Sermon 10 - What have I any more to do with idols? - Hosea 14:8
his heaven in his heart and a paradise within him, which is planted with all graces; whereas another man carrieth his hell about him.
Wherefore, let us take such courses to help ourselves as the church doth here, trust in God, and not in man or in the arm of flesh, and be encouraged, from all that hath been said, to have a good conceit* of God, to be fruitful, and draw on others to goodness, that God, his saints, and angels may be delighted with the scent of our graces, and ourselves comforted; that we may rejoice in our portion and lot that God hath dealt so graciously to us, and glory more that he hath made us members of Christ and heirs of heaven than in any condition of this world. O the incomparable, excellent state of a Christian, above all the glory of this world! who not only groweth, but shall grow to heavenwards still; and as he hath begun to hate sin, shall hate it more and more. God hath undertaken it shall be so. Ephraim, after all these sweet promises and dew of grace, shall say, 'What have I any more to do with idols?' &c., the prosecution whereof must be referred† until the next time.
THE TENTH SERMON
Ephraim shall say, What have I any more to do with idols? I have heard him and observed him: I am like a green fir-tree: from me is thy fruit found.—HOS. 14:8.
WE have heard at several times heretofore, how God, out of the largeness of his goodness, goeth beyond those desires which he putteth into his people's hearts. They briefly entreat him to 'do good' to them, and to deal graciously with them; and he answereth them largely, 'That he will be as the dew to them, that they shall grow as the lily, and cast forth their roots as Lebanon.' All set out by most excellent comparisons, helping grace by nature, our souls by our bodies, and our spirits by our senses. As we have souls and bodies, so
God applieth himself to both: 'His branches shall spread; his beauty shall be as the olive, and his smell as Lebanon.'
Then in the seventh verse, his gracious promise reacheth unto those who dwell under the church. 'Those that dwell under his shadow shall return, they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine,' &c.
The new church that shall come under the shadow of the old, shall flourish as the ancient did. 'They that dwell under his shadow,' that is, under Ephraim's and Israel's shadow, 'shall return,' and be partakers of the same dew of grace.
Now this eighth verse containeth a further gracious promise to Ephraim, upon his repenting and former resolutions. Ephraim said,
'Asshur shall not save us, we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods.' Now what saith God here, repeating the words of Ephraim? Ephraim 'shall say' is not in the original; but only set down to express what the meaning is; whereas Ephraim said, 'What have I any more to do with idols?' Ephraim shall have this answer, 'I have heard him, and observed him, I am like a green fir-tree: from me is thy fruit found.'
As though the Lord had said, let not Ephraim think that when he hath forsook idols, he hath forsaken his comfort, as though there were no comfort in walking according to the rule of my word and laws. Let him know, that instead of these poor and base comforts, either in gross idolatry, or other more cunning idolatries whatsoever, which formerly took him up, that now he shall exchange them for more solid and substantial comforts. For 'I have heard him and observed him.' So that let him see what he loseth in parting with base corruptions, worldly lusts, pleasures, and the like, he shall find it more abundantly supplied in a far more excellent manner in me, and in the fruits and effects of my love unto him; so as he shall find that there is nothing lost by entering strictly into my service. And whereas formerly he walked in a vain shadow, in relying on 'Egypt, Asshur, and the works of his own hands;' now he shall have a far more excellent shadow, which no storm, nor rain, nor injury of weather
can pierce through. 'I am like a green fir-tree unto him.' Not such a shadow as those his idols were, who could not keep off the storm of God's wrath from him; nor such a shadow as Jonah's gourd was, which flourished for one day, and was nipt the next, Jonah 4:7. No; I will be constant and permanent as myself, 'I will be as the green firtree;' a constant shadow to keep back all annoyance whatsoever; not like the cursed noisome shadow of idols, under which Ephraim rested before. But 'I will observe and regard him, and be like a green fir-tree unto him.' I will not only be a shadow and shelter of defence unto him from injury and molestation, that he may rest quietly; but he shall be also fruitful. Though the fir-tree be not so fruitful, yet 'from me is thy fruit found.' Whatsoever he is in himself, yet this shall not be matter of discouragement unto him. I am all-sufficient, there is enough in me to supply him with; 'from me is thy fruit found.' But to take them in order.
