FORTY FIVE SERMONS UPON THE Cxxx PSALM Preached at IRWIN By that Eminent Servant of Jesus Christ Mr. George Hutcheson Minister of the Gospel EDINBVRGH Printed by the Heir of Andrew Anderson Printer to their most Excellent Majesties Anno DOM. 1691. To the Right Honourable and truly Noble Lady La MARGARET LESLIE Countess of ROTHES c. SUCH I know was the Author's respect to your Ladyships Noble Family and to your Self though young at his death upon what all saw so promising even then in your Ladyship that I doubt little but if he had lived till now to Publish these very useful Sermons he might probably have brought them to publick view under your Ladyships Name And Providence having put them into my hand I judging them with others of far deeper reach very serviceable to all who seriously mind their Souls concerns was easily induced that they might not be buried in Oblivion as I fear many other things of his very worthy of the light may be to give them to the world in Print Dedicat to your Ladyship in doing whereof I might and others in the like case probably would here commend your Ladyship for your examplary Piety your love to Religion evidenced by your laying out your self to the outmost for the advancement thereof in your present Capacity your Care and Vigilance in the Education of your Noble and Hopeful Children whom the Lord bless by means whereof they may prove eminent Instruments in due time of promoting the good of their Countrey both in Church and State the indefatigable pains you have been and still are at to advance their Estates that they may be in the better case to appear to purpose for these and your modest discreet sober and prudent deportment in all every one of which might be insisted on at length without the least shaddow of flattery or encroachment on truth But as this I know would not be acceptable to your Ladyship so besides that I being no Orator am nothing fitted for it it is so contrary to my humour that all I shall further add is that being sufficiently aware of my Obligations to your Ladyship and to your Noble Family I have presumed as a Testimony of my sense of these to prefix your Name to this Piece which I intreat may be taken in good part off the hand of MADAM Your Ladyships most humble and devoted Servant G. L. TO THE READER I Shall speak nothing of the Author of this Work he was far above my Commendation he exercised his Ministry first at Camanell afterwards at Edinburgh and lastly at Irwin where he Preached these Sermons and finished his Course in all which places for his Piety Parts and particularly his eminent Gift in Preaching his Memory is very savoury and will be to all who will seriously read these Discourses of his Which had he lived to Publish himself they had certainly appeared in a far more advantageous Dress But you have them here as they were received from his Mouth when Preached by the Pen of an Hearer And if at any time you meet with any thing less clear in them it 's hopt you will attribute it to this or to some Inadvertency at the Press and not to the Author who was known to be no-ways involved or obscure but most accurate most exact and distinct in all that he did and to add this in the by which is remarked of him by one most pertinently in all his Observations and Purposes ye will find him though always Native yet frequently very surprising But the serious perusal of them will say more both for their Vindication and Commendation than I possibly can which if you set about as you ought they will prove through the Lord's Blessing as they were at first and now are intended for thy Spiritual Benefit which is the sincere desire of G. L. SERMON I. Psalm 130. Vers 1. Out of the depths have I cried unto thee O LORD 2. Lord hear my voice let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications HAving a purpose if the Lord will to go through this Psalm I shall speak somewhat in a brief word to the Title of it It 's called A Song of Degrees a Title that is common to fifteen Psalms in this Book from the 120 to the 134 inclusivè and the importance of this Title is not easily condescended upon Popish Writers would from this make up fifteen Degrees of Vertues each of them still above another whereby a Sinner breathes for Redemption by Christ from a stare of Sin and Misery and ascendeth to Heaven but this necessitates them to strain their Wits and to put these Psalms on a Rack to find out the distinction of these Vertues and therefore we shall leave it The Hebrew word rendred Degrees leads us to somewhat more certain yet not demonstrative That these Psalms may be called Songs of Degrees 1. Upon the account of the way of singing them the Voice in singing them being raised to an high Key as 2 Chron. 20. where it is said the Levites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high It 's the same word used here for Degrees 2. There is a reason why these Psalms were to be sung with a loud Voice a Song of Degrees may signifie a most excellent Song or a Song which in excellency surmounts other Songs and so the word is rendred when it is applyed to a man of excellency 1 Chron. 17.17 Thou hast regarded me according to a man of high degree or a man of excellency O Lord and so these Psalms may be called Songs of Degrees because they are most excellent for the sweet grave and pithy Sentences they contain 3. They may be called Songs of Degrees upon the account of the place where these excellent Songs were to be sung with an high voice The Chaldee Paraphrast says upon the Degrees or Stairs whereby they went up to the Temple or rather whereby they went up to Mount Sion the City of David one of which fifteen Psalms were to be sung on every step of these Stairs And others will have them to be sung in the several Mansions of the People that came from the Babylonish Captivity for so we find the word rendred Ezra 7.9 These things I only name and pass them and I might add one Conjecture more when I consider the affinity that is betwixt the word Degrees rendred and the Original that signifies Burnt-offering or Sacrifice I incline to think that these Songs were sung by the Priests and Levites about the Altar while they offered these Burnt-offerings or Sacrifices Having thus briefly spoken to the Title there are other general Notes common to this with other Psalms that might be insisted on which I also pass For the Pen-man of the Psalm he is not design'd nor is it needful to enquire who he was since the Psalm hath its authority from the Spirit of God and not from Man It is most like to be a
