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
and so do the beasts yea many of the beasts excell us in the perfection of that kind of life Lions excell in strength Roes in swiftness Eagles in long age none of their pleasures are soured with remorse of conscience But the inward Spiritual life is called the life of God Ephes. 4. 18. 6. The inward life is the beginning of our life in heaven A glorified Saint and a Saint militant upon earth they both live the life of God and the life of grace is the same life for kind though not for degree and one that is glorified and one here upon earth differ but as a child and a man But now the life of sense and the life of grace differ as a Toad and a man not only in degree but also in kind 7. Yet further this is that great thing which God hath been at such great expence about to raise the being of the new creature John 6. 51. This is my flesh which I give for the life of the world The supports the strength of the inward man cost dearer than all other comforts whatsoever it must have nobler supports it must have the blood of Christ daily supplies from heaven but the other life is called the life of our hands Isa. 57. 10. We patch up to ourselves some conveniencies for the sensible life by labour and service here in the world Well then this is that which the children of God do mostly look after that the inward life may be kept free from annoyance and fit for the purposes of grace USE The Use of this is to chek our carnal and preposterous care for the outward man to the neglect of the inward How much are we for the outward man that it may be well fed and well cloathed well at ease as for the present life there 's all our care but not so careful to get the soul furnished with grace and strengthened and renewed by continued influences from Christ. Certainly if men did look after soul strength they would be more careful to wait upon God for his blessing You may know the disproportion of your care for outward things and for the inward man by these Questions 1. How much do you prize Gods day the means of grace opportunities of worship that are for the inward man The Sabbath day is a feast day for souls Now when men are weary of it it 's the most burdensome day of all the week round Amos 8. 5. When will the Sabbath be gone that we may set forth wheat It is a sign they are carnal when men count that day the only lost day as Seneca saith of the Jews they lost the full seventh of their lives speaking of the Sabbath day so carnal men think it is a lost day to them they look upon the Sabbath as a melancholy interruption of their affairs and business The Apostle Iames saith of those that are begotten by God Chap. 1. 9. that they are swift to hear certainly they that have an inward man to maintain another life than an outward and animal life must have the supply and will look after the comforts of it 2. Consider how differently we are concerned with bodily and soul concernments If the body be but a little diseased if we want an appetite to a meal or a little sleep in the night we complain of it presently we enquire what 's the cause and look for a remedy but what a wonderfull disproportion is there as to the soul 'T is a strange expression that 3 Epist. John 2. I wish that thy body prosper as thy soul prospers Alas we may say of the most O that their souls did prosper as their bodies as they flourish in the conveniencies of the outward man 3. What care have you for the inward man to adorn the soul to beautify it with grace that it may be of price and esteem with God or to fortify it with grace Now when all our strength and travel is laid out for that which doth not conduce to the inward life Isa. 55. 2. and we lay out our money for that which is not bread it is a sign we are wholly carnal We read in Ecclesiastical story of one that wept when he saw a wanton woman decking her self with a great deal of care to please her lovers saith he Have I been so careful to deck my soul for Christ Iesus 4. Do you take in spiritual refreshments even when afflictions abound 2 Cor. 1. 5. As the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ then you are affected as the children of God whose heart and care runs out mainly for the inward man This in general Doct. 2. Secondly more especially observe He goes to God for strength Let me shew 1. What is this Spiritual strength 2. How it is given out 3. How God is concerned in it David goes to God Lord strengthen me First What Spiritual strength is It is Gods perfecting of his work Strength supposeth life therefore in general it is God's renewed influence when he hath planted habits of grace he comes and strengthens There is gratia praeveniens operans co-operans there is preventing-grace working-grace and co-working-grace Preventing-grace that is when God converts us when the Lord turns us to himself and doth plant grace in the soul at first Working grace that is when God strengthens the habit Co-working grace when God stirs up the act and helps us in the exercise of the grace we have First He plants grace into the heart then there 's a constant influence as the two Olive-trees in Zechariah were always dropping into the Lamps and then by excitation and co-operation he stirs it up Saith Austin Unless God gives us the faculties and unless he gives us the will we can do nothing and unless he concurs with the exercise of these faculties still we cannot work in the spiritual life as we ought to do and therefore first God infuseth grace and then strengthens grace first he worketh in us then by us First we are objects of his work then instruments To shew wherein the strength of the soul lies 1. There are planted in the soul habits of grace There are not only high operations of grace but permanent and fixed habits the seed of God that remaineth within us 1 Ioh. 3. 9. which cannot be the in-dwelling of the Spirit for this seed of God is some created thing Psal. 51. 10. Create in me a clean heart O God and it is something that grows 2 Pet. 3. 6. Grow in grace And therefore 't is evident there are habits of grace planted in the soul a good stock that we have from God at first called the good treasure of the heart Matth. 12. these habits of grace are called armour of God the shield of faith the helmet of salvation This is the strength of the soul. 2. But besides this there 's a continuance and an increase of these graces when the Lord confirms his work and perfects what
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
Providence His special goodness in the channel of Redemption and Renovation by Christ. 1. He is a Benefactor to all Men he hath given them an immortal spirit that shall abide for evermore Eccles. 12. 7. The dust shall return to the earth as it was and the spirit to Godthat gave it There is an immortal Soul that dwelleth in a mortal Body The Body was made of corruptible Principles was Dust in its composition 't is true God can annihilate it but the Soul as it is a Spirit hath no corruptible Principles in it it is a thing that cannot be killed or destroyed by any created power Now this divine spark which cannot be quenched is a pledge and effect of God's Eternity for he that giveth Immortality certainly is Immortal himself Nothing can give what it hath not And besides because our Souls are immersed and sunk into matter and forget their divine original therefore God by the blessings of his Providence seeks to raise them up to look after this supreme and spiritual Being and giveth us all kind of comforts and mercies whose creatures we are that we may seek the Lord if haply we may feel after him and find him Acts 17. 27. That we may own him as the first Cause or Father of Lights by whom this spark was kindled in us or seek him as the chief good in whom alone this restless soul of ours can find contentment and satisfaction 2. He is a Benefactor in a way of grace and recovery by Christ. This also sets forth his Eternity the first rise and bottom cause of all this grace and favor that stirred and set all the causes on work which concurred to it was God's everlasting love Iohn 3. 16. And Christ saith Prov. 8. 31. I was set up from everlasting and this grace was given us in Christ before the world began 2 Tim. 1. 9. Before the foundation of the world was laid this business was transacted with Christ for our benefit and then the way how 't was brought about it was by an everlasting Redemption Heb. 9. 12. of an eternal force value and efficacy and the grace wrought in us 't is called incorruptible seed 1 Pet. 1. 23. There is an eternal principle in our hearts and that is the reason why a Believer is so often said to have eternal life abiding in him because of the beginning seed and principle of it that is sown in his heart and the comfort and fruit of it that we have here is called everlasting consolation 2 Thes. 2. 16. He hath loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope thorough grace 'T is not bottomed on any poor fading thing but on matters of an eternal Duration the happiness itself is the eternal fruition of the ever blessed God 1 Thess. 4. 17. We shall be ever with the Lord. So that we are made eternal also both in body and soul whence you see how abundantly God discovereth his Eternal Being in all his gifts and graces by Christ. 5 When the Creatures are spoken of as eternal it must be understood it is a communicated dependant half-eternity and so no derogation to this perfection which is proper to God First 'T is communicated to us for originally God only hath Immortality 1 Tim. 6. 16. We have it by derivation God hath it originally in himself and from himself God dispenseth and measureth out the duration and continuance of all other things their Races and Stages when they shall begin and when they shall end And that Immortality which the Angels and the Souls of Men have 't is ascribed to us by participation we have it from God because he was pleased to give it to us 2dly 'T is a dependant Eternity for every moment we depend upon God if he take away his Spirit we are gone Man or Angel We assert the Immortality of the Soul because it hath not the principles of corruption in it as the body hath but yet we cannot must not cut off the dependance upon the first Cause Fountain of Being in his hand is the breath of all living and he is often called the God of your life and the God of the spirits of all flesh 'T is but an half-eternity we sometimes were not God is from everlasting to everlasting but we are appointed to eternal life and time was when we lay in the womb of nothing we are but of yesterday poor upstarts that had but an existence and a new Being given us of God if he will lengthen it out and continue it to all eternity 't is not such an eternity as he hath but an half-eternity not an eternity without beginning but only without ending 6. This Eternity of God is not seriously and sufficiently enough thought of and improved till it lessen all other things in our opinion and estimation of them and affection to them Two things should especially be lessened the time we spend in the world and the things that we enjoy in the world First The time we spend in the world Alas what is this to God's Eternity Psal. 39. 5. Behold thou hast made my days as an hand breadth and mine age is nothing before thee Whether our days be spent in prosperity or adversity they are but short an hand breadth a meer nothing compared with God's Eternity Psal. 90. 4. A thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past or as a watch in the night A thousand years compared to Eternity are but as a drop spilt and left in the Ocean or as time insensibly past over in sleep Forty Fifty or Seventy years seemeth a great time with us yet with God who is infinite Ten thousand years is no considerable space but a very short and small duration 2dly As time so the things of the world 2 Cor. 4. 18. The things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal They are short as to continuance and use As to continuance he calleth the honours and delight of Pharaoh's Court. Heb. 11. 25. The pleasures of sin for a season Whatsoever is temporal a Man may see the end of it be it evil a Man in the deep waters is not discouraged as long as he can see banks but in Eternity there are neither banks nor bottom if good Psal. 119. 96. I have seen an end of all perfection The most shining glory will shortly be burnt out to a snuff it wasts every day Eternity maketh good things infinitely good and evil things infinitely evil If it be temporal whatever paineth us is but a flea-biting to eternal torments Whatever pleaseth or delights 't is but a may game to eternal joys so for use too 't is but for a season Deut. 23. 24. the Law gave an indulgence to eat of his Neighbors grapes for refreshment but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel 1 Tim. 6. 7. For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out The Manna was
glorified it and will glorifie it again There was the innocent inclination of his humane Nature Father save me from this hour and the over-ruling 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 inclinations of Nature and Conscience of Duty but in a gracious heart it prevaileth above the desire of our own comfort and satisfaction the Soul is cast for any course that God shall see fittest for his Glory Nature would be rid of trouble but Grace submitteth all interests to Gods Honour that should be dearer to us than any thing else were it not selfishness and want of zeal that would be our greatest interest SERMON CXXXIV PSAL. CXIX VER 122. Be Surety for thy Servant for good let not the proud oppress me USE It informeth us what reason there is to pray and wait with submission to the will of God God will answer us according to our trouble not always according to our will He is wiser than we for he knoweth that our own will would undo us If things were in our own hands we would never see an ill day and in this mixt estate that would not be good for us But all Weathers are necessary to make the Earth fruitful Rain as well as Sun-shine We must not mistake the use and efficacy of prayer We are not as Sovereigns to govern the World at our pleasure but as Supplicants humbly to submit our desires to the supream Being Not to command as Dictators and obtrude any module upon God but to sollicite as servants Do good in thy good pleasure to Zion Psal. 51. 18. If we would have things done at our pleasure we should be the Judges and God only would have the place of the Executioner Our wills would be the supream and chief reason of all things But this God cannot endure therefore beg him to do good but according to his own good pleasure 1. Let us submit to God for the mercy it self in what kind we shall have it whether temporal spiritual or eternal If God see ease good for us we shall have it if deliverance good for us we shall have it Psal. 128. 2. or give us strength in our souls or hasten our Glory We should be as a Die in the hand of Providence to be cast high or low as God pleaseth 1 Sam. 3. 18. It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good 2. Let us submit for the time Though Jesus loved Lazarus yet he abode still two days in the same place when he heard he was sick Iohn 11. 6. It is not for want of love if he doth not help us presently nor want of power Christ may dearly love us yet delay to help us even in extremity till a fit time come wherein his Glory may shine forth and the mercy be more conspicuous He doth not sleight us though he doth delay us he will chuse that time which maketh most for his own Glory Submit to Gods dispensations and in due time you shall see a reason of them 3. Let us submit for the way and means We know not what God is a doing Iohn 13. 6 7. Then cometh he to Simon Peter and Peter saith unto him Lord dost thou wash my feet Iesus answered and said unto him What I do thou knowest not but thou shalt know hereafter No wonder we are much in the dark if we consider first that the Worker of these works is Wonderful in counsel and excellent in working Isai. 28. 29. infinitely beyond Politicians whose projects and purposes are often hidden from us therefore much more his Secondly That the ways of his working are very strange and imperceptible for he maketh things out of nothing Rom. 4. 17. And calleth those things that be not as though they were one contrary out of another as light out of darkness 2 Cor. 4. 6. meat out of the Eater Enemies catched in their own Snare Thirdly That his end in working is not to satisfie our sense and curiosity Isai. 48. 7. They are created now and not from the beginning even before the day when thou heardest them not lest thou shouldest say Behold I knew them Isai. 42. 16. I will bring the blind by a way they know not I will lead them in paths that they have not known He chuseth such a way as may leave enemies to harden their hearts Mic. 4. 12. But they know not the houghts of the Lord neither understand they his counsel for he shall gather them as the Sheaves into the Floor Secondly I now come to the literal explanation and there we have I. The evil deprecated Oppress me II. The persons likely to inflict it The proud I. The evil deprecated Let not the proud oppress me The Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them not calumniate me The Septuagint take this word for oppression or violent injustice and therein are followed by St. Luke Chap. 3. 14. Chap. 19. 8. Doctr. Oppression is a very grievous evil and often deprecated by the people of God 1. I shall shew you what oppression is It is an abuse of power to unjust and uncharitable actions That it is an abuse of power appeareth by the object of it who are those that are usually oppressed that is either the poor and needy Deut. 24. 14. Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy whether he be of thy brethren or of thy strangers within thy Gates the fatherless and the widow are mentioned Ier. 7. 6. Ye shall not oppress the stranger the fatherless and the widow the stranger Zach. 7. 10. And oppress not the widow nor the fatherless the stranger nor the poor and Exod. 22. 21 22 23. Thou shalt neither vex a stranger nor oppress him for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt Ye shall not afflict any widow or fatherless Child if thou afflict them in any wise and they cry at all to me I will surely hear their cry 2. The Subject or Agent by whom 't is practised The proud the mighty rich great man at least comparatively in regard of the wronged party Eccl. 4. 1. And on the side of their oppressours there was power but the oppressed had no comforter Job 35. 9. By reason of the multitude of oppressours they make the oppressed cry and by reason of the arm of the mighty Secondly The base and mean when they get power into their hands to oppress the rich noble and honourable Isai. 3. 5. And the people shall be oppressed every one by another and every one by his neighbour the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient and the base against the honourable It is commonly more insolent and cruel and contemptuous and despightful Prov. 28. 3. A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain that leaveth no food When men do unjust and uncharitable actions as when men bear it proudly or insolently towards them throwing them out of
