God's Awful Determination Against a People That Will Not Obey His Voice

THE Danger of not obeying the Voice of GOD.

SHE obeyed not the Voice: she received not Correction: she trusted not in the LORD: she drew not near to her GOD. I said, surely thou wilt fear me: thou wilt receive Instruction: so their dwellings should not be out off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early and corrupted all their doings. Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey; for my Determination is — to pour upon them mine Indignation, even all my fierce Anger, for all the Earth shall be devoured with the Fire of my Jealousie.

SINCE whatsoever Things were written aforetime, were written for our Learning, i. e. for our Instruction and Admonition on whom the Ends of the World are come, it certainly, greatly concerns us to hear Counsel, and receive Instruction, by the Calls of GOD, and to take Warning p. 2by the Denunciations of His Wrath against His Covenant professing People in former Ages of the World: By doing so, we should make a wise and good Improvement of the Lord's terrible Dispensations towards them. Would to GOD, we might be enabled to such an Improvement of the solemn Reproofs, and awful Warnings dispensed by the holy Prophet, who spake the Words I have now read: He was sent from GOD, was authoriz'd and commission'd by Him, to reprove sharply, all Ranks and Orders of Men, for their Sins; for their Idolatry, Apostacy, Forgetfulness of GOD, and their Duty, and the sinful Fashions of too many in their Habits, and the violent Oppressions of many, which with many other provoking Evils were found in the midst of them, and were abounding among them, for which they were threatned with severe Punishments, yea, and with an utter Desolation, with the like Desolation that had been brought on other Nations and People, not far from them; these terrible Examples the Prophet sets before them, to move and excite them to consider, repent, and amend their Ways, and so prevent the Infliction of threatned Judgments, which without such a Repentance and Reformation, would certainly, and suddenly be brought upon them. The Prophet therefore does most affectionately exhort and urge them to Repentance, by the Examples of those whose Impenitence added to their Iniquities ruin'd them.

p. 3BY many gracious Promises and Encouragments, He excites them to look and hope for Mercy, upon their hearkening to His Counsel, that He would then preserve a Remnant of them, amidst all the wasting Calamities and Judgments, that should follow them, who should rejoice in the GOD of their Salvation, because GOD would in the midst of Judgment remember Mercy for them.

IN the beginning of this Prophesy is foretold the approaching Desolation of Judah and Jerusalem; I will utterly consume all Things from off the Land, saith the Lord: I will consume Man and Beast, I will also stretch out mine Hand upon Judah, and upon all the Inhabitants of Jerusalem. It intimates that by some immediate and awful Stroke of His holy Hand, He would bring a dreadful Destruction upon them, and not only upon the idolatrous Worshippers of the Host of Heaven, but upon such as have turned back from the Lord, and those that have not sought the Lord the Lord, nor enquired after Him: i. e. Such as have forsaken the Lord and His pure Worship, or that have turned Atheists; in their Hearts say, and by their Practices declare, That there is no GOD, and therefore will not call upon His Name, nor stir up themselves to take hold of Him; such also are doom'd to Destruction.

THE Prophet then calls upon them in such awful Terms as these, Hold thy Peace at the Presence of the Lord GOD, for the Day of the Lord is at Hand, And it shall come to pass in p. 4that Day, that I will punish all such as are clothed with strange Aparrel. An Expositor says upon this Place [Pool.] , That the wanton Jews were wont to imitate the Garb of Foreigners. They were doubtless some very indecent Fashions, and it's probable very extravagant, that they run into, for which GOD so awfully and particularly threatens to punish them. [But such Threatnings it's to be fear'd were not much regarded then, and will be very little now, by those who are most criminal and faulty in such Extravagance. It is sadly evident, there has been too much of it in almost every Town in the Land, as well as This; I wish those whom it most concerns, would consider seriously of it, and so adorn themselves, as to prevent such an extravagant Expence, as too commonly attends some vain Ornaments. Tho' I don't think this to be the most crying Sin of this Land; yet I believe many who are so clothed, may do well to think seriously with themselves, whether notwithstanding this Threatning in my Context, and that also in Isai. 3.18. which they may read at their Leisure, they can think themselves wholly without Blame? When GOD so solemnly and particularly threatens to punish for strange Aparrel, and speaks of a Day a coming, in which He will take away the bravery of some Ornaments, too much like those I am speaking of, I am sure, such as are serious and thoughtful, will be p. 5not a little concern'd, lest a holy GOD should be offended by their Excess in this Regard. I will conclude this Digression, with that seasonable Exhortation to us all; 1 Tim. 2.8, 9. I will therefore that Men pray every where, lifting up holy Hands, without Wrath and Doubting. In like Manner also, that Women adorn themselves in modest Aparrel, with shamefacedness and Sobriety, and not with costly Array, but (which becomes Women professing Godliness) with good Works.]

p. 5I go on now to shew, What GOD foretells there shall be immediately after He had said, That He would punish such as were cloth'd with strange Aparrel; It shall come to pass in that Day, saith the Lord, that where shall be the Noise of a Cry, and an Howling, and a great crashing from the Hills; (probably, in a dreadful, tremendous EARTHQUAKE) which the Prophet says, should make them cry alo◊◊ and bitterly; then the Lord declares, He will punish the Men that are settled on their Lees: Such as were always deaf to the Voice of GOD by His Word and Judgments, and refus'd to receive Correction, would not be reform'd by all the dreadful Judgments of GOD, but went on incorrigibly in their evil Ways; such shall be now severely punish'd, and made to see and know, that there is a GOD that judges in the Earth, and that it shall be well with the Righteous, and ill with the Wicked.