disturb the sweet peace of our souls they may have their motions their stirrings in us but when they grow tumultuous check curb controule correct them How to judge of passions inordinate Thus learn to know when they are faulty First Do they exceed their measure Grow they unreasonable So that if thou shouldest ask thy soul as Rahel Why am I thus as David Why art thou so disquieted within me And canst thou give no reason when permitted to such measure Then think thy otherwise lawfull are turned to be sinfull passions Secondly Do they disturb reason and understanding stupifie and benumbe it that it cannot stirre it self to meditate or do they command in the soul Then know they are immoderate Thirdly Do they hinder performance of holy and necessary duties invocation meditation c. or but cast dulnesse upon the soul in the performance of these duties Then know they are grown immoderate I say not but to such measure they may arise in the wisest and most sanctified yet when they do rise to this height they have in them what deserves our check Now the remedy or means to work it in us is to consider Gods bountifull dealing with us see Psal 42.5 11. and 43.5 and but the expressions of Gods favour in that kinde nothing can settle the disquiet of the soul Vse Let us be exhorted in prudence to direct our meditations from our pressures to the bounty of God which in other particulars many and many we enjoy there was never childe of God so followed with Gods storms but he had left him some pledges of favor to support him had he had wisdome to meditate on them under Gods hand The cunning of the tempter is this To keepe the minde wholly musing on our evills diverting us from the mercy God remembers in the midst of judgement Hab. 3.2 See I beseech you see the enumeration of favours that David hath Psal 103.3 who forgiveth all thy sinnes healeth all thy diseases redeemeth thy life from destruction crowneth with loving kindnesse and tender mercies who satisfieth thy mouth with good things which executeth judgement for the oppressed which makes known his wayes to his children and which toucheth the point in hand Vers 9 10. He neither keeps his anger for ever nor deals with us according to our sinnes punishing ever Citra condignum rewarding Vltra condignum Oh that this people were wise to consider how favourable how bountifull God is in the sharpest of his corrections How would it silence passion How well should we hereby provide for the rest of our souls VERSE VIII For thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling IN this Verse David gives us the evidence of Gods bounty to him in the enumeration of particular favours conferred on him wherein are First The severall favours Secondly The result or issue of them Vers 9. The favour in generall is deliverance From what if you will know First From misery painfull from death yea from tears for the sentence riseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly From misery sinfull My feet from falling For the sense Thou hast delivered that is rescued as Psal 6.4 even when he was at the pits brink he rescued My soul That Tropically put sometimes for the Person as Exod. 1.5 Act. 27.37 sometimes for life as Hest 7.3 Gen. 9.5 Iob 2.4 6. whether sense you take you erre not they are co-incident Me or my life Else thus The soul hath a twofold consideration First As a naturall form of a body so organized so it lives in the body Secondly As a spirituall substance or subsistence having in it a power to subsist and exist in it self without the body Death for the time deprives it of the life that it hath in the body not of that life or being it hath in it self But this not all the benefit Not onely so set me out of deadly perill but which yet more amplifies his bounty Mine eyes from tears The meaning is From all sorrow or evidence of sorrow or cause of sorrow in respect of outward perill as Apoc. 21.4 When God is said to wipe all tears from the eyes of his Saints The meaning is He takes from them all sorrow and crying and pain as the Spirit explicates himself And my feet from falling That is Me from falling Synechdoche Metaleptica But so see we the nature of a heart truly thankful to God there is not a blessing nor degree of a blessing nor circumstance of a blessing but it takes notice of and publisheth My soul from death my feet from falling Rescued me when falling that the circumstance Mine eyes from tears the degree Psal 103.2 Forget not all that is not any one of his benefits so also Ephe. 1. From Verse the third to the fourteenth Paul for his own particular 1 Tim. 1.12 13 14. generally for us all Rom. 5. from vers 6. to the 11. see also Psal 107.8 To praise is not simply to say him a thank but to commend and amplifie the riches of his grace and mercy towards us Lord that we had Davids spirit Vse that our mouthes might thus be filled with the praise of the Lord How should the Lord rejoyce over us and delight to do us good