An Exposition of Hosea 1-3, Chapter 2 · Lecture 6
The Sixth Lecture.
HOSEA 2. 7. 8.
For then it was better with me then it is now.
For ſhe did not k…ow that I gave her corne, and wine, and oyle, and multiplyed her ſilve…, and gold, which they prepared for Baal, &c.
THere remaines onelyonly one Obſervation from the 7. ver. and the taking a hint of a meditation from thence concerning our preſent times,Obſer. of which briefly.
Upon returne unto God, Apoſtates may have hope of attaining their former condition; to be as well as ever they were, I will return to my firſt husband, for then was it better with me then now, by returning, I hope to recover to be as I was then, that is the meaning.
In this, Gods goodneſſe goeth beyond mans abundantly, Ier. 3. 1. Will a man, when his wife hath committed adultery and he hath put her away, will he return to her again? But thou haſt played the harlot with many lovers, yet return againe to me ſaith the Lord: Hence ver. 22. the Holy Ghoſt exhorteth to return upon this very ground, Returne ye back-ſliding children, and I will heale your back-ſlidings. Is there any back-ſliding ſoul before the Lord? God now offereth to heale thy back-ſlidings, thou knoweſt that it is not with thee now as heretofore it hath been, loe God tendereth his grace to thee that thou maieſt be in as good a condition as ever; O that thou wouldeſt give the anſwer of the Church there, Behold we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God; truly in vaine is Salvation hoped for from the hils, or from the multitude of the mountain truely in the Lord our God is the ſalvation of Iſrael. It is true, God might juſtly ſatisfie thee in thoſe preſent wayes of Apoſtacy wherein thou art, as ſometimes he doth Apoſtates,Pro. 14. 14. The back-ſlider in heart ſhall be filled with his own wayes, he ſhall have enough of them, and Pro. 1. 31. They ſhall eate the fruit of their own way, Lect. 6.and be filled with their own devicss. But behold wiſedom it ſelfe calleth thee now to returne again, and makes this faire promiſe, Pro. 1. 23. Turne ye at my reproofe, behold I will poure out my ſpirit unto you. There is not onelyonly a poſſibility of being received into thy former condition,Apoſtates ſeeming mercy muſt obſerve three things. but Chriſt doth wooe thee, and calleth after thee, hee promiſeth to poure forth his ſpirit unto thee, yea and there would be triumph in heaven upon thy returning.
But let me ſay thus much to thee, though there be a poſſibility of comming again into as good a condition as thou waſt in afore, yet firſt there had need be a mighty work of Gods Spirit to raiſe thy heart to beleeve this.
It is not an eaſie thing for one who hath that fearfull ſin of Apoſtacy ſetled upon him by God to beleeve that ever God ſhould receive him and returne in the wayes of mercy and comfort as before.
Yea ſecond, Though there be a poſſibility to be recovered to mercy, yet you muſt be contented to be in a meaner condition if God ſhall pleaſe, you muſt come unto God with ſuch a diſpoſition as to be content to be in the loweſt condition that can be, onelyonly that thou mayeſt have mercy at the laſt, as the Prodigall, Let me be (ſaith he) but as one of thy hired ſervants.
And know laſtly, that if you doe not return upon his gracious offer, God may give thee up for ever, take thy fill and there is an end of thee; He that will be filthy, let him be filthy ſtill. Yet further, this expreſſion doth ſtrongly preſent occaſion to digreſſe a little in the comparing our preſent times with former times, to examine whether wee can ſay, it was better with us heretofore then it is now? In theſe dayes there is much comparing our preſent times with times paſt, and divers judgements there are about preſent times, ſome complayning and crying out of the hazards and dangers wee are in, in theſe preſent times, much better was it heretofore ſay they then it is now. To ſuch as theſe let me ſay, firſt as the holy Ghoſt ſaith, Eccleſ. 7. 10. Say not thou, what is the cauſe the former dayes were better then theſe? thou doſt uot enquire wiſely concerning this thing. Certainly, thoſe people who make ſuch grievous complaints of preſent times, comparing them with times paſt, doe not wiſely enquire after this thing. It is true, there are many ſad things for the preſent amongſt us, things that our hearts have cauſe to bleed for, ſuch miſ-underſtanding betweene King and Parliament, ſome blood ſhed already, and danger of ſhedding much more; yet perhaps if we enquire wiſely concerning this thing, we ſhall find, that notwithſtanding all this, we have little cauſe to complaine that it is worſe with us now, in compariſon of what was before, Conſider, firſt▪ that which men do moſt complain of, which makes the times hardeſt now, it is but the breaking out of thoſe miſchievous deſignes that lay hid long before,Examination whether times before were better then they are now. & would have done us a great deale more miſchiefe if they had been kept in; Now they breake forth, and breake forth as the deſperateneſſe of the hopes of thoſe who had ſuch deſignes; becauſe they could now goe no longer underhand, but being brought into a deſperate paſſe, they are faine to ſee what they can doe in wayes of violence, and this certainely is better then that miſchiefe ſhould work ſecretly under board.
Secondly, by this we have a diſcovery of men which way they ſtand, what was and is in their hearts, and this is a great mercy.
Thirdly, with the breaking forth of theſe things, God grants that helpe now to England, that it never yet had in the like way, ſo fully, and putteth ſuch a faire price into the hands of the people of England, that never yet was put into their hands.
Yea, and conſider farther, that the more violent men are now, the more doth it tell us what a lamentable time was before; for if now when there is ſuch means of reſiſtance, and yet the adverſaries prevaile ſo much, what would they have been by this time, if this means of reſiſtance had not been? What a caſe were we in then when they might do what they would, and we had no means to help our ſelves, what a danger were we in then? Certainely things then lay at more hazard then now.
