him before we knew him in a way of gracious acquaintance with him and now doubt him when we have had such plentiful experience of him They who know his Name should trust in him Fourthly This laies a just ground for return unto God for all receipts of help and influence from him Grace should ascend where it does descend priviledge asks service What shall I render saith David Psal 116.12 It was charged on Hezekiah that he returned not to the Lord according to the benefit done to him the help afforded him against the King of Assyria 2 Chron. 32.25 But who can give to the Lord or what can man be profitable to his Maker Indeed we have nothing worthy his acceptance all our duties have no further value in them than what grace puts upon them as gilded and enamel'd with his gracious acceptation in Christ so they become only beautiful and precious in his sight But though God expects no full compensation he doth a right and just improvement And there is but a twofold way of improvement By studying the advance of Gods honour and glory and communicating to the wants and necessities of our Brethren First For Gods glory Does the Lord help us it's but reasonable we should help him Let us help him against the mighty but God stands in no need of our help he will maintain his own cause we may let God alone to govern the world yet we finde God himself once asking the question Psal 94.16 Who shall rise up for me against the evil deers who shall stand up for me against the workers of iniquity Who is on my side who The cause and interest of God sometimes is leaning seems falling and though God does not need our help yet he sometime requires it not chusing to act in a more immediate way but like the Master stands and looks on while his men do his work And we may be assured God will take it very heinously if we see it carted for want of putting to our shoulders O let us then be zealous for God and appear for his cause truth and glory appear in our places against sin and for holiness As we would ever have God appear for us at the last day when he comes out against the world so let us appear for God in our day when the world are going out against him With what face or confidence dare we look God in the face at judgement and desire him to stand then by us when our consciences shall accuse us Time was when we would not stand by him or venture any thing for him and tell us withall that he that denies Christ before men he will deny before his Father in Heaven Secondly For our Brethrens supply As we have received so let us communicate Communicate to other poor souls that need our help When converted our selves we ought to strengthen our Brethren The world is for use not for enjoyment grace for both We are not owners only Stewards of those talents God hath concredited and he will expect an account of us according to our receipts ought to be our disbursements and never did any soul lose by his layings out for God but he sufficiently reimbursed him The liquor of mercy is on purpose put by God into broken Vessels that it might run out to others We should do what in us lies to hand Christ and Grace those gifts of God to our Brethren our Lamps should be filled with Oyl that others might borrow of us at least light from us It was Jobs commendation that he was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame he fed them with his morsels cloathed them with his raiment harboured them in his house Job 31. It 's much more our duty to endeavour the illumination of blind minds and recovery of lame souls and help them by the crutches of our prayers tears and counsels who cannot as yet step without them If our neighbours beast be in the ditch we ought to help him out and much more his soul when about plunging into Hell When one neighbours house is on fire all the neighbour-hood will contribute their best ability to quench it and shall we not lend our helping-hand to extinguish the flames of divine wrath which our Brothers soul hath already kindled upon him and wherein he is like to burn else to all eternity And as graceless sinners stand in need of our help so oftentimes do comfortless Saints they are weary and heavy laden and would be glad of a lift at their burden To a man afflicted pity should be shown of his friend No truer sign of grace than a compassionate sense of the wounds of a troubled conscience and no surer sign of a desperate mind devoted to destruction than a want of sympathy with them The end God comforts us is that we may comfort others 2. Cor. 1.4 And he expects being our selves converted we should strengthen our Brethren we should not be cisterns to keep all in but conduits to let run out our gifts graces and experiences to others It 's the rarest Art in the world to comfort afflicted consciences every Christian should endeavour to be well skill'd in it By distributions of grace and comfort to others we shall become gainers and lose no more than