An Exposition of Hosea 4-7

BUT why is God so wrath with Israel? Have not the Princes of Judah provoked Him also?

Yea, for God here speaks to them principally. It seems the people were not so bad, so sinful as they, for in the next words he saith, That Ephraim is oppressed, and broken in judgment; because he willingly walked after the commandment.

First, Princes must answer to God for all their doings: Though they are above all men in power, and so are not so liable to give an account to man as others are, yet to God they must, those actions which are least obnoctious to men, are much to God.

The Princes of Judah are like to them that remove the bounds. [Obser. 1]

Are like.] That is, not so much in a similitude, as reality: as 'tis usual in Scripture to put the word, like, for the th • ng itself, As thus, His glory was as the Son of God. The Princes of Judah were those that removed the bound: by the light of Nature, and the Law of God it was a wicked thing to remove bounds; you may see it forbidden by the Law of God, Deut. 27.17.

It was a custom among the Heathens, and the Romans, That [Obser. 2] if any man removed the bound, the ancient Land-mark, if they were poor, they were adjudged to slavery, to dig in deep pits; if rich men, to be banished and lose a third part of their estates.

The Princes of Judah broke down the bounds in a Fourfold way.

1. They took away men's estates that were none of their own. God appoints men their bounds and estates, therefore 'tis not in the power of Princes to take them away at their pleasure. It was not in the power of Ahab to take away Naboth's Vineyard, nay, nor to force him to sell it, though a King, he thought it too much to take it by violence; and Jezebel, though a cruel woman, yet would not take his Vinyeard without some color of Law. Therefore Princes have no right to the Subjects estates, and liberty for to take them away at their pleasures; though such principles of late have been infused into them by some, for which we at this day suffer so heavily. In Isa. 1.23. Their Princes are said, to be rebellious and companions of thieves. Now if all were their own they could not break bounds: We would think that they of all men should not break bounds, for what is it they may not have if they would? I have read a story in Plutarch, concerning Cyneas and Pyrrhus who was mightily set upon war with Italy, Cyneas speaks thus unto him; What shall we get if we overcome the Romans? Saith Pyrrhus, We shall subdue our great enemy, and be made possessors of a brave Country. Cyneas asked him what he would do then? Saith Pyrrhus, Then we will subdue Africa, Carthage, and Sicila: And what then? Then saith Pyrrhus we will feast, drink and be merry. Cyneas answered, Why may you not do so now without shedding so much blood, putting yourself to so much trouble and endangering your person. If Princes would keep within their bounds what hinders but that they may enjoy themselves and their comforts with peace and quiet without the shedding of so much blood.

2. They break all bounds: That is, They break all Laws and Liberties; they will not be bound by Laws, saying thus, Laws were made for subjects, and not for Princes. And thus these Princes broke the bounds. Hence we may see what corruption there is in the hearts of men naturally, and this is furthered by evil Counselors. I have read of Cambyses who had a desire to marry his Sister, but questioning whether he might do it or no, he calls his judges together to give him their advice, they told him, there was a Law against it; but say they, Ye Princes of Persia may do what you will: They were so far from diswading him from that wicked act, that they gave him encouragement to it. And hath not our time afforded such Counselors to our Princes?

2. They break the bonds of Religion. Therefore Interpreters conceive that our Prophet Hosea prophesied in Ahaz his time, when he provoked God so by Idolatry, setting up the abomination of desolation. And this is the great breach of bonds, when people must provoke God. God hath set bounds to His Word, for His Worship and Service: Now take heed that you go not beyond those bounds for any pretence of decency or comliness, suitable to the state in which we live, and such like. God hath given great liberty in Civil things for men to use, but none in hi • Worship and ways. Oh what evil have Popish Princes done in this thing, in removing these bounds! and this is the main reason which makes Papists so to labor for the upholding and setting up an arbitrary government, having thereby • ull liberty to break all bounds in Religion.

Lastly, They brake the bonds of their own Covenants, and regarded them not: These were the corruptions of these Princes, they brake all sorts of bonds, Civil, Spiritual Covenanting bonds, nothing will keep them in.

But hath God left no means to keep these in bounds, [Quest.] Princes as well as Subjects?

To this I answer: Yea certainly. [Answ.] Those who at first gave power for families and persons to keep these, never tolerated the great ones to break them. The Law of Nature never gives power to destroy itself, especially in a Kingdom where there are defensive & offencive means to be used against any means that the greatest in power may raise against the Laws and Liberties of men; for there is no man who is a subject to the Prince, but is also to the State, and the State may deal with his instruments that he employs either defencively, or offencively. Trajan after he was made Emperor put a sword into his Officers hand to defend him while he defended the Laws; but if he did fail in his duty, gave the Officer leave to deal with him as a delinquent. It will be worth our pains and cost if after all our troubles we can but get the Kingdom settled in its true rights and liberties, though our workmen who are making up our breaches through some negligence or miscarriage suffer the wild beasts to break in, yet let not us murmur, and repine, but be content, and bless God that we have means for to help ourselves; few years since we thought our breaches to be so wide, that none could help, or deliver us; now then that God hath raised up for us helpers contrary to our expectation, bless God for them, and be content, let us stir up ourselves and join with them for their assurance. If the Sea should break in upon a Country, would you sit still or let any rest quiet by you that would not stir to make up the breach? A Farmer is contented to suffer Cattle, and see them to run up and down in his ground while his workmen are making up his hedges, and fences for to keep them out: So our workmen are making up the hedges, let us be contented to suffer a while patiently. The truth is those most complain of confusions and disturbances who have been most instrumental to make our breaches and distractions: and thus the Princes of Judah were, like them that break the bound, and for thus doing the Lord threatens in the following words, to pour out his wrath upon them like water. They have past their bounds in sinning, and my wrath shall pass its bounds upon them; they kept no bounds in sinning, and my wrath shall keep no bounds in punishing. The Hebrews use to express anger by a word that signifies, going beyond bounds, noting thus much, that ordinarily in our anger we are apt to go beyond bounds and besides the rule. The sense then is, I will pour my wrath upon them in great abundance, like waters. The judgments of God in Scripture, are often set out unto us by this similitude of water, as in Isa. 28.17. Nahum 1.8. look as their anger ran like water, so my wrath shall run upon them until they are consumed.

That God's wrath is very hot against wicked Governors, such as break the bounds of Religion, Laws, and Covenants: the Lord is much displeased against great ones when wicked, Numb. 25.4. the people of Israel committed a great evil in provoking God by their Idolatry, joining themselves to Baal-Peor, and the Lord said, Take the heads of Israel. The people offended and it was by the encouragement of the Governors, therefore their heads must off, the people sin and the Governors must suffer because they reproved them not nor restrained them, but countenanced them.

Hence we may note, That we had need to pray much for Princes. Fearful are the examples which historiaans report of, concerning the judgments of God upon wicked Princes.

Leander in the description of Italy reports of a cruel Tyrant, who persuaded himself that he must give an account to no man, none could call him to an account for what he did; at last God gave him into the hands of the people, who stripped him naked, bound him upon a planck, and drew him through the streets in the sight of all the people, then made a great fire by him, and heated tongs red hot in the fire, when they had done thus, then proclaimation was made in the Market place, that seeing he had wronged so many, that he was never able to make satisfaction for the wrong he had done, therefore all that had suffered by him should come and have a pull at his flesh with the red hot tongs.

Another fearful example we have of latter times, concerning Charles the 9 ^th , about the massacre in France, who at that time pretended great love and kindness to the Protestant party, invited them to a great marriage feast, and at that time by his Commission, calls in those bloody miscreants, who cruelly murdered the Protestant party; there he broke bounds: but see how God met with him, in a most grievous disease, through the violence of which there spurted out blood from him in several parts of his body, so that he wallowed in his blood before he died. God poured out His wrath upon them in blood who in their life time thirsted after blood.

Secondly, The bounds of Religion and Laws, as they keep in obedience, [Obs. 2] so they keep out judgments. Pure Religion and good Laws as they are bounds to keep us in duty, so they keep judgments and wrath from us. And we ought to look upon Laws in both these notions, not only to keep us in order and duty, but also to keep out wrath; if we break our bounds, we must look that wrath should break in upon us; therefore we had need to do as men that live near the Sea, when the Sea breaks in upon them, they presently leave all their other businesses, and go about that. Our bounds are broken, and who is the occasion of it the Lord knows, and wrath is broken in upon u • at our breaches, therefore let us now as one man set about the making up of our breaches.

[Obs. 3] Thirdly, God punisheth according to men's sins. They break the bounds, God breaks in with wrath upon them; are they resolute in sinning? God will be as resolute in his judgments upon them; see that text Jer. 44.25. You have sworn and vowed to your superstitions, and I have sworn to bring judgment upon you, and it shall come to pass. Therefore when judgments are upon us, [Use.] if we would have them removed, we should diligently observe what sins we are guilty of, which answereth to the judgment which is upon us; for many times we may trace the cause of a judgment by the sin that we are guilty of, and if we ever look to have troubles removed, we must first remove sin the cause of them.

WRATH in the former verse was threatened against the Princes of Judah, who removed the bound: And here the Lord returns again to Ephraim, in this 11. verse; and the 12. verse to Judah and Ephraim both together, they being both a provocation to God, are plagued both together.

The word Oppressed, in the original is, Nashuk, translated by Jerome, Calumnia; Ephraim suffered and was oppressed by false accusations and slanderings, (for there is an opposition in men's names and estates) which the Seventy usually translate by Sycophantia; and then we may render i • thu • , Ephraim by Sychophants doth suffer a great deal of wrong. When there are false reports raised against men, they suffer wrong by it: false reports are as a false Medium, which represents things in another manner than they are: As put a staff into the water, and it shows to be crooked, but take it out and 'tis not so. So the actions of men in the reports of others may seem crooked, when in themselves are strait and good. And thus was Ephraim, broken in judgment; though his cause was good, yet 'twas made bad, if he were wronged he could have no releef for himself. So that good causes by bad men are many times perverted: but the Sain • s may support themselves with Paul's comfort, who passed not much for man's judgment. In this signification the Seventy Translators do often take the word; but in this place they express it by another word, thus, Ephraim hath over-powered his adversaries, and so hath trod down judgment: they interpret it actively. But the words are well rendered in your books in the passive participle, and so they are to be read, Ephraim is broken in judgment.

Concussus judicio concussio is a Law word, signifying such a kind of breaking and oppression as threateneth the utter ruin and undoing of a man by Law; As many rich men threaten poor men when they do them any wrong, I will be even with you, I will ow you a good turn: Or as Magistrates that are corrupt and wicked, when they cannot bring poor men to say or do what they would have them, they will threaten to undo them, or if ever it lie in their power they will ow them a good turn; of which carriage Samuel cleers himself 1 Sam. 12.3. Whom have I defrauded? or whom have I * oppressed? (the word is the same here) That is, used my power to threaten men to yield up their liberties, their rights, their enjoyments by any power which was in my hands. This was the sin of the great Princes here of the ten Tribes.

Broken in judgment] That is, Not in God's judgment upon them, but in the judgment of their own cause, they were crushed in their estates, liberties and laws, and that not only by their own Magistrates and Governors, but also by the Assyrian; by their own Magistrates they were broken and oppressed, good men were discountenanced, just causes betrayed, the whole Court was corrupted, and the Laws of the Land which should have held up the bounds, were broken; they were so broken as a thing which is broken, but not quite spoiled with the fall, some shreds of it may be made use of; so the generality of them were so broken that there was little right to be had for any wrong that was done; and as they were thus oppressed in the Prophet Hosea his time, so also in the Prophet Amos his time, who prophesied at the same time that our Prophet did, Amos 2.7. They p • nt after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor: What's that? Thus, they did not only seek to bring poor men under them, but even utterly to destroy them, they sought to ruin them, and that by perverting of judgment. So in Amos, 5.11. their oppression grew to such a height that they took the poor's wheat from them, that if the poor had but gleaned a little wheat in the fields, as they brought it home they robbed them of it, or if they carried it to the mill they took it from them; this was the oppression which was at this time among the ten Tribes, from their own Governors. But they were also oppressed by the Assyrian, they calumniated and reproached them, saying, Where is now your God, in whom you so much trusted? Thus much for the opening those words.

The reason follows, Because he willingly followed after the Commandment.

[Quest.] But some may say, What is this such a thing? is there so much in this to provoke God?

Yea, this was a great sin; for the opening whereof, take notice of these three things.

First, Whose Commandment was it they followed? it was the Commandment of Jeroboam and his Princes, men which had authority and power in their hands, and this provoked God so highly against them, because they followed the commandments of men who had authority over them: this is very strange that this charge should be against Ephraim for this, no question but they pleaded thus, What, am I wiser than my Governors? must not I do as they bid me?

Secondly, What commandment was it that they followed? it was to worship the Calves at Dan and Bethel, he worshiped God but it was in a false way, and this was the cause which provoked God so against him.

Thirdly, He willingly followed the commandment, as soon as ever he was commanded he yielded without any deliberation, or consultation with himself; whereas he should have stood it out and have bid the worst, rather suffered the loss of all, than yielded to their commands: as the three children, rather suffer the firy furnace, than fall down to the Image, and thus they should have done; as there were some which did, though the generality of them followed after the commandment, yet there were some found among Ephraim who would go to Jerusalem to worship, the place of God's appointment: in 1 Chron. 11.16. those which set their hearts to seek God they would go up to Jerusalem and not follow Jeroboam to Dan and Bethel; though the most went with Jeroboam, yet there was a handful that knew God would be worshiped in his own way and in his own place: the generality of the people liked well enough of the Commandment, because it was will-worship which pleaseth man's nature best, and then it was most for their ease, and this was Jeroboams plea, I love my people's ease, I would not be so harsh to them, therefore come, we will worship the true God still, 'tis but the circumstance of place and that's no such great matter: Now they willingly followed after the commandment, and thereby encouraged Jeroboam in his wicked design, they willingly walked after the Command? the old Latin expresseth it thus, they willingly followed after dregs; and the Hebrew word is very nigh the same, they walked after filthy dregs, and if this were the meaning of it, it notes two things.

First, That Jeroboam was willing to have the people enjoy their lusts so he might but enjoy his ends; he was willing to give the people their full swing and liberty in their lusts, and upon this the baser sort of the people clave to him: Jeroboam reasons thus, well I must rend the Kingdom from David, but how shall I accomplish it? I must have the people to assist me in it, but how shall I gain them? I will let them have their pleasures in sin, they shall have their lusts without contradiction, and then the most will follow me, I shall be sure of the rude multitude the profane in the Kingdom.

Secondly, Post sordes, that is, after their Idols: the Calves which he had set up, and the filth which is in them, for the Scripture lets out the filthiness of Idolatry, by the basest things in the world, to dogs vomet, the excrements of men.

Thus much of the words in that sense: But they are more full as read in your books and more agreeable to the Original, the Notes from them are many.

