An Exposition of Hosea 4-7, Biblical commentary 1 · Chapter 5 · Verse 8
VER. 8.
Blow ye the Cornet in Gibeah, and the Trumpet in Ramah; Cry aloud at Beth-aven; after thee, O Benjamin.
THE Prophet ſeeing how little impreſſion his words of threatning made in the hearts of this people:Conexiō. O theſe are but words of wind, that we ſhould be devoured &c. therfore in the Name of the Lord, he putteth upon himſelf another perſon. He ſpeakes now in this verſe rather as a Captain, as a General of the field, calling an Allarm preſently as if the enemy were now come to the gates; Blow ye the Cornet in Ramah, and the Trumpet in Gibeah: as if he ſhould ſay, you have often heard that the Lord would bring the ſword upon you, now it is come, it is come, the enemy is even ready to break into your Cities, to riflle your houſes, to raviſh your wives, to murder your children, Blow ye the Cornet in Gibeah, and the Trumpet in Ramah, and howl ye and cry out, O ye of Beth-aven; after thee, O Benjamin. It is a ſummoning of them, as if one ſhould come to the City and cry, The enemy, the enemy is come to the gates, Arm, Arm: So the Prophet here, that he might ſtrike into the hearts of thoſe that are ſtupid and ſenceleſs, ſaith he, I have often in the Name of God threatned His wrath, that He will bring the ſword upon you, I ſee you are a ſtupid and ſenceleſs people; Know, that the Lord is upon you in wrath, the enemy is come, now is the time come of your deſtruction; Blow ye the Trumpet and reſiſt it as well as you can, ſet your ſelves in battel aray as well as you can, for now wrath and miſery is upon you. That generally is the ſcope of the words.
Expoſ. partic.But yet there are Three things to be conſidered for the further opening of theſe words. (The Cornet and the Trumpet, thoſe you know were inſtruments of war, the one was made of horn, the other of braſs.) But why in Ramah and in Gibeah? that's the firſt thing: And then, why Cry aloud at Beth-aven? And thirdly, what is the meaning of that, after thee, O Benjamin?
1. Ramah and Gibeah; 1. Ramah & Gibeah.I find many take theſe words not as proper names for Cities, but to ſignifie the hils and highplaces of the Country. And the Seventy indeed tranſlate the words,foreign. Ʋpon the hils, and upon the high places; for ſo Ramah doth ſignifie an high place; and Gibeah doth ſignifie by way of excellency, an Hil. Now then they would carry the meaning thus,foreign as if the Lord ſhould ſay to the Prophet, Go to the higheſt places that are in the Country, the higheſt hills, and there let the Cornet and the Trumpet be blown as an Allarm to awaken the whol Land. And then the Note would be this: Obſ. 1 When a people is in danger of Gods wrath, it is fit for all the people of the Land to be awakened.
It is fit that it ſhould be made known to them. Not only that they ſhould go to the Governors and thoſe that are in high places of authority, but go where they may make knowen the danger to all the people of the Land. It is true, in the firſt place it is fit the Governors ſhould be awakened, but if they be awakened and not the people it will prove to little purpoſe. It is that which many men of vile ſpirits of late could not endure, that Miniſters ſhould tell people of dangers, or tell them of the fore-runners of Gods diſpleaſure againſt a Nation; to preach ſuch things in publick Auditories, this their ſpirits mightily roſe againſt: But it is the way of God, in times of publick dangers to have the people made acquainted.
Obſ. 2 But further, Ramah and Gibeah, they were two eminent Cities, and they did belong both to the Kingdom of Judah. Indeed they were in the Tribe of Benjamin, but Benjamin and Judah were joined in one Kingdom under the houſe of David, and the other ten Tribes were rent away under Jeroboam. Now theſe two Cities (I ſay) were in the Kingdom of Judah and eminent Cities, and it is likely they were fortified Cities, and two of the ſtrongeſt Cities in the Kingdom. Now God is here threatning of judgment againſt Judah as He did before when He ſaid, Judah alſo ſhall fall with them. Therefore ſaith he, Blow ye the Cornet in Ramah, and the Trumpet in Gibeah, in the eminenteſt places of Judah, in the moſt fortified, and let us ſee how they are able to reſiſt the miſerie that is coming upon them.