'Ephraim shall say, What have I any more to do with idols,' &c.
Some think the words come upon Ephraim's observing and hearing of him; so as when God is seen in his most excellent majesty and glory, and observed as he is just, merciful, and wonderful, terrible in himself, that this manner of hearing and observation causeth flesh and blood so to stoop and reform, as they yield themselves, and resign up all unto God; seeing that miserable condition they are in, and what an infinite distance there is betwixt their impurity and God's most excellent holiness. As we read of Isaiah, when he had seen God in his throne of majesty, 'Woe is me!' saith he, 'for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts,' Isa. 6:5. And so of Job, 'I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee; wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes,' Job. 42:5, 6. Which, indeed, is true in the general, that a man then truly repenteth and turneth unto
God, when he knoweth God and himself to purpose, and never effectually until then; for Christ, who cannot lie, and is truth itself, calleth this kind of knowledge eternal life. 'This is life eternal, to
know thee to be the only very God, and whom thou hast sent, Jesus Christ,' John 17:3. But, though this be a general truth, yet we take it here rather for an encouragement unto Ephraim, as before, that nothing is lost by cleaving unto God's ways, and forsaking of sin.
Now whereas, 'Ephraim shall say, what have I any more to do with idols?' In the words we may consider.
1. The manner of expression, with a great indignation of soul, 'What have I any more to do,' &c.
2. The matter so hated with indignation, is idolatry, their former idols, 'Ephraim shall say, What have I any more to do with idols?'
Ephraim, we see, renounceth idolatry. But in what manner is this done? with an high indignation of zeal and hatred: 'What have I any more to do with idols?' He doth not say, Now that Ephraim hath left idolatry, I will supply all these comforts that they had by idols. But Ephraim loathes idolatry. Therefore he saith, 'What have I any more to do with idols?' It is a figurative question, implying a strong denial with a strong indignation. 'What have I any more to do with idols?' I have had too much to do with them: I have now nothing to do with idols. It is a negation and denial, with as great aversation* and abomination as can be possibly expressed: for in such questions, the denial is set forth more strongly by a negation, and with a greater emphasis, than by any affirmation is possible to express. So elegant is the Spirit of God, in setting forth spiritual things in a heavenly and transcendent manner.
'Ephraim shall say, What have I any more to do with idols?' &c.
Hence, in that Ephraim shall say thus, and say it with such vehemency of spirit and indignation, we may observe in general,
There is excellent use of the affections.
God hath planted the affections in us, to be as the wind, to carry the soul to and fro, forward or backward: for affections are planted in the
soul, answerable to things aimed at by it. For, as in the nature of things, there be good and bad, delightful and hateful, hurting or pleasing; so answerably God hath framed the soul to the nature of things. For good things, God hath planted affections in us to join, clasp, embrace them and welcome them; as love, joy, delight, and such like. And for evil things, he hath planted affections to avoid them; as indignation, hatred, and the like. Indeed, religion is mainly in the affections, whereof there is excellent use. Take away them, and take away all religion whatsoever. A man, were it not for his affections, is like mare mortuum, the dead sea that never stirreth.
Therefore it is but a doting, idle conceit of these rigid men, that take away affections; much like the folly of them, who, because they have been drunk with wine, do therefore cut up all the vines. But the way were, to moderate the excess, not to cut up the vines. So for the affections, we must not root them up, or cut them down, but order them aright. For what doth the first commandment require, Thou shalt have no other gods but me; but a right ordering of all the affections of the soul, joy, delight, trust, and fear, and the whole frame of them to be carried to God? For the inward worship of God is nothing else but the excellent working of these affections suitably to the law, with the detestation of the contrary. It is not knowledge that makes a man a good man, but the affections. The devil and wicked spirits know much; but they have no love, joy, or delight in them.
Therefore we must value ourselves and things, as we are in our will and affections; for so God valueth us, and we should value others thereby. This well done would bring us a wondrous deal of comfort, and stop our too much and rigid judging and censuring of others.
'Ephraim shall say, What have I any more to do with idols?'
Now in particular we see here, that Ephraim not only leaveth idols, but there is planted in him a sound indignation against them; whence we may learn, That it is not enough to leave sin, but we must loathe sin also.
