An Exposition of Hosea 11-13 — Jeremiah Burroughs

An Exposition of Hosea 11-13 · Jeremiah Burroughs

VERS. 4.

I drew them with cords of a man, with bonds of love.

THis Verſe is a great Verſe, and it will be very hard to paſs over this in an Expoſitory way only.

I drew them with cords of a man, with bonds of love.

Here's a fourth or fifth expreſſion of Gods love,; for there was two in the former Verſe, Taught them to go, and healed them. Now here's the fifth, I drew them with cords of a man, with bonds of love. God ſtill aggravates his mercy that they might ſee their ſin. As there's no ſuch way to be kindly humbled for ſin, as to ſee it againſt much mercy. I drew them with cords of a man.

Some would carry this as if it were a proper name, Expoſ. 1.with the cords of Adam, for ſo the word is, for the word Adam, ſignifies a man of red earth.

But it's rather to be taken appellatively, with the cords of a man, that is, I did not deal with them like beaſts, 2.which muſt be drawn or put on with violence, my way was not thus with them, to draw them and to have Iron Chains about them, or ſtrong cords to force them on in their way, no ſaith he, I dealt with them like men, I drew them on with the Cords of a man. It doth note Cords of a man whattheſe three things:

Firſt, I dealt with them in a rational way, as men, not as beaſts, and ſought to draw them in that way, as men.

Secondly, I dealt with them in a gentle way, not with rigor and violence, but as a man, for they were humane, ſo my waies were waies ſutable to their humanity: as the Scripture ſometimes ſpeaks of the Rods of men, I'le chaſtiſe them with the Rods of men, by which ſome think is meant, (that is) more gentle, I dealt with them gently.

And then thirdly, With the Cords of a man, that is, I dealt with them in ſuch waies as were honorable to them, as were ſutable to that reſpect that is due to a man. I conſidered that they were men made at firſt according to my Image, and they were the moſt excellent Creatures that I had upon the earth here, and therefore I dealt with them in a way ſutable to their Nature, to preſerve the honor of their humane Nature, Rationally, Gently, Honorably.

Firſt, Conſider how Rationally God dealt with this 1. How God dealt rationally with the people of Iſrael. 1. A Law in its ſelf rational. Deut. 4. 8.people.

Firſt, The Law that I gave to them it was according to the Principles of right Reaſon, there was nothing in my Law but was ſutable to the very principles of right reaſon, in Deut. 4. ſaith he, The Nations ſhal hear al theſe Statutes, and ſay, Surely this great Nation is a wiſe and underſtanding people, (why?) in the 8 verſe, What Nation is there ſo great, that hath Statutes and Judgments ſo righteous, as all this Law which I ſet before you this day? Mark, all the Nations that are about you ſhall ſay, What Nation is there ſo wiſe, that hath Statutes and Judgments like this Nation? Surely explained.then my Law it had abundance of Reaſon in it, it had the reaſon that might convince not only you, but all the Nations about you; I drew you with the Cords of a man, in a rational way.

Secondly, God ſtrengthened it with many Arguments, 2. Backt with Reaſons.which is ſome way beyond the manner of men; If the Lord had but only given out his Law, and left men to find out the meaning, it had been enough; yea, but the Lord drew them with the Cords of a man, that is, added to his Law many Arguments and Reaſons to ſhew the equitie of the Law that he had given to them: now men think it enough if they give out a Law, you do not uſe to have the proof of the Law and the reaſon of it; yea, but ſaith God, I drew them with the Cords of a man, I gave them a Law that had reaſon in it, and explain'd that; as if we ſhould go no further than the very moral Law, ſee how God begins, I am Jehovah thy God, that brought thee out of Preface to the Decalogue.the Land of Egypt, every word a Reaſon to back the Law.

I am Jehovah, therefore obey. I am thy God, therefore obey. I am thy God that brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, therefore obey. So you ſhall ſee how the Lord doth argue his Law by the ſtrength of Reaſon.

Yea, not only Reaſon, but many Perſwaſions and Motives, 3. Urg'd with Motives. Deur. Chap. 4, 5, 6.and Exhortations, as man deals with man, if you reade the 4, 5, and 6. Chapters of Deuteronomy, you ſhall find all thoſe, with Motives, and Perſwaſions, beſides Reaſons, to draw them on to obedience, Now Motives and Perſwaſions are the Cords of a man, to draw man as a rational Creature.

Fourthly, If there were any objections that they had, I anſwered al their objections. Do not you find when you 4. Cleered from Objections.come to hear the Word, that the Word meets with every ſecret objection, you can have no ſecret objection againſt any thing that God requires but at ſome time or other the Word meets with it.

Fiftly, Yea, I called them to reaſon with me, therefore 5. God deſires con…erence with us Iſa. 1. 18.I dealt with them like rational Creatures, as in Iſa. 1. 18. Come, let us reaſon together, ſaith God; ſee how God deals with people after the manner of men: As now, If you ſhould fall out with a neighbor, and it may be your neighbor is froward and humorous, but now, you are able to overcome your own paſſion, and you go to him Simile.and ſay, I pray thee let us reaſon the caſe together, and if it be yours, take it; now you deal with him like a man. So God, why ſaith he, let us reaſon the caſe together, be not carried on with humor and paſſion, but let us come and fairly reaſon the Caſe one with another.

Further, Sixtly, God earneſtly deſires that they 6. Would have us conſider. Deut. 32. 29.would but conſider of things, in Deut. 32. 29. Oh that they were wiſe, that they underſtood this, That they would conſider their latter end. Now when you have to deal with them that are humorous, if you by the ſtrength of reaſon have power over your own paſſion you would be ready to expreſs your ſelves thus, Oh that I could but find Simile.ſuch a man in a way of reaſon, that he were but wiſe, that he would but weigh things! thus God ſaith concerning his people, Oh that they were wiſe and conſidered, and underſtood things!

Seventhly, God pleads with them after the manner 7. Pleads with them.of men, in Jer. 2. 35. I will plead with thee, becauſe thou ſaieſt, I have not ſinned; thou art Righteous in thine own thoughts. Come, I will plead with thee, and convince thee ſaith God. As now, If one wrongs you, and they will not acknowledg that they have wronged you, perhaps Simile.ſome are of turbulent ſpirits and they will make them know that they have wronged them by caſting them into priſon, and by Law; but God he doth not do ſo, but he pleads the Caſe with them.

And then in the laſt place, The Lord will appeal to 8. Appeals to their own conſciences.their own conſciences whether they have dealt well with him, yea, or no; he will make them to be the Judges; in Iſa. 46. 8. Remember this, and ſhew your ſelves men: Iſa. 48. 8. illuſtrated.bring it again to mind, O ye tranſgreſſors: do not be led on like beaſts in your paſſion and humor, ſhew your ſelves but men, and do but remember, and think of it, I will leave it to you to Judg, and ſo, Judg between me and my Vinyard; and then again, Are not my waies equal, and Iſa. 5. Ezek. 18.your waies unequal? Now all theſe expreſſions are to ſhew how God did draw them with the Cords of a man in a rational way.

Secondly, In a gentle way: As if God ſhould ſay, I have not driven them on with rigor, but I have dealt gently with them like men: indeed if ſo be that one ſhould be alwaies ſtriking a youth, or ſervant, or man, you would be ready to ſay, you are not medling with a beaſt, 2. How God deals gently with his people.or a dog, but with a man; ſaith God, I remembred I have to deal with a man, and therefore I dealt in a gentle way. There are theſe ſix or ſeven particulars, how God expreſſes his dealing with them in a gentle way.

As firſt, I have ſuted my ſelf to their verie diſpoſitions, 1. Sutes himſelf to their diſpoſitions.this is now to deal in a gentle way; as a Schoolmaſter he looks upon his Scholers not as a company of beaſts, but as the children of men, and therefore he conſiders their diſpoſitions and tempers, and he ſutes himſelf with their temper, (if he be a wiſe Schoolmaſter) and will draw them on with ſuch waies and Cords as are ſutable Simileto humane Nature. So I do ſaith God.

Secondly, I have obſerved when they were in the beſt 2. Obſerved when they were in a good temper.temper, and have ſought to work upon them then, I have obſerved what their diſpoſitions are; but now though men and women are of ſuch and ſuch diſpoſitions, yet alwaies their good humor doth not work. If you that are wives will deal with your husbands like men, obſerve when they are in a good temper, and then deal with them and ſeek to draw them; God doth ſo; I Wivesobſerved when they were in the beſt temper of all, and then I came upon them with the moſt ſtrength, to draw them at ſuch a time rather than another.

Thirdly, I gave them time to conſider; though they were never ſo untoward, yet I did not come inſtantly upon 3. Gave them time to conſider.them with blows, but I gave them time to conſider, to bethink themſelves: many Scriptures we might ſhew for either of theſe: you do not give beaſts time to conſider.

Now when you fly upon others preſently without giving Uſe.them time to conſider, you deal not with them like men but beaſts.

Fourthly, I have hired them to obedience by my gifts; 4. Hired them to obedience.I do not only in an imperious way command them to obey, or elſe look to it at your peril, but I have come and hired them to the waies of obedience, and gave them gifts to draw them, and ſo I dealt with them like men.

Fifthly, I have had conſideration when they did not 5. Diſtinguiſhed of weakneſs & wilfulneſs.obey, whether it were through weakneſs or wilfulneſs, when they were diſobedient, I did not make it all one whether they diſobeyd through weakneſs, or wilfulneſs, and ſo I dealt with them accordingly.

And then Sixtly, In all afflictions that was brought 6. Afflicted in meaſure as their natures might bear.upon them, I conſidered that they were but men of weak natures, and could not bear much; I did not lay on as if I were laying on upon an Ox, or ſuch a creature that had ſo much ſtrength to bear, but I conſidered they were men, and I laid on my ſtrokes gently conſidering that they had tender natures: as you know the Prophet ſpeaks in Iſa. 57. 16. I will not contend for ever, leſt the ſpirit that I Iſa. 57. 16.have made ſhould fail before me. The Lord looks upon the weakneſſes of his people, and therefore will not contend, leſt their ſpirits ſhould fail before him.

Seventhly, In their afflictions, I was ſenſible of their 7. was aflicted in al their afflictions. Iſa. 63. 9. Simile.afflictions as well as themſelves; ſo you know what the Lord ſaith, In all their afflictions I was afflicted, I was ſenſible: ſo as a tender Father, or wiſe Maſter, if he doth ſtrike the child or ſervant, the very blows in a manner will be as ſenſible to him as to them: but it is not ſo with you when you ſtrike a beaſt. So ſaith God, I did not afflict them, but it went to my very heart, and I was afflicted as well as they.3. How God drew his people in an honorable way.

Thirdly, I drew them with the Cords of a man; that is, in an honorable way, ſo as that honor and reſpect that was any way due to ſuch a creature, or that was ſutable to ſuch a creature it was preſerved.

Firſt, My Inſtructions was ever more than my blows, I never ſtruck more blows than I gave them Inſtructions, 1. Inſtruction more than correction.if I ſtruck them one blow, I gave them twentie, fourtie inſtructions to one blow. When you have children or ſervants, and perhaps you will give them fourty blows to one inſtruction, you deal with them not like men, but like beaſts. That's the firſt. It's a diſhonor to mankind, for any Superior to give more blows than inſtructions, but I dealt with them like men, ſutable to that reſpect that is in a kind due to humane Nature.

Secondly, Whatſoever ſpark of ingenuity remained in them, 2. Preſerved their ingenuity.I took care to preſerve it; that's the ſecond thing; If there were but a ſpark of ingenuitie in any of them I took great care to preſerve that ingenuitie, and not to quench that ſpark in all my dealings towards them.

Thirdly, I aim'd at their good as well as mine own, as well 3. Aimed at their good in all.as my glory; there's many Scriptures that way; you do not do ſo when you ſtrike beaſts, you do not conſider of the good of the beaſt, but at the benefit that you ſhould have, that he may further your work. But now when you come to ſtrike men you muſt look at their good as well as at your own good; there's no parent muſt ſtrike the child, but muſt look at the benefit of the child rather than to ſatiſfie his humor. When you ſtrike meerly for your own advantage without aiming at the good of thoſe you ſtrike, you deal not with them like men, but like beaſts.

Fourthly, I did never any thing towards them but ſo as they 4. Stil held forth hope of reconciliation.might have hope ſtill preſerved in them of being reconciled to me upon their coming in, though they deſerved never ſo much, and I ſeemed to come againſt them the moſt harſhly, yet I never ſo came againſt them but there was hope preſerved, that at any time of their coming in and repenting I would be reconciled to them; this is to deal with them like men, when you deal with any that offend you Admonition to parents and governors.(parents or Governors) never be ſo harſh, but though they be very evil, there muſt be preſerved ſom hope that upon their coming in they be reconciled to you.

Fiftly, I was careful to maintain their honor as my people, 5. Kept up their honor.(that is) in all my dealings with them, though they were hard ſomtimes to fleſh and blood, yet I put a difference between them and other people; other people were to me in compariſon but as dogs (as it were) but theſe as men, and as free men, in Jer. 2. 14. Is Iſrael a Servant? Jer. 2. 14.is he a home born Slave? why is he ſpoiled? What, Iſrael a ſervant, a home-born Slave! no, he muſt be look'd upon as a free man. So in Iſa. 27. 7. hath he Iſa. 27. 7.ſmitten him, as he ſmot thoſe that ſmit him? No, I look upon them with ſome different reſpect, and as men, and as Free-men, and deal with them ſo.

Sixtly, Whenſoever they began to return, I met them half 6. Met them half way.way; I did not ſtand it out to the uttermoſt to diſcourage their hearts, but I met them half way in all their returnings. And did not God deal honorably with them? Indeed if you would deal in a contemptuous way with another that hath offended, you will ſay, Let them wait; yea, but if we will deal with another in an honorable Simile.way, if we ſee him but in coming a far off, we will run and meet him, as the father of the prodigal did; ſo ſaith God, I did not deal with them in a contemptuous way, but I drew them with the cords of a man, and in an honorable way I dealt with them. Thus you have this expreſſion opened, I drew them with the cords of a man.

