An Exposition of Hosea 4-7, Biblical commentary 1 · Chapter 5 · Verse 5
VER. 5.
And the Pride of Iſrael doth teſtifie to his face.
MArk another connexion here. As there is a connexion of a ſpirit of whoredom and not knowing God, ſo there is a connection of not knowing God and of the pride of Iſrael.A double connexiō of the Text. Obſer. Ignorance and pride companions They know not the Lord, and the pride of Iſrael doth teſtifie to his face. From whence the Note is this, That Ignorance and Pride uſeth to go together.
There is no men ſo conceited of their knowledg as many ignorant men are: For the truth is, where there is knowledge there a man ſees that he knows but little, and he is able to diſcover his own ignorance; but an ignorant man is not able to diſcover his own ignorance, and therefore uſually he is proud. You ſhall have many men and women too, that will pretend ſuch abundance of knowledg, and their hearts are puffed up, becauſe they have got ſome expreſſions more than others have, as if they were ſomebody, & had ſome manifeſtations of things to them more than others have; yet come and examin things at the bottom, & the truth is they are ignorant of the very principles of Religion. 1 Tim. 6.4.1 Tim. 6.4 applied. He is proud, knowing nothing ſaith the text, and yet he ſpeaks of thoſe that are full of vain queſtions and janglings about matters of Religion, that will come with ſuch objections and curioſities of queſtions, yet the holy Ghoſt ſaith he is proud and knows nothing. And certainly the man that is there ſpoken of is a man as much conceited of his knowledg as you can conceive a man to be, as appears plainly in the text.
But now wiſdom and humility,Uſe from the contrary. they likewiſe go together too. Prov. 11.2. With the lowly is wiſdom. If the heart be brought under God, put in a gracious, humble, lowly frame, with the lowly there is wiſdom, the Lord delighteth to reveal himſelf to the humble.
The pride of Iſrael doth teſtifie to his face.] The Seventy they reade the words otherwiſe than you have them in your books.foreign. The injury and the wrong that Iſrael hath done unto God, ſhall be brought down, ſhall be humbled: for I ſuppoſe their meaning in that tranſlation i… this, that whereas Iſrael by his wicked waies hath wronged God, hath been injurious unto God, he ſhall be humbled for it, he ſhall be brought down and made to know what it is for him to wrong God ſo as he hath done. And indeed thoſe that do corrupt Gods worſhip they are the greateſt wrongers of God in the world,Obſer. they do the greateſt injury unto God that can be.
But we may ſafely keep unto that which is tranſlated in your books,The Engliſh reading. as more ſuitable to the Original than that of the Seventy, and then the Note is this, That
Idolaters are proud men, and Idolatry is a proud ſin.Obſ. Id…laters proud men.
For that is the ſcope of the Prophet here, chiefly to rebuke them for their falſe worſhip; though he ſpeaks of other ſins yet that is the main; O the pride of Iſrael doth teſtifie to his face; Iſrael they will have their own way of worſhip and forſake God, O proud hearts that they have! Idolatry is a proud ſin. In all diſobedience againſt God there is much pride: pride is not only in cloathes and in fine things, but in diſobedience againſt God, there is the pride of the heart; And as in all ſin there is pride, ſo in a more peculiar manner in the ſin of Idolatry. As,
Firſt, Idolaters in their way,1. The deſpiſing the true worſhip of God. they look upon the true worſhip of God as a mean thing, as a thing below them, beneath them. Oh their way of worſhip is the pompous, brave, and gallant way; but for the true worſhip of God that is poor, low and mean. All your ſuperſtitious and Idolatrous people look thus upon the ſimplicity of the waies and worſhip of God.
2. They put more on the creature than God hath put. Places.Secondly, And then there is pride in it in this, That a wretched worm ſhould dare to preſume to put more upon a creature than God hath ever done, to put more upon places than God and nature hath ever done. God hath made them thus and thus, but I will put them higher than God hath done, I will put an excellency, a ſpiritual excellency, a divine excellency upon them; for ſo Idolaters take upon themſelves to do, and this is horrible pride.
