An Exposition of Hosea 4-7, Biblical commentary 1 · Chapter 4 · Verse 19
Verſe 19.
The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they ſhall be aſhamed becauſe of their ſacrifices.
The word that is here tranſlated Wind, foreignit ſignifieth alſo a Spirit,Hierom. and ſo I find Hierom takes the meaning of the words to be, that the evil ſpirit hurries them up and down and carries Expoſ. 1 them on violently in their wicked waies. As in Deut. 32.11. God is ſaid to carry his people upon his wings; ſo the Devil here carrieth Idolaters who are ſet upon their wicked waies, as it were upon his wings, in a violent hurrying manner.
But rather we are to take the expreſſion Metaphorically to ſignifie the power, the ſuddenneſs, the violence, the ſwiftneſs of Gods judgments, carrying them into captivity and into miſery. The wind hath bound the people of Iſrael, the ten Tribes up in her wings, that is, the judgments of the Lord ſhall come upon them with power, ſuddenly, ſwiftly, vio…ently and take them away from their own Countrey and carry them into captivity and miſery. The power and violence of the judgments of God are ſet out in Scripture by the wind, by ſtorms and tempeſts often times. There is a mighty power of the wind, 1 King. 19.11. A ſtrong wind that rent the mountains and t…re in pieces the rocks. Job. 38.9. That overturneth the mountains by the roots. The winds are the voice of the Lord, that breaks the Cedars, even the Cedars of Lebanon, and ſhakes the wilderneſs Pſal. 29. Sabelicus Sabelicus.telleth us that Camtyſes his ſouldiers being in a wilderneſs, in a ſandy place, ſuddenly a violent wind came and drove the ſand with ſuch force as that thouſands of them were buried in it. There is a great deal of ſtrength and power in winds. And here by the way we may have hinted unto us a very profitable meditation. Oh how great is the glory and the power of the infinite God then!Obſer. For the wind what is it but a vapor? and what more weak than a vapor? We uſe to ſay, what is weaker than water? but many drops together will make the waters terrible, and the Seas are call'd the mighty waters; But vapour is weaker than the water, and yet the winds are nothing but a company of vapors joyned together, and many being joyned together what a mighty power have they to re…d the rocks and turn up the mountains by the roots? Oh then what is the power of the Mighty God? for in him there is nothing but infinite, and nothing can be added unto him. If a weak vapour being multiplied have ſuch ſtrength, what power then is there in God that hath nothing in him but infinite, ſo as nothing can be added to him.
The wind is of great power and ſo is the judgments of God. The obſervation from it ſhall be this,Obſer. That the judgments of God toward wicked men who have been ſpared a long time, when they come they come ſwiftly, and violently, and ſuddenly, carries them as it were in a Hurry-cane.
And they ſhall be aſhamed of their ſacrifices.
So long as they proſpered in the way of falſe worſhip they were not aſhamed, but they gloried in their way, and the ten Tribes, Iſrael, rather deſpiſed Judah, and ſought to caſt ſhame upon Judah who worſhiped God in a right way, as appeareth plainly Amos, 7.12. Go to Judah (ſaith Amaziah there to Amos in a ſcorning way,) go your waies thither, and propheſie there. They ſcorned and contemned Judah and gloried in their own way of falſe worſhip.Obſer. Such as are ſuperſtitious and Idolatrous they uſe to look upon Gods Ordinances as vile and contemtible, and their own inventions as the moſt glorious things; But God hath a time to honor his Ordinances and to caſt ſhame upon their ſacrifices. That is the Note. The true worſhip of God is many times in ſuch a low eſteem amongſt men as that they that go th… way are exceedingly vilified, and many are kept off from the waies of God becauſe they cannot bear the ſhame of it, there is ſo much ſhame caſt upon it, none but a company of mean, poor, unwiſe people that take ſuch a courſe: But God hath a time to honor his Ordinances, to ſet up the beauty of them before all the world, and to caſt ſhame and dirt upon all waies of ſuperſtition and idolatry, They ſhall be aſhamed of their ſacrifices; a time to make even thoſe that did glory moſt in them to be aſhamed of them. Iſa. 2.20, 21. They ſhall caſt their Idols of ſilver and of gold, which they have made each for himſelf to worſhip, to the moles and to the bats, to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks. And Iſa. 30.22. They ſhall defile the covering of their graven Images of ſilver, and the ornaments of their Images of gold, they ſhall caſt them away as a menſtruous cloath, and they ſhall ſay unto