[Obser. 1] First, That 'tis a great judgment for a people to be under oppression: 'It is a very sad affliction for a nation, family, or person to be under oppression, and broken in judgment, when good men, and good causes are crushed and slighted, and wicked men and bad causes prevail and prosper, when a man's innocence shall be no help to him. Solomon saith this to be a great evil, in Eccles. 3.16. wickedness was got into the place of judgment: God hath promised to deliver his people from this judgment, In righteousness shalt thou be established, thou shalt be far from oppression, Isa. 54.14. But these times are not yet come, all the world (for the most part) at this day is under oppression, 'tis sad to have our estates and our liberties to be broken for conscience, Cconscience-oppression is the worst oppression; and this was our condition not long since, nay and is the condition of many of our deer brethren in many places of this Kingdom, it was not long since that he which departed from iniquity made himself a prey; was it not come to that pass that the meanest, yea the basest persons in a City or Country had power enough in their hands to undo the best Ministers in a Kingdom? Oh how was the Kingdom oppressed, Parliaments broken, the edge of the Law turned against the godly party, witness the banishing of men, Ministers were oppressed in their estates, in their liberties, but especially in their consciences, if they would not be like the fidlers boy, be ready to dance after every pipe, in so much that when the Lord gave us a little reviving, we were even as men in a dream: when we were under it we were ready to say, O we shall never be delivered, how is it possible that we should be rescued from the oppressors? how was heaven filled with our cries and earth with our moans! thus it was; and worse now it is in many places of the Kingdom with many of our brethren: but let them and us be comforted in this, it was thus with Israel, when God delivered them out of captivity, but for our adversaries that text may be verified of them, Isa. 30.12. They trust in oppression; what is their language but this? we will get a great Army and muster up strong forces, and then we will be master of the field, and bring the Rebels under, so that they trust in oppression, and make cruelly their arm of power, take away that and their cause falls to the ground: But God's people are commanded to the contrary in Psal. 62.10. trust not in oppression and for those that do oppress, they shall be like those in Isa. 30.13. Whose breaking and misery shall come in an instant, and you that have friends in oppression send them these Scriptures to comfort them Psal. 12.5, 6. For the oppression of the poor and the sighing of the needy, I will arise saith the Lord and set him at liberty from him that puffeth at him.

But you will say, 'tis true, God will arise, but not yet, [Obj.] these are good words, but we may suffer extremely in the mean while.

But mark what the Lord saith in the 6. and 7. verses, [Answ.] The words of the Lord are pure words; and this word among the rest, that God will arise, and set his people in safety frow this generation to the end; and if any of your friends be in danger of oppression send them that Scripture in Isa. 51.12, 13. Where is the fury of the oppressor? nay God will so work out things in His own time, that we shall be able to say, where is now the fury of the oppressor? Now if God hath made us to know the smart of this sore and heavy burden he looks that we should have very tender carriages and loving dispositions towards our brethren especially towards their consciences; mark the charge of God concerning this, Exod. 23.9. You shall not oppress a stranger, why so? Oh sai • h God, for ye know the heart of a stranger; perhaps there are some who walk close with God have tender consciences, which cannot yield to what may be imposed upon them by authority, Oh take you heed of oppressing these, God expects that you should use them gently and kindly.

A Second Note is this, That Idolaters are great oppressors. [Obser. 2] When was it that Ephraim was oppressed? When he walked after the commandment of Jeroboam. Changes in Religion brings people to opression. Therefore the Scripture sets out Antichrist by Egypt, because the people of God were there most grievously oppressed. The Woman in the Revelations is said to sit upon the waters, and the Beast a top of her oppressing. That story is famous of a Bishop who would oppress the people; one standing up and told him he could not do it by law: He answered him, that if there were any Law against him he would carry it on his sleeves. Likewise that opression of the Wallenses was very great, who desired that they might but enjoy their liberty to worship God in woods and groves, but it would not be granted them. And was not this our condition some few years since? when the Saints durst not appear for God in public, but only in private rooms and chambers.

[Obser. 3] Thirdly, God hath a righteous hand in the delivery of men into the hands of unrighteous oppressors: For they followed after the commandment saith God. It may be your enemies into whose hands I have delivered you, may deal unjustly and oppress you out of measure; yet am I just in the thing.

We are often times ready to complain of instruments which oppress us; and never look at the hand of God that smites us by them: we should look within ourselves, and find the cause there which provokes God, what sins we are guilty of, and make our peace with God: And so likewise in the Kingdom, this is the way to be delivered from our oppressors. I remember a story out of Cedrenus concerning Phocas that murdered his Master the Emperor Mamicuis with his wife and children, usurped the Empire, and opened a floudgate to all impiety; there was an honest poor man at that time who was wonderful importunate at the Throne of grace, to know a reason why that wicked man prospered so in his des • gn: he was answered again by a voice, That there could not be a worse man found, and that the sins of Christians, and the City of Constantinople did require it. Sins unrepented of, gives strength to an enemies side.

A special cause of oppression is, Peoples following of false worship. [Obser. 4] We never read of Israel's great oppressions, but when they followed after the command; and that is very observable, after they once began to follow the commands of Jeroboam, the ten Tribes never had any good Kings after; Judah indeed sometimes had good Kings, because they kept something of God amongst them, the Temple and some part of of Hi • worship among them. If we submit to wicked men in our consciences, no wonder if they are quickly usurpers over our estates.

The giving too much to men God many times punisheth, [Obser. 5] by making them the greatest instruments of our trouble and misery: If you will make Governors gods, 'tis just with God to make them devils to you. We should labor truly to inform ourselves in that obedience which we ow to Governors, yield them that but no more; if people will give that to men which is God's due, it's just with God to make them the greatest plagues to us.

Here we may see the ill nature of wicked men. Jeroboam and his [Obser. 6] Princes are very fair and square and give good words to the people, and all to gain their own ends, and when they had their own ends, then they broke them in judgment, and oppressed them exceedingly, the more they are yielded to, the more they oppress: 'tis a sign of a base spirit for men thus to abuse poor people, The wicked boasteth himself of his hearts desire, and blesseth the covetous whom the Lord abhors, Psal. 10.3.

It is an old way of Satan to get false worship backed with the commands [Obser. 7] of authority. Satan's chief design is to get his worship into the throne and for the effecting of this, he labors to corrupt the pure worship of God, and presseth his own upon the people, backed with the command of authority; the Devil knows that there is no way so prevalent as this to take with the people, that if authority commands it, that overpowers all reason brought to the contrary; and this is the aspersion which is laid upon the godly at this very day, that they rebel against authority, this hath been the Devils old plot which in all ages he hath used to get advantages against the Saints; this was Haman's argument, that it was not for the Kings honor to suffer the Jews to live in his provinces. Sanballet and Tobiah would not suffer the people of God to build the Temple, why? because they were factious people, disobedient to authority. So Paul himself was accused of sedition: and the false Prophets tell the King, that Amos was such a turbulent fellow that the Land would not bear his words he uttered.

[Obser. 8] That men's authority commanding us to do duty in a wrong manner is not sufficient for our warrant: No evil may be committed upon pretence of the commands of authority. Therefore the Papists blind obedience is too great a burden and bondage for man, [Use] as man to bear; then much more as Christians: 'tis not enough for children or servants to obey their parents or masters in things which are evil, because they command it; the wrath of God may break out upon us for obeying Princes and Governors in things which are evil. If God command anything we must look more at the quis, than at the quid, but in the commands of men we must look at the quid, what 'tis that is commanded, more than the quis, who commands: the commands of men may be such that the best obedience is to disobey: the Pope writing to Bernard requiring a thing of him which was unlawful, Bernard writes back again this answer, I as a child do not obey, and I obey in disobeying. God's authority is that which we must look at in all our actions. Authority at the first was set up for the good of Common-wealths, and not for their hurt, therefore it was no wonder that so many in former times did deny obedience to the unlawful commands of Magistrates when the edge of justice was turned against them; but now since authority is good, joining for God, punishing sin and wickedness, who obeys more than those who formerly were accounted disobedient to authority: therefore 'tis a false reproach which is cast upon the professors of the Gospel, that they are disobedient to Governors and contemn authority: who are they which venture most in this cause, in their estates, liberties, and lives? is it not the people of God? nay is not this used as an argument to godly Soldiers to be content in the want of their pay, because they are the owners of this war? 'tis for Religion and liberty they stand for, 'tis conscience puts them on to show themselves active for God and venture largely for his sake, though they verily believe they shall never see a return of their cost: let but Law and authority go on God's side, and then they will obey willingly.

It is true, Authority against God must not be obeyed; [Object.] but suppose the command be in indifferent things?

I answer, [Answ.] That absolute indifferent things are not in the reach of the Magistrate, he is to command that which in his conscience and according to Law he conceives to be for the good of the Common-wealth.

But in this case who must be judge? [Quest.]

'It is true, the Magistrate is to be Judge, [Answ.] whether the thing be indifferent or no, and accordingly are we to yield obedience if it do not apparently appear to the contrary.

But may not a man judge of his own actions? 'It is true, he may; but with a twofold peril, that if it be right and sincere to put it to the venture, and if it prove to be light and false then to lie liable to the Magistrates censure; now if the Magistrate should command anything which you in conscience think is not right according to the rule, you must disobey them, observing but these cautions.

1. With much suspicion and self-jealousy, thinking that [ 1] they may understand better than we.

2. Pray and beg earnestly of God with much humility [ 2] that he would discover the truth to you, and not presently to disobey them, but upon serious deliberation.

3. Account it your affliction and trouble that you cannot [ 3] agree with them, and make it not matter of joy to you.

4. If in some things you cannot obey them, do it as secretly [ 4] as you can, make not a public business of it, to prevent scandal, boast not of that which should be thy trouble and affliction.

5. You must be very modest in your not yielding to them, [ 5] not proud and self-conceited, thinking yourselves before them, or better than they.

[ 6] 6. You must have a high and reverend esteem and respect to them, for their place-sake, although they require that from you, you cannot yield unto.

[ 7] 7. You must be careful to be so much the more obedient in other things; if in some things you cannot yield to them, in other things that you can you should be the more obedient, that so your Masters and Governors may see that it is not stoutness, but conscience which you plead; and this will mightily convince Masters and Governors.

[ 8] 8. You must be so much the more conscientious in your walking with God, in all things: if in some things you plead conscience, and be remiss in other things, your Governers may justly say, that 'tis out of humor and fancy, not out of conscience.

[ 9] 9. If after all this, the Magistrate shall in a legal way inflict punishment upon you, you are to submit to it and patiently to bear it, or else avoid the place.

Thus, observing these Cautions, you may with a good conscience disobey Magistrates of Governors, in things which your conscience tells you are not according to truth. And thus much of the Eighth Note.

The more of the will there is in anything, if it be evil, the worse it is; if it be good, the better it is. Many men make this for their excuse, in things done which are evil: It was against their will • : but this doth not excuse, for rather than they would suffer &c. they chose this, now where the will goes along with anything, if evil, it is very evil indeed.

1. Now the will may be said to be in sin, when a man doth those things which produce sin, or sin follow upon it, or omits that which would keep him from sin; a drunkard perhaps doth not will to swear, strike, and abuse men, yet being not himself, doing of such things, his will may be said to be those sins, because he did not shun those things which occasioned them.

2. The will may be said to be in a sin, when a man shall in two difficult things, in which he must either sin or suffer, rather choose to sin than to suffer. This people here were commanded by Jeroboam to worship at Dan and Bethel; but God commanded them to worship at Jerusalem; now for them to disobey God's command, and rather choose to obey Jeroboams command than suffer Jeroboams punishment, was a sin of willingness in them: when a man omits a duty commanded, for some hardships in it, he sins willingly in that omission of his.

This people should not presently have yielded to the Kings command, but petitioned against, yea suffered punishment rather than yielded, then they had done something; but no sooner was the command out but they as willingly yielded. Governors they command that which perhaps is not good, and they do not know it; but if they see their people stand out against it, they then will begin to bethink themselves, there is much evil in this obedience; for by this you mightily enrage them against those that cannot obey them, by reason of the tenderness of their consciences. I have read a story in a French History of Lewis the 11 ^th . who being about to confirm unlawful Edicts, many of the Nobility came to him in their scarlet Gowns to petition him not to do it, and if he would proceed, that he would take their lives away, for they told him they had rather die than live to see the confirmation of such unlawful Commands; whereupon the King seeing their coming in such an unusual manner, holds his hand, and stays the prosecution of them. Oh! how happy are Princes and People in such Nobility! Had Ephraim done thus, they had done well in it, and might have had comfort from it.

That commands for false worship do easily prevail with people: [Obser. 11] Witness in this Kingdom; when King Edward would have reformed the Mass, what Rebellion was there in Cornwel? But whem Queen Mary set it up, how did people please themselves in such abominations. So in our days, what was it that a Bishop commanded but he was obeyed presently?

How do you think to follow after God, and put off all thoughts of God till you come to lie upon your death beds? Our hangings off from God doth mightily hinder our comforts.

[Object.] But you will say, Were we but assured that they were the commands of God, we would obey them.

[Answ.] But if we would examine, we should find that it is oft times our own unwillingness to obey the commands of God, rather than any scruple we make of it. There are many things in which the Scriptures are dark and not so clear; yet if things can be proved by reason and consequences from Scripture, we are to obey; otherwise how can we be said to obey with the obedience of faith which we are commanded: Now how can we be said to obey with the obedience of faith if we must have reasons for everything?

[Quest.] But how shall we know God's mind in matter of worship?

[Answ.] In this case we are to compare things together and weigh them seriously, and so get out the result and mind of God, and follow that, although for the present there want demonstrative reason to make it out clear. And thus much for the words so understood.

[Expos. 2] Now from the other reading of the words after the vulgar Latin [Post Sordes] we may observe:

Now surely that way which hath so much of sin in it, cannot be the safe way for men to walk in.

Therefore you that are so pleased with them, and take such delight in superstitious vanities, much good may you do with them; for our parts that truly fear God, we desire the pure Ordinances of Jesus Christ.

GOD made a great difference between Judah and Israel; but they joined in the same ways of sin, and God coupleth them in the same way of wrath: Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.

Therefore] Why? wherefore? It hath reference unto the words we spake of the last day [they willingly followed the commandment] Because they followed the unlawful commands of Jeroboam and his Princes, Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth: That for Ephraim.

And it is like the same cause might be for the rottenness God would be unto Judah. Had they resisted the unlawful commands of those that were above them in power: They thought there might have been some disturbance in the State, Oh it is better for us to obey, to be quiet, that we may be at peace; but in the mean time while they, to free themselves from some disturbance and to enjoy their own quiet, would obey unlawful commands, the secret curse of God was upon their estates: Therefore (saith the Lord) will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness. A secret curse there was upon that peace so procured.

In the opening of these words, and presenting the mind of God unto you in them, there are these Five or Six things to be done.

• 1. The reading of the words.
• 2. The scope of the words, what it is that God aimeth at in them.
• 3. The reason of the difference of the expression, A moth to Ephraim, and rottenness to Judah.
• 4. When this was, what time this referreth to, when was God a moth to Israel and rottenness unto Judah?
• 5. How and in what respects God may be said to be a moth and rottenness to a people.
• 6. The several observations to be drawn from it.

All this is necessary for the opening of this twelfth verse.

For the first then, The reading of the words. The Seventy read the words a little different from this reading of ours in the English, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Conturbatio ac stimulus, I will be a trouble unto Ephraim and a prick unto Judah. I will trouble, prick, goad them, I will vex them. The blessed God who is a rest unto His people; He is a trouble, a prick, and goad to vex His enemies, to vex the ungodly. The old Latin, and so Hi • rom readeth it thus, Ego tanquam tinea Ephraiim, I will be as a moth unto Ephraim; he readeth the first as we do in our books: but the second, Quasi & putredo domni Judah. Others as Munster, Leo Judah, Drusius, render it, quasi teredimis. Teredo is a worm that eateth out the heart of the strongest wood. Minutissimus vermiculus, saith Luther upon the place; And Plini saith it is the worm that breeds in Ships at Sea, and eateth out the heart of the strongest Oak • plancks at Sea: but yet often translated rottenness, because the worm causeth that wood to be rotten. Prov. 12.4. A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband saith the text, but she that makes ashamed, is rottenness to his bones: There is the same word, a woman whose behavior is such in company as makes ashamed, is rottenness to a man's bones, be they never so strong. That for the reading.