3. They preſcribe God in worſhip.Thirdly, It is pride, becauſe they preſume to preſcribe God which way he ſhall be worſhiped. The worſhip of God is the deareſt thing he hath in the world; and for any creature to take upon him to preſcribe which way he ſhall be worſhiped, this is the moſt notorious pride in the world.
4. Honor their own becauſe theirs.Laſtly, Herein appeareth the pride of Idolatry, that it honors what is a mans own becauſe it is his own, rather than what is Gods. Do not you ſee it apparantly in all ſuperſtitious Idolatrous people? As in that one thing of daies. God hath ſet one day apart for the honoring of himſelf and for the celebrating both of the birth,Lords. day. death, reſurrection and aſcenſion of Jeſus Chriſt and of the whol work of our redemption. How is that day ſlighted, neglected, made nothing of! But what a horrible wickedneſs is it accounted not to keep that which man ſetteth apart by himſelf,Holy daies. that day which is a mans own! Men will ſet apart a day for the honor of Chriſt, and Oh Chriſt will be quite forgotten if that day be forgotten; and Chriſt is much diſhonored if that day be not regarded. I appeal unto you, Who ſets it apart? whoſe is it? Is it Gods or is it yours? Gods? Certainly if there were ſuch a thing ſo acceptable unto God as men take it to be, we ſhould have ſome little hint, ſomewhat in the book of God of ſuch a thing. We have the ſtory of all the Acts of the Apoſtles, what they did in ſeveral places, and there is not the leaſt mention of any ſuch thing, of their honoring Chriſt, by ſetting a day apart for the celebration of his nativity: We have the Epiſtles unto ſeveral Churches upon ſeveral occaſions, and we find no notice that they ever took of any ſuch thing in any Church they eſtabliſhed. Surely therefore it is mens own, there is nothing in Gods Word for it how highly ſoever it is honored. But we have enough in Scripture for Gods own day, the Lords day, and it is appointed by God himſelf to be a day of thankſgiving for the birth, reſurrection, and aſcenſion of Chriſt, and for the whol work of our redemption altogether; But man, he out of his pride will have another day and ſo ſet his poſt by Gods poſt; he thinks it is not honor enough unto Chriſt to put the celebration of his birth, death, reſurrection, aſcenſion, all together in one day; no, he thinks it is more for the honor of Chriſt to have ſeveral daies, one for his birth, another for his reſurrection, & another for his aſcenſion; whereas God hath put all into one, and would have his Son to be honored by the obſervation of that one day.
The pride of Iſrael doth teſtifie to his face.
Teſtifie.] In the Original it is, anſwereth to his face,foreign When any thing i… returned ſuitable to its work, that is ſaid to anſwer that work: that is thus; when the ground brings forth Corn for the husbandman, then it anſwereth unto the ſeed and labor of the husbandman. Gen. 30.33. My righteouſneſs ſhall anſwer for me ſaith Jacob to Laban, I ſhall have that which is ſuitable to my righteouſneſs. So here, the pride of Iſrael anſwereth to his face (ſo you may reade it) that is, the fruit of Expoſ. 1 their pride ſhall be (in the puniſhment of it) fully anſwerable unto the ſinfulneſs of it: ſo I find many turn it. Mic. 1.2. Let the Lord be witneſs againſt you, (teſtifie againſt you, it is the ſame word) or anſwer you according unto your ſins, in the way of puniſhment; that's the meaning. When the Lord bringeth judgments ſuitable unto, and full up to mens ſins, thoſe judgments do anſwer to mens ſins; yea and they witneſs againſt them, they witneſs to the faces of thoſe men the guilt of thoſe ſins.