A notable place to this purpose, we have in the prophecy of Isaiah, what they should do after their conversion, in the case of hatred to idolatry. 'Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence,' Isa. 30:22. There is a hatred and a strong loathing indignation against sin, when it is discovered in the pollution and vileness thereof; which affection of hatred, God hath planted to draw the soul away from anything that is truly hurtful to it. It is not enough to leave sin for some by-ends, as fear of punishment, shame, and the like; but we must loathe it also. The prophet David, when he professeth his love to the law, how proveth he it? 'I hate and abhor lying,' Ps. 119:163. And so again, 'Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
I hate them with perfect hatred, I account them mine enemies,' Ps.
139:21. Here is hatred, and perfect hatred with abomination.
Reason 1. The reason is, because God is a Spirit, John 4:24; and looks to the bent of our spirits, seeing what we love and what we hate. Therefore the strength of this consideration draweth the soul to hate and love, with God, as he hates and loves; and as much as may be, to hate sin as he doth.
Reason 2. And then again, he requireth our heart especially. 'My son, give me thy heart.' Give me thy love in that which is good, and hate that which is ill. What ill we leave, we must hate first; and what good we do, we must first love, or else we shall never do either of them acceptably to purpose. What the heart doth not, is not done in religion. If it hath no hand in the avoiding of ill, it is not avoided. If it have no hand in the doing of good, it is not done before God.
Therefore in true conversion, there must be a loathing of sin.
Reason 3. Thirdly, because in all true conversion there is a new nature put in us. Now the new creature, which partaketh of the divine nature, whereby we resemble God, it hath an antipathy to the greatest ill, which is sin, the cause of all other evils whatsoever;
which maketh us opposite to God, defileth the soul, and hindereth our sweet communion with him. A new creature, we know, hath a new disposition, and is opposite to the works of the flesh; they are contrary to one another. So that we see it clear, that we must not only leave but loathe sin.
Quest. But how may we know, discern, and try this true hatred of sin?
Ans. First, true hatred is universal. He who hates ill truly, hates in universally in the whole kind. As we see in wicked men and devils, who hate God and all goodness. So on the contrary, those that are good hate all ill whatsoever, whether it pleasure or displeasure them; they stand not upon it, they hate the very nature of all ill. Those whose obedience and affections are partial, they hate some evils, but not others, which is not true hatred wrought by the Spirit of God, for that is universal to the whole kind.
2. Then also, wheresoever true hatred is, it is unplacable and unappeasable. There's no true end of sound hatred, but by the abolishing altogether of that thing it hates; as we see the hatred of Satan to the church and people of God is unappeasable and unquenchable. Nothing in the world can stay Satan's hatred, nor the hatred of his instruments, who hate the remembrance of God's people. Therefore the very name of Calvin and Luther must be put out of their books, to satisfy their hatred, not only when they are dead, burn their bones, but abolish their memory, if they can, (m). So there is the like disposition in God's people to that which is ill. A godly disposition, it hateth sin even to the death, and is not quiet until all sin be abolished. Whereupon it is never quiet in this life, but desires heaven, not enduring patiently the least relics and rags of sin; desiring that that which it so hateth, might have no being at all.
Those who mince and cull things, who are so gentle and tender towards their sins and corruptions, in themselves and others; is this that hatred which is unappeasable, and never rests, till it see either a thorough reformation, or abolishing of what it so hateth? Wherein it
is a more rooted affection than anger. For hatred is a rooted offensive displeasure, against persons and things; and so rooted, as that nothing in the world can root it out. Anger may be appeased. It is appeased in God, and it may and must be in men. But hatred is implacable, aiming at the annihilation of the thing so hated.
3. Again, where true hatred and indignation is, there the nearer the ill is to us, the more we hate it, &c. As we hate it in itself, so we hate it the more, the nearer it is to us. As a toad or any venomous thing, the nearer it is to us, we loathe and abhor it the more, so certainly, whosoever hates and abhorreth sin as sin (as it is a hateful thing to a renewed soul), so he hateth sin more in himself than in others, because it is nearest in his own bosom. Every man hates a snake more in his bosom than afar off, because it is more likely to do him harm there. Therefore those that flatter their own corruptions, and are violent against others, as Judah against Tamar, 'She shall be burned, bring her forth and burn her,' when himself had gotten her with child, Gen. 38:24. So many are severe in punishing of others, as if they were wondrous zealous; but what are they in their own breast?
