separate us from the Love of God Rom. 8. 36. Men may separate us from our Houses Countryes Friends Estates but not from God who is our great Delight In our low Estate we have a God to goe to for Comfort and who should be more to us then our sweetest Pleasures 4. The Scripture sheweth us the true Doctrine about Afflictions and discovereth to us the Author Cause and End of all our Afflictions the Author is God the Cause is Sin the End is to humble mortify and correct his Children that they may be more capable of heavenly Glory God is the Author not Fortune or Chance or the will of Man but God who doth all things with the most exact Wisedom and tender Mercy and purest Love The Cause is just Micah 7. 9. I will bear the Indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him The End is our Profit for his Chastisements are purgative Medicines to prevent or cure some spiritual Disease If God should never administer Physick till we see it needfull deire to take it or be willing of it we should perish in our Corruptions or dye in our Sins for want of help in due time 1 Cor. 11. 32. But when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the World Now should we not patiently and comfortably endure those things which come by the will of our Father through our Sins and for our good 3. The Examples of the word which shew us that the dearly beloved of the Lord have suffered harder things then we have done and with greater Patience Christ 1 Pet. 2. 21. who suffered for us leaving us an Example that we should follow his steps The Servants of the Lord Iames 5. 10. Take my brethren the Prophets of the Lord who have spoken the word of the Lord for an example of suffering Affliction and of Patience We complain of Stone and Gout what did our Lord Iesus Christ endure when the whole weight of his Body hung upon 4 wounds and his Life dropped out by degrees We complain of every painfull disease but how was it with Christ when his Back was scourged and his Flesh mangled with Whips We are troubled at the swellings of the Gout in hands or feet how was it with Him when those sinewy parts were pierced with strong and great Nailes We complain of the want of Spiritual Consolations was not He deserted We mourn when God maketh a breach upon our Relations was not Abraham's Tryal greater when he was to offer his Son with his own hands Heb. 11. 17. By Faith Abraham when he was tryed offered up Isaac and he that had received the promise offered up his onely begotten Son Iob lost all his Children at once by a blast of wind The Virgin Mary near the Cross of Christ Woman behold thy Son John 19. 26. She was affected and afflicted with that sight as if a sword pierced through her heart We complaine of Poverty Christ had not where to lay his head If we lose our Coat to keep our Conscience others of God's Children have been thus tryed before us Heb. 10. 3 4. Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that you have in heaven a better and an enduring substance The Levites left their Inheritance 2 Chron. 11. 14. Thus God doth not call us by any rougher way to Heaven then others have gone before us 4. The Promises of Scripture To instance in all would be endless there are 3 great Promises which comfort us in all our Afflictions the Promises of Pardon of Sins and Eternal Life and the General Promises about our Temporal Estate 1. The Promises of Pardon of Sin We can have no true Cure for our sorrow till we be exempted from the fear of the Wrath of God doe that once and the heart of sorrow and misery is broken others may steale a little Peace when Conscience is laid asleep but not solid Comfort till Sin be pardoned Isai. 40. 1 2. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith your God speake ye comfortably unto Ierusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquity is pardoned Matth. 9. 2. Son be of good chear thy sins be forgiven thee Rom. 5. 1. Therefore being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. 2. The Promises of Eternal Life Nothing will afford us so much content as one Scripture promise of Eternal Life would doe to a faithfull Soul Heaven in the Promise seen by Faith is enough to revive the most dolefull and afflicted Creature Matt. 5. 12. Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven Nothing can be grievous to him that knoweth a World 〈◊〉 come and hath the Assurance of the Eternal God that shortly he shall enjoy the happiness of it Rom. 5. 2. we rejoyce in hope of the glory of God This comforts against Troubles Sicknesses Wants Everlasting Ease everlasting Joy surely will counterballance all that we can endure and suffer for or from God There all our Fears and Sorrows shall be at an end and all tears shall be wiped from our eyes 3. The General Promises concerning our Temporal Estate There are many particular Promises concerning the supply of all our Necessities removing of our Gâ—…vances and Burdens or else that God will allay our Troubles and inable us to bear them mix with them the tast of his goodness and fatherly Love But I shall onely speak of those General Promises that we may be confident that he will never utterly faile his People Heb. 13. 5. he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee that he will not give us over to insupportable Difficulties 1 Cor. 10. 13. There hath no Temptation taken you but what is common to man but God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able but will with the Temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it He will dispose of all things for the best to them that love him Rom. 8. 28. These things are absolutely undertaken and these things should satisfy us 3. From the manner wherein this Comfort is received they are applyed by the Spirit who is a Comforter and received by Faith 1. Applyed by the Spirit which is dispensed in a Concomitancy with this word Rom. 15. 13. Now the God of Hope fill ye with all joy and Peace in believing that ye may abound in Hope through the Power of the Holy Ghost The Holy Ghost is purposely given to be our Comforter If we are fit to receive it he will not be wanting to give solid Joy and Delight to the penitent and believing Soul 2. It 's received by Faith the Word of God cannot deceive us â—…ith is contented with a Promise though it hath not possession for Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Sickness with a Promise
with a stranger thou art snared with the words of thy mouth Prov. 11. 15. He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it Prov. 17. 18. A man void of understanding striketh hands and becometh surety in the presence of his friend Prov. 20. 16. Take his Garment that is surety for a stranger Prov. 22. 26 27. Be not thou one of them that strike hands or of them that are sureties for debts if thou hast nothing to pay why should he take the bed from under thee And in other places Our pity is stirred towards a man that is like to be undone and ruined therefore there is such disswading from suretiship and hath not God a greater pity over the afflictions of his people He pities the afflictions of them that suffer most justly yea far below their desert Iudg. 10. 16. His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel 2 Kings 14. 26. For the Lord saw the affliction of Israel that it was very bitter for there was not any shut up nor any left nor any helper for Israel How much more will he pity them that are unjustly oppressed of men Acts 7. 34. I have seen the afflictions of my people which is in Egypt and have heard their groanings and am come down to deliver them His bowels worketh God loveth his people better than they love themselves fide-jube Domine pro servo 3. Our relation to him I am thy servant and I know thou art a good Master and he is our Sovereign Lord and therefore hath undertaken to provide for us the master was to be the servants Patronus God hath found us work and he will find us defence This is the Argument of the Text Be Surety for thy Servant We are employed in his work engaged in his Cause If a rich man set a poor man at work as to dig such a Ditch if he be afterward troubled for it the rich man is concerned to bear him out Psal. 116. 16. O Lord truly I am thy servant I am thy servant and the son of thy Handmaid Whilest we are engaged about our masters business and in his work he is engaged to protect us and bear us out in it 4. Our very running to him and committing our selves into his hands is an engaging God Psal. 86. 2. Preserve my soul for I am holy O thou my God save thy servant that trusteth in thee Psal. 10. 14. The poor committeth himself unto thee thou art the helper of the fatherless Employ God and find him work he will not fail to do what he is entrusted with Psal. 57. 1. Be merciful unto me O God be merciful unto me for my soul trusteth in thee yea in the shadow of thy wing will I make my refuge until these calamities be over-past God taketh it well that we should make bold with him in this kind and tell him how we trust him and expect relief from him Nothing is so dishonourable to God nor vexatious to us as the disappointment of trust An ingenuous man will not fail his friend that doth trust and rely upon him much less will a faithful God fail those that look to him and depend upon him for help Use Is advice to us what we should do in our deep distresses and troubles when able to do nothing for our selves God will be Surety that is make our Cause his own 1. As your matters depend in an higher Court and with respect to your own guilt and sin which hath cast you into these troubles acknowledge your debt but look upon Christ as your Surety who gave himself a ransome for us The Controversie between God and us must be taken up by submission on our parts for God is an enemy that cannot be overcome but must be reconciled The way is not to persist in the Contest and stand it out but beg terms of peace for Christs sake 2 Chron. 6. 38 39. If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul then hear thou from the Heavens even from thy dwelling place their prayers and supplications and maintain their Cause and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee Job 5. 8. I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my Cause 2. As your danger lyeth with men acknowledge your impotency but consider who is your Surety and will take your part against the instruments that have had a hand in your trouble First God who hath such a pity over his suffering servants is ready ever to do them good Psal. 35. 1. Plead my Cause O Lord with them that strive with me fight against them that fight against me He is in such full relation and so fast bound to them that they may not be weary and impatient and swallowed up of despair he will interpose God seeth our sufferings heareth our groans suffereth together with us and is afflicted in all our afflictions believe it assuredly that he will take the matter into his own hand and be the party responsible Psal. 140. 12. I know that the Lord will maintain the Cause of the afflicted and the right of the poor Wo be to them that would not have God for their party joined in the Cause of the afflicted God hath given assurance of his protection not by words only but by deeds Prov. 22. 23. The Lord will plead their Cause and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them He hath past his word and he will do it Prov. 23. 11. For their redeemer is mighty he shall plead their Cause with thee 'T is his title Isai. 51. 22. Thus saith thy Lord the Lord and thy God that pleadeth the Cause of his people not by a verbal or local but a real and active Plea Ezek. 38. 22. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood and I will rain upon him and upon his bands and the people that are with him an overflowing rain and great hail-stones fire and brimstone And Isai. 40. 8. He is near that justifieth me who will contend with me let us stand together who is mine adversary let him come near to me that is let him join issue with me commence his Suit in Law We should be confident upon Gods undertaking Ier. 50. 34. Their redeemer is strong the Lord of Host is his name he shall thoroughly plead their Cause that he may give rest to the land 'T is a great ease in affliction to commit our Cause unto God and put our affairs into his hand 2. God who hath such power we need not fear any opposite if God be our Surety Psal. 27. 1. The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid Psal. 46. 1 2. God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble therefore will not we fear though the Earth be removed and the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea a resolution to adhere to God and his truth
Pressures 1. The Suitableness they are suited to this happiness wrought for this very thing 2 Cor. 5. 5. Every thing hath a propension to the place for which God framed it 't is the Wisdom of God to put all things in their proper places as every Creature is placed in that element which is suitable and answerable to its Composition and Frame as Fishes in Water Fowles in the Air. Gods Children are framed for this very thing therefore have an inclination and a tendency thither As Heaven is prepared for them so in some measure they for it Rom. 9. 24. aforehand prepared unto Glory And Col. 1. 12. Made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light They grow more dead every day to the Interests and Concernments of the Animal Life and have a greater agreeableness to this happiness 2. Experience Rom. 8. 23. We that have the first fruits of the Spirit groan wit hin our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the redemption of our body A Christian here is unsatisfied and longeth for a better and purer state of Bliss and Immortality Light Life Peace Joy one dram of Grace is more precious than all the World but yet it setteth them a longing for more the first fruits sheweth us what the Harvest will be and a tast what the Feast will prove here we get a little knowledge of God a sight of him in the Ordinances a Twi-light discovery of Christ a Look through the Lattice Cant. 2. 9. a little Glance of his Face when neither doth he let the Believers in to him nor doth he come out to them this Glance maketh them long for more So that in effect they send up the same Message to Christ which his Mother and Brethren did because of the press thy mother and thy brethren stand without desiring to see thee Tell him thou standest here without but desirest to see him So for the Communion we have with Christ 't is but a tast 1 Pet. 2. 3. If so be ye have tasted the Lord is gracious but that tast is very ravishing and delightful Here we get a little from him in an Ordinance but that little is as much as we can hold but there he is all in all here our holiness is not perfect the seed of God remaineth in us but there it groweth up to perfection as every spark of Fire tendeth to the Element of Fire 3. Our Pressures and the Miseries of the present Life 2 Cor. 5. 4. Being burdened we groan We are pressed under an heavy weight burdened both with Sin and Misery and both set us a groaning and a longing as men in a Tempest would fain be set ashoar as soon as they can 1. Sin to a waking Conscience and a tender Gracious Heart is one of the greatest burdens that can be felt Rom. 7. 24. Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death If any had cause to complain of Afflictions Paul much more he was Whipped Imprisoned Stoned in perils by Land and Sea but Afflictions did not sit so close to him as sins the body of Death was his greatest burden and therefore did he long for Deliverance If others go away silently under their load the Children of God cannot as light and love increaseth so sin groweth a greater burden to us They cannot get rid of this cursed inmate and therefore are longing for their final Estate when sin shall gaspe its last they long for the parting day when by putting off the Flesh they shall put off sin and dwell with God 2. Miseries the Children of God have not divested themselves of the feelings of Nature are not grown sensless as stocks and stones The Apostle telleth us Rom. 8. 20 21 22. that the whole Creation groaneth because 't is under Misery and Vanity 'T is a groaning World and Gods Children bear a part of the Consort they groan and desire earnestly their full Deliverance Few and evil are the days of the years of my Pilgrimage said holy Iacob Gen. 47. 9. Our dayes are Evil therefore 't is well they are but few that in this Shipwrack of mans Felicity we can see Banks and Shores and a landing place where we may be safe here is our Travail but there is our repose we would sleep too much here and take up our rest if sometimes we did not meet with Thorns in our bed III. Reason The End and Use of this Longing and Desiring 1. 'T is an earnest Desire it maketh us industrious and stirreth up and keepeth up our endeavours after another World Phil. 3. 20 21. But our Conversation is in heaven from whence we look for a Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself Where there is a lively expectation there men drive on a Trade for another Country Desire is the Vigorous bent of the Soul and so beareth us out under all the difficulties of Obedience If we do not desire we will not labour nor seek it in the first place and if our desires be weak and feeble they are controled by every Lust abated upon every difficulty whatever gets your heart that will command your endeavours for as a mans desire is so is he 2. To make us Constant notwithstanding Troubles Reproaches Persecutions Matth 11. 12. The violent take it by force They will have no nay they must have it whatever it cost them though sore Troubles and Persecutions yet if we may get Heaven and Glory at last 't is enough but where a thing is coldly and carelesly desired every thing puts us out of the humour IV. The State and Condition of the present World 't is called Gal. 1. 4. The present World The Pleasures of it are meer dreams and shadows and the Evils of it are many and real Gods Children are Pilgrimes here and hardly get leave to pass thorough as Israel could not get leave to pass through Edom Sometimes they meet with such bitter and grievous Persecutions which make them weary of their lives as Elijah requested for himself that he might die 1 King 9. 4. or as the Spirits of the Israelites were filled with Anguish because of their hard task Masters God will give his People Rest hereafter but before the Rest cometh they are sorely Troubled 1 Thes. 1. 6 7. And ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the word in much Affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost so that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia Nay the Company that we go with to Heaven are apt to fall out by the way and to deal perversly one with another Unministering Unchurching Unchristianing one another Impaling inclosing the Common Salvation and justleing one another out of the way to Heaven so that the Church which should be Terrible like an Army with Banners Marching to
Fornication 1 Thess. 5. 8 9. But let us who are of the day be sober putting on the breast-plate of Faith and Love and for an helmet the hope of Salvation For God hath not appointed us to wrath but to obtain Salvation by our Lord Iesus Christ. 1 Pet. 2. 15. For so is the will of God that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men Certainly no private respect desire of our own pleasure and profit should hinder us but we must respect one Command as well as another otherwise our Obedience is partial A quatenus ad omne valet consequentia if we believe the Commandments we must believe all Where a Disposition is allowed to break any one of God's Laws the heart is not right God's Sovereignty once acknowledged is alike potent to restrain every Inclination to Acts displeasing to God and contrary to our Duty one as well as another Secondly The Text may be considered Relatively with respect to the matter in hand and so it may be conceived as a Reason of asking or as a Reason of granting 1. As a Reason of asking 1. It giveth a Character of them that believe they that believe God's Commandments will desire to know them more to be more accurate in knowing their Duty and the weight and consequence of it they are willing to practise all that it requireth and so are willing to prove what is the acceptable will of the Lord. Eph. 5. 17. Wherefore be ye not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is they would not doe any thing doubtingly Rom. 14. 23. He that doubteth is damned if he eat because he eateth not of Faith for whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin nor according to the Wills of Men Gal. 1. 10. For do I now perswade men or God or do I seek to please men for if I yet pleased men I should not be the Servant of Christ. They would avoid all appearance of evil 1 Thess. 5. 22. occasions to evil Rom. 13. 14. Make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof They know the weight and consequence of these things 2. It giveth us an intimation of the necessity of growth none believe so much but they may believe more 1 Iohn 5. 13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God and they may obey more embrace the Word more David beggeth he may doe so always there is some new thing to be learned in the Scripture 3. That Faith planted in the heart is nourished and increased by more Knowledge and Understanding 2 Pet. 1. 5. Add to your Faith Vertue to Vertue Knowledge there is an implicite and an explicite Faith â—…rtet discentem credere swallowing Pills not chewing them 2. As a Reason of granting believing God's Commandments is a Disposition that hath a Promise of more Knowledge to be communicated 1. God by one act of Grace maketh way for another First he giveth this first Favour of receiving the Word by Faith as Divine worthy to be believed and obeyed then to understand it and apprehend it more perfectly Discretion and Judgment to goe about Duties wisely 2. God giveth according to the Creatures receptions they that are dutifull and docile and willing to comply with their Duty already known shall know more The Use is If we expect more Illumination let us believe as much as is manifested already to us with a mind to practise SERMON LXXVI PSAL. CXIX 67. Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy Word IN this Verse you may observe two things 1. The evil of Prosperity Before I was afflicted I went astray 2. The good of Adversity but now have I kept thy Word Before wandring but now attentive to his Duty Or if you will here is the Necessity of Afflictions and the Utility of them 1. The Necessity Before I was afflicted I went astray Some think that David in his own person representeth the wantonness and stubbornness of all Mankind if it should be so yet the person in whom the instance is given is notable if this were the disposition of the Prophet and Man of God and he needeth this Discipline we much more If he could say it in truth of heart that he was made worse by his Prosperity we need always to be jealous of our selves and were it not for the scourge we should forget our Duty and the Obedience we owe to God 2. The Utility and Benefit of Afflictions but now have I kept thy Word Keeping the Law is a general word the use of God's Rod is to bring us home unto God and the Affliction driveth us to make better use of his Word it changeth us from Vanity to Seriousness from Errour to Truth from Stubbornness to Teachfulness from Pride to Modesty It is commonly said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Apostle telleth us that Iesus Christ himself learned obedience by the things which he suffered Heb. 5. 8. And here David was the better for the Cross so should we Or rather you may in the words observe three things 1. A Confession of his wandring I went astray 2. The Course God took to reduce him to his Duty I was afflicted 3. The success or effect of that Course I have kept thy Word Theodoret expresseth this in three words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was sick I was cut or let bloud I was well or recovered my health again 1. The one giveth us the cause of Afflictions they are for Sin I went astray Wherein there is a secret acknowledgment of his guilt that his Sin was the cause of the Chastisement God brought upon him 2. The true notion and nature of Affliction to the People of God the Cross changeth its nature and is not poena a destructive Punishment but remedium delinquentium a medicinal Dispensation and a means of our cure 3. The end of them is Obedience or keeping God's Word The summ of the whole is I was out of the way but thy Rod hath reduced me and brought me into it again Aben Ezra conceiveth that in this last Clause he intimateth a desire of deliverance because the Rod had done its work rather I think he expresseth his frame and temper when he was delivered and accordingly I shall make use of it by and by I might observe many Points but the Doctrine from the whole Verse is Doctr. That the end of God's afflicting is to reduce his afflicted and straying People into the right way I shall explain the Point by these Considerations 1. That Man is of a straying nature apt to turn out of the way that leadeth to God and to true Happiness We are all so by nature Isa. 53. 6. All we like sheep have gone astray Sheep of all Creatures are exceeding subject to stray if not tended and kept in the better
innocency The Flesh is importunate to be pleased and therefore when it meeteth not with desired satisfaction we are apt to question all and to cast off the fear of God and all regard of his service Mal. 3. 14. Ye have said It is in vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance and walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts When Temptations are sore and Afflictions tedious thoughts of so horrid a complexion may float in our minds These are the distempers which are incident to those who have been long afflicted and are often disappointed in the issue which they expect Thirdly That this should not be David omitted not his duty for all this though his Troubles were long and tedious How great soever our Tryals be they should not weaken our love to God and our respect to his Word God's Precepts must not be forgotten though we are withered and dryed up with sorrows as a Skin-bottle is shrivel'd in the smoke 1. Because then we plunge our selves into a greater Evil if we fall into Sin because of Trouble and Affliction and so make our condition so much the worse Iob's Friends charged this upon him that he had chosen Sin rather than Affliction Iob 36. 22. When he would rather give way to Impatience than patiently bear what God had laid upon him Many are so transported with their pains and grievances that they care not what they say or do as if they were loosed from all bands of duty On the contrary 't is said of Moses Heb. 4. 25. Chusing rather to suffer afflictions c. The least Sin is worse than the greatest Suffering Suffering is an offence done to us Sin is an offence done to God By suffering we lose some worldly comfort but by sinning hazard the favor of God Suffering is only an inconvenience to the bodily or animal life Sinning bringeth a blot and blemish upon the soul. The sinful state is far worse than the afflicted And therefore how calamitous soever our condition be we must take great care it be not sinful Wormwood is bitter but not Poyson 2. A sincere love to God will make us adhere to him when he seemeth to deal most hardly with us Among all his corrections God hath not a Rod smart enough to drive away a gracious and loving soul from himself Psal. 44. 17. All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee nor dealt falsly in thy covenant God is the same and his ways are the same though his dispensations be changed so different a thing it is to love the ways of God upon foreign and upon intrinsic and proper reasons and the intent of such dispensations is to put us upon tryal what be our reasons and motives why we love God and his ways and whether our love be strong enough to encounter with difficulties whether it can overcome Temptations from sense and the world Till all probabilities be spent and our afflictions grow long and tedious we are not tryed to the purpose Our Covenant Vow to God bindeth us to own him in all conditions whatever our portion be in the world 3. By forgetting God's Precepts we put away our own comfort from our selves and make our afflictions the more grievous Take the word Precepts either strictly for his Commandments or Statutes or more largely as it may also include his Promises If any faint and fail in Trouble 't is because they trust not the Promises or keep not the Commandments of God these two mutually strengthen one another If you would not have your Faith broken labour to keep the Commandments In the 166 Verse of this Psalm I have hoped for thy salvation and done thy commandments And if you would keep the Commandments confirm your Faith in the promises of forgiveness of Sin of God's Providence and eternal life For if thou canst believe these no pleasure or pain shall make thee forsake thy obedience Psal. 130. 4. A Child of God dareth not warp and turn away from God in part or in whole nor slacken any part of his diligence in God's service Faith in God's Promises breedeth obedience and obedience confirmeth Faith in God's Promises We apprehend Promises to check that sensitive lure which would entice us from God and our obedience to him A greater benefit is offered to counterbalance the baits and troubles of the Flesh. The more we obey the Precepts the more we believe the Promises for together with our obedience our confidence and sound comfort increaseth so that to forget the Word is to throw away our strength from our selves 4. Afflictions rightly improved are a means to make us remember God's Precepts rather than to forget them Heb. 12. 11. The baits of the flesh are removed that the spirit may be more at liberty 2 Cor. 4. 16. God seeth fit to afflict the bodies of his People sometimes The body being in good plight is a clog to the soul therefore they are withered and wrinkled that the soul may thrive the more Our worldly Portion is blasted that our heavenly Treasure may be increased When we are at full we wax wanton neglectful forget his Precepts now that we may remember them the more God sendeth such afflictions which sit near and close The Moon is never Eclipsed but when 't is at full so many have Eclipsed the glory of the spiritual life when full and at ease therefore in afflictions we should not forget his Word 1. USE Is to reprove us who are so soon discouraged in the ways of God If we suffer but a little Sickness and a little Trouble and Contempt in the world a little loss of Honour and Interest the mocks and scorns of foolish men we cannot bear it but murmur and are impatient David could submit himself to the Lord and find sweetness in the Word though he were like a bottle in the smoke Few now adays suffer any great matter for Christ surely when God's People have endured harder things we should be ashamed of our tenderness Were we only appointed to escape the afflictions and inconveniences of our Pilgrimage And must God make a new way to Heaven for our sakes wherein we shall meet with no difficulty in our passage or rather in defiance of all sense would we abide here for ever and flourish in ease and plenty and never see change No It becometh us betimes to prepare for the Cross None so strong now but they shall wither so ruddy and beautiful but their Beauty shall consume as a Moth nor so happy and flourishing in honour and esteem but they will be laid aside as a dryed withered bottle We must look to have our turn and bear it patiently 2. Let us not for any Afflictions and Troubles whatsoever abate of our zeal and diligence and respect to God's service First 'T is not obedience to God's Precepts or Godliness that is the cause of our Sufferings and Chastenings but our Sin and Folly Micah 2. 7. Are these his doings
who value all things in order to the chief good and have weaned their hearts from the false happiness they have their end if they be brought nearer to God though by a bitter and sharp means First Use Is Reproof to four sorts 1. To those that know no comfort but what ariseth from the enjoyments of sense Alas these comforts are dreggy and base and leave a taint upon the soul Iude 19. Again they leave us destitute when we most need comfort Iob 27. 8. When other comforts forsake us and have spent their allowance the comforts of the Word abide with us Again these comforts increase our grief though for a time they seem to mitigate and allay it They are like strong waters that warm the stomach for the present but destroy the true temper and natural heat of it and leave it the colder afterwards they chear us a little but the end of that mirth is heaviness Oh! how much better are the comforts of God's Word which giveth us matter of joy in the saddest condition and do not only save us from desperation in troubles but make us rejoice in tribulation and can bring pleasure to us in our bitterest afflictions there are breasts of consolation for every distressed creature to suck at and be saved 2. It reproves them that think Philosophy as good or a better Institution than Christianity Certainly we should own the wisdom of God by what hand soever it is conveyed to us as Elijah refused not his meat though brought by Ravens But when this is done by men of a profane wit in a contempt of God we must convince them of their dangerous error and mistake and shew how compleat we are in Christ that we be not spoiled by the Rudiments of vain Wisdom or Philosophy Col. 2. 8. Surely God's comforts have greatest authority over the Conscience to silence all our murmurings Psal. 94. 19. Man speaks to us by the evidence of Reason but in Scripture God himself speaks to us and impawneth his Truth with us to do us good they knew not the true cause of trouble sin nor the true remedy Jesus Christ And surely those great mysteries of Christ as Procurer of Comfort the Spirit as the Applier Heaven as the Matter the Word as the Warrant Faith as the Means to receive all these are a more accommodate means to settle the Conscience than those little glimmerings of light which refined nature discovered They speak of submitting out of necessity little of reducing the heart to God and their very Doctrines for comfort were rather a Libel against Providence than a sure ground of peace and tranquility of mind and they taught men to eradicate the affections rather than to govern and quiet them and therefore keep up your Reverence to the Scriptures A Seneca may speak things more neatly and to the gust of carnal fancy but not with greater power and efficacy this is reserved for the Word 3. It reproves them that undervalue the consolations laid down in the Word as if they were but slender empty and unsatisfactory and would have some singular and extraordinary way of getting comfort Iob 15. 11. Are the consolations of God small with thee Is there any secret thing with thee God's ordinary way is the sure way the other layeth us open to a snare therefore they who undervalue the ordinary comforts of the Word obtained in a way of Faith and Repentance and close walking with God as Naaman undervalued the waters of Iordan and would have signs and wonders to comfort them they may long sit in darkness because if God comfort them not in their way they will not be comforted at all Now though God hath sometimes in condescension to his people granted them their desires as to Thomas yet it is with an upbraiding of their weakness and unbelief Iohn 20. 28. We should acquiesce in the common allowance of God's people lest we seem to reflect on the wisdom and goodness of God and lay open our selves to some false consolation and dream of comfort while we affect new means without the compass of the Word especially when we find not our expectations there speedily answered like hasty Patients readier to tamper with every new Medicine they hear of than submit to a regular course of Physick Gregory tells us of a Lady of the Emperor's Court that never ceased importuning of him to seek from God a Revelation from Heaven that she should be saved He answers Rem difficilem inutilem postulas It was a thing difficult and unprofitable difficult for him to obtain unprofitable for her to ask having a surer way by the Scriptures 2 Pet. 1. 19. than Oracles the adhering of the Soul to the promises is the unquestionable way to obtain a sound peace Luther as he confesseth was often tempted to ask a sign of the pardon of his sins or some special Revelation he tells also how strongly he withstood these Temptations Pactum feci cum Domino meo ne mihi mittat visiones vel somnia vel etiam angelos contentus enim sum hoc dono quod habeo Scripturam sanctam quae abunde docet suppeditat omnia quae necessaria sunt tam ad hanc vitam tam ad futuram I indented with the Lord my God that he would never send me dreams and visions I am well contented with the gift of the Scriptures 4. It shews how much they are to blame that are under a Scripture institution and do so little honour it by their patience or comfort under Troubles Wherefore were the great Mysteries of Godliness made known to us and the promises of the world to come and all the directions concerning the subjection of the Soul to God and those blessed priviledges we enjoy by Christ if they all be not able to satisfie and stay your heart and compose it to a quiet submission to God when it is his pleasure to take away his comforts from you Is there no Balm in Gilead Is there no Physician there Will not the whole Word of God yield you a Cordial or a Cure It is a disparagement to the provision Christ hath made for our comfort 1. Surely this comes either from ignorance or forgetfulness you do not meditate in the Word or study the grounds of comfort and remember them Heb. 12. 5. Have you forgotten the exhortation which speaks unto you as unto children Hagar had a Well of comfort nigh at hand yet ready to dye for thirst 2. You indulge a distemper and the obstinacy and peevishness of grief Ier. 31. 15. A voice was heard in Rama lamentation and bitter weeping Rachel weeping for her children and refused to be comforted Certainly you do not expostulate with your selves and cite your Passions before the Tribunal of Reason Psal. 42. 5. or else look altogether to the grievance not to the comfort aggravate the grievances extenuate the comforts you pitch too much upon temporal happiness would have God maintain you at your own rate Heb.
