William Jenkyn
10. God loves not to give deliverance, Observ. 10. Deus ad suorum liberationem manum admovet cum omnia videntur desperata. Riv. in Exod. p. 70. Psal. 12.5. till it be welcome. When the bricks are doubled, then, and not till then, Moses comes. When Israel is parch’d with the heat of persecution, then come the showrs of deliverance. God is an help in the needfull time of trouble. Then is it Gods time to deliver, when there are no visible helps or hopes of deliverance: For the oppression of the poor, and sighing of the needy, now will I arise (saith the Lord.) In such a case it was, that God said to Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh. Times of extreme oppression, Exod. 6.1. are times of earnest supplication: and God loves to bestow mercies, when they are by prayer desired. The cry of Israel must come up to God, before mercy from God comes down upon Israel. Further, Judg. 6.10. where deliverance comes in a time of extremity, it will be entertained upon its own termes; Israel will part with any thing that offends their deliverer: they will submit to strict reformation, which before they would not hear of, and say with Saul, Act. 6.9. Lord, what wilt thou have us to do? and with the Egyptians, who were pinched with the famine, Gen. 47.19. Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants to Pharaoh. Lastly, when deliverance is afforded in the Churches extremity, the glory of Gods power, wisdome, and free goodnesse is most clearly discovered; God loves so to work for his people, as to gaine most by them; he will have the tribute of praise out of every salvation. And this discovers the true reason why mercy is delaid; why God only (as it were) shews a mercy, and then pulls it in again: we are not yet so pinched by the want thereof, as to stoop to Gods conditions, to accept of an exact universall reformation; to be willing that God should do with us what he pleaseth: and to those whom God hath so fitted, mercy shall not long be delayed; nay, God hath given to them the best of mercies, in bestowing a heart meet to enjoy them.
11. Observ. 11. God often proportions the sin to the punishment. The Egyptians encompasse poor Israel with affliction, neither suffering them to go from, or remain in Egypt; and now they themselves can neither go backward or forward in the sea. The bloody rivers, and their destruction in the red sea, tell them their cruelty in drowning the Israelitish children. Sodom was inflamed with the fire of lust, and God consumes them with the fire of wrath. Joseph’s brethren sell Joseph for a slave, and they themselves are detained as bond-men. Adonibezek cuts off the thumbs and great toes of seventy Kings; Judg. 1.7 and as he did to them, so did God requite him. Haman was hanged upon his own gibbet. David’s murder and adultery were followed with the death of his children, and the ravishment of Thamar. It’s thy duty to trace sinne by the foot-prints of punishment; and observe what sin thou hast lived in, which beares most proportion to thy punishment. Art thou sick? consider whether thou hast not abus’d thy strength to sin. Doth God take away thy sight, thy hearing, thy tongue, thy estate? ask thy conscience whether these have not been imploy’d against God. And if this direction seem to put thee upon an uncertain course of finding out thy beloved sin, imitate the example of Herod, who, that he might make sure work to kill our Saviour, slew all the children in Bethlehem. In like manner let us impartially destroy all our sins. If we know not which was the thorn that prick’d us, cut down the whole hedg. If we know not which was the Bee that stung us, let us throw down the whole hive.
12. Observ. 12. When the enemies of God labour most to oppose and frustrate, they accomplish and fulfill the will of God. Pharaoh studies to destroy Israel; but even then Pharaoh by his own daughter preserves and nourisheth him who was to be Israels deliverer. Pharaoh resolves to detain Israel in bondage; but even he shall shortly not only send them away, but compell them to go; yea in that very night which God had four hundred and thirty yeers before set down and prefixed. Josephs brethren sell him that his dreame might prove false, and that they might not be brought to bow before him; but so did God order it, Ideo veneratus, quia venditus. that therefore they came to do obeysance to him, because they sold him. The Jews kild Christ, to extinguish his fame and glory; but by his death was his glory and fame advanced. Oh the folly of Gods enemies! how can God want weapons to beat them, when he can beat them with their own? how impossible is it but God should prevail over them, when he doth so by being oppos’d by them? how should this encourage the afflicted Church of God! when his enemies most resist him, they are against their wills compell’d most to serve him and his Church.
13. Observ. 13. God is most faithfull in keeping promise with his people. God mis-reckon’d not his people one day, nay not one hour in four hundred and thirty years. All the pathes of God are mercy and truth. Psal. 25.10. Psal. 89.33. Isai. 55.3. 2 Cor. 1.20. Josh. 21.45. and 23.14. 1 King 8.56. Jer. 33.20. Isai. 54.19. The faithfulnesse of God never failes, nor will he alter the thing which is gone out of his lips. The promises of God are called, the sure mercies of David: sure unto all the seed of David, that are in covenant with God, as David was: They are yea and amen. There shall not fail one word of all the good which God hath promised to do for his people. The promises of God are built upon the unchangeable purpose of God, which is a sure and unshaken foundation, 2 Tim. 2.19. Hence it is that God is said to have promised eternall life before the world began, because the promises which are made in time, are according to that purpose of God in himselfe. And Hebr. 6.17. the Apostle grounds the truth of the promise upon the stablenesse of Gods counsell; so that unlesse Gods counsell and purpose change, the promise cannot faile. Psal. 89.3.35. Heb. 6.17. Heb. 9.16, 17 To assure us of the certainty of his Covenant, God hath given us the pledges of his oath; his seal of the blood of Christ, the Mediatour, the earnest of his spirit, 2 Cor. 1.22. Let the true Israelites hence gather strong consolation. Christians, you are not worthy to be beloved, but God is worthy to be beleeved. The promises are as sure as they are great. Though all the world falter and deceive you, yet the promises of God are firm and stable. God will try your faith, but never disappoint it. Judge of his faithfulnesse, not by his providences, but by his promises. Of this more in the last part of the verse.
14. Observ. 14. The great God hath all the creatures at his command. He commands in chiefe, and the creatures are his hosts; even from the least of the lice that crept upon the poorest Egyptian, to the most glorious Angell in heaven. Psal. 148.8. Psal. 77.16. If he say to a plague, Go, it goeth; if, Come, it cometh; they all fulfill his word, the unruly sea tamely stands still, if God command it; yea though of it selfe it be unkind and raging, it lovingly opens its bosome to entertain the Israelites. Hee can make the swift sun to stop its course, yea to go backward. Josh. 10.12. Isai. 38.8. The greedy and cruell Lions are muzled up, and grow gentle at Gods command. If God speak unto the fish, it shall take, retain, and restore Jonas. How should this relieve the faithfull in all their exigencies! Their friend, their father, hath all the world at his command to supply their wants, to deliver them from troubles, to destroy their enemies. Man roweth, but God bloweth: The Egyptians pursue, but the wind, the sea, the chariot wheels shall all obey the God of Israel. Never need a true Israelite fear, who hath such a friend. Never can an Egyptian be fafe, that hath such an enemy.
15. Observ. 15. Wicked men grow not wise till it be too late. Why could not the Egyptians as well refraine from the pursuit of Israel, as endeavour a retreat? It had been better for them not to have entred into the sea, than to struggle to get out when once they were in it. They might with more wisedome have said, Let us not follow after; than have said, Let us flye from the Israelites. Wicked men do not beleeve their danger til they feel it. Satan suffers not their eyes to be opened till they be (with the blinded Syrians) in the midst of their enemies. Oh sinner! Labour to be wise betimes; in this thy day, know the things that belong to thy peace. Its easier to be warned of the wrath to come, than to wade out of it.
