An Exposition of Hosea 1-3, Chapter 3 · Lecture 2
The Second Lecture.
HOSEA 3. 4. 5.
For the children of Iſrael ſhal abide many dayes without a King, and without a Prince, and without a ſacrifice, and without an image, and without an Ephod, and without a Teraphim.
Afterward ſhall the children of Iſrael returne, and ſeek the Lord their God.
HEre is much privation, ſix withouts, 1. without a King, 2. without a Prince, 3. without a ſacrifice, 4. without an image, 5. without an Ephod. 6. without a Teraphim, but the laſt verſe makes all up, They ſhall return and ſeeke the Lord their God, and David their King. Theſe withouts ſhew the wofull confuſed eſtate that Iſrael was to be in for many dayes, many years, both in regard of their Civill, and of their Church ſtate.
The Civill State, without a King, without a Prince. Their Church, in the four that follow after. Though once they were the happieſt people upon the face of the earth both in regard of their Civil and Church eſtate, yet now they ſhall be moſt miſerable. This they had brought upon themſelves, they had ſet up their Idols in Dan and Bethel, Dan is the place of judgement, Bethel the houſe of God, ſo the words ſignifie; there was abundance of corruption both in places of judgement, and in the houſe of God, and now there comes upon them abundance of confuſion both in their Civill and in their Church ſtate. They received their order for both from God himſelf, from heaven, and their Laws as well for Cvill as for Church Government, which no other people yet ever did in the ſtate manner; but they leave Gods inſtituions, and ſo they are brought into all confuſion.
They ſhall be without a King.
How without a King? When they were in captivity, yet they were under a King, the King of Babylon and the Aſſyrian, and now they are ſcattered under the Government of Kings and Princes ſtill where ever they are.
They have Kings over them,Anſw. but they have none of their own Nation to be their King, and that is the judgement; Neither are they governed by their own (or rather) by Gods Laws, and for them to be in ſlavery under Kings, was to them as ill (yea worſe) then to have no King at all.
It is a ſad condition for a people to be ſo without a King, to protect them, without a King to maintaine their Laws, their Priviledges and Liberties.
When men reject God from ruling over them, it is juſt with God to put them under the rule of Tyrants, of Oppreſſors, of publike enemies unto their ſtate, of deſtroyers. The bleſſing of government is very great, if it be right, and therefore the Perſians were wont after their Governor dyed to let all the people for five dayes be without any governour at all, that ſeeing the inconvenience and miſchiefe of being without it, they might the more willingly yeeld themſelves under Government, and be obedient to it when they came under it. It is a queſtion among Polititions, whether Tyrannie or Anarchy be the better, Tyrannicall Government, or no Government at all. Though Tyrannie (except it come to a great extremity) may be better then Anarchie, yet certainly it is not better then to bring power to be regulated, though it be with ſome trouble, That power that at firſt raiſeth power, that deſignes ſuch perſons and families to have the power, that limiteth that power, ſurely cannot want power to regulate that power that it ſhould not be to its owne deſtruction.
But here it is not onelyonly to be without a King, foreignbut without a Prince too. The word that is here tranſlated Prince, ſignifieth a Ruler, Judge, or Governour, and ſo I finde it often uſed in Scripture. 1 Chron. 27. 31. All theſe were rulers of the ſubſtance, Princes, the ſame word that is here uſed; and Nehem. 3. 9. The ruler of the halfe part of Jeruſalem, the Prince. So that by Prince here is meant Judges or any kind of Rulers, they ſhall be without Prince, without any Judges or Rulers.
Though they had no Kings,Lect. 2. yet if the government had been in the hand of eminent men, of Judges over them, their condition had not beene ſo ſad. Time was (not long before) that their happineſſe did not conſiſt in being under the government of Kings, they were in a happy condition before ever theſe were over them, and the firſt time that ever they came under their government, it was upon their own choice: and ſo as God profeſſeth they had rejected him, and God ſent them their firſt King in his wrath. Therefore their miſery certainly did not depend wholly upon being without a King.
If God reſtraine not Kings, they often deſire to encroach upon the Liberties that the Laws of the Land, the light of Nature, and God himſelfe gives Subjects. Plutarch tells us a ſtory of Pyrrhus, who comming to Athens, the Athenians to ſhew their reſpect, and to give honour to King Pyrrhus, let him come into their Caſtle, to ſacrifice there, to Minerva, which was a place they were not wont to let ſtrangers into. VVhen he came out of the Caſtle, he told them that he was much engaged to them for that great favour; in requitall of which,Plutarch in the life of Pyrrhus. hee told them he would give them this good counſell, Take heed, ſaith he, that you never let King come more into this place; Immitating how eaſily they may be perſwaded to internch upon the liberties of thoſe who come under their power.
And this ſhould abide for many dayes. It did abide for 700. yeares and upward before Chriſts time in regard of the ten Tribes, for from the ſixt of Hezekiab to Chriſt it was ſo long, the tenne Tribes never came under any Governour of their owne in all that time: And ſince Chriſts time neither Judah nor Iſrael have had either King or Prince of their own. Oh what a blindneſs is there upon this people! how dreadfull is that darkneſs they are now in! That notwithſtanding the Propheſie was ſo cleare, that the ſcepter ſhould not depart from Judah untill Shiloh came; and yet now they have been without Prince theſe 1600. yeares, and yet they will not believe that Shiloh is come. Thus when God giveth over to blindneſs and hardneſſe, things that are never ſo cleare will not be believed.
