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
you may agree with them I answer In the general certainly the separation of one Christian from another is a great evil which should be carefully avoided and if walls of separation be set up by others yet we must do what in us lies to demolish them They do no service to Christ that make separations needlesly when as much as is possible there should be a union and coalition between Christians Now what shall we say to this Separation from Rome who were in the possession of a Christianity I tell you this Bug-bear needs not fright us out of the good way if we can but clear three things to you 1. That as to the rise it was neither unjust nor unnecessary 2. As to the manner of it it was not made rashly and lightly but as became them that had a serious sense of the Interest of Christ and of his Church in the world 3. As to the continuance of this Separation that if it were made upon good grounds and the same grounds still continue certainly we have no cause to revert and return back the Roman Synagogue not being grown better but much worse since the first breach If all these can be proved there is no reason to complain of our Separation First That this Separation was neither unjust nor unnecessary It is unjust if it be made without a cause it is unnecessary if it be made without a sufficient cause or such a cause as may warrant so great a breach in the Christian world Certain it is that the Schism lyeth not in the Separation but the Cause and so is not chargeable on those that make the Separation but on those that give the cause So that if we would examine whether the Separation be good I think we must examine the causes of it therefore let us a little consider this very thing Certainly the cause was not unjust there was a cause I shall shew that by and by And that it was not unnecessary without a sufficient cause and so no way culpable The business is Whether the Controversies be of such moment as that there should be such a breach among Christians that we and they should keep such a distance I speak only to the sufficiency of the cause the justness we shall see by and by Of what moment soever the Controversies were if the things that are taken to be errors be imposed as a condition of Communion a Christian cannot joyn himself with them Certainly it is no sin to abstain from the communion of any Church upon earth where the conditions of its communion are apparently unlawful and against conscience though it may be the matters in debate be not of great moment I only speak provisionally be they or be they not of moment yet if these be propounded as conditions of its communion for no man is necessitated to sin In some cases it is lawful to withdraw out of a place for fear of danger and infection as if a house or town be infected with the Pestilence it is but a necessary caution to look to our selves be-times and withdraw out of that house or town But now when no men are permitted to tarry but those that are infected with the disease the case is out of dispute the sound must be gone and withdraw from them by all the means they can Now such are the corruptions of Popery and the danger of seducement so manifest that little children are by all means to keep themselves from idols 1 Joh. 5. 21. We should be very cautious and wary of that communion wherein there is so much hazard of salvation if possibly we should keep our selves untainted but when we are bound to the belief practice profession of those errors there needs no more debate a Christian must be gone else he will sin against conscience Now this is the case clearly between them and us Suppose the corruptions were not great nor the errors damnable yet when the profession of them is required and the belief of them as certain truths is imposed we are to endure all manner of extremity rather than yield to them Therefore much more when it is easie to be proved that they are manifest and momentous corruptions Therefore certainly to leave the communion of the Popish Faction is but to return to our union and communion with Christ it can be no fault to leave them that left Christ and the ancient faith and Church The innocent husband that leaves the Adulterous wife is not to be blamed for she had first broken the bonds and violated the rights of the Conjugal relation Or a good Citizen and Soldier are not to be blamed in forsaking their Governour and Captain who first revolted from his allegiance to his Prince I and when he would engage them in the same Rebellion too Secondly As to the management of it or the manner how it was carried on It was not made rashly and lightly without trying all good means and offering to have their complaints debated in a free Council In the mean time continuing in their station and managing the cause of Christ with meek but yet zealous defences until they were driven thence by Antichristian fury for blowing the Trumpet and warning the Church of her danger from that corrupt party until persecuted by censures not only Ecclesiastical but Civil cast out of the Church put to death some for witnessing against others meerly for not owning and practising these corruptions and hunted out from their corners where they were willing to hide and worship God in secret with all rigor and tyranny driven first out of the Church then out of the world by fire and sword unless they would communicate with them in their sin thus were they used So that the Romanist cannot charge the Protestants for Schism for leaving their communion any more than a man that thrusteth another out of dores can be offended at his departure Yea when the Reformed did set up other Churches it was after all hopes of Reformation were lost and defeated And the Princes Magistrates Pastors and people were grown into a multitude and did in great numbers run to the banner which God had display'd because of his Truth and so could not in conscience and spiritual safety live without the means of grace and the benefit of Ordinances and Church-Societies lest they should be scattered as sheep without a shepherd and become a ready prey to Satan And then this Separation which was so necessary was carried on with love and pity and with great distinction between the corruptions from which they separated and the persons from whom they separated and they had the same affection to them and carried it all along just as those that are freed from Turkish slavery and have broke prison and invited the other Christian captives to second them it may be they have not the heart and courage to venture with them though they leave them fast in their enemies chains and will not return to their company they
not a waste either God is there framing gracious operations or the Devil who worketh in the children of disobedience Ephes. 2. 2. will you give them to God to be saved or to the Devil to be damned Whos 's they are now they are for ever 5ly If you love any you give him the heart and you are wont to wish that there were windows in your bodies that they might see the sincerity of your hearts towards them Surely if you have cause to love any you have much more cause to love God No such friend as he no such benefactor as he if you consider what he hath done for us what blessings he hath bestowed internal external temporal eternal He hath given his Son the great instance of love Ioh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him might not perish but have everlasting life His Gospel that his love might be preached to us His Spirit that not only sounded in our ears but is shed abroad in our hearts Rom. 5. 5. His Christ to save us his word to enlighten us his Spirit to guide and direct us till we come to Heaven where he will give himself to us an eternal inheritance Certainly unless void of all sense and common ingenuity thou wilt say as the Psalmist Psal. 116. 12. What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me What indeed wilt thou render to him love will tell thee but lest thou shouldst miss God himself hath told thee Prov. 23. 26. My Son give me thine heart There is no need to wish for windows in thy body He searcheth the heart and trieth the reins Psal. 7. 9. The righteous God trieth the hearts and reins And 1 King 8. 39. Thou knowest the hearts of all the children of men The whole world is to him as a sea of glass He knoweth how much thou esteemest and honourest him If thou givest him the whole world and dost not give him thy heart thou dishonourest him and settest something else before him 6ly This is that all may give him if God should require costly sacrifices rivers of oyl thousands of rams then none but the rich would serve him and he would require nothing but what many Hypocrites would give him Then the poor would be ashamed and discouraged not being able to comply with the command Yea then God would not act like the true God Who accepteth not the person of Princes nor regardeth the rich more than the poor for they are all the work of his hands Job 34. 19. Say not Mica 6. 6 7 8. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the High God shall I come before him with burnt-offerings with calves of a year old will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oyl shall I give my first-born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul But go to God and give him thy heart this will make thy mite more acceptable than the great treasures of the wicked Luk. 21. 1 2 3 4 And he looked up and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury and he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites and he said Of a truth I say unto you that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all for all these have of their abundance cast unto the offerings of God but of her penury she hath cast in all the living that she had We read in Pagan-story of one that when many rich Scholars gave gifts to Socrates every one according to his birth and fortunes a poor young man came to him and said I have nothing worthy of thee to bestow upon thee but that which I have I give and that is my self others that have given to thee have left more to themselves but I have given all that I have and have nothing left me I give thee my self The Philosopher answered Thou hast given me a gift indeed and therefore it shall be my care to return thee to thy self better than I found thee So come to God he needeth us not but 't is for our benefit we should give our hearts and selves to him He knoweth how much it is for our advantage that he should have our hearts to make them better to sanctifie and save them 2ly The whole heart Here I shall shew you 1. what it is to keep the Law with the whole heart 2. Why we must keep the Law with our whole heart 1. What it is to keep the Law with the whole heart It is taken Legally or Evangelically as a man is bound or as God will accept what is required in justice or what is accepted in mercy 1st According to the rigor of the Law The Law requireth exact conformity without the least motion to the contrary either in thought or destre a full obedience to the Law with all the powers of the whole man This is in force still as to our rule but not as to the condition of our acceptance with God This without any defect and imperfection like mans love to God in innocency since the fall is no where found but in Christ Jesus who alone is harmless and undefiled and will never thus be fulfilled by us till we come to Heaven For here all is but in part but then that which is in part shall be done away Then will there be light without darkness knowledg without ignorance faith without unbelief hope without despair love without defect and mixture of carnal inclinations All good motions without distraction Here is folly and confusion here flesh lusteth against the Spirit in the best Gal. 5. 17. They have a double principle though not a double heart 2ly In an Evangelical sense according to the moderation of the second Covenant and so God out of his love and mercy in Christ Jesus accepts of such a measure of love and obedience as answereth to the measure of Sanctification received When God sanctifieth a man he sanctifieth him as to all the parts and faculties of body and soul inlightneth the understanding with the knowledg of his will inclineth the heart to obedience circumciseth the affection filleth us with the love of God himself and holy things But being a voluntary agent he doth not this as to perfection of degrees all at once but successively and by little and little Therefore as long as we are in the world there is somewhat of ignorance in the understanding perversity in the will fleshliness and impurity in the affections flesh and spirit in every faculty like water and wine in the same cup but so as the gift of grace doth more and more prevail over the corruption of nature light upon darkness holiness upon sin and heavenliness upon our inclinations to worldly vanities As the Sun upon the shadow of the night till it groweth into perfect day Prov. 4. 18. The path of the
against covetousness brings in a carnal wretch singing lullabies to his soul Luke 12. 19. Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thy ease eat drink and be merry He doth not wish for more but pleaseth himself with what he had already and yet in his language would Christ impersonate and set forth the dispositions of a covetous heart So we are cautioned Psal. 62. 10. If riches increase set not your hearts upon them When we set up our rest here and look no further we are guilty of this sin But now because we may delight in our portion and take comfort in what God hath given us let us see when our delight in temporal things is a branch of covetousness I answer when we delight in them to the neglect of God and the lessening of our joy in his service and our hopes of eternal life are abated and grow less lively when we so delight in them as to neglect God and the sweet intercourse we should have in him Therefore covetousness is called Idolatry Ephes. 5. 5. Col. 3. 5. as it robs God of our trust while we build upon uncertain riches as a stable happiness and the best assurance of our felicity Mark 10. 23 24. How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God And when the Disciples wondred our Saviour answered How hard is it for them that trust in riches c. That is that set their confidence in them in that degree and measure as is only due to God Then it is called Adultery Iam. 4. 4. because out of love to worldly things we can dispense with our love to God and delight in him As the Harlot draws away the affection from the lawful Wife In short when we seek them and prize them with the neglect of better as spiritual and heavenly things are Luk. 12. 21. Mat. 6. 19 20 21 33. Next to the love of God we must love our selves and there first our souls Now we are besotted and inchanted with the love of the world so as to slight the favour of God and the hopes of Blessedness to come this is Adultery spiritual and sets up another chief good Secondly Let us come to the causes of it and they are two Distrust of Gods Providence and discontent with Gods allowance You have both in one place Heb. 13. 5. Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have These two distrust and discontent have a mutual influence upon one another distrust breeds discontent with our present portion and discontent breeds ravenous desires and ravenous desires breed distrust for when we set God a task to provide for our lusts certainly he will never do it I say we can never depend upon him that he should provide for our lusts For the first of these that is distrust or a fear of want together with a low esteem of Gods Providence which maketh us so unreasonably solicitous about outward provisions therefore when Christ would cure our covetousness he seeks to cure our distrust Luke 12. 29. And seek not ye what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink neither be ye of doubtful mind Do not hover like Meteors in the air antedating your cares making your selves more miserable by your own suspicions and your own fears what shall become of you and yours So Mat. 6. 34. Take no thought for to morrow sufficient for the day is the evil thereof I say this carking about future things makes us so impatient and earnest after present satisfaction God trained up his people to a waiting upon his Providence Manna fell from Heaven every day so sufficient for the day is the evil thereof Every day we need look no further Give us this day our daily bread But men fear future need and poverty and so would help themselves by their own carking So then diffidence of Gods promises is the latent evil which lodgeth in the heart Sordid sparing and greedy getting that's on the top but that which lies near the heart is distrust we incline to sensible things and cannot tell how to be well without them and so resolve to shift for our selves 2. Discontent Men have not so much as their rapacious desires crave though they are allowed moderate supplies to keep them till they go to Heaven And therefore every thing that they get serves but as a bait to draw them on further so they are always joining house to house and laying field to field Isa. 5. 8. When once men transgress the bounds of contentment prescribed by God there is no stop or stay Look as the channel wears wider and deeper the more water falls into it the water frets more and more So the more outward things increase upon us the more are our desires increast upon us No man hath vast and unlimited thoughts at first Men would be a little higher in the world and a little better accommodated and when they have that they must have a little more then a little more so they seize upon all things within their grasp and reach Whereas if we had been content with our estate at first we might have saved many a troublesome care many a sin many needless desires and many a foolish and hurtful lust that proves our bain and torment Be content with such things as you have now or you will not be content hereafter the lust will increase with the possession As in some diseases of the stomach purging doth better than repletion not to feed the humour but to purge away the distemper So here it is not more that will satisfie us but our lusts must be abated if we were better satisfied with Gods fair allowance we might be happy men much sooner than ever we shall be by great wealth Thirdly For the discoveries of this sin Aristotle as it is a moral vice placeth it in two things in a defect in giving and an excess in taking we may better express both in Scripture-phrase by greedy getting and an unmeet with-holding 1. Greedy-getting manifested either 1. By sinful means of acquisition as lying couzening oppression prophaning the Lords-day grinding the faces of the poor carnal compliances or any other such unjust or evil arts of gain Men stick not at the means when their desires are so strongly carried out after the end Prov. 28. 20. He that maketh hast to be rich cannot be innocent They leap over hedg and ditch and all restraints of honesty and conscience to compass their ends all their endeavours are suited to their profit and therefore consult not with conscience but with interest and so prove treacherous to God unthankful to Parents disobedient to Magistrates unfaithful to Equals unmerciful to inferiors and care not whom they wrong so they may thrive in the world 2. Though it go not so high as injustice yet it appeareth by excessive labours when endeavours are unreasonably multiplied to the wrong both of the body and the soul. To the wrong
