Commentary on Habakkuk, Commentary · Chapter 3 · Verse 17
Verſe 17. Although the fig-tree ſhall not bloſſome, neither ſhall fruit be in the vines,H…b. 3.17. the labour of the Olive ſhall fail, and the field ſhall yield no meat, the flocks ſhall be cut off from the fold, and there ſhall be no herd in the ſtals.
IN which words he ſuppoſeth the worſt that may befall to the land, that God ſhould not onelyonly as before, carry away, or deſtroy the inhabitants thereof, although he ſhould ſmite the land it ſelf with barrenneſſe, that neither the fig tree nor the vine ſhould relieve them, nor the olive, nor the fields, nor the foulds, yet the Church will not deſpair of the loving kindneſſe of the Lord toward them.
This land ſo long promiſed to the ſeed of Abraham, ſo long expected, and at laſt by them poſſeſſed is much praiſed in Scripture.
God himſelf calleth it a good land, and a large, Ex…d. 3.8.a land flowing with milk and honey.
And ſo the ſpies that were ſent to ſearch it, brought word, num. 13.9.and they brought of the fruit, and ſhewed it to the people.
Again, for the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, Deut. 8.7.a land of brooks of water, of fountains, and depths, that ſpring out of valleys and hils.
A land of wheat, and barley, and wines, and fig trees, and pomegranates, a land of oil, olive, and hony.
A Land wherein thou ſhalt eat bread without ſcarceneſſe, thou ſhalt not lack any thing in it, a land whoſe ſtones are iron, and out of whoſe hils thou mayeſt dig braſſe.
It was one of the miracles of the earth, and the full bleſſing of the Lord was upon it, for the land was ſmall both in length and breadth, as all the Charts thereof deſcribe it.
For from Dan to the river of Egypt, which is ſomewhat further then Beerſheba, it was litle more then three hundred miles, which was the length of it, and in the broadeſt place thereof it was not an hundred, yea do I put it in this accompt, all the land on this ſide Jordan, the portion aſſigned to Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manaſſeh.
Yet did it contein two great Kingdomes, of Judah and Iſrael, and in Davids time, there were numbred in it thirteen hundred thouſand fighting men,2 Chron. 24. which cannot in probable computation be more then a fourth part of the people, ſeeing aged men, women and children, and all undertwenty years of age are not reckoned, and this land fed them all, much is ſaid by heathen writers of the fruitfulneſſe of this land, and as great a wonder is it of the change thereof now, for travailers do report it at this time to be a barren and unfruitfull land: it is in the poſſeſſion of Gods enemies, and David ſaith.
A fruitfull land maketh he barren, for the iniquity of the people that dwelt therein.
De verbis hactenus, of the words hitherto.
The parts of this Section are two.
1 The fear of the Church.
2 The miſery of the Land.
In the firſt, I obſerve alſo three things.
1 The cauſe of this fear.
2 The fear it ſelf.
3 The effect hereof.
In the ſecond, the miſery of the land. It is diſtreſt in the three great commodities of life.
1 In the trees yielding fruit.
2 In the ſoil yielding corne.
3 In the flocks yielding encreaſe.
1 Of the fear of the Church, and therein.
1 Of the cauſe of this fear in theſe words, When I heard.
The commination of Gods judgments, Doct. doth make the Church of God to fear.
1 Becauſe this openeth to man his conſcience, and declareth to him his ſin, for we know that God is gratious and mercifull, and long ſuffering, and hideth his hand in his boſome, his mercy doth often pull it out, and openeth it, and he filleth the hungry with good things, his mercy ſtretcheth it out often to gather together his choſen, to defend them from evill, to ſtay and ſupport them.
If his indignation do pluck it out, it is a ſign that ſin hath provoked him, and therefore we read what of old was the practiſe of the Church. If there were any judgment abroad, preſently they made ſearch for the ſin, that had provoked God to it; for they knew him ſo juſt, that he will not ſmite without cauſe.
God taught Joſhua this, when the men of Ai ſmote the men of Iſrael, and made them to fly before them, Joſhua went to the Lord to make his moan, and God told him.
Iſrael hath ſinned.
And ſo there was a preſent ſearch made by the commandement of the Lord throughout all Iſrael, to finde out the ſinner, and Achan was defected.
In like manner, when Saul had made a vow that none of his army ſhould taſt any food till night, and Jonathan not hearing of the commandement had eaten a little hony upon the end of his rod, hee went to adviſe with God concerning the purſuit of the Philiſtines, by night, and God anſwered him not, wherefore Saul ſaid.
