Then came certain of the Elders of Israell.

After Ezekiel had declar'd the minde of God against Ze­dekiah, the Princes, the false Prophets and Prophetesses, who drew many to sinfull practises, and especially to trust in vaine divinations; some of the Elders of Israel thought in themselves to goe to Ezekiel and heare what he would say; he hath cryd downe all other Prophets, and thinks himselfe the onely true Prophet; come let us goe to his house, and hearken what he will prophesie unto us.

Elders of Israel.

These men are cald Elders, not onely because they were aged, but because they were in some place of authoritie, which required men grave in age and counsell. Jer. 26.17. Then rose up certain Elders of the Land, and spake unto all the as­sembly of people. These were such Elders. Its questioned whi­ther these Elders were Elders of those in Babylon, or of those in Jerusalem. The most Interpreters agree that they were of the Elders of Judah in Babylon: Chap. 8. 1. its said; The El­ders of Judah sate before the Prophet: and Jer. 29.1. tells you that there were Elders carried away captive. But judicious & learned Junius is of another mind, who thinks these Elders were Embassadors sent from Zedekiah into Babylon to treat of State-affaires between him and Nebuchadnezzar, as Jer. 51.59. Seraiah went with Zedekiah into Babylon in the 4^th yeare of his reigne: its no where extant that Zedekiah ever went [Page 3] into Babylon till he was carried thither, and that was in the 11^th yeare: the meaning then of the words is, he went in the behalfe of Zedekiah, so its in the margent, and being a quiet Prince, endeavoured to keepe a peaceable correspondencie between Zedekiah and Nebuchadnezzar: so in Jer. 29.3. Ela­sah and Gemariah were sent by Zedekiah unto Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon; its ordinary for Kings to send Embassadors to other States,The Elders of Israel in Jeru­salem were greatly cor­rupted with idolatry, Chap. 8.11, 12. and especially when a part of their people live in that State, as here, and when they send, its some, or di­verse of the Elders and Nobles that are sent; and of these, cer­tain came to the Prophet; its likely some of those were for­merly brought hither, might accompany them, & the judge­ments spoken of in the Chapter concernd those belongd to Judea rather then those captives in Babylon.

Sate before mee.

To converse with the Prophet about the great affaires of the King and Kingdome. They were in streights, full of doubts and feares, and came to feele the Prophet, to inquire of him what would be the event of things; its like they had no good tydings from Nebuchadnezzar, they would try what was to be had from God: or thus, they had heard what the false Prophets and Prophetesses had said, how they concurd in their Prophesies, and now they would try Ezekiel, whi­ther he prophesied the same, or differing things. And so came not to him animo sincero, but fallaciously, if what he had said had lik'd them, then they would have affirm'd he was of the same judgement the false Prophets were, if otherwise, that he was a lying and false Prophet, that he and Jeremie were singular, dissenting in their Prophesies from all the other Prophets.

Observ. 1. When the true Prophets detect and disparage those are false, then those adhere to them are offended at it, & seek advantages against them; as here the Elders of Israel came to Ezekiel, they could not beare it that he had said their Pro­phets were foolish, followed their own spirits, play'd the Foxes, were liars, seducers, daubed with untempered mor­ter, that they and their Prophesies should perish, for the Lord [Page 4] was against them. Great persons will take part with false Prophets, and appeare for them, and seeke to intrap those have discoverd them. When Micaiah discoverd the false Pro­phets, 1 Kings 22.22, 23. then Ahab appear'd for them, and commands Micaiah to be imprisond, fed with bread and wa­ter of affliction, 26, 27. verse.

Obs. 2. Many professe love to the true Prophets, and to Reli­gion yet are false-hearted to both; these Elders of Israel came to the Prophet, sate before him, pretended to learne & obey, but their intentions look'd another way. Not all who seeme religious, frequent the solemne Assemblies, and heare the Word from the mouths of the Prophets, are truly godly: Ezek. 33.31, 32. saith God of the people; They sit before thee, as my people, and they heare thy words, but they will not doe them; for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth af­ter their covetousnesse. And loe thou art to them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument; for they heare thy words, but they doe them not. This people were as glad to heare Ezekiel Prophesie, as men to heare musicke, and songs, at marriages or feasts, and yet their hearts were unsound; see Isa. 29.13.58.2, 3, 4, 5. Jer. 7.9, 10.11. where you may finde their professions were pious, but their spirits and practises impious; profession is easie in all sorts, Elders, and Elders of Israel can doe that, but the practise of what men professe is difficult; men rest in formes of godlinesse, and deny the power, 2 Tim. 3.5.

Observe from the second Verse.

That much of the Scripture hath been given out upon sinfull occasions: when these Elders came to the Prophet, the word of the Lord came unto him, and he gaue it out to them and us. Mens sins have open'd the windows of heaven for much divine light to shine into the world: the Prophesie of Haggai, was occasioned by the neglect to build Gods house, as you may reade in the first Chapter, 2, 3.4, &c. Nini­vehs sin drew out the Prophesie of Jonah, Chap. 1.1, 2. Da­vids murther and adultery were occasions of some, if not of all the Penitentiall Psalmes: The Levite cutting his Concu­bine, [Page 5] who was forc'd to death, into twelve pieces, and send­ing her into all the coast of Israel, occasion'd some part of the Book of Judges to be written. The Gospel of John, its con­ceiv'd by the learn'd, was written by the occasion of Cerin­thus, Ebion, and some others, who did deny the divine nature of Christ; therefore in the beginning, viz. Chap. 1. he speaks much of his God-head, Son-ship, and Eternall Generation. It was the disorders, divisions, scandalls, and corruptions, which set Paul on worke to write his two Epistles to the Corinthians, as you may observe throughout the Epistle. The doctrine of false teachers amongst the Galatians, gave birth to that Epistle, Chap. 1.6. and in severall parts of the Epi­stle it clearely appeares. The danger of the Jewes forsaking their professing of Christianitie, and revolting to Mosaicall Ceremonies, open'd the doores for the Epistle to the He­brewes to enter into the world. The faultinesse of the An­gels in the Churches, made way for the severall Epistles to be writ and sent unto them.

Every one of the house of Israel.

The Hebrew is, ish, ish, man, man; of the house of Israel, that is, every man of Israel that forsakes me to follow idolls, I will doe so and so by.

The stranger that sojourns in Israel.

Heb. [...] which the Septu: render Proselyte, [...]. of the Pro­selytes that sojourne. Those came from the Gentiles, and imbraced the Jewish Religion; they were Proselytes. There were two sorts of Proselytes; one sort was cald [...] the Proselyte of the Covenant; and these were to be cir­cumcised, and to keepe the Law: another sort was cald [...] the Proselyte of the Gate, from Deut. 14.29. these were not circumcised, neither received the Law of Moses, but the seven Precepts of Noah; one of which was, Ʋt non colerent idola; if therefore they should come with idolls in their hearts, God would answer them.

And separateth himselfe from mee.

God had taken the Jews to be his people, and some of the Gentiles came in to joyne with them, yet these separated themselves from God to goe to idolls; like a Woman that leaves her husband, and follows other men, Hos. 9.10. When men leave the Law of God, and his pure worship, then they separate from God.

Of setting up idolls in the heart, and putting the stum­bling block of iniquitie before their face, wee have spoken in the fourth verse.

And cometh to a Prophet to inquire of him concerning mee.

In the fourth verse, its said, and cometh to the Prophet; then he adds; to inquire of him. It was an ordinary thing for this people upon occasions to goe to the Prophets; Exod. 18.15. The people came to Moses, who was a Prophet, to inquire of God. They went to the Seer, 1 Sam. 9.9. to inquire: so 2 King. 8.8. Benhadad sends to Elishah the Prophet, to inquire of him. Zedekiah sent againe and againe to Jeremie, to inquire of the Lord for him, Jer. 21.2.37.7. When they came to the Prophets, or sent to them, it was to know the minde of the Lord in their streights, undertakings, desires, and doubts.

I the Lord will answer him by my selfe.

The Hebrew runs thus; I the Lord, it shall be answered to him [Page 20] in mee, I will not let any answer him but my selfe. God spake himselfe to Moses, Numb. 12.7, 8. which was an argument of great love, and good will; and sometimes its an argu­ment of wrath and displeasure, when he will not speake by others but by himselfe; as here, I will not answer him by the Prophet, whom he intreats to inquire for him, but by my selfe, whom he despises, by setting up idolls in his heart. I will answer him not with words but deeds, not with mer­cies, but with judgements; as the next verse imports. God would not vouchsafe their questions they propounded any answer at all, but he would goe on in his judgements; not be inquired of by them, but answer them according to the mul­titude of their idolls.

13. ver. By trespassing grievously.

[...] prevaricando prevaricationem. Maal signifieth in generall, any disloyalty of inferiours towards superiours; yet especially it notes those sins which are against the Lord, his Covenant, and holy things; as here, they had forsaken God, broken the Covenant, set up Idols in the Temple, worshipped the Sun, &c. These were grievous sins, and therefore Piscator renders the word, prevaricando perfide; by sinning treacherously: the doubling of the word notes the affection to, delight, and continuance in sinne, they were obstinate.

Of breaking the staffe of bread, and famine, hath been spoken in the 4. and 5. chapter; God breakes the staffe of bread, when he either takes away the virtue of it, that it doth not nourish, but men pine away and come to nothing: or when he takes away the bread it self, so that there is not sufficient to nourish. This the Lord doth, by sending unseasonable weather, by too much drought, too much raine, by Frosts, Haile, Mildews, Blastings, Caterpillers, [Page 41] locusts, &c. And these are the hand of God stretched out, to breake the staffe of bread.

15. ver. Noysome Beasts to passe through the land.

Some would understand by these Beasts, the Babilonians who spoyled the Land, and laid all desolate; and if we should doe so, it were not much amisse; for wee doe not find that any wild beasts were sent as a judgement upon the Jews, before their going into captivity; yet because he speaks here of distinct judgements, and that which is to be exemplary for all, we shall take it litterally as the rest are. It was threatned in Moses Law, that evill beasts should be sent amongst them. Levit. 26.22. I will send wild beasts a­mongst you, which shall rob you of your Children, derstoy your Cat­tell; make you few in number, and your high wayes shall be desolate. And it was made good; The Lord sent fiery Serpents amongst them, which stung and destroyed many of them. Numb. 21.6. Beares which slew their Children. 2 Kings 2.24. Lyons which slew the men. Chap. 17.25, 26. and Josh. 24.12. By the Hornet God drove out the two Kings of the Amorites. And it is probable, that when the Chaldeans came, many who fled into woods, mountaines, and by-wayes, were wounded and slaine by wild Beasts.

17. If I bring a Sword upon that Land.

Sword is put for warre. Jer. 4.10. The sword reacheth unto the soule, Chap. 25.29. I will call for a sword upon all the Inhabitants of the earth, that is a warre; and so in this place, God would bring in an enemie, arm'd with the Sword, and other military instruments, and they should make grievous work amongst them. Of the misery of warre, formerly hath been spoken.

19. ver. If I send a Pestilence upon that Land.

Hebrew is, [...] from [...] to speake; because in this judgement the Lord speaks aloud. Its a soare judgement, and because it is amongst us, I shall speake something of it. Phi­libertus Marchinus calls it bellum divinum; this judgement is [Page 42] more immediatly from God, and hath lesse of man and se­cond causes in it, than others; and therefore when the murraine and plague was upon the Cattell, Exod. 9.3. There was no hand of Moses or Aaron in bringing it in, as in other judgements, and Ps. 91.5. It is cal'd an Arrow, not of mans, but Gods shooting, God shoots it into Cities, and Fa­milies, by wayes undiscernable unto us.

That there are second causes of it, we doe not wholly de­ny, but assert they are fewer, and hard to be found out; it puzzles the learned Physitians to expresse clearely what are the causes of it, some referre it to the indisposition of the aire, by drynesse and heate; some to malignant, and occult qualities in the aire, or the body, or in the dyet men feed upon; some to corruption in the bloud; some to hunger; some to surfet:Lib. 4. chap. 10. but as Senertus, Qualis sit pestilentialis veneni natura, & quae ejus in qualibet pestilenti constitutione differentia, nemo hactenus satis explicavit. So Fern. Quicquid asseratur, omnis pestilentiae caeca & delitescens est causa, De abdit: re­ [...]um caus. & aliunde quam ex primis qualitatibus, aut ex putredine perfecta

Gods hand is seene much in this noysome disease, some pestilences kill cattell, and not men, some kill men, and not cattell, some kill one sort of men, and not others, some kill women and not men, and some men and not wo­men, some kill young, and not old people, some the strong and healthfull, and not the weake and sickly, some the rich, not the poore, some the poore and not the rich, as the lear­ned have observed.

This judgement, the plague, and pestilence, spreads farre; it flies up and downe by night and day, it devoures multi­tudes suddenly; in Davids time 70000. were consumed by it in three dayes.Euseb. in Chronico. 2 Sam. 24.15. In Vespasians dayes, at Rome, there dyed 10000. a day, for many dayes together, and in the yeare 1345. it was so generall through the Chri­stian world, that it destroyed half mankinde; and in this Ci­ty, thousands have dyed in one week, and how suddenly men dye of it, is knowne unto many of you; some within few dayes, yea some within few houres.

The great cause of this judgement is sinne. You may ob­serve [Page 43] in Scripture some sins, which brought in the plague or pestilence, 2 Sam. 24. Davids heart wat lifted up, and he confided in the number of his People, and hereupon was the plague sent, when Persons in place have loftie spirits and pride themselves, in what they have, they make way for this judgement; so oppression of Gods People, Pharaoh would not let the Israelites have libertie, but hold them un­der; therefore the Murraine and plague of boyles came up­on the Cattell and People, Exod. 9. When people sinne grievously, then God is ready to send in the arrows of Pe­stilence. Doe not many sinne greatly, by pride in their Ap­parell, by excesse in their feastings, and pompe in the fune­ralls of their friends, by their bitternesse against those differ from them: when the plague was much in France, es­pecially at Lyons, about 1629. the Propapists judg'd Calvi­nisme to be cause: those Sectaries and Hereticks were to­lerated; therefore Marchinus a Florentine, in his booke De bel­lo divino, tells his Italian friends, that the Lords end in that plague, was to root out Calvianisme.

An powre out my furie upon it in bloud.

To put this for bloud corrupted in the body by the plague, sounds harsh, wee may take it for death, Ezek. 3.18. He shall dye in his iniquity, but his bloud will I require at thy hand, that is, his death.

14. ver. Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they &c.

To speake something of each of these, Noah Gen. 6.9. Was a just man, and perfect in his generation, there was none like unto him in the world, in his dayes; and he walked with God, he had great familiaritie with him; his justice, sinceri­ty, and piety, were eminent. His name signifies Rest or com­fort, Gen. 5.29. Lamech call'd his name Noah, saying, this same shall comfort us concerning our worke and toyle of our hands, be­cause of the ground which the Lord hath cursed. Surely he was a great comfort both to God and man, being so holy as he was. Its conceived Lamech was a Prophet, or at least utte­red these words by a Propheticall streine, intimating there­by, [Page 44] that Noah should be a Type of Christ, and so he was in building the Arke, and offering sacrifice, which was a sweet savour in the nostrils of God, and made him say, he would curse the eatrh no more for mans sake. Gen. 8.21.22. He was also a Preacher of righteousnesse, 2 Pet. 2.5. And the man with whom God made a speciall Covenant, and gave the Rainebow for a signe thereof, Gen. 9 9.13. yet if this man should pray for them, God would not heare.

Daniel.

He was a holy man, and would not defile himselfe with the Portion of the Kings meate and drinke, Dan. 1.8. And he was a man of great wisdome, Ezek. 28.3. Wiser than Da­niel, men that had great insight into things, who knew se­crets and mysteries were paraleld with Daniel, or preferred before him, but Daniel was the Standard. Daniel was alive at this time, and young, as will appeare, if you consider this time: Ezekiel spak these words, in the sixth yeare of Jehoia­chins captivity, if you compare the 1. Chap. 2. vers. with the 20. Chap. 1. ver. where he speakes of the fifth, and seventh yeare; so that this was the time betwene, and Dan. 1.1.6. Its evident that Daniel was carried into captivity, the third yeare of the reign of Jehoaikim father to Jehoiachin: so that now Daniel had been 14. yeares in Babylon, eight yeares of Jehoiakims reigne, for he reigned 11. yeares, 2 Chron. 36.5. and six of Jehoiachins captivity: So that the learned think Daniel was not above 13. yeares of age, when he came into Babylon; therefore is it that the King spake to Aspe­naz to bring of the Children of Israel, and of the Kings seed, and of the Princes, whereof Daniel was one; and now at this time, when Ezekiel rankt him with Noah and Job, about 27. Surely Daniel was a choyce man, of singular wisedome, and holinesse, whom the spirit of God would thus joyne with Noah and Job, such great worthies in their dayes. He was a man much given to prayer Dan. 6.10. Three times a day, he prayed in his Chamber, with his face towards Jerusalem; and that when it lay upon the hazard of his life. His prayer and fasting are mentioned, Chap. 9.3. and 10.2, 3.

Job,

The Lord gives him this testimony, that he was Perfect and upright, one that feared God, and eschewed evill; he was much in offering sacrifice, for himselfe and Family, Job 1.1.5. he was a man of much faith, great patience, Job 13.15.14.14. James 5.11. he was acceptable with God, and prevaild for his friends in prayer. ch. 42.8, 9. if these 3. men were in a Land that hath grievously sinned, they should not deliver it.

Some make great inquiry why these three men should be mentioned, rather then others, and they give in their answer;

1. Its thought they are named, for that they could not divert Gods wrath by their holinesse and prayers, from the people of their times. Noah could not keepe off the floud, nor Job the sad things befell himselfe and his, nor Daniel the captivity.

2. Others thinke they are named, because they freed o­thers in eminent danger in their times; Noah sav'd his Fa­mily from the floud, Job prayed for his Friends, and they were spared. Daniel preserved the Magicians and wise men. But rather they are named, because they were men of great holinesse, exercised with great tryalls, and so the more fer­vent in prayer: and what if these men, who were so accep­table to me, had so much interest in me, and often pre­vailed with mee should pray for you, yet they should doe nothing for your deliverance by their prayers.

These were men in great afflictions,Noah in the floud; Job on the Dunghill; Daniel in the Den. and affliction is the whetstone of prayer, the bellows to blow up that fire. David when he fled from Absolom, then he cryed unto the Lord, and he heard him, Psal. 3.4. Jonas when he was in the Whales belly prayed fervently, Jon. 2.2. I cryed by reason of mine af­fliction unto the Lord, and he heard me. Surely Noah when the floud came, powred out a floud of teares in prayer; and Job, when Gods hand was so hard upon him, cryed a­loud unto God: and Daniel among the Lyons; yet such was the case here, that if these three men were amongst them, they should doe them no good.

16.18.20. They shall deliver neither Sons nor Daughters.

Children are very deare to Parents, they come out of their loynes are part of them, even the bowells; and holy Parents would strive hard in prayer with God for them, are so deare unto them, they would invent arguments (for love is in­ventive) to move the Lord to spare them: yet if they should bring the strongest arguments, that nature, reason, or grace could finde out, saith God, They should deliver neither Sonns nor Daughters, from any one of the judgements.

14.20. ver. They shall deliver but their owne soules by their righteousnesse.

You must not think hence, that their holinesse or righte­ousnesse merited deliverance of themselves: Mans goodnesse is nothing to God; all he can doe is debt, and the best he doth is imperfect, no motive of Gods will; deliverance, sal­vation are acts of grace and favour Ephes. 2.8. By grace are ye saved, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of workes, least any should boast. God hath out of his free grace promised to doe great things for his Elect, for the godly: and when he doth ought for them, it is not because they de­serve it, or because they are godly, but because he hath pro­mised. Many promises are made to godlinesse, 1 Tim. 4.8. Bodily exercise profiteth little, but godlinesse is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. Psal. 50.15. Call upon me in the day of trouble, I will de­liver thee, not without calling, yet not for calling but for his promise sake.

Quest. If these three men Noah, Daniel, and Job, who were so eminent in holinesse, so fervent in prayer, should not by their prayers and piety deliver any, to what end should we desire the prayers of any in our dayes, when they are neither so holy nor effectuall in prayer as these men were, is it not altogether in vaine to crave the prayers of o­thers, whatever our condition be?

Ans. 1. If God revealed our estate to be desperate, and [Page 47] that he would not heare any praying for us here, then it were in vaine for us to request any to sollicite the Lord on our behalfe, 1. John 5.16. If a man have sin'd a sinne un­to death, any prayer made for him by whomsoever, is to no purpose; I say not that you should pray for it, for the pardon of it, who ever should intreat you to doe it.

2. We have divine warrant for the pactise of it. 1 Sam. 12.19, All the People said unto Samuell, pray for thy Servants unto the Lord thy God, that wee dye not, and 1. Thessal. 5.25. Brethren (saith Paul) pray for us. Ephes. 6.18, 19. he in­treates them to pray for all the Saints, and for him. James 5.14. Is any sick among you? let him call for the Elders of the Church, and let them pray over him: and then ver. 15. The pray­er of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up. Est. 4.16. She would have all the Jewes gathered together, that were in Shushan, to fast and pray for her.

Quest. 2. Had these three men met together, and agreed to pray for this People, would God have denyed them? Doth not Christ say, Matth. 18, 19. If two of you shall agree on earth, as touching any thing that they shall aske, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven.

Answ. If two, three, or more agree to aske any thing, it must be in faith, Matth. 21.22. according to Gods will, 1 Joh. 5.14. which could not here have been, for God had declared his minde otherwise, and so they could neither in faith, nor according to his Will, have prayed; they would never have agreed together, to aske a thing contrary to his mind.

Obser. 1. That Lands may sinne grievously against God, provoke him greatly: so did the Jewes, Ezek. 7.23. their Land was ful of bloudy crimes, their City full of blacknesse, they had variety of abhominations, ch. 8.4. Hos. 12.14. Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly, Isai. 63.10. they rebelled and vexed his holy spirit, hereupon you finde Lament. 1.8. Jerusalem hath grievously sinned, and Amos 5.12. I know the mighty sins, they did mightily pro­vok, presse, and wearie God. See one place, in Jer. 2.10, 11. Passe over the Isles of Chittim, and see, and send unto Kedar, and con­sider [Page 48] diligently, and see if there be such a thing. Hath a Nation changed their gods, which are yet no Gods? but my People have chan­ged their glory for that which doth not profit. Be astonished O ye Heavens at this, and be yee horribly affraid, be ye very desolate saith the Lord.

2. God hath variety of judgements to punish a sinning People, he can stretch out his hand, bring in a famine, the noysome beasts, the sword, and pestilence; when men have grievous sinns, God hath sore judgements for them; reade the 28. of Deut. and 26. of Levit. Let Lands be never so full of People and Cattell, let their Townes and Cities be never so well fortified, God can quickly cut off man and beast, and lay all desolate. Cardanus in his eight booke De varietate ch. 45. reckons up 7. judgements of a grievous nature, that doe befall the sonnes of men, three more besides those here in our Prophet.

1. Earth-quakes, which sometimes are very grievous, and shake downe whole Townes.

2. Inundations, when waters breake out and drowne up whole Countries.

3. Winds, which doe great mischiefe, both at Sea and Land: and those we have here mentioned, how grievous are they. In famines, parties have eate their owne flesh, and Mo­thers their owne Children. Wild beasts fill all full of feares, that none dare looke out of doores, or travell the high­wayes, The sword hath made sore worke in Germany, Ire­land, and England of late dayes. The Plague is amongst us, and what it will doe ere it leave us, is unknowne; wee that have escaped the sword, it may be are numbred out for the plague. O let us repent of our former and present sinns, pride in apparrell, excesse in dyet, pompe in funeralls, bit­ter divisions, unchristian carriages one towards another, unthankfulnesse for mercies, our unworthy walking of the Gospell, and take heed of all sinne for the future.

