Part 3
It followeth.
O Nation not worthy to be beloved.
The third point: Who must search? The Jews, who are here termed a Nation, not worthy to be beloved: and yet for all that, they are bid to search themselves, that so upon their repentance, they might be beloved. Where, we may see the unspeakable love of God, and his wonderful mercy, offering grace to such men, as are altogether unworthy of it. God's children are by nature like other men, and God finds nothing in them, why to respect them above other: but even of his own mercy, makes them worthy, who of themselves are not: therefore how worthy is that God, to have all the love of our hearts, who loved us, when we were not worthy to be beloved.
But let us examine more particularly, why God does call the Jews a Nation, not worthy to be beloved: I answer, God had blessed them above other Nations. He gave them his covenant of grace, and thereby made them his people, and committed to their trust, his holy word and Oracles: but he dealt not so with other Nations, neither had the heathen knowledge of his laws. Besides all this, they had a better land than others about them, it flowed with milk, and honey, (that is, with all commodities, and delights) and though their country was but little, yet themselves so populous, and so powerful, that while they pleased God, no enemy durst set upon them.
Thus for soul and body, they were every way a Nation, blessed of God, a people beloved of God above all others. Now, how did this people (thus beloved of their God,) requite this his love, which they had no more deserved, than any other Nation? Certainly, as they deserved it not before they had it, so they requited it not when they had it: but requited this love of God with sin, with rebellion, and with disobedience. They tempted him, they provoked him to wrath, they presumed of his mercy, and proved a most stubborn and stiff-necked people, a froward generation: Moses partly saw this in his own experience, and better discerned it in the spirit of prophecy: and therefore, wondering at this their wickedness, he cried out; Do you thus requite the Lord: O foolish people and unwise? Thus, that is, with sin, and disobedience, which is the only means to displease the Lord, and to provoke him to wrath: for this cause they are worthily called a foolish and unkind people by Moses, and here, by the Prophet. A Nation not worthy to be beloved: namely, for their unthankfulness, and unkindness: which was such, as they not only were slack, and careless in performance of such duties as God required: but even multiplied their sins, and committed those foul rebellions, which his soul hated.
And among many, the Prophet here in this chapter, notes three of their great sins: for which they were a Nation not worthy to be beloved. Covetousness, cruelty, and deceit: all which were the more heinous and intolerable, because they were the sins of their princes, their rulers, and their priests, who should have been lights and examples to the rest.
Now, although every sin in itself, is of that ill desert, as it is able to cast us out of God's favor, and deprive us of his love: yet, behold, here God complains, not upon a little cause, but for wonderful, and exceeding unthankfulness, and unkindness in them: who of all other should have loved the Lord.
As a man cares not for hard usage from him, whom he esteems not: but a little unkindness does greatly grieve a man, from him who is loved and respected: so is it with the Lord our God, he loved not the Gentiles, as he did the Jews, neither was he so bountiful to them: and therefore, (as we may see) though they lived always in ignorance, and continued always in disobedience; yet, the text says, the time of that ignorance God regarded not: but when as the Jews, his own people, whom he chose out of all people, and bestowed his love upon them, and made his covenant of grace with them, when they became unkind, unthankful, forgetful, stubborn, and rebellious, that caused the Lord even to complain of that indignity, and to cry out by Moses, Do you thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? And hereby the Prophet, O Nation not worthy to be beloved: and therefore there is no man, but if he be asked what he thinks of this Nation of the Jews: he will answer, that they are a most vile and wicked people, a froward generation, and that they are worthy to taste deeply of all God's plagues, who so far abused his love and mercy.
But what does this belong to them alone? And is Israel a Nation not worthy to be beloved? No, I may cry out with as good cause: O England, a Nation not worthy to be beloved: for, God has been as good a God to us, as he was to them: and we have been as unkind a people to him, as they were to him. But that I may be free from discrediting our nation, and from defiling my own nest: let us prove both these points, and lay them open to the view of the world.
First therefore, the same mercies, and far greater, have been poured and heaped upon us: he has called us out of the darkness: first, of heathenism, and then of popery: his covenant of grace and salvation, he has confirmed with us, his treasures of his word and sacraments, he has imparted to us, his holy word never better preached, and the mysteries thereof never more plainly opened, since the time of the Apostles: and as we have religion, so we have it under a religious prince, whereby it comes to pass, that these blessings of salvation, we enjoy not in secret, or by stealth: but we have it countenanced by authority; so that religion is not barely allowed, but even as it were even thrust upon men. Besides all this, we have a land also that flows with milk and honey, it is plentiful in all good things: we have liberty and peace under a peaceable prince, and the companions of peace, prosperity, plenty, health, wealth, corn, wool, gold, silver, abundance of all things, that may please the heart of man: thus has God deserved the love of England.
