GOD Acknowledged OR THE TRUE INTEREST OF THE NATION And all that Fear GOD. OPENED In A SERMON Preached December the 11th 1695. Being the Day Appointed by the KING for Publick PRAYER and HUMILIATION With Some Additions By BENJAMIN KEACH Psal. 65. 2. O Thou that hearest Prayer to Thee shall 〈…〉 come Psal. 46. 10. Be Still and Know that I am GOD. LONDON Printed for William 〈…〉 GOD Acknowledged OR THE The TRUE INTEREST of the NATION and all that Fear GOD Opened in a Sermon c. Prov. III. VI. In all thy ways Acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy Paths WISDOM in this Chapter particularly in the first Verse giveth to her Son most needful and necessary Counsel which ought to be observed by all who would be Truly Wise viz. My Son forget not my Law but let thy heart keep all my Commandments By Wisdom in several places of this Book of Solomon is meant Jesus Christ by Law here may comprehend Christ's Doctrine his Word and Holy Precepts In the second verse he lays down a precious motive to stir up all understanding Persons thus to do For length of days and long Life and Peace shall they add unto thee That is Length of Good Days a Joyful Life and Peace shall attend thee In the third verse He gives another Holy Precept Let not Mercy and Truth forsake thee bind them about thy neck write them upon thine heart By Mercy and Truth Is meant That which ought to be in the heart of Man and as these two are frequently joyned together as they are in God so they ought always to be in us not Mercy without Truth but both together Mercy denotes all that Benignity Clemency Compassion and Charity and readiness to do good to others according to the place or station where we are set or are placed Truth may comprehend that inward Sincerity Faithfulness and Uprightness of heart which should be in us to God and Man according to the Holy Precepts of Gods Word and Rules of Justice and Righteousness and these should be written or engraven upon the Fleshly Tables of our Hearts and so they will be as a Chain of Gold about the Neck or a precious Ointment to the Soul In the fourth Verse We have a Blessed Motive and Encouragement to do this So shalt thou find Favour and a good Understanding in the sight of God and Man In a serious and constant Exercise of Religion we shall meet with Gods Acceptance and attain unto a solid and spiritual Understanding which will render us Honourable among all good Men. In the fifth Verse He subjoyns another Indispensible Duty Trust in the Lord with all thine Heart and lean not to thine own Understanding He hereby shews that we should wholly rely upon Gods Wisdom Strength Promises and Providence for Help and Relief in all our Affairs and Dangers and not to think we can by our Wisdom let our Understanding be never so great acute and clear accomplish our Designs or manage our Affairs To which he adds the words of my Text viz In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths In the Text are two parts 1. We have a Duty enjoyned In all thy ways acknowledge Him 2. A Promise or Motive annexed And He shall direct thy paths As to the Explanation of the Words consider these things following 1. The Subject on whom the Precept or Duty is enjoyned Thou my Son or Sons it may refer to one single person or to any one man that would be wise and succeed well in his Affairs or Enterprizes in whatsoever he takes in hand or it may comprehend any wise and pious community of men Civil or Ecclesiastical for that which is the duty and true Interest of any one true Son of Wisdom as so considered is the duty of all in every place or station where they are set whether in Church or State 2. Observe the Object Acknowledge Him That is the Lord as repeated in the Context Trust in the Lord So here Acknowledge Him i. e. He that is your Creator your God and only Counsellor 3. Consider the matter of the Duty or what the Duty or Precept is In all thy ways acknowledge him That is Know him Own him Acknowledge his Being his Wisdom his Power his Soveraignty and expect Counsel and Success from him 4. The Universality of the Duty In all thy ways Acknowledg God Seek to him Consult with him and that not only in one or two main cases that are of the greatest moment or in some difficult Exigencies but in all thy ways whatsoever thou attempt to do for thy Self Family Church or State thou must Acknowledge God Cry to him Consult with him who sits upon the Throne who is the Mighty Counsellor and Everlasting Father and only Potentate and great Ruler of the World In all thy Designs and Undertakings whether it be about the things of this Life or about matters and things that concern the Life that is to come Secondly You have the Motive And he shall or he will direct thy paths He will give thee Wisdom and Counsel and shew thee a right way and Bless thee and give thee good Success in all those things thou settest thy hand to do or in that work thou goest about wherein his Name and Glory is concerned and thy good From the words thus Opened I shall only observe one Proposition or point of Doctrine Doct. That it is the Indespensible Duty of every Man or all Men who are Sons of Wisdom in every