An Exposition of Hosea 1-3, Chapter 2 · Lecture 19
The Nineteenth Lecture.
HOSEA 2. 20. 21. 22. 23,
I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulneſſe, and thou ſhalt know the Lord.
And it ſhall come to paſſe in that day, I will heare ſaith the Lord, I will heare the heavens, and they ſhall heare the earth.
And the earth ſhall heare the corne, and the wine, and the oyle, and they ſhall heare Iezreel.
And I will ſowe her unto me in the earth, and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy, and I will ſay to them which were not my people, Thou art my people, and they ſhall ſay, Thou art my God.
I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulneſſe.
Here is a third betrothing, I will betroth, I will betroth, I will betroth, Jerome hath a note upon that and ſaith, that it is thrice repeated to note three ſeveral times of Gods betrothing himſelfe unto his people. 1. VVhen he called Abraham. 2. After they went out of Egypt and were in the wilderneſſe at Mount Sinai. 3. In the time of the Goſpell. And of this Expoſition Calvin ſaith,Argutum ſed ſrivolum. it may be accounted witty, but it is frivolous. He giveth a better reaſon (which I thinke to be the minde of the holy Ghoſt) why it is thrice tepeated; Becauſe apoſtatizing Iſrael could hardly beleeve that ever God would doe ſuch a thing as this, what after the Lord had caſt Iſrael away? yea caſt her to the beaſts (for ſo he threatneth in the former part of the chapter) yet now betroth her to himſelf, this was unlikely.
I will [even] betroth thee, ſo you have it in your books; now the truth is, the word in the Originall is Vau, the ſame that is tranſlated and before, but becauſe the third time it is ſaid [and] the Tranſlators thought there was an emphaſis in the third And, and therefore to expreſſe that emphaſis they put in the word [even.] Infaithfulneſſe] In ſteadineſs, ſo the word ſignifieth, I will betroth thee unto me in a ſteady way,Infide, in conſtantia, in ſtabilitate. my goodneſs toward thee ſhall be ſtable and ſirme. So the word is often uſed in Scripture, Exod. 17. 12.
His hands were ſteady, the ſame word that we have here for faithfulnes, So Deut. 28. 59. I will make thy plagues of long continuanoe, thy plagues ſtable and conſtant, the ſame that is here for faithfulneſs. And 1 Sam. 2. 35. I will raiſe me up a faithfull Prieſt, and I will build him a ſure houſe, there the word is of the ſame roote, a ſure houſe, a firm, ſteady houſe. Faithfulnes here imports, Gods ſtability & ſteadines in his Covenant with his people. It notes not ſo much the perpetuity, for that was before, I will betroth thee unto me for ever: But firmeneſs & conſtancy, as oppoſite to ficklenes & uncertainty. There is much unconſtancy & fickleneſs in our love one to another, but the love of God to his people is ſtable, ſetled, firm & conſtant love.
That is the meaning in the firſt place, though not all. Eſay 62. 5. As the Eridegroome rejoyceth over the Bride, ſo ſhal thy God rejoyce …ver thee, that is, the love of Chriſt after thouſands of yeers is ſtill but as the love of a bridegroome upon the wedding day, then ordnarily love is hot & appears much; not the love onelyonly of the husband,Chriſts love is ſteady, and why. foreign. but as the Bridegroome.
There is no moment of time, but Chriſt rejoyceth not onelyonly as a husband, but as a Bridegroome over every gracious ſoule.
Chriſts love is ſteady, becauſe it is pure, without mixture; it is a holy love. Obſerve the comparing of two Texts, Eſay 55. 3. The ſure mercies of David are promiſed there. In Acts 13. 34. that Scripture is quoted, and there it is The holy things of David; As noting, becauſe the love of God is holy, therefore it is ſure and ſtedfaſt.
Chriſts love unto his people is in righteouſneſſe, as before, and in judgement, and in loving kindneſſe, and mercies: It is from the ſweetneſs of his nature, and therefore it is ſteady & firm. With him there is no ſhadow of change. It is grounded upon a ſure covenant, therefore firme. Though indeed the love of Chriſt may be to us as the ſhining of the Sun, not alwayes in the fruits of it, ſhining out ſo gloriouſly, but the Sun keepes his courſe in a ſteady way, though ſometimes it is clouded, and we have it not ſo gloriouſly as at other times. The Saints ſhould faſten upon the love of Chriſt in the Covenant; and though other things be never ſo uncertaine, yet they ſhould quiet their hearts in this, that their happineſs in the Covenant of grace is certaine. Perhaps the love of our friend is uncertaine, very fickle and inconſtant; thoſe who will glavor upon you, and ſeeme as if their hearts were with you, but what ſullen moods and fits will there be at times! and when you have moſt need of them, you know not where to finde them. But the love of Chriſt is certaine and ſtable, 2 Sam. 23. 5. Marke how David comforted himſelf in the ſtableneſſe of the love of God in the covenant. Though he doth not cauſe my houſe to grow, yet he hath made with me an everlaſting covenant, ordered in all things and ſure, and this is all my deſire & all my hope, that is, that the Covenant is ſure and ſtedfaſt.
And (as we have opened it in all the former) ſo here it muſt be mutuall.The Saints love to Chriſt ſteady.
I will betroth thee in faithfulneſſe, and make thee faithfull too; that is, thou ſhalt have a ſteady, firme, ſtable ſpirit in thy love to me, though not in that degree that Chriſts is, yet there is a ſtability in the hearts of the Saints unto Chriſt, they are not carried up and down with every wind of doctrine, with every puffe of temptation as other men are. The righteous is an everlaſting foundation, Pro. 10. 25. The upright holdeth on his way, Iob. 17. 9.
It muſt needs be ſo, becauſe the affections of the Saints unto Chriſt are holy affections too, though not perfect, they have indeed ſome mixture, therefore ſome inſtability; but they have holineſs, therefore ſtability.
And they chooſe Chriſt in righteouſneſſe and in judgement. And they have the Divine Nature in them; and as that hath no ſhadow of change, ſo they come to have ſomething like to the immutability of the Divine Nature, ſome ſhadow of it. Eſay 26. 3. A godly man is deſcribed thus, Whoſe minde is ſtaid upon God: he hath a ſtable ſpirit, not a wandring, fickle, roving ſpirit, he hath fixed himſelf upon God, he can ſay, My heart is fixed. The men of the world, becauſe they have not that which can ſatisfie, run up and downe, firſt, after one contentment, then after another, they have no where to fix: but the Saints finde all-ſufficiency in God, when they are there, their hearts are ſatisfied, and there they fix. As a Bee lighting upon a flower,The evil of a fickle unconſtant ſpirit. finding but a little honey, gets away to another, and to another, and to another; but when it comes to a flower, where it may ſuck honey enough it fixeth, it ſtayeth there. The hearts of the Saints find a fulneſſe of good, in God, and there they fixe. A fickle, wavering, unſtable ſpirit is exceeding unbeſeeming a Chriſtian. As it is in the body, ſome who have fluſhings of heat, have a very good colour for a while, but when we know this good colour is but a fluſh, it is rather an argument of a diſeaſe, then of a good complexion. An end of a candle that burnes in the ſocket gives ſome flaſhes of light now and then, but a candle that is ſet upon a table gives a ſteady and conſtant light. Mad people you know have their Iudicia intervalla, ſome times wherein they doe acts of reaſon, but you may perceive they are not in their wits, becauſe there is not conſtancy, and evenneſſe in their actions.
This ſtablenes, this evenes in a Chriſtian way is the beauty and glory of it. Though you be never ſo forward ſometimes in that which is good, yet if at other times your hearts be off, there is no beauty in your converſation. But give me a Chriſtian whoſe wayes are even, that you may finde a conſtancy in him in all his wayes.
