An Exposition of Hosea 1-3, Chapter 2 · Lecture 11
The Eleventh Lecture.Lect. 11.
HOSEA 2. 12. 13.
And I will deſtroy her Vines and her Fig-trees, whereof ſhee hath ſaid, Theſe are my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forreſt, and the beaſts of the field ſhall eate them.
And I will viſit upon her the dayes of Baalim, wherein ſhe burnt incenſe to them, and ſhe decked her ſelfe with her eare-rings and her jewels, and ſhe went after her lovers, and forgat me, ſaith the Lord.
GODS threatning Iſrael, in taking away ſpirituall mercies; their Sabbaths, and Ordinances, their ſolemne Feaſts, you have in the former verſe; but becauſe they might not be much ſenſible of ſuch a judgement, to be deprived of Sabbaths, and ſolemnities of worſhip, would not be ſo grievous to many, but the deſtroying of the fruit of the ground, the ſpoiling of their land, the loſſe of thoſe things wherein their riches and outward comforts lay, would be more grievous, therefore God joynes this threat with the former, And I will deſtroy her Vines and Fig-trees; In theſe two, Vines, and Fig-trees, there is a Synecdoche, by theſe are meant, all her outward proſperity; I will not lop their Vines, I will not cut downe ſome branches of their Fig-trees only, but deſtroy them.
If God ſtayes long before a judgement comes,Obſer hee comes fearfully indeed, he comes with deſtroying judgments, then he ſtrikes at the very roo…e of all a peoples proſperity, and leaves them hopeleſſe of ever recoveriug themſelves; It concerns us to humble our ſelves under Gods hand, when he doth but cut off ſome branches of our vines and fig-trees, of our outward comforts, leſt ere long there followes a deſtroying judgement, a cutting to the very roote: Doth God come in your families, and cut off a branch or two, a childe or two? Humble your ſouls before him, he may cut downe the tree, ſtub up the root ere long, he may come to the Mother, or the Father, and ſo roote out the family: So in a Nation, it is a very remarkable place that you have, Ezekiel, 21. 27. I will overturne, overturne, overturn, when was this ſpoken, and to whom? It was ſpoken unto Iſrael, and to Iſrael when they were in captivity, and yet God threatens them thus even there, I will overturne, overturne, overturne,
Whereof ſhe hath ſaid, theſe are the rewards that my lovers have given mee; foreignThe word that is tranſlated reward, ſignifies Merces meretricia, it comes of the Hebrew word that ſignifies hired with wages, but ſuch wages as are given to harlots, and yet ſhe is ſo impudent as to make uſe of that very word, theſe are my rewards; the word ſhe uſeth here might upbraid her, but ſo impudent doth Idolatry make men to bee; If we be guilty of whoredome, we have our rewards of whoredome then, (ſay they:) Whoremaſters uſe to give rewards unto their whores; whoredome is a coſtly ſin to many a man; Many men ſecretly waſt, and conſume in their eſtates, and their neighbours wonder how they come to be ſo low; Uncleanneſſe is as a Gangrene, as it will conſume the body, ſo the purſe, it beggars many men, when the world little thinks of the cauſe.
Secondly,Obſer. Theſe are my rewards, theſe that you call Idols, give mee liberall rewards, I have what I ſerved them for.
God may ſuffer men in wickedneſſe to proſper, to gaine their hearts deſire.
Thirdly,Obſer. It is a dangerous thing for ſinners to look back to their ſins committed, and then to bleſſe themſelves, as if they had gotten by them; Indeed, before a ſin is committed, the ſinner by temptation may be perſwaded there is much gaine to be had in that way; and in the very act of comiſſion, the ſinner may find ſome flaſhie falſe contentment and delight, but uſually after the act is over, when the ſinner looks back, he ſees nothing but ſhame, guilt and horrour; Sinners ſcarce dare look back to their ſinnes after they are committed, except ſuch as are moſt deſperately hardned in their ſins, they dare not think of what they have done: but here you ſee, they look at what they have done, and bleſſe themſelves, as if they had got a goodly reward by it: As the ſight of the evil conſequences of ſin is a means to humble, ſo the apprehending of gayning by ſin, is a ſpeciall meanes to harden in ſin. Judas thought it a brave thing to get the thirty pieces, yet when hee ſaw the evill fruit that his ſin produced, he looked with horrour upon his ſin, his ſoule ſunk under the burden of it: If a Judas looking after ſinn, hath his ſpirit filled with horrour, what hope is there then of ſuch a one, as looking after it, bleſſeth himſelfe as a gainer by it! If a man either proſpers at that time he ſins, or proſpers more a little after he hath committed a ſin, then he did before, or ſo proſpers as that he conceives his ſin to be ſome way inſtrumentall to bring in that gain that was got: this hardens exceedingly.
Fourthly, Obſer.Theſe are the rewards that my lovers have given me.