But now England, how have you requited this kindness of the Lord? Certainly even with a great measure of unkindness: that is, with more and greater sins than ever Israel did: so that if Moses spoke true of them, then may our Moses much more truly cry out against England, do you thus requite the Lord, you foolish people? And if this prophet said thus of Israel for three sins, then may it be said of England for three hundred sins (O England) a Nation not worthy to be beloved: for you have multiplied your transgressions, above theirs of Israel; even as though you had resolved with yourself, the more God's kindness is heaped on you, the more to multiply your sins against him. For you England, as you have requited the Lord with sins; so not with a few sins, or small sins, or sins, which hardly could have been prevented: for that had been a matter of some excuse, or not of so great complaint. But your sins are many, and grievous, and capital. And which is worst of all, willful and affected, even as though God had deserved evil of us: and that therefore we ought maliciously to requite him.
If any man make doubt of this, and therefore think I speak too hardly of our Church: I will then deal plainly and particularly, and rip up the sores of our Nation, that so they may be healed to the bottom.
The common sins of England, wherewith the Lord is requited, are these.
First, ignorance of God's will and worship, (I speak not of that compelled ignorance in many corners of our land, which is to be pitied because they want the means) but willful and affected ignorance. Men are ignorant, even because they will be ignorant. Means of knowledge were never so plentiful, and yet never more gross ignorance: is not he willfully blind, who will not open his eyes in the light? And can there be any darkness at noon day, but it must be willful? But our Nation is dark and blind in the sunshine of the Gospel, and grossly ignorant, when the Gospel beats their ears, and light shines round about them: so, as if they closed not their eyes, and stopped not their ears, they could not but both hear and see: who would look for ignorance after thirty five years preaching? And yet, many are as ignorant, as if they had been born and brought up under popery: so that our people are as evil as those in the days of Christ, of whom the Holy Ghost says; Light is come into the world, but men love darkness more than light. So knowledge is come into England: but many Englishmen love darkness better than knowledge. Alas, how many thousands have we in our Church, who know no more in religion, than they hear in common talk of all men, and which is worse, they think it sufficient also, and which is worst of all, whereas they might have more, they will not, but care not for it.
2. The second main sin of England, is contempt of Christian religion; religion has been among us these five and thirty years; but the more it is published, the more it is contemned, and reproached of many; insomuch, as there is not the simplest fellow in a country town, who, although he knows not one point of religion, yet he can mock and scorn such as are more religious than himself is: this is one of the moths of England, that eats up religion, this is grievous in whomever, but most intolerable in two sorts of men. First, in them, who are altogether ignorant, that they should mock they know not what. A pitiful thing to hear one, who himself cannot give the meaning of one petition in the Lord's prayer, to upbraid other men, because they are too forward: but it is the worst of all, when men of knowledge, and such as live civilly, and would be counted good Christians, are indeed of the better sort, cannot abide to see others go a little before them: but if they do, presently they are hypocrites and dissemblers. Thus not profaneness, nor wickedness, but even religion itself is a byword, a mocking stock, and matter of reproach; so that in England at this day, the man or woman that begins to profess religion, and to serve God, must resolve with himself to sustain mocks and injuries, even as though he lived among the enemies of religion, and not among professors; and as religion increases and spreads itself, so does the number of these mockers. O what a cursed sin is this? To contemn the greatest favor that God can give us, that is, his holy religion: for the which we should rather praise him all the days of our lives. All that God can give a man in this world, is his Gospel, what then can God give to be regarded, when his Gospel is contemned?
This sin was never among the Jews: they indeed regarded it not so as it deserved, but who did ever make a mock and a scorn of it but England? O England, how can you answer this? God sends you the most precious jewel, that he can send to a Nation; and you scornest it, and them that bring it, and them that receive it; even as though it were no blessing, but a curse: so that as Christ says to the Jews, For which of my good works do you stone me? So may the Lord say to England, I have given you a fruitful land, a blessed Prince, gold and silver, peace and liberty, plenty and prosperity: for which of these (O England) do you contemn my religion? The least of these deserve love; but England has a better than all these; that is, his Gospel, the word of salvation: and yet, that all is contemned (as being nothing worth) and those which confess it, and those that bring it, and consequently, God himself that gave it. If England had no more sins but this: this deserves, that it should be said of us, that we are a Nation not worthy to be beloved above all Nations: for some Nations would have religion, that they might love it, but they cannot have it: some have it, and love it not: but in no Nation is it made a mocking stock, but in England. And where are those men, but in England, who (like the dog in the manger) will neither entertain religion themselves, nor suffer them that would: let us in time take heed of this sin, as a sin that cries to God, to revenge so vile a dishonor done to his Majesty: neither is there any sin that more certainly foreshows, and more forcibly hastens the removing of the Gospel from us. For high time is it to cease loving, where love procures disdain: and to stay giving, where gifts are scorned.
