John Owen · 53 of 157

Sermon VII. Ezekiel xvii. 24. · Part 2

Use 2. To magnify the goodness of God, who unto us hath sweetened and seasoned all his dreadful dispensations, and all the alterations in those nations, with this his gracious design running through them all: this is that which puts all their beauty and lustre on them, being outwardly dreadful and horrible. The carrying on of this (which is hidden from the men of the world, who have therefore no joy) is the only thing we have to rejoice at in this day; our victories have no glory but what they receive from hence, Isa. iv. 2. That blood which is an acceptable sacrifice to the Lord is the blood of the enemies of this design of his; the vengeance that is to be delighted in is the vengeance of the temple; heaven, and all that is in it, is called to rejoice, when Babylon “is destroyed with violence and fury,” Rev. xviii. 21, — when those who would not have the King of saints reign are brought forth and slain before his face: and in this God makes distinguishing work, and calls to rejoicing, Isa. lxv. 13, 14, “Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed: behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.”

Thus the saints are called to sing “the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb,” Rev. xv. 3. The deliverance by Moses was a temporal deliverance from outward yokes and bondage; — the deliverance of the Lamb was a spiritual deliverance from spiritual bondage: the deliverance that God will give his saints from this oppression shall be mixed; as their bondage partakes of both, so shall their deliverance be; and therefore they shall sing the song of Moses and the Lamb. If ever any persons in the world had cause to sing the song of Moses and the Lamb, we have this day. The bondage prepared for us was both in spirituals and temporals; — about a tyrant full of revenge, and a discipline full of persecution, hath been our contest: whether the yoke of the one and the other should by the sword and violence be put upon our necks and consciences, is our controversy. There was both Egypt and Babel in the bondage prepared, — and both these enraged. Pharaoh doubled the task of the Israelites when they did speak of liberty; what would he have done had he recovered them under his hand after they were escaped? What would the thoughts of that man of blood have been, and his ways, had he prevailed, after so many provocations? “Cræde ac sanguine, quisquis ab exilio.” And what would their ways have been who thought to sit on his right hand and his left in his kingdom? But of this afterward. Now, God having broken both the one snare and the other, surely we have cause to sing the song of Moses and of the Lamb this day, when others are in the condition mentioned Isa. viii. 21, 22.

It is true, all things are not clear to all perhaps that serve the Lord. Some cannot rejoice in the works of our God; but they are not the first on whom that sin hath been charged. Nothing more frequent in the Scripture than the laying this sin at the door of professors, that they set not their hearts to the work of the Lord. If they are of the armies in heaven, they will at length learn to follow the Lamb; and for the present, music with some discords may make melody for the Lord. The song of Deborah is full of complaint, — divisions of Reuben, — Gilead, Dan, and Asher, slow in their helps, — Meroz wholly neutral:— though we have of all these sorts, yet may we make a song to the Lord, that in Jesus Christ may be acceptable this day. And the Lord, I hope, will open the eyes of them amongst us, and give them to cry for mercy when his righteous judgments have driven them from all their holds. When the mighty army was destroyed in the north about three years ago, many would see nothing in it, but that they had not the blessing of the church. Hence they began to think of it as Balak did of Balaam; — “whom he blessed, they were blessed; and whom he cursed, they were cursed.” God could not bear the robbing him of his glory, and giving it unto selfish men. They shall bless, and bless again, and be no more heard than the Baalists’ cry:— even to the Lord shall they cry, but he will not regard them: the Lord, I say, will drive them from such holds as these, that they may acknowledge his hand. Let, then, the great work of the Lord be owned, be rejoiced in, for it will certainly bear down all that stand in the way of it: neither is there the least true consolation in any of these alterations, but what arises from a closing with it.

Come we to the second observation.

II. The actings of God’s providence, in carrying on the interest of Christ, are and shall be exceedingly unsuited to the reasonings and expectations of the most of men.

He hath a glorious work here to be accomplished. Of whom should he now make use? Surely the “high tree,” the “green tree” will be employed. If one be to be anointed in the family of Jesse, will it not be goodly Eliab? if the king will honour any, who should it be but I, says Haman? But all on the contrary, the low, dry tree is taken; — David from the flock, and Mordecai from the gate. The thoughts of God are not as our thoughts, neither doth he look on outward appearances.

To give some instances in his most signal actings in this kind.

