efficacy of the word is a pledge of the truth of it 2. 'T is a Commodious Instrument for this End and Purpose for there is a Wisdom in all Gods Institutions He that looketh upon an Axe will say this is an instrument made to cut So he that looketh upon the Scriptures must needs say this is a means to purifie The Word is more Morally accommodated to work upon the heart of man then any other Instrument Means or Doctrine in the World Now the Word doth so commodiously serve for this purpose because there are 1. Such pure Precepts 2. Such pure Examples 3. Such great helps to Purity 4. Great encouragements to Purity 5. Such great Terrours to disswade men from sin 1. There are pure Precepts setting forth the Nature of that Purity that is pleasing to God and so on the one hand they serve to humble us for our natural filthiness for verum est Index sui et obliqui Truth sheweth it self and discovereth errour also Iam. 1. 23. 'T is such a pure Doctrine that it sheweth a man his natural face and discovers soul spots And on the other side by these Precepts and Doctrines we are urged and injoyned to seek after true Purity and Holiness of the right Constitution 1 Tim. 1. 5. The end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure heart and a good Conscience and Faith unfeigned The Word telleth us God will be served and that he will be served with a pure heart the right End and Scope of the whole Law as 't is a Gospel Rule is love to God and Man flowing from a sincere and renewed heart and a good Conscience rightly informed of Gods Will and Faith unfeigned apprehending the Grace of God towards us in Christ our Redeemer So that you see there is required of us not only good Actions but good Principles and Ends. The Apostle telleth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the work of the Law was written upon Mans heart Rom. 2. 14. Natural Conscience will take notice of some gross Acts urge to some external Conformity and show of Duty But the Word of God taketh notice not only of acts but the frame of the heart not only of sins but also of lusts If ever there were an instrument fitted to do a thing the Word is fitted to make men pure and holy Briefly then the Word requireth purity of Heart and Life that we should be pure in heart Matth. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God and pure in Life Blessed are the undefiled in the way Ps. 119. 1. you have both in one place Iam. 4. 8. Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your Hearts ye double minded both must be cleansed both heart and hands But we must first begin with the Heart The Heart is that polluted Fountain from whence floweth all the pollution of Life Matth. 15. 19. Out of the Heart proceed evil thoughts Murthers Adulteries Blasphemies c. 'T is in vain to cleanse the out-side unless the Heart be cleansed and therefore the Scripture presseth us to wash our hearts from wickedness Ier. 4. 14. There is the difficulty 'T is more easie to heal an outward wound than to stanch an inward bleeding and the cause is within The purity of the outside is loathsome to God unless the heart be cleansed 't is more easie to prevent disorders in our Conversations than to cleanse our hearts and therefore the Scripture mainly calleth upon you to purge out sin out of the heart Matth. 23. 26 27. Therefore the great design of the Word of God with which it travaileth is to get the heart clean as Elisha when he would cure the brackishness of the Waters cast falt into the Fountain so doth the Word of God seek to cleanse the hearts of men and all its wooings and pleadings and intreaties tend to this 2. There are pure Examples and Patterns we miscarry by low Examples and grow loose and careless seeing others to be so therefore the Word is still to keep us humble under our defects unsatisfied with our present measure always contending and striving towards the mark it propoundeth all manner of examples to us It propoundeth the example of God 1 Pet. 1. 15. Be ye holy as he that hath called you is Holy in all manner of Conversation God is holy in all his ways and Righteous in all his works and so should we be And the Scripture presseth us to be holy as Christ is holy 1 Iohn 3. 3. He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as Christ is pure 'T is impossible there should be an exact equality yet some answerable Conformity there should be God is essentially immutably infinitely holy He loveth himself so much as he can be loved His Essence and his Being is the same with his Holiness Our Holiness is a superadded Quality Gods Holiness is like a vessel of pure Gold where the substance is the same with the lustre but our holiness is like a vessel of Earth gilded with Gold the substance is one thing the varnish another But yet this God and Christ must ever be before our Eyes we must be holy as he is holy we must always be encreasing in holiness We must come into an abiding state of holiness There must be some kind of Conformity between God and us and Christ and us and head and members must be all of a piece He will shoot farther that aimeth at a Star than he that aimeth at a shrub So he will be more holy that doth as God doth than he that doth as sinful Creatures do like himself Nay the Scripture propoundeth the example of the Saints Heb. 6. 12. We need all kind of examples As we need high and glorious examples that we may not rest in any low degrees and beginnings of purity So lower examples that we may not be discouraged and think it impossible And therefore the Saints of God are propounded to us Men and Women of like affections with us the same natural interests and we the same grace with them the way to heaven is a troden path all along you may see the foot-steps of the Saints before you 3. The Scripture offereth great Helps to purity Christ dyed to purchase it for us Ephes. 5. 27. He gave himself for us that he might Sanctifie and Cleanse us by the washing of water through the Word And God hath promised to give this clean heart to them that seek after it and undertaketh to give what he requireth Ezek. 36. 25 26 27. I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you A new heart also 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 And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my judgements
them out of his presence they become the scorn of Saints and Angels Dan. 12. 2. And many of them that sleep in the dust shall arise some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt But now the godly are bold and confident Psal. 1. 5. The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous But the godly shall lift up their head with joy and rejoicing Now the Reasons of this Where sin is not allowed there is a threefold comfort 1. Justification 1 Joh. 1. 7. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin It is an evidence that giveth us the comfort He hath failings but they are blotted out for Christs sake 2. It is an evidence of sanctification that a work of grace hath passed upon us 2 Cor. 1. 12. For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world and more abundantly to you ward Heb. 13. 18. We trust that we have a good conscience willing in all things to live honestly An universal purpose and an unfeigned respect hath the full room of an evidence 3. A pledg of glory to ensue Rom. 5. 5. 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 Use. It informeth us by the rule of Contraries That we deceive our selves if we look for any thing from sin but shame Rom. 6. 21. For the wages of sin is death Sin and shame entred into the world together How were Adam and Eve confounded after the fall Sin is odious to God it grieveth the Spirit but the person that committeth it shall be filled with shame In the greatest privacy sin bringeth shame Men are not solitary when they are by themselves there is an eye and ear which seeth and observeth them there is a law in our hearts which upbraids our sins to us as soon as we have committed them a secret bosom-witness 2. It informeth us what hard hearts they have that have respect to no commandments yet are not ashamed They have outgrown all feelings of conscience and so glory in their shame Phil. 3. 19. Whose end is destruction whose God is their belly and whose glory is in their shame who mind earthly things Erubuit salva res est By how much less they are ashamed now the more they shall be their shamelesness will encrease their shame Jer. 3. 3. Thou hadst a whores forehead thou refusedst to be ashamed The Conscience of a sinner is like a Clock dull calm and at rest when the weights are down but wound up it 's full of motion 3. Here is caution to Gods children The less respect you have to the Commandments the more shame will you have in your selves Partiality in obedience breaketh your confidence and over-clouds your peace Therefore that we may not blemish our profession let us walk more exactly So shall we not be ashamed when we have respect to all Gods Commandments SERMON VIII PSAL. CXIX 7. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments IN this Verse David expresseth his esteem of the Word by telling what he would give for the knowledg and practice of it As we use to tell a man how thankful we would be if he would do thus and thus for us So Lord if thou wilt give me to learn thy righteous judgments then I will praise thee c. His promise of praise manifesteth his esteem which should affect our stupid hearts The Canon is now larger and the mysteries of the Word are more clearly unfolded If the Saints of God were so taken with it before when there were so scanty and dark representations in comparison of what is now O what honour and praise do we now owe to God! In this Verse observe 1. The Title that is given to the Word Thy righteous judgments 2. His Act of Duty about it or the benefit which he desireth sound erudition When I shall have learned 3. The fruit of this benefit obtained Then will I praise thee 4. The manner of performing this duty With uprightness of heart First The Title that is given to the Word Thy righteous judgments or as it is in the Margent the judgments of thy righteousness Hence observe Doct. Gods precepts are and are so accounted of by his people as righteous judgments or judgments of righteousness There are two Terms to be Explained 1. What is meant by judgments 2. By righteousness For the First Righteousness is sometimes put alone for the Word and so also Judgments as we shall find in this Psalm but here both are put together to increase the signification The precepts of the Word are called judgments for two Reasons 1. Because they are the Judicial sentence of God concerning our state and actions 2. Because of the suitable execution that is to follow First They are the Judicial sentence of God concerning our state and actions The judicial sentence that is they are the Decrees of the Almighty Law-giver given forth with an authority uncontroulable A man may appeal from the sentence of men but this is judgment this is as certain as if he were executed presently There is injustice and oppression many times in the Courts of men but there 's a higher than the highest regards it and there be higher than they Eccles. 5. 8. There may be another Tribunal to which we may appeal from the unjust sentences of men but there is no appeal from God for there is no higher Judicature Paschalis a Minister of the Albigenses when he was burnt at Rome cited the Pope and his Cardinals before the Tribunal of the Lamb. When we are wronged and opprest here we may cite them before the Tribunal of God and Christ but who can appeal from the Tribunal of Christ himself And then this sentence is concerning our state and actions 1 Our State whether it be good or evil The word sentenceth you now for instance If a man be in a carnal state Joh. 3. 18. He that believeth not is condemned already How condemned already In the sentence of the Law so he is gone and lost Every unbeliever such as all are by nature is condemned already having only the slender thread of a frail life between him and the execution of it The sentence of the Law standeth in force against him since he will not come to Christ to get it repeal'd This sentence standeth in force against all Heathens which never heard of Christ and are condemned already by the Law But now Christians or those that take up such a profession and have heard of the Gospel on them it is confirmed by a new sentence since they will not fly