ready to make Profession 1 Pet. 3. 5. bids us do it with meekness and fear Meekness respects Men Fear a care to approve our selves to God The Fear of Men is checked by the Fear of God Isa. 8. 12 13. Neither fear ye their fear nor be afraid Sanctifie the Lord of hosts himself and let him be your fear and let him be your dread Luke 12. 4 5. Be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear Fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell An holy Impression of God's Excellency and Greatness left upon the Heart is this Fear that carrieth the Cause clearly for God And as one Nail driveth out another the Fear of Men banisheth the Fear of God out of our Hearts We are obliged to none so as to God who hath the power of Eternal Life and Eternal Death What is a Prison to Hell a little vain Glory to Eternal Glory the Creature to God! 4. A deep sense of the other World When we translate the Scene from Earth to Heaven from this World to the next and consider who is scorned there received there or rejected there the Temptation is lessened The Apostle sheweth that a Spirit of Faith is at the bottom of Confession with the mouth 2 Cor. 4. 13. We having the same spirit of faith believe and therefore speak He that believeth another World and hopeth for it will never be cowardly and bashful but will confidently confess Christ and own him both in Worship and Conversation A Spirit of Faith cannot be suppressed but will break out and shew it self and not be ashamed of Christ his Truth and Ways Well then Christians should be ashamed of that Spirit of Fear Bashfulness and Inconfidence which keeps us from confessing Christ and owning his Ways Kings are more formidable by their Place and Power than the rest of the World but alas we give place to the meanest Men and the smallest opposition maketh us give out 2 Tim. 1. 7. We have not the spirit of fear but the spirit of love power and a sound mind The Christian Spirit is a sober Spirit that valueth all things according to their weight but not a dastardly Spirit a Spirit of Love and Power that owneth Christ with meekness and a due respect to earthly Tribunals and yet with courage as looking higher to the Throne of God 2. We must not be ashamed to own the Testimonies and Ways of God before any sort of Men in the World The Apostle telleth us Rom. 1. 16. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Iesus Christ. The Gospel is such a pure sure Rule and offereth us such glorious Hopes that we should be ready to profess it without being ashamed of it So he bids Timothy 2 Tim. 1. 11. Be not ashamed of the testimony of the Lord nor of me his prisoner neither of the Profession nor of our Companions in the Profession when they are under the greatest disgrace So again 1 Pet. 4. 16. If any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but glorifie God in this behalf It is matter of Thanksgiving not of shame David is an Instance when Michol scoffed at him I will yet be more vile 2 Sam. 6. 22. It is an honour to be dishonoured for Christ. The Primitive Christians when the Heathens reproched them Art thou not ashamed to believe in him that was crucified The Answer was I am ashamed to believe in him that committed Adultery meaning the Heathen Iupiter Affliction is no disgrace but Sin is But what danger is there of being ashamed of the Gospel since Christianity is in fashion Answ. 1. Sometimes the Simplicity of the Gospel is contemned by the Wits of the World and therefore they either muster up the Oppositions of Science falsly so called or else droll upon Religion and make it the common Jest and By-word 2. The stricter Profession of the Ways of God is under reproch Though the nominal Christian and the serious Christian have the same Bible and believe the same Creed and are baptized into one and the same Profession yet those that are false to their Religion will hate and scorn those that are true to it and among the carnal it will be matter of reproch to be serious and diligent Now though a gracious Heart can be vile for God yet others are afraid they shall be marked and accounted Precise or Puritans and so by resisting an imaginary Shame they fall into an eternal Reproch 3. It may be the strict sort of Christians are the poorer sort and though they be precious in the eyes of God yet they are despised by Men Iohn 7. 49. This people that knoweth not the law are accursed Have any of the Pharisees believed in him any People of Quality They shall be accounted People of no Port and Breeding if they are strictly Christian. Quantus in Christiano populo honor Christi est ubi Religio ignobilem facit coguntur esse viles ne mali videantur Religion is too mean a thing for Persons of Quality of their Rank Thus with many God's Image is made a scorn and the Devil's Image had in honour and serious Godliness is made a By-word Now to fortifie you against being ashamed of God and his Ways take these Considerations 1. The short continuance of this Worlds Glory Within a while we shall be levelled with the lowest and our Dust mixed with common Earth And shall we love the praise of Men more than the praise of God This corruptible Flesh must turn into a loathsom rottenness though now it looketh high and sets forth it self and would be brave and Lordly but the spirit must return to God that gave it to be commanded into unseen and unknown Regions 1 Pet. 1. 21. All flesh is grass and the glory of man as the flower of grass 2. God is the Fountain of Honour all Things and Persons receive an Honour by having relation to him Iames 2. 1. Have not the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ the Lord of glory in respect of persons Services mean in themselves are accounted honourable with respect to Princes The Reproch of Christ is enough to weigh down all the Honours in the World Heb. 11. 26. Esteeming the reproch of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt 3. If your hearts be sincere with God you will not be ashamed of his Ways For Wisdom is justified of her children In Luke it is All her children Luke 7. 35. They that have a Faith which is the fruit of Conviction onely may be ashamed Iohn 12. 42 43. Among the rulers also many believed on him but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God But that Faith which is the fruit of Conversion will make us courageous in God's Cause
In its infancy there may be some reliques of Fear in a Christian as Iohn 19. 39. Nicodemus at first came to Iesus by night but a grown Faith counts it no loss of Honour or impeachment of Dignity to become vile for God 4. The eternal Recompence 1 Sam. 2. 30. Those that honour me I will honour 1 Pet. 2. 7 That your faith may be found to praise glory and honour at Christs coming On the other side if we are ashamed of Christ Christ will be ashamed of us for evermore Mark 8. 38. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his father with the holy angels The Eagle-eye of Faith can look through all the Pageantry of the World and the Mists and Clouds of Time to the Future state the Judgment that shall be made of things To a Believers eye all the Honour of the World is but a Fancy and vain Appearance a Scene in which a base Fellow acteth the part of a Prince 5. The Judgment of the World is not to be stood upon Why should we desire the applause of the blind ungodly World or make any great matter of their contempt and scorn Shall the scorn of a Fool be more to us than the approbation of God If they slight you who slight God and Christ and their own Salvation why should you be troubled They are incompetent Judges of these things 1 Iohn 3. 1. The world knoweth us not Use. See the strange perversion of Humane Nature Men are ashamed where they should be bold and bold and confident where they should be ashamed they glory in their shame but think it a disgrace to speak of God and own God not before Kings onely but before their Familiars and Companions Be ashamed to be filthy false proud but never be ashamed to go to a Sermon where you may profit in the Ways of God and the Knowledge of his Testimonies to be strict in Conversation to speak reverently of God though scorned by Men. None of God's Servants have reason to be ashamed of their Master SERMON LIII PSAL. CXIX 47. And I will delight my self in thy commandments which I have loved THE Man of God is giving Arguments to inforce his Request That the word of Truth might not be taken utterly out of his mouth 1. He could not bear it because all his Hopes of Felicity were built upon it ver 43. 2. He promiseth constancy of Obedience ver 44. 3. Liberty of Practice ver 45. 4. Liberty of Profession not hindred by Fear or Shame but should be born out with confidence in that Profession 5. He urgeth in the Text with what delight he should carry on the Work of Obedience and I will delight my self in thy commandments which I have loved In which observe 1. His great Pleasure and Contentment is asserted and professed I will delight my self 2. The Object of it in thy commandments 3. The fundamental Reason or bottom Cause of this Delight which I have loved Doct. A gracious heart doth love and delight in the Commandments of God The Godly are described by it Hence David makes it the Character of a Blessed man Psal. 1. 2. His delight is in the law of the Lord and in that law doth he meditate day and night And Psal. 112. 1. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord and delighteth greatly in his commandments Paul asserts of himself as a comfortable evidence of his Sincerity in the midst of his Infirmities Rom. 7. 22. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man By the inward man he means the renewed part that is pleased with all things that please God if we have such a Delight as is above the Delight of Sense c. I will 1. Explain the Point as it lieth here in the Text. 2. Shew how the Heart is brought to this for corrupt Nature is otherwise affected I. To explain the Point 1. His Pleasure and Contentment is asserted I will delight my self A Christian hath his Joys and Delights but they are pure and chaste they delight in the Lord and in his Word and Ways Phil. 4. 4. Rejoyce in the Lord always and again I say Rejoyce He hath a liberty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but onely in the Lord 1 Cor. 7. 39. not onely may but must it is his Duty Joy is a great part of his Work not our Felicity or Wages onely but our Work also Now I shall prove that all the Pleasures and Delights of the Earth are nothing to the Pleasures and Delights which the Godly do find in God and in an holy Life 1. These Delights are more substantial It is not a superficial Joy that they are delighted withal but a substantial Joy It must needs be so partly because these are better grounded not built upon a mistake and fancy but the highest Warrant and surest Foundation which Mankind can build upon the Word of the Eternal God which can never fail Whereas the Joy that is meerly built upon carnal Delights is built upon a fancy and mistake Both are represented by the Apostle 1 Iohn 2. 17. The world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever If they considered the shortness of their Pleasures and in what a doleful case their Wealth and Honour and fleshly Delights will leave them they would have little list to be merry till they had looked after a more stable Blessedness The World will be soon gone and the Lust and Gust thereof gone also but he that goeth on with the work of Holiness building on the Promise of another World layeth a sure Foundation Partly because they do more intimately affect the Soul Sensual Delights do not go so deep as the Delights of Holiness Psal. 4. 7. Thou hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time when their corn and their wine increased like a soaking Showr that goeth to the Root The other tickleth the Senses poor slight and out-side Comforts that do not fortifie the Heart against distresses much less against the remembrance of our Judge or the fears of an offended God or the serious thoughts of another World For these two Reasons the Joys of a Christian stirred up in him by the Conformity of his Will to the Will of God are solid substantial Joys A wicked Man may be jocund and jovial but he hath not the true Delight they may have more Mirth but the Christian hath the true Joy In the midst of mirth the heart is sorrowful It is easie to be merry but it is not easie to be joyful or to get a substantial Delight 2. These Delights are more Perfective a Man is the better for them Other Delights that please the Flesh feed Corruption but these corroborate and strengthen Graces They are so far from disordering the Mind and leading us to sin that they
