An Exposition of Hosea 4-7, Biblical commentary 2 · Chapter 6 · Verse 3
VER. 3.
Then ſhall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: His going forth is prepared, as the morning; and He ſhall come unto us, as the rain; as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
THIS Scripture is very full, and hath much ſweetneſſe in it: As an egg is full of meat, ſo full are theſe words of marrow and ſweetneſs; and there is little difficulty in them.
We ſhall know, if we follow on to know.
foreign Incumbamus in id ut cognoſcamus Dominum.[If] is not in the original, but it is thus read, And we ſhall know, and we ſhall follow on to know. The word ſignifies to proſecute and perſecute, to follow one as eagerly as a man which perſecutes another, and perſecutes him, as Paul did the Saints, with all intention and affection: when men thus follow on to know, God will reveal Himſelf more. Luther applies theſe words to Chriſt, and the Goſpel revealing him, ſetting mens minds on fire by the truth ſo cleerly diſcovered, and inflamed with ſuch love to it, that they followed on to know it. But although theſe words have reference to Chriſt, yet firſt they are to be underſtood of Gods delivering his people out of Captivity: Then they ſhall know: What ſhal they know? that they ſhall live in his ſight. When God delivers them, then they ſhall know.
1. Gods faithfulneſs in his Covenant made to our fathers,What the ſaints ſhal know whē they follow on to know the Lord. 'tis very little that we know of it now, but the time is coming that we ſhal know it cleerly.
2. The works of Gods wiſdom, al working for his peoples good in their luſtre and beauty.
3. The excellency of Gods power, how it over-rules all things, and how it is ſtretched out for the Saints good.
4. The mercy of God acting every way for their beſt advantage; we are now in great miſery, and our troubles increaſe, and we cannot ſee how mercy is working for good; but then we ſhall know.
5. The mind of God we ſhall then know, that we are in darkneſs, not only in our troubles, for the outward man, but in our ſpirits; 'tis very little that we know of God now at the beſt, but we ſhall know him cleerly.
6. The vanity of all worldly pomp, and glory, and the folly of all carnal confidence; men are now ready to call the proud happy, and bleſs the works of iniquity, and run to King Jareb; but then we ſhall know that God is able to deliver his people out of all ſtraits.
7. That it is not in vain for the people of God to ſeek him, even then, when all humane helps and hopes fail, then they ſhall know that there is a power and efficacy in prayer, as 'tis Gods Ordinance, to help them in difficulties.
8. The meaning of many propheſies which are now very dark and obſcure, and yet much ſweetneſs in them for the Churches of God; and if this will be worth the knowing, let men that know any thing be Judges.
9. The glorious purpoſes and decrees of God that he had from all eternity for our good, God hath glorious purpoſes, although we for the preſent know them not, but we ſhall know them, there is ſuch a time that all theſe things and much more than theſe ſhall be revealed to them.
They ſhall know them, if they follow on to know them. [If] is not Expoſ. 1 in the Original; but put in to fill up the ſenſe; but if we take the …ords litterally, we ſhall know if we follow on; then the ſenſe runs thus; Doth God reveal himſelf to his people? and do his people lay hold of the opportunity? they ſhall Expoſ. 2 know more. And if you take the words without If, thus, You know and follow on to know: the meaning is, That when God begins to ſhow mercy he will go on to ſhew more mercy; ſo that theſe words are a motive to turn to God, or an expreſſion of their confidence in God, God was now in the dark, his preſence was clouded towards them, and the enemies ſcoffed and mocked at them, ſaying where is now your God? The people anſwer, We ſhall know our God again, and he will diſcover himſelf to our comfort, but to your ſhame. The Notes are.
Obſ. 1 True penitents turn to God, that they might know God. As there muſt be ſome knowledg before turning to God, ſo turning to God that we may know him more; and the deſire of knowing him ſhould not be ſo much to deliver from hell, as to be fitted thereby to do him more and better ſervice: the hypocrite if he have but as much ſervice and knowledg to mannage it as to attain his own ends he is ſatisfied; but a gracious heart dares not do ſo.
Obſ. 2 No man can turn to God, but as Gods face is towards him: We cannot turn to God except that God turn firſt to us, when he giveth quietneſs who then can cauſe trouble, Job, 34.29.
