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
and those inspired by his spirit certainly if we make him Paymaster we must intend his work Rom. 2. 29. For he is not a Iew who is one outwardly but he is a Iew which is one inwardly whose praise is not of men but of God He that maketh God his Witness Approver and Judge must chiefly mind what God looketh after Prov. 16. 2. All the wayes of a man are clean in his own sight but the Lord weigheth the spirit That which he chiefly regardeth are Mens Principles and Ends. 3. It maketh us Faithful in our Relations by considering he appoints them to us and seeth how we improve them for his Glory Magistrates there is a special presence of God not only to direct and protect but also to note and observe them 2 Chron. 19. 6. The Lord is with you in the Iudgment Psal. 82. 1. God standeth in the Congregation of the mighty and judgeth among the gods when they are for the Execution of his Office God is there and therefore they above all must be men fearing God have a Reverend regard to his eye and presence Diadorus Siculus telleth us of some Heathens that had several empty Chairs advanced aloof near their Tribunals as for their Gods to shew they were present and had an Inspection over all Acts of Judicature So for Ministers they must not only give an Account at last but are observed for the present God hath a watchful eye over them as they have and should have over the Flock He observeth how we discharge our trust and what are our Aims whether to promote our own interest or his 2 Cor. 2. 17. But as of God in the sight of God speak we in Christ. Our Doctrines must not only be sound but our Aims and Principles 'T is not enough to speak of God in his Name his Truth but sincerely approve our hearts to him in the faithful discharge of our Duty So 1 Thes. 2. 4. We speak not as pleasing men but God which trieth our hearts In all singleness and sincerity of heart discharging our trust So Masters of Families are to walk in their houses with a perfect heart Psal. 101. 2. though they are shut up in their Families from the Observation of others yet at home as well as abroad they must be careful to walk with God in their Domestical Converse where men are wont most to discover themselves and should behave themselves prudently and holily and faithfully there The Apostle mindeth Masters of their Master in Heaven Eph. 6. 9. one who noteth and observeth your dealings and will call you to an account for all your Carriage Your Sins and Graces are not hid from him So for Servants Col. 3. 21 22 23. Servants obey in all things your masters according to the flesh not with eye-service as men-pleasures but in singleness of heart fearing God and whatsoever ye do do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men Still the Consideration of Gods Eye is suggested to them they must be careful of their Masters Concernments whether their Master be present or absent or whether the things they do will come to his knowledge yea or no for though the eye of men will not find them out yet the eye of God must be regarded therefore with respect to God they must be Careful and Faithful So again Eph. 6. 5 6. Servants be obedient to them which are your masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling in singleness of your heart as unto Christ with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men They should be Cheerful Laborious Painful shewing all Faithfulness in things committed to their Trust even to a Pin or the smallest matter not Saucy Stubborn and Malipert because the Lord looketh upon them and if they so do will own them and bless them Thus you see we should have better Magistrates better Ministers better Masters better Servants better Fathers better Children if this Principle were once deeply imprinted upon their hearts that all their ways are before the Lord and he still observeth what they do in all their Actions Use. Is to press us to walk as in the sight of God and to foresee him before you in all your ways To press you hereunto Consider these things 1. You are in the sight of God whether you think so or no We can no more be removed from the Presence of God than from our own Beings for he is in every thing that subsists and it subsists by him The Apostle telleth us Eph. 4. 6. There is one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all The Sun is some Representation of Gods Eye nothing is hid from its sight if the Sun were an Eye it would see all things that it shineth upon So doth God only with this difference the Sun cannot pierce thorough dark and thick Bodies but God is over all and through all and in all upholding and over-ruling all by his powerful Providence Therefore you cannot lye hid from God only this sight is not comfortable and profitable to you unless you see him as he seeth you They say of the Panther when it hideth the head it thinketh it is not seen because it seeth not and so is taken by the hunters this is an Emblem of wretched sinners they see not God and therefore think they are not seen by him and so go on doing evil till their Iniquities find them out 2. What a noble thing it is always to live in the sight of God for by this exercise in some measure and as this mortal state will permit you enjoy the happiness of the blessed Angels for this is the priviledge of the blessed Angels Matth. 18. 10. That they always behold the face of our Father which is in Heaven So when you live in the thought of God in some measure you are doing their work and your minds become as it were another heaven For Heaven is where God is and there God is in that heart that thinketh of him not only there by the powerful effects of his Providence and the Impressions of his Grace but there by the workings of our hearts 3. The Profit is exceeding great by conversing with God often ye become like him As musing of Vanity maketh us Vain Heavenly and Holy Thoughts produce an Heavenly Mind and frequent Remembrance is one means to introduce the Divine Nature Moses in that extraordinary Converse with God his face shone he carried away some Strictures and Rayes of the Divine Majesty in his Countenance We cannot look for that effect upon our Bodies but serious and ponderous Thoughts leave some change upon the Soul there is the lustre of Grace and the beauty of the Divine Nature which is a greater thing left upon us The Apostle saith 2 Cor. 3. 19. For we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory as by the spirit
