compared with Wealth p. 489 490 491 619 It teaches many excellent Lessons p. 592 593 It deserves Love for the Author Matter Use p. 622 It 's a full Declaration of Gods mind p. 8 153 It 's a certain Declaration of his Mind and Will p. 8 It declares 1. what we must do 2. whether we do it or no 3. what we may expect from God p. 9 It is self-evidencing p. 9 It will excuse or accuse in the day of Judgment p. 6 It 's not only a Direction but an Injunction p. 24 349 It 's a Light by day a Lamp by night p. 687 688 why 689 It s a rule and an Instrument p 53 688 In it we are to consider 1. the Authority 2. the Ministry of it p. 488 892 It 's a Glass to shew us our spots and water to wash them away p. 54 Three main uses of the Word of God p. 491 It 's 1. the Sts. Direction 2. their Support 3. their Charter p. 97 491 619 866 867 It makes rich and happy p. 86 488 489 490 It is an Antidote against sin and a Cordial against sorrow p. 120 151 152 688 359 333 It is Comfort in two Respects p. 688 354 359 It is Bread and Water p. 124 126 How we are to be affected towards the Word p. 620 It is pure in many Respects 1. in it self 2. it makes the Soul pure and that 1. as 't is the appointed Instrument of the spirit 2. as 't is a proper Instrument for Purification 3. as it proposes Precepts Examples and other helps for Purity p. 857 858 It is Righteousness all Righteousness c. p. 1068 It ought to be our Meditation p. 576 It 's a Light proved from 1. the Autâ—…or 2. Instruments 3. the ends of it p. 690 691 It is our Comfort in the day of outward Trouble and inward Anguish It gives these Comforts 1. the Priviledges of the afflicted 2. the blessedness of another World acceptation with God p. 887 619 v. Commandements Believers may humbly challenge God upon his word p. 324 It may be hidden in two Respects 1. in respect of the outward Administration 2. in respect of the inward Influence and Efficacy p. 151 152 It is as good as Gods actual Performance or Deed p. 444 There are wonders in Gods word to be seen when God opens the Eye p. 112 880 881 882 What Gods opening the eyes contributes to the sight of them p. 112 Words idle words weigh heavy in Gods Ballance p. 39 Words are the Female Issue of the Soul Works the Male Issue p. 89 Works Covenants of Grace and Works wherein they agree and wherein they differ p. 906 907 908 909 Word of God upon the Soul may be mentioned before him and pleaded to him in Prayer and how p. 60 61 When God intends to work he sets Prayer on work p. 860 Work of God in what respects and sense ascribed to the Creature and why p. 751 God is always at work for us p. 340 World not our home not to be abused p. 117 It is preserved for the Elects sake p. 859 The spirit of this World p. 572 The spirit of God and the spirit of this World differ p. 478 Love of worldly things two great causes of it 1. A distrust of Gods Care 2. discontent with Gods allowance p. 255 present world p. 1089 Worship false worship severely punished p. 39 Worship of God his Interest therein p. 852 True Zeal appears for purity of Worship and against the corruption of it p. 852 Worship corrupted by Papists p. 205 206 False Worship makes men 1. subtle 2. cruel p. 739 Wounding and healing Gods Praerogative p. 511 Wrath of God They that walk closely with God are discharged from it p. 7 Y. YOkâ—… of Afflictions to be born from the youth p. 883 Young and raw Christians have much Zeal little Knowledge p. 452 Young Christians may have more true Wisdom than aged Persons p. 653 654 Young Men exhorted to beware of evil Company as the Pest and Bane of Youth p. 776 Young men not to be discouraged nor despised p. 654 655 Encouragement to Youth and to those that educate them p. 655 Youth regardless of serious work p. 52 God must be remembred in youth Reasons of it p. 52 53 Youth is tainted with sin p. 52 How a young man may cleanse his ways p. 55 Advantages of remembring God in Youth p. 397 Z. ZEal for false Worship quenches the fire of real Godliness p. 5 It is a high degree of Love It consumes the natural Spirits p. 849 Zeal great and pure becomes those that have any Affection for the ways and word of God p. 650 It is hottest in cold times p. 865 Zeal Spiritual and Carnal their differences Carnal Zeal is faulty in the 1. Cause 2. the Object 3. Measure p. 850 Zeal spiritual described 1. by its Causes 2. Object 3. Effects 4. usefulness to publick Reformation 5. use in private Christian Exercises p. 851 852 Blind Zeal a cause of Persecution p. 144 Iâ—… makes a man a prey for the Devil p. 685 Young Christians have much Zeal but little Knowledge p. 452 Zeal shews it self for purity of worship p. 852 Zeal now is less when there 's more light p. 657 Zion Mourners in Zion and Sinners in Zion p. 929 FINIS
before them all saying I know not the man Or when we take any sinful course for temporal safety as when David seigned himself mad before Achish 1 Sam. 21. 13. Or when our spirits are fill'd with passion against the instruments of our trouble and with uncomely heats as Peter drew a Sword in a rash zeal and had no thanks for it but a Rebuke from Christ. Or when we suffer in a heartless and uncomfortless manner as God's children sometimes are in dejections of spirit David took notice of his drooping and disconsolateness Psal. 42. 5. when he flitted up and down in the Wilderness and pursu'd with Saul's Army he had his droopings and discomforts in these Cases we forget the Word of God 2dly To press you to courage and constancy in a time of danger to endure all Extremities rather than do any thing against the Word of God Here I shall inquire 1. What is this Christian Courage There is Military Valor and Christian Valor The one consists in doing the other in suffering great things Peter at Christ's death had more of the Military Valor and Fierceness than of the Passive Valor for he that could venture on a Band of Men was foiled by a Damsels question The one dependeth on hastiness of temper greatness of blood and spirits the other upon Faith and submission of God's Will Acts 7. 55. He being full of the Holy Ghost look'd up stedfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and Iesus standing at the right hand of God It is spoken when the People gnashed on him with their teeth then full of the Holy Ghost There is the Habit of Fortitude and the Act of it when led on There is a great deal of difference between the courage of wicked men and the faith and fortitude of good Christians We see rude men are undaunted in the face of danger but the fortitude of Christians consisteth in lifting up their eyes and hearts to Heaven others not for as soon as they think of God their courage faileth the more brave the more they shut out the thought of divine things all sense of God and immortality 1 Cor. 15. 32. Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye It is a brutish fury inflam'd by Wine stir'd up by Trumpets and Drums not stir'd up by the consolations of God or remembrance of his Covenant then they are dejected Rev. 6. 15 16 17. 2dly To remove such Objections as may hinder your Courage and Constancy 1. It is a sore temptation to keep our service but we must stand to God's Providence to honour him by service or by suffering as he shall think good We are to honour God in his own way we are not to stretch Conscience in the least degree to continue it God hath no need of thy sin when God hath a mind to lay you aside submit 2. The smalness of the difference is another Objection If it were to turn Turk or Heathen or Papist men will say They would not do so and so God standeth upon every peek of his word every dust of truth is precious 3. Another Objection is this We shall be interpreted to hinder the Publick Peace I answer If it be possible as much as lieth in you live peaceably with all men Rom. 12. 18. But be sure not to betray the Cause of God nor lose the Interest of Christ that is not possible which is not lawful in a moral sense 4. Another Objection is That we shall be accounted peevish rash stubborn I answer We must be led to credit There is a difference between men stubborn and obstinate and zealous Many may sacrifice a stout body to a stubborn mind but be couragious and constant in the service of God 3dly What is necessary to this well-temper'd Courage that we may suffer not out of humour but out of conscience towards God not because formerly engag'd by profession or out of a desire of a name and esteem among Religious persons but out of Obedience to God who commandeth us to chuse afflictions rather than sin To this Resolution there is necessary 1. An heart weaned from the World Mat. 6. 24. otherwise a man will act very uncertainly and his zeal for God be very uneven 2. An heart intirely devoted to God Every one that cometh to Christ must be thus resolved Luke 14. 26. 3. An heart purged from sin or else our zeal is not uniform besides that our lusts will weaken our courage A carnal person suffering in a good cause is of no account with God The Priests were to search the Burnt offering if sound or had any defect or blemish upon them He that keepeth the Commandments is best able to suffer for them Mat. 5. 10. Blessed are they that suffer for righteousness sake A Martyr must have all the precedent graces 4. An heart that lieth under a deep sense of Eternity and things to come 1 Ioh. 5. 4. This is the victory we have over the world even our faith Not any looking backward but forward SERMON CXX On the Fifth of NOVEMBER PSAL. CXIX VER 110. The wicked have laid a snare for me yet I erred not from thy precepts HEre is the second Assault made upon David's Integrity the secret snares laid for him The Enemies of God's People do not always go to work in the way of open Persecution and directly for Righteousness sake but then they lay snares what they cannot do by open force they seek to do by fraud Many that have stood out with courage against the shock of violence have been taken in a snare as the Prophet that resisted the King was enticed by the blandishments of the old Prophet 1 Kings 13. Persecution is a more gross way and liable to Exception and therefore they must go secretly to work Sometimes this life is a continued temptation and a Christian that walketh in the world walketh in the midst of snares set for him by his Enemies bodily and spiritual The Devil is the great Snare-layer and wicked men learn it of him The wicked have laid a snare for me c. In the words observe 1. David's Temptation A snare laid for him 2. The Persons who manag'd the Temptation The wicked 3. The Success and Issue Tet I erred not from thy precepts Doct. The Godly have often Snares laid for them not only by Satan but by wicked men Now Snares are to entice or endanger or of a mixt nature 1. Snares to entice them from their Duty Thus the blandishments of the whorish Woman are call'd a snare Prov. 7. 23. As the Bird hasteth unto the snare and knoweth not that 't is for his life Of this nature are crafty Insinuations Baits of Preferment Profit Pleasure or any carnal advantage to pervert our Judgments and draw us off from our Duty 2. Snares to endanger their safety clog'd with some spightful condition to entrap others or when there is a Plot-laid to endanger others as Ieremy complaineth Jer. 18. 22. They have digged
