and laugheth at them, let them do what they can, and gather what strength they can, & oppose to the uttermost they can, Yet will I set my King upon my holy hill.

This is acceptable news, it is the joyful voice of the Gospel to tell you of Christ's coming to reign in the world, Isaiah, 52. 7. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings? What are those good tidings? this tidings, that saith unto Zion, Thy Godraigneth, This is the triumph of the Church, Isaiah 33. 22. The Lord is our judge, the Lord is our law-giver, the Lord is our King, for then shall the Churches be delivered from the oppression of all Tyrants in the world. And this Kingdom of Christ's shall indeed be like David's kingdom, Christ shall be David the King. I might show you the parallels in many things, but I will only parallel the kingdom of Christ and of David in these two particulars.

First, David of all the Princes that ever were was one of the most gentle, he was exceeding loving and sweet unto his subjects; that you shall find 1 Chron. 28. 2. Then David the King stood up upon his feet, & said, he are me my brethren, and my people. Mark how a King speaks speaking to his people, he stood upon his feet, and said, hear me my brethren, and my people. Thus the kingdom of Christ is set out to us, Psal. 45. 4. In thy Majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness. Christ shall be a most meek King, he shall not be a bloody King to his people, he shall not be a King ••• ing in violence and harshness, so as not to care for the love of his people, his singer shall not be heavier then the loins of others, but he shall rule his people with all gentleness. Therefore the government of Christ is set out 〈◊〉 a she • he 〈…〉 leading those that are with young; & 〈◊〉 • his, David David and CHRIST are parallel, Psal. 78. 70. 71. He chose David his servant, & took him from the sheep-folds, from following the ewes great with young, he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. So the Kingdom of Christ, Isaiah 40. having spoken ver. 9. of the glad tidings of the Kingdom, it followeth, He shall feed his flock like a shepherd, he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. When Christ shall reign he shall have great respect to the good and comfort of his people over whom heraigneth, he shall not reign over them without regard to their liberties, and what may be for the comfort of their lives, the good of his people, and his own glory shall be put both in one.

Secondly, David their King, in regard of faithfulness. David was exceeding faithful to his people, and therefore the mercies of God in Christ are called the sure mercies of David, because David was found faithful before the Lord. Psal. 45. 4. is the Prophesy of Christ's Kingdom, the Text saith, In thy majesty ride prosperously, because of truth, and meekness, and righteousness; there shall be righteousness in the Kingdom of Christ.

This is a blessed thing when we may confide and fully venture our estates, liberties and our lives upon the promises of those who are above us. We know how many there are about great personages to take them off from those things that they have promised, though never so seriously, and with never such solemn protestations to perform them. I will give you a story or two remarkable for this, to show what danger people have been in when they have confided upon the promises of Princes, when there have been those about them that endeavored to take of their hearts from performing what they had engaged themselves to.