hath signatures and characters of God enough upon it to shew from whence it came The Creation is a manifestation of God now whoever looks upon it seriously and considerately may find God there may track him by his foot-prints By the things which are made his invisible being and power Rom. 1. 20. The Creation discovers it self to be of God and if the lower testimony hath plain evidences much more the Gospel why for he hath magnified his word above all his name Psal. 138. 2. The name of God is that by which he is made known Now there are more sensible Characters and impressions of God left upon the word that doth evidence it to be of God than upon any part of his name 3. This advantage we have by this notion a testimony is a ground of self-examination or a Rule whereby we may judg of our state and actions for it witnesseth not only de jure what we must do or de eventu what we may expect but de facto whether we do good or evil what we are and what we may look for from God upon our obedience or disobedience Mat. 24. 14. The Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a witness unto all Nations first to them next against them Mark 13. 9. The word is a testimony to them of Gods will in Christ if they receive it against them if they reject neglect or believe it not Hereby we may judg of our condition by our conformity or difformity and contrariety to the Word of God Christ saith at the day of Judgment Moses will accuse you Ioh. 5. 45. There is one that accuseth you even Moses in whom ye trust The Gospel will accuse What is now an offer will then be an accusation God will not be without a witness at the day of Judgment The Creatures which had an evident impression of God upon them they will witness against the Gentiles so that they are without excuse Rom. 1. 20. and the Iews that were under the Dispensation of Moses he will accuse them there was light sufficient to convince them So the Gospel which is Gods testimony concerning his Son will accuse you if it be not received Therefore it is good to see what the word doth witness or testifie doth it testifie good or evil for accordingly shall we be treated with in the day of Judgment It is sad when we can only say of the Scripture as that King of the Prophet of the Lord He witnesseth nothing but evil against me 1 King 22. 8. Let us see what Gods testimony speaks whether it will plead for us or against us at the great day of the Lord. 4. It upbraids our unbelief that when God hath not only given us a Law but a testimony still we are backward and careless If the Word of God were no more but a Law we were bound to obey it because we are his Creatures but when it is his testimony we should regard it the more for now God stands not only upon the honour of his authority but of his truth 1 Joh. 5. 10. He that believeth not hath made God a lyar because he believeth not the testimony which God hath given concerning his Son We may urge it thus upon our hearts What shall we make God a lyar after he hath so solemnly given his word that word which hath many signatures characters and stamps of God upon it Carelesness now is not only disobedience but unbelief it puts the highest affront upon God to question his veracity and truth and does not only unlord him but ungod him by making him a lyar So much for the first thing The testimony of the Lord. Secondly The respect of the blessed man to these testimonies they keep them What is it to keep the testimonies of God Keeping is a word which relates to a charge or trust committed to us Christ hath committed his Testimonies to us as a trust and charge that we must be careful of Look as on our part we commit to Christ the charge of our souls to save them in his own day 2 Tim. 1. 12. So Christ chargeth us with his Word 1 To lay it up in our hearts 2 To observe it in our practice this is to keep the Word 1 To lay it up in our hearts In the heart two things are considerable the Understanding and the Affections God undertakes in the Covenant for both Heb. 8. 10. I will put my Law in their mind and write it in their hearts The meaning is that he will enlighten our minds for the understanding of his will and frame our affections to the obedience of it Well then you must keep it in your minds and affections 1. In your minds We must understand the Word of God assent to it we must revolve it often in our thoughts and have it ready upon all occasions Understand it we must if we would be blessed He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me Joh. 14. 21. We cannot make conscience of obedience till we know our duty He that would keep a thing must first have it we have the law in possession when we get knowledg of it Matth. 13. 23. He that receiveth the word into good ground is he that heareth the word and understands it And Luk. 8. 13. They that hear the word and keep it and bring forth fruit with patience It is not enough to hear the word but we must understand it and yet that is not all an adversary may understand a truth or else he cannot rationally oppose it There is Assent required that we believe it as Gods Testimony and accordingly embrace it and give it place in the heart Faith is a receiving of the word Act. 2. 41. nay we must have it ready upon all occasions Rational memory belongs to the mind or understanding therefore we keep the word in our minds when it is ever ready with us either to check sin or warn us of our duty Psal. 119. 9. Forgetfulness is an ignorance for the time Prov. 3. 1. My son forget not my law and let thine heart keep my commandments We should be ready to every good word and work as occasion is offered to us 2. To keep it in our hearts is to have an affection to it Keeping the Word relates to our chariness and tenderness of it when we are as chary of the word as a man would be of a precious Jewel Prov. 6. 20 21. My son keep thy fathers commandments bind them continually upon thine heart and tye them about thy neck Sometimes it alludes to the apple of the eye Prov. 7. 1 2. Keep them as the apple of thine eye Such tender affections should we have to the Testimonies of the Lord as a man has for his eye The least offence to the eye is troublesome a man should be as chary of the Commandment as he would be of his eye Sometimes it implies the similitude of
