before are woful counsellors in a sad day their language is Master spare thy self But yet notwithstanding tenderness is attainable 1 Cor. 10 13. God hath laid his Faithfulness in pawn for it that he will not suffer the tender walker to be tempted above what they are able but will with the temptation make a way to escape that they may be able to bear it There is another word more nearly relates to what I am upon Psal 125.3 The rod of the wicked shall not always rest on the lot of the righteous lest they put forth their hands to iniquity That is God shall neither let it ly so long nor so sore on his people as it may drive them to commit iniquity if they be willing to keep their feet and walk tenderly Therefore as I may have occasion afterward to press let none plead the impossibility of riding out a storm let them never plead the greatness of a temptation and the continuance of trouble as an excuse for an untender walk seing tenderness is attainable in waiting on God for an out-gate God lets not the rod of the wicked last on the lot of the righteous so as it may be ground of temptation rationally to prevail with them 3. The last Word I shall say on this shall be That as the right waiter on God is tender and tenderness in the greatest difficulties is attainable so the want of tenderness in difficulties when folks loses or gives up tenderness and their feet slides O what a sad after-game will that make When David in his strait had played the fool changed his behaviour before the King of Gath 1 Sam. 21.11 He got such a bitter fill of his folly in that that he gives his Counsel Psal 34.11 Come ye Children hearken to me I will teach you the fear of the Lord what man is he that desires life and loveth many days that he may see good keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile depart from evil and do good seek peace and pursue it He sets up his debording as a beacon turns a Preacher to all others that would see the Lords end that they walk tenderly And ye know what a length the holy man did run when upon beholding the prosperity of the wicked he was tempted to cast out with Godliness Psal 73. and what followed upon it when he came to himself verse 21 22. My heart was grieved I was pricked in my reins so foolish was I and ignorant I was as a beast before thee he looks on himself as not being a rational man but as a beast before God I may not insist upon this but there are three sad consequences that results on untenderness in difficulties while we should be waiting on God in his way 1. It forslows the mans delivery and out-gate which tenderness would hasten folk are ready to think that the taking of a sinful course is the way to hasten an out-gate but an untender walk the using of any sinful shift to be out of trouble is like the Nazarites pollution he lost all the days that went before because his separation was defiled Num. 6.12 And he was to begin again Untenderness may send the people of God from Kadeshbarnea back to the Red-sea to wander for thirty eight years in the Wilderness never think that untenderness will bring ease or an happy issue out of trouble folk thereby may take an out-gate or delivery at their hand but it will prolong a lifetime of trouble 2. Another sad Consequence of untenderness it not only foreslows the delivery but it makes the continued trouble very dreadful trouble and guilt trouble and an ill-conscience will make a most sad lot in a sad time It is a great deal better for folk to submit to Providence to study tenderness than to ease themselves of a Cross by wandring our of the way of God A 3d. sad consequence of untenderness is the sad reflection it may give of God when he comes to deliver his people when the tender waiter on God says as Isai 25.9 Lo this is our God we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation untender walkers must say we waited not for him we would not wait but took a sinful shift to save our selves and so is seen on it So much for the 2d thing imported in waiting for God That it is such a waiting as makes the waiter keep the way of God I shall add a 3d. thing imported in this waiting for God I wait for the Lord It doth not only import that the waiting man hath his eyes taken off all other things and set on God and that he is tender in his walk and keeps Gods way in his waiting for God but that God himself and the enjoyment of him is the great expectation of the man that truly waits for him a man that rightly waits for God hath not only his eyes taken off other things and set on God but God himself is the great expectation that which chiefly he misses and would have not only will he long to have God in his favour and love with all that he gets as Moses saith If thy presence go not with us carry us not hence Exod. 33.15 And these things will I do to them and not forsake them Isai 42.16 But he longs to have God in stead of all he wants and hath the want of all made up in the enjoyment of him This is a point that ye would press more upon your selves as the blest Fruit of all sad Dispensations and long continued Tryals ye have been are or may be under for which ye have abundant warrand from Scripture not only when all refuge fails you would ye make it your study to walk tenderly to be always found in God's way in waiting for him but this would be a blest Fruit of such sad Dispensations to have your desires spiritual centred on God drawn forth for him and the shutting of all doors looked on as a call to come and rest on him and take him for all ye want and would have This were a mean to further our expectations as to other things and to make up the want of them for the present so as the want of them should be no want Psal 39.7 And now Lord what wait I for my hope is in thee What 's this I am waiting for I have a nearer cut to the enjoyment of all things in the enjoyment of thee So Psal 4.6 There be many that say who will shew us any good Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon us and that c. And Psal 27.4 It is David's One thing One thing saith he will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord c. Were folk Spiritual and finding an up-making in God of all their desires and expectations it were a short cut to an ease of all their grievances and it is a great lengthner of all the afflictions of the
of the Saints when they are right that be Prayer hopeless or not hopeless they will not quite it they will not give it over put them in the Depths It 's a great encouragement to them that they know it is to good purpose to Pray but be it to purpose or no purpose they must be about it they will not quite it that place cited in Jonah proves it let God cast him out of his sight yet will he look to his holy Temple and Pray shut him out at the Door he will be in at the Door by Prayer Tell him his difficulty is so great as Temptation will be ready to say that crying to God will do him no good it 's all a matter to Prayer he must he 'll rather sink Praying than be saved without it Psal 61.2 From the ends of the earth will I cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed That 's a notable word from a man in a deep Distress What could a man imagine to be discouraging that he wanted for his Case he is as far from God as the ends of the earth for his Heart he is under Perplexity his Heart is overwhelmed and yet in that condition he will cry unto God if so be he will lead him to the Rock that is higher than he come of it what will he will Pray And Heman is another notable instance Psal 88.13 and vers 14. he says Lord why castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me and vers 15. I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted I am put out of my Wits my Wit gets a rack with thy terrors and yet vers 13. Vnto thee have I cryed O Lord. No hopelesness of my undertaking no hardship I meet with could put me from crying to thee and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee I will continue Praying and to speak after the manner of men Thou shalt be soon up but my Prayer shall be at thy Door to prevent thee That then is the 4th thing imported here not to be put from Prayer were our Case never so desperate nay not by the apprehension of drowning in the Depths though at the next Bout we should sink to the bottom But 5ly That he says Out of the depths have I cryed unto thee it imports that not only a Saint will not be put from Prayer through the greatness of his Distress but his Distress will put an edge upon Prayer when he is most fervent and made to cry out when he is in the Depths And this word Crying expressing Prayer in the Text suffer me to Explicate more particularly what it imports I intend not to Speak of it as it is generally used in Scripture but as it expresseth Prayer And I shall here offer four or five Things to be looked to by them that would continue Praying in the Depths or out of the Depths 1. It imports a Mans being Affected with that which is his Case The crying Man knows what ails him when a Man Scricks or Cryes out it is an evidence that he feels somewhat that Affects him much Thus Crying is used upon the account of Grief Ezek. 5.4 The marked Persons are such as sigh and cry for all the abominations done in the midst of the city They cry out of sad oppression from Grief And I find Crying in Prayer made us of to signifie the fears of the Supplicant Heb. 5.7 Our blessed Lord is said to offer up prayers and supplica-with strong crying and tears and he was heard in that he feared Grief and fear importing the sense of our Case the source and fountain of our Cryes a stupid Man that wots not how it 's with himself or the people of God who is like Pharaoh that knew not that Egypt was destroyed will not be a crying Man 2. This Crying imports not only a sense of ones Case but an earnest affection after that which our cryes are employed about it 's not for Triffles that a Man cryes either to obtain or avoid them at least they are not Triffles in his opinion it 's given as an estimation of Wisdom Prov. 2.3 when a man cryes and lifts up his voice for it And David cryes about that which he is affected with Ps 84.2 my soul longeth yea euen fainteth for the courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God It 's a token of raised Affections either to be rid of some imminent ill or hazard or to attain some excellent good that puts folk to Crying A slighting of Trouble when a Man is like Ephraim Hos 7 9. gray hairs are here and there upon him and he knows it not and a slighting of desyrable Mercies will not produce Crying for the one or to avoid the other But 3ly This Crying imports with sense of need and earnestness of Affection to be at the thing cryed for a sense of a distance Wee use to cry to folk that are far off and not within ordinar speaking or rounding and this follows well upon the former When folks are put to Pray from the Depths they will discern God at a distance from them and themselves at a distance from God it is another thing when a man is in the Depths to be within speaking terms with God as when he is at ease The children of God while they are at ease are like Sampson who thinks he hath no more ado but go out and shake himself and have God at his command but the Man in the depths will not find such an easie matter to come near God He will not only be sensible of his natural distance but of that distance he is under upon the account of his Provocations and so this Crying will take in sense of Guilt to be confessed and mourned for before God But this I shall leave because it will fall in upon the third and fourth Verses following A 4th Thing imported in this Crying is That notwithstanding of all that hath been said a Saint should cry out of the Depths with Confidence in God and of Relief from him hence the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 Gal. 4.6 It doth not prompt a Man to muter or peep or whisper his Prayer to God but to cry out with Confidence Abba Father And whatever sense we have of our need or of our distance from God or of the Guilt hath drawn it on Confidence is needfull to usher in Prayer Heb. 4.16 Having such an high priest let us come boldy The word in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies let us come with an all-saying with an open mouth unto the Throne of Grace with Confidence that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need 5ly and lastly This Crying out of the depths it imports as the result of all that I have been speaking to from it a fervency of Affection when folks are not only sensible of that they need have an
