stedfast in his Covenant Many have a little forced Religion in their Extremities but it weareth off with their Trouble Sin is but suspended for a while and the Devil chained up they are very good under the Rod they are frighted to it but after the Deliverance cometh the more prophane It is true many may begin with God in their Troubles and their Necessities drive them to the Throne of Grace and Christ had never heard of many if Feavours and Palsies and Possessions and Blindness Deafness and Dumbness had not brought them unto him thanks to the Disease but if a course of Godliness begin upon these occasions and continue afterwards God will accept it He is willing to receive us upon any terms Men will say you come to me in your Extremity but he doth not upbraid us provided we will come so as to abide with him and will not turn the back upon him when our turn is served if you doe so take heed God hath other Judgments to reach you as Iohn said Matth. 3. 11 12. He that cometh after me is mightier than I whose shoos I am not worthy to bear He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire Whose fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into the garner but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire So that which cometh after is mightier than that which went before the last Judgment is the heaviest The Ax is laid to the root of the Tree therefore every Tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire Matth. 3. 10. He will not onely lop off the Branches but strike at the Root as the Sodomites that escaped the Sword of Chedorlaomer perished by Fire from Heaven The Israelites that were not drowned in the Red Sea were stung to death by Fiery Serpents As if a man did flee from a Lyon and a Bear met him or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall and a Serpent bit him Amos 5. 19. When you avoid one Judgment you may meet another and find a stroke where you think your selves most secure Use 1. Let us consider these things that we may profit by all the Chastenings of the Lord. It is now a time of Affliction both as to publick Judgments and as to the private Condition of many of the People of God we have been long straying from God from our Duty from one another it was high time for the Lord to take his Rod in his hand and to scourge us home again Upon these Three Nations there is somewhat of God's Three great Judgments War Pestilence and Famine they are all dreadfull The Pestilence is such a Judgment as turneth Populous Cities into Desers and Solitudes in a short time then one cannot help another Riches and Honour profit nothing then and Friends and Kinsfolks stand afar off Many die without any spiritual Helps In War what Destructions and Slaughters expence of Bloud and Treasure In Famine you feel your selves to die without a Disease know not where to have fuel to allay and feed the fire which Nature hath kindled in your Bodies But blessed be God all these are in moderation Pestilence doth not ragingly spread the War is at a distance the Famine onely a scarcity Before God stirreth up all his Wrath he observeth what we doe with these beginnings Besides the People of God are involved in an heap of Miseries on all hands the oppressed dejected Party burthened with jealousies and ready to be haled to Prison and put under restraint Holy men sometimes have personal Afflictions added to the publick Calamities Ieremy was cast into the Dungeon when the City was besieged The Chaff and Grain both are threshed together but the Grain is besides ground in the Mill and baked in the Oven Besides who thinks of his strayings and returning with a more severe Resolution to his Duty If we would profit by Afflictions we must avoid both the faulty extreams Heb. 12. 5. My Son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him Slighting and Fainting must be avoided 1. Let us not slight them When we bear them with a stupid senseless mind surely that hindereth all Profit None can endure to have their Anger despised no more than their Love a Father is displeased when his Child slights his Correction That we may not slight it let us consider 1. Their Authour God We think them fortuitous from chance but they do not rise out of the dust Job 5. 6. Whoever be the Instruments or whatever be the means the Wise God hath the whole ordering of it He is the first Cause He is to be sought to He is to be appeased if we would stop Evil at the Fountain head for all Creatures willingly or unwillingly obey him and are subject to his Empire and Government Amos 3. 6. Is there any evil in the City and I have not done it saith the Lord Isa. 45. 7. I form the Light and create Darkness I make Peace and create Evil I the Lord doe all these things Job 1. 21. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away 2. The meritorious Cause is Sin Lamentat 3. 39. Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his Sin that first brought Mischief into the World and still continueth it God never afflicts without a cause either we need it or we deserve it Micah 7. 9. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him untill he plead my cause and execute Iudgment for me he will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his Righteousness We should search for the particular Sins that provoke God to afflict us for while we onely speak of Sin in general we do but inveigh against a Notion and personate a Mourning but those we can charge upon our selves are most proper and powerfull to break the heart 3. The end is our Repentance and Amendment to correct Sin past or prevent Sin to come 1. For Correction to make us more penitent for Sin past We being in a lower sphere of understanding know things better by their Effects than their Nature Ier. 2. 19. Thine own wickedness shall correct thee and thy backslidings shall reprove thee know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and that my fear is not in thee saith the Lord of Hosts Moral Evil is represented to us by natural Evil Pain sheweth what Sin is 2. For prevention of Sin for time to come The Smart should make us cautious and watchfull against Sin Ioshua 22. 17 18. Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us from which we are not cleansed to this day although there was a Plague in the Congregation of the Lord but that ye must turn away this day from following the Lord And it will be seeing ye rebel to