Thoſe who have ſuch fickle, uncertaine, inconſtant hearts, are never like to excell; if they have any truth in them, yet they will never be eminent Chriſtians, Gen. 49. 4. it is ſaid of Ruben, Ruben unſtable as water, but hee ſhall not excell; ſo it may be ſaid of a Chriſtian unſtable; here is one of good affections, at ſometimes very forward, but unſtable as water, he ſhall not excell. Conſtancy in love is exceeding comely and beautifull between man and wife, from thence is the expreſſion of the holy Ghoſt here; it adds much unto the luſtre and comfort of their lives. For men to ſeeme ſometimes to be mighty fond, & other times to be bitter and ſowre, like Nabals; or the wife to be very fond ſometimes, and to be grievous & irkeſome at other times, this takes away the beauty, the comfort of their lives.
But there is more in this faithfulneſſe then ſtability and firmeneſs, I will betroth thee in faithfulneſſe; I will certainly performe all the good you can expect from me, which is befitting a husband, yea ſuch a husband as I am, to doe to my Spouſe;Providen tiam creaturis non negamus, curam ſibi ſponſa vendicat. Bern. you may confide in me, I will be faithfull to you, not onelyonly my love, but my faithfulnes ſhall binde me to you: My loving kindneſs, my mercifull diſpoſition is a great bond, but my faithfulnes ſhall binde me alſo, I will be content to ingage my ſelfe to you, that you may certainly confide in me, ſo as you may not only expect it from my love, but challenge it from my faithfulneſs. We deny not Gods providence to other creatures, but the Spouſe challengeth Gods care, ſaith Bernard, which is beyond providence, ſuch as is out of faithfulnes, as well as out of love. Chriſt here condeſcends to his Spouſe, as a man is willing to give ſatisfaction to his wife & her friends, though the truth is he would doe any thing in the world out of love to his wife, yet in regard of her weakneſſe, and to ſatisfie ſome friends he is content to enter into bond, to do any thing that is fitting; it is good to make all things ſure before-hand, ſay her friends, he preſently yeilds, for it is no other but what he is willing to doe without bonds, onelyonly to ſatisfie her and their minds. Thus it is between Chriſt and his Spouſe: The truth is, the love of Chriſt is enough to make a ſupply of any of our wants, but wee are weake, and would faine have things made ſure, therefore ſaith Chriſt to helpe our weakeneſs, I will even enter into bond, and you may be ſure I will be faithfull then, I will binde my faithfulnes to you for all the good you would have.
And this faithfulneſſe of Chriſt is either in regard of the great Marriage-Covenant, there hee will be ſure to be faithfull to his Spouſe; Or in regard of all particular promiſes, that are under things as it were. There is the great marriage-covenant, about reconciling God, and paying all debts that are owing and ſatisfying Gods juſtice, and bringing to eternall life; but there are many under-promiſes, and Chriſt will be faithfull in them all. Pſ. 25. 10. you have a promiſe worth a kingdome, All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, not onelyonly mercy, but mercy and truth, mercy ingaged.
VVicked men may have mercy from God, from the generall bounty and goodneſſe, and mercifull diſpoſition of God, but what the Saints have is from …ruth, as well as from mercy, it is bound to them.
God ſtands much upon this that the hearts of his Saints ſhould confide in him.Chriſt ſtands much upon this, that the harts of his Saints should confide in him. He accounts not himſelfe honoured except we confide in him: therefore marke how Chriſt ſuiteth himſelfe unto our weakneſſe, that wee may confide in his faithfulneſſe. What is it (ſaith he) that you poore creatures do one to another when you would make things ſure betweene you? Wee anſwer thus, Lord we ingage our ſelves by promiſe one to another. I will do ſo ſaith Chriſt, you ſhall have my promiſe, my faithfull promiſe. Acts 2. 39. Peter invites to Baptiſme upon this ground, becauſe the promiſe is made to you and to your children, and to as many as the Lord our God ſhal call: The firſt he ſpeakes to the Jews, the other to the Gentiles; As if he ſhould ſay, Come in and receive Baptiſme, for to you and to your children the promiſe is made, to you that are Jews and to your children, and to the Gentiles, they have the promiſe that you have, they come under the ſame Covenant for the maine, the promiſe is to them and to their children too. And this promiſe that Chriſt hat…ing aged himſelf in, is no other then a draught of that which was before the world began, from all eternity, and therefore it is ſo much the more ſure. Tit. 1. 2. the Goſpell is called a promiſe before the world began.
All promiſes in the Scripture are but a draught of that grand promiſe that God the Father made to his Son before the world began; As if Chriſt ſhould ſay, Will you have engagement by promiſe? This is paſt long agoe, my Father hath engaged himſelf to me from all eternity, & if you have any promiſe it is but a draught of that firſt copie of that great promiſe my Father hath made me from all eternity.
VVhat doe you doe more when you would make things ſure one to another? VVe anſwer, we doe not onelyonly make a verball promiſe, by word of mouth, but we write it. God hath therefore given us his Scripture, and the chiefe thing in Scripture is the promiſe, God hath ſet to his hand to his promiſe in Scripture. Hence Luther hath a notable expreſſion, The whole Scripture doth eſpecially aim at this, that we ſhould not doubt, but believe, confide, hope that God is mercifull, kind, patient.
VVhat do you more? Here you have my promiſe and my hand, is there any thing elſe you uſe to do, to make things ſure? VVe anſwer, Lord wee take witneſſes. I will do ſo too, ſaith God. VVhen we would make things ſure indeed, we take not only two, but three, or four, but half a dozen witneſſes ſometimes. You ſhall have witneſſes; ſaith God as many as you will, witneſſes of all ſorts, witneſſes in heaven, witneſſes in earth; In heaven, I Iohn 5. 7. The Father, the Word, and the holy Ghoſt, witneſſes authenticall, of credit enough, the three Perſons in the Trinity, upon earth, the ſpirit, the water, and the blood.
What do you more to make a thing ſure? Lord, we ſet to our ſeales too; you ſhall have that too ſaith God, you ſhall have ſeals of all ſorts, you ſhall have the broad ſeale of Heaven, the Sacraments, the ſeals of the Covenant; and you ſhall have my privie ſeale, I will take my Ring off my finger, I will give you even the ſeale of the ſpirit, and do but ſhew this ſeale, it is authenticall enough.
Is there any thing more? Yes we anſwer, there is one thing more, we take an oath, I will do that too, ſaith God, that you may be ſure, and confide in my faithfulneſſe. Heb. 6. 17. God willing more abundantly to ſhew unto the heirs of promiſe the immutability of his councell, conſirmed it by his oath. As if he ſhould ſay, there is no ſuch need of an oath, but I will be abundant to you, becauſe I would have you truſt mee, And mark this is for the ſake of the heirs of promiſe, God would never have done this for other men, it is for your ſakes onelyonly who are the heirs of promiſe, in regard of your weakneſſe he conrfims all with an oath. And if wee would have things ſure, wee will not have the oath of ſuch as are of no great credit. Mark, therefore it is that God ſweareth, and that by the greateſt oath, ver. 13. Becauſe he could ſweare by no greater, ſaith the text, he ſware by himſelfe.