Fifthly, though there be many ſad things amongſt us, yet God hath been before-hand with us, we have had already even of free-coſt as much mercy as theſe troubles come to.
Sixtly, theſe troubles that we are in are making way for glorious mercies to come; though there be ſome pangs, yet they are not the pangs of death, they are but the pangs of a travelling woman that is bringing forth a manchild: And certainly any Prince would think, that though his Queen ſhould be put to ſome paine in travaile, yet her condition is better then when ſhee had nopaine, and was barren, or then that ſhe ſhould lye upon her ſick bed, and her ſenſes benummed, and ſhe ready to dye: The pains of a travelling woman are better then a ſenſleſs dying.
And yet further, if you thinke that you had better times heretofore then now, what times will you refer your ſelves unto in making the compariſon? I ſuppoſe you will inſtance in the time of the firſt Reformation, then things were in a good way, when thoſe worthy Lights of the Church, and bleſſed Martyrs had ſuch a hand in the Reformation. Many there are that do magnifie the …nes of the beginning of Reformation,The weakneſs of the argument taken from the opinions and practiſes of learned & godly men. for their owne ends, that they may thereby hinder Reformation now. This you know is the great argument that prevaileth with moſt; What, were not thoſe Prayers compoſed by learned godly men, as Cranmer, Latimer, Ridley, and others? and can we be wiſer then they? did not they ſeale their profeſſion with their blood?
My brethren, we need goe no further to ſhew the weakneſſe of this argument, but only to ſhew how it was in the Church in thoſe times, and you wil… find that you have cauſe to bleſſe God that it is not ſo with you now as it was then, and if that will appeare, then the argument you will ſee can no further prevail with rationall men.
Certainly thoſe firſt Reformers were worthy Lights and bleſſed inſtruments for God, I would not darken their excellency, but weaken the argument that is abuſively raiſed from their worth. It is reported of Mr. Greneham that famous practicall Divine, who refuſing ſubſcription, in a Letter of his to the Biſhop of Ely, gives his reaſons, and anſwers that Prelates objection againſt him, namely, that Luther thought ſuch Ceremonies might be retained in the Church; his Anſwer is this, I reverence more the revealed wiſdome of God, in teaching Mr. Luther ſo many neceſſary things to ſalvation, then I ſearch his ſeeret judgements in keeping back from his knowledg other things of leſſe importance: The ſame do I ſay of thoſe worthy inſtruments of Gods glory in the firſt Reformation, & that it may be cleare to you that God kept back his mind from them in ſome things. Conſider, whether you would be willing that ſhould be done now that was then; As in the adminiſtration of baptiſme, we find that in the book of Lyturgy in King Edwards time, which was compoſed by thoſe worthy men; firſt the child was to be croft in the fore-head, and then on the breaſt, after a prayer uſed, then the Prieſt was to ſay over the child at the Font, I command thee thou unclean ſpirit, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghoſt, that thou comeſt out of this infant, thou curſed ſpirit remember thy ſentence, remember thy judgment, remember the day is at hand wherein thou ſhalt bee burnt with everlaſting fire prepared for thee and thy Angels; & preſume not hereafter to exerciſe any tyranny over this infant whom Chriſt hath bought with his precious blood. Then they dipped the childe thrice in the water, the Godfathers and the Godmothers laid their hands upon the child, and the Prieſt putteth a white veſtment over it, called a Cryſome, ſaying, Take this white veſture for a token of thine innocency, which by Gods grace in this holy Sacrament of baptiſme is given to thee, & for a ſigne whereby thou art admoniſhed as long as thou liveſt to give thy ſelfe to innocency. Then the Prieſt muſt anoint the Infant upon the head, ſaying, Almighty God, &c. who hath regenerated thee by water & the holy Ghoſt, who hath given thee remiſſion of all thy ſins, vouchſafe to anoint thee with the unction of his holy Spirit. Would you now have your children baptized after this manner? yet theſe learned holy men thought that to be a good way. So at the buriall of the dead, the Prieſt caſting earth upon the corps ſhall ſay, I commend thy ſoule to God the Father Almighty, and body to the ground: and in another prayer, Grant to this thy ſervant; that the ſinnes he committed in this world be not imputed to him, but that he eſcaping the gates of hell, and pains of eternall darkneſſe, may ever dwell in the region of light.
You will ſay, things are otherwiſe now. True, therefore I ſay there is no ſtrength in that argument, that thoſe men that compoſed that liturgy were worthy lights in the Church; for they were but newly come out of Popery, and had the ſcent of Popery upon them, therefore it is too unreaſonable to make that which they did the rule of our Reformation now, as if we were to goe no further then they did.
The like may be ſaid of the Primitive times, which many plead for the juſtification of their ſuperſtitious vanities, for the Chriſtians then came but newly out of heatheniſme, and lived amongſt Heathens, and therfore could not ſo ſoon be delivered from their heatheniſh cuſtomes. I could relate to you ſad things there were in Qu. Elizabeths dayes, in K. James his dayes, but I muſt not take too much liberty in this digresſion, onelyonly let us hereby learn not ſo to cry out of evill times that we are faln into, as to be unthankfull for preſent mercies; let us bleſſe God for what wee have had, and looke unto the rule for further reformation.
For ſhee did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oyle, and multiplyed her ſilver and gold, which they prepared for Baal, &c.