's the reality Matth. 22. 7. They which were invited to the Wedding varnished their denial over with an excuse Delay is a denial for if they were willing there would be no excuse To be ridd of importunate and troublesome Creditors we promise them payment another time and we know our Estate will be more wasted by that time it is but to put them off So this delay and putting off God is but a shift Here 's the misery God always comes unseasonably to a carnal heart It was the Devils that said Matth. 8. 29. Art thou come to torment us before our time Good things are a torment to a carnal heart and they always come out of time Certainly that 's the best time when the word is prest upon the heart with evidence light and power and when God treats with thee about thine eternal peace Reason 6. There are very urgent reasons to quicken us to make hasâ—…e 1. The state wherein we are at present is so bad and dangerous that we can never soon enough come out of it The state of a man in his Carnal condition is compared in Scripture to a Prison Rom. 11. 32. God hath concluded or shut them all up in unbelief And mark it is a Prison that is all on fire Oh when poor Captives are bolted and shut up in a flaming Prison how will they run hither and thither to get out So should we run and strive to get out of this flaming Prison You cannot be too soon out of the power of the Devil or from under the curse of the Law the danger of hell fire and the dominion of sin Matth. 3. 7. Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come He doth not say to goe nor to run but to flee Fleeing from wrath to come that 's the truest motion And so Heb. 6. 18. They which had the avenger of blood at their heels fled for refuge to take hold of the hope set before them If there be poyson in our Bowels we think we can never soon enough cast it out If fire hath taken hold of a building we do not say we will quench it hereafter the next week or next moneth but think we can never soon enough quench it Or if there be a wound in the Body we do not let it alone till it 〈◊〉 and rankle Christians you may apply all this to the present case here the danger is greater There is no Poyson so deadly as Sin which hath infected all Man-kind no wound so dangerous for that will be the death of Body and Soul no fire so dreadfull as the wrath of God therefore we cannot soon enough come out of this condition 2. We cannot be happy soon enough for the state we make after is the arms of God the bosome of Iesus the hopes of Eternal Life we cannot soon enough get within the compass of such priviledges Oh shall Christ lie by as a dead Commodity or breaded ware It shews we know not the gift of God Iohn 4. If we had a due sense and value of his Excellency we would take the morning Market and let not Christ Iesus with all his benefits lie by as a Commodity that may be had at the last at any time of the day we would look upon him as the quickest ware in the Market and flock to him as Doves to the windows Isa. 6. You would force your way that you might get into his heart you would count all things but dross and dung that you might gain him It will be sweet to be incircled in the embraces of Iesus Christ to have his left hand under your head and his right hand to embrace you Cant. 2. 6. and will you delay when he stands offering himself and stretching out his hands all the day long to receive you SERMON LXVIII PSAL. CXIX 60. I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments I Come now to the Application Use 1. Is to reprove the dallying with God which we are conscious to in the work of Conversion which is so common and natural to us We are apt to put off God from time to time from Child-hood to Youth from Youth to Mans-age from Mans-age to Old-age from Old-age to Death-bed and so the Devil steals away one hour after another till all time be past I shall 1 speak of the causes of this delay 2 represent the hainousness of it that you may not stroke this sin with a gentle censure and think lightly of the matter I. Of the causes of this delay 1. Unbelief or want of a due sense or sight of things to come If men were perswaded of Eternal Life and Eternal Death they would not stand hovering so long between Heaven and Hell but presently engage their hearts to draw nigh to God But we cannot see afar off 2 Pet. 1. 9. Nature is purblind to carnal hearts there 's a mist upon Eternity they have no prospective whereby to look into another World therefore it hath no influence upon them to quicken them to more speed and earnestness If we had a due sense of Eternal Death surely we would be sleeing from wrath to come no motion should be earnest and swift enough to get from such a danger If we had a due sense of Eternal Life we would be running to take hold of the hope that is before us Heb. 6. 18. 2. Security If men have a cold belief of Heaven and Hell if they take up the currant opinions of the Country yet they do not take it into their serious thoughts they put far away the evil day Amos 6. 3. Things at a distance do not startle us as a clap of Thunder afar off doth not fright us so much as when it is just over our heads in our own Zenith We look upon these things as to come so put off the thought of them Next to a want of a sound belief the want of a serious consideration is the cause why men dally with God If we had the same thoughts living and dying our motions would be more earnest and ready When Death and Eternity is near we are otherwise affected than when we look upon it as afar off One said of a zealous Preacher he Preacheth as if Death were at my back Oh could we look upon Death as at our back or heels if men did but consider that within a few dayes they must go to Heaven or Hell that there is but the slender thread of a frail Life upon which they depend that is soon fretted asunder they would not venture any longer to be out of a state of Grace nor dally with God But we think we may live long and time enough to repent by leisure we put far off the day of our change and so are undone by our own security 3. Aversness of heart from God That which makes us desirous to stay longer in a way of Sin doth indeed make us loth to turn at all and what 's that Obstinacy and unsubjection
fruit of his mercy it is to manifest his special love to us and engage our hearts to himself Isa. 38. 17. Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption or thou hast loved me from the grave otherwise God may give things in anger Consider the means by which he brought them about when unlikely unexpected in themselves weak insufficient The greatest matters of Providence hang many times upon small wires a lye brought Ioseph into prison and a dream fetched him out and he was advanced and Iacobs Family fed Consider the number of his mercies Psal. 139. 17. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me O God how great is the summ of them The many failings pardoned comforts received dangers prevented deliverances vouchsafed How he began with us before all time conducted us in time and hath been preparing for us an happiness which we shall injoy when time shall be no more 2. Satisfie your selves with no praise and thanksgiving but what leaveth the impression of real effects upon the Soul For God is not slattered with empty praises and a little verbal commendation There is a twofold praising of God by expressive declaration or by objective impression now neither expression nor impression must be excluded Some Platonical Divines explode and scoff at the verbal praise more than becometh their Reverence to the word of God Psal. 50. 23. He that offereth praise glorifieth me But then the impression must be looked after too that we be like that God whom we commend and extoll that we depend on him more love him more fervently serve him more chearfully 2 Doct. That God's Providence rightly considered we shall find in the worst times much more cause to give thanks than to complain I observe this because David was now under Affliction he had in the former Verse complained that the bands of the wicked had robbed him yet even then would he give thanks to God 1. Observe here the matter of his Thanksgiving was God's Providence according to his Word seen in executing Threatnings on the Wicked and performing his Promises to the Godly God's Word is one of the chiefest Benefits bestowed on Man and therefore should be a subject of our Praises Now when this is verified in his Providence and we see a faithfull performance of those things in Mercy to his Servants and in Justice to his Enemies and the benefits and advantages of his Law to them that are obedient and the just Punishment of the disobedient and can discern not onely a vein of Righteousness but of Truth in all God's dealings this is a double benefit which must be taken notice of and acknowledged to God's praise Oh Christians how sweet is it to reade his Works by the light of the Sanctuary and to learn the Interpretation of his Providence from his Spirit by his Word Psalm 73. 17. I went into the Sanctuary of God then understood I their end by consulting the Scriptures he saw the end and close of them that walk not according to God's Direction his Word and Works do mutually explain one another The Sanctuary is the place where God's People meet where his Word is taught where we may have satisfaction concerning all his dealings 2. That when any divine Dispensation goeth cross to our Affections yea our Prayers and Expectations yet even then can Faith bring meat out of the eater and find many occasions of Praise and Thanksgiving to God for nothing falleth out so cross but we may see the hand of God in it working for good 1. Though we have not the blessing we seek and pray for yet we give thanks because God hath been sometimes intreated he hath shewed himself a God hearing Prayer and is onely delaying now untill a more fit time wherein he may give us that which is sought Psalm 43. 5. Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Now we are mourning but he is our God and we are not left without hope of a blessed issue God that hath been gracious will be gracious again He is our gracious Father when we are under his sharpest Corrections a Father when he striketh or frowneth therefore we are not without hope that he will give us opportunities again of glorifying his Name 2. We bless God for continuing so long the Mercies which he hath taken from us Former experiences must not be forgotten Eben-ezer Hitherto the Lord hath helped us if he shall afflict us afterward yet hitherto he hath helped us 1 Sam. 7. 12. If he take away Life it is a mercy that he spared it so long for his own service and glory if Liberty that we had such a time of rest and intermission 3. God is yet worthy of Praise and Thanksgiving for choicer Mercies yet continued notwithstanding all the afflictions laid upon us That we have his Spirit supporting us under our Tryals and inabling us to bear them 1 Pet. 4. 13 14. Rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christ's Sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy For if ye be reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth on you And that we have any Peace of Conscience Rom. 5. 1. Therefore being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. That the hope of eternal Life is not diminished but increased by our Afflictions Rom. 5. 4 5. We glory in Tribulation knowing that Tribulation worketh Patience and Patience Experience and Experience Hope and Hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us That many of our natural Comforts are yet left and God will supply us by ways best known to himself 4. That Evils and Afflictions which light upon us for the Gospels sake or Righteousness sake and Christ's Name sake are to be reckoned among our Priviledges and deserve Praise rather then Complaint Phil. 1. 29. To you it is given in the behalf of Christ not onely to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake if it be a gift it is matter of Praise 5. Take these Evils in the worst notion they are less then we have deserved Ezra 9. 13. And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great trespass seeing that thou our God hast punished us less then our Inquities deserve Babylon is not Hell and still that should be acknowledged 6. That no Evil hath befallen us but such as God can bring good out of them Rom. 8. 28. All things shall work together for good to them that love God All things that befall a Christian are either good or shall turn to good either to good natural Gen. 50. 20. Ye thought evil but God meant it for good or good spiritual Psal. 119. 75. I know O Lord that thy Iudgments are
just and faithfull and will cast all things for the best though we see it not we must assent by Faith when we cannot find it by Sense internal or external I know in faithfulness thou hast afflicted me Secondly I am to shew you and prove to you that there is much of justice and faithfulness to be observed in all the Afflictions which come upon us 1. There is much of Justice in all God's Judgments I prove it from God's Nature Psal. 119. 137. Righteous art thou O Lord and upright are thy Iudgments his Work is as his Being is holy and righteous all his Providences carry a condecency and becomingness with his Nature We presume it of a righteous Man that he will doe righteous things and shall not we believe so of the holy God We cannot be infallibly perswaded of a righteous Man for a righteous Man may leave his Righteousness because the Creature is mutable and the most righteous and innocent Man hath mixt Principles and his Rule is without him and sometimes he may hit it and sometimes swerve from it but God is unchangable his Will and Nature is the supream Reason and Measure of all things his Acts are accordingly he cannot erre A Carpenter who hath a Line in his hand may chop right or miss but if we could suppose a Carpenter whose Hand were his Rule he would always hit right We may be confident the Judge of all the Earth will doe right his Righteousness and the Righteousness of men differ infinitely more than a Candle differeth from the Sun Zach. 3. 5. The righteous God in the midst of thee will doe no iniquity God will not yea he cannot 't is contrary to his Nature Abraham might seek to wriggle out of danger by a shift Noah might fall into Drunkenness Lot pollute himself with Incest Moses trip in his Faith David destroy his innocent Servant Uriah Ionah fall into fear and rash anger the Angels may depart from their Rule if the Divine Goodness should cease to support them for a moment but 't is impossible that God who is Holiness and Righteousness it self can erre and fail in any of his Actions 2. God never afflicteth or bringeth on Judgment without a cause For this cause many are sick 1 Cor. 11. 30. there is something done on the Creatures part before Punishment is inflicted If we consider God as a Lord dispensing Grace he acts sovereignly and according to his own will and pleasure even so Father because it pleaseth thee Matth. 11. 27. for he may doe with his own as he pleaseth 't is no wrong to shew his Grace to some and pass by others but if we consider God as a Judge he never punisheth without a foregoing Cause on the Creatures part God who is arbitrary in his Gifts is not arbitrary in his Judgments there is a rule of Commerce between him and his Creatures stated and set forth and allowed and appointed by him and consented unto by us the directive and counselling part is the rule of our Obedience and the sanction or comminatory part is the rule of his judicial Process In acts of Grace and in dispensing with the violations of his Law he sometimes maketh use of his Prerogative but not in punishing there he keepeth to his Law and therefore it is that the Saints do give him the honour of his Justice Dan. 4. 7. O Lord righteousness belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of Face for we have sinned and done wickedly and have rebelled in departing from thy Precepts Nehem. 9. 33. Thou art just in all that is brought upon us for thou hast done right but we have done wickedly all our trouble is the penalty of his broken Law justly inflicted on us In short the breach is first on our part there is some violation of his Law or contempt of his Grace but God loveth us first there he hath the precedency he beginneth in all acts of Grace but the reason of his judicial Dispensations is first with us We are first in the offence and provide fuel for his wrath before it break out upon us 3. When there is cause given God doth not presently take it but giveth Sinners time in his process against them and doth not presently execute the sentence of his Word till they are found incorrigible He giveth them warning before he striketh he wooeth and soliciteth by many kind messages to return to their Duty and speaketh to them sometimes in the rough sometimes in the still voice He bringeth his judgment to light every morning as the Prophet speaketh Zeph. 3. 5. he doth so delight in Mercy and is so tender of the Workmanship of his hands especially his own People that he never proceedeth to severity as long as there is some way unessayed to reclaim them not yet made use of As one that would open a door and knows not the Key he tries Key after Key one Dispensation after another he doth not take the Sinner at first word but followeth him with frequent warnings of his danger with offers of advantage if he return yea at last he is loth to give them up to severe Judgments even then when he can scarce without imputation to his Holiness forbear any longer Hosea 11. 8. How shall I give thee up I am God and not man Such Expostulations and Speeches are very frequent in the Prophets and all these Speeches do abundantly justify God when he judgeth he would sain hold off the extremity of Judgments deserved by them the Lord maketh a stand and would fain be prevented before he proceedeth to his strange work 4. The Judgments inflicted are always short of the Cause surely they never exceed the value of it Esra 9. 13. Thou hast punished us less than we have deserved God doth not exact the whole debt of Sinners which they owe to his Justice 'T was an heavy stroke that then lighted upon Ierusalem Was their wound but a scratch or affliction little Dolefull and sad ruine was brought upon that place the City and the Temple burnt to ashes the People carried captive to a strange Land yet thou hast punished us less than we have deserved They were in Babylon they might have been in Hell our reward is alway more than our desert but our punishment is always less than our desert We count it a favour if forseiture of life be punished with Banishment or if a sentence of Banishment be commuted into a Fine or the Fine be mitigated and brought lower and shall we think God dealeth rigorously with us when he layeth on some heavy Cross he might have cast us into Hell and laid his hand upon us for ever See Iob 11. 6. O know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth We have low thoughts of Sin and therefore have grievous apprehensions of God's Judgments We do but sip of the Cup when God might make us to drink of the dreggs of it Secondly I am to prove that the godly
