Exposition of Hosea 6, Exposition · Verse 1 · Section 7
Hee will heale vsus, hee will bind vsus vp.
NOw followes the ſecond reaſon drawne from the mercy of God: For though hee hath spoyled vsus and wounded vsus, yet he will heale vsus and bind vsus vp againe. And theſe be the moſt gracious words of God himſelfe: Behold, I am hee, and there is no God but I: Deu. 32.34. 1. Sam. 26.I kill and make aliue, I wound and make whole againe. And therefore this reaſon drawne from the mercy of God, ſeeing hee offers himſelfe to heale vsus, and to bind vp the wounds of our ſoules: Oh, it ought to moue vsus greatly to turne vntounto him.
So then the point of Doctrine that offers itſelfe to Doct. 1 be conſidered of vsus is this,The mercy of God muſt lead men to repentance. that as the iudgements of God muſt alluremen to repentance, and to returne vntounto God, ſo muſt his mercies. I remember the ſpeech in the Prophet, where the Lord is pleaſed (to make vsus the better to conceiue of his mercy) to take to himſelfe the affections of a man:Ier. 31.20. Hoſ. 11.8. His bowels were troubled for Ephraim. And againe; How ſhall I giuegive thee vp, Ephraim? how ſhall I deliuer thee Iſrael? how ſhall I make thee as Admah? how ſhall I ſet thee as Zeboim? my heart is turned within mee, my repentings are rowled together. It is all one as if the Lord ſhould hauehave ſaid; Oh, it goes neare me, O Ephraim, Exod. 34.6.7O Iſrael, that I ſhould euen be forced by thy rebellion and horrible impieties, to deale ſo ſtraightly with thee. And the Lord tels Moſes; Pſal. 86.15.that he is a Mercifull and a gracious God, ſlow to anger, and abundant in goodneſſe and truth, reſeruing mercy for thouſands and forgiuing iniquity, and tranſgreſſion, and ſinne. Hee is called againe of the Pſalmiſt, A pittifull God. And the like is intended in the language of the new Teſtament; That when hee ſaw the multitude dſperſed as ſheepe hauing no ſhepheard, his bowels earned within him. Mat. 9.36.Theſe examples and the like, whereof the Scriptures are full, all ſerue to confirm the euerlaſting truth of this doctrine, that God is a God of mercy, & that his mercies ought to allure men to repentance: for though the thundering out of the threatnings and iudgements of the Law, be a meanes to awake a ſecure heart, yet nothing will ſo much affect a mans mind, & euen melt a mans ſoule, to make a man returne vntounto God, as the due knowledge and conſideration of the vnſpeakable riches of Gods mercy; and therefore it is no maruell though the Prophet here doe vſe this as one forcible reaſon to ſtir vp men to make their returne vntounto God by vnfained repentance, for that he will bee ready to Heale our ſores, and Bind vp the bleeding wounds of our ſoules, which we hauehave made by ſinne, if we will repent and returne vntounto him. And indeed this is one of the maine differences betwixt the godly and the wicked: The iuſtice of God doth ſometimes ſo farre preuaile with the wicked, as that they feare and tremble, but it is not for the loſſe of Gods fauour, but for feare of torment: But on the contrary, the goodneſſe and mercy of God, doth euen cauſe the ſeruants of God to quake and to tremble, leſt by any means they ſhould depriue themſelues of the comfortable enioying of his louelove, according to that of the Prophet Dauid: Pſal. 130.4.There is mercy with thee O Lord that thou mayeſt be feared. Oh bleſſed feare, when the mercy of God doth beget it in a mans Soule: So, then we ſee that the mercy of God is infinite, his compaſſion is higher then the heauens, it is the greateſt diſhonour done vntounto God that can be, to doubt of his fauour, and to call his louing kindneſſe into queſtion. Let vsus build vp his promiſes as a ſure foundation that ſhall neuer be remoued: Heauen and Earth ſhall paſſe away, but his word ſhall not paſſe away. We hauehave the Word and the Oath of God as two vnchangeable Witneſſes; ſo that it is impoſſible he ſhould lye or be deceyued: Againe, we hauehave the Sacraments of God as two Authenticke Seales to ratifie his promiſes, and to make them moſt ſure vntounto vsus.Mat. 5.18. Heb. 6.18. Rom. 8.16. And we hauehave withall, the earneſt penny, as a pawne left vntounto vsus, and all to aſſure vsus of his fauour and louelove, and therefore this reaſon of the Church and people of God drawne from the mercy of God: ſeeing that he is ſo ready to pardon ſinne, and to entertain poore penitent ſinners, that ſue to him for mercy, it ought to be moſt forceable vntounto vsus to moue vsus to Returne vntounto him. Now let vsus come to the vſes.
