An Exposition of Hosea 1-3, Chapter 2 · Lecture 2
The Second Lecture.
HOSEA The latter part of the ſecond verſe and verſe 3.
Let her therefore put away her whoredomes out of her ſight, and her adulteries from between her breaſts.
Leſt I ſtrip her naked, and ſet her as in the day wherein ſhee was borne, and make her as a wilderneſſe, &c.
PLead with your mother, and plead ſo as to tell her plainly that ſhe is no more my wife, ſhe hath her bill of Divorce, ſhee is now none of mine. Well it ſeemeth then there is no hope, no helpe, God hath left us, forſaken us, hee hath ſaid we are no more his wife, wee have our bill of divorce and we muſt be gone. Not ſo neither, but now it followeth, Let her put away from her ſight her whoredomes, and her adulteries from betweeen her hreaſts.
Herby inſinuating at leaſt, that her condition, yet notwithſtanding the greatneſſe of her ſin and the fearfulneſſe of the threat, is not altogether hopeleſſe, but he would have thoſe that plead with her, yet to exhort her and to bid her put away her whoredomes. It is true, when a man puts away his wife for whoredom, and giveth a bill of divorce, he will never take her againe, upon no termes. Jer. 3. 1. Will a man when he putteth away his wife, returne unto her again? As if he ſhould ſay, no certainly, no man will do it; Yet returne unto me ſaith the Lord, and I will receive you againe.
Gods mercies are beyond mans.Obſer. It is a moſt excellent and uſefull obſervation that we have from hence. There is no ſuch dreadfull threatning againſt any in the word of God for any of their ſins (only we except that ſin againſt the holy Ghoſt) but there is a dore of hope left for thoſe ſinners.Lect. 2.
Here ſeemeth to be the greateſt ſin, of Idolatry and forſaking of God as could be, the moſt dreadfull threatning, ſhe is not my wife, ſhee is divorced from mee. Yet here is inſinuated a hope of mercy.
I will give you one Text which is as notable for this as any I know in the booke of God,Hope for mercy even when God ſeems moſt to reject. that is in Judges 10. 13. 14. compared with ver. 16, In the 13. and 14. verſes, ſaith God, You have for ſaken me, & ſerved other gods. What then? I will deliver you no more. I am reſolved againſt you now, I have delivered you often, but now I will deliver you no more; Go your wayes, Cry unto the gods you have choſen, let them deliver you in the time, of your tribulation. One would thinke this people to be in an ill caſe, of whom God ſaith thus much; For obſerve theſe foure things here. Firſt, God chargeth them with the greateſt ſinne that could be, they had forſaken God and turned themſelves idols. Secondly, This great ſin is aggravated with the moſt aggravating circumſtance almoſt that could bee, implyed here, this they had done notwithſtanding God was wonderfull mercifull to them, and had often delivered them, yet they had ſtill forſaken him & ſerved other Gods. Thirdly, Here is one of the moſt peremptory reſolutions againſt ſhewing mercy that we can imagine, ſaith God, I will deliver you no more, now I have delivered you ſo oft. Fourthly, Here is a moſt bitter Sarcaſme, a biting, upbrayding, taunting ſpeech for their ſerving other gods.
As if he ſhould ſay, what doe you come now? Now do you cry & howle to me now you are in trouble, in your proſperity I was no God for you, you le…t me then for other gods, and now I will be no God to you, to other gods I leave you, go now and cry to thoſe other gods, and ſee whether they will help you. Put theſe together and one would thinke this people were in a hopeleſs condition. Is there any help for this people yet? Are they not a loſt people? Is not repentance too late for this people? No, for all this, repentance is not too late for ſuch a people as this, for mark, the Text ſaith in the 15. ver. And the children of Iſrael ſaid unto the Lord, we have ſinned, do thou unto us what ſeemeth good unto thee, and ver. 16. They put away their ſtrange gods from among them, and ſerved the Lord. They do not now lye downe ſullenly in their ſinnes and ſay, there is no help, therefore we were as good go on in our ſinfull wayes, but they venture to put away their ſtrange gods, and crye unto the Lord, and tell him that they had ſinned. What then? the Text ſaith, The ſoul of the Lord was grieved for the miſery of Iſrael. Though he had thus pronounced againſt them, yet his ſoule was grieved for them, they were not the ſame they were before.
It is true, I will deliver you no more, you impenitent ones, I will deliver you no more, but God did not ſay he would not give them repentance; but when they had put away their ſtrange gods, though they had grieved Gods Spirit with their ſinnes, yet God was grieved for their affliction now, and though God had thus threatned them, yet his bowells now do yerne towards them, and hee comes in again with merciemercy; and ſubdues their enemies under them, the children of Ammon were conquered, and God gives them twenty of their Cities, as Chap. 11. 33.
God never threatneth any people, but the condition of merciemercy upon repentance, it is either expreſſed, or implyed. It is therefore the frowardneſs and the fulneſs of the hearts of ſinners, to give over all upon the thought of the greatneſs of their ſins, or the ſeverity of Gods threatning againſt them, O no, you great ſinners, that have beene guilty of many horrible ſins, come in and repent, I may ſay to you as Secaniah did to the people in another caſe, of a grievous ſin, Ezra. 10. 2. There is hope in Iſrael concerning this thing.
It is the cavill of many carnal hearts againſt many faithfull and Zealons Miniſters, that they do nothing but preach judgement, and they threaten damnation, and ſay people ſhall be damned, and go to hell, aud the like.
This they ſpeak againſt them, not mentioning at all the conditions upon which damnation and hell is threatned. Certainly there can ſcarce a Miniſter in the world be found that threatneth damnation or hell abſolutely, but upon thoſe termes of impenitency. I will give you one Scripture to ſhew you the moſt abſurd perverſe ſpirits of men in this kinde, how they will take a piece of the words of the Prophets and ſeparate the threatning from the condition, on purpoſe that they may cavill at the word, it is in Jer. 26. 4. ſaith God to the Prophet there, Thou ſhalt ſay to them, Thus ſaith the Lord, If you will not hearken to me to walke in my Law which I have ſet before you, …o hearken to the words of my ſervants the Prophets whom I ſent unto you; Peoples perverſneſs againſt Miniſters threatning Gods wrath againſt ſinthen will I make this houſe like Shiloh, and will make their Citie a curſe to all the nations of the earth. See how fairely the words of the Prophet go, If you will not hearken to me to walke in my lawes, and the words of my Prophets whom I ſent unto you, then I will do ſo and ſo. The Prophet delivers his meſſage as faire as can be. But ſee now their perverſneſſe in the 8. ver. It came to paſſe that when Jeremiah had made an end of ſpeaking all that the Lord commanded him to ſpeake unto all the people, that the Prieſts and the Prophets and all the people tooke him, ſaying, Thou ſhalt ſurely dye. What is the matter? Why haſt thou Prophecyed in the name of the Lord, ſaying. This houſe ſhall be like Shiloh? They leave out, [if,] whereas he ſaid, If you will not return and heare the words of the Lord, this houſe ſhall be as Shiloh; They come and lay hold upon him with violence, Why haſt thou ſaid this houſe ſhall be like Shiloh? and leave out the other. This is the perverſeneſs of the hearts of men.
Well then, the concluſion of this Obſervation is this, that the worſt pleading againſt any for their ſinnes, it is not to ſinke the hearts in deſpaire, but to turne their hearts towards God that they may receive mercy; Let her put away her whoredomes.
Secondly, Let her put away her whoredomes. After ſuch a kinde of pleading that included a moſt dreadfull threatning in it, She is not my wife, yet God exhorteth. Hence the Obſervation is this.
While God is pleaſed to ſpeak to a people and call upon them, and exhort them to turne unto him,Obſer. the condition of that people is not deſperate. Exhortations from God do argue that the condition of a people may be hopefull.
So long as the King is but ſpeaking to a Traytor, eſpecially giving of him good counſel,While exhortation continues there is hope. there may be hope: If he turne his backe upon him, and will ſpeake no more, then he looks upon himſelf as a gone man. Many people are troubled that God doth ſo continue exhorting by his Miniſters and others, and they cannot be at quiet. If thou haſt ſuch a quiet as God ſhould leave exhorting and drawing thee from thy ſinnes, woe to thee, thou art a loſt creature. Make much of exhortations and threatnings.
Come we now to the Exhortation it ſelfe, Let her put away her whoredomes out of her ſight, and her adulteries from betweene her breaſts. It is in the plurall number, her whoredomes, and her adulteries. They were many, ſhee muſt put them away all. If a wife that hath been naught ſhall be contented to forſake divers of her lovers and retain but one there is no reconciliation, all her adulteries muſt be put away.
