6. It is indeed consistent with much frailty and folly remaining in the man and too often discovering it self in his actions and sometimes grosly too as is exemplified in the best that have been honoured with the title of Righteous but it hath these things mainly in it 1. A spiritual discerning of the excellency of the ways of God The Image of God is renewed in knowledge Col. 3. 10. The understanding hath not only a literal notion of Truths but a gracious Illumination by which it seeth the beauty of these things for this David prayed Psal 119. 18. And he had it and by vertue of it was able to put such worthy encomiums on the law of God Psal 19 7 c. For this the Apostle prays in their behalf Eph. 3. 17. c. And this discerning is the foundation of that which follows for a perverted mind and a corrupt heart are inseparable 2. A cordial love to those ways The reason why men do not love Holiness is because they do no◠apprehend the excellency of it but when the love of God is shed abroad in the heart the light and heat of it warms the soul and the man is now ravished with it it draws the Affections to it and he delights in it his love to it is more than he can express Psal 119. 97. This makes a day in Gods House better than a thousand Psal 84. 10. 3. An absolute choise of those ways for their own sake This is Uprightness in the will he is not drawn to compliance by force but by love hence he chuseth them Psal 119. 30 173. And that not for carnal interests but because he esteems them better than every other thing he chuseth them not for a present turn nor on condition that he may with them enjoy prosperity in this world but now and for ever let what changes will come and let it cost him never so much Psal 119. 111. 4. A most earnest endeavour to conform our life to them The ways of God are given us to walk in we chuse them not to talk of but for our practice hence an upright heart studieth more to know practice them every day they are the men of his counsel Psal 119. 24. For this end he lays them up in his heart that they may preserve him from sin 〈◊〉 11. He walks in the light of them and regulates his whole conversation thereby verse 105. Nor doth he willingly divert from them 5. An hearty bewailing of our short coming The best of us in many things offend and in every thing are defective there is nothing we do but God might justly make exceptions against it Psal 143. 〈◊〉 But herein we testify our uprightness in that it makes us go mourning every day we cry out by reason of it as he Rom. 7. It makes us ashamed of our selves and we go to God with humble seeking pardon and acceptance in Jesus Christ Our Godly Sorrow is a witness that it is no more we but sin in us Rom. 7. 21. 6. An insatiable pursuit after the perfection that is before us The sense of our imperfection puts us upon greater diligence in reaching forward We do not sit down contented and say it is our infirmity and we must bear it but we have that perfection in our eye which consists in the compleatness of Holiness and total abolition of all sin we endeavour therefore to grow in grace by all the means of growth and rest not in attainments but are still reaching till we come to that perfection which they enjoy who are now in glory Psal 3. 13 14 15. 2. Wherein this appears to be an inseparable concomitant of the Righteousness of Justification A. This truth will appear by the following Conclusions 1. The Righteousness by which we are denominated Righteous is a benefit which we receive from Christ It is not any thing inherent in us but something that God graciously reckons to us and it must have a foundation which can be no other than his Righteousness made ours by Gods accepting it of him on our account So that if he had not been Righteous we could not be so reckoned on his account we are accepted in him Eph. 1. 6. It is one of his benefits and to be acknowledged to derive to us from him but for which we had stood condemned as unrighteous for so the Law will find the best of us if tried on account of the best that we do 2 We receive Christ himself in order to our receiving of any of his benefits There is an order in which God communicates his favours to us it is the person of Christ that is proposed whom we are to receive in the New Covenant he espouseth us to himself Hos 2. 19. We must be in him if we partake in any thing of his Phil. 3. 9. If his person please as not and we cannot comply with this Relation in which we are to receive him in all his Offices we can have nothing to do with nor make any just claim to those priviledges that go with him if we be none of Christ's nothing of his is ours 3 Christ and all his benefits go together Christ is not divided if he be any thing to us he is all to us 1 Cor. 1. 