3. Whatever the judgement be upon a sinning Land, and people, God is the author of it, acts in, and orders it. I will stretch out my hand, and breake the staffe of bread. ver. 13. If I [Page 49] cause noysome beasts to passe through the Land. ver. 15. If I bring a sword upon that Land. ver. 17. If I send a pestilence. ver. 19. These judgements come not casually, they are by divine power and providence; if man or beast fall by them, its God cuts them off, if the wild beasts come here and there, its God causes them to goe those wayes; he gives Commission to the sword, and saith, goe through the Land, it could not enter without God, much lesse goe through a Kingdome, without warrant from him; if the plague wander up and downe in a Land, skip from street to street, from Family to Family; if it slay thousands, and ten thousands, the Lord bids it, orders it to do so: There­fore we should looke at Gods hand in all judgements, qui­etly submit to his stroake, and humble our selves under his mighty hand. I will stretch out my hand and breake, &c. Shall Gods hand be stretched out, and we not take notice of it, its argument of a prophane spirit not to doe it; Isai. 26.11. Lord when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see, but they shall see and feele to their destruction.

4. The sinnes of a Land or People may be so great and grievous, that the Lord will shew them no mercy, but pro­ceed irrevocably to their destruction, what meanes soever be used for their helpe; you have sin'd so against me, saith the Lord, that though Noah, Daniel, and Job were here, men of renowne for their piety and prayers, though they should singlie or joyntly powre out their hearts before me, use all their interest in me for you, yet should they doe no good; they should not change my thoughts, my heart, in the least degree, they should not obtaine at my hands, to abate ought of my furie; all the judgements intended should come, not one of them should be withheld; Jer. 15.1, 2. Though Mo­ses & Samuell stood before me, As I live saith the Lord, &c. verse 18. yet my mind could not be towards this People. Moses was the man of God, Psal. 90. title; the man of Gods choyce, love, honouring, the man of his counsell, that did his worke, that rul'd his people; the man that was so potent in prayer, that he held Gods hands, and kept him from destroying the Progenitors of this people here spoken of, and brought God to repent of the evill he thought to do [Page 50] unto them; Exod. 32.14. and Samuel was a man, had the eare and heart of God very much, when he cryed for Israell God heard him, 1 Sam. 7.9. yet if these two men stood be­fore him, and mediating for these people, should produce their strong arguments as of old, Gods minde could not be towards them, but he would say as it there followes; Cast them out of my sight & let them go forth, such as are for death to death such as are for the sword to the Sword such as are for the famine, to the famine, such as are for the captivity to the captivity; and I will appoint over them foure kinds saith the Lord, the sword to slay, the Dog to teare, and the fowles of the Heaven, and the Beasts of the earth to devoure. Their sin was so high, that the prayers of the holy, yea the holiest men would doe them no good. Je­remie was a praying and a weeping man, much affected with the condition of this People, Jer. 9.1, 2.14.7, 8, 9. and was much in prayer for them, but God was so farre from hea­ring him for them, that he forbad him to pray for them, chap. 7.16. Pray not thou for this People, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me, for I will not heare thee. So in chap. 14.11. Pray not for this People for their good; as if the Lord had said, Jeremie, I know thou wilt be praying, wearie and weare out thy selfe, but pray not for their good, if thou wilt pray for their destruction, that I would hasten in my judgements upon them I will heare thee so praying, otherwise not.

Quest. But what if they prayed themselves?

Answ. It followes in the next verse, When they fast, I will not heare their cry, and when they offer burnt offrings as an oblation, I will not accept them, but I will consume them by the Sword famine and pesti­lence. In James 5.16. you finde the effectuall fervent pray­er of a righteous man availeth much; [...]. if of one righteous man, surely the working prayers of many righteous men should doe more, you have six mentioned in Ezekiel and Je­remiah; Noah, Daniel, Job, Moses, Samuel, and Jeremiah him­selfe, yet if all these should make the most fervent prayers that ever were made, God would not heare, but proceed in his intended judgements against this People. Their sinnes had such malignity in them, as that they out-cryed [Page 51] the prayers of all the righteous, yea the very mercies of God.

5. Righteousnes is advantage to men in times of common calamity, Noah, Daniel, Job, were righteous persons, and if they had been in the Land or Citie, when these soare judge­ments were come upon it, they should have been delivered, vers. 14, 16, 18.20. though their righteousnes could not profit others, yet it should profit themselves; Prov. 11.4. Riches profit not in the day of wrath, but righteousnesse delivereth from death: and vers. 6. The righteousnesse of the upright shall deliver them. When men are holy, praying, upright men, God hath a speciall care of them in times of danger, Noah when the floud came, he had an Arke to be secure in, when Sodome was destroyed, Lot was pul'd out by an Angel.

Their wayes.

Some understand hereby, their former course of life at Jerusalem, which they should still walke in, which when the others should see, they should be comforted in the heavie hand of God upon them. Others understand by their wayes, that sad course of life they should lead in Babylon: the pri­mitive captives thought them happy who were at Jerusalem, and themselves the most miserable; but now when they should see them in captivity with themselves, and suffe­ring as hard, if not harder things then themselves, [...] the Baby­lonish yoak would seeme easier. Consorts in misery are com­forts to each other.

Junius interprets their wayes and doings of the confessi­on of their sinnes, and repentance;Solamen miseria socios habuisse doloris. the soare and heavie judgements of God, convinc'd them of the greatnesse of their sinnes, caus'd them being now stript of all, and in the hands of a potent and barbarous enemie, to confesse their iniqui­ty [Page 54] and repent of their former wayes and doings, and that induceth me, to close with this Exposition in those words; They shall comfort you, when yee see their wayes and doings. Thus though we have met with grievous judgements, have lost Citie, Temple, Country, all; are become captives like yourselves, yet God is just in all he hath done, he hath made good the word of his servant Jeremiah and Ezekiel, brought us to you, but withall, he hath broken our hearts for our sinnes, made us to abhorre and loath our former wayes and doings, so that we must say in wrath, he hath remembred mercie, and recompenced all our temporall losses, with spi­rituall advantages, and this was a comfort to the hearts of the former Captives, when they saw their wayes changed. Doubtlesse the first captives were a great comfort unto them, when they came into Babylon naked, and spoyld of all, and when they had told them of the severe judgements befell them, how that some did eate their own children, &c. certain­ly they were astonished at it, but when they told them what good they had gotten, by the dealings of God with them, they were comforted againe.

Obser. 1. When Gods judgements are soarest, yet then he shewes mercy to some, when God brought his foure soare judgements upon Jerusalem; viz. the sword, famine, noy­some Beast, and pestilence; yet a remnant is preserved, each judgement devoured its number, hundreds, thousands, and ten thousands; but all those judgments destroyed not all the People; God had some elect ones amongst them, and the election obtaines mercy, and together with them, some others. The Lord never powred out his wrath so fully, as that no drams of mercy were mingled with it. In the floud of wrath which drown'd the world, were drops of mercy which sav'd Noah. In the Brimstone and fire, which burnt up Sodome and Gomorah, were sparkes of divine love, to deli­ver Lot; he ever hath in wrath remembred mercy, and will do it to the end, the world shall not have advantage to charge him with crueltie, had none been spared, they might have said so; a remnant is left, and the mouth of iniquity is stop't.

[Page 55]2. The Lord will satisfie and comfort the hearts of his a­gainst the evill and scandall that comes by any of his judge­ments; when Jerusalem was destroy'd, the Jewes rooted out and carryed to Babylon what joy was there in the Nations? what reproachings of the Jewes? where now is their God? what now is become of their holy City and Temple, are not all laid wast, &c? at these things the Jewes hearts in Babylon, were grieved, offended, therefore the Lord tels them, They shall be comforted concerning all the evill he hath brought upon Je­rusalem, they shall know the greatnesse of their sinnes, which mov'd him to doe so, they shall know the fruit of his judge­ments, how they have caus'd those brought unto them, to confesse their sinnes, to repent of their wayes, and turn to the Lord.

3. That the Lord is righteous and just in his judgements, [...] I have not done without cause, all that I have done in Hierusalem, he cut not off man or beast without cause, its the Devils de­signe to doe so, therefore saith God, Job 2.3. Thou mo­vedst me against him, to destroy him without cause, but God would not doe it; what ever he doth, he hath great cause for; he is the only & infinitly wise God, and doth all things upon the height of reason. Their sinns were such as impeach't his ho­nour, corrupted his worship, brake the Covenant, questio­ned his providence, violated justice, and conform'd them to the heathen, he had cause enough therefore to destroy them, and doe what he did, namely, to vinicate his honour, wor­ship, covenant, providence, justice, and to shew that his Peo­ple, if they will sinne with the world, must suffer grievous things for it, Jer. 22.8, 9. when the Nations should passe by the City and say, Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this great Citie; God will have the cause knowne, then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord their God, and worshipped other gods and served them: and chap. 19.13. God saith he would make Jerusalem as Tophet (that is, fill it with bloud, and the bodies of slaine men) and why would he doe so; Because of all the Houses upon whose roofes they have burnt incense unto all the Host of heaven, and have powred out drinke offrings unto other gods.

[Page 56]4. Men shall know in due time the equity of Gods judge­ments, And ye shall know that I have not done ought without cause. Gods judgements are a great depth, Psal. 36.6. men cannot sound or measure them, the nature of them, the suddennes and severitie of them; the frequencie and continuance of them, doe puzzle men, and especially the causes of them, which are hidden from the eyes of most. Jobs friends mistook the cause of Gods dealing so sharpely with Job, but after­wards they understood it; they in Babylon, and others, were astonished at the soare judgements of God, but God let them know the cause of it, and so they were brought to justifie God, 1 Kings 9.7, 8, 9. I will cut off Israel, out of the Land which I have given them, and this House which I have hollowed, for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and Israel shall be a Proverb, and a by-word, among all people, and at this House which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hisse, and they shall say, why hath the Lord done thus unto this Land, and to this House: and they shall answer, because they for sooke the Lord their God, tooke hold upon other Gods, worshipped and served them, therefore hath the Lord brought upon them all this evill. God proclaimes the cause of his severe judgements, that so men may see the equity of them, that he is righteous in all his wayes, and holy in all his works; Psal. 145.17. when we heare of the bloudy doings have been in Germany so long, and of those in Ireland, we are amazed, wonder what is the cause, that God proceeds so severely with them; there is cause sufficient for it, and if we know it not, God wil in his time cleare himself, and make it knowne to us.

Vers. 2. What is the Vine Tree more then any Tree?

The Hebrew is, [...] the wood of the Vine; so the Sept. [...]: so the French, du bois de la Vigne: the word [...] signifies mostly a living Tree, as Gen. 1.11. Let the earth bring forth the fruit-Tree Psal. 1.3. Like a Tree planted by the Rivers of waters, yet sometimes it notes, the Trunke & body of a Tree cut downe, as in Deut. Ye shall serve gods, the worke of mens hands, wood and stone. Some would understand it here of the Vine-Tree, dead and cut downe, but that needs not, its more su­table to Scripture, to take it for a fruitles Vine-Tree, neither dead nor cut downe, but as if dead and cut downe; and what is such a Vine more then other Trees? its not only lower, weaker, more bunched, wreathed, unsightly than they, but its of lesse use than any of the Trees of the Forrest; they serve to make Temples, pallaces, houses, ships, musical and martiall instruments, and tooles, for many uses, but for [Page 60] the Vine-Tree, it serves not for any such use. By the interrogation, he sets out the unusefulnesse of it; its so farre from being equall to the Trees of the Forrest, as that its not comparable to a branch of one of those Trees. Take one arme or branch of an Oake, Elme, or Ash, it would be of more use to the Joyner or Carpenter, than the wood of a thousand Vines.

Therefore it followes,

Vers. 3. Shall wood be taken thereof to doe any worke?

This is a great derogation from the Vine, the wood of it is not fit for any worke; the wood of other Trees is fit for varietie of services within doors and without, this for none. The Hebrew is, ad saciendum ipsum in opus, to make it into worke, its not fit to make a pinne of, which is a small thing, and for small uses, as to hang a cloake, hatt, or band on; Will men take a pinne of it to hang a Vessel thereon? no, no, they will not, they know its unfit to hang the least thing on it.

Vers. 4, Behold its cast into the fire for fewell.

Here he sheweth what its fittest for, viz, The fire, neither is it the best fewell for that, for the branches of Vines, cut and bound up, if they be reserved any considerable time, ne quidem igni fovendo apti sunt.

The fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burnt.

The rootes and tops, namely the branches, they are only for the fire, and quickly consum'd in it, and whereas you may think the body which is the middle part may be good for som­what, its otherwise, the middest of it that you think strongest, soundest, most usefull, burnes like the rest, and you cannot make ought of it: other Trees when the rootes and tops are burnt, their bodies are improved, to severall great and good purposes: the Vine-Tree is wholly combustible matter, and only for the fire. Some referre the ends to the 10. Tribes, [Page 61] and those carryed away under Jehoiachin, the middest to those that remained at Jerusalem.

Is it meet for any worke?

Hebr. is, [...] Nunquid prosperabitur, will it prosper to worke? it will breake in pieces, deceive a mans expectation, come to nought and his labour will be in vaine.

Vers. 5. When it was whole it was meet for no worke, how much lesse shall it be meet yet for any worke when the fire hath devoured it.

Sanct: thinks that their Vines at this time were much wasted, for the Caldeans had been twice there, in Jehoiakims and Jehoia­chins time, and where Armies come, they spoyle the Coun­tries, pull downe buildings, cut up Trees, teare the Vines in pieces, and lay the Vinyards open to wast; they had al­most ruin'd the metaphoricall Vine the Jewes: as therefore the Vine neither whole nor burnt, was meet for any dome­stique or State Service; so this Jewish People neither in their prosperitie or adversitie neither before the Caldeans afflicted, them nor since, have been serviceable to God or his Church.

Vers. 7. Set my face against them;

See Chapter 14. 8. Concerning these words.

They shall goe out from one fire and another fire shall devoure them.

By fire is meant affliction, judgements, Psal. 66.12. We went through fire and water, and there be sundrie resemblances be­tweene them.

1. Fire is dreadfull to mens thoughts, fire of Sodome, and fire of Hell how terrible, if you see a ship on fire, &c. So judgements, afflictions are exceeding terrible to the appre­hensions of many; the Sword how sad did it make the hearts of many before it was drawne, &c. the plague now is terrible to your thoughts.

2. Its painefull, and so are the judgements of God, they put a Land into travaile, Isai. 26. when the judgements of [Page 62] God were abroad, what saith the Prophet, v. 17. Like as a woman with Child that draweth neare the time of her delivery, is in paine, and cryeth out in her pangs: so have wee been in thy sight O Lord. Gods judgements breed terrible pangs, in those are under them.

3. Fire inlightens the eyes, and judgements inlighten mens understandings, vexatio dat intellectum, Hos. 5.15. In their affliction they will seeke me early; then they will see the nature of their sinnes, the danger of their lives, the great need they have of mercy, and therefore will seeke me early: hence it is that God saith so oft after judgements threatned, They shall know that I am the Lord.

4. It refines, so doe the judgements of the Lord, Zach. 13.9, I will bring them through the fire, and refine them as silver is re­fined. The Babylonish Furnace, purged out their Idolatry, Isai. 1.25. I will turne my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy drosse, and take away all thy Tinne. When God takes a­way his hand of mercie from a Nation, and turns his hand of judgement upon it, then he purges, &c.

5. It consumes, and so doe his judgements, Psal. 21.9. Thou shalt make them as a fiery Oven, in the time of thine anger, the Lord shall swollow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devoure them. Famine devoured its thousands, &c.

The scope of the words is, that they should have judgment after judgement, if they escaped one, they should fall into an­other, untill they were consum'd.

Vers. 8. Because they have committed a trespasse.

Hebrew is, [...] praevaricati sunt praevaricationem, he meanes not one trespasse only, but its a singular put for a plural, and is cleared by that, Chap. 14.13. If a Land sinne against me by trespassing grievously, [...] there is little dif­ference in the words, and those here might have been so ren­dred, They have trespassed grievously.

Obser. 1. The Ministers of God have warrant to use Para­rables, similitudes, in their teaching of the people, God him­selfe doth it here, he brings in a parable of the Vine-Tree, [Page 63] and allegorizeth upon it, and the Scripture is frequent in parables and allegories. Christ was much in parables; they help memory, if familiar and knowne, they convince more fully then plaine speeches.

2. That men are apt to glory & confide in the priviledges they have, What is the Vine-Tree more then any Tree? the Jewes because they were Gods Vine, Gods people, thought themselves better then any, then all other, that they should never be cut downe and destroyd; what are not wee Gods Vine, his pleasant plant? hath he not made a hedge a­bout us, done much for us? will he pluck up the hedge and lay us wast? No man would ever destroy his owne Vine, and Vinyard, and shall we thinke God will deale so by his? The Jewes doted upon their priviledges, that they were Abrahams seed, they had the Temple, that they were a plant of Gods planting; and its incident to most, to adhere to, and confide in some priviledges they have; but whence had they, or any, their priviledges? if they were the people of God, his Vine, the Lord chose them, they chose not him, he planted them, and pleased to call them his Vine, and Vinyard, what ever excellencie or priviledge they had, it was from his free grace and good Pleasure, neither they nor we can merit, or purchase ought at the hands of God; let us not glorie in priviledges, in carnall excellencies, have any confidence in the flesh, but remember the more priviledges we have, the stronger obligation is upon us, to admire free grace, and to honour the God of our mercies.

3. The Lord knowes what all Trees are, the Vine-Tree in the Vineyard, and the Trees of the Forrest, the Ce­dars of Lebanon, the Oakes of Bashan, and shrubs of the Wil­dernesse, he knowes the goodlinesse or meannesse, the tal­nesse or lownesse, the weaknesse or strength, the fruitfulnesse or unfruitfulnesse, the usefulnesse or unusefulnesse of every Tree: he knew what Trees the Jewes were, and what Trees the Gentiles were, which Tree was fit for the fire, and which fit for other services; he knowes eve y mans nature, quali­ties, operations, uses and ends.

4. Trees in the Forrest and Wildernesse, may be of better [Page 64] use than Trees in the Orchard and Vineyard, wild Trees may exceed those are planted, What is the Vine-Tree, to a branch among the Trees of the Forrest, shall wood be taken thereof to doe any worke? Will it serve for a pinne to hang a hat on? no, other trees you may take the wood and Timber of, and imploy many wayes. The Heathens that were Trees of the Forrest, had more good in them, than the Jewes who were his Vine; they did more service to the world, they were more just, dili­gent, faithfull, bountifull, pittifull than the Jewes, they were fitter for Temple-worke than the other: and is it not so now? are not many Forrest-Trees better than us Chri­stians?

5. People degenerating from the condition they were set in, lose their esteeme and favour; this people of the Jewes was a noble Vine, a choice Vine, a good Vine; but now it was become a degenerate plant of a strange Vine, Jer. 2.21. I had planted thee a noble Vine, Exod. 15.17. Psal. 44.2. wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange Vine unto me? they were become like Sodome and Gomorrah, Isai. 1.10. Heare the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodome, give eare unto the Law of our God ye people of Gomorrah, now their Vine was of the Vine of Sodome and of the fields of Gomorrah, now their grapes were of gall, and their clusters were bitter, Deut. 32.32. and why so? Isai. 1.4. they were a sinfull Nation, a people laden with iniquitie, a seed of evill doers, children that were cor­rupters, they had forsaken the Lord, his Ordinances, Truths, worship; they had changed their glorie, and wandred af­ter Idols, Jer. 2.11.20. they oppressed in the Gates, the Citie and Land were full of violence, and bloody crimes, Ezek. 7.23. and hereupon they lost their favour with God, and esteeme they had of him, so that he came to abhorre them, Psal. 78.59. He greatly abhorred Israel, forsook them, delive­red them into captivitie, and into the enemies hand; vers. 61. Be­cause they degenerated so, God branded them with disgraceful titles, as a Rebellious Nation, impudent children, Ezek. 2.3.4. Hypocriticall, Isai. 10.6. Lying, Isai. 30.9. Reprobate silver, Jer. 6.30. Sonnes of the sorceresse, seed of the Adulterer, Isai. 57.3. Soothsayers, Isai. 2.6. Supplanters, slanderers, Jer. 9.4. [Page 65] An assembly of treacherous men, vers. 2. A homeborne slave, Jer. 2.14. Thornes and briars, Isai. 2.17. Naughty figs, Jer. 24.8. A Garden without water, Isai. 1.30. Scorpions, Ezek. 2.6. A ge­neration of Vipers, Matth. 3.7. When this Vine lost its sweet­nesse, it lost the interest it had in the heart of God, and the more it degenerated, the more distastfull and reproachfull it became. Degeneracie from God and his wayes, is a pro­voking sinne, God had done more for his people, than any people in the world, he had given them such a Land, such Or­dinances, Lawes, priviledges, as none else had; and now for them to forsake God, was a grievous trespasse, they viola­ted many bands of love, they brake the covenant of their God, and did secretly accuse God, as not being so good as he had promised to be unto them, therefore Mich. 6.3. O my people what have I done unto thee, and wherein have I wearied thee? testifie against me. I brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants, &c.

Its good for us therefore to keepe close to God, not to admit of any undervaluing or discouraging thoughts of God and his wayes, let not your hearts draw you back from God, Heb. 10.38. If any man draw backe, my soule shall have no pleasure in him. Drawing back, is the way to perdition, Heb. 3.12. Take heed therefore, least there be at any time, in any of you, a heart of unbeliefe, to depart from the living God: if you would be honourable and fruitfull, you must cleave fully to God and keep close to him, and his wayes, Joh. 15.4. The Branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe, except it abide in the Vine, no more can yee except you abide in me.

6. That people which is fruitlesse, and uselesse is deter­mind of God to destruction, The Vine Tree being barren and of no use, was given and cast into the fire, and so should the Inhabitants of Jerusalem, for they were neither fruitfull nor usefull.

1. Not fruitfull, Hos. 10.1. Israel is an emptie Vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himselfe, this seemeth a contradiction, that Israel should be cald an emptie Vine, and yet bring forth fruit, but it is not, the fruit was selvish fruit, and that is as no fruit in Gods account, it brought forth branches, [Page 66] leaves, and wild grapes, but God reckon'd not these for fruit: their Idolatrie, superstition, oppression, violence, and injustice, were wild grapes, their hypocrisie, formall pro­fessions, carnall confidences, their fastings and sacrificings, were leavie things, they had no fruit unto holinesse, and righteousnesse, their worshipp was not pure, Lawes were not executed, so that they were unfruitfull towards God and Man.

The evill of fruitlessenesse lyes in this,

1. A Vine or people that are fruitlesse, deceive Gods ex­pectation, Isai. 5.4. I looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes: God had taken great paines, been at great cost with his people, waited long for grapes, and when all came to all, there were only wild grapes, vers. 7, I looked for judgement, but behold oppression, for righteousnesse, but behold a cry.

2. It offends God to have such Trees in his Vineyard, People that bring forth nothing but wild grapes, cursed Fruit. How grievous was it to God, that there was no justice in the Land, Jer. .5 11. Runne to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, if there be any, that executeth judgement, that seeketh the truth, and I will pardon it. Isai. 5.3. Judge betweene me and my Vineyard. it argues, God was troubled: though they had no good fruit, yet they had evill fruit too much, such as offended, his eyes, his eares, his tast, therefore Isa. 1.5. I will hide mine eyes from you, yea when you make many prayers, I will not heare: and the grapes they bare, were sowre grapes, distastfull unto the Lord.

3. Fruitlessenesse is a reproach to God, who is the Hus­bandman of the Vineyard, as if he were not skilfull, or neg­ligent, and did not what was fitting, to make the Vine to beare,Matth. 7.16. and therefore Isai. 5.3, 4. Judge between me and my Vine­yard, what could I have done more: I have done all is fitting, for a prudent and industrious Vine-dresser to doe, and my Vine is a reproach to me; when men till their Land, sow it with the best seed, and it brings forth nothing but Thistles, Nettles, or weeds, its a reproach to the owner: if other peo­ple had had that paines taken with them, those meanes and [Page 67] mercies bestowed upon them which the Jewes had, they would have brought forth fruit unto repentance.

4. Fruitlesse ones are a burthen to God, to the godly, and to the place where they grow.

1. To God who speaking of this People, Isai. 1.24. Saith, Ah I will ease me of mine Adversaries, they were a mighty bur­then unto him. Amos 2.13. Behold I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that it full of sheaves.