The Jews knew that God had a great work to do in giving of a Messiah, the Saviour of the world. They are raised up to expectation of it; upon every considerable appearance, they cry, Is this he? And what withal did they expect? — Outward glory, beauty, deliverance, carnal power and dominion. God at length comes to do his work, and bringeth forth a poor man, that had not where to lay his head, followed by a few fishermen and simple women, that had “neither form nor comeliness that he should be desired;” persecuted, despised, crucified from the beginning to the end; — quite another thing than what they looked for. Thus lays he the foundation of the gospel in the person of his Son, by frustrating the expectations of the most of men: “The stone which the builders refused,” etc. Again, seeing salvation is of the Jews, the rod of Christ’s strength being to be sent out of Zion, and that living waters were to flow forth from Jerusalem, — the gospel being from thence to be published through the world, — whom should the Lord choose to do it? Surely the great, the wise, the learned of that nation; the high priests, learned scribes, devout Pharisees, that might have won their message some repute and credit in the world. But, contrary to all the wisdom of the flesh, he takes a few ignorant, weak, unlearned fishermen, despised upon all accounts, and commits this great work unto them; and accordingly out they go, friendless, helpless, harbourless, unto their great employment. The like instruments, for the most part, did he employ to make an entrance upon the great work of casting down false worship and idolatry. Moreover, in that great work for the Lord Christ which is to be accomplished in the ruin and destruction of Babel, when it must be done with might, power, and strength, with armies and blood, will not now the Lord use the “high and green tree?” Many kings and potentates having in profession embraced the doctrine of the gospel, nobles and great ones having given up their names in appearance unto Christ, — who but they shall now be used in this work of the Lord? But yet plainly the Lord tells them the contrary, Rev. xviii. 9; — all these persons bewail the judgments of God that are executed on Babel, which shall be done by low, dry trees.

To give one instance in the mighty works which God hath lately wrought in these nations:— A work of reformation and carrying on the interest of Christ is here undertaken. What, upon this, are the thoughts of the most of men? whither were their eyes turned? Tall trees, green trees are pitched on. This and that great lord, popular with the multitude, Eliabs in their eyes, they must do it; — the Scots shall certainly effect it; — the king shall be taken from his evil counsel, he shall be active in it. A church government shall be set up, and no man suffered to live in the nation that will not submit unto it. Some, like the sons of Zebedee, shall sit on the right and left hand of Christ, in the kingdom they were setting up for him; — these and those, sound good men, shall be next the king: then all will be great and glorious indeed. What now, I pray? Do all things indeed suit and answer these expectations and reasonings of men? doth God accomplish the thoughts of their hearts? Alas! the high trees rested on proved, for the most part, broken reeds, that ran into our hands, and let out our blood in abundance to no purpose; — the top bough, hoped for, fallen as an abominable branch; — the Scots shaken and broken with unparalleled destruction, in the maintenance of the interest and cause which at first they prosperously opposed; — the iron yoke, pretended to be that of Christ (though it be fleshly, carnal, and cruel, suited to the wisdom of a man, and his rule be spiritual, meek, and gentle), cast off and thrown away:— low trees, dry trees, despised ones, contemned ones, without form or comeliness, exalted, used, employed, and the hand of the Lord evidently lifted up in all these transactions.

Some reasons of this may be given, and, —

1. The first is taken from the corruptions of the hearts of men squaring the works of God to their fleshly reasonings, corrupt interests and principles. They are bold with the wisdom of God, and conclude thus and thus things ought to be, — ordering their thoughts for the most part according to their corrupt and carnal advantages. I shall instance both as to carnal advantages and principles.

(1.) Carnal power and glory seem excellent to the Jews: hence think they, When God gives us our Messiah, all this must be accomplished. Their affections are disordered by corrupt lusts and desires, and that enslaves their minds to strange apprehensions:— God comes in his own way, and how cross do things run to their expectations. What was the corrupt design of many in Scotland? That they might set up a son of Tabeal in England, and themselves be great under him; that they and their partakers might impose on the residue of the nation, especially in the things of God. Their great desire that things should be thus, corrupts their minds to think that it ought to be so, and shall be so. Hence ambition to rule and to have all under their power, even in conscience, is quickly mistaken for zeal to the kingdom of Christ, — re-enthroning of tyranny is loyalty; and all according to covenant. As if men had sworn to be good to themselves, and to be true to their own interests all their days; which surely few need to be sworn to. Thus men’s minds and judgments are distempered by their lusts and interests, which makes them frame a way for God to proceed in; which, when he doth not, how are they surprised!