ignorant nor forgetful of our prevarications and disobedience The Rechabites were tender of the Commandment of their dead Father Ier. 35. who could not take cognizance of their actions Our father commanded us certainly we should be tender of the commands of the great God Prov. 15. 3. The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good He is not so shut up within the curtain of the Heavens but that he takes notice how his Laws are kept and observed Saith the Prophet to Gehazi Went not my spirit with thee meaning his Prophetical Spirit so doth God as it were appeal to the Conscience of a sinner doth not my Spirit go along with thee is not he conscious to our works and observes all we do 4. God stands much upon the authority of his Law Hos. 8. 12. I have written to them the great things of my Law c. Mark he calls them the great things of his Law they are not things to be slighted and contemned They are not directions of little moment there is no small hazard in contemning them or not walking according to them Indeed we think it a small matter to stand upon every circumstance but God doth not think so Uzzah was struck dead in the place for failing in a circumstance he would stay the Ark which shook The Bethshemites sinning in a circumstance it cost them the lives of many thousands Lot's wife for looking back was turned into a pillar of salt Let these things beget an awe upon our hearts of the great God and of what he hath enjoined us Use 2. It informs us of the heinous nature of sin of sin in general it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a transgression of the Law 1 Joh. 3. 4. that is a contempt of Gods authority it is an unlording of him and putting him out of the Throne Every sin is an affront to Gods authority it is a despising of the Command 2 Sam. 12. 9. you rise up in defiance to God and cast off his Soveraignty in despising his Command more particularly sins against knowledg or against conscience you may see the heinousness of these sins by this All sins they proceed either from ignorance or from oblivion or from rebellion Sins of Ignorance they are not so heinous though they are sins a man is bound to know the will of his Creator but then ignorance of it is not so heinous to strike a friend in the dark is not so ill taken as in the open light So there are sins of Oblivion which is an ignorance for the time for a man hath not such explicite thoughts as to revive his knowledg upon himself he is overtaken Gal. 6. 1. This is a great sin too why for the awe of God should ever be fresh and great upon the heart and we are to remember his statutes to do them But now there are sins of Rebellion that are committed against light and conscience whether they be of omission or commission We are troubled for sins of commission against light we should be as much for sins of omission for they are rebellions against God when we omit a duty of which we are convinced Iam. 4. 17. To him that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is sin Secondly Come we to the manner of this Obedience Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently From thence note Doct. That we should not only do what God hath required but we should do it diligently 1. Because the matter of keeping Gods precepts doth not only fall under his authority but the manner also God hath not only required service but service with all its circumstances 1 Cor. 9. 24. I so run that I may obtain It is our duty not only to run but so run not as in jest but as in good earnest Rom. 12. 11. Fervent in spirit serving the Lord Not only serving the Lord but seething hot in spirit when our affections are so strong that they boil over in our lives And Iam. 5. 16. The servent effectual prayer that prayer which hath a spirit and a life in it not only prayer is required but fervency not dead and drowsie devotion So Luk. 8. 18. not only it is required that we hear but to take heed how we hear with what reverence and seriousness And Act. 26. 7. The twelve Tribes served God instantly day and night with the uttermost extention of their strength so the word signifies And for Charity it is not enough to give but with readiness and freeness Be ready to communicate like life-honey it must drop of its own accord 2. The manner is the great thing which God requires it is very valuable upon several grounds Prov. 16. 2. The ways of man are clean in his own eyes but the Lord weigheth the spirits What doth God put into the ballance of the Sanctuary when he comes to make a judgment When he would weigh an action he weighs the spirits he considers not only the bulk the matter of the action but the spirit with what heart it was done A man may sin in doing good but he cannot sin in doing well therefore the manner should be looked to as well as the matter 3. It 's a good help against slightness We are apt to put off God with any thing and therefore we had need to rouze up our selves to serve him with diligence Josh. 24. 19. You cannot serve the Lord for he is a jealous God c. It is another matter to serve the Lord than the world thinks of why for he is holy and jealous he is holy and so hates the least failing and very jealous sin awakens the displeasure of his jealousie he will punish for very little failings Ananias and Saphira struck dead in the place for one lye Zacharias struck dumb for an act of unbelief Moses for a few rash words never entred into the land of Canaan David for a proud conceit in numbering the people lost seventy thousand men with the Pestilence The Corinthians many of them died for unworthy receiving God is the same God still he hates sin as much as ever therefore we should not be slight 4. It is a dishonour to God to do his work negligently Mal. 1. 14. Cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing for I am a great King saith the Lord Implying that it is a lessening of his Majesty it is a sign we have cheap thoughts of God when we are slight in his service Christians we owe our best to God and are to serve him with all our might Deut. 6. 5. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all thy might It is a lessening of his excellency in our thoughts when every thing serves the turn 5. Keeping the Commandment 't is a great trust God hath left this trust with us that we should keep his precepts therefore it is