For the scope of these words, what it is that God aimeth at, which is, That judgment should come.

1. Secretly, 2. Gradually, 3. Insensibly. These three things.

That wrath that I intend to let out upon Ephraim and Judah shall,

First, be very secret, as the moth doth eat the garment secretly, so my wrath shall be, there shall be no noise of it for a while.

And it shall be gradually too, that's the second, I will go on by degrees; a moth and rottenness doth not consume the garment or the wood all at once, but one degree after another.

And then thirdly, Insensibly; They shall not so much as perceive it, they shall not see for a long time how My wrath is out against them, and yet it shall consume them. That's the scope.

But what is the reason of the difference of the expression. that's the third? If God intended only to show his secret, gradual, insensible judgment, then one expression might have been enough; a moth, or rotteness, either of them. But the reason of the different expression is this, Israel was to be destroyed sooner than Judah: Judah should hold out a time longer than Israel should though both of them were to be destroy • d at length. As strong wood, heart of Oak, it holds out longer though there should be a worm in it, than a garment doth when a moth is in it; so Judah held out above a hundred years after this threat, after this rottenness began in them, longer than Israel did; for the time that this moth was in Israel (of which we shall speak presently) unto Israel's captivity, it was but some two or three and forty years; but it was one hundred and threescore years from the time of God's being a rottenness unto Judah.

But Fourthly, When was this time? To what time doth this refer? when was God a moth unto Ephraim and rottenness to Judah? For that, and to show the story of it, it would require some time, I only refer you to the Scriptures that have the stories of both these, when the moth began, and when the rottenness began. In the 1 King. chap. 15. from verse 8. and so on, to the end of the 17. chapter of the second book of the Kings, there you may find, the time when God was a moth unto Ephraim: And for Judah, in 2. King. chapter 16. there you may find how God was rottenness unto Judah, and it was from Ahaz his time to the time of their being carried away captive into Babylon, which was about an hundred and sixty years. And Josephus in his book (besides the books of the Scripture) in Lib. 9. chap. 12. and Lib. 15. towards the latter end, and Lib. 10. chap. 10. He likewise setteth forth the condition both of Ephraim and of Judah, when the Lord was a moth unto the one and rottenness to the other.

But that which will be more useful unto us, will be, to inquire the m •• ning, What it is for God to be a m • th and rottenness to 〈◊〉 people: • ot indeed there is the same thing sign • fi • d in both these expressions, only (as I told you) the fi • st signifies a quicker di • patch of Israel, and the second, a more slow dispatch of Judah, but in the effect the same is signified. Now God is a moth and rottenness unto a people many ways. As,

First, He is a moth in the very spirits of people. There is a secret way of God • wrath upon a people in their spirits which is not perceived in the world. As thus: When the spirits of men in a Nation grow weak and cowardly. The weakness and cowardliness of men's spirits shows a judgment of God upon them that is a a • moth to them: And so it was in Israel, as you may find it in that 2 King. 15 and so on, There their Governors did what they list, one killed another, and another killed him, and the people laid down quietly and dared not to appear in the least way to find fault with anything done. And then a base sloth of spirit that seizeth upon the hearts of people, a dullness, a sordidness of spirit, minding low things, not regarding any worthy and honorable achievement; when men are thus then God is as a moth and rottenness • to them. When there is raising of jealousies one against another in their spirits, envying one another, and divisions in the spirits one of another, then God is a • a moth and rottenness: as we know a moth in a garment doth make the thread that it doth not hang firm together, and rot • enness makes the wood that one part doth not unite together so firmly as it did: b •• yet in a secret way; so though open wars indeed devour in a public way, but secret jealousies in the hearts of people that one dare not trust another, and secret divisions that there are in their hearts, this is like to a moth and rottenness • . As a moth in a garment and rottetnness in wood, so secret jealousies and secret divisions in the spirits of men in a Kingdom consume and destroy them. And then base compliance for their own ends. And lastly, falseness of spirit in the trust committed to them. When you see this prevail in the spirits of men, especially of those that are put in public trust, then is God a moth and rottenness unto that people. And that is the first, A moth and rottenness in the spirits of men.

Secondly, A moth and rottenness in men's counsels. As first, In blindness, that they shall not be able to see the plots of their enemies, they shall not know their own advantages, nor how to improve what they have: They shall not hit upon the right means to cure themselves. There shall be a perplexity in their counsels, a contradiction in their counsels, one counseling one way and another counsel another way. They shall ensnare themselves in their counsels: There shall be much folly in their counsels. And they shall be blasted in their counsels: Now God is a moth and rottenness to a people: All this while God doth not appear in an outward ho • ile and terrible way, but there is a secret curse of God upon their counsels and so he is a moth and rottenness to them.

Thirdly, God is a moth and rottenness to a people in their estates, in their tradings; there shall be a decay of trading amongst them, and they shall grow poorer and poorer no man knows how. There shall be a secret curse upon their tradings and estates that no man can give a cause of.

Fourthly, God is a moth and rottenness in the chief instruments that they make use of for their good: taking away chief ones secretly when nobody takes notice of them, one dropeth away after another; as in rottenness of wood one little piece droppeth down after another, some dust of it drops down and nobody take notice of it; so in a State and Kingdom, chief instruments shall be taken away and nobody takes notice of it, some • imes one an • then another and then another after him, so they shall m •••• der away by degrees: And those that are remaining sh • ll be blasted in th • ir esteems amongst the people: Those t •• t God gives ability to do them good and might be very useful and serviceable unto them, yet though they live a • o • g •• them they s • all be so blasted by • eports one way or other, that they sh • ll not be able to do them much good. And when you see thi • prevailing in a Kingdom, then God is a moth and rottenness to them.

is an argument of a gracious heart. As it i • an argument that that flesh is full of life that is sensible of the least touch; so of a heart that that is full of grace when it i • sensible of the least fruit of God's displeasure. But when men and women are in such a disposition, that except God strike them in some terrible manner they are not sen •• ble of his displeasure, this is a sign that they have brawny and hard hearts of their own.

[Obs. 4] Fourthly, Though carnal hearts do slight and contemn God's displeasure in little things, yet this displeasure and wrath • f God in little things, will eat them out at last. It will bring them down, it will destroy them if it be neglected. You know in Exod. 8.25. that judgment of the flies brought down the spirit of Pharaoh more than all the other judgment • before: he said before that he would let the people go, but he never bad them go till then. God is able to bring down the stoutest, the proudest spirit upon the face of the earth by little things. He can eat out the heart of the strongest wood by this little worm, and so by any little judgment of his, he can bring down the stoutest and proudest spirit in the world.

[Obs. 5] Fifthly, God is slow in punishing. He punisheth by degrees at first: yea his punishing is as a moth, and as a little worm in the wood, it is a long time before they do any hurt: This is to show that God's wrath it is at first but slow. [Use.] And by this we are taught to do even a • God Himself doth, to be slow to wrath; in our ways of wrath and displeasure against our brethren to be slow as God is; not presently to fly in the faces of our servants or of our children when they displease us: God doth not deal so with us, He flies not presently upon us; God is a long time before He bring any sensible evil upon us. The R • man's used to have the Rod and the Axe carried before their Magistra • es, to show that they began by lower affliction • at first, they did not come to the extremity at first but went on gradually in their way of punishing.

[Obs. 6] Sixthly, God hath secr • t judgments to bring up • n a people, upon particular persons; ways of judgment secretly that they little think of. In 2 King. 3.17. Thus saith the Lord, you shall not see the wind, neither shall you see rain, yet the valleys shall be filled with water: There shall be a filling with water though you see neither wind nor rain; you shall not know whence it cometh yet the valleys shall be filled with water. So, many times there is the judgment of God against a people, against a family, against a particular person, and nobody can tell from whence it comes. A • God hath many secret blessings for his people, so He hath secret curse • against the ungodly. Let us take heed of secret sins, for God hath secret wrath to avenge secret sins. Many of you that find the hand of God out against you and you do not know how; do you examine your own hearts whether there be not many secret sins in you against the Lord. It was so at this time when God came to be a moth against Ephraim, in 2 King. 17.9. speaking of that very time that this prophesy doth relate unto, wherein God was a moth unto Ephraim, the text saith there, that the children of Israel did secretly that which was not right in the eyes of the Lord: Therefore just was God in this, to be a moth, to have His displeasure to come secretly. Take you heed of secret sins, lest God consume you by secret judgments.

Seventhly, Our corruption within us breedeth our trouble and [Obs. 7] our undoing. Whence cometh the moth but from the very cloth itself that it eateth out? it is bred there: and this worm it is bred in the wood that it doth consume. A moth shall eat them: it seems to be a proverbial speech amongst the Hebrews, when they would express • the perishing of any by their own counsels and their own ways; as the Latins have proverbial speeches suitable; Fabrum constringi compedibus quas ipse cuderat, The workman he is fetterd with those fetters he makes himself; And so that proverb that we have, to nourish a Snake in a man's own bosom, is as much as a moth shall eat them; that is, what evil cometh to us it is bred within us: that wrath that doth consume us it is that which is bred out of the corruption that is in us. So they say of the black bird, that of the dung that comes from it the lime is made that your fowlers make use of to make their lime-twigs withal; so from our own sins comes our own misery. From the uncleanness of a Nation or a particular soul cometh the evil of it; Therefore if we should read the foregoing words (they willingly followed the commandment) according to the old Latin, they followed post sordes, after the filth of Jeroboam, then the elegancy of the expression would be more; It was those filthy ways of Jeroboam that caused these moths to be bred. From our uncleanness cometh our consumption? as from the uncleanness of the body many evils are bred, so from the uncleanness of the spirit. Therefore we should be willing to take pains in the work of repentance, yea though it be somewhat troublesome to the flesh, yet better wear out ourselves by washing, better wear out clothes a little by the washing of them than to let them rot in the dirt of them: it is true, washing of clothes wears them a little, but if you let them alone in their dirt, that will rot them worse: so the work of repentance may put you to pain and wear you a little, but if you let your hearts alone in the filth of sin, that filth of sin will breed your misery. Take heed of letting any sin alone in your hearts, it will breed a worm (for so this word rottenness signifies a worm) it will breed a worm, the worm of conscience, that may prove the worm that never dieth.

[Obs. 8] Eighthly, God's wrath though secret yet many times eateth out men's spirits and makes them unuseful. Therefore it is compared to a moth and to rottenness, to a worm in the wood: As the moth eateth out the strength of the garment and makes it unuseful for anything; and as the worm eateth out the strength of the wood and makes that unuseful; so the secret wrath of God many times eateth out men's spirits and makes them very unuseful in the places where they are set. How many have had excellent parts when they were young and were very useful; yet the uncleanness of their spirits hath bred such a worm that hath eat out the excellency of their parts, and before they have died they have been as a moth-eaten garment and rotten wood: indeed there hath been the same bulk as before, yet if you come to make use of them there is as much difference from what they were wont to be, as a moth-eaten garment from itself, and as rotten wood that hath the heart of it eaten out by the worm, differeth from itself, so are the hearts of many men different from what they were wont.

In the ninth place, Though (a sad consideration for those [Obs. 9] who are preserved a while longer than others) others go before them yet they shall follow not long after. This Note is drawn from the diversity of the expression, a moth to Ephraim, and rottenness to Judah. God indeed will deal more quick with Ephraim and consume them in His wrath, but Judah shall follow not long after. [Use] A sad consideration for any people to think, though others go before us and are consumed before us, yet it will not be long before we shall follow. It is true Germany and other Countries have gone before us; we cannot prophesy as here the Prophet did, but yet except God comes to prevent by an extraordinary hand we may follow not many years after, and who knows how soon? And particularly, It may be such a friend of thine is gone, the hand of God is upon him and hath consumed him and eaten out his very heart, and he is perished as filth and dung from the face of the earth; and thou art yet alive; and is there not rottenness in thee? Is there not the secret wrath of God eating out thy heart? He is gone a little before but thou art like to follow within a little while after. What great matter is it though thy companion be struck dead and gone to Hell and thou left alive when thou shalt follow not long after? It is in this case as it is with travellers that travel together, perhaps one rideth before another & so comes to his Inn a quarter of an hour sooner than the rest of his company, but before he is lighted off hi • horse, or gone up into his chamber, the other are come in also: So perhaps God's hand strikes one dead and sends him to Hell, yet within a while the rest will follow after. Therefore consider when God; hand is upon any to strike them dead, Oh I may follow not long after. A moth to Ephraim and rottenness to Judah.

What a poor cre •• ure is man, yea a Kingdom, when as a [Obs. 10] moth and a little worm may consume them! God in expressing

WHEN Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound.] The word translated Sickness, is from a word that signifies Doluit Aegrotavit &c. that signifies grief and sickness. And the word translated Wound, from a word that signifies Colligavit, he hath bound up, either because of the corruption of the body that is gathered together, or because of the binding up of it with clothes.

Now Judah saw his sickness, and Ephraim saw his wound: that is, God at length made them to see what a crazy condition their State was in, their Civil-State and Church-State too; in what a very crazy condition it was, and how wounded it was, and how like to perish, ready to die. And especially of this first, this sickness of Judah: we have a notable story (for it is referred to these times) in Isa. 7.1. and so on; There you may find the sickness of Judah, and how Judah saw it: When Rezin King of Syria, and Pekah son of Remaliah came against Judah, the heart of the King, and the heart of his people were moved, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind; as we use to say, they did shake like an Aspen leaf, they were so troubled. Here Judah say his sickness, the dangerous condition wherein he was. And how Ephraim saw his wound, that we shall see further presently when we shall see what help they sought to get against it.

Wrath was out against Ephraim and Judah some time, and had almost consumed them before they would take notice of [Obser. 1] it. Hence observe, That by occasion of the pride and stoutness of man's heart, he will not easily be brought to see and acknowledge the hand of God. Isa. 26.11. Lord, when thine hand is lifted up, they will not see: They will not own the hand of God against them, they think it would be a shame to them, they rather would bear the world in hand that all is well with them: So it was for a long time with Ephraim, and Judah, but at length they saw their sickness and their wound.

Secondly, God will force men to see and to be sensible of His hand [Obser. 2] out against them: He will make them to see their sickness and their wound. Mic. 6.13. I will make thee sick in smiting thee saith God; I will smite thee, and I will make thee sensible of My stroke: so in that forenamed place Esa. 26.11. Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see; But they shall see and be ashamed saith God; I will make them to know and to be sensible of My stroke, the sickness shall so grow upon them, the anguish of the wound shall be so great, that they shall be sensible.

Thirdly, They see their sickness and their wound, but here is nothing [Obser. 3] of their sin. This is usual with carnal hearts in their afflictions, to look at nothing but their wound and their sickness; they regard nothing but to get that healed; seldom you shall hear them cry out of their sin. Thus it was with Israel and Judah. And this is the way of carnal hearts.

Then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to King Jareb.

Men use not to seek for help till they see and be made sensible of [Obser. 4] there misery. And this is true spiritually; till the soul cometh to be made sensible of its sickness, and till God wounds it, it seldom, yea never sends out for help, but when God cometh to wound the conscience, then it sendeth out for help. And many times it is with soul affliction as it is here in outward affliction, they seek out for help, but for help in a false way. They went to the Assyrian and sent to King Jareb.

You will say, When did they do so? [Quest.]