it, Get thee hence. They thought they were curious ornaments, but the time ſhall come when God ſhall make Idolaters ſee them to be filthy clothes, and cauſe them to caſt them away with indignation and ſay, Get ye hence. That place in Eſa. 66, 5.Iſa. 66.5. opened is notable to this purpoſe. You that tremble at my word (ſaith God) your brethren that caſt you out ſaid, let God be glorified; but he ſhall appear to your joy, and they ſhall be aſhamed There are a company of you that tremble at my Word, and dare not do any thing in my Worſhip but what my Word requires; others have more looſe conſciences and they can venture upon things that they have no warrant for in my Word, but you tremble at my Word, and you are ſcorned for nice ſcrupulous conſciences, and your brethen caſt you out becauſe you will not be of the ſame judgment as they are, becauſe your hearts, your conſciences are more tender they caſt you out from them, they would willingly be rid of you and think it would be better with the land when you are gone, and they ſay, Let the Lord be glorified, they have pretences that they deſire nothing but the peace of the Church and the glory of God; they ſay, even your brethren that caſt you out, they ſay, Let the Lord be glorified, but God ſhall appear for your glory, and for their ſhame, the Lord will honor you in that way of his Worſhip that you take up which is according to his Word, though you ſuffer for the preſent much ignominie and contempt for it, and though they may ruff it out for a while and ſeem to carry al before them having that which is countenanced more publickly, but the Lord will appear at length to their ſhame, the Lord will make them aſhamed of their ſacrifices.
Cauſes of ſhame.There are four things that principally cauſe ſhame.
Firſt, Diſreſpect from thoſe we deſire honor from, that is ſhame: When one comes to any, to a ſuperior, and expects reſpect from him, and finds that he is caſt out, this is a great ſhame. So they ſhall be aſhamed of their ſacrifices, they make account that I ſhould honor their ſacrifices, that they ſhould have honor from me by reaſon of their ſacrifices, but I will caſt ſhame upon them, they ſhall have nothing but arguments of diſreſpect from me. In 1 King. 2.16. when Bathſheba came to Solomon to ask a Petition of him, deny me not ſaith ſhe; the old Latine hath it, Ne confundas faciem meam: do not confound my face, do not make me aſhamed, & the Hebrew is, Ne avertere faciem meam, do not cauſe my face to be turned, that is, do not make me aſhamed by giving me ſuch diſreſpect when I expect ſuch honor from thee. When God doth caſt off the ſacrifices of men and ſhews diſreſpect unto them, that cauſeth ſhame, it doth confound or ſhould confound their faces.
Secondly, When a man takes a great deal of pains and it comes all to nothing, that cauſeth ſhame; and ſo all ſuperſtitious waies will bring ſhame at laſt. In Coloſ. 2. it is ſaid of all ſuperſtitious ceremonies that they periſh in the uſe of them, there comes no good of them. Idolaters take a great deal of paint in their waies of falſe worſhip, but all will come to nothing; when they ſhall ſtand in moſt need all their waies of ſuperſtition and Idolatry will leave them ſhiftleſs and ſuccourleſs, and helpleſs, and ſo caſt ſhame upon them.
Thirdly, Diſappointment of hope brings ſhame. Pſal. 119.116. Let me not be aſhamed of my hope ſaith David, If I hope for good and be diſappointed, this will bring ſhame. Divers Scriptures we have to ſhew this. So when thoſe that are ſuperſtitious and Idolatrous ſhall raiſe up their hearts with great expectation of good from God in their waies of falſe worſhip and ſhall be diſappointed of all their hope, in this God will caſt ſhame upon them.
Fourthly, When God diſcovers that to be worthleſs and vile which a man hath gloried moſt in; that cauſeth ſhame. So Idolaters that glorie in their Idolatrous waies, the Lord in time will diſcover them to be baſe and vile and worthleſs things, for indeed they are all but poor apiſh and beggarlie things, and they ate fitter to pleaſe children than God. God will diſcover this.
If it be objected, Object. Oh but they ſeem not to be ſuch poor and weak things, they ſeem to be more glorious and pompous a great deal than the waies of the true worſhipers of God; The true worſhip of God in it ſelf ſeems to be a poor and mean thing?
The anſwer is, Anſw. That the inſtitution putteth a glory upon the waies of worſhip; now they not having an inſtitution upon them they are looked upon as apiſh and fooliſh and beggarlie things. And then a word of promiſe and an engagement of Gods preſence in his Ordinances puts an honor upon them which the waies of ſuperſtition have not.