trouble it is good to divert them to some other matter But every diversion will not become Saints it must be an holy diversion Psal. 94. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. The case was the same with that of the Text when the Throne of iniquity frameth mischief by a Law as you shall see here when he had many perplexed thoughts about the abuse of power against himself But now where lay his ease in diversion Would every diversion suit his purpose No Thy Comforts of Gods allowance of Gods providing comforts proper to Saints Wicked men in trouble run to their pot and pipe and games and sports and merry company and so defeat the providence rather than improve it but David who was Gods servant must have Gods comforts So elsewhere when his thoughts were troubled about the power of the wicked I went into the sanctuary there I understood their end Psal. 73. 17. He goeth to divert his mind by the use of Gods Ordinances and so came to be setled against the temptation 2. Among all sorts of holy divertisements none is of such use as Gods word There is matter enough to take up our thoughts and allay our cares and fears and to swallow up our sorrows and griefs to direct us in all straits In brief there is comfort there and counsel there 1. Comfort whilst the word teacheth us to look off from men to God from Providence to the Covenant from things temporal to things eternal from men to God as Moses feared not the wrath of the King when he saw him that is invisible Heb. 11. 27. and Eccles. 5. 8. If thou seest the oppression of the poor and violent perversion of Iudgment and Iustice in a Province marvel not at the matter for he that is higher than the highest regardeth and there be higher than they There is an higher Judg that sitteth in heaven and if he pass sentence for us when they pass sentence against us we need to be the less troubled If he give us the pardon of sins and the testimony of a good conscience it is no matter what men say against us Psal. 40. 4. Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust and respecteth not the proud nor such as turn aside to lyes Is not God able to bear you out in his work From Providence to the Covenant Providence is a very riddle we shall not know what to make of it till we gather principles of faith from the Covenant Heb. 13. 5. He hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee God over-rules all for good Rom. 8. 28. We know that all things work together for good to those that love God to those that are the called according to his purpose From things temporal to eternal 2 Cor. 4. 17 18. For our light affliction that is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory while we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal Rom. 8. 18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us A Feather or a Straw against a Talent a man would be ashamed to compare them together 2. For Counsel A Christian should not be troubled so much about what he should suffer as what he should do that he may do nothing unseemly to his calling and hopes but be kept blameless to the heavenly kingdom Now the word of God will teach him how to carry himself in dangers to pray for persecutors fire is not quenched with fire nor evil overcome with evil how to keep our selves from unlawful shifts and means how to avoid revenge lying flattering yielding against Conscience or waxing weary of well-doing that we may not fight against Satan or his Instruments by their own weapons for so we shall be easily overcome The wicked shall not be so wise to contrive the mischief as a Saint instructed by the word is how to carry himself under it Psal. 119. 98. Through thy commandments thou hast made me wiser than my enemies Malice and Policy shall not teach them to persecute as Gods word to carry your selves in the trouble 3. The word must not be slightly read but our hearts must be exercised in the meditation of it A cursory reading doth not work upon us so much as serious thoughts In all studies Meditation is both the Mother and Nurse of knowledg and so it is of godliness without which we do but know Truths by rote and hearsay and talk one after another like Parrots but when a Truth is chafed into the heart by deep inculcative thoughts then it worketh with us and we feel the power of it Musing maketh the fire burn ponderous thoughts are the bellows that blow it up Eggs come to be quickned by sitting abrood upon them In a sanctifi'd heart the seeds of Comfort by Meditation come to maturity by constant Meditation our affections are quickned this turneth the Promises into marrow Psal. 63. 5 6. My soul shall be filled as with marrow and fatness when I meditate on thee in the night-watches It giveth more than a vanishing taste which hypocrites have USE 1. In all your troubles learn this method to cure them by gracious means Prayer or Meditation By meditation on the word of God that will tell you that we are born to trouble and therefore we should no more think strange to see Gods children molested here than to see a showr of rain fall after a sun-shine or that the night should succeed the day 1 Pet. 4. 12. Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery trial as though some strange thing happened unto you It were strange if otherwise as if a man were told that his journey lay through a rough stony Countrey and should pass over a smooth Carpet-way Our way-mark is many tribulations Acts 14. 22. Through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of Heaven God had one Son without sin none without the Cross. 2. That afflictions though in themselves they are legal punishments fruits of sin yet by the Grace of God they are medicinal to his people 1 Cor. 11. 32. When we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world 3. We never advance more in Christianity than under the Cross Heb. 12. 10. They verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness Psal. 119. 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes 4. Rather undergo the greatest calamities than commit the smallest sin Heb. 11. 25. Chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season 5. That all crosses are