Saints and the blessed means to pluck up their Spirits Whilst there is a God in Heaven we are not at an utter loss So Verse 9. I will say unto God my Rock Why hast thou forgotten me Why go I mourning because of the Oppressor David first reasoned with himself yet the Distemper continued but when he comes to reason the Case with God in prayer then he gets ease Thirdly The violent passions of anger envy and revenge against Oppressours these are all naught and do a world of mischief Anger discomposeth us and transports the soul into uncomely motions against God and men makes us fret and male-content it tempts us to Atheism Psal. 73. maketh us weary of well-doing Psal. 37. tempts us to imitation of their wicked Course The Devil worketh much upon spleen and stomach and discontent and we are apt to run into these Disorders Now how shall we do to get rid of these Distempers By prayer in which we get a sight and prospect of the other world and then these things will seem nothing to us acquaint our selves with God and the process of his Providence and so we shall see an end of things Psal. 73. 17. then all is quiet And as for revenge too that is an effect of the former when we plead before God we see the justice of what is unjust and hard dealing from men to be justly inflicted by God and so the heart is calmed The Lord bid him curse 2 Sam. 16. 11. There is reason enough for this dispensation in the upper Tribunal whereunto when we appeal we should render no man evil for evil Rom. 12. 17. We ought not we need not 't is Gods work Deut. 32. 35. Vengeance and recompence are mine Nay our very praying is a committing our selves to him that judgeth righteously 1 Pet. 2. 23. In prayer we vent our zeal and that hindreth us from venting our carnal passions 'T is a resignation of our Person and Cause to him under unjust sufferings not out of malice desiring judgment and vengeance on Persecutors that is to make God the Executioner of our lusts to establish that which we would prevent in prayer But Saints in prayer labour only to shew their faith and meekness and to leave things to the righteous Judge to do what is for his own Glory and their good Fourthly For the other evil impatience and despair 't is a very great evil and contrary to faith and hope and dependance which the Christian Religion doth mainly establish and maketh way for the worst evils either total Apostasie from God or Atheism or self-destuction Now this is very incident to us when oppressions lye long upon us 2 King 6. 33. This evil is from the Lord why should I wait on the Lord any longer So Ier. 2. 25. But thou saidst There is no hope Desperately No for I have loved Strangers and after them will I go I will take my own course there is no hope 't is in vain to wait upon the Lord any longer And if things do not grow to that height yet the Children of God grow weary and faint in their minds Heb. 12. 3. Now we keep afoot some hope while we have an heart to call upon God The Suit is still depending in the Court of Heaven when it seems to be over on Earth and we see there is cause to wait for Gods answer He that shall come will come Hab. 2. 3. God may tarry long but will never come too late Thus why 2. But how is this to be asked First This is not to be asked in the first place as our main blessing Matth. 6. 33. First seek the Kingdom of God If we seek our ease and temporal felicity only that prayer is like a brutish Cry Hos. 7. 14. They howled upon their beds for Corn and Wine A Dog will howl when he feels any thing inconvenient You will never be freed from murmuring and quarrelling at Gods dispensations and questioning his love if this be the first thing that you seek and so your prayers will become your Snare Besides the great dishonour to God it argues the great disorder of your affections that you can be content to have any thing apart from God Psal. 105. 4. Seek ye the Lord and his strength seek his face evermore In all Conditions that must be our great request that we may have the favour of God Secondly It must be asked with submission 'T is not absolutely promised nor intrinsecally and indispensably necessary to our happiness but if the Lord see it fit for his own Glory and our good We cannot take it ill if a friend deny us to lend a Summ of Money which he knoweth we will lay out to our loss and detriment God seeth it fit sometimes for his own Glory and our good to continue us under oppression rather than to take us out of it There are two Acts of Providence relieving and comforting the oppressed and punishing the Oppressors Sometimes God doth the one without the other sometimes both together sometimes God will only comfort the oppressed we cry to him in our afflictions and God will not break the yoke but give us a supply of strength to bear it Psal. 138. 3. In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and hast strengthened me with strength in my soul. He giveth you strength to bear the burthen if you continue in your integrity Sometimes God doth punish the Oppressor yet that 's no relief and reparation to you you must bear it for you are to stand to Gods will and to wait his leisure to free you from it Thirdly Your end must be that God may be glorified and that you may serve him more cheerfully So 't is in the Text Deliver me from the oppression of man then shall I keep thy precepts Psal. 9. 13 14. Have mercy upon me O Lord consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me thou that liftest me up from the gates of death that I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Sion and I will rejoyce in thy salvation So David beggeth salvation in order to praise Temporal mercy should not be loved for it self nor sought for it self but as we may glorifie God by it that 's to be our end Lord I seek not my own interest but thine If you have a carnal end you miss Iames 4. 3. Because you ask to consume it upon your lusts that we may please the Flesh as sweetly and quietly as we did before live in the height of pomp and splendor gratifie our lusts without disturbance or see our revenge or if a meer natural end the meer conveniency of the outward man we bespeak our own denial Fourthy We must pray in faith that God can and is ready to deliver from the oppression of man and will do so in due time when 't is good for us First God can deliver us Though our Oppressors be never so mighty and strong God can break
2. Why all that love the Word they should have this Great and Pure Zeal I. What is true Zeal There is a carnal zeal and there 's a spiritual zeal First The carnal zeal to begin with that is Threefold 1. That which comes from an ill cause and produceth ill effects An ill cause as hatred of mens persons or envy at their Gifts and Excellencies or their success and happiness in the World Iam. 3. 14. If ye have bitter envying in your hearts it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if you have bitter zeal in your hearts There is a kind of bitter zeal and malignity at their excellency whether Gifts Graces Rank Dignity in the World And ver 16. he tells us this bitter zeal produceth confusion and every evil work To be consumed and eaten out with envy is little commendable This is not the zeal of the Text With this zeal were the chief Priests filled when they saw that the Gospel came into some reputation and that the people do what they could did haunt and frequent it we read Acts 5. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we render it they were filled with indignation it is in the Greek and in the Margin they were filled with zeal with this bitter zeal malignity envy indignation they would bestir themselves to suppress the growing Gospel by all the means that possibly they could 2. There 's an other sort of carnal zeal which hath an ill Object though it may be a good Cause from whence it proceeds such as an ignorant zeal which proceeds from some love to that which men call Religion but falsly and so the Apostle saith Rom. 10. 2. I bear them witness that they have a zeal of God but not according to knowledge and such a zeal had Paul when he was a Pharisee he gives us an account of it Gal. 1. 12 14. How that beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God being more exceedingly zealous of the Traditions of my Fathers Paul was a man that never acted against his Conscience no not when he was a Pharisee he still acted according to his Light but when he was blinded with Pharasaical prejudices he wasted the Church of God and was exceedingly zealous for a false Religion This is such a zeal as possibly might have a tolerable Cause but it had a bad Object a zeal about the Dictates of a deluded Conscience and this zeal perniciosior est quo flagrantior is the more pernicious the more earnest it is it hath often raised confusions in the Church when men are led with a blind zeal they think for God if they be under then they make divisions if they get a top then they are persecuting and oppressing this is the zeal of a deluded Conscience In short zeal must have a right object otherwise it may be great but cannot be Good Pure and Holy 3. An other false zeal is when it hath no ill Object but it exceeds in the measure and degree and is far beyond the weight of the thing that it is laid out upon this is a superstitious a tristing zeal which runs out to Externals and is altogether employed about lesser things of Religion as the Pharisees Math. 23. 23. That made a great business about a small matter Titheing Mint and Anise and Cummin but neglected weighty Duties Faith Judgment Righteousness and the great things of the Kingdom of God The Apostle tells us Rom. 14. 17. The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink in being of this party and that Many all their care and strength of their souls runs out in matters of less importance and keeping up a Party and Faction in Religion we should first make Conscience of principal matters Superstitious scupulosity is always damagefull like those that come into a shop to buy a penny-worth of a Commodity and steal a pounds-worth O! they have a great zeal for lesser things when it runs out mightily about outward things either for that or against that and in the mean time they cherish the World Pride Envy carnal evil Affections that are destructive to and the bane of Godliness Secondly There 's a spiritual holy zeal which we may describe 1. By it's Cause 2. By it's Object 3. By it's Effects 4. By it's Use as to publick Reformation 5. As to it's Use as to Christians private Exercises to carry on the spiritual Life with fervour warmth and vigour 1. I am to speak of the Cause of it The true Cause of holy zeal is Love to God and what belongs to God Zeal is ferventis amoris gradus a higher degree of Love it is the fervor of Divine Charity We should mark still what spirit enflames the zeal that we have Every man is eaten up with one kind of zeal or another The zeal of the World eats up many Ps. 127. 2. They bereave their souls of good and all for a little pelf they work in the Fires they load themselves with thick clay The zeal of the Flesh inflames many they are mad upon carnal delights can let go all considerations so as they may fulfil their lusts they are consumed with these kind of zeales Another spirit should be working in us a zeal for God and that comes from an entire Love to God When the soul doth heartily and earnestly love God above all then there 's a strong desire of promoting Gods glory and interest there should be that spirit which breathes in our zeal and with this zeal should we be eaten up and spent Now they that love God will love all them which belong to God Friends have all things Common so it is between us and God the injuries done to him will be as grievous to us as if they were done to our selves Psal. 69. 9. For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me and the glory that comes to them is as acceptable as if some great benefit had come to us Act 15. 3. Declaring the Conversion of the Gentiles and they caused great joy unto all the Brethren O! this is great joy to a gratious soul when Gods interest thrives in the world O! this is that they would willingly hear spoken of their hearts are upon it when Gods interest stands or falls such an earnest desire of the glory of God which is the highest degree and measure of Love to God! 2. Let us speak of the Object of zeal In three things Gods interest lies in the World viz. His Truth His Worship and His Servants Now it is not enough to have zeal that we do not oppose any of these but they must be tenderly regarded and looked after and we must be affected with these things as we would with our own concernments When wrongs are offered to any of these either to Gods Truth his Worship or his Servants they must go more nearly to our hearts then any personal injuries done to our selves What we cannot remedy we must mourn for All these