the Sun does of light or the Fountain of water by affording us their beams and streams Virtus eundo crescit Natural motions may spend but this spiritual increaseth It 's pity the talents of grace should ever lie dead by us and such holy usury and improvement alwaies brings in the greatest increase and largest revenue And indeed a Christian hath no more grace than he well improves for Gods glory and his own and others good And as we must communicate to others souls so to their outward conditions too that need our help Feed the hungry cloath the naked As we have opportunity do good to all men with such sacrifices God is well pleased Charge them saith the Apostle that are rich that they be ready to distribute And he that hath this worlds goods and seeth his Brother need and hath no compassion on him how dwelleth the love of God in him The merciful is blessed and he shall finde mercy but let him never expect mercy from God that hath no mercy for man God will one day shut his heart as close as ever he did his purse and straiten his bowels to him as he did his bounty to his Brethren The bill at the last day runs in negatives and God will cause both the gallant and worldly muck-worm shortly to know that he gave them estates not to lay out on their backs and bellies and monies not barely to trade with and treasure up for their followers but to do good with in their generations by acts of piety and charity as occasion was offered them Christ will go on the other side from their Souls another day who now passed on the other side with a bare naked view of their Brethrens bleeding
deliverance 152 Application Inference Wherein The different character of the Godly from the Worldling and Hypocrite 155 His different priviledge 160 Wherein His advantage above them As to Peace and serenity ibid. Certainty and security 161 Supply and sufficiency ibid. The infelicity or cursed because desperate estate of the wicked 162 Both in the day of 1. Prosperity ibid. 2. Affliction 163 As to self and also creature-confidence 164 3. Death 165 The transcendent excellency of God above all created perfections in making the soul happy 169 The folly and danger of all oppositions against Gods People 171. and compliance with their enemies and oppressors 172 Examination Wherein Signs more general of our interest in God 174 Union with him in and through Christ 175 Covenant-obligation to him ibid. Acquaintance and communion 176 Sympathy and fellow-feeling 177 Suitable affections to him 178 Of high esteem ibid. Ardent Love 179 Earnest desire 180 Sweet delight 181 Firm resolution 182 Vehement endeavour and pursuit after him 183 Signs more special 184 1. Of making him our help ibid. Two Rejection of all creature-confidence ib. Exercise of sole and constant dependance ibid. 2. Of having him our Hope Wherein the Godly mans hope 185 Contradistinguisht from the Hypocrites as being 1. Grounded 186 2. Effectual 187 Wherein a sixfold discriminating vertue ibid. Purifying from sin ibid. Quickning to duty 188 Staying under temptations 189 Pacifying under delays 190 Raising above worldly expectations 191 Fortifying and confirming against all opposition 192 3. Stedfast and permanent 193 Reproof to Gods people who as if there were not a God in Israel go to Baalzebub the God of Ekron 194 Wherein shewed The greatness of the sin 195 Danger of the punishment ibid. â—isappointment of our hopes 196 â—mpair of our mercies 197 â—o feiture of divine protection 198 Comfort The godly man the only blessed man 200 Blessed In all his relations wherein concerned ibid. In all conditions whereinto cast 201 Of spiritual trouble under Desertions 202 Temptations ib. Corruptions ib. Outward under Wants and Exigencies 203 Fears and dangers 205 Losses crosses and disappointments ibid. Unkindnesses or oppositions ibid. Afflictions death it self 206 Excitation 1. To Christians to walk worthy divine help and influx 207 In the duties of 1. Thankfulness 208 2. Access to him 210 Wherein 1. The special seasons of address in A calm 216 A storm 217 Particularly under Pursuits of divine wrath ibid. Oppressions of Satans or humane violence ibid. Creature-disappointments 218 Unusual and extraordinary services ibid. Falls into sore distress ibid. Dying apprehensions 219 2. The manner how to make our addresses 220 By Soul-abasement and humiliation ibid. Renunciation of humane help 221 Prayer and supplication ibid. Faith and believing 223 Resolutions of return ibid. 3. Satisfaction and acquiescence in him 224 4. Return towards him 226 By improving help received In endeavours to advance Gods glory ibid. In communications to our Brethren 227 In their Soul necessities ibid. Bodily necessities 229 5. Confidence under tryals 230 Wherein 1. Objections answered arising 1. From our own unworthiness of divine help and influence 232 2. From our long disappointment ibid. God helps not alwaies Perfectly 233 Visibly 234 Presently 