confidence of the ends of the earth and of those on the sea To this I answer When it is said that God is the confidence of the ends of the earth we must not understand these words of every particular individuall person or nation but of some in all places of some in all nations and so it is very true that his owne people where ever they be make him their confidence They trust in him relye on him depend upon him So that the meaning of these words The confidence of the ends of the earth c. is Gods people in all the earth and on the sea where ever they are make God their confidence though others do not And so it proposes to us this doctrine God is every where the confidence of his people I say of his people of those to whom he is the God of salvation of those whom he answers for whom he workes terrible things in the earth This righteous holy people make God their confidence And that God is the confidence of his people in all places not only this scripture but also others prove Some saith the Psalmist trust in chariots and some in horses but we will remember the name of the Lord our God And from the text let us take notice of the description of this sanctified confiding people 1. They are called the ends of the earth the extremity of the earth as if they were a people shut up in a corner a people driven to the ends or out skirts of the earth to serve God there And moreover 2. They are a people farre off on the sea A people exposed to as great hazards and dangers as can be imagined as if they were a people cut off from others by the sea and destinated to be a people afflicted and continually to be tossed with waves and tempests Yet this people in this condition as it were an outcast driven to all inconveniencies of earth and sea shall still trust in God making him their confidence I know as I said before that this description aimes principally at the universality of the Church which shall extend and spread it selfe farre and neere in all places on the earth to the utmost bounds both of sea and land But yet withall it will imply this that I say that though Gods people be a people as it were shut out from the nations of the earth not reckoned among them though they were penned up in the utmost limits not thought worthy to treade and to live on the earth and therefore contemned of all people and exposed to a thousand miscarriages and hard usages though they be tossed in name in estate in their persons yet shall this godly people this seede which serves the Lord be accounted unto him for a generation And they shall make the Lord their stay and staffe their hope and confidence So saith the text He is the confidence of all the ends of the earth and of all them that are a farre off upon the sea all his people every where in all places in all busines in all hazards in all straites for all comforts do still make the Lord their trust and confidence And thus the first thing the question purposed is resolved how God is said to be the confidence of the ends of the earth c. Secondly consider what this confidence is which all his people every where make him what doth it imply The word here signifying trust or confidence is sometimes put for an hopefull security Ye shall do my statutes and keepe my judgements and do them and yee shall dwell in the land in safety that is in an hopefull confidentiall security Now this confidence is nothing else but a secure resting on God for all manner of succour and security in the good and comfort which we would have God is said to be the confidence of his people in these respects 1. In respect that they hope for all good from him Confidence is not only an expectation of the full fruition of himselfe as our portion but also of all things else together with him and of all things else which are good from him The Lord is my portion saith my soule therefore will I hope in him The soule lookes on all its good and comfort in heaven and earth as from the Lord who is its portion and as to be supplied from him as out of its portion It expects from him life and health and outward comforts friends good name foode rayment yea every thing if these faile it lookes to be supplied from the Lord its portion yea and for all its good spirituall temporall and eternall Not only the pardon of sinne and things spirituall and heavenly but likewise protection provision and things earthly are hoped for from God Whom have I saith the Psalmist in heaven but thee and in earth there is none that I require besides thee 2. God is said to be the confidence of his people in respect of their secure relying on him for security and safety and repulsing all evill from them David to shew that he relied on him for all manner of safety calls him his rock his for tresso his buckler the horne of his salvation and his high tower God was a rocke to him in the seas and waves of his trouble when afflictions like billowes came thick and threefold he broke them and secured him as on a rock And God was a fortresse to him in a siege a a sheild against a storme of darts a shelter against a storme of inconveniences an horne of salvation to push away adversaries and an high tower where he was safe Making God our confidence is a secure relying on him for safety and security against all the evill which is feared or which hath seised on us 3. God is said to be his peoples confidence in respect of their recumbency and dependency on him in all businesses and imployments thorough which they goe in this life A contented acquiescence resting on God relying on him for the bringing to passe according to his will what we have to doe is a true making God our confidence So David Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to passe And so Solomon Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to rhine owne understanding in all thy waies acknowledge him and hee will direct thy paths Now this confidentiall trusting to God in all that we have to doe is seen most eminently in one of these three particular acts 1. When men make God their confidence though they have most apparent meanes of effecting or working what they are about yet they will not relie on those meanes but on God his blessing upon it So the Psalmist I will not trust in my bow neither shal my sword save me but thou hast saved us from our enemies and hast put them to shame that hated us And so men make God their confidence when though