come away he waits to receive you but lay a solid foundation acquaint your selves more with the sinfulness of sin with the desert of sin and with the impossibility of standing before God marking sin in strict Justice that ye may close with Christ in earnest God bless what ye have heard for Christ's sake SERMON VII Psal 130. Vers 3. If thou LORD shouldest mark iniquities O LORD who shall stand 4. But there is forgivenness with thee that thou mayest be feared YE have heard how the Psalmist in the 1st and 2d Verses being wrestling with plunging perplexities expressed here under the name of deeps gets guilt stopping his audience and success to wrestle with in the 3d and 4th Verses wherein as ye have heard we have 1. A sensible confession concerning the desert of sin Verse 3. Next we have his refuge when he is humbled with the sense of that and it is pardoning mercy forgivenness with God to which he claims in the beginning of the 4th Verse And lastly ye have the end for which God lets out and bestows pardoning mercy on sinners that he may be feared For the first of these in the 3d Verse I am near a close of what I purpose to say upon it for beside the conjunction ye have heard ought to be betwixt the sense of sin and the sense of trouble without which the sense of trouble is but bruitish and beside that ye have heard that guilt will readily meet the people of God in straits when they are made to cry out of the deeps unto God Beside these I say I insisted the last day on that great Point that iniquity marked by God according to the Covenant of Works and the Rules of strict Justice is that which no man is able to stand under and ye may remember how at great length I both Explained and continued this truth by several Deductions from the Text which I shall not now repeat I shut up the Point with a general word of Exhortation that sinners that look for everlasting happiness would learn to say over this Text with application to themselves If thou Lord should mark iniquity I cannot stand and to do it sensibly for the fixing of which and bearing of it home ye may remember what Considerations were laid before you as Considerations concerning God your Party Considerations concerning the number of your sins and guilt It 's called iniquities in the Plural Number Considerations concerning the nature and aggravations of your guilt upon which account also it 's called Iniquities Considerations also of the just threatnings of God and of the infallible execution of them upon the sinner or his Surety Considerations concerning the sufferings of Jesus Christ a Glass wherein the desert of sin must be seen Now before I come to the next Verse I shall mark three or four particular inferences And 1. Ye have here a clear discovery that there is no Justification by Works that a man by his Works cannot think of standing before God Justification by Works is that only which we know by the Light of Nature and that first Covenant made with mankind in Adam and therefore every man hath a natural propension to do his own turn that way The Jews being ignorant of the righteousness of God and going about to establish their own righteousness did not submit unto the righteousness of God Rom. 10.3 Ignorant persons think to please God with their Repentance and the mending of their faults and doing better Papists plead with an open mouth for Justification by Works some Mungrel Protestants would mumble out somewhat that way but ye are to consider that the Covenant requires that which is now impossible even perfect holiness and that Covenant being once broken is everlastingly broken and for any Evangelical Paction the Text leads us to there is no Medium betwixt God's marking iniqiuity and forgiving iniquity a man must either stand to his hazard of God's sitting down on his Tribunal and marking his iniquities to punish them or he must lay aside all thoughts of complementing with God in this matter or of patching up a business of Grace and good Works in his Justification before him they that study the first part of the Text well that if God mark iniquity none can stand they will easily be put from that conceit of Justification by Works and plead forgivenness And therefore 2 I would have sinners considering that there is no standing under guilt except Christ be fled unto for refuge if ye have not taken Sanctuary in Atheism that ye look upon all that is said in this Preached Gospel as cunningly devised Fables will you but look to it and think with your selves what will you do in the day of Visitation and in the day of Wrath when the just threatnings of God shall be execute against sin and all sinners that are out of Christ when many will be ready to cry out for Hills and Mountains to fall upon them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb. O! consider it if ye can be perswaded to be in earnest about your souls what ye think to do in the day of Gods wrath for sin In that day wherein the sensless sinners that made a sport of sin will be made to sing that doleful Note Lam. 5.16 The Crown is fallen from our head wo unto us for we have sinned Then ye will find it desperate folly and madness that ye went on in sin and fled not in time from the wrath to come Ponder that Parable Luk. 16.24 which is not to be stretched beyond the principal scope as if there were charity for others in Hell and ye will find what a dreadful Bargain sin is when a drop of cold Water to cool the Tongue would be an ease to the Drunkard in torment and he cannot have it when his warning of others is a witness against himself that he was a desperat man that run such a hazard that is now past remedy Think I say on these things if ye look not on this Word as Fables But 3. If none can stand before God's marking iniquity then the sense of guilt should make us justifie God in all the troubles that come upon his People when we consider that the Lord may for sin not only as in a solemn day call our terrors round about as the word is Lament 2.22 But may everlastingly condemn us in hell how dare a sinner murmur under lesser calamities or troubles The language of a man sensible of the desert of sin is that which ye have Ezra 9 13. Thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve and that Lam. 3.22 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not A man that is sensible of sin and of the desert of it ye will not find him a murmurer against any cross inflicted but a wonderer at the moderation that shines in the sharpest tryals Therefore as I said upon the first head the sense
destroyes us not how often might he say as he said to Moses of Israel Exod. 32.10 Let me alone that my wrath may wax bot against them and that I may consume them that I may sweep them away from off the earth and yet he doth it not how often might he do with us in this World as he did with Sodom and the old World and yet he bears with us How often might he make the visible Church a terror to it self and all the World and how often might he make the Saints a burden to themselves and yet great is his goodness that he spares a sinful VVorld and sinners in it And upon another account it commends God and that is that he lets not the sinfulness of his People make void their interest in him but notwithstanding their sinfulness allows them to call him Father That though they be dayly by their repeated provocations iniquities and transgressions drawing Rods forth from his hand yet that doth not make void the Covenant Psal 89.32 33. That he will visit their transgressions with the rod and their iniquities with stripes nevertheless his loving kindness will he not utterly take from them nor suffer his faithfulness to fail O! but the study of our sinfulness would make dayly a new wonder to us it would not be common news but a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation That Christ came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 And as we grow in the study of our sinfulness the sweeter should these Truths that holds out the remedy of sin grow and continue SERMON VIII Psalm 130. Verse 4. But there is forgivenness with thee that thou mayest be feared AFter that I had spoken to this godly man his humbling sense and fight of the desert of Sin in the third verse I have begun to speak to this remedy of pardoning mercy with God upon which he layeth hold and I took up the words in that General Note That there is pardoning mercy in God for Sin and that is the only refuge for sinners sensible of the burden of sin and of the desert of sin and told you that I have a purpose if the Lord will to prosecute this Point in the resolution of several Questions which yet may be reduced to a few General Heads Which were hinted at That which now I am upon is the consideration of that that is pardoned Sin Iniquity or Transgression where I spoke to one particular that all Mankind have sinned and done that which will need a pardon They have iniquities even the most godly which makes them when they are sensible of them to look upon it as good news to hear of pardon That which I further proposed to be spoken to was 1. That as all have sinned so sin is a crime a debt a burden that men stand in need to rid their hands of 2. That sin is a debt that man cannot satisfie but must have it done away by Remission it must consequently follow That the unpardoned Man is in a woful plight And 3. That if this be a Debt that can only be done away by Pardon then to a sensible man this will be the chiefest of good news That there is forgivenness with God As to the First of these and the Second in Order proposed to be spoken to on this Branch when it is granted that all have sinned the stupid and carless will look lightly upon it wherefore it is to be considered in the next place what sin is to the right discerner it 's a crime which since he cannot expiat hath need of pardon It 's a debt which since he cannot satisfie hath need of forgivenness This imports that to be lying under the burden of sin is no light matter to a man that knows his case through sin I shall take notice of the Notion under which sin is expressed Luk. 11.4 with Matth. 