Heaven upon earth, or, The best friend in the worst of times. Delivered in…

Ninthly, He is the most patient Friend: Never any one in the world could have digested such affronts, born such indignities, as God hath many a time, and even from the best of those that he takes into this intimacy with himself. Had it not been for this Covenant of Friendship, Judah and Ephraim too had been soon unpeopled; as for them they soon forgot their Covenant, yet for all that God remembers his; though Ephraim forget to be a Child, yet God can't forget to be a Father. Read that Text and wonder, Hos. 11.7, 8. And my people are bent to back sliding: though they called them to the most high, yet none at all would exalt him. Though they had many compassionate ⟨p. 120⟩Prophets that called after them day and night, when they saw them turning their backs upon God, yet they were not minded. Who now would conceive that God should ever think a thought of kindness towards them more? yet hear what God saith, How shall I give thee up, O Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, O Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? and how shall I seat thee as Zebulon? My heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together. I will not execute the fierceness 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, and I will not enter into the City. Well, now tell me if ever there were such a compassionate, meek, patient Friend. Ephraim was up in open Arms against his maker, he did rebel most unworthily against his good Lord and Friend, to whom he was bound by infinite Engagements. Ephraim had quite cast off God, and he will have nothing to do with him; and Judah is not far inferior to his treacherous Brother; and what will God do? One would think, as I said before, he should ease himself quickly of such false friends; one would think that after such unfaithfulness, he should for ever banish them his Court; one would soon conceive that he should think of dis-inheriting such rebellious Children; for theirs was not the first, second, nor third time that they had served God thus; who then could imagine that he should ever trouble himself with them any more? Should one not look every day when he should quite cast them off? Why, God seems sometimes to threaten as much, and seems ever and anon to act towards them, as if he would ⟨p. 121⟩never look upon them more while the world stands. Go saith God to your Idols, let them save you?