though thou dost not meet with one word of answer from the Lord though thou hast cryed nights and dayes weekes months and years and hast not met with with one word of answer yet be comforted this may be the condition of Gods own people And let me say further by way of encouragement that the Lord he extends much good to thee in this deferring and delaying to give out an answer it is for gracious and merciful ends to thy soul that the Lord do not give thee the present mercy thou prayest for he will exercise the spirit of prayer he will exercise thy faith and patience and he will fit thee for mercy and mercy for thee and thou shalt have it so at last as thou shalt bless God for it Yea let me say further though an answer be not given out thy prayer is heard and thy person 〈◊〉 accepted Thy prayer is heard with the Lord oh that that might be a stay to poor souls that are in this condition as the woman of Canaan was that cry and have cryed long I say thy prayer is heard Oh sayes the soul that I knew my prayer were heard if I did but know that the Lord hath heard my prayer I would be content to wait all my dayes for an answer I have been crying for the light of his countenance and for the assurance of his love I have been crying night and day and if the Lord hath heard my prayer I should be content to wait for an answer But how shall I know that the Lord hath heard my prayer I answer thus First of all by that secret support by those secret hints which the Lord is pleased at one time or other to bring to thy spirit some hint of life some hint of comfort Surely if thou hast observed while thou hast waited upon the Lord there hath been some secrets hints of comfort that after thou hast been before the Lord thou hast been at ease and thy trouble is not so great as it was Hannah when she poured out her soul before the Lord she was in great distress but before she went away the Lord heard her prayer and this was the sign there was some ease in her spirit her burden was taken off a great deal refreshed in her spirit and so though the Lord hath given thee but the least hint of comfort the Lord hath heard thy prayer and in due time he will give a full answer Secondly thou mayst know that the Lord hath heard thy prayer by that strength he hath given thee to go thorow Thou art under sore afflictions and temptations such as are ready to break thy very spirit to make thy soul fade and faint and yet thou art supported thou hast cryed to the Lord and thou saist thou hast no answer why doth nor the Lord support thee if the Lord doth support thee and bear thee up under thy burden he doth in some measure answer thee or else how comes it to pass thou hast not sunk under thy burden when Paul besought the Lord under his temptation he prayed thrice that is often that God would take off the Messenger of Satan the temptation was not taken off ah but Paul was heard in his prayer in that the Lord did bear him up under his temptation My grace is sufficient for thee though I do not think good to remove the temptation I have heard thy prayer my grace is sufficient for thee So then remember poor soul that if the Lord hath supported thee the Lord hath heard thy prayer Thirdly doth the Lord carry on thy soul to continue in thy prayer that although thou hast prayed and met with no answer yet thou art resolved still to go on and sayst though the Lord hath not spoken one word to me I will not give over speaking to him but my soul shall still cry after God That was the resolution David took up Psal 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that I will seek after I have desired it and though I have not attained it I will seek after it as long as I live Is it so that the Lord doth carry up thy spirit still to wait upon him and still thou art crying and breathing after the Lord in prayer that very thing is a certain sign that the Lord hath heard thy prayer Fourthly doth the Lord enable thee and make thee willing to wait upon him thou hast not a present answer yet thou wilt wait as David when he had been at prayer he waited for the mercy Psalm 27. 14. Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart Wait I say on the Lord. Oh my heart wait I say wait on the Lord Hast thou through grace so spoken to thine own heart I have no answer but I desire to wait and I check mine own heart that I can wait no more quietly I speak to mine own heart to wait I say wait on the Lord if it be so the Lord hath heard thy prayer Fifthly observe how thy spirit and how thy carriage is towards God in that time of Gods delay Is thy heart kept up towards God and thy conversation in a way of obedience that thou art desirous still to walk with God and thou durst not go out from God though God give thee no answer but thy heart is made more humble and thou art more meek and more obedient and more watchful and observant of thy heart and watchful over thy wayes is it so the Lord hath heard thy prayer though he gives thee no answer And therefore I say take no care for an answer I speak to such poor souls as have prayed and cryed and have not met with one word of answer from the Lord take no care for an answer only mind that which is thy duty and let the Lord alone he is preparing an answer he is waiting to be gracious he waits for a fit season for such a season as his grace and mercy may be most exalted be not thou so solicitous about an answer but mind what is thy work and thy duty And do thou hold on thy duty in praying to pray in crying to cry yea do thou cry louder then even and the more Christ seems to stop his ears and shut his mouth and give no answer the louder do thou cry as this poor woman did ver 25. Lord help me Secondly this is thy duty while the Lord thus deals with thee to justifie God and condemn thy self clear the Lord lay the blame upon thy self say the Lord is righteous and the Lord is holy and though he make wait me longer and longer yea many years for this mercy yet the Lord is righteous and there is no iniquity in him the Lord cried and I did not hear and the Lord is righteous though he makes me wait long the Lord is gracious that he speaks at all to such a poor creature that there is any promise that he will give out an
answer Oh justifie God and say the Lord is holy thus did the Psalmist Psalm 22. 3. But thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel though thou dealest thus with me thou art holy thou art just and thou art righteous and thou art good and faithful though silent for the present to my prayer And so let us say if the Lord be silent to any of our prayers yet Lord thou art holy thou art righteous Thirdly this is thy duty labour to maintain good thoughts of God it is not enough to justifie not to charge God but to maintain good thoughts of God at that time that God is silent to our prayers and do thou believe that God is contriving good at that time now is the Lord waiting to be gracious and preparing an answer Oh this is a blessed frame of heart and how pleasing would it be to God to believe that he is good and that he is gracious and this very thing it is for good for the good of my soul that he may exercise faith and patience and try my perseverance and that he may fit me for mercy and mercy for me Oh that we could entertain good thoughts of a gracious God when he defers an answer Fourthly be looking to God through the Mediator close more with him through the Son look to the great God through the son of David look to him through that merciful and compassionate High-Priest look more to God through Christ and there rest Fifthly and lastly wait patiently for him oh take up a resolution to wait upon the Lord charge thy own heart to do it as David did and though he speaks not to day nor to morrow though he speaks not this month this year not in this opportunity yet say I will wait for the Lord I will wait in every season and get upon the watch-tower and wait patiently and see which way Christ will come to thy soul know it is thy duty to wait take hold of his promise he is a God of judgement and waiteth to be gracious he waiteth for an opportunity and therefore it is good thou shouldst wait it is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. Matth. 15. 