Sermon on Hosea 13:9, Sermon 2
SERMON 2.
Hosea 13.9.
But in me is thy help.
IT would seeme that the Lord in his Providence hath so ordered things, and drawn them to such a period, that he intended I should close the Scripture of Matthew, before I should leave you, that thereby you might learn some what of the Doctrine of the Cross, and of the hazard of relinquishing his cause. I did scarce look to have got leave to give an account of that Scripture to the end; and when that was done, that he had but two other words to speak to you by me; one word anent your sin, and that ye are your own overthrow, and that God is not to be blamed for it: and another word anent your help and relief, that though it be so, that you are the cause of your own ruine, and that you have destroyed your self, yet you are bound to hope for relief in him, when there is no other to help you. It seemes that God had these two words to speak to you, which no man or power could hinder, till these were delivered.
Ye have heard to what a low condition the Church may be brought, and what ever hand God may have in it, and adversaries that are instruments of it, yet her members are chiefly to be blamed for their own overthrow: And God will have all sorts and ranks of persons Noblemen and Gentlemen, bond and free, rich and poor, Ministers and people, Godly and ungodly particularly convinced of these sins, where of they are guilty, whereby they have destroyed themselves, and the Church; so that he hath not left himself without a witness, and happy shall he be, who shall bear the impression of these ay till he come.
Now the other word he hath to speak to you is, But in me is thy help. If the first word have left a deep impression upon your heart, I could with much confidence speak to the second. These words are not only a ground of encouragement to the poor people of God, the remnant in their low condition; but they are also a vindication of the Majesty of God, that he is free of their destruction, and not to be blamed for it.
We shall speak of them, first, as they are a vindication of the Majesty of God, that he is not to be blamed for their destruction, but in me is thy help. The words may be rendred in the by past time, but in me is thy help: so any evill that is upon you, ye may blame your self for it, for in me thy help hath been, and yet still is.
Here observe, that the Lord hath left abundant testimonies and witnesses at his peoples door, that he is not to be blamed for their destruction, or for any misery, calamity or sorrovv, that is upon them, for in me thy help hath been, I have been ay good to you, I appeal to your ovvn consciences, vvhether or not I have helped you many times, vvhen ye have been lovv, and vvhether or not I have given you many favourable casts of my hand, so that ye have no cause to blame me. God is fliting free vvith his people, that he is not to be blamed, these Scripture and the like prove it, vvherein have I wearied thee? have I been a wilderness to you? hitherto hath God helped.
In prosecuting this Doctrine, I shall shew you. 1. What wayes people do reflect upon and blame him in their condition. 2. What Testimonies God hath to produce for himself at the hand of his Church, especially at the hand of his Church of Israel, that he is not to be blamed, which will be very applicable to us. 3. Why did the Lord (who is not tyed to render an account of his wayes) condescend so far as to satisfy his people, in shewing them that he is not to be blamed.
To the first, What wayes do people reflect upon God and blame him. Ans. 1. When they reflect upon his providence, when they are under any stroak or misery brought on themselves, by their own sin; as thus, if the Lord had not done such things to me, it would not have been so with me, this did befall me in his providence, and I could not win by it. This was that which Adam began with, and is a clause irritant in his family since. Hast thou eaten of the tree saith God, whereof I commanded thee thou shouldst not eat? Who is to be blamed for that? The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. I am not be blamed, but you, and her; thou gavest me her (indeed, I got a bonny bird that morning I got her) and she gave it me. So we blame God when we blame his providence for what we do. 2. When they reflect upon his predetermining Counsels, as thus, this was even ordained for me, before coat or shirt were shapen for me. It is the language in the 9. Chapt. to the Romans, who hath resisted his will? who could help it, since he decreed it? I say, the plague of God shall be upon you, though you cannot resist that will, for your blaming it. 3. When they reflect upon his free grace and mercy. Some thing of this is hinted at Ps. 77.8.9. is his mercy clean gone for ever? hath he forgotten be gracious? Free grace might have helped this: …ough I be an undeserving man, what the matter; if free …race had given me a cast by the common? I have no …ore grace than God hath given me, which is as much …s to say, if grace had done its part, I might have been …ept from this evil hour. 4. When they reflect upon …he faithfulness of God, though some dare not speak it …ut, yet it is in their heart; there is a word to this pur…ose Ps. 77.8. doth his promise faile for evermore? when folk …o question the truth of his promises; this ye would beware of now: For folk are in hazard to question the …ruth of his promises, in reference to his publick work. This purpose is that of Jeremiah, Jer. 20.7. O Lord thou …ast deceived me, and I was deceived, and why art thou un…o me as a liar? These are dreadful words of the Creature to the Creator, as if he had not infinite wayes to make out his promises, that we cannot take up. 5. When they reflect upon his Justice, severity and peremptoriness in smiting of his people. There is a word in one of the Prophets that runs to this purpose, if we be destroyed, how can we live? which is on the matter this. If God so deal with us, there is no living, or being with him; he will not let folk away with the knot of a straw, but he dings them down. When folk hears that God smiteth for this and for that, their heart riseth in passion, and saith, that there is no dallying with him, let him alone, for many have lived with him, and stood before him, and he will not make new lawes, nor ordain new vvayes to follovv, neither for your pleasure nor mine.
