as the benefits that he bringeth with him He doth approve things upon good knowledg and cometh to a well setled resolution Another defect in wicked men is because the judgment is superficial and so come to nothing 'T is not full clear and ponderous 't is not a dictamen a resolute decree not ultimum dictamen the last decree all things considered and well weighed 2. God's Grace God doth never fully and spiritually convince the judgment but he doth also work upon the will to accept embrace and prosecute those good things of which it is convinced He teacheth and draweth they are distinct works but they go together therefore the one is inferred out of the other Drawn and taught of God both are necessary for as there is blindness and inadvertency in the mind so obstinacy in the will which is not to be cured by meer perswasion but by a gracious quality infused inclining the heart which by the way freeth this doctrine from exception as if all Gods works were meer moral suasion The will is renewed and changed but so as God doth it by working according to the order of Nature USE By all means look after this Divine illumination whereby your judgment may be convinced of the truth and worth of spiritual things 'T is not enough to have some general and floating notions about them or slightly to hear of them or talk of them but they must be spiritually discern'd and judg'd of for if our judgments were throughly convinced our pursuit of true happiness would be more earnest you would see sin to be the greatest mischief and grace the chiefest treasure and accordingly act God inlightning the soul doth 1. Take away carnal principles Many men can talk well but they are leavened with carnal principles as 1. That he may do as most do and yet be safe Mat. 7. 23. Many will say in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name c. and then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity Prov. 11. 31. Behold the righteous shall be recompenced upon the earth much more the wicked and the sinner Exod. 32. c. 2. That he may go on in ungodliness injustice intemperance because grace hath abounded in the Gospel Tit. 2. 11 12. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godlily in this present world And Luke 1. 75. That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life 3. That he may spend his youth in pleasure and safely put off repentance till age But Eccles. 12. 1. we are bid to Remember our creator in the days of youth while the evil days come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them And Luke 12. 20. when the rich man said to his soul Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry God said unto him Thou fool this night shall thy soul be required of thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided Heb. 3. 7. Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts c. Men think it is a folly to be singular and precise that 't was better when there was less preaching and less knowledg that small sins are not to be stood upon But God inlightning the soul maketh us to see the vanity and sinfulness of such thoughts 2. There is a bringing the understanding to attend and consider there is much lieth upon it Acts 16. 14. The Lord opened the heart of Lydia so that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul That is weighed them in her heart SERMON XXXVIII PSAL. CXIX 34. Yea I shall observe it with my whole heart I Come now to the last clause I shall observe it with my whole heart The Point is Doct. That it is not enough to keep Gods law but we must keep it with the whole heart Here I shall shew you 1. That God requireth the heart 2. The whole heart 1. God requireth the heart in his service the heart is the Christians sacrifice the fountain of good and evil and therefore should be mainly looked after without this 1. External profession is nothing most Christians have nothing for Christ but a good opinion or some outward profâ—…on Iudas was a disciple but Satan entred into his heart Luke 22. 3. Ananias joyned himself to the people of God but Satan filled his heart Acts 5. 3. Simon Magus was baptized but his heart was not right with God Acts 8. 22. Here is the great defect 2. External conformity is nothing worth It is not enough that the life seem good and many good actions be performed unless the heart be purified otherwise we do with the Pharisees wash the outside of the platter Mat. 23. 25 26. when the inside is full of extortion and excess 'T is the heart God looketh after 1 Sam. 16. 7. For the Lord seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart Prov. 4. 23. Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life Cast salt into the spring As Iehu said to Ionadab so doth God say to us 2 Kings 10. 15. Is thy heart right as my heart is with thy heart We should answer it is Men are not for obsequious compliances if not with the heart so neither is God Though thou pray with the Pharisee pay thy vows with the Harlot kiss Christ with Iudas offer sacrifice with Cain fast with Iezebel sell thine inheritance to give to the poor with Ananias and Saphira all is in vain without the heart for 't is the heart enliveneth all our duties 3. It is the heart wherein God dwelleth not in the tongue the brain unless by common gifts till he take possession of the heart all is as nothing Ephes. 3. 17. He dwelleth in our hearts by faith The bodies of believers are Temples of the Holy Ghost yet the heart will and affections of man are the chief place of his habitation wherein he resideth as in his strong Citadel and from whence he commandeth other faculties and members and without his presence there he cannot have any habitation in us the tongue cannot receive him by speaking nor the understanding by knowing nor the hands by external working Prov. 4. 23. Out of it are the issues of life 't is the forge of spirits He dwelleth not in temples made with hands Acts 7. 48. and Jer. 23. 24. Do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord He will dwell in thine heart and remain there if thou wilt give thy heart to him 4. If Christ have it not Satan will have it The heart of man is
according to the Analogy of Faith and there is not a more powerful incentive of Duty Psal. 130. 5. There is forgiveness with thee that thou maist be feared Jer. 2. 11 12. The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you Brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable Service This is true Divinity The flesh deviseth another Doctrine let us Sin that Grace may abound to make a carnal Pillow of Gods Mercy that they may sleep securely in sin yea a Dung-cart to carry away their filth God is Merciful but to those that count sin a burden and misery God is slow to Anger but yet angry when provoked abused Patience kindleth into Fury as water when the mouth of the Fountain or course of the River is stopped breaketh out with more violence God hath his Arrows of Displeasure to shoot at the wicked you must not fancy a God all Honey all sweetness He is the Father of Mercies but so that he is also a God of Vengeance Psal. 68. 19 20. Blessed be the Lord who daily leadeth us with Benefits even the God of our Salvation Selah He that is our God is the God of Salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues from Death But God shall wound the hairy scalpe of his Enemies the mercy of God is large and free if men do not make themselves uncapable by their Impenitency 4. We must beg 1. The Application of these to me also We have heard that the Kings of Israel are merciful Kings 1 Kings 20. 31. Now we would feel it 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a Faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Iesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief Wind in our selves within the Covert of a Promise enter at the back door of a Promise there comes Virtue from Christ if but touched the Woman came behind him and touched the hem of his garment so we must seek the Application of this Vertue 2. Effectual Application Let it come unto me Mercy cometh unto us or we shall never come unto it 1 Pet. 1. 10. The Grace that cometh to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Grace which is brought to you at the Revelation of Jesus Christ Gods Grace is brought home to our doors we seek not after it but it seeketh after us Salvation is gone forth saith the Prophet to find out lost sinners Wisdom hath sent forth her Maidens she crieth upon the high places of the City whoso is simple let him turn in hither Prov. 9. 3 4. God sends the Gospel up and down the Worldto offer his Grace to men it worketh out its way Use. Here is Incouragement and Direction to poor Creatures how to obtain Gods Mercy for their Comfort 1. Incouragement Mercy doth all with God it is the first cause that setteth every thing awork 1. Mercy is natural to God 2 Cor. 1. 3. Father of Mercies God is not merciful by Accident but by Nature the Sun doth not more naturally shine nor Fire more naturally burn nor Water more naturally flow than God doth naturally shew Mercy 2. It is pleasing to him Micah 7. 18. Who is a God like unto thee that Pardoneth Iniquity and passeth by the Transgression of the remnant of his Heritage he retaineth not his Anger for ever because he delighteth in Mercy Judgment is called his Strange work Isa. 28. 21. That he may do his work his strange work and bring to pass his Act his strange Act. Primitive Acts he is forced to but he rejoyceth to do good as Life-Honey droppeth of its own accord 3. It is plentiful in God he is rich in Mercy abundant in Goodness and Truth thy sins are like a spark of Fire that falleth into the Ocean it is quenched presently so are all thy sins in the Ocean of Gods Mercy there is not more water in the Sea than there is Mercy in God 4. It is the great wonder of the Divine Nature Every thing in God is wonderful especially his pardoning Mercy It is no such great wonder in God that he stretcheth out the Heavens like a Curtain since he is Omnipotent that he formed the Earth or the Waters since he is strong that he distinguished Times adorned the Heavens with so many Stars decked the Earth with such variety of Plants and Herbs since he is Wise that he hath set Bounds to the Sea Governeth the Waters since he is Lord of all that he made Man a living Creature since he is the Fountain of Life but that he can be Merciful to Sinners infinitely Merciful when infinitely Just. There is a conflict in the Attributes about us but Mercy rejoyceth over Iudgment Iames 2. 13. That he is so Gracious and condescending when his first Covenant seemed to bind him to destroy us that he that hateth sin is so ready to forgive it pardoneth it so often and punisheth it so seldom 5. He is Communicative it is over all his Works Psal. 145. 9. Not a Creature but subsisteth by Gods Mercy he loveth Man and Beast Psal. 36. 6. and 1 Tim. 4. 10. He is the Saviour of all men especially of those that believe the whole Earth is full of his goodness Lord shew it to me also he heareth the cry of Ravens 2. To direct us how to sue for it in a broken hearted manner there are two Exreams Self-confidence and Desperation Self-confidence challengeth a Debt and Despair shutteth out hopes of Mercy a proud Pharisee pleads his Works Luke 18. 11. Kain saith Gen. 4. 13. My Punishment is greater then I can bear The middle between both is the penitent Publican Luke 18. 13. He stood afar off and would not lift up so much as his eyes to Heaven but smote on his Breast saying God be merciful to me a Sinner Go to him that which with men is the worst Plea with God is the best SERMON XLVIII PSALM CXIX Verse 42. So shall I have wherewith to answer him that Reproacheth me for I trust in thy Word IN the former Verse we saw the man of God begging for Deliverance or Temporal Salvation from the Mercies of God according to his Word Salvation belongeth to the Lord and his Mercy can pardon great sins and fetch us off from great extremities and that according to the Word of God he had boasted of this there is his Request here is his Argument from the use and fruit of his Deliverance he should have something to reply to the Scoffs and Mocks of wicked men who insulted over him in his Distress and Calamity he had spoken of great things or the Promise and now desireth the Promise to be made good that he might have an Answer ready against their Reproaches So shall I have wherewith to answer him that
us in Christ that keepeth us doing Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service And Tit. 2. 11 12. The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Thankfulness to God is the great Principle of Gospel-Obedience 2. Love thy commandments which I have loved 2 Cor. 5. 12 The love of Christ constraineth us Nothing holdeth up the hands in a constant obedience to God and performance of his Will so much as a thorough Love to God and his Ways Faith begets Love and Love Obedience These are the true Principles of all Christian Actions 6. This lifting up of the hands imports a right End Commanded Work must be done to commanded Ends else we lift up our hands to our own Work Now the true End is the Glory of God 1 Cor. 10. 32. Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever you do do all to the glory of God And Phil. 1. 11. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Christ Iesus unto the glory and praise of God God's Glory must be our main scope not any bye respect of our own Well then this is lifting up our hands to the commandments of God not doing one good Work but all and this with a serious Diligence in our ordinary Practice continuing therein with Patience whatever Oppositions we meet with and this out of Faith or a sincere belief of the Gospel and fervent Love and an unfeigned respect to God's Glory II. Why such a lifting up the hands or serious addressing our selves to our Duty is necessary My Answer shall be given in a fourfold respect God Ordinances Graces and the Christian who is to give an account of himself unto God 1. God Father Son and Holy Ghost Father as a Law-giver Son as a Redeemer and Head of the Renewed Estate Holy Ghost as our Sanctifier 1. God the Father who in the Mystery of Redemption is represented as our Law-giver and Sovereign Lord and will be not onely known and worshipped but served by a full and intire Obedience 1 Chron. 28. 9. And thou Solomon my son know the God of thy father and serve him with a perfect heart and a willing mind He hath given us a Law not to be trampled upon or despised but observed and kept and that not by fear or force but of a ready mind Though there be an after-provision of Grace for those that break his Law because of the frailty of the Creature yet if we presume upon that Indulgence and sin much that God may pardon much we may render our selves uncapable of that Grace For the more presumptuously wicked we are the less pleasing unto God The Governour of the World should not be affronted upon the pretence of a Remedy which the Gospel offered for this is to sin that Grace may abound than which wicked Imagination nothing is more contrary to Gospel-Grace Rom. 6. 1. What shall we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid To check this Conceit God deterreth Men from greater Sins as more difficult to be pardoned than less they shall not have so quick and easie a pardon of them as of others nay he deterreth Men from going on far in sin either as to the intensive increase or the continuance in time lest he cut them off and withdraw his Grace and pardon them not at all Therefore he biddeth them to call upon him while he is near Isa. 55. 6. Not to harden their hearts while it is called to day Heb. 3. 7 8. Therefore if we should onely consider God as our Lord and Law-giver we should earnestly betake our selves to Obedience 2. If we consider the Son as Redeemer and Head of the Renewed Estate he standeth upon Obedience Heb. 5. 9. He is the authour of eternal life to them that obey him As he hath taken the Commandments into his own hand he insisteth upon Practice if his People will enjoy his favour Iohn 15. 10. If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love as I have kept my fathers commandments and abide in his love He hath imposed a yoke upon his Disciples and hath Service for them to do he being a Pattern and Mirrour of Obedience expects the like from his People He fully performed what was enjoyned him to do as the Surety of Believers and therefore expecteth we should be as faithful to him as he hath been to God So Iohn 14. 21. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me No love of Christ should encourage us to cast off Duty but continue it He taketh himself to be honoured when his People obey 2 Thess. 1. 11 12. Wherefore also we pray always for you that God would count you worthy of this calling and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power that the name of our Lord Iesus Christ may be glorified in you The Work of Faith is Obedience and Christ is dishonoured and reproched when they disobey Luke 6. 46. Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things which I say 3. The Spirit is given to make Graces operative to flow forth Iohn 4. 14. Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life And Iohn 7. 38. He that believeth on me out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water This spake he of his Spirit which they that believe in him should receive Therefore if we have an inward approbation of the Ways of God unless we lift up our hands we resist his Work 2. With respect to Ordinances They are all Means and Means are imperfect without their End Things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are of no use unless that other thing be accomplished for which they serve As he is a foolish Workman that contents himself with having Tools and never worketh for Tools are in order to Work and all the Means of Grace are in order to Practice We read hear meditate to understand our Duty Now if we never put it in practice we use Means to no end and purpose Hear and live Hear and do The Word layeth out Work for us it was not ordained for speculation onely but as a Rule of Duty to the Creatures therefore if we are to hear read meditate we must also lift up our hands 3. All Graces are imperfect till they end in Action for they were not given us for idle and useless Habits Knowledge to know meerly that we may know is Curiosity and idle Speculation So Psal. 111. 10. A good understanding have all they that do his commandments Jer. 22. 16. He judgeth the cause of the poor and the
in the use of all these things Now let a carnal Wretch work upon this Principle and what inference doth he draw Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die 1 Cor. 15. 32. See this other Principle The Grace of God brings salvation to poor Sinners Tit. 2. 12. How doth a gracious heart work upon it Teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly Lusts c. O what shall be done for this God the Grace that offers such salvation by Christ Let a carnal wretch work upon this principle and he will take liberty to sin that Grace may abound Rom. 6. 1. Shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound God forbid Such kind of reasonings there are in the hearts of the Godly 2 Sam. 7. 2. saith David I dwell in an house of Cedar but the Ark of God dwelleth within Curtains God hath fenced me with his Providence What then Here I may sit down and rest and take my ease and pleasure and gratifie my sensual lusts No he doth not argue so but what shall I do for God that hath done so much for me Now see those ungracious Jews after their return how they reason Hagg. 1. 2. The time is not come the time that the Lords house should be built no matter for Gods House It is the Lords hand let Eli work upon that 1 Sam. 3. 18. Let him do what seemeth him good he draws from it a submissive patience O the Sovereign God will take his own way and the Creature must not murmure repine and set up an Anti-providence against him But now saith that carnal Wretch 2 Kings 6. 33. Behold this evil is of the Lord what should I wait for the Lord any longer he murmures and frets and grows impatient Solomon tells us Prov. 26. 9. As a Thorn goeth up into the hand of a Drunkard so is a Parable in the mouth of Fools A Thorn was their instrument of sewing now when a Drunkard should manage his Needle he wounds and gores himself so is a Parable in a Fools mouth a carnal heart wounds and gores himself with the most holy Principle of Religion The 2. Sort of vain thoughts are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 musings and here take notice the vanity of our thoughts appears First In the slipperiness and inconstancy of them We run from object to object in a moment and our thoughts look like strangers one upon another wondring like those vagabond Iews Act. 19. 13. so they are called because of their uncertain station and frequent removes Eccl. 6. 9. Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandring of the desire in the Original 't is the working out of the Soul Usually we have a stragling Soul roving wandring here and there and all in an instant especially this roving madness may we take notice of when we are employed in holy things hearing prayer meditation It is strange to see what impertinent sudden discursions there are from good to lawful from lawful to sinful and how far the heart is removed from God when we are before him when a man hath brought his body to God his heart is turned back again These vain thoughts pursue and haunt us in Duties so that we mingle Sulphur with our incense it is Gregory's comparison even in our prayers and holy addresses to God Secondly The unprofitableness and folly of our musings Our thoughts are set upon trifles and frivolous things neither tending to our own profit nor the benefit of others Prov. 10. 20. The heart of the wicked is little worth all their debates conceits musings are of no value The tongue of the just is as choise Silver but all their thoughts are taken up about childish vanity and foolish conceits Prov. 24. 9. The thought of foolishness is sin not only the thought of wickedness but foolishness Thoughts are the first-born of the Soul the immediate issues of the mind yet we lavish them away upon every trifle Follow men all the day long and take an account of their thoughts O what madness and folly are in all the musings they are conscious to Psal. 94. 11. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man that they are vanity If we did judge as God judges all the thoughts reasonings discourses of the mind if they were set down in a Table we might write at the bottom Here 's the Summ and Total Account of all nothing but vanity Thirdly The carnality and fleshliness of our thoughts Phil. 3. 19. They mind earthly things How sweet is it to us to be thinking of worldly matters how to grow great to advance our selves here This carnal mind is very natural to us We are in our Element and do with a great deal of savour and sweetness think of these things it makes our heart merry but when we come to think of that which is good we are tired presently and it is very tedious to spend our thoughts upon them Good things come upon us like a flash of Lightning soon gone but on carnal things we can spend our thoughts freely These carnal musings are stirred up by carnal desire or carnal delight sometimes by a desire of worldly things so they are forming images and suppositions of those things they hope for As Faith works in a godly man forming images and suppositions of that happy time when they shall be gathered to God and all holy ones and rejoyce in his presence He hath a Faith the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11. 1. which represents his hopes to him so carnal men dream of preferment riches honours vain-glorious applause they are looking out after their hopes they send their thoughts as Messengers of the Soul to forestal the contentment of those carnal things which they do expect Sometimes they are employed by carnal delight when the thing we muse upon is enjoyed the complacency men take in any carnal enjoyment it is part of this vanity when we go musing upon our own worth and our own excellency as that King Dan. 4. 30. Is not this great Babel that I have built for the honour of my Majesty Men take some time every day to worship the Idol of self and dote and gaze upon their own excellencies and atchievements their wisedom and wit Hab. 1. 15. They gather them in their drag therefore they rejoyce and are glad Or else pleasing themselves in their Estates dialogizing within themselves as the word is Luke 12. 13. Soul take thine ease thou hast Goods laid up for many years c. Fourthly By the impiety and apparent filthiness of them When men are taken up with sin so as to act it over in their own minds delighting themselves in fansying of sin either by way of revenge or lust or any other such thing as an unclean person sets up a stage in his own heart 2 Pet. 2. 14. Eyes full of adultery or the adulteress their fancy is upon the beauty of women their soul is set upon it The 3. Thing is