Is there any thing more ſaith God that you uſe to do among your ſelves to make things ſure? Yes Lord, we uſe to take a pawn too. You ſhall have that too ſaith he, I will give you a pawn, and ſuch a pawn as if you never had any thing more you would be happie. what is that? 2 Cor. 1. 22. Who hath ſealed us, and given us the earneſt of his ſpirit in our hearts. I will ſend my ſpirit to be an earneſt of all the good that I intend to do for you everlaſtingly. Is there any thing elſe you would require of me that you may confide in me? Yes, if God would doe ſome great & notable work as a beginning & as an ingagement of that which is to come after, this is yet more then a pawne, when there is ſome ſpeciall thing done in way to that which wee make account of, that we are not only promiſed it, and have it under hand and ſeale, and have an oath and a pawne, but it is in a great degree begun, and ſo begun as the difficulty is over. Thoſe who live under the Goſpell ſee the greateſt part of our ſalvation already done for us. God made a promiſe of ſending his Son into the world; Now in Gods performing that promiſe that God-man ſhould come into the world to be made a curſe for ſin, this is the greateſt worke of all that is to be done to all eternity, and if God would have failed in any thing it would have been in that. It is not ſo much for God to deliver us in this world, it is not ſo much for him to bring us to heaven, as it is to ſend his Son into the world to be made a curſe for us. Now when God hath done ſo great a work and hath beene faithfull in that great promiſe, he hath taught us for ever to truſt in him, to beleeve his faithfulneſs in making good other promiſes. If a man who owes five thouſand pound, and payes you foure thouſand nine hundred of it, you thinke ſurely hee will never breake for one hundred, I may truſt him for the reſt, ſeeing hee hath dealt ſo faithfully with me in the great ſumme. God hath paid the four thouſand nine hundred and much more, in compariſon of what God hath done for us, take all the glory of heaven, we have not one hundred of the five thouſand left behince, therefore we may well confide in him for the payment of the reſt.God a ſure object for our faith. But is God able? It is true, God is faithfull: This is ſeldome an objection, at leaſt an explicite objection in the mouths of people, but ſurely an implicite one it is in the hearts of many; that appears by thoſe cautions, God gives to take away that objection, 1 Pet. 4. 19. Commit the keeping of your ſouls unto him as unto a faithful Creator, as if he had not ſaid enough in ſaying he is faithfull, he adds faithfull Creator, as if he ſhould ſay, f there be no means to help you I will create means, I will put forth my Almighty power to create helpe for you,foreign but you ſhall have helpe, Dan. 9. 27. The Lord will confirme the Covenant; the word is uſed for a mighty man, a Giant in Scripture. Gen. 19. 8. He began to be a mighty one in the land, as a Giant in the earth, the word here is of the ſame root, God will come forth as a Giant, as a mighty man to make ſure the Covenant he hath made with his people, if there be any thing in the world wherein God will ſtirre up his infinite power, the excellency of his power, the glory of his right hand, it will be in confirming his Covenant to his Saints, Eſay 26. 4. Truſt ye in the Lord for ever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlaſting ſtrength, Eſay. 54. 5. Thy Maker is thy husband, the Lord of Hoſts is his name, the God of the whole earth ſhall he be called.
Seeing God is ſo faithfull, let not us be faithleſſe. But things goe very croſſe,Our faith muſt rayſe us above difficulties. and how ſhall we beleeve, our faith ſhakes? the true genuine love of the Saints is ſuch as will love God without gifts, for himſelf, ſo the genuine art of faith, is to beleeve in God without experience, yea though things ſeem to goe contrary. That love is but a lame love that loveth God onelyonly for that which vve receive from him for the preſent, and that is but a lame faith that beleeveth only in …od for that which we ſee for the preſent.
Doe things goe croſſe? they are corrections, and thoſe may come from faithfulnes as well as any thing the Church enjoyes, Pſal. 119. 75. I know O Lord that thy judgements are right, and that thou in faithfulneſſe haſt afflicted me; As God comes downe to you and ſutes himſelf to you as his poor creatures, ſo you ſhould labour to raiſe your hearts to him, to beleeve in him as a great God. …od deals with you as having to deale with weak creatures, you ſhould deale with him as having to doe with an infinite God. You muſt give God leave to doe his worke his owne way. The object of our confidence in God, it is, the thing will be done, it is not how it will be done, or when it will be done, but that God will carry his worke thorough. Shall our weakneſs be ſo much regarded, as that things muſt not work ſo as to ſhew Gods power? Certainly it is too too much for us to think our weakneſs muſt be ſo far condeſcended to. One would think that it is enough, that God condeſcendeth ſo much as to expreſſe himſelf ſo to you as you may beleeve; would you have God condeſcend to expreſſe himſelfe ſo to you, as he ſhould not have the glory of his worke, nor you the glory of your faith? this is too low. Though we be bound to deny our ſelves much, becauſe of the weakneſs of our brethren; Muſt God deny his glory becauſe of our weakeneſſe? We burden God too much with our weakneſſe. It is for Gods glory that things goe as they doe; Lazarus was dead, and dead ſo long, that the work of God might appeare.
But I finde not things go ſo as I expected, I thinke I have beleeved, at ſuch a time in prayer I thought my heart did cloſe with the promiſes of God, but yet things goe not ſo as I expect. Though things be otherwiſe then thou expecteſt, yet it may be God calls for new acts of thy beleeving, and it is becauſe there is no renewing of thy faith in his faithfulneſs. You muſt know, the continuall actings of Faith draw out the continuall actings of the power of God.Renowned acts of faith drawes forth God power to worke foe the Saints I will give you for that one famous Text, perhaps you may reade it often and heare it, but not perceive the ſtrength there is in it. Pſal. 31. 19. O how great is thy goodnes which thou haſt laid up for them that fear thee! but marke what followeth, which thou haſt wrought for them that truſt in thee. Great is the goodneſſe thou haſt laid up. Gods goodneſſe is great to admiration for them that feare him, but how? It is laid up for them, but now marke, which thou haſt wrought for them that truſt in thee.
All the goodneſſe that is in God, is for them that feare him, but it is not fearing God that will bring it to work, it is laid up in a treaſury indeed; do you feare God? God hath laid up abundance of goodneſſe in a treaſury for you, but you muſt not expect this will work for you, unleſs you truſt in him; your Faith muſt bring it forth into work, and that before the ſonns of men; thou ſhalt hide them in the ſecret of thy preſence from the pride of men.
Would you be hid in the ſecret of Gods preſence from the pride of men? you muſt not onelyonly feare God, but truſt in his faithfulneſs. Mat. 13. 58. Chriſt did no mighty works there becauſe of their unbelief: And Ma…k. 6, 5. He could not doe no works becauſe of their unbelief. One ſays he did not, and the other ſayes he could not, When we have a promiſe, let us put on to get the goodneſſe of God to work, which is by believing. For that I will give you as notable an example as any I know you have in the book of God, of a believing heart, catching hold upon a promiſe upon Gods faithfulneſſe to work it out, 1 Chron. 17. 23. and ſo on. In the former part of the Chapter you ſhall finde God had promiſed David to eſtabliſh his houſe, to build him a ſure houſe; Well, as ſoone as David had got the word, mark how hee improves it, how hee works upon Gods word; As if he had ſaid, Seeing I have got his word, I will hold to it, he ſhall not goe from it, ſaith he, Therefore, O Lord, let the things thou haſt ſpoken concerning thy ſervant and concerning his houſe, be eſtabliſhed for ever, and doe as thou haſt ſaid. Thou haſt ſpoken, do as thou haſt ſaid. Ver. 24.Faith will hold God to his word. Let it even be eſtabliſhed, I expect it, ſeeing thou haſt been pleaſed in ſuch a gracious way to promiſe me thus, I will relye upon it, let it be even eſtabliſhed, that thy name may be magnifyed for ever. I will plead thy name in it, if there be any thing to be pleaded more then other, I will plead it before thee; but is not this enough? Verſ. 25. Thou O Lord God haſt told thy ſervant that thou wilt build him an houſe, therefore thy ſervant hath found in his heart to pray before thee. He had ſaid before, that God had ſpoken it; here he goes over it again, as making much of Gods word, thou haſt told me, and I pray for nothing but what thou haſt told me. Nay yet ſtill David encroacheth more upon God, Ver. 26. Now O Lord thou art God, & thou haſt promiſed this goodneſſe unto thy ſervant. I have not to deal with a man that will be fickle and inconſtant, wavering and unfaithfull, but thou art God, and I will truſt in thee as a God, thou art God, and thou haſt promiſed this goodneſſe, it is thine owne goodneſſe, now therefore do it. See how he followeth God upon his promiſe. And mark what admirable effects followed upon this, Chap. 18. ver. 1. After this, ſaith the Text, he proſpered, when his enemies came againſt him, he took a thouſand charets, and ſeven thouſand horſemen, and twenty thouſand footmen from Hadarezer, and when the Syrians came to help that Hadarezer, he ſlew of the Syrians two and twenty thouſand men. After this, mark the connexion of that Chapter and this, after David had improved the promiſe, hee might have what he would; thus the loving kindneſſe of God was laid up in a promiſe, but wrought out by Davids faith. This is our evill that we do not improve this faithfulneſſe of God, wee loſe abundance by it. It is an argument that wee have baſe ſpirits. It is a great evill between man and wife, when they cannot confide one in another, but are jealous, how can ſuch live comfortably together? So we are jealous of God, we loſe our comfort in him; Jealouſie comes oftentimes from much baſeneſſe of ſpirit, and ſelfe-guiltineſſe, becauſe we are of ſuch baſe hearts our ſelves, that is the reaſon we are ſo jealous of God. Where there is much love between man and wife, there cannot be much jealouſie, and if there were intire love in the Spouſe of Chriſt, there would not be jealouſie. You have an excellent paſſage for that, John 5. 40. You will not come unto me that you might have life, you will not believe in me, that is the meaning: then ver. 42. I know you have not the love of God in you. Is there any thing in the world more tedious to a Husband, then that the Wife ſhould be jealous of him?Evidences that we do not truſt in Gods faith fulneſs. think of it, the ſame tediouſneſſe it is unto the Spirit of Jeſus Chriſt, that thou ſhouldſt be jealous of him, and not confide in his faithfulneſſe.
