Sermon 4 - Neither will we say any more to the works of our hands, Ye are our gods - Hosea 14:3
THE FOURTH SERMON
Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses; neither will we say any more to the works of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.—HOS. 14:3.
WE shewed you heretofore at large, how the Spirit of God, by the prophet, doth here dictate a form of turning unto these Israelites,
'Take unto you words;' and then teacheth them what they should return back again, thanks. 'So will we render the calves of our lips.'
Wherein they shew two things. 1. They that have no great matters to render, oxen or sheep, &c. 2. They shew what is most pleasing unto
God, the calves of our lips; that is, thanksgiving from a broken heart, which, as the Psalmist speaks, pleaseth God better than 'a bullock that hath horns and hoofs,' Ps. 69:31. But this is not enough. The Holy Ghost therefore doth prescribe them, together with prayer and thanksgiving, reformation. 'Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses; neither will we say any more to the works of our hands,
Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.' So that here you have reformation joined with prayer and praise. Whence we observed divers things: that without reformation our prayers are abominable; that in repentance there must be reformation of our special sin; which here they do. Take this one thing more in the third place, which shall be added to the former.
Obs. In reformation, we must go not only to the outward delinquencies, but to the spring of them, which is some breach of the first table.
The root of all sin, is the deficiency of obedience to some command of the first table. When confidence is not pitched aright in God, or when it is misapplied, and misfastened to the creature: when the soul sets up somewhat for a stay and prop unto it, which it should not do, this is a spiritual and subtle sin, and must be repented of, as here,
'Asshur shall not save us,' &c. It were good therefore for all those who seriously intend the work of repentance, to take this course. If the gross fault be of the second table, take occasion of sorrow and mourning thence. But when you have begun there, resolve and bring all to the breeding sin of all, which is the fastening of the soul falsely, when it is not well fastened and bottomed in the root. And therefore it was well done by Luther, who, in a Catechism of his, brings in the first commandment into all the commandments of the first and second table, 'Thou shalt have no other gods but me.' Therefore thou shalt sanctify the Sabbath, honour thy father and mother, shalt not take my name in vain, shalt not commit adultery, shalt not steal, &c.,
(b). Because he that hath no God but that God in his heart, will be sure to sanctify the Sabbath, honour his father and mother, not commit adultery, nor steal. And whence come all the breaches of the second table? Hence, that there is not the true fear and love of God in our hearts; and it is just with God, for their spiritual sins, to give them up to carnal and gross sins. Therefore, though the Israelites here had many gross sins to repent of, yet they go to the spring-head, the breeding sin of all, false confidence. This is to deal thoroughly, to go to the core. 'Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses.' From whence, in the third place, may descend to the next branch of their sin, idolatry.
'Neither will we say any more to the works of our hands, Ye are our gods.' All false confidence hath two objects: for it is always either,
1. Out of religion; or, 2. In religion.
For the first, all ill confidence and trust, if it be out of religion, it is in the creature; either, 1. Out of us; or, 2. In ourselves.
Secondly, if it be in religion, it is in a false god, as here, 'Neither will we say any more to the works of our hands, Ye are our gods.' Observe hence in the first place.
Obs. Man naturally is prone to idolatry.
The story of the Bible, and of all ages, sheweth how prone men are to idolatry and will-worship, and what miseries ensued thereupon.
Amongst other instances, we see how presently after that breach in the kingdom of David and Solomon, by Jeroboam's setting up of two calves, how suddenly they fell to idolatry, 1 Kings 13:33, seq.; 2
Chron. 13:8. So that after that, there was not one good king amongst them all, until the nation was destroyed. And so in the story of their antiquities, see how prone they were to idolatry in the wilderness.
Moses doth but go up to the mount, and they fall to idolatry, cause Aaron to make a calf, and dance round about it, Exod. 32:4, seq.; Ps.
106:19. The thing is so palpable, that it need not be stood upon, that man's nature is prone to idolatry which will not raise itself up to God, but fetch God to itself, and conceive of him according to its false imaginations.
Now idolatry is two ways committed, in the false, hollow, and deceitful heart of man: either, 1. By attributing to the creature that which is proper to God only, investing it with God's properties; or, 2. By worshipping the true God in a false manner.
1. So that, in the first place, idolatry is to invest the creature with God's properties. Go to the highest creature, Christ's human nature.
We have some bitter spirits (Lutherans they call them) Protestants, who attribute to the human nature of Christ, that which only is proper to God, to be every where, and therefore to be in the sacrament, (c). You have some come near them, both in their opinion and in their bitterness. They will have a nescio quomodo. Christ is there though they know not how. But this is to make Christ's human
nature a god, to make an idol of it. So prayers to saints and angels, this makes idols of them, because it invests them with properties to know our hearts, which he must know unto whom we pray. And then, it gives unto them that which is proper to God, worship and prayer. But, we must call upon none but whom we must believe in, and we must believe in none but God. Therefore, worshipping of saints or angels is idolatry.