But their confuſion in their Church ſtate is more grievous then the other, They ſhall be without a ſacrifice, and without an image, and without an Ephod, and without a Teraphim. Two of theſe foure, expreſſe their being deprived of Gods own Ordinances, and the other two their being deprived of their falſe worſhip. They made a mixture in worſhip, they would have their ſacrifice & their Ephod, but together with them their image and their Teraphim. Obſer.This is mans perverſneſs to make mixtures in Gods worſhip, they will keep ſomething of that which is Gods, but they will bring in ſomething of their own too, and that ſpoiles all. I have read of an Emperour of Rome, that in one Temple he would have Chriſt and Orpheus worſhipped both together. And thoſe who were ſent into Samaria by the King of Babylon, of vvhom we reade, 2 Kings 17. 33. They feared the Lord, and ſerved their own gods: but verſe 34. it is ſaid, they feared not God, that is, though they would acknowledge the true God, yet they would mix the worſhip of Idols with the true God, and ſo God rejected all, they did not feare … God at all; It is no feare of God except we feare him onelyonly; it is no worſhip of God that is accepted, unleſs we worſhip him onelyonly. It is true, the Heathens are content with mixture in their worſhip; you may worſhip one God, and have the worſhip of another God mixed with it, becauſe there is not any one of them who challengeth to himſelfe to be the univerſall good, but God being the univerſall good, he muſt be worſhipped alone without mixture.
There are two things wherein we muſt take heed of mingling;2. Things in which wee muſt take heed of mixture. The one is in Divine worſhip, the other is in that great point of Juſtification. It is as much as our lives are worth to mingle in either of theſe, we muſt keep to the Rule very cloſe and ſtrict in theſe two, rather then in any thing.
Theſe people had both, and God threatens they ſhould be without both; ſeeing they would not keep themſelves fully to his inſtitutions, they ſhould have none at all, they ſhould have neither Gods inſtitutions nor their own.
VVe are this day much like to Iſrael. In regard of our Civill ſtate, much confuſion there is in that, though not altogether ſo much as was in theirs. And in our Church ſtate wee are very like them; we have neither the right way of worſhip, nor the falſe, in regard of the Government of the Church; The falſe is caſt away and profeſt againſt, yet we have not the true; OnelyOnly here is the mercy of God that we are inquiring after the true, & ſeeking the Lord, and David our King. The Lord give us hearts to inquire to purpoſe.
Thoſe who underſtand the Septuagint, ſhal finde that they tranſlate theſe foure here,Some coples. foreign. Sacrifice, Image, Ephod, and Teraphim, by words that onelyonly ſignifie the true worſhip, and therefore for Image they put foreign an Altar, and for the Teraphim foreign Prieſthood, and for the Ephod, foreign manifeſtation; a word uſed for the Vrim and Thummim. But the Hebrew is other wayes, S…crafice, Image, Ephod, and Teraphim, as in your bookes.
Firſt then to enquire after that which was right, the true worſhip, Sacrifice and Ephod, what that was, and then the other, Image and Teraphim.
Sacrifice. They ſhould have no ſacrifice at all, for ſince their Temple was deſtroyed they could never have any. That is the reaſon that they pray with that mighty fervency of ſpirit that God would build the Temple again, (as I remember I formerly ſhewed you out of Buxtorfius.) Aedifica, aedifica, aedifica; cito, cito, cito, Lord build, build, build thy Temple, in our dayes, &c. Becauſe they knew they could have no ſacrifice ſo long as their Temple was downe; And this was a ſad condition they were in; this is their lamentable eſtate to this day, they have not the legall ſacrifices, nor that which was typed out by them. There were theſe three things in their ſacrifices.
1. Their tendring up of themſelves to God, the ſhewing their reſpect to him in that way he required, that was in their Burnt-Offering.
2. Seeking the expiation of ſinne, that was in their Sinne-Offering.
3. Seeking for mercy and thankſgiving, that was in their Peace-offering.
Now to have no ſacrifice in either of theſe three kinds, that is, to have nothing to tender up to the high and bleſſed God to ſhew our reſpect to him; to have no means to expiate our ſins when we have offended him; to have no way to ſeeke to God for mercy when we need, nor to returne praiſe, this muſt needs be a ſad thing. This the Jews have not for the preſent, we have Chriſt who is to us all theſe, the tendring up of him. to God, is the tendring the greateſt reſpect to God that poſſibly can be, the tendring of him is the expiation for our ſins, it is the ſeeking of whatſoever mercy we would have, and it is our Euchariſticall ſacrifice too for all our mercies.The evill condition of thoſe who are out of Chriſt. But thoſe who are without Chriſt, are to this day without ſacrifice, they have nothing to tender up to God. If thou wilt tender up thy eſtate, thy body, or thy liberty, or thy name, this is no ſacrifice acceptable unto God, except thou haſt Chriſt to tender up to him, and canſt tender up all in him and through him, then indeed God accepts of theſe. When thou haſt ſinned what ſacrifice wilt thou offer to God to explate thy ſin? all thy prayers, thy teares are nothing, except they come with this ſacrifice, Jeſus Chriſt; in him indeed a contrite heart is a ſacrifice very acceptable to God. But ſo long as thou art without Chriſt, the judgement of the Iews is upon thee, thou art without a ſacrifice.
And without an Ephod.]
By this he meaneth, firſt, that they ſhould be without the Prieſthood. They ſhould not have any Church Officers, And ſecondly, they ſhould have no meanes to know the mind of God. That is the ſcope, which appeares thus.
Firſt, That by the Ephod is meant the Prieſts, is cleare by that expreſſion 1 Sam. 22. 18. where it is ſaid that Doeg ſlew four-ſcore & five perſons that did we are a limen Ephod, that is, four-ſcore and five Prieſts.
Secondly, Without the meanes of knowing Gods minde, for the Vrim and the Thummim, was upon the pectorall, upon the breaſt-plate thas was faſtned upon the Ephod; So that when they were without the Ephod, they muſt needs be without their breaſt-plate, for the breaſt-plate was annexed to the Ephod, and could not be uſed for the knowing the minde of God but onelyonly by applying it to the Ephod, 1 Sam. 30. 7. David ſaid to the Priest, Bring me hither the Ephod, and David inquired at the Lord, ſaying, ſhall I purſue after this troope? It was by the preſence of the Ephod, that he did enquire vvhat the minde of God was what he ſhould do in this buſineſſe that he was now about, whether he ſhould follow the troope, yea or no. And the Text is very obſervable in the ſixt verſe, you may ſee at what time it was that David was ſo carefull to make uſe of the Ephod, to know the minde of God what he ſhould doe, he was in an exceeding diſtreſſed condition, for Ziglag his owne City that he had the charge of was burnt, and the men of the City were all in a fretting mood, and talked of ſtoning him, becauſe the Amalekites had come in his abſence & taken away their goods, their wives and children, and burnt the Towne.
