Hence also are reproved 1 Such as do not seek remission of sinnes Repr much more such as rejoice in their sinnes past especially if gainfull and delightfull and still securely rush into more Of which neither can stand with desire of remission Prov. 28.13 2 Such as seek it not of God Consol Exhort The uses of Consolation and Exhortation see Vers 3. Doctr. 2. as before Vers 13. As a father pitieth his children so the LORD pitieth them that feare Him Here we have the latter effect of Gods mercy or loving-kindnesse illustrated also 1 from the object 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them that feare Him 2 from a similitude As a father c. 1 Doctrine A father pitieth his children 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pitieth Of this vers 4. Doctr. 4. Expl. and verse 8. Doctr. 1. 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sonnes Synecd spec for children of both sexes 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a father Synecd gen for a father that doth the office of a father and so shews himself worthy of this title That such a father doth pity his children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 see Mal. 3.17 Luk. 15.20 And the example of Jacob Gen. 33. who when Esau whom he feared was coming toward him set his children in the last place vers 2. See also vers 13 14. And chap. 43. how hardly and with what caution he let Benjamin goe into Egypt And this proceeds partly from the instinct of nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hath the same effect even in brute creatures But because men in these things are not so subject to it as brutes but by their free will to evil may extinguish the light of nature and sinne against the laws of it therefore God hath given man a precept for it inclusively in the 5th commandement expressely elswhere And reason it self dictates the same in as much as the sonne is a naturall effect of his father begotten according to his image his own flesh and blood and bone yea as it were a new and second self to him in whom he lives after death and attains to a kind of eternity in this world which in his own person he can not have From this double obligation viz. the conscience of Gods command and the dictate of right reason that naturall affection whereof I spake before is both intended and regulated And hence it is that whereas in brute creatures that instinct ceaseth to have any further operation after that the yong ones are able to provide for themselves contrariwise man continues his affection and the effects of it to his children and childrens children as long as he lives laying up for them 2 Cor. 12.14 and when he is ready to dy giving them his charge and blessing Gen. 49. Uses Hence we may observe 1 If children be the objects of pity Instr then they are also the subjects of misery For commiseration alwaies supposes misery in the object of it And this is evident not onely to experience but reason if we seriously consider the condition both of their bodies and soules 2 He is unworthy the name of a father that doth not pity his children 3 Those married folk who have children have indeed a blessing Psal 127.3 4 5. but a worldly blessing so not without troubles attending it Therefore they who think of marriage must consider beforehand that if God shall send them children though never so good they must not look to have them causes onely of joy and comfort but sometimes also of grief and pity How much more if they be deformed sickly idiots c. On the other side if they have no children as they want those of whom they may rejoice so those also whom sometimes they may have cause to bemone and pity And if this be the duty of a father to pity his children then they are to be reproved Repr who want this naturall affection who do not pity their children 1 In respect of their soules wherein folly is bound Prov. 22.15 like to break out into actuall sinnes which will bring eternall damnation if not prevented Those parents therefore have no pity of their children who seeing them lying under that misery and danger do not endeavour with the rod of correction to drive away that folly which is so bound in the hearts of their children And much more are they to be reproved who will not so much as teach their children how to avoyd that so great an evil 2 In respect of their bodies So they who by their own sinnes heap temporall punishments upon the heads of their children Exod. 34.7 Psal 109.14 15. Jer. 32.18 Especially idolaters Exod. 20.5 Sacrilegious and rebellious men Jos 7.24 Num. 16. c. So they who either through idlenesse do not get or through riot and prodigality lavish out and spend that wherewith they should provide necessaries for their children These are worse then heathen yea then brute beasts Neither are they onely in this fault who do not supply their childrens necessities for the present but they also who do not providently take care for them for the future so farre as