Draw you neer hither all the chief of the people, 1 Sam. 14.38.and know and ſee wherein this ſin hath been this day.
And this is ſo naturall a queſt, as that whoſoever do acknowledg a divinity, cannot but upon the ſenſe of judgment, or the fear of it preſently conclude, God offended with ſome ſins.
So the Mariners in the great ſtorme in Jonah, ſaid, every one to his fellow. Come and let us caſt lots, that we may know for whoſe cauſe this evill is upon us.Jonah 1.7.
The confideration of Gods judgments do breed fear in reſpect of God, whoſe judgments they are. For, Reaſ. 2 1 he is ſo quick ſighted to diſcerne our ſins, that he ſeeth all, nothing can be hidden from him, but all lyeth open and naked to his ſight.
2 Hee is ſo wiſe, to weigh the ſins that we commit, putting into the ſcales the incitements and temptations, the circumſtances of time, perſon, place, number, even the very affection, wherewith ſin is committed.
3 He is ſo juſt as not to impute more ſin to us then we have committed, not to abate any of that we have miſ-done.
4 He is ſo holy, as not to abide or appear the leaſt evill, for he is a God that hateth iniquity.
5 He is ſo powerfull, as to avenge it with his judgment, and he hath all ſorts of inſtruments of vengeance to puniſh ſinne.
6 He is Ubiquitarie, as that no remove can avoyd him, his preſence filleth all places
7 He is ſo true of his word, that heaven and earth ſhall paſſe, but no part of his Word ſhall fail, till all be fulfilled.
8 He is one that cannot repent of any thing that he peremptorily decreeth.
All theſe things do declare, that there is great cauſe to fear, when he threatneth.
The Apoſtle teacheth us the uſe of this point, Ʋſe. Rom… 3.3.wilt thou not then be afraid of the power? do that which is good, then ſhall thou have praiſe of the ſame.
This is the way to make us ſeek the face of God, the firſt ſinners fled from the preſence of God behind the trees in the garden, Adam confeſſed to God.Gen. 3.10. I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid.
A good life is a good fence againſt fear, Solomon ſaith: the righhteous is bold as a lyon.
Perfect love caſteth out fear, for perfect love is …e f…filling of the law, where our love falleth ſhort, there fear filleth the empty and void room.
The voyce of the Lord is comfortable, and his words are ſweet to thoſe that fear him, he will ſpeak peace unto his people, and to his Saints:Pſal. 85.8. But let them not turn again to folly. So David reſolves there. I will hear what the Lord will ſpeak.
It is a plain ſign, that all is not well with us, when the voyce of God doth caſt us into fear, when we are afraid to hear the Word preached, when juſt reproofs of our ſins are unwelcome to us, and anger us, and make us think the worſe of our Miniſter that chideth and threatneth us.
A good life and a well governed converſation, doth not fear the voyce of God: the Word of God is the light which God hath ſet up in his Church to guide her feet in the wayes of peace, they that do evill, hate the light, and will not come neer it, leſt their-works ſhould be reproved, the children of the light reſort to it, and call upon God, ſearch my reins and my heart, and ſee if there be any way of wickedneſſe in me.
This fear of the Church is not joyned either with obſtinacy againſt God, or murmuring at his judgments, or deſpair of his mercy, it is that fear, which is one of the effects of a godly ſorrow, and it is one of the documents to true repentance, it is the hammer and mallet of God, wherewith he bruiſeth us, and breaketh us, that we may be truly humbled under his almighty hand: it is that fear which the ſpirit of bondage ſuggeſteth, wch is not a grace of God in us,Rom. 8.15. but a puniſhment of God upon us, and we would fain be without it, it is the fear of ſervants, and not of ſons, yet God uſeth it as a means to bring us home to him again, when we like ſheep have gone aſtray, and therefore, the prodigall to re-enter himſelf into his fathers houſe prayed, fac me unum ex mercenariis, make me as one of thy hired ſervants: it may be that fear which in the ſchool is called Initialis, which re-entreth us into the ſervice of God, and keepeth us in awe, it is ut ilis, but not ſufficiens, and we would be glad to be delivered out of it, that we might ſerve God without fear in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe.
For ſo the Apoſtle doth recompt it a favour to the Romans, Ye have not received the ſpirit of bondage again to fear, but the ſpirit of adoption.
2 The fear it ſelf.
This fear was great both in the inward man, and in the outward, it was that fear of which David ſpake to God, ſaying, of the heathen, put them in fear, O Lord, that they may know themſelves to be but men.