said Your brethren that hated me said Let God be glorious In Instruments of Musick the deeper the belly of the Instrument the sweeter the melody so Praise the more it comes from the heart the more acceptable to God 2 This uprightness implys the life as well as the heart Honour given to God in words is many times retracted and disproved by the dishonour we do to him in our conversations This is the carrying Christ on the top of the Pinacle as the Devil did with an intent he might throw down himself again so we seem to advance and carry him high in praises that we may throw him down in our lives Tit. 1. 16. They profess that they know God but in works they deny him Empty complements God accepteth not as long as there is blasphemy in their lives Our lives must glorifie him Mat. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Use. It reproves us that we are no more hearty and serious in the praises of God In our necessities when we want then we can howl upon our bed our necessity doth put a shrill accent upon our groans and sharpen our affections in prayer but in praise how cold and dull are we surely we should be as warm in the one as in the other Then it may press you to live praises and shew forth the praises of him in your conversation 1 Pet. 2. 7. Hezekiah had been sick God recovered him he pen'd a Psalm of Thanksgiving Isa. 38. 9. yet it 's said he rendred not according to what he received c. 2 Chron. 32. because his heart was proud and lifted up If you do not walk more humbly and closely with God it is not praise with uprightness of heart it must issue and break out in our actions and course of our conversation SERMON IX PSAL. CXIX 8. I will keep thy statutes O forsake me not utterly THIS Verse being the last of this portion is the result of his meditation concerning the utility and necessity of keeping the Law of God Here take notice 1. Of his Resolution I will keep thy statutes 2. His Prayer O forsake me not utterly It is his purpose to keep the Law yet because he is conscious to himself of many infirmities he prays against desertion In the prayer there is a litotes more is intended than is exprest O forsake me not he means strengthen me in this work and if thou shouldst desert me yet but for a while Lord not for ever if in part not in whole Four points we may observe from hence 1. That it is a great advantage to come to a resolution in a course of godliness 2. Those that resolve upon a course of obedience had need to fly to Gods help 3. Though we flye to Gods help yet sometimes God may withdraw and seem to forsake us 4. Though God seem to forsake us and really doth so in part yet we should pray that it may not be a total and utter desertion The notion of Statutes I have opened and also what it is to keep them in mind heart and life That which we now are to take notice of is David's resolution Hence observe Doct. 1. That it is a great advantage to come to a resolution in a course of godliness Negatively let me speak to this point 1. This is not to be understood as if our resolutions had any strength in themselves to bear us out Peter is a sad instance how little our confidence and purposes will come to and therefore David here when he was most upright in his own resolution is most diffident of his own strength O forsake me not implying if God should forsake him all would come to nothing God must enable us to do what we resolve 2. Nor is it to be understood that it is in a man's power to resolve this would put grace under the dominion of our will It is by preventing grace that we are brought to a serious purpose Phil. 2. 13. He giveth to will and to do Man's will is the toughest sinew in the whole Creation The very purpose and bent of the heart is the fruit of Regeneration Free-will hath its pangs its velleities which are like a little morning-dew that is soon dried up Hos. 6. 4. Our righteousness is as the morning-cloud and as the early dew it goeth away But the will and resolution that we are to understand here is the fruit of grace 3. Not as if the obligation to obedience did arise from our own purpose and promise rather than from Gods Command this were to set mans authority above Gods and to lay aside the Precept which is the surer bond and obligation and to bind the soul with the slender thread of our own resolutions When we purpose and promise obedience we do but make the old bond and engagement of duty the more active and sensible upon the soul so that it is not to justle out Gods Authority but to yield our consent However the obligation is the greater for to disobey after we have acknowledged an authority among men it is counted a more heinous crime than standing out against the authority it self A thing that is not due before yet when we have promised or dedicated it to God then it is not in our power as in the case of Ananias Act. 5. but now we are not free before the contract we have bonds upon us and the business of our promise and resolution is only to make our obligation more powerful upon the conscience 4. Not as if it were an arbitrary thing thus to do and practised by the Saints only for the more conveniencie of the spiritual life no but it is a thing required Act. 11. 23. He exhorteth them that with full purpose of heart they would cleave to the Lord. Positively 1. It is a course which God will bless he hath appointed Ordinances for this end and purpose that we might come to this resolution The promise is first implicitly made in Baptism therefore is it called 1 Pet. 3. 21. The answer of a good conscience towards God How so why the Covenant binds mutually on God part and on ours and so do the seals which belong to the Covenant It doth not only seal pardon and sanctification on Gods part but there is a promise and answer on our part an answer to what to the demands of the Covenant In the Covenant of Grace God saith I will be your God Baptism seals that and we promise to be his people Now our answer to this demand of God and to this Interrogatory he puts to us in the Covenant it is sealed by us in Baptism and it is renewed in the Lords-supper Look as in the old Sacrifices they were all a renewing of the Oath of Allegiance to God or confirming their purposes and resolutions you have the same notion to the sacrifice that is given to the Lords-supper for it is called the
soon is the edg of his bravery taken off Dan. 5. 5 6. Haman in the midst of his honours was troubled at the heart for want of Mordecai's knee Those things which seem to affect us so much cannot allay one unquiet passion certainly cannot still and pacifie the least storm of the Conscience and therefore what ever face men put upon temporal enjoyments if they cannot see Gods special love in them they want sincere joy There is many a smart lash they feel when the world hears not the stroke Prov. 14. 13. Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is heaviness All the laughter and merriment which men seem to receive from the Creature it is but a little appearance not such as will go to the Conscience that will indeed and throughly rejoice and comfort a man and give him solid joy 3. There wants eternity An Immortal soul must have an eternal good pleasures for evermore Psal. 16. ult In this world we have but a poor changeable happiness Luk. 12. 19. 't was said to the rich fool This night thy soul shall be required of thee Thus much for the first Branch Blessed art thou O Lord. II. I come from the Compellation to the Supplication Teach me thy statutes And here observe 1 The person teaching he speaks to God Do thou O God teach 2 We may consider the person taught Teach me I that have hid the word in my heart David that was a Prophet is willing to be a Disciple Those that teach others have need that God should teach them the Prophet saith Teach me O Lord. David a grown Christian he desires more understanding of Gods will Certainly we should still follow on to know the Lord Hos. 6. 3. Heathens that only knew natural and moral things yet they saw a need of growth and the more they knew the more they discovered their ignorance and always as they grew elder they grew wiser How much more sensible would they have been of their defects in the knowledg of spiritual things if they had in a little measure been acquainted with the mysteries of godliness that pass all understanding and are so much from humane sense and above the capacities of our reason Prov. 30. 3. Agur said I neither learned wisdom nor have the knowledg of the holy There is very much yet to be learned of God and of his ways Many think they know all that can be taught them David a great Prophet a man after Gods own heart yet is earnest that God would teach him his statutes 3 The lesson or matter to be taught Thy Statutes so he calls the Word because the Doctrines of it have the force of a Law published they do unalterably bind and that the soul and conscience and therefore the Precepts Counsels and Doctrines of the Word are all called statutes The Point is Doct. If we would know Gods statutes so as to keep them we must be taught of God Here I shall enquire 1. What it is or how doth God teach us 2. The necessity of this teaching 3. The benefit and utility of it First How doth God teach us Outwardly by his Ordinance by the Ministry of man Inwardly by the inspiration and work of the Holy Ghost 1. The outward teaching is Gods teaching because it is an Ordinance which is appointed by him now both these must ever go together external and internal teaching Despise not Prophecy Quench not the Spirit If you would have any enlightning and quickning of the Spirit you must not despise Prophecy We teach you here and God blesseth Jesus Christ when he comes to teach his Disciples first he openeth the Scripture Luk. 24. 37. And then v. 45. he opened their understandings Of Lydia it is said God opened her heart in attending to the things spoken by Paul Act. 16. 14. She was attending and then God openeth her heart When the Eunuch was reading then God sends an Interpreter The outward means are necessary it is Gods teaching in part but the inward grace especially Both these must go together for it is said Ioh. 6. 45. Every man that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me There must be a hearing of the Word and so there is a teaching from God But 2. The inward teaching which is the work of the Spirit that needs most to be opened What is that it consists in two things 1 When God infuseth light into the understanding so as we come to apprehend the things of God in a spiritual manner Psal. 36. 9. In thy light shall we see light There is no discerning spiritual things spiritually but in Gods light There may be a literal instruction which one man may give to another But in thy light only shall we see light such a lively affective knowledg as disposeth the heart for the enjoyment of God There is a seeing and a seeing in seeing Isa. 6. 10. Lest in seeing they shall see A man may see a truth rationally that doth not see it spiritually now when we have the Spirits light then in seeing we see Or as the Apostle calls it Col. 1. 6. A knowing of the grace of God in truth Since you did not only take up the report but feel it and had some experience of it in your hearts Again 2 Gods teaching it consisteth not only in enlightning the understanding but in moving and inclining the heart and the will for Gods teaching is always accompanied with drawing Ioh. 6. 44. No man cometh to me except the Father draw him which Christ proves v. 45. Because they shall be all taught of God The Spirits light is not only directive but perswasive it is effectual to alter and to change the affections and to carry them out to Christ and to his ways he works powerfully where he teacheth When the Holy Ghost was first poured out upon the Apostles there was a notable effect of it It came in the appearance of â—…ven tongues like as of fire Act. 2. 3. to shew the manner of the Spirits operation by the Ministry not only as light but as fire it is a burning and shining light that is such a light as is seasoned with zeal and love that affects the heart that burns up our corruptions And therefore you know when Christ would put forth a Divine effect in his conference with his two Disciples it is said Their hearts burned within them while he talked with them Luk. 24. 32. There 's a warmth and heat convey'd to the Soul Thus for the nature of this Teaching Secondly The necessity of this Teaching will appear in several things 1. If we consider the weakness of a natural understanding 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man receiveth not the thing of the spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned They must be spiritually understood There must be a cognation and proportion between the object and the faculty Divine things cannot be seen but by a Divine light and spiritual things by a
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
or the Infusion of Grace 2. For the renewing the vigour of the life of Grace the renewed Influence of God whereby this Grace is stirred up in our hearts First for Regeneration or the Infusion of Grace Ephes. 2. 1 2. When we were dead in Trespasses and Sins yet now hath he quickned us then we are quickned or made alive to God when we are new born when there is an habitual Principle of Grace put into our hearts Secondly Quickning is put for the renewed excitation of Grace when the life that we have received is carried on to some further increase and so 't is twofold either by way of Comfort in our Afflictions or enlivening in a way of Holiness 1. Comfort in afflictions and so 't is opposed to fainting which is occasioned by too deep a sense of present troubles and distrust of God and the supplies of his Grace when the affliction is heavy upon us we are like Birds dead in the nest and are so overcome that we have no Spirit nor Courage in the service of God Psal. 119. 50. This is my Comfort in affliction for thy word hath quickened me Then we are said to be quickened when he raiseth up our hearts above the trouble by refining our suffering Graces as Faith Hope and Patience Thus he is said to revive the Contrite one Isa. â—…7 15. To restore comfort to us and to refresh us with the Sense of his Love 2. There is a quickening in Duty which is opposed to deadness of Spirit which is apt to creep upon us that is occasioned by Negligence and sloathfulness in the business of the spiritual Life Now to quicken us God exciteth his grace in us An Instrument though never so well in tune soon grows out of Order A Key seldom turned rusts in the Lock so Graces that are not kept a work lose their Exercise and grow Luke-warm or else 't is occasioned by carnal Liberty or intermeddling with worldly things These bring a Brawn and deadness upon the Heart and the Soul is depressed by the cares of this World Luk. 21. 34. Now when you are under this Temper of soul desire the Lord to Quicken you by new influences of Grace 2. Let me shew the necessity of this quickening how needful ' t is 1. 'T is needful for without it our general standing is questionable whether we belong to God or no 1 Pet. 2. 5. Ye are living stones built up into a spiritual House t is not enough to be a stone in Christs building but we must be living Stones not only members of his body but living members I cannot say such a one hath no grace but when they have it not it renders their Condition very questionable a man may be living when he is not lively 2. Without it we cannot perform our Duties aright Religion to a dead heart is a very irkesome thing When we are dead-hearted we do our Duties as if we did them not in our general course of obedience we must go to God Psal. 119. 88. Quicken me after thy loving Kindness so shall I keep the Testimonies of thy Mouth Then we do good to good purpose indeed t is not enough for us to pray but we must pray with life and Vigour Psal. 80. 18. Quicken me and I will call upon thy Name so we should hear with Life not in a dull Careless Fashion Math. 13. 15. 3. All the Graces that are planted in us tend to beget quickening as Faith Hope and Love these are the Graces that set us a work and make us lively in the Exercise of the spiritual Life Faith that works by Love Gall. 5. 6. It sets the Soul a work by apprehending the sense of Gods love whereas otherwise t is but a dead Faith 1 Iam. 2. 16. Then for love what is the Influence of that it constrains the Soul it takes the soul along with it 2 Cor. 5. 14. and Rom. 12. 