Wonderfull hath the Lord been in his mercy towards us in the many deliverances of our Nation from forraigne violence in our peace plenty liberty of the Gospel and plenty of his word purely preached whether we consider the blessings in themselves or measures of the blessings or circumstances of time persons behaviour c. And yet I know not how whether through continuance and long enjoying or whether through opinion that they come to us by ordinary course the greatest blessings have lost much of their price that it is to be feared the Lord means by lack of them to let us see their worth and learn better to esteem them The better to enlarge our hearts to the duty and to teach you how in meditating Gods favours to be holily Rhetoricall Let me minde you First of the misery that is in the want suppose it be in remission of sinnes in knowledge of God in peace of conscience in ministery of the word c. Secondly Our unworthinesse to obtain such blessings Gen. 32.10 I am lesse saith Iacob then all thy goodnesse and the good Centurio◠Mat. 8.8 Lord I am not worthy which and much more we shall easily force our selves to confesse if we consider our behaviour before God unconverted full of obstinacie and of disobedience Tit. 3.3 1 Tim. 1.13 and with all our unthankfulnesse and neglect and abuse of his favours since our calling enjoyed see Ezra 9.8 13. Thirdly Our impotencie without grace of God to acquire or retain them Rom. 5.8 Fourthly The preferment God hath given us either in the blessings or in the measure of the blessings or in the circumstances see Psal 147.19 20. Fiftly Comparing our selves with others perhaps more righteous then our selves more
as willingly carry a faggot to our burning as they now shoot out their arrows even bitter words I beseech you pray God to give you better hearts ye have heard that their blood is precious in Gods sight it will cost you dear honour or stupidity of conscience and in the end everlasting torment Secondly Remember who said He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye Zech. 2.8 Thirdly How strict the charge is Touch not mine Anointed and do my Prophets no harm Psal 105.15 Fourthly Set before your eyes the example of Gods wrath on former persecutours People Nations Kings Monarchies God hath not spared for this sinne Take we heed lest he spare not us Nay be sure he will not spare us if we have hand or least stroke in their persecution in their blood Not us of all people for clearly hath the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ shined long amongst us that we cannot as missed forefathers pretend ignorance they had been nursed in Popish superstition we in the true faith of Jesus Christ if we so farre fall away as to imbrue our selves in the blood of Gods Saints for us is reserved the blacknesse of darknesse for ever Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things Thirdly Precious that is highly he esteems it as men do things that are most precious as their costliest jewels As if there were not vertue in all the whole roll of Christian vertues so great as this to suffer death for the Name of Christ Apoc. 12. They loved not their lives unto death Heb. 12 Ye have not yet resisted unto bloed in striving against sinne Phil. 1.29 To you it is given not onely to beleeve but to suffer for the name of Christ as if therein were Munus I say not in genere necessarii but in genere boni I am sure magni Hence the Apostles joy in it as in their glory Act. 5. ult and Paul when he would preferre himself before other Apostles 2 Cor. 11.22 23 c. useth this same Argument Ancients talk of Aureola Martyrum The crown of righteousnesse is reserved for all that love Christs appearing but there is a Coronet upon that Crown for them who suffer death for the Name-sake of Christ Tears are put into a bottle made varnish to our clarity and glorious splendour no drop of blood but wins us a river of glory effusion of it the whole Ocean as it were of beatitude It checks our cowardize Oh we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we cowards dastards so timorous in declining our glorry Why are our spirits so dejected as to begin already to halt twixt two opinions or to resolve of neuterality or joyning to the prevailing side First Know there were sometimes who were ambitious of it Sum ego Christianus Secondly Christ promiseth to own us if we confesse him Luk. 9.26 Thirdly Protests to deny us if we deny him Mat. 10.22 Fourthly martyrdom is necessary in Casu Absolutely alwayes Quoad paeparationem animi Mat. 10.38 39. Fiftly weight of glory promised to light momentany afflictions 2 Cor. 4.17 Sixtly A cloud of witnesses yea our Saviour himself gone before us Heb. 12.12 c. What if the Lord select us from amongst his Army of Militants to be his Champions to take up or cast down the Gauntlet in the quarrell to his Kingdome First He hath promised to support 1 Cor. 10.13 Secondly Given us no Armour for the back Eph. 6. but