will save thy Children And from the mouth of the wicked Psal. 5. 15. He saveth the poor from the sword and from their mouth and from the hand of the mighty From slanders that may endanger their Life and Credit So ver 21. Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the Tongue from their bitter reproaches Therefore commit your cause to God But then 1. Be sure that your Cause be good for God will not be the Patron of Sin unless he hath passed sentence for us in his Word it is boldness to appeal to him as Baalam that would hire God by sacrifices to Curse his People Hasty Appeals to God in our passion and revengeful humours are a great dishonour to him Sarah Appealed Gen. 15. 3. The Lord judge between me and thee And David Appealed 1 Sam. 24. 15. The Lord therefore be judge and judge between thee and me and see and plead my cause and deliver me out of thy hand But there was more of justice in Davids Appeal in the case between him and Saul than in Sarahs Appeal in the case between her and Abraham it would have been ill for her if God had taken her at her word it sheweth that even Gods Children are too apt to intitle him to their private passions 2. Let us be sure that there be no Controversie between God and our Persons when yet our Cause is good The Israelites had a good Cause Iudges 20. but there was once and again a great slaughter made of them before they had reconciled themselves to God There must be a good Conscience as well as a good Cause otherwise God will plead his Controversie against us before he will plead our Controversie against our Enemies Ier. 2. 35. yet thou sayest because I am innocent surely his anger will turn from me behold I will plead with thee because thou sayest I have not sinned Because we have a good Cause we think God hath no cause to be angry with us therefore he will first plead in Judgment against us So Hos. 12. 2. The Lord hath also a controversie with Iudah and will punish Iacob according to his wayes according to his doings will he recompence him Though God may approve what is right in Worship and Profession yet he will punish our shameful disorders and unanswerable walking in his People 3. Let us Pray in a right manner with Confidence with Earnestness 1. Confidence that God will plead our Cause when he seeth it good and for his own Glory whether there be any likelyhood of it yea or no for he hath promised to support the weak and humble and protect the innocent against their Oppressors Psal. 140. 12. I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted and the right of the poor God is party with you not against you and leave him to his own wayes and means Faith should support us when sense yieldeth little comfort and hope He knoweth how to justifie your Cause and deliver your Persons and you should know that he will do it and can do it though the way be not evident to you and God seem to sit still for a while 2. Earnestly Oh be not cold in the Churches suit if you be Sions Friends and are willing to take share and lot with Gods people awaken him by your incessant cryes Nay it is God's Cause Psal. 74. 22. Arise O Lord plead thine own cause remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee dayly The Godly are not maligned for their Sins but their Righteousness So Psal. 35. 23. Stir up thy self and awake to my Iudgment even unto my cause my God and my Lord. There is a long suit depending between the Church of God and her Enemies desire that God would determine it and declare what is Right and what is Wrong Secondly He beggeth God in the Text to Redeem or Deliver him the Word in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the usual word for Goel Redeemer the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ransom me Here he craveth that as his Cause might be in safety so his Person Doctrine We may beg a Deliverance or a Release from our Troubles provided we do not beg it out of an impatiency of the Flesh but a desire of Gods Glory God delights to be imployed in this work what hath he been doing all along in all Ages of the World but delivering his People from those that oppressed them He delivered Iacob from the Fury of Esau Ioseph from the Malice of his Brethren Gen. 37. 21. And Reuben heard it and he delivered him out of their hands saying let us not kill him Daniel from the Lions Den Dan. 6. 22. My God hath sent his Angel and hath shut the Lions mouths that they have not hurt me forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me and also before thee O King have I done no hurt Peter from Prison Acts 12. 11. And when Peter was come to himself he said now I know of a surety that the Lord hath sent his Angel and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the people of the Iews And will not he do the like for his suffering Servants how came his hand to be out He delivered Israel out of Egypt out of Babylon he can do it again it doth not cost him much labour Psal. 68. 2. As smoke is driven away so drive them away as wax melteth before the fire so let the wicked perish at the presence of God Therefore refer your deliverance to God and when you are in a way of Duty be not thoughtful about it there is a price payed for it Christ redeemed us from Temporal Adversity so far as it may be a snare to us God hath his Times we may see it unless he hath a mind to sweep away the unthankful and froward generation that provoked him to so much Anger Numb 14. 22 23. Because all those men that have seen my glory and my miracles which I did in Egypt in the wilderness and have tempted me now these ten times and have not hearkned unto my voice surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their Fathers neither shall any of them that provoked me see it Ier. 29. 31 32. Thus saith the Lord concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you and I sent him not and he caused you to trust in a lye therefore thus saith the Lord behold I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his seed he shall not have a man to dwell among this people neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my People saith the Lord because he hath taught Rebellion against the Lord. It may be we may be more broken and afflicted first Deut. 32. 36. For the Lord shall judge his people and repent himself for his servants when he seeth that their power is gone and there is none shut up or left Oh let us desire to see the good of
p. 56 402 403. why we must obey without delay p. 402 403. Great Mischief of delays 405. Causes of these delays p. 408 409. Heynousness of the sin of Delaying ibid Delays as well as denials are painful p. 121 Delaying Mercy is not denying mercy p. 167 168 Why God delays Mercy ibid. Delays of God in making good the promises proceed not from Ignorance nor forgetfulness nor mutability nor Impotency p. 324 Delay in helping and delivering discourageth Gods Children p. 549. God may delay so long till 1. The Enemies be proud 2. A land wasted p. 549 Delays of spiritual Mercies sharpen desires p. 912 914 Deliberation in sinning a great Aggravation of sin p. 21 Deliberate sin charg'd on David when many others were omitted p. 739 740 Delight in worldly things as our portion is a main branch of Covetousness p. 254 255 Delight in Gods word what it is why the word is so delightful p. 84 85 95 96 Delight in Gods Word the property of Saints p. 593 885 Delight in Gods Testimonies an evidence that we have made them our Choice p. 741. Trial whether we delight in his Testimonies p. 87 88 89 95. how we are to delight in them p 96. Reasons for delighting in them 96 97. Uses p. 98. Exhortation to it Means to get it p. 98 99 593. It puts us upon prayer for Grace and gives us hope to speed in our prayer p. 244 Delights spiritual and carnal distinguished p. 149 1084 150. Promises to be delighted in before fulfill'd p 10 Delight in Gods Commandements the Causes of it 1. Suitableness 2. Possession 3. A precedent love of the Object p. 885. What is necessary to delighting in Gods Commandements p. 245 Delight its effects 1. Enlarging the heart 2. It causeth thirsting after more p. 886 245 Delight spiritual it's Objects perfect p. 886. Examine whether we have this delight p. 886. 1. By the extent 2. Effects 3. It s perpetuity 4. By comparing these delights with those in sensible things ibid. Delight true only to be had in God p. 386 Deliverance to be sought for in Prayer p. 921 922 It engageth us to Gods Service p. 924 Demerits in the best of Saints p. 839 Deliverance from the power of sin as well as from guilt p. 913 Deliverance when pleaded for we must get 1. Right Principles 2. Right Ends what they are p. 860. It is lawful p. 970 Deliverance will come in due time p. 558 Natural to desire deliverance p. 1083 Deliverances apt to be forgotten when danger is over p. 791 Deliverance two ways p. 737 Denial we are to pray against denials and delays p. 914 Dependancies Carnal God weans his People from them p. 143 645 Dependance on God a condition of those that expect Counsel from him in straights p. 155 769 Dependance on God better than Carnal reaches p. 645 It is a great duty p. 324 1105 Dependance on God never disappointed p. 831 Dependance on God what it implies 1. Committing our selves to his Care 2. Submitting to his Will 3. Waiting his Leisure p. 346 347 Departure from God twofold p. 669. Reasons of it ibid. Desire its proper object Holiness p. 303. how to awaken them p. 309 Desire moderated towards earthly things by considering their Vanity p. 617 Desire of Holiness the Character of Saints and why p. 29 30 901. God will satisfie it ibid. 304 Strong desires a Cause why Saints press after Gods Word p. 901 Desire what it is p. 121 897 303 304 1087. It denotes the absence of the good desired p. 885 897 1087 Desires of the godly and the wicked distinguished-p 30 Unactive desires come to nothing p. 31 Desire of man either 1. after Truth or 2. Immortality p. 623. Several sorts of desires evil p. 305 Desires vehement sweeten enjoyment p. 912 Excellency of vehement desires after spirituals p. 898 901. How to get these desires p. 901 902 Desertion the kinds of it Reasons and Causes of it p. 48 49 925 It is either 1. in appearance or 2 in reality-p 925 Desertion the greatest of sufferings p. 148 Two special sins the Causes of Desertion 1. Too much liberty in Carnal things 2. Laziness in spiritual things p. 925 Design to do good out of Design is evil p. 1076 Despair in our selves not in God p. 29 Despised Christians are despised by Men when brought low by God p 869 Despising Christs little ones a great sin p. 519 520 Despised Saints are highly honoured by God p. 554 870 Despised the common Lot of Saints to be so p. 869 Despisers of Gods Word who they are p. 1001 Despondency an ordinary evil in sharp and tedious Afflictions p. 556 Despondency reproved p. 159 792 Destruction no Creature can desire its own Destruction p. 1095 1096 Determination an Act of the Judgment p. Devil works much on the Concupiscible and Irrascible faculty p. 1031 Devil a great Enemy to us in hearing the Word 1. By Diverting us 2. By raising prejudices 3. By furnishing us with excuses evasions delays c. p. 68 Devil not to be believed p. 411 Vid. Satan Devil seeks to weaken our opinion of Gods goodness p. 440 Devisers of Reproaches and Calumny p. 299. 300 Devices of the Heart of Man p. 759 Devoting our selves to God 1. Entitles us to the Comforts of the Gospel 2. Engages us to all the Duties of it p. 915 Difference of Judgment causeth discord p. 528 Difference between men and men 〈◊〉 free grace p. 647 Difference between the delights of the Godly and the wicked p. 149 Difference between the service of God and all other services p. 850 Different measures in them that are Converted p. 604 Difference made by God in Common judgments p. 805 Difference between good and evil is real p. 939 940 Difference in things call for different affections p. 85 Difference between carnal and regenerate and the regenerate and themselves p. 673 674. 689 Difficulties broken through by the Promises p. 880 Difficulties in Scripture though it be light yet no discoument to us in searching it p. 696 697 Dig a Pit what that expression imports p. 559 Diligence in obeying Gods Commandements required p. 26. Reasons of it p. 26 27 Diligence wherein it lies p. 27 28. 638 Diligence in Prayer makes it a business p. 920 Diligence 1. In observing 2. improving afflictions p. 487 Direction of God general and particular p. 31 Direction literal and effectual p. 32. 841. God must be depended on for Direction Reasons of it 1. The blindness of our minds 2. The forgetfulness of our Memories 3. The obstinacy of our hearts p. 32. 240 Direction 1. For general choise 2. Particular actions p. 692 693 Direction sufficient from Gods Word p. 40 41. 629. 690 691 692 Direction necessary from God to him that would keep in with God p. 152. 240 Direction how to carry our selves till deliverance comes a great mercy p. 842. Why p. 842 843 Direction An act of the Judgment p. 449 Disappointment of Wicked mens
keeping their Fathers command Ier. 35. Set pots before them c. no our Father hath forbidden us to drink wine Their Fathers were dead but ours is living will you that are sons renounce God and side with the Devils party and commit sin you to whom the Father hath shewed such love that you should be called his children Then 't is a wrong to Iesus Christ to his Merit to his Example To his Merit Christ came to take away sin and will you bind those cords the faster which Christ came to loosen Then you go about to defeat the purpose of his death and put your Redeemer to shame You seek to make void the great end for which Christ came which was to dissolve sin And besides you disparage the worth of the price he paid down you make the blood of Christ a cheap thing when you despise grace and holiness you make nothing of that which cost him so dear you lessen the greatness of his sufferings And it is a wrong to his Pattern You should be pure as Christ is pure 1 Joh. 1. 3. and v. 5. be righteous as he is righteous You should discover what a holy person Christ was by a conformity to him in your conversation Now will you dishonour him What a strange Christ will you hold forth to the world when his Name is upon you will you give way to sin and folly And it is a wrong to God the Spirit a grief to him His great and first work was to wash us from sin Tit. 3. 5. You forget that such a work was past upon your hearts and that you have been purged from your old sins when you return to them again 2 Pet. 1. 9. and his constant residence in the heart is to check the lusts of the flesh to prevent the actings of sin If ye through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Rom. 8. 13. therefore you go about to make void his personal operation Thus 't is a wrong to God 2. By an argument drawn from our selves it is very unsuitable to you We profess our selves to be regenerate and born of God 1 Joh. 3. 9. He that is born of God cannot sin It is not only contrary to thy duty but to thy nature as thou art a new creature It were monstrous for the egg of one creature to bring forth a brood of another kind for a Crow or a Kite to come from the Egg of a Hen It is as unnatural a production for a new-creature to sin therefore you that are born of God it is very uncomely and unsuitable Do not dishonour your high birth 3. Consider the nature of Sin if you give way to it it will encroach further Sins steal into the Throne insensibly and being habituated in us by long custom we cannot easily shake off the yoke or redeem our selves from their tyranny They go on from little to little and get strength by multiplied acts Therefore we should be very careful to avoid all sin The second part of the Caution is Beware of gross sins committed against light and conscience When we are tempted to sin say with Ioseph Gen. 39. 9. How can I do this wickedness and sin against God The more of deliberation and will there is in any action the sin is the fouler Consider foul sins are a blot that will stick long by us See 1 King 15. 5. it is said David walked in all the ways of the Lord and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite Why there were many other things wherein David failed you read of his diffidence and distrust in God I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul We read of his dissimulation and feigning himself mad in the company of the Philistines We read of his injustice to Mephibosheth his fond affection to Absolom his indulgence to Amnon we read of his numbering the people which cost the lives of thousands all on a sudden all these are great failings but these are not taken notice of but the matter of Uriah left a scar and blot that was not easily washt off Thirdly Bewarē of continuance in sin How may we continue in sin In what sense Three things I shall take notice of in sin culpa reatus macula there 's the fault the guilt the blot and then we continue in sin when the fault the guilt or blot is continued upon us 1. The fault is continued when the acts of it are repeated when we fall into the same sin again and again Relapses are very dangerous as a bone often broken in the same place you are in danger of this before the breach be well made up between God and you as Lot doubling his Incest to venture once and again is very dangerous 2. The guilt doth continue upon a man till serious and solemn repentance till we sue out our pardon in the name of Christ. Though a man should forbear the act never commit it more yet unless he retracts it by a serious remorse and humbleth himself before God and sueth out his pardon in a repenting way the guilt continues If we confess he speaks to believers then sin is forgiven not otherwise 3. There 's the macula the blot by which the School-men understand an inclination to sin again the evil influence of the sin continueth until we use serious endeavours to mortifie the root of it When we have been foiled by any lust that lust must be more mortified For instance Ionah he repented for forsaking his call when he was cast into the Whale's belly but the sin broke out again because he did not mortifie the root what was that his pride So that it is not enough to bewail the sin but we must launce the sore and discover the root and core of it before all will be well A man may repent of the eruption of sin the former act but the inclination to sin again is not taken off Iudges 16. 2. Sampson loves a woman of Gaza and she had betray'd him but by carrying away the Gates of the City he saves his life possibly upon that experience he might repent of his folly and inordinate love to that woman I but the root remains therefore he falls in love with another woman with Delilah Therefore if you would do what is your duty you must look to the fault that that be not renewed the guilt that that be not continued by omission of repentance and that the blot also do not remain upon you by not searching to the root of the distemper the cause of that sin by which we have been foiled So much for the first part of the Text They do no iniquity The Second note is They walk in his ways This is the positive part not only avoiding of sin but practice of holiness is implyed Observe Doct. 2. It is not enough only to avoid evil but we must do good
his Law and Grace which are means in the nearest vicinity with our End Psal. 37. 4. Delight thy self also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart Phil. 4. 4. Rejoyce in the Lord always and again I say rejoyce 3. Delight if not right set of all the affections it is apt to degenerate We have a liberty to delight in earthly things the affection is allowed the excess is forbidden Thou maist delight in the Wise of thy youth in thy Children Estate in the Provisions heaped upon thee by the indulgence of Gods Providence Pleasure is the sawce of life to better digest our sorrows It is allowed us but it must be well guarded We are most apt to surfeit of pleasant things and to miscarry by sweet affections Sorrow is afflictive and painful and will in time wear away of it self Pleasure is ingrained in our natures born and bred with us and therefore though we may delight in the moderate use of the refreshments of the present life in Estate Honour Reputation yet we should take heed of excess that our hearts be not overjoyed and too much taken up about these things Carnal joy is the drunkenness of the mind it besotteth us maketh us unmindful of God weakens our esteem of his favour and blessing it chaineth us to present things Pleasure is the great Witch and Sorceress that inchants with the love of the world maketh us unmindful of the Countrey whence we came and whither we are a going therefore we should be jealous of our delight and how we bestow it USE 3. To exhort us to this delight in Gods Statutes or this spiritual rejoycing 1. Here is no danger of exceeding the greatest excesses here are most praise-worthy In other things we must exercise it with jealousie feed with fear rejoyce as if we rejoyced not a man may easily go beyond his bounds when he rejoyceth in the creature but here enlarge thy heart as much as is possible and take thy fill of pleasure Cant. 5. 1. Eat O friends drink yea drink abundantly O beloved This is ebrietas quae nos castos facit chast Flagons Eph. 5. 18. Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess but be ye fill'd with the Spirit 2. We shall never be ashamed of these joys 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience c. All carnal joys have a turpitude affixed to them and therefore affect to lye hid under a vail of secresie The world would cry shame of him that would say of his bags or his dishes Here is my joy as much as men affect these things yet they desire to conceal them from the knowledg of others 3. We shall be never weary of these joys The delights of the senses become nauseous and troublesome our natural dispositions become weary and importunate a man must have shift and change pleasures refreshed with other pleasures But these delights add perfection to Nature therefore when fully enjoyed they delight most A good conscience is a continual feast a dish we are never weary of The blessed spirits in heaven are never weary of beholding the face of God God is new and fresh every moment to them The contemplation of such excellent objects doth not overcharge and weaken the spirits but doth raise and fortifie them It is true the corporeal powers being weak may be tired in such an employment as much reading is a weariness to the flesh but the object doth not grow distastful as in carnal things How shall we get it 1. Get a suitableness to the word Every man's delights are as his principles Rom. 8. 5. They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit A man is much discovered by his savour and relish of things All creatures must have suitable food There must be a sutableness between the Faculty and the Object spiritual things are spiritually discerned 2. Be in a condition to delight in the word A guilty soul readeth its own doom there it revealeth themselves to themselves accuseth and condemneth them As Ahab said of Micajah He prophesieth evil against me and therefore could not endure to hear him Joh. 3. 20. Every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh he to the light lest his deeds should be reproved 3. Purge the heart from carnal distempers lust envy covetousness love of pleasures these are Diseases that need other diet than the word Such persons must have other solaces they cater for the flesh to please the senses An earthly heart will not delight in spiritual things Doct. It standeth Gods children upon to see that they do not forget the word I. What is it to forget the word A man may remember or forget two ways Notionally and Affectively 1. Notionally when the notions of things formerly known are either altogether or in part worn out Jam. 1. 25. He is like one that looks his natural face in a glass but goeth away and straightway forgetteth what manner of person he was 2. Affectively when though he still retain the notions yet he is not answerably affected nor doth act according thereunto Thus the Butler did not remember Ioseph that is did not pity him Thus God is said not to remember the sins of them that repent when he doth not punish them and to forget the afflictions of his people when he doth not deliver them and we are said to forget God Psal. 106. 21. when we do not obey him and to forget his word when we do not remember his commandments to do them Psal. 103. 18. In this place both are intended the Notional and Practical remembrance II. The Reasons why we should not forget his word 1. Meditation will fail else A barren lean soul is unfit to enlarge it self in holy thoughts shall never grow rich in the spiritual understanding Col. 3. 6. Let the word of God dwell in you richly in all knowledg c. Men of small substance grow rich by continual saving and holding together what they have gotten but if they spend it as fast as they get it they cannot be rich Luk. 2. 19. Mary kept all these sayings and pondered them in her heart 2. Delectation will grow cold unless the memory be rubbed up ever and anon When they fainted under affliction the cause is intimated Heb. 12. 5. Have ye forgotten the exhortation that speaketh unto you as unto children Distrust in straits is from the same source Mar. 8. 13. They remembred not the miracle of the loaves for their hearts were hardened Ye see and hear and do not remember David was under great discomfort till he remembred the years of the right hand of the Most High Psal. 77. 10. Lament 3. 21. This I recall to mind therefore I have hope 3. Practice and conscience of obedience will grow more remiss Nothing keepeth the heart in a holy tenderness so much as a presence of the truth and when
David Psa. 77. 1 c. I cryed unto God with my voice even unto God with my voice and he gave ear unto me In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord my sore ran in the night and ceased not my soul refused to be comforted I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed Selah Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so troubled that I cannot speak I have considered the days of old the years of ancient time c. By the sense of Gods wrath he was even wounded to death and the sore running upon him would admit of no plaister Yea the remembrance of God was a trouble to him I remembred God and was troubled What an heavy word was that Soul-troubles are the most pressing-troubles a child of God is as a lost man in such a condition 2. In respect of the heavy weight of outward pressures Thus David fasted and lay all night upon the earth in his childs sickness 2 Sam. 12. 16 17. David therefore besought God for the child and David fasted and went in and lay all night upon the earth And the elders of his house arose and went to him to raise him up from the earth but he would not neither did he eat bread with them And when he was driven from his Palace by Absolom and was in danger of his life every moment which some Interpreters think to be the case intended in the Text when he went up the Mount of Olives bare foot going and weeping 2 Sam. 15. 30. And David went up by the ascent of Mount Olivet and wept as he went up and had his head covered and he went bare-foot and all the people that was with him covered every man his head and they went up weeping as they went Now the Reasons of this are these 1. To correct them for past sins This was the cause of David's trouble and this puts a sting into all miseries Gods children smart under their sins here in the world as well as others Prov. 11. 31. Behold the righteous shall be recompenced in the earth much more the wicked and the sinner Recompenced in the earth that is punished for his sins Compare with it 1 Pet. 4. 18. And if the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear God punisheth here that he may spare for ever He giveth some remembrance of the evil and corrects his people not to complete their justification or to make more satisfaction for Gods Justice than Christ hath made yet to promote their sanctification that is to make sin bitter to them and to vindicate the glory of God that he is not partial For these reasons they are even brought to the dust by their own folly 2. To humble them and bring them low in the midst of their great enjoyments therefore he casts them down even to the dust because we cannot keep our hearts low therefore God maketh our condition low This was Paul's case 2 Cor. 1. 7 8 9. And our hope of you is stedfast knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings so shall ye be also of the consolation for we would not brethren have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia that we were pressed out of measure above strength insomuch that we despaired even of life but we had the sentence of death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead That is not build too securely on their own sufficiencies 3. To try their graces which are never tryed to the life till we be near the point of death The sincerity of our estate and the strength of faith is not discovered upon the Throne so much as in the dust if we can depend upon God in the hardest condition 4. To awaken the spirit of prayer Out of the depths have I cryed unto thee O Lord Psal. 130. 1. Affliction puts an edge upon our desires They that are flat and careless at other times are oftenest then with God 5. To shew the more of his glory and the riches of his goodness in their recovery Psal. 71. 20 21. Thou which hast shewed me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me again and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth thou shalt encrease my greatness and comfort me on every side By the greater humiliation God prepareth us for the greater blessings As there are multitude of troubles to humble and try the Saints so his mercies do not come alone but with great plenty USE 1. Let us bless God that we are not put to such great trials How gentle is our exercise compared with David's case We are weak and God will not overburden us There is a great deal of the wisdom and love of God seen in the measure of the Cross and in the nature and kind of it We have no cause to say our belly cleaveth to the dust or that we are pressed above measure God giveth us only a gentle remembrance if brought upon our knees we are not brought upon our faces 2. If this should be our case do not count it strange It is an usual exercise of God's people let us therefore not be offended but approve Gods holy and wise dispensation If there be great troubles there have been great sins or there will be great comforts or for the present there are great graces As such a dispensation is a correction there is reason to approve it If you be laid in the dust have not you laid Gods honour in the dust and trampled his Laws under foot As it is a trial you have cause to approve it for it is but meet that when God hath planted grace in the heart he should prove the strength of it Therefore if you be kept so long in your heavy condition that you seem dead yet if you have faith to keep you alive and patience be exercised 't is for your greater good Rom. 5. 3. And not only so but we glory in tribulation knowing that tribulation worketh patience And as affliction is an exercise for your benefit and spiritual improvement The husbandman when he teareth and rendeth the ground up with the plow it is to make it more fruitful the longer the metal is in the fire the more pure it cometh forth nay sometimes you have your outward comforts with advantage after troubles as Job 42. 10 11 12. And the Lord turned the captivity of Iob when he prayed for his friends also the Lord gave Iob twice as much as he had before and the Lord blessed the latter end of Iob more than his beginning O! when we are fitted to enjoy comforts we shall have them plenty enough 2d Point That in such great and heavy troubles we should deal with God for help In the dust David calleth to God for quickning The reasons of this why in great troubles we should go to God for help are 1. From the inconvenience of any other course 1. If
you may agree with them I answer In the general certainly the separation of one Christian from another is a great evil which should be carefully avoided and if walls of separation be set up by others yet we must do what in us lies to demolish them They do no service to Christ that make separations needlesly when as much as is possible there should be a union and coalition between Christians Now what shall we say to this Separation from Rome who were in the possession of a Christianity I tell you this Bug-bear needs not fright us out of the good way if we can but clear three things to you 1. That as to the rise it was neither unjust nor unnecessary 2. As to the manner of it it was not made rashly and lightly but as became them that had a serious sense of the Interest of Christ and of his Church in the world 3. As to the continuance of this Separation that if it were made upon good grounds and the same grounds still continue certainly we have no cause to revert and return back the Roman Synagogue not being grown better but much worse since the first breach If all these can be proved there is no reason to complain of our Separation First That this Separation was neither unjust nor unnecessary It is unjust if it be made without a cause it is unnecessary if it be made without a sufficient cause or such a cause as may warrant so great a breach in the Christian world Certain it is that the Schism lyeth not in the Separation but the Cause and so is not chargeable on those that make the Separation but on those that give the cause So that if we would examine whether the Separation be good I think we must examine the causes of it therefore let us a little consider this very thing Certainly the cause was not unjust there was a cause I shall shew that by and by And that it was not unnecessary without a sufficient cause and so no way culpable The business is Whether the Controversies be of such moment as that there should be such a breach among Christians that we and they should keep such a distance I speak only to the sufficiency of the cause the justness we shall see by and by Of what moment soever the Controversies were if the things that are taken to be errors be imposed as a condition of Communion a Christian cannot joyn himself with them Certainly it is no sin to abstain from the communion of any Church upon earth where the conditions of its communion are apparently unlawful and against conscience though it may be the matters in debate be not of great moment I only speak provisionally be they or be they not of moment yet if these be propounded as conditions of its communion for no man is necessitated to sin In some cases it is lawful to withdraw out of a place for fear of danger and infection as if a house or town be infected with the Pestilence it is but a necessary caution to look to our selves be-times and withdraw out of that house or town But now when no men are permitted to tarry but those that are infected with the disease the case is out of dispute the sound must be gone and withdraw from them by all the means they can Now such are the corruptions of Popery and the danger of seducement so manifest that little children are by all means to keep themselves from idols 1 Joh. 5. 21. We should be very cautious and wary of that communion wherein there is so much hazard of salvation if possibly we should keep our selves untainted but when we are bound to the belief practice profession of those errors there needs no more debate a Christian must be gone else he will sin against conscience Now this is the case clearly between them and us Suppose the corruptions were not great nor the errors damnable yet when the profession of them is required and the belief of them as certain truths is imposed we are to endure all manner of extremity rather than yield to them Therefore much more when it is easie to be proved that they are manifest and momentous corruptions Therefore certainly to leave the communion of the Popish Faction is but to return to our union and communion with Christ it can be no fault to leave them that left Christ and the ancient faith and Church The innocent husband that leaves the Adulterous wife is not to be blamed for she had first broken the bonds and violated the rights of the Conjugal relation Or a good Citizen and Soldier are not to be blamed in forsaking their Governour and Captain who first revolted from his allegiance to his Prince I and when he would engage them in the same Rebellion too Secondly As to the management of it or the manner how it was carried on It was not made rashly and lightly without trying all good means and offering to have their complaints debated in a free Council In the mean time continuing in their station and managing the cause of Christ with meek but yet zealous defences until they were driven thence by Antichristian fury for blowing the Trumpet and warning the Church of her danger from that corrupt party until persecuted by censures not only Ecclesiastical but Civil cast out of the Church put to death some for witnessing against others meerly for not owning and practising these corruptions and hunted out from their corners where they were willing to hide and worship God in secret with all rigor and tyranny driven first out of the Church then out of the world by fire and sword unless they would communicate with them in their sin thus were they used So that the Romanist cannot charge the Protestants for Schism for leaving their communion any more than a man that thrusteth another out of dores can be offended at his departure Yea when the Reformed did set up other Churches it was after all hopes of Reformation were lost and defeated And the Princes Magistrates Pastors and people were grown into a multitude and did in great numbers run to the banner which God had display'd because of his Truth and so could not in conscience and spiritual safety live without the means of grace and the benefit of Ordinances and Church-Societies lest they should be scattered as sheep without a shepherd and become a ready prey to Satan And then this Separation which was so necessary was carried on with love and pity and with great distinction between the corruptions from which they separated and the persons from whom they separated and they had the same affection to them and carried it all along just as those that are freed from Turkish slavery and have broke prison and invited the other Christian captives to second them it may be they have not the heart and courage to venture with them though they leave them fast in their enemies chains and will not return to their company they
irrational act and it hath a turpitude in it therefore the fruit of sin is shame and a fear of a just reproof And then by experience how do men hang the head and blush when they are taken in any unseemly action All evil causeth shame All sin as soon as it is committed it flasheth in the face of conscience Shame is the striving of nature to hide the stain of our souls by sending out the blood into the face for a covering it labours most under this passion And this shame accompanieth sin not only when men are conscious of what we do but it 's a fear of a just reproof from God nay of a just reproof from themselves There 's a double lothness and fear in shame When men sin they are loth to look into their own heart and loth to look God in the face 1 Iohn 3. 20. If our heart condemn us c. When men have guilt upon their hearts they are loth to take the Candle of the Lord and look into the state of their souls And they are loth to look God in the face therefore the Apostle adds If our heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God that our prayers be not interrupted As holy David had his shieness when he had been sinning away his peace he kept silence Psal. 32. 3. He was fain to thrust forth his heart by a practical decree and bring it by force into God's presence Indeed some men are grown shameless having a depraved judgment and corrupted all their doings Zeph. 3. 7. such have outgrown the common principles of natural honesty and of all diseases those which are insensible are the worst Therefore when men are grown into a state of insensibility and lost those feelings of conscience it 's very sad Yet those which are most obdurate have their hidden fears and are afraid of God and Conscience and are loth to be alone themselves and are fain to knit pleasure to pleasure to keep up this victory and are forced to live in a jolly course that they may bring a greater brawn upon their hearts USE Let this press us to avoid sin Rom. 6. 21. For what fruit had ye of those things whereof ye are now ashamed If you sin there will be shame Sin in the greatest privacy brings shame Though you should be solitary and alone with your selves yet there 's an eye sees and an ear hears all that you do It was one of the Rules of Pythagoras Reverence thy self If there were no other witness there 's a Law of God in our own hearts that will upbraid us for sin Again David makes this request when he had profest perseverance I have stuck unto thy testimonies yet Lord put me not to shame Note from thence Doct. A man that hath long kept close to God in the way of his testimonies yet he should pray to be kept from falling into shameful sin Why 1. They which are most stedfast are not past all danger 1 Cor. 10. 12. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall He that hath the firmest footing may fall and that foully too when he begins to grow negligent and secure he may be soon surprised and drawn to dishonour the name of God and as David who was a man after God's own heart sin'd so foully that the name of God was blasphem'd among the Heathen When once we come out of our fears and are possest of the love of God we think there needs not be such diligence as when we were doubtful and kept in an uncertain condition and so carry the matter as if we were past all danger O no! sin many times breaks out of a sudden and after the first labours of soul in regeneration and terrors of the Law are gone there is great danger of security and secretly and silently things may run to wast in the soul. God's children have been in most danger when to appearance there was least cause of fear Lot who was chast in Sodom fell into incest where there were none but he and his two daughters He whose righteous soul was vexed at their abominations how was his conscience cast asleep by security A child of God may fall into the grossest sins David whose heart smote him for cutting off the lap of Saul's garment yet afterward fell into uncleanness and blood and his conscience falls asleep Therefore there needs watching and praying to the last 2. The miscarriages of God's children are most shameful O how will the Chams of the world laugh to see a Noah drunk So a child of God when he hath fallen into disorder how will this furnish the triumphs of the uncircumcised Blind Sampson did not make such sport for the Philistines as a child of God for a wicked man when he hath fallen into some notable excess 2 Sam. 12. 14. By this deed thou hast given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme Wicked men have a conscience and they would be glad of any pretext to shake off the name of Religion When the children of God keep up the lustre of it and live up to the Majesty of their Religion the awe of it falls upon wicked men But when they run into practices condemned by the light of nature and the laws of Nations it hardens wicked men and takes off this aw and fear upon them It 's no matter what a rude Scythian or barbarous Goth doth if they should exercise rapine and commit uncleanness no matter what open enemies which are at defiance with God though they break the Laws of God over and over again it is no such dishonour but for a child of God he that professeth the Christian name to walk disorderly it reflects dishonour upon God 3. Because of the hopes they have of speeding in prayer 1 Tim. 2. 8. I will that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting Those that in an humble sense of their own weakness and fear of the mischief of being a blemish to Religion when they come to pray they may be perswaded of God's goodness of whom they have such long experience that he will not fail them at length USE Let us pray that we may not dishonour the Gospel in our trials that God would not leave us to sin or shame by total apostasy or by any scandals that our Crown may not be taken from us Secondly As this shame may be supposed to arise from his sin so also from his sufferings or from the disappointment of his hopes Hope deferred leaves a man ashamed therefore Rom. 5. 5. the Apostle saith Hope maketh not ashamed When a man hath given out to others he hath such defences hopes expectations and these fail then he is ashamed Thus David begs God would own him that he might not be a scorn to wicked and ungodly men Note When they that stick to God's testimonies are disappointed of their present hopes it is matter of shame Observe it and humble
