An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth, & tenth chapters of…

When men will follow their own ways,¹ and think to have more ease in their own way than in Gods, it is just they should find those ways to be burdensome to them. I am persuaded there is not one in this Congregation but hath found the experience of this; when you think your ways will bring more ease to you than Gods ways, have not you found your ways burdensome?

When men will follow their own waies,¹ and think to have more ease in their own way than in Gods, it is just they should find those waies to be burdensom to them. I am perswaded there is not one in this Congregation but hath found the experience of this; when you think your waies will bring more ease to you than Gods waies, have not you found your waies burdensom?

1. 1Use. Follow not thine own ways.Use. Follow not thine own waies.

But thirdly, When was this fulfilled? If we would know ⟨p. 65⟩the meaning of the Prophet we must refer to the History of the Kings, and in 2 Kings, 15. 19. there you may find when this Prophecy was fulfilled. Phul the King of Assyria came against the Land, and Menahem gave Phul a thousand talents of silver that his hand might be with him to confirm the Kingdom in his hand.¹ And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver to give to the King of Assyria. There was one burden. And then in the 29. ver. In the days of Pekah King of Israel, came Tig•ath-Pile•er King of Assyria, and took Jion, and Abel-Beth maachah, and Javoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the Land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria. There was a further burden. But yet the whole Land was not, it was only the other side of Jordan: at these two times was this Scripture fulfilled.

But thirdly, When was this fulfilled? If we would know ⟨p. 65⟩the meaning of the Prophet we must refer to the History of the Kings, and in 2 Kings, 15. 19. there you may find when this Prophesie was fulfil'd. Phul the King of Assyria came against the Land, and Menahem gave Phul a thousand talents of silver that his hand might be with him to confirm the Kingdom in his hand.¹ And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty sheckles of silver to give to the King of Assyria. There was one burden. And then in the 29. ver. In the daies of Pekah King of Israel, came Tig•ath-Pile•er King of Assyria, and took Jion, and Abel-Beth maachah, and Jauoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the Land of Nephtalie, and carried them captive to Assyria. There was a further burden. But yet the whol Land was not, it was only the other side of Jordan: at these two times was this Scripture fulfil'd.

1. 12 Kings, 15. 19.

Fourthly,¹ Why doth the holy Ghost say, The burden of the King of Princes? In speaking of the burden that was upon the people he doth give the Assyrian such an Epithet? Why it seems to be a diminution of their burden rather than any aggravation; for he speaks of sorrowing but a little, as if it should not be so great a burden as afterwards should be upon them, no•ing thus, That they were burdened a while with Taxations from a great King, but they should afterwards come under the power, to be at the wills & lusts of all kind of base people, of the very dregs of people: And it is not so great an evil to be under the power of men of rank and quality, no not under their oppression, as to be under the oppression of many people, of people that are of very mean quality and condition, the very refuse of a Nation, to come to be under their power it's a great deal worse.

Fourthly,¹ Why doth the holy Ghost say, The burden of the King of Princes? In speaking of the burden that was upon the people he doth give the Assyrian such an Epithite? Why it seems to be a dimunition of their burden rather than any aggravation; for he speaks of sorrowing but a little, as if it should not be so great a burden as afterwards should be upon them, no•ing thus, That they were burdened a while with Taxations from a great King, but they should afterwards come under the power, to be at the wils & lusts of al kind of base people, of the very dregs of people: And it is not so great an evil to be under the power of men of rank and quality, no not under their oppression, as to be under the oppression of many people, of people that are of very mean quality and condition, the very refuse of a Nation, to come to be under their power it's a great deal worse.

1. 14. Burden of the King of Princes.

But what is it? You shall sorrow a little. They complained, but saith God, what do you complain of this? this is but a little burden to that which you are like to have, there's another manner of burden a coming for you than this; and from hence the Notes are these.

First,¹ When sinners have brought trouble upon themselves they will complain much, exceedingly troubled; but when they complain they are to consider, that what they feel it is but a little to what's coming after. There are burdens upon you, and you are complaining of these burdens, as if so be that they were the greatest that ever were upon people,² Oh sinner! consider of this when you are complaining of your burdens, know, that these burdens that are upon you may prove to be but very trifles in comparison of what's like to come upon you afterwards, for that's the scope of the holy Ghost here, They shall sorrow a little for this burden, as if he should say, There is other manner of sorrow coming after, and so it did, for afterwards the Assyrians carried them all away captives, and the basest of all the people came even to set their feet upon them, and therefore saith the holy Ghost, This is but a little: I speak to those that make not up their peace with God; and do not upon those burdens that are upon them return to God. As the mercies of God to his Saints, that which now they have is but a little, they may be said to rejoice a little for the mercy that now they have. And so the burdens upon the ungodly they are but a little, but if they return not to ⟨p. 67⟩God upon what they feel, God hath greater burdens than those are that they so vex and fret under.

