Jeremiah

(Isaiah 10:6), I will send the Assyrian against a hypocritical nation. So (Jeremiah 1:15-16), (Isaiah 13:1-3), (Isaiah 15:1-2, [illegible]), (Isaiah 17:1-3), (Isaiah 19:1-4). Now God could not be the Author of war and peace, as God and Sovereign all-Disposer, if it were in the i…

But the covenant of grace sets no limit for any weak soul, Christ racks not, nor does he (as it were) play the extortioner, and say, either the strongest faith, or none at all; he makes not Abraham's foot a measure to every poor sinner; many smoking flaxes, and broken reeds on e…

Thus Christ was called from the womb, and set apart to be a mediator (Isaiah 47:1; John 6:27). Jeremiah to be a prophet (Jeremiah 1:5). Christ is said to give Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, teachers (Ephesians 4:11).

This was a thing commanded to the prophets and apostles (Isaiah 58:1): Cry and spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet, show my people their transgression. (Jeremiah 1:17): Truss up your loins, arise and speak to them all that I command you: be not afraid of their faces, le…

In that he commands her to come down: it has greater weight in it than if he had directly threatened she should come down: for thus he speaks with authority, as if he were already set in a throne of judgment: for he spoke nothing but what he had warrant from God to deliver; and…

Moreover, the Prophet defines not of the beginning of time, as if God had then begun to call him from the womb, but it is as if he should have said, Before I came out of my mother's womb, God ordained me to this office, as Saint Paul says, That God had chosen him from his mother…

When God's servants are handled thus shamefully, they must needs quail under so many injuries, if they had not brows of brass and iron to repulse them. And in this sense it is said, that Jeremiah was set as a defended city, and iron pillar, and walls of brass against the kings o…

Unbelievers are men who cannot be persuaded; the Gospel leaves as little impression on the heart as a ship on the Sea, or an Eagle in the Air, where the light of faith leaves not a spiritual capacity for receiving the impressions of the Spirit of grace, and where unbelief reigns…

But (1 Peter 1:5) we are kept, and our faith by the power of God. As also (Jeremiah 1:9) the weight of Jeremiah's standing courageously in his ministry is not on Jeremiah, his stock and habit of grace, though the Lord had put much precious metal in him, and made him a brazen wal…

Why? For I am with you to deliver you" (Jeremiah 1:19). Immediatione suppositi.

For it is a grant of grace to speak with enlargement. 7. If fear and dismayment be on the heart (Jeremiah 1:17), and Ezekiel may not speak at all (Ezekiel 2:6), self must be denied, and shamefastness before Kings (Psalm 119:46; see Psalm 39:1, 2) laid aside. Q. What then shall b…

I shall not be confounded, for God is at my right hand. To Jeremiah, whom God set up as a brazen wall against all oppositions (Jeremiah 1:18), and to Ezekiel (chapter 3:8): Behold, I have made your face strong against their faces, and your forehead strong against their foreheads…

To this I answer; God will accept you, though you do it meanly. The Prophet made this apology for himself, in (Jeremiah 1:6): Ah! Lord God, I cannot speak. But God answered, Say not so.

The former of these belongs properly to them, as they are the ambassadors of God, sent to treat with men about the affairs of the kingdom, who, if men will not accept of the terms of the treaty, and comply with the articles offered them, are, after all means used to bring them t…

This was Moses case (Exodus 10:14): Oh Lord (says hee) I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since you have spoken to your servant, but of a slow speech, and a slow tongue; And the Lord said to him, who has made mans mouth, have not I the Lord? So also was it with the Proph…

So when he stirs up Ezekiel, he warns him beforehand that he sends him to a rebellious and stubborn people, to the end that he should not be afraid if he perceives himself to sing to deaf men (Ezekiel 2:3; 12:2). So he foretells to Jeremiah that his doctrine should become a fire…

Say to the king and to the queen, humble yourselves (Jeremiah 13:18). I have made you a defended city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the…

The function of a minister is to quicken such as are dead in sin: to raise up and restore such as are [reconstructed: fallen] back again; to comfort those that are troubled in conscience; to strengthen the weak; to encourage the fainthearted; to confound the obstinate; to stand…

Jeremiah, what do you see? I see the rod of an almond tree. You have well seen, says the Lord, for I will hasten my Word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:11-12). When men hasten the maturity of sin like the blossoms of an almond tree, (which come soonest out) then says the Lord will I…

(1) Because John the Baptist, was filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb (Luke 1:15). (2) Because the prophet Jeremiah, was sanctified, from his mother's womb (Jeremiah 1:5). (3) Because the promise is made to believing parents, and to their children conjunctly…

(2) Because, the outward Sacrament of water, cannot be denied to such, as have received the Spirit of Christ, and to whom the promises of the New Covenant, sealed up in Baptism do belong; (Acts 10:47; Acts 11:15-17). But to some infants of believers, as well as to others come to…

It is not a vain thing for you, because it is your life. Our memory should be like the chest in the ark where the law was kept: God's oracles are ornaments, and shall we forget them (Jeremiah 2:32)? Can a maid forget her ornaments?

2. There is but one omnipotent power. If there be two omnipotents, then we must always suppose a contest between these two; that which one would do, the other power being equal would oppose, and so all things would be brought into a confusion. If a ship should have two pilots of…

Will a bride forget her jewels? (Jeremiah 2:32): Can a maid forget her ornaments? Did we prize the Word more, we should not so soon forget it.

Some make no more of killing men than sheep. (Jeremiah 2:34) In your skirts is found the blood of the poor innocents. Junius reads it in Alis; and so in Hebrew, 'In your wings is found the blood of innocents.'

What vows and solemn protestations do some make in their sickness, if God recover them they will be new men, but afterwards are as bad as ever! Jeremiah 2:20: You said, I will not transgress. Here was a resolution, but for all this she ran after her idols.

This may make us patiently submit to God in affliction, and say, your will be done. We have no cause to complain of God, it is nothing but what our sins have merited (Jeremiah 2:17). Have you not procured this to yourself?

A peculiar people. Let others take heed how they meddle with them, lest they intrench on God's propriety (Jeremiah 2:3). (2) There is included in it that which is essentially required to their being his People, namely, the profession of all subjection or obedience to him, and al…

This was God's vineyard (Isaiah 5:7, 8). Hereunto he sent all his ministers and last of all his Son (Matthew 21:35; Jeremiah 2:21). And to them he calls, O earth, earth, earth hear the word of the Lord (Jeremiah 22:29).

In Revelation 3:18. we read of the shame of a person's nakedness: when persons are stripped naked, they are ashamed: and so it is much more, when persons are made to see their own spiritual nakedness, or nothingness, they will then be ashamed. Jeremiah 2:26. A thief is ashamed w…

I answer. 1. They that will not hear his voice, that slight his calls; he invites them and prays them that they will look into their hearts, consider their eternal condition, but they quench the Spirit, smother light, resist all these motions; these will not hear Christ's voice;…

When they were in a low condition, how humble, spiritual, and heavenly were they; but when advanced, what an apparent alteration has been upon their spirits. It was so with Israel when they were in a low condition in the wilderness; then Israel was 'holiness to the Lord' (Jeremi…

And yet do you cast yourselves down because the broken cistern is removed? The best creatures are no better than this — Jeremiah 2:13: Cisterns have nothing but what they receive, and broken ones cannot hold what is put into them. Why then do you mourn as if your life were bound…

Yes, on divers pretences it will promise them eternal rest at the close of all; at least that they shall not fail of it by any thing they do in its service: and by such means it keeps them in security. But the whole real design of it, that which in all its power it operates towa…

And so much of the first Argument drawn from plain Texts of Scripture. A second Argument may be taken from the titles that are given to the Church; as first, that the Church is said to be married or espoused to Christ (Jeremiah 2:2 & 3:14; 2 Corinthians 11:2). From where the Arg…

And in Job 39:5, Who has sent out the wild Ass free? or who has loosed the bands of the wild Ass? And in Jeremiah 2:24, to name no more: A wild Ass used to the wilderness that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her wil…

A fool, one that understands little, yet if the way be his own, he will not hearken to counsel, he thinks he is sure, he needs not counsel with any, he is so strong in it because it is his own way. It's a hard thing to get men out of that way that they have contrived to themselv…

Oh! is it not a great deal better that God should remember the kindness of your youth, than the sins of your youth? Jeremiah 2:2. Oh you that are young, begin to be godly betimes, that God may remember the kindness of your youth.

When they are come to times of affliction they shall be ashamed of their own Counsels. Times of affliction makes men ashamed of what they would not be ashamed of before (Jeremiah 2:26; Zephaniah 3:11). I remember a notable expression that Sir Walter Raleigh has in his Story: Whe…

And so I find that Luther has it, for he doubles these. And then they think that it has reference to the two calves of Dan and Bethel: Or the two sins, of bodily and spiritual adultery: Or otherwise it has the same sense with that in (Jeremiah 2:13), My people have committed two…

Yes but still, If we be idolaters (would the ten Tribes say) they are so too. Here was one particular aggravation upon Israel that was not among other people, and that was this, There was no other people would forsake their gods as Israel had forsaken theirs (Jeremiah 2:10). The…

The first Thing is the drying the Streams of the Wealth of the new Babylon, the temporal supplies, revenues and vast incomes of the Romish Church, and riches of the Popish Dominions. Waters in Scripture language very often signify provision and supplies, both temporal and spirit…

II. First, according to the truth of the matter, they are called gods that are not gods: 2 Chronicles 13:9, "Whoever comes to consecrate himself shall be a priest to no-gods" — that is, to false gods, who are anything but God. And likewise: Jeremiah 2:11, "Has a nation exchanged…

VIII. For the sinner who turns these anxieties over in his breast, amid the inmost reasonings of the heart, a keen suspicion arises whether he has God as an enemy or not. He begins at last to understand "that it is an evil and bitter thing that he has sinned against God" (Jeremi…

From hence cometh it, that we fear not in greatest dangers (2 Kings 6:16; Psalm 3:7; Psalm 27:3); that in the time of affliction, we are patient (Proverbs 20:22; Hebrews 10:33); without all murmuring to hold our peace (Psalm 39:10); receiving them as from a father (Job 1:21; Psa…

Third, consider how often you do willingly choose some other thing than Christ, to spend your time and set your affections upon, laying obstructions and bars in the way of God's grace, setting up idols in the heart, and filling Christ's room beforehand with such things as are in…

Who call him a Deceiver: and if we come nearer, even to the Christian church, and to such as profess their faith of his being the Eternal Son of God, equal with the Father, that he is Judge of quick and dead, and that they look for salvation through him, yet if it be put to a tr…

(3.) The natural understanding is the most whorish thing in the world: there is a variety of fancied gods there. According to the number of your cities, were your gods, O Judah (Jeremiah 2:29). They have made them molten images of their silver, and idols according to their own u…

Verse 27: "But these my enemies that would not that I should reign over them, bring here and slay them before me" [illegible]. These to me seem to be allusions to Israel's wearying of the Lord of old (Isaiah 43:23): "I have not wearied you with incense" (Jeremiah 2:5); "What ini…

1. In means. God appears to Moses, acquainted with mountains and woods, in a bush which burned with fire; to the Wisemen, skilled in the motions of the heaven, in a new star; to Peter a fisher, in a draught of fishes. 2. He sets a time, and takes the sinner in his month (Jeremia…

Why do they drink rotten waters, and cisterns of hell? Oh, here is the cause (Jeremiah 2:13): Be astonished, O heavens, why? For my people have committed two evils: (Ah, these two are hundreds, and millions) they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters.

God would not send his Church among them for nothing, but he looks for some fruits among them, but since either none were gathered, or so few, as that they were not a considerable number, therefore God will send his people home again, when they say, Let us break their bonds asun…

And the residue thereof he makes a god, even his graven image, and he falls down to it, and worships it, and prays to it, and says, deliver me, for you are my God. This is one of the external acts, whereby the idolater shows the esteem of his heart, so (Jeremiah 2:27), saying to…

Custom, vain glory, and carnal interest may put them on joining in public prayer, or family-duty; but they are strangers to this spiritual self-denying duty of Closet-Prayer: The carnal hypocrite exposes all to open view; he is like a house with a beautiful frontispiece, but eve…

Thirdly, that when we see the gifts or graces of God in ourselves or others, we return all the praise and glory to God, from where they proceed, ascribing nothing to ourselves. Fourthly, this shows to whom we must have recourse in our need, namely, not to the virgin Mary, nor an…

Hearken what Jeremiah says; Has any nation changed their gods? But my people has forsaken me the fountain of living waters, to dig to themselves broken pits that can hold no water (Jeremiah 2:11). This comparison therefore ought to be well observed, lest we be found less constan…

This stops your breath; so that even all strugglings for life, and the very gaspings of your fainting heart must immediately cease, and end in perfect death. The danger of your case, as bad as it is, calls not for this; nor will the exigency of it comport with it, when once the…

Second, be directed to forget the things that are behind; that is, not to keep thinking and making much of what you have done, but let your mind be wholly intent on what you have to do. In some sense you ought to look back; you should look back on your sins (Jeremiah 2:23: 'See…

(2.) By these rebukes of sin, the evil of sin is discovered more sensibly to us, and we are made to see more clearly the evil of it in these glasses of affliction which Providence at such times sets before us, than formerly we ever saw. Jeremiah 2:19 Thine own wickedness shall c…

Psalm 130:3 But this I say, that it's Gods usual way, to visit the sins of his people with rods of affliction, and this in mercy to their souls. Upon this account it was, that the rod of God was upon David in a long succession of troubles upon his kingdom and family, after that…

The King spake and said, Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honor of my Majesty? That success is not sanctified to men, which takes them off from their duty, and makes them wholly negligent, or very muc…

Beloved, the more evil you run out into in your youthful days, the greater and deeper foundation of disquietness and sorrow you lay in your souls in your latter days, though you should be called by Jesus Christ. 4. If the Devil suggest that you are too young to embrace the invit…

Now this is no change of the heart, but only a change of the sin; you have not the same sins you had, but you have other sins in place of them; and men may thus have a change in their life flowing from a change in their sin, yet it is no argument of effectual calling. Jeremiah 2…

3. Because he knows the world is most bewitching, and the affections of his bride are not soon weaned from it (though this be most necessary) therefore three ways he presses her to deny herself in these, and follow him (which is the sum of the call.) 1. Says he, you are my spous…

It is a Meiosis, and we are to understand, that the Lord is highly displeased with such persons. See how God pleads with apostatizing Israel (Jeremiah 2:9-10, etc.). Therefore I will yet plead with you, says the Lord.

The fire of God's wrath which shall devour the wicked and burn them everlastingly, will be so furious and dreadful that the hearts of the damned will sink under it without the least hopes of ever extinguishing this flame, or flying from it when it has once got hold of them: And…

When the pulse can scarce be felt, it beats so low; men are near dying: so when those who were once violent for heaven, but now we can scarce perceive any good in them, the pulse beats low, grace is ready to die (Revelation 3:2). To you who have abated in your holy violence, and…

The prodigal never drew near to his father, till he began to be in want (Luke 15). A proud sinner who was never convinced of his want, minds not to come near God; he has a stock of his own to live upon (Jeremiah 2:31): We are lords, we will come no more to you. A full stomach de…

This was the generation with whom the covenant was renewed, as we have an account in Deuteronomy, and that entered into the land of Canaan. This generation God was pleased to make a generation to his praise, and they were eminent for piety; as appears by many things said in scri…

They had been accustomed to worship the gods so long, that they knew not any beginning of it. It was formerly spoken of as a thing unknown for a nation to change their gods, Jeremiah 2:10-11; but now the greater part of the nations of the known world were brought to cast off the…

They who indeed trust in the all-sufficiency of God, he will surely be their all-sufficient portion; and they who trust in God's immutability and faithfulness, he surely will never leave nor forsake them. There were two ways of swearing, Jehovah liveth, that we read of in Script…

The plow goes before the seed be sown; the heart must be plowed up by humiliation and repentance, before God sows the seed of assurance. 2. He who has a real assurance, will take heed of that which will weaken and darken his assurance; he is fearful of the forbidden fruit; he kn…

In this covenant of grace we may see the cream of God's love, and the working of his bowels to sinners. This is a marriage-covenant (Jeremiah 3:14): I am married to you, says the Lord. In the new covenant God makes himself over to us, and what can he give more?

Response: God will not go from his promise. Jeremiah 3:12: Return, you backsliding Israel, says the Lord, and I will not cause my anger to fall upon you, for I am merciful. If your sins are as rocks, yet upon your repentance the sea of God's mercy can drown these rocks.

A pirate or rebel that knows there is a proclamation out against him, will never come in, but if he hears that the prince is full of clemency, and there is a proclamation of pardon to him if he submit, this will be a great incentive to him to lay down his arms, and become loyal…

Now when God offers to us his presence, his gracious blessing, sanctifying, and saving presence, and that in and by promises which shall never fail, what unspeakable guilt must we needs contract upon our own souls, if we neglect or despise the tenders of such grace? But because…

Q. Do you mean then that a true believer can never totally nor finally fall away, but shall persevere in grace to the end? A. Yes, I mean so indeed; this perseverance of believers in the state of grace being plainly and plenteously taught in the holy Scriptures (1 Peter 1:5; Luk…

Yes, and for such does God give gifts — 'the tongue of the learned.' God often gives a pastor after his own heart for a few: 'Take one of a city and two of a family, and I will give them pastors after my own heart' (Jeremiah 3:15). So even by Christ himself, as he says in Luke 4…

This is that change which alone does or can evidence the other internal changes of the mind, will and affections to be real and sincere (Proverbs 28:13). Whatever without this is pretended, is false and hypocritical; like the repentance of Judah, not with the whole heart but fei…

And Paul, I give thanks to my God, etc. And God's promise is, Jeremiah 3:19. You shall call me my father. The meaning of Christ is not to bind us to these words, but to teach us that in our prayers we must not have regard to ourselves only, but also to our brethren, and therefor…

Thus we see what the Father is. Now to believe in the Father, is to be persuaded, that the first person in Trinity, is the Father of Christ, and in him my Father particularly (Jeremiah 3:4, 19; Matthew 6:4), and that for this cause I intend and desire forever to put my trust in…

The Scriptures do everywhere imply and signify this answerable act of the creature to the call of God: God says, Seek you my face and the soul like a quick echo, Your face Lord will I seek (Psalm 27:8). So (Jeremiah 3:22), Return you backsliding children, and I will heal you; an…

First of all, by this purgatory we understand the afflictions of God's children here on earth. Jeremiah 3: The people afflicted say, you have sent a fire into our bones. Psalm 66:12: We have gone through water and fire.

Query 1. If this be so, how is it that Christ put such a favorable construction upon the disciples' sleeping a third time when he had as often reproved them for it — Matthew 26:40-41? And how is it that we find in Scripture so many promises made not only to first sins but also t…

Have you been made to see your perishing condition, by reason of sin and wrath lying upon you? Can you remember how the Lord has made you bemoan yourself to him with Ephraim (Jeremiah 3:18-19)? To renounce all false props and confidences with Paul (Philippians 3)?

The two idolatrous cities, Samaria and Jerusalem are compared to two adulterous women, Aholah, and Aholibah. They have committed adultery with stocks and stones (Jeremiah 3:9), that is, because they made them media Cultus. Hence Rome is called the Mother of Harlots (Revelation 1…

And therefore assemblies united by covenant to observe this doctrine may be true churches, when the assemblies of Papists and others may be false, although they also were combined by covenant: the reason of the difference rising from the difference that is in the doctrine and re…

Certainly this notes that God aimed at more by the land of Canaan than merely to possess them of so much ground. Further, yet there are divers titles that are given to this land; it is called a holy land in (Zechariah 2:12), and it is called a good land in (Numbers 14:7), that w…

If we well consider the prayers that we find recorded in the Book of Psalms, I believe we shall see reason to think, that a very great, if not the greater part of them, are prayers uttered, either in the name of Christ, or in the name of the Church, for such a mercy: and undoubt…

And though, if the words are thus understood, we must suppose an ellipsis in the text, something understood that is not expressed, as if it had been said, Those of other cities shall say, I will go also — yet this is not difficult to be supposed; such ellipses are very common in…

Jeremiah 23, having threatened them that they feed not the people, he says after, [I will gather the rest of my sheep out of all the land whither I had driven them, and I will bring them back to their sheepcots, where they shall multiply and increase, and I will set over them Pa…

2. It serves to refute something in people's practice, and that is, their little sense of the need of grace; most part come and hear preaching as if they had the habit of faith, and as if it were natural to them, and pretend to the exercise of faith, never once suspecting their…

It is true, pride, covetousness, or some particular sins may come to the throne by turns, as either complexion, strength of corrupt nature, or times bear sway; for as Satan is not divided against Satan, so not any natural man will be a martyr for a false god, or a predominant lu…

And the grace of our Lord (says he) was more, or over-abundant in me through faith and love. (Jeremiah 3:1) And you have played the harlot with many companions, or lovers, yet return to me, says the Lord. It is here, as if Christ's rich grace and our extreme wickedness should st…

And this is a wanton eye, for a man may behold it with a wanton eye, either when he prides himself in it, or is induced thereby to licentiousness, and is glad of the occasion, and will say, if such and such men take such liberty, then they hope they may take the same liberty as…

Now there is a certain covenant between God and his people in all these; that look what a king requires of his people, or the people of a king, the very same does God require of his people, and the people of God, that offers himself to be a God to his people; that is, a governor…

Barbarous, as the eastern part of Arabia, toward Babylon. For the inhabitants dwelt in tents, and lived like wild and savage men, by robbing, and stealing, and consequently by killing (Isaiah 13:20; Jeremiah 3:2). Here we see Pauls estate and condition, when he first begins the…

Third, this repentance that has been described, is indeed the special condition of remission of sin. This seems very evident by the Scripture, as particularly, Mark 1:4: John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance, for the remission of sins. So, Luke…

Here is enough, not only to moves, but overwhelm my heart. May I not from this time cry unto you, my Father, you art the guide of my youth, Jeremiah 3:4 What a critical time is the time of youth? it's the moulding age; and (ordinarily) according to the course of those leading Pr…

Well then, if Providence has so disposed of you all, that you can eat your own bread, and so advantagiously directed some of you to imployments, that afford not only necessaries for your selves and families, but an overplus for works of mercy to others, and all this brought abou…

But now, a man that has presumptuous persuasions of his own goodness — his persuasions will make him more bold, and more adventurous to run into sin; he will make no bones of sin, and he cares not for falling into one sin today, and another sin tomorrow, and committing wickednes…

[in non-Latin alphabet] from [in non-Latin alphabet], is properly desiderium, desire; but is no where used in the Scripture, but for a thing, or person desired, or desirable, loved, valued, or valuable: as is [in non-Latin alphabet] also. Daniel 9:23, chapter 10:11, chapter 11:8…

The Renuntiation of any hopes in expectation of deliverance either from sin or trouble, any other way; hope in Jehovah; this is frequently expressed, where the performance of this duty is mentioned; see Hosea 14:3. Jeremiah 3:22, 23. And we have declared the nature of it in the…

Or, 2. this word may be derived from Salem, which properly taken, is Jerusalem (Psalm 76:1) and (Hebrews 7:1) Melchisedec was king of Salem, which signifies peace, and so, as Shunamitish comes from Shunem, so Shulamite from Salem, and so taking the derivation thus, it comes to t…

3. What is the scope of these allegories, in other Scriptures, as that of Psalm 45, that of planting a vineyard (Matthew 21), that of marriage (Matthew 22), (which none can deny) is meant of espousing spiritually. (See this same allegory of marriage, Jeremiah 3, Hosea 2-3, Ezeki…

2. If the same allegories in other places of Scripture, will bear solid doctrines concerning Christ, his covenant, faith, etc. even such as are in plain Scriptures; then must this Song do the like, seeing it is the word of God, tending to the same scope with these. But it is cle…

7. God does expect, that London should mourn for her sins. We read (Jeremiah 3:21), A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the house of Israel. When the terrible voice of God's judgements has been heard in London, God does hearken for the voice of w…

This is the usefulness of the word of God (2 Timothy 3:15), the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise to salvation. They that have them not must needs die without knowledge, it is the main design of the means to point us to this; God gives pastors to feed men with kno…

I brought you out of Egypt, and yet he will not tell the millions of the Heathen Christ died for them, and saved them from the guilt of sin and everlasting wrath, as touching their everlasting destruction? which love yet he expressed not to them. Though it ill becomes us to cens…

Whereas, to sinful sovereigns, power is a law many take by violence, fields and houses, because its in the power of their hands to do it (Micah 2); the law of the Lion and the great Fish, to devour the Lamb and swallow the lesser Fish, is only power and strength. Satan and his n…

The Lord hates putting away (Malachi 2:16). Though therefore the Church, through her weakness, does depart from him, and play the harlot, yet return again to me, says the Lord (Jeremiah 3:1). Learn we by this pattern to cleave close to the Lord, which is a duty most due to Chris…

6. The continuance of Christ's love was without date: Having loved his own, he loved them to the end. His love was constant (not by fits, now loving, then hating) and everlasting (never repenting thereof, never changing or altering his mind) — no provocations, no transgressions…

The [illegible] that accompanies the voice of God. Jeremiah 3:26, 27, 28, 29. The rejection of a plea of [illegible], wherein it consists.