The Spirit of God returneth here again to convincing, upbraiding, accuſing, threatning Iſrael. The ſin of Iſrael went very near to the heart of God, and God ſpeaks here as a man troubled in ſpirit for the unkindeneſſe, unfaithfulneſs, unreaſonableneſs of the dealings of his Spouſe with him, it runneth in his thoughts,Cre…o vera & purfecta fide quod Deus creator, gubernator, & ſuſteu. ator ſit omnium creaturarum quod idem ipſe operatus ſi… omnia, operetur adhuc & inaeternam operaturus ſit. Buxtorf. ſynag. Iudaic. c. 1. his heart is grieved at it, and he muſt vent himſelfe, and when he hath told his grief and aggravated his wrong, he is upon it again & again, ſtill convincing, upbraiding, charging Iſrael for dealing ſo unfaithfully and treacherouſly with him, all ſhewing the trouble of his ſpirit.
For ſhe did not know, &c. Theſe words depend upon the 5. ver. (for the 6. & 7. they are as a parentheſis) She hath done ſhamefully, for ſhe ſaid, I will goe after my lovers that give me my bread, & my water, my wool, & my flae…e, &c. For ſhe did not know, &c. She did thus and thus, for ſhe did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, &c. What was Iſrael worſe then the Oxe or the Aſſe that knows his owner & his Maſters crib? It is imposſible but Iſrael (that was the onelyonly people of God in thoſe times, where God was moſt, nay we may ſay onelyonly knowen in the world) ſhould know that God was the cauſe of all the good they had, certainly they could not be ignorant of that, for in their Creed (as Buxtorfius and others make mention) they had 13. Articles, and this was the firſt Article, I believe with a true and perfect faith, that God is the creator, the governor, the ſuſtainer of all creatures, Benedictus ſis Domine Deus noſter rex mundi quod fructum vitis condidiſti Synag. Iud. c. 7.that he wrought all things, ſtill works all things, & ſhall for ever worke all things. And at their feaſts they had theſe expreſſions, Bleſſed be thou O Lord our God King of the world that doſt create the fruit of the vine. The Mr. of the feaſt himſelf came in (he did not ſet a boy to it) publiquely to bleſs God for the fruit of the vine, and yet here the Text ſaith they did not know that God gave them wine. When they came to take bread they had this ſpeech, Bleſſed be thou O God that art the King of the world, Benedictus eſto Deus qui & dulcia & bene volentia crearis, &c. Buxtſynag. Iud. cap. 7.that bringeſt forth bread out of the earth; And at the end of their feaſt this, Let us bleſs him who hath ſent us of his owne, of whoſe goodneſſe we live. The queſtion anſwered, and bleſſed be he of whoſe goodneſſe we live, Yea they uſed to bleſſe God ſolemnly for the ſweete and fragrant ſmell of ſpices and herbs. This was their conſtant way, and yet God chargeth them that they did not know that he gave them bread, and wine, and …le, they did not lay it to heart.
We ſhall ſee afterward of what great uſe this is unto us, to ſhew what profeſſion they made of acknowledging that God gave them all, and yet God charges them that they did not know it.
That I gave them, what? Corne, wine, and oyle, & multiplyed her ſilver and her gold.
Here God expreſſeth himſelfe more largely then they did before in that they received from their Idols, they talked in the 5. verſ. of receiving from their Idols bread, and water, and wool, and flax, &c. but here is wine, & oyle, and ſilver, and gold, more then they had from their Idols. God ſetteth out his mercy to them, to upbraid them.
And they prepared them for Baal.
We muſt enquire here firſt what this Baal was. The name of him [Bagnal] it ſignifieth a Lord (and from thence ſignifyeth a husband) becauſe they attributed ſuch dominion that their Idols had over them,foreign acknowledging their Idols to be Lords,What Baal was. therefore they called them by the name Bagnall, their Lords: And becauſe they choſe them as their husband, therefore alſo they had this name, it is all one with Bel too, for the Chaldee put out that letter [foreign] and the pricks being altered it is all one Baal and Bel.
Now this Baal either was ſome ſpeciall Idoll, or elſe a generall name given to all Idols; ſometimes it is a name given generally to all, in the plurall number Baalim. Jer. 9. 14. They have walked after the imaginations of their owne heart, and after Baalim. But it likewiſe notes a ſpeciall Idol, an Idol that was the ſame with that of the Zidonians, which they called Iupiter Thalaſſius, or their ſea Iupiter, that idol was called Baal in a ſpeciall manner,
1 King. 16. 31. you may ſee how the worſhip of Baal came into Iſrael at that time. It is true, the worſhip of Baal had been in Iſrael a long time before, in Iudg. 2. 11. you ſhall find there that they ſerved Baal, yet the idolatry of Baal was often caſt out by the people of God, but in that place of the Kings you ſhall find how it came in afreſh, the Text ſaith, that Ahab tooke to wife Iexebel the daughter of Eth-baal King of the Zidonians, & went and ſerved Baal, and worſhipped him; That was the occaſion that Ahab matching with a Zidonian, to the end that he might ingratiate himſelfe with his wives kindred, he would worſhip his wives God.
And this Baal hath divers additionall names. Sometimes you ſhall find in Scripture called Baal-zebub, or Belzebub (it is all one, for Baal and Bel is the ſame, only changing the points) and that ſignifieth their god of flies, & the reaſon why Baal had that name, was, becauſe in thoſe Countreyes they were extreamly perplexed with flies, and they attributed the power of driving them away, and of helping them againſt the moleſtation they had by them to their god Baal, hence they called him Baalzebub; you may ſee how much they attributed to their god for deliverance from flies, wee have other manner of deliverances by the goodnes of our God then this, yet for this Baalzebub was one of their principall gods, therefore it is ſaid of Chriſt, that he caſt out devils by Belzebub the prince of devills, which is by the god of flies, Mat. 20. 25.