23. And his Disciples came and besought him saying send her away for she crieth after us SERMON IX CHrist as you have heard is silent to the prayer of the woman he answered her not a word whereupon the Disciples they step in and perform an office and duty of love for this poor woman they step in and they plead with Christ for her Lord send her away for she crieth after us It is a great question with some whether the Disciples did pray for this woman here or no some think that they did not make any request for her there is no mention of any they only say Lord send her away for she crieth after us Lord stop her mouth send her away give her an answer dispatch her for she crieth after us and this was done say they that so the trial of this womans faith might be the greater But I rather conceive that the Disciples in these words did pray for her they did perform an office and duty of love in interceding with Christ for her For First of all it seems they were very earnest in it they came and besought him saying send her away Surely if it had been only to stop her mouth to dispatch her the Disciples would not have been so earnest with Christ to beseech him good nature would have taught them more compassion and therefore grace teacheth them much more And then they seem to be affected with the cry of the woman she crieth after us send her away it breaks our hearts the cries that she makes Thou Son of David have mercy on me And thirdly it is clear and evident in the following verse from the answer that Christ gives upon their seeking of him I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Therefore it is evident that the Disciples did not plead with Christ to send her away to stop her mouth but they did plead with Christ though not mentioned that he would grant her request The truth then which the words hold forth to us is this That it is the duty of Christs Disciples to present the conditions of others unto the Lord in prayer as well as their own We find that Moses the servant of the Lord was much in this work much in praying for others and interceding for Israel upon every occasion he steps in and pleadeth with God for the people And so David in many of the Psalms he presents the conditions of others unto the Lord. And our Lord Jesus Christ himself who is our great pattern was much in the performance of this duty John 17. you shall â—nd there that the most part of the time that Christ spent in prayer it was spent in praying for others there is but one petition that he put for himself in ver 1. and repeated again in ver 5. and all the rest of his time it was spent in praying for others for the Disciples for those that were converted and for those that did belong to God that were not converted Many requests the Lord Jesus makes in the behalf of others and but one for himself And so the Apostle Paul who was a follower of Christ he was much in this work of praying for others Rom. 1. 9. he did appeal to God that he did not neglect this duty For God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his son that without ceasing I make mention of you alwayes in my prayers And so 2 Tim. 1. 3. I thank God whom I serve from my fore-fathers with pure conscience that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers Paul did remember others before the Lord. But in the opening of the point I shall shew you First who they are that we are bound to pray for whose conditions Gods people are bound to remember before the Lord. Secondly what are the special time we are called unto this duty to remember others before the Lord. If you ask who they are that we are bound to pray for First we are bound to pray for them that have done us wrong a hard lesson but a lesson that Christs Disciples must learn we must pray for those that have done us wrong that have done evil and spoken evil of us See what our Saviour Christ saith Mat. 5. 44. But I say unto you love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you See here out of Christs own mouth this is our duty if we be Christs Disciples we must pray for them that persecute us and despitefully use us we should go to the Lord and beseech the Lord to forgive them thus did Christ Father forgive
them they know not what they do We should pray that the Lord would open their eyes that the Lord would turn their hearts to himself first and then to us Brethren such a prayer is very welcome to the Lord as welcome as most prayers that his people can make when you shall from the heart pray to the Lord for those that injured you and done you wrong such a prayer seldom goes unrequited Sometimes the Lord gives in the soul of an enemy at the request of his people and oh what a choice mercy will that be if thou mayst gain the soul of an enemy if a soul may be delivered from going down to the pit why the Lord many times gives in the soul of an enemy but if the Lord should not give in the soul of an enemy that prayer shall not go unrewarded it may be sometimes the Lord will give in the soul of a friend thou goest to God and thou prayest for such an enemy Lord forgive such an enemy Lord open his eyes and turn his heart and forgive his transgression if the Lord does not grant that request it may be the Lord will give in the soul of a child or some of thy relations because thou hast found in thy heart to pray for an enemy or else the Lord will reward that prayer by giving out more of himself thou beggest for an enemy if the Lord do not that the Lord will give thee more grace more of his Spirit the Lord it may be will cause his face to slaine more upon thee while thou at his commandment and for his sake canst find in thy heart to pray for them that are thy enemies and have done thee wrong thou hast prayed for an enemy and I will be a friend to thee saith the Lord I will shew thee more friendship more of my face this is the first thing Oh that the Lord would teach us to practise it it is our duty to pray for those that have done us wrong Secondly if it be our duty to pray for those that have done us wrong then it is our duty to pray for such as the Lord hath made instruments to do us good Creatures they are but instruments and all the glory is due to God alone ah but God is to be sought to for the instrument hath the Lord done us good by such an instrument in respect of our souls in a word of counsel and direction we are to pray for them When God made use of Abigail in giving a word of counsel to David how did he bless the Lord and pray to God for her 1 Sam. 25. 32 33. And David sad to Abigail blessed be the Lord God of which sent thee this day to meet me and blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou c. And so hath the Lord made any instrumental any way to do us good in the outward man to give any refreshment we are bound to remember them before the Lord thus did Paul 2 Tim. 1. 16. The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus for he oft refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains Onesiphorus was a means of refreshing Paul in his bonds and Paul looked upon it as his duty to remember him before the Lord he begs a blessing for him and his houshold The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus it is our duty to remember those before the Lord that have been used as instruments to do us good Thirdly it is our duty to remember before the Lord even those that are strangers to us those that we have not known if we know their conditions If the Lord hath brought the condition of strangers to us if the condition of strangers be a sad condition we are bound to remember them and to present their condition before the Lord and thus did the Disciples here in the Text this woman she was a stranger to them they never saw her face before she was of a strange Nation one of the Cananites and yet when the sad condition of this woman was brought before them and they heard her cry their hearts were moved with compassion and they besought Christ for her Lord send her away Lord grant her requestâ— And the Lord layd a great charge upon his people Israel that they should remember strangers and not oppress strangers but shew kindness to them and this is one part of the duty we owe to them to remember them and if in any sad condition we are bound to present them and their condition before the Lord. Fourthly If it be a duty to remember Strangers then much more to remember our own Relations and to present them before the Lord. All our Relations what ever they be as we stand related to others in Political Societies there is an engagement to remember them before the Lord a mutual tye betwixt the Magistrate and the people and they are bound to pray one for another godly Magistrateâ— and godly people are bound to remember one another You know King Solomon he was one that feared the Lord and he was very much in praying for the people 1 Kings 8. 22. he spent much time in prayer And so back again it is the peoples duty to remember their Governours The Apostle lays it upon Christians as their duty 1 Tim. 2. 1. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men ver 2. for Kings and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty In this relation there is a mutual tie to remember one another before the Lord. And if we come to Family-societies there we shall see relations are bound to remember one another before the Lord the relation of Husband and Wife Parents and Children Masters and Servants the Scripture holds it forth as a duty incumbent upon all Christians to remember their relations mutually before the Lord. Husbands are bound to remember their wives to present their condition before the Lord Isaac prayed for Rebeckah Gen. 25. 21. and at his request the Lord was entreated and so back again the wife is bound to remember the husband And so in the relation of parents parents are bound often to present their children before the Lord the example of Job is given for our imitation Job 1. 5. And it was so when the dayes of their feasting were gone about that Job sent and sanctified them and rose up early in the morning and offered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all for Job said it may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts thus did Job continually See Job presented them all one by one before the Lord and begged mercy for them and that the Lord would take away the guilt of sin which they might contract while they were feasting in one anothers house And so good old Jacob performed this duty for his children even then when he lay a dying