And further, I find this to be the tranſlation of the Chaldee paraphraſe, that they would import as if the meaning were becauſe that Gibeah was the Citie of Saul; and Ramah was the Citie of Samuel, therefore that God did threaten judgment for their making of a King againſt his mind, and for their diſobedience to the words of Samuel. So they paparaphraſe the text. But I think that to be ſomewhat too far fetched. The other two I conceive are the mind of the holie Ghoſt here, in the high places of the Countrie, and eſpecially in thoſe eminent Cities that were the moſt fortified, that though they were in the Tribe of Benjamin, yet belonged to the Kindom of Judah.
2. Cry out, O Beth aven.] Beth-aven 2. BethavēI find was another Citie different from that of Bethel where one of the Calves were; But there are neer ten Interpreters to one, that make it to be the ſame City Bethel wherein one of the Calves were ſet, and this belonged unto the ten Tribes.
Now this Bethel, which ſignifies the houſe of God, is call'd Beth aven here, which ſignifies the houſe of vanity, becauſe of the Idol that was there. Therefore mark the emphaſis, when he ſpeaks of Ramah & Gibeah, ſaies he, blow the corner and the trumpet, but when he ſpeaks of Beth-aven ſaith he Cry aloud, or as the latin ſignifies, howl out, O Beth-aven, foreignfor that was the great place of ſuperſtition. He nameth this Citie rather than Dan (where the other of the two Calves was placed) becauſe it was ſo neer unto the Kingdom of Judah.
3. After thee, O Benjamin. 3. O Benjamin] That is, Benjamin was upon the back of this Beth-aven, it was next unto the Kingdom of Iſrael. Now ſaith God by the Prophet, the wrath of God ſhall come out againſt Iſrael, Ephraim ſhall be left deſolate, and Beth-aven ſhall howl and cry out, and you Benjamin that are ſo neer them, take you heed to your ſelves, after thee, O Benjamin, thy turn will be next. You have reaſon to look to your ſelves when your neighbors houſe is on fire; ſo ſaith God here, Howl Beth-aven, after thee, O Benjamin; Benjamin lived hard by Beth-aven, and when Benjamin ſaw the wrath of God againſt the ten Tribes and in that City of Beth-aven that was ſo neer to it, Benjamin ſhould look to it ſelf. That's the meaning of the holy Ghoſt in theſe words.
Now for the Notes of obſervation from them. The firſt is this, Obſer. 1 When danger is apprehended as preſent and real, then it takes the heart moſt.
The Lord had threatned the ſword many times by the Prophet, and their hearts were ſecure, ſtupid; but now he comes and preſents it as preſent and real unto them, Blow ye the trumpet, the danger is now at hand, here it is ſaith the Prophet. There is a great deal of difference between mens hearing of wars and rumors of wars, and the very reallity of the evil it ſelf when that cometh before their eyes. This judgment of war,Uſe to England. of the ſword, it hath been threatned againſt this Nation long ago. I dare appeal to you, for a matter of twenty yeers ſince (you that remember the way & the common ſtrain,godly miniſters preaching almoſt of all the godly Miniſters in the Kindom) was not their uſual theam about ſuch an argument as this, to ſhew what were the forerunners of Gods judgments againſt a Nation?Miniſters duty to ſearch what ſins bring publick judgment Ever ſince I was a youth and took any notice of Sermons, I know no argument that kept the ſound in mine ears more than that: Uſually it was the theam almoſt of all the places in the Kingdom, of all your eminent Miniſters to ſearch into Gods word to ſee what were the ſins that brought publick judgments upon a Nation and apply them unto England; what were the forerunners of deſtruction upon a Nation and apply them unto England: But this was ordinarily ſlighted. Some indeed of our brethren that feared the Lord and feared his judgments, and thought that they did foreſee a ſtorm, upon that they withdrew themſelves, and they were ſcorned and contemned for their labors. But now we ſee the thing that was feared and threatned is come, it is upon many Countries: & do we not apprehend it after another manner than we did when we only heard of it? In thoſe Countries where the ſword hath been raging, do not they apprehend the evil of war in another manner than ever they did when they heard it threatned in Sermons? O when it is come indeed and made real it works after another manner than it doth when it is ſpoken of.Warre. Thoſe men that continually have their ears fil'd with the noiſe of the Drum and Trumpet, with the neighing of Horſes and roaring of the Cannon, they will tell you that war is a dreadful thing indeed. So it is in all other afflictions that are threatned; how little are they regarded in their threats? but when they come indeed, Oh then how do the hearts of men ſink within them! Oh now God is coming againſt me, now wrath is upon me ſaith the guilty ſoul, how far it may go out I know not; I heard often of ſuch and ſuch things, now it is come, it is come. Oh the dreadful apprehenſions that are in mens hearts of the wrath of God when it is come! whereas before when it is threatned it is never feared.Obſ. The leſſe a threatning is heard, the more the judgment is felt when upon us.