lawfully they may 2 Cor. 12.14 Some men bring up their children daintily enough yea too daintily for the present but forgetting that rule of oeconomicks That ordinarily a mans revenews should exceed his expenses they spend profusely what their parents have left them and so leave litle or nothing for their children whereas by reason of their dainty education they will be more sensible of hardship and penury and so more miserable So they who are too severe and cruell toward their children provoking and discouraging them Coloss 3.21 This also should exhort 1 Parents to pity their children Exhort Motiv 1. Consider the miseries which they either do or may suffer 2 All are commanded to pity those that stand in need of pity Job 6.14 19.21 Lam. 1.12 Rom. 12.15 20. 1 Pet. 3.8 Prov. 12.10 Exod. 23.5 Much more ought parents to pity their children 1 For their neare relation Kindred though more remote are called our bone and flesh Gen. 29.14 2 Sam. 19.12 13. Much more are children so unto their parents That therefore which the Apostle writes to Philemon ver 16. holds much more in parents in respect of pity If every man ought to pity every man in misery for Gods commandements sake then parents surely above others should pity their children both for the commandement and in regard of their relation 2 Because parents have been the means of bringing misery upon their children all thus farre in that they have begotten and brought them forth into this miserable world and derived to them that spirituall corruption of nature which themselves have received from their parents and all from Adam some yet further transmit unto their children bodily infirmities and such a temper or constitution whereby they are more then ordinarily prone to some notorious vices some by their own actuall sinnes draw down
necessity upon us and this Attribute abundantly encourages us 2 See the fountain of all good whence both what we have is received and what we want is to be sought 3 If God be so plenteous in loving kindnesse even towards all how much more towards His children 4 If any man do not abound with good things let him know that the cause is not in God Who is plenteous in loving kindnesse but in himself This reproves 1 Such as seek the good things they desire Repr from any other then from God These are like unto them Jer. 2.13 they commit two evils c. For whereas every transgression of the law is sinne they transgresse two waies at once Which their transgression as all sinnes are not equall see 1 how impious it is 2 how unprofitable and foolish 1 For the impiety the degree of it which for the substance is to be estimated by the Commandement which is violated is very great because it is against a commandement of the first Table which immediately respects God Himself and so the violation of it caeteris paribus is worse then the violation of any of the commandements of the 2d Table which respect our neighbour And whereas the first Commandement of the first Table concerns the having of the true God as the rest the true manner of worshipping Him therefore the breach of that is most hainous See the story of the Samaritanes 2 King 17. God sent lions against them that did not at all acknowledge Him ver 25. but with-held them from those that worshipped Him though after Jeroboams manner Now whereas the first commandement enjoines the having of the Lord for our God and forbids other gods these men violate both parts of it the affirmative by forsaking the Lord the negative by digging themselves other cisternes For Trust is an act eminently due onely to God and not to be placed in any thing else but with subordination unto Him And therefore in what thing soever a man principally trusts that he makes his god 2 How unprofitable and foolish this is appeares by the description of God and these cisternes God is the fountain of living waters The cisternes which they dig as being but cisternes not fountaines they have no water of themselves so being but broken cisternes they can not hold the water that is put into them to supply those that dig them For all creatures as they are from God so they depend upon Him for their operation yea and for the continuance of their being and therefore unlesse they be preserved by God and enabled by Him it is impossible they should help us Now He will be so farre from blessing the creatures wherein men idolatrously trust that He curses those that trust in them Isa 31.1 Jer. 17.5 and many times takes away and destroyes the creatures themselves Isa 31.3 2 Such as are unlike to God 1 Privatively such as either through their own fault have not spirituall or temporall good things wherewith to profit others or who having them are not ready to communicate them 2 Positively such as are plenteous in mischievousnesse who are so much worse then the former by how much commission of ill is worse then omission of good which it includes in it self and superadds to it On the other side this serves to