Chapter 10

CHAP. X.

VERS. 1. - Obs. 1 The Church is compared to a Vine 300 Reasons 1 It has an unpromising outside ib. 2 It is the most fruitful plant that grows ib. 3 No plant requires so great care ib. 4 It is the most depending creature 301 5 If not fruitful it is most unprofitable ib. 6 It is the emblem of peace. 302 - Obs. 2 Emptiness of professors is a very great evil 303 Reasons. 1 'Tis unnatural 304 2 'Tis a dishonor to their root. ib. 3 It frustrates the Lord of all his care ib. 4 There is no blessing upon your soul ib. 5 If there be grace it cannot but bear fruit ib. 6 Common gifts shall be taken away 305 7 An empty spirit is fit for the Devil to possess 306 8 God does not let us sit empty of blessings ib. 9 The Lord has justly made our Vine bleed for its emptiness ib. 10 The evil of emptiness is great according to the greatness of opportunities ib. - Use 1 If it be evil to be empty, what an evil is it to bring forth ill grapes ib. - Use 2 Let us prize fruitfulness 307 - Obs. 3 It is all one to be an empty Christian, and to bring forth fruit to ones self 315 - Obs. 4 When God is spoiling a nation it is vain for people to think to provide for themselves 317 - Obs. 5 To increase our wickedness by God's blessings is an abominable thing 319 Reasons 1 It is against the ingenuity of a Christian 320 2 Christian principles are above estate ib. 3 It is against our prayers. ib. - Obs. 6 The love idolaters have to their idols is according to that ability they have to show their love. 320

VERSE 2 - Obs. 1 Though men strive never so much to maintain what is evil, God will break it 326 - Obs. 2 Though men be convinced of an evil, yet if the temptation abide they will fall to it again. 327 - Obs. 3 Superstitious images and altars are to be taken away. ib. - Obs. 4 If we give that respect that is due to God to another thing, the Lord will destroy it ib. - Obs. 5. If God break down what is evil let not us set it up ib. - Obs. 6 We must not break down images to make up our own broken estates 328 - Obs. 7 Men's divisions break the neck of what they contend for ib.

VERS. 3. - Obs. 1 It is a great evil for a people not to have the protection of a right government 331 - Obs. 2 It is a great evil not to fear the Lord 332 - Obs. 3. When men have the countenance of great ones, there is little fear of God among them ib. - Obs. 4. The taking away of kingly power is a punishment for the want of the fear of God 333 - Obs. 5. The times of God's wrath forces acknowledgment from their hearts that fear not God 334 - Obs. 6 When the heart is humbled it will not put off the cause of evils to other men 335 - Obs. 7 When God forsakes a people there is nothing can do them good 337 - Obs. 8 It is just with God to make those things unuseful which sinful people dote upon ib. - Obs. 9. God can soon change the hearts of people in reference to their King 339 - Obs. 10 The difference between God's people and wicked men ib. - Obs. 11 The stouter creature confidence is, the more do they sink when they are crossed in their hopes 340 - Obs. 12 When a carnal heart is knocked off from creature confidence then he despairs ib.

VERSE 4. - Expounded 361 - Obs. 1 Carnal hearts in their straits take shifting courses, because they have no God to go to 364 - Obs. 2 It is an evil thing for professors to combine with wicked men 365 - Obs. 3 There is no trust to wicked men's oaths and covenants 365 - Obs. 4. Breaking covenant, though with wicked men, is a great wickedness ib. - Obs. 5 Injustice and oppression is a forerunner of ruin 372

VERSE 5. - Obs. 1 Those that fear God least, are most afraid of any thing else 379 - Obs. 2 In times of danger we should be most solicitous about the worship of God 384 - Obs. 3 Cities that are safe should be sensible of the miseries of others. 385 - Obs. 4 Idolaters that dedicate themselves to idols, are the people of that idol 387 - Obs 5. Idolaters account their idol worship glorious 391

VERSE 6. - Obs. 1 Our depending upon men for help is dearly bought 392 - Obs. 2. It is the fashion of idolaters to rejoice much when they get one another's gods ib. - Applied to England ib. - Obs. 3 Men's own counsels in matters of religion bring them to shame. 396 1 Because it is much regarded ib. 2 God leaves them to folly. ib. 3 They provoke God by them. 398 - Use. 1. What to avoid in counsels. 1 False principles. ib. 2 Wicked men ib. 3 Self ends ib. 4 Pride and conceitedness ib. 5 Flesh and blood ib. 6 Passion and frowardness ib. - Use. 2 What we should attend in our counsels 1 Look up to Jesus Christ 399 2 Pray much ib. 3 Let the fear of God be strong 400 4 Keep to the Word of God. ib. 5 Be not put off with shows of reason 401 6 Be humble ib. 7 Consult with an indifferent judgment ib. 8 Do as you would be done by ib. 9 Whether it may not cost too dear, though good ib.