(2.) For principles. Men take up principles that they will adhere unto:— wise principles, forsooth, yea, and very righteous too! All things whatever that fall out must be squared unto their principles. They expect that nothing must be done but what suits unto them; and if any thing contrary be wrought, even of God himself, how deceived, how disappointed are they! The most tremendous judgment of God in this world is the hardening of the hearts of men; — this seals them up for the most part to destruction:— a thing it is often mentioned in the Scripture, and many subtle disputes there are, how it should come forth from Him who is most holy, seeing it is the greatest sin of the creature.

I shall give you my thoughts, in a most eminent instance or two, as to one particular of it. Look on Pharaoh, of whom it is most signally spoken, that God “hardened his heart.” How did the Lord accomplish this? Pharaoh settles himself upon as righteous principles as ever any of the sons of men could do: one is, “That it belongs to the chief ruler of a nation to see to the profit and glory of the nation.” What more righteous principle is there in the world? You that talk of your principles, give me one more righteous than this. Hence he concludes, that if it be incumbent on him to see that the realm receive no detriment, he must not let the people go by whom they received so many great advantages. God confirms his heart in these principles, which are good in themselves, but abominable when taken up against the mind and providence of God. Hence he and his perished in their principles, acting against the appearance of God. It is also said of Sihon, the king of the Amorites, that “his heart was hardened that he would not let the people go through his land.” How, I pray? Even by adhering to that wise principle, “That it is not meet to let a potent enemy into the bowels of a people.” And this made way for his ruin.

Thus is it with many; they fix on principles, good in general, and in their season. Old bounds must not be broken up; — order must not be disturbed:— let God appear never so eminently, so mightily, they will keep to their principles. What is this but judicial hardness? And this, I say, is one reason why the actings of God in such a day as this are so unsuited to the expectations of men; — they square his work to the interests and principles which it will not answer.

2. God chooseth thus to do things above and beside the expectations of men, that his presence and the presence of the Lord Christ may be the more conspicuous in the world. Did the Lord always walk in paths that men had rationally — that is, foolishly (for such is our wisdom in the ways of God) allotted to him, the appearances of his glory would be exceedingly eclipsed. It is hard for men to have a clear and naked view of the power of God in effecting any thing, when there is great help of means to do it; but it is much harder to discern the wisdom of God in an affair, when men’s own wisdom and designing is all accomplished. But now, when the way of God is “like the way of an eagle in the air,” — when “his paths are in the deep, and his footsteps are not known,” — then is he glorious in his goings. Men think all things would be very glorious, if they might be done according to their mind: perhaps, indeed, they would; — but with their glory, not the glory of God.

3. God will do it for the hardening of many false, empty professors and others in the world, that the judgments appointed may come upon them to the uttermost. The hardening of men to their destruction, being a close and inward work, is one of the most eminent acts of the providence of God in governing the world:— by this he accomplisheth most of the judgments that he hath threatened. Now, there is not any dispensation of God towards man but he can, and doth sometimes, cause it to be so managed and ordered, that it shall be a way and means of hardening such as he hath appointed thereunto:— some are hardened by the word, some by mercies, some by judgments. Amongst other ways that he useth for this purpose, this is one, — the disposal of the works of his providence contrary to the reasonings of men, — doing things unlikely and unfitly in the eyes of flesh and blood, that so they may despise those ways of his, and be broken in opposition unto them. Take an instance in Pharaoh’s last hardening for destruction: When he brought the people out of Egypt, he did not lead them the direct way to Canaan, but carries them into the wilderness, and shuts them up between the mountains and the sea. Pharaoh justly concludes that they are entangled beyond escape, and that he shall surely overtake them and destroy them. This draws him out to his ruin. Had God led them in the straight path, probably he had not pursued after them; but the Lord lays this as a plot for his destruction. God will harden Jeroboam, and therefore a lion shall slay the prophet that preached against his idolatry. So was it with the Jews. They expect all glory to attend the coming of the Messiah; and after the coming of him indeed, God follows them with judgments to a total desolation; which being so unsuited unto the dispensation they expected, hardness thereby is come upon them to the uttermost. Tertullian says, he dares say that “the Scriptures were on purpose framed in many thing to give occasion to proud and curious unhumbled wits to stumble and fall.” And I dare say that the Lord doth order many of his works in the world in “ways past finding out,” on purpose to give occasion to many to stumble and fall. God fulfilleth many mighty works, that could not otherwise be brought about, by hardening the hearts of men. The hardening of the late king’s heart was an engine whereby he wrought mighty thing and alterations. Had not God laid obdurateness and stubbornness upon his spirit, we had long since, in all probability, been ruined. To accomplish this end, then, God will so order the works of his providence, that men shall reason themselves into unreasonable and brutish hardness and stupidity. Thus God hath done in the days wherein we live. His mighty acts that he hath wrought, both for the matter of the things done and the manner of their doing, have been so contrary to men’s principles, interest, expectations, and reasons, that they have slighted them to such a degree of hardening that they seem to have no reason left at all; — and when it comes to that, God will fall judicially upon the very faculties of their souls; he will blind their eyes, deprive them of their judgment and insight into things, that they shall be as incapable of [understanding] God’s mind as fools; and give them up to vile affections, to do the things that are not seemly; — as it hath fallen out with too many amongst us.