Powers against the people of God it may be you may judg it unseasonable but how soon it may be seasonable you cannot tell considering the spirit of enmity against the power of godliness Blessed be God that it is not so seasonable now But what use shall we now make of it 1. To bless God when he giveth Religious Rulers and such as are well affected to Religion It is a fulfilling of his promise Isa. 49. 23. And Kings shall be thy nursing-fathers and Queens thy nursing-mothers Gods Interest in the world is usually weak and his people like little children had need to be nursed up by the countenance and defence of worldly Potentates Now when they discharge their duty and do afford patronage and protection it should be acknowledged to Gods glory in whose hands their hearts are and the rather by us because of the iron yoke that was upon us and those hard task-masters under which we formerly groaned We have our own discontents as well as former ages but because all things are not as we could wish them shall we be thankful for none The liberty of Religion is such a blessing as we cannot enough acknowledg and doth sufficiently countervail other inconveniences Oh therefore let us not sowr our spirits into an unthankful frame by dwelling too much upon our discontents and private dissatisfactions it is a mercy that the Sword of Authority is not drawn against Religion When God meaneth good or evil to a Nation he usually dispenseth it by their Magistrates if good then he puts wisdom and grace into the hearts of those that govern or Government into the hands of those that are wise and gracious When he meaneth evil he sendeth them evil Magistrates Isa. 19. 4. The Egyptians will I give over into the hands of a cruel lord and a fierce king shall rule over them But when good Governours it is a mercy and a presage of good 2. To pity those whose case it is that Princes sit and speak against them as it is of many of the people of God now in the world When we suffer not by immediate and direct passion we should suffer by way of fellow-feeling and compassion It is charged as a great crime that those that were at ease in Sion were not grieved for the afflictions of Ioseph Amos 6. 6. compared with the first verse It may be used proverbially As the Butler forgat Ioseph when he was well at Court and his brethren did eat bread and little regard the afflictions of his soul when cast into the pit But I suppose them litterally because the half Tribe of Manasseh was carried captive by Tiglath Pilesar that they did not sympathize with them propter confractionem Ioseph for the breach made upon Ioseph God layeth affliction upon some of his people to try the sympathy of others as on Protestants in Poland the Emperors Dominions Savoy some parts of France and elsewhere 3. To be the more strict and holy and improve this good day of the Churches peace They that are not holy in a time of peace will not be holy and constant in a time of trouble Acts 9. 33. When the Churches had rest they walked in the fear of God and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost When we are not called to passive obedience and suffering our active obedience should be the more cheerfully performed Now where is it so our father 's suffered more willingly for Christ than we speak of him Our inward peace and comfort will cost us more in getting and therefore we should be more in service Oh let us not abuse this rest we have to the neglect of God or to vain contentions as green Timber warpeth and breaketh in the sun-shine The contentions of the Pastors saith Eusebius did usher in the Truth which was Dioclesian's Persecution 4. Here is Caution and a word of Counsel to the Princes of the Nations or the Heads of the people that now are met together and sit in Council Oh do not sit and speak against such as are Gods people that is Do not decree any thing against them Some would have the Magistrate to do nothing in Religion but that would leave things at a strange loose and disorder certainly you should at least provide for the liberties of Gods people that they should lead a quiet life in godliness and honesty 1 Tim. 2. 2. that they may be secured and the peace kept not only as to their Civil Interests but whilst they worship God according to their conscience which can never be as long as those swarms of Libertines are publickly tolerated which every day encrease in Number Power and Malice And again the great security of Magistrates lieth in an Oath of Fealty which only receiveth value from Religion therefore the Magistrate is concerned in what Religion is professed in a Nation as well as in things Civil But now whilst you interpose in Religion be sure you do not contradict or undermine Gods Interest and be not courted by any prepossessions of your own or the crafty insinuations of others to oppress by your sentence and suffrage those that fear God in the Land and do make conscience of their ways The Magistrates interposing in Religion is to me an unquestionable duty and yet to be managed with great caution Psal. 2. 10. Be wise now therefore O ye Kings and be instructed ye Iudges of the earth What by natural prejudices against the strict and more severe ways of Godliness what by private whispers and subtil disguises men may be tempted to oppose Christs Kingdom Cause and People therefore they should be wary as they would be faithful in their places and love their own souls to go upon sure clear grounds You are to promote Christs service otherwise you will be answerable for your neglect and yet you are to take heed lest whilst you think you do God service you subvert not his Interest and so you be answerable for your mistake To deal more particularly would be a diversion I only intend it as a warning and to shew you the necessity of consulting with those who are best able to judg in the case where your duty lieth II. David's Remedy But thy servant did meditate in thy statutes Doct. The best way to ease the heart from trouble that doth arise from the opposition of men of Power and Place is by serious consulting with Gods word Because the time will not bear a large prosecution I shall open the force of this clause in three Propositions 1. An holy divertisement is the best way to ease the trouble of our thoughts Certainly it is not good altogether to pore upon our Sorrows a diversion is a prudent course David did not meerly sit down and bemoan the calamity of his condition and so sink under the burden but runneth to the word As Husbandmen when their ground is overflowed by waters make Ditches and Water-furrows to carry it away so when our minds and thoughts are overwhelmed with
glances and imperfect knowledg of our estate and so are not affected as we should a particular view of things most works with us Look as Christ the more particularly he is set forth the more taking is the object when the lump of sweetness is dissolved then it is tasted The more particularly we pry into our estate the more we are affected and the more we shall see of the deceitfulness of our own hearts When every one shall know his own sore and grief 2 Chron. 8. 29. 4. It will be of great advantage in the spiritual life to declare often our whole estate to God for the more men know themselves the more they mind God and their heavenly calling Those men that make conscience of declaring themselves to God will ever find lusts to be mortified doubts to be resolved graces to be strengthned A man that doth not look after his estate it runs into decay insensibly before he is aware So when men grow negligent of their hearts and never think of giving an account to God all runs to wast in the soul. Searching and self-examining Christians will be the most serious Christians for as they have a more distinct affective sense of their condition so they always find more work to do in the spiritual life They come to know what are their sins and assaults and conflicts and what further strength they may have in the way of holiness and by this account they are engaged to walk more exactly that they may not provide matter against themselves 1 Pet. 3. 7. that their prayers be not hindred that they may look God in the face with more confidence USE 1. Let us clearly and openly declare our condition to the Lord our griefs and sorrows and so our sins First Our griefs and sorrows Two things will quicken you to this 1. The inconvenience of any other way What will you do If you swallow your griefs that will oppress the heart The more we unbosome our selves to a friend the more we find ease vent and utterance doth lessen our passion An Oven stopt up is hotter within so the more close we are the more we keep our own counsel the greater is our burden Look as wind when it is imprisoned in the caverns of the earth it causeth violent Convulsions and Earthquakes but if it find vent all is quiet so it is with the heart when troubles are kept close then they become the greater burden they make the heart stormy full of discontent but when we open our selves as Hannah did her case to God 1 Sam. 1. 8. we are no more sad or if we go to any thing on this side God our troubles encrease When a man hath sorrow upon his heart it is not the next ditch will yield him refreshing and comfort but he must go to the fountain of living water If we be afraid of an enemy without our business is to strike in with God Prov. 16. 7. When a mans ways please the Lord he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him God hath the command of all things he is first to be treated with then there is hope and relief in God When we are humble and tractable in our affliction when we come and represent our case to him the very thing gives us some hope for the Lord doth all out of mercy Therefore the very representing our misery as David Psal. 69. 29. But I am poor and sorrowful that we are in a miserable forlorn condition if you have nothing else to plead this is that which moves God and works upon his bowels Look as beggars to move pity will uncover their sores that as it were by a silent Oratory they may extort and draw forth relief from you so go to the Lord and acquaint him with your condition some hope will arise hence Lord I am weak and poor deliver me that 's all the argument 2. As to sins let me tell you Go to God with clearness and openness reveal your whole state tell him what are your temptations and conflicts and how your heart works Though he knows it already by his own Omnisciency yet let him know it by your own acknowledgments Let him not know it as a Judg take notice of it so as to punish you but go deal plainly and confess your sins To this end 1. There will be need of light that you may be able to judg of things Heb. 5. 14. They have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil When a man hath not only a speculative knowledg but hath his senses exercised able to judg of the workings of his own heart he can discern what 's of flesh and what 's of spirit and so can give an account to God When we have not only some naked Theory we shall be able to see what 's a temptation where our help and where our weakness lyes 2. There needs observation of the workings of our own hearts A man that would give an account to God need to observe himself narrowly and keep his heart above all keepings David that saith here I declared my ways saith elsewhere I considered my ways It is but a formal account we can give without serious consideration We must therefore keep our hearts with all diligence Prov. 4. 23. 3. There needs in many cases a serious search for instance in deep desertion when God withdraws the light of his countenance and men have not those wonted influences of grace those glimpses of favour and quicknings of spirit and enlargings of heart Psal. 77. 6. I call to remembrance my song in the night I commune with mine own heart and my spirit made diligent search When under any despair of soul trace it to its original cause wherein I have grieved the Spirit of God So Lam. 3. 40. Let us search and try our ways There needs a very distinct and serious enquiry into the state of our souls that we may deal ingenuously with God and lay open our selves before him II. The second clause And the Lord heard me Doct. After an ingenuous and open declaration of our selves to God we find audience with him So did David and so do all the Saints He was never yet wanting to his people that deal sincerely with him in prayer How doth God manifest his audience either inwardly by the Spirit or outwardly by Providence First Inwardly by his Spirit when he begets a perswasion of their acceptance with God leaves an impression of confidence upon their hearts and a quietness in looking for the thing they had asked Before they have an answer of Providence they have a perswasion of heart that their Prayer hath been accepted There 's a great deal of difference between accepting a Prayer and granting a Prayer Gods acceptance is as soon as we Pray but the thing we beg for is another thing and distinct 1 John 5. 14 15. This is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his Will he
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
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
we are to go to God for his teaching because the means are not successful unless he joyn his influence especially to give us this practical knowledg teaching in order to keeping the way of God's statutes I say though we have the Word and many Pastors and Teachers better gifted than in the Old Testament Eph. 4. 11. yet God must be our Teacher still if we mean to profit for Paul may plant and Apollos may water but God giveth the encrease 1 Cor. 3. 6. To seek knowledg in the means with the neglect of God will never succeed well with you as we Ministers must not rest upon our work but pray much for success bene orasse est bene studuisse Luther so you hearers must not restin the fruit of our studies but still beg God to teach you every Truth But all this will be more evidently made out in the following Points 2. Doct. Divine Teaching is necessary for all those that would walk in the way of Gods Statutes 1. We have lost our way to true happiness Adam lost it and all mankind in him ever since we have been wandring up and down Psal. 14. 3. They are all gone aside i. e. gone out of the way of holiness as it leadeth to true happiness Eccles. 7. 29. God hath made man upright but they have sought out many inventions wander in a maze Man at first that had perfect Wisdom to discern the way to true Happiness and ability to pursue it now is full of crooked counsels being darkened with ignorance in his mind and abominable errors and mistakes and seconded with lusts and passions 2. We can never find it of our selves till God reveal it to us He hath shewed thee O. man what is good Micah 6. 8. It is well for man that he hath God for his Teacher who hath given him a stated Rule by which good and evil may be determined 1. Because there are many things which nature would never reveal to him as the whole Doctrine of Redemption by Christ the book of the creatures discovereth the mercy of God but giveth not the least hint of the way how that mercy should come unto us speaketh nothing of God incarnate two natures in Christs person the two Covenants the way of salvation by Christs Death c. these could never be known by natural Reason for all these things proceed from the meer motion of Gods Will without any other cause moving there unto than his own love and compassion John 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have-everlasting life And how could any man divine what God purposed in his heart unless he himself revealed it 2. Because those things that nature teaches it teacheth but darkly and with little satisfaction without the help of Scriptures as that there is one God the first cause of all Omnipotent Wise Righteous Good and that it is reasonable he should be served that reasonable creatures have immortal souls and so dye not as the beasts that there is no true Happiness in these things wherein men ordinarily seek it that since Vertue and Vice receive not suitable recompenses here there must be punishment and reward after this life that men live justly do as they would be done to be sober and temperate that Reason be not inslaved to sensual appetite all which nature revealeth but darkly so that the wisest men that have lived according to this light in one thing or other have been found fools Rom. 1. 22. professing themselves wise they became fools but all these things are clearly revealed in Scripture which discovers the nature and way of worshipping the true God what that reward and punishment after this life is and the right way of obtaining the one and eschewing the other with weighty arguments to inforce these things 3. That we may have assurance that the worship which we give to God is pleasing to him there must be a revelation of his will otherwise when we have tired our selves in an endless Maze of Superstitions he might turn us off with who hath required these things at your hands Isa. 1. 12. Therefore for our security and assurance it concerneth us to have a stated Rule under Gods own hand and God must be both author and object of worship 3. Besides the external Revelation there must be an inward teaching They shall all be taught of God Joh. 6. 45. not all the Prophets that wrote Scripture but all that come to Christ for salvation and this is prophesied of that time when the Canon and Rule of Faith should be most compleat then there will be still a need that they should be taught of God before their hearts be drawn into Christ. As the Book of the Scriptures is necessary to expound the Book of the Creatures so and much more is the light of the Spirit to expound the Book of the Scriptures Others teach the Ear but God openeth the Heart The Rule is one thing and the Guide is another The means were never intended to take off our dependance upon God but to engage it rather that we may look up for his blessing 1 Cor. 3. 6. I have planted Apollo watered but God gave the increase 2 Cor. 4. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God that commanded light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. Though the Gospel hath enough in it to evidence it self to the Consciences of men yet God must make use of his creating power before this light can break in upon our hearts with any efficacy and influence The Law is light Prov. 6. 23. Yet not comprehended by darkness Joh. 1. 5. The light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not Which rests in the hearts of all men that remain in their natural condition It is not enough to see any object to have the light of the Sun unless we have the light of the eye the Scripture is our External light as the Sun is to the world the understanding is our Internal light Now this eye is become blind in all natural men and in the best it is most imperfect therefore the eyes of the understanding must be opened by the spirit of wisdom and revelation Ephes. 1. 17 18. Though Truths be plainly revealed by the Spirit of God in Scripture yet there must be a removal of that natural darkness and blindness that is upon our understandings Outward light doth not make the object conspicuous without a faculty of seeing in the eye a blind man cannot see at noon-day nor the sharpest fight at midnight the work of the Spirit is to take off the scales from our eyes that we may see clearly what the Scripture speaketh clearly Now Scripture is perfected that is the great work to strengthen the faculty 4. This inward teaching must be renewed and continued from day to
not a waste either God is there framing gracious operations or the Devil who worketh in the children of disobedience Ephes. 2. 2. will you give them to God to be saved or to the Devil to be damned Whos 's they are now they are for ever 5ly If you love any you give him the heart and you are wont to wish that there were windows in your bodies that they might see the sincerity of your hearts towards them Surely if you have cause to love any you have much more cause to love God No such friend as he no such benefactor as he if you consider what he hath done for us what blessings he hath bestowed internal external temporal eternal He hath given his Son the great instance of love Ioh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him might not perish but have everlasting life His Gospel that his love might be preached to us His Spirit that not only sounded in our ears but is shed abroad in our hearts Rom. 5. 5. His Christ to save us his word to enlighten us his Spirit to guide and direct us till we come to Heaven where he will give himself to us an eternal inheritance Certainly unless void of all sense and common ingenuity thou wilt say as the Psalmist Psal. 116. 12. What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me What indeed wilt thou render to him love will tell thee but lest thou shouldst miss God himself hath told thee Prov. 23. 26. My Son give me thine heart There is no need to wish for windows in thy body He searcheth the heart and trieth the reins Psal. 7. 9. The righteous God trieth the hearts and reins And 1 King 8. 39. Thou knowest the hearts of all the children of men The whole world is to him as a sea of glass He knoweth how much thou esteemest and honourest him If thou givest him the whole world and dost not give him thy heart thou dishonourest him and settest something else before him 6ly This is that all may give him if God should require costly sacrifices rivers of oyl thousands of rams then none but the rich would serve him and he would require nothing but what many Hypocrites would give him Then the poor would be ashamed and discouraged not being able to comply with the command Yea then God would not act like the true God Who accepteth not the person of Princes nor regardeth the rich more than the poor for they are all the work of his hands Job 34. 19. Say not Mica 6. 6 7 8. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the High God shall I come before him with burnt-offerings with calves of a year old will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oyl shall I give my first-born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul But go to God and give him thy heart this will make thy mite more acceptable than the great treasures of the wicked Luk. 21. 1 2 3 4 And he looked up and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury and he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites and he said Of a truth I say unto you that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all for all these have of their abundance cast unto the offerings of God but of her penury she hath cast in all the living that she had We read in Pagan-story of one that when many rich Scholars gave gifts to Socrates every one according to his birth and fortunes a poor young man came to him and said I have nothing worthy of thee to bestow upon thee but that which I have I give and that is my self others that have given to thee have left more to themselves but I have given all that I have and have nothing left me I give thee my self The Philosopher answered Thou hast given me a gift indeed and therefore it shall be my care to return thee to thy self better than I found thee So come to God he needeth us not but 't is for our benefit we should give our hearts and selves to him He knoweth how much it is for our advantage that he should have our hearts to make them better to sanctifie and save them 2ly The whole heart Here I shall shew you 1. what it is to keep the Law with the whole heart 2. Why we must keep the Law with our whole heart 1. What it is to keep the Law with the whole heart It is taken Legally or Evangelically as a man is bound or as God will accept what is required in justice or what is accepted in mercy 1st According to the rigor of the Law The Law requireth exact conformity without the least motion to the contrary either in thought or destre a full obedience to the Law with all the powers of the whole man This is in force still as to our rule but not as to the condition of our acceptance with God This without any defect and imperfection like mans love to God in innocency since the fall is no where found but in Christ Jesus who alone is harmless and undefiled and will never thus be fulfilled by us till we come to Heaven For here all is but in part but then that which is in part shall be done away Then will there be light without darkness knowledg without ignorance faith without unbelief hope without despair love without defect and mixture of carnal inclinations All good motions without distraction Here is folly and confusion here flesh lusteth against the Spirit in the best Gal. 5. 17. They have a double principle though not a double heart 2ly In an Evangelical sense according to the moderation of the second Covenant and so God out of his love and mercy in Christ Jesus accepts of such a measure of love and obedience as answereth to the measure of Sanctification received When God sanctifieth a man he sanctifieth him as to all the parts and faculties of body and soul inlightneth the understanding with the knowledg of his will inclineth the heart to obedience circumciseth the affection filleth us with the love of God himself and holy things But being a voluntary agent he doth not this as to perfection of degrees all at once but successively and by little and little Therefore as long as we are in the world there is somewhat of ignorance in the understanding perversity in the will fleshliness and impurity in the affections flesh and spirit in every faculty like water and wine in the same cup but so as the gift of grace doth more and more prevail over the corruption of nature light upon darkness holiness upon sin and heavenliness upon our inclinations to worldly vanities As the Sun upon the shadow of the night till it groweth into perfect day Prov. 4. 18. The path of the