Though profane men make no reckoning of it, yet were it in the hardest times, they that know the Lord will account of it as he does, a sweet alloy of all sufferings and hardship; though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not your tea…

See how God casts up his accounts. It is mercy (Jeremiah 3:12): I am merciful, says the Lord, and I will not keep anger forever. So his truth (Psalm 106:45): He remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.

A man is not to turn the back upon him, but call him Father, as well as he can. (Jeremiah 3:19) But I said, How shall I put you among the children, and give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? And I said, You shall call me my Father, and shall not tur…

So the Lord treats his people. (Jeremiah 3:5-6) You have said, you are my Father: Behold, you have spoken and done evil things as you could. God takes it to be a contempt and reproach to himself, when we do evil, yet come and call him Father.

The soul cannot keep away from God, and that is an implicit owning him as a Father. (Jeremiah 3:19), You will call me, My Father, and will not turn away from me. It is a child-like act to look to him for all our supplies, and to recommend our suit: as when a child wants anything…

What King will be in league with him that holds correspondence with his Enemy? 2. Labor for Faith; 1. Faith in the Mercy of God, Jeremiah 3:12. I am merciful, says the Lord, and will not keep anger for ever.

God's justice is satisfied by Christ, but it must be glorified and owned by us. So (Jeremiah 3:13) I am merciful, says the Lord: only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the Lord your God. God has mercy enough to pardon all; only he will have it sued ou…

1. What does this imply? It implies sincerity and integrity; for it is not to be taken in the legal sense with respect to absolute perfection, but in opposition to deceit (Jeremiah 3:10). Judah has not turned to me with her whole heart, but feignedly, says the Lord.

Before this effectual call, a humbling work passes upon the soul. A man is convinced of sin, he sees he is a sinner, and nothing but a sinner; the fallow-ground of his heart is broken up (Jeremiah 4:3). As the farmer breaks the clods, then casts in the seed; so God by the convin…

Perjury is a calling God to witness to a lie. It is said of Philip of Macedon, he would swear and unswear, as might stand best with his interest (Jeremiah 4:2). You shall swear the Lord lives in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness.

It reproves them who have too much of the serpent, but nothing of the dove. Jeremiah 4:22: "Wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge." These are like the devil, who retains his subtlety, but not his innocency.

Besides ignorance in the mind, there is error and mistake, we do not judge rightly of things, we put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter (Isaiah 5:20). Besides this, there is much pride, superciliousness, and prejudice, many fleshly reasonings against the truth, and swarms of…

Though repentance begins at the heart, it does not rest there, but goes into the life. I say it begins at the heart (Jeremiah 4:14): "O Jerusalem, wash your heart." If the spring be corrupt, there can no pure stream run from it.

If children will eat green fruit, they may thank themselves if they are sick; if we eat the forbidden fruit, no wonder to feel it gripe. Sin is the Trojan Horse that lands an army of afflictions upon us (Jeremiah 4:15). A voice publishes affliction: verse 18. Your way and your d…

Though the heart be not new-made, it is new-molded. (Jeremiah 4:14) Wash your heart, O Jerusalem. Ahab's clothes were rent, but not his heart.

And this as it is sufficiently manifested in the Scriptures quoted in answer to this question, so it is at large declared in the writings of those holy and good men, who have explained the nature of gospel ordinances, and therefore in particular we need not here insist much in t…

But in that sense, though it seem very inconvenient, it may be used until somewhat more proper and suited to the nature of the duty may be agreed upon, which the Scripture would easily suggest to any who had a mind to learn. The necessary qualifications of a lawful and a solemn…

You think God warrants you in all this, and that's a high wrong to him, which he will avenge in due time; see (Psalm 50:21, 22). I remember the Prophet says (Jeremiah 4:10), Oh Lord you have greatly deceived this people, because the false prophets had done it in his name; false…

We find not their murders, adulteries, blasphemies (though they were defiled with these) particularly alleged against them; but the evils of their hearts. Indeed, that which God was so provoked by as to give up his peculiar inheritance into the enemy's hand was the evil of their…

The imaginations intended are the fixing of the mind on the objects of sin, or sinful objects by continual thoughts, with delight and complacency. They are the mind's purveying for the satisfaction of the flesh in the lusts thereof (Romans 13:14), whereby evil thoughts come to l…

God fastening his Word upon your hearts it changes you; without him we preach in vain. The sixt meanes to heare profitably, is to come with vacuity of minde, free from all things that hinder; else we sow but among thornes (Jeremiah 4:4). We speak to men prepossessed: the seed fa…

We reform them as things inconvenient, but not being humbled for them as sin, the very roots of these things are in the hearts of many, so as if times should change, a distinction would serve their turn to come and submit to them again, so that we sow before we plow. I find in (…

Know that our continuance in sin, is as great a burden to God's Spirit, he cries out when will they be made clean, when shall it once be? And in (Jeremiah 4:14) Oh Jerusalem wash your heart from wickedness that you may be saved; how long shall your vain thoughts lodg within you.

LXX. everywhere renders it as idol. See Ezekiel 20; Zechariah 9:7; Jeremiah 4:1, 32:34; Isaiah 66:3. XXIII. Finally, by way of supreme contempt they are called by the Hebrew term signifying "filth, dung, wallowing-places:": Ezekiel 23:3, "He committed fornication with them to de…

To which, if the names of Idols be added, as it takes away this use, so it is abominable (Haggai 8:14; Zephaniah 1:5). Here is forbidden all carelessness rushing to oaths, without due consideration, yes, though the causes be just (Ecclesiastes 9:4; Jeremiah 4:2). The second thin…

Use 2. What is light, and knowledge, though you had as much as the devils have, who are torches and lamps of hell for knowledge, if all your wisdom be against Christ? It is a black commendation (Jeremiah 4:22): My people are foolish, they have not known me, they are sottish chil…

But yet so that we are under the obligation of divine precepts to do our part (Ezekiel 18:31): make you a new heart and a new Spirit for why will you die, O house of Israel? (Jeremiah 4:4): Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskin of your heart. (Ephesians 4…

They proceeded from evil to worse, and this is the estate of us all without Christ, we grow from prodigality to covetousness; and from wantonness, to voluptuousness, and so go on till we come to take pleasure in all sin, though it be but for a season: this is all the growth and…

Who can say, that every thought in him is subdued to the obedience of Christ? Answ. It is true that you object, for (Jeremiah 4:14) it is a complaint, and an earnest speech; O Jerusalem, wash your heart from your wickedness that you may be saved, how long shall your vain thought…

Now then, the form of an oath is a certain form of words, in which not all, but some of the principal parts of an oath are expressed, and the rest concealed, and yet to be understood. In (Jeremiah 4:2) there is the form of an oath, The Lord lives, and here only confession is exp…

Circumcision had. And this appears; because the prophets put the Jews in mind of their circumcision when they fell away from God, bidding them to circumcise the foreskin of their hearts (Jeremiah 4:4). Argument 2.

Now the Prophet's public tears served (as we have said) to break the hearts of the people: for he had to do with men of such obstinacy, as could not easily be brought to lament. There is a place almost like to this in Jeremiah, where he bewails the destruction and scattering of…

They ought to profess that all their hearts and souls are in these engagements to be the Lord's, and forever to serve him; 2 Chronicles 15:12-14. God's people's swearing to God, and swearing by his name, or to his name, as it might be rendered, (by which seems to be signified th…

So are all Men towards what they do not like but have an aversation from. This God complains of in the People of old; My People are foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish Children, and have none understanding; they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no know…

Wash you, make you clean, Isa. 1. 16. O Jerusalem wash your Heart from wickedness that you mayest be saved, Jer. 4. 14. Having therefore these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God, 2 Cor. 7. 1.

Psalm 130:3 But this I say, that it's Gods usual way, to visit the sins of his people with rods of affliction, and this in mercy to their souls. Upon this account it was, that the rod of God was upon David in a long succession of troubles upon his kingdom and family, after that…

Numb. 14:11 Our corrupt hearts have made him cry, How long shall vain thoughts lodge within you? Jeremiah 4:14 Our impure natures and ways have made him cry, How long will it be ere they attain to innocency? Hosea 8:5 If God wait upon you with so much patience for your duties, w…

Secondly, provided that your ignorance be not a sottish and brutish ignorance — that is, that you do not so lie clouded in a state of darkness, that you are incapable to discern the goodness of the Word, and incapable to apprehend anything that is taught you. That you are not li…

You know when the ground is plowed, the clods are broken, and the breaking of the clods makes way for the deeper rooting of the corn, and that it may spring up with greater increase. It is so when you plow up, in the Prophet's language (Jeremiah 4), the fallow ground of your hea…

2. A duty laid on her, to quit this distance and to return; this the very expression bears. 3. A kind offer of welcome, which is implied in his offers and exhortations, whenever he calls: so (Jeremiah 3:14), (Jeremiah 4:1) and thus the sense is, as if he had said, There has been…

It ought therefore most deservedly to be the great and chief care of every Christian to lay the axe to this root, to purge and heal this fountain, that sends forth such corrupt, and poisonous streams, to keep his heart clean from sinful thoughts and affections; and then this lif…

So that the meaning of, Swear not at all, is, Swear not unnecessarily and voluntarily. Now to make an oath lawful, it must have these three qualifications mentioned by the prophet (Jeremiah 4:2): You shall swear, the Lord lives, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness. First…

2. God might have punished London more severely in other kinds of judgments. 1. He might have brought upon them, and upon the whole land, the sword of a foreign enemy, as he did upon Jerusalem, and the land of Judea, for their sins, which being so pathetically set forth by the p…

Oh be willing to make this blessed exchange, to part with your base lusts for a precious Christ, to forgo soul-damning corruptions for soul-perfuming dispositions: if you cannot put off the whole body of sin, yet you are to cut off the members thereof, you ought indeed to stub u…

How far are they distant from God, who have been traveling forty or fifty years from their Father's house! And which is worse, sinners are not only far from God, but they do not desire to be near him (Jeremiah 4:10). They have loved to wander; sin does not care to be near holine…

But these texts speak of a gracious sincerity. Those spoken of Jeremiah 4:2, that swore, The Lord liveth, in Truth, in Judgment, and Righteousness, were gracious persons, who had a thorough conversion to God, as appears by the preceding verse, If thou wilt return, O Israel, Sait…

That the work of the Spirit in convincing and humbling the heart of a sinner, is a work wherein much of the wisdom, as well as power of God is discovered. The work of repentance and saving contrition, is set forth in Scripture by this metaphor of plowing (Jeremiah 4:3; Hosea 10:…

There are a sort of persons in the world, whom God in his word, is pleased to put the character of fools and mad men upon, who are neither naturals, or void of the use of reason, considered as men; nor yet bereft of their understandings, through occasional dotage or frenzy in th…

While the world is so full of the sparks of provocation, and there is so much tinder in the hearts of the best, no marvel if anger come sometimes into the bosom of a wise man, but it rests only in the bosom of fools (Ecclesiastes 7:9). Angry thoughts, as other vain thoughts, may…

10. The Throne of glory, Jer. 4:21 11.

And therefore it is the same prophet's advice from the Lord. Wash your heart O Jerusalem how long shall your vain thoughts lodge within you (Jeremiah 4:14). This is the true method, according to our Savior's doctrine: Make the tree good, and then the fruits will be good, not til…

It reproves such as instead of thinking on God, their minds are wholly taken up with Vain Thoughts. Vain Thoughts are the froth of the Brain, Jeremiah 4:14. How long shall Vain Thoughts lodge with you?

Not to God, when we come in his name without his message. Ah Lord! you have greatly deceived this people, says the Prophet Jeremiah to God (Jeremiah 4:10): You, you have done it, because the false prophets had done it in his name. The dishonor reflects upon him when his ordinanc…

Search the Scriptures, and you shall find that the godly are more troubled at God's judgments, than the wicked themselves who are to feel them; (Daniel 4:19) Daniel was astonished for an hour, and his thoughts troubled him, when he was to reveal God's judgments against Nebuchadn…

To medicine that purges away the sick matter (Isaiah 27:9): By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit to take away his sin. To plowing and harrowing of the ground, that destroys the ill weeds, and fits it to receive the good seed (Jeremia…

Sin is wrought out more and more by the blood of Christ applied to the conscience. And sometimes this is expressed in Scripture, by plowing up the fallow ground (Jeremiah 4:4). There are perverse inclinations, like briars and thorns, that grow in us; and the strength of vile aff…

How long do we make God stay and wait till our leisure comes! (Jeremiah 4:14) O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved: how long shall your vain thoughts lodge within you? And (Jeremiah 13:27) O Jerusalem, will you not be made clean?

Sin has: 1. Blinded man's understanding, and made him ignorant. 2. Depraved his understanding, and made him a fool. 1 Sin has darkened man's understanding: poor man is wise to do evil, but to do good has no knowledge (Jeremiah 4:22); indeed there is none that understands (namely…

Use 1. If God is so infinite in power, fear this great God. We are apt to fear such as are in power; (Jeremiah 5:22) Fear you not me, says the Lord? will you not tremble at my presence? He has power to cast our souls and bodies into Hell; (Psalm 90:11) Who knows the power of his…

Quest. But what is it to have other gods besides the true God? I fear upon search we have more idolaters among us than we are aware of. Resp. To trust in any thing more than God, is to make it a God. 1. If we trust in our riches, then we make riches our God: we may take comfort,…

Thus God has visited us with the sun-beams of his favour: He has made us swim in a sea of mercy: This is a happy visitation. 2. There is God's visiting in anger (Jeremiah 5:9). Shall I not visit for these things? That is, God's visiting with the rod; and (Isaiah 10:3). What will…

Either God can remove mountains, or can leap over them (Song of Solomon 2:8). Branch 2. If God be so great a king, let us fear him (Jeremiah 5:22), Fear you not me says the Lord? Will you not tremble at my presence? We have enough fear of men.

Therefore the adulterer is described like a horse neighing. (Jeremiah 5:8) Every one neighed after his neighbor's wife. Nay, this is worse than brutish; for some creatures that are void of reason, yet by the instinct of nature observe a kind of decorum, or chastity.

How unworthy is this — would we not cry shame of him who had a friend always feeding him with money, and he should betray and injure that friend. Thus ungratefully do sinners deal with God, they do not only forget his mercies but abuse them (Jeremiah 5:7): "When I had fed them t…

And whatever thoughts we have of the commonness of it, and whatever acquaintance men suppose they have with its causes, yet God distinguishes himself as to his almighty power, from all the idols of the world that none of them can give Rain. He calls his people to say in their he…

'Tis soul ingratitude to turn our mercies into a provocation, to make a calf of our earings, and to serve our lusts of God's providence, as he said of Adam, that what he received [in non-Latin alphabet] a rib he returned [in non-Latin alphabet] a dart, alluding to his fall by Ev…

Surely God will be ashamed of those, that are not ashamed when he rebukes them. It is not magnanimity, but stupidity to make light of God's corrections, and for this the afflicted are smartly taxed (Jeremiah 5:3), I have smitten them but they have not grieved. When God struck Jo…

And by how much God's judgments have been more visible to us, and upon some well known by us, or related to us, so much the greater is the contempt of his providential government, as verse 22: and you his son Belshazzar have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, etc.…

When at any time you find your children, or servants, or others to be stubborn and stout against whatever is said to them, and even rage in their madness for the satisfying of their wicked wills, you may remember this text and creature: they are as wild Asses that are alone by t…

Who say they shall have peace, and please themselves with this their good hope, say the Word what it will. O! be persuaded, that this is nothing else but woeful unbelief and presumption; and we preach to you terror and the curse of God, though you cry peace to yourselves; the Lo…

The Lord calls this a deceiving of Him, for He says in His Word, that there is no peace to the wicked, and the foolish presumer says, I shall have peace; shall His Word or theirs stand? They say (Jeremiah 5:12; Jeremiah 7:9), "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are t…

(Isaiah 10:3) When God asks of them, What will you do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation that shall come upon you from far? to whom will you flee for help? where will you leave your glory? (Jeremiah 5:31) What will you do in the end? Guiltiness is a shiftless and a…

In that mighty collection of waters in the sea, we cannot look upon that vast expansion of the firmament, that huge body of waters in the sea without some religious horror — what is the God that made all this? (Jeremiah 5:22) Do you not fear me, says the Lord? Will you not tremb…

No, God forbid. But we ourselves by our disloyalty, have been rejected: indeed, we have thereby repelled and put back his benefits from us (Jeremiah 5:25). And yet the Prophet condemns not only the men of his age, but those also of the ages before.

Chap. 16. 3. So also Jer. 5. 13. And the Prophets shall become [[original in non-Latin script]]Wind; or, be vain, foolish, uncertain, and false in their Predictions.

Section 15. There are two reasons why rewards and punishments annexed to commands generally do little influence the minds of men inclined to transgress them: first, that men judge they may justly prefer their own satisfaction in transgression before the rewards and punishments d…

But not to take notice of it, is a vile and bruitish contempt of God, Ia. 1:3 Zeph. 3:2 You would not do so by a man for whom you have any respect. It's the character of the wicked, not to regard Gods favors, Isaiah 26:10 or frowns, Jeremiah 5:3 In a word. men can never order th…

It signifies a magistrate, and so in various places of Scripture, man is put for a magistrate, especially when it is expressed as here, by Ish (Genesis 43:11). Carry a present to the man, namely to the governor of the country (Jeremiah 5:1). Go through Jerusalem and search, and…

In an evil part, God is said to visit when he rewards those sins at which he seemed to connive, with deserved punishments; So (Psalm 89:32): I will visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. And (Jeremiah 5:9): Shall I not visit for these things? sa…

The perfection of a man is to govern himself according to law and reason, to bound and circumscribe his actions by the rules of what is fit and honest; whereas beasts show the inferiority of their natures by the scope and range of their unguided appetites, per vagas & effusas li…

If these men separate to be better instructed, I wish with all my heart their teachers would be pleased so far to condescend from their higher speculations, as to instruct them, that to attest any thing by their faith, or by their truth, is a wicked oath. For all oaths which are…

Has not the cursed leaven of this common sin of the times, spread itself also in the city? Therefore the Lord also has made ready his wrath as in a hot oven; and though like a baker he has seemed to sleep while he lay in wait, and delayed to execute his judgments; yet in the mor…

And now God has executed his judgments of plague and fire in London, have not we reason to fear that his anger is not yet turned away, but his hand is stretched out still? When the houses of London were consumed, which were the fuel to the late Fire, then the Fire quickly went o…

Israel of old made covenants and seemed very religious, and God himself attested that they had well said, but wishes: O that there were such a heart in them! We have a strange passage in (Jeremiah 5:2): Though they say, the Lord lives, surely they swear falsely. Why?

The former Part of this Profession of Religion was called saying, The Lord lives. Jeremiah 5:2. And though they say, The Lord lives, yet surely they Swear falsely.

This made Abraham willing to wander up and down many years as a stranger in the world; for he looked for a city that has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. The hopes of such a harvest is encouragement enough to work hard, and wait long; yet some Christians are so impat…

I cannot give to the poor, says you; yes, you had once lands, and means, and comings in, but you have spent all at the ale-house. 6. You are contented with your cannot; you cannot be holy, and you are contented not to be; you cannot crucify your lust, and you are contented with…

And in Deuteronomy 23:18. The hire of a whore, and the price of a dog, are put together. The expression of this lust in words or gesture, is called neighing, Jeremiah 5:8. Even as fed horses do, that scatter their lust promiscuously. Or if the Scripture speaks of them as men, ye…

3. These are joined together, because sin is the great obstacle and hindrance of all the blessings which we expect from God. (Jeremiah 5:25) Your sins have withheld good things from you. When mercy comes to us, sin stands in the way, and turns it back again, so that it cannot ha…

Many times in a mean condition a man seems to make conscience of doing the will of God; but when prosperous, he grows wanton and disobedient. (Jeremiah 5:5) I will get me to the great men, but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds. So that there are a great…

And shall not we Fear this God? Jeremiah 5:22. Fear ye not me, says the Lord, will ye not tremble at my presence?

Possibly this may be the meaning of that (Psalm 5:9), Their throat is an open sepulchre, they flatter with their tongue; that is, the slanders of the wicked are a preparation to death, as an open sepulchre is prepared to swallow and take in the dead carcass. I expound it thus, b…

1. Of a stupid carelessness under the rod; it is a time of seeking after God, a summons to the creature to come before him. Now if we think to sport away our trouble without looking after God's comforts, it is a desperate security (Jeremiah 5:12). They have belied the Lord, and…

1. The fear of reverence when the soul is deeply possessed with a sense of God's majesty and goodness, that it dares not offend him: his greatness and majesty has an influence upon this fear. Do you not fear me, says the Lord, will you not tremble at my presence, who have placed…

And besides this, there are three things which speak approbation; as, When we take pleasure in the actions or the actors (Jeremiah 5:30-31): the Prophets prophesy falsely, and the Priests bear rule by their means, and my people love to have it so, that is, they set their seal to…

Man's mercy is large when it reaches to seven times — what is God, then, that reaches to more than seventy times seven in a day! (Matthew 18:21). When good men have prayed, "Lord, forgive them not" (Isaiah 2:9; Jeremiah 18:23), yet God has pardoned: and when himself was so put t…

A sinner does practically declare that the law of God is no good law: he tramples it under foot, he casts it behind his back. Sin is therefore a hateful and a horrible thing (Jeremiah 5:30). An horrible thing has been committed in the land.

So troubles and horrors, hellish and heartbreaking amazements, are sown for the wicked, and that in their greatest delights; and the longer these are in growing and ripening, their harvest of horrors of conscience will be out of measure dreadful. As the Prophet to those who carr…

We find therefore that God upon this very ground, enters into a solemn deliberation with these (Hosea 6:4): Oh Ephraim, what shall I do to you, &c. And (Jeremiah 5:7): How shall I pardon you for this? 4. And this abuse of his patience must needs heighten the provocation, for now…

And what but destruction belongs to such? And if it be so, with you, as young as you are, you are old enough for God to make monuments of his holy jealousy, see for this (Jeremiah 5:7, 8, 9). 2. Old sinners; you that have been suffered a great while in the vineyard, and yielded…

5. Those things which (if we have nothing else) will make us cursed, cannot make us blessed; but the sole enjoyment of worldly things will make us cursed; therefore it is far from making us blessed: Riches are kept for the hurt of the owner (Ecclesiastes 5:13). Riches to the wic…

3. My sickness, my pain, my bands owe themselves to God, and are debtors to his glory, I, and every one of men should say, O that my pain might praise him, and my hell, and flamings of everlasting fire, might be an everlasting Psalm of the glory of his justice; that my sorrow co…

God smites on mens backs, but they smite not with Ephraim upon their thigh . It was a sad complaint the Prophet took up, (Jeremiah 5:3). you have stricken them, but they have not grieved. That sure is reprobate silver which contracts hardness in the furnace, 2 (Chronicles 28:22).

How unthankful men were we, for the light of the Gospel, men that loved darkness rather than light. A wonderful and horrible thing was wrought in our Land, the Prophets prophesied falsely, the Priests bare rule by their means, almost the whole people loved to have it so, and wha…

Ingratitude is worse than brutish, Isaiah 1. 3. 'Tis reported of Julius Caesar, that he would never forgive an ungrateful person; though God be a sin-pardoning God, he scarce knows not how to pardon for this, Jeremiah 5. 7. How shall I pardon thee for this, thy children have for…

In the 50th Psalm, when he had expressed great threatenings in the former verses, he concludes with this: 'Consider this, O all you that forget God! you that mind him not — lest he tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver you.' And so in the prophet Jeremiah 5:12-14: bec…

It was said of Rome of old, it was become a Stews,—Urbs est jam tota Lupanar— I wish it might not be verified of many parts of this Land. Adultery is a brutish sin, Jeremiah 5:8. They neighed every one after his neighbour's Wife.