mountaines might flow downe at thy presence c. to make thy name knowne to thine adversaries that the nations may tremble at thy presence when thou didest terrible things which we looked not for c. 3. Be incouraged to take notice of every particular act of Gods helping any wayes in righteousnesse it is an excellent meanes to gaine comfort in discomfortable times Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousnesse those that remember thee in thy wayes 4. Let us all be encouraged to put our selves into such a condition that we may be ready to be delivered in righteousnesse when God will save and preserve us and that is in few words study righteousnesse seeke righteousnesse thirst after righteousnesse desire to be found in a way of righteousnesse The more we looke after and apply our selves to the righteousnesse of sanctification or holinesse the fitter shall we be to be saved and delivered in righteousnesse Let it be your prime and principall care not to be found in your owne righteousnesse for that is very odious but in Christs Labour to be found in him and when God comes to deliver in righteousnesse he will espy your consciences sprinkled by the blood of Christ and thereby purged from dead workes he will discerne that your hearts are quickned by the spirit of Christ the spirit of righteousnesse and that your lifes are conformable to the life of Christ who is the sonne of righteousnesse and finding you thus he will deliver you among his faithfull people in righteousnesse though he smites terribly the adversaries of his Saints for by terrible things in righteousnesse he answers us the God of our salvation And so much for the second observation The third is this The deliverance of the Church by terrible things is Gods answering his people Gods answering implyes some things done by the people of God and some things done by him 1. It implyes that his people prayed unto him for deliverance and that he gives a gracious audience and full-fillance of their prayer I will looke as it is in the Prophet to the Lord I will waite for the God of my salvation my God shall heare me the Church speakes in prayer and God heares her in granting her prayers 2. It implyes that his people expects mercies from him and Gods answering them is his affording helpe his reall contributing succour unto them They looked unto him saith the Psalmist and were lightned and their faces were not ashamed this poore man cryed and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles his people expects mercy and his answer is the fulfilling of their expectation I will saith Habbakuk stand upon my watch and set me upon the tower and will watch to see what he will say unto me So then Gods deliverance of his people is an answering their prayers and an answering their expectations They pray for deliverance and he gives it they expect it from him and answerably it comes to passe Gods delivering of Israel out of Aegypt was an answering of their prayers I have heard saith God their cry by reason of their taskemasters for I know their sorrowes and I am come downe to deliver them When he delivered them at the red sea it was an answer to the prayer of his servant Moses The Lord said then unto him why cryest thou to me When he gave Israell victory over Amaleck he then answered the prayer of Moses on the mount while Joshua and Israell fought in the valley His deliverance of his people from Jabin from the Midianites yea from all their other enemies at any time all was an answering of their prayers and expectations They prayed in faith for deliverance and they waited in faith untill God had given a full deliverance and so deliverance was but Gods answering his people Because God usually giveth not unto his Church and People deliverance till they have sought and sued to him earnestly for it Thus saith the Lord God I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israell to do it for them though he knowes that his Church doth need deliverance yet he will have his Church to be apprehensive and sensible of that her need for he will have from it the honour of his mercie towards it and of his providence and care over it as also of his wisdome power and justice in confounding all its adversaries by terrible things This point teaches 1. To pray for deliverance that God with it may answer us And 2. To observe Gods severall answers unto his people by giving unto them the deliverances prayed for First If deliverance be Gods answering his people then surely it concernes all the people of God to put up prayers for deliverance Prayer must preceed deliverance and deliverance is the returne of prayer in a gracious answer of it We must be praying men and men expecting deliverance as an issue and consequent of prayer and that our prayers may be answered we are to put up no other then such which God will answer as namely 1. Let our prayers be prayers of faith coming from a beleeving heart Aske and doubt not beleeve the promises of deliverance and confidently rely on Gods word to be accomplished and from assurance that God will fullfill his word put up prayers Both the cloud of promises and the cloud of witnesses persons families kingdomes Churches which from time to time have beene delivered and the consideration that the Lords hand is not shortned should prevaile with us not to doubt but to pray for deliverance in faith not doubting but that God will answer us 2. Let our prayers be in humility A broken and a contrite heart God will not despise He heares the prayers of the humble destitute Pray for deliverance in humilitie and it shall be granted as an answer to an humble prayer Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God that hee may exalt you in due time 3. Let our prayers be importunately earnest without fainting I have saith the Psalmist waited long and sought the Lord oh my Lord saith he I cry in the day time but thou hearest not and in the night season I am not silent The Lord sometimes delayes deliverance to make us importunately wrastle with him in prayer for it and so it may be the answer of our earnest prayers 4. Let our prayers be sanctifiedly performed with hearts which are departed from iniquity If I saith the Psalmist regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not heare me Sinne causeth him hide his face that he will not heare If we pray for deliverance let us pray lifting up pure hands from an holy heart and then God will give deliverance as an answer to our prayers which are thus prayers of faithfull humble importunate sanctified petitioners Secondly if the deliverance of the Church by terrible things be Gods answering it then let us observe Gods severall answers unto his people in his