Firſt, ſeeing that the Lord as hee doth wound vsus, & chaſtice man for ſinne; ſo it is he alone that is the ſpirituall Vſe. 1 Phyſitian of our ſoules. Hence then we are directed to whom to ſeeke for remedy, euen vntounto God alone, who, as he wounds, ſo he heales, as he breaketh aſunder, ſo hee bindeth vp. If a man hauehave ſome dangerous diſeaſe in his body, or other deadly wound, if hee know any man to be of skill, and a faithfull Chirurgion, he will seeke to him, and let him out and la…nce him: Well, this is our caſe, we bee ſpiritually ſicke, euen vntounto eternall death, in regard of ourſelues, our ſoules be grieuouſly and dangerouſly wounded, what ſhall we now doe but runne to Ieſus Chriſt the bleſſed Phyſitian of our ſoules, who is moſt able and willing to cure vsus and heale vsus? And as the poore Begget vnlaps his legges, and ſhewes his grieuous ſores to thoſe that paſſe by, and all to moue compaſſion; So let vsus not be aſhamed to lay open our ſoules to Ieſus Ghriſt, let vsus confeſſe our grieuous and manifold ſinnes: Let vsus not be aſhamed to let him ſee our ſpirituall wounds; but let vsus make our moane to him, and craue his help, and begge as for life & death for the pardon of them: and if wee can get but one drop of his precious bloud, it will bee a plaiſter to heale our wounds, and cure the deadly diſeaſes of our ſoules. When the children of Iſrael had grieuouſly ſinned,Num. 21. the Lord ſent fierie Serpents amongſt them; now many of them by the ſtinging and biting of them, were ſo inflamed that they died, and could not be cured: But when they repented and cryed to God in their miſery, behold, he commaunds that Moſes ſhould make a brazen Serpent & ſet it vponupon hie, that ſo many as were ſtung with thoſe fiery Serpents, might caſt their eyes immediately vponupon that brazen Serpent, and ſo might bee cured: Euen ſo, all of vsus are ſtung by the fiery Serpents of our ſinnes, and we newly wallowing in the bloud of our ſoules: Yet ſee, Oh ſee the mercy of God, who hath giuen vntounto vsus his owne ſonne, who is the brazen Serpent to cure our ſoules; for no other creature in heauen or earth could heale vsus or helpe vsus, but hee muſt be our Phyſitian to make a plaiſter to heale our wounds; the pains that he tooke to temper this plaiſter, it made him ſweat both water and bloud; and in the end when nothing elſe could doe it,Luke. 23. hee was content to temper a plaiſter of his owne heart bloud: ſuch a bleſſed Sauiour, ſuch a louing Phyſitian hauehave we: Oh then let vsus runne to Ieſus Chriſt, let vsus make our moane vntounto him, let vsus not feare to lay open our wounded ſoules and diſtreſſed conſciences vntounto him, who is ſo louing and mercifull a Phyſitian to poore diſtreſſed ſoules. Art thou an hard hearted, and an impenitent ſinner? thou art ſicke at the very heart, thou art wounned by ſinne and Sathan vntounto eternall death, though thou ſee it not, yet thy poore ſoule is ready to bleede vntounto eternall death, See, Oh ſee heere Ieſus Chriſt thy Sauior, he offers himſelf to become the Phyſitian, hee hath tempered a plaiſter that is able to heale thy ſicke ſoule if thou wilt come vntounto him: Alas, wilt thou then runne on in ſinne, and ſuffer thy poore ſoule to rot and feſter with ſinne, and contemne the mercy of God, and the kindneſſe of Ieſus Chriſt, who offers to heale thee, and to helpe thy wounded ſoule? The poore man which fell among theeues who ſpoyled him and wounded him, and left him for halfe dead:Luk. 10. alas, what had becom of him if the good Samaritan had not come by and pittied him? Sinne and Sathan hath spoyled vsus and wounded vsus body and ſoule. Now alas, what ſhall become of vsus, if that Ieſus Chriſt the good Samaritan and bleſſed Phyſitian of our ſoules doe not pitty vsus, bind vp our wounds, and powre in the oyle of grace into our hearts, to cure our ſicke and wounded ſoules? but hee is ſo pittifull and tender hearted a Chirurgion, that he will pull off the rotten ragges of our ſinnes, and lap them vp in the moſt precious white robe of his owne righteouſnes, and poure into them the oyle of grace, euen his owne deare and precious heart bloud, to our euerlaſting comfort and ſaluation.