Fifthly consider, That what your sins do want in regard of others mens in bulk and magnitude, you may make up in number. Suppose you hast not been a drunkard, an adulterer, an oppressor, yet you hast many small sins, you hast many secret and small failings: now remember, many sm…

Hence [in non-Latin alphabet] is one rejected, disproved upon trial, reprobate (1 Corinthians 9:27; 2 Corinthians 13:5, 6; Titus 1:16). The whole is expressed (Jeremiah 6:29, 30): the bellows are burnt, the lead is consumed of the fire, the founder melts in vain, reprobate silve…

He works it at first, and brings it about thus, by opening the Gospel, wherein God is revealed as pacified in Christ; which is the only doctrine that can calm the conscience, and establish the soul in peace and hope. All false religions are accompanied with scruples and jealousi…

We are not reformed in God's account, till the refining fire have purged away our dross, till we be refined as silver is refined, and tried as gold is tried. Lastly, in reference to a people not reformed, hear what the Prophet says (Jeremiah 6:28, 29, 30): They are brass and iro…

But surely the death of one out of many, is much more tolerable than of all in one. Hence it is noted in Scripture as the greatest of earthly sorrows (Jeremiah 6:26), O daughter of my people gird yourself with sackcloth, and wallow yourself in ashes. Make mourning as for an only…

That is, I will spread the net of my judgements over them, and they shall be taken in the Net. 4. Covetousness. Jer 6. 12. I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the Land, for from the least of them, even to the greatest, every one is given to Covetousness. When men…

Soldiers and executioners they are turned the priests of God for to kill his sacrifice for this his feast. Hence in (Jeremiah 6:4), Prepare you war against her, it is in the original, Sanctify the War; and in another Scripture, those that were the executioners of God's wrath, we…

3. And how the Lord corrects, is worthy to be known. He corrects Jacob in measure (Jeremiah 6:28). Mercy wrapped about the rod, and a cup of gall and wormwood honeyed, and oiled with free love, and a piece of Christ's heart, and his stirred bowels mixed in with the cup, is a mer…

Christians (Acts 11:26). Some who have hardened their heart, are called men, but something more, reprobate (Jeremiah 6:28, 30). Seed of the Serpent (Genesis 3:15).

And because that may be more proper to corrupt teachers, Jeremiah speaks it of all the sons of nature, and those especially that had lived a while under the means, and were not thereby brought on to an estate of grace, those whom God had kindled some fire in their hearts, and wh…

The Canonical authority of the Epistle to the Hebrews having been by some called into question, we must in our entrance declare both what it is which we intend thereby, as also the clear interest of this Epistle therein; for this is the foundation of all those ensuing discourses…

This imitation of others, is to be limited with that necessary caution, in so far as the practice of others agrees with the first pattern, Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). In a word, this direction shows there is no way, but the good old way to be asked for, and followed in the most…

How universally has this sin reigned in the City? So that it may almost be said of London, as it was of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 6:13), From the least of them even to the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness. Those who have been free from gluttony, drunkenness, adulter…

Many persons are thus given over; as incorrigible and hopeless (Revelation 22:11). "Let him that is filthy, be filthy still." Jeremiah 6:29: "Reprobate silver shall men call them, for the Lord has rejected them." Isaiah 6: "Go make the heart of this people fat, their ears dull,…

Isaiah 44:18, They cannot understand, no more than blind men. Jeremiah 6, Their ear is uncircumcised, they cannot hearken. The Lord grievously challenges the people, ver. 11, I am full of the anger of the Lord, and denounce wrath against this rebellious cannot; for not only is t…

No, he will not try; why, then he is willful: if his master should see him sweating and striving to carry it, it were something, then he will say he stuck at a cannot; but when he will not be at the pains to try, he sticks at a will not; pag. 10. God offers the good motions of p…

Those also speak against the Scriptures, who profanely jest with them, and that they may the more securely rebel against Scripture laws, make themselves and their idle companions merry with the Scripture language. The word of the Lord is to them a reproach, as the prophet compla…

See Isai. 1. 5. Hosea 4:14. Jeremiah 6:29, 30, Hebrews 6:8. THE POEM.

(3) We speak peace to ourselves, when we do it slightly. This the prophet complains of in some teachers (Jeremiah 6:14): They have healed the wound of the daughter of my people slightly. And it is so with some persons, they make the healing of their wounds a slight work, a look,…

But men must be gold and silver in the bottom, or else refining will do them no good. The prophet gives us the sad issue of wicked men's utmost attempts for mortification, by what means soever that God affords them (Jeremiah 6:29, 30): The bellows are burnt, and the lead is cons…

And certainly, as to the wicked, it is a very great temptation, judicially inflicted, disposed of to them by God's judgment, they are plagued by worldly felicity; and it is part of their curse, that they shall be written in the earth (Jeremiah 17:13). And suitable to this purpos…

All religions aim at this, Ut anima sit subjecta Deo, & peccata in se; no true peace without the Word, nor no true holiness. The first is proved (Jeremiah 6:16): "Thus says the Lord, Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, a…

Because there are different ways propounded to man, therefore he must follow all, or take up one upon evidence. Not only in point of practice, as life and death is set before us (Deuteronomy 30:15), and the broad way and the narrow (Matthew 7:13-14); not only to counterwork the…

USE 2. If covetousness be the great hindrance from keeping God's testimonies, then let us examine ourselves, are we guilty of it? Doting upon the creature, and an inordinate affection to sensible things, is a natural, an hereditary disease, more general than we are aware of (Jer…

Principles must be fixed, before they can be improved, and we can feel their influence and power: but people will be making essays, and try this, and try that. God's grounds of comfort are immutably fixed; God will not change his gospel-laws for your sake: and therefore unless w…

3. With respect to the tendency and issues of things; and so it notes fore-consideration, or deliberation in order to choice. God bids his people stand upon the ways and see, and inquire after the old paths, which is the good way, and walk therein (Jeremiah 6:16). As travelers w…

1. Thoughts — they are liable to God's tribunal, which can be arraigned before no other bar, yet the Word does find them out. It does not only discover the evil of them (Hebrews 4:12): The word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to…

Wealth cannot allay a grieved mind, nor appease a wounded conscience. The Word directs us where we may find rest for our souls (Jeremiah 6:16): Go, ask for the good old way, and you shall find rest for your souls. We lose ourselves in a maze of uncertainties till we come to the…

On that account it is not to be wondered at, that God from heaven has testified his displeasure against the present generation. He has poured it out upon the children abroad, and on the assembly of young men together (Jeremiah 6:11). It is a sad word which is spoken in Isaiah 9:…

Here pity is unseasonable and greatest cruelty. When out of [illegible] we are afraid to put men to pain, we increase their pains and hasten their destruction (Jeremiah 6:14): "they have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly." The Apostle teaches another way…

God puts us sometimes under the black rod; but it is virga disciplinaris, a rod of discipline; Hear you the rod, and who has appointed it. God makes our adversity, our university: Affliction is a preacher; Blow the trumpet in Tekoah (Jeremiah 6:1). The trumpet was to preach to t…

See Isaiah 55:6, "Seek the Lord while he may be found"; intimating that he would not else be ever so, and Jeremiah 4:4, "Circumcise, &c. lest my fury, &c." When God says lest, it intimates that there is such a thing, for he does not fright them with bugbears; and a like expressi…

Meekness and zeal may stand together. In matters of religion a Christian must be clothed with the spirit of Elijah, and be full of the fury of the Lord (Jeremiah 6:11). Christ was meek (Matthew 11:29), yet zealous (John 2:14-15): The zeal of your house has eaten me up.

In a race there is the way or path to run in; so in Christianity there is the pathway in which we must run (Psalm 119:32): I will run the way of your commandments. This is a good old way (Jeremiah 6:16); it is as good as it is old. The way of sanctification and obedience is the…

While we are waiting, let us take heed of wavering. Go not a step out of God's way, though a lion be in the way, avoid not duty to meet with safety: keep God's highway, the good old way (Jeremiah 6:16), the way which is paved with holiness (Isaiah 35:8), and a highway shall be t…

The unjust knows no shame. It is a great shame not to be ashamed; the Lord sets it as a brand upon the Jews, (Jeremiah 6:15). Were they ashamed when they committed abomination; nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush .

He made as if he would do it, and let fall his hand again, as if he could not find in his heart to be so severe. God withholds his judgments till he is weary of holding in, as the expression is (Jeremiah 6:11), till he can forbear no longer. So that the Lord could no longer bear…

Therefore beware of curiosity. The old way is the good way, let a man seek that and walk in it, and he shall find rest for his soul (Jeremiah 6:16). 6. Let a man beware of his company.

'Why should you be stricken any more? You will revolt more and more' (Isaiah 1:5). And to keep to our metaphor, consult Jeremiah 6:29: God had put that incorrigible people into the furnace of affliction, and kept them long in that fire; and what was the issue? The prophet says,…

And therefore, if they were fair, why would they not allow it in spiritual things? and much more in them, agreeably to the vastly greater importance, and more affecting nature of spiritual things, and the concern which true religion causes in men's minds for the good of others,…

The captivity continued just long enough, for that perverse generation to waste away and die in their captivity; at least those of them that were adult persons, when carried captive. The old generation, and heads of families, were exceeding obstinate, and would not hearken to th…

To the dung or garbage, the poison, sting, excrement, vomit of these filthy creatures; to a root of bitterness which defiles many (Hebrews 12:15); to thorns and briers, which bring forth no other fruits but [reconstructed: curses] (Hebrews 6:8). To the excrement of metals, dross…

Offerings and sacrifices in themselves were holy things, but yet to them says the Lord, to a revolting and disobedient people, they shall be as the bread of mourners, that is unclean (Hosea 9:4), and the Prophet elsewhere intimates the reason, I hate, I despise your feast days,…

By what reasons are they confuted? (1) Because, all the Priests, Levites, and Prophets of the Jewish church, who had the same promises which the Christian church has now under the New Testament (1 Corinthians 10:3-4; 2 Samuel 7:16; Isaiah 49:15-16); together with the High Priest…

Q. 2. Wherein did that hurt us their posterity? A. Divers ways; first, (a) in that we were all guilty of the same breach of covenant with Adam, being all in him; secondly, (b) our souls with his were deprived of that holiness, innocency, and righteousness wherein they were at fi…

Q. 2. Wherein did that hurt us their posterity? A. Divers ways; first, (a) in that we were all guilty of the same breach of covenant with Adam, being all in him; secondly, (b) our souls with his were deprived of that holiness, innocency, and righteousness wherein they were at fi…

No, to obey is better than sacrifice. God disclaims sacrifice, if obedience be wanting (Jeremiah 7:22). I spoke not to your fathers concerning burnt offerings, but this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice.

Dry wood is not more prone to take fire, than our nature is to idolatry. The Jews made cakes to the Queen of Heaven, that is the moon (Jeremiah 7:18). Quest. From where is it that we are so prone to idolatry?

Visiting the iniquity of the fathers. Most of God's envenomed arrows have been shot among idolaters (Jeremiah 7:12). Go now to my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it. God for Israel's idolatry, suffered their army to be routed, t…

Judges 17:13: I have a Levite to my priest; surely I shall go to heaven. The Jews cried (Jeremiah 7:4): The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord. We are apt to glory in this — the oracles of God are committed to us, we have Word and Sacrament.

It is God's will that we should believe; and why is it but that we should be crowned with salvation; (Mark 16:16) He that believes shall be saved. What God wills is not so much our duty as our privilege; he bids us obey his voice, and it is greatly for our good; (Jeremiah 7:23)…

Qu. 12. What is principally to be attended to by us in the manner of the celebration of the worship of God, and observation of the institutions and ordinances of the Gospel? Answ. That we observe and do all whatever the Lord Christ has commanded us to observe, in the way that he…

Chapter 17:3: to the same purpose were the places before mentioned (Matthew 15:9), as also is that severe rule applied by our Savior to the additions of the Pharisees (verse 13): Every plant, which my Heavenly Father has not planted, shall be rooted up. And there is yet further…

Question 2. By what means do we come to know that God will thus be worshipped? That God is to be worshipped, and that according to his own will and appointment, is a principal branch of the law of our creation, written in our hearts (Romans 1:21; Romans 2:14-15; Acts 15:16-17; A…

And thus was Abraham warranted to sacrifice his Son; namely, by virtue of a special, and personal commandment to himself alone. But if Abraham had not had this particular commandment, the sacrificing of Isaac had been unlawful and abominable; for, the killing of a man is a heino…

So has he dealt with many other places, and in particular, notwithstanding their boasting, with the city of Rome, sometimes a seat of the gospel, now the throne of Antichrist. "Go to my place which was in Shilo" (Jeremiah 7:12, 14; 26:6). By the way we must here give an account…

And such he conceived to be the evidence of this maxim, that he chose rather to argue from the silence of Moses in general, than from the particular prohibition, that none, who was not of the posterity of Aaron, should approach to the priestly office. So God himself condemns som…

Hereof we have a fatal instance in their bringing the Ark into the field, in their battle against the Philistines (1 Samuel 4:5, 6). And it will fare no better with others who shall rest satisfied with outward institutions of divine worship, neglecting the end of them all, which…

1. That this is not spoken of the will of God, as to the institution and appointment of these Sacrifices; for the Apostle affirms, that they were offered according to the Law, ver. 8, namely, which God gave to the people. God says indeed by the Prophet to the people, that he spo…

But it is one of the greatest effects of God's severity towards them. So he commanded his prophets not to pray for the people when his heart would not to be towards them (Jeremiah 7:16; chap. 11:14; chap. 14:11). And in like cases, though not by express command yet by his secret…

Again, false grace does not grow, unless it be worse and worse; pretences wither rather than thrive. God complains (Jeremiah 7:24) that they went backward rather than forward. False grace is always declining till it be wholly lost; like bad salt, that loses of its acrimony and s…

When God calls to a people by his Word, Spirit, Judgements, but they regard him not, he will pack up and be gone. Jer. 7. 13. I spake unto you rising up early, but you heard not, therefore will I do to this house which is called by my Name, as I did to Shilo. Why, what did God t…

Whatever we do which evil does necessarily follow it, is accounted by God, as we brought the evil on purpose upon our selves. Surely they set not up silver and gold on intention to destroy themselves, but because destruction does necessarily follow, therefore God accounts it don…

Now to uproot this most pernicious error, God employed the extraordinary ministry of the prophets. And in order that the unmoved authority of that foundation of His worship, which they wickedly undermined, might stand firm — although there was no lack, as it may perhaps seem to…

VII. In that valley there was a particular place called Topheth; perhaps that word denotes the entire precinct that was within the sacred enclosure: (2 Kings 23:10), "He defiled Topheth in the valley of the sons of Hinnom." And (Jeremiah 7:31), "The high places of Topheth in the…

From hence cometh it, that we fear not in greatest dangers (2 Kings 6:16; Psalm 3:7; Psalm 27:3); that in the time of affliction, we are patient (Proverbs 20:22; Hebrews 10:33); without all murmuring to hold our peace (Psalm 39:10); receiving them as from a father (Job 1:21; Psa…

The Lord calls this a deceiving of Him, for He says in His Word, that there is no peace to the wicked, and the foolish presumer says, I shall have peace; shall His Word or theirs stand? They say (Jeremiah 5:12; Jeremiah 7:9), "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are t…

But if Mr. Den and others will contend that this seeing of the salvation of God, is the revelation of the literal knowledge of Christ, that saving thing which is bestowed on the nations by the ministry of John and the coming of the Messiah, they must with us confess a large syne…

Thirdly, God sometimes requires that we should part with all his holy ordinances in some cases; part with all confidence in them, and from staying our hearts upon them; we may soon lose Christ, and lose his protection, and his fatherly compassion towards us, if in the use of the…

This prophecy therefore might seem very strange, to wit, that they should become heartless, and betake them to their heels, and yet should not escape this way neither. (Jeremiah 7:4) Verse 4. Therefore said I, Turn away from me: I will weep bitterly: labor not to comfort me for…

And Solomon in dedicating the Temple said, When they shall come and pray in this house, then you will hear in heaven your dwelling place (1 Kings 8:33). Which is the cause why Christ reproaches the Jews for making his Father's house a den of thieves (Matthew 21:13), and thereunt…

For they confess they had nothing to glory in but the Temple, wherein God was pleased to be worshipped and served. And yet we see that this their rejoicing was often vain; insomuch that Jeremiah reproves them for it, saying: Trust not in lying words; to wit, The Temple of the Lo…

Indeed, he so manifests his fatherly love, and so willingly accepts of us, that if we yield not obedience to his voice, we ought justly to impute the same to our own frowardness. Moreover, the clause, all the day long, aggravates the fault greatly, namely, that God ceased not fo…

13. It is written. Christ quotes two passages taken out of two Prophets; the one from Isaiah 56:7, and the other from Jeremiah 7:11. What was written by Isaiah agreed with the circumstances of the time; for in that passage is predicted the calling of the Gentiles.

37. Jerusalem, Jerusalem. By these words, Christ shows more clearly what good reason he had for indignation, that Jerusalem, which God had chosen to be his sacred, and — as we might say — heavenly abode, not only had shown itself to be unworthy of so great an honor, but, as if i…

53. And went into the holy city. When Matthew bestows on Jerusalem the honorable designation of the holy city, he does not intend to applaud the character of its inhabitants, for we know that it was at that time full of all pollution and wickedness, so that it was rather a den o…

And he says daily that it should be no marvel to any man, though he were weary of doing good to them, seeing he did avail and profit nothing by his assiduity or continual doing good. This is the same figure which is in Jeremiah (Jeremiah 7:13 and 11:7), where he says that he ros…

Henry the Second of France in a great rage against a Protestant Counsellor, committed him to the hands of one of his Nobles to be imprisoned, and that with these words, that he would see him burned with his own eyes: but mark the righteous Providence of God, within a ew days aft…

This is our duty, because God has expresly commanded it, and called his people to make the most serious reflections, and animadversions upon his works, whether of mercy or judgement. So when that dreadfullest of all Judgements was executed upon his professing people for their Ap…

And from there was solemnly introduced into, and enthroned in the most holy place of the Temple, built by Solomon (1 Kings 8:6, 7). In the mean time, whether occasionally, or by advice, the Tabernacle was removed from Shilo, and that first place of the solemn worship of God alto…

And the prophet puts in this as an aggravation of their sin, that when the Lord called for such a mourning as was joined with baldness and shaving the head, that then there should be joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine. See this mor…

How much more then, is it a most hellish wickedness, committed against the great God, to assert a known lie, and then call in God to attest it for a truth? Which is no other but to father a brat of the Devil, who is a liar, and the Father of Lies, upon God, who hates liars, and…

So they are called lying Children, Isaiah 30. 9. and Chapter 59. 13. and are represented as Lying in pretending to be of the Temple or Church of God. Jeremiah 7. 2, 4. Hear the Word of the Lord, all you of Judah that enter in at these Gates to worship the Lord,—Trust you not in…

Lastly, when fields prove barren, and will not quit the husbandman's cost, nor answer the seed he sows in them, he plucks up the hedges, and lays it waste. So when churches grow formal and fruitless, the Lord removes his gospel-presence from them; plucks up the hedge of his prot…

The truth is, the foolishness of impenitency in nothing appears more, than in the arguings by which men strengthen themselves in it: and among these, I know none more amazing, than the delusion of a false hope in mercy; notwithstanding men persist in iniquity, and refuse to retu…

But as to the lazy despairing, 1. It was the people's way, when they are exhorted to repent (Jeremiah 18:12), There is no hope, but we will walk after our own devices; and they were far from doing all, that men can do, and praying night and day; they were stealing, murdering, wh…

But yet remember that God is unchangeable; for, you see, the Jews in Jeremiah's time, they lived under Jeremiah's ministry almost twenty years, but yet at the last he rejected them, and he would not be entreated, though Jeremiah and the people did pray to him. There are three pl…

And one principal Reason of this different distribution, is to maintain fellowship among them all, 1 Corinthians 12:21. The Head cannot say to the Feet I have no need of you. As in a Family, where there is much business to be done, even the little Children bear a part, according…

2. By the Name of God is meant his Glorious Attributes, which are the several Letters of his Name. 3. By the Name of God is meant his Worship and Ordinances where his Name is called upon, Jeremiah 7:12. Go ye to my Place which was in Shiloh where I set my Name at first: That is,…

With what busy diligence does an idolatrous family carry on their way and their course! See (Jeremiah 7:18): The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, etc. says the Lord. Every one will have his hand in the work, and are quickening and inflaming one another; fat…

5. There are many aggravating circumstances attending the sins of men (beside the greatness of its own nature) which do exceedingly provoke God: men's sins are not only many and great, but are both multiplied and magnified, they are heightened by many circumstances: men increase…

They think the Lord will be pacified with rivers of oil, and that the fruit of their bodies will compensate for the sin of their souls. The Jews would steal, commit adultery, and swear falsely, and yet trust in lying words, saying, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord…

Tush, say they, we have made a league with death and a covenant with Hell, and when the destroying scourge passes over, it shall not come near to them (Isaiah 28:15). Indeed they do commit evil, and yet say they are delivered by the Lord (Jeremiah 7). Thus they grow [illegible]…

And here; if we speak of a people in general, Israel of old stand for monuments of this to the end of the world: how near God had taken them to him we find upon record; they were the only people that he had in the world; they were his vineyard which he had planted, and fenced, &…

1. All profane persons that are in the visible Church; and it is a matter of sad lamentation, that there are too many such, who call themselves Christians, and yet are always doing the works of the flesh, of which we have a catalogue (Galatians 5:19, &c.). They mind nothing that…

Jeremiah, who was a weeping prophet, was a great intercessor. God said to him, Pray not for this people (Jeremiah 7:16) — as if the Lord said, Jeremiah, so powerful are your prayers and tears that if you pray, I cannot deny you. Tears have a mighty influence upon God.

How dreadful a sin is idolatry; and what a signal mercy is it to be snatched out of an idolatrous place, as Lot was snatched by the angel out of Sodom? 3. It is a mercy to be delivered from idolatrous places, because idolatry is such a silly irrational religion; I may say as (Je…

2. There is added the universality of the promise with respect to them with whom this Covenant is made; all of them from the least to the greatest. A proverbial speech, signifying the generality intended without exception (Jeremiah 8:10). Every one from the least to the greatest…

It is easy to see the error here, unless men be willingly and wilfully ignorant: will you know, &c. It is true, we read of some that hold fast deceit, and refuse to return (Jeremiah 8:5), and many such there be in our days also. But the point of doctrine is this: namely,

He that uttered them, and all they also that profited by them, shall appear in judgment against you; and perhaps these and those whom you now despise, shall one day be your judges (1 Corinthians 6:2). 2. It shall then appear that you had means of conviction: but you would not se…

What is repentance, but consideration? Jeremiah 8:6, no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, what have I done? Want of this keeps men from salvation.

But of those who are so variously touched by the sense of their own condition, many — overcome by the force of innate blindness, which still prevents spiritual things from being seen in their own light and splendor, by carnal concupiscence, by the desire of earthly things, by sa…

And Hosea called his hearers to the most High, yet none at all would exalt Him. It was their work to stretch out their hands all the day long, but they hardened their necks, and refused to return (Jeremiah 8 and Zechariah 7). But 5thly, consider — all these are servants and prea…

Let them go for wise men, but they are wise for the devil. Let the Lord speak to such (Jeremiah 8:8): How do you say, we are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us. Verse 9: Lo, they have rejected the law of the Lord, and what wisdom is in them?

And these were the things upon which you thought fit to set your hearts! Which you have loved, which you have served, after which you have walked, which you have sought, and whom you have worshiped! (The heap of expressions with which it seemed meet to the Spirit of God to set o…

But for the seasons which are of our own ixing and appointment, as God is not tyed to them, so his Providences are not governed by them: and hence are our disappointments. We looked for peace, but no good came; for a time of health, and behold trouble, Jeremiah 8:15 And hereupon…

I have given you cleanness of teeth, yet you have not returned to me: I have withheld the rain, yet you have not returned to me: I have smitten you with blasting, yet you have not returned to me: I have sent among you the pestilence and the sword, yet you have not returned to me…

The formalist is never violent, but in persecuting the power of godliness. 3. It reproves such as are violent in a bad sense: they are violent for hell; they go there in the sweat of their brows (Jeremiah 8:6). Every one turned to his course; as the horse rushes into the battle.