For the showing the meaning of this we must refer to the story of the Kings, [Answ.] for though you have this Prophesy of Hosea in your books placed in a great distance from the book of the Kings, yet this Prophet and so others did prophesy in the time of the Kings, and therefore the history of the Kings will much help to understand the meaning of the Prophesy. First then for Ephraim's beginning to send to the Assyrian and to King Jareb, you have it in the 2 King. 15.19. There you shall read that Menahem who was King of the ten Tribes, gave Pul that was King of Assyria a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him, to confirm the Kingdom in his hand. Mark, that his hand might be with him to confirm the Kingdom; It seems this King that was the King of Israel, he saw his Kingdom to be in a crazy condition, he saw his sickness and his wound, therefore he sends to the King of Assyria whose name was Pul, and gave him a thousand talents of silver that he might confirm the Kingdom in his hand; and in the 20. verse, you shall find that the Subject was fain to pay for it, he exacted the money (saith the text) of all the mighty men of wealth in Israel. Oh what things do Subjects suffer many times for the satisfying the humors of those that are above them: And in 2 King. 17.4. you shall find that Hoshea another King of Israel, he sent messengers to So King of Egypt to help him. And for that which is named here, Jareb, I find most to understand it to be but the very [ 1] same. Some say that Jareb was a principal City in Assyria; [ 2] And others say that it was a special name of the Kings of Assyria: [ 3] But others (and that very likely to be true) they take the word appellatively, according to the signification of the word and do not make it the proper name of any man, but a word of appellation, according to the signification of it; For Jareb signifies Desensorem, the defender, or avenger: Therefore when as Gideon's father spake to the people concerning his sons casting down the Altar of Baal and cutting down the Grove that was by it, saith he, Will you plead for Baal, will you save him? if he be a god let him plead for himself: and thereupon they called Gideon's name Jerub-baal, the same word that is here. So that Jareb, signifies a defender or an avenger. So that they sent to the King of Assyria as to one that should be a defender or an avenger of them: They do not seek unto God, but they sent to King Jareb saith he, to their defender; as many times in scorn we call men by the name of that they would undertake to be; so because they trusted in the King of Assyria as their defender or avenger, therefore God in a kind of contempt calls him Jareb, they sent to their defender, but they little thought of me. That for Ephraim.

And then for Judah, though he be not particularly named, because Ephraim was the most forward and the first that sent for help, yet no question Judah he reproved it as well as Ephraim; for in the 2 King. 16.7. Ahaz that was then King of Judah sent to Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria to come up and save him out of the hand of Rezin and Pekah, Kings of Syria and Israel that did rise up against him. And in 2 Chron. 28.16. you shall find Judah again sending for external helps, unto the Kings of Assyria. The words being thus opened, the Notes are these.

First, It is the way of carnal hearts to shift out to the creature for help in time of straits.

They saw their sickness, they saw their wound, what did they then? They went to the Assyrian, and sent to King Jareb. They look to no higher causes of their trouble than second causes, therefore they seek to no higher means for their help but second causes. [Reas.] They look upon their troubles as such as befalls other men as well as them, and so look not up unto God. They are led by sense, and the second causes are before them and near to them, and God is above them and beyond them, and his ways are often contrary to sense; they know little of God, and have less interest in God; therefore it is that they little mind God in their straights, but send out for help unto the creature.

We see the way of carnal hearts at this very day. What helps do they send for but creature helps? Therefore (my brethren) let us not fear them much; Let us not fear our adversaries much, for their strength is in the arm of flesh: & we know they take no other course but to strengthen themselves in the creature; they know no other help; they little mind God in all their ways; Let them have what they will, yet pray they cannot, they have little heart to go unto God; they curse and swear, yea and tell us, that it was never worse with them than when they prayed most: Therefore all their help is on this side Heaven, therefore not much to be feared: They have that carnallity of heart in them as was here in Ephraim and Judah, when they were a people to be destroyed, then they were given over by God to seek out for help only in the creature, to go to the Assyrian and to send to King Jareb.

As it is in outward, so it is sometimes in spiritual straights. When God strikes the souls of men with sicknesses, & wounds their consciences, what course do they take? They seek not to the Lord that smote them, but they seek out to the creature for help, they go to their companions, to their trading, to their shops, to their pleasures &c. and seek to have case to their souls that way. This is the way of carnal hearts, both for soul and body to seek out unto the creature for help when they are smitten.

But secondly, There is much guilt contracted by resting upon creature helps. It is that which increaseth men's sins and provokes God's wrath very much, when they neglect him and seek to shift for themselves in the creature. Thus it was with Israel and Judah; they contracted much guilt unto themselves that way. And we find that God is much provoked with such as do so. In 2 Chron. 25.7, 8. when Amaziah King of Judah in a time of danger, hired an hundred thousand men out of Israel, which were Idolaters; the Lord would not have Amaziah to make use of them, but bids him send them away; Let not the Army of Israel go with thee (saith God) for the Lord is not with Israel: Yea but what shall we do (saith the King) for the hundred talents which I have given to the Army of Israel? Be content saith the Prophet, rather to lose the hundred talents than to make use of such wicked men as they that have forsaken the true worship of God.

It is a great question that many make, whether it be lawful in any cases to make use of wicked men, especially in public affairs of Kingdoms? to send for their help in time of public danger, to think to strengthen ourselves by ungodly men? Peter Martyr, in his Comment upon the book of Judges, Chap. 4. ver. 17. handleth this question, how far leagues may be made with Idolaters and wicked men? And there he gives two reasons why Idolaters should never be sent for to help us in any of our straights. The first is, for then saith he, there will be by this means danger of mixture of Idolatry, for they joining with you, they will come secretly to cause their Idolatrous ways to have an influence into you. But secondly, he gives especially this reason, if you send for their help saith he, how can you join together in prayer to God to bless you? and when you have gotten victory how can you join together in praising God? And indeed this is as great an argument not to make use of the help of wicked men in public affairs of a Kingdom as possibly can be, for how can they join together in prayer? And truly they are unfit to join together in fighting that cannot join together in prayer and in praising of God. And yet this is very natural to most men, yea good men are sometimes guilty of this, to seek out too much unto wicked men for help in times of straits. That was the blame that was laid upon Asa, though otherwise a godly King, in the 1 King. 15.19. that he sent to Benhadad the King of Syria to help him; And in 2. Chron. 16.7. Hanani the Seer told him that he ought not to have done it, and that he had done foolishly in doing it, for saith he, why will you do it, you need not send for such help, for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong in the behalf of those whose heart is perfect towards Him. So that it was an argument that in this thing Asa's heart was not perfect with God, because he sought for help from wicked men so much as he did, and did not rely upon the Lord. And it is very observable of this King, though a good man, and it seems, a Soldier, yet he was very angry with the Seer, the text saith, verse 10. that Asa was wrath with the Seer and put him in a prison house, for he was in a rage with him because of this thing: what! shall a Prophet contradict him in his warlike affairs? I must have Soldiers, old Soldiers about me; let men talk what they will of good men and that God will be with those that can pray, I must ha • e those that can fight, those that are Soldiers. I would it were not so at this day, tha • if a man did but speak against evil Officers in an Army and wicked men that are about them, that their hearts did not rise in a kind of indignation, and let be said what will be yet such and such they will have about them. Isa. 30.1, 2. Woe to the rebellious children saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of Me, and that cover with a covering, but not of My Spirit: Wherefore do they this? That they may ad sin to sin. This i • a strange charge, woe to the rebellious children that take counsel, they go on in their own ways and take counsel, but not of Me, and they cover things over with vain pretences, but not by My Spirit, there is none of My Spirit in it; yea and all is, that they may ad sin to sin: And what is all this? It followeth presently, They walk to go down into Egypt to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and have not asked of My mouth saith God. They think to strengthen themselves by Pharaoh and never ask counsel of Me. This is rebellion, this is to follow their own counsels, this is to cover over things but not by God's Spirit, this is to ad sin unto sin, to seek for help from wicked and ungodly men.

Revetus upon this text hath a large tract about this very case or question, of being in league with Idolaters and wicked men; And thus far at least he confirmeth it and saith, That for whole Kingdoms to call in the help of ungodly men against those that are of the same Riligion, upon any pretence whatsoever, he concludes that to be unlawful and sinful, though possibly in some cases he thinks it may be allowed: but it will ask a great deal of time to handle fully every case in this and to give all the Cautions that possibly may be given in it: But certainly this is an argument, that men and their cause have little to do with God when they seek for such helps as they do and trust so much in them as they do, when they send for Papists, for Irish Rebels, for Atheists, if there be any in the Country, what care they who they have so be it they may drive on their own designs and deliver themselves from the hand of God that is out against them. They cannot but see and take notice that the hand of God is against them, and riggle and keep a stir they do, and send for all the help, that possibly they can get. And on the other side, this is an argument of the faithfulness of others, who are a party low and ready to be trodden down, yet have been so far from seeking help from, or protection of wicked men, that though they have been sent unto and have had fair offers of enjoying what they desire, yet they have resolved to venture the loss of all in a good Cause, whether they get anything by it or no, whether they have what they would have, Liberties, or not Liberties, yet they are content to venture their estates, their lives, and all in that Cause, and not to provide for themselves by the help of such as they see to be evil, and whose ways and designs they see are not with God.

And if to seek unto wicked men for help and protection be so sinful; what is it then for men in times of straights to seek to the Devil for help? Surely that must be much more sinful; to use those ways that are in themselves directly evil, as lying, swearing, cheating, and cozening &c. In times of straights for you to think to help yourself by those ways, it is as much as if you should say, I see God doth not help me, I will try what the Devil will do. Certainly by iniquity shall no man be established, Prov. 12.3. Art thou in a straight under any affliction? never think of seeking out to unlawful means to help thyself, for thou canst get no good that way; And that will appear more in the words that follow.

The Assyrian could not help, Jareb could do no good; yea indeed they were so far from helping of Israel and Judah, that they made the wound greater; for Israel was afterward carried away captive by the Assyrian to whom he sent for help: and for Judah we read in 2 Chron. 28.20. that when Ahaz sent for help to Tilgath Pileser King of Assyria, he came unto him indeed, but he distressed him and strengthened him not. From whence we may observe.

First, That creature comforts avail little in the day of God's wrath. [Obs. 1] God's wrath was out against Ephraim and Judah, and they would fain seek to help themselves in some creature way, but it would do them no good. Creatures are little helpful in the day of God's wrath, they are all as a broken reed that rather runneth into a man's hand th • n any way releeveth him. So the Scripture saith of riches, that they avail not in the day of wrath. All the creatures will then say to you, if God help you not how can we help you? They are but as a tree in the time of a storm; you may run under the tree, and perhaps a few droppings may be kept from you for a while, but if the storm be great and continue, what good can the leaves of a tree do you to keep you from it? The creature may refresh you a little, but if God's wrath continue what good can the creature do?

But the word which the Seventy translate [he could not heal you] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Non sedabit dolorem vestrum, he shall not so much as ease or mitigate your grief, or give you a little refreshment. It's true, sometimes by seeking to creature comforts a man may think he hath some refreshing, but the truth is, it endeth in trouble and sorrow. A man in this case that seeks for help to the creature when God hath struck him, is as a Deer that is shot with an Arrow, the Deer runs up and down from one bush to another to seek for case, but the blood falls all along, and perhaps by and by his bowels run out; what ease can bushes do to a poor Deer when the arrow sticks in his body? God many times strikes his arrows into the sides of people, and they run up and down to the creature, to this bush and to the other bush for help, but little or none can they have form any.

I confess sometimes for a little while (as I say) there is a little case. I find it so in the case of Ahaz, when he was in straits, his heart did melt (as you heard before:) Now that story in Isa. 7. hath reference to the 2 Kings, 16. aforenamed: When Rezin and Pekah came against him, you shall find that Ahaz had a little help for the present by Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria that he sent for, but afterwards (as we shall show you when we come to another point) it did him little good, for God's hand was out against Judah so much the more dreadfully.

[Obs. 2] And as the creature hath but little help in it in the time of straits; So of all things that men rest on for help, wicked men are most like to prove helpless. They leave you in your straits as the Scribes and Pharisees did Judas: When Judas was brought into straits by his sin, and in the anguish of his spirit came and said, I have sinned, in betraying innocent blood. What is that to us say they, look thou to it. There was all the comfort he could have from them. They were forward to draw him into the sin, but when he had done it, then Look you to it. [Use.] Such comfort you are like to have from your wicked companions in times of straits: They will draw you into that which is evil, and afterward when God shall strike you and they come to visit you, and you lie crying out of those ways they have drawn you into; Oh! miserable comforters will they be. You can have no help from wicked men in times of straits.

Yea, We are not to rest upon the best men of all in time of straits. God hath given us experience at this day, that every man is vanity; so the Scripture saith, Verily every man is vanity: Cease from Man for wherein is he to be esteemed? Had we no other rest but upon man what should become of us? Therefore neither unto the Assyrian, no nor unto any living are we to send for help, so as to look higher upon them than as on an arm of flesh. God pronounceth a curse upon him that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm, and saith, he shall be like the heath in the desert and shall not see when good cometh, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, Jer. 17.5, 6.

But why is it that the Assyrian can do Israel no good? It follows:

THat which i • here translated in your books, a Lyon, th • Seventy translate it by the Panther, which is the most swift & fierce creature one of them in the world. God's wrath for strength is compared to a Lyon, and for swiftness to a Panther. To a Lyon, because though he is most strong and terrible, yet Historians say, that if you fall down and submit unto him he will show mercy. God is a Lyon, and strong and fierce in his wrath, yet merciful to those that submit unto Him.

The word here translated, Lyon, it is not that ordinary word that is for a Lyon, but Shacal, that signifies a fierce Lyon: And so you have it in Joh, 4.10. the roaring of the Lyon, and the voice of the fierce Lyon, Shacal. So that God threateneth here to be a fierce Lyon. This creature is very fierce, and therefore Gesner in his History of living creatures saith, That nature hath so ordered it that because the Lyon is so fierce of himself, that always he hath a kind of a quartan fever or ague upon him to mitigate or refresh his fierceness. And it were well with many if it were so with them. Many that are fierce and of Lyon-like spirits, for their lusts, and for the satisfying of their own humors, but are sheepish enough for the cause of God.

But mark, God was before a moth and a little worm, but now He is become a Lyon. I will be a moth unto Ephraim, and a little worm unto Judah (for so you may translate it) And now I will be a Lyon to Ephraim, and a young Lyon to Judah. Why a Lyon? that is, He will appear in the fierceness of his wrath against Ephraim.

But what is the reason of the difference of these expressions here? As he said before, He would be a moth to Ephraim and rottenness to Judah; so here he saith, He will be a Lyon to Ephraim, and a young Lyon unto Judah. Here is a different expression, and the reason is the same here that was there: As there it was to show that God though He intended the destruction of Ephraim and of Judah both, yet Ephraim sooner and Judah later: so here, though God would be terrible in His wrath to Judah, yet He would be more terrible in His wrath to the ten Tribes: For we find, that though Judah was carried into captivity, yet that captivity lasted but for seventy years, and Judah returned again; but Israel, he was torn in pieces so as he was never made up after. They were both sinners, but Judah retained somewhat of God's true worship, therefore God would spare them a little: Though wicked men will spare the Saints so much the less because of their godliness, and will take so much the more advantage of their frailties because they are professors, yet God will pity them.

The observations from hence are these.