Secondly, idolatry is to worship the true God in a false manner; to fix his presence to that we should not fix it to; to annex it to statues, images, crucifixes, the picture of the Virgin Mary and the like. Not to run into the common place of idolatry, but to come home unto ourselves.
Quest. Whether are the papists idolaters or not, like unto these Israelites, who say (being converted), 'Neither will we say unto the works of our hands, Ye are our gods?'
Ans. I answer, Yes; as gross as ever the heathens were, and worse.
The very Egyptians, they worshipped none for gods but those who were alive; as a papist himself saith (though he were an honest papist), the Egyptians worshipped living creatures, but we are worse than they; for we worship stocks and stones, and a piece of bread in the sacrament. And to this purpose, one of their Jesuits confesseth this, and yielded the question for granted, that if there be not a transubstantiation of the bread turned into the body and blood of Christ, we are worse idolaters than these and these nations; because we worship a piece of bread, which is a dead thing. But we assume
(according to the Scriptures, the judgment of the church, and of the truth itself), the bread is not transubstantiated, at least it is a doubtful matter, for if it be not the intention of the priest, it is not.
See here upon what hazard they put the souls of people!
Obj. But they have many shifts for themselves; as, among the rest, this is one, that they do not worship the image, but God or Christ before the image.
Ans. To which the answer is, that the fathers who wrote against the heathens meet with this pretence. The Pagans had this excuse. We worship not this statue of Jupiter, but Jupiter himself. Thus they have no allegation for themselves, but the heathen had the same, which the ancient Fathers confuted. They are guilty of idolatry in both the forenamed kinds. For, first, they worship things that they should not, as appears by their invocation of saints, vows to them; their temples, altars, and the like, full of their images, giving them honour due unto God. And then, they worship the true God in a false manner before their images. There is no kind of idolatry but they are grossly guilty of it. Whereof let this be the use.
Use 1. First of all, of thankfulness, that God hath brought us into Goshen, into a kingdom of light; that we are born in a time and place of knowledge of the true God, wherein is the true worship of the true
God. It is a matter that we cannot be too thankful to God for.
Quest. How shall we shew ourselves thankful?
Ans. In keeping fast the true worship of God we have, and keeping out idolatry; in reviving laws in that kind, if not making new. What if there were liberty given for men to go about the country to poison people! Would we endure such persons, and not lay hold of them? So in that we are freed from Jesuits who go about to poison the souls of God's people, let us shew our thankfulness for this, and shun idolatry of all sorts whatsoever.
Use 2. Secondly, See from hence that there can be no toleration of that religion, no more, as was said, than to suffer and tolerate poisoners. As they said of coloquintida in their pottage, 2 Kings 4:40, so 'there is death in the pot' of Romish religion. Therefore it were good to compel them to come in and serve the Lord their God. As it is said, good Josiah compelled those in his time to serve the Lord, 2
Chron. 34:33, so it were good such courses were taken to reform and reclaim them. As Saint Augustine said of himself in his time, being a Donatist, he altered his judgment by force. In which case it would be
with them as with children, who, when they are young, must be forced to school, but afterwards they thank them who forced them.
So it is in religion, though it cannot be forced, yet such might afterwards bless God for them who brought them to the means; who, instead of their blindness, trained them up in more knowledge, by forcing them to use the means for which, when God should open their eyes, they might bless God another day. But this point of gross idolatry, so largely handled in books, is only touched by the way, that we may hate idolatry the more; which could not be left out, the words leading to say somewhat of it, seeing how these converts here hate it, and out of that hatred make this profession, 'Neither will we say any more to the works of our hands, Ye are our gods,' &c.
But this is not all; we must know that there be other idols than the idols which we make with our hands. Besides these religious idols, there be secular idols in the world, such as men set up to themselves in their own hearts. Whatsoever takes up the heart most, which they attribute more to than to God, that is their idol, their god. A man's love, a man's fear, is his god. If a man fear greatness rather than God, that he had rather displease God than any great person, they are his idols for the time. 'The fear of a man brings a snare,' Prov. 29:25, saith the wise man. And those who get the favour of any in place, sacrifice therefore their credit, profession, religion, and souls, it is gross idolatry; dangerous to the party, and dangerous to themselves.
It was the ruin of Herod to have that applause given to him, and taken by him, 'The voice of God, and not of man,' Acts 12:22. So for any to be blown up with flatterers, that lift them up above their due measure, it is an exceeding wrong to them, prejudiceth their comfort, and will prove ill in the conclusion; indeed, treason against their souls.