thunders wo to the back-slider Heb. 10.38 Thirdly Honors with conformity to Prophets to Christ in suffering Mat 5 12. Fourthly We are far above the ordinary rate of his Saints when he culls us out as it were to resist unto shedding of blood Fiftly Let us not forget it is the condition of our raigning with him Rom. 8.17 2 Tim. 2.12 Sixtly This way went Christ into his Kingdome Luke 24. The disciple must not be above his Master Seventhly He hath begotten us to a lively hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.3 and he first arising up hath given us a pledge of our resurrection to immortality Now the good Lord affect our hearts with these things that we may all rest assured of protection so long as God hath use of our service in life and couragiously resolve to glorifie him in our death if he shall call us to suffer for his Name to the shedding of blood knowing that our blood is precious in his sight and that a drop of it is not shed but wins us a River of blessednes But may we not think it meant of death naturall of Saints Certainly it is true their death is precious understand death in the childe of God is not a meer passion there is action vertuous action in it death of impious men is meerly passive as of brutes and not without resistance and sluggish reluctation and that I say not onely of Nature but of Will too Reasons of it are First This life they know the other they know not Secondly Have no assurance of better state in the life to come Thirdly Soul in passage sees terrour of Judge and knowing no share they have in the mediation of Christ would live alwayes that they might sinne alwayes Now in the death of Gods Saints there is action vertuous action the complement of all vertuous qualities Therefore St Peter calls it The laying down of the Tabernacle St Paul His departure Giving up the ghost Commending the soul unto God In which last act of a Christian is the perfection of Christian vertues First No faith like this Though he kill me when he killeth me I trust in him Iob 13.15 Secondly No love like this To love the present fruition of Christ Thirdly No hope like this Even when we are dying to expect life when the body is falling to expect Resurrection Fourthly No obedience like this willing to consent to the will of God in dying and herein to say Thy will be fulfilled and I am content to do it Psal 40.8 This makes even the Naturall death of Gods Saints precious in his sight VERSE XVI Oh Lord Truly I am thy servant I am thy servant and the sonne of thine handmaid Thou hast loosed my bonds TO discern Connexion in matter of Devotion is difficult the motions thereof being for the most part affectionate Howbeit here is no difficulty There is before mention of the favours God had done him here is the use of the favour Therefore I am thy servant And it contains a Protestation or acknowledgement of his obligations to so gracious a God as had rescued him from the jaws of death wherein note we First The occasion Secondly The matter of the Protestation amplified by the grounds of it Thirdly The vowed expression of it Vers 17. So see how favours of God work upon a gracious dispotion forcing after a sort not onely to acknowledgement of obligation but to tendering of service unto God see 2 Cor. 5.14 15. Isa 6.8 Lo here I am
give medicine to heal their sorrows David experimented it Psal 32. Though the righteous fall yet shall he not be cast off Psal 37.24 c. Oh we of little faith why doubt we have we a promise from God and are we sure we rightly understand it and that we have our due qualification Then we be assured that heaven and earth shal passe ere a title of that promise shal fall to the ground God hath pleased by promise to make himself our debter and the better to confirm our faith hath exemplified his promise and yet doubt we Yes For though to some we see them exemplified yet as many we see destituted and our selves experiment them not With the limits intended I dare swear they have been exemplified if they have failed we fail in the condition Secondly We erre Toto coelo if we think all Gods promises are intended after the Letter some are made good in the equivalent Thirdly We deceive our selves if we think our habituall being the children of God gives us title to the fruition of all his promises there is Actus and Exercitium also required Fourthly How farre are we wide if we think God hath not reserved power to try our faith and patience by removing sense of love by writing bitter things against us c. But rightly understood thou hast seen doest see them all exemplified And seeing God hath for this end exemplified that he may confirm our faith and expectation The wisdome that from hence I do commend unto you is First To acquaint your selves with Histories Divine written for this end saith * Rom. 15.4 Paul that we might have hope in reading them this wisdome let me commend unto you First To distinguish personall from generall promises there