This is the condition of men in publique places, if any thing fall out unſucceſfully, the people are ready in rage to fall upon them; this makes men in publicke places to be in a hard condition, very dangerous and troubleſome. We had need pray much for them, we are ready to envy thoſe that are above us, & employed in publique ſervices; but conſidering what danger they are in, & how every thing that falleth out amiſſe, otherwiſe then we deſire, the blame is preſently laid upon them, their condition is not ſo happy as we imagine. This was Davids condition, nay the Text ſaith, that being in this condition, he and the men that were with him wept, ſo as they had no more power to weep their hearts were ſo broken, yet in this ſad and grievous condition, he encourageth himſelf in the Lord his God,God is ſought in ſtraits. and he calleth for the Ephod to enquire, and know the mind of God what he ſhould do in it. You ſhall obſerve that this is the firſt time we read that David in his VVars and Battells called for the Ephod, when he went to Achiſh, then he did not enquire, when he invaded the Geſhurites, and Amalekites before, he did not enquire, but now when he was brought into ſtraits, when his heart was broken, when he was in a weeping condition, now he calleth for the Ephod: VVhen God brings men into ſtraits, and humbles them, then they will enquire of God to purpoſe. VVe are now about to enquire of God, to know his mind but we are not humbled enough, our ſtraits have not broken our hearts, and perhaps we ſhall not ſo readily know Gods mind, God may yet humble us more, and then when we come to enquire Gods mind, it may be to further purpoſe.
But to open this garment a little.foreign The word Ephod is that Hebrew word, which ſignifies to cloſe in, and to compaſſe about, to gird about, becauſe of the fitting garment to the Prieſts, and the girding of it about them. There were divers ſorts of theſe Ephods, one peculiar to the high Prieſt, that you have Exod. 28. 6. Others that the ordinary Prieſts had, that you have in the former places I named about the fourſcore and five Prieſts ſlain by Doeg; What the Ephod was.A third was common for the ordinary Levites, thus Samuel, 1 Sam. 2. 18. miniſtred before the Lord girded with a linnen Ephod. And there was a fourth that other people did we are in their holy actions, eſpecially before Kings, David danced before the Lord, girded with a linnen Ephod, 2 Sam. 6. 14. And to this day the Jewes have a kind of linnen garment, but not of the faſhion of our Ephod, but ſome little kind of reſemblance to it, they wear it upon their heads, and ſo downward. VVhen Alexander came to Jeruſalem, I addus the high Prieſt came with all his Prieſtly garments to meet him, which cauſed him to fall down, proſtrating himſelfe before him, out of reverence to him; Ioſephus tels us in that ſtory, that the people came with white garments, garments that had ſome kind of reſemblance to this Ephod: Ioſephus ſaith that this Ephod was a garment but of a cubite long, only covering the ſhoulders and the breaſt, open above and on either ſide, and girt about the breaſts; others make it a longrobe, reaching down to the very feet, But there was a robe beſide the Ephod, the Ephod was over another robe ſo Chriſt appeared unto John, Rev. 1. 13. Cloathed with a garment downe to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle, like the Prieſts, for ſo they were wont to be arrayed; And Revel. 15. 6. the Miniſters of the Churches called by the name of Angels, are deſcribed, cloathed in white linnen, having their breaſts girded with golden girdles; not girt about their loynes, but about their breaſts, near their hearts. That which makes Miniſters of the Goſpel ready prepared for the work, is the girdle of truth, and this muſt be about their hearts; if their owne plottings and ſelf-ends ſhall gird them, that is, put them on to a readineſs to do what may ſerve for thoſe ends; this girdle is not the golden girdle, but like that rotten girdle of Jeremiahs, Chap. 31. 7. that was profitable for nothing.
This garment of the Ephod was a holy garment then, and others muſt take heed of medling with ſuch garments, or of ſeeking to imitate to make the like garments. We read of Gideon, Judges 8. when God had given him a great victory over the Midianites, he would imitate this Ephod, of the ſpoil he had gotten of the Midianites, he made a rich and glorious Ephod, but the Text obſerveth that thing proved to be the deſtruction of Gideons houſe, for the people went a whoring after it; he made it with a good intention to teſtifie his thankfulneſſe to God for his victory, not thinking that ever it ſhould be worſhipped. It is a dangerous thing for governours to imitate Gods ordinances in garments or the like, and to preſerve them amongſt people, though it be with never ſo good an intention, their good intention will not excuſe them; Gideons preſumption in making an Ephod, in imitation of the Ephod appointed by God proved to be the deſtruction of his houſe, yet this was Gideon who a little before had deſtroyed the altar of Baal, though he was ſo much againſt Idolatry before, yet now he doth that which furthereth Idolatry: ſo many Governours, if they take not heed, they may pull down one kind of falſe worſhip, and ſet up another.
The Iewes have many myſteries about this garment, it would weary you to hear them. I ſhall only obſerve that which is moſt uſefull for you, wee muſt not read the books of the old Teſtament, as if they concerned us not. Firſt, upon the ſhoulders of the Ephod there were ſet ranks of precious ſtones, upon them were in graven the names of the twelve Tribes according to their generations: What to be obſerved from the precious ſtones upon the Ephod. Obſer.And in the middle of the Ephod upon the breaſt-plate, which was to be four-ſq…are, there were four rowes of precious ſtones, upon thoſe likewiſe were ingraven all the names of the Tribes of Iſrael, & he bore them upon his heart. There is much to be obſerved in this.
Firſt, Let the Tribes be what they will be in themſelves, though never ſo mean, yet upon the Ephod they were precious ſtones. The Prieſt wearing the Ephod was a type of Chriſt; let thoſe who are godly, be never ſo meane in themſelves, yet in Chriſt God looks upon them as precious ſtones.
Secondly,Obſer. Theſe precious ſtones that were upon the ſhoulders of the Ephod are called a memoriall, Exod. 28. 12. that was to ſignifie Chriſt, bearing the names of all the Saints before his Father for a memorial, thoſe 12, tribes preſenting all the Churches that ſhould be unto the end of the world. When God remembers his Church, it is thorow Chriſt; God never remembers his Church, but it is by Chriſt carrying it before him, that is the comfort of the Saints; therefore he can never remember them to revenge himſelf upon them, for he never thinketh of them but only as Chriſt preſenteth them unto him.