6.12 Where sin is called our Debt I shal no insist here to clear that every mans sin is his own Debt contracted by himself in his own Person or in the common Root Adam and that he hath not others to blame for it Though as Adam did lay over his sin on the Woman which God gave him so is every one ready to do yet when God and the Sinner reckons he will find that he must reckon for his Sin by himself or by a Surety but waving that that sin is called a Debt it is not to be understood that Man is oblidged to sin for Obedience is that which is required and which we are oblidged to pay to God but what is imported in this metaphor I shall lay open before you in these four 1. A man that is adebted and not fulfilling his Bond is lyable to the Law so the Law of God is an hand-writting against sinful man oblidging him either to do his Duty or to satisfie Justice for his Fault or if he cannot do that and there be no other remedy to undergo everlasting punishment in hell 2. The Debt is heightned by this that all the means offered to Man of directions threatnings promises opportunities power and abilitie to do good in the time and station he lives in Gifts and qualifications for that end and Talents for the not improvement of which he becomes Debtor to God and his sin is hightned thereby 3. As sin resembleth a Debt so it is a Debt above all other debts a man under the debt of Sin is in a more dreadful plight than any under other debt he may be able to pay it and though he be broken he may come up again But a man under the debt of sin can never pay again a man under debt if he cannot pay he can shift his Creditor But for a man under the debt of sin there is no shifting of God his Creditor Psal 139. Whither shall he go from his spirit Or whither shall he flee â—rom his presence Again though a man be under debt and not able to shift his Creditor yet his Creditor is not always in a readiness to attach him though he be in his view because he is not in a legal capacity to reach him But we are in God's reverence every moment Again other Debt reaches the Body only this Debt of Sin reaches the Soul also And to add no more other Debt may reach a man with inconveniences in his Life but when he is dead his Debt is payed But the punishment of this Debt reaches a man chiefly after this Life all these clear that Sin is a Debt above all other Debts And I shall add 4. That Sin may well be compared to a Debt on this account that Sinners while they fall upon a right method of seeking pardon they much resemble an ill Debtor an ill debtor desires not to hear of his accounts far less to sit down and cast them up so it is with these ill Debtors they put the ill day far away They cannot hear of a day of compt and reckoning nor to sit
in Jesus Christ And 3. That from that he be led to worship God in the spirit So answerable to these three the Scripture points at three sorts of means or duties to be gone about in order to the obtaining of pardon and wee 'll find somewhat of all the three in the Text. 1. Something antecedent for preparation to pardon answerable to that verse 3. If thou Lord should mark iniquity who can stand 2 Something required to actual closing with Christ for pardon on the back of that antecedent preparation held out verse 4 But there is forgiveness with thee And 3. Somewhat required consequentially as a fruit of pardon whereby a man comes to know and to evidence that he is pardoned and to improve his pardon answerable to that which is subjoyned to forgiveness in the Text that thou raayest be feared For the first of these that is That which is required antecedently to pardon and as a preparation for it I shall briefly reduce all that I would press upon you as to that to four Heads And the man that would be in a near capacity to get pardon on Gospel Terms would look well to all these four 1. He would be a diligent watcher to prevent his falling in sin which he would not mistake this would seem rather to be required to prevent the need of pardon but it comes in suitably to be adverted unto in order unto the obtaining of pardon whoever essayes the seeking of pardon will find that their stumbling in this step is a great obstruction to pardon that they have not been watchful and careful to prevent sin a man that hath that to meet him in the Teeth when he comes to seek pardon that he hath sold himself to work wickedness That he adds drunkenness to thirst that he hath drunk in iniquity as the ox doth water He will have a harder pull for pardon than a man that hath been watchful to prevent sin and in falling in sin hath been as the chast Virgin forced that will be the first question the Conscience will put to him how came ye in this posture whether voluntarly like a Ship going in her course or like a tempest beaten Ship through stress of Weather forced to take the nearest shore whether were ye hurried and driven into such a sin by the violence of tentation or was ye readier to tempt a tentation than a temptation was to tempt you O but that will be a sad challenge in a mans way in order to the obtaining of pardon if he hath been a voluntar yielder unto sin and a committer of it with greediness Nay more a justified person that upon the account of his justification and being pardoned doth walk more lously or heedlesly though he get his soul for a prey he may lay his count to go by the gates of Hell to Heaven that is to be keeped at hard labour in a fighting life with enemies with his back on the City and his face to his foes till he lay down his weapons at the gates thereof therefore in order to the obtaining of pardon I recommend to you careful diligence to prevent falling in sin and consequently thou would look well to the sin of thy inclination where thou art weakest and guard against that as a wise man that is over a Garrison will fortifie that part of the Wall that is weakest where readily the Enemy will make an assault so it would be thy care to guard against the sin thou are most inclined to double thy diligence to mortifie that to pray against it to watch against temptations that may cast fire in that powder Thou would also look well to the sin of thy Calling and Station the sins of mens Callings being such as they fall more readily into than others And look well also to the Sins of the Time and Place thou lives in to the Sins of the present Generation wherein many are involved and set a watch against these these sins I say ye would mainly watch against the sins of your inclination calling and time or place ye live in not neglecting to watch against all sins A 2d Direction I press upon you antecedent to the obtaining of pardon is That as ye would carefully watch to avoid and prevent sin so ye would be no less careful to examine your selves and call your selves to account for sins into which ye have fallen a man cannot repent for sin and cannot look for pardon of sin without previous examination and finding out of the guilt for which he seeks pardon It is true Psal 19. No man can understand his errors nor is it possible he can overtake all his escapes Even as David who was no loose walker found them more than the hairs of his head but that must not be made a pretence to neglect Examination look to it if this be your work are there none of you who have been upon a back-tract of your way saying what have I been doing where have I been how is God pleased with my frame with my walk and conversation I fear there are but few that have had and have this for their exercise and that many follow the counsel of Alcibiades that he gave to Pericles who when he asked him what he was doing said he was troubled how to make his Accompts to the States were I said he in thy place I would rather be troubled how I might not make my Accompt I fear many make it their accompt to shun and eschew Self-examination like Bankrupts that shun to compare their spending with their income and their stock lest they find themselves Dyvors which will have a sad close But thou that would not provock God must not neglect Self-examination if thou do and let thy condition run in confusion and go out of thy sight remember that word was sung Psal 50.21 These things thou did and I kept silence but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes He will marshel and rank your sins before you and give you a memory of them to your terrour and affrightment But a 3d. Direction antecedently required in order to pardon shall be this That having Examined your condition and found out wherein you are faulty guilty ye must take a very serious and affecting look of sins desert till it leave some impressions upon the heart it is an easie matter for a man who needs not a secret search to find out his sin the skirts of his garment declare it he may shut his Eyes and grope his Abominations It is easie to find out these sins and to seek pardon for them and there is an end But O! deceive not thy self when thou hast found out thine iniquity thou must be in the Psalmist's posture here verse 3 If thou Lord mark iniquity who can stand Thou must be affected with it and shall I add while I am laying down a Directory for you to follow in order to the obtaining of pardon so as ye may not cheat