235 3. From the sadness of our state 238 2. Two Questions answered 241 On what terms divine help may be expected under the immediate visitations of Gods own hand ibid. On five conditions 1. A religious severity consisting In an immunity from the sins of the times ibid. An accurate walking before God ibid. 2. A fiducial and firm recumbency 243 3. A praying importunity 244 4. An exact integrity ibid. 5. A resolved singularity 245 At what special times may help be lookt for under the violences and persecutions of humane wrath 247 When Gods Cause and the whole interest of Religion hes at stake ibid. When a cloud of reproach is cast upon his peoples innocency 248 When all humane help disappears and fails ibid. When the enemies blaspheme Gods Name and insult over his people 249 When their spirits begin to sink and fail 250 Especially when truly humbled by their afflictions they seek him by faith and prayer ibid. 6. Adherence and cleaving to God alwaies with full purpose of heart 251 2. To sinners Direction Where to look for help out of their lapsed state 253 Exhortation To get an interest in God ibid. Motives Means An humble sense of their hopeless and helpless condition by nature 255 Flying to Gods mercy in Christ ibid. Engaging into and keeping covenant with him for ever 256 ERRATA PAge 1. line 11. for greedy read ravisht page 44. line 25. read ruining page 132. line 25. for no read not In the Title over the head of the Pages for Godly read Godlies THE GODLY PILLAR OF HELP PSALM 146.5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help whose hope is in the Lord his God HAppiness is a blessed word bigg-bellied with comfort and full fraught with satisfaction as full of sweetness as the Breast of Milk the Cane of Sugar or Comb of Honey as grateful and refreshing to the reasonable soul of man and much more the awakened and enlightened conscience of a Christian as the fountain is with its water to the thirsty Traveller or the Sun with its light to the greedy beholder Felicity is the grand attractive of every appetite and the common loadstone of all the desires of the Sons of men Its generale votum universalis supplicatio the unanimous vote and universal request of all mankind Who will shew us any good is language naturally spoken and almost worn thread-bare by the mouths of all men Psal 4.6 Whatsoever other difference runs in the current of humane opinions their affections herein are all tuned unisons and their musick is in consort As conformity to God in holiness is the most perfect intendment so in happiness is the most desirable attainment of men and Angels Who is it that would not be happy or though they affect no good in them desire not good to them Though few but disdain holiness in the way all design happiness in the end Even the Heathens themselves affected as well as conceived a Fools Paradise a Phanatick Elysium of bliss and happiness as well as Christians a real They entertained multiplied opinions about happiness some placing it in gifts of nature others of fortune by them so called a third sort of mind Some in pleasure some in profits and honours others in learning and natural or acquired endowments all in some external good and outward satisfaction They brake the shell and we gat the kernel they ran away with the notion and bare speculation we are blessed with its actual fruition For having otherwise learned Christ we know and believe This to be eternal life only to know God in Jesus Christ and that true happiness is bound up in God alone the first cause and last and utmost end the highest and chiefest good so tunes that heavenly Chorister Psal 73.25 after
an Ark Heb. 11.7 which the prophane and secure world flouted and derided This was Lots security in the overthrow of Sodom his soul was vexed with their filthy conversation 2 Pet. 2.7 8. And the Apostle makes him a president his deliverance a ruling case so as to argue and draw up a firm conclusion from it for all the godly under like circumstances verse 9. This tenderness of conscience was that which removed Josiah out of the dint of suffering 2 King 22.19 Jealousie of sinning is the best security against suffering Such as fear Gods Name shall have the bright side of the cloud when others have the dark he will be to them a Sun when to the rest a fire This holy carriage protected Jeremiah and kept him out of captivity and exempted Baruch and gave him his life for a prey Gods mourners who gave him their testimony by wearing his livery shall also have his mark of distinguishing favour Ezek. 9. They are pluckt as brands out of the fire We may invert that of the Prophet Ezekiel and make the subject the predicate cap. 7.16 They who are as Doves of the Valleys mourning for their iniquity shall escape They who feared the Lord and thought on his Name minded Religion and made it their business had a book of remembrance written Mal. 3.16 Phinehas's zeal procures him the