It is a provoking ſin to attribute the bleſſings of God to our own wicked ſinfull ways, and thereby to harden our hearts in thoſe ways. It is too much to attribute any of Gods bleſſings to ſecond cauſes, to our lawfull endeavors, to our induſtry, to our care, to any inſtruments, but to attribute them to our wickedneſſe,It is a vile thing to attribute Gods bleſſings to our ways of …in. this is abominable, God expects glory in the acknowledgement of every mercy, and improvement of it unto him: where then there is not only a deniall of this to him, but a giving it to his enemy, to wickedneſſe, to the Devill, whom he hates, this goes exceeding neer to the heart of God. It is a great part of our ſanctifying of Gods name in the uſe of all the creatures, to acknowledge him in all, that all depends upon him, and thereby to be quickned in his ſervice: but to thinke all depends upon that which is contrary to God, and therefore if we want what we would have, to begin to think we have not ſerved our luſt enough, and to be put on to ſerve them more, this exceedingly provokes. Ile give you one notable example of this wretchedneſſe of mans heart, and indeed it is a very dreadfull one, I had very credible relation from a Miniſter, who being at Hamburgh, hee was told this ſtory. There was a conſultation of many of the Miniſters of Germany at that Town in the time of the ſoreſt diſtreſſes and calamities that were in Germanie, the Miniſters were Lutherans, they conſulted to find out what might be the cauſe why the hand of God was ſo heavy upon Germany, in thoſe parts where they lived, that ſo they might reform what was amiſſe, and make their peace with God, the iſſe of their conſultations came to this, that the reaſon of their calamities and troubles that were upon them, was becauſe the Images of their Churches were not adorned enough: becauſe there was not coſt enough beſtowed upon them, they were not decked as they thought they ſhould have been: and therefore for the preventing of the continuance of thoſe calamities in thoſe parts of Germany, they unanimouſly conſented to improve all the ſtrength they had to beautifie and adorn the Images in their Churches more: this was a ſad thing for Miniſters who profeſſing againſt Popery, as the Lutherans do, they indeed keep Images in Churches: But could it be thought that they ſhould be thus vaine, yea wicked, as to attribute the want of their Vines and fig-trees to the want of their ſuperſtitious vanities, and to bring up their conſultations to this concluſion, that if they were more zealous of the one, they ſhould the more proſper in the other? was not this a ſore and grievous evill, going neare to the heart of God?
Many attribute the increaſe of their eſtates to their lying, to their overreaching, their ſwearing, and rejoyce in this, this I have got by theſe wayes; Zeph. 1. 9. God threatens to puniſh thoſe that leape on the threſhold, and fill their maſters houſes with violence and deceit: That is, the ſervants of great men, who by oppreſſion and by fraud bring in gain to their Maſters houſes, and then they leap upon the threſhold for joy, applauding themſelves in the ſucceſſe they have had in their wicked wayes: It is uſuall in whatſoever ways men are, if they meet with any proſperous ſucceſs, to bleſs themſelves, as if this ſucceſs came in the rather becauſe of thoſe ways, let the ways be never ſo wicked: Of late have not ſome made the world believe they have had great ſucceſs, & have made an argument that their ways have been good, and God hath bleſſed them, becauſe they have done as they have, though we know their ways to be ſuch as brings moſt fearfull guilt upon themſelves, and their families, and we have all cauſe to have our hearts tremble within us, to think of them; and if it be through ſeducement, and not through a worſe principle, to pray to God, O Lord forgive them, for they know not what they doe: and for the ſucceſs they boaſt of, who would not if he might wiſh ſuch ſucceſs to his Enemy?
But if Idolaters can encourage themſelves in thoſe ways they are in,Obſer. from what good they ſuppoſe they have by them, for their rewards; how much more then ſhould the Saints encourage themſelves in the rewards that they have from their lover, from the Lord Chriſt? Pſal. 129. 56. This I had (ſaith David) becauſe I kept thy word; this is the reward I have had from my lover; I bleſſe God, I have in ſome meaſure got my heart to breake before the Lord, and to melt after him, and the Lord hath come in mercifully to me, though indeed there be no worthineſſe in what I have done, yet the Lord hath beene gracious, he hath encouraged his pooſe ſervant in his way; theſe and theſe mercies the Lord hath given me as a fruit of ſeeking him; he hath not ſaid to the ſeed of Iacob, ſeeke ye me in vaine; I have ſought for comfort, for peace, and at laſt it is come, I will call upon the name of the Lord, as long as I live; we ſhould conſider of Gods mercies we have, and rejoyce in them as the love-tokens that come from our beloved; Theſe are the rewards, theſe are the love-tokens that come from our dearly beloved. Hereafter when the Saints ſhall come to heaven, how will they bleſſe God, and bleſſe themſelves in their God, for thoſe glorious things, thoſe bleſſed rewards that they then ſhall receive from their beloved, and enjoy for ever with him! then they ſhall triumphingly ſay, the world ſaid heretofore, What profit is there in ſerving of the Lord? But bleſſed be God, that I went on notwithſtanding in the wayes of God, and now I ſee there is profit to purpoſe; O theſe joyes! O this glory! O this crowne! this happineſſe! theſe are the rewards that I have from my beloved.Obſ.
A fift,What ſoever is got by ſin the curſe of God is in it. what any man gets by ſin, or lookes upon as gotten by ſin, or uſes as a meanes to harden himſelf in ſin, the curſe of God is in it, and it will rend it from him, he ſhall not ever enjoy it; I will deſtroy their vines & their figtrees, whereof they have ſaid, theſe are the rewards that my lovers have given me, 1 Kings 21. 16. you ſhall finde that Ahab bleſſed himſelfe in getting Naboths vineyard, by the device of Iezebel, the text ſaith, He roſe up to goe to take poſſeſſion, but verſe 9. Thus ſaith the Lord, haſt thou killed, and alſo taken poſſesſion? in the place where the doggs licked the blood of Nabeth, ſhall doggs licke thy blood, even thy blood; What, you have got an eſtate now, you have got the vineyard, you have got poſſeſſion, how got you it? by wickedneſſe, though you bleſſe your ſelves in it now, as a reward of your vile wayes, certainly the Lord will either force you in the anguiſh and terrour of your ſoules, to vomit up thoſe ſweet morſells againe, you ſhall not hold them, or ſome fearfull judgement of God upyou, will rend them from you; that which many have got by unjuſt and ſinfull wayes, they have indeed rejoyced in for a while, but after a while that eſtate hath beene in their conſciences as drops of ſcalding lead in the very apple of a mans eye; ſo terrible hath it been unto them.