He is called foreign, Belzebul, which is as much as the dung, god, Zebel in the…y …iac ſignifying Stercus, dung.
Then there was Baal-perazim, that addition was onelyonly from the place, the Mountain where he was worſhipped.
There was alſo Baal-berith, Obſ.that ſignified onelyonly the covenant they entred into with that God. So that it ſeemes the very Idolaters did binde themſelves to worſhip their god by ſolemne covenant or very ſtrong arguments, to teach us to be willing to binde our ſelves in worſhipping the true God by all the legall bonds we can,God provideth for the bodies of his people. foreignSi opus eſt corni pa…e, si opus eſt aqua, ſi open eſt vin…, ſi opus eſt nummo, ſi opus eſt jumento, a Deo petere debet, nan a daemoniis & idolis: qui Deo ſitiunt, undi que debent ſitire, & anima & carne. Nunquid animam tuam Deus fecit, & carnem damonia fecerunt? qui fecit ambas res ipſe paſcet amlias. Aug. in …. longeth for thee, …to make God to be the God of our Covenant, as their god here was. It is needleſſe to name more who had this name.
I ſhall afterward ſhew how God himſelfe had once the name of Baal, for the word ſignifying the name of husband or Lord was as due to God as to any other, and God himſelfe tooke that name. But here we are to underſtand it of their Idols.
They prepared them for Baal, they made them for Baal, ſo the word is. It importeth theſe two things.
Firſt it importeth that they did ſacrifice theſe thing to their Baal, for ſo facere, to make, is as much many times as Sacrificare, to ſacrifice; And Bella mine takes advantage from this word, when Chriſt ſaith, Hoc facite, do this, he draweth an argument that the Lords Supper is a ſacrifice, for the word to doe is uſed ſomtime to ſacrifice.
But ſecondly, they prepared them, that is, of their gold and ſilver they made Images of this their Idoll god Baal, they would not ſpare their gold and ſilver, but laid aſide and prepared it to make images of Baal, and they thought that gold and ſilver thus laid out as good as any in their purſes.
The Obſervations.
Firſt.
It is God that ſupplyeth all the outward good of his people.
They did not know that I gave them, &c. I gave them all the corn, and wine, and oyle they had, I did not onelyonly give them mine Ordinances, but I gave them corn, and wine, and oyle, and gold, and ſilver.
It is the Lord himſelfe that ſupplyeth all outward good to his people, he doth not onelyonly prize the ſoules of his people, but hee takes care of their bodies too, and outward eſtates. Pſalm, 34. 20. He keepeth all his bones.
Yea, he takes care of the very haire of their heads. The bodies of the Saints are very precious in the eyes of God, the moſt precious of all corporall things in the world: The Sonne, and Moone, and Starres, are not ſo precious as the bodyes of the Saints, how much more precious are their ſoules?
VVe have an excellent note of Auſtin upon Pſalm, 63. 1. where the Text ſaith, My ſoule thirſteth for thee, my fleſh longeth for thee, &c.
Upon this he hath this Note: If the fleſh hath any need of bread, of wine, of money or cattell, ſeeke this of God, for God giveth this too, for marke,
Thoſe who thirſt for God muſt thirſt for him every way; not only their ſoules …rſt for him, but their fleſh muſt thirſt for him; for ſaith he, did God make the ſoul, and did the devills or any idols make the fleſh? No, he that made both ſoule and fleſh, he feedeth them both, therefore all Chriſtians muſt ſay, My ſoule longeth after thee, and my fleſh alſo. If then we can truſt God for our ſoules, and our eternall eſtates that hee will provide for them, we muſt truſt him for our bodies alſo, for our fleſh, for our temporall eſtates, that he will provide for them alſo.
Secondly thus. All that we have,Obj. all our ſupply that we enjoy in this world, it is the free gift of God.
They did not know that I gave them corne and wine, &c. All of us live upon the meere Almes of God, the greateſt man in the world is bound to goe to Gods gate and beg his bread every day; though he were an Emperour over all the world,The greateſt man in the world muſt beg his bread at Gods gate every day. hee muſt doe it to ſhew his dependance upon him, that he lives wholly upon almes: Men thinke it hard to live upon almes, and becauſe they have maintenance, ſo much comming in by the yeare, ſuch an eſtate in land, they thinke they are well provided for many yeers: But what ever eſtate thou haſt, though by thy trading thou haſt gotten ſo much by the yeare coming in, yet God requireth this of thee, to go to his gate, & beg thy bread of him every day; ſo Chriſt teacheth, Give us this day our dayly bread; And certainly if we did but underſtand this our dependance upon God for all outward comforts in the world, we could not but feare him, and ſeeke to make peace with him, and keepe peace with him, and it would be a meanes that our hearts would be inlarged to give to others who need our almes, and ſeeing every man and woman of us is an Almes-man, and an Almes-woman.
Thirdly, It is our duty that we owe to God to know and take notice of God as the author of all our good.Obſ.
They know not, that implyeth they ought to have knowne.