covenant of Gods peace Numb 25.8 Secondly A fiducial recumbency God saves them that trust in him and because they trust in him Psal 37. ult He that believes shall never be confounded God is a buckler to them that trust in him Prov. 2.8 The scope of the whole 91 Psalm is to assure preservation to them that exercise faith in God and keep in viis in waies of strict and close walking with him Not an absolute faith that God certainly will protect and deliver for that cannot be without a special revelation but a stedfast faith and firm dependance on God and his power and providence both as able and willing to do it Jobs confidence in God gave him assurance of his being his salvation This obtained a special priviledge for Obedmelech Jer. 39. ult Thy life shall be for a prey to thee because thou hast put thy trust in me saith the Lord. And this gave Daniel a marvelous yea miraculous protection Dan. 6.22 23. Innocency was found in him and he believed in his God Thirdly A praying importunity When Gods Spirit is poured out from on high and his stir up themselves to take hold on God plead and wrastle call and cry being his remembrancers day and night Psal 32.6 And so Zeph. 2.3 Seek the Lord all ye meek of the earth which have wrought his Judgement seek righteousness seek meekness it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger in the most desolating Judgements God reserves a remnant and they are the seeking praying ones Joel 2. ult Whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be delivered So Psal 91.14 15. Fourthly A perfect and exact integrity He saves the upright in heart Psal 7.10 He compasseth them about with favour as a shield The way of the just is uprightness thou most upright doest weigh the path of the Just Isa 26.7 Integrity is the ground of hope This gave Job a certainty of his coming out of affliction and of a glorious restauration Job 13.18 I have ordered my cause I know I shall be justified This was that Hezekiah pleaded under Gods correction Isa 38.3 And Nehemiah under his enemies rage and opposition Think upon me my God for good Christs Righteousness is only pleadable at the bar of Gods Justice but our own in the Court of his mercy A man may as well rear a building on a quagmire or quick-sand as build a just hope on Hypocrisie but righteousness is a sure soundation The morning star being once up and visible it 's never very dark Such as walk alwaies in the view of their uprightness have alwaies some glimmerings of comfort and are never hopeless and desolate This was Gods own assignation of the reason of Noahs deliverance Gen. 7.1 Thee only have I found righteous in this generation He that walks uprightly walks securely When men are upright to God to men exercise a conscience void of offence in duties of the first and the second Table keep themselves from their iniquities and have respect to all Gods Commandments and whatsoever comes on them do not forget God and his Covenant they are upon the fairest ground of security The Prophet Amos puts them into not a bare capacity but at least a probability of mercy Amos 5.15 Hate the evil seek good and establish Judgement in the gate it may be the Lord God of Hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph Nay the Prophet Isaiah goes further and puts them under a certainty Isa 33.16 When Hypocrites were bundled as thorns or packt as brands into the devouring fire of Gods wrath who should abide now He that walketh righteously He shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munition of Rocks bread shall be given him his waters shall be sure Fifthly A resolved singularity and couragious zeal and magnanimity for God in the worst of times both as to doing and suffering When Christians shine with an eminent lustre of piety like stars in a dark night with greater brightness and burn with an holy zeal as fire in frosty weather alwaies hottest are none such of the times and do not only keep themselves untainted from the sins they embrace but se on the duties they oppose resolving with Joshua that they and their house will serve the Lord and with Daniel that they will as formerly notwithstanding all prohibitions to the contrary make their supplication to the God of Heaven They will keep up private family duties publick attendances though all give them up maintain those duties of Religion most zealously strenuously and industriously that are most momentous though most opposed and despised dancing before the Lords Ark though laughed to scorn by the Michaels of the world Though Princes speak against them they will meditate and speak of Gods statutes They will appear for God when all appear against him as did Elijah whom God wonderfully secured and Paul whom he stood by miraculously and Luther whose language was fiat justitia ruat Coelum whom God signally protected at Worms and elsewhere though he were the only butt his pretended holiness then had to shoot at When a man is resolved to consult duty and not safety to suffer before he sins to burn in a fiery furnace before bow to a graven Image and with an holy fortitude to stand up for God against the sins of the time and place though he hath none to back him though all the neighbourhood Town City be otherwise affected as it was with him as to Baals Altars and Paul to the Athenian worships and is determined to venture all for God and in his Cause with a Caesarem