And further, A memoriall (ſay the Jewes) not onelyonly becauſe the Prieſts were to beare the names of the twelve Tribes ingraven in thoſe ſtones for a memoriall before the Lord, but to ſignifie that the Prieſts themſelves were to remember to pray for the Tribes.
And thirdly, A memoriall to ſignifie that both the Prieſts and all the people were to remember their godly Anceſtors and Predeceſſors, and to follow their vertues, and not to be any diſhonour unto them.
But the firſt is the chiefe, theſe precious ſtones with the names of the tribes were firſt upon the ſhoulder, and then upon the heart: upon the ſhoulder, this notes that Chriſt carryes his Church upon his ſhoulder, hee beares the burthen of his Church, all their weight, all their afflictions upon his ſhoulder, the ſhoulder of Chriſt ſtandeth under the Churcher, certainly therefore they ſhall never ſinke.
But may they not be ſo burthenſome to Chriſt as that he may ſhake off his burthen? No, therefore he hath them upon his breaſt-plate too as well as upon his ſhoulder, there was upon the breaſt-plate in the middeſt of the Ephod the names of the twelve Tribes, Chriſt carryes the memoriall of his Churches at his heart as well as upon his ſhoulders, & that makes Chriſt put his ſhoulders to the good of the Churches becauſe they are ſo neare his heart. An infinite comfort it is in the ſpirituall meaning of this Ephod that belongs to all the godly, Chriſt night and day hath thee upon his ſhoulder, and upon his heart as a precious ſtone before God the Father. This one thing further is obſervable about it, you ſhall finde if you reade that place in Exodus, that the names of the twelve Tribes were to be ingraven upon theſe ſtones in order according to their birth, now in Revel. 21. the twelve Apoſtles who in regard of their Doctrine are made the twelve precious ſtones of the foundation of the new Jeruſalem, you ſhal reade that they are all the very ſame precious ſtones by name excepting four, and thoſe foure I finde that Interpreters think to be the ſame that the other were, only with different names, for precious ſtones either in regard of the places where they are found, or in regard of their quality or colour carry divers names, ſo that it is very probable that thoſe precious ſtones in Rev. were the ſame with theſe in Exo. but there we do not finde that they are ſet according unto any dignity of one Apoſtle before another, as they were in the ſetting of the names of the Tribes, for the firſt precious ſtone that was to be ſet of the foundation of the new Ieruſalem, of the glorious Church that ſhould be, it is the ſtone of Benjamin who was the youngeſt; And if there might be any myſtery in it, we may think it ſignifies thus much, at leaſt we may make uſe of it by way of alluſion, that the Lord wil uſe of the young ones of this generation, who ſhal make way for the new Jeruſalem before any of the other tribes; God will cull out them to the firſt ſtone of the foundation of that glorious Church. In that we find there was not ſuch order ſet of the Apoſtles as was of the Tribes, we are taught that Chriſt would not have us look upon the Apoſtles as one above another; therefore you ſhall find the Apoſtles are never named in one and the ſame order; in one Evangeliſt they are ſet down in one order, and in another, in another, as Mat. 10. Mar. 3. Luc. 9. ſo Act. 1. In all theſe they are named in a different order, noting thereby that there is no ſuperiority nor inferiority in the Miniſters of the Goſpel.
Upon the Ephod there was likewiſe the Vrim and Thummim. It is very hard to tell you what this Vrim and Thummim was, it coſts a great deal of time to find out what men think it was, and if I ſhould tell you the variety of the gueſſes of men about this, it would be tireſome unto you and me. Auſtin in his 117. queſtion upon Exod. In venire quid ſint deficile, what this Vrim and Thummim was, it is hard to find, and Cajetan ſaith, none ever yet explained what it was, and they tell us that even the Rabbins themſelves ſay, the Jewes were very ignorant of this.Faetentur Rabbini ſum mam eſſe apud Hebraeos harum rerum ignorantiam. But moſt probable one of theſe two, eſpecially the latter. Some think that they were ſome ſtones ſet in the breaſtplate, which by their brightneſs or darkneſſe did give an anſwer to what they demanded of God, that is thus; when the high Prieſt went to demand of God what was to be done in any great and publique affairs, hee preſented this breaſt-plate with theſe ſtones before the Lord, and if God would give an affirmative anſwer, the ſtones gave a more then ordinary brightneſs and luſtre; but if he would give a negative anſwer, then the ſtones were darker then they were before; but we are not certain of this, we may rather conclude upon the other, viz. that the Vrim and Thummim, (though we know not what matter they were made of, no more then we know what Manna was made of) it was ſomwhat that God gave Moſes to put into the breaſt-plate, which by him was appointed as an ordinance which was to be preſented before the Lord by the Prieſt when they would know the mind of God, & when this was preſented before the Lord, God did then uſually give an anſwer to the Prieſt, either by an audible voyce, or by ſecret inſpiration, yet not always tying himſelf to give it thus; for we find in Scripture, ſomtimes God did not give an anſwer when he was ſought by Vrim and Thummim, as when Saul enquired of God by Vrim & Thumim there was no anſwer from God; and it is like Joſiah would not have ſent onelyonly to Huldah the propheteſſe if hee could have had anſwer by Vrim and Thumim; but when God pleaſed he would give an anſwer this way.
The word Vrim & Thummim ſignifies light and perfection, ſome would make it to ſignifie the knowledg and integrity of life that is to be in Miniſters, but I rather think the meaning is, that they were bright precious ſtones which were of a great perfection, and fit to doe that which God did appoint them for. The Septuagint calls this foreign, the Oracle. Hence 1 Pet. 4. 11 Let … ſpeak foreign, as the Oracles of God.