And this is a rule, an everlaſting rule, That the leſſe a judgment is feared when it is threatned, the more dreadfull apprehenſions there are of it in the heart when once it cometh to be executed. That's the firſt Note.
The ſecond is this, The Miniſters of God they muſt make the things they are Obſer. 2 to preach to the people as real before their eyes as poſſibly they can.Sermons muſt repreſent to the life what they preſſe.
They ſhould ſtudy all waies and means they can to make what they preach to the people to be real to them, not to be as notions to them. So the Prophet here, he had preached often times of the judgments of God, of the Sword, but this would not do it, therefore now he ſtrives to make what he had delivered to appear in the moſt real way that poſſibly he could to the eyes and hearts of the people, & he ſaw that to be the only way to do them good. It is not therfore enough for a Miniſter barely to tel the people truths, to tel them what danger they are in, but by all means of expreſſions that may be to make this appear in the reallity of it unto them. We know how Ezekiel was wont to do, he threatned their carrying away, and he went and made before them a kind of ſiege to make it real to them. So Jeremiah and other Prophets. Now though Miniſters cannot do ſo as they did, yet they are to ſtudy all manner of expreſſions that poſſibly they can to preſent things in the greateſt reallitie that may be. And indeed this is a great part of the skill of a good Miniſter, not barely to tell truths unto people, but to be able to make things appear real to them.Wherein eſpecially conſiſts the Art of preaching The art of preaching I ſay lies eſpecially in this, to make things appear real to the ſouls of an Auditory. As now, when we come to tell you of the danger of ſin and of the wrath of God that is due to it; we tell you this and we quote Scripture for it, this perhaps ſtirs not the heart; but now if we can ſo preſent Gods wrath to you, to make it real before your eyes, to put you upon this, to bethink your ſelves in what a caſe you would be if now all creatures were taking their leaves of you, if now you were ſtanding before the great God to receive the ſentence of condemnation,More good this way in a quarter of an hour than in many years otherwiſe. if God were now at this inſtant coming upon you: If I ſay we could put you to it, and ſo preach as that you ſhould apprehend theſe things as real before your eyes, this would ſtick, and more good might be done in one quarter of an hour this way, than perhaps in divers yeers before. The power of a Miniſtry conſiſteth much in this. And I ſuppoſe ſome of you know by experience what that is that now I mean by the Miniſters making things real to your hearts. Have not you found ſometimes ſome truths made ſo real to you out of the word,When a Sermon works really. to your conſciences, that you have thought that you have even ſtood before the Throne of God and you have thought that God was even pronouncing ſentence againſt you? Some have expreſt it thus, and have ſaid, ſuch a time I went to hear the Word, and me thought there I was ſummoned before the great God unto judgment, I ſaw the Lord God Himſelf ſpeaking to me, I had repreſented before mine eyes the wickedneſs of my life, my danger, the wrath of God, and even the very flaſhes of Hell fire upon my conſcience, I felt this upon me. Now God was in the Word indeed when the reality of things were preſented to my ſoul. And certainly it is the labor and endeavor of godly Miniſters in their ſtudies, not only to ſpeak an hour or two out of a text and to wear out ſo much time; but they are thinking, what way ſhall I take (& ſo they pray that God would help them to take ſuch a way) to preſent ſuch and ſuch Truths in the greateſt reality to the ſouls of their Audience that poſſibly they can. This is apparent from hence, that the Prophet doth not only tell them of their danger, but ſpeaks as if it were at hand, and makes it thus real before them.
Another Obſervation is this, That though the Miniſters of God are at firſt to be the Ambaſſadors Obſer. 3 of peace and reconciliation,Miniſters after their Embaſſie of peace is ſlighted muſt denounce war. to preach peace between God and people; but yet if this their Miniſtry of Reconciliation do not take effect, if it prevail not; then they are to come in the Name of God to proclaim the war of God againſt a ſoul.