Secondly, wee obſerue hence a further vſe, that if Vſe. 2 any do periſh through their ſinnes and tranſgreſſions, he muſt not impute the fault therof vntounto God, but vntounto himſelf; for God doth cal men from their euill waies, that ſo they might not periſh, but bee ſaued: the Prophet Dauid doth ſpeake excellently of this, ſaying, The Lord is full of compaſſion and mercy, ſlow to anger, and of great kindneſſe: Hee hath not dealt with vsus after our ſinnes, nor rewarded vsus according to our iniquities: Pſal 103.for as high as the heauen is aboue the earth, ſo great is his mercy towards them that feare him. As farre as the Eaſt is from the West; ſo farre hath hee remoued our ſinnes from vsus: As a father hath compaſſion on his children, ſo hath the Lord compaſſion on them that feare him. But ſome may obiect & ſay, that it is true, the mercy of God is exceeding great indeed, but the ſinnes that I hauehave committed againſt God, hauehave not beene ſo much ſinnes of weakeneſſe, or ſinnes of infirmity, as they hauehave beene preſumptuous horrible ſinnes; yea, multitudes of them, beſides all this, I hauehave continued a long time in them, tenne, twenty, thirty, or more yeares together; and therefore I may well doubt, whether the Lord hath any mercy for me:Eſay. 1.18. Marke therefore what the Lord himſelfe ſayth vntounto ſuch: Come, let vsus reaſon together, ſayth the Lord, though your ſinnes were as Crimſon, they ſhal be made as white as Snow, and though they be as Scarlet, they ſhall be as wooll. So that no man can ſay without iniury againſt his owne ſoule, and giuing the lye vntounto the glorious maieſty of God: My ſinne is greater then can be forgiuen. True it is, that the Scripture makes mention of an vnpardonable ſinne that ſhall neuer bee forgiuen eyther in this world,Mat. 12.31. or in the world to come. The blaſphemy againſt the ſpirit, but that is not in reſpect of the ſinne it ſelfe, that it ſhould exceed the mercies of God, or for that God is not able to forgiue it; but becauſe they cannot relent, and repent that commit it, they are ſo farre gone that they can neuer Returne backe again; for, as no ſinne is ſo ſmall, but is able to plunge vsus down to the bottome of hell if wee liue in it without repentance: ſo no ſinne is ſo great and grieuous, but vponupon repentance there is pardon and mercy to bee found with God: yet men muſt take heed that they abuſe not Gods goodneſſe and mercy, as an occaſion of liberty to turne his grace into wantonneſſe, ſaying, as the manner of ſome is, Oh, God is mercifull, hee is gracious to great and grieuous ſinners, and ſo conclude thereupon, that they may liue as they liſt, and ſo deferre their repentance, and Returne vntounto God till the laſt gaſpe: but the holy Apoſtle will teach vsus, an other vſe of Gods mercy then ſo, when he ſayth, Deſpiſest thou the riches of his bountifulneſſe and patience, Rom. 2.4.and long ſufferance, not knowing that the bountifulneſſe of God ſhould lead thee to repentance? So that, do wee heare of the patience of God, the mercy of God, and the long ſuffering of God: Oh, what may it teach vsus all but this leſſon eſpecially, to make haſte, and to deferre no time to returne vntounto him; for, what is God ſo mercifull and ſo patient, that hee hath ſpared thee ſo long, and giuen thee ſo large a time of repentance? Oh then how iuſt, and how great ſhall thy condemnation bee if thou reiect it, and make no other vſe of it, then to boulſter thee in thy ſinnes; but of this before.
Laſt of all, hete is matter of conſolation to all the children of God that are deiected and caſt downe with the ſenſe and feeling of their ſinnes, their ſoules being heauy, and their conſciences oppreſſed with their ſin, they goe drouping and hang down their heads; well, let them cheare vp their ſoules, ſuch they are that Chriſt calleth,Math. 11.28. Come vntounto mee all yee that are weary and laden, and I will eaſe you, for my yoke is eaſie, and my burthen is light. When our terrors and temptations grow thus ſtrong vponupon vsus, and that Sathan ſhall ſeeke to perſwade vsus, that our ſinnes are more then God can forgiue, and the puniſhment that is due vntounto vsus for them, is greater then can be pardoned: What ſhall wee doe at this time, but labour herein to diſcouer the Arch-enemy of our ſoules, Sathan, who, thus as a lying ſpirit ſeekes to draw vsus from this doctrine of Gods mercy, & to plunge our ſoules into the gulfe of deſperation: but if our ſinnes bee neuer ſo great, hauehave wee committed them without number, hauehave we committed them neuer ſo long, bee they as Crimſon, double dyed ſinnes, as infectious as a Leproſie, as red as Scarlet, and as filthy as dung; yet if God giuegive repentance, and wee can beleeue here, wee hauehave the promiſe of Gods mercy, yea, aſſurance of forgiuenes. Let vsus returne vntounto the Lord, and hee will heale vsus, hee will bind vsus vp. Oh then, let none bee diſcouraged from ſeeking vntounto him for mercy: but let them ſeeke it rightly, and that by Repentance, and they ſhall obtaine aſſuredly.