2. To the godly; Lots righteous soule was vexed with the So­domites, 2 Pet. 2.7. they were a Vine that brought forth no­thing good. David sighed and said, Woe is me, &c. such hinder the liberties, and sad the Spirits of those are truly good.

3. The place where they grow, Luk. 13.7. The barren fig-tree must be cut downe, and why? it cumbers the ground, keeps out others which might be set up in the place, sucks up the moysture and fatnes of the earth, overshaddows and prejudiceth the plants are neare.

5. Such are slighted, look'd upon as worthlesse, inconsi­derable; take a Vine or Tree hath no fruit, its not regarded: its not the leaves or branches, but the fruit makes it esteemed, its not a leavie profession, but a fruitfull conversation makes people to be esteemed. Mark. 14.3. A woman bestowes a box of precious oyntment upon Christs head, some envyed at it, but Christ said she had wrought a good worke, and this begate such an high esteeme of her, in the heart of Christ, that to honour her, he said, the fact should never be forgot­ten, but where ever the Gospell should be preached in the world, that she had done should be spoken of, for a memori­all of her, vers. 9. she was a Tree bare good fruit, and was honour'd for it, but fruitlesse Trees are not minded, not valued; take a man that doth no good, we say he is an idle, an emptie man.

6. Fruitlessenesse declares a man to be an evill man, a Tree is knowne by its fruit, if it have good fruit its a good Tree, if ill, its an ill Tree, but what if it have no fruit? you cannot say, its neither good nor bad, God hath no such Trees, in his garden; in that it hath no fruit, its an ill Tree; a barren Tree cannot be good; when Christ found [Page 68] no fruit upon the Tree, he dealt with it as with an evill Tree.

7. That is fruitlesse, is neare to a curse, Matth. 21.19. when Christ saw a fig-tree without figs, what said he to it? Let no fruit grow on thee hence forward for ever, and presently the fig-Tree withered away, Heb. 6.8. The ground that brings forth bryars and thornes, not hearbs meet for the dressers, is rejected and nigh unto cursing, Prov. 10.7. The name of the wicked shall rot, Wicked men are fruitlesse, and God will curse their names, Esau, Jeroboam, Judas.

If a Vine be fruitlesse, God will take away what he hath bestowed, and undoe what he hath done, Isai. 5.5. I will tell you what I will doe to my Vineyard, I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break downe the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden downe. The hedge and wall were Gods protection, and defence of them; now because the Vine had no good fruit, was an empty Vine, the Lord would preserve them no longer, but expose them to spoyle and ruine, God made a Law concerning fruitfull Trees, that they should be preserved Deut. 20.19. and God himselfe is careful of fruit­full Trees and Vines that bring forth good grapes, Isai. 65.8. As the new wine is found in the cluster, & one saith, destroy it not, for a blessing is in it, so will I doe for my Servants sake. If Gods Trees, Vines be fruitfull, God will preserve them, prohibit others to wrong them, Psal. 105.15. Touch not mine annoin­ted, and doe my Prophets no harme. Cant. 2.5. Take us the Foxes, the little Foxes that spoyle the Vines, for our Vines have tender grapes. When the Vines doe beare good clusters and wine, the Lord is carefull to preserve them, he is a hedge and wall unto them, but when they are barren, or bring forth sowre grapes, he will protect and blesse no longer, he will undoe what he hath done, take away what he hath bestowed, Matth. 21.43. The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a Nation, bringing forth the fruits thereof; the Jewes had the Title to be Gods People, the Gospell was presented to them, both should be taken away, and be bestowed upon the Gen­tiles, who would bring forth the fruits thereof: severall Kingdomes have severall fruits, and the fruits of God Kingdome, are the fruits of the Spirit.

[Page 69]9. Fruitles Trees must be cut down or pluck'd up, Luke 3.7. Cut it downe. Matth. 3.10. Now the Axe is laid unto the root of the Tree. The Jewes were a fruitlesse Vine-Tree, and when Christ came, he laid the Axe to the root, and quickly they were cut downe, and sometimes he puls them up by the rootes, Jud. 12. Trees whose fruit withereth without fruit, twice dead, pluckt up by the rootes; Fruitlesse Trees are twice dead, dead in the body and branches, and dead in the root, dead by nature, and dead by their Apostacie, from that Pro­fession they made, and these God plucks up by the roots, there shall nothing of them remaine.

2. They were not useful: as the Vine-Tree, if fruitles, it must be cut down, or pluckt up, it is unserviceable for any work, to make a pinne of, other Trees when they are growing or cut downe, serve for divers uses at Sea and Land, this people were come to such a passe, as that they were unfit for any use, Jeremiah tels you they were like naughty Figgs, that could not be eaten, Chap. 24.8. and like the girdle he hid in the banke of Euphrates, Chap. 3.7. which was marred and profitable for nothing, you know what Christ saith of salt, when it hath lost its savour its good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foote, Matth. 5.13. so the Vine-Tree when it hath lost its fruitfulnesse, its clusters, and wine, with which it cheared God & man, its good for nothing but to be cast into the fire, such a Vine-Tree were the Jewes, Jer. 4.22. My people is foolish, they have not knowne me, they are sottish Children, and they have none understanding, they are wise to doe evill, but to doe good they have no knowledge.

Let England, London looke to it, we have been the Vine and Vineyard of the Lord, he hath made a hedge and wall about us, he hath of late digged us and pruned us, he lookes for fruit, good fruit, the power of godlines, not the forme, through reformation not a halfe one, justice, not oppression, love, not bitternes, taking off burdens, not laying them on, countenancing of the Saints, not reproaching, &c. if we be found without such fruit, or having ill fruit, the Axe is shar­pening, we shall be cut downe, and cast into the fire like the Inhabitants of Jerusalem; let us now then after such war­nings, [Page 70] such mercies and deliverances from the wild beasts and Boares, bring forth fruit meet for repentance, meet for the Gospell, meet for all that God hath done for us.

1. We have been neare cutting downe like the Fig-Tree, Luke 13.6, 7, 8, 9. A man had a Fig-Tree, planted in his Vineyard and came three yeares to see what fruit it had, and there was none, either no figgs, or naughty figgs, and then he said to the Dres­ser cut it downe, but the dresser interceding, prevail'd for an other yeare. Lord let it alone this yeare also, if it beare fruit, well, if not, then cut it downe: so here, &c.

2. God hath bestowed upon, and done great things for us, he hath taken us out of the Romish Aegypt, and planted us in Canaan, A Land that flowes with milke and honey; he hath gi­ven us the glorious and everlasting Gospell, which many o­ther Nations have not, in it he hath given us, exceeding great and precious promises, with it pardon of sinne, the spi­rit, Christ himself, all; to us Heaven is opened, we have vi­sions of God, dewes, showrs and sun-shine, to make us fruit­full; he hath done for us wonderfull things; hath he not fenced and walled us about with his protection; defending us from enemies without and within, so that neither Lyon nor Leopard, Boare nor Beare, Wolfe nor Fox, Jesuites, Pa­pists, Malignants, have been able to devoure us? hath he not delivered us from the greatest dangers, most devellish devices and plots, and out of many deaths? hath he not destroyed the Serpents and Scorpions? that stung us, or driven them into holes, made their Hosts To fall, as a leafe falleth from the Vine, and as a falling Figg, from the Fig-Tree. Isai. 34.4. Hath he not pluck'd up most of the Thornes and bryars that grew in his Vinyard, and remov'd the stones of stumbling out of the Ecclesiastick and civill Estate? hath he not turn'd curses into blessings, wise counsels into foolish results, and by weak hands wrought glorious effects for us? hath he not disappointed the expectations of our enemies, when they have been high, puzzeling the wit of Hell, non-plussing the powers of darknesse, causing their Designes to dash out their owne braines, and to promote those they were inten­ded to ruine.

[Page 71]3. God blesses and prospers a People that is fruitfull in good, Genesis 49.22. Joseph is a fruitfull bough, even a fruit­full bough by a well, whose branches runne over the wall, of him came two Tribes Ephraim and Manasses, and how did he prosper in Aegypt? to what a height and greatnesse did he grow? he was the only man in all the Land, Gen. 41.44. Its said of the man is fruitfull, that he shall prosper whatsoever he doth. Psal. 1.3. Moses exhorted the People to obedience, upon this ground, Deut. 29.9, Keepe the words of this Cove­nant and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do. When men are obedient unto the Will of God, and so fruitful, it pleases the Lord to blesse them; the Jewes were the terrour of Na­tions, whilest they worshiped God in his owne wayes, and executed justice in their Gates, 2 Cron. 32.30. Hezekiah prospered in all his workes, he abounded in doing good, and prospered accordingly, if you bring forth sweet grapes and pleasant fruit, you shall prosper in your families, shops, jour­neyes, worship, &c.

4. All Creatures are fruitfull one way or other, the earth is so plentifull in fruit bearing, that as it is the Mother of all living, so its the maintainer of them. What is there growes upon the face of the earth, which is altogether fruitlesse, and doth not contribute something to the good of man, and glo­ry of its Creator? Clouds are the bottles of heaven, and be­ing carryed over the quarters of the earth, they emptie there silver drops to enrich the earth. The heavens yeild us their light and influence, and move constantly to doe us service; that old Servant of the world the Sunne, is not yet wearie of sending downe her beames to warme us, and all other creatures: hath God made the heavens and earth usefull and fruitfull for man, and all the fish, fowle, beasts, birds, plants in them? and shall man be barren? it was a reproach for a woman in Israel to be so, and surely for a Christian it is a great reproach to be so.

5. Its the appointment of the Lord Christ, that those are his should be fruitfull, John 15.16. I have chosen you and or­dained you, that you should goe and bring forth fruit: that they should preach, pray, convert soules, worke miracles, plant [Page 72] Churches, set up his Kingdome, &c. and now if Christ hath chosen you to any places, in the Family, Citie, Church or State, he hath ordained that you should bring forth fruit, he would not have a Parent fruitlesse in the Fami­lie, nor a Magistrate in the Citie.

6. Its an honour to God to be fruitfull; when a Vine is full of goodly clusters, what a credit, what a chearing is it to the Vinedresser? when the ground yeilds great increase, its an honour to the Husbandman; when Trees are loaden with fruit, the Gardiner glories in it, come looke upon this Tree; when the Ewes beare Twins, its the Shepheards honour: and so when Christians are fruitfull, its the honour and glo­rie of God, Joh. 15.8. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye heare much fruit. When Christians are fruitfull, it pro­vokes others, to praise the name of the Lord, Matth. 5.16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good workes, and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven.

7. Fruitfulnesse is delightsome to God and Man, Hos. 14.5, 6. God would be dew to Israel, he should grow, his beauty should be as the Olive-Tree, (the beauty of the Olive-Tree, is to be full of Olives) And his smell as Lebanon; Lebanon was full of sweet Trees and fragrant flowers, and fill'd all the parts thereabouts with a sweet smell: so should Israel be ftuitfull, and yeild a sweet savour to God in Heaven, and men on earth, Jud. 9.13. The Vine cheared God and Man with its pleasant and sweet smelling wine. God in that it was offered in the free-wil-offering, for a sweet savour un­to God, Numb. 15.3, 5. Man, Psal. 104.15. Wine makes glad his heart: so fruitfulnesse in Christians hath a sweet savour, delights Heaven and Earth. The Philippians fruitfulnesse was An odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable unto God, Phil. 4.18. so prayers and praise are as incense and musick unto him. Psal. 141.2. Heb. 13.15. The Corinthian bountie and fruitfullnesse so delighted Paul, that he boasted of them, 2 Cor. 9.2. The savour of it extended farre, and made many to glorifie God on their behalf, vers. 13. be fruitful then that you may please delight, God and Man, and leave a good sent behind you.

[Page 73]8. Its the glorie of any to be fruitfull.

9. Christ is comming to see what fruit is upon his Vine-Trees, Heb. 10.37. Yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come, and will not tarrie, and when he comes, if there be ill fruit, or no fruit upon them, he will not only curse those Trees, but burne those Trees, for his comming will be in flames of fire, 2 Thess. 1.8. The Inhabitants of Jerusalem were not spared because Barren, and the Inhabitants of Lon­don will not be spared if found Barren, if you be fruitfull he will transplant you and you shall be Trees of righteousnesse in the Heavenly paradise for ever.

Obs. 7. When Gods face is against a people, he will follow that people with judgement after judgement, till they be consum'd: I will set my face against them, they shall goe out from one fire, and another fire shall devoure them. If they escaped the famine, the plague should take hold of them, if that did not the sword should, if that faild, the wild beasts should de­vour them, if by them they dyed not, captivity should be their ruine; when God is wrath, he hath fiery judgements for the wicked, and if he scorch them in one fire a little, pull them out like brands, he will throw them into another fire, if he burne them a little more in that, and pull them out againe, at last, he will throw them into a devouring consuming fire; The wrath of a King is as a Messenger of death. Pro. 16.14. but the wrath of God is as death it self, it pursues sinners, till they are burnt to Ashes; wicked men are apt to thinke, that when they are got out of some one firie affliction they are safe, but another is preparing for them; Nebuchadnezzar had twice be­fore been in their Land, carryed away Jehoiakim and Jehoia­chin at severall times, and now he was ready to come again, and after a long siege, he tooke the Citie, and carryed away many to Babylon: those were left, he set Gedaliah over them, whom Ishmael with many other slew, this Ishmael presently after was put to flight by Johanan, who also going into Ae­gypt, contrary to the counsell of Jeremie, is slaine there with diverse others by the Babylonians, as Jer. 41.42.43.44. relates.

8. The sins of the Inhabitants brings desolation upon a [Page 74] Land, I will make the Land desolate because they have committed a Trespasse. Canaan was a pleasant and fruitfull Land, a ve­ry Paradise, but because they committed a Trespasse, cor­rupted Gods worship, and oppressed the People, therefore God layed wast, the Land even his own Vineyard, he pluckt away the fence, broke downe the wall, and let in those wild beasts, beares, boares, and foxes; the Babylonians who toare the Vine in peices, and rooted it wholly up, and laid all desolate; before they came, the Land was as the Garden of Eden, but they left it a desolate Wildernesse. And where the Vines grew, there were bryars and Thornes, Isai. 7.23. yea all the Land should become bryars and thornes, vers. 24. so Chap. 32.13. Ʋpon the Land of my people, shall come up Thornes and Bryars, yea upon all the Houses of joy, in the joyous Citie. Psal. 107.4. The Lord tunes a fruitfull Land into bar­renes, for the wickednes of them that dwell therein.

If we would therefore prevent this, let us heaken to what is said, Jer. 7.5, 6. If you throughly amend your wayes and doings, if ye throughly execute judgement between a man and his Neighbour, if ye oppresse not the Strangers, the fatherlesse, and the Widdowes, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walke after other Gods to your hurt, then will I cause them to dwell in this place.

Vers. 1. Againe the word of the Lord came unto mee saying.

These words are frequent, they shew whence he had what he spake, and with what authority he spake, viz. divine au­thority, and serve for attention to provoke the sons of men, to heed what the Prophet delivered.

Vers. 2. Cause Jerusalem to know her ab­hominations.

By Jerusalem, he meanes the men of Jerusalem, and by ab­hominations, those sins of Idolatrie, adulterie, injustice, &c. which were abhominable.

The Prophet being in Babylon, how could he cause Jerusa­lem to know her abominations, his voice would not reach thither?

He might by Letters send to Jerusalem, to Jeremiah or some of the faithfull, to make known what a message, what a Prophesie he had received from the Lord.

Or else, he might give it out in Babylon, where were some that would quickly carrie, or send tydings thereof unto Je­rusalem.

Obser. 1. That a People may be guiltie of abhominati­ons, and not know nor acknowledge them, Jerusalem was so, and did not know nor acknowledge it, Cause Jerusalem to know her abhominations. Amos 3.10. They know not to doe right.

When men know not what is right, how can they know what is wrong?

They stor'd up violence and robberie in their pallaces, they got wealth by injustice, oppression, laid it up, and thought it well gotten.

They know not God. Jer. 9.3. They proceed from evill to [Page 77] evill, and know not me saith the Lord, when People know not God, they doe evill after evill, and know not that they doe evill; They know not the way of the Lord, Jer. 5.4. There­fore their owne wayes seeme good in their eyes, Joh. 16.2. The time commeth, that whosoever killeth you, will thinke he doth God Service: when men shall murther the Saints of Christ, (a crying sinne, a great abhomination) they will be so far from knowing or acknowledging it, that they will justifie the fact, in Isai. 5.20. you may reade what the Jewes said of evill, they cal'd Evill good and good, evill, they put darkenesse for light, and light for darknesse, they put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter: they set up Idols, worship'd the Queene of Hea­ven, oppressed in the Gates, fil'd the Land with bloodie crimes, and yet justified themselves, Jer. 7.9. Will ye steale murther, commit adulterie, sweare falsly, burne incense unto Baal, and walke after other Gods, whom ye know not, and come and stand before me in this house, and say we are delivered? we are in no danger, whatever is threatned; they were blinded: and as they knew not their abhominations, so they acknow­ledged them not. Hos. 5.15. I will goe and returne to my place till they acknowledge their offence; if they did know their do­ing to be evill, yet they did not acknowledge them to be such evils as in truth they were; they did not professe them­selves to be guilty, the Lord therefore puts them upon it, Jer. 3.13. Only acknowledge thine iniquitie, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God: lay it to heart and con­fesse it.

2. Note there is an unwillingnesse, an aversenesse in sin­ners to heare of their sinnes, Cause Jerusalem to know her abho­minations, she is against it, but make her to know them, Jer. 44.16. Wee will not hearken unto thee; thou tellest us of sin­ning, and judgement for sins, but say what thou wilt, Wee will not hearken, Zech. 7.11.12. They refused to hearken, and pul'd away the shoulder, and stopped their eares, that they should not heare, yea they made their hearts as an Adamant stone, least they should heare the Law, and the words which the Lord hath sent in his spirit by the former Prophets, what aversenesse was here in this people, to heare of their sinnes or dutie, 2 Chron. [Page 78] 36.16. They mocked the Messengers of God, despised his words, and misused his Prophets, they were not only unwilling to heare of their sinnes, but wilfully add to the heape of their sinnes, they mock, despise, misuse the Prophets, that told them of their mocking, despising, misusing: when Stephen told them of their practises, Acts 7.51.52. what follow­ed upon it, They were cut to the heart, they gnashed upon him with their teeth, they cryed with a loud voice, they stopped their eares, and ranne upon him with one accord, cast him out of the Citie and stoned him. 54, 57, 58. verses: so when Christ told them of their sinnes, they derided him, Luk. 16.14. told him he had A Devill, Joh. 8.48. they Were fild with wrath, thrust him out of the Citie, led him to the brow of an Hill, that they might cast him downe headlong, Luke 4.28, 29. And not only wicked men are unwilling to heare of their sinnes, but even good men also; when God reproved Jonah, Doest thou well to be angrie, his reply was, I doe well to be angrie? even to death: he thought God did evill in reproving him, that he had more cause to be angrie than God had to chide him for his anger: when Hanani the Seer came to Asa the King (who was a godly King, and told him he had done foolishly in relying upon the King of Assyria, and not upon the Lord, and that therefore he should have wars; Then Asa was wrath with the Seer, and put him in a prison House, for he was in a rage with him because of this thing: Paul was become the Galathians enemie, because he told them the truth, he told them of their sinnes; good men doe not easily indure to heare of their faults, and this is that discourages friends from telling them what they heare, observe and know, and so through feare they become unfaithfull.

3. What God commands the Prophets and Ministers to doe, it matters not how it is taken by the People, they are to doe it.

Here God commands Ezekiel to cause the People to know the abhominations, it was not for him to excuse himself from this service, to object against it, to say they will mock me, despise me, misuse me, hate me, seeke my hurt, ruine me, God commanded, and it was his duty to doe it, carefully, [Page 79] conscientiously, and faithfully, he must make known their sinnes to the world, to themselves, let the event be what it will, Isai. 58.1. Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a Trumpet, and shew my people their transgressions, and the House of Jacob their sinnes: the Prophet must not whisper, but crye, and that aloud, it matters not who heares, he must lift up his voice like a Trumpet: when men blow Trumpets, they doe it with all their strength, and the sound of it goeth farr; so must the Prophets with extention of their voice, utter the sinnes of the people, and shew them their trans­gressions, they must represent them fully, and live­lilie before their eyes, and to their eares; this they must doe,

1. That others may take warning, and not doe as they have done, 1. Tim. 5.20. Them that sinne, rebuke before all, them that sinne openly, must be rebuked open y.

And why?

That others also may feare.

2. That they may bring the Parties to repentance, Jer. 23.22. If they had stood in my counsell, and had caused my people to heare my words, then they should have turned them from their e­vill way, and from the evill of their doings.

How shall sinners come to repentance, if they heare not of their sinnes, if they be not convinced of the sinfulnesse of them, by the Prophets and Ministers of God? This was the fault of the false Prophets, they hid their sinnes from them, but the faithful ones must tell them of them.

3. That they may deliver their owne soules, Ezek. 33.8, 9. When I say to the wicked, O wicked man! thou shalt surely dye, if thou doest not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wic­ked man shall dye in his iniquitie, but his bloud will I require at thy hand; Neverthelesse if thou warne the wicked to turne from his way, if he turne not, he shall dye in his iniquitie, but thou hast deli­vered thy soule.

Obser. 4. The sinnes of People are abhominations in Gods account, he cals the sinnes of Jerusalem abhominati­ons, what his soule loathed and abhord, Psal. 14.1. They [Page 80] have done abhominable wokrs Ps. 53.1. They have done abhominable iniquitie sins are works, but works of iniquitie, abhominable works, & abhominable iniquitie, now Ps. 5.5. it is said of God, thou hatest al workers of iniquitie, if Gods hatred be against the workers of iniquity, how great is it against iniquity it self? if a man hate a poysonous creature, he hates poyson much more, the strength of Gods hatred is against sinne, and so should wee hate sinne, and hate it with strength, its abomination unto God, let it be so unto us., Prov. 6.16, 17, 18, 19. These six things doth the Lord hate, yea seaven are abhomination unto him; a proud looke, a lying tongue, hands that shedd innocent bloud, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischiefe, a false witnesse that speaketh lyes, and him that soweth discord among Brethren.

Vers. 3. And say thus saith the Lord God unto Jerusalem, thy birth and thy nativitie is of the Land of Canaan.

The Jewes stood much upon their progenitors, and glo­ried in it, that they were descended from Abraham: but they were so degenerated at this time, that the Lord sends the Prophet to upbraid them, and tell them, that their birth and nativity was rather of the Cananites, Amorites, and Hit­tites, than of Abraham, your wayes and doings are such, that you seeme rather to be the seed of any impious stock than of Abraham, who was so upright, faithfull and honourable, your works are contrary to his, they are such as the Na­tions are, and so testifie that you are rather of them, than of him.

Thy birth,

The Hebrew is, [...], which Montanus interprets Mansiones tuae, and the French, Ton habitation, the Sept. is, [...] thy root, so the Vulg. Radix tua, Jun. Pisc. Pola. have it commercia tua, thy commerce, and traffiquing in in matters of Religion is of Canaan, we have it Birth, which implyes, begining, rise; and all these may stand, thy birth, habitation, commerce, whatever thou thinkest of thy selfe, [Page 81] doe all declare that thou art of Canaan, of the Amorites, and Hittites; thy worship and practises are such, that if any in­quire whence thou art, where thou dwellest, whom thou resemblest, they would conclude thou art of, dwel­lest among, and most like unto Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites:

This is truth, but some further thing the Prophet seems to aime at here, viz. their condition before the Lord tooke them to be his people, and what were they then no better then other Nations, barbarous, idolatrous, like the Canaanites, &c. and so the word mecorotheca may import, for some of the learned derive it from Cor which is to dig and cut out, Isai. 51.1. Looke unto the Rocke, [...] whence ye are hewen, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.

Thy nativity,

Hebrew is, [...] Natales tui, thy nativities or birth­dayes, its plurall; to signifie their descent of both Parents, that they were by Father and Mother of the Canaanites. They drew their pedigree from Abraham and Sarah, who were Chal­deans, Gen. 11.31. but no better than the rest of other Na­tions, till God pleased to cull them, and distinguish them from others. Joshua 24.2. They served other Gods they and their Fathers.

Of the Land of Canaan.