But O the stupifying nature of sin! Though the Stork in the heavens knows her appointed time, and the Turtle, Crane and Swallow the time of their coming, yet man, whom God has made wiser than the fowls of the air, in this acts quite below them (Jeremiah 8:7). The end of God's or…

The reason is, because it meets with an obstacle in their souls; so that it cannot run through them and be glorisied, as it does in gracious Souls. All the means and endeavours used to cleanse them, are in vain; all the grace of God they receive in vain: They hold fast deceit, t…

God brings to nothing the understanding of the prudent, and makes foolish the wisdom of the world. And if there be neither wisdom nor knowledge (as doubtless there is not) without the knowledge of God (Jeremiah 8:9), it is all shut up in the Lord Christ. John 1:18, no man has se…

Well then, it is necessary that you should take some time to discourse with yourselves, to ask of your souls what you have been, what you are, what you have done, what shall become of you to all eternity. Jeremiah 8:6. No man asks of himself, What have I done? You would think it…

Many think the word of God too plain for their mouths to preach it; others too stale for their ears to hear it; and they must have the fancies of men. (Jeremiah 8:9) They have rejected my word: and what wisdom is in them? It is strange to see how many will disguise religion to p…

There is sin, and there is a way of sin (Psalm 139:24), Search me and see if there be any way of wickedness in me, as Chrysostom glosses. 4. When they fall they do not rest in sin: Shall they fall, and shall they not arise? (Jeremiah 8:4). They may fall into the dirt, but they d…

God's great complaint of his people is, that they will not consider (Isaiah 1:3): "The ox knows his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel does not know, my people does not consider." So (Jeremiah 8:6): "I listened and heard, but they spoke not aright; no man repented…

3. How little you have answered this end. God complains of our backwardness to this work (Jeremiah 8:6): No man repented of his wickedness, saying, what have I done. God upon a review found every day's work good, very good, in themselves, and their correspondence and frame (Gene…

Use 1. Is for Reproof. 1. That men do so little revive the belief of God's commandments; hence sins of omission, (James 4:17) Therefore to him that knows to do good and does it not, to him it is sin: of commission, (Jeremiah 8:6) I listened and heard, but they spoke not aright:…

For means; 1. You must be one in covenant with God, for to them the dispensations of God come marked not only with justice as to all, but faithfulness; (Psalm 25:10) All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth to them that keep his covenant. 2. You must examine yourselves; the…

So the fainting of the soul, is either first, from the tediousness of present pressures; or secondly, from a fervent and strong desire. First, from the tediousness of present sorrows and pressures; as (Jeremiah 8:18), When I would comfort myself against my sorrow, my heart faint…

2 Sinful man is worse than beasts in the very quality for which he is likened to the beast: the ox and the ass which have no understanding, and to which sinful man is compared for ignorance and stupidity, is yet more knowing than sinful man; as it is (Isaiah 1:3). And the like i…

It further appears that sin is an unpleasing thing, and that which sinners are ashamed of, that they dare not look into their actions, nor call themselves to an account. 'Tis as troublesome a thing to sinners to look into themselves, and to examine their lives, as 'tis for men t…

Is there any hope for poor sinners? Is there any balm in Gilead, or Physician there? (Jeremiah 8:22). Yes, surely there is: God would never (as a learned person expresses it) have suffered so potent and malicious an enemy to have set foot in his dominions, but that he knew how t…

[illegible] us also discern time: Suffer we not our time to run from us, while we neglect the great ends which we have it for. O let not the Lord have cause to complain of us as in (Jeremiah 8:7): 'The birds in the heaven know their appointed times, but my people do not know.' T…

Thus the Prodigal is said to come to himself (Luke 15:17), he had lived without any search and consideration of his own ways, lost himself in letting loose his thoughts in the eager pursuit of his own lusts; now he began to take an account of his own course, to see how the case…

Second, despair; despair affronts God, undervalues Christ's blood, damns the soul. Jeremiah 8:12: They said there is no hope, but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart. This is the language of despair: There is no hope; I…

We value a seasonable kindness — else it is worth nothing; duties of religion performed in their season are glorious. Creatures by the instinct of nature observe their season (Jeremiah 8:7): the stork in the heaven knows her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane. Pliny s…

3. My sickness, my pain, my bands owe themselves to God, and are debtors to his glory, I, and every one of men should say, O that my pain might praise him, and my hell, and flamings of everlasting fire, might be an everlasting Psalm of the glory of his justice; that my sorrow co…

5. Use. If creatures keep their covenant-natural with God, shall not the ox, the crane (Isaiah 1:3; Jeremiah 8:7), the ass (2 Peter 2:16), who never had a design of rebellion, testify against us in judgment? Ah! what an unnatural policy, the first evil wit of him that sinned fro…

There are signs of the times, whereby whoever is wise, and does observe these things, may discern when a day of trouble is near. It was a sad complaint which the Lord took up against his people of old, saying, The stork in the heaven knows her appointed times, and the turtle, an…

Hath he not been to England in the devouring Plague ? Well, all this while God waited for our Repentance; but we went on in sin, (Jeremiah 8:6). I hearkned and heard, butno man repented him of his wickedness, saying, what have I done?

There are some persons I have little hope to prevail with: Let the trumpet of the word sound never so shrill, let threatnings be thundered out against them, let some flashes of Hell fire be thrown in their faces, yet they will have the other game at sin. These persons seem to be…

This disease I fear is epidemical, (Jeremiah 8:6). No man repented him of his wickedness.

It remains then, to shut up all, that it be declared, what private Christians, living in a pure, orthodox, well ordered church may do, and how far they may interest themselves, in holy soul-concerning affairs, both in respect of their own particular, and of their brethren in the…

Sins directly against the Gospel. He sins against the Gospel: who denies either directly or by consequence that Christ is come in the flesh (1 John 4:3-8); who treads under foot the blood of Christ (Hebrews 10:29); who believes not the remission of his own sins and acceptance to…

Fourthly, the understanding's security or sleepiness, whereby men never reflect upon their own actions, nor compare them with the rule; although they have knowledge of the law of God, yet it is with them, as it is with men that have a fair glass before them, but never beholding…

Cannot men keep themselves when they are well? This is the course and frame of the world, and we may complain of this careless and heedless age, as Jeremiah did of his time (Jeremiah 8:6). No man repents him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done?

And now says the Spirit, you may go on in these sinful courses as others do, if you see meet, but oh consider what will be the end of them; what it is to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, and to be tormented for ever for them in the conclusion, for be assured that will be…

Christ is a propitiation by faith, and here the malefactor has tidings of favour, if he will accept of it (Ephesians 2:15-17). And of this I now speak: God and man were once friends, but by sin a great breach is made, the Lord only bearing the wrong is justly provoked (Isaiah 65…

Secondly, nor is it usual with these men under the rod to retire into their closets, and search their hearts there; to find out the particular cause and provocation of their affliction. 'No man repented of his wickedness, saying, What have I done?' (Jeremiah 8:6). What cursed th…

3. Not to confess is held forth as a guilt (Jeremiah 2:35): Yet you said, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me, behold, I will plead with you, because you say, I have not sinned. It is a token of impenitence (Jeremiah 8:6): No man repented him of his wicked…

Sin is the most ugly, and deformed thing in the world: and therefore sinners can have no communion with God, while they be washed: 2. Devils were once pure and clean spirits, their understandings were made clear, to see God and his beauty; now these fair spirits are darkened, fo…

Now when men's eyes are open to see Christ, they see and feel that in sin which before they felt not; then we see our sinful course most bitter, the very grapes of gall and wormwood. Secondly, there is the bitterness of God's wrath which a man sees and feels when he sees Christ…

Is not the requiring of an implicit faith, and an absolute and blind obedience to the church or any man, a destroying of liberty of conscience and reason also? Yes. (Romans 10:17; Romans 14:23; Isaiah 8:20; Acts 17:11; John 4:22; Hosea 5:11; Revelation 13:12, 16-17; Jeremiah 8:9…

7. Sin is a painful thing; it costs men much labor in pursuing their sins. How do men tire themselves in doing the Devil's drudgery (Jeremiah 9:5). They weary themselves to commit iniquity.

Branch 2. See the sad condition of such as live and die in unbelief, they are not the sons of God: To as many as received him, he gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in his name. No faith, no sonship; unbelievers have no sign of sonship, they know not…

What hazards does he run, even to the endangering his health and soul, that he may satisfy his lust? What tedious journeys did Antiochus Epiphanes take in persecuting the Jews (Jeremiah 9:5)? They weary themselves to commit iniquity; and are not God's commands more easy to obey?

What we make our trust, God makes our shame: the sheep run to the hedges for shelter, and they lose their wool: we have run to second causes to help us, and we have lost much of our golden fleece: they have not only been reeds to fail us, but thorns to prick us: we have broken o…

Let a man be under the command of any lust, how does he tire himself! What hazards does he run to the endangering his health and soul that he may satisfy his lust (Jeremiah 9:5). They weary themselves to commit iniquity.

Such as are enveloped with ignorance, cannot give God a reasonable service (Romans 12:1). Ignorance is the nurse of impiety: the Schoolmen say, Omne peccatum fundatur in ignorantia; (Jeremiah 9:3). They proceed from evil to evil, and know not me, says the Lord. Where ignorance r…

They sin 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (Ephesians 4:19). Though they are tired out in committing sin, yet they sin; (Jeremiah 9:5). They weary themselves to commit iniquity; as a man that follows his game while he is weary, yet he delights in it, and cannot leave off. Though God has…

2. Other tyrants have some pity on their slaves; though they make them work in the galleys, yet they give them meat and let them have their hours for rest; but Satan is a merciless tyrant — he gives his slaves poison instead of meat, he gives them hurtful lusts to feed on (1 Tim…

6. It will be an aggravation of the loss of heaven for sinners to think how active they were in doing that which lost them the kingdom; they were felo de se. What pains did they take to resist the Spirit, to stifle conscience, they sinned while they were out of breath; (Jeremiah…

8. Sin is a painful thing; it costs men much labor and pains to accomplish their wicked designs. Jeremiah 9:5: They weary themselves to commit iniquity. Peccatum est sui ipsius paena.

Thirdly, the knowledge of God is one of the most special points in Christian religion: and therefore the Lord says, Let him that rejoices, rejoice in this, that he understands and knows me. For I am the Lord which shows mercy and judgment in the earth (Jeremiah 9:24). And our Sa…

The approved are made manifest (1 Corinthians 11:19). There is a time not only to shew love, but valor: Jeremiah 9:3. They are not valiant for the Truth upon the Earth. To be valiant for Truth is to defend it in time of opposition, and to sparkle so much the more in a holy zeal…

Is it not from the earthliness and vanity of their hearts? My brethren, these are the things that have spoiled Christian fellowship and made it become a dry and sapless thing — so that many Christians are even weary of it and are ready to say with the prophet — Jeremiah 9:2: 'O…

And Matthew 12:30. He that is not with me, is against me: and he that gathers not with me, scatters abroad. It is a part of the Prophet's charge against the Jews, that they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth (Jeremiah 9:3). Wicked men are not ashamed to wear the devil'…

The true knowledge of the true God, is to know his nature spiritual, infinite, pure, constant, most simple, etc., his properties of power, goodness, justice, etc., the distinction of three persons in one Godhead; the actions, or works of God, his constant decree from before all…

Will, as well as the mind, can frame syllogisms; every unrenewed man has a faith of his own in the bottom of his will. Some are willingly ignorant (2 Peter 3); some, through deceit, refuse to know the Lord (Jeremiah 9); whereas lust puts out reason, and takes the chair. Lust has…

For "all" is put in Scripture ordinarily for many; as (Deuteronomy 1:21; Psalm 71:18; Jeremiah 15:10; Jeremiah 19:9; Jeremiah 20:7; Jeremiah 23:30; Jeremiah 49:17; Ezekiel 16:27; Exodus 33:10; Colossians 1:28; Isaiah 61:9; Genesis 41:57; Mark 14:4; John 3:26; Acts 17:31; Acts 10…

Take you any natural man, and he is ever growing worse and worse, ever growing of the worse hand; he grows more and more unprofitable, and more loose from God, and estranged from the ways of his grace, and settled in the ways of sin. And this is that which the prophet Jeremiah c…

Out of himself, in God alone, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the rich man in his riches. But let him that glories, glory in this, that he understands and knows me (Jeremiah 9:23-24; 1 Corinthians 1:31). In himself, in the comfor…

When the Prophets perceived they labored in vain to break the hard hearts of this people, surely they could not but be overwhelmed with grief and sorrow, and therefore they endeavored by all means to mollify the hearts of the obstinate, that if it were possible they might be bow…

This made Paul cry out that he accounted all things to be but loss and dung in comparison of an acquaintance with them (Philippians 3:8). And the Prophets of old to search diligently into the nature of them (1 Peter 1:11, 12), as the things which alone deserved to be enquired af…

He can make a servant, a child, a wife instrumental for our ruin. In this sense, we may apply that caveat of the prophet (Jeremiah 9:4): Take you heed every one of his neighbor, and trust you not in any brother. That also of Micah, Trust you not in a friend, put you not confiden…

And that we might mark it the better, she rehearses orderly in these four verses six godly works in six kinds of men, and parts the world in two, setting on each side three manner of works, and three kinds of men so, that a continual debate does remain among the parties, by reas…

Mischievous lies, which some tell to do another an injury. We read of some, that bend their tongue like their bow for lies, that will not speak the truth, but teach their tongue to speak lies (Jeremiah 9:3, 5). How many liars have there been in London?

Amnon offered violence to his sister, he would have his lust, though it cost him his life. Sinners tire out themselves in the Devil's drudgery (Jeremiah 9:5): They [reconstructed: weary] themselves to commit iniquity. They are out of breath with sin, yet not out of love with sin…

1. Satan can send in posts with letters, and write his [illegible], his wiles to the heart. This is one way of putting it in the heart of Judas to betray Christ, by sending his mind and will through the fancy to the heart, and the fancy being set on work by the will and understa…

3. The very sinful habit and power is reproved in the Word, even the power as it is contra-distinguished from the sinful act; Psalm 14:1, The habitual fool has said in his heart there is not a God. The habitual blindness and hardness of heart that may be in sleeping men, the sta…

Whether is it a Covenant of works (do this and live) or a Covenant of grace (believe this, and you have the reward of the Gospel preached, to wit, the restored image of God) and where is this in Scripture? 4. A remedying Law must bring a remedy to men: the remedy is either real;…

(1 Peter 2:23) Who when he was reviled, reviled not again: when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judges righteously. And Jeremiah who mourned so, for sin as he desired his head were waters, and his eyes a fountain of tears, that he might both be…

Oh! that you would be warned; there are still multitudes running headlong that same course tending to destruction through the midst of all the means of salvation; the saddest way of all to it, through word and sacraments, and all heavenly ordinances to be walking hellwards. Chri…

It is said that we ought to glory in our knowing of the only one God (Deuteronomy 4:35, 39; 1 Corinthians 8:4, 6): but yet that is accomplished in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, because that when men go about to seek God, they enter into a terrible maze, unless Jesus Chris…

If there are many doubts about the true Religion, why they are occasioned by the scandalous lives of professors; we reason from the artist to the art itself. Look as there is a correspondence between the stamp and the impression, the seal and the thing sealed; so should there be…

If we refuse God speaking to us in infinite wisdom, as he does in the word, no wonder if God refuse us stammering foolishly in Prayer. (Jeremiah 9:21) Men that purpose to continue in their sins shall not be heard in other things, otherwise the grossest sinners may come to God to…

It is true, man's corrupt Nature cannot bring forth a good thought, to wit, a gracious thought, and that of itself, but yet by the help of Christ, it may bring forth both knowledge by Tongues, and Tunes by Music; and that with as good allowance in the New Testament as in the Old…

Many a French sword or an Indian sword has slain, but more have been slain by the sword of the Lord in respect of mortal diseases, which he has visited them with. We may say after the prophet, Death is come up into our windows, to cut off the children from without, and the young…

2. That their church-privileges will not save them. Many are ready to think that the Sanctuary shall shelter them, whatever they be, how obstinately soever they refuse to hearken to the voice of God, yet the Temple shall save them; they are in the vineyard, and no evil can come…

The commands of sin are burdensome; let a man be under the power and rage of any lust — whether covetousness or ambition — how he tires and tortures himself! They weary themselves to commit iniquity (Jeremiah 9:5). Are not Christ's precepts easy and sweet in comparison of sin's…

Ezekiel 37:12: O my people, I will open your graves, as many as Saul and David did feed, whether they have a new heart or not, the Lord calls them his people (1 Samuel 9:16; 2 Samuel 7:8). See Psalm 50:7: Hear O my people (Psalm 81:13; Jeremiah 9:26), and so the church of Corint…

For, 1. Circumcision of the flesh was a seal of the Circumcision of the heart promised in the Covenant of Grace (Deuteronomy 30:6), and of the cutting of the foreskin thereof (Jeremiah 4:4; Jeremiah 9:26; Ezekiel 36:26-27), and baptism is the same (Colossians 2:11-12; Titus 3:5)…

5. So must there be a deadening of the husband to the wife (Job 19:17), to servants (Job 15:16), to sons (2 Samuel 16:11), of the mother to the daughter, of the daughter-in-law to the mother-in-law (Micah 7:6), to blood-friends. 12. All the godly and zealous Prophets said Amen t…

4. Sin is profound ignorance. The School-men say, All sin is founded in ignorance; did men know God in his purity and justice, they durst not go on in a course of sinning, (Jeremiah 9:3). They proceed from evil to evil, and know not me, says the Lord.

The like also may be said of the strength, the power, the armies of any people; if their number and wisdom be vain, be no glory, their strength which is but the result or exurgency of their number and wisdom, must needs be so also. But you have all this summed up together (Jerem…

2. When our hearts are softened. Affliction is God's furnace where he melts his gold, Jeremiah 9:7. I will melt them and try them.

That adversity is a furnace to try of what metal our hearts are, none can doubt, that has either studied the Scriptures, or observed his own heart under afflictions. When the dross and rust of hypocrisy and corruption had almost eaten out the heart of religion among the Jews; th…

Fall into sin, indeed the same sin, he may, and that often; but then it is not without reluctance, repentance, and a protest entered by the soul in heaven against it: so that sin has not a quiet possession of his soul; he is not the servant of sin, nor does he willingly walk aft…

Why, says the Lord, they must go into the furnace again. 'I will melt them and try them, for how shall I do for the daughter of my people?' (Jeremiah 9:7). 'I love them too well to lose them for want of a rod.'

1. His love consists [reconstructed: not] in a taking his Church into his bosom, and [illegible] continual, and never interrupted laying of her [reconstructed: between] his breasts; indeed, tempting flows from the love of God, nor is it any act of Justice; indeed, to take vengea…

And that of the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 4:19): "My bowels! my bowels! I am pained at my very heart! My heart makes a noise in me! I cannot hold my peace! Because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war!" And so (Jeremiah 9:1; 13:17; 14:17; Isaiah…

Let me tell you: you trust in lying words, you lean upon such a prop as will certainly fail and deceive you in the latter end. Consider (Jeremiah 9:25, 26). Use 2. To awaken us to bethink ourselves what use it is that we make of the means of grace which we have and enjoy, what g…

This convinced Plato of a deity, when he saw all the world could not make a fly. Thus God proves himself to be the true God, and distinguishes himself from idols (Jeremiah 10:11). It is written in Chaldean, Thus shall you say to them, the gods that have not made the heavens and…

Could he stand of himself against a temptation, this prayer were needless: Lead us not into temptation. No man has power of himself to resist a temptation further than God gives him strength (Jeremiah 10:23): O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself. If Peter who had…

And to ascribe it to any one, that is not God by nature, is idolatry. By making therefore their Christ such a God as they describe, they bring him under the severe commination of the true God (Jeremiah 10:11): 'The Gods that have not made the Heavens and the Earth, even they sha…

It is that kind of reproach which proceeds from malicious hatred, and is accompanied with contempt and scorn, and vents itself in all manner of obloquies, or hard speeches, such as those mentioned (Jude v. 15). And the nature of it is fully declared by the Prophet (Jeremiah 10:8…

The first is the testimony of the scripture, which ascribes the event of all particular actions, even such as are in themselves casual, as the casting of lots and such like to the disposition of God: which very thing also teaches that even men themselves, endowed with reason and…

When men are loth to come into God's presence out of a love to ease and carnal pleasures, and care not if God and they grow strange, or seldom hear from one another, 'tis a great evil: our comfort and peace depends much upon frequent access to God. So when family worship, when t…

And in all such actions with Augustine I understand the will of man to be only wounded or half dead. 2, That the will of man is under the will of God, and therefore to be ordered by it; as Jeremiah says (Jeremiah 10:23), O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself: neith…

So that all the zeal and affection men have in a superstitious way is but blind devotion, and zeal without knowledge. You blind Pharisee, every man is brutish in his knowledge, every founder is confounded by the graven image, for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no br…

It constrains not a man to good against his will, but powerfully moves the will to do that by consent, which God has determined shall be done. The way of man is not in himself, the motion is man's, the action is man's, but the direction of his steps is from God (Jeremiah 10:23).…

It seems evident, that the time will come, when there will not be one nation remaining in the world, which shall not embrace the true religion, in that God has expressly revealed, that no one such nation shall be left standing on the earth; Isaiah 60:12, The nation and kingdom t…

But we must not be confident of any thing for the future. For the present this I know, that not only the whole Scripture that was given the Church for its use before the Captivity, was written in the Tongue that they all spake and understood, but that the Lord sufficiently manif…

Yet He did not so utterly hide this counsel of His will in the secret treasury of His infinite wisdom that there did not proceed from His supreme mercy toward the human race — and from His most just and most holy wrath toward false, empty, worthless gods and idols — both promise…

XII. With respect to the material of the immediate objects of worship, they are also variously named. Hence they are also called contemptuously by a term meaning "wood" or "a piece of wood": Hosea 4:12, "My people asks counsel of its wood"; and Jeremiah 10:8. Whatever idolaters…

From hence cometh it, that we fear not in greatest dangers (2 Kings 6:16; Psalm 3:7; Psalm 27:3); that in the time of affliction, we are patient (Proverbs 20:22; Hebrews 10:33); without all murmuring to hold our peace (Psalm 39:10); receiving them as from a father (Job 1:21; Psa…

(Genesis 21:6) All that hear shall laugh with me — Sarah means the laughter of faith; then must all that hear of Sarah's bearing of Isaac in her old age, believe in Christ, as Sarah did? (Psalm 65:2) O you that hears prayer, to you shall all flesh come — a figure there must be i…

General distresses and troubles shall be complained of, there shall happen catholic and spreading calamities, and (which is always to be implied, if God or man do not interpose, the one by infinite clemency and forbearance, or the other by repentance and amendment) evils of a ve…

We are to fear God, and not to fear the stars: neither are we to make differences of days in respect of them, as though the affairs we take in hand, should prosper the better or the worse, in respect of their different operation. God's commandment is, Fear not the signs of heave…

The trial itself also shows clearly what fruit the people gather by these books. For being deceived by such gross imaginations, they frame to themselves earthly and fleshly gods: of whom Jeremiah justly says, that the idol is not only a vain thing, but also a teacher of falsehoo…

Satan and the wicked on the other side would not only entangle and entrap us in many of their nets; neither would they think it sufficient to cast some small stumbling-blocks in our way: but one while they would drive us upon the rocks, another while into bottomless depths of mi…

But as I think the sense which I have given agrees best. Now that we may the better clear this sentence, we must lay this foundation, to wit, that God always keeps a measure in his corrections: the reason is, because he is inclined to mercy, which we gather from the word judgmen…

They pray then that their pains may be moderated. As Jeremiah says, Correct me, O Lord, but in judgment, that is to say in measure (Jeremiah 10:24). For he opposes judgment to wrath, as in (2 Samuel 7:14) it is said that he chastises us with the rods of men, because he will not…

Here our Lord condemns another fault, which is almost always connected with immoderate anxiety about food: and that is, when a mortal man, claiming more than he has a right to do, does not hesitate, in sacrilegious hardihood, to go beyond his limits. “O Lord, I know (says Jeremi…

Things that you never projected for your selves, have been brought about beyond all your thoughts. Many such things are with God; and which of all the saints has not ound that word Jeremiah 10:23 verified by clear and undeniable experience? The way of man is not in himself.

