[2.] Those that have begun already to turn to God. None are yet so turned but they need to be turned more. We still seek too much happiness in the creature, and do too little set our hearts on God : Col. iii. 1, ' If ye be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above.' Though we be turned in part, yet still we must turn from the creature to God, from earthly things to heavenly, from self to Christ. To renounce your own righteousness: Phil. iii. 8, ' I do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.' From sin to holiness. We have not yet attained, Phil. iii. 13. The work is not the work of a day.
Use 3. Of comfort. To comfort the sincere and broken-hearted, that are troubled with the sense of God's wrath. God delights not in your destruction. There is joy in heaven at the conversion of a sinner, Luke XV. 7 ; Ps. xxxiv. 18, ' The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and he saveth such as are of a contrite spirit ; ' Isa. Ivii. 16, ' For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth ; for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.'
SEllMOK UPON JEREMIAH XLV. 6,
And seeJcest thou great things for thyself^ seek them not. — Jer. xlv. 5.
Jeremiah's former prophecies were concerning whole nations or public persons, but this passage concerneth a private man — Baruch, the ]>rophet's scribe. What was the matter ? Jeremiah had used Baruch's help for writing in a book, or gathering together in one roll or volume, what God had prophesied concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, as you may see, Jer. xxxvi. After he had written it, he was to pronounce it in the hearing of the people in the house of God on the fast-day ; which he doth boldly. Some of the nobles being affected, carry the roll to the king Jechoniah, who was enraged at it, and burned the roll, and gave order to apprehend Jeremiah and Baruch ; but the Lord hid them. Now because contumacia accumulat posnam, God biddeth Jeremiah and Baruch write another roll, wherein were written the same things, and many more like words. But now he began to be discouraged, by considering what things were likely to befall him by the writing and publishing of this second roll. Seeing the storm arise, his heart faileth; and though before he acted valiantly, and seemed to stand out like an oak, yet now his heart shaketh like a leaf ; his complaint was bitter : ' The Lord hath added grief to my sorrow.' So his lamentation is ex- pressed, ver. 3. Upon this, the Lord telleth him he was about to pluck up all, to make desolate the Jewish state and people — as he himself knew, for he had written the roll — and should he be troubled for his own peace and safety, and desire to live at quiet and ease when all was going to wreck and ruin ? never dream of any such matter ; suffice it thee well that thou escapest with thy life. God would promise to spare his life ; nothing else, ' and seekest thoji great things,' &c. In the words we have —
1. A reproof of Baruch, ' And seekest thou great things for thy- self?'
2. A dissuasive or dehortation, ' Seek them not.'
What were these great things which he might be supposed to seek for himself ? Eabbi David Kimchi and other Jewish writers think it was the gift of prophecy, or the prophetical office ; that he might not only write out the prophecies of another, but be a prophet himself. Vatablus followeth them. But this is but a foolish conceit. The true reason is, when he saw the prophet but newly escaped one trouble, he was ready to fall into another ; and the Jews so wedded to their sins
, SERMON UPON JEREMIAH XLV. o. 481
that they would rather tear in pieces their reprovers tlian be admonished by thorn ; and expected daily new troubles and torments if apprehended and iuiprisoned. It was a hot business to be assistant to a prophet so distasted : ' The Lord hath added grief to my sorrow.' So that these great things were a prosperous and peaceable estate for his own par- ticular, or quiet, ease, and safety in the midst of so great calamity. Are thy concerns more precious than the temple or salvation of my people ? Leave off this dream of a pleasant life in this world. Men are mightily addicted to self-love, and when God calleth them to endure great things, they seek great things for themselves ; and when they should prepare for sufferings, dream of honour, and credit, and a quiet state in the world.
Doct. That seeking great things for ourselves is a sin very unbe- coming the people of God, especially in a time of common calamity.
Shouldst thou, an holy man — it is spoken with indignation — thou that hast written the prophecy, and believest, be so troublously careful for thine own safety ?
I shall first state the sin in these considerations.
First, When man fell from God, he set up himself in the place of God. Self is the great idol of the world. Lay aside God, and self interposeth as the next heir to the crown. As Reuben went up unto his father's bed ; so when man had done what he could to cast God out of the throne, self usurped divine honours. It is the end of all our desires, inclinations, and endeavours, and the dominating principle in the soul ; the principle, rule, and end of all their actions. They live from self, in self, and to self, Phil. ii. 21. All men seek their own things, and none the things of Christ. Adam would be as God, pro- vide for himself, shift for himself : ' The man is become as one of us.' His own personal contentment is his highest aim. Therefore Christ, when he came to restore the world as a ])rophet, establisheth self- denial as the first lesson : Mat. xvi. 24, * If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.' Man would be his own god, sufficient to himself, live according to his own will and for his own ends ; and there is no rectifying the nature of man till this self-love and self-will and self-seeking he unravelled. As a redeemer, he would discover such wonders of love in our recovery that self-love may be checked and quitted by the obligation of an In'gher love : 2 Cor. v. 14, 15, ' If he died for all, then were all dead. And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them.'