thing they enter upon or go about to do to Acknowledge God which they must do if they would Prosper or meet with Success In speaking to this Proposition I shall endeavour God Assisting to do these things following 1. Shew you what it is to Acknowledgd God or open the purport of that word more largly 2. Shew you in what ways more particularly we should Acknowledg God 3. Shew you how or after what manner we should Acknowledg the Lord. 4. Give you the Reasons of the Point 5. Make Application of the whole 1. To Acknowledge God Is to own the Being of God or that God is or that there is one Eternal and Infinite Being It was a great while before Proud Pharoah would do this And Pharoah said Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go I know not the Lord I am the Soveraign Lord of Egypt and I own no other Superiour here What Lord hath Authority and Power over me to command me But the Lord was resolved to make him know him and acknowledge him before he had done with him and therefore poured forth his Plagues upon him and at last overthrew him in the Red Sea Those who will not Acknowledge God and so Grorifie his Dreadful Name he will Glorifie himself upon them at last in their Destruction And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord when I stretch forth my hand upon Egypt and bring out
too hard for him to do Who is wonderful in Counsel and excellent in Working 3. God can direct and save a People when all say there is no hope when every Man despareth of Succour and Relief and are at their Wits end as it were God can lead guide and direct us Infallibly He only gives certain and Infallible Counsel there are none can defeat his Counsel no wisdom nor craftiness of Men can stand before the Wisdom of God There is no Wisdom nor Understanding nor Counsel against the Lord What Encouragement is here to seek to God 4. As he can Direct us and none can withstand him or give us Counsel which none can overthrow so he can with ease defeat all the Counsels of his Peoples Enemies nay can turn their crafty counsel to the Advantage of his own People He taketh the Wise in their own Craftiness and the Counsel of the Froward is carryed head long or as the Prophet Isaiah saith The Counsel of the Wise shall be turned bac ward Omne Consilium Captatum in Festinatione est Stultitia God can mingle a perverse Spirit and and make the Princes of Zoan to become Fools 5. When he is sought truly unto he hath promised to direct a People or Person that feareth him his special care is over such that Trust in him Behold the eye of the Lord is over them that Fear him upon them that hope in his Mercy Mind my Text He shall direct thy Paths the steps of a good Man are ordered by the Lord and be delighteth in his ways Though the Young Lyons want and suffer hunger yet they that fear God shall want no good thing He will lead the Blind in ways they knew not c. Though we are in our selves Blind and Ignorant yet if we Acknowledge Him He will lead us and will not leave us to the lusts of our Enemies Brethren we are still in God's hand and none can pluck us out my and our times also are in his hand 6. You that are Godly have interest in this mighty God He is your Father therefore he will Teach and Direct you His Faithfulness and Fatherly Affections leadeth him thus to do 7. Do you also commit your selves to him and Trust in him and will he think you ever fail such that so do The Poor committeth himself to thee Thou art the Helper of the Fatherless If unfaithful Man will not fail such that wholly Trust in him will the Faithful God not help and direct such that put all their Trust in him though our Sins be many and our miseries and dangers many also yet Brethren let us lye low before the Lord and humbly confess with the Prophet our own Insufficiency O Lord I know that the way of Man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his Steps Let us use all due means which God directeth us to or be found in our duty and leave the Issue of all to God Men not seeking constantly to God nor relying on him may be the cause they prosper not But Let it go how it will with the Land or with the Wicked therein yet saith the Prophet Say to the Righteouss it shall go well with him A dismal day must come and will come upon this Land and upon all Nations of the Earth we see already Distress of Nations and Perplexities but these things are but the beginning of Sorrows but do you that Fear God Look up lift up your heads for your Redemption draws near 8. God will Bless and give Success to such that seek to him that humbly and sincerely Acknowledge him yea in their Civil Affairs such shall find their Endeavours crowned with a Blessing and also in Spiritual matters God will lead them The meek will be guide in Judgment and the meek will he teach his ways that is the humble and lowly ones that Acknowledge God and submit to his hand and are willing and desirous to be lead directed and governed by him in all their ways in doing Justice and Judgment who are not selfish or self-seeking persons who lay not burthens on others to ease themselves but act in all righte ousness and equallity in what they do in the