An Exposition of Hosea 1-3, Chapter 3 · Lecture 1
The Firſt Lecture.
CHAP. 3. VER. 1. 2. 3.
Then ſaid the Lord unto me, go yet, love a woman (beloved of her friend, yet an adultereſſe) according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Iſrael, who looke to other gods and love flaggons of wine.
So I bought her …o me for fifteen pieces of ſilver, and for an homer of barley, and an halfe homer of barley.
And I ſaid unto her, thou ſhalt abide for me many dayes, thou ſhalt not play the harlot, and thou ſhalt not be for another man, ſo will I alſo be for thee.
THe cloſe of the former Chapter had much mercy in it, and this Chapter containes the expreſſion of much love alſo to Iſrael, but yet withall, God tells them of that meane and low eſtate they are like to be in before that time comes, for the fulfilling of all that good that God intends to them.
God purpoſes great mercy for them, his heart is much ſet upon them, but they muſt for a long time beare their iniquity, they muſt be brought into a vile and deſolate condition in their captivity, even untill a ſecond appearing of Chriſt. But in all this time the heart of God would be toward them, his intentions would be ſtrong for good to that people above all the people upon the face of the earth: though they might ſeeme to be utterly rejected of the Lord, and that for many yeers, yet hee would look toward them as a people that he intended yet to marry unto himſelf, & in time mercy ſhould breake forth gloriouſly upon them, and his name ſhould be magnified in their returning unto him, ſo as their hearts ſhould melt toward his goodneſſe, they ſhould not abuſe it any more as formerly they had done, but they ſhould returne and ſeeke the Lord their God and David their King, and feare the Lord and his goodneſſe in the latter dayes. This is the ſcope of the Chapter. In which you have three things.
1. Gods love continued unto an adultereſſe, Iſrael.
2. The low and mean condition of this adultereſſe for a long time.
3. The returne of God in infinite mercy toward them at the latter day, together with their returne unto him.
And the Lord ſaid unto me, goe yet, love a woman (beloved of her friend, yet an adulter eſſe.)
We have here a new injunction to the Prophet, and that ſomewhat harder then his former. In the firſt Chapter God commanded him to goe and take awife of whoredomes, but here God commanded him to love an adultereſſe, which is ſomewhat more then to take her unto himſelf,
What that was of taking a wife of whoredomes hath been opened in the former Chapter,Lect. 1. and may ſpare ſome labour in this. It is here a viſion as it was there; As if God ſhould ſay unto Hoſea, Hoſea it is juſt with me as it would be with thee, if thou ſhouldſt goe and have a wife an Adultereſſe, notwithſtanding all the love ſhe hath found, yet ſtill an Adultereſſe, & thine heart ſhould be upon her, ſo as thou couldeſt not take thy heart from her, but thou muſt needs love this Adultereſſe ſtill. This people whom I have loved, for whom I have done ſo much good, yet they have gone a whoring from me, they are an Adultereſſe, yet for all that my heart cannot be taken off from them, but is ſtill toward them, yet I love them.
This is through the ſtrength of the Covenant that Gods love is ſo permanent. Others who are not in covenant with him, God caſts out for leſſer ſins for any ſins; but as for his people who are in Covenant with him, no not their adulteries, their idolatries takes not the heart of God wholly from them. Surely then, if thou canſt appeale to God. O Lord, thou knoweſt all things, knoweſt that there is nothing of thy mind revealed to me but my heart is ready to do it, and if I faile in any thing thou knoweſt it is the greateſt burden of my ſoul; O that I knew more of thy minde! and that I had power to doe more! ſurely God will love thee, you heare he loves his people though an adultereſſe, as before, ſo now take this leſſon, thy ſinnes cannot over come Gods goodneſſe, let Gods goodneſſe overcome thy ſinfulneſſe.
An adultereſſe beloved of her friend.
This is (as ſome carry it, Calvin, Vatablus, and many others) beloved of her husband, as if God ſhould ſay, had they any ſuch excuſe for their departings from me, that I have been a bitter husband to them, that I have uſed them hardly, and rigidly, then indeed they might have ſome plea; but I have loved them dearly, I have done much for them, they were beloved of me, & I have carried my ſelfe to them in the moſt friendly way that poſſibly could be, yet they are gone a whoring from me. The wife that followes other lovers, thinks if ſhe have but this to ſay, her husband is hard to her, hee cares not for her, he loves her not, it excuſes in part her adulteries; and ſo the husband, a company keeper, an adulterer, if he can ſay, what will you have me to doe, I never come home but my wife is alwayes b…awling and ſhe loves other men, he thinks this is plea enough for him. But Iſrael could not have this excuſe for her ſelfe, for ſhe was an Adultereſſe, yet beloved of the Lord.
If we take the words thus, the notes briefly would be theſe.
Firſt,Obſ. The husband ſhould be a friend to his wife. There ſhould be nothing but friendly carriage betweene man and wife; Yea the love of the husband to the wife ſhould farr ſurmount the love of any friend in the world, but a friend at leaſt to comfort her, to cherriſh her in time of ſorrowes, to beare the burthen of affliction with her, and ſo the wife towards the huſband.
Secondly, Obſer.A baſe heart will be baſe againſt all bonds of love; beloved of her friend, yet an adultoreſſe; if you ſhould ask, who is he or where is he that is ſo baſe? Lay thy hand upon thine owne heart and conſider what the love of God hath been towards thee all the dayes of thy life, and how thou haſt carried thy ſelfe toward him, what love thou haſt had from God that might breake the heart of a devill, yet when any temptation comes to draw thee from God,Obſer. thy baſe heart liſtens to it. Thirdly, It is a great aggravation of ſin to ſinne againſt much love. We ought to doe our duties to thoſe that we ſtand in relation unto, though they doe not their duty to us; if a wife hath a froward husband, a bitter, churliſh rugged, wicked, ungodly husband, yet ſhe is bound to doe her duty to him, ſhe is bound to love him, to obey him, to be obſervant of him in what may give him all lawfull content. So if ſervants have froward,Love muſt not be abuſed. churliſh, cruel Maſters or Maſtreſſes, yet they are bound to be obedient to them. 1 Pet. 2. 18. Be ſubject to your maſters not onelyonly to thoſe that rae good and gentle, but to the froward. It is no ſufficient excuſe for the wife to ſay, My husband is froward and unquiet, and therefore what ſhall I doe? Nor for the ſervant to ſay, My Maſter or Miſtreſſe are unreaſonable, they are cruell, what can I doe? You muſt doe your duty to them, though they doe not theirs to you, But if you have a loving husband, tender over you, then love is required much more. Love above all things ſhould draw the heart; the knowledge that it is duty may force obedience, but it is love that draws the heart moſt kindly. So if a ſervant have a godly Maſter and Miſtreſſe, who reſpects and tenders his good, if he ſhould ſinne againſt them, this aggravateth the ſinne exceedingly. To wrong love is a very great ſin, Delicata res eſt amor, love is a moſt delicate thing, and it muſt not be wronged, it is tender, a precious thing. A man who is of an ingenuous ſpirit, had rather a great deale be wronged in his eſtate, then in his love; he cannot beare the injury that is done unto his love; when his love is abuſed, that goes to his very heart. So it goes to the heart of God for his people to ſin againſt his love; therefore it is ſaid of the Saints when they ſinne, that they grieve the Spirit of God; he never ſaith ſo of wicked men; they anger God, but the Saints grieve him, becauſe they ſinne ſo much againſt Gods love.