30. We receive whole Christ and we receive him to all the ends for which he was appointed a Saviour When God gives him he gives all things with him Rom. 8 32 Now Sanctification is one of the benefits which Christ hath procured for us 1 Cor 1. 30. When therefore he gives us his Righteousness for Justification he gives also his Spirit for Sanctification and the effect of that is this Uprightness All his Graces are parts of his benefits which he applies to his Redeemed 4 That Faith by which we receive these benefits is a Grace of the Spirit in us As God gives Christ to us so we are to receive him in order to his being ours Now the hand by which this is done is faith Now there must be faith in order to its exerting this act of receiving there must therefore be a preceding work of the Spirit in putting it into us for it is the gift of God Eph 2. 8 9 And faith it self is one of the fruits or Graces of the Spirit Gal. 5 22. 5. Hence it supposeth the body of Graces infused into us which is the principle of this Uprightness An upright heart is an heart made right for none of us have it by nature and for the making of it so there are required all the Graces of Sanctification which are not put into us successively but at once they are all together called the new man Eph. 4. 24. And every grace is a several member of it and the whole is called a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. These graces have their degrees and progress 2 Pet. 3. 18. But their being and integrity is at once and is the proper effect of Regeneration 6. One main design of
the seas of increated inexhaustible goodness are met in him 2. Hence to enjoy him is perfect happiness He that hath God for his portion can want for nothing Psal 23. 1. There can be no perfect felicity in the fruition of other things for they have neither fulness nor sutableness in them to answer all the cravings of the soul but goodness it self cannot be defective in any point he that hath God hath all for God is all in all Psal 84. 11. He that can say God is mine can say all that is to be said to declare him happy 3 He is the Upright mans God He hath made himself over to every one that is Godly Psal 4. 3. He hath given to the believer a property in himself Isa 41 10. I am thy God and he is theirs for ever Psal 48 ult And they may say as Psal 67. 6. God even our own God shall bless us How full then must their joy be and there are these things in particular that they may glad themselves in 1. He hath loved them from eternity Jer 31. 3. For Effectual Calling is a certain fruit of that love God thought of and sat his heart upon them before the world was and what joy is there in this his love is better than life Psal 63. 3. If we are sure of this we are certain to share in all the happy fruits of it which are beyond computation if he loved us before time his love to us will outlast time And shall we not triumph in Everlasting Love 2. He hath converted them This is the first breaking forth of his love to them and if there be joy in heaven at the conversion of a Sinner Luk 15. 7 10. Shall not he himself rejoyce This is a joyful change indeed then was a Child born to God then was a Sinner made a Sainâ— a dead soul raised to life c. And can such an one but be glad 3. He hath pardoned them This accompanies Effectual Calling Rom. 8. 30. And this hath made them of miserable happy Context vers 1 2. The condemned Caitiff was going to Execution and had a pardon sent him the Sinner who was under the weight of all the Curses is delivered from them the prisoners of death is set at liberty the Sentence that was past upon him is revoked his peace is made he shall not dy but live and shall he not triumph 4. He hath taken him into the number of his Children There is a wonderful Adoption past upon him 1 Job 3. 1. 2. He that was a Child of Satan is now a Child of the Great God he hath put his own name upon him he that was one of Gods enemies may now call him father Jer. 3. 19. And this is an honour and happiness that cannot be expressed 5. He hath given them his Spirit He is theirs to dwell in them to undertake for them to conduct and counsel and comfort them Rom. 8. 9. They are called the Temples of the Holy Ghost in which he resides he is in them a Spirit of Adoption to help their faith in God as their father or of Sanctification to lead them into all truth of Consolation to comfort them in every condition and how great is their happiness 6. He hath taken them under his conduct to carry them safe through an evil world There are many troubles and temptations that they must expect in their passage but they are under the eye and care and in the hand of God and have his promise past for it that he will guide them by counsel and bring them to glory Psal 73. 24. And let things be what they will to appearance yet underneath are everlasting arms Deut. 33. 