1. And then hope 't is called a lively Hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. all Grace is put into us to make us Lively not only the Grace of Sanctification but the Grace of Iustification is bestowed upon us for this end that we may be cheerful in Gods service Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ purge our Consciences from dead works that we may serve the living God Sin and guilt make us dead and heavy hearted but now the blood of Christ is sprinkled upon the Conscience and the sentence of Death taken away then we are made cheerful to serve the living God Attributes are suited to the case in hand he is called the living God because he must be served in a living manner 4. All the Ordinances which God hath appointed are to get and increase this Liveliness in us Wherefore hath God appointed the Word Isa. 55. 3. Hear and your Souls shall live t is to promote the Life of Grace and that we may have new Incouragment to go on in the ways of God Moses when he received the Law is said to receive the lively Oracles of God Acts 7. 38. 10. So the doctrine of Christ they are all Spirit and Life and serve to beget Life in us As the redemption of the world by Christ the joys of Heaven the torments of Hell they are all quickening truths and propounded to us to keep us in Life and Vigour The Lords supper why was that appointed There we come to tast the flesh of Christ who was given for the Life of the world Iohn 6. That we might sensibly exercise our Faith upon Christ that we might be more sensible of our Obligations to him that we might be the more excited in the diligent pursuit of things to come Use 1. Is reproof David considereth the Dulness and Deadness of his Spirit which many do not but go on in a cold Tract of duties and never reguard the frame of their Hearts It is a good sign to observe our spiritual Temper and accordingly go to God Most observe their Bodies but very few their Souls If the body be ill at ease or out of Order they complain presently but love waxeth cold and their Zeal for God and delight in him is abated yet they never lay it to Heart Secondly To exhort us to get and keep this lively frame of heart 1. Get it Pray for it liveliness in obedience doth depend upon Gods Blessing unless he put life and keep life in our Souls all cometh to nothing Come to God upon the account of his Glory Psal. 143. 11. Quicken me O Lord for thy Name sake for thy Righteousness sake bring my Soul out of Trouble His tender Mercies Psal. 119. 156. Great are thy tender Mercies O Lord quicken me according to thy Iudgments Come to him upon the account of Christ Iohn 10. 10. I am come that they might have Life and that they might have it more abundantly And John 7. 38. He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his Belly shall flow Rivers
stupid and scornfull as not to cast a look upon him Then we begin to be serious when thoughts of God are more fastened upon our Hearts 2. Why did he make thee not in vain for no wise Agent will make a thing to no purpose especially with such advice Let us make Man Certainly not for a Life of Sin to break his Laws and follow your Lusts and satisfy your fleshly Desires was this God's end that the Creature might rebel against himself This is not consistent with his Goodness to make us for such an end or if so why did he make the Rules of Justice and Equity natural to us so that Man is a Law to himself Rom. 2. 14. nor for Sport and Recreation to eate drink and be merry or to melt away your days in Ease and Idleness He spake rather like a Beast than like a Man Soul take thine ease eat drink and be merry thou hast goods laid up for many years Luke 12. 19. If merely for Pleasures why did he give us a Conscience the bruit Beasts are fitter for such an use who have no Conscience and therefore no remorse to imbitter their Pleasures What was the End for which God made us was it to gather Wealth and that the Soul might cater for the Body and we might live well here in the World No for then God's Work would terminate in it self And why were such noble Faculties given us such an high flying Reason that hath a sense of another World if this were all God's end that we might grovel here upon Earth and scrape and heap up this World's Riches We see they are the basest of Men who are given to these kind of pursuits Surely this was not God's end but why was it Prov. 16. 4. God hath made all things for himself for his Glory and so Man to glorify him and enjoy him The Beasts were made to glorify him in their kind but Man to enjoy him This is my End to seek after God to please him to serve him Psal. 14. 2. The Lord looked down from Heaven upon the Children of Men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God God that hath fixed his End observeth what Man doth in compliance with it what affection and care they have to find him please him glorify him Reason will tell us as well as Scripture that the first Cause must be the last End and we must end there where we began at first 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatever ye doe doe all to the Glory of God Well then I was not made for nothing not to sin away my Life nor to sport it away nor to talk it away nor to drudg it away in the servile and basest Offices of this Life my end is to enjoy God and my work and business is to serve and glorify him 3. How little you have answered this End God complaineth of our backwardness to this Work Ier. 8. 6. No Man repented of his wickedness saying what have I done God upon a review found every days work good very good in themselves and their correspondence and frame Gen. 1. 31. But when we consider our Ways we shall find that all is evil very evil We have too long gone on in a course of Sin and the more we go on the more we shall goe astray and wander from the great End for which we were created which was God's Service and Honour Oh consider your Ways especially when Conscience is set awork by the Word or when we smart under the folly of our own wandrings and God maketh us sensible of our mistake by some smart Scourge if we never seriously thought on our Ways before then is a time to think of them and to count it a Mercy that we are not left to goe on in a course of Sin without checks and disappointments Oh look upon the drift and course of your Lives and Actions pry into every corner of them what have I been doing hitherto spending my days in Vanity and Sin have I remembred my Creatour made it my work to serve him my scope to glorify him have I looked after this as the unum necessarium the great Law and Business of my Life that I might enjoy Communion with God Oh for how long a time hath God been kept out of his right and I have been sowing to the Flesh and never minded the great Errand for which I was sent into the World None can excuse himself 4. The unkindness and baseness of such a course that you may make it odious to the Soul God hath not onely made me but kept me and provided for me day after day The God which fed me all my life-time saith Iacob Gen. 48. 15. I have been fed at his Table cloathed at his cost defended kept when long agoe God might have struck me dead in my Sins and yet all this while I have not thought of God to pay the return of my thanks and obedience to my great Benefactour The vâ—…ry Beasts are more dutifull in their kind to Man who as God's Instrument provideth for them Isa. 1. 3. The Ox knows his owner and the Ass his Masters Crib but my People will not know Israel will not consider How senseless have I been of the great Obligations wherein I stand bound to God there is the fault we do not know and will not consider what hath been done to God for this 5. What it will come to or what will become of you if you should still so continue or if I should go on in this course what will be my portion for ever nothing but an eternal Separation from God and endless Torments with the Devil and his Angels Psal. 50. 22. Now consider this ye that forget God lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver Oh this is the means to awaken the Conscience and to affect the Heart with high and right thoughts of God What will be the end of those that goe far away from God if they do not make hast to come home to him eternal and merciless Vengeance for God will not always bear with forgetfull Sinners they shall be torn in pieces the Soul sent to Hell and the Body to the Grave Oh it concerneth the poor impenitent wretch that now goeth on fearless in a course of Sin immediately to stop in his march lest he be hurried away to the place of Torment and there be no escaping Now urge this upon the Heart and exercise your Thoughts in the remembrance of it and if you have overcome and overwrestled some former qualmes of Conscience now lay it to heart and doe so no more It may be the hour is at hand when God will take away your Souls from you and all your Sins shall be set in order before you and the stupid Conscience that is now senseless shall have a lively feeling of all your Rebellions and Unkindnesses done to God as the Paper which was but
now white when stamped with the printing Irons hath a Story written upon it in legible Characters 6. How much it concerneth you to come out of this Condition speedily for God is not a God to be neglected or dallied with When he calls in the seasons of Grace he will be observed otherwise you may call and he will have no regard They shall call and I will not answer they shall seek me early but not find me Prov. 1. 28. When you receive many checks of Conscience intreaties of Grace motions of the Spirit in vain God will be gone God doth commonly give Men a Day and no Man or Angel knoweth how long this Day shall last God gave Cain a day if thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted if thou dost ill Sin lieth at the door Oh then when you begin to have thoughts of turning unto God let them not be quelled God reckoneth every hour these three Years this second Epistle this second Miracle and when his Patience will expire you cannot tell 7. How happy it will be for you when once you change your Course The Prodigal remembred the plenty in his Fathers House you will find a manifest difference Rom. 6. 21 22. What fruit had you then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end of those things is Death But now being made free from Sin and become Servants to God ye have your fruit unto Holiness and the end everlasting Life In the way no such gripes of Conscience no shame sorrow fears in the end everlasting Life It was your mistaking that called the days of Sin good days Oh but when fruitfull in Holiness you will have present Comfort and serenity of Mind a tast of the clusters of Canaan in the Wilderness hope of a glorious State and the best will be at last Compare Pain with Pain Pleasure with Pleasure We do not compare right the pains of Godliness with pleasures of Sin and yet there you may see the discharging of our Duty will yield more true Comfort and Peace than all the Pleasures of Sin can bring us 8. What Hopes by Christ Heb. 3. 1. Wherefore holy Brethren partakers of the heavenly Calling consider the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Iesus Christ what Provision God hath made Thirdly Let me argue the Necessity of this Consideration 1. Otherwise Men are rash careless and precipitant and act as they are carried on by their own Lusts whereas if they did consider it would stop them in the course of Sin they rush like an horse into the Battle because no man saith what have I done Jer. 8. 6. Men run on like a head-strong Horse after their Lusts and Fancies whereas if they do seriously bethink themselves and cast in a few grave thoughts about things to come it would be like the putting in of cold water into a boiling Pot abate the fervour of their Lusts. Men are wicked because they are Inconsiderate there are Arguments enough against Sin if they would but pause and weigh them seriously but we do not think of Heaven and Hell and therefore they do not work upon us Eccles. 11. 9. Remember that for all these things God will bring thee to Iudgment 2. This serious Consideration is a good means to awaken us from the sleep of security when we consider the end why we were made the Rule we are to walk by and pose our selves about Conformity or Inconformity to this Rule and do withall revolve the issues of things in our Minds it cannot but rouse us up out of our sloath and stupidness and make us act more vigorously and regularly as to the ends of our Creation Oh what shall I doe the first Grace is Awakening that maketh way for other Graces Eph. 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee Light Whereas otherwise when we consider not we are stupid and sottish Isa. 44. 19. None considereth in his heart is there not a lye in my right hand I have burnt part in the fire Eccles. 5. 1. They offer the Sacrifice of fools for they consider not that they have done evil they do not weigh their Actions The Reason why they goe wrong and continue wrong is they do not seriously ponder and debate with themselves what it will come to 3. By Consideration we come to find where the Work of God sticketh with us and so Conviction being the more particular worketh the more kindly A blunt Iron that toucheth many points doth not so soon go to the quick as a Needle that toucheth but one point Mal. 3. 17. Return and they said wherein shall we return we do not see the need of Repentance so much as by prying narrowly into our own Ways In short without this Life is not so regular the Heart is not overpowred with such strong and full Reason to comply with God's Counsel II. How much it concerneth us after we have considered our Ways to turn to the Lord and diligently to pursue the Course which he hath prescribed I turned my feet unto thy Testimonies a sound Conversion is here described 1. I turned in the thorough purpose of his Heart that is the Act on our part It is by God's Grace that we are turned but we turne our selves when the purpose of our Souls is fixed Turne me and I shall be turned God inclineth the Heart and we manifest it by binding our selves by a thorough purpose A wish an offer when it endeth onely in that we have not considered enough but when the Heart is bent I am turned The Prodigal when he took up came to himself and had reasoned the case says I will goe to my Father Luke 15. 18. it must be such a purpose as is diligently pursued 2. The Object or Rule my feet unto thy Testimonies By his Feet is meant the course of his Life Our Will and natural Inclination should be no Rule to us but God's Testimonies We must intirely give up our selves to the direction of his Word As many as walk according to this Rule Gal. 1. 16. we are not to walk as we list There is a fixt determinate Rule which must be kept with all accurateness and attention a Godly man is very tender of breaking this Rule he makes Conscience of keeping to this Rule Now it concerneth us to make sure work of it 1. Because Convictions lost occasion the greater hardness of Heart No Iron so hard as that which has been often heated and oft quenched and no Heart so bad as theirs that seemed to have some serious and anxious thoughts about their eternal Condition The Devil is the more busy and watchfull about them because of their offer to escape and God is the more provoked because they started aside when they were at the point of yielding As better a Match were never proposed then to break off just as it is ready to be concluded Always according to the closeness of the Application if it succeed