2, What hath the Lord to say for his ovvn vindication at the hands of his Church, especially at the hands of Israel, to prove that he is not to be blamed for their destruction, and the misery that comes on them. Ans. 1. God had this to say to Israel for his ovvn vindication, that he had chosen them out of all the Nations of th… World, without any thing in them previous to tha… choice, that might have engaged and influenced him▪ so did he reason with them Deut. 7.7.8. The Lord did no… set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were mo… in number than any people, for ye were the fewest of al… people: but because the Lord loved you. If the Lord had had a mind to drag you down, and destroy you; and had delighted in that, he would not have brought you ou… of that blind condition, wherein ye were lying with the rest of the world, but he would have left you a few blind moles drowning your selves in your sin. 2. He had this for himself to say, that he had brought then from the slavery and bondage of Egypt, in which they had ruined themselves by their sin, after that he had chosen them, he had ay this to say for his own clearing, what ever came upon them, that he was their God that redeemed them from the Land of Egypt, so that if he had delighted in their destruction, he would have left them there, and suffered them to run to the Devil with the Egyptians, and never owned them nor delivered them. 3. He had this to say for himself, that he had entred into a Covenant with them in the wilderness, after he had brought them out of Egypt, which priviledge he had denyed to any considerable incorporation before that time; what ever he had done to some particular persons and families, yet he never formally entred in Covenant with any great incorporation, but with them. 4. He had this to say for himself, that he had done many Miracles, and wrought many wonders among them; he had shewed them marvellous and strange Acts and great signes and wonders, after he had chosen them in Egypt, and before and after he had formally entred into Covenant with them, for their confirmation and establishing, that he dang down every power that had lift up it self against them; what need him have done this, if he had delighted in their destruction? 5. He had this to say for himself, that he had delivered them from many inconveniences; that he reproved Kings for their sake, and suffered no man to do them wrong; that he smote Kings, and mighty Kings, Og King of Bashan, and Sihon King of the Amorites; he never spared great nor small, whilst they abode with him, but he carried still as their husband and Lord; this sufficiently clears him from bearing the blame of their ruine. 6. He had this to say, that he kept abundance of light amongst them, for to shew them their duty, that they might know what was the way of peace and life; many Prophets did he send them, who late and early did admonish, rebuke, & teach them, so that it was not for want of light & counsel that they went wrong, they had enough of that, this sufficiently cleared him. 7. He had this to say, that many times he had forewarned them of their skaith, whence it should come, and by what, and had made them consent and submit to their own destruction, if ever they should go that black gate he had forewarned them of. Now, saith God, I have told you the right way, & ye may lippen to me in walking therein, and I have also told you the wrong way, that will bring you down, & bring you under these folks feet that are your enemies, if ever ye make Covenant with them, I vow and swear, I shall be full of your flesh, and they were so far convinced of the equity of this, that they consented to their own ruine, if ever they should do it, if ever we joyn with the people of these abominations, let God consume us from off the earth. If ever we take these thieves again by the hand, let the wrath of God pursue us, the heavy hand of God be upon us, that is a strong vindication of him. 8. He had this to say, that notwithstanding of all they had done against him, he took Heaven and Earth to witness he would accept of a little small thing at their hands Run ye to, and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and so now and know, and seek in the broad places, if ye can fin… a man, if there be any that executeth judgment and seeketh the truth, and I will pardon it. Jer. 5.1. Only acknowledg thine iniquity. Jer. 3 13. Do but this, I will pass by all by gones, will ye do but this, and I shall defy all the thieves to get you down, but I shall be about with them.