16. Observ. 16. God makes those conditions and imployments easie to his people when they are once in them, which before seem’d impossible. Israel rather thought, that the wildernesse should have given them graves, then that the sea should have given them passage. They who feared that none could role away for them the stone of the sepulcher, when they came, found it roll’d away to their hands. The workes of God are sweet in the performance, which are unpleasing in their undertakeing: the yoke of Christ is greivous to take up, but easie to bear and undergo; its otherwise in the imployments of sin; they are easie and delightfull in the beginning, but bitternesse in the end. The Israelites find the sea shut against them, when they approach it; but it was open in their passage through it. The Egyptians found it open at their approach, but shut when they would return. The waies of God are narrowly broad; The wayes of sin broadly narrow. Israel hath nothing to do but to follow God, and to beleeve. For their way, if mercy do not find it easie, it will make it so.
The second part of this example of the Israelites is their destruction after their forementioned deliverance, in these words. [Afterward destroyed.] ]
Two things may here be explained.
1, What this destruction was which befell Israel afterward.
2. Wherein the eminency and remarkablenesse of this destruction which was afterward, did appear.
1. For the first. The Scriptures record sundry destructions brought upon the Israelites while they were in the wildernesse, after their deliverance from Egypt: As 1. Some were destroyed after their idolatrous worshipping of the Golden Calfe, Exod. 32.28, by the command of Moses, to the number of three thousand men. 2. There was a destruction by fire which the Lord kindled, mentioned Num. 11.1, 2, 3. whether this fire brake out of the earth, or came from the Pillar of fire which went before the Israelites, or was poured upon them from heaven, it is not expressed; certain it is, that it was a grevious burning; and therefore the place where it burnt was called Taberah. 3. Another destruction by the plague, wee read of in the same chapter, ver. 33. at Kibroth Hataavah, after the people had impatiently and discontentedly, lusted for flesh. 4. There’s a destruction by fiery serpents, recorded, Num. 21.6. Where after their murmuring for want of water it’s said, much people of Israel dyed. 5. Many of the Israelites were destroyed, about the conspiracy of Corab and his complices, related Num. 16.31. Where, besides the swallowing up of sundry in the earth, and the consuming by fire of two hundred and fifty who offered incense, fourteen thousand seven hundred more were destroyed for murmuring and raging against the former judgments. 6. For committing whoredome with the daughters of Moab, and bowing down to their gods, wee read Num. 25.9. of a plague, by which dyed twenty five thousand. 7. Besides the death of ten of the spies who brought up a slander upon the promised land, a discomfiture of the Israelites by the Amalekites and Canaanites is recorded, Num. 14.45. for a rebellious attempt to invade it against the will of God; These destructions by violent death are the principall which are mentioned particularly in the sacred story. But though the destruction which is here intended by the Apostle, be not exclusive of these, yet is it to be extended beyond them, and to be understood of that more generall destruction which Numb. 14.29. &c. is threatned against all the Israelites from twenty yeers old and upward, whose carcasses for forty yeers fell in the wildernesse, in regard of their rebellious and unbeleeving murmurings against God, upon the evill report which the spies had brought upon the land of Canaan.
For the second, viz. the eminency and remarkablenesse of this destruction, it was a dispensation compounded of Severity, principally intended, Mercy also comprehended. in the setting down of this example.
I. First, For its severity. This appears in these two considerations.
1. The persons who were destroyed.
2. The season when they were destroyed.
1. The persons who were destroyed, are considerable, 1. in their quality, and priviledges. 2. In their quantity and number.
1. In their quality, noted in the word them; They were the seed of Abraham, the friend of God, Israelites according to the flesh. Not heathens, but a peculiar, a chosen people, priviledged above all the people of the earth, to whom belonged the covenant, sacrifice, 1 Cor. 10.3, 4. Rom. 3.2. Rom. 9.4. Deut. 4.33. Psal. 147. ult. Deut. 33. ult. sacraments, worship; of which Christ came according to the flesh. A people who so heard the voice of God speaking out of the fire, as none other ever did; to whom God had shewn his statutes and his judgments, after which manner he had not dealt with any nation. In a word, a people whose priviledges Moses thus admires; Happy art thou O Israel; who is like unto thee, O people, &c. How conspicuous was divine severity in destroying a people so neer, so dear to him; and whom he only knew of all the families of the earth! Oh Lord, (saith Joshuah) what shall I say, Josh. 7.8. when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies? Oh smart severity, thus to fetch blood from a son, a first born; to destroy not Egyptians, Canaanites, but even Israelites! Docet Paulus quadringentis triginta annis post promissiouem à Deo factam Abrae, legem Mosis latam esse: Cum ergo ab hoc tempore usque ad ingressum Jacob in Aegyptum, anni ducenti quindecim effluxerint, necessariò sequitur restare usque ad legem datam tertio mense egressionis populi ex Aegypto, annos omnino ducentos, & quinde cim. Lorin. in Act. 7. & Rivet. in exercit. in Genes. Psa. 102.10. Job. 29. per totum. & cap. 30
2. The persons destroyed are considerable in their quantity and numbers. The power and mercy of God were not more remarkeable in the recruting of seventy soules in two hundred and fifteen yeers to six hundred thousand, besides women and children; than in the reducing of so many hundred thousand in forty yeers to two persons, a Joshuah and a Caleb. Oh how angry was their father, to go round his family with his rod! yea how just was their judg, to ride such a large circuit with his sword!
2. The severity of this destruction is considerable in the season when they were destroyed. noted in the word Afterward: after they were saved out of the land of Egypt; and so it was a severity which admits of a threefold amplification.
1. This distruction of the Israelites afterward, was a fall after an eminent advancement. The higher a place is from which a man falls, the more dangerously doth he fall. How wofull is it to have been happy! Its a double mercy to be rais’d up from a low, to an high estate; and it is a double misery to be thrown down from an high, to a low degree. Thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down (saith David.) And thus Job amplifieth his misery with admirable elegancy; Young men saw me, and hid themselves; Princes refrained talking, &c. But now they who are younger then I, have me in derision; whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock, &c, Oh how glorious was Israel in their Egyptian preservation! their red-sea-deliverance, their wildernesse-provisions and protections! being (as Moses in admiration of their happinesse breaks out) a people to whom none was like, in being saved by the Lord. And if so, then was no people so miserable in being forsaken by the Lord.
2. This destruction of the Israelites afterward, was a miscarriage after vast cost and expences laid out upon them. How angry is that father with his Son, who casts him off after all his care and costs of education! How hatefull is that house to the owner, which he pulls down after vast and immeasurable expences about its structure and furniture! How much anger did God expresse in the destruction of the Temple, when after all the cost which David and Solomon laid out upon it, the Babylonians burn it to ashes, and carry away all the gold and sumptuous monuments thereof! Was ever God at such charges with any nation as he was at with Israel? For their sake he turns Egypt up side down, he rebuked kings, he scattered and destroyed armies; the wild water waites upon them in a standing posture; the Pillar of a cloud and fire conducts them; the heavens pour them down miraculous shours of Angels food; the rock splits it self into cups, and gives them drink; their garments continue fresh, and grow not old; and which is infinitely beyond all this, God renewes his Covenant with them, and gives them a law from heaven, speakes out of the fire, and sends them an epistle to instruct them, written with his own hand; and after all this cost and care, how great must Israels destruction be!