For this I will onelyonly give you an example, a late one, that came to my owne hands in reſtoring that that was wrongfully got many yeeres agoe, from one neere my ſelfe, I ſhall the rather name it becauſe the partie deſired that the thing might bee made knowne to the glory of God, He ſends that that he had wrongfully got; divers yeeres after, with a letter with theſe expreſſions; Many a throb of conſcience had I about it, many an …king heart, and many promiſes have I made of reſtitution, and thouſands of times have I wiſhed unto you your ſilver againe;An example of trouble of conſcience for ill gotten goods. what ſhall I doe? to keep it, it is to continue in ſin; to give it to the poor, alas, it is not mine owne; or at leaſt the evill purchaſe of gaine hourded up in the ſtuffe of my iniquity; to ſend it home, the owner is dead, I would to God I had ſent it before, that it might not have layne ſo hard upon me; but ſeeing that is paſt, and cannot be recalled, here I ſent it you, I aske God forgiveneſſe, and pray you fayle not to pray for me; Sweet Jeſus forgive me: It was kept divers years, but was biting all the while in the conſcience of the poor man, and at length it muſt breake forth in ſuch expreſſions as theſe are.
Conſider of this, every one who hath got any thing by a ſinfull way, and have bleſt himſelfe in it, this is the reward I have got by ſuch a cunning device, and ſuch an unjuſt and deceitfull way, you got it cleverly, and have enjoyed it, and been merry with it, well, one day it may thus lie grating in your conſcience, O then how rerrible will it be to you! this is the beſt way to be rid of the rewards of ſin, when they begin to cauſe aking in your conſciences, caſt them out your ſelves, all your praying to God for forgiveneſſe will never eaſe you without this way; if you be able to reſtore, but if you will not doe it this way, God may come by ſome hideous judgement, and force them from you in ſpite of your hearts, and then how terrible will it be to you, when you looke upon them as going from you, as being rent by God from you! O now I muſt part with all that gaine, and ſweetneſſe that ſuch and ſuch wayes of ſin have brought me in; the gain, the ſweet is gone, but the guilt, the curſe, the dregs, the filth, that remains upon my ſpirit, and for ought I know muſt ſtick by me to all eternity; Gods judgements will be upon you one day, but as ſtrainers to let out whatſoever is ſweet, & delightfull to you, and to keepe in the filth and dregs; Remember this, you that have got rewards by ſinfull wayes, your rewards of ſinne may now delight you, but there is a time you ſhall have rewards for your ſins, that will not pleaſe you. I will make them as a forreſt.
God threatens his people to make them as a forreſt,foreign that is foreign the Seventy they reade it otherwiſe, I will put thoſe things as a witneſſe; you will ſay here is a great difference; I will make her as a forreſt, and I will put thoſe things as a witneſſe; Thoſe things, that is, thoſe rewards; they rejoyce in the rewards that they have had of their iniquity, but I will make them to be as a witneſſe againſt them; Certainly there is a truth in this, Thoſe things that you rejoyce in as got by ſin, the Lord will make them to riſe up, and witneſſe againſt you; be ſure now you caſt them out, they will be witneſſes againſt you another day elſe; A man that is guilty, would be glad, when he knows one that would witneſſe againſt him, were dead, or out of the way; have you got any thing by a ſinfull way? have you got any thing by a ſinfull courſe? put it out of the way, for otherwiſe it will bee a witneſſe againſt you, either upon your ſick-bed, or at the great day of Judgement; but how can theſee-two readings be reconciled, I will make them as a witneſſe againſt you, Lect. 11and I will make her as a forreſt? It is true, the words in the Engliſh ſeem to be very wide one from another, but there is an eaſie miſtake that might cauſe the Seventy to read thoſe words, ſo as to render them thus, I will put them as a witneſſe, for [foreign] ſignifies a forreſt in the Hebrew, and [foreign] ſignifies to witneſſe, ſo it is uſed, Zach. 3. 6. Montanus reads thoſe words, Conteſtabatur Angelus; now thoſe that are skilful in the Hebrew know that there being no more difference in the words then in thoſe letters which are ſo like one another, one is [foreign] the other is [foreign] there might eaſily be a miſtake in that regard; but we take it as it is here, I will make her as a forreſt. The Church is Gods garden, hedged in with Gods protection, but God here threatens to take away the hedge, and let in the wild beaſts; Concerning the hedg of God about his Church we have ſpoken before: The wilde Beaſts are one of Gods ſore judgements often threatned: Thoſe who will not be ſubject to the bleſſed holy God, they ſhall be ſubject to the ravening and rage of Beaſts: And it is like the Seventy underſtood it, even literally of that judgment of noyſome beaſts to be let in upon them; for I find that they add to theſe words [the beaſts ſhall eate them] the fowles of the Heaven, and the creeping things of the earth ſhall devoure; foreign.but though I find that in the tranſlation of the Seventy, yet I do not find it in the Hebrew Text, and therefore we muſt let it paſſe, and only ſpeak of what we have here, of the beaſts eating: Now therefore by that according to moſt Interpreters, I incline to think, and am perſwaded, that it is the intention of the holy Ghoſt to expreſs a judgment beyond the judgment of letting in of noyſome beaſts, namely the Aſſyrians, the adverſaries of Iſrael, who ſhould come upon them as ravening beaſts to devour them; from whence the words being ſo opened, you have theſe three notes of great uſe concerning us.
