Mercy Rejoicing Against Judgment, Sermon
MERCY REJOYCING AGAINST JUDGEMENT: OR, God waiting to be gracious to a ſinfull Nation.
ISAIAH 30.18.
And therfore will the Lord waite that he may be gracious, and therefore will the Lord be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of Judgement; Bleſſed are all they that waite for him.
IN this Chapter, Iſaiah propheſieth againſt the ſinnes of Judah, which they committed in the time of the Babyloniſh captivity, after the death of Gedaliah the ſon of Ahikam, whom Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel had made Governour over them in Iudae. For when as the Lord had promiſed them deliveranceat, length, from the Chaldeans, if in the meane time, they would have ſit ſtil in their own land under the ſaid Governour; and would have provided well for their ſecurity, and ſubſiſtence during their captivity. Jer. 42.10.11.Jer. 42.10.11. If ye will ſtill abide in this Land, then will I build you and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up. Be not afraid of the King of Babylon of whom you are afraid, be not afraid of him, ſaith the Lord: for I am with you to ſave you, and to deliver you from his hand. Yet they, (tranſported with fear, leſt the Babylonians ſhould revenge upon them the bloud of Gedaliah, whom they had treacherouſly ſlain) diſtruſt Gods promiſe, and will needs go down into Egypt to ſtrengthen themſelves in the ſtrength of Pharaoh,verſe 2. and to truſt in the ſhadow of Egypt; ver. 2. which their ſin the Prophet amplifies, with a double aggravation. Firſt, That they did carry it cunningly, propriis conſilijs addicti, and in their carnall policie would have covered it, pretending to aske counſell of the Lord, to colour their deſign, when they were altogether reſolved upon their ſinfull courſe.Ier. 42.20. So the Prophet tels them, Jer. 42.20. Ye diſſembled in your hearts when you ſent me to the Lord. and ſo the Prophet, v. 1. They take Counſel, but not of mee, they cover with a covering, but not of my Spirit. Secondly, they did it rebelliouſly, For the Lord had cried concerning this, ver. 7.Your ſtrength is to ſit ſtill; ver. 7. Yet when the prophet Jeremiah effectually laid the Law to them in this point, and admoniſhed them to take notice thereof, ſaying, The Lord hath ſaid, O ye remnant of Judah, go ye not into Egypt, know certainly that I have admoniſhed you this day. Ier 42.19.Ier. 42.19. Notwithſtanding they would not heare the Law of the Lord but rather oppoſed it; ſaying to the Seers, ſee not, and to the Prophets, Prophecy not unto us right things. ver. 9.10.11.ver. 9.10.11. So they ſaid, and worſe unto the Prophet,Ier 2.23. Ier. 43.2.3. Thou ſpeakeſt falſly, the Lord our God hath not ſent thee to ſay, Go not down into Egypt to ſojourne there. But Baruch the ſonne of Neriah ſetteth thee on againſt us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans; that they might put us to death, and carry us away Captives into Babylon.
Againſt this their ſinne thus aggravated, the Prophet ſets himſelf to Denounce Gods Judgement; wherin he declareth both what the Judgement ſhall be, and how it ſhall be inflicted; the matter of the Judgement is, that God will make the broken reed of Egypt wheron they leaned, to go into their hands and pierce them, (as of Egypt it is ſaid in another Storie Iſa. 36.6.) The ſtrength of Pharaoh ſhall be your ſhame, Iſa. 36.6.and the truſt in the ſhadow of Egypt your confuſion. ver. 3. And for the manner,ver. 3. the Judgment ſhall befall them unexpectedly and on a ſudden; as a breach in a high wall at an inſtant, againſt which there can be made neither reſiſtance nor defence. ver. 13. And it ſhall fall upon them heavily in Egypt, ver. 13.ſo that they ſhall be broken all to pieces, like the burſting of a Potters veſſell, that affords not a ſheard to take fire from the hearth, or water out of the pit. ver. 14.And it ſhall fall up-upon them in a way of Retaliation, wherin God will make the ſeverall parts of their ſin to recoile upon them, as ſeverall parts of their Judgement: they make Egypt their hope, God will make Egypt their ſhame; they would flee from their enemies in carnall Policie againſt Gods command, they ſhall flee before their enemies for their own neceſſity: they would be ſwift to eſcape their enemies, God will make their enemies ſwift to overtake them: they were afraid of the Babylonians without cauſe when God would have had them to be fearleſſe; but now they ſhall have cauſe to fear, and flee from their enemies that ſhall purſue them, till they be left as a Beacon on the top of a Mountain; Even as one tree left for a Sea-mark in the cuting down of a Forreſt, and as an Enſigne on a hill, or a forſaken Standard when all the men that fought under it are cut off.ver. 16.17. ver. 16.17. But while the Lord was going on ſo fiercely to Judgement againſt them, he ſtayes his hand and forbears; theſe rebellious Jewes neare about 150 years, (as Hierom computes) between the denouncing of this Judgement in Iſaiahs, and in the execution of it in Jeremiahs time. If any wonder why our Prophet gives you an accompt, that God doth it not to countenance or wink at their wickedneſſe,Alvarez in Iſaian. ſed minatur cupidus non exequendi minas, ſaith Alvarez, he threatnes that he might but threaten, and thereby bring them into a capacity of mercy, that for the preſent were fit only for wrath and Judgement. And therefore will the Lord waite that he may be gracious, &c.