the default of our portion but the distemper of our hearts In choosing God for our portion one hath not the less because another enjoyeth it with him here is a sharing without Division and a partaking without the prejudice of Copartners We straiten others in worldly things so much as we are inlarged our selves finite things cannot be divided but they must be lessened they are not large enough to be parted but every one possesseth all that is good in God who hath God for his portion As the same Speech may be heard of all and yet no man heareth the less because others hear it with him or as no man hath the less light because the Sun shineth on more than himself the Lord is all in all the more we possess him the better As in a Quire of Voices every one is not only solaced with his own voice but with the Harmony of those that sing in consort with him Many a fair stream is drawn dry by being dispersed into several channels but that which is infinite will suffice all 4. He is Eternally Good Psalm 73. 26. God is the strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever The Good things of this life are perishing and of a short continuance we leave other Good things when we come to take full possession of God At death wicked men perceive their error when the Good they have chosen cometh to be taken from them but a man that hath chosen God then entreth into the full possession of him That which others shun he longeth for waiting for that time when the Creature shall cease and God shall be all in all O let all these things perswade us to love God and so to love him that our hearts may be drawn off from other things Let us love him because of the goodness and amiableness of his Nature because of his bounty in our Creation Redemption and daily Providence and because he will be our God for ever 7. God's Goodness is our Consolation and Support in all Afflictions God is a gracious Father and all that he doth is Acts of Grace and Goodness even the sharpest of his Administrations are absolutely the best for us Psalm 73. 1. Truly God is good to Israel all his Work is good as in the six days so in constant Providence it is either good or it will turn to good Rom. 8. 28. All things shall work together for good to them that love God God may change our Condition yet he doth not change his Affection to us he is all good and doth that which we shall find good at length 8. It is the ground of Prayer if we lack any good thing he hath it and is ready to communicate it The Goodness of God as it doth stir up Desire in us so Hope as it stirreth a Desire to communicate of his Fulness so a Hope that surely the good God will hear us He is not sparing of what he can doe for us Iames 1. 5. If any of you lack Wisdome let him ask it of God who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him Our Wants send us to the Promises and the Promises to God Use 1. Is to press us to imitate our Heavenly Father you should be good and doe good as he is good and doth good for every Disposition in God should leave an answerable Character and Impression upon their Souls that profess themselves to be made Partakers of a Divine Nature therefore it should be our great care and study to be as good and doe as much good as possibly we can He is one like God that is good and doth good therefore still be doing good to all especially to the houshold of Faith Gal. 6. 10. As we have therefore opportunity let us doe good to all men especially unto them who are of the houshold of Faith With Matth. 5. 44 45. Love your Enemies bless them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you That ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven for he maketh his Sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust Luke 6. 35. But love ye your Enemies and doe good and lend hoping for nothing again and your Reward shall be great and ye shall be the Children of the Highest for he is kind unto the unthankfull and to the evil 2 Pet. 1. 7. Add to Godliness Brotherly Kindness and to Brotherly kindness Charity Not doing good to our own Party or those of our Friendship but to all So generally all good is to be done as well as that of Bounty and Beneficence Luke 6. 45. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and it is said of Barnabas Acts 11. 24. He was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of Faith A good Man is always seeking to make others good as Fire turneth all thing about it into Fire The Title signifies one not onely of a mild Disposition but of an holy heavenly Heart that maketh it his business to honour God So Ioseph of Arimathea is said to be a good man and a just this is to be like God Use 2. Is Direction to you in the business of the Lord's Supper God is good and doth good 1. Here you come to remember his Goodness to you in Christ. Now the Goodness of God should never be thought on or commemorated but your Hearts should be raised in the wonder and admiration of it Psalm 31. 19. O how great is thy Goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee And Psalm 36. 7. How excellent is thy loving kindness O God! therefore the Children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings This should be delightfull work to you and not gone about with dead and careless hearts We cannot express our selves many times strong Passions do not easily get a vent little things may be greatned by us but great things indeed strike us dumb however our Hearts should be deeply affected and possessed with this we should be full of such admiring Thoughts 2. We come for a more intimate and renewed Tast. By Tast I mean spiritual Sense to have the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given to us Rom. 5. 5. We come to the Feast of the Soul that our hungry Consciences may tast of the Fatness of God's House Psalm 65. 4. That our thirsty Souls may drink of the Rivers of his Pleasure Psalm 16. 11. To have some pledg of the Joys of Heaven if not to ravishment and sensible reviving yet such as may put us out of relish with carnal Vanities some gracious experiences that may make us long for more and go away lauding God 3. To stir up our Love to God as the most lovely
being near of kin to him she comes in a cunning manner under pretence to worship him and propounds a general question to him she does not at first propose the particular but says in general I have a certain thing to request of thee And what was her Request That one of my sons may sit on thy right hand and the other on the left in thy kingdom Saith Christ To sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father Mark out of this Story you learn how apt Christ's own Disciples are to dote upon worldly honor and greatness The sons of Zebedee Iames and Iohn those two worthy Disciples employ their mother to Christ in such a message they were dreaming of earthly Kingdoms and worldly honor that should be shared between them notwithstanding Christ taught them rather to prepare for Crosses in this world Do but reflect the light of this upon your own hearts Do we think we are better than those Apostles And that it is an easie thing to shut the love of the world and the honor thereof out of our hearts since they were so inchanted with the witchery of it therefore Christ tells them ver 22. Alas poor Creatures ye know not what ye ask can you pledge me in my Cup and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with We know not what we do when we are hunting after high places in the world we are to pledge Christ in his bitter Cup before our advancement come Nay to prove this is not only the bare worldlings disease but it is very incident to the choicest of God's people for after Christ had suffer'd and rose again the Apostles were not dispossess'd of this humor but still did dream of worldly ease and honor therefore they come to Christ with this question Acts 1. 