Now there are divers Obſervations from hence:

The firſt is, That the waies of God are very rational, ſo Obſ. 1.that they may draw any man of underſtanding to love them: If mans nature were not degenerated, were it that we did but ſtand right in regard of our principle of Reaſon, it were impoſſible but the waies of God ſhould draw us, at leaſt to an outward obedience to them; there's no reaſon in your waies, but there's reaſon in Gods waies, and therfore if you had but the hearts of men, though you had not the hearts of Saints, yet to approve of Gods waies, at leaſt: and for an outward conformity to them you might be drawn; if men were not beſotted with their luſts, certainly they would never be ſo confident in their ſinful waies as they are, if men did but bethink themſelves of the way of God. Saith Solomon, When thy people are carried away captive, and ſhall bethink themſelves: there is ſo much reaſon in Gods waies, that if one did but bethink 1 King. 8. 47. obſerved.himſelf: Saith David, I conſidered my waies, and turned my feet unto thy teſtimonies. Oh! it's a great mercy Pſal. 119.to have a conſidering heart; and it's a great judgment of God to leave men and women to a ſlight and vain ſpirit, not to weigh and ponder things; moſt people are led on in a continued hurry of paſſion, like to the Horſe in the Battel, and no man ſaith, What have I done? Oh! couldeſt thou but have ſo much power over thy paſſion, and the violence of thy luſts, as to get alone and weigh Gods waies, ſurely thou couldeſt not but be convinc'd that the waies of God are better than thy waies, they are ſo rational.

The Second Obſervation is this:

The way to prevail with men, it is to deal with them in a rational Obſ. 2.way; the way that I took with this people to prevail with them, it was, to draw them with the cords of men: Certainly the way that God takes to prevail with people is the beſt way.

Therfore thoſe men that would prevail with any people Uſeto bring them to any thing that they deſire, tis to deal with them in a rational way, and ſo ſeek to prevail with them; the Spirit of God doth ſo, in Joh. 16. 8. And when Joh. 16. 8. foreign.he is come, he will reprove the world of ſin: it is, ſhall come with DEMONSTRATION, for ſo the word Logically ſignifies; it's a word that ſignifies to convince in a way of demonſtration that one cannot deny poſſibly, and ſo the Apoſtle ſaith, We came in the demonſtration of the ſpirit 1 Cor. 2. 4.and of power. Mark; Demonſtration of the Spirit, ſo it came to be in power; and it concerns Miniſters more eſpecially. If you that are Miniſters would ſpeak powerfully to people, ſpeak in demonſtration, the demonſtration of the Spirit indeed it muſt be, there is a ſpiritual Reaſon in the Scripture; Miniſters muſt not think to ſcare Miniſters muſt convince, not ſcare men.men into the waies of Godlineſs, though I know ſome times God makes uſe of the bare terrors of the Law; but the main thing whereby Miniſters muſt have hope to do good to their people muſt be by preaching convincingly, to overcome their very reaſon as much as poſſibly can be, and to ſet the Law of God ſo before them as if they will but judg between God and their own ſouls, they ſhall condemn themſelves, and approve of God. That Miniſtry is like to be the beſt Soul-ſaving Miniſtry, that meets The moſt convincing Miniſtry the moſt powerful.with every objection of their hearts, and at every turn the ſecrets of their hearts comes to be opened; Oh! remember you preach to men and therefore you make uſe of that reaſon that you find in Scripture: I know reaſon alone will never do it; I, but God when he works to the ſalvation of ſouls, he works upon them after the manner of men, and therefore the Miniſters of God that are Coworkers with God, they ſhould work in ſuch a ſutable way.

And not only Miniſters, but Majeſtrates too, they Majeſtrates foreign muſt deal by reaſon rather than violence in difficult caſes of conſience.muſt labor to draw them with the Cords of men alſo, that is, not by violence, in thing, that men cannot be convinc'd of, to think to force them in a way of violence, (I ſay) in things that they cannot be convinc'd of, in ſuch things as they are not wilfully ignorant of, they muſt not make priſons and fines to be arguments, theſe are not the Cords of men; indeed in things that have the light of common Equitie and Juſtice, as Civil things that carry in the very face of them a light of common Equitie and Juſtice, there Majeſtrates need not ſtay for any further convincement, and there (I ſay) they need go no further, but they may deal with them in a violent way if they break thoſe; but in all things that are of a more dubious nature, and that are from connexions, and conſequences, and more difficult to be underſtood, and that are controverſal even among godly men, and wiſe men, there they muſt look to it, and people muſt have waies of inſtruction firſt, and to be informed firſt, and likewiſe if they do not oppoſe them in a wilful way, but if they ſee that they do deſire to underſtand what they are able and cannot, they muſt not think to go on in a way of violence there, that is not to deal with men like men in that thing, to force them unto ſuch waies that they do not ſee reaſon for, and let them labor to the uttermoſt they can, they are not able to underſtand, then certainly there muſt be forbearance in ſuch things; and eſpecially the rather, becauſe that Chriſt hath given us charge, not to yeeld to any thing in matter of Religion till we do underſtand the rule of it; Whatſoever is not of faith, is ſin; Why Reaſon and not Violence is to be uſed to tender conſciences.when Chiſt gives that charge, that we muſt not yeeld to it becauſe ſuch and ſuch men do ſo, till we do examine it and be able to underſtand the rule; now then ſurely the uttermoſt that the power of violence and force can do is this, To make men examin things, but no further.

And ſo for you that have any under you, your ſervants Parents and Maſters muſt uſe more Conviction than Correction.and children, inſtruct them, ſhew them the evil of their waies, do not fly upon them with your rage and paſſion, but deal with them like men in way of inſtruction.

The third Note is this, It's a great aggravation of mens ſin, not to be drawn by theſe Cords of men; for a man to ſtand Obſ. 3.out againſt reaſon is a great aggravation: ſo men ſtand out againſt many waies of God, and yet their conſciences fly in their faces and condemn them. Oh! thou art a wretch, that though the Lord hath ſought to draw thee with the Cords of a man, with Reaſon, and hath convinc'd thee, he hath gotten the cords into thy conſcience, and God pulls, and thou pulleſt, and wilt not be drawn with thoſe Cords, Oh! this is a wickedneſs for men to go on in waies that their own conſciences do condemn them in▪ Some vain reaſonings can draw men to ſin as a Cart-rope, that's the meaning of that place, They draw iniquity as it were with a Cart rope; that is, their vain reaſnings that they have for their ſin twiſted together make a ſtrong Cart-rope to draw iniquity; Oh! ſhall not Gods Cords be as ſtrong as the Devils Cords, or Mans Cords? Manie there are, though God ſeems to draw them with theſe Cords of a man, yet their luſts are ſo ſtrong like pamperd horſes in a Team, they will break the Cart-ropes, break all their harneſs to peeces; and ſo do manie unruly Spirits even ſay like thoſe in Pſal. 2. Let us Pſal. 2.break his bonds, and caſt away his Cords from us. Well, thou ſhalt one day be held by the Cords of thine own ſin Who wil nor be drawn by the Cords ſhal be whipt with them.(as the Scripture ſpeaks) and thy conſcience ſhall laſh thee with thoſe Cords of Conviction that did not draw thee: Shall not the Cords of Conviction draw thee from thy ſin? they ſhall ſerve to be as whips to laſh thy ſoul even to all eternity; know that the Rules of Right-reaſon, and Scripture-reaſon ſhall ſtand when thou, and thouſands of ſuch wilful fools as thou art ſhall periſh eternally. And theſe are the Notes for Gods dealing in a Rational way.

And then the ſecond was, in a Gentle way.2. How God deals with his people in a gentle way.

Firſt, Mans Nature, (if it be not degenerated) is of a loving, gentle diſpoſition, 'tis the nature of man to be of a gentle diſpoſition, that's the Note from hence, and I raiſe it thus: I dealt with them, with the Cords of a man: that is, Gently, which is mans Nature, ſuch a gentleneſs as fair means will work upon it rather than ridged waies, and hence in ordinarie ſpeech, Kindneſs is called humanity, let men have ſome humanity in them, that is, let them be Courteous; to be courteous, and to ſhew humanity we uſe for al one; ſo that the nature of men, though it be fallen, yet if it be not twice dead, and overcome by its corruptions exceedingly. There is an humanity, an ingenuity in the very nature of man naturally.

Oh! you that profeſs Religion, labor you to be eminent in this; in Courteouſneſs, in Gentleneſs, in Humanity, Uſe 1. Saints ſhould be eminent in courteſie.know, that Grace though it doth elevate above Humanity, to Chriſtianity, yet it doth not take away Humanity. No, it raiſes it higher; and therefore ſeeing there is ſomething left in mans nature of Gentleneſs, and Fairneſs, ſurely thoſe that have Grace, and have a principle to curb corruption, they ſhould have much Gentleneſs, and Fairneſs with them.

Secondly, Seeing that theſe are the Cords of men [Gentleneſs] 2. Draw our relations with gentleneſs.we ſhould uſe them to draw thoſe on to goodneſs that we do deſire. Miniſters, Parents, Governors, Neighbors, obſerve the diſpoſitions of thoſe you have to deal with, ſure your ſelves to them, labor to gain their hearts that way if poſſibly you can, that they may have good thoughts of the waies of Godlineſs, do not put them on by bitterneſs and ſowrneſs. Did not God gain upon your And why?hearts in a gentle way? however, if God did come in a harſh way to your apprehenſions at firſt, yet know, there is no ſuch diſtance between you and your neighbors, thoſe that are under you, your children, or ſervants, as there is between God and you; therefore it is for you to deal with your fellow Creatures in a gentle, fair way. If a Hunter would get his Game, he doth not make a houting and noiſe, but he goeth gently without any noiſe: An apt ſimile.And ſo it is not through violence, noiſe, and horror; if you would get people but in a gentle way, hire children and ſervants to that which is good. Learn that way you that are of harſh tempers, to entice your children and Harſh natures ſhould obſerve this.your ſervants to good: You do nothing but threaten them to good, and ſay, If you wil not do thus and thus I'le deal with you thus and thus, by way of threatning: Oh! try what an enticing way will do; do not you ſo domineer over others as to think that it is for you to ſatisfie your wills upon them, but labor to ſute your ſelves to them.

And never chaſtife Children nor ſervants but with greef, and put a difference between weakneſs and wilfulneſs in your Children and Servants, and let your hand be heavie upon them only upon meer neceſſity, when all other means are tried, never but then let your hand be heavie upon them: Thus you ſhould do with thoſe under you, as God deals with his people, with the Cords of a man, gently.3. Gentle meaus rejected agravate ſin.

Thirdly, From hence it is a great aggravation of ſin, That we ſtand out againſt gentle means, the fair gloſſes of temptation they take our hearts. As now, if you can bring gifts to a man you can quickly blind his eyes: we Evidenced.have found theſe cords of men, we have found that mans nature loves gifts, and thoſe in the place of Juſtice if they have bribes and gifts brought them; Oh! thoſe are the Cords of men, thoſe are ſutable to their natures indeed. Now God doth thus (as I may ſo ſpeak) bring gifts, but if God ſhall not prevail with his gifts, this will be a great aggravation of your ſin.3 How God deals honorably with men Obſ. 1 Preſerve the honor of our inferiors, Yea, though the faults be great.

And then the Third and laſt is, The honorable reſpect that is ſhewed unto men. The Obſervations are theſe.

Firſt, In your dealings with children and ſervants, remember you have not to deal with beaſts, that is, Alwaies preſerve their eſteem. It is a Rule that will be very helpfull to thoſe that have yong ones to bring up, though the fault be great, yet put them not to ſo much ſhame before others as they ſhould have no eſteem or honor to loſe, they will grow deſperate them; and ſo long as there is that bridle you may keep them from much evil. And this is the reaſon that your Goal-birds never com to any good almoſt; Why? becauſe they have no honor to loſe, all is gone already and therefore they grow deſperate; and there's nothing more ſutable to a mans nature to be kept from evil, than the loſs of reſpect, and the loſs of honor; and therefore the very doom of the damned at the day of Judgment it is expreſt, that they ſhall riſe to ſhame and confuſion of face; to ſhame, that's as much againſt humane Dan. 12. 2. illuſtrated.nature as any thing: and therefore you that have to deal with men, take heed how you deal, alwaies keep ſuch a hand over them as thoſe that are under you may ſee that there is ſome honor that they have yet to loſe, do not deprive your ſelves of ſuch a means to bridle your children or ſervants: Some of you have for your ſervants of good birth in this Citie, divers have children of Maſters that have Apprentices in the City.very good birth, and very good education, that had very good breeding, uſe them accordingly, draw them them with the Cords of men, and draw them with the Cords of men of ſuch education, and of ſuch birth: If you be of meaner birth and education, and had hard breeding, and were drawn by iron Cords, do not you think to deal thus with others that had better breeding than your ſelves, but deal with them fairly, Conſider of what breeding and education they had, and ſo deal with them according to that reſpect that is due to ſuch of ſuch a qualitie.

And then Secondly, How will the ſhame and confuſion of men be aggravated hereafter, which did diſregard Gods uſing Obſ. 2.of them in an honorable way? This is the way to bring ſhame and confuſion upon you for ever, ſo as hereafter men and Angels ſhall ſay, and ſo your conſcience ſhall ſay: Juſt it is with God to puniſh me with eternal ſhame and confuſion, why? for God had reſpect to me when I lived, and God dealt with me in an honorable way, and did ſeek to draw me with the Cords of a man, and it's juſt with God that now he ſhould give me my portion among Devils and Reprobates, and that he ſhould no more regard me as a creature but rather hate and abhor me as a Devil, for I would not regard his dealing with me as a man: this will juſtifie God in that wrath that will be upon you another day.

And from all together obſerve, Not to be drawn to our Obſ. 3.duty but by violence and ſtrength, it is beaſtial: bruit beaſts can roar and cry out when the pain is upon them: and ſo it is with many men, they never cry out of their ſins, never fear God, never yeeld to the hand of God but only then when Gods ſtrokes are upon them, then they cry out and bellow like beaſts; Well, God delivers them, but they to their luſts as formerly, and ſpurn againſt God as ſoon as they are delivered, make Vows and Covenants to God, and then ſin again, and God comes upon them again, and they fall a crying out of their ſin again; Well, they are raiſed, and the hearing of the Word that never prevails with them, but in their afflictions then they will repent and cry out, Oh! cry out of their companie, Oh! that we had ſpent our time in praying, and in lamenting for our ſin, that we ſpent in ſuch and ſuch company! Yea, this is when Gods hand is upon you, To be drawn by the Word; is to be drawn like a man; to be forced by blows is to be drawn like a beaſt.But what do you do upon the hearing of Gods Word, that's to be like a man, to be drawn by the Word, and not to be mov'd only by blows, Oh! thou haſt a beaſtial heart, and brutiſh heart, and charge your ſelves with that brutiſh heart: I fear ſome of you have cauſe to ſay, That in all the courſe or my life my heart hath never yeelded to God, but juſt when blows hath been upon me. I beſeech you brethren deal with God like men, God deals with you like men. (And that might have been another Note in wind…g up all.)