ready to make Profession 1 Pet. 3. 5. bids us do it with meekness and fear Meekness respects Men Fear a care to approve our selves to God The Fear of Men is checked by the Fear of God Isa. 8. 12 13. Neither fear ye their fear nor be afraid Sanctifie the Lord of hosts himself and let him be your fear and let him be your dread Luke 12. 4 5. Be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear Fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell An holy Impression of God's Excellency and Greatness left upon the Heart is this Fear that carrieth the Cause clearly for God And as one Nail driveth out another the Fear of Men banisheth the Fear of God out of our Hearts We are obliged to none so as to God who hath the power of Eternal Life and Eternal Death What is a Prison to Hell a little vain Glory to Eternal Glory the Creature to God! 4. A deep sense of the other World When we translate the Scene from Earth to Heaven from this World to the next and consider who is scorned there received there or rejected there the Temptation is lessened The Apostle sheweth that a Spirit of Faith is at the bottom of Confession with the mouth 2 Cor. 4. 13. We having the same spirit of faith believe and therefore speak He that believeth another World and hopeth for it will never be cowardly and bashful but will confidently confess Christ and own him both in Worship and Conversation A Spirit of Faith cannot be suppressed but will break out and shew it self and not be ashamed of Christ his Truth and Ways Well then Christians should be ashamed of that Spirit of Fear Bashfulness and Inconfidence which keeps us from confessing Christ and owning his Ways Kings are more formidable by their Place and Power than the rest of the World but alas we give place to the meanest Men and the smallest opposition maketh us give out 2 Tim. 1. 7. We have not the spirit of fear but the spirit of love power and a sound mind The Christian Spirit is a sober Spirit that valueth all things according to their weight but not a dastardly Spirit a Spirit of Love and Power that owneth Christ with meekness and a due respect to earthly Tribunals and yet with courage as looking higher to the Throne of God 2. We must not be ashamed to own the Testimonies and Ways of God before any sort of Men in the World The Apostle telleth us Rom. 1. 16. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Iesus Christ. The Gospel is such a pure sure Rule and offereth us such glorious Hopes that we should be ready to profess it without being ashamed of it So he bids Timothy 2 Tim. 1. 11. Be not ashamed of the testimony of the Lord nor of me his prisoner neither of the Profession nor of our Companions in the Profession when they are under the greatest disgrace So again 1 Pet. 4. 16. If any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but glorifie God in this behalf It is matter of Thanksgiving not of shame David is an Instance when Michol scoffed at him I will yet be more vile 2 Sam. 6. 22. It is an honour to be dishonoured for Christ. The Primitive Christians when the Heathens reproched them Art thou not ashamed to believe in him that was crucified The Answer was I am ashamed to believe in him that committed Adultery meaning the Heathen Iupiter Affliction is no disgrace but Sin is But what danger is there of being ashamed of the Gospel since Christianity is in fashion Answ. 1. Sometimes the Simplicity of the Gospel is contemned by the Wits of the World and therefore they either muster up the Oppositions of Science falsly so called or else droll upon Religion and make it the common Jest and By-word 2. The stricter Profession of the Ways of God is under reproch Though the nominal Christian and the serious Christian have the same Bible and believe the same Creed and are baptized into one and the same Profession yet those that are false to their Religion will hate and scorn those that are true to it and among the carnal it will be matter of reproch to be serious and diligent Now though a gracious Heart can be vile for God yet others are afraid they shall be marked and accounted Precise or Puritans and so by resisting an imaginary Shame they fall into an eternal Reproch 3. It may be the strict sort of Christians are the poorer sort and though they be precious in the eyes of God yet they are despised by Men Iohn 7. 49. This people that knoweth not the law are accursed Have any of the Pharisees believed in him any People of Quality They shall be accounted People of no Port and Breeding if they are strictly Christian. Quantus in Christiano populo honor Christi est ubi Religio ignobilem facit coguntur esse viles ne mali videantur Religion is too mean a thing for Persons of Quality of their Rank Thus with many God's Image is made a scorn and the Devil's Image had in honour and serious Godliness is made a By-word Now to fortifie you against being ashamed of God and his Ways take these Considerations 1. The short continuance of this Worlds Glory Within a while we shall be levelled with the lowest and our Dust mixed with common Earth And shall we love the praise of Men more than the praise of God This corruptible Flesh must turn into a loathsom rottenness though now it looketh high and sets forth it self and would be brave and Lordly but the spirit must return to God that gave it to be commanded into unseen and unknown Regions 1 Pet. 1. 21. All flesh is grass and the glory of man as the flower of grass 2. God is the Fountain of Honour all Things and Persons receive an Honour by having relation to him Iames 2. 1. Have not the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ the Lord of glory in respect of persons Services mean in themselves are accounted honourable with respect to Princes The Reproch of Christ is enough to weigh down all the Honours in the World Heb. 11. 26. Esteeming the reproch of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt 3. If your hearts be sincere with God you will not be ashamed of his Ways For Wisdom is justified of her children In Luke it is All her children Luke 7. 35. They that have a Faith which is the fruit of Conviction onely may be ashamed Iohn 12. 42 43. Among the rulers also many believed on him but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God But that Faith which is the fruit of Conversion will make us courageous in God's Cause
it is exercised about noble Objects the Favour of God Reconciliation with him and the Hope of Eternal Life all these as belonging to us and it is excited by an higher Cause the Spirit of God and lastly it giveth us a sense of what we had but a guess before We know the grace of God in truth Col. 1. 6. we know it so as to taste of it 3. The fundamental or bottom Cause of this Delight is exprest which I have loved There is a precedent Love of the Object before there can be any Delight in it Love is the Complacency and Propension of the Soul toward that which is good absolutely considered abstracting both from Presence and Absence Desire regardeth the Absence and Futurition of a Good Delight the Presence and Fruition of it It is impossible any thing can be delighted in but it must be first loved and desired None can truly delight in Obedience but such as desire it By nature we were otherwise affected counted his Commands burdensom because contrary to the desires of the Flesh Rom. 8. 7. The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can it be But when the Heart is renewed by Grace then we have another Love and another Bias upon our Affections 1 Iohn 5. 3. This is love to keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous To others they are against the bent and the hair and too tedious but Love maketh way for Delight II. Reasons why a gracious Heart doth love and delight in the Commandments of God 1. The Matter of these Commandments sheweth how much they deserve our love and delight The Matter respects either Law or Gospel 1. That which is strictly called the Moral Law is the Decalogue a fit Rule for a Wise God to give or a Rational Creature to receive a just and due Admeasurement of our Duty to God and Man The World cannot be without it To God that we should love him serve him depend upon him delight in him that we may be at length happy in his Love The Law is holy just and good not burdensom to the Reasonable Nature but perfective Surely to know God to love him and fear him and trust and repose our Souls on him and to worship him at the time in the way and manner appointed is a delightful thing and should be more delightful to us than our necessary and appointed Food To Man Justice Charity Micah 6. 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy Hos. 12. 6. Keep mercy and judgment Now all kind of Justice should not be grievous either Political Justice between the Magistrates and People How should we live else This maintaineth the Order of the World Private Justice between Man and Man Mat. 7. 12. Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them Family-Justice between Husband and Wife Parents and Children Masters and Servants how else can a Man have any tolerable degree of safety and comfort 1 Pet. 3. 7. Likewise ye husbands dwell with them according to knowledge Then for Mercy there is not a pleasanter Work in the World than to do good it is God-like A Man is as an earthly God to comfort and supply others Acts 20. 35. It is a more blessed thing to give than to receive And Blessedness is not tedious the Work rewards it self The satisfaction is so great of doing good and being helpful to others that certainly this is not tedious 2. The Gospel it offereth such a sutable Remedy to Mankind that the Duties of it should be as pleasant and welcom to us as the Counsel of a Friend for our recovery out of a great Misery into which we had plunged our selves In the Law God acteth more as a Commander and Governour in the Gospel as a Friend and Counsellor Surely to those that have any feeling of their Sins or fears of the Wrath of God what can be more welcom than the way of a Pardon and Reconciliation with God whom his Word and Providence and the fears of a guilty Conscience represent as an Enemy to us Surely this should be more pleasant than all the Lust Sport and Honours and Pleasures of the World Here is the Foundation laid of Everlasting Joy a sufficient answer to the Terrors of the Law and the Accusations of a guilty Conscience which is the greatest Misery can befal Mankind In short That the Matter of God's Commands deserves our Delight and Esteem is evident 1. Because those that are unwilling to submit to them count them good and acceptable Laws When their particular Practice and sinful Customs have made them incompetent Judges of what is fittest for themselves in their health and strength yet their Conscience judgeth it a more excellent and honourable thing in others if they can deny the Pleasures of the Flesh and overcome the Temptations of the World and deny themselves the Comforts of the present Life out of the hopes of that which is to come Such are accounted a more excellent and better sort of Men Prov. 12. 26. The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour He hath more of God and of a Man than others as he hath a freer use of Reason and a greater command of his own Lusts and Passions There is a Reverence of such darted into the Consciences of wicked Men Mark 6. 20. Herod feared Iohn knowing that he was a just and holy man and observed him 2. Because of the Sentiments which Men have of a holy sober godly Life when they come to die and the disallowance of a dissolute carnal Life Iob 27. 8. What is the hope of the hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his soul Psal. 37. 37. Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace When Men are entring upon the Confines of Eternity they are wiser the fumes of Lust are then blown over their Joys or Fears are then Testimonies to God's Law 1 Cor. 15. 56. The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law It is not from the Fancy or Melancholy of the dying Person nor his Distemper that his Fears are awakened but his Reason If it did onely proceed from his Distemper Men would be rather troubled for leaving Worldly Comforts than for Sin No it is the apprehension of God's Justice by reason of Sin who will proceed according to his Law which the guilty Person hath so often and so much violated and broken They are not the ravings of a Fever nor the fruits of natural Weakness and Credulity no these Troubles are justified by the Law of God or the highest Reason 3. By supposing the contrary of all which God hath commanded concerning the embracing of Vertue shunning of Vice If God should free us from these Laws leave us to our own choice
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
the World more than Heaven and our temporal Pleasure and Contentment more than our spiritual and eternal Benefit and therefore we cannot endure to hear of the Cross much more to bear it Oh this doth not become men surely it doth not become Christians Would you have your Consolation here Luke 6. your Portion here Psalm 7. Would you value your selves by the flourishing of the outward man or the renewing of the inward man 2 Cor. 4. 16. Should we be so impatient of the Cross Afflictions are bitter to present Sense but yet they are healthfull to the Soul they are not so bitter in present feeling as they will be sweet in the after-fruits Now we are greatly unthankfull to God if the bitterness be not lessened and tempered by this fruit and profit Consider when are we most miserable when we goe astray or when we are reduced into the right way when we are ingaged in a Rebellion against God or when brought into a sense of our Duty Hosea 4. 17. Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone Let him alone is the heaviest Judgment that can be laid upon a poor Creature Providence Conscience Ministry let him alone the case is desperate and we are incorrigible when we are left to our own ways There needeth no more to make our case miserable and sad than to be suffered to goe on in Sin without lett and restraint there is no hope of such God seemeth to cast them off and to desert and leave them to their own Lusts. It is evident he mindeth not their Salvation but leaveth them to the World to be condemned with the World Well then doth God doe the Elect any harm when he casts them into great troubles If we use violence to a man that is ready to be drowned and in pulling him out of the Waters should break an Arm or a Leg would he not be thankfull yes saith he I can dispense with that for you have saved my Life So may God's Children bless his Name Oh blessed Providence I had been a witless Fool and gone on in a course of Sin if God had not awakened me A Philosopher could say that he never made better Voyage than when he suffered Shipwrack because then he began to apply himself to the study of Wisdome surely a Christian should say Blessed be God that he laid his Chastenings upon me and brought me to a serious heavenly mind I should otherwise have been a carnal Fool as others are Wicked men are left to their own swing When the case of the Sick is desperate Physicians let them alone give them leave to take any thing they have a mind unto The Apostle speaketh much to this purpose Heb. 12. 6. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth Sharp Afflictions which in their visible appearance seem tokens of God's Hatred are rather tokens of his Love There is a twofold Love of God Amor benevolentioe complacentioe the Love of Good-will whereby the Lord out of the purposes of his own free Grace doth regenerate us and adopt us into his Family and having loved us and made us amiable he doth then delight in us The Text alledged may be expounded of either Oh then why do not we more own God in our Afflictions if he use us a little hardly it is not an argument of his Hatred but his Love Thou darest not pray Lord let me have my worldly Comforts though they damn me let me not be afflicted though it will doe me good and if thou darest not pray so will you repine when God seeth this course necessary for us and taketh away the fuel of our Lusts Is it not a good Exchange to part with outward Comforts for inward Holiness If he take away our quiet and give us peace of Conscience our worldly Goods and give us true Riches have we cause to complain If outward Wants be recompensed with an abundance of inward Grace if we have less of the World that we may have more of God an healthy Soul in a sickly Body it is just matter of Thanksgiving 3 Ep. Iohn v. 2. I wish above all things that thou mayst prosper and be in health even as thy Soul prospereth We can subscribe to this in the general all will affirm that Afflictions are profitable and that it is a good thing to be patient and submissive under them but when any Cross cometh to knock at our door we are loth to give it entrance and if it thrust in upon us we fret and fume and our Souls sit uneasy and all because we are addicted so unreasonably to the ease of the Flesh the quiet happiness and welfare of the carnal Life and have so little regard to Life spiritual 7. At the first coming of the Affliction we do not see this Benefit so well as in the review of the whole Dispensation Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy Word So Heb. 12. 11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them which are exercised thereby There is a perfect opposition the Root and the Fruit are opposed Affliction and the Fruit of Righteousness the quality of the Root and the quality of the Fruit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Appearance and the Reality 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then the Season 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God's Physick must have time to work at first it may not be so or at least not appear for things are before they appear or can be observed for the present We must tarry God's leisure and be content with his blows till we feel the benefit of them it is first matter of Faith and then of Feeling though we do not presently understand why every thing is done we must wait The hand in the Dyal doth not seem to stir yet it keeps its course while it is passing we see it not but that it hath passed from one hour to another is evident So is God's work with the Soul and spiritual Renovation and increase is not so sensible at the first though it be carried on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 day by day 2 Cor. 4. 16. but in the view of the whole it will appear What are we the better doth Sin decay and what Sin do we find it otherwise with us than it was before 8. This Profit is not onely when the Affliction is upon us but after it is over the Fruit of it must remain Their qualms and pangs most have Psalm 78. 34 to 37. When he slew them then they sought him and returned and enquired early after God And they remembred that God was their Rock and the high God their Redeemer Nevertheless they did flatter him with their Mouth and they lied unto him with their Tongues For their heart was not right with him neither were they
here they would be incouraged by his Example cheerfully to expect the same deliverance from God In the Example of one sufferer there is a pawn given to all the rest 't is for the Edification and Encouragement of others to be acquainted with our Experiences of God's Mercy to us Psalm 66. 16. Come near all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my Soul all are concerned for they have the same necessities have interest in the same God the same Promises the same Mediator and the same Covenant so that to be acquainted with the passages of Divine Providence towards others is a great help to teach us more of God that we may learn to magnisy his Power And partly by this means their hearts are more knit to one another in Spiritual Love when they pray for one another as for their own Souls and rejoyce as in their own deliverance it maintaineth Unity among us God loveth to pleasure many of his Children at once and to interest them in the same Mercy and so we receive the Mercy others intercede for and give thanks for it Love in the Spirit is seen in praying and Praising God for one another And partly too because it doth oblige us to more frequent acts of Worship we can never want an errand to the Throne of Grace or an opportunity of Worship for our selves or others to Pray with them or to offer Praise with them and for them 4. Joy is Communicative Mourning apart is good Peter went out and wept bitterly Matth. 26. 75. And Ieremiah saith when he would weep for the People Ier. 13. 17. My Soul shall weep in secret places for your Pride And Zach. 12. 12 13. They shall mourn every Family apart the Family of the house of David apart and their Wives apart c. Sorrow affecteth Solitude and retiredness where no Eye seeth but God's but joy doth best in Company and in Consort as the Woman called her Neighbours to rejoyce with her Luke 15. Because she had found the lost Groat So we must stir up one another to rejoyce in God Besides Mercies may be told to many but not our griefs therefore the Godly will be flocking together to help them in Praises as well as Prayers 'T is not onely commendable to beg their help in Prayer but we should call upon them to Praise God with us Psalm 34. 3. O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his Name together We are bound to be witnesses of one anothers thankfulness and to assist one another in the Praises of God Use is Information of Five things 1. It sheweth us the Lawfulness yea the Conveniency yea in some sort the Necessity of Publick Thanksgiving for Private Mercies 'T is Lawfull we read of paying Vows in the great Congregation Psalm 22. 22. Psalm 40. 9. 'T is highly convenient and usefull partly that the People of God may flock together and make a Crown of Praise for God Psalm 22. 3. He inhabiteth the Praises of Israel he delighteth to be in the midst of his People when they Praise him And partly that by the thankfulness of others we may be quickened to remember our own Mercies as one Bird sets all the Flock a cherping And partly that we may quicken others by our help And partly to shew a Christ-like Love to them by being affected with their Miseries and rejoycing in their Mercies Well these things should quicken us to joyn with others in their thanksgiving for their private Mercies so to raise a spirituall affection in us in the performance of those duties And as 't is Lawfull so 't is Necessary other men's Mercies may be our Mercies as well as theirs you are concerned in the Mercy if you have Prayed for it We are to love God for hearing our Prayers for others as well as for our selves Eli gave thanks and solemnly worshipped God for Hannah's sake because he had before prayed for her and therefore Praised God for her who had heard his Prayers in her behalf Compare 1 Sam. 1. 28. when Hannah told him what the Lord had done Eli falls a worshipping the Lord he had prayed for her before in the 17 verse The Lord grant thee thy Petition which thou askest of him Every answer of Prayer is a new proof or fresh experience of God's Love and special Respect to us 't is a sign that God regardeth us and is mindfull of us nay 't is a sign of God's Favour when he will not onely hear us for our selves but for others also If a man come to a King he will say if you had asked for your self I would have granted you 't is a special honour to interceed for others which God putteth upon his choice Servants Gen. 20. 7. Abraham shall pray for thee and thou shalt live Job 42. 8. My Servant Iob shall pray for you and him will I accept God will hear his Servants for others when he will not hear them for themselves If our Prayers had returned into our own Bosoms as David's for his Enemies Psalm 35. 13. if God as an answer had given you onely the comfort of the discharge of your duty Luke 10. 6. If they be not worthy your peace shall return to you again This were matter of Praise much more now the Mercy is obtained All this is spoken to shew that there should be more Life and Spiritual affection in those Duties which we perform in the behalf of others 2. It informeth us of the excellency of Communion of Saints there is such a Fellowship and Communion between all the Members of Christ's mystical Body that they Mourn together and Rejoyce together the Grace vouchsafed to one is cause of rejoycing to all the rest they drive on a joint trade for Heaven and rejoyce in one anothers Comforts as if they were their own in one anothers Gifts and Graces as if they were their own in one anothers Supports and Deliverances as if they were their own We read of Joy in Heaven at the conversion of Sinners they rejoyce at our welfare praising and lauding God so there is also Joy on Earth when any spiritual Benefit is imparted if any be gotten to a God like Nature they give thanks to God They that fear thee will be glad when they see me Acts 4. 32. The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one Soul there was a great multitude many thousand Souls here was the primitive simplicity the Christians were so united as if they had but one Heart and Soul among them and it was an usual saying Aspice ut se mutuo diligunt Christiani see how the Christians love one another 't was otherwise afterwards no wild Beasts are so fierce to one another as one Christian has been to another Surely it concerneth all that fear God and hope in his Word to be of one Heart and of one Mind as much as may be Lesser differences should not make void this Christ-like Love