My text is a Sermon, wherein the Prophet gives the Jewes an account, why: God did not forthwith deſtroy thē, though they were even ripe for Judgement.Diviſion. In this Sermon we have ſet before us, the juſt lineaments & properties of a Sermon. viz.
1. A Doctrin, The Lord waites to be gracious.
2. Reaſons of it 2. viz. becauſe
1. He will be exalted in his mercy.
2. He is a God of Judgement.
3. An application or uſe of the Doctrin; Bleſſed are all they that waite for him.
Here you ſee my Sermon cut out, both in parts and method:The words opened. Ere we come to handle the Doctrin (which is the firſt branch) the words thereof are to be explai, ned, & among them particula foreign non eſt omittenda ſaith Forerius, Therfore]the firſt word [therefore] is to be well obſerved; This Relative and Illative paritcle, bids us look for premiſſes whereon to inferr the text; but the difficulty of finding any hath troubled expoſitors. Some do make the inference from the ſin of the people, in refuſing to waite upon the Lord when he called upon them ſaying,ver. 15.16. v. 15.16. In returning & reſt ſhall ye be ſaved, in quietnes & confidence ſhal be your ſtrength, and ye would not, but ſaid no; as if the Prophet ſhould have ſaid, there muſt of neceſſity be a waiting; the viſion is for an appointed time, and ſeeing you will not waite upon, and be obedient to him, behold (and be aſtoniſhed) Therfore the Lord will waite that he may be gracious unto you: This inference holds out the freeneſſe and riches of divine goodneſſe, becauſe God is gracious, therefore he will waite that he may be gracious. Some do make the inference from the Judgmēt denounced againſt the ſin of the Jewes, that ſince God had determined to bring evill upon them if they repented not, (for every threatning carries in it a tacite condition of impenitency) and therefore till the time that the Decree bring forth, The Lord will waite that he may be gracious unto you. And this holds out the riches and bountifulneſſe of his patience and longſufferance-ſpoken of, Rom. 2.4. But I humbly conceive with others that the word [therefore] looks beſt inward into the text it ſelfe, where we find the exaltation and glory of his grace and mercy, the ſpring and (as I may ſay) the firſt mover of God to waite, and the finall cauſe of this his waiting; he will waite that he may be gracious, and he will waite that he may be exalted in ſhowing merciemercy: and this Gods own deſign of advancing his goodneſſe and patience, towards theſe obſtinate and ſinfull Iewes, offers the faireſt and moſt genuine ground of inference: And therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious.
Waite] expectabit, Waite]which ſignifies locum paenitendo concedere: others tell us that this doth not ſufficiently expreſſe the force of the Originall word, which ſignifies as much as a longing expectation,foreign vehementer expecta vit in hiare vel anhelare, as a hungry man waits for meat, or as a theef doth waite for a man to rob him. Hoſ. 6.9. it may denote foreign a looking after with neck ſtretched out, rendred the earneſt expectation of the creature, waiting for the manifeſtation of the ſons of God. Rom. 8.19.Rom. 8.19. the ſumme is, huc tendit, in hoc totus eſt ut miſereatur, The Lord waits as being very deſirous to be gracious unto you, though the Iewes were unfit for merciemercy, and fit for Judgement at the preſent, the Lord in waiting ſuſpends his juſtice, and looks ſot a time that he may be mercifull.
That be may be gracious] He is ſo alwaies in himſelf,Gracious] but doth not alwaies appear ſuch unto his people, they are not alwaies capable of the ſweet aſpects of grace, by reaſon that their ſins do ſometimes bind them overto his Juſtice; ſo that he cannot be gracious ſalvâ juſtitiâ, till they repent & return to him; & then he will be (that is, declare himſelf to be) gracious unto you, in pardoning your ſin, in taking off your puniſhment, in delivering you from the ſentence gone out againſt you, and in ſetting you at reſt in your own land. And therfore will the Lord waite, that he may be thus gracious unto you. … The point.
Sometimes God wonderfully ſuſpends his Judgments,Doct. and waits upon a provoking people, that he may be mercifull to them.
What the Poets faine of their Jupiter, (that he never throws his Thunder-bolts, but when furies wreſt them out of his hands) in a ſenſe is true indeed of God, he never takes his rod in hand unprovoked, nor alwaies when he is provoked by the ſinnes of a people.
Si quoties peccant homines, ſua fulmina mittat
Jupiter, exiguo tempore inermis erit.
God is provoked every day, yet is he ſlow to anger; Yea ſomtimes when he has determined to bring evill upon a people, and put himſelf into a poſture of Judgement, drawn out the ſword, and ſmitten them, though they ceaſe not to provoke him, he ceaſeth to puniſh them; as a tender Father in correcting a rebellious and graceleſs child, holds his hand ſomtime before the child begg for merciemercy, and of meere grace forbears, ſo God did wth Iſrael. Pſa. 78.38.Pſa. 78.38. Notwithſtanding their diſſembling, with their flattering tongus, & covenant breaking hearts, He forgave their iniquity and deſtroyed them not, yea many a time turned he his anger away, and would not ſtir up all his wrath; Multus in co ſuit ut averteret iram ſuam Muſc.The words are, He multiplyed to turne away his anger; as they multiplyed to provoke it, he multiplyed to turne it away: and ſo at length overnumbred their ſinnes with his mercies, that they were not deſtroyed.