I drew them with the Cords of a man, and with the bonds of Love.

The Lord deals with us ſutable to our Nature, Oh let Obſ. 4.us deal with God as far as we are able ſutable to his nature. Why, doth God regard us as men; let us regard him as God then, let us glorifie God as a God; when the Lord hath to deal with us he conſiders we are men, when we have to deal with God let us conſider he is God, and as the Lord is pleaſed to condeſcend to us as men, Oh! let us labor to aſcend up to him as God. With Bonds of Love:

The word here tranſlated Bonds, it is, Thick Cords, not foreign in denſis … bus a foreign contorſit condenſavit torquendo.only with Cords, (as you have it before) but with Thick Cords, ſo the word that is tranſlated Bonds ſignifies; for it comes of a word that ſignifies to [Wreath] and to thicken with wrea hing; that as you ſee thoſe that make Cords and Lines, they take their Hemp and wreath one Wreath, and then they take another and wreath that, and ſo another, and wind many Wreaths together, and ſo make a ſtrong Cord, that's the propriety of this word.

With the Bonds of Love.] That is, with ſuch Bonds as Expoſ.have many Wreaths in them, have many things joyned together to make it to be a ſtrong Cord, a Cord as ſtrong as a Cart rope: for ſo I find the ſame word is uſed in Iſa. 5. 18. where it is ſaid, They draw iniquity with the Cords of foreign Iſa. 5. 18.vanity, and ſin as it were with a Cart rope. The word that is trranſlated there, Cords, it is the ſame that is in the former part of our verſe, The Cords of a man; But now the other: And ſin as it were with a Cart rope, that's the ſame word that here you have in the text, tranſlated The [Bonds] of Love. With a thick Rope of a Cart, with a Rope that hath many Wreaths in it; ſo that though the former word in your Engliſh [CORDS] ſeems to have as much as the latter [BONDS] yet according to The Hebrew of the Te… empharical.the Hebrew this latter hath more in it, and ſignifies ſuch Cords, as have many twiſted and wreathed together; As indeed we ſhall find when we come now to open the Bonds of Love that God did draw this people withal, we ſhall find many Cords wreathed and twiſted together to bind this people faſt to God; you have a ſutable expreſſion Jer. 31. 3.ſomewhat paralel to this in Jer. 31. 3. With loving kindneſs have I drawn thee, ſaith God.

I have drawn them with the Bonds of Love; that is thus; I have uſed them in a loving way; If love would have The Text paraphraſed.gained them, if love would have overcome them, if love would have bound them to me they have wanted no love ſaith God, whereas they had deſerved the bonus of iron to be upon them; inſtead of thoſe iron bonds that their ſins deſerved, they have had the bonds of love.

If you ask me what were thoſe Bonds of Love The bands of love to Iſrael.that God drew this people of Iſrael unto Himſelf by?

The firſt was this, God did wonderfully ſeparate this 1. Separation from all other people.people from all the Nations in the world unto Himſelf, to be a people unto himſelf, and that out of love, and this was a great fruit of love, and a ſtrong Wreath this was, had there been nothing elſe, That God ſhould ſet his heart upon this people above all other people in the earth to be his people, in Exod. 33. 16. Wherein (ſaith Exod. 35. 16.Moſes) ſhall it be known that I and thy people have found grace in thy ſight, if thou goeſt not with us? for thereby (ſaith he) ſhall ne be ſeparated from all Nations of the Earth: it is in your books, only, ſhall be ſeparated, but the Hebrew word ſignifies foreignwonderfully ſeparated, we ſhall wonderfully be ſeparated [Miriſicemut prae omnibus pop Munſter]from all the Nations of the earth. Indeed the Lord he did wonderfully ſeparate the people from all the Nations of the earth, and this was only out of love, it was not from any excellencie he ſaw in this people. In Deut. 7 6. The Lord did not chuſe thee &c. but in the 7. Deut. 7. 6, 7.verſe, He did not ſet his love upon you, nor chuſe you, becauſe you were more in number than other people, for you were the leaſt of all people.

Obſerve my brethren by the way, That the Lord doth Obſ. 1.not alwaies ſtand upon number, upon the greateſt; this indeed is our argument that ſo many go in ſuch a way, and ſo few in another way, and ſo ſurely God is moſt like to approve of that that the moſt go on in; No, God doth not alwaies ſtand upon number; ſaith he, I did not chuſe you becauſe you were moſt in number, for I knew that you were the leaſt; therefore it was only love that made the Lord chuſe this people at firſt, and ſeparate them from other Nations.

And then the ſecond Bond of Love is: I choſe you, and your ſeed alſo: And this was a great merciemercy; If I had 2. Election of the Parents & their ſeed.but only ſet my heart upon your ſelves, it had been ſomwhat, but it was upon you and your ſeed, ſo as to bring you, and your ſeed into Covenant with me. There's two twiſts (as I may ſo ſay) in this Bond of Love, that he ſhould chuſe them and their ſeed, and bring them both into Covenant, for thus you have it in Deut. 4. 37. Becauſe Deut. 4. 37.he loved thy fathers, therfore he choſe their ſeed after them. and in Ezek. 16. 8. there the text ſaith, It was a time of love; and I took you and entered into Covenant with you. It was a time of Love: and that made the Lord to enter into Covenant with this people. God ſhewed it was a time of love indeed, that he would take ſuch a people as this was, and enter into Covenant with them.

And then the third Twiſt: I ſet my heart upon them to delight 3. Made them his inheritance, portion, treaſure, &c.in them too; I made them my portion, my inheritance, my Treaſure, the Deerly beloved of my ſoul, my Glory, a Royal Diadem to my ſelf; I could ſhew you Scripture for every one of theſe expreſſions that this people were taken by God to be his chief Treaſure, his peculier Treaſure, and his Delight, Deut. 7. 6. The Lord thy God hath choſen thee to be a ſpecial people to himſelf: a ſpecial, Deut. 7. 6.and he gives them all thoſe Epethites. Surely theſe are Bonds of Love.

And then in the fourth place, If ſo be at any time 4. Pitying thē in their afflictions.they were in any afflictions, I pitied them, and looked upon them with the eye of merciemercy, and releeved them, redeemed them out of their afflictions, in Iſa. 63. 9. In his love and in his pity he redeemed them.Iſa. 63. 9.

And then fifthly: I ſet on work all my Wiſdom, and my 5. Engaged al his Attributes for their goodPower, and my Mercy to do them good above all Nations, working great wonders for them. Now this we ſhall not need to mention any particular Scripture for, the whol ſtory of God, carrying of them from Egypt along in the Wilderneſs to Canaan, and there providing for them is a teſtimony for this, ſo in Iſa. 63. we named before Gods Iſa. 63.redeeming of them, he ads this too, And carried them all the daies of old. The Lord never was ſo glorious in his power towards any people as towards them, the right hand of his Power and Excellencie was ſtretched out for them, in Exod. 15.

And then ſixthly, By the Bonds of Love, I had a continual 6. A continued watchfuley over themwatchful eye over them, and their Land, mine eye was upon their Land where they dwelt for good, above all other Lands that were upon the earth, in Deut. 11. 12. A Land (ſaith the text) which the Lord thy God Deut. 11. 12.eareth for: the eyes of the Lord thy God are alwaies upon it, from the beginning of the yeer, even to the end of the yeer. Canaan was a Land that God cared as little for as any place of the earth before his people came into it, a Land wherein God was as much diſhonored as in any place of the Earth; but now when his people came into it, now it is a Land that mine eye is upon, that the Lord takes care of, from the beginning of the yeer to the end of the yeer: this reſpect did God ſhew to his people.

Seventhly. I gave them my Oracles, the Revelation of my 7. Gave them his Oracles.Will. This was another notable fruit of the love of God to this people; In Judah was God known: his Name was Pſal. 147. 19, 20.great in Iſrael, in Pſal. 147. 19, 20. He ſhewed his Word unto Jacob, his Statutes and his Judgments unto Iſrael. I dealt not ſo with any Nation: And as for my Judgments they have not known them, ſaith God. This was a notable Priviledg that Iſrael had above all other people. In Rom. 3. What Rom. 3.advantage hath the Jew? (ſaith the Scripture) or what profit is there of Circumciſion? Yes, every way, the Jew hath much advantage every way above al other people of the earth: Why, wherein? for unto them were committed the Oracles of God Other men had the book of Nature, they could ſee Gods Name as it were written in the Characters of the book of Nature; yea, but the ſpecial things of God, the Counſels of God concerning the Eternal Eſtate of the Children of Men, were not then revealed: but ſaith he, I gave to this people my Oracles, they had thoſe Counſels of mine concerning mans eternal eſtate revealed, I opened to them my whol heart and ſoul, all that I would have known to the children of men for that time I opened to them; Oh this is a bond of love indeed, to have the Oracle, of God committed to a people.

And then the Eighth Twiſt (as I may ſo ſay) in this 8. The Meſſiah to come of them.bond of love to make it a great Cable (as it were) to bind them unto God, was this: I ſet my heart ſo upon, as to have the Meſſias to come from them, in whom all the Nations of the earth ſhould be bleſſed; I rather choſe this people than another to have my Son to be born of them, to be of their ſtock.

And then Ninthly, I gave them a Law, the ſum of which 9. A law of Love.was nothing but love: (as I opened the laſt day, That the Law of God had ſtrength of Reaſon in it, and ſo God drew them with the cords of a man, his Law was rational.) So I drew them with bonds of love, I gave them a Law, the ſum of which was nothing but love, as thus: What's the ſum of the firſt and ſecond Table of the Law? The ſum of the firſt Table it is, Thou ſhalt LOVE the Lord The ſum of the Law.thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy ſoul: And the ſum of the ſecond Table is, Thou ſhalt LOVE thy Neighbor as thy ſelf: ſo that Love is the ſum of the whol Law.

And then Tenthly, I have out-bid all temptations, whatſoever 10. Gave thē more than any elſe could offer.good, pleaſure, delights, honor they could expect in following any thing elſe, I ſhewed them that they might have it, and much more in my ſelf; there was nothing they could have in following after any of their falſe worſhip … creature they would have any good in, I made it appear that they might have as much in my Self, I out bid all temptations for the encouraging of them in my waies, that is in the full courſe of Scripture, we find the Lord propounding himſelf to his people as a lovely object, on purpoſe to draw their hearts away from all other things that might ſeem to be lovely, that he might have the whol ſoul to himſelf.

Yea, and in the Eleventh place, Whenſoever they were in any want, if they did but cry to me, I heard them. What people 11. Heard thē in all their prayers. Deut. 4. 7.is there ſo great as this people that the Lord is ſo nigh unto in all that they call upon him for, ſaith Moſes?

Yea, and laſtly, I have done ſo much for them, that it cannot 12. It could not have been conceived God ſhould have done more.be conceived that I ſhould have done more. What ſhould I have done more for my Vinyard than I have done, Iſa. 5. 4? Let any one ſpeak what love they could conceive could be more from a God to his people than I have ſhewen. So that put all theſe together, and you ſee how God did draw this people with bands of love. Now this for the Explication.

Now from hence our Firſt Note is, That, Love it hath Obſ. 1.ſtrong bonds; Strong, as ſtrong as death, Cant. 8. 6. None Cant. 8. 6.are ſo ſtrongly bound together as friends that are bound in Love. The bonds of Nature are not ſo ſtrong as the bonds of Love. A friend is nearer than a brother ſaith the Scripture. The bonds of Love are the ſtrongeſt bonds, The bonds of Love.they are a twiſted bond.

For Firſt, Love it is in its ſelf a lovely thing to behold, 1.there's an amiableneſs in Love to draw the eye and the heart to it: In Cant. 7. 6. How fair and how pleaſant art thou, O Love, for delights? How fair and how pleaſant is Cant. 7. 6.Love? Take Love for the affection of love, it is fair and pleaſant for delight; and when the beloved is called by illuſtrated.the Name [Love] it ſhews that Love is very amiable, and very beautiful.

Secondly, Love it hath much ſweetneſs in it, much 2.power to inſinuate its ſelf into the heart: As we know baſe love, adultrous love it hath a great deal of power to inſinuate into the heart: in Eccleſ. 7. 26. the hands of the whoriſh woman are called bonds: If whoriſh love hath Eccleſ. 7. 26. obſerved.ſuch power ſo to inſinuate and to be bonds, much more then hath True Love, Cracious Love.

Thirdly, Love it is generative, Love hath a great generative power to beged Love. Auguſtin ſaith, There is no 3. Nulla eſt major ad amorem provocatio, quam praerentre amando. Aug.greater provocation to Love, than to begin to love. *Magnes amoris amor.Love can draw iron hearts. Love, it is the Loadſtone of Love, it will draw Love, and beget Love where ever it is.

Fourthly, Where Love is got into the ſoul it cōmands all, it commands all the Faculties and Underſtanding where Love is got. Look what a man loves, ſo accordingly his underſtanding will work: It a man loves his ſin, Love commands al the ſouls facultieshis underſtanding will be working for his ſin; Oh what ſubtil Arguments will men have for their ſin when they love it! any way that a mans heart is engaged in Love he will be very ſubtil to argue for it. So on the contrary, when once the Lord hath taken the heart with Love, this Love commands the underſtanding, and then all reaſonings are for God, and the ſoul it hearkens after no reaſonings that are againſt God, or againſt his waies, when once the heart is taken with Love. If a mans heart be taken with love to a Woman, he will hear nothing againſt her; but if his love be taken off from her, then every report that he hears againſt her he will aggravate to the uttermoſt he can, and will ſoon beleeve it. So it is, when a mans heart is taken with the things of God, and of Religion, it will hear nothing againſt them; but if a mans heart be off and do not love the waies of God, then they are glad if they can hear any thing that makes againſt them. Love commands all the Faculties of the Soul, the Underſtanding, and the Thoughts, it commands the Will, and Affections, it commands the Body, it commands the Eſtate, it commands the Liberties, it commands all that a man hath, or is, or can do. Love hath the abſolute commanding power of all, Oh! Love hath ſtrong Bonds.

And again, Love it makes every thing that is done for 5. Makes all ſervices delightful.the beloved to be delightful; It doth not only command to do a thing, but it makes it delightful, I will reſt in my love and rejoyce over them with ſinging, ſaith God. When the heart is once taken with love, (I ſay) it doth not only do that which is good for that which it doth love, but doth it with delight.

And then, Love knows not any bounds, it never ſets 6. Hath no bounds.its ſelf any bounds at all, but would do, and do, and do, and do even infinitly for that it doth love, ſo far as love prevails no bounds are ſet.