You shall find in the life of Edward the sixth this story; The King sends his Letters to London in the behalf of the Duke of Somerset the then Protector; there were divers of the Lord's rose up against him, thinking he did oppress the people, and they sent the same time their Letters to London for their aide and assistance; hereupon there was a Common Counsel called in the City, and amongst them there was one that the story saith was a wise and an honest man, one George Stadlowe, and he speaks thus to the Counsel, I remember, saith he, a story written in Fabians Chronicle, of the wars between Henry the third and his Barons, at which time the Baronsdemanded aide of the City of London, as our Lord's do now, and that in a rightful cause, for the good of the Common-wealth, for the execution of divers good laws against the King, who would not suffer those laws to be put in execution, and the City did aide them, and it came unto an open bartell, and the Lord's prevailed against the King and took the King and his son prisoners, and upon certain conditions the Lord's restored the King & his son again to their liberties, amongst other conditions this was one, that the King should not only grant his pardon to the Lord's, but also to the Citizens of London, which was granted, and the condition of their accommodation of peace were ratif • ed by act of Parliament; but saith the story, what followed of it? was it forgotten? no surely, nor forgiven neither, during the Kingslife, the libeties of the Cities were taken away, strangers were appointed to be our head & governors, the Citizens, their bodies and goods were given away, and so from one persecution to another they were most miserably afflicted. Again, in the history of Queen Mary's time we find, that Qeene Mary, because there was some dispute about her coming to the Crown, at that time she went down into Suffolk, to the place where the Duke that then rose up for another was most hated, and she being at Framingham Castle the Suffolk men came to her, and promised their • ide, upon condition that she would not attemp the alteration of Religion, which her brother King Edward before had established; she promised them there should be no innovation of Religion, no God forbid, yea she so promised that the story saith, no man would or could misdoubt of the performance: But afterward when she came to get the power in her hand, the Suffolk men came to make supplication to her, that she would be pleased to perform the promise she made them, she answered them thus, Forasmuch as you being but members desire to rule your head, you shall one day well perceive that members must obey their head, and not look to bear rule over the same; And not only so, but to cause the more terror, a Gentleman one Master Dobs that lived about Windsor, who did but in an humble request advertise her of her promise made to the Suffolk men, he was three times set on the Pillory, and others for the same cause were sent to prison. We may see what hold hath been heretofore in the promises of those who had power to break them, you know what temptations they have to withdraw their hearts from what they have engaged themselves unto. But when this our Prince comes, David our King we shall find the sure mercies of David, we shall find nothing but faithfulness in all his dealings.

And they shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.

They shall fear the Lord. The words are, they shall fear to the Lord, pavebunt ad dominum. The fear of God is much upon the heart of a sinner in his return to God. Such a sinner hath high and honorable thoughts of God, They shall return and fear the Lord. The slightnesse, the vanity of his spirit, the boldness of his heart, it is taken off, and the fear of God ruleth in it. The Majesty, the power, the authority of the great God is strong upon him, when he comes to worship him, the fear of God makes him to worship God as a God, and in all his conversation he walks in the fear of God, even all the day long, you may see written upon his life the fear of the great God, And this not a servile slavish fear, but a holy, reverenticall, fil ••• fear, Jsaac had such a fear of God that God hath his dominion from Isaac • fear, He is called the fear of Isaac. This is a most precious fear, others fear poverty, fear imprisonment, fear disgrace, fear men, but saith a true repenting heart, I fear the Lord; this fear is the well-spring of life to him, it is the very treasure of his soul, Isaiah 33. 6.

I shall speak of the fear of God here only as it concerns this place, the intent of bringing it in here, that is to show that in the time when this glorious Church shall be, when God shall call home his own people the Jews, and bring in the fullness of the Gentiles, then shall the fear of God mightily prevail upon the hearts of people more then ever, and the greater God's goodness shall be, the more shall the fear of God be upon their hearts, this we shall find almost in all the Prophesies of the glorious condition of the Church (which is very remarkable) there is ever speaking of the fear of God that should be upon the hearts of people. One would rather think there should be speaking of the joy that they should have, that there should be nothing but mirth and triumph in those times; but the Scripture speaks exceeding much of fear that shall be then, and more then, then at any other time. Thus Revel. 11. 18. a most famous Prophesy of Christ's coming, and taking the kingdoms of the earth, and bringing his reward with him, he shall come and give a reward to those that fear him. And Revel. 14. 7. I saw an Angel flee in the midst of heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, saying with a loud voyee, fear God and give glory to him. Mark, an Angel when he comes to preach the verlasting Gospel, how doth he preach it? what, now cast away fear and rejoice in this everlasting Gospel? No, preaching this everlasting Gospel, saith with a loud voice, fear God and give glory to him. So Rev. 15. 3. 4. There is the song of the Saints when they are delivered from the power of Antichrist, what is it, be jocund and jovial? No, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty, just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints, who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy, for all Nations shall come and worship before thee, for thy judgments are made manifest. And again Rev, 19. 5. And a voice came out of the Throne, saying, Praise our God all ye his servants, and ye that fear him both small and great.