that are gotten by studying and obeying it they exceed worldly things as will appear because the one suits with our bodily necessities the other with our spiritual Our bodily necessities are supplied by Gold our spiritual necessities by Grace Gold will not comfort a distressed Conscience no more than Nosegay-Flowers a condemned man Quod si dolentem c. saith Horace Prov. 11. 4. Riches avail not in the day of wrath The one renders us acceptable to men the other to God The world knoweth all things after the Flesh they measure men by splendor and pomp of living but it is Grace that God approveth most and accepteth most Grace is of great price in the sight of God 1 Pet. 3. 4. But let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price The one much embaseth our Nature it is something more vile than us therefore that affection is debased But Grace always ennobleth our Nature and is something above us A greater affection is due to things above us than to things beneath us The one is useful to us in viâ the other in patriâ Surely that which is of eternal use and comfort to us is better than that which is only of a temporal use In our passage to Heaven we need Gold and Silver for the supply of our bodily necessities and the support of outward life so far as we have to do in the world but with respect to the world to come Gold doth nothing there we leave our wealth behind us but our works follow us Our treasure we quit when we dye but our Grace we carry with us Once more the price by which things may be purchased sheweth the worth of them Wisdom is of so great a price that all the treasures of the world cannot purchase it Iob 28. 15. to 20. It cannot be gotten for gold neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof it cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir with the precious Onyx or the Saphire the Gold and the Crystal cannot equal it and the exchange of it shall not be for Iewels of fine Gold no mention shall be made of Corral or of Pearls for the price of Wisdom is above Rubies the Topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it neither shall it be valued with pure Gold What cannot money do in the World yet it can do nothing as to the procuring of Grace The Apostle telleth us This is a dear bought blessing 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversations received by tradition from your fathers but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot To despise the favour of God the image of God is to despise the price that was paid for these things to have lessening thoughts of the blood of Christ. To conclude those we count lesser gifts which we bestow upon friends than upon enemies a man would give meat and drink unto enemies when they hunger and thirst but other gifts of a greater value to friends and relations God giveth his Christ his Spirit his Grace to his Friends Children Servants but Corn and Wine and Oil these he giveth promiscuously yea to his enemies a larger portion Surely then these are better than Gold Our love should be according to the value of things 2. Because if the word be not preferred before earthly things it is not received with any profit and good effect Christ saith He that loveth any thing more than me is not worthy of me Matth. 10. 37. He that studieth to please his friends rather than Christ or to gratifie his interest more than his Conscience within a very little while his Christianity will be worth nothing It is not a simple love but a greater love that we shew to worldly things Matth. 13. 44 45 46. Again the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field the which when a man hath found he hideth and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field Again the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchant man seeking goodly pearls who when he had found one pearl of great price he went and sold all that he had and bought it We must part with all rather than miss of his Grace all that is pleasant and profitable renounce all other things When Christ propounds his terms he would have us surrender all to his will and pleasure Luke 9. 23. If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me He must not avoid the Cross by sinful shifts we are ready to do so every day These are the necessary terms else we are not fit for the masters use 2 Tim. 2. 21. If any man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honour sanctified and meet for the masters use and prepared unto every good work 3. Unless we love the word above Riches we cannot possess Riches without a snare then it will be not only hard but impossible to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mark 10. 23 24 25 26 27. And Iesus looked round about and saith unto his Disciples How hardly shall they that have Riches enter into the Kingdom of God And the Disciples were astonished at his words But Iesus answereth again and saith unto them Children how hard is it for them that trust in Riches to enter into the Kingdom of God It is easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a Needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God And they were astonished out of measure saying among themselves Who then can be saved And Iesus looking about him said With men it is impossible but not with God for with God all things are possible Riches will so prevail over us and wholly sway us if they be our chief good and portion and we have not an higher end to check our love to them If a man would have all things cleave to him he must be sure the world doth not sit nearest his heart for if they do such a man as he is unfit for Heaven so he is unfit for the world too If they be your good things Luke 16. 25. Son rememember thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things you will get and keep and use them otherwise than the word doth allow 4. From the fruit of Grace where it is planted in the heart and prevaileth the desire of wealth is mortified worldly lust denied Tit. 2. 12. Teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts And desires of Grace enlarged and encreased 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby And when it prevaileth further and to an higher degree they come to Moses's frame to
Promises with a qualification Rom. 2. 7. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory honour and immortality eternal life God hath not simply promised Blessedness but the Promise requireth a qualification and a performance of Duty in the Person to whom the Promise is made and therefore before we can have a certainty of Hope we must not only look upon the Assurance on Gods part but make out our qualification So Psal. 1. 1 2. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night So Psal. 119. 1 2. Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the law of the Lord Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and seek him with the whole heart and many such places which intimate that blessedness belongeth to such as are of an holy Heart and intirely give up themselves to an holy Course that doing the Commandments uprightly and in a Gospel Sense is a necessary Condition to qualifie those Persons which shall be saved And therefore they that live in any sin against Conscience may take notice how fearful their Estate is for the present and how needful it is to begin a good course before they can have any hope toward God 2. And Partly Because true hope is operative and hath an influence this way There are two parts in Sanctification Mortification and Vivification and true Hope hath an influence upon both Mortification 1 Ioh. 3. 3. And every man that hath this hope in him purisieth himself as he is pure that when we see God we shall be like him he that hopeth for such a pure and sinless Estate either to see God will he appear before him in his filthy Rags Ioseph washed himself when he was to come before Pharaoh so when to appear before God what with this wanton vain unclean heart We are to be like him is this to be like Christ where there is such a disproportion between Head and Members And if this hope be fixed in our hearts it will set us a purifying more and more So for Vivification it urgeth and incourageth to Obedience Tit. 2. 12 13. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in the present world Look backward or forward it urgeth the heart to Obedience Why backward to the duties of Holiness shall we be Lazy in his work when we expect such a great Reward 3. Because there is no such thing to damp Hope and weaken our Confidence as Sin We cannot trust him whom we have offended freely and without restraint and therefore while we please the flesh we break our Confidence Sin will breed shame and fear and 't is impossible to hope in God unless we serve him in love and seek to please him if we feel it not presently we shall feel it sin that now weakeneth the Faith which we have in the Commandments will in time weaken the Faith that we have in the Promises Every part of Gods revealed Will cometh to be tried one time or another our Confidence in Gods Mercy is not earnestly and directly assaulted till the hour of Death or the time of extraordinary Trial When the evil day cometh then the Consciousness of my own sin whereunto we have been indulgent will be of like force to withdraw our assent from Gods Mercies as the delight and pleasure we took was to cause us to Transgress his Commandments 1 Cor. 15. 56. The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law 4. Because our hope is increased by our diligence in the holy life This fostereth and augments it Heb. 6. 11. And we desire that every one of you doth shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end It must needs be so for since there is a qualification the more clear our qualification is the more full is our assurance of hope and so far as a man neglects his duty and abateth in his Qualification so far doth his Assurance abate To look on one side of the Covenant is a groundless presumption 2. None do and can keep the Commandments but they that hope for Salvation This is plain from the order of the words in the Text first I hoped for thy Salvation therefore done the Commandments implying that thereby he kept the Commandments without this none can have an heart nor hand to do any thing for God Peccator saith Bernard nihil expectat indique peccator est quod bonis presentibus Non modo delectus sed etiam contentus nihil in futurum expectat He that looketh for nothing from God can never be diligent in his service nor faithful and true to him Hope 't is our strength Lam. 3. 18. And I said my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord we first begin continue and go on with God upon the hope he offereth to us Use. I. It reproveth those that hope well but take no care to do any thing for God Every one will say they must hope in God but none looketh after this lively and operative hope their hope is barren and unfruitful who are they that can make Application of the Promises 2 Tim. 4. 8. Use. II. Is to perswade us to the coupling of these two when this Conjunction is founded then are we in a right frame if we would keep the Commandments we must hope for the Salvation of God if we would hope for the Salvation of God we must keep the Commandments This is most acceptable to the Lord Psal. 147. 11. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him and hope in his mercy Such as believe and fear to offend him they have acceptable Communion with him 'T is for your Comfort Acts 9. 31. 't is for the honour of Religion on the one side to avoid the carnal Confidence of Papists on the other the cold Profession of Protestants if you hope for temporal Deliverance They that make no Conscience of obeying God cannot hope for Deliverance from him for his Salvation must be expected in the way of his Precepts Psal. 37. 3. Trust in the Lord and do Good so shalt thou dwell in the land So Wait on the Lord and keep his way and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land when the wicked are cut off thou shalt see it Then we may commend our selves and all our Affairs to Gods care and trust it becometh them that look for Salvation and to be helped out of their troubles to be more earnest than others in keeping his Law If you would enjoy the comfortable Assurance that you shall be saved at length live so as you may never mar your Confidence 1 Pet. 1. 13. Be sober and hope to the end Live
what is to come yet fear of punish ment alone sheweth you are slaves and only love your selves the Devils fear and tremble but do not love You may fear a thing though you hate it So far as the heart is affected with the fear of Hell 't is good 3. There are very good and sound Principles yet do not always argue Grace as when duties are done out of the urgings of an enlightened Conscience this may be without the bent of a renewed heart but yet the principle is sound for the first thing that influenceth a man is to consider himself a Creature and so to look upon himself as bound to obey his Creator I shall illustrate it by the Apostles words in another case I must preach the Gospel and wo unto me if I preach not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9. 16. 17. Whether I do it willingly or unwillingly yet a Dispensation is committed to me So saith the Soul whether I be fitted to do God service or no God must be obeyed but because Gods precept is invested with a Sanction of Threatnings and Rewards here comes in the fear of Hell and the hopes of heaven The Lord hath commanded me to fly from Hell this is a good principle So the hope of Heaven Heb. 11. 26. 't is a sound principle a man may be gracious or he may not Many have a liking to Heaven and Eternal Life as 't is a state of happiness not of likness to God where 't is not alone 't is a very sound principle but as 't is it may sometimes be the sign of a renewed man and sometimes not 4. There are rare and excellent Principles when we Act out of thankfulness to God when we consider the Lords goodness that might have required Duty out of meer Soveraignty he hath laid the Foundation of it in the bloud of his own Son 1 Ioh. 4. 29. When we love him out of the sense of his love to us in Christ And when the grace of God that hath appeared teacheth us to deny ungodliness Tit. 2. 11. when the Mercies of God melt us Rom. 12. 1. when there are no intreaties so powerful as that of Love Again another principle that is rare and excellent is when the Glory of God doth season us in our whole Course that it may be to the praise of his glorious grace 1 Cor. 10. 31. Another is Complacency in the Work for the Works sake When we love the Law because it is pure when I see it will ennoble me and make me like God when I love God and his wayes when nothing but so noble imployment doth ingage me to his service and service to God is the sweetest life in the World SERMON CLVIII PSALM CXIX VER 141. I am Small and Despised yet do I not forget thy Precepts HEre David proveth the Truth of his former Assertion that seeing the Word of God was so Pure he loved it for its own sake and that he did not Court Religion for the portion that he should have with it but for it self Some are meer Mercenaries no longer then they are bribed by some Worldly profit they have no respect for God and his Wayes The Man of God was of another Temper if God would bestow any thing on him well if not he would love his Word still yea when it brought him apparent Loss Meanness and Contempt yet this could not make any divorce between his Heart and the Word I am small and despised c. In the Words we have 1. David's Condition 2. David's Carriage under that Condition His Condition might have been a Snare to him yet still he keepeth up his Affection 1. His Condition is set forth by two Notions the one of which implyeth the other Gods Providence I am small God had reduced him to streights the other Mans Treatment of him and despised the one sheweth what he was really in himself the other what he was in the opinion of others Mean in himself and Contemptible in the eye of others The Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am the younger and set at nought Therefore the Greek Interpreters suppose it relateth to the story when God bids Samuel to anoint one of the Sons of Iesse to be King and the elder Children were brought forth who were Taller and more likely too and they said of them surely the Lords Anointed is before him and when Samuel enquired for another they told him 1 Sam. 16. 7. That there remaineth the youngest and he keepeth sheep then when he was but an Youth and a despised stripling his heart was with God and God favoured him Or else they refer it to the time when Eliab his eldest Brother despised him 1 Sam. 17. 28. Others think this was verified when the Elders of Israel forsook him and clave to Absalom rather I think it generally to any Afflicted Condition when he was little in Estate and Reputation rather than in years elsewhere so is this word small taken Amos 7. 2 5. Iacob is small by whom shall he arise When his Condition was helpless and hopeless and Interest inconsiderable in the World So here I am small and despised I am looked upon as a man of no Value and Interest 2. Davids Carriage under this Condition Yet do I not forget thy Precepts First here is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 less is said more is intended I do earnestly remember them Again a man may be said to remember or forget two wayes Notionally or Affectively Notionally a man forgets when the Notions of things formerly known are quite vanished out of our Minds Affectively when though he retaineth the notions yet he is not answerably affected he doth not act suitably So 't is taken here and implyeth as much as I am stedfast in the profession of this Truth as they say in a like Case Psal. 44. 17. We have not forgotten thee nor dealt falsely in thy Covenant not parted with any point of Truth or neglected and dispensed with any part of Duty Precepts is put for the whole word of God I do not forget thy Word the Comforts and Duties of it None do so far forget God and his Precepts as those that make defection from him The sum of all is My mean and despicable Condition doth not make a breach upon my Constancy but still I keep the Credit of being a Faithful Servant to thee His Temptation was double his Faithfulness had made him small God seemeth to forget us in our low Estate yet we should not forget him and had made him despised though we lose esteem with men by sticking to the Word of God yet the Word of God should lose no esteem with us Doctrine They that love God may be reduced to a Mean Low and Afflicted Condition I am small saith David The Lord seeth it meet for divers reasons 1. That they may know their happiness is not in this World and so the more long for Heaven and delight in Heavenly things Psal. 17. 14 15. From men
men 3. When we search out our defects and are ever bewailing them with kindly remorse Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death 4. When we run by faith to Christ Jesus and sue out our pardon and peace in Christs name until we come to be compleat in him Col. 1. 10. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledg of God SERMON IV. PSAL. CXIX 3. They also do no iniquity they walk in his ways STILL the Psalmist continues the description of a blessed man In the two first Verses Holiness which is the way to and evidence of Blessedness is considered with respect to the Subject and the Object of it the Life and the Heart of man The Life of man Blessed are the undefiled in the way The Heart of man They seek him with the whole heart Now Holiness is considered in the parts of it Negatively and Positively The two parts of Holiness are an eschewing of sin and studying to please God You have both in this Verse They also do no iniquity they walk in his ways First You have the blessed man described negatively They do no iniquity Upon hearing the words presently there occurs a doubt How then can any man be blessed for there is not a man that liveth and sinneth not Eccles. 7. 20. and Jam. 3. 2. In many things we offend all To deny it is a flat lye against the truth and against our own experience If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us 1 Joh. 1. 8. The expression may be abused on the one side to establish the impeccability and perfection of the Saints on the other side it may be abused by persons of a weak and tender conscience to the hinderance of their comfort and rejoycing in God When they shall hear this is the character of a blessed man they do no iniquity they are very apt to conclude against their own regeneration because of their daily failings To avoid these difficulties I shall enquire 1. What it is to do iniquity 2. Who are the persons among the sons of men that may be said to do no iniquity First What it is to do iniquity If we make it our trade and practice to continue in wilful disobedience To sin is one thing but to make sin our work is another 1 Joh. 3. 9. He that is born of God doth not commit sin he doth not work sin And Matt. 7. 23. Depart from me ye that work iniquity That 's the Character of the Reprobate workers of iniquity So Joh. 8. 34. Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin Sin is their constant trade Psal. 139. 24. See if there be any wicked way in me None are absolutely freed from sin but it is not their trade their way their work When a man makes it his study and business to carry on a course of sin then he is said to do iniquity Secondly Who are those that are said to do no iniquity in Gods account though they fail often thorough weakness of the flesh and violence of temptation Answer 1. All such as are renewed by grace and reconciled to God by Christ Jesus to these God imputeth no sin to condemnation and in his account they do no iniquity Notable is that 1 King 14. 8. it is said of David He kept my Commandments and followed me with all his heart and did that only which was right in mine eyes How can that be We may trace David by his failings they are upon record every where in the word yet here a Veil is drawn upon them God laid them not to his charge There is a double reason why their failings are not laid to their charge partly because of their general state they are in Christ taken into favour through him and there 's no condemnation to them that are in Christ Rom. 8. 1. therefore particular errors and escapes do not alter their condition Which is not to be understood as if a man should not be humbled and ask God pardon for his infirmities no for then they prove iniquities they will lye upon record against us It was a gross fancy of the Valentinians that held they were not defiled with sin whatsoever they committed though base and obscene persons yet still they were as gold in the dirt No no we are to recover our selves by repentance to sue out the favour of God When David humbled himself and had repented then saith Nathan 2 Sam. 12. 13. The Lord hath put away thy sin Partly too because their bent and habitual inclination is to do otherwise They set themselves to comply with Gods will to seek and serve the Lord though they are clogged with many infirmities A wicked man sinneth with deliberation and delight his bent is to do evil he makes provision for lusts Rom. 13. 12. and serves them by a voluntary subjection Tit. 3. 3. But those that are renewed by grace are not debtors to the flesh they have taken another debt and obligation upon them which is to serve the Lord Rom. 8. 12. Partly too because their general course and way is to do otherwise Unumquodque operatur secundum suam formam Every thing works according to its form the constant actions of Nature are according to the kind So the new creature his constant operations are according to grace A man is known by his custom and the course of his endeavours what is his business If a man be constantly easily frequently carried away to sin it discovers a habit of soul and the temper of his heart Meadows may be overflown but marish ground is drowned with the return of every Tide A child of God may be carried away and act contrary to the bent and inclination of the new nature but when men are drown'd and overcome with the return of every temptation and carried away it argues a habit of sin And partly because sin never carries it away clearly but with some dislikes and resistances of the new nature The children of God make it their business to avoid all sin by watching praying mortifying Psal. 39. 1. I said I will take heed to my ways that I sin not with my tongue And then there is a resistance of the sin God hath planted graces in their hearts the fear of his Majesty that works a resistance and therefore there is not a full allowance of what they do This resistance sometimes is more strong then the temptation is overcome How can I do this wickedness and sin against God Gen. 39. Sometimes it is more weak and then sin carries it though against the will of a holy man Rom. 7. 15 18. The evil which I hate that do I. It is the evil which they hate they protest against it they are like men which are opprest by the power of the enemy And then there 's a remorse after the sin David's heart