Some understand Aegypt here the Land of Canaan, because the Jewes had long liv'd in Aegypt, which is called the Land of Ham or Cham. Psal. 105.27. but Aegypt was not Canaan, Canaan was a Countrie in Asia, the lesse, so called from Canaan the sonne of Cham, Gen. 10.6.18.19. possessed by him and his Sonnes.

Now Canaan was cursed by Noah, Gen. 10.25. Cursed be Canaan, a servant of Servants shall he be, that is, extreame vile, and base: from him came the Canaanites a cursed race, they were so wicked, that Abraham caus'd his Servant to sweare he would not take a wife unto his Sonne of the daughters of the Canaanites, Gen. 24.3. they were given to such abhomi­nable [Page 82] sins, as that the Land vomited them out, Levit. 18.25. and when the Israelites came to possesse. Canaan, they were so hatefull to God, that he charged his People utterly to de­stroy them, Deut. 7.2. Thou shalt smite them and utterly de­stroy them, thou shalt make no Covenant with them, nor shew mer­cie unto them, Vers. 16. Thine eye shall have no pittie on them, they had all abhominations amongst them.

Thy Father was an Amorite.

The Amorites were of Canaan the Sonne of Cham, Gen. 10.15.16. and they were as wicked as the Canaanites, Gen. 15.16. The iniquitie of the Amorites is not yet full, their iniquites were very great, only God waited for the compleating thereof, before he would destroy them, they were great Idolaters, op­pressors, made incestuous marriages, and Ahab one of the most wicked Kings that ever were, is compared to the Amo­rites, 1 Kings 21.16. He did very abhominablie in following I­dols according to al things as did the Amorites whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel. They were bitter enemies unto the Israelites, and would not let them passe through their Countrie, Numb. 21.23. but fought with them; they for­ced the children of Dan into the mountaine, Judg. 1.34. They were a people potent, and dreadfull to the Jewes, for Amos 2.9. Its said of them that Their height was like the height of Cedars, and that they were strong as Oaks; they were a Giant-like people, and as they exceeded in height and strengh, so they exceeded in wickednesse, and therefore God destroyed his fruit from above, and his root from be­neath.

Thy Mother an Hittite.

[...] Cethaea; The Cethites or Hittites were of the same stock the Amorites were, viz. from Cham and Canaan, Gen. 10.15. Heth is said to be the Sonne of Canaan, and from him sprung up the Cethites or Hittites as they are cal'd, Gen. 5.20. what kind of people these were you may judge by profane Esau, who tooke two wives from among the Hittites, which were a continuall griefe to Isaac and Rebecca, Gen. 26.34, [Page 83] 35. yea such an affliction to Rebecca that she said, I am wea­arie of my life, because of the Daughters of Heth. Chap. 27.46. they were contentious, stubborn, and Idolatorus, as the Greeke, Chaldie, and the Targum observe; and when the charge is given to the Israelites to destroy the Nations, the Hittites are mentioned first, Deut. 20.17.

You see what the Canaanites Amorites and Hittites were, ex­ceeding wicked, and the Jewes which were at Jerusalem were so degenerate that they were as if they dwelt amidst Canaa­nites, and were the off-spring of cursed Amorites and Hit­tites 2 Kings 21.9. It is said of them that They did more evill than the Nations whom the Lord destroy'd, he meanes the Canaanites, Amorites and Hittites, as appeares by what followes, vers. 11. Manasses did wickedly above all that the Amorites did which were before him.

Obser. 1. The Lord judges and pronounces otherwise of sinners, then they do of themselves; the Jewes thought them­selves better than other Nations, they cal'd them Goijm, Na­tions, Gentiles by way of disgrace, they thought themselves the holy seed, the children of Abraham, an honourable and blessed people, but God thought and pronounc'd otherwise, he tels them they are Canaanites, what you Abrahamites? no, you are Amorites; what you Israelites? you are Hittites, as bad as the worst of Nations. They thought themselves Children of God, in high favour with him, the true Church, whereas they were abhorred of God, and an Apostatiz'd Church, Rev. 2.9. They said they were Jewes, when they were the Synogogue of Satan; Ephraim said, in all my labours they shall finde none iniquitie in me that were sinne, but God found the Ballances of deceit in his hand. Hosea 12.7.8.

2. Men are their Children, whose wayes manners and ex­ample they follow; Jerusalem imitated the Nations in their worship, fashions, practises,Orig. Jerome Theodor. and she is the Child of an Amo­rite, of an Hittite, and her Citizens were Amorrhaeans and Hittaeans, imitating their impietie, they contracted kindred with them, and obtained inheritance with them, as the Fa­thers comment on the words.

When men live according to the courses, natures, man­ners of others, they are stiled their Sonnes, or Chidren, and they be their Fathers, Joh. 8.44. Yee are of your Father the Devill, and the lusts of your Father you will doe, he was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, so you abide not in the truth, you seeke to kill me; and herein you resemble the Devill, and he is your Father; if Abraham were your Father as you pretend, You would doe the workes of Abraham, Vers. 39. If God were your Father, you would love me, Vers. 42. The Fa­ther loves me, honours me, and if you were his Children you would do so too, but you hate me & my doctrine, lye in wait to murther me, You are of your Father the Devill: Christ eals the Scribes and Pharisees, [...], a generation of Vi­pers, they were so bitter, cruel, of such a bloodie and persecu­ting nature.

When Elimas the Sorcerer would have hindred the conver­sion of Sergius Paulus, the Apostle told him he was The Child of the Devill, Acts 13.10. his works, wayes, were such as the Devils were, and therefore the Devill was his Father: in Isai. 57.3. God cals the Jewes, Sonnes of the Sorceresse, the seed of the Adulterer, and the Whore; because they did such things as Sorceresses, Adulterers and Whores use to doe; Chap. 1.10. he cals them Rulers of Sodome, and people of Gomor­rah, they so livelily represented their natures and practises, that they seemed to be of them, and justly deserved those and titles.

Let us looke to it whose wayes we take up, if we imitate the world, we are Children of the world; if Rome, Babylon, we are their Children; the Church of Rome boasts that her birth is from the Apostle, that Peter, Paul laid her foundation: but doth she embrace their doctrine, imitate their examples? no shee is like the Nations for her Idolatrie, superstition, whoredome, deceit, pompe, pride, &c. therefore her Fa­ther is an Amorite, and her Mother an Hittite. We say wee are of Christ, but are we like unto Christ in our worship, lives?

3. All are not godly, which spring from godly Parents, Families, and have a name to be godly; the Jewes they came [Page 85] out of the loynes of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the best Fami­lies that were then in the world, they of all people were counted the holy, and godly people; but grace is not here­ditary, you see here they were so wicked that God reckons them among Canaanites, Amorites, &c. they were as bad as a­ny of the Nations, yea worse, Ezek. 5.6. Jerusalem hath changed my judgements into wickednesse, more than the Nations, and my Statutes more than the Countries that are round about her; you see it made good, what Paul said. Rom. 9.6, 7. They are not all Israel, which are of Israel; neither because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all Children; they were all Is­raelites and seed of Abraham after the flesh, but they were not the Children of God, they were of the Land of Canaan, &c. Judge not thou from such externall things, for Rom. 2.28.29. He is not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that Cir­cumcision which is outward in the flesh, but he is a Jew which is one inwardly, and Circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spi­rit, and not in the Letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God.

4. When the Lord takes in any to be his people, they were like others, no better than they.

In the day thou wast borne,

When to begin the birth of the Israelitish Nation is in­quirable, our Prophet speakes of it in the person of a wo­man, and saith, in the day thou wast borne.

Some make her birth-day to be, the calling of Abraham out of Chaldaea, and entring into Covenant with him, to blesse him, to be a God to him and his seed.

The infancie and youth of this woman or Jewish estate, was from the time of Jacobs going into Aegypt, till they were led out by Moses; her growne estate the time of the Judges and Kings; and her old age from the time of the Ba­bilonish captivitie to Christ.

Others make the birth-day of this Nation, to be their go­ing out of Aegypt, when they were freed from their rigorous bondage there: but to this opinion I cannot cast in my ap­probation, because twas the time of this womans youth, not her birth, and so the Scripture sets it out, Jer. 2.2. I remem­ber the kindnesse of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the Wildernesse, and Hosea 2.15. The dayes of her youth, and of her comming up out of the Land of Ae­gyt, are the same; and presently after, God espoused this peo­ple unto himselfe.

Some take this birth-day, to be the time of Jacobs going into Aegypt with 70. soules, but this is forced, and suits not with what followes in the 5. vers. where it is said, None eye pittyed thee, but thou wast cast out &c. Jacob and his, were received honourably by Pharaoh and the Aegyptians, and greatly regarded for Josephs sake.

Pradus makes the birth-day to be the time after Josephs death, when another King rose up which knew not Joseph, but oppressed the Jewes, from which time it is said, Exod. 1.7. The Children of Israel were fruitfull, and increased abundant­ly, and multiplyed, and waxed exceeding mighty, and the Land was [Page 87] filled with them: but to me their birth-daay must needs bee long before, take it litterally or spiritually: a people must be borne, have their being, before they can increase, and multiply, and they were the Loads people before this day. This birth day I know not how we can begin it at any o­ther time, than when the Lord cal'd Abraham, Gen. 12.1, 2. The Lord said unto him, get thee out of thy Countrie, and from thy kindred, & from thy Fathers house, unto a Land that I wil shew thee, & I wil make of thee a great Nation, and I will blesse thee, and make thy name great, and afterward he told him his Seed should be as the Stars of Heaven, Gen. 15.5. As the dust upon the earth, Chap. 13.16. And as the sand upon the Sea-shoare, Chap. 22.17. Hence is it that Abrahom is cal'd their Father, Josh. 24.3. I tooke their Father Abraham, from that other side of the flood. We may include all the time, from Gods calling Abraham, to their going out of Aegypt, to be their birth time.

Thy Navel was not cut,

Hebrew is, [...] from [...] with a double resh, which Aben Esra saith is so cald a firmitate, for [...] is firmum, & the Navel is that gives strength to the child, from [...] principa­le, because its the principall thing, whereby the Child is supported in the Wombe, the Septu: mistaking ר for ר read it [...] for [...] and render the words thus, non alligaverunt ma­millas tuas: French, Con nombril ne fut point coupé, and so wee read it.

The Navell is that unites or tyes the Child unto the wombe of the Mother, in which there is a Veine cald Vena Ʋmbilicalis, and 2. Arteries: Some say that by the Navel, life, spirit and nourishment, is let into the Child. the Navel veine con­veyes nourishment unto the Child, not to the stomack, but to the liver, from whence it is dispersed, through the body of the Embryo, the Arteries carry vitall spirits unto it.

As a Tree by the rootes is fastened to the earth, and by the fibrae the little strings upon them drawes nourishment and spirits from the earth: so is it with a Child in the womb, the Navel fastens it to the Mother, and by the Veine [Page 88] and Arteries in the Navell, it fetches in nourishment and spirits.

Some have thought Infants in the womb to be nourished by the mouth, because when newly born, they take the breast with their mouthes, but the posture of the Infant in the womb confutes that conceit, for it lyes double with the Thumbes upon the eyes, the face upon the knees, and the Legs turned up backwards, and how can it receive nourish­ment at the mouth in this posture?

Others have thought it to be nourished from that liquid humour it lyes in, the whole body taking in what is nutri­tive, as a sponge in the water, but that is excrementitious and its not like that God would make that the nourishment of an Infant in the wombe, which nature abhors being out of the Wombe

No, its the Navell which is the mouth of the Infant, while it is in that prison, and it lives upon the blood and spirits of the Mother,Plutarch li­kens the Na­vell to the roape and Anchor which stayes the Infant in that Harbour of the Mo­thers wombe and when it is cut, the infant goes from Harbour to the Sea and stormes of the world. but when it is borne and dsimprison'd, the Midwife or some skilfull person cuts the Navell, for if that should not be, it would be dangerous, if not deadly both to the mother and the Infant. When it is cut there must be great care used that it be so tyed up, that neither the aire get in, nor blood or spirits flow out, either of which may ha­zard the life of it.

For the meaning of the words,

1. It may be this, looke as a Child by the Navell drawes life, Spirits, and nourishment from the Mother, so did the Israelitish estate draw from the Nations, that were her Pa­rents, Amorites, Hittites Chaldeans, Aegyptians, the life, spirit, and nourishment of severall impieties. Rachel had her Fa­thers Idols, and in Aegypt they learned the manners, fashions, and worship of the Aegyptians, they were not seperate from Idols, but drew thence the grounds of their Idolatrie.

2. It points out the miserable condition of this people at first.

A Child whose Navell is not cut must needs perish, be a dead Child, so here thy Navell was not cut, thou wast in a lost and desperate condition, Abraham was an Idolater [Page 89] when the Lord tooke him, Psal. 106.7. Our Fathers understood not thy wonders in Aegypt: they were an ignorant, per­verse, superstitious people.

Neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee.

When an Infant is borne,

First, the Navel is cut,The Aegytian American women wash their Children in cold water as soone as they are borne to make them strong. and then they use to wash it with warme water.

1. To cleanse it from that filth adheres to the bodie of it, from the place it lay in, or the skin it was wrapt in. Jerome saith, the bodies of Infants are polluted with blood, and therefore are wash'd as soone as they are borne; but those are experienced about the birth of Infants, say otherwise: yet somewhat there is which cals for washing, and therefore R. Manahen renders the words here, non es lota ad munditiem.

2. For safetie, the vulgar reads it, non es lota in salutem, deriving the word [...] from [...] to save, for if it should not be washed, the filth which adheres to it, may cause not only unsavourinesse, but sicklinesse.

3. For fightlinesse, and so they fetch the word [...] from [...] aspicere, and read the words thus, thou wast not washed, ad aspectum, to be looked upon, to be imbraced and delighted in; when its once washed, then the Midwife, Mother, Nurse, all present, take more delight in the Child.

We have it to supple thee, [...] ad lenimen, Oecel: Cast. ine (que) aquae lotione sota sis. ut leni­ficareris, that thou shouldest be lenified, the joynts and parts may have some stifnesse in them, the Infant lying double or treble in the wombe; or in the birth, something may be wrentched, turned aside; its usuall therefore to mixe butter, or oyle with the water they wash them in, that so their limbs may be tractable; but surely the flesh of Infants, their bodies and bones are very tender things, and doe rather stand in need of consolidating then of suppling. I conceive therefore, it were better translated,Some advise to wash tham in wine ra­ther than wa­ter, as being more strengthning Thou wast not washed in water to my sight, or when I looked upon thee: thou hadst those pollutions, corruptions adhering to thee, which made thee unlovely, unsightly, Acts 9.37. They washed the body of Do­rcas, and laid it in an upper Chamber. It was their use to wash at deaths and births.

Thou wast not salted at all.

Hebrew, et saliendo non salita fuisses, in salting thou wast not salted, Septu: [...], Neither wast thou salted with salt.

It seemes in antient dayes, it was the custome after wash­ing, to salt their Infants, or to mingle salt with the water, in which they wash'd them, we read nothing of this practise, but only in this place: Pradus cites Jerome, saying the bodies of the Infants were salted by the Midwives, ut solidiora fiant, & restringantur: Gallen speakes of it lib. 10. de sanitate tuenda, Chap. 7. speaking of [...], one new born, saith, it must be, [...], it must be salted with a convenient proportion of salt round about, that so the skin of the in­ward parts may be more condensate and consolidate. Avi­cen saith, that speedily the bodies of Infants should be wash'd in water, wherein salt hath been melted, that the skin and Navel may grow hard, only they doe it must be carefull that the mouth and nostrils be not touched therewith.

This salting with salt was thought usefull,

1. To keep the Navel being cut, from putrifying, and to speed the healing thereof.

2. To drie up the humours with which the tender bodies doe abound.

3. To cleanse away any roughnesse, or filth, adhering more closly to the bodie. And

4. To thicken the tender skin, and confirme the inward parts of the bodie.

It was not in vaine therefore, that Anselm: Boetius a Phi­sitian did say, sal est quasi naturae balsamum: this custome is not amongst us,Cornel: a lapid. but whither it may not be useful to some Infants I leave to consideration.

That which the Prophet hereby leads us unto, is, that this People had no heavenly wisdome, no feare of God, no true grace, no salt to cure their wounds, to keepe them from pu­trifying, but abounded in noysome humours, were alto­gether weake and feeble.

Nor swadled at all.

Hebrew is, [...] fasciando non fuisti fasciata, in swadling thou wast not swadled, Sept: [...] non implicata eras fasciis, French in enueloppee de Drape­aux, Children are swadled to strengthen their bodies and to keepe their limbs streight, Luk. 2.7. Christ was wrapped in swadling clothes; and its given as a reason why the bo­dies of Barbarians were streighter then the bodies of the Ro­mans, because they kept their Children swadled two or three yeares.

Hereby is set out how destitute of all helpe this people were.

Vers. 5. None eye pittyed thee, to doe any of these things unto thee.

Here the contemptible condition of this metaphoricall Infant is set out in three things.

1. That none eye pittyed, or had compassion on her to do ought for her, its something, in miserie to be pittyed, but to have none to pitty, all to be incompassionate, is sad.

2. That she was cast out, not into some by or secret place, but into the open Feild.

3. Her person was loathed.

None eye pittyed the.

Hebrew is, [...] non pepercit super te oculus, eye hath not spared upon thee, the eye of man hath not looked after thee; Vatablus, non est misertus tui oculus, Eye hath not had pit­ty on thee, no humane eye, and the word [...] signifies to pitty as well as to spare, and this must be the sense, as these following words doe shew.

To doe any of these things unto thee.

What things?

To cut her Navell, to wash her, to salt her, or swaddle her; these seem'd no great things, of small moment; yet there was none found to doe any of these: if some one had [Page 92] cut her Navel, another washed her, a third salted her, &c. it had been some comfort; but shee was so vile, sordid, con­temptible, that none eye minded her, were mov'd to doe ought for thee, or shew her the least compassion, or kindnesse.

The words for pitty and compassion were opend 5. Chap. 11. Verse.

But thou wast cast into the open feild

It was a custome among the Heathens, if they were poore, and could not bring up their Children; or if the Children were deformed,Aelia: de var: hist. lib. 11. to carry them forth and lay them in the Feilds, if they did not otherwise make them away, and these Children were cald, liberi exposititii. This was so common a practise, that the Thebans made a severe Law against it, that whoever exposed their Infants in the Woods or Feilds, should suffer for it. Its reported of the Japonians, that those of them, who are not able to maintaine thier Children, do usually make them away, especially if they be Females, looking upon them as burdensome, and lesse usefull. There is provision in some Countries to prevent the untimely death of Children, misbegotten and expos'd, they are look'd after, and taken into Houses appointed for their preservati­on;Clem: Roma. lib. 9. recog. The Jewes were free from this sinne above all others, for its said of them, nunquam apud Judaeos infans natus ex­ponitur; yet the Jewish State was as an Infant cast out.

Now you know when a little Infant, is cast out into the woods, or fields, it must needs perish, either by hunger, injury of weather, fowles of Heaven, beasts of the Feild, or some Vermine, if it be not taken up.

Moses was cast out, and had perished in the Arke among flaggs, if he had not been taken up.

Some divine this to bee meant of the casting out of the Hebrew Children to their destruction; others put it upon the time of their making Brick and Clay in the Feilds.

In the open Feild.

Hebrew is, In the faces of the Field, the Hebrew call the out-side or superficies of things, their faces, as the face of the deepe, face of the waters, Gen. 1.2. so here, the face of the Feild, and here rendred open.

To the loathing of thy person.

Hebrew is, [...] in abjectione animae tuae, the word [...] signifies amoliri cum fastidio, abhominari,: Some of the Rabbies interpret Goal deimmunditie quae adhaeret faetui; or that wherein the Infant lyes, and so imports the filthie and loathsome condition, this Israelitish Infant laye in, that there was no regard had of he [...] life or person.

The Task-Masters oppressed the Jewes, their Children were cast into the Rivers, Pharaoh and others plotted their ruine, and there was none to pitty, to help: but they were as a Child cast out, to the loathing of their Persons.

Obser. The miserable estate of man by nature both of Jew and Gentile; for what is said here of the Israelites, is true of al mankind, and is here implyed; for if the Jew had no pri­viledge, what must the Gentile have? mans condition by na­ture is very deplorable.

I shall give you it out, as it lyes couch'd in this similitude of an Infant new borne.

1. Man naturally is not cut off from the old stock (as the Infants Navell was not cut) but drawes life, spirits, nu­triment from it; every mans Father naturally is an Amorite and his Mother an Hittite, and looke what waye they walkt in, the same doth the Child: Adam was of the earth, ear­thy, and savoured of the earth: so doe all his Children. Thou hast a Navell about thee, carnall desire, which sucks nutriment from the wombe, and paps of the creature, their Navels are fasten'd to the earth, which is their mother, thence they suck their nutriment.

Hence the Chuch Psal. 45.10. is bid forget her own peo­ple and her Fathers House.

[Page 94]2. Naturally, man is filthy, void of all beauty, and com­linesse, Thou wast not washed with water, washing supposes de­filement, Psal. 51.5. I was shapen in iniquity, and in sinne did my Mother conceive me, warm me. John 3. That which is borne of the flesh, is flesh, Psal. 14.3. They are altogether become filthy: there is some naturall defilement adheres to a Child newly borne, but there is much spirituall defilement.

3. He is stiffe in wickednesse, he hath nothing to supple him, Psal. 78.8. A stubborne and rebellious generation.

4. Man corrupts in his natural condition more and more, he abounds in ill humours, his thoughts are evill only and continually, his affections are inordinate, Col. 3.5. wicked men grow worse and worse, 2. Tim. 3.13. they putrifie in that estate: Thou w [...]st not salted at all; Its salt that preserves from putrefaction: now man by nature having no salt, must needs grow more and more unsavourie, natural­ly men are not salted with the fire of the spirit, or any sparke of that fire, with any grace, with any divine Truth.

5. Man is naked in his naturall estate, Thou wast not swad­led; an Infant not swaled, lyes naked, sprawling, and is a miserable object; man since the fall is naked, without God, & is not asham'd of his condition Jer, 3.3. Thou hadst a Whores fore-head, thou refusedst to be ashamed. He is not cloth'd with Humilitie, hath not put the Armour of God the Roabe of righteousnesse, but is impotent, weak, and cannot help himselfe: a Child new borne, how feeble is it? it can­not thinke of ought for its owne good, it cannot speake a word for it selfe: it cannot goe or doe any thing may ad­vantage it: such is man in his naturall condition, 2. Cor. 3.5. We are not sufficient of our selves to thinke any thing (that is good) as of our selves, Matth. 12.34. How can you being evill speake good things?

Nor can he doe good, Rom. 3.12. There is none doth good, no not one, Matth. 7.16. Grapes doe not grow upon Thornes, nor figgs upon Thistles: he is flesh, in the flesh, cannot please God, Rom. 8.8. here is his miserie, he that was made at the first [Page 95] to serve God and please him, cannot now serve or please him at all; he is so impotent, that he is not able to receive good, when it is presented unto him, 1. Cor. 2.14. The natu­rall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; no, he is so far from entertaining of them, that he refuses them, Luke 14.16. When the great supper was made, many invi­ted, and all things ready, what did they? they all made excu­es, and refus'd to come, Vers. 18.19.20.

An Infant kicks sprawles and opposes its owne good: so doth man naturally, Rom. 1.30. They hate of God. John 15.24. They hated Christ and his Father, Act. 7.15. They doe alwayes resist the holy Spirit.

6. Man in his naturall Estate is in a helplesse condition, there is none can doe him good, None eye pittyed thee, to doe a­ny of these things unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; none had any bowels to pitty, or power to do for this Child; and who pitties, or hath power to doe for men in their naturall estates? all men are in the same condition, they cannot help themselves; other creatures are enemies to man since his fall; Angels have not power to cut the Navell of a na­turall man, to wash him, salt him, swaddle him; did either Priest or Levite pittie or helpe the man that went from Jeru­salem to Jericho, when he fell amongst Theeves, and was left halfe dead? who pittyed Abraham when he was in Ʋr of Chaldea?