And when the ſame people of the Iewes elſewhere ſeemed to confront Gods Judgements with their obſtinacy, by perſiſting in their ſins, as if they meant to contend with God whether he ſhould prevaile in puniſhing, or they in ſinning: yea when in all reaſon (if we look upon it with humane judgement) their puniſhment ſhould have been increaſed, rather then mercy ſhould have been extended to them: Behold how admirably the Lord breaks out into a way of mercy Iſa. 57.17 18.Iſa. 57.17.18. For the iniquity of his covetouſnes was I wroth & ſmote him, I bid me & was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart: I have ſeen his waies, and I will heale him: I will lead him alſo and reſtore comforts unto him and to his mourners. What Logick can draw an argument of mercy from this Topick, I have ſeene the frowardneſſe of his waies? Their ſinne was a foul ſin, committed againſt their experience of the evill of ſinne, he had made them taſt of the fruit of their doings; and Gods eye is a pure eye and cannot behold iniquity; ſo that one would have thought God would have concluded, I have ſeen his waies and I will puniſh him; but that he ſhould conclude I have ſeen his waies and I will heale him, is an aſtoniſhment.
As it was the commendation of Theodoſius his clemency & ſweet diſpoſition,Theodoſius. that it was to him as if he received a benefit, if he might have an opportunity to forgive an injury: So it is the excellency of divine bowels, that the Lord is very deſirous to forgive be cauſe mercy pleaſeth him; and will rather ſomtimes make an occaſion then want one to take up his diſpleaſure, when it is incenſed againſt his people, & if they be not in themſelves yet, in a capacity of mercy, he will waite til they be, that he may be mercifull to them. It is obſervable upon what ground the Lord ſeems to take up a reſolution, never to deſtroy the world any more by a floud. Ge. 8.21.Gen. 8.21. I will not again curſe the ground any more for mans ſake, for the imagination of mans heart is evil from his youth. He drowned the world before,Gen. 6.5. becauſe the imaginations of mans heart were evill; Gen. 6.5. and will he now ſpare it becauſe the imaginations of mans heart are evill?Gen. 8.21. what riddle is this? is the evill in mans heart any leſſe then it was? or is it leſſe hatefull in Gods eye then it was? neither ſo nor ſo, but the Lord having now ſmelled a ſweet ſavour in Noahs ſacrifice, Gen. 8.21. which was a type of Chriſt, in whom God and man were reconciled; God will now magnifie his mercy and patience, ſo that*Multa in ſcriptura efferantur, foreign quae tamen oportet intelligi foreign Damaſc. lib. 4. de orth. fide cap. 20. Saepe illa Hebraea particula foreign et graeca foreign in bibliis uſurpatur adverſative pro quamuis, licet Tarn. Exer. Bibl in 1 Sam. 2.25. though man be as ſinfull as ever he was, and deſerves that the ground ſhould be curſed again with another floud as well as ever he did; yet God to ſhew the riches of his grace and mercy, will not again curſe the ground any more for mans ſake, though the imagination of mans heart is evill from his youth; which leads me to the grounds of reaſon holden out in the next place.
The reaſons of ſuch Gods wonderfull diſpenſations ſomtimes, are given in the text; And firſt why he ſuſpends his Judgements ſo unexpectedly and extraordinarily ſomtimes,Reaſons when yet a people do ſtill provoke him; even becauſe he will be exalted in his mercy; And therfore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you] exaltabit, Exalted]ſe he ſhall ſtir up him ſelf that he may have mercy, as intending to ſhow mercy with all his might. When the pſalmiſt would have God help the Church to purpoſe, he intreats the Lord to ſtir up his ſtrength and help her; Pſa. 80.2. ſo when he intends here to be mercifull to purpoſe, he will ſtir up himſelf. Or exaltabitur parcendo vobis, God ſhall be exalted in pardoning; it ſhall appeare to be grandis clementia Dei, (as Hierom cals it) when he pardoneth unexſpectedly; he lifts up his mercy above mens thoughts, as far as the Heavens are above the Earth. So in the Prophet, God ſpeaks of himſelf, when he pardoneth aboundantly, Iſa. 55.7.8.9. I will nor trouble you with the many other interpretations that are made of this phraſe, as that it ſignifies the exaltatiō of Gods hand, in fimilitudinem percuſſuri, as Oecolampadius, or Gods going up again into Heaven, from whence he was come down out of his place to puniſh them, and the like. The two firſt interpretations give you (as I humbly conceive) the genuine ſenſe and mind of the words, which holds out the reaſon of the point; even that God may be the more exalted, and ſet up in his mercy.
There is an ordinary courſe or path holden out in Scripture, wherein divine juſtice and mercy, do commonly proceed in puniſhing or in pardoning: When a people ſinne againſt God, they ſhall be puniſhed; when a people repent of their ſinne, God will repent of their puniſhment, and they ſhall be pardoned, thus it is generally in Gods diſpenſations; and becauſe God hath not tyed or limitted himſelf to walke alwaies (though he hath tyed us alwaies to waite upon and expect him) in the way of his word for the diſpenſation of his juſtice and mercy. there is alſo a way of Prerogative (as I may call it) wherein God may and ſometimes doth diſpenſe his mercy, in reſerved caſes, above the common rule,Videtur miſcricordiae limites tranſilire, Theodo. Suepſius. he ſomtimes repents of puniſhing a people, before they repent of ſinning againſt him, as you have heard in the proofe of the point; and when he walks in ſuch untrodden paths, God is ſingularly exalted in his mercy theſe foure waies.