This is a ſpeciall duty of that worſhip we owe to God: it is the end of Gods communicating all good to us, that he may have active glory from his rational creature as well as paſſive glory, and there is no creature elſe in all the world that God hath made capable of knowing any thing of the firſt cauſe but only the rational creature, therefore it is the excellency of ſuch that they do not onelyonly enjoy the good that they have, but they are able to riſe up to the higheſt and firſt cauſe of all their good: There is a great deale of excellency in this. It is obſerved of Doves, that at every pick of corne they take in their bill they caſt their eyes upward; and in the Canticles you ſhall finde the eyes of the Church are called Doves eyes, becauſe they looke ſo much up to heaven upon every good they receive: They have not dogs eies, the men of the world have dogs eies, dogs you know looke up to their Maſters for a bone, and when they have it they preſently looke downe to the ground; ſo the men of the world, they will pray to God when they want, but wh…n they enjoy what they would have, they look no more upward but all downward.
This taking notice of God to be the Author of all our good, and to give him praiſe, is all the rent we pay to God for what we enjoy, therefore it is fit we ſhould doe that; and if we doe any thing for God, be ſure God takes notice of that to the uttermoſt, yea though it be himſelfe that enableth us to do it, yea though it be but a little good mingled with a great deale of evill, God takes notice of it, and will reward it, ſurely then we ſhould take notice of the good that he giveth out to us.
This ſweetneth our comforts to ſee that they all come from God, and for that obſerve the difference betweene the expreſſion of Jacobs bleſſing, and Eſaus blesſing;The ſweetneſse of a comfort is, that it comes from God. when Iſaac came to bleſſe Jacob, hee expreſſeth himſelfe thus, Gen. 27. 28. God give thee of the dew of heaven, and of the fatneſſe of the earth, and plenty of corne and wine, &c. Now when he commeth to bleſſe Eſau, marke his expresſion then verſe 39. Thy dwelling ſhall be the fatneſſe of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above, but hee never mentioneth God in that; It is not Eſaus blesſing. God give thee of the dew of heaven, and of the fatneſſe of the earth, though it is true Iſaac meant ſo, but yet he doth not mention the name of God ſo in Eſaus as in Iacobs bleſſing, Certainly my brethren, the ſeed of Jacob count their blesſing to be a double, a treble blesſing, that they can ſee God in it: carnall hearts do not much regard God, if they can have what they would have, if they can have their fleſh ſatisfied in what they deſire, from what hand it cometh that they doe not much care; but a gracious heart, a child of Jacob, rejoyceth more in the hand from whence it commeth, then in any good he can posſibly enjoy. Fourthly, They did not know.
God doth a great deale of good in the world that is little taken notice of,Obſ. or laid to heart.
Many of Gods diſpenſations are inviſible, the Angels, Ezek. 1. are deſcribed with their hands under their wings. God doth great things ſomtime ſo inviſibly, as he cannot be ſeene; And when he doth great things that we might ſee, yet through onr neglect, ſtupidity, and drosſineſſe of our hearts, we doe not ſee them.
The moſt obſerving eye that is in the world, that takes the exacteſt notice of Gods mercy, and hath the greateſt skill to ſet forth the riches of Gods goodneſſe to himſelfe and others, yet alas it is but very little that he takes notice of, no not of that he might doe. It is with the quickeſt ſighted Chriſtians as with a skilful Mathematician, a skilfull Mathematician takes notice of and underſtands many parts of the world, and is able to ſet out the ſeveral parts diſtinctly to you in ſuch a Climate, in ſuch a Countrey, but yet when he hath done all, he leaveth a great ſpace for a Terra incognita, for an unknown world, and that unknowne world for ought we know may be five times bigger then the known world; So they that have the moſt obſervant eye of Gods mercies, and take the moſt notice of them, that can beſt ſet out the mercies he beſtoweth,Many and great are Gods unknown mercies. ſpiritual mercies, temporall mercies, preventing mercies, paſt mercies, preſent mercies, delivering mercies, &c. yet when they have done all, they muſt leave a great ſpace for the Terra incognita, for the unknowne mercies of God.
The truth is, thoſe mercies of God that are obvious to our knowledge every day, one would thinke they were enough to melt our hearts, to breake them in pieces: but beſides theſe mercies we take notice of, there are thouſands and thouſands of mercies that we know not of. As we daily commit many ſins that we know not of,Scire tuum nihil eſt, niſi te ſcire hoc ſciat alter. ſo daily we receive many mercies that we know not of likewiſe; And as in our confesſion of ſins, we ſhould pray to God firſt to pardon our ſins we know, and ſo to name them in particular; and when we have done, then, Lord forgive us our unknown, our ſecret ſins; So in our thankſgiving, firſt bleſſe God for the mercies before us, and when we have done. Lord bleſſed be thy name for all thy unknown mercies that I have little taken notice of.
We ſoone grow cold and dead if we doe good; and men take no notice of us, neither what we know, nor what we doe is any thing to us except others know it too, but this is the vanity and pride of mens hearts, it is Gods prerogative above his creatures, to doe all for himſelfe, for his owne glory, and yet he doth much good in the world that none knows of; we are bound to deny our ſelves in that we doe, not to ſeeke our own glory; The moſt excellent peece in the moſt excellent of our workes is our ſelfe-denyal in it; why ſhould we not then doe all the good we can doe cheerefully, though it be not known? we ſhould doe good out of love to goodneſſe it ſelfe, and if we would doe ſo we ſhould be encouraged in doing good ſecretly.
Fifthly, and which commeth yet more fully up to the words, They did not know, &c.
In Gods account men know no more then they lay to heart and make good uſe of.Obſer.