Let us now make some use of this point.

Use. It serves, then, to discover the vanity of those men who, because the works of God have not been carried on in ways suitable to their reasonings and expectations, do utterly reject them, disown them, and oppose him in them. Can these men give any one instance of any one eminent work of God that he hath brought about by such ways and means as men would rationally allot thereunto, especially in things that are in immediate subserviency to the kingdom of the Lord Christ? Can they instance that they have been so managed? nay, hath not this been a means to harden multitudes to their destruction that have limited the Holy One, and chalked out paths for him to walk in? I cannot but fear that it was a great provocation of the eyes of God’s glory, that at the beginning, and in the carrying on of the great alterations that have been wrought by his providence among us, we did speak of confirming and continuing, under any condition whatsoever, any things or persons which it was in his design to evert:— we must be promising to keep up the high tree, and to keep down the low tree; which was not at all in his thoughts, neither ever came it into his heart. I hope he hath taught us (though with thorns) to follow him sometimes, like Abraham, not knowing whither we go. Now, the Lord convince them who are yet under this darkness; — that think the ways of God not equal, because not measured by their line; — that bring their crooked rules unto that which is really straight, and cast it away as abominable. The children of Israel had got a proverb against the ways of God; it was so taken for granted that the ways of his providence were not right and straight, that it was grown into a common by-word. A little discovery of the pride and hypocrisy of their own hearts undeceived them at last.

I shall not say to our brethren that they have showed this day, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had been slain, it would have been well-pleasing to them; but this I shall say, that it is a sad sign that our ways please not God, when his ways please not us at all.

There being not space for handling the two remaining propositions contained in the text, I shall go forth to one general use, and so conclude.

Use. Now, this I shall take from that of the prophet Amos iv. 12; — the generality of the people being exercised with various judgments, the residue of them are said to be saved “as a firebrand out of the burning;” that is, powerfully, effectually, from a very terrible and a very near destruction. After all the Lord’s great dispensation of providence, in carrying on his own design, this being the condition of the people of this nation, many being destroyed by foregoing judgments, and the residue now saved like a firebrand out of the burning, God having given us this issue of his mighty works in pulling down the high tree, and exalting the low tree, it cannot but be our wisdom to close with the counsel which God gives in such a condition; and that you have, I say, Amos iv. 12, “Because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.” Seeing that all this is done, prepare to meet thy God, O England: prepare to meet thy God, O parliament: prepare to meet thy God, O army.

To lead you a little towards the performance of this duty, it being that, and that alone, which is incumbent on you, I shall show you these two things:— 1. What it is wherein we are to meet our God. 2. How we must meet him therein.

1. For the first, there are three ways wherein we must meet the Lord, if we desire to answer his mind in any of these dispensations:— (1.) In the way of his providence; (2.) In the way of his worship; (3.) In the way of his holiness.

(1.) The eminent ways of the providence of God in these days may be referred unto three heads.

[1.] His general design, to pull down all those high oppositions to the kingdom of his Son which I have mentioned.

[2.] His peculiar aim, to stain the glory of all flesh, to pull down high trees, that no flesh may glory.

[3.] His shaking of all endearments and enjoyments here below, that the hearts of his may be fixed only on the things that cannot be shaken.

And these, upon all accounts and considerations whatever, appear to be the main tendencies of the actings of providence in these our days.

(2.) There is the way of his worship; wherein also he will be met. It is most remote from my thoughts to enter into contests concerning that peculiar way of gospel worship which Christ hath appointed. It sufficeth me, that seeing God hath promised that in these days he will have his tabernacle with men, and that barrenness and drought shall be on every soul that comes not up to his feast of tabernacles, it is bottom sufficient to press men to meet him in that way, according as he shall graciously make out light unto them.

