Man's Extremity, God's Opportunity

p. 1MANS EXTREMITY, GODS OPPORTUNITY.

But I will have mercy upon the House of Judah; and will Save them by the Lord their God.

WE find in the Context, that the House of Israel; (that is) the ten Tribes having by their Spiritual Whoredoms, given not only Conception, but Birth both unto Loruhamah and Loammi; God in his Holy Jealousie and Righteous Judgment, had resolved to cast them off for their Apostacy, unto Idolatry, as a Reprobate People? Wherefore, p. 2he raised up and sent this Prophet, to give them the sad and certain intelligence, of that his most dreadful Resolve against them; the Prophet having received his doleful Message, in a grievous Vision; he delivers it in a most direful Threatning, at once denouncing the utmost Extremity, of all kind of Calamity and Misery, in their being given up totally, both unto Sin and Judgment; this we have in the latte part of the sixth verse. I will no more have mercy upon the House of Israel; but I will utterly take them away! And further, to Accumulate, and Exaggerate, this heavy Threatning in the burthen of it, upon the House of Israel: God doth at the same time, and in the very next words, propose and proclaim, a very gracious and glorious Promise, of Mercy and Salvation, to the House of Judah, verse 7. But I will have mercy upon the House of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God. Judah (was at this time) a very Sinful, Backsliding People; sinking into a depth of gross Apostacy to Idolatry also; which God upbraids them with, judging and condemning them, as more vile and inexcusable, than Israel, Jer. 3. 11. Yet God, in his Sovereign Grace, makes a sure Promise of Mercy and Salvation, to Judah! But I will have mercy upon the House of Judah; and ingageth himself to perform it, by Saving of p. 3them, in a more immediate and extraordinary way of working by himself; and will save them by the Lord their God; intimating thereby, that Judah also was past hope of Salvation in any ordinary way: Whence we have this

That at some times, and in some cases, God doth in Sovereign Mercy, Save his Churches and People, both from Sin and Judgment, in a more immediate and extraordinary way of working by himself.

I will have mercy upon the House of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God: This great comprehensive Promise contains the Summe of all Promises of Temporal Salvation to the Church, both from Sin and Judgment, which God hath made, or doth accomplish, in this world; and therefore it hath been, and doth remain the foundation of Faith, Hope, Confidence & Comfort, to the Church in all Ages, in their greatest depths, when they have been most ready to perish in their Apostacy, Calamity and Misery. The Promises of God, the Prayers of the Church, and all the most Notable Instances of such glorious Salvations, which we find recorded in the p. 4Word of God, do all concur, to prove; That God at some times, and in some cases, doth in Sovereign Grace, save his Churches, both from Sin and Judgment in a more Immediate and Extraordinary Way of working by himself:

This Doctrine opens it self unto us, with a fulness of Scripture Evidence in the several parts of it;

1. That all Salvations to the Children of men are from God; He who is God alone, must needs be the only Saviour; therefore he is emphatically styled, the Saviour; Isa. 4◊.15. O God of Israel the Saviour; and verse 21. There is no God else besides me, a just God and a Saviour; Isa. 43. 11. I even I am the Lord, and besides me there is no Saviour; therefore he is styled the God of Salvation, Psal. 68. 20. He that is our God is the God of Salvation; hence Salvation belongs only to the Lord, Psal. 3. 8. all who know and believe him to be God, must needs acknowledge him to be the only Author of all, both Temporal, Spiritual and Eternal Salvations, to all the Children of men, who partake of any Salvations, Isa. 45. 22. Look unto me and be ye Saved, all the Ends of the Earth, for I am God, and there is none else.

2 That God works divers kinds and degrees of Salvation: there are divers wayes of Salvation, wherein God works as a Saviour; there are external, common, general Salvations, p. 5which▪ God, works in his common Providence; these God works in divers wayes and degrees for all the Children of men. By these Salvations it is that he moderates all the Evils of the Curse, so far as to give man a Being and Subsistence in this world, more or less comfortable, as seemeth good to him; Psal. 107. per tot. We have an Induction of such kind of Salvations, with a reiterated Exhortation, To praise the Lord for his Goodness and for his wonderful Works to the Children of men: Again, God works such Salvation in common Providence also, but in special Mercy to his Churches and People, Deut. 33. 29. Happy art thou O Israel, who is like to thee, a, People Saved by the Lord. There are also Special Salvations which God worketh for his Churches and People, in the way of his Spiritual Providence, in Saving Mercy; which are the only Saving Salvations, and which hold a necessary Connection with Eternal Salvation; this is the most glorious Salvation which God works for his People in this World, when he Saves his People from their Sins, and from all Spiritual Evils and Enemies, and to this all Promises of Salvation to the Church in this World, do ultimately referr. This is, and will be the Consummation of all Temporal Salvations to the Church in this World, as it will appear gloriously in the last and full Accomplishment p. 6of this Promise in our Text, when that Acclamation shall be heard, Rev. 12. 10. Now is come Salvation and Strength, the Kingdom of our God, and the Power of his Christ.

p. 63. That God works all, both Temporal and Spiritual Salvations for his Churches and People, either more Mediately or more Immediately: he works common Salvation in a way of mediate, ordinary Providence; and so all Gods Propitious, Prosperous Providences may be said to be Salvations? God works special, extraordinary Salvations for his People in a more Immediate, Extraordinary way of Providence; although it may not be altogether Immediately, yet more immediately; there may be a more Immediate Influence of Divine Wisdom and Power, which may make the Salvation wrought, Wonderful, if not Miraculous; such as God wrought for his Church of Old, in Egypt, in the Wilderness, in the times of the Judges, and of some of the Kings, and afterwards. In this way of working it is that God is said to Save his People by his own Right Hand, and by his own Arm, Psal. 44. 3. Psal. 77. 15. and to Save them with an High Hand, and Out-stretched Arm, Exod. 6. 6. and 14. 8. When the Lord doth make bare his Arm, then all the Ends of the Earth may see his Salvation: Isa. 52. 10. Most immediately God works, p. 7in working of Spiritual Salvations: Now God may be said to work more immediately.

1. When he works as a Creator; when it is Creating Work, (and in some respects) the most Glorious Creating Work, or Work of Creation, for God to Create to himself a People, a Church, Psal. 102. 18. The People that shall be Created, shall Praise the Lord; so Isa. 41. 20. Isa. 43. 1. Thus saith the Lord that Created thee, O Jacob, &c. ver. 7. For I have Created him for my Glory; and ver. 15. I am the Lord, the Creator of Israel, your King. Surely God will work more gloriously by himself, in Creating the New Heavens and the New Earth, Isa. 65. 17, 18. For behold I Created New Heavens and a new Earth, be you glad and rejoice for ever in that which I Create; for behold, I Create Jerusalem, a rejoycing, and her People a joy: Isa. 45. 8. Drop down ye Heavens from above, and let the Skies pour down Righteousness; let the Earth open, and let them bring forth Salvation: I the Lord have Created it. Observe, God Createth this most Glorious Spiritual Salvation for his Church.