The Schooles diſtinguiſh of want of knowledge, there is Neſcientia, and Ignoratia; Neſcience is of ſuch things as we are not bound to know,We know no more then we lay to heart. it is not our ſinne not to know them; but Ignorance is of ſuch things as we are bound to know, and that ignorance is two-fold; there is an invincible ignorance, let us take what paines we can, wee can never know all we are bound to know; and there is an affected ignorance, when we do not know, becauſe out of careleſneſſe we doe not minde what is before us, and when we have minded it ſo farre as to conceive it, yet if we lay it not to heart as we ought, ſtill in Gods account we know it not, if we digeſt not what we know into practiſe, God accepteth it not. As God is ſaid not to know when hee doth not approve, I know yee not, ſaith he, ſo when any man hath a truth in notion and it doth not get into the heart, when it is not imbraced there, God accounts that that man knowes it not; Therefore you have in Scripture ſuch an expresſion as the Seer is blinde; It is a ſtrange expreſſion, it ſeemes to be a contradiction, ſuch a thing as we call a Bull:philoſophi ſumus factis, no… verbis, nec magna loquimur, ſed vivimus. Cypr. de patienti…. The Seer is blinde: But it is not ſo here, becauſe God accounts thoſe that have never ſo much knowledge, yet if it doe not ſanctifie the heart ſo as to give him the glory, they are blinde, blinde as a Beetle; The knowledge of the Saints is another kinde of knowledge then other men have.
We have, ſaith Cyprian no ſuch notions as many of your Phyloſophers have, but we are Phyloſophers in our deeds, we doe not ſpeake great things, but we doe great things in our lives.
1 Theſ. 4. 9. You have an excellent expreſſion for this, you are taught of God to love one another, what followeth? And indeed ſo you do, That is an evidence that you are taught of God when it p…evay leth with your hearts, when it may be …aid, indeed ſo you doe: VVho is there in the world but knowes that wee ſhould love one another? but men are not taught of God to love one another untill it may be ſaid of them that indeed ſo they doe.
There is nothing more obvious to the underſtanding of a man then the notion of a Deity, that there is a God, we may as it were grope after him as the holy Ghoſt ſpeakes; but yet 1 Iohn 2. 4. He that ſaith he knowes him, and keepes not his commandements, is a lyar, and the truth is not in him; Any man who ever he be, though the greateſt Schollar in the world, if he ſaith he knowes God and keepes not his commandements, he hath the lie told him to his teeth, hee doth not know God at all, though this of God be the moſt obvious thing to be underſtood that poſſibly can be, and yet Chriſt ſaith no man knoweth the Father but the Sonne, and to whom the Sonne ſhall reveale him.
Hence it is when a ſoul is converted,Mat. 11. 27. you ſhall heare theſe expreſſions, I never knew before, I never knew what an infinite Deity meant, I never underſtood the infinite ſoveraignty and Majeſty of the great God, I never knew what ſinne meant before; yet if you had asked him afore, he would ſay, I know God is a Spirit, that he is infinite and eternall; I know that ſinne is the tranſgreſſion of the law; I never knew that Chriſt was before, yet before hee would have told you that Chriſt was the ſonne of Mary, Hoc morbo didici quid ſit peccatum & quanta majeſtas Dei. Gaſper, Olevianus. Verb… ſenſus denotant affectus.and came into the world to dye for ſinners. I remember an expreſſion of a Germane Divine, when he was upon his ſick bed, In this diſeaſe ſaith he, I have learned what ſin is, and how great the Majeſty of God is; This man though a Preacher, and doubtleſſe he could preach of ſinne and of the Majeſty of God, yet hee profeſſeth he knew not theſe things untill God came powerfully upon his heart to teach him what they were.
The Hebrews ſay, words of ſenſe carry with them the affections, or elſe they be to no purpoſe: when men have notionall knowledge onelyonly that comes not down into the heart, they are like men that have weak ſtomacks and weake heads, when they drink wine all flyeth up to the head & it makes them giddy, but if the wine went to the heart, it would cheare & warme it: ſo all this mans knowledg flyeth up to his head & makes him giddy, whereas if it were digeſted & got to the heart, it would warme and refreſh, yea …
The Text ſaith of Elies ſonnes, 1 Sam. 2. 12. that they knew not the Lord; they were Prieſts of God, yet they were ſonnes of Belial, and know not the Lord. Be not offended at great Schollars who have skill in the tongues, Arts and Sciences, do not you ſay theſe men that are great and knowing men, would they do thus and thus, if things were ſo as you ſpeake; they are not knowing men, God ſaith that Elies ſonnes did not know, the Lord, the things of God are hid from them. I thanke thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth, that thou haſt hid theſs things from the wiſe and prudent, &c.
Sixthly, They did not know that I gave them, &c.
Affected ignorance comming thorough diſtemper of heart is no excuſe,Obſ. but rather an aggravation.
It is a high degree of ingratitude not to prize Gods mercy, but not to take notice of Gods mercies,Affected ignorance is no excuſe. Oh what a high ingratitude is this! That which ſhall be part of Gods charge againſt ſinners can be no excuſe of their ſinne, it is a part of Gods charge that they did not know, therefore their ignorance cannot be their excuſe. God threatneth to cut people off, to have no mercy upon them for want of knowing as well as for not doing, They are a people of no underſtanding, therefore he that made them will have no mercy upon them, and he that formed them will ſhew them no favour, Eſay 27. 11.Graviter O homo peccas, ſi divitias dei longanimitatis contemnis gravisſime ſi ignoras. Ambro… ObſerAmbroſe hath this expreſſion, Thou doeſt ſinne greatly if thou doeſt contemne the riches of Gods long ſuffering, but thou ſinneſt moſt of all if thou doeſt not know it.
