of our Interest in Eternal Life They differ in Effects Peace is an Approbation for the present Joy in the holy Ghost a pledge and beginning of that endless Joy we shall have hereafter 2 Cor. 1. 22. Who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the spirit in our hearts And Rom. 8. 23. We our selves also who have the first-fruits of the spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our body Both together shew that there is no such solid Comfort as in the obedience of God's Commandments certainly more than in all the Pleasures of Sin yea more than in all the Enjoyments of the World whoever have proved them both will find it so Many have proved the Pleasures of Sin but never yet found what comfort is in mourning for Sin Many have proved the Comforts of the World but never yet proved what is the Joy of a good Conscience and the sweet Pleasure of a godly Conversation 2. There is a particular Experience when born out in the Confession of Truth in the time of tryal A Man that out of love to God's Commands hath endured Troubles and Tryals and hath overcome Temptations will see more cause to love these Commandments and to encrease his Obedience to them than ever before in ordinary Temptations Psal. 19. 11. Moreover by them is thy servant warned and in keeping of them there is a great reward When they see that Divine Truth is like to bear out it self and Man that doth confess it in such cases they feel the excellency of God's Truth and the Power of God sustaining them that confess it therefore embrace heartily the Lord's Commands and take pleasure in his Ways The Lord appealeth to this Experience Micah 2. 7. Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly Have not you found the Fruit answerable Therefore the Children of God value and esteem and look upon them as the greatest Means of their Safety and Comfort 6. Because of their love to God they have a value for every thing which cometh from God and leadeth to him Common Mercies point to their Author and their main end is to draw our Affections to him and enable us in his Service but these are apt to be a snare and are used as an Occasion to the Flesh But here is a greater Impression of God on his Word and Laws their use is more eminent to direct us to God therefore are valued above ordinary Comforts Iob 23. 12. I have not gone back from the commandment of his lips I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food They are his Commandments therefore dear to us who hath obliged us so much in Christ whose Love they believe and have felt The Word is wholly appointed to maintain the Life of Grace in us Use 1. Is to shew us how to bring our hearts to the obedience of God's Commands 1. Love them if we would keep them Nothing is hard to Love An Esteem will quicken us to the Obedience of them 2. Delight in them for then all goeth on easily Delight sweetneth every thing though in themselves toilsom or tedious as Fowling Hunting Fishing Delight never mindeth Difficulties The reason why the Commands are grievous is want of Love and Delight Use 2. Sheweth of what kind our Obedience must be free and unconstrained when we are not forced to our Duty but do willingly delight in it and the Law that prescribeth it and do bewail our daily failings Many doe some external Works of Obedience but not with an inward delight but out of custom or compulsion God never hath our Heart till he hath our Delight till we willingly abstain from what may displease him and chearfully practise what he requireth of us when it is grateful to obey and all Pleasures to this are nothing worth SERMON LIV. PSAL. CXIX 48. My hands also will I lift up to thy commandments which I have loved and I will meditate in thy statutes IN the Morning we opened one Profession of David's Respect to the Word of God now follows another He would employ all his Faculties about the Commandments of God which is his last Argument His Mind for here is Meditation promised his Heart for here is Love asserted his Tongue for that is his original Request which occasioned all these Professions and here his Hands his Life My hands also will I lift up c. Observe 1. The Ground or Cause of his Respect to the Commandments of God in that Clause Which I have loved 2. A double Effect I will lift up my hands to thy commandments and I will meditate in thy statutes 1. Lifting up the Palms or Hands is a Phrase of various use 1. For Praying Psal. 28. 2. Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry unto thee when I lift up my hands towards thy holy oracle Lam. 2. 19. Lift up thy hands towards him for the life of thy young children c. Hab. 3. 10. The deep uttered his voice and lift up his hands on high Thence the Apostle 1 Tim. 2. 8. I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting 2. For Blessing others Aaron lift up his hands towards the people and blessed them Or for Praising or Blessing God Psal. 134. 2. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and bless the Lord. So Psal. 63. 4. Thus will I bless thee while I live I will lift up my hands in thy name 3. For Swearing or Vowing Gen. 22. 14. I have lift up my hand to the most high God that is sworn So Rev. 10. 5. The Angel lift up his hand and swore So of God Psal. 106. 26. Therefore he lifted up his hand against them to overthrow them in the wilderness that is swore they should not enter into his rest 4. For setting about any Action especially of weight Gen. 41. 22. Without thee shall no man lift up his hand that is attempt or do any thing So Psal. 10. 12. Arise O Lord lift up thine hand forget not the poor that is Set to thine active hand for their assistance So Heb. 12. 12. Lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees that is Set actively and vigorously about the Christian Task To this Rank may be also referred what is said Mat. 6. 3. Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth The Hand is the Instrument of Action Now all these Sences might be applied to the present Place 1. Praying for God's Grace to perform them 2. Blessing God as we do for our daily food giving thanks for them 3. Vowing or promising under an Oath a constant Obedience to them But the Commandments are not the proper Object to which the Acts of Praying Blessing Swearing are directed but God It is not I will lift up my hand to God but thy commandments We ought indeed to bless God and praise God for the Blessings we receive by his