How God is exaleed in his mercy by ſuch diſpenſations.Firſt, In the principle of mercy, I mean the goodneſſe of his nature, whereby he is ſo ſtrongly, ſo invincibly inclin'd to mercy, that he will not retaine anger; he will not be provoked ſomtimes, though he be provoked by the ſins of his people, and this ſets him up ſo incomparable high in the admiration of his people, Mica. 7.18. Who is a God like unto thee; that pardoneth iniquity, and paſſeth by the tranſgreſsion of the remnant of his heritage? Mica. 7.18.he retaineth not his anger for ever, becauſe he delighteth in mercy. According to what the Lord declared of himſelf to Moſes, when he made his glory to paſſe before him. Exod. 34.6. The Lord God, mercifull and gracious, Exod. 24.6.long ſuffering and aboundant in goodneſſe: what goodnes is it that God will forbeare to ſtrike in the midſt of provocations? The Prophet wholly aſcribes the praiſe of our non deſtruction to that, Lam. 3.22. It is of the Lords mercies that we are not conſumed, Lam. 3.22.becauſe his compaſsions faile not. What goodnes that the great God (on whom all the creatures in Heaven and earth ſhould waite) ſhould waite on his poore creatures!
Secondly, by ſuch extraordinary diſpenſations God is exalted in the freeneſſe of his mercy: puniſhing leſſe then we deſerve, is confeſſedly mercy. Ezra. 9.13.Ezr. 9.13. pardoning fully where puniſhment is deſerved is yet more, but how is mercy exalted when bleſſings are given inſtead of puniſhments? I ſay not praeter meritum, but contrameritum? when there is not only nothing at all in the people to help forward, but almoſt every thing in them that might hinder the exerciſe of mercy; when all the arguments and motives to mercy, muſt be drawn out of Gods own bowels, God muſt needs be very glorious in the freeneſſe of it: Thus God held out the gloriouſneſſe of his free mercy toward Iſrael, when after their rejection he reſtores them, what bleſſings he beſtowes upon them Ezek. 36.11.Ezek. 36.11. I will ſetle you after your old eſtates, and will do better to you then at the beginning. The very materials of the bleſſings are large demonſtrations of mercy, even that he will do ſuch great things for them; but leſt they ſhould not ſee the full glory of his mercy toward them therein, he preſſeth them to take notice that he would do theſe things freely.ver. 22. ver. 22. Say unto the houſe of Iſrael, thus ſaith the Lord God, I do not this for your ſakes, O houſe of Iſrael, but for my own holy Names ſake which ye have prophaned among the heathen.
Thirdly, God is hereby exalted in the richneſſe of his mercy: when a people continue in their provocations & rebellions againſt God, tis not a little mercy that can ſtand in the breach. When Iſrael Num. 14.11.12. had very far provoked the Lord,num. 14.11.12. ſo that he ſpake of plaguing & diſinheriting them, Moſes prays ver. 17.19.ver. 17.19. That the Lords power may be great in pardoning and that he will pardon according to the greatneſſe of his merciemercy: the Lords great wrath was kindled, therefore his power had need be great to keep it in. When a man is thoroughly moved with anger, there is much ado to keep in his paſſion that it break not out; now nothing can be ſo provoking to ſtir up our anger, as ſin is to ſtirre up Gods diſpleaſure againſt a people; how great is that mercy then that can keep in divine wrath? And as he prayed that the power of the Lord might be great, ſo he prayes that his mercy may not be little; their great ſinnes will need the greatneſſe of his mercy. Eph. 2.4.5.So the Apoſtle Eph. 2.4.5. when he mentions Gods reconciliation with man, who was by nature a child of wrath, and had nothing to pacifie, but all in him rather to provoke God farther; he preſents God as rich in mercy and of great love, that could love or think of being reconciled to him while yet he was dead in ſinnes and treſpaſſes, whereby God may be the more exalted.
Fourthly, God is hereby exalted in his faithfulnes, that he doth performe his promiſſes of mercy to his people, even when there lye ſo many and great obſtructions and impediments in his way, by the greatneſſe of his peoples ſinnes, as many times there do. This is the exaltatiō that ſome Expoſitors think is meant in the text,Moller. in locum. ut fides eius in promiſsis teſtatior fiat apud omnes & illuſtrior, that God will break through all oppoſition to relieve his people with mercy, when they are under the ſtrongeſt holds of ſin: when he hath entred a Covenant with his people once though they be unfalthfull, 'tis his glory that hee abideth faithfull, 2. Tim. 2.14.2 Tim. 2.13. if they turn aſide into ſpirituall whoredome and Apoſtaſie (and well enough deſerve a bill of divorce) he will not caſt them off but recover them by repentance, and ſhow mercy unto them, according to his promiſe when he married them unto himſelf,Ier. 3.14.15. Ier. 3.14.15. Turne O backſliding children, ſaith the Lord, for I am married unto you, and (though you have broken Covenant with me, I will make good my promiſe unto you) I will take you, and give you Paſtors according to my heart. How glorious is the exerciſe of mercy when this his faithfulnes takes hold of the Almighty? if his people provoke him, how is mercy exalted in the conflicts that are between juſtice and mercy? in the turning of divine bowels?Hoſ. 11.8.9. Ho. 11.8.9. How ſhall I give thee up Ephraim? how ſhall I deliver thee Iſrael? how ſhall I make thee as Admah? how ſhall I ſet thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together: I will not execute the fierceneſſe of mine anger, I will not return to deſtroy Ephraim, for I am God and not man, the holy One in the midſt of thee.