he called for all his children Gen. 49. he called them one by one and prayed for a special blessing to be upon their heads Parents are bound to remember their children and children many times miscarry because parents are no more in doing their duty no more crying to the Lord in the behalf of their children and so back again children are bound to remember their parents And so in the relation of Masters and servants Masters are bound to pray for their servants you know that instance of the Centurion he came to Jesus in the behalf of his servant and was very earnest with Christ that Christ would be pleased to heal his servant this is a duty that is little performed by many Masters they think if they can have their servants to work for them it is all that they have to look after but let such Masters know that God will require an account of servants souls have you instructed them and have you presented them often in your prayers before the Lord the Centurion came for the body of his servant and it is our duty to come often to the Lord for the souls of our servants and so back again it is the duty of servants to pray for their Masters And thus you see the fourth particular That it is our duty to remember all our relations before the Lord. There is one relation more and that is our Spiritual relation which I shall touch before I end that particular such as stand in relation one to another in Church-society they are bound often to remember one anothers conditions before the Lord James 5. 14 15 16. Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another yea in Church-societies it is especially the duty of Pastors and Elders to remember their flock and it is the duty of the people to remember their Elders and to pray often to the Lord in their behalf Faithful Ministers are bound often to pray for their people remember what is said of Paul Rom. 1. 9. For God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his son that without ceasing I make mention of you alwayes in my prayers When ever he came to God he was mindful of the Church I am alwayes mindfull of you without ceasing and indeed the profiting of a people and the stedfastness of a people in the faith and in the truth and in the wayes of God it is the glory and the crown and the joy and rejoycing of a faithful Teacher and therefore surely it is their duty often to remember their people before the Lord and so it is the peoples duty to remember their Pastor and Teacher The Apostle lays it upon them as their duty Ephes 6. 18 19. Praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints and for me that utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mysterie of the Gospel It is your duty saith he to pray for all Saints and for me in particular that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mysterie of the Gospel for many times Satans great design is to overthrow them that the Lord hath set to go before his people Satans great design is to hinder the work of God in their hand to make such to fall and therefore the Lords people had need to pray the more earnestly for even the best of the Teachers and Preachers of the Gospel they are but empty pipes in themselves and can afford no more then the Lord is pleased to drop in from above and therefore there is need that the Lord should be dropping in continually or else they cannot bring forth bread in due season and make provision for the people if the Lord do not fill them from heaven yea the best of Teachers have need of teaching though they know never so much they have need of more knowledge they have need of more strength and therefore it is the duty of the people to remember them before the Lord that the Lords Vrim and Thummim may be with them Thus in all relations it is our duty mutually to remember one another before the Lord. Fifthly it is our duty to remember those that for the present are strangers to Christ You will say what are we to pray for such as have not the knowledge of God yea it is our duty to remember them if the Lord hath been pleased to make us to differ and called us out from the number of those Gentiles who know not God oh we are bound to pity them and to pray for them whose condition is such as never was rained upon as the heath in the desert their condition is sad and we should remember them before the Lord that God would send forth his light and truth to them that they that deny Christ in word in profession and conversation that they may be brought home to the knowledge of the Son of God Psal 67. 1 2. God be merciful unto us and bless us and cause his face to shine upon us That thy way may be known upon earth thy saving health among all Nations There are many Nations and great Nations that to this day know not God and Christ that sit in darkness and perish for want of vision and truly they who through free-grace do know any thing of God they are bound to pity them that sit in darkness and to pray that the Nations may know the saving truth and the way of the Lord. Sixthly if it be a duty to pray for those that are strangers to Christ then it is a duty to pray for those that are Christs friends for all that know the Lord and love the Lord in sincerity Ephes 6. 18. Praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints It is our duty to remember all Saints to remember them that are scattered to remember them that are gathered all Saints we should remember them in our prayer before the Lord and especially Jerusalem Sions Assemblies they should be remembred Psal 122. 6 7. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love thee Peace be within thy wals and prosperity within thy palaces You see Jerusalem Sions Assemblies in a special manner should be remembred by us in our addresses to the Lord. And so Psalm 14. you may see how the Psalmist doth express himself in the behalf of Sion Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Sion oh that the Lord would hasten the time that he will save his people and Sion be remembred and built up Oh that the time were come And in Psal 51. he doth express that when he had been praying for himself yet he did not forget Sion Psal 51. 18. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion build thou the walls of Jerusalem So that you see that hath been spoken
down and worshipped with the worship of the Spirit Have we been putting forth acts of holy fear and reverence Have we been putting forth acts of love towards God Have we been exercising trust and affiance in the name of the Lord which is a strong Tower the righteous flee into it and are safe Have we made it our work to be submitting to the Lord to have our wills cast into the will of God to submit to God for kinde and for measure and for time O! How far do we come short of this our duty Have we been pouring forth our souls to God in afflicted conditions and tempted conditions Have we made it our work to cry the more earnestly being in an Agony as Christ did Have we spoken well of God at that time Have we not charged God foolishly and spoken unadvisedly with our lips Truly we have cause to be humbled every one either we have not known our duty or not minded our duty in the time of affliction and temptation Nay Instead of worshipping Have not we been dishonouring God in the time of affliction and temptation Have not we been distrusting murmuring repining entertaining hard thoughts of God speaking hard words against God Have we not neglected our duty and said what profit is there if I pray unto the Almighty Have we not thought that we have had to excuse from worship when the afflicting hand of God hath been upon us We have thought that affliction had been our excuse from our duty truly we may take up a sad complaint against our selves we are all guilty before the Lord and O that he would help us to see the evil of our hearts that hath past in the time of affliction and temptation But you will say when some afflictions are upon us alas we cannot pour out supplications to the Lord surely in time of affliction he doth not require it he will have mercy and not sacrifice But can our afflictions be worse then Jobs were Can it be greater then Jonahs he was in the belly of hell Can our afflictions and agonies be greater then Christ's were yet he prayed and prayed the more earnestly the more his afflictions and temptations encreased the more he prayed I know the Lord doth somtimes exercise his people with such conditions such weaknesses as they cannot be much in the performance of this external part of Worship they cannot be much in speaking unto God nor speaking well of God because of that weakness that is upon the outward man and if that be the only hinderance if the spirit be not in fault the Lord Jesus will make an excuse Christ doth tender his poor servants and children in such a condition when he sees the spirit is willing and the flesh weak they shall not need to excuse themselves Christ will But even then we are called upon to be much in giving to the Lord that inward worship of the spirit which may be given when we are in the weakest condition and the more we are hindred from the external part of worship the more should we be in the internal part of worship the more should the spirit be reverencing and loving and exercising acts of Faith and Affiance and the more submitting to the Lord and lying low this the Lord calls for from his people in the worst condition and we have cause to be humbled that we are not found in the performance of this duty in time of