An Exposition of Hosea 1-3, Chapter 2 · Lecture 12

An Exposition of Hosea 1-3 · Chapter 2 · Lecture 12

p. 347The Twelfth Lecture.

HOSEA 2. 14.

Therefore behold I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderneſſe, and ſpeake comfortably unto her: and I will give her her Vineyards from thence,

HEre begins the ſecond part of this Chapter; the former was in conviction, threatning, pronouncing judgements: this from verſe 14. unto the end, is the opening of the free and rich grace of God to Iſrael. It may be ſaid of this Chapter, as Pſalm 85. 10. Mercy and Peace are met together, Righteouſneſſe and Truth kiſſe each other,

There is a bleſſed conjunction betweene threatning of judgement, and proffering mercy; but where is the copula of this conjunction?

p. 348What is that knits theſe two together? Here is a conjunction, but it is very wonderfull, it is in the firſt word, therefore; that is the copula, [therefore] I will allure her; Wherefore? This therefore hath a very ſtrange and wonderfull wherefore, if we conſider of what went before; the words immediately before were, She went after her lovers, and forgate mee, ſaith the Lord, [therefore] behold, I will allure her; there needs an Ecce be put to this [therefore] be hold; Behold, I will allure her. Lyra could not ſee how theſe things could bee joyned together, therefore hee thinks that this verſe hath not reference to that that immediately went before, but to the words in the beginning of the Chapter, Say to your brethren, Ammi, my people, and to your ſiſters, Ruhamah, ſhee that hath obtained mercy, therefore: And Cornelius à Lapide not underſtanding the cauſe of ſuch a connection, he would referre the beginning of this verſe to the end of the ſeventh verſe: She ſhall ſay, I will goe to my firſt husband, for then it was better with mee then now, therefore alſo I will allure her; theſe two, though learned men, yet are Papiſts, and therefore underſtand but little of the free rich grace of God, and hence are put to it, ſo much, to make a connection betweene that that went before, and this therefore; but wee need not go ſo farre, the right knowledg of the fulneſſe, and the riches of the grace of the Covenant, will help us out of this difficulty, and tell us how theſe two, the greatneſſe of mans ſin, and the riches of Gods grace may have a connection one to another, and that by an Illative therefore. foreignI confeſſe the Hebrew word is ſometimes conjunctio ordinis, rather then cauſalis, a conjunction that only ſets out the order of a thing, one thing following another, rather then any way implying any cauſe, but the reading here by way of inference, I take to be according unto the ſcope of the Spirit of God, and it gives us this excellent note.

Such is the grace of God unto thoſe who are in Covenant with him,Obſer. as to take occaſion from the greatneſſe of their ſinns, to ſhew the greatneſſe of his mercy, from the vileneſſe of their ſins, to declare the riches of his grace. And the Scripture hath divers ſuch kind of expreſſions as theſe, as Gen. 8. 21.The grace of the Covenant makes inferences from our ſins to mercy. The Lord ſaid in his heart, I will not again curſe the ground any more for mans ſake; VVhy? For the immagination of mans heart is evill from his youth: A ſtrange reaſoning; I will not curſe the ground for mans ſake, for the imagination of mans heart is evill from his youth. One would have thought it ſhould have been rather, I will therefore curſe the ground for mans ſake, becauſe the imagination of mans heart is evill from his youth; but the grace of God knowes how to make another manner of inference then we could have imagined: So likewiſe, Iſa. 57. 17, 18. For the iniquity of his covetouſneſſe was I wroth and ſmote him, I hid me and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart; I have ſeen his wayes (ſaith God) Now one would have thought that the next word ſhould have been, I will therefore plague him, I wil deſtroy him, I will curſe him; but mark the words that follow, I will heale him, I will … him alſo, and reſtore comforts unto him, and to his mourners; I will p. 349create the fruit of the lips, peace to him. This is a conſequence at leaſt, if not an inference. David underſtood this reaſoning to be indeed the true reaſoning of the Covenant of grace, and therefore he pleadeth thus with God, Pſal. 25. 11. Pardon my iniquity, for it is great; Lord my iniquity is great, therefore pardon it. Hearken you Saints, (hearken I ſay) this is the great bleſſing of God unto you who are in Covenant with him, whereas otherwiſe your ſins ſhould have made you objects of Gods hatred, your ſins now render you objects of his pitty and compaſſion, this is the glorious fruit of the covenant of grace.