Now this muſt be upon the breaſt-plate of the Prieſt, which the Prieſt making uſe of, thereby the people came to know the minde of God. This was to ſignifie that we muſt look for the mind of God by Chriſt.we muſt know Gods mind by Chriſt. It is Chriſt who is come from the Father to reveale his counſels to us; if we look to have the mind of God any other way but through him, we are miſtaken. And further, this Vrim and Thummim, this breaſt-plate of judgment, was to be upon the heart of the high Prieſt, and that when he went in before the Lord, as Exod. 28, 30. There are two notable morall obſervations to be obſerved from thence.
Firſt,Obſ. The anſwer that any Miniſter of God in the name of Chriſt ſhould give his people, ſhould be ſuch an anſwer as ſhould lie at his very heart, hee muſt ſpeak nothing but his very heart unto them; when he would anſwer any caſe of conſcience, or make known any thing of the mind of God, his anſwer muſt lie at his heart.
Secondly,Obſer. It muſt be as in the preſence of the Lord, it muſt be as before God, he muſt conſider in whoſe place he ſtandeth to anſwer as from God, from the great Prophet of the Church.
It is a great judgment threatned to be without Vrim and Thummim, ſeeing it was of ſo great uſe to them. And this ſhould be for many dayes. Joſephus ſaith, that they were without this two hundred years before he wrote his Antiquities, that was an hundred and five years before Chriſt; but it appears that they had no Vrim and Thummim long before that time, for at their return from captivity, Ezra 2. 63. the Tirſhatha, that is, the Ruler, ſaid unto them, that they ſhould not eate of the moſt holy things till there ſtood up a Prieſt with Vrim and Thummim, therefore they had not then a Prieſt with Urim and Thummim, they expected to have one, but whether ever they had one after it is not know. This was the reaſon of that complaint of Aſaph, Pſa. 74. 9. We ſee not our ſignes, there is no more any Prophet, neither is there any among us that knoweth how long; that is a grievous complaint. Now it is like that Pſalme was made about the very time of their return from captivity; for Ezra 2. 41. Aſaph is named among thoſe that came to Jeruſalem from the captivity, The ſingers, the children of Aſaph, an hundred twenty and eight. But let it be then or after, by this Pſalme wee may finde that it was a very lamentable complaint to be without Urim and Thummim.
The reſult of all is,Obſer. that it is a grievous thing to the Saints, that in the time of their ſtrait they dono… know Gods mind. At any time when God brings his people into ſtraits, yet if they can know the mind of their God, they are refreſhed and encouraged; but when they ſhall ſeeke to know Gods minde, and the Lord reſuſeth to diſcover it to them, this is a ſad condition indeed.
I find one note more of Jeroms about their being without an Ephod. We may obſerve, ſaith he, the hardneſs of the hearts of the Jews, that they ſhould be ſo many hundred years without ſacrifice and without Ephod, without the true worſhip of God among them, and ways to know Gods mind, and duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page yet they are not guilty of any greater ſin then the ſin of Idolatry, except it be of the killing of JESUS CHRIST, that they ſhould not reaſon thus,Quae ſit cauſa tam grandis offenſa ut tanto tempore relicti ſunt? maxime cum idolae non colant praeter interfectionem ſalvatoris, aliam non valent invenire. Hieron. in loc. what ſin is it that thus provokes God againſt us more then ever he was provoked? Surely there is ſome greater ſinne then ever yet we have committed; but ſaith he, they can never finde any other offence, beſide the killing of Chriſt, to be a greater offence then Idolatry, and yet they have a greater judgement upon them then ever they had, though they are not guilty of that ſinne as they were formerly; ſurely were they not extreamly hardned, they would be convinced that all this is becauſe of our rejecting & crucifying Chriſt the Son of God.
As they had the Ordinances of God, ſo they had wayes of falſe worſhip of their owne, Images and Teraphim. I muſt ſhew you what thoſe were, and then how it is a threatning that they ſhould be without thoſe.
Image, What Teraphim was.That ſeemeth to refer to the two calves they had ſet up in Dan & Bethel, which they ſo much gloryed and rejoyced in, they ſhould be taken away.
Teraephim, that likewiſe ſhould be taken away. Now if you aske what this Teraphim was? in the general, Taraph is a divining image;Quem admodum per Ephod Deo conſecratum quid agendum eſſet conſule… illbus ſignificabatur, ita per Teraphim Idolorum praedictiones declarabantur. Procop. in Sam. 15. 23. as the Ephod was Gods Ordinance to know the minde of God by, ſo the Teraphim was a way of the Devil, an idolatrous way to know things that were to come. It was an Image made after this faſhion, ſo I finde thoſe that write of it tell us, The Teraphim was the image of the head of a man wrung off his body, ſalted and beſpiced with precious ſpices,Mactabant hominem, cujus caput terquendo preſcin debant, quod poſtea …ale & aromatibus condiebant, ſcribebantque ſuper laminam auream nome… ſpirit… immundi, qua ſoppoſita capiti ejus, ponchant illud in parict… intendentibus coram eo candelas, & adorantes coram eo, ſupponebant nomen ſpiritus immundi ſub lingua ipſius, & ille alloquebatur eos, Sic. R. Eliez. and then upon this head there was a plate of gold with the name of that ſpirit they would divine by, (or, as ſome) the name of the uncleane ſpirit was to be put un der the tongue of this head, and this being ſet upon a wall, there were burning candles and incenſe offered to it, and that under the conſtellation of ſome ſtar, and ſo enquiring to know ſomething that was to come, by it the devill was uſed to anſwer, and to tell them of ſuch things as were to come; it was an oracle of the devil that told them what ſucceſſe they ſhould have in this or the other buſineſſe; ſometimes it hit right. See the ſuperſtition of the Jewes; they deſired much to know the minde of God, now becauſe they were afraid they ſhould not know all by the Ephod, which was the ordinance of God, they would joyne with the Ephod, the Teraphim. From hence there is this profitable note. It is a very great and fearfull evil for men in ſearching to know any thing of Gods mind, not to keep themſelves to Gods ways of knowledg, to Gods own Ordinances.