Word yea such an hearty affection as cannot easily be exprest 2. They that love the Word will be meditating therein continually It is my meditation all the day Doct. 1. That God's People have a great love to his Word yea such an hearty affection as cannot easily be exprest I will evidence that by two Considerations 1. The Word deserves this love 2. The Saints are ready to yield it 1. First The Word deserves it in respect of the Author the Matter and the Use in all these respects is the Word of God lovely First For the Author 't is God's Word and they love it for the Author's sake the signification of his mind as a Letter from a beloved Friend is very welcom to us Aristotle in his Rhetoricks mentioning the cause of delight saith thus They that love much when they are speaking of what they love or when they hear any thing of the party beloved or receive any thing from them it is a mighty delight and pleasure to them So it is in this spiritual love the Word is God's Epistle and Love-letter to our souls therefore for his sake it is the more welcome to us And upon this ground God complains of it that when he had written the great things of his Law to a People they were neglected and slighted and counted a strange thing Hos. 8. 12. I have written God is the Author whosoever is the Penman The Scriptures are a writing from him to us Now for us to be strangers to it and little conversant about it argues some contempt of God as to slight a Letter of a Friend shews little esteem of the Writer O the Saints they put it into their bosoms and it gains upon their hearts why it is God's Epistle it is my best Friend's Letter This is certain love God and you love his Law for the Author's sake it will be dear and precious to you Secondly The Saints have such a strong love to the Word of God because of the Matter in it revealed for it hath all the properties of a thing to be beloved 't is true good profound and full of depth and mysteries What would you desire in a doctrine to draw your hearts to it Truth goodness and profoundness of knowledge 1. If certainty of truth will draw love 't is to be found in the holy Scriptures for they are vouched by God himself to be true Psal. 19. 9. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether And the Gospel is called the Word of truth Ephes. 1. 13. After ye had received the Word of truth the Gospel of your salvation And Iohn 17. 17. Sanctifie them by thy truth thy Word is truth To improve these places thus Truth is the good of the understanding and without the knowledge of which we can have no tranquility of mind Now of all truths this is the chiefest it is not humane natural or inferior truth but a supreme divine truth ratified by God's authority such as nature could never have found out yea such a truth as carries its own evidence with it and shews how it comes from God and discovers itself to be of God As the Sun is seen by its own beams so the Word of God needs no other testimony than itself to commend its self to the Consciences of Men. Certainly it is such a truth as doth sufficiently evidence itself to be of God all God's works discover their Author and carry about with them their own demonstration not only his greater works upon which he hath imprest most of his wisdom and power but even his lesser works every worm and pile of grass shews who made it To an attentive and discerning eye a Man cannot look upon a Worm or consider a Gnat or any contemptible Creature but he shall see this was made by a wise God God hath left his stamp upon every one of his works and certainly upon his Word much more For he hath magnified his Word above all his Name Psal. 138. 2. There 's a more-clear discovery of the goodness wisdom and power of God than can be in any of his works for upon this he hath laid forth all the riches of his wisdom and goodness Therefore if there be in all creatures and works of God a self-evidencing light to discover their Author and that invisible Godhead and power by which they were made certainly there is somewhat in the Word of God to discover its Author because of this objective evidence which it hath in itself it is more sure than an Oracle or voice from Heaven 2 Pet. 1. 19. We have also a more sure word of prophecy more sure than what than that voice which he heard from Heaven This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased This was a confirmation indeed you will think and yet Peter that heard that voice telleth us that comparatively we have greater security from and by the Word of God not more sure in its self but as it is given in evidence to us so we have a more sure Word of prophecy A transient voice is more easily mistaken and forgotten than a standing authentique Record therefore we have a more sure ground to rest upon than ever hath been or can be given to sinners subject to forgetfulness jealousies and mistakes A voice from Heaven speaking to us by name might more easily be suspected to be anothers than the Lord's voice as when God called Samuel he suspected that it was the voice of Eli therefore an Oracle cannot be so sure safe and self-evidencing as this Word of God that he hath commended to us For if God should speak to us still from Heaven how should we be able to distinguish it from delusion or to know it was a voice from God Might not Satan cause a voice to be heard in the Air and deceive us Indeed the holy Men of God that immediately received those Voices and Oracles were certified that it was of God because there was some divine evidence which did accompany the Revelation and if there be the same impressions of God upon the written Word we have as much certainty as they yea more as we view the whole Revelation of God together and more deliberately consider the character and signature of God that is stampt upon it In short the Word when preached by Christ himself in person came in upon the hearts of men chiefly by this self evidencing light therefore it is said of Christ Mat. 7. 29. That he taught them as one having authority and not as the Scribes His Hearers were convinced of a Sovereign Majesty in his Speech proper to the Divinity of his Person and when the Officers were sent to apprehend him there was such an evidence in his Doctrine that they cryed out Never man spake like this man John 7. 46. And still there is the same evidence in his Doctrine written for the voice could add nothing to it and the writing can take nothing from it The voice is but
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
on fire as the whole metal is melted that the dross may be severed Use. 3. All Judgments on the visible Church are to sever the dross from the Gold God suffereth them a while to be mingled and then come trying Judgments to separate the one from the other which is a comfort to us the Church is the purer for these Judgments Isai. 1. 25. And I will turn my hand upon thee and I will surely purge away thy dross and take away thy tin So Mal. 3. 3. And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purifie the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness He will send such Judgments as will destroy the incorrigible wicked ones and purifie the rest 'T is a comfort against persecutions we murmure under them know not how they shall be turned away God who is the purger of his Church will find out some way And 't is a comfort under his Judgments they are not to destroy but to purge God intendeth only our purging how hot soever the Furnace be therefore let God alone with his work Use 4. Is to teach us to wait upon God in the way of his Judgments He is putting away the wicked of the Earth like dross it is not only a work that he hath done or will hereafter do but he is always doing of it We should observe how God hath already done it and so by faith we should look upon him as still about it First He beginneth with his people he is purging away of their wickedness Isai. 27. 9. By this shall the iniquity of Iacob be purged But many shall cleave to them by flatteries and some of them of understanding shall fall to try them and to purge and make them white Dan. 11. 35. Now when God hath employed wicked men to fann and purge his people then their turn cometh next Ier. 25. 29. For lo I begin to bring evil on the City which is called by my name and should ye be utterly unpunished Ye shall not be unpunished for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the Earth 1 Pet. 4. 17. If punishment begin at the house of God where shall the wicked and ungodly appear Prov. 11. 31. Behold the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth much more the wicked and the sinner When the Lord hath performed his work upon Mount Zion and Ierusalem then he will reckon with his Enemies he beginneth with his Church and maketh an end with their Enemies his Enemies drink the dregs of the Cup and their end must needs be unspeakably terrible Use 5. Let us see we be not put away like dross when Gods Judgments are abroad in the Earth 1 Cor. 11. 32. We are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world We shall put that out of question if we do two things First If we be faithful to God and cleave to Gods people truth and interest how great soever our tryals be Psal. 44. 17. All this is come upon us yet we have not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsely in the Covenant To consume in the melting is the property of dross but the pure metal is the more united and cleaveth together the more closely Secondly If you are refined by all these tryals Isai. 27. 9. By this shall the iniquity of Iacob be purged A Christian loseth nothing by his afflictions but sin which is better parted with than kept We come now to the second Branch of the Text and that is the effect it had upon David's heart Therefore I love thy testimonies This use he made of all Gods Judgements Doctr. A gracious heart that observeth the Providence of God and the course of his judicial dispensations will find more cause to love the word of God than ever before 1. Because thereby he hath sensible experience of the truth of it Gods Providence is a Comment upon his Word the effect is answerable to the prediction and the word that God hath said is fulfilled to a tittle Now the more confirmation the word receiveth the more is affection encreased The Apostle telleth us That the word spoken by Angels was stedsast Heb. 2. 2. because every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward the punishment of the transgressours of the Law was a proof of Gods authorizing their Doctrine the same Law made formerly is valid We see the word doth not threaten in vain and they that slight it smart for it Now I see the word of God is to be valued for God will make it good even to a tittle 2. Because if we love not the word we may see great danger likely to ensue even those terrible punishments by which he purgeth out the dross should make us fall in love with Gods Law If we would not perish with the wicked of the earth we should not sin with the wicked of the earth if we partake of their sins we must partake of their plagues Psal. 2. 11. Kiss the son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way if his wrath be kindled but a little blessed are they that trust in him When we see the danger of being enemies to God or unsound with him we have need to learn this wisdome of shewing all affection and reverence and respect to Christ and his ways and submit to him heartily there is no safety in any other course If a spark of his wrath light upon us how soon will it consume us The stupid world regardeth not this to love his ways the more God giveth out proofs of his anger against those that despise them Many are cut off in the mid way sooner than they did or could expect and yet they do not grow one jot the wiser 'T is dangerous to stand out against God his cause work or people 3. It doth indear the mercy of God to us because he hath dealt otherwise with us who in strict Justice have deserved the same Gods Judgments on the wicked commend his Mercies to his Children Rom. 9. 23. The Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction serve to shew the greater love of God to the Vessels of mercy the torments of Hell inflicted on the wicked do the more set forth his love to the Saints to whom he hath appointed the joys of Heaven So the severity of God in his present Judgments doth imply the love of God to his chosen people who can take comfort in the promises when the threatnings are accomplished upon others this might have been our condition too but that Grace hath made the difference Well then as it doth indear the mercy of God to us so it calleth upon us more highly to love and prize him and his word because of this distinction 4. 'T is not only a means to set off the love of God to us but even his Judgments upon others may be a necessary act of love
himself and intrust us with a stock of Grace but after he hath done that we 〈◊〉 are faulting and sinning Rom. 8. 1. Yet now there is no condemnation to them that are 〈◊〉 Christ notwithstanding the reliques of corruption and its breaking out 4. From the temper of the Saints their humility None have such a sight and sense of sin as they have because their eyes are anointed with spiritual eye-salve They have a clearer insight into the Law Ier. 31. 19. After I was instructed I smote upon my thigh They are enlightened by Gods Spirit the least Mote is espied in a Glass of clear Water None are so acquainted with their own hearts and ways as they who often commune with their own hearts and use self-reflection Others that live carelesly do not mind their offences but they that set themselves do more consider their ways none have a more tender sense of the heinousness of sin She loved much wept much because much was forgiven her Luke 7. Some are of a more delicate constitution the back of a Slave is not so sensible of stripes as they that have been more tenderly brought up The Beams of the Sun shining into a house we see the Dust and Motes in the Sun-Beams which we saw not before They profess as Iacob I am not worthy of all the mercy and truth thou hast shewed me They groan as Saint Paul Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Use 1. Is information We learn hence that we should not be discouraged when our hearts are touched with a deep remorse and sense of our failings and are desirous to break off our sins by repentance that mercy which is freely vouchsafed in the Covenant which all Gods servants have so often experienced which the best make their only plea and ground of hope will find out a remedy for us If you have an heart to give up your selves to Gods service and so to get an interest in the promises and blessings of the Covenant you may come and sue out this mercy for God desireth to exalt his Grace God saith Return to the Lord your God and I will heal your backslidings and love you freely Hos. 14. 'T is the delight of Grace to do good notwithstanding unworthiness The worst of sins do not hinder Gods help are not above his cure There is hope for such as are convinced and see no worth in themselves why God should do them any good God needs not will not be hired by the Creatures to do it Use 2. How inexcusable those are that reject the offers of Grace If they have any liking to the blessings of the Covenant they have no ground to quarrel and differ with God about the price Isai. 55. 1. Ho every one that thirsteth let him come to the Waters and drink freely without money and without price You have no cloak for your sin if you will not deal with God upon these terms Nothing keepeth you from him but your own perverse will Use 3. What reason there is the best of Gods servants should carry it thankfully all their days From first to last the mercy of God is your only plea and claim No flesh hath cause to glory in his presence there being no meritorious cause in the Covenant of Grace no moving and inducing cause no co-ordinate working cause Not for your sakes do I this Ezek. 36. 32. And in the 1 Cor. 7. 4. 't is said Who maketh thee to differ We paid nothing for Gods love nothing for Christ the Son of his love nothing for his Spirit the fruit of his love nothing for sanctifying Grace and Faith the effects of his Spirit dwelling and working in our hearts nothing for pardon we have all freely nothing for daily bread protection maintenance and shall pay nothing for Glory when we come to receive it Iude 21. Looking for the mercy of God unto eternal life 'T is all without our merit and against merit we should regard this especially when we are apt to say in our hearts This is for our righteousness as Haman thought none so fit for honour and preferment as himself Esth. 6. 6. Haman thought so in his heart So proud-hearted self-conceited Sinners say in their hearts God seeth more in them than in others Alas you are not only unworthy of Christ the Spirit Grace and Glory but the Air you breathe in and the Ground you tread upon What did the Lord see in you to judge you meet for such an Estate Gen. 32. 10. I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies and all thy truth Did not you slight Grace neglect Christ as well as others and doth not sin break out and make a forfeiture every day Use 4. That we should carry it humbly as well as thankfully The best of Gods Children should most admire Grace and glorifie Mercy set the Crown on Mercies head Consider First What was the first rise of all Gods love what set all a stirring in Gods bosom Iohn 3. 16. There was no cause beyond this In other things we may rise higher from his Power and Wisdom to his Love but why did he love us There is no other cause to be given he loved us because he loved us 'T was love first moved the business in the ancient counsel of Gods will Gods love is the measure of its self Secondly When he came to apply it he found us in our blood 'T was a great mercy that God would take us into his service with all our faults We were his Creatures but quite marr'd not as he made us We are not what we were when first his as we came out of his hands we were pure and holy but since the Fall quite spoiled Ier. 2. 21. I had planted thee a noble Vine wholly a right seed how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me Strangely changed and altered If a Servant run from his Master and is become altogether blind deformed and diseased will his Master look after him or care for him or take him again This was our case Thirdly What is spoken already is common to others you your selves knew what you were Tit. 3. 3. Every man is soundly affected more sensible of his own case seeth particular reasons why God should refuse him yet you are as brands plucked out of the burning who did resist such powerful means such fair advantages you dallied with God You know the case of others by ghess your own by feeling You lay not only in the common polluted Mass but had your particular offences Fourthly When taken in a fault that God will pity our weakness and infirmities in his service Mal. 3. 17. I will spare them as a man spareth his Son that serveth him that is he will continue his favour and good-will to them that serve him So surely they that have a Conscience and are privy to their manifold infirmities and failings will admire this Fifthly