First, When God's lesser afflictions work not, there God will be most terrible. You heard of the moth and little worm before; they are lesser afflictions, and it seems the moth and little worm did not work their hearts to repentance, to bring them unto God, therefore God doth turn to be a fierce Lyon and a Lions whelp unto Ephraim and Judah. God's wrath is as Elijah's cloud that at first appeareth but as a handbreadth, but within a while after the whole Heavens were overspread with it: It is as the thunder, that when you hear it first it is [simile 1] but a little roaring noise a far off, but stay a while and it will be a dreadful crack. It is as the fire that at first burneth a little within upon a few boards, but when it prevaileth it [simile 2] bursteth out in a most terrible flame. As in that known place Levite. 26.18. If you will not yet for all this saith the Lord, hearken unto me, then will I punish you seven times more for your sins; and again, seven times more, and seven times more. God will go on in His wrath from a little unto a great deal of wrath; From being as a moth and as a little worm, to be like a Lyon. Such degrees there are in God's wrath. You had need look to it when the hand of God is stretched out but a little against you, though it be but as a moth and as a worm yet if you look not to it, there may be such a gradation of God's wrath upon you; For as great a difference as is between a moth and a fierce Lyon, such a difference may be between wrath now and that which is to come. Thus the Lord is many times unto men's spirits: Many men have gripes and nips of conscience, and God causeth secretly that worm of conscience to be gnawing upon them, and there is some kind of trouble, but notwithstanding they go on in their sins; and at length God cometh upon them as a Lyon, tearing their spirits. Did you never see a sinner lying upon his death bed in the torment of his soul, God's wrath like the paws of a Lyon preying upon the very caul of his heart, when he lies roaring out he is damned, he is damned! and now he sees, yea feels the heat of the wrath of God against him. Thus God comes as a Lyon to prey upon those that will not regard the gnawings of the worm: When the worm was but little and small, they slighted it, and that caused God to bring the greater judgment. So it is with families; God cometh upon families sometimes in a little sickness, in a child or in a servant, and that is not regarded; afterwards God cometh with plague of pestilence or some other dreadful judgment.

So in Kingdoms, the Lord cometh first with little judgments, and then with greater. As in Ireland, for many years together, there the Lord was as a moth and rottenness, but of late how like a Lyon hath he there appeared? How hath He torn and rent that Kingdom in a most dreadful manner?

Yea the truth is the Lord had been to England as a moth and rottenness; And this very text I make no question but some of you have heard many years ago applied unto England, when as those Ministers that preached upon this text did little think that ever there should be such a hand of God against many parts of England as now there is at this day. In many parts of this Kingdom the Lord is at this day as a Lyon. We all hear the roaring of the Lyon, and who can but tremble! Oh it is time for us all to fall down to the ground before the Lord. It is true God hath not yet come to this City as a Lyon to tear and rend it as other places in the Country; but yet we have heard the roaring of the Lyon abroad, and God calleth us to fall down before Him that He may not be so to us, that he may not come and tear us likewise. Certainly, the Lord will have glory of His creature; God hath sworn by Himself and the word hath proceeded out of His mouth in righteousness, that every knee must bow to Him, and every tongue confess His Name: Every creature must submit unto Him, and if lesser judgments will not do it, God will lay every sinner upon His back, He will come as a Lyon to tear him in pieces.

Secondly, Mark what is between these two, being a moth [Expos. 2] and a Lyon; between these two it is said, Ephraim saw his sickness and his wound, and he went to the Assyrian and sent to King Jareb, and now saith God, I will be a Lyon unto Ephraim. Hence Note,

That seeking out shifting ways for ourselves in times of affliction, provoketh God very much and makes our affliction to be very great. The Lord looks upon this with indignation; what, when I appear in My displeasure, do they seek to shift me off by sending to the Assyrian and to King Jareb? upon this the indignation of God riseth high, and He becometh a fierce Lyon to them. Josephus reports in the factions that were in Jerusalem, Antiochus being called in by one party who proved the ruin of both. This is the honor God expects, that in our affliction we should not fly from, but humble ourselves before Him; if we do not, His anger, His jealousy ariseth to a feaful height, He will pursue in the fierceness of His wrath. The way is not to fly from God, but to fall down before Him, to lie at His feet. If a Lyon should come roaring upon us, the way is not to run away shreeking, but to fall down before him. There is no man can abide the slighting of his anger; if a parent or a master should be slighted by the child or the servant, this makes him more angry: so when men make light of the anger of God and think that there is power enough in any creature to pacify Him, this causeth the wrath of God burn more fiercely against them: you have as not able ā example as any in the book of God; in Isa. 7.17. if you compare the story there with the 2 King. 17. you shall find that Abaz in the time of his distress sought unto the King of Assyria, and though God offered him a sign by the Prophet that he Himself would deliver him, yet he sends for help unto others: But mark, upon this the Lord threateneth that he would bring upon him and upon his people days the like whereof had not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah: such days God would bring upon them, more dreadful th • n ever yet came upon Judah, and that because at this time when they were in straights they sought for help from the Assyrian. And as it provoketh God in a dreadful manner against those that seek unto others for help in outward dangers; so if a man shall seek for help in the straights of his soul; Doth God wound thy spirit, doth he make it sick, and dost thou seek for unlawful means to help thyself? dost thou go to thy company, to music, to good cheer to help thee? Oh this provokes God against thee! This is just as if a man in a fever should drink a draught of cold water from the conduit; it's true for a while he may have a little ease; but O what a scalding fit doth this bring him into afterwards! so those that in trouble of conscience seek for carnal helps, it will bring them to a dreadful fit afterwards. It follows.

I, even I will tear.] The main thing wherein God expresseth the dreadfulness of His wrath here in this place, is the tearing of them as a Lyon, we may take in pieces that which we intend to mend and to make use of: but when we tear a thing we intend to make no further use of it. God expresseth great severity of his wrath in this expression, Psal. 50.22. Consider this ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces. Now this tearing here, refers to the letting in the Assyrian upon Israel, and the Babylonian upon Judah. And the main observation from it, and which is indeed seasonable for these times of ours, is, That,

When God in his wrath causeth war in a Kingdom, then God teareth.

I will send the sword amongst you, I will send the Assyrian against you and then I will tear you. The judgment of war it is a tearing judgment. God's wrath never appeareth more dreadful than in letting out the wrath and rage of provoked enemies upon a people. The teeth and claws of this Lyon is no other than spears and swords and poleaxes, the mouth of this Lyon is no other than the roaring Cannon, from whose mouth proceedeth fire and smoke and sudden death: Here you may see thousands stout and strong ones struck down to t •• ground in a moment; Here one man's arm is torn from his shoulders, there another man's leg is rent from his body; here one lies wallowing in his own blood giving up the ghost, there another weltering in his gore all mangled and wounded, Every battle of the warrior is with confused noise and with garments rolled in blood, death reigneth in the field and is sure to have the day which side so ever falleth; And when report of what is done in the field cometh home, as in 1 Sam. 4.17. when there was a great slaughter among the people, one brings Phineas his wife news that her Husband and her Brother-in-law was dead; so when news comes home to the poor fatherless children and widows, your husband is dead, and your father is dead, Oh what tearing of hair, wringing of hands, rending of clothes, lifting up the voice and crying until the noise thereof reach up to heaven. My brethren, war is a tearing judgment, it is Malum complexum, a compound of sorrow. The cup that is now in the hand of God, is full of mixture, full of bloody ingredients, of fire, famine, pestilences, murders, rapes, cruelties, and all miseries; the Lord teareth now indeed: Oh how is the husband rent from his wife, hailed to prison by cruel and bloody soldiers! How are men's estates and whatsoever is comfortable unto them rent and torn from them in tumultuous outrages! Their pleadings and cryings are rejected with scorn and contempt, and the bodies of their wives and children and their own too, abused in the rage and malice of the insulting adversary. And of all wars, Civil wars are most dreadful; there God teareth most indeed; there the brother contendeth with the brother, and the father goes about to tear out the bowels of his son. Thus the Lord hath been a Lyon in many parts of the Kingdom. Alas our brethren abroad they cannot say as they in Jer. 4.5. Arise, Let us go into the fenced Cities, they stand a far off, & are afraid to come out of the Land of their captivity because of the oppressing sword. Yea here is tearing indeed in this heavy judgment that is upon us, never was God's Name so torn as now it is by bloody Oaths and hideous and unheard of blasphemies, And what do our adversaries desire but to tear the Saints and to trample them under their feet?

My brethren, time it is for us all to rend our hearts, even to tear and rend our very hearts within us, because the Lord is come out against us as a tearing Lyon, rending and tearing this way and that way. The Jews were wont when they heard the Name of God blasphemed to rend their garments presently. We hear of the dreadful blasphemies of our adversaries, rending and tearing of the Name of God, Oh how should we rend our hearts rather than our garments! It is dreadful to hear of the tearing of men's estates and bodies, but much more dreadful should it be to us to hear of the tearing of the Name of God. It's time then for sorrow to be in our hearts, and not ordinary sorrow neither, but rending of our hearts now; and now we should even be ready to tear the heart out of our bowels to see that we have been no more affected hitherto than we have. And the rather because we have scaped for the present & our estates and bodies are yet whole. Our sins have had an influence into the miseries of our brethren; our sins have been those claws and teeth that have torn our brethren. Thus the Lord is raised from a moth and worm even to a tearing Lyon.

[Obs. 2] And note, Though the Assyrians and cursed Babylonians did this, yet saith God, I will be as a Lyon to tear them.

Hence another observation, That God hath a righteous hand in the worst actions of men.

We cry out of men that they are thus and thus, Oh never such vile and wicked men. But you must look upon God, He hath a hand in all. The most horrid wickedness that ever was done in the world, the betraying of Christ and the crucifying of the Lord of life, the Scripture saith, it was done by the fore-determined counsel of God. Therefore let those that have been sensible of the tearing of their estates, and have had their husbands and their children torn from them by wicked men, let them not only cry out of such vile and ungodly men, but let them know that the Lord hath had a hand in it. Though men be wicked, yet the Lord is righteous, let them justify God in all: This is God's glory, that He can have a hand in the most hideous wickedness in the world and yet remain righteous notwithstanding: Therefore He saith here, I, even I will do it. He doth not only own it, but He would have people to take special notice that He hath a hand in all. Oh the use that we might make of this to ourselves, if in all those dreadful judgments that are upon us, if in all those tearing judgments that some of our brethren have felt; we could but take notice that the hand of God hath done it. I, even I have done it, here is the Emphasis in this; And in this one verse here is I, four times together; Let the thing be never so hideous unto you, yet know that I am the great orderer and disposer of all, and I have some great thing to bring to pass in all this that is come upon you. And certainly though the misery be great that some parts of the Kingdom endure, yet because God's hand is so much in it, therefore we must know that God hath some great thing to bring to pass by this that He hath begun to do amongst us.

What the wicked Assyrians and cursed Babylonians did, that God is said here to do. Hence observe, That

As in the sin of Judas, the most horrible that ever was Act. 2.23. God doth not only permit, but order all, and so far as an evil of punishment works in it: and so far as any natural action is in the sin; as in opening the mouth the natural act of speaking; drawing the sword (the natural act towards fighting) &c. This is God's glory, and yet to be free from the evil of sin. Many knots there are about this, that men exercise their wits to untie; but cum veneit Elias (as the Hebrews use to say when they are gravel'd, when Elias cometh we shall understand, there is a time when all difficulty shall be easy to reconcile) let us look to God's hand, not cry out on such and such wicked men. You whose estates have been torn from you, and it may be many of your dearest friends, consider that it is God that is the Lyon tearing.

From the duplication of the words, we may observe this Note, That the hand of God is more imediate in some judgments than [Obs. 4] in others, and the more imediate the more remarkable, there shall not only come judgments upon you, but I will bring them, they shall be such, that you shall see, that I am in them. In some judgments upon men, God makes so much use of the creature, that sinners can see little of God's hand in them, but in some others, they can easily see the hand of God in them; Belshazzar trembled at the hand-writing, and his thoughts were troubled within him, why so? the hand struck him not at all, only he saw it to be the hand of God, the hand of the Deity was in it, Dan. 5.5, 6. and this made him to tremble. Gen. 6.17. Behold, I, even I do bring a flood: And that wrath which is out against us at this time, especially our adversaries, is the hand of God in a special manner, God may well say to us, I, even I will tear ye O England, O how hath God manife-fested Himself to us in these latter years since the wars began. As we ought to take notice of God's tearing and rending Kingdoms, so also in familes, and particular persons, God would have us take notice, that it's He; as a godly heart takes notice of God's hand in mercies; and then they are most sweet; so on the contrary, he takes notice of God's hand in every judgment to be humbled under it: I will establish my Covenant with you: Gen. 9.11. and Isa, 43.19.25. I, even I am he which blotteth out thine iniquities: Mercies are then most sweet when we see them come from God's immediate hand, in a special providence. God's hand-remarkable in judgments must be taken notice of. For,

[Reas. 1] 1. Hereby the heart comes to be humbled, when it considers that 'tis God which appeareth against him, not devils nor men, but God, that God upon whom I live and enjoy every mercy that I have; this it was that troubled Christ, more than all the wrong which the Scribes and Pharisees did to him, when he considered that it was His God, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? When the Saints see God's hand against them in anything, this trombles them and humbles them more than anything else.

[Reas. 2] 2. It is a special means to quiet the heart with patience, Psal. 39.9. I was dumb and spake not, because thou Lord didst it. See it in Eli, It is the Lord, let him do what he will with me: and in Christ himself, shall not I drink of the cup which my father shall give me? Is God my God, and doth this come from my Father? I will take it, I am sure it will do me no harm but much good.

3. By this means the soul is put upon the inquiry, why [Reas. 3] this affliction is upon it, what the cause of this trouble may be; when we see nothing but man the instrument of an affliction, we look not so much at it, it never puts us upon soul-search and trial of ourselves, but when God is seen in a cross, the soul begins to consider, what have I done? what's the matter oh my soul? Thus did the Church: Mica. 6.9. Hear ye the Rod, and who hath appointed it: There are letters written upon God's rods which the man of wisdom can read.

4. It causes the soul to receive content and satisfaction in [Reas. 4] nothing but God alone, and in peace with him, to get him our friend; when we look upon judgments only in the second cause, we are apt to think that second means will make up the breach again, which sin hath made; as they in Isa. 9.9, 10. The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stone; for all this his anger is not turned away: why so? in the 13. verse we have the reason, For the people turned not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the Lord of hosts: They would not see the hand of God, nor give glory to him, for if they did, they would say as this people, in the next chapter, Come, let us return unto the Lord, for he hath wounded us, and He will heal us. Thus much for the doubling the expression. It follows.

The Lions when they tear their prey, they are not afraid of what they have done, but walk majestically before the dead carkiese as it were bidding defiance to all other creatures, they run not away as the Fox doth, but walk as it were in state, for so the words in the original carry: I, even I will tear. As if God did challenge all the creatures in Heaven or Earth for to grapple with him, I will tear them. It implies how God will deal with Judah, He will not be afraid of them, what He doth it shall be in an open way, He will not come against them in secret but in a public way.

The judgment at this time upon our enemies is not in a secret, but an open way, the Lord doth not deal subtly and by craft with them, as they do with his people; and though the Lord deal as a Lyon with them, tearing and rending them, yet they will not see him, neither are they able to resist him, nor can any rescue them out of his hands: Let the means be never so weak in God's hand, yet when he is in a way of wrath there shall be no delivery out of his hands; Isa. 26.6. The feet shall tread it down: tread down what? the lofty City: by what feet? even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy. Jer. 37.10. The Lord tells them, that though they had smitten the whole Army of the Chaldeans, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent and burn their City with fire. When God intends ruin and desolation to a people, 'tis impossible for any to deliver them out of his hands.