It concerneth us much now at this day. We are about enquiring the mind of God, that wee may know it about matters concerning the Commonwealth, but more eſpecially about Religion, I ſuppoſe there is none of us but will acknowledge that way that God hath appointed for the revealing of his will in the Scripture; that we muſt look into the Scripture, and ſeek to know Gods minde there; that is good, but let us not joyne Teraphim with it; then do we joyne Teraphim, when we reſt not upon Scripture alone, but ſearch after rules of mans deviſing, and what will ſtand with our own carnal ends. The Lord may juſtly meet with us in wrath, if we preſume to joyne our Teraphim with his Ephod. Pray that at this day where there is ſo much ſearching after Gods mind, that thoſe who are employed in it, may keepe themſelves to the Ephod, to the Scriptures, to that which is Gods Ordinance for the revealing his minde, that they may not joyne the Teraphim, their own fancies and inventions of men with the Scriptures; ſo long as we keepe to that rule, we may hope to do well enough; but if the Teraphim be joyned with the Ephod, if any thing be joyned with the Scriptures, though it may ſeeme to be never ſo rationall, we have cauſe to feare God will leave us.
We finde this word Teraphim uſed ſometime in Scripture for the image of any man: as 1 Sam. 19. 13. when Michael took an image, and laid it in the bed inſtead of David, the word in the Hebrew is Teraphim: ſo when Rachel ſtole away her fathers images, the word is, ſhe ſtole away her fathers Teraphim, and ſome thinke they were her fathers Divining Images, & that ſhe did rather ſteale thoſe then any others, becauſe ſhe would not have her father Divine which way they were gone. Zachar. 10. 2. it is ſaid the Idols have ſpoken vanity; the word is the Teraphim. By which we may ſee they were wont to aske of their Idols about their ſucceſſes. And ſometime wee find in Scripture that Idolatry is called by this name, as 1. Sam. 15. 23. ſtubbornneſſe is as Idolatry, the word is, is as Teraphim.
But here comes in the queſtion,How the taking away the Image and the Teraphim is a threatning. God threatneth to take away the Sacrifice and the Ephod, that plainly is a threatning, but how is this a part of the threatning to take away the Image & the Teraphim? You may underſtand it as a threatning by this ſimilitude; It is as if God would threaten to bring Iſrael into ſuch a deſolate condition as a ſtrumpet is brought into, not only when all her friends leave her which were her kindred, her true friends, but when all her lovers leave her too, even thoſe who were filthy with her, thoſe who pretended the moſt love to her, in whom ſhe took abundance of comfort, and from whom ſhe expected protection; yet now ſhe is brought into ſuch a condition, as ſhe ſitteth deſolate, for lorne and helpleſſe: So ſhall ye be, ſaith God, your Sacrifice and your Ephod, yea and Teraphim ſhall leave you.
Or rather thus, Howſoever it is a mercy for God to take away falſe worſhip from a people, Images and Teraphim, yet in this regard it comes in a way of threatning, becauſe it would croſſe and vex them to bee deprived of theſe Images and Teraphim, it would bee a Judgement in their apprehenſion: As for inſtance, what a deal of ſtir have we with people, when they conceive that any falſe worſhip ſhall be taken away from them, they think they are undone in it; when the inventions of men in Gods worſhip are but queſtioned, what a do is there! men think their gods are taken away; as Judges 18. when the children of Dan came to the houſe of Micah, and took away his Ephod and his Teraphim, he cryed out after them, Yee have taken away the gods that I have made, and what have I more? what worſe thing could you have done more? I had rather you ſhould have taken away all I had, and yet you ſay unto me, What aileth thee? Is it not ſo at this day? What is it that now breedeth ſuch diſturbance in England at this time, but that people thinke their Teraphim ſhall bee taken from them? whereas they have heretofore worſhipped God in a falſe way, after the inventions of men, and now God is pleaſed to diſcover light, and thereis an enquiring after the government of the Church in the right way, and the true manner of worſhipping God, they are even mad upon this, and would rather loſe their lives and their eſtates, then their Teraphim ſhould be taken away; let that be taken away, and how shall they be able to pray? what, will you take away their Religion? How violently mens hearts are ſet upon ſuperſtitious wayes.This is the language of men in many ignorant places in this Kingdome, yea, the very language of many even amongſt us here, they are verily perſwaded that the Parliament are intended to take away all Religion in the Kingdome, and ſuch principles the adverſaries go about to infuſe into men, that the Parliament are a company of Browniſts, meerly becauſe they goe about to enquire after the true way of worſhipping God, and would have the Land purged of all ſuperſtitious vanities; Thus people cry out for their Teraphim, Great is Diana of the Epheſians. You may read the like in the hiſtory of the life of king Edward the ſixth, when he had but banished the Maſſe, there was an Army roſe in Devonſhire, and they ſent ſeverall Articles unto the King about their grievances, as cauſes of their riſing;
Firſt, they ſaid that their children were denyed to be baptized, as now they cry out that none but a company of Anabaptiſts doe all this; the Popish Prieſts did then infuſe into the people that were in thoſe remote Countryes, that they were to have no more children baptized, thinking this would exaſperate the people then againſt King and Parliament: And then they complained that their Service was taken from them (meaning the Maſſe) King Edward was fain to write to them, to tell them that they were exceedingly abuſed, that they ſhould ſtill enjoy what was according to the word of God, that their children ſhould be baptized; and for the Maſſe, ſaith he, the Common-prayer Book is that Maſſe the ſame that it was before, only whereas it was in Latin before, now it is turned into Engliſh, and ſo he quieted the people of that Countrey. Thus it comes to be a threatning, that God will take away their Image and Teraphim, becauſe the hearts of people are ſo vexed when their ſuperſtitious ways are taken away. Now upon this confuſion, when they are without King, Prince, Sacrifice, Ephod, Image and Teraphim, when all is come to this confuſion, then comes the time that they ſhal return and ſeeke tho Lord their God, and David their King.