I would only the Saints heard me in this thing, but why doe I ſay ſo? I will recall my word, let all ſinners heare me, let the vileſt, the worſt ſinners in the world heare of the riches of the grace of God in this his Covenant, that if they belong to Gods election, they may ſee the fulneſſe, the glory of Gods grace, to be inamoured with it, their hearts raviſhed with it, that they may never be at reſt till they get evidence to their ſoules, that God indeed hath actually received them into this his Covenant. If then God be pleaſed in the riches of free grace to make ſuch an inference, therefore let us take heed that wee make not a quite croſſe inference from the greatneſſe of our ſins, nor on the other ſide, from Gods grace. As thus, You have followed your lovers, you have forgot me, therefore will I allure you. An unbelieving heart would make this inference: I have followed my lovers, I have followed after vanity and folly, and therefore God hath rejected mee, therefore God will have no mercy upon me, therefore I am undone, therefore the gates of mercy are ſhut againſt me, unbelieving heart do not ſin againſt the grace of God, he ſaith, you have forgotten me, therefore will I allure, and ſpeake comfortably to you; doe not you ſay, I have forgot the Lord, and therefore the Lord will for ever reject me; theſe diſcouraging, determining, deſpairing therefores are very grievous to the Spirit of God.Tota ſcriptura hoc agit ne dubitemus, ſed ſperea mus, confic damus, eredamus deum miſcricordam eſſe benignum; patiente…; Luther. God would have us have all good thoughts of him. It is a maine thing that God intendeth through the whole Scripture that his people ſhould have good thoughts of him, and that they ſhould not think him a hard maſter. It is an excellent expreſſion of Luther, (ſaith he) the whole Scripure doth principally aime at this thing that we ſhould not doubt, but that wee ſhould hope, that we ſhould truſt, that we ſhould believe, that God is a merciful, a bountifull, a gracious, and a patient God to his people. It is an excellent expreſſion that I have read of Maſter Bradford, in one of his Epiſtles, (ſaith he, O Lord ſometimes me thinks I feel it ſo with me, as if there were no difference between my heart and the wicked, a blind mind as they, a ſtout, ſtubborn, rebellions ſpirit, a hard heart as they, and ſo he goes on; ſhall I therefore conclude thou art my Father? nay, I will rather reaſon otherwiſe; ſaith he, becauſe I do believe thou art my Father, I will come unto thee, that thou mighteſt enlighten this blind minde of mine, that thou mighteſt ſoften this hard heart of mine, that thou mighteſt ſanctifie this unclean ſpirit of mine; I this is a good reaſoning indeed, and is worthy of one that profeſſes the goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt.

p. 350Again, as the inference of this unbelieving heart is grievous to Gods ſpirit, ſo the inference of a prophane heart, an unbelieving heart makes his therefore from the greatneſſe of ſin againſt Gods mercy, and the prophane heart makes his therefore from the greatneſſe of Gods mercy, to the hardening of his heart in his ſins; what, ſhall God make his therefore from our ſin to his mercy, and ſhall we make our therefore from his mercy back again to our ſins? where ſin abounds, grace abounds, but where grace abounds, ſin muſt not abound, becauſe God is mercifull to us who are very ſinfull; let not us be very ſinfull againſt him who is ſo mercifull. God takes occaſion from the greatneſſe of our ſins, to ſhew the greatneſſe of his mercy; let not us take occaſion from the greatneſſe of his mercy, to be emboldened in greatneſſe of our ſins.

Therefore [behold.]

Behold. Here is a wonder to take up the thoughts of men and Angels, to all eternity, even that that we have in this inference, behold, notwithſtanding all this, yet you men and Angels behold the fulneſſe, the riches of Gods grace, I will allure her; what will not God caſt us away notwithſtanding the greatneſſe of our ſins? let not us reject Gods ways, notwithſtanding the greatneſſe of any ſufferings we meet with in them; there is a great deale of reaſon in this that I ſpeak; you may as well beare with ſufferings in Gods wayes, and yet embrace them, as God doth beare with ſinns in your hearts, and yet embrace you;foreign but it follows, therefore I will allure; the Heb. word tranſlated allure, ſignifies to entice, and is uſed many times in the ill part, blandiendo decipere, to deceive by ſubtle enticing: the Seventy in their tranſlation, thus, Therefore alſo I will deceive them, and the old Latine lactabo, and others ſeducam, foreign.therefore alſo I will ſeduce them, ſo ſometimes the word is: God makes uſe of this word to expreſſe a very gracious affection to them, the ſweete and gracious wayes that God intendeth to deale with them in.

What God means by alluring of his people, when once he is reconciled unto them, may be expreſſed in theſe three things.

1Firſt, I will open the beauty and excellency of the infiniteneſs of my grace and goodneſſe, and I will ſet it before them to allure them. I will ſpread before their ſoules the beauty, the glory of the riches of my grace.

2Secondly, I will out-bid all temptations of their lovers, whereas before they went a whoring from me, becauſe their hearts were allured by their lovers, their lovers proffering unto them ſuch and ſuch contentments,The mercy of God out bids all temptations. and ſo did ſubtilly draw their hearts from me, I will now deal with them in a more powerfull way then their lovers poſſibly could, and I will out-bid them all. Did their lovers proffer to them comfort? I will bid more then they; did their lovers proffer gaine? I will bid more gaine; did they proffer more honour and reſpect? I will out-bid them in this too: I will bid more honour, and more reſpect, ſo as I will perſwade their hearts that they ſhall come to enjoy more in me then poſſibly they could com… enjoy in whatſoever p. 351their lovers could doe for them. And indeed then hath the Goſpell the true, full, gracious worke upon the heart of a man or woman, when it yeelds to the profers of the Goſpel, as finding that all that the world can bid is now out-bidden; I have a better bargaine here in Chriſt then the world proffers to me. You know when one comes to offer ſo much for a commodity, and another out-bids him,2 Cor. 12. 16. The ſ…cret waves of God drawing the heart to himſelfe.2 Cor 12:16 he carries it away: ſo when the world, and luſt, and ſin proffers to the ſoul ſuch and ſuch contents, then comes God, and outbids all, and ſo the bargaine is made up, God carries away the heart.

Againe, further, I will allure, that is, I will come upon them even unawares, and as it were ſteale away their hearts, by a holy guile; as S. Paul tells us, that he caught the Corinthians as it were by guile. I will ſecretly inſinuate my ſelfe unto them, and I will draw their hearts in ſuch a ſweet way, in ſuch a ſecret hidden way, that I will take them before they are aware.