27. And here is joy indeed 7. He hath secured for them the glories of the Everlasting Kingdom They are not yet arrived at it and so cannot rejoyce as they do who are there swimming in the pleasures of it but they have this in hand and his Word and Oath for it that they shall without fail be brought thither and setled there in due time Luk. 12. 32. And he reserves it for them while he is conducting them to it 1 Pet. 14. And mean time gives them the seals and earnests of it Eph. 4. 30. 8. He both can and will accomplish all this for them He can do it in despite of all that withstand it Ro. 8 35 c. He is the Lord God Almighty And he will do it for his faithfulness is as large as his power and both are infinite if he hath said it it is as good as done and can those that are owners of such priviledges rejoyce too much The Application USE I. FOR Reprehension and it may be applied to two sorts 1. This serves to reprove the mad mirth of Unregenerate men It is an amazing thing to see Ungodly men living in all jollity and delight as if they only were owners of true happiness Job 21. 12. And there are several respects in which they are to be rebuked in regard oâ— this mirth 1. Those that rejoyce in iniquity So is the merry young man represented Eccl. 11. 9. And how many jocund persons are there whose very delight is in sin their stollen waters Prov. 9. 17. Lascivious and obscene talk drunken bouts carousing of healths making a mock of sin and a scoff and scorn of the Godly for their Godliness and are never merry but when engaged in heaven daring abominations doing things that it is a shame to speak thereby provoking the holy God to vengeance 2. Those that terminate all their joy on the Creature They seem more sober than the former and to have a better pretence the Creature is good in its place and we tast comfort in it but this is the blame they rest here God is not in all their thoughts Psal 10. 4. They dwell in a fat pasture their Cup â—verslows c. Psal 73. 7. And here is their hearts â—â—light Psal 62. 10. And so they pay all their acknowledgments hither Hab. 2. 16. 3. That rest content in a natural joy We observed that this hath a sort of medium between the spiritual and sinful being in its own nature lawful and may be used in subserviency to the spiritual and influenced by it but Unregenerate men please themselves with this and the lawfulness of it but forget that corrupt nature in fallen man turns all his natural actions into sinful ones T it 1. 15. 4. That do all they can to put mourning away from them And hence lest they should be sorrowful they are afraid to be serious they think men born to sport themselves in the world as the fishes in the Sea hence they abandon every thing that offers to trouble them and count them their enemies that invite them thereto and if the Spirit of God set any word home which disturbs them they are displeased and instead of retiring and entertaining their thoughts with it they fly from home from all business and
appearance And certainly if mens Lives are full of Guile their Spirits are so too He that is an Hypocrite in his Life may well be presumed to be so in his Heart and how unprofitably doth such an one please himself with expectation to be forgiven Job 36. 13. But let all such know that their hopes will ere-long prove as the Spiders web and certainly perish Let me say to such if Piety be not a thing to be chosen why do you pretend to it And if it be why do you no more but pretend to it Think of this you that talk high of Religion and yet lead a Licentious Life You that study no more than to get mens good word and to baffle your own Consciences that they may not lead you a wretched Life 2. Learn hence one reason why so many Christians are in the dark about their state of forgiveness How often do they complain that they are full of fears and doubts and hurries in their minds concerning themselves afraid they are not in Gods favour that he hath not pardoned them And whence is his distress and darkness Far be it that I should Condemn the Generation of the just I know that God acts a great deal of his Sovereignty here they are not all Hypocrites that are in such a condition Isa 53. 10. How ever it is to be feared that too many give sad occasion for this by their own folly and provoke God thus to withdraw the light of his Countenance from them whiles they take too tittle heed to themselves and keep not a strict watch over the deceitfulness that remains in their hearts but suffer themselves to be trapanned by 〈◊〉 into carriages that are deceitful Was it not thus with the Spouse Cant. 5. begin And upon it her beloved Withdraws from her And when Gods Children turn Lawful Liberty into Licentiousness comply with the humours modes and customs of a vain world upon pretence of Civility whe◠they grow formal and slightly in the performance of Spiritual duties and admit of carnal pretence to intermit them c. They do in these things gratify the Guile of their worser part and if God upon it witholds the witness of his Love and darkens the evidence of it it is a Righteous dispensation and did they more carefully maintain an awful fear of God in their hearts it would not so frequently be so Psal 25. 