When Gods time is come to raiſe the moſt glorious Church that ever was in the world,Obſer. a little before that there is like to be the greateſt confuſion that ever was in the world: Lactantius (I have made uſe of before in ſpeaking of the firſt Chap. Great ſhall be the day of Jezreel) tels us, that juſt before the glorious Church (he ſpeaks of it at large, in lib. 7. c. 15. 24. & 28.) all right ſhall be confounded, Laws ſhall periſh, men ſhall poſſeſſe all things by force, good men ſhall be ſcorned & contemned: and though theſe times, ſaith he, wherein we live be naught, ſo that one would thinke that wickedneſſe were grown up to the height, yet in compariſon of thoſe evill dayes that ſhall be a little before this glorious time, theſe days may be called the golden age. God will bring all into a Chaos firſt, as he did in the firſt Creation, & then bring a glorious building out of that Chaos. We know the raiſing of that glorious Church that is ſo much propheſied of, is called a creation, a creating a new heaven and a new earth; and it is probable enough, that as the heavens and the earth were firſt made out of a Chaos, ſo thoſe new heavens and new earth that God is about to make, will be raiſed out of a Chaos, out of that which ſeemeth to us to be but confuſion. VVhat do people cry out of at this day but of confuſion? all things they ſay are brought into confuſion: It is true, confuſion is an evill thing, and we are to grieve for it, and to ſeek to prevent it, yet let us not be too much troubled, for you ſee when the greateſt confuſion comes upon the people of the Jewes, then follows the greateſt mercy, then they ſhall return and ſeeke the Lord their God, never return before that time. Indeed till men be taken off from all, they will not return to God, if they have any thing to go unto, they will never return to God. VVhen Saul had but a witch to go to, he would rather go to her, then ſeek the face of God in way of repentance. Let not this be our way, becauſe God ſeems to leave us for the preſent, and letteth us be in a confuſion, and we know not what to do, let not our hearts fiet and vex, let us not go to unlawful means; For mark, it was juſt a little before Sanl was to be deſtroyed that he was growne to that height of evill. There was a time that Saul did enquire after Gods mind, and God refuſed to anſwer him, but yet hee would not take ſuch an unlawfull courſe then, but he ſearched to ſee whatſin was amongſt the people that cauſed God to refuſe to give him an anſwer, ſo you have it in the caſe of Jonathan, 1 Sam. 14. 33. when he took the honey, he enquired of God, and God anſwered not, and Saul ſaid, draw neere and ſee wherein this ſin hath beene this day. But afterward he grew to a greate… height of evill, when he was in a ſtrait, and God anſwered him not, preſently he goeth to the witch, but it was when he was near deſtruction.
The note from thence is,Obſer. VVicked men neare deſtruction (as Saul was) finding things in a confuſion, and God not ſhewing them what is to be done, preſently are in a rage againſt God, then they frer, and ſeeke after unlawfull means to help them. The Lord forbid that this ſhould b… our condition. Let not us ſay, things are now in ſuch a confuſion that we know not how to find out the mind of God, we conſult with Miniſters and they know not what to ſay, they have caſt out ſuch a government, and they know not what to bring in, and therefore it were better we were as before. If this ſhould be our teaſoning, it is a ſigne we are like Saul nigh to deſtruction. Let us be content to wayte, they ſhall be many dayes without a King, &c. and then they ſhal return; this ſhall be the fruite of being without a King, and Prince▪ & Ephod, and Sacrifice, not vexing and raging, but returning to God and repenting. It things be worſe, & we be brought into greater ſtraits then ever we thought of, let us not murmur, but let us repent. Every one is complaining, but who is repenting? If there were as much repenting as there is murmuring, then we ſhould ſoone know the minde of God.
Then they ſhall returne.
Here is the uſe of ſanctified affliction, it is to cauſe returning to God. Jerome expreſſes the life of an impenitent ſinner by a line ſtretched out,Obſer. he goes ſaith he from the center in a right line, and ſo goes in infinitum from it, but a penitent ſinner is like a line bent, and turning back to the center, though by ſin he goes from it, yet by repentance he turnes to it again, they are gone from me a great way ſaith God, but I will give them a turne, they ſhal bend back again and return to me. They ſhall returne.
Repentance is ſet out by this vvord,Obſer. to note the folly of ſinne. In ſin thou goeſt out of the way, and the truth is though you thinke you chooſe a good way for your ſelf, yet you muſt either come back again or periſh. It is juſt like a man travelling in a rode, and he ſees a dirty lane before him, which he is told is the way, he muſt goe there, but on the other ſide of the hedg he ſeeth a green and pleaſant vvay, and he gets over into that way, and ſo perhaps rides on a mile or two, at length he is compaſt about with ditches and rivers ſo that he muſt either return back or elſe lie there & ſtarve, he returnes back, with ſhame, and if any one that before told him of the other way ſee him, he tells him now of his folly, I told you that the other was the way, and that if you went over the hedge you muſt come back again: So it is with ſinners, there are wayes of God that go directly to heaven, but becauſe thoſe wayes are rugged, and they meet with trouble and perſecution in them, & they ſee by-ways that leade to hell that are more plaine & ſmooth, they get over, they will tranſgreſſe, (for that is the word for ſinne) they are got over, now they are merry & ſriske up and down for a while in this fine way; but friend you muſt come backe again, and if ever you mean to be ſaved, you muſt goe in the way that you have refuſed.Obſer. Further, they ſhal return and ſeeke the Lord their God. Here is an encouragement for old ſinners. The Jews have been above 1600. years in this wofull condition, for ſaking God, but in their latter dayes they ſhall returne and ſeeke the Lord, and God ſhall be mercifull to them. Haſt thou been forty, fifty, ſixty years going from God? there is hope for thy ſoul, Oh returne, return you old ſinners,
But further,Obſer. … ſhall return to Jehovah, and ſeeke him, Jer. 4. 1.
If thou wilt returne O Iſrael, ſaith the Lord, return unto me. They ſhal not return from one falſe way of worſhip to another, but from the falſe way to the true, they ſhall return to God. It is that we had now need look unto. We muſt not think it enough to caſt one falſe way of government out of the Church, and turn to another, though not ſo ill yet not Gods, if out of any politicke pretence we reject the way of God it will prove a ſore evil unto us, it is one thing not to be able to bring in the way of Chriſt, and another to reject it,
They ſhall ſeek Jehovah, not their Idols, but God himſelf. The word ſignifies conatu ac ſtudio quaerere, to ſeek with endeavouring, with ſtudy rather then meerly to ask and enquire, they ſhall be ſtudious in asking after God. They ſhall ſeek the Lord, that is,
Firſt, They ſhall ſeeke his face and favour for the pardon of all their evill wayes, they ſhall come and acknowledge their falſe wayes and their doings which have not been good, and ſeek mercy for pardon.