7. Man in his naturall estate is cast out, infans expositus, Thou wast cast out in the open Feild; Adam and all in him were cast out of Paradise, a type of Heaven, into the open Feild of the world; so that he hath no habitation, but is a Vagabond upon the face of the earth, an excommunicate person, Moses could say, Psal. 90.1. Lord thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.

8. He lyes sencelesse in that condition, and perishes in it: the Infant cast out is not sensible of that estate, lyes ob­vious to a thousand dangers, and perishes, if not ta­ken up.

[Page 96]9. Man in his naturall estate, is loathsome, this Infant was cast out to the loathing of her person, when men saw her, they were so farr from pittying her, they loath'd her, as a little Child in its dung: and a man in his naturalls is so ful of sin, that he is abhominable, his righteousnes is as a men­struous cloath, Isai. 64.6. his prayers, sacrifice, are abho­mination, and what then is himself?

Lastly, this was in the day of birth, no sooner borne but miserable, extreame miserable, either still-borne, or devo­ted to death immediatly. Its reported of the Indians and Brochmanes, that after birth, about two moneths, some are appointed to view their Children, and if they be not like­ly to prove sound, strong, usefull to the State, they make them away: so that these Children were of all unhap­pie, because they were borne, not to live, but to be mur­thered, according to that in Hosea 9.13. Ephraim brought forth Children to the murtherer. And it was once an Order a­mongst the Romans, to put Children, supposed to be­come a burden rather to the common wealth, than advan­tage, to death, the same day and houre they were borne; a great miserie. Jerusalem in the day of her birth was cast out, exposed to all miserie.

I cloathed thee with broidered worke.

[...] Vestivi te acupicto, with that is drawn, pain­ted or imbroidered with a needle Sept. [...] I have put on thee Garments various in the working, and colours, Vulg. Discoloribus, with garments of diverse colours. Cast. Phrygianis indui. Calv. Phrygionica veste variegata. Jun. Versico­loribus. Fren. Te vesti de broiderie. The word is from [...] to imbroider with the Needle, or by Weaving, to worke in diverse colours, figures and pictures in cloathes, they made the pictures of Men, Beasts, and other living Creatures in them: sometimes they intermixed Gold and silk of diverse colours, and so the worke was very curious and costly. Pradus conceives that the word Rickmah doth properly sig­nifie [Page 154] Opus acupictum, and Psal. 45.14. where it's said, Shee shall be brought unto the King in rayment of needlework, Lirkamoth it sets out what broidery the word imports, Viz. That which is done with the Needle, and such imbroiderie is call'd Opus phrigionicum, because the Phrigians first invented it: some re­ferre this cloathing with broiderie to Aaron, Exod. 28.4. there a broidered Coat was to be made for him, in which they affirm was imbroidered the whole world, heaven, earth, Sea, with the fulnes and furniture of them, as Birds, Fishes, Beasts, Meadowes, and those living creatures, which were dos Ʋxoris, the dowrie of the Wife, these were intertext, wo­ven in, also with the needle was imbroidered most lively the glory of their progenitors, according to that in wisedome, 18.24. In the long garment was all the ornament, and in the foure rowes of the stones, was the glorie of the Fathers graven. The­odoret refers the broiderie, and what followes in the words, to the Curtains, coverings, and ornaments of the Tabernacle, which were costly and wrought with needle-worke some of them, Exod. 26.26. but both these are too narrow, the peo­ple were cloathed with broidered vvorke as well as the Priests, and Tabernacle, Isai. 3.18. they had their braverie, and their broiderie too, Judg. 5.30. when Sisera was gone forth to fight with the Israelites, did not his Mother and the Ladies say, Have they not divided the prey? to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers coulours of needle-worke on both sides meet for the neck of them that take the spoyle, the Hebrew for needle-vvorke is Richmah and Rickmathaim, broiderie made with the needle, which the Jewes had plenty of, the repeti­tion of the words import it, had they conquered and spoy­led the Jewes, they looked for a prey of diverse couloured needle-worke.

And shod thee with Badgers skin.

Hebrew is, [...] & calceavi te taxo. Septu: [...] I shod thee with skins of a blew or hyacinth colour Uulgar is, Ianthino with skins of violet colour [...] in Greeke is a Violet,, and [...] a flower, from which ariseth [...]. Jun: Casta: read it Melinis, which agrees with our translation [Page 155] That this Tachash was some living creature all agree, but what creature, is doubtfull, some Rabbies say it was a beast, quae tantum illo tempore, reperta fuerit plurimas habens maculas, which the Chaldeans cal'd Sasgona quasi gaudens coloribus, for some of the Hebrewes say it had six colours, we have it Bad­gers skins, so its rendred, Exod. 25.5:26.14:35.7.23:36.19:39.34. Numb. 4.6.8.10.14.25. Chap. 11.12. but whither so warrantable I leave to consideration, for the Jews held the Tachasch to be a cleane beast which the Badger is not, by Moses law, as Ainsworth observes; how could they handle the Badger, if it were an uncleane creature, flay it, and make shooes of the skin, and not be defiled therewith? the wearing of such shooes was a defilement and abhomination: Besides, its not probable that God would have the Taber­nacle covered with the skins of uncleane beasts, that being holy. Gesner, also saith that the skins of Badgers have no pretiousnesse in them, he would have inquirie made whither it be not the Thos Lynx, some such creature, whose skin is pretious & spotted: further it appears not that Badgers skins were of use to make shoes, as here the Tachasch is said to be. Its most likely to be some living creature peculiar to those parts, having sundrie blew spots in it, which occasioned the Septu: and Ʋulg: to translate it as you heard: The Jewes did weare their garments short, because their feet were seen, they had their shooes exquisitely made and much adorned, Isa. 3 18. ornaments of their feet. This shooing of them held out saith Prado.

1. Libertie; for as to be unshod, noted captivity, Isai. 20.3, 4. so being shod the contrary, Exod 12.11.

2. Taking possession; for loosing the shoe was an Emblem of mans parting with his right, Ruth 4.7. Deut. 25.9, 10.

3▪ Joy, Ezek. 24.17. in time of mourning they put off their shoes, and therefore the Prophet being forbid to mourne, is commanded to put on his shoes.

4. Constancie and resolution, the word here for shoing is from [...] claudere, because when a man is shod, his feet are shut up from danger of stones and thornes, and so he goes on boldly, constantly, resolutely, Ephes. 6.15, Having your feet shod with the preparation of Gospell; let the Gospell be to [Page 156] the affections, as shoes to the feet, have that in readines, it will make you goe on undauntedly.

I girded thee about with fine linnen.

Hebrew is thus, [...] stravite in bysso, I covered thee with fine linnen. Uulg. Cinxi te bysso. Cast. Amicui bysso. Tremel. Pisc. Xilino cotten not bysso, and so they render it in other places, Exod. 25.4. it is, [...] there which Trem. and Jun. render linum Xilinum not byssum, and upon this rea­son because bysse or fine linnen hath another name amongst the Hebrewes, viz. [...] as in 1 Cron. 15.27. but this argu­ment is not convincing, because both in the Hebrew tongue and in others, one thing may have divers names, and Boetius in his sacred animadversions saith that if [...] be cotten, it hath also another name in the Hebrew, namely, [...] and so he interprets that place in Josh. 2.6. [...] to be understood of cotton and not of flax, which is Masius his o­pinion: it appeares to me shat Shesh was some choice mate­riall, whereof they made pretious garments and girdles such as were for Kings and great persons, Gen. 41.42. when Pharaoh would exalt Joseph, set him over all the Land next to himselfe, he arrayes him in vestures of Shesh, bysse or fine linnen, so in Proverb 31.22. speaking of the virtuous wife, he saith, her cloathing is Shesh; in the verse before it is said of her houshold, They were all cloathed with skarlet, if they were clad with that, this Shesh, must be something more pretious, otherwise her Servants should be better clad then herselfe, I conceive the marginal reading were fitter, they were all cloathed with double garments: so the Hebrew word will beare it, and the former words of the verse seeme to inferre it, she is not afraid of the snow, that is the greatest cold of all, because her houshold is cloath'd with double garments, and she herselfe with Shesh, fine linnen and purple which were more costly then the others, Luke 16.19. the rich man is brought in cloath'd with purple, or fine linnen, Bysso, and its reckon'd amongst pretious thing, Rev. 18.12.16. as gold, silver, pretious stones, pearles, fine linnen or bysse, purple, silke, scarlet, &c. fine linnen here or bysse is [Page 157] distinguished from silk, and so is, [...] in my text there is an­other word for silke [...] they have mistaken therefore who have rendred [...] silke, when as it is the common consent of Interpreters, that [...] is silke; this Shesh or Byssus was a kinde of flax greatly esteemed, and desired of women, and of no lesse value then gold. The Rabbies say, what place soe­ver in the Law speaketh of Shesh or Bad, it is flaxe, or Bysse, Maymonie. Mercer saith it is a kind of flax most fine, white and pretious, and so diverse others, only some doubt is made of the colour. Pausanias and Bootius doe conceive it was of a yellowish or redish colour, but the Scripture it self, may determine that doubt, Rev. 19.14. its cald [...] white linnen, and the word Shesh is put for white marble, Cant. 5.15. and if the Scripture call it white, we need not make inquirie after any other colour; for the orig. of it, De [...]. tels us that Byssum non vermiculi pratum esse sed terrae ceuplantae.

I girded thee.

The Hebrew [...] signifies to bind and to cover, Isai. 1.6. Thy wounds have not been bound up. Gen. 22.3. Abraham rose and sadled his Asse, the Hebrew is covered in this place, the worn is to girt now whether sense of the word is fittest, must be inquired after when as some render it, I covered I cloathed thee; others, I girded or bound thee; to me girding is most peculivr here, because he spake of cloathing before, and speakes of covering in the next words; its well rendred by our translators, I girded thee, &c. that is, with a girdle made of fine linnen, I girt thee and thy Children. Aarons girdle was of fine twined linnen, Exod. 39.29. girdles usually were of costly things, Needle-worke, Exod. 28.39. of gold, Rev. 15.6. Dan. 10 5. and girdles were for gifts, 2 Sam. 18.11. saith Joab to the young man, I would have given thee ten sheckles of silver and a girdle. Girdles amongst the attire and dressings of women, were of some account, Jer. 2.23. Can a Maid forget her ornaments, or a Bride her attire, their hearts and thoughts are much taken up with them, and because they sin'd so about them the Lord told them, Isa. 3.24. That instead of a girdle, there should be a rent, and instead of a Stomacher, a girding with sack-cloath. This girding some make to note out [Page 158] chastitie, and conjugall fidelitie. Others, fitnesse and prepa­rednes for imployment.

Covered thee with silke.

Hebrew is, [...] operui te serico, this covering was not any inward garment, but some outward vaile, a cove­vering, not a cloathing. The Hebrew women did weare their Vailes and coverings over their outward gar­ments, Gen. 38.14. Tamar covered herself with a Vaile, so did Rebeckah, Gen. 24.65. and Cant. 5.7. the spouse had her vaile: so Isai. 3.23. the Daughters of Sion had their hoods and vailes: whither these vailes did cover the whole bodies, like Hukes in some Countries, or their halfe bodies, whither their heads or faces, is doubtfull amongst Interpre­ters. That they were not only for the head, but larger is clear from Ruth 3.15. How big or little soever, it was of silke so do expositors in general render it, only the Septu: and Je­rom read it otherwise, the one hath it [...] which Suidas affirms to be a silken cloath, or pretious vesture. Theod. a net or caul made of fine haire, and put upon the heads of women Hesychius he expouds it to be [...] a silken covering, woven, knit, or made for the haires of the head, and Stephanus in Thes. [...] is textum quoddam tenue & bombycinum magni pretii quod crinibus obdu­cebatur. Jerom hath it subtilibus, I covered thee with curi­ous and fine coverings, it was of that finenesse saith he, ut ca­pillorum tenuitatem habere credatur; that it equaliz'd small haire, our Prophet saith [...] with silke, which may be drawn out into very curious threads, the word from whence meshi comes is [...] signifying to draw out, 2 Sam. 17.22. He drew me out of many waters, and Moses had his name hence, Ex. 2.10. because drawn out of the water, so silk is called me­shi in Heb, because its drawn out of the bowels of a worm, and afterwards being put into the vvater, is drawne out in­to the finest threads.

The use of vailes in scripture vvas twofold.

1. For Declaration and preservation of modestie, Gen. 24.65. When Isaac was comming, Rebckah puts on her vaile, and co­vers her beauty from the sight of man, and manifests her mo­destie, [Page 159] 1 Cor. 11.5. a vvoman prophesying was to have her head covered, she must not doe it vvithout her vaile on, that was a shame to her, argued boldnesse and impudence, and was as disgracefull as being shorne, vvhen therefore a vvo­man prophesied, either in an extraordinary vvay as Deborah, Huldah, Anna, the Daughters of Philip, or in an ordinary way that is sung in publique (for so prophesying is taken, 1 Chron. 25.1. vvhere the singers are said to prophesie with Harpes) they were for modesty sake to put on their vailes, and God here gave a silken vaile or covering to the Jewish Church his Spouse, that she might carry herselfe modestly towards him.

2. A vaile notes subjection, 1 Cor. 11.10. A woman ought to have power on her head, that is, to cover it, that so it may appeare she is under the Dominion of her Husband, man be­ing Gods Deputie on earth, Lord of the vvorld, he ought not to cover his head, lest he wrong the power put into his hand, but the woman being of man and for man, she ought to cover and vaile herselfe, to declare her subjection to her Husband, and reverence the power in him; God therefore giving a covering to this Jewish estate, would have her to know, that she was not to live as she listed, but to be in subjection unto him, and to be ruled by his Lawes, that she was not sui juris, but at pleasure and disposure of the Lord.

Vers. 2. I decked thee also with ornaments.

In the former verse you heard of the rich cloathing of this Israelitish woman, in this and the next verse, you have her ornaments, vvhich are for comlinesse and sight, rather than any necessity. Hebrew is, [...] ornavi te orna­mento, Septu: [...] Castal. ornamentis compsi. French Te paray d'ornemens.

I put bracelets upon thine hands.

Hebrew is, [...] armillas from [...] to couple, joyne unite together, and bracelets are made of such materials, [Page 160] as are stringed and united together, Septu. is, [...]. This practise, was very ancient, Gen. 24.22. you have mention of golden bracelets for the hands of Re­beckah, and these were worne sometimes by men also, as Gen. 38.18. Tamar asked Judah for his signet, and his brace­lets, and 2 Sam. 1.10. Saul had a bracelet upon his arme, these persons of note did use to weare, and they were a great ornament unto them, signifying saith Origen, that the hands should doe no uncomlie thing.

A Chaine upon thy neck.

Hebrew is, [...] its from [...] Septua. [...] which was a Chaine of divers gems, or pretious things han­ging downe from the neck to the breast, this wearing of Chains about the neck wee finde to be first in Aegypt, Gen. 41.42. Pharaoh put a gold Chaine about Josephs neck, which was a great honouring of him, its like the Aegyptian Kings and Nobles did weare Chaines for ornaments, Dan. 5.16. Belshazar said to Daniel, If thou canst reade the writing and make it knowne to me, thou shalt be cloath'd with skarlet and have a chaine of gold about thy necke; it was used as for honour, so for reward, Solomon saith, his Beloveds neck was comelie with Chaines of gold, Cant. 1.10. so obedience to Parents is reckon'd as a chaine about the neck, Prov. 1.9: here by chaine saith Barnard in his Bibl. Thes. is meant the Lawes, and Ordinances of God, which would bee a Chaine to her necke.

Vers. 12. I put a Jewel on thy fore head.

The Hebrew word for Jewel is, [...] which notes a Jewel for the forehead, in the originall its on thy nose or nostrils, and Isai. 3.21 you reade of nose jewels, [...] circulos naris, the rings of the nose or jewels of the nostrils: so in Gen. 24.47. I put the earing upon her face, its in the ori­ginall hannezem al appah, I put the Jewel on her nose or nostrils. Symmachus interprets hezem [...] upon the nose, some thinke it was a ring fastend in the carlilage, or pattition be­tweene the nostrils, which is a place fit enough for such a purpose, and from thence hung downe to the lips, Theodo­ret [Page 161] is of that judgement, and the Lord seemes to allude unto Isai. 37.29. I will put my hoock into thy nose or nostrils, Vata­blus reads it Circulum in naribus tuis, and Historians tell us, that there be Indians and others in the world, who weare Jewels in their noses. Others hold it was a jewel fastened on their fore-heads, and so hung downe to their noses, Castal. hath it frontale, as if it were a fore-head-jewell; the Author of this opinion was Jerome, who affirmes that among their ornaments they vvere vvont to have golden rings hang downe from their fore-heads, to their mouthes, and he renders, Isai. 3.21. Gemmas ex fronte pendentes; I shall not contend in this point, but when the Scripture cals them nisme haaph, I should thinke it safest to rest there.

Earings in thine eares.

Hebrew is, [...] circulos, its from [...] rotundum, be­cause they are round, Septu. is, [...] rotulas wheeles, be­cause they are round like wheeles, they were of gold usual­ly, Exod. 32.2. Breake off the golden earings, which are in the eares of their wives, Job 42.11. Every one of Jobs friends brought him a ring of gold, Judg. 8.24. They had golden earings, the word here signifies any round thing, and so rings in ge­nerall.

I shall speake a word or two of rings, I finde in Scripture that they were antient, and their use to be,

1. Honorarie; so vvhen Joseph had told Pharaoh his dreame, he honoured him, with puting a ring upon his fin­ger, Gen. 41.42. He tooke off the ring from his owne hand, and put it upon Josephs. Signum ordinis equestris.

2. Signatorie; Ahashuerus bids Ester write in the Kings name for the Jewes, and seale it vvith the Kings ring, sea­ling rings were called Signets, Gen. 38.18. Tamar demands of Judah his Signet, Dan. 6.17. The King sealed it with his own Signet, and the Signets of his Lords, and they did weare their Sig­nets upon their right hands, Jer. 22.24. though Coniah were the Signet, &c.

3. Decorarie or for ornament, either of the hands, Est. 8.2. or of the nose as before, or of the eares as in this [Page 162] place, by this earing, Theodoret understands the hearing of the vvord of God.

4. Testificatorie.

1. Of joy, Luke 15.22. said the Father of the Prodigal upon his returne, Put a ring upon his finger.

Schitzkins de Annulis.2. Of Estate, James 2.2. If there come unto your Assemblie a man with a gold ring, &c. that shewes him to be a man of E­state. Crassus that rich Roman wore two rings, thereby inti­mating, the great increase of his wealth, quasi annulus foret symbolum opulentiae.

3. Of power, Ester. 3.10. when Haman had traduc'd the Jewes, perswaded the King it was not for his profit to suf­fer them, and had offered a great summe of money for their destruction, the King tooke the Ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman, Curt, lib. 6. de Gest. Alnx. which testified, the King thereby gave him power to doe it: so Alexander when sick unto death, was asked who should be his successor, answered the best a­mongst them, and shortly after his speech failing, he puld off his Ring, and gave it to Perdiccas.

Their earings entred their eares, had the name of their gods in them, Gen. 35.4. They gave to Jacob all their strange gods, and their earings, which he buryed under the Oake.

Why should he burie the earings, if they had not the names, effigies, or memorial of their Gods in them?

Also they were tokens of reconciliation, Job 42.11. They brought to Job an earing of gold, so God had given them his word, that it might enter into their eares, carry the name and memoriall of God to their hearts, and be a pledge of his friendship, and good will towards them.

A beautifull Crowne upon thy head.

Hebrew is, [...] Coronam gloriae, A crowne of glorie, that is, a Crowne which made thee glorious and beautifull, Septu. is, [...] a crowne of rejoycing or glorying, Sym. Decoris of comelines and honour, so the Ʋulg. and Calvin also. Castal. Decoram coronam a comely Crowne, Jun. Polon. and Pisc. Coronam ornatus, a Crowne of ornament. French is, une couronue excellente, an excellent Crowne. Oecol. Coronam pulchritudinis, a Crowne of beautie.

What this Crowne was, we must inquire, a Crowne is somewhat compasseth about, so the word [...] whence it comes signifies, viz. circundare circumtegere, and the learned conceive, this Crowne was some ornament upon the head, made of fine linnen, silke or gold intermixt with the same, in Isa. 3.18. you reade of round tires like the moone, which Deodate saith, they wore on their shooes, but others on their heads, that were made of costly materials, & round like the moon, and may be that which the Lord cals here the beautiful crown. Women in our dayes, do tye up their haire in a round, which shewes like a Crowne upon their heads.

Aaron you know was crowned, Levit. 8.9. Moses put up­on his head the holy Crowne, and so in him crowned the people, vvho are cald a royall Priesthood, a Kingdome of Preists. Exod. 19.6. to this crowning, some thinke, the Lord respects here. Others judge the Lord alludes to a custome among the Jewes, and others of putting crownes upon the heads of those who were to be marryed, and re­ceive princely power and dignitie, Cant. 3.11. Solomons Mother crowned him with a Crowne in the day of his espousals, and Isai. 61.10. As a Bridegroome decketh himselfe with ornaments. [Page 164] The Hebrew is, That decketh himselfe as a Preist, vvho had choice ornaments, and among the rest a Crowne, and so the Ʋulg. reades it, quasi sponsum decoratum corona, and so the Brides had crownes or peculiar dressings like crownes, the Vulg. reads the words Cant. 4.8. Come with me from Lebanon my spouse, with me from Lebanon, & Coronaberis, and thou shalt be crowned. When Ahasuerus tooke Ester to be his Spouse, he set the royall Crowne upon her head, Est. 2.17. so God here speaking of the marrying of this woman to him, tels you, that he put a Crowne upon her head, it was an honou­rable, a princely marriage, and God vvould have the world know, that his Spouse should not be inferior to any, but have her Crowne and the honour of a Kingdome, and by this Crowne I conceive is meant, not the Cloud which co­vered and compassed them by day, nor the Law vvhich God gave them at Mount Sinai, but princely dignitie, dominion and power, so its used, Psal. 132.18. His enemies will I cloath with shame, but upon himselfe shall his Crowne flourish; that is, his dignitie and power shall flourish, Revel. 6.2. He sate on the white Horse, had a Crowne given unto him, and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. The Crowne given vvas an Em­blem of dignitie and dominion, and here it notes that honour and power God gave this people, Numb. 1.16. there vvere Princes of the Tribes, 12. are named in the verse be­fore, and Chap. 16.2. you have mentioned, 250 Princes: they had store of Princes amongst them, which shewes they were an honourable and potent people, Joshua, Barack, Jeph­tah, &c. their dignitie and Dominion vvas the Crowne of glorie, the Lord had put upon their head.

Jer. 13.18. Say to the King and Queene humble yourselves for your principalities shall come downe, even the Crowne of your glorie, the word principallities, is rendred in the margent headtires, those ornaments on their heads which noted their principallities, as their Crownes which imported greatnesse power and soveraignty, these being Crowns of their glory, should come downe, or we may take the word as it stands, the principallities, what you count the principall things, as the royall dignitie, and soveraigne power, these shal [Page 165] come downe, these are the Crownes of glorie, and they shall be laid in the dust.

Vers. 13. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver.

Hebrew is, and thou wast decked with noting their riches and wealth they had, rather than their golden and silver ap­parrel, Gold is the chiefest of mettals, and hath the prece­dencie in Scripture, its first spoken of, Gen. 2.11.12. and this woman had much gold, she had jewels of gold from the Aegyptians, Exods 12.35. you may reade in the 25. of Exod what golden things were in the Tabernacle, and in the 1 Kin. 6 and 7 Chapters, what gold and golden vessels were in the Temple, and Solomon abounded with gold, he had yearely commming in 666. Talents of gold, Chap. 10.16. and the common Talent was 1875 li. and the sacred was 3750. li. now after the rate of the common Talent, it was 1248450. li. and after the rate of the sacred, 2496900 li. David in his time prepared, 100000 talents of gold, and 1000000. of sil­ver for the house of the Lord. Solomon had Targets and sheilds of gold, and al his drinking Vessels, and silver was as plenti­ful as stones, and nothing accounted of in his dayes, 1 Ki. 10.16, 17:21.27. yea gold was so plentifull, that they made them Gods of gold, 1 Kings 12.28. and lavish'd out gold. Isai. 46.6.

Obser. 1.

