Divine Drops Distilled from the Fountain of Holy Scripture, Part 11
Expoſitions and Obſervations on MICAH 4. 1, 2, 3, &c.
But in the laſt dayes it ſhall come to paſſe that the mountaine of the houſe of the Lord ſhall be eſtabliſhed in the top of the mountains, and it ſhall be exalted above the hills, and the people ſhall flow unto it.
And many Nations ſhall come and ſay, Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the houſe of the God of Iacob, and he will teach us of his wayes, and we will walk in his paths: for the Law ſhall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Ieruſalem.
And he ſhall judge among many people, and rebuke ſtrong Nations afar off; and they ſhall beat their ſwords into plow-ſhares, and their ſpeares into pruning-hooks: Nation ſhall not lift up a ſword againſt Nation, neither ſhall they learn war any more.
But they ſhall ſit every man under his vine, and under his fig-tree, and none ſhall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hoſts hath ſpoken it.
For all people will walk every one in the name of his God, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever, and ever.
HEre are four or five things that the Lord The bleſſings of the later times.promiſeth in the latter times.
One is, that the mountaine of the houſe of the Lord ſhall be eſtabliſhed in the top of the mountains, and ſhall be exalted. That is, the Church and people of God and the things of God ſhall be exalted in this world above all other things. You know now that the power of Chriſt is beneath all other powers, and the Kingdom of Chriſt is beneath all other Kingdomes, and the people of Chriſt are beneath all other people, and the Ordinances of Chriſt are beneath all other ordinances: but in the latter times, the Mountain of the houſe of the Lord ſhall be eſtabliſhed in the top of the mountains. The time ſhall come when God ſhall raiſe his Church, and people, and his laws and ordinances, and every thing of his, above the world, that the Saints ſhall be more glorious, and more reſpected then all the people in the world beſides.
And therefore you that are Saints: be not troubled to ſee Chriſt ſo low in the world, it grieves them to ſee how every baſe thing gets over Chriſt, to ſee how Chriſt and his things are trampled on in the world. Chriſt is as a Worm, thou worm Jacob, every childe may put his foot upon the head of a Worm: ſo are all the things of God, and have been hitherto, but in times to come the Lord ſhall raiſe his Mountain above all other mountains.
Another thing promiſed is, that in the laſt times, Many Nations ſhall come and ſay, Come let us go up to the Houſe of the Lord, and to the Mountain of the God of Jacob, &c. that is, when Chriſt and his Laws, and Ordinances ſhall be exalted, there will be a greater Harveſt among the people then ever there was before.
Firſt, In reſpect of the extent of it, Many Nations ſhall come and ſay. Whereas now, moſt of the Nations of the world are ignorant of, or enemies to the things of Jeſus Chriſt: there are few Nations that hear of the Name of Chriſt: but then many Nations ſhall come, many Nations that lye in Paganiſm, and Heatheniſm, and darkneſs, God will finde a way to ſpread the ſavor of the Goſpel to them.
Secondly, then there ſhall be a great deal of willingneſs to come to Chriſt in his holy Ordinances, they ſhall ſay, Come let us go up to the mountain of the Houſe of the Lord, and they ſhal flow to it. Now you know what a deal of preaching there is to bring home one ſoul to God; a man may preach, and preach, and ſearce ever a one brought home to God; the Lord pours but a little of his Spirit with preaching, we are to bleſs his Name for any, but the time ſhall come, that as ſoon as the people hear they ſhall obey.
The people ſhall flow unto,
The word is taken from the Tide: there are two things meant by it,
Firſt, That then abundance of people ſhall come in to the Lord, for the Tide comes in with waves, and abundance of water, it comes not with a little water, but with multitudes.
Then it comes with ſtrength and power, that goes through all oppoſition. We ſee now it is not ſo, the Lord gives but little of his Spirit, and therefore there are but few that come in to God, and of thoſe few, many of them, every little thing turns them off, one is afraid of perſecution, another of the loſs of his eſtate, another of the loſs of friends, another of the loſs of his grace, but then they ſhall flow.