is to try purge and make white Dan. 11. 35. or as it is in Deut. 8. 13. To humble thee prove thee and do thee good at the latter end your Enemies they may intend harm but God means good you should receive good by this as by every affliction Plutarch in his excellent discourse how a man should profit by his Enemies brings in a comparison of one Iason that had an Impostume which was let out by the wounds an Enemy gave him so many times our Impostumes and the corrupt matter that is within us is let out by the gashes and wounds which those that meant harm to us give to our name and credit First God doth it to humble thee Carnal men shoot at rovers but many times we find the soul is pricked in the quick when they shoot their arrows of detraction and slanders it may revive guilt and put us upon serious humiliation before God There are many sins to which this affliction is very proper 1. It seems to be a proper cure for the sin of Pride be it pride in the mind which is self-conceit or pride in the affections which is called vain-glory all sorts of pride there is no such effectual remedy as this Possibly we have been too self-conceited then God giveth us to such scandals that may shew us what we are Many times our very graces do us hurt as well as our sins and we may be puffed up with what we have received So for vain-glory when we are apt too much to please our selves in the opinions others have of us which is an evil the people of God are liable to This pride God will cure by reproach Pride is one of the oldest enemies ever God had it was born in heaven in the breast of the fallen Angels for which they are laid low and when his children harbour it God hath a quarrel against it When Paul was puffed up when the bladder was swollen God sent him a thorn in the flesh the Messenger of Satan to buffet him lest he should be exalted above measure 2 Cor. 12. 7. Possibly it was some eminent affliction but when he expresseth it afterwards he mentioneth reproaches v. 10. Therefore I will rejoyce in infirmities that is sickness nay I will rejoyce in reproaches 2. For carnal walking When we are negligent and do not take notice of the fleshliness and folly we are guilty of and allow in our hearts that breaks out into our actions God suffers others to reproach us and gather up our failings that we may see what cause we have to take our ways to heart Every man that would live strictly had need of faithful friends or watchful enemies of faithful friends to admonish him or watchful enemies to censure him God makes use of watchful enemies to shew us the spots in our garments that are to be washed off Many times a friend is blinded with love and grows as partial to us as our selves therefore God sets Spies for us to watch for our halting Jer. 20. 10. I heard the defaming of many Report say they and we will report it all my familiar's watched for my halting They lye in wait to take us tripping and God sees it needful that we should have enemies as well as friends how ignorant else should a man be of himself Therefore God useth them as a rod to brush the dust from our clothes The 3. Sin God would humble us for is censuring If we have not been so tender of the credit of others God will make us taste the bitterness of affliction our selves and recompence the like measure into our bosomes Mat. 7. 1 2. Iudg not that ye be not judged for with what judgment ye judg ye shall be judged and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again We shall find others to judg as hardly of us as we do of them Good thoughts and speeches of others are the best preservative of our own name and therefore when reproach falls upon you it is not enough you should not slight it though you know the report to be false but a Christian is to examine himself Have we not drawn it upon our selves by slandering others or talking intemperately of others And doth not God pay us home in our own coyn He that is much given to censuring seldom or never escapes severe censuring from others It is said Let his own words grieve him your own words will fall upon you therefore humble thy self before God for the reproaches thou hast cast upon others Thus the Lord ordereth it with good advice to humble us and that for pride careless walking and for censuring others Secondly It is to try thee 1. To try your faith in the great day of accounts Can you comfort your selves in the solemn vindication of the day of Judgment and in Gods approbation then 2 Cor. 10. 18. He is approved whom the Lord commendeth Men cannot defend thee if God condemn thee they cannot condemn thee if God acquit thee and therefore canst thou stand to Gods judgment In a race it is not what the standers-by say but what he that is the Judg of the Games will determine We are all in a race and it is not what men say of us but what God saith who is Judg of all 1 Cor. 4. 3 4. It 's a small thing that I should be judged of mans judgment but he that judgeth me is the Lord. In the Original it is mans day and so in the Margin We shall never be resolute for God until we come to this to count it a very small thing to be judged of mans judgment Now is mans day but God hath his day hereafter So to try our faith in particular promises Psal. 119. 42. So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me for I trust in thy word A Christian when he gives up himself to God he gives up every thing he hath to God not only gives his soul to God to keep but that God may take charge of his person estate and good name Now God requires a trust according to the extent of the Covenant a waiting and confidence in his power He can turn the hearts of men and give them favour in their eyes Psal. 37. 6. He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgment as the noon-day 2. As to try our faith so our Patience We should prevent reproach as much as we can but then we must bear it when we cannot avoid it They reproach but I pray Psal. 109. 4. that was David's exercise and revenge he took that advantage to pray for them God will try how we can bear the injuries of men The grace of Patience must be tryed as well as other graces We read that Shimei went railing upon David to the peril of his life saith David It may be God hath bid him curse A mad dog that bites another makes him as mad as himself so usually the injuries and reproaches of others foster
of Truth as may keep them savoury and sound in the faith To be able to prattle a little in Religion is not sound knowledg but we must be grounded and setled in the faith Col. 1. 23. That is have not only some floating opinion but well grounded perswasion of the Truth so as we know we are upon firm ground and dare venture our souls upon it and may build surely and safely upon such principles He calleth it elsewhere Col. 2. 2. the riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ. When men rest contented with obvious Truths or a slight knowledg of the common and easie principles of Christianity there is not such an awe upon their practice nor any establishment of their judgments but like light chaff they are soon carried with the blasts of temptation and the wind of errors And therefore we need to ask again and again Give me an understanding of the way of thy precepts 2. A sound saving knowledge is such as causeth the soul to lye under the dominion life and power of the Truth and aweth and commandeth the heart into obedience Joh. 8. 32. Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free When our knowledg freeth us from the slavery of sin In others that content themselves with a naked knowledg Truth is held captive and cannot break out with any soveraignty in their conversations Rom. 1. 18. Holding the truth in unrighteousness Lust beareth sway but Truth lyeth under fetters and restraint it may talk its fill like a man in bonds but it can do nothing 3. When it giveth us prudence how to practise This is that which David beggeth of God to understand the way of his precepts that is to be taught how to walk in each duty and point of conversation after what sort he may live and direct his life 'T is not sufficient to know the meaning of the Word in general to have a notional understanding of it but to reduce it to practice where and when and how we ought to perform each action Some have a naked module of Truth are wise in generals but fail in the application of the Rule and are to seek in the ordering of their steps and all particular cases 1 Pet. 3. 7. Husbands dwell with your wives as men of knowledg Then is a man a man of knowledg when he knoweth how to order the passages of his life in every relation according to the will of God The narrow way of obedience is hardly found hardly kept and easily mistaken especially where prejudices lusts and interests are apt to pervert us Therefore prudence to apply the Rule is necessary Psal. 119. 33. Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes that I may keep it to the end Not only in the general points of faith and godliness but that it may season all our actions that we may be made partakers of the sweet refreshments that flow from it such a knowledg as endeth in a tast 1 Pet. 3. 2 3. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby if so be ye have tasted c. So Psal. 19. 8. The statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart when we do so approve and follow the Lords directions that we experiment the sweetness and are acquainted with the Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost Such an understanding as begets judgment and feeling or maketh us to find power and comfort in the word 2. The Children of God think this can never be enough asked of God Why 1. Because of the excellency of Knowledg Light is comfortable and it is a pleasant thing to behold the Sun much more the light of the Gospel shining in upon our minds Oh what a pleasant thing is that when all Clouds vanish and the Truths of God are fully cleared up to the soul None knoweth the sweetness of it but he that hath experimented it Prov. 24. 13 14. My son eat thou honey because it is good and the honey-comb which is sweet to thy tast so shall the knowledg of wisdom be unto thy soul when thou hast found it The more perfect the operation of any faculty of the soul is the greater contentment the Conscience in the feeling of God's love the heart when it findeth liberty in the ways of God and the understanding upon the sight of the truth cause all doubts and scruples to vanish Therefore certainly they that know any thing of God will be pressing to know more of his Nature and Will one degree draweth on another Moses desireth God Tell me thy name Exod. 3. 13 14. Then shew me thy glory Exod. 33. 18. And he said I beseech thee shew me thy glory And Hosea 6. 3. Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord. They are not cloyed but desire more The more men know the things of God the more they admire them the more they admire them the more they love them and the more they love them the more they desire to know of them And therefore do they insist so much upon this request Make me to understand the way of thy precepts 2. Because of the vastness and latitude of it Knowledg is a growing thing Religion cannot be taken up all at once we receive a little now and a little anon as narrow-mouth'd Vessels take in things drop by drop We read of Jesus Christ that he grew in knowledg We do not read that he grew in grace Luke 2. 52. He encreased in wisdom and stature as his body encreased in stature so his soul in wisdom And still Christians are growing in knowledg and understand more of the mysteries of the Gospel Though speculative knowledg may be at a stand and a man may see round about the compass of revealed Truths yet practical knowledg is never at a stand Directive affective operative knowledg is never at a stand but encreaseth daily And therefore the Apostle saith He that thinketh he knoweth any thing knoweth nothing as he ought to know 1 Cor. 8. 2. Many think they know as much as can be taught them surely they have no experience 3. Natural Blindness is an obstinate disease and hardly cured therefore again and again we had need to pray Open mine eyes Teach me thy statutes Make me to understand the way of thy precepts Our ignorance is great when it is cured in part The clouds of temptation and carnal affection cause it to return upon us so that we know not what we know Therefore open my eyes cause me to understand Yea the more we know the more is our ignorance discovered to us Prov. 30. 2 3. Surely I am more brutish than any man and have not the understanding of a man I neither learned wisdom nor have the knowledg of the Holy Job 42. 5. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee Alas