and Silver but he that wants the Benefits which the Word of God offereth and conveyeth to us Gold and Silver are but one sort of Riches and but the lowest and meanest sort You do not count a man poor if he have Lands though he hath not ready Money much less is a man poor if he hath Gold though he hath not Silver so a Christian is not poor if he hath God and Christ and the Spirit though he say with the Apostle Peter Silver and gold have I none Acts 3. 16. Angels are not poor though they have not Flocks and Herds and yearly Revenews they have an excellency suitable to their Natures So a Christian is not poor while he possesseth him who possesseth all things But that I may not seem onely to say that the Treasures of Grace are the true Riches I shall prove it by two Arguments 1. That 's the true Riches which can buy and purchase all other things but all other things cannot buy and purchase it now all the Riches in the World cannot buy and purchase those Benefits which the Word offereth to us They cannot purchase the Favour of God For what hope hath the Hypocrite if he hath gained when God comes to take away his Soul Job 27. 8. Many a carnal Wretch doth not make a saving Bargain of it but be it so he looketh for Worldly gain and hath it what will this stead him when God puts the Bond of the Old Covenant in suit and demandeth his Soul from him he is loth to resign it but God will have it What can he give in exchange for his Soul Money cannot purchase the Grace of the Redeemer 1 Pet. 1. 18. Ye are not redeemed with Corruptible things and Psalm 44. 6 7 8. The Redemption of the Soul is precious Men would if they could give a thousand Worlds for the pardon of their Sin when they come to receive the fruit of it but all will not doe the Wrath of God must be appeased and the Justice of God satisfied by another kind of Ransome They cannot purchase the Grace of the Spirit Simon Magus would give money for the Gifts of the Holy Ghost but Peter said to him Thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money Acts 8. 20. His Request was base and carnal yet thus far it yieldeth a testimony to the truth in hand that he thought the Gift of the Holy Ghost better than Money or else he would not have offered his Money for it yea the lowest and far less necessary Gift than his sanctifying guiding and comforting Work well then all other things cannot purchase these Benefits But on the other side these Benefits procure all other things Grace giveth us an advantage in worldly things above others for certainly man doth not live by bread onely Matth. 4. and his Life doth not lie in worldly abundance the natural much more the sanctified and comfortable use of the Creatures dependeth on the Favour of God and his Fatherly Care and Providence which is assured to the Heirs of Promise Matth. 6. 33. First seek the Kingdome of God and his Righteousness and these things shall be added 1 Tim. 4. 8. Godliness hath the promise of this life and that which is to come Prov. 3. 15 16. Wealth is not to be compared with Wisdome Because in her right hand is length of days and in her left hand riches and honour A Child of God that is obedient to the Word hath more advantage for the World than a wicked Man hath he hath a Promise which the other hath not a warrant to cast his Care upon God he gets more by the want of worldly Things than a wicked Man by the possession of them for his want is sanctified and worketh for good 2. The World cannot recompence and supply the want of that Grace we get by the Word but this can easily supply the want of the World The Worth and Value of things is known by this what we can least want Now there is no earthly Thing but may be so supplied as that its want should be better to us than its injoyment Sickness may be better to us than Health because of experiences of Grace 2 Cor. 12. 10. Poverty may be better than Wealth because we may be rich in Grace Iames 19. so Iames 2. 5. so 1 Tim. 6. 6. Godliness with Contentment is great gain Slender Provisions with a contented Heart is much better than a great deal more Wealth Godliness can supply the room of Wealth but Wealth cannot supply the room of Godliness If the want of Wealth helps us to an increase of Grace and Communion with God it helpeth us to that which is of higher and greater value than the injoyment of Wealth could afford But now on the other side the World will not give us a recompence for the want of Godliness Matth. 16. 26. What is a man profited if he shall gain the World and lose his Soul What shall be given to the Party for that loss his Soul is lost not in a natural Sense but in a legal Sense forfeited to God's Justice We may please our selves in our carnal Choice for a while but Death bloweth away all our vain Conceits Ier. 17. 11. At his latter end he shall be a Fool. He was a Fool before all his life time but now in the Judgment and Conviction of his own Conscience His Conscience shall rave at him Oh Fool Madman to hazard the Love of Christ for worldly Things These things cannot be recompensed by any other What poor Rewards can the World yield you for the loss of Christ and Heaven Alas then you lose your Treasure and have nothing to comfort you but Rattles and Bables which will no more comfort us than fine Flowers will a man going to Execution thus in the Nature of Riches 2. Let us come to the Use and End of these things the Use of the Law of God's Mouth and the Use of Wealth the Use of Wealth is to support and maintain the present Life and the bodily State during our Pilgrimage and passage through the World but the Use of the Word is to guide and direct us in the way to the Blessedness of the World to come The World supplieth our bodily Necessities But the Law of God is perfect converting the Soul Psalm 19. 7. It discovereth a man's Soul-misery and remedy as it directeth to Christ and enforceth our obedience to God and prescribeth an universal adherence to him and dependance on him Our Souls are faln off from God by Sin into a most dolefull state and have no other way of recovery than is prescribed in this blessed Word of God There are three Uses of the Word of God and they do all commend and endear it to our respects 1. 'T is the great means to sanctify and convey a divine Principle and Nature in us 't is not onely the Rule but the seed of the New
sharpness of apprehension in carnal Things but dull slow and blind in spiritual and heavenly Things Thoughts are spent freely and unweariedly about the one but there is a tediousness and barrenness about the other a Will backward to what is good but a strange bent and urging to what is evil in that which is good we need a Spur in evil a Bridle these things persevere with us but how fickle and changable in any holy Resolution the Memory slippery in what is good but firm and strong in what is evil the Affections quick easily stirred like Tinder catch fire at every spark but as to that which is good they are like fire in green Wood hardly kept in with much blowing Again our delight is soon moved by things pleasing to Sense a carnal gust and savour is very natural to us and rise with us Rom. 8. 5. but averse from the chiefest good and every thing that leadeth to it Surely then we have need to goe to God and complain of Corruption sometimes under the notion of a blind and dark Mind begging the illumination of the Spirit sometimes under the notion of a dead hard Heart or an unperswadable Will begging his inclining as well as inlightning Grace Surely they are strangely hardened that do not see a need of a spiritual Understanding Nay God's Children after Grace received though sanctified betimes yet halt of the old Maim dull in Spirituals alive and active in carnal Matters Carnal and worldly Men act more uniformly and suitably to their Principles than the Children of God to theirs Luke 16. 8. The Children of this world are wiser in their generation than the Children of light that is more dexterous in the course of their Affairs Grace for the present worketh but a partial Cure we have the advantage in matter of Motive we have better and higher things to mind but they have the advantage in matter of Principle their Principles are unbroken but the Principles of the best are mixed we cannot doe what we would in heavenly things there is the back-bias of Corruption that turns us away and therefore they need to be instant with God to heal their Souls sometimes a blind Mind and sometimes a distempered Heart 5. We must be new made and born again before we can be apt or able to know or doe the Will of God as Christ inferreth the necessity of Regeneration from the corruption of Nature he had been discoursing with Nicodemus You cannot enter into the Kingdome of God For that which is born of the flesh is flesh John 3. 5 6. Our Souls naturally accommodate themselves to the Flesh and seek the good of the Flesh and all our Thoughts and Care and Life and Love runs that way now what was lost in Adam can onely be recovered in Christ 't is not enough that God's hands have once made us and fashioned us but there is a necessity of being made and fashioned anew of becoming his workmanship in Christ Iesus Eph. 2. 10. and so the words of the Text may be interpreted in this sense Thou hast made me once Lord new make me thy hands made me O Lord give me a new Heart that I may obey thee In the first Birth God gave us a natural Understanding in the second a spiritual Understanding that we may learn his Commandments First that we may be good and then doe good The first Birth gave us the natural Faculty the second the Grace or those divine Qualities which were lost by Adam's Sin better never been born unless born again better be a Beast than a Man if the Lord give us not the knowledge of himself in Christ. The Beasts when they die their Misery and Happiness dieth with them Death puts an end to their Pain and Pleasure but we that have Reason and Conscience to foresee the end and know the way enter into perfect Happiness or Misery at death unless the Lord sanctify this Reason and give us an heart to know him in Christ and choose that which is good Man is but a higher kind of Beast a wiser sort of Beast Psalm 49. 12. for his Soul is onely employed to cater for the Body and his Reason is prostituted to Sense the Beast rides the Man We are not distinguished from the Bruits by our Senses but our Understanding and our Reason but in a carnal Man the Soul is a kind of Sense 't is wholly imployed about the animal Life There is not a more brutish Creature in the World than a worldly wicked Man Well then David had need to pray Lord thou hast given me Reason give me the knowledge of thy self and thy blessed Will 6. When we seek this Grace or any degree of it 't is a proper Argument to urge that we are God's Creatures so doth David here I am now come to my very Business and therefore I shall a little shew how far Creation is pleadable and may any way incourage us to ask spiritual Understanding and renewing Grace 1. In the general I shall lay down this 'T is a good way of reasoning with God to ask another Gift because we have received one already 'T is not a good way of reasoning with Man because he wastes by giving but a good way with God and that upon a double account Partly because in some cases Deus donando debet God by giving doth in effect bind himself to give more as by giving Life to give Food by giving a Body to give Rayment Matth. 6. 25. God by sending such a Creature into the World chargeth his Providence to maintain him as long as he will use him for his glory God loveth to crown his own Gifts Zech. 3. 2. Is not this a brand plucked out of the burnings The thing pleaded there is was not this a Brand plucked out of the fire one Mercy is pleaded to obtain another Mercy So God bindeth himself to give perseverance 2 Cor. 1. 10. but this is not the case here for by giving common Benefits he doth not bind himself to give saving Graces And partly too because he doth not waste by giving his mercy endureth for ever The same reason is given for all those Mercies Psalm 136. Why the Lord chose a Church maintaineth his Church giveth daily bread his mercy endureth for ever God is where he was at first he giveth liberally and upbraideth not James 1. 5. he doth not say I have given already Now a former common Mercy sheweth God's readiness and freeness to give the Inclination to doe good still abideth with him he is as ready and as free to give still daily Bread his mercy endureth for ever spiritual Wisdome his mercy endureth for ever indeed the giving of daily Bread doth not necessarily bind God to give spiritual Wisdome but that which is not a sure ground to expect may be a probable incouragement to ask and learn this that though nothing can satisfy Unbelief yet Faith can pick Arguments out of any thing and make use of