6. Lord wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel meaning in the Iewish sense break the Roman yoke and give them power and dominion over the Nations hoping for a great share to themselves when this work was done Thus you see humane weakness and the love of worldly honor bewrays itself in Christ's own Disciples One instance more in Ier. 45. 5. of Baruch Seekest thou great things for thy self seek them not Baruch he was Ieremiah's Scribe had written his Prophesie and believed it that dreadful Roll written it over yet he was seeking some great thing for himself The best are apt to think they shall shift well enough for themselves in the world therefore saith Ieremiah for thou to have thoughts of honor and credit and a peaceful and prosperous Estate when all is going to rack and ruine never dream upon such a matter Now judge whether there be not great cause that God should bring his people to such a condition that they should carry their life in their hands from day to day that he might cure them of this distemper 4. That they may value Eternal Life the more which they would not do if they had a stable condition here in the world After death there will be a life out of all danger and a life that is not in our hands but in the hands of God none can take that life from us which God keepeth in Heaven Now that they might look after this life and value and prize it the more they are expos'd to hazards and dangers here The Apostle saith 1 Cor. 15. 19. If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable When they find the present life incumbred with so many sorrows and expos'd to so many dangers then they conclude surely there 's a better and safer estate for the people of God elsewhere in Heaven God's people cannot be of all men most miserable there is another life they have hopes in Christ and for other things therefore they long for it and look for it Heb. 13. 14. Here we have no abiding city but we seek one to come All things are liable to uncertainties and apparent troubles that we might look after that estate where the sheep of Christ shall be safely lodg'd in their eternal fold now God by their condition doth as it were say to them as Micah 2. 10. Arise this is not your rest Your stable comforts your everlasting enjoyments are not here here all our comforts are in our hands ready to deliver them up from day to day 5. God doth by his righteous Providence cause it to be so that his People carry their life in their hands to try their affections to him and his Word When we sail with a full stream of Prosperity we may be of God's side and party upon foreign and accidental reasons now God will see if we love Christ for his own sake and his ways as they are his ways when separated from any temporal interest yea when expos'd to scorn disgrace and trouble It is easie to be good when it costs us nothing and the wind blows in our backs rather than in our faces the state of affairs is for us rather than against us Halcyon times and times of rest are times of breeding the Church but stormy times are times of trying the Church 1 Pet. 4. 12. Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing hapned unto you God will put us into his Furnace there will a fiery trial come to see if we have the same affection to truth when it is safe to own it and when it is dangerous to own it when it is hated and maligned in the world Few Professors can abide God's trial Zech. 13. 9. I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined and will try them as gold is tried When two parts fall away there 's a third part refined and tried by trials When the generality proves dross or chaff or stubble in the Furnace there are some good metal preserved and shine brighter for trial as their zeal is increas'd and their grace kept more lively and their faith and dependance upon a continual exercise God will try whether we can live upon invisible supports and go on chearfully in the performance of our duty in the midst of all difficulty without these outward encouragements They are proved that they may be improved 6. God doth cause such things to befal his People to shew his power both in their preservation and in over-ruling all those cross Providences for their good 1 His power in their preservation when they have no temporal interests to back them God will shew he can preserve his People Psal. 97. 1. The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoice let the multitude of isles be glad thereof It is well that the Lord reigns else how could his People stand The Lord reigns and the multitude of Isles they have a share in the joy and benefit One
this may put us upon great seeming zeal and activity So for profit to make a Market of Religion as the Pharisees got themselves credit to be trusted with Widows Estates by their long prayers these are rotten principles Then some are more tolerable not so bad principles as the former as when we serve God out of hope of temporal mercy as when they howl upon their beds for Corn Wine and Oil Hos. 7. 4. or for fear of temporal Judgments when men hang down their heads like a Bull-rush for a while or else for mere fear of eternal death they shall else be damned When Mens Duties are a sin-offering a sleepy sop to appease an accusing Conscience But then there are some that are lawful good and sound as when Duties are done out of the impulsion of an enlightened Conscience that urgeth them to that which is good or upon the bare Command of God his authority swaying the Conscience or when they walk in the ways of God out of the consideration of the reward to come a respect to Heaven this is very good in its place Again there are some excellent principles of Grace and which do most of all discover a Gospel Spirit a well tempered frame of Soul to God and these are love to God because of his benefits and love to us gratitude and thankfulness 1 Iohn 4. 19. We love him because he first loved us And Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you by the mercies of God When we serve him out of love Again when we serve him out of delight out of love to the Duty find such a complacency in the work that we love the work for the works sake as David I love thy Law because it is pure when we love the Law for the purity of it Or when the Glory of God prevails above all our own interests Or when the promises and Covenant of God enabling of us that 's our principle Heb. 10. 16. I observe this Men usually are brought on from one sort of principle to another from sinful principles they are brought to tolerable and lawful and from lawful to those that are rare and excellent 2. This is such a mercy as gives us hope of more mercy in that kind If God hath held us up and we have been safe hitherto then we may say Thou hast held me up we may look for more new temptation will bring new strength every days work will bring its own refreshment God by giving binds himself more to give for he loves to crown his own work when he hath done good he will do good again Zech. 3. 2. Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire He hath saved us and he will save us And it holds good sometimes in temporal mercies 2 Cor. 1. 