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
holy thoughts where they are sanctified and work the right way 1. They make us understand the Word more fully and clearly than before Vexatio dat intellectum qui tribulantur saith Luther Sacras Literas melius intelligunt securi fortunati eas legunt sicut Ovidii Carmen A full third part of the Scriptures are lost to the secure and fortunate 2. As they clear the sight so they purge the taste and give us a spiritual relish Carnal comforts cloy the spiritual appetite when they are removed from us then we taste heavenly things Psal. 94. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. 3. They quicken the heart to our duty and so make us more aweful and watchful Psal. 94. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy law Psal. 119. 167. My soul hath kept thy testimonies and I love them exceedingly If God write his law upon our hearts by his stripes on our backs 't is a blessed effect our happiness is to be measured by our great end which is conformity to God and enjoyment of God and therefore it doth not consist in outward comforts riches honour health civil liberty and comfortable protection but acceptance with God and enjoyment of God Now as afflictions increase grace and holiness we are the more approved of God and enjoy more of God USE Let all our Troubles drive us then to the Word of God there we shall find 1. Grounds of comfort and support 2. Hopes of deliverance 3. Quickenings to duty which being concocted by serious thoughts and blessed to us by the Spirit of God will enable us to ride out the storm chearfully and allay our cares and fears and then we shall put our selves into the way wherein God hath engaged his protection and so shall not be afraid of what man can do unto us I now come to the 79th verse Let those that fear thee turn unto me and those that have known thy testimonies When troubled by the wicked he prayeth for the help and comfort of the godly there is an elegant Allusion between the two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let the proud be ashamed And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let the godly be turned to me that is let them desert the society of these proud men and join to me In these words God's People are described by a double character 1. Those that fear thee 2. Those that have known thy testimonies David's Petition concerning those that they may turn to him I shall deliver the importance of these words in certain Propositions 1. Observe the Godly are described by two Properties the fear or worship of God and the knowledge of his Word These are Godly who fear to offend God and have the sound knowledge of his Will these are fittest for God's use in the general and for David's use in the particular condition in which he was For God's use Fear and knowledge do make up a godly man Knowledge without fear breedeth presumption and fear without knowledge breedeth superstition and blind Zeal as a blind Horse may be full of mettle but is ever and anon stumbling Knowledge must direct fear and fear must season knowledge then it is an happy mixture and composition Deum cognoscere colere to know God and worship him is the whole duty of man saith Lactantius When we know God's Testimonies so as to regard love and believe them and dare not dispense with our duty to him for all the world this is a good frame our knowledge and fear of God must be according to his Word And these were fittest for David's case fit comforters and strengthners of the Godly in persecution There are many whom we cannot exclude from all fear of God who yet know not his Testimonies run into Error darken and blemish a good cause but those that know and fear understand their duty and are loth to violate it with these should our Souls close Well then David doth in effect say Those whom thou hast joined to thy self let them join to me they will acknowledge the equity of that cause which God owneth and will converse with him whom thou disdainest not to take into favor because they reverence thy Providence and are taught out of thy Testimonies and so weighing the cause as well as regarding the event will be sooner won to the Truth when God sheweth mercy to his People other godly ones will be allured to join themselves to those whom they find to be so dear to God 2. Friendship and fellowship with such godly ones is a great blessing partly as it conduceth to mutual spiritual strength Rom. 1. 12. That I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me 'T is a comfort to see our Father's children wherever we come and to behold their Faith Zeal Self denial Mortification the Godly are a strength to one another in evil times Mal. 3. 16. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another There are many advantages attend the communion of Saints their very sight and presence is a confirmation to us many times that temptation befalleth us which befel Elias we think we are left alone 1 Kings 19. 10. That Godliness is gone out of the world To have company is an encouragement but we have not only company but help every one hath his peculiar gift to help others 1 Cor. 12. one hath quickness of parts but not so solid a judgment another is solid but not of so ready present and good utterance one is zealous but ungrounded another well-principled but timorous 1 Cor. 12. 21. The eye the knowing man cannot say to the hand the active man in God's cause I have no need of thee All have their use by mutual gifts and graces to profit one another as the curtains of the Tabernacle were coupled to one another by loops Exod. 26. 3. or as a body fitly joined and compacted by that which every joint supplieth Eph. 4. 16. Every Christian hath need of anothers help And partly as it conduceth more to publick safety and honour Philip. 1. 27 28. Only let your conversation be as becometh the gospel of Christ that whether I come and see you or else be absent I may hear of your affairs that ye stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel And in nothing terrified by your adversaries which is to them an evident token of perdition but to you of salvation and that of God When the members are cut off the body is less powerful Acts 4. 33. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of our Lord Iesus When they were met with one heart And the Apostle prayeth Rom. 15. 5 6. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one towards another according to Iesus Christ. That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorifie God even the
is one of the Love Errors of the Children of God like a Disease which is incident only to the best tempers 3. The Kinds of Fainting 1. There is a Fainting which causeth great trouble and dejection of spirit 2. There is a Fainting which causeth Apostasie and Defection from God and the Cause of Religion 1. There is a Fainting which causeth dejection and trouble this is spoken of Heb. 12. 5. My son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord neither faint when thou art rebuked of him There are the two Extremes Slighting and Fainting Now this is a fault in the children of God to be much perplexed in their Troubles but yet this may be incident to them Religion heightning their sense of Evils and their vehement desires of the comforts of God's presence increasing their trouble 2. There is a Fainting which causeth defection and falling off from God out of cowardice and carnal fear and cast off the profession of Christianity when they find it troublesom they grow weary incline to Apostasie this is not incident to the children of God Rev. 2. 3. Thou hast born and hast patience and hast laboured and hast not fainted not given over the Cause of God There is a Fainting which is a slacking or remitting somewhat in our spiritual course when Men begin a little to relent and to give way to coldness and lukewarmness and do not keep up their former zeal and fervency or diligence in heavenly things This may befal sometimes the Servants of God abate somewhat of their former forwardness Eph. 3. 13. when either they suffer themselves or those who are primarily instrumental in the work of the Gospel are cast into a suffering condition And there is a Fainting which makes totally and finally to abandon the ways of God Gal. 6. 9. He 〈◊〉 reap in due time if he faint not There it is not taken for some remissness which may beâ—… the best of God's Servants but a total defection 4. The Considerations which may preserve us from Fainting First It argueth that you are lazy love the ease of the flesh have small strength if you faint upon every appearance of difficulty and trouble Prov. 24. 10. If thou faint in the day of adversity thy strength is small Sinners are not discouraged with every inconvenience occasioned by their sin but can deny themselves for their lusts sake and shall we be soon discouraged in God's service 2dly Others that have born far heavier Burthens do not sink under them The Lord Christ Heb. 12. 3. For consider him who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds Nay many of his precious Servants Heb. 12. 4. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin If against Sin are we only to praise their courage never shew our own or do we think to go to Heaven without conflicts when it doth cost them so dear 3dly We have given counsel to others Job 4. 5. But now it is come upon thee and thou faintest it toucheth thee and thou art troubled It is an easier matter to instruct others than to carry it well our selves The well will give counsel to the sick and those that stand on land direct those that are apt to sink in deep waters But should not we remember these things our selves 4thly God promises to moderate the Afflictions of his People and to sweeten the bitterness of them to take off the oppressing weight of their troubles lest their souls faint Isa. 57. 16. For I will not contend for ever neither will I be always wroth for the spirit should fail before me and the souls which I have made The consideration of Man's infirmity and weakness unable to hold out causeth the Lord to stay his hand he will not utterly dishearten and discourage his People that wait for him A good Man will not overburden his Beast 5thly When Reason is tired Faith should supply its place and we should hope against hope Rom. 4. 18. For Faith can fetch one contrary out of another and get water out of the Rock as well as out of the Fountain when probable means miscarry then it is a time for God to work and Faith should bear us out when Sense and Reason cannot 6thly Give vent to the ardor of your desires in Prayer Luke 18. 1. He spake a parable to them to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint And Jonah 2. 7. When my sould fainted within me I remembred the Lord and my prayer came in unto thee into thine holy temple Keep up the suit 't will come to an hearing one day though it be long ere God ariseth to the Judgment yet then make sure work of it 7thly By waiting upon God we learn to wait more Isa. 40. 31. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint Eternal blessings eyed and prepared for will support a fainting Soul in the worst evil 2 Cor. 4. 16. For this cause we faint not though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day The greatest troubles cannot make void thy hope if our spiritual state increase and our eternal hopes thrive III. DOCT. Though the Soul be in a fainting condition yet it will accept of nothing but God's Salvation Thy Salvation Psal. 94. 18. When I said My foot slippeth thy mercy O Lord held me up And ver 19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. Men may seek to get out of their troubles from wicked Men two ways either by carnal compliance or by the use of indirect means 1. By carnal compliance when Men violate and prostitute their Consciences for their peace sake 'T is said of some Heb. 11. 35. That they accepted not deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection They might upon certain conditions have been freed from those cruel pains and tortures but those conditions were contrary to the Law of God We have God's deliverance upon better terms than Man's and it is better in its self 2. By using indirect means to get off the trouble this is making too much haste Isa. 28. 16. He that believeth shall not make haste Ravishing the Blessing rather than waiting for the issues of God's Providence Those that do so God will reckon them with the workers of iniquity Psal. 125. 5. As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity but peace shall be upon Israel They that shift for themselves lose the benefit of God's protection These are dealt with as open Enemies Now the Reasons of the Point are these First Because they are satisfied in God's Providential Government God never puts power in the hands of wicked Men but for his own holy ends Therefore while God continueth them they are
me in thy way O! when the children of God let loose their minds to vanity and take immoderate liberty in the delights of the flesh there 's a deadness comes upon them for therefore he goes to the cause Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity Immoderate liberty in earthly things or in gratifying the flesh brings on a deadness upon the heart The Spirit withdraws when the soul is taken off from other comforts and is more addicted to vain pleasures Iude v. 19. Sensual not having the Spirit As we are enlarged to the flesh we are straitned to the Spirit As sensuality encreaseth so the life and vitality of grace decays II. Secondly In such Cases the Word of God is the onely means to quicken us Why the Word For two Reasons 1. Because the Word contains the most quickning considerations and the affections are wrought upon by serious and ponderous thoughts for there God interposeth in the way of the highest authority straitly charging and commanding us under pain of his displeasure and there he reasons with us again in the most potent and strong way of Argumentation from the excellency of his commands their suitableness to us as we are reasonable creatures from his great love to us in Christ whom he hath given to dye for us from the danger if we refuse him which is no less than everlasting torment from the benefit and happiness in complying with his motions which is no less than eternal and compleat blessedness both for our bodies and souls and all this is bound upon us by a strict day of impartial accounts O! what a company of quickning considerations are there to set us a work with life vigor and seriousness when we are to answer for our neglects or else to receive the reward of our diligence now what will quicken us if this will not If the high and glorious authority of the supreme Lawgiver awe us not if the reasonableness of God's commands invite us not if the wonderful love of God in Christ constrain us not if the joys of Heaven do not allure us and the horrors of everlasting darkness do not preserve upon us a lively sense of our duty what will work upon us if this do not and gain us to a constant diligent care and serious preparation for our own happiness and salvation Out of what Rock was the heart of man hewen that all this shall be brought to him in the most persuasive way as it is in the Word of God and will not work upon him Again If the deadness should arise from our negligence in our duty the Word of God how powerfully doth it quicken us But if the deadness should arise from sorrow and discomfort is not the Word as powerful to raise and quicken the soul to a delight in God as to inforce our duty What puts a damp upon us Is it fury of men we have a living God to trust to who will remain when they are gone who will pardon our sins help us in all our straits who will lay upon us no more than we are able to bear who will never leave us utterly destitute but will sanctifie all and make all work together for the best for our everlasting salvation and finally bring us into his glorious presence that we may live for ever with him Here 's comfort enough whatever our heaviness be such a powerful God to stand by us in all our troubles and make all work for good that at length we may be brought home to God If this Word did but dwell richly in our souls it would keep us fresh and lively and we need not fear Man or Devil Col. 3. 16. Again 1 Iohn 2. 14. The Word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one We need fear nothing for whoever trouble us they are something under God Whatever is our misery and whatever befalls us it is something less than Hell which we have escaped by Christ and will all be made up in Heaven The first sight of God and the first glimpse of everlasting glory will recompence all the sorrows of the present life and as soon as we step into Heaven all shall be forgotten In short God's particular Providence Fatherly love and care the example of Christ the promise of the comforting Spirit the hopes of Glory should revive us in all our languishings So that if deadness comes from backwardness and slowness in our duty in the Word there are most quickning considerations or if from troubles we have enough in God Christ the Covenant the promise of eternal life to support us This is the first Reason the Word of God is the onely means to comfort us because it contains proper quickning considerations that may keep life and vigor in us if either carnal distemper invade the heart or worldly sorrow and fear which is apt to perplex us 2. The quickning Spirit delights to work by this means The ordinary Chariot that carrieth the influences of Grace is the Word of Grace The Spirit that speaks in the Word speaks his own lively comforts to us Alas they are but cold comforts we can find elsewhere The Spirit of God rides most triumphantly in his own Chariot The Word and the Spirit are often associated to shew they go together The Word goes with the Spirit Isa. 59. 21. My Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart c. Isa. 30. 20. When God promiseth Their eyes shall see their Teachers it is promised also They should hear a voice behind them saying This is the way God would afford the Word and Spirit in times of their affliction The Spirit works still in concomitancy with the Word that it may the better be known to be a Revelation from God If God will set up a Word and Revelation of his mind distinct from the light of nature it is fit it should be owned and that 's done by a concomitancy of his grace and powerful operations of his Spirit that goes along with his Word Iohn 17. 17. Sanctifie them by thy truth thy Word is truth We find the Word to be truth because it 's associated and accompanied with the operations of the Spirit 1 Pet. 1. 22. Ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit The Spirit still goes along with the truth of the Gospel and with God's Word His Word 't is the Sword of the Spirit God will not bless any other Doctrine so much as the Word to quicken revive and comfort the soul and therefore here we should busie our selves for it contains the surest grounds of Comfort and the Spirit is associated with it and goes along with it to bless it to our souls III. Thirdly Though the Word be the means yet the benefit comes from God For with them thou hast quickned me Life comes from the fountain of life The Gospel is a sovereign Plaister but it is God's hand that must apply it and