becoming one heartily devoted to God thy hands have made me c. he would willingly return to his Creatours Service and glorify him with what was made by him I acknowledge that I am obliged as I am the work of thine hands to live in a faithfull obedience to thee Lord I give up my self to this work Mark this is a good Spirit he doth not beg his own Comfort but ability for Service that he might so know his Masters Will as to doe it Now this is Repentance towards God when we are heartily willing to return to our Duty more than to our Comfort Acts 2. 21. there is more hope of that Soul that rather seeketh Obedience than Comfort and where there is a resolved Will and Purpose to devote our selves to the Lord to please him and serve him This was God's end in his New Covenant Grace and Christ's end in Redemption to restore us to obedience as well as to favour and put us into a capacity of service again Heb. 9. 14. Purge our Consciences from dead works to serve the living God 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his body on the tree that we being dead to sin might live unto righteousness He died to weaken the love of Sin in our Hearts and to advance the life and power of Grace and Righteousness 3. There is implied in it a confession of Impotency that God cannot be glorified and served by him unless he be renewed and strengthened by Grace not by him as a Creature till he be made a new Creature or have renewed influences of Grace from him God permitted the lapse and fall of Mankind that they may come to him as needy Creatures and take all out of his hands Man's great errour which occasioned his fall was that he would live alone apart from God be sufficient to his own Happiness We greedily catched at that word Ye shall be as Gods Gen. 3. 5. the meaning was not in a blessed Conformity but a cursed Self-sufficiency Man would be his own God desired to have his Stock in his own hands and would be no more at God's finding Gen. 3. 22. The man is become as one of us to live as an Independent being Well then to cure this God would reduce him to an utter necessity that he might bring him to an entire dependance and might come as a beggerly indigent Creature expecting all from God putting no confidence in his own Righteousness for his Justification nor natural power and strength for Sanctification Gal. 2. 19. I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God The rigorous Exaction of perfect Obedience under the hazard of the Curse of the Law maketh them dead to the Law the Curse of the Law puts them so hard to it that they are forced to fly to Christ to be freed from Condemnation and the spiritual Nature of the Law as 't is a Rule of Obedidence driveth them to see there is nothing in themselves tending to Righteousness and Holiness to the glory of God without the power of his Spirit They that serve in the newness of the Spirit Rom. 7. 6. God bringeth us at last to this Matth. 19. 26. With men 't is impossible but with God all things are possible Well then when we are brought to see our Impotency we are at a good pass and lie obvious to his Grace 4. It implies an earnest desire after Grace and that is a good frame of heart when not satisfied with common Benefits David was not satisfied with his natural Being but seeketh after a spiritual Being What 's that he prayeth so earnestly for but an inlightened Mind and a renewed Heart and all that he might be obedient to God Thus we are more fitted to receive Grace A Conscience of our Duty is a great matter in faln Man who is turned Rebel against God and a Traytour to his Maker who is impatient and self-will'd and all for casting off the Yoke Psal. 2. 3. Well to have an Heart set upon Duty and Obedience that 's the next step the third was a sense of Impotency now this fourth a desire of Grace such the Lord hath promised to satisfy Matth. 5. 6. these open unto God and are ready to take in his Grace Come as Creatures earnestly desiring to doe your Creatours Will and in the best manner and will God refuse you Because I am thy Creature teach me to serve thee who art my Creatour 5. There is one thing more in this Plea a perswasion of God's Goodness to his Creatures This is the very ground and reason why this Plea is used Psal. 145. 9. The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works There is a great deal of fatherly care and mercy to his Creatures till by their impenitency persisted in against the means of Grace they render themselves uncapable of it The first battery which Satan laid to Man's Heart tended to undermine the sense of God's Goodness to the Creature as if God were envious Gen. 3. 5. Doth not God know that in the day ye eat thereof as if God envied their Happiness this the Devil would instill To have good thoughts of God is a great means to reduce us and bring us back again to him We frighten our selves away from him by entertaining needless Jealousies of him as if he sought our Destruction or delighted in it Surely he will not destroy a poor Soul that lieth submissively at his Feet and is grieved he can no better please him and serve him the man that had hard thoughts of God neglected his Duty Matth. 25. 24 25. I know thou wast an austere Master therefore I hid my Talent in a Napkin that is the legalism and carnal Bondage that is in us which makes us full of Jealousies of God and doth mightily hinder and obstruct our Duty The Use is to press you to come to God as Creatures to beg relief and help for your Souls this will be of use to us in many Cases 1. To the Scrupulous who are upon regenerating that are not sure that the work of Grace is wrought in them you cannot call God Father by the Spirit of Adoption yet own him as a Creatour come to him as one that formed you your desire is to return to him 2. 'T is of use to Believers when under desertions and God appeareth against them in a way of Wrath and all God's Dispensations seem to speak nothing but Wrath yet come to him as the Creatour Lord we are the work of thy hands if you cannot plead the Covenant of Abraham which was made with Believers plead the Covenant of Noah which was made with Man and all Creatures Isa. 54. 9. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more goe over the Earth so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee nor rebuke thee there may be a great
they could not clearly discern the meaning of that Type but now all things are open we can behold the Lamb of God therefore must be often with God suing out our pardon in the Name of Christ. 2. The Sacrifice of Praise It is notable when the Apostle had spoken of Christ as a sin-offering he mentions this as the main thing in the Gospel Heb. 13. 15. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually Praise it ought continually frequently and upon all occasions to be offer'd to God for this is a more noble duty than Prayer Self-love may put us upon Prayer but love to God puts us upon praise and thanksgiving we pray because we need God and we praise because we love him In Prayer we become Beggars that God would bestow something upon us but in praise we come according to poor creatures to bestow something upon God even to give him the glory due to his Name and tell him what he hath done for our poor souls This is the most noble among all the parts of Christian Worship We have more cause to give thanks than to pray for we have many things more to praise God for than to pray to him for There are many favors which go before all thought of desert and many favors still bestow'd upon us beyond what we can either ask or think Doct. 2. Secondly These spiritual offerings must be free-will offerings to God This expression is often spoken of in the Law Lev. 22. 18. Numb 29. 39. 2 Chron. 31. 14. Amos 4. 5. What are these free will-offerings They are distinguish'd from God's stated Worship and distinguish'd from that service which fell under a Vow Besides the stated Peace offerings there were certain Sacrifices perform'd upon certain occasions to testifie God's general goodness and upon receipts of some special mercy and you will find these Sacrifices to be expresly distinguish'd from such services as men bound themselves â—…o â—…y vow Lev. 7. 16. What is there that answers now to these free-will-offerings Certainly this is not spoken to this use that a man should devise any part of worship of his own â—…ad whatever pretence of zeal he hath but they serve to teach us two things 1. They are to teach us how ready we should be to take all occasions of thankfulness and spiritual worship for besides their vowed services and instituted services they had daily Sacrifices and set Feasts commanded by God they had their free-will offerings offer'd to God in thankfulness for some special blessing received or deliverance from danger 2. It shews with what voluntariness and chearfulness we should go about God's worship in the Gospel and what a free disposition of heart there should be and edge upon our affections in all things that we offer to God and in this latter sense I shall speak that our offerings to God Prayer and Praise should be free-will-offerings come from us not like water out of a Still forc'd by the Fire but like water out of a Fountain with native freeness readily and freely 1. God loves a chearful Giver constrained service is of no value and respect with him Under the Law when Sacrifice of Beasts were in fashion wherefore did God chuse the purest and fattest of every thing offer'd to him but as a testimony of a willing mind and still he looks to the affections rather than the action God weighs the Spirit Prov. 16. 2. When God comes to put them into the balance of the Sanctuary what doth he weigh External circumstances of duty or the pomp and appearance wherein men go No but he considers with what kind of heart it is done and the love of sin God takes notice of that as well as the practice of sin So in our duties God takes notice of the love the inclination of our souls as well as the outward service therefore our offerings must be free and voluntary 2. God deserves it he doth us good with all his heart and all his givings come to us from his love Why did he give Christ for us and to us He loved us Why gave he him for us God so loved the world John 3. 16. Why doth he give Christ to us Eph. 2. 4 5. God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ. That which moved God to bestow his saving grace upon us was his great love and all the good we receive from him why mercy pleaseth him and I will rejoice over them to do them good If he deliver us out of any danger he hath loved us from the grave Isa. 38. 7. Now love should season all our services to God 3. Where a day of grace hath past upon our hearts so it will be the soul will come off readily and freely to the duties God hath requir'd of us Psal. 110. 3. Thy people shall be a willing people in the day of thy power We are naturally backward slow of heart to do any thing that is good hang off from God will not be subject to him but when the day of his power passeth upon us then we are a willing People we are more delighted in communion with God less averse from him the bent of our hearts is altered and the stream of our affections is turnâ—…d another way and our converses with God are more delightful and we are as earnest in serving God as before we were in serving sin Use. To press us to serve God with a perfect heart and with a willing mind 1 Chron. 29. 9. Thus when we give God any spiritual Sacrifice when we pray or praise him we should do it willingly not customarily or by constraint or for by-by-ends nor by the compulsion of a natural Conscience and when we feel as we shall now and then any tediousness and irksomness in Prayer we should quicken our selves by this motive Christ Jesus who was our sin offering he willingly offer'd up himself upon the service of our salvation I might urge other Arguments as the nobleness of our service the greatness of our reward the many sweet Experiences we shall gain in our converse with God but this should be as the Reason of Reasons and instead of all Christ Jesus did not grudgingly go about the work of our salvation but willingly offer'd himself Psal. 40. 8. I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart When God would have no more legal sin offerings but the great sin-offering of the Gospel was to be produc'd and brought forth in the view of the world Lo I come in the volume of the book it is written of me Now our thank-offering should be carried on with the same willingness Christ will be served now out of gratitude and therefore his love should constrain us Surely if we believe this great mystery of Christ that he did willingly offer himself upon the service of our souls and
without the Will The dreggs of things come out with squeezing and wringing Duty is best done when like life-honey it droppeth of its own accord chearful and hearty service only pleaseth the Lord. Now that is chearful service which cometh not from the influence of bye-bye-ends and foreign motives or the compulsion of a natural Conscience or legal fears but from the native inclination and bent of the heart 1 Iohn 5. 3. This is love to keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous the work is not grievous but pleasant because suitable to the principles that are in us 't is not done against the hair Cain offered Sacrifice but with a grudging mind 'T is somewhere said They offered to the Lord whose hearts made them willing When the heart is in it 't is not constrained forced service but natural and genuine not like water out of a Still but like water out of a Fountain 2. For uniform obedience to serve God in the whole tenour of our lives that needs an heart inclined that may be as a constant Spring of holiness A man may force himself now and then to actions displeasing to himself but his constant course is according to his natural bent and inclination Haman could refrain himself from Murther but his heart still boiled with rancour and malice When men look only to the refraining of outward actions or the restraining the outward man it will never hold the bent of the heart will discover it self and so they will be off and on with God the compulsion of Conscience will sometimes urge them to God but the inclination of the heart will draw them to evil therefore God wisheth that his people had a heart to serve him Deut. 5. 29. 3. Constant obedience that can never be till the heart be inclined Iudas was a Disciple for a while but Satan entered into his heart Luke 22. 3. Ananias joined himself to the people of God but Satan filled his heart Simon Magus was baptized but his heart was not right with God Act. 8. 22. here is the great defect but now when God gets possession of the heart there he dwelleth Eph. 3. 