The Lord doth not only give Apparel, ornaments unto his people, but he gives rich and costly apparel, pretious or­naments, he gave them broidered worke, fine linnen, and silke, bracelets, chaines, jewels, and earings of gold, Jer. 20.5. there were pretious things in the Citie, 2 Sam. 1.24. the Daughters of Israel were cloath'd in skarlet, and had ornaments of gold upon their apparrell, they had choice ornaments, Lam. 4.5. They were brought up in skarlet, they were cloath'd with crimson, and deckt with ornaments of gold, Jer. 4.30. Now seeing the Lord gave them such raiment, and such ornament, there is a lawfull use of such things,. The Apostle Paul seemes to be against the use of them, 1 Tim. 2.9. [Page 166] I will that women adorn themselves in modest apparell, with shame­fastnes and sobrietie, not with broidered haire, or gold, or pearles, or costly aray. Rev. 1.13. Christ was girt about with a golden girdle; it was no sinne for Rebecchah to weare the jewels and bracelets that Abrahams Servant brought and gave her, Gen. 24.47. it was not sinfull for the virtuous wife to weare silke and purple, Prov. 31.22. God would never have given materials at all to worke them, if it were simplie unlawfull to weare them. Let us consider for what ends the Lord hath given Apparel and ornaments, and hereby wee shall come to discerne more clearely of the lawfull use, or sinfull abuse of these things.

There be severall ends,

1. To cover mans nakednesse, God set man and woman naked in the world, at first, that they might see they had no­thing of their owne, that all was the Lords who created them, but when they sin'd in eating the forbidden fruit, they were asham'd of their nakednes, and sought to cover it, Gen. 3.7. yea God made them coats of skins, and cloath'd them vers. 21. that so their nakednesse and shame might not be seene, that so modestie and chastitie might be preserved, Hos. 2.9. I will recover my wool, and my flax given to recover her nakednesse.

2. To arme and defend them against the injurie of the aire, the violence of winde, and weather, heate and cold, Prov. 31.21. She is not afraid of the snow, for all her houshold are cloath'd with double garments, they keepe off the harme would come by snow and frost to the body if not cloathed, there­fore saith Solomon, its unseasonable to take away a mans garment in cold weather, Prov. 25.20. and Job judgeth it an Act of wickednes in them that cause men to want coverings in the cold, Job. 24.7.

3. To distinguish one sex from another, God would not have men and women dressed and adorned alike, Deut, 22.5. The woman shal not weare that which apperteineth to a man, nei­ther shall a man put on a womans garment, God would not have men to be effeminate, nor women to be mannish, some there­fore judge it unlawfull for women to put on any armes, be­cause [Page 167] armour is the furniture or covering of man, the He­brew word cheli signifieth an instrument or ornament that a man puts on him in time of peace or warr.

4. To preserve the healthinesse of our bodies, man is borne to labour as the sparkes flye upward, Job 3.7. and man labouring, his bodie sweats, and sends forth these hu­mours would breed sicknesses, diseases, &c. which our ve­stures receiving are to be changed, and so health preserved, so in time of sicknesse, Job 30.18. By the great force of my disease is my garment changed, it bindeth me about as the collar of my Coat.

5. To notifie the conditions, rankes and places of men, Gen. 41.42. When Joseph was exalted, he was arrayed in Ve­stures of fine linnen, which was an indicium, that he was a man of great place, so Est. 6.8. the man the King would ho­nour, must have the royall Apparrel, and Herod Acts 12.21. had on royall Apparrell, Psal. 45.13.14. The Kings daugh­ter was in cloathing of wrought gold, and raiment of needle-worke, 2 Sam. 13.18. Tamar had a garment on of diverse colours, for with such roabes were Kings Daughters apparrelled; Lam. 4.5. By Scarlet they were differenced from other, Matth. 11.8. soft-silken raiment was for those were in Kings Houses that were Virgins, and because Christ was a King, and a pretended King as the Jewes thought, therefore they cloathed him in skarlet, Matth. 27.28.

6. To adorne the bodie, Gen. 27.15, Esau had goodly, the Hebrew is desirable rayment, that became him so, as made him lovely, desireable, Isa. 52.1. Zion had beautifull gar­ments, to put on such as made her beautifull, Hos. 2.13. She decked herselfe with earings and jewels, Jer. 2.22. Can a Maid forget her ornaments, Exod. 28, 40. Aarons sons must have coats, girdles bonnets, for glorie and beautie.

7. To testifie griefe or joy, Mordechai put on sack-cloath in a time of mourning, Joel 1.13. comelie in sack-cloath, there was a soare judgement upon them: so for joy, Luke 15.22. Bring the best roabe and put upon him. Isa. 61.10. A Bridegroome decks himselfe with ornaments, and a Bride adornes herselfe with jewels: marrriage is a time of rejoycing; gar­ments [Page 168] and jewels doe testifie it, when joy and mirth are in the heart of a man, then saith Solomon, let thy garments be white, Eccl. 9.8.

Wherein persons sinne about Apparrell and Ornaments.

1. When it is not modest, but carries with it provocati­on to lust and wantonnes, Prov. 7.10. There met the young man a woman in the attire of a Harlot, with naked breasts, with curled and poudred haire, with costly garments, which were incentiva libidinis, Rev. 17.1, 2, 3. the Whore with whom the Kings of the earth committed fornication, was arrayed with purple and scarlet colour, deckt with gold, pretious stones and pearles, such things as might intice them to fol­ly, Hos. 2.2. he speakes of adulterie betweene the breasts, they either had naked breasts, or hung inticing orna­ments about their breasts; when the habit, haire, or ador­ning of the breasts are such as draw the eyes, this is crimen prostitutionis, the fault of her who sets her chastitie to sale. Hierome saith if a man or woman adorne themselves so as they provoke others to looke after them, though no evill follow upon it, yet the Partie shall suffer eternall damnati­on, because they offered poyson to others, though none would drinke of it. So when womens garments are too short, they are not suitable to modestie, 1 Tim. 2.9. Wo­men should adorne themselves in modest Apparrell, with shamefast­nesse and sobrietie.

2. When persons exceed their degree and rank in costly Ap­parell and ornaments, gold, pearles, and costly array is for­bidden by the Apostle, 1 Tim. 2.9. and 1 Pet. 1.3. the Lord doth not simplie forbid all adorning, as Pelagius would have it, but their adorning themselves beyond their degrees, it is not for the lower ranke of people to be arrayed like unto the middle sort, nor for the middle sort [...]ike un­to the highest.

3. When it proclaimes and maintaines pride, haughtines and contempt of others, rich Apparrel, and pretious Orna­ments, puffe up the hearts of those which weare them, Isa. 3.16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23. The Daughters of Sion are haughty, and walke with stretch'd forth neckes, wanton eyes, &c. [Page 169] and what was the occasion and cause of this they had their braverie, tinkling ornaments, cauls and tyres like the Moon, chaines, bracelets, earings, rings, nose-jewels, changeable suits of Apparrell, fine linnen, hoods and veiles, and these they were proud of, and contemn'd those who wanted them; its said of the Leviathan, his scales are his pride, Job 41.11. so many, their cloathing is their pride, and being proud they become conteptuous, Psal. 123.4. Our soule is exceeding­ly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud, proud ones contemne others, the Devill is a proud creature, and he accus'd, contemn'd Joshua who was cloath'd with filthie garments, and when persons are puff'd up with their Apparrel, they will contemne those are clad with meane or filthie garments.

4. When its so expensive as that it hindreth workes of mercie, 1 Tim. 29.10. Let women adorne themselves in modest Apparrel, not with broidered haire, gold, pearles, or costly aray, but with good workes, now when they weare such costly apparrell and ornaments, that they are disabled to doe good to the poore, proportionable to their ranke, their cladments and ornaments become sinfull, hence it is that many of note are very miserable in their Houses, defraud­ing their bellies, to lay the more upon their backs, yea be­come not only coveteous, but griping Exactors upon their Tenants, racking their rents to so high a rate, that their pride is maintain'd by the sweat, losse, and undoing oft-times of others, yea oft-times so profuse this way, that they undoe their owne Families.

5. When strange and forraigne fashions are taken up, which is one of the great sinnes of England, you reade in Ze­phan. 1.8. a terrible sentence which is this, I will punish all such as are cloathed with strange Apparrell; that is, those which did follow and imitate the strange Apparrell of other Nati­ons. Some aped themselves into the Chaldean habits, some into the Aegyptian, some into the Tyrian, some into the Phi­listean, and some into other Gentilish habits, as it is amongst us, some take up the French, some the Spanish, some Jtalian habits. That we may conceive to be strange apparrel, which [Page 170] is not peculiar to the Nation where men live, nor found in the Churches of God there.

6. When too much time is laid out about curious and costly apparelling of the bodie, and adorning it with orna­ments; our furniture and dressings therewith should be such, as should take up little time, for time is more pretious than all thy rich Roabes, than all thy pretious jewels and orna­ments. Ephes. 5.16. Redeeme the time, because the dayes are evill, many men and women squander away the time in minding new fashions, and in tricking up their vile bodies with gorgeous apparel and ornaments, and spend so many houres therein, as that they have scarce one houre for God, or the good of their soules; if more time be not spent about that most noble part of man, the cloathing and trimming up of it for the Bridegroome, viz. the Lord Jesus Christ, then upon the body, you sin greatly: Its a crying and provoking sin in this Land, that many not only among the great and gallant ones, but even of inferior rank, do spend a third part, if not halfe of their day, in fitting, f [...]neing, and dressing up their bodies with their broideries, fine linnen, silkes, accou­strements, and ornaments, whereas a divine prohibition lyeth against these comparatively, 1 Pet. 3.3. speaking of women he saith, Let not their adorning be outward, of plaiting the haire, wearing of gold, putting on of Apparrell, but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in the Ornament of a meeke and quiet spi­rit; rather this than the other. In the Hebrew tongue, Verba ne­gantia saepe ponuntur pro comparatis. Gen. 32.28. Thy name shall be cald no more Jacob but Israel, that is, rather Israel than Jacob. Exod. 16.8. The murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord. Prov. 8.10. Receive my instruction and not silver. Luke 12.13. When thou makest a dinner or supper, call not thy friends, kindred or rich Neighbours, but the poore. 1 Tim. 2.14. Adam was not deceiv'd, but the woman; that is, the woman rather than Adam, so in this place of Peter, women should rather looke at the dressing and rich apparelling of their soules than of their bodies.

Hence those Scriptures,

Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, Rom. 13.14.

Put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousnes and true holines, Eph. 4.24.

Put on bowels of mercie, kindnes, humblenes of mind, meek­nesse, long suffering, charitie, Col. 3.12.14.

1 Pet. 5.5. Be cloathed with humilitie, [...] Oecumen: renders it Circumdate. Gerrard. Innodate, doe as women that deck themselves with knots of silke ribbon: if time were spent this way, you would be more lovely in the eye of God, you would be as Brides ready trimmed for the appea­ring of the great Bridegroome.

7. When its worne unseasonably. Costly apparell and ornaments, are sometimes as unseasonable as snow in Sum­mer, when its a time of mourning, when God cals either privately or publiquely to it, then we sin if we put on rich attire, our cheif robes and ornaments, Exod. 33.4, 5. There were evill tydings, they mourned, and no man put on him his orna­ments; God had bid them put of their ornaments, and told them he would not goe with them, which was a soare judg­ment. David when the Child lay sick, had not on his royall Apparell, for the text saith, When the Child was dead, he rose from the earth, and chang'd his garments, 2 Sam. 12.20. when Haman had got power against the Jewes, and their Lawes were in danger, Mordecai and many of the Jewes fasted, but it was in sack-cloath and ashes; and when Esther sent other rayment for Mordecai to put on, he would none of it, God cald to mourning, and he would testifie the sorrow of his heart, by the sack-cloath on his loynes, and ashes on his head, judgements and afflictions had better effects in their dayes, then ours, God hath a long time cald upon us to put on sackcloath, to testifie our sorrowes, we have had many dayes of mourning, God hath spoken to us to put off our vaine fashions, our gorgeous apparell; our costly ornaments our sumptuosam stoliditatem, but we have not done it. When God hath looked for our coursest and worst garments at a Fast, we have come in silke and Satten, Plush and Crimson, bespangled with Pearles, Diamonds, with curled locks, pow­dred heads, naked necks and breasts, fitter for Pageants and play-houses, then the presence of a provoked God; doe you [Page 172] thinke it meet in their owne consciences, that men and wo­men should take pleasure in adorning their bodies, and ma­nifest it at a Fast, when God is so far displeased that he threa­tens our lives and liberties.

So when they may draw away the minds of those that weare them, or those that behold them from the worship of God, Cum a Caelestibus abducunt, therefore its questionable whither such apparell and ornaments should be worne on the Lords dayes, and at such times, when people meet in the congreation to worship the Lord, if they take not up their owne hearts, they draw away the eyes of others, and when they come home, they can tell you more of men and wo­mens habits and fashions, and ornaments, then of the Prea­chers Sermon, &c.

Its inquireable why people should so dresse up themselves when they are to come before God, especially put on rich attire, and costly ornaments, doe these make you more acceptable to God? upon consideration you may feare its otherwise, For.

1. You come before God in an open breach of his Will, 1 Tim. 2. 1 Pet. 3.

2. Doe you not come to the Lord in a petitionarie way, that he would teach you, pardon, sanctifie, comfort you; and should Beggars come with badges of pride upon them? should a Beggar come to you adornd with pearles and Dia­monds, with silk, satten, scarlet, you would have little heart to give unto him, 1 Tim. 2. he puts them upon praying every where, and then tells them that they must not be adorned in costly aray.

8. When the Callings of men are hindred by their appa­rell, that they cannot doe what is fitting in them, or with that activitie they should, sometimes garments are too long, sometimes so little, sometimes so wide, that they cannot walke in them, nor put forth themselves with such life, as in other garments. David when he had Sauls armour on, he could not goe in it, 1 Sam. 17.39. It hindred the naturall actions and motions of his bodie; that apparell which doth impede, and not promote the actions of the body, be they na­turall, [Page 173] vital or animal, is sinful. God never set up Art to prejudice but to perfect nature, therefore all garments and ornaments should be to make you act more livelie, they should not re­tard your walking but further it: when the Sheepes Fleece is heavie and cumbersome, you take it away. Saylors will have cloathes, to further nothinder their motion.

9. When you multiply garments and ornaments, and have them to satisfie your eye, new fangled humour, curio­sitie, to fill trunks and wardrobes, yea to breed and feede moathes, rather then for any necessitie or good use, Isa. 3.22. God threatens to take away the changeable suits of ap­parell, they had varietie of suits, and shifted out of one into another, like many vaine giddie spirits in our dayes, that change their habits twice, yea thrice sometimes in a day, they have such plentie, that though they doe change oft, yet they cannot keepe them from the moath, Jam. 5.1, 2. Goe to you rich men,, weepe and howle for the miseries shall come upon you, your riches are corrupted, your garments are moath-eaten: besides, they breed moathes in you, they make you sollici­tous and carefull how to keepe them, which of them to put on, how to turkise them into the next fashion, &c. Matth. 6.28. Why take ye thought for raiment? 1 Tim. 6.8.

10. When health is indangered by them, as when huffles slits and windowes are made in garments, so that they let in the cold, &c. when too short above or beneath, when slutish. Christs dead bodie, was wrapped in a cleane linnen cloath, Mat. 27.59. our living bodies should not be covered with uncleane linnen or woollen.

11. When it doth disbecome the bodie, apparell is for the adorning of the bodie; but there be many fashions now in the world, and dresses that doe disparage that naturall beauty and comelines, which God hath put upon the bodie, and ought to be maintained, Paul saith, women should a­dorne themselves with modest apparell, [...] with becomming apparrell, such as becomes nature, such as be­comes women that professe godlinesse; if you put honour upon those parts are lesse honourable, will you dishonour those parts are more honourable?

[Page 174]12. When apparell is made use of to deceive, Zachar. 13.4. The false prophets did weare rough garments to deceive, such were the garments of the true Prophets, as you may see from Isai. 20.2. 2 Kings 1.8. and they put on such gar­ments, that they might be thought such Prophets, and thereby deceive the people. Many put on rich apparell, that they may be thought wealthie men, of good Families, that they may get rich matches, insinuate themselves into the societie of rich and great ones, to make advantage of them: many cover their crookednesses, deformities, to deceive the World.

13. When its scandalous to others, either actively by drawing them to doe the like, or infecting the mindes of o­thers, and their owne Children with sinfull thoughts and lusts, or passively when godly ones are sadded thereby.

Wee should not be proud of our cloathing and or­naments.

1. Because they are the fruit of sinne, or consequents of it. Adams sin brought in garments, they are stigmata pec­cati; had there been no sinne, there had been no need of them.

2. They mind you of your great losse: you lost better gar­ments and better ornaments than these.

3. All from the beasts or bowels of the earth, its weake­nesse, if not foolishnesse, to affect such things.

4. Your bodies are better than your cloathes, Matth. 6.25. Is not the bodie more than rayment: yet Phil 3.21. Who shall change our vile bodie, that it may be fashioned like unto his glo­rious bodie, according to the working, whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himselfe. Our bodies are made of the earth, full of sinne, subject to all diseases, are oft in base im­ployments.

5. You must give account unto God of every mercie, gar­ment, &c. James 5.9. the Judge is at the doore, 1 Pet. 4.5. Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.

6. Because they are under condemnation, and are passing [Page 175] 1. John 2.15.16. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lusts thereof, but he that doth the will of God abideth forever.

7. Usually they have been wicked, who have affected those things, Jesabel, Isa. those in 3. Revel. 17. The Whore. Herod Act. 12. Dives Luke 16.

8. Christ hath set us an example of humilitie, Mat. 11.29. he woare no fine cloathes, no jewels or ornaments, he was crucified naked, for the sinne of our apparell, and it was the practise of holy women to looke at the inward adorning: The adorni [...]g of a meeke and quiet spirit, 1 Pet. 1.5. After this manner in old time, the holy women who trusted in God, adorned themselves.

Obser. 2.

The Lord gives varietie of blessings unto his; not only ap­rel, costly apparell, but varietie of it, not only ornaments, and pretious ones, but varietie of them, they had broidered worke, fine linnen, silke, bracelets, chaines, nose-jewels, earings, gold, silver in abundance, Deut. 28.12. Thou shalt lend unto many Nations, and thou shalt not borrow, what ever they lent, cloathes, jewels, or money, they had varietie: when the People offered so largely, gold, silver, pretious stones, and other things, 1 Chron. 29. it argues that God had gi­ven them abundance of each, which made David say, ver. 14. All things come of thee, and of thine owne have wee given thee, God had first given, else there had been no giving unto him. Its said Deut. 28.47. They had abundance of all things, yea all things at Land or Sea, Deut. 33.19. They shall suck of the abundance of the Seas, and of treasures of gold and silver (hid in the Sand) and apparell in great abundance.

Obser. 3.

The Lord mindes and provides for his, from top to toe; cloathed her with broidered work, he covered her head with [Page 176] silke, he girded her with fine linnen, and shod her with skins of Tachash; her eares, nose, neck, hands, had their orna­ments, Gods eye was upon every part, and his hand gave coverings and adornments for them; God doth not only minde the honourable and highest parts, but the lowest, the very feet of his, Isai. 3.20. they had ornaments upon their legs, Deu. 8.4. Thy rayment wax'd not old upon thee, neither did thy foote swell these 40 yeares, Chap. 29.5. Thy shooe is not waxen old upon thy foote: God minded the tipp of Aarons, and his Sonnes right eares, the thumbes of their right hands, the great toe of their right foote, Exod. 29.20. God hath put honour and abundance of honour upon the uncomelie parts, 1 Cor. 12.23, 24. Seeing God mindes all, and pro­vides for all, wee should honour him with all, with our heades, hands, Leggs, feet, even the whole bodie, thou hast adorn'd us, we will adore thee; thou hast cloath'd, girded, shod and deckt us from the head to the feet, wee will see to it, that the whole and every part may be Serviceable unto thee, that our inward man may be cloath'd with the righ­teousnes of Christ, and adorn'd from the top to the toe, with the graces of the Spirit.

Vers. 13. Thou didst eate fine flowre and Honey and Oyle:

You have heard before what were this womans cloathing and ornaments, now you may heare of her dyet. At mar­riages, as they had costly garments, pretious ornaments, so they had suitable dainties, the Lord provided for this wo­man, not Acornes, or the Onions and Leekes of Aegypt, but dyet answerable to her condition, for under these expressi­ons, is held out unto us all provisions, God gave into this Israelitish Estate, to feeed upon all things for nourish­ment.

Fine flowre.

Hebrew is, [...] which Kirker renders flos seu deliciae; fari­nae triticiae, the flowre and delicacies of wheaten meale, being ground most finely, this was offerable in sacrifices, Levit. 5. [Page 179] 11. but [...] was common flowre or meale and not used in sacrifice, but only in the offering of jealousie, Num. 5.15. the French hath it, la fleur de froment, the flowre of wheate, it was very fine, such as made bread or cakes for Kings, 1 Kings 4.22. such as Abraham entertained Angels withall, Gen. 18.6. this people had Manna in the Wildernes, and fine flowre abundantly in Canaan, it is cal'd the fat of wheat in Psal. 81.16. Solomon spent in a day, 30. measures of fine flowre in that 1 Kings 4.22. and it was cheape, A measure of flowre was sold for a sheckel, 2 Kings, 7.16. which was about two shillings, and their Land was, A Land of wheate, Deut. 8.8. and so abounded therein, that Solomon gave 20000. measures of wheate unto Hiram, 1 Kings 5.11. the word for measure is, [...] core, now a core is the same with the Homer, 8. or 10. bushels, so that he gave him 20000 quarters at the least.

Honey

Hebrew is, [...] which notes all sweet things, honey, sugar, dates, figgs, grapes, &c. 2 Chron. 31.5. there the people brought for offerings, the first fruit of Corne, wine, oyle, and honey, [...] Now it is not well translated honey in this place, because honey was forbid in Offerings, Levit. 2.11. no honey was to be in any offering made with fire: its better in the margents, where you finde it rendred Dates, Jun. and Trem. have it palmae, that is Dates, or the fruit of the palme tree, the Law speakes not at all of the first fruits of ho­ney, but of other things it doth, deuash may there in Chron. be translated sweet things, or sweet fruits, and here in Ezekiel you may understand not only honey, but all honyish, and sweet things: you have that phrase oft, A Land that flowes with milke and honey, Exod. 3.8.13.5. Deut. 6.3. Josh. 5.6. Jer. 11.5. Ezek. 20.6. which comprehend all other blessings, and declare what sweet and delicate things they had to feed upon, when you read of honey in the word of God, you must not alwayes confine it to that wee strictly call honey, but you must extend it to any pleasant or sweet things edible, Deut. 32.13. He made him to suck honey out of [Page 180] the rock: the rocks doe not yeild honey, but God gave them water out of rocks, which was as sweet as honey, and God made rockie, barren places, fruitfull, which was as pleasant and delightfull to them as honey, its true, they had much honey it selfe in the Land as you may see from 1 Sam. 14.26. and they did eate it, Isa. 7.22. yet honey comprehended other things also.

Oyle.

Hebrew is, [...] from [...] to make fat, oyle is very nou­rishing, it makes plump and fat, Neh. 9.25. They tooke strong Cities, and a fat Land, and possessed Houses full of all goods, wells digged, Vine-yards and Olive-yards and fruit-Trees in abundance: so they did eate, were filled and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodnes. Canaan was cald a fat Land, it abounded with oyle and other choice things, which they fed upon and became fat withall: now oyle here is comprehensive, and notes also plenty of mercies belonging to the bellie, Deut. 33.24. Let Asher dipp his foot in oyle; that is, let him enjoy a Countrie that abounds with fatnesse, Job 29.6. I washed my steps with butter, and the rock powred me out rivers of oyle; these expressions shew the plentie and prosperitie he had, the rock did not send out Rivers of Oyle, but rockie places became fruitfull through Gods blessing; and this was as if he had been annointed with, or eaten oyle, Isai. 25.6. the word is put there for fat things, In this mountaine shall the Lord make a feast of fat things, [...] convivium rerum pinguium, a feast of Oyles. By these three, floure, honey, and oyle, are set out the delicate and abundant provision of the holy Land.