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
such Errors are abroad and Divisions in the Church and the name of God is Blasphemed Now by these daily mercies doth God stablish his Word makes it good to your Souls Psal. 18. 30. The Word of the Lord is a tried Word there is more than Letters and Syllables God standeth to it it is a tryed word When you have challenged him you have found the Scripture fulfilled upon appeals to God and applications to the Throne of Grace When you have been pleading with God Lord is not this thy hand-writing the Promises thou hast made to thy people The Lord hath answered this from Heaven and said yea this is my Promise He hath given in an answerable Promise 2. It ingageth you to dependance and assurance of Faith Psal. 9. 10. They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee For thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee Whosoever hath observed Gods dealings will see God is to be trusted he may be depended upon if he hath said any thing in his Word they that know thy name they that have acquainted themselves with God and the course of his dispensations The Promises will not lie by as a dead stock Psal. 116. 1 2. God hath heard my voice and my supplications therefore will I call upon him as long as I live This is that which will quicken you to rejoyce in God and to a holy thankfulness when you compare his Word with the effects of it when you see how it is made good Psal. 56. 10. In God will I praise his word In the Lord will I praise his word A single mercy is not so much nor so engaging upon our hearts to thankfulness as when observing the mercy hath been the fruit of a Promise This hath been the practice of Gods Saints Ioshuah takes notice of it Iosh. 23. 14. Not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you 1 Kings 8. 56. There hath not failed one word of all his good Promises which he hath promised by the hand of Moses his Servant You will often find the very Letter of the Promise made good in the course of Gods dealings and if you would but observe his daily Providence you would be trained up in more waiting upon God for your final Blessings Secondly Let us come to the Person for whom he prayes Stablish thy Word but to whom to thy Servant Here note Doct. That Particular Application of general Promises is necessary This word which he would have to be established was most likely to be a Promise of Sanctification for in the former verse he had prayed for Mortification and vivification and now for Sanctification But be it any other Promise certainly that word which was made to others was likewise made to me as if he had been specified therein by name Thus must general truths be taken home by particular application that they may lye the closer to our hearts Psal. 27. The offer of Gods Favour is general seek ye my Face but the application is particular to himself Lord I will seek thy face David takes it as spoken to him in particular So Psal. 1â—…6 15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints and then truly Lord I am thy Servant and the Son of thy handmaid The comfort concerned all Gods Children the life and death of the Saints is very precious in the eyes of God he hath a particular care over them and tells all their bones now Lord saith David let me have the comfort of this promise I am thy Servant So 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithful saying c. whereof I am chief This holy Art should we learn of creeping under the covert of a Promise and working our selves by Faith into the comfort of it But rather Secondly you may observe the Character that he puts upon himself Thy Servant David was a King but at the Throne of Grace he stiles himself Gods Servant the fittest title that he could use when he prays for Grace Hence note Doct. He that is a Servant of God may seek and expect Grace from him Here I shall shew 1. Who is Gods Servant 2. Why we must use this Plea when we come to have promises accomplished First Who is Gods Servant I Answer He that dedicates himself to Gods use and he that lives under a sense and conscience of his Dedication 1. He that dedicates himself to Gods use We are Gods Servants by Covenant and voluntary Contract 'T is true our service is due to him upon other accounts but we enter into it by contract It is due by vertue of Creation for he made us out of nothing therefore we owe him all that we have and thus all Creatures were made for Gods Service Psalm 119. 91. They continue this day according to thine Ordinances for all are thy Servants Heaven and Earth and Sun and Moon and Stars and Beasts and every creeping thing and every Plant and Herb they all serve God according to the ends for which they were made But especially Men and Angels they were made for Gods use immediately Other things were made ultimately and terminatively for God Man immediately for God Psal. 103. 21. The Angels are his Ministers and so is Man Gods Servant And then by the right of Redemption we are bound to serve him as the Captive was to serve the Buyer He that bought another out of Slavery all his time and strength belonged to him 1 Cor. 6. 20. Ye are bought with a price therefore glorify God with your Souls and Bodies But this shews only de jure what we ought to be we ought all to be Gods Servants as he Created us and Redeemed us by the Blood of Christ. But de facto none are his Servants but those who resign and yield up themselves to his use Rom. 6. 13. Yield up your selves to the Lord God will have his right and title confirmed by our consent and therefore he that is a Servant of God one time or other hath entred into Covenant with God he hath consented to yield up himself to walk with God in a strict obedience All that thus yield up themselves to be Gods Servants they do it with Shame they are ashamed they did no sooner think of their Creator in their youth at their first coming to the use of Reason and think of him that bought them by his Blood 1 Pet. 4. 3. for the time past of our lives may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles c. They have too long dishonoured God destroyed their own Souls and kept their Creator out of his right And they do it too with a sense of Gods Love in the new title he hath by Redemption 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. For the Love of Christ constrains us c. 2. He is one that liveth under a sense and conscience of his Dedication not as his own but Gods When you have given up your selves to Gods