3. Yet further, this destruction of the Israelites, afterward, was a sad disappointment of highest expectations. Israel was now cast away, as it were, in the haven. They who not long since were singing and dancing, at the spectacle of floting Pharaoh and his followers; they who had past thorow the furnace and the sea, and escaped both their oppressours and pursuers; they who had safely marched through an hot howling wildernesse, even unto the borders of the promised land, and were now safely arrived at the confines of Canaan; In a word, they who had nothing now (as they hop’d) to do, but to enter and take possession of a land flowing with milk and hony, Numb. 14.25, 29.30. are not only farbidden to enter it, but commanded back to the sandy and scorching wildernesse, there to spend the residue of their few and evill dayes: Oh sorrowfull, stupendions disappointment!
II. And yet secondly, even in this destruction of Israel, the mercy of God was more remarkeable then his severity. If Israels scourge be compared with Israels sin, they had no cause to complain. They might rather wonder at what did not, than at what did befall them; rather at the mercy which was left, than at what was removed. Ezra. 9.13. Well might Israel say with Ezra, The Lord hath punished us lesse then our iniquities; and with the Church afterward, It is the goodnesse of the Lord that we are not consumed. Look upon Israels provocations, in Egypt, at the sea, in the wildernesse, their murmurings, idolatry, their unthankfulnesse for, and sorgetfulnesse of Gods multiplyed mercies, their rebellion against their godly Governours; their hypocrisie, Covenant-breaking, lingrings after their old Egypt, unreformednesse under all the dealings of God with them; especially their distrust of Gods power and goodnesse after frequent and abundant experience of both; Look, I say, upon all these, and then wonder that this destruction should be, 1. So slow, and not more speedy. 2. But in part, and not totall, and universall.
1. It was a destruction mercifully mitigated, in respect of the slownesse and deferring thereof. How much longer was God about destroying a handfull of sinners, than he was in creating the whole world? Israel, a people that could not be kept from sinning, had a God that could hardly be brought to punish them. Had the fire of Gods wrath been proportioned to the fuell of their sins, he would have destroyed them in a moment. Forty yeers long was I greived (saith God) with this generation, Psal. 95.10. Act. 13.18. ἐτροποφόρησεν and so long endured he their manners in the wildernesse; daily suffering that which he beheld, abhorr’d, and was able to have punish’d every moment in those forty years; in stead whereof, all that while he waited for their repentance, and was at the expence of supplying them with mitaculous provision, direction, protection, feeding them, and attending them as carefully, as doth the nurse her froward infant.
2. The destruction of the Israelites was but in part, not totall: For besides the sparing of Caleb and Josuah, who beleeved the promise of God, all who beleeved not, were not destroy’d; for all under 20 years were exempted from the forenamed destruction, and reserved, Num. 14.19. that God might still have his Church among them, and that there might be of them a people left to possesse the good land, according to the promise. Num. 14.13. And in this respect it was, Non personis, sed gencri data venia. Calv. in loc. that upon the prayer of Moses for the pardoning and sparing of the people, God answers, that be had pardoned them according to the word of Moses; For although he spared not the persons of the elder and rebellious multitude, yet he spared the stock of Israel, remitting the punishment of present and universall death, and not blotting out their memory, lest the seed of Abraham being extinguish’d, his Covenant should have fail’d and faln to the ground. The distrustfull refusall of the parents to accept of the promised land, made not God to be unfaithfull, in regard that the blessing which they rejected, was performed to their children; God reserving a seed to propagate his Church, and tempering his severity inflicted upon some with mercy afforded to others; though deserved by none.
1. Observ. 1. The most numerous company of sinners are unable to withstand an angry God. He can easily destroy six hundred thousand persons in a few years; and an hundred four score and five thousand Assyrians in one night. Though hand joyn in hand, yet shall not the wicked go unpunished. 2 King. 19.35. Prov. 11.21. He, to whom it is all one to save by a few, and by many, can as easily destroy many as one. Numbers are nothing with God. The whole old world of sinners are no more in the hands of God, than an handfull of worms. The greatest combination of sinners are but stubble to the flame, and but as snow-balls to the sun. He can as easily cast down multitudes of sinning Angels, as they (nay he) can crush an Ant upon a mole-hill. There’s no proportion between created strength and increated omnipotency. The powers of all the world are but borrowed of him, and as purely dependent upon him, as the stream upon the fountain, the beam upon the sun. How can that power be too hard for him who gave it, and can withdraw it at pleasure? Never let multitudes dare to oppose him, nor one poor weak Saint, fear to trust him.
2. Observ. 2. The worst cause commonly hath the most abettors. Had this been put to the question, whether will God keep his promise in giving to Israel the land of Canaan? Caleb and Josuah would have been over-voted by almost six hundred thousand Israelites; who nevertheless would have as much fail’d in their cause, as they exceeded in their numbers. The multitude is but a weak argument to prove a strong cause. The most have ever been the worst. Righteous Noah stood in a manner by hmselfe, against the whole world of ungodly. The Prophet Elijah was not the worse for being opposed by four hundred Baalites, nor they the better for having only one Elijah to withstand them. Let us walk by rule, not example. Numbers commonly do no more please God, than they can oppose him. Its better to go to heaven with an handfull, than to hell in a croud. and to enter in at the strait gate with a few, than at the broad with many; to go into Canaan with Caleb and Josuah, than to fall in the wildernesse with six hundred thousand.
3. No priviledges abused, Observ. 3. Jer. 6.8. Isa. 29.1. Jer. 7.12. Ps. 78.60, 61. Jer. 22.24. can exempt from punishment. The soul of God may depart from Jerusalem; and Ariel, the city where David dwelt, hath woe denounced against it. God may forsake his tabernacle in Shiloh, deliver his strength into captivity, his glory into the enemies hand; and pluck the signet from his right hand. 1 Cor. 10.5. With many of the Israelites God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wildernesse. To him that breaks the law, Rom. 2.25. Matth. 11.23. circumcision is made uncircumcision. Corazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum, get nothing by the mighty works of Christ, and their Elevation to heaven, but greater woes and falls. Job. 4.23. God delights not in outward priviledges, but in inward purity. The new creature, worship in spirit and truth, a Jew inwardly, Gal. 6.15 an Israelite indeed, circumcision and brokennesse of the heart, only please the eye of God; and without these, externall service is but painted Atheism. As the pure in heart shall only see God, Matt. 5.8 so God only sees the pure in heart with contentment: God loaths sin whereever he sees it, but most of all when ‘tis sheltered with appearances, professions and priviledges. A name to live, externall ordinances, circumcision in the flesh, the Temple of the Lord, commend us not to God. I will punish (saith God) the circumcised with the uncircumcised. Egypt and Judah, and Edom, Jer. 9. ult. the children of Ammon and Moab; for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart. The Bible in thy house, the word of grace in thy eare, will not avail, unlesse the grace of the word be in thy heart; and the former without the later will but prove like Uriahs letters, which he carried for his own destruction: Paul accounted all his priviledges as dung in regard of the knowledg of Christ. The means of salvation in word and sacraments must be used in faith and repentance. Otherwise they being out of their holy use enjoyed, will turne to our destruction.
4. Observ. 4. God labours to win people by mercies, before hee wounds them by judgments. Israel is first solicited by love; God destroyes them not till afterward; and if his goodnesse had made them blush, his greatnesse should not have made them bleed. Oh how propense was that God to save his Israel! and how unwilling to destroy them! He gave them the honey of deliverance and provisions freely, and of his own accord; he put not forth the sting of punishment till he was provoked. Israel shall first have the cloud to guide them, the sea divided, Egyptians drowned, Mannah showred downe, the roks gushing them drink, and they by all left inexcusable before they be destroyed. Oh that the longsuffering of God might be salvation, and lead us to repentance, and that by submission to mercy, wee may prevent a conquest by judgment: and not put the Lord upon a work more unpleasing to him than to our selves, whose backs do not suffer so much as his bowells, Hos. 11.8. when we are beaten.