See Isaiah 54. 15, 16, 17. and 8. 8, 9, 10. expounded by 2 Kings 18:17 & seq. See you at any time a rub of Providence diverting the course of good men from falling into evil, or wicked men from committing evil; how loudly do such Providences proclaim the truth and certainty of t…

This is the case of Millions, and Millions of Millions: for Pagan Idolars (as that searching Scholar Mr. Briwood informs us) do not only fill the circumference of nine hundred miles in Europe, but almost the one half of Africa, more than the half of Asia, and almost the whole of…

That as the way of a man is not in himself, so much less is the end of a man in himself. The way of a man is not in himself, says the Prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 10:23), that is, a man's actions are not in his own power, he is not master of his own will, or of his own way. If a m…

And so from this simile, her stature is commended: the palm tree is recorded in Scripture to have diverse commendable properties. 1. It is straight; therefore it is said of the idols that they are upright like the palm tree (Jeremiah 10:5); straightness is comely in a stature; h…

That is, (as many learned expositors understand it, although some take another way) then began men solemnly and publicly to worship God in their assemblies. And (Jeremiah 10:25): Pour out your fury upon the heathen that know you not, and upon the families that call not on your n…

How few did labor to instruct their families, catechize their children and servants, to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord? Has not God threatened to pour out his wrath upon irreligious families? (Jeremiah 10:25) Neglect of city-reformation: have not the mag…

The roaring lion was conquered by the Lamb of God, in the strongest dominion that ever he had, even the Roman empire. This was a remarkable accomplishment of, Jeremiah 10:11, "The Gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from…

The Lord shall be King, and it is added over all the earth, not only over a few churches, but over all nations. Christ will show himself in the largeness of his power, not only as King of Saints (Revelation 15:3), but as King of Nations (Jeremiah 10:7), as head to the Church, bu…

Must we not needs say, this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? The several false religions of the heathen with their various superstitions and idolatries, though they gave very little opposition one to another, but agreed together well enough, yet having no f…

Every morning we should revive the sense of it upon ourselves, as the care of our work and aim, so the sense of our weakness: This day I am to live with God; but how unable am I? and how easily shall I dishonor him? The way of man is not in himself (Jeremiah 10:23). When a Chris…

That God is to be worshipped according to his own will, and whoever shall forsake and despise all the duties of his worship, cannot be saved. Jeremiah 10:15. Pour out your fury upon the heathen that know you not, and upon the families that call not upon your name, for they have…

God is not an idle spectator, he disposes of all events, and gives the blessing. (Jeremiah 10:23): The way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walks to direct his steps. That is, as to any happy issue.

2. The excellency of the Word of God, and the religion it establishes: it contains store of sure comforts; and when all other comforts can do us no good, then the Word of God affords us relief and support. Bare human reason cannot find out such grounds of comfort in all their ph…

Therefore we need to call God to counsel, and to inquire of the oracle in all matters that concern family, commonwealth or church. We need a guide (Jeremiah 10:23): O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself, neither is it in man that walks to direct his steps. Affairs…

His goodness and mercy (Hosea 3:5): They shall fear the Lord, and his goodness. (Jeremiah 10:6-7): There is none like you, O Lord, you are great, and your name is great in might. Who would not fear you, O King of nations?

And let it not seem strange that the troubles and afflictions of the godly should be called judgments; for though there be no vindictive wrath in them, yet they are called so upon a double reason: partly, because they are acts of God's holy justice, correcting and humbling his p…

And (Ecclesiastes 9:12): Man knows not his time. 'Tis not in man to direct his way (Jeremiah 10:23). We cannot order our speech by reason of darkness (Job 37:19).

There is a word, an awful word, which a prophet of God has written in a certain place; methinks, that word falls like a thunderbolt of death upon the families, in which God is not prayed to. It is written in Jeremiah 10:25: O Lord — pour out your fury on the heathen, which know…

Yes. It is not in man to direct his own way (Jeremiah 10:23). It is beyond the power of a dead man to restore himself to life.

The Kingdom of God comes of small beginnings. God complains of Israel, they were brutish in their knowledge, Jeremiah 10:14. he does not say brutish in their ignorance, had they sinned because they did not know better, this would have excused à tanto, but they did that which was…

He has not dealt so with any nation; and as for his judgments, they have not known them' (Psalm 147:19-20). Hence those designations of the heathen and those imprecations, as in Jeremiah 10:25: 'Pour out your fury upon the heathen that know you not, and upon the families that ca…

Are there not some that don't so much as pray in their families? Men may make excuses for such neglects if they will, but there is a Scripture which falls upon them like a thunderbolt of death, and they cannot escape it, I mean that in Jeremiah 10:25, Pour out your fury upon the…

But because we know that the world was made principally for mankind's sake, we must therefore consider this end in the governance of man. The prophet Jeremiah cries out: "I know, Lord, that the way of man is not his own, neither does it belong to man to direct his own steps" (Je…

But as we read everywhere that the holy ones suffer such punishments with quiet mind, so they have always prayed to escape the first kind of scourges. Chastise me, Lord (says Jeremiah) but in your judgment, not in your wrath, lest you destroy me (Jeremiah 10:24). Pour out your w…

2. Let us look into all places and persons, and see how few shall be saved. The world is now split into four parts, Europe, Asia, Africa, and America: and the three biggest parts are drowned in a flood of profaneness and superstition; they do not so much as profess Christ; you m…

My times are in your hands (Psalm 31:5). (Daniel 5:23) You have not honored your God, in whose hand your breath is, and all your ways, it was the sin of the profane King not to regard it; All his ways and turnings, his sickness and health, and all his changes, they are all in Go…

First, God will reveal his secret counsels to such, and make them of his counsel (Genesis 18:18-20). Secondly, he will bring upon Abraham all the good he has promised him: it is the ready way to bring about the accomplishment of all God's promises to us; otherwise God will heap…

And thus Christ did glorify his Father, He went about doing good (Acts 10:38). By being fruitful we are fair in God's eyes (Jeremiah 11:16): The Lord called your name a green olive-tree, fair and of goodly fruit. And we must bear much fruit, it is muchness of fruit that glorifie…

But sinners are content to be under the command of sin, they are willing to be slaves, they love their chains, they will not take their freedom: They glory in their shame (Philippians 3:19). They wear their sins, not as their fetters, but their ornaments: They rejoice in iniquit…

The sixth Argument which the Synod here useth, is, Because the Parents in question are personal, immediate, and yet-continuing Members of the Church. 1. That they are personal Members, or Members in their own persons, they say appears, 1. Because they are personally holy (1 Cori…

And whereas the Lord's prayer is a perfect platform of prayer, temporal blessing must have some place there, unless we will ascribe the having and enjoying of them to our own industry, as though they were no gifts of God: which to think were great impiety. By bread then we must…

If God sees that Sanctuary-blessings bear but a low price, he will remove the Market. 7. Perjury. Jer. 11. 10. The house of Israel, and the house of Iudah have broken my Covenant; therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to…

From this the use of the word was first transferred to signify some part of the city. The same thing was done at Jerusalem as at Athens: Jeremiah 11:13, "For according to the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah! and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem yo…

But there is shame formally in sin; and that: 1. Which we call thinking of shame or being ashamed actively; 2. In bearing of shame passively. In the former consideration; because sin is a shameful thing in itself (Jeremiah 11:13): "You set up altars to that shameful thing, even…

And now what course is to be taken for preventing these horrid designs? Alas, we have no other remedy, but the ancient Christians' weapons, prayers and tears; these may break their nets, and blunt their weapons; good Jeremiah knew not that they had devised devices against him, b…

Doubtless none of them would once show themselves so impudent, as in plain terms to desire they might be seduced; or to say, that they would resist the truth: for in outward profession, they made the world believe they sought to promote the same with all diligence, as all our ad…

But what if the Jews were moved with the calamity when it came, should cry, and be importunate with the Lord, would not their tears move him? No, says he: (Jeremiah 11:14): Therefore pray not for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in…

How many ways did he take to testify his displeasure against them? Hence that (Jeremiah 11:15), What has my beloved to do in my house, seeing she has wrought lewdness with many, if men in covenant with God, will live in sin, he will not bear it, yes the very Covenant threatening…

Fruitfulness adorns a Christian; the fruit adorns the tree; a fruit-bearing Christian is an ornament to religion. The more fruitful the branch, the more fair to look on (Jeremiah 11:16): the Lord called your name a green olive tree, fair and of goodly fruit. A dead tree, as it i…

The Scripture is called the Book of the Covenant (Exodus 24:7; 2 Kings 23:4; 2 Chronicles 34:30, 21). The question is easily determined — it can be the Book of no Covenant, but of that made with Abraham, the oath to Jacob (1 Chronicles 16:16, 17; Psalm 105:9; Jeremiah 11:5; Dani…

1. How far are they from Repentance, who instead of hating sin, love sin. To the godly sin is as a thorn in the eye; to the wicked it is as a crown on the head, (Jeremiah 11:15). When you do evil, then you rejoycest.

8. When we grow more fruitful in Grace. A Christian should be like the Olive tree, fair and of goodly fruit, Jeremiah 11:16. There is a tree in the Isle of Pomona which hath its fruit folded and wrapped up in the leaves of it.

Psalm 119:21: "You have rebuked the proud, that are accursed." Jeremiah 11:3: Cursed be the man that obeys not the words of this covenant. Ibid. chapter 17:5: Cursed, be the man, that trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm.

Romans 10:18: 'Their sound went into all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.' Jeremiah 11:6: 'Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear the words of this covenant, and do them.' So also Jeremiah 19:2 and 7:2.

Q. 7. What are the chief attributes of his being? A. (a) Eternity, (b) infiniteness, (c) simplicity, or purity, (d) all-sufficiency, (e) perfectness, (f) immutability, (g) life, (h) will, and (i) understanding. (a) Deuteronomy 33:37; Psalm 93:2; Isaiah 57:15; Revelation 1:11. (b…

Q. 7. What are the chief attributes of his being? A. (a) Eternity, (b) infiniteness, (c) simplicity, or purity, (d) all-sufficiency, (e) perfectness, (f) immutability, (g) life, (h) will, and (i) understanding. (a) Deuteronomy 33:37, Psalm 93:2, Isaiah 57:15, Revelation 1:11. (b…

God is an infinite ocean of blessedness, and there is enough in him to fill us: If a thousand vessels be thrown into the sea, there is enough in the sea to fill them. 4. If God be our God, he will entirely love us: Propriety is the ground of love: God may give men kingdoms, and…

The final impunity of flagitious sinners in this world, the unrelieved oppressions, afflictions, and miseries of the best, the prosperity of wicked devilish designs, the defeating and overthrow of holy, just, righteous undertakings and endeavours, promiscuous accidents to all so…

This now says the Prophet shall in the days of the Gospel be observed throughout the world, which it could not be in case it were not lawful for Christians in any case to swear by that holy name. And that in like manner is a promise concerning the calling and conversion of the G…

Ignorance of the nature of it and how essential it is to the Divine Being, is the occasion of security in sinning and atheism to ungodly men (Ecclesiastes 8:11, 12, 13; 2 Peter 3:3, 4). And a great temptation it is ofttimes to them that are godly (Habakkuk 1:12, 13; Jeremiah 12:…

The righteous are God's treasure (Psalm 135:4), and where his treasure is, there is his heart: they are God's delicious garden, where he plants the flower of his love (Psalm 146:8). They are the dearly beloved of his soul (Jeremiah 12:7). They are his Hephzibah, or darling (Isai…

3. His providence, in general when the wicked prosper; 'tis a temptation that has shaken the tallest cedars in Lebanon. David, though a steward, he was ashamed of it, and counts it brutish ignorance (Psalm 73:22); so (Jeremiah 12:1, 2, 3) and Habakkuk chapter 1. But let us come…

Indeed, and the observation of the outward felicities of vice, and the oppressions of goodness have caused fretting commotions in the hearts of God's people; Psalm 73 is wholly designed to answer this case. Jeremiah, though fixed in the acknowledgment of God's righteousness, wou…

God loves his people with the choicest of his love, they have the spirits of his love distilled; and to shew this, he calls them by those Titles which denote love; the apple of his eye, Deutr. 32. 10. The dearly beloved of his soul, Jer. 12. 7. His Treasure, Psal. 135. 4.

We say when Cherries come at first, that they are Ladies meat, or Longing meat: Now the Lord is pleased to condescend so much to express his love to his people, as the love of a longing woman to Cherries or other fruit, when they come first of all; as a woman has a longing after…

Oh it is a sad expression, what Israel! a vessel employed and received to empty out excrements! [1. Israel were a people precious and honorable in the eyes of God (Isaiah 43:4). [2. An holy people to the Lord (Deuteronomy 14:2). [3. They were God's peculiar people above all nati…

he permitted to the people, whether they would follow Jehovah or Baal, v. 21. Then they swore by his name, thereby establishing him as the most present God, the searcher of hearts, and the supreme governor of all actions: Jeremiah 12:16, "They taught my people to swear by Baal,"…

And thus much of those which the Lord in mercy and wisdom receives of us. Now follows those means which he has given us, and they are attributed to the Lord himself directly, as his titles, to be used, either simply (Romans 9:5; 1 Timothy 1:17), in an oath (Deuteronomy 6:13; Jer…

Answer: The thing in question is not concluded; we say not we are to pray for the salvation of none but believers only, and that Christ died for none but those that already believed: we are to pray for all ranks, believers or unbelievers, as Christ died for thousands of both, bu…

Reasons. 1. We pray cursorily, and go about prayer as a customary task for fashion's sake; we come with a few cold devotions morning and evening, and so God is near in our mouths, and far from our reins (Jeremiah 12:2). Oh take heed of this; nothing breeds slightness and hardnes…

The way of the wicked often prospers, and the way of these wicked Chaldeans prospered so often, that the prophet Habakkuk complains to God as one scandalized at it: You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on iniquity, why do you look upon them that deal treach…

In the Old we have a prophecy of what should be hereafter in the times of the gospel (Isaiah 45:23): I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to me every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall swear. And again (Jeremia…

After this, how was the church opposed in Egypt! And how was the church of Israel always hated by the nations round about, agreeable to that in Jeremiah 12:9, "Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her." After the Babylonish captivity, ho…

And this was not only an Institution belonging to Israel under the old Testament, but also to Gentile Converts, and Christians under the New Testament. Thus God declares concerning the Gentile Nations, Jeremiah 12:16. If they will diligently learn the Ways of my People, to SWEAR…

And so as every thing loves its own, the hen warms and cherishes her chickens, and every bird the young ones; so must the Lord follow with heavenly and quickening influences sincerity of heart, when he particularly says to them (Psalm 32:11), Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice you…

He complains of a sort of people, that draw near to God with their mouth, and with their lips do honor him, but have removed their heart far from him, and their fear toward him is taught by the precepts of men. So (Jeremiah 12:2): You, oh Lord, are near in their mouth, and far f…

Can there be a greater slight put upon the eternal God than for men to use his sacred and blessed name as a byword, with which they give vent to their exorbitant passions, or fill up the vacancies of their other idle words? The name of God is thus abused not only by those that b…

2. His pleasant portion, Jer. 12:10 They have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. 3.

Wind shaking the tree, makes it grow more steady. Thus the tribulations of the godly, and the persecutions they suffer, do oppose their graces, but because they cannot overcome them, they strengthen them: As we read Psalm 45. when the Church forsakes all, when she leaves her fat…

O what will you do in the day of your visitation? Jer. 12:5 If thefootmen have wearied you, how can you contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, how will you do in the swelling of Jordan? We read of Polycarpus, that as he lay in his bed, he saw in a vision the bed set o…

It may be learned from his constant way in governing the world; notwithstanding all provocations; yet he does good to men, causing his sun to shine upon them, sending them rain and fruitful seasons, filling their hearts with food and gladness. From this it was easy for them to c…

That none may pervert this comfortable doctrine, let me add two caveats. 1. That men deceive not themselves with a naked name, thinking themselves to be of the Church, when they are only in it; such may Christ hate (Jeremiah 12:8). 2. That being of the Church they grow not insol…

Because there is not so much as a word of it for the time (so the word is) this greatens, and fills the heart of man, and makes it big to do evil. And not only is the Lord's long suffering mistaken by the ungodly, but even by his own, that should understand him better, and know…

David stood both in the one temptation and in the other, the reproach and contempt of the vulgar, and also when princes sat and spoke against him. But to these we may say as (Jeremiah 12:5): If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how will you contend w…

Use 1. Is to reprove those that do not give God the heart in their service. 2nd. Not the whole heart. First, not the heart, but content themselves with outward profession (Jeremiah 12:2): you are near in their mouth, but far from their reins. God is often in their speech, but th…

God's judgments are a great deep, we should believe the righteousness and goodness of God in the general (Psalm 36:7), before we can find it out. The people of God have maintained their principle, when they have been puzzled and entangled in interpreting God's providence (Jeremi…

2. God may delay so long, till a land be wasted by sundry successive common judgments that light upon good and bad. (Jeremiah 12:4) After the complaint of the prosperity of the wicked, the prophet subjoins, "How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of the field wither?" When…

Believe that God now does understand what you are. It was an article in that famous prophet's creed, in Jeremiah 12:3: You, O Lord, know me, you have seen me, and tried my heart towards you. O that every one of us were enough sensible of that awful solemn truth!

The hypocrite makes only a show of obedience. Jeremiah 12:2: You are near in their mouth and far from their inner being. There may be a fair complexion when the lungs and vitals are rotten.

He who is born of God honors those who fear the Lord (Psalm 15:4). The saints are the dearly beloved of God's soul (Jeremiah 12:7). They are his jewels (Malachi 3:17).

1. A hypocrite is he who on the stage represents a King, when he is none, a beggar, an old man, a husband, when he is really no such thing (Luke 20:20). They sent out spies, feigning themselves to be just men: to the Hebrews they are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 faciales, facemen,…

On this account the children of Israel were nearer to God than any other nation in the world (Psalm 148:14): The children of Israel, a people near to him. There is an external covenanting with God; such may be really far from God, yet they are as to their visible state near to h…

So he said to her, Peace be to you; stand up. But she continued upon her face, and said, “Righteous are you, O Lord, when I plead with you; yet let me talk with you of your judgments” (Jeremiah 12:1). Why do you keep so cruel a dog in your yard, at the sight of which such women…

Nothing so much comforts you under or after an affliction as the discovery it has made of your heart. You will seem to feel with what affections those words came from the prophet's lips (Jeremiah 12:3): 'But you, O Lord, know me; you have seen me, and tried my heart toward you.'…

Secondly, a passive trial of it: whether we try it or not, God will try it; he will bring our gold to the touchstone, and to the fire. 'You, O Lord, know me, you have seen me and tried my heart toward you,' said the prophet (Jeremiah 12:3). Sometimes he tries the strength and ab…

'If they draw near to him with their lips, yet their heart is far from him' (Isaiah 29:13). 'You are near in their mouth, but far from their minds' (Jeremiah 12:2). There are some that feel the influence and power of their communion with the Lord in duties, going down to their v…

O who can value the comfort that is tasted by the soul upon the trial and discovery of its sincerity! When after some sore temptation wherein God has helped us to maintain our integrity, or after some close pinching affliction wherein we have discovered in ourselves a sweet resi…

Q. 8. What are the attributes which usually are ascribed to him in his works, or the acts of his will? A. (k) Goodness, (l) power, (m) justice, (n) mercy, (o) holiness, (p) wisdom, and the like, which he delights to exercise towards his creatures, for the praise of his glory. (k…

Q. 8. What are the attributes which usually are ascribed to him in his works, or the acts of his will? A. (k) Goodness, (l) power, (m) justice, (n) mercy, (o) holiness, (p) wisdom, and the like, which he delights to exercise towards his creatures, for the praise of his glory. (k…

How [〈◊〉] did he come a wooing to you by his Spirit? He waited till his head was filled with dew: He cried as (Jeremiah 13:27). Will you not be made clean, when shall it once be? O Christian! did God wait for your love, and can you not wait for his?

Custom is a second nature. Jeremiah 13:23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the Leopard his spots, then may you also do good that are accustomed to do evil?

You cannot sin, but your Judge looks on. Jeremiah 13:27: I have seen your adulteries and your neighings. Jeremiah 29:23: They have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, even I know, and am a witness, says the Lord.

Therefore he says, 'Blessed are all they that wait for him.' And as he now waits only to be the more gracious to you, so he did formerly wait a long while for you to begin to turn to him, and said, 'When will it once be?' (Jeremiah 13). You made him wait your leisure in turning…

4. These are betrayed by a proud contempt, and obstinacy against instruction and reproof (Jeremiah 5:5). I will go to the great men and speak to them, but these have altogether burst the yoke, and broken the bands, they had cast off all respect and obedience to God (Jeremiah 13:…

2. It is a very defiling sin, you have defiled your self in your Idols which you have made (Ezekiel 22:4). It is a sin of spiritual filthiness and uncleanness, I have seen your Adulteries, and your neighings, and the lewdness of your whoredoms, the meaning is, your Idolatryes, a…

You shall not make to yourself any graven thing, or image, or likeness of any thing in heaven above, &c. In which part, by a usual manner of the Law, a part being put for the whole, as in the 6th, 7th, and 9th commandments, and that one of the foulest, look to note the filthines…

The other ground of our answer to all the places on the contrary, is that the word [Greek text], and [Greek text]; Christ died for all: does never signify all and every one of mankind, by neither Scripture, nor the doctrine of adversaries: but is as all Divines say, to be expoun…

Nor therefore work anything because God set us to work, or to aim at any service of God, or good to his people in it, so that as our thoughts be, so are our words, evil, and only, and continually evil; and much more all the works of our hands, that require greater strength of gr…

God would have it so, Job must pray for them when he sees them in a sin. And Jeremiah speaks to the same purpose (Jeremiah 13:17): My soul shall mourn and weep in secret for you. And the pattern of our Savior is without exception (Luke 23:34) — happy was he that could do him a m…

Ille dolet verā qui sine teste dolet. My soul shall weep sore in secret places (Jeremiah 13:17). And Peter went out and wept bitterly (Matthew 26:75).

It was not the first time Elijah had there wrestled with God; if it was his lodging room, it was his praying room: And here God heard him, and wrought the miracle: what he did for Elijah, he can and will do for us, if he see fit: for Elijah was no more than a man, and subject to…

6. Would you not have the sins of others to bring wrath and judgment on the place? Oh then, let your souls weep and pray in secret places, as Jeremiah did (Jeremiah 13:17). This is the last and safest way to be delivered from the guilt of open crying sins in the land, even a mou…

Therefore this is the proper and true use of the law, by lightning, by tempest, and by the sound of the trumpet (as in Mount Sinai) to terrify, and by thundering to beat down and rend in pieces this beast which is called the opinion of righteousness. Therefore says God by Jeremi…

Nay he calls to us standing without, Open to me my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is full of dew, and my locks with the drops of the night (Song of Solomon 5:2). Woe to you Jerusalem, will you never be made clean? when will it once be? (Jeremiah 13:27). More…

So it is with their Sorrow for the Sins of others. The Saints' Pains and Travailing for the Souls of Sinners is chiefly in secret Places; Jeremiah 13:17. 'If ye will not hear it, my Soul shall weep in Secret Places for your Pride: And mine Eye shall weep sore, and run down with…

Be clothed with humility: Some think the word imports that string or ribbon that ties together those precious pearls of divine graces, these adorn the soul, and if this spring break they are all scattered: humility is the knot of every virtue, the ornament of every grace: hence…

1. Satan can send in posts with letters, and write his [illegible], his wiles to the heart. This is one way of putting it in the heart of Judas to betray Christ, by sending his mind and will through the fancy to the heart, and the fancy being set on work by the will and understa…

5. Which will not hearken to the voice of the charmer. And because we are ready to excuse ourselves from our impotency, the Holy Ghost bears this upon them as a charge (Jeremiah 13:23): Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the Leopard his spots? Then may you do good that are ac…

Thirdly, let us greatly lament the folly and wickedness of those who speak against Christ and his holy religion, and if we can do anything, have compassion upon them, and help to undeceive them, and rectify their mistakes. Surely this is one of the abominations committed among u…

Let the name of God be precious to you: Is it not a precious thing to live so, as to bring honor to God? to hold forth the honor of God, is all the glory we can bring to God; let us be known to be those we profess ourselves to be, separated from the world, by the holiness of our…

When a man weeps, and is in a mournful posture, he seeks secrecy, that he may indulge his grief. They were to mourn apart (Zechariah 12), and (Jeremiah 13:17), My soul shall weep sore for your pride in secret places. So here, when a man would deal most earnestly with God, he sho…

The third thing I shall produce: That the Scripture does expressly deny any power in man to convert himself to God (1 Corinthians 2:14): The natural man cannot know the things of the Spirit of God, because they are spiritually discerned; and as he cannot know, so he cannot obey…

Let us fly to this Asylum, Lord spare us as a Father spares his Son. See Gods different dealing with the Godly and the Wicked; the Lord will not spare the Wicked, Jeremiah 13:14. I will not Pity, nor spare, nor have Mercy, but destroy them. 'Tis sad, when the Prisoner begs of th…

Every act lessens fear, and strengthens inclination. (Jeremiah 13:27) Woe to you, O Jerusalem, will you not be made clean? When shall it once be?