For they know that God muſt have honor one way or other, either by peoples ſubjecting themſelves unto Him, or by Gods revenging Himſelf upon them. Honor, God muſt have: howſoever you may think the Word of God will paſs, yet thoſe that are faithful Miniſters, they know God muſt have His Honor one way or other; either willingly you muſt come in and give it unto Him, or He will force it out from you: If the joyful ſound of mercy be not received, the dreadful ſound of war muſt fill your ears.
Fourthly, What occaſions of war ſoever there be in a Land, the Obſer. 4 principal cauſe is, Gods diſpleaſure againſt the ſins of that Nation; and eſpecially the cauſe is thoſe that are ſuperſtitious and idolatrous in that Nation.
For ſo it is here, They have dealt treacherouſly, they have begotten ſtrange children; therefore a month ſhall devour them. Blow ye the cornet in Ramah, and the trumpet in Gibeah &c. Upon this ground, becauſe of their treacherous dealing with God, and bringing up of their children in waies of Idolatry. It is true, when danger is come to a Nation, the people of the Land are ready to lay it upon thoſe that are moſt free from it. Who is it that men at this day lay the troubles of this Nation upon, but upon thoſe that have al this while ſtood in the gap to prevent dangers to the Nation, and that have with more prayers & tears ſought God than thoſe that are ſo ready to charg them with it? But this hath been in all ages, the Saints have been made the troublers of a Nation: But is it not Thou and thy fathers houſe, ſaith the Prophet, ſpeaking even to Ahab Himſelf? The troublers of Iſrael lie not in the Prophets, lie not in the Miniſters as men cry out, that they preach ſedition.
And it was wont indeed to be the title of Luther that great inſtrument of God, they called him the trumpet of rebellion: and not a new thing therefore is it, that the Miniſters of God that firſt preach the word of Reconciliation, and then ſeek to ſhew people their danger, no marvel they be accounted the cauſers of their troubles, becauſe they will not let people go on quietly in their waies, but in the Name of God oppoſe, and reprove them. But we know where our trouble lies, it lies in thoſe that are moſt ſuperſtitious and idolatrous, they bring the ſword: Do not attribute it to this and the other cauſe, it is the provocation of the moſt high God that brought theſe wars in upon us,: If therefore we be weary of war, let us be weary of our ſins. I remember Polanus Polanus.upon this text hath this Note, and indeed he hinted it unto me; ſaith he, The Jeſuits they cry out of the Goſpel in Hungary; a place which is near the Turks, and the Turks you know have often made incurſions upon thoſe Countries, and your Papiſts and Jeſuits they cried out of your Evangelici, of your Goſpellers, as if they were the cauſe of the Turks coming in amongſt them. But the Lord knows where to lay the burden right.
Again, in the next place, from thoſe words, [Cry aloud at Beth-aven Beth-aven.] According to that interpretation I gave you, it was the place where one of the Idols were ſet, and a moſt ſuperſtitious and Idolatrous place. Now mark the difference, it is but only blow the Cornet and Trumpet in Ramah and in Gibeah; but it is cry aloud, or ſhrike out, and howl, Oh Beth-aven. From thence theſe two Notes.
Firſt, That ſuperſtitious places in the time of Gods judgment Obſer. 1 are in the greateſt diſtreſs of all: and ſo ſuperſtitious perſons.
When Gods hand cometh out againſt a Nation, it will fall heavieſt upon thoſe that are Idolatrous and ſuperſtitious. It is true, Gods hand hath hitherto fallen heavie and very heavy upon many of our brethren, upon Gods dear Saints; but hath it not fallen heavily upon Idolaters and ſuperſtitious ones? How ever, mark the end, ſtay till God hath done, and you will find that the hand of God will be heavieſt upon them; Howl O Beth-aven. Thoſe places that have been the neſts of ſuperſtition and Idolatry, thoſe are the places that His wrath wil be moſt againſt. And indeed they do begin to howl and cry out already: For though ſome of Gods people have felt hard things, yet, Have two Nations lifted up their hands to the moſt high God to extirpate Gods people? But they have lifted up their hands to endeavor to extirpate a ſuperſtitious people amongſt us; therefore Gods hand is heavieſt againſt Beth-aven.
Secondly, In times of greateſt trouble thoſe that are ungodly Obſer. 2, and ſuperſtitious, they are in ſuch perplexity as they know not what to do.