17. there he abideth as in his strong Cittadel and from thence commandeth all the faculties of the Soul and the Members of the Body Use 1. To press you to get this bent of heart otherwise all your labour in Religion will be in vain every difficulty will put you out of the way and make you think of a revolt from God till this the work of Grace is not begun Gods first gift is a new heart Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart also will I give unto you and a new Spirit will I put within you without this you can never hold out but you will be uncertain and mutable in the profession of godliness whatever restraints are upon you for a time sin will be breaking out ever and anon with violence and at length men will return with the Dog to the vomit and with the Sow to her wallowing in the mire 2 Pet. 2. 20. Oh then go to God for it Ier. 17. 10. say Heal me O Lord and I shall be healed save me and I shall be saved 2. Carry forth the work of God so far as you receive it follow after to apprehend that for which we are apprehended of Christ Phil. 3. 12. Use 2. Have we such an heart an heart inclined to do the will of God First though there be such a bent and inclination there will be failings yea reluctancies and oppositions Rom. 7. 8. To will is present with me yet how to perform that which is good I find not There is a ready will asserted and a weak discharge complained of observe 't is a will not a wish a weak discharge not that nothing is done but not all that good that is required nor in that purity the work doth not perfectly answer the will nor the motions of the Spirit by which it is excited and mark this weakness is not rested in but complained of and not only complained of but resisted I find not that implieth he sought it for the word finding implieth a diligent search he laid about him on every side he did not expect it should come by chance or a lazy enquiry 2. If wrought 1. How was it wrought in you Did God turn thee and thou wast turned Were you ever brought to self-resignation By what steps was this work carried on Thy heart was naturally wedded to thy lusts and to carnal vanity did ever God make you see the odiousness of sin the vanity of the Creature the insufficiency of self Evil men seek contentment in the world as long as Conscience will let them hold out in that way you cannot cleave to God till you are rent off from the world and self was there ever such a separation such a rending work Conversion or the altering the bent of the heart lieth in three things in turning from the Creature to God from self to Christ from sin to holiness How to God by making us a willing people to yield up our selves to his service How drawn from self to Christ To seek all this good in him How from sin to holiness By seeing the beauty of Gods ways Paul found it a sensible work before he was brought to this self-resignation Act. 9. 6. Lord What wilt thou have me to do How did God draw you or drive you to this 2. How is this bent of heart kept up towards God Nature is apt to recoil and the heart to return to its own bent and biass again David beggeth verse 36. Incline my heart to thy testimonies 'T is an hard matter to keep up a bent of heart towards God it will cost us much watching striving praying to keep it fixed The frame of mans heart is changeable and various doth not always continue at the same pass and lust will waken and be pressing and importunate deadness will creep upon us the great business of the spiritual life is to keep the bent of the heart steady neglected Grace will suffer decay and worldly vanities and listlesness and deadness to holy things will incroach upon the Soul and a gracious heart is much discomposed As a Needle that bendeth towards the Pole may be jogged and put aside though it cannot rest there but turneth thither again so the bent of the Soul towards God may be much disordered and we may lose much of our free Spirit and ready mind and grow uncomfortable and unchearful in Gods service and it may cost us much sorrow and deep humiliation to get in frame again a cold profession is easily maintained but to keep up a spiritual inclination is the work of labour and cost 3. How doth it work in you This bent of heart is seen in two things First in pulling back the heart from those sins to which corrupt Nature doth incline us Nature carrieth us to carnal things There is something within that puts you on and
mind and the freest from restraint Isai. 32. 8. The liberal man deviseth liberal things The unclean man is devising unclean things the earthly man is always talking with himself about building planting trading these things take up his mind You cannot judge of a Fountain by the Current of Water at a distance six or seven miles off it may receive a tincture from the Channel through which it passeth but just at the Fountain where it bubbles up there you can judge of the quality whether sweet or bitter water so you cannot judge of the Soul by things that are more remote and where by-by-ends may interpose Matth. 15. 19. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts murthers adulteries fornications c. Evil thoughts come first other things come from the heart but not so immediately therefore thoughts being so considerable we should make conscience of them Thirdly They are considerable from their kind here are the roots of all evils Every thing that we do every deliberate act that is done by a reasonable Creature argueth some foregoing thought every temptation is fastened upon the heart by some intervening thought Before sin be formed brought forth and becomes a compleat sin there are musings which are as it were the incubations of the Soul or fitting abrood upon the temptation Isai. 59. 4. They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity The mind sits abrood upon sin It is thoughts that bring the heart and object together First men think then they love then they practise Beating the Steel upon the Flint makes the Sparks fly out so when the understanding beats and knocks upon the will by pregnant thoughts by inculcation that stirs up the affection These are the Bellows which blow up those latent sparks of sin that are in our Souls therefore if you would make conscience of acts you should make conscience of thoughts It is the greatest imprudence that can be to think to do any thing in reformation when we do not take care of our thoughts See when God adviseth us to return to him Isai. 55. 7. he saith Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteouus man his thoughts In vain do we lop off the Branches and let the Root live If we would forsake our way we must first forsake our thoughts When certain Fowl pestered a man he asked How he should be rid of them The answer was The Nest must be destroyed and they must be crusht in the Egg so here 's the best way of crushing the Egg by dashing Babylons Brats against the Wall so much is implyed in that place Ier. 4. 14. Wash thine heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved how long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee Wash thy heart begin there Medicines applied to the outward parts will do no good unless the inwards be cleansed and purged so until the soul be cleansed and purged from these evil thoughts outward reformation will be to no purpose Fourthly They are considerable in regard of their number they are most numberless acts of the Soul Isai. 57. 20. The Sea is always working so the heart of man is always casting forth mire and dirt Gen. 6. 5. Every imagination of the thoughts of mans heart is only evil continually There is a Mint in us that is always working towards that which is evil This is a means to humble us The Lord knows the best of our thoughts are but vain this is that which raiseth the account in Gods Book of remembrance which makes us more admire the riches of his Grace even to the very last Let him forsake his thoughts Isai. 55. 7. What then I will multiply to pardon Certainly if thoughts be sins God must not only pardon but multiply to pardon Use 1. To humble us all the best of us from first to last Vanity of heart sticks to us O how many carnal thoughts haunt us where ever we go As thou walkest in the streets up and down whereupon do thy thoughts run The common vain thoughts should be laid to heart Have we not a God a Christ to think of sweet and precious promises Heaven and Glory and the great concernments of our souls and yet with what Chaff do we fill our minds We go thinking of every toy and trifle grinding Chaff instead of Corn every day O how do we throw away our thoughts rather than God should have them upon every vain thing It is very irksome a little to retire and recollect our selves and think of God Christ and Heaven but what a deal of vanity do we take into our minds If our hearts were turned inside outward and all our thoughts liable to the notice of men as they are to the notice of God what odious Creatures should we be and have we no reverence of the Great God The Lord knows our hearts he knows we have thoughts enough and to spare more than we know what to do withal and he knows we are backward to exercise them upon him and things that lead to Communion with him These thoughts are aggravated from the time as upon Gods Day for then we are not to think our own thoughts Isai. 58. 13. A Christian is then to sequester himself only for God Nay our vain heart bewrayeth it self in solemn Duties a man cannot go to prayer but the vanity of his thoughts will trouble him and run about him when he is hearing the Word how do we course up and down like Spaniels hither and thither Yea to humble our selves because of our wicked thoughts our desperate thoughts against the Being of God Psal. 14. 1. The fool hath said in his heart there is no God Though we cannot open our eyes but the Creature presently doth shew us something of God and call upon us whether we look upward or downward yet how do we vent this thought if there were no God then we could live as we lift without check and restraint Thoughts which arise within us against the truth of the Gospel as if it were but a well devised Fable Thoughts against the purity of Gods Laws that we need not be so strict that it is but nice folly that we shall do well enough without repenting believing minding the work of our salvation Yea we have thoughts against the light of Nature filthy unclean thoughts such as defile and stain the heart Of earthly thoughts how natural is that in musing upon that esteem honour greatness that we shall have in the World How do carnal thoughts haunt us and this not only when we are in our natural condition but even after Grace And Christians are mistaken that do not think those thoughts evil though there be no consent of the will I confess there are thoughts cast into the mind by Satan but these not resisted these cherished fostered they become ours though they are Children of Satans getting and may be cast in as the tempting of Christ was by injection of thought but then we entertain these things as Weeds thrown over the Wall
they God is the great Arbiter of all affairs in the World where all Appeals rest can go no higher than the will of God therefore he must needs be just Thirdly This was Gods great end in giving Jesus Christ that he might be known to be a just God therefore he stood so punctually upon satisfaction that the Sinner must dye or the Surety No Surety so fit to keep up the honour of his Law and honour of his Justice in the Consciences of men as the Son of God Rom. 3. 24 25 26. God had a mind to be gracious to the Creature but without any disparagement to his Justice Now how should this be All the wise men in the World that had any sense of the Nature and Being of God busied themselves in this enquiry How God could be merciful to the Creature and yet just but all their devices were vain and frivolous until God himself found out a ransome and remedy for us as it is Iob 33. 24. Here was the difficulty God would preserve the Notions which the Creature had of his Being and Justice inviolable he would be known as one that would stand to his Law which he had made for the Government of the World Now there was no way to keep up the credit of it but these two strict execution or sufficient satisfaction The execution would have destroyed all the inferior world the reasonable Creatures at least and the love and wisdom and mercy of God would not permit that the world should be destroyed so soon as it was made and man left remediless in everlasting misery Well then strict execution would not do it therefore satisfaction must be the remedy and such satisfaction as might be sufficient to procure the ends of the Law to keep up the honour of Gods Justice in the Consciences of men Now this was done by Jesus Christ whom God had set forth to declare his righteousness that he might exercise his mercy without prejudice to his justice If this ransom had not been found we should either have slighted God and not stood in awe of him or else we had been for ever left under the curse and under doubtfulness and scruple wherewith we should have appeased him but the Lord found out such a means to our hands that he might declare he was a righteous God Foâ—…rthly I prove it from the Divine Nature infused into us As many as are made partakers of Gods Grace are more just than others they hate sin and Sinners so we read Ephes. 4. 24. That the new man was created after God in righteousness and true holiness After God that is after the image and pattern of God Now if the new Creature be made after such a pattern then certainly God was righteous We find by experience the more God-like and vertuous any are the more just they are more apt to give every one his due to live without wrong to any and the more their hearts are set against that which is base and unworthy Therefore certainly God is righteous for he hath put such a quality as the Copy of his Nature into the hearts of men Object If God be so just why then does the way of the wicked prosper Why are those that desire to be faithful with God so afflicted and calamitous This is a Wind that hath shaken the tallest Cedars in Lebanon The choicest Saints of God have been exceedingly hurried and tossed to and fro in their thoughts by this objection against the righteousness of God Ier. 12. 1. Righteous art thou O Lord yet let me plead with thee He holds fast this principle but yet Lord saith he I am not satisfied Let me talk to thee of thy Iudgments that I may be better informed why doth the way of the wicked prosper So David Psal. 73. 1. Truly God is good to Israel even to such as are of a clean heart but yet the wicked thrive and prosper and there 's no bands in their death So Hab. 1. 13. Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil c. Lord saith he I know thou art 〈◊〉 holy God but why can thy Providence then look upon them in the world that deal trecherously and perversely The clearest sighted Saints may be so bemisted many times that they are not able to reconcile Gods dispensations with his Nature and Attributes and so quarrel with and reproach and impeach his Providence Yea the Heathens that knew little of sin and righteousness were troubled at the afflictions of the good and the flourishing of the wicked and questioned the Being of a God upon this account and therefore there are two Heathens which have written two worthy Treatises to vindicate the Providence of God Seneca hath written one Treatise Cur malè bonis benè malis to shew why the good may be afflicted though there be a God and Plutarch hath written another Treatise De sera Numinis vindicta why the wicked may be spared and suffered to flourish in the world though there be a God to take notice of humane affairs These Heathens had a sense of this difficulty for 't is an obvious objection I answer First In general Gods dispensations are just though we see not the reason of them The Saints hold their Principle Lord I confess thou art righteous Ier. 12. 1. Hab. 1. 13. The Justice of God must be acknowledged in all his dealings with us and others though it appear not to our reason which indeed cannot discern well and therefore is unmeet to judge of such high matters as these are Psal. 36. 6. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains thy judgments are a great deep The Judgments of God are such a Deep as we cannot easily fathome the bottom of and therefore though we do not see the Justice of it we must believe it and prefer faith above sense The Lord may deal otherwise in many things with us than we can express and see the reason of his doing and yet he is always just and holy in his proceedings and it is the duty of his people to believe it Psal. 97. 2. Clouds and darkness are round about him righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his Throne Augustine's words are a good Comment upon that passage The Judgments of God saith he are sometimes secret but always just saepe occulta nunquam injusta We know not what to make of it Clouds and darkness are round about it I but though they are unsearchable and secret they are managed with great judgment and rectitude But more particularly to come to speak to the things mentioned in the objection 1. As to the flourishing of the wicked three things to that First Gods Word doth sufficiently declare his displeasure against them though his Providence doth not There is sententia lata sed dilata Eccl. 8. 11. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil Mark there 's a Sentence
greenness and not cut down it withereth before any other herb so are the paths of all that forget God and the Hypocrites hope shall perish A wicked Man cannot lift up his head above others for want of Gods favour to uphold him as the Rush or Flag cannot grow without mire or water the Prosperity of wicked Men when it is most green and flourishing yet wants its sustenance which is Gods Blessing This is the condition of wicked Men in the opinion of the good But what is it in his own opinion Take him in his serious and sober Moods he always liveth Miserably and expecting a Change as knowing that God oweth him an ill turn Iob 15. 21. A dreadful sound is in his ear in his prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him He trembleth secretly as if danger were alwayes near therefore cruel and mischievous against whom they fear that shut the door against their own danger for every thing that is fearful will be cruel 2. If he fall into Adversity in their Troubles they have not a God to go unto nor Promises to build upon therefore it is said Prov. 15. 29. The Lord is far from the wicked but he heareth the prayer of the Righteous Gods Children have ready access to a sure Friend and are assured of welcome and audience when they come but they are at their Wits end know not which way to turn Iob 15. 22. He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness and he is waited for of the sword that is full of Terrors of Conscience and distracting disturbing Fears hath no hope to be delivered but lives as if he had a sword hanging over his head Use. I. To shew us the Reason why the people of God when they grow wicked are often disappointed in that Salvation which they expect Isa. 59. 11. We look for judgment but there is none for Salvation but it is far from us Why because they had exceedingly sinned against God and scandalized their profession there was an horrible depravation of the People of God in those times and therefore all their Prayers and Fasts and Seekings of God could not prevail for a Deliverance Use. II. Comfort in a good Cause wherein the Godly are opposed by the Wicked there is a double Comfort 1. Because the Prosperity Power and Pride of the Wicked is not to be regarded for though they flourish for a while and all things flow in upon them according to hearts desire yet Salvation is far from them God is ingaged both for the rectitude of his Nature the quality of his Office as Judge of the World and the tenour of his Covenant to employ his Power and Terror for their Ruin and though he may for a while spare them and they take occasion from this indulgence to do more and more wickedly yet you should not be dismayed if you see them ingaged in wayes or courses that are naught and wicked you may say I know they cannot prosper in them when they are lifted up in the prosperity of their Affairs you should lift uy you hearts by Faith see a worm at the root of their happiness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 2. Because by the Rule of Contraries if Salvation be far from the Wicked that seek not Gods Statutes then Deliverance is near to the Godly that fear God and desire to be faithful with him how hard soever their Condition seemeth to be for the present Psal. 85. 9. Surely his salvation is nigh unto them that fear him You should be confident of it they that please God cannot be always Miserable it is nearer than we think of or can see for the present there is a surely or a note of averment put upon it It is better be with the Godly in Adversity then with the wicked in Prosperity when they are men appointed as sheep for the slaughter yet there is a way of Ransom and Escape but the Wicked at their best are in the appointment of God as the stalled Oxe or as Swine fatted for Destruction when fattest then nearest to Destruction and Slaughter Secondly As to Eternal Salvation so they are in a dangerous Case 1. The Phrase here used by the Psalmist seemeth to be used to obviate their vain Conceit they think they shall do well enough and have as much to shew for Heaven as the best it is near in their Conceit but far indeed 1 Cor 6. 9. Be not deceived know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Thoughts of impunity are natural to us those that are in the ready way to Hell are apt to think they shall get Heaven at last as if God would turn Day into Night but alas it is an eternal Truth Salvation is far from the wicked 2. There is somewhat of a Meiosis in the expression less being said than is intended the Man of God saith that Salvation is far but he implyeth that Damnation is near certainly the one it doth imply the other Hab. 6. 8. The ground that beareth bryars and thorns is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nigh unto cursing They are upon the borders of Hell and ready to drop into those Eternal Flames which shall consume Gods Adversaries 3. Once again The longer they continue Wicked the further off is their Salvation every day farther off from Heaven and nearer to Hell A Godly Man the more progress he maketh in Vertue the nearer he is to his Salvation Rom. 13. 11. Now is your Salvation nearer then when ye first believed Not only nearer in point of time but nearer in the preparation of their hearts not because older but because better and so by consequence wicked men go farther and farther off and therefore they are said to treasure up Wrath against the day of Wrath Rom. 2. 5. Every Sin they commit puts them a degree further off from Salvation as every degree of Grace is a step nearer Heaven Reasons 1. The inseparable connection that is between Priviledges and Duties the Gospel offereth Salvation conditionally if we forsâ—…e the Condition we fall short of the Priviledge and therefore if we be wicked salvation is far from us When God took Abraham into Covenant with him he doth not tell him only what Priviledge he should enjoy but also bindeth him to walk suitably Gen. 17. 1. I am God Almighty walk before me and be thou perfect God will take care of our Safety if we will take care of our Duty the Covenant is called a Bond Ezek. 2â—… 37. I will bring you into the bond of the Covenant because it hath a tye upon us as well as upon God we are not at our own Liberty to walk as we list there are bonds upon us not vincula carceris the bonds of a Prison Gins and Fetters but vincula nuptiarum the bonds of Wedlock Now they that cast away these bonds from them as the wicked do Psal. 2. 3. Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us and
therefore will be worshipped in Spirit and Truth Iohn 4. 23 24. 'T is agreeable to his spiritual Nature therefore shows and fashions have little respect with him but reality and substance for he searcheth the Heart and tryeth the Reins 't is not the bowing the body so much as the humble affectionate reverence and submission of the soul. God hath appointed service for the Body and so far as God hath appointed it we must submit to it but chiefly for the soul our Worship must be chiefly inward flowing from Grace ingaging the Heart in Gods service Bodily exercise is of little profit that Worship which is most agreeable to Gods nature is most pleasing to him he hath not eyes of Flesh and seeth not as man seeth Iob 10. 4. Therefore external duties without the inward exercise of the Spirit is scarce worthy the name of Worship to God He is not taken with the pomp of Ceremonies and external Observances 1 Sam. 16. 7. For man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the Heart Men are taken with external pomp and formalities they suit with their fleshly natures but the more spiritual the more suitable to God That which you do be it in Worship 't is not done unto God but unto men when the Heart is not in it Col. 3. 23. And whatsoever ye do do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men Without the Heart all that we do is but a mocking of God giving him the shell without the kernel 3. Because the soul is the principal thing that swayeth the body and stirreth it up to all that it doth it being of itself a senseless block it followeth the disposition and inclination of the Heart I shall make it good in two Considerations First 'T is Fons actionum ad extra And Secondly 'T is Terminus actionum ad intra 'T is the Fountain of all actions that go outward from man towards God and the subduing the Heart to Gods Will is the end of all operations inward from God towards man First Fons actionum ad extra The Fountain of all actions that go outward from Man towards God all natural actions proceed from the Soul or Heart 'T is not the Eye that seeth nor the Ear that heareth nor the Hand that toucheth nor the Feet that walketh 't is the Soul seeth by the Eye and heareth by the Ears and toucheth by the hands and walketh by the Feet So in all moral actions the heart is all Prov. 4. 23. Keep thy Heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of Life All our actions proceed thence all the evil that we do cometh from the Heart Matth. 15. 19. Out of the Heart proceed evil Thoughts Murthers Adulteries Fornications Thefts False Witness Blaspemies all that we speak and think and do followeth the frame of the Heart This is the burning furnace from whence the sparks fly the occasion of sin may be without but the cause of it is ever from the Heart 'T is the Heart that filleth the Eyes with Wantonness Pride and Fury and the Tongue with Blasphemy Slanders and Detraction the hands with blood So for good Actions Thoughts they come out of the good Treasury of the heart Matth. 12. 35. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things The tapp runneth according to the Liquor wherewith the vessel is filled that a man hath laid up in his heart that he layeth out in his Thoughts and Speeches and Actions 't is the heart that enliveneth all our duties and we act ever according to the constitution of our Souls 2dly 'T is Terminus actionum ad intra all Actions inward the aim of it is to come to the heart The senses report things to the phantasie the phantasie represents them to the mind that counsels the heart so in Gods operations upon us his business is to come at the soul Wherefore doth he speak and reason and plead but that we may hear And wherefore do we hear But that Truth may be lodged in the heart or Soul Prov. 4. 4. Let thy Heart keep my Precepts let thy heart receive my Words Ay then Gods Word hath its effect upon us we are never subdued to God till the heart be subdued the Word for a while may stay in the memory and 't is good when the memory is planted with the seeds of knowledge as Children receive the Principles of Religion in Catechismes but the end is not there at length they exercise their Understandings about them when they begin to conceive of what they learned by rote and aftewards they begin to have a Judgement and a Conscience These Truths begin to stir and awaken them but it must not rest there neither it soaketh further and wisdom entereth upon the heart Prov. 2. 10. Ay that was Gods aim to bring the work thither and then the cure is wrought with man Rom. 6. 17. Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered to you So this is the end of all the operations of Grace that the soul and heart may keep Gods Testimonies so where is it that Christ would dwell when he taketh up his abode and residence in us the Apostle will tell you Eph. 3. 17. That he may dwell in your hearts by faith Till he get possession of the heart all is as nothing he will not dwell in the body only that is the Temple of the Holy Ghost at large there is an Holy of Holies a more inward place where he will dwell he will not dwell in the Tongue or in the Brain Memories or Understandings unless by common gifts But the Heart the Will and Affections of Man are the chief place of his residence there he dwelleth as in his strong Cittadel and from thence Commandeth other Faculties and Members So that the heart is the beginning and ending of the whole work of Religion from thence come all holy actions and thither tend all holy gracious operations 4. 'T is thy hearty Soul-service that will only bear weight in the ballance of the Gospel there may be many defects in the action yet if the heart be right God will accept the Will for the Deed and you will find Comfort in that another day when you most need it Isa. 38. 3. Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart Hezekiah had his infirmities and failings but his heart was upright Heb. 13. 18. Willing in all things to live honestly that 's a Gospel good Conscience and will yield comfort to you God accepts the Will without the Deed but never the Deed without the Will Infirmities may overtake the action but when the heart is unfeignedly set to serve God we shall be accepted We allow grains to true but not to counterfeit Gold the Church pleadeth Isa. 26. 8. The desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee When we follow