Their obstinacy in sin, or unsubjection to God, is made to be pride. So Jeremiah, when he gives the people good counsel to prevent ensuing judgments, Hear you, give ear, be not proud (Jeremiah 13:15), that is, do not obstinately refuse to comply with God's will. And afterward, v…

As soon as we are born we follow our sensual appetite; and the first years of man's life are merely governed by sense, and the pleasures thereof; are born and bred up with us, and deeply engraved in our natures; and by constant living in the world, conversing with corporeal obje…

And so Paul (Romans 7:14): I am carnal, sold under sin. 4. Consider how this bondage is always increased by custom, which is a second nature, or an inveterate disease not easily cured (Jeremiah 13:23): Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the Leopard his spots? then may you als…

Thus Lot escaped in Sodom, because his righteous soul was vexed: and Noah was upright in his generation, because he reproved the deeds of the wicked. 2. When we see their punishment in their sin, and fear a storm when the clouds are gathering, it puts us upon mourning and humili…

Now the more we provoke God, the more we resist his call, the more hard the heart is; the impulses of his grace are not so strong as before, and the heart every day is more hardened. As a path wears the harder by frequent treading, so the heart is more hard, the mind more blind,…

And shall God stand waiting till we turn from our evil ways? If any cry how long, God may, as he does (Jeremiah 13:27), when shall it once be? 4. It is [reconstructed: base] self-love, when we can be content to dishonor God longer, provided that at length we may be saved.

4. Joy is communicative; mourning apart is good; Peter went out and wept bitterly (Matthew 26:75). And Jeremiah says when he would weep for the people (Jeremiah 13:17): My soul shall weep in secret places for your pride. And (Zechariah 12:12-13): They shall mourn every family ap…

And this is that we should lay to heart at this day. (Jeremiah 13:17) But if you will not hear, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride. When a people will not be brought to any serious consideration of God's judgments, nor abate their haughty minds, he would bewail t…

(Jeremiah 4:14) O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved: how long shall your vain thoughts lodge within you? And (Jeremiah 13:27) O Jerusalem, will you not be made clean? When shall it once be?

I have preached to you, prayed, and wept for you; I have shown you the way of repentance, faith, and holiness; and were it to die for you, I hope I should not account my life dear to me, that I might save your souls by losing it. Oh, let me again entreat, beseech, and beg you fo…

Oh how dear is the law of God, and how vile the sin of men to holy David! So the Prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 13:15-17) expresses the like zeal for God: "Hear, and give ear, be not proud, give glory to the Lord, etc. But if you will not hear, my soul shall weep in secret for your…

When distempers become as it were natural, and are in the constitution, they are hard to be cured; it is not easy obliterating that which is written with a pen of iron, and the point of a diamond; it is difficult to soften a heart of stone. Besides, this filthiness has had long…

Conclude you may and write upon it, you have never prayed aright, heard aright, you have never received a sacrament aright to this day, you have never profited by any means you have enjoyed, or duties you have performed to this day. Your disease and distempers are desperate, and…

(Isaiah 30:18) He waits to be gracious: He takes fresh and renewed throws of patience and travails as it were in expectation of the return of a sinner. (Jeremiah 13, last verse) Oh Jerusalem, will you not be made clean? When will it once be?

Who is the owner but he who receives the rent of the vineyard; or he to whom it is in justice due? It is true, God is not profited as to his eternal glory, by the best services of any of his creatures; but his declarative glory is in this way advanced, his Church therefore are p…

Original sin in man is not merely morally privative, or a disabling of man from doing good, by emptying him of the grace which he had at the first; but there is something morally positive in it too, that is, all the moral powers of his soul are habitually bent to sin, his heart…

And hence the Apostle says, that the privilege of the Jew is great, in having God's Oracles (which contain God's Covenant) committed to them, though some believe not, which unbelief makes not (he says) the faith of God, that is, God's promise or Covenant of none effect, or an un…

Lo these many years have I served you, neither at any time transgressed I your Commandment, and wilt you cast me off now? what in mine old age, after you have had so much pleasure by me? See how sin pleads custom, and that is a Leopards spot, (Jeremiah 13:23). It is dangerous to…

17:30. 1. It is necessary for great ones, (Jeremiah 13:18). Say to the King and the Queen, humble your selves.

The Apostle therefore reduces the great contrivance of mans Salvation to this (Ephesians 1:6): To the praise of the glory of his Grace. His people are therefore said to be to him for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory (Jeremiah 13:11). 2. In the order of the means to this…

The mind will not be compelled to give place to them any more. The Prophet gives the Reason of it, Jer. 13:23. Can the Aethiopian change his skin, or the Leopard his spots, then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to evil.

And again will you not be made clean? when shall it once be? (Jeremiah 13:27). Yet again, hear another Scripture, How long will it be, ere they attain to innocency? (Hosea 8:5).

Both from a reluctancy, and indisposition to any such employment as this is itself; and from disaffection to that whereto it tends, the breaking off your former sinful course of life, and entering upon a better. And does not all this show you the plain truth of what the word of…

"O that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them!" So (Jeremiah 13:27), "O Jerusalem, will you not be made clean? When shall it once be?"

So that although we must manage the same decently and prudently with due respect to men's stations and degrees, showing all meekness to all men; yet we must do it, first, impartially without respect of persons; secondly, zealously against the daring presumptions of the greatest…

Resp. 1. To make God to be a God to us, is to acknowledge him for a God: The gods of the heathen are idols (Psalm 96:5), and we know that an idol is nothing (1 Corinthians 8:4), that is, it has nothing of deity in it: If we cry, Help O idol, an idol cannot help; the idols were t…

He calls his people to say in their hearts, Let us fear the Lord who gives Rain (Jeremiah 5:24). Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause Rain, or can the Heavens give showers (Jeremiah 14:22). And he exercises his sovereignty in the giving of it (Amos 4:7…

Deutr. 23. 14. For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy Camp to deliver thee. Jer. 14. 9. Thou O Lord, art in the midst of us. The Church of God hath not only enemies without her, to conflict with, but within her, such as are Hypocrites and Apostates; she complains that…

But since we left off burning incense to the queen of heaven, and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have been in want of all things." God, therefore, intending to bring that people back to better conduct and to His own worship, recalls to their minds that those vanities of…

And likewise Ezekiel 30:13; Leviticus 19:4, eidola [idols]; and Habakkuk 2:18, eidola kopa [idols] and eidola muta [mute idols]. Also Psalm 97:7, glypta [graven images], that is, "carved images"; Isaiah 19:3, theoi [gods] and agalmata [statues] — "gods and images"; Psalm 96:5, d…

Isaiah saw his vision as in the Temple; for although from those words, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the Temple, Aben-Ezra and Kimchi suppose, that he saw the Throne of God in Heaven, and only his train of Glory descending into th…

All the fields do languish, and the bellowing cattle are pined with thirst. Such a sad state the prophet rhetorically describes (Jeremiah 14:3-6). The nobles have sent their little ones to the waters, they came to the pits and found no water; they returned with their vessels emp…

2. When a soul can live contentedly and joyfully and wants God, and lives fat and rejoicingly 60 or 70 years without Christ, and never missed Christ; how few know this sickness? Especially 1. The pain of hunger and thirst which is destructive to life; the fruitful earth's diseas…

3. In that there is a promise, to him that has it shall be given (Matthew 25:29, Matthew 13:12), but how far the promise extends is after to be discussed. (3.) As touching influences natural, they seem to be common to free and voluntary agents, and also to natural causes; so the…

Cant. 1. Draw, and we will run; the Spouse says not, Lord, draw that we may sleep. 2. Our impotency leads us to turn sinful wickedness in mournful confession and godly complaining, as the Saints do (Psalm 51:5; Jer. 14:4; Isa. 64:8, 9; Dan. 9:5, 6, 11; Psalm 116:6, 7). 3. Cain,…

No; if they do that, I will not hear them. (Jeremiah 14:11-12): Then God said to me, pray not for this people for their good: when they fast, I will not hear their cry; when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them, but I will consume them by the sword,…

Though you make many prayers, when you multiply prayer, I will not hear: and when you spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; your hands so filthy that if you would follow me to lay hold on me with them, you drive me further off, as one with foul hands following…

As the ivy wrapped about the tree, cannot be hurt, except you do hurt to the tree: So, the Lord has twisted our concernment about his own honor and glory. Thus the saints plead God's glory as an argument (Jeremiah 14:7), O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do you i…

1. Let us be earnest suitors to him, exercise Eyes of Faith, and Knees of prayer. Jeremiah 14:9. And in prayer let us use Joshua's argument, Josh. 7:9.

Doctrine 2. It is God alone that can keep us from wandering. Reason. There is in man's heart a mighty proneness thereto (Jeremiah 14:10). You have hearts that love to wander. Man is a restless creature, that loves shifts and changes.

There need many mercies from first to last for the saving of a poor sinner; their natural misery is great (Ezekiel 16:6): When I passed by you and saw you polluted in your own blood, I said to you when you were in your blood, live; yes, I said to you when you were in your blood,…

We have boisterous lusts, and wandering hearts, we need not only to be conducted but governed. We have hearts that love to wander (Jeremiah 14:10). We are sheep that need a shepherd, for no creature is more apt to stray (Psalm 95:10).

Good David had cause to say (Psalm 119:176), I have gone astray like a lost sheep: Oh, seek your servant. We go astray, not only out of ignorance, but out of perverseness of inclination: Jeremiah 14:10, Thus have they loved to wander, they have not restrained their feet. We have…

There is no way to shake off those evil companions and associates, till there be a bent seriously toward heaven. So for ourselves, we have changeable hearts, that love to wander (Jeremiah 14:10). We have many revoltings and reluctancies, therefore until a sanctified judgment, an…

This properly belongs to the profession of Christians, and they that deny it, deny themselves to be such: they say they are God's property, and have given themselves up to him and his service. Every time they renew their covenant, they anew assert it: this is their plea with God…

Magistracy, ministry, and commonalty are diseased, and those who pretended to be our healers are physicians of no value. We have spent our money upon these physicians, but our sores are not healed (Jeremiah 14:19): why have you smitten us and there is no healing for us? Instead…

1. Illiterate mechanick men, who run but are not sent and that whether they preach true or false, which that they are included the fift verse showes, because when the false Prophets spoken of shall repent and be ashamed, among the rest one is brought in, saying, I am no Prophet:…

Our turning away our eye from the Covenant is the cause why we succumb; Christ, under his sorest assault with hell and hell's pursuivants and officers, devils, and the felt anger of a forsaking God, doubles his grips on the Covenant, my God, my God (Psalm 22:1) (Matthew 27), O m…

14. And upon this account there is required a deadening of our hearts to shipping and trading with diverse mighty nations, as we see in the case of Tyre (Ezekiel 27), of Babylon (Revelation 18:11-13; Jeremiah 51). So are we to be mortified to fair houses (Isaiah 5:8), stately ci…

Our blessed Savior not only did not in fact pray for the world, but openly and in the most solemn manner avowed the omission (John 17:9). And the prophet Jeremiah was forbidden by God, to pray for the Jews, for their good (Jeremiah 14:11). So that when the apostle in the first v…

(Psalm 40:12): My sins are more in number than the hairs of my head. (Jeremiah 14:7): Our iniquities testify against us — our backslidings are many. It is a vain shift to say, the Church prays and confesses in name of the wicked party, not in name of the justified ones; for as m…

Here are two living things, Christ, and believing Paul acting mutually one upon another, there is a heart and a life upon each side. 5. Faith under fainting and great straits can so improve the promise as to put a holy and modest challenge upon God, so (Psalm 119:49) afflicted D…

4. We may use arguments of faith, challenging God (Jeremiah 31:18): "Turn me, and I shall be turned" — and why? "For you are the Lord my God." The covenant is faith's Magna Carta, the grand mother-promise; all prayers must be bottomed on this (Jeremiah 14:21): "Do not abhor us"…

By what reasons are they confuted? (1) Because, all the Priests, Levites, and Prophets of the Jewish church, who had the same promises which the Christian church has now under the New Testament (1 Corinthians 10:3-4; 2 Samuel 7:16; Isaiah 49:15-16); together with the High Priest…

Well then may we count those the sweetest hours which are spent in reading the holy Scriptures. Well may we say with the prophet (Jeremiah 15:16): "Your words were found, and I did eat them, and they were the joy and rejoicing of my heart." Conform to Scripture.

Hear the word with delight and complacency. (Jeremiah 15:16) Your words were found and I ate them, they were the joy and rejoicing of my heart. (Psalm 119:103) How sweet are your words to my taste, indeed, sweeter than honey to my mouth.

4. If we would have the word written effectual to salvation, we must delight in it as our spiritual cordial. (Jeremiah 15:16) Your words were found, and I did eat them, and they were the joy and rejoicing of my heart. All true solid comfort is fetched out of the word.

Cain brought his sacrifice but grudgingly, his worship was rather a task than an offering, rather penance than sacrifice, he did God's will, but against his will; we must be carried upon the wings of delight in every duty; Israel were to blow the trumpets when they offered burnt…

(4) To admit them being approved into the order and fellowship of the Gospel in the Church. Acts 8:20, 23; Titus 1:10; Revelation 2:2; Jeremiah 15:19; Acts 18:26; 1 Thessalonians 2:7, 8, 11; Acts 9:29, 27; Romans 14:1. Qu. 50 What is the duty of the whole Church in reference to…

When God will not, does not delight in any persons, the consequent is, that he will utterly destroy them. See (Jeremiah 15:1). It is our great duty to look diligently that we are of that holy frame of mind, that due exercise of faith, as that the soul of God may take pleasure in…

And from this we learn two things. The first, that every minister of God's word, and every one that intends to take upon him that calling, must propose to himself principally this end, to single out man from man, and gather out of this world such as belong to the church of Chris…

Again, bear our doctrine with meekness and patience; we are but servants: if the message which we bring be displeasing, remember it is the will of our Master; it is not in our power to comply with your lusts and humors, if the Scripture does not. As God said to Jeremy (Jeremiah…

Answ. Kneeling is not the only prayer gesture, for the publican stood and prayed (Luke 18:13). Though Moses and Samuel stood before me (Jeremiah 15:1). The Prophet Elijah as it seems sat (1 Kings 18:42); neither is prayer the principal exercise of the soul in the act of receivin…

3. God will be in the midst of his people, because they are engaged in his quarrel. Jer. 15. 15. Know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke! All the oppositions the godly meet with, are for standing up in the defence of Truth; if they would desist from Religion, and throw off…

(Chapter 3:11) "Why did I not die from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost, when I came out of the belly?" And (Jeremiah 15:18) "Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed?" (Chapter 20:18) "Why did I come out of the womb, to see labor and…

Nor need we flee to that exposition ever and anon, that Christ died for all, that is, all ranks of men. For "all" is put in Scripture ordinarily for many; as (Deuteronomy 1:21; Psalm 71:18; Jeremiah 15:10; Jeremiah 19:9; Jeremiah 20:7; Jeremiah 23:30; Jeremiah 49:17; Ezekiel 16:…

7. Jeremiah is a remarkable instance; he was a Prophet of the Lord, sanctified from his Mother's womb, yet he met with so many discouragements, that he has a mind to leave his people; and he wishes for a lodging-place in the wilderness, that is, some solitary retirement, that th…

When the Lord our God puts us to silence, and into solitary places, he expects that we should visit him there (Song of Solomon 2:14). Oh my Dove that is in the clefts of the rock, in the secret place of the stairs, that is, in an afflicted persecuted and desolate condition, Let…

Hence it appears, that Ministers of the Gospel, must not be men-pleasers, nor apply, and fashion their doctrine to the affections, humors, and dispositions of men, but keep a good conscience, and do their office. The Lord tells Jeremiah he must not turn to the people, but the pe…

Thirdly, ministers have not the presence and protection of God, unless their lives be virtuous and godly. If you turn, you shall stand before me (Jeremiah 15:19). God reveals his secrets to the prophets his servants (Amos 3:7).

True prophecy judges men, discovers the things of the heart, and causes men to say, The Lord is within you (1 Corinthians 14:25). The scepter of Christ whereby he smites the nations, is in his mouth (Isaiah 11:4): that is, in the Ministry of the word (Jeremiah 15:19). And it is…

But here is plain truth, without a miracle. Secondly, whereas it is said, seven days and seven nights; we may note further, that the number seven, (as other numbers) may be understood indefinitely, a certain time being put for an uncertain; as (Jeremiah 15:9), the prophet says,…

4. As Christ may withdraw, if provoked and not entertained, from a private believer; so will he do from a Church, if they hold not fast what they have received, and walk not accordingly. 5. Church-members, by their sins, have much influence on Christ's removal from among them; i…

It's known also, that in nature, the navel has much influence on the child in the womb, which may be especially taken notice of here, as appears by the following commendation, namely, that it's like a round goblet, that is, well formed and proportioned (opposite to a navel not c…

The cup has wrath in it, the wrath of an angry God; and is it good for you to drink off the wine of God's wrath? Drunkenness has been your sin, and if you go on, God threatens that drunkenness shall be your punishment (Jeremiah 15:12). Speak to them this word, thus says the Lord…

Hence the influences of grace must be accommodated to our gracious actings, that are mixed: he is a meek Spirit, who is willing to sigh in a Saint, beside the body of sin which casts in something of our sinful corruption to retard the work. In the same prayer the spirit and the…

And the Church says (Isaiah 26:8): Yea, in the way of your judgements we have waited for you, O Lord, the desire of our soul is to your name. Jeremiah 15:16: Your words were found, and I did eat them, and your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by…

The preaching of the gospel did indeed prove the occasion of contention. Our Savior foresaw and foretold it would be so (Luke 12:51-53), that his disciples and followers would be men of strife, in the same sense that the prophet was (Jeremiah 15:10), not men striving, but men st…

And Plutarch tells of Agesilaus, that he cast off voluptuous pleasures to his slaves, as better beseeming a base quality and servile nature, then himself. You mayest think to live in pleasure is a brave life, but it is the basest life that is; so God judges it: Hence the same wo…

He might take comfort in a subordinate way in these things; but the solace of his life, and the true sauce of all his labors was in the word of God. As David, so Jeremiah 15:16: Your words were sound, and I did eat them; they were to me as the joy and rejoicing of my heart. That…

So he who hungers after righteousness feeds eagerly on an ordinance. Jeremiah 15:16: Your words were found, and I ate them. In the Sacrament he feeds with appetite upon the body and blood of the Lord.

But suppose he should be so understood; it is most uncertain that by the buying of these false teachers is meant his purchasing of them with the ransom of his blood. The word translated 'buying' in the Old Testament signifies any deliverance, as Deuteronomy 7:8, 15:15, Jeremiah…

2. The Devils never sinned against Gods patience; as soon as they apostatized they were damned: God never waited for the Angels : but we have spent upon the stock of Gods patience; he has pitied our weakness, born with our frowardness; his Spirit has been repulsed, yet has still…

A pious Soul meditates of the Verity and Sanctity of the Word; he has not only a few transient thoughts, but lays his mind a steeping in the Scripture; by meditation he sucks from this sweet flower, and concocts holy truths in his mind. 3. He shows his love to the Word by deligh…

Hence it is that the blessing of God is not so usual, nor so large upon the labors of hypocrites, though never so well qualified, as of sincere preachers, though otherwise of meaner gifts. If you will turn to me you shall convert, said God to Jeremiah (Jeremiah 15:19; Luke 1:16)…

The Word is his delight. Thy Words were found, and I did eat them, and thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart, Jeremiah 15:16. The Sabbath is his delight, Isaiah 58:13.

And in this regard David might say, the Words of God's mouth were sweeter to his taste than honey, Psalm 119.103. because one may soon surfeit upon honey, but he can never surfeit with the Word of God. He that has once with Jeremiah, found the Word and ate it, Jeremiah 15.16. wi…

And all the bright lights of Heaven will I make dark over you, and set darkness upon your land, says the Lord God: behold Heaven and Earth, Sun, Moon and stars, all shaken and confounded, in the destruction of Egypt, the thing the Prophet treats of, their kingdom and nation bein…

A man can not esteem lightly of the word, if he have any faith, because by the word his faith was begotten; nor lightly esteem of the ministers, because by them in these days the Lord usually begets faith. For the former of these see (Psalms 119:93) and (Jeremiah 15:16): I will…

Christ may give rough answers, when he has a good mind; he put a hard word upon the nobleman (John 4) that came to him for his dying son: You (and all your nation) will not believe, except you see signs and wonders. Never any man saw and apprehended harder things of God than Jer…

1. After the revelation of the spirit, neither devil nor sin can make the soul to doubt (say they). Indeed, but the spirit of revelation was in Jeremiah, who doubted when he complained (Jeremiah 15:18) to God of God, 'Will you be to me altogether as a liar, and as waters that fa…

And what more concerns us than to keep our first love to Christ? When he multiplies our widows in the three kingdoms, as the sand of the sea, and brings against the mother of the young men, a spoiler at noon-day (Jeremiah 15:8). This woman stayed on her watchtower, and now the v…

Answer. The flesh may come in and join in prayer, and some things may be said in haste, not in faith, as in that prayer (Psalm 77:9): "Has God forgotten to be gracious?" Nor is that of Jeremiah's to be put in Christ's golden censer to be presented to the Father (Jeremiah 15:18):…

First, it does feed upon the word, and that makes to rejoice in the word. And secondly, it lays up the word in remembrance for us, that we shall not forget it: read (Jeremiah 15:16). I did eat your word, and it was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; which shows you, that a…

Hence is that you read (Ezekiel 14:14): They shall deliver neither son nor daughter, but themselves only. And (Jeremiah 15:1). So that, though sometimes the mourning of God's people, is accepted for the mourning of the whole land; yet sometimes, though clusters of good families…

Object. Against all that is said of the profit of Prayer, some object, that the prayers of many are fruitless: they obtain not the things desired: yea, that God swears he would not hear Moses, Samuel, Noah, Daniel, Job (Jeremiah 15:1; Ezekiel 14; James 4:3). Answer.

You may see a jade under his gilt trappings. (Jeremiah 16:17). Their iniquities are not hid from my eyes. And he that has an eye to see, will find a hand to punish.

Every sin has a voice to speak, but some sins cry. As some diseases are worse than others, and some poisons more venomous; so some sins are more heinous (Ezekiel 16:47; Jeremiah 16:12): You have done worse than your fathers, your sins have exceeded theirs. Some sins have a black…

Answer: His naming one sort infers we should exclude no sort out of our prayers; seeing this one sort were persecutors, that may seem farthest from our prayers. Moor: We are not to pray for such as are known to sin against the Holy Ghost, because they cast aside the sacrifice an…

For this Epistle (although brief and short) is wonderfully effectual, pithy, and rich. So a little before, where he speaks of their vain conversation, in pursuing the traditions of their Fathers, he did (as it were) lightly touch sundry places of the Prophets, as namely, that pl…

To add one instance more (Micah 1:16), in case of their sore affliction the prophet says, make yourself bald and poll yourself for your delicate children, enlarge your baldness as the eagle; the meaning of all is, mourn bitterly, or mourn greatly for your delicate children, your…

What great cause have we thankfully to remember this day! As the benefit of Israel's deliverance from the Babylonish captivity was so great that it drowned the remembrance of their deliverance from Egypt (Jeremiah 16:14), so the benefit of our deliverance from Satan's captivity,…

I deny not but Vain Thoughts may sometimes come into the best Hearts, but they have a care to turn them out before night, that they do not Lodge. This denominates a Wicked man, his Thoughts Dwll upon Vanity; and well may his Thoughts be said to be Vain, because they do not turn…

For these reasons God's mourners may lack comfort. But that the spiritual mourner may not be too much dejected, I shall reach forth the cup of consolation (Jeremiah 16:7), and speak a few words that may comfort the mourner in the want of comfort. First, Jesus Christ was without…

5. So must there be a deadening of the husband to the wife (Job 19:17), to servants (Job 15:16), to sons (2 Samuel 16:11), of the mother to the daughter, of the daughter-in-law to the mother-in-law (Micah 7:6), to blood-friends. 12. All the godly and zealous Prophets said Amen t…

But directly this is the same with that parallel place (Titus 1:3): according to the commandment of God our Savior, where no interposition of that conjunctive particle can have place, the same title being also in other places ascribed to him, as Luke 1:47: my spirit has rejoiced…

Had we lived in the days of the law? if we had then been of the nation of Israel, it had been a great privilege, and a singular favor: however, they were dark times then compared with ours; but if we had been born of and among the Gentiles, we had been shut out from that garden…

Resp. To trust in any thing more than God, is to make it a God. 1. If we trust in our riches, then we make riches our God: we may take comfort, not put confidence in them: it is a foolish thing to trust in them. 1. They are deceitful riches (Matthew 13:22). and it is foolish to…

'Tis a deceitful creature: we should not in this sense be like the serpent, for deceitfulness. Naturally we too much resemble the serpent for fraud and collusion (Jeremiah 17:9). The heart is deceitful above all things.