Do they reform sin in their own hearts and lives? He that truly hates sin, he hateth his own sin more than others, because it is near him.
4. And so, in proportion, he that hates sin truly will hate it in his own family, children and servants, more than in others abroad. It was a great fault in David, that he cockered* up Adonijah, and others in his own house, whilst he was more strict abroad. Can men think to redress and hate sin in the commonwealth, and yet suffer it in their families? True hatred is most conversant in its strength near hand.
Those who suffer deboistness† and profaneness in their families, and never check it in their children and servants, they hate not sin.
Whatsoever countenance they may take upon them, of reformation abroad, it cometh out of by-respects, and not out of true hatred.
5. Again, he that hateth sin truly as sin, will hate the greatest sin in the greatest measure, because he hates it as it is hateful. Now in the nature of things, the greatest sin deserveth the greatest abomination,
and aversation* from it. Therefore he who truly hateth sin, he hates the greatest sin most of all. Those therefore that are very nice in less matters, and loose in greater things, it is but hypocrisy. For he who truly hates sin as sin, where the greatest sin is, thither he directs the edge of his hatred, which is the strongliest carried against the strongest ill. And such a one will not respect persons in evil, but wheresoever he findeth it, if he have a calling, there will be an answerable hatred of it. Therefore if one be a minister of the word of God, he will do as good Micaiah did, and will not balk† Ahab for his greatness, 1 Kings 22:9, seq.; and like good John Baptist, he will tell
Herod of his faults. Because he hates sin as sin, therefore, where he hath a calling to it, he will hate it proportionably in the greatest measure. Good Eli in this case was too indulgent over his sons, 1
Sam. 2:27, seq.; but we must love no man so nearly, as to love the ill in them.
6. Again, a man may know that he truly hates sin, if he can endure admonition and reproof for sin. He that hates a venomous plant which troubleth the ground, will not be displeased if a man come and tell him that he hath such a plant in his ground, and will help him to dig it up: surely he cannot be displeased with the party. So here, if a man do truly hate sin, will he be angry with him that shall tell him that he is obnoxious to such an evil, which will hurt him dangerously, and damn his soul if it be not helped? Surely no. Therefore let men pretend what they will, those who swell against private reproof, they do not hate sin as sin. Only add we this caution: a reproof may be administered with such indiscretion, out of self-love, and with a high hand, as that a man may dislike the carnal manner of reproving; but if it be done in a good manner, he that hates reproof, because he loveth himself and his sin, pretend what he will, he hates not sin.
7. So, if a man love to be flattered in his sin, it is a sign he hates not sin truly. For there is naturally a great deal of self-love in man, which makes him that he loves to be flattered in his sins; whereupon he comes to be abused to his own destruction, especially great men.
Now, it is a sign of an ill state of soul to be subject to be abused by
flattery, and to hate instruction. Saith Paul, 'Am I your enemy, because I have told you the truth?' Gal. 4:16.
8. Again, we may know what our hatred to sin is, by our willingness or unwillingness to talk of it or mention it, or to venture upon the occasions thereof. Where hatred is, there is outward aversation. We fly from what we hate, and shun to frequent places where we may receive offence. Whatsoever hath an antipathy to nature, that we hate and run away from. Therefore those that present themselves to the occasions of sin, upon no calling, say what they will, they feed sin, and live according to the flesh. Those that hate a thing will never come near it if they can choose. Therefore, those that present themselves willingly to places infected, where there is nothing religious, but scorning of religion, your common representations of abomination, pretend what they will, their intent is to strengthen their own corruption, against the good of their souls. This is the issue. Those that hate sin will hate all that which may lead to it, the representations of sin also. Can a man hate sin and see it acted?
Wickedness is learned when one seeth it acted, as one of the ancients saith well. Therefore let us by these and the like trials take notice what our hatred to sin is.
Only this our zeal and indignation to sin must have a mitigation and be regulated, lest, like an exorbitant river, it exceed the bounds.
Therefore, not to follow the school niceties in the exactness of differences, we will touch the mark a little, how this zeal and hatred to sin, in reproof especially, must be qualified; wherein we must consider divers things.