Yea, and when it doth much, it will not be wearie 7.neither. So far as the Soul is acted with Love, it will never be wearie with what it doth. Men that love their paſtime all night they will ſit up at it and never be tired; ſo thoſe that love the waies of God, though the fleſh may Caution.be weak, yet not the ſpirit.

And then, Love it is ſtrong, ſo as it ſtands out againſt 8.all oppoſitions, nothing that doth oppoſe can prevail againſt love: in Cant. 8. 6, 7. Love is as ſtrong as death, and Song. 8. 6, 7.many waters cannot quench the fire of love.

And then in the next place, Love, it rejoyces in ſuffering, 9. Rejoyce in ſufferings.not only delights in doing, but delights in ſuffering. If one that loves another ſhall ſuffer for him that he doth love he will rejoyce in thoſe ſufferings.

And laſtly, Love, it ſuffers not its ſelf to be its ſelf (as 10. Seeks not its own.it were) to be at his own diſpoſe. Love doth wholly give its ſelf into the poſſeſſion of him that it doth love, it is not his own no longer; The heart that is once taken 1 Cor. 13.with love is no more its own, but gives its ſelf into the poſſeſſion of that that it doth love: ſo that put all theſe together, and you may ſee that love it hath ſtrong Bonds. I drew them with the Bonds of Love.

And then a Second Note of Obſervation is this; Let us do as God doth then; that is, Labor to caſt the Bonds of Obſ. 2.Love upon thoſe we have to deal with; it's Gods way to his people to bind them to himſelf, to throw upon them Bonds of Love, And then ſaith God I have enough, I have them ſtrong enough if I get them with the bonds of Love. Oh let us do as God doth, labor to draw people with bonds of Love; If you would draw any to you, let it be by Love, do you deſire to draw any to you, you Miniſters duty to open Gods love.that are Miniſters, eſpecially you are appointed to draw others to God, it's your work: what ſhould you do? open the Love of God to them, preſent the Grace of the Goſpel to ſouls, labor to work upon their hearts by all the mercies of God, By the mercy of God tendered to them, by the mercy of God received by them, beſtowed upon them: There's no ſuch way to draw ſouls to God as this. Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, that's the preaching of the Goſpel. The firſt preaching of all Mark, 1. 15. applied.Chriſts Sermons, and of his Diſciples was, Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. As if he ſhould ſay, Oh! Sirs, look about you, Conſider your waies, there's a glorious Kingdom now at hand, a Kingdom of righteouſneſs, and mercy wherein the glory of the Grace of God comes to be revealed to the children of men in another way than ever formerly. This is the way to bring men to repentance. It's true, it's good to uſe all means, to ſhew the greatneſs and the juſtneſs, and the holineſs of God, and the like; But the prevailing argument above all to bring men to repentance it is, That the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand; and indeed we would do ſo if we did conſider that repentance it is a Goſpel Grace, it is not that Repentauce a grace of the Goſpel, not of the Law.that comes by the Law, the Law takes no notice of repentance, but the Goſpel, and therefore to preſent the Love of God as it is in the Goſpel, ſo there God manifeſts his love to the children of men, and that's the way to draw to repentance; there's a notable ſtory that we have in the book of Martyrs, not far from the beginning, as Book of Martyrs, lib. 1. Euſeb. lib. 3. cap. 20.alſo in the Eccleſiaſtical Hiſtory of Euſebius: ſpeaking of John the Apoſtle that did commit a yong man which was very hopeful unto a Biſhop, to take care of him; but afterwards proved to be very wicked, and got among a company of theeves, and ſo came to be the Captain of a company of theeves and robbers, and was wholly bent to ſlaughter, and murder, and extream cruelty, and lived in the mountains: Afterwards John comes to this Biſhop to whom he had committed the yong man, and bid him reſtore unto him the charge which he and Chriſt had committed into his Cuſtody, then the elder looking down with a heavy countenance, ſobbing and ſighing, ſaid, He is dead. John enquiring how, and what kind of death, he anſwered he is dead to God, for he is become the Captain of a company of theeves in ſuch a place. The Apoſtle then rending his garments in great ſorrow, ſaid, Prepare me a Horſe and let me have a guide, and ſo rode in poſt, being come unto the place he is taken by the theeviſh watch, he neither flieth nor reſiſteth, but ſaith, for this purpoſe came I hither; bring me unto your Captain, who being armed beheld him coming, but when he knew that it was John, he was ſtrucken with ſhame, and fled away. The old man forgetful of his yeers purſueth him flying, and crieth: My ſon, why flieſt thou from me thy father, unarmed and old? O ſon! tender my caſe, be not afraid, as yet there remaineth hope of ſalvation, I will undertake for thee with Chriſt. And thus he runs after him crying that yet there was hope of merciemercy and pardon, and that he would die for him. He hearing this, firſt ſtood ſtill, turning his countenance to the ground, next ſhoke off his Armor, then trembled for fear and wept bitterly, ſo that this broke his heart and he returns back and falls a weeping upon the neck of John, and became an eminent Chriſtian afterwards.

Whatſoever is to be thought of this ſtory, yet certainly there's no ſuch bonds as the bonds of Love to draw the hearts of people unto God. Have you to deal with ſtony hearts? the way it is to lay them upon the ſoft pillow of the Goſpel, and ſo you may break them; lay a ſtone upon a ſtone, and ſo it goes from you and doth not break, but if you lay it upon a pillow you may preſently Simile.break it with a hammer. The Word is compared to a hammer, yea, but we muſt labor to lay the hearts of people upon the pillow (as it were) of Love, upon the Grace of God in the Goſpel, and that's the way to break their hearts; there are none ſo bound to God as thoſe that are bound to him by Love, thoſe that are bound to God by fear, that hath not Love mixt withal, their bonds will not hold, they will ſeek quickly to break the bonds of fear; there's no men (I ſay) that are held to God by the bonds of fear but they will ſeek after any occaſions to break thoſe bonds, and if they can but get any opportunity to get themſelves out of thoſe bonds, they will, and commonly at laſt they do break them and get themſelves out of the bonds of fear: but now thoſe that are held by bonds of Love, they are held for ever unto God.

I beſeech you obſerve this Note, When men caſt off the ſweet of their ſin, by the ſweet of the Love of God, then they will never return to their ſin again. Oh! but if it be only the bitterneſs of the Law, of puniſhment, that makes them caſt off ſin, they will be ready to turn to their ſin again, as a dog will return to the vomit, as a dog caſts out the vomit meerly in regard of the pain he doth feel; but Simile.when it is caſt out by the ſweet of Love, when one ſweet enters for another, ſuch hold on their way. Auſtin hath a notable expreſſion for that in the 9. Book of his Confeſſions, about the beginning, ſpeaking of a ſwee… of ſin, Thou Lord (ſaith he) dideſt caſt out thoſe ſweetneſſes, Auſt. Confeſſ. lib. 9. cap. 1. Eji…bas eas à me tu vera ac ſumum ſuavitas ejici…bas pro … omni voluptate dulcior.and thou dideſt enter in thy ſelf inſtead of them, who art more ſweet than any pleaſure whatſoever. And it was from hence that he held on ſo in his way, becauſe God caſting out the ſweet of ſin, inſtead of that ſweet he had by ſin before did himſelf (I ſay) enter into the ſoul, that was more ſweet to Auſtin's ſoul than all other ſweetneſſes whatſoever. Oh! ſaith he afterwards, The ſweet it is to want thoſe ſweetneſſes, when he had the Love of God come in inſtead of whatſoever ſweetneſs he had before. No mervail though Grace be ſo perſevering, and we reade Why perſeverence more frequent under the Goſpel than under the Law,ſo much of perſeverance, eſpecially in the times of the Goſpel, becauſe that there's none truly converted unto God but they have that ſweet come into their ſouls through Love, that is more delightful to them than all the ſweet they had by ſin before.

Never be afraid, you that God is beginning to turn to Uſe to yong converts.himſelf, never be loth to part with any ſweetneſs you had in the waies of ſin, for by turning to God you ſhall find that ſweetneſs in God and his waies that will be a thouſand times more. Oh they are things that they love and they are loth to part with them; Yea, but when you are turned to God, God will be as lovely to you as ever any thing in the world was. If the Ice be but broken over night by the Husbandman, he comes the next An apt ſimile.day and it is frozen up again; but let the Sun come with his warm beams, and then it runs down with flakes, then it breaks throughout many Countries together, it breaks all at once by the beams of the Sun: And ſo the beaking of the heart by the terrors of the Law, it is but li… the breaking of the Ice with a pole by the Husbandm… to give the Cattel drink, but when the Love of God co… to the heart, then the corruptions of the heart diſſolve even as the Ice diſſolves when the warm Sun comes upon ….

Th…ay therefore to gain the hearts of men, it is by love. And we ſhould the rather do it, becauſe it is the great deſign of God in the Goſpel, To manifeſt his love Gods great deſign in the Goſpel.to the Children of men, he hath opened his heart, and the treaſures of love in the Goſpel; What is the Goſpel but the treaſures of the love of God opened? thoſe eternal loving kindneſſe, of God towards mankind they are opened in the Goſpel; and no Miniſter can be a faithful Miniſter of the Goſpel, but thoſe that ſhall endeavor to open the heart love of God to the children of men in Jeſus Chriſt, and go to gain ſouls unto himſelf; Oh! 'tis a pleaſant work to be a Miniſter of the Goſpel in this reſpect, to be alwaies ſearching into the treaſures of Love, and to make them known to ſouls for the gaining of them unto God.

And then likewiſe, If you have to deal with men, you 2. Gain men with love in dealing with them. Phil. 2. 1, 2.muſt labor to draw them with the bonds of love; in Phil. 2. 1. If there be therefore any conſolation in Chriſt, if any comfort of Love, if any fellowſhip of the Spirit, if any bowels, and mercies; fulfil ye my Joy, that ye be like minded, ſaith the Apoſtle. Oh! let it be through Love, that you come to be like minded; and do not think to force men into the ſame mind, to uſe bitter language and expreſſions to men if they differ in judgment from your ſelves: But if there The way to uniformity.be any Love, be of the ſame mind, labor to get into one anothers hearts, if you would do good to one another. As a Miniſter, if he would do good to his People, he muſt labor to get into their hearts, that the people may love him: therefore it hath been obſerved that your wrangling Miniſters, and bitter men, that if they be but croſt in Spleenful Miniſters.any thing they preſently went their own bitterneſs, they never do any good at all. But thoſe that can be willing to deny themſelves, and willing to ſuffer for the Caſe of the Goſpel, they prevail moſt. And ſo, if you would do good for any of your kindred, do what you ca… get Deal with kindred in Love.into their hearts that they may love you, and ſo … may be a means to draw them to the waies of God: …y Love you may come to have any liberty in their hearts that you would, you may ſay what you will if once they be perſwaded that you love them, then you may ask more liberty to reprove any thing that is evil in them, and to perſwade them to any thing that is good, then they take nothing ill from you; and therefore 'tis a great diſadvantage that men of ſowr and bitter ſpirits have in obtaining A ſowr diſpoſition doth diſadvantage much.their own deſigns; if they once ſpeak any thing though never ſo good, yet it is rejected, becauſe that people think it is not out of Love: But on the other ſide, it is a mighty advantage that a ſweet and loving diſpoſition hath, let ſuch an one ſpeak never ſo, though the thing be never ſo harſh, yet the party will take it wel, becauſe he knows he loves him. Oh! theſe bonds of love, my brethren, they are mighty ſtrong. When you meet together in any Society, if you would have any thing, do not ſeek to get your wil by wrangling, and frowardneſs, but by bonds of Love. I confeſs there are ſome men that are of ſuch perverſe ſpirits, that the neerer one comes to them, the further they go from one, that they have even But perverſe ſpirits are otherwiſe to be dealt with.loſt all ingenuity; but if you have to deal with men that you think to be gracious, and to be ingenious, then do not think to gain any thing from them but by Love.

Theſe bonds of Love that here we have in the Text the Devil ſeeks to break, the great deſign of the Devil it is, to make men to have hard thoughts of God, & his waies, Satans great deſign.and to make them beleeve that God hates them, and that though they have ſome good things from God for the preſent, yet that the heart of God is not towards them, and ſo labors to make a ſeparation between the ſoul and God. And ſo the great deſign of the Devil is to break the bonds of Love between Chriſtian and Chiſtian: It was a fearful judgment that we reade of in Zach. 11. 14. when Zach, 11. 14.the ſtaff that was called Bonds was broken, even the Brotherhood between Judah and Iſrael, he threatens it as a Judgment; I'le break the bonds of brotherhood. And then you find that the ſtaff of Beauty was broken when the ſtaff of bonds was broken.

My brethren, never was the bonds of Love more broken among Chriſtians than they are now. We reade of bands of Love, but what's become of them? They are broken. They were in former times ſo twiſted (as I told you the word in the Hebrew ſignifies) love ſo twiſted into ſo many The love of Chriſtians one to another in England formerly compared with our diviſions now.Wreaths as one would have thought they could never have been broken; but whatſoever the matter is, we find they ſnap aſunder. Oh! how juſtly might God bind us with Iron bonds, ſeeing that the bonds of Love will not bind us! God hath cut the Cords of divers of our yokes aſunder, and hath broken the bonds of the oppreſſor, and now behold we break the bonds of Love; Oh! unworthy wretches that we are, every one of us looks with a jealous eye one upon another, every one ſhifting for himſelf, there are no bonds of love in our hearts; the wicked in Scripture are ſaid to die without bonds, that's Gods patience, that they ſhall die without bonds; but wo to us, we live without bonds, and that's our ſin, and the wrath of God upon us, in Eccleſ. 3. 8. There is a time to love; when is the time? Certainly if ever there Eccleſ. 3.were a time to love, then this is a time to love. And there is a time to hate.