Obſ. 3 When God comes to his people in mercy he reveals much of himſelf unto them! and according to the degrees of his coming unto them are the manifeſtations of himſelf unto them, either more or leſs, he gives them ſomething in this life, an earneſt penny at the beginning, and at death the full payment, the perfect enjoyment of all promiſed good; faith can ſee a glory in God, even in the darkeſt times, but in the times of light then it can ſee abundance of mercy.
Uſe. Therefore 'tis Chriſtian wiſdom to take notice of the mercies we enjoy, elſe we cannot glorifie Gods Name, Oh how much of the faithfulneſs, power, wiſdom, goodneſs, and mercy of God in turning the counſels, plots, and devices of the wicked for our good we might have known, had we but deligently obſerved the mercies we have enjoyed. Thoſe who ſee not the glory of God now ſhining brightly in the world, have very little light in themſelves, but muſt needs be very dark, or wonderful negligent in the obſervation of the good things they enjoy from God; Revel. 11.19. John who ſaw the bleſſed eſtate of the Church which it ſhould be in, he ſaith the Temple of God, the Ark of the Teſtament was kept in the holy of holies, and none of the people could ſee it, yet John ſaw the time when the holy of holies ſhould be opened, therefore 'tis ſaid, that John ſhould propheſie again, Revel. 10.11.Rev. 10.11. openednot that he ſhould ariſe again and propheſie, but the time is coming that the Revelations ſhall be ſo cleerly underſtood as if John had written a new Revelation, according to that in Iſ…. 30.26. a Scripture paralel to the text, the Lord promiſeth when he bindeth the breach of the people & heals the ſtroke of their wound, In that day the light of the Moon ſhall be as the light of the Sun. Knowledg ſhall wonderfully encreaſe, there ſhall be very glorious manifeſtations of God, to his people, and this text in Iſa. ſhews plainly that my text hath an eye to that time in which God will exalt his Church and make it glorious in the eyes of all beholders.
The knowledg of God, is a very comfortable thing to the Saints; Obſ. 4 they ſpeak here in a triumphing way; then ſhall we know if we follow on to know; any thing of God makes gracious hearts to ſpring with joy and gladneſs; ſuch a ſoul looks not ſo much at the quantity, the multitude of mercies which it enjoyes; as how much of thoſe mercies it enjoyes: It is the happineſſe of the Saints in Heaven, to know …d, and to have the ſight of God, and ſo it is here, This is eternal life, To know Thee and Jeſus Chriſt whom thou haſt ſent; not only to know him, but to know him as he appears for his Churches deliverance: how many are there now in Heaven bleſſing God that ever their eyes beheld theſe daies? Nay certainly, ſhould God but let our forefathers out of their graves to ſee what a turn of things here is, and what an anſwer of their prayers, they would be as men aſtoniſhed, in a maze: If it be ſo comfortable to ſee and know God in this life, what will it be in Heaven, where ſhal be nothing to darken this ſight of God?
Thoſe that turn to God ſhall know God, and the more they turn, the Obſ. 5 more, they ſhall know of him; yea, this they may be ſure of, what ever elſe we here enjoy. Dan. 9.13. All this evil is come upon us; yet made we not our prayer unto thee, that we might turn from our iniquities and underſtand thy truth. If we underſtand thy truth and turn from our iniquities, we ſhall know more of the truth: the pure in heart ſhall ſee God, Mat. 5.8. Oh the ſweet light which purified minds enjoy, to theſe God reveals his ſecrets and acquaints them with the myſtery of his Covenant, Pſal. 25.14. of which the great Rabbies of the world are ignorant of, theſe things are myſteries unto them; and this is the reaſon why they are ſo ignorant of them, Becauſe they turn not unto God, neither labor to know God.
Obſ. 6 Thoſe that truly know ſomething of God, deſire to know more of him: As he that is learned in ſomething, covets after more ſtill; and certainly, none but ignorant people are enemies to learning:Learning thoſe that never knew the worth of it, theſe are they that cry it down; therefore thoſe which are contented with little, nay and think their little too much ſometimes, are of poor, mean, and baſe ſpirits, far from following on to know the Lord.