10. He hath delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver But especially it holds good in spiritual mercies 2 Tim. 4. 17. He hath delivered me out of the mouth of the Lion and the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly Kingdome One act of mercy gives us more God that hath begun will make an end he that hath kept me will keep me Use. It serves to reprove two sorts of people 1. Those that are unthankful after their deliverance We forget his care of us and never think how much we owe to him When the Marriners have gotten to the Haven and Harbour they forget the Tempest so these forget how God stood by them in the temptation and conflict they do not abound more in the work of the Lord. These are like those that would have deliverance that Thorns might be taken out of the way that they might run more readily to that which is evil 2. It reproveth those that faint and despond in Gods ways after much experiences of his help and presence with them The Israelites in the Wilderness upon every new difficulty their faith is at a loss and then back again to Egypt they would go though they had so often experience of God they would not believe him because of his wonders but forgat his works and his wonders that he had shewed them Psal. 78. 11. God had given them wonderful mercy in destroying Pharaoh that it might be meat to their faith yet they believed not Good David was ready to say I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27. 1. though he had experience upon experience We should rather encourage our selves and go on in our work notwithstanding all difficulties The last Point from the accuracy and constancy of his obedience I will have respect unto thy Statutes continually This Phrase is diversly rendered the Septuagint render it I will exercise my self in them or apply my heart to them David's regard to Gods law is diversly expressed in this Psalm Doctr. 4. Gods Precepts must be respected and consulted with as the constant measure and direction of our lives Not only respect but continual respect Gal. 6. 16. As many as walk according to this Rule it notes as many as shall walk in rank and order there needeth great accurateness and intention that we may keep within the bounds of commanded Duty So walk circumspectly Some men are so crafty through their self-deceiving hearts through their lusts and interests so doubtful that there needs a great exactness and so apt to be turned out of the way that we need a great deal of care to look to the Fountain and Principle of our actions to look to the matter manner end and weigh all circumstances that we may serve God exactly SERMON CXXIX PSAL. CXIX VER 118. Thou hast trodden down all them that erre from thy Statutes for their deceit is falshood IN the former Verse the man of God had begged establishment in the ways of God and now as an help to what he had prayed for he observe Gods Judgments on those that erre from them It is a special means to preserve us from sin to observe how mischievous it hath been to those that close with it So the Prophet here I will have respect to thy Statutes Why Thou hast trodden down them that erre from thy Statutes By this means we learn to be wise at other mens costs and are whipt upon others backs Zeph. 3. 6 7. I have cut off the Nations their Towers are made desolate their Cities are destroyed there is none inhabitant I said Surely thou wilt fear me c. God is very much disappointed if we be not bettered and improved by his Judgments Exemplo qui peccat bis peccat He that would plunge himself into a Quagmire where others have miscarried before sins doubly because he neither fears threatnings nor would take warning by their example God looks to be the more reverenced for every warning he gives us in his Providence because then what was before matter of Faith is made matter of sense and needs only a little application Thus it will be with me if I should straggle from
climb up a Ladder for execution or are carried to the top of a Rock that they may be thrown down from thence to be broken in pieces Psal. 73. 18. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places thou castedst them down into destruction II. That the wicked of the earth are as dross They are so in these respects 1. As to external shew they seem to be a part of the substance or metal but indeed they are but the filth of the metal which is wont to be consumed with fire that the metal may be purged This is fitly applied to the degenerate members of the visible Church that have only a shew of the purity of Religion but are corrupt in Faith and manners ungodly and unrighteous There are Disciples in shew and Disciples in deed Iohn 8. 31. some that live and some only that have a name to live but indeed are dead Revel 3. 4. There is a Jew outwardly and inwardly of the Letter and of the spirit Rom. 2. 28 29. there are branches in Christ by an external visible union that bring forth no fruit Iohn 15. 2. Some are Christians in name by external visible Communion others by real implantation into Christ. It concerneth us to see whether we be dross or metal living members of Christs mystical Body or only equivocally called Christians because of some loose proâ—…sion of Christs name 2. Dross is intermingled with purer metal and maketh one mass with it The wicked and the godly live together in the visible Church they are never totally severed till the great day of separation or general Judgment when the Sheep and the Goats are put apart some on Christs right hand and some on his left Here in the world as in the finest metal there is some dross and in the same field there is Chaff and Corn Matth. 13. 29. We should not leave the flowr for the Chaff but leave the Chaff that we may be pure Grain 3. In Gods esteem they are refuse drossy worthless things Ezek. 22. 19. Thus saith the Lord because ye are become dross poor unprofitable Creatures The Church and people of God because of their excellency are compared to Gold and Silver so Rev. 21. The seven golden Candlesticks As Gold is the most precious metal so is the Church much esteemed by God called Gods Jewels Mal. 3. 17. as a Diamond among an heap of Pebbles Gods Jewels of whom the world is not worthy Heb. 11. 38. his peculiar people Tit. 2. 14. God maketh no such reckoning of wicked men dross is cast away as good for nothing and all the wicked of the Earth are but as dross to so much good metal But all his Saints are much set by as the filings of Silver and Gold are precious What a difference is there between the Judgment of God and the Judgment of the world The men of the world esteem the Saints to be 1 Cor. 4. 13. the off-scowring and filth of all things as the sweeping of the City to be cast forth to the Dung-hill Whereas themselves are so indeed in Gods account but reprobate Silver Jer. 6. 30. or rather dross which is the refuse of Gold and Silver Therefore their contempt is not to be regarded how great soever they be though Potentates high in honour and place yet if ungodly and wicked God reckons them to be vile persons Dan. 11. 21. dross worthless souls Men are not valued by God for their secular interests but moral qualifications The Potentates of the Earth are not valued as his princely but holy ones The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour Prov. 12. 