Oh Divine Love! whither art thou gone? haſt thou left the earth as unworthy of thy beauty and glory? An Apoſtrophe to Love.Oh! that thou wouldeſt come again unto the hearts of the Saints, and bind them together! The want of the bonds of Love every one complains of, Oh! thoſe ſoulrefreſhing, and ſoul-raviſhing meetings that we were wont to have. But eſpecially more publickly, we find the bonds of Love quite gone, and quite broken: reade but over the 1 Cor. 13. and ſee the effects of Love there, Publick Love gone out of England.and by that you will find the bonds of Love quite to be gone; Love, the Scripture tells us, it thinks no evil, it maks the beſt interpretation of things that can be; Now ſurely there's a great deal of want of love amongſt us, that when men in the uprightneſs and ſincerity of their hearts ſhall deſire to find out the mind of God, and the will of God, and meerly out of conſcience becauſe they dare not go any further than they ſee the mind of God to go before them, therefore they ſhall be judged to be a ſtiff-necked people, and to be the great hinderers of Reformation; Is this the beſt interpretation that poſſibly can be made of things? Is it not poſſible why there ſhould be ſome other grounds why they differ from their brethren, but meerly ſtiff-neckedneſs? how if it ſhould be owned by Jeſus Chriſt at the great day, That it was out of ſincerity, becauſe they did deſire to know the mind of Jeſus Chriſt fully, and yet they could not ſee what their brethren ſay they did? We ſhould make the beſt interpretation of things that poſſibly we can. Love it cures all things, and it bears all things; now for ſuch publick ſtriking againſt any ſuch forbearance, and crying A conviction of the conſciences of ſomeout that we would have a Tolleration of all things u… Religion, this is the great argument when they know in their conſciences that their brethren do joyn with them in the Doctrinal part of Religion, and in the main things, and thoſe things wherein they differ are things of no ſuch great moment, but may be forborn with peace enough if mens hearts were peaceable and ſtill; now to in fuſe that into the peoples heads that if they were but in any thing forborn there muſt be a tolleration of all things, ſurely this is not any fruit of Love, this is not that which the holy Ghoſt ſaith, That Love bears all things. I am loth to mention any further, leſt there ſhould be any occaſion of ſtirring up any ſpirits, and ſo hindering the fruit of Love: Let me ſay on the other ſide, there may be too eager cenſure the other way, that Many of both ſides in mater of diſcipline and Churchgo …rnment ſincere.is; to cenſure ſuch as are of a different way and judgment that they do it altogether out of their ſelf-ends, and ſelf-aims, I verily beleeve that on the other ſide, thoſe brethren that do differ, they may be conſciencious in their way, and do it out of zeal to God, and to what they apprehend to be truth; We ſhould apprehend one another ſo, if we ſee there be nothing elſe wherein they do manifeſt corruption of heart but meerly in their Caution.waies of difference in their judgments and opinions. Now if both could but thus judg each of other, that they both are upright in what they do purſue: One ſide imagins that our part is Gods mind, and the other ſide judges that that party is Gods mind; let us judg now that they do it in uprightneſs except it apperrs ſome other way, then we ſhould quickly come to cloſe and joyn hearts together, if we had ſuch upright opinions one of another, therefore the more it is the deſign of the Devil to break We ſhould countermine Satan.thoſe Bonds of Brotherhood, and of Love, the more ſhould we labor to unight together.

And you who are Superiors, labor you to gain your 3. Superiors ſhould win by love.Inferiors by love, Oh let thoſe tie together; do not ſay of your inferiors, they are of untoward diſpoſitions, and how can my heart be towards them, to love them? Oh! none of your inferiors are more untoward unto you than you are unto Chriſt; and Chriſt, if he ſhould not love you becauſe of your untowardneſs, what would become of you? Now conſider of this, when your ſervants and children are untoward, Why ſhould that hinder love, when as my untowardneſs doth not hinder the love of Chriſt to me. I remember I have read of Monica, Auſtins Mother, her husband being an Heathen, and that Monica the mother of Auſtin.ſome of her neighbors that had Chriſtian husbands wondred how they came to live ſo lovingly together, ſaith other Chriſtian women that were neighbors, Our huſbands are Chriſtians, and yours an Heathen, and yet you live more lovingly with him than we do with our husbands. She anſwered them, It may be when your husbands do any thing that provokes you, you are preſently froward with them, but I labor to overcome my husband by love, & ſo to gain his heart to me, and upon that we live ſo lovingly together, Chriſtianity teaches me to perform the duties of a wife to my husband, though my husband be an Heathen. I verily beleeve there are Godly couples for want of love live worſe than when one yoke-fellow is carnal oft-times.many godly men and women, that ſometimes when the one is godly and the other is wicked. You will ſay, How can that be? Yes, though there be godlineſs, yet there may be ſuch frowardneſs and paſſion as may cauſe wonderful diſturbance: but on the other ſide, where there is godlineſs and love, there is ſuch an overcoming with Love, that though the man be wicked and never ſo harſh, yet he hath the nature of a man in him, and ſo long as he hath the nature of a man in him he will be overcome by Love, and therefore that's the way to bind men and women together; Would you be united more than ever yet you have been? labor to caſt the Bonds of Love one upon another; let the husband ſtudy how to overcome his wife with love, and ſo the wife the husband, and then there will be a ſweet union indeed: and ſo for Maſters and ſervants, there ſhould be Love there to unite one to another, though the maſter be above the ſervant, The diſtance betwixt Chriſt and us greater than betwixt us & our ſervants. A maſters comfort.yet the maſter ſhould account it a happineſs to him in that his ſervant doth love him; there is not ſuch a diſtance between you and your ſervants, as there is between God and you; Oh! it's a ſweet thing when a man can ſay in his family, I bleſs God all my familie loves me; And whatſoever they do, they do it out of love to me; It may be you are harſh towards your ſervants, and you will make them do what you command them to do, and they dare not do otherwiſe, yea, but what's that? but do your ſervants love you? do they do all for you out of Love? you might have as much obedience from your ſervants as you have, and have it a great deal better than you have, if you have it out of love; and ſo likewiſe in a family, when one ſervant loves another; as it was ſaid of David in 1 Sam. 18. 22. All his ſervants love 1 Sam. 18. 22thee, all Sauls ſervants did love David; ſo thoſe that are ſervants ſhould labor to live ſo in families as all the other Servants ſhould love one anotherſervants ſhould love them.

But you will ſay, They are ſo wicked that how can I hope to have love from them?Object.

Yes, Though they cannot love thee as thou art godly, Anſw.yet godlineſs hath ſomething in it that is common to the excellency of mans nature.

Yea, and thoſe that are in place of power in the Mageſtracie, they ſhould labor to gain thoſe that are under Magiſtrates ſhold govern by love.them by love: as the greateſt in a family if he be a Lord, or an Earl, ſhould not think it too much to gain a ſervant by Love; ſo thoſe that have the greateſt power in Government, they ſhould not think it too much to gain their meaneſt Subjects in a way of Love: we ſee it was thus with David, 1 Chron. 28. 2. Then David the King 1 Chr. 28. 2.ſtood up and ſaid, Hear me my Brethren, and my People. See what a ſweet expreſſion is here of a great Prince, Then The difference betwixt the geſture & language of David, & the Princes of theſe timesDavid the King ſtood up, and he ſaid, Hear me my Brethren, and my People; he did not ſit down Majeſterially and ſay, My People, and you that are my Subjects, and that are under me, I command you to do thus and thus; but he ſtands up unto them and ſaith, Hear me my Brethren, my People: This was a way to gain the hearts of people unto him. You know Abſolom he ſought in a falſe way to ſteal away the hearts of people by a gentle carriage. I remember I have read of John the Second, a John 2d King of PortugalKing of Portugal, he choſe his Emblem to be a Pelican, that he might expreſs his love to his Subjects upon this ground; for the Pelican when her yong ones have been The property of the Pelican.bitten with Serpents, ſhe feeds her yong ones with her own blood, and thereby cures them: now upon this, this King of Portugal chuſes the Pelican to be his Emblem, thereby he would teſtifie his readineſs to let out his blood for the good of his Subjects, for the healing of his Subjects. He would not feed upon his Subjects blood, but he would rather let out his own blood for their good. This is the commendations of a Prince, not to ſeek to feed upon Subjects blood, and to raiſe up his Honor, and Prerogative by his ſheding of their blood; but to love them A Princes pattern.ſo, as to be willing to let out his blood for their good if it might be. The maxim that ſome have labored to infuſe into Princes, I had rather be feared, than be loved; it is Timeri quàm diligi. A pernitious ſtate maximea maxim only beſeeming Tyranny, and no way ſutable to an ingenuous ſpirit, but to a baſe and ſordid ſpirit; Certainly that man, be he what he will, that is acted by that principle, is a man of a ſordid and low ſpirit: a man of a generous ſpirit, and of an ingenuous ſpirit would rather be beloved than be feared: Let every man The evils of ſtriving otherwiſe than by love.ſeek to gain another by love: If you ſtrive otherwiſe to gain any but by love;

Firſt, You are not likely to prevail.

Secondly, If you do prevail, there will be ſo much trouble before you do prevail, that it will not be worth the having when you do prevail.

Thirdly, When you have your will upon them, they do the thing that you would have them, they dare not do otherwiſe; I but they hate you though: What good is this, for a man to have his will upon another, if in the mean time he hates him?

Then Fourthly, If you do not prevail by love, They will do no more than juſt needs muſt; and this is the Why Hypocrites are hide-bound towards Godreaſon indeed why Hypocrites do ſo little for God, God hath never gained their hearts by Love, but only by fear, and therefore they will do no more for God than they muſt of neceſſity; whereas (as I ſaid before) love never propounds bounds.

And then Fiftly, If you do not get them by Love, they watch for all opportunities to fling off. Now what a poor gain is this, to gain one with a deal of trouble, and for him to do what I would have him, and yet to hate me, and to do no more than needs muſt, and then to wath for all opportunities to appear againſt me? Where fore my Brethren, for the cloſe of this Note, let us follow after Love, and provoke one another to Love, you will find ſweetneſs in your own Love, and ſweetneſs The benefits of love.that you get by Love, in the very exerciſe of Love you will find ſweetneſs, and then the Love that you get by others you will find that ſweet, and you will find it ſo much the ſweeter becauſe you get it by Love.

And then further, another Note is this, Seeing Love Obſ. 3.hath ſuch bonds in it, Let us make uſe of the Love of God to bind our hearts to him.

You have heard that Love hath bonds; And then you have heard that we ſhould do as God doth. And then Thirdly, Is this Gods way? Oh! let us make uſe of all the Love that ever God hath ſhewen unto us for to gain our hearts unto himſelf.

And this would be a large Theam to ſpeak of, if we ſhould lanch into it; if I ſhould come to open unto you what the Love of God hath been to you, how much Love God hath ſhewn to the Nation, and to our ſelves for the gaining of our hearts, Oh the many twiſts of this Cord! 'tis a ſtrong Cord indeed to bind us to God. In Deut. 11. 13. If thou ſhalt diligently love the Lord thy God; there's Deut. 11. 13.that that he requires of them, after what he hath done for them. If thou wilt but diligently love the Lord thy God. That's that that God ſeeks by al his love, to work our hearts to Love.

Not to ſpeak now of the Love of God to you as you are Creatures, nor as you are Men; But a little to ſpeak of the Love of God to you as you are Saints. I ſhall ſhew you very briefly what ſtrong Cords of Love God hath caſt upon you, to gain your hearts to himſelf to love The cords of Gods love to his people, 1 Eternal.him.

As firſt, Gods Love to you (if you be Saints) it is eternal Love, before ever you were born the bowels of God yerned towards you, (as I may ſo ſpeak with holy reverence.) God was twiſting theſe bonds of love from all eternity that he might gain your hearts, God was thinking that in ſuch a time there ſhall be ſuch and ſuch men and women that ſhall live upon the earth; I'le make Gods thoughts from eternity concerning his Elect.preparation by ſuch bonds now as ſhall unite and faſten them cloſe to my ſelf when ever it comes to be revealed to them. It was love from eternity, Oh! the Tranſactions that were between the Father and the Son from all eternity for to manifeſt love to your ſouls! the great Counſels (I ſay) that were tranſacted between the Father and the Son before the world was, were about theſe Bonds of Love to you.

Secondly, It's choiſe Love, when he left many thouſands, 2 Elective and ſeparating. Malach. 1. 2. Uſe.he ſet his heart upon you, Mal. 1. 2. Was not Eſau Jacob's brother, ſaith God? Yet I loved Jacob.

So wert not thou of ſuch a Familie? and yet thou ſeeſt how God hath caſt off a great part of that Familie, and yet hath he loved thee? Wert not thou ſuch a ones brother, ſuch a ones ſiſter that remained wicked and ungodly, and it may be died ſo? and yet God hath loved thee, he hath paſt by ſo many great ones in the world, and ſo many of thy kindred, and rather pitcht his Love upon thee. It's choiſe Love, and therefore this might gain thee to himſelf.

Thirdly, It is free Love, the Love of God is free; ſo you 3 Free. Hoſ. 14. 4. Deut. 7. 7. diſcourſed.have it in Hoſ 14. 4. I will love them freely: and in Deut. 7. 7. The Lord did not ſet his love upon you, nor chuſe you, becauſe you were more in number than any people: for you were the feweſt of all people. God there would manifeſt his love to his people to gain their hearts to him: ſaith he, The Lord did not ſet his love upon you, becauſe you were more: (Why then did God ſet his love upon us?) in the 8. verſe, but becauſe he loved thee. It's a ſtrange arguing: The Lord did not ſet his love upon you becauſe you were more, but the Lord did ſet his love upon you, becauſe he loved you; he could go no higher. There can be no other reaſon why the Lord ſhould love you, but becauſe he did love you. We uſe to ſay, it's a womans reaſon to ſay, I will do ſuch a thing, becauſe I wil do it. Now if any of you would have a reaſon why God loved you: why thus, He loved me, becauſe he loved me. The Lord did not ſet his love upon you for this reaſon; but he did ſet his love upon you, becauſe he loved you. So, it is a free love. Oh! let the freeneſs of it be another Ingredient, ſo as to bind your hearts unto him.

Fourthly, God hath ſo loved you, as he gave his Son for you. 4 He gave his Son for themSo God loved us. Sometimes it hath been in the thoughts of men whether there might not he more worlds than this world. Certainly God in his infinit power he might make a thouſand worlds more glorious than this, ſuch worlds, as the meaneſt Creature in thoſe worlds might be as high in excellencie above the Sun, as the Sun is high above a piece of earth. But now this we may know, let there be never ſuch excellent Creatures made, they cannot have a greater fruit of love than mankind hath from God; Oh! this is the love of God to mankind, this cals aloud to the children of men to love God, here's a fruit of love beyond that which is to Angels; for the Lord Which he did not for Angels.took not upon him the Nature of Angels, but the Nature of man.