So it is with many a ſoule; God takes it before it is aware, though it is true, that afterward the ſoul comes to underſtand things more clearely about Gods grace, but at the firſt, God hath taken the heart even almoſt before it thinks of him. Indeed the ſinner ſees himſelfe, he is not where he was before, ſurely there hath been here ſomething working upon my heart; I finde it otherwiſe with me now then it hath beene, but how this comes to paſſe, I ſcarce underſtand for the preſent, but ſhall underſtand more; like that expreſſion we have in the 6. of Canticles, ver. 12. Ore ever I was aware, my ſoule made me as the chariot of Aminadib: That is, the chariots of a willing people, ſo the word Aminadib ſignifies. My heart was caught, and run amaine to God, and this was before ever I was aware, there came ſuch wayes of Gods grace into my heart more then I thought of, and caught my ſoul, that my ſoul run mighty freely, ſwiftly after the Lord, and this is a bleſſed deceit, when the heart is ſo deceived, ſo allured, ſo enticed; As ſometimes it is with an Adulterer, he doth but give a glance of his adulterous eye, and catcheth the Adultereſſe before ſhe is aware; it may be ſhe never thought of any ſuch thing; but there is a glance of an uncleane eye that catcheth the heart ſecretly. Thus with Chriſt, hee ſometimes gives ſuch a glance of his eye upon the heart of a ſinner, as takes the ſinner before he is aware; the ſinner is brought in love with the wayes of God, and with the truths of God, even before he thinks of it. We are to know that the grace of God hath a ſubtilty in it, as well as the Serpent; The Scripture, Pro. 1. 4. attributes a ſubtilty to Gods grace; It is a bleſſed thing to be thus out-ſubtilled, (as I may ſo ſpeake) for the grace of God to be too ſubtile for our ſins; As I remember Luther, when he was charged for Apoſtacy, he acknowledged it, (ſaith he) I confeſſe I am an Apoſtate, but how? an Apoſtate from the devil, falling off from the devill, & returning unto God, ſuch an Apoſtate I am; So many a mans heart may be deceived, but if he can ſay, Bleſſed be God, I am deceived indeed, but ſo deceived that my ſin is beguiled; I am ſeduced, but it is out of the wayes of ſin, into the wayes of God.

p. 352Many are eaſily allured by temptations, they are preſently taken by the devills allurements, but they are very ſubtile in objecting againſt all the allurements of Gods grace, but he is ſubtile enough to put off the allurements of ſin and of the devill.

Therefore behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderneſſe.

Here is ſome difficulty in this; how comes this in? Therefore I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderneſſe, and ſpeake comfortably to her. How can this,idem cum foreign to bring into the wilderneſſe, be between alluring, and ſpeaking comfortably? I told you, that this ſecond part of the Chapter was altogether mercy: what can be meant then by bringing into the wilderneſs? Some for the ſhewing that yet it is a way of grace that God intendeth in this phraſe, I will bring them into the wilderneſſe, tranſlate the words, After I have brought them into the wilderneſſe, Poſtquam per duxero eam, ſo T…emelius, he was a Jew, and therefore could well underſtand the Hebrew tongue, he tels us that Vau, that is tranſlated and, is as much as poſtquam, after I have brought them into the wilderneſſe, and then the meaning is thus. After I have humbled them throughly, as I did their fore-fathers in the wilderneſſe, then will I ſpeake comfortably unto them: God humbled their forefathers in Egypt, yet that was not enough, hee humbled them afterwards in the wilderneſſe, and then he brought them into Canaan; many times God brings one affliction after another upon his own people to break their hearts, to humble them throughly, and at laſt he ſpeaks comfortably to them. It hath been ſo with us, the Lord not many yeares ſince brought us into bondage, it might have humbled us, & broke our hearts before him; but when wee began to bee delivered a little out of our bondage, the Lord brings us into the wilderneſſe, and follows us with afflictions to this day, that he might throughly break us, and yet we hope all this while, it is but making way unto Canaan.

But in the ſecond place, take it as you have it here, I will allure her and bring her into the wilderneſſe. Then wee may take the ſcope of it to be not the afflicting part of the wilderneſſe, but only the manifeſting this unto Iſrael, that he would ſhew unto them great & wonderfull works of his power, & wiſdome, and goodneſs, as he did unto their forefathers in the wilderneſſe. What ever your conditions ſhall be into which you ſhal be brought, yet you ſhall have me working in a glorious way for your good and comfort, as ever I did for your forefathers when they were in the wilderneſſe: and this expoſition is rather ſtrengthened from that we have ex Thargum Ionathae, Operabor miracula, & grandia, facinora, qualia edidi in deſerto. Thargum Ionathae.I will work miracles, and great wonderfull, famous things for them, ſuch as I did work in the deſert: hath God wrought gloriouſly for his people hitherto in the wayes of his mercy? if reconciled to him, they may expect the fame wonderfull works of God for their good even to the end of the world We may read the ſtories of Gods wonderfull power in deliverances of his people in their ſtraits in the wilderneſſe, and make them to be our own, and p. 353pleade with God, that he would ſhew forth that old, that ancient power, and wiſdom, and goodneſſe of his, as he did unto his people formerly,Gods former wayes towards his people, great helps to our Faith. this is the ground of that excellent prayer, that we have Eſay 51. 9. 10. Awake, awake, put on ſtrength O arme of the Lord, awake as in the ancient dayes, in the generations of old; Art thou not it that haſt cut Rahab, and wounded the Dragon? Art thou not it that hath dryed the ſea, the waters of the great ſea? Awake, awake, thou art he who haſt done ſuch great things formerly; it is a great help to our Faith to conſider what God hath done for the Church of old.