But fear the Lord now in these times, why so?

Upon these four grounds,

First, Fear the Lord now, because of the glory of Christ their King, they shall behold their King in that glory that shall cause fear, Rev, 19. 12. Christ is described with his eyes as flames of fire, and on his head many Crowns, clothed with a vesture dipt in blood, at woe-edged sword out of his month, and on his vesture and on his thigh written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lord's. Thus they shall behold Christ, and therefore they shall fear.

Secondly, in those times the fear of God will much prevail in the hearts of people, because of the great works of God that shall be then, the heavens shall depart like a scroll, and the elements melt with fervent heat. This is meant of the time when there shall be new heavens & a new earth, which referreth to the Prophesy of Isaiah, and it is apparently) and so generally Interpreters carry it) meant of the estate of the Church, then the heavens shall depart like a scroll. Heb. 13. 26. quoted out of Hag. 2. 6. The Lord did shake the earth once, but he hath promised, saying, Yet once more, I sha • not the earth only, but also heaven. There shall be wonderful works of God in the earth when those days come, therefore there shall be much of the fear of God.

Thirdly, Much of the fear of God then, because of the holiness of the worship of God and of his Ordinances, the purity of them shall cause fear:

Did we see the Ordinances in the true and native purity and holiness of them, it would strike much fear in us. Some have but seen the execution of that one Ordinance of Excommunication in a solemn gracious way, and it hath daunted their hearts, it hath struke fear in a most proud, profane, stubborn, wicked heart, the beholding then of all the Ordinances, and all duties of worship in their true native purity, holiness and glory, cannot but cause much fear, Psal. 68. 35. O God thou art terrible out of thy holy places; God will be terrible out of his holy places and out of all his holy Ordinances.

Fourthly, Much fear there will be at that day, because of the holiness of the Saints, there shall be so much holiness that shall appear bright in the very faces and conversations of the Saints that shall strike great fear. Holy & reverent is thy n • me; you know it is said of God, and so it shall be said of the Saints in that day, their graces shall be much raised, they shall sparkle with abundance of the graces of God's Spirit in them; their wisdom & holiness shall make their faces shine, holy and reverent shall be their names, Psal. 89. 7. God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the Saints, those Saints of his who walk close with him, have a daunting power in their appearance. I appeal to guilty consciences, to apostates, to professors who have secret haunts of wickedness, sometime when you come but into the presence of one who is a truly gracious godly man or woman, whom your conscience tells you walks close with God, doth not even the very sight of such a one terrify you? the very luster of that holiness you see in such a one strikes upon your conscience, then you think such an one walks close with God indeed, but I have basely forsaken the Lord, and have had such a haunt of wickedness, I have brought dreadful guilt upon my soul since I saw him last. Ecclesiastical stories tell us of Basil, when the officers came to apprehend him, he being then exercised in holy duties, that there was such a majesty & luster came from his countenance, that the officers fell down backward (as they did who came to apprehend Christ) they were not able to lay hold of him. Surely when the Saints shall be raised in their holiness, when every one of them shall have their hearts filled with holiness, it will cause abundance of fear even in all the hearts of those that converse with them.

But wicked ones shall fear too as well as the Saints. Luke 21. 26. Men's hearts shall fail them for fear, it shall be true in these days as it was in the destruction of Jerusalem.

The Saints shall fear the Lord and his goodness; the words in the original are they shall fear, ad Dominum to the Lord, & ad bonum, to his good.

It is all one in effect, that good that God shall manifest shall cause this fear to be in their hearts.

You will say, what goodness? what shall that goodness of God be that shall move the hearts of this people with so much fear?