Obſ. 7 A gracious heart is willing to put forth ſtrong endeavors in the uſe of means to encreaſe and get more knowledg of God; he will ſlip no time, neglect no opportunity in which knowledg may be encreaſed; Dan. 9.13. This was Solomons prayer, 1 King. 3.9. Give therefore thy ſervant an underſtanding heart; in the Hebrew it is, Lord give … a bearing heart. Though God had diſcovered himſelf wonderfully,foreign yet he deſires that God would diſcover himſelf to him more: therefore they are very fooliſh that think they know enough of God, and are contented with what they know; 'tis a great bleſſing of God to have a hearing ear, and an underſtanding heart: no marvail the Saints take ſo much pains to know the mind of God, therefore what a fond opinion is it, and what a ſluggiſh ſpirit does it manifeſt to be ſati…fied with that knowledg which hath been before in former times? therefore ſuch ſpeeches as theſe, What, ſhall we be wiſer than our forefathers? we are to bleſs God for the knowledg of our forefathers, and ſay as Maſter Greenham M. Greenham.did, I bleſs God for what our forefathers knew, ſaith he, I bleſs God alſo that hath kept back ſome of his counſels for this generation to be acquainted with. 'Tis an argument of a poor ſpirit to reſt ſatisfied with ſmal meaſures of knowledg; the light three or four hundred yeers ago was ſmal, and in theſe daies our light is poor and ſmall to that which ſhall be revealed, it is very little in the matter of worſhip in the ordering of his houſe, therefore had not we need to follow on to know the Lord? therefore God forbid that there ſhould be any ſpirits ſcorn at the new lights which God diſcovers, therefore let us be humbled for our ignornace & now begin to follow on to know the Lord; it is true, there no new truth in reſpect of the word, but in reſpect of the manifeſtation of them to us they mey be ſaid to be new.
It is a bleſſed thing for a man or woman, to take notice of Gods revealing Obſ. 8 himſelf to them. Oh how happy a thing had it been for many of us, if when God firſt began to ſtir our hearts we had followed on to know the Lord! How ſad is it for many to look back to former daies? what glorious and ſweet manifeſtations had they of Gods love in former times? but through worldly cares and ſluggiſhneſs of ſpirit have loſt all and are now in the dark, and cannot ſpeak of God in any ſavoury way? whereas many who are younger and have kept their communion with God, know more of God, and are able to ſpeak more ſweetly of the goodneſs of God than they; and you who thus know God in your youth, bleſſe God that He hath entered you into this light, and make much of it; for as Chriſt ſaid to Nathaneel, Joh. 1.50. Doſt thou beleeve, when I ſaid I ſaw thee under the fig tree? Thou ſhalt ſee greater things than theſe. So do you bleſſe God for what you do know, and God wil reveal more.
Thoſe who follow on to know the Lord, may be encouraged that they Obſ. 9 ſhall know more of Him. The diligent hand maketh rich; it matters not though thy parts are weak, thy abilities mean, thy failings many, if Chriſt be thy Teacher it matters not, thy weakneſſes ſhall not hinder his inſtructions; Chriſt teaches the weak as wel as the ſtrong, nay Chriſt accounts it his glory to teach ſuch; nay, the Father Himſelf is not aſhamed to inſtruct them; nay, Chriſt gives thanks to his Father that He hath revealed theſe things to babes and ſucklings, Chriſt is a meek, gentle, lowly teacher, very mild and loving, he will neither upbraid them with their weakneſſe, nor diſcourage them in their dulneſſe; Chriſt here ſpeaks to poor, weak, burdened ſinners: Who would be diſcouraged? Did not Chriſt teach thus mildly? I will not upbraid for thy ignorance: No, to thy ſoul will he give wiſdome liberally, and infuſe the principles of ſaving knowledge into thee: Col. 1.10. Being filled with every good work, and increaſing in the knowledge of God. Great are the treaſures of knowledge which a diligent Chriſtian may obtain. Pſal. 36.10. Draw out thy loving kindneſs O Lord, unto them that know thee. Thou haſt ſome glimmering knowledge of God, ſome ſpark of Divine light; bleſſe God for it, go on ſtill, and follow on to know the Lord, and then thou ſhalt know more.2 Tim. 3.7 It is a heavy curſe upon thoſe women in Timothy, that they are alwaies learning, but never come to the knowledge of the truth.
Object. But many a poor ſoul may here object: That if this be thus, I fear it is my condition, that the means aggravares the ſins that I commit, and leaves me inexcuſable.
Anſw. To anſwer thee, If thou art not one who follows divers luſts, and makes them thy practice, thou art not the man who art ever learning &c. if thou followeſt on to know God, God will follow thee on with mercy.