Charge this aggravation of your ſinne upon your hearts, and be humbled; collect together all the expreſſions of Gods love to you, and let them lye glowing at your hearts, and melt them.
But in that God bids him take an Adultereſſe beloved of her friend, and calls not this friend Husband, I thinke thoſe who goe another way expreſſe the minde of the Holy Ghoſt in this more fully, thus: This friend is not meant of one who is fully married, but rather one in a way of marriage. Amongſt the Jewes it was uſuall for all women to be under the protection of ſome men or other. Eſay 4. 1. Seven women came and tooke hold of one man, and ſaid, Let us be named by your name, we will eate our own bread, and weare our own cloathes, onelyonly let us be named by your name, let us be under your protection. Even whores were wont, though they had many lovers, yet to have ſome one ſpeciall man, under whoſe protection and care they would be, who was to ſee them not to have wrong, and to make proviſion for them, and ſuch a one they were wont to call their friend; And many times theſe friends would ſo provide for them, that if they would be reclaymed, forſaking all their other lovers, they would give them good hopes of marrying with them at length. Arias Montanus refers us to one Propertius, in his firſt Book and ſecond Elegie, to reade about the charge and care of ſuch a friend. The Grecians had that cuſtome likewiſe: they called him under whoſe protection they put themſelves, foreign, the whore was called from it, foreign. It is ſaid of Plato that he had a whore, one Archenaſſa, who was called Plato's foreign. Here the Lord would have the Prophet take an Adultereſſe beloved of her friend, that is, one that was a common Adultereſſe, and yet under the protection of ſome ſpeciall friend, ſo as if he might come in place of that friend, and gain the love and affection of this Adultereſſe to himſelf, and in time getting her to be reclaimed, he might marry her unto himſelfe. This is according to the love of God to his people, that is, as if God ſhould ſay, This people is a going a whoring, but I will be content to take them unto my ſelfe, I will be as their friend, and ſo love them as a friend to protect them, to have care over them, untill ſuch a time that there may be ſome experience of their being reclaimed, and then I will marry this Adultereſſe fully unto my ſelfe, for God is not now fully marryed unto the Jews, neither will that marryage be untill that glorious time of their calling comes; but yet God is as a friend to them to this day, that is, God takes this people yet under his protection, though they ſeeme to be in a rejected condition, and ſo, as he gives hope, yea makes many promiſes that upon their return unto him he will marry them unto himſelfe; yea there ſhal be a more glorious marriage between the Jews & the Lord Chriſt, then ever yet there was between him and any people upon the face of the earth. This I thinke to be the very ſcope and meaning of the words, Beloved of her friend.
Somewhat ſutable is that we have Deut. 21. 12. 13. when one of the Jews took a captive woman, he might not marry her preſently to himſelf, but if he had a love to her, ſhe was to continue a certaine time, and to be ſo and ſo purified, and then he was to take her. The Jewes are for the preſent as that captive woman, they are in bondage, yet God hath a love to them unto this day; but ſo, as they muſt abide a while untill God be maryed to them; they are beloved of God, but yet with the love of a friend. The Seventy reade theſe words,foreign Beloved of her friend, One that loveth evill things, upon the miſtake of the Hebrew word, for indead a friend and evill are the ſame letters, only differing in the points; ſo there might eaſily be a miſtake.
Who looke to other gods.
Their eyes are upon other gods. Where the heart is, there the eyes is. Timor figit oculum, ſo Amor: Feare faſtens the eyes, and ſo doth Love. The workings of the ſoule appeares as much in the eye, as in any member; the workings of love, of truſt and confidence appeare much in the eye. They looke to other gods, that is, they have confidence in other gods. Looking up to a thing in Scripture phraſe, is to have ſome confidence in it. Pſal. 121. 1. I lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence commeth my help: That is, I look for help, I have confidence and expect help. But how here to the hills then? What doth Davids help come from the hills? Some thinke this to be the place where afterward the Temple was built, and was then the place of the Sanctuary; but for that it is ſaid that uſually in Scripture is but in the ſingular number, the hill of God; not the hils; therefore I finde Calvin, Mollerus, and others, thinke that David here ſpeakes of confidence in the creature, becauſe he preſently retracts him ſelfe in the ſecond verſe, My helpe is in Jehovah. As if he ſhould ſay, I lift up mine eyes unto the creature for help, this is the frailty of my nature, and of the nature of man, to look for auxiliary Forces from Jeruſalem, (which was a hilly place) I looke for Forces to come from Jeruſalem, but they doe not come, well, I will not reſt any longer upon them,foreign. Jehovah is my help, ſo they carry it. But now I would rather (if it may be) free the Prophet from vaine confidence in the creature, and ſo the words being rightly underſtood, may free him if you reade them thus, doe I lift up mine eyes unto the hils? doe I expect help from the creature? God forbid I ſhould doe it, for my help is in God.
Further, ſometimes the Hebrew [foreign] is uſed for [foreign] and ſo it would bee tranſlated above the hils, other men look to the hils, I look above the hils. But rather thus, I lift up mine eyes to the hils, that is, I look to God, why? becauſe the place where the Temple was to be built, it was not onelyonly upon one hill, but upon hils, and ſo this expreſſion hath reference to thoſe two hills it was built upon; the hill of Moriah and the hill of Zion (which were rather but two ridges of the ſame) as 2 Chron. 3. 1. Solomon began to build the houſe of the Lord upon mount Moriah; and Pſal. 2. 6. I have ſet my King upon my holy hill of Zion: I look ſaith David unto God, my Faith hath reference to that place that God hath choſen for himſelf;Ezek. 23. 27. that this is the meaning will appeare if we compare this with Pſal. 87. 1. His foundation is in the holy hils, not hill, but hils. The reſpect Idolaters had to their Idols, being manifeſted by lifting up their eyes to them, therefore God commanded them, that they muſt not ſo much as lift up their eyes to their idols; And indeed we had need take heed in what we doe in this, ſo much as to lift up our eyes to look upon the inticements of the fleſh; many will not commit their former ſins, but they love to be looking that way. I have read of a Lady, a loving wife, who being at the maryage of Cyrus, ſhe was askt how ſhe liked the Bridgeroom? how, ſaith ſhe? I know not, I ſaw no body but my Husband. Love and reſpect drawes the eye either to God or to the creature. According as our hearts are, ſo our eyes will be.
