A30574:536
A30574:536
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth, & tenth chapters of the prophesy of Hosea being first delivered in several lectures at Michaels Cornhill, London / by Jeremiah Burroughs ; being the seventh book published by Thomas Goodwin ... [et al.]An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth, & tenth chapters of the prophesy of Hosea being first delivered in several lectures at Michaels Cornhil, London / by Jeremiah Burroughs ; being the seventh book published by Thomas Goodwin ... [et al.]
London: printed by Peter Cole, 1650
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The ground of joy or sorrow is the terms that are between God and us; sin hath an evil in it to damp all our joy, if we would have joy in any thing let us take heed of defiling it by sin; of all sins, the sin of forsaking God, forsaking or corrupting Gods Worship, that's such an evil as is enough to take away the joy of a Nation, whatsoever a Nation hath; if it hath forsaken God in matter of worship it hath little cause of joy, though we should have peace and outward prosperity, yet if there be not making up of our peace for our going a whoring from God, let there be all the peace that can be made, yet we have little cause to rejoice in it; but a people retaining the true Worship of God, whatsoever it be in other respects, that people hath cause to rejoice. Yea and as a whole Nation, so any particular soul, particular men or women, Christians that live in a Nation if their consciences can tell them that they have not complied with the times and gone a whoring from God in ways of false worship as others have done, they have cause to rejoice whatsoever befalls a Nation; whereas the others that have had complying spirits, though the Nation should prosper never so much, yet they have little cause to rejoice in that joy: let us therefore be solicitous about nothing so much as about the true Worship of God.
The ground of joy or sorrow is the terms that are between God and us; sin hath an evil in it to damp all our joy, if we would have joy in any thing let us take heed of defiling it by sin; of all sins, the sin of forsaking God, forsaking or corrupting Gods Worship, that's such an evil as is enough to take away the joy of a Nation, whatsoever a Nation hath; if it hath forsaken God in matter of worship it hath little cause of joy, though we should have peace and outward prosperitie, yet if there be not making up of our peace for our going a whoring from God, let there be all the peace that can be made, yet we have little cause to rejoice in it; but a people retaining the true Worship of God, whatsoever it be in other respects, that people hath cause to rejoice. Yea and as a whol Nation, so any particular soul, particular men or women, Christians that live in a Nation if their consciences can tell them that they have not complied with the times and gone a whoring from God in waies of false worship as others have done, they have cause to rejoyce whatsoever befals a Nation; whereas the others that have had complying spirits, though the Nation should prosper never so much, yet they have little cause to rejoyce in that joy: let us therefore be solicitous about nothing so much as about the true Worship of God.
Yea but this people might say, Suppose we have some corruptions in the Worship of God, yet we do retain more than other Nations do. Nay saith God, you have gone a whoring; and so, you are more guilty than other Nations. From whence the Notes are:
First,1 That which we may think a little matter in corrupting Gods Worship, God may call it a going a whoring from Him: it's true (might they say) we may fail in some Circumstances, we go not up to Jerusalem to worship, but still we worship the true God, and we observe the Law of Moses. No (saith the Lord) You have gone a whoring from Me.
I but still, Why may not we rejoice as other people, to be sure we are not worse Idolaters than they, therefore though we may not rejoice more than others, yet why not as others? they make Idols to be their gods, there is nothing so vile among us as among the Nations about us? From whence therefore the Observation is this, that God charges them more than others,
I but still, Why may not we rejoyce as other people, to be sure we are not worse Idolaters than they, therefore though we may not rejoyce more than others, yet why not as others? they make Idols to be their gods, there is nothing so vile among us as among the Nations about us? From whence therefore the Observation is this, that God charges them more than others,
First, 1That a people may be free from the gross evils that there are in other people, and may have many good things that other people have not, and yet may be in a worse condition than other people.
Thus,1 There may be some sins that they have among them that may have greater aggravations than any sins that other people have, that may make their condition (all things considered) worse. We here in this Land have much rejoiced heretofore in this, that we have had the Doctrine of Religion so pure among us as no people more, and certainly except it hath been through some few that of late days have sought to corrupt it, certainly that must be said, that the Doctrine hath been kept very pure, as the main things of Religion, and in some things we have gone beyond other reformed Churches, as in the point of the Sabbath a great deal beyond them; and so there hath been here in England for Family Duties, never had God more ⟨p. 148⟩honour from any people in the world than he hath had from us in many respects; but yet for all this it seems by Gods dealings with us at this day, that God is more provoked with us than with other people, and the truth is, take these one or two things and I think that no people upon the face of the earth can parallel our guilt, not only no people that are now, but never any people since the world began, as that bitterness of spirit in the hatred of the power of godliness and the opposing of it, and persecuting of it, never was any people so guilty as we have been; in other reformed Churches men may be as forward and zealous as they will and they are not persecuted as they are here, & though they kept the Sabbath more loosely, yet they never persecuted men that kept it strictly, & there was never heard that stopping of the mouth of the faithful Ministry so generally as here in England, if there were but any stirring Ministry in any place, presently fly upon them; and so it may well be said to us at this day, Rejoice not as other people. God hath spit in our faces, to tell us that our condition is worse than the condition of other people.