Uſe. Admonitions to the defiled with ſuperſtitious worſhip to take ſhame to themſelves.It is good for thoſe who have been guilty in this kind of ſuperſtitious waies of worſhip, even to prevent God by caſting ſhame upon themſelves; for if they do not, God will caſt ſhame upon them, he will make them to be aſhamed. That is our beſt way, to come in and to prevent God and to lie down in our ſhame, to take ſhame unto our own ſouls & to lie down therein. God knows how we have defiled our ſelves, even all of us, in waies of ſuperſtitious worſhip; and the truth is, God is caſting ſhame upon all thoſe waies at this day, and doth caſt ſhame upon them. Happie are thoſe that before theſe times did take ſhame to their own ſouls for all their defilements in the waies of falſe worſhip. Howſoever, before God doth yet further force it upon us it will be our wiſdom to take ſhame to ourſelves. Ezek. 43.11. that text is a famous text for this purpoſe, firſt in the tenth verſe, Shew them the bouſe that they may be aſhamed, ſhew them the true way of my worſhip that they may be aſhamed. The truth is, if we did but underſtand the beauty, the excellency, the true beauty of holineſs in the waies of Gods Ordinances, in the purity and ſimplicitie of the Goſpel, that were enough to make us aſhamed if there were nothing elſe, we would even be very vile in our own eyes to think that while our hearts have been taken up about ſuch vain and vile waies of falſe worſhip, that ſuch glorious Ordinances of God, that beauty of holineſs that is in his Ordinances hath been neglected by us; ſhew them the way of my houſe that they may be aſhamed; But further, in the 11. verſ. If they be aſhamed of all that they have done, ſhew them the form of the houſe, and the faſhion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the Ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, (again) and all the Laws thereof, and write it in their ſight, that they may keep the whol form there…f, and all the Ordinances thereof and do them. Firſt ſhew them my houſe,Ezek. 33.10, 11. opened Let them have ſome kind of knowledg of my waies and Ordinances in the general, perhaps that will make them aſhamed: And at this day we know though there be but a little light let out unto us, to ſhew us a little more of the waies of Gods worſhip than we ſaw before, we do begin to be aſhamed of what we have done:Note But now if indeed we be throughly aſhamed before God of all our falſe waies of worſhip, of all our ſacrifices, then mark what a promiſe here is, then ſaith the text, if they be aſhamed of what they have done, then ſhew them the forms of the houſe, and the faſhion of the houſe &c. NoteThus here is one word heaped upon another to ſhew, that this is the mercy of God to people when they underſtand not only the way of Gods worſhip in the lump, but they underſtand the form, and the faſhion, and the Ordinances, and the Laws, the circumſtances and all the ſeveral waies, the exactneſs of the worſhip of God.Note For we muſt not look upon any thing in the worſhip of God as worthy to be neglected, but we muſt have reſpect to all the forms, and faſhions, and Ordinances of Gods houſe, God ſtandeth much upon his worſhip in every punctilio; and it is a great mercy of God to reveal to us every point of his worſhip. It is true, man ſtands much upon form, and God ſtandeth much upon form; Many deny the power of godlineſs, but keep the form of it, they are much ſet upon their forms, and God is much ſet upon his forms. If you be ſet upon forme for worſhip, look upon Gods worſhip he is much ſet upon forms in his wo…ſhip. And mark, then when we are aſhamed of what we have done, then we ſhall underſtand the Laws of the houſe; but firſt we muſt be aſhamed and throughly humbled for our former ſuperſtitious ſacrifices, and then we ſhall come to underſtand the right way of Gods worſhip in his own Temple, we muſt not expect it before. Many people they cry out we are at a loſs, we know not what to do, we have rejected indeed falſe worſhip and in ſome meaſure we ſee that that is vile, but we know not what way to ſet up in Gods houſe, what are the forms and faſhions thereof; and the hearts of people tremble to think what may come to be determined, fearing leſt things will not be found out, fearing diſſentions and diſagreement. Would you but know how you ſhould come to underſtand the right way of Gods houſe in the worſhip and government of it? Be aſhamed of your ſacrifices, be aſhamed of what you have done.