And David himſelf was ſoundly ſhaken with it, as his complaint ſheweth.
My fleſh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments.Pſal. 119.120.
And we finde the beſt of the faithfull ſervants of God ſubject to this fear, and it is cleer in my text, that it may be joyned with faith. For after this cold fit of fear, you ſhall ſee the faith of the Church to quicken it again.
The elect of God are ſhaken with fear.
1 Becauſe they are great Students in the Law of God, Doct. Reaſ. 1 for that is a ſpeciall mark of a righteous man, he doth exerciſe himſelf in the Law of God day and night.
And whereſoever the law is wiſely underſtood and applyed rightly, there fear doth ariſe, for ſo long as we are under the Law, we are under a School-maſter, and as the Apoſtle doth ſay, a child differeth very little from a ſervant, you know when a young man came to Chriſt, to ask him the way to heaven, Chriſt referred him to the Law, and the keeping thereof.
That is our firſt leſſon: it follows ſo in the miſſion of our Redeemer, he was made of a woman, & made ſubject to the Law.
The law ſheweth us how much we are in Gods debt, and you may note it in the parable of the good Mr. in the goſpel.
1 He called his ſervant to accompt, and caſt up the debt.
2 Then he put him to it to pay it.
3 When he ſaw him willing but unable, then he forgave it.
God calleth us by the light of the Law, by the ſight of our ſins, our ſins are debts, when we ſee them, how can we chooſe but together vvith them behold the danger of them, and the vvrath due to them, this cannot be done vvithout fear, even great horrour and dejection.
The thief that vvas converted upon the croſſe, when he had but a little time, he made an example of great mercy, the onelyonly example in all the Book of God, of ſo late a converſion, yet in that ſhort time, he began at the Lavv of God, and ſaid, to his fellovv.
We indeed are juſtly puniſhed, for we receive the due rewards of our deeds.Lu. 2341.
And after that he ſought grace: this Lavv vvas the Schoolmaſter, that brought him to Chriſt, ſaying, Lord, remember me, when thou commeſt into thy Kingdome: for
Until we compare our ſelves with the law of righteouſneſs, we cannot know how unjuſt wee are, and what need we have of a Saviour.
We may ſee it in our firſt parents, vvho no ſooner had ſinned but they hid themſelves from God, becauſe they ſavv their fault by the light of the Lavv, vvhichwhich they had tranſgreſſed.
This fear bringeth us to repentance, Reaſ. 2 it putteth our ſins in our ſight, and ſetteth before our eys the vvrath to come: ſo the generation of vipers vvere firſt put in fear, by vvarning given them of the anger to come, and upon that foundation he buildeth his doctrine of repentance: ferte ergò fructus dignos poenitentia, bring forth therefore fruits vvorthy of repentance: it is time to amend vvhen ſin ſtandeth at the door, that is the vvages of ſin to puniſh all, or ſome nevv temptation to ſin, to make it more; fear vvill tell us that time is pretious, vve muſt loſe none of it from our true repentance and converſion to God.
3 This fear ſerveth for caution againſt the time to come, Reaſ. 3 for piſcis ictus ſapit, one that hath been once ſoundly ſhaken with a ſtrong fit of this fear, will be the more weary to decl…ne and avoid it another time. For there is nothing that ſo much agonizeth the ſoul and body of man, as the ſenſe and conſcience of the wrath of God.
4 It is one of the arguments, as you have heard, Reaſ. 4 by which we do prove certain great Articles of faith; as,
1 It proveth that there is a God, for that power which the conſcience of man doth fear as an avenger of evill, is God.
2 It proveth the reſurrection of the body, for as the Apoſtle ſaith, if in this life onelyonly we have hope, ſo we may ſay, if for this life onelyonly we have fear, it can be no great matter, for the judgments of God cannot take ſufficient vengeance of ſin here.
3 It proveth the finall judgment, for all the afflictions of a temporall life are but the fore-unner of the laſt judgment.
But here it is objected that this may wel hold in the reprobate,Quaeſt but to ſee this earth-quake of trembling in the Church, and amongſt the holy ones of God, as it is here deſcribed, this ſeemeth too hard a portion for Gods beloved & choſen ones.
To this I anſwer, that judgment beginneth at the houſe of God, and the righteous are hardly ſaved,Sol. they that have no other hell but in this terrour of the Lord here, do moſt ſmart in this world, and there is great reaſon for it.
1 In reſpect of God, to ſhew him no accepter of the perſons of men, but an equall hater of evill in all that commit it, as David ſaith; If I regard wickedneſſe in my heart, God will not hear me.