Well, but we will rather take it (and ſo it is to be I think) according to what you reade in your books, The pride of Iſrael Expoſ. 2 doth teſtifie to his face: that is, the pride that doth appear in Iſrael doth fully te…ifie that horrible wickedneſs, ſtoutneſs, obſtinacy that is in Iſrael, it teſtifies it to his face. Iſrael is a ſtout and an obſtinate ſinner, and his heart is very wicked, vile, and abominable againſt God; How do you prove that? His pride that manifeſteth it ſelf outwardly doth teſtifie this his inward wickedneſs. It is true, you cannot ſee the heart; but pride doth uſe to diſcover it ſelf; pride in the heart ſeldome lies there long ſecret; for that is a ſin that muſt be above-board; pride muſt vent it ſelf; it is the glory of that ſin to vent it ſelf; Now that coming and venting it ſelf, what doth it but witneſs to the face of the ſinner what vileneſs and wickedneſs is in his heart? You could not ſee the vileneſs & wickednes that was in his heart before; but now here thi… ſin [Pride] that is ſent out (and pride is a fooliſh ſin it cannot keep in) and that coming forth it is a loud witneſs againſt him of that filth, vileneſs, ſtoutneſs, and obſtinacie that there is in the heart of this ſinner.
There is a ſecret pride, and a witneſſing pride. Iſa. 3.9. The ſhew of their countenance doth wi neſs againſt them, Iſa. 3.9. opened.and they declare their ſin like Sodom; they manifeſt it outwardly in their very countenance: It is taken from harlots, ſome harlots that are at firſt departed from their husbands, they keep things very ſecretly, and you ſhal perceive them very demure in their countenance, but at length they come to be bold and impudent in their filthineſs, and you may perceive adultery in their very countenance; and they witneſs apparantly in their words and countenances what the wickedneſs of their hearts is.Pride diſcovers much ſin within. As that ſin of adultery, ſo almoſt all ſins are witneſſed where pride is diſcovered. No ſin diſgraceth men more than pride, and that is the curſe of God upon this ſin; pride ſeeks for the greateſt honor to a man, and there is nothing that doth more diſhonor him; Why? becauſe pride doth teſtifie that there is a woful deal of evil in that mans heart. As I will inſtance a little.
A man that differs in judgment from his brethren in divers things; he differeth and he pretendeth this, he cannot ſee the truth of God which he would fain ſee; he cannot do as his brother for his conſcience bindeth him otherwiſe.How to diſcern differing from others out of pride or conſcience But you will ſay, every man pleads conſcience, how ſhall we know whether it be the ſtoutneſs of his heart or the tenderneſs of his conſcience? Thus, If this man behaveth himſelf humbly, and the rather humbly in all other things becauſe he cannot ſee what his brother doth in ſuch and ſuch particulars, and ſo is in danger to be an offence to his brother, and therefore his ſoul is humbled: This is a good witneſs that it is meer conſcience and not ſtoutneſs that makes him differ. But now if his behavior be high and proud when he differeth from his brother, he doth not take it to be an affliction to him that he cannot ſee what his brother*or that his brother doth not ſee what he doth. This paſſage muſt be underſtood, 1 Of leſſer differences. 2. Not abſolutely nor alwaies, but in things wherein one is not cleer; for if he be, he cannot but think it is at leaſt weakneſs in that particular (though in others hee may judg him ſtronger than himſelf) that he doth not ſee the ſame with him. doth, but cenſureth him and thinks that it is either through his weakneſ… or through his wilfulneſs, that he will not ſee, and ſo carries himſelf high and proudly before his brother, this witneſſeth to his face that it is ſtubborneſs and ſingularity. Thus his pride teſtifies to his face the inward wickedneſs of his heart.