The firſt is,Obſer. ſin makes men like Beaſts, the beaſts of the earth, he meanes the Aſſyrians, great ones, and yet he calls them the beaſts of the earth, to be like a beaſt, is worſe then to be a beaſt; for to be a beaſt is but to be as God made the creature, it is no diſhonour to it: but to be like a Beaſt, that is the corruption of a creature,Sin makes men beaſts yea worſe then beaſts. and the deformity of it, the worſt deformity that poſſibly can be: Chryſoſtome ſhews it thus, Beaſts (ſaith he) have but ſome particular evill, take the worſt of all, as the Swine, ſenſuality, the Tyger, and the Bear, cruelty; the Fox ſubtlety, &c. But wicked men have all evills that all beaſts in the world have in them. One wicked man hath the ſenſuality of a Swine, and cruelty of a Tyger, of a Bear, the ſubtilty of a Fox, and whatſoever is ſet out Emblematically by any Beaſt, a wicked man hath it all in his heart; yea and farther, wicked men are worſe then beaſts in this, that they doe corrupt themſelves in thoſe things that they have common together with beaſts, more then beaſts do. As the Drunkard corrupts himſelf in his drink, which a beaſt will not do, a glutton corrupts himſelfe in his mea…ore then ordinarily a beaſt will do, and that I think is the … … in … Iude, ver. … of that they know not, and what they know naturally as bruit beaſts, in thoſe things they corrupt themſelves. As for their intellectuall parts, they will be ſpeaking evill of what they know not, they will take upon them as if they knew much, but the truth is, they underſtand little, and yet they will ſpeak evill of that they know not. It is a dreadfull Text againſt ſuch as will be crying out againſt men and their ways, when as in truth they know not what they are; but further, in that they know naturally as bruit beaſts, in that they corrupt themſelves, that is, in things they do know meerly by ſenſe, as bruite beaſts do, they know by taſting, and by ſmelling, as bruit beaſts do, in thoſe very things they corrupt themſelves more then bruit beaſts, that is, by exceſs in meats and drinks.
Would not any account it to be one of the greateſt judgments that could befall him,Si nemo iſt quin emari malit quam converti in aliquam figuram beſtiae quam, vis hominis ſit mentem habiturus quanto eſt miſerius in hominis figura animo eſſe eſſerato, Lact. l. 5. c. 1. if God ſhould turne him into the faſhion of a Beaſt while he lives here in this world, though he ſhould ſtill retain the mind of a man in him? Suppoſe God ſhould inflict this judgment upon a Drunkard, he ſhould ſtill have his intellectuall parts as now he hath, but yet his body ſhould be turned into the form of a Swine, or a rayler into the form of a dog, as they ſay Hecuba Priamus his wife was for her rayling; would not this be a fearfull judgment? It is an expreſſion of a heathen, Lactantius hath it from Cicero, (ſaith he) If it would be ſuch a judgment as a man would be willing to indure any miſery in the world, rather then to have his body turned into the faſhion of a Beaſt, is it not as great a miſery to keep the faſhion of the body, and to have the mind to become like a beaſt, to keep a humane ſhape with the ſoul of a beaſt? ſurely it is worſe then to have the ſhape of a beaſt with the ſoul of man.
Secondly,Obſer. God looks upon wicked great men with a contemptible eye. God looks upon wicked men who do great things in the world with a contemptible eye: the Beaſts ſhall devour, that is, the great King of Aſſyria, and all his Courtiers about him, and Cavalliers with him, they ſhall come to devour them, they are but the beaſts, God ſpeaks in a contemptible manner, as he doth againſt Senacherib that King of Aſſyria, in Iſa. 37. 29. God threatens to put a hooke in his noſtrils, and a bridle in his lips, becauſe of his rage and of his tumult, that is, he would uſe him as a beaſt, to hook his noſe, & to put a bridle into his jaws. Mark likewiſe how contemptible God ſpeaks of the King of Babylon, and his whole army, Ioel 2. 20. His ſtinke and his ill ſavour ſhall come up, becauſe hee hath done great things; and ſo in Pſal. 59. 7. They belsh with their mouths (ſaith David) and they goe up and down the Citie grinning like a dog: theſe are the expreſſions of David, and in that Pſalm he means no other but thoſe his adverſaries, that were about Saul in his Court: and Ezek. 38. 3, 4. To the chief Prince of Meſhech and Tubal, I will put hooks in thy jawes (ſaith God) and in Dan. 7. the four great Monarchs, Babylonian, Perſian, Grecian, Roman, are ſet out by four beaſts, & the fourth Monarchy which by moſt Interpreters interpreted the Roman Empire, Dan. 7. 7. it is deſcribed to bee dreadfull and … and ſtrong exceedingly, & it had great iron teeth, it devoured and brake in pieces, and ſtamped the reſidue with the feet of it, and it was divers from all things that was before it; Now this beaſt raged firſt in the heathen Empire, and after it gave its power to the beaſt Antichriſt, as you may reade in Rev. 13. and that beaſt was like a leopard ſpotted, full of uncleanneſſe and filth, or as ſome tranſlate it, a panther, who by the ſcent of it drawes other beaſts to him, but devoures them, and his feet like a Beare, and his head like a Lyon. Thus you ſee how God deſcribes the great ones of the world, to be as beaſts looking with a contemptible eye upon them.