From the word [for] as depending upon the 5. ver. (for ſo it doth,) The Obſervation is,
The not taking notice and conſidering of Gods mercies, and laying them to heart, is the cauſe of vile, and ſhamefull evils in mens lives.
Therefore they did ſhamefully, therefore they went after their lovers, becauſe they did not know, the cauſe of almoſt all the evill in the world it is from hence, They that know thy name will truſt in thee, thoſe who know the Lord will feare him and his goodneſſe.
Eſay 1. 4. Ah ſinfull nation, ſaith God: God fetcheth a ſigh under the burthen of it, his ſpirit is laden and troubled with it, Ah ſinfull people, &c,
What was the matter? The Oxe knoweth his owner, and the Aſſe his maſters crib, but Iſrael doth not know, my people doth not conſider, they were more ſtupid then the brute creatures. Oh ſinfull ſoul, this is the cauſe of all thy inordinate walking, of all thy profaneneſſe, of all the ungodlineſs in thy wayes, becauſe thou doſt not know, thou doſt not conſider, thou doſt not lay to heart the wayes of God towards thee.
Ier. 2. 5. God chargeth his people that they were gone from him, and ver. 7. that they had made his heritage an abomination. What is the reaſon that is given of both theſe? It is in the 6. ver. They did not ſay, Where is the Lord that brought us up out of the land of Egypt? &c. They did not take notice of what the Lord had done for them, therefore they were gone far from him, &c.
If thou hadſt but a heart to lay to heart what God hath done for thee, it is impoſſible that thou ſhouldſt goe ſo farre off from God as thou doſt. For theſe deductions are eaſie and obvious to any from ſuch a principle.
1. Juſtice, common equity requires living to God, ſeeing we live by and upon God.
2. Common ingenuity calls for requiring good with good; the Publicans and Heathens will do good to thoſe that do good to them.
3. If all be from God, then all ſtill depends upon God.
4. How much good is there in God from whence all this good and mercy comes, when God ſhall ſhew another day to men and Angels how hee was the fountaine of all good! it will confound thoſe who have not laid it to heart.
8. She did not know that I gave her corne, and wine, and oyle, and multiplyed her ſilver and her gold.
God is more bountifull to his people then the Idols can be.Obſ.
The Idols by their owne confeſſion gave them but their bread, & water, and flax, and oyle, &c. but God giveth them wine, & ſilver, & gold. God gives them better pay a great deale then the Devill doth; yet the Devill uſually hath more ſervants to follow him then God hath, though his wages bee leſſe and worſe. It is uſuall for men to get ſouldiers from adverſaries, by giv…ng them more pay: This is the way God takes, he offereth a great deale better pay to thoſe that will follow him, then they have that follow the Devill, yet God can get few to follow him. This ſhews the vileneſſe of mans heart againſt God.
9. She did not know that I gave her, &c. which ſhe prepared for Baal.
When men get abundance, then they ſoon grow wanton. When I gave them corn,Obſer. and wine, and oyle, and multiplyed their ſilver and their gold, then they followed Baal. This is the reaſon of ſo many ſolemne charges of God, Take heed when thou art full, that thou doſt not forget the Lord. As they that are neereſt the ſun are the blackeſt,Proſperity makes men grow wanton. ſo thoſe to whom God is neereſt in regard of outward mercies, are many times blacker then others. It is obſerved, that the fatter mens bodies are, the leſſe blood and the fewer ſpirits they have; ſo the fatter mens eſtates are, many times the leſſe ſpirit they have to any thing that is good; God hath leſſe ſpirit from them, ſinne hath much more.
We read of the ſunne melting the Manna that fell downe, but the ſame Manna was able to bear the fire; ſo many a mans heart is able to beare affliction, and the affliction doth good, prepareth for much good, as Manna was prepared to be eaten by fire, but proſperity melteth them, makes them uſeleſs. Many men when they were poor and in a low condition, were very uſefull; but when they grow high and rich, they are of very little uſe in the places where they dwell.
Trajan the Emperour was wont to liken a man growing to a great eſtate, to the Spleene in the body; for as the S…leene grows big, the body growes leſſe: ſo when mens eſtates grow bigger, they grow leſſe uſefull. Euagrius noteth it as a ſpeciall commendation of Mauritius the Emperor, but notwithſtanding his proſperity he retained his ancyent piety: it is a very rare thing to ſee men advanced to high places, do ſo.
10. I gave her corne, and wine, and oyle, and I multiplyed her ſilver and gold which they ſacrificed to Baal.
Even thoſe creatures that wicked men abuſe to their luſts, God gives them.
Though he doth not give them for that end, yet thoſe creatures that they uſe for ſuch an end are given of God.Obſer. If thou beeſt a drunkard, that wine or drinke that thou doſt ſacrifice to that luſt of thine, who giveth it thee? Is it not God? thou haſt a good eſtate more then other men, and all the uſe thou makeſt of thy eſtate is meerly that it might be but as fewell for thy luſts, who gave thee this thy eſtate? Is it not God? God giveth thee cloathes and thou ſacrificeſt them to thy pride, thou haſt more money then others, and ſo canſt vent thy malice more then others, from whence haſt thou this? Thou haſt more ſtrength of body then others and thou venteſt it in uncleanneſſe, where hadſt thou this? conſider this, and let this meditation prevayle with thine heart to ſtop thee in thy ſinful way, let it be ſeconded with the next; viz:Obſ. That is a moſt horrible wickedneſs and abominable ingratitude, for any man to take Gods creatures and abuſe them againſt God.