And as in a Church, this is a principle and maxim, That though a man be guilty of many and great ſins, yet he is not to be caſt out but upon obſtinacy. You will ſay how ſhall we know that, for obſtinacy is in a mans heart? I know many obſerve ſuch and ſuch rules for it, as, if you do not reform when ſuch and ſuch learned men tell you what they would do &c. But we have another rule; if after an offence and admonition there be a proud behaviour of any one in a Congregation, if he carries himſelf proudly; this his proud behavior witneſſeth to his face that it is not out of tenderneſs or ſcruple of conſcience that he yeildeth nor to what his brethren would have him, but through the ſtoutneſs of his heart. His pride teſtifieth to his face.
O the pride of mens hearts witneſſeth much againſt them. I remember I have read in Beda a ſtory of a Synod, an Aſſembly of Divines that were in England, Auſtin the Monk.in the time of Auſtin that was then Biſhop of Canterbury; And they aſſembling together they go to a holy man, an Anchorite, to adviſe with him whether they ſhould yeild to what Auſtin did impoſe upon them? (who was then the Arch Biſhop) This holy man anſwereth them, If he be a man of God yeeld unto him, if not ſtand out againſt him. They reply, A man of God? How ſhall we know that, whether he be a man of God or no? He anſwers, If he be humble; for Jeſus Chriſt ſaith, Learn of me, for I am meek and humble in heart: if he be an humble man, he is a man of God ſaith he, and then learn of him. But how ſhall we know that ſay they? He anſwers, You ſhall perceive it by his behaviour; when he i… come to the place of aſſembly, let him be there before you, if you perceive him to beh…ve himſelf churliſhly, imperiouſly, proudly, not ſo much as to riſe to you, to give no reſpect to you, then take it for granted that he is a proud man and reject what he impoſeth; but if he behave himſelf meekly, humbly, and lowly to you, then regard what he ſaith. So when they came to the Aſſembly, Auſtin he ſitteth in his chair in a proud imperious way and would not ſtir to any of them: upon that they rejected whatſoever he ſaid, for according to the counſel of that holy man, his pride did witneſs to his face that he had a vile and a wicked heart and did not come unto them in the Name of Chriſt.
HumilityOh it is much that is to be regarded that comes from thoſe that are humble and lowly. Humility doth witneſs to the face of a man that he doth know much of the mind of Chriſt; and pride witneſſeth to the face of a man that he is not acquainted with the mind of Chriſt.
Expoſ. 2. foreign Livelius.The word here tranſlated [Pride] I find by a learned Interpreter, Livelius, that becauſe in it ſelf it ſignifies Excellency, he thinks it to meant of God, who ſweareth by the Excellency of Jacob, Amos. 8.5. and ſo he carries it thus, That God who is the Excellency of Iſrael, in whom Iſrael ſhould glory, it is He that doth witneſs againſt them. And I find ſome inclinable to this. But the other I conceive rather to be the ſcope of the Holy Ghoſt, taking the word as it i… tranſlated for Pride, and the teſtifying to his face, for an open witneſſing, apparantly witneſſing, ſo as it may eaſily be ſeen. It follows.
Therefore ſhall Iſrael and Ephraim fall in their iniquity.
Ephraim, is the Princes of Iſrael, they were proud becauſe of the honor they had: And Iſrael, the People, they were proud becauſe they had great men to bear them out, and they could plead Authority for what they did. But they ſhall both fall, both Ephraim and Iſrael. The Note is, That The fruit of ſin is caſting down.Obſer.
It is rather here ſaid, They ſhall fall, than that they ſhall be punniſhed, in reference unto what went before; for before, he ſpeaks of the pride of Iſrael, and from thence a further Note is, That Pride goes before a fall.Obſer.