The ſecond Reaſon ſhowes you why God waits upon a provoking people and doth not cut them off in his Juſtice; [becauſe the Lord is a God of Judgement]
1. Some take Judgement for Juſtice here, and put the Emphaſis upon the word [God] the God of Judgment;Alvarez in locum. [Judicii Dominus] ſaith Alvarez, he may remit the puniſhment of ſinne without ſhowing a reaſon, and ſpare the guilty if he pleaſe without offence to any. Voluntas divina ſuprema lex, The Judg of all the earth cannot but do right; he is judicii Dominus, the God of Judgement; whereas if a man Judge ſhould acquit the guilty and let them paſſe unpuniſhed, he ſhould ſinne againſt the Common-wealth, and violate his own duty; quia non eſt Judicii Dominus, ſed Domini vicarius.
2. Some take Judgement here for moderation, in puniſhing of ſinners in a way of oppoſition to ſeverity and wrath, as Ier. 10.24. O Lord correct me, Ier. 10.24.but with Judgement, not in thine anger, leſt thou bring me to nothing: God therefore waiteth upon ſinners not only becauſe he is ſlow to anger, but alſo he moderates the execution of his Judgements; I will correct thee in meaſure, and will not leave thee altogether unpuniſhed ſaith God to Iacob, Jer. 30.11.Ier. 30.11. that his people may not be conſumed under his correcting hand.
Gods wiſdom to improve his waiting upon a ſinfull people.3. Some take Judgement here for wiſdome or ſpirituall prudence and diſcretion in God, he waits upon a provoking people ſometimes, becauſe he knowes when to apply mercy, and how to improve all opportunities to the beſt advantage of his owne glory, in his adminiſtrations to a ſinfull and provoking people.
Firſt, He can diſcerne when a people are fit for mercy, and diſtinguiſh between penitent and impenitent ſinners; the deceitfull heart, though it be deſperatly wicked ſhall not deceive him, but he will give to every man according to his waies. Jer. 17.9.10.Ier. 17.9.10. Like a wiſe Phyſitian he knows when to purge, & when to give cordials; ſo that, as in mercy he looketh for an opportunity that he may do good, ſo he knows how, to take it and when; and hence it is, that ſometimes he waits very long, till a people be brought into deſperate ſtraits, and out of all hopes ere he deliver them; becauſe the Church was not in tune for mercy till then he waits. Iſa. 33.8.9. The high waies lie waſt, the wayfaring man ceaſeth, Iſa. 33.8, 9.the earth mourneth, Lebanon is aſhamed, and hewen down: Sharon is like a wildernes, &c. and then will he be gracious, ver. 10. Now will I riſe, ſaith the Lord, now will I be exalted, now will I lift up my ſelf. And yet he is not like Carolus King of Sicily and Jeruſalem, who was ſurnamed Cunctator, becauſe he was wont to ſtay til opportunity was loſt; but rather like Fabius Cunctator, ſo called, becauſe he would alwaies ſtay till opportunity, and then would be ſure to take it.
2ly, He waits, becauſe he knows how to take his times, & ſeaſons to prevaile upon, and bring in a rebellious people toward mercy, who yet are very far from, and unfit for it. A mans wiſdom ſhowes it ſelf much in diſcerning ſeaſons; The Lord ſpake unto Manaſſeh, but he would not hear, and therefore he waites, becauſe he knew there would come an opportunity when Manaſſeh would hear, and hearken after the Lord,2 Chro. 33.10.12. in afflictions. 2 Chro. 33.10.12. and he waited not in vaine, for ſo it came to paſſe; when he was in afflictions he beſought the Lord his God, and humbled himſelf greatly before the God of his Fathers. So when the Lord had to do with Iſrael, he complained of their contumacy, that they were untractable, like a wild Aſſe in the Wilderneſſe, that ſnuffeth up the wind at her pleaſure. Ier. 2.24.Ier. 2.24. In her occaſion who can turn her away? as good ſeek to take a hare with a Taber, (as we commonly ſay) yet the Lord knows how to meet with her, though for the preſent all that ſeek her, will not weary themſelves: in her monethmonth they ſhall find her, when this wild creature ſhall be great with young, not able thus to run about in the wilderneſſe, then a man may talke with her; ſo when Iſrael hath made up their iniquity, a full burden, and that Judgment begins to take hold of them, then in their monethmonth God will find them: and as God knows his ſeaſons, ſo he knows by what means to prevaile, by Judgements or by mercies; ſome muſt be brought in by an earth-quake, others will be brought in as eaſily by a ſtill voice.
Thirdly, He waits becauſe he is a God of Judgement, to know when the giving in of mercies will bring God moſt honour, and when Gods hand will be moſt clearly ſeen to give in mercies, ſo that they may be convincing mercies; thus he waited on his ſtiff-necked people, that he might be mercifull to them, even till Antiochus had broken all their power, ſo that there was no help to be expected; and then the Lord came in with Michaels deliverance, Dan. 12.1.7. when he ſhall have accompliſhed to ſcatter the power of the holy people; Dan. 11.1.7.for then they could ſee that their help was from God. Thus he waited upon the waſtful Prodigall till he had ſpent all, ſo that he muſt either have God or nothing, Luk. 15. and then the Fathers imbraces are ſweet and welcome.Luk. 1.