Another thing in this Promiſe of this glorious Harveſt is this: as they ſhall flow, ſo alſo they ſhall be inabled, their hearts ſhall be inlarged to learn abundance of the Will of God, and moulded to a willingneſs to obey it. This is not accompliſhed yet, They ſhall then ſay, Come, let us go to the houſe of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.
Now you know there is but little teaching. Indeed God teacheth ſome few wondrouſly, more aboundantly then we can teach, but yet there be many, though we ſpeak much, and though they live under the Ordinances, yet they learn little; and then that little that they do learn, there is very little power that goes along to frame their hearts to do it, but then they ſhall ſay,
We will walk in his ways.
There will be a power, that when the Saints hear the word from God, they ſhall not be alway wiſhing, and woulding, and ſay I would I could do ſo: but there ſhall be a power with the word, whereby they ſhall be enabled to do it.
Another thing promiſed in the laſt times is, that,
They ſhall be at their ſwords into plow-ſhares and their ſpeares into pruning hooks, &c.
The Lord will end theſe wars that are among the Nations, that make the lives of people and of the Saints uncomfortable. And eſpecially (as I take it with ſubmiſſion to the people of God that are wiſe) that the wars here principally meant are wars for Religion, as appears by the verſes following, they ſhal be at their ſwords into plow-ſhares, and their ſpears into pruning hooks. They ſhall then give over wars, and live peaceably together; whereas you know now moſt of the wars in the world are about Religion. The Turk would come, and ſubdue Chriſtendom to ſet up the worſhip of his Mahomet, the Pope would deſtroy him to ſet up his Religion; and ſo all over the world there is a diſpoſition, that with fire, and fagot, and ſword, and ſpear; we would bring men to worſhip God, every man according to his own fancie, But (ſaith he) then there ſhall be no ſuch wars, every man ſhall ſit under his own vine, and under his own figtree, and none ſhall make them afraid, The mouth of the Lord hath ſpoken it. Then they ſhall be quiet, there ſhall not be ſuch perſecuting in the world.
For all people will walk, every … in the name of his God, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for evermore.
That is the reaſon why I think it is meant of wars about Religion: becauſe it is ſaid, all people will walk every one in the name of his God, and we will walk in the name of our God alſo. That is, people ſhall not be forced to worſhip this or that God, or this way, or that way, with ſword, and ſpear, but they ſhall all ſit under their own vines: that ſhall be the fruit of that abundance of teaching that there will be, every Nation will walk in the name of his God, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever.
Not (beloved) but that the Lord Ieſus hath left, and doth ſtill continue to the end of the world a way of ſpirituall cenſure, and puniſhments for people that ſin againſt him. It is not meant that people in the laſt times ſhall go where they will, and do what they liſt; no, we have ordinances in the Church given by Chriſt for the correction of thoſe that walk inordinately; we are to deliver our ſelves from them, and to deliver them up to Satan. But in reſpect of the main courſe that the world hath been in, and is to this day, they ſhall not then be under cenſures for thoſe nifles, and trifles, as hitherto the way hath been by fire, and fagot, and ſword: but (ſaith the Holy Ghoſt) it ſhall not be ſo then, every one ſhall walk in the name of his God, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for evermore.
Then here is another merciemercy.
In that day ſaith the Lord will I aſſemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted, and I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was caſt afar off a ſtrong Nation, and the Lord ſhall reign over them in Mount Zion, from henceforth even for ever.
That is, we may know the worth of mercies, by the preſence of miſeries; we ſee now ſome halting, ſome runing into errours, and blaſphemies, and we know not what to do: but then the Lord will make them that halt a remnant; the Lord will gather the people that halt and go aſide, and he will ſettle, and confirm them in the truth. Theſe are the thoughts of the Lord, and the counſells of God concerning the laſt dayes. Therefore we are the while to wait patiently for the Lord, and to pray earneſtly that God would make good his promiſe to us: and not to looſe our ſelves (as we are apt) to ſee the diſorders and confuſions of Churches and Common-wealths in theſe days. But as people that are in a ſtorm, we ſhould look when the cloud will be over, that the Lord will give fairer weather, and remove all theſe things, when the laſt, and bleſſed, and beſt dayes ſhall come. And this is the chief thing that the prophet here aimes at.