24. USE II. Let it then be for EXAMINATION and this is the very design of the Text it being laid down to give the Character of a pardoned man Let us then prove our state by this are we such 〈◊〉 whose Spirit is no Guile To excite us to this Consider 1. It it of unspeakable moment for us to know whether we are Pardoned or no. This discovery wi◠give us light to know whether we are happy 〈◊〉 miserable If our Sins are pardoned then are we Delivered from our Judge then are we At Pea◠with God then our own Consciences have the foundation of Peace in them If forgiven then Justified then are we found Righteous and shall be adjudged to Eternal Life then out of danger of all our Accusers and we shall be able to stand 〈◊〉 the Judgment and what a Blessedness is this◠But if we are not forgiven then we are Condemn already and the wrath of God abides on us we have him for our Enemy and all the Curses in his book are out against us and pursuing of us to Everlasting Destruction and is not this a Misery indeed What case then can there be that calls more loudly for a through resolution of it You know that in your natural state you are Guilty and Condemned and till you are pardoned your own Consciences must say that you abide under the Sentence and what quiet or comfort can you have whiles it is so Can you but go in a fearful Expectation of the wrath of God to fall upon and devour you 2. This is a thing that may be known it is a case whereof a resolution is to be obtained God hath not left us necessarily in the dark upon this account but as he hath given us Directions in his word how to come by a pardon so he hath there afforded us Rules by which we may prove our Title to it And though our comfortable perswasion of it depends on the witness of his Spirit with ours yet the evidence of it is to be sought for and found in our selves There are those things which accompany it that are distinguishable from all other things and unto which the promise is firmly made which when the Spirit hath wrought in us he thereby leaves a pledge of his Everlasting Love from whence we may argue safely that we are pardoned and shall be Saved God therefore bids us to Try 〈◊〉 selves 2 Cor. 13. 5. 3. This is given for one Evidence by which to prove 〈◊〉 If we have the Grace in our Hearts which renders us Sincere if we have indeed made choise of Christ and him alone to be our Lord and Saviour and have heartily embraced and devoted our selves to his Service if we are Upright in our Profession it will be an undeceiving witness of a pardoned state When God giveth a New Heart he also giveth a Sentence of Absolution Repentance and Remission go together Act. 5. 31. 4. If there be Guile in our Spirits we cannot hide it from Gods All seeing Eye If we have dealt Hypocritically in our Profession and made a pretence of chusing God to be our God and devoting our selves to his Service a shew of Repentance and turning from our Sins of Faith in embracing Christ entring into Covenant with him and mean while Our heart is not right with him He is not mocked there is no blinding of him and he will find 〈◊〉 out our Guile will never hurt him but it will turn upon our own heads We may deceive others and our selves too but not God Let 〈◊〉 then be serious and earnest in this matter and 〈◊〉 Rules of Tryal 1. Were you ever convinced of your natural Guileful Spirit We all bring such an one with us into the World Psal 58. 4. And the Spirit of God in the work of Conversion makes men to see and confess it The Conviction of Sin that is his work Joh. 16 8. Carries this in it The Deceitfulness 〈◊〉 mens Hearts is one of the Great discoveries th◠God makes to them when he comes to do the◠good Jer. 17. 9 10. And indeed men would never seek to be delivered from it till they we◠made to apprehend it in themselves and how few are so perswaded how many plead for themselves that they always scorned Hypocrisy Cheating hath ever been odious to them and they love plain dealing and such men never knew their own hearts for though there be such a moral principle in some natural men with respect to their words and carriages to others yet towards God and their own Souls every unconverted man is a great