Further we may note, That when God comes against a people, He takes them to do, when they are the strongest, and greatest in power, and most confident in an arm of flesh, that none at that time may deliver our of His hands. Isa. 24.21. And it shall come to pass, in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones, which are on high: When he is in his greatest pride, gets the greatest victories, conquers and obtains the greatest Cities of refuge, and Towns of harbor. And 'tis very observable, that since our enemies got their greatest advantages they have lost the most, God then pulled them down when they were most proud, God will go on in his work though men are never so proud and strong, therefore 'tis our wisdom to give ourselves into God's hands, yea though into his afflicting hand, although no power can rescue out of his hand, yet there is a way to change the operation of his hands by humbling ourselves, falling down before him, willingly submitting to him, and this way now God hath his will upon us in the most acceptable way that can be: God had rather have men voluntarily give him his glory, than to compel him to force it from them.

I now come to the last.

GOD repeats it again, which notes, 1. The glory of the work, that he is not ashamed of what he hath done, (God's people ought for to be like God in this, let their actions be warrantable, such as they may with comfort own and stand to, yea suffer for, if it so come to pass, not like the proverb to set a Town on fire, and run away from it, leaving others to quench it) 2. It notes the Irresistibility of God's work, as if he should say, let any try whether they can oppose me. 3. And chiefly it implies, I will bring them into captivity and there I will leave them.

Whence note, That 'tis a heavy judgment for God to tear and wound a people, and then lo leave them: God saith if they return not, I will rend and tear them, make them very miserable and in that condition will I leave them, I will be a stranger to them, and will not own them. Ezek. 22.20. I will gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there. God in another place promiseth to be with His people in the fire and in the water; but there is a time that God's people may so provoke God, that he will bring them into the fire and there leave them: when the Philistines fell upon Saul, it was a sad time to him, because God had left him: Oh how terrible was it when God left Christ upon the Cross but for a little while! This we all deserve, and this is the portion of the damned in Hell: While the Judge is present upon the Bench the Malefactor hath hope, but when the Judge goes off the Bench, then they cry and take on: Therefore the Church prays, Lord, leave us not; Thou art our hope in the day of evil. Jer. 17.17. God is said to be the strength of his people in Psal. 37. and Psal. 39. Now if their strength be gone, they must needs be weak. Christ rebukes his Disciples for fearing when they were in the Ship, and he was with them: but when God leaves a people, Oh what cause of fear is there then! The Church implies so much, Jer. 14.9. thou art in the midst of us, leave us not, we are in a sad condition already, yet oh Lord do not thou leave us.

Now if we would not have God to leave us, let us take heed we do not leave God, would you have God be for you in adversity, then be you for God in prosperity, nor forsake him when he is afflicted, which is when his people and cause suffer. Many will be for the Saints and own the Cause of God when all things goes well, and their side prospers, but in trouble when they are in disgrace or sorrow, then they forsake them, as if they knew no such people; know that in thus doing thou leavest God, and God may justly leave thee in thy affliction: But now, 'tis God • promise to his people, That he will not leave them, Psal. 31.7, 8. Psal 34. 17, 18. God may bring thee into their power and jurisdiction that are evil, but wait thou on the Lord and he shall deliver thee. We use to say when we are in any trouble, to our dear friend, What will you also leave me? will you not now own me, and stay by me? A • Christ himself said to his Disciples, Will you also leave me, and go away? but God will never leave his people in this manner. The Shepherd may suffer his dog to hunt the sheep, to bark at them, to fetch them together, but never suffers him to worry and kill them: so God may suffer the wicked to hunt the Saints, and perhaps to fasten upon them sometimes, but then God will call them off again, for his promise is not to leave them, as he doth the wicked in their afflictions; as Heb. 13.5. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee: in which words we have in the Greek five negatives to affirm the truth of this conclusion: that God will never forsake his people, I will not, not leave you, yea but the people of God might say, but Lord we seem to the eye of the world to be forsaken, no saith the Lord, I will not, not leave you; there it two negatives to leaving, and three to forsaking; from whence we may see how strongly God hath engaged himself for his people's security.

And return unto my place.

These words are something difficult, What is God's place? Is God contained in any place? God is rather the place of the world, than the world his place; but here 'tis meant Heaven, I will return unto my place. That is, I will go to Heaven again, not that God is there only containd, but that is the place from which he reveals himself most, there the holiness of God shines in most glory. There is but little of God in this world to what there is in Heaven, the glory of all the world is but as a dungeon to that place of God's presence, we are like children born in a dungeon, who think there is no better place because they never saw better: but Heaven is our Fathers place, and Christ who is our elder brother is gone thither before us to provide mantions for us, let us therefore have conversations in Heaven answerable to the holiness of that place: this world is like unto the out-housing, stables, or kennels, belonging to some palace, or stately building, even as these are very inferior to the rooms in the house, so is the pomp and state of this world unto Heaven, God hath given the world unto worldly men for their portion, but the Saints have a better inheritance reserved for them, even in Heaven.

I will return to my place.] When was God from His place? when did He come from thence? Thus: when he did rend and tear them, appearing against them as a Lyon, and as a young Lyon, then it was as if God should come down to rectify and set in order things which were amiss, and out of their place; as we may see in the case of Sodom, Gen. 18.21. I will go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of their sin, the sin of Sodom fetched God from his Throne. So in Isa. 26.21. Behold, the Lord cometh out of his place, to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their cruelty and wickedness, the earth also shall disclose her blood and shall no longer cover her slain. God compares himself to a Prince upon his Throne, who goes from his place of State into Countries to quiet mutinees and rebellions among his people. The Note from hence is,

That sin desturbs He even • nd Earth. God cannot be quiet in [Obs. 1] Heaven for sinners. Just it is with God to trouble sinners on Earth.

[Obs. 2] In times of public judgment God doth in a manner leave his Majesty and Roialty in Heaven, to set things in order here on earth. And surely it will be to their cost when God thus comes, do but view the terribleness of God's coming down: in Psal 18.9, 10. Darkness and coals of fire were under his feet: God seems to speak as a father to his children, what must I come to you, will you force me to come among you, if I do, it shall be to your cost.

I will return unto my place.] When I have afflicted them, I will go to Heaven and there will I sit, and my administrations shall be such towards them, as if I regarded them not: as a Prince that goes from the poor subject to his seat of dignity and minds not the poor prisoner.

[Obs. 3] The administrations of God sometimes even to His own people may be such as if He regarded them not: they may be so left in the hands of the wicked that they may think God hath forsaken them, and given them over into their hands, and God's people may conclude so and think that God is gone and hath now hid Himself forever; as a poor child in misery in one Country, and his father in another, thinks thus, I am in trouble and sorrow, and I have a father, but he is in another Country, and I know not when he will come again: so God may go to His place, and the soul may seek Him but he is now gone, He is in another place, the Saints should be encouraged notwithstanding to look up to God, and know though God be gone, yet there is a way to bring Him down again, Psal. 18.9. God was shut up in the Heavens, and His people cried to Him in their distress, then the Lord bowed the Heavens and came down; Let me make hast saith God, I must go to the help of My people, therefore that I may make speed, let the Heavens bow before me. So in Isa. 64.1, 2. the Church there cries out, Oh that thou wouldst rend the Heavens and come down, 'tis true Lord thou art in Heaven and there is thy Majesty and glory, but oh that thou wouldst come down, and help us, Prayer as it will rend the Heavens to get up to God so it will rend the Heavens for God to come down to man, Lord if thou wilt go to thy place, then what will become of thy glory? In the world thou hadst service and honor done unto thee by the creature, thy Sainss offered sacrifice to thee; though sometimes God seemeth to answer, I care not for this, I can and will have honor to myself in some other way.

Further we may observe, When wicked men are in perplexity, [Obs. 4] then God enjoys himself in his perfection: Ezek. 18.4. When they are in wrath and sorrow, and God hath not that service frō them in external worship which he hath had; but I care not, I will return unto my place, and enjoy myself in my glory: and in this is the misery of the damned in Hell, we are herein eternal torments and horror, but what doth God lose by this? He is in his glory and enjoys Himself in perfect rest.

But how long will it be before God return? will he always absent Himself?

No. Till they acknowledge their sin. From the Connection of these words with the former, we may observe;

That God sometimes turns his back upon sinners, until they return [Obs. 1] unto him and acknowledge their sin. And this is the best way for God to deal with some kind of men, let them but feel a little of the smart of trouble, and then they will consider: as many men who are willful they will do so and so, their wills shall be their law; now the best way to tame these men is, let them see what will come of it, and the evil which will follow upon their willfulness will be the best convincement to them. So says God, My Prophets and my Messengers can do no good upon them, therefore let them alone, According to that 1 King. 8.47. If they will bethink themselves and repent. And this is a most prudential way, to deal with men who are willful and stubborn.

Till they acknowledge their sin] Note, That when God comes [Obs. 2] to his people, as in his judgment, so in his ways of mercy he leaves his place and ma • esty, He humbles Himself to behold what is done upon the earth; 'tis a kind of self-denial in God to meddle with man at all: As 'tis a mighty condescension in a Prince to come from his throne to visit and comfort poor men in dungeons and prisons: Surely such prisoners need honor such a Prince, for he coms from his throne to visit them: how much more then had we need to honor God for his love towards us?

But to come more close to the words in the original, they are, Till they become guilty in their own hearts, and acknowledge themselves to be so. It sign • fies, to offend, to be guilty, to be desolate, and to sacrifice for sin; all these significations this word Asham will bear.

Untill they become guilty.] Were they not guilty before? Would God have them more guilty? No, but God would have them convinced of their sin, to be guilty of it, to accuse themselves for it, and clear God in all, and to behave themselves as guilty persons with sorrow and shame; and lastly, to acknowledge themselves as guilty persons before God and men: 'It is true, as soon as ever the sin is committed the person is bound over, being guilty, but then in special he is said to be guilty when he acknowledges himself to be so.

[Quest.] But here's a Question: W • en was this disposition wrought in them? hath it ever yet been? or is it still to be fulfilled and accomplished?

[Answ.] I answer, That it was in part made good at their coming out of Captivity, Hence Daniel (chap. 9. verse. 5.) in the name of the whole Church speaks after this manner, We have sinned and done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts &c. What heaps of expressions hath he there to set out their turning? Also Ezra. 9.13. & 15. it was fulfilled: and in Nehe. 9.16. all these 3. Prophets prophesied after Hosea, though in our Bible placed before him. This text is fulfilled again in Jer. 31.18. Ephraim was then guilty when he was found bemoning himself. Again, it was fulfilled when Christ was preached, Acts, 2.37. When they heard this they were pricked in their hearts. And certain it is this Prophesy had an aim at Christ. But this Scripture shall principally be fulfilled at the calling of the Jews, then they shall become guilty; Zach. 12. They shall look on him whom they have pierced &c.

[Obs. 2] That such is the pride of men's spirits by nature, That so l • ng as they prosper in their sins, they will even contest with God Himself: Malac. 3.7. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? Is not this the speech of many proud spirits? being taxed about any crime, they presently answer, Wherein have they done such and such things? Remarkable is that of Saul, 1 Sam. 15.13. when he told the Prophet he had performed the commandment of the Lord; then Samuel labors to convince him of his sin saying, What meaneth the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the oxen? yet in the 20. verse he is at it again, I have obeyed the commandment of the Lord. It was otherwise with David when the Prophet came to him, I have sinned against the Lord, 2 Sam. 12.13. 'tis a good sign of a soul truly humbled when it can join issue with the word. Affliction sanctified brings men to see their sins and to acknowledge their guiltiness. God in afflictions marks men out, and then Conscience will prey upon a man, as Simeon and Levi fell upon the men of Shechem, for then they were sore and unable to resist; in time of affliction then thou shalt find conscience hard enough for thee; what pangs of conscience have men in their sickness? saying as he in Prov. 5.12. How have I hated instruction and my heart despis • d repro • f? Oh what a deal of guilt is opened and discovered in an affliction? afflictions are to the soul as earthquakes to the ground, which open the graves and discovers abundance of filth.

It is a sign of a very hard heart not to confess in affliction when God's hand is upon us, Pharaoh would do thus: and 'tis that which God r • quires. Joshua bids Acan, Give glory to God my son and confess; Conf • ssi • n give • glory to God, and when thou standest ou • in this thing, thou opposest God in his glory. L • timer reports of a man in his time who was to be executed at Oxford for some villainy, being brought to the place of execution, much means was used to him, that he would confess the act, but none could prevail, being turned off, and after a space hanging he was cut down, and when he was cut down, they pe • ceived he was not quite dead, they carrying him to a fire, and by means used came to himself, and then he confessed all of himself to the full. This example may show us thus much, not always to conclude men are not guilty, when they confess nothing, there is that stoutness in the hearts of men, that they will rather venture damnation, than yield to men.

[Obs. 3] God will have his glory from us; If we do not acknowledge our guiltiness by lesser judgments, he will continue them, and ad more to them till we confess and give glory to him: This is the reason that we are so long under trouble because we will not confess when we are called for to do it; [Use] sin in the conscience lies as filthy corrupted matter in a sore, which throbs belks and aches till it be opened and let out; so in the consciences of men, there is much guilt, and that lies throbing in the conscience, no ease can be got, God calls for confession, but it will not be, and no true peace can be enjoyed any other way; Oh therefore sinner confess, and give glory to God: How many are there who have lain a long time under anguish of spirit, till they have taken this course freely and fully to confess sin committed, lying heavy and burdensome upon the conscience? Neglect not this duty when you are called to it, it is an Ordinance appointed by God for the easing of troubled souls, and when you cannot get peace any other way, having used other means and yet God withholds the light of his countenance, then are you called to confess to others; see what course David took, and how he sped, Psal. 39.2, 3, 4. I was dumb, I held my peace, I roared and was vexed, but I said, I would confess my sin, and shame myself for them, and then thou forgavest the sin of thy servant. Mark here, there was some sin which lay upon David's conscience, and he could not get peace in again, what course takes he? I (said he) did but say, I would confess; and then thou forgavest my sin, thou diddest then seal a pardon to me. Oh take this course, and thou shalt have the like success. God comes to thee in a sickness • , and saith, sinner, Guilty, or not guilty? give God then the glory of an humble confession. 'It is true, to confess offenses against men to men, there may be danger in it, making us liable to trouble: but confession of offenses against God never causes trouble.

And seek my face,] that is, my Favor, my Son, and my Ordinances, for in the general, God's face is nothing else, but God's manifestation of himself, in his Love in his Son, in his Ordinances: and 'tis a most blessed thing thus to behold God's face, Revel. 22.4. this is that which David so earnestly prayed for, Lord lift up the light if thy countenance upon me: one sight of God is better than all the world. To see God any way is sweet, but to see him in Christ this is most excellent: In the world we have nothing of God but his very footsteps, but in Christ there is the chief manifestation of the wisdom, mercy, and love of God to poor lost man; and in the Ordinances there God chiefly lets out himself in an especial manner, These are the Three things which show unto us the meaning of those words. [And seek my face.] The Notes from them are these.

'It is not enough to acknowledge our sins, but we must seek God's [Obs. 1] face. The heart in the work of humiliation must be active: that soul which is truly humbled before God, must be lively and active after God, else our humiliation is worth nothing in the sight of God: When the heart is sullen, lumpish, and sinking in its humiliation God looks not at it, Ezek. 33.10. we read of some who are said to pine away in their sin. Many men when God begins to afflict them with their sins, and put them into some trouble of spirit, they pine away in their iniquity: it is a very ill sign when humiliation makes men dull, sullen, and unserviceable, hindering them from duty, when men lie down under their trouble discontented and melancholy; therefore here's the trial of our trouble of conscience whether it be right or no; if from melancholy it duls the heart puts it out of all spirit and activity, disabling it wholly from service; but if true, it enlivens the heart, and puts activity into the spirits though naturally dull, and lumpish, it puts the soul in ways of activity for God, when they have to do with God; this is a very good sign that such trouble for sin is right and good. The melting of Lead consumes the Lead, but the melting of Silver doth but refine and purify it: so the trouble of a carnal heart melts and consumes it, but a gracious spirit will abide the fire, and comes out purified and bettered; therefore repentance is set out by a word of activity, Isa. 55.1, 2. Come, buy wine and milk. Mat. 11.20. Come unto me: The frame of a true repenting heart is in an active coming posture, fitted for any service.