Fifthly, God ſo loved his people, as he hath given himſelf 5 And Himſelf alſo.too, as well as his Son. Not only given the Second Perſon in Trinity, but Himſelf. He doth not think enough to give Heaven and Earth to thee to be thy Portion, but he will make Himſelf to be thy portion, he will be thy God. You would think it a great matter if God ſhould ſay, Well, all this world I will give to be thy portion; This is ſet forth by gradation and proſopopie.yea, that I might give a teſtimony that I love thee, I will make another world for thy ſake, and make thee the Emperor of it all; but in that God hath given thee his Son, and given thee Himſelf, this is a greater degree of Love; and the ſoul of man, were it enlarged indeed ſo as it might be, yea, ſo as grace doth enlarge the hearts of the Saints, ſuch a ſoul would ſay, Lord, what will thou give me, if thou giveſt me not thy Son, if thou giveſt me not thy Self? though I be leſs than the leaſt of thy mercies, yet except I have thy ſelf to be my protion, this is not ſufficient for me. Well ſaith God, That thou maieſt know that my heart is ſet upon thee for good, I'le give thee my Son, I'le give thee my ſelf and my Spirit. Oh! what love is this to the children of men, that ever we ſhould live to have our ears filled with this ſound from Heaven, that God ſhould do ſuch things as theſe are for the children of men!

Sixthly, God doth ſo love his people, as in compariſon 6. Regards nothing elſe. Iſa. 43. 4. illuſtrated.of his Saints he cares not what becomes of all the world; in Iſa. 43. 4. I loved thee, therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. If thy caſe be ſo that it ſhall not be well with thee without great evils that ſhall come upon the children of men, the generality of men, and many people and Nations; I do not ſo much care for them (ſaith God) my heart is upon you: ſo as in compariſon of you I care not what becomes of all the world. Oh the Love of God unto his Saints!

Yea further, God hath loved thee ſo, as he hath pardoned 7 Pardoned all their ſins. Revel. 1. 5.all thy ſins; here's another twiſt of Gods Love, in Rev. 1. 5. Ʋnto him that hath loved us, and waſhed us from our ſins, by his own blood. For his giving himſelf for us that is in Gal. 2. 20. He hath loved us, and waſhed us from our ſins by his own blood: here's a fruit of Love. You do not Gal. 2. 20.hear it ſaid, that Chriſt hath loved us and hath purchaſed great Kingdoms for us, hath made you Lords, and obſerved.Earls, and Counteſſes, and ſo hath loved you; no, But he hath loved us, and waſhed us from our ſins by his blood. Now it's a good argument; that the Love of God is upon you, if you account this to be a great fruit of Love to waſh you from your ſins by the blood of Jeſus Chriſt; Surely if he will do ſo much for you, as ſhall coſt him ſo dear as his own blood, he loves you; the Love Jeſus Chriſt broke through theſe difficulties, for when there were ſuch tranſactions between the Father and Son about redeeming the Soul, ſaith God, If thou wilt take upon thee to deliver them from their ſin, thou muſt come thy A repreſentation of the love of Chriſt in coming to take away our ſin.ſelf and be made a Curſe for their ſins. What, will you undertake ſuch a thing as that, to deliver them from their ſin? it will coſt you thus much. Saith Jeſus Chriſt, Lord, thy will be done in it, yet let me deliver them from their ſin, though I loſe my life, though it coſt me my blood, though I be made a Curſe, whatſoever it coſt me, yet let their ſins be waſhed from them. He hath waſhed us from our ſins, though it coſt him his blood. Oh! the Love of Chriſt to his Saints! what Bonds of Love have we here! I have ſeen ſome that they may twiſt and bind their cords An apt ſimile.the more faſt, they will wet them that ſo they may cloſe and bind the more. Oh the Cords of the Love of Jeſus Chriſt, are wet with his own blood.

Again, Loved thee, ſurely his Love hath been great, he 8 Puts lovelineſs upon them.hath put lovelineſs upon thee, he hath put upon thee his own Nature. If one can ſay any thing greater than hath been ſaid, this one would think ſhould be very high and great, tor God ſo love us as to put his own Nature into us, to make us partaker of the Divine Nature, ſo to love us, as to put his own Life into us, to enable us to live the very ſame life that himſelf doth live, ſo to love us as to put his own Image upon us, Oh! this is the Love of God to his Saints.

Again, He loves thee with the very ſame Love wherewith he 9 Loves them with the love he hath to Chriſt. Joh. 17. 23.loves Jeſus Chriſt himſelf; In John 17. about the latter end, That thou maieſt love them with the ſame Love wherewith thou haſt loved me, ſaith Chriſt to the Father. Oh! to have the ſame Love that the Father loves Chriſt withal, Is not this a ſtrong Bond to bind thy heart to God? If God had loved thee only ſo, as to give thee an eſtate and honors here in this world, this is no other love but that the Reprobate may have, and will this Love ſatisfie thee? Oh! the difference between the Love of God to his Saints, and the Love of God to other men! he loves the great ones of the world that are wicked with no other love, but with the love that he loves a Reprobate; but he loves the Saints with the ſame Love wherewith he loves his Son, and this Love will bring thee one day, to be one with the Father and the Son, and is not here a ſtrong Bond of Love to gain thy hea…t to Himſelf?

And further, from this it muſt needs be, that the Lord 10. Hence God delights in his Saints.muſt delight in Communion with his Saints: and indeed God doth all this for his Saints, puts the Divine Nature into them, and the Life of God, and ſets ſo much Love upon them; why? that he might have a people to enjoy everlaſting Communion with him; ſaith God, I would fain have ſome Creatures that might live with me, Why God does all the former things for his Saints.to enjoy communion with me, that might live to ſee my face, and ſee all the Glory that I intend to manifeſt to all eternity: Oh bleſſed God! haſt not thou the Angels that are with thee to enjoy thy Glory, to have communion with thee? no ſaith God, but I would have theſe poor creatures that are ſo low and mean in the world, I would have them to be raiſed up to enjoy communion with my ſelf; this is the end of Gods beſtowing any Grace upon his Saints, it is that he might raiſe them to enjoy communion with him, and to delight in him, and he to delight in them, that he might have creatures to communicate the treaſures of his goodneſs too, and that thou mighteſt communicate what thou art able to him. Surely Chriſt doth not account himſelf to be full without his Saints; and therefore you find in Epheſ. 1. 23. that Eph. 1. 23. illuſtrated by Joh. 17. 24the Church is called, the Fulneſs of Jeſus Chriſt, and therefore he praies, Father, let them be where I am, I ſhall not account my ſelf ſo full except they be with me, and ſee my Glory. Oh the Love of Jeſus Chriſt to his Saints!

And then further, This Love it ſweetens and ſanctifies all 11 Gods love ſweetens and ſanctifies all.for good; thou maieſt ſee Love in every thing, now though thou haſt leſs of the creature than others have, yet thou haſt it out of Love; when thou comeſt home it may be thou haſt not ſo much as others have, perhaps but a piece of bread and ſmal drink; yea, but I have it out of Love: look upon all thy mercies, and thou mayeſt ſee the eternal Love of God to thee in them. They are all ſanctified to me for the furtherance of eternal good, the Lord from all eternity did ſee that ſuch a kind of life was A meditation for afflicted Saints.the beſt for me to further the eternal good he intended for me, and therefore he hath diſpoſed of me to this condition rather than another condition. Oh! how ſweet may the life of a man or woman be when as they can reaſon after this manner, Well, this condition that now I am in, the Lord from eternity ſaw the fitteſt condition to work my heart to himſelf, and therefore it is that I am in this eſtate rather than another. And then Love; thou findeſt daily by experience, how hath the Lord helped thee in thy ſtraights, and heard thee in thy prayers, and anſwered thy deſires. This I told you in the opening of the text was a fruit of Love to the people of Iſrael, and ſo it hath been with thee.

And this love is very ſtrange too, for though the Lord 12. Gods love overcomes all our unworthineſs (both before & after converſion) which he foreſaw.did forſee all thy weakneſs, and all thy unbeſeeming carriages, thy unworthineſ, &c. yea, the Lord did not only foreſee what thou wouldeſt be before he did manifeſt love, but he did forſee how thou wouldſt walk unworthy of his love after it was manifeſted to thee, and though he forſaw all this, yet ſtill his love was not quenched towards thee, but ſaith the Lord, My love ſhal break thorow all this. Many times you ſet your love upon ſome, and they prove untoward, and unworthy, and you think with your ſelves, Could I have but foreſeen this untowardneſs they ſhould never have had my love: but now the Lord did foreſee al thy il requitals, and yet it did not hinder the love of God towards thee.

And then further, In the love of God there is the love 13 Gods love hath in it the love of all relations.of all relations. As now, The love of a father towards a child: the Lord takes upon him the relation of a father, and the love of a husband; the Lord takes upon him the relation of a husband, and the love of a friend too, that's ſweet.

And then, that that crowns all it is this, That it is an 14 An everlaſting and unchangable love. Zeph. 3. 17. Jer. 3. 13. 2 Theſſ. 2. 16.abiding love, an everlaſting love, a love that ſhall never be quenched: He that the Lord loves, he loves unto the end, he will reſt in his love, Zeph. 3. 17. Jer. 31. 3. 2 Theſſ. 2. 16. If thou knoweſt that he hath loved thee in his Son, thou haſt hereby an everlaſting conſolation; let Heaven and Earth meet together, let there be what changes and alterations there will, yet there is everlaſting conſolation for thee, if thou kneweſt but this love of God.

Now my brethren, all this I have done to that end, that your hearts may be gained unto God; And what Application.wilt thou do now? Wilt not thou now love the Lord thy God? ſhal not al this love of God to thee in Chriſt conſtrain thee? The love of Chriſt conſtrains me, ſaith the Apoſtle. Oh! love the Lord, all ye Saints; if the Lord hath 2 Cor. 5. 14.thus loved you, love ye the Lord all you his Saints. Then God is Love himſelf, he is the Element of Love; And whither ſhould love go but up to the Element? Air it deſires to be in its proper place; and Earth will deſcend to God the Element of Loveits proper place: the proper place of Love, is God, God is (as it were) the Element of Love, for ſo the Scripture ſaith, God is Love: And he that dwels in God, dwels in love. 1 Joh. 4. 16.Oh labor to be rooted and ſtabliſhed in love. in Epheſ. 3. 17. Being rooted and ſtabliſhed in love, you may be able to comprehend Eph. 3. 17, 18, 19.with all Saints, what is the length, and breadth, and depth, and heighth, and to know the love of Chriſt, which paſſeth knowledg. Being rooted in love, thereby ye come to comprehend with all Saints, the breadth, and length, and depth, and heigth, and to know the love of Chriſt, which paſſeth knowledge. It is not the ſtrength of natural parts, Learning doth not ſo much teach us what the length, and heighth, and depth of the love of Chriſt is, as Love, get but your hearts rooted in Love, and you wil come to underſtand the glorious things of the Goſpel in another manner than ever you did. And mark what follows: That you might be filled with all the fulneſs of God. Had The rarity of the expreſſion in Eph. 3. 19.we not ſuch an expreſſion in Scripture, we ſhould not dare to make uſe of it; What, for a poor creature to be filled with God, to be filled with the fulneſs of God, to be filled with all the ſulneſs of God! This is the reaſon why Chriſtians are ſo ſcant in their obedience, and empty in their ſpirits, becauſe they are not acquainted with Why Chriſtians ar ſo ſcant in their obedience, and empty in their ſpirits. Cant. 7. 12. noted. God regards nothing but love. Our love ſhould be eminent toward Chriſt Minus te … Deus diligit, qui praeter te aliquid diligit qui propter te non diliget. Auguſt. Confeſſ.this breadth, and length, and depth, and heighth of the love of Chriſt: Oh know, that God prizes thy love, and he is ſatisfied with nothing but thy love; in Cant. 7. 12. There will I give thee my loves, ſaith the Spouſe. When thou comeſt to the Ordinances, to hear the Word, receive Sacraments, or Prayer, yet if thou comeſt not to give the Lord Chriſt thy loves, it is nothing; There will I give thee my loves. Oh! Chriſt prizes love at an high rate: and that love that will ſerve for other things, certainly will not ſerve Chriſt. He loves thee too little (ſaith Auguſtan) that loves any thing beſides thee, who loves not that thing for thee. You may love Wife, and Children, and Friends, yea, but you muſt love them all for God; when you ſee any thing lovely in Husband, or Wife, or children, or Friends, yea, but think this is but a beam of the lovelineſs of God. And thus I have endeavored now to raiſe your hearts to God by Love; the Lord hath caſt Bonds of Love upon your ſouls, On! that by the Miniſtry of his Word this day theſe Bonds may be ſomewhat ſtrengthened, that you may feel ſome ſtrength in theſe Bonds, that you may go away with your hearts more ſtrongly united to the Love of God than ever. I drew them with the Cords of a man, With Bonds of Love, and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their Jaws, and I laid meat unto them.

Part of the laſt Sermon it was ſpent in opening unto you theſe Bonds of Love. And ſhewing,

Firſt, What were the Bonds of Gods Love towards the people of Iſrael, the ſeveral expreſſions of Gods Love to them in ſeveral particulars. And ſhewed you how that all thoſe that had to deal with men to draw them to God ſhould do as God doth, labor to draw them with Bonds of Love? I have eſpecially directed my ſelf unto the Saints of God, and ſhewed to them what bonds of of Love God hath laid upon their hearts to draw them to himſelf. I have not applied this point generally yet; for indeed one principal Bond of the Love of God towards the Nation will follow in the words after; But certainly the Lord hath ſought to draw this Nation to himſelf with Bonds of Love. We may ſay concerning Gods ſpecial love to Engl.God, he hath loved this Nation: Loved it. It was the firſt Nation that ever received Jeſus Chriſt by the countenance 1.of publick Authority, of the Supream Authority in the Nation.

And when Antichriſt had darkned the light of the 2.Goſpel here, the bowels of Gods Compaſſions yerned towards it, and God wrought wonderfully to deliver this Nation from Antichriſtian Tyrannie.

Moreover; The Lord hath not ſent the light and power 3.of the Goſpel to any Nation under Heaven more fully; nay, without prejudice to any other we may ſay not ſo fully as to this Nation; though there are many of the Saints of God elſe where, yet in no place under Heaven hath God more, yea, ſo many Saints; (I might almoſt ſay, put all the Nations of the earth together) ſo many that know him ſo fully, and have that power of godlineſs in the worſhiping of him, as here in this Nation. Oh! the Bonds of Love that are upon us!

Yea, If we look upon our outward mercies, thoſe liberties that we enjoy, there's ſcarce any Nation that 4.hath the Commonalty of the people that live like men in compariſon of ours; for the moſt part of all the Nations in the world, the generality of people are like ſlaves rather than any Free-men, their Governors rule over them with Tyranny; but here the Common people have Liberties, and God works mightily for them, for the vindicating of the Liberties, that they have both for their bodies and outward eſtates, and their ſouls likewiſe, and Oh! the Love that God hath ſhewn unto us of late in working ſo miraculouſly for us as he hath done!

But there is one point more obſervable in theſe Bonds 5.of Love that God draws people unto himſelf by.