So there is a baser sort of idolaters, who sacrifice their credit and state, whatsoever is good within them, their whole powers, to their base and filthy pleasures. Thus man is degenerate since his fall, that he makes that his god which is meaner than himself. Man, that was ordained for everlasting happiness and communion with God, is now
brought to place his happiness and contentment in base pleasures.
Whereas it is with the soul of man for good or ill, as it applies itself to that which is greater or meaner than itself. If it apply itself to confidence and affiance in God, then it is better. For it is the happiness of the soul to have communion with the Spring of goodness, as David speaks, 'It is good for me to draw near to God,'
&c., Ps. 73:28. When we suffer the soul to cleave in affiance to earthly things, it grows in some measure to the nature of the things adhered to. When we love the world and earthly things, we are earthly. Till the Spirit of God touch the soul, as the loadstone doth the heavy iron, drawing it up, as it were, it will cleave to the creature, to baser things than itself, and so makes the creature an idol, which is the common idolatry of these times. Some make favour, as the ambitious person; some their pleasures, as baser persons of meaner condition; and some riches. Every man as their temper and as their temptations are.
Now, it is not enough to be sound in religion one way in the main; but we must be sound every way, without any touch of idolatry. In a special manner the apostle calls the 'covetous man an idolater,' Eph.
5:5, because he makes riches his castle, thinking to carry anything with his wealth. But his riches oftentimes prove his ruin; for whatsoever a man loves more than God, God will make it his bane and ruin; at least, be sure to take it away, if God mean to save the party. Therefore, here they say, 'Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses; neither will we say any more to the works of our hands, Ye are our gods.'
'For in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.'
Here he shews the reason of their rejecting of all false confidence in Asshur, in horses, in idols; because they had planted their confidence in the true God. They said so when they had smarted by Asshur, and by idolatry. Then 'Asshur shall not save us,' &c. They knew it by rule before; but till God plagued them, as he did oft by Asshur and by Egypt, when he broke the reed that it did not only not uphold them,
but run into their hands, they made no such acknowledgment. Hence observe, Obs. Usually it is thus with man, he never repents till sin be embittered to him.
He never alters his confidence till his trusts be taken away. When God overthrows the mould of his devices, or brings them upon his own head, setting him to reap the fruit of his own ways, embittering sinful courses to him, then he returns. Instruction without correction doth for the most part little good. When Asshur had dealt falsely with them, and idolatry would do them no good, then they begin to alter their judgment. What makes men, after too much confidence in their wit, when they have, by their plots and devices, gone beyond what they should do, and wrapped and entangled themselves in a net of their own weaving, as we say, alter their judgment? They are then become sick of their own devices. This makes the change. For till then the brain hath a kind of net to wrap our devices in. So, many have nets in their brains, wherewith they entangle themselves and others with their idle devices; which, when they have done, and so woven the web of their own misery, then they begin to say, as the heathen saith when he was deceived, 'O fool am I, I was never a wise man!' Then they begin to say, I was a fool to trust such and such. I have tried such and such policies, and they have deceived me. I will now alter my course. And surely men of great parts are seldom converted till God confound their plots, and lays flat all their false confidence. When Asshur disappoints them, then 'Asshur shall not save us,' &c.
Use. Therefore make this use of it, not to be discouraged when God doth confound any carnal plot or policy of ours, as to think that God hates either a nation or a person when they have ill success in plots and projects which are not good. Nay, it is a sign rather that God intends good, if they make a right use it. God intends conversion, to translate false confidence from the creature to himself, and to learn us to make God wise for us. It is a happy thing when in this world
God will disappoint a man's courses and counsels, and bring him to shame, rather than he should go on and thrive in an evil and carnal course, and so end his days. There is no evidence at all which can be given of a reprobate, because there may be final repentance, repentance at the last. But this is one and as fearful a sign as may be, to thrive and go on in an evil course to the end. When God shall disappoint and bring a man to shame in that he prided in and built upon, it is a good sign. If thereupon we take advantage to turn to God, and lay a better bottom and foundation, as we see here, 'Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses,' &c.
'For in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.'
As if he should say, We have that supply of strength and comfort from thee that Asshur, horses, and idols cannot give. Therefore we will alter our confidence, to fix and pitch it upon thee, and trust thee; because 'in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.' We shall not need to say, In thee will we trust; for, if God be apprehended thus, as one in whom 'the fatherless findeth mercy,' affiance will follow. For the object is the attractive and loadstone of the soul; so that if a fit object be presented unto it, affiance, confidence, and trust will of itself follow. Therefore the Spirit of God forbears multiplication of words, and sets down this, 'For in thee the fatherless findeth mercy;' and doth not say, In thee will I trust, for that is implied. Whatsoever conceives that God is so gracious and merciful to despicable, miserable persons, such as are set down in this one particular,
'fatherless,' they cannot but trust in God. Therefore the one is put for the other, 'for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.' Whence, from the dependence of the words, observe, Obs. That it is not sufficient to disclaim affiance in the creature, but we must pitch that affiance aright upon God.