and slender Obedience that we yield to his Law should have such respect and acceptance with him as to be recompenced with so much Peace and Comfort and Protection and so many Blessings Lord what am I and what is my Fathers House Oh what a good Master have we When the Saints are Crowned they cast their Crowns at the Lambs Feet Revel 4. 10. We hold all by his Mercy Luke 17. 10. When we have done all we are unprofitable Servants not in complyment but in truth of heart we are unprofitable Servants That God should respect us 't is not for the dignity of the Work but merely for his own Grace 2. 'T is of use that we may justify God against the Reproaches and Prejudices of carnal Men who think God is indifferent to Good and Evil and that all things come alike to all that 't is in vain to be strict and precise that there is no Reward to the Good Mal. 3. 14. 'T is in vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances Yea the Temptation may befall God's own Children and be forcibly born in upon their Hearts Psal. 73. 13. Verily I have cleansed my hands in vain We think all is lost labour Now to produce the sweet Consolations of God and his temporal Supplies and the manifold Blessings bestowed upon us 't is a good stay to our Hearts and inables us to justify God against the Scorns and Reproaches of the World 3. 'T is of use of check our Murmurings If we indure any thing for God we are apt to repine and pitch upon that evil we receive from his hand passing over the good A little evil like one Humour out of order or one Member out of joint disturbeth the whole Body so we by poring upon the evil we endure pass over all his other Bounty Mal. 1. 2. Wherein hast thou loved us God cannot indure to have his Love suspected or undervalued and yet People are apt to doe so when Dispensations are any thing cross to their desires and expectations But now 't is a great check to consider that if we have our Troubles we have also our Consolations and we should rather look upon the good that cometh to us in pleasing God than the temporal and light Afflictions we meet withall in his Service Iob 2. 10. Shall we receive good at the hands of God and not evil 4. 'T is an encouragement to us in well-doing the more proofs and tokens we have of his Supportation We are wrought upon by the Senses as Ier. 2. 19. Thine own wickedness shall correct thee and thy backslidings reprove thee see what an evil and bitter thing it is to forsake the Lord and 23 verse See thy way in the valley and know what thou hast done As Parents when their Children smart for eating raw diet they upbraid them with it It is for eating your green Fruit So doth the Lord come to his People Now you see the evil of your doings So on the contrary it doth ingage us to strict walking to see how God owneth it So doth God appeal to us by experience Have I been a Land of darkness to you or a barren Wilderness Jer. 2. 31. And Micah 2. 7. Do not my Words doe good to them that walk uprightly Look about you survey all your Comforts did Sin procure these Mercies or Godliness have you not found sensible benefit by being sincere in my Service Object But is this safe to ascribe the Comfort and Blessings that we have to our own Obedience is it not expresly forbidden Deut. 9. 4. Say not in thy heart for my righteousness hath the Lord brought me to possess the Land Answ. 1. David doth not boast of his Merits but observeth God's Mercy and Faithfulness in the fruits of Obedience There is his Mercy in appointing a Reward for such slender Services Gal. 6. 16. As many as walk according to this Rule peace and mercy be upon them All the Comfort we have is from Mercy yea undeserved Mercy Those that walk according to this Rule stand in need of Mercy Their Peace and Comfort floweth from Mercy they need mercy to cover the failings they are conscious to in their walkings And then consider his Truth and Faithfulness the Reward of well-doing cometh not by the worthiness of the Work but by virtue of God's Promise His Word doth good to them that walke uprightly Micah 2. 7. God hath made himself a debtor by his Promise and oweth us no thanks for what we can doe 't is onely his gracious Promise Answ. 2. David speaketh not this to vaunt it above other men but to commend Obedience and to incourage himself and invite others by remembring the Fruits of it There is a great deale of difference between carnal boasting and gracious observation Carnal boasting is when we vaunt of our personal worth gracious observation is when for God's Glory and our Profit we observe the fruits of Obedience and the Benefits it bringeth along with it That God never gave us cause to leave but to commend his Service and by what we have found to invite others to come and taste that the Lord is gracious The Use is to incourage us in the Wayes of the Lord and keeping of his Precepts 't is no unprofitable thing before we have done we shall be able to say This I had because I kept thy Precepts Two things God usually bestoweth upon his People a tolerable passage through the World and a comfortable going out of the World which is all a Christian needeth to take care for here is onely the place of his Service not of his Rest. 1. He shall have a tolerable passage through the World A Child of God may have a hard toilsome Life of it but he hath his mixtures of Comfort in his deepest Afflictions he hath peace with God that keeps his Heart and Mind and this maketh his passage through the World tolerable because God is ingaged with him 1 Cor. 10. 13. Faithfull is he that hath called you who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able to bear He is freed from Wrath and hath his discharge from the Curse of the Old Covenant he is taken into favour with God and hath as much of temporal Reliefe as is necessary for him his Condition is made comfortable to him 2. A comfortable passing out of the World Isa. 38. 3. Remember O Lord saith Hezekiah I have walked before thee with an upright heart When you lie upon your Death-beds and in a dying hour how comfortable will this be the remembrance of a well-spent and well-imployed Life in God's Service They that wonder at the zeal and niceness of God's Children when they are entring into the other World they cry out then oh that they had been more exact and watchfull oh that they might die the death of the Righteous They should live so Men then have other Notions of Holiness than ever they had before
welcome at the House so when God is gone what comfort can they take in their Portion Many will say why are you pensive and sad you have a great many Friends a great Estate O you doe not know the wound of a gracious Heart and how little these things are in comparison of the Favour of God 2. They manifest it in this their contentedness with Him though they are kept low and bare in outward things Psal. 17. 15. As for me I will behold thy Face in Righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness It 's enough for them to have the Face of God though they do not flourish in worldly plenty as others do when in the exercise of Grace they can finde God propitious behold his Face in Righteousness If they have not the Candle they have the Sun If they goe to God they are welcome upon all occasions If the World frown upon them God doth not so they are beloved of him and in Favour with him and that satisfieth them What may be the reasons why the Children of God so prize his Favour 1. The worth of the thing it self Psal. 63. 3. Thy Favour is better than Life better than all Comforts better in its Self for this is that which we are never weary of A man may be weary of all outward Comforts Dayes may come wherein there is no pleasure Eccl. 12. At that time the soul abhors dainty Food Job 33. Pleasure nay Life it self may be a burden but none ever was weary of the Love of God that cannot be a burden This doth not fatiate and cloy us Again the Love of God cannot be supplied and recompensed by other things when a man looseth other things it may be made up in better If a man be poor in this World God hath chosen him to be rich in Faith If afflicted and destitute of outward Provisions yet they have inward Comforts and Graces and they will supply and make up this loss But the loss of Gods Favour cannot be supplied when that departs from you and a man looseth the hope he seemeth to have what a sorry comfort is it having forfeited the Love of God to seek our amends in the Creature Then this is a more durable than the present life Other Comforts fail but the Love of God never fails This is the Original of all other Comforts Psal. 30. 7. By thy Favour thou hast made my Mountain to stand strong and Psal. 44. 3. Their own Arm did not save them but the light of thy Countenance because thou hadst a Favour unto them Sure it is better to drink of the Fountain than of the Stream all is from the Favour of God In short it is the Vitality and the cause of Life and the cause of all Comfort This is better than Life 2. They are affected with that which is their true Misery therefore they most importunately begg the Favour of God Every man prays according to the sense that he hath according to that which he counts his Misery He that hath a sense of no other Calamity but to be poor scorned or exposed to contempt or the absence of the Creature prays accordingly sometimes he houls like a dogg in pain or Beasts that want Food Hos. 7. 14. But he that hath a deeper sense of his greatest necessities he is affected with sin which is the cause of all trouble therefore he must have the Favour of God and the Grace of God A godly and a carnal Man differ as a Child and a Man in their Apprehensions about pain and trouble A Child is sick and would be eased of its present smart and pain looks to nothing but that but an understanding Man knows the cause must be taken away a Child speaks according to the sense and apprehension it hath take away his aking head or burning heat but the understanding Man looks not onely after present ease but health that the root of the Distemper may be removed So a worldly Man would have affliction gone and looks no further but a godly Man hath a deeper sense he must have the Favour of God therefore his heart works painfully within him till this be obtained 3. They intreat the Favour of God with all their hearts because their business lies mainly with God Their work is to walk closely with God and keep up a strict Communion with him A carnal Man's business lies with God sometimes in his Trouble but when he licks himself whole and is at ease he can live without it But a godly Mans business is always with God for God is always with him in Trouble and out of Trouble Therefore that 's a notable Speech Psal. 91. 9. Because thou hast made the Lord which is my refuge even the most High thy habitation A Refuge that 's a place of retreat in time of War A Habitation there 's our residence in time of Peace when every one sits under his own Vine and Fig-tree Now a godly Man makes God not onely his Refuge but his Habitation therefore it concerns him to prize the Favour of God and keep in with him for he is otherwise at an utter loss therefore he must study to get all clear if God be angry with him his business is at a stand and he cannot walk chearfully with him from whom he expects all Use 1. To reprove those that are indifferent whether they enjoy God's Favour yea or no so they may enjoy the Creature they are satisfied Surely God is not these Mens Portion for their onely care is what they shall eat how they may be cloathed how to live well in the World but were never acquainted with this kind of trouble about God's Favour Psal. 10. 4. It is said The Wicked through the pride of his Countenance will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts He never troubles himself how to keep in with God it never goes to his Heart He is such an one as can bring to pass whatever he projecteth and desireth without troubling himself with the Fetters of Religion and the care of a strict Duty he can live at large and yet obtain his Hearts desire and thinketh them the onely Wise men fit for his imitation that can increase in worldly Injoyments without troubling themselves with such niceties as perplex others he scorneth to trouble himself with Prayer and the observances which are necessary to waiting upon God Again it reproves those that lie stupid and senseless under God's active Displeasure These are not as gross as the former but make some profession of respect to God but have not yet a tender sense of God's accesses and recesses his comings and goings when the Lord hides himself from their Prayers and doth not give out the wonted influences of his Grace and Comfort they mind it not do not with earnestness seek to recover it again If you did make this your business without interruption when you have not the smiles of God the want of this