Before I come to the Uſe of the Prophets doctrine which the text preſents you, let us conſider whether this age be not one of theſe [ſometimes] wherein God wonderfully ſuſpends his Judgments, and waites upon a provoking people; that he may be mercifull to them. Are we not aſtoniſhed and like unto them that dreame this day? while wee looke upon the God of our ſalvation anſwering us (as he doth) by terrible things in his righteouſnes, doing terrible things that we looked not for, whereby the moūtaines (even the mountains of enemies and oppoſition) do flow down and tremble at his preſence; he that hath formerly drawn out the ſword and bent his bow, and like an enemy fought againſt us, giving Iacob to the ſpoile and Iſrael to the robbers, has in the midſt of wrath remembred mercy; and when he ſaw that there was no man, and wondred that there was no interceſſor; his own Arme hath brought ſalvation to him, and his righteouſnes it ſuſtained him. Who would have thought in a few months paſt, that we ſhould have ſeene ſuch a change in England, in ſo ſhort a time? that our ſolemn faſts the faſt of the 4th monetle, and the faſt of the 5th and the 7th and the 10th month ſhould be turned into ſolemne feaſts of joy and gladnes? that our thankſgiving dayes, ſhould over number our dayes of humiliation? Yet am I ſo farr from the opinion of laying aſide our humiliations, in theſe times of rejoycing, (as if they were inconſiſtent with our joyfull feaſts,) that I conceive the duties of humiliation and rejoycing ſpiritually performed, very helpfull one to another, and to ſpiritualize one another; bleſſings obtained by prayer and faſting, cannot but affect the ſoul and raiſe it unto a greater pitch of ſpirituall thankfulneſſe; and when mercies have made the ſoule to rejoyce in God, it cannot but mourne over ſinne more ingenuouſly then before. If mercies will not work with a people this way, when God gives them in, after judgements, they will be, but lucida intervalla, preſages of greater Judgemēts to follow,Sim. like the Sunſhine between two dread, full ſtormes; or rather like a reviving between two fits of a feaver, when the patient dyes of the latter: Chorazin that had been lift up to heaven by mercies, and the great works that were done in her, was afterwards thruſt down to hell in Judgements. Ingentia beneficia, ingentia flagitia, ingentia ſupplicia, If great wickedneſſe follow great benefits, great puniſhments ſhall follow great wickedneſſe: as is confeſſed by Ezra. 9.13.14.Ezra. 9.13.14.
Repentance and reformation is the point that we muſt be brought unto, either by Judgments or mercies; and ſince former Judgements have not brought us to it; O that the Lord would melt our hearts this day with his aſtoniſhing mercies! that our hard and frozen Spirits which would not be broken hitherto by the hammer of his Judgements, might now be ſoftened by the fire of his mercies! And truly (honorable and beloved) mercies (eſpecially when they are given in to an undeſerving people, as our mercies are) are very proper premiſes and principles of godly ſorrow and ſhame for ſin, ſeeing that this is promiſed as a fruit of mercy.
I have looked into the Book of God, to ſee whether God hath been wont, in former times, to bring in his people to repentance and reformation, by deliverances and mercies. For if God have never gone in ſuch a way with a people heretofore, I ſhould feare (that notwithſtanding our many and wonderfull publick mercies wherewith God hath at preſent bleſſed our Land) we ſhould have an after-clap, and be brought back again into the refiners fire, and furnace of affliction, that our droſſe (which is not yet ſevered from us) may be purged out, and our filthineſſe depart from us, which is the way whereby God ordinarily prevailes with a people in that kind. And of all the hopefull preſidents I could find, wherein God hath brought in a people by mercy, this is the moſt eminent,Ezek. 36.31, 32. Applied. Ezek. 36.31.32. Then ſhall yee remember your own evill wayes, and your doings that are not good, and ſhall loath your ſelves in your own ſight for your iniquities, and for your abominations. Not for your ſakes doe I this, ſaith the Lord God, be it known unto you, be aſhamed and confounded for your own wayes, O houſe of Iſrael. You may look upon Iſrael in this chapter, as Englands parallell in our preſent condition: They had defiled their own land with the bloud that they had ſhed, and with their Idols: yea, they had profaned the name of God among the heathen alſo: and therefore the Lord had powred out his fury upon them,V. 17-21. v. 17.-21. but the Lord pitied them, for his own holy Name, which they had profaned, and he reſolved to ſanctifie his great and holy Name by delivering them from captivity, and ſetting them at peace in their own Land,V. 21-25. v. 21.-25. And further, he would reform them according to his covenant, and make them a holy people, and their land which had been laid waſte, a fruitful land, v, 25-31.V. 25-31. And when the Lord ſhall have done all this, and that without the leaſt deſert of theirs, (as the Lord bids them take notice of it, Be it known unto you) then ſhall they repent and be aſhamed. He is a ſtranger to England, that hath not ſeen England like unto Iſrael in their ſinnes, it hath been defiled with bloud and idols, whereby the Name of our God hath been profaned; and like to Iſrael in their puniſhments, the Lord hath powred out his fury upon them; and like unto Iſrael in their deliverances and mercies, God is now ſanctifying his holy Name, which we had polluted, by delivering us, and making way to ſettle us at peace in our own land. The Lord make England like unto Iſrael in their repentance and reformation alſo. Now becauſe the undeſervedneſſe of merciemercy, (and that they are given to thoſe that could not expect them) has a great influence upon the heart, as appears in that God preſſeth it ſo often, v. 21.22. & 32. I deſire to ſet before your judicious cōſideration, three things,How to mourn in the ſight of preſent mercies. Directions. that may help us to a mourning frame of ſpirit in the ſight of our great mercies, that we may loath our ſelves in our own ſight this day for our iniquities, and be confounded for our own wayes.