other Branch And I hate every false way Where we have The Act Hate the Object False way the Extent Every Whatsoever is contrary to the purity of Gods Word Doctr. That 't is a good note of a renewed and obedient heart to hate every false way This will appear from 1. The sorts and kinds of hatred 2. The causes 3. The effects or the comparison of hatred with anger 1. From the sorts and kinds of hatred which are reckoned up to be two First Odium abominationis Secondly Odium inimicitiae First Odium abominationis an hatred of flight and aversation called by some Odiuni offensionis the hatred of offence 'T is defined by Aquinas to be Dissonantia quaedam appetitûs ad id quod apprehenditur ut repugnans c. 'T is a repugnancy of the appetite to what is apprehended as contrary and prejudicial to it Such there is in the will of the regenerate for they apprehend sin as repugnant and contrary to their renewed will to the unregenerate 't is agreeable and suitable as Draff to the appetite of a Swine or Grass and Hay to a Bullock or Horse Now this hatred is a good sign that cannot be found in another that is not born of God The mortification of sin standeth principally in the hatred of it Sin dyeth when it dyeth in the affections When we look upon it as an offence to us destructive to our happiness and as it is truly grieved for and hated by us The unregenerate may hate sin materially considered that is the thing which is a sin but they cannot hate it formally considered as sin under the notion of a sin for then they would hate all sin à quatenus ad omne valet consequentia As for instance thus A covetous man hateth prodigal and riotous Courses not as they are sinful and contrary to Gods Law but as contrary to his humour and covetous will Secondly Odium inimicitiae or the hatred of enmity This enmity is nothing else but a willing of evil or mischief to the thing or person hated and that out of mere displicency dislike or distaste of the person hated This is a sure note the regenerate hate their sins in that they would have them arraigned crucified mortified they would fain see the heart-blood of sin let out therefore they oppose watch against and resist it as their mortal deadly enemy When a man pursues sin would have the life of it this enmity cannot be quiet 't is an active enmity diligent in praying mourning watching striving using all holy means to get it out of our hearts wishing groaning waiting complaining that we may get rid of it Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death They follow their work hard 2. The Causes of this hatred There are three causes of it First Spiritual knowledge and illumination that is one cause of hatred Psal. 119. 104. Through thy precepts I get understanding therefore I hate every false way When the heart is thick set and well fraughted with Divine knowledge a man cannot sin freely Those that are exercised in the word of God find some consideration or other to quicken to the hatred of sin The Word is a proper instrument to destroy sin Psal. 119. 11. Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee Ephes. 6. 13. Our affections follow our apprehensions We come to the heart by the mind Ier. 31. 19. After I was instructed I smote upon my thigh In the word of God are the most proper Reasons and Arguments to kill sin Secondly The love of God Psas. 97. 10. Ye that love the Lord hate evil He doth not say forbear it but hate it The cause of hatred is the love of that good unto which the thing or person hated is contrary and repugnant Love to the chiefest good is accompanied with hatred of sin which is the chiefest evil The one is as natural to Grace as the other The new Nature hath its flight and aversation as well as its choice and prosecution to things that are hurtful to it as well as good and profitable Thirnly A filial fear of God Prov. 8. 13. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil pride and arrogancy and the evil way and the froward mouth do I hate Certainly this is to fear God to hate what God hateth and as God hateth and because God hateth Now God hateth all sin pride and arrogancy that is sins of thought which put us upon vain and foolish musings And then the sins of the tongue are expressed by froward mouth Nothing so natural to us as filthy and evil speaking And then the sins of practice the evil way They that fear God will hate all these sins These Graces are Strangers to unrenewed hearts It argueth a Divine Nature when we hate when what and as and because God hates it Eadem velle nolle est summa amicitia 3. A third Argument is from the comparison of hatred with anger Unregenerate men may be angry with sin because anger is consistent with love One may be angry with his Wife Children Friends where yet he tenderly affects First Anger is a sudden and short hatred a lasting and durable passion Anger is furor brevis curable by time hatred incurable by the greatest tract of time The Unregenerate are displeased with their sins for a spurt but the regenerate constantly disaffected towards them There is 1 Iohn 3. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is a constant principle of resistance in the renewed heart passion is a casual dislike but the new Nature a rooted enmity an habitual aversation to what is evil Secondly Anger is only against singulars but hatred is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the whole kind Thus we hate every Wolf and every Serpent every Thief and every Calumniator So is this universal it respects sin as sin and hateth all sin though never so profitable and pleasant Not upon foreign and accidental reasons as Esther 3. 16. Haman thought scorn to lay hands upon Mordecai alone but sought the destruction of all the Jews The same reasons that encline us to hate one sin encline us to hate all sin The violation of Gods Law is a contempt of Gods Authority a breach of spiritual friendship one grieveth the spirit of God as well as the other Every sin is hateful to God so 't is to those that are made partakers of the Divine Nature Thirdly Anger may be pacified or appeased with the sufferings of the thing or person with which we are angry but hatred is implacable nothing can content and satisfie it but the ruine or not being of the thing and party hated David was angry with Absolom but loth to have him destroyed only corrected and reduced when he sent out Forces against him Deal gently with the young man So many deal with their sins we reason pray strive complain but 't is but an angry fit we are displeased with
to you as bodily refreshment to a weary panting Traveller or water to one that is in a great thirst This is that the heart mindeth most studieth most remembreth most that you never have enough of it and are longing for more If there be such an affection it is a good sign for sensitive stirring is not so great an evidence as a setled constitution of Spirit 3. These holy desires as they have something of burthen so something of pleasure in them Though the absence of the thing desired be a trouble yet the exercise of holy desire is a pleasure to us because it is an act of love the more our hearts are enlarged in them the greater it is even before satisfaction While we are hungring and thirsting we are blessed It is a blessed thing to be a Desirer Matth. 5. 6. Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled 3. This is a desire which God will satisfie Psal. 81. 10. Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Isai. 44. 3. I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground This insatiate thirst of Grace and comfort shall be satisfied Iohn 7. 37 38. In the last day the great day of the feast Iesus stood and cryed saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink He that believeth on me as the Scripture saith out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of living water The soul is prepared by it for fruition Isai. 55. 1. Hoe every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price If we would get it First We must get a new heart which is the soul of these desires and is Gods promised gift in the Covenant Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh Secondly Mortifie and moderate your affections to the World and worldly things and meddle sparingly with the comforts thereof otherwise your hearts will be apt immoderately to leak out after them to the interruption of the spiritual life SERMON CXLV PSAL. CXIX VER 132. Look thou upon me and be merciful unto me as thou usest to do to those that love thy name THE Prophet having praised the Word and expressed his affection to it presents his Petition to God for a favourable look from him upon the account of his Grace and mercy according to the manner and law of his dispensations towards others of his people They that love the word may with the like confidence expect the Grace of God Observe in the Words I. The Petition or favour asked Look thou upon me II. The ground of asking or the cause of that favour And be merciful unto me III. The terms according to which it is dispensed As thou usest to do secundum judicium according to the Law or according to thy custome towards those that love thy Name IV. The description of Gods people They love his name These are the especial objects of Grace and Favour I shall explain the words as I go over the several Branches I. I begin with the Petition Look thou upon me The Septuagint reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Other Translations Aspice me or respice me Ainsworth Turn thy face unto me Psal. 26. 16. Turn thou unto me and have mercy upon me for I am desolate and afflicted God seemeth now and then to turn away from his people in their distresses to turn the back upon them and not the face as it is Ier. 18. 17. I will scatter them as with an East-wind before the enemy I will shew them the back and not the face in the day of their calamity They had dealt so first with God Ier. 2. 17. Hast thou not procured this unto thy self in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God when he led thee by the way So David God might have seemed to have turned the back upon him Our Translation cometh to the same effect Look upon me Gods looking implyeth two things viz. His Favour and his Providence First His Favour as Isai. 66. 2. To this man will I look that is of a contrite heart that is I will be gracious unto him smile upon him give him evidences of my love Secondly His Providence The Providence of God is usually set forth by his eye Prov. 12. 3. The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good Now God hath a double eye an avenging eye and a gracious eye The avenging eye Amos 9. 4. I will set mine eyes upon them for evil and not for good The other 2 Chr. 16. 9. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole Earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him Accordingly this act of looking is either First With a revengeful eye So upon their enemies 1 Chron. 12. 17. The God of our fathers look thereon and rebuke it 2 Chron. 24. 22. The Lord look thereon and requite it said Zachary the Son of Iehojadah the Priest This is the look of anger But Secondly There is the look of love and benign Aspect as Astrologers speak So Exod. 3. 7. I have surely seen the affliction of iny people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry by reason of their task-masters for I know their sorrows And Lam. 3. 50. Till the Lord look down and behold from heaven So doth he beg here that God would look upon him with a gracious eye In this gracious Aspect two things are notable viz. His observation and his compassion First His observation He taketh notice of their condition and oppressed innocency Neh. 1. 6. Let thine ear now be attentive and thine eyes open that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant which I pray before thee now day and night What have eyes to do with hearing To behold their pitiful and desolate condition So 2 Sam. 16. 12. It may be that the Lord will look upon mine affliction and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day Secondly His compassion God doth take to heart the distresses of his people and hath a tender pity and compassion over them Psal. 25. 18. Look upon mine affliction and my pain He doth not only take notice of but take to heart their sorrows as appeareth by some gracious effect and deliverance wrought for them So looking implieth both his affection and actual Providence for them Doctr. The Children of God apprehend it as a great favour if he will but look upon them So saith David Look thou upon me Which request expresseth his modesty one short glimpse of Gods favour a look of kindness would be a great matter to him in this vale of tears A look is welcome to a broken and