Obſ. 10 One mecey makes way for another: a leſſer prepares for a greater: God beholds al things at once with one view of his providential eye, and 'tis his happineſs ſo to do. But the Saints cannot do this, they muſt know a little now, & more at another time: And doth not our times make good this text? The Lord will grant one deliverance now, and another reviving the next day, and all to uſher in a greater: The Lord firſt ſmote us, and within two daies he did revive us, and the third day we lived in his ſight, and ſince that deliverance we have followed on to know the Lord, and God hath revealed himſelf more in his power, wiſdom, and faithfulneſs; the vanity of an arm of fleſh, and the outward glory of the creature, and if it be not our fault we may know more of his workings, if we would follow on to know the Lord. O that we had hearts to follow on the Lord in repenting, beleeving, and turning to Him, He would follow us on with mercies, and all the good that we can wiſh for one after another: God makes wicked men to know more wrath; and the drops of his anger here, are but the begining of the deluge of miſeries which are their portion, they ſink, and ſink, and their ſinking muſt be to all eternity: Oh the difference which there is between Gods dealing with the Saints, and with the wicked! Though the Saints may be under a cloud for the preſent, yet they ſhall know the Lord, the Sun will appear again, the Lord will follow on his work, though we neglect ours, and glorious ſhall the iſſue of things be in the concluſion; were it not a glorious thing if a man had lived from the beginning to this day and might live to the end of the world, to ſee what God did in former times, what God doth now, and what he will do to the end of the world for his poor Churches? The Saints ſhall live to all eternity to ſee theſe glorious things; God did glorious things in the firſt ſix thouſand yeers, and ſurely the next ſix thouſand yeers ſhall be moſt glorious, but in eternity God will do moſt of all,Eternity. then the Saints of God thoſe which follow on to know the Lord ſhall be put into the real poſſeſſion of all thoſe glorious things which God hath been a doing from all eternitie.
I come to the next words.
His going forth is prepared as the morning.
Hierom Hierom.conceived theſe words to be meant of Chriſt; he ſhall come as the morning, being cald the Son of righteouſneſs, in loc.the morning-ſtar; and he conceives that it may have reference to the title of the 22. Pſal. A Pſalm of David, to the chief Muſicion upon Aijeleth Shahar, that is the morning hind, to wit, Chriſt, who was ſent forth as the morning hind…, and hunted in his infancy and in his life, as the hinde is purſued by the hounds.
Expoſ.If we take the words as they lie before us, they are an expreſſion of Iſraels confidence in God after a night of trouble, the word [prepared] ſignifies alſo decreed, foreignit is decreed upon as the morning, and the evening, and as the day follows the night by a decree: Children when they ſee the Sun a going down will many times cry becauſe they think the Sun will never riſe again; but if a man ſhould do ſo, you would think him very ſimple. Even thus it is with us, 'tis no wonder to ſee wicked men in their ſtraits crying out, we are undone, this darkneſs will never be over, yet ſuch is the baſeneſs of our unbeleeving hearts who think when the clouds of ſorrow begin to ariſe, and blackneſs begins to cover the ſun of our proſperity, mercy will never break through, that we are undone, paſt remedy, and there is no help for us, light will no more appear. But more particularly; obſerve.
That the times of the afflictions of Gods people are night-times. This is implyed here; we may have a long time of ſorrow and miſery, a dark tempeſt may overtake us, yet know, that a morning will come. They are called night-times for three reaſons.
Becauſe of the uncomfortableneſs of thoſe times. Darkneſs is very terrible. Drexelius tels us of a young man, who being very fearful of darkneſs, God ſtriking him with a dangerous ſickneſſe in ſo much that he could not ſleep, tumbling up and down in his bed he uttered theſe words, If this darkneſs be ſo terrible, what is eternal darkneſs? and this proved the means of his converſion. Wel therefore may affliction-times be called night-times, times of darkneſſe.
Obſ. 1 Theſe are times that often take off men from ſervice, from publick and private ſervice. The night is the time in which the brute creatures which in the day time keep cloſe, then come forth for their prey. Therefore the Apoſtles exhortation is ſeaſonable, Let us work while it is called to day, before the night comes when no man can work.
Night times are times of danger. Many of our brethren can ſpeak this truth in theſe times: When is the time that wicked men prey upon the Saints, and the wild beaſts go out to devour, but in the dark? So, when do men meditate upon terror and create fears to themſelves, but in the night of their afflictions and ſorrows?