the Scriptures without the Testimony of the Church as well as they But I shall add 3dly If any should ask who gave them that warrand to determine concerning the Authority of the Scriptures If they should say to a Pagan that is the Word of God I say it and I have authority to declare it If the Pagan should say where is your evidence that ye have that authority if they cannot adduce any may not he justly alledge that they bear Witness of themselves All the evidence they afford to any is that the Church of Rome is infallible and when they are put to that they adduce these passages Mat. 16.18 Thou art Peter c. Luke 22.32 Joh. 21.15 well say I have these Testimonies Divine Authority to perswade men concerning the infallibility of the Church of Rome and must men believe that antecedently to their receiving their testimony concerning the Scriptures If so then not only themselves who testify but others who are to receive their testimony must be perswaded of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures antecedently to that testimony In a word when they would prove their Authority they run to the Scriptures and in proving the Authority of the Scriptures they recurr to their own testimony and so run in a circle I might add a 4th thing to discuss their Authority from their own principles for the clearing of which I shall hint at three words I hope they will grant that they who testify concerning the Divine Authority of the Scriptures must be Christians not Pagans Church-Officers not Laicks Now by their principles how can they satisfie the Christian world that their Pope is not an un-baptized Pagan or a meer privat person I shall not found my doubt upon Pope Leo the Tenth his Creed that said The Fable concerning Christ had been a gainful Fable but upon their making the real administration of the Sacraments to depend upon the real intention of the Priest that administrats them And so I reason it is impossible morally to know that the present Pope is a baptized Christian or a Church officer in regard we cannot know what were the intentions of him that baptized or ordained â—im and what a blind is it to cause the authority of the Scriptures depend upon such an uncertainty 2. Consider again their sin of Simony we find their Histories full especially in these dark times some while bâ—fore the Reformation of their Symoniacal Popes who by budds and bribes and one by faigning a Voice from Heaven to out his Predecessor did advance themselves into the Chaiâ— Now by their own Cannon Law Symony makes void the Election and nullifies all the Acts following thereon Now suppose a Pope get into the Châ—ir by Symoâ—y and â—â—eats Cardinals who elect his successor their Act his Election are null and it is impossible they can be capable of any Ecclesiastical Act particularly for testifying concerning the authority of the Scriptures 3. I would know how the Christian world should know the Popes declaring concerning the authority of the Scriptures since very few have access to him except we take the Testimony of humane Writings or some wandring Priest with his Papal Bulls and Lead affixt to them Shall we give credit to these Bulls carried by his Priests because they have the ordinar Characters of Papal Bulls and shall â—e not for all the Divine Characters that are found in the Scriptures creâ—â—t them to be the Word of God From all which ye would learn to look upon the Romish Religion as a Religion wherein ye have no ground of certainâ—y to go on and so that there is no Faith in the Romish Religion but that which is ultimatly a humane Faith for if they give us Scripture how know 〈◊〉 that it is Scripture They tell us their Church says so 〈◊〉 know we the certainty of the Churches Testimony 〈◊〉 Pope says so and for that we have but the testimony of his humane Writings and of his Priests Bulls and suppose we should go to Rome we should not get easie access to him and though we should get access to him we know not what he is whether a baptized Christian or an unbaptized Pagan and the Priest that baptized him had not the due intention so that ultimatly all the Faith in the Romish Religion result into an humane report but if the Lord will I shall in the afternoon let you see other evidences of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures that we shall not need to go to Rome for their Testimony Take the Bible seek that Spirit that dictated the Bible look on the Scripture as a true History look oâ— it with that credit ye look on Titus Livius Quintus Curtius Buchannan or any other humane writing and they will prove their own Divinity This I say if the Lord will I shall follow forth more distinctly in the afternoon and therefore I leave it and speak a word to profane Cavillers at the Scriptures authority There is a word Christ hath in assorting the Divine Authority of Hâ— Doctrine which ye would notice Job 7.10 My doctrine is not mine but his that sent me if any man will do his will be shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self The meaning whereof is not that folks must first obey ere they know the Divinity of his Doctrine nor is it that the Word needs the charity of well disposed persons but this is it that he must be in a good frame that would take up the Divine Authority of the Word I mark it for this end because there are so many Atheists Anti-scripturists mockers of Scripture denyers of the Being of Spirits immortality of the Soul and of Rewards and Punishments after this Life and it is to little or no purpose to discourse to them of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures It is with them as with that man who said non persuadebis etiamsi persuaseris although thou convince me thou shalt not perswade me they have done with their part of happiness if the Scriptures be of Divine Authority and therefore they will not be perswaded that it is so for these I shall leave them to these two words one is Psal 9.16 The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth They that will not see God in his Bible shall see and find him in the execution of his Judgments upon them The other word is Zech. 1. when verse 4. he has spoken of their Fathers who when they were bidden turn would not hear nor hearken he says verse 6. But my words and my statutes did they not take hold of your fathers and they returned and said as the Lord of Hosts thought to do unto us according to our ways and according to our doings so hath he dealt with us I leave these malitious and desperat men who are hardned in their impiety to have the Scripture verified on them but a man that does the will of God that walks humbly
night appointed by God for rest they are in a condition that puts them to long for the morning light I shall not speak of these who Deut. 28.67 are so hard put to it that in the morning they wish it were even and at even they wish it were morning but setting that aside many of the Children of men are put to very hard and bitter toil as Soldiers Travellers through desarts Ship-beaten men at Sea in Storms Shepherds in these before-mentioned Countreys many are so toiled that their great expectation is to look out for an end of it And what toil are many up and down the Land and it may be among your selves put unto for a present throw-bearing ye know it better than I can lay it before you I mark it that others that have an easier lot may be excited to prize that mercy Discontentment is a Viper that sucks poyson out of the best lots that befal the Children of men How many can ly down and rise at their conveniency exempted from the toil and bondage that the generality of men are exposed unto and yet if ye will seek for contentment ye will not readily find it amongst them that have the best accommodations ye wil find men that have but very sober fare and apparel and much labour and toil to win at it for contentment to exceed them that fare deliciously and sumptuously and wear fine apparel and what is that but a curse upon them from God for their ingratitude a plague accompanying them and what they have who consider not what toil others are put unto â—or their little and who have contentment in it and yet they are not satisfied with their abundance And much more does it speak sadly to them who when God affords them more ease and rest than he doth others will not take ease but weary themselves to commit iniquity who will bereave themselves of rest not because they cannot get it but because they will not take it when it is given them but either in their imaginations or practice weary themselves to commit iniquity as the word is Jer. 9.5 And partly from this toil the children of men are put into I would press upon them who experience this toil to consider what a poor bargain they make when having such toil and labour here labour not to secure that rest which abides the people of God I confess I may say to them that have ease and good accommodations that with Heaven and everlasting Life is very fair and I shall add more than condition for the Spirit of God hath forwarned us to lay our account that through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of God But shall I lay to poor miserable bodies that toil out their life for the bit and the brat as ye use to say That and Hell too is very sad That and Everlasting Perdition is most dreadful There is something to say when a rich glutton slips from his sumptuous fare and fine cloathing down to the pit Son says Abraham remember that thou in thy lifetime received thy good things and now thou art tormented But for a poor miserable wretch that time never smiled upon that was pudled in the earth and never got up his back in fending for his daily bread and yet he gets Hell in end that will be a Hell in the bosome of Hell that such a wretch understood not the language of providence towards him But a 2d word I take from that which is alluded unto here and that is That the satisfaction of the sons of men in time is generally if not constantly before their hand like these poor men alluded to here what-ever be their lot in the dark night that which they would be at is the morning light I need not astrict this to folk that are in toil and misery take me the rich fool and his full Barns it is not that which he hath in his hands at present but his expectation of many years to come that is his satisfaction Luk. 12.19 Be thy felicity what it will as to earthly enjoyments consult thy Conscience and it will tell thee that it doth not satisfy by drinking at these Puddles thou but augments thy thirst still thy satisfaction is before thy hand and in nothing thou possesses I mean not now of them that have placed their satisfaction in God but of those that are seeking satisfaction in creature-comforts Have what thou wilt it will not satisfy when thou hast gotten such a thing as thou would have had thou must still have another and when thou hast gotten that thou must have more of it Hence the mind of man when it is not centered on God is still lusting and expecting satisfaction in this and that in something it wants This Note preaches to all sorts of folk it 's a document to them that are in a mean condition and think O were they the length of other folk and had that which they want and others have then they would be well and at ease But consider thou that these who have gotten these things and have not gotten God with them never attained to satisfaction and though thou had them and have not God with them where art thou for satisfaction thy Straw-Pad and their Down-Bed are alike for giving satisfaction and it may be thine is the softest of the two and art not thou a fool then in placing satisfaction in these things when they that have them are as far from satisfaction as thou art and it may be further thou art like the Bairn who thinks that if he were at the Hill head he would be at the Sun when it is going down but when he is at the head of the Hill he is as far from satisfaction as he was so it is with thee who art in a mean condition and thinks thou would be satisfied if thy lot were like others It may be also a document to discontented folk that have if they consider what they would be at and yet it will not satisfy if they consider that they are creatures and things of time what means these dissatisfactions discontents and to-looks to many things in the midst of enjoyments Certainly upon this hand it 's a dreadful Preaching of an unmortified mind O what a vast bottomless Gulf is an unmortified mind It 's like Hell and the Grave that never have enough And O that many would seek out the guilt that is in their dissatisfaction lament their discontents and mourn over their abuse of rich allowances the Crumbs whereof would be gathered up as a mercy by many rather than be restless for more which being had would not satisfy And upon the other hand it 's a Proclamation to all that happiness is not here have what thou wilt project or get what thou wilt thou wilt drink all these puddles dry suppose thou had all the profits pleasures and preferments in the Universe they will not satisfy nor quench thy thirst after more Why God