I will tell you briefly, I need not spend much time in it, for I have spent a whole Sermon about it when I spake of the last words of the first Chapter of this Prophesi • , great shall be the day of Jezreel; I shall now add to what I had then. This shall be the goodness of God in that day that they shall fear.

First, The goodness of God that ever he should regard such a wretched [ 1] people as we are, and pardon all our sins! What Israel, the ten Tribes, who had most wretchedly forsaken God, who had crucified Jesus Christ, crucified David their King, yet that blood they have shed is applied to them for the pardon of their sin; Oh the goodness of God! they shall fear this goodness in being merciful to such a hard-hearted, such a stubborn, such a stiff-necked people as they have been, this goodness of God will break their hearts. Secondly, then God shall make the difference between him that feareth God, and him that feareth him not. Then shall God take away all the reproach of his Saints. What bitter reproach hath been upon the Saints since the beginning of the world, especially since the times of the Gospel • Reproach, first because they are mean people, of the lower sort. 2. Reproach, [ 2] because they suffer much, and God lets his adversaries prevail over them. 3 Reproach, because they wait upon God, and God seems not to come, the adversaries say, where is your God? No marvel you pray and Fast, what is become of all? Here will be the goodness of God at that day to wipe off all this reproach. They shall have so much mercy, so much honor from God, that it shall appear before all the world that it was good to wait upon him, so much as shall countervail abundantly all their sufferings, they shall bless God that ever it was put into their hearts to suffer for him, to wait upon him. And because God foreseeth this, what goodness he hath laid up for his people, that they shall enjoy ere long, (and we know a thousand years with him are as one day) that is the reason why he suffereth his people to be so under for the present, he knows he hath that goodness for them hereafter, yea in this world, that all the world shall say that God hath dealt well with them, that he was not a hard Master to them to make them wait so long, and to let them suffer so much as they do. I will give you for this one excellent Scripture, perhaps you have not considered of the emphasis of the argument that is in it. It is Heb, 11. 16. They desired a better Country. that is, an heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a City. The poor persecuted Saints wandered up & down, they were content to leave their own Country, their estates here, and sought another Country, an heavenly, but they had it not, their enemies prevailed over them, as if God had forsaken them; but God is not ashamed to be called their God, what is the argument?

For he hath prepared for them a City; Mark the force of the argument, for he hath prepared for them 〈◊〉 City: This City is this text I am now speaking of; sometimes it is described as a Tabernacle, The Tabernacle of God shall come down from Heaven; sometime a City, sometime a Country, sometime a Kingdom, sometime an Inheritance. Here God hath prepared for them a City: that is, there is a glorious time for God's people, when they shall have the new Jerusalem come down from heaven unto them.

Now then, saith God, though my people be in a suffering condition, I am not ashamed to be called their God. I am not ashamed to own this people, for I have glory enough for them, as if God should be ashamed that he should ever profess such an interest in his people, and this people profess such an interest in him, if there were nothing to come for them, if there were not a time to recompense all their suffering. As if a Master should own a servant, or a Prince a subject, if this servant or subject suffer extremely, and hath no help, but still when he expects help, there comes none, and when he thinketh, surely now it will come, still it fayls him; yet if you know that at such a day you shall recompense all this, you shall advance him and bring him to such honor that he will bless God that ever he was in your service; you will not be ashamed to own this servant: But if this servant shall suffer in your cause, and you have no time, nor no ability to recompense him, but he must suffer and suffer forever, it would be a shame to you to own him. So God is pleased to speak here, because I have prepared for them such a City, though they be in present persecution, I am not ashamed to own them for my people, and I do not account it any dishonor to me, for there is a time coming that will answer all objections whatsoever. This is the goodness of God.

They shall fear his goodness. Fear it, how?

In these several regards.