are personall promises made to some of Gods children as that of David He should not want a man of his seed to sit upon his Throne but is it a generall promise then see and observe perhaps you shall finde they not pertaking in it have failed in particulars or else seest thou any to whom it is not made good see then if thou canst not observe God to have in some other way or kinde made good his promise 2 Sam. 10. God will do me some good for this evill Secondly There are some promises peculiar to some speciall times some universally belonging to all times See an example of the first of these Mar. 16.17 18. These signes shall follow them which beleeve peculiar to the Primitive times of the Church while the state of religion was now in altering and the Gospel planting amongst the Gentiles He that now shall attempt it the end being ceased shall be prodigium That of Ioel ◠28 Sonnes and daughters shall prophesie young men see visions old men dream dreams c. was the privilege alone of the first age of Christianity Act. 2.17 But is it a generall promise to all persons times states of the Church not one but hath had hath and shall have plentifull exemplification Thirdly There is considerable the manner of performance and the thing it self promised the manner may be severall when the thing is generall not all by miracle fed as Elias nor as Elisha by Angels delivered but this give me leave to say Infidelity towards any of Gods gracious promises is fouler in us then it could be in the ancient Patriarchs What had they but bare word to rest upon Behold us compassed with a cloud of witnesses from Abraham to David from David to Christ from Christ to this day and if we now waver in faith after such plentifull exemplifications our infidelity shall be most haynous The sufficiencie of proofe comes next to be handled It is here from a particular example or experiment Is that true what Logick teacheth us From one particular instance to conclude truth of a generall Rule Yet in Divinity it is frequent from particular examples to prove generall conclusions Let us see some Rom. 11.1 2. God hath not rejected any of the Jews whom he foreknew How is this proved For I also am an Israelite Again Rom. 3.28 All that are justified are justified by faith How proved Rom. 4.1 Abraham was so justified 1 Tim. 1.15 16. Christ came into the world to save all penitent and beleeving sinners How proved I a persecutour a blasphemer was received to mercy And this firmly holds according to the Rule of Reason when the Ratio formalis The Reason of the blessing is generall For example Is this the Reason why David was preserved because simple Then from that instance follows the inference All simple shall be preserved Was the reason of Abrahams justification his faith Then wheresoever is true faith there also is justification c. Secondly We must know that Gods dealings are exemplary 1 Tim. 1.16 Rom. 4.23 24. Thirdly God is no respecter of persons Rom. 2.14 He is rich in mercy to all that call upon him Rom. 10.12 13. Make much even of particular examples Vse they may stead much in day of triall and it oft falls out so that many promises help not to our comfort so much as one example usually we think our case a None-such without peer or parallell VERSE VII VIII Return unto thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee for thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling ANother Passion or passage of Davids devotion upon meditation of Gods mercy in his deliverance from pressure And the words are in summe a sweet soliloquie of David with his soul checking it after a sort for the disquiet and unrest it passionately had plunged it self into by occasion of his many and grievous outward pressures Deduction it hath by way of use and inference from his experience of Gods mercy in his preservation The form of carriage is in a Rhetoricall Apostrophe for what is more eloquent then Devotion Considerable therein are First The effect of Davids outward pressures They wrought the disquiet and perturbation of his soul Secondly The check he gives to his soul for admitting such perturbation Thirdly The chearing he affords it Fourthly The ground of that chear The Lord hath dealt bountifully which in the eighth Verse he evidenceth by particulars of favours vouchsafed him The rest of the soul * Matth. 11.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the calm temper of the faculties thereof and the sweet repose it findes in the fruition of what yeelds it contentment Heathens called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Tranquillitatem animi which they anxiously sought but never enjoyed This Christian rest of the soul is that sweet temper and tranquillity grace frames in the faculties of it and the sweet repose it findes in Gods mercy through Christ That David had formerly enjoyed but now found interrupted through the manifold afflictions outward and inward he was pressed withall and therefore checkingly adviseth his soul to return thereto and to enjoy the former tranquillity So ye see how farre