First,¹ When sinners have brought trouble upon themselves they will complain much, exceedingly troubled; but when they complain they are to consider, that what they feel it is but a little to what's coming after. There are burdens upon you, and you are complaining of these burdens, as if so be that they were the greatest that ever were upon people,² Oh sinner! consider of this when you are complaining of your burdens, know, that these burdens that are upon you may prove to be but very trifles in comparison of what's like to come upon you afterwards, for that's the scope of the holy Ghost here, They shall sorrow a little for this burden, as if he should say, There is other manner of sorrow coming after, and so it did, for afterwards the Assyrians carried them all away captives, and the basest of all the people came even to set their feet upon them, and therefore saith the holy Ghost, This is but a little: I speak to those that make not up their peace with God; and do not upon those burdens that are upon them return to God. As the mercies of God to his Saints, that which now they have is but a little, they may be said to rejoyce a little for the mercy that now they have. And so the burdens upon the ungodly they are but a little, but if they return not to ⟨p. 67⟩God upon what they feel, God hath greater burdens than those are that they so vex and fret under.

1. 1Obs. 1.
2. 2Use. Admonition to Engl.Use. Admonitiō to Engl.

Secondly, ¹Taxes and Impositions upon mens estates are but a little burden in comparison of being brought under the power of the Enemy.

1. 1Obs. 2

Though there be sore Taxes upon you,¹ as here there was fifty shekels of silver laid upon every man that was able, but those Taxes are but little burdens in comparison of being given up to the power of the Enemy, they would lay burdens indeed upon us, burdens upon our Consciences, all our Estates, all our Lives, all our Liberties, whatsoever we are or have must be under their mercy; now we are troubled, but then their little finger will be more heavy than the loins that now we find to be upon us; although we dare not say but some may find burdens very sore upon them for the present.

1. 1Use.

A third Note,¹ is this; That, as Taxes are a burden, but a little in comparison, so the carrying of our Brethren into captivity: Though we enjoy our Estates our selves, yet if God lays his hand upon any of our Brethren though in remote parts of the Kingdom, Oh we should account this to be a burden. As not only their Taxations was a burden, but the carrying away of their Brethren that were beyond the River.

A third Note,¹ is this; That, as Taxes are a burden, but a little in comparison, so the carrying of our Brethren into captivity: Though we enjoy our Estates our selves, yet if God laies his hand upon any of our Brethren though in remote parts of the Kingdom, Oh we should account this to be a burden. As not only their Taxations was a burden, but the carrying away of their Brethren that were beyond the River.

1. 1Obs. 3.

If there were no other sin among us, it were just with God to bring the Enemy upon us, and then we should find that there were other manner of burdens.

But there is another burden that we are not sensible enough of, and that is the captivity of our Brethren in the remote parts of this Land. Oh! how little sensible are we of it because we feel it not our selves?

The fourth Note from hence is this,¹ That it's Gods mercy when we are running on to our utter ruin, not to suffer us to plunge our selves irrecoverably into misery, but to bring lesser evils upon us that by them we may come to bethink our selves, and if it be possible to prevent greater. You shall sorrow a little, I will not undo you presently; but return to me, or else you are utterly ⟨p. 68⟩undone, but this is my Mercy, I will bring afflictions upon you by piece-meal,² and if you do not return to me, then you shall be utterly lost; for so this people were, they were carried away captive and never returned to this very day. Oh! doth God come to you in your family, or person, or estate? Oh! let us consider of this.

The fourth Note from hence is this,¹ That it's Gods mercy when we are running on to our utter ruin, not to suffer us to plung our selves irrecoverably into misery, but to bring lesser evils upon us that by them we may come to bethink our selves, and if it be possible to prevent greater. You shall sorrow a little, I will not undo you presently; but return to me, or else you are utterly ⟨p. 68⟩undone, but this is my Mercy, I wil bring afflictions upon you by piece-meal,² and if you do not return to me, then you shall be utterly lost; for so this people were, they were carried away captive and never returned to this very day. Oh! doth God come to you in your family, or person, or estate? Oh! let us consider of this.

