my people," saith David, "that we should be able to offer so willingly? for all things come of thee," 1 Chron. xxix. 14. and the apostle prays for the Ephesians, that God would grant them to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inward man, Eph. iii. 16. the principles of duty are the fruits of prayer, and therefore the performance of duty doth much depend on the hearing and answering of prayer.

3. We learn from God's observing, or having a careful and vigilant eye upon Ephraim, that when we renounce all carnal and sinful confidence, and cast ourselves wholly upon God, engaging his eye of favour and providence unto us, this will be a most sufficient protection against all the cruelties of men. One would think when we hear a sword threatened, dashing of infants, murder of women, the prophet should have called on them to take unto them weapons to make resistance, (and certainly the use of means in such cases is necessary; the sword of the Lord doth not exclude the sword of Gideon.) One would think, "Take to you words," were but a poor preparation against a destroying enemy: yet this is all that the prophet insists on; when the Assyrian comes against you, do you take with you words; your lips shall be able to defend more than his armies can annoy. Words uttered from a penitent heart, in time of trouble, unto God, are stronger than all the preparations of flesh and biood, because the way that prayer and repentance go, that way God goeth too. Amalek

fights, and Moses speaks unto God in the behalf of Israel, and the lifting up of his hands prevails more than the strength of Israel besides, Exod. xvii. 11, 12. One man of God who knows how to manage the cause of Israel with him, is the chariots and horsemen of Israel, 2 Kings ii. 12. What huge armies did Asa

and Jehoshaphat vanquish by the power of prayer 2 Chron. xiv. 11. xx. 22. 25. Till God forbid prayet as he did to Jeremiah, chap. vii. 16. xi. 14. and take off the hearts of his servants from crying unto him in behalf of a people, we have reason to hope that he will at last think thoughts of mercy towards them, Exod. xxxii. 10. 14. and in the mean time when they are reduced to the condition of fatherless children, he will be a guardian unto them; his eye of providence and tuition will observe them, and take care of them; He is the Father of the fatherless, and Judge of the widow, even God in his holy habitation, Psa. lxviii. 5.

Now in that he saith, "I am a green fir-tree," it is a promise made in opposition to all the vain succours which they relied on before, intimating that instead of them he would be their defence and shelter, that they should not need to hide themselves under such narrow refuges. Whatsoever human wisdom, wealth, power, or other outward means men have to defend themselves withal, yet they shall never find any true and solid protection but in and from God after sound conversion unto him. The fir-tree, Pliny saith, casteth not its leaves, and so yields a perpetual shade both in winter and in summer. To note that sound conversion yieldeth comfort in all conditions of life. 66 Though the earth be removed, and the mountains carried into the midst of the sea," &c. Psa. xlvi. 2, 3. Hab. iii. 17-19. "However it be, God is good to Israel, and it shall go well with the righteous; he will be for a sanctuary to his people, that they need not be afraid," Isa. viii. 12-14. If you would have your hearts above all the troubles of the world, get under this fir-tree, cast yourselves under this protection, get into the chamber of God's providence and

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promises, and then though the troubles of the world may strip you of all outward comforts, yet God will be all unto you.

Lastly, in that he saith, From me is thy fruit found:" we learn, that though good works be ours when they are done by us, yet they come from God who enableth us to do them; we bear them, but God worketh and produceth them in us: the duty is ours, but the efficacy and blessing is his. This falleth in with what hath been handled in the first doctrine; and therefore I shall say no more of it.

SERMON VII.

WHO IS WISE, AND HE SHALL UNDERSTAND THESE THINGS. PRUDENT, AND HE SHALL KNOW THEM? FOR THE WAYS OF THE LORD ARE RIGHT, AND THE JUST SHALL WALK IN THEM: BUT THE TRANSGRESSORS SHALL FALL THEREIN.-HOSEA XIV. 9.

THESE words are a most pathetical close, and, as it were, a seal which the prophet setteth to all the doctrine of his whole book, and to the course of his ministry; implying, 1. A strong asseveration of the truth of all those things which he had in the name of God delivered unto them. 2. An elegant and forcible excitation of the people unto a sad and serious pondering of them, laying to heart the sins therein charged, the duties therein required, the judgments therein threatened, the blessings therein promised. And withal, 3. A tacit complaint of the paucity of those who were wise unto salvation, and of the desperate use which wicked men make of the word of God, and the ministry of his grace; namely, to stumble at it, and to turn it unto themselves into an occasion of ruin.

"Who is wise, and he shall understand?" &c. The interrogation is, 1. A secret exprobation of folly unto his hearers, or the greatest part of them: for so this kind of interrogation doth frequently in scripture intimate either a negation, or at least the rareness, and difficulty of the thing spoken of; as, "Who hath known the mind of the Lord ?" 1 Cor. ii. 16. " Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?”

2. An

O that

Rom. viii. 33. These are negatives. "Who knoweth the power of thine anger?" Psa. xc. 11. "Who amongst you will give ear to this?" Isa. xlii. 23. "Who hath believed our report? or to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?" Isa. liii. 1. These are restrictives. Who? that is, few or none are such. earnest wish and desire of the prophet. men were wise to understand these things, and lay them to heart: as, 66 Who shall deliver me from this body of death?" that is, O that I were delivered Rom. vii. 24. "Who will show us any good?" Psa. iv. 6. that is, O that any could do it. 3. A strong affirmation or demonstration wherein true wisdom doth indeed consist, and what men that are truly wise will do, when the ways of God are by the ministry of his servants set forth before them; namely, ponder and consider the great weight and consequence of them, as Jer. ix. 12, 13. " Who is the wise man that may understand this ?" namely, as it followeth, for what the land perisheth, and is burnt up like a wilderness that none passeth through? And the Lord saith, "Because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them," &c. This is the character of a wise man, to resolve the judgments that are upon a people, into their proper original, and not to allege that there is no cause for them. 4. A vehement awakening and quickening of the people unto this duty of sad attendance on the words which he had spoken unto them, as Exod. xxxii. 26. "Who is on the Lord's side?" Let him come unto me. And 2 Kings ix. 32. "Who is on my side?" Who? So it is, as if the prophet should have said, there are none of you who have been my hearers, but would willingly retain the reputation of wise and understanding men, and would esteem it a high indignity to be