done and especially is this found by experience when great trouble comes upon us by reason of sin There is some sin at the bottom God will bring out and until they come to clearness and openness with God the Lord still continues the trouble they are kept roaring and do not come to their peace Iob 33. 26 27. When a man is under trouble and the sense of sin doth not fasten on the heart he is not prepared for deliverance but when it comes to this I have sinned and it profits me not then God sends an Interpreter one among a thousand to shew unto man his uprightness 3. It prevents Satans accusations and Gods judgments It is no profit to cover our sins for either Satan will declare them or God find us out and enter into judgment with us It prevents Satan as an Accuser and God as a Judg. 1. It prevents Satan as an Accuser Let us not tarry till our adversary accuse There is one that will accuse you if you do not accuse your selves He that 's a tempter is also an accuser of the brethren Now Confession puts Satan out of office When we have sued out our pardon Satan is not an accuser so much as a slanderer Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect The Informer comes too late when the guilty person hath accused himself and sued out his pardon And 2. It prevents God as a Iudg. It is all known to God Psal. 69. 5. O God! thou knowest my foolishness and my sins are not hid from thee It is a folly to conceal that which cannot be hid God knows them how God may be said to know things two ways Either simply with respect to the perfection of his nature and so he knows all things or by virtue of his office and so God knows things judicially as Judg of the world he takes knowledg of it so as to punish it unless you confess it But in this kind of knowledg he loves to be prevented he will not know it as a Judg if we confess it when there is process against sin in our own consciences 1 Cor. 11. 31. If we judg our selves we shall not be judged When we accuse and judg our selves then God's work is prevented God is contented if we will accuse arraign judg and condemn our selves then he will not take knowledg of our sins as a Judg. The end of God's judging is Execution and punishment but the end of our judging is that we may obtain pardon Now consider whether you will stand at the bar of Christ not as a Saviour but as a Judg or you will judg your selves in your own heart Better sit as Judg upon your own heart than God should sit as Judg upon you therefore deal plainly and openly with him Thus I have explained what it is to declare our wavs it is an act of dependence to take God's leave blessing counsel along with us an act of friendship as to lay open our case to God and an act of brokenness of heart as declaring our sins and temptations For the reasons why if we would speed with God we should unfeignedly lay open our case before him 1. It argueth sincerity A hypocrite will pray but will not thus sincerely open his heart to God Psal. 32. 1. Blessed is he in whose spirit there is no guile No guile it hath a limited sense with respect to the matter of confession that doth not deal deceitfully with God but plainly and openly declares his case Many ways men may be guilty of guile of spirit in confession of sin either when they content themselves with general or slight acknowledgments as thus We are all sinners but they do not declare their ways Generals are but notions and as particular persons are lost in a crowd so sins lye hid in common acknowledgments Or else men take up the empty forms of others You shall see in Numb 19. the waters of purification wherewith a man had been cleansed if another touched it he became unclean Confessions are like those waters whereby one hath cleansed himself Now to take up others Confessions and the forms of others without the same affection feeling and brokenness of heart doth but defile us the more when the heart doth not prescribe to the tongue but the tongue to the heart or else men make some acknowledgments to God but do not uncover their privy sore they are loth to draw forth the state of their hearts into the notice and view of conscience This guile of spirit may be sometimes in God's children Moses had a privy sore which he was loth to disclose and therefore when God would have sent him into Egypt he pleads other things insufficiency want of elocution that he was a stammerer that he had not utterance I but his carnal fear was the main therefore see how God touches his privy sore Exod. 4. 