comfort 1 Sinners if truly penitent Consol Benhadad having lost the day and being in great feare of losing not onely his kingdome but his life his servants comforted him with the fame that they had heard that the Kings of Israel were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mercifull Kings 1 King 20.31 but we know most certainly that the God of Israel is a mercifull God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plenteous in mercy or loving kindnesse as here 2 Much more the godly For if God be so plenteous in loving kindnesse to men whilest they are yet His enemies how much more when they are reconciled to Him and become His friends and His children whom He tenders as the apple of His eye more then a mother her sucking child Can we think that Jacob feared the famine after he knew there was come enough in Egypt and the disposall thereof in the power of his son Joseph Yet among men love descends so that the love of a sonne toward his father is not equall to that of a father toward his children and the love of any earthly father whatsoever is nothing to the love of our heavenly Father whether we consider the tendernesse or the constancy or the efficacy of it Of how little faith therefore are we if so great kindnesse of so loving a Father can not comfort us against any grief or feare whatsoever Let this also exhort us 1 For the good things we yet have not Exhort to expect and seek them of Gods loving kindnesse 2 For those we have already received to be thankfull to Him 3 To imitate God in this Attribute also as in the former Motiv 1 The dignity of man consists in being like unto God Some courtiers have imitated even the imperfections of their princes And shall not we much more imitate our God every way most perfect And particularly in His bounty or loving kindnesse seeing as it is more honourable in the eies of men so it is a more blessed thing before God to give then to receive Act. 20.35 to be a help rather then a burden to others 2 The good things we have whether spirituall or temporall are not our own but are onely to be dispensed by us according to Gods prescription And He hath prescribed us this duty Gal. 6.10 3 We are all brethren in our first parents of the same flesh and blood Isa 58.7 Act. 17.26 partakers of the same naturall capable of the same gracious and glorious image of God 4 Hereby God shall be glorified His doctrine adorned we shall give good example to the good winne them who are yet enemies or else stop their mouths we shall get and keep the peace of conscience other men will be moved to help us when we shall need or if men be ingratefull and inhumane God will most amply recompense us here and minister unto us abundantly an entrance into His heavenly kingdome hereafter Vers 9. He will not alwaies chide neither will He keep His anger for ever In the precedent verse we had the foundation of all Gods benefits which He bestowes upon them that feare Him in those foure Attributes of His. The benefit upon which the Psalmist principally insists is the moderation of His anger Which moderation is illustrated from the proëgumenall or internall moving cause vers 11 12 13. and from the procatarcticall or externall cause or occasion vers 14. to the 19. In which illustration other notable benefits of God are also mentioned This moderation of Gods anger is either in respect of the duration of it vers 9. measure of it whilest it endures vers 10. Of this 9th verse both the parts are almost coincident but the
Gods temporall judgements upon their children c. And shall they not pity those whom themselves have made miserable 2 Children thankfully to requite according to their ability the care and tender affection of their parents who take such pity on them 2 Doctrine So the Lord pityeth them that feare Him 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of this before Expl. Here it notes the exercise of Gods mercy strictly taken as it signifies an affection of relieving them that are in misery 2 For the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must alwaies remember that when similitudes taken from the creatures are applyed unto God we must separate the imperfections of the creatures and understand their finite perfections juxta modum eminentiae after an eminent manner befitting God Who is infinitely perfect So here 1 A father though never so wise and good yet may sometimes be ignorant of the condition of his children and so either not pity them when there is cause or pity them when there is no cause as Jacob did not pity Joseph when he was cast into the pit and sold by his brethren but extreamly grieved and mourned for his as dead when he was well entreated by Potiphar and after when being governour over all the land of Egypt he gathered come to sustaine them all in the time of famine But God is alwaies every where present ignorant of nothing and therefore pities alwaies and onely where there is just cause of pity 2 A father oftentimes