JER. 18. 12.
WE have considered Jeremiahs Commission in the two parts of it. The next thing to be considered, is the successe, or the event of it: and here we shall finde blasphemy writ (as it were) on their foreheads. Nothing but peremptory, and wilful obstinacy against this so just, necessary, and reasonable an Exhortation, And yet were this denial like that of the younger son in the Parable, who said, He would not, but afterward repented, and went, it had been more tolerable; but they persevere in this impudent disobedience: So that we may take notice of the aggravation of their resolved wickednesse. 1. In their peremptory Negation, And they said, there is no hope: Although it was Gods goodness to invite them to turn to him, it was their advantage, not his; and although he threatens them with that evil he is preparing for them, yet they say, No: And herein their rude and obstinate rebellion is more evident, in that they make no excuses, pretend no reasons, but barely say, They will not turn unto God from their sins. Those in our Saviours Parable, that were invited to a feast, though it was their great sin to make any thing in the world an impediment to their coming, yet they feigned reasons, and were willing to be excused; but how they fell, the Prophet plainly sets forth, They will be what they are, and they will not change. And this their obstinacy is further declared in a two fold amplification. First, in that Phrase, There is no hope: There is the same expression, and the Hebrew word in Chapter 2. 25. some render it, Desperatum est, It is desperate; we are resolved to go on whatsoever it costs us; Vatablus, expectoratum est, in this sense, our heart is wholly turned aside, and plucked off from God; we cannot love him, or obey his commands. Others, Obfirmati sumus, we are setled, and obdurate in our wickednesse, Jeremiahs preaching is in vain to us; he may hold his tongue, for we are set upon that which is evil. On Translators render it, There is no hope, and that may be in this twofold respect; First, We have for so long a time given our selves up to the waies of wickednesse, we have thus long accustomed our selves to them, that now there is no hope that ever we should become better. Or Secondly, we have for so long a time provoked God by our wicked rebellions, that there is no hope for us to be accepted with God if we would return unto him: But this seemeth not so proper, because at this time God did hold out his Scepter of Grace to them if they would come in, and turn from their evill waies. Now you may demand, Whether the Israelites did in plain and direct terms answer Jeremiah thus? For it might seem improbable that they would acknowledge their way an evil way, and yet live in it: whereas they must needs do so, if they did in terminis thus refuse the Prophet; For (say they) we will walk every one in the imagination of his evil heart: Or whether doth not the Prophet say, They said so, because by their lives and conversations, wilfully persisting in their former impieties; They said thus by their actions, though not by their words? They might do both; for we see the Israelites sometimes telling Jeremiah to his face, That they would not do what God had commanded them by his mouth, Jer. 44. 16. a notable place to discover their avowed and open disobedience to God.
Obs. Obs. That there are some men, who though they hear never so much of their duty to turn from their sins unto God, yet are wilfully resolved to continue in the same. It was not Jeremiahs portion onely, or the Prophets and Apostles in former times, but in all ages the Ministrie of God meets with such incorrigible and desperate hearers. Let the word of God sound as terribly, as that Trumpet will at the day of judgement: Let all waies be used, Johns austerity, or Christs meeknesse: the mountains of their sins cannot be removed into a sea of tears, and godly sorrow. Do we not every day see this fulfilled? How few are the hearers that come with this purpose, and prayer unto God, that they may go out from Gods presence, cleansed from their leprosie? That they who came swine, may return sheep? That they who came Crows, may go home Doves? This undoeth you, that you come not to hear, that ye may be changed, made other men, but build still upon your old rotten foundation.
To make this Doctrine like fire in your bowels, consider, That under the Ministry of the word there are two kinde of sinful and wicked hearers.1
First, Those that live in their sins, and in an unconverted estate, by either an affected, or a grosse ignorance. Or 2. Such who have knowledge, and yet knowingly, and wilfully commit those sins, that inwardly their own Consciences, enlightned by the word, condemns them for. In these two ranks all wicked men may be placed: For as for Heathens, who have a meer negative ignorance or unbelief in God and his word, because they never had Prophets sent among them, some (Divines) say they are not damned for the not knowing, or not believing of those things which are manifested meerly by revelation; but because they detained the natural light of Conscience in unrighteousness. We speak not then of such, but of those who are under the sun-beams of the word, and yet are frozen in their sins, (a Divels miracle) or under the sweet droppings of the Gospel, yet are a barren wilderness: Now some of these persevere in their sins, from a sinful damnable ignorance. They know not the necessity of conversion: they understand not what all these sermons tend to: They are altogether unacquainted with such a work of Gods Spirit. Tthis ignorance doth not excuse. For the servant that doth not know his masters will, shall yet be beaten with many stripes, Luke 12. 47. because it is either first, an effected ignorance, they desire to be in darkness, and not to see the light, that so they may the more quietly, and securely lye down in their sins; they will not understand, that so they may not do good: there is this horrible impiety upon mens hearts, that they are afraid of divine light: they shut the eyes, lest they should behold that which is Truth, or good: even as a man draweth the curtain that no light may hinder him to take his rest; as the thief hateth the light because it discovers his wickednesse. Take heed then thou are not in the number of such prophane wretches; thou carest not for hearing, preaching, for reading the Scripture, for acquainting thy self and family with the principles of religion: This will breed scruples in thy Conscience: this will make thee see thy prophannesse, thy injustice, to be crying sins; and therefore thou stoppest thy ear with the deaf Adder, that no inchanting may draw thee out of the hole. This is affected ignorance. Or secondly, It is grosse ignorance, and that is which cometh by negligence, and prophane carelesness: and this is the cause that most in our Congregations are so ignorant about Religion, about Conversion, and these main points of godliness. A prophane negligence, they have no hearts, no minde, no affections to such things; there is nothing belongs to their Trade, to their husbandrie, but they can skill in it, only in divine things they are as brutish as beasts. Think not that this ignorance will excuse you; say not, I am not book-learned, such things are too high for me: What, wouldst thou be thought a Christian, and yet the necessary principles of religion too high for thee? Thou art to lay aside thy endeavour after all other things in this life, till thou hast attained to this: If thou dost not eat of this tree of knowledge, thou canst never eat of the tree of life. Oh then that at last God would make us Ministers sons of thunder, to awaken and terrifie you out of this grosse ignorance.