The time of Gods delivering his people is the morning; the Obſ. 2 morning after the ſad and dark night. As light is comfortable in the morning, after a ſad, dark, and ſtormy night; ſo is deliverance after trouble. The morning is very deſirable, as appears Pſal. 130.6.Pſ. 130.6 My ſoul waiteth for the Lord, in the morning watch. Gods mercies after afflictions are very ſweet, as the light approaching in the morning is to the laboring-man going to his work. When God hath work for men to do, he expects that they ſhould go forth to it, and ſhew themſelves in it: as the Sun when it riſeth begins to ſhew it ſelf in its brightneſs and glory, Uſe. ſo ought every Chriſtian to ſhine in the work and ſervice of God after deliverance. In a ſickneſs, or when ſome ſtraight is upon thee thou art hindred in Gods ſervice, and in thy work; well then, when God ſhows thee, and beſtows upon thee the morning of a deliverance, go forth and manifeſt thy working for God, be not aſhamed of his Cauſe under the ſhine of ſuch a mercy.
The Church hath no ſuch afflictions upon it, but there comes a Obſ. 3 morning after them: the morning wil come either to Churches in ſpecial, or perſons in particular; and we hope this time is a coming unto us, therefore let dominion be given unto the Lord in the morning, yea and let dominion be given to the righteous in the morning, and this ſeems to be the meaning of that place, Revel. 2.28.Rev. 2.28 To him that overcomes will I give the morning-ſtar: there may be great contentions,opened. grievous miſeries in this night of afflictions, but be encouraged, To him that overcomes wil I give this morning-ſtar of comfort, and deliverance.
It is God preſence which makes morning to the Saints, all natural Obſ. 4 helps cannot do it; as all the ſtars cannot make one day light, ſome light they may give, but not day light, but when the Sun ariſes there is day preſently, ſo God may make ſome comfort to a ariſe to ſoul by ſecondarie and inferior means, but 'tis Himſelf alone by the ſhining of his face and the ſmiles of his countenance which cauſes morning.
Obſ. 5 Gods mercies to his people are prepared and decreed mercies. They are ſet and determined, thy going forth is prepared as the morning, the word I ſhewed you in the Original ſignifies decreed, Jer. 33.20. Thus ſaith the Lord, If you can break my Covenant of the day, and my Covenant of the night, then alſo may my Covenant with David be broken. Here we have both the text and the note from it, the Covenant of Gods decree with day and night, morning and evening, cald a Covenant becauſe it is ſure and certain, ſo alſo is the Covenant which God hath made to Chriſt and to his Church, firm and ſure, and this is a ground of ſtrong conſolation to the Saints to conſider, that mercies which they want are ſet and decreed mercies, therefore with patience wait for them.
Obſ. 6 The Saints in the night of their affliction can comfort themſelves in this, That the morning is a coming. It is night yet, but the morning will come, 'tis approaching; the aſſurance the morning is coming upholds the Saints ſpirits in the night of their ſorrows: the Marrener in tempeſtuous ſtorms in the dark night, the traveller in his weariſom and dirty journy comforts themſelves with this, the morning light is a coming; 'tis far better to be in darkneſs, and know the morning light is a coming, than to be in the light, and to know or fear that darkneſſe is a coming, and light never to returne more.
Obſ. 7 A little before the Saints deliverance out of their greateſt diſturbances of miſerie and trouble, the darkneſs of their night is the greateſt. As a little before the dawning of the day, the darkneſs is the thickeſt, and the moſt terrible; thus it was in Egypt a little before Iſraels deliverance, and their return out of captivity, and this ſhould mightily encourage us, not to be diſheartned in theſe times, though our miſeries ſhould encreaſe, for the darker the cloud is and the bigger it grows the neerer it is to its period, therefore wait with patience.
Obſ. 8 Gods delivering of his Church is gradual, by degrees, not all at once; as the day breaks by degrees, ſo the Saints ſhine gradually in their lives, anſwerable to the light which God hath let into them. We would have deliverance at an inſtant, light, and perfect noontime preſently; but this is not Gods way of dealing with his people: a child does not know that it is day till it be very light indeed;ſimile but wiſe diſcerning men can ſee day at a little hole (as we uſe to ſay,) Oh that we were ſo wiſe to diſcern Gods dealings, in the workings of providence towards us. It follows.