VERSE 7. - Obs. 1 Ungodly men in their greatest rage are but as foam, if God come against them 403 - Scripture expressions touching the vanity of great persons 404

VERS. VIII. - Obs. 1 God destroys the glorious names of idolatry 406 - Obs. 2 The nearer a thing comes to the nature of sin, the viler it is. ib. - Obs. 3 False worship is the great sin. 407 - Obs. 4 We may so abuse the creatures, that we may turn them into sin itself ib. - Obs. 5 When any ordinances of God are abused, they are to be but purged; but inventions of men are to be destroyed ib. - Obs. 6 Man's sin brings destruction upon the creatures 408 - Obs. 7 If it be sad that false worship is neglected, how sad is it that true worship is? 409 - Obs. 8 The ruin of idolatrous places is more pleasing to God than their pomp 410 - Obs. 9 What men account highly of in matter of worship, when the enemy comes in he contemns them ib. - Obs. 10 God can make an alteration in cities and kingdoms 413 - Obs. 11 It is a great misery to fall into the hands of one's enemies 414 - Obs. 12 The wrath of God is very dreadful ib. - Obs. 13 To live in misery is worse than present death 415 - Obs. 14 The misery of wicked men in affliction is wonderful 416 - Obs. 15 Desperation is a dreadful thing. ib.

VERSE IX. - Opened 418 - Obs. 1 To commit the same sins our ancestors did, is greater than theirs was 419 - Obs. 2 God takes it ill when those whom he has used to punish others for sin, commit the same sins themselves ib - Obs. 3 Children of iniquity may escape once and again 423

VERSE X - Expounded 425 - Obs. 1 When God has a mind to bring about a thing, he will gather a people 427 - Obs. 2 God will choose his rod he will scourge us with ib.

VERSE XI. - Obs. 1 Such as are divided in prosperity, shall be bound together in bondage 430 - Obs. 2 It is a sign of a carnal heart to avoid any work God calls to, because it is difficult 431 - Obs. 3 Hypocrites are content with such services as bring present comfort ib. - Obs. 4 It is a sign of a carnal heart to seek present accommodation 432 - Obs. 5 God looks with indignation upon such as mind nothing but ease and delicacy 455 - Obs 6 It is an honor for men to go thorough difficulties for God 439 - Obs. 7 Let no men boast they live more at ease than others ib. - Use. Comfort for the afflicted - Obs. 8. Those that forsake the true worship of God, 'tis well if they come into the meanest condition among God's people 441

VERSE XII. - Obs. 1. Though the sins of people be great, and judgments near, we know not what an exhortation may do 441 - Obs. 2 The actions of men are seeds 445 - Obs. 3 They shall come up in the same kind ib. - Obs. 4 The seed lies in the ground rotting a while, yet afterwards comes up. ib. - Obs. 5 The seed sown comes up through the blessing of God upon it ib. - Obs. 6. The better the seed is, the longer it lies under ground 446 - Obs. 7 The ministers of God are sowers. ib. - Obs. 8 Large opportunities of doing service for God should be our riches ib. - Obs. 9 It is not every seed will serve the turn 447 - Obs. 10 As a man sows so shall he reap. 450 - Use. Let the saints set a price upon the actions of righteousness 451 - Obs. 11 God will give abundantly above our good works 455 - Obs. 12 The hearts of men naturally are fallow grounds 456 - Obs. 13 It is high time to seek the LORD 474 Reasons. 1 God has been a long time patient ib. 2 Mercy is even going ib. 3 It is an acceptable time. ib. - Obs. 14 It is time for England to seek God 478 - Obs. 15 God will come to sow righteousness in time 480 - Obs. 16 Sometimes God does not presently rain righteousness upon his people that sow it 481 - Obs. 17 Those that seek aright will continue seeking till God comes ib. - Motives to continue seeking. 1. You are doing your duty. 482 2. You can not do better. ib. 3. While you are waiting God is working good ib. 4. While you are seeking you are not without some dews. 483 5. When he comes he will come more fully. ib. - Obs. 18 To those that are content to seek God till he comes, he will come with plentiful showers 484 - Obs. 19 The help of those that seek God is from Heaven 485 - Obs. 20 When God comes he makes his people fruitful ib. - Obs. 21 God comes in righteousness to them that seek him 486 - Obs. 22 Though the good we do be our own good yet God rewards us as though he got by it ib.

VERSE XIII. - Obs. 1 The fruits of false worship is the increase of sin 490 - Obs. 2 A man is ready to trust in his own way 492 - Use, What a shame is it saints should not trust in God's way 495 - Obs. 3 When great men go along with religion men think it must needs be right 497 - Obs. 4 Great armies are the confidence of carnal hearts 498 - Use, Examine what your confidence is 499

VERSE XIV. - Obs. 1 Tumults are a token of great wrath of God 500 - Obs. 2 Policy will not prevail if God be against us 507 - Obs. 3. Great is the rage of war if God let it out 508 - Obs. 4 The sins of parents many times comes upon little ones ib. - Obs. 5. The judgments of God when near us should awaken us. 509

VERS. XV. - Obs. 1 Miserable judgments many times arise from causes we little think of 510 - Obs. 2 From places of idolatry come the greatest evils to a kingdom ib. - Obs. 3. False worship is the great sin God is provoked against a nation for 511 - Obs. 4. God takes notice not only of men's sins, but their aggravations ib. - Obs. 5. According to the greatness of sin is the greatness of wrath 512 - Obs. 6 When people have some enlightening then God's displeasure breaks out upon them 514 - Use for England ib. - Obs. 7 God loves to draw forth great sinners to the light 516 - Obs. 8 God will make quick work with great sinners ib.