We must not only take it off where it should not be placed, but set it where it should be. 'Cease from evil, and learn to do well,' Isa. 1:16,
17. Trust not in the creature. 'Cease from man,' as the prophet saith,
'whose breath is in his nostrils,' Isa. 2:22; 'Commit thy ways to God, trust in him,' Ps. 37:5. The heathen, by the light of nature, knew this, that for the negative there is no trusting in the creature, which is a vain thing. They could speak wonderful wittily* and to purpose of these things, especially the Stoics. They could see the vanity of the creature. But for the positive part, where to place their confidence, that they were ignorant in. And so for the other part here, 'Neither will we say any more to the works of our hands, Ye are our gods.'
Idolaters can see the vanity of false gods well enough. In Italy you have thousands of the wittier and learneder sort, who see the folly and madness of their religion. And among ourselves, how many witty men can disclaim against popery, who yet in their lives and conversations are not the better for it; because they think it enough to see the error that misleads them, though they never pitch their confidence as they should do. It is not enough therefore to rest in the negative part. A negative Christian is no Christian; not to be an idolater, not to be a papist; no, there must be somewhat else. We must bring forth good fruit, Mat. 3:10, or else we are for the fire, and are near to cursing and burning, Heb. 6:8. This is spoken, the rather because many think themselves well when they can disclaim against the errors of popery; and that they are good Christians, because they can argue well. Oh! such make religion nothing but a matter of opinion, of canvassing an argument, &c. But it is another manner of matter, a divine power exercised upon the soul, whereby it is transformed into the obedience of divine truth, and moulded into it.
So that there must be a positive as well as a negative religion; a cleaving to God as well as a forsaking of idols.
Again, in the severing of these idols from God, we must know and observe hence, Obs. That there is no communion between God and idols.
'Neither will we say any more to the works of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.' There must be a renouncing of false worship, religion, and confidence, before we can
trust in God. 'Ye cannot serve God and Mammon,' saith Christ, Mat.
6:24. We cannot serve Christ and Antichrist together. We may as well bring north and south, east and west together, and mingle light and darkness, as mix two opposite religions. You see here, one of them is disclaimed ere affiance be placed in the other. Therefore the halters betwixt two religions are here condemned. It was excellent well said by Joshua. They had there some mixture of false worship, and thought therewith to serve also Jevovah. 'No,' saith he, 'you cannot serve Jehovah,' Josh, 24:19. What is Joshua's meaning when he saith they could not? Not only that they had no power of themselves; but, you are a naughty, false people, you think to jumble God's worship and that of heathens together; 'you cannot serve God' thus. So a man may say to those who look Romewards, for worldly ends, and yet will be Protestants, You cannot serve God; you cannot be sound
Christians, halting thus betwixt both. These are not compatible, they cannot stand together; you must disclaim the one if you will cleave to the other. We see the ground here, 'Neither will we say any more to the works of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.'
Again, whereas upon disclaiming of false confidence in the creatures and idols, they name this as a ground, 'For in thee the fatherless findeth mercy,' observe, In what measure and degree we apprehend God aright to be the allsufficient true God, in that measure we cast away all false confidence whatsoever.
The more or less we conceive of God as we should do, so the more or less we disclaim confidence in the creature. Those who in their affections of joy, love, affiance, and delight, are taken up too much with the creature, say what they will, profess to all the world by their practice that they know not God. By the contrary, those who know and apprehend him in his greatness and goodness as he should be apprehended, in that proportion they withdraw their affections from the creature and all things else. It is with the soul in this case as with
a balance. If the one scale be drawn down by a weight put in it, the other is lifted up. So where God weighs down in the soul, all other things are light; and where other things prevail, there God is set light. 'Asshur shall not save us,' for he can do us no good; nor 'horses,' because they are vain helps. How attained they to this light esteem of Asshur and horses? 'For in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.' That which is taken from the creature, they find in God. And this is the reason why the world so malign good and sound
Christians. They think, when God gets, that they lose a feather, as we say, some of their strength. Surely so it is; for when a Christian turns to God and becomes sound, he comes to have a mean esteem of that which formerly was great in his sight. His judgment is otherwise, as we see here, Asshur, horses, idols, and all, they esteem nothing of them. Horses and the like are good, useful, and necessary to serve
God's providence in the use of means; not to trust in, or make coordinate with God. In the world especially, great persons would be gods in the hearts of people; therefore, when they see any make conscience of their ways, they think they lose them; because now they will do nothing but what may stand with the favour of God.
Thus far from the connection. Now to the words themselves.