But further, Poreus ſaith this expresſion is taken from the condition of a poor man that is drawne aſide out of his way by a thief, a thief comes and entices him out of his way, and carries him into ſome deſolate place, & when he hath carried him thither, then the manbegins to bethink himſelf, where he is, and ſees himſelf in a ſad condition, and knows not what in the world to do, and yet at that time there comes in ſupply, comfort, and help for him; ſo (ſaith God) I will bring you into the wilderneſſe, that is, I will put you into the ſame condition, that ſuch a poor man is put into, I will allure you, as the thief allures, I will make proffer to you of abundance of good, and by that I will draw you into ſuch and ſuch wayes, wherein you ſhall meet with very great ſtraits, for a while, and you ſhall be put into an amazed condition, as not knowing what in the world to do, and when that is done, then I will come with the fulneſſe of my grace, and ſpeake comfortably to your hearts.

Thus though God ſpeakes of bringing into the wilderneſſe, yet ſtill it is with an intention of ſhewing mercy there; and is not this juſt to a very haire for all the world our condition? have not the ways of God toward England for theſe two or three years been alluring wayes? God hath made proffer unto us of a great deale of mercy, and raiſed the hopes of his people, and the Miniſters of God have ſpoken encouraging words to his people, that ſurely the Lord intends great goodneſſe to us, and becauſe Gods wayes have been ſuch towards us, as they have been, we have endeavoured (God knowes) to follow him in thoſe ways of his, to do that, that for the preſent thoſe preſent ways of his called for: and yet we are even brought into the wilderneſs now, even into a kind of deſolate condition,When God brings into trouble: there is comfort in that trouble. that for the preſent we even are at a ſtand, & we ſee afflictions to be round about us, & the very beaſts to be ready to come & teare us, and pull us in pieces, and yet we can ſay to the comfort of our hearts, Lord, if we be deceived, thou haſt deceived us, for (Lord) thou knoweſt that whatſoever we have done, it was our duty to doe, and although we be brought into great ſtraits, for the preſent, yet we repent not of what we have done, nor of what we have ſaid, for thou haſt allured us into this condition, thy gracious wayes of mercy towards us in the beginning of the Parliament, and ſo on hath allured us, and hath brought us into what we have done. Wee will not therefore ſay, what is now become of all our hopes? but wee expect God even in this wilderneſſe, to ſpeake comfortably unto us, let not men upbrayde us for what wee have done, p. 354we would doe as we have done, if it were to do again, for God hath brought us into theſe wayes, and if he hath allured us into the wilderneſſe, the next words ſhall be made good unto us, he will ſpeake comfortably to us: if we be in no other then that wilderneſſe he hath allured us into, then we may expect fully that he will ſpeake comfortably to us.

Here is the difference betweene men bringing themſelves into trouble; or being brought by the Devils or worlds allurements, and by Gods. In the one we cannot expect comfort, but in the other we may confidently.

Further, There is yet another interpretation that I think is moſt genuine, and full; For the ground of that I ſhall ſay in this, we muſt know that from the beginning of this part of the Chapter to the end, God is expreſſing himſelfe unto his people in a conjugall way; that is, whereas his people had gone a whoring from him, yet he would receive them againe into a conjugall affection, and communion: all along God expreſſes himſelf thus, from the fourteenth verſe to the end. Now this being laid for a ground; In this expreſſion of Gods bringing into the wilderneſſe, the Prophet alludes unto the cuſtome of the Jewes, that they had in their marriages. Their cuſtome that I reade of, was, that the Bride-groom uſed to take his Bride, and carry her out of the City, into the fields, and there they had their nup tiall ſongs, and delighted themſelves in ſome place there, one with another, & afterward he brought her back againe, leaning upon him, into the City, to his Fathers houſe, and there they rejoyced together, and ſolemnized the further nuptials: now theſe fields are called the wilderneſſe, either becauſe they might be ſome champion dry fields that were about the City; or otherwiſe, let them be what they will be, yet becauſe he would allude unto the mercy of God in bringing of his people out of Egypt, into Canaan, and would put them in minde of that mercy of his, therefore he gives theſe fields this title, calls them by this name, and this cuſtome of the Jews ſeemes to have warrant from Scripture it ſelf, Canticles 8. 5. Who is this that commeth up from the wilderneſſe, leaning upon her beloved? That was the way of marriage, they came out of the fields, leaning upon their beloved, and ſo were brought unto the Bridgegroomes Fathers houſe: So Chriſt brings his Spouſe through this world, which is as the wilderneſſe, and Chriſt is here ſolemnizing his eſpouſals, and hath his nuptiall ſongs in this world; and the Church leanes upon Chriſt, all the while ſhe is in the world, but Chriſt is carring her to his Fathers houſe, and ere long we ſhal be with him there, ſolemnizing the marriage of the Lambe in a more glorious way: This expreſſion goes on clearly thus, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderneſſe; As the Bridegroome ſpeakes ſweet and comfortable words to his Bride, and carries her abroad into the fields, and there ſolemnizes the nuptials, and ſo comes back againe, having his Spouſe leaning upon him, and bringing her to his Fathers houſe; ſo I will deale with you in the fulneſſe of my grace. I will performe all the nuptiall rites with you. I will be married againe unto you, and looke what the moſt ſolemnity in your City of Jeruſalem, or any of p. 355your Cities, there is in any nuptials, I will make as great a ſolemnity in the nuptials betweene you and me: It is true, when a marriage is ſuch as people are loath to make it known, then there is no ſuch ſolemnity, but when it is a great marriage indeed, and ſuch as marry together with their friends would glory in it, then there is the more full ſolemnity; ſo ſaith God, I will not be aſhamed to take you againe, but I will take you openly; I wil have the ſolemnity of my marriage with you as publickly as may be, I will carry you abroad into the fields; and look what rights ſoever there are in the moſt ſolemne marriages amongſt you, thoſe rights I will performe unto you, that it may be a moſt glorious marriage ſolemnity between you and me again: thus I will bring into the wilderneſſe, and ſpeake comfortably unto them.