The ſcope of the Prophet here in mentioning theſe Bonds of Love, it is to aggravate their ſin, from whence The ſcope of the Text.there is this:

That there's nothing more aggravates ſin than that it is againſt Obſ. 4.Love. God hath Three Bonds to bind us to Obedience.

There's the Bond of his Law.

And the Bonds of Afflictions.Three ſorts of Gods Bonds.

And the Bonds of Love.

But now to break all theſe Bonds, The Bonds of the Commandements, and the Bonds of Afflictions, and Bonds of Love too, this aggravates ſin very much.

Oh charge thy ſin with this aggravation, Oh thou ſinner! What againſt ſuch a God, ſuch Love, Oh what Uſe.a vile heart have I! Saith Auguſtin, Oh 'tis too hard a ſpirit; Ni… durus eſt animus, qui amore & ſi nolebat impendere, noltt rependare. Auguſt.that though it will not beſtow Love, yet it will not requite Love. O! let not there be ſuch a hardneſs in the Spirits of the Saints. Thou dideſt not begin with God to love, thou dideſt not begin to beſtow Love; be not ſo hard towards God as not to requite Love. Do not we ſee how baſe Love can gain upon mens hearts, adulterous love, Adulterous love. Gifts.what ſtrong bonds that love is, the giving of gifts and bribes, what bonds they are to tie mens harts, their hands and tongues! and ſhall not the Love of God and the fruits of that be a ſtronger Bond to tie thy heart unto him? Nothing goes more to the heart of Man of God than the abuſe of Love: A man can better bear the abuſe of his mony, the abuſe of any thing he doth, or hath, than the abuſe of his Love: Gods Spirit is grieved with his Saints: we do not reade that the Spirit of God is grieved with the Wicked, God may be angry with the wicked every day, but not grieved, but when the Saints ſin againſt him the Spirit of God is grieved, becauſe their The Spirit grieved only by the Saints.ſins are againſt Love; when thou ſinneſt againſt God the Lord looks upon thee, as Caeſar once upon Brutus; What, thou my Son! What, thou whom I have ſo loved! What, foreignbreak all thoſe bonds. When we reade in the ſecond Pſal. of the Kings and Princes of the Earth, that ſaid, Let us break their Bonds aſunder, and caſt away their Cords from us, We think that's great Rebellion; but for thou that profeſſeſt thy ſelf to be Gods, it's a greater evil to break theſe bonds of Love; Oh! thou my Son, my Child, thou whom I have beſtowed ſo much Love upon, yet thou to ſin againſt me, when thou art committing of any evil, A meditation for a Saint about to ſin.conceive with thy ſelf as if God were looking upon thee, and pleading with thee, by all thoſe fruits of his love that ever thou haſt received from him, and wilt thou yet ſin againſt him for all this? We reade in Mark 14. 72. Mark. 14. 72.when Peter had ſinned, Chriſt did but look upon him, and he wept bitterly; Oh! Peter ſaw love in the looks of Jeſus Chriſt, and therefore we know after when Chriſt came to him, he pleaded with him with this argument of love, Doeſt thou love me? and doeſt thou love me? Oh! when he ſaw the eyes of Chriſt ſo ſparkling of love, and then conſidered that he had ſinned againſt that Chriſt that had ſo loved him, broke all thoſe bonds of love, then he went out, and wept bitterly; the word is in Mark 14. 72. foreign, He did break out in weeping. foreign. Erupiſſet. Beza. Ovelatione capitis: he covered his head as Marriners uſe to do. Theophylact.For ſo it may ſignifie, that force that there is in doing any thing, to lay a force upon ones ſelf to do a thing, He did break out, break out in weeping, he was not able to bear it, his heart burſt even in ſunder, when he conſidered how he had burſt aſunder the bonds of Love. Oh that after ſuch manifeſtations of Mercy and goodneſs, ſuch warmings of heart in Communion with Jeſus Chriſt, what thou, Oh my ſoul! what, canſt thou find in any waies like Gods waies? canſt thou find the like love and the like ſweetneſs in any as thou haſt done in God, yet for all this unkind, unloving dealings, God follows thee with Love, his heart is yet open unto thee; As a man that goes from the Sun yet he hath the warm beams of the Sun that follows him, and doth warm him; Simile.ſo the hearts of the Saints do many times go from God, decline from him, yet they have the warm beams of Love that follows after them to draw their hearts again to him; Oh! return, return into this boſom of infinite Love, here thy ſoul may have everlaſting imbracings. And I was to them, as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.

Here's a fruit of Love in delivering them from their bondage; as a Husband-man who is merciful to his beaſt he will not tire it too much with hard labor, but takes Simile.off the yoke, lifts up the yoke with his hands and gives it food; ſo did I ſaith God, I did not tire Epbraim with labor and ſervitude. When you were in Egypt, and often afterwards when under your enemies yokes, I freed you from your bondage; as the Husband-man when the beaſt hath been plowing and begins to be hot liſts the yoke up to cool the neck that the beaſt may refreſh its ſelf. From their jaws.

Becauſe of ſome Inſtruments, ſome bridle that was Expoſ.faſtened to the yoke that was on their neck and put into their jaws. Therefore there's this phraſe, Lifting up the yoke from their jaws.

Luther upon the place underſtands this of that ſpiritual Luther.eaſe that there is in the yoke of Jeſus Chriſt: ſo ſaith he, The Lord by his Spirit doth help us to obey; he doth not only command, and tel us what to obey, but aſſiſts us with his Spirit, and gives us power, and lifts up the yoke, and bears it together himſelf with us, and hence Chriſt tells us that his yoke is eaſie, and his burden is light. Indeed it's an eaſie yoke in compariſon of the Law, the Law ſaith, Do this, and live; do not, and die: the Law takes advantage upon every infirmity, It admits not of endeavors without performances, It gives no ſtrength to what it commands; Oh! but the yoke of No cōmand in the Goſpel without a promiſe. Simile.Chriſt is eaſie, Chriſt continues ſtrength; there's never a Command without a promiſe to give ſtrength; As an artery that runs together with the veins. And Chriſt accepts of endeavors, Oh! the yoke of the Goſpel is far eaſier than the yoke of the Law.

So, I have taken off the yoke.] We muſt not think this too far fetcht, becauſe we find that the holy Ghoſt in the new Teſtament interprets the beginning of this chapter concerning Chriſt, that we would never have thought to have been meant of Chriſt; I called my Son out of Egypt. I opened there how this was to be underſtood of Chriſt. Now if ſo be that God had an eye to Chriſt, when he ſaid, I have called my Son out of Egypt: why ſhould we not think that there might be an eye to Chriſt in this, when he ſaith, I took the yoke from off their Jaws; I delivered them from the yoke that neither they, nor their fathers could bear; and I brought a more eaſie yoke of the Goſpel upon them.

But though the holy Ghoſt had an eye to this, yet that that is firſtly and litterally meant, it is, the deliverance from oppreſſion, I delivered them from the oppreſſions that were upon them. From whence then the Obſervation is this,

Firſt, That deliverance from oppreſſion is a great mercy. Oh! Obſ. 1 Deliverance from Oppreſſion a great mercy. Levit. 26. 13.what eaſe is there in it! Oh! how doth it cool our necks! In Levit. 26. 13. I have broken the bonds of your yoke, and made you go upright. There was a time that we had heavie yokes upon us, that made us ſtoop, we ſtoop'd under them, but through Gods mercy theſe bonds of our yokes are in a good meaſure broken, that we may go upright, and wo to us, if we go not upright now. In Ezek. 34. 27. They ſhall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken Ezek. 34. 27.the bonds of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of thoſe that ſerved themſelves of them. My brethren, If ever God manifeſted himſelf to be the Lord towards us, it hath been in breaking the bonds of our yoke, of the yokes that were upon us, and in delivering us from thoſe who ſerved themſelves of us; we were under a proud and cruel generation of men, that minded themſelves, and car'd not what became of the Conſciences, of the Eſtates, Liberties, and Lives of men, ſo be it that they could have their humors, their luſts ſerved upon us; and what means could we ſee for the deliverance of our ſelves from their yoke? But the Lord hath appeared; and then ſaith the text, They ſhall know that I am the Lord; If we Expounded.did not know that God was the Lord before, yet now we may know him; and the truth is, ſuch hath been the wonderful works of God towards us in the breaking of our yokes, that it were enough to convince an Atheiſt me thinks; thoſe of you that have been heretofore troubled with temptations of Atheiſm, The ſtrange waies of God towards this Nation in freeing of us from thoſe A cure for Atheiſtical thoughts.yokes that have been upon us, may convince you of a God, may make you ſay, Surely there is a God in Heaven that beholds the waies of the children of men, the Lord is God; Then ſhall you know that I am the Lord.

Oh! that upon the manifeſtation of God in this way of mercy, we may come to know that God is the Lord, the Lord might have forced us to have known that he was the Lord, by laying more grievous yokes upon us, by bringing us under more dreadful evils than ever yet we were, but the Lord hath rather been pleaſed to chuſe a way to make us to know that he is the Lord, by taking our yokes off from us. This God hath done.

The Second Obſervation is from the Scope that the Prophet brings this for, which is, to aggravate their ſin ſo much the more; as if he ſhould ſay, I have taken off the yoke from your jaws, and yet now you are wanton and kick and ſpurn with the heel againſt me. From whence Note;

That to grow wanton, to abuſe our eaſe, when God is pleaſed Obſ. 2. To grow wanton after deliverance from yokes is very ſinful.to deliver us from yokes, is very ſinful, a very great evil. What now when we come to have a little libertie more than we had before, to be freed from that yoke and bondage that we were in, and begin to feel our necks freed of thoſe yokes that were before upon them, What! now to begin to frisk, and ſpurn, and kick, and againſt God Himſelf, that hath taken the yoke from off us, Oh! this is very dreadful. What, to abuſe our libertie that we have from our bondage, to all manner of licentiouſneſs in horrid and wanton Opinions, in wicked and abominable practiſes; certainly this is an ill requittal of this fruit of Love, in lifting up the yoke from off our jaws. This is a very great evil which we are this day guilty of; if ever there were a people guilty of this evil, of kicking and ſpurning againſt God ſo ſoon as he hath taken off the Englands ſin.yoke from their jaws, than we are at this day: Could any have beleeved that if it had been revealed from Heaven, but Six years ſince, That within ſix years this People of England ſhould be delivered from thoſe ſore yokes that they cried to Heaven becauſe of the burden of them, and the Lord would work in a miraculous way to deliver them; but upon their deliverance there ſhal be ſuch wantonneſs, ſuch horrid, blaſphemous opinions, and wicked licentious waies, yea, that thoſe that make profeſſion of Religion ſhall be guilty of, preſently upon the taking off of their yoke, Could it have been beleev'd? Certainly if our forefathers that were under the yoke, that were godly, and cried to God for deliverance, if they ſhould riſe out of their graves now, and aſſoon as ever they were riſen out, ye ſhould make a full Narration of all that Libertie that God hath granted to his people in England, in the breaking of all that yoke of Tyrannie in the Civil State, and the yoke of Tyrannie in the Eccleſiaſtical State, they would preſently think that they ſhould ſee wonderful glorious effects of this in England; but if within a month or two after they ſhould have converſed with men they ſhould hear of ſuch monſtrous opinions, they ſhould ſee the extream licentiouſneſs and wantonneſs in the hearts of men, expreſſed in their waies, Oh! they would be ready to ſpit in the very faces of their children, of thoſe that now live in ſuch times as theſe are. The wantonneſs The Evils of licentiouſneſs after deliverance.and licentiouſneſs of men hearts in abuſing of our freedom from our yokes, it's very evil in theſe Reſpects:

Firſt, Becauſe this hardens the hearts of former Oppreſſors: 1 It hardens our AdverſariesOur former Oppreſſors, our Prelats and others, will not they ſay, (or do not you give them occaſion to ſay) Now you ſee what is the fruit of caſting of us out, Was there ſuch wantonneſs before? were there ſuch horrid Opinions before when we had power? We kept down all ſuch things, we could eaſily curb theſe, when we had power; but you ſee what extravegancies there are, how men run wild aſſoon as our power is taken from us. By this means they are hardened: And others that are of Prelatical ſpirits, they are hardoned, and begin to think ſurely the other way is the better way; and indeed Suppreſſion of Errors by violence no argument of the truth of Church-government. [Omnes licentiâ deteriores ſumus]if this be a good argument, That the keeping men in union, and the keeping down errors by violence ſhall prove the truth of any way, or of any Government, it may as well prove Prelatical, as any other, for we know that they kept men from venting of ſuch notorious errors by violence; but ſhall we, becauſe there is not this violence upon us, ſhall be more erronious, and more wanton in our ſpirits?

Secondly, This wantonneſs and abuſe of our Liberty, 2 It obſcures the work of God.and licentiouſneſs, it darkens the glory of this great work of God in our deliverance; the Lord hath been pleaſed to magnifie his Name in the deliverance of theſe Kingdoms from the yoke; Now what ſhould be the care of all the people of God, but to ſeek to magnifie the great work of God, to make it beautiful and glorious before the eyes of all? But now by this wantonneſs and licentiouſneſs men do darken the Glory of God, they take off the luſtre and beauty of it, Pſal. 149. 4. the Lord there promiſes, to beautifie the meek with ſalvation, He Pſal. 149. 4. enlightned.will beautifie them with ſalvation: now the Lord hath wrought ſo towards us as to beautifie us with ſalvation, and indeed there is a great beautie upon the work of ſalvation that he hath wrought; but this doth (I ſay) darken the Glory of God, and it takes away the beauty of the work of God in our ſalvation; What, hath God done all this for us, that men might turn wanton and run w…ld into monſterous opinions, and blaſphemies? Oh! wo to thee that thou ſhouldeſt live in ſuch a generation as this is, how unfit art thou to live in ſuch a time as this is to darken the glory of ſuch a glorious work as God hath wrought for us here in England!

Thirdly, By abuſing our liberties from our yokes, you 3 Deprives others of juſt liberty.do wrong others, wrong thoſe who are wiſe, and holy, and peaceable, and you make them to be denied that liberty that otherwiſe they might have. It is for your ſakes who are ſo wanton and run ſo wild in opinions, and in the looſneſs of your lives, that (I ſay) thoſe that are otherwiſe diſcreet, wiſe, and holy, and peaceable, and that would make uſe of what liberty Chriſt would have given to his people, they muſt be denied it for your ſakes, it will be upon your account one day, what ever denial they have of that liberty that they would uſe in a gracious and peaceable way for the honor of God (I Which wil be charged on the ocaſioners of it.ſay) you muſt anſwer for it one day, for 'tis your wildneſs that is the cauſe of it.