Inſtead of repairing unto God by faith and repentance, all that they have to do is to cry out and to howl. Howl O Beth-aven; they were far enough from coming to humble their ſouls to the Lord, and in a gracious manner to accept of the puniſhment of their iniquity; and to bear the affliction that God laies upon them; Oh no, but their ſpirits were vexed and enraged, they could howl and cry out, and that is all.Applic. Is not this the way of many that heretofore, Oh how diligent were they in their prayers and worſhiping of God, yet when they come into affliction what do they? but vex and rage, howl and cry out; but far are they from giving glory unto God according to that way he requireth; they howl upon their beds ſaith God, but they did not ſeek unto me. And God threatneth this in Amos, 3.10.Amos 3.10 opened, (and that Prophet was contemporary with Hoſea) I will turn the ſongs of their Temples into howlings: They had their ſinging ſervice before, ſaith God, I will turn thoſe into howlings, for it is no other, their crying out under affliction and trouble, it is no other before God but as howling. The Lord accepteth in another manner of the cryings of His people under oppreſſion; they cry unto God and ſend up their prayers of faith, and the incenſe of a broken heart, and God accepteth of the ſighs, and of the moans that they make unto Him, and they do prevail exceedingly with the Heart of God. But for the crying out of wicked and ungodly men under Gods hand, He regards it not, no more than howling. Thus it is here, Howl O Beth-aven; much like thoſe in Eſa. 51.20. that in the time of diſtreſs, are deſcribed to lie in the head of all the ſtreets as a wild bull in a net, fil'd with the fury of the Lord; howl and cry out, and that is all.
After thee, O Benjamin. Benjamin] The meaning of the words I gave you. The Notes from thence are theſe.
Obſer. 1 Firſt, That it is an ill thing to have ill neighbors.an il thing to have il neighbors Benjamin was neer Beth-aven, therefore he muſt fare the worſe for Beth aven.
Uſe To dwell amongſt ill neighbors is a dangerous thing, and we ſhould take heed of it. I remember a Commentator upon this place, upon this occaſion makes a grave exhortation to men, that when they are to hire Houſes and Farms they ſhould enquire what neighbors were to be neer them, and to take heed of dwelling nigh unto wicked men, for ſaith he, when God… judgments come out againſt them you may ſmart, you being ſo neer them they may findg you at leaſt. I have often read of Themiſtocles Themiſtoc.a Heathen, that having a Farm to let (and their way was to publiſh it at the Marketplace) and he added, there is ſuch a place to let, and there are good neighbours, thinking it were more comfortable for men to live neer thoſe that are good than thoſe that are wicked.
Secondly, which indeed is the main obſervation from hence and that which concerns us neerly.
When the wrath of God is out againſt our neighbors, we had Obſer. 2 then need look to it.
Though we have been in ſecurity before, yet if Gods wrath come neer to us we had need to ſtir. It is high time to look to our ſelves when our neighbors houſe is on fire. The truth is,Englands ſecurity. we in England have been a long time in deep ſecurity, though Germany, though France, though the Low C…untries, the Palatinate, Italy and almoſt all the Countries about us have been on fire, the Sword hath raged amongſt them, and it hath been threatned that it is likely we were the next, and been told us that the Sword takes its circuit and that the Lord is going about to judg the Nations of the earth, and had judged the Nations about us; but becauſe we felt nothing, though it was neer us, we had no hearts to prevent it: Therefore God is now come amongſt us, and come into the very midſt of us. The truth is, we in England did lie a great while as it were like a faggot upon the fire, you know when many faggots are on the fire,A fit ſimilitude the under-faggots they are on fire and they flame, and the faggots a little above they begin to be taken, and the next above thoſe they grow black; but if ſo be you would not have the uppermoſt faggot burnt, will you let it lie there and ſay, though the neathermoſt faggots be burnt yet this is not touched? Is not that faggot think you in danger? So I compare ſeveral Nations to faggots in the fire; It is true, Germany was the under faggot and was in the flame, and other faggots have been burning, and we in England lay as it were on the top of all, and it was a good while ere the flame took us and though we were cryed unto to pluck our ſelves as a fi…e brand out of the fire, yet we through ſecurity lay ſtill, and now the flame hath got us yea though we be now burning in many places in the Kingdom, yet becauſe we find that the heat of the wars are it may be twenty, thirty, or fourty miles from us, how ſecure are we, as if God did not intend us at all, as if we had nothing to do to take notice of Gods hand upon our brethren. Wrath is purſuing, but becauſe it is not upon us, Oh the ſecurity and deſperate folly that is amongſt us in the mean time! Juſt ſo it was in Germany as travellers obſerved, that if the wars were but a Town or a few miles from them, they went on in their trading as quietly and ſecurely as ever till at length it came upon them and devoured them. Hath it not been ſo in many places in England? May it not be ſaid of many places amongſt us, as here in the text, Ramah, and Gibeah, and Bethaven, after thee, O Benjamjn? So may we not name ſeveral Towns, Banbury and Worceſter, after thee, O Exceter, O Briſtol? It may be thoſe in Briſtol and in Exceter when the wars were in Shropſhire and Coventry and other parts, they thought they were free, and they were ſafe enough: And truly though God hath delivered us all this while, yet if we be ſecure, it may be as well ſaid of us, Exceter and Briſtol, and after thee, O London.