Thirdly,Obſer It is a ſore and a heavy judgement for a people to be delivered up to the rage of cruell adverſaries; the beaſts ſhall devoure them. I will give you up to them who will bring you under, you will not be obedient to me, but to them you ſhall, I will let out cruell wicked men upon you. Hence David prayed, Lord let me not fall into the hands of men, when God would put him to his choyce, to chooſe what judgement he would have, he was quickly reſolved what to refuſe, hee would be ſure he would not have that judgement, to be given up to the hands of men, that he knew was dreadfull; and Pſal. 55. 6. he prayes, O that I had the wings of a dove, that I might flye into the wilderneſſe, and there abide. Into the wilderneſſe! Why hee ſhould be among the wilde beaſts in the wilderneſſe, and yet he cryes, O that he had the wings of a dove, he would abide in the wilderneſſe! VVhy what is the matter here? it was becauſe of the cruelty of Saul, and his courtiers, David apprehended them ſo cruell,A fearfull judgement to fall into the hands of men. that he had rather fall into the hands of Tygers, and wilde beaſts in the wilderneſſe, then into theirs. I could give you notable examples of people that would rather endure any miſery in the world, then be given up into the hands of their enemies. That ſtory is moſt famous of Numantia in Spaine, when Scipio came againſt it, and they were afraid it would be taken, all the young men firſt took all the old men in the City and killed them with as faire a death as they could; then they brought all the treaſure and riches of the City to the market place, and ſet all on fire, and after that they all took poyſon and poyſoned themſelves, and thus in one day old and young, and all in the City, were quite deſtroyed, rather then they would fall into the hands of their enemies. Pſa. 22. 20. Deliver my ſoul, ſaith David, from the ſword, my darling from the power of the dog, the power of the dog, and the ſword, is but one the interpretation of the other; and that text is obſervable, 1 Cor. 15. 32. That I have fought with beaſts at Epheſus after the manner of men; ſome interpret this litterally, that he did indeed really fight with beaſts, as being one way of torment they put the Chriſtians to, to fight with beaſts; but it is rather thought by moſt interpreters, that the meaning is with men that were beaſtly, with cruell men, and Eſthius thinkes thoſe men to be no other, but thoſe that are mentioned in Acts 19. 9. of whom the text ſaith there, that divers were hardned, and ſpake evill before the multitude, Paul then departed from them, and … he diſciples, Paul ſays that it was a moſt … to get the multitude to be gathered together, and there to ſpeake againſt him and his doctrine, and againſt Chriſt, when all the multitude were got together, now their malice thought that a fit opportunity to vent all their venome againſt Paul and his doctrine, upon that the ſpirit of Paul was ſo provoked (ſaith the text) that he departed from them, and ſeparated the diſciples: he ſaw them deſperately ſet upon it with malice that they would take ſuch an advantage, ſo to ſpeake againſt him and his doctrine before the multitude; it is thus with many, the more ſedition is raiſed, the better are their deſignes furthered. Chriſt tells his Diſciples, Marke 16. 18. that Serpents ſhould do them no hurt, and drinking poyſon ſhall not hurt them; yea, in the 19. of Luke the beginning, he tells them they ſhall have power over divels; Serpents ſhall doe them no hurt, poyſon ſhall doe them no hurt, they ſhall have power over Devils: but Mathew. 10. 17. Beware of men; they might ſay, why bleſſed Maſter, what need we be afraid of men? Serpents ſhall do us no hurt, we ſhall have power over Devils, and yet for all this, Chriſt bids them take heed of men; as if there weere more danger of hurt from wicked men, then from Devils, or from Serpents, and therefore S, Paul in the 2. of the Theſſalo. 3. 2. prayes that they may be delivered from abſurd men; ſo the words are, that thoſe that had loſt the very principle of reaſon, and were even as beaſts. There are a generation riſen up amongſt us, who have ſucked up the poyſon of the old Serpent, and are ſweld with it, who are ſet on fire of hel, and the poyſon of Aſps is under their lips, and in their hands, and as it was ſaid of Romulus and Romus, the founders of Rome, they were ſuckled by woolves, ſo are theſe, who deſire to build up Rome againe; much like the firſt founders of that Rome, they ſeeme to be men ſuckled by wolves, or as the Poets faine of Lycaon, turned into a wolfe for his cruelty; or as it is ſaid of their S. Dominick, that was the Father of the Dominicans, that when his Mother was with child of him, ſhe dreamed that ſhe brought forth a wolfe, with a firebrand in his mouth; according to that repreſentation ſhe had in her dream of her childe, ſhe proved afterwards; and if we look to the cruelty, and the rage of theſe kind of men, we may even think, that their Mothers have brought forth wolves with firebrands in their mouths; in theſe Satan rages, and we hope therefore his time is but very ſhort, becauſe he rages ſo much; had they prevailed, and brought all under their power, no Chronicle of any Nation under Heaven would afford the like ſtories of horrid cruelties, as the Chronicles of theſe times would have done; where they have prevailed, in Ireland, there have beene the beginnings of ſuch barbariſmes, as here would have riſen to the perfection of all rage and horrible cruelties; they may be faire a little while, till they get more ſtrength; but certainly had they their will, there would never be parallel examples of that horrible rage and cruelty as you would finde among them, the Lord deliver us from being ſcourged with theſe Scorpions; let us humble our ſoules before God, that God may not humble us before ſuch beaſts, that we may not ſay that England ſhall be as a forreſt, and theſe beaſts ſhall devoure them; in the meane time let us not be offended at their prevailing in ſome places, for then we ſhould be as beaſts our ſelves, Pſal. 73. 22. So ignorant was I, I was as a beaſt before thee, (ſaith David) Geneſis 9. 5. God ſaith, He will require of the beaſts the blood of his people, Certainly, God will require of theſe beaſts, the blood that hath been ſhed, it is precious blood that they have drunke; had it beene corrupt blood, God would not ſo much have cared for it, but it hath beene the blood of his Saints; let us believe that God will turne the rage of man, the rage of beaſts, to his praiſe, Pſal. 76. 10. Surely the Lord cannot poſſibly behold without indignation ſuch vile beaſts to worrie his Lambs, who are ſo deare to him, even ſuch ſo precious in his eyes, to be torne and worried by ſuch beaſts as theſe are, the eyes of the Lord are purer then to behold ſuch iniquity as this is, we may well cry out with the Prophet, Haback. 1. 2. 3. How long ſhall we cry out of violence and wrong? ſpoilings and violence are before me, whe…efore lookeſt thou upon them that deale treacherouſly and holdeſt thy tongue, when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous then himſelfe? The higher the ſcum ariſeth, the nearer we know it is to the fire. I have read of Philo, when the people of the Iewes made uſe of him to apologize for them unto Cajus the Emperour, Cajus uſed him very ruggedly, when he came out of his preſence, the Iews came round about him, well, (ſaith he, to encourage them) Surely Cajus will arme God againſt himſelfe for us.