But the words are not onelyonly in the plurall number, but thoſe that underſtand the Originall, well know, that there is ſomewhat in the words to extend the ſignification beyond the plurall number, and that is the duplication of the radicall letter, in the firſt word the ſecond radicall letter which is [foreign] is double,Geminatio apud Hebraos auget. & in the ſecond word the third radicall Letter [foreign] that is double.
It is the note of Tarnovius upon the place, ſaith he, the doubling of theſe radicall Letters ſhew the exceeding multitude of thoſe whordomes and adulteries that Iſrael was guilty of at this time. And indeed when once there is giving way to ſuperſtitious vanities there is growing to notorious whordomes and adulteries without meaſure, without number, ubi ſiſtendum. We never know where to ſtop, if once our worſhip be corrupted.
Let her put away out of her ſight.
The eye is the receiver of much uncleanneſs into the heart, and by it the uncleanueſs of the heart is much expreſt. The Scripture ſpeakes of eies full of adulterie, Let her put her adulteries out of her ſight, let them be abominable now in her eies, thoſe things that before were delectable, let them now bee deteſtable. Let them caſt away their Idols as a filthy menſtruous cloath, and with indignation ſay, get yee hence.
Or from before her face, ſo it is in the Hebrew, noting her impudency in her idolatry, that it appeared in her very face. Though men at firſt may be a little wary, yet at length they grow to manifeſt outwardly their Idolatry in their very face. But what we ſhall meet with afterward.
And becauſe Iſrael did not according to the exhortation of thoſe that pleaded with her, put thus her whordomes out of her ſight, God did put Iſrael out of his ſight, for ſo we have it, 2 King. 17. 22. 23. The children of Iſrael walked in all the ſinnes of Jeroboam which he did, they departed not from them. Promiſes could not draw them, threatnings could not derer them. Vntill the Lord removed Iſrael out of his ſight.
They might have prevented this; if they had put their whoredomes out of their ſight, God would never have put them out of his ſight.
And from betweene her breaſts.
Whores uſe to diſcover their filthyneſs much in their breaſts, either in the nakedneſs of their breaſts, or in thoſe ornaments they hung about their breaſts,Ibive…ae & viae quibus ab utero ad mamillas accesſio fit Ille (cultus ſcilicet vtl ornatus) in auro, & argento, & gemmis, & veſtibus deputatur, iſte, in curae eapilli & cutis, & earum par…ium corporis quae oculos trahunt, alteri ambitioni: crimen intendimus, alteri proſtitutionis. Tertul. de hab. mul. c. 4. as they were wont to do in thoſe Countreys, for the int…ſing of their lovers. Her breaſts. Hypocrates ſayes there are veins that goe from the belly to the breaſts, and that is the reaſon he gives of the temptation to luſt that is in the breaſts. The whoredomes of the breaſts in the nakedneſſe of them hath been condemned, not onelyonly in the Churches of God, but amongſt the heathen. Terrulian in his book de habitu muliebri hath this expreſſion:
Women adorne themſelves immoderately with gold, and ſilver, and precious apparell, this is, ſaith hee, crimen ambitionis, the ſin of ambition; but for them to ſeek to adorne themſelves ſolicitouſly carefull about their haire, and their skin, and thoſe parts that draw the eyes, this is crimen proſtitutionis, it is the ſinnne of a proſtituted whore ſo to doe.
Yea beſides, Tertullian in another book of his, De velandis verginibus, brings the Heathen, rebuking Chriſtian women in thoſe times: The very women of Arabia,Iudicabunt vos Arabia ſoeminae Ethnica, qua non caput ſed fac…em quoque ita totam tegunt, ut uno ocu…lo…liberato, contentae ſint luce frui dimidia potius quam totam facien… proſtituer…. Tertul. de. vel. virgin. cap. 17. ſaith he, ſhall judge you, for they do not onelyonly cover their faces, but even their heads, rather then they will have their nakedneſs appeare, they will let the light but into one eye. Now if the Heathen did ſo, if they would not have their nakedneſs in any thing appeare, much more ſhould Chriſtians cover thoſe parts that are incitements to luſts. That which is the Bedlams madneſs, and the Beggars miſery, namely, Nakedneſs, that is the whores pride, and the ſtrumpets glory.
Let her put away her whordoms out of her ſight, and her adulteries from between her breaſts.
That which is intended eſpecially here, is, that they ſhould not be content meerly with change of their hearts, to ſay, Well, we will acknowledge the Lord to be the true God, and our hearts ſhall wholly truſt in him, but for theſe externall things what great matter is there in them? Oh no, they muſt abſtaine from all appearance of evill; from the badges of Idolatry, there muſt not be ſo much as the garbe and dreſſe of a whore upon them, they muſt take away their adulteries from betweene their breaſts.
The breaſts of the Church are the Ordinances that are there, for out of them do the Saints ſuck ſweetneſs and ſpirituall nouriſhment. So they are called in Iſa. 66. 11. That you may ſuck and be ſatisfied with the breaſts of conſolation. Now certainly it is an evill thing for any thing that is whoriſh to be upon the breaſts, to be in the Ordinances of the Church, to thinke to adorne them withall as whores do their breaſts. No, the breaſts are ſo neare the heart that it is pitty any thing ſhould be upon them but Chriſt himſelfe; it is moſt fit that he ſhould lye there. Cant. 1. 13. A bundle of myrrhe is my wel-beloved unto me, he ſhall lye all night between my breaſts, Myrrhe we know is a bitter thing, but though Chriſt were as a bundle of myrrhe, and brought many afflictions that adde bitterneſſe to the fleſh, yet the Church would have Chriſt to lye between her breaſts and ſhe would rejoyce in Chriſt, Chriſt was ſweet to the Church though with afflictions, As a bundle of myrrhe is my wel-beloved. So many faithfull Miniſters of God have been contented, yea joyfull to keep Chriſt between their breaſts, and in the Ordinances, though as a bundle of myrrhe, though hee hath brought ſome afflictions to them, yet rather then they would endure any expreſſion of that which is whoriſh upon the breaſts of the Church,foreign. upon the Ordinances, the Word and Sacraments, Chriſt Jeſus a bundle of myrrhe between their breaſts hath been delightfull to them.
I finde another reading of the words in the Septuagint Tranſlation.
Whereas we reade it, Let her take away her whoredoms from her ſight, I finde that they reade it as a ſpeech of God,foreign, &c. Cyril in Hol. c. 2. I will take away her whoredoms from my face. And Ciryl reading the words according to the 70. hee hath an excellent note from thence. God (ſaith he) threatneth that he will take away her whoredomes from his face; as when a member of a body is ſo putrified that it cannot be cured by ſalves and medicynes, it is cut off, and ſo the diſeaſe commeth to be cured: ſo God laboureth to cure the people of Iſrael by admonitions, by exhortations, by threatnings, by promiſes of mercy, and when all would not do, then he threatneth to cure them by another way, that is, by cutting them off by the Aſſyrians; I will ſend an enemy againſt them and he ſhall take them out of their owne land, and carry them into a ſtrange land, & then they ſhal be farre enough from their calves, far enough from Dan and Bethel, ſo I will take their whoredomes from before my face. Thus many times doth God take away the ſinnes of a people or of a particular perſon from before his face.
As for inſtance, Thou drunkard, thou unclean perſon, thou haſt had exhortations, threatnings, many mercifull expreſſions from God toward thee from thy ſinnes, to take away thy ſinnes from thee; that will not do; God commeth with ſome noyſome vile diſeaſe upon thy body that thou ſhalt not be able to act thy ſinne any more, and God takes away the act of thy ſinne at leaſt that way in ſuch a violent manner by his judgements: and ſo ſometimes men and women that have eſtates, and will be proud, and vaine, and make their eſtates the fuel of their luſts, when the Word cannot take away their ſinnes and the expreſſion of their wickedneſſe, God by ſome violent judgement takes away their eſtates, that they ſhall not be able to commit thoſe ſinnes that they did before though they would never ſo faine.
This is a dreadfull taking away of ſin. Yea when God ſhall come ſo to take away the ſinne of men and women as to take away their ſouls together with taking away their ſinne: for ſo it is threatned, Job. 27. 8. What is the hope of the hypocrite when God taketh away his ſoul? Thou that wouldeſt not ſuffer the word to take away thy ſin, thou muſt expect that God wil take it away another way, even by taking away thy ſoule. Ezek. 21. 29. It may be ſaid of ſome ſinners as there God threatneth, The time is come (ſaith the Text) when their iniquity ſhal have an end. God will ſuffer them to live no longer to ſin againſt him: he will take away their ſinnes, but ſo as to take away their ſoules, they ſhall not ſinne any more againſt God in this world.
Leſt I ſtrip her naked, and ſet her as in the day wherein ſhe was borne.