Children then we have other thoughts 'T is more easy to speak of Trouble than to bear it We reade of Iesus Christ that he learned by experience Heb. 5. 8. He had an actual experience by the things he suffered and he saith now is my soul troubled John 12. 27. There is a vast difference between the most exact apprehension in the Judgment and the experimental feeling of it in the Senses the one may be without so much vexation as the other will produce Though Christ understood perfectly what his Sufferings should be and had resolved upon them yet when he came to feel it his very righteous Soul was under perplexity as a glass of pure Water may be tossed and shaken Affliction is another thing to present sense and feeling than it is to guess and imagination Much more doth it hold good in us for we have not such a perfect foresight of Sufferings as Christ had We suppose they may be avoided or shifted off one way or other I speak this that we may not depend upon our present Resolutions when out of trouble but labour to be more prepared than usually we are that when trouble cometh upon us we may glorify God Consider 3. This acknowledgment must be the real language of our Hearts and not by word of mouth onely thus we must give unto God the praise of his Truth and Righteousness We tip our Tongues with good words and learn such modesty in our language as to say God is just and do not rave against his Providence in wild and bold Speeches but justice and faithfulness must be acknowledged not with the Tongue so much as with the Heart 'T is the language of the Heart which God looketh after When the Soul keepeth silence to God and a due and suitable impression is left upon it of his Justice by a meek and humble submission Mica 7. 9. I will bear the indignation of the Lord for I have sinned against him When God is angry and chastiseth for sin we must stoop humbly under his afflicting Hand bear it patiently and submissively for the Rod is dipped in our own guilt that stoppeth our Mouths and checketh repinings so seeing his faithfulness it maketh us accept the punishment of our iniquities Levit. 26. 41. that is yield to it as a man would to a bitter Potion or a medicinal preparative for his Health so to afflict is as a means to get rid of Sin which would be the bane of the Soul Consider 4. 'T is not enough to acknowledge justice but we must also acknowledge faithfulness not onely his just severity in the punishments of the Wicked but his fidelity and love in the correction of his Children 't is not enough that we justify God and forbear to murmur against his afflicting us but we must see his love and faithfulness in it and that he performeth his Covenant-love His Wisdome and Justice that suppresseth Murmurings his Love and Faithfulness that giveth Hope and Comfort and Courage the one concerneth the Honour of God he righteth himself by his just Judgments the other concerneth our benefit and eternal Welfare Faithfulness is to us and for our good Pharaoh could own Justice Exod. 9. 27. The Lord is righteous but I and my people are wicked But 't is an higher thing to own Faithfulness that supposeth Faith as the other doth Conviction Guilt will sooner fly in our faces and extort from us an acknowledgement of God's Justice than we can own the grace of the New Covenant especially when carnal sense and smart seemeth to speak the contrary The sight of his Justice checketh murmurings the sight of his Faithfulness fainting and discouragement God's Dispensations are just with respect to the Sentence of the Law faithfull with respect to the Promises of the Gospel in short the cause of all Affliction is Sin therefore Justice must be acknowledged their end is Repentance and therefore Faithfulness the end is not destruction and ruine so they might be acts of Justice as upon the Wicked but that we may be fit to receive the Promises such to whom God will perform the promise of eternal Life and so acts of Faithfulness Consider 5. Faith must fix this as a ground not once to be questioned much less to be doubted of or denied that God is just upright and faithfull in all his dealings though weak Man be not able to conceive the reasons of them His Justice may be dark as when he permitteth us to the will of wicked men who afflict us without a cause and lay on without any mercy and pity and God seemeth to befriend their Cause at least doth not restrain them nor give check to their fury we are apt to be tempted to thoughts of rigour and injustice in God's Dispensations but we must consider not mens dealing but God's 't is unjust as to men but we have no cause to be angry with God and complain of God as if he did not doe right No though we do not see the reason of it yet 't is just God's Iudgments are a great deep we should believe the Righteousness and Goodness of God in the general Psal. 36. 7. before we can find it out The People of God have maintained their Principle when they have been puzled and imbrangled in interpreting God's Providence Ier. 12. 1. Righteous art thou O Lord when I plead with thee and Psal. 73. 1. Yet God is good to Israel In all such cases 't is best to acknowledge our own ignorance and rather accuse our selves of blindness than God of injustice This is a fixed truth that God is righteous though we cannot so clearly make it out And sometimes we are tempted to doubt of his Fidelity and Truth when we feel nothing but the smart of the Rod the benefit is future not an object of Sense but Faith and it must be evident to Faith before 't is evident to Feeling Heb. 12. 11. No affliction for the present seemeth joyous but grievous but afterwards it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousness When all is sharp and hard to Sense Faith can see all is for our profit for our good Here is nothing repugnant to God's Truth nothing but what is necessary to make good his Truth Faith must determine it to be when Sense will not find it so God's Works are misexpounded when we go altogether by present Sense whether internal or external many times we know not what God is about to doe as Christ told Peter John 13. 7. What I doe thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter That which the Lord is doing tendeth not to ruine and wrath though through our ignorance and mistake we so interpret it Alas no wonder we are in the dark when we so judge of his Work who is wonderfull in counsel and excellent in working who will not always satisfy our sense and curiosity but chooseth such a way as will most suit his intent But ever in all such cases Faith must determine that God is
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
practical esteem when they can forfeit this taste for every trifle and flesh pleasing vanity or when they carelesly look after him are indifferent as to communion with God and think it not much whether they are accepted of God yea or no or manifest himself to you in Christ when the comforts of the Spirit are things you can spare and the consolations of God seem to be small it is all one to you whether you have experiences from God in duty or no your souls are satisfied this is a cause of decaying Then negligence in duties pray lazily hear carelesly not meditate often Inordinate savor of carnal pleasure that 's another cause What 's the reason the Temporary seems to be so affected he loseth his taste altogether carnal things have the first possession of his heart and being confirmed there by long use and custom being so suitable to us and so long rooted in us and we have such a vanishing glance of things to come this will work out that taste the love the sense we have of better things godly men when they turn out to the contentments of the flesh they lose their taste it becomes dead This is a considerable loss as to the vitality of your graces for without a taste of good or evil we shall neither eschew the evil nor follow that which is good with that serious constancy and diligence that is necessary A man that hath tasted of the poyson of Asps and the bitterness of the gall and wormwood that is â—…n sin will be afraid of it Rom. 6. 21. So a man that hath tasted of the sweetness of communion with God in Christ he is quickned and carried on with life courage and constancy That 's a dreadful place Heb. 6. 4 5. the loss of their taste is a degree to final Apostasie O! how many lose their taste their relish of Christ the good Word of God the powers of the life to come and are fallen fouly some forward into error some backward into a licentious course so that it is impossible to recover themselves by repentance SERMON CX PSAL. CXIX VER 104. Through thy precepts I get understanding therefore I hate every false way IN the former Verse the Man of God had spoken of the pleasure that was to be had by the Word now of the profit of it There is a great deal of pleasure to spiritual sense if we could once get our appetite we should find a world of sweetness in it and there is as much profit as pleasure As the pleasure is spiritual so also is the profit to be measured by spiritual considerations To escape the snares of the Devil and the dangers that way-lay us in our passage to Heaven is a great advantage Now the Word doth not only warn us of our danger but where it is received in the love of it breedeth a hatred of all these things that may lead us into it Through thy precepts I get understanding therefore I hate every false way In which Sentence the Prophet seems to invert the order set down ver 101. he had said I refrained my feet from every evil way that I might keep thy Word Where the avoiding of evil is made the means of profiting by the Word Here his profiting by the Word is made the cause of avoiding evil In the one Verse you have an account of his beginning with God in the other of his progress In this Verse here is 1. The Benefit he received by the Word and that is Sound and saving knowledge 2. The Fruit and Effect which this knowledge produceth in his heart Therefore I hate every false way Mark first The firmness of this Effect I hate He doth not say I abstain but I hate Secondly The Note of Universality Every Thirdly The Object false way it is not said evil way but false way or as it is in the original every path of lying and falshood Falshood is either in point of opinion or practice If you take it in the first sense for falshood in opinion or error in judgment or false doctrine or false worship this sentence holds good Those that get understanding by the Word are establish'd against Error and not only establish'd against Error or against the embracing or profession of it but they hate it 1. They are established All Error cometh from Ignorance or else Judicial Blindness First From Ignorance or unacquaintedness with the Word of God so Christ said to the Sadduces Te do err not knowing the Scriptures Mat. 22. 29. When Men study not the Word which is the Rule of Truth no wonder if they lie open to every fancy they take up things hand over head and by a fond credulity are led away by every suggestion presented to them So it is said 2 Pet. 3. 10. That the unstable and unlearned wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction By the unlearned is meant not those that are unskilful in Humane Literature though that be a great help but those that are unskilful in the Word of Righteousness poor deluded souls that lie under a great uncertainty Secondly Judicial Blindness For men that have great parts and a presumption of their own wit are given up to be blinded by their own Lusts and though they know the Scriptures yet they wrest them to speak according to the sense of their carnal interest 1 Thes. 2. 12. And so they see not what they see being given up to the witchery and inchantment of Error Gal. 3. 1. O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you So that all false ways proceed from the want of reason and the pride of reason The one is the cause of the Simple's erring who believeth every word The other of those that are knowing and are otherwise of great parts but they make their wit their Idol and so would be wise above the Scriptures or else are sway'd by their own Lusts they do not fix themselves in the power love and practice of Truths revealed in the Scriptures and so are given up to hellish delusions Now in this sense I might speak with great profit of these words especially now when so many Errors are broached and all the Errors of Christianity come a breast to assault it at once and such changeable Times as produce several Interests whereby men are blinded and such Levity in the Professors of Religion Why then study the Word with a teachable heart that is renouncing your own wit and giving up your selves to God's direction and practise what is plain without being sway'd with the profits and pleasures of the world and you may come to know what is the mind of God Men think all is uncertain in Religion and are apt to say with Pilate What is truth John 18. 38. No the Scriptures are not obscure but our hearts are dark and blind with worldly Lusts otherwise The counsel is plain and you might say with David Through thy precepts I get understanding therefore I hate every false way 1. Where the Spirit