(3.) There is the way of his holiness. As he is holy, so are all his ways holy, — so he will be met and walked with in all ways of holiness and obedience to Jesus Christ. And these are the ways wherein God will be met by his remnant, his delivered remnant.

2. What, then, is it to meet the Lord in any of these ways? what is it to meet him in the way of his providence, his worship, his holiness? To meet one in any thing, is to close with him in that thing:— we say, Herein I meet you, when we are of one mind. To meet the Lord in these things, is to close with the will and mind of God in them. This is that which I would exhort you unto, yea, lay the charge of God upon you this day, even on you and your companions, who are as a brand snatched out of the burning, —

(1.) To meet God in the way of his providence.

[1.] Meet him in his general design of casting down all combined opposition to the kingdom of his Son; that God in his appointed time will bring forth the kingdom of the Lord Christ unto more glory and power than in former days, I presume you are persuaded. Whatever will be more, these six things are clearly promised:—

1st. Fulness of peace unto the gospel and the professors thereof, Isa. xi. 6, 7, liv. 13, xxxiii. 20, 21; Rev. xxi. 25.

2dly. Purity and beauty of ordinances and gospel worship, Rev. xi. 2, xxi. 3. The tabernacle was wholly made by appointment, Mal. iii. 3, 4; Zech. xiv. 16; Rev. xxi. 27; Zech. xiv. 20; Isa. xxxv. 8.

3dly. Multitudes of converts, many persons, yea, nations, Isa. ix. 7, 8, lxvi. 8, xlix. 18–22; Rev. vii. 9.

4thly. The full casting out and rejecting of all will-worship, and their attendant abominations, Rev. xi. 2.

5thly. Professed subjection of the nations throughout the whole world unto the Lord Christ, Dan. ii. 44, vii. 26, 27; Isa. lx. 6–9; — the kingdoms become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ, [Rev. xi. 15,] amongst whom his appearance shall be so glorious, that David himself shall be said to reign.

6thly. A most glorious and dreadful breaking of all that rise in opposition unto him, Isa. lx. 12, — never such desolations, Rev. xvi. 17–19.

Now, in order to the bringing in of this his rule and kingdom, with its attendances, the Lord Christ goes forth, in the first place, to cast down the things that stand in his way, dashing his enemies “in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” This is a part of the design of Providence, wherein we are to meet him in these days.

I shall speak a word, — (1st.) Unto them who are enabled to look through the clouds and darkness whereby his paths are encompassed; (2dly.) Unto them who cannot.

(1st.) For the former, be you persuaded to meet the Lord in this his design, — yet to continue steadfast in helping him against the mighty. I speak not only to you who are in authority, nor unto you to whom the sword is girded, but unto all that wish well to Zion. We have every one our mite that we may cast into this treasury: we may be all princes in this case, all Israels, — prevailers with God and men. There be three things whereby even you, who are but as the number, the common soldiers of Christ, may meet the Lord in this design.

[1st.] By faith. Believe the promises, close with them, act faith upon them, and you will believe the beast unto destruction, antichrist into the pit, and Magog to ruin. Believe that ( Ps. cx. 1, 4, ii. 7, 8; Mic. v. 3, 4; Isa. lx. 12) the enemies of Christ shall be made his footstool, that the nations shall be his inheritance, that he shall reign gloriously in beauty, that he shall smite in pieces the heads over divers nations; — live in the faith of these things, and as it will give you the sweetness of them before they come, so it will hasten their coming beyond the endeavours of thousands, yea, millions of armed men.

[2dly.] Meet him with your supplications. Cry unto him, as Ps. xlv. 3–5, “Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most Mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously, because of truth, and meekness, and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies; whereby the people fall under thee.” This will make you be the armies of heaven, that follow him in his great undertakings, Rev. xix. 14. It is his praying people that are his conquering armies that follow him. Now you find it coming, leave not pulling with all your strength, lest it roll back again. Shoot not two or three arrows, and so give over; but never leave shooting until the enemies of the Lord be all destroyed. Seeing it is his gospel whose advancement the Lord Jesus aimeth at in all these dispensations, and whose quarrel alone he revengeth (whatever men may do), help on to the advancement of that gospel of his; which, as formerly it was oppressed by the height and tyranny of the tower of Babel, so for the present is exceedingly defiled and cumbered by the rubbish of it being in some measure cast down.