at our best we were so Adam in innocency was not able to stand without confirming grace but gave out at the first assault And still we are mutable though we have a strong inclination for the present When the precepts of God are propounded with evidence and backed with promises and threatnings and a resolution follows thereupon the fruit of rational conviction and moral suasion which is not for the present false and hypocritical yet it will not hold without the bottom of grace It hath not supernatural yet it may have moral sincerity Such a resolution was that of the Israelites after the terrible delivery of Gods Law They promised universal obedience and did not lye in it for God saith They have done well in their promise there was a moral sincerity but there wanted a renewed sanctified heart And those Captains which came to Ieremiah ch 42. 5. intended not to deceive for the present when they called God to witness that they would do according to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us And Hazael Is thy servant a dog that he should do this thing Certainly he had abomination of it when the Prophet mentioned that cruelty of ripping up women with child But suppose the resolution to be a fruit of grace and regeneration yet we have not full power to stand of our selves still we are very changeable creatures in matters that do not absolutely and immediately concern life and death Lot that was chast in Sodom in the midst of so many temptations you will find him committing Incest in the Mountains where were none but his two daughters What a change was here David that was so tender that his heart smote him for cutting off the lap of Saul's garment one would wonder that he should plot lust be guilty of murder and lye in that stupid condition for a long time Peter which had such courage to venture upon a band of men and to cut off Malchus's ear should be so faint-hearted at a Damosels question So while the strength of the present impulse and the grace of God is warm upon the heart we may keep close to our work while the influence continues but afterward how cold and dead do men grow as vapours drawn up by the Sun at night fall down again in a dew The people were upon a high point of willingness mighty forward and ready to offer whole Cart-loads of Gold and Silver 1 Chron. 29. 18. what saith David O Lord God keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people and stablish their heart unto thee We are not always in a like frame 2. Our strength lyes in God and not in our selves When the Apostle had exhorted his Ephesians to all Christian duties he concludes it thus Eph. 6. 10. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might This might is in God he is our strength And 2 Tim. 2. 1. Be strong in the grace that is in Iesus Christ. God would not trust us with the stock in our own hands now we have spent our portion and plaid the prodigals but would have us wait upon him from morning to morning Psal. 25. 4. Shew me thy ways O Lord teach me thy paths lead me in thy truth and teach me We are apt to embezil it or forget God both which are very mischievous When the Prodigal got his stock in his own hands he went into a far Countrey out of his Fathers house God would not hear from us there would not be such a constant communion and correspondence between him and us if our daily necessities did not force us to him Therefore that the Throne of Grace might not lye unfrequented God keeps the strength in his own hands We need to consult with him on all occasions 3. God gives out his strength according to his own pleasure God many times gives the will when he suspendeth the strength that is necessary for the performance Sometimes God gives sâ—…ire a sense and conscience of duty at other times he gives velle to will to have a purpose And when he gives to will he doth not always give posse to be able not such a lively performance It is possible he may give the will where he doth not give the deed for it is said Phil. 2. 13. He worketh both to will and to do of his good pleasure And Paul certainly doth not speak as a convinced but as a renewed man when he saith To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not He had received the will and not the deed finding presupposeth searching when we have done all we can yet how to bring our purposes into actions we cannot tell Peter had his resolutions and no doubt they were hearty and real yet when he comes to make them good what a poor weakling was Peter Putabat se posse quod se velle sentiebat He thought he could do that which he could will saith Austin John 13. 37. Lord why cannot I follow thee now I will lay down my life for thee We look upon the willing spirit and not upon the weak flesh It is possible we may lean upon resent dispositions and affections as if they would carry us out without dependance upon God Therefore for all the parts of spiritual strength he must be sought to The Use is USE To press you to beware of presumption and self-confidence when your resolutions are at the highest for God and your hearts in the best frame Resolution is needful as was said before but all our confidences must arise from Gods promises not our own if we mean not to be left in the dirt This self-confidence in spiritual things I shall shew 1. How it discovereth it self 2. How to cure it It discovereth it self 1. Partly thus by venturing upon temptations without a call and warrant When men will lay their heads in the lap of a temptation and run into the mouth of danger they tempt God but trust to themselves Peter would be venturing into the Devils quarters but what 's the issue He denies his Master Dependence upon God is ever accompanied with a holy solicitude and cautelous fear Phil. 2. 12 13. when we go out of Gods way it is a presuming upon our own strength for he will keep us in viis in his ways not in praecipit iis when we run head-long into danger 2. When men neglect those means whereby their graces or comforts may be fed and supplied A man that is kept humble and depending will be always waiting for his dole at wisdoms gates Prov. 8. 34. We cannot regularly expect any thing from God but in Gods way they who depend upon God will be much in prayer hearing and taking all opportunities But when men begin to think they need not pray so much need not make such conscience of hearing when we are more arbitrary and negligent in the use of means then we
glances and imperfect knowledg of our estate and so are not affected as we should a particular view of things most works with us Look as Christ the more particularly he is set forth the more taking is the object when the lump of sweetness is dissolved then it is tasted The more particularly we pry into our estate the more we are affected and the more we shall see of the deceitfulness of our own hearts When every one shall know his own sore and grief 2 Chron. 8. 29. 4. It will be of great advantage in the spiritual life to declare often our whole estate to God for the more men know themselves the more they mind God and their heavenly calling Those men that make conscience of declaring themselves to God will ever find lusts to be mortified doubts to be resolved graces to be strengthned A man that doth not look after his estate it runs into decay insensibly before he is aware So when men grow negligent of their hearts and never think of giving an account to God all runs to wast in the soul. Searching and self-examining Christians will be the most serious Christians for as they have a more distinct affective sense of their condition so they always find more work to do in the spiritual life They come to know what are their sins and assaults and conflicts and what further strength they may have in the way of holiness and by this account they are engaged to walk more exactly that they may not provide matter against themselves 1 Pet. 3. 7. that their prayers be not hindred that they may look God in the face with more confidence USE 1. Let us clearly and openly declare our condition to the Lord our griefs and sorrows and so our sins First Our griefs and sorrows Two things will quicken you to this 1. The inconvenience of any other way What will you do If you swallow your griefs that will oppress the heart The more we unbosome our selves to a friend the more we find ease vent and utterance doth lessen our passion An Oven stopt up is hotter within so the more close we are the more we keep our own counsel the greater is our burden Look as wind when it is imprisoned in the caverns of the earth it causeth violent Convulsions and Earthquakes but if it find vent all is quiet so it is with the heart when troubles are kept close then they become the greater burden they make the heart stormy full of discontent but when we open our selves as Hannah did her case to God 1 Sam. 1. 8. we are no more sad or if we go to any thing on this side God our troubles encrease When a man hath sorrow upon his heart it is not the next ditch will yield him refreshing and comfort but he must go to the fountain of living water If we be afraid of an enemy without our business is to strike in with God Prov. 16. 7. When a mans ways please the Lord he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him God hath the command of all things he is first to be treated with then there is hope and relief in God When we are humble and tractable in our affliction when we come and represent our case to him the very thing gives us some hope for the Lord doth all out of mercy Therefore the very representing our misery as David Psal. 69. 29. But I am poor and sorrowful that we are in a miserable forlorn condition if you have nothing else to plead this is that which moves God and works upon his bowels Look as beggars to move pity will uncover their sores that as it were by a silent Oratory they may extort and draw forth relief from you so go to the Lord and acquaint him with your condition some hope will arise hence Lord I am weak and poor deliver me that 's all the argument 2. As to sins let me tell you Go to God with clearness and openness reveal your whole state tell him what are your temptations and conflicts and how your heart works Though he knows it already by his own Omnisciency yet let him know it by your own acknowledgments Let him not know it as a Judg take notice of it so as to punish you but go deal plainly and confess your sins To this end 1. There will be need of light that you may be able to judg of things Heb. 5. 14. They have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil When a man hath not only a speculative knowledg but hath his senses exercised able to judg of the workings of his own heart he can discern what 's of flesh and what 's of spirit and so can give an account to God When we have not only some naked Theory we shall be able to see what 's a temptation where our help and where our weakness lyes 2. There needs observation of the workings of our own hearts A man that would give an account to God need to observe himself narrowly and keep his heart above all keepings David that saith here I declared my ways saith elsewhere I considered my ways It is but a formal account we can give without serious consideration We must therefore keep our hearts with all diligence Prov. 4. 23. 3. There needs in many cases a serious search for instance in deep desertion when God withdraws the light of his countenance and men have not those wonted influences of grace those glimpses of favour and quicknings of spirit and enlargings of heart Psal. 77. 6. I call to remembrance my song in the night I commune with mine own heart and my spirit made diligent search When under any despair of soul trace it to its original cause wherein I have grieved the Spirit of God So Lam. 3. 40. Let us search and try our ways There needs a very distinct and serious enquiry into the state of our souls that we may deal ingenuously with God and lay open our selves before him II. The second clause And the Lord heard me Doct. After an ingenuous and open declaration of our selves to God we find audience with him So did David and so do all the Saints He was never yet wanting to his people that deal sincerely with him in prayer How doth God manifest his audience either inwardly by the Spirit or outwardly by Providence First Inwardly by his Spirit when he begets a perswasion of their acceptance with God leaves an impression of confidence upon their hearts and a quietness in looking for the thing they had asked Before they have an answer of Providence they have a perswasion of heart that their Prayer hath been accepted There 's a great deal of difference between accepting a Prayer and granting a Prayer Gods acceptance is as soon as we Pray but the thing we beg for is another thing and distinct 1 John 5. 14 15. This is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his Will he
heareth us and if we know that he hear us whatsoever we ask we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him Gods hearing of us his audience is a distinct thing from the answer of his Providence and therefore when he begets a confidence that we are heard and the soul begins to be quieted in God and look up for Mercy it is a sign of his accepting our Prayer though the benefit be not actually bestowed David found a change in his heart many times as if one had come and told him the posture of his affairs were altered it is otherwise with you than it was when you began to pray therefore you have him in the beginning of a Psalm come in with bitter complaints and groaning his eyes were ready to drop out with grief and presently he breaks out with thanksgiving as Psal. 6. 8 9. Mine eye is consumed because of grief it waxeth old because of all mine enemies presently Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping So Hannah she had commended her request to God and was no more sad 1 Sam. 1. 16. That 's one way of answer when we have declared our selves to the Lord the heart looks out to see what will come of its Prayers it begins to rest and is quiet in God and look for some answer of the Mercy The Second Consideration That the outward mercy in his Providence is either in kind or in value God doth not always answer us in kind by giving us the thing asked but doth give us something that is as good or better which contents the heart by denying the thing desired and giving something equivalent Many times we ask Temporal Mercies Defence Victory Deliverance and God gives Spiritual we ask Deliverance and God gives Patience 2 Cor. 12. 8 9. Paul asked thrice that the thorn in the flesh might depart from him but Gad gives him sufficient grace God doth not answer us always according to our will but certainly according to our weal and profit many times he will give the blessing in kind but as other times he gives the value of it which is better God may give temporal Comfort in kind in anger but the value the blessing he never gives in anger but always in love when they asked meat for their lusts God gave it in kind in anger Psal. 78. and I gave them a King in my wrath Hos. 13. 11. when we are passionate and eager upon a temporal request God doth answer in wrath the Mercy is more when he gives us that which is better Thirdly God delays many times when he doth not deny for our exercise 1. To exercise our Faith to see if we can believe in him when we see nothing have no sensible proof of his good Will to us The woman of Canaan she comes to Christ and first gets not a word from him Christ answered her nothing afterwards Christ breaks off his silence and begins to speak and his speech was more discouraging than his silence she meets with a rough answer It is not meet to give the childrens bread unto dogs Then the woman turns this rebuke into an encouragement Lord the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters table Then Christ could hold no longer O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Mat. 15. So many times we come to God and meet with a silent Oracle cannot get an answer but if we get an answer it may be we begin to think God puts us off as none of the sheep he is to look after O! but when we wrestle through all these discouragements and temptations then great is thy faith In short we pray for a blessing and sometimes though God love the Suppliant yet he doth not seem to take notice of his desires that he may humble him to the dust and may have a sense of his unworthiness and pick an answer out of Gods silence and grant out of his denial and faith out of these discouragements 2. To exercise our Patience Heb. 6. 12. Be followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises Our times are always present with us but Gods time is not yet come A hungry stomach would have meat before it's roasted or sod Impatient longings must have green fruit and will not stay till it be matur'd and ripened Now God will work us out of this impatience The troubles of the world are necessary for patience as well as faith 3. To try our Love Though we be not feasted with felt comforts and present benefits yet God will try the deportment of his children if indeed he be the delight of their hearts Isa. 26. 8. Yea in the way of thy judgments O Lord have we waited for thee When we love God not only when our affections are brib'd by some sensible experience or comfort but when we can love God in the way of his judgments A child of God is a strange creature he can love God for his judgments and fear him for his mercies When our heart is like lyme the more water you sprinkle upon it the more it burns our desires glow the more the more disappointments we seem to meet with We love his benefits more than we love God when we delight in him only when he doth us good But when we can delight in him even when our desires are delayed and nothing appears but tokens of Gods displeasure this is delight indeed 4. To enlarge our desires that we may have a greater income of his mercy As a Sack that 's stretched out holds the more God will have the soul more stretched out when he means to fill it up with grace Delays encrease importunities Ask seek knock Mat. 7. If God will not come at the first asking we must seek if seeking will not bring him we must knock be importunate have no nay Luke 11. 8. For his importunity sake he will arise The man is impudent he stands knocking and will not be gone Fourthly God may seem sometimes to deny a request yet the end of the request is accomplished for instance God's children they have an end in their requests we pray for the means with respect to an end Now many times God gives the end when he will deny the means Paul had grace sufficient though the thorn in his flesh were not removed 1 Cor. 12. 9. A Christian prays for the light of Gods countenance for sensible feeling of Gods love why to strengthen him in his way Now God denies him comfort because he will do it by the word of promise it shall not be by sensible comfort We pray for victory over such a lust the mortification of such a sin why that we may serve God more cheerfully God denies such a degree of grace because he will mortifie a greater sin which is pride in the heart And thus we miss the particular that we desire yet still we have the end of
The Law is an enemy to them that count it an enemy and a friend to them that count it a friend 'T is a rule of life to them that delight in it and count it a great mercy to know it and to be subdued to the practice of it But it is a Covenant of Works to them that withdraw the shoulder count it an heavy burden not to be born Well then which do you complain of the Law or your Corruptions What are you troubled with light or lusts A gracious heart groaneth not under the strictness of the Law but under the body of death not because God hath required so much but because they can do no more Doct. 3. That the Law is granted to us or written upon our hearts out of Gods meer grace Grant it graciously saith David I will do it saith God and God will do it upon his own reasons The Conditions of the Covenant are conditions in the Covenant and the Articles that bind us are also promises wherein God is bound to bestow so great a benefit upon poor creatures which doth encourage us to wait for this work with the more confidence We are sensible we have not the law so intimately so closely applied as we should have Lord grant it graciously It is his work to give us a greater sense and care of it SERMON XXXI PSAL. CXIX 30. I have chosen the way of truth thy judgments have I laid before me DAVID asserts his sincerity here in two things 1. In the rightness of his choice I have chosen the way of thy truth 2. In the accurateness of his prosecution Thy judgments have I laid before me First For his choice I have chosen the way of thy truth God having granted him his Law he did reject all false ways of Religion and continued in the profession of the truth of God and the strict observance thereof There are many controversies and doubtful thoughts among the sons of men about Religion all being varnisht with specious pretences so that a man knows not which way to chuse till by the Spirit he be enabled to take the direction of the Word that resolveth all his scruples and makes him sit down in the way which God hath pointed for him Thus David as an effect of Gods grace avoucheth his own chusing the way of truth By the way of truth is meant true Religion as 2 Pet. 2. 2. By whom the way of truth is evil spoken of It is elsewhere called the good way wherein we should walk 1 King 8. 36. and the way of God Psal. 27. 11. and the way of understanding Prov. 9. 6. and the way of holiness Isa. 55. 8. and the way of righteousness 2 Pet. 2. 21. Better they had not known the way of righteousness that is never to have known the Gospel which is called the way of righteousness It is called also the way of life Prov. 6. 23. And reproofs of instruction are the way of life and the way of salvation as Acts 16. 17. the Pythoness gave this testimony to the Apostles These are the servants of God which shew unto us the way of salvation Now all these expressions have their use and significancy for the way of truth or the true way to happiness is a good way shewed us by God who can only discover it and therefore called the way of the Lord or the way of God in the place before quoted And Act. 28. 25 26. it is manifested by God and leadeth us to God The Christian Doctrine was that way of Truth revealed by him who is prima Veritas the first Truth The ways wherein God cometh to us are his Mercy and Truth and the ways wherein we come to God is the way of True Religion prescribed by him it is the way of understanding because it maketh us wise as to the great affairs of our souls and unto the end of our lives and beings and the way of holiness and righteousness as directing us in all duties to God and man and the way of life and salvation because it brings us to everlasting happiness This way David chose by the direction of God's Word and Spirit Secondly There follows the evidence of his sincerity the accurate prosecution of his choice Thy judgments have I laid before me The Sept. read it I have not forgotten thy judgments By judgments is meant God's word according to the sentence of which every man shall receive his doom He that walketh in a way condemned by the word shall not prosper for God's word is Judgment and Execution shall surely follow and by this word David got his direction how to chuse this way of Truth and this he laid before him as his line his desire was to follow what was right and true not only as to his general course and way of profession but in all his actions and so it noteth his fixed purpose to live according to this blessed Rule which God hath given him To have a holy Rule and an unholy life is unconsonant inconsistent A Christian should be a lively transcript of that Religion he doth profess If the way be a way of Truth he must always set it before him and walk exactly The Points are two 1. That there being many crooked paths in the world it concerns us to chuse the way of truth 2. That when we have chosen the way of truth or taken up the profession of the true Religion the Rules and Institutions of it should ever be before us There are two great faults of men one in point of choice the other in point of pursuit Either they do not chuse right or they do not live up according to the Rules of their profession both are prevented by these points Doct. 1. That there being many crooked paths in the world it concerns us to chuse the way of Truth I shall give you the sense of it in these Eight Propositions or Considerations Prop. 1. The Lord in his holy Providence hath so permitted it that there ever have been and are and for ought we can see will be controversies about the way of truth and right worship There was such a disease introduced into the World by the full that most of the remedies which men chuse do but shew the strength and malignâ—… of the disease they chuse out false ways of coming to God and returning to him Micah 4. 5. All people will walk every one in the name of his God and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever Mark there is his God and our God and then all people noting their common agreement in error all people will every man noting their diversity as to the particular false way of Religion and worship which they take up to themselves when they turn their back upon the true God and the knowledge of him then they are endless in seeking out false Gods Jonah 1. 5. They cryed every man to his God Among Pagans even in one Ship there
