An exposition with practical observations upon the three first chapters of the book of…

That man is greatly burdened, from whom others expect much, but he who expects much, is in danger to be more burdened. Therefore David prays, Psal. 119.116. Let me not be ashamed of my hope. As shame arises from doing a thing against known light and common principles, so also from loosing or suffering a thing against known hope and common expectation. It is noted as an aggravation of that peoples affliction in the Prophet, We looked for peace and behold no good came, and for a time of health, and behold trouble, Jer. 8.15. For a people to be in expectation of some great mercy, doubles the sorrow of their miscarriage: Now in these times, we being in our night of trouble, and (as it were) looking when day will break, when our peace will return, when truth will prevail and be settled, when error and the abettors of it shall be overthrown. How would it augment our sorrows, if we looking for these mercies should not have them? As it is a greater affliction to be miserable when we have been happy, so when we have long hoped to be happy. God expresses himself as much troubled, when he looses his expectation from us: It provokes the Spirit of God to anger against us, when he looks for the fruits of his care and love in our obedience and findeth none, (Isa. 5.) God looked that his vineyard should have ⟨p. 386⟩brought forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. He looked for judgement, and behold oppression, for righteousness and behold a cry: This disappointment provoked the Lord to lay his vineyard wast. So in the Gospel, when Christ cometh to the fig-tree three years, seeking or looking for fruit and findeth none. What then? Cut it down saith Christ, he is very angry thus missing his expectation. Now, as it provokes the anger of God to come looking upon man, his creature for duty and finds none; so it doth likewise exceedingly grieve the spirit of man, when he looks to God for mercy and finds none; And how just is it that God should cross our expectation, when we so often cross his. No marvel if we look for light and behold darkness, for peace and behold trouble, for success and behold disappointments: Whenas God looks among us for repentance and behold presumption, for faith and behold unbelief, for patience and behold complaining, for reformation and behold backsliding, for fruit and behold barrenness or but leaves.