God will caſt down the proud,Pride before a fall, and certainly when thoſe that are proud fall they muſt needs fall very low becauſe a proud man lifteth up himſelf ſo high, and you know according to the height a thing falls from ſo i… the fall of it: now a proud man lifts up himſelf on high,Proud mē fall low. ſo high indeed as he lifts himſelf up above God, therefore he muſt needs fall down very low: And upon that I remember Bernard hath this Note,Bernards wity ſpeech Here is the reaſon (ſaith he) why a proud man can have no grace, from God; why? God is the fountain of grace, and it is a rule in nature that the ſtream that cometh from a fountain, it aſcendeth no higher than the top of the fountain is. (You may find it in all Aquaeducts, according to the height of the fountain ſo high may the ſtream be carried, but it will go no higher.) Now ſaith he, God being the fountain of all grace, ſurely grace cannot riſe higher than God himſelf; but a proud man lifteth himſelf above God, therefore he is above grace, grace cannot reach him.
1. A proud man goe… from God,Prid goes 1. from God. as if he could live without him: for that is the pride of mens hearts, when they have outward proſperity they go from God as if they could live without him.
2. He goeth againſt God,2. againſt him. as if he were able to reſiſt him.
3. … and …m.3. He goeth beyond God, …a… if he made himſelf the end of all his actions.
4. above him.4. He lifteth up himſelf above God, as if there were more excellency in him than in God. He lifteth up his will above God, and that two waies:
1. Saith he, My will ſhall be followed rather than Gods.
2. Whereas God is contented to have his will only in juſt and good things; ſaith a proud man, I will have my will whether it be juſt,But it is juſt becauſe God wills it. whether it be good or no. Come and deal with a proud man and ſay, do you well in this? Is this fit? I will have my will ſaith he. This is more than God challengeth unto himſelf. God will have his will in nothing but in that which is good and juſt; thou wilt have thy will whether it be juſt or no: thus thou goeſt beyond God and lifteſt up thy ſelf above him, therefore ſurely thou ſhalt fall.
I need not ſhew you any example of the falling of proud men.Applic. This our age manifeſteth it cleerly enough. How hath God caſt dirt upon proud ſuperſtitious men? You know what a height of pride they were grown to two or three yeers ſince; and now two Kingdoms if not three have lifted up their hands to the moſt high God to extirpate them. Their pride did teſtifie to their faces, and no mervail that they are fallen; and the Lord caſt them ſo far down as they may never be able to riſe up in their pride again!
Ephraim and Iſrael ſhall fall in their iniquity.
foreignIn their iniquity.] The Hebrew [Ba] ſignifies for, as well as in: fall for their iniquity, as well as in their iniquity. But to Expoſ. 1 keep to the word, They ſhall fall in their iniquity. Surely they Expoſ. 2 fall hard who fall in their iniquity, they fall ſo as to break their bones, yea oft times their necks.
Uſe. My brethren, theſe are falling times, let us labor to remove our iniquities beforehand, and then if we fall we ſhall fall ſoft and not hard. If we fall in our iniquities we ſhall fall hard; but if our iniquities be removed by faith and repentance, though we ſhould fall in theſe times, yet we ſhall fall into the boſom of our Father and into the arms of Jeſus Chriſt. How much better is it ſeeing that men are like to fal, to take ſuch a courſe before their fall cometh, that when they do fall they may fall ſoft, fall into the boſom of their Father and into the arms of Jeſus Chriſt, and not fall in their iniquity; And if we fall thus, if our fall be not in our iniquity, but in the cauſe of God, and rather for our grace than for our iniquity, then we may be of more uſe in our fall than we were in our ſtanding. As it is with the Corn,ſimile the Corn that falls into the ground doth fructifie, and is of more uſe when it is fallen than it was when it was in the granary;Young men fallen in this war. And ſo many godly men, many young ones that are fallen within theſe two or three yeers, (but God knows it hath not been in or for their iniquity, but in the Cauſe of God and in the exerciſe of their graces) they are fallen, but they are fallen into the arms of God, and into the boſom of Chriſt, and they are as fruitful in their fall as they were in their ſtanding, for no queſtion but there is much fruit to be reaped from their falls, and God hath a plentiful harveſt for England that will come out of their falls.
