Micah 3

(1) Perhaps it arises from ignorance of your selves, and of sin, and of God &c. It will one day appear, that the very bottom and foundation of some men's faith, the corner stone of it is laid in, and springs from ignorance of themselves, and of sin; and from secret, unseen, but…

In the primitive times assent was more than it is now, and yet then an unactive assent was never allowed to pass for faith. Confident resting on Christ for salvation, if it be not a resting according to the word, will not serve the turn, there were some that leaned upon the Lord…

But the false and counterfeit faith will be the ape of the true; that also will cry peace, and then it does but deceive. Men will cover all their noisome and running sores, with the fig-leaves of a false and ineffectual faith, which will be but as a spider's web at last (Micah 3…

Many are like those spoken of (Isaiah 57:10): "You have found the life of your hand, therefore you were not grieved"; they have a faith and a hope of their own making, and this keeps them off, so that the word of God takes no hold on them; we preach that you are naturally at [re…

4. And by faith I live not, Christ lives in me, and I am crucified and mortified; that is, by faith I know that I did live the life of God, and was crucified to the world; whereas I was dead in sins, before I believed. 5. And because believing is somewhat more than a naked act o…

Now let a wicked man grow never so vile, and never so sinful, it interrupts not his peace; he has hopes and assurance still, and he will trust in God still, though he sin ever — this is an argument his comforts are unsound. You have a lively picture of this (Micah 3:11). The hea…

If there be a fire in Jeremiah's bowels, what wonder then that prophecying flame out of his mouth, and he confess he was weary with forbearing (Jeremiah 20), and God obtains his holy end. The people are warned of their sin, when Micah says in opposition to the empty Prophets (Mi…

Afflictions in themselves are evil, Amos 2. 6. Very bitter and unpleasant, See Hebrews 12:11. Yet not morally and intrinsically evil, as sin is; for if so, the holy God would never own it for his own act, as he does, Mic. 3. [•]2. but always disclaimeth sin, Iam. 1. 3. Besides,…

Lamentations 3:24: The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore will I hope in him. 3. Walk closely with him (Micah 3:11). The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money, yet will they lean upon the Lord,…

Sixth, those hearts are impure who are haters of purity. Micah 3:2: Who hate the good. Proverbs 1:29: They hated knowledge.

This is the hypocrisy of some: they entitle God to whatever they do; they make bold with God to use his name to their wickedness, as if a thief should pretend the king's warrant for his robbery. Micah 3:11: they build up Zion with blood, the heads thereof judge for reward; yet w…

First, it is not morally or intrinsecally evil, if it were evil in this sense; First, God could not be the author of it; his nature is so pure, that no such evil can come from him, any more than the Sunnes light can make night. But this evil of affliction he vouchs for his own a…

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…

5. The Terms and Notions by which it is expressed under the Old testament, are leaning on God, Micah 3:11. or Christ, Song of Solomon 8:5. rolling, or casting our selves and our burthen on the Lord, Psalm 22:8. Psalm 37:5.

8th Commandment: You shall not steal. He breaks this commandment: who lives in no calling (1 Thessalonians 3:11); who neglects his calling (Jeremiah 48:10); who spends his wealth in riot and provides not for his family (1 Timothy 5:8); who is not content with his estate but seek…

Some flatter them, others fear them, some are bewitched with their favors, and others are frightened by their frowns; but the word of the Lord is not bound, the Spirit of the Lord is not constrained. His ministers are, or should be, full of judgment, power and might, to declare…

Secondly, the desperate unbeliever: that seeing his sins to be so great, and feeling his heart so hard, and finding but little good from God, since he sought for help, (like Cain,) flees from the presence of the Lord; like a mad lion he breaks his chains of restraining grace, an…

All men are of this opinion, that there is no salvation but by the merits of Jesus Christ; and because they hold fast this opinion, therefore they think they hold fast Jesus Christ in the hand of faith, and so perish by catching at their own catch, and hanging on their own fancy…

Christ gives him some rest; and because this is not full, his heart runs out to the creature, and to his lusts for more; and so between them both he has rest, and he is quieted with this, because he feels what he sought for: and therefore he must needs have Christ, else his cons…

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…

Reas. 1. From their presumptuous trust in their privileges, as though God were bound to preserve his Temple — he has no other habitation in the world, and therefore he will never depart from hence, his glory is involved in our preservation, and will he laugh in our ruin: if he s…

The means must be used and mens hearts left to God. Object. 3. This doctrine of the Magistrates coercive power, maketh many to stumble at the Presbyterian Reformation, as a bloudy Reformation, as a building of Zion with bloud, and Ierusalem with iniquity (Micah 3:10). Answ. 1. W…