in general may be applied to this Particular of Reproaches Now what is Gods aim and end in Afflictions in general to try purge and make white Dan. 11. 35. or as it is Deut. 8. 10. To humble thee and prove thee and do thee good at the latter end Let us take that Method here is Gods end First To humble thee Carnal men may shout at Rovers but many times we find our selves pricked at heart Slanders may revive the sense of guilt They may intend harm but you should receive good by this as by every affliction Plutarch in his excellent Treatise of profiting by a mans Enemies illustrates it by this comparison of Iason who had an Imposthume let out by the Dart of his Enemy They may fling Darts at random and intend harm but you shall get good by it Surely there is some special cause when the Lord permits this when Vollies of Reproaches shall follow one after another therefore he suffers others to judge you to awaken you to self-judging mind this and you will be no losers by Reproaches Well enter into your own hearts search them throughly see what it is God aims at whether there be any way of wickedness in you that hitherto you have not discovered and when you come to see this sink of sin then your enemies do but help to humble you Many times the voice of a Slanderer may do that which the voice of a Preacher cannot do And the truth is there is such a wantonness such a presumptuous headiness in the Professors of Religion that the Word cannot reclaim them they are so radicated in certain sins and therefore God will follow you with sharp Reproaches of his Enemies and doth at this time to call you to a more serious judging your selves to see your factious headyness which certainly doth predominate among Gods Professing People There are many sins to which this sharp kind of affliction is proper and therefore God gives out this grievous Dispensation to lay open his People to bitter Reproaches and Slanders I will tell you some of the sins My business is not now to state what is the great sin that God is Judging among his People but to help every one in particular to look to our selves for that I do not conceive to be so fit to be spoken here 1. Pride There is a twofold Pride Pride in mind which is called self-conceit and Pride in Affections which is called vain-glory Now there is no such effectual cure as Reproaches for either of these 1. To speak of the Pride in Mind Self-conceit We are very apt to be puft up for our doing and suffering for God poor empty Bladders are soon puft up and think our selves somebody if there be but a little self-denyal as Peter said Master we have left all and followed thee he was conceited of what he had left for Christ. What had he left a Net a Fisher-boat it was a great All indeed Mat. 19. 27. We are easily puffed up if we suffer a little for God and the Lord Intrencheth us in our Worldly Conveniencies for Self-conceit may grow out of Self-denyal Too too often we find it so Pride is a Sin that grows out of Mortification of other Sins it lives in us while we live in the Body therefore 1 Iohn 2. 16. it is called Pride of Life And some compare it to a shirt that Garment is last put off it is the most inward and nearest to the Soul and out of the Conquest of other sins there ariseth Pride Now if we have been too self-conceited the Lord will humble us either by permitting us to fall into such Scandals as may remember us of our Frailty and what unworthy weak Creatures we are in our selves sometimes by taking off the restraints of his Grace and of his Spirit and permitting us to fall Austin is bold in saying it is profitable for proud men to fall sometimes into open sin that they may know and understand themselves He speaks it upon the occasion of Peter when he was boasting of his own strength though all men leave thee yet will not I how foully did he fall I but at other times God useth a more merciful Dispensation for he doth not let his people fall into those grievous falls but upon great provocation But usually at other times he lets loose the tongues of virulent men to lessen us in our own Opinion and in the Opinion of the World Now how innocent soever we be of the Crimes charged upon us yet in all these cases we must look upward and inward Upward this is not without God he is at the end of causes he could blast these tongues and stay and stop them at his pleasure the Lord can keep us from the strife of tongues Psal. 31. 20. But now when he permits this his hand must be owned look upward Mic. 7. 9. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him At such a time God spits in the faces of his People and puts us to shame and therefore we should look upward and see the hand of God in all this And look inward there you will see such a sink of sin as deserves this and much more and therefore a sense of our sinfulness in other things should make us more submissive to the Lords correcting hand we must see the hand of God for if we do not look to that we will be drawn to sin into reviling for reviling and exasperation for exasperation Many times our Graces do us as much hurt as our sins Self-conceit the Lord will mortify one way or other 2. For Vain-glory the other sort of Pride valuing Esteem too much and our Credit in the World and pleasing our selves in the Opinion others have of us We would usurp Gods Throne and Reign in the hearts of men therefore we are so touchy Having set a high value upon our selves we are troubled when others will not come up to our price Pride is one of the oldest Enemies that ever God had it was born in Heaven in the Breasts of the Fallen Angels but God tumbled them presently out of Heaven assoon as Pride got into the heart Now when his Children harbour it the Lord hath a quarrel with them and therefore for giving entertainment to Pride he will lay us low enough 2 Cor. 12. 7. Lest I should be exalted above measure there was given to me a thorn in the flesh the Messenger of Satan to buffet me There is a great deal of do what this thorn in the flesh is Some will have it to be some trouble or sickness Most probably so but it takes in many afflictive evils for verse 10. he mentioneth Reproaches Paul was too apt to be proud The Lord made him an eminent Instrument by his Faith he had abundance of Revelations But God will prick the Bladder he doth it with Thorns and he calls it his Infirmity Necessities Reproaches Infirmitie by that I mean some reigning sickness But
not so easily fall upon censuring reproaching and speaking evil of others Thus to those that devise Slanders and Reproaches 2. Secondly To those that receive them He is a Slanderer that wrongs his Neighbours credit by upholding an evil report against a man It is hard to say which is worse railing or receiving Psal. 15. 3. A Citizen of Sion is described to be one that taketh not up a Reproach against his Neighbour atd you shall see on the contrary Prov. 17. 4. A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips and a Lyar giveth heed to a naughty tongue He is a Lyar that receives a Lye when brought to him as well as he that brought it If you love the lie though you do not devise it the Lord will curse all them that love lies as if you did imagine them All that are acquainted with the matter are accountable to God you are responsible for your ear as they for their tongue It is good to have a healing tongue to heal that which others wound Prov. 12. 18. The tongue of the wise is health it is healing and therefore we should labour to shew forth this Christian meekness as not to devise Slanders against others so not to cherish them and uphold them against others Use. 3. If this be a usual and grievous evil it puts us upon seeking Comforts against Reproaches Now what are the Comforts we should seek against Reproaches 1. The witness of a good conscience for then this will be matter of great joy and great peace to you 2 Cor. 1. 12. This is my rejoycing the testimony of my Conscience c. If men reproach you yet let not your hearts Reproach you Iob 27. 6. The heart hath a reproaching condemning power Conscience is Register Witness and Judge and that which troubles our quiet is these heart-smitings and heart-reproaches Let any other man in the world be your Enemy rather than your own Conscience be an Enemy Certainly where Conscience is a friend if you be innocent you need not care for the reproaches of others If they speak against you as faulty they do but speak against another whom the Slanderer takes to be thee and in time you will out-wrestle the Reproach Look as the hair will grow again as long as the Roots remain So though the Razor of censure and reproach brings on baldness the hair will grow again 2. Another comfort against reproaches is the approbation of God that should satisfie against all the censures of the World You have the greatest best and wisest of your side if you have God on your side The World decries those that profess strictness in Gods ways as Hypocrites but you are Hypocrites indeed that are troubled at this if you value mans approbation rather than Gods No you should be of that temper Rom. 8. 33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that Iustifieth If the Lord will acquit you no matter what men say The Worlds filth may be Gods Jewels Many times a contempt doth but manifest Gods esteem and give us a further sence of it they cannot impose upon God they cannot burden your cause before the Lord and therefore if the Lord hath covered your Filth it is no matter though they rake in it Psal. 32. 1. Blessed is the man whose sin is covered c. the Lord will not ask their opinion their vote and suffrage whether he shall condemn or acquit you but he will go according to the Laws of his own Covenant and therefore the approbation of God should be enough to you 3. The consideration of those Promises that do concern the vindicating our name from contempt God is wont to scatter the Reproaches of his Servants as the Sun gets from within the Cloud to bring forth their Righteousness as the Noon-day 4. Heaven will make amends for all the dishonour that men put upon you Though the proud scorn you yet if you keep Gods Statutes and go on waiting upon him for Eternal life great will be your glory in Heaven SERMON XLV PSAL. CXIX Vers. 40. Behold I have longed after thy Precepts quicken me in thy Righteousness IN the close of the former Verse David had given this commendation of the Statutes of God that they were good Now to shew that he did indeed account them so he alledgeth his desires after them Behold I have longed c. In the Words you have 1. a Narrative 2. a Request The one is used as the reason of the other In the Narrative he expresseth his sincere desire of conforming his heart and ways to the Laws of God Where 1. The matter of his Plea I have longed after thy Precepts Not to know them only but to do them not to satisfie curiosity but to understand and obey the Will of God and to make it the Rule of his Life and Actions Then 2. The Sincerity of it that 's intimated in the Word Behold There is Ecce admirantis the behold of Admiration Ecce demonstrantis the behold of Demonstration This last is here to be understood We must look upon David as appealing to God as offering himself unto his Tryal and Approbation who is the best Witness and Judge of the hearts of men who knows all things and cannot be put off with shews O Lord he speaks thus to God Behold I have longed after thy Precepts Now this is spoken here either as a reason of his own asking Behold I seek it not out of Custom or to speak words of course my soul is in this matter or as a reason of Gods granting he urgeth his sincere affection to Obedience as an Argument likely to prevail with God Lord I have an ardent desire to serve thee and certainly this is a great Argument with God for he delights to crown his own work when he hath given the affection he will give the deed and give the performance Look as Paul urgeth others to pray for him Pray for me for I have a good Conscience willing to live honestly Heb. 13. 18. So David here speaks of himself to God Lord I have longed after thy Precepts it is my desire that I may be put into the readiest fullest way of complyance with thy Will Secondly Here 's his Request There we have 1. the thing prayed for Quicken me he prays for renewing exciting Grace 2. The ground of confidence In thy Righteousness He had argued before from the disposition of the Subject now he argues from the Quality of the Donor In thy Righteousness The Law of God is sometimes called Righteousness and so some expound it in that sence quicken me in thy Righteousness that is in the way wherein thou wouldest have me to walk I think rather it is to be applyed not to the Righteousness he hath required but the Righteousness that is in God himself So Psal. 5. 8. Lead me O Lord in thy Righteousness Now the Righteousness of God is put for the whole perfection of the Divine Essence
of the wicked which forsake thy Law THE Man of God in the former Verse had shewed what Comfort he took in remembring God's Judgments of old meaning thereby his Righteous Dispensations in delivering the Godly and punishing the Wicked he now sheweth that seeing God's horrible Judgments on the Wicked he was seized and stricken with a very great fear In the Words observe 1. A great Passion described 2. The Cause of it assigned 1. A great Passion described Horrour hath taken hold on me The Word for Horrour signifieth also a Tempest or Storm Translations vary some reade it as Iunius a Storm overtaking me Ainsworth a burning Horrour hath seized me and expoundeth it a Storm of Terrour and Dismay The Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faintness and dejection of mind hath possessed me our old Translation I am horribly afraid all Translations as well as the Original word imply a great trouble of mind and a vehement Commotion like a Storm it was matter of disquiet and trembling to David 2. What is the matter the Reason is given in the latter Clause because of the wicked which forsake thy Law Now this Reason may be supposed to be 1. Either because of the Storm of Trouble raised by them or Persecution from them and so it would note the outragiousness of those who have cast off the Yoke all fear of God and respect to his Law and so also the imbecillity and weakness of the Saints who are not able to stand against violent Evils and assaults of Temptation But this is not so consistent with David's Constancy and Comfort asserted in the former Verses 2. Because of the Detriment and Loss which might accrue to the Publick they bring on common Judgments and Calamities It is a Iewish Proverb that two dry Sticks will set a green one afire One sinner destroyeth much good Eccl. 9. 18. much more Mercy Now the Godly which believe God's Word are troubled when they see Wickedness increaseth they know this will turn to loss and ruine in the issue therefore it causeth a grievous Horrour and Indignation to seize upon them for they have a tender and publick Spirit 3. Besides the common Calamities which they might bring upon others the sore Punishment which they would bring upon themselves was an horrour to him which sheweth a Charitable Affection to Enemies The Punishment which had not as yet seized upon them nor did they think of it yet being prepared for their Wickedness by the Justice of God was a grief and trouble to David as it is to all good Men to see the Wicked run on to their own Destruction and Condemnation These two last Senses I prefer Doctr. It argueth a good Spirit to be grieved to see God's Laws broken and to be stricken with fear because of those Iudgments which come from God by reason of the wickedness of the wicked The Reasons are 1. Here is matter of great Commotion of Spirit to any attentive and serious Beholder for the Cause assigned in the Text is because they forsake thy Law There are two things in the Law the Precept and the Sanction by Penalties and Rewards Now they that forsake the Law violate the Precept and slight the Sanction and so two things grieve the Godly their Sin and their Punishment How grievously they sin and what grievous Punishments they may expect 1. That the Law is violated that they should forsake God and all thoughts of Obedience to him and so make slight of his Law Sin is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Iohn 3. 4. the Transgression of the Law a contempt of God's Authority if we consider the intrinsick evil of Sin we shall see that it is not a small thing but an horrible Evil in it self a thing not to be laughed at but feared whether our own or others 1. There is Folly in it as it is a Deviation from the best Rule which the Divine Wisedom hath set unto us If we should look upon the Law of God as a bare Direction or Counsel given us by one that is wiser then we it is a Contempt of the Wisedom of God as if he knew not how to govern the World and what is good and meet for Man so much as he himself and so a poor Worm is exalted above God Micah 6. 8. He hath shewed thee O Man what is good Now shall we slight his Direction and in effect say our own Way is better Reason requireth that they who cannot choose for themselves should obey their Guides and since they are not wise for themselves content themselves with the Wisedom of others who see farther then they do as Elymas the Sorcerer when he was struck blind sought about for some body to leade him by the hand Acts 13. 11. can a blind man feel out his way better then another who hath eyes to choose it for him God is wiser then we and all who would not contemn their Creatour should think so He hath reduced the sum of our Duty into an holy Law now for us after all this to run of our heads and to consult with our foolish Lusts and the Suggestions of the Devil who is our worst Enemy is extreame Folly and Madness and so doth every one who breaketh the Laws of God 2. Laws are not onely to direct but have a binding Power and Force from the Authority of the Law-giver God doth not onely give us Counsel as a Friend but commandeth us as a Sovereign and so the second Notion whereby the evil of Sin is set forth is that of Disobedience and Rebellion and so it is a great Injury done to God because it is a Depretiation and Contempt of his Authority As Pharaoh said Exod. 5. 2. Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice or those Rebels Psalm 12. 4. Our Tongues are our own who is Lord over us We will speak and think and doe what we please and own no Law but our own Lusts. Now though Sinners do not say so in so many direct and formal Words yet this is the Interpretation of their sinfull Actions Whenever they sin they despise the Law which forbiddeth that Sin and so by consequence the Authority of him that made it 2 Sam. 12. 9 10. Wherefore hast thou sinned in despising the Commandment Tush I will doe it it is no matter for the Law of God that standeth in the way is the Language of the Corrupt and Obstinate heart Now no man can endure to have his Will crossed by an Inferiour and will God take it at their hands and therefore the Children of God who have a great Reverence of God's Authority when they see it so openly violated and contemned are filled with Horrour Will not God be tender of his Power and Sovereignty will he see his Authority so lightly esteemed and take no notice of it 3. It is shamefull Ingratitude Man is God's beneficiary from whom he hath received Life and Being and all things and therefore is bound to love him and serve
Psal. 11. 6. Upon the wicked he will rain Snares fire and brimstone and an horrible Tempest this shall be the portion of their Cup They may flourish for a time yet at length sudden terrible and irremediless Destruction shall be the portion of their Cup. God's Judgments are terrible and unavoidable both here and hereafter Eph. 5. 6. For these things cometh the wrath of God upon the Children of Disobedience Rom. 2. 4. Tribulation Wrath and Anguish upon the Soul of Man that doth evil Alas these things are slighted by wicked Men or else they would not venture as they do you cannot drive a dull Ass into the Fire that is kindled before him Prov. 1. 17. In vain is the Snare laid in the sight of any Bird and would a Reasonable Creature wilfully run into such a danger if he were sensible of it and venture upon so dreadfull threatnings if he did believe them no they think it is but a vain Scare-crow a deceitfull Terrour or a false flash of Fire and therefore embolden themselves in their Rebellion But God's People that know the certainty of these things they cannot but conceive a great horrour at it when they think of the end of these Men their Judgments in this World but especially their eternal Condemnation in the World to come Well then forsaking the Law despising the Precept and slighting the Sanction should be a matter of great Horrour to a tender and gracious Spirit 2. It argueth that they have a due sense of things though others have not 1. They have a due sense of the Evil of Sin Prov. 14. 9. Fools make a mock of sin They sport at it and jeast at it and count it nothing but gracious and tender Hearts have other Apprehensions they know that this is a Violation of the holy and righteous and good Law of God and that it will be bitter in the issue and that they which had pleasure in unrighteousness shall be damned They look upon it with sad Hearts though it be committed by others that the Wicked goe dancing to Hell and are angry with those who mourn for them and dislike that vain Course which they affect 2. They have a due sense of the Wrath of God the Prophet that threatned it saith That rottenness entred into his bones and his bowels quivered Hab. 3. 16. A Lyon trembleth to see a Dog beaten before him It is a trouble to the Godly to think of the horrible punishments of the Wicked which they dread not nor dream of But the Saints have a Reverence for their Fathers Anger Search the Scriptures and you shall find that the Godly are more troubled at God's Judgments then the Wicked themselves who are to feel them Dan. 4. 19. Daniel was astonished for an hour and his thoughts troubled him when he was to reveale God's Iudgments against Nebuchadnezzar So the Prophet Ier. 4. 19. My bowels my bowels I am pained at the very heart verse 22. But my people is foolish they are sottish Children they that brought the Evil upon themselves are senseless and stupid Psal. 90. 11. Who knows the power of thine Anger according to thy fear so is thy wrath Few lay to heart the terrible effects of God's heavy wrath but the Righteous doe they are truly affected with it and with the Cause of it which is Sin God's Wrath affects Men according to the Reverence and Fear wherewith they entertain it but to the Wicked it is but a vain and empty Terrour 3. The certainty of the Threatnings God's People see Wrath and Judgment in the face of Sin whereas those who are drowned in Sensuality and carnal Delights scoff at God's Menaces and jeast at his Judgments neither crediting the one nor expecting the other as if it were but a meer Mockery Isai. 5. 19. Come say they let him make speed and hasten his work that we may see it In their security they will believe nothing but what they feel 4. The Bane which cometh to Communities and Societies from the increase of the Wicked especially when their Wickedness groweth to an height that is when it is committed with boldness Isai. 3. 9. They declare their sin as Sodom they hide it not when Men have lost all shame and modesty and will not be restrained by any Law Surely if we know the evil of Sin the terribleness of God's Wrath believe the Truth of his Threatnings and then consider the danger that will come to our dearest Country we cannot but be greatly moved If a Man were sailing in a Bark and see it guided so that it must necessarily run against a Rock and suffer Shipwrack he would be sorry and deeply affected 3. It cometh from a good Cause 1. In the general it argueth a good Constitution of Soul 2 Pet. 2. 8. For that righteous man dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous Soul from day to day with their unlawfull deeds Passively he was vexed with the impurity of the Sodomites and actively he vexed himself So far as we are Carnal we are pleased with Sin so far as we are Spiritual we are vexed with it Isai. 63. 10. They rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit The better any are the more affected with publick Sins and Judgments Christ weepeth over Ierusalem for their Impenitency and approaching Desolation Luke 19. 41 42. As he came near he beheld the City and wept over it saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes This was in the midst of the Acclamations and Hosannahs of the Multitude when he was welcomed with a Triumph Paul telleth the Corinthians 2 Cor. 12. 21. I am afraid when I come among you my God will humble me and I shall bewaile many which have not repented of the Fornication Lasciviousness and uncleanness which they have committed The more holy any one is the more he is affected and struck at heart with the Sins of others 2. A deep Resentment of God's Dishonour When his Glory is obscured it is a wound to the Hearts of his Children As a Child cannot endure to hear or see his Father disgraced Surely God's Glory is dear to the Saints Psal. 69. 9. The Reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me Injuries done to God and Religion affect them no less nearly then Personal Injuries which are done to themselves So affectionately zealous are they for God's Honour which is obscured by the wickedness of the Wicked who forsake the perfect Righteous Law of God and usurping God's Authority make a new Law to themselves 3. Compassion to Men. Though they are Wicked men yet they are Men made after God's Image remotely capable to know and love God and live with him for ever whom they should otherwise embrace as Brethren to see them treasure up Wrath against the day of Wrath should be a grief and a trouble to us To think of the everlasting Destruction
God should onely be heavy when he displeases God but delight in all the Means that enable him to live to God 3. When we are sadned by the Evil of the present World let us make use of this remedy let us meditate on God's Statutes We shall find ease and refreshing by exercising our selves to know God in Christ. 4. To refute the vain conceit which possesseth the minds of Men that the way of Godliness is a gloomy way Assoon as a Man beginneth to think of Salvation or the change of his Life or the leaving of his Sins embracing the Service of God presently his Mind is haunted with this thought Seest thou not how those that serve God are melancholy afflicted sorrowfull never rejoyce more and wilt thou be one of them This is the Opinion of the World that they can never rejoyce nor be merry that serve God But certainly it is a vain conceit no men do more and more truly rejoyce than they which serve God Consult the Scriptures who have more leave shall I say or command to rejoyce Psal. 37. 4. Delight thy self also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart Phil. 4. 4. Rejoyce in the Lord always and again I say rejoyce Ask Reason who have more cause or matter to rejoyce than they that have provided against the fears or doubts of Conscience by reason of Sin what is more satisfactory to a Soul in doubts and fears than the knowledge of Pardon and Reconciliation with God For the satisfaction of the desires of Nature which carry us after Happiness who have a more powerfull Exciter of Joy than the Holy Ghost Acts 13. 52. The Disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost Who more qualified with Joy than those who have a clear right to the pardon of Sin and so can see all Miseries unstinged Rom. 5. 1 2 3. Therefore being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom also we have access by Faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God And not onely so but we glory in Tribulation also How joyfull are those that see themselves prepared for everlasting Life 2 Cor. 5. 1. For we know that if our earthly Tabernacle be dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens Yea when a Christian knoweth his Duty his Way is plain before him it is a mighty satisfaction Psal. 19. 8. The Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart Look into the Lives and Examples of the Saints who have more true Joy than they The Disciples esteem the Grace of the Gospel such a great Treasure that though they suffer Persecution for it they are filled with Joy Acts 8. 8. And there was great joy in that City 1 Thess. 1. 6. Having received the Word with much affliction and joy in the Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 7. 4. I am exceeding joyfull in all our Tribulation Preachers though with great hazard they perform their Office should be joyfull Acts 20. 24. Neither count I my Life dear unto my self so that I might finish my course with joy Phil. 2. 17 18. Tea and if I be offered for the sacrifice and service of your faith I joy and rejoice with you all for the same cause also do ye joy and rejoice with me The World will reply I know not what this spiritual Consolation meaneth it seemeth hard to relinquish that which I see that which I feel that which I taste for that which I see not and it may be shall never see Answ. 1. By Concession the joy of the Saints is the joy of Faith God is unseen Christ is within the Heavens great Hopes are to come 1 Pet. 1. 8. In whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory 2 Cor. 5. 7. For we walk by Faith not by sight 2. Thus you see that the World cannot always rejoice in those things which they take to be the proper Objects of Joy they have alternative vicissitudes now rejoice now mourn nor can it be otherwise for they rejoice in things which cannot always last if they rejoice when their Worldly comforts increase they are sad when they wither if they rejoice when their Children are born they weep when they die but a Christian hath always his Songs for he must always rejoice in the Lord who is an eternal God Phil. 4. 4. Rejoice in the Lord always in Christ who hath obtained eternal Redemption for us Heb. 9. 12. in the Promises which give an eternal Influence Psal. 119. 111. Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoicing of my heart The Flesh cannot afford you any thing so delightfull as a Christian hath the Word will hold good for ever 3. We cannot altogether say that a Christian doth rejoice in that which he cannot see for all that they see is their everlasting Father's Wealth 1 Cor. 3. ult All are yours for you are Christ's and Christ is God's If they look to Heaven they can rejoice and say Glory be to thee O Lord who hast prepared this for our everlasting Dwelling-place if they look to the Earth Glory be to thee O Lord who dost not leave us destitute in the House of our Pilgrimage if they consider their Afflictions they rejoice that God is not unmindfull of poor Creatures who are beneath his Anger as well as unworthy of his Love Iob 7. 17 18. What is man that thou shouldst magnifie him and that thou shouldst set thine heart upon him and that thou shouldst visit him every morning and try him every moment That God should trouble himself about us that we may not perish with the ungodly World The same Love that sendeth them Prosperity sendeth Adversity also which they find by the seasonableness of it SERMON LXI PSAL. CXIX 55. I have remembred thy Name O Lord in the Night and have kept thy Law WE often reade and sing David's Psalms but we have little of David's Spirit A Man's Imployment is as the Constitution of his Mind is for all things work according to their Nature A man addicted to God that is to say one who hath taken God for his Happiness his Word for his Rule his Spirit for his Guide and his Promises for his Encouragement his heart will always be working towards God Day and Night in the Day he will be studying God's Word in the Night if his sleep be interrupted he will be meditating on God's Name still entertaining his Soul with God The predominant Affection will certainly set the thoughts awork The Man of God had told us in the former Verse what was his chief Imployment in the Day-time and now he telleth us how his heart wrought in the Night Night and Day he was remembring God and his Duty to him In the Day the Statutes of God were his Solace and as
if you believed there were no God could you be more neglectfull of God and careless and mindless of heavenly things than you are now your Transgressions speak louder than your Professions in the Eye of an understanding Believer Psal. 36. 1. The Transgression of the wicked saith within his heart that there is no fear of God before his eyes Practice belies Profession Tit. 1. 16. They profess that they know God but in works they deny him Cold and dead Opinions are easily taken up and men talk by rote one after another yea and study to defend them and yet count God an Idol Denial in Works is the strongest way of Denial for Actions are more weighty and deliberate than Speeches 2. There is a threefold Remembrance of God for practical uses 1. There is a constant Remembrance we should carry the thoughts of God along with us to all our Businesses and Affairs and ever walk as in his Eye and Presence Prov. 23. 17. Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long not onely in Prayer but at all times in all our other occasions Some Graces like the Lungs are always in use so Psal. 16. 8. I have set the Lord always before me He that liveth always as in the sight of God cannot be so secure and sensless as others are A drowsie unattentive mind is easily deceived into sin but he that doth often remember God his Conscience is kept waking for he is all Eye and seeth all things all Hand and toucheth all things all Foot and walketh every where all Ear and heareth all things Sic agamus cum hominibus tanquam Deus videat sic loquamur cum Deo tanquam homines audiant the latter clause was the least that an Heathen could think of but surely if there be any weight in the former part of the Direction the latter is needless Thus we should never forget God 2. Occasional when God is brought to mind either by some special occasion offered or by some notable discovery of himself in his Word or Works Occasion offered as when Ahasuerus could not sleep Esth. 6. 1. it was the Providence of God he should reade in the Chronicles and so come to the knowledge of Mordecai so it befalleth God's Children they cannot sleep sometimes and so occasion is offered in the silence and solitude of the night to invite them to holy thoughts of God which may be of great use and comfort Iob 37. 7. He sealeth up the hand of every man that all men may know his work In deep Snow or Rain their work is hindred that they sitting at home may have time to consider of God and his Providence Sometimes it falleth out so that we know not what to do with our thoughts and it will look strangely in the review if we should prostitute them to vanity rather than give them to God like the act of a spitefull man that will rather destroy and waste a Commodity than let another have it Or when some notable Discovery of God is in his Ordinances and Providences Word or Works we should always season our hearts with the thoughts of God we should see him in every Creature and observe him in his daily Providences the Name of God is upon all things that he hath made but especially any notable Providence that falleth out which is an especial Demonstration of his Wisedom Justice and Power Psal. 111. 4. He hath made his wonderfull works to be remembred So in his Ordinances when God maketh any nearer approach to us by way of Conviction Counsel or Comfort 1 Cor. 14. 25. And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest and so falling down on his face he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth Many times our minds in reading or hearing are illustrated with an heavenly light or our hearts touched with some delightfull relish and the Word cometh in with more than ordinary Authority and Power upon the heart these are especial occasions which we must take to consider God and the great affairs of our Souls 3. Set and solemn when from the bent purpose and inclination of our own hearts without any outward impulsion we set our selves to remember the God that made us from first to last there is great use of Meditation and serious thoughts of God in the spiritual Life Our first awaking is occasioned by them Psal. 22. 22. They shall remember and turn to the Lord for a great while we live without God in the World till we recollect our selves and consider where we are and whither we are going we are like men drunk or asleep and do not make use of our Reason and common Principles that may be learned from the inspection of the Creature and every thing about us and when once we are brought into the Communion of the Life of God and have Grace planted in our hearts it cannot be carried on unless we take time to remember God Our Faith our Love our Desires our Delight they are all acted and exercised by our Thoughts so that the spiritual Life is but an Imagination unless we do frequently and often take time for serious Meditation of him It is not consistent with any of the three vital Graces Faith Hope and Love that a man should be a stranger to the Remembrance of God therefore God complaineth of it as a strange thing Ier. 2. 32. My people have forgotten me days without number do no more regard me than if they had never known me Besides the habits of Grace are so weak and our Temptations so strong and the Difficulties of Obedience so great that I cannot see how we can keep a foot any Interest of God in our selves if we seldom think of God and do not sometimes sequester our selves to revive this memorial upon our souls Can a sluggish heart be quickned or weak and inconstant Resolutions be strengthened or the sparks of Love ever blown up into a Flame and fainting Hopes cherished unless we seriously set our Minds a work to consider of God and our obligations to him Will a sleepy Profession without constant and lively thoughts doe it it cannot be Oh no if you mean to keep in the fire you must ply the Bellows and blow hard Whet Truths upon the Understanding and agitate your Minds in this holy Work II. My next work is to shew that it is a notable help to Godliness and that appeareth enough in that forgetting God is assigned as the cause of all mischief and remembring God the engagement to all Duty we forget God do not meditate upon his Name and so fall into Sin Psal. 9. 17. The wicked shall be turned into Hell and all the Nations that forget God Some deny God but most forget him they cast away the knowledge of God out of their minds So Psal. 50. 22. Consider this all ye that forget God that is the Description of the Wicked So it is the charge upon Israel as their great Sin and
But though all three shine forth in the Law and all in each part yet his Wisdome is most eminent Deut. 4. 6. Keep these Statutes for this is your Wisdome and Understanding In the Gospel still these three Attributes appear the wonderfull Wisdome Power and Goodness of God his Wisdome in the orderly disposure of the Covenant of Grace 2 Sam. 23. 5. Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow and contriving the excellent Design and Plot of Salvation by Christ 1 Tim. 3. 16. Great is the Mystery of Godliness God manifested in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached to the Gentiles believed on in the world received up to Glory his Power in the Incarnation Resurrection and Miracles of Christ therefore Christ is called the Wisdome and Power of God but above all his Love is magnified in the Gospel Rom. 5. 8. God commended his Love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us 1 John 4. 9 10. In this was manifested the Love of God toward us because that God sent his onely begotton Son into the world that we might live through him Herein is Love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the Propitiation for our Sins Tit. 3. 4. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeareth SERMON LXII PSAL. CXIX 55. I have remembred thy Name O Lord in the Night and have kept thy Law 3. THESE are discovered in daily Providence To rub up and revive our Thoughts God is pleased anew to set before us the glorious Effects of his Wisdome Goodness and Power his Wisdome in the contexture of Providence his Power in the Management of it his Goodness in the Effects of it His Wisdome in the Beauty and Order of his Works in guiding the Course of Nature and disposing all things about his People He doth all things well Eccles. 3. 5. He hath made every thing beautifull in its time or in the true and proper Season therefore we that look upon Providence by pieces stumble at the seeming Confusion and uncertainty of what falleth out as if the Affairs of the World were not under a wise Government but stay a little while till all the pieces of Providence be put together in one Frame and then you will see a marvellous Wisdome in them In the work of Creation all things were very good Gen. 1. 31. so for these Six thousand years as well as for the first Six days Those things which seem confused heaps when they lie asunder when put together will appear a beautifull Structure and Building So for his Goodness what part hath God been acting in the World for so long a time but that of Mercy He may be traced more by his Acts of Goodness than Vengeance Acts 14. 17. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that he did good and gave us rain from Heaven and fruitfull Seasons filling our hearts with joy and gladness The whole World is a Theatre of Mercy if at any time we wrest Punishment out of his hand it is with an aime of Mercy as he threatneth that he may not punish so he punisheth that he may not punish for ever For his Power that is notably discovered to us every day if we would draw aside the covering of the Creature you might soon see the secret almighty Power of God which acteth in every thing that falleth out the same everlasting Arme that made the Creatures is under them to support them Heb. 1. 3. He upholdeth all things by the word of his Power As they started out of nothing by his Command so they are kept from returning into nothing by the same powerfull Word Command and Decree of God Thou hidest thy Face and they are troubled thou takest away their breath and they die thou sendest out thy Spirit and they are created and thou renewest the face of the Earth Psal. 104. 29 30. All things hold their life of him if God withdraweth in any measure the wonted influence of his Power from them they presently find a change in themselves It is even with the being and faculties of the Creature as with the Image of the Glass which when the Face removeth it is seen no more The Lord doth as it were breath into them a being and when he taketh in his Breath they perish and when he sendeth it out again they are renewed Now though God doth constantly discover his Wisdome Power and Goodness yet in some Providence one of these doth more especially appear his Wisdome in some notable contrivance and chain of Causes which to a common eye seemed to have no tendency to such Effects as are produced by them as when out of the sins and perverse doings of Men or the disorders and confusions of the World he raiseth his own glory or by some unthought of unheard of means bringeth about the Deliverance of his People taking the Wise in their own craftiness Sometimes his Power when by weak and contemptible means he bringeth great things to pass and a Straw becometh a Spear in the hand of the Almighty Sometimes in his Goodness in filling us with Blessings or doing notable Acts of Grace for his Peoples sake 4. These three Attributes suit with God's threefold Relation to us by his almighty Power he becometh our Creatour as most wise our Supream Governour as most good our gracious Benefactour We depend upon him for our present supplies and from him we expect our future Hopes His Creation gives him a Right to govern us his Wisdome a Fitness and his Bounty doth encourage us voluntarily to give up our selves to his Service 5. These three Attributes do most bind our Duty on us as they beget in us Love Fear and Faith or Esteem Reverence and Trust which are the three radical Graces that result from the very being and owning of God and are the cultus naturalis enjoyned in the First Commandment His Wisdome as a Law-giver begets Reverence and Fear his Goodness is the object of Love and his Power of Trust. If he be most Wise there is all the Reason in the world that he should rule and govern us for who is fitter to govern and make Laws than he that is most wise If he be most good infinitely good there is all the Reason in the world that you should love him and no shew of Reason why you should love the World and Sin before him if Powerfull and Alsufficient there is all the Reason you should believe in him as one that is able to make good his Word either by Promise or Threatning Faith goeth upon that Rom. 4. 21. He was strong in Faith being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able to perform He is God
the flowr and freshness of your Youth and God onely have the scraps and fragments of the Devils Table when we are good for nothing else then to think we are good enough for God and the business of Religion which requires all our might and all our strength When we are spent is it a time to begin our Warfare or in our youth 4. There is this the just suspicion which is upon a late Repentance it is seldom sound it is no true Repentance which ariseth merely from horrour and fears of Hell It may be but the beginnings of everlasting despair And their desires may be but offers of self-love after their own ease All men seek the Lord at length but wise men seek him betimes The difference is made on some in time on others out of time upon their death-beds The most prophane would have God for their Portion when they can sin no more and enjoy the world no longer how can we tell this is a sound work it seems tobe a very questionable thing meerly proceeding from self-love and natural desires of happiness in all men When we begin with God we begin out of self-love we come for our ease and interest that we may be safe and happy afterwards we come to a delight of Spirit in his Service and having opportunity show in our works the power of our affection to God and manifest the soundness of our conversion It is possible a Death-bed repentance may be true but it is very doubtful There is but one Instance which is that of the Thief upon the Cross. The Scriptures are a History of 5000 years yet all that while we have but one instance of a man that repented when he came to dye and in that one instance there 's an extraordinary conjunction of Circumstances such as will never fall out again Christ was at the Thiefs right hand in the height of his Love drawing Sinners to Salvation and probably this man had never any such call till then Some may at the eleventh hour be converted because they were not called till then Every one came when they were called Therefore there being so great and just a suspicion that lies against a late Repentance certainly we should not delay Reason 5. The Reasons for delay are very inconsiderable Solomon saith Prov. 26. 16. That the Sluggard thinks himself wiser than seven men that can render a reason Mark as Solomons fool is not to be taken Litterally but Spiritually so Solomons sluggard is not to be taken Morally but Spiritually They that are sluggish and slow of Heart in the things of God They think they have a great deal of reason on their side and will not be perswaded on the contrary but they shall do well enough for all that and they can argue against the calls and injunctions of God yet how little can they say for themselves See what reasons may be said for delay I mean not that they plead and argue but it is that which sways them that which lies next the Heart is this why they keep off from God and are satisfied with their present Estate 1. The pleasures of sin are sweet and they are loth to forgoe them and to engage their Souls in the severities of a strict obedience Here 's the bottom reason this is that which sways them I will not speak to this plea as it lies against Conversion it self but onely as it makes men to delay If I were to plead for conversion it self I would tell these Carnallists of higher Pleasure that their delights shall not be abrogated but preserv'd their delight shall be transplanted from Egypt to Canaan that it may thrive and prosper in a happier Soyl that they may have purer contentments and those chast and happy satisfactions of enjoying Communion with God But I shall onely deal with them as it relates to the delay of Conversion Therefore I thus argue These pleasures of sin must one day be renounced or you are for ever miserable and if you must one day why not now For mark sin will be as sweet hereafter as now it is and Salvation is always dispensed upon the same terms you cannot be saved hereafter with less adoe or bring down Christ and Heaven to a lower rate and therefore if this be a Reason now it will ever lie as a reason against Christ and Religion then you will never tend to look after the ways of life if you are loth to part with sin now you will never part with it The Laws of Christianity are always the same God will not bate you any thing of Repentance and your heart is not like to be better but worse that 's the summ of it and therefore this reason signifies nothing when it comes to be tried in the ballance of the sanctuary and yet this is the main reason 2. They can plead other things hope God will be merciful to them hereafter though they indulge themselves a little longer in sin he will at length save them I answer you cannot bend his Mercy and make it save it is a meer uncertainty peradventure he will peradventure not Would you take poison out of hope that afterward you may meet with an Antidote And this is the very case between God and us I answer further there are shrewd suspicions that God will not be merciful to those that run such a desperate adventure For who ever delays his Repentance doth in effect pawn his Soul with the Devil and leaves it in his hands and says here Satan keep my Soul if I fetch it not again by such a day 't is thine for ever and can you think mercy will bring it out Again there are great causes of fear because there is such a thing as judicial hardness of heart by a Sentence of obduration There are some that God gives up to their own ways and counsels and God inflicts this Sentence upon those that continue in sin notwithstanding conviction of their hearts to the contrary Prov. 1. 24. Ye have set at naught all my Counsel and would none of my reproof I will also laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear cometh There are thousands in Hell meerly upon this account that have forfeited the benefit of God's Mercy and tenders of his grace and have been shut up by hardness of heart by Gods Sentence of obduration the most dreadfull punishment that can light upon a Creature on this side Hell 3. I but we are willing and would turn to the Lord now but we have no leisure and have not those conveniencies that we shall have hereafter for then we shall get things into a better frame and posture Oh no no it is meer hypocrisy to think you are willing when you delay for there is nothing hinders but a want of will and a lothness to comply with the commands of God When we dare not flatly deny then we delay Non vacat that's the sinners plea I am not at leisure but non placet there