a Pit to take me they have hid snares for my feet Secretly conspir'd and practis'd his destruction And David Psal. 140. 5. The proud have hid a snare for me and cords they have spread a net by the ways side and set gins for my feet Selah Hunters and Fowlers did never go more cunningly to work to catch the Prey than those proud men had laid their design to bring his life under their power And in Psal. 35. 7. For without cause they have hid for me their net in a pit which without cause they have digged for my soul. And Psal. 57. 6. They have prepared a net for my steps my soul is bowed down they have digged a pit for me into the midst whereof they are fall'n themselves Selah Now of this sort are St. Bartholomew's Mattens and the Plot and Contrivance to out the Protestants in France when they were invited to a Wedding that they might destroy them and of this nature was the Gunpowder Treason there was a snare laid When Orestes had plotted Clytemnestra's Death Euripides expresseth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 She fitly cometh into the snare 3. Of a mixt nature both to entice by endangering and endanger by enticing 1. As when they put them upon such conditions as may tempt them to Folly and Sin some think the Text verifi'd in David at that time when he said 1 Sam 26. 19. They have driven me out from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord saying Go serve other gods Meaning they excited Saul to pursue him and persecute him and forc'd him to flee into an Idolatrous Countrey and so a snare laid to endanger his stedfastness in the true faith 'T is a great Temptation Necessitas cogit ad turpia Necessity is but an evil Counsellor and this joined with the other Temptation of bad company Psal. 120. 5. Wo is me that I sojourn in Mesech that I dwell in the tents of Kedar 2. When they Enact a Law or Statute whereby to force them to sin or trouble as they had a Plot against Daniel either to make him neglect his God or render him obnoxious to Authority Dan. 6. 7 8. When they burden them with such Laws and Statutes as the godly cannot obey without sin or refuse without danger they have their ends either to draw them to sin or suffer Now Snares are laid by the wicked 1. Because usually they excel in Policy Craftiness and worldly Wit are superior to God's children therein their whole hearts run that way and their principle is intire and unbroken and therefore our Lord Christ telleth us Luke 16. 8. For the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light They applaud themselves in their Artifices Idolize their Wit Habak 1. 16. Sacrifice to their net and burn incense to their drag therefore use it to the Saints destruction 2. Because they are acted by Satan who will ever be doing against the Church though to little purpose Luke 22. 3. The Devil enter'd into Iudas when he plotted against Christ. They learn their Wiles from Satan and conceive mischief by copulation with the great Incubus of Hell 3. Their own hatred and malice against the People of God Malice is a laying snares Anger vents its self in a storm of words or in some sudden violent Action but hatred lurketh in the soul and puts them that harbor it upon Plots and Contrivances of revenge The Historian observeth of Tiberius In malitiam statim invectus est c. When Absalom hated Amnon because he forced his sister he plotteth how to take away his life 2 Sam. 13. 22. Now whence cometh this malice against the Children of God Either by envy at their Interests or hatred at their Holiness 1. Envy at their Interests their Esteem and Respect in the World when they come to be of any regard among men Esther 5. 9. Haman plotteth against Mordecai because he sate in the King's gate Psal. 112. 9 10. His horn shall be exalted with honour the wicked shall see it and he grieved and gnash with their teeth When the Gospel was like to get credit Acts 17. 5. the envious Iews raised an uproar Pride is loth to stoop to see opposites in glory and power whets their malice and they contrive how to root them out Every man would have himself and his own Faction admir'd and magnifi'd The Pharisees conspir'd to take Christ Iohn 12. 19. All the world is gone after him When Religion prevaileth and groweth in credit and fashion it is deeply resented by naughty men 2. Hatred at their Holiness Men cannot endure to be outstript in Religion and therefore hate what they will not imitate Hatred is quick-sighted in Revenge full of Plots and Contrivances and tickleth the soul with a delight in them but especially Religious Hatred when a man hateth another for his Godliness when Religion instead of a Party becomes a Judge that which should restrain our Passions feeds them no Hatred so great as that against the power of Godliness Cain when he saw Abel so punctual in God's service he plotteth to draw him into the Field 1 Iohn 3. 12. and beginneth a Discourse with him about Providence and Judgment to come and Rewards and Punishments and while Abel maintained God's part Cain fell upon him and slew him To apply this As these Snares tend to our temporal destruction so there is a double use to be made of them 1. To trust God with our safety in the midst of so many snares What shall we do Whatever remedy we have against violence no man by his own foresight can find out all the snares that are laid for him therefore commit your safety spiritual and temporal to the Lord go to him and say Psal. 141. 9. Keep me from the snare they have laid for me and the grins of the workers of iniquity Constant dependance upon God is necessary for there can be no snare hidden from him who watcheth over us and our safety by night and by day There is a double Arguâ—…ent why we should trust God with our safety because of his wisdom and because of his watchful providence Because of his wisdom Alas we are foolish and simple and often betray our selves into an evil condition but God is wise for them that are foolish Psal. 37. 12 13. The wicked plotteth against the just and guasheth upon him with his teeth the Lord shall laugh at him for he seeth that his day is coming There is a wise God acting for a foolish People I tell you the wisdom of God for us is much greater than the wisdom of God in us where Enemies deal proudly God is above them where they deal craftily God is beyond them The wisdom of God for us is greater than the wisdom of any against us And also because of his watchful Providence he hath a waking love and care of us night and day Psal. 121. 4. Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep He
him but when his heart was upheld in the ways of God So Col. 3. 3. Your life is hid with Christ in God They had a life visible as other men had but your life that which you chiefly esteem and indeed count to be your life is a hidden thing Here I shall enquire 1. What is this spiritual life 2. Shew that there is a spiritual life distinct from the natural 3. The excellency of the one above the other 4. When this spiritual life is in good plight 1. What is meant by spiritual life 'T is threefold a life of justification and sanctification and glorification First The life of justification We are all dead by the merit of sin When a man is cast at law we say he is a dead man Through one mans offence all were dead Rom. 5. 5. We are sensible of it when the Law cometh in with power Rom. 7. 9. we begin to awaken out of our dead sleep Gods first work is to awaken him and open his eyes that he may see he is a Child of wrath a condemned person undone without a pardon when the Law came sin revived and I died before he thought himself a living man in as good an estate as the best but when he was enlightned to see the true meaning of the Law he found himself no better than a dead man Now when justified the sinner is translated from a sentence of death to a sentence of life passed in his favour and therefore it is called justification of life Rom. 5. 18. and Ioh. 5. 29. He that believeth shall not enter into condemnation but hath passed from death to life that is is acquitted from the sentence of death and condemnation passed on him by the Law Secondly The life of sanctification which lyes in a Conjunction of the soul with the spirit of God even as the natural life is a Conjunction of the body with the soul. Adam though his body was organized and formed was but a dead lump till God breathed the soul into him so till our union with Christ by the communion of his spirit we are dead and unable to every good work But the Holy Ghost puts us into a living condition Ephes. 2. 4 5. We were dead in trespasses and sins yet now hath he quickned us There is a new manner of being which we have upon the receiving of Grace Thirdly Life eternal or the life of Glory which is the final result and consummation of both the former For justification and sanctification are but the beginnings of our happy estate justification is the cause and foundation and sanctification is an introduction or entrance into that life that we shall ever live with God 2. Now this life is distinct from life natural for it hath a distinct principle which is the spirit of God the other a reasonable soul 1 Cor. 15. 45. The first man Adam was made a living soul the last Adam was made a quickning spirit Parents are but instruments of Gods Providence to unite body and soul together but here we live by the spirit or by Christ Gal. 2. 20. God and we are united together Then we live when joined to God as the fountain of life whence the soul is quickned by the spirit of Grace This is to live indeed 'T is called the life of God Ephes. 4. 18. not by common influence of his Providence but by special influences of his Grace Secondly It is distinct in its operations Unumquodque operatur secundum suam formam as things that move upward and downward according to their form so the new Nature carrieth men out to their own natural motion and tendency Walking as men 1 Cor. 3. 3. and walking as Christians are two distinct things The natural and humane life is nothing else but the orderly use of sense and reason but the Divine and spiritual life is the acting of Grace in order to communion with God as if another Soul dwelt in the same Body Ego non sum ego Old lusts old acquaintance old temptations knock at the same door but there is another Inhabitant Thirdly Distinct in supports Hidden Manna Meat indeed Drink indeed Ioh. 6. 55. There is an outward man and an inward man the inward man hath its life as well as the outward And as life so taste omnis vita gustu ducitur The hidden man must be fed with hidden Manna meat and drink that the world knows not of its comforts are never higher than in decays of the body 1 Cor. 4. 16. A man is as his delight and pleasure is it must have something agreeable Fourthly Distinct in ends The aim and tendency of the new Nature is to God 't is from God and therefore to him Gal. 2. 19. 'T is a life whereby a man is enabled to move and act towards God as his utmost end to glorifie him or to enjoy him A carnal man's personal contentment is his highest aim water riseth not beyond its fountain But a gracious man doth all to please God Col. 1. 11. to glorifie God 1 Cor. 10. 31. And this not only from his obligations Rom. 14. 7 8. but from his being that principle of life that is within him Ephes. 1. 12. A man that hath a new principle cannot live without God his great purpose and desire is to enjoy more of him 3. The excellency of the one above the other There is life carnal life natural and life spiritual Life carnal as much as it glittereth and maketh a noise in the world 't is but a death in comparison of the life of Grace 1 Tim. 5. 6. She that liveth in pleasure is dead whilst she liveth and let the dead bury their dead Luke 9. 60. and dead in trespasses and sins None seem to make so much of their lives as they yet dead as to any true life and sincere comfort So life natural 't is but a vapour a wind and a little puff of wind that is soon gone take it in the best Nature is but a continued sickness our food is a constant medicine to remedy the decays of Nature most men use it so alimenta sunt medicamenta But more particularly First Life natural is a common thing to Devils Reprobates Beasts Worms Trees and Plants but this is the peculiar priviledge of the Children of God 1 Iohn 4. 13. Therefore Gods Children think they have no life unless they have this life If we think we have a life because we see and hear so do the Worms and smallest Flyes if we think we are alive because we eat drink and sleep so do the Beasts and Cattel if we think we live because we reason and conferr so do the Heathens and Men that shall never see God if we think we have life because we grow well and wax strong proceeding to Old Age so do the Plants and Trees of the Field Nay we have not only this in common with them but in this kind of life other Creatures excel Man The Trees excel us for
our Cause as his own Psal. 9. 4. For thou hast maintained my right and my cause and in his own time and manner will shew it to the world and justifie us against our enemies Oh how should our hearts rejoyce in this that he will be the party responsible make our Cause his own and be liable to the Suit as a Debtor is to the Creditor He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye Zach. 2. 8. He that despiseth you despiseth me Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Acts 9. 4. And Isai. 63. 8. And he said Surely they are my people Children that will not lye so he was their Saviour Fifthly God is a sufficient Surety Here we may consider two things The satisfaction of Christ and The power of Gods Providence in respect of both which he is a Pledge and Surety every way sufficient for our comfort safety and deliverance 1. I would not leave out Christs satisfaction though it lye not so full in this Text for as God hath a hand in all our sufferings and all our affairs are determined in an higher Court this satisfaction is necessary to answer the Controversy and Quarrel of Gods Justice against us Thus Christ the Second Person is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Surety Heb. 7. 22. Christ is the surety of a better testament There is a double sort of Surety by way of caution and satisfaction as Sureties in case of Debt and Sureties for good behaviour the one for what is past the other for what is to come The example of the one we have in Paul for Onesimus Phil. 18. If he hath wronged or owed thee ought put it upon my account I Paul have written it with mine own hand and I will repay it An example of the other we have in Iudah for Benjamin Gen. 43. 9. I will be Surety for him at mine hand shalt thou require him if I bring him not unto thee and set him before thee then let me bear the blame for ever In both these respects Christ is a Surety he is our Surety as a Surety undertaketh for another to pay his debt and he is our Surety as he hath undertaken that his redeemed ones shall keep Gods Laws be carried safe to Heaven Of his Suretiship by way of caution we speak now Though Theodoret understand that in the Text undertake for me that I shall keep thy Laws but 't is more proper to consider the Speech as it referreth to the payment of our debt by virtue of this Suretiship Solomon hath assured us Prov. 11. 15. that he that is Surety for another shall smart for it or be broken and bruised The same word is used concerning Christ Isai. 53. 10. he was our Surety and was bruised and broken suffered what we should have suffered we have a right to appear to Gods Justice but our Surety having made a full satisfaction for us God will not exact the Debt twice of the Surety and the Principal When the Ram was taken Isaac was let go Iob 33. 24. Deliver him from going down to the pit for I have found a ransom Well then as our punishment is a due Debt to Gods Justice the Lord Christ undertaketh or is become a Surety for us not only our Advocate to plead our Cause but our Surety to pay our Debt from a Judge become a party and bound to pay what we owe Isai. 53. 4. Surely he hath born our griefs 2. The power of Gods Providence If God undertake for us his Bail is sufficient none of our enemies can resist his Almighty power surely he is able to deal with our enemies Isai. 23. 4. Who would set the briers and thorns against me in battel they are matter to feed the fire not to quench it He rescueth us just as going to prison If he put himself a pledge between us and our enemies he will defeat all their oppositions and machinations against us and stand between us and danger as an able Bail or Surety doth between the Creditor and poor Debtor Well then Suretiship as it noteth our necessity so Gods engagement and his ability and faithfulness to do what he undertaketh We must set God against the enemies Isai. 51. 13. And forgettest the Lord thy Maker he hath stretched forth the Heavens and laid the foundation of the Earth and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressour as if he were ready to destroy and where is the fury of the oppressour Dan. 3. 17. Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery Furnace We have the Almighty to be our Saviour and Protector why are you afraid of a man God against man is great odds if we had Faith to see it man is mortal God is immortal man is a poor weak Creature but God is Almighty what is he not able to do for us Surely he will not leave his friends in the lurch his power is such that he is able to keep us safe and sound II. The Reasons Why we have leave and encouragement to desire God to interpose 1. From Gods Covenant where in the general there is a mutual engaging to be each others In our several capacities we engage to stand by God and owne his Cause and God is engaged to stand by us We make over our selves Bodies Souls Interests all to God God quantus quantus est as great as he is is all ours therefore if he be ours we may pray him to appear for us and owne us in our distress and trouble Our friend is a friend in distress A gracious heart by virtue of this mutual and interchangeable Indenture appears for God and taketh his Cause though never so hated as its own The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me Psal. 6. 9. We are his Witnesses Isai. 43. 10. Surely it is too high a word for the Creature but God taketh our Cause as his is Surety for us by virtue of the general tenour of the Covenant he is our God jure venit in auxilium nostrum his Covenant engageth him to undertake for us More particularly God undertaketh to defend and maintain his people as to be a rewarder so to be a defender Gen. 15. 1. I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward And Psal. 84. 11. For the Lord is a Sun and a shield This defence is sometimes expressed with respect to the violence of assaults in the world by the Notion of a shield So with respect to the process of the Law by the Notion of a Surety Isai. 52. 3. we have the term of a Redeemer So that we have leave to pray him to fulfil his Covenant Engagement 2. Gods affection is such that he will refuse no office that may be for his peoples comfort We are often disswaded from Suretiship especially for strangers by the wise man by great vehemency and instance Prov. 6. 1 2. My son if thou be surety for thy friend if thou hast stricken thy hand
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
little patience will discover it As poysonous Ingredients in a Medicine take them singly and they are destructive but as tempered with other things by the hands of a skilful Physician so they are wholesome and useful Heb. 12. 11. No affliction for the present seemeth joyous but grievous The Rod is a sowre thing for the present but wait a little this bitter root may yield sweet fruit God can so over-rule it in his Providence So Psal. 119. 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy Statutes Ask a man under the Cross Is it good to feel the lashes of Gods correcting hand No but when he hath been exercised and found lust mortified the world crucified and gotten evidences of Gods favour then it is good that I have been afflicted 4. This good is not to be determined by feeling but by Faith Psal. 73. 1. Yet God is good to Israel and to such as are of a clean heart God is good to his people however he seem to deal hardly with them sence judgeth it ill but faith saith it is good it seeth a great deal of love in pain and smart There is such a difference between faith and sense as there was between Elisha and his Servant 2 King 6. 15 16. the Servant saw the Host of the enemies but he did not see the fiery Chariots and Horsemen that were for his help Elisha saw both so Believers see not only the bitterness that is in Gods chastenings but the sweet fruits in the issue Faith can look at the pride and power of wicked men as a vain thing when they are in the height of their power and greatness Iob 5 3. I have seen the foolish taking root but suddenly I cursed his habitation that is prophetically not passionately foretelling evil not wishing it When they were taking root as themselves and other worldly men thought I judged him unhappy foretold his end and destruction There is much of the spirit of prophecy in faith When others applaud make little gods of them he looketh through all their beauty riches and honour Psal. 92. 7. When the wicked spring as the Grass and all the workers of iniquity do flourish it is that they shall be destroyed for ever Grass will wither and dry up of its own accord especially when there is a Worm at the root Their very prosperity as it ferments their lusts and hardeneth their hearts is a means to draw on their destruction Psal. 39. 5. Man in his best estate is vanity Then when they seem to have all things under their feet who could harm them So that none dare open the mouth move the wing or peep yet God can easily blast and whip them with an unseen scourge 5. Good is of several sorts temporal spiritual eternal First Temporal Good Cross accidents conduce to that Gen. 50. 20. Ye thought evil against me but God meant it unto good to bring to pass as it is this day and to save much people alive The Egyptians and themselves had wanted a preserver if Ioseph had not been sold and sent into Egypt If a man were to go to Sea in a voyage upon which his heart was much set but the ship is gone before he cometh but after he heareth that all that were in the ship are drowned then he would say This disappointment was for good As Crassus's Rival in the Parthian War was intercepted and cut off by the craft of the Barbarians had no reason to stomach his being refused Many of us have cause to say Periissem nisi periissem we had suffered more if we had suffered less In the Story of Ioseph there is a notable scheme and draught of Providence He is cast into a Pit thence drawn forth and sold to the Ishmaelites by them sold into Egypt and sold again what doth God mean to do with poor Ioseph He is tempted to Adultery refusing the temptation he is falsly accused kept for a long time in ward and duress All this is against him who would have thought that in the issue this should be turned to his good that the prison had been the way to preferment and that by the pit he should come to the Palace of the King of Egypt and exchange his particoloured Coat for a Royal Robe Thus in temporal things we get by our losses and God chuseth better for us than we could have chosen for our selves Let God alone to his undertaking and he will manage our affairs better than we looked for Secondly Good spiritual 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 What do we call profit The good things of this World and the great Mammon which so many worship No some better thing some spiritual and Divine benefit a participation of Gods holiness Then we profit when we grow in Grace and are more god-like when we are more concerned as a soul than a body It is a good exchange to part with outward Comforts for inward holiness If God take away our peace and give us peace of Conscience we have no cause to complain If our outward wants be recompensed with the abundance of inward Grace 1 Cor. 4. 10. and we have less of the World that we may have the more of God and be kept poor that we may be rich in faith Iam. 2. 5 6. if we have a healthy soul in a sickly body as Gaius had 3 Iohn 2. if an aking head maketh way for a better heart doth not God deal graciously and lovingly with us Thirdly Our eternal Good Heaven will make amends for all that we endure here This mainly is intended in Rom. 8. 28. All things shall work together for good to them that love God And then in the 29 th and 30 th Verses he presently bringeth in the golden Chain Whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called he justified and those whom he justified them he also glorified So 2 Cor. 4. 17. This light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory it shall either hasten or secure our glorious estate A man may lose ground by a temptation his external good may be weakned his soul suffereth loss but this warneth him of his weakness and quickeneth him to stand upon his watch and to look up more to Christ for strength against it Or it may be cut off and perish in the affliction but then his glorious estate cometh in possession 6. That may be good for the Glory of God which doth not conduce to our personal benefit and the Glory of God is our great interest Iohn 11. 27 28. Now is my soul troubled and what shall I say Father save me from this hour but for this Cause came I unto this hour father to glorifie thy name Then there came a voice from Heaven saying I have both