And love flaggons of wine. foreignThe word comes from a word that ſignifies fundavit. The old Latin turns it vivacia uvarum, the leaves, skinnes, and ſtones of the grape that remaines after preſſing, that ſinke down into the bottome of the veſſell. Noting thereby how ſapleſſe, and ſavourleſſe, and unworthy Idolatrous worſhip is in compariſon of the true worſhip of God.
True worſhip of God is ſweet, and ſavoury, lovely, and excellent, but mans inſtitutions, how ſapleſſe are they! The ſpirits of ſuch men as pleade for and delight in ſuperſtitious vanities, the deviſes of men, how ſapleſſe and unſavoury do they quickly grow! though heretofore they have had ſome quickneſſe and livelineſſe in their wayes, yet if once they delight themſelves in the inventions of men, in Gods worſhip, their ſpirits grow very unſavory to thoſe with whom they converſe.
But take the traſlation as it is in your books, flaggons of wine, called by this name in the Hebrew, becauſe that veſſell, the flaggon is broad in the bottome: That is, (as ſome carry it) thus, They are as drunkards that call for one flaggon after another. Superſtitious and idolatrous people, when they have one way of ſuperſtition, they call for another; and when they have got that, they will have another, and are ſtill greedy of more, they are never ſatisfied, as drunkards are greedy of their flaggons.
Or rather, to note the ſenſuality of the wayes of their Idolatrous worſhip, their flaggons of wine are joyned to their gods. The Seventy tranſlate the word foreign, Bellaria, fine Cates and junkets, delicate things made with wine and grapes together by all the art they can deviſe for the pleaſing the appetite.Obſer. From thence the note is cleare.
Spirituall adultery and carnall ſenſuality goe together. They uſed flaggons of wine in their idolatrous ſolemnities, that made them love their Idols ſo much the rather. In the true worſhip of God there is abundance of ſweetneſs to ſatisfie the hearts of the Saints, they need not have ſenſual pleaſures to make up their delight, but in ſuperſtitious worſhip there is no ſuch ſweetneſs to ſatisfie the ſpirits, therefore they are ſaine to call for flaggons of wine, and other ſenſuall things to make up a full delight to themſelves.
Superſtitious and idolatrous Rites bring with them pleaſure to the fleſh, hence how are they loved and followed by people? they can hardly ever be taken off from them.Idolatry and ſenſuality goe together. In their Idolatrous ſolemnities they were wont to have Feaſts to pamper the fleſh. Judg. 9. 27. They went out into the field, and gathered their vineyards, and trod the grapes, and were merry, & went into the houſe of their God, and did eate and drinke, and curſed Abimelech. So Amos. 2. 8. They drinke the wine of the condemned in the houſe of their God. What is that? By oppreſſion and violence they would rend the eſtates of men from them, and when they had gotten them, then they made merry, yea they would come into the houſe of their gods, and drinke bowles of wine that they had gotten from the eſtates of ſuch men whom they had wrongfully condemned, Let Idolaters have their luſts ſatisfied, and they care not what God they ſerve. 2 Cor. 8. 10. If any ſee them ſit at meate in the Idols temple; at meate, they had their fleſh ſatisfied in the Idols temple.
Thus God complaines of his people here. As if he had ſaid, Let all bemoane my condition, for though I have loved Iſrael dearly, ſhe hath gone a whoring from me, and ſhe loveth flaggons of wine, becauſe ſhe hath more pleaſure to the fleſh in ſerving Idols, ſhe will ſerve them.
What an abominable thing it is to forſake the bleſſed God meerly for the love of wine? How many are there in the world who forſake all that good that is in God, in Chriſt, in heaven, in eternity, meerely for flaggons of wine?
Calvin hath a note from the word that carries ſome-what more with it, flaggons of grapes, ſo the words are in the Hebrew, not flagons of wine, and of grapes rather then wine ſaith he, becauſe there were artificiall wayes uſed by them to make their ſuperſtitious ways to be more pleaſant to them; As when drunkards have drunk even ad nauſeam, that they begin to loath what they delighted in, then they will uſe ſome artificiall way or other of mixture of grapes or ſome other thing with the wine to make it have a new taſt, that they may have ſtill delight in drinking; So (ſaith he) becauſe their old ſuperſtitions have nothing in them to ſatisfie the heart, therefore they are fain to invent new kinds of artificiall wayes to pleaſe themſelves withall, although (ſaith he) they brag of their antiquity, yet the truth is, they are fain to invent new things every day, to give a new luſtre and pomp to their worſhip, they are alwayes deviſing ſome new ceremony or other, or elſe it would grow loathſome to themſelves. This wee have ſeene in our owne experience, the wantonneſſe of mens hearts in ſuperſtitious ways is very great, they invent new ways to uphold their old moth-eaten vanities.
So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of ſilver.
The Prophet obeyeth God in this other hard command. God many times ſends his Prophets upon very hard buſineſſes, yet they muſt be willing to ſerve the Lord in the hardeſt work; and bought her to himſelfe for fifteen pieces of ſilver.
The word that is here tranſlated bought, foreignſignifies to digg, it is taken (as ſome think) from the piercing or boring into the ſervants eare, which was to be a ſlave untill the year of Jubile, to note the ſlaviſh condition of this people they ſhould be in for a long time.
But ſometime the word ſignifies not only boring, but any kind of getting by buying or bargaining, taken from the manner of the Jews, it ſeems to be a hard expreſſion,Cognatum cum foreign Pagn. how diſtant do thoſe two ſeem to be, to dig and to buy? it ſignifies alſo to cut, ſaith Pagnine, (excidit) he hath cut a ſunder, becauſe in their bargainings they were wont to cut a beaſt in ſunder, & ſo to go between the two pieces;Contrabentes dextras invicem datas ut rem ratam eſs… ſignificarent percutiendo diſcinderent, ſicut & in faederibus beſtiae diſſe cabantur. Pagn. or becauſe in their bargaines they joyned their right hands together, and then another came and put his hand between theirs, as a ſpade is put into the earth, and ſo did as it were cut them aſunder, and from thence, though the word ſeem harſh, yet thoſe who underſtand the manner of their bargainings know the meaning of it.
I bought her to my ſelf. This buying was in order to marrying, that ſhee might be under his care for a while, and then come to be his wife. It was the cuſtome of men in thoſe days to buy their wives. Iacob ſerved twice ſeven years for Rachel, and ſo bought her. David bought his wife for a hundred foreskins of the Philiſtims; and Chriſt purchaſed his Church to himſelfe at a dear rate, even by his own blood: But I bought her (ſaith hee) for fifteene Pieces of ſilver.
There is a neceſſity for the opening theſe words, not onelyonly that you may ſee the ſcope of the holy Ghoſt here, but likewiſe may the better underſtand ſome other Scriptures.