's the reality Matth. 22. 7. They which were invited to the Wedding varnished their denial over with an excuse Delay is a denial for if they were willing there would be no excuse To be ridd of importunate and troublesome Creditors we promise them payment another time and we know our Estate will be more wasted by that time it is but to put them off So this delay and putting off God is but a shift Here 's the misery God always comes unseasonably to a carnal heart It was the Devils that said Matth. 8. 29. Art thou come to torment us before our time Good things are a torment to a carnal heart and they always come out of time Certainly that 's the best time when the word is prest upon the heart with evidence light and power and when God treats with thee about thine eternal peace Reason 6. There are very urgent reasons to quicken us to make hasâ—…e 1. The state wherein we are at present is so bad and dangerous that we can never soon enough come out of it The state of a man in his Carnal condition is compared in Scripture to a Prison Rom. 11. 32. God hath concluded or shut them all up in unbelief And mark it is a Prison that is all on fire Oh when poor Captives are bolted and shut up in a flaming Prison how will they run hither and thither to get out So should we run and strive to get out of this flaming Prison You cannot be too soon out of the power of the Devil or from under the curse of the Law the danger of hell fire and the dominion of sin Matth. 3. 7. Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come He doth not say to goe nor to run but to flee Fleeing from wrath to come that 's the truest motion And so Heb. 6. 18. They which had the avenger of blood at their heels fled for refuge to take hold of the hope set before them If there be poyson in our Bowels we think we can never soon enough cast it out If fire hath taken hold of a building we do not say we will quench it hereafter the next week or next moneth but think we can never soon enough quench it Or if there be a wound in the Body we do not let it alone till it 〈◊〉 and rankle Christians you may apply all this to the present case here the danger is greater There is no Poyson so deadly as Sin which hath infected all Man-kind no wound so dangerous for that will be the death of Body and Soul no fire so dreadfull as the wrath of God therefore we cannot soon enough come out of this condition 2. We cannot be happy soon enough for the state we make after is the arms of God the bosome of Iesus the hopes of Eternal Life we cannot soon enough get within the compass of such priviledges Oh shall Christ lie by as a dead Commodity or breaded ware It shews we know not the gift of God Iohn 4. If we had a due sense and value of his Excellency we would take the morning Market and let not Christ Iesus with all his benefits lie by as a Commodity that may be had at the last at any time of the day we would look upon him as the quickest ware in the Market and flock to him as Doves to the windows Isa. 6. You would force your way that you might get into his heart you would count all things but dross and dung that you might gain him It will be sweet to be incircled in the embraces of Iesus Christ to have his left hand under your head and his right hand to embrace you Cant. 2. 6. and will you delay when he stands offering himself and stretching out his hands all the day long to receive you SERMON LXVIII PSAL. CXIX 60. I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments I Come now to the Application Use 1. Is to reprove the dallying with God which we are conscious to in the work of Conversion which is so common and natural to us We are apt to put off God from time to time from Child-hood to Youth from Youth to Mans-age from Mans-age to Old-age from Old-age to Death-bed and so the Devil steals away one hour after another till all time be past I shall 1 speak of the causes of this delay 2 represent the hainousness of it that you may not stroke this sin with a gentle censure and think lightly of the matter I. Of the causes of this delay 1. Unbelief or want of a due sense or sight of things to come If men were perswaded of Eternal Life and Eternal Death they would not stand hovering so long between Heaven and Hell but presently engage their hearts to draw nigh to God But we cannot see afar off 2 Pet. 1. 9. Nature is purblind to carnal hearts there 's a mist upon Eternity they have no prospective whereby to look into another World therefore it hath no influence upon them to quicken them to more speed and earnestness If we had a due sense of Eternal Death surely we would be sleeing from wrath to come no motion should be earnest and swift enough to get from such a danger If we had a due sense of Eternal Life we would be running to take hold of the hope that is before us Heb. 6. 18. 2. Security If men have a cold belief of Heaven and Hell if they take up the currant opinions of the Country yet they do not take it into their serious thoughts they put far away the evil day Amos 6. 3. Things at a distance do not startle us as a clap of Thunder afar off doth not fright us so much as when it is just over our heads in our own Zenith We look upon these things as to come so put off the thought of them Next to a want of a sound belief the want of a serious consideration is the cause why men dally with God If we had the same thoughts living and dying our motions would be more earnest and ready When Death and Eternity is near we are otherwise affected than when we look upon it as afar off One said of a zealous Preacher he Preacheth as if Death were at my back Oh could we look upon Death as at our back or heels if men did but consider that within a few dayes they must go to Heaven or Hell that there is but the slender thread of a frail Life upon which they depend that is soon fretted asunder they would not venture any longer to be out of a state of Grace nor dally with God But we think we may live long and time enough to repent by leisure we put far off the day of our change and so are undone by our own security 3. Aversness of heart from God That which makes us desirous to stay longer in a way of Sin doth indeed make us loth to turn at all and what 's that Obstinacy and unsubjection
special business and temptation Prov. 28. 26. He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool but he that walketh wisely shall be delivered that is he that followeth his own conceit soon falleth into a snare he that maketh his Bosome his Oracle and his own Wit his Counsel thinks himself wise enough without daily seeking to God to order his own business never succeedeth well but plungeth himself into manifold inconveniencies 2. From Gods manner of giving he is not weary and tyred with constant supplicants Iames 1. 5. If any man lack wisdom let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him The Throne of Grace lyeth always open the oftner we frequent it the more welcome we frown upon one that often troubleth us with his suits but it is not so with God we may beg and beg again 3. The value of the benefit it self Saving knowledg or the light of the spirit keepeth alive the work of grace in our hearts Habitual graces will soon wither and decay without a continual influence the increase of sanctification cometh into the Soul by the increase of saving knowledg 2 Pet. 1. 2. Grace be multiplied unto you through the knowledg of God and of Iesus Christ our Lord. The more we grow thriving in knowledg the more we grow in grace and the heart and life is more engaged As we learn somewhat more of God in Christ our awe and love to him is increased Eph. 4. 20 21. Ye have not so learned Christ if so be that you have heard him and been taught of him as the truth is in Iesus that is if ye are taught and instructed by Christ himself in the Truth It is not every sort of hearing Christ or knowledg which will do us good Many learn him and know him who abuse that knowledg which they have of him but if he effectually teach us by his spirit then our knowledg is practical and operative we will practise what we know be careful to please God in all things 4. From the temper of a gracious heart a tast of this knowledg will make us desire a further supply that we may be taught more and the Soul may be more sanctified therefore doth David deal with God for the increase of saving knowledg We are contented with a little tast of heavenly Doctrine but holy men are not so shew me thy mind let me see thy Glory Hos. 6. 3. then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord. They are for growth as well as truth they experimentally know how good God is and the more they know him the more they see their Ignorance and that there is more behind to be known of him Before they had but a flying report of him now they are acquainted with him and have a nearer inspection into his ways and this is but little in comparison of what they desire We are bidden 2 Pet. 3. 18. Tâ—… grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. Present measures do not satisfie them they must grow in knowledg as grow in grace more love to Christ more delight in his ways III. Prop. In asking any spiritual gift we are encouraged by the bounty and mercy of God David signifieth both 1. His bounty or benignity or that free inclination which is in God to do good to his Creatures 2. His mercy respects the Creature as affected with any misery Mercy properly is a proneness to succour and relieve a man in misery notwithstanding sin Now the larger thoughts of mercy the more hope partly because we have no plea of merit and therefore mercy is the Fountain of all the good which cometh to us from God We cannot come to him as a Debtor and therefore we must come to him as a free Benefactor Wherewith can we oblige God We have nothing to give to him but what is his own already and was first received from him all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee 1 Chron. 29. 14. We pay the great Governour of the World out of his own Exchequer The Apostle maketh the challenge Rom. 11. 35. Who hath given him first and it shall be recompensed to him The Sun oweth nothing to the Beam but the Beam all to the Sun the Fountain oweth nothing to the Stream but the Stream hath all from the Fountain so we have all from God can bring nothing to him which was not his before and came from him Partly because there is a contrary Merit an ill-deserving upon us for which he might deny us any farther Mercies Psalm 25. 8. Good and upright is the Lord and therefore he will teach sinners in the way If the Sinner be weary of his wandring and would be directed of the Lord for the time to come God is upright he will not mislead us and he is good will readily lead us in a right Path. Sin shall not obstruct our Mercies and therefore must not keep the penitent supplicant back from confidence to be heard in his Prayer when he would be directed in the ready way to Happiness You would fain be reduced to a good Life after all your straying humbly lay your selves at God's feet 1 Kings 20. 31. We have heard that the Kings of the house of Israel are mercifull Kings let us I pray thee put sackcloath on our Loins and ropes upon our Heads and go out to the King of Israel peradventure he will save thy life If God were most tenacious we have cause to beat his Ears continually with our Suits and Supplications such is our want but he is good and ready to guide poor Creatures nay he is mercifull and former Sins shall be no obstruction to us if at length we are willing to return to our Duty IV. Prop. The universal Experience of the World possesseth all mens minds with this apprehension that God is a mercifull God The Earth O Lord is full of thy Mercy the World and every thing therein sets forth his Goodness to us The same is said in other places Psalm 33. 5. The Earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. If Earth what is Heaven Psalm 145. 9. His tender Mercy is over all his works 1. Let us see that every Creature is a Monument and Witness of God's Mercy and Goodness things animate and inanimate the Heavens and Earth and all things contained therein declare that there is a powerfull wise and good God There is no part of the World that we can set our Eyes upon but it speaketh Praise to God and the thoughts of his Bounty to the Creatures especially to Man for all things were either subjected to Man's dominion or created for his use and benefit If we look to the Heavens all serveth for the use and benefit of Mankind Psalm 8. 3 4. When I consider thy Heavens the work of thy fingers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained What is man that thou
stedfast in his Covenant Many have a little forced Religion in their Extremities but it weareth off with their Trouble Sin is but suspended for a while and the Devil chained up they are very good under the Rod they are frighted to it but after the Deliverance cometh the more prophane It is true many may begin with God in their Troubles and their Necessities drive them to the Throne of Grace and Christ had never heard of many if Feavours and Palsies and Possessions and Blindness Deafness and Dumbness had not brought them unto him thanks to the Disease but if a course of Godliness begin upon these occasions and continue afterwards God will accept it He is willing to receive us upon any terms Men will say you come to me in your Extremity but he doth not upbraid us provided we will come so as to abide with him and will not turn the back upon him when our turn is served if you doe so take heed God hath other Judgments to reach you as Iohn said Matth. 3. 11 12. He that cometh after me is mightier than I whose shoos I am not worthy to bear He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire Whose fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into the garner but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire So that which cometh after is mightier than that which went before the last Judgment is the heaviest The Ax is laid to the root of the Tree therefore every Tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire Matth. 3. 10. He will not onely lop off the Branches but strike at the Root as the Sodomites that escaped the Sword of Chedorlaomer perished by Fire from Heaven The Israelites that were not drowned in the Red Sea were stung to death by Fiery Serpents As if a man did flee from a Lyon and a Bear met him or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall and a Serpent bit him Amos 5. 19. When you avoid one Judgment you may meet another and find a stroke where you think your selves most secure Use 1. Let us consider these things that we may profit by all the Chastenings of the Lord. It is now a time of Affliction both as to publick Judgments and as to the private Condition of many of the People of God we have been long straying from God from our Duty from one another it was high time for the Lord to take his Rod in his hand and to scourge us home again Upon these Three Nations there is somewhat of God's Three great Judgments War Pestilence and Famine they are all dreadfull The Pestilence is such a Judgment as turneth Populous Cities into Desers and Solitudes in a short time then one cannot help another Riches and Honour profit nothing then and Friends and Kinsfolks stand afar off Many die without any spiritual Helps In War what Destructions and Slaughters expence of Bloud and Treasure In Famine you feel your selves to die without a Disease know not where to have fuel to allay and feed the fire which Nature hath kindled in your Bodies But blessed be God all these are in moderation Pestilence doth not ragingly spread the War is at a distance the Famine onely a scarcity Before God stirreth up all his Wrath he observeth what we doe with these beginnings Besides the People of God are involved in an heap of Miseries on all hands the oppressed dejected Party burthened with jealousies and ready to be haled to Prison and put under restraint Holy men sometimes have personal Afflictions added to the publick Calamities Ieremy was cast into the Dungeon when the City was besieged The Chaff and Grain both are threshed together but the Grain is besides ground in the Mill and baked in the Oven Besides who thinks of his strayings and returning with a more severe Resolution to his Duty If we would profit by Afflictions we must avoid both the faulty extreams Heb. 12. 5. My Son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him Slighting and Fainting must be avoided 1. Let us not slight them When we bear them with a stupid senseless mind surely that hindereth all Profit None can endure to have their Anger despised no more than their Love a Father is displeased when his Child slights his Correction That we may not slight it let us consider 1. Their Authour God We think them fortuitous from chance but they do not rise out of the dust Job 5. 6. Whoever be the Instruments or whatever be the means the Wise God hath the whole ordering of it He is the first Cause He is to be sought to He is to be appeased if we would stop Evil at the Fountain head for all Creatures willingly or unwillingly obey him and are subject to his Empire and Government Amos 3. 6. Is there any evil in the City and I have not done it saith the Lord Isa. 45. 7. I form the Light and create Darkness I make Peace and create Evil I the Lord doe all these things Job 1. 21. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away 2. The meritorious Cause is Sin Lamentat 3. 39. Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his Sin that first brought Mischief into the World and still continueth it God never afflicts without a cause either we need it or we deserve it Micah 7. 9. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him untill he plead my cause and execute Iudgment for me he will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his Righteousness We should search for the particular Sins that provoke God to afflict us for while we onely speak of Sin in general we do but inveigh against a Notion and personate a Mourning but those we can charge upon our selves are most proper and powerfull to break the heart 3. The end is our Repentance and Amendment to correct Sin past or prevent Sin to come 1. For Correction to make us more penitent for Sin past We being in a lower sphere of understanding know things better by their Effects than their Nature Ier. 2. 19. Thine own wickedness shall correct thee and thy backslidings shall reprove thee know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and that my fear is not in thee saith the Lord of Hosts Moral Evil is represented to us by natural Evil Pain sheweth what Sin is 2. For prevention of Sin for time to come The Smart should make us cautious and watchfull against Sin Ioshua 22. 17 18. Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us from which we are not cleansed to this day although there was a Plague in the Congregation of the Lord but that ye must turn away this day from following the Lord And it will be seeing ye rebel to
day against the Lord that to morrow he will be wroth with the whole Congregation of Israel Afflictions also should stir up in us heavenly Thoughts heavenly Desires and more lively diligence in the exercise of those Graces which before lay dormant in us through our neglect Onely I must tell you that sometimes the Affliction may be merely for prevention and may goe before Sin God hath always a Cause but he doth not always suppose a fault in act but sometimes in possibility looking into thy Actions or thy Temper what thou hast done or wouldst doe to cure or prevent a distemper in thy Spirit as well as a disorder in thy Conversation 2. Let us not faint When the Afflictions sit close and near then we are apt to fall into the other extream to be dejected out of measure An over-sense worketh on our Anger and then it is Fretting or on our Sorrow and then it is Fainting The former is the worse of the two for that is to set up an Anti-Providence or a being displeased with God's Government a practical disowning of his Greatness and Justice all men will acknowledge God is great yet what Worm is there will submit to him any further than themselves please We say we deserve nothing but evil from his hands but yet are madded like wild Bulls in a Net when the Goad is in our Sides We say any other Cross but this We do not dislike Trial but this Trial that is upon us God thought this fittest for us our murmuring will not ease our trouble but increase and continue it Certainly without submission Troubles will doe us no good Patience worketh Experience Rom. 5. 4. Fainting properly so taken is when we look upon God's Work through a false Glass and misexpound his Dispensation God puts forth his hand not to thrust us off but pull us to himself Hosea 5. 15. I will goe and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face in their Affliction they will seek me early The very Affliction giveth us hope that he will not let us goe on securely in our Sins It is not our being afflicted and made miserable by trouble which God aimeth at Lament 3. 33. He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the Children of Men. Nor is it that which we should chiefly be affected with under Afflictions We should mind another Lesson taught by it which if we neglect our sense of Trouble will be but perplexing It is to subdue Sin to make us more mindfull of heavenly Things to have our hearts humbled No Affliction should be counted intolerable which helpeth to purge our Sin We evidence our love to Sin if we are overmuch troubled at it or peevishly quarrel with God Fainting sheweth our weakness Prov. 24. 10. If thou faint in the day of adversity thy strength is small Use 2. Something concerning the Profit of it value it observe it 1. Value it What do you count a Profit or Benefit to slow in Wealth or excel in Grace to live in Ease or to be kept in a holy heavenly and humble Frame Heb. 12. 10. For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness Not that we might have the Pelf of this World but that we might be partakers of his Holiness it is better to have Holiness than to have Health Wealth and Honour the sanctification of an Affliction is better than to have deliverance out of it Deliverance taketh away malum naturale some penal Evil which God bringeth upon us Sanctification malum morale the greatest Evil which is Sin I am sure this is that which we should look after Deliverance is God's Work the Improvement of the Trouble is our Duty do you mind your Work and God will not be wanting to doe his Part. 2. Observe it and see how the Rod worketh what Thoughts it begets in you what Resolutions it stirreth up what Solaces you run to and seek after to this end 1. In what temper and frame of heart you were when the Affliction surprized you Usually Affliction treadeth upon the heels of some Sin if it be open and in our practice it discovereth it self if secret and in the frame of our hearts it must be searched after Usually it is some slightness and carelesness of spiritual and heavenly Things your hearts were grown in love with the World you began to neglect your Souls grew more cold in the Love of God more formal in Prayer and indifferent as to your spiritual Estate you did not watch over your hearts therefore the holy and jealous God cometh and awakeneth you by his smarting Scourge the foregoing Distemper observed will help you to state your Profit 2. How that is cured by God's Discipline or what benefit you have gotten by it You are more diligent in your Duty carefull in your Preparations for a better State A Christian should be able to give an account of the Methods by which God bringeth him to Heaven David could give an account as here Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy Word and verse 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy Statutes not good that I should be as accepting the Punishment but that I have been as owning the Profit SERMON LXXVII PSAL. CXIX 68. Thou art good and dost good teach me thy Statutes THE Psalmist in the first Verse of this Portion had expressed himself in a way of Thankfulness to God for his Goodness verse 65. then interrupteth his Thanksgiving a little and beggeth the continuance of the same Goodness verse 66. and after that returneth again to shew how this good came by means of Affliction vers 67. and therefore once more praiseth God for his Goodness and reneweth his Suite God is ever good to his People but most sensibly they have proof of it in their Afflictions when to appearance he seemeth to deale hardly with them yet all that while he doth them good Sanctification of Afflictions is a greater mercy than deliverance out of them We may learn our Duty by the Discipline of a smart Rod Thou dealest well with thy Servant For Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy Word And then he falleth into Thanksgiving and Prayer again Thou art good and dost good teach me thy Statutes Here is 1. A Compellation and Confession of God's Goodness both in his Nature and Actions 2. A Petition for Grace Teach me thy Statutes First The Compellation used to God Thou art good and dost good Divers have been the glosses of Interpreters upon these Words Aben Ezra bonus est non petenti benefacit petenti thou art good to them that ask not but surely dost good to them that ask Others Thou art good in this World dost good in the World to come Others better God is good of himself and doth good to us Goodness
that are comfortable though they have things sparingly though they have of the meanest yet they have that which is good for them So Psalm 84. 11. No good thing will he withhold He may keep us low and bare feed us Cibo extemporali as Lactantius but that is good for us If it were good for us to have larger revenues and incomes we should not want them The true and absolute ground of all submission is to think that which God sendeth is good be it prosperity or adversity the having or wanting Children or other comforts 2. The next measure is this that Good is to be determined by its respect to the chief Good or true Happiness Now what is our chief Happiness but the Injoyment of God Our Happiness doth not consist in outward comforts Riches Health Honour civil Liberty or comfortable Relations as Husband Wife Children but in our Relation to and Acceptance with God other things are but additional Appendages to our Happiness Matth. 6. 33. Affliction taketh nothing from our Essential solid Happiness rather helpeth us in the Enjoyment of it as it increaseth Grace and Holiness and so we injoy God more surely That is Good that sets us nearer to God and that is Evil which separateth us from him therefore Sin is Evil because it maketh an estrangement between us and God Isa. 59. 2. But Affliction is good because many times it maketh us the more earnestly to seek after him Hosea 5. 16. In their Afflictions they will seek me right early Therefore every Condition is Good or Evil as it sets farther off or draweth us nearer to God that is Good that tendeth to make us better more like unto God capable of Communion with him conduceth to our everlasting Happiness So It is good that a man â—…ear the Yoke from his Touth Lam. 3. 27. that he be trained up under the Cross in a constant obedience to God and subjection to him and so be fitted to entertain Communion with him In Afflictions conduce to this end they are good for then they help us to â—…joy the chief Good 3. That Good is not always the Good of the flesh or the Good oâ—… outward prosperity and therefore the Good of our condition is not to be determinâ—… by the interest or the Flesh but the welfare of our Souls If God should bestow upon us so much of the Good of the outward and animal life as we desire we could not be said to be in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…tion if he should deny us Good Spiritual We should lose one half of the 〈◊〉 of the Coâ—…nt by doating upon and falling in love with the rest the flesh is importâ—… to be pâ—…sed but God will not serve our carnal turns We are more concerned as a Soul 〈◊〉 a Body Heb. 12. 10. He verily for our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness Certain it is God will chasten us for our Profit What do we call Profit the good things of this world the great Mammon which so many worship if we call it so God will not he meaneth to impart to us Spiritual and Divine Benefit which is a participation of his own Holiness And truly the People of God if they be in their right temper value themselves not by their outward Injoyments but their inward by their improvement of Grace not the injoyment of worldly Comforts 2 Cor. 4. 16. For this cause we faint not but though our outward mâ—…n perish our inward man is renewed day by day A discerning Christian puts more value upon Holiness wrought by Affliction than upon all his Comforts So that though Affliction be Evil in it self 't is good as sanctified 4. A particular Good must give way to a general Good and our personall benefit to the advancement of Christ's Kingdome The good of the Church must be preferred before our personal contentment Paul could want the Glory of Heaven for a while if his continuance in the Flesh were needfull for the Saints Phil. 7. 24. To abide in the Flesh is more needfull for you We must not so desire Good to our selves as to hinder the Good of others All Elements will act contrary to their particular for the conservation of the Universe That may be Good for the Glory of God which is not Good for our personal contentment and ease Now the Glory of God is our greatest Interest if it be for the Glory of God that I should be in pain bereft of my comforts my sanctified subjection to the will of God must say 't is Good Iohn 12. 27 28. there you have expressed the innocent inclination of Christ's humane Nature Father save me from this hour and the overrulling sense of his duty or the obligation of his office but for this cause came I to this hour We are often tossed and tumbled between inclination of Nature and conscience of Duty but in a gracious Heart the sense of our duty and the desire of glorifying God should prevail above the desire of our own Comfort Ease and Safety and Welfare Nature would be rid of trouble but grace submits all our interests to God's honour which should be dearer to us than any thing else 5. This Good is not to be determined by present feeling but by the Judgment of Faith Affliction for the present is not pleasant to natural sense nor for the present is the fruit evident to spiritual sense but 't is good because in the issue it turneth to good Rom. 8. 28. All things work together for good While God is striking we feel the grief and the Cross is tedious but when we see the end we acknowledge 't is good to be afflicted Heb. 12. 11. No affliction for the present seemeth joyous but grievous but afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness A good present is the cause of joy and an evil present is the cause of sorrow but there are two terms of abatement the sorrow is from the present sense and the conceit of the sufferer When we are but newly under the Affliction we feel the smart but do not presently find the benefit but within a while especially in the review 't is Good for me 't is matter of Faith under the Affliction 't is matter of sense after it Good Physick must have time to work that which is not good may be good though it be not good in its nature 't is good in its seasonable use and though for the present we see it not we shall see it Therefore Good is not to be determined by seeling but by Faith The Rod is a sore thing for the present but the bitter root will yield sweet fruit If we come to a person under the Cross and ask him what is it good to feel the lashes of God's correcting Hand to be kept poor and sickly exercised with Losses and Reproaches to part with Friends and Relations to lose a beloved Child sense will complain But this poor Creature after he hath been Exercised and Mortified and gotten
Children then we have other thoughts 'T is more easy to speak of Trouble than to bear it We reade of Iesus Christ that he learned by experience Heb. 5. 8. He had an actual experience by the things he suffered and he saith now is my soul troubled John 12. 27. There is a vast difference between the most exact apprehension in the Judgment and the experimental feeling of it in the Senses the one may be without so much vexation as the other will produce Though Christ understood perfectly what his Sufferings should be and had resolved upon them yet when he came to feel it his very righteous Soul was under perplexity as a glass of pure Water may be tossed and shaken Affliction is another thing to present sense and feeling than it is to guess and imagination Much more doth it hold good in us for we have not such a perfect foresight of Sufferings as Christ had We suppose they may be avoided or shifted off one way or other I speak this that we may not depend upon our present Resolutions when out of trouble but labour to be more prepared than usually we are that when trouble cometh upon us we may glorify God Consider 3. This acknowledgment must be the real language of our Hearts and not by word of mouth onely thus we must give unto God the praise of his Truth and Righteousness We tip our Tongues with good words and learn such modesty in our language as to say God is just and do not rave against his Providence in wild and bold Speeches but justice and faithfulness must be acknowledged not with the Tongue so much as with the Heart 'T is the language of the Heart which God looketh after When the Soul keepeth silence to God and a due and suitable impression is left upon it of his Justice by a meek and humble submission Mica 7. 9. I will bear the indignation of the Lord for I have sinned against him When God is angry and chastiseth for sin we must stoop humbly under his afflicting Hand bear it patiently and submissively for the Rod is dipped in our own guilt that stoppeth our Mouths and checketh repinings so seeing his faithfulness it maketh us accept the punishment of our iniquities Levit. 26. 41. that is yield to it as a man would to a bitter Potion or a medicinal preparative for his Health so to afflict is as a means to get rid of Sin which would be the bane of the Soul Consider 4. 'T is not enough to acknowledge justice but we must also acknowledge faithfulness not onely his just severity in the punishments of the Wicked but his fidelity and love in the correction of his Children 't is not enough that we justify God and forbear to murmur against his afflicting us but we must see his love and faithfulness in it and that he performeth his Covenant-love His Wisdome and Justice that suppresseth Murmurings his Love and Faithfulness that giveth Hope and Comfort and Courage the one concerneth the Honour of God he righteth himself by his just Judgments the other concerneth our benefit and eternal Welfare Faithfulness is to us and for our good Pharaoh could own Justice Exod. 9. 27. The Lord is righteous but I and my people are wicked But 't is an higher thing to own Faithfulness that supposeth Faith as the other doth Conviction Guilt will sooner fly in our faces and extort from us an acknowledgement of God's Justice than we can own the grace of the New Covenant especially when carnal sense and smart seemeth to speak the contrary The sight of his Justice checketh murmurings the sight of his Faithfulness fainting and discouragement God's Dispensations are just with respect to the Sentence of the Law faithfull with respect to the Promises of the Gospel in short the cause of all Affliction is Sin therefore Justice must be acknowledged their end is Repentance and therefore Faithfulness the end is not destruction and ruine so they might be acts of Justice as upon the Wicked but that we may be fit to receive the Promises such to whom God will perform the promise of eternal Life and so acts of Faithfulness Consider 5. Faith must fix this as a ground not once to be questioned much less to be doubted of or denied that God is just upright and faithfull in all his dealings though weak Man be not able to conceive the reasons of them His Justice may be dark as when he permitteth us to the will of wicked men who afflict us without a cause and lay on without any mercy and pity and God seemeth to befriend their Cause at least doth not restrain them nor give check to their fury we are apt to be tempted to thoughts of rigour and injustice in God's Dispensations but we must consider not mens dealing but God's 't is unjust as to men but we have no cause to be angry with God and complain of God as if he did not doe right No though we do not see the reason of it yet 't is just God's Iudgments are a great deep we should believe the Righteousness and Goodness of God in the general Psal. 36. 7. before we can find it out The People of God have maintained their Principle when they have been puzled and imbrangled in interpreting God's Providence Ier. 12. 1. Righteous art thou O Lord when I plead with thee and Psal. 73. 1. Yet God is good to Israel In all such cases 't is best to acknowledge our own ignorance and rather accuse our selves of blindness than God of injustice This is a fixed truth that God is righteous though we cannot so clearly make it out And sometimes we are tempted to doubt of his Fidelity and Truth when we feel nothing but the smart of the Rod the benefit is future not an object of Sense but Faith and it must be evident to Faith before 't is evident to Feeling Heb. 12. 11. No affliction for the present seemeth joyous but grievous but afterwards it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousness When all is sharp and hard to Sense Faith can see all is for our profit for our good Here is nothing repugnant to God's Truth nothing but what is necessary to make good his Truth Faith must determine it to be when Sense will not find it so God's Works are misexpounded when we go altogether by present Sense whether internal or external many times we know not what God is about to doe as Christ told Peter John 13. 7. What I doe thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter That which the Lord is doing tendeth not to ruine and wrath though through our ignorance and mistake we so interpret it Alas no wonder we are in the dark when we so judge of his Work who is wonderfull in counsel and excellent in working who will not always satisfy our sense and curiosity but chooseth such a way as will most suit his intent But ever in all such cases Faith must determine that God is
as the little ones were able to bear so when the Temptation continued is like to doe us hurt either God will remove it 2 Thess. 3. 3. Faithfull is the Lord who will establish and keep you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the evil the persecutions of unreasonable men are there intended or else support them under it 2 Cor. 12. 9. My grace is sufficient for thee Use 1. Is to check and reprove divers evils which are apt to grow upon our Spirits in our Troubles 1. Murmuring and repining thoughts against God's Providence Why should we murmur and complain since we justly suffer what we suffer and 't is the Lord's condescention that he will make some good use of these Sufferings to our eternal Happiness that we may be capable of everlasting Consolation His Justice should stop Murmurings Lament 3. 39. Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins If he complain he can complain of none but himself that evil choice he hath made for his own Soul which it may be he would never have thought of but upon this occasion His Punishment here carrieth no proportion with his Offence 't is Punishment in the singular number Sins in the plural one Punishment for many acts of Sin and a living man on this side Hell what 's this to everlasting Torments Life cannot be without many Blessings to accompany it while living we may see an end of this misery or have time to escape those eternal Torments which are far worse The form of the words sheweth why we should thus expostulate with our selves Wherefore doth a living man complain why do we complain God hath not cut us off from the land of the living nor cast us into Hell 't is the punishment of Sin and 't is far less than we have deserved Again the Faithfulness of God checketh Murmurings God knoweth what way to take with us to bring us to glory therefore trust your selves in God's hands and let him take his own methods Commit your souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithfull Creatour 1 Pet. 4. 19. He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he is a Creatour he doth not love to destroy the work of his hands as he is faithfull in his Covenant he will take the best and safest course to bring you to Heaven 2. Let it check immoderate sorrow and uncomely dejection of spirit he is just in the Afflictions of his People but yet so that he is also faithfull he is a Father when he beateth and indulgeth when he smiles and when he frowns Afflictions do not make void our Adoption they rather increase our confidence of it Heb. 12. 5. Whatever we doe upon other reasons we should not suspect his Love because of our Afflictions God's strokes do not make void his Promises nor doth he retract his gift of Pardon when he chastiseth Mere Crosses and Troubles are not an argument of God's Displeasure but acts of his Faithfulness so that we have reason to give thanks for his Discipline rather than question his Love In the book of Iob 't is made a mark of his Love as in those words which are so frequent Iob 7. 17 18. Lord What is man that thou art mindfull of him that thou chastisest him every morning and tryest him every moment We are not onely beneath his Anger but unworthy of his Care as if a Prince should take upon him to forme the manners of a Beggers Child 't is a condescension that the great God should deal with us and suit his Providences for our good 3. This should check our fears and cares his Judgments are right and full of faithfulness he will bear us through all our Tryals and make an advantage of them and perfect that Grace which he hath begun and finally bring us to eternal Glory The Lords faithfulness in keeping Promises is often propounded as a strong Pillar of the Saints Confidence 1 Cor. 1. 9. Faithfull is God by whom ye are called 1 Thess. 5. 24. Faithfull is he that calleth you who also will doe it He dispenseth all things with respect to our eternal welfare But I am afraid of my self I have provoked the Lord to leave me to my self but the Lord will pardon weaknesses when they are confessed 1 Iohn 1. 9. If we confess our sins he is just and faithfull to forgive them speaking to reconciled Believers and when we fall the Lord hath ways and means to raise us up again that we perish not by checks of Conscience 2 Sam. 24. 10. And David's heart smote him when he had numbred the people Psal. 119. 59. I thought on my ways c. by the Word as Nathan roused up David Thou art the man God that foresaw all things hath ordered them so that nothing shall cross his eternal Purpose and Promise made to us in Christ. Use 2. Let us acknowledge God's Justice and Faithfulness in all things that befall us for Motives consider 1. 'T is much for the honour of God Psal. 51. 4. that under the Cross we should have good thoughts of God and clear him in all that he saith and doth see love in his rebukes 2. 'T is for our profit 't is the best way to obtain Grace to bear Afflictions or to get deliverance out of them When God hath humbled his People exercised their Grace he will restore to them their wonted Priviledges he waiteth for the Creatures humbling Levit. 26. 41 42. For means 1. You must be one in Covenant with God for to them the Dispensations of God come marked not onely with Justice as to all but Faithfulness Psal. 25. 10. All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth to them that keep his Covenant 2. You must examine your selves the Lord complains of the neglect of this that when they were in Affliction they would not consider Ier. 8. 6. No man said What have I done If you would consider you would see cause enough to justify God Lament 3. 39 40. Wherefore doth a living man complain Let us search and try our ways and turn to the Lord. 3. You must observe Providence and your hearts must be awake and attend to it Psal. 107. 43. Whoso is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord. Eccles. 7. 14. In the day of adversity consider 4. You must be such as value not your happiness by the increase or decrease of worldly Comforts but by the increase or decrease of Grace in your Souls 2 Cor. 4. 16. For this cause we faint not because though our outward man perish yet our inward man is renewed day by day If you value your selves by your outward Condition you will still be imbrangled you should more highly esteem of and be more solicitous about the welfare of your Souls in a time of Affliction than of all things else in the world and you will more easily submit and more wisely consider of his doing and the better understand