their riches denying them the liberty of their service because 't is in the power of their hands or taking advantage of their low Condition to run over them or making an advantage of their necessity and want of skill Hos. 12. 7. He is a merchant the ballance of deceit is in his hand he loveth to oppress or prejudice their testimony to the truth by our credit and esteem in the Church rendering them so weak or wicked factious or foolish as not to be regarded 2. This is a grievous evil it is so in it self and may be specially aggravated as to Cases First 'T is grievous in it self as 't is so odious to God as being a perversion of the end of his Providence Those that excel in any quality are appointed for the protection and support of the weak and indigent God gave them their Wealth and Parts and Power and Credit and Greatness to the end they might comfort counsel defend and do good to those that want these things Now when they make no other use of their power than Lions and Bears do to mischief others by it they do evil because 't is in the power of their hands Mic. 2. 1. Power if men have not a great tenderness of Conscience and fear of God is an unweildy wilful thing degenerates into oppression Isai. 10. 14 15. There was none that moved the wing or opened the mouth or peeped Shall the Axe boast it self against him that heweth therewith or shall the Saw magnifie it self against him that shaketh it as if the Rod should shake it self against them that lift it up or as if the Staff should lift up it self as if it were no Wood. Therefore he went on to oppress and tyrannize in the world because none durst to oppose him Power needs much ballance to temper and allay it Secondly 'T is so offensive to his people and burthensome to them Eccl. 7. 7. Oppression keth a wise man mad it shaketh and discomposeth those of the best temper makes them pray and weep and cry before the Lord Eccl. 4. 1. So I returned and considered all the oppressions under the Sun and beheld the tears of such as are oppressed When you lay such heavy loads upon them that they are not able to bear it but cry to God to right them Thirdly The evil it self Oppression 'T is not only theft but murther These expressions we have Isai. 3. 14 15. Ye have eaten up the Vineyard The spoil of the poor is in your houses What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces and grind the faces of the poor that is Cause them by your hard usage to pine away So Mic. 3. 1 2 3. And I said Hear I pray you O Heads of Iacob and ye Princes of the house of Israel Is it not for you to know Iudgment who hate the good and love the evil who pluck off their skin and their flesh from off their bones Who also eat the flesh of my people and flay their skin from off them and they break their bones and chop them in pieces as for the Pot and as flesh within the Caldron 'T is in Gods account humane Butchery and Murder beyond simple Slaughter as they make them dye a lingering death 2. 'T is especially aggravated if they be Gods Servants oppressed for Religion Psal. 12. 5. For the oppression of the poor for the sighing of the needy Now will I arise saith the Lord I will set them in safety from him that puffeth at him The proud Persecutor doth little think of the Godly that any power he hath can do any thing to help him therefore mocketh at all his hopes therefore when God hath exercised the Godly for a while he will arise c. I say the sin is aggravated by the innocency the holiness the usefulness of the party oppressed when fitted to glorifie God and do service to the Publick and disabled to the prejudice of both 3. 'T is the highest impiety to fetch power and advantage from any Ordinance of God to commit it Iohn 19. 10 11. Then said Pilate unto him Speakest thou not unto me Knowest thou not that I have power to crucifie thee and have power to release thee Iesus answered Thou couldest have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin Courts of Justice that should be Sanctuaries and places of refuge to opprest innocency they make Slaughter Houses and Shops of Cruelty When pretexts of Laws and Justice are used to colour the oppression and persecution of innocent useful persons this makes it more odious in the sight of God Use 1. O pity the oppressed Iob 6. 14. To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty The men of Keilah thought of delivering up David because they feared not God 1 Sam. 23. 11 12. But men have no fear of God but too much fear of men When God is angry God will suffer none to help Psal. 88. 18. Lover and friend hast thou put far from me and mine acquaintance into darkness Job 12. 5. He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease Sensuality will make us forget the afflictions of others Amos 6. 4 5 6. They lye upon Beds of Ivory and stretch themselves upon their Couches and eat the lambs out of the flock and Calves out of the midst of the Stall that chant to the sound of the viol and invent to themselves instruments of musick like David that drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the chief ointments but they are not grieved for the afflictions of Ioseph Scruples of Conscience through difference in Religion Iohn 4. 9. How is it that thou being a Iew askest water of me Therefore we should pity others we have Gods example 2 Cor. 7. 6. God that comforteth those that are cast down Use 2. Keep from oppression let us be far from this sin Samuel professeth his innocency 1 Sam. 12. 3 4. Behold here I am witness against me before the Lord and his Anointed Whose Ox have I taken or whose Ass have I taken or whom have I defrauded whom have I oppressed or of whose hand have I received a bribe to blind mine eyes therewith And they said Thou hast not defrauded nor oppressed us Motives 1. God will right the wrongs of the oppressed Prov. 22. 22 23. Rob not the poor because he is poor neither oppress the afflicted in the Gate for the Lord will plead their Cause and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them Prov. 23. 11. For their Redeemer is mighty he shall plead their Cause with thee It belongeth to him as supream Judge and mighty Potentate Eccl. 5. 8. If thou seest the oppression of the poor and violent perverting of Iudgment and Iustice in a Province marvel not at the matter for he that is
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
house as he that hath none If the Spirit of God be thy master thou shalt learn though never so blockish 3. Wisdom stands upon the Threshold or at the Door of Gods Word as ready to open the treasures of knowledge The entrance of thy word giveth light No sooner is a Soul entred into the Spirits School but he becometh a Proficient on first acquaintance with Scriptures he seeth great light Yea she sendeth abroad to invite Comers Prov. 9. 3 4 5. She hath sent forth her maidens she crieth upon the highest places of the City Whoso is simple let him come in hither as for him that wanteth understanding she saith to him Come eat of my Bread and drink of the Wine which I have mingled Therefore go on with thy Duty He that sent an Interpreter to the Eunuch to guide him when reading part of Isaiah's Prophecy which he understood not will direct and guide thee in the knowledge of all necessary truths Psal. 25. 8 9. Prov. 2. 2 3 4 5. 4. It is a good advantage to be sensible of our blindness Rev. 3. 17 18. Because thou sayest I am rich and encreased with goods and stand in need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked I counsel thee to buy of me Gold tried in the fire that thou mayest be rich and white raiment that thou mayest be cloathed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve that thou mayest see The first thing a man seeth is his own blindness nakedness and wretchedness Iohn 9. 39. And Iesus said For judgment I am come into the world that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blind Many times they which conceitedly think they see are made blind Those that are ignorant and humbled under the sense thereof Christ will open their eyes but they that are conceited of their own parts and knowledge their hearts are darkened more and more and they are given up to follow their own fancies The simple may see further than others because they swell not with the presumption of their own wit Surgunt indocti rapiunt Coelum cùm nos Doctrinâ nostrâ detrudimur in Gehennam Sometimes simple people are more forward and earnest than others and men of weak parts and small breeding may have strong affections A blunt Iron when heated may enter deeper into a board than a sharp Tool when cold Great Doctors and Rabbies are proud and careless and poor broken-hearted sinners are warm and serious Your labour will not be in vain SERMON CXLIV PSAL. CXIX VER 131. I opened my mouth and panted for I longed for thy Commandments HERE is the use that the Psalmist maketh of the former commendation of the Word it is wonderful and mysterious clear and perspicuous now he declareth his great affection to it These words were used by Nazianzen when his Father committed to him the care of the Church of Nazianzum he beginneth his Speech with it Orat. 8. as being a word of more than ordinary comfort and Grace and direction David was in a fainting condition through the passionateness of his desire I longed and that longing caused a languor as all strong desires do His affection wrought upon his Body or else affected his Soul as bodily refreshments desired and wanted do the Body I opened my mouth and panted for I longed for thy Commandments In the Words there are I. The vehemency of his passion I opened my mouth and panted II. The reason or cause of it For I longed for thy Commandments 1. I opened my mouth and panted A Metaphor taken from men scorched and sweltred with heat or from those that have run themselves out of breath in following after the thing which they would overtake The former Metaphor expressed the vehemency of his love the other the earnestness of his pursuit he was like a man gasping for breath and sucking in the cool Air. Iudaea was an hot Countrey and therefore such expressions are frequent The like expressions that come somewhat near it are those 2 Cor. 6. 11. O ye Corinthians our mouth is opened to you our heart is enlarged When he did vehemently desire their profit And Iob saith They waited for my speech as the rain they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain Iob 29. 22. A vehement passionate desire affects the mind as an insatiate thirst the Body Thus will they be affected that are sensible of the wonders of the Law and enlightened by it The reason of this passion I longed noteth an high degree of desire What did he long for Gods Commandments that is the saving knowledge of the Doctrine of salvation or to find the use benefit light comfort and power of the word of God Doctr. That Gods Children have strong and vehement affections and desires after the comfort and benefit of the word of God Here is 1. Opening the mouth and 2. Panting as for fresh Air and 3. Longing for the Commandments All three expressions imply an intensiveness of affection Surely David prized holiness at a greater rate than we do or else he would not use expressions so strange to us See the like Psal. 119. 20. My soul breaketh for the longing it hath unto thy judgments at all times Desire is the stretching forth of the soul to the thing desired Now his soul did so stretch towards these spiritual comforts that it did even break and crack again in the stretching So Psal. 42. 1. As the Hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God Harts are thirsty Creatures especially when chased or having eaten Serpents Considerations First The soul never worketh better than in the strength of some eminent affection In all things that we take in hand we do but so so act but chilly and weakly while we have a listless and remiss will but when the force of affection is upon us the soul is carried on strongly either in abomination or prosecution for affections are the forcible and vigorous motions of the will Now the soul never doth well but under such an affection Were it not for affections our Nature would be sluggish and idle as Plutarch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like a Pilot at Sea without a Wind. The Ship moveth slowly when there are no Winds stirring to fill the Sails Or like a Chariot without Wheels or Horses or a Bird when her Wings are clipped They spur us on to what we affect Men are heavy and lazy because they have no affection Exod. 36. 2. And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab and every wise-hearted man in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it Man findeth a force within himself his heart maketh him willing the stronger the affections the better the man acteth with greater strength and vivacity for they are the vigorous motions of the will
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
to you but that may be the occasion Zacb. 10. 3. My anger was kindled against the Shepherds and I punished the Goats So Prov. 28. 2. For the transgression of a people many are the rulers thereof The peoples sins may make great changes and alterations of Government Thirdly You are one Body with them Nations are one political Body Churches one political Body In Gods Plea about Sodom with Abraham ten righteous persons have an influence to save or ruine it The sins of one Generation may be the cause of another It 's said God turned not from the fierceness of his anger that was kindled against Iudah because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal Manasseh was dead thirty or forty years before Manasseh had repented and Iosiah was a great Reformer none like him You see God may punish their sins many years after nay in the process of vengeance the whole lump is involved as being one body So all Israel were troubled for one Achan Do not tax Gods dispensation of severity and rigour for 't is the condescension and art of Divine mercy by this means to prevent publick ruine and you are involved in their portion that every man in his place may study the prevention of sin and ruine So Churches are one lesser Body one root of bitterness defileth many Heb. 12. 15. not only by the contagion of the sin but also by imputation of guilt So at Corinth 1 Cor. 5. 6. A little leven leveneth the whole lump So also in Housholds and Families which are one lesser Body Fourthly Many of their sins may be thine 'T is a good prayer though it be a harsh expression to desire God to be delivered from our other mens sins Ab alieno libera me Domine They have sinned the more because thou hast been wanting as a Magistrate as a Minister as a Neighbour a Fellow-member as a private Christian. As a Magistrate A negligent Prince all the sin is put upon him Eli was an High Priest and was a Judg in that case and therefore though he were innocent God saith he would cut off his house for the iniquity of his Sons 1 Sam. 3. 17. Because his sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not When Magistrates suffer all things to run at randome in Religion instead of Gods Ministers they prove the Devils Agents though they be holy for their persons yet there is a great guilt lyeth upon them So for Ministers We are to watch as those that must give an account Heb. 13. 17. I will require him at thy hands c. He may be a good man yet not a good Minister when he is not so diligent in inspection so faithful to his trust as he should be so frequent in exhortation prayer mourning care of the flock much hurt cometh by our connivence So for private Christians they are bound to watch over one another It may be you do not look after them Heb. 3. 13. You suffer hardness to grow upon them and would not warn them Ye are Witnesses from God to the people of Israel You may be guilty of much evil example and unwary carriage Heb. 11. 7. By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet prepared an Ark to the saving of his house by the which he condemned the world and became Heir of the righteousness that is by faith And Ezek. 16. 51 52. Thou hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done Thou also which hast judged thy sisters bear thine own shame for the sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they they are more righteous than thou yea be thou confounded also and bear thy shame in that thou hast justified thy sisters You either justifie or condemn the world So that in effect they may be your sins you are sensual vain We easily catch a Disease from one another but do not get health Nature is more susceptible of evil than of Grace Fifthly By seeing of their sins Conscience may awaken and thou mayest remember thy own as Pharaoh's Butler said I remember my faults this day Their lives are but a Glass of the deformity of our Natures There are many Iudas's many Cains in thy nature I was in times past as bad as any as bold with sin and as notorious a Sinner Every sin therefore should be a fresh bleeding wound in our own souls They are but the picture of thy natural face Tit. 3. 3. We in times past were foolish disobedient deceiving and being deceived Thou seest them given up to vain pleasure remember how it was with thee before Conversion and let this humble thee Sixthly If all this do not work consider the holy Angels that are no way interested but as it conduceth to Gods Glory that do not communicate with us in nature and blood how they rejoyce at the welfare of man As when the World was made Iob 38. 7. When the Morning Stars sang together and all the Sons of God shouted for joy So when Christ came and assumed humane Nature at his birth Luke 2. 14. Suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men And when the Creature repenteth Luke 15. 7. I say unto you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one Sinner that repenteth more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance So should we mourn over them to God who are our Flesh our Neighbours united in the bonds of Duty and Neighbourhood it may be Church Relation Seventhly I might tell of the fruits of mourning The greater party of Mourners the more hope of preservation We have complained of drought we have dry Bottles Judgments are kept off as long as there is a sighing party you are preserved Ezek 9. 4. as Lot out of Sodom But if the righteous God see not this fit and a godly man may be swept away as two dry Sticks burn a green one yet you shall laugh when others mourn in Heaven there will be joy enough This is the Valley of tears Wicked men though now they are dry Wood yet they are fit Fuel for Hell Consider of these things 'T is a difficult work to soften the heart and you have need of all the help that may be First Consider the compassion of Christ to thee If he had not mourned and sighed in the Garden and sweat drops of blood where had thy soul been Thou wert in thy blood when free Grace went a sighing after thee in the Ministry of the Word Ezek. 16. 6. I said unto thee when thou wert in thy blood Live yea I said unto thee when thou wert in thy blood Live These are intending Considerations 1 Tim. 1. 13. Who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If I had not been all to be bowelled and all to be mercied