whatever it cost us 5. It reproves those that think to reserve their hearts notwithstanding outward compliance the way of truth being chosen is to be owned 2 Cor. 7. 1. the outward profession is required as well as the inward belief Rom. 10. 10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation A man that should list himself among the enemies of his countrey and fight with them and say I reserve my heart for my countrey this is a mockage As if a Wife that prostitutes her body to another should tell her Husband she reserveth her heart for him Satan would have outward prostration he did not ask the heart but fall down and worship me USE 2. To press us to chuse the way of truth Take it up upon evidence and cleave to it with all the heart First Take it up upon evidence the evidence of Reason Scripture and the Spirit Reason will lead us to the Scripture the Scripture will lead us to the Spirit so we come to have a knowledg of the truth 1. Reason that 's preparative light and will lead the soul thus far It 's a thousand to one but Christianity is the way of God it will see much of God in this representation and if you should go on carnally carelesly neglecting Heaven and Christ Reason will tell you you run upon a thousand hazards that there are far more against you than for you in your sinful courses Stand upon the way Where may you find such likelihood of satisfaction or probability of salvation as in the Religion we have Either this is true or there is none That you should venture your souls rather here than elsewhere and at least that you should profess the Christian Religion as men go to a Lottery Reason will tell you thus A man that comes to a Lottery it is uncertain whether he shall have a Prize or no but it is but venturing a shilling possibly he may have a prize so Reason will tell you if it be uncertain whether there be a Heaven or a Hell yet it is a thousand to one there are both I may have a Prize and it 's but venturing the quitting of a few lusts that are not worth the keeping There are some Truths above reason but none contrary to it for grace is not contrary to nature but perfects it therefore there is nothing in the Gospel but what is agreeable to sound reason Reason will tell us there is no doctrine agreeth so much with the wisdom power goodness justice truth and the honour of God as that doctrine revealed in the Scripture 2. When Reason hath thus brought you to the Scripture there 's the great warrant of faith John 17. 20. They that believe in me through their word And Isa. 8. 20. To the law and to the testimony else there is no light in them That 's the sacred standard by which we should measure all doctrines and these will make wise the simple Psal. 19. The plainest meanest simplest man may find out the right way to heaven if he will consult with God's book diligently there he may become wise to salvation the veriest fool and simple man may be taught how to walk directly and safely this is the clue which brings us through all the labyrinths and perplexing debates in the world to consult with the word of God that we may not receive the truth upon man's credit but see the grounds of it with our own eyes He that finds the pearl of price must dig for it Matt. 13. 44. he must read the Scriptures be much in the study of God's book 3. The Scripture leads us to the Spirit because there are many mysteries in the Gospel difficultly known that will not be taken up by a sure faith without illumination from above Besides there are so many various artifices used by men to disguise the truth Eph. 4. 14. And besides there 's a connate blindness and hatred of truth which is natural to men and therefore it 's the Spirit of God must help us to make a wise choice Look as in practical things we shall never chuse the way of truth in opposition to the falsity of worldly enjoyments without the light of the Spirit therefore it is said Prov. 23. 4. Labour not to be rich cease from thine own wisdom If a man be guided by his own understanding he will chuse riches so also in matter of opinion when we lean to our own understanding we shall chuse amiss Iohn 16. 13. It is the Spirit of God that must guide us into all truth therefore you must beg his direction for if we that are so blind of heart be left to our own mistakes or the deceits of others left to the direction of our selves how easily shall we err Say Lord send out thy light and thy truth to lead me to thy holy hill Secondly As we should chuse the way of truth so cleave to it with all firmness and perseverance without seeking out any other way Iohn 6. 67 68. If you turn away from Christ where will you get a better Master change where you will you will change for the worse you will turn your back upon true comfort and true happiness for he hath all this So much for the first part the rightness of David's choice I have chosen the way of truth In the latter clause there you have his diligence and accuracy in walking according to the tenour of the true Religion Thy judgments have I laid before me By judgments is meant the precepts and directions of the word as invested with threatnings and promises for so the word contains every man's doom Not only the execution of God's Providence but the word shews what will become of a man Now these I have laid before me that is propounded them as the Rule of my life as the King was to have the Book of the Law always before him Deut. 17. 19. Doct. 2. When we have chosen the way of truth or taken up the profession of the true Religion the rules of it should be ever before us Three Reasons for this 1. To have a holy Rule and not a holy Life is altogether inconsistent A Christian should be a lively transcript of that Religion he doth profess A Christian should be Christ's Epistle 2 Cor. 3. a walking-Bible 2 Cor. 15. 16. shining as lights holding forth the word of life How not in doctrine but in practice A sutable practice joined with profession puts a majesty and splendor upon the truth If there are many doubts about the true Religion why they are occasioned by the scandalous lives of professors we reason from the Artist to the Art it self Look as there is a correspondence between the stamp and the impress the seal and the thing sealed so should there be between a Christian's life and a Christian's belief the stamp should be upon his own heart upon his life and actions his action should discover his
our works for us Isa. 26. 12. Now this actual help is necessary 1. Partly to direct us Psal. 74. 24. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory We need not only a principle within and a rule without but need also a guide Though we have grace in our hearts though we have the Law of God to direct us yet we need also a guide upon all occasions the Rule is the Scripture and the Guide is the Spirit of God 2. Partly to quicken and excite us by effectual motions The heart of man is very changeable and it is like the eye easily discomposed and put out of frame Deadness creeps upon us and we drive on heavily in the work of God Psal. 119. 37. Quicken thou me in thy way God doth renew the vigor of the life of grace upon all occasions 3. Partly to corroborate and strengthen that which we have received and make it encrease and grow in the soul and more firmly rooted there Eph. 3. 16. The Apostle prays That God would strengthen you with might by his spirit in the inner man the inward man the frame of grace that we have received needs to be strengthned encreased and be more deeply rooted in the soul. So 1 Pet. 5. 10. The God of all grace make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you Many words are used to shew how God is interested in maintaining and keeping a foot the grace he hath planted in the soul. 4. Partly in protecting and defending them against the incursions and assaults of the Devil The regenerate are not only escaped out of his clutches but appointed to be his Judges which an envious and proud spirit cannot endure therefore he maligneth assaulteth and besiegeth them with temptations daily therefore Christ prays Joh. 17. 11. Keep through thy own name those whom thou hast given me When a City is besieged fresh supplies are sent in they are not kept to their standing-provision so it is not the ordinary power of God that doth preserve and keep us from danger there 's new relief and fresh strength We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 2 Pet. 1. 5. Now we experience the help we have from God partly by the change and frame of our heart when we are acted by him and when we are not When God by the impulsions of his grace doth quicken and awaken our hearts we are carried on with a great deal of earnestness and strength but at other times we seem to be much bound and have not those breathings from the Spirit of God to fill our sails and carry us on with the same life and strength Yea in the same duty how is a Christian up and down carried out sometimes with a great deal of zeal and warmth but if God withdraw that assistance before the duty be over how do the affections flag So that we are like the wards of a Lock kept up while the key is turned but fall again when the key is turned the other way While the work of grace is powerful we are kept in a warm and heavenly plight Thus as to duties we need spiritual relief Likewise in temptations when we are ready to fall into such a sin with great proneness of heart and the Lord quickens and excites us by his grace It is often with a Christian as with David Psal. 73. 2. My feet were almost gone my steps had well nigh slipt even carried away by the violence of Satan and importunate motions of our own lusts then the Lord gives grace to help in a time of need Heb. 4. 16. in the Original it is no more but this seasonable relief God vouchsafeth Object I but are we to do nothing when we are indisposed This case is often traversed in this Psalm 1. The Precept of God falls upon us as reasonable creatures and doth not consider whether we are disposed or indisposed and God's influence is not our rule but our help We are to stir up our selves the Lord complains Isa. 64. 7. There is none that stirreth up himself to take hold of me And Timothy is bid to stir up the gift of God which is in him 2 Tim. 1. 6. God's assistance will be best expected in a way of doing Up and be doing and the Lord will be with thee 2 Chron. When we stir up our selves and set our selves to the work in the conscience of our duty we can better expect God's help and assistance 2. In great distempers there may be some pause Elisha would not prophesie when he was under a passion of anger therefore he calls for a Minstrel to sing a Psalm 2 King 3. 13 14 15. and as he plaid upon an Instrument the Spirit of the Lord came upon him He was under a passion offended with the King of Israel therefore he would not prophesie until his spirit was composed Certainly we are not to run head-long upon duties in the midst of these distempers Sailing is more safely delayed in time of an extreme storm When the heart is put into some great disorder in a great storm of spirit the distemper should first be mourned for and prayed against The Reasons why that from first to last he must make us to go in the way of his Commandments 1. God keeps this power in his own hands that his grace might be all in all and 't is the glory of his actions always to set the crown upon graces head Not only those permanent and fixed habits which constitute the new man but those daily supplies without which the motions and operations of the spiritual life would be at a stand are for grace When the Lord reckons with his servants about the improvement of their talents he doth not say My industry but Lord thy pound Luke 19. 18. He puts all the honour upon grace So 1 Cor. 16. 10. Not I but the grace of God So Gal. 2. 20. I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me So that still they are giving the glory to grace Acts are more perfect than habits therefore if we had only the power from God and acts from our selves we should not give all to God That acts are more perfect than the power is clear it is more perfect to understand than to have a power to understand power is in order to the act and the end is more noble than the means 2. This is a very great encouragement to us to set upon the exercise of grace in the midst of weaknesses and several difficulties and temptations wherewith we are encompassed because God will enable and assist us he will not leave us to our standing strength but he concurs Phil. 2. 12 13. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling why for it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure When God will concur to the will and to the deed to both when we have wind and tide he is very lazy that will not take his
of the Priests at Ierusalem that when Faustus Cornelius and Furius and Fabius broke into the City with their Troops and rushed into the Temple ready to kill them yet they went on with the Rites of the Temple as if there had been no such thing And strange is that other instance of the Spartan Youth that held the Censer to Alexander while he Offered Sacrifice a coal lighting upon his arm he suffered it to burn there rather than by any crying out of his would disturb that Worship these Instances are a shame to Christians that we do no more fix our hearts when we are in the Service of God Use 2. The Second Use is to press us to this piece of Mortification even to turn away your eyes from beholding Vanity To help you in it you must 1. Take Iobs course Iob 31. 1. I made a Covenant with my eyes Iob and his eyes were in Covenant there was a Covenant between heart and eyes eyes be you Faithful to my Soul that there be nothing that may stir up Carnal and Impure thoughts that there be no unclean objects that may fire my heart Oh the fool-hardiness of this age Some will smile at this kind of Discipline to be so strict and precise Why is Sin grown less dangerous or is Mans nature more wise and strong or are we better fortified against Temptations are our hearts in a better posture than the Servants of God of old Surely no and therefore set a watch upon your eyes that sin break not in upon your heart 2. Gonsider the Vanity of the things we dote upon and take in by the eyes So saith David Turn away mine eyes from heholding Vanity they are poor vain perishing things yet they suit too well with our Senses And consider what Solomon saith of these things Wilt thou set thine heart upon that which is not We inflame our hearts with these things and Lust putteth a lovely face upon the object that suteth with it but alass what are they whatever they seem to the beholder 't is but Vanity Psal. 39. 6. Man flattereth himself in a vain shew All the Splendor and Beauty of it is but Vain 1 Cor. 7. 31. The Fashion of this World passeth away 't is but an empty thing flying bubbles though the World is of some use to us in our Pilgrimage yet poor things they are as that for them we should neglect our duty to God and grow less lively therein or have our hearts withdrawn from God 'T is the Temptation that maketh them seem comely When these alluring Vanities are before our eyes Lust puts a gloss upon them but consider what they are indeed and in comparison of those things from which they tempt you namely Heaven and Eternal Blessedness 3. Consider the Cursed issue of these things of letting loose thy eye and heart to vanity When you please the eye you wound the heart and make you unfit for your great Account Eccles. 11. 9. Rejoyce O young man in thy Youth and let thy heart chear thee in the days of thy Youth and walk in the ways of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes yet know that for all these things God will bring thee to Iudgement Go drench and steep thy Soul in carnal delights When thy wandring and wanton eye doth influence the Lusts of thy heart and they begin to boyl up when thou hast not denied thy self any thing thy heart can wish and thine eye look upon put in a little cool water to stop the boyling and raging of thy Lust remember that God will bring thee to Judgment though thou dost now smother thy Convictions and drown thy Reason in these sensual delights yet God will call thee to an account for all thy time and parts and strength and wit and talents intrusted with thee 4. Pray as David doth here Turn away mine eyes he calleth upon God for the assistance of his Grace and Psal. 141. 3. Set a watch upon the door of my lips He that bendeth and inclineth the heart by his Grace to look after better things must also bridle the senses 't is Lust sets the eye awork and causeth a deep complacency and delight in carnal things and that is cured only by Gods grace Mark 10. 27. therefore go and beg this mercy of him 5. Constant watchfulness alas we cannot open our eyes but we meet with a temptation a door open for Satan to enter by and therefore we had need diligently and constantly to watch especially when Lusts are like to be stirred Lots Wife might not look towards Sodom but Abraham was bidden to look upon it It was no temptation to him but it was to her she had her heart hankering after it Gen. 19. 17. compared with verse 28. When we are in danger of a Temptation we should keep a severe and strict hand upon the Senses that they may not dwell unnecessarily upon alluring objects 6. We have renounced the Pomps and Vanities of the World in Baptism and shall our eyes and hearts run after them this is implyed in our Baptism for Baptism is called the answer of a good Conscience towards God 1 Pet. 3. 21. 'T is an answer to Gods demand in the Covenant God puts us to the Question whether we will renounce the World and the Vanities and Pleasures thereof Now when we have renounced these things shall our eyes and our hearts run after them Shall we turn the Senses against God who gave us the use of them Yea against our Souls To shame you that have been no more Faithful to your Baptismal Vow consider what Heathens have done Basil relateth of Alexander a young man in the heat of Blood and in the flower of his age refused to see Darius's Daughter 'T is a shame saith he for him that hath conquered so many men to be conquered by a Woman 'T is said of some Heathen that he put out his eyes that they might not be a snare to him We have Grace that we may not use such Violence to our Nature but certainly the eyes of our Lusts should be put out you see our Baptism engageth us If Heathens those that never came under such an ingagement to God if they by the light of Nature saw that the guarding of the Senses was an help to the Soul it concerns us much more to renounce the Pomps and Vanities of the World Secondly We come to the Request quicken thou me in thy way By quickning is meant the actuation of the Spiritual Life he beggeth Grace to perform his Duty to God with chearfulness liveliness and zeal Doct. Quickning is very necessary for them that would walk in Gods ways I shall not consider it here as a Prayer to God or as 't is a blessing to be asked of God but as 't is necessary to obedience and here I shall inquire 1. What Quickning is 2. Shew the necessity of it 1. What Quickning is 't is put for two things 1. 'T is put for Regeneration
carowsing dancing all the warnings of Parents the good counsel of Tutors and Governours the grave exhortations of Ministers and Preachers will do no good upon them they are alwayes wandring up and down from God and from themselves cannot endure a thought of God of Death of Heaven of Hell of Judgment to come but when God casts them once into some grievous disease or some great trouble they begin to come to themselves and then they that would hear nothing understand nothing despised all grave and gracious counsel given as if it did not belong to them scoffed at admonitions thought the day lost in which they had not acted some sin or other when the Cross preacheth and some grievous calamity is upon them then Conscience beginneth to work and this bringeth to remembrance all that they have heard before then they come to themselves and would fain if they could come to Christ. Sharp Affliction is a sound powerfull rouzing teacher Iob 36. 8 9. And if they be bound in fetters and be holden in cords of affliction then he sheweth them their work and their transgressions that they have exceeded Grace worketh in a powerfull but yet in a morall way congruously but forcibly and by a fit accommodation of Circumstances One place more Ier. 31. 18. Truly I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the Yoke turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Affliction awakeneth serious Reflections upon our wayes therefore take heed what ye doe with the Convictions that arise upon Afflictions to slight them is dangerous Nothing breedeth hardness of heart so much as the smothering of convictions Iron often heated grows the harder On the other side see they do not degenerate into despair either the raging despair which terrifieth or the sottish despair which stupifieth Ier. 18. 12. They said there is no hope but we will walk after our own devices and we will every one doe the Imagination of his evil heart The middle between both is an holy sensibleness of our condition which is a good preparation for the great duties of the Gospel The work of Conversion is at first difficult and troublesome but pass over this brunt and all things will be sweet and easie the bullock at first yoaking is most unruly and fire at the first kindling casts forth most smoak so when sin is revived it brings forth death Rom. 7. 9. For I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came Sin revived and I died But yet cherish the work till God speak peace upon sound terms 2. It is a great help to those that are converted already How many are reduced to a more serious lively practice of Godliness by their troubles We are rash inconsiderate unattentive to our duty but the rod maketh us cautious and diligent We follow the world not the word of God the vanities thereof take us off from minding the Promises or Precepts of the word till the affliction cometh In short there is none of us so tamed and subdued to God but that we need to be tamed more We are all for carnal liberty there is a wantonness in us We are high minded earthly minded till God come with his scourge to reclaim us he chasteneth us for our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness Heb. 12. 10. Some lust still needeth mortifying or some Grace needeth exercising Our Pride needs to be mortified or our affections to be weaned from the world The Almond Tree is made more fruitfull by driving nails into it because that letteth out a noxious gumm that hindereth its fruitfulness So when God would have you thrive more he makes you feel the sharpness of affliction You have heard Plutarch's story of Iason of Choerea that had his Imposthume let out by a casual wound There is some corruption God would let out We are apt to set up our rest here and therefore we need to be disturbed to have the world crucified to us Gal. 6. 14. that the cumber of the world may drive us to seek for rest where it is only to be found and to humble us by outward defects that we may look after inward abundance that by being poor in this world we may be rich in Faith Iames 2. 5. and having nothing in the Creature we may possess all things in God 2 Cor. 6. 10. and be inlarged inwardly as we are straitened outwardly In short that we may be oftner with God God sent a tempest after Ionah Absalom set Ioab's barley-field on fire and then he came to him 2 Sam. 14. 30. Isa. 26. 16. Lord in trouble have they visited thee they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them Hosea 5. 15. In their affliction they will seek me early It were endless to run out in discourses of this nature 5. The Affliction of its self doth not work thus but as sanctified and accompanied with the Spirit of God If the Affliction of its self and by its self would doe it it would doe so alwayes but that we see by experience it doth not in its self It is an evil and a pain that is the consequent and the fruit of Sin and so breedeth Impatience Despair Murmuring and Blasphemy against God as it is a legal curse other fruit cannot be expected of it but reviving terrours of heart and repinings against the Sovereignty of God We see often the same Affliction that maketh one humble maketh another raging the same Poverty that maketh one full of dependance upon God maketh another full of shifts and evil Courses whereby to supply his want No it is understood of sanctified Crosses when Grace goeth along with them to bless them to us Ier. 31. 19. Surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth After God had wrought a gracious change in him by his afflicting hand and Spirit working together So Psalm 94. 12. Blessed is he whom thou chastenest and instructest out of thy Law The Rod must be expounded by the Word and both must be effectually applied by the Spirit Grace is God's immediate Creature and Production he useth subservient means and helps sometimes the Word sometimes the Rod sometimes both but neither doth any thing without his Spirit 6. This Benefit though gotten by sharp Afflictions should be owned and thankfully acknowledged as a great testimony and expression of God's Love to us So doth David to the praise of God It is a branch that belongeth to the Thanksgiving mentioned v. 65. Thou hast done well with thy Servant according to thy Word The first of this octonary We are prejudiced against the Cross out of a Self-love a mistaken Self-love we love our selves more than we love God and the ease of the Body more than the welfare of the Soul and