for God and desire to do good to his Church willingly suffering the respit of their own glorious reward to the end they might though on hardest tearms bring glory to God and do him service in the land of the living Therefore this reason themselves give alwayes First For that they saw the one half then of them which also was made to be an instrument of Gods service to lie brute and senslesse in the grave Secondly For that they desired to benefit the generation then living and to propagate Gods praise to succeeding posterities Psal 71.18 Isa 38.19 20. See also Psal 30. and 88. and 6. and 115. Beloved Remarkable is Gods providence to me in casting me without any thought or choice of man upon a Text presenting to my memorie even according to the time this great mercy of God to my soul delivering my soul from the pit of corruption that I might yet live to do him service in the land of the living Worthy were my tongue to cleave to the roof of my mouth my right hand for ever to forget her cunning if I should now forget or passe over with silence the great love God hath shewen to my soul in delivering it from the pit of corruption O Lord enlarge my heart to praise thee At Bristoll Even upon this day according to the time of life this time twelve moneths was I in the jaws of death none that beheld me saw so much as the least hope of life my soul had not the least commerce with the body so farre as I know Much about this hour God was pleased graciously to look upon me to shew me some glimpse of his mercy some beginnings of life some hope that I should walk before him in the land of the living and hitherto by Gods mercy I live performing him weak but hearty service in his Church Lord what is man that thou so visitest him Who am I the least of all Saints the chief of all sinners on whom thou thus magnifiest thy mercie What is that service poor I have done What that service thou reservest me to do O Lord be pleased to reveal it unto me to make me worthy by thy grace chearfully to perform it Da quod jubes jube quod vis for thou hast redeemed my soul from hell my life from death thou hast continued abilities and opportunity to do thee service to walk before thee in the land of the living Blessed be thy glorious Name O Father of mercies and God of all consolation blessed be thy Name for ever and ever and let all thy people say Amen Secondly Correct that errour of your judgements wherein I know you please your selves many of you ignorantly as if it were a matter of grace more then ordinary to pray for death untimely in respect of the tearm of nature This hold for a Rule I dare say it is certain While God gives ability to do him service or opportunity or hath use of us in meanest service be it but as David to declare Gods righteousnesse to the generation present as Hezekiah the father to the childe to shew Gods truth Isa 38.19 so long ought we to desire to live we sinne in wishing our premature death And well weigh it and tell me whether such desires upon what ground soever argue not rather self-love more love of our selves then of our God when God hath use of our service on earth to wish our selves out of the world Who can shew me any Saint of God in old or new Testament who ever made prayer to God or approved himself in the desire of death when God had use of him here in the land of the living without apparant fault Elias * 1 Kings 19.4 14. he indeed in a passion prayes unto God for death and his reason mark which should have been a reason rather to move him to pray for preservation of life because now there was so great use of his service for the benefit of the Church That of Iob and Ier. 3. and Ier. 20. are apparantly passionate wishes of flesh and blood arising from discontent at their crosses which I think no gracious man allows in himself or another And make what pretences you will I dare undertake to evidence the prayers the desires are sinfull to wish death as long as there is ability or opportunity to do God any service upon earth or use of service upon earth First That of * Iob 6. Iob upon this ground I have not yet denied the words of the holy One seems fair neither can I blame his fear of his own infirmity but yet there was faithlesnesse in the wish for hath not God promised to support 1 Cor. 10.13 Secondly That of imperfection of grace and sinnes by defect in the service of God is as plausible as any thing to legitimate the desire yet it proceeds from a false ground It is false that the longer we live the more we sinne if we be Gods the longer we live the lesse we sinne sinne is mortified daily and we bring forth * Psal 92.14 more fruit in our age Thirdly That of evills to come from which to be taken away aforehand is promised as a favour Isa 58.1 and 2 Kings 22.20 yet warrants not the wish This let us be assured of First Simply if we speak