19. Arise Moses go into Egypt the men that sought thy life are dead Why Moses never pleaded that he mentions other things that were true that he was a man of slow speech and his brother Aaron was fitter but he never pleads carnal fear but the Lord knew what was at the bottom So it is with Christians many times we will confess this and that which is a truth and we may humble our selves for it I but there 's a privy-sore yet kept secret Therefore this open-dealing with God is very necessary to lay open before God whatever we know of our state and way for then God will be nigh to us Out of self-love men spare themselves and will not judg and condemn themselves therefore they deny excuse extenuate or hypocritically confess O! I am a sinner and the like but do not come openly 2. It argueth somewhat of the spirit of adoption to put in the bill of our complaint to our heavenly Father to draw up an Indictment against our selves to judg that 's irksome but to put in a bill of complaint to a Friend or Father that savours of more ingenuity To tell God all our mind notes freedom and familiarity not such as is bold rude nor a dress of words but such as is grave serious proceeding from an inward sense of God and hope of his mercy 1 Joh. 3. 21. If our hearts condemn us not then have we confidence towards God then we can deal with him as one friend with another and acquaint him with all our griefs and wants A man had need walk exactly that would maintain his freedom with God There is a freedom as men may call it such as is bold rude and wretchless in words only but that which proceeds from confidence in God and his mercy that 's a fruit of close walking we cannot have it in our hearts without it 3. It is the way to make us serious and affected with our condition When we open our whole heart to God then we shall be more earnest for a remedy we content our selves with some transient
matter how comes this deadness upon me Isa. 63. 17. Why hast thou caused us to err from thy ways and hardned our heart from thy fear Enquirew hatâ—…s the cause of this deadness that grows upon me that you may humble your selves under the mighty hand of God The Argument only is behind According to thy Word David when he begs for quickning he is encouraged so to do by a promise The question is where this promise should be Some think it was that general promise of the Law If thou do these things thou shalt live in them Lev. 17. 5. And that from thence David drew this particular conclusion that God would give life to his people But rather it was some other promise some word of God he had to bear him out in this request We see he hath made many promises to us of sanctifying our affliction Isa. 27. 9. The fruit of all shall be the taking away of sin of bettering and improving us by it Heb. 2. 11. of moderating our affliction that he will stay his rough wind in the day of the east-wind Isa. 27. 8. That he will lay no more upon us than he will enable us to bear 1 Cor. 10. 13. He hath promised he will moderate our affliction so that we shall not be tempted above our strength He hath promised he will deliver us from it that the Rod of the wicked shall not always rest on the back of the righteous Psal. 105. 3. That he will be with us in it and never fail us Heb. 13. 5. Now I argue thus If the People of God could stay their hearts upon God's Word when they had but such obscure hints to work upon that we do not know where the promise lies Ah how should our hearts be stay'd upon God when we have so many promises When the Scriptures are enlarged for the comfort and enlarging of our Faith surely we should say now as Paul when he got a word Acts 27. 25. I believe God I may expect God will do thus for me when his Word speaks it everywhere Then you may expostulate with God I have thy Word for it Lord as she when she shewed him the jewel ring and staff whose are these so we may cast in God his promises whose are these according to thy Word And mark David that was punctual with God I have sworn and I will perform it and quicken me according to thy Word Sincere hearts may plead Promises with God Isa. 38. 3 Lord remember I have walked before thee with an upright heart These may look up and wait upon God for deliverance SERMON CXVIII PSAL. CXIX VER 108. Accept I beseech thee the free-will-offering of my mouth O Lord and teach me thy judgments IN this Verse two things are asked of God God's Acceptance then secondly Instruction First He begs Acceptation Therein take notice 1 Of the matter object or thing that he would have to be accepted The free-will-offerings of my mouth 2 The manner of asking this Acceptation Accept I beseech thee O Lord. In the former you may observe the general nature of the thing and then the particular kind they were free-will-offerings and yet more express they were free-will-offerings of his hands not legal sacrifices but spiritual services free-will-offerings of his mouth implying praises our praises of God are called the calves of our lips Hos. 14. 2. rendred there by the Septuagint the fruit of our lips and accordingly translated by the Apostle Heb. 13. 15. The fruit of our lips giving thanks to his Name He was in deep affliction wandering up and down the Desart he was disabled to offer up to God any other sacrifice therefore he desires God would accept the free-will-offerings of his mouth he had nothing else to bring him Secondly He begs of God instruction in his way Teach me thy judgments By Misphalim judgments are meant both God's Statutes and God's Providences If you take them in the former sense for God's Statutes so he begs grace to excite direct and assist him in a course of sincere obedience to God practically to walk according to God's Will If you understand it in the latter sense only for the accomplishment of what God had spoken in his Word for God's Providence for his corrective dispensation Teach me he begs understanding and profiting by them I shall begin with his first Request which offereth four Observations 1. That God's people have their spiritual offerings 2. That these spiritual offerings must be free-will-offerings 3. That these free-will-offerings are graciously accepted by God 4. That this gracious acceptance must be earnestly sought and valued as a great blessing I beseech thee accept c. Doct. 1. First That God's People have their spiritual offerings I shall give the sense of this Point in five Propositions 1 That all God's People are made Priests to God for every offering supposeth a Priest so it is said Rev. 1. 