26. God puts the highest price upon them they are Coin and Medal who bear his own Image 4. They are consumed in tryals as Dross consumeth in the fining and trying of metals solid metal endureth but the dross is consumed which holdeth true of wicked men in two respects First Their seeming goodness is lost and the difference is seen between them and those that are sincere sound and searching Judgments discover Hypocrites as the lightness of a building is seen in a storm Matth. 7. 27. When the Rain descended and the Floods came and the Winds blew the house fell and great was the fall of it So God in the Metaphor of the Text is often said to melt and try his people Ier. 9. 7. to discover the dross from pure Gold Hirelings will soon prove Changelings when God tryeth them to purpose Secondly Their imaginary felicity vanisheth into smoke they perish the meanest as well as the greatest Thou puttest away all the wicked of the Earth like dross they are consumed in the fire of Gods wrath and destroyed Ezek. 22. 20. As they gather Silver and Brass and Iron and Lead and Tin into the midst of the furnace to blow the fire upon it to melt it so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury and I will leave you there and melt you but of this by and by Use. Let us see what we are real members of Christs Mystical Body yea or no. The wicked of the earth are as dross and the godly are the finest sort of metals To move you to consider what you are 1. Ordinarily the visible Church is so mixed that the generality thereof is unsound Zach. 13. 8. Two parts thereof shall be cut off and dye and I will bring the third part through the fire and refine them as silver is refined and try them as gold is tryed There is but one part in three sound and it were well the proportion were found every where and therefore we had need to consider who shall be saved and found faithful Luke 13. 23 24. And one said unto him Lord are there few that shall be saved and he said unto them Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many shall seek to enter and shall not be able We had need be the more earnest because the most miscarry 2. The tryals will be searching we must pass through the fire and then what will become of the dross Rev. 3. 10. An hour of temptation shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon earth And alas are we able to brook the fiery tryal 1 Pet. 4. 10. Few Professours will be able to abide it when we are to part with the sweetest of our earthly comforts yea and it may be life it self which maketh us capable to enjoy them 't is no strange thing that it should happen to us 1 Pet. 4. 12. 't is as usual as violent storms at Sea or tempestuous weather in winter when God is upon reckoning with his people such things may be expected 3. The best of us will be found but dross if God would deal with us in extremity so much of corruption cleaveth to us and so many hidden lusts do we cherish and indulge that would soon become a root of apostasie if God did not hold an hand of Grace over us but God will not be extream Isai.
their power or change their hearts or determine their interests because the Omnisciency of God is a great Deep 't is a great relief to the soul to consider the several ways that God hath to right us either by changing the hearts of the Persecutors and Oppressors Acts 9. 31. Then had the Churches rest throughout all Iudea Galilee and Samaria and were edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and the comforts of the Holy Ghost were multiplied They had nothing to do but to build up one another When was that when Paul was converted he was an active instrument against the Church and God turned his heart then had the Churches rest Or else the Lord may do it by determining their interests that they shall shew favour to his people though their hearts be not changed Prov. 16. 7. When a mans ways please the Lord he maketh his enemies to be at peace with him Enemies while enemies may be at peace with us please men and you cannot say God is your friend but please God and he maketh your enemies at peace with you There is much in the secret Chain of Providence Dan. 1. 9. Now the Lord brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the Prince of the Eunuchs What was that favour To wink at him for doing that which was contrary to the Law of their Religion Or else he can break the yoke by some apparent ruining Judgments by which he will defeat all their advantages either by power or law rescuing his people out of their hands Isai. 49. 24 25. Shall the prey be taken from the mighty or the lawful Captive delivered But thus saith the Lord The Captains of the mighty shall be taken away and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered He will contend with him that contendeth with thee and will save thy Children Whether they plead might or right when God goeth that way to work nothing shall lett no power shall be able to detain what God will have delivered and restored Or it may be by some secret ways God will bring on some Judgment Iob 20. 26. A fire not blown shall consume him that is the Oppressor a curse not invented by those he hath wronged or any man else but sent immediately by God It shall come no body knoweth how Therefore we should not be discouraged with unlikelihoods when we go to God who hath many ways which poor short-sighted Creatures cannot foresee Secondly He is ready The love which the Lord hath for his afflicted people will not suffer his Justice to be long at quiet That God is ready to help and deliver three things will evidence First 'T is his Nature to pity and shew mercy to the Oppressed and to revenge the Oppressor He pitieth the afflictions of them that suffer most justly and far beneath their desert from his own hand Iudg. 10. 16. And they put away the strange Gods from among them and served the Lord and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel And 2 Kings 14. 26. For the Lord saw the exceeding bitter affliction of Israel how much more will he pity them that are unworthily oppressed Isai. 63. 9. In all their afflictions he was afflicted Acts 7. 34. I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt and have heard their groaning c. And the Lords pitiful Nature doth incline him to deliver his people And when the oppressed cry I will hear them for I am gracious Exod. 22. 21 22 23 24 25 26 27. Secondly 'T is his usual practice and custome Psal. 103. 6. The Lord executeth judgment and righteousness for all that are oppressed If for all surely for his people He sits in Heaven on purpose to rectifie the disorders of men So Psal. 34. 19. Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord delivereth them out of them all God hath a Plaister for every wound Gods people plunge themselves into trouble and his mercy delivereth them out of it Thirdly 'T is his Office as Judge of the world Psal. 94. 