There is much in theſe words, and becauſe they are ſo exceeding ſutable unto us (God ſtill bringing points to hand ſutable to our times) ſo long as this is, you muſt give me liberty to inſiſt a while upon them, and not runne over them ſo faſt as otherwiſe I would doe. I muſt not ſlightly paſſe over thoſe truths that are ſo cleerly preſented, and ſo neerly concerning us.
Leſt I ſtrip her naked, &c,
It ſeems by this that Iſrael had once been in a very low condition when ſhe was borne, a very pittifull eſtate. But God had put many ornaments upon her, and now he threatneth to bring her again into the ſame condition, and to ſtrip her naked.
In the day wherein ſhe was borne. This I finde Interpreters to referre to divers conditions of Iſrael, but moſt refer it to the time of their deliverance out of Egypt: that is called here by God, the day wherein ſhe was borne.
We muſt inquire firſt what was the condition of Iſrael in the day wherein ſhe was borne. Secondly, what ornaments God had put upon her afterwards; and then we ſhall come to ſee the ſtrength of the threat, that God would ſtrip her naked, and ſet her as in the day wherein ſhe was borne.
For the firſt two we ſhall not need to goe farre, we have them fully and moſt elegantly ſet out unto us in Ezek. 16. That Chapter may be a Comment upon this, what Iſrael was in the day wherein ſhe was borne, and what ornaments God had put upon her.
In the third verſe, Thus ſaith the Lord God unto Jeruſalem, Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan, thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite, ver. 4. And as for thy nativity in the day thou waſt borne, thy …avill was not cut, &c,
We muſt a little open the expreſſion there, or elſe wee cannot open this Text in Hoſea. Thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite,
When thou wert borne thou wert in this condition. What, their father an Amorite, and their mother an Hittite, Abraham was their father, and Sarah their mother; why here an Amorite, and an Hittite?
Secondly, Becauſe there were other nations beſides Amorites & Hittites, the… were the Jebuſites & the Perizites; why rather an Amorite & Hittite then a Jebuſite and Perizite? Theſe two queſtions muſt be anſwered. Firſt, Abraham was their father, yet becauſe they were in ſuch a diſpoſition, ſo like to the Amorites and Hittites, In what ſenſe Iſraels father is an Amirite and mother an Hittite.ſo vile and ſo wicked, now they deſerve not to have the honour of Abrahams being their father, but to be called the children of the Amorite and the Hittite. As John Baptiſt calleth the Phariſees the viperous, the ſerpentine brood, ſo thoſe that are like the devil are called the Children of the Devil.
Secondly, Why the Amorite and Hittite rather then others?
For the firſt, the Amorite; becauſe the Amorite was the chiefeſt of thoſe nations in Canaan that were driven out. All the five were called by the name of Amorite: The ſinnes of the Amorites are not yet full.
Secondly the Hittite, becauſe they ſeemed to be the vileſt of the five, and for that, there is a Text of Scripture that ſeemeth to infer ſo much. Gen. 27. 46. I am weary of my life (ſaith Rebekah) becauſe of the daughters of Heth. She onelyonly mentioneth the daughters of Heth, and thoſe that were now called Hittites were of the daughters of Heth: And ſaith ſhe, What good will my life doe, if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth? Why, there were other daughters beſides them, but thoſe were the vileſt, therefore ſhe onelyonly mentioneth them.
Yea, but what was Iſrael at this time when they were delivered out of Egypt (for that is the time wherein ſhee was borne that is ſpoken of here) were they in ſo ill a condition, as that their father was an Amorite and their mother an Hittite at that time?
There are two moſt uſefull Obſervations that flow from hence, before we proceed any further in the explication of the words.
Iſrael though they had been 400. years in Egypt under grievous afflictions, yet they continued exceeding abominable and wicked. The fire of their affliction did ſeeme to harden their hearts, as much as the fire of the furnace did harden the bricks: Their hearts were clay, foule, dirty hearts, and were hardned by their afflictions.
And ſecondly,Obſer. when God came to deliver Iſrael out of Egypt, God found them to be in a very wicked condition then; then their Father was an Amorite, and their mother an Hittite, then they were thus vile when God came to deliver them, in the day wherein they were borne, (for their deliverance is their birth.)
Oh the freeneſſe of Gods grace! God often told them that his grace was free,Obſer. and ſo indeed it was if hee found them thus as he did, for ſo you ſhall finde if you read the ſtory of the people of Iſrael, that when God ſent Moſes unto them, they were a very wicked and ſtubborn people, even at that very time when God came with his deliverance.
Let us then raiſe up our hearts and looke up to the free grace of God even toward us. We are vile, we are wicked, mercies, chriſtiſements have hardned us; and yet all this hindreth not the free grace of God for the deliverance of a people. God hath begun in a way of deliverance to us; and when did he begin it?Lect. 1. Certainly England was never ſince it was borne, ſince it was delivered out of ſpiritual Egypt, out of the bondage of Popery, it was never in a worſe condition then when God came in with his mercies of late to us: Then if ever it might be ſaid of us that our father was an Amorite, and our mother an Hittite, we were then in the very high way towards Egypt again when God came with his free grace to deliver us. As hee dealt with his own people, ſo he hath dealt with us, magnified be the free grace of God towards us an unworthy people.
Further, Thy Navill was not cut. That is the expreſſion how he was in the day wherein he was borne.
Firſt,Thy navil was not cut, what is the meaning of that. Thy Navill was not cut, The loathſomeneſſe of their condition is ſet out by that. Naturalliſts obſerve that the nouriſhment that the childe hath from the mother, it is by the navill: as afterward the childe ſucks of the breaſts and ſo is battned, but all the while it is in the wombe, it is nouriſhed by a ſtring, in the navill that draws nouriſhment from the mother.
Now Iſrael even when God did deliver them from Egypt, had not their navill cut, that is, they did even ſtill ſeeme, nay, not only ſeeme but ſtill they did draw their nouriſhment from Egypt; they did batten themſelves & ſuck out the Egyptian manners, and cuſtomes, and ſuperſtitions; and in their growth up they did ſeeme rather to have their nouriſhment from Egypt then from God, ſo God himſelfe chargeth them, Ezek. 23. 8. Neither left ſhe her whoredomes brought from Egypt, ſaith the Text, her navill was not cut, ſhee drew, ſhe ſucked ſtill the Egyptian manners, cuſtomes, and ſuperſtitions.
It is not thus in part with us? Let me a little ſpeake of this by way of alluſion at leaſt. Is our navill cut to this very day? It is true, God hath delivered us from Popery, from Egypt, as he did Iſrael, but ſtill do not we continue ſucking, drawing nouriſhment from our old ſuperſtitious wayes of Popery? we ſeeme to live ſtill upon them, and to have our hearts delighting in them. Oh how juſt were it with God to come in a violent way and cut our navill, even by the ſword! it is mercy he commeth not thus to cut it, and ſo to take from us all thoſe ſecret hankerings that wee have after the old Egyptian cuſtomes.
Yet again, ſeeing it is ſuch a full alluſion, wee may apply it to thoſe that ſeeme to have a new birth to be borne again, thoſe that ſeeme now to make very faire profeſſion of Religion, and to forſake many evill wayes that formerly they have delighted in: but yet their navill is not cut neither; they do ſecretly ſuck ſweetneſſe and battning from their former luſts; the curſe of the ſerpent is upon them, upon their bellies they doe goe and duſt they do eate, their bellies do even cleave to the duſt. Neither waſt thou waſhed in water.
This alſo ſets forth the wofull condition of Iſrael when he was borne, he was not waſhed. The infant when it commeth firſt into the world, cometh from blood and filth in which it was wrapped, that (as Plutarch ſaith) it is rath…r … a childe killed, then a child born: ſo bloody and polluted it is, that were it not that there were a natural affection ſtirring in parents, they would even loath the fruit of their wombes. It is true, parents may ſee that with their bodily eyes, but there is more polution in their ſoules; they are wrapped up in original ſin and filth, more then their bodyes are wrapped up in blood and filth in the wombe.
Therefore infants are waſhed, but thou waſt not waſhed, thou waſt let goe in thy filth. I have read of the Lacedemonians, that when their children were borne, they uſed to throw them into the river, to conſolidate their members and parts of their bodies, as they ſay, to make them ſtrong, that was the cuſtome of that barbarous people.
Thou waſt caſt out in the open field. What is the meaning of this? We cannot underſtand it fully without examining what the cuſtome of the people was in thoſe times. We finde in Hiſtories that the cuſtome of divers of the Heathen was, when their children were borne, to obſerve by their countenance, by the making of their members, whether they were like to be uſefull to the Commouwealth or not; and if not like they threw them away, and if they were like to be uſefull they nouriſhed them up. They nouriſhed up no other children but thoſe that they judged by their countenance or making, would do good to the Common-wealth: We finde it in divers Histories. Strabo tells us that the Indians and Brachmanes had certaine Judges appointed for that very end;Strabo, l. 15. their Office was, that when any childe was borne, to judge by the countenance and parts of the body of the childe, whether it were like to do any good in the Common-wealth,AElian variar. Hiſt. li. 11. & ſo either to ſave it or caſt it out. So likewiſe AElian in his Various Hiſtories telleth us of the Thebanes, that there was an expreſs Law made among them in theſe words, That none of them ſhould caſt out their children, noting thereby that it was wont to be the cuſtome a…ngſt them.Ne cui Thebano lic…at infontem expouere. Nunquam apud eos infans natus exponitur. So Clemens Romanus telleth us that indeed the Jews, as a thing peculiar to them, amongſt them the children are not caſt out.