Reproaches was one Ingredient Now lest we should be puffed up by vain conceit the Lord humbles us with infirmities necessities reproaches 2. Another sin for which God humbles us is carless walking When we are negligent and do not take notice of the Carnality that grows upon us and the fleshly frame and temper of heart which breaks out into our lives the Lord suffers others to Reproach then they gather up our filth that we may see what cause we have to take our ways to heart Every man that would live strictly had need either of faithful Friends or watchful Enemies either faithful friends to admonish him or watchful enemies to censure him They shew us the spots in our garments that are to be washed off Many times a Friend is blinded with Love and grows as partial to us as we are to our selves will suffer sin upon us and not tell us of it then the Lord sets spies upon us to watch for our halting Ier. 20. 10. and therefore we need go to God and pray Psal. 27. 11. Lord lead me in a plain path because of my observers They lye in wait and seek to take us trapping in ought they can We can no more be without watchful Enemies than without faithful Friends How ignorant should a man be of himself if others did not put him in mind sometimes of his failings Therefore God makes use of virulent Persons in the World as a Rod to wash the dust out of our Garments 3. To humble us for our censuring For if we have not been so tender of others Credit the Lord makes us to see the bitterness of the affliction in our own case by giving us the like measure that we have meeted unto others Matth. 7. 1 2. that is we shall find others as hardly think of us as we have of them Good thoughts and speeches of other men are the best preservative of our own good Names God will take care of them that are careful not to Judge and Censure And therefore it is no great matter whether the report be true or false but a Christian is to examine have not we drawn it upon our selves by Slandring others For God usually payeth us home in our own Coin He that is much given to censuring seldom or never escapes great Censures himself It is said in the Psalms Let his own words grieve him that is fall upon him How do our own words fall upon us Why the Lord punisheth us for our censuring of others O then humble thy self before God for the reproaches thou hast cast upon others Eccles. 7. 21. Take no heed to all the words spoken against thee lest thou hear thy Servant curse thee that is speaking evil against thee Hard sayings and speeches of others against us may put us in mind of Gods just hand of measuring to us as we have measured unto others and therefore we should be the more patient if they wrong us it is but in the like kind that we have wronged others God will humble us for our censuring which is so natural and rife especially with younger weak and more unmortified persons Secondly The Lord doth it as to humble us so to try us 1. The first thing he will try in you by such a grievous Affliction and such vollies of reproaches is your Faith when all the World is set to condemn you What Faith 1. Our Faith in the great day of Accounts that is one great Object of Faith and when the World is set to condemn us our Faith is tryed to see if we can rest with the vindication we shall have in the day of our Lord so much you may see 1 Cor. 4. 3 4 5. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of mans Iudgment Therefore judge nothing before the time untill the Lord come who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and then shall every man have praise of God Every man that deserves it and is qualified for it shall have Praise with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was a very small thing to be judged of mans-day because he expected Gods-day for the clearing of all things here in the World Sin and Error often get the Major Vote Tollite impios was the cry of the Rabble against Christians If there was any trouble it was for the Christians sake take away the ungodly meaning the Christians because they denyed the Heathen Gods Now what was their comfort the day of the manifestation of all things So when we are looked upon as the Pests of Mankind yet when we can comfort our selves there will come a day of the manifestation of the Sons of God that is enough the great day of Judgement is at hand so this will set all things right again 2. To try our Faith in more particular Promises The Lord hath promised to provide for the health and credit of his People so far he hath promised for their safety and their daily bread for their maintenance and any earthly Blessing that is good for us Now the Lord will see if we can trust him with our credit as well as for other things Psal. 119. 42. So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me for I trust in thy word I say the Lord hath in his Covenant undertaken to preserve a Christian in all his interests and concernments so far as shall be for his glory and our good and so far we receive it And a Christian when he gives up himself to God gives up every thing he hath to God in a way of Consecration to Gods use God is the Guardian of my Body and Soul I give up my Estate and Life that he may watch over me night and day and I give up my name and credit Psal. 31. 20. Thou shalt keep them secretly in a Pavilion from the strife of Tongues that the Lord may take a charge of our Names as well as our Persons and Estates Now the Lord requires a trust in us according to the extent of the Covenant that is to say a waiting a confidence that our lives are not in mans power that he can turn the hearts of men and give you favour in their eyes when it is for his glory and your good Psal. 37. 5 7. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass There is the trust that is required O many times we seem to lose our Estimation amongst men and to be buried under Calumnies and Reproaches but it will not be long Your Person and Cause may be obscured it may have a Winter night of trouble but a Morning of Resurrection both of Persons and names will come it will be brought forth as the noon day the Lord is able to do this the integrity of your hearts will be made known and you will be absolved by God Our Lord Jesus was a Pattern to us of this