affliction or temptation Secondly If it be a duty to worship in time of affliction it is much more our duty to worship when the Lord is pleased to free us from affliction and from temptation if God looks for Worship from his people when under affliction and temptation then much more he looks for worship from his people when free from affliction and temptation This is a duty that lyes upon all Saints to be worshipping the Lord not only with Internal but External worship to take all opportunities of worshipping the Lord in publique and in our families in private to be pouring out supplications and to be speaking well of God is our duty if in sickness then much more in health and if in adversity much more in prosperity and if under temptation much more in the day of freedome when the hand of the Lord is not upon us it is our duty to take all opportunities and the best opportunities and the fittest opportunities both in our families and in publique Take heed that our incumbrances of the world doth not shut out our worship of God Pour out thine indignation upon the Heathen and the Families that call not upon thy name O that that Scripture were remembred Truly we are apt to complain when God lays his hand upon us and exercises us with affliction and temptation our complaint is that we cannot worship that is the grief and the burden that we cannot worship the Lord we are taken off from our duty if so we had more need to take those fairer advantages and opportunities of worshipping while the Lord is pleased to continue his course of mercy and goodness towards us Seek the Lord while he is near and call upon him while he may be found when afflictions come we cry out God is far from us and at a great distance and we know not how to apply our selves to him but examine and see whether this may not be the cause because we have not taken our opportunity while he was near we have neglected to worship him while we had strength and ability of body of pouring out our souls to God and speaking to God and no wonder the Lord doth take those opportunities from us and truly that proves a great burthen to many of Gods own people in the day of adversity when God brings them into affliction and exerciseth them with temptation and they see they cannot worship him in that external way O! that is their grief that they have not laid forth themselves in the worship of the Lord both publique and private while the Lord gave them space and opportunity and therefore as we desire not to lie under that pressure which will be exceeding heavie to God's own people take heed how we neglect worship either in our families or in publique or in both for if it be our duty to worship under affliction much more in health peace and strength To draw to a conclusion one word of Exhortation and so I end Brethren Let us look up to the Lord to teach us this lesson to make Impression of this Divine Truth upon our hearts there is a time a coming that every one of us may be put to the exercise of it and therefore look up to the Lord now to teach you that when affliction and remptation come we may through the Lord's strength be made able to fall down and worship both with Internal and External worship O! that God would make those examples of the Saints that were set before us prevalent with us to draw
the Lord both in his sayings and doings when God shall speak against him and discover his vileness and sin it will say Truth Lord or when God shall threaten most severely nay when God shall walk in those ways that are hard to bear yet a soul that is truly humbled desires to submit to the Lord and to justifie the Lord. And secondly When God shall not only speak himself but when God shall make use of men yea wicked men and shall set them to speak against it when God shall set them to revile and set them to act against it to persecute it the soul that is truly humbled it will justifie the Lord in that dispensation so did David 2 Sam. 16. 7 8. And thus said Shimei wheu he cursed Come out come out thou bloody man and thou man of Belial the Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul in whose stead thou hast reigned and the Lord hath delivered the Kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son and behold thou art taken to thy mischief because thou art a bloody man Shimei he came and railed against David it was a great indignity that was done against David by that railing wretch and he took up stones and cast at the King at verse 6. and it was when David was in distress he was driven out by Absalom from Jerusalem he takes that advantage he comes and rails and calls him the bloody man and saith he the Lord hath now avenged the blood of thy masters house upon thee yet David at this time justifies the Lord verse 10. So let him curse because the Lord hath said unto him Curse David who shall then say Wherefore hast thou done so See here how David justifies the Lord though that which this raising man did object against David was false he calls him a bloody man in respect of Saul's house David was clear in that and innocent yet David he layes it to heart and concludes that God had some designe in it though in respect of Saul's house I am not a bloody man yet I shed the blood of Vriah David he is silent the Lord hath bid him curse David and therefore David useth many arguments for to justifie the Lord and to quiet his own spirit and the spirit of others as you may see vers 11 12. And David said to Abishai and to all his servants Behold my Son which came forth of my bowels seeketh my life how much more now may this Btnj amite do it Let him alone and let him curse for the Lord hath bidden him Verse 12. It may be the Lord will look on mine affliction and that the Lord will requite good for his cursing this day And so David in patience doth possess his soul and justifie the Lord in that dispensation A word or two of Application and so I shall conclude First of all This calls upon us to be more in the practise of this duty O that the Lord would help all his people to learn this lesson It is a hard lesson we had need look up to the Lord that he would teach us to justifie the Lord when he speaks and acts against us when he speaks himself or when he suffers men to speak against us It is our duty as you have heard to justifie the Lord as this woman of Canaan did and as those in Micah 7. did I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him O that we could make those holy men our pattern that we heard spoken of before Look upon Moses upon Aaron upon David upon Hezekiah upon Job upon good old Eli upon this Woman of Canaan O! How did they justifie the Lord when the Lord spake hard things and stretched out his hand in a way of sore affliction Still we finde them justifying the Lord and O that we could look upon them as our pattern To perswade us to this Duty First of all Consider That it is the Lord It is the Lord that speaks it is the Lord that acts when-ever there is any affliction upon us it is of the Lord and if it be of the Lord and from the Lord why should we not justifie him That was a prevailing argument with good old Eli when as those terrible threatnings came to his ear That God would do that against his House at which both the Eares of every one that heard it should tingle and that the iniquity of Eli's House should not be purged away with sacrifice nor offering for ever It is the Lord saith he let him do what seemeth him good He hath power over all creatures as the Potter hath power over the clay and saith David I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it Secondly Consider That all that God speaks and doth is God and if so Why should we not justifie the Lord You know what Hezekiah said 2 Kings 20. 19. Good is the Word of the Lord A hard word it was that all his Treasure should be carried unto Babylon and his Sons also and made servants there and yet he sath good is the Word of the Lord. What-ever God doth is good though it may seem to be never so hard yet there is some good in all that he speaks and doth and the Lord doth it for good Doth not thy Word do good Every word of the Lord is good and doth good to them that are his children though it be a hard word yet all God's words and all God's wayes shall work together for good he will bring good out of them if the heart be submitting to God and justifying the Lord in that dispensation Thirdly Consider That there is mercy in every dispensation and that God doth afflict less then the sin deserveth Though the affliction may seem to be hard truly if we look into our own hearts and wayes we might see that there is that which might provoke the Lord to afflict seven times more The Church in the Lamentations when she came to consider how she had provoked the Lord though before she had cryed out bitterly of her Wormwood and Gall yet in Lam. 3. 22. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not We have provoked the Lord greatly and it is mercy that we are not consumed mercy that we are out of hell and therefore good cause that we should justifie the Lord. Yea and let us justifie the Lord when he suffers men to speak against us O! This is a hard lesson to flesh and blood but know it is a duty that God calls for when men do revile and speak evil and do accuse us so and so still it is our work to justifie the Lord Look back to that pattern of David in the case of Shimei and let us make it our pattern when-ever we meet with revilings and hard sayings from men he justified the Lord though it was false that which Shimei did accuse him of That he was a bloody