Surely if we did truſt in Gods faithfulneſſe, wee would not think to compound with him ſo as we do, but wee would improve his promiſe to the utter moſt. As you that are Merchants, and have much owing you, all the while you confide in your debtors, you will not compound with them for leſs then your debt; if you ſhould come to one that ows you money, and ſay, I pray Sir pay in my money, and I ſhall be content to take ten, or fifteen in the hundred; the party would think himſelfe diſg…aced; what, do you diſtruſt me? Do you think I will break? No, I will pay you every penny, he ſtands upon his credit. The truth is, we poor wretches, becauſe we have not Gods promiſes preſently fulfilled, we would compound with God, that is, if God would give us any little comfort for the preſent, we would be ſatisfied rather then waite for that which is to come, though it be infinitely more; this is a great diſhonour to God, and an argument of our unfaithfulneſſe. It is an argument of little faith, if thou canſt be ſatisued, ſhould God give thee tenne thouſand worlds for the preſent, if God ſhould ſay, what will yon have? would you have your enemies deſtroyed? would you have your peace and your trading in the world, your eaſe and quietneſſe? Is this all? This is to compound with God for twelve pence in the pound as it were. No ſaith a gracious heart, Lord thou haſt promiſed mercy, & I expect it to the full, I wil not abate the leaſt farthing of it. God loveth we ſhould ſtand with him for his promiſe unto the uttermoſt farthing. No, but I hope God give me Heaven at laſt, yet I doubt hee will leave mee here in the world. This is to compound with God another way; there are ſome who perhaps will pay eighteene, or fifteen ſhillings in the pound, but it is a diſhonour to God to abate one ſhilling in the pound, therefore we muſt not onelyonly believe in God for heaven, but for earth, and for ſafety and comfort, and that in times of greateſt trouble. God is well pleaſed with ſuch kind of holy impudence, as we may ſay, that is, to follow him for the uttermoſt, and to urge him upon his word again and again, to pay what he is ingaged for.
Again, had we faith in God we would ſet upon great things though we ſee but little meanes. Many of you who have but little ſtockes, yet if you have rich friends that have given you encouragement, and that you know will be faithfull to you, you will trade for great things with your little ſtock, becauſe you know you have thoſe friends will ſtand by you. So though we have but little ſtrength,We muſt be faithfull to god, ſo as God may confide in us. if God call us, we ſhould be willing to ſet upon great things, becauſe God hath ſtock enough, and he hath ingaged himſelf to ſtand by us.
I will bearoth thee unto me in faithfulneſs. As I will be faithfull to you, and you ſhall conſide in my faithfulneſſe, ſo you ſhall be faithfull to me, that I may confide in your faithfulneſſe, as I fulfill all my promiſes, & covenant vvith you, ſo you ſhall be faithfull to make good all the promiſes and covenant with me. The Spouſe of Chriſt is ſuch a one as the Spirit of Chriſt can confide in. It is ſaid of the vertuous woman, Pro. 31. 11. Her husband truſteth in her. Let him be abroad or at home, in what company ſoever, yet his heart truſteth in her, he can leave all his buſineſſe, his writing, or any thing that concerns him with ſuch a wife: VVhere there is want of this truſting of the heart of the husband in the wife, there is want of comfort in their lives; thus God ſaith of his people, Eſay 63. 8. They are children that will not lye; I can confide in them, I can turne them unto any buſineſſe as I will, for they are children who will not lye.
They are faithfull to God firſt in the great Covenant, in the ſurrendring themſelves to God, as they doe at their firſt cloſing with Chriſt. In the firſt act of beleeving▪ every gracious ſoul enters into ſolemn covenant with God, & it will be faithfull in that covenant. And they will be faithfull likewiſe in all their under promiſes & vowes that they make to God, in days of faſting, and thanſgiving, and at other times. As Gods promiſes are Gods gifts unto us, ſo ſhould our promiſes be as gifts unto God. 2 Tim. 1. 9. According to his purpoſe and grace, which was given unto us in Chriſt Ieſus before the world began; not onelyonly promiſed, but given unto us in Chriſt Jeſus. Gods eternall purpoſe is called Gods gift, ſo our purpoſes and our promiſes ought to be as ſure as gifts unto God.
So in thy converſation thou muſt be faithfull to Chriſt, not proſtitute thy ſelfe unto another, but keep thy ſelfe for Chriſt. Indeed the ſpouſe of Chriſt may be raviſhed by open violence, but ſhe will not proſtitute her ſelf to any other, ſhe keepes her ſelf onelyonly for Chriſt. Thus the Saints are deſcribed, Ephe. 1. 1. faithfull in Chriſt Jeſus. There is a kinde of natural faithfulnes as I may ſo ſpeak, as in that place Eſay 8. 2. I took unto me faithfull witneſſes, Calvin ſaith it is meant of Vrijah, that baſe temporizing Vrijah, who made the Altar according to the patterne that Ahaz ſent from Damaſcus, he is ſaid to be faithfull, that is, he was a faire, honeſt dealing man, his word was as good as his bond; ſo many civill men will be faithfull of their words; But mark here in the Epheſians it is faithfull in Chriſt Jeſus, it is nnt onelyonly faithfulneſſe between man and man, for many Heathens were ſo, they would rather dye then cozen and cheate one another, but this is a higher degree of faithfulneſs; it is a faithfulneſſe in Chriſt Jeſus, ſo the Saints muſt be faithfull, faithfull to Chriſt Jeſus, and faithfull in Chriſt Jeſus. They who are thus faithfull, are fit for the ſervice of Chriſt, Chriſt hath a great deale of work to do, they are only fit for it, Rev. 17. 14. The Lamb ſhal overcome, why? for they that are with him, are choſen, and called, and faithfull, not called faithfull, but called and faithfull, and therefore the Lambe ſhall overcome. It were happy that all that are in this publicke ſervice in the kingdom that are with the Lambe, with Chriſt in this cauſe, were called and faithfull, the work would ſoon be at an end; It is faithfulneſs we ſhall be hereafter re…rded for, Well done good & faithfull ſervant; not well done good and rich ſervant, or ſervant who had great imployment in publicke works, but well done good and faithfull ſervant. Every one of us cannot be eminent, every one cannot be employed in publicke ſervices, but you may every one bee faithfull; you that are poore ſervants you may be faithfull as well as a Magiſtrate, as well as a Miniſter; you that are poore labouring men, porters and water-men the meaneſt, you may be faithfull as well as the Nobles of a kingdom; God regardeth faithfulnes rather then ſervice, hee hath no need of the ſervices of men,We muſt be faithfull one toward another. great or ſmall, it is all one unto him, but he looks upon the faithfulneſſe of their hearts. And as you muſt be faithfull unto God and his cauſe, ſo you muſt be faithfull one to another. You who are ſervants, if you be godly, be ſure you be faithfull to your Maſters, that there may be no occaſion of any ſuch ſcandoll as often there is concerning thoſe who are profeſſors, ſuch a ſervant is forward, he muſt goe to ſermons, and he is ſet againſt ceremonies, &c. But I never had any ſo unfaithfull, if mine eye be but off him, hee is from his buſineſſe preſently. God forbid there ſhould be ſuch ſcandols given. So VVives who profeſſe godlineſs, be you ſure you be faithful to your husbands and tradeſmen who profeſſe more then ordinary ſtrictneſs in Religion, be you faithfull in your dealings. Hath Chriſt married himſelfe unto thee in faithfulneſſe? he expects that his faithfulneſſe to thee ſhould have that reflection upon thy heart as to make thee faithful to others. There is one note that is to be taken from all together. As if God ſhould ſay, O Iſrael, you have dealt unrighteouſly with me, you have broken your covenant, you have gone a whoring from me, but I will betroth you to me in righteouſneſſe. You have done fooliſhly in departing from me, but I will betroth you unto me in judgement. You have been unkind to me, but I will betroth you unto me in loving kindneſs. It hath not pittied your ſouls to ſee me diſhonored, but I will betroth my ſelfe in bowels of mercy to you.