your Interest When the main care is about your Souls you will value other losses the less as long as your Jewel is in safe hands 5. You must resign your Souls to God intirely without exception refer your selves to his Methods and let him take his own way to bring you to everlasting Glory When you do with quietness of heart put your Selves into God's hands as being perswaded of his Love and Faithfulness you will be the sooner satisfied in God's Providence seeing he doth all things well The Apostle bids them 1 Pet. 4. 19. Put your souls in Christ's hands and hold on your duty with courage and confidence chearfully and constantly You have no reason to doubt but Christ will take the custody and charge of the Soul that is committed to him 1 Tim. 1. 12. I know whom I have believed that he is able to keep that I have committed to him Venture your Souls in this bottom he hath power to keep it he hath pawned his Faithfulness in the Promise SERMON LXXXIV PSAL. CXIX 76. Let I pray thee thy mercifull kindness be for my comfort according to thy word unto thy Servant IN the foregoing Verse he had acknowledged that God had afflicted him and now he prayeth that God would comfort him The same hand that woundeth must heale and from whom we have our Affliction we must have our Comfort Hosea 6. 1. Come let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn and he will heale us he hath smitten and he will binde us up Affliction it is God's judicial Act a kind of putting the Creature in Prison which being done by the supream Judge who hath an absolute power to save and to destroy to ruine or pardon there is no breaking Prison or getting out without his leave He doth there not onely speak of Affliction but of the Justice and Faithfulness which God shewed in it 1. Justice Those that humbly confess the justice of his stroaks may with the more confidence implore his Mercy Judgement hath done its work when the Creature is humble and penitent There lieth an appeal then from the Tribunal of his Justice to the Throne of his Grace Though our Sins deserve Affliction yet there is Comfort in the mercifull Nature of God and the Promises of the Gospel David first acknowledgeth that he was justly afflicted and then he flyeth to Mercy and beggeth Comfort 2. He observeth also a Faithfulness in all God's Dispensations he doth not afflict his Children to destroy them but to prepare them for the greater Comfort As one of his Children and Servants David sueth out his priviledge God that is just and true will also be kind and mercifull To have Judgement without Mercy and Desolation without Consolation is the Portion of the Wicked but Lord saith he I am thy Servant Therefore I pray thee let thy mercifull kindness be for my comfort So that you see this Request is fitly grafted upon the former Acknowledgment In it observe 1. The original Cause of all the good which we expect Thy mercifull loving kindness 2. The Effect now sued for be for my comfort or to comfort me 3. The Instrument or means of obtaining it which is double 1. On God's part The Word According to thy Word 2. On our part Prayer Let I pray thee 1. In the Word there is the relief discovered and offered and thereby we are incouraged and assured 2. On our part there is Prayer In which we act Faith and spiritual Desire 3. We have hope given in the Word and we sue it out by Prayer 4. The Subject capacitated to receive this effect from that Cause in this order Thy Servant Doct. That the people of God have liberty and much incouragement from God's mercifull Nature and Promises to ask comfort in their Afflictions This Point will be best discussed by going over the parts and branches of the Text as they have been laid forth to you 1. The primary and principal cause of all Comfort is the mercifull kindness of God We reade in the 2 Cor. 1. 3. That he is the Father of Mercies and then it presently followeth That he is the God of all Comfort The remedy of all our Evils lyeth in the Mercy of God And his Kindness and Goodness is the Fountain of all our Blessedness I shall inquire 1. What his mercifull kindness is 2. What special incouragement this is to the People of God First What his mercifull kindness is you see here is a compound Word which importeth both his pity and his bounty Here is mercifulness and kindness mentioned First His mercifulness Mercy hath its name from misery Misericordia is nothing else but the laying of the misery of others to heart with intention of affording them relief and succour In God it noteth his readiness to do good to the miserable notwithstanding Sin The motion cometh from within from his own Breast and Bowels For our God is pitifull and of tender mercy James 5. 11. and the act of it is extended and reached out unto the Creature in seasonable relief For the Throne of Grace was erected for this purpose Heb. 4. 11. Two things there are in mercy First A propension and inclination to commiserate the afflicted Secondly A ready relief and succour of them according to our power affectus effectus First There is a compassion or a being affected with the misery of others This properly cannot be in God in whom as there is no passion so strictly speaking there is no compassion yet something Analagous there is a taking notice of our misery Something like a pity arising in his heart upon the sight of it which the Scripture frequently ascribeth to God and we can best understand as we consider the Divine perfections shining forth in the humane nature of Christ. Exod. 2. 24. He heard their groaning and Isa. 63. 4. In all their afflictions he was afflicted Judges 10. 16. His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel Forms of Speech taken from the manner of men who use to be thus affected when they see a miserable object God in his simple and perfect Nature cannot be said either to joy or grieve but he carrieth himself as one thus affected Or these expressions were laid in aforehand to suit with the Divine perfections as manifested in Christ who is touched with a feeling of our infirmities Secondly Mercy noteth the actual exhibition of help and relief to the miserable When his people cry to him he runneth to the cry Psal. 78. 38. He being full of compassion forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not yea many a time turned he his anger away and did not stir up all his wrath Mark there Gods forgiving the iniquity was not inflicting the temporal punishment or destroying the sinner presently the cause of all was not any good in the sinner but pity in God that moved him to spare them for the time So he doth sometimes for those that cry to him but in a natural manner as a
upon God Job 13. 15. Though he slay me yet will I trust in him And Psal. 23. 4. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me thy rod and thy staff they comfort me Many of his Children are reduced to great straits there may be no meal in the Barrel nor oil in the Cruse before God helpeth them There may be many mouths to eat little Food Iohn 6. 5 6. when there was a great deal of company and little provision Christ asketh one of his Disciples Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat And this he said to prove him for he himself knew what he would do So many a poor Believer is put to it Children increase Trading groweth dead Supplies fail What shall they do They pray and God giveth no answer This he doth to prove them 'T is a strong Faith which can hold out in such straits and difficulties 2dly To awaken our Importunity Luke 18. 1. And he spake a parable to them to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint compared with Luke 11. 8. with the Parable ensuing So again an instance in the Woman of Canaan she turneth discouragements into arguments When Christ said It is not meet to take the childrens bread and to cast it to dogs She said Truth Lord yet the dogs eat of the crums which fall from their masters table Mat. 15. 26 27. So the blind men Mat. 20. 31. the more they were rebuked cryed the more rather than his People shall neglect Prayer or grow formal in it God will cast them into great Afflictions as Christ suffereth the Storm to continue till the Ship was almost overwhelmed that his Disciples might awaken him Mat. 8. 25. 3dly To make us sensible of our weakness as Paul 2 Cor. 1. 9. But we had the sentence of death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead We are much given to self-confidence therefore God will break it and e're he hath done with us make us trust in him alone There is a twofold strength Natural and Spiritual 1. Natural which ariseth from that Courage that is in Man as he is a reasonable Creature This will hold out till all probabilities be spent Prov. 18. 14. The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity but a wounded spirit who can bear Till a Man be struck at the heart his reason will support him 2. Spiritual Faith Hope Patience These may be spent when the Affliction is deep and pressing and God's help is long delay'd Faith is the strength of the Soul as Faith decayeth or is tired the Soul faints Faith may be damped and give up our case for gone Psal. 116. 11. Psal. 31. 22. They throw up all and think it is in vain to wait any longer Thus will God discover our weakness to our selves the weakness of our Reason the weakness of our Faith I remember Solomon saith Prov. 34. 10. If thou faintest in adversity thy strength is small Grievous or long Afflictions discover our strength or weakness Some are of a poor spirit give up at first assault before their strength faileth them before the probabilities which Sense and Reason offereth are spent They are lazy and love their ease Some are negligent do not make use of the helps of Faith but when evils continue long and sit close the strongest Faith is seen to be too weak God by this will humble us 4thly God doth this for his own glory and that his work may be the more remarkable and conspicuous John 12. 6 7. Iesus loved Lazarus and when he heard that he was sick he abode two days still in the same place where he was Little love in that you will say a Man would hasten to his dying Friend Christ may dearly love his own and yet delay to help them even in their extremity till the fit time come wherein the mercy may be the more conspicuous 'T is said Eccles. 3. 11. God hath made every thing beautiful in his time Before its time God's work seemeth harsh and rough as a Statue when it is first hewn out but in its time t is a curious piece of workmanship God in his own time and way knoweth best how to comfort his People 2. 'T is the Devil's design to tire and weary out the People of God and therefore stirreth up all his malice against us Luke 22. 31 32. Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not The Devil if he might have the shaking of us and liberty to do his worst he would drive us from the faith of Christ and all hopes by him 3. Men are unreasonable in their oppositions and will not relent nor abate any thing of their rigor Zech. 1. 15. I was a litte displeased and they helped forward the affliction They are still adding to the Churches trouble and would destroy those whom God would only correct and purge as the Slave layeth on unmercifully Till God restrain it their wrath never ceaseth Well then 1 USE Let it not seem strange to us That Godly Men in their Afflictions though they flie to God and implore his Mercy are not presently delivered nor always at the first instance God hath many discoveries to make much work to do Would you have Faith rewarded before it be tryed or the beautiful frame and link of causes disturbed for your sakes Faith is not tryed to purpose till the thing we believe is not seen nor have any probability that ever we shall see it yea till we see nothing but the contrary and hope against hope we must stay till the mercy be ready for us and we ready for it an hungry Stomach would have the Meat e're it be roasted our times are always present with us when God's time is not come 2. Let us prepare for grievous and tedious Sufferings We would turn over our hard Lesson before we have sufficiently learned it we love the case of the flesh would have no Cross or a very short one Things will not be so soon or so suddenly effected as we imagine We make greater provision for a long Voyage We should be strengthned to long-suffering Col. 1. 11. as for all sort of Crosses so for long and tedious Crosses 3. If our Affliction be long observe your carriage under it Doth Faith and Hope keep you alive still Heb. 6. 12. Be not slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises Do you keep up your prayerful affections Rom. 12. 12. Continue instant in prayer We pray as Men out of heart for fashions sake and with little life rather satisfying our Consciences than expressing our hope and confidence A damp on the Spirit of Prayer is an ill Presage Can you love God though you be not feasted with Self-comforts and present Benefits
Isa. 26. 8. Yea in the way of thy judgments O Lord have we waited for thee c. Our affections are bribed when desired comforts are presently obtained God will see if we purely love him 4. For a close to this Point Our Sufferings are like to be long I speak not as determining but to awaken a Spirit of Prayer that they may be shortned when Christ made as if he would go farther they constrained him to tarry Luke 24. 28 29. These are sad symptoms of it First When Reformation is rejected and Corruptions are setling again upon their own Base Hos. 7. 1. When I would have healed Israel then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered c. Ezek. 24. 13. In thy filthiness is lewdness because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee This Crime is not only chargeable on them who opposed the Reformation but on those who by multiplied Scandals dishonoured the Cause of God Instance in Papists in Queen Maries time who got in by fraud and violence not by miscarriage of the Protestants Then 't was sharp 〈◊〉 short ours is like to be tedious and long 2dly When our Deliverance is liâ—…ly to prove a mischief and a misery when we are not prepared to receive it God will not give us things for our hurt And we may fear as much from our Brethren our mutual bickerings as from Enemies when God promises Restauration he promiseth Unity Zeph. 3. 9. For then will I turn to the people a pure language that they may call upon the Name of the Lord to serve him with one consent Zech. 14. 9. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth in that day shall there be one Lord and his Name one The Dog is let loose when the Sheep scatter 3dly When there is a damp upon the Spirit of Prayer and Men give over seeking to God for deliverance as an hopeless thing God is near when the Spirit of Prayer is revived Ezek. 36. 37. Thus saith the Lord God I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them I will increase them with men like a flock And Jer. 29. 12 13. Then shall ye call upon me and ye shall go and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you And ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart Dan. 9. 19 â—…0 and Psal. 10. 17. Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear Et passim Alibi 4thly When God is upon his Judicial Process and there is not any course taken to reconcile our selves to him God hath been judging his People judging the Nation wherein they live Judgment began at the House of God what notable Humiliation and Reformation hath it produced there There is God's whole work to be done upon Mount Sion If. 10. 12. What fruit of all those terrible Judgments Incorrigibleness sheweth our Stripes will be many our Judgments long 5. When Dispensations tend to the removing of the Candlestick or look very like it Rev. 2. 5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick cut of his place except thou repent That is done either by destroying Judgments taking away the subject matter of the Church or by their own Apostasie and spiritual Fornication or sad Errors and Confusions ill treatment of God's People opposing his Interests by his Enemies and the sinful Miscarriages and Apostasies of professing Friends will help to wear out an unthankful murmuring Generation II Doct. When Salvation is delayed or Deliverance long a coming the Soul fainteth I shall shew 1. The Nature of this Fainting 2. The Causes of Fainting 3. The Kinds of Fainting 4. The Considerations which may preserve us from Fainting 1. For the Nature of this Fainting Here we must inquire what is meant by the Fainting of the Soul Fainting is proper to the Body but here it is ascribed to the Soul as also in many other places the Apostle saith Heb. 12. 3. Lest ye be weary and faint in your minds Where two words are used Weariness and Fainting both taken from the Body-Weariness is a lesser Fainting a higher degree of deficiency in weariness the Body requireth some rest or refreshment when the active power is weakned and the vital spirits and principles of motion are dulled but in Fainting the vital power is contracted and retireth and leaveth the outward parts liveless and sensless When a Man is wearied his strength is abated when he fainteth he is quite spent These things by a Metaphor are applied to the Soul or Mind A Man is weary when the Fortitude of his Mind his moral or spiritual strength is broken or begins to abate when his Soul sits uneasie under Sufferings But when he sinketh under the burden of grievous tedious or long Affliction then he is said to faint when all the reasons and grounds of his comfort are quite spent and he can hold out no longer 2. The Causes of Fainting The Fainting of the Body may arise either from Labour Sickness and Travel or else from Hunger and Thirst. So the Fainting of the Soul is either first from the tediousness of present Pressures or 2dly from a fervent and strong desire First From the tediousness of present Sorrows and Pressures as Jer. 8. 18. When I would comfort my self against my sorrow my heart fainteth within me And why because of the length of their Afflictions ver 20. The harvest is past the summer is ended and we are not saved Sorrow doth so in vade their spirits that they are by no means able to ease themselves expectations of this side and that side are cut off they long look for help and relief but none appeareth So Lam. 1. 22. My sighs are many and my heart is faint They are overwhelmed with grief and cannot bear up with any courage 2dly It may be caused by a fervent and strong desire Psal. 84. 2. My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the courts of God Vehement desires cause a languor So 't is taken here 't is long O Lord that I have waited and attended with great desire for deliverance from thee Those who vehemently desire any thing are apt to faint Where Love is hot Desire cannot be cold The benefit of the Church liberty to serve God do strongly move the Saints yea the Spirit of God increaseth the vehemency of these motions For he maketh intercession for the saints with sighs and groans that cannot be uttered Rom. 8. 20. He concurreth to the vehemency of the desire but the fainting is from our selves from our weakness The Soul is so earnestly fixed in the expectation of God's salvation that it can no longer keep any equal tenour so that this Fainting
observing what God will do by them 2 Sam. 16. 11. Let him curse for the Lord hath bidden him God hath work for them to do to mortifie our wantonness to break our stubborn humors 2dly Because God's salvation will come in the best time and in the best way Psal. 62. 1. Truly my soul waiteth upon God from him cometh my salvation Isa. 30. 18. God is a God of judgment Blessed are they that wait for him God doth all things with wisdom and in the best manner USE How afflicted soever we be let us not seek to be delivered in a way not allowed by God nor take any sinister Courses or use any base Shifts to rid our selves out of danger This is to distrust God and to intangle our selves the more and to miscarry in a long Voyage after we are about to enter into the Port. See the Story of Saul's sacrificing in 1 Sam. 13. from the 8th verse to the 15th If he had tarried a little longer all had been well before the day was quite over Saul would sacrifice and then Samuel cometh and telleth him God had rent the Kingdom from him for his distrust and disobedience So many will forestal the Blessing IV. DOCT. Hope keepeth us alive in the midst of Faintings My soul fainteth But I hope 1. Observe here That though the Faith of God's Children seem to faint yet it doth not dye nor wholly fail Some seem greedily to catch at Promises at first but their ardor is soon spent and when it is a troublesom business to wait upon God they give it over This is the faith and hope of Temporaries but the good ground bringeth forth fruit with patienâ—…e Luke 8. 15. God's Children tarry his leisure and though now and then they are ready to faint yet they recover Their Faith Hope and Patience seemeth to be almost spent yet it is not utterly put out As David here was not broken with long and tedious difficulties though he saw no end of his miseries yet he would still depend upon God There is an abiding seed 1 Iohn 3. 8. Their state is secured by God's Covenant that there shall be no total rupture nor utter deficiency Perseverance is a condition of the New Covenant not only required but given as all conditions of the New Covenant are There is Donum Perseverantiae not only a power to persevere but Perseverance itself 2. That which keepeth our Faith from dying and sustaineth the Soul of the Faithful and keepeth life in them is the resuscitation of our hopes What doth hope to the supporting of a fainting Soul First It draweth off the mind from things present to things future and diversion is one way to cure Trouble while we pore only on our grievous Troubles they prove a temptation to us but Hope lifts up the head and looketh above these things That poring on the Affliction and Trouble causes fainting See Lament 3. 18 19 20. but remembring God's mercies and promises reviveth us The remembring the great depth of Affliction and Extremity overwhelmeth us I have them in mind continually and so am dejected but when I begin to call to mind God's infinite mercies I conceive some hope of recovery That which was remembred is in the 22 23 24 25 26 verses 2dly Hope representeth the excellency and certainty of these future things and so causeth earnestness and patience 1. The Excellency 'T is a question among Divines What is the difference between Faith and Hope because they are much of a like nature One difference is Faith looks to the truth of the Promise Hope to the goodness of the thing promised For Faith respects the person giving his fidelity and Hope the persons receiving their benefit and exciteth them to look for it 'T is something worth the looking and waiting for and such as will recompence present Troubles 2 Cor. 5. 17 18. 2. The Certainty For though it mainly comforts its self with the goodness of the thing promised yet it causeth patience in waiting because of the sureness It seeth things that cannot be seen and perceived by sense Rom. 8. 25. If we hope for that which we see not then do we with patience wait for it 'T is good and 't will not sail therefore we may and must tarry God's leisure 3. The most noble and principal object of Hope is the great Promise of Eternal Salvation This must in chief be hoped for partly because temporal salvation is not so surely promised but under sundry cautions and reservations As If it be for our good if God's glory will permit it and the beauty of his work and the many things God hath to do before the deliverance be brought about especially if it be a common salvation wherein others are concerned as well as we as if their hearts be prepared c. Partly because Christians are to be at a point of greater indifferency about outward things than the Believers of the Old Testament now life and immortality is brought to light 2 Tim. 1. 10. They were trained up by sensible things both in their worship and promises The Cross is one of our conditions Mat. 16. 24. If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me We must look for Afflictions and those not ordinary Afflictions but the loss of all or else we do not count the charges aright we must refer all to God's Will Christ may let some slip through at a cheaper and easier rate but all must resolve on it Partly because this is propounded as the great comfort Luke 12. 32. Fear not little flock it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom and accordingly used by the Saints David in his disappointments Psal. 39. 7. And now Lord what wait I for my hope is in thee He meaneth the hope of immortality opposite to that vain shew and false appearance which is in worldly things This was that Iob comforted himself with that ancient Believer Job 19. 26. Though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God And the Maccabees Heb. 11. 35. They were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection Partly because that which God hath promised in the world to come is only satisfactory and able to quiet a man's mind and make him patiently wait upon God in all his troubles Here is enough to countervail all difficulties to support us under them to recompence us for them 't is not long e're it will come in hand it cannot enough be desired it may be hoped for by the righteous in their greatest extremities Prov. 14. 32. The righteous hath hope in his death USE For Instruction When your Souls are apt to faint let Hope look out for better times or better things 1. For better Times God will not always chide Psal. 103. 9. He will not always chide neither will he keep his anger for ever Nor shall the Rod of the wicked always rest
for ever I shall illustrate this Proposition by these Considerations 1. That God's Children are sometimes under deadness 2. That in such deadness the Word of God is the onely means to quicken them 3. Though the Word be quick and lively and powerful yet it is God that must bless it that must make it a support to the Soul 4. That whenever we have received these Comforts Quicknings and Supports from him they should ever be recorded and treasured up in the Registers of a thankful memory for the great uses of Christianity I. First God's Children are under deadness sometimes which hapneth to them for many causes 1. By reason of some Sin committed and not repented of or not fully repented of God smites them with deadness and hardness of heart and the spiritual life for awhile is greatly obstructed and impaired that it cannot discover itself and they have not those lively influences of grace as formerly Thus it was with David when he had strayed so greatly from God and begs God not to cast him off Psal. 51. 11. Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me As a wound in the body lets out the life blood and the spirits so these grievous sins are as a wound in the soul Sin against the conscience of a renewed man defaceth the work of the holy Spirit so that for a while he seems to be shut out from God's favor and his gracious abilitie are lessened and impaired he is like a wounded man till he be cured and made whole again The Spirit being grieved and resisted withdraws and the strength of the Soul is wasted and therefore be very tender stand in awe not only of greater but smaller sins 2. By reason of some good omitted especially neglect of the means whereby we may be kept alive fresh and lively in God's service Lazy fits of indisposition and omissions of duty do more frequently steal in upon Believers than positive out-breakings and commissions of sin and they are more ready to please themselves in them and lie still under them and so by this means contract much deadness of heart As a Lute that is not play'd upon but hangs by the wall and not used it soon grows out of keller for want of use so if we do not diligently and constantly exercise our selves in godliness our hearts grow dead and vain It is the complaint of the Church Isa. 64. 7. There is none that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee If we do not stir up our selves to keep on a constant commerce with God and respect to God alas deadness creeps upon the heart unawares and we are commanded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1. 6. To stir up the gift of God which is in us Surely a sloathful servant will soon become an evil servant Mat. 25. 26. Thou evil and sloathful servant Therefore our sinful sluggishness is one cause of our deadness for he that doth not trade with his Talents will necessarily become poor and if we do not continue this holy attendance upon God the heart suffers loss 1 Thess. 5. 19 20. Despise not prophesie quench not the Spirit The coupling of these two things together shews that if we despise Prophesie we quench the Spirit as fire goes out not only by pouring on water but by not stirring and blowing it up To expect help from God when we are sluggish is to tempt Christ and put him still upon a miraculous way to heal and cure our distempers Who will bring bread and meat to a Sluggard's Bed who will not arise to labor for it oâ—… will not rise at least to fetch it Therefore if we will not attend upon God in the means of grace he will not bring us that help comfort and supply that otherwise we might have God worketh but so that we work also 2 Phil. 12. 13. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling For it is God that worketh c. God's working is not a ground of laziness but for more strict observance Since all depends upon God therefore take heed you do not offend God and provoke him to suspend his grace We must not lie upon a Bed of ease and cry Christ must do all for this is to abuse the power of grace to laziness It is notable that God bids his people do that which he promiseth to give them Psal. 31. 24. Psal. 27. 14. Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart As if he had said strengthen thine heart and he will strengthen thy heart The courage of Faith is both commanded and promised why God by this would shew how we should shake our selves out of our laziness and idleness that though God gives us grace and power yet he will have us to work as a Father that lifts up his childs arm to a burden and bids him lift it up Usually we complain of deadness with a reflection upon God he quickens the dead and therefore I am dead ay but what hast thou done to quicken thy self for grace was never intended that we might be idle you must complain of your selves as the moral faulty cause God is the efficient cause you do not meditate pray draw life out of the precious promises when the Spouse sleeps and keeps her Bed then Christ withdraws Cant. 5. 6. 3. Another cause is unthankfulness for Benefits received especially spiritual Benefits for God loves to have his grace acknowledged He stops his hand and suspends the influences of his grace when the creature doth not acknowledge his bounty Col. 2. 7. Be stablished and rooted in the faith abounding therein with thanksgiving The way to grow in Faith and get by Faith is to be thankful for what we have received that 's an effectual means both to keep it and to get more Therefore if we be always querulous and do not give thanks for the goodness of God to us for what he hath already vouchsafed to us in Christ no wonder that deadness and discouragement creeps upon our hearts 4. Pride in Gifts for we are told Iam. 4. 6. God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble The Garland we put on our own heads soon withers and those Gifts which we are pusst up with are presently blasted and have deadness upon them for he will teach us to ascribe all to himself 5. Some great and heavy Troubles We read ver 107. of this Psalm I am afflicted very much quicken me O Lord according unto thy Word O! when we are afflicted sore there 's a deadness upon the heart the spiritual life clogged with what alacrity did they go about good things before but then there 's a damp worldly sorrow deadens the spirit as godly sorrow quickens it and is a means to keep us alive to God 6. Another cause is Carnal liberty or intermedling with worldly vanities So much we may learn from that Prayer Psal. 119. 37. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken thou
for such a time Heb. 4 16. when need comes then it 's a time to improve our interest to put promises in suit when God seems to be an Enemy to us when to appearance he executes the curse of the Old Covenant O then we should work through all discouragements then we should hold God to his second Grant and Charter and come to his Throne of Grace and keep him there For the Reasons 1 God is the Party with whom we have to do whence soever the trouble doth arise there 's his hand and his counsel in it therefore it is best dealing with him about it in all afflictions publick or private Amos 3. 16. Is there evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it Let Men but awaken their Reason and Conscience who is it that is at the upper end of Causes that casts our lot upon such troublesom and distracted times So in private afflictions David owned God's hand Shimei had mocked him but he looks higher the â—…ord hath bid him curse So Iob he doth not say the Caldean and Sabean hath taken away but the Lord hath taken Iob 1. 21. Afflictions have a higher cause than Men ordinarily look at they do not come out of the dust but come from God See what inference Eliphaz draws from this principle Iob 5. 8. I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my cause That is I would go and deal with him about it 't was Eliphaz's advice to Iob and it is seasonable to us all 2 It is God onely that can help us and relieve us either by giving support under the trouble or removing it from us so saith David Psal. 57. 2. I will cry unto God most high unto God that performeth all things for me A Believer looks for all things from God when all things go well with him God is his best Friend when all things go ill with him God is his onely Friend he runs to none so often as to God Now upon these Principles we go to God but for what end let us see what we go to God for 1. That we may know his mind in all his Providences The affliction hath some errand and message to us something to deliver us from God now we need to ask of God to know his mind Micah 6. 9. Hear the rod and who hath appointed it We should not only be sensible of the smart but look to the cause therefore if we would know the cause let us go and expostulate with God about it As Ioab when Absalom set his Corn field on fire he sent for him once and twice but he comes not until he sets his Corn-field on fire and then he comes and expostulates with him Who hath done this 2 Sam. 14. 30 31. So when we make bold and will not come to God nor take notice of his messages God comes and lets out his wrath upon our comforts and conveniences now let us deal with God about it Wherefore is all this 2. That we may have strength to bear it Alas we can bear or do little of our selves for that doing refers to bearing Phil. 4. 13. I can do all things through Christ that strengthneth me That is I can suffer want need hunger thirst nakedness and run through all conditions through Christ that strengthneth me Now you must ask it of God Iam. 1. 5 If any man lack wisdom let him ask it of God It is wisdom to bear affliction if he would wisely carry himself under the Rod that he may not discover his folly he must ask this strength and grace of God 3. Wisdom to improve our chastisement that we may have the benefit and fruit of them Isa. 48. 17. I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit That is to profit by afflictions to reap the fruit of them So Iob 33. 16. He openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction God by a powerful work upon the heart impresseth their duty upon them that they may see wherefore it is that he hath afflicted them 4. We go to God for deliverance and freedom from the trouble Psal. 34. 19. Many are the troubles of the righteous but out of them all the Lord will deliver them It is God's Prerogative to set us free We break Prison when we attempt to escape meerly by our own means therefore either we shall have no deliverance or no kindly one God hath deliver'd doth deliver and we trust will deliver This must be sought out of God God helping together with your prayers 2 Cor. 1. 10 11. Prayer must fetch it out from God or it is no kindly deliverance Well then in our affliction we need to be often with God SERMON CXVII PSAL. CXIX VER 107. Quicken me O Lord according to thy Word Use 1. TO reprove the stupidness and carelesness of them that neglect God in their troubles Dan. 9. 13. All this evil is come upon us yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God A very sensless slight spirit that when they are under the blows of God's heavy hand they will not be much in calling upon God this is contrary to God's injunction who expects now with earnestness they will seek him God reckons upon it he could not hear from them before but now they 'll pray hard and will make up their former negligence when God sends a Tempest after you as on Ionah yet will you keep off from him It is contrary to the practice of the Saints in their chastisements troubles and afflictions they are much with God opening their hearts to him Nay it is worse than Hypocrites for they will have their pangs of devotion at such a time Iob 27. 10 11. In short you lose the comfort of your affliction Seasons of affliction are happy seasons if they prove praying seasons when they bring you nearer to God it is a sign God is not wholly gone but hath left somewhat behind him when the heart is drawn into him This is the blessing of every condition when it brings God nearer to you and you are more acquainted with him than before Use 2. Then it takes off the discouragements of poor disconsolate ones who misexpound his Providence when they think afflictions put us from God rather than call us to him O no! it is not to drive you from him but to draw you to him Do not think God hath no mercy for thee because he leaves thee to such pressures wants and crosses This is the way to acquaint your selves with God yea though you have been hitherto strangers to him he hath invited you to call upon him in time of trouble he is willing to have you upon any terms A Man will say you come to me in your necessities God delights to hear from you and is glad any occasion will bring you into his presence and therefore be much with God Secondly I observe when this affliction was sore and pressing yet then he hath a heart to pray
his Justice is the same that ever it was and his power the same and therefore in all his dispensations he is one that is ever like himself is as ready to take vengeance of the insolencies of men now as before and keepeth a proportion in his proceedings he is of one mind and who can turn him 2. Because of the suitableness between Judgment and sin They trample all that is holy and sacred under their feet therefore God treadeth them under foot they despise God therefore are despised 1 Sam. 2. 30. they trample upon the Grace of God in Christ therefore are said Heb. 10. 29. to tread the bloud of the Covenant under foot they trample upon the Law of God Amos. 2. 4. I will not turn away the punishment thereof because they have despised my Law they trample upon all godly admonitions and reproofs Mat. 7. 6. Cast not your pearls before Swine lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and rent you and they trample the servants of God under foot and make his Saints bow down for them to go over Isai. 51. 23. and therefore are they themselves trodden under foot They despise God and therefore he despiseth them and poureth contempt upon them and the more they esteem themselves of the less reckoning are they with God 3. For the undeceiving the world who usually look to sensible things While their ways are prosperous we make another manner of Judgment upon them than we do when they are under contempt and disgrace Mal. 3. 15. We call the proud happy yea they that work wickedness are set up and they that tempt God are even delivered We dote too much upon outward things insomuch that things wicked if prosperous seem good and holy Our affections bribe our judgments and those things that we would otherwise loath have a fair gloss and varnish put upon them 'T is a mighty temptation even to good men and they begin to have other thoughts of things when to appearance they are befriended by Gods Providence and succeed beyond expectation Therefore God will tread them down 4. To undeceive Sinners themselves that are hardened by their own prosperity and success and make Gods Providence and forbearing punishment to be an approbation of their actions against his Law So Psal. 50. 21. These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest I was altogether such an one as thy self but I will reprove thee God may for a long time endure very horrible provocationss without any act or mark of vengeance till sinners flatter themselves that the things they do are pleasing to God but they shall find they have erred when they read their sins in their punishment Mal. 2. 9. Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people according as ye have not kept my ways but have been partial in the Law The great God aims at the repentance of men both in his forbearance and his punishment In his forbearance Rom. 2. 4. Not knowing that the forbearance of God leadeth to repentance He is pleased to suffer them that offend him grievously to taste the goodness of his Providence and have their turn in this worlds felicity to see if that will better them if not then he poureth contempt and shame upon them that by his frowns he may further their Conviction When prosperity is a temptation God will change the dispensation and instead of general favour and respect they meet with shame and disestimation and disgrace This is the punishment of those that are partial in his Law It is true this is not to be taken singly without the foregoing provocation It was the lot of Christ and his Prophets and Apostles to be disrespected in a wicked world and such a tryal may befal his faithful messengers Yet when this is the fruit of foregoing unfaithfulness and men that had nothing to commend them to the world but their height and grandeur that only had a testimony in mens carnal affections because of their greatness and not a testimony in mens consciences because of their purity and holiness and good fruits as good men have been in the consciences of those that hate them it is to them a Judgment But however when those that in the main are faithful are by a righteous Providence exposed to ignominy and contempt they ought the more to search their Wayes and to see whether they have been throughout with God in the Conscience of their Duty to him and whether some neglect and partiality of theirs hath not brought this Judgment upon them 5. To give a check to the insolency of men who abuse their power and think they may do what they please when they have no hindrance and rub in the way Mic. 2. 1. They do evil because it is in the power of their hands Restraints of Conscience prevail not with many but only restraints of Providence 'T is no thanks to them if they are not worse than they are it is not because they want will but because they want power Therefore God cuts them short and treads them down like mire Use 1. A warning to them that are in prosperity that they do not carry it proudly against God his ways and people God hath unhorsed many that have held their heads very high therefore let none presume to do evil because they are high and exalted There is a foolish and mad confidence which wicked men have in their prosperity as if they were above the reach of Providence and therefore abuse their greatness to contempt and oppression When men are up they know nothing moderate Former Judgments upon the proud and disobedient that contemn God his people and ways should a little check them God that hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts Luke 1. 51. can do it again and will when men will not take warning As Nazianzen when his heart was like to be corrupted and grow wanton with ease and prosperity I thought saith he of reading the Lamentations of Ieremiah and of the doleful condition of the Church in former times This means he took to reduce himself to a holy sobriety This is the thing God aimed at in the Ceremonial Law In the Thank-offerings Levened Bread was required which was allowed in no other Sacrifice thereby shewing We should not so surfeit and run riot with our mercies as to forget the bitterness of former afflictions together with the causes of them Use 2. Not to be dismayed at the prosperity of the wicked so as to be troubled either about your own persons or about the cause of God or to cry up a confederacy with them that erre from Gods Statutes when uppermost Wicked men are here supposed to be in power height and pride of Spirit but God treadeth them down And to be full of craft and subtilty but their deceit is falshood that is for all their might and subtilty they are not able to resist God David was shaken with this