Besides this, there is much pride, superciliousness, and prejudice, many fleshly reasonings against the truth, and swarms of vain thoughts (Jeremiah 4:14). How long shall vain thoughts lodge in you. 2. Original sin has defiled the heart: the heart is mortiferum junius, deadly wi…

Then we hallow God's name, and sanctify him in an ordinance, when we give him the vitals of religion, a heart flaming with zeal. 7. We hallow and sanctify God's name when we hallow his day (Jeremiah 17:22): Hallow you the Sabbath day. Our Christian Sabbath which comes in the roo…

This is a great argument for keeping the Sabbath day holy: God is not benefited by it, we cannot add one cubit to his essential glory; but we ourselves are advantaged: the Sabbath day religiously observed entails a blessing upon our souls, our estate, our posterity. As the not k…

His sin was monstrous, and it was punished with a monstrous birth. The Lord threatened the Jews, that if they would not hallow the Sabbath-day, he would kindle a fire in their gates (Jeremiah 17:27). The dreadful fire which broke out in London began on the Sabbath-day; as if God…

(5.) Self-examining is needful, because without it we may easily have a cheat put upon us. (Jeremiah 17:9) The heart is deceitful above all things. Many a man's heart will tell him, he is fit for the Lord's Table.

Let your ear be open to God, and shut to sin. (3.) Watch your hearts: we watch suspicious persons; the heart is deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). Watch your heart; 1. When you are about holy things; it will be stealing out to vanity.

How righteous therefore is God in punishing of us? We sow the seed, and God only makes us reap what we sow (Jeremiah 17:10): I give every man the fruit of his own doings. When we are punished, we do but taste the fruit of our own grafting.

Considering withal that our hearts are a great deep also — so deep in darkness and deceitfulness as no plummet can fathom them. 'Deceitful above all things, who can know it?' (Jeremiah 17:9). Darkness covers not the face of this deep only, but it is darkness to the bottom, throu…

And however any may flatter and deceive themselves, it is the present condition of all who have not an interest in Christ by faith. They are far off from God, as he is the fountain of all goodness and blessedness; inhabiting, as the Prophet speaks, the parched places of the wild…

In a word, let men conceive in mind the most notorious trespass that can be, though they do it not, nor intend to do it, and never do it: yet the matter, beginning, and seed thereof is in themselves. This made Jeremiah say, "The heart of man is deceitful and wicked above all thi…

Therefore it should be our care to be able to read that our names are written in the Book of Life, than which there cannot be a greater privilege (Luke 10:20). And it presses caution; all that we do stands upon record; our speeches (Malachi 3:16, 17), our thoughts (1 Corinthians…

When sufferings for religion grow hot, then blessed is he that is not offended in Christ. Troubles are then at a height: first, when a man's nearest friends and relations forsake and leave him — Micah 7:5-6; 2 Timothy 4:16; second, when it comes to resisting unto blood — Hebrews…

When the Angel had made an end of measuring the inner house, then hee brought forth Ezekiel by the east-gate (which was the chiefe gate by which the people commonly entred) and measured the utter wall in the last place. Gods method is, first to try the heart and reines, then to…

And this is that, that will be the support of your life here. When the world withers about you, yet if you have faith, you have roots that reach to the well of life (Jeremiah 17:7-8). Faith brings in all: faith goes to the market where all is to be had, and furnishes itself to t…

Entreat one smile, one gracious look to lighten your darkness and cheer your drooping spirit. Say with the prophet in Jeremiah 17:17: Be not a terror to me; you are my hope in the day of evil. And try what relief such a course will afford you.

(Psalm 76:1) In Judah is God known, his name is great in Israel, in Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion. It is in his Church he does manifest his power: It is called therefore a glorious high throne (Jeremiah 17:12): a glorious high throne from the begin…

The beauty of his ornament he set in majesty, (and hereby God aggravates their sin of idolatry, Oh my worship and service I made it as beautiful and glorious as could be) but they worshiped their images, their detestable things. So in Jeremiah 17:12, a glorious high throne from…

From hence cometh it, that we fear not in greatest dangers (2 Kings 6:16; Psalm 3:7; Psalm 27:3); that in the time of affliction, we are patient (Proverbs 20:22; Hebrews 10:33); without all murmuring to hold our peace (Psalm 39:10); receiving them as from a father (Job 1:21; Psa…

But it follows not therefore, the fallen angels never saw the face of Christ's Father; it follows only, they saw it not immutably, and in a confirmed way of grace, and [in non-Latin alphabet], always, as now the elect angels do. It is no dominion in Satan to know the thoughts of…

And what ensued (Psalm 49:12): man that is in honor and understands not is like the beasts that perish, degraded to the beasts, as the brutish and bestial nature prevailed in him when he fell from God. Or else, if we have them, we were better be without them; we have them with a…

In the second place, let us depend neither upon the help of men, nor upon any creature else: but let us place our whole trust in the Lord. Cursed is he, says Jeremiah, which trusts in man, and puts his strength in the arm of flesh, that is to say, in outward means and helps (Jer…

For this cause we are often admonished in the holy Scriptures, not to trust in man, because nothing is more vain than he (Psalm 146:3). Cursed be he (says Jeremiah) that trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm (Jeremiah 17:5). Yet we see that all, none excepted, determine and con…

That all the world being brought to nothing, we might content ourselves with him alone. But to encourage those whom before he had cast down, he sets this remedy before them; Blessed is the man that trusts in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is, etc. (Jeremiah 17:5, 7). Contrari…

For being settled upon leagues and succors of their confederates, they thought themselves in such safety, as if before they had never been annoyed by such associates. But he protests, that all the aid which they have gathered together, shall serve them to no use: for the hopes w…

I grant the Lord has no need to write for his memory's sake: but it pleases him to use this phrase of speech, that we should not imagine him to be forgetful of anything, when he defers the execution of his judgments. Indeed, in Jeremiah 17:1 he says yet more expressly, that the…

But here we may perceive it is a proper name, because Isaiah contents not himself therewith, but has added the epithet Gibbor, which signifies strong. And truly if Christ were not God, it were ill done to rejoice in him; for it is written, Cursed is he that trusts in man (Jeremi…

Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his Help, whose Hope is in the Lord his God. Jeremiah 17. 7. Blessed is the Man that trusteth in the Lord, whose Hope the Lord is.

Whereas a true Saint is like a Stream from a living Spring; which though it may be greatly increased by a Shower of Rain, and diminished in Time of Drought; yet constantly runs: (John 4. 14. The Water that I shall give him, shall be in him, a Well of Water springing up, and so f…

It's true, if God have a purpose to destroy a man, he may for a time suffer him to succeed and prosper in his sin, for his greater hardening, Job 12:6 But it is not so with those whom the Lord loves; their sinful shits shall never thrive with them. The world prohibits your trust…

Where there is a burden upon the People, there must be Prayer for the people. Wo to them who have denounced desolations, and not powred out supplications: such men delight in the evill, which the Prophet puts far from him (Jeremiah 17:16): I have not desired the wofull day, (O L…

By bed, is understood the special means of nearest fellowship with, and enjoying of Christ; the bed being the place of rest, and of the nearest fellowship between the Bridegroom and the Bride. Its commendation is, that it is green: that is, 1. Refreshing, like the spring. 2. Fru…

But however, some secret withering curse seizes upon it; and what is thus wickedly added to our former possessions, will rub its rust and canker upon them all; and if restitution be not duly made, will insensibly prey upon them and consume them. And therefore, says the wise man…

But now, although this six days' labor was not so strictly required, as not sometimes to admit the intervention of a holy rest; yet the seventh day's rest was so exactly to be observed, as not to admit any bodily labor, or secular employment. God would not have this holy rest di…

The citizens carrying forth their goods, and lying in the fields, with grief and fear, might put them in mind how often they had walked out into those fields on the Lord's day for their recreation; when they should rather have been hearing the word preached, or if that were over…

It will be some cost and toil to hang every room of the heart with lively pictures of the divine image: for it is altogether empty of that which is truly and spiritually good, or may be called a treasure: but that's not all; for 5. The soul is by nature filled with an evil treas…

4. Men are hardly brought to examine themselves, because they do not believe Scripture. The Scripture says, The heart is deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:9). Solomon said, there were four things too wonderful for him that he could not know (Proverbs 30:19).

Woe is me! I have revolted from God, and now that dreadful word (Jeremiah 17:5-6) is evidently fulfilled upon me; For I am like the heath in the desert, that sees not when good comes; my soul inhabits the parched places of the wilderness. Alas! all my formal and heartless duties…

Now this, Lord, I would be without sin original, but I cannot, you have so ordained my nature to be; but it is against my will and my heart, for my heart hates it, its double dealing, and an untruth; for then the will must be clean, then the objector must be cleaner and holier,…

1. Because the places which speak of our natural inability prove the contrary. Now if the natural man cannot know nor discern the things of God, but judges them foolishness (1 Corinthians 2:13, 14), if his wisdom be enmity against God, and is neither subject to the Law of God, n…

Whether is it a Covenant of works (do this and live) or a Covenant of grace (believe this, and you have the reward of the Gospel preached, to wit, the restored image of God) and where is this in Scripture? 4. A remedying Law must bring a remedy to men: the remedy is either real;…

4. The heart may be ingaged (Jeremiah 30:21), glued and made to stick to such an object (Psalm 119:31), given up and delivered (Ecclesiastes 2:1, 2, 3; Ecclesiastes 1:13; 2 Chronicles 20:3), set and fixed to such a way (Judges 13:3; Judges 5:9), touched and moved (1 Samuel 10:26…

The fourth particular is the subject or seat of burning, and it's the heart; did not our hearts burn within us? The heart is the only seat of heavenly burnings; not simply, as the heart of man, which is evil, and only evil by nature in all its out-goings (Genesis 6:6; Genesis 8:…

This is their way, this their communion with Christ; this is the life of faith as to grace and holiness. Blessed is the soul that is exercised therein: he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, that spreads forth her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat comes, but…

So then its never well with the soul, but when it is near to God, indeed, in its union with him, married to him, and mismatching itself elsewhere, it has never any thing but shame and sorrow. All that forsake you shall be ashamed, says the Prophet (Jeremiah 17): and the Psalmist…

David, it was a trial to him; while he was wandering in the wilderness, he had such tenderness, that his heart smote him, when he cut off the lap of Saul's garment; while he was chased like a partridge upon the mountains, wandering up and down, from forest to forest: but when he…

Insensible, inflexible: Insensible, he has no feeling of his condition: Inflexible, he will not be moved and worked upon by the Word, and the Spirit, and Providence: How many means are wasted upon him, and to no purpose? And (Jeremiah 17:9) The heart is deceitful above all thing…

Mens sins are written in the book of Conscience, and the Book of Gods Omnisciency. They think because God does not speak to them by his loud Judgements, therefore God does not know their sins; but though God does not speak, he writes, Jeremiah 17:1. The sin of Iudah is written w…

A Judge can judge of the fact, but God judgeth of the Heart. Jeremiah 17:10. He is like Ezekiels wheels, full of eyes, Ezekiel 10:12. and as Cyril says,, all Eye.

The Scripture calls slandering, smiting with the tongue. Come and let us smite him with the tongue (Jeremiah 18:18). You may smite another and never touch him.

This is desperate willfulness: and Voluntas est regula & mensura actionis, the more of the will in a sin, the greater the sin. Jeremiah 18:12: We will walk after our own devices. Though there be death and hell every step, we will march on under Satan's colors.

Unbelief kept Israel out of Canaan; (Hebrews 3:19) So we see they could not enter in because of unbelief; and it keeps many out of heaven. Unbelief is an enemy to salvation, it is a damning sin, it whispers thus, to what purpose is all this pains for the heavenly kingdom, I had…

7. Men do not look after forgiveness through despair. Oh, says the desponding soul, it is a vain thing for me to expect pardon, my sins are so many and heinous, that sure God will not forgive me (Jeremiah 18:12): And they said, There is no hope. My sins are huge mountains, and c…

And that is, that repentance from sin, will free from the punishment of sin; so that the prediction had this limitation by an antecedent rule, unless they repent. And God declares that this rule puts a condition into all his threatenings (Jeremiah 18:7, 8). And this was the cour…

In the sadder providences, though there be misery at the top, yet there is mercy at the bottom. Many times God threatens, but 'tis to reclaim; though he does not change his counsel, yet he does often change his sentence (Jeremiah 18:7, 8). When the message is nothing but pluckin…

But even these Prophets as faithful as they were, yet they were accounted no other than a snare of a Fowler, and are even hatred in the house of their God, they are accused of being politick subtil men, who have cunning plots and reaches to set up their own way, that they are as…

Truly at this time it seems it was: Oh! the Lord smites us this day, he smites us sorely by giving us up to smite one another. We smite one another with the tongue, in Jeremiah 18:18, Come, let us smite with the tongue, say they. When was there ever such smiting with the tongue…

And that in (Romans 2:9), Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that does evil, of the Jew first, and also the Gentile. And we have these two excellent texts in Jeremiah 18:13, Ask you now among the heathen, who has heard such things? the Virgin of Israel has done a ver…

God not only chooses persons, but also things; and every cross that befalls you is a chosen and selected cross, and it was shaped in length, and breadth, and measure, and weight, up before the throne, by God's own wise hand. Heaven is the workhouse of all that befalls you; every…

Now to dislike of his holy government is a presumptuous arrogance in the creature; we will take upon us to model our mercies, and choose our means, and will not tarry the time that he has appointed for our relief, but will anticipate it, and shorten it according to our own fanci…

You shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them. Again burning of incense (Jeremiah 18:15). My people have forgotten me, they have burnt incense to vanity.

He calls them a terrible nation, because they should be an astonishment to all those that should behold them, being disfigured with such horrible calamities. For I cannot approve of their judgment who expound this of signs and wonders which the Lord showed among the Jews to make…

And yet their accusations are painted over with such colors, that so they may make us the more odious among them, who are ignorant of our just cause. But admit they assail us with open violence by the smitings of the tongue (Jeremiah 18:18), or with any other weapon, yet let us…

In all the Sad and Afflictive Providences that befall you, Eye God as the Author and orderer of them also. So he represents himself to us, Jeremiah 18:11 Behold, I create evil, and devise a device against you. And Amos 3:6 Is there evil in the City, and the Lord has not done it?

2. They smote her, that is, more gently at first; however, they suffer no occasion to slip, whereby they have any access to give a cutting remark to such heart-exercised souls, but it is laid hold upon; and what infirmity is in any of them, or inconsiderateness in their zeal, th…

1. Satan can send in posts with letters, and write his [illegible], his wiles to the heart. This is one way of putting it in the heart of Judas to betray Christ, by sending his mind and will through the fancy to the heart, and the fancy being set on work by the will and understa…

But as to the lazy despairing, 1. It was the people's way, when they are exhorted to repent (Jeremiah 18:12), There is no hope, but we will walk after our own devices; and they were far from doing all, that men can do, and praying night and day; they were stealing, murdering, wh…

(Isaiah 45:9) Woe to him that strives with his Maker: let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth: shall the clay say to him that fashions it, What do you make? or your work, He has no hands? (Jeremiah 18:6) O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as the potter, says…

Under the Old Testament God's messengers and his prophets were generally mocked and misused, and it was Jerusalem's measure-filling sin (2 Chronicles 36:16). It was one of the devices they devised against Jeremiah to smite him with the tongue, because they would not, and they de…

Men flatter themselves with a pretence of obedience, and cry, Lord, Lord, but do not do his will. They give God good words, but do not break out into an actual contest; as those wretches (Jeremiah 18:12): We will every one do the imagination of his evil heart. And (Jeremiah 44:1…

Sin has gotten such a deep interest in their actions, and command over their affections, that they cannot leave what they know to be naught, or follow that which they conceive to be good. And this bondage is more sensible in them that have some kind of remorse and trouble with t…

Iron often heated grows the harder. On the other side, see they do not degenerate into despair, either the raging despair which terrifies, or the sottish despair which stupefies (Jeremiah 18:12): They said there is no hope, but we will walk after our own devices, and we will eve…

Oh what a horrible thing is that which puts the unchangeable God on changing! — for such a thing repentance is, namely, a change. It repented the Lord that he had set up Saul to be King (1 Samuel 15), and when men do wickedly, God repents that he has done them good (Jeremiah 18:…

Man's mercy is large when it reaches to seven times — what is God, then, that reaches to more than seventy times seven in a day! (Matthew 18:21). When good men have prayed, "Lord, forgive them not" (Isaiah 2:9; Jeremiah 18:23), yet God has pardoned: and when himself was so put t…

But that's impossible, [illegible] what is the clay to the Potter? So the Prophet expresses the difference; the interrogation shows [illegible] impossibility of the opposition: they may [illegible] with his will but they cannot cross it, [illegible] the [illegible] "Who has resi…

In the time of their prosperity see how the Jews turn their backs and shake off the authority of the Lord: we are Lords (say [illegible]) we will come no more at you (Jeremiah 2:31), and our tongues are our own — who shall be Lords [illegible] us? (Psalm 12:4). So for the wisdom…

If yet the [illegible] that's rivetted in his resolution to hold his own, cannot [illegible] the Truth, then he falls to flat opposing of it (Jeremiah 44:16). As for the word which you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen to it — that is the short and th…

It is true, repentance cannot properly be in God, because it argues something rash, imprudent, inconsiderate in him that acts it, of which the infinitely wise God is incapable: but it is ascribed to him on the account of his providence. God sometimes threatens sinners, and in th…

And therefore from this and all the premises, yes upon serious searching into all places of Scripture that speak of Vrim and Thummim and of those who enquired of the Lord in that way, and comparing them together with the help of many judicious and learned Interpreters, besides c…

Now if the Lord help us to reform whatever is amiss, he will still do us good, notwithstanding all our sins, which have provoked him, and caused him to frown upon us. We have a plain text for this (Jeremiah 18:7–8): At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerni…

Isaiah 44:22. Jeremiah 18:23. Acts 3:19.

7. Another obstacle of Repentance is, despondency of mind. Oh says a sinner, it is a vain thing for me to set upon Repentance; my sins are of that magnitude, that there is no hope for me, (Jeremiah 18:11), 12. Return ye now every one from his evil way, and they said, there is no…

O Christian look inward, did you view your own spots more, in the looking-glass of the Word, you would not be so ready to throw the stone of censure at others. Deny this sin of rash censuring, or smiting with the tongue, Jeremiah 18:18. You who speak reproachfully of your brothe…

And in verse 101. he says, I have refrained my feet from every evil way. Hence sin is said to be to the Lord's people, a way not cast up (that is, not frequented) (Jeremiah 18:15). Never since the world began did a godly man walk in that way.

8. Sin brings many low in despair; this is a gulf that none but reprobates fall into. Jeremiah 18.11. Thou saidst, there is no hope. Despair is devoratoria salutis, it is a millstone tied about the soul, that sinks it in perdition.

(1.) Let it be granted, that a bare threatening does not necessarily infer the certainty of the event, and that the thing threatened shall infallibly come to pass; no person is obliged to perform his threatenings, as he is his promises; the threatenings of God declare what sin d…

O! but there is a hard stone in our will, the stony heart is the stony will; Hell cannot break the rock and the adamant, and the flint in our will (1 Samuel 8:19). No, but we will have a King; whether God will or no (Jeremiah 18:12). God's will stands in the people's way, biddin…

2. Like sins bring like judgments; Sodom's sins are followed with Sodom's plagues; and therefore if our sins answer former times, we may expect our sufferings to be like theirs. 3. The prophecies of the prophets were cautioned with the condition of repentance, either explicit, a…

And all these sorts of office-bearers among us we doe as rightly warrant from the like sorts among them as other whiles we warrant our baptizing of Infants from their circumcising of them, our Churches by their Synagogues, &c. Now that the Jewish Church had also such Elders as w…

The Hebrews teach, with respect to Jud. 6:25, 26, that some of these were fattened for several years for that purpose, so that more handsome victims might be slaughtered. To these they added human sacrifice (Jer. 19:5, 32:35) — concerning which crime we will say more in the foll…

Nor need we flee to that exposition ever and anon, that Christ died for all, that is, all ranks of men. For "all" is put in Scripture ordinarily for many; as (Deuteronomy 1:21; Psalm 71:18; Jeremiah 15:10; Jeremiah 19:9; Jeremiah 20:7; Jeremiah 23:30; Jeremiah 49:17; Ezekiel 16:…

By Topheth, no doubt he means hell: not as though we should imagine there were some place where the wicked are shut up after their death as in a prison, there to suffer the torments which they have deserved: but he thereby signifies their miserable condition and extreme torments…

Leviticus 20:3, the reason given against it, is the defiling of God's Sanctuary, and profaning his holy name, both which spoke in reference to the worship of God only and matters of religion, as Ainsworth in his Notes upon both these Texts, fully and excellently shows, as also t…

Jeremiah 11:6: 'Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear the words of this covenant, and do them.' So also Jeremiah 19:2 and 7:2. Proverbs 8:1: 'Does not wisdom cry, and understanding put forth her voice?'

Psalm 50:20: You sit and slander your own mother's son. Jeremiah 20:10: Report, say they, and we will report. Ezra 4:15: This city (that is, Jerusalem) is a rebellious city, and hurtful to kings and provinces.

It is the commendation the Holy Ghost gives of Job (Job 1:22): in all this Job sinned not, neither charged God foolishly, as a character peculiar to him, implying that most men in the World, do, upon any emergency, charge God with their crosses, as dealing unjustly with them, in…

From hence cometh it, that we fear not in greatest dangers (2 Kings 6:16; Psalm 3:7; Psalm 27:3); that in the time of affliction, we are patient (Proverbs 20:22; Hebrews 10:33); without all murmuring to hold our peace (Psalm 39:10); receiving them as from a father (Job 1:21; Psa…

Say your arrow killed the man, yet the soul is saved. 6. Many love not their life to death, as the witnesses of Jesus: Death is death, as clothed with apprehensions of terror; no man is wretched, actu secundo, within and without, but he that believes himself to be so: here are t…

Nor need we flee to that exposition ever and anon, that Christ died for all, that is, all ranks of men. For "all" is put in Scripture ordinarily for many; as (Deuteronomy 1:21; Psalm 71:18; Jeremiah 15:10; Jeremiah 19:9; Jeremiah 20:7; Jeremiah 23:30; Jeremiah 49:17; Ezekiel 16:…

His meaning is, Be not of a masterly spirit, be not masters of many persons, to be every man's master is out of censoriousness, our natures are ready to sift into every man's failings, and would ever be taxing of them, and that is the utmost end such men aim at, not so much the…

In this sense (as David cursed a place), so Job curses a time, his day, the day which either gave [reconstructed: occasion] to his sufferings, or the day in which he actually suffered such a world of evils. Thus also Jeremiah curses his day with a vehement curse (Jeremiah 20:14)…

As Nero, for his barbarous sport, wrapped up the Christians in beast skins; and then set dogs to worry them: so these disguise their brethren into false and antic shapes; and then fall upon them, and bait them. Secondly, There is a more secret and sly conveyance of slander; and…

Habits of grace are no otherwise known but by their acts: what's a man better for that he uses not? A talent of grace of the right stamp will not be confined to a napkin, though gifts may: exercising is as necessary and evidential, as having sincere grace: things that are not, a…

As also there is a heavenly disposition in the memory to retain the word (Psalm 119:11), forbidden (Hebrews 2:1). And gracious dispositions go through the whole soul, in order to all gracious actings, in mind, conscience, will, memory, affections of love, faith, hope, desire, fe…

So does Job repent in some respect in his weakness, not that he came in the world an heir of wrath, and a sinner, but ah the fatal and wrathful decree of God, that ever I was born to such misery (Job 3:3). Let the day perish, wherein I was born (Jeremiah 20:14). But the Lord wil…

The law was in his heart, and the fulness of grace; and (as it were) to overtake the running over well, he takes whole nights to prayer; and for preaching and working miracles, he has not leisure to sleep or eat. If there be a fire in Jeremiah's bowels, what wonder then that pro…

When the word was come to them, it was as a fire within them, that must be delivered, or it would consume them. Psalm 39:3. Jeremiah 20:9. Amos 3:8. Chapter 7:15, 16. So Jonah found his attempt to hide the Word that he had received, to be altogether vain.