You have been unfaithfull to me, but I will even betroth you unto me in faithfulneſſe. The note from thence is this.
God dealeth not with thoſe in Covenant with him as they deale with him.Obſer. It is a note of admirable uſe and comfort. Marke the difference betweene Gods dealing with others and thoſe that are in covenant with him. Let others deale with God in a froward and perverſe way, God will deale with them ſo too, Pſal. 18. 26. With the froward thou wilt ſhew thy ſelfe froward. Will you be froward with God? God will ſhew himſelfe froward with you. Will you be proud with God? In the thing you are proud God wil be above you. Will you be ſubtil and contriving miſchiefe againſt God and his truth? God will meet with the wicked, and inſnare them in the work of their own hands. Are you reſolute in wickedneſſe? God will be as reſolute as you for your hearts, as Jer. 44, 25. 26. But when God comes to deale with his Saints in covenant, though they deale frowardly with him, hee will deale gently with them: though they deale proudly with him, hee dealeth in a way of condeſcenſion with them; though they bee unfaithfull to him, yet he will be faithfull to them. Oh my brethren this point hath abundance of ſweetnes in it, take heed of abuſing it; Thy ſins cannot overcome Gods goodneſſe,Quia ego dominus. let Gods goodneſs overcome thy wickedneſſe.
And they ſhal know the Lord, They ſhal know that I am the Lord, ſo the Septuagint hath it; ſo the old Latin, thou ſhalt know becauſe I am the Lord; but we rather reade it as it is in your bookes; They ſhall know the Lord.
But how comes this in, In faithfulneſſe, and they ſhall know the Lord.
Thus, upon theſe two reaſons.
Firſt, becauſe this ſhall be the means to keepe the Church the Spouſe of Chriſt in faithfulneſſe for ever, they ſhall know Chriſt to be the Lord. As if Chriſt ſhould ſay, The reaſon of all your vile departings from me all this while, what is it? you doe not know me, you doe not ſee into the bounty and glory, into the excellency of my worſhip, and what I am, that is the reaſon you are gone from me and have been unfaithfull to me, but when I betroth you my ſelf again, you ſhall know me, you ſhall ſee ſo much beauty and excellency in me & mine Ordinances that you ſhall never depart from me.
Low thoughts of God are the cauſe of ſuperſtitious vanities. Had men high and honourable thoughts of God they would never thinke to put him off with ſuch bauble-worſhip as they do. Acts 9. 7. it is ſaid the God of glory appeared to Abraham, Obſer.that is given as a ground why Abraham would forſake his Countrey his fathers houſe and his kindred, if we once knew the Lord, and that the God of glory had appeared to us, we would be ready to forſake all for him and give up our ſelves unto him in an everlaſting covenant.
Secondly, And they ſhall know me] This is as a fruit of my betrothing my ſelf unto them,The right knowing God is a fruit of the covenant. as a fruite of the Covenant, Jer. 31. 34. They ſhal teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother, ſaying, know the Lord, for they ſhall know me from the leaſt of them unto the greateſt of them, ſaith the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity, &c. It is a fruit of the conjugall union betwixt Chriſt and the ſoul. As it is betwixt man and wife, when they are but only ſuitors, well willers, they do not communicate their ſecrets one to another, but when they once come to be marryed together, then they open all their hearts, there is no ſecret but they will diſcloſe one to another. So ſaith God, when I am once marryed to you, I will open my whole heart to you, the ſecret of the Lord is with them that feare him.
Thoſe that have but natural knowledge, underſtands ſomething of the wayes of Religion, of the minde of Chriſt; As a man that is in the dark may know where he is, by feeling he may know what length and thickneſs many things in the houſe are of, but when the light of the day comes, then hee knowes what the …is in the roome after another manner then he did in the darke: this is the difference betweene knowledge of God in a natural man, and the knowledge of one eſpouſed to Chriſt, by his naturall knowledge he may underſtand the hyſtory of the Goſpell, he may have ſome generall notions of God and of Chriſt, but when the Sun of righteouſneſſe ariſeth, then be ſees the excellency and glory of God, then he ſees God ſhining in all his attributes, he ſees that in Chriſt which drawes his heart unto him in an everlaſting Covenant. As we reade Cant. 7. 5. Chriſt is held in the galleries, that is, Chriſt aſſoone as he is marryed to the foule, takes it as it were by the hand, and walkes into the Galleries, and there openeth his heart unto her. There is many a ſweet turne that a gracious heart hath with Chriſt in his ordinances, wherin Chriſt openeth even his whole ſoul unto it, Joh. 15. 15. All things, ſaith Chriſt, that I have heard of my Father, I have made knowne unto you. An admirable Text, ſurely you cannot but know the Lord then. Here is the fruit of our union with Chriſt. Oh that our hearts were inflamed with deſire after further conjugall communion with him! according to the capacity of the ſoul, ſo Chriſt makes knowne to it what he hath heard of the Father. Certainly Chriſt hath heard great things of the Father; he is the wiſdome of the Father, he hath been with the Father from all eternity, and the Father loves him, he will tell him all the glorious things he hath in his heart, and Chriſt will hide none of thoſe things from his Saints. This is the priviledg of a Saint;foreign who would not be godly, by which he ſhall come to know the minde of the Father, according to what Chriſt knowes of it?