Firſt, Let us ſet our ſins this day, (at leaſt ſome of them) in the ſight of our hearts together, with our mercies; David looks upon both together, while from his mercies he reflects upon himſelf, when his people offered ſo willingly toward building the Temple, 1 Cro. 29.14. Who am I? and what is my people? So wee while we look upon the mercies that God hath heaped on us, may ſit down aſtoniſhed, & ſay, Who are we, and what is our people? are we not an Apoſtatizing nation? we werefallen from our Primitive reformation, & there is yet a ſpirit of whoredom in the midſt of us to oppoſe reformatiō to this day. Let us look upon Ieruſalem, how ſeverely the Lord dealt with her for abuſing his love, and turning aſide to ſpirituall fornication as we have done. Ezek. 16.38.40.Ezek 13.36.40. I will judge thee (ſaith God) as women that break wedlock and ſhed bloud are judged; and I will give thee bloud in fury and jealouſie.
We are alſo a Covenant-breaking people, and having taken the name of God in vaine, how ſhould the Lord hold us guiltleſſe? this brought wrath upon Iſrael and Iudah unavoidably; the houſe of Iſrael and Iudah have broken my Covenant,Iſa. 11.11. Ier. 11.11. Therefore I will bring evill upon them, which they ſhall not be able to eſcape. We have been and are apt to ſay a Confederacy, to ſuch as God would not have us ſay a Confederacy to; and to cover with a covering, but not of Gods Spirit, as our Prophet complains, Iſa. 30.1. we ſubject Religion, and the things of God,Iſa. 30 1. to carnall ends, being led by carnall policie, in matters of conſcience and higheſt concernment, too much verifying in that of old; Mater peperit filiam, et filia devoravit matrem; Policy hath alwaies been a clog to Religion, and would never ſuffer former ages to adventure upon a through reformation; the Lord keep our generation that we daſh not againſt the ſame rock!
Though the Lord hath pronounced them curſed that truſt in man, Ier. 17.5.and make fleſh their arme, Ier. 17.5. we are full of carnall confidence, lifted up, or caſt down, according as outward means and humane probabilities, do ebb or flow; like Iſrael, we ſeek God when we need him,Pſa. 78. in a low condition, and when we are delivered we forget him. Pſal. 78.
We are guilty of ſelf-ſeeking, every man looks for his gaine from his quarter, (as Paul complained) all men ſeek their own, none the things of Jeſus Chriſt: To be acted by a private Spirit in publike undertakings, doth not only blemiſh the beauty, but alters the nature of the undertaking, and makes that ſinfull, which if acted with a publique Spirit, had been commendable and glorious.2 King. 10.30. Jehu in cuting off the houſe of Ahab, did according to the word of the Lord; but becauſe he had ends of his own in doing it,Hoſ. 1.4. the bloud of Ahab is put upon his account.
We ſuffer Gods Houſe to lye waſt while we dwell in ſeiled houſes; by diviſion and errors, truth is fallen in the ſtreet and confuſion haſteth, and yet we look on and lay it not to heart.
We turn head againſt Jeſus Chriſt, like thoſe that break his bands and caſt away his cords from them;Pſa. 1. we refuſe his eaſie yoke, and caſt off his light burden: as if we were of their mind that ſaid, wee will not have this man rule over us. Luc. 19.21.Luc. 19.21. All this ſcumme is in the midſt of us untaken away, and all this droſſe and much more is in us in the very fire of Gods Judgements, ſo that in our filthineſſe is lewdneſſe.
Now conſider Gods uſuall manner of proceeding with ſuch ſinners; He will ſet his face againſt them, and they ſhall be ſlain before their enemies, &c. Lev. 26.17.Lev. 26.17. and if they walke contrary, he will puniſh them ſeaven times more, and ſeaven times more, and ſeaven times more for their ſinnes; and at laſt walke contrary unto them in fury. The like alſo when Iſrael grew incorrigable (as England hath been) and would not return to the Lord; what gradations of Judgment are muſtered up againſt them?Amos 4.6. Amos 4.6.
2ly, Conſider Gods admirable patience towards us above his former dear people; he bare with their maners in the wildernes 40 years, but whats that to fourſcore years patience wherein he hath born with England? and all theſe yeares, what pride, and contempt, what abominations hath God put up at the hands of a fooliſh Nation? And is not England yet deſtroyed? She hath boyled in Sodoms luſt, but ſhe is not conſumed with Sodoms fire: ſhe hath committed Iſraels iniquities, but ſhe hath not ſuffered Iſraels puniſhments. God did exalt his mercy in ſparing the rebellions of Iſrael, Ezek, 20.14.17.22.Ezek. 20.14.17.22. when it was breaking forth againſt them three times, yet ſtill he wrought for his own names ſake; but how often hee hath reſtrained his wrath when it was ready to break out againſt England, and wrought for his own names ſake, to ſpare us, in turning his wrath away, I appeal unto you. In all this, if we conſider how God hath out-gone, I ſay not our deſert, but even our faith, our prayers, and expectations in the greatneſſe & multitude of his bleſſings, giving them in moſt ſeaſonably, when we were upon the brink of ruine, by his own hand, ſo that we may ſay, If it had not been the Lord who was on our ſide, we had been ſwallowed up. And that he ſhould doe all theſe after ſo much patience, wherein he hath many a time turned his wrath away, notwithſtanding our many and provoking ſinnes, wherewith we have preſſed the Lord as a Cart is preſſed that is full of ſheaves, ſo that he hath groaned under us, (as it were) and complained of our unkindneſſe,Micah 6.3. O my people! what have I done unto thee, and wherein have I wearied thee? Teſtifie againſt me. What hard heart can yet tread upon ſuch bowels? Whoſe eyes would not run over in looking upon thoſe divine meltings? and ſay, It is known unto us this day, that not for our ſakes, but for his own holy names ſake which we had polluted, the Lord hath done all this: we are aſhamed and confounded for our own wayes.