6. That Christ Iesus hath made us Kings and Priests All Christians they have a Communion with Christ in all his Offices whatever Christ was that certainly they are in some measure and degree Now Christ was King Priest and Prophet and so is every Christian in a spiritual sense a King Priest and Prophet for they have their anointing their unction from the Holy One and he communicates with them in his Offices So also they do resemble the Priesthood under the Law in 1 Pet. 2. 5. they are called a holy Priesthood to offer sacrifices to God And 1 Pet. 2. 9. they are called a royal Priesthood They are a holy Priesthood like the sons of Aaron who were separated from the People to minister before the Lord and they are a Royal Priesthood in conformity to the Priesthood of Melchisedec who was King of Salem and also Priest of the Most High God There is a mighty conformity between what is done by every Christian and the Solemnities and Rites used by the Priests under the Law The Priests of the Law were separated from the rest of the People so are all God's People from the rest of the World The Priests of the Law were to be anointed with holy oil Exod. 28. 41. so all Christians they receive an unction from the holy one 1 John 2. 20. By the holy oil was figured the holy Spirit which was the Unction of the Holy One. by which they are made fit and ready to perform those duties which are acceptable to God After the Priest was thus generally prepar'd by the anointing to their services before they went to offer they were to wash in the great Laver which stood in the Sanctuary door Exod. 29. 4. Lev. 8. 4 5. So every Christian is to be washed in the great Laver of Regeneration Tit. 3. 5. And when they are regenerated born again purged and cleansed from their sins then they are Priests to offer Sacrifices to God for till this be done none of their offerings are acceptable to him For they that are in the flesh â—…annot
if we have any faith in him faith will work by love Gal. 5. 6. The soul may reason and discourse thus with itself Do I believe Christ Jesus did thus willingly give himself for my soul how can I be backward in God's service and hang off from him O let me live to Christ who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2. 20. What shall I be more backward to do for God than Christ was to die for me To go to the Throne of Grace than Christ Jesus was to go the Cross Can I hang off from such pleasing Noble Service when Jesus Christ my Lord refus'd not the hard work of my Redemption If his Will was in it certainly so should be yours Doct. 3. The third Point That these free-will-offerings are accepted with God They shall come with Rams speaking of the conversion of the Gentiles in terms proper to the old legal dispensation and they shall come with acceptance Isa. 6. 7. And Mal. 3. 4. Then shall the offering of Iudah and Ierusalem be pleasant unto the Lord. Upon what grounds and what way our acceptance with God is brought about our works in themselves cannot please God they are accepted not as merits but as testimonies of thankfulness 1. Our persons are by Christ reconciled to God and in worship he delights This is the proper importance of laying the Peace-offering upon the top of the Burnt offering Lev. 3. 10. 2. Our infirmities are cover'd with his Righteousness for Christ is the Propitiation the Mercy-seat that interposeth between the Law and God's gracious Audience We come to the Throne of Grace when we come to God in and by him Heb. 4. 16. 3. By his intercession our duties are commended to God As Aaron was to stand before the Lord with his Plate upon his forehead wherein was writ Holiness to the Lord why That he might bear the iniquity of the people that they might be accepted of the Lord. All our acceptance comes from Christ's intercession and alas our Prayers and Praises are unsavoury Eruptations Belches of the Flesh as they come from us a great deal of infirmity we mingle with them we mingle Brimstone with our Incense and Sweet Spices therefore provoke the Lord to abhor and despise us but there 's an Angel stands by the Altar that perfumes all our Prayers and Praises How should this encourage us against the slightings of the world and discouragements of our own hearts and look after the testimony of our acceptance with God Doct. 4. The fourth Point That this gracious acceptance must be sought and valu'd as a great blessing Psal 19. 14. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight O Lord. And it must be valu'd as a great blessing if we consider either who the Lord is or what we are or what it is we go to him for If we consider who the Lord is God all sufficient that standeth in no need of what we can do that cannot be profited by us he is of so great a Majesty that his honour is rather lessned than greatned by any thing we can do the great-Author of all blessings all our offerings come from himself first of thine own have we given thee And if we consider what we are poor impotent sinful Creatures will God take an offering at our hands And if we consider what we do nothing but imperfection there is more of us in it of our fleshly part in any thing we do yet that these things should be accepted with God SERMON CXIX PSAL. CXIX VER 109. My soul is continually in my hand yet do I not forget thy law IN this Verse and the next David asserts his Integrity against two sorts of Temptations and ways of Assault the Violence and Craft of his Enemies Their Violence in this Verse My soul is in my hand And their Craft in the next Verse They laid snares for me And yet still his heart is upright with God In this Verse observe 1 David's condition My soul is continually in my hand 2 His constancy and perseverance notwithstanding that condition Yet do I not forget thy law First Let me speak of the condition he was now in in that Expression My soul is continually in my hand The soul in the hand is a Phrase often us'd in Scripture it is said of Iephthah Judg. 12. 13. I put my life in my hands and passed over against the children of Ammon So Job 13. 14. Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth and put my life in my hand And when David went to encounter Goliah 1 Sam. 17. 5. it is said He put his life in his hand and slew the Philistines In exposing our selves to any hazard and dangers in any great attempt it is call'd the putting our life in our hand And the Witch of Endor when she ventur'd against a Law to please Saul and so had exposed her life this form of speech is used concerning her 1 Sam. 28. 21. I have put my life in my hand Briefly then By Soul is meant Life and this is said to be in his hand I go in danger of my life day by day as if he should say I have my Soul ready divorc'd when God calls for it it not only notes liableness to danger but resolution and courage to encounter it In a sense we always carry our Souls in our hands our life hangs by a single thread which is soon fretted asunder and therefore we should every day be praying that it may not be taken from us as the Souls of wicked men are Iob 27. 8. Luke 12. 20. but yielded up and resign'd to God But more especially is the Expression verifi'd when we walk in the midst of dangers and in a thousand deaths my soul is in my hand that is I am expos'd to dangers that threaten my life every day Secondly Here 's his Affection to God's Word notwithstanding this condition Yet do I not forget thy law There is a twofold remembrance of things Notional and Affective and so there 's a twofold forgetfulness 1 Notional We forget the Word when the notion of things written therein are either wholly or in part vanish'd out of our minds 2 Affectively We are said to forget the Word of God when though we still retain the Notion yet we are not answerably affected do not act according thereunto and this is that which is understood here I do not forget thy Law Law is taken generally for any part of the Word of God and implies the Word of Promise as well as the Word of Command As for instance 1. If we interpret it of the Promise the sense will be this I do not forget thy Law that is I take no discouragements from my dangers to let fall my trust as if there were no Providence no God to take care of those that walk closely with him Heb. 12. 5. when they fainted they are said to have forgotten the consolation which spake unto
worthy to be believed The Summ is God hath his Testimonies extant their Authority is inviolable and their Justice and Truth immutable Some read Praecepisti Iustitiam Testimoniorum tuorum fidem valde Thou hast highly charged and earnestly commanded the righteousness and faithfulness of thy Testimonies as referring to our Duty But most Translations agree with ours Our duty indeed may be inferred but I shall not make it the formal interpretation of the place In the Texture of the Words in the Hebrew these Attributes are given to the Word it self Doctr. They that would profit by the word or rule of faith and manners which God hath commanded them to observe should look upon it as righteous and very faithful So did David here and elsewhere Psal. 19. 9. The Iudgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether I shall make good the Point by these Considerations Prop. 1. That our faith and obedience must be well-grounded or else they will have no firmness and stability The want of a foundation is the cause of many a ruinous Building Men carry on a fair and lofty Structure of profession but when the Winds of boisterous temptations are let loose upon them all is blown down because they build upon the Sand and not upon the Rock They take up this profession without sound evidence and conviction in their Consciences and so they are not grounded or setled in the faith Col. 1. 23. not rooted and grounded in love Ephes. 3. 7. They take up Religion sleightly not looking into the reasons of it upon Tradition or vulgar esteem they are not undoubtedly perswaded that it is the very truth of God The good Seed withered that fell upon the stony ground because there was no depth of Earth Matth. 13. 5. no considerable strength of soil to feed faith Prop. 2. Faith and obedience cannot be well-grounded but on such a Doctrine as is true and righteous for who can depend on that which is not true or who can obey that which is not righteous Truth is the only sure foundation for faith to build upon and righteousness for practice Faith considereth truth Ephes. 1. 13. In whom ye trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of your salvation And that righteousness is that which bindeth to practice we may gather from Psal. 119. 