2 In reſpect of the ſin committed by his choſen, that God may declare the danger of it for terrour to others, and his juſtice in avenging it, that men may fear and do no more ſo.
3 In reſpect of the wicked, that they may have example of fear in the ſmart of others, to bring them to the obedience and ſervice of God.
This doth ſerve, Ʋſe 1 firſt for exhortation to ſtir us up to conſider our God, in the way of his judgments, and to bethink us what evill may hang over our heads for ſin, the Church hath ever found this a profitable courſe:
In the way of thy judgments, Iſai. 26 8.ô Lord, have we waited for thee, the deſire of our ſoul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee.
The profit that groweth hence, is there confeſt by the Church: When thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteouſneſſe.
This doth ſerve to put difference, Ʋſe 2 between the children of God, and the children of this world, for the ungodly are not afraid of the hand of God, but the ſinner contemneth, but the righteous layeth it to his heart, ſo ſaith the Church: Lord, when thy hand is lifted up they wil not ſee, Verſe II. Ʋſe 3.but they ſhall ſee and be aſhamed.
This alſo ſerveth for conſolation of the Church, for let them not be too much dejected with conſideration either of Gods revealed wrath, or their own juſt fear, no, though their fear do ſhake and ſtagger their very faith for a time, for God will not forſake them unto deſpair, but will let ſome of the beams of grace ſhine even through the clouds of fear to comfort them, David felt it,Pſal. 56.3. and confeſt it, ſaying: What time I am afraid, I will truſt in thee. See how they grow together, fear and faith.
But this is objected as an argument againſt that doctrine of the aſſurance of ſalvation,Ob. that a child of God may have in this life, for it is urged: Can a man that ſtandeth aſſured of the favour of God to him in Chriſt Jeſus be ſo ſhaken with fear, as the Church here confeſſeth.
We anſwer.
1 That fear of temporall ſmart in this life is naturall,Sol. and may be in the ſons of God, it was in the Sonne of God Jeſus Chriſt, and it may be without ſin, and the elect, although they fear the judgments of God on earth, yet they doubt not, but that their names are written in heaven.
2 That fear is not againſt faith, which is quick and ſenſible of the wrath and judgments of God: it is Cos fidei the Whetſtone of faith, it puts a better edg upon it, and ſerves to teach us to lay ſo much the faſter hold upon Jeſus Chriſt.
Courage either to reſiſt an evill ingruent without a right knowledg of it, or to bear an evill incumbent, without a right underſtanding both of the Authour of it, the cauſe of it, or the end of it, or the meaſure of it, is not courage but ſtupidity.
But when we do rightly know God to lay his hand on us for ſin, or hear him threaten us with the rod: is it not time to fear, and to pray with Jeremie: Be not a terrour to me, Jer. 17.17.for thou art my hope in the day of evill.
3 Fear and faith go together, in reſpect of the temporall judgments of God, becauſe the threatnings of temporall judgments are not always peremptory, but oft-times conditionall, therefore the King of Niniveh proclaiming a generall. Faſt and repentance in Niniveh, had this encouragement:Jonah 3.9. Who can tell, if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger that we periſh not? God himſelf hath put us into this comfort.
At what inſtant I ſhall ſpeak concerning a nation, Jer. 18.7.and concerning a Kingdome, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to deſtroy it.
If that nation againſt whom I have pronounced, turn from their evill, I will repent of the evill that I thought to do unto them.
So that this fear of the temporall judgments of God, doth no way weaken the faithfull aſſurance that we have conceived of eternall ſalvation, rather it ſtrengtheneth it, yea, the more that we either taſt or fear the puniſhing hand of God here, the more do we deſire the releaſe of us hence, which is reſt from all labours.
4 They that take this fear to be contrary to faith, and aſſurance of the favour of God do miſtake it, for it is true, that a doubtfull and deſpairing fear doth deſtroy faith, but the faithfull cannot fall into that fear, becauſe God preſſeth not his temptations above that which his children are able to bear.
And fear in them is but contrary to preſumption, it is not contrary to faith, which thus appears, becauſe this fear doth not make the ſervants of God give over the work of their ſalvation, rather it makes them double their endevours, and redeem the time.
But in the reprobate their fear doth make them give heaven gone from them, and profeſſe it loſt labour to ſerve God.
Ye have ſaid, it is in vain to ſerve God, and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances, Mal. 3.14.and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hoaſts.
But they that feared the Lord ſpake often one to another: that is, encouraged one another, and it is ſaid, the Lord hearkned and heard it, &c.