afflictions though oft-times not so sincerely at least not throughly God will come in for their help as Judg. 10. 2 Chron. 12. Especially where there is a spirit of true humiliation Faith and Prayer that conjunction is a sure Prognostick of mercy and sign of deliverance Zach. 12.10 compared with cap. 13.1 No sooner Daniel begins his Prayer but the Captivity makes its end Hos 5. ult I will goe to my place till they acknowledge When they come to seeking God soon comes to saving God never puts his people hard on begging or inclines them to asking but he stands ready handed with and fully bent and disposed to mercy When the Sea gets into the Ship and Peter cryes out Christ reacheth out his arm to save him Sixthly Let this be a ground of adherence and firm conjunction and cleaving to God at all times always cleave to this God who is such an help with full purpose of heart As Ruth to Naomi going where he goes and living where he lives Let nothing separate you from your God Like the Spaniel couch close to your Master It 's good for you to draw near to God lose all rather than lose him part with all the World before him Better God your Friend to stand by you than all the World without him God is faithfull to you be you so to him and though all else do do not you forsake him Forget your Kindred and Fathers house love not father or mother wise or children house or land but hate them if coming in competition with him Throw off your Father as holy Jerom said though he hangs about your neck and trample on your mother though she lay in the way to go out unto him Give not up the cause of God to Satan or the common Enemy because ye meet with a little trouble Though the Captain hath not present relief he will not deliver up the City if in any hope or expectation of it but hold out if possible he knows not how nigh he is relief Sacrifice not God's interest help may come before you expect it Christians on your first coming in you gave your selves up to the Lord and indeed as that Noble person said In undertaking Religion you might be deceived if you thought to save any thing but your Souls Oh take heed of making a breach of promise Take heed of using any sinister course any unlawfull and indirect means to evade the sufferings of the Gospel never accept a deliverance which is worse than bondage better have help Gods way than your own as finding it than as making it Infinitely farr better that trouble which ends in peace than that peace which ends in trouble Fight therefore the good fight of Faith so as at last ye may lay hold on the Crown of eternal life So run as ye may obtair Go on securely and couragiously in the way of your duty whatsoever occurres fear the Lord only and keep his way Esther though under strict interdiction yet ventures to approach the King having fasted and prayed with her Maydens in hope of divine benediction The Apostles though under a prohibition if not a suspension to preach chuse to obey God before man Act. 5.29 Be neither drawn or courted by the fawning allurements of the world nor yet frighted by it's terrours to give up or in in your profession Take our Saviours advice Luk. 12.4 Fear not him that can only kill the body but rather him that can destroy both body and soul in Hell Lastly A word to sinners and strangers from God and his hope and help concludes all This offers first a word of direction to poor sinners whether they must go for help They are all lapsed fallen creatures plunged into a state of guilt and corruption brought under the supremacy and dominion of Satan and have no power or sufficiency of themselves to recover but God alone is their help Hos 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help to be found Man fell by his own free will but cannot recover without Gods free grace Homo libertatem quam accepit nisi Christo liberante non recipit as Saints therefore must bless him so sinners go to him as their only help go to him for light life by Prayer in the use of Ordinances which are media cultus and gratiae too and though God will not hear you as sinners he may as creatures Secondly Labour all to get an interest in God that he may be your help Time may nay will come when you will stand in need of an help You may have many storms in your journey to eternity It 's good in a Sun-shine to provide for a storm A day of affliction may come of death and dissolution must come A sword a plague a fire a famine a captivity may come and what will ye do