Yea Fourthly, This wildneſs, and looſneſs, and abuſe of deliverance from bondage, it will be the means to 4 It …a… bring the yoke on again.bring others to be under greater yokes again, it were juſt with God (at leaſt) that it ſhould be ſo.

Yea, It might make any that have but any Civility, or Morality in them, to think that they ſhall do God 5 It juſtly provokes men againſt liberty.good ſervice in yoking theſe men in another way than ever they were yok'd, (I ſay) it might make them to think that they do God good ſervice when they ſee the Name of God diſhonored, and Religion ſo abuſed; I ſay, by this means they may come to think it would be a good ſervice to God to lay yokes upon ſuch kind of men as theſe are. If ever, inſtead of the great ſtrings that have tide yokes upon you, you ſhould have leſſer ſtrings, if you ſhould have them multiplied to tie yokes upon you, yet thank your ſelves, you are the cauſe of it, in Lament. 1. 14. The yoke of my tranſgreſſion is bound by Lam. 1. 14.his hand: The Lord may juſtly bind the yoke of your tranſgreſſions upon you; Oh! that God would humble us for the abuſe of our libertie of the freedom from our yokes, Oh let us take heed of this, and ſay with our ſelves, Surely this is not the uſe that we ſhould make of What uſe we ſhould make of our liberty.our deliverance from our yokes; no, but rather this uſe, we will rather ſo much the more willingly take the yoke of Jeſus Chriſt upon us: In Exod. 12. 25. after the Exod. 12. 25.people of Iſrael were delivered from the yoke of Egyptian bondage, preſently upon it, Thou ſhalt keep this ſervice (ſpeaking of the paſſeover that was to be kept upon their deliverance from Egypt) Thou ſhalt keep this ſervice. The word that is there, Service, it is the ſame that is uſed ſomtimes foreignfor their Service and Bondage under the Egyptians; as if the Lord ſhould ſay, You were once in Service indeed, there was a Service that the Egyptians requir'd of you, a ſervile Service it was, and your necks were under illuſtrated.it, now I'le work thus miraculouſly to deliver you from that ſervility that you were under, and now you ſhall keep this Service, Oh my ſervice is a great deal better than the ſervice under your Enemies. And indeed this ſhould be the uſe, we were ſlaves to our Adverſaries, let us be willing now, ſeeing we are free men, to be ſervants of Jeſus Chriſt, and to take his yoke; but the growing wanton upon the taking off our yoke, is a great aggravation of Sin.

But further, As it is a very great evil to grow wanton Obſ. 3. Oppreſſion of others after deliverance from oppreſſion, a crying ſin. Deut. 28. 48.when we are delivered from our yokes; ſo certainly to oppreſs one another after we are delivered from oppreſſion muſt needs be a great evil likewiſe. In Deut. 28. 48. (but that belongs to the former Note that we ſhould ſerve God with the ſtrength that before was ſpent in ſerving our Enemies.) Becauſe thou ſervedſt not the Lord with joyfulneſs and gladneſs of heart, therefore ſhalt thou ſerve thine Enemies which the Lord ſhall ſend againſt thee, in hunger and in thirſt, and in nakedneſs, and in want of all things: and he ſhall put a yoke of Iron upon thy neck, until he have deſtroyed thee.

But ſurely, If this be a mercy that we ſhould bleſs God for, That we are delivered from the yokes of men, and the abuſe of it in our wantonneſs be great; Then this muſt needs be greater, That we ſhould fall upon laying yokes one upon another. If it be the mercy of God to take off your yokes, we ſhould ſeek to take off yokes from our Brethren, and to make their waies to be as eaſie to them as poſſibly we can, not to ſeek waies to pinch their conſciences; Conſcience oppreſſion of all opp…ſſions Conſcience oppreſſion the moſt grievousis the worſt, There was heretofore a generation of men who ſtudied what would pinch conſcience moſt, and that that they found would moſt pinch conſcience, that they would urge to the uttermoſt upon men; this was deviliſh; I hope we have not many ſo vile as theſe What Statesmen ſhould conſider in impoſing things. Object.were. But you ſhould conſider what though ſuch and ſuch opinions and waies will ſerve my turn, will they not be burdens to others?

Well, but though they be burdens, if they be truths, why ſhould they not be urged?

Nay, Suppoſe they be truths, yet except they be neceſſary, Anſw. Such Truths as are not of neceſſity, not to be impoſedlet not men be inſtrumental in impoſing them upon them: If there be a neceſſity then there's no plea, but ſome men are ſo happy (if I may ſo call it) as that they have a latitude in their judgements, that which way ſoever the times turn they can find out a diſtinction Men of latitude in judgment.to help themſelves, that ſo their fair necks ſhould never come under a yoke, ſo it fals out that alwaies their judgments ſutes with the times.

I will not condemn theſe men, for poſſibly it may be God gives them to ſee further than others do, but yet, by this they have eaſe: but now were theſe men ingenuous, they ſhould conſider their brethren thus. I have a Latitude, and I could go along with the countenance of the times as they were before, the former times, and now the times are changed, I can go in theſe times too; But ſome A meditation for ſuch: And neceſſary at this time.others whom I have reaſon to judge, as faithful, as gracious as my ſelf, they have no ſuch latitude, it falls out unhappily for them, for in former times their judgments could not ſuffer them to do what was enjoyned them, they were fain to ſuffer and to be deprived of eſtates and livings and whatſoever they had; well, now the times are changed, it falls out ſo that their judgments cannot ſute now neither with theſe times, and yet ſurely it is not through frowardneſs, nor through perverſneſs, for take theſe men in all things elſe, I find them as conſciencious, as ſpiritual as my ſelf, Alas! muſt they now ſuffer, and ſhal I ad to their afflictions? ſhall my hand be uſed to lay the yoke on them & to preſs it hard? God forbid, I'le rather ſtudy, though I will not bauk any truth, I'le ſtand to defend what ever I am perſwaded in my conſcience is a truth, yet I'le ſtudy what poſſibly I can to eaſe them, and to make their lives as comfortable to them as I can; I know God hath given them ability and hearts to do him ſervice, and it may be as much as I, Oh! why ſhould they be hindered and diſcouraged in their work? I'le ſtudy what latitude there may be for them: This were ſomewhat like, Oh! this were ingenuity indeed, this would ſavor of a good ſpirit indeed, This would be a good teſtimony of your thankfulneſs unto God for breaking off the yokes that were upon you: My brethren when our yokes are taken away, or lifted up we muſt have regard to others as well as our ſelves, and not think or ſay, let them bear, let their necks bear; Oh no, what are our necks more than theirs? If God pities his people and will lift up the yoke, let us do what we can to put under our hand although we bear ſomewhat our ſelves. Some men they glory in impoſing upon others; but it is the Glory of God to take off the yoke from the Jaws of others, and from their necks, that's his Glory; 'tis not ſuch a glorious thing to lay yokes upon others, but the glory is in lifting up the yoke from them. Chriſt profeſſes his yoke is eaſie, his burden light; Oh! let not ours be hard and heavy then, If Chriſts be eaſie; and eſpecially in theſe daies of our Faſting and Prayer, Oh! let us be verie careful to lift up the yoke from our brethren as much as poſſibly we can without ſin, Iſa. 58. Iſa. 58. 6. 9.6. Is not this the Faſt (ſaith God) that I have choſen, To looſe the bonds of wickedneſs, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppreſſed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is not this the faſt that I have choſen, that ye break everie yoke &c. and in the 9. verſe, Then ſhalt thou call, and the Lord ſhall anſwer; Thou ſhalt cry, and he ſhall ſay, Here I am: If thou take from the midſt of thee the yoke. Still mark how God urges this, when you come to faſt; Is this the Faſt that I require, to do thus and thus? no ſaith he, but to undo the burden, and to let the oppreſſed go free, to break every yoke: and again, if you ſhall do ſo, Then ſhalt thou call, and the Lord ſhall anſwer; thou ſhalt cry, and be ſhall ſay, Here I am. God ſtands much upon this in the daies of our faſting, that we lay no burdens and yokes upon our brethren; but that we do poſſibly what we can to take off yokes, that we may be able to appeal to God, Lord, We ſhould make the lives of Beleevers comfortable.thou knoweſt that I do what poſſibly I can, and I pray that thou wouldeſt direct me to do any thing to make the lives of thoſe that I beleeve to be faithful and conſciencious to be comfortable to them.

This is not to let liberty to all licentiouſneſs and blaſphemy In what things we ſhould bear with our brethren.whatſoever, but when I ſee that ſuch and ſuch things are no other but that may ſtand with Godlineſs, and godlie and peaceable men may have many doubts among them, and eſpecially ſeeing I hold this now of late, and did not ſee it heretofore as now I do, I will do And why.poſſibly what I can with a good conſcience that my brethren may enjoy thy Ordinances in what liberty thou wilt afford unto them, this ſavours like the Spirit of a Chriſtian indeed.

And likewiſe you that are Governors, ſeeing God account; Uſe. To Magiſtrates and Governors of families.it his Glory to take off the yoke from his people, Oh! be you tender towards them that are under you; as Majeſtrates, ſo all Governors, Parents, and Brethren, and Neighbors, not to lay too heavie yokes upon Children and Servants; Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath, and Maſters they ſhould be gentle towards them that are under them, knowing they have alſo a Maſter, and therefore give them what libertie may be without ſin, even outward libertie, not to keep them continually at work, but ſome times of recreation, ſome times Times of Recreation to be permitted to ſervants. 1. It would drown the memory of the ſuperſtitious Holydays. 2. It would forward the ſanctification of the Sabbath.of refreſhment, it's true, your Holy-daies are taken aken away, but ſurely there was no ſuch way and means to bury them in Oblivion that they ſhould never be thought of again, then to have ſome ſet times for Servants, and Children to have their recreation; It were the only way to keep the Sabbath pure, for if they have it not in the week day, they will have it on the Sabbath, or otherwiſe they will keep up that which they were wont to have in their former Holy daies. The beaſt muſt not alwaies be plowing, ſometimes the yoke muſt be lifted up, and muſt have ſome refreſhing. It follows. I laid meat unto them.Expoſ.

Luther. I ſo wrought for them, as they ſhould eat their meat Faciam eos edere quietè. Luth.quietly: as if he ſhould ſay, You did not provide for your ſelves your meat, I prepared it for you, and came and laid it before you; thus God laid meat before them when he rained Manna from Heaven; when the Quails were he provided it. Whence obſerve:

Mercies prepared, and provided for, laid before us, are to be prized: When we come to have a mercy, I ſay, that did Obſ. 1.not coſt us much, when it is prepared and ſet before us, this is to be prized.

How many of you have all your mercies prepared for you! When you go abroad about buſineſs, now you take Uſe. To the Rich.no care for proviſion at home in your families, you do but dreſs you, and go abroad, it may be to a Sermon, or other company, and return home again; you have your Tables ſpread, and find full Diſhes upon your Tables without any care of yours, it's all prepared for you. Oh! conſider of the mercies of God towards you in this thing. Whenas many poor people they are fain before they can get bread, to be working hard to prepare food for their families, their wives and children; but the Lord laiet meat before you. God is to be acknowledged in this.

The propriety of the word is, I made it to deſcend, it came down from Heaven, it was neither too high nor too foreign a foreign deſcendere feritlow, but it came juſt to you, fitted for you; which teaches us thus much:

In the receiving of our food, we muſt look up to Heaven, we are more beholden to the Heavens than to the Earth for Obſ. 2.our bread; God is to be acknowledged, in that he ſatiſfies the poor with bread, yea, and that he ſatisfies the rich with bread; you that are the richeſt of all, you are to ſee how it comes from Heaven; I made it to deſcend. I ſay, our very food we ſhould look from whence it doth deſcend, it doth deſcend from Heaven; lift up thine eyes to Heaven when as thou art eating meat, be not as the Swine under the Tree that looks downward to the Achorns, but never upwards towards the branches of the Tree from whence the Achorns fall; but look up to Heaven from whence thy meat and proviſion did deſcend. I took off their yoke, and I laid meat unto them.

I made their ſervice eaſie, and I made their proviſion comfortable. It's quite otherwiſe with many ridged and cruel Obſ. 3.Governors, they make the ſervice of thoſe that are under them hard, but their proviſion to be very ſcant, quite contrary. The ſervice of Gods people is eaſie, and their Uſe to Hard Maſters.proviſion is bountiful: Now the ſervice of your ſervants is hard, and your proviſion is very penurious, you would have your ſervants to do your hard labor, and yet provide little food for them; Oh this is a baſer cruelty than any, to put their ſervants to hard labor, and yet not to provide comfortably for them for their food.

But my brethren, the main thing that I would note from hence, is;

How great the Mercies of God is to us, who hath eaſed Uſe. 2.our yoke this day, and laid meat before us too; my brethren, who would have thought four years ſince, that there ſhould be Civil Wars for almoſt four years together in our Land? and ſuch cruel bloudy Wars, and ſo overſpreading the Kingdom as they have, and that yet we ſhould at this day have proviſion ſo plentiful as we have? Did not all ſay, even at the firſt year when the Wars began, Surely things would be very ſcarce? many began to lay in Corn and other proviſion, and we had cauſe enough to have feared it; but behold the bountifulneſs of the love of God, that hath eaſed our yokes, and hath laid meat before us, that the poor is ſatisfied with bread, there is no complainings in our ſtreets; we have not only our bread, but our Tables fi'ld; What difference do you ſee upon the Tables of men now from that they were in former times? If a ſtranger ſhould come into this Kingdom, hearing what miſerable Wars there hath been, as bloody and cruel as in any Kingdom, and yet come to ſee every mans Table ſo fill'd, he could not but ſtand and wonder; Certainly ſtrangers think our condition to be far more ſad in reſpect of proviſion than it is; let's not be wanton with our plenty: we were wont to ſay, if we might have but Bread and Cheeſe and the Goſpel it were good cheer. Now my brethren we have outward food, and the Bread of life too. What, Is this ſweet, to be freed from outward bondage, and to have meat laid before us? how ſweet is it then to be freed from ſpiritual bondage, and to have the food of life laid before us? yet this is our condition. Our bleſſing is ſpecially in having our ſpiritual yokes taken off from us, and having the Bread of Life laid before us in a more plentiful meaſure then ever we had; Was there ever a time that this City The miſery of other places, cy. merhad ſo much meat laid before it for the ſoul as at this day? the miſery of other parts of the Kingdom is your merciemercy; the Lord grant that you do not loath your Manna, and deſpiſe it, God hath waies enough to cut you ſhort.

An Exposition of Hosea 11-13, Exposition · Chapter 11 · Verse 4

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