So that the holy Ghoſt alludeth to the way of the Gentiles and barbarous people, and telleth Iſrael that they were as a childe caſt out, ſuch a one as the countenance and feature promiſed no good, Thou wert caſt out in the open field, becauſe they never hoped to have any good of thee, and indeed (as if God ſhould ſay) if I had regarded what I ſaw in you, I might have paſt this judgement upon you too, there was little hope of good from you. But what though the child be caſt out in the field, yet there may come ſome by, accidentally (as Pharaohs daughter did) that may pitty the child, and have compaſſion on it. No (ſaith God) thou waſt not onelyonly caſt out, but worſe then ſo, thou waſt caſt out, and ſo caſt out as no eye pityed thee. You have ſometimes baſtards & poor childred laid at your doors, and left there, ſome in baskets & otherways, yet when you open them & ſee a child, and a childe weeping, there is ſome pity in you, and you will take care ſome way or other that it may be fed & brought up. But ſaith God to Iſrael, You were caſt out in the open field, & no eye pityed you, that is, all the heathen were againſt you, and others in the land roſe up againſt you,Lect. 2. the Egyptians they came out to deſtroy you, you had the ſea before you, and them behind you, none had pitty upon you. This was the condition wherein you were borne.
Now ſee what ornaments God had put upon them. They were in a ſorry condition you ſee when they were borne. But marke, that fore-named place of Ezek. ver. 8. I took the (ſaith God) and entred into covenant with thee, and then becameſt mine. That is the way of a peoples becomming Gods, his entring into covenant with them. The Lord hath begun to enter into Covenant with us, and we with him in former Proteſtations, and if any farther Covenant binding us more ſtrictly to God be tendred to us, know that God in this deals with us as he did with his own people. We are as children caſt out in the open field, and no eye pityeth us; but many plot againſt us, and ſeeke our ruine. If God will be pleaſed now to enter into Covenant with us, and give all the people of the Land hearts to come cloſe to the Covenant, to renew their Covenant with him, and that to more purpoſe then in former Covenants, the Lord yet will own us. The Covenant of God was the foundation of all the mercy the people of Iſrael had from God, and we are to look upon it as the foundation of our mercy; and therefore as in the preſence of God willingly and cheerfully to renew it with him.
After Gods taking this people to himſelfe as his own, it followes. ver. 11, 12. I decked thee alſo with ornaments, & I put bracelets upon thine hands, and a chaine on thy necke; And I put a jewell on thy fore-head, and earrings in thine ears, & a beautiful crown upon thine head. Thus waſt thou decked with gold and ſilver, and thy rayment of fine linnen, and ſilk & broidred worke, and thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty. Thus God did with the people of Iſrael, he had added to what they had when they were born. Miſerable they were when they were borne; but the mercies of God toward them are thus ſet out, And nowhee cometh to threaten that he will ſtrip them naked and ſet them as in the day wherein they were born.
Yet further for the opening of this, we muſt know that it was the cuſtome among the Jews, when any married, what they brought to their husbands, and their dowry was written down in a table: and if afterward he ſhould divorce his wife, except there could be proved ſome groſſe and vile thing againſt the woman, though ſhe ſhould go away, yet ſhe was to go away with her Table, with her dowry and what ſhe brought, ſhe muſt not goe away naked. But if there could be proved ſome notorious villany that ſhee had committed, then ſhe was ſent away Sine Tabulis, naked without thoſe tables wherein her dowry and other things were written, and deſtitute of all things, as being unworthy of them, becauſe ſhe had played the harlot.
Thus God threatneth this people. She is not my wife, but unleſſe ſhe put away her whore doms from before her face, and her adultery from between her breaſts, I will ſtrip her naked as in the day wherein ſhe was borne. She ſhal be ſe… …ay without any tables, naked and wholly deſtitute. And thus you have th… …pening of the words. The Obſervations follow.
The firſt is, The beginnings of great excellencies are ſometimes very low and meane. This plainly riſeth up from the oppoſition of her condition when ſhe was borne, and what ſhe had gotten from God afterward, I will ſtrip thee naked and ſet thee as in the day wherein thou wert borne. Therefore it is cleare ſhe was born in a very mean condition, & gotten up to a very excel lent condition, though now they be high & glorious, yet once they were very low & mean. God many times raiſes up golden pillars upon leaden Baſes, & the moſt glorious works of God have had the loweſt beginnings. This beautifull frame of heaven & earth was raiſed out of a Chaos of confuſion & darkneſs. This is true, perſonally, or nationally, and that in regard of outward conditions or ſpirituall. How poor, and low, and meane, have many of your beginnings beene even in the world? who could ever have thought that ſuch low beginnings could have beene raiſed unto ſuch high things as ſome of you have beene raiſed unto in the world? It was not long ſince when you came hither to this City (which may be ſaid to be the day wherein you were borne for your civill eſtate, though not your naturall) you were low enough, meane enough, you had but little to begin withall; you came hither with your ſtaffe, and now behold two bands.
It is ſometimes ſo likewiſe in regard of the ſpirituall eſtate. You may remember not long ſince, Oh what darkneſs and confuſion was there in your mindes and hearts; what poore, low, meane thoughts had you of God and the things of his Kingdome, what unſavory ſpirits, when at firſt God was pleaſed to worke upon you? Oh what a poor condition were you in then? though you had ſome light put into you, yet you were as a childe new borne wrapped up in filth and blood, many noyſome diſtempers and boiſterous luſts there were in your hearts, as it is uſuall with new converts, like a fire newly kindled where there is a great deale of ſmother and ſmoke that afterwards weareth away. But now behold the ſhining of Gods face upon your ſoules, Oh the abilities that God hath given you to know his minde and doe his will! Oh the bleſſed communion that you have with God, & the ſparkling of that divine nature! the glory and beauty of the divine nature is put upon you. So for Nations, we will not goe further then our owne.
How low and meane were we at firſt? we were a moſt rude, barbarous, and ſavage people, almoſt as lived upon the earth. Brittons had their name frome hence, in the old Brittaine language, Birth ſignifies blew coloured, becauſe thoſe that lived here, inſtead of brave cloathes, as you have, they with woade beſmeared their bodies with blew, they were from thence called Brittains; for [tania] was added as it is uſuall in other Languages for the ſignification of ſuch a Region or Countrey, as Mauritania, Luſitania, Aquitania, &c. ſo that Brittania is as much as to ſay, The Region of the blew coloured people, ſo called becauſe they were thus painted: The beſt food that they were w…nt to eate (Hiſtorians tell us) was barkes of trees and rootes. Hollinſhed in his Chronickle ſayes there were old men that he knew who told of times in England, that if the good man in the houſe had a matterres or flock-bed, or a ſack of chaffe to reſt his head on, he thought himſelfe as well lodged as the Lord of the Towne, for ordinarily they lay upon ſtraw pellets covered with canvace, and a round log under their heads inſtead of a bolſter, they ſaid pillows were fit onelyonly for women in child-bed, and in a good Farmers houſe it was rare to finde foure pieces of pewter, and it was accounted a great matter that a Farmer could ſhew five ſhillings or a noble in ſilver together. And Camden in his Britania tells of Ailesbury a Towne in Buckinghamſhire, that there was in it a Mannour of the Kings, and the condition of holding certain lands there, was, that the poſſeſſor or holder of them ſhould find ſtraw for litter of the Kings bed when he came there, And Latimer in a Sermon before King Edward tells of his father whom he ſayes kept good hoſpitality for his poor neighbours, and found a horſe for the Kings ſervice, brought him up at learning, and married his ſiſters with five pound or twenty nobles a piece for their portions. This was the poore and meane condition of theſe times. And Jerome contra Iovinianum, and Diodorus Siculus tells us concerning the people in Ireland, our neighbours, that the beſt delicates they uſed to eate in former times, were the fleſh of young children, and paps of women; and the ſhips they uſed to have were ſallowes wreathed together, and bowes twiſted, and covered with the hides of beaſts,Portenta diabolica p…nenumero. Egyptia… vinc…ntia and the wives they had were common to all their brethren and parents. As for their Religion, they offered to the dev…ll mans fleſh, they worſhipped Apollo, and Jupiter, and Diana. And Gildas one of the ancienteſt Hiſtorians that relates the conditions of theſe Brittiſh people, hee ſayes the Idols they had were ſuch horrible, devilliſh, monſtrous things, that they did even overcome the Egyptian Idols in number; and no people had ſo many Idol-gods, and ſo monſtrous as the Egyptians, and yet theſe went beyond them. So ſaith he. Afterward, no people in the world more rent & torn with Civill wars then England hath been. And in the times when Popery was here profeit and eſtabliſht, Oh the bondage we were under then! outward and ſpiritual bondage. Our bodyes, our ſoules, our eſtates, our conſciences were in miſerable thraldome.