2. Lift up thy self thou Iudg of the Earth render a reward to the proud Shall not the Iudg of the Earth do right Look upon him only in that Notion according to our natural Conceptions as the supreme Cause and Judg of all things Again his Office as Protector of his people he is in Covenant with them he is their Sun and Shield he is the refuge of the oppressed his peoples refuge in time of trouble Psal. 9. 9. When they have none else to fly to he will be their refuge Thirdly He will do it when 't is good and necessary For God hath made promises and repeated promises of deliverance and surely these are not in vain If God had spoken but once we had no reason to doubt but he telleth us over and over again we should cast our care upon him and referr all things to him without despondency and distraction of mind Psal. 9. 18. For the needy shall not always be forgotten the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever Use. Is instruction to teach us what to do when we are oppressed 1. Patience 'T is the lot of Gods Children to be often troubled by the world and hardly used Satan is the Ruler of the darkness of this World the blind carnal malicious superstitious part of the World and they cannot away with those that would overturn Satans Kingdome The good are fewest and therefore we must look to be opprest if there be any breathing time 't is a mercy 2 Tim. 3. 12. Yea and all that will live godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution Gal. 4. 29. For as he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit even so it is now and will be so we should want our way-mark without it 2. Let us be prepared to commend our Cause to God Psal. 10. 17 18. Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear to judge the fatherless and the oppressed that the man of the earth may no more oppress God prepares the hearts of the humble How so The trouble continueth till we are sensible of the misery of the sin of the Cause Hos. 5. 15. I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offences and seek my face in their affliction they will seek me early 'T is a long time before men can be sensible of the hand of God upon them slight spirits are not grieved but Iull themselves asleep Ier. 5. 3. If they have a natural sense of the Judgment they have no sense of sin as the cause then they fly to humane help to be eased of the trouble Ier. 4. 14. Wash thy heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved how long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee When past humane help then seek the favour of God to take up the Controversie 2 Chron. 7. 14. When driven
upon us yet made we not our Prayer before the Lord our God You defeat the Dispensation now you should make up your former Negligence when we are pressed hard on all hands it should put an edge upon our Prayers otherwise our Afflictions will turn to a sad account When God sendeth a Tempest after us and this will not bring us back to him we are summoned to make our Appearance and will not come Ioab would not come till Absalom set his Barley Field on fire Use 2. To encourage us to come to God in our Afflictions now is a time to put the Promises in suit to begin an Interest if we have none to make use of it if we have any then our weakness and nothingness is discovered that we may more apply our selves to God and a time of need will be a time of help Psal. 46. 1. God is a refuge for us a very present help in Trouble that is when Trouble is Trouble indeed then therefore we should call for it most earnestly a necessitous Creature is a fit Object for Mercy You expound Providences amiss if you think Afflictions are a casting off no they are Gods Voice calling you nay his Hand pulling you to him Blessed seasons to bring God and us together then Gods aim is accomplished Hos. 5. 15. I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face in their affliction they will seek me early Isa. 26. 16. Lord in trouble have they visited thee they poured out a Prayer when thy chastening was upon them Afflictions do not work thus simply for then they would work upon all but as accompanied with some drawings of the Spirit every condition is blessed when it bringeth you nearer unto God though Crosses be great Trials to any yet if they chase us to the Throne of Grace God is not wholly gone but hath left somewhat behind him to draw us to him It is Desertion in point of Felicity but not in point of Grace Doctrine III. One great request of the Children of God in Prayer is that he would Consider their Affliction This David promiseth in the first place So elsewhere Psal 132. 1. Remember David O Lord and all his afflictions he beggeth God to take notice of his Person and Condition So also Psal. 25. 18. Look upon â—…p affliction and my pain and forgive all my sins he beggeth that his groanes might not be passed over So Hezekiah Isa. 37. 17. where many words are used to this effect Incline thine ear O Lord and hear open thine eyes and see and hear all the words that Senacherib hath sent to reproach the living God If God would but take notice hear and see all would be well And as for personal Calamities so in Publick and Church cases Psal. 80. 14. Return we beseech thee O Lord God of Hosts look down from heaven and behold and visit this Vine If God will but come and see it is enough So in the Lamentations Chap. 1. 9. O Lord behold my affliction for the enemy hath magnified himself So again ver 11. See O Lord and consider for I am become vile Yet again ver 20. Behold O Lord for I am in distress Thus do the Children of God lay open their Miseries before him in Confidence of his Pity But why do the Children of God press this point so earnestly as if they did doubt of his Providence and Omnisciency God knoweth all things and can forget nothing I Answer 1. Though God be not ignorant and unmindful of our Condition yet we are to put him in Remembrance Isa. 62. 6. Ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence and give him no rest till he establish and till he make Ierusalem a praise in the earth Christ is the Advocate we are Solicitours and Remembrancers for others and humble Supplicants for our selves indeed in so doing we do not put God in mind but put our selves in Mind of the Providence of God which is most graciously conversant about us in our aflicted Condition which is a great Comfort and Support to us The moving of God to Consider begets Faith in us that he will Consider and so we wrestle with God that we may catch an heat our selves 2. The sight of Misery is a real Argument it is clear that we are to use Arguments in Prayer for God dealeth with us as rational Creatures and as such we are to deal too with him Now among Arguments our Afflictions and Miseries are real ones they have a Voice to work upon his Pity and to move him to have Mercy upon us he being inclined to Compassion his eye doth affect his heart as a Beggar to move pity will not only plead with his Tongue but uncover his sores so do the Saints lay open their Misery and unfold their Estate before the Lord for God so loveth his People that the very show of their Miseries moveth him to help them Thus God saith that he would shew mercy to his People for I have seen with mine eyes Zech. 9. 