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had not Joseph as a tender father (as he is called, Gen. xli. 43.) to provide for them, then God remembered that he was their Father, and Israel his firstborn, Exod. iv. 22. nothing will make us seek for help above ourselves, but the apprehension of weakness within ourselves. Those creatures that are weakest, nature hath put an aptitude and inclination in them to depend upon those that are stronger. The vine, the ivy, the hop, the woodbine, are taught by nature to clasp and cling and wind about stronger trees. The greater sense we have of our own vileness, the fitter disposition are we in to rely on God, I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord,” Zeph. iii. 12. Isa. xiv. 32. When a man is proud within, and hath anything of his own to lean upon, he will hardly tell how to trust in God, Prov. iii. 5. xxviii. 25. Israel never thought of returning to her first husband, till her way was hedged up with thorns, and no means left to enjoy her former lovers, Hos. ii. 6, 7. When the enemy should have shut up and intercepted all her passages to Dan and Bethel, to Egypt and Assyria, that she hath neither friends nor idols to fly to, then she would think of returning to her first husband, namely, to God again.

Now from hence we learn:

I. The condition of the church in this world, which is to be as an orphan, destitute of all succour and favour, as an outcast whom no man looketh after, Jer. xxx. 17. Paul had low thoughts of the world, and the world thought as basely of him. "The world," saith he, "is crucified unto me, and I unto the world," Gal. vi. 14. Before conversion the world is an Egypt unto us, a place of bondage; after conversion

it is a wilderness unto us, a place of emptiness and temptations.

II. The backwardness of man towards grace; we go not to God till we are brought to extremities and all other helps fail us. The poor prodigal never thought of looking after a father, till he found himself in a fatherless condition, and utterly destitute of all relief, Luke xv. 17, 18.

III. The right disposition and preparation unto mercy, which is to be an orphan, destitute of all selfconfidence, and broken off from all other comforts. "When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, I the Lord will hear them," Isa. xli. 17. God will " repent for his people when he seeth that their power is gone," Deut. xxxii. 36. when there is an extremity fit for divine power to interpose. Christ is set forth as a physician, which supposeth sickness; as a fountain, which supposeth uncleanness; as meat, which supposeth emptiness; as clothing, which supposeth nakedness.

He never finds us till we are lost sheep; when we have lost all, then we are fit to follow him, and not before.

IV. The roots of true repentance. The sense of want and emptiness in ourselves, the apprehension of favour and mercy in God. Conviction of sin in us, and of righteousness in him, John xvi. 9, 10. Of crookedness in us, and of glory in him, Isa. xl. 4, 5.

Hereby room is made for the entertainment of mercy; where sin abounds, grace will more abound; and the more the soul finds itself exceedingly miserable, the more will the mercy of God appear exceedingly merciful, Rom. v. 20. and hereby God showeth his wisdom in the seasonable dispensing of mercy then when we are in the greatest extremity, as fire is hottest

in the coldest weather. God delights to be seen in the mount, at the grave, to have his way in the sea, and his paths in the deep waters. Mercies are never so sweet as when they are seasonable, and never so seasonable as in the very turning and critical point, when misery weighs down, and nothing but mercy turns the scale.

This teacheth us how to fit ourselves for the mercy of God, namely, to find ourselves destitute of all inward or outward comforts, and to seek for it only there beggars do not put on scarlet but rags to prevail with men for relief; as Benhadad's servants put on ropes when they would beg mercy of the king of Israel. In a shipwreck a man will not load him with money, chains, treasure, rich apparel; but commit himself to the sea naked, and esteem it mercy enough to have one poor plank to carry him to the shore. It is not exaltation enough unto Joseph, except he be taken out of a prison unto honour.

Neither should we be broken with diffidence or distrust in times of trouble, but remember it is the condition of the church to be an orphan. It is the way whereby Moses came to be the son of Pharaoh's daughter; when his own parents durst not own him, the mercy of a princess found him out to advance him; and when he was nearest unto perishing, he was nearest unto honour. In the civil law we find provision made for such as were cast out, and exposed to the wide world, some hospitals to entertain them, some liberties to comfort and compensate their trouble. And a like care we find in Christ: the Jews had no sooner cast out the man that was born blind, whose parents durst not be seen in his cause for fear of the like usage, the mercy of Christ presently found him and bestowed comfort upon him, John ix. 35. This is the true

David, unto whom all helpless persons that are in distress, in debt, in bitterness of soul, may resort and find entertainment, 1 Sam. xxii. 2.

Lastly, we should learn to behave ourselves as pupils under such a Guardian, to be sensible of our infancy, minority, inability to order or direct our own ways, and so deny ourselves, and not lean on our own wisdom; to be sensible how this condition exposeth us to the injuries of strangers, "for because we are called out of the world, therefore the world hateth us,” and so to be vigilant over our ways, and not trust ourselves alone in the hands of temptation, nor wander from our Guardian, but always to yield unto his wisdom and guidance. Lastly, to comfort ourselves in this, that while we are in our minority we are under the mercy of a father. A mercy of conservation by his providence, giving us all good things richly to enjoy, even all things necessary unto life and godliness: a mercy of protection, defending us by his power from all evil a mercy of education and instruction, teaching us by his word and Spirit: a mercy of communion, many ways familiarly conversing with us and manifesting himself unto us: a mercy of guidance and government by the laws of his family: a mercy of discipline, fitting us by fatherly chastisements for those further honours and employments he will advance us unto; and when our minority is over, and we are once come to a perfect man, we shall then be actually admitted unto that inheritance immortal, invisible, and that fadeth not away, which the same mercy at first purchased, and now prepareth and reserveth for us. Now it followeth :

Verse 4." I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for mine anger is turned away from him." In the former words we have considered both

Israel's petition in time of trouble, and the promise and covenant which thereupon they bind themselves in. In these and the following words unto the end of the eighth verse, we have the gracious answer of God to both, promising both in his free love to grant their petition, and by his free grace to enable them unto the performance of the covenant which they had made. The petition consisted of two parts. I. That God would take away all iniquity. 2. That he would do them good, or receive them graciously. To both these God giveth them a full and a gracious answer. 1. That he will take away all iniquity by healing their backsliding. 2. That he would do them good and heap all manner of blessings upon them, which are expressed by the various metaphors of fruitfulness, opposite to the contrary expressions of judgment in former parts of the prophecy.

"I will heal their backsliding." This is one of the names by which God is pleased to make himself known unto his people, "I am the Lord that healeth thee," Exod. xv. 26. And," Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings," Jer. iii. 22.

Now God healeth sin four manner of ways:

1. By a gracious pardon, burying, covering, not imputing them unto us. So it seems to be expounded, Psa. ciii. 3. and that which is called healing in one place, is called forgiveness in another, if we compare Matt. xiii. 15. with Mark iv. 12.

2. By a spiritual and effectual reformation, purging the conscience from dead works, making it strong and able to serve God in new obedience; for that which health is to the body, holiness is to the soul. Therefore the Sun of righteousness is said to arise with healing in his wings, Mal. iv. 2. whereby we are to understand the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit

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