And ſpeake comfortably to her.

Theſe words that are tranſlated here,foreign ſpeake comfortably, in the Hebrew are, loquar ſuper cor, or ad corejus, I will ſpeake to her heart, I will ſpeak to her, either ſo as to prevaile with her heart, or ſpeake to her ſo as to do her good at the very heart: Many Scriptures may be brought to ſhew, that ſpeaking kindly, friendly, or comfortably, the Hebrews expreſſe by ſpeaking to the heart; I will give you two or three inſtances, Geneſis 34. 3. Shechem ſpake kindly to the Damoſell, the words are in the Hebrew, Shechem ſpake to the heart of the Damoſell; So Ruth 2. 13. Thou haſt comforted me, for that thou haſt ſpoken friendly to thy handmaid; thou haſt ſpoken to the very heart of thy handmaid; there are two more remarkable places for this, one is Eſay 40. 2. Speak comfortably to Jeruſalem, the words are, ſpeak to the heart of Jeruſalem; What ſhould be ſpoke to the heart of Jeruſalem? Cry unto her, her warefare is accompliſhed, her iniquity is pardoned; Theſe are the comfortable words that God required ſhould be ſpoke to the heart of Jeruſalem: O that God would ſpeak thus to England! this would do good at the very heart, if God would ſpeake thus from heaven, Her iniquity is pardoned, and her warefare is accompliſhed. But yet a place that is more ſuitable unto this expreſſion in the text, it is Iudges 19. 3. There you have the ſtory of a Levite, whoſe wife having played the harlot, yet he was willing to be reconciled to her, & the text ſaith, that he went & ſpake friendly to her; Now the words are in the Hebrew, Hee went and ſpake to her heart; And indeed it is a word to the heart of an adulterous ſpouſe, if her heart be humbled, when ſhe knows that her husband will be willing notwithſtanding her playing the harlot to be reconciled to her, this was the condition of Iſrael, who had gone a whoring from God, yet when God promiſes a renewall of the marriage rites he ſaith he will ſpeake to her heart; from whence we might obſerve this note.Obſer That an Apoſtatizing people, or an Apoſtate ſoul, had need have words of comfort ſpoke to their hearts, or elſe there can be little eaſe to their terrified conſciences. We read of Spira that famous Apoſtate, he had words of comfort enough ſpoke to his eare, but they did him little good, God did not come in and ſpeak to his heart, therefore p. 356his conſcience could not be quieted, the throbs of it could not be eaſed: How many lie under the troubles of an accuſing conſcience,Nothing can eaſe a troubled conſcience but Gods ſpeaking to the heart. and have the throbs and bitings of a guilty ſpirit, becauſe they have been back-ſliders from the truth; and though they come to Sermons, one after another, & hear the Covenant of grace opened to them in the fulneſſe of it, & the riches of Gods goodneſſe ſet before them in the beauty of it, yet they goe away without comfort, why the words come to the eare, God all this time ſpeaks not to the heart; ſometimes it pleaſes God to take but the hint of a truth, and dart it upon the heart of a troubled ſinner, that he feeleth it at the heart, and ſayes, Well, this day God hath ſpoken to my heart, ſo he goes away rejoycing, eaſed, comforted, pacified; when as perhaps ſuch an one had heard a hundred Sermons before, wherein there were bleſſed and glorious truths preſented to him, and it did no good untill Gods time; and when the time of Gods love is come, ſome little hint of a piece of a truth God darteth to the hearts and that doth the thing. God ſhews hereby that it is not in the word of man to comfort an afflicted conſcience.

Hence an expresſion Luther hath in his Comment upon Geneſis, Multo difficilius eſt conſcientiam afflictam cenſolari quam martuos excitare. Luther.It is far harder to comfort an afflicted conſcience, then to raiſe the dead; you think it is nothing to Apoſtatize from the Lord, you thinke it is eaſie to receive comfort, you will find it is not ſo eaſie, you will find it as eaſie to raiſe the dead as to comfort your afflicted conſciences. But you told us before, how rich the grace of God was, that God tooke advantage from the greatneſſe of our ſins, to ſhew the riches and greatneſs of his mercy: grant it, let the grace of God be never ſo rich, but till this grace be applyed to the heart, till God be pleaſed to ſpeak himſelf to the heart of a ſinner, it will not do. I remember a ſtory of one who had made profesſion of Religion, and afterwards Apoſtatiſed and made little of it, when his acquaintance told him that thoſe things he now did he would ſmart for one day, he thought becauſe he had ſome knowledg in the Goſpel, that it was but to believe in Jeſus Chriſt, Jeſus Chriſt came to pardon ſinners, &c. when he came upon his ſick bed, he was in great torment of conſcience,Falſe applying comfort will not hold. and grievous vexation, and cryed out bitterly of his Apoſtacy, there came ſome of his acquaintance to him, and ſpake words of comfort, and tells him that Chriſt came to ſave ſinners, and he muſt truſt in Gods mercy, &c. At length he begins to cloſe with this, and to apply this to himſelf, and to have a little eaſe, upon which his companions began to be hardned in their ways, becauſe they ſaw after ſo ill a life it was ſo eaſie a matter to have comfort; but not long before he dyed, he brake out roaring, in a moſt miſerable anguiſh, O! (ſaith hee) I have prepared a plaiſter, but it will not ſticke, it will not ſticke: wee ſhall find though the grace of God be rich, and the ſalve be a ſoveraign unleſſe God be pleaſed to make it ſtick by ſpeaking to our hearts, nothing can be done. From hence further, learn this note.