5. Observ. 5. Miraculous mercies do not benefit an unholy heart. After all the salvations that God had bestowed upon Israel, they were fit for nothing but destruction. Every step they took in the red-sea, they trode upon a miracle of mercifull preservation: Every time they tasted a crumb of bread or a drop of water, they took in a miracle of mercifull provision: Every time they look’d up to the heavens, they beheld a miracle of mercifull direction; but none of these could work upon stubborn hearts: Only he who commanded that more soft rock to give them water, could make their hearts obedient. They who will not be taught by the word, will not be bettered by the rod of Moses; and without the spirit, wee shall be benefitted by neither.
6. Great deliverances abused, make way for severest judgments. Many times did God deliver Israel; Psal. 105.44 but they provoking him with their connsel, were brought low for their iniquity: The whole book of Judges is the Comment upon this truth, a book made up of the vicissitudes of deliverance, provocation, and punishment. Sins committed against the love of a God, are committed most against the happinesse of a people. Every deliverance is a bil of Enditement against the unthankfull. This makes God to call to the heavens and earth as witnesses against those children which he had brought up, Isa. 1.2.3. Josh. ult 20. Judg. 10.13. Jer. 15.6. Ezra. 9.13, 14. and rebelled against him. Yea, to professe, that the owner of an ox, and the Master of an asse were more respected by their beasts, than he was by his Israel. This makes God to professe, that he will consume his people, after he hath done them good; and that hee will deliver them no more: and elsewhere, that he is weary of repenting. After all this is come upon us (saith Ezra) should we again break thy Commnadments, wouldst not thou be angry with us, till thou hadst consumed us? Oh that England would, in stead of murmuring at its present distresses, mourn for its abuse of former deliverances: and more fear, without a speedy reformation, that the mercies which still we enjoy shall be removed, than hope that those we want shall be bestowed.
7. Sin disappoints the hopefullest expectations of mercy. Observat. 7. Jer. 8.15. Jer. 14.19. It stifles it even when it seems to be come to the birth. We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble. Who could have expected but that Israel, after so many miraculous mercies, being now upon the confines of Canaan, should instantly have entred? but behold, their sin sends them back into the wildernesse, there to linger and pine for forty years together. Sinners disappoint Gods expectation, and justly therefore may God disappoint theirs. Isa. 5.2. After all the costs bestowed by God upon his vineyard, he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wilde grapes. Israel gives God appearances of holinesse, and God gives Israel an appearance of deliverance. They flatter God with shews of that obedience which he deserved; and how justly doth God disappoint them of those mercies which they desired? They fall short of promised duty, and therefore of expected delivery. Oh that we could condemne our selves, and justifie God in the sad disappointments of Englands recovery. We made shew at the first of a through reformation; but we soon faltered and made an halt; and why should God be bound, when we would needs be loose? Our goodnesse was as the early dew, and the morning cloud that goeth away; Hos. 6.4. and justly therefore was our deliverance as a morning sunshine, soon clouded and overcast with unexpected troubles.
8. Observat. 8. Even in judgment God remembers mercy. God was good to Israel, when he destroyed Israel. God in his smiles will be feared, and in his frowns will be loved; as its said of Asher, that his shoos were iron and brasse; and yet that he dipt his foot in oyl; Deu. 33.24, 25 so doth God ever mix the hardest and heaviest severities toward his Israel, with the oyl of mercy and gentlenesse. He spared the children, when he overthrew the parents. He did as vvell remember his own Covenant, as their provocation. He cut off some luxuriant branches, but did not cut down the tree: he punished some for their sins, hee punished not all, Psal. 106.8. Ezek. 23.9. for his own glory. He wrought for his Names sake. I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men, were it not that I feared the wrath of the Enemy, Deut. 32.27. So good is God, that hee raiseth arguments of pitty toward rebellious Israel, out of himselfe, yea out of his enemies, vvhen Israel affords him none. Though justice made him cast his Church into the fire to be scorched, yet mercy made him pluck it like a brand out of the fire, lest it should be consumed, Zec. 3.2. And a seed he reserves, a remnant, that his Church may not be as Sodom, Isa. 1.8. In the vintage of a judgment, he leaves the gleanings of grapes upon the Vine of his Church. Hee never shakes his Olive tree so throughly, but he leaves at least two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost branches, Isa. 17.6. Though I make a full end of all Nations whither I have driven thee, Jer. 30.11 Jer. 46.28 yet will I not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished. Let not Israel presume upon mercy, if they will sin; but yet let them not despair of mercy, though they suffer. God will not cast off his people. Ps. 94.14. Though the destruction of his Israel be never so great, yet it shall never be totall; and should many fall, yet all shall not: the cause, the interest of Christ shall not; and though possibly in a wildernesse of common calamities, the carcasses of some of his owne, may fall among others, so as they may never live to enter the Canaan of a longed for peace and reformation in this life; yet by faith ascending up to the Nebo of a promise, they may behold it afar off, and see it possessed by their posterity; they themselves mean while, repenting of their unbelief and unworthinesse, and so entring that heavenly Canaan, where they shall enjoy the fulness of that, which here they could have enjoyed but in part.
The third branch of the example of the Israelites, is the cause of their destruction, viz, their infidelity, contained in these words, That beleeved not.
For the Explication whereof, two things are considerable.
1. In what respect these Israelites are here said not to beleeve.
2. Why they were punished for this their not believing, rather then for any other sin.
I. For the first: Unbeleevers 1. are frequently in Scripture taken for Pagans and Heathens; 1 Tim. 5.8 2 Cor. 6.14, 15 1 Cor. 14.23 who are alwayes without the profession of the Faith, and oft without the very offer of the Word, the means of knowing that Faith which is to be professed; and then its termed an unbelief of pure negation. 2. Unbeleevers are said to be such, who though they professe the faith, and hear and know the word, yet deny that credence to it which God requires, and their unbeleef, called an unbeleef of evill disposition, is either a deniall of assent to the truths asserted in the word; or of trust and affiance to the promises of good contained in the same; and both these are either, temporary, or totall and perpetuall. Into the former sometimes the elect may fall, as particularly did those two disciples, who by their unbeleef drew from Christ this sharp reproofe, Luk. 24.25. Mark. 16.11.13.14. O fools, and slow of heart to beleeve all that the prophets have written. And for this it was that Christ upbraided the eleven, when they beleeved not them who had seen him after he was risen. Luk. 1.20. And of righteous Zecharie is it said, that he beleeved not those words which were to be fulfill’d in their season. Into that unbeleef which is totall and habituall, Joh. 6.64.65. Joh. 10.25.26. Jo. 12.37.38.39 the reprobabate only fall; of whom Christ speaks, Ye beleeve not, because yee are not of my sheep; and afterward the Evangelist, They beleeved not, nay, they could not beleeve, because that Isaias said, he hath blinded their eyes, &c. as also Act. 10.9 divers were hardned, and beleeved not. These abide in unbelief, John 3. ult. and the wrath of God abideth on them; This unbeleef of the Israelites, did principally consist in their not yeelding trust and affiance to the gracious and faithful promises, made by God to their forefathers, and often renewd to themselves, of bestowing upon them the land of Canaan for their inheritance. Vide Numb. Chapters 13. and 14. These promises, upon the report of the spies concerning the strength of the Canaanites, and their Cities, were by the people so far distrusted, and deemed so impossible to be fulfilled, as that they not only wish’d that they had dyed in Egypt, but resolved to make them a Captain to return thither again. And probable it is, that the unbeleef of the most was perpetnal; Certumest, complures fuisse pios, qui vel communi impietate non fuerunt impliciti, vel mox resipuerunt. Cal. in Heb. 3.18. but that others (even of those who at the first, and for a time did distrust the faithfulnesse of Gods promise) by the threatnings and punishments denounced against, and inflicted upon them, repented afterward of their infidelity, and so beleeved that God was faithfull in his promise, though they by reason of their former unbelief did not actually partake of the benefit thereof. However this their sin of distrustfulnesse was their great and capitall sin, that sin, like the Anakims which they so feared, much taller than the rest, and which principally was that provocation in the wildernesse, spoken of so frequently in the Scripture. Heb. 3.8.12, 16.18 Psal 95 8. Incredulitas malorum omnium caput. Cal. in Heb. 3.18. And hence it is that God explaines this provoking him, by not beleeving him: How long (saith he, Numb. 14.11.) will this people provoke me? how long will it be ere they beleeve me? and that it was their great stop in the way to Canaan, is evident, in that the punishment of exclusion from Canaan, was immediately upon their unbeleef, inflicted upon them; as also by the expresse testimony of the Apostle, who saith, that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