But it may be ſaid by ſome, ſurely theſe men are not beaſts, for they are skilfull warriers, they are not ſo bruitiſh as you take them to bee, but are skilfull enough in their wayes; marke that text of Ezekiel 21. 31. I will deliver thee into the hand of bruitiſh men, skilfull to deſtroy; they are skilfull to deſtroy, and yet bruitiſh men; we have a promiſe from God, and our prayers ſhould haſten the fulfilling of it, in Ezek. 34. 25. He will cauſe the evill beaſts to ceaſe out of the land, and ver. 28. the beaſts of that land ſhal no more devoure them; O that that time were come! O that the Lord would ſo worke for us as to cauſe our beaſts to ceaſe out of our land, that they might no more devoure! Iſaiah 35. 9. No Lyon ſhall be there, no ravenous beaſt ſhall be found there, but the redeemed ſhall walke there; there is ſuch a time coming; let us be patient in the mean time, and comfort our ſelves in theſe Scriptures, though our brethren endure hard things, by theſe cruell beaſts, and though God may perhaps bring ſome of us under the rage of them, yet there is an eſtate of the Churches, that will be ere long that they ſhall be troubled no more with ſuch uncleane, ſuch outragious beaſts.
VERSE 13. And I will viſit upon her the dayes of Baalim, wherein ſhe burnt incenſe to them, and ſhe decked her ſelfe with her eare-rings and her jewels, and ſhe went after her lovers, and forgat me, (ſaith the Lord.)
Here is the concluſion of the threatning part of the Chapter; Now God will come upon them for all their ſinnes together, if a generation ſhall ſucceed … eſſe, God may juſtly come upon …, for all the ſuns of the former generations; all the blood from Abel to Zechariah ſhall be required of this generation; I will viſit all the dayes of Baalim, ever ſince they ſerved Baal, One new ſinne may bring upon us wrath for many formerly committedlet men take heed of continuing in the wayes of ſin, who can tell what ſin may put a period to the time of Gods bringing his judgement upon a Nation, a family, or a particular perſon? though God hath ſpared heretofore, upon the next ſin committed, there may be ſuch a period put, as God now may come upon the family, not onelyonly for that ſin, but for all the ſins of the family, that ever have been committed ſince it was a family, and ſo upon a Nation, for all the ſins of a nation, ſince it was a nation, and all thy ſins, ever ſince thou waſt a ſinner. Men goe on a while in the wayes of ſin proſperouſly, but when God commeth to viſit, what will become of them? Iſaiah 10. 3. What nill you doe in the day of your viſitation, and in the deſolation which ſhall come from far, to whom will ye flee for help? and where will you leave your glory? Now you are merry, and laugh, now you feare nothing, but what will you do in the day of viſitation? what will become of you then? whether will you flee then? and where will you leave your glory?
I will viſit upon them the dayes of Baalim; in the plurall number Baalim, by which ſome think and that not improbably, that it is meant of their under Gods that they had, which they called Baalims, for the Heathen had their chiefe Gods, and their Dii minores, their leſſer Gods, that were unto them, as mediators to their chiefe Gods, and ſo our Papiſts have, they have their Diiminores, Papiſts like Heathen.leſſer Gods, who are tutelar Gods, either over Nations, or over families, or over particular diſeaſes, &c. As they ſay, for England, S. George, for Erance, S. Dennis, for Ireland, S. Patrick, for Wales, S. David, for Scotland, S. Andrew, &c. Theſe Saints they are in imitation of the Heathens, Baal, or in the Caldee dialect Bel, was the King of Babylon after Nimrod, the firſt that was deified, and reputed as a God after death, whence thoſe men that were deified after their death, and worſhipped as Gods, as the Papiſts worſhip their Saints, they called Baalims, as from Iulius Caeſar, the other that followed after, were called Caeſars: This interpretation gives unto us much light to underſtand that Scripture that you have in the firſt of the Corinthians, 8. 5. 6. Though there be that are called Lords whether in heaven or in earth, as there be Gods many, & Lords many, but to us there is but one God the Father, and one Lord Ieſus Chriſt; If the Apoſtle had ſpoke in Hebrew, it would have been thus, though there be many Baalims, there is to us but one God, and one Baal; for in Hebrew, Baal is Lood, there are many Gods, (ſay they) there were divers greater Gods, and there were many Lords, many Baalims, that is, there are many amongſt the Heathens that are mediators to their other chiefe Gods; But to us (ſaith he) there is but one God, and but one Lord, but one Baal, we have not Baalims, wee have not many mediators, to mediate between us and God, but as we have but one God, ſo we have but one Lord, but one Mediator, who indeed in regard of his humane nature is inferiour to the Father, but yet ſuch a Lord by whom are all things, and we by him, we acknowledge not greater Gods, and leſſe Gods: the Papiſts acknowledge but one God, but they have many Lords, many Mediatours, many that muſt be between God and them, but this is a heatheniſh opinion.