cheat and he that hath not found himself so is yet under the Cheat. 2. Have you truly loathed your selves for it Self-abhorrence is the genuine product of this discovery in every one that is delivered from it When God comes to shew men their Guile to a Saving purpose he makes it to work in them unto detestation of themselves they are vile in their own eyes Ezek. 36. 31. For together with shewing them the thing he â—ets them see how odious it is in it self and how loathsome it hath rendred them 3. Is it truly mortifyed in you Mortification is one part of Sanctification and though your Guile be not erradicated yet if it be under the efficacy of this mortification it is a good Evidence And here 1. Do you cordially mourn by reason of it If the presence of it grieves you and you cannot see it without being in bitterness by reason of it it speaks well for you this was Pauls witness for him Rom. 7. 24. You bear it as an insupportable burden it wearies you you long to be rid of it Godly Sorrow is a concomitant of or an ingredient in that Repentance that is not to be repented of 2 Cor. 7. 10. 2 Do you maintain a War against it Is it to you a deadly Enemy and that which you are wrestling with fighting against continually it makes many furious assaults upon you and gains sometimes very unhappily in you but you do not subject your selves to it but recruit again and combat it Do you find this Spirit in you Lusting against the flesh and all its deceits and doing its utmost to destroy it 3. Do you daily Repent of the eruptions of it There are too awful breakings out of this Corruption of yours you see it and find it but how do you resent it Do you say it is your infirmity and you cannot avoid it and make no more of it that is an ill sign but if you are indeed 〈◊〉 the work of Mortification every discovery of 〈◊〉 brings you upon your knees fills you with bitterness drives you to Repentance and so the work goes on continually USE III. Let it be to Exhort the Children of God to be more and more in the practice of such 〈◊〉 Spirit Have you it in you Endeavour that it may more powerfully influence your whole Conversation that you may express your sincerity in all that you have to do with And to move you Consider 1. Hereby you will bring more honour to God The upright plain dealing honesty of Gods Children in their converse with men is a credit to the name they profess and the Religion they pretend to God is Glorified by it Whereas the deceitfulness and cunning tricks they use are a reproach and open the mouths of men there is nothing in the world that more credits Christianity than this Godly simplicity 2. It will give you more inward peace and comfort 〈◊〉 dare appeal to the experience of any of Gods Children when you have strained your Conscience to some guilful trick whether it have not left 〈◊〉 prick there that hath put you to pain and it is 〈◊〉 it should so do Whereas whatever you meet with from the world yet this will be an inward support and matter of Joy to you in the midst of all was it not so with Paul 2 Cor. 1. 12. 3. It will give you more esteem among all men Not only will good men prize you for it but the worst of men will have an honourable respect for you on this account One that is Guilful is low in the esteem of all but such as would make a tool of him whereas sincerity in Conversation plainness in all a mans dealings and a care to be upright in all things commands respect from all that have any moral principle in them And for direction here 1. Labour to fortifie this principle in you The way to quicken any exercise of grace is to corroporate the principle Grace at first is small and weak and the corruption that opposeth it is strong see then to the inward man that that be encreasing and its influences into your life will hold a proportion Get more of love to and delight in sincerity 2. Watch your selves in your whole Conversationâ— You must look after your selves in all that you doâ— if you remit your spiritual watch your deceitfuâ— heart will be too hard for you and put a cheâ— on you and if you are deceived by them yâ— will practise deceit You must look to your wayâ— lest you be drawn aside 3. Eye all Temptations to deceit and resist theâ— Satan and subtile sin are very cunning in their offers and will impose on you if you be not wâ—ry Be inquisitive bring all to the Trial and 〈◊〉 you discern any guile in it or suspicion of 〈◊〉 stand off and have nothing to do with it 〈◊〉 shall you by Grace be kept from it VERSE 3 4. 3. When I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long 4. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me my moisture is turned into the drought of Summer Selah The Words Opened VVE have been considering the Description of a Blessed man in respect of his Sin being pardoned and of the evidence of 〈◊〉 in the concomitancy of inherent Sanctification We proceed now to the Exemplification of â—is in himself given by the Psalmist in these two â—erses and that which follows wherein two things â—e to be observed 1. The distress he was in by reason of his Sin Vers 〈◊〉 4. 