Thou wast exceeding beautifull.

Hebrew is emphaticall, [...] decora facta es in vehementia valde, or in valde valde: Septu: is, [...] decora facta es vehementer nimis, thou wast made very beautifull, too beautifull. Pisc. Pulchra fuisti valde admodum very much. Jun. Supra modum, above measure, French, As este belle tant & plus, Thou hast been beautifull and fine so [Page 181] much and more. The doubling of the word, sets a weight upon the sense, and imports that she was come to exceeding great beauty, her silken garments, and costly ornaments made her beautifull, her feeding delicately, and feasting with the choicest dainties, made her have a fresh and lively colour, and to be very beautifull: but I conceive the beauti­fulnesse of the Jewes persons, is not the thing so much aim­ed at here, as the beautie of her state, viz. that spirituall beautie this people had, which none of the Nations had, they had the Temple, which was cal'd The beautifull house, Isa. 64.11. and because it was upon Mount Zion, Psal. 48.2. that is said to be beautifull, yea the perfection of beautie, Psal. 50.2. Strength and beautie are in his Sanctuarie, Psal. 96.6. before that they had the Sanctuarie, which was cald the beau­tie of holinesse, Psal. 29.2.96.9. 1 Chron. 16.29. They had the Preists, who had garments glorious and beautifull, Exod. 28.2.4. When Aaron had on his roabes, the twelve stones in his breast plate representing the twelve Tribes, how beau­tifull did he and they appeare in him. They had the Cove­nant and Seales of it, circumcision and the passeover, they had the Law, the Prophets, Ʋrim and Thummim, Sabbaths, new Moones, solemne feasts and Assemblies, they had the Sanedrim and other judicatories, all which were their great glorie and beautie.

Thou didst prosper into a Kingdome.

This is the sixt choice mercie that the Lord did bestow upon her. Vulg. profecisti in regnum. French, as prospere jus­qu' a regner, in the 7. verse its said, She had multiplyed as the bud of the Feild, had increased and was waxen great, and so great as that she attaind, and came to the honour of a Kingdome; not into the place of other Kings, that were of the Hils and Valleyes in Canaan and at Jerusalem, of which you may read, Josh. 9, 10, 11, and 12, Chapters. But this state it selfe grew up to a Kingly state, at first it was governed by Judges, it was a free estate, and they chose whom they plea­sed to rule over them, afterwards they mounted to royall dignitie, and out of their owne loynes sprang Kings, Saul, [Page 182] David, Solomon, and many others, and in Solomons dayes did this Kingdome most flourish, as you may see, Psal. 72. and 1 Kings 4.24, 25, 26, &c. He reigned over all Kingdomes, from the Riv [...]r (that was Euphrates) unto the Philistins, and unto the border of Aegypt, they brought presents, and served Solomon all dayes of his life, Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his Vine, and under his fig-tree, from Dan to Bershebah and Solo­mon had fotry thousand stals of horses for his Chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.

Or thus, if wee will follow the metaphoricall allusion, God entred into Covenant with this Jewish estate, tooke it to be his, and marryed himselfe to it, being a great King, and so it became or pass'd into a Kingdome, for the word [...] signifies transire as well as prosperari, God there­fore becoming the King of Israel, the Israelitish estate be­came a Kingdome, Exod 19.6. Ye shall be to me a Kingdome, King and people are like Husband and Wife, Isai. 56.5. Thy maker is thine Husband, God who was the King of this people was their Husband, Lament. 1.1. How doth the Citie sit solitary that was full of people, how is she become a Widdow? she that was great among the Nations, & Princesse among the Provinces, how is she become tributary? while God was in her, with her, she was a Princesse, but now having left her, she sate as a Widdow, her King and Husband was gone: this exposition suits with what you had in the 12. verse, I put a beutifull Crowne upon thine head, I marryed thee, and gave thee princely dig­nitie, dominion and power.

Thou didst trust.

Hebrew is, [...] fidisti thou hast trusted, Septu: is, [...] thou hast confided in thy beautie, so Oecol. confisa es. Vulg. habens fiduciam in pulchritudine tua. Castal. fre­ta tua puchritudine, having received many mercies from God both temporall and spirituall, she grew proud, confident, and trusted in what the Lord had given her to make her beautifull, she grew secure, presumptuous and loose, leaving God who gave her all, and resting in his gifts.

And playedst the Harlot.

Hebrew is, [...] fornicata es, the word [...] signifies lasci­vire corpore aut animo, when one leaves her Husband, and wantonizeth with others in mind or bodie, when its spoken of the state of the Jewes (as here, and frequently in other pla­ces of Scripture) it notes leaving of God, cleaving to Idols, worshipping of them, which is cal'd fornication, whore­dome, Hos. 1.2. The Land hath committed great whoredome, [Page 198] departing from the Lord, Judg. 2.17. They went a whoring after other Gods, and bowed themselves unto them, Chap. 8.27. When Gideon set up his Ephod, all Israel went thither a whoring af­ter it. There is spirituall whoredome as well as corporall whoredome, the setting up idols or images, using any reve­rentiall gestures in honour of them, the worshipping of them, or God by them is spirituall whoredome.

I shall shew you wherefore idolatrie is cald fornication, and whoredome, and that is, from the resemblances which are betweene them.

1. A whorish woman leaves, and goes out from her Hus­band to another, Prov. 2.17. She forsakes the guide of her youth, that is, her Husband, she pleades, she had not that con­tent, delight, satisfacton in him as she looked for: so here, this Israelitish woman forsooke her Husband, and went out to other Gods, Jer. 2.11.13. Hath a Nation changed their God, which yet are no gods? but my people have changed their glorie, they have forsaken me the fountaine of living waters. Hos. 9.1. Thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, and what was that whoring? Jer. 3.9. Committing adulterie with stocks and stones, that was idolatrous worshipping of them.

2. Whoredome is a breach of that Covenant, which was made between Husband and Wife at marriage, and is solutio vinculi, Prov. 2.17 She forgetteth the Covenant of her God, that is, the Covenant made with her Husband, in the presence of God: so a people in Covenant with God, going out to I­dolatrous practises, they breake Covenant with him, verse 8. I entred into Covenant with thee, and thou becamest mine, but this woman, falling into Idolatrie brake Covenant, there­fore Jer. 3.20. As a wife treacherously departeth from her Hus­band, so have you dealt treacherously with me O House of Israel saith the Lord, this God foresaw, and foretold long before, Deut. 31.16. They will goe a whoring after other Gods, they will for­sake me, and breake my Covenant which I have made with them.

3. Whoredome is pleasing and delightfull to men and women, but its abhominable and loathsome in the account of God, Prov. 7.18. saith the Harlot there, Come let us take our fill of love untill morning, Let us solace our selves with loves, [Page 199] they had pleasure and delight in their sinne, but it was ab­hominable in the sight of God, and therefore its cal'd un­cleannesse in a speciall manner, Rom. 1.24. Eph. 4.19. so in idolatrizing, and superstitionizing, there is that plea­seth man, but provokes God greatly: they went a whoring after Idols, they saw beautie in them, found pleasure in let­ting out their hearts unto them, Ezek. 18.6. They lifted up their eyes to their Idols, they tooke as much pleasure in behol­ding them, as a man in beholding the beautie of a woman, their Idolatrie was delightful to them, Isa. 44.9. Images are called their delectable things, or desireable as the Hebrew is, but however, they were de-lightfull to them, they were not so to God, I [...]a. 65.12. They did choose that wherein I delighted not, God was so farre from delighting in them that he abhor'd them, and there [...]ore cals them defiling abho­minations, Jer. 32.34. Devils, Deut. 32.17. Confusion, Isai. 41.29. Detestable things, Ezek. 5.11.

4. Whoredome darkens mens understandings, infatuates the Spirits of men, and steales away their hearts, Hos. 4.11. whoredome, wine, and new wine, take away the heart, So­lomon that was exceeding wise, had his Spirit so besotted with women, that he was not able to see the sinfullnesse of idolatrie, but had his heart turn'd after other gods, 1 Kings 11. such is Idolatrie, it blinds mens understanding, and clouds their judgements, Rom. 1.21. They became vaine in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkned, and they professing themselves wise, became fooles, in making images of God, verse 22.23. see their follie, They worshipped the workes of their owne hands, Jer. 1.16. They trusted in that could neither heare, see, speake, smel, nor goe, Psal. 115.5, 6, 7, 8. They ask'd counsell of stockes; Hos. 4.12. They said to a stock, thou art my Father, and to a stone, thou hast brought me forth, Jer. 2.27.

5. Whoredome is a reproaching sinne, Prov. 6.33. speak­ing of a man committing adulterie, he tels you, A wound and dishonour shal he get, and his reproach shal not be wiped away: so I­dolatrie brings reproach upon men, 2 Pet. 4.3. they are cal'd Abhominable Idolatries, they make the names of men abhomi­nable, as well as their persons and actions: they are termed [Page 200] Haters of God, Exod. 20.5. Blasphemers, Isa. 65.7. Adulterers, Jer. 3.9. Worshippers of Devils, Rev. 9.20.

6. Its an inflaming sinne, Job 31.12. its cal'd, A fire, and kindles such a flame in the House, as oft times consumes it, I­dolatrie is of the same nature, Isai. 57.5. Inflaming them­selves with Idols, there was a Spirit of whoredomes in them, which kindled strong burning, inflaming lusts after their I­dols, Jer. 50.38. They are mad upon their Idols. Where there is madnesse, there is a great inflammation of the blood and spirits.

7. Uuncleanesse is a sinne destructive to bodie and soule, Prov. 5.11. it Consumes the bodie, it Destroyes the soule, Chap. 6.32. and The Harlots house is the way to Hell, going downe to the Chambers of death, Chap. 7.27. So idolatrie is a dangerous sinne, it threatens destruction of bodie and soule, Baals Prophets lost their lives for their idolatrie, 1 Kings 18. Gideons Ephod was a ruine to him and to his houshold, Judg. 8. and in 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. there is a dreadfull place against Fornicators and Idolaters. Kow ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God, bee not deceived, neither For­nicators, nor Idolaters, nor Adulterers, &c. shall inherit the King­dome of God.

8. Whoredome is a costly sinne, much is wasted in vest­ments, much in ornaments, much in meats, drinkes, jun­kettings and perfumes, Pov. 7.16, 17. I have decked my bed with coverings of Tapestrie, with carved workes, with fine linnen of Aegypt, I have perfumed my bed with myrrhe, aloes and cynamon. The dressings, deckings, banquettings, perfumings which at­tend that vice are very costly, idolatrie likewise is a charge­able thing, Isa. 46.6. They lavish gold out of the bagg. When no­thing else could fetch the gold out of it, Idolatrie could, and that in abundance, They lavish it out, to maintaine and adorn an Idol-god: see Isa. 40.19. Jer. 10.4.9. so here they decked their high places with broidered garments, with jew­els of gold and silver, they bestowed upon them oyle and in­cense, fine floure and honey.

9. It is an impudent sinne, it makes bold and brazen fac'd, Pov. 7.13. The Harlot had an impudent face, and [Page 201] spake impudent things. Idolatrie begets impudencie also, Ezek. 3.7. All the House of Israel are impudent, and how impu­dently did they speake when they offered incense in the Chambers of their imagerie, to creeping things, and abho­minable beasts, pourtrayed upon the walls? They said, the Lord seeth us not, the Lord hath forsaken the earth, Chap. 8.10, 11, 12.

Because of thy renowne.

Hebrew is [...] propter nomen tuum, Thou hadst a great name, wast become famous abroad, and this invited the Nations to come and visit thee, and brought in the gods of their Countries which thou receivedst, & playedst the Harlot with, or thus you may read the words, contra nomen tuum, Thou hast played the Harlot a­gainst thy name, whereas before thou hadst an honourable and pretious name, now by thy sinfull and base practises, thou hast polluted it, and made thy name to stink.

The Vulgar reades it, in nomine tuo, in thy name, and I find Interpreters carry the sense to be this, That this woman having left her Husband, under whose authority and power she for­merly was, did all now in her owne name, she pretended now she was, sui juris, and would live as she lift, and converse with whom she pleased, Hos. 4.12. They have gone a whoring from under their God, they would not be under the authoritie and command of God as a chast Spouse should be, but left him as a whore doth her Husband, and so did all in their owne name, Jer. 2.31. Wee are Lords, wee will come no more unto thee; wee are at libertie, are Lords over our selves, and our owne actions, wee will have what Gods we please.

And powredst out thy fornications.

Hebrew is, [...] effudisti, Septu. [...] Vulg. is, exposuisti, like a whore that prostitutes her felfe to all comers, so did this Jewish state, prostitute it self to the ido­latrous practises of all Nations that came to her: its sinfull for a woman to be taken with the desire of another man, worse to commit folly with him, though one of the same house, but its farre worse to be taken with strangers, and to [Page 202] prostitute her selfe to all commers, and to be a common strumpet, this Israelitish woman was so: if any had any new gods, or new devises in worship, she entertain'd them, the word powring out sets forth, The vehement and insatiable de­sire she had to sinne, or thus, powredst out thy fornication, Thou didst communicate and impart thy Idolatrous and false wayes of worship to all that passed by, thou infectedst them therewith, thou wast not content alone to bee naught thy selfe, but drewest in many others to partake of thy sins; she was full of spirituall whoredomes, and taught all Nations to be more idolatrous.

His it was

Hebrew is, [...] to him it was; in the 8 verse, saith God, Thou becamest mine, and in the 14. Thy beautie was perfect through my comelines which I put upon thee, but here it was ano­thers, her comelines, her beautie, her desire, her bodie, her estate, were all anothers. Vulg. is, ut ejus fieres, that thou shouldest become his, thou wast wearie of my love, and hast sought out other lovers, that thou mightest mingle with them, and satisfie thy lust, and not only hast thou left, cast off me, but thou hast imbraced others Ʋxorio affectu, who ever passed by thee, had thy heart and affection as much as ever I had, for him thou wast, and his was all thou hadst.

Obser. 1.

Where God bestowes choice mercies upon a people, he lookes for answerable returnes from them, he gave life to the Israelitish estate, verse 6. he Multiplyed it as the bud of the Feild, verse 7. he lov'd this people, entred into Cove­nant with them, marryed them unto himselfe, verse 8. He Wash'd away their blood, and annointed them with Oyle, Verse 9. He gave them Costly apparell, pretious oyntments, fine flowre, ho­ney and Oyle, royall dignitie, speciall beautie and comelines, great fame and glorie, verse 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. and now expected that they should'd have liv'd to him, lov'd, fear'd, obey'd, serv'd him, and improv'd all for the honour of his name [Page 203] but thou didst trust in thine owne beautie, and playedst the Harlot, &c. I looked not for this at thy hands, of all the people in the world, I looked that thou shouldest have been faithfull and fruitfull in all good workes, and been as ex­emplarie for holines and justice to other Nations, as I was exemplarie in my mercies towards thee above other Nati­ons, Isa. 5.2. there God fenced his Vine-yard, gathered out the stones thereof, planted it with the choicest Vine, built a Tower in the midst of it, made a wine Presse in it, digg'd it, caus'd the clouds to raine upon it, and did all that was doeable for the good of it, and what then? I looked that it should bring forth grapes, verse 4. I looked for judgement and righteousnes, vers. 7. where God multiplies mercies, he expects suitable returnes. See one place more, Deut. 32. from the 6. verse to the 16. he shewes there, that God was their Father, had bought them, made them a great people from low beginnings, set them their bounds, chosen them to be his portion and inheritance, how he had led, instructed and kept them as the Apple of his eye, and what varietie of other mercies he had bestowed upon them, But Jesurum waxed fat and kicked, this people that should have been righteous and upright, obeying the Lawes of their God and Fa­ther, rebeld and kicked like a fatted Oxe, which made Moses say, verse. 6. Doe you thus requite the Lord? doe you cor­rupt and spot your selves with the courses of the world? the Lord look'd for other things at their hands.

Obser. 2.

Ingratitude in Gods people, is a provoking sinne, and causes God to upbraid them for it: I gave thee life, increase, tooke thee to be mine, cleansed thee from thy filth and blood, annointed thee with oyle, I cloathed, decked, cove­red thee, fed thee, I made thee exceeding beautiful, and com­lie, gave thee great renowne, set a Crowne upon thy head, prosper'd thee into a Kingdome, But thou didst trust in thy beautie, and play the Harlot, from the beginning of the 6. vers. to the end of the 14. which are but 9. verses, there is, I, 17. times, and every mention of it is matter of upbraiding un­to [Page 204] them, there is hardly the like in all the booke of God, when men will not minde Gods mercies to be thankefull, he will remember them to upbraid their unthankfulnesse for them.

When God had made Adam after his image, planted him in Paradise, given him dominion over all the creatures, for him not to obey one little command, this was great ingra­titude provoked the Lord to come downe from Heaven, to upbraid him, and punish him for it, Gen. 3. Adam where art thou? what hast thou forgotten me, and all the mercies so lately heaped upon thee? and eaten the forbid­den fruit, Cursed is the ground for thy sake, and in sorrow shalt thou eate of it all the dayes of thy life, Verse 17. In the 37. of Isaiah, you reade of Senacheribs great Armie, before Jerusalem, which filled them with feares, and caus'd sadnesses in many Families, God destroy'd this Army by an Angel in a night. In the next Chapter, you finde Hezekiah was sick unto death, Jerome delivers it to be the judgement of the learned Jewes, that therefore he was strucken with sicknes, because he was not thankfull to God for this great deliverance, and this was a reall upbraiding of him for his ingratitude, Isai. 1.2, 3. God was so troubled at the ingratitude of this peo­ple, that he could hold no longer, but must call forth a Pro­phet, and cause him to begin his Prophesie in this manner, Heare O Heaven, and give eare O earth, for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished, and brought up Children, and they have rebelled a­gainst me, the Oxe knowes his owner, and the Asse his Masters crib, they give them a little hay, straw, grasse, water, and the bruit creatures are thankfull for them: But Israel doth not know, my people doe not consider. I give them their Oxes, and Asses, all belongs to them, and greater thing then so, yet they know not me.

Matth. 11. Christ upbraids Corazin, Bethsaida, and Caperna­um, where his mightie workes were done, because they brought not forth fruits answerable, but were impenitent & ingratefull, he tels Capernaum, It shall be more easie for Sodome, then for her in the day of judgement.

Judg. 8.34.35. The Children of Israel remembred not the Lord their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side, neither shewed they kindnesse to the House of Gideon, according to the goodnesse he had shew'd unto Israel. Socrat. saith the Athenians, ingratum nullum admittebant ad Rem­publicam

What ingratitude was it in the men of Keilah? when the Philistins fought against them, rob'd them, indangered their liberties and lives, and David with his men smote the Phili­lstins with a great slaughter, and sav'd the Inhabitants of Keilah, 1 Sam. 23.15. and quickly afterwards they would have delivered David who had sav'd them into the hands of Saul his enemie, verse 12.

Obser. 3.

We are very apt to trust in, and be proud of the mercies God bestowes upon us, Thou didst trust in thine owne beautie, those things I gave to make thee beautifull, those thou hast abused been proud of, put too much confidence in: such is the heart of man, that it is ready to Idolize every mercie God gives.

There be severall mercies we are apt to trust in.

1. In Riches, Prov. 10.15. The rich mans wealth is his strong Citie, he confides as much in it as Citizens doe in a walled, well fortified, & well built Citie, Psal. 52.7. This is the man that made not God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, 1 Tim. 6.17. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertaine riches, he that doth it shall fall, Prov. 11.28.

2. In Princes and great ones, Psal. 146.3. Put not your trust in Princes, nor in the sonne of man, in whom there is no help, no salvation, Isa. 2.22. Cease from man whose breath is in his no­strils, for wherein is he to be accounted of, Jer. 17.5. Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arme, The Jewes put confidence in Aegypt, and the King of it, Isa. 30.2. Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and your trust in the shaddow of Aegypt your confusion.

[Page 206] 3. In your owne naturall excellencies, Jer. 9.23. Let not the wise man glorie in his wisedome, nor the mighty man in his might: it shewes there is a great propensitie in the hearts of men to doe it, Prov. 28.26. He that trusteth in his owne heart is a foole: the heart is the excellentest part of man, Prov. 3.5. Trust in the Lord with all thy heart, and leane not to thy own understanding.

4. In the Ordinances and meanes of grace, Jer. 9.4. Trust ye not in lying words, saying the Temple of Lord, &c. 14. There­fore I will doe unto this house, which is cal'd by my name, wherein ye trust, as I have done to Shiloh, and I will cast out of my sight, as I have cast out all your Brethren, euen the whole seed of Ephraim

Obser. 4.

Great renowne through mans corruption oft proves a snare, occasions great sinnes, Thou playedst the Harlot because of thy renowne, thou wast grown great, famous abroad, excee­dedst other Nations, who comming to see thy beautie, and behold thy glorie, which they heard of, thou dotedst upon them, and drewest them to fornication; her renowne was the bait to allure them, and to induce them being allured to spirituall whoredomes; renowne is a great mercie of the Lord, and should be a speciall motive to make us honour God, and to improve it for his glorie, and others good, but usually estates and persons abuse that renowne and esteeme they have in the world, making advantage thereof, only to serve their owne turnes and lust. God made this people a­bove all Nations, in praise, in name, in honour, that they might be, An holy people unto him, Deut. 26 19. their renowne should haue incourag'd them to holinesse, and it was an in­centive unto loosenesse. Solomon had Great renowne abroad in the Nations, 1 Kings 4.31. that drew the Princes to bestow their Daughters upon him, Chap. 11 3. he had 700. wives Princesses, his name made way for unlawfull marriages, and they made way for unlawfull gods, you reade of roo­ting up Israel, 1 Kings 14.15. of blotting out their name, from under heaven, Deu [...]. 9.14, of cutting it off, Isa. 48. [...]9. the reason was they abus'd that name God had given them [Page 207] to Idolatrie and other sinfull practises. Many of great credit take up money and breake.

Obser. 5.

Going out from God to false gods, and wayes of wor­ship, is a grievous sinne, Thou playedst the Harlot, that is, thou lefts me thy God, and Husband, and wentest after others, thy bodie, thy beautie, thy heart and affections were theirs, and with them thou didst commit whoredomes, Psal. 106.28. They joyned themselves to Baal-Peor. This was Apostacie in this people, to forsake God, breake covenant, all ingage­ments, to go out to others, as if there were more good, content, sweetnes to be had in them, then in the Lord, Mich. 6.3. O my people, what have I done unto thee, and wherein have I wearied thee? testifie against me. They made their Nations thinke their gods better then the God of Israel, and their way of worship better then his, which was a great reproach to the Lord, and made him to complaine. The Hebrew call the winter [...] because it is a reproach to the earth, and such is an Apostate people, they are [...] a reproach to God and his Ordinances, they bring up an ill report upon Canaan, the grapes and God thereof. When the Samaritanes worshipped strange gods, the Jewes counted and cal'd them bastards for it, but when they pra­ctised it themselves, they were blind, and discern'd not the evill of it, Josh. 8.41. Wee be not borne of fornication, they meant they were not the Children of Idolaters, and such as had Apostatised from God, whereas their Predecessors had been the greatest Apostates and Idolaters of the world. This sinne kindles the jealousie of God, Exod. 20.5. Prov. 6.34. and made the Lord say, Heb. 10.38. If any man draw back, my soule shall have no pleasure in him, no, his soule should be exceedingly against them, hence saith God of the Le­vites that fell to Idolatrie, that they should Beare their iniqutie, and they shall not come neare unto me, to doe the office of a Priest unto mee, Ezek. 44.10.13.

Some of the Antients have thought that a man falling [Page 208] away from the truth once or twise especially, there is no mercie for him.

Obser. 6.