as absolute and sovereign Lord of all his own actions He works all things according to the counsel of his own will Ephes. 1. 11. and Rev. 4. 11. Thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created As his wisdom saw fit so he hath placed Creatures in several ranks of Beings the Fish cannot complain that it was made without feet or hands nor the Ass that it was made for burthen that it is not fierce and mettlesome as the Horse which was made for battel And we men whatever was given us by Creation it was not a matter of right but the mere effect of Gods good will and pleasure He might have made us Stocks and Stones and not living Creatures and among living Creatures Plants only with the life of vegetation and growth Or if he had given us a sensitive life he might have placed us in the lowest rank he might have made us Toads or Vipers or Horse and Mule without understanding and not men And among men all the blessings and priviledges to which we were born might have been withheld without any injustice 2. He hath a right of using and disposing of them so made according to his own pleasure to appoint them to be high or low miserable and afflicted or prosperous and happy as it shall be for his Glory Rom. 11. 36. All things are of him and from him and to him to whom be glory As God made the Creatures for himself so he governs them ultimately terminatively for himself There is no cause of murmuring and repining when he will use us as he pleaseth for his own Glory Isai. 45. 9 10. We cannot say Why dost thou thus It is enough to silence all Tempests in our souls God did it Psal. 39. 9. I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it Now this is true in the dispensations of Grace as well as in the blessings of this life to some God gives Grace to others not some are elected to mercy others left to perish in their own sins one is taken and another left Matth. 24. 40 41. There were two Thieves upon the Cross together with Christ God saves the one passeth by the other He may do with his own as he pleaseth He being Sovereign is obliged by no Debt of Law or the Command of any superior power and therefore-hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth Rom. 9. 18. Election is an act of Sovereignty and Dominion God might have left all in misery as he left the faln Angels none of them that sinned are recovered out of their misery and are we of a more noble consideration than the Angels than those Spirits One of them could have done God more service than many men could do therefore as he left all those Angels in their sinful condition so it 's a mercy that when he might have destroyed all mankind he would save any God could have given Iudas a soft heart as well as Peter but he does not He will be master of his own gifts Only this clears his Justice None are denied Grace but those that deserve it should be so none by God are compelled to sin none are punished without sin but in all his gifts and in what he doth as supreme Lord his will is his reason Secondly God may be considered as Governour and Judge and so he gave a Law to the Creatures and his governing Justice consists in giving all their due according to his Law This is to be distinguished from the former for God that is arbitrary in his gifts is not arbitrary in his judgments Observe that he is arbitrary in his gifts he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy but in his judgments he proceedeth with men according to their works according to a law or outward rule Of this governing Justice the Scripture often speaks Deut. 32. 4. He is a righteous God and all his ways are judgment So Psal. 7. 9. He will judge the world in righteousness and will minister judgment to the people Now this governing Justice of God is twofold either Legislative or Judicial First Gods Legislative Justice This determines mans duty and binds him to the performance thereof and also decrees and sets down the rewards and punishments that shall be due upon mans obedience or disobedience God made man rational or a voluntary Agent capable of good and evil with desires of the good and fears of the evil and therefore God as universal King that he might rule him according to his nature hath made for him a Law that revealeth good and evil with promises to move him by desire and hope of the good and with threatnings to drive him by a necessary fear of the evil So Deut. 30. 15. See I have set before thee this day life and good and death and evil It is true of the Law of Moses and it is true of the Gospel of Christ Jesus he deals With us this way that I may not make a distinction between the Law and the Gospel what 's the Law of the Gospel Mark 16. 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Now this Law is the rule of mans duty and Gods dealings with all those that have received it Secondly There is his Judicial Justice called also distributive and this is that whereby he renders unto men according to their works whether they do good or evil without any respect to persons 1 Pet. 1. 17. Without respect of persons he judgeth according to every mans work The persons that may be respected in Judgment is some external thing that hath no affinity with the cause in hand Now when God comes to judge of the breach of his Law or the keeping of his Law he hath no respect of persons high or low rich or poor professing or not professing Christianity he deals with them as they have walked according to his Law His Judicial or distributive Justice is declared at large by the Apostle Rom. 2. 5 6 7 8 9. There Gods executing Judgment according to his Law is described and you find it twofold remunerative or vindictive First His remunerative or rewarding Justice It is just with God to reward our obedience and to give men what his promise hath made due to them It is true we cannot expect reward from God in strict righteousness or by the exact Laws of Commutative Justice and strict righteousness in this fallen estate as if there were an inward condignity of our works to that which God gives Oh no that is disclaimed by the Saints Psal. 103. 3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities Psal. 143. 2. Enter not into judgment with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified From any exuberancy of merit we cannot expect a reward from God but we may and ought to encourage our selves from his righteousness even that it is not an unrighteous thing with God to give us
therefore though God will give sufficient means of Conviction yet not always such evident marks of his Favour to the best Cause in Temporal things as that mere sense shall lead them to embrace it No he will onely set a good Cause a-foot and then suffer it to be exposed to the hatred of the World and sometimes to be over-born as to any Temporal Interest it can get that the mere Evidence and Love of Truth may gain men and not any secular motives All the countenance and owning God will give to it is by infusing Courage and Constancy to his Servants to suffer for it and so they overcome by the blood of the Lamb and not loving their Lives to the Death Rev. 12. 11. he speaketh of such a time when the Church seemeth weakest like a poor woman Travelling and her Enemies seem strongest like a great Red Dragon ready to devour the Child assoon as born Now though at such a time the Church is overcoming and the Devil and his Instruments are but pulling down their own Throne and establishing Christs while they are shedding the Blood of his Saints Yet none of this appeareth and is visibly to be seen Though suffering be a sealing and ratifying of the Truth yet to the Worlds eye it seemeth a suppressing and over-bearing of it Therefore few will own such a despised hated persecuted way and the difficulty is the greater when there is much of Gods Truth owned by the persecuting side and the contest is not about the main of Christianity but some lesser Truths and so the opposition is more disguised then certainly it may be said Isa. 59. 4. None calleth for Iustice nor any pleadeth for Truth all half Friends are discouraged therefore nothing is left the people of God but their Prayers Lord plead my cause David in the Text appealeth to Gods Judgment when he was deserted by men burdened by prejudices oppressed by mans wrong Judgment So often Gods People are not able to defend themselves and few in the World will own them or be Advocates for them then God will take their cause in hand In the Civil Law if a man could not get an Advocate metu adversarii the Judge was to appoint him one to plead for him So God taketh notice of his Peoples Condition Ier. 30. 13. There is none to plead thy cause that thou mayst be bound up Often among men none can or dareth undertake the defence and patronage of oppressed Right 2. Though we have a good Cause and hopeful Instruments yet we cannot plead it with any effect till God shew himself from heaven Nay though the Cause be never so right and just and Instruments and Means hopeful yet it requireth God's power to keep it a-foot For the justice of the Cause must not be relyed on nor probable means rested in but God must have the Trust of the Cause and the Glory of maintaining it otherwise by our own ill managing or by some secret and unseen opposition it will Miscarry Psal. 9. 4. Thou â—…st maintained my right and my cause thou satest in the Throne judging right This is a work wherein God will be seen while it is in agitation or under decision God will have the Trust and when it is over he will have all the Glory III. What Hopes or Grounds there are to expect that God will plead the Cause of his People 1. He can 2. He will Infinite Power and infinite Justice can do it 1. He can The Lord is able he that pleadeth our Cause hath infinite Power Prov. 23. 11. Their Redeemer is mighty he shall plead their cause with thee It is easie to bear down a few afflicted Creatures that have no strength or heart to oppose being in bonds and under oppression but there is a mighty God who when he pleadeth any ones cause he will do it to the purpose really and effectually delivering them for whom he pleadeth Ier. 50. 34. Their Redeemer is strong the Lord of Hosts is his name he will throughly plead their Cause that he may give rest to the land and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon 2. He will Considering 1. Their Relation to God 2. God's Relation to them and to the whole World 1. Because of their Relation to him the Dominus the Lord whom they had chosen was to be their Patronus they that have put themselves under Gods Protection and are faithful to him keeping close to his Word he will plead their cause and manage it as his own Isa. 51. 22. Thus saith thy Lord the Lord and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people Behold I have taken out of thy hand the cup of trembling even the dregs of the cup of my fary thou shalt no more drink it again He being their Soveraign Lord had undertaken to protect his Servants he counteth the wrongs done to them done to himself Acts 9. 4. Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Especially since molested for his Truth 2. Because of his Relation to them he is the Supream Potentate and the righteous Judge of the World and so bound by his office to defend the weak and innocent when oppressed Psal. 146. 7. He executeth judgment for the opppressed those that should maintain Right upon Earth and punish Wrongs are often prevaricators but the Judge of all the Earth will do Right he is an impartial Judge and will maintain the cause of his People Prov. 22. 22 23. Rob not the poor because he is poor neither oppress the afflicted in the gate For the Lord will plead their cause and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them Though no Relation to him yet if poor if afflicted if destitute of humane help the Lord taketh himself to be the Patron of all such much more his People Use. I. To rebuke our Fears and Mis-giving of Heart When we see the best men go to the Walls and to be made objects of Scorn and Spight we are apt to say as the Church doth in the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 40. 27. My way is â—…id from the Lord and my judgment is passed over from my God that is in effect that God doth wholly neglect them and will not plead their Cause Oh no! he knoweth what strife there is between us and our Adversaries and how good our Cause is and how much he is concerned in it onely we must wait his leisure and bear his Indignation until he plead True submission to God ought to prescribe no day to him but referr all to his Will Use. II. Let us commit our Cause to the Lord as the expression is Iob 5. 8. I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my cause who is the Friend and Advocate of the Afflicted and hath promised to be so and to keep us from the hand of the wicked and the mouth of the wicked from their hand and violence so far as it shall be for his Glory Isa. 49. 25. I will contend with him that contendeth with thee and I
when he taketh away when he emptieth and when he filleth us with Blessings a Child of God is of a strange temper he can fear him for his Mercies Hosea 3. 5. and praise him for his Judgments as in the Text it argueth a great measure of Grace to give Thanks to God at all times and for all things 1 Thes. 5. 17 18. Rejoyce ever more pray without ceasing in every thing give thanks Simply we cannot give thanks for Afflictions as Afflictions as we cannot pray for them nor joy in them but as they are a means of good to us A thankful frame of Heart bringeth meat out of the Eater incouragement out of the saddest Providences and taketh occasion to lift up it self in the praises of God even from those things which are matter of greatest discouragement and heartless dejection to others It seeth the hand of God working for good to him And then on the other side an Unthankful Repining Murmuring Spirit sowereth all our Comforts is ever querulous whether crossed or pleased it entertaineth Crosses with Anger and Blessings with Disdain 'T is hard to be in any Condition on this side Hell wherein we have not cause to praise God even in great Calamities either for their fruit and issue as our Souls are bettered and humbled by them Psalm 119. 65. Thou hast dealt well with thy servant according to thy word Wherein In giving him Faith and sensible and seasonable Correction Verse 67. and presently thou art good and dost good Verse 68. Or else for their Mitigation as to deem them not insupportable 1 Corinth 10. 13. That we are not Consumed Lament 3. 22. That not to the full merit of our Sins Ezra 9. 13. Thou hast punished us less then we have deserved That Comforts come along with them That our Afflictions do not exceed the measure of our Comforts 2 Corinth 1. 5. That we have a good God still who knoweth how to turn all to our Advantage Let us be perswaded he is well affected to us in Christ and we will take any thing kindly at his hand All this is spoken that poor murmuring Souls may not set out from so blessed a Work yea when other Arguments fail we may see the Wisdom Justice and Faithfulness of God in his sharpest Corrections Psalm 119. 75. I know that thy Iudgments are right and in Faithfulness thou hast afflicted me 'T is a great honour to God to speak good of his name when his hand is smart upon us Use. Let me press you now to three things First To the Work Secondly Frequency and Constancy herein Thirdly To suit often God's Word and Works together First To the work of praising God many are often complaining or begging but seldom praising or giving thanks Oh surely this should be more regarded not always taken up with complaints against our selves and supplications for Mercies but should sometime give Thanks and praise the Lord 't is the Noblest part of our work 't is nearest the work of Heaven As Love is the Grace of Heaven so Praise is the Duty then in Season 't is good to be preparing setting our Hearts in order for our eternal Estate 't is the work of Angels when we praise God we do the work of Angels The Angels according to the opinion of the Ancient Hebrews do every day sing praises to God and that in the Morning which they gather because the Angel said to Iacob Gen. 32. 26. Let me go for the day breaketh which place the Targum of Ierusalem thus explaineth Let me go for the Pillar of the Morning ascendeth and behold the hour approacheth that the Angels are to sing however that opinion be sure we are that the Angels ever bless God and laud his holy Name Isaiah 6. 1 2 3. The Angels cryed one to another holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory They were blessing God for Creation then the Morning Stars sang for Joy Iob 38. 4 5 6. For the Nativity of Christ Luk. 2. 13 14. They apprehend more of Gods Excellency and Perfection in himself and in his Works than we do and are more sensible of his Benefits than we are Now if this be the work of Angels the highest and greatest of them surely this work should be more prized by us 't is Nobler than other Duties we serve God in our Callings but this work is a part of our Misery this Burden was laid upon Adam after his Fall that in the sweat of his Brows he should eat his Bread Gen. 3. 19. Though honest Labour be a part of our Obedience yet 't is also a part of our Trouble and Exercise There are Works of Righteousness as to give every Man his due these are Good Works but they concern the benefit of Man the good of Humane Society Whereas Praise is more immediately directed to the Honour of God There are Works of Mercy to relieve the Poor to help the Distressed to support the Weak to comfort the Afflicted these are good Works indeed and a very noble part of our service to be reckoned to our Thank-offerings as praise Heb. 13. 15 16. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his Name but to do good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is wellpleased 'T is Godlike to do Good and a more blessed thing to give than to receive Acts 20. 35. As God giveth to all and receiveth of none but still this redoundeth to Men. There are opera cultus the fourth sort of Works Works of Worship Internal as humbling our Soul repenting of our Sins and asking Pardon these are good Works indeed but such as imply our Misery and Imperfection External as Prayer Hearing and Reading and other Acts of Communion with God but when we give Thanks this is more Noble In other Duties God is bestowing something on us but here in our way we bestow something upon God In Prayer as Beggars in Hearing as Scholars and Disciples we come to expect something from him here we come to put Honour upon God in our way 't is a kind of Recompence or paying our Debts to him by Word or Deed. Now the Reasons why Men are so backward to this Work are I. Because we have so little of the Love of God Self-love puts us upon Supplication but the Love of God upon Praise and Thanksgiving 'T is a Token of great Love to Praise God without Ceasing We are eager to have Blessings and then forget to return and give God the Glory II. And partly Neglect of Observation We do not gather up Matter of Thanksgiving Colos. 2. 4. Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving We should continually observe Gods Answers and Visits of Love Manifestations of himself to the World The Reason then why we have no more pleasure in Praising God is because we observe not so heedfully as we
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
them p. 185 Augustus Caesar his way to prevent hasty and rash judgment p. 410 Avoiding evil company not enough except we chuse good p. 777 Authority of God the Reason of our Obedience p. 23 24 Authority of God to be eyed in our Obedience and why p. 24 25. God urges his authority p. 26. 35 Authority and Power might and right in God p. 584 Authority of God speaking in his word p. 939-940 Awakening of holy desires means to obtain it p. 309 310 Awakening of Prayer by suspending mercy p 548. Awakening of God by Prayer p. 860 Awe standing in awe of Gods word a mark of Gods Children p. 997. VVhat is it to stand in awe VVhy we must stand in awe of Gods VVord p. 997 998 Awe of Gods word twofold p. 998 999. Reasons p. 1008 B. BAck-sliding Causes of it 1. From without 1. Errors 2. Persecutions 3. Scandals 2. From within 1. Ungrounded assent 2. Ungrounded Profession 3. Unmortifyed Lusts. 4. Easiness of temper 5. Self-confidence p. 343 Baites and Snares in all Conditions p. 780 Baptism the answer of a good Conscience p. 45 Begin with God early p. 763 Beginnings of sin to be suppressed p. 344 Begging grace to Obey a sign that the Commandement is not greivous but our lust p. 29 Behold A note 1. Of admiration 1. Demonstration p. 302 Beleivers only take Gods Testimonies for their heritage p. 743 Beleivers are Princes in disguise p. 743. They are Heirs of the World ibid. They have a Covenant right to all their outward mercies ibid. Beleiving with the whole heart what it is p. 15 Beleiving falls under a Command p. 24 Beleiving gives us hold of God p 544 Benefactor God is so 1. To all 2. To his own p. 569 Benefits of God are all for our profit and Gods glory p. 1093 Bent of the Heart p. 122. Vid. frame of the Heart Blamelessness required in those that reprove others p. 855 Blessed man his Characters 1. Keeping Gods Testimonys 2. Seeking God with the whole heart p 8 Blessed or Cursed whom Christ pronounces such in the last day p. 10 Blessedness the Aim of all rational Creatures Pagans Christians good men evil men p. 1. 224 Blessedness a true notion of it necessary to be got by all men p. 1. We may be right in the Doctrine when we are erroneous in the Practise of blessedness p. 3. Sincere Constant Uniform Obedience the way to blessedness p. 3 Blessedness lies in the enjoyment of God p. 69. Gods blessedness is in himself what it is p. 69 Blessedness in this life annext to sincere Obedience p. 7 Blessings spiritual flow from special love p. 42 Blessings to be expected according to the Tenor of the Covenant p. 788. 317 Blessings Temporal not absolutely to be expected p 317 Blessing God respects his benefits to us p. 42 Blessing God for mercy the way to have more p. 422 Blindness spiritual is natural to every man p. 110 It is worse then natural blindness ibid. It is our great misery p. 852 Blind obedience of Papists to their Superiours p 26 Blood and VVater how they bear Witness p. 9 Body God must be served with the soul as well as with the body Reasons p. 1043 1044 Boldness grounded in innocency p. 36. Boldness in Duties Distresses Death p. 36 Boldness in Confessing and Professing Gods ways an excellent gift of God p. 309. Causes of it p. 310 1. Faith 2. Love to God 3. Fear of God 4. A sense of the other World ibid Bond upon man to God threefold 1. Natural 2. Voluntary 3. Sacramental p. 701 Born again Vid. Regeneration Bountifulness of God to all his Creatures especially to his Saints p. 70 Bounty and Mercy of God a great encouragement to ask any spiritual gifts p. 437. How they differ ibid. Breast-plate of a Christian is Righteousness p. 818 Brethren love of the Brethren a duty p. 1032 Broken heart in confession of sin argues one right in the main p. 1106 Building on the Righteousness of Gods Word what p. 832 Reproof to them that do not build on Gods faithfulness p. 833 Business They that would be blessed must make it their business sincerely to seek after God p. 11 Business discovers the man p. 18. They are blessed that make it their business to avoid all sin ibid. Mark of one that makes Religion his business ibid In all business God must be sought to 1. For his leave 2. His Counsel 3. His blessing p. 58 Prayer is made our Business 1. When it is secret 2. Early 3. Vehement and earnest p. 921 C. CAll of God to be observed p. 412 Calling general and particular they help one another p. 847 Calumniatory discourses forbidden p. 1064 Calumnies against Religion will not long prevail with Rational men p. 339 Comforts against them p. 301 Cares of the World drive out duty p. 32 Carriage we must glorify God before others by it p. 1086 Carelessness in Prayer The Reasons of it p 900 901 Care ess walking Cured by Reproach p. 296 Casc of Conscience p 603. Two great Cases p. 222 Cases of Conscience about Confessing lesser Truths p. 1011 Case how its lawful to rejoyce in Gods Judgements p. 347 Carnal pleasures nothing to Spiritual p. 313 Carnal and spiritual sorrow their difference p. 177 Carnal love to spiritual things p. 863 Carnal Principles what they are p. 235 Carnal and spiritual hearts argue contrarily from one and the same principle p. 757 576 577 Carnal walking cured by Reproach p. 139 Carnal Compliance p. 542. 713. 774 Carnal fear and Carnal Policy p. 644 645 Carnal affections are heady and hasty p. 836 Cause A good Cause well managed may expect Gods protection p. 813. 818. Causeless persecution p. 996 Cause that comes in debate threefold 1. Inter hominem hominem 2. Inter hominem diabolum 3. Inter hominem Deum p. 972. 973. Caution to Magistrates p. 146 Cautions about speedy setting upon duty p. 411 412 Caution against murmuring under affliction p. 485 Against carnal fear and carnal policy p. 644 Caution needful that we be not carried away by example p. 866 Censures of the Church separate the dross from the Gold p. 804 Censuring cured by Reproach p. 139. 297 Censure of mens persons under Gods judgments evil p. 796 Change of exercise good not change of affection p. 95 Change of State may be without change of affection p. 156 Changes 1. In Mens affections 2. In Gods dispensations are ballanced by the Comforts of Gods unchangable Word p. 892 Changes are to be expected in our lives p. 3 Chastening whether in anger or no p. 486 Chearful service to God What it is p. 753 Charity to be maintained toward those that differ from us in lesser matters p. 200 Child of God known by two marks p. 870 Children of God such as fear God and hope in his Word p. 501 Vid. Heirs of Promise Children Why threatned in the second Commandment p. 852 Children desire things passionately and