by mourning for this Carnal men are hot in their own cause cold in Gods Gods Children are quite otherwise cold in their own cause and hot in Gods Therefore they are deeply sensible when Gods honour is weakned Moses was the meekest man upon Earth yet he brake the Tables How doth this agree The injuries that were done to himself he could look upon with a meek quiet spirit easily put them up but when he saw the people bring dishonour to the name of God then he hath a high and deep affection They cry out Iosh. 7. 9. Lord what wilt thou do for thy great name So Psal. 115. 1. Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy name give glory They go to God not to advance our faction and interest we are brought very low yet the wrath of man shall praise thee Thy name is dear and precious they are sorry to see any prophane it God hath abundantly provided for their respect he hath bid all men love them when he bid us love one another So that in effect all the respects of the world are devolved upon one person And they would have all men love God and honour God Secondly It comes from their compassion and pity and love to men O it grieves them to see so many that do not grieve for themselves and their eyes are wet because yours are always dry I tell you weeping saith Paul Phil. 3. 18. Compassion over the miserable estate of such Teachers and those that are led by them they and whole Droves run after fancies that endanger their souls False Teachers and their Proselytes should not only fall under our indignation but our pity They are Monsters in nature that want Bowels much more in Grace Religion doth not harden the heart but mollifie it Jesus Christ was made up of compassion and all Christians partake of Christs spirit Phil. 1. 8. God is my record how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Iesus Christ. Pray mark Paul had got some of Christs bowels and let me tell you they were tender ones Compassion towards others and weeping over their sins is somewhat like the love of Jesus Christ. He would take our burthen upon himself when he was not interested so the spirit of Christ worketh in all his Members he hath distributed his bowels among them and therefore they cannot but long for the salvation of others yea their heart is broken and mollified with Christs compassion to them and therefore long for fellows in the same Grace Though they have received personal and private injuries yet they pity their case and mourn for them 'T is matter of humiliation and lamentation 2 Cor. 12. 21. When I come again I fear my God will humble me among you and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already and have not repented of the fornication uncleanness lasciviousness which they have committed It is matter of grief to see so many thousands perish or in a perishing condition Thirdly This disposition cometh from the antipathy and zealous displeasure that is in their hearts against sin They know what sin is the greatest enemy that God and Christ and their own souls have in the world It was sin that made Angels become Devils it was sin that blew up the sparks of Hell fire it was sin that opposed God that crucified Christ it is sin that grieves the Spirit of God and therefore they mourn when sin gets Proselytes A man cannot endure to see a Toad or Viper near him your hearts rise when you see them creep upon another so do the hearts of the Children of God rise that their enemy and Gods should find such respect and entertainment in the world It is said of the Church of Ephesus Rev. 2. 2. That she could not bear those which were wicked And David saith Ps. 101. 3. I hate the works of them that turn aside They know this will grieve the spirit of God that this will press him as a Cart is pressed with sheaves and shall God be pressed and burthened and they not troubled It cannot be They that love the Lord will hate evil Psal. 97. 10. both in themselves and others Fourthly This disposition comes out of a sagacity of faith and serious foresight of the effects of sin They know what sin will come to and what is the danger of it therefore when they see sin encreasing Rivers of water run down their eyes Wicked men tremble only at the Judgment of God but good men tremble at his Word and therefore they mourn when others fall into danger of the threatning When Ezra plucked his beard and was in such a zealous indignation against the sins of the people bewailing them before the Lord Ezr. 9. 4. Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel At fasts others are sleight and obdurate they look on threatning as a little mock Thunder they are not sensible of the danger I may set forth this by that allusion 2 Kings 8. 11. The Prophet Elisha wept when he saw Hazael that he looked wishly on his face till he blushed The man of God wept and Hazael said Why weepeth my Lord And he answered Because I know the evil thou wilt do unto the Children of Israel their strong holds wilt thou set on fire and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword and wilt dash their Children and rip up their women with child and Hazael said But what is thy servant a Dog c. So when the Children of God look upon sin they know by the complexion of it what will be the dreadful effects This will be bitterness in the issue in time this will produce pestilences famine fire sword and all other mischiefs and judgments and expressions of the angry indignation of the Lord. They foresee a Storm when the Clouds are but a gathering therefore they tremble when they see them This is the sagacity of faith Now carnal men on the other side look upon the threatnings of Scripture but as words of course used as in way of policy that God only would awe and scare them but doth not purpose to condemn them But Faith is sagacious Look as to the promises Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen So as to the threatnings the same evidence of things not seen The Apostle doth not only instance when he had given the general description of the objects of hope for the recompence of reward but he instances in the threatnings Noah being moved with fear prepared an Ark c. They know however men sleight the word of God one day it will be found true and therefore when they see men add sin to sin they are troubled The Word is as sure as execution and works upon them accordingly They have all things in a near view the nearer the objects of our faith are in our view the more they stir up our affections Dangers and death
will save thy Children And from the mouth of the wicked Psal. 5. 15. He saveth the poor from the sword and from their mouth and from the hand of the mighty From slanders that may endanger their Life and Credit So ver 21. Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the Tongue from their bitter reproaches Therefore commit your cause to God But then 1. Be sure that your Cause be good for God will not be the Patron of Sin unless he hath passed sentence for us in his Word it is boldness to appeal to him as Baalam that would hire God by sacrifices to Curse his People Hasty Appeals to God in our passion and revengeful humours are a great dishonour to him Sarah Appealed Gen. 15. 3. The Lord judge between me and thee And David Appealed 1 Sam. 24. 15. The Lord therefore be judge and judge between thee and me and see and plead my cause and deliver me out of thy hand But there was more of justice in Davids Appeal in the case between him and Saul than in Sarahs Appeal in the case between her and Abraham it would have been ill for her if God had taken her at her word it sheweth that even Gods Children are too apt to intitle him to their private passions 2. Let us be sure that there be no Controversie between God and our Persons when yet our Cause is good The Israelites had a good Cause Iudges 20. but there was once and again a great slaughter made of them before they had reconciled themselves to God There must be a good Conscience as well as a good Cause otherwise God will plead his Controversie against us before he will plead our Controversie against our Enemies Ier. 2. 35. yet thou sayest because I am innocent surely his anger will turn from me behold I will plead with thee because thou sayest I have not sinned Because we have a good Cause we think God hath no cause to be angry with us therefore he will first plead in Judgment against us So Hos. 12. 2. The Lord hath also a controversie with Iudah and will punish Iacob according to his wayes according to his doings will he recompence him Though God may approve what is right in Worship and Profession yet he will punish our shameful disorders and unanswerable walking in his People 3. Let us Pray in a right manner with Confidence with Earnestness 1. Confidence that God will plead our Cause when he seeth it good and for his own Glory whether there be any likelyhood of it yea or no for he hath promised to support the weak and humble and protect the innocent against their Oppressors Psal. 140. 12. I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted and the right of the poor God is party with you not against you and leave him to his own wayes and means Faith should support us when sense yieldeth little comfort and hope He knoweth how to justifie your Cause and deliver your Persons and you should know that he will do it and can do it though the way be not evident to you and God seem to sit still for a while 2. Earnestly Oh be not cold in the Churches suit if you be Sions Friends and are willing to take share and lot with Gods people awaken him by your incessant cryes Nay it is God's Cause Psal. 74. 22. Arise O Lord plead thine own cause remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee dayly The Godly are not maligned for their Sins but their Righteousness So Psal. 35. 23. Stir up thy self and awake to my Iudgment even unto my cause my God and my Lord. There is a long suit depending between the Church of God and her Enemies desire that God would determine it and declare what is Right and what is Wrong Secondly He beggeth God in the Text to Redeem or Deliver him the Word in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the usual word for Goel Redeemer the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ransom me Here he craveth that as his Cause might be in safety so his Person Doctrine We may beg a Deliverance or a Release from our Troubles provided we do not beg it out of an impatiency of the Flesh but a desire of Gods Glory God delights to be imployed in this work what hath he been doing all along in all Ages of the World but delivering his People from those that oppressed them He delivered Iacob from the Fury of Esau Ioseph from the Malice of his Brethren Gen. 37. 21. And Reuben heard it and he delivered him out of their hands saying let us not kill him Daniel from the Lions Den Dan. 6. 22. My God hath sent his Angel and hath shut the Lions mouths that they have not hurt me forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me and also before thee O King have I done no hurt Peter from Prison Acts 12. 11. And when Peter was come to himself he said now I know of a surety that the Lord hath sent his Angel and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the people of the Iews And will not he do the like for his suffering Servants how came his hand to be out He delivered Israel out of Egypt out of Babylon he can do it again it doth not cost him much labour Psal. 68. 2. As smoke is driven away so drive them away as wax melteth before the fire so let the wicked perish at the presence of God Therefore refer your deliverance to God and when you are in a way of Duty be not thoughtful about it there is a price payed for it Christ redeemed us from Temporal Adversity so far as it may be a snare to us God hath his Times we may see it unless he hath a mind to sweep away the unthankful and froward generation that provoked him to so much Anger Numb 14. 22 23. Because all those men that have seen my glory and my miracles which I did in Egypt in the wilderness and have tempted me now these ten times and have not hearkned unto my voice surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their Fathers neither shall any of them that provoked me see it Ier. 29. 31 32. Thus saith the Lord concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you and I sent him not and he caused you to trust in a lye therefore thus saith the Lord behold I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his seed he shall not have a man to dwell among this people neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my People saith the Lord because he hath taught Rebellion against the Lord. It may be we may be more broken and afflicted first Deut. 32. 36. For the Lord shall judge his people and repent himself for his servants when he seeth that their power is gone and there is none shut up or left Oh let us desire to see the good of