Fifteen pieces of ſilver; How much is that? It is fifteen ſhekels, for that is a rule among the Hebrews, when a piece of ſilver is named, and not the ſumme; then a ſhekel is always underſtood, and when a ſhekel is ſet down, and the mettall not expreſt, the ſilver is underſtood, not gold or any other mettall. Now the common ſhekell was according to the account of ſome of the weight of 160. graines of barley. Joſephus ſaith it was about foure Drachmas (and ſo I find moſt carry it) about 18. or 20. pence of our money; though a great deale of difference there be among Interpreters about the ſum of that ſhekell; Jerome upon the fourth of Ezekiel, makes it half an ounce, but there is much difference you know about ounces.
This was to ſignifie the vile and baſe condition that Iſrael had brought her ſelfe into, for thirty ſhekels of ſilver was to be given for the price of a maidſervant, Exod. 21. 32. If an oxe have puſhed a man-ſervant, or a womanſervant, he ſhal give to his Maſter thirty ſhekels. Thirty ſhekels muſt be given for recompence of loſſe of a ſervant who was but a ſlave; yet the Prophet muſt buy this adultereſs for half as much, fifteen ſhekels. Iſrael, all the tenn Tribes, yea the whole people of the Jews are ſignified by this adultereſs beloved of her friend: So that now the people of Iſrael, who heretofore the dear ly beloved of Gods ſoul, his only people upon the face of the earth, the peculiar treaſure of God, his portion, his inheritance, had now by their ſin brought themſelves into a meaner condition then any poore bond-woman in Iſrael, that they were worth but halfe as much now as a poor woman-ſlave. This thirty pieces of ſilver was the goodly price Chriſt was valued at by the Jews, Zech. 11. 12. Mat. 27. 9. This ſhewed how Chriſt was humbled, that he muſt bee ſold for no more then was the price of a ſlave. But the price of Iſrael was but 15. pieces, halfe as much. Iſrael was proud in the day of her proſperity, but now ſhe hath brought her ſelf by her ſin into a meaner condition then a ſlave.
And for an homer of barley, and an halfe homer of barley. What that homer of barley was, and what the ſcope of the holy Ghoſt is in mentioning of it muſt be enquired. Firſt, an homer contained ten Ephaes. But by that (you will ſay) we know no more then we did. An Ephah then is neer upon as much as our buſhell, ſo that this homer is neer upon tenne of our buſhels. Ruth 2. 17. it is ſaid of Ruth that when ſhegleaned in the field after the Reapers, ſhe beat out that ſhe had gleaned, and it was an Ephah of barley. And by that you may know the meaning of that text, Eſay 5. 10. The ſeed of an homer ſhall yeeld an Ephah; why a homer was ten buſhels, how then ſhould the ſeed of neer tenn buſhels yield but one buſhell? It was a threatning of a famine, that though they did ſow much, they ſhould reape but little, they ſhould ſowe a matter of ten buſhels, and reape but one.
Or thus, ſome interpret an homer to be about the burthen that an Aſſe was able to beare, for foreign in the Hebrew ſignifies an Aſſe, foreign ſo the burthen of that creature was called an homer; but Ezek, 45. 11. the Text telleth us plainly, that an Ephah is the tenth part of an homer.
There is a great deale of difficulty to underſtand this, if we compare it with another Scripture, Exod. 16. 16, where the Text ſaith they were to gather of the Manna every man according to his eating, an homer for every man; and ver. 36. an homer is the tenth part of an Ephah. This ſeems quite contrary, here it is that an ephah is the tenth part of an homer, and there it is that an homer is the tenth part of an ephah. But for the ſalving of this, thoſe who are skilfull in the Hebrew tongue know that theſe words are written with different letters, though in our Engliſh the pronounciation is the ſame, for that in Exodus is written with [foreign] and the other [foreign] one thus Gnomer, the other Chomer, ſo it ſhould be read. Now this homer of Manna that God gave for every man for one day, was almoſt the tenth part of a buſhell, it was foure or five times as much as the Romanes were wont to allow their men, their Dimenſum which they called a Chaenix, which was their allowance for their ſervants, was but the fourth part of this, and ſcarce that; noting thereby, tha… God is exceeding liberall unto his people.
But why an homer of barley; Becauſe it was a meane food, and in thoſe times rather the food of beaſts then of men; God promiſed to feed his people with the fineſt flower of wheate. Therefore Revel. 6. 5. A meaſure of …heate for a penny, and three meaſures of barley for a penny. But what doth this tend to, that there muſt be a homer of barley and halfe a homer of barley given for this Adultereſſe that the Prophet was to take unto himſelfe? The ſcope of all is, to ſignifie the meane condition, that the ten Tribes, and afterward all the Jews ſhould be in, till Chriſt came to marry them to himſelfe. Firſt they ſhould be in a contemptible condition, they ſhould be valued but at halfe the price of a ſlave. Secondly, they ſhould be fed but meanly and baſely, even as ſlaves, or rather as beaſts, this homer and half of barley ſhould be for their ſuſtenance, in which they ſhould be uſed very hardly for along time. And that you may ſee how this hath been fulfilled, (for it did not only refer to the time of their Captivity before Chriſt, but to all the Captivity they have been in ever ſince Chriſts time to this day, and ſhall be in untill their calling) the mean condition they were in before, in the time of their firſt Captivity, you may ſee Lament. 4. 5. Thoſe that were clothed in ſcarlet, embraced the dung-hill; they either lay in filthy places that had dung in them, like beaſts, or elſe they were imployed in carrying dung up and down. And to this day, Hiſtories tell us, that generally the Jews have a moſt ſtinking ſavour, and we know that they are the vileſt people in the eſteeme of others that are upon the face of the earth. An Hiſtorian tells us of an Emperour travelling into Egypt, there meeting with ſome Jews, he was ſo annoyed with the ſtink of them, that he cryes out, O Marco-mani, O Quadi, &c.
At length, ſaith he, I have met with worſe, with viler men then ſuch and ſuch, reckoning up divers of the baſeſt people that were upon the face of the earth.O Mar…emani, O Quadi, O Sarmatae, tandem alios vobis deteriores inveni. Ammian. lib. 2. And to this day the Turks will admit of no Jew to turne to the Mahumetan Religion, unleſſe he firſt turne Chriſtian; they have much more honorable eſteeme of the Chriſtians, they think that Jeſus Chriſt though he was not God, yet he was a great Prophet; but for the Jews, they have ſuch vile thoughts of them, that they think it a diſhonour to the Turkiſh Religion that any of them ſhould turne Turk, unleſſe be firſt turned Chriſtian. And we reade of the Romanes, that when they conquered other Nations, they would permit them to call themſelves Romanes, after they had conquered them, but they would never permit the Jews to call themſelves Romanes, though the Jews would comply never ſo much with them and be their ſervants, (Auguſtine hath it upon Pſalme 58.) leſt there ſhould be ſome blot ſtick to the glory of the Romanes by that odious people.Alios Romanos appellari permitterent, non Iudaeos, ne quid labis ad haertſcenit nomini ab odioſo ac ſordido genere. Auguſt. in Pſal. 58. ad illud ne occidas. Suetonius in Domitian…. c. 12. Obſer.