As when God ſpeaks comfortably to his people,Obſ. he ſpeaks to their hearts: ſo Gods Miniſters, when they come to ſpeak in Gods name, ſhould labour p. 357to ſpeak ſo, as to do what they can to ſpeak to hearts. It is true indeed, it is imposſible that any man of himſelfe can ſpeake to the heart of another, but yet he may endeavour, and aime that way, there is a kind of ſpeaking that God doth aſſiſt, ſo as to bring it to the heart of his people.

What ſpeaking is that? you will ſay.

That that cometh from the heart, will moſt likely go to the heart, though I know God can take that which comes but from the lips, and carry it to the heart when he pleaſes, yet ordinarily that that comes from the heart, goes to the heart, therefore Miniſters when they come to ſpeak the great things of the Goſpel, they ſhould not ſeeke ſo much for brave words, and enticing ways of mans wiſdome, but let them get their own hearts warmed with that grace of the Goſpel, and then they are moſt like to ſpeak to the hearts of their Auditors. It is a good note that I have met with from Ribera, let Miniſters remit (ſaith he) of their care of fine curious words,Remittant aliquid de cura nit…ris culiuſque verborum venuſtatis & numerofit atis ſententiarum, & verae humilitati & mortificationi, impendant ut charitatem habeant, ſine qua ſi linquis hominum loquantur, & angelorum, facti ſunt ſicut as ſonans vel ſymbalum tinniens. Ribera. of brave neate phraſes, and cadencies of their ſentences, but let them bend their ſtudies to manifeſt humility, and mortification, and to ſhew love to the ſoules of people; otherwiſe, though they ſpeake with the tongues of men and Angels, they ſhall become but like the ſounding braſſe, and the tinckling cymball: this is an expreſſion even of a Jeſuite, it were then a great ſhame that Gods Miniſters ſhould not labour to ſpeak ſo, as that they may ſpeak to the hearts of people: you muſt be deſirous of ſuch kind of preaching as you find ſpeaks to your hearts, not that that comes meerly to your eares: how many men love to have the word jingle in their ears, and in the mean time their hearts go away, and not one word ſpoke to them? but when you finde a Miniſtry ſpeake to your hearts, cloſe with it, bleſs God for it, and count it a ſadd day when you goe from a Sermon, and there is not one word ſpoke to your hearts in that Sermon.

From the connection of theſe two, I will bring them into the wilderneſſe, & ſpeak unto their hearts: if we ſhould take the wilderneſſe for bringing into affliction (becauſe there are ſo many interpreters that are very godly men, & learned men, go that way) I dare not wholy reject it, but that there may be ſome intention that way.

Hence the firſt note is,

Afflictions make way for Gods word to the hearts of ſinners;Obſer. there are many obſtructions at the hearts of men while they are in proſperity, but when afflictions come, God by them opens thoſe obſtructions, and ſo gets his word to their hearts; afflictions cannot convert the heart, but they can take away ſome obſtructions that did hinder the word from coming to the heart. Many of you have heard thouſands of Sermons, and ſcarce know of any one that hath come to your hearts, but when God caſts you upon your ſicke beds, and you apprehend death, then you feele the ſame truthes, p. 358that you were not ſenſible of before, they lie upon your hearts, the threatning word of God, that went but to the ear before, now it is got to the heart, now it terrifies, now you cry out of your ſins, and relliſh the ſweet promiſes of the Goſpel that afflictions make way for. I remember an expreſſion that I have read of Bernard, he had once to a brother of his, who was a Souldier, but riotous and prophane, Bernard gives him many good inſtructions, wholſome admonitions, and counſels, his brother ſeemed to ſlight them, he made nothing of them, Bernard comes to him, and puts his hand to his ſide; one day (ſaith he) God will make way to this heart of yours, by ſome ſpeare, or launce, he meant God would wound him in the Wars, and ſo hee would open a way to his heart, and then his admonitions ſhould get to his heart, and as he ſaid, ſo it fell out; for going into the Wars, he was wounded, and then he remembers his brothers admonitions, they got to, and lay upon his heart to purpoſe. It God ſhould let the enemy in upon us, their ſwords or bullets may make way to our hearts, that ſo Gods word may come to have entrance there, the Lord rather pierce our hearts by his ſpirit, then that way to our hearts ſhould be made thus.

Secondly,Obſer. Times of affliction Gods comforting times. when we are brought to great affliction, that is the time for Gods mercies. This ſhould make us not to be ſo afraid of afflictions, how afraid are we? how do we hang back when we ſee afflictions coming? why art thou ſo loth, O thou Chriſtian, to come to affliction! the time of affliction is the time for God to ſpeake to the heart of a ſinner; many ſinners may ſay that their condition hath been like Jacobs, he never had a more ſweete viſion of God, then when he lay abroad in the fields, with no other pillow under his head then a ſtone, it may be God will take away all your outward comforts, and when they are all gone, then may be Gods time to ſpeake comfortably to your heart.

Thirdly, the words of mercy, O how ſweet are they, when they come to the heart after an affliction!Obſer. Pſam 141. 6. Thy Judges ſhall be overthrown in ſtrong places, they ſhall he are my words, for they are ſweet.