3 The effect of this fear: That I might reſt in the day of trouble.
This alſo ſheweth that this fear of the Church was not ſeparated from faith, for it is entertained of purpoſe to ſettle the heart, and to give it reſt in the day of trouble.
I cannot but often remember that ſweet ſaying of Auſtine: Medicina eſt quod pateris, thy ſuffering is the Phyſick, for the Phyſick that we take to purg the ill humours of the body, doth make the body more ſick for the time, and ſo do the chaſtiſements of God.
The fear of judgment threatned, is more pain to the children of God, then the ſenſe of the judgment inflicted.
It is a note of the juſt, that they rejoyce in tribulations, yet you ſee they fear tribulations before they come, which ſhews that the bitterneſſe of that cup, is more in the cauſe then in the effect.
The righteous in theſe threatnings do behold God in diſpleaſure, themſelves in the guilt of provocation, and nothing goeth ſo neer the heart of a godly man, as that his God ſhould take any unkindneſſe at him, for in his favour is life.
To help this, when God threatneth, the juſt man feareth, and that fear doth both remember him of the occaſion of this judgment, and compoſeth him to repentance of his ſin, and to prayer, to divert it, or to patience in it.
Fear joyned with faith, prepareth us for peace and reſt in the day of trouble. Doct.
An admirable work it is of wiſedome and mercy to extract reſt out of fear, but to him that brought light out of darkneſs, nothing is impoſſible, more to give reſt in the day of trouble, when the ſoul refuſeth comfort, and even begins to take a kind of pride in the fulneſſe of miſerie, and ſaith, videte ſi dolor, ſicut delo… …us.
1 Becauſe theſe inward convulſions of the hid man of the heart are joyned evermore in the godly, Reaſ. 1 with an hatred of the ſin that deſerved them, for from hence ariſeth this confeſſion; Peccavi.
Obſerve it in Job, he did not ask, Reaſ. 2 Quid patior? but Quid faciam tibi? ſo it worketh in us a care and conſcience of obedience hereafter.
It alſo diſcerneth an iſſue out of trouble, Reaſ. 3 for where fear doth not overgrow, there is a ſweet apprehenſion of joy in the end as the Apoſtle ſaith, afterward it yieldeth,Heb. 12.11. The peaceable fruit of righteouſneſſe, unto them which are exercized thereby.
Wherefore, lift up the hands that hang down, and the feeble knees. Ʋſe 1
Make ſtreight paths for your feet, leſt that which is lame be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed.
The way is there deſcribed. Follow peace with all men, and holineſſe, without which no man ſhall ſee the Lord.
Look diligently, leſt any man fall from the grace of God, leſt any root of bitterneſſe ſpringing up in you trouble you.
Out of this whole paſſage, you may obſerve a ſweet deſcription of a full repentance.
1 Here is the law of God, revealing both ſinne and the judgment due to it, called here, the hearing of the voyce of God.
2 Here is the conſcience agonized with the fear of Gods judgments.
3 Here is the fruit and benefit thereof, even peace and reſt …n the day of trouble.
Here is ſowing in tears, and reaping in joy, rather it is Sunſhine in a tempeſt, for the outward man is ſhaken, and the fleſh ſuffereth, but the juſt do ſay with the ever bleſſed Virgin. My ſpirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour.
Impii non ſic, not ſo with the wicked: for God hath ſaid it, that there ſhall be no peace at the laſt to them, but as the raging of the angry ſea, which caſteth up nothing but foam and dirt.
2 The miſeries of the land.
This is deſcribed fully.
1 In the agent.
2 In the patient.
In the agent two wayes.
1 The Primus motor, the ſupream agent, God.
2 The inſtruments of action: his troops, theſe are the Chaldaeans.
In the patient the land of Canaan diſtreſt, as you have heard.
1 In the trees bearing fruit.
1 The figtree.
2 The vine.
3 The olive.
2 In the field or arable.
3 In their Cattell
1 Such as feed abroad
2 Such as are ſtalled
1 Concerning the agent Supream, God.
The ſame hand that gave them poſſeſſion of that good land, Doct. doth now remove them thence, here is Mutatio dextrae.
It is a thing notable that God is ever in Scripture deſcribed to us conſtant, yeſterday and to day, and the ſame for ever, without variableneſſe, or ſo much as a ſhadow of alteration, yet in his government of the world, he ſometimes giveth, and ſometimes he taketh away: ſometimes he filleth, and ſometimes he emptieth.