And above all men thoſe that are betruſted to find out the Laws,Miniſters and forms, & faſhions, and Ordinances of Gods houſe, above all men they are to be aſhamed of what they have done, to be aſhamed firſt of their ſacrifices. And that ſhould be your prayer, that God would humble them for all their former ſuperſtitious ſacrifices that ſo they may come to have revealed to them the form and faſhion of Gods houſe, and being revealed to them they may reveal it to you. There is a neceſſity that thoſe men that have been guilty of ſuperſtitious waies of worſhip, that they ſhould be aſhamed firſt of that before they can come to underſtand the right way of the houſe of God; Let them be men of never ſuch excellent parts and abilities,Note. yet except they be firſt aſhamed for what they have done and thoroughly humbled, they cannot expect to underſtand the waies of Gods houſe in the forms and faſhions and ordinances of it. In Ezek. 44.10, 11, 12, 13. there God threatneth thoſe Prieſts that did depart from him when Iſrael dedarted, that did depart from him to falſe worſhip, that they ſhould beare their iniquity, that they ſhould never come neare to him; ſeeing they departed in the general departure and did not keep cloſe to the true worſhip of God, they muſt bear their iniquity, they muſt not come near unto God; only God would be content they ſhould be imployed in ſome meaner out-ſervices:Applic. And therefore it may be that God will not uſe ſome men of choice parts in any great work of his, to do him any great ſervice, that's the meaning of the text, that thoſe that did depart from God when there was a general departure of the Nation, when Iſrael did depart they would comply with them to ſave their skin, and they would conform to thoſe ſuperſtitious waies, then did the Lord ſwear, lift up his hand againſt them, that though they ſhall be imploied in ſome meaner ſervices, yet they ſhal not come near him. And (I ſay) it ma… be feared that the Lord may do ſo againſt ſome of us. How ever except there be extraordinary repentance & taking ſhame unto themſelves; though they may be men of excellent parts, the Lord may remember what they have done when Iſrael departed from God, what their compliances were; And though the Lord may make ſtill uſe of them in ſome ordinary work, yet he may lift up his hand againſt them, that they ſhal never be imployed never bleſt in any choice work he hath to do: God may juſtly leave them to ſuch waies as that they ſhall caſt themſelves in a great meaſure out of the hearts of the Saints becauſe he doth not delight to uſe them in any ſpecial ſervice and ſo their ſhame ſhal ſtick upon them while they live; and the more honor they ſeek the more ſhame will God certainly caſt upon them. Jer. 3.25. ſaith the Church there, We lie down in our ſhame: Oh there is cauſe that ſuch men ſhould lie down in their ſhame, thoſe that are of diſcerning ſpirits, and obſerve the waies of men and the waies of God, they cannot but ſee that thoſe men ſhould lie down in their ſhame, for ſo long as yeilding to ſuperſtitious vanities and ſubmiſſion to falſe power was uſeful to them to ſave their eſtates, their liberties and livings, they would yeild and they would ſubmit, and then their judgments alter when times alter, when other waies come to be countenanced publickly then they are of other judgments than they were before: ſo long as they could not make uſe of another way they were not of that judgment; now when they can make uſe of it, and there is more countenancing of it, how ſoon is their judgment altered? yea and ſo altered as preſently to grow even bitter againſt their brethren of another judgment.Note Surely a great deal more cauſe there is that they and we, all of us, ſhould take ſhame to our ſelves, lie down in our ſhame a while and ſo carry things in all humility in all meekneſs, in ſuſpition of our ſelves and of our own judgments in love to our brethren, remembring that we our ſelves were of another judgement and opinion not long ſince; And therefore our hearts (I ſay) ſhould be very low and gentle and very tender and meek even toward all with whom we have to do.
And further, God hath a time to make al carnal men aſhamed Obſ. 2 of their ſacrifices. We will a little raiſe up our meditations ſomewhat higher, from this, They ſhall be aſhamed of their ſacrifices. All ſacrifices, not only ſuperſti…ous and idolatrous but all other ſacrifices that come ſhort of the rule will at length cauſe ſhame. As carnal men that tender up many ſervices unto God, and that lay ſuch weight upon their ſervices, as to lay their claim to Heaven and intereſt in God upon their ſacrifices, God hath a time to make them aſhamed of all theſe ſacrifices. Al now, when God ſhal diſcover the vanity of their prayers, if God ſhould but ſhew to us al and to the whol company here, each others hearts in time of prayer, when we have been offering up that ſacrifice unto God, and we have ſeemed to be very devout in our prayers, yet Oh the vanity of our hearts, Oh the vile thoughts, unclean, wicked, ungodly, fooliſh thoughts that have run up and down thorough our hearts in the time of our prayers! If God ſhould write our prayers before us and interline our prayers with all our vain thoughts, and then bid us reade our prayers, and bid others reade our prayers interlined with ſuch vain thoughts, would we not be aſhamed of our ſacrifices? the beſt ſacrifice that ever we tenderd up to God in al our life we would be aſhamed of it. God hath a time (except al be pardoned in Chriſt and covered in him) to make men that lay ſuch weight upon their prayers, to ſhew them ſuch an ugly form and faſhion of them, as to make them aſhamed of them.