Bleſſed are all they that wait for him. Ʋſe.] The uſe which our Prophet makes of his own Doctrine, is, of Exhortation to a duty, Wayt upon the Lord, backed with the encouragement of a promiſe; Bleſſed are all they that wait for him. He that of meer goodneſſe turnes away his diſpleaſure from a people while they do ſinne againſt him, and waits upon them for an opportunitie to doe them good, will much more not diſappoint them when they wait for him: if he wait in mercy, 'tis fit they ſhould wait in duty:Waiting for God, what it is. if he wait to give, and they wait to receive, mercy, the concluſion cannot but be bleſſed. Bleſſed are all they that wait for him.
The duty exhorted to, is to wait, and waiting is to return from ſinne, to a diligent attendance upon God in the wayes of obedience, joyned with a fiduciall and patient expectation of ſalvation and mercy according to his will.
It conſiſteth ſn 4 things. 1.It is made up of foure ingredients, 1. of Repentance; ſinning is contrary to waiting, and therefore there muſt firſt be a turning, Hoſ. 12.6. Turn thou to thy God, (ſaith he to Ephraim) keep mercy and judgment, Hoſea 12.6.and wait on thy God continually.
2 There muſt be a diligent attendance upon God, with a heedfull obſervance of his wayes, ſuch as the Church profeſſeth, Pſa. 123.2:Pſal. 123.2. As the eyes of ſervants look unto the hand of their maſters, and as the eyes of a maiden to the hand of her miſtreſſe, ſo our eyes wait upon the Lord our God.
3 It muſt be in the wayes of obedience: waiting is not an idle poſture, but imports the diligence of a Sentinell: if we wait for ſalvation and deliverance, there muſt be activity and diligence to ſerve Providence for Sions enlargement, the Lord expecteth help againſt the mighty, though he needs it not.
4 There had need to bee Faith (with her two daughters, Hope and Patience) to make up and carry on this bleſſed work of waiting for God: we muſt wait as the Husband-man for the pretious fruits of the earth, Ja. 5.7.Ia. 5.7. There muſt be a ſpace between ſowing and reaping time: if we ſow in teares, expect to reap in joy. The Iſles ſhall wait upon me, and in mine arme ſhall they truſt, Iſa. 51.5.ſaith God, Iſa. 51.5. Wee muſt not truſt in our Bow or Sword: creature confidence cannot ſtand with a right waiting upon God. 'Tis thou that ſaveſt us from our enemies, Pſal. 44. And where our waiting is, there is our hope. What wait I for? Pſal. 39.7.ſaith David, my hope is in thee, Pſal. 39.7. And where hope is,Rom. 8.25. there is patience, Rom. 8.28. If wee hope for that we ſee not, then doe with patience wait for it. And ſo we are required, Reſt in the Lord and wait patiently for him, Pſal. 37.7.Pſalm 37.7. How ever the Lord pleaſe to diſpoſe of things till his promiſe be accompliſhed, be content, and reſt in his work, and wait for his promiſe. The Churches eſtate is couched in promiſes, and moſt in reverſion, and therefore will, require to be waited for,Heb. 10.36. and that with patience. Yee have need of patience, that after yee have done the will of God, yee may receive the promiſe, ſaith the Apoſtle.
They that wait for God ſhall be bleſſed 4 wayes. Heb. 10.36.The motive whereby he drives on to the performance of this duty, is the bleſſing that attends it, Bleſſed are all they that wait for him.
1. They ſhall be enabled by the Lords everlaſting ſtrength, to goe on without fainting through all oppoſition and difficulties, in the way of their hopes, Iſa. 40.31. They that wait upon the Lord, Iſa. 40.31.ſhall renew their ſtrength, they ſhall run and not be weary, they ſhall walk and not faint. It is a ſeaſonable incouragement unto you (honorable & beloved) to wait upon God, that he may carry you through the weighty affaires, of Church and State, that will require renewed ſtrength.
2. They ſhall be bleſſed with comfort and peace in their owne ſoules for the preſent, though their hopes ſhould be deferred, Iſa. 26.3.Iſa. 26.3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whoſe mind is ſtaied on thee. There's a ſweetneſſe in the very duty of waiting on God.
3. Their hopes ſhall be accompliſhed, they ſhall ſee the fruit of their waiting, as appeares by Davids experience, Pſal. 40.1, 2, 3.Pſal. 40.1, 2, 3. I waited patiently for the Lord, and hee inclined unto me and heard my cry, hee brought me up out of a horrible pit, and he hath put a new ſong in my mouth, even praiſe unto our God. They ſhall never be aſhamed, but ſhall ſay as Iſa. 25.9.Iſa. 25.9. Lo this is our God, we have waited for him, by our multiplied mercies in the ſucceſſe of our Armies, God hath opened a doore of hope for us in the valley of Achor.
4. They ſhall be bleſſed everlaſtingly; though they ſhould never live to ſee the accompliſhment of Gods promiſes of temporall ſalvation, which they wait for, yet they ſhall have a day wherein they ſhall receive the waiting ſervants bleſſing of entring into the joy of their Lord, and ſhall ſay by experience, Bleſſed are all they that wait for him.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Strickland, Mercy Rejoicing Against Judgment (1645)