Proroguing of life to the utmost tearm of nature is the blessing untimely death simply considered is the judgement That it turns to a blessing is by accident it is a blessing by accident Secondly I do not think but Iermiâ—hs blessing was in the fruit as great as Iosiahs for though Iosiah saw not the evill yet Ieremiah endured the evill with patience in the mean time did service to God in sustaining his Church Iâ—siah went before Ieremiah to heaven Ieremiah had more glory in his time In a word Some God takes away from evills to come in mercy and favour they are such as he sees likely to be overcome of the evills in that respect he shews them favour others he reserves to taste the evills to give testimony to his truth To them this is a favour yea and simply the greater favour Is the question which is rather to be desired Answ Simply if we speak Prerogation of life for that is natively the blessing Secondly For the comparison it is to be meâ—sured by the quality and state of the persons Hath God use of their service upon earth First They ought to preferre Gods glory before their own salvation Secondly They shall be assured God will give issue with the temptation 1 Corinth 10.13 Thirdly Neither loose they ought in the measure of their reward as according to pleasures in sin so much torment so according to pains in this life is the measure of our glory If you will ask me how we shall know whether God hath use of our service upon earth Surely The question is obscure and curious to be measured onely by continuance of abilities opportunities or calling from God
But because it is uncertain This rule walk by First Though simply if we compare state with state it is best to be with Christ for that is the end of our life there is perfection and consummation of holinesse there is fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore Yet secondly for thee whose service God hath use of on earth it is better to live on earth the yeers of Methuselah doing God service then to be whirried as Elias with chariots of Angels presently into heaven In heaven thou hast thine owne glory on earth thou promotest Gods glory and in the end findest a glorious reward proportioned to thy measures of doing service to God here upon earth What then may we say of them whom God hath taken away in the prime of their life as that peerlesse Iosiah amongst the posterity of David Answ What but what Saint Paul speaks of the Martyrs The world was not worthy of them that people unworthy of such a pearl a Prince so peerlesse as was Iosiah for now the Lord remembred the sinnes of Manasseh and the time of vengeance drew neer upon that rebellious and gainsaying people Secondly Or that God saw their weaknesse and some likelihood of their corruption therefore took them away by death as Henoch by transmutation Ne malitia mutaret intellectum Thirdly Or they had served their generation according to Gods will as is said of David Act. 13.36 therefore fell asleep or as our Saviour Had finished the work which God had assigned them to do and were therefore taken away unto glory Ioh. 17. they had finished their course and kept the faith and were now to receive their crown of their righteousnesse 2 Tim. 4.7 8. And yet it is true while God gives ability and opportunity to do him service upon earth while he calls us to do him service upon earth while he hath use of our service of men upon earth it is his great blessing to reserve us to walk before him in the land of the living to be preferred in our choice before the hastening of our salvation and glory in the kingdome of heaven Blessed be thy glorious Name most glorious God Father Sonne and holy Ghost for all thy mercies for thy marvellous loving kindnesse shewen to me in a strange city in rescuing me from the gates of death and from the jaws of the grave in love delivering my soul from the pit of corruption preserving my life to walk before thee in the land of the living Lord God What shall I render unto thee for all thy benefits thou hast done unto me for this unspeakable mercy thou hast vouchsafed unto me It is little too little for so great a favour to praise thy power thy goodnesse thy grace thy mercy thy truth and my heart is too narrow to comprehend the heighth and depth of thy love to me in Christ Iesus even in this one favour vouchsafed unto me Lord enlarge my heaâ—t and â—ffectioâ—s fill it with love of thy Majestie zeal of thy glory Take up body and soul what ever I am or have to thine own use Behold Lord truly I am thy servant disiâ—ing to do thee service upon earth Lord accept my endeavours pardoâ— mine imperfections give more strength to perform Lord I am willing to do it yea my heart is ready Be pleased Lord to accept these calves of my lips this poor weak morning sacrifice of praise and thankesgiving which goeth not out of fained lips Lord thou knowest it accept it therefore for thy promise sake for thy mercy sake for the merits sake of sonne Iesus