such who betake them to his appointed meanes It is a delusion to thinke to come to heaven without walking in the way to it it is as if men expected to reape an harvest and yet never sowed a graine of seede So likewise he never trusts God for outwards who doth not apply himselfe to an industrious way of obteining them why looke yee said Jacob to his sonnes one upon another I have heard that there is corne in Aegypt get yee downe thither and buy for us from thence A confidentiall man will be industrious in the use of meanes 4. He who makes God his confidence will not put forth his hands unto unlawfull means for his helpe David relied on God for the Kingdome of Saul but would not use unlawfull meanes to obteine it Such never trusted God who resolve to steale oppresse defraud lie and flatter and use wicked meanes to gain a penny They trust not God who take a pension from Mammon Nor they who when they misse a thing or when any thing is amisse with them will consult with witches and wizards as once Saul did with the witch of Endor and Abaziah sent to the God of Eknon 5. He who makes God his confidence will be undaunted in any condition Confidence in God makes the heart invincible It is true an holy confiding man when evill comes cannot but see it and be thereof sensible and troubled at it but though he be troubled on all sides as the Apostle speakes yet he is not in despaire though he be sometimes afraid yet with David he can say in this will I be confident in this he is confident that God is his refuge his present helpe in trouble his preserver from the hurt of evill Though I walke saith David thorow the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no evill for thou art with me He may suspect his confidence whose heart in troubles is wholy spiritles and comfortles drooping and dwining away as Naballs did he may feare he is not yet resolved to commit freely his soule into the hands of God who is a faithfull creatour The confiding man will not be heartlesse though an universall death and desolation befall the land because he knowes that by death he shall be translated hence to see the goodnesse of the Lord I had fainted saith David unlesse I had beleived to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living Thus every one good and bad may try whether they have made the Lord their confidence 2. There are also some signes which may helpe all Gods truly faithfull people to gaine assurance that they have undoubtedly made him their confidence Many of those I know complain of unbeleeving and despairing hearts that they cannot confide and trust in God as they should To whom for comfort I answer that true beleevers may know that they have really made God their confidence if ever the Lord please to bring them to one of these temptations 1. When the promises made by God seeme to be delayed and there is no appearance of their fulfillance then all such who have not made God their confidence will cease expecting and beleeving the word of promise like that prophane man this evill is of the Lord what should I waite for the Lord any longer But if notwithstanding Gods delayes the heart keepe still to the word of truth and is still confident that in time it will be fulfilled it undoubtedly is then an heart confiding in God A waiting heart is a confiding heart So the Prophet I will waite on the Lord and looke upon him A Merchant who rests on his factor for the returne of some commodity which he promised finding that his factour deferres yet will account him faithfull knowing that he on weightier considerations for his Masters greater profit uses not to returne commodities so soone as he expected So the soule which rests on God for the accomplishment of such and such promises will yet wait on him as faithful though they be not presently or so soone performed as wee desire because it is perswaded that God delayes for some further advantage to the soule to humble it or to exalt it more or to make his blessings more acceptable when they come A soule confiding in the delay and unlikelines of the performance of promises that God can and will fulfill his word when it shall be for the best is a soule which hath made God its confidence 2. If the Lord suffers you to be mocked by prophane men if at any time they aske wher is the promise of his comming and what advantage hath piety in these times can your God save you out of the hands of murthering destroying men will you still retaine your integrity do not the most religious suffer as much if not worse then others Now at this time if notwithstanding all these scornes and disheartnings you are willing still to keepe close to God and to passe through good report and evill report and are content to be yet more vile before these men for Gods sake and in Gods cause you have undoubtedly made God your confidence Gods people thus proved that they had done so as it is in the Psalmes All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsely in thy Covenant 3. If ever the Lord bring you into a state that he seemes to be an enemy by visiting the soule wounding the spirit giving it as it were a sight of hell as if he would have no mercy yet in this case you shall know that ye have made God your confidence if you still will waite on God boldly and trustingly reasoning with him as the Psalmist did hath God forgotten to be gracious will he shut up his loving kindnesse in displeasure A soule in the lack of mercy being willing to stay it selfe on God because he will shew mercy being resolved however to dye at the foote of majesty to be crusht by his scepter this is a soul which confides in God And the Lord who knowes the anguish and distresse of this confiding spirit will heale and restore it to strength and comfort It shall be established when all the careles ones of the world shall be terribly shaken and shattered in all their hopes Consider what the Prophet writes Why sayest thou O Jacob and speakest O Israell my way is hid from the Lord and my judgement is passed over from my God c. He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength even the youths shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall but they that waite upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with winges as Eagles they shall runne and not be weary and they shall walke and not be faint Thus may every one try and experimentally find whither God is to them as he is to others the only confidence For