First, They shall admire at his goodness, and in their admirations even stand amazed at it, the fear of amazement. 2 Thes. 1. 10. When Christ shall come, he shall come to be admired of his Saints; Luke 5. 26. The text saith they were all amazed, and glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things today. When this goodness of God shall come, all the Saints shall stand admiring it with amazement, & say one unto another, we did heretofore hear of Prophesies and promises, and we thought when they were opened to us, our hearts did burn within us, O they were blessed things! but now here is goodness we never thought of, this is higher and more glorious then ever we imagined. Thus they shall fear the Lord & his goodness. You have such a place Jer. 23. 9. It shall be to me a name of joy, apraise, and an honor before all the Nations of the earth, & When people shall hear of all the good that I do unto them, they shall fear & [ 2] tremble for all the goodness, & for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.

Secondly, Fear this goodness; they shall upon this fall down and worship this God with fear: Oh how shall their hearts adore this God; because of this his goodness! As we read of Moses, Exod. 34. 8. God had told him that he would make all his goodness pass before him; now when God came and passed by before him, and proclaimed his goodness, The Lord, the Lord God; merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin; The Text saith, When Moses heard this, he made haste, and bowed his head and worshipped before the Lord. There is nothing will cause a gracious heart to make more haste to worship God then the beholding the glory and luster of God's grace and goodness: then the heart will not stand dallying and trifling any longer, but will make haste to worship before the Lord. Many times God shows his greatness unto you, and that convinceth your consciences a little, and you think you must leave your sinful ways, then temptation prevails over you again; but when God comes and makes known his goodness, then the heart stands out against the Lord no more, but it gives up it self to the Lord in an everlasting covenant. Thirdly, They shall fear his goodness, they shall fear to offend [ 3] this goodness of God. It shall be a mighty engagement upon their hearts to walk close with God because of his goodness. This is a sweet disposition indeed. Then it is a sweet disposition when the heart hath been likewise humbled before God and his justice, and now fears God and his goodness,

Mark a note in this by the way: Whereas many will say, O the goodness of God will break our hearts; if Ministers did preach only his goodness • ; but when they preach the Law, when we hear of terror, that hardeneth our hearts. Take heed of this, there is more evil in this then you are aware. A heart that is truly gracious will fall down before the Lord any way, and it is not a good sign to be wrought upon only by the goodness of God, it may come through much stubbornness of heart for one to be of such a disposition, to be only wrought upon by kindness. Did you never know a stour servant or a stout child, that so long as you are dispeased with him, he would stand out against you still, but perhaps if you yield to him a little, he would yield to you? Is this a good disposition? is not this stoutness and pride in a child, or in a servant, or in a neighbor, that will never yield to you till you yield to him? This is just for all the world the disposition of many people, so long as they hear of God's greatness, and terrors of the Law, and God's justice, they are hardened; what is that? that is, they stand it out stoutly against God, notwithstanding his wrath is revealed from heaven: But say they, when God's goodness is preached, then they yield, that is as much as to say except God yield to them they will not yield to God. But when I can yield hath ways, fear his goodness & his justice, then it is as a sign of a gracious disposion indeed. They shall fear his goodness, so as they shall be no longer wanton upon the goodness of God, they shall not slight God's goodness, they shall not do evil because God is good, but they shall fear his goodness. We have a generation of men who do extremely abuse the goodness of God at this day, even God's goodness in the Gospel, in those blessed things revealed to us in JESUS CHRIST. As thus, We find this revealed in the Gospel, that it is God that must work the will and the deed, the Covenant of grace is such, as that God doth not only require but work all for us; how is this goodness mis-interpreted and abused! Therefore say they, what need we do anything? Why do Ministers urge people to duties? Your principle is good, the truth is good, that it is God that works all in the Covenant of grace, but this distinction is very absurd and vile, and an abuse of God's goodness, and therefore you must not work together with the Lord as rational creatures.