Station where they are set for as all the ways of God are Mercy and Truth so should all the ways of Men be especially such that are Rulers and Magistrates who are intrusted with the great concerns of a Nation or People they ought to be Men fearing God Men of Truth hating Evil if not God may justly leave them and blast all their endeavours for they are the Meek the Humble and Righteous ones that God will guide in Judgment and direct their Paths 9. Know assuredly That none Teaches like God What is Man's teaching some Glory in their Phylosophical Learning but that only fills the head with knowledge it may make Men criticks but not Christians others boast of the Teachings of Natural Reason and will receive no Principles of Religion that is above this Teacher and thereby they cast contempt upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All True Knowledge flows from God's Soveraign Grace he guides and teaches whomsoever he pleaseth he can speak to the Heart nay give a heart to understand as well as instruction he can give a teachable frame or a teachable Spirit as well as direct those whom he hath given such a frame or heart unto therefore it followeth That to teach and direct our Souls is the effect of Almighty Power Be still and know that I am God Confess your weakness your Ignorance and acknowledge my Skill my Power as if God should say No man can come to me except the Father which sent me draw him What is his Drawing but his Teaching Every one therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me Men must be Un-taught or become Fools before they can be Wise I mean emptied of their own Wisdom and confess they know nothing as they ought to know Christ's Office and Work is to Teach his People He only hath the Tongue of the Learned therefore let all men Learn of him Wait upon him Acknowledge him to be their only Instructor and Counsellor and say with David Thou shalt guide me with thy Counsel and afterward receive me to Glory And thus I shall End as I Begun In all thy ways Acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy Paths FINIS ERRATA PAge 6. Line 41. for His Will His Law read His Will is His Law P. 12. L. 31. for Peruse r. Persue P. 13. L. 31. for Chooser Chose P. 21. L. 31. for Acknowledged r. Acknowledge P. 24. L. 7. for Man r. Men. P. 24. L. 10. for himâ— r. him P. 27. L. 22. for would r. should BOOKS Sold by William Marinal at the Bible in Newgate-Street and John Marshal at the Bible in Grace-Church-Street 1. BAptism discovered plainly and faithfully according to the word of God wherein is set
make Civil Laws we ought to acknowledge God who hath promised to give Judges as at the first and Counsellors as at the beginning How good was Jethros's Counsel to Moses Exod. 18 2◠Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men such as fear God men of truth hateing covetousness and place such over them to be rulers c. Did Jethro speak this only or hath not God spoken it also The God of Israel said the rock of Israel spoke to me he that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the fear of God 2. Sam. 23. 3. I am afraid many Men do not in this case so consult with God nor acknowledge him as they ought were such Men always chose what a happy People should we be or would England be But 3. We should acknowledge God and look to him when difficult cases may be before a King and his People in which the good and welfare of a whole Nation is concerned nay many Nations and not only so but also the good of God's Israel as now at this day O how should we cry to God who only is able to give Counsel and direct our worthy Senators By me Kings Reign and Princes decree Judgment saith our Lord Jesus Prov. 8. 15. All great and good things that Kings and Princes do is from God and by the Influences of Jesus Christ God sits amongst the Gods he can rule and over-rule Men's Hearts at his pleasure at such a time as this Ezra sought a right way to do which he acknowledge God he sought to him We may bless God who put it into the Hearts of the King and Parliament to seek God at this difficult time certainly the Finger of God is in this matter Saith Ezra And I proclaimed a Fast there at the River Ahava that we might afflict our selves before our God and seek a right way for our selves and for our little ones and for all our Substance Ezra 8. 21. For I was ashamed to require of the King a Band of Soldiers and Horsemen to help us against the Enemy because I said the hand of our God is upon all them that seek him for good verse 22. This it appears is the right way most pleasing to God the only way to obtain the Mercy we want viz. to humble our selves and seek to God this is that way God directeth us to take Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver you and ye shall glorifie me Psal. 50. 14. 50. 