the Mediatour of all Grace and mercy to the sonnes of men To him with thee O Father of mercies O holy Spirit Comforter of the Church and chosen children be all honour and glory for this and all other thy mercies towards all Churches of thy Saints for ever and ever Amen That might here be annexed by all good means to cherish life that we may perform the service God expects from us Scripture points us to four causes or means of shortening life First Immoderate sorrow especially for things of this life Prov. 12.25 Heavinesse makes the heart sloope Prov. 15.13 By sorrow of heart the spirit is broken see 2 Cor. 7.10 Secondly Intemperance whether in diet or other luxurie which what tends it unto but the shortening of the dayes Plures gula quam gladias and it is that the Lord foretells to men given to the flesh Prov. 5.11 The flesh and bodâ— are consumed see Prov. 6.26 and 7.23 Thirdly To this adde those other grosse crimes for which God hath threatened untimely death the blood-thirsty and deceitfull live not out half their dayes either the sword of the Magistrate seizeth on them or else Gods immediate hand taketh them away as we see in Absalon Adonijah c. Fourthly immoderate pining of the body with immoderate fasting watching labour though never so religiously imployed see Col. 2.23 If we follow the second reading which perhaps is here implied it implies the promise or vow of David in thankfulnesse unto God for his marvellous deliverance vouchsafed unto him Wherein are three things considerable First The act Secondly The manner Thirdly The mean First The act is to walk or to serve God Secondly The manner in sincerity Thirdly The meane implyed in the Trope Before him But so see we the generall fruit of all Gods gracious deliverances vouchsafed us the duty we owe him in liew thereof that is to do him service in that rank or station whatsoever it is God hath placed us in so Zacharie speaking of the end of that great deliverance from spirituall enemie it is to serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse Luke 1.74 75. and Psal 50.15 23. hence Davids acknowledgement and protestation Psal 116.16 17 18. To fill up the meaning that must be weighed That the Lord expects in respect of speciall favours speciall service increase of our measures according to the measures of our abilities Ye must understand that there is upon all a generall obligation and duty of service that they owe unto God arising from benefits they enjoy in common with others as Creation Providence Redemption Word c. which bond yet by speciall favours grows more strait especially when they grow towards personall and we become after a sort proprietaries in them for example Israel had a bond of service as heathen from Creation and Providence but much more for the specialty of Gods favour in their deliverance from Aegypt wherefore that is prefixed as a reason of obedience to the Decalogue Exod. 20.2 in shewing his word unto Iacob his statutes and ordinances unto Israel so is the bond yet more increased Psal 147.20 Levi had yet more then Israel God had singled them out of all the Tribes of Israel to minister before him Num. 16.9 therefore he looked to be sanctified by them especially Levit. 10.3 wherefore see this a circumstance of aggravation upon Hezekiah 2 Chron. 32.25 that he rendred not unto
to teach what should be the affection of all Gods people that is as Saint Paul * 2 Cor. 1.6 To draw others to joyn with us in our praising God Thirdly If ye respect the lavish multitude I am perswaded it was one end that if by nought else yet by the belly they might be drawn to know and glorifie the Name of God From which ceremonious Ordinance grounded upon these foundations something might be observed which toucheth us ye have been taught that though ordinances of Jews binds us not in their superficies or according to the Letter yet they binde according to their Morall Intelligence as for example though we be not bound to abstain from Swines-flesh yet we are taught by the Ceremony to abstain from Luxury which that Ceremoniall Observation led unto So though we be not bound to our Sacrifices of Goats and Bulls no not in Thank-offerings yet to the Morall Intelligence we are bound As this First To stirre up our selves by all holy outward means to praise God with alacrity and chearfulnesse of heart for the favours he hath vouchsafed us and that I am sure is a duty I mean not onely to praise God but to use all good means to excite our selves with chearfulnesse to praise his Name see Psal 103. Isa 38. This is that which the Rule interpreting the Commandments leads us unto that is Where a duty is prescribed there all holy means leading to the duty are prescribed as thus To speak Ad cor nostrum where it is commanded to provide for families all holy means conducing thereto are prescribed because the duty without it cannot be acquired frugality therefore is required so where drunkennesse is forbidden company