1. First, our calling must be respected. For howsoever we must carry an universal hatred to sin thus far, that we must not do it, yet in the discovery of hatred and dislike to others, we must consider what calling we have, and how far we go.
2. And it must be done with a sweet temper, keeping our distance, and reserving the due respect unto those in whom we shew our
dislike. As we see Nathan, when he came to tell David of his fault, how he doth it, what art he useth! It must so be done as that it may appear to be done out of pure zeal, that it is no wild-fire nor no heat of nature; but that it cometh merely from the Spirit, and in much love, with mildness and pity, in which case it carrieth a wondrous authority. The discovery of hatred to the faults either in a minister or in a magistrate, though they must be truly dealt with, and have their faults told them, yet there must be respect had to their place, by reason of the weakness of men. As it is with the body, great men have their physicians as well as meaner, only their physic must be more costly, because perhaps of the tenderness of their constitutions; but as for their bodies, they must not be suffered to perish, nor will not.
So for their souls, they must have that which other men have to help them, but it must be done with reservation and respect; as Paul, speaking to Festus the governor, calleth him 'most noble Festus,' &c.,
Acts 26:25. Pressing also goodness in some sort upon king Agrippa, 'O king Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know thou dost,' Acts
26:26. So we see how we may examine whether our hatred to sin be true or not.
Let every one therefore make use of it in their calling. Those that are entrusted with God's message, let them know that God's ambassadors are to be faithful in their message, for they serve a greater Lord than is upon the earth; and let them shew their true hatred of ill, and the danger of sin, wheresoever they find it. And for those that are governors of others, let them not think that they hate sin in themselves except they hate sin also in all that belongs to them, and reform it. For we see here an evidence of conversion.
When Ephraim was converted, 'What have I any more to do with idols?' and, 2 Cor. 7:11, there is an excellent description of the nature of repentance, by many parcels. The Corinthians had repented: how is this evidenced? 'Oh, behold,' saith he, 'this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you; yea, what clearing of yourselves; yea, what indignation; yea, what fear; yea, what vehement desire; yea, what zeal; yea, what revenge!' What revenge and indignation against sin! A kind of extremity of hatred, a
hatred quickened and kindled, the height of hatred. What indignation! Insinuating that wheresoever there is the truth of conversion, there will be indignation against sin in ourselves. As David confesseth of himself, having sinned, 'So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee,' Ps. 73:22. When he suffered such a thought to lodge in his breast, that it was better with the children of the world than with the church of God, he was troubled for it. But when he went into the church of God, and saw the end of wicked men, then he saw his own foolishness in being so deceived, and speaks against himself with indignation. So wheresoever there is true conversion, there is hatred with indignation against ourselves.
As in that place before alleged, they shall say unto their idols, 'Get thee hence,' Isa. 30:22, what have I any more to do with you? Which is a phrase of speech shewing a disposition of hatred to the utmost extension, 'Get you hence.' So Christ to the devil, 'Get thee behind me, Satan.' This is the right temper of a truly converted Christian, expressed by divers phrases in Scripture: by a denial of our lusts, by killing and crucifying, by pulling out the eye, and cutting off the right hand. Which phrases, do they not imply a great strength of hatred and indignation, when we must, as it were, pull out our own eyes; that is, our beloved sins, which are as dear to us as our eyes, and as useful as our right hands unto us? Yet these must be cut off, mortified, crucified, and denied, Col. 3:5. Therefore let us not deceive ourselves; but let us judge of the truth of our conversion by our true hatred to sin in ourselves and others, and in all who are committed to our charge.
If this be so, what shall we judge of a cold, lukewarm temper? It is the nature of cold, to gather heterogeneal bodies together. As we see in the ice, there are straws, and stones, and heterogeneal things incorporated, because the cold congeals them together; but where there is fire, there is a separating of the dross from the good metal.
So where the Spirit of God is, it is not so cold as to jumble sin and sin, this and that together; but it purgeth away that which is ill, and that which is good it makes better. For in what proportion the fire of God's Spirit stirs up that which is good, in that proportion there is a
hatred of that which is ill. They are unparalleled affections. Those that love God, they hate evil. Those that are alike to all things, do shew that they have not this active true hatred against sin. No!