out of inordinate affection pities foolishly so tendring the bodies of his children that he suffers their soules to perish whilest for feare of grieving them a litle by reproof or correction he lets them runne headlong into eternall torments and staies them not But God alwaies pities most wisely sparing the body indeed so farre as the necessity of the soule requires but when it is so that externall prosperity can not consist with eternall felicity He spares not to afflict His children temporally that he may make them happy eternally 3 A fathers pity many times can goe no further then the affection can not produce the reall effect of helping His children and relieving their misery But God as He is metaphorically sayd to have the affection Judg. 10.16 so He hath also all-sufficient power to remove any evil present or to avert any that is imminent from those whom He pities which also He doth This Doctrine for the substance we have had twice before viz. Vers 4. Doctr. 4. Vers 8. Doctr. 1. Therefore we may passe it over the more briefly here For further proofe we may adde Isa 63.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 15. 2 Sam. 24.14 Lam. 3.32 Nehem. 9.19 27 28 31. Psal 119.156 The Reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Vers 11. Doctr. 2. Uses 1 Instr 2 3. As Vers 11. Doctr. 2. 4 We see the feare of God doth not exempt men from all misery 1 Gods pronenesse to pity reproves such as are contrary Repr Vers 8. Doctr 1. Repr 2. 2 The qualification annexed them that feare Him reproves them that presume God will pity them when they do not feare Him God indeed often so farre pities wicked men as to remove some temporall evils from them Amos 7.1 2 3 4 5 6. and also to afford them meanes of salvation 2 Chron. 36.15 But as they have no promise whereon they may rely to expect this so if they goe on in their sinnes it shall aggravate their guilt and increase their damnation But it is most certaine that such shall not obteine Gods saving pity as which is proper to them that feare God Yea of such see Jer. 13.14 Ezek. 7.4 9. Prov. 1.24 c. This also may abundantly comfort them that feare God Consol What matter is it who hates them or endeavours to hurt them when they have Him Who is Almighty so tenderly pitying them In the middest of all calamities diseases death it self how sweet is the remembrance of Gods mercy The compassion of men though when they can onely pity not help is some comfort to a man in misery not in regard of the grief it self but of the love which is the cause of it how much more then Gods compassion which both proceeds from His love as the cause and produces relief as the effect Lastly this should exhort us Exhort as Vers 11. Doctr. 2. 1 To feare God 2 To imitate Him in being pitifull as He is pitifull 3 Doctrine Because such is Gods mercy and compassion Vers 11 12 13. therefore He mitigates His anger Vers 9 10. The 11 12 13. verses were before considered absolutely here relatively Thus Psal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 136. 23 24. Jer. 3.12 Lam. 3.22 Mic. 7.18 Why God should out of His mercy be prone to mitigate His anger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no reason can be given He is so because He is so It is His nature But why it may stand with the honour of His Justice so to doe the cause is Christ satisfying Gods Justice and by His Spirit making us conformable to the covenant Uses 1 Then if at any time we perceive the anger of God mitigated toward us Instr behold the cause not in us but in Himself 2 They that feare God need not doubt of the mitigation of His anger it being the effect of His Mercy which never faileth as being infinite and essentiall to Him This reproves such as attribute the mitigation of Gods anger to their own merits Repr satisfactions c. Lastly it exhorts us 1 To gratitude for the mitigation of Gods anger Exhort For by this Doctrine it appeares to be a benefit most free and of Gods meere grace 2 To imitate God as in the thing vers 9 10. so in the manner If we mitigate our anger onely towards such as deserve the mitigation of it what great matter doe we more then the publicanes and heathen Verse 14. For He knoweth our frame He remembreth that we are dust Now followes the procatarcticall cause or occasion of Gods mitigating His anger that is mans misery in respect of his soule body for the matter like to grasse or flowers ver 15 16. unlike to Gods mercy vers 17 18. 1 Doctrine Our frame or figment is evil This 14th verse is by most expounded of the body Explic. as if both the parts of it tended to the same thing viz. that God knowes and remembers that we are framed of the dust So the Old Translation more plainly He knowes whereof we be made c. And this sense is also good seeing it cannot be denyed but that in the Psalmes and other parts of Scripture especially those which are most elegant the same thing is often expressed in divers phrases and seeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also may be referred to the body as an earthen vessell framed of the clay But this word may also be referred to the soule according to the more frequent use of