would be at or expect And I shall add that as waiting for God would be with much affection with affection suitable to his excellency so it would be suitable to thy need of him and these things thou waits for from him Thou sayest God is thy excellency Jerusalem is thy chief joy the joy of the Lord is thy strength but is thy affections suitable to thy need of him and his consolations when if thy comfort be suspended if thou can win at comfort in any other thing thou waits not for him and his consolation 3ly I shall add that when affection is indeed aloft for God there is no hazard no want of accommodation that would pinch men so sore as the want of God will pinch a man that is set to enjoy God The Psalmist whose affection is aloft he waits more for God than they that watch for the morning I shall not dip upon this it is a mercy not to get leave to sleep till folk be out of an ill condition when folks get no rest to the soles of their feet out of God And I wish them who want him more disquietness nor many loiterers have till they get to their feet and seek for their Husband and find him and I wish them no ill while I pray for this to them And I shall add raised affection for God Who knows what a prognostick it might be of a sweet and comfortable out-gate and that such a souls song should be with the Psalmist here Let Israel hope c. Affectionat waiting for God getting to the feet to run after him O! What a cloud might that be like an hand-breadth at first that will cover the Sky and at length bring abundance of rain But want of affection leaves folk in a woful condition to rot to dead And I shall add if affection should be put out thus for God and if want of God to an affectionat waiter be a distress that pinsheth him above any hazard they are in who are put to wait for the morning Then certainly the enjoyment of God according to the measure that a man doth enjoy him should make him drink and forget his misery and remember his poverty no more And the man that enjoys God Though the fig-tree do not blossom and though there be no fruit in the vine and the labour of the olive fail no meat in the fields no flock in the folds no herd in the stall Hab. 3.17 Though the earth be removed and the mountains carried into the midst of the sea c. Psal 46.2 He will be as far above the men of the world in their enjoyments as his affection while he wanted God was above their resentments I shall go no further God bless his word unto you SERMON XXXI Psalm 130. Verse 7. Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him there is plenteous redemption Verse 8 And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities YE may remember in the first six verses of this Psalm we have the Psalmists wrestling which as we shewed you before hath three Branches He hath been wrestling with difficulties and plunging perplexities in his case which are represented under the notion of depths in the first and second Verse he hath been wrestling with the Conscience and sense of Guilt putting back his Prayers and offering to crush his hopes and so interposing to obstruct his success and access verse 3 4. and in the 5 and 6. he hath been wrestling with delays either of comfort or an out-gate or both and notwithstanding of all his hard exercise in crying to God by Prayer in his trouble and perplexity in taking with the dreadful desert of guilt and claiming to pardoning mercy and forgiveness he doth therewith wrestle by patience and hope He waited on God and that affectionatly and his patience in waiting was supported by hope in God grounded on the Word of God Now in these two verses read ye have the second part of the Psalm containing the Psalmists delivery or victory His delivery or victory is not expresly asserted but it is very sweetly implyed in his improvement of the exercise he hath been under and holding forth the good he hath gotten when it is well with him the issue he hath gotten he doth not conceal it nor only speak it out but he improves and layes it out for the good of God's Israel when he hath got a sweet sight of the good of waiting and hoping in God he conveens them all as it were to come and write after his Copy and encourages them to hope in God upon the account of mercy and pardon and plenteous redemption and redeeming Israel from all his iniquities So the words contain first an Exhortation to Israel in the beginning of the 7. verse Let Israel hope c. 2. They contain motives and encouragements pressing the exhortation by way of arguments that this counsel should be hearkned unto and these motives or encouragements are taken partly in the first place from what is in God In the end of the 7. verse Let Israel hope c. for with the Lord there is mercy c. There is mercy and power and authority in God to bring redemption to his people from all their sins and miseries And the 2. Argument is taken from this that God will let out that mercy and redemption that is in him for the good of his people Not only is there mercy and power with God if he please to let it out to redeem but it is expresly asserted that he will redeem his people verse 8. He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities a promise which howsoever it be made out to Israel in all ages yet it is signally to be erified to the Jews in their Conversion in the latter days for the Apostle Rom. 11.26 adduces this promise out of Isai 59.20 As it is written there shall come out of Zion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob That is that shall redeem Israel as was hinted from all his iniquities To return to the Exhortation Let Israel hope in the Lord I have been would he say assaying to hope in the Lord and have found the good of it for when I was waiting for God I was supported by hope in his Word and now I have gotten so good an account of my hope that I dare recommend it from mine own experience to all and I have such a kindness to Israel that any experience I have gotten by waiting for God and hoping in his Word I will not hoord it up I will be no hookster of it but recommend it to them as a common-good Therefore let Israel hope in the Lord. That I may get somewhat digged out of the Treasure here I shall reduce the grounds of Observations to be gathered from this Exhortation to four general Heads 1. I shall touch upon what is implyed and held out in the general scope of these words 2. I shall speak to the
thou hast little to say to the commendation of God of hoping in him will thou believe that there shall be a good account of all thy exercise in waiting believe that thou shall not for ever return ashamed that there will be an end of the Lord and a good end that thy expectation shall not perish for ever that though thou be laid in the grave with crushing thy dead men shall live there shall be an end and thy expectation shall not be cut off take the exhortation that word to Mary Luke 1.45 Blessed is she that believes for there shall be a performance of these things which were told her from the Lord. Thou that art running to God and waiting on him for an issue of thy pressures and sees no appearance of the day breaking but rather that the night groweth darker do not think that it will be ay so Do not follow out thy work and task as a hopeless undertaking follow not Christ as Thomas did to die with him but sow in hope expect that he that hath opened thy mouth wide will fill it and not with an empy spoon only do not mistake while thou art holden at work needful exercise is still requisit which will come in afterward when I speak to the exercise of Faith and Hope and therefore here I shall leave it and proceed to the next thing which I marked as implyed 2. When the Psalmist hath got a breathing and good account of his hope he is very communicative of it he poures it out in Israels bosom That which I mark from it is That the exercises and out-gates of the Saints when they are blessed of God to them they make them very publick minded when the Lord drops out any good thing to them they would fain deal about them for the good of Gods people and make many sharers in it Ye know there is a Communion of Saints it is an Article of our Creed it is a communion and entercourse such as is betwixt the members of the body that when one member suffers all the members suffer with it and when one rejoyceth all rejoyce with it What one hath is at least should be communicat for the good of the rest and of the whole body and I might add it is a sad thing when the duties of the communion of Saints must be looked on as a crime and transgression But that which I am now upon is That this communion of Saints will be improved by all who are lively and who are blessed of God in their exercises and out-gates as we may see the Psalmist here what good he hath gotten by waiting on God he communicats it to Israel I may confirm this two ways 1. We find in Scripture when the people of God are in trouble themselves they are never so throng about their own case or so taken up with themselves but they have spare time for the case of the Church or others who are in the same or like exercise If our blessed Lord suffered being tempted that he might succour them who are tempted Heb. 2.18 Then the saints when they are under tentation pressures and hard exercise will find that to be a call to them to have a large and tender heart towards others under the same exercise yea to bring in the pressures of all that are about them as ye may see in that holy man Psal 102. what a hard exercise he is under from the beginning of the Psalm to verse 12 13 and 14. Ye will find the blessed improvement of this I am upon thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Sion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come for thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust c. All that he hath to do within doors though his days be consumed like smoke his bons brunt as an hearth his heart smitten and withered as grass his bones cleaving to his Skin though he be like a Pâ—lican in the wilderness and an owl in the desart as in that 102 Psalm yet all that hinders him not to cry That God would arise and have mercy upon Sion but rather excites him And a 2d Confirmation of the Point I take from Scripture Precepts and examples that press us to communicat what good we get of God to others for their good Luke 22.32 When Christ hath told Peter of his fall and recovery he subjoyns to that When thou art converted strenthen thy brethren And whoso will read Psal 32.6 and the Verses following Psal 66.16 They will find that the Psalmist when ever he hath gotten a proof of Gods goodness to himself he is very careful to communicat it to others in direction instruction encouragement or comfort according as God hath communicat it to him I shall say no more from this but let it condemn the selfish Disposition of many who being in trouble the whole