Carry home this lesson to your great towns and cities where you dwell, for in these populous places, are these great mockers, for where God has his professors, the Devil has his mockers; and repent betimes of this sin, for hold on in mocking, and be sure that God (who will not be mocked) will remove his Gospel from you; but if you leave this sin, and entertain the Gospel (as it worthily deserves,) then be sure of it, that God will continue the Gospel, to you, and your posterity after you, in the face of all your enemies round about you.
3. The third common sin of England, is blasphemy, many ways, but especially in vain swearing, false swearing, and forswearing, and the abuse of all the names and titles of the Lord God. This sin is general, even over the whole land, especially in fairs, and markets, where men for a little gain, will not care to call the Lord of Hosts to be witness to a lie, and the God of truth to testify an untruth.
And which is worst of all, God's holy name is used in vain oaths, and ordinary talk; when men have no cause to swear at all: so that it is most lamentable to see and observe, that the name of any man of honor, or worship, is used more reverently, and less abused, than that fearful and glorious name: the Lord our God.
4. The fourth general and great sin is, profanation of the Sabbath. A common sin everywhere, and yet so great a sin, that where it reigns, in that country, congregation, family, man or woman, there is no fear of God, nor any true grace in them: for the keeping of the Sabbath, is the maintaining, increasing, and publishing of religion.
5. The fifth sin of our nation, is, evil dealing in bargaining between man and man. How hard a thing is it to find an honest, simple, plain dealing man? And that even in such great assemblies as this is, I fear present experience will testify: you are now many thousands gathered together, some to buy, some to sell, some to exchange. Remember that I have told you, an honest hearted and plain dealing man is hard to find: therefore labor to approve yourselves sincere hearted men; remember the counsel of the Holy Ghost; let no man oppress nor defraud his brother in bargaining: for the Lord is the avenger of all such things. These sins are general and universal as a canker: and so are the sins of the sixth, seventh, and eighth commandments, (though they be not altogether so common as these be) murders, adulteries, usuries, briberies, extortions, cozenages, they are a burden under which our earth groans; and they cry against us to heaven, so that upon as good or much better cause may it be said to us, as to the Jews: O nation not worthy to be beloved.
Look at the outward face of our church, at the signs of God's love, which are among us, and at God's dealing with us; and behold, we are a beautiful church, a glorious nation, a nation to be admired, and wondered at: but look at the lives of our ordinary professors, look at our sins, and at our requiting of God's love: and we are a people of Sodom, as full of iniquities as they were, whose sins were so many, so rife, and so ripe; that at the last they will even bring down fire and brimstone, or some other strange judgment upon us, if repentance do not prevent it, or the cries and prayers of holy men stay not God's hand. So then, let us all here assembled, grant and confess, that we are a nation so far from being worthy to be beloved, as that we are most worthy to be hated, and to have all the wrath of God poured upon us.
Now then, are we so? And shall we continue so still? No, that is the worst, and most wretched of all: then let every one of us learn this duty, enter into ourselves, search our hearts and lives, that they may lie open to our own sight, to the confusion of us in ourselves, that in God by repentance we may be raised up.
Our sins lie open before the face of God, and stink in his presence, and cry for vengeance: and before the face of God's angels, who bewail it, and before the face of the Devil, who rejoices in our confusions: and shall they lie hidden only to ourselves? Now then, if we would have them hidden from God, and stop the cry that they make against us, and keep them from Satan, who accuses us for them; we must so search ourselves, that they may lie open to our own hearts: remember you your sins, and God will forget them: lay them open before your own face, and God will hide them from his: write them up for your own self, and God will blot them out of his remembrance: but if contrariwise you hide them, then assure yourself, the more you hide and bury them, the more open do they lie in the face of God: and then what will follow, but that they will all be disclosed at the last day, to your eternal confusion. Therefore again, and again, I exhort you in the name of God, search yourselves, find out your sins, confess them to God freely, and ingenuously: confess their deserts to be hell and damnation, humble your hearts to God, cry and call for pardon, as for life and death, purpose and promise to leave them, begin a new course of life, believe steadfastly, and doubt not but of pardon and forgiveness in the blood of Christ, continue in that faith, and that new course of life: so may England prevent God's judgments, and quench that great action of unkindness which God has against them, and become a nation as worthy (upon their faith and repentance) in Christ to be beloved: as for their peace and prosperity, they have been of all nations of the earth admired.
Hitherto of the third general point.