children and posterity for their sakes 2 Sam. 7.19 2 See how good a thing it is to be borne of good parents 3 See the best way of providing for thy children which consists not in heaping up wealth honour c. for them but in being thy self such an one as feares God and teaching them also to keep His covenant 4 The mercy of God at least in bestowing eternall happinesse is not promiscuously to all the posterity of those that feare Him Here are reproved 1 Parents who feare not God Repr such stopping the way to Gods mercy from descending upon their children and posterity or at least not opening or making way for it 2 Children 1 Relying too much upon the piety of their parents as if for their sakes it should be well with them though they follow not their stepps but work iniquity And it may be so indeed in temporalls but not so in eternalls as was sayd before Yea they shall be so much the more grievously tormented in hell by how much the greater temporall mercy God hath for their fathers sakes bestowed upon them for to winne them and by how much the greater meanes their parents have used to bring them to salvation which notwithstanding they have gone on in their wickednesse See what Christ answered to the Jewes boasting of their father Abraham Joh. 8. and Abraham to the rich man Luk. 16. 2 Who hate or contemne their parents for this very thing because they feare God Such an one seems Cham to have been Gen. 9.22 For that his deriding his father in his drunkennesse seemes to have proceeded from his hatred of him for his piety 3 Any who so hate them that feare God that for their sakes they extend their hatred to their children also Here also is comfort for them that are poore Consol and have litle or nothing to leave to their children If they feare God they shall leave them for an inheritance Gods first love and a greater measure of it together with His second love also unto eternity if they teach them to keep Gods covenant Lastly Exhort this should exhort 1 Parents to feare God as for Gods sake and their own so here for their childrens sake also 2 Children to keep Gods covenant that upon them may come the blessing promised to their parents Gen. 18.19 1 King 2.3 4. 8.25 1 Chron. 28.7 9. Psal 132.12 4 Doctrine Not as our life so the mercy of God to them that feare Him So Isa 51.7 8. The immediate reason of the dissimilitude is expressed in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. in that our life is like unto the grasse and a flower but Gods mercy is from everlasting and to everlasting The cause why our life is such is sinne why Gods mercy is such is His eternity His constant love to them that feare Him and His omnipotency Uses We see then that they who feare God Instr have not their whole portion in this life Here indeed they have the unspeakable riches of grace and so much of outward things as is sufficient and fit for them which things also as proceeding from Gods second love are very pretious to them But celestiall happinesse which belongs peculiarly to them as it was prepared for them from all eternity so after this life ended it shall continue to them unto all eternity This dissimilitude they very ill consider Repr 1 who preferre this life of a spanne long before the eternall mercy of God for the preservation of this life which yet they can not long preserve using meanes unlawfull and displeasing unto God getting or keeping unjustly the things of this life c. In so doing they plainly cast away the feare of God without which His mercy can not be obteined 2 Who preferre the favour of men whose life is as grasse and a flower before the favour of God whose mercy is from everlasting and to everlasting So they who feare men more then God But for them who truely feare God here is comfort against the shortnesse of this life Consol and feare of death Job 19.25 26 27. 2 Cor. 5 1. And no marvell if walking not by sight but by faith they have great consolation against the terrour of death seeing the mercy of God which faith apprehends is extended beyond the terme of this life even unto eternity For the farre greatest fruits of it are layd up for us in heaven out of all danger of ever losing them nor can we attaine to them but by death 1 Cor. 15.50 Compare this life whilest it lasts with that in heaven and see whether death be not a gaine as it is called Philip. 1.21 23. Lastly Exhort this should againe exhort us to the feare of God the keeping of His covenant and the remembring of His commandements to doe them Motives here 1. This life is very short and fraile as we have heard and the Scripture beside the aforesaid similitudes many waies expresses Job 7.6 9.25 26. Psal 90.9 10. 