It is the moſt ſordid, miſerable ſlavery that it is poſſible for a rationall creature to be under, not onelyonly to be bound to practice, but to be bound to beleeve for truth the dictates and determinations of men, yea and that upon paine of eternall damnation, to beleeve what they ſay, as the Articles of Faith upon which Salvation or Damnation depends, for Conſcience to be under them, ſo as I muſt not queſtion or ſcruple any thing; if any man that is a rationall creature ſhould think there is any ſuch diſtance between man and man, he debaſeth himſelf beneath a man, and advanceth the other above a man. Better it is to be in ſlavery to another to ſcrape kennels, then to be in this ſlavery. And to have the Scriptures kept from us, the Epiſtle that God hath ſent from heaven to us, that which enlightens the world, revealing the great counſels of God concerning eternal life; this is worſe bond… then to be ch…ed up in dark holes all the dayes of our lives, to have no Ordinances but according to the luſts and humours of vile men,Lect. 1. how great a ſlavery is this? The manifeſtation of the leaſt ſuſpition of the falſnes of the vileſt errors, diſlike of the baſeſt practices, was enough to confiſcate eſtate, to impriſon, yea to take away life. Was not this a low condition, a baſe ſlavery that England was in? could any beare it but ſuch as were ſlaves to their own luſts? But now what ornaments hath God put upon us!
No Nation under heaven more renowned then wee have beene, our renown hath gone thorough the earth, England, O Angliquaſi Angeli, and Albion, from our happineſſe, we ſee now (by our ſelves) that glorious excellencies have many times low beginnings.
A ſecond obſervation hence is,Obſ. 2. when we have any excellency, and beauty upon us, it is Gods mercy that is all our beauty. I will ſtrip you naked and ſet you as in the day wherein you were born. If you have any excellency it is my mercy. Gods merciemercy is a peoples beauty and glory, We have nothing belonging to us but ſhame and confuſion, but miſery, if we have any ornaments, it is mercy, free mercy: therefore in the 14. ver. of that 16. Ezek. Thou wert perfect in beauty, How? through my comlineſſe which I had put upon thee, ſaith the Lord. Let God take away but his mercy, we are quickly left naked, and poor, and miſerable; like the ragged walls in the Court when the King goeth away, and all the rich hangings are taken down, what a difference is there in their look from what was formerly? the beauty of the walls were the hangings when the King was there. So if wee have any thing that makes us beautifull, they are the hangings that God hath put upon us; his mercies are thoſe hangings of gold, and ſilver, and needle-work, and when they are gone, we are poor, and ragged, and miſerable.
Thirdly,Obſ. 3. Leſt I ſtrip her naked, &c. God had ſaid before that ſhe was not his wife, ſhe was guilty of whoredoms, yet it ſeemes ſhee was not yet ſtripped naked; ſhe was left with Gods ornaments upon her, notwithſtanding her whoredoms. Hence the third Obſervation is,
Though ſinners deſerve great evils, to be ſtripped of all comforts, yet God in patience and clemencie continueth them a long time. They may be under fearfull threatnings, and yet retaine many comforts; yea the truth is, it is poſſible for a people to be caſt off from God, & yet to continue for a while in outward proſperity. The tree that is cut up by the roots, yet may have the leaves green for a while. Saul who was rejected of God, 1 Sam, 13. 14, yet after that (if you reade the Story you ſhall finde it) that God ſuffered Saul to proſper exceedingly in overcomming the Phyliſtims & the Amalekites
Fourthly,Obſ. 4. The mercies that God beſtoweth upon a Nation, the ornaments that God putteth upon a people that are but common favours, not ſpirituall graces, they are ſuch as a people may be ſtripped of. Great mercies that a people have, they may wholly looſe. Here is the difference between true ſpirituall graces, whereby JESUS CHRIST doth adorne his ſpouſe, when Chriſt, not onelyonly takes in an outward way a people to himſelfe, but marries them to himſelf in a ſpirituall way, he decketh the ſoule with ſuch ornaments,Lect. 2. beſtoweth ſuchmercies upon them, as ſhall never be taken away. Such a ſoul hath no cauſe to feare that ever it can be ſtripped as in the day wherein it was born, you need not feare that you ſhall ever loſe the jewels given you at that marriage day. It is true, common graces and gifts you may be ſtript of and made naked; as it is uſuall in many profeſſors that have not truth at heart, yet have excellent gifts, as of prayer and the like, but afterward they prove naught, God takes away their gifts from them, they have not that gift of prayer they were wont to have, though they have excellent words, yet a man may perceive a ſhuffling in them, and ſuch an unſavorineſs mixed with their gifts, that it breeds loathing in others to joyne with them. As when the King goeth away from his Pallace, the hangings are taken down; ſo when God departeth from a ſoul (as from ſuch he may) then their hangings, thoſe excellent gifts are taken from them. But thoſe gifts that are ſpirituall they are never ſtripped of them. We read in Ezek. 46. 17. when a King gave gifts to his ſervants, Gifts of hypocrites will vanishthey were to returne to him againe at the yeere of Jubilee, but when he gave them to his ſonnes, they were to be their inheritance. There are many that are outwardly in the Church Gods ſervants, they have many gifts, but God will take them away and ſtrip them naked of thoſe gifts: but then there are his children, they ſhall have their gifts as an inheritance for ever. It is true, God may ſtay a while, as when the King is gone from Court, if there be any thought of his returne again the hangings do continue, but if the meſſage come, the King will not be here this twelve moneths, or a long time, or it may be never any more, then the hangings are taken down; ſo though theſe gifts of the Hypocrite may ſtay a while,Obſ. 5. yet they will vaniſh at laſt. The fifth Obſervation.—
Continuance in ſinne, and eſpecially the ſin of ſpirituall whoredome, is that which will ſtrip a Nation from all their excellencies, from all their orments and beauty; the continuance in that ſin eſpecially; for ſo the words imply, Let her pnt away her adulteries from between her breaſts, leſt I ſtrip her naked. &c. If ſhe continue thus, certainly naked ſhe ſhall be.
This alwayes brings nakedneſſe meritoriouſly, but if continued in, effectually, it makes them naked. Exod. 32. 25. You may ſee there what made the people naked at that time, the Text ſaith, that Aaron had made the people naked, that is, Aaron by conſenting to the people to make the Calfe had made the people naked: naked, that is deſtitute now of Gods gracious protection, deprived of thoſe favours from God that formerly they had. And as the Prieſt had made them naked, ſo you may finde it in 2 Chron. 28. 19. that the King made them naked too. The Lord brought Judah lowe, becauſe of Ahaz King of Iſrael, for he made Judah naked and tranſgreſſed ſore againſt the Lord. He made Judah naked, that is by countenancing Idolatry, by ſyding with thoſe that were Idolaters, even he made Judah naked at that time.