Reason p. 67. They are to be applied-p 288 They are to be made familiar to us p. 67 They make God a debtor p. 324. 831 They are Gods Testimonies and why p. 741 They are more than simple Declarations p. 831 They are to be prized on a double account p. 545 They are made to perseverance p. 342 They are most certain on a threefold account p. 575 They are 1. Good 2. Sure p. 1084 Three things in Promises 1. Truth 2. Faithfulness 3. Righteousness 830 There is usually some time between the Promise and the Performance p. 324. 835. Reasons of the delays in performing Promises p. 324 835. 525 Properties of God 1. To do good 2. Keep his Word p. 831 Prosperity makes us goe astray p. 462. Takes off Affections from heavenly things p. 463 Prosperity of the wicked should not dismay us p. 795 936 Proud men denotes two sorts of persons p. 559 None should be Proud because he hath more than others p. 647 Who are the Proud p. 829 336 Protection is the priviledge of the Saints God is their hiding-place and shield p. 763 765 766 767 Vid. Hiding-place Protestant Religion its Excellencies p. 199 200 Providences seem contrary to those that are most obedient p. 667 Providence the belief of it a good help to keep a good Conscience p. 418. Providence vindicated p. 936 937 It 's seen in fulfilling Promises and Threatnings p. 424 Observation of Providence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 us we have more Cause to bless God than up â—…mplain p. 423 Providences must not be racked to make them speak what we would have them p. 796 797 798 Providences well observed will cause gracious Souls to love the Word of God more than ever p. 806 Reasons thereof p. 806. They are to be considered p. 511 They are reconcileable to the Word v. a Commentary on it p. 39. 465 Providence executes the sentence of the Word p. 974 975 Providential Care and Conduct the priviledge of them that walk closely with God p. 7 Providential Wisdom seen 1. in the Seasons 2. the Kind 3. the Manner of Gods afflicting his Children p. 463 Providence is either 1. Common or 2. Special p. 472 Providence takes care of all that love and please God p. 1033 Provisions for the Flesh should be cut off p. 867 Proving his people a ground of Gods forbearing Enemies p. 856 Prudence when we are tempted to sin it 's great prudence to chain our selves to the contrary duty p. 421 Prudence required in applying general Rules to particular Cases p. 449 450 Punishment in this Life for breach of Gods Law p. 39 Punish God has a time to punish Sinners tho' he bear long with them p. 856 Purity of the Word of God what it implies p. 857 Purity of Heart from the Purity of the Word p. 857 858 Purpose of the heart settled in seeking God p. 16 It must be universal to all Commandements and accompanied with Affections and Endeavours p. 34 Purpose to please God habitual and actual p. 152 Purposes of Obedience must be made with the greatest seriousness p. 915 Reasons thereof p. 915 916 Purposes of heart against Sin when defective p. 1009 Q. QUalifications of those that have God for their Hiding-place 1. they that believe 2. they that obey 3. they that seek it in the way that God has promis'd it p. 767 Qualifications are to be cleared in our pleading Promises p. 327 328 317 Qualm of Conscience may beget lean Affection to the Word of God for a season p. 122 Questioning our Interest in God an usual sin in sharp and tedious Afflictions p. 565 Some times we question Gods Love because we have no Afflictions and some times we question it because we have nothing but Afflictions p. 556 Quiet Great Quiet to the Minds of Gods people under sad dispensations to consider the Justice and Faithfulness of God in them p. 508 Quickning Grace promised in the New Covenant both in general and in particular p. 941 Quickning two fold 1. when of dead we are made Alive 2. when of dull we are made lively and active p. 596 717 718 281 Quickning by the Word obliges us to remember it for ever p. 597 Quickning is only from the Word Why 1. the word contains the most quickning Considerations 2. the Spirit delights to quicken us by the word p. 598 599 719 Quickning denotes 1. the renewing of comfort 2. the actuating of Grace p. 159 933 281 311 Great need to go often to God for quickning 1. because of our constant weakness in this World 2. because of ourfrequent indispositions of Soul to duty p. 159 160 934. and the oppositions of the flesh c. p. 935 936 937 718 719 Quickning of the Soul to duty by holy Zeal p. 853 Quickning denotes either 1. restoring to happiness or 2. renewing of grace p. 933 717 311 312. Quickning and Sharpening of prayer by the fear of God p. 811 Quickning is one blessing which Gods Children have often need to beg of God p. 933 Sense Appetite and Activity are the fruits of the Spirits quickning p. 935 314 Quickning is necessary on many accounts p. 282 Labour to get it beware of losing it p. 282 283 312 How quickning Grace may be lost p. 313 R. RAshness a great troubler of the Church p. 451 Ready God is Ready to receive returning sinners and as ready to punish them that refuse to return p. 410 God is always ready to hear prayer p. 168 Reasonable Creatures are made for eternity p. 571 Reason is supplied by Faith p. 541 Reason depraved cannot judge of spiritual things p. 3 Reasonings against Gods Soveraignty are usually in the points of the Imputation of the sin of the first Adam Election Providence c. p. 757 Reasons and Grounds of Religion are to be inquired into p. 195 Rebellion to decline Gods Government p. 585 Rebukes of Providence against impenitent sinners are of great use to the Saints p. 135 136 Reclaiming sinners p. 132 Reconciliation and Atonement only in the word discovered p. 54 624 Non opus divinae naturae sed liberi consilii p. 624 Records ought to be kept of our Comfortings Quicknings and Supports by Gods Word and why p. 597 600 379 380 Recreations are notto swallow up Religion p. 927 Redeemer is the Head of the renewed Estate p. 320 Redeemed Sinners shall have their judgment p. 321 Redeemer requires Obedience p 320 He is honoured by obedience p. 321 Reduce God reduces straying sinners by some smart Providences p. 1107 Reflection upon our selves and ways implies 1. an Examination of our past course of Life 2. a careful watch over them for the future 3. a Consideration of the event p. 397 Regeneration goes before new Obedience p. 497 Regenerate Persons may be discerned from unregenerate p. 18 19. how they differ p. 673 674 Reign of sin is either 1 general or 2 particular either more gross or more secret p. 918 919 Rejoycing in Gods Testimonies greater than in all Riches
love for that enlargeth the heart but sorrow straitens it and puts it in bonds The word that we translate grief Judg. 10. 16. His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel in the Hebrew it is shortned or lessened A man's mind is lessened when he is under that passion Griefs contract and lessen the soul but joy enlargeth it as Isa. 60. 5. and in this sense it is said Psal. 4. 1. Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress In sorrow the spirits return to comfort and support the heart but in joy they are dilated and scattered abroad and so this is that affection which sends abroad strength and life unto all our actions As this is true of joy and sorrow in common so especially of spiritual joy and spiritual sorrow which are the greatest of the kind no sorrow like that sorrow no joy like that joy therefore nothing more enlargeth the heart When God hides his face when pressing troubles do revive a sense of wrath alas my soul is troubled saith the Psalmist I cannot speak we cannot pour out our hearts to God with that largeness that measure of strength spirit and life as before But now when we can joy in God as those that have received the atonement when we have the comfort of a good conscience the joy in the Holy Ghost this causeth a forward and free obedience and those that could hardly creep before but languisht under the burden of sorrows when cheered and revived with the light of God's countenance they can run and act with vigor and alacrity in Gods service Neh. 8. 10. The joy of the Lord is their strength It is as oil to the wheels as wings by which we mount to meet with God Psal. 30. 11. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness It is an allusion to those Eastern Countreys when their garments were girded and tucked up they were more expedite and ready to run so here when thou shalt enlarge my heart then I will run the way of thy commandments when our soul is fill'd with gladness and comfortable apprehensions of the Lord's grace we are carried out to God with greater strength and liveliness 4. We may look upon it as a fruit of love For thus the Apostle doth express his love to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 6. 11. O ye Corinthians our mouth is open unto you our heart is enlarged It is love which is the great poise and weight upon the soul that sets all the wheels a going When love is strong the heart is carried out with fervour and earnestness Neh. 4. 6. We built the wall why for the people had a mind to the work then it went on speedily Where we have no affection to a thing the least service is burdensome but when our hearts are for it then the most difficult thing will seem easie Iacob's seven years hard service were sweetned by his love to Rachel Yea duties against the hair as Sechem for Dinah's sake submitted to be circumcised Love sets us a-work strongly Thus the general enlargement is when we are freed from the slavery of sin and bondage of conscience that we may serve God cheerfully and the particular enlargement you may look upon it as a fruit of wisdom and knowledg or of faith or of joy or of love When we have a fruitful understanding a large faith a sweet delight in God and a strong love to him Secondly For the necessity of this that the heart should be enlarged before we can run the way of God's commandments 1. There needs a large heart because the command is exceeding broad Psal. 119. 96. I have seen an end of all perfection but thy commandment is exceeding broad A broad law and a narrow heart will never suit we need love faith knowledg and all to carry us through this work which is of such a vast extent and latitude 2. We need an enlarged heart because of the letts and hindrances within our selves There is lust drawing off from God to sensual objects James 1. 14. Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and inticed Therefore there needs something to poise us to incline us to draw us on to carry us out with strength and life another way to urge us in the service of God Lust sits as a clog upon us it 's a weight of corruption Heb. 12. 1. retarding us in all our flights and motions thwarting opposing breaking the force of spiritual impulsions if not hindering them altogether Gal. 5. 17. Well then lust drawing so strongly one way God needs to draw us more strongly the other way When there is a weight to poise us to worldly and sensual objects we need a strength to carry us on with vigorous and lively motions of soul towards God an earnest bent upon our souls which is this enlargement of heart USE 1. Let us therefore look after this benefit and acknowledg God in it First Ask it often of God God keeps assisting grace in his own hands and disposeth it at pleasure that he may the oftener hear from us The prodigal that had his portion in his own hands went away from his Father and therefore we have but from hand to mouth that we may be daily kept in a dependence and constant course of communion with God It is pleasing to God when we desire him to renew his work to bring forth the actings of grace out of his own seed to blow with his wind with the breath of his spirit upon our gardens that the spices may flow out Cant. 4. 15. But now when we depend upon our selves and neglect God and think to find always a like largeness of heart and a like savouriness of spirit we shall be but like Sampson Judg. 16. 20. When his locks were gone he thought to go forth and shake himself as at other times and wist not that the Lord was departed from him So when our strength is gone and God withdrawn we shall not find a like pregnancy and consistency of thoughts a like readiness and vigor of affections in holy duties but all will be out of order the understanding is lean dry and sapless the heart averse and dead and therefore God will be acknowledged in our enlargements both as to prayer and praise In a way of prayer we should often seek to him and he will be acknowledged in a way of praise likewise Ps. 63. 8. My soul followeth hard after thee thy right hand upholdeth me If you find any strong actings of faith and love stirr'd up to follow hard after God to pursue him close in holy duties when you feel any of these vigorous and lively motions ascribe it not to your selves but to God's right hand he is to be owned in the work Not I saith the Apostle but the grace of God wrought in me Secondly Avoid the causes of straitning if you would have this enlarged heart What are they 1.
Ignorance and defect of gifts for it is by knowledg all grace comes into the soul Col. 3. 16. Let the word of God dwell in you richly When the understanding is fraught with spiritual treasure when the word of God dwells in us richly then we have upon all occasions to help us we have at home a truth ready and can call it to mind either for suppressing of temptation or encouraging us to duty or for allaying of such a grief speaking comfort under such a cross otherwise we are lean dry and cannot act with that fulness of strength But 2. Another thing that straitens the heart is the love of present things So much as your hearts are enlarged to the flesh so much they are straitned to the spirit 2 Cor. 6. 13. as what the land loseth the sea gains By pleasures and by the cares of the world your hearts are straitned towards God they are overcharged Luk. 21. 34. 3. Sorrow and uncomfortable dejection of spirit through the fears of Gods wrath or by reason of desertion when we have a sense of his wrath and when we can find no effects of his grace God withdraws you have not your wonted influences your wonted answers of prayer Psal. 77. 4. I am so troubled that I cannot speak This locks up the heart and hinders it in the service of God that it cannot so freely come and pour out its soul. 4. Great sins work a shieness of God The faulty child blusheth and is loth to look his father in the face when he hath been doing some offence The Israelites after they had sinned in the matter of the Calf they stood afar off and worshipped every man in his Tent-door You lose your freedom by gross sins 1 Joh. 3. 21. If our hearts condemn us not then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have confidence towards God We may come into God's presence without a self-accusing and condemning conscience You have not this liberty and enlargedness of heart towards God when an accusing conscience pursues you When a man hath lost his peace and comfort he cannot come and tell God all his mind his temptations straits doubts fears 5. Unbelief that 's a cause of straitning when it represents God under an ill notion as terrible Lam. 3. 10. He was unto me as a Bear lying in wait and as a Lyon in secret places Isa. 38. 13. I reckoned till morning that as a lyon so will he break all my bones from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me It fills us with misconceits of God as if he were terrible When one came tremblingly with a Petition to Augustus What! said he art thou giving a sop a bit to an Elephant We disguise the Majesty of God by our unbelieving thoughts we come to him as to a Bear and Lyon that is ready to tear us in pieces and then we cannot have that cheerfulness and delight in his service 6. Pride We are not humbled but puft up when our heart is enlarged and abuse the quickning influences of the Lords grace to feed our pride Psal. 51. 15. Open my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise he doth not say mine own praise then I 'le discover my gifts and shew what I can do but thy praise Many beg quickning and enlargement to set off themselves and ask contributions of heaven to supply the Devil's service or as he that lighted his Lamp at the Altar that he might go and steal with it We would put up self as an Idol in God's stead and have help from God that we might make him serve with our iniquities that we might set off our selves with honour and esteem in the world Therefore God withdraws and withholds his hand These are the causes of straitning USE 2. Let us then see if we have this benefit an enlarged heart which is so necessary for the keeping God's commandments Two things will deceive us Many think they have it when they have it not and many think they have it not when indeed they have it 1. Many think they have it when they have it not Enlargement of gifts differs from enlargement of grace A ready tongue many have that depends upon the temper of the body but not an humble heart They may take pride and complacency in their own gifts and yet not delight in communion with God There are many in the world that have abilities of utterance and some fanatical joys accompanying the exercise of it and yet they have not an unfeigned love to God Such as are enlarged in point of gifts it is many times seen in this that generally in private they are more careless and they are more in expression than in feeling The great deceit and counterfeit of grace is parts and common gifts especially when exercised in holy things in a spiritual way and for the good and edification of others Certainly men have not spiritual enlargement when they still lye under the bondage and dominion of sin and so though they may seem to have particular enlargement in some duties and may be carried on with a great flush of gifts yet they have not a general enlargement the yoke is not broken but still they are the servants of corruption 2. On the other side some think they have it not when indeed they have it why because they are not carried out in the work of God as sometimes they seem to have been with that liveliness and comfort Let me tell you there are necessary aids of grace and there are more liberal aids of grace over and above the necessary If you have the necessary aids of grace you are to acknowledg God hath enlarged your hearts though you have not the larger measure strength and activity in God's service which upon the days of his magnificence and spiritual bounty he is wont to dispense to his people God doth not always continue these dispensations Sometimes we find that Christians outgo themselves and are enlarged beyond the ordinary pitch Let me represent it by a similitude We are not to esteem of a River by its swelling and running over the banks after a mighty long and continued rain but by its constant course nor are we to judg of a Town by the great concourse at a Fair or Market the Town is not every day so fill'd So neither are we to judg of God's assistance by those high tides of comfort or strength of gracious impulses which in the days of spiritual bounty he is wont to give If you are enabled to walk humbly with God though you have not such heighths of affection you should be thankful So much for the first thing the Text offers the blessing asked viz. an enlarged heart SERMON XXXV PSAL. CXIX 32. I will run the way of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart THE second thing that is offered here is the necessary Precedency of this work on Gods part before there can be any serious bent and motion of heart towards