102.11 144.4 39.5 Jam. 4.14 2 So we shall obtein Gods mercy which toward them that are such is from everlasting and to everlasting and after this life is so immense that they who are dead in the Lord as they have cause so no doubt they do rejoice that this temporall life endured no longer 3. Whereas God out of His hatred of sinne hath His anger no lesse lasting against them who are voyd of His feare then His mercy toward them that feare Him unlesse we doe as we are here exhorted eternall wrath abides for us after this life 5 Doctrine Because God knowes this therefore He mitigates His anger Hitherto our misery in soule and body hath been considered absolutely vers 14 15 16 17 18. Now it is to be considered relatively as it is a reason why God mitigates His anger vers 9 10. That it is so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 see for spirituall misery Gen. 8.21 for corporall Psal 78.38 39. Hence Job uses this as an argument to God Chap. 7.7 10.20 21. 14 5 6. So David Psal 39.12 13. 89.46 47. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The force of this reason from our misery is not by any meanes as if it deserved the mitigation of Gods anger as is evident to any man nor as if God needed the help of men justifyed and saved but of His own most free and gracious love to men which is such and so great that from our malignity deserving eternall damnation He takes occasion of doing us good Rom. 5.20 Yea here Gods mercy is so much the more conspicuous in that all this misery of soule and body hath most justly befallen us for sinne Uses Here then 1 No man can want an argument to urge for imploring the mitigation of Gods anger Instr But it is to be urged rightly Namely come groning under the burden of thy sinnes desiring above all things absolution from them and to be
〈◊〉 hast made my hill so strong Upon which words Saint Augustine Non in viribus nostris non in meritis nostris c. Not by our own power for it is Thou LORD not for our own merits for it is of thy goodnesse See also Psal 44.3 They who offend in either of these kindes can not possibly be thankfull unto God Such as attribute Gods blessings to their own merit howsoever they may seem to acknowledge His justice yet they deny His liberality grace and favour accounting the things they receive to be paid them as debts not given or bestowed upon them as benefits But such as attribute them to their own strength wisdome industry c. deny not onely Gods liberality but also His justice providence and all setting themselves in the place of God Habak 1.15 16. Dan. 4.30 And in like manner doe they offend who attribute Gods benefits to any other but Him as to idoles Judg. 16.23 24. Hos 2.5 8. 3 Such as remember Gods benefits but so as to vilifie them and set them at nought yea to account them as ill turns or injuries to hate and murmur against Him for them as if they proceeded from His hatred not from His love toward them Deut. 1.27 In this height of ingratitude doe all they offend who hate the word or messengers of God just reproofe c. Thus Ahab hated Micaiah 1 King 22.8 and accounted Elijah his enemy Chap. 21.20 who yet was the charet of Israel and the horsemen thereof 2 King 2.12 But let David's example exhort us to imitate him in ever thankfully remembring and exciting our selves to remember Exh. and not forget all Gods benefits Motives See the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beside the remembrance of these may and ought to stir us up to divers other duties viz. 1 To beware of sin which is a rendring unto God evill for good And the more good we have received from God the greater is the evil of the sin So David's sin is aggravated by Nathan 2 Sam. 12.7 8 9. and Hezekiah's pride 2 Chron. 32.25 Therefore as Joseph fortifies himself against his mistresses temptation Gen. 39.8 9. Behold my master c. How then can I doe this great wickednesse and sin against God! So when we are tempted to any sin we should say to our selves or to our tempters Behold God hath done these and these great things for me hath bestowed these and these blessings these and these deliverances upon me How then can I doe this great wickednesse and sin against God! When the Proconsul moved Bishop Polycarpus to blaspheme Christ These 86 yeares saith that holy man have I served Him and He never yet did me any hurt How then can I blaspheme or speak evill of my King which hath bestowed salvation upon me Euseb lib. 4. cap. 15. 2 To serve God cheerfully Who is so kinde and bountifull a Master Who prevents us with His 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or benefits before we have done Him any service much lesse will He be slack or behinde-hand with us in rewarding us when our work is done It was true which the devil said though he said it with a diabolicall that is a slanderous intent Job 1.9 Job did not serve God for nought And hee proves it in the next verse from Gods protection and blessing upon Job and all that he had So let any of us consider how many waies both positively privatively God hath been good to him and he must needs acknowledge that he hath not doth not shall not serve God either for nought or in vain either without cause or without hope either without desert or without reward Therefore as the Apostle exhorts us 1 Cor. 15.58 Let us be stedfast unmoveable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as we know that our labour is not in vain in the Lord. 3 To trust in God for the future So David 1 Sam. 17.37 The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine So S. Paul 2 Tim. 4.17 18. 