Trust whatever contrariety appeareth in Gods Providence Gods word must bear up our hearts it is as a Pawn till the Deliverance come Gods mercy is the same still his word calleth for Trust the more we trust and hope in his mercy the better for us Psal. 13. 5. I have trusted in thy mercy my Soul shall rejoyce in thy Salvation Psal. 33. 22. Let thy mercy O Lord be upon us as we hope in thee And Psalm 32. 10. He that trusteth in the Lord Mercy shall compass him about The more clear is your claim when you trust your selves with him he is a merciful God and his word saith he will take care for them that fear him 4. All this trust must be set a work in Prayer so doth David and so saith the Word Psal. 50. 15. Call upon me in the day of Trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie my Name Ier. 29. 11 12. I know the thoughts that I think towards you saith the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end Then shall ye call upon me and ye shall go and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you Ezek. 36. 37. Thus saith the Lord God I will yet for this be enquired of by the House of Israel to do it for them 4. The effectual Application Let thy Mercies come also unto me 1. He beggeth Application unto me also God is every day scattering his Mercies abroad in the world and David would not be left out of Gods Care and blessed Provision but have his share also Esau's words are applicable upon this occasion Gen. 27. 38. Hast thou but one blessing O my Father Bless me even me also When the Earth is full of his goodness beg your share God is the Father of Mercies he hath not the less for bestowing as the Sun hath not less Light for us because others enjoy it with us God doth not wast by giving 2. He beggeth an effectual Application Let thy mercies come unto me the way was blocked up with sins and difficulties yet Mercy could clear all and find access to him or make out its way Let it come to me that is let it be performed or come to pass as it is rendred Iudges 13 12. Now let thy words come to pass to us Heb. Let it come here let it come home to me for my comfort and deliverance David elsewhere saith Psal. 23. 6. Mercy and Goodness shall follow me all my days go after him find him out in his wandrings So Psalm 116. 12. What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me They found their way to him though shut up with sins and dangers Thus we see how to plead with God for temporal Salvation we must make Grace and nothing but Grace the ground of our hope and this according to the tenor of the word 2. As it is applicable to eternal Salvation and then 1. The ground of all is mercy or pity of the Creatures misery the Lord is not moved to bestow Grace upon Sinners for any goodness that he findeth in them or could foresee in them for he findeth none and could foresee nothing but what was the fruit of his own Grace Rom. 11. 35. Who hath given him first and it shall be recompensed unto him again It is the honour of God to begin all things as the River oweth all to the Fountain the Fountain nothing to the River as none can give him first so none can be profitable unto him for he needeth nothing Acts 17. 25. Neither is worshipped with mens hands as though he needeth any thing seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things Nay we deserve the contrary to be cast into utter darkness Ezek. 36. 21 22. I do not this for your sakes I had pity for my Names sake which ye have prophaned among the Heathen 1 Pet. 1. 3. Of his abundant goodness he hath begotten us to a lively hope We have not a right notion of mercy unless we admire the plenty of it Eph. 2. 4. God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us when we were dead in trespasses and sins hath quickned us with Christ. There need many mercies from first to last for the saving of a poor sinner their natural misery is great Ezek. 16. 6. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live Their actual Sins many Ier. 14. 7. Our iniquities testifie against us the way of their recovery by Christ is mysterious Iohn 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life The course taken for satisfying wronged Justice the Application involveth many mercies the renewing of their Natures Titus 3. 5. According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost The preserving of inherent Grace against temptations forgiving many sins after Conversion Isa. 55. 7. Let the wicked for sake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon The righteous fall seven times a day and riseth up again Prov. 24. 16. The great eternal good things to be bestowed on them Iude 21. Looking for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ unto eternal life So that from first to last there is nothing but a concatenation of mercies 2. The Effect Salvation This properly deserveth to be called so we are saved but in part before then from all evils from the greatest evil Hell before we are saved but we may be troubled again now no more sorrow when all opposition is broken and God is all in all and the Church presented as a prey snatched out of the teeth of Lions all former things are done away 3. This dispensed according to the Word Now what doth the Word say when a sinner repenteth all the Iniquities which he hath committed shall be forgotten there is abuse of Mercy noted Deut. 29. 19. If he shall bless himself and say I shall have Peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart I may go on in sin and cry God mercy and there is an end No Mercy issueth out it self for Salvation of men according to the Word these are Conclusions contrary to Grace Iude 4. There are certain men crept in unawares who were before of old ordained to this condemnation ungodly men turning the Grace of our God into Lasciviousness The Principle is true but the Conclusion is false certainly God is merciful there is no end nor measure nor bank nor bottom in his Mercy but throughout the whole Scriptures Mercy is only promised to the Penitent and those that come to God by Christ. Take mercy according to the Word