Again, The Gospel reveals to us the righteousness of God in Christ, that we must not stand before God in our own righteousness, but it must be in the righteousness of Christ; this principle is good; O but what abuse of this goodness is there 〈◊〉 false doctrines, and absurd consequences drawn from it; therefore to make conscience of duties, what is it but legal? they are but duty whore-mongers; such kind of bold and absurd expressions come from them. Oh wanton, wanton spirits who do not fear God and his goodness, but abuse God & his goodness! Agaiu, The Scripture tells us in the Gospel that all sins unto believers are pardoned in Christ, all sins both great and small, there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ, no not one moment of an hour after they are once justified; this is God's goodness, and thou shouldest fear it, here is the principle right, but the deductions & consequences are vile, therefore to preach that we must be humbled for sin, this is legal preaching, neither will these men ever confess their sins because of this goodness of God. This is to be wanton, not to fear the goodness of God. The goodness of God in the gospel telleth us that the grace of God is strong, that the Saints shall persevere, that those that are once in Christ shall never fall away; therefore let us take liberty to ourselves, what need we be careful of our ways, seeing the grace of God will carry us through? Oh to abuse this goodness of God thus is wicked, the heavens may blush to behold it, and the earth tremble under it. But we have not so learned Christ, the more of the goodness of God in Christ is made known to us, the more should we fear him. The goodness of God in the Gospel is so rich that the truth is because the hearts of men are so vile, and so ready to abuse it, we are almost afraid to preach it. Oh is this the fruit of the preaching of the Gospel? Never was the Gospel so clear as in England, and in no Age so as in this Age, and is this the fruit of all, that men should draw such absurd consequences from this goodness of God, that men should go away harder from that which is the softening word? When we come to preach the Gospel, the goodness of it, we come I say with fear; with what fear? trembling lest it should cost the damnation of some soul. The preaching the goodness of God in the Gospel, doth certainly cause, ex accident, the damnation of many a soul. Therefore in the mean time you who are God's Saints, know how dearly God tendereth you, God will have the goodness of the Gospel preach • to you though it cost the damnation of 〈◊〉 a soul; you had need it therefore, & make a good use of it. Let this meditation cause you to improve to the uttermost what you hear of all the goodness of the Lord. That which I hear is costly to some, it costs the perishing of many a soul that I may have it, though God sees that many souls will be hardened by it, well, saith God, let them be hardened, these my servants shall not want it, though they perish forever. When a man hath a thing in his house, and he hears that it cost dear, even the lives of many men, he hath other thoughts of it then before. David had a reverent respect to the water of the well of Bethlehem, because it cost the hazard of the men's lives, learn then to fear God and his goodness.

4. Fearing God and his goodness is this, in all rejoicing in, and praising God for his goodness, there shall be a mixture of fear. They shall be well skilled in this mystery of godliness, when they enjoy so much of God's goodness, and are called upon to sing and rejoice, they shall sing with a mixture of fear. Their hearts shall be very serious and spiritual in all their joy. It is very hard for us to rejoice in God's goodness, and not to have our hearts grow slight and vain, it is a hard thing to keep a day of thanksgiving with a serious spirit, joy commonly causeth vanity in the hearts of men. But now the goodness of God shall be so strong in their hearts, that though they shall seek God's goodness, and rejoice abundantly in it, yet with a mixture of abundance of fear, their hearts shall be kept very serious, holy, and spiritual in the service of God. I will give you a text or two for this. Exod. 15. 11. when Moses was blessing God for that goodness in delivering his people out of Egypt (which was a typical song as appeareth in the Revelation, that bondage typifying Antichristian bondage) mark the expression, Who is like unto thee O Lord among the gods, who is like unto thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises? God is to be praised, but so praised as his name must be fearful in praises. Consider this in all your joyful celebrating the memorial of God's goodness, you must so rejoice and bless God, as you must hold forth this before all you converse with, that the name of God is fearful in these praises you tender to him: this a slight heart cannot do. So Psal. 52. 6. The righteous also shall see and fear, and shall langh at him. Mark what a mixture here is, the righteous shall see, and fear, and laugh, he shall rejoice, but with trembling, Psalm 2. 11.