't is the right way to obtain Mercy to exalt the Eternal Being to magnifie God yea and this is the right way according to the avowed Principles of all true Christians I was ashamed saith this good Man to ask a Band of Soldiers because our God hath promised his Hand shall be with us for good that he was able and ready to help them that seek him and put their trust in him I might also note from hence that we are allowed to cry to God not only for our selves and little Ones but that God would bless and preserve our Substance also 4. Another special Occasion that calls upon us in an extraordinary 〈◊〉 knowledge God and seek unto him Is in a time of great 〈◊〉 when God's People are in Distress and great Danger Thus did Jacob Gen. 33. when he heard how his enraged Brother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coming out to meet him with 400 Armed Men to cut him off with his Wives and Children How did he wrestle with God He 〈◊〉 and made Supplication also said I will not let thee go except thou bless me Gen. 32 26 And he said What is thy Name and he said Jacob and he said Thy Name shall be called no more Jacob but Israel for as a Prince hast thou Power with God and Men and hast prevailed verse 27. All that thus wrestle with God God accounts Princes they are Prevailers with God they overcome God in a spiritual manner and prevail over Men nay over Devils and all Hellish Lusts and the powers of Darkness Fsau shall not hurt thee as if God should have said I will prevent thy present Fear and Danger Thus Jacob at this time when in great Straits and Afflictions acknowledged God This also did the Children of Israel in Egypt under their grievons Bondage and Misery They cryed to the Lord and God heard their Crys and their Groans Exod. 2. 23. 24. and looked upon them and had respect to them verse 5. Moreover Thus Moses and poor Israel acknowledged God when they were pursued by bloody Pharoah and brought to the Red Sea Stand still saith Moses and see the Salvation of the Lord have your hope in him trust in him acknowledge his Power in this time of your dismal Danger The Egyptian whom ye have seen to day ye shall see them again no more for ever Let not your Hearts fail sink nor stagger through Unbelief but with Faith and quiet Minds look to God and you shall as if Moses should have said soon see an end of your cursed Enemies Also thus did Samuel with all Israel look to God when the Philistines came against them they fasted on that day and said We have sinned against the Lord 1 Sam. 2. 6. Likewise thus did good King Jehosaphat when the Children of Moab and Amon came against him and against Judah Jehosophat feared and set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a Fast throughout all Judea 2 Chron. 20. 3. Moreover when Nehemiah saw how the remnant of God's People that were left of the Captivity were in great Afflictions and the Wall of Jerusalem was also broken down he acknowledged God and cry'd to him Neh. 1. 3. O Lord I beseech thee let now thine Far be attentive unto the Prayer of thy Servant and the Prayers of thy Servants who desire to fear thy Name c. verse 1◠Thus also did Esther and Mordecai seek to the Lord and acknowledge him when the poor Jews were in danger of being all cut off in one day they fasted and prayed unto God 5. We should acknowledge God when we have any great Work to do for his holy Name as was when we are about to reform or labour after Reformation in Religion or to throw down Idolatry or Superstition Thus did good King Josias in the twelfth year of his Reign he began to seek after the God of David and to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places and the Groves and carved Images c. 2 Chron. 34. 4. Moreover when Ministers enter on their Ministry they should seek to God acknowledge him wholly design his Glory and depend upon his Strength for Help and Success 6. When great things are near at hand or some mighty appearance of God for the glory of his Name and salvation of his Church and exaltation of Sion and downfall of their Enemies God should be sought unto and be acknowledged by his own People thus did Daniel Dan. 9. 2. I Daniel understood by Books the number
of the years whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the Prophet that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem And I set my face unto the Lord God to seek by Prayer and Supplications with Fasting and Sackcloth and Ashes verse 3. Brethren Thus it is with us we understand by Books i.e. by the Book of Daniel the Revelations of St. John and by the Writings of good Men that the number of the years of our spiritual Captivity under mistical Babylon is near expired and that glorious things are near and therefore we should now in an extraordinary manner cry to God and acknowledge his Power and Wisdom and Faithfulness O look up the Vision will suddenly speak Thirdly How we should acknowledge God or after what manner he found in this Duty 1. In the Sense of our Sins and Sins of the Lord's People of the whole Nation yea with a through sight sense of Sin and with self abhorrence for the same Thus did Samuel acknowledge God and poured out Water before the Lord at Mizpah 1 Sam. 7. 6. and thus did Daniel he confessed his Sins and the Sins of the People VVe have sinned and have committed Iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled even by departing from thy Precepts and from thy Judgments Dan. 9. 