Judah alſo ſhall fall with them.] Mark,Expoſit. firſt Ephraim ſhall fall and then Judah, for indeed Ephraim was firſt in ſin; the ten Tribes they firſt forſake the true worſhip of God and they brought in Judah together with them, and the text ſaith, that Judah ſhall fall with them. This is here mentioned to aggravate Ephraims ſin and the judgment of it, thus. Oh this ſhall lie heavy upon Ephraim one day, that not only he hath ruined himſelf, but he hath ruined Judah too, he hath brought Judah into his ſin and involved him in plagues together with himſelf. From hence the Note is, That It is a great aggravation for any one to think what miſery be Obſ. 1 bringeth others into.
If God do but enlighten any ones conſcience; it may be Gods hand is upon thee for thy ſin: This is grievous: Oh but together with the ſin have not I by my counſel, by my example, by my countenance brought others into ſ…n? and I have brought them into miſery as well as my ſelf: It may be there be many in hell at this time that I have holpen thither. It is true Gods hand is upon me, I am falling, and whither I ſhall fall I know not; I ſee hell open and I may fall into it; how ever I am afraid of this that there are ſome fallen into hell already of whoſe ſin I was the cauſe, and is it poſſible that I ſhould be preſerved out of it? muſt I not follow them and fall thither too when they are already fallen thither through my wickedneſs? You therefore that have been Company-keepers and ringleaders to wickedneſs, and many of your companions are dead and gone, without any manifeſtation of repentance; you had need to be throughly humbled.
Obſer. 2 Further, It is no plea you ſee for any one to ſay, I will follow the example of others. If you will follow the example of others you muſt periſh with others. Judah followeth the example of Ephraim and Judah muſt fall with Ephraim.
Obſ. 3 And further, If Gods people (even Gods people I ſay) if they comply with wicked men,Gods people ſuffer if they ſin with others. & defile themſelves with their pollutions, they muſt except to fall with them in outward judgments. Judah was the only people God had upon the earth, and as Iſrael is a type of the Apoſtate Church, ſo is Judah a type of the true Church, yet it ſeems that Judah though the true Church and the only people of God that did preſerve the worſhip of God in the greateſt intirenes that was in the world, yet I ſay Judah, they did very much comply with Iſrael, and complying with Iſrael in falſe worſhip they muſt fall with them. Come out from amongſt them my people, leſt being partakers of their ſins you be partakers of their plagues too. And this I make no queſtion is the reaſon why ſo many of Gods ſervan…s fall at this day,Uſe why ſo many fall in theſe times. they have complied with the times and defiled themſelves; though we cannot ſay ſo of every one of them that fall in this Cauſe, yet it is to be feared in many: And it may be (though we dare not determin of Gods waies, for the thoughts of Gods waies in mercy, are higher than our thoughts, higher than the Heavens are above the Earth, yet we have cauſe to fear) that many if not moſt of this generation ſhall fall before God bringeth forth this glorious work of his in ſaving Zion.
Chap. 1. 7. and chap. 5. 5. reconcil'dBut here is a difficulty; In the firſt Chapter you heard there that God though he threatned Iſrael, yet he ſaith, I will have mercy upon Judah; but here he ſaith, Ephraim ſhall fall and Judah alſo ſhall fall with him: Now for the reconciling of that we are to know that, though Judah fall with Iſrael, yet there ſhall be a great deal of difference in their falling. Iſrael, the ten Tribes ſhall fall, be brought into captivity, ſo as never to return again, I mean never to return from their captivity in that way as Judah did; Judah was to return again after ſeventy yeers; ſo Judah fell with them,Obſerv. but they fell not as they fell. Though the Saints therefore may be ſcourged with rods, yea with ſcorpions as they are at this day, as well as wicked men, yet the Lord doth not, he will not, take his loving kindneſs from them.