8. God seeth our Case and every degree of our Trouble is marked by him which bringeth it the nearer to his heart yea Gods People themselves are comforted under their saddest sufferings by the Lords seeing and marking thereof Psal. 10. 14. Thou hast seen it for thou beholdest mischief and spight to requite it with thy hand it is enough to them thou hast seen it So Psal. 31. 7. I will be glad and rejoyce in thy mercy for thou hast considered my trouble and known my soul in adversities It is a mighty comfort that God hath an eye upon them in particular and hath friendly Affections towards them 3. The Lord is said to consider when he doth in effect declare his not forgetting or remembring us for good and therefore though God cannot but see and consider our Trouble yet we cannot rest satisfied with it till by real effects he maketh it evident that we may know and all the World may know that he doth consider us and regard our condition and this is that which Saints beg so earnestly that he would by some act or work experiment the Truth or make it appear that he hath heard and seen and taken notice of our sorrows Though the Saints believe his omnisciency and particular Providence yet they cannot rest satisfied til they feel it by some effect by giving real support or help in need according to Covenant and so must all the places before mentioned be interpreted Use. When we or the Church of God or any of the People of God are in any distress 1. Let us go to God and beg that we may see and the World may see that he hath regard to us in our sorrows and doth not wholly pass us over To this end impress upon your hearts the belief of these two things the Eye of his Pity and the Arm of his Power 1. The Eye of his Pity which is more then bare omnisciency it
48. 10. Behold I have refined thee but not with silver I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction that is not so throughly silver is not refined till all the dross be consumed and wrought out of it and when should we see good day if God should so refine us 4. They are not reckoned to dross but metal that walk answerable to their profession and obligations to God as becometh his peculiar people to do they are not satisfied with common mercies A man may have the world at will and yet be a cast-away they must have something peculiar and distinguishing Psal. 119. 132. Look upon me and be merciful unto me as thou usest to do to them that love thy name things that can never be given in anger They do not rest in common Grace Heb. 6. 9. But we hope better things of you and things that do accompany salvation Those good moods in Hypocrites and Temporaries Nor content themselves with a common conversation 1 Cor. 3. 3. Are ye not carnal and walk as men 1 Pet. 4. 4. Wherein they think it strange that you run not with them into the same excess of riot Matth. 5. 46. If you love them that love you what reward have ye do not even the Publicans the same You should do something rare and singular not in an ordinary loose rate III. That it is God's business in heaven to put away the wicked as dross to sever them from the purer metal 1. God hath many ways and means to do it partly by his Judgments he doth it more and more Matth. 3. 12. His Fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his Floor and gather his Wheat into the Garner but he will burn up the Chaff with unquenchable fire As the Chaff from Corn so Dross from Metal Isai. 4. 4. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the Daughter of Zion and shall have purged the bloud of Ierusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning that is by the Judgment executed upon the evil among them Ezek. 20. 38. And I will purge out from among them the Rebels and them that transgress against me This God doth by destroying wasting Judgments 2. Partly by the censures of the Church 1 Cor. 5. 9. Put away from among your selves that wicked person And partly by the stroke of the Civil Magistrate and their punishments Prov. 25. 4 5. Take away the dross from the silver and there shall come forth a vessel for the Finer Take away the wicked from before the King and his Throne shall be established in righteousness Thus doth God do it now but he will fully and finally do it at the last Judgment when there shall be a perfect separation of them and all the wicked shall be cast away as refuse Matth. 25. 32 33. Before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth his Sheep from the Goats and he shall set the Sheep on his right hand and the Goats on his left hand there is a congregation and then a segregation never to meet more nor be mingled more Now God doth it in part but then more fully 2. The Reasons First God doth so lest the silver it self should be turned into dross We are apt to corrupt one another natural corruption within meeting with examples without Isai. 6. 5. Wo is me I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell among a people of unclean lips As a man that hath the matter of a Disease prepared coming into infectious Company is soon infected Gods choicest people have much dross in them therefore the Lord needeth to purge out their dross the purest Church is apt to contract pollution and to degenerate and the choice Plants of the Covenant-Stocks to run wild were it not for these dispensations Secondly That impunity may not harden the wicked and encourage others God suffereth it as long as he judgeth it expedient Eccl. 8. 11. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the sons of men are fully set in them to do evil Psal. 9. 16. The Lord is known by the Iudgments he executeth the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Men sin the more freely and securely when a Judgment doth not presently overtake them when sinners go on without any mark of Gods vengeance but God will in every Age clear his Providence by bringing of Judgments upon wicked men Thirdly The nearer they are to God the more hateful their provocations are and more severely punished Amos 3. 2. You have I known of all the families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities For their sins the valley of vision is brought to barrenness They sin against the clearest light the dearest love the highest engagements to the contrary and therefore when they are mingled among his people as dross with the silver God putteth them away Use. Is to inform us that God in his judicial proceedings will distinguish he will divide the dross from the other metal that he may destroy the one and preserve the other David prayeth Psal. 26. 9. Gather not my soul with sinners nor my life with bloody men that God would not lay him common with the wicked God hath his Harvest for cutting down for cutting and binding together those that sinned Now David prayeth That he that had severed himself in his course of life might not be gathered with them in their punishment God will distinguish his Judgments are for the destruction of the worser sort and the amendment of the better When he severeth the dross he hath a care of the silver Though never so terrible to the wicked still he will be comfortable to his own 2 Pet. 2. 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust to the Day of Iudgment to be punished His own Jewel that lyeth hidden among them when all is shaken round about them God can hide them in the secret of his Presence and preserve them as he did Lot and Noah His own are wonderfully preserved in common Judgments several Scriptures speak to this Eccl. 8. 12 13. Surely it shall be well with them that fear God but it shall not be well with the wicked And Iosh. 3. 10. Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you and he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites Isai. 3. 10 11. Say unto the righteous It shall be well with him for they shall eat the fruit of their doings Wo to the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him God will make a difference between good and bad Use 2. That a few wicked men may bring a great deal of hurt and mischief as Achan upon Israel two dry sticks may set a green one