If the words be taken, for bringing into the wilderneſſe, that is, for Gods wonderfull workings for the good of his people, then the note is,

When God works great and wonderfull things amongſt a people,Obſer. then God ſpeaks to the heart of that people: then ſurely God hath ſpoken to our hearts, for he hath done great and wonderfull things amongſt us; he did not more wonderfull things amongſt his people in the wilderneſſe, then he hath done omongſt us here in England. But from that meaning, of bringing into the wilderneſſe, as the cuſtome of marriage, of ſolemnizing of nuptials, then the note is this,

When God is reconciled once to a people,Obſer. they may expect full manifeſtations of his love unto them, one manifeſtation after another, as alluring, and carrying abroad into fields, and nuptiall ſongs, all kind of manifeſtations of Gods love: A people, a ſoule that was never … ſinfull before, and is new reconciled, may expect it.

p. 359Let all back-fliders then, whom God is about to draw again to himſelf, liſten and hear what God ſaith unto their hearts; if they come in and repent let them know that God is willing to manifeſt all expreſſions of love and goodneſſe to them.

Againe, there is yet one note more from this expreſſion of bringing into the wilderneſſe, and ſpeaking to the heart; yet becauſe it is the moſt improbable, I will onelyonly but mention it to you, there may be yet ſome good uſe made of it, and therefore I will ſet it before you; I finde divers going that way, it is this (ſay they) by bringing into the wilderneſſe, God meanes that he would take them off from their engagements in their own Country, carrying them to a ſtrange place, and ſo take them off from their houſes. lands, ſhops, eſtates, friends, acquaintance, from the pomp, the glory, and all the clutter of the world, that they enjoyed, and were ſnared by in their owne Countrey, and ſo he will carry them aſide into deſolate places, and there he will inſtruct them, when he hath got them as it were alone; That hath been Gods way in making himſelf known unto his people, whom hee hath had a love unto, to draw them aſide from the clutter of the world, from their engagements, and there to ſpeak to their hearts. We have a famous place for that, Mar. 8. 23. the poor blind man, whoſe eyes Chriſt intended to open, the Text ſaith, Chriſt took e him by the hand, and carryed him out of the City, and there fell a working upon him, and opened his eyes; he carryed him from the clutter of people, from his friends and acquaintance, and there opens his eyes. While we are in the midſt of engagements here in our owne land, while we have our eſtates, and all well about us, wee are ſcarce fit to hearken what God hath to ſay to us: Many of Gods people have found it by experience, that whereas there were many truths of God, that they had ſome incklings … while they were here, and read books about them, and heard much of them, yet they could not be convinced of them, and their conſciences tell them, while they were here they did not go againſt the light of their conſciences, but how ever it came to paſſe, convinced they were not; but when God took them aſide from their engagements, and from the pomp and glory of their land, and carryed them into the wilderneſſe, or into ſome remote places, where the glory of their own Countrey did not ſo gliſter before their eyes, they then could ſee into truths, that they never ſaw before; thoſe things that could not get into their hearts before, now when God drew them aſide got in; and it is not now their conceit, but they knovv certainly,foreign that they do underſtand much of Gods minde, that they did not underſtand before; vvhen God hath taken them aſide, then God hath opened their eyes.

Verſ. 15. I will give her her vineyards from thence.

Vinatores, ſo ſome tranſlate the vvord, her vine-dreſſers, and indeed the Heb. vvord that is for vine-dreſſers, & vines, or vine yards, is the very ſame letters, only the puncta are different, but vve vvill read it as it is here, from thence; illinc, ibi, either from that time that they are in the vvilderneſſe, or p. 360from that condition of their affliction in the wilderneſſe, wherein I will ſpeak comfortably to her, thence I will give her her vineyards; God threatned to deſtroy her vineyards, now God ſaith, he will give vineyards.

Obſerve, God can as eaſily reſtore, as he can deſtroy: It is an eaſly thing for men to make havock, to do miſchief, but it is not ſo eaſy a thing for them to reſtore all again; they can eaſily ſpoile a Country, but they cannot ſo eaſily raiſe a Country again. Pſal. 52. 1. Why beaſteſt thou thy ſelfe in miſchiefe, O mighty man? There is no reaſon that a man ſhould boaſt that he can do miſchiefe; we have ſome who make their boaſts in nothing but this, that they can go up and down the Country, and plunder, ſpoile, and make havock,Cuidam philippum laudanti qued Olynthum ſubver…erat, Lacedaemonius reſpoudit, …tal…m civitatem non posſit condere. Plut. l. de Trac. Obſer. but can they make all up againe, that they undo? Plut arch tells us of one commending the power and valour of Philip, for that he had utterly deſtroyed Olynthus, a City of Tracia; a Lacedemonian ſtanding by anſwered, but he cannot build ſuch a City. A foole may breake a glaſſe, and all the wiſe men in the Countrey are not able to make it up againe. Men may do a great deale of hurt and miſchiefe, but it is not their lives, nor the lives of a thouſand ſuch as they are, can make up againe what hurt is done by them: But it is Gods property, he can deſtroy vineyards, and he can reſtore them againe; I will give them their vineyards againe, when I am reconciled to them: Suppoſe there be the greateſt Pacification that can be, yet all this while, who ſhall make up the hurt is done? if there be reconciliation with God, he will make up all our hurts again.

Secondly, I will give her her vineyards. It is a note of Calvin, God ſaith not, I will give them their corne, that is for neceſſity, but I will give them their vineyards, that is for delight: the note is,

When God is reconciled to a people, hee will not onelyonly give them ſubſtance, but abundance, even for delight, as well as for neceſſity.