[Obs. 2] When God leaves his people, he leaves something behind him, which causeth the heart to make after him; The soul hath her eyes upon God, looking after Him.

Therefore much are they to be reproved, who are so full of their sad conclusions, and desperate speeches, from such as these the Lord is gone, and he will never return again, I am undone and lost forever, there is no hope, to Hell I must go: but a gracious heart in the darkest night of sorrow and trouble can see some glimpse of light and comfort, saying as that good man, Ezra. 9.2. Yet there is hope in Israel concerning this thing, and as the Church in Isa. 42.24. Who gave Jacob for a spoil and Israel to the robbers? did not the Lord? he against whom we have sinned? What then? yet O Israel fear not.

Let us lay up this for sad times to support our spirits withal, we know not what sad and black days we may see, yet know that we cannot be in a sadder condition than Ephraim was in here, to have God to be to us as a moth and as a Lyon to tear and devour us: many make their conditions worse by their desperate conclusions. Austin saith, that David prayed earnestly that he might not be cast out from that face which he had offended: Is God angry with us or the Kingdom? let us not run away from him, but earnestly seek him.

[Obs. 3] True repentance, is not so much to seek our own ease, as God's face; the face of God is more in the heart and thoughts of a true penitent, than its own ease, 2 Chron. 7.14. If my people humble themselves and seek my face, then will I hear in Heaven. We may seek our own good, but we must go beyond it, 'tis God and not ourselves only which we must seek after in our seekings after God: This hath been the practice of the Saints, Psal. 63.1. Oh God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee, my soul thirsteth for thee in a dry and barren land; not for water in a dry land, but for thy face. So Isa. 26.8. In the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee. We seek God in our days of humiliation and that earnestly; but what are our ends? Is it that we may have our peace, our ease, our estates, and our lives? Indeed we may desire and seek for these, but is it the face of God we seek more than these? if it be, we have hopes of speeding in our requests.

But what is God's face? Ut amplecterentur verbum & cultos in verbo propositos, hec propriem est facies Dei, qua se revelat, & nobis conspicuendum offert: It is the word, and God's worship propounded in the word &c. saith Calvin, as upon this place, so on that, Seek ye my face. Whence observe,

God's Ordinances and Worship are his face. The soul never [Obs. 1] comes to know God or have communion with Him, so as in these; in other things darkly, in these with open face. The creatures are but his footsteps; these His countenance, whereby we know him better than by the other.

Again, observe, Repenting hearts are very solicitous about God's [Obs. 2] Ordinances, and the right way of his worship. As soon as they begin to know God and themselves, they begin to disrelish those ways of worship, that went down with them well enough before.

In times of public calamity, the main thing we should [Obs. 3] seek after, is, The Worship of God, His Name and His Ordinances. Though our sufferings are great, yet we should pray, Lord, take a care of thy great Name, Ordinances, and Worship, which are dearer unto us than anything in the world, therefore O Lord, whether we have peace or no, liberties or no, estates or not, take care of these and it sufficeth; Let England enjoy but thy Name, thy Ordinances, and the government of thy Son, and we have enough, Lord, thou knowest our peace, our lives, and estates are dear unto us, and we desire them all, but thy Gospel, thy Presence, & the manifestation of thy Face above all, and seeking of peace is all in order to this. Oh that this frame of spirit were found in us! then how soon would the Lord return and heal all our breaches, destroy our enemies, and settle us in a sure peace? See 1 King. 8.44. If they in their afflictions look towards the Temple. So Psal. 78.7. All my fresh springs, they are in thee. It follows,

Hezekiah sends to the Prophet, Isa. 37.3. and tells him that it was a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy, as it is with us at this day; therefore saith he, Lift up thy prayer for the remnant which is left: and saith my text, In their afflictions they will seek me early. We have many rumors of people's gathering together, and each discovering their poor spirits being dejected and cast down with every rumour of fear, my text saith, Come, let us return unto the Lord, for he hath torn and he will heal, he hath smitten and he will bind up, therefore let our conversations be as becometh our text; providence at this time hath cast us upon a very seasonable word the Lord make it as suitable, The words are the beginning of the sixth chapter in the Septuagint translation, & Jerome begins the sixth chapter with these words, and join (come let us return) with them: the words are a prophesy of what the Lord will work in his people Judah, God saith that he will return unto his place, till they acknowledge their sin; and here they say, Come let us return unto the Lord: this was God's aim in tearing them, and he had his end in it, now from the Conexion of these two, God's wounding, and their returning unto him again, observe.

[Obs. 1] That what good God aims at in his administrations to his Elect he will have it. In my tearing them I aim at their good, and I will accomplish it; and those means which God useth to effect this God will see that it shall perform it: God useth many means, his Word, his Works, and his Encouragements, and all these are of very great force and power to effect this, yet in the ungodly it doth not, but to the Elect it shall; God leaves not them to the means, but he will see the means to effect that good upon them which they want. When God sends the Gospel to any place, there are two sorts of people, Reprobates and Elect; now God doth to them all that is fit for him to do, now if they do not, or will not receive it, he goes his way and leaves the Reprobates to themselves, but to the Elect he follows them on with the means and accomplisheth the good he aims at: some express it thus, A man hath his servant and his child sick of the stone, he provides a remedy for both; brings the Surgeon to his servant, tell • him that he is willing to be at the cost, but the servant refuseth, rather choosing to endure the misery and pain: the master seeing his refusal goes away, and comes to his child, the child refuseth likewise, but now here the father goes not away, but commands his child to be bound, and will see the Surgeon to perform his office: so God offers the means to all, the Reprobates refuse it, God lets them alone, the Saints they refuse it also, but God will not take it so from them but sets the means home upon them by his almighty power.

But touching the words themselves, They will seek me early; the Hebrew hath but one word to express all these by, and it is this, Jeshachruneni, as if he should say, they shall morning me, they shall come in the morning of their time and seek me. For the further opening these words.

What time doth this seeking of God refer itself unto? when did the Jews thus seek God?

1. This refers itself unto these three times; as first, when the seventy years were at an end, & this was fulfild in Dan. 9 Ezr. 9. and Nehem. 9. than they sought God early, when their sorrows and oppressions were greater than in Egypt as Jeremiah in the Lamentations expresses it.

2. Under their captivity & oppression by the Romans, which was when Christ came into the world, at that time when three thousand were converted at one Sermon which Peter preached to them, Act. 2. And multitudes came in daily. Act. 21.20.

3. At the calling of the Jews, who are now in a most sad and deplorable condition, and at their calling shall this be principally fulfilled.

How did they seek God in any of th • se times early? for in Daniel's time, he saith, All this evil is come upon us, yet made we not our prayers before the Lord, chap. 9. ver. 13. they never prayed to God in all the time of their captivity with any seriousness till the end of it came: Then for the second time how did they seek God early when Christ came, when the Scripture tells us, John. 7.11. That he came unto his own, but his own received him not; they crucified him, and were very bitter enemies to him, even to the death. And for the third time, at the calling of the Jews, how did they seek him early? for it's two thousand three hundred years since this prophesy was spoken, and yet they have not sought God, how then is this fulfilled, that they sought God early?

[Answ, 1] For resolution, Interpreters answer that this is to be understood not in respect of the time, but as soon as they came to be illuminated, to have their eyes open, to see anything of the truth, in the morning of their day of grace; as in Cyrus his time, and upon a sudden in Peters Sermon, and hereafter, the coming of the Son of man shall be as the lightning: this time seems to be called the day-star arising in their hearts, 2 Pet. 1. The calling of the Jews shall be suddenly, therefore in the 2. of the Revelation 28. they are promised to have the morning star to arise, that is, some beginnings of a day of grace, those which overcome shall partake of the good of that day, and then shall be the time in which the people shall seek God early.

[Answ, 2] Seek me early.] that is, seek me diligently, Prov. 7.15. Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee: I came forth to seek thee early in the morning, the word is the same with this in the text, and thus this was fulfilled in the time of their captivity, Nehem. 4.17, 18, 19, 20. they built the walls diligently, or inflamedly, having their weapons in one hand, and their tools in the other: so the spouse she sought Christ diligently; and in the Apostles time Acts. 2. they cry out, Men and brethren what shall we do? They were wonderful solicitous in their seekings of Christ, and when the Jews are called 'tis prophesied of them, that they shall be as doves flying to the wind • ws, Isa. 60 8. Hence observe.

[Obs. 1] In the forest and greatest aff • ictions which befall the people of God, God intends their good in them. I will return unto my place, that they may seek me early: in all this that is come upon them, I intend them no hurt, but every way much good, Isa. 27.9. By this the iniquity of Jacob shall be purged, and this is all the fruit, the taking away of their sin, Isa. 16.14. compared with the 9. and there we may see God's different dealing in afflicting the wicked and the godly, in the 14. verse we have God's dealing with the wicked, They are dead, they shall not live; they are diseased, they shall not rise. The wicked they are dead, and being dead, shall never rise: but in the 19. verse, when he speaks of the Saints he saith, Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they rise. God's word shows a great deal of difference between the anger of God, and the anger of men, men when they are angry seek the destruction sometimes of those with whom they are angry; but God loves them in his anger; the spring of God's anger to his people is love: the outward administrations of God both to the wicked and the godly may be one and the same, yet the root from whence they come much different, they may be love and kindness to the one, but wrath and hatred to the other.

We may note, the little honor which God hath in the world: [Obs. 2] God here speaks of his own people, they seek him, but it is but seldom, except when in afflictions, and if the service be but small which they perform, what is it he hath from other men? If men make use of you for their necessities, and in their extremities only, you take it unkindly, and think they serve themselves more than respect you.

Oh how ill may God take it then from us, [Use.] when he seldom or never hears from us but in our extremities.

Times of afflictions are times of seeking of God: this is the Apostles [Obs. 3] advice, Is any afflicted? let him pray, James 5.13. and Isa. 26.16. They poured out a prayer unto thee when thy chas • ening was upon them, and in their affliction they visited thee: they poured out a prayer to thee, it was not dropping, now and then, but it was violent, and it was a pouring, and it was continual, a prayer (not prayers) in the singular number, noting that they made their prayers, but a • one continued act, the word prayer in this text signifies enchantment, as in the speaking of three or four words there is much efficacy being an enchantment: so here, their prayers, were very powerful to prevail with God.

[Reas.] In the time of affliction the soul sees that it hath to deal with God; the false medium of things are then taken away; they see sin as sin, the false glosses wherewith sin was wont to be set out withal, are then removed. Luther saith, that many of Paul's Epistles could not be understood but by the cross. Men in prosperity can dispute against the Truth, and grow wanton with it, but let God but lay his hand upon them, how easily will they yield? Afflictions awaken the conscience so that the Truths of God come with more power, Job, 33.16. and Job, 36.10. He openeth their ears to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity: He commandeth them in another way to return from iniquity then. Did not God command them before? but not with that power and efficacy, the voice of prayer is very pleasing to God when fervent.

[Obs. 4] When the Lord is pleased to work grace in the heart, that heart is taken off from all creature helps; they dare not go with Ephraim to King Jareb. (How are they then to be blamed who seek to the Devil for help in distress?) they dare not go to Councils or to Armies for releef, but to God; it is too much to rest upon men, much more upon the Devil: Do any of you go to Enchanters or Wisards to find God? you may seek him but shall not find him.

[Obs. 5] We are not to be discouraged in our seeking of God, though our afflictions drive us to it. This people sought God, but their afflictions did drive them to it, yet God accepted them.

[Use.] Sit not down despairing in your afflictions, saying, God will never be gracious, our seeking Him is to no purpose: It is true, God may justly say to us, as Jephthah said to the people, Do you now come to me in your distress? So God may say, do you now come to me in your sorrows and miseries, and cast me off in your prosperity? I confess it is very dangerous venturing the putting off our seeking of God till then, but if then God be pleased to work upon your hearts, be not discouraged but seek him still. So Joel saith, That in his affliction he sought the Lord: But did the Lord answer him? Yea, his requests were granted.

Note, That every seeking of God is not sufficient; it must be early [Obs. 6] seeking of Him.

Now men are said to seek God early.

When?

1. It is, in the morning of their years; when young ones shall make this text true in the letter of it, it is wonderful pleasing to God: It may be God laid his hand upon thee in thy youth, and then God revealed the knowledge of Himself to thee, thy misery by sin, thy remedy in his Son, so that the Churches prayer, was thine, Psal. 90.14. O satisfy us early with thy mercy: How many sins are by this prevented? Your father, or master (if godly) would give a world (if they had it) that they had begun sooner to serve the Lord, and to seek him early; therefore bless God who hath put it into your hearts to seek him: John was the young Disciple, and he in his youth began to know Christ; and of all the Disciples none had that respect shown them as John had: for it is said that he lay in Christ's bosom, and Christ loved him.

2. As this is acceptable in the morning of our years, so in the morning of God's revealing Himself; as soon as ever God begins to discover Himself, we should then seek Him early, when the soul saith as Paul said, Acts, 26.19. I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, neither consulted I with flesh and blood. Hath God set up a light in your consciences? and hath it discovered to you your misery? and have you hearkened unto the voice of your consciences? What have you done since? Is sin reformed? Are you changed in the inner-man? Is Christ formed in you, and exalted upon his throne in your hearts? Is your will subjected to the will of God, and your whole man delivered up to the government of God? This were happy if it were so: But contrariwise, is sin let in, and liked of as well as ever after these stirrings and convictions of consci • nce? Then are you far from the number of those who are early seekers of God.

3. When we seek Him with diligence, and with fervency, not in a formal way. When God's hand is out against us, He then looks that we should seek him with intentiveness of spirit; See how the Church seeks God with diligence, Isa. 26.9. With my soul have I desired thee in the night season; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek the early. When was this? In a grievous night of affliction, when they were in great troubles, then to seek God early, with their spirits within them, this is most emphatical. So, Acts, 12.5. prayer was made by the Church for Peter, without ceasing, it was continued prayer, prayer stretched out; even so ought our prayers to be, lifted up with fervency: true prayer is active and working; the fervent prayer of the righteous prevails much with God Jam. 5.16. Lively working prayers are prevailing prayers.

[Quest.] But what is it to seek God diligently?

[Answ. 1] When we seek God with all other things under our feet, when all other things are sought in order to this. The soul is carried after the seeking of God with a panting and longing desire, as the Hart after the water brooks.

[Answ. 2] To seek God early is, to seek him with our whole heart; The heart is not divided in the work, every part is employed; as Jehoshaphat, 2 Chron. 20.23. feared and set himself to seek the Lord, he gave his whole self to the duty.

[Answ. 3] When the soul bears down all difficulties in seeking of God, when nothing shall keep him off his wook: as Jacob wrestled with God, and would not be put off without the blessing, Gen. 32.24. So the woman of Canaan, how earnestly did she seek to Christ for her daughter? and would not be put off by difficulties, Matt. 15.22, 23, 24, 25.

[Answ. 4] When no means is neglected to be used, whereby that may be had which we seek for; The soul tries this means, and the other duty, and follows God in all his ways that it may find him; as the poor woman which followed Christ from place to place to touch the hem of his garment, Christ could not be hid from her.