more As a man that delights in musick if the Musicians play he 〈◊〉 take no notice but lets them play on because he delighteth in it and so the Lord he takes delight in the prayers of his servants The prayerâ— the upright is his delight and he will give no present answer that so they may go on praying 〈◊〉 crying Secondly the Lord may seem to be silent 〈◊〉 the prayers of his people that so he may exerâ—â— the faith and patience of his servants It is great trial of the faith and patience of the Saiâ—â— when as the Lord seems to take no notice 〈◊〉 give no answer to their prayers it was for 〈◊〉 end that our Lord Jesus Christ gave not a 〈◊〉 of answer to this woman of Canaan it was that might try her faith and her patience and that might exercise it and that by the exerciâ—â— faith faith might be increased and her faith 〈◊〉 arise to a great faith by this exercise for at 〈◊〉 Christ commends her for her faith Oh 〈◊〉 great is thy faith be it unto thee even as 〈◊〉 wait Again the Lord is silent many times at the prayers of his people to try whether they will continue in prayer though the Lord doth give them no present answer oh here is the trial of perseverance God hath heard my prayer saith David therefore will I call upon him as long as I live Ah but that is no great matter for a man to say God hath heard my prayer and therefore I will call upon him still But for a soul to say I have been crying and calling and I will still wait upon him as long as I live I will wait upon God Oh here is perseverance in prayer in which Christ doth delight Fourthly the Lord is silent many times upon this ground he gives no present answer that so he may prepare an answer for them and that he may prepare them for an answer God gives no present answer that so he may prepare mercy and ripen mercy and make mercy fit for his people and that he may ripen them and fit them and their hearts for the mercy so that it is in abundance of grace and mercy and love that the Lord is pleased many times not to give out a present answer to his people for all the time the Lord is silent he is preparing of mercy and goodness for them he is making of the mercy fit for his people the mercy shall be ripe and the mercy shall be sweet and wholsome and do them good at the heart When the Lord hath thus prepared mercy for them and fitted them for the mercy they shall have the mercy see what is said in Isa 80. 18. And therefore will the Lord wait that he way be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted for the Lord is a God of judgement blessed are all they that wait for him He waits that he may be gracious he waits for the best season the fittest opportunity he will stay till the soul hath need of help in the fittest time the Lord will come in mercy when he may be most exalted for mercy when his people may see most of the hand of God when they most prize their mercies and glorifie God for mercy God waits for such a time And therefore you see it is for gracious ends that God many times seems to be silent for a season and gives not one word in answer to prayer as Christ here to this woman of Canaan For the Application of the Point First it speaks sadly of them that never regard whether the Lord give an answer or no to their prayer that pray and pray and look not after an answer How far are such men and women from the disposition of Gods children a gracious heart cannot but be affected when it speaks to the Father and the Father gives no answer And therefore surely when men and women make many prayers and look not up for an answer that regard not whether the Lord answer or not either they are none of his children or else under a sore temptation for let me say unto you that though it is not for your prayers that God doth regard prayer yet if you do not look up for an answer if you do not regard your prayers neither will God regard your prayers And let me say further that this is a great dishonour to God Oh what a 〈◊〉 is it it is a loss to God and it is a loss also to the soul for a man to lose all his prayers it is a loss indeed When as a soul doth not regard whether God answer or no God loseth he loses that glory which would redound to him in the answer of prayer Call upon me saith God in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Now if the soul call upon God and doth not observe whether God hears or no it cannot glorifie God for the return of prayer but God loses that honour that thankfulness and that love and obedience and that dependance which an answer of prayer might engage the soul to And as God loseth so the soul loseth oh they that look not after the return of prayer they lose that which would make their souls rich For a Merchant to lose all his return it will make him a poor Tradesman in conclusion that soul that doth not look after the return of prayer loseth a great deal of faith and dependance and experience for God by giving out an answer to the prayers of his people he doth encourage them and engage them to trust in him at all times so long as they live they that lose the return of prayer lose the strengthening of faith and the engaging of their heart to God But secondly let me speak to such poor souls as are in the same condition with this woman of Canaan that have prayed and have not met with one word of answer Poor souls is this the condition of any of you I know that it hath been and may still be the condition of the Lords dearest servants they may pray and the Lord may seem to give no answer Remember it was so with David Jeremiah and Habakkuk and with Christ himself And let me say this unto thee that if thou regardest any iniquity in thy heart any known sin that thou regardest or connivest at or if there be slightness in the performance of thy duty or contentest thy self with a slothful performance of thy duty or thou dost not regard thy prayer when thou hast put it up to the Lord for this we have cause to be humbled and no wonder the Lord do not answer our prayers But now if thy own spirit and the Spirit of the Lord can testifie that thou desirest to regard no iniquity in thy heart but to walk up to thy duty and desire to be conformable to Christ and desire to cry in faith and to wait upon the Lord for an answer be of good comfort
not leave the ninety and nine and goeth into the mountains and seeketh that which is gone astray He goeth forth to seek the one sheep that is lost you being that one lost sheep and you looking upon your own condition to be lost and you are sensible that none is so lost as you he will leave the ninety and nine to seek you And therefore hear the glad tydings of your Shepherd he cometh forth to seek you be you willing to come to Christ and O! what joy will there be in heaven at your return Fourthly and lastly It lets us see and O that we might see the infinite riches of the grace of God in Christ to poor sinners O! here is grace indeed What rich mercy was that that sent out Jesus Christ to seek lost sheep O! that we might consider a little of the greatness of this grace of God the exceeding riches of it that the Lord should send forth his Son Jesus Christ to seek lost sheep O! consider what worthless creatures we were how unuseful and unprofitable both to God and man nay the Lord saw how little useful we should be afterward how little we are able to return to the Lord for this his great mercy yet the Lord sent forth his Son to seek you And consider that this was at such a time when we could never have returned to the Lord when we could never have found God though we had sought him we could not have found him if we had had any disposition to have sought after the Shepherd we could not have found him no by all our searching we could never have found him And then when it was so with us that we could not finde the way to go home again that he should send Jesus Christ to shew us the way that he makes by the Shepherd to lead the wandring sheep home O free grace If the Lord had sent forth the least Angel of heaven to have sought poor lost sinners it had been mercy but that God should not commit this work to his servants but give a Commission to his Son and make it his great work to seek poor lost sheep O great love nay when we could not finde God and when Angels could not have found us if they had sought us herein is the exceeding riches of grace Nay it was at such a time as the Lord might have sent his Justice to have found us out God might have sent the Avenger of blood after us the Lord might have set all our sins upon us to have found us out they might have followed us as so many Avengers of blood O that at such a time God should send Christ to finde us out after all our sinful wandrings from God! that he should make his Son to come and seek O infinite love And therefore let me speak to those that have received this grace Hath the Lord found out your souls Hath Jesus Christ found you out in your wandrings and through mercy brought you home to God Hath he brought home any poor soul to believe in Christ and to give up it self fully and for ever to Christ O! be thankful for this mercy and labour to walk worthy of it and study to know what is your duty now you that are Christ's sheep and were lost O! what is your duty Christ hath found you surely some duty you owe to Christ Why this is our duty It is our duty now to seek Christ to seek much faith in Christ if Christ hath sought us and took so much pains in seeking us that were not worth the seeking after O! how should we lay forth our selves to seek Christ Seek him every day seek much of Christ seek his face evermore seek more of Christ every day Christ sought us when we were not worthy and shall not we seek him who is infinitely worthy who is the desire of all Nations Again It is our duty to seek others Christ hath found us it is our duty to seek others to pity the sheep that are lost that for the present are in a lost estate and condition take some pains to seek them according to your Talent and opportunity O take pains to seek others Assoon as ever Christ found Andrew Andrew he findes Simon Peter O! Come saith he and see Christ I say if Christ hath found us let us labour to finde others labour to bring them to the knowledge of Jesus Christ the great Shepherd The Lord gave a Commandment Deut. 22. 