3. Wherefore doth the great God of Heaven so confess, and as it were to vindicat himself so at the hands of poor unworthy wormes? he is not bound to give an account of his matters, or to render a reason of his wayes; for who may say unto him what dost thou? Ans. 1. He doth it for the glory of his Justice. Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and clear when thou judgest. I clear thy justice of all that is come upon me. God will not leave any ground to reflect on that. 2. For the glory of his grace and mercy, which his people are ready to reflect upon: but I referre to your selves to judge, whether or not I have been merciful, O ye Inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Iudah, judge between me and my vinyard. I referre it to your selves and all the world, wh…ther or not you deserve stroaks, and whether or not I can spare you longer. 3. That he may the more effectually bind his peoples sin upon them, whereby they have destroyed themselves, and convince them of the evil of their own way, and of their folly.
Use 1. Lo here the daring boldness of the corruption of men, that dare reflect upon God, and blame him for the miseries, calamities and sorrow that befall them; we have this legacy left us by our Father Adam, who blamed the holy God for his fall; we have a spice of this from him, although we will not speak it out: yet we think it often in our hearts. If God had not carved out things to be so, and so, they could not have been; you are not to meddle with that, for he is holy in all his Counsels, though it be so, but you are to be ashamed of your sins, for it is they that are the cause of your destruction. Take heed of blaming the Majesty of God, if there be any apprehension in you to do it, suppress it and bear it down.
Use 2. Know that the Lord hath abundant testimonies lying at our doors, as well as at Israels, that he is not to be blamed for our overthrow, but we our selves are to be blamed; he hath this to say, that he did set his love upon us, and gave these ends of the earth to his Son, for his Inheritance, and that he tooke infestment of them, and that he took us by the hand, not for any thing in us, for we were but a pack of poor Beggars, in respect of other Nations, and that he brought us out of Egypt from Heathenish, Papistical, and prelatical bondage: and when we were all running the black gate, with the Bishops, and running to black darkness, he brought us back again; and that he entred in Covenant never more formally with any Nation than with us; and many great and glorious things he wrought for us, that he gave us many victories, and reproved many both great and small who opposed us, for our sake, all which we hope to be but an earnest of what is to follow, and that he told us of our duty, and of his way, and warned us what would be our ruine. He told us, if ever we break Covenant, and joyned with the malignant party, and put them in places of Trust, and made them Captains and Officers of our Armies, they should be our ruine; and we consented to this, and put in our Declaration, that even when there should be scarsity of men, we should not do it, not only in offensive wars, (as some do distinguish) but in defensive wars. We said, God forbid, that even in the scarsity of men we should split upon that rock, and that we should joyn with these abominations, and yet we never rested till we made them Captains and Officers of our Armies and joyned with them; God forgive them that brought them in, and forgive us also that suffered them to be brought in. I dare say also, that God would take little off our hand, that he may be about with these thieves; fain would he be at them, and have a fair occasion to be full of their flesh, who have so sham fully broken his Covenant, & spit upon his face. well I wot he would take little off our hands. however he hath many Testimonies lying at our door, that he is free of our ruine. O but we had been a happy people, if we had bidden by him. Many things also hath he to say to vindicat himself of at the hands of his people, which would take a long day to tell. he hath this to say, that he hath holden out to you many a time, what is the way of Truth, and the way of peace, and piety wherein ye should walk, and that clearly; you have not fallen in an evil condition for want of light, and that your jdols have overmastered you. For want of that he hath this to say, that he hath not ceased to be a reprover to you, though ye have trampled upon reproofs, yet hath he made your Conscience challenge you out and in. He hath this to say, that you never set your self seriously to seek God, but ye got worth your pains, and met you mid way and more, you never set your selves so, that ye were at a point; ye would have some what in this prayer, or else ye should lay it by: but he met you he meeteth him who rejoyceth and worketh righteousness. No sooner put ye up the sails, but he put wind in them. That is a Testimony, that he is not to be blamed. He hath this to say, give me the tithes and offerings, as ye were wount to do, and see whether or not I will rain down a blessing. Give me the ancient tale of duty, and see whether or not I will come and bless you. He hath this to say, that he hath sufficiently discovered the vanity of that, which is the ground of the quarrell betwixt him and you. he hath convinced you that he hath made your business thrive, as well when ye gave him the due tale of duty, and did not clip them, and better too, than when ye did otherwise, tis but daffing for folk to slip prayer, that they may win soon out to the plough, or harvestrig; if they do, God may break some soome or coulter, or some other thing in the plough, or the hook wherewith they shear, or makesome accident to befal them, that they shall lose more time for their worldly gain, than all the time that prayer would have taken up to them. It is in vain for you to rise up early and sit up late, and eat the bread of sorrows, for so he giveth his beloved sleep. God can give his people that make conscience of the duties of Religion their ful of rest, and make their work go on also Again, he hath this witness against you, that there is some thing he hath been contending with you for, and desiring you to quite and forsake, and yet ye would not do it for him. Ye know well enough what it is, 'tis even the thing ye know of, what is the reason ye will not mend it? it is some thing that hath cleaved to you this year, and the other year, and severall years had ye done but this for me (as if the Lord would say) and forgone this little petty thing for me, I should have made your peace run down as a river. upon your Conscience be it, whether or not I offered it good cheap to you, if ye would give but a little more paines, and for give a little small thing that ye know well enough what it is for, I will not tell you what it is, I think it not worth the naming, ye should have had peace and perfect peace. It is a sore matter, that we should still keep in our vexation & disquietness, which is all, because we will not forsake the thing we know of. I say then, God hath the right end of the string, come of us all what will, he is free of our ruine. Let us therefore justify him, and vindicat his justice, and free grace, for it hath done what it could do, with credit and honesty to the Court of Heaven. Let us therefore take with our sins, and blame our selves, for we have destroyed our selves.