'Ephraim shall say, What have I any more to do with idols?'
Quest. But now, How shall we come to get this hatred against sin, and holy revenge and indignation against ourselves for that which is amiss in us?
Ans. First, we must every day labour to get a clearer sight of the excellency of that which is good, and a nearer communion with God by prayer and meditation. And then, when we have been with God, it will work an abomination of whatsoever is contrary unto him. Thus
Moses, when he had talked with God in the mountain, at his return, seeing them dancing and sacrificing to the calf of gold, Exod. 32:19, what did Moses? He brake the tables asunder. So it is with those that have communion with God, who is 'light itself, and in whom is no darkness,' 1 John 1:5, who is holiness and purity itself. Those who have effectually conversed with God in his ordinances, meditation, prayer, and the like, when they look upon sin, which is contrary to God, they look upon it with a more perfect hatred. So Isaiah 6:5.
When God appeared to the prophet, and touched his tongue* with a coal from the altar, saith he, 'Woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips,' &c., 'for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.' Thus, when once he had communion with God, he began to loathe himself. So, if we would hate evil, let us labour more and more to be holy, and to increase in that divine affection of love.
For in what measure we love that which is good, in that measure we hate the evil: as it is, Ps. 97:10, 'Ye that love the Lord, hate evil;' insinuating, that all that love the Lord hate evil. All those that are near unto God, they hate all sin. The more they grow into communion with God, the more they grow in the hatred of all that is contrary. Let us therefore never talk of love to God, and of piety, and such like; for if there be any grace or communion with God, we hate all sin in that measure as God hateth. He who hath no zeal to reform that which God hateth, he hath no love at all.
2. Again, the way to stir us up to hate sin in ourselves and others, and out of that hatred to reform it, is to set before us, what it is in itself; that it is the loathsomest thing in the world, worse than the devil himself: for it is sin which makes him a devil. That corruption, pride, worldliness, and profaneness, which we cherish, is worse than the devil himself, because this made him a devil. Let us make sin therefore as loathsome as we can, and then we shall hate it: and let us present it to our souls, as the most dangerous thing of all, the ill of ills, which bringeth all other evils upon us. This may appear more ugly in our sight, in that the foulness thereof could not be expiated but by the death of the Son of God. And consider what great torments he hath prepared for that which we so cherish. This proud, sinful, and carnal disposition of ours, so opposite to all goodness,
God hath appointed to punish it with eternal separation from his presence. It maketh God hate his own creatures. 'Go, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels,' Matt. 25:41.
3. And to stir us up to reform sin in all that belong unto us, we must consider the dangerous condition that they live and die in, in whom this is not reformed. Eternal torments, and separation from God.
These things may help to work in our hearts a hatred of sin: and from this hatred, a reformation of it, with a zeal and indignation.
Therefore let us labour more and more for this temper of soul, that we may be like God, and carry the characters of the children of God in us. There is no affection will distinguish us from hypocrites more than hatred, which cometh of love, which is the first-born and breeding affection of all others. For why do we hate any thing, but because it is opposite to that we love? Why do we hate ill, but because it is opposite to God and to Christ, whom we love? Amongst others, take we along this consideration with us, that it is the spear which wounded our blessed Saviour; and that it is that he hates most which we love most. Consider the holiness of God, that he would punish it in his own Son, ere it should not be punished.
4. And consider that it is the bane of all our comfort, this which we so cherish, and that it embitters all things to us. We cannot rejoice, no,
not in the good blessings of God, whilst we are guilty of sin; neither can we pray comfortably whilst our hearts regard it, Ps. 66:18. In this case, that which should rejoice the heart, communion with God, is terrible to us. What have I to do to take his name in my mouth, when
I embrace such sins? Ps. 50:16. The day of judgment is terrible also; for how can a man think comfortably thereof, if therewith he expect a heavy doom for his sins he liveth in? So we may say of the day of death. None of these can be thought upon without terror, when therewithal it cometh to one's mind, the cutting off from their sins, and the 'terror of the Lord' against all sin whatsoever, 2 Cor. 5:11. It should be the joy of our hearts to think of these happy times: therefore, there must needs be a great deal of sin and atheism in our hearts when we cannot think comfortably of them. For either we believe not these things, and so are plain atheists; or else, if we believe them, we are exceeding foolish to lose future joys for the poor
'pleasures of sin for a season.'
