The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear, because of the Calves of Beth-Aven

The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear, because of the Calves of BETH-AVEN.

Why the inhabitants of Samariah? The Calves were not there. Samaria was their chief City; as London is to England, so Samaria was the chief City to the ten Tribes: And Samaria shall fear. Samaria was a very strong City: And when the Assyrians came and carried away the ten Tribes captive, they took all the Country round about before they took Samaria: it was with Samaria as with London in these sad times: when there has bin wars round about in England, London has bin safe for these three years together: And so when there was wars in al Israel, yet Samaria continued safe; yes, not only when some Towns, but when every Town was taken, Samaria was so strong as to be able to endure a siege for three years together: thus you shall find in 2 Kings 17:5, that the King of Assyria came and besieged Samaria three years. Yet this it was, and yet the text says, The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear, because of the Calves of Beth-aven. That is, though they were a strong City, yet when we heard that their gods were taken away, yes, when they did but hear that Bethel and Dan were in danger to have their gods taken away, Oh! they were sensible of this, though they were safe for their outward condition for the present, and had strength enough to resist the Enemies, yet they were afraid: that is, there was a solicitous fear in them about the Calves of Bethaven before they were taken, and when they were taken their hearts were daunted, and knew not what in the world to do. So you see the meaning of the words: from where the Note is this:

First, That in times of danger our hearts should be most solicitous about the worship of God. It was so in the time of their danger, their hearts were especially solicitous about Bethel, Oh! that was the place where they had the worship of their Gods. So, are Idolaters solicitous in time of danger, not so much because of their outward peace, (it is not said that they were afraid because the enemies would come and take their Corn, or their Estates) but Beth-aven, where the Calves were, they were afraid of that. When there is any danger that should go next to our hearts, the honor of God, his Church, his Ordinances: Thus it was with old Eli in (1 Samuel 4:13), the text says, That Eli sat upon a seat by the way side watching; for his heart trembled for the Ark of God. Why, he had his sons in the Army, his heart did not tremble for them, and that if the enemies should prevail he was like to lose his estate, and there would come woful misery upon the Land for the outward condition of it, No, but his heart trembled not for that, but for the Ark of God. I appeal to you what was that which your hearts trembled most for in the time of our greatest danger? Was it for the Ark of God? Was it because of his Ordinances? Oh! if they prevail they will trample the Ordinances of the Lord and the Saints of God under feet, the true worship of God, and the power of Godliness, did your hearts tremble because of this? Certainly if your hearts were right they would do so: What, shall Idolaters tremble because of their Calves, and shall not we have our hearts tremble because of our God? (1 Kings 8:44) If your People go out to battel against their enemies, whithersoever you shall send them, (what should they do?) and look towards the City which you have chosen, and towards the House that I have built for your Name; then hear you in Heaven. They when they are in prayer must look towards the City and the Temple; for the Temple was a type of Christ, so the City was a type of God's Ordinances where the people went up to worship. Oh! that should be in our eyes, the City where the Ordinances of God are, when we go to War let that be in our eyes, and let that make us fight valiantly, and when we are praying to God, let us not pray so much that we may be delivered from our Adversaries, as that the Temple and the City of our God may be preserved.

Again, further; In that it is said, the Inhabitants of Samaria should thus fear. From there the Note is.

That Cities that are strong and safe themselves, should be sensible of the miseries of others. Oh! God knows how far we have been wanting in this very thing; If a stranger should have come out of another Country into London, and walk about the streets, could he have imagined that there were such Civil Wars in this [illegible] and as there is, such wonderful desolations as has been made in other parts? Oh! how little did we lay the afflictions of others to heart, because they were at some distance from us? Oh! the mercy of our God that has not brought us into the same evils and miseries, this one sin had been enough to have provok'd God against us, because we were so little sensible of other Countries and Cities that were about us. This wicked Samaria, yet when they heard that Bethel and Dan, and their other Cities, when they heard what dangers they were in, Oh! they were mightily affected with it. Learn we from hence to be humbled for our want this way, and if ever the Lord should yet try us further, let us learn to be sensible of the miseries of others that are about us.

Lastly, They are afraid because of their Calves: When their Calves are gone, all their Confidence is gone, and then their hearts are over-whelmed with fear. There is no staidness of heart in resting upon any thing but upon the living God. They that stay themselves upon any thing else, if any afflictions or dangers falls out, their hearts are fill'd with fear presently. When men have nothing to rest upon but their own inventions, their own waies, no mervail though they fear in times of danger: They begin to bethink now that all is vanity to them that they rested upon; yes, the service of God that men in times of prosperity can rest upon and can satisfie their consciences withal, yet in time of danger it will not do, no inventions of men, nor no external duties of Religion, especially such as are mixt with superstition, they will not uphold the heart in times of danger, but the heart will be overwhelmed. It's only the confidence in the living God, the union of our souls with Jesus Christ, and enjoyment of communion with him in his own Ordinances that can comfort our souls in time of danger. But it's said of the Godly in (Psalm 112:7), He shall not be afraid of evil tydings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. His heart is established and he shall not be afraid. It's again repeated, let evil tydings, come what will, his heart is fixed, because he trusts in the Lord. It follows.