His going forth is prepared as the morning.Text And he ſhall come unto us as the rain.
God glories much in this creature of Rain, Rainin ſo much that he wonders when men do not fear him who is the giver of rain: They did not ſay in their hearts, let us fear God who gives rain: there is ſo much of my glory in this very one creature, that mens hearts muſt be very hard that will not give God glory for it; Jer. 5.24. God is ſtiled the Father of rain, this ſpeech, the mention of it here hath reference to that country in which the Prophet ſpake; to Canaan, where they had rain, not ſo frequently as we have, but twice a yeer eſpecially, viz. at ſeed time, to ſoften the ground, and a little before harveſt, to plump and fill up the Corn in the ear. The Apoſtle James ſeems to allude unto this. Jam. 5.7.Jam. 5.7. illuſtrated The husbandman waiteth patiently for the fruits of the earth, (ſo ſhould we for Gods time of delivering his people, Gods deliverances to his people ſhall be as ſeaſonable as the former and the latter rain) The Notes of obſervation from theſe words are.
Look what the rain is to the Corn, ſo is Gods bleſſing to his people: Obſ. 1 We have the ſame dependance upon God for bleſſing & mercy, that the ſeed hath upon the rain for growing and encreaſe, without the rain the Corn will be but as the parched ground in the wilderneſs, which is the curſe and brand upon wicked men, Jer. 17.5, 6. hence we may ſee what poor creatures we are, having our dependance upon ſuch a poor creature as the rain is, in its ſelf, and by the dependance which we have on this creature we ſhould learn to conſider, what dependance we have upon the infinite God for all the good things which we enjoy.
Obſ. 2 As the Church is parched and dried up without the rain of Gods bleſſing, ſo on the other ſide, all the earth and flowers in the field are refreſhed and a beauty there is put on them; by the rain that coms from the Heavens, it makes them to encreaſe. And as the earth is not unthankful for the rain, Uſe but ſends forth Corn, Graſs, and Flowers, ſo ſhould we alwaies after the receiving of mercies, return unto God in duties; we would think it ſtrange if the earth after all the coſt man hath beſtowed upon it, and after the ſweet and ſeaſonable ſhowers of rain it ſhould be barren and fruitleſs; Oh man condemn thy ſelf: the word is compared to rain; and how many times hath the ſweet ſhowers and droppings of the word lighted upon thee, and yet thou barren, all coſt hitherto being loſt upon thee? Deut. 32.2.
Obſ. 3 Gods mercies to his people, are both ſeaſonable and ſutable: this promiſed in the text, They ſhould come as the latter, and former rain. The Lord comes to wicked men in a general way of providence; but to the Saints as rain in ſeed-time and harveſt, with much fulneſs; how ſhould this teach us our duty to wait with patience upon God with the husbandman (Jam. 5.7.) for the appointed weeks of harveſt? ſo ſhould we till mercies come ſeaſonably; if mercies ſhould alwaies come when we would have them, they would prove judgments to us; that which in its ſelf is a mercy, coming untimely proves an affliction, God ſent his people IſraelIſrael. a King, but he proved a heavy judgment to them:ſimile if a woman ſhould be delivered upon every pain and throwing ſhe feels, what miſhapen birth would ſhe have? It is Gods mercy unto you to prolong your births till the full time: we cry out, Oh our troubles are great and continue long, we had thought to have ſeen a period to theſe times, our wars at an end and peace ſetled in our Kingdom; Oh know, that if they had ended ſooner when we would have them, what a plague would it have been to us?Saints experience in this. how many that obſerve Gods dealings can ſay, that if ſuch a mercy had come when they deſired it, they had been undone by it, it had ruined them; therefore Gods time is the beſt time: hence we find that the Saints have often bleſſed God when he hath croſſed them in their deſires, and hath denied them the thing which they ſo importunatly deſired: The Lord hath ſent us the former rain, at the begining of the ſummer in its ſeaſon to prepare the earth for fruit; but now there are ſcorching heats in the Kingdom, heats of diſpleaſure in the Country, in the City, nay almoſt in every family: Now let us with patience wait, and the latter rain in its ſeaſon will aſſuredly come.