on fire as the whole metal is melted that the dross may be severed Use. 3. All Judgments on the visible Church are to sever the dross from the Gold God suffereth them a while to be mingled and then come trying Judgments to separate the one from the other which is a comfort to us the Church is the purer for these Judgments Isai. 1. 25. And I will turn my hand upon thee and I will surely purge away thy dross and take away thy tin So Mal. 3. 3. And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purifie the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness He will send such Judgments as will destroy the incorrigible wicked ones and purifie the rest 'T is a comfort against persecutions we murmure under them know not how they shall be turned away God who is the purger of his Church will find out some way And 't is a comfort under his Judgments they are not to destroy but to purge God intendeth only our purging how hot soever the Furnace be therefore let God alone with his work Use 4. Is to teach us to wait upon God in the way of his Judgments He is putting away the wicked of the Earth like dross it is not only a work that he hath done or will hereafter do but he is always doing of it We should observe how God hath already done it and so by faith we should look upon him as still about it First He beginneth with his people he is purging away of their wickedness Isai. 27. 9. By this shall the iniquity of Iacob be purged But many shall cleave to them by flatteries and some of them of understanding shall fall to try them and to purge and make them white Dan. 11. 35. Now when God hath employed wicked men to fann and purge his people then their turn cometh next Ier. 25. 29. For lo I begin to bring evil on the City which is called by my name and should ye be utterly unpunished Ye shall not be unpunished for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the Earth 1 Pet. 4. 17. If punishment begin at the house of God where shall the wicked and ungodly appear Prov. 11. 31. Behold the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth much more the wicked and the sinner When the Lord hath performed his work upon Mount Zion and Ierusalem then he will reckon with his Enemies he beginneth with his Church and maketh an end with their Enemies his Enemies drink the dregs of the Cup and their end must needs be unspeakably terrible Use 5. Let us see we be not put away like dross when Gods Judgments are abroad in the Earth 1 Cor. 11. 32. We are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world We shall put that out of question if we do two things First If we be faithful to God and cleave to Gods people truth and interest how great soever our tryals be Psal. 44. 17. All this is come upon us yet we have not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsely in the Covenant To consume in the melting is the property of dross but the pure metal is the more united and cleaveth together the more closely Secondly If you are refined by all these tryals Isai. 27. 9. By this shall the iniquity of Iacob be purged A Christian loseth nothing by his afflictions but sin which is better parted with than kept We come now to the second Branch of the Text and that is the effect it had upon David's heart Therefore I love thy testimonies This use he made of all Gods Judgements Doctr. A gracious heart that observeth the Providence of God and the course of his judicial dispensations will find more cause to love the word of God than ever before 1. Because thereby he hath sensible experience of the truth of it Gods Providence is a Comment upon his Word the effect is answerable to the prediction and the word that God hath said is fulfilled to a tittle Now the more confirmation the word receiveth the more is affection encreased The Apostle telleth us That the word spoken by Angels was stedsast Heb. 2. 2. because every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward the punishment of the transgressours of the Law was a proof of Gods authorizing their Doctrine the same Law made formerly is valid We see the word doth not threaten in vain and they that slight it smart for it Now I see the word of God is to be valued for God will make it good even to a tittle 2. Because if we love not the word we may see great danger likely to ensue even those terrible punishments by which he purgeth out the dross should make us fall in love with Gods Law If we would not perish with the wicked of the earth we should not sin with the wicked of the earth if we partake of their sins we must partake of their plagues Psal. 2. 11. Kiss the son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way if his wrath be kindled but a little blessed are they that trust in him When we see the danger of being enemies to God or unsound with him we have need to learn this wisdome of shewing all affection and reverence and respect to Christ and his ways and submit to him heartily there is no safety in any other course If a spark of his wrath light upon us how soon will it consume us The stupid world regardeth not this to love his ways the more God giveth out proofs of his anger against those that despise them Many are cut off in the mid way sooner than they did or could expect and yet they do not grow one jot the wiser 'T is dangerous to stand out against God his cause work or people 3. It doth indear the mercy of God to us because he hath dealt otherwise with us who in strict Justice have deserved the same Gods Judgments on the wicked commend his Mercies to his Children Rom. 9. 23. The Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction serve to shew the greater love of God to the Vessels of mercy the torments of Hell inflicted on the wicked do the more set forth his love to the Saints to whom he hath appointed the joys of Heaven So the severity of God in his present Judgments doth imply the love of God to his chosen people who can take comfort in the promises when the threatnings are accomplished upon others this might have been our condition too but that Grace hath made the difference Well then as it doth indear the mercy of God to us so it calleth upon us more highly to love and prize him and his word because of this distinction 4. 'T is not only a means to set off the love of God to us but even his Judgments upon others may be a necessary act of love