II. For the second: Why they were destroyed rather for their unbelief, then for other sins.
1. Their unbelief was the root and fountain of all the rest of their sins: Heb. 3.12. Jer. 17.5. This evill heart of unbelief made them depart from the living God by their other provocations. All sins would be bitter in the acting, if we beleeved that they would be bitter in their ending: Faith is the shield of every grace, 〈Greek〉, 1 Pet. 2.7, 8. Acts 15.9. and Unbelief the shield of every sin: Faith purifies, Unbelief pollutes the heart. Unbeleevers and disobedient are in the Greek expressed by one word, Heb. 11.31. What but unbelief was the cause of all those impatient murmurings of the Israelites? Had they beleeved a faithfull God, Num. 14.27. they would quietly have waited for the accomplishment of his promises: Had they believed in him who is Alsufficient, they would in the want of all means of supply, have look’d upon them as laid up in God. The reason why they made such sinfull haste to get flesh, was because their unbelieving heart thought that God could not furnish a table in the wildernesse. What but their not believing a great and dreadfull Majestie, made them so fearlesly rebellious against God and their Governours? What but their not believing an All-powerfull God, made them to fear the Gyants and walled Cities of Canaan? Faith went out, and fear and every sin got in. They beleeved God too little, and man too much; by their unbelief making God as man, and man as God. Gen. 12.7. 13.15. 15.18. 17.7.8. 26.4. Deut. 1.8. Exo. 3.17. and 6.8.
2. God had afforded many helps and antidotes against the unbeleef of the Israelites. God had given promises, first, to their Fathers, and afterwards to these Israelites their posteritie, of his bestowing upon them the land of Canaan for an Inheritance. His promises, like himself, were faithfull and true, and impossible it is that he who made them should lie. These promises were often repeated to their fore-fathers and themselves; and the very land of Canaan is called the Land of Promise. Heb. 11.9 1 King. 8.56 And afterward Solomon professed, There hath not failed one word of all Gods good promise which he promised by the hand of Moses. All his promises are yea and Amen. The promises of giving to Israel the land of Canaan, Gen. 22.16 Gen. 26.3. Psal. 105.9. 1 Chr. 26.26. Gen. 17.10 God had sundry times confirmed by oath: the oath God followed with his seal of Circumcision, whereby was confirmed the promise of the earthly and heavenly Canaan. To all these God had added the abundant examples of those their holy fore-fathers, who openly professed their beleeving of the promise, that their Seed should inherit Canaan. Heb. 11.9. Act. 7.5 Hence Abraham sojourned contentedly in the land of promise, where he had not so much room as to set his foot on, without borrowing or buying. Hence also he purchased a burying place in that land, In terra promissâ sibi emit sepulchrum, ut spem suam vel mortuus testaretur: Rivet. Exerc. 119. in Gen. of which, though living, he had not possession, yet dying, nay dead, he shewed his expectation. How holily solicitous was Jacob and Joseph, that their bodies after their deaths should be carried out of Egypt, into that Canaan, where their hopes and hearts had been while they lived. To all these Examples, God had given them (to prevent unbeliefe) their own multiplyed and astostonishing Experiences of his former Power and Love. Could not he, who by the lifting up of the arms of one Moses, destroyed an Armie of Amalekites, as easily overthrow the Armies of the Canaanites by the hands of six hundred thousand Israelites? Could he who commissionated the very lice and flies to plague Egypt, and at whose command are all the hosts of heaven and earth, want power to deal with the sons of Anak? Could not he who made the weak and unsteady waters of the red Sea to stand up like walls, as easily make the strongest walls of the Canaanitish Cities to fall down? Psal. 78.32.42 But they believed not for his wondrous works, they remembred not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemie.
3. Their unbelief most of all robb’d God of his (though not essentiall, yet) declarative glory. It was a bold sin, it rifled his Cabinet, and took away his chiefest Jewel, Isa. 42.8. 1 Joh. 5.10. Rom. 4.10. even that which he saith he will not give to another. 1. It takes away the glorie of his Truth; it no more trusting him, then if he were a known Lyer, and as we say of such a one, No further than we see him: It endeavours to make God in that condition of some lost man, whose credit is quite gone, and whose word none will take: now to discredit, is to dishonour a man. Unbeleevers account it impossible that he should speak true, for whom to lye it is impossible. After all the promises of giving them Canaan, though repeated, sworn, sealed, Israel beleeved not God. 2. The Israelites by their unbelief obscured the glory of Gods Goodnesse: They did not onely labour to make their miserie greater then Gods Mercy; but even his very Mercy to appear Tyranny. They often complained, that he had brought them into the wilderness to slay them; Num. 14.3. Psal. 106.24. and they despised that pleasant land which God had promised them: yea (as some note) in regard that the land of Canaan was a type of the heavenly Canaan, See M. Perkins on the place. they beleeved not that God would bring them to heaven, and give them inheritance in that eternall Rest by means of the Messiah: So that they rejected at once both the blessings of the foot-stool, and the throne; the earthly and the heavenly Canaan at the same time. 3. Their Unbelief did blemish the glory of his Omnipotency; Psal. 62.11. They proclaiming by this sin, that He to whom power belongs, and nothing is too hard, who can do all things, but what argue impotencie, as lying, and denying himself; who made heaven and earth with a word, Isa. 40.15 and before whom all the nations of the world are as the drop of the bucket, and the small dust of the balance, could not crush a few worms, nor pull down the height of those Gyants, whom by his power he upheld.
4. Of all sins, the Unbelief of the Israelites most crossed their own Professions: They voyced themselves to be, and gloryed in being the people of God; and they proclaimed it both their dutie and priviledg, to take God for their God. They sometimes appeared to beleeve him; but the unbelief of their hearts gave both God and their own tongues the lye: they professed that they beleeved the power of God, and remembred that God was their Rock; Psal. 78.34, 35, 36, 37. but at the news from Canaan, they shewed that they beleeved that the Anakims, and the walled Cities were stronger. They professed that they beleeved the Mercy of God, and that the most high God was their Redeemer; but at the very supposall of danger, they thought that they were brought into the wilderness to be slain. They professed that they beleeved the Soveraignty of God; They returned and enquired after him, and promised obedience to him; but upon every proof, they shewed themselves but rebells. So that by reason of their unbeleef, and unstedfastnesse of heart in Gods Covenant, they did but flatter God with their mouth, and lye unto him with their tongues. How hainous a sin is it for Gods professed friends do distrust him! How shall a stranger take that mans word, whom his most familiar friends, yea his own children will not beleeve? Thine own Nation (said Pilate to Christ) have delivered thee unto me. Thine own people (may heathens say to God) wil not trust thee, and how should wee?