5. Resolutions for to die seeking of God, is earnest seeking of God: it's our constant practice living, and our resolutions dying: as Jacob, the nearer the dawning of the day approached, the more earnest was he. How contrary are the practices of too many, who at the first seek God early and earnestly too, yet after a while leave off and grow cold: Oh that it were not thus with us at this day; the Lord hath brought us low at this time, yea how sad is our condition at this time! 'It is true, there is a spirit of seeking abroad in the Land, but now God calls for a quickening of this, we should now put an edge upon our seeking of God; Be fervent in spirit serving the Lord, in the original 'tis, boiling in spirit; let us so seek him now, that hereafter we may praise him; Psal. 22.26. they shall praise the Lord that seek him: your hearts shall live forever. How sweet are those mercies which are won by prayer, and worn with praises? Therefore now stir up the gift that is within you: you that never prayed before, pray now; and you that have prayed before, quicken up your diligence, and double your care: How much better it it to seek God than men? to cry to God for mercy, than to cursed men? God might have made your condition to have been the condition of your brethren; How many are this day running for their lives, and begging of their lives at the hands of barbarous, merciless, blood-sucking monsters! and you are yet in peace seeking your God, for yourselves and them.

But it may be asked, Why should we seek God? [Quest.] Can we do anything to move God? Will God be ever the sooner entreated by us.

I answer, No, that is not the meaning of the words, [Answ.] that we can alter or change God's mind; but such exhortations as these, are to make us fit and to prepare us for mercy, to boil and raise our spirits to a suitable frame and disposition for mercies expected and looked for. And thus we leave this rich Mine of the fifth Chapter, which hath been so frui • full in affording many choice truths; and come to the sixth Chapter, a rich Mine also of heavenly and most seasonable Directions, no less useful than the former.

CHAP. VI.

VERS. I.
• Observ. 1.
• WHen God's time of mercy is come, He puts a spirit of seeking into men Page 531
• Obs. 2 A joint turning to God is very honorable Ibid
• Obs. 3 Times of mercy are joining times Page 532
• Obs. 4 A true penitent heart seeks to get others to join with him. ibid
• Obs. 5 A penitent heart retains good thoughts of God in time of suffering ibid
• Obs. 6 A penitent heart is not discouraged Page 534
• Obs. 7 When God intends good to a people, he leaves them intimation of his love Page 536
• Obs. 8. Apprehension of mercy causes the heart to turn Page 537
• Obs. 9 The Saints make their healing not a fruit of their returning but of God's mercy ib.

VERS. II.
• Opened Page 538
• Obs. 1 God's own people may lie for dead in their own eyes. Page 540
• Use 1 Do not draw dark conclusions from God's dealing ibid
• Use 2 Be not impatient in prayer Page 541
• Obs. 2 God's reviving his people is not long in God's, nor the Saints eyes Page 542
• Obs. 3 Faith makes God's reviving real in the saddest condition ibid
• Obs. 4 Mercies after two days death are reviving mercies. Page 544
• Obs. 5 The real sight of deliverance puts the soul upon returning Page 547
• Obs. 6 The apprehension of the death and resurrection of Christ is a special help to faith in affliction Page 549
• Obs. 7 When God grants mercies he would have his people to be of lively spirits Page 549
• Obs. 8 When God is reconciled to a people his face is towards them ibid
• Obs. 9 The eye of God upon his people is their safety Page 550
• Obs. 10 God's people's life consists in God's favor ib.
• Obs. 11 Faith raiseth the soul high ibid
• Obs. 12 It is the care of the Saints to walk as in God's sight Page 551

VERS. III.
• Obs. 1. True penitents turn to God that they may know God. Page 554
• Obs. 2 No man can turn to God but as God's face is towards him Page 555
• Obs. 3 The knowledge of God is a very comfortable thing to the Saints. ibid
• Obs. 4 The more men turn to God the more they shall know of him ibid
• Obs. 5 Those that know something of God desire to know more. Page 556
• Obs. 6 A gracious heart endeavors strongly after the knowledge of God ibid
• Obs. 7 It is a blessed thing for a man to take notice of God's revealings Page 557
• Obs. 8 Those that follow on to know God shall know more of him ib.
• Obs. 9 One mercy makes way for another Page 558
• Obs. 10 The times of God's delivery is in the morning Page 561.
• Obs. 11 The Church hath no afflictions but there comes a morning after them ibid
• Obs. 12 It is God's presence that makes the morning to the Saints ibid
• Obs. 13. God's mercies to his people are prepared and decreed Page 562
• Obs. 14 The Saints in affliction comfort themselves that morning is coming ibid
• Obs. 15 The Saints night is darkest a little before their deliverance ibid
• Obs. 16 God's delivery is by degrees ibid
• Obs. 17 God's deliverance is like rain to the corn. ibid
• Obs. 18 God's mercies to his people are seasonable and suitable Page 563
• Use, Let us be seasonable in duty Page 565
• Obs. 19 When God hath begun with mercy to his people he will go on Page 566
• Use, Let us do so with God in obedience ibid
• Obs. 20 God's mercies to his people procure much good ib.
• Obs. 21 God's people's deliverance comes from heaven ib.
• Obs. 22 God's people's deliverance cannot be hindered Page 567
• Obs. 23 We should make a spiritual use of God's works in his creatures. ibid

VERS. IV.
• Obs. 1 God doth not willingly grieve men Page 569
• Obs. 2 We should not think much to lose our pains with others ibid
• Obs. 3 It it a speceal means to humble men to consider what means hath been used to do them good Page 570
• Obs. 4 God many times seems to be in a straight what to do with men ib.
• Obs. 5 The condition of people is sad when no means will do them good Page 572
• Obs. 6 It goes nigh the heart of God to see men perverse ibid
• Obs. 7 For a man to make good beginnings and let them fall, is grievous to God and dangerous to a man's self Page 581
• Grievous to God
  • 1 Because God is holy Page 582
  • 2 He is unchangeable ib.
  • 3 It stifles the conceptions of the spirit ibid
  • 4 Such people cannot be trusted ibid
  • 5 There is no fear of God before their eyes ibid
  • 6 It pollutes God's Name. ib.
  • 7 Religion is looked upon by such, as a thing indifferent ibid
  • 8 They never had good beginnings ibid
• Dangerous to a man's self.
  • 1 Because we lose many opportunities Page 583
  • 2 We shall never grow to any eminency ibid
  • 3 It hardens the heart. ibid
  • 4 It aggravates sin ibid
  • 5 It spoils the acception of our services ibid
  • 6 It damps our hearts in duty ibid
• Means to persevere.
  • 1 Trust not in sudden flashes Page 584
  • 2 Get your hearts off from earthly engagements. Page 585
  • 3 Take heed of secret sins ib.
  • 4. Take often accompt of your hearts ib
  • 5 Never trust your hearts after reviving ib.
  • 6 Humble yourselves after good desires Page 586
  • 7 Rest not in beginnings Page 587

VERS. V
• Obs. 1 When God comes against false Prophets, he looks the people should not be led by them. Page 588
• Obs. 2 Inconstancy in Religion provokes God's anger Page 592
• Obs. 3 Many men's hearts are like knotty timber Page 593
• Obs. 4 God's Ministers are hewers ibid
• Obs. 5 When Ministers hew, God hews Page 594
• Obs. 6 God's Ministers are God's tools Page 595
• Obs. 7 God's Ministers are God's mouth Page 596
• Obs. 8 The Word of God is of great power ibid
• Obs. 9 God's judgments lie dark when men go on in a prosperous way of sinning Page 597
• Obs. 10 God hath his time to punish openly ibid
• Obs. 11 God will have his time to convince men ibid
• Obs. 12. God's judgments are gradual ibid
• Obs. 13. The more powerful the Ministry is, the more sharp shall the judgment be if despised. Page 598

VERS. VI.
• Opened Page 600
• Objections answered Page 601
• Obs. 1 Carnal hearts are very cruel in their dealings Page 614
• Obs. 2 Carnal hearts think to satisfy their consciences by observing outward Ordinances ibid
• Obs. 3 God and men's consciences will not be put off ibid
• Obs. 4 The Lord hath an highesteem of mercy Page 615
• Obs. 5 It is a Christians skill, when two duties come together, which to choose ibid
• Obs 6. If God's Worship may be forborne in case of mercy; how much more men's Institutions. ibid
• Obs. 7 God will have mercy rather than desputing about sacrifice Page 616
• Obs. 8 Mercy must be preferred before our own wills Page 617
  • Objections answered Page 619
• Obs. 9 The duties of the first and second Table are joined together ibid
  • Use, Instruct your children and servants in this knowledge Page 620
• Obs. 10 Men may be very diligent in worship and yet very ignorant ibid
• Obs. 11. Soul-worship must be preferred before all other. ibid

VERS. VII
• Obs. 1 It is God's goodness that He enters into covenant with such poor creatures as we are Page 623
• Obs. 2. God is constant in His Covenant with men. ibid
• Obs. 3 Mans nature is very weak Page 624
• Obs. 4 The apprehension of our obligation should keep us within covenant ibid
• Obs. 5 Breach of covenant is a grievous agravation of sin ib.
• Obs. 6 God expects that of His people which everyone cannot do. Page 625
• Obs. 7 Men may do many services and yet be Covenant breakers ibid
• Obs. 8. The sins of Saints which break Covenant are sins of a double die ibid
• Obs. 9. The want of the right knowledge of God is the cause of breach of Covenant ib.
• Obs. 10 There can be no Covenant kept where there is no mercy. Page 626
• Obs. 11. We should be humbled because we break Covenant with God ibid

VERS. VIII.
• Obs. 1 Through man's wickedness the best of God's Ordinances ar corrupted Page 628
• Obs. 2 We must not judge of places as they have been heretofore ibid
• Obs. 3 Places of Religion, if corrupted, are the worst of all others ibid
• Obs. 4 It is abominable to be a worker of iniquity ibid
• Obs. 5 Clergy men (if wicked) are the worst of all others ib.
• Obs. 6 Wicked Clergy men overthrow whole Nations Page 629
• Obs. 7 False worship and tyranny are joined together ibid
• Obs. 8 None so cruel as Clergy men ibid

VERS. IX.
• Obs. 1 Wicked Ministers are most outrageous against those that leave them Page 630
• Obs. 2 Wicked Ministers wait to do mischief ibid
• Obs. 3 Many men are nearest undoing when most secure ibid
• Obs. 4 Wicked men abuse the esteem others have of them ib.
• Obs. 5 Judges are least called to an accompt for wrongs ib.
• Obs. 6. None plot mischief so much as Clergy men Page 631
• Obs. 7 Plotted wickedness is most vile ibid

VERS. X.
• Obs. 1 Idolatry is a horrible sin Page 632

VERS. XI.
• Obs, 1 The sins of the people are seeds for a harvest of judgment Page 635
• Obs. 2 God hath a set time for judgment ibid
• Obs. 3 In judgment the Lord remembers mercy for his people ibid

CHAP. VII.

VERS. I.
• Obs. 1 In great Cities there is all manner of evils Page 637
• Obs. 2 The sins of a Kingdom are the sores of a Kingdom. Page 638
• Obs. 3 The Lord is the healer of a Kingdom Page 639
• Obs. 4 God doth not will things according to his omnipotency Page 640
• Obs. 5 Much wickedness lies hid many times in a Kingdom Page 641
• England's wickedness.
  • 1 Bitterness against the power of godliness Page 641
  • 2 A sordid spirit. Page 642
  • 3 A trtacherous spirit ibid
  • 4 A blasphemous spirit ib.
  • 5 A bloody spirit ib.
  • 6 A spirit of division ib.
  • 7 An oppressing spirit Page 643
  • 8 A spirit of envy ib.
  • 9 A spirit of superstition ib.
  • 10 A wanton spirit ib.
  • 11 An unmerciful spirit ib.
• Obs. 6 It is a forerunner of mischief when people are false in their relations Page 647
• Obs. 7 There is much secret wickedness in men of false Religions ib.

VERS. II.
• Obs. 1 It is a good thing to be often speaking with ones own heart Page 648
• Obs. 2 God remembers wickedness a long time. Page 649
• Obs. 3 Wicked men consider not that God remembers their wickedness ib.
• Obs. 4 When God punisheth sin be manifesteth that he remembers it Page 650

VERS. III.
• Obs. 1 Wicked people are easily led aside by their Governors Page 655
• Obs. 2. Governors ought not to be obeyed when their comands are unlawful. ibid
• Obs. 3 It is a vile wickedness to flatter Princes Page 653
• Obs. 4 It is a vile thing to be made glad with wickedness Page 654
• Obs. 5 That King is in a sad condition when his ends must be accomplished by wickedness ibid
• Obs. 6 Idolatry is a lie in God's account Page 656
• Obs. 7 Idolaters further their worship with lies ibid
• Obs. 8 It is an evil thing to make men glad with lies. Page 657

VERS. IV.
• Opened and applied Page 658

VERS. V
• Obs. 1 Festival days are usually distempering days Page 662
• Obs. 2 Drunkenness is an old Court sin Page 663
• Obs. 3 Drunkenness breeds diseases ibid
• Obs. 4 Sensual Courtiers are for the most part great scorners Page 666
• Obs. 5 Times of feasting are times of contemning Religion ibid
• Obs. 6 The right way of worship is slighted by carnal hearts. ib.
• Obs. 7 When Kings hearts are against Relegion, they shall never want pestilent wits to further their designs Page 667

VERS. VI.
• Obs. 1 God will be hot in judgment as men are hot in sin. Page 668

VERS. VII.
• Obs. When Governors set up false worship it should quicken our prayers Page 670

VERS. VIII.
• Opened Page 673

VERS IX.
• Obs. 1 The hearts of wicked men work strongly after their lusts

VERS. X.
• Obs. 1 God expects we should turn upon afflictions Page 679
• Obs. 2 Afflictions if not sanctified never turn the heart ib.
• Obs. 3 Not to turn in Affliction is a great aggravation of sin ibid

VERS. XI.
• Obs. 1 Men are not excused though seduced by others. Page 680

VERS. XII.
• Obs. 1 It is just that those which go out of God's way should be ensnared Page 682
• Obs. 2 God may for a time let wicked men prosper in their ways Page 685
• Obs. 3 Sinners had need regard what they hear out of God's Word Page 684
• Obs. 4. When judgments come upon impenitent sinners, 'tis an humbling consideration ib.

VERS. XIII.
• Obs. 1 God's redeeming mercies are great aggravations of our sins Page 687
• Obs. 2 Such as sin freely after deliverance give God the lie. ib.
• Obs. 3 For a man to urge another to a false opinion is a lying against God. ibid
• Obs. 4. The great evil of sin is that it is against God ibid
• Obs. 5. The more directly a sin is against God, the greater is the sin. Page 688

VERS. XIV.
• Opened Page 689
• Obs. 1 The vilest men will assemble to prayer in public miseries Page 691
• Obs. 2 When hypocrites assemble, 'tis for themselves, not for God ibid
• Obs. 3 Hypocrites seek God more for sensual things than for others ibid

VERS. XV.
• Obs. 1 It is God only can bind up broken arms Page 693
• Obs. 2 To be sinful after mercies is a great aggravation of sin. ibid
• Obs. 3 It is an excellent thing to glorify God after strength is restored ibid
• Obs. 4 A true repenting sinner should have God always before his eyes Page 605
• For then:
  • 1 He would be serious ibid
  • 2 He would abhor himself ib.
  • 3 He would see the infinite evil of sin ibid
  • 4 There is no standing out against God ibid
  • 5 God is worthy of all he can do. ibid
  • 6 Slight sorrow will not serve the turn Page 696
  • 7 God hath power to raise the soul ibid
  • 8 There is enough in God to make him blessed. ib.

CHAP. VI.