the World more than Heaven and our temporal Pleasure and Contentment more than our spiritual and eternal Benefit and therefore we cannot endure to hear of the Cross much more to bear it Oh this doth not become men surely it doth not become Christians Would you have your Consolation here Luke 6. your Portion here Psalm 7. Would you value your selves by the flourishing of the outward man or the renewing of the inward man 2 Cor. 4. 16. Should we be so impatient of the Cross Afflictions are bitter to present Sense but yet they are healthfull to the Soul they are not so bitter in present feeling as they will be sweet in the after-fruits Now we are greatly unthankfull to God if the bitterness be not lessened and tempered by this fruit and profit Consider when are we most miserable when we goe astray or when we are reduced into the right way when we are ingaged in a Rebellion against God or when brought into a sense of our Duty Hosea 4. 17. Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone Let him alone is the heaviest Judgment that can be laid upon a poor Creature Providence Conscience Ministry let him alone the case is desperate and we are incorrigible when we are left to our own ways There needeth no more to make our case miserable and sad than to be suffered to goe on in Sin without lett and restraint there is no hope of such God seemeth to cast them off and to desert and leave them to their own Lusts. It is evident he mindeth not their Salvation but leaveth them to the World to be condemned with the World Well then doth God doe the Elect any harm when he casts them into great troubles If we use violence to a man that is ready to be drowned and in pulling him out of the Waters should break an Arm or a Leg would he not be thankfull yes saith he I can dispense with that for you have saved my Life So may God's Children bless his Name Oh blessed Providence I had been a witless Fool and gone on in a course of Sin if God had not awakened me A Philosopher could say that he never made better Voyage than when he suffered Shipwrack because then he began to apply himself to the study of Wisdome surely a Christian should say Blessed be God that he laid his Chastenings upon me and brought me to a serious heavenly mind I should otherwise have been a carnal Fool as others are Wicked men are left to their own swing When the case of the Sick is desperate Physicians let them alone give them leave to take any thing they have a mind unto The Apostle speaketh much to this purpose Heb. 12. 6. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth Sharp Afflictions which in their visible appearance seem tokens of God's Hatred are rather tokens of his Love There is a twofold Love of God Amor benevolentioe complacentioe the Love of Good-will whereby the Lord out of the purposes of his own free Grace doth regenerate us and adopt us into his Family and having loved us and made us amiable he doth then delight in us The Text alledged may be expounded of either Oh then why do not we more own God in our Afflictions if he use us a little hardly it is not an argument of his Hatred but his Love Thou darest not pray Lord let me have my worldly Comforts though they damn me let me not be afflicted though it will doe me good and if thou darest not pray so will you repine when God seeth this course necessary for us and taketh away the fuel of our Lusts Is it not a good Exchange to part with outward Comforts for inward Holiness If he take away our quiet and give us peace of Conscience our worldly Goods and give us true Riches have we cause to complain If outward Wants be recompensed with an abundance of inward Grace if we have less of the World that we may have more of God an healthy Soul in a sickly Body it is just matter of Thanksgiving 3 Ep. Iohn v. 2. I wish above all things that thou mayst prosper and be in health even as thy Soul prospereth We can subscribe to this in the general all will affirm that Afflictions are profitable and that it is a good thing to be patient and submissive under them but when any Cross cometh to knock at our door we are loth to give it entrance and if it thrust in upon us we fret and fume and our Souls sit uneasy and all because we are addicted so unreasonably to the ease of the Flesh the quiet happiness and welfare of the carnal Life and have so little regard to Life spiritual 7. At the first coming of the Affliction we do not see this Benefit so well as in the review of the whole Dispensation Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy Word So Heb. 12. 11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them which are exercised thereby There is a perfect opposition the Root and the Fruit are opposed Affliction and the Fruit of Righteousness the quality of the Root and the quality of the Fruit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Appearance and the Reality 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then the Season 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God's Physick must have time to work at first it may not be so or at least not appear for things are before they appear or can be observed for the present We must tarry God's leisure and be content with his blows till we feel the benefit of them it is first matter of Faith and then of Feeling though we do not presently understand why every thing is done we must wait The hand in the Dyal doth not seem to stir yet it keeps its course while it is passing we see it not but that it hath passed from one hour to another is evident So is God's work with the Soul and spiritual Renovation and increase is not so sensible at the first though it be carried on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 day by day 2 Cor. 4. 16. but in the view of the whole it will appear What are we the better doth Sin decay and what Sin do we find it otherwise with us than it was before 8. This Profit is not onely when the Affliction is upon us but after it is over the Fruit of it must remain Their qualms and pangs most have Psalm 78. 34 to 37. When he slew them then they sought him and returned and enquired early after God And they remembred that God was their Rock and the high God their Redeemer Nevertheless they did flatter him with their Mouth and they lied unto him with their Tongues For their heart was not right with him neither were they
correction He made Iacob and Laban meet peaceably Gen. 31. and in the next Chapter Iacob and Esau. Use is Direction to us in these Times when there are such distances and alienation of hearts and affections between the People of God 1. Let us not be troubled at it overmuch Godly men were estranged from David either being mislead by delusions and false reports or loth to come to him because of his Troubles and low condition And partly because 't is no strange thing for a good man to be forsaken of his Friends so Job 6. 15 16 17. My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook and as the stream of brooks they pass away which are blackish by reason of the ice and wherein the snow is hid What time they wax warm they vanish when it is hot they are consumed out of the way So David Psal. 31. 11. I was a reproach among all mine enemies and a fear to mine acquaintance Yea so Christ himself I know the Temptation is very great Man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sociable creature To go alone in our duty is very hard but we ought not to look on our selves to be alone while God is with us Iohn 16. 32. Christ is a pattern of all dispensations as well as trials Heb. 13. 5. I will not leave thee nor forsake thee He is so far from forsaking that he will not leave us 2. Let us recommend the case to God Zeph. 3. 9. That they may call upon the Name of the Lord to serve him with one consent Rom. 15. 6 7. That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorifie God Wherefore receive ye one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God Non sunt ista litigandi sed orandi tempora Beg a coalition of all those that fear God that laying aside prejudice they may turn one to another The Spirit of Concord is God's gift Christ prayeth John 17. 21 22. That they may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that the world may believe thou hast sent me And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them that â—…ey may be one as we are one 3. Let us carry it so that the Children of God may have no occasion to turn from us Scandalous sins are roots of bitterness Heb. 12. 15. Lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled Encourage the Godly to pray for you Heb. 13. 18. Pray for us for we trust we have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly To love you Good men are not unworthy of our Prayers and uncapable of the benefit of them the more you excel in Grace the more they will delight in you Psal. 16. 3. But to the saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight SERMON LXXXVIII PSAL. CXIX VER 80. Let my heart be sound in thy statutes that I be not ashamed IN this Verse we have first A Petition Let my heart be sound in thy statutes 2dly An Argument from the fruit and effect of granting it That I be not ashamed that is then I shall not otherwise I certainly shall be ashamed He would avoid that inconveniency that was so grievous to him in the eyes of wicked men In the Petition I shall take notice 1. Of the Person praying David 2. His Qualification intimated in the word My heart 3. The Person prayed unto intimated in the word Thy. Secondly Here 's the Benefit asked A sound heart in which you have 1. The Nature of it 2. The Value of it DOCT. That Sincerity and Soundness in an Holy Course is a great Blessing and earnestly to be sought of God in Prayer This will appear if we consider the Benefit asked the Nature and Value of it First The Nature of it What is a sound heart It noteth reality and solidity in grace The Septuagint hath it Let my heart be without spot and blemish What is here Let my heart be sound It implieth the reality of Grace opposed to the bare Form of Godliness or the fair Shows of Hypocrites and the sudden and vanishing Motions of Temporaries 1 I shall briefly shew what it is not by way of opposition 1. 'T is opposed to the form of godliness 2 Tim. 3. 4. Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof Their Religion is only in shew and outside as Apples that may be fair to see to in the Skin but rotten at the Core so their Hearts are not sound within When we are sound within as well as beautiful without this is the sound heart when not only in shew and appearance we are for God but in deed and truth Solinus telleth us That the Apples of Sodom are to sight very beautiful and fair but the compass of the rine doth only contain a sooty matter which flitters into dust as soon as touched This is a fit Emblem of an Hypocrite or an Heart not sound with God Or as the Priests under the Law they were to look whether the Sacrifices were sound at heart otherwise they were to be rejected Lev. 22. 22 23. So David here begs a sound heart in God's statutes lest it should be rejected of God The world thinketh if there be a little external Conformity to the Law of God it is enough O no! there must be a sound heart no other principle of Obedience pleaseth God 2. This sound Heart is opposed to the sudden pangs and hasty motions of Temporaries The graces of Temporaries are for matter true but slightly rooted and therefore are not sound There wanteth two things in the graces of Temporaries first a deep and firm radication 2dly an habitual predominancy over all lusts First A deep and firm radication Temporaries are really affected with the Word of God and the offers of Christ and life by him but the tincture is but slight and soon worn off They have the Streams of Grace but not the Fountain a Draught but not the Spring John 4. 14. The water that I shall give him shall be a well of water springing up to everlasting life A dash of Rain or a Pond may be dried up but a Fountain ever keepeth flowing They have something to do with Christ he giveth them a visit but not that constant communion he doth not dwell in their hearts by faith Eph. 3. 17. nor take up his abode there 't is but a slight tincture not a deep and permanent die of holiness or a constant habitual inclination to that which is holy just and good There is not the remaining seed 1 Iohn 3. 9. there is a great deal of difference between sudden motions stirred up in us by the Spirit and the remaining seed that is a constant disposition of heart to please God Secondly An habitual predominancy over all lusts Temporaries still with those kind Graces which they have retain their interest in the world and
natural and as kindly to the new nature to hate the chiefest evil as it is to love the chiefest good Do you talk of Love and Communion with God and never exercise your selves in refraining your feet from every evil way Certainly if you have any love to God you will hate that which God hates for Idem Velle Nolle to will and nill the same things that 's true friendship therefore if God be your friend you will hate as he hates that which makes a breach between you and God and makes you grow shie of God and lose your familiarity with him As love to God so love to his word Psal. 119. 113. I hate vain thoughts but thy Law do I love Certainly if a man hath a love to the Law he will not only hate sin in practice but vain thoughts what tends to breaking the Law in his thoughts any lesser contrariety contradiction or defiance of God's Law for our hatred is engaged by Love Well get this Love set it a work improve it by reason for every affection is fed by discourses of the mind All sins are set a work by some discourse so graces are set a work by discoursings of our minds Now set this Love a work O shall I that have tasted so much of the Love of God or that do pretend to love God and Christ and enjoy Communion with him yield to follow sin Ezra 9. 13. What after such a deliverance as this should we again break thy Commandment When God hath delivered us not only out of Babylon but you may say out of Hell how should we set Love a work The great instance of God's Love was the giving his Son 1 Iohn 4. 9 10. Herein is Love c. Now then if God hate and resist sin reason and argue from this Love what shall God give his Son for me and I not spare a lust for God when God did not stand upon his Son that was so dear and precious to him shall I stand upon my sin what shall Christ die for me to ransom me from hell is this my kindness to my Friend Cyprian brings in Satan pleading thus as vaunting against Christ. I never spilt one drop of blood my back was never mangled with whips and scourges I never had a Heaven to bestow upon them yet among all thy beneficiaries shew me any so busie painful diligent exact in thy service as these are in mine Thou hast shed thy blood and endured a painful and an accursed death for them yet they are not so dutiful to thee as to me You see whereto this tends and shall Christ do so much for us and we not deny our lusts for him Surely if we have any sense of the Love of Christ Jesus it will work this hatred this abhorrency and refraining our selves from every evil way Thus set Love a work 2. Another grace is a fear of God and his word A fear of God Prov. 8. 13. The fear of the Lord is to depart from evil Job 1. 1. Iob feared Gâ—…d and eschewed evil Surely a fear of God will make you refrain your selves from every evil way And not only so but a fear of his Word that 's useful Prov. 13. 12. He that feareth a Commandment shall be rewarded It is not said he that fears a Judgment but he that fears a Commandment If the Word stands in his way it is more than if all the inconveniences in the world stand in his way This also should be improved by holy reasoning and discourse you may reason as Ioseph the Lord seeth me and how can I do this wickedness and sin against God Gen. 39. 9. Shall I break the Lord's Laws before his face what when my heavenly Father hath forbidden me The Sons of Ionadab the Son of Rechab Ier. 34. 5 6. They were afraid to drink Wine when the Prophet brought pots before them no we dare not our Father hath commanded us the contrary Their Father was dead and could not take cognizance of their actions to call them to an account for breaking the rule of the Institution but there was an awe upon them but our Father his eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth Therefore when you are tempted to sin and folly say I dare not God hath commanded me in his Word to the contrary Set fear a work here 's a commandment stands in my way the great God he sees all things and will one day call us to an account The two duties into which these graces do run and issue themselves are watchfulness and resistance Watchfulness we are poor creatures in the midst of Snares very easily may miscarry partly through our constitution there 's flesh as well as spirit and the flesh doth always stir and not lie idle Old sins that seemed to be laid asleep may easily waken again The Devil suits the bait to the season and affections we are under As Angels furnish their hook with a proper bait O! saith Bernard here are fears there snares that which pleases is apt to tempt me that which frightens is apt to terrifie me what should a poor creature do Be watchful stand upon your guard that you be not surprised by the craft of Satan that you may not swallow the hook when he sets the bait to your appetite And then powerful resistance of evil that sin may not prevail and we more and more drawn off from God Do not yield a little smaller sins make way for greater when the gap is once open it is wider and wider if sin be not stifled at first it will encrease SERMON CVIII PSAL. CXIX VER 102. I have not departed from thy Iudgments for thou hast taught me IN the former verse he had spoken of his vigilancy against evil as the result of that Wisdom which he got by the Word now he speaketh of his constant adherence to God's Direction Here you may take notice of two things 1. David's exactness and constancy in Obedience I have not departed from thy Iudgments 2. The Reason of it for thou hast taught me 1. Branch By Misphalim Judgments is meant God's Law for thereby he will judge the World And the Word departed not intimateth both his exactness and constancy His exactness that he did not go an hairs breadth from his direction Deut. 5. 32. Ye shall observe to do what the Lord your Godhath commanded you Ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left And his constancy is employed in it for then we are said to depart from God and his Law when we fall off from him in Judgment and practice Ier 32. 40. 2. Branch God's Institution and continual instincts The Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thence the Vulgar Legem posuisti mihi Thou hast given me that Law and so the reason would be drawn from God's Authority but rather 't is meant of his internal illumination and constant direction Observe 1. A man that would shew love to the Word must
without the Will The dreggs of things come out with squeezing and wringing Duty is best done when like life-honey it droppeth of its own accord chearful and hearty service only pleaseth the Lord. Now that is chearful service which cometh not from the influence of bye-ends and foreign motives or the compulsion of a natural Conscience or legal fears but from the native inclination and bent of the heart 1 Iohn 5. 3. This is love to keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous the work is not grievous but pleasant because suitable to the principles that are in us 't is not done against the hair Cain offered Sacrifice but with a grudging mind 'T is somewhere said They offered to the Lord whose hearts made them willing When the heart is in it 't is not constrained forced service but natural and genuine not like water out of a Still but like water out of a Fountain 2. For uniform obedience to serve God in the whole tenour of our lives that needs an heart inclined that may be as a constant Spring of holiness A man may force himself now and then to actions displeasing to himself but his constant course is according to his natural bent and inclination Haman could refrain himself from Murther but his heart still boiled with rancour and malice When men look only to the refraining of outward actions or the restraining the outward man it will never hold the bent of the heart will discover it self and so they will be off and on with God the compulsion of Conscience will sometimes urge them to God but the inclination of the heart will draw them to evil therefore God wisheth that his people had a heart to serve him Deut. 5. 29. 3. Constant obedience that can never be till the heart be inclined Iudas was a Disciple for a while but Satan entered into his heart Luke 22. 3. Ananias joined himself to the people of God but Satan filled his heart Simon Magus was baptized but his heart was not right with God Act. 8. 22. here is the great defect but now when God gets possession of the heart there he dwelleth Eph. 3. 17. there he abideth as in his strong Cittadel and from thence commandeth all the faculties of the Soul and the Members of the Body Use 1. To press you to get this bent of heart otherwise all your labour in Religion will be in vain every difficulty will put you out of the way and make you think of a revolt from God till this the work of Grace is not begun Gods first gift is a new heart Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart also will I give unto you and a new Spirit will I put within you without this you can never hold out but you will be uncertain and mutable in the profession of godliness whatever restraints are upon you for a time sin will be breaking out ever and anon with violence and at length men will return with the Dog to the vomit and with the Sow to her wallowing in the mire 2 Pet. 2. 20. Oh then go to God for it Ier. 17. 10. say Heal me O Lord and I shall be healed save me and I shall be saved 2. Carry forth the work of God so far as you receive it follow after to apprehend that for which we are apprehended of Christ Phil. 3. 12. Use 2. Have we such an heart an heart inclined to do the will of God First though there be such a bent and inclination there will be failings yea reluctancies and oppositions Rom. 7. 8. To will is present with me yet how to perform that which is good I find not There is a ready will asserted and a weak discharge complained of observe 't is a will not a wish a weak discharge not that nothing is done but not all that good that is required nor in that purity the work doth not perfectly answer the will nor the motions of the Spirit by which it is excited and mark this weakness is not rested in but complained of and not only complained of but resisted I find not that implieth he sought it for the word finding implieth a diligent search he laid about him on every side he did not expect it should come by chance or a lazy enquiry 2. If wrought 1. How was it wrought in you Did God turn thee and thou wast turned Were you ever brought to self-resignation By what steps was this work carried on Thy heart was naturally wedded to thy lusts and to carnal vanity did ever God make you see the odiousness of sin the vanity of the Creature the insufficiency of self Evil men seek contentment in the world as long as Conscience will let them hold out in that way you cannot cleave to God till you are rent off from the world and self was there ever such a separation such a rending work Conversion or the altering the bent of the heart lieth in three things in turning from the Creature to God from self to Christ from sin to holiness How to God by making us a willing people to yield up our selves to his service How drawn from self to Christ To seek all this good in him How from sin to holiness By seeing the beauty of Gods ways Paul found it a sensible work before he was brought to this self-resignation Act. 9. 6. Lord What wilt thou have me to do How did God draw you or drive you to this 2. How is this bent of heart kept up towards God Nature is apt to recoil and the heart to return to its own bent and biass again David beggeth verse 36. Incline my heart to thy testimonies 'T is an hard matter to keep up a bent of heart towards God it will cost us much watching striving praying to keep it fixed The frame of mans heart is changeable and various doth not always continue at the same pass and lust will waken and be pressing and importunate deadness will creep upon us the great business of the spiritual life is to keep the bent of the heart steady neglected Grace will suffer decay and worldly vanities and listlesness and deadness to holy things will incroach upon the Soul and a gracious heart is much discomposed As a Needle that bendeth towards the Pole may be jogged and put aside though it cannot rest there but turneth thither again so the bent of the Soul towards God may be much disordered and we may lose much of our free Spirit and ready mind and grow uncomfortable and unchearful in Gods service and it may cost us much sorrow and deep humiliation to get in frame again a cold profession is easily maintained but to keep up a spiritual inclination is the work of labour and cost 3. How doth it work in you This bent of heart is seen in two things First in pulling back the heart from those sins to which corrupt Nature doth incline us Nature carrieth us to carnal things There is something within that puts you on and