What,An evill thing to fight againſt God with his own creatures. I gave them corne, and wine, and multiplyed their ſilver, and their gold, and have they prepared theſe for Baal? God ſpeakes of this as of a monſtrous ſin, as if God ſhould ſay, let all my people lament my condition, that I ſhould do ſo much for them, and they doe nothing for me but all againſt me, ſacrifice all to Baal: As perhaps many of you have beene kinde to ſome of your friends, and have raiſed them, and made them, as we uſe to ſay; they have wanted nothing, but you have been bountifull to them, if now theſe men ſhould turne your enemies, and that eſtate they have got by you, they ſhould uſe it to doe you a miſchiefe, would you not call in your neighbours and friends, to joyne with you in lamenting your condition? What, did you ever heare of ſuch an example, that I ſhould doe ſo much for ſuch, and they turne all againſt me? you tell it as a moſt lamentable ſtory to your friends; God doth ſo here; he makes this his grievous complaint.
This is as if a bird ſhould be ſhot with an Arrow, whoſe feathers came out of her own body; we would even pity a bird in that caſe. Many men make no other uſe of their eſtates but to turne them againſt God; they are not as the ſlothfull ſervant that hid his talent in the napkin, if it were but ſo it were not ſo much, but they take their talents & imploy them againſt God. Would it not goe to your heart if one ſhould ſue you in law, and beare the charges of the ſuit out of your owne eſtate? VVe uſe to complaine ſuch a man ſueth me, and it is my owne money hee goeth to law with; So thou goeſt againſt God, and hee is fayne as it were to beare all the charges:
It is not againſt the light of Nature? the very heathens: the publicanes and ſinners will doe good to thoſe that do good to them: Thou art worſe then a publicane and ſinner, wilt thou do hurt to God that doth thee good? When Julius Caeſar ſaw Brutus come to give him a ſtab in the Senate houſe, he cryed out, What thou my ſonne, wilt thou do it? But ſuppoſe that Iulius Caeſar had given him the dagger with which he ſtabbed him,foreign. then O thou my ſonne, what ſtab me with that dagger I gave thee? If when Jonathan gave David his ſword and bow, David ſhould have turned againſt Jonathan and killed him with his own ſword and bow, would not the unkindneſſe or rather the abominable wickedneſs have pierced deeper into his heart, then any ſwords or arrows posſibly could? If you can finde any creature that is not GODS to fight againſt him withall, you may doe it, but if all you have is from him, it is horrible wickedneſſe to take that and to ſacrifice it to Baal. Certainly God giveth it for other ends, to goe croſſe to Gods ends is an evill thing: VVhen God aymeth at ſuch a thing, for us not to joyne with God in the ſame end he aymeth at is an evil, but for us to ayme at a quite contrary end, that is horrible wickedneſſe indeed.
They ſacrificed to Baal.
When once ſuperſtition and Idolatry hath got into a place, though there be much done againſt it, yet it is not eaſie to get it out.
It is from hence that God doth ſo often complaine of Baal, Obſ.yet you ſhall finde in Iudg, 2. (I thinke that is the firſt place it is mentioned that they ſerved Baal) but it appeareth that they fell off from Baal, yet they fell to him againe, for in Iudg. 8. 33. After Gideons death it came to paſſe that the children of Iſrael turned againe and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god; It ſpeakes as if it were a new thing now that they ſhould fall to worſhip Baal after they had left worſhipping him; After his death. And 1 Sam. 7. 4. The children of Iſrael did put away Baalim; and yet if you reade Chap▪ 10. 22. they fall a confesſing that they had ſinned, becauſe they had forſaken the Lord and ſerved Baalim; though they had put him away before, yet he had got up again; So in that place before named, 1 King. 16. there Ahah would ſerve Baal, it is brought in there as a new thing, as a novelty, becauſe Baal had beene ſo much ſuppreſſed, 2 King. 10. you find that Iehu ſought to deſtroy Baal & all his Prieſts, but yet Baal was not got out for all this, but he got in againe, for in 2 Kin. 23. 4. the Text ſaith, that Joſia who was long after that time, cauſed the veſſels that were made for Baal to be taken away and burnt.
This is a marvailous uſe, and ſeaſonable for our times. If ſuperſtition be oppoſed, though it be caſt out as we thinke in a great degree, yet if there be not a thorough Reformation, it will winde in one way or other againe.
If we thinke it enough to cut things ſhort, and to take away their ſtrength, and their enormities, we deceive our ſelves; if there be nothing done but ſo, they will grow up againe; it is but cutting the weeds a little; if branch and root be not taken away, they will up again; Baal will put up his head one way or other.
I remember Cluverus a late Hiſtorian, yet much approved of, bringeth in one that gave this councell concerning Rome, becauſe it was much annoyed with Wolves; ſaith he, there is no way to ſave Rome from Wolves, but to cut down the woods wherein theſe Wolves breed and live, for otherwiſe they might kill and kill, but they would breed agaiue. So ſometimes when childrens heads are overrunne with vermine, the way to deſtroy the vermine is to ſhave the haire quite of off: So certainly, this is the way to deſtroy ſuperſtition from amongſt us, to take away the places and revenews of thoſe men that have beene maintainers and upholders of ſuperſtitious wayes of worſhip; Let us by cutting down the woods, and ſhaving off the hayre deſtroy theſe Wolves, and if they will needs be Prieſts, let them be Shavelings.
Which they ſacrificed to Baal.
Laſtly, Idolaters are very liberall to their Idols,Obſ. they are willing to ſacrifice gold' ſilver, corne, wine and oyle, and all to Baal, but of that before.