6. The most beautifull and renowned Church may dege­nerate, Apostatize and become so corrupt, that it may be questionable, whither there be the face of a true visible Church in all the world, this Israelitish woman was the on­ly spouse of God, he entred into a Covenant with her, she became his, verse 8. he did great things for her, he put more spirituall beautie and comelines upon her, then upon all the Nations, and made her renowned throughout the world, yet she forsooke God, played the Harlot, multiplyed forni­cations, prostituted herselfe to every Idol and Idolater, and now where was the Church of God? she played the Harlot with many lovers, Jer. 3.1. Here was visible Apostacie, vi­sible idolatrie, but no true visible Church, in joyning communion with God in his owne way, neither was God without a true Church at this time. There were some godly ones in secret, which kept themselves from those idolatrous pollutions, who mourn'd in secret for the abhominations done in the Temple, Citie, and every where Ezek. 9.4. but these lay hid and durst not appeare in the wayes of worship then amongst them: So in Elijah's dayes Ahab, Jezabel, the false Prophets, and Priests of Baal, had so corrupted the worship of God, and the people so Apostati­zed, that there was no visible face of a Church left in the view of Elijah himselfe, for he saith, The Children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant, throwne downe thine Altars, slaine thy Prophets, and I even I only am left, and they seek my life to take it away, 1 Kings 19.10. but God had then seven thousand in secret, verse 18.

The true Church may be brought to such a paucitie, such a lownes, as that there may be no publique meetings, or view thereof, whilest this Church hearkned to her Husband, obeyed his voice, followed the rules of the word, she was chast, and free from errours, but when she grew proud of her fame, and trusted in her beautie, then she fell into er­rours, [Page 209] defiled herselfe with Idols and sin'd shamefully.

The Papists say, their Church cannot erre, especially in things necessarie to salvation, and why? because it is sponsa Christi: was not this Israelitish Church sponsa Dei? and did it not erre in the great and weighty things of salvation? did it not leave God, and fall to Idolatrie? such practises as exclude the Kingdome of Heaven? what priviledge hath the Roman Church more then this had? whatever Papists say or write; There Church hath trusted in her beautie, been proud of her renowne, and plaid the Harlot, as notoriously as ever Jerusalem did.

Verse 16. And deckedst thy high places with diverse colours.

The Hebrew is, And hast made to thy self spotted high places, Bamoth telvoth excelsa maculosa, Sept: is, [...] [...] Idols sowne and made up of cloathes of diverse colours, Symmach: Ex­celsa multicoloria. Jun. Excelsa latis maculis interstincta, Oecol. Diversicoloria. Castal. Fecisti tibi varia sacella diverse Chappels, Cal. maculis conspersa. Telvoth saith Pradus signifies, Hang­ings or Curtaines of diverse colours. In their High places were Altars made, for the honour of their Idols, those they dec­ked with Tapestrie, and cloathes bespotted with diverse co­lours, that so they might affect and allure more st [...]ongly the worshippers, and those that came to see them wor­shipping.

Verse 17. Thou hast also taken the faire jewels.

Hebrew is, [...] vasa gloriae tuae, The vessels or instruments of thy glorie. Septu: [...] The Vessel of thy rejoycing or glorying. Vulg. Vasa decoris tui. Cast. Decoris instrumentum. Pisc. Vasa ornatus tui. Others, Instru­menta ornatus tui. Some referre these instrum [...]nts of glorie, to the golden or silver Vessels of the Temple, which were glo­rious Vessels, and Vessels of their glorie, Its said that Ahaz, 2 Chron. 28.24. Gathered together the Vessels of the House of God, Cut them in peices, and made him Altars in every corner in Jerusalem, its like he might convert the gold and silver of [Page 210] the Temple to Idolatrous uses, or you may interpret it of their plate, those Vessels of glorie they had for their dome­stick use, not excluding the golden and silver ornament [...] they had for their owne adorning.

And madest to thy selfe images of men.

Hebrew is, [...] Images of man. Septu: [...] Masculine images: so the Vulgar, Others, Imagines masculi. French Des images d' hommes not images of God, who was her Husband and beloved, but images of man. The Nations had their gods and goddesses, he gods and she gods, Baal, Milchom, Chamos, Molech, were masculine gods, Ashtoreth, Isis, Derceto, were feminine Gods. The Jewish estate being here compar'd unto a woman, a whorish woman, who loves and affects the presence, beautie and imbracings of men, that is, fitly said to make unto herselfe images of men, with which she might adulterize and idolize, and satiate her lusts both fleshly and spirituall: the Hebrew word for mascu­line or of a man is from [...] to remember these images, were memorials and remembrancers of their Idoll gods, or pleasures they had in accompanying with, or worship­ping of them.

Vers. 19. My meat also which I gave thee.

Hebrew is, [...] my bread, though [...] ordinarily sig­nifie Bread, yet here it must be taken comprehensively for a­ny thing edible, the enumeration following shews it, as Fine flowre, oyle and honey, & the word is so to be understood in Luke 14.1. Christ went into one of the Pharisees houses to eate bread, by bread is meant what ever should be set before him: so Gen. 39.6. Potiphar left all in Josephs hand, he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eate, Bread, that is, all things he did eate: so Matthew 6.11. Dayly bread comprehends all edible things, and more too.

Thou hast set it before them for sweet a savour

Hebrew is, [...] in odrem quietis. Septu: [...] in odorem suavitatis: so the Vulg. Pol. Pisc. Jun. in odo­rem gratum. Cast. Ad suavem odorem. Cal. Lavat. In odorem quietis. French, En odeur soeuf flairant. That is sweet and pleasing to the smell, we rest in as delightfull to us, shee set these things before the Images of men, and the false gods, to practise them if they were offended, and to indeare them more unto herselfe hereby, as if she had merited their favours and embraces; the offering of incense and sweet odors was a part of divine worship, and when sacrifice was made to him by Noah, he smelled a sweet savour, the Hebrew is the same with what was here, [...] odorem quietis, he was well pleased therewith, its taken from the practise of men, who used swet smeels, Isa. 3.24.

Whom thou hast borne unto me.

Not brought forth, that they should be the Lords, but they were his, for in the 21 verse he cals them his Children: though this Israelitish woman had forsaken God, and was become a notorious Idolatresse, yet the Children shee brought forth were the Lords.

1. Jure Domini, he is the God of nature, having sove­raigne authority over all creatures, and so both the Parents and Children were the Lords, as well as other creatures, he cals it his gold, his silver, his Oyle, his incense, &c.

2. Jure faederis, God had made a Covenant with them, and promised to be their God, and the God of their seed, Gen. 17.7. he speakes of his being in covenant with his people, verse 8. of this Chapter, he tooke this Israelitish wo­man to be his, and though she playd'd the whore, yet the Children she bare were the Lords, because God had not gi­ven her a Bill of Divorce, but her Children had circumcisi­on, which was a token of the Covenant between God and them, Gen. 17.11. and it is cald the Covenant of circum­cision, Acts 7.8. in themselves considered, they were wor­thy [Page 215] rather the name of Bastards, then to be honoured with the title of sonnes.

These hast thou sacrificed.

The Hebrew word [...] is to kill, slay, as you doe Beasts, either for eating or sacrificing. Septu: is, [...]. Vulg. Immo­lasti. Pisc. Pol. &c. mactasti, thou hast slaine, so you have it in the next verse, Thou hast slaine my Children [...] from [...] to kill or extend, because when the beast was kil'd, they extended the parts of it: here they kild their Chil­dren, either before they put them into the fire and sacrific'd them to Idols, or by casting them alive into the fire, Jer. 7.31. there is motion made of Topheth in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and it was to burne their Sonnes and Daughters in the fire: Expositors say, this Tophet was a Chappell or Altar where Molech was, and here they offered their Chidren to that Idol. This Idol Molech, the Hebrews tell us, was made of brasse, hollow and capacious in the concave of it, they put their Children either in it, or under it, there being a great fire, they burnt them in honour to the Idol. Others thinke they were put in the armes of the Idol, being red hot and so rosted to death, and because the lamentable shriekes and cryes of the Children in the fire should not be heard, they played upon Tabrets, beate on drumms or pans, whence it was cal'd Tophet for [...] is Tympanum, A Tabret, Drum, or Pann.

This inhumane practise was frequent among the Jewes, as you may observe from 2 Kings 16.3: Chap. 17.17: & 21.6. Jer. 19.5: 32.35. Ahaz walked in the way of the Kings of Israel; and made his Sons to passe through the fire (that was their ordinarie practise) according to the abhominations of the Hea­then, and Chap. 17.31. The Sepharvites burnt their Children in the fire to Adrammelech, and Ammelech the gods of Sephar­vaim.

This custome of sacrificing their Children, is judg'd by the learned, that the Heathens took up from the example of Abraham, who would have offered his Sonne in sacrifice to God, they thought (though this was not done) [Page 216] surely such sacrifices were acceptable to God; if God tooke it well at Abrahams hands, who did but attempt it, he would much more take it well at their hands, who should doe it, their Children were deare to them, and when they should thus part with them for the honour of their God, as they conceiv'd, how could it be but he should take it well at their hands, they considered not that Abraham did it upon speciall command. Besides its probable that the Heathens had learn'd the meaning of their sacrifices, which typed out Christ, who should take mans nature upon them, and be a sacrifice to pacifie the wrath of God: they thought here­upon, that the sacrificing of Children and men, would doe the like with their gods, and make them acceptable to them, Mich. 6.7. Shall I give my first borne for my transgression, the fruit of my bodie, for the sinne of my soule. These words im­port, that both the Heathens and idolatrous Jewes did ima­gine, that the sacrificing of their Children, did make attonement for their sinnes, which the Prophet confutes and condemnes.

To be devoured

Hebrew is, ad comedendum to eate or to be eaten, they put their Children into the fire, which did eate them up, and consume them, in Isai. 5.24. you have the same word, As the fire devoureth. Orig. is, eateth the stubble, and the word fire in the Hebrew is, [...] the Tongue of the fire, the Tongue licks in the meat and eates it: so the flame catches hold of combustible matter, and consumes it.

To passe through the fire.

Hebrew is, in causing them to passe through: some Chil­dren they burnt wholly in the fire, others as its usually con­ceiv'd, they caus'd to passe through the fire, which was a purging of them from the filth and defilements, as also a consecrating of them to the Idol, and his Service: they pla­ced much efficacie in fire, for the hallowing of those passed through it.

The Tartars, saith Abutensiis, thinke all strangers, such as are not of their owne race, uncleane, and before they can see or speake with their King, they must passe betweene two fires, by which being purged, they are deem'd worthie of his presence, wee must passe through the fire of the Law and Gospell, before we come to the sight of the Lord.

Whither Authors have not mistaken in this, thinking that some Children only were drawne through the fire, and not burnt, I desire one thing may be taken into consideration, and that is what the Scripture cals passing through the fire, in one place it cals burning, in another 2 Kings 16.3. it is said, Ahaz made his Sonnes to passe through the fire. 2 Chron. 28.3. its said, He burnt his Children in the fire: so here in our Prophet that is cal'd devouring in the 20. verse is tearmed Passing through the fire; in the 21. not under correction, that they passed through the fire and so liv'd, but passed through it to the honour of the Idol.

Verse 25. Thou hast made thy beautie to bee abhorred.

This woman was very lovelie, through her state and Church beautie, she was renowned among the Nations for it, but when she became Idolatrous, she spotted her beau­tie, so as it became abhominable. Take the fairest woman that is most desireable, and priz'd, if once she come to be com­mon, and open her feet to all commers, as the phrase here is, she grows loathsom, abhominable, such was the jewish state of our [Page 227] Prophets metaphoricall woman, who multiplyed Altars, I­dolatries, and committed fornication with the Nations far and neare, the Lord had said long before, when they fell to I­dolatry, that their spot was not the spot of his children, Deut. 32.5. when they were free from this sin they were beautifull and glorious, Numb. 24.5. How goodly are thy Tents O Jacob, and thy Tabernacles O Israel, Chap. 23.21. He hath not beheld iniquitie in Jacob, neither hath he seene perversnes in Israel. The Vulg. reads it thus, Non est idolum in Jacob, ne (que) videtur simu­lachrum in Israele, idolatrie makes the most glorious Nati­on abhominable, Prov. 14.34. sinne is a reproach to any people, and especially this sinne, 1. Pet. 4.3. they are cal'd, Abominable Idolatries; they are so in themselves, and they make so. What ever a womans beauty is, if shee be mad and phrantick, you despise her and her beauty, you will not have to doe with her. Idolatry is a madnesse; Jere. 50.38. They are madd upon their idolls; and such madnesse makes the beauty of a State or Church loathsome.

Verse 27. And have diminished thine ordinary food.

The Hebr. for ordinary food is [...] statutum tuum: Septu: is, [...] legitima tua, I will take away thy lawfull things. Vulg. is, justificationem tuam; Which Mariana saith, was Gods Covenant whereby she was justified: Sanct: Some outward signe of inward holinesse: Oecol: Succidi constitutum tuum, I have cutt downe thy constitution: Calv: demensum tuum: so Pisc: and Jun: Cast: institutum tuum: Lav: statutum cibum tibi: Fr: ton estat; [...] saith Prad: is a Statute, Constitution, an Ordinance, a Law, forme of living, Worship, Caeremonie, at (que) id omne quod manat a le­gislatore. Jerom interprets it of their Ceremonies, Sabbaths, and Solemnities: Theod: of the Law it selfe: others of their holy things. But God dealing here with this Jewish estate as a hus­band with an expensive and adulterous wife, saith; I have cut thee short of thy allowance, I have diminished thy portion. Pro­verb. 31.15. She ariseth while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her houshold, and a portion to her maidens: its [...] and its taken for a portion of meat and drinke, and its not amisse to take it so here; thou hast abused thy fine flower, honey and oyle, [Page 228] but I will lessen them, thou shalt have little of these hereaf­ter, thy portion shall be smaller. The confining it to things edible I like not; let us extend it to other things also, and the sense will be more full, viz. to her garments, ornaments, silver, gold, incense, &c. Hos. 2.9. I will take away my corne, my wine, recover my wooll and my flax; and so it suits with the Chaldie interpretation, auferam bonum tuum; Its our sinne that causes God to diminish our comforts.

Deliver thee to the will of them that hate thee.

The Hebrew for will is [...] in animam, Septu. [...] in animas; so the Vulgar, in animas. Cal. desiderio ceu libidini; so others; Fr. en la volonté, its an Hebraisme, the soule put for the will, lust or desire in it, and so its frequently used; Exod. 5.19. My lust shall be satisfied upon them. Psal. 78.18. They asked meat for their lust; the Heb. is, soule, Psal. 105.22. To binde his Princes at his pleasure, benaphsho, according to the lust and pleasure of his soule. Psal. 41.3. Give him not to the will of his enemies; Heb. soule of his enemies. Luk. 23.25. He deli­vered Jesus to their will.

The daughters of the Philistims.

In Scripture sense, Villages and Townes are counted daughters, as chiefe Cities were called Mothers; 2 Sam. 20.19. Thou seekest to destroy a Citie and a Mother in Israel, that was Abel where they asked counsell; and because Cities had Townes and Villages belonging to them, as you may reade 1 Chron. 7.28. Bethel and the Townes thereof, Gezer with the Townes thereof, Shechem Gaza and the Townes thereof; so ver. 29. Bethsheon and her Townes, Taanach and her Townes, &c. These Townes were accounted the daughters of those Cities, be­cause they were either made, govern'd by, or some wayes be­longing to those Cities, and the Citizens thereof. And so diverse Expositors doe take the daughters of the Philistims here to be the Townes and Villages of Palestina. And so the daughters of Jerusalem oft mentioned in the Canticles, to be the Villages adjacent. But its better to interpret the words of the persons, then of the places; and to understand by [Page 229] daughters of Philistims the Philistims themselves. 2 Sam. 1.20. Tell it not in Gath, least the daughters of the Philistims rejoyce; that is, not the villages but the Philistims themselves: so Psal. 48.11. Let the daughters of Judah be glad, that is, the peo­ple of Judah: in ver. 26. that which is Aegyptians, in the o­riginall is sonnes of Aegypt; and ver. 28. with the Assyrians, in the Heb. is the sonnes of Ashur: and here by daughters of Philistims is meant the Philistims; and daughters are mentio­ned rather then sonnes, because the Lord had spoken of the Jewish estate as a woman, and so continues the allegorie in the same sexe. The Philistims hated the Jewes much, often war'd against them, and brought them under, as you may observe in the booke of Judges, Chap. 10. & 13. they were glad when mischiefe befell them, therefore when Saul and Jonathan were slaine, David would not have it told in Gath or Askelon, least the Philistims should triumph, 2 Sam. 1.20.

Eminent place.

Heb. is [...] which signifies whatsoever excells or appeares above another; here its an eminent place (a place raised above others) its so rendred in the 24. verse. Septuag. translates it [...], there and here. [...] is a stewes or house of for­nication. Aquil. [...] foveam, a ditch or pit, whoredome and idolatry are both deepe ditches and pits; these eminent pla­ces were for commission of those sins which drowned them in perdition: from this word [...] its more then probable that that word Gabbatha in Joh. 19.13. doth proceed; the words are thus; Pilate sate downe in the Judgement seat in the place that is called the pavement; but in the Hebrew Gabbatha, which signifies [...] locum excelsum, Grote in loc. such a place as Judges sit in to pronounce sentence against malefactors; its cald the pavement or [...], because it was covered or paved with stones.

Thine high place.

Heb: [...] is a place higher then others, from [...] to lift up; they made Altars and places for false worship higher then all the rest. Septu: renders it by two words in the 24. by [...] prostibulum, a place where they did prosti­tute themselves to whoredome, or to idolatry, or both; in this verse they render it [...], it being the foundation of the false worship offered up there.

In that thou scornest hire.

Heb. is [...] from [...] or [...] which hath a double, yea, contrary signification; sometimes it signifies to praise, and so the Jewes used it in their prayers. Psalm 68.5.Pagn. in Thes. auro. what there is [...] extoll. The Targum hath it, [...] praise him rides upon the heavens. Hence Shindler renders the word [...] ad laudandum: and so the meaning must be, that Jerusalem was not like other whores, who did praise and magnifie the gifts and hire they had from their lovers, that so they might draw more, no, shee did not value or praise them. Sometimes, and most frequent­ly, the word signifies to mocke, despise, dispraise and villifie. In this ver. it's generally taken by Interpreters;Meretrices a mercendo. so the meaning then is, that Jerusalem was so far from praising, that she [...] scorned hire; not in policy to increase the hire as common Harlots doe, who make advantage of their sinne; but in way of opposition, to manifest that shee was not for profit, but for pleasure; not for the purses of her lovers, but for their persons. The Sept. hath it thus [...]. Thou wast as an harlot gathering or seeking reward; dire­ctly opposite to the Originall. Vulg. Quasi meretrix fastidio augens praetiam. Fr, Pour me spriser le salaire.

Hire.

Heb. [...] Merces meretricia; hire that belongs to a whore, from [...], to hire,Pagn. in Thes. and properly it is to give a re­ward; pro opere turpi & in honesto, Deut. 23.18. Ethnan zonah, the hire of a whore: So Hos. 9.1. Mich. 1.7. Thamar, when Judah came into her, would have hire. What wilt thou give me, Gen. 38.16. and Hos. 2.12. These are my rewards that my lovers have given me. Steph. in Thes. Sept. is [...] which notes fre­quently among the Greeks, that hire, reward is given to whores. Lais the Corinthian Harlot asked great summes of Demosthe­nes, Decem drachmarum millia, which was 150^l. whence rises that adage: Non cuivis datum adire Corinthum.

Vers. 32. As a wife that commits adultery.

Heb. is [...] a woman an adulteresse. A single woman that playes the harlot doth very ill; but a woman [Page 240] that hath a Husband, to leave him, and receive others in his stead, that is exceeding grievous, especially when she wants nothing, hath abundance, and her Husband is most loving, meeke, delightfull, wise, and faithfull; this was the case of Jerusalem, yet she playes the Adulteresse, takes in strangers in the roome of her Husband.

Vers. 33. They give gifts, and thou givest gifts.

The word for gift is [...] and [...] which is merces mere­tricia, from [...] which signifies to separate, and remove a thing as uncleane. The hire of a Whore was not to be brought into the Temple, because gotten, ex opere immundo, and therefore was to be kept, and separated from the Temple, Deut. [...]3.18.

Vers. 34. The contrary is in thee.

Heb. is [...] oppositum, from [...] to invert, change, alter; this Jewish woman did invert, change, and alter the way that other women went in, for satisfaction of their lusts, in the abuse of their bodies; they had gifts given them, but this woman gave gifts; they were hired, this woman did hire. Sept. is [...] perversum quid. Vulg. Contra consu etudinem mulierum. Calv. Inversio a mulieribus. Lav. Contrarium mulie­rum. Whereas none followeth thee to commit whoredomes: the Hebr. runs thus, after thee it hath not been whored. So the Sep. [...], they have not gone a whoring after thee. The meaning is, Jerusalem sought after the Idoll gods of other Nations, was at expences, gave gifts to them to get, and fetch in their idolatry; but no Nation did so by them. Hos. 8.9. Ephraim hath hired lovers. 2 K. 16.8.10. Ahaz sent the silver & gold of the Temple to the K. of Assyria, & was at no smal charges for the Altar of Damascus. Isa. 57.7. Ʋpon a lofty and high moun­taine hast thou set thy bedde; that is, Altars, Chappels, Tem­ples, which he calls beds; because there they committed spi­rituall adultery: and they were upon the eminent and high places, because the more might see them turne in and wor­ship their Idol gods, and so commit folly with them; for it followes, even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice. And in [Page 241] vers. 8. Thou hast discovered thy selfe to another then me, 2 King 21.4. Jer. 32.34. and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, made a Covenant with them, thou love ast their bed when thou sawest it. The sense is this, the Jewish estate was not content with God alone to be her husband, but like a whorish wife left her husband, and went up to the bed of others: and not only so, but enlarged her owne bed, made more roome, built more Altars, high pla­ces, and Temples for the gods of other Nations to be taken in to her, and made covenant with them to worship and ho­nour them: and what ever bed, that is, Altar, Temple, Idoll she saw among the Nations, she fell in love with it, and must have it, cost it never so deare.

Obser. 1.

That the worship of God is not to be model'd according to the wisdome of States or Churches. This Jewish State and Church built high places, Altars, fetched in the worship and wayes of it, which other Nations had, were at much cost and charges to accomplish the same, and thought here­in they did acceptable service; but God was provoked sorely: and the more expensive any State or Church is that way, the more they exasperate the Lord against them; as a husband, the more prodigall his wife is to entertain others, the more offended is he. God is a jealous God, and it's dan­gerous to alter in, or adde any thing to his worship, especi­ally to corrupt it with idolatrous inventions. Ahaz did so; but what saith the Text, 2 Chron. 28.22. This is that King Ahaz, that spent the gold and silver found in the house of the Lord, that was affected with, and brought into the Tem­ple the Altar of Damascus, that sacrificed to the gods of Da­mascus, that shut up the doores of the Temple, that made Altars in every corner of Jerusalem, that burnt incense to o­ther gods, and provoked the Lord to anger, v. 25.

2. A pure virgin-Church may in processe of time become whorish, adulterous, idolatrous, and worse then others: This Church of Jerusalem was at first chast, holy, glorious; but when she had left the Lord, and those wayes and rules of worship which hee had given her, then shee became a [Page 242] Strumpet, a common whore, did worse, yea contrary to all whores; shee sought for, and hired lovers to come into her. If Churches would therefore not degenerate, let them hold fast the forme of wholsome words, 2 Tim. 1.13. Let them be content with the way of worship which God hath pre­scribed them, and lead such lives as may not blemish the Re­ligion they professe, and then they shall never provoke God to complaine of them.

Vers. 35. O harlot.

The Lord calls her not wife, but harlot, he would not vouchsafe her that name, it carries honour in it; but gives her a disgracefull name, Harlot, the Jewish Nation he calls a harlot.

Obser.

Sinne brings reproachful names and tearms upon people and persons. Isa. 1.10. Rulers of Sodome, and people of Gomor­rah: It causes God to fasten disgracing titles and Epithites upon them. Deut. 32.5. A perverse and crooked generation. Isa. 57.4. Children of transgression, a seede of falshood. Jerem. 6.28. Grievous revolters, corrupters. Jer. 2.21. Degenerate plants. Isa. 10.6. An hypocriticall nation. Isa. 65.2. A rebel­lious people. Isa. 16.4. Outcasts. Chap. 1.4. A people laden with iniquities. Jer. 6.30. Reprobate silver. Isa. 57.3. Sons of the Sorceresse, the seed of the adulterer, and the whore. Isa. 21.2. Treacherous dealers.