Yea and Chriſt makes God known to the Saints in another way then others know him. 2 Sam. 7. 27. Thou O Lord God of Hoſts haſt revealed unto thy ſervant, ſo you reade it in your bookes, but it is in the Hebrew, Lord thou haſt revealed this to the eare of thy ſervant. I wonder how that word to the eare comes to be left out in your books, in which indeed the emphaſis lye, I am ſure it is ſo in the Text. When God makes known himſelfe to his people he revealeth things to their Eare, as we to a friend who is intimate with us, we ſpeake a thing to his eare. There is many a ſecret which JESUS CHRIST ſpeakes in the eart of his Saints, which others never come to be made acquainted with, 2 Cor. 4. 6. God who commanded the light to ſhine out of darknes, hath ſhined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Jeſus Chriſt. It would aske time for the full opening the gradations of this Scripture, here is knowledg, & the knowledg of the glory of God, & the light of the knowledg of the glory of God, and ſhining, and ſhining into our hearts, and into our hearts in the face of Jeſus Chriſt. Surely then they ſhall know the Lord, and they ſhall know him in a very ſpirituall way. The light of the Saints is a light three ſtory high; Firſt,The light of the Saints is three ſtories high. they have the light of nature, which other men have, the light of reaſon. Secondly, they have the light of common gifts, which other men have too, and that is a ſtory higher then the other; Thirdly, they have the light of a ſanctifying ſpirit, that is a third loft, and they ſhall come to a fourth ſtory, and that is the light of glory. The light that other men have is but as the light you have in a lower room, in ware-houſes, which in ſome you know is ſo little that you are faine to uſe a candle at noone day, ſo ſome natural men have onelyonly the light of reaſon, which indeed is rather like your cellars that have but a little light coming in at a grate; others have ſomewhat more light, they have common gifts, which is like the light in the next ſtory, ſomewhat more clear, but the light of the Saints is higher then all theſe, they know God as their God, great is the excellency of his knowledge, the ſoul hath bleſſed ſatisfaction in it, let us ſee the Father and it ſufficeth us, the fulneſſe of glory that is let out into the ſoul, the ſanctification of the heart by the preſence of the beams of the glory of God, being transformed into the ſame Image, it is the very beginning of eternall life. Take onelyonly this note about our knowledge of God by Chriſt, what a different way have we to know God by, from that which Heathens had. If you reade the Hyſtories of the Romanes, you ſhal find the poor & mean ways of thoſe wiſe men had to know God, as thus, they would look into the intrails of beaſts thereby to finde out the mind of their gods, they would obſerve how the beaſts came to the ſlaughter, whether willingly or not willingly, whether haled or not haled, they gueſſed ſomewhat at the minde of their Gods by that, then they would looke into the colour of the bowels of the beaſts, then obſerve whether the entrals were ſound or not, then they would obſerve the fire of their ſacrifices, whether the flame aſcended right or not, thus they came to know the mind of their Gods; What poor wayes are theſe? we have JESUS CHRIST God bleſſed for ever, the eternal Son of the Father, who is come from the boſome of the Father,Epheſ. 4, 11. to make all known to us, the mind of God, his and our Father: We know the truth as it is in Jeſus, not onelyonly as it is in the works of nature; ſome know much of God in the works of creation and providence, wee may know much of God in thoſe great things the Lord hath of late done amongſt us; but to know the truth as it is in Jeſus, to know God in Chriſt, this is another manner of knowledge then to know God in the way of his works, here we ſee the truth really indeed when wee ſee it in CHRIST JESUS. Certainly then none united unto Chriſt in a conjugall union can be an ignorant ſot, for Chriſt ingageth himſelfe in his faithfulneſſe, upon this marryage of a ſoul with himſelfe, to reveale himſelfe and the Father unto it, Joh, 8. 54. Of whom ye ſay he is your God, but mark the next words, yet ye have not knowne him. A likely matter that he ſhould be your God and you not know him, a likely matter that Chriſt ſhould be your Saviour and you not know him, ſeeing he hath ingaged himſelfe in his faithfulneſſe, that if you bee married to him you ſhall know him and his Father.
Ver. 21. And it ſhall come to paſſe in that day, I will heare ſaith the Lord, I will heare the heavens, &c.
Now come in temporall promiſes, after the aſſurance of mercy in the Covenant, then come promiſes for corn, and wine, and oyle; God would teach us this leſſon by it, that all our outward things (at the leaſt the ſweetneſs and comfort of them) depend upon the covenant in Chriſt.
I will heare, foreignThe word is Reſpondebo, I will anſwer, ſo it may be rendred as well, God will ſo hear as that he will anſwer. Many times a poor man cryes to the rich, & he hears him but he will not anſwer, but ſaith God, I will hear ſo as I wil anſwer. This is a moſt elegant expreſſion, I wil hear the heavens, and they ſhall heare the earth, and the earth ſhall hear the corne and the wine and the oyle, and they ſhal heare Iezreel. Miraorationis ſublimit as, a wonderfull ſublimity of ſpeech, ſaith one Expoſitor of it; hyperbolica metaphora, a hyperbolica metaphor, ſaith another; pulcherrima proſopopoeia, a moſt beautifull and delightful proſopopoeia, ſaith another; theſe creatures being put as it were in the perſon of a man as if they underſtood what they did. As if the Lord ſhould ſay thus. My people, you indeed through your ſinnes have been brought into great ſtraits, you have wanted corne, and wine, and oyle, you have been ſcattered in your baniſhment, but when I ſhall betroth my ſelf unto you and enter into a covenant with you, then, when you ſhall cry, O that we might have theſe outward comforts, preſently the corne, and the wine, and the oyle, as if they heard your complaints, ſhall ſay, Oh Lord we would help, Jezreel and ſatisfie theſe thy ſervants; the corne ſhall cry to the earth, O earth let me come into your bowels, I will rot there that ſo I may bring forth fruit for this people, the vines and the olive ſhall deſire the earth to receive them, to give juice and nouriſhment to them, that they may refreſh theſe reconciled ones to God; the earth ſhall ſay, O that I could entertaine the corne, and wine, and oyle that I may be fruitfull in my kinde, but O heavens I can doe nothing except I have your influences and the ſhine of the ſun to warme mee to make mee fructifie, therefore O heavens come in and aſſiſt me that I may fructifie for Jezreel; and the heavens they ſhall cry, Lord, we would faine help the earth, that the earth may helpe the corne, and wine, and oyle, that they may ſupply Jezreel, but we can doe nothing without thine hand, therefore doe thou heare us, do thou give us leave to raine upon the earth that it may be fruitfull.Obſer. Thus the creatures are brought in crying to help Jezreel.
Take theſe Obſervations.
Firſt, See our condition in this world, though reconciled to God yet while we are here we muſt be beholden to the corne, and wine, to the earth, and heavens,Obſer. we know not how to doe without them.
Secondly, VVhen we are reconciled to God, then the creatures will be ſerviceable to us, yea they will be greedy to do us good, they will cry for it. Let us take heed of provoking God, the creatures then will be againſt us. I have read of Cordius a martyr, giving this anſwer to thoſe who would have had him deny the truth, if deny it ſaith he, the Sun, Moon, & ſtarres will deny me light. If we ſerve God, the creatures will account it their happines to ſerve us. Thirdly, God uſeth to work good for his people by ſecond cauſes.
He doth not ſend theſe things immediately from heaven,Obſ. but the heavens heare the earth, and the earth hears the corne and the wine. We muſt looke to ſecond cauſes, but take heed of reſting upon ſecond cauſes. It hath been Gods work amongſt us of late in finding out treacheries & giving ſucceſſes to manifeſt himſelf very ſtrangly when the means have been very poor; Nay indeed God hath made as much uſe of mens weakneſſe, as of their ſtrength; but let not us therefore be ſlack in the uſe of means, let us do the beſt we can, though God ſometimes work beyond means, and contrary to means, yet ordinarily he makes uſe of ſecond cauſes, not only to work, ad praeſent iam, as Biel the Schoolman and others ſay, that is, only together with the creature; but there is ſay they no efficacie at all of them iſſuing into the effect; but the truth is, God doth make uſe of ſecond cauſes otherwiſe, ſo that there is ſome vertue and efficacy in them to work the thing that God intends.
Fourthly,Obſer. there is a concatenation of ſecond cauſes, not onelyonly an uſe of them, but every one in their order ſupplyes the other, the heavens heare the earth, and the earth hears the corne, one after another. If we could ſee the comely order of the creatures, wee ſhould ſee them all hang together in a golden chaine; as it is in the joynts of the body, one bone ſupplyeth another, one place is hollow to take in another, ſo one cauſe in nature ſupplyeth, and cometh in to the other. As in our ſalvation there is a golden chain which we have Rom. 8. So in the creatures there is a golden chain of comely order and mutuall ſupplyance.
Fiftly,Obſer. God is at the higher end of the chaine, and nothing can be done by any link of the chaine of ſecond cauſes, but by Gods being at the uppermoſt link. Jezreel muſt cry to the corn, and wine, and oyle, and they muſt cry to the earth, and the earth muſt cry to the heavens, he muſt be the higheſt cauſe.
Sixtly,Obſer. It is moſt comely, and a great bleſſing, when the right order and chaine of ſecond cauſes hold; As it is in Nature, ſo in any Society, in a Common-wealth, in a City, when all keep their due ſubordination, as when the Tradeſ-man works in his way, the Magiſtrate in his way, the Miniſter in his way, and every Officer in his place, every one keeping his order. But when it is otherwiſe, when they are out of order, it is a great miſery upon a City or Kingdom. As it was once among the Athenians, Themiſtocles ſaith of his ſon, a bol… youth, This boy can do more then any man in all Greece, Why? For ſaith he, the Athenians command the Grecians, and I command the Athenians, and my wife commands me, and my ſon commands my wife; here was the concatenation of that government. God deliver all ſocieties from ſuch a concatenation, that the beginning of any publick work, I meane the lower link of the chain ſhould be perhaps in a whoremaſter, & he ſhould command one, and that one another, and ſo one after another. This is a fearfull judgment where ſoever it is.