in the evil day All worldly helps will then be in vain ye may kindle a fire of your own sparks but the end will be to lye down in sorrow You may with him that took up an hand-full of Gloworms in a dark night hope to warm your fingers with them but it will be a false fire and afford no heat with its light These Gloworms may shine till you come to the light of Sun or Candle These fair-fac'd nothings may please till you come to be convinced of a better beauty but then will vanish What will it profit to have a little comfort from them for a moment and at last be cast into the hellish dungeon Though ye have all creatures for you and God against you your case is as sad and miserable as had you God for you and all the world against you it were comfortable Time may come too that you may have all the world against you and the Devil too yea your own consciences and what will ye do if ye have not a God a Christ to stand for you Created-comforts cannot help you if God hath once forsaken you though he can supply their absence who is the Sun of Righteousness and make day though there be not the star of any creature visible yet they cannot his If the Sun be gone down it 's night for all the stars They have no Oyl for themselves much less can afford to others There is no trust in riches friends men Angels they are all a vain hope The Parent may leave his Child the Husband his Wife the friend his friend when time of trial comes God hath stood on Mount Ebal and blasted all carnal confidence as well as on Mount Gerizim and blessed confidence in himself Yea he may justly give us up to our own trust and those things we have confided in if we repose in any thing short of himself so he did them Jer. 2.28 And will the creatures Mantle be a sufficient covering to us Will the great Tree of outward mercies profession priviledges protect us under the soaking and lasting storm of Gods wrath The whole 49 Psalm is a conviction of the vanity of all the Pageantry of this world They are as birds or a string that at one time or other will deceive us And is not God in the mean time a necessary free universal sole sufficient help Who ever trusted in the world and was not deceived and who ever trusted in God and was disappointed The ends of the earth look to him and are saved O cease then from these lying vanities and endeavour to make God your God that so he may become your help And if you would do so labour first to get an humble sense of your own helpless and hopeless condition by nature Bethink your selves and see the plague of your own hearts As long as the soul hath any crutch to lean on it will never go alone while it knows whither to run it will never go to its God O labour to be weary and heavy laden in your selves and disclaim all creature-dependance as Paul did Phil. 3.7 8. Renounce all for Christ and Gods free grace and mercy in him And when in this wilderness lean on the arm of your Beloved Secondly Fly to Gods Name and Covenant by faith in Christ If ever God be yours it must be through Christ For there is no other Name God hath laid help on his almighty arm you must lay your hope there All Gods help runs through Christ he hath determined never to pardon one guilt or give out one dram of grace but through his blood He is the only daismen the true Sampson by whose strength the heavy weights of sin and wrath may be removed your souls All the souls fresh springs are in him He is the well head of salvation Without union no interest or influence No flying or abiding Gods presence escapeing or enduring his wrath unless your souls get under the skirt of his love He that would have interest in God by any other proxy must expect salvation by a deputy only O come to him then by faith venture on him as the Lepers did on the Camp 2 King 7 s. Do not only take Ropes about your necks and put Sackcloth about your loyns but come before this King of Heaven he is a merciful King And thirdly and lastly Strike Covenant with God enter into a confederacy with him Kings keep those confederate and in league with them The wickeds is a vain a strumpets confidence that challenge God as their Father and Husband and yet wantonize from him and care not for his company and communion Jer. 3.4 A good conscience only is the ground of a good hope and conndence 1 Pet. 3.16 God may help and save by the wicked but never will he be the Saviour of them Break off from sin then by righteousness and engage in yea keep covenant with God There 's a league both offensive and defensive between God and his People and the Promise made to Abraham observing the conditions stands good to all his faithful children Gen. 15.1 If we walk before God and be perfect he will be our shield and our exceeding great reward To conclude all with the Apostles options Rom. 15.13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost And 2 Thes 2.16 17. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work FINIS