Thus we ſee what ſhame hath God caſt upon that nation even unto this day, that they are counted as the very off-ſcouring of all nations. Suetonius tels us that in the exactions that the Romanes require of people, they put upon the Jews more then upon all people. This that we reade of in hiſtories, & that which we finde by experience of the baſe condition theſe people are in, is the fulfilling this Scripture, that I am now opening unto you, ſhe ſhal be bought for fifteen pieces of ſilver, and fed with barly, ſhe ſhall be in a very low, baſe and meane condition untill Chriſt ſhall come and marry her to himſelf.
Notes from hence are.
Firſt, A people who have been high in outward glory, when they depart from God, make themſelves vile and contemptible, God caſts contempt upon wicked men, eſpecially upon wicked men who corrupt his worſhip. Do we not ſee it at this day? Mal. 2. 9. It is threatned that the Prieſts who departed from the law, & corrupted their waies ſhould be baſe and contemptible before the people. Hath not the Lord done thus at this day? even thoſe that not long ſince gave themſelves the title of the triumphant Clergy and the triumphant Church, and went up and downe jetting as if they would out-face heaven it ſelf; They feared all men with the High Commiſſion Court. But what ſhame hath God caſt upon this generation? the people loath them, and we hope in time the Lord will ſweepe away the proud and haughty of them, as the reffuſe of the earth. Yea our whole nation hath been a proud nation;Sin puts into a vile condition. what vaunting hath there been of what a glorious Church we had? never ſuch a one upon the earth, we ſate as a Queen amongſt the nations; we have been a haughty people, and God may juſtly caſt contempt upon us. The Jewes were ſo (the Temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord) but God hath now made them the vileſt nation upon the earth. And the truth is, God hath begun to caſt much ſhame upon this nation. The time was when the Kingdom of England was a terror to other people, of late they have been the ſcorne and contempt of other nations.
When Ephraius ſpake there was trembling; he exalted himſelfe in Iſrael, but ſinning it Baal he died, he became as a dead, poor, vile, contemptible people. Hoſ. 13. 1. The Lord loveth to name the pride of men. How many have you known who have been proud and lofty, and the Lord hath caſt ſhame and contempt in their ſaces? even before thoſe whom they looked upon heretofore with contempt, they have now been made objects of contempt.
Secondly,Obſ. Though a people be under contempt, yet Gods heart may be towards them to doe them good at the latter end. There is the love of Gods election ſtill to this people, God remembers them, and intends good unto them for all this. VVho knowes what contempt God may caſt upon us? Perhaps he may let our proud adverſaries trample us under their feet, but we hope he will not, becauſe he ſees their hearts ſo proud as they are. But if he ſhould, we ſhould not deſpaire, we muſt not conclude God hath quite caſt off England, though he ſhould bring all his people under contempt, ſo as to betrampled under the foot of pride. And if there be any of you whom God hath ſo humbled as he hath made you contemptible; doe you humble your ſelves before God, but do not deſpaire, the Lord may yet have a love to you, though you are now under ſhame and contempt, who knowes but that this was the only way that God had to humble your hearts? God putteth his ovvn people under contempt, and yet it is all out of love unto them, and vvithan intent to do them good at laſt.
Thirdly, (which is the moſt eſpecial note hence) After many promiſes of Gods mercy and of a glorious condition,Obſer. which he intendeth his people, he may yet hold a very hard hand over them a great while, God having promiſed ſo much mercy in the former Chapter, Iſrael might quickly grow vvanton, and ſay it is no great matter, though we be vile and wicked, yet God will marry us to himſelf, and we ſhall be a glorious people, and what need we take care? Nay ſaith God ſtay here, though my heart be toward you,Thoſe to whom God intends great mercy, may for a long time be in a ſad condition. yet this generation ſhall ſuffer, and the next generation, & the next generation after that ſhall ſuffer hard things, you ſhal be brought into the moſt vile condition that ever any people was brought into, yet my promiſe ſhall be fulfilled at the laſt. Here we ſee what care God taketh that people ſhould not grow wanton with his mercy, and think, Oh we are in covenant with God, and God hath pardoned our ſins, what need we care? take heed of growing want on, thou maiſt ſuffer fearfull things in this world. Though God may ſave your ſouls, yet you may be brought into as wofull a condition in your ovvn apprehenſions as ever any creature was upon the earth. And for England, though it is true, we have as many arguments of the love of God to … as ever any nation had, but yet who knows what this generation may ſuffer that hath ſo ſullied it ſelf with ſuperſtitious vanities? We may be brought into vvefullſlavery, and then God may raiſe up unto himſelf another generation, upon whom he will be ſtow the mercy intended.
Fourthly,Obſer. Thoſe who will take their fill of delight to the fleſh in a ſenſual uſe of the creature, it is juſt with God they ſhould be cut ſhort, & be made to live meanly and baſely, to be made to feed with courſe fare, with barley. The Jews had their delicates before, they fared deliciouſly, now they muſt be ſed worſe then their ſervants, and eare that which was meate for beaſts. How many hath God thus dealt withall, who not long ſince had their tables furniſhed with the choyſeſt ſare, with variety of diſhes, & now perhaps are glad of a harley loafe for themſelves and their children?
Again,Obſer. If God will not utterly deſtroy a people as he might, but reſerve mercy for them at laſt, though they have never ſuch a meane ſubſiſtence for the preſent, yet they have cauſe to bleſſe God. Though this here be a threatning, yet there is a promiſe in it. The people of Iſrael (if they knew all) had no cauſe to murmur at Gods dealing, but to admire at his mercy, though they had but a little barley to ſuſtaine them. And ſuppoſe God ſhould bring us in England into a low condition, ſo as we may be glad of a barley loafe (we know famine commonly followes warre) (it was wont to be a phraſe; browne bread and the goſpell is good fare) and God may bring that upon us in another way then ever yet we or our fore-fathers were acquainted with, but yet if the Lord do not caſt us off utterly from being his people, though he feed us with brown bread, though we have never ſo mean a ſubſiſtance for the preſent, we ſhall have cauſe to bleſſe his name.