Thus,1 There may be some sins that they have among them that may have greater aggravations than any sins that other people have, that may make their condition (all things considered) worse. We here in this Land have much rejoyced heretofore in this, that we have had the Doctrine of Religion so pure among us as no people more, and certainly except it hath been through some few that of late daies have sought to corrupt it, certainly that must be said, that the Doctrine hath been kept very pure, as the main things of Religion, and in some things we have gone beyond other reformed Churches, as in the point of the Sabbath a great deal beyond them; and so there hath been here in England for Family Duties, never had God more
Yea but still,1 If we be Idolaters (would the ten Tribes say) they are so too.
Here was one particular aggravation upon Israel that was not among other people,1 and that was this, There was no other people would forsake their gods as Israel had forsaken theirs, Jer. 2. 10. there was never such a thing as for a Land to change their god,2 (the worst people, for Kedar was the worst sort of people, they were a vile people, and yet) go to Kedar and see and search diligently whether any Nation hath ever forsaken their Gods, But you have forsaken Me. And from thence there may be this Note.
That to be constant to ill principles is not so great an evil, 1as to be false against good principles. (I say) God accounts it not to be so great an evil for men to be constant to their prin•les though they be evil principles as for men to forsake ⟨p. 149⟩good principles;2 as now if a man hath been brought up all his days in superstition and thinks verily this is the right, certainly this man is not so guilty before God as another that hath been educated in the true worship of God, and hath made profession of the contrary and yet afterward doth apostatize, and backslide: God had rather that men should keep to their principles though they be evil, than entertain good principles and forsake them: There are none so vile in Gods eyes as Apostates, there is not so much sordidness and baseness of spirit in those men that will keep constant to their principles though they be evil as in such as will betray their principles that are good.
That to be constant to ill principles is not so great an evil, 1as to be false against good principles. (I say) God accounts it not to be so great an evil for men to be constant to their prin•les though they be evil principles as for men to forsake ⟨p. 149⟩good principles;2 as now if a man hath been brought up all his daies in superstition and thinks verily this is the right, certainly this man is not so guilty before God as another that hath been educated in the true worship of God, and hath made profession of the contrary and yet afterward doth apostatize, and backslide: God had rather that men should keep to their principles though they be evil, than entertain good principles and forsake them: There are none so vile in Gods eyes as Apostates, there is not so much sordidness and baseness of spirit in those men that will keep constant to their principles though they be evil as in such as will betray their principles that are good.
And then the Principal Observation is this;1 That the sins of Gods People are the greatest sins of all: the sins of the Saints are the greatest sins of all, and they are to mourn more than any.2 In Amos, 3. 2. You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore will I visit you for your iniquities; 3your sins are greater. And that in Rom. 2. 9. Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil, of the Jew first, and also the Gentile. And we have these two excellent texts in Jer. 18. 13. 4Ask ye now among the Heathen, who hath heard such things? the Virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing; that's the aggravation that it is the Virgin of Israel that hath done such a horrible thing. But especially that text in Jer. 32. 30. 5For the children of Israel, and the children of Judah have only done evil from their youth. Now Hierom hath such a Note upon this. What, the children of Israel (saith he) and Judah only done evil from their youth? What, hath none done evil but they? he gives this answer, He that hath the knowledge of God and goes from it, he alone sins in the eyes of God, as for unbelievers they sin too but it is as if God saw it not, and as if God minded it not, as he saith in the Acts, that he winks at the days of their ignorance,6 but they only sin that have had the knowledge of God. We read of this Philistines that they ventured to ⟨p. 150⟩carry the Ark upon Carts;