But what is corrupt Communication Answ. 1. Obscene Scurrilous Discourse When the Heart is filled with such corrupt Stuff the Mouth will be apt to vent it So Col. 3. 8. Put away filthy communication out of your mouth Sins of the Tongue and outward Man must be abstained from as well as Sins out of the Heart That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that filthy speaking rotten speech is one of the great sins of the Tongue When we speak of those things which belong to Uncleanness this is quite unbeseeming the purity and cleanness of Christians the heart of Man being as powder to the fire easily taken with such Temptations 2. Calumnious and Censorious Discourses when we cannot meet together but we must be speaking of others suggesting evil against them blemishing their Graces or carping at their Weaknesses or aggravating their Sins or divulging their secret Miscarriages beyond what Christianity requireth This sin the Scripture brandeth as mischievous to our selves and others Our selves Iam. 1. 26. If any man seemeth to be religious and bridleth not his tongue this mans religion is in vain Censuring is a pleasing sin very suitable with corrupt Nature but yet it is a bad sign 't is made to be the Hypocrites sin who being acquainted with the Guile of their own Spirits are apt to suspect others and deprave their best Actions and upon the ruin of other mens Credit build their own Reputation for Religion And 't is mischievous to others and against that Justice and Charity which we owe to them Prov. 20. 22. The words of a talebearer are as wounds and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly They wound mens Reputation unperceivably and secretly striketh them with a blow that smarts not for the present but destroyeth their service at least to such as receive these privy defamations and whisperings and 't is more craftily carried when they Wound while they pretend to Kiss and make their Praise but a preface to their reproach and as an Archer draweth back his hand that the Arrow may fly with the more force They say he is this and that but c. 3. Proud and Arrogant speaking when all our Discourse is a Self-boasting the Pride of the heart sometimes shooteth out by the Eyes and therefore we read of haughty Eyes and a proud Look but usually 't is displayed in our Speech in a proud Ostentation of our own worth and Excellency 1 Sam. 2. 3. Talk no more so exceeding proudly let not arrogancy come out of your mouth When I cometh in at every sentence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wanteth not its vanity Prov. 25. 27. For men to search their own Glory is not Glory All their Discourses is to set off themselves and to Usher in something of themselves and if Religion be talked off 't is to commend their own knowledge and their own Notions or their own endeavours for Christ or to blemish others that they may shine alone 4. When Anger sets us a discoursing therefore the Apostle saith Eph. 4. 31. Let bitterness and wrath and anger and evil speaking be put away from you with all Malice Where there is bitterness or a secret smothered displeasure or alienation of affection it soon breaketh out into rage which if an impetuous rage or passionate commotion that produceth Anger or a desire of Revenge Anger produceth Clamour or boisterous Words loud Minaces and Brawlings or inordinate Speechs which are the black smoak whereby Anger and Wrath within doth first manifest its self then Clamour produceth evil speaking which are disgraceful and contumelious speeches therewith the Party incensed doth stain the Reputation of him with whom he is Angry and then Malice is rooted Anger and continued Wrath Now all these should be put away Christians should have nothing to do with them but that we have in hand is disgraceful and Contumelious speaking as it is the result of Anger Wrath and Malice either by open railing or derision and jearing at their sins and infirmities to shame them or by Imprecation and Cursing and wishing Evil to them All which is contrary to that meekness and love which should prevail in the hearts of Christians As Saul in his Anger called Ionathan 1 Sam. 20. 3. Thou son of the perverse and rebellious woman in his raging fit he blemisheth his own Wife of whom we hear elsewhere no such Imputation Thou art more likely to be a Bastard than my own Son Frantick words all Interpreters think them to be This is a taste of that Prophane discourse which is forbidden to Christians Now the Reasons of it are these 1. Because this allowed and habituated argueth a rotten and unrenewed Heart Matth. 12. 34. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Words much discover the temper of the Heart there being a quick intercourse between the Heart and the Tongue 2. Because 't is noisome and offensive to honest Ears 't is not a speech that hath any Grace or Comliness in it Col. 4. 6. Let your speech be alwayes with grace 3. 'T is contagious and infectious to ordinary Hearers especially to Children and weak ones 1 Cor. 15. 33. Evil Words corrupt good manners We convey our Taint 4. Sinful Vain and Frothy Discourse doth make the Heart more Vain Perverse and Wicked while the Corruption that is in it doth strengthen itself by getting vent when the sparks fly abroad of the fire kindled in our Bosoms a man waxeth worse and worse his Reverence of God is lessened and weakened as he hath dared to give vent to his Sin and Folly and is more imboldened to sin again Matth. 15. 19 20. For out of the heart proceed evil Thoughts Murthers Adulteries Fornications Thefts False-witness Blasphemies these are the things which defile the man Evil-speaking is one thing mentioned and it layeth men open to Satan therefore as the Heart should be kept from framing such Conceptions so the Tongue from uttering them for so they prove more dishonourable to God hurtful to our selves and offensive to others 5. I will venture at one Reason more against Prophane Discourse it grieveth the Spirit Eph. 5. 29 30. Many by their obscene putrid and carnal Discourse intend no further than to make themselves merry jovial and glad Hos. 7. 3. They make the King glad with their wickedness and the Princes with their lies saith the Prophet Yet alass 't is but a poor sport and will prove so in the end for it draweth God to be against them the Holy-Ghost is displeased and grieved with it these things being against his Light Motions and Directions and so an offence to him which a tender Conscience is soon sensible of 2. Not Idle Discourse which tendeth not to the Glory of God and the Edification of our Neighbour We should have an eye to the good of those with whom we speak so as to edisie them with our speech for Christ telleth us that we must give on account to God not only for Words but even for
make this Petition to God to beg his watchful Providence and Shepherd-like care over us and we may do it with Encouragement to be heard of God if our Hearts are unfeignedly set to keep his Law that God will hear us and keep us from our wandring Doctrine That a Christian that is obedient for the main yet may run into many Faylings and Errors of Life David was right for the main course of his Life he professeth here he did not forget Gods Precepts he did not cast off the Yoak of his Law but yet in particular acts he acknowledgeth he did erre and fail and went astray like a lost Sheep And so many who are Gods own Servants that do not forget his Precepts may thus erre and go astray First In our Natural Estate man is of a straying nature apt to turn out of the way that leadeth to God and true happiness The Holy Ghost sets forth the Degeneration of Man-kind by the similitude and embleme of a strayed or lost Sheep Luke 15. and Isa. 53. 6. All we like Sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way Mark he speaks of our Estate by Nature Collectively and Distributively Collectively and in Common All we like Sheep have gone astray And distributively Every man to his own way We all agree in forsaking the right way of pleasing and enjoying God but we disagree as each one hath a by-path of his own Some are running after this Lust Some after that and so are not only divided from God but divided from one another whilst every one makes his own Will his Law quiequid velit licet As the Channel is cut so corrupt Nature in every one finds an Issue and Passage Psal. 14. 3. They are all gone aside they are altogether become Filthy there is none that doth good no not one Some run this way some that way some are enslaved by Pleasures others are captivated by the Honours of the present World and some are opprest by the Cares of this Life Every man hath his way of sinning and running away from God But however the Emblem and Similitude of the Holy Ghost is to be considered that our departing from God and his ways is like the straying of a sheep what doth that note 1. In general it implies this that we are brutish in our sin and defection from God led by sense fancy and appetite and therefore our Condition could not be exprest but by a Comparison fetched from the Beasts Silly Sheep are carried away by their fancy and appetite from the Flock Psal. 49. 12. Man being in Honour abideth not he is like the Beasts that perish that is he abode not in the Honour of his Creation some would render it for a Night Adam abode not for a Night What we translate Man is Adam the excellency and dignity wherein God had set us he became like a Beast How is man like a Beast we are governed by our Sences and lower Appetites The Sences are grown masterly and inordinate so eagerly set upon their Objects that they will not be reclaimed and mans Life just like that of the Bruits it is things of the same nature we value and adhere unto Terrene and Earthly things the Comforts of the Animal Life and as we have the same objects so the same ends to enjoy our sensual pleasures and satisfy our Fleshly Minds as long as we may now what is this but to suffer the Beast to ride the Man to put Reason and Conscience in Vassallage and Subjection to Sense and Appetite 2. This Similitude is used to shew our proneness to erre There is no Creature more prone to wander and lose its way without a Shepherd then the Sheep Sheep are Creatures subject to straying if they be not kept in the Pasture so all Men are obnoxious to Erring and Straying Ier. 14. 10. They love to wander it s a delight to us to be pleasing our Flesh and gratifying our Carnal Senses So Psal. 95. 10. It s a People that do erre in their Hearts We do nor only erre in our Minds but erre in our Hearts To erre in our Mind is to erre out of Ignorance but to erre in our Heart is to erre out of Sensual Obstinacy so are we carryed away with the Desires of the Flesh think our selves never better then when we run away from God Ah the best of us is soon out of the way If God takes off his Guidance and leaves us to our selves we are apt to Transgress the Bounds wherewith God hath hedged up our way and make it our Business still to be running away from the Chief Good into the Bushes and Thickets of Carnal Error wherein we are entangled 3. Our inability to return and set our selves into the Right Way again for we stray like Sheep not like Swine and Dogs Swine and Dogs though they wander they will find the way home again but a Sheep is irrecoverably lost without the Shepherds Diligence and Care Ier. 50. 6. My People hath been lost they have gone from Mountain to Mountain they have forgotten their resting Place So should we run and keep running away from and forget our Resting Place I remember Austin in his Meditations hath this Passage Domine errare potui redire non potui Lord I could go astray by my self but I cannot return of my self The sheep easily straggle but it is the Shepherd must bring home the lost Sheep upon his own Shoulders Luke 15. 5. And to this we may apply that of the Prophet Hosea 13. 9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help We could destroy and ruine our selves but we cannot recover and save our selves The shiftless Infant can defile himself but 't is the Nurse must cleanse it and we our selves can fall from God but to recover us to God that 's the Shepherds Care 4. It shews our readiness to follow evil Example A Sheep is animal sequax a Creature that runs after the Drove they run out of the Gap one after another and one Stragler draws away the whole Flock When the Apostle speaks of the sinful state of Man-kind Eph. 2. 2 3. He reckons up Example as one walking according to the Course of this World according to the Prince of the Power of the Air the spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience In that place there 's the Devil the World and the Flesh. There 's the Prince of the Power of the Air and there 's the Course of this World that I quote it for now there 's Satan Corrupt Example and Evil Inclination all which are Depravers of Man-kind and all concurr to our ruine and destruction we easily swim with the Stream and the Torrent of Common Example do as others do and so mutually propagate and receive taint from one another Imitation is not the Whole Cause of Sin but Propagation and Inclination of Nature yet Imitation and Example doth much to the perverting of the World