5. Neither have we hearkned unto the Prophets which have spoken in thy Name to our Kings and Princes and our Fathers and to all the People O what Sins are we guilty of and this vile Nation guilty of whom God hath been so good and gracious unto and saved with an high Hand and deliver'd when some time ago all was a going that is dear to us 2. With all Humility and brokenness of Heart we should acknowledge that whatsoever is come upon us is in Justice and Righteousness we must say with Daniel O Lord Righteousness belongeth unto thee but unto us Confusion of Faces as at this day to the men of Judah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem to all Israel that are near and far off c. because of our Trespasses O Lord to us belongeth Confusion to our Kings and to our Princes and to our Fathers because we have sinned How low should we lie every one of us and labour to find out the plague of his own Heart and to smite on our Breasts and say What have I done we must say It is of the Lord's Mercy we are not consumed that we are yet a People and England a Nation not yet utterly forsaken of God In our acknowledging of God we should humble our selves and pray and not only so but turn every one from his evil way so will God hear from Heaven and will forgive our Sins and heal our Land 2 Chron. 7. 14. 3. We should acknowledge God with a sense of our Weakness Ignorance and short sightedness and not trust to our own Understanding See the Context Trust in the Lord with all thine Heart and lean not to thine own Understanding Prov. 3. 5. Let not Men think their Wisdom is sufficient to act and accomplish those great Designs that they take in Hand because they are so acute and have such clear natural Parts or acquired Parts Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom nor the strong man glory in his strength Let not the Learned Man boast of his great Learning but let all know True Wisdom is from God 't is he must guide us in Judgment Brethren 't is a good sign God will not leave us in that he hath put it into the Heart of our Parliament to acknowledge God and seek to him a right way At this difficult hour it argues that they see need to ask Counsel of him and would acknowledge him from whom Wisdom to manage the great Affairs of Nations cometh and would not lean to their own Understanding God is the great Governour of the World 4. We should acknowledge God in Christ come to him only and look to him alone in a Mediator if we do not wholly acknowledge him in the Name of Jesus Christ all we do will be in vain for out of Christ he is a God of Wrath and Fury yea a flaming and devouring Fire but in Christ he is pacified and reconciled to all that so come to him Samuel well knew this and therefore he took a sucking Lamb and offered it for a Burnt-Offering wholly unto the Lord 1 Sam. 7. 9. This Lamb no doubt tipified Christ Jesus in and by whose Sacrifice only he forsaw God was appeased and his Justice satisfied and the guilt of the Sins of God's Israel removed Christ is the only way to the Father No man cometh to the Father but by me saith our blessed Lord John 14. 6. This Brethren and none but this is the right way Sinners are only to draw near to God by Christ this way is prepared for them cast up for them this is that new and living way And Saints have no other way to come to God nor to acknowledge God to be their God but only in Christ. O Acknowledge God thus God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself 2 Cor. 5. 19. God in Christ is strong to save strong to help strong to deliver Christ is the power of God and and the wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1. 18. The glory of his Power Mercy Wisdom Justice and Goodness are all united and shine forth to save Sinners in Christ and to save Nations who look to him and acknowledg'd him in Christ. Almighty Power was seen in creating of the World and his Power in conjunction with his Justice was seen in casting the Angels that sinned out of Heaven and Man out of Paradice and Divine Power as it was joyned with Divine Mercy shone forth in saving and delivering Israel at the Red Sea but in Christ the glory of his Power Mercy and Justice and all other of his glorious Attributes are united together in sweet Harmony to save and help all that by Christ come to him nothing can hinder our Help and Succour if we acknowledge and come to him in Jesus Christ. We should acknowledge God manifested in the Flesh 1 Tim. 3. 16. not only that Christ is God as I before hinted but the reason why he took unto him our Nature and what things he hath wrought out for us how the glory of God shines forth in him We never acknowledge God in the Top Glory of his Wisdom Mercy Love Power Justice and Goodness unless we acknowledge him in Christ nor can we know him any other way to be our God nor come to him nor expect any Help Relief Pardon or Peace from him We must acknwledge what Christ is made of God the Father unto us even Wisdom and Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption He is our Life our Light our Righteousness our Strength our Peace our Food our Guide our King to Rule us our Priest to Attone for our Sins and to Intercede for us and our Prophet to Teach us