bensil of their Spirit is little enough for themselves and they have no inlet for the griefs and pressures of others and if it be well with them if they be delivered they are far from remembring Joseph in Prison They do not endeavour this publick-mindedness to communicat their experience for others good such selfish frames provock God to give folk humbling exercises to learn them to be publick minded Now I have done with the first general Head of the Doctrine implyed in the Exhortation Let Israel hope c. I proceed in the 2d place to the matter of the Exhortation or the Duty recommended that is to hope in the Lord to exercise Faith and hope in God of this ye may remember I have been speaking at some length upon the 5. verse before which may save me a labour of insisting much on it now But this of Faith and Hope being a work and task of the people of God while they are in time there can never be too much said to it Therefore I shall offer to you two grounds of Observation which I shall take from the Psalmists recommending of it to the people of God here over again 1. His Exhortation implys the constant need that the Saints will have of Faith and Hope in time 2. That the Saints have a constant warrand of Hoping and Believing in God 1. Consider though the Psalmist as would appear hath gotten a good account of his hope yea for all the issues he hath gotten before and that the saints and people of God in that generation and before had gotten of Faith and Hope they had trusted in God and He had delivered them from all their fears and they were not ashamed yet still he presses Faith and Hope as that which the Saints will still have need of and wherein their life consists The Observation then is plain That Faith and Hope are Graces whereof the Saints will constantly stand in need what-ever deliveries or issues they get in time As here it is supposed the Psalmist hath gotten an issue yet he will not have Faith and Hope out
use to speak ye will find him in another tune Psal 116 10. I believed therefore have I spoken Not only esteeming of faith for his own use but a man that dare commend it to others as Psal 27.14 Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord. All that I shall draw from this Head shal be first to recommend to the people of God who have hard pulls in time to assay this Trade of trusting in God and hoping in him it hath not an enemy but an ignorant one that 's a stranger to it that knows not the worth that is in it the rich advantages that follow it were it more tryed it would have more to commend it therefore let it be more your study and thou that would set about the Trade of believing and hoping in God must not take the report concerning faith and hope from every fit of a temptation thou must lay thy account to meet with many a fiery dart and with many a reproach cast upon thy confidence and to have thy self counted a fool for cleaving to that way but hold at it and the more thou do so thou shalt like it the better not only wilt thou not need any to commend it unto thee but thou wilt commend it to all that will take thy advice and counsel And 2. They that have been essaying faith and hope and have gotten good of it they would be afraid in any after-assault they may be put to to bring up an ill report upon the way of faith and hope thou may let these that never got good of it suspect it but thou that hast been helped to believe and wait on God and hast seen an end of the Lord and found the good of believing that can with the Psalmist Psal 28.7 say My heart trusted in him and I am helped How guilty must thou be if thy faith and hope be to seek in a new strait If after thou hast found the good of believing thou be put out concerning it in a new trial when that Song is cast up Psal 107.1 O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever who-ever let that Note ly by the second Verse tells thee Let the redeemed of the Lord say so whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy Who ever have a slender opinion of faith and hope it ill becomes thee to have it who has tryed it and has found the good of it or to be to seek in esteeming of it in a new trial But now I proceed to the 4th thing I proposed to be spoken to from this Exhortation that is the consideration of the persons who they are to whom this hope in God is recommended Let Israel hope in the Lord saith he Hope in God is not an Anchor that will be budded on every one It 's true none are secluded from coming to seek a right to hope in the right method and due order but there is an hope of the hypocrite that will perish that will be like the giving up of the Ghost and that hope is only for fair weather and for little to do but this hope of the Saints is the peculiar allowance of the Saints at all times Now for what is mean'd by Israel here I shall not deny but in the first place we are to understand that Nation of Israel a peculiar people to God who in various Ages while they continued a Church and Nation were meeting with work for their hope and with many rich advantages and proofs of the good of hoping in God and in the latter days when as it is Rom. 11.26 All Israel shall be saved they shall find this made out to them that they may hope in God But it is not to be restricted to them only since their off casting there is an Israel come in their place as the Apostle tells us Rom. 9.6 That they are not all Israel which are of Israel all that Nation were not true Israelits in Gods account So Phil. 3.3 There is a circumcision even among the Gentiles who do worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Jesus Christ and have no confidence in the flesh And Gal. 6.16 he tells There is an Israel of God Gods peculiar people of whatsoever Nation upon whom walking according to the Rule of the new Creature given them there shall be peace and mercy Again we may consider Israel either Collectively or Distributively Consider Israel Collectively for the Church of God correspondent to the ancient Nation of Israel Then by Israel we are to understand the invisible Church the society of Gods converted Elect through the World yet not excluding particular visible Churches who partake of the priviledges of the true Israel of God according to their purity and the number of true Israelites that are among them Again Israel taken Distributively takes in every Child of God who in his own place according to the tenor of the promises made to Israel hath no less ground to hope in God than Israel taken Collectively hath In the prosecution of this Head three things occurr to be spoken to 1. That Israel is a Society that is allowed to hope in God 2. That this hope is the common allowance of all and every one that is indeed an Israelite as well as of the Body of Israel in general And 3. That it concerns every one that would claim to hope in God in all exigencies to make it sure that they are true Israelites indeed and may put their names in those passages and promises wherein Israels priviledges are contained For the first Israel are a people that however matters go have ground to hope in God however things fare in the world or whatever may be said of the desperat case of others Israel is a Society that may still hope in God Hence when Ezra Chap. 9 is laid by with mourning for that generation that had mingled with the abominable Heathen a godly man Chap. 10.2 comes and tells him It 's true we are guilty yet there is hope in Israel concerning this thing Had such a thing fallen forth among others it had been a presage of dreadful news but in Israel there is hope of pardon hope of redress hope of making up this breach in Israel things otherwise desperate are not hopeless Jer. 31.15 17. Though in Israel there be a Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted because they are not She looks upon it as needless to offer to comfort her when her Children are gone yet even when they are not and she thinks that rationally she refused to be comforted Verse 17. There is hope in thy end saith the Lord that thy children shall come again to their own border It 's Israels priviledge that she can say that none else can say It 's Israels Song Psal 129. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth up may Israel now say She might
Particularly I have laid Jacob the first Israelites prayer before you that ye may learn to write after his copy that ye may feed on it and bring the first fruits from Heaven by intercourse with God in Prayer rightly regulated and ordered God bless his Word to you for this end SERMON XXXV Psalm 130. Verse 7. Let Israel hope in the Lord for c. THE Psalmist as ye have heard when he sees through his own wrestling he cannot will not be but publick-minded to the Lord 's Israel and if he hath gotten any good in wrestling with God under difficulties guilt and delays of comfort or issue the very good he hath gotten enlargeth his heart and makes him publick-minded towards others and what ever be the hight of his own enlargement he doth not forget that Faith and Hope will be still necessary neither doth he forget that there is a constant warrand for Faith and Hope in God and that they are of so universal and constant use and what-ever others may think of that exercise or whatever it might be he himself thought of it when he was in the midst of the trial yet he now in his practice makes it out that these who try Faith and Hope most will esteem them most and will be most confident in recommending them to all others of the Lords people That which now I am upon is the consideration of the persons to whom hope in God is recommended it is to Israel whether we take them Collectively or Distributively one by one ye have heard that hope in God is the common allowance of all the people of God Not only is Israel a society that may still hope however matters go or what-ever their case be but hope in God according to the nature and tenor of the promises is the common allowance of all and every one of them and in pursuance of this I broke in upon that great point and our duty that seing however hope be the coÌ„mon allowance of all every one of Israel yet it is their allowance only who are Israelites indeed Therefore these that would claim to that allowance of hope in God they would make it sure that they are Israelites indeed that though they be not all Israel that are of Israel yet that they are Israelites in the spirit though not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God And forbearing to speak abstractly of the marks of regeneration I offered two things to be spoken to for clearing up who they are who are Israelites indeed and may claim to this allowance One is the occasion of Jacob's getting this name of Israel when he was with God in Prayer to which I have spoken and led you through some Characters of Israelites indeed who have ground of hope in God which I gathered from his Prayers Now I am to touch a little upon that other thing I proposed to be spoken unto to find out these Israelites to whom hope in God belongs and that is the Character given to them by way of Explication who they are Psal 73.1 Truly God is good to Israel and who are there Even such as