128. Therefore I esteem all thy Precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way The Word commandeth nothing but what is just and righteous Prop. 3. This true and righteous Doctrine must be backed with a strong and powerful Authority not only recommended to us but strictly and severely enjoyned for two reasons First Because otherwise it will not be observed and regarded but be lookt upon not as a binding Law but as an arbitrary direction There is difference between a Law and a Rule A bare Rule may only serve to inform our understandings or to give direction but a Law is a binding Rule a Rule with a strong Obligation The Word of God is not his counsel and advice to us only but his Law that men may examine and regard it with more care and diligence God hath interposed his authority Psal. 1. â—…9 4. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently And in the Text Thy Testimonies which thou hast commanded God hath commanded us to believe all truths revealed to obey all duties required and if God commandeth there is good reason why he should be obeyed Secondly Divine authority is one means to evidence the righteousness and truth of what is to be believed and obeyed The righteousness for if God who is my Superior and hath a full right to govern me according to his own pleasure doth command me any thing it is best that I should obey it without reply and contradiction yea though I see not the reason of it Acts 17. 28. For in him we live and move and have our being All Creatures have their Being not only from him but in him and therefore sometimes God giveth no other account of his Law but this I am the Lord Lev. 22. 2 3. Speak unto Aaron and to his Sons that they separate themselves from the holy things of the Children of Israel and that they prophane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me I am the Lord. Say unto them Whosoever he be of all your Seed among your Generations that goeth unto the holy things which the Children of Israel hallow unto the Lord having his uncleanness upon him that soul shall be cut off from my presence I am the Lord. Therefore it gives rules of practice to be embraced with all the heart as holy just and good Gods authority is founded upon the total dependance of all Creatures upon him and upon his infallible Wisdom Truth and Goodness by which he hath right to prescribe all Points of Faith to be believed and assented to upon his own testimony without contradiction 1 Iohn 5. 9. If we receive the testimony of man the testimony of God is greater A man that would not deceive us we believe him upon his word though he may be deceived himself but God doth not deceive nor can he be deceived by the holy God nothing can be given but what is holy and good and thereupon I am to receive it Prop. 4. This Divine authority truth and righteousness is only to be found in Gods Testimonies which he hath commanded or in Gods Word First There is a God-like authority speaking there and commanding that which it becometh none but God to command who is the universal King and Sovereign For it speaketh to the whole World without respect of persons to King and Beggar rich and poor Male and Female without reservation of Honour or distinction of Degrees The Word looketh on them as standing before God on the same level Iob 34. 19. He accepteth not the persons of Princes nor regarded the rich more than the poor for they all are the work of his hands And speaketh to them indifferently and equally Exod. 20. 3. Thou shalt have no other Gods but me Which is not the voice of any limited and bounded Power but of that which is supreme transcendent and absolute And by these Laws he bindeth the Conscience and the immortal souls of men Psal. 19. 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul. Men may give Laws to the words and actions because they can take cognizance of them but the Word giveth Laws to the thoughts Isai. 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts Matth. 5. 28. Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed Adultery with her already in his heart And the internal motions and affections of the heart how we should love and fear and joy and mourn 1 Cor. 7. 30. They that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not Of these things God can only take notice the power
work a great change in us A Christian should and in some measure doth carry an equal mind in all Conditions and keep the same pace whither he goeth up-hill or down-hill and have his heart fixed in God whatever falleth out Psal. 112. 7. He shall not be afraid of evil tydings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. But alas we are much discomposed oftentimes especially at the first onset by our outward estate when under great Afflictions it puts a damp upon our spirits and we cannot serve God so chearfully Levit. 10. 19. And Aaron said unto Moses Behold this day have they offered their sin-offering and their burnt-offering before the Lord and such things have befallen me and if I had eaten the sin-offering to day should it have been accepted in the sight of the Lord. So Hezekiah it is said of him 2 Chron. 32. 25. When Hezekiah was sick unto death and he prayed unto the Lord and he gave him a sign that Hezekiah rendred not again according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up We are too apt to be dejected and cast down with worldly Troubles or exalted and puffed up with worldly Comforts and both bring on deadness upon the Heart both worldly sorrow and carnal complacency It is not requisite that a Child of God should be without all sense of his condition and it cannot be supposed that this sense should always be kept within bounds and under the Coercion and Government of Grace considering our weakness and therefore a Christian receiveth some Taint from the changes he passes thorow as the water doth from the soil through which it runneth He is sometimes in Credit sometimes in Disgrace sometime Rich sometimes Poor sometimes sick and in Pain at other times in Health and firm Constitution of Body Now though it argueth small strength to faint in ordinary Afflictions Prov. 24. 