Flames for a little contentment here in the World for a little ease and delight here given to your carnal Nature Is an Earthly Life that you cannot long hold more valuable then an Eternal Heaven you shall enjoy for ever no let us go to heaven though we get thither with many pains and sufferings If you forsake all not only in Vow and Purpose but Actually and in Deed yet still you have something better you shall be no looser in the end you shall so choose the blessed God and live with him for evermore and be fill'd with his Love as full as you can hold and be employed in his service and all this in an Eternal Perfection and glorified Estate 4. Motive Choose for you will never have cause to repent of your choice The Lord stands upon his Justification is very tender of giving his People any Cause to repent of his service Micah 6. 3. O my people what have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearied thee testifie against me Pray what hurt hath Holiness done you Who was ever the better for sinning or who was the worse for Holiness There was none that ever made a carnal choice but first or last they had cause to repent of it either they repent of it in a kindly manner while they may mend the matter or else they shall repent for ever in Misery but who ever repented of his Repentance or cursed the day of his new Birth To whom ever was it any grief of heart that they were acquainted with God and Christ or the way that leadeth unto life who dieth the sweeter death or who repents of their choice then the serious or the carnal Oh they that have chosen the World they cry out how the World hath deceived them but never any repented of choosing God and the wayes of God Let these things perswade you to choose his Precepts Secondly For Directions 1. In Choosing the Object is to be regarded Gods Precepts indefinitely all of them not one excepted the smallest as well as the greatest the troublesome as well as the easie the most neglected as well as the most observed we must choose all Gods Precepts not abate any thing but especially the main or the essential Precepts of Christianity or the Fundamental points of the Covenant Now the Question is What 's the Fundamental Point of the Covenant Truly that 's known by the form of Baptisme Baptisme is the solemn Seal of entring into Covenant with God it 's the Seal of our initiation or first entrance into Covenant with God Mat. 28. 19. Now what is it to be Baptised in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost when you first choose the ways of God here you must begin you must close with Father Son and Holy Ghost heartily take them to be your God that is you must close with God the Father as your All-sufficient Portion or chiefest happiness to be loved above all and also as your highest Lord that he may be served pleased and obeyed above all Well and in the name of the Son that is Jesus Christ he must be taken as your Saviour and Redeemer to bring you to God and to reconcile you to him And to be Baptised in the name of the Holy Ghost is this to take him as your Sanctifier Guide and Comforter to make you a holy people to God to cleanse your hearts from sin to write all Gods Laws upon your Hearts and put them into your Minds and to guide you by the Word and Ordinances to everlasting Life This is the main thing that is first to be minded because it contains all and doth necessarily infer the rest for otherwise to be resolute in some by-point of Religion though it be right this is but the Obstinacy of a Faction not the constancy of a Christian Zeal 2. As you must look to the Object of this choice so to the Causes of it and what are they An Enlightned Mind a renewed Heart a Love to God and then the Spirit of God enlightning and inclining our Hearts 1. An Enlightned Mind is a cause of choosing the ways of God when the Lord hath taught us his Precepts an enlightned mind discovers a beauty and amiableness in the ways of God Psal. 119. 128. I esteem all thy Precepts to be right and they are the rejoycing of my soul. 2. A Renewed Heart wherein all the precepts of God are written over again They were written upon our Hearts in Innocency but that 's a blurred Manuscript therefore in Regeneration they are written over again God writes his Law in our hearts and puts them in our inward parts Heb. 8. 10. and then the Law within suits with the Law without for the new Creature is created after God in Righteousness and true Holiness In true Holiness which relates to the first Table of the Law and Righteousness which relates to the second Table of the Law the renewed heart that hath this inclination and propension is carried out to them 3. Love to God for that 's implied in the choice Iohn 14. 21. He that hath my Commandements and keeps them he it is that loves me and he that loves me hath my Commandements and keeps them It follows the other way where there is love to God there will be choosing of his ways 4. Gods Spirit the Lord Enlightning and Inclining our Hearts to this choice God Enlightens for he teacheth us the way that we shall choose and when we see these things in the light of the Spirit then we see the Beauty of them Psal. 25. 12. It holds good as to the path of Life and in particular cases but chiefly in the main case God teacheth him the way that he shall choose And the Spirit of God enclines the Heart too as well as enlightens the Mind 1 Pet. 1. 22. Ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit 3. There are the Effects of this Choice What are they Delight Diligence and Patience 1. Delight Psal. 40. 8. I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy law is within my heart When the Law is not only written in the Book but written in the heart then there 's a Delight a ready and willing Obedience It is spoken first of Christ of David it was said in Type it 's true also of all Believers for they have the Spirit of Christ and the same also is exprest of the People of God Psal. 112. 1. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his Commandments When a man hath chosen the precepts of God and bound himself in this way then his heart is taken with a delight 2. Diligence Gods Precepts are the great business and employment of our lives and then there 's a constant study to please him Col. 1. 9 10. Filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding that you may walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing We must do Gods Will and
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
p. 56 402 403. why we must obey without delay p. 402 403. Great Mischief of delays 405. Causes of these delays p. 408 409. Heynousness of the sin of Delaying ibid Delays as well as denials are painful p. 121 Delaying Mercy is not denying mercy p. 167 168 Why God delays Mercy ibid. Delays of God in making good the promises proceed not from Ignorance nor forgetfulness nor mutability nor Impotency p. 324 Delay in helping and delivering discourageth Gods Children p. 549. God may delay so long till 1. The Enemies be proud 2. A land wasted p. 549 Delays of spiritual Mercies sharpen desires p. 912 914 Deliberation in sinning a great Aggravation of sin p. 21 Deliberate sin charg'd on David when many others were omitted p. 739 740 Delight in worldly things as our portion is a main branch of Covetousness p. 254 255 Delight in Gods word what it is why the word is so delightful p. 84 85 95 96 Delight in Gods Word the property of Saints p. 593 885 Delight in Gods Testimonies an evidence that we have made them our Choice p. 741. Trial whether we delight in his Testimonies p. 87 88 89 95. how we are to delight in them p 96. Reasons for delighting in them 96 97. Uses p. 98. Exhortation to it Means to get it p. 98 99 593. It puts us upon prayer for Grace and gives us hope to speed in our prayer p. 244 Delights spiritual and carnal distinguished p. 149 1084 150. Promises to be delighted in before fulfill'd p 10 Delight in Gods Commandements the Causes of it 1. Suitableness 2. Possession 3. A precedent love of the Object p. 885. What is necessary to delighting in Gods Commandements p. 245 Delight its effects 1. Enlarging the heart 2. It causeth thirsting after more p. 886 245 Delight spiritual it's Objects perfect p. 886. Examine whether we have this delight p. 886. 1. By the extent 2. Effects 3. It s perpetuity 4. By comparing these delights with those in sensible things ibid. Delight true only to be had in God p. 386 Deliverance to be sought for in Prayer p. 921 922 It engageth us to Gods Service p. 924 Demerits in the best of Saints p. 839 Deliverance from the power of sin as well as from guilt p. 913 Deliverance when pleaded for we must get 1. Right Principles 2. Right Ends what they are p. 860. It is lawful p. 970 Deliverance will come in due time p. 558 Natural to desire deliverance p. 1083 Deliverances apt to be forgotten when danger is over p. 791 Deliverance two ways p. 737 Denial we are to pray against denials and delays p. 914 Dependancies Carnal God weans his People from them p. 143 645 Dependance on God a condition of those that expect Counsel from him in straights p. 155 769 Dependance on God better than Carnal reaches p. 645 It is a great duty p. 324 1105 Dependance on God never disappointed p. 831 Dependance on God what it implies 1. Committing our selves to his Care 2. Submitting to his Will 3. Waiting his Leisure p. 346 347 Departure from God twofold p. 669. Reasons of it ibid. Desire its proper object Holiness p. 303. how to awaken them p. 309 Desire moderated towards earthly things by considering their Vanity p. 617 Desire of Holiness the Character of Saints and why p. 29 30 901. God will satisfie it ibid. 304 Strong desires a Cause why Saints press after Gods Word p. 901 Desire what it is p. 121 897 303 304 1087. It denotes the absence of the good desired p. 885 897 1087 Desires of the godly and the wicked distinguished-p 30 Unactive desires come to nothing p. 31 Desire of man either 1. after Truth or 2. Immortality p. 623. Several sorts of desires evil p. 305 Desires vehement sweeten enjoyment p. 912 Excellency of vehement desires after spirituals p. 898 901. How to get these desires p. 901 902 Desertion the kinds of it Reasons and Causes of it p. 48 49 925 It is either 1. in appearance or 2 in reality-p 925 Desertion the greatest of sufferings p. 148 Two special sins the Causes of Desertion 1. Too much liberty in Carnal things 2. Laziness in spiritual things p. 925 Design to do good out of Design is evil p. 1076 Despair in our selves not in God p. 29 Despised Christians are despised by Men when brought low by God p 869 Despising Christs little ones a great sin p. 519 520 Despised Saints are highly honoured by God p. 554 870 Despised the common Lot of Saints to be so p. 869 Despisers of Gods Word who they are p. 1001 Despondency an ordinary evil in sharp and tedious Afflictions p. 556 Despondency reproved p. 159 792 Destruction no Creature can desire its own Destruction p. 1095 1096 Determination an Act of the Judgment p. Devil works much on the Concupiscible and Irrascible faculty p. 1031 Devil a great Enemy to us in hearing the Word 1. By Diverting us 2. By raising prejudices 3. By furnishing us with excuses evasions delays c. p. 68 Devil not to be believed p. 411 Vid. Satan Devil seeks to weaken our opinion of Gods goodness p. 440 Devisers of Reproaches and Calumny p. 299. 300 Devices of the Heart of Man p. 759 Devoting our selves to God 1. Entitles us to the Comforts of the Gospel 2. Engages us to all the Duties of it p. 915 Difference of Judgment causeth discord p. 528 Difference between men and men 〈◊〉 free grace p. 647 Difference between the delights of the Godly and the wicked p. 149 Difference between the service of God and all other services p. 850 Different measures in them that are Converted p. 604 Difference made by God in Common judgments p. 805 Difference between good and evil is real p. 939 940 Difference in things call for different affections p. 85 Difference between carnal and regenerate and the regenerate and themselves p. 673 674. 689 Difficulties broken through by the Promises p. 880 Difficulties in Scripture though it be light yet no discoument to us in searching it p. 696 697 Dig a Pit what that expression imports p. 559 Diligence in obeying Gods Commandements required p. 26. Reasons of it p. 26 27 Diligence wherein it lies p. 27 28. 638 Diligence in Prayer makes it a business p. 920 Diligence 1. In observing 2. improving afflictions p. 487 Direction of God general and particular p. 31 Direction literal and effectual p. 32. 841. God must be depended on for Direction Reasons of it 1. The blindness of our minds 2. The forgetfulness of our Memories 3. The obstinacy of our hearts p. 32. 240 Direction 1. For general choise 2. Particular actions p. 692 693 Direction sufficient from Gods Word p. 40 41. 629. 690 691 692 Direction necessary from God to him that would keep in with God p. 152. 240 Direction how to carry our selves till deliverance comes a great mercy p. 842. Why p. 842 843 Direction An act of the Judgment p. 449 Disappointment of Wicked mens