Secondly, They ſhall ſeek the Lord, that is, they ſhall ſeeke the true worſhip of the Lord. Calvin in a Sermon upon that place Seeke ye my face, interprets it to be ſeeking the Ordinances of God, the true worſhip of God, ſo Pſal. 105. 4. Seeke the Lord & his ſtrength, what is meant by the ſtrength of God there? It is the Arke, for that Pſalme was made at the bringing in of the Arke into the place that David had prepared, as you may ſee by comparing that Pſalme with the 1 Chron, 16. the Arke of God is called the ſtrength of God, Pſal. 78. 61. He gave his ſtrength into captivity. Surely if the true worſhip of God be the ſtrength of God, it is our ſtrength too, a people are then ſtrong when they entertaine the Arke of God, the true worſhip of God, and then indeed we ſeeke God aright when we ſeeke to know the way of his worſhip.
Laſtly,Obſer. They ſhal ſeek the Lord, that is, they ſhall ſeeke to know his will in all their wayes, and to do it. It is not enough for them to be content to do juſt that which ſhall be put upon them, but they ſhall ſeek to know what his minde & his worſhip is. Some yeeld thus far to God, if any come to them and convince them that this is to be done, then they will do it, they dare not then but yeeld to it; but when the heart is in a true repenting frame, it is then in a ſeeking frame, it is laborious and induſtrious to know the mind of God. Whereas the heart of a ſinner heretofore lay dead & dull, never ſtirred after God, now it is in a ſtirting, in an inquiring, in a ſeeking way, this is a ſigne of much good: though thou haſt not what thou ſeekeſt for, yet be comforted in this that thou art in a ſeeking way, Their hearts ſhal re…oyce that ſeeke the Lord. If thou beeſt ſeeking God in his ways, though thou complaineſt, I have beene ſeeking a long time, but I know not the minde of God, I cannot apprehend the love of God, the pardon of my ſins, yea, but the hearts of thoſe ſhall rejoyce that ſeek the Lord, if thou beeſt in a ſeeking way thou art in a ſaving way, there is cauſe thou ſhouldſt rejoyce in this, that God hath brought thee into ſuch a way.
They ſhall ſeeke the Lord, and that not ſaintly but to purpoſe, auxiouſly, Jer. 50. 4. 5. They (the children of Iſrael, and the children of Judah, when they ſhall be both together) ſhall goe weeping, and ſeeke the Lord their God, and they ſhall aske the way to Zion with their faces thitherward. Many of you come to aske queſtions, but your hearts are not right, your faces & the ſtrength of your ſpirits are not ſet to yeeld to the will of God when it is revealed to you. And mark how it appeares that their faces are thitherward, Come (ſay they) let us joyne our ſelves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that ſhall not be forgotten. This is to ſeeke God, it is not meerly to goe to a Miniſter and aske him a queſtion, but it is to goe with our faces, with the ſtrength of our ſpirits ſet to know the minde of God above any thing in the world, and ſo to reſolve to obey what ſhall be revealed to be Gods mind, as to be willing to enter into a perpetual Covenant, to binde our ſelves to yeeld to whatſoever God ſhal reveale. When you come to a Sermon, you muſt not come to get a little notional knowledge, but come with your faces towards Chriſt and his truth, before you come you ſhould get alone (if you be a true ſeeker) and enter into Covenant with God, that whatſoever God revealeth to be his minde you will yeeld to it & obey it, though you have heretofore gone againſt many truths revealed to be the minde of God, but Lord no more now, here I am ready and willing to enter into an everlaſting covenant to be under the command of every truth. Here is the right ſeeking of God. They ſhall ſeeke the Lord their God; [their God] this hath two references, either to what is paſt, or to what is to come. To what is paſt, their God, that is, the God who was once the God of the Jews, the God of their forefathers, the God of Abraham. of Iſaac, and of Jacob. And ſecondly, their God, that is, that God that is yet ready and willing to be reconciled to them, not withſtanding all their ſinnes. Thus they ſhal ſeek the Lord their God. Theſe two references afford two excellent Obſervations.
Firſt,Obſer. This prevailes much with the heart of an Apoſtate, when he can but think what God was once unto him before he did Apoſtatize, and what he was unto his godly parents and predeceſſors. There was a time that I enjoyed God ſweetly, when I went to prayer I had bleſſed communion with him, it is otherwiſe with me now, I have apoſtatized. Let this conſideration catch h…ld upon thy heart and turn it this day; Oh turne, turn thou apoſtate ſoul. God who was once thy God in a gracious manner is that God that thou haſt vilely forſaken, yea thy fathers God alſo. Thou haſt a godly father, a godly grand-father, remember what a bleſſed God he was unto them, and return.
Secondly,Obſer. Their God, that God that yet they may have hope to enjoy, notvvithſtanding all their departings from him. Hence the note is this, The apprehenſion o… a poſſibilty to obtaine merciemercy from the Lord, is a ſtrong means to draw the heart to returne to him; when they look upon God as a God in covenant with them yet, and there is nothing to the contrary but he may be their God. Let this be an argument to catch hold upon the ſpirits of all ſinners who are departed from God, thou haſt departed from God in a ſoule and vile manner, but Men and Angels know nothing to the contrary but that he may be thy God for all this. Let me ſpeake to the vileſt ſinner that is in this place before the Lord this day, thou haſt indeed moſt deſperately and wickedly ſinned againſt God, the Jews have done ſo; Haſt thou crucified Chriſt? they have done ſo; haſt thou denied the truth and followed falſe waies? they have done ſo; Notwithſtanding all thy wicked and evil waies, ſeeing thou art yet alive, I doe this day yet once more pronounce thee in the name of the great God, that there is nothing to the contrary that either Angels or Men can poſſibly know, but that God may be thy God, and that this day God may enter into covenant with thee, & thou with him, this night he may come in and ſup with thee, and thou with him, there may be a bleſſed reconciliation between God and thee, return, return thou ſinful ſoul.