Fifthly, I come, in the fifth place, to God's direction to you for the future, in this state and condition ; which being spread in divers verses, as the Lord gives it to the prophet, I shall meddle with no more of it than is contained in the words which at our entrance I read unto you : " Let them return," &c.
In the words observe four things, —
I. God's direction to the prophet, and in him to all that do his work in such a season as this described : " Let them return to thee ; return not thou to them."
II. Their assistance and suppoi^tment in pursuance of that direc- tion : " I will make thee to this people a brasen fenced wall."
III. The opposition, with its success and issue, which in that way they should meet withal: " They shall fight against thee, but shall not prevail."
IV. Their consolation and success from the presence of the Lord: " For I am with thee to deliver thee," &c.
I. There is God's direction.
Many difficulties in this troublesome season was the prophet in- tricated withal. The people would not be prevailed -with to come up to the mind of God ; — they continuing in their stubbornness, the Lord would not l)e prevailed with to avert the threatened desolation. What now shall he do ? To stand out against the bulk of the people suits not his earthly interest ; — to couple with them answers not the discharge of his office ; — to wait upon them any longer is fruitless ; — to give up himself to their ways, comfortless. Hence his complaints, hence his meanings; — better lie down and sink under the burden, than always to swim against the stream of an unreformable multi- tude. In this strait the Lord comes in with his direction : " Let
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them return unto thee," &c. Keep thy station, perform thy duty, comply not with the children of backsliding. But whatever be the issue, if there be any closing wrought, let it be by working them off from their ways of folly. All condescension on thy part, wheie the work of God is to be done, is in opposition to him. If they return, embrace them freely ; if not, do thy duty constantly.
That which is spoken immediately to the prophet, I shall hold out to all, acting in the name and authority of God, in this general pro- position : —
Observation. Plausible compliances of men in authority with those against whom they are employed, are treacherous contrivances against the God of heaven, by whom they are emjyloyed.
If God be so provoked that he curseth him who doth his work negligently, what is he by them that do it treacherously? — when he gives a sword into the hands of men, and they thrust it into his own bowels, his glory and honour, those things so dear to him ? He that is intrusted with it, and dares not do justice on every one that dares do injustice, is afraid of the creature, but makes very bold with the Creator. Pro v. xxv. 2, "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; but the honour of kings is to search out a matter." That which God aimeth to be glorious in, to manifest his attributes by, is the concealing and covering our iniquities in Christ; but if the magistrate will have glory, if he will not bring upon himself dis- honour by dishonouring God, he is to search and find out the trans- gressions with whose cognizance he is intiiisted, and to give unto them condign retribution. If the Lord curse them who come not forth to his help against the mighty. Judges v. 23 — what is their due who, being called forth by him, do yet help the mighty against him ? For a man to take part with the kingdom's enemies, is no small crime; but for a commission -officer to run from them by whom he is commissionated, to take part with the adversary, is death without mercy. Yet have not some in our days anived at that stvipcndous impudence, that when, as private persons, they have declaimed against the enemies of the nation, and by that means got themselves into authority, they have made use of that authority to comply with and uphold those by an opposition to whom they got into their authority ? — which is no less than an atheistical attempt to personate the Al- mighty, unto such iniquities as without his appearance they dare not own. But " he that justifieth the wicked, and he that con- demneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord," Prov. xvii. 1 5 ; and not only to the Lord, but to good men also : " He that saith to tlie wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him," Prov. xxiv. 24.
I speak only as to the general (for me, let all particulars find
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mercy), "with a sad remembrance of the late workings of things amongst us, with those vile, sordid compliances, which gxew upon the spirits of magistrates and ministers, with those whose garments were dyed with the blood of God's saints and precious ones, — as formerly they Avere called, for now these names are become terms of reproach. And would this complying went alone ; but pretences and accusations must be found out against such as follow with them. When they begin to call darkness light, they will ere long call light darkness; by which means our eyes have seen men of their own accord laying down the weapons wherewith at first they fought against opposers, and taking up them which were used against them- selves; as hath happened more than once to penmen, both in our own and our neighbour nation.