Laſtly,Obſer. It is the way of God to humble thoſe he intendeth good unto, to prepare them for mercy, by cutting them ſhort of theſe outward comforts. If the Lord hath dealt ſo with any of you, you have lived full-handed, perhaps wives have brought good portions to their husbands, and now they are broke, and all is loſt, perhaps you had good friends in the Countrey, & many of them are plundered in their eſtates, & now you are faine to fare meanly, and if you have bread for your children you think it well; but conſider this, Is not God now humbling me, and thereby preparing my heart for himſelf? Oh bleſſed be God for this my condition, this bread is ſweeter to me then all the diſhes I have had in my life. VVhen you ſit in your houſes with your wives and children, and have nothing but barley bread to feed upon, have theſe thoughts, I hope God doth this in love & mercy he is making this my condition the beſt condition I was ever in, the greateſt bleſſing to me
Verſe 3. And I ſaid unto her, thou halt abide for me many dayes, thou ſhalt not play the harlot, and thou ſhalt not be for another man, ſo will I alſo be for thee.
You ſhall not only be in ſuch a low condition as a ſlave, and worſe then a maid ſervant, and be ſed with barley, but you ſhall abide thus, & abide thus many dayes. Thus they have abode theſe ſixteene hundred yeares ſince Chriſts time, beſides their former captivity. The Lord would have a full experience of Iſrael that their hearts were throroughly humbled, before he would take them to mercy again. There was never any people dealt more falſely with God in their humiliations then they had done before. How often when they were in miſery did they come with their ſeeming humiliation & cryed for mercy, and God …wed them mercy, and aſſoone as they were delivered, they fell off againe and went after their Idols, and then being in miſery again, they cryed to God and he delivered them, and then preſently to their Idols again; Well, ſaith God, I will not deale ſo with you hereafter, I will not truſt you ſo as I have done, you have beene in miſery, and I have delivered you when you cryed to me, and then you have fallen to your ſins againe, but now you ſhall be humbled to purpoſe, you ſh…l be …ow many yeers in this low and meane condition, and then your hearts …ll be th… rowly broken, ſo that when you ſhall returne to me againe, you ſhall never fall from me. God hath dealt ſo with many of you, you have been in affliction, God hath delivered you, you have gone to your ſinnes again, you have been in affliction againe, and he hath delivered you, & you have fell to your ſins again, and thus you have dallyed with the great God: God may bring a fore & long affliction upon you, that you ſhall be ſo thorowly humbled, that you ſhall never goe back againe to your ſins as you have done. This is the meaning, abide many dayes, When we would ſcoure & purge a filthy garment thorowly, we do not onelyonly waſh it, but wee lay it a ſoaking a great while, and a froſting many nights; the Jews have lyne a ſoaking & froſtning many hundred yeeres, this is the hardneſſe of mans heart, afflictions wil not work preſently; though many wedges be put into, & many blows ſtruck upon knotty wood, it ſtirs not: ſome metals are long in melting, yea though the fire be very hot.
Againe,Obſ. Here we ſee it is Gods ordinary way when he promiſeth mercy, to ſeeme to goe quite contrary to a people, to ſeem as if he would quite deſtory them. I will marry my ſelf unto them in loving kindneſs and in mercies, but yet I will let this people be above ſixteen hundred yeers in this forlorne condition. And ſo it hath been in all Gods adminiſtrations ſince the beginning of the world.
When God comes to humble ſinners, they muſt be content to be humbled Gods own time, they muſt not out of a ſudden furious humor ſay, Lord how long? I have been thus long in a ſad condition, I have prayed thus long. Is your ſadneſs & affliction eternal? Oh no, a yeer or two perhaps, but you have deſerved eternity of miſery.
Thou ſhalt abide for me many dayes, thou ſhalt not play the harlot, & thou ſhalt not be for another man, ſo will I alſo be for thee. That is, in all this time you muſt have a care of your ſelf that you do not ſeek after other lovers, let me have experience that you will now worſhip the only true God, and I will promiſe you to ſtay for you as you do abide for me.
For the phraſe, Thou ſhalt not be for another man. The Hebrew phraſe to be to or for another man is to marry, thou ſhalt not marry another, Ezek. 16. 8. I entred into a covenant with thee and thou becameſt mine, fuiſti …, thou wort to me, that is, thou wert marryed to me, Levit. 21. 3. A virgi… …hich hath no hath and, quae non ſuit viro, a virgin that w…n to another …. A uſefull note may be had from …nce, That husbands muſt be to their wives, and wives muſt be to their husbands, that is, live to them; whatſoever thou haſt, any knowledge, any parts, any grace, it muſt be to thy wife, for the benefit of thy wife, & what the wife hath muſt be to the husband.
You ſhall abide for me many dayes, and take heed in all this time you doe not depart from me & worſhip another God: Hence we may obſerve.
In the time of the ſoreſt affliction and trouble we muſt then take heed we forſake not God.Obſer. Though I uſe you hardly for a long time, yet you may not thinke to go and ſhift for your ſelves any other way. In time of affliction we muſt take heed of uſing ſhifting wayes, we muſt not ſeek to help our ſelves by falſe comforts, though trouble continue long. We have an excellent place for that, Pſal. 44. 11. Thou haſt ſcattered us amongſt the Heathens; and ver. 12, Thou ſelleſt thy people for nanght; and ver. 13. Thou makeſt us a reproach to our neighbours, & a deriſion to them that are round about us; & ver. 17. And all this is come upon us, yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falſely in thy Covenant; and ver. 19. Thou haſt ſore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the ſhadow of death, if we have ſtretched out our hands to a ſtrange God; as if he ſhould ſay, God forbid ſuch a thing as this is, though we be in the place of dragons, though we be under reproach, under great affliction; (you may find in that Pſalme the moſt wofull afflicted eſtate of Gods people deſcribed, as in any part of the Booke of God,) yet we have not lifted up our hands to another God. We muſt not ſay as King Jehoram, 2 King 6. 30. Why ſhould I waite for the Lord any longer? He ſeemed to be humbled, and put on ſackcloth, but he would not be contented to waite for the Lord any longer, but ſhift for himſelf. It is that which is in the ſpirits of men under affliction to thinke, why ſhould I waite for God any longer? I will now ſeeke to helpe my ſelfe in my owne way, to ſhift for my ſelf, The Lord forbid that ſuch thoughts ſhould be in any of our hearts. Sedebis mihi, thou ſhalt be quiet, though thou doeſt abide in this ſad condition a long while. Eſay, 30. 7. their ſtrength is to ſit ſtill, and ver. 17. In reſt ſhall ye be ſaved, in quietneſſe and confidence ſhal be your ſtrength. Alas, thou art now afflicted, where wilt thou mend thy ſelf poor ſoul? wilt thou go to falſe gods, to thy former ſinful luſts? that is not the way to help thee, thou muſt abide untill Gods time come that he wil ſhew mercy to thee, The heart of man is ſtrongly ſet upon good, and cannot be content to ſtay Gods time, but if God fubdue thy heart ſo far as that it is content to abide though never, ſo long for God, & will not go out to help it ſelfe in any unlawfull way, this is a good ſigne that there is much love in the bottom. It is a ſigne of a ſtrong affection in a woman, when there fall out things that hinder the match between her lover and her ſelf. Well ſaith ſhe, though there be this and that in the way, though you object never ſo many things, yet I will have him, I will never marry as long as I live except I have him: This argueth heat & power of affection. So here, I will marry you unto my ſelfe, ſaith God, but I will have you ſtay for me my time, many things are to be done before that day, and then after you have ſtayed, I will come to you in a glorious manner. As God dealeth with the Jews, ſo often it is in marrying himſelf to a particular people.