Is God ſo ſeaſonable in his mercies for us? Let us be ſeaſonable and ſutable in our duty, Uſe let us bring forth fruit unto God in ſeaſon;Seaſonableneſſe cōmend duty. as the godly man in the firſt Pſalm is ſaid to do: herein conſiſts the excellency of ſervice, when it is in its place: Therfore it is no other but a temptation of Satan that when men are cald to exerciſe in their callings, they are then ſtirred up to prayer, or hearing; but theſe are not the motions of the Spirit, for they are ſeaſonable; for God never puts the ſoul upon extreams, the performing of two contrary duties at one and the ſame time.A note o… a good heart. It is an excellent ſign of a gracious heart, to account a ſeaſon for ſervice, a mercy; and a miſery to want an opportunity. Certainly it is a great judgment of God upon a man, to be unſerviceable in a ſeaſon of ſervice. Jude, 12.A great judgment to be unſervicable in times of ſervice Jude deſcribing thoſe corruptions of the Goſpel by life and doctrine, in his time, ſaies, they were trees withered, twice dead, plucked up by the roots: trees corrupt in the time of autumne, then when their fruit ſhould come in. Even thus it is with many men, at that time when God expects the moſt fruit from them, ſhow themſelves moſt corrupt and vile. Theſe are ſuch as mightily provoke God:Reproof. and how many ſuch have we among us at this day, who when God cals them to ſervice, manifeſt the rotteneſs which is in their ſpirits. Many when they are in a poor condition think, Oh had I ſuch a mans eſtate, what a deal of good would I do with it? had I ſuch parts and abilities as ſome have, and ſo much time, and many oportunities given as they have, how would I lay them out for God? Many that are now ſervants have many good reſolutions, Oh what will they do for God, when God calls them to it? O fooliſh hearts, who when they can do nothing would do moſt, and when they may do moſt, do nothing at all.
Obſ. 4 Gods mercies to his people, are according to the variety of their neceſſityes, the former and the latter rain. Towards the ſeed-time, they wanted rain, and God ſends it them; now let our duty be according to the variety of mercies, God may call us to variety of ſervice; let not us content our ſelves in that we have don ſomthing, in ſuch ſervices we have had our heads, hands, and purſes, ſuch and ſuch have been idle, let them now appear; Oh ſay not ſo, be not weary of wel-doing, God hath imployed thee this day in one ſervice, he hath another to do the next; be willing and ready to be ſet on work, and bleſſe God he will imploy thee in ſervice.
Obſ. 5 When God hath begun in mercy with his people, he will go on with them, and will not leave them. If God ſhould give only the former rain, it would not bring up the ſeed, the ſeed would not fructifie and increaſe without the latter rain: Faith will beleeve that God will not loſe the glory of former mercies, for want of ſucceeding mercies; Faith beleeves that God wil never begin a work, and there leave it.
Uſe Now let not us begin in waies of obedience with God, and then leave off and loſe all that we have done, let us conſider that the vows of God are upon us, and many prayers we have put up, now let us not loſe the return of them. How many in the daies of their youth followed on to know God, and they found the ſweetneſs of the Word to be as the former and the latter rain unto them? Do not now loſe all which you got in your youth, by denying him ſervice in your age, let not ſlothful age loſe the ſweetneſs of thoſe things which in youth through chriſtian diligence we found ſweet.
Obſ. 6 Gods mercies to his people procure much good; They are not empty ſhels, there is that good in them to the ful, which they promiſe to have: theſe Notes are obſervable from the words thus underſtood; but now put al the ſenſe of them together, and then they afford us two or three uſefull Obſervations more.
Obſ. 7 Note, That Gods peoples deliverance comes from Heaven. They ſpring not out of the earth, if ever Gops people are delivered there muſt be a Divine, Almighty power put forth, elſe it will never be a deliverance in mercy.
Gods peoples deliverances cannot be hindered; no not by all the Obſ. 8 powers in Hell or Earth. Why? becauſe they come from above, they are as the light of the Sun, and as the rain that comes upon the earth: who can hinder the Sun from ſhining the rain from falling? who can interupt night and day? ſo who can hinder the rain of mercy from a people prepared for it?
We ſhould make a ſpiritual uſe of Gods works, in his creatures: We Obſ. 9 ſee after the coldeſt winter there comes a ſummer, after a drought a ſpring-tide, they take their turns; let not us in the times of cold and dark afflictions which God may bring us into, conclude, that mercy is quite gone, that God hath ſhut up his loving kindneſs in forgetfulneſs; No, but reſt aſſured that there will be a return of mercy for thee again which ſhall revive thee.