2. The course he took to get relief against it togeâ—er with the good Success of it Verse 5. 1. We have before us the distress he was in by reason 〈◊〉 his Sin in which also are two things 1. The distress it self 2. What it was that gave occasion of it or whence it did proceed which are mixed in the words but may be handled in their order 1. The distress it self Set forth in pathetical Expressions and Similitudes borrowed to shadow the extremity of it and there are two things in which he discovers the dolefulness of his condition 1. By the inward efficacy of his trouble it wasted it consumed him it made his bones old and dryed up his radical moisture for so the word used properly signifyeth The meaning is it wore out his Life Strength Vigour and made a Skeliton of him 2. By the outward expression of it arising from his inward trouble his Roaring and that without intermission the word is properly used of the fearful noise that Lions make in their Roaring and on what account was this but of his Sins which lay on his Conscience through the apprehension of the Guilt of them It may be here enquired whether David is speaking of his Condition before or after Conversion Whether he represents a Godly or an Ungodly man here And it may be replied That it is generally supposed and not without reason that this was after he was a pardoned manâ—
these are inâ—â—â—gated by reason and election How-often therefore are men called upon to Consider Psal 119 59. 39. 3. Isa 1. 3. 3. That which renders this Service pleasing to Gâ—â— is when it is done with cordial love to him and â—â—wayes Though God requireth an outward service and the neglect of it discovers our disobedience to him for if our heart were right it would prompt us to our duty yet this alone will not satisfy him as he knows the heart so he requires it Prov. â—â— 26. Outward services that proceed not from 〈◊〉 principle are Hypocritical hence that complaint Psal 78. 37. Ezek. 33. 31. Now obedience is therefore called love Gal. 5. 6. 2 Tim. 1. 13. Hence loving God and keeping of his Commandments 〈◊〉 an infeparable connexion Exod. 20. 6. And indeeâ— love is the closing Affection which carrieth us 〈◊〉 our object and uniteth us with it it saith that 〈◊〉 conceive an infinite amiableness and desirableâ—â—â— in him and his service and therefore we serve 〈◊〉 with delight 4. That men may be driven to this external serâ—â— by a principle of fear There is a two fold 〈◊〉 mentioned in the word of God one proceeds 〈◊〉 the Spirit of Adoption the other from a spirit of â—â—dage the former of these is a filial fear and â—â—â—perly belongs to the Children of God and is essential to new obedience that all Religion frequently called by it and it is proper to that 〈◊〉 we owe to God in as much as he is infinitely love us and the genuine love of an inferiour to superiour involves a fear in it viz. a reverential respect which makes us keep our distance and to be very cautious of doing ought that may displease thus Jacob called God the fear of his father 〈◊〉 Gen. 31. 53. The other fear ariseth from a â—â—â—vile Spirit under which all men in their natural 〈◊〉 are in bondage and though the Children of men do generally suppress it yet God when he â—â—â—aseth toucheth the Conscience and awakens it and then terrours sieze it and the man is horribly 〈◊〉 of the wrath of God And because in this â—â—â—viction he is made to know that his sins have â—â—â—sed him to this wrath and assured him that 〈◊〉 live in them they will bring him to destructiâ—â— it rouseth him up and sets him on doing duty and abstaining from sin but he doth not do this because he loveth obedience and hateth sin but â—â—â—â—use his Conscience terrifieth him he dareth â—â— no otherwise and how many such instances are 〈◊〉 Scripture Hence that remark Psal 78. 34. 5. That Unregenerate and carnal Professors have 〈◊〉 of this love in them and are therefore acted by 〈◊〉 fear To love God and to make a free choise 〈◊〉 his service is a fruit of special saving Grace 〈◊〉 found in none but the Regenerate There is a 〈◊〉 love which men are sometimes for a fit stiâ—â—â—ated by viz. When God hath remarkably devered them from some great trouble they are for while affected with it and very zealous but it is soon over and they grow cold or they Idoliâ—â— the mercy and forget the author but this fear â—â— the root of the carnal mans Obedience Isa 33 â—â— Most Hypocrites have an â—wakened Conscience and a legal spirit attending it which drives theâ— to duty as a drudgery and keeps them to it as â—â— severe master Conscience tells the man there â—â— hell and damnation or there are terrible Juâ—â—â—ments c. and thus like a dog he dares not 〈◊〉 upon the thing that he would â—ain be at lest â—â— should be beaten for it And indeed by this 〈◊〉 God holds the command of mens Consciences and by it he in a great measure governeth