Thou ſhalt do it.
God doth not only command them to do it, but it is a promiſe and a propheſie that they ſhall doe it. But you will ſay, how have the people of the …ews abode for God? Thus, they have never to this day choſen any other God, though they have not been convinced of the Meſſiah, yet ever ſince the captivity they have hated Idolatry, & that was the thing GOD ſpecially meant in this, thou ſhalt not have any more Idols, thou ſhalt chooſe no other God, no other husband, though thou haſt been very wicked and ſinfull this way heretofore (the Jews formerly choſe all manner of gods, the gods of the Amorites, and Moabites, and of all the Heathens about them) yet now thou ſhalt chooſe no other gods but me; thus far this is fulfilled, to this day the Jews ſince the captivity have never choſe any other God, but have acknowledged the Jehovah to be the only true God, they cannot abide Images. There is a notable hiſtory for this in Euſebius, in the 18. Chapter of his Antiquities. Caius Caligula ſent one Petronius to ſet up an Image in the Temple of Jeruſalem; divers of the Jewes came to Petronius to plead with him, and ſaid, Sir, what is it that you do? we beſeech you do not do it, dep…ive us of our lives firſt, for ſay they, it is impoſſible ſo long as our ſoules are in our bodies to abide it, we will all dye firſt; But ſaith Petronius, it is the command of the Emperour, and there is no contradicting it, it muſt be done. They anſwered, ſeeing you will not tranſgreſſe Caeſars command, neither vvill we violate the command of our God, nor are we ſo fainthearted, or have wee ſuch a vaine deſire of the continuance of our lives, as to enjoy them upon ſuch terms to loſe the reward of eternall life, that is propoſed for the keeping Gods commands. This was their ſpirit then, and to this day they will not endure Idols; one main thing that hinders the converſion of the Iews is, they being ſcattered here and there among Papiſts, and ſeeing ſo much Idolatry among them, they are thereby ſtumbled at Chriſtian Religion, and if God would once pull down Popery, certainely the Jewes would quickly come in, God is now about that. Therefore all of us ſhould aſſiſt in what we can to take down all monuments of Idolatry, to make the worſhip of God more pure, this will be a means to bring about their converſion, and in this regard they have abode for God all this while; this I conceive to be the meaning of the Text.
And I alſo will abide for thee. VVhat is the meaning of that? Firſt, in their captivity, ſaith God, though you ſhal be long in captivity, and in a low condition, be content, do not take any other god to be marryed unto as your husband; I will be content, I will ſtay, I will have no other people upon the earth but you all the while you are in captivi…y.
But how doth God abide for Iſrael now? God hath choſen the Gentiles how the… doth he ſtay for them?
Yes certainly, God ſtayes for Iſrael to this day, thus. Firſt, all the Gentiles that are called, they come into God, as being joyned to the people of the Jews; God honoured the Jews ſo farre, as that all the Gentiles that doe come in, are to be made the Iſrael of God.
But rather further thus, God abides for the people of the Iews to this day, in this ſenſe, God never hath taken, nor never will take to himſelfe any Nation upon the earth to be a nationall Church, as the Jewes were, and as it is probable the Jews ſhall be at their calling again, though God takes the Gentiles that are converted, and ſeverall Congregations to be Churches, but to marry himſelfe to a whole Nation, in that way as the Iews were, that is, if a man be born of that Nation, it ſhall be ſufficient to make him a member of the Church, this God did never do ſince the Iews rejection, and never will do it till the Iews be called again; though God takes Kingdomes, and ſo in ſome figurative ſenſe a Nation perhaps may be called a Church, but to ſpeak properly and ſtrictly, to be a Church ſo as the Iews were, there is no ſuch nationall Church, nor never will be till the calling in of the Iews again; then God will be marryed to that Nation in a more glorious manner then ever, & God abideth to this day for that glory which hee intendeth for Ieſus Chriſt, untill they come in. And this I take to be a great reaſon why God for the preſent ſuffers his Churches to bee perſecuted ſo much as they are, herein God ſuffers himſelfe as well as they; the Church ever ſince Chriſts time hath been in a low and perſecuted condition, the wicked have prevailed; What is the reaſon? God abideth for this people of the Iews, and hee is pleaſed himſelf to undergoe many ſufferings, in the mean time do you abide for me, I will be content to ſuffer much diſhonour my ſelfe, many ſhall come in to Chriſt, but yet they ſhal be a poor contemptible people, the wicked of the world ſhall prevail againſt them, ſhall ſcorn them, ſhall contemne them, ſo that I ſhall not appear to the world to be their Husband, untill you be called again, I ſhall be as it were without a wife; but when the time ſhall come that you ſhall return to me, then I wi… manifeſt my ſelfe indeed, you ſhall be a moſt glorious Church, and then there ſhall be ſuch a full marriage between us, that all the world ſhall acknowledge it, then they ſhall all come and ſay, Come, behold the Bride, the Lambs wife, This is the ſcope of this Scripture; from whence theſe Obſervations.
Firſt,Obſer. Husbands ſhould not require of their wives any thing but what they will anſwerably do for them. God doth ſo here, Abide for me, ſaith hee, and I will abide for you, there ſhall be parpari, like for like. Many husbands will require hard things from their wives, but will doe little themſelves; and on the other ſide wives expect great things from their husbands, but do little themſelves. There muſt be a proportion betweene what the wife expects from the husband, and what ſhee doth to or for her husband, and ſo mutually.
2. In our ſadde condition God ſuffereth as well as wee. This may helpe us in our ſufferings we ſhould thinke, though wee ſuffer much, God ſuffereth as much as we,Lect. 1. why then …ould we think much? the people of the Iews if they had hearts might ſee it now, God ſtayes for his honour till they come in. So in all the perſecutions of the Church, doth not Chriſt ſuffer, in that the great work of Reformation doth not go on? It is true, we are grieved, … Spirit of God is grieved as well as we, and ſuffereth as much as we, God …oth as it were abide for us, and ſtays for his glory. Wee deſire (it is true) …hat God would come in and manifeſt himſelfe, then we ſhall be happy and …ejoyce; but ſo long as God ſtays our happineſſe, he ſtays his own glory.
What abundance of glory doth God loſe in thoſe praiſes hee ſhould have, if the Reformation were preſently perfected? but God hath other ends, God is content to ſtay for his prayſes, let us be content to ſtay for what we deſire to have, it concerns God to haſten the work as much, yea farre more then it concerns us to deſire it, we ſuffer ſomething for want of it, but God ſuffers more.