The reaſon hereof is partly in our ſelves, Reaſ. 1 for as our obedience and ſervice of him, doth both gain and aſſure to us all good things,Iſa. 1.19, 20. as himſelf telleth us. If you conſent and obey, you ſhall eat the good things of the land.
So our diſobedience and tranſgreſſion doth loſe us all theſe things, as he addeth. If you refuſe and rebell, you ſhall be devoured with the ſword: for the mouth of the Lord hath ſpoken it.
Partly it is in God, for his mercy in giving, muſt not deſtroy his juſtice in puniſhing of evill doers; Reaſ. 2 for if it be a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble us,2 Theſ. 1.6 it muſt needs be as righteous to recompence tribulation, to them that trouble him. It is an heavy complaint that God made of this people. I have nouriſhed and brought up children, Iſal. 1.2.and they have rebelled againſt me.
It is well obſerved in God that he is primus in amere, & poſtremus in odio: he loveth us before we can ſeek his face, and we are tender in ſight, before we know the right hand from the left, as in the caſe of Nineveh, God pleaded with Jonah for the infants.
But God never forſaketh us, till we firſt forſake him, not then, if there be but animus revertendi, he is patient and long ſuffering, but when we come once to two evils.
To forſake him the Fountain of living waters, and to dig to our ſelves ciſterns of our own making, then he can no longer forbear, when we grow
A ſinfull nation, a people laden with iniquity, Iſai. 1.4.a ſeed of evill doers, children that are corrupters, forſaking the Lord, provoking the Holy One of Iſrael to anger, going away backward.
No wonder, If he make our Countrey deſolate, burn our Cities with fire, let ſtrangers devour our land in our preſence, and lay it deſolate, as overthrown by ſtrangers.
Where we are guilty to our ſelves of provocation, Ʋſe 1 of the Lord againſt us, we have cauſe to lay all the blame upon our ſelves, and to ſay; We have gone away from thee, and have not hearkned to thy voice, therefore art thou diſpleaſed with us.
Seeing the Juſtice of God doth ſet him againſt us, we are alſo to acquite him of any hard meaſure towards us, and to ſay, juſt art thou, O Lord, and juſt are thy judgments.
But eſpecially, this ſtirreth us up to divert this wrath to come, for to that purpoſe God giveth warning by threatnings, not in judgment to puniſh and torment us, before our time with the fear of them, and after in their time with the ſenſe of them, but to admoniſh us to fly from the anger to come; for Jeremy was ſent on this very meſſage to this people, and he threatned them from God, as Habakkuk here doth, yet with this caution of repentance.
For Jeremie being required by King Zedekiah to enquire of the Lord concerning Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babel, If the Lord will deal with us according to all his wonderfull works that hee will go from us.Jer. 21.2.
Jeremie through the whole Chapter reſolveth him, that God is purpoſed to deliver his people and their Land, into the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar, yet in the next Chapter he bringeth this comfortable meſſage, from God to the King.
Thus, Jer. 22.1.ſaith the Lord, go down to the King of Judah, and ſpeak there this word.
And ſay, hear the Word of the Lord, O King of Judah, that ſitteſt upon the throne of David, thou and thy ſervants, and the people that enter in by theſe gates.
Thus, ſaith the Lord, execute you judgment and righteouſneſſe, and deliver the ſpoiled out of the hand of the oppreſſour, and do no wrong, do no violence to the ſtranger, the Fatherleſſe, nor the Widow, neither ſhedinnocent bloud in this place.
For if you do this thing indeed, then there ſhall enter in by the gates of this houſe, Kings ſitting for David upon his throne, riding in Chariots, and on horſes, he and his ſervants, and his people.
But if ye will not hear theſe words, I ſwear by my ſelf, ſaith the Lord, that this houſe ſhall become a deſolation, &c.
This declareth that the threatnings of God when he menaceth our ſins with judgments, are like Jonathans arrows, ſhot rather to give us warning then to hurt us.
Which admoniſheth us, that whenſoever any fear ſurprizeth us of wrath to come upon our land, either in the corruption of our religion, or in the perturbation of our peace, or in the fear of falf friends that may kiſſe and betray, or in the dearth and ſcarcity of the neceſſaries of life, in any, in all theſe fears the change of our ways, the repentance of our ſins, the amendment of our lives, will ever make our peace with our God, and turn away theſe threatned and feared evils from us, for godlineſſe hath the promiſes both of this life, and of that which is to come.
2 Let us conſider the inſtruments in this action called his troops.
The armies of the Chaldaeans, Doct. by which Iſrael is to be puniſhed, are the troops of God.