the world and restrains the unruly lusts of men from breâ—â—ing forth into that height of exorbitancy which otherwise they would soon rush into iâ— left withâ—â—â— any bridle upon them whose heart is set in them to â—â— evil and would carry them to the height that the greatest monsters of men ever arrived at 6. That there is a mixture of these in Gods 〈◊〉 Children and their love is not always so powerful 〈◊〉 so they are sometimes exposed to this fear What â—â— remarked in 1 Joh. 4 18. is not accomplished â—â— this life perfect love casteth out fear The 〈◊〉 have sinful corruption remaining in them thâ—â— sometimes so prevalent that it suppresseth the â—â—gorous exercise of Grace and they are led captive â—â— the law in their members and as God makes use â—â— the Spirit of bondage in the Conversion of his â—â—lect so sometimes he awakens it in believers whâ—â— they grow remiss in their obedience for thougâ— they do not receive it again yet it not being whoâ—â— taken away it is sometimes roused in them They â—â—ve a rooted love of God but the exercise is â—â—â—ped by sinful temptations and God terrifies â—â—em and makes his judgments to amaze them Psal 119 120. Job 31 23. How often doth David â—â—â—â—lain of terrours that affright him of arroâ—◠〈◊〉 stick in him and drink up his spirits But there â—â—â—â—â—erence between that in the Children of God 〈◊〉 in unregenerate men in these they proceed â—â— further rise no higher whereas in those they 〈◊〉 to awaken their love again and revive their 〈◊〉 these fears help forward their Repentance 〈◊〉 This fear hath a force in it and will carry men â—â— forther than it drives them There is a vast disâ—â—nce between the motives that arise from this 〈◊〉 and those that proceed from love There is â—â—eet attractive in love because it naturally craâ—â—â— union with its object which carrieth it forth 〈◊〉 great spontaneity Love would always be 〈◊〉 and please it s beloved Whereas there is more of compulsion in fear though it also works 〈◊〉 the man and puts him on a choise yet it is not â—â—â—olute but hypothetical In a word love seeth an â—â—â—â—ableness a desirableness in the Service of God 〈◊〉 it is in it self good and pleasant and preferaâ—â—â—â— Psal 19. 10. Whereas fear alone doth not take â—â—ay that natural aversness that is in us to obeâ—â—â—nce it alters not our false principles but we still 〈◊〉 good evil only it makes us apprehend the danâ—â—â— arising from the threatning which we count â—â—reasonable but because we cannot otherwise avoid the threatned misery we chuse rather to abstain from such sins and practice such duties thaâ— suffer what is denounced Hence it is an unâ—â—â—ling willingness that is produced our obediencâ—â—â— like the service of a slave who must do what he â—â— bidden but it is a burden to him Mal. 1. 13. 8. That severe providences are used by God to quicâ—â—â—â—â— this fear in men As the promises are of use to â—â—cite love so the threatnings to stir up fear 〈◊〉 the hardness of mens hearts maketh them to â—â—â—pise threatnings God therefore executeth thâ—◠〈◊〉 so to make men afraid Now to these belong 〈◊〉 awful judgments which men in this life are exâ—â—â—â—â—ed to
Redemption and Effectual Vocation is to engage us in Gods Service God indeed intends in it to bring us to Glory to be admired in us in our eternal salvation but in order to this he will be honoured by us in our newness of life and our sanctification in soul spirit and body This Christ had an eye at in his work of Redemption Tit. 2. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 18. This also is aimed at in our Vocation Psal 22. 30. 1 Thes 4. 3 7. 1 Pet. 1. 15. 7. The salvation that is secured to us in our Justification cannot otherwise be enjoyed There is a way in which we must come by it and that can be no other but the way of uprightness for 1. It would else be to the dishonour of God He glorifyeth his Grace in the salvation of Sinnersâ— but he would dishonour his Holiness by saving them in their sins whereas he is of purer eyes c. Hab. 1. 13. Christ's errand therefore was to save his people from their sins Mat. 1. 21. In which God vindicates his Holiness 2 Nor can we in any other way be capable Subjects of this salvation The glory to be revealed in us is such as would not content or satisfy us if we remained under the dominion of a corrupt heart This Uprightness is the beginning toward that perfection which we are to be brought to and it reconcileth us to that Holiness which is in every part of our blessedness and in order to our being possessed of it and compleatly happifyed by it it shall be perfected it is therefore one Attribute of Righteous men in heaven Heb. 12. 