But you will ſay, What ſhall we do upon this, when the hand of God is ſtretched out thus neer us?
Firſt, Humble our ſouls before God, go forth to meet this mighty God with repentance, cry mightily unto him that if it be poſſible His wrath may be appeaſed before it faſten upon us. As in that Luke 14.32.Luke, 14.32. it is ſaid of thoſe that are wiſe, when a great King cometh out againſt them with twenty thouſand, when he was a great way off, they ſend Ambaſſadours to deſire conditions of peace.opened. Mark, when he is a great way off; So we muſt not ſtay till God is come to our gates, till he be juſt upon us, but while this great King, the Lord God is a great way off, at a diſtance, we muſt ſend unto Him, and meet Him by repentance and by humbling our ſouls and making of our peace with him. Let not us think 'Tis true, the hand of God was againſt our brethren of Scotland, but they were quickly delivered; but I may ſay, after thee, O England. We have not done what our brethren did; For it is obſerved that though the generallity of that people were notorious vile, wicked, and rude before theſe times, but yet partly through the Covenant they have entred into and otherwiſe, (though no queſtion there is much evil there, and perhaps not the power of godlineſs ſo throughly as in many of Gods people here,) but there is certainly abundance of reformation more in the common people than there is amongſt us at this day; which ſpeaks hard things to us: Oh let us go forth and meet our God by repentance.
Secondly, We ſhould riſe as one man, ſenſible of our brethrens miſery, and go out and help them. For this hath been our evil, that we have ſuffered the Kingdom to moulder away, our brethren to be deſtroyed; Oh ſaith one place, what need we trouble our ſelves? and ſo the Land is deſtroyed by peice-meal. Certainly it is the duty of the Kingdom and of thoſe that remain, that when they ſee their brethren though at a diſtance to ſuffer ſo much wrong, they ſhould all rile as one man to venture themſelves for the releif of their brethren, and not think themſelves ſecure becauſe it is not yet upon them.Scots cō ming into England. We ſee our brethren of Scotland do ſo, they were willing to come in with their help, and though the ſword is far from them yet no queſtion ſome of them think of this very text, now the Trumpet is blown in England, in the Northern-parts, after thee, O Scotland, they think after our turn is over, theirs is next, therefore they are willing to prevent it, though it be in ſuch a hard ſeaſon as this, to help their brethren.
Thirdly, We ſhould be ſo wiſe in a way of true prudence to our ſelves, as to meet with our danger before it cometh; not ſuffering our adverſaries to make our Countrey the ſeat of their war. It is eaſier to keep an adverſary at a diſtance than to repell him when he is cloſed with us. This hath ever been the policie of wiſe men, rather to go out to meet an adverſary than to think to have ſtrength enough to repel them when they come. Thus in general.
And then, As Kingdoms, ſo particular perſons they ſhould lay to heart Gods judgments neer to them; As thus: Doſt thou ſee Gods hand upon thy neighbor, after thee, O ſinner; thy turn may be next: what is Gods hand ſtretched out, upon your fellow-ſervant, upon your brother, upon your deer friend? after thee, O ſinner, thou art guilty of the ſame ſin, thy turn may be next: Is Gods hand out upon thy companion, after thee, O ſinner. Oh lay this to heart, think with thy ſelf, my turn may come to be the next, and it may ſoon come to be my turn. The very thought of this, when God hath ſtruck ſome with ſudden death in a fearful manner, God hath ſanctified this to ſome; what (thought they) if God ſtrike me next? ſuch a one is ſent down for ought I know to his place, I may be the next: the thought (I ſay) of this hath been ſo ſetled upon the heart of ſome, that it hath been a me…ns of their converſion. The Lord make it ſo to every ſinner, that ſees his fellow, his neighbor ſinner ſtruck before him.