inconsistent with an unholy life p. 207 Rule must always be set before us p. 208 why ibid. Bless God for a Rule and walk exactly by the Rule p. 807 698 Enemies to the word as a Rule 1 they that set up Reason instead of the word 2 Passions and Lusts 3 Example 4 they that go to Witches c. 5. they that expect new Revelations p. 698 Rulers when religious a signal Blessing to a people p. 145 560 Rulers are not to be provoked p. 996 Running the ways of Gods Commandments what it imports p. 225 S. SAcrament what it signifies p. 699 Saints love the word 1 because their hearts are suited to it 2 they have tasted its goodness p 627 Sacrifices three things required in them p. 722 Safety none in Apostacy from the truth but Perseverance in it p. 788 637 It lies in two things p. 642 Sanctification of Afflictions a greater mercy thanDeliverance outof them p 470 592 it hath 2 parts p. 1040 Sanction of the Law inPromises and Threatnings p. 350 Salvation the word variously taken in Scripture p. 536 537. Temporal and eternal p. 1035. 314 It denotes sometimes temporal deliverance p. 830 Salvation is far from the wicked p. 980. both in a temporal and eternal Notion ibid. 1081 1087 Salvation is the fruit of mercy p. 314. 315 Satisfaction in Gods providential government p. 542 It is not to be had without enjoyment of God p. 13. 386. Qn. what it is that will satisfie and content our Souls p. 926 Satans design in afflicting Gods people p. 538 He is subtle and diligent in tempting p. 1105 Satans baits are Profit and Pleasure p. 85 Satan resembled by lying p. 188 Scandalous Terms put upon the best parts of Religion p. 337 Scandals given either by word or deed p. â—…030 Scandals never fall out in the Church but some notable woe follows p. 867 Scandals an enemy to Perseverance p. 212 Scandal is either Active or Passive p. 1022. 1029 Schism a great evil p. 201 Protestants not guilty of schism in separating from Papists and Popery p. 201. 202. Scorns and scoffs must not draw us from Obedience p 337 why Religion is scorned p. 338 Scorn a grievous Temptation p 339 vid. Contempt Scripture reveals 1 Reconciliation 2 eternal Life not elsewhere revealed p 624 625 Scripture is the Churches Book p 41 It is to be highly prized p 645 In opposition to 1 Tradition 2 carnal Reason p 41 It s Excellency p 66 67 It is a Record and a Calendar p 77 Qu. how we know the Scriptures to be Gods word p. 960 961 vid. word of God It gives directions in all Cases p. 153 It is for the strong as well as for the weak p. 697 Scripture before it was compleat as now yet had promises for support of the Soul p. 181 Scripture Truths of two sorts p. 888 Scripture affords 1 true Doctrine 2 true Piety 3 true Consolation p 879 622 Four main ends of Gods giving the Scripture 1 to secure the Truth 2 that it might last to all Ages 3 for converting sinners 4 for trial of Faith and Manners p. 694 6â—…2 Seasons of mercy neither too soon nor too late p. 551 Seasons when God eminently calls to consider our ways p. 401 Seasons for particular duties p. 445 637 638 925 374 Sealing to Gods Truth as Witnesses what it is p. 832 832 Searching the heart a mark of one that hath Respect to all Gods Commandements p. 36 Seventimes denotes many times Numerus definitus pro indefinito p. 1013 Secret Prayer as well as publick a Duty p. 904 021 It hath Promises of Reward p. 921 Arguments to press to secret Prayer p. 922 Secret Duties argue sincerity p. 374 Security carnal will leave us ashamed at last p. 786 It is a note of pride p. 521 It 's a cause of delaying Repentance p. 408 Seducers the most dangerous Company p. 777 See a man may see and yet be blind p. 617 Seeds two seeds at enmity from the beginning p 414 326 Seeking God implies that God is not wholly gone p 927 Seeking God arises from a sence of the want of God p 11 When we find not God in one Ordinance we must seek him in others p. 12 It 's the end of our Creation ibid. To seek any thing from God above God more than God or not for God is brutish p. 13 It is a mark of election to seek God p. 14 It 's not in vain to seek God p. 13 how to seek him p. 927 Six Arguments to move us to seek God p. 14 Encouragements to seek Gods Favour p. 927 Directions for a due seeking of God p. 14 Seeking God the last way of seeking our selves p. 14 Gods Children are a Generation of seekers p. 57 58 59 922 Self-Conceit p. 296 Self-denial a main part of wisdom p. 641 Self self-fulness leaves no room for Grace p. 29 Self-seeking argues false Zeal p. 856 Self-Confidence a Reason of Apostacy p. 213 Sense of Gods goodness what it is why we must keep a sense of it p. 472 473 474 Sense and Faith are opposed p. 546 Sense of sin renders Gods Mercies exceeding great p. 994 Comforts from Sense are base and dreggy p. 593 Outward Senses betray the heart p. 278 Sense discovers the vanity of created Excellency p. 616 Senses spiritual what they are p. 671 672 How they differ from the natural Senses p. 672 673 Sentence of our State and Actions is by the judgment of the word p. 38 39 Servant of God who he is p. 289 a good Argument p. 289 Servant of God A good Plea for Deliverance why p. 610 846 611 Arguments to perswade us to clear up this Relation p. 612 637 638 Characters of Gods Servants 846 847 851 514 Shame two fold p. 36 it entred with sin p. 37â—… 214 215 Shame is caused by Disappointments p. 522 785 215 216 Shame is a fear of just Reproof p. 534 We may be ashamed either before our own selves or others p. 534 and that upon the account either 1. of Scandal or 2. of punishment ibid. Sheep are creatures subject to stray p. 1099 Man compared to a sheep in several Respects p. 1101 Christ a tender Shepherd of straying sheep p. 1107 Shield God is the Shield of his people and what that imports p. 766 Sight of God to walk as in Gods sight a rule of sincerity p. 1051 It is a good means for keeping Gods Precepts ibid. Sight of Believers and Unbelievers how they differ p. 617 Sight spiritual denotes Faith p. 672 Simple Simplicity in a good or evil Sense p. 889 Sin is not imputed to the renewed p. 17 Sins incident to a condition of trouble p. 843 Sin separates from God p. 18 It is contrary to the blessed Trinity p. 20 Contrary to the New-Nature p. 21 It is of an encroaching Nature p. 21 In sin three things 1. the Fault 2. the Guilt 3. the Blot p. 21 185 Sin never goes single p. 317. v. other mens sins Sin
charity Phil. 4. 5. Let your moderation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be known unto all men whether it be fear or honour that be due Rom. 13. 7. Render therefore to all their dues Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custom to whom Custome fear to whom fear honour to whom honour Or good will ver 8. Owe no man any thing but to love one another Secondly For truth You are to adhere to the truth not to be carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive but speaking the truth in love ye may grow up unto him in all things which is the head even Christ Ephes. 4. 14 15. To speak nothing but truth in your ordinary communication Ephes. 4. 25. Wherefore putting away lying speak every man truth with his Neighbour To perform what you promise though to your loss Psal. 15. 4. He sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not Thus should the whole course of our lives express the properties of the Word Use 3. To shew the reason why men are so backward in obedience so prone to what is evil so uncomfortable in trouble We do not believe that the testimony of God is righteous and true very true every tittle of it but we are slow of heart to believe therefore is the faithfulness and truth of the Word inculcated Christ saith Believest thou this John 11. 25. Could we believe the word more what advantage should we have in the spiritual life what fear of God what joy of faith what readiness of obedience But we cannot depend upon Gods word and therefore are easily shaken in mind Our hearts are like a Sea one Wave riseth up after another We must be fed with sense and God must do all immediately or else we are apt to sink under our discouragements SERMON CLVI PSALM CXIX VER Cxxxix My zeal hath consumed me because mine Enemies have forgotten thy Words IN these words you may observe 1. Two different persons 2. A different carriage mentioned 1. Two different persons are spoken of David and his Enemies By Enemies is not to be understood those only that were troublesome to himself but those who were an opposite party to God who opposed themselves against God and Godliness these without any breach of the Law of love may be counted Enemies Ps. 139. 21 22. Do not I hate them O Lord that hate thee And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee I hate them with a perfect hatred I count them mine Enemies It is a comfort and satisfaction to the godly to have no enemies to themselves but such as are enemies to God also such as rise up against God 2. There 's a different carriage mentioned and asscribed to these two parties on the one side Oblivion and Forgetfulness of Gods Law on the other side zeal 1. On the Enemies part oblivion and forgetfulness of Gods Word The Word of God is not effectual usually but where it is hid in recent memory They have forgotten thy Word a proper phrase to set forth them in the bosom of the visible Church who do not wholly deny and reject the Word and Rule of Scripture but yet live as though they had forgotten it they do not observe it as if God had never spoken any such thing or given them any such Rule They that reject and contemn such things as thy Word enforceth surely do not remember to do them 2. On David's part here is mentioned zeal or a flagrant affection which is set forth 1. By the vehemency of it 2. By the cause of it 1. By the vehemency of it my zeal hath consumed me It was no small zeal that David had but a consuming zeal Vehement affections exhaust and consume the vital Spirits and wast the body The like expression is used Ps. 69. 9. The zeal of thy House hath eaten me up Strength of Holy Affections works many times upon the Body as well as the Soul especially zeal which is a high degree of Love and vents it self by a mixture of grief and anger What a man loves he would have it respected and is grieved when it is dishonoured and under disrepute Both have an influence upon this consuming this wasting of the Spirits that is spoken of in the text because they had lessened and obscured the Glory of God and violated his Law and there was in him a holy care ardour and earnest endeavour to rectifie this abuse and awaken them out of their security and reduce them to their duty 2. Here was the Cause of it Why was David so much wasted pined consumed and troubled Because they have forgotten Thy Word the contempt of God and the offence of God sate nearest his heart as if he had said I should more patiently bear the injury done to my self but I cannot be coldly affected where thy glory O Lord is concerned since I have had a tast of thy grace and felt the benefit of thy Word I cannot endure it should be contemned and it much moves me to see Creatures so mad upon their own Destruction and to make so light of thy Salvation Thus was David consumed not at the sight of his own but at other mens sins and not at others in general but them his enemies that they should make void the Law of God Such was his love to the Word that he could not endure the contempt and violation of it and such was his Compassion to the souls of men that it grieved him exceedingly to see any of the workmanship of God to perish to be captivated to the World to be made Factors for the Devil and fuel for hell fire and to be so violent for their own Destruction Doctrine That Great and Pure Zeal becomes those that have any affection for the Word and for the Ways of God Here is a great zeal for David saith my zeal hath consumed me it prey'd upon his spirit And here 's a pure zeal for he mentions not personal injuries but disrespect to Gods Word when the same men are our Enemies and Gods Enemies we should be more zealous for Gods cause then our own Now both the greatness and purity of his zeal did arise from his love to the Word as appears from the precedent and subsequent verses in the precedent verses he had told them just and upright are thy testimonies and very faithful therefore zeal hath consumed me because this Word should be slighted and contemned And it appears also from the following verse thy Word is very pure therefore thy servant loveth it He was troubled to see such a holy and pure Word to be trampled under foot and especially that those seem to disown it he doth not say they deny it who had generally profest to live under this rule that they made light and disregarded the precepts in which I found so much comfort and delight In the prosecution of this point I shall 1. Shew what is true Zeal