5. Of all the sins of the Israelites, unbeliefe was that which properly did reject the mercy by God tendred to them. Canaan was by him frequently in his promise offered; and though all the sins of the Israelites deserved exclusion from Canaan, yet they did not, as unbeleef, by refusing the offer of it, reject the entrance into it. As the faith of the Ninivites overthrew a prophesie of judgement, Psal. 78.32, 33 so the unbelief of the Israelites overthrew the promises of mercy. The brests of the promises were full of the milk of consolation; and yet these froward children refused to suck and draw them by beleeving: and in stead thereof struck and beat them away by unbeleef and rebellion. Unbeleef (as to the Israelites) cut asunder the sinews of the promises, so as they could not stir hand or foot to help them, and turned the promises into fallacies. Heb. 3. ult. Num. 20.22. Only unbeleef concluded this people under the necessity of destruction. Needs must they perish who cast away the means of recovery. What shall be a remedy for him who rejecteth the remedy? other sins are sores, but unbeleef throwes away the plaister. Every sin made Israel obnoxious to destruction, but unbeleef made them opposite also to deliverance. This sin stopt (as it were) the spouts and passages of grace. Christ Mark 6.5. Significatur hoc loquendi modo, quod incapaces scipsos reddiderint, indignós que divinis beneficiis, et propensioni animi Christi beneficae impedimentum objecerint: non permittunt, ut virtutis divinae rivus se in ipsos diffundat. Brugens. in loc. could do no mighty works because of their unbeleef. They who beleeve not, render themselves incapable of blessings, and lay rubs in the way of mercy binding the hands of God lest he should help them. Other sins lay persons (as it were) in the grave, this of unbeleef lays the grave stone upon them, and makes them rot therein. Upon them wrath abides, Joh. 3.18.
1. Observat. 1. Difficulties soon discover an unbeleeving heart. Many seemingly beleeving Israelites, upon the news of the Anakims, and the walled Cities, beleeved not. Jorams profane pursuivant discovered his temper, when he said, This evill is of the Lord, why then should I wait upon the Lord any longer? 2 King. 6.33. Saul appear’d to depend upon God, and sought to him in his troubles; but when God seemed to neglect him, and gave him no answer, then left he God, and sought to a sorceresse. Rotten fruit wil not hang upon the tree in a windy day. A shallow, a highway-plash of water will soon be dryed up in a scorching sunshine. One who is only a beleever, by a shallow outside profession, will soon leave beleeving and professing. 2 Chro. 32.31. Deut. 8.2. & 13.3 For a while he will beleeve; but in time of persecution he falls away. Wisely therefore doth God seem somtime to disregard and reject his own children, to try the sincerity of their confidence in him; and whether they will cease to depend upon him, because he seemeth not to provide for them. Nec iratumcolere destitit numen. Virtus fidei credere quod non vides, merces fidei videre quod credis. Aug. in Ps. 109. They who depend upon God continually, depend upon him truly. God makes it appear to all the world, that his people serve not him, to serve their own turn upon him, and that they are neither hirelings, nor changelings. It is the efficacy of faith to beleeve what we see not, and the reward of faith to see what we beleeve. How improvident are those meer professours and appearing Israelites, who please themselves with shews of beleeving and cleaving to God? their paint will not endure the washing, nor their refuge of lies keep out the storme: when sufferings, death, or judgment approach, their confidences will be rejected. Christians! labour for a faith unfained, yea both true and strong; there may come times that will require it.
2. In vain do they who live in unbeleef, Observat. 2. pretend against their other sins. So long as that lives, no sin will dye, notwithstanding instructions or corrections. Sin may be brought to the place of Execution, but it will not die, so long as unbelief brings it a protection; and while it is back’d by this, it will but laugh at all the means used to mortifie it. As faith quencheth the fiery darts of the divel, so will unbeleef quench the holy darts of the Spirit. The sin which is armed with it, will not be wounded by the sword of the word; but wil save its skin, much more its heart, till faith set it naked to the stroaks of that sword. Our neglect of, and coldnesse in holy duties, comes from our not beleeving a benefit, that will bear the charges of fervency and frequency in performing them. Unbelief clips the wings of prayer, that it cannot ascend; and turns much praying into much speaking. Whence is all our trouble, and impacience in adversity, but from want of that grace which comforts the heart in God, and makes us quietly to rest and trust on, and in him? Whence are those base indirect courses to get a living by lying, deceiving, &c. to be made rich by a worse than the king of Sodome, but from the not beleeving God to be an alsufficient portion, that he will never leave or forsake us, &c? From what but unbelief proceed all the temporizings, haltings, and sinfull neutralities? In tentations to all these, faith is our victory, and unbelief our defeat, which makes men unworthily to render themselves prisoners to every promise, and threat; causing them either to have two hearts with the hypocrite, or no heart with the coward. They who have little faith, have much fear; and they who have no faith, Jer. 17.5. will be all fear; even slain, and not by the sword. Whence proceeds all our carnall confidence, and trusting in an arme of flesh, but from this sin, which makes the heart depart from the Lord. Peccatum furti & homicidii sunt peccata carnis, et facilè intelliguntur in parte superiore, animâ scilicet & intellectu: sed ipsa anima suum incomparabiliter majus vitium, et trabem in oculo suo non sentit, sed festucam corporis facilè videt. Luth. Trabenses judicant festucenses. Id. Whence come the unbrotherly breaches and divisions among brethren, but from the distance which by unbeleef is between God and us; Christians being like lines, which come the nearer to one another, as they come nearer to the Center Unbelief lies at the bottom of all these sins. And all mortification of sin, which comes not from a principle of affiance in God through Christ, is imaginary. How short sighted are they into their misery, who are troubled for their scandalous sins of drunkennesse, adultery, murther, &c. but neither observe, nor sorrow for their unbelief, the mother sin, the main sin, the nursery of all sins? The soul (saith Luther) is an hypocrite, that sees a mote in the eye of the flesh, but not a beame in its own eye; namely, infidelity, which is incomparably greater than all sins committed by the body.
3. Great is our forwardnesse to fall into the sin of unbeleef. Observat. 3. God seemed to study the prevention of this sin among the Israelites, but it broke the barrs that he put in the way to stop it. Covenants, Oaths, Miracles, Plagues, were all as easily snapt in sunder by this sin, as were the Cords by Samson. Even Christ himself marvelled at the strength thereof, in opposing the power of all he had said and done, Mark. 6.6. We are carried unto unbelief both by the tide of our own natures, and the winde of tentation. Our hearts, ever since we left God, crave and look for relief from sensible objects; and having forsaken the true, embrace even any opinionative God or good, which hath enough to flatter into expectations, though nothing to fill, or to yeeld satisfaction. And so great is our natural pride, that we had rather steal than beg, rather rob God of glory by resting upon our own crutches, then go out of our selves to depend upon another for happinesse. The batteries of Satan are principally placed against faith. He would not care for taking away our estates, names, liberties, unlesse he hoped hereby to steal away our faith. He fans not out the chaffe, but bolts out the flour. Luke 22.32. Satan (saith Christ to Peter) hath desired to winnow thee as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. Satans first siege in Paradise was laid against the faith of threatnings. He knows that all our strength, like Samsons in his Locks, is from laying hold upon another: If therefore he can make us let go our hold, which is our faith, he desires no more. Faith is the grace that properly refisteth him; and therefore he principally opposeth it: unbelief befriendeth Satan, and therefore he most promotes it in our hearts. Oh that we might most fear and oppose that sin, which is most difficultly avoided, and most dangerously entertained. Of all keepings, keep thy heart; and of all means principally use this, of keeping out unbeleef.