'For in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.'
Wherein we have set forth unto us for our consideration of God's rich goodness towards poor miserable sinners—
1. The attribute of God, mercy.
2. The fit object thereof, the fatherless.
Mercy is God's sweetest attribute, which sweeteneth all his other attributes; for, but for mercy, whatsoever else is in God were matter of terror to us. His justice would affright us. His holiness likewise
(considering our impurity) would drive us from him. 'Depart from me,' saith Peter to our Saviour, 'for I am a sinful man,' Luke 5:8. And when the prophet Isaiah saw God in his excellency a little, then he
said, 'Woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips,' &c., Isa. 6:5. His ower is terrible; it would confound us; his majesty astonish us. Oh! but mercy mitigates all. He that is great in majesty, is abounding in mercy; he that hath beams of majesty, hath bowels of mercy. Oh! this draweth especially miserable persons. 'In thee the fatherless findeth mercy.' And now, in the covenant of grace, this mercy sets all awork. For it is the mercy of God by which we triumph now in the covenant of grace; in that mercy which stirred up his wisdom to find out a way for mercy by satisfying his justice. So that the first moving attribute of God that set him awork about that great work of our salvation by Jesus Christ, in the covenant of grace, was mercy, his tender mercy, his bowels of mercy. Therefore, of all others, that attribute is here named. 'For in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.'
Mercy in God, supposeth misery in the creature, either present or possible; for there is, 1. A preventing; 2. A rescuing mercy.
A preventing mercy, whereby the creature is freed from possible misery that it might fall into; as it is his mercy that we are not such sinners in that degree as others are. And every man that hath understanding is beholden to God for their preventing, as well as for their rescuing mercy. We think God is merciful only to those unto whom he forgives great sins. Oh! he is merciful to thee that standeth.
Thou mightst have fallen foully else. Mercy supposeth misery, either that we are in, or may fall into. So that mercy in God may admit of a threefold consideration.
1. It supposeth sin. So there is a pardoning mercy for that. Or, 2. Misery; that is, a delivering mercy. Or,
3. Defect or want in the creature, which is, supplying mercy.
Wheresoever mercy is conversant, it is usually about one of these three, either sin, or misery, or defects and wants; that is, to persons in misery. For, indeed, the word is more general than fatherless.
Deserted persons, that are forsaken of others, and have no strength of their own, they are here meant by the fatherless, who have no means, wisdom, power, or ability of their own, but are deserted and forsaken of others. Whence the chief truth that offers itself to be considered of us is this, That God is especially merciful to those persons who stand most in need of mercy.
First, Because these do relish mercy most, and give him the glory of it, applying themselves most to his mercy, being beaten out of the creature; and the more we have communion with God, being driven out of the creature and other comforts, the more he discovers himself to us. As the nearer we are to the fire, the hotter it is; so the nearer we are to God, the more good and gracious he every way shews himself unto us. Now, what makes us near him, but extremity of misery, whereby we are beaten from all other holds whatsoever? It is acknowledged to be his work, when he doth it for those that are deserted of all others, Hosea 5:15. Then he hath the chief glory of it.
This is one end why God suffers his children to fall into extremity of great sorrows and perplexities, to fall very low in depths of miseries
(as the Scripture speaks), Ps. 130:1, that he might discover a depth of his mercy beyond the depth of their misery, to shew that there is a depth deeper than that depth, for their misery is finite. Oh! but the bowels of his compassions are infinite, both in measure and time.
'His mercy endureth for ever,' Ps. 136:1, seq.
Again, God is jealous of their affiance and confidence, knowing that naturally, unless we fall into some straits and weaning extremities, we shall place our affiance upon the creature. Therefore, he deals thus with us. He knows our sickness well enough, that we are desperately addicted to present things. Therefore, to cure this sickness in us, he draws us by extremities from the creature to himself, which, when it fails, we go to him. 'Help, Lord!' Why? 'For vain is the help of man,' Ps. 60:11. It is time then to help. 'Help, Lord, for the godly are perished from the earth,' Ps. 12:1. It is time to help,
Lord, for if thou do not, none will; whereby they come to have their confidence upon the rock, which is worth all. Other men, they run from creature to creature, from help to help, as sick bodies do to this and to that drug, and to this and that potion. They seek to many things to beg comfort from; but a Christian hath a sure foundation that he may stay upon. 'In thee the fatherless findeth mercy.'
To come now to speak of the words as they lie in the whole. They carry another instruction, That God is very gracious and merciful to fatherless and distressed persons.
As we have it, Ps. 10:18, 'that God will judge the fatherless and oppressed; that the man of the earth may no more oppress;' so Ps.
146:9, it is said, 'The Lord preserveth the strangers, he relieveth the fatherless and widow,' &c. And for the general we have it, 'The Lord relieveth all that fall, and raiseth up all that be bowed down,' Ps.