1. That if any man saw his neighbours Oxe or Sheep go astray he should pity them he should not hide himself from them but he should pity the poor lost sheep and the lost Oxe Doth God take care for Oxen Doth Godtake care for Sheep That a poor lost Sheep be brought home to his Owner And that a poor lost Oxe be brought home to his Owner And doth not God take more care for poor lost souls And is it not a more acceptable work to bring home lost souls O pity poorlost souls tell them of Christ shew them the way to Christ and know that if you shall be an instrument in the Lord's hand to bring home a lost soul to Jesus Christ the Owner O it will be service very acceptable to God your Father Thirdly If Christ hath found us then we should lose no opportunity of honouring him Let us know that we are the Lord's we are not our own any longer but engaged to be the Lord's sought out by Christ and saved by Christ and brought from a wandring condition and lost in a wilderness and yet found by Christ in this wilderness condition O let us know that we are engaged for ever to be the Lord's therefore let not Christ's sheep lose any opportunity of doing service to Christ take heed that we do not lose any opportunity of being profitable to Christ bringing honour to Christ in our generation for that is expected by Christ the Shepherd So Paul did engage for Onesimus in the Epistle of Philemon Onesimus he was a poor run-away sheep Paul he findes Onesimus and he brings him home to Christ he was instrumental in his conversion and he sendeth him to his Master and he tells him that now he will be profitable before he was unprofitable but now he will be profitable to thee and to me and to Christ before unprofitable A sheep is of no use when lost but when it s found then it is profitable and so if the Lord hath found our souls O that we might do all we can to bring honour to Christ and lift up his name in this our generation for Christ hath sound us for that end Fourthly If Christ hath found us we should be content to lose all we have for him Let all go for Christ it matters not what we lose for Christ if Christ hath found us If God calls for our estates let that go if Christ hath found us we have that which is better then a great estate it had
If there had been a Will in thee to have desired it he would have given thee Water of Life But if there be not a Will in man to have Faith Nay the heart of man doth secretly oppose it why then let not man lay the fault upon God But if the Lord hath given a Will and a man's Will be not against the Lord then there is a beginning of God's work and the Lord will certainly give out the gift of Faith and Christ to a poor Soul that shall be found waiting upon him And thus you have seen the several Temptations that may arise from the Doctrine of Election Now followeth somthing by way of Answer and Direction for the preventing and silencing of all Temptations of this Nature Matth. 15. 24. But he answered and said I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel SERMON XV. I Come now to lay down some general Rules for the silencing and overcoming of all Temptations of this Nature concerning Election And the first Rule is this Take heed that we do not give way to carnal reason that we do not set carnal Reason on work to finde out this great and wonderful Mysterie take heed of the very beginnings of carnal reason when you begin to reason concerning Election as to the causer of it why God should chuse one and refuse another Seek not to satisfie Carnal Reason in this for know that there is an infinite distance between God and the creature And therefore for the silencing of Carnal Reason Consider first of all That he is God and thou art man therefore do not quarrel and contend with God and seek to bring down God to satisfie thy reason in this Rom. 9. 20. Nay but O man Who art thou that replyest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus The Apostle he brings in this for the silencing of carnal reason that is too busie in prying into God's Election and will not be satisfied unless he hath a reason Man Who art thou consider that thou art man that thou art but a child of Adam and remember that as thou art man so he is God he is Jehovah he is an infinite incomprehensible Being he is absolute he is Independent he doth not depend upon any creature his will it is the rule of all goodness and righteousness he is God it is not the will of man nor the reason of man that must be righteous that must not be good which we will and which we comprehend no that is not the rule of goodness but the will of God and therefore remember that he is God and not man Secondly To silence carnal reason Remember that He is thy Maker Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus Why he made thee he fashioned thee and is it fit for the creature to contend with his Maker Should the Potsherd go and strive with his Maker There is as great a distance betwixt God and the creature as between the Potter and the clay nay a greater distance between God and us Of the same lump he maketh one a vessel of honour another of dishonour were this remembred we would not be so bold to call God to accompt Thirdly For to silence carnal reason consider That the more a man wades into this mysterie with his own reason the further he is and shall be from satisfaction for it is just as if a man should attempt to go and wade over the Sea on foot when a man sets the first step into the Sea it may be he is up to the knees the next step up to the loyns next step up to the neck and the next step over head and ears and can feel no bottome It is true by faith we may go down into this great deep and see the wonders of God by faith a man may go upon this great depth of the love of God and wonder at it and cry out O! the depth of the love of God! But if we go with carnal reason we shall be over head and ears and the more reason the further from satisfaction and he will confound his reason If a man gaze upon the Sun to know the nature of the Sun and think to comprehend the Sun the more he gazeth upon the Sun the more will the Sun confound the eye that he will not be able to comprehend the Sun and so when the dim eye of carnal reason shall gaze upon this glorious mysterie of God the eye will soon be confounded and we shall be further from satisfaction Fourthly Consider for the silencing of carnal reason That it is not possible that a man should go about to satisfie his reason but he shall dash against many dangerous Rocks that will split him all to pieces Many a man of learning have thought to comprehend this mysterie by reason and so they have split against many dangerous rocks of error and made shipwrack of Faith many have come to reason against Rom. 9. and have wished that it had been torn out of the Book of God O dangerous Rocks that men split themselves against that will have their reason satisfied in this deep mysterie I have known some I hope gracious that have been miserably shattered this way that would needs call God to account why God let Adam fall and why God did not save all the world and why God should take one and not another and they have reasoned thus until they have reasoned themselves out of good thoughts of God and out of acts of Faith and Hope and have reasoned themselves out of their duty to God and have been as poor creatures in the midst of an Ocean and have found no ground to set their foot upon And again consider That the Divel will make use of carnal Reason in this Mysterie of God to keep a poor soul in a dark and perplexed condition there is many a poor soul is kept in the dark and led into a labyrinth that they can finde no path they are kept in a fruitless condition many dayes and years an useless condition they are kept from their present work and duty by giving way to their carnal reason in this great mysterie And consider last of all for the silencing of carnal reason That it is an impossible thing to attain to satisfie it and therefore it is a vain attempt time is spent in vain and thou layest out thy self in vain while a soul seeks that which cannot be to know their Election in the first place before they come to Christ and be found believing and obeying and walking with God I say it is an impossible thing for you to know your Election before you believe in Christ and be a new creature It is true you are put upon it to make your Election sure ay but he does not say finde it out by reason have an account of it in the first place no make