There is yet one particular more to be obſerved, and it is from the Hebrew particle Gam, Judah [alſo] ſhall fall with them; and I make no queſtion but the Spirit of God holds forth this Note from it, viz. That The falling of the Saints together with wicked men it is of ſpecial conſideration.Obſerv
There is much in it; ſome ſpecial matter to be conſidered of in the falling of Gods people together with the wicked. Indeed it is that which in theſe daies puts us to a ſtand, we admire at the waies of God, his judgments are paſt finding out; we muſt adore them in what we do not underſtand; That the hand of God ſhould be ſtretched out againſt wicked ones, againſt ſuch as have corrupted his worſhip by their own ſuperſtitious waies, it is no mervail; but that ſo many of his dear Saints, ſo precious in his eyes, in all Countries about, ſhould ſuffer ſuch hard things and fall together with the wicked; we are at a ſtand, and we know not what it meaneth. What, Judah fall alſo with Iſrael, when God had no other people upon the face of the earth, ſurely there is ſome great matter in it; It is I ſay of ſpecial conſideration: And indeed there are many things that God would have us to obſerve in the fall of his people together with wicked men.
Firſt,Reaſons 1. Gods holineſs, He would have us take ſerious notice how holy a God He is. He ſpared not His own Son, and He ſpareth not His deareſt Ones. He will give the dearly beloved of His ſoul into the hands of His enemies. God had but one Son that never ſinned againſt Him; but He hath not one Son that never was afflicted by Him. And therefore we have no cauſe to wonder that the godly ſometimes ſuffer, for His own Sonne did.
2. None preſume on former ſervices.Secondly, God would have us take into deep conſideration this meditation, That none muſt bear themſelves upon any former ſervices they do for God. When Iſrael forſook God, Judah did cleave unto Gods true worſhip, and in that God was much honored: But Judah muſt not bear himſelf upon that, Oh I have done ſervice for God, when others did forſake Him I did cleave unto Him; and ſo think to take more liberty afterward: No ſaith God, though Judah hath much honored Me and cleave to My worſhip when Iſrael the ten Tribes forſook Me, yet if Judah ſhall afterwards comply with Iſrael, Uſe Judah ſhall likewiſe fall. None muſt bear themſelves upon former ſervices. It is uſual with men that if they have been uſeful in ſome things; they begin to preſume, and to beheady and take liberty to themſelves to do what is not convenient; thinking that becauſe they have done ſome ſervice, they muſt not now be contradicted in any thing they do. Thus we find it many times among men; and upon this boldneſs many amongſt us have fallen. How many have there been that in the beginning of this Parliament and in the beginning of theſe Wars,Servants to the Publick have done good ſervice for the Common-wealth; and afterwards begin to be high, and malipert and proud, and they muſt have what they will and none muſt contradict them but every body muſt ſubmit unto them; and ſo through their pride though they have done good ſervice yet afterward they fall? Let every one take heed of this both in regard of God and alſo in regrd of man: you that have been moſt forward in the publick Cauſe, never think to preſume becauſe of what you have done, but walk humbly now, and be ſerviceable ſtill,3 God not engaged to any if they tranſgreſs for otherwiſe you may fall notwithſtanding your ſervices as Judah did.
Again, Another thing that God would have us take into conſideration is, That he tieth himſelf unto no people, if they offend, be they what they will be, God can be without them.
Judah alſo ſhall fall: By that God declareth that there is no men though never ſo uſeful but he can be without them. Perhaps you may think, Uſe if you deſert the Cauſe where will there be any to ſtand up in your room? Take heed, though you may think you are the moſt uſeful man either in the Miniſtry, or in the City, know that God can be without you, and you may fall as well as other men.
Laſtly, God would have us take notice of this,4 Admonition to the wicked That if His own people fall with the wicked, what then may wicked men expect? If ſuch things be done to the green trees, what ſhal be don to the dry? If judgment begin at the houſe of God, where ſhall the wicked and ungodly appear? It follows.