dy to make against this good Man's Conduct, in a Cafe fo mingled as that of his Country

was.

The Argument lies thus: " If treacherous "Dealers are fo dangerous, no regard can be "had to any Mercies, efpecially thofe afar off. "It fignifies nothing what Songs the Jews might fetch from the uttermost parts of the "Earth, when they had reafon to think themfelves undone at home by an extravagant Hypocrify,where the treacherous Dealers were dealing very treacherously." Thus would Unbelief plead from the fad Afpect in Judah it felf, to fink the Credit of a foreign Victory.

I fhall give you fome few things in anfwer to this, and fhew you, that fuppofing the Cafe as lamentable as the Prophet had made it, yet it was nevertheless his Duty to take part in thofe Songs that proclaim'd a Glory to the righteous.

1. He was hereby lcd to confider the Perfections of God, who could as cafily diffolve a Treachery, as he had confounded an open Force. Thefe two are join'd together; With Job xii. 16 him is Strength and Wifdom, the Deceived and the Deceivers are his: His Strength can protect the Deceived, His Wifdom can baffle the Deceiver. This is what they are exhorted to think of a little before their Return from Babylon, there was a Conflict of Hope and Danger in their Cafe; and therefore the Advice Jer". so. is, Te that have escaped the Sword, go away, stand not fill. Here they're put upon fleeing, and yet they are charged to remember the Lord afur off, and let Jerufalem come into their mind, i, e. they were to fuftain themselves with those

Things

Things that God had done at a distance from 'em and when their Thoughts were rolling in his Power and Wisdom, they might turn towards Jerufalem with this Argument, He that has made bare His Arm in other places, can bring the Salvation nearer, and display himfelf amongst us. If He is wife in Heart as well as mighty in Strength, no Man can barden him- Job ix. 4. felf against Him and profper.

2. The Prophet could not but know there was a certain Entail of Vengeance upon all Treachery; that God abhors the bloody and deceitful Man; that fuch do feldom live out half their days. Sometimes when this Justice of Providence is delay'd, it has prov'd a fore Temptation even to good Men. Jeremy complains, Righteous art thou, O Lord, when I Jer. xii. plead with Thee; yet let me talk with Thee of Thy, 2. Judgments. Wherefore doth the way of the wicked profper? Wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously? Thou haft planted them, and they have taken Root; they grow, yea, they bring forth Fruit: Thou art near in their Mouth, and far from their Reins. But he gets over this difficulty in the best manner; first, it puts him upon looking within, and enquiring into his own fincerity. Thou, O Lord, knowest Ver. 3. me; Thou haft feen me, and tried my Heart towards Thee. And, after this important Cafe is clear, he goes on to tell what fhall become of them, pull them out like Sheep for the SlaughThere's fomething fo provoking in the carriage of a Deceiver, that the Vengeance of God ufually condemns him to fall by his own Arts, and perish in the fame way that he has made others do. We have two dreadful woes aginft fuch People in this Prophecy. The

ter.

former

former you meet with Chap. xxix. 15, 16. Wo to them, that feek deep to hide their Counfel from the Lord, and their Works are in the Dark, and they fay who fees us, and who knows us? ·Surely your turning of things upfide down fhall be efteem'd as Potter's Clay. The other is Chap. xxxiii. 1. Wo unto thee that spoileft, and thou wast not fpoiled; and dealeft treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee. When thou shalt ceafe to fpoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou fhalt make an end to deal treacherously, they fhall deal treacherously with thee.

13. The Prophet was further fenfible, that it would be a publick Mercy to have these treacherous Dealers better known; that they might no longer have it in their power to Job wear a rough Garment, and deceive: The Hypoxxxiv.30 crite is not always to reign, left the People be enfnared. One of the Mercies of that day, when

5.

the Gospel will have a free Course and be gloriIfa. xxxii. fied, is, that the vile Perfon will no more be called Liberal, nor the Churl faid to be Bountiful. And fometimes God, in a righteous Juftice, fuffers People to go on in new Crimes, that He may bring upon them the punishment of their old ones. 'Tis thus that they fill up the Measure of their Iniquities. Joab was too necessary to David's Government, and early in the Revolution, and therefore had his Life spar'd, after a double Forfeiture, for fhedding the blood of War in Peace, killing two Men better than himfelf. Nay, 'tis obferv'd he was ftanch to the Crown in the Rebellion of Abfolem, and yet he heads a Party against the Succeffion of Solomon in favour of Adonijah, because he was first in the Line. Nay, after this was overlook'd, and he only condemn'd to a private Life;

he's

23)

(823

he's quickly again in a Plot, as if his hoary Hairs were not to go down to the Grave in Peace: And therefore, tho he runs to the Horns of the Altar, 'twas only to fall as a National Sacrifice there. When the Hypocrify of Men is thus open'd out, the People fhall no more stay them- Ifa. x. 20. felves upon him that fmote them, but upon the Lord, the Holy one of Ifrael in Truth.

4. The Prophet was fure that the Interest of God wou'd prevail, and the Happiness of his People be eftablifh'd. He was not without hopes of feeing a publick Turn in favour of Sion; but whether that came in his days or no, there was no cheating him of Heaven: The Treacherous Dealer could not extend his Policy fo far.

We find a Cafe very like this, that our Prophet had before him, in the days of Ezekiel, • The Spirit of the Lord lift him up, and brought Ezek. xi. him to the Eaft Gate of the Lord's Houfe, which "• Look'd Eastward and behold at the Door of the Gate were five and twenty Men, among whom be fam Jaazaniah the Son of Azur, and Pelatiah the Son of Benaiah, Princes of the People. And God tells him, Son of Man, these are the Men that devife Mifchief, and give wicked Counfel in this City. But when they are threatned with falling by the Sword, and being judg'd in the border of Ifrad fuch as they thought to enfnare are taken into the tendereft Protection; fecur'd in Peace of Confcience, and the beauties of Holiness. For, tho the Inhabitants of Jeru falem would have banish'd 'em, faying to 'em, Get ye far from the Lord, unto us is the Land Ver. 15. given in Poffeffion; yet God promifes that they fhall have the Honour to take away all deteftable Things, and Abominations thereof: and he

Would

would give 'em one Heart, and put a new Spirit within 'em, that they might walk in his Statutes, and keep his Ordinances, and do 'em; for they Should be His People, and He would be sheir God.

And in this Chapter, our Prophet declares Ver. 21, his Hope of better times, that the Lord would 22, 23. punish the Hoft of the High ones that are on high, and the Kings of the Earth upon the Earth; they fhould be gather'd in the Pit, and shut up in the Prifon: And then Shall the Moon be confounded and the Sun afhamed, when the Lord fhall reign in Mount Sion, and before his Antients gloriously. These are the Bleffings with which He defigus, to clofe the Confufions His People are now lamenting. And, tho 'tis not for us to know the Times and Seafons, which the Father has referv'd in His own Power, yet every Believer, Dan. xii. may take the Advice given to Daniel, to go bis way, till the End be; for he shall rest, and stand in his Lot at the end of the Days

ult.

FINIS.