afflictions Again when Judgments are on our selves when God cometh nearer to us and beginneth to touch us with his hand we should relent presently To be sinning and suffering is the condition of the damned in Hell The Holy Ghost sets a brand upon Ahaz 2 Chron. 28. 22. That in the time of his distress he did yet trespass more and more against the Lord this is that King Ahaz If we keep our pride luxury vanity wantonness still our avarice coldness in Religion Sabbath-prophanation if we be not brought by all our afflictions to fear God the more such a brand will he put upon us yea our Judgments will be encreased and the Furnace heated seven times hotter as when the Child is stubborn and obstinate the Father redoubleth his strokes Therefore we are to beg his Spirit with his Rod that we may be the better by all his corrections Numb 12. 14. If her Father had spit in her face should she not be ashamed seven days So if our heavenly Father be displeased and casts contempt upon us c. Use 2. It reproveth those that triumph over the faln and declaim and inveigh against their sins but do not consider their own We should rather tremble and learn to fear from every Judgment executed though upon the worst of men and say Well God is a righteous God and whosoever provoketh him to wrath shall not escape unpunished But this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this insulting over and upbraiding others with their evil and afflicted condition is a-sin which God cannot endure and will certainly punish Prov. 17. 5. And he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished If God hath stricken them and the hand of Justice found them out we should be tender to them Prov. 24. 17 18. Rejoyce not when thine enemy falleth and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth lest the Lord see it and it displease him and he turn away his wrath from him Some read it Et convertat iram suam in te he turn his wrath upon thee Thine enemy is not he that thou hatest for a Christian should hate no body but he that hateth thee if we rejoyce in their evil certainly 't is a sign we hate them however we please our selves with the thoughts of forgiving them as not when he falleth so not when he stumbleth not at lesser evils that befal them Many will say They do not wish their destruction but a little evil they could be glad of which sheweth how rare true piety is God will give him like advantage against thee As the leprosie of Naaman doth cleave to Gehazi David when he heard of the death of Saul rent his Cloaths and wept and fasted 2 Sam. 1. 11 12. Therefore to feed our eyes with the misery and torment of others is no holy affection Iob disclaimed it Iob 31. 29. If I rejoyced at the destruction of him that hated me or lifted up my self when evil found him neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul. Revenge is sweet to carnal Nature but such a disposition as that cannot or should not find room in a gracious heart to evidence his integrity Iob produceth this vindication Though they that hate us be our worst enemies and should have spirits steeped in bitterness and Wormwood against us yet ought we not to rejoyce at the misery of an enemy Yea to mourn at their fall becometh us more if we would act as Christians and to fear because of it is an act of piety Therefore this old leven of malice and revenge must be purged out this being inwardly delighted when we hear of the fall of those that hate us When thine enemy falleth consider Either I my self am like him or worse or better than he If better who made thee to differ If worse thou hast cause to wonder thou art spared and to fear before the Lord. Let us therefore observe the Judgments of God executed according to his word Lactantius telleth us Quod non metuitur contemnitur quod contemnitur utique non colitur If the wrath of God be not feared it is contemned and if God be contemned he cannot be worshipped SERMON CXXXII PSAL. CXIX VER 121. I have done Iudgment and Iustice leave me not to mine Oppressours HEre is I. David's Plea II. His Prayer I. His Plea I have done Iudgment and Iustice Defensio est non arrogantia saith Ambrose he doth not speak this boasting or trusting in his own righteousness but by way of Apology and just defence 't is no pleading of merit as if God were his Debtor but an asserting of his innocency against slanderers There is Iustitia personae the righteousness of the person and Iustitia causae the righteousness of the cause wherein any one is engaged We may propound the Justice of our cause to God as the Judge of the Earth and appeal to him how innocently we suffer when we are not able to plead the righteousness of our persons as to a strict and legal qualification Psal. 143. 2. Enter not into judgment with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Well then David pleadeth the equity and justice of his Cause and his right behaviour therein They cannot condemn him of any unrighteousness and injustice and yet endeavour to oppress him therefore he pleads Lord thou knowest where the right lyeth so far as concerneth their slanders I appeal to thee for my integrity and sincerity thou knowest that I have given up my self to do just and right things though they are thus forward to mischief I have â—…one them no wrong Hear me O God of my righteousness Psal. 4. 1. They that look to be protected by God must look that they have a good Cause and handle that Cause well otherwise we make him the Patron of sin when we suffer as evil Doers 't is the Devil's Cross not Christ's that we take up But let us see how David expresseth his innocency I have done Iudgment and Iustice these two words are often joined together in Scripture When God is spoken of 't is said of him Psal. 33. 5. He loveth righteousness and judgment and in the 2 Sam. 8. 15. 't is said that David executed judgment and justice over all Israel Muis distinguisheth them thus Iudicium adversus sceleratos Iustitia erga bonos Judgment in punishing the wicked Justice in rewarding the good Besides that David speaketh not here as a King but as a poor oppressed man The words will hardly admit of that Notion Some think they are only put to encrease the sense I have done Judgment justly exactly I suppose the one referreth to the Law or Rule it self according to which every one is to do right that is judgment a clear knowledg of what ought to be done the other referreth to the action that followeth thereupon So that Judgment is a doing of what we know an acting according to received light Ezek. 18. 5. Do that which
whatever cometh if they be mighty God is mightier if they be crafty God is wiser 'T is a great crime to fear men so as not to trust in God 't is a great sin to fear men so as not to fear God when we comply with them in things displeasing to God this is to set men above God Secondly We come to the limitation end or fruit of this suretiship For good There are three Expositions of this Clause as noting the end the cause the event 1. Undertake for me ut sim bonus justus so Rabbi Arama on the place be surety for me that I may be good Theodoret expounds it Undertake that I shall make good my resolution of keeping thy Law He that enjoineth undertaketh though we have precepts and promises without Gods undertaking we shall never be able to perform our Duty 2. In good so some read it God would not take his part in an evil Cause to commend a wrong Cause to Gods protection is to provoke him to hasten our punishment to make us serve under our Oppressours But when we have a good Cause and a good Conscience he will owne us we cannot expect he should maintain us and bear us out in the Devils service wherein we have intangled our selves by our own sin 3. For good so 't is often rendered Psal. 86. 17. Shew me a token for good Jer. 14. 11. Pray not for this people for good So Neh. 13. 31. Remember me O my God for good So here Be surety for thy servant for good Doctr. We should only desire the interposing of Gods Providence so as may be for good to us I shall first give you the Reasons and then give you some Rules concerning this good here mentioned Reason 1. Because then we pray according to Gods undertaking Psal. 34. 10. But they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing they may want food want rayment want many things but they shall want no good thing Psal. 84. 11. No good thing will he withhold He may keep us low and bare withhold many temporal mercies from us feed us from hand to mouth and short Commons may be sweet and wholesome and deny to give us larger revenues and incomes If they were good for us we should have them God withholds these things so as our need and good doth require Ier. 24. 5. Whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Caldeans for their good Their Captivity was for good Reas. 2. Because then we pray according to the new Nature old Nature would have ease the new Nature would have Grace the flesh would be pleased but the spirit would be profited and God hears not the voice of the flesh but spirit in prayer Rom. 8. 27. He that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God 2. Let me give you some Rules 1. This good is not always the good of the flesh not always the good of prosperity Sometimes the good of prosperity may be good Prov. 24. 25. But to them that rebuke him shall be delight and a good blessing shall come upon them A good blessing shall come upon them that plead Gods Cause against the wicked There is the blessing of prosperity-good and adversity-good All good is more or less so as it cometh near or less near the chiefest good therefore that is good that tendeth to make us spiritually better more like to God and capable of Communion with him Lam. 3. 27. It is good for a man that he bear the Yoke in his youth That is good which conduceth to our everlasting good 2. God knoweth what is better for us than we do our selves We ask a Knife wherewith to cut our selves It would be the greatest misery if God should always carve out our condition according to our own fancy we would soon pray our selves into a snare if our will were the rule of our prayers and ask that which would be cruelty in God to grant I will give you an instance in Lot Gen. 19. 17 18. Make haste escape to the mountain lest thou be consumed I cannot saith he escape to the mountain behold now this City is near it is but a little one and my soul shall live Lot presenteth his own fancy to Gods counsel and choice for him this little place was in the Plain he was perswaded the shower of brimstone would overtake him before he got thither Often 't is thus with us though God should command and we obey we lift up our will above his and doat upon our own fancies and will prescribe to God think 't is better to live by sense than by faith This mountain was the weaker Border of the Plain Now this was weakness in Lot surely God that had took him out of Sodom by the hand of the Angels strucken the Sodomites with blindness which was an instance of Gods great power and goodness to him Now compare the seventeenth and eighteenth Verses with the thirtieth Verse And Lot went out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountain he and his two Daughters with him for he feared to dwell in Zoar and he dwelt in a Cave he and his two Daughters Mark here when God biddeth him go to the mountain then he goeth to Zoar when God gave him leave to tarry in Zoar then he goes and dwells in the mountain he was afraid in Zoar when he saw the horrible desolation of all the Country about it Now see the ill success of his own choice and how badly we provide for our selves A little time will shew us our sin and folly his abode in the mountain drew him to incest Another instance Hos. 13. 11. I gave them a King in mine anger and took him away in my wrath God may let things succeed with us to our hurt If we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us 1 John 5. 14. God is a God of wisdom he knoweth certainly what will be good for us He is a God of Bowels and loveth us dearly and will certainly cast all things for the best therefore God is to be Judge both for time and kind of our deliverance otherwise we may meet with wrath in every condition whether we want or have our will but if we referr it to him we shall never want what is best for us The Shepherd must chuse our Pastures whether lean or fat bare or full grounds the Child is not to be governed by his fancy but the Fathers discretion nor the sick man by his own fancy but the Physicians skill our will is not the chief reason of all things 3. That which is not good may be good and though for the present we see it not yet we shall see it though not good in its nature it may be good in its fruit Rom. 8. 28. We know that all things shall work together for good to them that love God a little faith and a
they can bear the open dishonouring and blaspheming of God This is the true sense but because the heart is deceitful First Be sure your Cause be good your Adversaries evil that ye may say Psal. 74. 22. Arise O Lord plead thine own Cause 'T is not for your sins but your sins but your righteousness the hatred is not against the body Indeed they pretend some little faults 'T is as if a Leper should hate a man because he hath some pimples in his face Something they would lay to their charge Secondly That we use all means with God and Men to reclaim them praying for them Matth. 6. 44. Pray for them that despightfully use you Mourning for their sins Ier. 23. 19. My soul shall weep in secret for your pride Heaping Coals of fire upon their heads by all acts of kindness condescending to them as far as possibly we can Rom. 12. 18. These arts become his Kingdome that is not to be planted by force but consent them that would have the zeal of God not of a party Thirdly Be sure your principle be zeal for Gods Glory not a desire to establish your own interest and to see revenge on a party that differeth from you Luke 9. 54 55. You know not what spirit you are of Religious affections overset us and fleshly zeal puts on a holy spiritual Guise and Mask and we think 't is for the honour of Christ. Fourthly Not against particular persons but the opposite faction to godliness In general destroy all the enemies of Christ c. Secondly For the manner How We must seek to God first with submission not prescribing to God nor making a snare to our selves We that have short and revengeful Spirits cannot judge aright of Gods patience which is infinite out of fleshliness and affection to our own ease And so our times Iohn 7. 6. your time is always ready if none of these be yet we are limited Creatures and great is the wisdom of God and his power admirable it doth not belong to us to guide the affairs of the world Psal. 78. 41. We must not prescribe opportunity to him fixing times Besides that it argueth a spirit too much addicted to and eying of temporal happiness It doth much unsettle us and harden others The Devil maketh advantage of our disappointment Therefore not only when it seemeth seasonable to us we may seek to him for deliverance Once more there are other things concurr besides the enemies ripeness for Judgment preparing his peoples hearts fitting those instruments for his work therefore all is left to Gods will and let him take his time Use of all is to teach us how to behave our selves in these times with patience and yet with hope and waiting 'T is the time of Iacob's trouble but there will be a time of deliverance Ier. 30. 7. With patience God will have a time to chastise his people We must bear it patiently it will make Crosses sit easie they may be greater and longer than our joys Psal. 90. 15. Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us and the years wherein we have seen evil Secondly With hope let us expect it Certainly it will not exceed the time limited by God That time is not long Isai. 13. 22. Her time is near to come and her days shall not be prolonged Ezek. 12. 21. to 28. And the word of the Lord came unto me saying Son of man what is that Proverb that ye have in the land of Israel saying The days are prolonged and every vision faileth Tell them therefore Thus saith the Lord I will make this Proverb to cease and they shall no more use it as a Proverb in Israel but say unto them The days are at hand and the effect of every vision for there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel for I am the Lord. I will speak and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass it shall be no more prolonged Faith should see it as present approaching and then let us wait his leisure minding God in prayer SERMON CXXXIX PSAL. CXIX VER 127. Therefore I love thy Commandments above Gold yea above fine Gold IN the Words we have I. A Note of inference Therefore II. The Duty inferred I love thy Commandments III. The degree of that love Above Gold amplified by the repetition with some advantage in the expression Yea above fine Gold III. Gold by a Senechdoche is put for all worldly things the comforts and profits of this life as in many other places as Psal. 19. 10. More to be desired are they than Gold yea than much fine Gold sweeter also than Honey and the Honey Comb. The two Bastard Goods with which the World is inchanted are pleasure and profit Old people are all for profit young people are all for pleasure Now both these truly so called are found in the Word of God So in Prov. 8. 10 11. Receive my instruction and not silver and knowledge rather than choise gold for Wisdom is better than Rubies and all the things that are to be desired are not to be compared to it So Prov. 8. 19. My fruit is better than gold yea than fine gold and my revenues than choise silver So Prov. 3. 14. For the merchandise thereof is better than gold and the gain thereof than fine gold So Prov. 16. 16. How much better is it to get Wisdom than Gold and to get Understanding rather to be chosen than silver This Comparison is used so often for two Reasons 1. Because it is more prized in the World All things that have a goodness in them have a certain Bait suitable to the several Appetites of men but in most mens opinions Gold seemeth chiefly to be desired partly for its beauty but chiefly for its use it being the great instrument of Commerce that doth all things in the world The corruption of mans heart addeth a greater price to it and therefore is the thirst of it so unsatisfied Now the Word and that wisdom and godliness which it teacheth is far above Gold and fine Gold 2. Because it is the usual temptation to draw off men from the love and study and obedience of the Word Babylon's abominations are offered to the world in a golden Cup Rev. 17. 4. And the Woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour and decked with Gold and precious Stones and Pearls having a golden Cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication Preferments are the Baits of that black Religion True Christianity consists in sound Graces Pseudo-Christianity in pomp and state and worldly advantages and the Apostle telleth us 1 Tim. 6. 10. That the love of money is the root of all evil which while some have coveted after they have erred from the faith Therefore doth the spirit of God so often compare spiritual things to Gold and here David preferreth his love to the Word before Worldlings love to
warnings to us As a Beacon on fire warneth all the Countrey to be in Armes You see what 't is to give way to the beginnings of sin not to be under the blessed Conduct of Gods Spirit Some are notoriously wicked judicially given up to be more visibly under the dominion of sin that others may take warning how they come into that woful slavery Phil. 3. 19 20. For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are enemies to the Cross of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is their belly who glory in their shame who mind earthly things but our conversation is in Heaven 3. It should make us fly to God for Grace when the whole world lyeth in wickedness Isai. 6. 5. I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell among a people of unclean lips 'T is hard to converse with defiled ones and not be defiled to keep our selves unspotted from the World Psal. 106. 35. They were mingled among the heathen and learned their works The contagion of sin overspreads presently as a man by touching that which was unclean became unclean We easily catch a sickness from others but we cannot convey our health to them Use 2. Teacheth us to keep up our profession even in lesser truths I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things When men would wrangle us out of our Duty we are to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faithful in a little Great matters depend on little things We are tryed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1. 12. by the present truths whether we will owne the ways of God Revel 14. 13. Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord or for the Lord from henceforth yea saith the spirit that they may rest from their labour Why from henceforth Why before the sufferings of Christians were from Heathens and professed enemies and they were acknowledged blessed as dying for the Lord. But now when Anti-Christ and false Christians came up they did pretend to be for Christ and friends to him and this might be a discouragement to them in their suffering but saith the Holy Ghost From henceforth blessed are they which dye for the Lord when Pseudo-Christians begin to come up and persecute the heavenly Christians 'T is as blessed a thing to suffer under Pseudo-Christians and Anti-Christianism as it was to suffer under Heathens and Pagans professed enemies to Christianity I speak of this because the Orthodoxy of the world is usually an Age too short In things publickly received 't is easie to be right Christ is forced to gain upon the world by inches A man may acknowledge the Trinity the satisfaction of Christ among Papists but 't is exceeding praise-worthy to owne Christ when others scorn and reject him The world will allow us to esteem the ways of God in some lesser things that are out of Controversie and are not maligned but this esteem must have that extent as becometh the people of God to have an hearty esteem of all the precepts of God and all things contained therein 2. Let me come to his respect to the ways of God and from his respect with the extent I shall observe this Doctrine Doctr. That it becometh the people of God to have a practical heart-engaging esteem of all the precepts of God and all things contained therein Let meshew you what is this esteem the Children of God have for his precepts First There is something implyed and presupposed Secondly Wherein it doth formally consist Thirdly The qualifications of a right and saving esteem of the ways of God First There is something implied and presupposed before we can come to esteem the precepts of God As First Knowledg and a right discerning This is necessary partly that a man may be able to make a distinction between good and evil otherwise he cannot esteem the good and eschew the evil for without knowledg the heart is not good Prov. 19. 2. If we should stumble blindfold upon a good way we are not the more accepted with God nor advantaged in our spiritual Course The clearer our light the warmer our love The more clear and certain apprehension we have of spiritual things our faith is more stedfast love more vehement joy more sound hope more constant patience more sublime our pursuit of true happiness more earnest And partly because a man cannot esteem that which he knoweth not The will being caeca potentia blind in it self followeth the direction and guidance of the understanding The ignorance of the nature and necessity of holiness is the cause of the neglect of it Iohn 4. 10. If thou knewest the gift c. Many condemn good for evil take evil for good boldly rush into sin reject the ways of God for want of knowledge But then 't is spiritual illumination that begets estimation 1 Cor. 2. 14. The truth and worth of spiritual things must be seen by a spiritual eye When the Spirit enlighteneth a man he beginneth to see that which he knew not before to see things in another manner Secondly Advertency or application of the mind to the object or things esteemed that he seriously consider of the matter and what it is best to do it 's not a sudden rash undertaking The Scripture speaketh of applying our hearts to wisdom Psal. 90. 12. and Prov. 2. 2. Apply thy heart to understanding Prov. 23. 12. Apply thine heart to instruction and thines ears to the ways of knowledg Make it your business seriously to consider things that differ But then Secondly Wherein lyes this esteem or wherein doth it formally consist Esteem is an approbation of the will or an hearty love There is the approbation of the understanding and the approbation of the will The approbation of the understanding is a naked sense or an acknowledgment of what is good Rom. 2. 18. Thou knowest his will and approvest the things that are more excellent There is an excellency in holiness that winneth esteem even there where it is not embraced All convinced men see the evil of sin and are half of the mind to quit it they approve the Law which they violate by a bare naked approbation But then there is the approbation of the heart or will there is love and liking in it and this is called esteem This is seen in two things consent and choice Consent to take this Law for our rule and choice whatever temptation we have to the contrary Men chuse what they highly esteem In short 't is such an approbation as doth engage affection such an affection as doth engage practice Esteem is the fruit of love First There is a consenting to the Law that it is good Rom. 7. 16. There is a difference between assent and consent A man may assent to the truth and goodness of the Law that doth not consent to the goodness of it as the Devils assent to the truth of Gods Being that do not consent to take him for their portion Iames 2. 19.
other Branch And I hate every false way Where we have The Act Hate the Object False way the Extent Every Whatsoever is contrary to the purity of Gods Word Doctr. That 't is a good note of a renewed and obedient heart to hate every false way This will appear from 1. The sorts and kinds of hatred 2. The causes 3. The effects or the comparison of hatred with anger 1. From the sorts and kinds of hatred which are reckoned up to be two First Odium abominationis Secondly Odium inimicitiae First Odium abominationis an hatred of flight and aversation called by some Odiuni offensionis the hatred of offence 'T is defined by Aquinas to be Dissonantia quaedam appetitûs ad id quod apprehenditur ut repugnans c. 'T is a repugnancy of the appetite to what is apprehended as contrary and prejudicial to it Such there is in the will of the regenerate for they apprehend sin as repugnant and contrary to their renewed will to the unregenerate 't is agreeable and suitable as Draff to the appetite of a Swine or Grass and Hay to a Bullock or Horse Now this hatred is a good sign that cannot be found in another that is not born of God The mortification of sin standeth principally in the hatred of it Sin dyeth when it dyeth in the affections When we look upon it as an offence to us destructive to our happiness and as it is truly grieved for and hated by us The unregenerate may hate sin materially considered that is the thing which is a sin but they cannot hate it formally considered as sin under the notion of a sin for then they would hate all sin à quatenus ad omne valet consequentia As for instance thus A covetous man hateth prodigal and riotous Courses not as they are sinful and contrary to Gods Law but as contrary to his humour and covetous will Secondly Odium inimicitiae or the hatred of enmity This enmity is nothing else but a willing of evil or mischief to the thing or person hated and that out of mere displicency dislike or distaste of the person hated This is a sure note the regenerate hate their sins in that they would have them arraigned crucified mortified they would fain see the heart-blood of sin let out therefore they oppose watch against and resist it as their mortal deadly enemy When a man pursues sin would have the life of it this enmity cannot be quiet 't is an active enmity diligent in praying mourning watching striving using all holy means to get it out of our hearts wishing groaning waiting complaining that we may get rid of it Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death They follow their work hard 2. The Causes of this hatred There are three causes of it First Spiritual knowledge and illumination that is one cause of hatred Psal. 119. 104. Through thy precepts I get understanding therefore I hate every false way When the heart is thick set and well fraughted with Divine knowledge a man cannot sin freely Those that are exercised in the word of God find some consideration or other to quicken to the hatred of sin The Word is a proper instrument to destroy sin Psal. 119. 11. Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee Ephes. 6. 13. Our affections follow our apprehensions We come to the heart by the mind Ier. 31. 19. After I was instructed I smote upon my thigh In the word of God are the most proper Reasons and Arguments to kill sin Secondly The love of God Psas. 97. 10. Ye that love the Lord hate evil He doth not say forbear it but hate it The cause of hatred is the love of that good unto which the thing or person hated is contrary and repugnant Love to the chiefest good is accompanied with hatred of sin which is the chiefest evil The one is as natural to Grace as the other The new Nature hath its flight and aversation as well as its choice and prosecution to things that are hurtful to it as well as good and profitable Thirnly A filial fear of God Prov. 8. 13. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil pride and arrogancy and the evil way and the froward mouth do I hate Certainly this is to fear God to hate what God hateth and as God hateth and because God hateth Now God hateth all sin pride and arrogancy that is sins of thought which put us upon vain and foolish musings And then the sins of the tongue are expressed by froward mouth Nothing so natural to us as filthy and evil speaking And then the sins of practice the evil way They that fear God will hate all these sins These Graces are Strangers to unrenewed hearts It argueth a Divine Nature when we hate when what and as and because God hates it Eadem velle nolle est summa amicitia 3. A third Argument is from the comparison of hatred with anger Unregenerate men may be angry with sin because anger is consistent with love One may be angry with his Wife Children Friends where yet he tenderly affects First Anger is a sudden and short hatred a lasting and durable passion Anger is furor brevis curable by time hatred incurable by the greatest tract of time The Unregenerate are displeased with their sins for a spurt but the regenerate constantly disaffected towards them There is 1 Iohn 3. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is a constant principle of resistance in the renewed heart passion is a casual dislike but the new Nature a rooted enmity an habitual aversation to what is evil Secondly Anger is only against singulars but hatred is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the whole kind Thus we hate every Wolf and every Serpent every Thief and every Calumniator So is this universal it respects sin as sin and hateth all sin though never so profitable and pleasant Not upon foreign and accidental reasons as Esther 3. 16. Haman thought scorn to lay hands upon Mordecai alone but sought the destruction of all the Jews The same reasons that encline us to hate one sin encline us to hate all sin The violation of Gods Law is a contempt of Gods Authority a breach of spiritual friendship one grieveth the spirit of God as well as the other Every sin is hateful to God so 't is to those that are made partakers of the Divine Nature Thirdly Anger may be pacified or appeased with the sufferings of the thing or person with which we are angry but hatred is implacable nothing can content and satisfie it but the ruine or not being of the thing and party hated David was angry with Absolom but loth to have him destroyed only corrected and reduced when he sent out Forces against him Deal gently with the young man So many deal with their sins we reason pray strive complain but 't is but an angry fit we are displeased with
of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified In the word of his grace God hath assured us of the great priviledges of Christianity Support and Defence here and Glory hereafter and that is a mighty strengthning to the Soul and maketh a Christian also glorious and becoming all those hopes and promises that are given him SERMON CXLII PSAL. CXIX VER 129. Thy Testimonies are wonderful therefore doth my Soul keep them USE 1. Reproof to several sorts 1. Of those proud Carnalists that scorn the simplicity of the word Many wit themselves into Hell by lifting up the Pride of Reason against the word of God think all respect to the word to be fond Credulity to them the Gospel seemeth a base and a mean Doctrine whereas it is indeed wonderful they never studied it and therefore think nothing but plain points in it have no spiritual eyes and are looking on what is uppermost There is nothing vulgar the Angels prize what they contemn Eph. 3. 10. To the intent that now unto the Principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God They despise the word as if it were too low a Discipline for their wit and parts scoff at that as mean which a gracious heart findeth to be Mystery they see none of this sublimity that we speak of this pearl of price seemeth to them but as a common stone This is Pride not to be indured for the foolishness of man to contemn the wisdom of God The excellency of Scripture can never be sufficiently understood they never pierced the depths of Scripture else they would find it sublime and subtle enough but they are ignorant of what they seem to understand so well 1 Cor. 8. 2. If any man think that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know 2. Others that give up themselves to the itch of curiosity must have Mysteries made more mystical and therefore fly from the letter of the Scriptures to ungrounded subtleties and spiritualities as if all the written word were an Allegory Rev. 2. 24. But to you I say and unto the rest in Thyatira as many as have not this Doctrine and which have not known the depths of Sathan Men must have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are loth to be â—…eddered and tyed up to a few common truths The bait to our first Parents was the fruit of the Tree it is good for Knowledge Gen. 3. 5 6. God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree to be desired to make one wise She took of the fruit thereof and did eat If any be of such a rigid temper and constitution as not to be moved with the pleasures of the senses Satan draweth them to nice and ungrounded speculations they would be wise above the rate which God hath allowed run into strange and uncouth notions and so many otherwise of a sober life have an unsound Judgment 3. Those that would fathom these mysteries by the line and plummet of their own Reason believe Gods word and the things contained in it no further than they can see natural Reason for it these are not Disciples of the doctrin of Christ but Judges and set a Prince at the Subjects Bar the scantling of their own private senses and reason is made the standard for the Highest mysteries to be measured by They come to judge the word rather than to be judged by it Mysteries are to be admired not curiously searched and discussed by mere humane Reason Every light must keep its place Sense Reason Faith light of Glory If sense be made the Judge of Reason there is wrong Judgment Some things we apprehend by Reason that cannot be known by sense as that the Sun is bigger than the earth So Faith corrects Reason shall we doubt of that to be true which droppeth from Gods own mouth because it excedeth our weak understanding 4. Those that prostitute their wonder to every paltry carnal Vanity Oh what trifles are these to the wonders of Gods Law If we see a fair building we cry out Oh wonderful as the Disciples Mar. 13. 1. Master see what manner of stones and what buildings are these Oh there are Gods Testimonies a more noble nature the person of Christ Col. 2. 9. In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily Oh wonderful at an heap of money what are these to the unsearchable riches of Grace rare plot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all in and about Christ is rare his name is wonderful He that found out the Causes of things by Philosophy could say Nihil admirari but he that hath the most knowledge of Religion as to Divine things may say Omnia admirari the transcendent goodness of God in the pardon of sins riches of everlasting Glory purity of Divine Commands but as to the world Nil admirari You know better things in Gods testimonies 5. Those that find more favour and more matter to wonder at in other Books in Plato in Aristotle or Heathen Writers they have a favour there a wonder there but are not affected with those mysteries and those notions which are in the Gospel They like those Books where they find flowers of Rhetorick or Chymical Experiments Philosophical Notions Maximes of Policy but they sleight the word 6. Those that admire more what man puts into an Ordinance than the word of God The further off any thing is from the Majesty of the Scriptures the more it taketh with unregenerate men taken with toys and bawbles of delight more than the substantial goodness of Christianity We are apt to say of the labour of man excellencies of man Admirable but we little regard the truths of God as in a field of Corn prize the Poppies and well coloured Weeds but sleight and overlook the more valuable Corn. Use 2. Instruction To instruct us how to entertain the word of God We never entertain it rightly till we entertain it with wonder Considerations 1. We have not a true sight and sense of the Word if we admire it not There is such transcendent love admirable depths of wisdom unsearchable treasures of happiness raised strains of purity an harmonious coincidence of all parts What would we admire but that which is great and excellent Why are not we then transported and ravished wiâ—…h those wonderful felicities as the favour of and fellowship with God everlasting enjoyment Nothing is of such weight and importance as this is all is nothing to this Phil. 3. 8. Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledg of Christ Iesus my Lord. Would we admire what is rare and strange As the object of
God values his happiness by Gods friendship not by his worldly prosperity and is miserable by Gods absence and by the causes thereof his sin and offence done to God Nay his loving kindness is not only life but better than life A man may be weary of life it self but never of the love of God Many have complained of life as a burthen and wished for the day of death but none have complained of the love of God as a burthen All the world without this cannot make a man happy What will it profit us if the whole world smile upon us and God frown and be angry with us All the Candles in the World cannot make it Day nay all the Stars shining together cannot dispel the darkness of the Night nor make it Day unless the Sun shines so whatever comforts we have of a higher or lower nature they cannot make it day with a gracious heart unless Gods face shine upon us for he can blast all in an instant A Prisoner is never the more secure though his Fellows and Companions applaud him and tell him his Cause is good and that he shall escape when he that is Judge condemns him Though we have the good word of all the world yet if the Lord speak not peace to our Souls and shine not upon our Consciences what will the good word of the world do 2 Cor. 10. 18. He is approved whom the Lord commendeth A sense of Gods love in Christ is the sweetest thing that ever we felt and is able to sweeten the bitterest Cup that ever Believer drank of Rom. 5. 3. We glory in tribulation It will be a blessed thing when we cannot only bear tribulations but rejoyce in them but how come we to rejoyce in them Why because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us so he goes on If we would know the value of things the best way is to know what is our greatest comfort and our greatest trouble in distress For when we are drunk with worldly prosperity and happiness we are incompetent Judges of the worth of things but when God rebukes a man for sin what 's our greatest trouble then That we may take heed of providing sorrow to our selves another time then we find sin and transgression the greatest burthen when any notable affliction is upon us Iob 36. 9. and what will be your greatest comfort then for then your comforts are put to the proof One evidence of an interest in Christ a little sense of the love of God how precious is it Psal. 94. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. His thoughts were intangled and interwoven one with another as Branches of a crooked Tree for so the word signifies there when his thoughts were thus intricate and perplext then thy comforts delight my soul. O then what should we labour for but to be most clear in this that God loves us This will be our greatest comfort and rejoycing in all conditions 'T is good for us in prosperity then our comforts are sweet and in adversity and deep affliction to see God is not angry with us Though we feel some smart of his afflicting hand yet his heart is with us 2. They deal with God as worldly men do with sensible things for as others live by sense so they by faith Now worldly men are cheered with the good will of men and troubled with the displeasure of men upon whom they depend The down-look of Ahasuerus confounded Haman and put him to great trouble He was afraid Esth. 7. 8. Absolom professes 'twere better for him to be banished than to live in Ierusalem and not see the Kings face 2 Sam. 14. 32. Surely it is death to Gods Children to want his face and favour upon whom they depend Their business lies mainly with God and their dependance and hope and comfort is in God they live by faith Poor Worldings walk by sense therefore their souls run out upon other comforts in the smiling face of some great Potentate or some friend of the World this is their life peace and joy But they that live by faith see him that is invisible and value their happiness by his favour and misery by his displeasure 3. The Children of God have tasted the sweetness of it therefore they know it by experience The best demonstration of any thing is from sense Description cannot give me such a demonstration as when I taste and feel it my self 1 Pet. 2. 3. If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious They have an experimental feeling of that which others know only by guess and hear-say Carnal men know no other good but that of the Creature The Spouse did so languish after her Beloved being sick of love when her desires were disappointed it made her faint Cant. 5. 6. They that have not seen and known him know not what to make of those spiritual and lively affections that carry us out after the favour of God with such earnestness and importunity but they that have tasted and know what their Beloved is their hearts are more excited and stirred up towards him Iohn 4. 10. If thou knewest the gift of God c. You would more admire the favour of God if you knew it especially by experience you would find it is a better good than ever you have yet tasted Use. Is this our temper and frame of our hearts Can we live contentedly and satisfiedly with the light of his Countenance A Child of God may be without the light of his Countenance but cannot live contentedly without it Are we troubled about it ever seeking after it Surely this is the disposition of the Children of God they are ever seeking after the favour of God I shall press to this by this Argument 1. God bespeaks it from you Psal. 27. 8. Thou saidest Seek ye my face There 's a Dialogue between God and a gracious heart The Lord saith Seek he saith it in his Word and speaks by the injection of holy thoughts by the inspiration of his Grace and the renewed heart like a quick Echo takes hold of this Lord thy face will I seek Psal. 106. 4. You should ever be seeking after God in his Ordinances seek his favour and face 2. The new Nature enclines and carries the soul to God it came from God and carries the soul to God again The Spirit of the World doth wholly encline us to the World They that are after the Flesh do mind the things of the Flesh and the Spirit of God doth encline us to God and therefore the people of God will value his favour above all things else David speaks in his own name and in the name of all that were like-minded with himself he speaks of all the Children of God in opposition to the many the brutish ones that were for sensual satisfaction Psal. 4. 6. Many say Who will shew us any good But