with drunkards is forbidden where chastity is commanded abstinence from lascivious company is commanded where giving to them that need there labour is enjoyned Eph. 4.28 c. We seem to love good duties Vse yet to be out of the love of the means fain we would go to heaven but we are loath to be sent thither by preaching yet * 1 Cor. 1.21 by it we must thither Fain we would have preaching but we are loath to afford the Minister his maintenance it must be ere ye have it as ye should have it Fain we would have assurance of salvation but we are loath to mortifie the flesh seemingly we fain to mortifie the flesh yet we are loath to pinch the belly or the back c. What God hath joyned together let no man put asunder God never meant to bestow heaven on us or any thing leading thereto but by means I mean for that which is ordinary I beseech you let these Reasons sway you First God never accounts that man willing to be saved or to do any thing available to salvation that refuseth the means he affords to salvation Matth. 23.37 I would have gathered you you would not Would not who would not be gathered to God But in as much as they refused the means therefore saith our Saviour they would not Secondly The means we chuse may prove no means but impediments when God appoints the end himself will make the choice of the means but for gathering and strengthening his Church he hath ordained Word and Sacraments will we be saved without these means we shall never be saved Thirdly Why do we not consider the means may be taken from us I know no Kingdome or Church in the world to which they are entailed The Church of the Jews those of Asia were Churches as we are so was that of the Palatinate yet now we see what is their Fate Though God will ever have a Church upon the earth yet hath he no where promised to have a Church in England see Am. 8.11 Fourthly Suppose the means stay with us yet First Upon our contempt they may be * Isa 6.10 cursed to us that though we hear we shall not understand and become occasions of our farther blindnesse and hardening Secondly We may be taken from them by sicknesse prisonment banishment death and then what becomes of our poor souls I mean still where we have carried our selves contemptuously toward the means This then I would advise use the means which God hath prescribed Now whereas David according to Gods ordinance draws others to joyn with him in praising God we observe our duty and that is not to content our selves onely to do religious duties but to draw others to fellowship in them so did Andrew and Philip Ioh. 1.46 so it was prophesied of the last times Zech. 8. Isa 2. but our times live to confute prophesies We have these Reasons First Our reward is greater Dan. 12. such shine as Starres Secondly They may supply our defects all having not like faith nor like fervency nor like disposition to receive joyn all together we may perhaps make a complete sacrifice Thirdly Compassion me thinks should move us Iud. 23. It is likely they that praise God for us would more praise him for themselves Taxed here are First Negligents in this duty who though for their own persons they be carefull yet for others are regardlesse * Gen. 18.19 Abrahams commendation was he would charge servants and children after him His sonnes we are if we walk in his steps Secondly Hinderers of the duty First Positively Doing what deterres from religion for whom I may say is reserved the blacknesse of darknesse for ever whether it be by counsell or threatening or punishment Oh that such would consider what Saint Paul speaks * Rom. 14. Destroy not thou thy brother for meat for whom Christ died What doest thou but as much as in thee lies hinder the intention of our Mediatour What should I say for example though this I know the exemplury sinner is the most grievous of all sinners To him not onely his personall sinnes but those which have been by his example shall be imputed And what say you to toleration of evill 1 Cor. 5. if it be but connivence at omissions certainly it suits not with that should be in Christians I beseech you hither let us bend our selves First We see Adversaries Atheists Papists all drawing to their practise Shall not we be as zealous for our God as they are for the Devill Secondly We see the Devill himself bestirring himself because his time is * Apoc. 12.12 short and how short our time is who knows once this we know he that * Pro. 11.30 winneth souls is wise and he that converts another to righteousnesse shall * Iam. 5.20 save a soul and cover a multitude of sinnes Thirdly If we shame to learn of carnall men or of the Devill let us learn of God and consider the end why he gives us gifts not for our own benefit onely 1 Cor. 12.7 but for the benefit and profit of others see Luke 20.32 When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren Next considerable are the means David chuseth to draw the people to fellowship in his thanksgiving It is by a Banquet