Oh! remember this, you that do often covenant with God, when you are in Prayer, Oh! how do you renew your Covenant with God? What promises do you make with God in Prayer, and yet you grow again loose, and false, and vile afterwards? Oh! you must not rejoice as other people; you look upon a Drunkard that reels in the streets, and hear a Swearer blaspheme the Name of God, yea, but that may not be so great an evil as the vanity of thy spirit, And why? The looseness of thy heart, and those secret sins thou art guilty of, because thou hast so covenanted and bound thy self to God: the Drunkard was never made sensible of his sin and wrath of God upon his conscience; but the wrath of God hath been upon thy conscience, and thou hast engaged thy self to God, if he would show mercy, Oh! thou wouldst walk holily and strictly before him: Now doest thou think that thy sins are as the sins of other people? They never had such Soul-quickening Ordinances, but go up and down to Taverns and Alehouses, and never know what a powerful Sermon meant upon their hearts, and had they such means as thou hast, then it's like it would be with them far better than now; and the Name of God is not so much polluted by them as by ⟨p. 151⟩thee; thou that art a Professor of Religion the eyes of all men are upon thee, and in thy sin thou doest not only disobey God, but thou doest pollute the Name of God, thou art a stumbling block unto others, and the cause of the hardening of many hundreds in their sins, and therefore thy sin certainly is worse than others. This would be a great Point to show how the sins of the Professors of Religion are worse than others, and therefore it is not enough for you to say, We are all sinners: No, we must not excuse our selves in this, that others are guilty as well as we, Oh! but consider what aggravations there is of thy sin more than there is of the sins of others; It is a sign of a very carnal heart to think to go away thus, it's true, I sin, and others sin as well as I do; yea, but a true penitent heart will not only consider that he is a sinner, but what aggravations are there upon his sin more than upon the sins of others? and so will lay it upon their hearts, It's true, such and such sin, but had they what I have had, it would not be so with them;
Oh! remember this, you that do often covenant with God, when you are in Prayer, Oh! how do you renew your Covenant with God? What promises do you make with God in Prayer, and yet you grow again loose, and false, and vile afterwards? Oh! you must not rejoyce as other people; you look upon a Drunkard that reels in the streets, and hear a Swearer blaspheme the Name of God, yea, but that may not be so great an evil as the vanity of thy spirit, And why? The loosness of thy heart, and those secret sins thou art guilty of, because thou hast so covenanted and bound thy self to God: the Drunkard was never made sensible of his sin and wrath of God upon his conscience; but the wrath of God hath been upon thy conscience, and thou hast engaged thy self to God, if he would shew mercy, Oh! thou would'st walk holily and strictly before him: Now doest thou think that thy sins are as the sins of other people? They never had such Soul-quickning Ordinances, but go up and down to Taverns and Alehouses, and never know what a powerful Sermon meant upon their hearts, and had they such means as thou hast, then it's like it would be with them far better than now; and the Name of God is not so much polluted by them as by
my sin that hath broken through so many terrors of conscience, and that God hath sought by such means to keep me from my sin, it is a sign of the violence of my spirit indeed that hath broken through so much as I have done: it is therefore an abominable thing to make our profession in holy Duties a Medium to make our sins less, Doest thou think that this is a means to make thee escape that wrath? Certainly this is a great aggravation of thy sins.
And then the Principal Observation is this;1 That the sins of Gods People are the greatest sins of all: the sins of the Saints are the greatest sins of all, and they are to mourn more than any.2 In Amos, 3. 2. You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore will I visit you for your iniquities; 3your sins are greater. And that in Rom. 2. 9. Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil, of the Jew first, and also the Gentile. And we have these two excellent texts in Jer. 18. 13. 4Ask ye now among the Heathen, who hath heard such things? the Virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing; that's the aggravation that it is the Virgin of Israel that hath done such a horrible thing. But especially that text in Jer. 32. 30. 5For the children of Israel, and the children of Judah have only done evil from their youth. Now Hierom hath such a Note upon this. What, the children of Israel (saith he) and Judah only done evil from their youth? What, hath none done evil but they? he gives this answer, He that hath the knowledg of God and goes from it, he alone sins in the eyes of God, as for unbeleevers they sin too but it is as if God saw it not, and as if God minded it not, as he saith in the Acts, that he winks at the daies of their ignorance,6 but they only sin that have had the knowledg of God. We reade of this Philistims that they ventured to ⟨p. 150⟩carry the Ark upon Carts;7 God did not manifest himself provoked against them that carried the Ark so, but when the Levites would presume to carry it upon carts, the Lord makes a breach upon them and strikes Ʋzzah with death; he did bear with it in the Philistins, which was a little before, and it may be they presumed and thought the Philistins carried the Ark upon a cart, why may not we? That which God will beare from others he will not bear from his own, their sins are against Covenant, and that's a special thing, there hath not been that solemn Covenant between me and other people as between you and me: This is a mighty aggravation against the sins of Gods people, more than against any people in the world, that they are against Covenant.