4. Nothing more displeaseth God, Observ. 4. than the forsaking of our own mercies. In the true loving of our selves, we cannot provoke God. He is angry with Israel because they refuse that which might make themselves happy. God loves to be giving, and is pleased with them who are alwayes taking in his goodnesse. Unbeleef obstructs mercy, and God opposeth unbeleef. He delights in them who hope in his mercy. He hath such full brests, that he is most pained, when we will not draw them by beleeving. The great complaint of Christ was, that people would not come to him for life. He was grieved for the hardnesse of their hearts; and incensed against those guests that would not come, when they were invited to the feast of his Gospel-dainties. He is so abundant a good, that he wants nothing; or if he doth, he wanteth only wants. If he be angry with us, how should we be displeased with our selves, for rejecting mercy? Its the proud and unbeleving soul, which God only sends empty away. They who will buy his benefits, must leave their mony behind them. How inexcusable are they who perish! they starve and dye in the midst of fulnesse. But alasse, wee are the poorest of beggars, not onely without bread, but without hunger. Oh begge that hee who bestowes grace upon the desires, would first give us the grace of Desire.
5. Observat. 5. Nullum genus insipientiae, infidelitate insipientius. Bern. de Consid. None are such enemies to unbeleevers as themselves; nor is any folly so great as Infidelity. The business and very design of unbelief, and all that it hath to do, is to stop mercy, and hinder happinesse. Every step which an unbeleever takes, is a departing from goodnesse it self, Heb. 3.12. And no wonder if such an one carry a curse along with him, Jer. 17.5. and (ver. 6.) if he be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh. Unbelief is like the unwary hand of him, who being without the door, puls it too hard after him, locks it, and locks himself out. Faith is the grace of receiving, and unbelief the sin of rejecting all spirituall good. How vainly doth the unbeliever expect refreshment by going from the fountain; or gain, by leaving the true treasure? Distrustfull sinner! who is the looser by thy incredulity; and who would gain by thy beleeving, but thy self? What harm is it to the cool and refreshing fountain, that the weary passenger will not drink? and what benefit is it to the fountain, though he should? What loseth the Sun, if men will shut their eyes against its light? what gains it, though they open them? What good comes by distrusting God, unlesse the gratifying of Satan in the damning of thy self? How foolish is that disobedience, that will not wash, and be cleansed from a worse leprosie then Naaman’s: that like a man in a swoun, shuts the teeth against a life-recalling cordiall: that will not open a beggars hand for the receiving of a Jewell, more worth then all the world: that beleeves the Father of lyes, who cannot speak truth, unless it be to deceive; and will not trust the God of truth, nay Truth it self, to whose nature lying is infinitely more opposite, than to our good? O Unbeliever! either thou shalt believe before thou dyest, or not: if not, how scalding will be this ingredient, among the rest of those hellish tortures which hereafter shal compleat thy pain, to consider, that offered, sincerely offered mercy was despised! that the promise of grace and truth daily desired thy acceptance, but had nothing from thee but contempt! That thou, who art now crying eternally and vainly for one drop, hadst lately the offers and intreaties of the fountain, to satisfie thy self fully and for ever! If thou shouldst beleeve before thou diest, how great a trouble to thy heart holily ingenuous, will it be, that thou hadst so long together such unkind thoughts of Mercy it self: that thou didst deem Truth it self to be a Lyer! How angry wilt thou be with thy self, that thou didst so slowly beleeve; and so hardly wert brought to be happie!
6. Observat. 6. Our greatest dangers and troubles are no plea for unbelief. Notwithstanding Israel’s tentation, their unbelief was a provocation. A houling wilderness, and dismall tidings excused them not from sin in distrusting of God. Even he who hides his face from the house of Jacob, is to be waited for. When we sit in darkness, and see no light, we should trust in the Lord, and stay our selves upon our God. Faith goeth not by feeling and seeing, but should go against both: It must both beleeve what it sees not, and contrary to what it sees. Psal. 119.49, 114. Verbum fidei pabulum. Not outward props, but the stability of the word of promise, should be the stay of our Faith; a stud that ever stands, though heaven and earth should fail. In thy word (saith David) I do, and thou hast caused me to hope. The greatness of danger must not lessen Faith. Dangers are the element of Faith; among them faith lives best, because among them it findes most promises. When the world is most against us, then the word is most for us. Faith hath best food in famine, and the fullest table in a time of scarcity. The very earth which we tread on should teach us; this so massy a body, hangeth in the midst of the aire, and never stirreth from its place, having no props or shores to uphold it, but the bare word of God alone. Cum rogo te nummes fine pignore, non habeo, inquis: Idem si pro me spondet agellus, habes. Quòd mihi non credis, veteri fidóque sodali; Credis coliculis arboribúsque meis. Mart. Ep. 25. l. 12. Fides non habet meritum, ubi ratio humana praebet experimentum, Gregin Evang. God must be trusted upon his promise without a pawn. An usurer will trust a beggar, a lyar, a bankrout, for his pledg. And shall we beleeve God no further? this is not at all to trust him, but his security. It is a lame faith that cannot go without crutches. He that cannot stand when his stilts are taken away, was held up by them, not by his legges. He whose faith keeps not up when outward comforts are removed, stood not upon the promise, but upon earthly props. The faith which Christ commends, is that which beleeveth much, and sees nothing. Blessed (saith Christ) are they who have not seen, and yet have beleeved. This was the Commendation of Abrahams and Stevens faith, Romans 4.18, 19, 20. Act. 7.5. Such a faith quiets the heart most, in testimony of its own sincerity, and against expectation of any threatned, and in the sustaining of any incumbent difficulties. Oh how sweet a life leads that Christian, who doth all by another! who gets the blessing without hunting; and whose only work is to sit still and trust God; and (like Josephs Master) to leave all in the hand of another; to have all its comforts compendiously from one object, and not to take a wearysome circuit about the whole world for contentment; to sit at his fathers table, and not to begg for food from door to door? And such a faith honours God as much as it quiets the soul. It proclaimes that God is αὐτόπιστος, to be beleeved for himselfe; it desires not that the creature should be bound for God, though he seem never so backward to performe his promise, and accounts it self as rich in respect of what it hath in hope, as what it hath in hand. Yea, in the enjoyment of comforts, it placeth its trust only in God; and if God doth not withdraw created props from it, yet it will withdraw its confidence from them; using them, indeed, in thank fulnesse to the giver; not trusting them in stead of the giver. O noble, glorious life of beleeving! to draw our comforts thus out of the bosome of God himselfe; not to be beholding to the dunghill for our delights; not to live (with worldly men) upon mud and corruption, but upon the pure and heavenly breathings of the spirit in the promise. A life emulating that of the Angels; for though indeed, beleevers use the world, feed, and sleep, marry, and are given in marriage, yet they only enjoy God, and their better part is wholly sollaced with him that shall suffice them in glory.