145:14. God he opens his ear to hear their cry, to judge the fatherless and the oppressed. The like we have in Exodus, 'Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger, for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt,' Exod. 23:9. And saith he, 'Thou shalt not afflict any widow or fatherless child. If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry,'
Exod. 22:21. These, among many, are direct places to shew the truth of this, that God is merciful, not only in general, but to those persons set down by a synecdoche, a figure where one is set down for all of the same kind. God is merciful to all persons, in any kind of misery or distress whatsoever. As the apostle speaks, God is he 'who comforteth the abject person,' 2 Cor. 7:6, the forlorn, the castaway persons of the world; and he is 'a very present help in trouble,' Ps.
46:1. So as when there are none to help, then he awaketh and rouseth up himself to lay hold for us. 'His own arm brings salvation for his own sake.'* So when there is misery, and none to help, God will find cause and ground from his own bowels to shew mercy, to take pity
and compassion upon his poor church and children. Which should teach us, Use 1. First of all, to take notice of this most excellent attribute of God, and to make use of it upon all occasions at our most need, then to present to our souls God thus described and set out by his own
Spirit, to be 'he that comforteth the abject,' and sheweth mercy to the fatherless and oppressed. This we should make use of for the church in general, and for every one of ourselves in particular. The church hath been a long time like a forlorn widow, as it were. God hath promised that he will have a care of the 'widow and the fatherless,' and so he will of his poor church.
We see in the parable, the widow, with her importunity, prevailed with an unrighteous judge, Luke 18:5. The church now being like a widow, what is wanting but a spirit of supplication and prayer?
Which spirit, if the church had to wrestle with God, and lay hold upon him as Jacob did, Hos. 12:4, and not suffer God to rest till he had mercy on his poor church, certainly it would be better with it than it is, for God comforteth the widow, Isa. 62:7. If one, what will he do for the whole spouse, which hath so long been a despicable and forlorn widow? And for the time to come it ought to minister matter of comfort for the church. Certainly, God that is merciful to the fatherless, he will be merciful to the poor church. We see in the Revelation, though the woman was persecuted by the dragon, yet there were given two wings of a great eagle to her, that she might fly unto the wilderness, where she had a place provided of God, Rev.
12:14. It alludes to the story of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt. God provided for them in the wilderness. They had manna from heaven, and water out of the rock; and till they came to Canaan,
God provided every way for them in a marvellous manner. So God will be sure to provide for his in the wilderness of this world. He will have a harbour still for the church, and a hiding-place from the stormy tempests of her adversaries, Isa. 4:5, 6. Therefore let us not despair, but stir up a spirit of prayer for the church, that he who shews mercy to the fatherless, and commands mercy to be shewed to
the widow, that he would shew that himself which he requires of us.
And why may not we hope and trust for it. The church in this world is, as it were, a fatherless person, a pupil, an orphan, a sheep in the midst of wolves, as Daniel in the lions' den, as a ship tossed in the waves, as a lily among thorns. It is environed with enemies, and of itself, like the poor sheep, is shiftless.* What is the church but a company of weak persons? Not so witty† for the world as worldlywise men are, not so strong in the arm of flesh, nor so defenced, but a company of persons who have a hidden dependence upon God we know not how, and hang, as it were, by a thread, as the church in this land, and abroad in other places. The true church is maintained, we know not how. God keeps up religion, the church, and all, because he is merciful to the fatherless, who have no shifting wits, as the worldly
Ahithophels have. God is wise for them that are not wise for themselves, and powerful for them that have little strength of their own. Therefore let us not be discouraged though we be weak creatures, a little flock, like a company of sheep, yet notwithstanding we have a strong shepherd, Ps. 23:1. The church is like a vine, a poor, despicable, withered, crooked, weak plant, which winds about, and must be supported, or else it sinks to the ground; yet it is a fruitful plant, Isa. 5:1, 7. So the church of God, a number of weak Christians professing religion, they want many helps, yet God supports them, and hath ordained this and that haven for them, as this magistrate and that person. God hath one support or other for them. While they are fruitful and true vines, God will have a care of them, though they be never so weak and despised in the eye of the world, Isa. 54:11.