God owns them, as Jeremiah telleth Zedechiah; Thus, ſaith the Lord God of Iſrael,Jer. 21.4.5. Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war, that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight againſt the King of Babylon, and againſt the Chaldaeans which beſiege you without the wals, and I will aſſemble them into the midſt of this City.
And I my ſelf will fight againſt you with an out-ſtretched hand, and with a ſtrong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.
So he told them before in this Prophecy.
I raiſe up the Chaldaeans, a bitter and haſty nation, Hab. 1 6.which ſhall march through the breadth of the land, to poſſeſſe the dwelling places that are not theirs.
From whence we have learnt.
That God ordereth this war againſt his people, which Doctrine we have at large handled in the Prophecy of Obdiah.
We learnt alſo that God puniſheth one evill nation by another, and thoſe whom he employeth in the correction of his enemies, he protecteth and proſpereth in their wars, and he is very carefull to pay them wages, as in the ſervice of Egypt againſt Tyrus, which Nebuchadnezzar did.Ezek. 29.20. I have given him the Land of Egypt, for the ſervice wherewith he ſerved againſt it, becauſe they wrought for me, ſaith the Lord God.
For God can make uſe of wicked men to ferve in his troops, for the puniſhing of ſuch as rebell againſt him.
Therefore, let no man ſay the Turk is an enemy to God and to Religion, he ſerveth Mahomet, he is an infidell, and therefore he ſhall not prevail againſt us.
Let no man ſay, the Pope is a man of Sin, and a mainteiner of Idolatry, an uſurper upon the royall prerogatives of Jeſus Chriſt: he advanceth himſelf above all that is called God, and is worſhipped, hee is an incroacher upon the rights and honours, and power of Princes, and uſurpeth a tranſcendent juriſdiction over them, a mainteiner of treaſon, and murther of Kings, a Coiner of Articles of Faith, an hider of the Word of God, a maker of counter-laws, againſt the Law of God: therefore neither he nor his religion ſhall ever prevail againſt the Profeſſours of the truth of God.
For if theſe ſins be found in our land, which God conditioned again in Judah, that is;
If juſt judgment be not executed, and righteouſneſſe practiſed, if the ſpoiled be not delivered from the hand of the oppreſſour: if wrong be done to the ſtranger, the poor, the Fatherleſſe, and the Widow.
Turk and Pope; Papiſts, and Infidels; may be gathered together into the troops of God, and employed againſt us, and prevail againſt us, for we are no better then Judah, nor deerer to God then his own people.
And if he pleaſe to puniſh Chriſtendome, or the profeſſours of his truth by theſe, if once they become Gods troops, they ſhall proſper and carry all before them.
2 The miſery in the patient: the Land of Iſrael threatned, as you hear in the trees.
Here are named the chief trees for fruit, the fig-tree, the vine, and the olive. Non omnis fert omnia tellus, theſe trees do not grow in all lands, our land though rich and plenteous is no fit ſoil for theſe trees.
They ſerved for food, and they are of ſpeciall note, for in the parable of Jotham.
When the trees went to chooſe them a King,…dg. 9.8. they came firſt to the olive tree, and ſaid, reign thou over us, they went next to the fig-tree, and then to the vine.
The Olive ſaith; ſhall I leave my fatneſſe, wherewith by me they honour God and man.
The fig-tree ſaith; ſhould I forſake my ſweetneſſe and my good fruit.
The vine ſaith; ſhould I leave my wine which cheareth God and man.
You ſee of how excellent uſe theſe fruits were; two of them uſed in the ſpeciall ſervice of God, Oil, and Wine, and often is the Land of Canaan praiſed for fruitfulneſſe, in reſpect of theſe trees growing there, which every ſoil doth not yield: they are all of excellent uſe both for food and medicine, and David ſaith of Wine, that it maketh glad the heart of man, of Oile, that it maketh him have a cheerfull countenance.
The failing of theſe, which the ſoil did naturally bring forth, doth ſhew that God had called in his bleſſing, which he gave to that land, for the true nature of every ſoil is the Word of Gods bleſſing, which once called in, a fruitfull land is made barren, and a populous countrey is ſoon turned into a deſert.
But this is not all, not onelyonly God will ſmite the land in theſe excellent fruits, which are for food, but as Jeremie threatneth, They ſhall cut down the choice Cedars, Jer. 22.7.and caſt them into the fire: trees for building.
The reaſon whereof we may finde in the firſt of our parents, Reaſon. who no ſooner had ſinned, but God accurſed the earth for their ſakes.