when in hand and in present expectation work far otherwise than they do when they are considered at a distance So when the effects of sin are looked upon as near at hand when faith makes them present then they stir up these affections in the soul. Fifthly A fifth cause is from their publick Spirit and tender respect to the common good When they wisely foresee approaching dangers they are moved with the love and care of their Countrey and this melteth them They know sin is of a destroying nature that one sinner destroyeth much good Eccl. 9. 18. One sinner may do his Countrey a great deal of mischief an open bold fac'd Sinner Achan troubled the whole Camp Iosh. 7. 11 12. much more when a multitude of Sinners are encreased therefore they sigh and mourn Godly men are the truest friends to their native soil they are the Chariots and Horsemen of Israel Those that plead with God stand in the Gap keep off Judgments and have the most publick spirit therefore the least they can do is to sigh for it and to plead with wicked men as Tertullian Si non vis tibi parcere parce Carthagini If thou wilt go on with thy soul-destroying course and wilt not spare thy self yet spare Carthage This will be bitterness in the issue The Children of God are always of a publick Spirit David fasted for his enemies Psal. 35. Abraham prayed to God for Sodom a neighbour Countrey the godly Israelites were good friends to Babylon in their Captivity Ier. 29. 11. Seek the peace of the City whither I have caused you to be carried captive and pray unto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof ye shall have peace If nothing but their interest and share in the common rest and quietness Passengers are concerned in the welfare of the Vessel wherein they are imbarked Babylon fared the better for the Jews prayers Now more especially are their hearts carried out with a respect to their native Soil and dearest comforts therefore this melteth them to see the Land defiled with sins and ready for Judgments SERMON CLII. PSAL. CXIX VER 136. Rivers of water run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law USE 1. For reproof of two sorts of persons 1. Those that do not lay to heart their own sins Usually men make their affections to prescribe to their judgment and cavil at the fervorous exercises of Religion because unpleasant to flesh and blood To humble our selves before the Lord with a pressing sorrow seriously and indeed to rend our hearts and not our garments In this wanton and delicate Age men are apt to think I speak of a Theam obsolete and out of date as calculated for former times when men were more tender hearted if we could awaken some of the old godly professors out of their Graves as the Prophet calleth up Rachel to weep in Ramah for her Children Ier. 31. 15. then we might hope to prevail Alas to plead now for mourning over the sins of others when men think it a crime to mourn for their own this is like to be lost labour Were this the humour only of ungodly Wretches it might be born with silence and patience but those that would be taken for Christians of the highest form are altogether prejudiced against such Doctrines as this Men would be honeyed and oyled with Grace and distaste the wholesome discipline of repentance as too severe They cry out we are legal How may the poor Ministers of the Gospel go to God and say as Moses did Exod. 6. 12. The Children of Israel have not hearkened unto me how then shall Pharaoh hear me The Professors of Religion will not brook such Doctrine and how shall we hope to prevail with the poor blind carnal world To scoff at Doctrines of repentance and humiliation was once a badg of prophaneness many now adopt it into their Religion But be not deceived the Gospel doth not take away the Conscience of sin It may take away the fear of Hell and damnation upon right terms The heart of flesh is a promise and the spirit of Grace is a promise or mourning apart is a promise You that say that justified persons must no more mourn for sin you may as well say they shall no longer have an heart of flesh or a spirit of Grace and supplications that they shall no longer have a tender Conscience Be not deceived there must be some time to weep for your own sins as Peter went out and wept bitterly Sorrow must have its turn in the Christian life I would press it upon you by this Argument You cannot be sorrowful for others sins unless you be first sorrowful for your own sins Grief must begin at home there where you have the advantage of Conscience and inward remorse 'T is hypocrisie to pitch upon other mens sins and neglect our own as some will zealously declaim against publick disorders yet neglect their own hearts as the crafty Lapwing will go up and down fluttering and crying to draw the Fowler from her own Nest. We have a nest of sin of our own and we are loth it should be rifled and exposed to publick view 2. It reproveth them that in times of publick defection never take care to mourn over Gods dishonour We complain and murmure under our Judgments but do not weep over our sins every person and family apart Whether it be out of negligence and carnal security or out of distaste and displeasure against the conduct of present affairs we seem to have lost our publick affections and can only wonder at the Children of God in former times since they were so broken and tender To many that would now go for Professors this Doctrine seemeth a Riddle a mere strain of wit and fancy like a precept wire-drawn or elevated beyond its pitch and tenour But in the fear of God consider what hath been spoken There are many abuses in our reflections upon the sins of others Wicked men are quite otherwise disposed they do not only do evil themselves but take pleasure in those that do so Rom. 1. 32. would be glad that sin were more common that it might be less odious and then there would be none to put them to the blush Prov. 2. 14. It is said they rejoyce to do evil and delight in the frowardness of the wicked So the Prophet speaks of some corrupt men in the Priesthood They eat up the sin of my people and they set their heart on their iniquity Hos. 4. 8. God had appointed those that served at the Altar should live of the Altar have a proportion of those Offerings Now they flattered them in their sins so they might have meat and get a portion of the Sacrifices Many that would be accounted Ministers care not for the sins of the people but think the less serious men are in Religion the better they can work them to their private advantages and have more respect among them Then there are some
Psal. 94. 15. Iudgment shall return unto righteousness and all the upright in heart shall follow it Sometimes they are asunder Earthly Judges may refuse the justice of righteousness a Judg may suspend the act of his own judgment but they shall not long be severed God will bring forth his righteous Judgment Zach. 8. 17. These things I hate saith the Lord. And then in regard of his Providence God will not be unmindful of his promise Psal. 9. 7 8 9. He hath prepared his Throne for judgment and he shall judge the world in righteousness he shall minister judgment to his people in uprightness Courts of Justice among men are not always open they have Term-time but God is always ready to hear Paintiffs They make Complaints amongst men and they are delayed so much and so long that they are discouraged But we have a friend that is always ready to hear Psal. 48. 10. Thy right hand is full of righteousness for defending his people and punishing his enemies Use 3. To press us to acknowledge this Justice of God that he governeth all things righteously especially when you are under his mighty hand The Lord takes it ill when you question any of his Providences Ezek. 18. 25. Are not my ways equal He will be clear when he judgeth Psal. 51. 4. God will be justified in all that he hath done or shall do for the punishment of sin and therefore when the hand of God is upon you take heed you do not reproach God When his hand is smart and heavy upon you remember affliction opens the eyes of the worst men Nebuchadnezzar that knew no God but himself no happiness but in pleasing his own humour yet when he was whipped and scourged hear him speak Dan. 4. 37. Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven all whose works are truth and his ways judgment and those that walk in pride he is able to abase Pharaoh Exod. 2 27. The Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked These Acknowledgments and Confessions come from wicked men as Water out of a Still forced by the fire But if affliction opens the eyes of wicked men surely when we are under Gods afflicting hand we should give him the glory of his Justice and acknowledge that he is clear in all that he brings upon us He takes it ill when we murmure and tax his Judgment Mic. 7. 9. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him until he plead my cause and execute judgment for me And Lam. 1. 18. The Lord is righteous for I have rebelled against his Commandment And when we submissively stoop and accept of the punishment of our sin after he hath been provoked then God will plead for us Lev. 26. 41. When we stoop humbly under Gods correcting hand and bear it patiently and say God is just in all this then it will succeed well Observe the Justice of God especially his remarkable Judgments upon others The Church is brought in acknowledging of it Rev. 15. 3. Iust and true are thy ways thou King of Saints And Rev. 19. 3. True and righteous are his Iudgments Not that we should sit Crowners upon other mens souls and judge their spiritual condition and misinterpret Providence I look upon it as a great sin of a faction and perverse humors But clearly when mens sins are so great that the Judgments of God have overtaken them we ought to say Iust and true art thou O Lord and just in all thy Iudgments I might shew here is much to keep the Children of God in awe the Lord is a righteous God though they have found mercy and taken sanctuary at his Grace the Lord is impartial in his Justice God that did not spare the Angels when they sinned nor his Son when he was a Sinner by imputation will not spare you though you are the dearly Beloved of his soul Prov. 11. 31. The sinful courses of Gods Children occasion bitterness enough they never venture upon sin but with great loss If Paul give way to a little pride God will humble him If any give way to sin their Pilgrimage will be made uncomfortable Gods hand may be smart and dismal Eli for negligence and indulgence there 's the Ark of God taken his two Sons slain in battel his Daughter in Law dies he himself breaks his Neck O the wonderful Tragedies that sin works in the houses of the Children of God! And David when he intermedled with forbidden fruit was driven from his Palace his Concubines defiled his own Son slain a great many calamities did light upon him Therefore the Children of God have cause to fear for the Lord is a just God and they will find it so here upon earth he hath reserved liberty to visit their iniquity with Rods and their transgression with Scourges I might press you to imitate Gods righteousness 1 Iohn 2. 29. If ye know that he is righteous ye know that every one that doth righteousness is born of God You have a righteous God and here 's the thing you should copy out SERMON CLV PSAL. CXIX VER 138. Thy Testimonies which thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful IN the former Verse the Prophet had spoken of the righteousness of God now God is essentially righteous and therefore all that proceedeth from him is righteous A Carpenter that hath a Rule without him and a Line to measure his work by may sometimes hit and sometimes miss but if you could suppose a Carpenter the motion of whose hand were his Rule he could never chop amiss So must we conceive of God his Act is his Rule Holiness is his Essence not a superadded quality his righteousness is himself therefore from this righteous God there proceedeth nothing but righteousness and from this faithful God nothing but faith He discovereth his Nature both in the Acts of his Providence and the Institutions of his Word We cannot reason so concerning men that because they are righteous nothing cometh from them but what is righteous because righteousness is not their nature but an adventitious quality therefore good men may make ill Laws for though they be meant for good they may be deceived And sometimes wicked men may make good Laws to ingratiate themselves and for the interest of their affairs but God being essentially necessarily good holy and righteous his Laws are also good holy and true Thy Testimonies which thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful In the Words observe I. That there is a Revelation of Gods Will in his Word Thy Testimonies II. The Authority wherewith his Revelation is backed Which thou hast commanded III. The intrinsick worth and excellency of these Testimonies it is double They are 1. Righteous 2. Very faithful In the Hebrew righteousness and faithfulness that is very right and very faithful the one word is referred to the Agenda in Religion the other to the Credenda they are worthy to be obeyed
efficacy of the word is a pledge of the truth of it 2. 'T is a Commodious Instrument for this End and Purpose for there is a Wisdom in all Gods Institutions He that looketh upon an Axe will say this is an instrument made to cut So he that looketh upon the Scriptures must needs say this is a means to purifie The Word is more Morally accommodated to work upon the heart of man then any other Instrument Means or Doctrine in the World Now the Word doth so commodiously serve for this purpose because there are 1. Such pure Precepts 2. Such pure Examples 3. Such great helps to Purity 4. Great encouragements to Purity 5. Such great Terrours to disswade men from sin 1. There are pure Precepts setting forth the Nature of that Purity that is pleasing to God and so on the one hand they serve to humble us for our natural filthiness for verum est Index sui et obliqui Truth sheweth it self and discovereth errour also Iam. 1. 23. 'T is such a pure Doctrine that it sheweth a man his natural face and discovers soul spots And on the other side by these Precepts and Doctrines we are urged and injoyned to seek after true Purity and Holiness of the right Constitution 1 Tim. 1. 5. The end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure heart and a good Conscience and Faith unfeigned The Word telleth us God will be served and that he will be served with a pure heart the right End and Scope of the whole Law as 't is a Gospel Rule is love to God and Man flowing from a sincere and renewed heart and a good Conscience rightly informed of Gods Will and Faith unfeigned apprehending the Grace of God towards us in Christ our Redeemer So that you see there is required of us not only good Actions but good Principles and Ends. The Apostle telleth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the work of the Law was written upon Mans heart Rom. 2. 14. Natural Conscience will take notice of some gross Acts urge to some external Conformity and show of Duty But the Word of God taketh notice not only of acts but the frame of the heart not only of sins but also of lusts If ever there were an instrument fitted to do a thing the Word is fitted to make men pure and holy Briefly then the Word requireth purity of Heart and Life that we should be pure in heart Matth. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God and pure in Life Blessed are the undefiled in the way Ps. 119. 1. you have both in one place Iam. 4. 8. Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your Hearts ye double minded both must be cleansed both heart and hands But we must first begin with the Heart The Heart is that polluted Fountain from whence floweth all the pollution of Life Matth. 15. 19. Out of the Heart proceed evil thoughts Murthers Adulteries Blasphemies c. 'T is in vain to cleanse the out-side unless the Heart be cleansed and therefore the Scripture presseth us to wash our hearts from wickedness Ier. 4. 14. There is the difficulty 'T is more easie to heal an outward wound than to stanch an inward bleeding and the cause is within The purity of the outside is loathsome to God unless the heart be cleansed 't is more easie to prevent disorders in our Conversations than to cleanse our hearts and therefore the Scripture mainly calleth upon you to purge out sin out of the heart Matth. 23. 26 27. Therefore the great design of the Word of God with which it travaileth is to get the heart clean as Elisha when he would cure the brackishness of the Waters cast falt into the Fountain so doth the Word of God seek to cleanse the hearts of men and all its wooings and pleadings and intreaties tend to this 2. There are pure Examples and Patterns we miscarry by low Examples and grow loose and careless seeing others to be so therefore the Word is still to keep us humble under our defects unsatisfied with our present measure always contending and striving towards the mark it propoundeth all manner of examples to us It propoundeth the example of God 1 Pet. 1. 15. Be ye holy as he that hath called you is Holy in all manner of Conversation God is holy in all his ways and Righteous in all his works and so should we be And the Scripture presseth us to be holy as Christ is holy 1 Iohn 3. 3. He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as Christ is pure 'T is impossible there should be an exact equality yet some answerable Conformity there should be God is essentially immutably infinitely holy He loveth himself so much as he can be loved His Essence and his Being is the same with his Holiness Our Holiness is a superadded Quality Gods Holiness is like a vessel of pure Gold where the substance is the same with the lustre but our holiness is like a vessel of Earth gilded with Gold the substance is one thing the varnish another But yet this God and Christ must ever be before our Eyes we must be holy as he is holy we must always be encreasing in holiness We must come into an abiding state of holiness There must be some kind of Conformity between God and us and Christ and us and head and members must be all of a piece He will shoot farther that aimeth at a Star than he that aimeth at a shrub So he will be more holy that doth as God doth than he that doth as sinful Creatures do like himself Nay the Scripture propoundeth the example of the Saints Heb. 6. 12. We need all kind of examples As we need high and glorious examples that we may not rest in any low degrees and beginnings of purity So lower examples that we may not be discouraged and think it impossible And therefore the Saints of God are propounded to us Men and Women of like affections with us the same natural interests and we the same grace with them the way to heaven is a troden path all along you may see the foot-steps of the Saints before you 3. The Scripture offereth great Helps to purity Christ dyed to purchase it for us Ephes. 5. 27. He gave himself for us that he might Sanctifie and Cleanse us by the washing of water through the Word And God hath promised to give this clean heart to them that seek after it and undertaketh to give what he requireth Ezek. 36. 25 26 27. I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my judgements
Weather without waves and storms so irrationalit is for a Christian to promise himself rest here upon Earth Well then let us learn before hand how to be abased and how to abound Pil. 4. 12. He that is in a Journey to Heaven must be provided for all Weathers though it be Sun-shine when he first setsforth a storm will overtake him before he cometh to his Journeys end 'T is good to be sore-armed Afflictions will come and we should prepare accordingly We enter upon the profession of Godliness upon these terms to be willing to suffer Afflictions if the Lord see fit and therefore we should arm our selves with a mind to indure them whether they come or no. God never intended that Isaac should be sacrificed yet he will have Abraham lay the knife to his Throat Sorrows foreseen leave not so sad an impression upon the spirit Tela promisa minus feriunt The Evil is more familiarized before it come Iob 3. 25. The evil that I feared is come upon me When our fears prophesie we smart less it allayeth the offence we meet with nothing but what we thought of before Ioh. 16. 1. These things have I spoken unto you that you should not be offended Use 2. If you are under Afflictions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 4. 12. do not strange at it no more than at night and day showers and sun-shine as these things fall out in the course of Nature so do troubles and afflictions in the course of Gods Providence 'T were a wonder if otherwise We do not wonder to see a shower of Rainfall or a cloudy day to succeed a fair 1 Pet. 5. 9. All these things are accomplished in your Brethren that are in the World All the rest of Gods people are fellow Souldiers in this Conflict Use 3. When we are out of Affliction let us bless God that we are out of the Afflictions The greatness of the Trouble Danger Misery Streights whereinto God doth cast his own doth lay a greater obligation of thankfulness upon those that are free from those Evils If thou beest not thankful for thy health go to the Lazer-houses look upon the afflicted state of Gods People and that may quicken you to thankfulness for being freed from them 4. Use Is Advice Do not draw sufferings upon your selves by your own rashness and folly Iam. 1. 2. Count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations We must not seek nor desire Trouble but bear it when God layeth it on us Christ hath taught us to pray lead us not into Temptation 'T is a folly for us to cast our selves upon it if we draw hatred upon our selves and run headlong into dangers without necessity we must make our selves amends by Repentance otherwise God will not If a man set his house on fire he is liable to the Law if it be fired by others or by an ill accident he is pitied and relieved We are to take our own Cross when made to our hands by Gods Providence not make it for our selves not to fill our own Cup but drink it off if God put it into our hands We must come honestly by our Crosses as well as by our Comforts and must have a Call for what we suffer as well as for what we do if we would have Comfort in our sufferings 2. Doctrine This trouble may breed much Vexation and Anguish of Spirit even in a Gracious Soul David speaketh of Anguish as well as Trouble 1. Partly from Nature Gods Children have the feelings of Nature as well as others Christ Jesus to shew the Truth of our Nature would express our affections he had his fears and tears Heb. 5. 7. and so hath legitimated our fears and sorrows 'T is an innocent affection to have a dislike of what is contrary to us to our natural Interest to be without natural affection is among the Vices And 2. Partly from Grace The Children of God are more sensible than others because they have a reverence for every providence and look upon it as a good piece of Religious manners to observe when God striketh and to be humble when God is angry Ier. 5. 3. slight spirits are not so much affected Ordinarily they see not God nor own God in every stroke but when the windows of heaven are opened and the mouth of the great deep below there must needs be a great sense 3. Yet there is in it weakness and a mixture of Corruption which may come from an impatiency of the Flesh which would fain be at ease Gen. 49. 15. Rest is good Therefore we are filled with Anguish when troubled either from distrust or at least from unattentiveness to the Promises as there is a Negative Faith in the wicked not contradicting the truth of the Word so a negative distrust in the Godly not regarding not minding the Promise or not regarding the grounds of Comfort which it offereth to us as Hagar saw not the Well that was nigh her till God opened eyes Gen. 21. 19. so Mark 6. 52. They considered not the Miracle of the loaves therefore are amazed in themselves beyond measure Have ye forgotten the five loaves and two fishes Heb. 12. 5. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh to you as unto Children Yea sometimes there may be positive distrust or actual refusing comfort Psal. 77. 2. My Soul refused to be comforted As they may not mind comfort so in great Troubles refuse comfort in greater Distempers 4. Sorrow and Trouble may revive inward Trouble Affliction in its self is a part of the Laws Curse and may revive something of Bondage in the hearts of Gods Children which is good and useful so far as it quickeneth us to renew our reconciliation with God Spirits intendered by Religion are more apprehensive of Gods Displeasure under Afflictions Numb 12. 14. If her Father had spit in her face should she not be ashamed If it humble under the mighty hand of God 't is well but when it filleth us with perplexities and amazement like wild Bulls in a net or produceth uncomely sorrow roar like Bears or mourn as men without hope 't is naught Use. Let us take notice how Affliction worketh There is a double Extream slighting the hand of God or fainting under it Heb. 12. 5. we must beware of both There must be a sense but it must be kept within bounds without a sense there can be no Improvement to despise them is to think them fortuitous They come from God their end is Repentance their cause is Sin Men cannot indure to have two things despised their Love nor their Anger When Davids love was slighted he vowed to cut off all that pertained to Nabal And Nebuchadnezzar when his Anger was despised commanded the Furnace to be heated seven times hotter Nor Fainting for that excludeth Gods Comforts God hath the whole guiding and ordering the Affliction and while the rod is in his hand there is no danger He is a wise God and cannot be
satisfieth not And Ioh. 6. 27. Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that meat which indureth to everlasting life And partly as it ingageth to Constancy in Obedience for it must last as long as our Rule lasteth You are eternally bound to love God and Fear him and Obey him We must not only begin well or serve him now and then in a good Mood but so love God as to love him for ever so cleave to him as never to depart from him For his Law is an eternal obligation you must never cease your work till you receive your wages and that is when you enter into Eternity Yea much of our work is wages Loving Praising God all Duties that do not imply weakness are a part of our Happiness Thus it hath a greater influence upon our Obedience then we were at first aware of 3. Because it conduceth much to our Comfort The Apostle telleth us that the Comfort of Believers is built upon two immutable grounds therefore 't is so strong Heb. 6. 18. Now this Everlasting Righteousness of Gods Testimonies is a comfort to us 1 In all the changes of Mens Affections towards us sometimes they smile and sometimes they frown but the Promises ever remain the same There is yea and nay with men but not with the Promises they are all yea and amen in Christ. 2 Cor. 1. 20. Times alter and change but the tenour of the Covenant is always the same 2 It Comforts us in the changes of Gods dispensations to us God may change his dispensations yet his purposes of Grace stand firm and are carried on unalterably by various and contrary means We must interpret Providence by the Covenant not the Covenant by Providence We know the meaning of his works best by going into his Sanctuary The World misconstrueth his work and dealing to his Children many times if it be rightly interpreted you will find Gods Righteousness is an Everlasting Righteousness Sometimes Gods Providence is dark but always just Psal. 97. 2. Clouds and darkness are round about him Righteousness and Iudgment are the Habitation of his throne Hab. 1. 12. Art not thou from everlasting O Lord my God That was the Prophet's support in those sad times when a Treacherous people were exalted when he was imbrangled and lost about Gods dispensations this was his comfort and support Gods Eternal Immutability in the Covenant He is always the same loveth his People as much as ever as faithful and mindful of his Covenant as ever only a vail of sense covereth our eyes that we cannot see it 3 It Comforts us against the difficulties of Obedience when it groweth Irksome to us The difficulty and trouble is but for a while but we shall everlastingly have the Comfort of it 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory Then 't will be no grief of heart to us to have watched prayed striven against sin suffered continued with him notwithstanding all Temptations Rom. 2. 7. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for Glory Honour and Immortality eternal Life 4 'T is a Comfort in Death We change and are changed but God is always the same the Righteousness of Christ will bear weight for ever Dan. 9. 24. to bring in an everlasting Righteousness The fruits of Obedience last for ever Psal. 112. 7. His Righteousness endureth for ever How Comfortable is this to remember that we may appear before God with this Confidence which he hath wrought in us that the Covenant of Grace is an everlasting Charter that shall never be out of Date nor wax old Use. Let it be thus with us let it be so deeply imprinted upon our Minds that it may leave an Everlastingness there upon the frame of our Spirits for then we are transformed by the Word and cast into the Mould of it Now who are they that have an Everlasting Righteous frame of heart 1. Such as Act out of an everlasting Principle or the new Nature which worketh above the World The Word ingrafted is called an Incorruptible seed or the seed of God 1 Pet. 1. 23. that abideth in us 1 Ioh. 3. 9. when there is a Divine Principle in us such a Principle as is the seed and beginning of Eternal Life when the Word hath rooted it self in our hearts 2. Such as by their constant progress towards an Everlasting estate are going from strength to strength serving God and cleaving to him in a uniform constant Course of Holiness not by fits and starts but unchangeably Act. 24. 16. to have always a Conscience void of offence Again when you are in such an estate wherein you can bear the Trial of those everlasting Rules Gal. 6. 8. He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap Corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life Everlasting Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall live In short If you have everlasting Ends 2 Cor. 4. 18. While we look not at the things that are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are Temporal but the things which are not seen are Eternal Not making things Temporal our scope and aim that will not satisfie us when we are deeply possessed with the thoughts of the other World 1 Cor. 2. 12. We have not received the Spirit of the World and look upon all other things by the by and use the World as if we used it not 1 Cor. 7. 29 30. Secondly I come now to the Prayer Give me understanding and I shall live I. Here is the benefit asked Understanding II. The Person asking David Give me III. The Person from whom it is asked from God I. The Benefit asked give me Understanding that is the saving knowledge of Gods Testimonies Doctrine One great request that we have to put up to God should be for the saving knowledge of his Testimonies The Reasons why this should be our great Request to God First The necessity of Understanding that will appear 1. Because of our Ignorance and Folly which is the cause of all our sin Tit. 3. 3. We our selves were sometimes foolish and disobedient Therefore Disobedient because Foolish Every natural man is a Fool blind in spiritual things whatever understanding or quickness of Judgment he hath in other things In all things that relate to God and Heaven Blind and Foolish and cannot see afar off 2 Pet. 1. 9. He that lacketh these things is blind And you shall find that sinners are called Fools Prov. 1. 22. How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity And scorners delight in scorning and Fools hate knowledge Psal. 75. 4. I said unto the Fools deal not foolishly and to the wicked lift not up the Horn. They follow their own Wit and Will to the
sends a tempest after us Oh how frequent and earnest should we be in the practice of this Duty 1. This is a time proper for it Prayer is a duty never out of season though some seasons are proper and solemn to it God is alwaies to be prayed unto Iob 27. 11. when freed from Trouble and Inconvenience we are not freed from Prayer still we must profess Dependance Subjection and maintain our Communion but this is a special Season Iames 5. 13. Is anyone afflicted let him pray 2. Though Afflictions drive us to the Throne of Grace yet if we come seriously and heartily we are not unwelcom to him those very Prayers which necessity doth extort from us are accepted by God and valued by him as an acceptable piece of worship therefore such as look toward God ought not to be discouraged though Afflictions drive them to it though they sought him not before or not in good earnest before provided that alwaies they find other errands and be careful to maintain a constant Communion with him Most that are acquainted with God are taken in the briars Jesus Christ in the daies of his flesh had never heard of many if their necessities had not brought them to him their Palsies and Possessions and Feavers Deafness Dumbness thanks to these as their awakening occasions a man will say say you come to me in your necessity God is willing to receive us upon any Terms 3. How desperate in appearance soever our Condition seem to be yet crying will bring Relief or help may be found in God for them that cry to him Iudges 3. 9. When they cried the Lord raised up a deliverer to the Children of Israel who delivered them even Othniel the son of Kenaz Iudges 3. 15. And when the children of Israel cried to the Lord the Lord raised them up a deliverer Ehud the son of Gera. So Psalm 107. frequently From that unto thee Doctrine IV. In our Troubles we must have recourse to God and sue to him by Prayer and Supplication for help and deliverance in due time 1. Because he is the Author of our Trouble in Miseries and Afflictions Our business lyeth not with Men but God by humble dealing with him we stop wrath at the Fountain head he that bindeth us must loose us he is at the upper end of Causes and whoever be the Instruments of our trouble and how malitious soever God is the party with whom we are to make our Peace for he hath the absolute disposal of all Creatures and will have us to acknowledge the Dominion of his Providence and our Dependance upon him in Treaties of Peace between two warring Parties the address is not made to private Souldiers but to their Chief The Lord hath taken away saith Iob chap. 34. 27. When he giveth quietness who then can make Trouble 2. He challengeth this Prerogative to be the God of Salvation Psal. 3. 8. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord and therefore if we would be saved we must seek it of him Others cannot help if he help not for he hath all means and creatures and second causes at his Command if we lean to means they may fail but if we rely upon God he will never fail Therefore whatever means God offereth for our help Prayer to God is the best means and first to be used 3. There is Comfort in dealing with God whatever our Case be 1 Because of his All-sufficient Power 2 Because of his good Will and readiness to help 1 Because of his Power and All-sufficiency so that he hath waies of Deliverance more than we know of and can save his own when men do count their case desperate Dan. 3. 29. There is no other God that can deliver after this sort Let the streight be never so great the burden heavy and the Creature weak and at a desperate loss yet God can find out waies and means to do his people good 2 For his good Will and readiness to hear Psal. 65. 2. Oh thou that hearest prayer unto thee shall all flesh come The readiness of God to hear Prayer doth open a door of access to all people who are sensible of their burdens and necessities He hath ever shewed himself ready to hear the cries and groans of his people and wo be to them against whom they cry Psal. 22. 5. They cried unto thee and were delivered Their cries and groans are not hid from him and cannot be shut out Psalm 106. 44. Nevertheless he regarded their affliction and he heard their cry 1. Use. To reprove divers sorts 1. Some seek to help themselves by impatiency fretting unquiet behaviour in their Troubles this doth increase their Misery Go pour out your hearts before the Lord that giveth ease Phil. 4. 6 7. Be careful for nothing but in every thing by Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Iesus Your wrestling with Trouble within your selves doth but imbroyl you the more 2. Some trust in outward helps seek to men and means as Asa to the Physitians not to the Lord 2 Chron. 16. 12. It is not unlawful to use means but we must depend upon the Lord for the Blessing Seek to him first otherwise looking to man proveth a snare many waies as it tempts us to comply with their Lusts to neglect God maketh way for the greater sorrow in disappointment The Creature is vain in it self made more vain by our Confidence Psal. 60. 11. Give us help from trouble for vain is the help of man You will be brought to it at last The more earnestly we seek God the more Confidence we way have of the Creature 2. Use. To inform us of the Priviledge and Duty of the Godly 1. Their Priviledge they have a God to go to The worldly man sigheth and cryeth he knoweth not to whom but the Godly man presenteth himself in his Lamentations to God my friends scorn me but mine eye poureth out tears unto God Iob 16. 20. He hath a Father in secret a Friend in a corner they need not go to Men nor to Saints and Angels they have God himself and can challenge him by his Office as the Judge of the World to help poor Creatures Psal. 94. 2. Lift up thy self thou Iudge of the World render a reward to the proud Yea by his peculiar Relation to them Psal. 5. 2. Hearken unto the voice of my cry my King and my God for unto thee will I pray They do not cry unto him as a stranger but one in Covenant Relation with them 2. Their Duty to make God their Guardian and Saviour in all their distress when in their own sense they are near perishing Mark 8. 26. Arise save us we perish 2 Kings 19. 19. Now therefore O Lord our God I beseech thee save us out of his hand that all the Kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art
but his Word ever proveth true not once or twice but always what we say of old the Septuagint reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the beginnings that is either 1 From my tender years Timothy knew the Scriptures of a Child 2 Tim. 3. 15. so David very young was acquainted with God and his Truth 2 Or from the first time that he begun to be serious or to mind the Word in good earnest or to be a Student either in Gods Word or Works by comparing Providences and Promises he found concerning his Testimonies that God had founded them for ever 3 Lastly of Old may be what I have heard of all foregoing Ages their Experience as well as mine Psal. 22. 4 5. Our Fathers trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliver them they cried unto thee and were delivered they trusted in thee and were not confounded The Points are three Doctrine I. There is an Everlasting Stability and a constant unchangeable Truth in Gods Testimonies Doctrine II. This must be known by us or apprehended by us Doctrine III. Experiences of former times should give us encouragement to trust God for what is future Doct. I. There is an everlasting Stability and a constant Unchangeable Truth in Gods Testimonies Proof Psal. 110. 8. All his Commandments are sure they stand fast for ever and ever The Word of God is of perpetual Use and Comfort not in one Condition but all in every Age of the World you have the effects of it it shall be made good to us in the World to come 2 Cor. 1. 20. For all the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen of one invariable tenour and of a sure and certain accomplishment they do not say yea and nay but yea and Amen Yea to our Hopes and Amen to our Desires Reasons It must needs be so if we consider I. Their Author II. Their Foundation III. Their Use. I. Their Author is God who is the self-same God and needs not say and unsay for he has Wisdom enough to foresee all Events Power enough to answer all Difficulties that may stand in the way of his Promises Authority supream and so is above all controulment sometimes men command but without Reason sometimes they Promise but without Performance sometimes they Threaten but without Effect therefore the word of Man dieth and may come to nothing they forget their Promises or may be cast into such circumstances as to be unable to perform them but these are Gods Testimonies and therefore are Pillars that cannot be shaken they are laid by God himself who hath ordained them to stand firm for ever his People shall find more in his Performance then they could perceive in his Promise and his enemies shall find more weight in his Judgments then they could apprehend in his Threatnings 2 Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God standeth sure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Obligation not a foundation in the Builders sense but in the Lawyers sense His Obligation or bill of Contract that is his Promise or Covenant with us in Christ remaineth unchangeable A Bill or Bond is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God will own his Servants if they will be faithful to him See Hammond II. They are Founded the Testimonies of God if taken for the Promises of the Gospel as they ought to be are built on two Foundations 1. One Foundation is the unchangeableness of Gods Nature Heb. 6. 18. That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong consolation God cannot change cannot lye God can no more break his Promise then cease to be God his Love Truth Power is all Unchangeable 2. The other Foundation is the Blood of Christ in him they are Yea and Amen the things promised are purchased with a great price surely that blood was not shed in vain other foundation can no man lay then that is laid which is Iesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3. 11. III. Their Use. 1. To be Testimonies or Declarations of Gods Mind and Will to the Creature not onely for the Regulation of our Actions but the Measure of Gods dealings Gods Covenant in respect of the Commands is the Rule of Mans Duty in respect of the Promises and Threatnings they are the Rule of Gods Judgment or Process with us Now it is for the Honour of God and satisfaction of Man that this should be stated and held good in all Ages and Cases therefore God hath established a Process and Rule of dealing with his Creatures that shall never be changed if your Cause will hold good according to Gods Testimonies it will hold good before his Tribunal otherwise we could not know certainly that we do please or maintain any Commerce with him or know what to expect from him 2. To be Props and Pillars of our Confidence so the Scriptures as they are founded themselves so they are a Foundation for us to build upon Eph. 2. 20. And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himself being the Corner-stone They support the weight of the building Now Foundation stones must not be moveable or layed loosly and carelesly for then all the building will be weak and tottering therefore there is a sure Word and sure Promises for poor Creatures to build upon The Apostle calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1. 19. a more sure word of prophesie comparing it to the Voice from Heaven whereof he spoke immediately before we are upon more certain Terms now God guideth us by Scripture than if he guided us by Oracle quoad nos it is so though every declaration of God be alike evident and certain in itself a Transient Voice is more easily mistaken and forgotten than a standing Authentick Record Consider it as subject to Jealousies Forgetfulness Mistakes it is so The general Voice of the Gospel gives more incouragement to self-undoing sinners than a voice from Heaven calling us by name Use. 1. To humble us for our uncertainty and inconstancy when the Testimonies of God are so Stable and Unchangeable The Scriptures are as firm as a Rock but alas we are unstable as water both as to Faith and Obedience There should be a proportion inter regulam regulatum between the Rule and thing Ruled the Measure and what is Measured the Stamp and the Impression We carry it so as if the Word spake one thing to day and another to morrow as if God would sometimes maintain the Cause of his People and at other times forsake them as if he sometimes loved Sin and hated Righteousness would sometimes be good to Penitent Sinners at other times turn away from them We profess to walk by his Rule and yet live so disproportionable 1. In Faith like waves of the Sea rolled hither and thither our Dependance and Trust now and anon changing with the posture of our Affairs not suited to the eternal Verity of the Promises In Crosses Confusions and Difficulties we are at
to plead and standeth to judge his people He will bring matters under a Review and will powerfully shew himself against their Oppressors To this pleading Iob alludeth when he saith Iob 23. 6. Will he plead against me with his great power if he should use his Almighty and Invincible power against me he would easily ruine me So Ezek. 38. 22. I will plead against him with Pestilence and with Blood against Gog and Magog that is the Sythians Turks and Tartars So that you see that God's pleading is not by speaking or by Word of Mouth but by the Veugeance of his Providence against those that wrong his people So against Babylon Ier. 51. 36. Thus saith the Lord Behold I will plead thy cause and take vengeance for thee But that this is a mixt act of Patron and Judge see Micah 7. 9. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him until he plead my cause and execute Iudgment for me he will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his Righteousness When Gods People provoke him to anger by their sins he casteth them into Troubles and then their Adversaries are Chief and their Cause is much darkned and obscured all this while God is pleading against them but it is not the Enemies Quarrel but his own Vindication of abused Mercy and Goodness but when once the controversie is taken up between God and them by their Submission and clearing his Justice and imploring his Mercy then God will plead their Cause and take their part against the instruments of his Vengeance and clear their righteous cause who only sought their own ends in afflicting them when God hath exercised their Humility and Patience he will thus do and how I pray you will he plead for them the Text saith there by executing Judgment for them that is by putting his sentence in Execution and then will restore to them their wonted priviledges and own them in the publick view of all and make manifest they are his he will bring them forth to the Light and they shall see his Righteousness 3. The Effect of God's pleading which is the clearing of God's people and the convincing of their Adversaries which God doth partly by the Eminency and Notableness of the Providences whereby he delivereth his people and the markes of his Favour put upon them Nehem. 6. 16. And it came to pass that when all our Enemies heard thereof and all the Heathen that were about us saw these things they were much cast down in their own eyes for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God Their own Judgments were convinced of their folly in opposing the Iews the extraordinary success shewed the hand of God was in it by such incredible and remarkable occurrences doth God bring about their deliverance So Micah 7. 10. When God shall plead her cause then she that is mine enemy shall see it and shame shall cover her which said unto me where is the Lord thy God mine eyes shall behold her now shall she be trodden dâ—…wil as the mire of the streets Those who mocked her Faith should be confounded at the sight of her Deliverance Thus God delights to make the happiness of his people Conspicuous So Rev. 3. 9. Behold I will make them which are of the Synagogue of Satan which say they are Iews and are not but do lie behold I will make them to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee He will make their Enemies to know that he hath loved them and ask them forgiveness for the wrongs and outrages done to them Partly by the Convictions of his Spirit undeceiving the World and reproving them for the hatred and malice against his People Ioh. 16. 8. The Comforter when he is come shall reprove the world of Sin of Righteousness and of Iudgment The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not Comfort but Convince or Reprove put them to silence so as they shall not in Reason gainsay The Object the World the Unconverted if not the Reprobate The things whereof Convinced of Sin and Righteousness and Judgment of the Truth of Christs Person and Doctrine This was spoken for the Comfort of the Disciples who were to go abroad and beat the Devil out of his Territories by the Doctrine of the Cross that were weak men destitute of all Worldly sufficiencies and Props and Aids Their Master suffered as a seducer their Doctrine cross to mens carnal Interests for them in this manner to venture upon the raging World was a heavy discouraging thing Now the Spirit should come and convince the opposing World so far that some terrified before brought to Evangelical Repentance Acts 2. 37. Now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart soon desire to share in their great Priviledge Acts 8. 18 19. And when Simon saw that through laying on the Apostles hands the holy Ghost was given he offered them money saying Give me also this power that on whomsoever I lay hands he may receive the Holy Ghost but he was yet in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity Some almost perswaded Acts 26. 28. Then Agrippa said unto Paul almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian. Some forced to magnifie them who did not joyn with them Acts 5. 13. And of the rest durst no man join himself to them but the people magnified them Some would have worshipped them being yet Pagans Acts 14. 11 13. And when the people saw what Paul had done they lift up their voices saying in the speech of Lycaonia the Gods are come down to us in the likeness of men Then the Priests of Iupiter which was before their City brought Oxen and Garlands to the gates and would have done sacrifice with the people Others bridled that were afraid to meddle with them Acts 5. 34 35. Then stood there up one in the Council a Pharisee named Gamaliel a Doctor of Law had in reputation among all the people and commanded to put the Apostles forth a little space and said unto them Ye men of Israel take heed to your selves what ye intend to do as touching these men That Christ that Messias that Righteous Person one able to Vanquish the Devil thus without any visible force and with mere Spiritual Weapons by this conviction of the Spirit did the Lord subdue the World to the owning and receiving Christs Kingdom at least not go on in an high hand to oppose it God cleared Christ as righteous and Lord. II. The Necessity of this pleading 1. Because the People of God are often in such a Condition that none will plead their Cause unless the Lord plead it and therefore we are driven to him as our Judge and Patron God's design is not to gain the World by Pomp and Force but by spiritual Evidence and Power and therefore as to Externals it is often worse with his People than with others for the World is upon their Tryal and