10. and a light spirit to be puffed up like a bubble with every slight blast yet when Troubles are heavy and pressing Gods best servants have been ready to dye and faint and in a full estate it is hard to keep down carnal rejoycing By both the freedom of following Gods service chearfully may often be interrupted 4 Because we sin away our life and strength and by our careless walking contract deadness and hardness of Heart The Mind like the Eye is soon offended and out of Temper we forfeit the quickning influences of his Spirit upon which the activity of Grace dependeth To correct our sinful rashness and to teach us more Watchfulness and Caution God withdraweth Phil. 2. 12 13. Be the sin a sin of Commission especially if grievous and hainous as David found a shrewd abatement of Life and Vigor after his foul sin Psal. 51. 11 12. Or a sin of Omission when we neglect God or serve him slightly if we give way to deadness Isa. 64. 6. rest in the work wrought and are more willing to get a Duty over than to perform it with any Life and Vigor God suspends his quickning If you do not mind the work why should God quicken you in it 3. Reason Is taken from the Nature of Gods Dispensation They do often and earnestly ask quickning because God giveth out by degrees and would keep us in constant dependance In him we live move 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and have our being Act. 17. 28. both as Creatures and new Creatures There is a constant Concurrence of his motions and influences by their beings and operations God will indear his Grace to us by bringing us daily under new debt and therefore he doth not give us all our stock and portion in our hands lest we neglect him as the Prodigal did his Father By multiplyed and renewed Acts of Grace he doth more commend his love to us every day he must quicken us and in every Duty If so much Rain fell in a day as would suffice the Earth for seven years the Commerce between the Air and the Earth would cease Or if a man could eat so much at one meal as to go in the strength of it all his Life there would be no ground to pray for daily bread therefore God doth dispence his Assistances so as you must still wait upon him and be calling to him He keepeth Grace in his own hand that he may often hear from us Doctrine II. The main Argument which Gods Children have to plead in Prayer is his own favour and loving-kindness I shall shew I. That this is a Modest Humble and Pious Argument II. This is a Comfortable and Incouraging Argument I. 'T is a Modest Argument and 't were good if we could learn this modesty of David He was one much in Prayer diligent in keeping Gods Statutes abundant in all Acts of Devotion spent nights in Meditation and yet after all this placeth all his hopes in the Mercy and Loving-kindness of God and desireth onely to be heard according to mercy But in us there is a secret carnal notion of God as if he were our Debtor if we act for him or suffer any thing for him we carry it as if God were obliged to us Isa. 58. Wherefore have we fasted c. We cannot be at a Fast give a little Alms or make a Prayer but we think we have merited much at Gods hands Oh this is against all reason Alas what profit can we be to God Iob 35. 6 7 8. God is above the injuries and benefits of the Creature what miss had he of Angels and Men in those innumerable Ages of duration that went before any Created Being And as it is against Reason so it is against all the declarations God hath made of himself to us Ezek. 36. 32. Not for your sakes do I this saith the Lord of Hosts Be ashamed and confounded for your own wayes So Tit. 3. 4 5 6. But after that the kindness and love of God our saviour towards man appeared not by works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our saviour In short no worth in us or Righteousness of ours is that Merit and Righteousness by vertue of which we are accepted with God Our Works and Righteousness are not that Condition by which we receive and apply this Merit that 's Faith No Works or Merit are a motive or the first inducing Cause to move God to give us that Faith but all is from his Loving-kindness and readiness to do good to the Creatures Again 'T is contrary to the practice of the Saints and Children of God who though never so Holy and never so good yet still they plead Mercy and this by direction from him who knoweth what plea is fittest for Creatures to use to God Luk. 17. 10. As it is not the merit of one part of the Earth that it lyeth nearer the Sun than another onely the Creator would
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