because it is hard to make impression upon young men they being very apt to put the evil day far from them and to put the good day far from them too the day of conversion and returning to God being the first of all good dayes the day-break of Eternity he therefore doubles his Exhortation to them And he begins in chap. 11. verse 9. there he gives one warning piece to young men Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart cheer thee in the dayes of thy youth and walk in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes But know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement Youth is very sinful and it is very hard for young men to bear reproofs That Solomon speaks in an Ironical way that it might make impression upon their hearts as if he should give them leave 〈◊〉 do what they will Let thy heart cheer thee in the dayes of thy youth and walk in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes Take youâ— pleasure and run after vanity and scorn reproofâ— and satisfie your lust as much as you will do saith he But take this also with you Know that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement But how shall a young man be delivered from his folly What remedy is there against this evil in youth By what means may a young man be cleansed He sets down a remedy in the Text Remember thy Creator If thou wouldest be turned from sinful vanity in thy youth Remember God in thy youth And he presseth the Exhortation with many Arguments Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth Remember him So I will saith the young man I have health and strength and time before-hand I am but in the beginning of my youth and I may remember my Creator though I do it hereafter O! Take heed young man saith he Remember now thy Creator Take heed of delaying take heed of putting it off till another time do it now the future time is not in thy power thou know'st not what to morrow will bring forth and therefore if thou would'st remember God do it now And good reason that thou shouldest do it now for he is thy Creator thy being and thy soul is from him thy life is from him and thy comforts are from him He is thy Creator therefore remember him now And he presseth this Duty by the advantages which a man may have in youth of seeking after God and the disadvantages that will come by putting off seeking after God in early yeers There are evil dayes a coming saith he and therefore Remember now thy Creator before the evil day come There is the evil day of old age a coming and that Solomon describes by an excellent Allegory or Metaphor from vers 2. to ver 7. In verse 2. he sets forth the evil day of Old Age While the Sun or the Light or the Moon or the Stars be not darkned nor the Clouds return after the rain The Sun and the Moon and the Stars will be darkned saith he that is all the powers the faculties of thy soul thy understanding thy affections thy internal and external senses thy memory thy hearing and thy seeing and all other helps which he calls the Sun Moon Stars and Light they will be darkned there will be a decay in all the faculties of Nature The clouds return after the rain The body will be full of infirmities a cloudy day it will be the clouds return after the rain after the day when it hath rained insomuch as you think it would rain no more the clouds return again and so in old Age the clouds will return again and again upon thee there is a cloudy day a coming and a dark day in old age when thou canst not see to do thy work and therefore Now Remember thy Creator And there is another evil day that he speaks of in verse 7. and that is the day of death Then shalâ— the dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it Therefore considering all this I counsel thee to remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth The Proposition or Doctrine then is this That it is the duty of all the children of men to seek after God in the day of youth Therefore the Scripture takes notice of some of the servants of God and sets them forth as patterns and examples that every man should remember God in the dayes of his youth The Scripture takes notice of some good thing that was found in Jeroboam's childe 1 Kings 14. 12 13. Arise thou therefore get thee to thine own house and when thy feet enter into the City the child shall die And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave because in him there is found some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam In all the Family there was but one good childe and there is notice taken of him and the Lord thought of him in mercy that he did not see the evil that came upon his fathers house The Scripture takes notice also of Josiah in 2 Chron. 34. 3. For in the eighth yeer of his Reigne while he was yet young he began to seek after the God of David his father He was but sixteen yeer old and yet then did he seek after the God of David his father And David he tells us He trusted in God from his youth Psal 71. 5. For thou art my hope O Lord God thou art my trust from my youth And O that young men would look upon these patterns wherefore doth God take notice of them and wherefore are they recorded in Scripture but that young men might make them patterns and tread in their steps to Remember their Creator â—in the dayes of their youth But in the opening of the Point I shall first shew you what it is to remember God Secondly Shew you what cause all men have to Remember God Thirdly What advantage it is to Remember God in youth Fourthly Make some Improvement First What is it to Remember God First To Remember God is to know God knowledge is the beginning of remembrance there is no man can remember that which he doth not know therefore that man that is ignorant of God he doth not remember God neither can he because he doth not know God So then when Solomon saith Remember thy Creator in the dayes 〈◊〉 thy youth it is as much as if he should say betimes seek after the knowledge of God to know him as he is in himself and as he is in his Son to know him for your God and your portion and your Inheritance and your Saviour where there is no knowledge of God there is no Remembrinâ— of God Therefore the Prophet Isaiah dotâ— press men to seek after the knowledge of God and in the
you that fear the Lord he was continually in the remembrance of God when he looked upon the works of God he remembred God and when he looked upon the Providences of God he remembred God yea he remembred God in the night season Psal 63. 5 6. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips When I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches David was night and day spending the thoughts of his heart upon God And let me add somthing that may provoke and stir us up to the practise of this duty to Remember God First of all This is the beginning of all good whatsoever as the Forgetting of God is the mother of all sin so the Remembring of God is the mother of all good it is that which will make a man gracious and act graciously in every condition if he receive mercy his heart is carried out in thankfulness if he be in affliction he is able to glorifie God and to honour God in the lowest condition Secondly The more we Remember God the more shall we keep out base lusts and vain thoughts if the heart be not filled with the thoughts of God it will be filled with vain thoughts the memory it is the store-house of the soul and if God be not laid up there that which is evil will be laid up and therefore when the soul straggles from God then vain thoughts possess it The more that you remember God the less troubled with vain thoughts Thirdly Let me tell you that there is no comfort nor sweetness like to that comfort that comes into the soul by the Remembrance of God Psal 63. 5 6. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips when I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches It is as high an expression as can be of content and sweet refreshment which David met with in the Remembrance of God O the sweet comfort and refreshment that comes into a gracious heart in the Remembrance of God But you will say It is not so alwayes the good man Asaph he Remembred God and was troubled Psal 77. 3. and therefore this doth discourage many a poor soul to turn to the Remembrance of God for Asaph he was troubled perplexed and terrified with the Remembrance of God But I answer It was the good man's distemper that he Remembred God and was troubled and he afterward saw his own mistake and doth acknowledge it verse 10. And I said this is my infirmity but I will remember the yeers of the right hand of the most High What Did I say that I Remembred God and was troubled This is my Infirmity It was not his Remembrance but his Forgetting of God that did trouble him he did not Remember God so as he should have done He did not Remember God in his free grace in his promises in his Son had he thus Remembred God it would not have been trouble to him it may be many a poor soul thinks it is trouble to Remember God but this is a gross mistake for if we did Remember God as he is held forth in the Gospel and in his Son it would be as David saith marrow and fatness Fourthly The heart being much in the Remembrance of God it doth enoble and put a high price upon the thoughts till then mens thoughts are poor and vain and no good comes of them the thoughts of the world perish the thousand thousand thoughts that are in the heart if not spent on God they are all perishing thoughts Psal 146. 