We come now to the words, as they are an encouragement, and a ground of hope for the future, but in me thy help shall be; so the word may be rendred, not only have I ay done you good, but I can yet help, and I will help you, for all that is come upon you. I shall once help you in spite of their hearts that would bear you down. Here observe two doctrins, 1. In the lowest condition the Church of God and Israel can be in, God can help, there is help in God, if he please to put it out for Israel. Thou by thy sin hast destroyed thy self, and these folk as Instruments have broken you all, and dung you all down, and they think ye can never be raised up again, but for as low as ye are, I can help you, for all things are possible with God, even these things, that are impossible with men; he doth whatsoever pleaseth him in Heaven and in Earth, being King of Kings and Lord of Lords; he is higher than the highest. Our God can deliver us, say the three Children, yea he will deliver us; they were as low as we are, they had the King and all the Court about them, and ready to cast them into a fiery furnace made ready also for them, which also they did, and yet God delivered them. I do not think that ye question this in your judgment, that God can deliver; yet before I speak to the other doctrine, that saith God will deliver you, I shall shew you some wayes wherein God can help his people in their lowest condition, and in ony of these wayes God can help us, if he please. 1. He can help his people by destroying them, by that he makes them happy evermore; in death he makes them Conquerors; he makes them say of the bitter afflictions and stroaks, that it is good for me that I was afflicted. He teacheth and instructeth them out of his Law by his chastening them. 2. He can help them by his admirable bearing them up, and supporting them in their condition, by staving his rough wind in the day of his East wind, correcting them in measure and judgment, even when he seemes to make the waters run over them and overflow them, though he brings them through the fire and water, yet he brings them through: he takes away the sting of the rod and affliction and bears them up under it. 2. He can help them, by casting their help in the ordinary channel, by ordinary means and instruments, even when their case is very low, and seems to be desperat, as to an outgate, and there is no man for help appearing, within a short time he can cast their help in the ordinary channel. Ye are, it may be, thinking, that God must work a miracle before we can be helped; but he can put our help in the ordinary channel very soon, as he did in the year thirty eighth, when he threw down the Prelats. He can cause the spirit descend upon his people, and great Saviours on mount Zion, and put it in the hearts of his people to arise, to the raising of his interests, cause, Covenant, Ordinances and work; he can raise up seven Shepherds, and eight principal men. 3. He can do it in an extraordinary manner, he can creat help, he shall creat help for me, saith David, creat deliverance for Israel, is a prayer of faith that it should be, and God shall send down help immediatly from Heaven, he will order all things as they are remaining, God will work wonders, but he will be about with these folk, and help his people.
Use 1. The people of God should not despair, though their condition seems to be irrecoverable. It seemes so to you, but it is not so to God; the things that are impossible to men are not impossible to God. What the matter, though God ding us all down, if he will do good to our souls, and teach us out of his law? what the matter though we ly under these folks feet for a time? he will make our worst condition best. What the matter though we want the publick ordinances for a while, if he prove a little Sanctuary to us? and if ye get your lesson taught by the Master himself, who is an Interpreter, one of a thousand, not only amongst the threes, but above them all. What the matter, though he blow up all outward worldly helps, seeing ye have a proofe of their emptiness, & seeing he can help either in an ordinary, or extraordinary channel? Let us never be discouraged, and tyne heart; if the heart be gone, all is gone.