men hate God as a Law-giver and as a Judge they cannot hate him as a Creator and Preserver under that formality they do not hate God but the ground of our hatred to God is his Law Rom. 8. 7. The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be But now saith David I love thy Law I do not fear it but love it I do not only keep it but love it A Child of God will bless God for his Commands as well as his Promises he ownes God in the holiness of his Law and looks upon it as a Copy and draught of Gods own perfection 't is a good Law there is a suitableness between it and a renewed heart and therefore I love thy Law The one of these is inferred out of the other his love to the Law is mentioned as a ground of his hatred against vain thoughts Love is the great wheel of the Soul that sets all a going Therefore sin is hated because the Law is loved He that hath a true respect to the Law of God is sensible of the least contrariety to it for hatred is uniform the Philosopher tells us it is to the whole kind as Haman when he hated Mordecai sought to destroy all the people of the Jews and when a man hates sin he hates all sin even where he finds it in thoughts words speeches love will not allow it Well then I love thy Law therefore do I hate vain thoughts that is though I cannot wholly keep them out of my heart yet I hate them resist them watch against them they are not allowed there Without further glossing the Point is this Doct. It is a sign of an unfeigned love to the Law of God when we hate vain thoughts I observe it because a man never begins to be really serious and strict till he makes conscience of his thoughts his time and is sensible of his last account Of his thoughts for that 's a sign he minds an intire subjection to the Law of God that he may obey it from his very soul. Of his time that it may not pass away before his great work be done Of his account that is not far off the Christian that lives in a due sense of his great account is always preparing to reckon with God The one of these doth inforce the other A man that is sensible he shall be called to a reckoning will be careful how he spends his time and he that is careful how he spends his time will make conscience of his thoughts I. To give a tast of the vanity of thoughts II. Shew what sins most occasion vanity of thoughts III. The reasons why a godly man will make conscience of his thoughts I. Some tast of the vanity of thoughts There are three solemn words by which the New Testament expresseth thoughts 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Discourses with its compound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render imaginations 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 musings 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render devices These three ways the Dunghil of Corruption reaks out by our thoughts Sometimes in our vain arguings and reasonings by way of image and representations in our musings sometimes by way of foolish inventions and devices that are in the heart of man 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carnal Discourses of the mind come under the notion of vain thoughts If our more refined reason came to scan them how light and vain would they be found Our reasonings are usually against the Soveraignty of God Rom. 9. 22. Who art thou O man that repliest against God We cannot see how it is just that by one mans transgression all should be made sinners that God should chuse some and endow them with Grace and leave others in their corruption how he should have mercy on whom he will have mercy and harden whom he will harden Man would be free from God but would not have God free and therefore contrary to these reasonings and vain discourses the Scripture pleads the Sovereignty of God Mat. 20. 15. to shew he may do with his own as pleaseth him And as against the Right and Sovereignty of God so there are strange discourses against the Providence of God many anxious traverses and debates in our minds and therefore the Scripture takes notice how distrust works by our thoughts Matt. 6. 25. Take no thought for your life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink c. and v. 27. Which of you by taking thought can add one Cubit to his Stature We are tortured with many suspensive workings and discourses of mind within our selves whereas a little trust in God would save many of these vain arguings Prov. 16. 3. Commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established He sheweth that want of trust in God and his word and Providence and committing all to his Dispose is the cause of a great deal of confusion and darkness in our thoughts and breedeth such perverse reasonings against the Providence of God So against the truth of the Gospel the Law is natural and runneth in by its own light with evident conviction upon the heart but the Gospel is suspected looked upon with prejudice received as a golden Dream and as a well devised Fable we have reasonings in our selves against that which is discovered concerning the salvation of Sinners by Christ therefore the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 10. 5. Bringing into Captivity every thought imaginations or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reasonings Those thoughts that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God in Christ. Then disputes against Christian Faith the Mysteries of the Trinity the Incarnation of Christ we are saying as the Virgin Mary when the Angel brought her tidings of it How can these things be So we have perverse reasonings against positive Institutions 2 King 5. 12. Are not Abana and Pharpar better than all the Rivers of Israel We are apt to say Why is this The means of Grace seems foolish and weak 1 Cor. 1. 19. It pleaseth God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe So our arguings in perverting the truth of the Gospel and holy principles of the Word to the countenance of our Lusts as Deut. 29. 19. When we reason thus within our selves we shall have peace though we walk in the imagination of our own hearts we need not be so nice and strict God will be merciful he will pardon all Iude 4. turning the Grace of God into lasciviousness wresting the truth from its purpose to countenance a laziness It is good to observe the different arguings in Scripture from the same principle To instance in this principle Our time is short what doth a holy man argue from it 1 Cor. 7. 29. Let those that have wives be as those that have none those that weep as though they wept not c. Therefore we should be strict temperate sober
Iosiah ran upon his own death by his own folly 2 Chron. 33. 22. 2. The resolution of his obedience that is renewed and promised upon obtaining of this mercy And there take notice First Of the accuracy of that obedience promised I will have respect unto thy Statutes Secondly The constancy of it Continually not for a moment only a few days in a pang or when the mercy is fresh and warm upon the heart but constantly without intermission without defection First Observe from the repeating of the same request Doctr. I. That sustaining Grace must be sought with all earnestness and importunity Uphold me before and now again hold thou me up and I shall be safe Reason 1. First They that have a due sense of things upon their hearts will do so that is to say that have a sense of their own weakness the evil of sin and the comfort of perseverance in obedience 1. That have a sense of their own weakness as David was touched with a sense of his own necessity therefore he repeats this prayer Hold thou me up and if David need to be held up what need have we If Pillars are not able to stand of themselves what shall Reeds do If Giants are overthrown and vanquish'd Children much more Prov. 28. 14. Happy is the man that feareth always How so With a fear of caution not a fear of distrust with a fear of reverence not with a fear of bondage otherwise it were a torture not a blessedness That man that is sensible of his own frailty is more blessed than other men why Because he will ever have recourse to God to set his power a work for the good of his Soul Rom. 11. 20. Be not high-minded but fear Though weakness be a misery yet a sense of it is a degree towards blessedness because it makes way for the great Christian Grace which is trust and dependance 2. They have a sense of the evil that is in the least sin This is the difference between a tender Conscience and a hard heart one is afraid to offend God in the least matter the other makes nothing of sin and so runneth into mischief Prov. 28. 14. Well then a man that hath a tender heart is loth to fall into the least sin he is ever drawing to God to be kept from all sin When we are earnest in this matter it is a sign we are sensible what an evil sin is Men that side with their own lusts and interests may wonder at the frequent requests of the Psalmist here establishment and preservation from sin But those that have a tender Conscience are like the eye soon offended and make it their business to keep it from offence they are thus sollicitous and earnest with God to be upheld 3. They are sensible of the good of perseverance in obedience There are two things here First Obedience is good the more we experiment it the more we would desire to keep it up in an even tenour of close walking with God without interruption without intermission God appeals to experience Micah 2. 7. Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly And when men wander they have this experience Am I a barren Wilderness Mic. 6. 3. O my people what have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearied thee testifie against me The more we find liberty sweetness and comfort in the ways of God the more we should desire to continue in them Secondly As obedience is good so perseverance in obedience is good for it strengthens Grace especially in an hour of temptation when many make defection The choicest discovery of good men is in bad times Noah was upright in his Generation Gen. 6. 9. to stand when others decline to be like Fish that keeps its freshness in salt water to hold fast there where Satan hath his Throne Rev. 2. 13. and to be faithful as is said of Iudah Hos. 11. 12. when Ephraim compassed me about with lies and the house of Israel with deceit It is a comfort and honour to persevere with God Reason 2. Secondly This sustaining Grace must be asked because God will shew his Sovereignty that it is not at our beck it must cost us waiting striving and earnest and renewed prayer 2 Cor. 12. 8. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice God will not answer at the first knock but at the third then God came in So Christ Matth. 26. 44. the third time he came and repeated the same thing then if you compare Luke he received his consolation by an Angel God doth not come at the first knock therefore we must pray again Uphold me Reason 3. Thirdly Without continued influences of Grace we cannot be safe therefore they must not be sought once and no more but daily As we seek daily Bread so we should seek daily Grace the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this day hath respect to all the petitions this day we must have our daily bread this day lead us not into temptation this day keep us from evil While temptations continue we must continue prayer Long suits though often denied may prevail at length In short the continuance of strength and assistance from God is necessary to preserve both habitual and actual Grace therefore they must be continually asked 1. To preserve habitual Grace the seed that remains in us We would wonder to see an Herb to thrive and grow in the midst of many Weeds so that Grace should be there where there is so much pride love of pleasure worldly care and bruitish lusts especially when any of these are set awork by temptations without The Angels and Adam fell when there was nothing within to work upon them but the mutability of their Nature so when there is so much within to work and temptations without it is hard to keep Grace in the Soul 2. For the quickning and actual stirrings of the Soul to good We should soon faint and tire in the ways that we have begun were it not for Gods sustaining Grace these sparks would quickly go out if God did not keep them alive 1 Chron. 29. 18. When the people were in a high point of willingness Lord keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people When we have gotten any good frame of spirit we cannot preserve it without this continual influence Reason 4. Renewed prayer is a means of persevering not only for it but by it God keeps us alive in the way of Grace as by the word so by prayer Praying in the Holy Ghost is one means of establishment Iude 20. Prayer is a solemn preaching to our selves or a serious warming of our souls in our duty in the sight of God now means of supports must be used not once but often There must be constant meals for the encrease of bodily strength If a man be never so strong yet he cannot always grow in strength by one meal there must be new refreshment so this
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.
them at present but could easily be reconciled They seek not after the death but the restraint and imprisonment of their corruptions and lusts that they may not disgrace or otherwise prejudice them Nothing contents the regenerate but the killing and mortification of them they would have them dealt with as Samuel by Agag hewn in pieces therefore they study revenge upon their sins Gal. 5. 24. Crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts Fourthly From the state of the regenerate They have sin in them but yet they hate it Their will and consent to sin is always abated and made remiss by a contrary principle the Grace that is in their wills Gal. 5. 17. The spirit lusteth against the flesh Sin cannot reign in them with a full and uncontrouled dominion Rom. 6. 14. Sin shall not have dominion over you Use 1. How few are there that are Gods Children for how few are there that hate sin Some love it Iob 20. 12 13. and the love of sin is the life of it and what is it they hate They hate the Word that discovers sin Iohn 3. 20. they hate Gods Messengers that do cry aloud against sin and do rub their sores as Ahab said of Micaiah He doth never prophesie good of me they hate the Magistrate that would reform them they hate Gods image in his Saints they cannot endure the lustre of holiness that shineth forth in them Use 2. Do we indeed hate sin We had need look after this 1. Because this is the true principle of resistance against sin Till a man hateth it the soul is not throughly resolved against it as a man is never throughly gained to God till he love holiness for holiness sake his affections may be bribed with other considerations but then he is rooted in godliness So a man is not resolved against sin till he hate it for its own sake He may be frighted out of sin for a Fit put out of humour with it but his heart is in again with his old lusts till there be a detestation of sin But when once he cometh to hate it perswasions cannot easily move him nor example draw him nor difficulties compel him to that which is evil nor allurements that have a great force upon us Straightway he followed her But they cast away sin with indignation Hos. 14. 8. What have I any more to do with Idols 2. This is a true distinctive Note between good and bad Men may forbear sin that do not hate it they forbear it by constraint for fear of punishment shame worldly ends but regard it in their hearts Psal. 66. 18. The Dog hath a mind to the Pail but feareth the Cudgel But God judgeth not as man judgeth SERMON CXLI PSAL. CXIX VER 129. Thy Testimonies are wonderful therefore doth my Soul keep them IN the Words are two Parts I. The dignity and excellency of Gods testimonies Thy testimonies are wonderful II. The effect it had upon David's heart Therefore doth my soul keep them Accordingly two Points Doctr. 1. That the testimonies of God when duly considered and throughly understood will indeed be found to be wonderful Doctr. 2. The wonderful excellency of the word should beget in our hearts a readiness and diligent care to keep it Doctr. 1. The Testimonies of God are wonderful First the word in it self is wonderful as containing Truths of a sublime nature Secondly It is wonderful in its effects as it produceth effects rare and strange First In it self considered it is sometimes called the mystery of Faith as it containeth Principles of Faith and sometimes a mystery of Godliness as it containeth rules of practice As it is a mystery of Faith there are many strange Doctrines in it above the reach of mans capacity which we could neither invent nor understand unless we be enlightened by the spirit of God as that three to be one and one to be three God to be made man c. these are riddles to a carnal mind and as it is a Rule of Faith still it offereth matter of wonder the duty of man being represented with such exactness and comprehensiveness Psalm 119. 96. I have seen an end of all perfection but thy commandment is exceeding broad Secondly What rare effects it produceth where it is entertained it maketh a Christian become a wonder to himself and others 1. A wonder to himself 1 Pet. 2. 9. He hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light There is no man converted by the word of God but hath cause to wonder at his own estate at the condescension of God in plucking him as a brand out of the burning or that woful condition wherein he was before when others are left to perish Ioh. 14. 22. Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self to us and not unto the world and then that we are brought into the possession of such excellent priviledges as we enjoy in our new estate peace that passeth all understanding Phil. 4. 7. joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1. 8. Priviledges greater than can be imagined or expressed So are their hearts ravished in the sense of their Reconciliation with God and Communion with him So also in giving them such an undoubted right to an everlasting blessed Estate in the Heavens 1 Cor. 2. 9. Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him He hath promised them an happiness which they can never think of but every day they must fall a wondring anew and all this wrought by an exceeding great power working together with the word Eph. 1. 19. As Peter wondred at his own deliverance when chains and gates and bars did all give way to the power of the Angel that brought him forth Acts 12. 9 10 11. And he went out and followed him and wist not that it was true that was done by the Angel but thought he saw a vision When they were past the first and the second ward they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city which opened to them of its own accord and they went out and passed on through one street and forthwith the Angel departed from him And when Peter was come to himself he said Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath sent his Angel and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the people of the Iews So may every one that is converted to God stand wondring when he considereth how from whence and to what he is called by God all this is wonderful indeed There is more of God seen in inward Experiences than in outward in converting comforting quickening and carrying on the work of grace in our own hearts than in governing the courses of nature therefore the Apostle appealeth to this internal Power Eph. 3. 20. Unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to
desire should always continue in some degree yet there are some seasons when it is more vehement and more notably stirred and raised In some degree it should always continue for our necessities and work are ever the same and if it be only a Qualm or Fit it is not right Psal. 119. 20. My soul breaketh for the longing it hath unto thy Iudgments at all times Appetite followeth life but at special times it is more notably raised as when we are to meet with God in solemn Duties it is whetted when disappointed and stirred upon some restraint or delay when we meet not with what we expected that light and comfort and strength that we looked for but are kept off from satisfaction When some deep distress makes spiritual comforts more seasonable or in some great affair or temptation we need more than ordinary strength or in some doubt we need light and direction in all these Cases spiritual desire is more stirring and a strong affection is kindled in us David panted as an Hart Psal. 42. 1. As the Hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God It was when he was in some distress So Psal. 63. 1. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is Oh the sighs and groans that are sent up at such a time Troubles will sharpen our appetite and rowze us out of security We cannot always subsist under strong affections they are very mutable yet something of them should continue Use 1. For reproof 1. Many are acquainted with the passionateness of sin but know little of the passionateness of spiritual desire 1 Thess. 4. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not in the lust of concupiscence Some think it should rather be rendred thus Not in the passion of lust Many times lust groweth to violence men neigh like fed Horses after their Neighbours Wives they feel an ardency and a burning heat in their evil passions and lusts but none of this gasping and panting for spiritual refreshings and the comforts of the soul. They are acquainted with passionate wrath and fury passionate envy and spightfulness passionate lust and filthy desires passionate covetousness as Ahab after Naboth's Vineyard the boilings of sin they know but were never acquainted with these gaspings after Grace as Amnon lusted for Tamar Rom. 1. 27. They burned in lust one towards another When any sin groweth so headstrong as to admit of no restraint but men are wedded to their own inclination That is the passionateness of sin 2. Some that have affectionate desires for worldly things and their souls are pained and grieved and are sick within them if they have them not These differ from the former for there the object was sinful but here the object is lawful but the desire is irregular they are sick of pleasures their hearts run on them and they cannot refrain As the fool's heart is in the house of mirth Eccl. 7. 4. All their longings are for Balls and Dancings and Plays and merry meetings these are suitable entertainments to the hearts of Fools vain and sottish Epicures that know no higher delights than the tickling of the senses their love runneth that way and their hearts are wholly estranged from God So some sick of riches and wealth they gape and gasp for them with an impatient longing 1 Tim. 6. 9. They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts that drown men in destruction and perdition The more they have the more they covet as the laying on of more Fewel encreaseth the Flame they are impatient making hast to be rich run themselves yea their Consciences out of breath to overtake the Prey The World is their Element out of which they cannot live but spend their time wit strength of their souls upon it They are sick for honour credit esteem as Mordecai's stiff Knee cast Haman upon his Bed Esth. 3. 5. And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not the knee nor gave him reverence then was Haman full of wrath Chap. 6. 12. Mordecai came again to the Kings Gate but Haman hasted to his house mourning and having his head covered How do men tire their spirits waste their strength to compass honour and esteem in the world and if they find it not how are they troubled Ambition is a restless thing how doth Absolom court the people sick for Rule and Government 3. It reproveth them that have only a cold approbation but no earnest affection to the things of God Oh how this instance should shame us that we have no more affection David speaketh of longing and panting we thirst not we pant not their fervency reproveth our lukewarmness we are indifferent whether we have this light comfort and Grace yea or no. Gods Children thirst for it as dry Ground for Rain We have some loose and stragling thoughts about holy things or weak and ineffectual glances of desire some lukewarm motions but for these strong affections admire them we may feel them we do not Wicked men may have sleight apprehensions of spiritual things which may produce some sleight desires and wishes which yet are so feeble and weak that every carnal desire overcometh them Use 2. Information why the people of God press through so many difficulties to enjoy his Word They are urged and pricked on by a strong desire they would fain enjoy more of God and therefore press after the means where it is most clearly and powerfully revealed Iohn 11. 12. From the days of Iohn the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force Where the Gates of Heaven stand open they will break through hindrances to get in Use 3. It should quicken our dulness and exhort us to get this affection If the heart were as it should be a little bidding would serve the turn 1 These good desires discover a good fâ—…ame for a man is as his desires are Such motions when they are in their strength and liveliness are Signs of heroical Grace when your hearts are sick of love yea in a more temperate degree where there are strong and prevailing desires they shew truth of Grace where there is such an affection as is industrious and unwearied and keepeth us hard at work Acts 26. 7. Unto which promise the twelve Tribes instantly serving God day and night hope to come Such an affection as is troubled when we are interrupted in our main design of bringing the heart into compleat subjection to God or being capable of the fruition of him Prov. 13. 12. Hope deferred makes the heart sick but when the desire cometh it is a tree of life If you come for Grace and are troubled and grieved when you are interrupted if you are refreshed when you have tasted any thing of Gods Graciousness any encrease of light and Grace is as welcome