2 Cor. 1.10 On the contrary Mat. 16.8 9 c. 4 To be patient in afflictions Iob 2.10 Shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evill 5 To be free and bountifull in contributing to any work which concerns Gods immediate honour and service Though indeed this cannot be accounted an act of bounty or liberality but of justice gratitude duty seeing we doe but render unto God his owne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the things which He hath formerly bestowed upon us which as they proceeded from Him to us were truly benefits as they return from us to Him are but due debts And therefore whensoever Gods occasions call upon us in this kinde we must contribute thereunto as on the one side readily and cheerfully and which will follow thereupon richly and plentifully according to our ability so on the other side humbly and modestly without pride or boasting or thinking that we thereby make God a debter to us or merit any thing at His hand An admirable example of both we have in David 1 Chro. 29. 6 To be beneficiall unto our brethren both that we may be the children of our heavenly Father by imitation of His goodnesse Mat. 5.45 and also that we may thereby shew our gratitude to Him Who takes what we doe to our brethren His children Christs brethren as done to Himself Prov. 19.17 Mat. 25.40 All these duties will be the fruits of remembring Gods benefits and therefore may be as so many Motives to excite us to it Means Direct Means Removing impediments Direct 1. Take diligent notice of all Gods benefits both in themselves and with respect to the Author that is both that such and such good things we enjoy and that we have received them from God This means is the ground of all the rest and is absolutely necessary not onely to affective but even to bare notionall remembrance which can have no object if notice or apprehension goe not before 2 Make a due that is a high estimate or valuation of them For what we most esteem we best remember Even old men whose memories most fail yet what they greatly regard they seldome forget as where they have laid their treasure Cic. de senect Now Gods benefits are highly estimable or rather inestimable whether we consider them in themselves their greatnesse multitude variety conveniency c. or in respect of God the Authour and Donour of them Whose greatnesse and majesty illustrates and amplifies His benefits and Whose goodnesse commends and endears them to us as proceeding not onely from His love or good will but also from His grace or free will 3 Adde to Estimation Admiration for that also will adde to the keeping Gods benefits in memory For as what we esteem as great so what we admire as strange we doe not easily forget Which is one
men may not assume them to themselves are described from their effects of fearing God ver 11 13 17. of keeping His covenant and commandements ver 18. And here we have 1 The foundation or impulsive cause of these benefits in the Attributes of God set down in this verse which are foure viz. Mercy Grace Long-suffring Loving-kindnesse 2 The benefits themselves v. 9. to 19. 1 Doctrine The LORD is mercifull 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mercifull Explic. This word we explained together with the conjugate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 4. Doct. 4. Here it seemes to be taken in the proper and strict acception for that Attribute of God whereby He is inclined to succour them that are in misery This is either generall or speciall Gods generall mercy hath for the object of it not onely men even them which are strangers from the faith but also unreasonable creatures even all Gods works Psal 145.9 His speciall mercy looks at sinners repenting of their sinnes Joel 2.13 And this is principally here meant as appeares by the exercise of it in the words following especially ver 13. And so it signifies a pronenesse to succour or relieve a man in misery notwithstanding sinne The act or effect hereof is Deliverance immediately from the Guilt of sinne by Remission and from the Dominion by Mortification by consequence from Afflictions so far as is expedient and from Hell This Attribute of God is most frequently celebrated in Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But let us hear the immediate testimony of God Himself Exo. 34.6 which very words David repeats not onely in this place but also Psal 86.15 145.8 So others Nehemiah chap. 9.17 Joel chap. 2.13 