So that we may ſay as the Church doth in this Pſalme, Was thy wrath againſt the trees of the land, that thou ſmoteſt them? not ſo, but againſt the ſins and ſinners of the land.
This further appeareth in the common ground, for it followeth, the fields ſhall yield no meat.
Bread is the ſtaffe of life, God threatneth to break the ſtaffe of bread. So he bad Ezechiel prophecy.
Son of man, I will break the ſtaffe of bread in Jeruſalem, Ez…k. 4.16.and they ſhall eat their bread by weight, and with care.
God hath many ways to perform this judgment, either by taking away his bleſſing from the earth, that it ſhall not bring forth bread for the uſe of man.
Thus he maketh a fruitfull land barren, or he can hold in the early, and the later rain, that it ſhall not fall to moiſten the earth as in the time of Aggaeus the Prophet.
Ye looked for much, and lo, Ag. 1 9, 10it came too little.
The heaven over you is ſtaied from dew, and the earth under you is ſtaied from her fruit.
Yea, God when he pleaſeth can drown the fruits of the earth with too much rain, and deſtroy the crop, and when he hath ſhewed us plenty upon the ground, hee can deceive the hope of the husbandman, and make a thin harveſt.
When we have gathered in our crop, he can blow upon it, and deſtroy it in the barn, he hath his judgments in ſtore, ready to be executed upon ſinners.
We have taſted of this rod, for how did God crown the former year with plenty, and how unthankfully was it entertained of many? what complaint did we hear of the cheapneſs of Corn, not able to yield the rackt rents of their ground to the labouring husbandmen, to ſatisfie the greedy Landlord.
And God heard from heaven, how heavy his plentifull hand was to many, and he hath ſince ſhut it up, and turned our plenty into dearth, and now he heareth another cry of the poor: their labours will ſcarce give them bread to eat.
Yet another woe: the cattell fail both in the fields and in the ſtals, fat and lean beaſts; the enemy deſtroyeth them, and the barrenneſs of the land affordeth them no food: when God gave man Lordſhip over all ſheep, and Oxen, and over all the beaſts of the field; he did not devolve his prerogative dominion upon man, but reſerved his royall ſupremacy over them, and a power of reſumption, that if man neglected his ſervice, theſe creatures in their kinds ſhould fail him.
You behold in this whole paſſage a miſerable face of a land with which God is fallen out, the very foil is accurſed for the peoples ſakes, the people either periſh by the ſword, or go into captivity, or tarrie to ſerve the enemy in the land.
The full Cities, the glorious buildings therein, either demoliſht and laid even with the ground, or inhabited by ſtrangers
You have heard before, what ſins have brought theſe evils upon this pleaſant land.
Corruption in common converſation, between man and man.
Corruption in religion and the ſervice of God.
Corruption adminiſtration of Juſtice.
And ſo free as our land is from theſe ſins, ſo far are theſe judgments off from us.
But if either the preſent times or times to come, are or ſhall be guilty of theſe heinous ſins, I think we may boldly ſay, that God is holy now as ever he was, to hate them, and the committers of them, and as wiſe as ever he was to diſcern them, and as juſt as ever he was to puniſh them.
We know that theſe ſins carried Gods people into a ſtrange land, where they had not the heart to ſing the ſongs of the Lord.
God beſt knows why, but we ſee a great part of the Proteſtant reformed Church, at this time bleeding under the ſword, or flying from the hand, or ſtanding upon their guard againſt the power of ſtrong oppoſition, and by the mercy of God, we are lookers on, and their ſmart is not yet ſhared amongſt us; but if Canaan were thus ſmitten both in the ſoil, and fruit, and beaſts thereof, and moſt, in the inhabitants of it.
If our brethren, profeſſours, with us of the ſame Religion, do in our dayes ſuffer ſo many vexations, we had need ſtudy holineſſe of life, and put more fire into our zeal of Religion, and make the ballance of Juſtice even, leſt we drink of the ſame cup of bitterneſſe.
The Jews returned again to their land from their captivity, they had the face of it renewed, they had their Temple rebuilt, Religion re-planted, and then they relapſed to their former ſins, and in Chriſts time: Chriſt was bound, and Barraba… was ſet looſe.
And not long after, the Jews went into a diſperſion, wherein they have continued almoſt, one thouſand ſix hundred years.
God be mercifull to us, to preſerve us from their ſins and from their puniſhments, that our trees may bring forth their bloſſoms, and their fruits, in their ſeaſons, that our land may bring forth encreaſe, that our Oxen may be ſtrong to labour, that there be no invaſion, no leading into captivity, and no complaining in our ſtreets. Amen, Amen.