Thirdly, When God is reconciled to a p…ple, he comes with preſent reall evidences of his love,Obſer. he reſerveth indeed abundance of mercy afterwards, but he is never reconciled, but he comes preſently with ſome reall evidences and demonſtrations of love; God ſaith not onelyonly, I will ſpeake comfortably to them, and there is an end, and they ſhall expect mercy along time after; No, but I will ſpeake comfortably to her, & I will give her her vineyards againe: I will give unto them reall manifeſtations of my love; ſo it ſhould be with us, when we come in to God, to be reconciled to him, we ſhould come in with reall expreſſions of our repentance, of our reſpects unto God. Here is a deceit, (I beſeech you confider of it) many when they lye upon their ſick beds,Together with ptomiks ſomthing muſt be done preſently. will promiſe what they will doe for God, if God reſtore them, but they doe nothing for the preſent, and ſo they are deceived. When you therefore finde your hearts wrought upon, broken, and melting, take heed of this deceit, doe not ſatisfie your ſelves in promiſing what you will doe for God, if you be in ſuch a condition, and ſuch a condition, but doe ſomething preſently, ſet upon the work preſently, and ſo engage your hearts to God; if once you be engaged by doing ſomething, the p. 361worke will goe on:Lect. 13 It is a great matter when we can engage the heart of a man to God in any buſineſſe, ſuppoſe a man promiſe to doe this or that, yet if all this while he have done nothing, he lookes not upon himſelfe ſo really engaged, as when ſomething is done, he therefore ſooner flies off again; but if together with his promiſe he be brought to do, hee will not ſo readily flye off; God doth ſo with you, he together with his promiſe, gives ſome real evidences of his love.

Againe,Obſer. After God ſpeakes to the heart, and then reſtores vineyards, then they are bleſſings, then they are ſweet indeed, for then God reſtores them as fruits of reconciliation with him; Many a poor afflicted ſoul know what belongs to this comfortable note: I thought my ſinfulneſſe forfeited all my comforts, all mercies, and God indeed tooke away this, and the other comfort from me, but it pleaſed God to come in graciouſly upon my heart, and to ſpeake to my heart, and in ſome meaſure to breake it, and to humble it before him, ſo that I hope peace is made up, and notwithſtanding thoſe great offences of mine, he hath now reſtored mercies; he took away a childe, but he hath given another, a be…e…; he hath took away one mercy, & he hath given a better; & this I can (though with holdneſs, yet with humility) ſay it is as a fruit of my reconciliation with my God; O how ſweetly may ſuch a one enjoy that mercy from God! If after the meltings of thy heart after God,Me …cies are ſweet w…en they come as fruits of our peace with G…d. he then comes in with mercies to thee, thou mayeſt take them, as tokens of love to thee; now thy houſe is a comfortable bleſſing to thee, & thy yoake-fellow, & thy children about thee; O how comfortable bleſſings are they! yea, the meat on thy table, is ſweet with a double ſweetneſs, when thou canſt looke upon all, as the fruit of Gods reconciliation with thee; As the Chriſtians Acts 2. 46. 47. when they once believed in Chriſt, they did eate their bread with gladneſſe & ſingleneſſe of heart, praiſing God. We may enjoy all our common mercies in another manner then other men can they will be bleſſings doubled, yea a hundred fold encreaſed; I will ſpeake to her heart, and then, I will give her her vineyards.

Perhaps God hath given thee an eſtate in the world, more then thy neighbors, more then thy brother; But hath God ſpoke to thy heart? Are Gods blesſings upon thee as a fruit of Gods ſpeaking to thy heart, in away of reconciliation with thee? otherwiſe it is but a flat dry comfort, to have an eſtate, and not to feele God ſpeaking to our hearts.

I will reſtore unto you your vineyards from thence: From whence? From the wilderneſſe. There the Note is,

God can bring vineyards out of wilderneſſes.Obſer. Let us not be afraid, onelyonly let us make up our peace with God, and then though we be in a wilderneſs, God can from thence bring us vineyards. Our brethren have found vineyards in the wilderneſs, and many of Gods people in the midſt of their ſtraits have found abundance of mercy.

Further,Obſer. From the wilderneſſe; they ſhall have more love, mercy working more ſtrongly for them now it ſeems, then they had before; They p. 362had vineyards before,Lect. 12 but they had none in the wilderneſſe. Now God will dravv mercies out of thoſe things that were unlikely, he will bring forth good unto them, out of things that ſeemed to goe quite contrary to them: the Lord hath done ſo for us, out of thoſe things that ſeemed to goe quite contrary to us, God hath brought much good to us, as if hee had made vineyards to ſpring out of a wilderneſſe. But the cloſe of all is.

Thoſe mercies that come to us out of great difficulties,Obſer and ſeeme to be raiſed out of contraries, are the ſweet mercies indeed, thoſe we are to rejoyce in; and therefore it followes, and they ſhall ſing. Deut. 32. 13. God made them to ſuck honey out of the rock, and oyle out of the flinty rock; When did God doe ſo? where did you ever reade, that God did cauſe his people to ſuck honey out of the rock, or oyle out of the flinty rock; wee reade indeed, that the rock was ſmote, Mercies comming out of great difficulties are very ſweet.and the water did guſb out of it, but when did we reade that ever oyle or honey came out of the rock? there was never any ſuch thing that we reade of; but the meaning thereof is, becauſe they being in neceſſity, God brought forth water, yet being brought out of the rock by ſuch a mighty hand of God, it was oyle, it was honey to them, it was as good as if God had given them oyle and honey; Why? becauſe it came out of ſo much difficulty: So all the mercies that God gives to his people, when he brings them out of difficulties and ſtraits, they are ſweet and glorious mercies. Let us be patient a while, though we ſeeme to be in the wilderneſs, and we ſee nothing to fetch out water from, but onelyonly rocks, ſtones, and difficulties, yet God at length will bring mercies out of thoſe difficulties, and they will be honey mercies to us, then we ſhall ſing and praiſe the name of our God with joyfull hearts.