of the Saints when they are right that be Prayer hopeless or not hopeless they will not quite it they will not give it over put them in the Depths It 's a great encouragement to them that they know it is to good purpose to Pray but be it to purpose or no purpose they must be about it they will not quite it that place cited in Jonah proves it let God cast him out of his sight yet will he look to his holy Temple and Pray shut him out at the Door he will be in at the Door by Prayer Tell him his difficulty is so great as Temptation will be ready to say that crying to God will do him no good it 's all a matter to Prayer he must he 'll rather sink Praying than be saved without it Psal 61.2 From the ends of the earth will I cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed That 's a notable word from a man in a deep Distress What could a man imagine to be discouraging that he wanted for his Case he is as far from God as the ends of the earth for his Heart he is under Perplexity his Heart is overwhelmed and yet in that condition he will cry unto God if so be he will lead him to the Rock that is higher than he come of it what will he will Pray And Heman is another notable instance Psal 88.13 and vers 14. he says Lord why castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me and vers 15. I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted I am put out of my Wits my Wit gets a rack with thy terrors and yet vers 13. Vnto thee have I cryed O Lord. No hopelesness of my undertaking no hardship I meet with could put me from crying to thee and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee I will continue Praying and to speak after the manner of men Thou shalt be soon up but my Prayer shall be at thy Door to prevent thee That then is the 4th thing imported here not to be put from Prayer were our Case never so desperate nay not by the apprehension of drowning in the Depths though at the next Bout we should sink to the bottom But 5ly That he says Out of the depths have I cryed unto thee it imports that not only a Saint will not be put from Prayer through the greatness of his Distress but his Distress will put an edge upon Prayer when he is most fervent and made to cry out when he is in the Depths And this word Crying expressing Prayer in the Text suffer me to Explicate more particularly what it imports I intend not to Speak of it as it is generally used in Scripture but as it expresseth Prayer And I shall here offer four or five Things to be looked to by them that would continue Praying in the Depths or out of the Depths 1. It imports a Mans being Affected with that which is his Case The crying Man knows what ails him when a Man Scricks or Cryes out it is an evidence that he feels somewhat that Affects him much Thus Crying is used upon the account of Grief Ezek. 5.4 The marked Persons are such as sigh and cry for all the abominations done in the midst of the city They cry out of sad oppression from Grief And I find Crying in Prayer made us of to signifie the fears of the Supplicant Heb. 5.7 Our blessed Lord is said to offer up prayers and supplica-with strong crying and tears and he was heard in that he feared Grief and fear importing the sense of our Case the source and fountain of our Cryes a stupid Man that wots not how it 's with himself or the people of God who is like Pharaoh that knew not that Egypt was destroyed will not be a crying Man 2. This Crying imports not only a sense of ones Case but an earnest affection after that which our cryes are employed about it 's not for Triffles that a Man cryes either to obtain or avoid them at least they are not Triffles in his opinion it 's given as an estimation of Wisdom Prov. 2.3 when a man cryes and lifts up his voice for it And David cryes about that which he is affected with Ps 84.2 my soul longeth yea euen fainteth for the courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God It 's a token of raised Affections either to be rid of some imminent ill or hazard or to attain some excellent good that puts folk to Crying A slighting of Trouble when a Man is like Ephraim Hos 7 9. gray hairs are here and there upon him and he knows it not and a slighting of desyrable Mercies will not produce Crying for the one or to avoid the other But 3ly This Crying imports with sense of need and earnestness of Affection to be at the thing cryed for a sense of a distance Wee use to cry to folk that are far off and not within ordinar speaking or rounding and this follows well upon the former When folks are put to Pray from the Depths they will discern God at a distance from them and themselves at a distance from God it is another thing when a man is in the Depths to be within speaking terms with God as when he is at ease The children of God while they are at ease are like Sampson who thinks he hath no more ado but go out and shake himself and have God at his command but the Man in the depths will not find such an easie matter to come near God He will not only be sensible of his natural distance but of that distance he is under upon the account of his Provocations and so this Crying will take in sense of Guilt to be confessed and mourned for before God But this I shall leave because it will fall in upon the third and fourth Verses following A 4th Thing imported in this Crying is That notwithstanding of all that hath been said a Saint should cry out of the Depths with Confidence in God and of Relief from him hence the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 Gal. 4.6 It doth not prompt a Man to muter or peep or whisper his Prayer to God but to cry out with Confidence Abba Father And whatever sense we have of our need or of our distance from God or of the Guilt hath drawn it on Confidence is needfull to usher in Prayer Heb. 4.16 Having such an high priest let us come boldy The word in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies let us come with an all-saying with an open mouth unto the Throne of Grace with Confidence that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need 5ly and lastly This Crying out of the depths it imports as the result of all that I have been speaking to from it a fervency of Affection when folks are not only sensible of that they need have an