resigned our selves to Christ and the hands of Consecration have passed upon us When Ananias had dedicated that which was in his power and kept back part for private use God struck him dead in the place Acts 3. 5. And if we alienate our selves who were Christs before the Consecration of how much sorer vengeance shall we be guilty Gods Complaint was just Ezek. 16. 20. Thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters whom thou hast born unto me and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured And if Satan hath a full interest in you by doing his lusts as he had in them by that Rite of Worship is not the wrong done to God the same 2. It is a sure note of a carnal heart For it is not only incongruous that a renewed man should let sin reign but impossible De jure it ought not de facto it shall not be The exhortation and promise Rom. 6. 12. with 14. verse 12. Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies There is the exhortation while you have these mortal bodies sin will dwell in you but let it not reign over you God suffereth it to dwell in us for our exercise not our ruine Then the promise Verse 14. Sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace Let not shall not It is true sin remaineth in the godly but it reigneth not there 'T is dejectum quodammodo non ejectum tamen Cast down in regard of regency not cast out in regard of inherency Like the Beasts in Daniel Dan. 7. 12. They had their dominion taken away though their lives prolonged for a season Some degree of life but their reign broken The Israelites could not wholly expel the Canaanites yet they kept them under There will be pride earthliness unbelief and sensuality dwelling moving working in them but it hath not its wonted power over them Christ will not reckon men slaves to sin by their having sin in them nor yet by their daily failings and infirmities or by their falling now and then into foul faults by the violence of a temptation unless they make a constant trade of sin and be under the dominion of it without controul and set up no course of mortification against it 3. The reign of sin is so mischievous Sin when it once gets the Throne groweth outragious and involveth us in many inconveniences e're we can get out again Therefore they that know the service of sin as we all do by sad experience should use all caution that it never bring them into bondage again The work and wages of sin are very different from Gods work and wages The Apostle compareth them when he disswadeth them from the reign of sin Rom. 6. 21 22. For when ye were the servants of sin ye were free from righteousness What fruit had you then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end of those thing is death But now being made free from sin and become servants to God ye have your fruit to holiness and the end everlasting life You have had full experience of the fruits of sin of Satans work what fruit then before you had tasted better things before you had a contrary principle set up in your hearts you are ashamed now to think of that course now you know better things But what fruit then Satans work is drudgery and his reward death The Devil hath one bad property which no other master how cruel soever hath To plague and torment them most which have done him most continual and faithful service Those that have sinned most have most horror and every degree of service hath a proportionable degree of shame and punishment He is an unreasonable Tyrant in exacting service without rest and intermission The most cruel Oppressors Turks and Infidels give some rest to their Captives but sin is unsatisfiable Men spend all their means and all their time and all their strength in the pursuit of it yet all is little enough And what is the reward of all but death and destruction Now judge you to whom should we yield obedience and who hath most right to be Sovereign He who made us and redeemed us and preserveth us every day none but he can claim title to us he to whom we are Debtors by so many Vows so many Obligations Or else Satan our worst enemy who is posting us on to our own destruction 4. It is so uncomely and misbecoming the new estate wherein we have so many helps and encouragements to resist sin First For helps you have an opposite principle to give check to it the seed of God or new nature Since Christ hath put Grace into your hearts to resist sin 't is your Duty not to suffer it to be idle and unfruitful Rom. 6. 11 12. Reckon your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof You want no ability to encourage you have an observing witness to give check to it the Spirit of God who will help you in this work Rom. 8. 13. He will be your Second neither we without the Spirit nor the Spirit without us There is a life and power goeth along with every Gospel-Truth Laziness pretendeth want of power but what is too hard for this Spirit Then Secondly For encouragement In every war are two notable encouragements goodness of the Quarrel and hopes of Victory as David 1 Sam. 17. 36. We have these in our Conflict and Combat with sin First Our Quarrel and our Cause is good 't is the Quarrel of the Lord of Hosts which you fight We stand with Christ our Redeemer who came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he might destroy the works of the Devil He hath begun the battle we do but labour to keep under that enemy which Christ hath begun to slay and destroy Sin is not only an enemy to us but to him 'T is against him and hindreth his Glory in the World and the subjection of his Creatures and Servants Were it not for sin what a glorious Potentate would Christ be even in the judgment of the world Secondly Hope of the Victory Our strife will end and it will end well Those that are really earnestly striving against sin are sure to conquer Rom. 6. 14. Let not sin reign c. And it shall not If there be but a likelihood of Victory we are encouraged to fight here a Christian may triumph before the Victory Non aequè glorietur accinctus ac discinctus 1 Kings 20. 11. Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off There will come a good and happy issue in the end even a Conquest of sin For the present we overcome it in part it shall not finally and totally overcome us in this World and shortly all strife will be over Rom. 16. 20. The God of