and to revive the heart of the contrite ones 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 For the iniquity of his covetousness I was wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth he went on frowardly in the way of his heart I have seen his ways and will heal him I will lead him also and restore comforts unto him When the spirit is softened by a deep and serious remorse for sin and a tender sense of their condition with these will God dwell to comfort relieve restore them Secondly The Believer Psal. 33. 18. Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his mercy They that look for God shall find him Thirdly The sincere Psal. 11. 7. His countenance doth behold the upright He hath a singular care of them to manifest his love to them both inwardly and outwardly A good Conscience presents it self to God none but such will say Look upon me Adam hid himself upon his trangression Hypocrites cannot trust him Fourthly Such as love his Name It is the description and mark of Gods people in the Text They love God and all that by which God is especially made known To these God will look that he may bless them and comfort them with his love Ephes. 6. 24. Grace he with them that love our Lord Iesus Christ in sincerity Gods Grace and free Favour is to them they love the name of God that rejoyce to see God honoured known and had in request in the world to be owned to be such as he is by themselves and others Isai. 26. 8. The desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee Their great desire is That God may be exalted in their own hearts and in the hearts of others To these God will look who take care to honour God love Christ and keep his Commandments Iohn 14. 21. He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him II. The ground and cause of that favour he expects Be merciful unto me David begs what he begs upon terms of Grace Doctr. Gods mercy is the cause of all his favour to us or gracious dealing with us All that we have or would have cometh only and wholly from his mercy and mere mercy If God cast but a look upon us or visit us with one glympse of kindness we can ascribe it to no other cause Only mercy and never a word of merit should be in the mouth of a Believer 1. Because there was nothing in us to move him to be thus gracious to us Gen 32. 10. I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant Let us ask the reason and debate the cause with our selves Why doth or should God do this for me What moveth him Is he necessitated Then he could do no otherwise and should be kind to all Would he be unjust if he did not whereby have I obliged him Who hath given to God first and it shall be recompenced to him again Rom. 11. 35. Could you enter your action and Plea against him Before what Bar and Tribunal And with what Arguments will you manage your Cause How will the Beam plead against the Sun the Stream against the Fountain Is it a Debt to your Kind and rank of Being How many of the same Flesh and Blood are equal in Nature but unequal in condition nay in the same Vicinity and Neighbourhood not only Americans but of your own Nation and Countrey What did God see more in you than in them of the same Calling and Profession Two grinding at a Mill one shall be taken and the other left Luke 18. 35. Of the same Parentage was not Iacob Esau's Brother Indeed what did God see to move him to give you the first Grace Rom. 9. 16. So then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy 2. There is much to the contrary a manifest unworthiness and contrary desert to what God bestoweth on us First A general unworthiness in all the Sons of Adam Man was left as a condemned Malefactor in the hands of the Law without all hope and possibility of recovery under sin Rom. 7. 14. I am carnal sold under sin Under a curse Ephes. 2. 3. We were by nature the Children of wrath even as others and that God should regard such Secondly A particular unworthiness before Conversion and after First Before Conversion Tit. 3. 3. For we our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient â—…eceived serving divers lusts and pleasures c. We deserve to be abhorred and cast out of Gods presence and might justly expect his vengeance rather than his bounty and goodness his anger and frowns rather than the light of his countenance Secondly Since Conversion Iames 3. 2. In many things we offend all Eccl. 7. 20. There is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not There are mixtures of evil imperfections of holy things Well then First Let mercy be all your Plea when you have any favour to seek from God We cannot claim any good upon any other right and title Justice will except against you and Conscience will take its part What have you to say but on that Dan. 9. 18. We do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses but for thy great mercies We have no other motive that will become God nor bear weight in our own Consciences but only God hath set up a Court where Grace taketh the Throne and giveth out pardons and blessings to Sinners Secondly When you have once tasted one pledge of Gods love vouchsafed to you let this kindle Coals in your bosomes and warm your hearts with love to God It is not only his condescension to take notice of you but his mercy to shew any favour and kindness to you 2 Sam. 7. 19. Is this the manner of men O Lord God Is this the manner of men to requite good for evil Who am I Thirdly Be contented with your measures Where nothing is deserved any thing should be kindly taken Grace communicateth it self to whom and in what measure it will Matth. 20. 15. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own If we are kept under and in great extremities he might have dealt worse with us Lam. 3. 22. It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not If we had a prize in our hands to procure better we might complain Now all is free and undeserved we should admire and submit SERMON CXLVI PSAL. CXIX VER 132. As thou usest to do to those that love thy name HERE you have III. The terms of the
Heaven and happiness when we have served him faithfully and patiently continued in well-doing You know the Apostle distinguisheth that there is a reward according to debt and a reward according to Grace Rom. 4. 4. Though it be righteous with God to give the reward yet he gives it not out of debt or for any condignity of worth but he gives it out of Grace And so all the comforts we have from obedience are said to come from the righteousness of God Even the pardon of sin which is one of the freest acts of God and wherein he discovers most of his mercy 1 Iohn 1. 9. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins It is not faithful and gracious but just And so for the eternal reward in 2 Thess. 1. 6 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a just or righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you I you think it is just with God to punish evil but is it a righteous thing that he should reward our obedience Read on And to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Iesus shall be revealed from heaven c. God in righteousness is bound by his own promise to give this reward Heb. 6. 10. God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love How is Gods righteousness engaged Partly by Christ Christ having given satisfaction equivalent to the offence and wrong to his Majesty and having interposed an everlasting merit it is just with God to forgive the sin as it is just for the Creditor to forgive the debt when he hath received satisfaction from the Surety And it is just because God is bound by his own promise he hath promised a Crown of life to them at the end of their tryal Iames 1. 12. And it is part of his Justice to make good his Word by promise God hath made himself a Debtor So 2 Tim. 4. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Iudg will give me at that day Bernard glosseth sweetly upon that place Paulus expect at Coronam Iustitiae Iustitiae Dei non suae justum est ut reddat quod debet debet autem quod pollicitus est It is just with God to pay what he oweth and God oweth what he hath promised and so it is a Crown of righteousness which God the righteous Judg will give us at that day Once more it is just with God not to forget your labour of love because it agrees with his general Justice or the rectitude of his nature it falls in with his Law as God is a holy perfect Being he cannot be indifferent to good and evil it concerns him to see Ut bonis bene sit malis male that it be well with them that do well and ill with them that do ill But how upon terms it should go well with them that must be interpreted according to either Covenant either according to the exactness of the Law and so no flesh can be justified in his sight or according to the moderation of the Gospel where the soul sincerely frames it self to do the will of God and it is not an unrighteous thing with God to give you according to your labour of love and zeal for his Glory Secondly There 's his vindictive Justice on all Sinners God punisheth none but Sinners and only for sin and that ever according to the measure of the sin as it is more or less so they have more or less punishment Rom. 2. 9. Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil of the Iew first and also of the Gentile God will render vengeance to the Gentiles that had the light of nature to teach them God to shew them the invisible things of his Godhead and Power but chiefly upon those that have been bred up in his Ordinances and mostly upon them that have rejected the terms of Grace offered them in the Gospel for so it is said 2 Thess. 1. 8. He will render vengeance upon all them that obey not the Gospel And Iohn 3. 18 19. He that believeth not is condemned already The Law is passed upon him but this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil Their sin is inexcusable that will not lay hold upon the offers of Grace They have no cause to murmure or impute their damnation to Gods secret purpose in their own Consciences they may read the justness of their condemnation Well then this is Gods Justice it is that property by which God acts agreeable to his nature as Sovereign Lord and agreeable to his Covenant as Governour and Judg of the World either his Covenant of Works or Grace 2. To prove that God is just I shall prove it by four things First From the perfection of the Divine Nature The perfection of the Divine Will is such that he necessarily loveth righteousness and hateth iniquity As the perfection of Gods understanding includes all intellectual Vertues so the perfection of his will all moral Vertues There can be no vertuous act of the will either in men or Angels that doth not agree to God in a far more excellent manner and measure and therefore if there be such a quality as justice and righteousness in Angels and men if holy Angels and just men made perfect certainly there a just God This rectitude in men and Angels is accidental and separable from their Being Angels may be Angels yet not just as appears in the Devils But in God it is essential as his Essence is necessarily so his integrity must needs be so In short God must be just and holy because he necessarily loves himself and hates every thing that is contrary to himself Psal. 11. 7. The righteous God loveth righteousness and his countenance beholdeth the upright If they be just he loves their Justice because he loves himself if unjust he hates their injustice because they are contrary to himself Secondly He could not else govern the world or judge men according to their offences Next his Nature God's office shews him just that inferrs his Justice as he is Governour and Judge of the World so we shall see Gen. 18. 15. The Iudg of all the Earth shall not he do right It must needs be so that the Judge of the Earth will do right Rom. 5. 6. Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance God forbid for then how shall God judge the World It is impossible to imagine that he can be the supreme Judge who is not just Among men Appeals are allowed because men are fallible and apt to pervert equity and judgment and this is their relief that they can appeal higher But now Eccl. 5. 8. If thou seest the oppression of the poor and violent perverting of Iudgment and Iustice marvel not at the matter for he that is higher than the highest regardeth and there be higher than
overseen a God of Judgment by whom all things are weighed 1 Sam. 2. 3. every dram and scruple of the Cross. A just God and will punish no more than is deserved Iob 34. 23. He will not lay upon man more then is right As well no more than is meet as no more than is right He is a good God does only what our need and profit requireth For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men Lam. 3. 33. 3. Doctrine That 't is the property of a gracious Soul to delight in Gods Commandments 'T was Davids Practice and 't is the mark of a blessed man Psal. 1. 2. But his delight is in the Law of the Lord. And Rom. 7. 22. I delight in the Law after the inward man And Psal. 112. 1. Blessed is the man that delighteth greatly in his Commandments Delight in Moral things saith Aquinas is the rule by which we may Judge of mens Goodness or Badness Delectatio est quies voluntatis in bono Men are good and bad as the Objects of their delight are They are good who delight in good things and they evil who delight in evil things We shall consider the nature of Delight I. In the Causes II. In the Effects of it I. The Causes are 1. Proportion and Suitableness Sensitive Creatures delight much in such food as is agreeable to their nature now the Commandments are suitable to the renewed heart the Law is in their Heart Psal. 40. 8. And Psal. 37. 31. The Law of his God is in his heart Divine qualities are planted there which suit with the rule of Holiness and Righteousness Eph. 4. 24. And this is the sum of the Law or Commandements of God 2. A second Cause is Possession of it and Communion with it Oritur saith Aquinas ex praesentia connaturalis boni Now one may be said to possess the Law or enjoy the Law in regard of the knowledge of it or Obedience to it Ioh. 14. 21. He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me The knowledge of the Law so it be not superficial and fleshly but full and thorough and savory is very Comfortable and goeth toward a good note but Obedience to the Law is the cause of delight therein Gods servants rejoyce when they can bring on their hearts with any Life and Power in the way of Gods Testimonies Psal. 119. 14. I have rejoyced in the way of thy Testimonies more than in all Riches Thence cometh their Comfort and Obedience 3. A third Cause of Delight is a precedent love of the Object Love is a Complacency in and Propension towards that which is Good absolutely considered both in the presence and absence of it Desire noteth the absence of a Good Delight the presence and fruition of it Therefore a love of the Object delighted in is essentially presupposed to delight So that it is impossible for any thing to be delighted in but it is first loved We have experience that many things are delightful in themselves and known to be such which yet do not actually delight if they be hated A man may tast of the sweetness of honey yet if he have an Antipathy against it he may Ioath it David in this Psalme presupposeth love as Antecedent to delight Psal. 119. 47. I will delight my self in thy Commandments which I have loved Carnal men cannot say so For every one that doth evil hateth the light Ioh. 3. 20. The renewed onely love the Commandments Yea it doth not only presuppose a love of simple Complacency but also a love of Desire for all things are first desired before delighted in None can truly delight in Obedience but such as desire it Such as can say with David verse 40. Behold I have longed after thy Precepts And Verse 131. I opened my mouth and panted for I longed after thy Commandements Now all such are Blessed Matth. 5. 5. II. Let us consider the Effects 1. The first is Dilatatio Cordis The inlarging of the Heart it openeth and wideneth the Heart towards the reception of the Law and maketh it more capacious and comprehensive thereof than otherwise it would be Psal. 119. 32. I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt have inlarged my Heart The Heart is at Ease and in a commodious Condition as a Body that is in a large and fit place where it is not streightned and this is as Oil to the Wheels 2. Delectatio causat sui â—…tim Desiderium Delight in an Object causeth a Thrist in it self and more of it self Even the Angels and blessed Spirits feel this effect of Delight that it never cloyeth but they desire more of their own Happiness Much more doth it work so in us who are in such an imperfect state of injoyment upon a two fold Account 1. The Objects of spiritual delight are perfect but the Acts whereby we injoy and possess those Objects are imperfect God is an Infinite and All-satisfying Good but the acts whereby we enjoy him here in this Life whereby we have Union and Communion with him are imperfect We know believe love hope but in part 1 Cor. 13. 9. Hereupon that delight which ariseth from the imperfect fruition of God here in this life stirreth up to an eager desire after fuller fruition and unto a farther inlargement and intension of those Acts whereby such fruition is attained or wherein it consisteth still Thirsting after more when tasted 1 Pet. 2. 3 4. 2. Spiritual Delights may be said to cause a Desire as Desire importeth a denial or exclusion of Loathing For the Objects of spiritual delight and the Acts whereby they are injoyed can never exceed the degree and measure required in them unless by accident by reason of some bodily act concurrent therewith and subservient unto the spiritual operation The Desire can never be too great the expression of it may be burdensome We may easily exceed the bounds of moderation in Carnal things but not in Spiritual They can never be too high and intense Therefore fresh desires and earnest longings are still kindled and quickned in us it never dulls the Appetite but draweth out the Soul farther and farther and cannot be too eager and zealous after Holiness 3. Another effect of Delight is perficit operationem it makes the Operation to its Object more perfect than otherwise it would be As a motive or means it exciteth to a greater care and diligence in promoting the End which we pursue The Delight in the Law helpeth to perfect our Meditation therein and Observation thereof by its sweetness it quickeneth provoketh and allureth to a greater Zeal in both Delight maketh all things easie 1 Ioh. 5. 3. All her wayes are wayes of Pleasantness Prov. 3. 17. The Sabbath is a delight Isa. 58. 13. It facilitates Duties and removes difficulties in working Now this Delight must be sincere otherwise they are but like the Carnal Iews who did delight to know his Wayes Isa. 58.