Here we may ſee who they are that are like to ſtrip us, if ever God ſhould come to ſtrip us. We have many amongſt us that ſee falſe burthens of all the miſeries and troubles that come upon the nation; they cry out preſently of the Puritans, and of others that they ſay are factious and ſeditious ſpirits, and turbulent,Who they are that bring evill upon the nation. and all muſt be laid upon them. Certainly whoſoever hath eyes in his head may eaſily ſee who makes us thus naked as we are, and if we be made more naked, who will be the cauſe of all? Thoſe that ſtand againſt the way of Reformation, thoſe that will keep their whoredoms in their ſight, and their adulteries between their breaſts, thoſe that will not be willing that the Church ſhall be purged from that filth and whoriſh attire that it hath; theſe are they that make us naked. We read in Lamen. 2. 14. Thy Prophets have ſeene vaine and fooliſh things for thee, and they have not diſcovered thine iniquity to turne away thy captivity; but have ſeen for thee the falſe burthens, and cauſes of baniſhment. Mark it, the Prophets have ſeene vaine a…d fooliſh things, they have not diſcovered thine iniquity, they have not dealt … inly with thy people, neither have they told them the reaſon of their captivity, but they have ſeene for them falſe burthens and cauſes of baniſhment, The Prophets ſay it is a company of theſe preciſe and ſtrict ones, that will not be obedient to authority, and will not doe what is commanded in ſuch and ſuch things, and (when there were wayes of corruption in Gods worſhip) they would not ſubmit to ſuch and ſuch orders. The Prophets lay the blame upon them, but they ſee falſe burthens, ſaith the Text, and falſe canſes of baniſhment. We have many ſuch Prophets amongſt us who ſee falſe burthens and cauſes of baniſhment, and they cry out of thoſe that certainly are the cauſes of our peace and of the good of the kingdom. Tertullian tells us that in the Primitive times, if they had but any ill weather, or any trouble at all, they would cry out of the Chriſtians as the cauſe of it, and preſently the voice was, Adleons, let the Chriſtians be dragged to the Lyons, and devoured by the Lyons; it hath beene ſo amongſt us. But may we not anſwer as Elijah anſwered Ahab, when Ahah told him that he was the man that troubled Iſrael, I have not troubled Iſrael, but it is thou and thy fathers houſe. May we not well ſay to them as Jehu to Iehoram when hee asked him whether there was peace, What peace ſo long as the whoredomes of thy mother Iezebel and her witchcrafts are ſo many? Thoſe have been popiſh, certainly they have endangered us of being ſtripped of all. Who were the cauſers of the firſt diſturbances amongſt us, even of all the perſecution here of Gods Saints, and of all the diſcontent among the people? Who were they that perſwaded the bringing in of an Arbitrary vvay of government? Who were the cauſe of laying ſuch things upon the people that they could not beare? Who were the cauſers of the troubles in Scotland, & ſending of bookes thither full of ſuperſtitious vanities? was it not the Prelaticall faction? Who are thoſe that hinderthe Reformation at this day? Certainly, if it were as apparent that they that are called Puritans had been the cauſe of ſuch charge to the Kingdom & diſturbances to the State as the Prelatical faction hath been; it had been impoſſible for them to go in the ſtreets but they would have been ſtoned to death.
I ſpeake not this as though we ſhould do the like,Lect. 1. but I ſpeake it to ſhew what the virulencie of their ſpirits would have beene to them if it had beene apparent that they had beene ſuch charge to the Kingdome, and ſuch diſturbers of the State. The truth is, vve may charge our Papiſts, and charge others that are of that way) and we know who are next to them) we may well charge them as the cauſe of ſtripping of us naked as we have been.
It is cleere enough, thoſe that put not away their whoredoms from them, but continue ſtill ſuperſtitious and Idolaters, they are they that endauger a people to be ſtripped naked.
A ſixth Obſervation that preſents it ſelfe fully and cleerely without any the leaſt ſtraining,Obſer. 6. is, That it is time for people then to pleade, when there is danger of deſolation. Plead with your mother, plead, why ſo? why ſhould we not be quiet? Leſt I ſtrip her naked and ſet her as in the day wherein ſhe was borne. What, you are in ſuch a condition as you are in danger to be ſtripped naked and to be left deſolate as a wilderneſſe (as it followeth in the Text) Is it not time then to plead? Oh pleade with God, and pleade with thoſe that are in authority, and plead one with another, and pleade with all, ſtirre up your ſelves and do what you can;It is time for every one to appeare in times of danger. let there be no ſluggiſh ſpirit, no neutralizing ſpirit. It is not time for any to be newters now. It is time now for all to come and plead, not ſo much time now to diſpute of things, but now time for every one to ſtand, and appear, & plead, not only verbally, but otherwiſe as God calls them to it. Luke 3. 9. When John ſaith, The axe is laid to the roote of the tree, what then? then every one commeth and ſaith what ſhall we doe? you (ſaith he to ſome) that have two coates impart to him that hath none: and to the ſouldiers when they ſay what ſhall we doe? doe you no violence to any man, and be content with your wages. Mark, when the Axe is laid to the roote of the tree, every one comes in then and ſaith what ſhall we doe? You that are women and inferiour, doe you pray, and cry, and further your husbands in all good, be not you backward, do not you dravv them away when they would be liberall and forward, and adventure themſelves, thorough your niceneſſe and daintineſs. And you that are men of eſtates, if you aske what you ſhould doe? It is apparent, He that hath two coates let him impart to him that hath none, bee willing to part with much of your eſtates in ſuch a cauſe as this. And ſo ſouldiers, if you aske vvhat you ſhould doe, behave your ſelves ſo as you may convince others, offer no violence, but according to an orderly way, and be content with your wages, perhaps it may not come in ſo fully afterwards, yet let it appear that it is the cauſe that ſtrengtheneth you rather then your wages.
Thus every one ſhould be of an inquiring ſpirit when the Axe is laid to the roote of the tree. When we are in danger to be ſtripped of all, it is not time then to ſtand about curioſities and niceties.
Seventhly,Obſ. 7. Leſt I ſtrip her naked, &c. I have ſent my Prophets already before, and they have offered merciemercy and denounced threatnings: Well, I will now come another way, I will ſtrip her naked, &c. The obſervation is,
That thoſe that will not be convinced by the word,Lect. 2 God hath other means to convince them, he hath other wayes then the word; if the word will not convince them, pleading will not doe it it ſeems, and convincing arguments will not do it, well then, ſtripping naked ſhall doe it: As the expreſſion is uſuall in Scripture, Then you ſhall know that I am the Lord, when I do thus and thus. GODS works will convince when his word will not.As you uſe to doe with thoſe that are of a ſleepy diſpoſition, if you call up a ſervant that is ſluggiſh & ſleepy, he anſwereth Anon, and then falls down and ſleeps again, you call him again, and he anſwers & then ſleeps again, at length you come up and pull the cloaths of him & leave him naked, and that will awake him. So God, he calls upon them to leave their whoredoms and Idolatries, and to repent, he threatneth, and he offers merciemercy, and they ſeeme a little to awake, but to it again. Well, ſaith God, I will come another way, and ſtrip you naked, and that will doe i….
Eighthly.Obſ, 8. Leſt I ſtrip her naked, and ſet her as in the day wherein ſhee was borne. Leſt I doe it. Whatſoever the means be of ſtripping a Nation naked, it is God that doth it. It is God that gives, and it is God that takes away. But let that paſſe.
9. It is a grievous Judgement for one that is advanced from a low degree to an high to be brought thither again.Obſ. 9. Leſt I ſtrip her naked and ſet her as in the day wherein ſhe was borne. Thus Job aggravateth his miſery.
You have it in the 29. and 30. Chapters of Job, The candle of God ſhineth upon my head, I waſhed my ſteps in butter, and the rock powred me out Rivers of oyle, my glory was fre…h in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand, &c. But now (ſaith he) they that are younger then I have me in deriſion, whoſe fathers I would have diſdained to have ſet with the dogs of my flocke. &c. Thus he aggravateth his judgement becauſe he was brought into a low condition having once beene in a high one. The like aggravation of miſery have we Lameat. 4. 2. The precious ſonnes of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they eſteemed as earthen pitchers? and verſ. 5. They that did feede delic ately are deſolate in the ſtreetes, they that were brought up in ſcarlet embrace dunghils,
Thus the Scripture is cleare in it, and your experience is enough to confirme it. For a man that hath beene a bondſlave in the Gallies, and after he ſhould be ranſomed by the liberality of his friends here in England, if hee ſhould be taken and brought back again to the gallies, oh how tedious and grievous would it be! but if he had lived long here, and flouriſhed and gotten preferment and lived bravely, and had grown a great Merchant, & then after this to be brought againe to the gallies, how ſad a thing would this be! it would be very terrible to him. If ſome of you that have beene beggars heretofore,A ſad condition for one advanced high, to bee brought down low. if God by ſome way or other ſhould bring you to the ſame poverty you were in before, oh how tedious would it be! you would rather venture the loſſe of your ſoules and God and all, then be brought into ſuch a condition, and we ſee it that many men that have beene raiſed from a low eſtate to an high, are ſo afraid of returning to a low eſtate again, that they will venture ſoule, and conſcience, and God and all, rather then they will endanger themſelves in the leaſt degree in their eſtates.
Hence it is very obſervable that the chiefe curſe that God threatneth the people of Iſrael with, is that they ſhould returne to Egypt again, that the Lord would bring them back to the condition wherein once they were.
You ſhall finde that whole Chapter, Deut. 28. is ſpent in denouncing moſt dreadfull curſes upon the people; now for the concluſion of all, as the chiefe curſe of all the reſt, ſaith the Text, there ver. 68. The Lord ſhal bring thee into Egypt again, with ſhippes, and there you ſhall be ſold unto your enemies for bond-men and bond-women, and no man ſhall buy you.