God much delights to have the glory of his goodness thus. We have much goodness of God at this day, and God calleth us to fear him and his goodness; if we give him not his glory in this, God may soon call us to fear him and his greatness; to fear him and his justice, to fear him and his wrath. This is the argument now, there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared. But how soon may God justly turn this argument, there is wrath with thee, vengeance with thee, there is sword, fire, blood, storm, an horrible tempest with thee, therefore shalt thou be feared? Our consciences are ready to misgive us when we have any evil tidings, for we have much guilt upon our spirits, we 〈◊〉 had much goodness indeed from God, (whoever thought to have lived to see that goodness you have seen) but because you have not feared God and his goodness, here is the reason of those misgiving thoughts, when you hear of any ill news, oh now God is coming against us with his wrath, that he may be feared.

Something might be said to open a little the difference between fearing God and his goodness, and fearing God and his wrath and justice in a legal way. Only thus in a word.

The fearing God and his goodness is such a fear as enlargeth the heart. [ 1] Other fear contracts the heart. We have an excellent text for this, Isa. 60. [ 2] 1. compared with ver. 5. Arise, shine, for thy light is come, the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee, and so he goeth on describing God's goodness, that referreth to these times that we are speaking of; then ( verse. 5.) Thou shalt see and flow together, and thy heart shall fear upon that, and be enlarged. When the heart so feareth, as it is enlarged unto God, this is the fearing God and his goodness aright.

Again, It is such a fear as yet the heart clings to God forever; It drives not from God, but makes the heart cleave closer to him, that is the phrase in the Text in the Hebrew, They shall fear to God and to his goodness, I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me. This keeps the heart to God.

Further, This fearing God and his goodness works the heart to a high degree of sanctification. 2 Cor. 7. 1. Seeing we have such precious promises, [ 3] let us perfect holiness in the fear of God: And Heb. 12. 28. Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom that cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverent and godly fear.

Lastly, It is a fear that is joined with love, whereas the other fear makes the heart to have hard thoughts of God; take heed forever of that fear of God that makes you to have hard thoughts of him. In times of danger many begin to fear, then presently they wish they had never engaged themselves so much in these ways that have such ill success, they now cry out of others, you would needs do thus, you see what is become of it. But fear of God and his goodness is joined with blessing God, that ever you knew his wa • es, and were engaged in them.

This shall be in the latter days.

God is content to stay for his glory until the latter days, that which is indeed his chief glory; for though in these former days God hath had glory, yet he hath had but very little. God is content to stay for that which is his chief glory until the latter days. Let this be an argument for our patience, though we have sufferings now, let us wait as God waiteth.

But the latter days, when are these? The times of the Gospel are generally called the latter days; but this, though it referreth indeed to the whole time of the Gospel, yet especially unto the latter times of those latter days. If you would know what these latter days are, though I will not take upon me to give you the day, or 〈…〉 I will show you that it is like these latter days are at hand.

For giving light unto this, that is a good help to us that we have in Daniel, concerning the four Kingdoms, there we have a prophetical Chronology from the Captivity of the Jews unto the time when the counsel of God shall be fulfilled. You have a description there of four several Monarchies, the Babylonian, Assyrian, Grecian, and Roman: Now in the last of these Daniel saith, Chap. 2. 44. The God of heaven shall set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed, but it shall break in pieces, and consume all the other Kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. In this latter (namely the Roman ) hath the Kingdom of Christ begun to appear already, but God telleth Daniel, chap. 12. 13. Thou shalt stand in thy lot at the end of the days. Now observe, the chief Prophesies we have about the time of these latter days, when they shall be set out in that expression of time, and times, and half a time, 1260. days, or 42. months, all comes to the same three years and a half, reckoning every day in those years for a year, compare these prophesies, Dan. 7. 25. And they shall be given into his hand, until a time and times, and dividing of time. Rev. 11. 2. The holy City shall they tread underfoot forty and two months. Vers. 3. The witnesses shall prophesy 1260. days; Now 1260. days are the days of three years and a half, so the days of 42. months. Then the woman in the wilderness, Rev. 12. 6. She shall be fed there 1260. days, still the same number; the witnesses shall prophesy 1260. days; the holy City that shall be trodden underfoot 42. months; and the woman in the wilderness shall be there 1260. days And again, Dan. 12. 11. From the time of the abomination that making desolate, there shall be 1290. days, there are a few days more, not many, but about this time you see the Scripture prophesieth of some great things to be done, at the end of this time are these latter days.