7. Observat. 7. It should be our principall care to get beleeving hearts. Even such an holy affiance in the promises, as may shelter from that destruction which befell these unbeleeving Israelites. To this end,
1. Truly, and upon the terms of the Gospel, wholly and solely accept of him, who is the Mediatour of the Covenant, and through whom alone, every promise in it, is made good to the soul, and is yea and amen. 2 Cor. 1.20. Out of Christ, promises are but meer speculations; nor can we, unlesse united to him by faith, challenge any blessing by vertue of a promise. A Christlesse person receives blessings, as one that finds a piece of silver accidentally in the streets, and not as a man who receives a sum of mony due upon covenant.
2. In relation to the promises to be beleeved, which are the element wherein faith lives, 1. Find them out, and lay them ready: find out a promise sutable to every exigency of thy condition. How can a man claim mony upon a covenant, who knows not where that distinct bond is laid, upon which he is to demand it? Go to the severall promises for the supply of thy severall wants. Mark what promises God hath made for pardon, grace, direction, protection, provision, and ever make choice of some one or two of every kind, which thou maist run to with speed. A Christian should do in this case with the promises, as one which is given to fainting fits, who carries his aqua-vitae bottle alwayes about him, and sets it constantly at his beds head, that it may be at hand. 2. Ponder the promises: Go aside, separate thy selfe, suck and hide their sweetnesse, dwell upon them. Dive in thy meditations into their freenesse; Consider that promise hath made God a debtor, and freegrace made him a promiser: Into their fulnesse; there being enough to relieve the largest capacity, and gretest necessity; they having more oyl then thou hast vessels; even enough to be revealed from faith to faith: Rom. 17. Into their stability; they being bottomed upon Truth and Strength it selfe, the strength of Israel who cannot lie; as sure as Gods owne essence, which is pawned by an oath for their accomplishment, (for he swears by himselfe;) they being further confirmed by the death of him, who hath bequeath’d all the benefits of the promises by his will and testament; in which respect they are the sure mercies of David. 3. Be convinced by the promises, to see the whole heart and meaning of God in them, Ἔλεγχος Heb. 11.1. significat ἐλέγχειν, convincere, & causam aliquam eò deducere, ut objici aut praetexi nihil amplius queat. Hyper. and to be under the authority and evidence of them. Faith is an evidence, conviction, or a convincing demonstration: Laban, when he saw how matters stood between the servants message, and the affection of Rebeccah, said, The thing proceedeth from the Lord, we cannot speak bad or good, Gen. 24.50. The Lord having brought thee under the condition of the promise, and since thou canst not deny but that the promise hath a stable foundation, say, Lord, I must needs yeeld, I am unable to gainsay thee, I confesse my selfe overcome. 4. Consent, cleave to, clasp about the promises, Isai. 1.9. as the ivie about the oak; roul thy soul, and rely upon it; concur with it, and bee carryed down the stream of it, against the motion of thine own rebelling heart. As Rebeccah, convinced that the marriage was from God, being call’d to speak, answered, I will go. 5. Plead the promises: In tentation and sense of unworthinesse, strong unlikelyhood of making them good may be represented to thee, but even then cling to them closely. The woman of Canaan would not be put off by silence, and vilifying termes; she was call’d a dog, yet shee held close to the word, that Christ was the Son of David; happy she, that in this, she was like a dog, namely, in that shee would not be beaten off. 2 Chron. 20.9 Thus Jehoshaphat pleaded with God by the promise made to Solomon, and so prevailed against the children of Ammon.
3. Beware of giving way to the love of any one sin. The love of sin hinders beleeving. Sin will not act beleevingly, nor faith sinfully. Its the nature of sin to cause guilt and fear, it expects not performances, but repulses from God. How can any one depend upon me for a courtesie, who knows that I am acquainted with his underhand and unkind contrivances against me? Besides, the love of any one sin, hinders from yeilding to the terms of the promise; it would be loose, and yet have God bound; whereas he never made his promises to gratifie lust, but to engage us to holinesse. Nor will faith act sinfully. Faith embraceth the whole word of God, even precepts as well as promises, and respects the rules prescribed, as well as the rewards promised; it works uniformly, and it trusteth to God in the way of his commands, not in the precipices of sin; Trust in him, and do good, Psal. 31.3. Besides, it acts warily, and in the eye of God, and therefore holily, and tells us, that if we must not tell a lie to promote Gods cause, much lesse to procure our own comforts.
4. Limit not Good for the way of accomplishing of his promise. This is the noted sin of Israel; Psal. 78.41. They limited the holy one of Israel; they circumscribed him for the way of bestowing of mercy, Dcum metiri suo modulo. Cal. in loc. within the narrow bounds of their own apprehensions. Whereas, if hee will work, who shall hinder him? Faith triumphs over difficulties, and measures not God by the narrow scantling of reason; knowing that things that are impossible with us, Rom. 4.19. are easie with God. This was the excellency of Abrahams so much commended faith, that hee considered neither the improbability of performing the promise of having a son when his body and Sarahs womb were both dead, Heb. 11.17. nor the incongruity of performing the command of sacrificing his son, which seemed to destroy both Gods faithfulnesse and his owne expectations. And this is indeed the duty of beleevers, only to consider who promiseth, and who commands, and neither to question what is promised, though never so impossible; nor to forbear what is commanded, though never so unpleasing.
5. When God affords thee creature-props, trust not to them. Men would never be distrustfull when the creature departs, if they did not confide in it, when it stayes. If we would not account our selves the stronger for having worldly helps, wee should not esteem our selves the weaker for the wanting them. Could we live upon God alone in the use, wee might live upon him alone in the losse of the creature. Its a noble faith that depends upon God in the strength of means; like that of Asa and Jehoshaphat, the former of whom having an army of five hundred and fourscore thousand to rest upon, 2 Chron. 14.8.11. 2 Chron. 17.14, 15 2 Chron. 20.12. when Zerah the Ethiopian came against him, adventur’d not upon so feeble a crutch, but expresseth himself thus in his prayer: Lord, we have no power, and we rest on thee: and the later, when his enemies made warre upon him, though he had an army of eleven hundred and threescore thousand fighting men, professing thus: Lord, we have no might, neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee. He who will account God to be all, when the creature is at the best and fullest, will surely account him so, when the creature proclaims its nothingnesse.
6. Trust God in the serving of his providence, and in the use of such means as he hath appointed and sanctified: He that will not do for himselfe what he can, may not trust that God should do for him what hee would: Though man liveth not by bread alone, but by the word (of blessing) which proceedeth out of the mouth of God, yet that word is by God annexed unto bread, not to stones; and that man shall not trust God, but tempt him, In viis custodiet, nun quid in praecipitiis? Bern. ser. 14. in Psal. Qui hab. who should expect to have stones turned into bread. If God hath provided staires, it is not faith, but fury, to go down by a precipice; thus Davids trusting in the name of the Lord, made him not to throw away his sling when he went against Goliah. Jacobs supplicating of God, made him not neglect the sending a present to his brother: The fast of Esther made her not forget to feast the king: second causes are to be used in obedience to Gods order, not in confidence of their own help; the creature must be the object of our diligence, though not of our trust. Faith, while it causeth us to be so diligent in the use of meanes as if God did nothing for us, causeth us so to withdraw our trust from the means, as if God were to do all for us. He who in observing the other rules, hath also added this, may quietly rest upon God for promised mercy, lay the matter before God, and humbly put him to the accomplishing part.