Were it not a ſad thing for us who have been acquainted with the glorious light of the Goſpel, and with the bleſſed priviledges that come in thereby, for us to be brought into Popiſh bondage and thraldome again? As Ezra. 9. 8. we may uſe his words, Now for a little ſpace grace hath been ſhewed from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to eſcape, & to give us a nayle in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage; And ſhall we (as in ver. 14.) again breake thy commandements, and joyne in affinity with thoſe abominations? As for our ſelves who have had now of late a little taſt of the ſweetneſſe of our outward priviledges and our liberties, for us to be brought into the bondage that wee not long ſince were in, it would be a very ſad thing. Who could endure to be under that bondage that he was in three or foure years agon, under every Parator, Promoter, Purſevant, Commiſſary, Chancelour, and tyrannical Prelate as formetly? we could not have met together and enjoyed the liberty of ſuch exerciſes as theſe; no, you could not have met in your families to pray, but one or other would have been upon you and indangered your eſtates. The bondage was intollerable, we may well complaine it was a yoke that neither we nor our fathers could beare.
The laſt Obſervation,Obſer. and the way to prevent all is, When God hath delivered a people out of miſery, and beſtowed upon them great mercies, it is their duty often to thinke of the poor condition which once they were in, & to uſe all the means they can that they may not be brought thither again.
God loveth this, that we ſhould remember and ſeriouſly take to heart, what once we were, ſo it is here, Leſt I ſtrip her naked and ſet her as in the day wherein ſhe was borne; as if he ſhould ſay, I would have you conſider what condition you were in when you were borne, what a low condition it was, and conſider of the danger you are in to be brought thither again, and to looke about you, and to ſeeke to prevent it if you have the hearts of men in you. This we ſhall finde in Deut. 26. 1. 2. When thou art come into the land which the Lord giveth thee for an inheritance and poſſeſſeſt it, thou ſhalt take of the firſt of all the fruite of the earth, Wee muſt lay to heart our low coudition wee once were in.and thou ſhalt put it in a basket, and ſhalt goe unto the place which the Lord thy God ſhall chuſe; and ver. 5. Thou ſhalt ſpeake and ſay before the Lord thy God, A Syrian ready to periſh was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and became there a nation, and the Egyptians evil intreated us, and afflicted us and layed upon us hard bondage. And Iſa. 51. 1. Looke to the rocke whence you are hewen, and to the hole of the pit whence you are digged. It is very uſefull for us to conſider of our former low condition. It was a ſpeech Maſter Deering in a Sermon that he preached before Queen Elizabeth, hee hath this bold expreſſion to her, If there were a time that you thought your ſelf Tanquam ovis, as a ſheepe ready to be ſlaine, take heed that the words of the Prophet be not now true that you be not Tanquam indo mita Iuvencula, as an untamed heifer. You may note the difference between the ſpirits of men in former times in their plainneſs and boldneſs; and if there were an exceſſe that way, how far the other way are our Court Sermons now? Qeen Elizabeth was once in a very low condition indeed, and ſhe thought her ſelfe to be as a ſheepe appointed for the ſlaughter. It is uſuall for men raiſed up from a low condition to forget God and themſelves,Aſperius nihil eſt humilicum ſurgit in altum. and to grow proud & ſcornfull.
Nothing is more ſharpe then a low thing when it getteth up high; ſo there is none that have more proud and ſcornfull ſpirits then thoſe that are raiſed from the dunghil and gotten up high, they know not then where they are; As the Proverb is, Set a beggar on horſe backe, and he knowes not how nor whether to ride.
Thus it was with Saul, the vvay to humble Saul was for him to conſider what he once was, and that is the way to humble us all who are ſubject to be proud of our proſperity that God hath raiſed us unto. When thou waſt little in thine own ſight, then thou wert made the head of the tribes of Iſrael. There was a time that he was little in his own eyes, and I beſeech you obſerve the difference between the ſpirit of Saul when he was in a low condition, and his ſpirit vvhen he vvas raiſed. When Saul was in a low condition his ſpirit vvas low, therefore 1 Sam. 10. 27. you ſhall finde that though there vvere ſome children of Eelial that would not have Saul to reigne over them;
What? (ſay they) how ſhall this man ſave us? and they deſpiſed him and brought him no preſents. But Saul (the Text ſaith) held his peace. And Chap. 11. 12. When Saul had gottenſome credit and honour by his victories, ſome of the people ſaid, where are they that ſaid, ſhall Saul reine over us? Bring the men that we may put them to death. No, ſaith Saul, There ſhall not a man be put to death this day. O how meeke was Saul! what a quiet ſpirit had he before he got up high! But afterward when he got up and had many victories, then vvhat a furious and outragious ſpirit had Saul! You know the ſtory of the four-ſcore and five Prieſts that muſt be ſlaine in the City of Nob, and the whole Citie, men, women, and children, ſucklings, Oxes, Aſſes, and ſheep muſt be put to the ſword, Why? becauſe one of them did but give a little refreſhing unto David. What a ſtrange ſpirit is here in Saul, different to that he had when he was low.
Is it not ſo with many of you? when God hath brought you low, you ſeeme to be humble, and meek, and quiet then, and then you are content with every thing, and prize every little merciemercy. Oh the tenth, the hundreth part of that will not ſerve your turne now, you vvould have been glad of then, and bleſſed God if you had had it; But now you know not your ſelves, your hearts are raiſed up as: your eſtates are. VVell it is good for you to looke to the condition that once you were in, vvhen you were low; As vve reade of Agath…cles, that King, that was a Potters ſonne, and after advanced to a kingdom, he vvould alwayes be ſerved at his table in earthen veſſels, to put him in mind of that condition he was in before: certainly if in any place in England it be ſeaſonable to ſpeake of this, it is here in London, where many that have been Potters children, and in a low degree, have been raiſed up high, and have gotten great eſtates. Let them remember in what condition once they were, that they may be humbled, and ſo may prevent that danger of being brought thither again. Many put others in mind of it in a taunting vvay, I know vvhat you were not long agoe, I know vvhat your father vvas, &c. But doe you put your own ſoules in mind of this in an humbling way? This is the vvay to continue mercies.
But now apply vve it a little to our ſelves for the generall and then vve ſhal conclude all. Let us vvork this upon our hearts. Look vve back to vvhat we vvere lately, and let us check our hearts for any diſcontent in our preſent eſtate. Not long ſince vvould not many of us have beene willing to have laid dovvn our lives to have purchaſed that mercy we have had this yeer or two? God hath granted to us our former mercies, & raiſed us from our low condition of free coſt hitherto. God hath been afore. hand with us; and what if thoſe mercies that are to come will be at ſome vvhat a dearer rate then thoſe vvee have had already? Thoſe mercies vve have had already have been very precious and ſweet; but ſurely they that are to come are more precious and ſweet, and therefore vve may be content though they coſt us deare.
Yet hovv vile are the ſpirits of men in forgetting the condition the ſad condition they lately were in, forgetting the Taxes and Monopolies, and uncertainty of enjoying an thing that was your own; and now if there be but a little charge comming, you preſently fall a murmuring and repining, Oh theſe are heavy burthens, the Parliament burthens the kingdome and the Couutrey, and as good have ſhip-money and other taxes as theſe burthens. Oh unworthy, unworthy are you to live to ſee the goodneſſe of the Lord in theſe dayes: unworthy to have thine eyes open to ſee what God hath done, and thus to murmur. Thou ſhouldeſt magnifie Gods mercies, and not murmur at his proceedings.
VVe have a notable parallel to this Numb. 16. in the ſtory of Corah, Dathan and Abiram, thoſe murmurers, when they were but in a little ſtrait, they come to Moſes, and ſay, ver. 13. Why haſt thou brought us up out of a land that floweth with milks and honey? What land was that, that Moſes brought them up out of, that they ſaid flowed with milke and honey? It was the land of Egypt, the land of their bondage… indeed they were promiſed a land of Canaan that ſhould flowe with milke and honey, and they put that upon the land of Egypt; though they had been in bondage and ſlavery in Egypt and were now going to Canaan,Lect. 1. yet when they did but indure ſome trouble in the vvay, and had but ſome oppoſition, and were put to ſome ſtraits, then Egypt was the Land that flowed vvith milke and honey, and who would come out of Egypt? So though God be bringing us to Canaan, to a bleſſed Land that floweth with milke and honey, yet becauſe there are ſome ſtraits in the way, ſome difficulties, ſome oppoſitions, that may coſt us ſomewhat; now how doe men cry out we vvere better before, you talke of Reformation and ſuch and ſuch things, but for our parts would vve might have but vvhat we had before, and be as quiet as vve were then, why will you bring us out of a Land that floweth with milke and honey? Oh baſe murmuring and diſcontented ſpirits that forget what once they vvere, and rather prize the bondage they were in before, then are thankfull for Gods preſent mercies.