are of a clean heart I shall not offer to make any common place of this but in reference to my scope in following forth this point as ye heard the last day that the Israelite indeed is a praying man so ye would take a look here of an Israelite indeed First as a self-purifying man one that purifies his heart An Israelite indeed his great work is about his heart he is one that desires to look as God doth 1 Sam. 16.7 Man looketh on the outward appearance but God looketh on the heart and so doth the Israelite indeed he desires to have that Character Rom. 2.28 Not to be a Jew outwardly or to have that circumcision or baptism which is outward in the flesh but to be a Jew or Christian inwardly and to have that circumcision and baptism of the heart to be one in the spirit and not in the letter to be one whose praise is not of men but of God An Israelite indeed is one whose great study is to keep the heart with all diligence as Solomon enjoyns Prov. 4.33 for out of it are the issues of life 2. A true Israelite in looking after his heart is a man that finds very much pollution there and that needs to be cleansed and purged He is a man that the further he goes in searching after himself he finds still the greater and the greater abominations He is a man that though he bless God as he hath reason that he is kept from outward out-breakings yet when he looks within himself he never wants that which makes him humble and to carry a low Sail so long as he finds his heart a Cage of unclean Birds He is a man in whose ears doth sound aloud that word which ye have Jer. 4.14 O Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee He is one that abomâ—nats and is sensible of the manifold pollutions of his heart not only upon the account of the many and gross evils that he finds there of the suspitions of hypocrisie and formality in the performance of duties that he is afraid he please himself with or on this account that his heart should be Gods Throne and kept at the Brides Chamber for the Beloved and he finds it no such thing but further upon this account and consideration that he finds his heart can act more wickedness in a short time than many bodies could commit for a long time 3. The sense that the Israelite indeed hath of his heart-pollutions appears in his endeavours to be cleansed from them that he may have his heart washed from wickedness He is a man that will not pay God with a sighing and going backward he is not satisfied that his pollutions he knows them and his uncleannesses are with him No no he must be further benn nothing but bosomewashing heart-cleansing will satisfy and he must be set seriously on work to that and whereas other folk take their Faith their Hope and Confidence to play them with all the stock that he hath of Faith Hope and Confidence or that he can win to he puts it out to help to purge his heart according to that word Act. 19.5 Purifying their hearts by faith It not only imports that the Israelite indeed finds that there is no way of purging he heart but by Faith in Christ But further if he get any Faith he sets it on work to purifie his heart And 1 Joh. 3.3 He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure If he get any hope of being made like Christ his sense of the pollution of his heart is such that it sets him on work to purify the heart 4. This endeavour of a true Israelite will not be altogether in vain and without success but he may win
hopelesness in thy condition runs away from God take heed what thou dost thou looks on thy case as incurable and what will thou do with it If thou run away where will thou go next Thy case must either break thee or thou will grow stupid under it and besides if thou run away thou reproaches the mercy of God so far as thou can while thou runs from him with any condition how desperat and irrecoverable so ever and will thou bring up an ill report on his mercy as if there were no cure in it for thy case When thou should rather sing as David Psal 13.5 In opposition to every hopeless like case But I have trusted in thy mercy my heart shall rejoyce in thy salvation O then take heed that thou reproach not nor bring not up an ill report on this rich full mercy in God by running from it whatever thy condition be 3. Come here all ye that are making mercy your refuge under all your pressures miseries troubles temptations desertion or whatever ail you that know no other door to knock at but mercy in God ye have no song but that one which David had Psal 13. before cited and that I can never often enough repeat though God seem to forget him for ever and hide his face for ever from him though when he takes counsel in his soul he hath sorrow in his heart daily though his enemies had exalted themselves and said they had prevailed over him and reâ—oyced and the sleep of death seems to approach he hath nothing to all that But I have trusted in thy mercy Take a look how richly thou art made up that trusts in this mercy Remember the song that follows in that Psalm â—nd thou will not find it an heartless shift My heart says â—e shall rejoice in thy salvation I will sing to the Lord because â—e hath dealt bountifully with me And the Psalmist sings Psal 31.7 I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy Why For thou hast considered my trouble thou hast known my soul in adversity I got acquaintance with thee in adversity which otherwise I had not been capable of therefore I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy and consider that sweet song Psal 136.23 Who remembred us in our low estate Why for his mercy endureth for ever or as Hezekiah hath it Isai 38.27 He loved my soul from the pit of corruption That is the word in the Original His love and mercy have an Adamantine vertue to draw a soul out of the pit of corruption when he remembers us in our low estate consider thou that hast made mercy thy refuge how sweetly it can kep a deep distress Psal 69.15 Let not the water flood overflow me hear me O Lord for thy loving kindness is good turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies And Psal 86.14 O God the proud are risen up against me and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul but thou O Lord art a God full of compassion gracious long suffering and plenteous in mercy and truth O turn unto me and have mercy on me Consider what a good account of very hopeless tryals mercy will give Jam. 5.11 Ye have heard of Jobs patience and have seen the end of the Lord and what was the end of the Lord even this That the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy O but they are sad difficulties which tender mercy and pity in God will not afford relief unto and therefore think not your self in a poor plight who have mercy for your refuge who have no song to sing But I have trusted c. 4. When ye have closed with and are made up by this mercy look how ye improve it and do not abuse it I confess the want of the faith of mercy in a strait is an estranging thing Zech. 11.8 My soul loathed them and their soul also abhorred me but when thou grips to mercy see what influence it hath on thy heart for warming it for putting it in a sweet and tender frame on thy part may I say it I defie folk to abuse mercy taken by the right handle O the alluring melting constraining perswading power that is in mercy rightly closed with and O that folk could win to this gate of making use of mercy Rom. 11.1 The Apostle in pressing holiness saith I beseech you brethren by the mercy of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice c. And I may allude to that Phil. 2.1 If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels of mercy fulfil ye my joy If folk knew what overcoming mercy means they would let it be seen in a tender walk Thou talks of mercy yet thou art not overcome with it thou art not melted nor made more tender by it what a cheater of thy self and abuser of mercy art thou Remember the abuse of outward mercies will make a sad dittay Ezra 9. If after all these we break his commands But ah what shall be said when folk pretend to special mercy and abuse it But 5. Among other Uses that ought to be made of believed and closed with mercy this is one That we learn to be merciful Luke 6.36 We must be merciful as is our heavenly Father even in loving enemies c. Ye heard in the morning from Mat. 5.7 That it is the merciful that obtain mercy And that Parable of the man that had much forgiven him and would not forgive his fellow servant but cast him in prison Mat. 18.23 It was a sad evidence that he was not pardoned himself In a word thou who art much in mercies common it will make thee of a merciful meek temper which is that pressed Tit. 3.2 That we should speak evil of no man be no brawlers c. but gentle shewing meekness to all men seeing we our selves were sometime disobedient deceived serving divers lusts But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost A boisterous malitious unmerciful temper in any is but a poor Evidence that such live under the drop of the multitude of the tender mercies that are with God But the time being ended I leave this great Point and you to the rich blessing of this merciful God To whom be glory SERMON XLI Psalm 130. Verse 7 For with the Lord there is mercy THe Songs of the people of God while they are within time are made up of very mixed Notes yet in this they are sweet that their over-word or last word is still the best of it Poor and needy are they and may they be yet they are thought upon by God Troubled they may be but not distrest perplext but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but