But all the difficulty is to know the beginning when the three years and a half, or 42. months, or 1260. days begun, then we may know when these latter days shall be. Brightman makes the beginning of the 1290. days from Julians time, when he would have set up the abomination, that is, set up the Jewish worship again, by re-edifying the Temple, that is, says he, the abomination of desolation, reckoning 1290. days, for 1290. years, hi • time by computation will come out about the year 1650. The other we have in the Revelation (and that in Daniel likewise refers to the same) notes the time that the Churches shall be under the persecution of Antichrist, for a thousand two hundred and sixty years, so long the Beast shall prevail, and the witnesses shall so long prophesy in sackcloth, and the woman shall be in the wilderness for so long a time.

But when did Antichrist begin to reign?

For that take this rule, It must be at that time when the Roman Emperor was broken, and when the Dragon giveth up his power to the Beast; when the power of the Dragon that persecuted the Christians under the Roman Empire is given to Antichrist, so that now they come to be persecuted under him; here is the beginning of the 1260. days.

That the Roman Empire must be given up first, appeareth, 2 Thes. 2. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work, only he who now letteth, will let, until he be taken out of the way; that is, as generally Expositors carry it, the power of the Roman Empire, when that is taken out of the way, then shall that wicked one be revealed; the • e were many Antichrists before, but then that wicked one that shall exalt himself above all that is called God, shall have power to persecure the Church. Hence it is observable, that the custom of the Church was to pray for the continuing the Roman Empire upon this ground, because they knew when that was broken Antichrist would come. Now the breaking of the Roman Empire was at the raising up of those ten several sorts of governmens called in the Revel. ten Kings, and the raising up of those Kings was 400. years and something more after Christ, as Chronologers tell us, between the 400. and 500. years. It is hard to reckon to a year, there is so much difference in Chronologers computations; after that time there must be 1260. days, that is 1260. years. Make this computation, and compare all these Scriptures one with another, it cannot be long, but in this century that is now currant, these latter days are here meant, when the people of God and the Jews shall return to Jehovah, and David • heir King, and fear the Lord & his goodness. The nearer the time comes, the more will these things be cleared. Dan. 12. 9. Go thy way Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. Take but one note and we have done, why the Scripture sets •• is out rather by many days, then by so many years? The reason is, because God would have his people think that time until his goodness should be revealed, but a short time, if he had said they should be 1260. years under Antichrists persecution, this founds harder; No, saith he, it shall be but so many days, (though flesh and blood may think this time long) yet look upon it as days, it is but a short time to me, it will be but a short time to you, within 1260. days you shall be delivered from his tyranny, and then you shall have this voice from heaven, The kingdoms of the earth are become the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever, and then shall ye together with the Jews seek the Lord, and David your King, and fear the Lord and his goodness.

Now through God's goodness we have gone through these three Chapters. Tertullian hath this expression of the fullness of the Scriptures; Ador • plenitu d • nem Scripturarum, I adore the fullness of the Scriptures; By searching thus into the Scriptures, we may come to see rich treasures in them, and so adore the fullness of them; how do we read over texts, as if there were nothing in them? but certainly God hath revealed much more of his mind in Scripture then we are aware of, let us all be in love with the study of the Scriptures.