7. God is the giver of all plenty,Obſer. hee accounts it his glory to give raine. Ier. 5. 24. God there wonders that men will not feare him becauſe of that, Neither (ſaith he) doe they ſay in their hearts, Let us feare God that giveth raine. As if hee ſhould ſay, It is a ſtrange impudence in men, what, will they not ſay in their hearts, Let us feare God, ſeeing he gives us raine? Thus God gloryeth in this great work, when hee heareth the heavens, and the heavens heare the earth, the heavens will be as braſſe over us, and the earth as iron, unleſſe GOD heare them, and ſend raine. Therefore let God be acknowledged in that rain we have had of late; the creatures wanted graſſe, and the graſſe cryed to the heavens, and the heavens cryed unto God, and God hath heard the heavens, and ſent downe raine, and ſo we ſee the earth hath been refreſhed, abundance of good hath come to us by thoſe ſhowers. Give God the glory of this.
8. All plenty is given for the ſake of the Saints.Obſer. How? God heares the heavens, and the heavens hear the earth, and the earth hears the corn, and the wine and the oyle, and they hear Jezreel. It is for Jezreels ſake that the earth heares the corne, and the heavens hear the earth, and God hears the heavens. Were it not for the Saints, the earth wauld ſoon come to a confuſion. They are the bleſſing of the earth, Iſa. 18. 24.
9. If the creatures work ſo graciouſly for us, how ſhould wee then worke for God, and one for another. What, ſhall the creatures cry one to another, and heare one another for our good, and ſhall God cry to us, and wee not heare God? The ſenſeleſs corn cries to the earth. O earth help me that I may help Iezreel, and the earth cryes to the heavens, O heavens ſend down your influences, and the heavens ſay, We will heare, and the earth ſaith, I will heare; Shall the earth heare, and the heavens heare for our good, and ſhall not we hear when God cryes for help? God cries to you many times to helpe in his cauſe, and wilt not thou hear to work for him? O vile creature, how unreaſonable are thy ways before the Lord!
Again, how ſhould we hear the cries of the poor? When wee are in want, the corn cries to the earth, and the earth cries to the heavens, and the heavens cry to God for us. VVhen the poore, I mean Gods poore, whom Gods hand hath made poore, cry, will not you heare? VVill you be more hardhearted then the earth and the heavens are? ſeeing they heare you, doe you hear the cry of your poor brethren.
Further, if God will hear the creatures when they cry for us, how much more will he hear Jeſus Chriſt when hee cries for us? It is our happineſſe in part, that we have all the creatures cry to God for our good, but the top of our happineſſe is this, that wee have Ieſus Chriſt the Mediatour of the new Covenant, making interceſſion at the right hand of God continually for us.
Laſtly, Gods mercies go through when they work for the Saints, the corn beginneth to cry to the earth, that ſtays not here, but the earth goes on, and cryes to the heavens, the heavens go on and cry to God. Gods mercies to his Saints never leave till the thing be done.
And I will ſow her unto me in the earth.
VVhat great mercy is this for God to grant plenty, if he deſtroy his people? Our Country is plentifull, but if God ſhould conſume us out of the land what good wou…d our plenty do us? Therefore ſaith God, I will ſow her unto me in the earth. Indeed ſhe is now a poor contemptible people, & there are but few of them remaining upon the earth, but I will make them a ſeede, and a ſeed that the Lord hath bleſſed.
I will ſow her. Here the Lord alludeth to the name Iezreel, which ſignifies the ſeed of the Lord, the ſowen of the Lord. It was uſed in the firſt Chapter in an opprobtious way,Lect. 19 and in the latter end of that Chapter in a way of mercy. I ſpeak of it there, therefore I ſhall not need ſay much now, only this, God makes uſe of the word here, to put her in mind of what ſhee deſerved; as if he ſhould ſay, though thou beeſt a Jezreel, and deſerveſt to be ſcattered, yet I will be mercifull to thee out of free grace, I will ſow thee, there ſhall come a bleſſing upon thee, and though thou beeſt ſcattered up and down in the earth, yet in all places thou ſhalt be as ſeed from whence my Church ſhall ſpring.
Hence the notes are:Obſer, Firſt, that Gods people are the ſeed of the earth: But of that before in the latter end of the firſt Chapter, onelyonly I will adde a note of Ribera about it: The ſeed, ſaith he, lies under the clods, and at length fructifies; ſo ſhould the Saints be content to lie under the clods, and though they may ſeem in regard of their afflicted condition to be dead, to be rotten, yet they ſhall be glorious and fructifie afterward. Before the time of the Churches glory, times of great calamity and diſtreſſe come, which this rotting of the ſeed before the fructifying ſets out unto us.
Secondly,Obſer. every godly man ſhould ſo live, as either in life or death hee ſhould be as a ſeed from whence many may ſpring; he ſhould be a meanes that many ſhould be begotten to God. It is reported of Cicilia, in the hiſtory of the Church, a poore Virgin, that by her gracious behaviour in her mattyrdome, ſhe was the means of converting four hundred to Chriſt: As in the Indies, one corn bringeth forth divers hundreds, ſo we ſhould labour to convert as many as wee can, that ſome that live after may continue to beare up the name of Chriſt, and the profeſſion of his truth. Eſpecially be carefull of your children, leave them as ſeed to hold up the name of God in thy family when thou art dead and gone.
And further,Obſer. I will ſow her to my ſelfe. The Saints are ſowen unto Chriſt they are ſeed for Chriſt, therefore all their fruit muſt be given up unto Chriſt, Chriſt muſt have all the fruit we bear: who ſhould have the fruit but he that ſoweth it? Therefore Cant. 7. 13. All manner of pleaſant fruits new & old which I have laid up for thee O my beloved. Are we able to bear any fruit? Let us lay it up all for Jeſus Chriſt, for it is he that ſoweth us unto himſelfe, we muſt not ſow to our ſelves, not to the fleſh, for then wee ſhall reap corruption, but all for Chriſt.
And I will ſhew mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy.
Divers things about Gods ſhewing mercy after rejection were ſpoken of in the firſt Chap. Only theſe notes for the preſent.
There are none ſo rejected,Obſer. as that they can conclude that they ſhall never have mercy (thoſe that have committed the ſinne againſt the holy Ghoſt excepted) though Iſrael had not obtained mercy, though they were caſt out, yea caſt out to the beaſts to be devoured, yea ſaith God, I will ſhew mercy upon her.
2.Obſer. Children of wicked parents may at length obtain mercy from God. Though Iſrael be caſt off, yet her children ſhall have mercy. A comfort to us in regard of the Idolatry of our fore fathers, yea a comfort in the regard of the children that are to come. Our fore fathers have broken the Covenant, why may not we obtaine mercy? But ſuppoſe we ſhould be the generation of Gods wrath, and not obtaine mercy, yet we may have hope that the poſterity following ſhall have mercy. Thirdly, Mercy after it is thought to be paſt;Obſ. if then it come, Oh it is ſweet mercy indeed! when ſhe ſeemed to be utterly rejected, then to have mercy ſhewed, this is ſweet.
Fourthly,Obſer. Mercy is the cauſe of all the good the Saints have. One Scripture for it, Pſal. 57. 3. Send from heaven ſaith David. David was in the Cave, in a poor condition, hunted for his life, perſecuted by Saul; I ſee little hope from earth, ſaith he, therefore O Lord ſend from heaven; What, ſhall God ſend Angels from heaven to deliver thee David? No, but mark what followeth, God ſhal ſend forth his mercy & his truth; as if he ſhould ſay, Lord though I have no help in earth, though I ſee no Angels from heaven to helpe me, yet let me have thy mercy and truth, and that is enough. This ſatisfies a gracous heart, if he may have Gods mercy and his truth, that is Gods mercy revealed in a promiſe.Obſer. Laſtly, God hath a ſpeciall day of mercy for his people, for his Churches; I will have mercy upon her that hath not obtained mercy. Let us cry to God for the haſtening of this day, let us open the miſeries of our own Kingdome, and of Ireland; Oh when ſhall this day come that thou, wilt ſhew mercy to thy owne people which thou haſt told us of! Oh that that day may haſten! Come Lord Jeſus, come quickly. And I will ſay to them which were not my people.