multitude though they have Power yet they have no Authority But when the Rulers were set against them and persecuted them with Edicts and Punishments then the greatest Havock was made of them To see Gods Ordinance abused maketh the Trial the more grievous The Godly should be defended by their Governours for therefore they are called the shields of the Earth Psal. 49. 9. But now when they persecute them for Righteousness sake 't is a sore but no strange Temptation They may do so partly out of Ignorance 1 Cor. 2. 8. Which none of the Princes of this world knew for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory And partly out of Prejudice and blind Zeal so the Corner-stone is refused by the Builders Psalm 118. 22. applyed to Christs Persecutors Acts 4. 11. The stone that was set at nought by you builders is become the head of the Corner And partly by the instigation of Evil Men. Wicked men labour to ingage those who are in power against the People of God and make them odious to them Prov. 29. 10. The bloud-thirsty hate the upright Flattery giveth the first onset to the work of Impiety Acts 24. 1 2 3. And partly because Riches and Power efferate men swell them with pride fill them with enmity against the ways of God Psal. 123. 4. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease and the contempt of the proud Well then let us not be dismayed though great men be prejudiced against us and we have powerful Enemies in Church and State Matth. 10. 17 18. But beware of men for they will deliver you up to the Counsels and they will scourge you in their Synagogues and ye shall be brought before Governours and Kings for my sake for a Testimony against them and the Gentiles Though we be persecuted with Censures Civil and Ecclesiastical and both Judicatures thunder against us Iohn 16. 1 2. These things have I told you that you should not be offended they shall put you out of the Synagogue Yea the time cometh when they that kill you think they do God good service 'T is a stumbling block to see Power which is of God bent against God and his Interest the Beast in the Revelations pushed with the Horns of the Lamb but Christ hath told us of these things before-hand that we should be fore-armed against them Christs Followers must not only look for injuries from wicked men in a tumultuous way but ordinarily carried by fixed Judicatures thrown out of the Church by Excommunication and out of the World by Death Let us Bless God that our Rulers deal more Christianly by us and let us not irritate them but shew all Love and Meekness and Obedience and let the mild Government of our Gracious Soveraign move us to pray to God for the Continuance of his Life and the Prosperity of his Affairs 't is but a necessary Gratitude that we should pay him for the Rest and Peace we enjoy under him 3. The Malice and Groundlesness of this Persecution without cause David did not suffer for his Deserts as an Evil doer he had done nothing disobediently against Sauls Authority when he had spared him in the Cave he giveth him an Ample Testimony 1 Sam. 24. 17. Thou art more righteous then I for thou hast rewarded me good but I have rewarded thee evil Again he had another Testimony when he surprized his Camp sleeping 1 Sam. 26. 21. Return my son David I will no more do thee harm because my soul was precious in thine eyes behold I have played the fool and have erred exceedingly Theodoret expoundeth this of the next Verse with application to these passages When David found Saul asleep he would not kill him and this was more Comfort to him than if he had slain and obtained all their Spoiles Observe we may the better represent our Case to God when we suffer without a Cause then our Sufferings are clean Sufferings more Comfortable to us and Honourable to God 'T was Daniels glory that they could find no occasion or fault against him but only in the matter of his God Dan. 6. 4 5. Blamless Carriage disappoints the Malice of wicked men or shameth them Cajus Sejus vir bonus nisi quod Christianus Now a pretended Crime doth not take away the glory from us Saul pretended that David was an Enemy to his Life and Crown but David declared the Contrary by Word and Deed he might have slain him twice Put to silence the ignorance of foolish men 1 Pet. 2. 15. There may be in Mans Court a Cause which before God is no just Cause as when we are punished for the breach of Law which is contrary to our Duty to God Psalm 94. 20. Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee which frameth mischief by a law Well then whatever we suffer let it be without a Cause there is cause enough on Gods part to afflict and strike us for our sins but on Mans part let us not procure Sufferings to ourselves by our Provocations We shall hereby have more peace in Sufferings and bring more honour to Religion 1 Peter 3. 17. For it is better if the will of God be so that ye suffer for well-doing then for evil-doing 1 Peter 4. 15 16. But let none of you suffer as a murtherer or a theif or as an evil-doer yet if any suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God in that behalf Surely Christs Cross is more comfortable than the Cross of Barabbas Secondly Let us come to his gracious frame of heart to stand in Awe of the Word but my heart standeth in awe of thy Word Doctrine 'T is a gracious frame of Heart to stand in Awe of the Word of God Gods People are often described by it Iob 13. 13. Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed but whoso feareth a commandment shall be rewarded There are many fear a Judgment when to visible appearance it is like to tread upon the heels of sin yea and some fear a Threatning at least when it is like to be accomplished but who fears a Commandment but a Gracious Heart this is reason enough to draw back if a Commandment stand in the way 't is more than if there was a Lion in the way or a band of Armed Enemies or an Angel with a drawn Sword such as stood in the way to stop Balaam they have a deep Reverence of Gods Authority and dare not break through when God by his Law hath fenced up their way So Isaiah 66. 2. To him will I look that is of a poor and contrite spirit and trembleth at my word A man that is affected according to his doom and sentence passed in the Word if the Word speaketh bitter things or the Word speaketh Peace accordingly the man is affected this is the Man that God will look at Ezra 9. 4. Then were assembled unto me every one that
make this Petition to God to beg his watchful Providence and Shepherd-like care over us and we may do it with Encouragement to be heard of God if our Hearts are unfeignedly set to keep his Law that God will hear us and keep us from our wandring Doctrine That a Christian that is obedient for the main yet may run into many Faylings and Errors of Life David was right for the main course of his Life he professeth here he did not forget Gods Precepts he did not cast off the Yoak of his Law but yet in particular acts he acknowledgeth he did erre and fail and went astray like a lost Sheep And so many who are Gods own Servants that do not forget his Precepts may thus erre and go astray First In our Natural Estate man is of a straying nature apt to turn out of the way that leadeth to God and true happiness The Holy Ghost sets forth the Degeneration of Man-kind by the similitude and embleme of a strayed or lost Sheep Luke 15. and Isa. 53. 6. All we like Sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way Mark he speaks of our Estate by Nature Collectively and Distributively Collectively and in Common All we like Sheep have gone astray And distributively Every man to his own way We all agree in forsaking the right way of pleasing and enjoying God but we disagree as each one hath a by-path of his own Some are running after this Lust Some after that and so are not only divided from God but divided from one another whilst every one makes his own Will his Law quiequid velit licet As the Channel is cut so corrupt Nature in every one finds an Issue and Passage Psal. 14. 3. They are all gone aside they are altogether become Filthy there is none that doth good no not one Some run this way some that way some are enslaved by Pleasures others are captivated by the Honours of the present World and some are opprest by the Cares of this Life Every man hath his way of sinning and running away from God But however the Emblem and Similitude of the Holy Ghost is to be considered that our departing from God and his ways is like the straying of a sheep what doth that note 1. In general it implies this that we are brutish in our sin and defection from God led by sense fancy and appetite and therefore our Condition could not be exprest but by a Comparison fetched from the Beasts Silly Sheep are carried away by their fancy and appetite from the Flock Psal. 49. 12. Man being in Honour abideth not he is like the Beasts that perish that is he abode not in the Honour of his Creation some would render it for a Night Adam abode not for a Night What we translate Man is Adam the excellency and dignity wherein God had set us he became like a Beast How is man like a Beast we are governed by our Sences and lower Appetites The Sences are grown masterly and inordinate so eagerly set upon their Objects that they will not be reclaimed and mans Life just like that of the Bruits it is things of the same nature we value and adhere unto Terrene and Earthly things the Comforts of the Animal Life and as we have the same objects so the same ends to enjoy our sensual pleasures and satisfy our Fleshly Minds as long as we may now what is this but to suffer the Beast to ride the Man to put Reason and Conscience in Vassallage and Subjection to Sense and Appetite 2. This Similitude is used to shew our proneness to erre There is no Creature more prone to wander and lose its way without a Shepherd then the Sheep Sheep are Creatures subject to straying if they be not kept in the Pasture so all Men are obnoxious to Erring and Straying Ier. 14. 10. They love to wander it s a delight to us to be pleasing our Flesh and gratifying our Carnal Senses So Psal. 95. 10. It s a People that do erre in their Hearts We do nor only erre in our Minds but erre in our Hearts To erre in our Mind is to erre out of Ignorance but to erre in our Heart is to erre out of Sensual Obstinacy so are we carryed away with the Desires of the Flesh think our selves never better then when we run away from God Ah the best of us is soon out of the way If God takes off his Guidance and leaves us to our selves we are apt to Transgress the Bounds wherewith God hath hedged up our way and make it our Business still to be running away from the Chief Good into the Bushes and Thickets of Carnal Error wherein we are entangled 3. Our inability to return and set our selves into the Right Way again for we stray like Sheep not like Swine and Dogs Swine and Dogs though they wander they will find the way home again but a Sheep is irrecoverably lost without the Shepherds Diligence and Care Ier. 50. 6. My People hath been lost they have gone from Mountain to Mountain they have forgotten their resting Place So should we run and keep running away from and forget our Resting Place I remember Austin in his Meditations hath this Passage Domine errare potui redire non potui Lord I could go astray by my self but I cannot return of my self The sheep easily straggle but it is the Shepherd must bring home the lost Sheep upon his own Shoulders Luke 15. 5. And to this we may apply that of the Prophet Hosea 13. 9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help We could destroy and ruine our selves but we cannot recover and save our selves The shiftless Infant can defile himself but 't is the Nurse must cleanse it and we our selves can fall from God but to recover us to God that 's the Shepherds Care 4. It shews our readiness to follow evil Example A Sheep is animal sequax a Creature that runs after the Drove they run out of the Gap one after another and one Stragler draws away the whole Flock When the Apostle speaks of the sinful state of Man-kind Eph. 2. 2 3. He reckons up Example as one walking according to the Course of this World according to the Prince of the Power of the Air the spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience In that place there 's the Devil the World and the Flesh. There 's the Prince of the Power of the Air and there 's the Course of this World that I quote it for now there 's Satan Corrupt Example and Evil Inclination all which are Depravers of Man-kind and all concurr to our ruine and destruction we easily swim with the Stream and the Torrent of Common Example do as others do and so mutually propagate and receive taint from one another Imitation is not the Whole Cause of Sin but Propagation and Inclination of Nature yet Imitation and Example doth much to the perverting of the World
the Flesh p. 899 Grounds of love to the Word the most noble is the words purity p. 863 Grounds of Faith and Obedience p. 939-940 Guidance of God to be submitted to if we will have him to be ours p. 10 Guilty Creatures cannot immediately enjoy God p. 14 Guilt makes us jealous of God p. 473 H. HAbitual and actual reign of Sin p. 919 Hand of God notes the power of God p. 1070 Our Mercies are in the hand of God p. 513 Happiness of the Saints not in this World p. 867 Happiness as well as Honour to be Gods Servants p. 850 Happiness mistakes about it 1. Some mistake wherein it lies 2. Others mistake the way that leads to it 3. Some are indifferent in the use of means leading to it p. 2 29 30. Mistakes herein very dangerous ibid. Many would be happy that would not be holy ibid. Happiness of Saints that God is near them on all occasions p. 948 Vid. Blessedness Hardness of heart from delaying Repentance p. 405 by converse with wicked men p. 775 prevented by acknowledging Mercies p. 445 from neglecting answers of prayer p. 906 Wicked men harden themselves 1. From Divine Patience 2. Divine Mercy p. 938 Harmony between the Spirit Scripture and Grace p. 66 Harmony between Gods work and our Duty p. 66 Harmony between the Word and Spirit in teaching us p. 74 Hasty we are apt to be hasty with God p. 836 Hatred of God under the Notion of a Iudge not as a Preserver p. 756 Hatred of sin when it is right p. 100S it is twofold ibid. Hatred of the World against Christians because God loves them p. 882 883 Hatred of sin 1. The Kinds 2. Causes 3. Effects of it p. 877 878 879 1006 1007 1008 Hating of sin as it is sin p. 659 660 679 680 683 It is a Character of those that are good-p 680 681 877 None hate sin but they that hate all sin p. 683 Hearing the Word without practice not sufficient p. 318 Hearing Prayer God may hear when he does not answer p. 901 Heart Tender heart soon affected with Gods judgments p. 810 Means to get a tender heart p. 933 Heart purity of heart the internal principle of good Actions p. 8 The Word of God to be laid up in the heart p. 9 What a Mans heart is that the Condition is p. 486 Heart what it implies 1. The Mind 2. The affections p. 9 God will be sought with the whole heart p. 15 236 393 Half-heart what it is p. 393 239 Whole Heart what it is it implies 1. Extension of parts 2. Intention of degrees p. 15 16 Examine whether we give God the whole Heart p. 239 Why God will be sought with the whole heart p. 15 16 58 59 902 236 237 238. Motives p. 239 God enclines the heart and man inclines his own heart how p. 46 751 251 Vid. Inclination Heart enclined to keep Gods Statutes what it is the necessity of it p. 752 753 God requires the Heart in his service p. 236 237 Heart its bent towards the Word how expressed p. 122 Heart must 1. Be drawn off from the Creature Self and Sin 2. Drawn unto God p 373 374 Vid. enlarged heart Heaven the belief of it a great support under the Terrors of this World p. 310 Heavenly things Motives to press after them p. 1089 1090 Heavens an Emblem of the stability of Gods VVord p. 575 Help and Hope when delayed we may complain to God p. 551 Help to be sought of God in heavy troubles p. 158 To be sought of God to encline our hearts to Gods statutes p. 46 Height when is iniquity come to its height p. 858 859 Hell a worm that never dies a pit that hath no bottom a fire that shall never be quenched p. 861 Help in straits may be expected by them that make a Conscience of Gods Commandments p. 1079 Heritage denotes 1. The substance of our portion 2. Our right to it 3. The tenure by which we hold it 4. Our actual possession of it p. 741 742 743 Gods testimonies are 1. a full 2. a sure 3. a lasting Heritage p. 741 742 743 Marks of one that hath Gods testimonies for his Heritage p. 746 747 Consideration to move us to take Gods testimonies for our Heritage p. 748 749 Heirs of the promise rejoice in each others company and in each others mercies p. 501 502 Reasons of it p. 502 503 Hiding Gods word in the heart what p. 63 64 Why Gods word must be hid in our heart p. 64 65 Great advantages of hiding Gods word in our heart in seven particulars p. 65 How we may hide it in our hearts 1. By meditation upon it 2. Receiving it in the love of it p. 67 Hide Gods word not as a Talent in a Napkin but as Gold in a Treasury p. 76 Gods hiding his commandments from us is his not opening our eyes to see into them p. 119 Hieroglyphick of the Egyptians p. 432 Hiding place God is a hiding place to his own It implies many things for their comfort 1. Secresie 2. Capacity 3. Safety 4. Consolation p. 765 766 Hinderers of preaching the word great judgments threatned against them p. 336 Holiness in God is his essence in us a quality p. 859 It 's a means of maintaining communion with God p 389 Holiness negative and positive p. 17 18 22 Not enough to avoid evil but we must do good p 22 Reasons and Uses thereof ibid. Holiness of life is oft made a scorn by carnal men p. 337 It 's better than wisdom wisdom better than strength p 928 Honesty in our dealings with others directions about it p. 817 Honest heart one sign of it is when a man fears to offend and cares to please God p. 478 Honour great honour to be Gods servant p. 101 849 850 To be dishonour'd for Christ's sake p. 311 Horrour at mens forsaking Gods Law argues 1. A due sense of sin 2. Of Gods wrath 3. Of the truth of the threatnings 4. The effects of sin p. 351 It proceedeth from a good cause p. 351 352 Hope teaches us to purifie our selves p. 18 And to obey Gods Commandments p. 1035 1040 Hope and help when delay'd we may complain to God p. 551 Hope and obedience much praised little practised p. 1035 Hope in Christ consider what we have of that hope p. 399 Hope keeps the soul alive under faintings how p. 542 543. What Hope is p. 1036 Hope keeps us from being utterly overcome p. 337 Hope and faith their difference p. 543 Hope its excellency and certainty it causeth earnestness to be delivered out of the trouble and yet patience under the trouble p. 543 827 Hope nourished by the word of God p. 544 927 Hope from worldly things causeth shame p. 786 Hope true and false distinguished p. 786 1036 1. False hope is not built on God 2. It is slight and superficial 3. Dead and cold 4. Weak and inconstant 5. Lazy and Ioitering p. 787 True hope
is to be allotted for immediate Worship p. 1019 Time and things of time lessened by consideration of Eternity p. 570 Time when God will wipe off the Reproach of his people p. 871 Whether it be convenient to have fixed times for Prayer p. 1020 Times bad times discover good Men p. 780 865 God has a time for punishing sinners p. 856 And his time is the best time p. 857 And a short time p. 857 His time is when Impiety is come to the height p. 858 How to be good in bad times p. 865 866 Tongue must not only pray but the Heart p. 903 Trade of sin what p. 17 Tradition of the Church not a sufficient ground for our receiving the Word p. 861 Transitory things not to be sought p. 875 Treading under foot what it implieth p. 793 God treads the wicked under foot why p. 794 Treasâ—…s heavenly beyond these of the earth p. 525 Gods Promises are our Treasures p. 742 Trembling the import of that word p. 808 Trembling at Gods word hinders not our delight in it p. 1003 Trial of Faith and Patience p. 139 538 297 298 God delays to try Faith and Patience p. 325 Trial of Uprightness p. 140 289 Trial of Gods word p. 857 Trials ought not abate our Love to God or his word p. 553 God tries his people before he Crowns them p. 865 One of the ordinary Trials of Gods people is Persecution p. 995 Tribunal of Christ we may appeal thither when unjustly condemned by men p. 38 Sincerity gives confidence to appear before that Tribunal p. 533 Troubles of the Righteous many p. 413 414 When they become Blessings p. 524 158 The word Supports under troubles p. 524 525 The word cures Troubles of heart p. 146 They should drive us to the word p. 526 And to God p. 918 why ibid. p. 1083 God Exercises Churches and Persons with great Troubles p. 882 Truce no Truce to be made with sin p. 339 Trusting in God hath great Benefits annext to it p. 324 God to be trusted upon his naked Word p. 321 325 Trust two grounds of trusting in God 1. Gods Wisdom 2. his Vigilancy p. 563 564. what it is p. 321 322 325 Trusting in outward helps evil p. 918 Arguments to trust in God p. 769 770 324 Gods goodness the life of our Trust in him p. 474 477 Trusting God engages God to secure us p. 822 325 We may plead our trusting God in our Prayers p. 326 Means for trusting in God p. 325 Characters of it p. 326 Truth and Iustice in all Gods Providences p. 39 Truth of Scripture is 1. Certain 2. Profound p. 622 625 Truth is the perfection of the understanding p. 84 Truth must be professed 1. knowingly 2. wisely 3. godly 4. sincerely 5. meekly c. p. 333 334 Truth of Scripture suitable to all our necessities p. 84 Truth of Gods word 1. in making 2. making good his Promises p. 939 940 Truth Relates to some Word of God p. 579 Truth will prevail at last p. 336 What Interest God hath in Truth p. 851 God is Truth p. 830 Truth is to be chosen because there are many crooked and erroneous Paths in the world p. 193 194 Way of Truth 1. to be taken upon good evidence Reasons thereof 206 207 2. we must cleave to it when we have chosen it p. 207 Turning the back upon Gods Counsels what it is who they are that do so p. 154 When a lesser Truth hinders a greater good it ought to be concealed p. 333 Turning to God is the end of considering our ways p. 399 What turning to God is p. 399 400 Type Israel guided by the Pillar of Cloud by day and Pillar of Fire by night a Type of our Conduct by Gods word p. 689 Lamp of the Sanctuary a Type of Gods word burning and shining p. 689 V. VAil upon the understanding fourfold p. 108 Vain-Glory cured by Reproach p. 296 Vanity what meant by it p. 277 Vanity of thoughts appears 1. in their slipperiness 2. Folly 3. Carnality 4. Filthiness p. 758 759 How to be prevented or suppressed p. 762 763 634 cured by Meditation p. 930 vid. Thoughts Valentinian his Zeal against false Worship p. 852 Valuation of Gods word above wealth p. 1062 Value of the word to be judged by the cost that we 〈◊〉 are at for it p. 38 126 Valuation of the word whence p. 492 876 what it is p. 873 874 Motives to value the word p. 869 335 494 Try all whether we value the word p. 869 294 Variety of Gifts and Graces in the Saints and all useful p. 520 527 Variety of Mercies in God meet with the Variety of Necessities in man both in respect of Sin and Misery p. 316 317 Variety of Providences very useful p. 826 Vehemency required in Prayer p. 898 899 921 922 It implies the heart not the voice p. 921 Vigilancy of Providence a ground of trusting in God p. 564 Vigilance in Prayer an Argument we make a business of it p. 920 Vindication of God by his impartial punishing of his own peoples sins p. 810 935 Vindication of Gods love to his people though he afflicts them p. 911 912 980 981 982 935 937 938 Vindicative Iustice of God on sinners p. 935 Visible Church is mixed p. 803 Gods Judgments on the visible Church to make a separation between sincere and hypocritical Professors p. 805 Virtue of Gods word must be expressed in our lives p. 940 in Righteousness and Truth ibid. Unactive Desires come to nothing p. 31 Unbelief sins against Gods Authority and Truth p. 9 It is a cause of delaying Repentance p. 408 Unbelief the cause 1. of coldness in duty 2. boldness in sin p. 286 287 Uncertainty 1. of Life 2. of the means of Grace 3. of the Grace of God accompanying those means p. 404 405 Uncheangeableness of God and his Testimonies p. 889 890 Unchangeableness of Gods Nature argueth the unchangeableness of his Purposes p. 547 Unconstancy of our hearts needs Vows Resolutions Oaths p. 701 708 Undefiled implies not absolute Purity or legal Perfection but Sincerity p. 3 Undefiledness is to be understood according to the tenor of the New Covenant which excludes not Gods mercy p. 5 Undertaking of God more than ours p. 221 Understanding necessary to the keeping Gods Law p. 232 Means to get it p. 234 Understanding Wisdom Counsel how they differ p. 636 Understanding moves the Will and Affections p. 863 685 Motives to get understanding p. 685 Understanding gotten from Gods word v. Knowledge is better than that gotten by long experience p. 651 Undertaking of God for us is sufficient for our security p. 821 221 Undutifulness to Superiors argueth Pride p. 520 Undervaluing Gods word reproved p. 886 887 â—…unded Assent to truth a Reason of Apostacy p. 212 Unseigned desire to return to Duty a note of Sincerity p. â—…106 Uniformity of Obedience to God its Nature p. 5 Uâ—…rm A true Christian is Uniform in all times 〈◊〉 c.
only rejoyce in things for a season Iohn 6. 35. There are many that look for all their vertue and their experience from their notions in Religion Thus they run from doctrine to doctrine from way to way so remain unmortified Thirdly Take heed of the first decays and look often into the state of your hearts A man that never casts up his estate is undone insensibly therefore look often into the state of your hearts whether you encrease in your affections to God in the power of holiness or whether you go backward It is the Devil's policy when once we are declining to humble us further and further still as a stone that runs down the hill therefore take heed look to the first declinings A gap once made in the conscience grows wider and wider every day and the first declinings are the cause of all the rest Evil is best stopt in the beginning And therefore when you begin to be cold careless in the profession of godliness and not to have the like savour as you were wont to have take heed A heavy body moving downward still gets more strength it goes down and moves faster still O therefore stay at first The first remitting of your watch and spiritual fervor is that which is the cause of all the mischief that comes upon many so that they are given up to vile affections and lying errors It is easier to crush the egg than kill the serpent He that keeps his house in constant repair prevents the fall of it therefore look to your hearts still Our first declinings though never so small are very dangerous Pliny speaks of the Lioness lib. 8. cap. 16. first she brings forth five Lions then four then three then two then one and forever afterward is barren Thus we first begin to remit of our diligence in holy things and are not so frequent in acts of communion then this and that goes off till we have but little left us and then all is gone and men grow worse and worse I may resemble it to Nebuchadnezzar's Image the head of gold the breasts of silver the thighs of brass the feet of iron and clay still worse and worse So men are imbasing by degrees and fall off from God and their savour of the ways of God Fourthly Often review your first grounds and compare them with your after-experiences and what fresh tasts you had then of the love of God to your souls Heb. 3. 14. We are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end The first rejoycing of faith the sweet sense that you had O how precious was Christ to you then when first you came out of your fears Revive this upon your heart this will stir you up to be faithful to God When the love of Christ was fresh upon your hearts your motions were earnest Many begin like a Tree full of blossoms give great hope of fruit We should labour to keep up this affection and that a cursed satiety may not creep upon us USE 2. If those that have chosen the way of God and begin to conform their practice ought with all constancy to persevere then it reproveth 1. Those that take up Religion only by way of essay to try how it will suit with them they do not intirely and by a resolute fixed purpose give up themselves to the Lord. You should resolve upon all hazards Not take up Religion for a walk but for a journey Not like going to sea for pleasure if they see a storm coming presently to shore again but for a voyage to ride out all weathers Thus you should do stick to the ways of God and at first make God a good allowance that neither tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword nor any thing may separate you from Christ Rom. 8. 35. We should count all charges and resolve upon the worst 2. It reproves Aguish Christians whose purity and devotion comes upon them by fits Hos. 6. 4. Their righteousness is as the morning-dew The morning-dew that cannot endure the rising sun it is soon wasted and spent when the sun ariseth with his heat and strength whereas our righteousness should not be like the morning-dew but like the morning-light 3. It reproves them that are only swayed by temporal advantages that are off and on As the Samaritans when the Iews were favoured by Alexander and other Princes then they would deny the Temple that was upon Mount Gerizim and say that they were brethren to the Iews but when the Iews were in danger then they would disclaim them Thus many are swayed by temporal advantages either intending or omitting the conscience of their duty as they are favoured by men But we are to stick to God's testimonies II. Let us come to David's prayer O Lord put me not to shame It is in the nature of a deprecation or a prayer for the prevention of evil The evil deprecated is shame By shame some understand the reproaches of wicked men Lord let me not suffer their reproach for I have stuck unto thy testimonies A man that doth not stick to God's testimonies that is not zealous and constant will be put to shame before God and man and made a scorn by them and lie under great reproach therefore Lord prevent this reproach These reproaches are grievous to be born It is against the spirit of man to be contemned especially when he doth well But certainly this cannot be meant he would not so earnestly deprecate this I should think at least not in such an expression O Lord put me not to shame He speaks of such a shame wherein God had a great hand It is true God may suffer this in his Providence Well then this shame may be supposed to result either from his sin or from his sufferings First From sin I have stuck unto thy testimonies O suffer me not to fall into any such sinful course as may expose me to shame and make me become a reproach to Religion Observe Doct. The fruit of sin is shame Shame is a trouble of mind about such evils as tend to our infamy and disgrace Loss of life is matter of fear loss of goods is matter of grief and sorrow but loss of name and credit is matter of shame and therefore it is a trouble of mind that doth arise about such evils as tend to our infamy and disgrace Now this infamy and disgrace is the proper fruit of sin To prove it by Scripture Reason and Experience To prove it by Scripture Shame entred into the world by sin though they were naked yet till they had sinned they were not asham'd Gen. 2. 25. with Gen. 3. 10. there was verecundia an awful Majesty or an holy bashfulness in innocency but not pudor A fear of reproach and infamy that came in by the fall To prove it by Reason There are two things in sin folly and filthiness and both cause shame it is an
in thy way These two Prayers joyn'd together speak thus much if you be too busie about Vanity it will bring on a Brawn and Deadness and so you need to go to God for quickning And Christ tells his disciples Luke 21. 34. Take heed of being over-charged c. The soul is mightily distempered by too free a Liberty of the delights of the Flesh for Surfeiting and Drunkenness must not be taken there in the gross Notion 3. Let us take heed that we do not lose it by our Sloathfulness and Negligence in the spiritual Life Isa. 64. 7. There is none that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee As in a Watch one Wheel protrudes and thrusts forward another so when we are diligent all is lively in the Soul but when we are not active and serious in a Godly course all goes to Rack An Instrument though it be never so much in Tune yet laid by and hung up it grows out of Order Wells are sweetet for draining Our Graces if we keep not them awork lose their Vitality if we do not stir up the Grace of God 2 Tim. 3. 6. they are quite quenched when we grow careless and neglectful of our Souls we lose this Activity of Grace 4. Vain and Dead-hearted Company and Converse are a very great means to damp the Spirit and quench the Motions of the heavenly Life We should Provoke one another to good Works Heb. 10. 24. There is great Provocation in good Examples but we grow Lazy Formal slight by imitation Others profess Knowledg yet are Vain Dead-hearted so are we we have adopted it into our Manners and leven one another by this means There should be a holy Contention who should be most forward in the ways of Godliness and excel in our Heavenly calling this keeps Christians lively Saul when he was among the Prophets he Prophecied but when we converse with Dead-hearted company it breeds a great Damp. You read in Isa. 41. 6. 7. how the Idolaters encouraged one another it was when the Isles was to wait for the Messiah that they should not faint but get up their Idols again after Christ had got a little footing among them and shall not the Children of God encourage and keep up the life of Zeal one in another Use 2. Exhortation It presseth you to divers Duties 1. To see a need of quickning Though life received gives Power to act yet that Power must be excited by God No creature doth subsist and Act of it self All things Live Move and have their Being in God There is a Concurrence necessary to all created things much more to the New-creature Partly because of the internal indisposition of the Subject in which it is alas Grace in the Heart is but like fire in Wett-wood Partly by reason of External impediments Satan is ready to cast a Damp upon thy Soul so that the Lords grace is still necessary for us 2. Ask it of God All life was at first in him Originally and ' it s an Emanation from him The Apostle proves Christs God-head from this because In him was Life Iohn 1. 4. But is this a good Argument Doth that prove therefore he was God may we not say of the meanest Worm in it is Life but he means Originally he was the fountain of Life And still he keeps it in his own hands and conveys it to all Creatures every moment even to the lowest Worm Iohn 5. 26. For as the Father hath life in himself So hath he given to the Son to have life in himself The Power of quickning and keeping of life it belongs to God He hath it Originally from himself he gives it to others 1 Tim. 6. 13. he that quickneth all things Worms Men that gives Life to them is God 3 Except this Grace in and through Jesus Christ who hath purchased it for us who gave his Flesh to be meat indeed and his Blood drink indeed Iohn 6. 55. Who rose again that we should walk in newness of Life Rom. 6. 4. Who ascended to pour out the Spirit upon us Iohn 7. 38. 39. Therefore when we find Deadness Spiritually look to receive this life from Christ. 4. Rouse up your selves There are Considerations and Arguments to quicken us Certainly a man hath power and faculty to work truths upon himself to stir up the Gift and Grace that is in us 2 Tim. 1. 6. We must not think Grace works necessarily as fire burns whether we will or no that this will enliven us but we must rouze and stir up our selves as Psal. 42. 5. There are many considerations by which me may awaken our own Soul from the Love of God from the Hopes of Glory by which Christians should stir and keep their Spirits awake and alive towards God and Heavenly things Use 3. If quickning be so necessary it presseth us to see when ever we have received any thing of the vitality of Grace Sence Appetite and Activity we may know it by these things when there 's a sence of Sin in-dwelling as a Burden Life is strong then when it would expel its Enemy Rom. 7. 24. When there is an Appetite after Christ and his Graces and Comforts When there 's a greater Activity a bursting and breaking forth towards Religious Duties it is a sign Grace is strong in the heart for the Spirit is to be a fountain of living waters always breaking out Iohn 7. 38. When we are more fruitful towards God when it is ready to discover it self for the Glory of God then the heavenly life is kept in good plight For these things we should be thankful to God for he it is that awakeneth you SERMON XLVII PSALM CXIX Verse 41. Let thy Mercies come also to me O Lord even thy Salvation according to thy Word IN this Verse you have the Man of God in Straights and begging for Deliverance In this Prayer and Address to God you may observe 1. The Cause and Fountain of all Thy Mercies 2. The Effect or thing asked Salvation 3. The Warrant or Ground of his Expectation according to thy Word 4. The effectual Application of the Benefit asked Come also unto me The Sum of the Verse may be given you in this Point Doct. That the Salvation of God is the fruit of his Mercy and effectually dispensed and applied to his People according to his Word There is a twofold Salvation Temporal and Eternal 1. Temporal Salvation is Deliverance from Temporal Dangers Exod. 14. 13. Stand still and see the Salvation of the Lord. 2. Eternal Deliverance from Hell and Wrath together with that positive Blessedness which is called Eternal Life Heb. 5. 9. And being made perfect he became the Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him The Text is applicable to both though possibly the former principally intended 1. I shall apply it to Salvation Temporal or deliverance out of Trouble Then observe 1. the cause of it Thy Mercies Gods Children often fall into such streights that
nothing but Mercy can help them out all deliverance is the fruit of Mercy pitying our misery but some Deliverance especially is the fruits of Mercy Pardoning our Sin I shall give you some special Cases both as to Danger and Sin 1. In all cases as to Danger it is Mercy which appears partly because Gods great Arguments to move him is the misery of his People it is his great Argument Deut. 32. 36. The Lord will repent for his People when he seeth that all their power is gone and none shut up and left no manner of defence but exposed as a Prey to those that have a mind to wrong them It is the only Argument Psal. 79. 8. Let thy tender Mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low Mercy relents towards a sinful People when they are a wasted People Partly because when there are no other means to help Mercy unexpectedly findeth out means for us We are at an utter loss in our selves God finds out means of Relief for us Psal. 57. 3. He shall send from Heaven and save me from the Reproach of him that would swallow me up Selah God shall send forth his Mercy and Truth When we want help on Earth Faith seeketh for help from Heaven and Mercy chuseth means for us when we cannot pitch upon any thing that may do us good In these cases doth Mercy discover it self as to danger 2. More eminently in special cases when their sins have evidently brought them into those streights Many afflictions are the strokes of Gods immediate hand or the common effects of his Providence permitting the Malice of men for our Tryal and Exercise but some are the proper effects of our own sins We run our selves into inconveniencies by our Folly and even then Mercy findeth a way of escape for us Two ways may our sin be said to bring our Trouble upon us Meritorie Effective 1. Meritoriè When some Judgment treadeth upon the heels of some foregoing sin and Provocation As David When he had offended in the matter of Uriah see Psal 3. Title A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his Son and the two first Verses Lord how are they encreased that trouble me many are they that rise up against me many there be that say of my Soul there is no help for him in God Selah David was deserted of his own Subjects chased from his Palace and Royal Seat by his own Son Absalom he had defiled Uriahs Wife secretly and his Wives were defiled in the face of all Israel and he driven to wander up and down for safety God will make all that behold the scandalous sins of his People see what it is to provoke him to Wrath. See how he complains ver 1. Lord how are they increased that trouble me many are they that rise up against me You shall find in 2 Sam. 15. 12. The People increased continually with Absolom A multitude against him and the rest durst not be for him their hearts were hovering And in another place 2 Sam. 17. 11. All Israel gathered to him from Dan to Bear-sheba In what a sorry plight was David when all was against him and the World thought God was against him for so it followeth verse 2. Many there be which say of my Soul there is no help for him in God Selah The World counted the case desperate and insulted over him now God hath left him but they mistook Fatherly Correction for vindicative Justice this was a sad condition but David goeth to God to fetch him off though he had drawn this Judgment upon himself yet he deals with him for Relief in such cases Mercy is seen That Pit must be very deep when the line of Grace doth not go to the bottom of it in the face of the Temptaion David maintaineth his confidence in God see verse 3. But thou O Lord art my Shield my Glory and the lifter up of my head God is counter-Comfort to all his troubles he was in danger God was his shield his Kingdom was at stake God was his Glory he was under sorrow and shame God would lift up his head to the unarmed a shield to the disgraced Glory to the dejected an incourager or the lifter up of his head thus when his case was thought desperate doth Mercy work for him 2. Effectivè When we our selves run into the snare and be holden with the cords of our own Vanity Prov. 5. 22. His own iniquities shall take tâ—… wicked himself and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins When we have been playing about the Cockatrice's hole and have brought mischief upon our selves Sometimes Gods Children have been guilty of this they have been the causes of their own Troubles as David when his unbelief drove him to Gath where he was in danger of his Life and escaped by his dissembling Psal. 34. entitled a Prayer of David when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech who drove him away and he departed And Iosiah put himself on a War against Pharaoh Necho and other such instances then if they be saved it is certainly Mercy 2. Again Observe It is not Mercy but Mercies the expression is Plural 1. To note the Plenty and Perfection of this Attribute in God God is very merciful to poor Creatures see in how many notions Gods mercy is represented to us a distinct consideration of them yieldeth an advantage in believing for though they express the same thing yet every notion begetteth a fresh thought by which Mercy is more taken abroad in the view of Conscience this is that pouring out Gods name spoken of Cant. 1. 3. Thy Name is as Oyntment poured forth Oyntment in the box doth not yield such a fragrancy as when it is poured out God hath Proclaimed his Name Exod. 34. 6. The Lord the Lord God Merciful and Gracious long suffering abundant in Goodness and Truth God hath given this description of himself and the Saints often take notice of it Psal. 103. 8. The Lord is merciful and gracious slow to Anger and of great kindness Joel 2. 13. Turn to the Lord your God for he is merciful and gracious slow to anger and of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil Ionah 4. 2. I knew that thou wert a gracious God slow to anger and of great kindness and in divers other places What doth the Spirit of God aim at in this express Enumeration and Accumulation of names of Mercy but to give us an help in Meditation and to inlarge our Apprehensions of Gods Mercy 1. The first Notion is Mercy which is an Attribute whereby God inclineth to favour them that are in Misery it is a Name God hath taken with respect to us the love of God first falleth upon himself God loveth himself but he is not merciful to himself Mercy respects Creatures in Misery Justice seeks a fit Object Mercy a fit Occasion Justice looketh to what is deserved Mercy to what is wanted and needed 2. The next Notion