23. Just men made perfect there can be no separation between these two The priviledge and duty of the Righteous Upright to rejoyce Conclu 3. IT is the priviledge and duty of all these to rejoyce It is their priviledge because God hath given them all grounds of it it is their duty because God requires it Every righteous one enjoys this priviledge and is under this obligation and to clear this up these things may be enquired 1. What is to be accounted a just ground of rejoycing A. Rejoycing is properly an expression or exercise of the Affection of joy Now joy is placed among the closing Affections deriving from love and may be described A delighting our selves in the enjoyment of an object wherein we find satisfaction If the object be loved the same love that carrieth desire after it till it be enjoyed will employ joy upon it when it hath gotten it Only we must observe that there is a twofold enjoyment to be conceived viz a man may in a sense be said to enjoy a thing in hope he doth so in actual fruition Hence there is a double joy the former viz. The joy of Hope ariseth on a confidence or security we have of the thing Now the apprehension of the excellency of the object affords a redundant joy to the unfailing certainty that we have of being in due time possessed of it and indeed this security is a present good when the perswasion is built upon undeceiving grounds and this joy serves to quicken the desire into a more vigorous prosecution of the means for obtaining the thing it self and then there is the joy of fruition when we take the comfort of the thing it self being possessed of it compared to the joy of harvest Psal 126. 5 6. This joy consummates and crowns the desires because now they are come to their rest Psal 116. 7. The reason of both these joys flows from the benefit we apprehend in the object the goodness suiâ—ableness sufficiency of it to answer our ends make us happy hence there is a proportion in the joy to our apprehension of the degree of the goodness and benefit in the thing that which we count the most largely happifying will draw forth the greatest rejoycing 2. Wherein all these appear to be priviledged with that which affords them matter and ground for it A. Let me here premise that Godly men have not all alike present occasion for exercising their joy nor the same persons at all times Many reasons might be assigned for this but I shall only in general observe that there are dark times with the Children of God as well as lightsome times of Gods hiding as well as of shedding his love abroad in their hearts humâ—ling as well as chearing Providences pass over them sometimes their sins break their bones and put them to pain sometimes the bridegroom is taken from them and there is to be a different carriage in such cases But yet there are those things that belong to every upright one which never fail and have abundant matter of joy in them 1. There are these things which at present they have in hand which surpasseth all that the world can mention or think of 1 Cor. 2. 9. The earnests and foreâ—asts of the glory to be revealed in them have so much sweetness as is sufficient to draw forth their joy Now their sins are pardoned and persons justified Rom. 5. 1. Now they are the Adopted Children of God 1 Joh. 3. 2. They have now a Father to care and provide for and defend them a Comforter to lead and conduct them an Advocate with the Father for them substantial Promises to live on a Convoy of Glorious Angels to attend on them in a word there is nothing good for them that shall be withheld from them Psal 34 9 10. 84. 11. 2. And there are greater things which they have in hope from which there results abundant occasion for their rejoycing We are told of such a joy Rom. 5. 2. And well may we rejoyce in it whether we consider the nature of the hope it is sure and cannot fail them an hope that will not make them ashamed ver 5. Being built on sure promises made by a God that cannot ly Tit. 1. 2. Heb. 6. 18 19. Or the things themselves which they have in this hope which are such as will make them perfectly and for ever blessed in the fruition of them Their names are written in heaven Luk 10. 20. They are registred in the Lambs book of life which admits of no blots they have a great reward reserved for them Mat. 5. 12. They are going to a glorious place and company where they are certain to arrive as surely as if there already Heb. 12. 23 c. Nor shall any prevent them Rom. 8. 35. c. And if this be not sufficient ground for rejoycing what can be thought to be so 3. How important a duty this is A. That it is not a thing indifferent will appear if we consider how frequently urgently the Spirit of God urgeth it in the Scriptures both of the Old New Testament He foresaw what temptations his people would meet with to discourage them in this duty and hath therefore laid in against them all so that there can be no just excuse for the omission it were endless to enumerate them how