This is that we had in the firſt Chapter onelyonly with ſome differences, there it is, In the place where it was ſaid yee are not my people. And I ſhewed you when I opened that place, both out of the Romanes, and out of Peter, how the Apoſtle makes uſe, both of that in the firſt Chapter, and this here in the ſecond, onelyonly take a hint of the truths in it.Obſer. foreign. Firſt, God hath a ſpecial intereſt in his people; they are his people, they are called his peculiar people, Tit. 2. 14. The word hath this emphaſis in it, God lookes upon all other things as accidents in compariſon, and his ſubſtance is his people, they are his very portion, as Deut. 33. 19. and Exod. 19. 5. they are his peculiar treaſure above all people in the world; and Eſay 19. 25. Aſſyria the worke of my hands, and Iſrael mine inheritance. I have made all people, but Iſrael is mine inheritance, This is the happines of the Saints, therefore they are not as other people are. Num. 23. 9. This people ſhall dwell alone, and ſhall not be reckoned among the Nations, this is a great ground of prayer, Lord leave us not, we are thy people, called by thy name, we have an intereſt in thee.
Againe,Obſer. This is an argument to walke ſo as God may not be diſhonored by us, for we are his people. If thoſe in a mans family walke diſorderly, it is a diſhonour to the Maſter of the family; it is no diſhonour to him for a ſtranger, or one who hath little reference to him, to walke diſorderly; It is not ſo much diſhonour to God for the wicked to walke diſorderly, as for the Saints, in regard of their neereneſſe to God: And beſides, their light is (as I told you) three ſtory high, and if they ſin, they ſin againſt a greater light then others doe, their ſin is greater then the ſinne of the wicked in that regard.
Further,Obſer. I will ſay to them which were not my people, thou art my people, I will own them before all the world.
It is a great mercy for God to make it knowne to the world, that his people are his people. The world will not beleeve it, they think they are a poor contemptible people, but there ſhall come a day that I will make it knowne they are mine; And amongſt other things by which God will make all the world to know that his people are his, this is one, in ſ…tting up the beauty of his Ordinances amongſt them, Ezek. 37. 27. My Tabernacle alſo ſhall be with them, yea I will be their God, and they ſhall be my people, and the Heathen ſhall know that I the Lord doe ſanctifie Iſrael, when my Sanctuary ſhall be in the midſt of them. Thus they ſhall know, ſaith God, that they are my people, and that I am their God, when I have ſet my Sanctuary in the midſt of them for ever. Were it that the Ordinances of God might be ſet up in their purity amongſt us in England, were Reformation perfected, and the Saints walked humbly & peaceably as they ſhould, the whole world will be convinced, that theſe are indeed the people of the Lord, and that God is amongſt them.
And they ſhall ſay, thou art my God.
God muſt begin withus,Obſer. we cannot begin and ſay, Lord, thou art my God, but God muſt begin with us firſt, and ſay, You are my people. There are a great many who ſay, God is their God, but God never ſaid, they are his people,foreign Joh. 1. 12. it is ſaid of thoſe who beleeved in Chriſt, that God gave them [power] to be the Sonnes of God, the word ſignifies authority, that they might with authority acknowledge themſelves to be the ſons of God, and call God Father, they had the broad Seale for it. Will you call▪ God Father? where is your foreign, your authority? if God call you children, if he ſay you are my people, you may give the Ecchoto Gods mercy and ſay, thou art our God.Obſer. Secondly, When God ſpeakes mercy to us, we muſt anſwer according to it. Doth God ſay, you are my people? we muſt anſwer, Lord, thou art our God. This is a great fault amongſt Chriſtians, God manifeſts himſelfe to many a gracious heart in abundance of love and mercy, & they give an anſwer to God in a way of diſpaiting and diſcouragement. Gods ways toward thee ſpeake thus, and ſay, thou art one of my people, but thy heart works as if God were none of thy God, Hath not God done much for thee? thou thinkeſt it is all in hypocrifie that thou doſt, whereas the truth is, it is the fruit of his love and kindnes to thee. He ſpeakes aloud in what he hath done for thee, that thou art one of his people, and yet thy heart thinks that he is thy enemy, that he ha…s thee, and will caſt thee off at laſt. The wayes of God are full of mercy to thee, and he hath ſet his ſtampe upon thee, & by his ways of love he tels thee, that thou belongeſt unto him. O unbeleeving ſoul, anſwer Lord thou art my God! & lay aſide theſe diſcouraging & ſinking thoughts of thine; O that thou wouldſt goe away with ſuch an anſwer in thy mouth! Doe not anſwer Gods loving kindneſſe, and his gracious dealings towards thee with diſcouragement and ſinking of heart, this is diſhonorable to him, and tedious to his Spirit.Obſer. Thirdly, God works an anſwerable diſpoſition in the hearts of his people unto him. This is thy duty, but God will work it in time if thou belongeſt to him. As thus, doth God chuſe us to be his people? then the hearts of the Saints chuſe him to be their God; Doth God ſay, you are my people? the Saints ſay, Lord thou art our God; Doth God ſay, I will dwell with them? they anſwer Lord, thou art our habitation. Doth God ſay, I delight in them? they ſay, Lord our delight is in thee. Doth God ſay, I will reſt in them for ever? the Church ſaith, O my ſoule returne unto thy reſt. Here is a ſweet anſwer, a rebound of all Gods loving kindnes.Obſer. Laſtly, the Saints muſt profeſſe God to be theirs. It is not enough to beleeve with the heart, but thou muſt confeſſe with the mouth; profeſſe it outwardly: of this before.
Further,Obſer. This is the higheſt happineſſe of the Saints, that God is their God, when they can ſay this, they have enough. If we could ſay, this houſe is mine, this ſtreet, this Lordſhip, this City, this Kingdome, this World is mine; What is all this? A Chriſtian comes at length, and ſaith, this God that made all is mine. As it is reported of the French Ambaſſador, and the Spaniſh meeting together, ſaith the Spaniſh Ambaſſadour, my Maſter is King of Spaine; my Maſter (replyed the French) is King of France; my Maſter ſaid the Spaniard againe is King of Naples: and my Maſter ſaid the French is King of France; my Maſter is King of Portugal, and my Maſter is King of France; ſtill he anſwered with that my Maſter is King of France, as being enough to anſwer all the ſeveral Kingdomes of the Spaniard. So one ſaith, I have this houſe, this land, this ſtock, this eſtate, this trade, yea but ſaith a Chriſtian, I have God, God is mine; Surely having him thou haſt enough. And if God be thy God, he will be a God to thee. 1 Chron. 17. 24. The Lord of hoſts is God of Iſrael, even a God to Iſrael. So it muſt be with thee, if thou beeſt a Saint of God, be a Saint to God; Are we a people of God, then we muſt be a people to God. Bleſſed are the people that are in ſuch a caſe, yea happy are the people whoſe God is the Lord. Thus we had opened the gracious manifeſtation of God to his Church, in part fulfilled ſpiritually, to ſpiritual Iſrael here, but more ſenſibly to be made good at the great day of Jezreel, Quae omnia Iudei poſt Antichriſtum in fine mundi preſtolantur. Hieronym. in locum.that is, when the Jews ſhall be called, then the Spouſe of Chriſt in a viſible way ſhall be thus married unto him, and the Lord will be their God. Jerome ſaith upon the Text, All theſe things that are here promiſed to the Church, the Jewes expect it at the end of the world, after the time of Antichriſt. And I make no queſtion though in a ſpiritual ſence this Scripture is made good for the preſent unto the Saints, yet in a more viſible and ſenſible way, all this Scripture will be made good to the people of the Jews, & the Gentiles then joyning with them even literally, the glory of the Church ſhall be viſible and apparant. More whereof in the next Chapter.