Use 2. Again, this should teach us to make God our all-sufficiency in all estates whatsoever, and not to go one hair's breadth from a good conscience, for fear of after-claps. I may be cast into prison, I may lose my goods. What of all this? Is not God all-sufficient? And is not he especially seen in comforting of those who stand in most need of comfort, who want other helps? And will he be indebted to any man who stands out in a good quarrel for his cause? Isa. 41:17. Will he not give needful supply, if not in this world, yet in a better, of all comforts whatsoever? It is a good supply when the loss is in outward
things, and the supply in inward peace, grace, and strength. It is a happy loss that is lost to the advantage, Isa. 60:17; 64:5. There was never any man yet, from the beginning of the world, who lost by cleaving to religion and good causes. God ever made it up one way or other. Therefore this is a ground of courage to cast ourselves upon doing good when God offers the occasion, relying upon God, as Esther did, 'If I perish, I perish,' Esther 4:16. She meant, 'If I perish, I shall not perish.' Such have a better condition in the love and favour of God than they had before, or should have had, if they had not perished. It is the way not to perish, so to perish. It is as clear and true as the sunshine, but we want faith to believe it.
Use 3. And then, again, let us make use of it in another kind, to resist another temptation. What will become of my poor children, if I do thus and thus, stand thus and thus, and go on in my innocency?
What will become of thy children? It was well spoken by Lactantius, 'Because God would have men stand out and die in a good cause willingly, therefore he hath promised in a special manner to be a father to the fatherless, and a husband to the widow' (d). Are we the chief fathers of our children? No; we are but under God, to bring those who are his children into the world. We are but instruments.
God is the chief father, best and last father,' 'The everlasting father,'
Isa. 9:6, who takes upon him to be a father to the fatherless, whom he chargeth all not to hurt. Experience shews how he blesseth the posterity of the righteous, who have stood in defence of the truth.
Therefore let us make no pretences either for baseness, dejection of spirit, or covetousness, to keep us from well doing, for God will reward all.
Quest. Oh, say some, I could be content not to be so worldly, but it is for my children.
Ans. What saith the apostle? 'Let those who are married be as if they were not married,' 1 Cor. 7:29, meaning in regard of this scraping of wealth together by unlawful means of covetousness, or in regard of readiness to do works of mercy. What, doth God appoint one
ordinance of marriage, to take a man off of all duties? No; notwithstanding this we must do fitting works of mercy. God will be the father of the fatherless. Many use oppression, and go to hell themselves to make their children rich. Who commands us to make our children, in show, a while happy here, to make our souls and bodies miserable for ever? There is a moderate care, as the apostle speaks, so that 'he who cares not for his own, is worse than an infidel,' 1 Tim. 5:8; but we must not make this pretence to excuse injurious and extortive courses. But let God alone. He will do all things well; trust him. Or, if anything should befall us otherwise than well, what if it do? God is the God of the fatherless. Whatsoever he takes away, he supplies it better another way. For whence have the creatures that infusion to help? Is it not from God? And when the creature is taken away, is not God where he was?
Use 4. And let us also learn hence that we answer God's dealing, in shewing mercy to the fatherless and such as stand in need, as the apostle exhorts, 'Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercy,' &c., Col. 3:12, as if he should say, as you would prove yourselves to be elect members of Christ and children of God, so shew your likeness in this particular, 'The bowels of mercy and compassion.' This hath ever been, and yet is at all times, a character of God's children, and shall be to the end of the world. It is a sign such a one hath found bowels of mercy, that is ready upon all occasions to pour forth those bowels of compassion upon others, as hard-heartedness this way shews a disposition which yet hath not rightly tasted of mercy. As we say in another case, those that are appeased in their consciences, in the sense of the forgiveness of sins, they are peaceable to others, because they feel peace. So here, those that feel mercy will be merciful, those that have felt love will be loving to others, 'A good man is merciful to his beast, but the mercies of the wicked are cruel,' Prov. 12:10. Those, therefore, that are hardhearted and unmerciful, hardening themselves against the complaints of the miserable, there is, for the present, no comfort for them, that the Spirit of God hath wrought any change in their hearts; for then it would stamp the image of God upon them, they would be
merciful to the fatherless, widow, and distressed persons. What shall we think, then, of a generation of men who, by gripping usury and the like courses, have made many widows miserable? Let such profess what they will, whilst they are thus hard-hearted they have not the bowels of Christ. God is so merciful that you see, as the Jews call them (e), he hath hedges of the commandments, that is, he hath some remote commands which are not of the main, and all to hedge from cruelty, as, 'Thou shalt not kill the dam upon the nest,' Deut.
22:6; 'Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk,' Exod. 23:19.
What tends this to? Nothing but to shew the mercy and bowels of God, and that he would have us to abstain from cruelty. He that would not have us murder, would have us keep aloof off, and not be merciless to the very dumb creatures, birds and beasts. Therefore let us labour to express the image of our heavenly father in this.