For us not to look back to Gods former mercies, it goeth to the very heart of God. God hath an expreſſion that it frets him to the very heart: You have it in Ezek. 16. 43. Becauſe thou haſt not remembred the dayes of thy youth, but haſt fret…ed me in all theſe things. It is a thing that frets God at his heart to ſee a people ſo unworthy of merciemercy, when God commeth in ſuch wayes of merciemercy to them as he doth. My brethren, God hath done great things for us whatſoever others ſay and thinke: Let them murmure, and repine, and ſay what they will, let us ſay God hath done great things for us: Let us lay to heart the condition we lately vvere in, that ſo we may be ſtirred up now to ſeeke after God, that wee may never be brought into that condition any more, if they would have it again, much good may it do them, but for us let it be our care to ſeeke God, and to uſe all lawfull meanes to prevent our bringing back to it again.
For even the very ſtraits we now are in are an aggravation of our former miſery and preſent merciemercy, it ſhould not therefore make our former miſery or preſent merciemercy ſeeme leſſe, but greater.
How is that you will ſay?
Thus, If now wee have ſo much helpe and power to hinder a malignant party that ſeeke our ruine, yet they have ſo much ſtrength and reſolution, what would have become of us if this had been before, when we had no way nor no meanes to help us? If men complaine now, what vvould they have done then? Therefore whereas we make uſe of our ſtraits, to make us thinke that our former miſery was leſſe, and we are now in a ſadder condition then before, rather let us make it an aggravation of Gods merciemercy towards us, and if wee be in ſuch ſtraits now when God hath raiſed up ſuch meanes beyond all our thought to reſiſt the flowing in of miſery upon us, Lord whether were wee a going? what would have become of us if the ſtreame which hath been ſo long a ſwelling had broke in upon us when there was no meanes to have reſiſted it? VVe may well ſee now that if their intentions and reſolutions be ſo ſtrong for miſchiefe as will not be hindered, notwithſtanding the preſent ſtrength God hath granted us to oppoſe them, ſurely they had moſt vile intentions,Lect. 2. and dreadfull things were determined againſt us, which would have brought us low indeed, and have made us the moſt miſerable people upon the earth, if God had not come in ſo mira culouſly for our help as he hath done at this day.
Therefore as we read of Jeremiah, Chap. 37. 18. Let my ſupplication, ſaith he to the King, I pray thee be accept able before thee, that thou cauſe me not to returne to the houſe of Jonathan the Scribe, leſt I dye there. So let us preſent our ſupplications to the King of heaven, that wee may not be ſent back to that condition we were once in, that God may not ſtrip us and leave us naked. Wee have many bleſſings, Lord do not ſtrip us, doe not ſtrip us of all the ornaments thou haſt put upon us.
And would you not have God ſtrip you of your ornaments? be you willing to ſtrip your ſelves of your ornaments. Ezod. 33. 5. God calleth upon the people there. Put off your Ornaments from you that I may know what to doe unto you.
This is true and ſeaſonable at this time in the literall ſenſe, you are called now to ſtrip you of your Ornaments. Strip from your fingers your goldrings now when there is neede of them, perhaps one gold-ring that you have upon your finger would ſerve to maintain a ſouldier a month or five weeks or more, and yet you may have the benefit of it againe afterward. Strip your Cup-boards from that pompous ſhew of plate that was wont to be upon them. It is much if you ſhould not be willing to have your fingers ſtripped naked when we are in danger to have the State ſtript naked of all our comforts and ornaments: Is it ſuch a great matter to have your cup-board naked of plate now? what if a white cloath were upon it, and all that gliſtering ſhew taken away, were that ſuch a great matter now when God is about to ſtrip us naked, and ſet us as in the day wherein wee were borue? certainly all of you that ſhall keep your plate now for the pompous decking and adorning of your cup-boards you cannot but be aſhamed of it in theſe times, ſurely you muſt rather keep it up in your trunkes and hutches, it cannot but be both a ſin and a ſhame to ſee ſuch gliſtering pomp and glory in ſuch times as theſe are.
Strip your ſelves of your ornaments that God ſtrip you not; and not only outwardly, but ſtrip your ſelves of your ornaments by your humiliation, for that is the meaning of that place in Exodus; Oh come and humble your ſelves, and come now with naked hearts before the Lord, open your hearts before God, bring them naked and ſincere before him, leſt he ſtrip you and the Kingdom naked! Crie unto God for merciemercy, O Lord thou knoweſt what a vile heart I have had, a baſe time-ſerving heart, yet Lord I deſire to take away all thoſe clokes now, and to rend and bring this heart naked before thee, though it be a filthy heart, yet open it, Lord thou knoweſt thoſe vile things, thoſe innovaſions, thoſe ſuperſtitions, thoſe horrible wickedneſſes that were in danger to be let into the Church and Comman-wealth, yet they were things that could goe down very well with me, I could make ſhifts to ſwallow them, and I had diſtinctions to colour them, but Lord it was my baſe heart that I could not truſt thee, but now here I open it naked before thoe.
O Lord for theſe Ordinances of thine in the purity and power of them that others ſpake ſo much of, they have bin things unſavory to me, I had no skill in ſuch things, Thou knoweſt I had a neutrelizing ſpirit, I looked which way the wind blew; how juſt were it for thee to give me upto be of a deſperate malignant ſpirit! Now Lord I come as a naked wretched creature before thee, in the ſhame and guilt of my ſin, and here I acknowledge thou maieſt juſtly ſtrip me naked of all the comforts of my eſtate, and leave me in the moſt miſerable condition that ever poor creature was left in; And now my heart is open before thee, doe but ſhew me what I ſhall doe, and if thou doeſt reſerve any of my eſtate and comforts which I have forfeited, in teſtimony of my humiliation for my former ſinnes I bring it before thee, and am willing to give it up for the publique good, and to prevent that evill and miſchiefe that I am ſure my ſinnes call for, for my ſins cry for wrath againſt the Land, that thou ſhouldſt ſtrip it naked; and if all had beene ſuch baſe ſpirits as I have beene, what would have become of the Land by this time? In teſtimonie therefore of my humiliation for my ſins, here I bring in this of my eſtate, though indeed if I had not been guilty of ſuch ſins, yet out of common prudence, and reſpect to my own ſecurity, I might bring ſome part in, but here is ſo much the more of my eſtate, becauſe my conſcience tells me of my former guilt. And Lord for the time to come I am reſolved to doe the uttermoſt I can for Thee and thy Cauſe. And thoſe Worthies that carry their lives in their hands for me, God forbid that I ſhould have the leaſt hand in betraying them, in withdrawing my hand and aſſiſtance from them. Lord here I give up my ſelf to thee, and my eſtate, I ſurrender it to thee in an everlaſting Covenant.
This is to come with a naked heart indeed before the Lord.
Were it not better that we ſhould be willing to ſtrip our ſelves naked, then that God ſhould doe it by violenee, that God ſhould ſend Souldiers into our houſes to ſtrip us naked, as they have dealt with our brethren in Ireland? they took not away their eſtates onelyonly, but all their clothes, and ſent them in droves as naked as ever they were borne. VVee know wee have deſerved the like. If you will not ſtrip your ſelves of your ſuper …uities, God may juſtly by them ſtrip you naked as ever you were born; and not onelyonly bring you into the ſame condition you were in, but into a far worſe, for ſo he threatneth in that 28. Deut. You ſhall not onelyonly be carryed backe againe into Egypt, but there you ſhall be ſold for bond…men, and no man ſhall buy you; they ſhould be in a worſe condition the when they were firſt in Egypt. So if there be any of you that are willing to ſell your conſciences in hope of preferment; Oh the other ſide may get power and prevaile, and ſo out of hope to be, preferred, to ſell your conſciences, you may be diſappointed, not only be brought into as ill but into a far worſe condition; & perhaps though you would have ſold your ſelves, yet no bodie will buy you; if the Papiſts corne to have the power of your bodies and eſtates, you may miſſe of that preferment that you thinke of. So ſaith Ezra, Chap. 9. 14. after he had ſpoken of Gods merciemercy in giving them liberty, and remitting their captivitie, Shall we (ſaith he) yet continue in ſin, & break the commandements of the Lord, would he not be angry with us till we were utterly deſtroyed?
And certainly if God do not awaken the hearts of people now, if God do not give the people throughout the Kingdom a heart to ſtick to the Cauſe of the Truth, and to thoſe whom they have intruſted with their eſtates, liberties and lives in every good way, it were the heavieſt judgement of God that ever was upon a Nation ſince the beginning of the earth, it would never be paralleld, that ever a people ſhould have ſuch an opportunity put into their hands to help themſelves, aud to vindica…e themſelves from ſlavery and bondage, yet out of I know not what reſpects to betray all thoſe that have ventured their lives for them, and to have their blood ſhed; I ſay it were ſuch an example as were not to be paralleld ſince the beginning of the world.
Therefore I beſeech you my brethren let us lay this to heart, and the Lord make known to us all what is to be done in ſuch a time as this, that we may not be ſtripped naked, and ſet as in the day wherein we were borne.