4. His breath goeth forth he returneth to his earth in that very day his thoughts perish But now those thoughts that are spent upon God they are excellent living and noble thoughts thoughts that shall be established for ever thoughts that shall run out into the great Ocean and never be buried but you shall meet with them all again O excellent satisfying thoughts when spent on God! Fiftly You that are God's people had need Remember God more for it is the great difference between the righteous and the wicked the wicked may do the same works that the righteous man doth hear and read and pray but all this is without Remembring of God he knows not God he trusts not God he loves not God he is disobedient to God it is said of the wicked God is not in all his thoughts Psal 10. 4. The great work of the Gospel is to deal with the thoughts of men and bring them to a right order to bring the thoughts of the heart to a subjection to Christ 2 Cor 10. 45. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Nay further let me tell you that this will be the glory and excellency and happiness of the Saints in heaven that they shall remember God continually and the thoughts of their heart shall be established in the remembrance of it they shall not turn aside from thinking upon God they shall have no more vain thoughts no more idle thoughts but the thoughts of the heart shall run out to eternity in the remembrance of him and never forget him more Sixtly The more we Remember God the more of God shall we meet with in every duty in every providence and in every way there is such a gracious promise in Isa 64. 5. Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousness those that remember thee in thy wayes See here the promise is That he will meet those that remember him in his wayes not to a man that walking outwardly in God's wayes but to him that walketh with God and that hath the thoughts of his heart spent upon God it is God that he eyeth and it is God that he seeks communion with it is such a soul that God will meet as doth thus remember him in his wayes But it may be some poor soul is afraid to look toward God it cries out O I am so troubled with vain thoughts and sinful thoughts with a dead heart and a loose heart and I cannot remember the Lord. Why if thy soul be turned to the Lord in truth the Lord will fulfil this his promise if thou settest about the work and give up thy self to wain upon God in the Ordinance thou shalt have communion with him God will meet thee and if God meet thee then thy vain thoughts will vanish But may some soul say my thoughts are worse then vain thoughts my thoughts are sinful thoughts blasphemous thoughts which are suggested into my minde even at that time when I should have communion with God that I dare scarce look toward God I dare scarce remember him Why yet do not give over thy
duty what-ever thoughts should be suggested into thy minde but know for thy comfort that those sinful thoughts and blasphemous thoughts which are cast in by Sathan they shall not be laid to thy charge if thy soul abhor them it is true if the heart did close with them and nourish them then they become the souls but when the soul abhors them and casts them out and cries to Christ against them it is not the souls sin therefore do not neglect thy duty because of these vain thoughts but set thy face to seek the Lord and remember and know that the Lord will make good his word he will meet thee and when God meets thee all these sinful and cursed thoughts shall be cast out And thus you have heard Brethren what encouragement there is to remember God But you will say It is a great Duty and much depends upon it how shall I be helped to remember God aright First Be often looking upon the Book of the Creature upon the works of Creation and look upon them for this very end that thou mayest Remember God for there is a Remembrance of God upon all creatures and if we be wise we may make a spiritual improvement and be led to the Remembrance of God by looking into the Book of the Creature Secondly Look into the Scripture and consult with that for there hath God declared his Name his glorious Name is written in his Word there are Letters that God hath written with his owne hand God hath subscribed I Jesus testifie these things There is the hand of God and of Christ in the Book of the Scripture and therefore if thou wouldest Remember God converse with the Word of God Thirdly Wait upon God in every Ordinance for all Ordinances are given for this end to Remember God the Word the Supper every Ordinance of God is given that so the soul might see God and Remember him and therefore when thou waitest upon God in any Ordinance let this be the end that thou propoundest to thy soul to Remember God Fourthly Lay up all the Love-tokens of God What-ever Experience thou hast met with from God in making supply to thy wants comforting of thee supporting of thee these are tokens that come from God and the mercy that he sheweth thee it is for this end that thou mayest Remember him and therefore lay up all the experiences that thou hast met withal for they will help thee to Remember God Fiftly Labour to get your hearts established and assured in the Knowledge of Gods love to thee that thou mayest come to the knowledge of this that God is thy Friend thy Father thy nearest and dearest relation for the â—ore the soul knows this the more it will Remember God It is not possible that a childe should forget a loving Father that a Wife should forget a loving and tender Husband O when a soul comes to know this that God is my Father my Husband this will help the soul to a sweet Remembrance of God Sixtly Look up to the Lord to increase thy love to him for the more love to God the more thou wilt Remember God but where there is little love to God there is little Remembrance of God and the reason that men Remember God no more is because there is so little love in their hearts towards God If a man loved his friend he would Remember him and not forget him O therefore be ashamed that no more love should be sparkling in thy heart to God when so much love is flaming in the heart of Christ towards thee And therefore Brethren beg it of the Lord that he would shed abroad more of his love in your hearts and blow up thy spark to a flame that thy soul may be fill'd with a constant Remembrance of him Seventhly Ure thy soul to holy meditation and thinking upon God last at night and first in the morning it will be a great help to keep up a constant Remembrance of God in the soul O let thy waking thoughts be toward the Lord Think of his Works of his Attributes of his Son there is enough for men to spend millions of thoughts upon and therefore let some be spent upon God assoon as man wakes in the morning there are a multitude of thoughts strive who shal get in first there stands God and Christ and the World and they which get in first have a great advantage to keep in the soul all the day long if the world gets in first the heart is made worldly but when God and Christ is let in first the heart is kept in a gracious frame all the day long and the more that your meditations are spent upon God the more Remembrance will you have of God And now Brethren you have seen your duty and your neglect of duty for which you have cause to be humbled and we have seen what cause we have to Remember God and what a great benefit comes in by Remembring God and we have seen what may be helpful to our souls in this duty Now let us look to the Spirit of the Lord to make them helps for we have need of all helps till we shall come where the soul shall Remember God perpetually and never forget him Heb. 6. 19. Which hope we have as an Anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast and which entereth into that within the Vail THe Apostle in the eighteenth verse speaking of the hope that is set before Believers and of their fleeing for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before them He takes occasion to speak of that hope that is begotten and raised in the hearts of all Believers by the hope of Christ In verse 18. He speaks of the Object of Hope Christ he is the hope set before believers but in this 19th verse he speaks of the grace of hope which hope we have as an Anchor to the soul both sure and stedfast this is spoken of the grace of Hope which is the sister of Faith And this Hope it differs from Faith thus Faith looks unto God and Christ in the Promises it looks unto the word of the Lord that is given for its security and it is the work of Faith to close with the Word and to hold fast the word of promise which the Lord Jesus doth hand out to poor souls But Hope that looks to the good things promised and it waits â—or the good things that are laid up in the promises Hope eyes them and waits for the full possession and fruition of that which is laid up in the promise and when the soul shall enjoy all those good things laid up in the promises then Hope shall cease Now that we may understand the nature of saving Hope and the use of it he sets it forth to us by a Metaphor of an Anchor which hope we have as an Anchor to the soul both sure and stedfast Hope it is of that use to the soul that an Anchor is to a Ship