we should silence all clamors about trouble with being throng about guilt that we should look on troubles and afflictions as things that we may get home with whether we be rid of them or not but we should look on redemption from sin as a thing absolutly necessar For without holiness none shall see God and that we should not take every trouble of mind for kindly exercise of Conscience for sin we should not let Conscience be sleeping in the bosom of a Delilah while there is a clamour made about trouble and that because it will not be suffered to sleep there without interruption Now to follow out this a little more particularly I shall offer you four or five words from the Text about their right exercise whose trouble is about sin or some Characters of them who have ground of hope that God will redeem them from all iniquity And 1. which is more general they that would approve themselves to God in their exercise about sin must learn to look on sin as a burden whereof they would be rid as a bondage from which they need redemption In the right Israel of God that is rightly exercised about sin no grievance goes so near the heart as that of sin The want of a delivery from trouble if they could be delivered from sinning under it or from having their corruption irritat to sin more by it it would be to them an outgate and they would drink and forget their misery if they could get sin shaken off if they could get that weight laid aside and be made light to run the race that is set before them What will ye say to this ye to whom wickedness is sweet and who hide it under your tongue who spare sin and forsake it not who count it not a bondage but a liberty surely to a true Israelite sin is the most unsupportable burden 2. They that look aright on sin as on a burden whereof they would be rid they must look on it as an iniquity abominable and hateful He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities and as the phrase is Psal 32.5 Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Some sins may be troublesom or vexatious and folk would not care to be quit of them on that or some other carnal account but there is none rightly exercised with sin that do not weary of it as hateful abominable and ugly in God's Eyes Thou may desire to be quit of one sin because it crusheth another sin but that is no evidence of a right groaning under the pressure of iniquity till it be groaned under as loathsom to God 3. As they that are rightly exercised about sin look on it as a burden and as iniquity so all of it is hateful and abominable as such I might here if I would follow it out point out to you that there is an all of sin in every one of mankind that there is an all of sin even in Israel who are allowed to hope in God a notion that David notices Psal 140.12 Mine iniquities have taken hold on me so that I cannot look up they are more than the hairs of mine head And O but they that are well acquaint with their own heart that are often upon a self-examination and search and do not live strangers to themselves they will find greater and greater abominations there Whither do they turn them but they will find pollutions in their omissions and commissions in reference both to Law and Gospel in reference to mercies received and corrections inflicted c. But that which I am upon is That Israel looks upon all sin as iniquity A partial opposition of sin is a self-deceiving undertaking a sacrificing of many sinful delights to one predominant a burning of many Cities to save one Zoar will not be taken off saints hands as a right opposition of sin As far as iniquity extends so far must their groaning under and opposition to it extend 4. They that are rightly exercised about sin will find it a pressure that needs a redemption that is a pressure that they 'l not get shaken off till God interpose There is some other thing in delivery from iniquity than for a man to think he will go forth as Sampson and shake him as at other times No a man will be put to look to God to attain it I confess painfulness in the use of means is our duty and it will never be taken off our hands for us to say that iniquity is our burden and hurtful to us so long as we are not using means to be rid of it No there must be endeavours on our part to cast out these Devils by Fasting and Prayer and though it were to beat down the body and bring it in subjection as the Apostle does 1 Cor. 9.27 in the exercise of Mortification that must not be wanting but it fears me there is little of the painful work of Mortification to be found among Christians in those days profession is the broadest thing in Religion among all and next to that some positive duties but for the serious study of Mortification to get Satan trode under foot to be above corruption O! how few Christians can have a sober testimony on that account And yet shall I say it that next to thy closing with Christ and making him thy City of Refuge thy painfulness in Mortification will be thy great Test But that which I am now on is to lay before you that on the one hand slipt in Mortification I had almost said sleeped in Mortification of sin is much to be suspected when some iniquities that had power over you seem to be subdued but ye never did any thing to subdue them ye would remember that parable Mat. 12.43 of the unclean spirit that goes out of a man many Devils go out that are not casten out that is he withdraws to take the man from off his watch and to surprize him to put himself in a capacity to return again to his house whence he came out with seven other spirits more wicked than himself But further as slipt in Mortification will not hold water so on the other hand when we have used all pains to mortifie and subdue sin our endeavours will not prove effectual though Prayer and Fasting be our duty and the use of other means till God come and give redemption from it It is God only that hath power over iniquity yea it may be that he hath a judicial hand in it and hath past a sentence making it thy plague as well as thy sin that till thou know the plague of thine own heart and look up to him for delivery from it as a plague thou shalt not be rid of it And therefore as on the one hand thou must be at pains to get the burden and bondage of sin shaken off that Naphthali may be a Hind let loose so on the other hand thou must not mistake though thy pains be not effectual as to that thing but