1. 1Obs. 4
2. 2[in that generality that they were carried away]

And this is the last note from it:¹ The consideration of little burdens which is upon us to what might be, should cause us to turn to God; it should break our hearts, and cause us to seek the face of God, that we may prevent greater evils, that otherwise will certainly come; the Lord in his dealing towards us seems as if he were loth to lose us, and that this Nation should perish, Oh that this might work kindly upon our hearts to prevent greater evils, that we might not be made a spectacle of the wrath of God to all the Nations that are round about us.

1. 1Obs. 5

And yet further,¹ The words translated, They shall sorrow a little, are by some translated, They have begun a little for the burden of the King of Princes: And so in Deut. 2. 25. there is the word that comes from the same root, That that they have felt, it is but the beginning of what is like to come, my wrath is let out upon them in some degree already,² and do not you see it, how it is begun to burn upon them? and that which was lately before your eyes, by that you may come to believe my threatenings.

And yet further,¹ The words translated, They shall sorrow a little, are by some translated, They have begun a little for the burden of the King of Princes: And so in Deut. 2. 25. there is the word that comes from the same root, That that they have felt, it is but the beginning of what is like to come, my wrath is let out upon them in some degree already,² and do not you see it, how it is begun to burn upon them? and that which was lately before your eyes, by that you may come to beleeve my threatnings.

1. 1ab [Greek or Hebrew] incipiam à [Greek or Hebrew] exalto signif.ab 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 incipiam à 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 exalto signif.
2. 2Deut. 2. 25.

Gods judgments against wicked men, ¹are the beginnings of further judgments. In Deut. 32. 42. I will make my Arrows drunk with blood (and my sword shall devour flesh) and that with the blood of the slain, ²and of the captives, from the beginning of revenge upon the enemy. All this is but from the beginning of revenges, when I come so terribly upon them, it is but the beginning of revenges. We are ready to think if there be miserable slaughters, Surely God hath been revenged enough upon this people. No, all this may prove but the beginning of revenges.³ I may say so concerning our selves, Though the Lord many times hath made the sword drunk ⟨p. 69⟩with blood, yet it may prove to be but the beginning of revenges; truly we cannot say that from the time that these Judgments have been upon us, that we have begun scarce to come in to turn to God, yea, th• ••ate of the Kingdom is far worse than it was at the beginning of this heavy stroke that is upon us. In Matth. 24. 7, 8. Ye shall hear of wars, and rumours of wars, and Nation should rise against Nation, and Kingdom against Kingdom, and there shall be famines and pestilences, and earth-quakes: all these should be but the beginning of sorrows.

Gods judgments against wicked men, ¹are the beginnings of further judgments. In Deut. 32. 42. I will make my Arrows drunk with blood (and my sword shall devour flesh) and that with the blood of the slain, ²and of the captives, from the beginning of revenge upon the enemy. All this is but from the beginning of revenges, when I come so terribly upon them, it is but the beginning of revenges. We are ready to think if there be miserable slaughters, Surely God hath been revenged enough upon this people. No, all this may prove but the begining of revenges.³ I may say so concerning our selves, Though the Lord many times hath made the sword drunk ⟨p. 69⟩with blood, yet it may prove to be but the beginning of revenges; truly we cannot say that from the time that these Judgments have been upon us, that we have begun scarce to come in to turn to God, yea, th• ••ate of the Kingdom is far worse than it was at the beginning of this heavy stroke that is upon us. In Matth. 24. 7, 8. Ye shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars, and Nation should rise against Nation, and Kingdom against Kingdom, and there shall be famines and pestilences, and earth-quakes: all these should be but the beginning of sorrows.

1. 1Obs. 1
2. 2Deut. 32. 42. illustrated.
3. 3Use for England.

Secondly, God expects from men,¹ that though they be not sensible of his threats, yet when he begins with them in way of execution of his wrath, they should begin a little. Oh! it were well with us if we did prevent Gods heavy wrath by our repentance. Numbers. 16. 46. Moses said unto Aaron, Take a Censer, and put fire therein from off the Altar, and put on Incense, and go quickly to the Congregation, and make an atonement for them; for there is wrath gone out from the Lord, the plague is begun. Oh! how should we all make hast? we cannot say only, the plague is begun (the plague of Civil War, which is the greatest of all kind of plagues) but it hath gone on a great way.

1. 1Obs. 2.