5. Let us labour to grow in grace more and more; for the more we grow in the love of God and good things, the more we shall hate sin.
For, whatsoever may be said for the growth in love, and cherishing of it to good things, the same may be said for the hatred of ill, in a contrary sense.
6. The last place shall be, to place and drive our affections a contrary way, to translate and place them on a contrary object, when they are stirred up to evil attempts. As, when hatred is stirred up, direct it to its proper object, sin; when love is irregular, think with ourselves, that God hath not planted this affection for this object, but to carry me another way; I must love God above all, and all that he loveth, for his sake. Hath God put love and hatred into my heart, to hate my brother whom I should love, and to love the devil, and hate God? Oh no! I should love God above all, and my brother as myself; and hate the devil and all his works, whom I have renounced in my baptism.
Therefore, in distempers of the affections, make a diverson, and turn them the right way. As physicians use to do, when the distempered blood runs dangerously one way; if they cannot stop that, they open a
vein to drive the course of the blood another way. So it is Christian policy, when the affections run dangerously one way, then to reflect thus upon ourselves: Aye, But is this the end why God hath placed this affection in me? Certainly no! He hath planted this affection in me for another purpose. Therefore, I will hate that which I should hate; sin in general, and my own sin most of all, which makes me hate my brother. This should be our daily task and study, to take off the affections where they should not be placed, and to fix them where they should be placed; and there to let them go amain, the faster the better; restraining them where they should not run out.
Thus we ought to temper ourselves, and to work in ourselves as much as may be, a sound hatred to all sin, not only of the second table, but of the first also. The church here saith, 'What have I any more to do with idols?' Now I hate all vain inventions. And think not, with Gallio, that this belongeth not to us; if we be magistrates, and called to do it, to stand for the cause of the church and true religion.
'What have I any more to do with idols?'
The last thing to be observed from Ephraim's manner of expressing his indignation is— Obs. That where love is not well contracted and begun, it will not hold to the end, but will end in eternal hatred.
The serpent and Eve* had some poor acquaintance together, as the issue proved. What did it end in? 'The seed of the woman shall break the serpent's head,' Gen. 3:15. This association and acquaintance ended in everlasting war and breach. So all covenants, leagues, and associations with those we should not join with, can never soder handsomely together, but will end in everlasting hatred. What a strict league was in former times betwixt Ephraim and idols! But when Ephraim's eyes are opened to see his idols devils, he detests and loathes all abominations, and is of another mind. 'What have I
any more to do with idols?' He abominates them, as the word importeth.
Let us therefore beware with whom we join in intimate league. For what makes miserable so much, as the renting of the affections from that they were strongly placed on? when love is rent from the thing beloved? If we place our affections, for some by-respects, upon wicked persons, this will cause so much the more torment and indignation against ourselves, that were so foolish to suffer our affections to enter so deeply where they should not. Those that glory in their league with antichrist, and wonder at the beast, Rev. 17:8, seq., thinking him a demi-god: will this be alway so? Oh, no; when
God opens the eyes of any of his people, they shall hate them for ever. So wicked persons, that now are led on to this and that wicked course: shall this be always so? Woe to thee, if it be! But the time may come that thou shalt say, 'What have I any more to do with idols,' or with such an one's acquaintance? I cannot endure to look on him: he tainted me, and misled me, and tempted me. Now we must be two, part we must, and I would we had never met together.
Therefore, before we place our affections on any, consider who they be, whether we be likely to live with them for ever or not; whether there be any evidence of grace in them. If not, let them be two to us.
For whatsoever vanity is in the things or persons we love, if we belong to God, we must be separate from them, unless we will be damned. Therefore we must be wise to prevent the danger betimes.
Ephraim might have known before the danger of idolatry, had he been wise and prudent; but it is well he knows it now at length, which causeth him so to abominate idols. 'What have I any more to do with idols?' Thus much is spoken, because of the lukewarmness and cold temper, neutrality and halting of a great many in the world, having so many sinful combinations and associations one with another, as if these things were not material.
Now, let men consider what a disposition this is, and how it stands with that disposition which must be in those that are members of Christ, and look for heaven. Let a Christian always remember what