Obſ. 3 Again, In al our duties performed with a carnal heart there are many mixtures of our own baſe ends. We ſeem to draw near unto God, and we would honor and worſhip God, Oh but the hypocriſie of our hearts! what vile and baſe ends are there, to give content to this and the other, to ſet forth our parts and abilities in ſervices; theſe things have been plain before God, and except we be aſhamed of them now and repent and get them pardoned in Chriſt, God will ſet all our baſe ends before Angels and men together with our ſacrifices, and ſhall we not then be aſhamed of our ſacrifices?
Obſ. 4 Again, How foul and vile have our hearts been in our ſervices, and how have our ſacrifices been defiled with them! Not only by actual ſin mixed with them, by baſe thoughts and ends, but our ſervices have come from unclean hearts, we have had very filthy and unclean hearts, our hearts have been as ſties and ſinks of evil, and it is impoſſible that out of ſuch unclean hearts there can come any thing that is clean; our ſacrifices have been extreamly defiled by our filthy baſe and worldly hearts. And then when God ſhall ſhew the infinite holineſs of his Majeſty and how infinite juſt and righteous he is, and how infinitely worthy of other manner of ſacrifices than ever we have tendered up unto him, Oh then how ſhall we be aſhamed!
How will our hearts be overwhelmed with confuſion and ſhame, Uſe. when apprehending the infiniteneſs of the glory of the great God, when we ſhall ſee how infinitely unworthy all thoſe duties were that we have tendered up unto him of that infinite excellency and Majeſtie of his, Oh that will make us aſhamed. Men think highly of their ſacrifices that they tender up unto God becauſe of their parts they ſhew in them, but they do not know with what a God it is they have to do: when the Lord ſhall ſhew unto us the luſtre of his glory and the greatneſs of his Majeſtie (as it will appear unto us one day when the glorious appearing of the great God will be) then we ſhall ſee how unworthy all our ſervices were of ſuch a God as he is, and that will make us aſhamed if we have not been aſhamed heretofore; nothing will be more grievous and more confound the hearts of men than to be put to ſhame for their ſacrifices; Oh the miſerable perplexity that their hearts will then be put unto!
You will ſay then, Queſt. What are thoſe ſacrifices we ſhould tender up unto God that we ſhall never be aſhamed of? God will mak ſuperſtitious people aſhamed of their ſacrifices, and all carnal people ſhall one day be aſhamed of their ſacrifices, this will be a dreadful thing one day when it comes; Oh then what are thoſe ſacrifices the Saints of God ſhall never be aſhamed of?
Firſt, If you would offer ſuch ſacrifices unto God as you Anſw, 1 would never be aſhamed of, Be ſure they be his own, worſhip God in his own way; It is not what you think wil pleaſe God what you think is brave and excellent, but look to the word, be ſure it is his own.
Anſw, 2 Secondly, Let your hearts be acted by Divine Principles, let it come from faith, and whatſoever comes from you to be tendered up unto God, look to your principles; reſt not in the action that is done but conſider from what principles thoſe ſervices come you tender up unto God.
Anſw, 3 Thirdly, Let your ends be high in all your ſervices, Oh take heed of baſe and low ends in all your ſacrifices. It is too too much that men ſhould have baſe and low ends in their outward affairs, they ſhould have their hearts high upon the glory of the great God in their natural, in their civil actions, but when they come to their ſacrifices and holy duties, then ſurſum Corda, then lift up your hearts indeed, be ſure then your ends be high and holy.
Anſw, 4 Fourthly, Let your whol ſtrength be taken up in thoſe ſacrifices ſo as to ſanctifie the Name of God, Let the whol ſoul be carried unto God, for God is worthy of the whol, if you had ten thouſand times more ſtrength than you have God is worthy that it ſhould be put forth in the ſervices you tender unto him.