Jonah chap. 4.2 Seeing Mercy considered in it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or in actu primo as here it is is an essentiall Attribute of God there can be no reason given of it but He is mercifull because He is mercifull or because He is God For God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without cause otherwise either He must be the cause of Himself and so before and after Himself which can not be or else some other thing must be the cause of Him and so He should not be Alpha the first and independent but should depend upon His cause as in nature before Him But contrariwise He is the cause of all things and upon Him all things necessarily depend both in their essence and operation Uses Seeing this Attribute belongs to our use especially in the exercise of it whereof David speaks afterwards I shall therefore here be the briefer For our Instruction Instr 1 If God be mercifull to sinners repenting then certainly much more is He tenderly affected towards them who having already repented of their sinnes and mortified the works of the flesh by the Spirit of Christ into Whom they are engraffed by faith serve Him diligently in holinesse and righteousnesse and bring forth plentifull fruit whereby He is glorified 2 We see how it comes to passe that sinne doth not presently damne but that there is hope in Israel notwithstanding sinne If Gods punishing justice should strictly take place there could be no hope But God is mercifull and out of His mercy according to the prescript of His wisdome He so remits of His justice that there remains certain hope of salvation to all that repent though worse then Manasseh the Jewes Act. 2. who notwithstanding Christs innocency the excellency of His doctrine frequency greatnesse and goodnesse of His miracles crucified Him c. 3 We see also the true cause of damnation It is not want of mercy in God to deliver men and so to save them but they are wanting to themselves in that they will not walk in the waies to which God in his wisdome hath annexed and restrained His shewing mercy lest His justice should be contemned This reproves 1 Such as do not carry themselves as becomes this mercy of God viz. either despairing presuming of it Despaire as it is in it self a great sinne Repr so it is also to man very dangerous It is great in it self as being which many other sinnes which he could not hinder may be of a harsh disposition which can never in this life be quite remoyed yet by the powerfull grace of God it may be so farre rectified that a man shall have a mercifull heart and in the generall course of his life exercise it though he can not so expresse it in speech and countenance as others can But he that gives way to such a disposition without grieving for it and labouring to mortifie it is not like our heavenly Father For He is mercifull and so must we be if we will be His children Lu. 6.36 Much lesse are they like Him who contrary to their naturall inclination draw upon themselves a habit of cruelty by frequent acts out of self-love pride c. Here is also Comfort 1 for them Consol who groan under the burden of their sinnes See ver 3. Doct. 2. Consol 1 Against the cruelty of men If they refuse to pardon us when we have offended them though we duly crave pardon of them or if they punish us altogether undeservedly not for any offense or fault of ours and that beyond all moderation without all mercy and if others also have no compassion of us being so used yet let this comfort us that there is mercy with God And as the mercy of men can not procure our salvation so neither can their cruelty hinder it God being mercifull unto us Let this also exhort us 1 To labour that we may be partakers of this mercy Exhort Motiv 1 Otherwise we are undone for ever 2 If we truly seek it we shall not seek it in vain 3 This is able to relieve all our miseries c. Meanes Repentance 2 To be mercifull toward others This belongs chiefly to the exercise of mercy Yet something may be said briefly of the inward affection Motiv 1 The externall acts of pardoning them that have injured us relieving them that are in misery c if the heart be void of mercy are not acts of mercy but of some other principle what ever it be from whence they proceed perhaps of vain-glory cowardlinesse c and therefore shall not onely faile of the reward promised to the mercifull but be punished as hypocriticall at least if not otherwise sinfull 2 If we have the inward affection though for want of power or opportunity we can not exercise the outward act God will in this case accept and reward the will for the deed Meanes 1 Seeing Christ is full of grace of Whose fulnesse we all receive grace for grace it is necessary that being taken out of the wild olive we be graffed into Him the true olive tree 2 Seeing Christ communicates by His Spirit Which is therefore called the Spirit of grace let us labour to be endued with it 3 By the grace of His Spirit exercise mercy that by