Again, Baalim in the plurall number. Another reaſon given by ſome, and not improbably, is, that in regard of the ſeverall images they had of their Baal, in ſeverall places, even in their private houſes; for Idolaters would not ſatisfie themſelves in worſhipping their Gods in publicke, but would worſhip them in their private houſes alſo.
Now though the Jewes had onelyonly two Idols ſet up, one in Dan, another in Bethel; yet they had ſome repreſentations of thoſe images in their private houſes, which may be grounded upon that text Hoſea 10. 5. Becauſe of the calves of Bethaven, We muſt worship God in our private houſes.that is of Bethel, calves of Bethel. Why, how many calves were there? there was but one calfe ſet up there, and yet here it is in the plurall number: now the reaſon of that is given, becauſe though there was but one calfe ſet up for the publicke worſhip, yet they had in their private families, the picture of that calfe, and ſo would bring the worſhip of their Baal into their families. A good leſſon for Chriſtians, not to ſatisfie themſelves with publicke worſhip, but to bring as much of the worſhip of God as they can into their families. Wherein ſhe burnt incenſe to them.
Incenſe was a typicall ſignification of prayer, in two reſpects. Firſt, in the ſweet ſavour of it. And ſecondly, in the aſcending of it by fire, ſo all our prayers ſhould be as incenſe, ſweet before the Lord, and aſcend up with the fervency of zeale, and Faith; it is properto God alone to have incenſe burnt unto him in a religious way, the heathens burnt incenſe to their Idols, imitating the worſhip of God. She decked her ſelfe with her eare-rings, and her jewels: they worſhipped their Idols in ſumptuous manner, adorning themſelves with as coſtly apparell as they could, eſpecially their foreparts: the word that is tranſlated jewels, ſignifies the noſe jewel, the ſame word that you have in Iſay, 3, 21. noſe jewels, they hanged upon their faces, jewels to make themſelves beautifull before their Idols: whores uſe to adorne themſelves more pompouſly then grave matrons, by this many ſimple people are drawn to the love of Idolatry,foreign which is ſpirituall whoredome; outward braveries draw the ſences; they thought God would accept of their ſervice the rather, becauſe of their coſtly jewels, that hung about their eares and noſtrills. From hence this note.
To thinke that God will accept our ſervice the rather,We muſt not think that God will accept of our ſervice, becauſe of any thing of our owne … becauſe of any apparel, or any thing of our own deviſing, is to deale with God as the heathens with their Idols; we muſt take heed of that: the Heathens inſtituted garments, that ſo they might be accepted. There was a Councel in the 333. year of Chriſt, that hath this Canon in it, it anathematizes all thoſe that ſhal judge one veſture, one garment more holy then another, & make more for piety then another doth. We are to learn from Idolaters thus much, to … adorn our ſouls, when we come into the … of God; did they deck their bodies, and hang jewels about eares and noſes when they came before their Idols for acceptance?Cancilium gangrenſe anathematizat eos qui aſiam veſtem aliae ſanctiorem aut plus facere ad pietatem iudicant. Let us beautifie our ſouls every time we come before the living God; and would you know what fine cloathes you ſhould have, when you come into Gods preſence? I will tell you, and eſpecially women who delight ſo much in fine cloaths, 1 Pet. 5. 5. Be yee cloathed with humility; ſo the word is to dreſſe with a dreſſe that Gentlewomen uſed to weare in thoſe times, with ribband; about their heads; well (ſaith the Apoſtle) would you have a fine dreſſe ye women? be ye cloathed with humility; the fineſt dreſſe you can poſſibly have: and I will tell you another dreſſe too, in 1 Pet. 3. 4. Adorned with a quiet and meeke ſpirit, which is with God of great price; foreign.it is much ſet by of God, ſo tranſlated in ſome of, your books. You love to be fine, if you come into Gods preſence with quiet and meek ſpirits, and cloathed with humility, you will be as fine as can be in the very eyes of God; but withall remember, both men and women, the robes of Chriſts righteouſneſſe, except you come cloathed and decked with that garment alſo, certainly you can never find acceptance.
They followed after their Idols, but forgot me (ſaith the Lord.) Their lovers were remembred, but I was forgotten, ſaith God; God ſpeakes here in a lamenting way, as a man bemoaning his ſad condition: as if he ſhould have ſaid, how am I flighted by my people? the Idols can be followed, they can be remembred, but I am neglected, I am forgotten, they have activity for their Idols, none for mee, memory for them, but none for mee.
God takes it very ill,Obſer. when men can find memory, ſtrength, and activity enough for their ſinfull wayes, but none for him; many complain of ſtrength, they are weak, but who was ever ſo weak, but had ſtrength enough to ſin? though memories be weak, yet ſinfull ways can be thought on.