Anſw, 5 Fiftly, Offer up your ſelves as a ſacrifice unto God do not content your ſelves to offer up a prayer unto God as a ſacrifice, or alms or ſuch duties only, but be ſure together with theſe ſacrifices to offer up your ſelves as a living ſacrifice to God, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks Rom. 12.1. I beſeech you by the mercies of God that you offer up your bodies a living ſacrifice unto God. God cares for none of your ſacrifices except you offer your ſelves to be a ſacrifice unto him. That is a very obſervable place in 1 King. 8. the latter end of it, there you ſhall find that Solomon offered two and twenty thouſand Oxen and one hundred and twenty thouſand Sheep, here was a great ſacrifice to be offered at one time unto God, but mark, (though this ſacrifice was great) what God ſaies unto him in the 9. chapter preſently ſo ſoon as the ſacrifice was done, verſe 4. If thou wilt walk before me as David thy father did to do according unto all that I command thee, and wilt keep my ſtatutes and my judgments &c. God puts it to an If for all this, for all theſe ſacrifices If thou thy ſelf in the conſtant obedience of thy life wilt be a conſtant ſacrifice, then will I do thus and thus, but verſe 6. If thou at all turn from following me, if notwithſtanding all theſe ſacrifices thou at all turn from following of me, I will do thus and thus. Many of us think when we have been in a day of faſting and ſpent a whol day in it, and our hearts have been let out and we have been enlarged and have offered up a great ſacrifice to God, that we may take the more liberty afterward; No, though you offer twenty two thouſand Oxen and an hudred and twenty thouſand ſheep yet if after this at all thou ſhalt forſake me, all that thou haſt done ſhall be rejected. Therefore thoſe ſacrifices that are not joyned with offering up of our ſelves as a ſacrifice, are ſuch as God will make us aſhamed of; But if together with our ſacrifices we offer up our ſelves as a ſacrifice, you ſhall never be aſhamed of that ſacrifice. Therefore you that are poor people and weak parted, and have but little grace, yet if you have true grace, though you cannot offer up ſuch large prayers, your heart is not ſo enlarged perhaps as others are, and you look upon your ſacrifices as poor and mean and as unworthy to be tendered up unto the great God, but doſt thou then offer up thy ſelf unto God as a ſacrifice? It is true my parts are weak and my abilities are poor and mean, but Oh Lord what I am and what I can do I tender it unto thee, here Lord, take ſoul, body, life, eſtate, liberty and all I do enjoy, I tender it up all unto thee as a ſacrifice; I ſay then peace be unto thee, thoſe ſacrifices thou lookeſt upon as being aſhamed of them, God will not make thee aſhamed of them, but he accepts of thy poor, mean, and weak ſervices when together with them thou offereſt up thy ſelf as a ſacrifice unto him; whereas if thou didſt not tender up thy ſelf as a ſacrifice, though thy ſervices were ten thouſand times more glorious than they are, they would be all caſt back as dung in thy face.
Sixtly, Be humbled after all your beſt ſacrifices, take no Anſw, 6 glory unto your ſelves, but be vile in your own eyes after you have done the beſt duty that ever you have done in your life; when you perform any duty that ſeems to have any excellency in it, and perhaps others look upon it as having much excellency in it, if your hearts be puffed up with it, the glory of it is gone, and it is that which you muſt be aſhamed of though Anſw, 7 now you be honored for it, and pride your ſelves in it.
Laſtly, Tender up all in Chriſt, in the worthineſs of his infinite ſacrifice. Chriſt is that ſacrifice that is pleaſing unto God, and all ſacrifices are pleaſing unto God only thorough the merit and worthineſs of the ſacrifice of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who hath tendered up himſelf unto God the Father as a Sacrifice to heal all our ſacrifices and to take away all the ſhame of our ſacrifices. 1 Pet. 2.5. Ye alſo as lively ſtones are built up a ſpiritual houſe, an holy Prieſthood to offer up ſpiritual ſacrifices, how? by Jeſus Chriſt. Mark, you are as lively ſtones, and lively ſtones built up, not only ſtones lying here one and there another, but lively ſtones built up in a holy communion, that is the meaning, built up to offer ſacrifices, and that ſpiritual ſacrifices: But mark, though our ſacrifices be never ſo ſpiritual, yet they cannot be acceptable to God but by Jeſus Chriſt, by Jeſus Chriſt that great Sacrifice they come to be acceptable unto God, that is the ſacrifice the Saints ſhall glory in and bleſs God for to all eternity, and never ſhall be aſhamed of their ſacrifices when they are tendered up unto God thorough the merit of that ſacrifice. And thus through Gods good hand of providence we are come to the end of this fourth Chapter.