a Doctrine I shal briefly hint at some Scriptures which will give you some light in what it is The first is that Deut. 8.15 16. Wherein the Lord tells he led his people through a great and terrible wilderness wherein were fiery serpents and scorpions and drought and brought water to them out of the flint and fed them with Manna which their fathers knew not Wherefore That he might humble and prove them to do them good at their latter end These Dispensations were humbling and proving humbling not crushing for ye will get crushing without Prayer and discouragement without pains but humbling must be the product of Prayer and pains they are not humbled says the Lord even to this day Jer. 44.10 Every broken body is not an humbled body though from pride of heart they may be irritat cankered crusht and to help to this proving must be added which brings discoveries and folk would try what discoveries their being put to send by Faith brings forth and lays before them proving will often bring butt that which ye thought was not ther benn as ye use to speak passion pride fretting haste a legion of foul evils and it would bod well if when folks are put to fend by Faith amongst the Promises if they met with such discoveries and saw ugly bossoms and were bearing about their abominations and humbled under them Another Scripture that will hint a word of Direction to you what your work should be while put to fend by Faith is that Jer. 2.19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee and thy backslidings shall reprove thee know then and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord c. This is it I was on in the morning Repentance Repentance O! how abasing is it when our wickedness and backsliding are sent to reprove and convert us not only in keeping up the performance of Promises but in the execution of threatnings when God makes all the world vvise of a peoples vvickedness vvhen he goes as it vvere to the street vvith their faults vvhen he spits in their face and shoots them vvith Miriam without the camp and it vvere a blest vvork if this led to Repentance And a 3d piece of vvork I vvould recommend to you is to see if ye can believe indeed Try if ye have Faith and a vvell breathed Faith a biding Faith that will sett its face to a storm remember that word that Christ hath to his disciples Mark 4.40 Why are ye so fearful O! ye of little faith Hovv is it that ye have no Faith vvhen they in a storm like to drovvn and cryed Master cares thou not that we perish vvhen he has rebuked the vvind and sea he gives them this check There are many vvho for all the times and exercises have past over them have had some dreilling and skirmishes for Faith vvhich are presently discust but God may see it meet to give them exercise for a fight of Faith to see if their Faith be a fresh-weather-Faith or a Faith that vvill venture on the Deep at his vvord and look that Christ have not that to say Why are ye so fearful how is it that ye have no faith He is learning his people to believe vvhen he puts them to live and fend among the Promises by Faith And a 4th word I give you vvhich I vvill not say should be vvritten upon gold Letters but upon your hearts vvho vvould fend by Faith amongst the Promises till the performance come and it is that Rev. 3.10 Here is the patience and faith of the saints Having spoken before of sore troubles vvhy is Patience put first and then Faith because many a time Faith may not have a turn to put its hand to but to vvait for God and see if ye can vvin to that Faith vvhich vvhen it has not a turn to do but patiently wait on God is about that And a fifth vvord I recommend to you is that spoken of David Acts 13.36 It is said After he had served his own generation by the will of God he fell on sleep Whatever may be the particular meaning of the place it may safely be taken up thus That David took his generation work as God put it in his hand he was not a carver or prescriber but a submitter to God if it was a generation vvork a work commanded by God and necessary for him to be studied vvhen the people of God are put to fend by Faith amongst the Promises till performance come O! what thoughts of heart will they have were they thus and thus employed how refreshful vvould it be to them but many have no more but that they are cast idle and necessitat to sit idle at Christ's feet and look up to him and their idleness is very unpleasant to flesh But thou vvho art in that posture vvould learn to believe thou can never be put out of Work A godly man can never be an idle man change his vvork he may but idle he cannot be were it but to bear and submit to want of work it is work And O! how sweet is that let the saint be tost as a ball in a large place they are always at work acceptable to God And then ye would learn to see beauty in a generation work be what it will that is the knack of it to speak so the main thing to be noticed If thou be serving thy generation by the will of God however it be in a work that is unpleasant to thee even thy idleset thy humbling work thou should learn to see a beauty in it that thou may lay it on his altar as an acceptable service to him as if thou were at work more refreshing to thee These are some few thoughts why the Lord on several accounts holds his people at the trade of Faith and sends them to fend by Faith among the Promises till the performance come I shall go no further The Lord bless his word to you SERMON XLV Psalm 130. Verse 8. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities I Am now drawing towards a close of this Psalm upon which I have insisted so long upon the account of the constant and universal usefulness of the subject matter therein contianed From the Arguments encouraging Israel to hope in God which is the Exhortation in the 7 verse from these Arguments I say to press and invite to hope in God I have been marking somewhat that is supposed that is the case of God's Israel who are invited to hope and allowed to hope in God that they are under misery and bondage and particularly under the bondage of sin And I have spoken also to what is proposed for their encouragement as 1. That there is mercy with God 2. That with him there is plenteous redemption And 3. From the connexion betwixt the seventh and eighth Verses That what is in God and with God for the behove of his people will undoubtedly be put forth and
sin but he sets them on work to purge out all sin and in due time he will redeem them from the reliques and remainders of sin every thing that hath the relique or remainder of iniquity in it he will redeem them from it in due time And 4. Ye would consider the object of this mercy who they are that he will redeem from all iniquity they are his people Israel the object of God's power and mercy in redeeming in his being a propitiation for sin in redeeming from the power and guilt of sin are Israel and they only That as Adam when he fell drew all his seed along into perdition with himself So Christ the second Adam will redeem all his seed which is the true import of that comparison institute betwixt the first Adam and the second Rom. 5. and not to prove an universal redemption for then as all fell in Adam so all should be actually redeemed and liberat by Christ but the meaning is That as in Adam all his seed fell with him so by Christ all his seed are redeemed and as in Adam all fell not Christ was excepted so by Christ all are not redeemed his seed only are recovered This is a Point I need not enter to debate It is too evident many are not redeemed by Christ for many have not the outward means that make offer of redemption by Christ many never heard tell of Christ and if Christ had payed a price for all it were not agreeable to Justice that so many should be put to suffer punishment in hell It is clear also from that that Christ would not pray for the world Joh. 17.9 And he did not die for them for whom he would not pray and he doth not sanctifie himself for all therefore he redeems not all and yet this needs be no impediment to them to look to him for Redemption who find their need of him their fleeing to him for refuge and gripping to him for satisfaction opens up the council of God that they are among the given ones to be redeemed by Christ only remember that as none of God's Israel are secluded from this redemption how worthless soever they be Though they may be secluded from these gifts and measures of graces afforded to others yet not from this redemption from all iniquity That is the common-good of all that 's the nail fastned in the sure place on which all the vessels of greater and smaller quantity are hung so on the other hand it is to Israel alone and to none other that this redemption is ensured Having thus explained the Point it remains That we should draw some Uses from it and put a close to the Psalm and there are four or five words of inference that I would give you from what hath been said 1. See here what is the great concerning business the chief Interest and exercise of the true Israel of God It is the matter of iniquity what to do with it how to be rid of it and delivered from it therefore after all the former encouragements to hope in God That with him is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption this comes in as the reserve that he shall redeem Israel from all his Iniquities To tell that the great exercise of a true Israelite will be about iniquity the conscience of sin and guilt what to do with that how to get the conscience pacified in reference to it this exercise is a great stranger in the visible Church there may be much trouble of mind where the conscience is dormient and sleeping There may be much vexation and fashâ—ie about trouble and cross dispensations of providence when guilt is little minded but ye would look to it I shall not say they are not Israelites that fall into this error but surely it looks not like a true Israelite where sin is not made the main exercise where daily searching out of sin and endeavours to have the conscience purified and purged from guilt is not folks great task And I shall add that exercise about sin and guilt would give a more comfortable account about trouble If we were studying to have this Text made out to us He shall redeem Israel out of all his iniquities we should find that of Psal 25. Redeem Israel O God out of all his troubles also made out to us redemption from iniquity would bod well were a good prognostick of redemption from trouble for as ye heard from Isai 10.12 Trouble hath a work on Mount Zion and if ye would know what that is see 27.9 By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin when he maketh all the stones of the Altar as chalk stones c. Were trouble getting its work it should have the less ado when it had gotten its errand and therefore ye that are fasht and vexed folks with the Cross tost with many troubles shall I say to you that ye run long on little ground and to little purpose if ye had more ado about sin ye should have less ado about trouble or your exercise about it should soon be discust Therefore look on it as a mark of a true Israelite that whatever exercise he have sin is the greatest exercise 2. Whereas folk may seem to have some exercise about sin but all that it amounts to is to take with sin and grip to pardoning mercy and this is very common in the visible Church to name sin and to name pardon and upon the naming of sin to make a present Plaister of pardon and there is an end To obviat this mistake take this word That the pardon of sin and purging out of sin must go together hand in hand But in this mistake me not I would hurt none nor have I commission to hurt any Ye may remember that when I was on the 4th Verse I told you that the filthiness of sin remains after the pardon of sin but remember also that I then told you God strikes at the guilt and power of sin both at once that where Christ comes with the merit of his death he comes also with the power of his death he lays the Axe to the root of the Tree but I would not be mistaken in this either the pardoned sinner gets not the power of sin presently subdued yea when he is pardoned the power of sin may fash him more than before and when sin is in the dead-throws it may vex him most with strugling Many a sad bout may pardoned sinners have alongst their life with their predominants but where-ever God pardons sin he sets folks to be in necks with sin and to have the dominion and power of sin subdued that sin reign not in their mortal bodies they and sin will not dwell in peace in one house they will not be taken alive captive without a scart they oppose it and protest against the prevailing of it they sin not with full consent And O! but this