First To sin in general He whosoever he be that instead of trembling at Gods Word scoffeth at it and maketh more account of this World than of the will of God of the fashions of men than of Gods Word and thinketh the scorn of a base Worm that would deride him for godliness a greater terrour than the wrath of God and the love of his carnal Company a greater happiness than Communion with Christ and instead of working out his salvation with fear and trembling runneth into all excess of riot and carelesly neglecteth his precious soul while he pampereth his frail body and doth voluntarily and ordinarily leave the Boat to the Stream give up himself to serve his corruption without resistance or crying to Christ for help This man is without dispute and in the eye of the world a Slave to sin Rom. 6. 16. Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness It is an apparent Case A man that giveth up himself to go on in the ways of his own heart restraining himself in nothing which it affects he is one of sins Slaves So saith our Lord Christ Iohn 8. 34. Verily verily I say unto you whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin He needeth no farther doubt nor debate about the matter He that goeth on in a trade of sin and maketh that his work and business in the world without serious looking after the saving of his soul is one in whom sin reigneth Secondly So some particular sins As we have instances of carnal wretches in general so of some poor Captive Souls that remain under the full power and tyranny of this or that lust and are so remarkable for their slavery and bondage under it that the World will point at them and say There goeth a Glutton a Drunkard an Adulterer or covetous Worldling a proud envious Person Their sin is broken out into some filthy Sore or Scab that is visible to every eye either their Covetousness or Gluttony or ambitious affectation of worldly Greatness one whose God is his Belly who is a Slave to appetite 1 Pet. 2. 19. For of whom a man is overcome of the same he is brought in bondage They grow proverbial for giving up themselves wholly to such a conquering and prevailing lust As in the natural man several men have their distinct excellencies some are famous for a strong sight some for a quick ear some for a nimble tongue some for agility of Body so these for notable excesses in some corruption Or as the Saints of God are eminent for some special Graces as Abraham for faith Moses for meekness Iob for patience and Ioseph for chastity and Paul for zeal Timothy for temperance so these have their notorious and contrary blemishes Secondly There is a more secret and close dominion of sin that is varnished over with a fair appearance Men have many good qualities and no notorious blemishes but yet some sensitive good and created thing sitteth nearest the heart and occupieth the room and place of God that is loved respected served instead of God or more than God That which is our chiefest good and last end is our God or occupieth the room of God So our Lord telleth us Matth. 6. 24. No man can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or will hold to the one and despise the other Ye cannot serve God and Mammon And Iohn 5. 44. How can ye believe that seek honour one from another and not the honour that cometh from God only And Luke 14. 26. If a man come to me and hate not father and mother c. We must be dead not only to carnal pleasure but to credit estate yea life and all It must not sit nearest the heart nor bring it under its command and power 1 Cor. 6. 12. All things are lawful for me but I will not be brought under the power of any We are besotted and bewitched with some created thing that we cannot part with it or leave it for Gods sake or notwithstanding all the mischief it is to the interest of his Soul Though a man serveth it cunningly closely and by a cleanly conveyance yet all his Religion is but either to hide or feed his lust 2. Distinction There is a predominancy of one sin over another and a predominancy of sin over Grace In the first sense renewed men may be said to have some reigning corruption or predominant sin namely in comparison of other sins That such predominant sins they have appeareth by the great sway and power they bear in commanding other evils to be either committed or forborn accordingly as they contribute to their advancement As a Wen or a Strain draweth all the noxious humours to it self so it appeareth by the violent and frequent relapses of the Saints into them or their unwillingness to admit of admonition and reproof for them or their falling into them out of an inward propensity when outward temptations are none or weak or very few some sins that are less mortified than others or unto which they are carried by a natural inclination constitution or education Thus David had his iniquity Psal. 18. 23. whether in were hastiness or distrust of the promise or an inclination to revenge himself Some sins that men favour most and are most urgent and importunate upon them and steal away their hearts most from God The great Pond into which other Rivulets or Streams of iniquity do empty themselves That sin that out-groweth all the rest as the tall Tree taketh away the nourishment from the under Shrubs That which is loved and delighted in above other sins and when other sins will not prevail the Devil sets this awork as the Disciples looked upon the Disciple whom Jesus loved when Christ told them that one of them should betray him Simon Peter beckoned to him that he should ask who it was of whom he spake Iohn 13. 23 24. Well then in regard of other sins one may reign and sit in the Throne of the heart be beloved more than another but not in regard of predominancy over Grace for that is contrary to the new nature that sin should have the upper hand constantly and universally in the soul for any one thing though never so lawful in it self habitually loved more than God will not stand with sincerity Luke 14. 26. If not our natural comforts certainly not our carnal lusts To love any thing apart from Christ or against Christ or above Christ is a dispossessing Christ or casting him out of the Throne 3. Distinction There is a twofold prevalency and dominion of sin actual or habitual actual is only for the time habitual for a constancy Though a regenerate man be not one that lets sin reign over him habitually yet too often doth sin reign over him actually as to some particular act of sin First The
habitual reign of sin may be known by the general frame and state of the heart and life where it is constantly yielded unto or not opposed but breaketh out without controul and beareth sway with delight Men give the Bridle to sin and let it lead them where they will That is peccatum regnans cui homo nec vult nec potest resistere so Coppen The Sinner neither can nor will resist non potest because usually after many lapses God giveth up men unto penal or judicial hardness of heart But he is willingly taking these Bonds and Chains upon himself Such are said 2 Pet. 3. 3. To walk after their own lusts To live in sin Rom. 6. 2. To be dead in trespasses and sins Ephes. 2. 1. To serve divers lusts and pleasures Tit. 3. 3. To draw on iniquity with Cart Ropes Isai. 5. 18. Such as addict and give over themselves to a trade of sin with delight and full consent Secondly Actually when we do that which is evil against our Consciences or yield pro hic nunc to obey sin in the lusts thereof when it gaineth our consent for the time but the general frame and state of the heart is against it In short when sin is perfected into some evil action or in the Apostles Speech when lust hath conceived and brought forth sin Iames 2. 15. that is some heinous and enormous offence At that time no question it hath the upper hand and carrieth it from Grace and the Flesh doth shew it self in them more than the Spirit A man may please a lesser friend before a greater in an act or two Every presumptuous act doth for that time put the Scepter into sins hand Note That both Predominants spoken of in the former Distinction and the actual reign of sin in this do much prejudice a Christian waste his Conscience hinder his joy of faith and if not guarded and we do not take up in time or if often cannot be excused from habitual reign They are rare by the violence of a great temptation unlikely acts as for a Hen to bring forth the Egg of a Crow 4. The next Distinction is of sins reigning with a full and plenary consent and with reluctancy and contradiction as Herod reigned over the Jews for many years by mere force they opposing him and contradicting him but afterwards willingly consented to his Government so sin reigneth in some who readily willingly obey the lusts thereof and take its Bonds and Chains upon them And on the godly it doth sometimes prevail yet not quietly and without blows The evil which I hate that do I Rom. 7. 15. They are in Combate and Conflict with it The Virgin that cryed out was innocent 'T was a ravishment not a consent peccatum patitur non facit as Bernard The Seed of God is disliking and opposing 1 Iohn 3. 9. They are sometimes foyled but they keep up their resistance Sin gets the mastery in some acts but as a Tyrant not a lawful Possessor They groan under that oppression ever strive for liberty and freedome and in time recover it Chrysostome hath an expression on that of Rom. 6. 12. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sin will play the Tyrant in the best heart but let it not have a quiet reign It will take advantage of present distempers and difficulties it may incroach upon us but it hath not our hearts whereas otherwise if a man be not in Armes against it but liveth in peace and good contentment under the vigour and life of his lusts there is no opposition unless it be some checks of a natural Conscience or a few thoughts of fear and shame or some temporal mischief and inconvenience no opposition of a renewed heart no hatred of it and opposition as it is an offence to God Then your condition is evil II. That it is a great evil c. It must needs be so 1. Because it is a renouncing of the Government of Christ we transferr the Kingdome from him to Satan and take the Scepter out of his hands when we give way to the reign of sin What though we do not formally intend this yet virtually we do so and so God will account it 'T is sinis operis though not operantis Look as the setting up of an Usurper is the rejection of the lawful King so the setting up of sin is the setting up of Satan Iohn 8. 44. and by consequence a laying aside of Christ for every degree of service done to him includeth a like degree or portion of treason and infidelity to Christ. For a man cannot serve two masters Matth. 6. 24. cannot have two chief goods at the same time therefore he that cleaveth to the one refuseth the other If you cleave to sin you renounce Christ and though we profess Christ to be our Lord that will not help the matter Matth. 6. 21. we are for all that as true bond-men to Satan as the Heathen that offered Sacrifice to him A druâ—…ken or wanton Christian giveth the Devil as much interest in him as those that sacrificed to Bacchus or Priapus or Venus For he doth as absolutely dispose and command your affections as he did theirs You are his by possession and occupation The Bond of your servitude to Satan is altogether as firm and strong as their Rites of Worship Now we that know Christs right both by Purchase and Covenant cannot but know what a great sin this is By purchase we are his 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. Ye are not your own ye are bought with a price The Buyer hath a power over what he hath bought We were lost and sold we sold our selves against all right and justice and Christ was pleased to redeem us and that with no sleight thing but with his own blood 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. How can you look your Redeemer in the face at the last day If you have any sense and belief of Christian mysteries you should be afraid to rob Christ of his purchase 1 Cor. 6. 15. Shall I take the members of Christ and make them the members of an Harlot God forbid He hath bought you to this very end that you may be no longer under the slavery of sin but under his blessed Government and the Scepter of his Spirit Tit. 2. 14. He hath redeemed us from all iniquity This was his end to set us at liberty and to free us from our sins therefore for us to despise the benefit and to count our bondage a delight yea to build up that which he came to destroy this is as great an affront to Christ as can be But we are not only his by purchase but his by Covenant Ezek. 16. 8. I entred into a Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine This was ratified in Baptism where we dedicated our selves to the Lords use and service and shall we rescind our baptismal vows and give the Sovereignty to another after we have
not be at our beck We have deserved nothing but must wait for him in the diligent use of the means as Benhadad's servants watched for the word Brother or any thing of kindness to drop from the King of Israel 2. Work for it for I press you not to a devout sloth All good things are hard to come by 't is worth all the labour we lay out upon it There is no having peace with God any sense of his love without diligent attendance in the use of all appointed means 2 Pet. 3. 14. Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless And 2 Pet. 1. 10. Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure That comfort is to be suspected that costs nothing but like Ionah's Gourd grows up in a night that comes upon us we know not how IV. Gods Children when they beg comfort also beg Grace to serve him acceptably For teaching Gods Statutes is not meant barely a giving us a speculative knowledge of Gods will for so David here Make thy face to shine and Teach me thy Statutes And why do they so 1. Out of gratitude They are ingenuous and would return all duty and thankfulness to God as well as receive mercy from him therefore they are always mingling resolutions of duty with expectations of mercy and when they carry away comforts from him are thinking of suitable returns And while they take Christ for righteousness they devote and give up themselves to his use and service The nature of man is so disposed that when we ask any thing we promise especially if a Superior Hos. 14. 2. Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render the calves of our lips The Children of God resolve upon duty and service when they ask favour So Psal. 9. 13 14. Have mercy upon me O Lord consider my trouble that I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the Daughter of Sion We are thinking of honouring and praising God at that time when we seek his favour 2. The Children of God do know that this is the cause of Gods aversion from them that his Stautes are not observed and therefore when they beg a greater experience of Gods special favour they also beg direction to keep his Statutes They cannot maintain and keep up a sense of the love of God unless they be punctual in their Duty He knows nothing of Religion that knows not that the comfort of a Christian depends upon sanctification as well as justification and the greater sense of obedience the fuller sense of the love of God and the degrees of manifesting his favour are according to the degrees of our profiting in obedience for these go along still Jesus Christ is King of righteousness and King of peace He is Melchizedeck King of Salem he pours out the Oil of grace that he may pour out the Oil of gladness Heb. 7. 2. But especially see one place Iohn 14. 21. He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Christ was then most sweetly comforting his people but 't was not his mind that they should be emboldned thereby to cast off Duty No he says the only way to assure them that they were not delusions and to clear their right to these comforts was this He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him That 's the way to get confirmation and evidence of the love of God 3. This is a notable effect and evidence of Gods favour to guide you in his ways therefore 't is a branch of the former for whom the Lord loveth he teacheth and guides Rom. 8. 14. As many as are the Children of God they are led by the Spirit Others are left to their own hearts counsels And Psal. 25. 14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant The communication of Secrets is a note of friendship Now the secret of the Lord the knowledge of his Covenant and what belongs thereto it is to those that fear God There 's the qualification 4. He sheweth that he does not desire a greater proof of Gods love He would chiefly experience the good will of God to him in being taught the mind of God The most sleight that which David prizeth But if our hearts were as they should be we would prefer this before all other good things sanctification to be taught of God For First 'T is a better evidence of Gods favour than worldly comforts Pardon freeth us from punishment sanctification from sin and pollution sin is worse than misery and holiness is to be preferred before impunity Christ in the work of redemption considered the Fathers interest and honour as well as your salvation The taking away of worldly comforts doth not infringe our blessedness yea when it is accompanied with this benefit it maketh way for the encrease of it Psal. 94. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy Law All the comforts of the world are not worth one Dram of Grace The loss of them may be supplied with Grace and man be happy comfortable and blessed for all that but the loss of Grace cannot be supplied with temporal things We cannot say Blessed is the man that hath lost Grace for the worlds sake Again all the riches and honours heaped upon a man cannot make him better they may easily make him worse but Grace can never make us worse but always better more amiable in the eyes of God and fitter for communion with him These may be given to those whom God hateth Psal. 17. 74. But this is the favour of his people Grace is never given but to those whom he entirely loveth These may be given in wrath but sanctifying Grace never in wrath The more we have of these things the more wanton and vain Deut. 32. 15. They are often used as an occasion to the Flesh Gal. 5. 13. prove fewel to our lusts encrease our snares temptations difficulties in Heavens way Luke 18. 25. Our Table becometh a snare Psal. 69. 22. But the saving Graces of the Spirit make all easie and help us towards our own happiness Secondly Profiting in obedience or sanctification is a greater effect of God favour Sanctification is a greater priviledge than Justification Perfect and compleat holiness and conformity to God is the great thing which God designed as the glory of God is holiness Exod. 15. 11. Moral perfections exceed natural and of all moral perfections Holiness is the greatest 'T is better to be wise than strong to be holy than wise Beasts have strength Man hath reason but holy Angels a holy God Sanctification is a real perfection
if you believe Heaven and Hell and have any sense of the truth of the promises or threatnings you will be thus affected in some measure to mourn and grieve for the sins of others 2. This Duty doth chiefly concern publick persons though it lies upon all Christians Magistrates and Ministers and Officers of the Church because of their publick and universal influence Publick persons must have publick affections as well as publick relations You shall see in that Type the Church of the Jews is represented in their Officers Zach. 3. 1. When the people were corrupted and in a calamitous condition Ioshua the High Priest is brought in standing before the Lord in filthy Garments the Priest is accused by Satan Certainly publick persons are more responsible to God than others and more concerned than others in the sins committed in the Land or places where they have a charge Among private persons an Housholder is more responsible than a private Member of the Family if one under his charge fall into a notorious sin You are responsible for your Children and Servants and so are we for your Souls Under the Law Exod. 22. 10. God said If a man did deliver unto his Neighbour an Oxe or an Ass or a Sheep or any Beast to keep and it did dye or was hurt or was driven away no man seeing it or it did miscarry through his negligence he was to make it good because it was delivered into his hand So I may say here in quoting this Law Hath God a care of Oxen God hath committed souls to us he hath put them into the hands of Magistrates and Ministers to keep them Now because we do not discharge our Duty he will require their bloud at our hands Ezek. 33. 7 8 9. Because of our trust and charge we are bound to have more publick affections Ioel 2. 17. Let the Priests the Ministers of the Lord weep between the Porch and the Altar Ministers should be exemplar for spiritual feeling and tenderness and humiliation Under the Law the measures of the Sanctuary were double to other measures I apply it to this very thing Our portion must be greater because of the burthen that lyes upon us Paul speaketh as one sensible of the weightiness of his charge in the 2 Cor. 11. 29. Who is weak and I am not weak who is offended and I burn not Paul trembled to see a weak Christian in the hands of Satan and when they had taken offence and begun to stumble this was his trouble and grief Mourning and burning is put for the violence of any affection So Ieremiah the Prophet My soul shall weep in secret places for your pride 3. Observation That tears are not absolutely necessary for the expression of this grief and tenderness David saith Rivers of tears Why For grief doth not always keep the Road and High-way and many times when Water goes out Wind comes in Many are puft up with sensitive trouble and put more upon tears than they do upon the frame of the heart which should engage us to this All Constitutions are not alike moist a tender heart may be matched with a dry brain When men are careful to get things reformed and are affected with the calamity of the Church more than their own private loss this is that which God requires However let me tell you if we find tears for other things we should find tears for these Duties when we come to remember our own sins and the sins of others God did not make the affections in vain A man that hath a thorough sanctified soul will have affections exercised in some measure proportionable and therefore if we can shed tears abundantly upon other occasions we should remember this water should be reserved for Sanctuary uses David when he is spoken of is represented as one having a moist eye upon all occasions yet Lot had a tender heart being offended with publick disorders It is said 2 Pet. 2. 8. His righteous soul was vexed Great Devotionists are usually very tender Good men are much given to tears and these sensitive stirrings of affection are a great help to Religion and therefore should not wholly be neglected But if there be a serious displicency against sin a deep laying to heart Gods dishonour though they cannot command tears the Duty is discharged Humiliation lyeth more in heart-grief and trouble than the sensitive and passionate expressions of it And yet upon religious occasions we should express ourselves as passionately as we can and not content our selves with a few cold words and dull thoughts but our liveliest affections should be exercised about the weightiest things Iam. 4. 9. Be afflicted and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to heaviness When we are deprecating the wrath of God humbling our selves under the offences done to his infinite Majesty by our selves or others there should be more tenderness and we should do it in the most lively affectionate manner that possibly we can 4. I observe The greatest Sinners when they are once converted to God have the greatest compassion afterwards towards other Sinners Why They know the heart of a sinning man they have had most experience of the power and prejudice of corruption and also sensibly tasted of the love of God and his goodness in Christ Jesus and so their hearts are intendred thereby to pity others and they more earnestly desire others should partake with them of the same Grace As Israel were pressed to pity Strangers because they themselves were once Strangers in Egypt they knew what it was to be neglected and despised in a strange Land so they that are acquainted with the temptations of Satan with the bitter fruits of sin with the prejudices that men lye under before they come to take to the ways of God they have greater compassion towards the souls of others than others have This is observed to be fulfilled in the Apostle Paul whose zeal lay otherwise more in the active than contemplative way for in his Writings we find him mostly doctrinal and rational yet when he speaketh of Sinners he doth it always with grief and bowels Phil. 3. 18. I tell you weeping And still he presseth Christians to a greater tenderness to be more in grief for than censure of their Brothers faults Gal. 6. 1. If a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness considering thy self lest thou also be tempted And Tit. 2. 3. When he presseth to gentleness to all men For we our selves saith he were sometimes foolish and disobedient deceived and deceving serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another but after the love and kindness of God appeared c. This melted his heart to consider what he was and what God had made him by Grace whereas sullen men of a severe temper of a constant rigid innocency are wont to be more harsh and