3. That people,Obſer. or that ſoul that endureth hardſhip a long time for God, and reſolveth to reſerve it ſelf for him, ſo as if it cannot have comfort in God it will have none elſewhere, may aſſure it ſelfe that God reſerveth himſelfe for it. Certainly nothing ſhall take off the heart of God, but there will be a bleſſed marriage between that ſoule, that people, and him. Is there ever a poor creature here is in a ſad condition, & God ſeemeth to deal hardly with it, yet hee findeth in himſelfe this frame of ſpirit, well though God ſeem to leave me, and I am thus deſolate, yet if I can have no comfort here, I will have none elſewhere; I wil be content to ſtay and wait, no creature ſhal have my heart. It is true, I am not able to guide my ſelfe, but I am reſolved the Devil ſhal never guide me; I am not able to do the will of God, but I will never do the wil of the Devil; and if God ſhould leave me never ſo long, nay leave me eternally, I wil never have any other husband, I wil rather dye a widow, I wil never let out my ſelf to any; if he doe not come in and marry himſelf to me, I wil be without comfort as long as I live. Is thy heart in this frame? Peace be unto thee, certainly God intends thoughts of mercy to thy ſoule, there wil certainly be a marriage betweene God and thy ſoule. And this frame of heart where it is, oh how wil it help againſt temptation! when a poor ſoul is in diſtreſſe, and it may be God ſeemeth to go off further & further, I have prayed long and long, and yet God ſeems not to heare, afflictions, they prevail; why do you pray any more? why do you come and heare any more? you were as good leave off at firſt, God wil never come, you were as good take your pleaſure for a while, you can but periſh at the laſt: This temptation many times comes very ſorely upon poor diſtreſſed ſoules; But now when the heart can anſwer, it is true, the Lord indeed ſeemeth to be gone, and I have cauſe to fear leſt he ſhould reject me, but become of mee what wil, yet I wil never have any other husband, never any other comfort but God comfort, no other peace but the peace of God, and I am reſolved that if I … I wil periſh crying for it; if thou beeſt in this frame waiting for GOD, GOD is waiting for thee in way… of his mercy, and at … bowels of GODS mercy will yerne towards that, as the bowels of Joſeph yerned towards his brethren ſo that he could hold no longer. You know Joſeph for a long time uſed his brethren hardly, but his brethren yet behaved themſeves humbly and ſubmiſſively toward him, and at length he could not refraine; ſo it may be God uſeth thee ſome what hardly for a while, yet do thou keep in an humble and ſubmiſſive frame of ſpirit unto him, do that which beſeemeth a creature to do, whatſoever God doth to thee, it is fit God ſhould exerciſe his abſolute power over me, and that I ſhould do my duty to him, do this and be ſure thou art a ſoul that God will marry himſelf unto in the end.
Fourthly,Obſer. So farre as we are willing to be for God, God is willing to be for us. God requires that you ſhould ſeek him with your whole heart, Jer. 29. 13. Mark how God anſwereth, I will rejoyce over them to doe them good, Ier. 31. 21.yea I will plant them in this land aſſuredly with my whole heart and with my whole ſoule; Will you ſeeke God with your whole heart? I will do you good ſaith God with my whole heart. God is as willing to doe for you as you are to do for him, if all the faculties of your ſouls work toward God,VVe may know what is done in heaven by by the beatings of our own hearts. all the attributes in God ſhall worke for your good. If thy eſtate be wholly given up for God, Gods riches ſhall be wholly for thee. VVouldeſt thou know how Gods heart works toward thee? do but lay thine hand upon thy own heart, according to the beatings of thine heart towards God, ſo are the workings of the heart of God toward thee; thou mayeſt determine it thus; thou canſt not goe up to heaven to know it, but go into thine owne heart and there thou mayeſt know. As a man may know by the working of an engine within, how the workings are abroad. That is the reaſon that the Saints, when they have had their hearts enlarged in prayer, they have come to be reſolved what God will do for them or for his Church; as it is ſaid of Luther, when he was in prayer one time more then ordinarily earneſt with God, he comes down to his frinds and ſaith, well it ſhall goe well with Germany all my dayes, look ye to it afterward: he knew what was done in heaven, by what was done in his own heart. We may know in a great meaſure what God meaneth to doe with his Churches according to the inward beatings of our own hearts.Obſer. Further, See here the happy advantage of the Saints, beyond the men of the world thus: Be you for me ſaith God, & I will be for you. The men of the world can ſay, I am for the world, & the world is for me, I am for my honour, and my honor is for me, I am for my whore, and my whore is for me, this is all their happines, but now a Saint can ſay, I am for God, and God is for me. Oh the goodneſs of God toward us, that he is willing to be for us as we are for him! for him, alas what can we be for him? we are poor worms, vile creatures in our ſelves, what can we do? he hath no need of us, we are bound to do all that we do. It is all one as if a king ſhould come to a poor beggar, & ſay thus, poor man thou haſt but little, yet do what you can for me, I will do what I can for you; this were a mighty diſproportion: Alas what can the beggar do for the King? If you will but uſe your ſtaffe or what you have for me, I will uſe my riches, & glory, and all for your good; ſaith the King to the beggar. So ſaith God to a poore creature, Be you for me, and I will be for you; ſtand for me, and I will ſtand for you; uſe any thing you have forme, and I will uſe what I have for you. Oh the bleſſed condition of the Saints! who would not be for God? Do not now ſay, alas! I am a poore vile and unworthy creature, ſo were the Jews, do not ſay I am gone a whoring from God, and dealt falſely with him, the Jews did ſo, yet ſaith God, whenſoever you will be for me, I will be for you, It is now the great queſtion amongſt us, who are you for? I will put the queſtion to you all, who are you for? Are your hearts wholly given up to God, or are you for your luſts for the creature? certainly the creature will deceive you ere long, you will have no good from the creature that now you are ſo much for; if you be not for God now, hee will ſend you to the creature in the time of your diſtreſſe. There is a time comming that every one of us ſhall ſee the need we have that God be for us; let us be for God now, that God may be for us then, when we come to cry to him, and ſay, Oh Lord, let thy mercy and goodneſſe be for us, he will ſay, who were you for? you were for your luſts, now goe to your luſts, you would have none of me before, I will have none of you now. Pro. 1. 26. 27. You would have none of my reproofe, I alſo will laugh at your calamity and mock when your feare commeth.
Marke, They would have none of Gods reproofe, hee doth not ſay, they would have none of my mercy, they would have none of my grace, therefore I will laugh at their deſtruction; but they would have none of my reproofe; why? the reproofes of God are the bittereſt, the harſheſt things of all, yet becauſe they would have none of Gods reproofes, he laughes at their deſtruction. What ſhall become of them then, who will have none of the riches of Gods grace offered to them in Chriſt,