sweetness in it to Confer together of holy things Rom. 1. 12. That I may be comforted by the mutual faith of you and me Holy discourse doth refresh more than vain and foolish jesting 't is a far sweeter thing to talk of the Word of God and those spiritual and heavenly things which are contained therein than to spend the time in vain and foolish jesting or discoursing about meer Worldly matters should any thing be more delightful to a Christian than Christ and Heaven and the Promises of the World to come and the way that leadeth thither and should it be burdensom to talk of these things which we profess to be our only hope and joy certainly our Relish and Appetite is mightily depraved if we think so judge our-selves in a Prison when we are in good Company who remember God and when they invite you to remember him with them will you frown upon the motion because 't is some check and interruption to your Carnal Vanity 4. The well ordering of our Words is a great point of Christianity and argueth a good degree of Grace He that bridleth his tongue is a perfect man Iam. 3. 2. Death and Life are in the power of the Tongue saith Solomon Prov. 18. 21. upon the good or ill use of it a mans safety doth depend Not only temporal safety but eternal Matth. 12. 37. By thy words shalt thou be justified and by thy words shalt thou be condemned These Evidences are brought into Judgment therefore it concerneth us to see what our Discourses are as well as our actions Solomon often describeth the righteous by his good Tongue Prov. 10. 13. The mouth of the righteous bringeth forth wisdom And Prov. 12. 18. The tongue of the wise is health Use. I. Is Reproof It reproveth us for being so dumb and tongue-tyed in holy things We can speak liberally of any subject only we are dumb in spiritual matters which concern our Edification we shew so little Grace in our Conferences because we have so little grace in our hearts Alas many that profess Religion their talk is little different from other mens as if they were ashamed to speak of God or had nothing to say of him and for him I do not alwayes bind you to talk of religious things but sometimes it bindeth Now when is it your Tongues speak of the Word in a serious and affectionate manner Can you love God and never put in a word for him Can you see or hear God dishonoured and suffer your mouths to be sealed up with a sinfull â—…nce that you should not have a word to speak in the cause of God Use. II. Is to Exhort us to be frequent and serious in our discourses of God and spiritual heavenly things For means to help us 1. Divine Illumination to teach others the way of God requireth that we our selves should be taught of God then it cometh the warmer and fresher when we speak not by here-say only but experience as heart answereth to heart so the renewed heart in him that heareth to the renewed heart in him that speaketh and we shew others what God by his illuminating grace hath first shewed us it savoureth of that Spirit that worketh in both he will easily kindle others who is once on fire himself The word passeth through others as water through an empty Trunk without feeling they may speak very good things but they do but personate and act a part but when we have been in the deep waters and God hath bound up our wounds we can more feelingly speak to others 2. A sight of the excellency of the Word and a value and esteem thereof the reason in the Text for all thy Commandments are righteousness We are apt to speak oftenest of those things which we most affect Did not your Souls grow out of relish with these Holy Spiritual and Excellent things your speeches about them would be more frequent lively serious and savoury for we cannot conceal our Affections Our coldness in speaking to others of these spiritual and heavenly things cometh from want of this perswasion that all his commandments are righteousness For they who are perswaded of the excellency of the Word will be talking of the sweetness of its Promises continually 3. A Stock of Spiritual Knowledge Matth. 12. 35. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things Every man entertaineth his Guests with such Provisions as he hath 'T is the Word which enableth us to edifie our selves and others with holy Conference the more store the more we have to bring forth upon all occasions Col. 3. 16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another A plentiful measure of Gospel Knowledge enableth us to direct and instruct others there all Wisdom is made plain things revealed which cannot be found else-where that which may by long search be found else-where is made ready to our hands and brought down to the meanest Capacity The Heart is the Fountain from whence the Tongue doth run and flow and when the Heart is well furnished the Tongue will be employed and exercised 4. Zeal for the Glory of God and Love to others Souls we should communicate to others what we have learned our selves David would not reserve his knowledge to himself Teach me and my tongue shall speak of thy word Fire turneth all about it into Fire Mules and all Creatures of a Bastard Race do not Procreate Davids Maschil Psal. 32. Title is to instruct others True good is diffusive in itself our Candle enlightened should enlighten others When Philip was called he inviteth Nathaniel to come to Christ Iohn 1. 45. Andrew calleth Simon True Grace sheweth itself in Zeal to promote the Kingdom of Christ and the good of our Neighbours Souls and the new Nature seeketh to multiply the kind and such as are brought to Christ will be careful to invite others 5. Wisdom is necessary Col. 4. 6. Let your speech be alwayes with grace seasoned with salt that you may know how to answer every man that is seasoned with the salt of Holy and Divine Wisdom that it may be savoury and acceptable to the Hearers and both Delight and Edifie Without this Holy Skil and Wisdom how often is Conference turned into Jangling or meer Babling 6. Watchfulness and heed otherwise Corruption will break out in Pride in a vain ostentation of parts Passion in some heat of Words Worldliness and Sensuality in diverting from Holy Conference to that which is Carnal and Worldly Discontent in some unseemly Expressions of Gods dealings with us Indiscretion and Folly in a multitude of impertinent Talk Psal. 141. 3. Set a watch O Lord before my mouth keep the door of my lips The Tongue must be watched as well as the Heart all Watching will be to little purpose unless God bridle and direct our Tongue that nothing break out to his Dishonour There must be a constant Guard that nothing
was not hearty and durable but only formal and Temporary 2 Because they take all occasions to inlarge themselves out of the stocks of Conscience and as soon as their fear is worn off away go all their Religious Pangs and thoughts of the other World and care about it How often is this verisied by daily Experience Many that were frightned into a course of Religion went on from Duty to Duty out of a Fear of being Damned but their Hearts were another way but afterwards they cast off all when they have sinned away these Fears As Herod feared Iohn and afterwards put him to death Mark 6. 19 20. Yea all the while they did good they had rather do otherwise if they durst and therefore did but watch the occasion to fly out 3 Because men of this frame dispute away Duties rather than practice them and are quarrelling at those things which the new Nature would sufficiently incline them unto if they had it In the New Testament God much trusts Love and the number and length of Duties is not stated so exactly because where the Love of God prevaileth in the Heart men will take all occasions of glorifying God and edifying themselves But when men quarrel How do you prove it to be my Duty to do so much and to give so much when the Duty its self is instituted Love will make God a reasonable allowance and not stand questioning how do you prove it to be my Duty to pray so often in my Family or in secret or hear so many Sermons which our constant necessities do loudly call for Men that have a love to a thing will take all occasions to enjoy it or be conversant about it and a willing heart is liberal and open to God and is rather disputing the restraint than the Command how do you prove it is not my Duty and is loth to be kept back from its delight 3. Some do good out of Craft and Design there is some By-end is the cause as Iehu was not so much Zealous for God as his own Interests 2 King 10. 16. And our Lord telleth us of some that make long Prayers to devour Widows Houses Matth. 23. 14. made Piety a colour and pretext to Oppression and that they might be trusted took as a shew of great Devotion And of this strain were those that followed Christ for the Loaves Ioh. 6. 20. To be fed with a Miracle and to live a life of sloth and ease God never set any good thing afoot but some temporal Interest grew upon it with which men were swayed more than with what belongeth to God Use. II. Is to perswade you to choose Gods Precepts I have chosen thy Precepts said the man of God To this end I shall give you both Motives and Directions Motives why you should choose them and then Directions in what manner things are to be attended upon in your choice First For the Motives 1. Choose them because they are Gods to whom you are indebted for Life Being and all things Shall we not obey him that made us and in whom still we live move and have our being We are debtors to him for all that we have and truly we cannot have a better Master He was angry with his People that when the Beasts would own their Benefactors that his People would not own him from whom they had all things Isa. 1. 3. The Brute-beasts the dullest of them the Oxe and the Ass are willing to serve those that feed them and pay a kind of gratitude and shall not we own God Every day your health strength and comforts come out of his hands so every nights Rest and Ease and after this can you sin against God that keeps you by Night and by day 2. These Precepts are all holy just and good What is it the Lord requires of you but to love him and serve him and fear him and forbear those things which hurt the Soul thus he speaks to Israel Deut. 10. 12. Surely these commands are not unreasonable nor grevious You dare not say sin is better that it is more profitable to please the flesh and to wallow in and seek after worldly things O why then dost thou not choose Gods Precepts before the work which Satan would put thee upon for these Precepts commend themselves by their own Evidence 3. In keeping them there 's a great deal of benefit 1. For the present there 's a deal of Comfort and Peace to be be found in the ways of God If there were no reward of Heaven yet there 's such comfort and peace that attends holy living even as heat from the fire that certainly this should draw our choice All her ways are ways of pleasantness Prov. 3. 17. And again the Prophet tells you the fruit of righteousness is peace A man that doth evil hath a sting in his Conscience and a wound in his own Soul But every good action is followed with a Serenity of Mind and an approbation from the heart of him thar doth it Nay you shall not only have Peace but Joy in the Holy Ghost for if you walk in the fear of God you walk in the comforts of his Spirit Acts 9. 31. And the Kingdom of God stands in Righteousness and Peace ay and a distinct Priviledge Joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. What 's the difference between Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost Peace is a Tranquility of mind resulting from the rectitude of our actions but this joy is an impression of the comforting Spirit This Joy it hath God for its Author he puts it into our hearts therefore it will more affect us then the bare Act of our natural faculties Peace it is an acquittance from Conscience but Joy in the Holy Ghost it is and Acquittance from God who is our Supream Judge and is the beginning of that endless joy which he hath prepared for them that love him in Heaven 2. For the future and final reward that is great and glorious indeed Surely the Glory of the Everlasting Kingdom should invite us to choose Gods Precepts whatever it may cost us to keep them for in choosing Holiness you choose Life and in choosing the ways of God you choose the heavenly inheritance which is the certain end and issue of them So Prov. 8. 35 36. Whoso findeth me findeth Life and obtaineth favour of the Lord But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own Soul all they that hate me love death Christians when you are about choosing these are the terms propounded to you and they should be seriously weighed by us Evil and Death Good and Life will you choose Sin and Death or Holiness and Life Is the Pleasures of the Flesh for a few hours better then the endless Joy of the Saints If you believe Heaven and hell as you profess to do why should you stand demurring are you content to be thrust out from the presence of the Lord with the Devil and his Angels into unquenchable
Heaven in order in one whole Body is like an Army in Rout and most are forced to get home in straggling Parties Now every tender Soul should Long for Gods Salvation to get up to that Counsel of Souls who with perfect Harmony are Lauding and Praising God for evermore Heb. 12. 23. Use. I. Is to reprove them that are loth to leave this woful Life and do not long and prepare for a better God driveth us out of the World as he did Lot out of Sodom yet we are loth to depart as if it were better to be Miserable apart from God and Christ then happy with them Surely they are far from the Spirit of true Christians who would live alwayes here are at home in the World and cannot endure to think of a remove There are two Causes of this 1. An Unmortifyed Heart 2. An Unsettled Conscience 1. An Unmortified Heart they are not yet weaned from the World their Hearts are set upon satisfying the Vile Lusts of the Body carry it as if their Portion lay in this World Psal. 17. 14. sucking yet upon the Worlds Dugg they have no longing nor desire for that Happiness and Glory which God hath provided for them that love him they desire no other Portion than what they have in hand 2. And the other cause is an Unsettled Conscience some fear the state of the other World rather than desire it and long for it there are two degrees notknowing for certain it shall go well with us and not knowing for certain but that it shall go ill with us both suppress this desire especially the latter Use. II. Is to Rowse up our languid and cold Affections that they may more earnestly be carryed out after heavenly things that we may seek after them with more Fervency and Constancy and Self-denial The Motives to press us are these 1. God giveth Heaven to none but to those that Look and Long for it Men may go to Hell against their Wills but none go to Heaven against their Wills In a Punishment there is a force offered to us but not in a Reward We suffer what we would not as Christ saith to Peter another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldst not Ioh. 21. 18. But happiness must be imbraced pursued and sought after Well then let the concernments of the other World more take up our Hearts and Minds and stand as at heavens Gate expecting when God will open the door and call you in Christ will appear to them that look for him Heb. 9. 28. 2. The Children of God Long to see God in his Ordinances Psal. 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of God all the dayes of my Life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple And Psal. 42. 2. My Soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God Psal. 63. 1 2. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is to see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary Now if there be so Great and Longing a desire to see the glory of the Lord in a Glass wherein so little of his Glory is seen with any comfort and satisfaction how much more to see him immediately face to face if a Glimpse be so comfortable what will the immediate Vision of God then be surely if this be Salvation every one of us should long for this Salvation 3. If it be not worth our Desire 't is little worth the Estate being so excellent such a compleat Redemption from all our Troubles so perfect and so full an happiness in Body and Soul will not you send a groan or an hearty Act of Volition after it 't is great ingratitude that when Christ hath procured a great state of blessedness for us at a very dear rate we should value it no more he procured it by a life of Labour and Sorrow and the Pangs of a bitter Cursed death and when all is done we little regard it surely if we choose it for our happiness there will be longing and looking for it No man will fly from his own happiness a mans heart will be where his Treasure is Math. 6. 21. if you prize it you will sigh and groan after it the Apostle saith Phil. 1. 23. I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is far better 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If you count it better to be there than else where you will be desiring to be there and longing to be there for we are always longing for that which is better chiefly for that which is best of all there is the best estate the best work the best company all is better if you count it so it will be no difficult thing to bring you earnestly to desire it 4. All the Ordinances serve to stir up this longing after Heaven and to awaken these desires in us the Word is our Charter for Heaven or Gods Testament wherein this rich Legacy is bequeathed to us that every time we Read it or Hear it or Meditate upon it we may get a step higher and our Hearts more drawn out after Heavenly things In Prayer whether in Company or Alone 't is but to raise and act these heavenly Desires there we groan and long for Gods Salvation In the Lords Supper we come solemnly to put our selves in mind of the new Wine we shall drink in our Fathers Kingdom Matth. 26. 29. to put a new heavenly Relish upon our Hearts 5. The Imperfection of our present Estate We are now imperfect and streightened like a Fish in a Pail or small vessel of Water which cannot keep it alive it would fain be in the Ocean or swiming in the broad and large Rivers So we are pent up cannot do what we would there is a larger Estate when filled up with all the fulness of God that Holiness we have now maketh us look for it and long for it and surely Holiness was never designed for our Torment 6. We are hastning into the other World apace and therefore we more desire it Natural motion is in principio tardior in sine velecior the nearer to fruition the more impatient of the want of it When a Man is drawing home after a long Journey every Mile is as tedious as two We are drawing nigh to the other World let us leave this willingly not by force let not Trouble chase us out of it but Love and Desire draw us out of it God doth loosen our Roots by little and little that we may now be sit for a Remove the Pins of our Tabernacle are taken down insensibly and by leisurely Degrees Now as fast as we are going out of this World we should be going into another the inner Man Renewed day by day
the Flesh p. 899 Grounds of love to the Word the most noble is the words purity p. 863 Grounds of Faith and Obedience p. 939-940 Guidance of God to be submitted to if we will have him to be ours p. 10 Guilty Creatures cannot immediately enjoy God p. 14 Guilt makes us jealous of God p. 473 H. HAbitual and actual reign of Sin p. 919 Hand of God notes the power of God p. 1070 Our Mercies are in the hand of God p. 513 Happiness of the Saints not in this World p. 867 Happiness as well as Honour to be Gods Servants p. 850 Happiness mistakes about it 1. Some mistake wherein it lies 2. Others mistake the way that leads to it 3. Some are indifferent in the use of means leading to it p. 2 29 30. Mistakes herein very dangerous ibid. Many would be happy that would not be holy ibid. Happiness of Saints that God is near them on all occasions p. 948 Vid. Blessedness Hardness of heart from delaying Repentance p. 405 by converse with wicked men p. 775 prevented by acknowledging Mercies p. 445 from neglecting answers of prayer p. 906 Wicked men harden themselves 1. From Divine Patience 2. Divine Mercy p. 938 Harmony between the Spirit Scripture and Grace p. 66 Harmony between Gods work and our Duty p. 66 Harmony between the Word and Spirit in teaching us p. 74 Hasty we are apt to be hasty with God p. 836 Hatred of God under the Notion of a Iudge not as a Preserver p. 756 Hatred of sin when it is right p. 100S it is twofold ibid. Hatred of the World against Christians because God loves them p. 882 883 Hatred of sin 1. The Kinds 2. Causes 3. Effects of it p. 877 878 879 1006 1007 1008 Hating of sin as it is sin p. 659 660 679 680 683 It is a Character of those that are good-p 680 681 877 None hate sin but they that hate all sin p. 683 Hearing the Word without practice not sufficient p. 318 Hearing Prayer God may hear when he does not answer p. 901 Heart Tender heart soon affected with Gods judgments p. 810 Means to get a tender heart p. 933 Heart purity of heart the internal principle of good Actions p. 8 The Word of God to be laid up in the heart p. 9 What a Mans heart is that the Condition is p. 486 Heart what it implies 1. The Mind 2. The affections p. 9 God will be sought with the whole heart p. 15 236 393 Half-heart what it is p. 393 239 Whole Heart what it is it implies 1. Extension of parts 2. Intention of degrees p. 15 16 Examine whether we give God the whole Heart p. 239 Why God will be sought with the whole heart p. 15 16 58 59 902 236 237 238. Motives p. 239 God enclines the heart and man inclines his own heart how p. 46 751 251 Vid. Inclination Heart enclined to keep Gods Statutes what it is the necessity of it p. 752 753 God requires the Heart in his service p. 236 237 Heart its bent towards the Word how expressed p. 122 Heart must 1. Be drawn off from the Creature Self and Sin 2. Drawn unto God p 373 374 Vid. enlarged heart Heaven the belief of it a great support under the Terrors of this World p. 310 Heavenly things Motives to press after them p. 1089 1090 Heavens an Emblem of the stability of Gods VVord p. 575 Help and Hope when delayed we may complain to God p. 551 Help to be sought of God in heavy troubles p. 158 To be sought of God to encline our hearts to Gods statutes p. 46 Height when is iniquity come to its height p. 858 859 Hell a worm that never dies a pit that hath no bottom a fire that shall never be quenched p. 861 Help in straits may be expected by them that make a Conscience of Gods Commandments p. 1079 Heritage denotes 1. The substance of our portion 2. Our right to it 3. The tenure by which we hold it 4. Our actual possession of it p. 741 742 743 Gods testimonies are 1. a full 2. a sure 3. a lasting Heritage p. 741 742 743 Marks of one that hath Gods testimonies for his Heritage p. 746 747 Consideration to move us to take Gods testimonies for our Heritage p. 748 749 Heirs of the promise rejoice in each others company and in each others mercies p. 501 502 Reasons of it p. 502 503 Hiding Gods word in the heart what p. 63 64 Why Gods word must be hid in our heart p. 64 65 Great advantages of hiding Gods word in our heart in seven particulars p. 65 How we may hide it in our hearts 1. By meditation upon it 2. Receiving it in the love of it p. 67 Hide Gods word not as a Talent in a Napkin but as Gold in a Treasury p. 76 Gods hiding his commandments from us is his not opening our eyes to see into them p. 119 Hieroglyphick of the Egyptians p. 432 Hiding place God is a hiding place to his own It implies many things for their comfort 1. Secresie 2. Capacity 3. Safety 4. Consolation p. 765 766 Hinderers of preaching the word great judgments threatned against them p. 336 Holiness in God is his essence in us a quality p. 859 It 's a means of maintaining communion with God p 389 Holiness negative and positive p. 17 18 22 Not enough to avoid evil but we must do good p 22 Reasons and Uses thereof ibid. Holiness of life is oft made a scorn by carnal men p. 337 It 's better than wisdom wisdom better than strength p 928 Honesty in our dealings with others directions about it p. 817 Honest heart one sign of it is when a man fears to offend and cares to please God p. 478 Honour great honour to be Gods servant p. 101 849 850 To be dishonour'd for Christ's sake p. 311 Horrour at mens forsaking Gods Law argues 1. A due sense of sin 2. Of Gods wrath 3. Of the truth of the threatnings 4. The effects of sin p. 351 It proceedeth from a good cause p. 351 352 Hope teaches us to purifie our selves p. 18 And to obey Gods Commandments p. 1035 1040 Hope and help when delay'd we may complain to God p. 551 Hope and obedience much praised little practised p. 1035 Hope in Christ consider what we have of that hope p. 399 Hope keeps the soul alive under faintings how p. 542 543. What Hope is p. 1036 Hope keeps us from being utterly overcome p. 337 Hope and faith their difference p. 543 Hope its excellency and certainty it causeth earnestness to be delivered out of the trouble and yet patience under the trouble p. 543 827 Hope nourished by the word of God p. 544 927 Hope from worldly things causeth shame p. 786 Hope true and false distinguished p. 786 1036 1. False hope is not built on God 2. It is slight and superficial 3. Dead and cold 4. Weak and inconstant 5. Lazy and Ioitering p. 787 True hope
compared to the joy of victory p. 1003 Ioy carnal has contrary qualities and effects ibid. Iudg God is the Judg of his Law p. 877 Iudgments spiritual the forest Judgments p 936 Iudgments Gods precepts called Iudgments why p. 38 39. 666. 121. Use of it p. 40. Promises call'd Iudgments p. 989 293 Iudgments of God on the Visible Church are to separate the dross from the Gold p. 805 Iudgments selt or fear'd call for mourning and why p. 931 Iudgments of Gods mouth denote Gods will revealed in the Scriptures and why p. 76 Iudgments of Gods mouth and of his hand p. 342. 419. 720 They are both righteous p. 1013 Iudgments of God on sinners a mean to preserve us from sinning p 792. They are to be wisely observed p. 796. Gods Iudgments of old p. 342 343 344 345 Iudgments ordinarily begin at the house of God p. 805 Iudgments on the wicked his mercy to his Church p 806 344. God to be praised for his Judgments p. 1097 A judicious mind a great blessing p. 448. A threefold Use of a judicious mind 1. To distinguish 2. To determine 3. To direct why to be beg'd of God p. 450 451 Iurisdiction of God the greatest p. 130 Iurisdiction how it differs from propriety p. 130 Iustice and Mercy distinguished p. 938 Iustiâ—…e and Iudgment how distinguisht p. 813 Iustice no escaping it if God should deal with us in strict Iustice p. 5 To do Iustice and Iudgment is the Saints comeliness p. 814. 1. By it we are made like God 2. 'T is acceptable to God 3. Fits us for communion with God 4. It is suitable to the new nature 5. Is honourable in the eyes of men 6. Conduceth to the good of Society p. 814 815 Iustice is either 1. general 2. or particular p. 934 Iustice 1. Legislative 2. Judicial 3. Remunerative p. 934 935 Iust God is just proved by four Reasons p 935 Iustice and Mercy are both friends to Saints p. 939 Iustice of God to be acknowledged p. 939. 509 Iustification of a sinner a great secret p. 40. 873 Iustified Divine Wisdom justified of all its children p. 873 339 K. KEeping and doing the Commandments how they differ p. 1042 Keeping Gods Law requires 1. Labour 2. Courage 3. Self-denial p. 1025. And understanding p. 232 Examine whether we keep Gods Law or no p. 1025 Keeping Gods precepts brings 1. Peace of Conscience 2. Joy in the Holy Ghost 3. Increase of Grace c. p. 377 378 Keep what it is to keep Gods testimonies p. 9 It implys 1. Exactness 2. Perseverance p. 10 It relates to a charge committed to us p. 9. 28. 375. It is twofold Legal Evangelical p. 376. 1039. 237 Keep Covenant with God Motives p. 709 710 Quest. how far a man may be said to have kept Gods Law p. 1039 Keep a good conscience Dispositions required to the keeping of it Considerations to move us to keep a good Conscience p 417 418 No keeping the Commandments without love p. 1046 Kindness of God is either 1. General or 2. Special the nature of both p. 9 8. 512. Vid. Loving kindness It 's the original cause of all mercy p. 512 Kings Princes c. have great need to know Gods precepts Reasons of it p. 307 731 Kings Princes c. their Countenance a great advan tage to Religion p. 560 They are jealous of their prerogative p. 560 Knocking of Christ at the door of the heart what it is Seasons of Christ knocking p. 412 Know none know so much of God but they still need to know more why p. 895 To know signifies 1. To understand 2. To consider 3. To believe p. 959 960 Knowledg of Divine mysteries is twofold 1. That which is a gift 2. That which is a grace p. 1058 Knowledg twofold 1. Knowledg of Faith 2. Of Sense p. 956 Knowledg of Gods mind unactive not sufficient p. 15. 231 Knowledg without practice is not right p. 318 452. 685. 690 691. 231 Knowledg of Gods will various degrees of it p. 108 In order to knowledg much is required p. 229 Knowledg saving what it is 1. Such as establishes the heart against delusions 2. Such as brings the foul under its dominion 3. Such as gives prudence to practise it p. 171 It is the effect of Divine bounty p. 477. 4â—…5 Knowledg saving should be one part of our constant prayer p 893. We can never enough ask it p. 170. 452. Reasons why p. 171 172. 893 846 435. 436 In getting Knowledg we must pass through the Porch before we can come to the deep mysteries p. 890 891 Knowledg of God causeth us 1. To trust him 2. To love him 3. To fear him in proportion to our knowledg of him p. 172 Two things considerable in Knowledg p. 1058 Knowledg saving our cure ignorance our disease p. 893 Knowledg 1. The necessity of it 2. The excellency of it 1. It 's mans excellency in general 2. Divine Knowledg is better than all other knowledg 3. Practical Knowledg the best part of Divine knowledg 4. Transforming Knowledg the best part of practical p. 893 894 895 Saving Knowledg of Gods Testimonies the only way to live p. 896 Knowledg ought to be 1. Comprehensive 2. Distinct 3. Experimental 4 Practical p 173 Knowledg to be desired for a right end 1. Not out of curiosity 2. Nor vain glory But 3 to satisfie others 4. To save our own souls p. 176 L. LAmentation for other mens sins special seasons for it 1. When gross sins are frequent 2. Universal 3. When incorrigible 4. When they grow impudent p. 930 931. Reasons thereof 1. They do it because it is their duty 2. Their property ibid. Vid. Other mens sins Reasons why it is the disposition and property of Saints to mourn for other mens sins 1. They are tender of Gods glory 2. They have a pity for men 3. They have an antipathy against sin as such 4. It proceeds from the foresight of the effects of sin 5. They are publick spirited p. 931 932 Late coming to God many have come too late none too soon p. 411 Law of God is truth p. 878. in what sense 1. It 's the chiefest truth 2. The only truth 3. The pure truth 4. The whole truth p. 879 Reasons why it is Truth 1. From the Author God 2. The matter 3. The end 4. It s own assertion p. 879. Uses Ibid. Law of God the Rule of our lives p. 4. 16 It is put oftentimes for the whole word of God p. 621. Christs humane nature under a Law p. 4 Angels Rational beings inanimate creatures are under a Law p. 4. 201. 876. Law of God taken in a limited or a large sense-p 1022 Law of God informing and awing p. 4 Law of God must be loved that it may be kept-p 1024 its office and work p. 4 It abates humane pride by propounding the rigor of the first Covenant p. 15 It brings us to Christ p. 16 It is holy just and good how p.
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