Use 5. Again, we should use this as a plea against dejectedness at the hour of death, in regard of those we leave behind us, not to be troubled what shall become of them, when we are to yield up our souls to God; but know that he hath undertaken to be 'the Father of the fatherless, and of the widow.' Therefore, for shame, for shame! learn, as to live, so to die by faith; and as to die by faith in other things, so to die in this faith; that God, as he will receive thy soul, so he will receive the care of thy posterity. Canst thou with affiance yield up thy soul unto God, and wilt thou not with the same confidence yield thy posterity? Thou art an hypocrite, if this distract and vex thee, when yet thou pretendest to die in the faith of Christ. Canst thou yield thy soul, and yet art grieved for thy posterity? No; leave it to God. He is all-sufficient. 'The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof,' Ps. 24:1. We need not fear to put our portion in his hands.
He is rich enough. 'The earth and all is his.' Therefore, when we are in any extremity whatsoever, rely on this mercy of so rich and powerful a God; improve it, for it is our portion, especially in a distressed condition. Were it not for faith, wrought by the blessed
Spirit of God, he would lose the glory of this attribute of mercy. Now, faith is a wise power of the soul, that sees in God what is fit for it, singling out in God what is fit for the present occasion of distress. Is
a man in any extremity of misery? let him look to mercy. Is a man oppressed? let him look to mercy, to be revenged of his enemies. Is a man in any perplexity? let him look to mercy, joined with wisdom, which is able to deliver him. Religion is nothing else but an application of the soul to God, and a fetching out of him somewhat
(as he hath discovered himself in the covenant) fit for all our exigents; as there is somewhat in God, and in the promises, for all estates of the soul. Faith, therefore, is witty to look to that in God which is fit for its turn. Let us therefore take heed of Satan's policy herein, who in our extremity, useth this as a weapon to shake our faith. 'Tush,' as it is in the psalm, 'God hath forsaken and forgotten him,' Ps. 10:11. Hath he so? Nay; because I am in extremity, and deserted above others, rather God now regards me more than before; because, 'he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth,' Heb. 12:6. So retort Satan's fiery darts back again. For indeed, that is the time wherein God exalts and shews himself most glorious and triumphant in mercy, where misery is greatest. 'Where sin abounds, there grace abounds much more,' Rom. 5:20. So where misery abounds, mercy superabounds much more. Therefore let us be as wise for our souls, as Satan can be malicious against them. What he useth for a weapon to wound the soul, use the same as a weapon against him.
To end all, let faith in God's mercy answer this his description; and let it be a description ingrafted into us at such a time. Doth God care for the fatherless, and mean persons, who are cast down and afflicted? Why, then, I will trust that God who doth so, being in this case myself. If he will help in extremity, trust him in extremity; if he will help in distress, trust him in distress; if he will help when all forsake, trust him when we are forsaken of all, Hab. 3:17. What if a stream be taken away? yet none can take away God from thee. What if a beam be taken away? thou hast the sun itself. What if a particular comfort be taken away? So long as God, 'who comforteth the abject,' and is merciful to the distressed, fatherless, and widows, continues with thee, thou needst not fear. A man cannot want comfort and mercy, so long as the Father of mercies is in covenant with him. If he sin, he hath pardoning mercy for him; if weak, he hath strengthening
mercy; if in darkness, he hath quickening mercy; if we be dull, dead, and in danger, there is rescuing mercy; and if subject to dangers we may fall in, there is for that preventing mercy, Ps. 32:10. Therefore there is mercy ready to compass God's children about in all conditions. When they are environed with dangers, yet God is nearer to guard their souls, than the danger is to hurt them.
Therefore let us take the counsel of the blessed apostle. 'Be careful for nothing; but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God.' And what then?
Will God grant that I pray for? Perhaps he will not; but yet, 'the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus,' Philip. 4:6, 7. As if he should say, in nothing be over-careful. Let your care be, when ye have used the means, to depend upon God for support in the event and issue of all. If God deny you what you pray for, he will grant you that which is better. He will set up an excellent inward peace there, whereby he will stablish the soul in assurance of his love, pardon of sins, and reconciliation: whereby their souls shall be guarded, and their hearts and minds preserved in Christ. So they become impregnable in all miseries whatsoever, when they have 'the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,' to guard them within. Therefore let us not betray and lose our comforts for want of making use of them, or for fear some should call us hypocrites. And, on the other side, let us not flatter ourselves in an evil course; but make the conscience good, which will bear us out in all miseries, dangers, and difficulties whatsoever.
Nothing makes losses, crosses, banishment, imprisonment, and death so terrible and out of measure dreadful unto us, but the inward guilt and sting in the inside, the tumults of conscience, Gen. 42:21. Clear this well once, make all whole within, let conscience be right and straight, let it have its just use and measure of truth and uprightness, and go thy way in peace; I warrant thee, thou shalt hold up thy head, and wind thyself out of all dangers well enough: nothing shall daunt or appal thy courage. For, saith
Solomon, 'The righteous is bold as a lion,' Prov. 28:1. What can, what should he fear, who is heir of all things,' Rev. 21:7, whose all things