God makes use of watchful enemies to show us the spots in our garments that are to be washed off. Many times a friend is blinded with love, and grows as partial to us as ourselves; therefore God sets spies for us to watch for our halting (Jeremiah 20:10). I heard the defaming of…

USE. O! then let the word of God be ever in sight, as your Comforter and Counsellor; the more we do so, the more shall we walk in the fear of God: You are not to walk according to the course of this world, but according to Rule, and therefore you are not to walk rashly and indel…

They show us the spots in our garments that are to be washed off. Many times a friend is blinded with love and grows as partial to us as we are to ourselves, will suffer sin upon us and not tell us of it; then the Lord sets spies upon us to watch for our halting (Jeremiah 20:10)…

Would he raise a confidence to disappoint us? In such a case we might say as the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 20:7): "You hast deceived me, and I was deceived" — the words seem to intrench upon the honor of God. In the general, I answer, they were spoken by the prophet in a passio…

(Philippians 4:6) In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. (Jeremiah 20:12) O Lord of hosts, that tries the righteous, and sees the reins and the heart, let me see your vengeance on them; for to you have I opened my cau…

He took with him Peter, James, and John: first, they had a glimpse of his glory, then a sight of his bitter agonies and sufferings. Jeremiah in one line singing of praise, and in the next cursing the day of his birth (Jeremiah 20:13-14). After the most ravishing comforts, may be…

Adam at the coming of the Lord into the garden feared and fled (Genesis 3:10). This is the fruit of the spirit of bondage (Romans 8:15), and the distressed sinner becomes as Pashur a terror to himself (Jeremiah 20:3-4). The flying of a [reconstructed: bird], the [reconstructed:…

Qu. 2. Whether a Christian may not lay open his grievances to God, and yet be contented? Ans. Yes: To you have I opened my cause (Jeremiah 20:12), and David poured out his complaint before the Lord. We may cry to God, and desire him to write down all our injuries; shall not the…

2. It is a more Gospel way to bear in the threat of everlasting wrath than of temporal rods. 3. Desertions and trials under the Law were more legal and sharp and sad upon David, Hezekiah, Job, Jeremiah, Heman (Psalm 6; Psalm 38; Psalm 77; Psalm 102; Psalm 88; Isaiah 38; Jeremiah…

(6.) There is an atheist heart to hate the existence of God, of Christ, of a Gospel (James 2:19; Matthew 8:29) compared with (Psalm 14:1; Ephesians 2:12). Some believers are near to say, I take my leave of Christ, I'll pray no more, for it is in vain (Jeremiah 20:9; Psalm 73:13-…

So he looked not behind him (Genesis 19:17), but fled towards the middle of the plain. The neighbors also came out to see him run (Jeremiah 20:10); and as he ran, some mocked, others threatened, and some cried after him to return; and among those that did so, there were two that…

1. After the revelation of the spirit, neither devil nor sin can make the soul to doubt (say they). Indeed, but the spirit of revelation was in Jeremiah, who doubted when he complained (Jeremiah 15:18) to God of God, 'Will you be to me altogether as a liar, and as waters that fa…

When Peter by denying his Lord had rotted a bone or a joint of the new man in himself, he rested not well that night; he went out and wept bitterly (Matthew 26:57). Jeremiah made a rash and passionate vow to speak no more in the name of the Lord; but he could not sleep with that…

David's Grace (Psalm 39:1) was kept in as with a muzzle put upon the mouths of Beasts: it was as coals of fire in his heart, and he was compelled to speak even before the wicked; I believed, therefore I spoke (Psalm 116:10). 5. When Jeremiah lays unlawful bands on himself, to sp…

But that's a little too forced. But secondly, in a morning: that is, early, betimes; so in Jeremiah 21:12. O house of David, thus says the Lord, Execute judgment in the morning.

We may see an example of this in Eve; who rehearsing God's commandment and threatening to the serpent, began to mince it with a perhaps, Perhaps you shall die (see Junius in Genesis 3:3), when God absolutely and resolutely had said, In dying you shall die. So they in Jeremiah, w…

Answer. The gleanings of the one are better than the vintage of the other. 1. Spiritual joys help to make us better; worldly joys do often make us worse (Jeremiah 22:21). I spoke to you in your prosperity, and you said, I will not hear.

[illegible], Theophilact. Pride, idleness, wantonness, are the three worms that usually breed of plenty; prosperity often deafens the ear against God (Jeremiah 22:21). I spoke to you in your prosperity, but you said, I will not hear.

So Amos 4:2. By my self; Jeremiah 22:5, Isaiah 45:23, chapter 43:13. By his right hand, and the arm of his strength; Isaiah 62:8.

Hereunto he sent all his ministers and last of all his Son (Matthew 21:35; Jeremiah 2:21). And to them he calls, O earth, earth, earth hear the word of the Lord (Jeremiah 22:29). Upon this earth the rain often fell in the ministerial dispensation of the Word to that Church and p…

Also the bodies of men are the good creatures of God, yea the bodies of God's children are the temples of the Holy Ghost, and therefore there is good cause why they should be honestly laid in the earth. And it was a curse and judgment of God upon Jehoiakim that he must not be bu…

Death is our Father's pale horse, which he sends to fetch home his tender children, and carry them out of harm's way. Surely, when national calamities are drawing on, it is far better for our friends to be in the grave in peace, than exposed to the miseries and distresses that a…

By these words, Vessel of no pleasure, is meant, a vessel that is for the carrying up and down of excrements; only the Scripture when it mentions such vile things, speaks in a modest way; but that's the meaning of the word: as if he should say, Even my people shall be in a vile…

VI. True theology is that knowledge of the divine mind and will which God Himself requires. See (Psalm 119:27; Jeremiah 22:15, 16; John 17:8; 1 John 1:3, 4, and 4:7). Now that knowledge of Himself and of His will which God requires is pleasing to God (1 Chronicles 28:9; Hosea 6:…

Oh, men are for their own gain, from their quarter (Isaiah 56:10). Their eyes and hearts are not but for covetousness (Jeremiah 22:17). For the glory of their own name (Daniel 4:30).

Nor can Jesus Christ but tenderly, lovingly, and compassionately deal with his beloved; for Christ must draw them (John 6:44), sweetly allure them (Hosea 2:14; Isaiah 40:1), take them by the two arms, and teach them to walk, as the mother does the young child, who has not yet le…

For the interjection, [non-Latin alphabet] Ho, is a mark of sorrowing; as Ah, or woe; every one that thirsts (Isaiah 1:4): Ah sinful nation, or woe, [non-Latin alphabet] to the sinful nation. Verse 24. Ah, I will ease me, or alas, [non-Latin alphabet] I will ease me of my advers…

Neither will any man offer to touch clothes defiled with blood and mire, for fear of drawing some infection from them. Now we cannot affirm that this happened to the kings of Babylon, yet no question but it was fulfilled, neither ought we to doubt anything at all of it (Jeremiah…

Proverbs 21. 26. 'The Righteous gives, and spares not.' Jeremiah 22. 16. 'He judges the Cause of the Poor and Needy: Then it was well with him: Was not this to know me, saith the Lord?' James 1. 27. 'Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father, is this, To visit the Fa…

Nevertheless this must be acknowledged to be a sad stroke upon any person, and such as maims them upon the working hand, by unfitting them for duty, 1 Peter 3:7 and cuts off much of the comfort of life also. (2.) How many are there, who never enjoy the comfortable fruits of Marr…

Secondly, suppose the Devil could assure you that you should live till old age; yet take this consideration, that in putting off your calling and the work of conversion from your youth, this may so provoke God that he may harden your hearts in your old days, that you shall have…

The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. And therefore in the greater transgressions of the Law, the people were said to forsake, to break, to profane, to transgress the covenant of God (Leviticus 26:15; Deuteronomy 3:20; Chap. 17:2; Hosea 6:7; Joshua 7:11; 2 Kings 18:…

Every thing was (by the law of its creation) ordained for some use, and therefore cannot but be unhappy when it is made useless. And if it be the glory of inanimate creatures when God will use them, or when men make use of them for God; how unglorious then is the condition of th…

A seal is used for confirming evidences, or closing of letters: they have some peculiar engraving on them, serving to distinguish the deed of one man from the deed of another; therefore men use to have a special care of their signet or seal: (for both are one upon the matter and…

So the Apostle Peter charges Simon Magus (Acts 8:22): Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thoughts of your heart may be forgiven you. And Jeremiah speaking to a hardened Prince, speaks as to the earth that has no ears (Jeremiah 22:29): O earth,…

When he would express the contrary of this love, he says he was not well pleased (1 Corinthians 10:5); he fixed not his delight, nor rest on them. And, if any man draw back, the Lord's soul has no pleasure in him (Hebrews 10:38; Jeremiah 22:28; Hosea 8:8; Mark 1:10). He takes pl…

When there is an effective, and an affective knowledge; when we cannot only discourse of God and Christ, and are inclined to believe; but when these truths soak into the heart to frame it to the obedience of his will. When the Lord had spoken of practical obedience, Was not this…

So (Psalm 111:10): "A good understanding have all they that do his commandments." (Jeremiah 22:16): "He judged the cause of the poor and the needy; was not this to know me, says the Lord?" That is true knowledge that produces its effect.

Such especially whose parts and abilities are through age decayed: proud youth despises them. And hence it is that young men regard not the counsels and instructions which are administered to them (Jeremiah 22:21). I spake to you in your prosperity, but you said, I will not hear…

Hence it is the Lord himself is called the holy one of Israel (Habakkuk 1:12), who is of [illegible] eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look upon iniquity, no not in such as profess themselves saints, though most dear to [illegible], no, nor in his Son the Lord Jesus, not in h…

And so God threatens (Isaiah 5:4). There is not a readier way to bring ruin — God is not so engaged as not to do it, what says he to Jerusalem (Jeremiah 22:6)? Surely will make you a Wilderness, and Cities not Inhabited.

Oh says one, sure God does not love me, I am none of his child, because he does follow me with such severe afflictions: why, it is a sign of childhood to be sometimes under the rod; God had one son without sin, but no son without stripes; God puts his children to the school of t…

Some have so blossomed in prosperity that they have blossomed themselves into hell. It is an ancient experiment that the planting of some tender trees near the west sun does them hurt and parches the fruit, the sun being so extremely hot; too much prosperity, like the west sun,…

Stay while Christ tries his skill before you give it over: bring Christ by your prayers to its grave, to speak a Resurrection-word. Admirable has the Saints faith been in such straits: as Josephs, who pawn'd his bones that God would visit his brethren, willing them to lay him wh…

And this is so much the more dangerous, that the prejudice and blindness of self-love, does more strongly persuade self-godliness than any godliness of the world, and begets a more strongly rooted and fixed habit of believing self-godliness, than Ministers the godliest of them,…

But a desire to innovate all things without punishment, moves troublesome men to this point, that they wish all avengers of the breach of peace to be taken away. As for so much as pertains to the second table, Jeremiah warns kings, to do judgment and righteousness, to deliver th…

When the spleen swells, the rest of the body pines away; and when the heart is puffed with pride, the whole man is in danger of destruction. The sheep that goes in the best pasture soonest comes to the slaughterhouse; and the ungodly man fattens himself with continual prosperity…

As a man may be rich in bonds, who has but little money in hand, so may a good man be rich in promises, who is but narrow in possessions. He forbids treasures of unrighteousness (Micah 6:10; Habakkuk 2:6, 9; Jeremiah 22:13). He forbids the misplacing of treasures, making our hea…

God planted him (to allude to that, Jeremiah 2:21) a noble vine, a holy and right seed, but he degenerated, and so have all grafted on him, and so bring forth nothing but grapes of Sodom, as Isaiah speaks. But second, God the Father having many branches of chosen ones, that grew…

I spoke to you in your prosperity, but you said I will not hear. And this has been your manner from your youth, says the Lord (Jeremiah 22:21). But the faithful have earthly things as rewards of their righteousness, as an accession, advantage, and overplus to the kingdom of God;…

So prodigious a property is there in worldly things to obliterate all notions of God out of the heart of a man, and to harden him to any impudent abominations. I spoke to you in your prosperity, says the Lord, but you said, I will not hear (Jeremiah 22:21). According to their pa…

The profitable effects are principally these: First, as it is an instrument of public administration and discipline. It is as it were both a Schoolmaster and a Physician, to teach and to cure: so the Philosopher tells us, that by pleasure and pain, Children are trained up to Art…

1. It is the great end of the word preached, to bring us to a settlement in religion: (Ephesians 4:11, 13). And he gave some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the edifying of the body of Christ, that we henceforth be no more children. The word is called a hammer (J…

2. There is but one infinite being, therefore there is but one God. There cannot be two infinites (Jeremiah 23:24). Do not I fill heaven and earth, says the Lord?

Response 1. Justification. In justification there are two things: 1. guilt is remitted, 2. righteousness is imputed (Jeremiah 23:6): The Lord our righteousness. We are reputed not only righteous, as the angels, but as Christ, having his robes put upon us (2 Corinthians 5:21).

The Cherubims were made with wings, to show the swiftness of the angels in discharge of their office: and if we cannot picture the soul, nor the persons of the angels, because they are spirits, much less can we make an image or picture of God, who is infinite, and the Father of…

Resp. But to answer, God who is infinite is in all places at once, not only by his influence, but his essence; for if his essence fills all places, then he must needs be there in person. But, Ergo, Minor in (Jeremiah 23:24). Do not I fill heaven and earth?

Quest. Wherein lies the formality or essence of our Justification? Resp. In the imputation of Christ's righteousness to us (Jeremiah 23:6). This is the name whereby you shall be called, Jehovah Tzidkennu, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Swearing may be called the unfruitful work of darkness; there is neither pleasure nor profit in it; it is like a hook the fish comes to without a bait. (Jeremiah 23:10). Because of swearing the land mourns. Some think it the grace of their speech; but will God reckon with men fo…

To whom then will you liken God? The Papists say, they worship God by the image; which has a great absurdity in it; for if it be absurd to bow down to the picture of the King, when the King himself is present, then much more to bow down to the image of God, when God himself is p…

Those therefore who usurp the work of the ministry without being solemnly set apart for it, discover more pride than zeal; and they can expect no blessing. Jeremiah 23:32: I sent them not, nor commanded them, therefore they shall not profit this people, says the Lord. So much fo…

The promise of healing is for them; (Isaiah 57:18). The promise of salvation, (Jeremiah 23:6). The promises are supports of faith, they are God's sealed deed, they are a Christian's cordial.

To do any treasonable action in the king's presence, is high impudence. Jeremiah 23:11. Indeed, in my house have I found their wickedness.

2. Contrition; as when ice is melted into water. This is done by the Gospel, which is as a fire to melt the heart (Jeremiah 23:9). It is the sense of abused kindness that causes contrition.

1. God's Providence reaches to all places, persons, and occurrences. 1. To all places (Jeremiah 23): Am I a God at hand, and not a God afar off? The diocese where Providence visits is very large, it reaches to heaven, to earth and sea (Psalm 107:23-24): They that go down to sea…

This second person in the Trinity, who is Jehovah, is become our Jesus. The Scripture calls him the Branch of David (Jeremiah 23:5), and I may call him the Flower of the Virgin, having assumed our nature. By him all that believe are justified (Acts 13:39).

1. Branch. It reproves such as do not God's Will; they have the knowledge of God's will, (knowledge they count an ornament) but though they know God's Will, yet they do it not. (1.) They know what God would have them avoid; they know they should not swear (Matthew 5:34), Swear n…

Isa. 9:6. For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders; and his name shall be called wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace; of the increase of his government and peace there shall be…

Justification is one piece of communion with Christ in his benefits; now our union to him. Christ himself must be ours, if ever his righteousness come to be ours; he is therefore called the Lord our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6), and is said to be made righteousness itself to us…

What righteousness is it then? That perfect righteousness whereby we are justified is that righteousness which was wrought by Christ, and inherent in his person (Isaiah 45:24, 25; Jeremiah 23:6; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 5:18, 19). How comes the righteousnes…

For the first, in Exodus 34:4-7 the Lord proclaimed his name: 'The Lord God, merciful, gracious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin, and will by no means clear the impenitent.' For the second, I…

In which forlorn condition, what is there to be found to relieve and support this man? But only one thing, which is here held forth to him: the name of the Lord, for him to trust and stay himself upon — both that name of God (Exodus 34:6), 'The Lord God, gracious and merciful,'…

First, that God himself — who is the God of comfort — will be an abundant reward (Genesis 17:1-2). By faith we take him to be so and are divorced from all other comforts in comparison with him. Second, that Jesus Christ his Son is made the Lord our righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6).…

He is not only a righteous and peaceable king as were his types Melchisedec and Solomon, but he is the author, cause, procurer and dispenser of righteousness and peace to the Church. So is it declared (Jeremiah 23:5, 6): Behold the days come says the Lord that I will raise to Da…

And this was to be brought in by Christ alone. Therefore one name whereby he was promised to the Church, was, The Lord our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6). Righteousness of our own we had none, nor could any thing in the whole creation supply us with the least of its concerns, wit…

A rod out of the stem, and a branch out of the roots of Jesse (chapter 11:1). Hence he is frequently called the Branch, and the Branch of the Lord (Isaiah 4:2; Jeremiah 23:5; chapter 33:15; Zechariah 3:8; chapter 6:12). But the first, which is the most proper sense of the words,…

And this kind of asseveration is common in the Hebrew (Genesis 2:17): [in non-Latin alphabet] In the day you eat thereof dying you shall die; you shall assuredly die; be certainly obnoxious to Death; it may be also that the double Death temporal and eternal is included therein.…

If the head plot treason, all the body is guilty; but Christ is made to us righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30). Indeed it is this righteousness only, in which we can stand before the justice of God (Jeremiah 23:6). This is the name whereby he shall be called, The Lord our righteo…

2. That it is a spiritual disease, a surfeit of Manna, when men must still be fed with new things; no truths are too plain for our mouths, or too stale for your ears; the itch of novelty puts men upon ungrounded subtleties, and that makes way for error, or hardness of heart, tho…

1. Sin, error, and scandal begins at them (Jeremiah 50:6): Their Shepherds have caused them to go astray. And (Jeremiah 23:15): From the Prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone out into all the Land. 2. Judgement begins at them (Ezekiel 9:6): Slay utterly old and young, and be…

1. There is his universal presence, whereby he is in all places. Jer. 23. 23. Do not I fill heaven and earth, saith the Lord? This is no priviledge at all; for this universal presence is with the damned, they have the presence of his power and justice.

My word was to you not in word but in power, because it did work in you joy in the Holy Ghost (1 Thessalonians 1:6). Comparing the word of true and false Prophets together; my word is as fire, says God, and as the hammer that breaks the stone: it is the powerful word of it stirs…

Secondly, because it is the greatest blessing to have it, and the greatest plague to want it. Jeremiah 23, having threatened them that they feed not the people, he says after, [I will gather the rest of my sheep out of all the land whither I had driven them, and I will bring the…

I grant it was not that righteousness of God through faith (Philippians 3); yet it was a fruit and infallible sign of that righteousness, and such as did prove them to be in Christ. And 2. all our acts of sanctification are no acts, no infallible marks of justification to my sou…

Now he was made King, not on such terms, as he might destroy all his subjects, (for all mankind are his subjects to Arminians.) But he is made King (Psalm 72:11) that all nations may serve him; that he should deliver the poor, needy, and helpless; and redeem their souls from vio…

It is God's prerogative to know the inward motions and thoughts of the heart, whether they be sincere or no in their professions of dependence and subjection. So omnipresent, that he may be ready at hand to help us and relieve us (Jeremiah 23:23-24). Am I a God at hand, and not…

4. God sees in secret, therefore closet-prayer is a solemn acknowledgment of God's omniscience and omnipresence: When you pray in a corner you testify your faith in God's ubiquity, and look upon him as filling Heaven and Earth; and this God commands us to believe, indeed would h…

Sixthly, whereas Paul says, Every man must bear his own burden, he meets with the profaneness and Atheism of our time, when men make a mock at the day of judgment, and the strict account that every man is to give for himself. The Jews were used to feast at the threatenings of Go…

He also commanded the fathers to be often recording of it to their children, and to continue the remembrance of it to their successors. This therefore must be taken by way of comparison: as in Jeremiah; Behold the days come, says the Lord, that they shall say no more, The Lord w…

When a wise Man speaks in the Exercise of his Wisdom, there is something in every thing he says, that is very distinguishable from the Talk of a little Child. So, without doubt, and much more, is the Speech of GOD, (if there be any such Thing as the Speech of GOD,) to be disting…

Shall wicked men put forth both hands to sin, and will you not put a finger to holiness, put a hand to the ways of God? There is a phrase (Jeremiah 23:10): their whole course is evil, and therefore it is not right. A strange expression!

This Kingdom was fully revealed to David, and is expressed by him, Psalm 2 throughout; Psalm 45:3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; Psalm 89:19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, &c.; Psalm 72:6, 7, 8, 9, &c.; Psalm 110:1, 2, 3. As also in all the following Prophets; see Isaiah 11:1, 2; chapter 9:6, 7; chapter…

And how groundless this imputation would be, our following discourses will manifest. And I doubt not but this whole consideration will be, and is of weight and moment with them who have their senses exercised in the Scriptures, and are enabled by the Spirit breathing in them, to…

Hence the things spoken of him in the Old Testament, are to carnal reason full of seeming inconsistencies. As for instance, it is promised of him that he should be the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15), of the seed of Abraham (Genesis 22:18), and of the posterity of David; and ye…

And this kind of expression in the Scripture, when a thing is said to be called that which it is; the name denoting the being, nature, and quality of it, is so frequent, that there is nothing peculiar in it as here used. See (Isaiah 1:26; Isaiah 8:3; Isaiah 9:6; Jeremiah 23:6; Z…

§ 10 When Abraham was ninety and nine years old, that is also he had been twenty four years in the Land of Canaan. The Lord confirms his Covenant with him and his seed, by the sign and token of Circumcision (Genesis 17:8, 9, 10, 11, 12), which Paul calls the seal of the righteou…

The only way therefore whereby they were proved to be prophets was by the Word itself which they delivered and wrote; and thereon depended the evidence and certainty of their being divinely inspired. See (Amos 7:14, 15, 16; Jeremiah 23:25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31). And setting as…

First, by preferring the promised relief and remedy above all the present glory and worship of the Church; directing it to look above all its enjoyments to that which in all things was to have the pre-eminence. See Isaiah 2:2; chapter 4:2-5; chapter 7:13-15; chapter 9:6-7; chapt…

Chap. 42. v. 1. Jeremiah 23. v. 5. Corruption of Old Translations.

Hence the word is used to express madness, because madness is the height of folly, being without any seasoning, without any temper, a thing that has no taste of wisdom or goodness in it. (Jeremiah 23:13): I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria — that is, they are unsavory,…

The Immensity of his essence, and his Omnipresence is of the same consideration. Do not I fill heaven and earth, says the Lord, Jeremiah 23:24. The heavens, even the heavens of heavens, the supreme and most comprehensive created being cannot contain him, says Solomon.

2. From whom it comes, it's from him, her being his love, makes her like the lily. 3. The nearness of the mystical union, that is between Christ and his Bride; it is such, that thereby they some way share names (Jeremiah 23:6 and Jeremiah 33:16). 3. He intermixes her beauty and…

No duty is more frequently commanded than this is, nor any grace more frequently promised. See Deuteronomy 30:6; Jeremiah 24:7; Ezekiel 11:19; Chapter 36:26, 27. For it is the foundation of all other duties of obedience, and of all communion with God in them.

There be many that have much knowledge in their heads, but they have hardened hearts; they have head knowledge, but they want heart knowledge. And hence that in Jeremiah 24:7. I will give them an heart to know &c. But that which I am now to open, and show is this, namely, that t…

Do the enemies carry away the good figs — even the best among the people — into captivity? This looks like a sad providence; but yet God sends them there for their good (Jeremiah 24:5). Does God take the Assyrian as a staff in his hand to beat his people with?