Forgot me, that is, Firſt, they have forgot what a God I am. Secondly, what I have done for them, the great works I have done befor them. Thirdly, all their engagements to mee; many follow wicked wayes, yet ſo as ſometimes they have checks of conſcience, they have ſomewhat of God yet ſticking upon their hearts, ſome remembrances of God, and ſo long there is hope; but when a ſinner hath ſo far departed from God, and followed on his ungodly ways, as God is quite worn out of his thoughts, then hee is in a ſad caſe indeed. I appeal to you, is it not the caſe of ſome here? there was a time that you had mighty impreſſions of God upon your ſpirits, and then you could never go up and down in your ſhops, ſtreets, fields, but the thoughts of God were in your minde, and when you awaked in the night ſeaſon, the thought of God was in your hearts; but there was ſome haunt of wickedneſs that your hearts hankered after all that while, temptation came, and you have given way to it, and now (friend) you can go up and downe, one day after another, and ſcarce think of God at all? what is the matter that you have no thoughts of God now, as you were wont to have? yet perhaps you are not gone ſo farre, but that now and then there commeth in ſome darting thoughts of him,Lect. 12 but ſo as your conſcience knowes they are very terrible to you, you can never now have a thought of God, but it is as a clagger at your heart, and indeed it muſt needs be terrible to a guilty conſcience that is departed from God. Well, take heed what thou doeſt O thou ſinner,It is a dangerous condition when God is gotten ont of a m…ns thoughts. goe not on ſo long in thy ſinfull wayes, till thou weareſt out all the thoughts of God, for ſome have done ſo, though they had checks of conſcience, when they have beene in wicked company, God hath come into their thoughts, and troubled them, but they have gone to wicked company againe, and ſome thoughts of God have yet followed them, but they have gone again and again, and now they have forgot God, as if there were no God at all in heaven, as if God had nothing to doe with them, and they nothing to doe with God, O this is a ſad condition indeed. If any of you be declining into ſuch a condition as this is, the Lord ſtop you, this day the Lord awaken your conſciences. Ordinarily the more proſperity men have, the more forgetfull they are of the Lord; They forgat me, as Geneſis 48. 20. Jacob ſet Ephraim before Manaſſes, firſt Ephraim, then Manaſſes; Ephraim ſignifies fruitfulneſſe, and Manſſes ſignifies forgetfulneſſe; thus it is with men, Ephraim comes firſt, f…uit fulneſſe, God is fruitfull to you, and bleſſeth you in your eſtates, & then comes Manaſſes, forgetfulneſs; you are forgetfull of his goodneſſe to you:
My brethren, if always we had ſuch impreſſions of God, as we have ſometimes, O how happy were it! It will terrifie hereafter, when God ſhall againe ſo preſent himſelfe to you, and cauſe you to remember what impreſſions of his divine Majeſty once you had; let us hold forth our continuall remembrance of God, ſo as all that behold our converſaions, may ſay, ſurely the thoughts of God are mighty upon the ſpirits of theſe men; thus we ſhould live before our brethren: I will give you this one rule for your lives; Live ſuch lives as by them you may hold forth before your brethren ſuch remembrances of God, as they may conclude by that they ſee in your converſations, Certainly there are deepe thoughts of God upon the heart of this man, there was a time indeed he walked lightly; vainly, fooliſhly, but now he is ſerious in his way, he is conſiderate, he is heavenly, he walks with feare; Certainly there are great impreſſions of the divine Majeſty upon his heart; if it be ſo with us, how joyfull will it be to us hereafter, when God ſhall appeare in his glory, then to have our conſciences tell us, the impreſſions of the Majeſty of this God, that now I ſee ſo high and great have beene upon my ſoul, in the whole courſe of my life, I now ſee the glory of the great God ſhining, and bleſſed be his name, even this God that appeares ſo gloriouſly, hath appeared often to my ſoul before, and I have kept the impreſſions of his glory upon my heart, and he was continually in my thoughts. It is a wonder that God ſhould ever thinke of us, who are ſo forgetfull of him as we are; Pſalm 8. What is man that thou remembreſt him? (ſaith the text) what is man? The word there that is tranſlated man, ſome would bring forth the Hebrew roote which ſignifies forgetfulneſſe; foreignI finde Euſebius taking it thus, What is man O Lord, that thou ſhouldſt remember him? that is, what is forgetfull man, that thou ſhouldeſt remember him? yet I confeſſe the Hebrew word that is there tranſlated man, comes from another roote that ſignifies weakelineſſe, ſicklineſſe; what is weake man, what is ſick-man; yet if this word come not from that roote that ſignifieth to forget, yet I am ſure there is a word that commeth from that roote that ſignifies to forget, that is uſed for women, becauſe of their forgetfulneſſe; we would be glad to have God remember us, in the day of our adverſities, let us remember God now; all you young ones, remember God, remember your Creator in the dayes of your youth; you old people, whatſoever you forget, forget not the Lord; let us all remember the Lord, who hath remembred us all; who hath remembred England, in its low eſtate. for his mercies endure for ever.
We have done with the threatning part, now it followes, Therefore, behold I will allure her, bring her into the wilderneſſe, and ſpeake comfortably to her; [Therefore] Beloved, it is a ſtrange therefore; what, they followed after their Idols, they have ſaid, that all their proſperity was a reward of their Idols, they have forgot the Lord, they have decked themſelves with their jewels, to honour their Idols; (and marke) it comes preſently, Therefore I will allure her, and I will ſpeake comfortably to her; one would rather have thought it ſhould have followed; Therefore I will yet plague her, therefore my judgements ſhall purſue her, and cut her off; but marke it followes, Therefore I will allure her, and ſpeake comfort ably unto her; O the rich and free grace of God to his people! But of that the next day.