of the World which have their portion in this life As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness Christ gave his Spirit to the rest of the Disciples and the Purse to Iudas he had the keeping of the bag that was the worst Gods dearest Children usually have the least in this World that they may look higher as Levi had no portion among his Brethren because God would be his portion Others have more plentiful Accomodations for Back and Belly they are better Clad their Tables more plentifully furnished and supplied larger portions for their Children they that look to save any thing or get any thing by Religion but the saving of their Souls are fouly mistaken if we have more than others Religion calleth for more disbursements Charity and liberal distributions exposeth to Troubles Religion moderateth our desires and forbids all unjust ways of acquiring Wealth calleth upon us to forsake all for a good Conscience Therefore they that follow Christ out of a design to be rich in this World lose their aim not but that Hypocrites sometimes make a Market of Religion but then God is Angry and they and the Church too payeth for it at last not but that Religion bringeth in Temporal supplies Mat. 6. 33. First seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and these things shall be added unto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 food and raiment it bringeth in God may give some a more plentyful allowance especially if they be Faithful Stewards then they are intrusted with more but generally they are mean and small or if they have more of this Worlds goods they have their Afflictions in other kinds 2. 'T is necessary to cut off the provisions of the Flesh and the fuel of their Lusts a rank soil breedeth Weeds and when we sail with a full stream we are apt to be carried away with it We either glut our selves with the Pleasures of the Flesh or grow proud and hanker and linger after the Pomp and Vanities of the World and neglect God And therefore God is fain to diet us and to keep us bare and low as he is said to cut Israel short 2 Kings 10. 32. When he streightned their Coasts and Borders so for our cure we need not only internal Grace to abate the Lust but external Providence to catch away the Prey and Bait by which it is fed The wise Man saith not only give me grace but give me neither Poverty nor Riches Prov. 30. 8 9. and Gal. 6. 14. by whom the World is Crucified to me and I unto the World Both parts are necessary riches are a great Temptation we would root here and grow Sensual Worldly and Proud if God did not snatch our Comforts from us when we are apt to Surfet of them a plentiful portion of Temporal things is Spiritually Dangerous 3. That they may be more sensible of his displeasure against their sins and scandalous Carriage by which they have dishonoured him and provoked the pure eyes of his glory Never have scandals faln out but some great Woe followed Matth. 18. 7. Woe to the World because of offences Therefore God hath brought his People low that he may vindicate his Name which through their means is Blasphemed Rom. 2. 24. and make his People sensible of their sin the World shall know that he doth allow sin no more in them than others and therefore though they were as the signet upon his finger he will pluck them off and make them feel the smart of their wandrings Amos 3. 2. You only have I known of all the Families of the Earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities They that have been so near and dear to him the World might think he did approve their sins if he did not manifest his displeasure at them Usually their sins go nearest his heart and meet with the sorest vengeance Deut. 32. 19. When the Lord saw it he abhorred them because of the provokings of his Sons and of his Daughters Their relation to God their priviledges and the consequences of their actions aggravate their sins And therefore God is most quick and severe in punishing their sins We complain we were brought low but were not our Provocations first very high The most Religious cannot wipe their mouths and excuse themselves as faultless Oh what a sad part hath been lately acted upon the Publick Stage What a trade have many driven for themselves under a mask of Religion What breaches in the body of Christ uncharitable divisions making a profession of the Name of Christ for Carnal ends 4. That we may learn to live upon the Promises and learn to exercise suffering Graces especially dependance upon God who can support us without a temporal visible Interest Compare Rev. 12. 11. And they overcame him by the bloud of the Lamb and by the word of their Testimony and they loved not their lives to the death Rev. 13. 7. And it was given unto him to make War with the Saints and to overcome them and power was given him over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations You shall see how the Enemies overcome and the Saints overcome The seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent The Beast raiseth the World against the Saints and prevaileth over their Bodies he overcomes them by spoiling them of Liberty Lives and Temporal Estate but they overcome by adhereing to Truth and resisting his Temptations and their own Corruptions even in the lowest Estate by Suffering So for other Graces Patience Meekness Self-denial Spiritual Comforts as the Stars in their order fought against Sisera so all graces are exercised in their turn Rev. 13. 10. Here is the Faith and Patience of the Saints that is a time to act these Graces a full Third of the Scriptures would be lost which containeth Comfort for Afflicted ones if God did not exercise them with Temporal Afflictions 5. That God may convince the Enemies that there is a people that do sincerely serve him and not for carnal selfish Ends. Iob 1. The Carnal World suspect private selfish worldly aims and designs in all that we do and attribute all our Duties to Interest being themselves led by Interest they cannot think others are led by Conscience Men are apt to suspect and maligne what they will not imitate There is sometimes too much advantage given many are Mercenaries only esteem the ways of God when beneficial to them Ioh. 6. 26. Ye seek me not because ye saw the Miricles but because ye did eat of the Loaves and were filled Therefore it is needful to heighten the price of Religion when it is too cheap a thing to be a Christian. This God doth by bringing his People low that the World may see some will cleave to him in all conditions not only when his wayes are befriended but when frowned upon God will glorifie himself and his Truth by their Constancy 6. That his glory may be more
first laid in his Everlasting Decrees The Terms of Life and Salvation held forth in the New Covenant are to continue for Ever no change to be expected From the beginning of the World to the end thereof the Covenant of Grace cannot cease The Obligation still continueth men are for ever bound to love God and their Neighbour There shall no time come when the Law of loving God and our Neighbour shall be Reversed and out of Date The Covenant is essentially the same under all the diversity of Administrations And as the Priviledges so the Duties are of an Eternal Obligation Among men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is just at one time that is not just at another Law givers cannot alwayes live to see their Laws executed and men cannot foresee all occasions and inconveniences and therefore often repeal their Laws but God is wise he hath made an unchangeable Law and he forbiddeth things intrinsecally Evil and commandeth things intrinsecally Good 2. As to the Effects of it in case of Obedience or Disobedience In case of Disobedience Eternal Wrath lighteth on them that reject this Covenant that walk contrary to it they shall be Eternally Miserable 2 Thes. 1. 9. Who shall be punished with everlasting Destruction from the presence of the Lord. Not a Temporal but an Everlasting Destruction and Mark 9. 44. The worm shall never die and the fire shall never be quenched An Eternity of Torments because they despised Everlasting Mercy and rejected the Authority of an Everlasting God Having offended an Infinite God their punishment abideth on them for ever If they will stand out their day 't is fit their recovery should be hopeless 2dly The Benefits are Eternal in case of Obedience There is Everlasting Grace Everlasting Comfort and Everlasting Life 1 Ioh. 2. 17. The World passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doth the Will of God abideth for ever The Spirit is given as a Comforter that shall abide for ever Iohn 14. 16. and 2 Thes. 2. 16. God who hath loved us and given us everlasting Consolation and good hope through Grace And 't is fit it should be so because 't is built upon Gods unchangeable Love and Christs Eternal Merit and Intercession Gods Love is an Everlasting Love Ier. 31. 3. The efficacy of Christ's Merit never ceaseth Heb. 13. 8. His continual Intercession ever lasteth Heb. 7. 25. and Rom. 8. 39. Nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ. He liveth for Ever by which we continue for ever in the Favour of God and the Covenant standeth firm between him and us the Fountain of Comfort is never dryed up Use Is to Inform us of the difference between the Laws of God and the Laws of Men There are many differences some of which I shall touch by and by this Expression offereth two 'T is Righteousness and Everlasting Righteousness First 'T is Righteousness Men have and do often decree wickedness by a Law not only in the first Table where man is most blind but also in the second not only in their Barbarous Worship their sacrificing of men but also in their humane Constitutions The Lacedaemonians held it lawful to steal if he were not taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the very Act. In Cyprus they held it lawful for their Virgins if they were poor to Prostitute themselves to get a Dowry or Portion By the Law of the 12 Tables a man might kill his Wife if she smelt of Wine or Counterfeited his Keys And among the Romans if a slave had killed his Master all his fellow-slaves were put to death with him though never so Innocent By the same Laws a Father might thrice sell his Child they might tear their Debtors in pieces if they were not solvent Thus blind were men in their own concerns and what made for humane Commerce Much more in the way of pleasing God and the Interest of the World to come Bless God for this righteous Law Again Secondly 'T is Everlasting Righteousness not only Righteous at the first giving out but Righteous in all Ages and Times and should we slight this rule that will hold for ever In the World new Lords new Laws Men vary and change their designs and purposes Priviledges granted to day may be repealed to morrow but this word will hold true for ever Our Justification by Christ is irrevocable that part of Righteousness is Everlasting Be sure you are Justified now upon terms of the Gospel and you shall be Justified for ever your Forgiveness is an Everlasting Forgiveness and your Peace is an everlasting Peace Ier 33. 34. I will remember your sins no more So the other Righteousness of Sanctification 't is for ever Approve your selves to God now and you will approve your selves at the Day of Judgment 2. Use is Exhortation 1. Let this take us off from seeking things that have no Continuance in them The Everlastingness of the Word is opposed often to the Transitory Vanities of the World 1 Pet. 1. 23 24. All flesh is grass and the glory of man as the flower of grass The grass withereth and the flower falleth away but the Word of the Lord indureth for ever Why should we hunt after that glory that soon fadeth So 1 Ioh. 2. 17. The World passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doth the Will of God abideth for ever All these things Change and move up and down by divers Circumrotations we sit fast and loose in the World but in the Covenant of Grace all is sure 2. Let us choose this Word to live by that we may be partakers of that Everlasting Good which cometh by it Oh let us regard it Eternity is concerned in it If the Righteousness of God be Everlasting let us begin betimes to get interested in it and persevere in it to the end Let us begin betimes for we have but a few dayes to live here in the World and so either to express our thankfulness or lay a foundation for our eternal hopes Therefore let us set about the work the sooner And let us persevere our care to keep this law must be perpetual not like Temporaries many will carry themselves well and godly for a while but afterwards fall off this doth not become an Everlasting Law there is the same goodness in Gods Law that there was at first 3. Let us comfort our selves with the Everlastingness of the Priviledges offered to us in Gods Word The redeemed of the Lord should have an Everlasting joy Isa. 35. 10. And the Ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads Let other things end and change as they will our right by the new Covenant changeth not Sometimes we are in request in the World and sometimes in disgrace but Gods love is everlasting and sure We are not in with him to day and out to morrow he hath dealt with us upon sure and unchangeable terms nay when you die you may comfort
the World little in regard of outward interest and so lye open and liable to offences little in regard of their spiritual growth and so apt to take offence yet they are dear to the great God who is their Patron and will take their quarrel into his own hands And it will be a thousand times better they had been the persecuted ones than to be persecutors Thirdly With respect to the double faculty the devil seeketh to work upon which is our irrascible or concupiscible faculty our eschewing or pursuing power the flesh with its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 5. 24. 'T is passions and lusts what we render affections and these are suited to the Temptations that most Men are usually overcome by such are the Terrours and Allurements of the World the Terrours of the World that works upon our Passions the Allurements of the World that works upon our Lusts. First The Terrours of the World are apt to draw men to dislike God and distaste the way of Godliness Certainly By these the Devil seeketh to get us into his Power and Reach Therefore 't is said 1 Pet. 5. 9. Whom resist stedfast in the Faith knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your Brethren that are in the World Satans Temptations are conveyed to the Godly thorough Afflictions hoping by these to prevail with them to make them quitt the Truth and their duty to Christ and grow weary of the ways of God and it doth the more prevail when they think they are the only sufferers This should not be for the drift of Christianity 't is to take us off from the hopes and fears of the World and a full third part of the Scriptures serveth to comfort us in Tribulations and Afflictions for the Gospels sake and if we were not exposed to troubles these would be as unsuitable and needless as bladders and arts of swimming were to a man that standeth on dry land and never meaneth to go into the deep Waters But yet they are an usual stumbling block to those that have not overcome the sensual inclination and are not dead to a worldy interest 2. The Allurements of the World or the baits of sence present things have a strange infatuation upon us 2 Tim. 4. 10. And Demas hath forsaken us having loved the present World The troubles of the World are not so dangerous as the snares of the World though many be discouraged by troubles yet many times others are gained by the Patience Courage and Constancy of Gods Servants in Persecutions The offence may be more easily disproved as not justifiable for men may have a secret liking of the Truth and a purpose to own it in better times but by the baits of sence men are inveigled and tempted to dislike Religion it self as contradicting their Lusts and nourish a base Opinion of it in their hearts in Troubles and Persecutions there is not a dislike of Religion it self but of the hard Terms upon which it must be received and cherished And besides the mischief is greater they that cast off the Profession and Practice of Godliness upon some great Earthly hopes involve themselves in a more hainous sin then they that shrink from it out of some great fear for those things we fear as Afflictions Torments and Death they are in themselves destructive of our Felicity and therefore it cannot be said how much nature abhorreth them But those things which we hope for and desire are such that nature may easily and without great inconveniency be without them As great Riches Splendour of Life Noble Affinities and Marriages for these things are not absolutely necessary to the Worldly life but only conduce to the greater coveniency and felicity thereof Not our Worldly Being but our well-being is concerned in them Our being may be kept up and supported in a far meaner Condition thence It is that great dangers when they are at hand and difficulties sustained and the fear of them doth often sway us against the Conscience of our Duty but if we lose our great Worldly hopes or be cut short in our Condition and Worldly expectations 't is no great matter Wise and Gracious men may easily bear it with a quiet and well-composed Mind The sin of those that stumble at great and worldly hopes is questionless the greater Transgression for they are only inticed and drawn away by their Pleasures and Lusts which all good Christians are obliged to deaden and mortifie But though to fall out of Fear be not so hainous a sin yet a great and hainous sin it is for Grace should govern Fear as well as hope If the Coertion and bridling of it be difficult it doth not excuse a toto but a tanto only and 't is hard to set a Christian in joynt again that is faln by Fear witness those Terrors that do haunt men when once they are gotten into the snare As Peter went out and wept bitterly it cost him much sorrow at heart Christ is fain to direct a special message to him by name Mark 16. 7. Though it doth not exclude all hopes of Repentance and Pardon yet it needeth great Mercy on Gods part and Repentance on ours Indeed the Church is bound to consider mens weaknesses and to judge of the fault according to the violent shock and incursion of the Temptation because we know not our own strength and how soon we may be surprized in like kind and need indulgence our selves Gal. 6. 1. But God is not in our Condition nor obliged to recover all that lapse in this kind and therefore useth his Mercy according to his own pleasure Sometimes he recovereth them and sometimes not but for the other Temptations what excuse is it capable of Heb. 12. 16 17. Secondly Let us consider how a Believer is preserved Unsound Professors are turned by Scandal from the wayes of Godliness which they seemed to walk in but for the sincere Believer there may be many stumbling blocks laid in his way but he falleth not at them escapeth those hainous sins into which others fall through his love to Gods Commandments Observe here three things 1. 'T is not Light but Love that keepeth them from stumbling the light of saving knowledge is a great matter for it sheweth us a sure rule to walk by and sure Promises to build upon but love must joyn with it to assist us that we may escape those snares for many fail because they receive not the Truth in the love of it 2 Thes. 2. 10. Till light be turned into love it hath not such a powerful influence upon us Certainly a man is better held by the Heart than by the Head Rom. 8. 39. Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. The love of God is not principally taken there in a passive sense for the love wherewith we are beloved of God but in an active sense for the love wherewith we love God For Affliction and
Lord walketh in the midst of the Camp therefore let thy Camp be holy that he see no unclean thing in thee and turn away from thee The Flesh will soon seduce us were it not for the awe of Gods Eye Inferiours when they are in the sight and presence of their Superiours are very careful of their behaviour he were an unhappy Son or a lewd Servant that would misdemean himself in the sight and presence of his Father or Master Children at School all is whist when the Master cometh she were a Lewd and Impudent Wife that in the sight and presence of her husband would Prostitute her self to another Man This is our Case God is Father and Lord and we are always in his sight if we believe it and can remember it would we be so shameless as to sin he looking upon us The wise Heathens were sensible that such a thought would be a curb to us therefore admonished their Disciples that they should alwayes set before them some Cato ar Coelius some Grave and Reverend Person that they might behave themselves as in their presence for saith Seneca Mâ—…pars peccatorum toâ—…tur si peccatoris testis ad fuit a great part of sins would be prevented if when we are about to sin some witness were present with us They thought this Fiction would be a restraint and the Fiction of Grave Men. But we speak now of the Eyes of God and that not as a fiction and supposition but as a certain and undoubted truth no less certain than that there is a God which of all truths is most certain Therefore should not the Eye of God restrain who is with us always and in all places 2. For the incouragement to every good work and so 't is a spur to us God looketh on he that is thy Judge and Rewarder he knoweth how faithfully we keep his Law All the Labours Miseries Slanders which thou endurest for his sake are known to him Rev. 2. 3. I know thy works and thy labour and thy patience he taketh notice of thy Faithfulness Do not think only that God doth spy out our sailings Prov. 15. 3. The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good He taketh notice of both both as Rewarder and Avenger Now Cowards will adventure much in the presence of their General and idle Servants will work while their Master looketh on and shall not we do the Lords work since he taketh notice He knoweth our work and our discouragements and will help accordingly Rev. 2. 13. I know thy works and where thou dwellest even where Satans seat is and thou holdest fast my name See Basil regulis Brevioribus Quest. 34. Secondly More Particularly 1. 'T is a great means to make us serious in all our Addresses to God that we may behave our selves with that Reverence and Awefulness that will become the Divine Majesty What 's the reason men are so slight and customary in their Prayers and other Acts of Religion they do not see the Invisible God and think of him to whom they speak From practical Atheism and Unbelief we have little sense of things unseen in speaking to a man we behave our selves with that Gravity and Reverence that his Quality deserveth but in speaking to God our thoughts wander our hearts are dead and vain because we see not him with whom we have to do Make us gods to go before us Exod. 32. 1. Aye that we would have a Visible God whom we may see and hear but the true God being a Spirit and an invisible Power all the service we do him is a task performed more out of Custom than Affection in a slight perfunctory manner Now when we believe Gods Eye and are sensible of his Presence that maketh us more serious He telleth man his thought Thoughts speak louder in his Ears than our Words Oh with what Reverence should we creep into his presence before whom all things are naked and open 'T was a direction 〈◊〉 gave to his friend Lucilius Epist. 10th Sic vive cum hominibus tanquam Deus videat sic loquere cum Deo tanquam homines videunt So live with men as if God saw so speak with God as if men saw Shall such a speech come out of the mouth of an Heathen and shall not Christians remember God and set themselves as in his sight when they come before him We would be ashamed if our hearts were turned in and out in any Duty and men did know all our light foolish sinful thoughts that take up our Minds and doth not God see and hate these things more than men So that 't is a powerful Consideration to make us come with Humility and Reverence into Gods Presence 2. It maketh us sincere in our whole course for this is sincerity to do all things in order to God sincerity lieth in the Universality of Obedience and Purity of Intention 1. For Universallity of Obedience we have an Instance here in the Text David by keeping himself as in Gods All-seeing Presence performed an uniform acceptable obedience to him So will all do that habituate this thought and make it familiar to them this is that that maketh them obey in Presence and Absence to perform secret Duties Matth. 6. 6. Therefore a Christian is as Religious if not more alone and in secret as before others the Hypocrite walketh before men who see the outward man only seeketh chiefly to approve himself to men and therefore is more Religious before others than alone but 't is otherwise with an heart deeply possessed with a sense of Gods Omnisciency and Omnipresence So to avoid secret sins which are only liable to Gods Cognisance he that knoweth all the workings of his heart lye open before God maketh it his business to abstain from fleshly Lusts as from sinful Practices which would betray him to shame before the World and dareth not allow himself to sin any where but there where God cannot see that is no where Yea when Gods Children forget themselves to be in their Fathers presence and Corruption gets the start of Grace they afterwards come to be ashamed and grieved for those sins for which the World cannot tax them Psal. 19. 12. Who can understand his errours cleanse me Lord from secret sins All our Actions are seen by the Lord some of them may be known to men but others may escape their eye therefore if we look to men only we are partial but if to God universal in our Obedience if this be all our aim that men may not impeach us of any Crime but if this be our aim to approve our selves to God 't is a sign we are sincere 2. As to Purity of Intention the proper reason of that is because God seeth our Aims as well as our Actions and knoweth all the deceits and tricks of a false heart our business is not with men but with God the searcher of hearts who can distinguish between the motions of the Flesh