Reproacheth me But hath a Child of God nothing to answer to a wicked man before Salvation cometh Answ. Yes A Child of God could answer them of the Principles of Faith But they must have Instances of Sence he could say that his God is in Heaven and doth whatsoever pleaseth that he is the Shield of his Help and Sword of his Excellency Deut. 33. 29. Weapons Offensive and Defensive enough yet left but the business is not what is an Answer in it self but what Answer will satisfie them For they that have no Faith must be taught by Sence When we urge Principles of Faith unless their Senses hear feel see they will not regard them then their mouths are stopped when God doth own his People from Heaven They count Faith a foolish Perswasion Hope a vain Expectation and inward Supports and Comforts Phantastical Impressions as if men did feed themselves with the wind but Gods Salvation would answer for him and some sensible Providences be a real confutation Observe three things 1. The Ground of Davids Comfort I trust in thy Word 2. The Enemies Insultation thereupon intimated in these Words him that Reproached me They scoffed at his Trust in God as if he would not bear him out in his strictness 3. The Request of the Psalmist that God would confute and stop their mouths by making good his Promises to him So shall I have wherewith to answer him Points Doct. 1. It is our Duty to trust God upon his Word Doct. 2. Those that do so must look to be Reproached for it Doct. 3. God making good his Promises confuteth their Reproaches and Insultations Doct. 4. God will therefore make them good and his People may expect and beg Deliverance to that end 1. Doct. It is our Duty to trust God upon his Word The act of Trust is spoken of with respect to a twofold Object the Word and God the one more properly noteth the Warrant of Faith the other the Object both are mentioned together Iohn 17. 20. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their Word In other places sometimes one is mentioned sometimes the other Trusting in God and Trusting in the Word of God but whenever the one is mentioned the other is included to trust in God without his Word is a foolish and groundless Presumption and the Word without God is but a dead Letter it is not the Conveyances meerly that a man liveth upon but the Lands Conveyed by them 1. What is this Trusting in God Answ. An Exercise of Faith whereby looking upon God in Christ through the Promises we depend upon him for whatsoever we stand in need of and so are encouraged to go on chearfully in the ways wherein he hath appointed us to walk It is a fruit of Faith and supposeth it planted in the heart for an Act cannot be without an Habit I suppose a man to have this Grace before I require the Exercise of it And it looketh upon God in Christ as the Fountain of Blessings for otherwise God to the fallen Creature is not an Object of Trust but Horror as the Devils believe and tremble Iames 2. 19. and that may be the reason why the Sons of men are said to put their Trust under the shadow of his Wings Psal. 36 7. How excellent is thy loving-kindness O God therefore the Children of men shall put their trust under the shadow of thy Wings and Psal. 57. 1. My Soul trusteth in thee yea in the shadow of thy Wings will I make my Refuge untill these Calamities be overpast In which there is supposed to be an Allusion not only to the Feathers of of an Hen spread over the Chickens but the out-stretched Wings of the Cherubims over the Mercy Seat which was a Type of Christ who is therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Propitiation as also the Mercy Seat Heb. 5. 8. with Rom. 3. 24. Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Iesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his blood The Mercy Seat or God offering himself to be reconciled in Christ is an open Sanctuary for distressed Souls to fly unto this doth draw our hearts to him through the Promises these are the hold fast which we have upon God the Sacred Bands which he has taken upon himself the Rule and Warrant of Faith which shew how far God is to be trusted Our necessities lead us to the Promises and the Pomises to Christ and Christ to God as the Fountain of Grace and therefore we put these Bonds in Suit we turn them into Prayers and then we have free leave to challenge him upon his Word Psal. 119. 99. Remember thy Word unto thy Servant wherein thou hast caused me to hope Therefore to bear up our hearts God hath not only promised us in the General that he will never fail us nor forsake us Heb. 13. 5. And all things shall mork together for good Rom. 8. 28. That he will be with us in Fire and Water Isa. 43. 20. And that he will be a Sun and a Shield and give us Grace and Glory and no good thing will he withhold Psal. 84. 11. but also in particular hath multiplyed and suited his Promises to all our necessities that when we come to the Throne of Grace we may have a Promise ready A general intimation is not so clear a ground of hope as a particular and express Promise the more of these we have the more explicit are our thoughts about Gods Protection and the more are our hearts fortified and born up in praying to him and waiting upon him Chirographa tua injiciebat tibi Domine whose are these lay up his words in thy heart Iob 22. 22. The more of these the more Arguments in Prayer We depend upon him for all that we stand in need of herein is the Nature of Trust seen in Dependance and Relyance upon God that he will supply our wants in a way most conducible to his Glory and our good Now this depending on God must be done at all times especially in a time of streights and difficulties at all times Psal. 62. 8. Trust in the Lord at all times it is an Act never out of Season but especially in a time of Fears Misery and Distress Psal. 56. 3. At what time I am afraid I will put my trust in thee In Prosperity and Adversity we are to depend upon God and to make use of him in all conditions Psal. 91. 9. Thou shalt make the most high thy Refuge and my God thine Habitation a Refuge is a place of Retreat and Safety in a time of War and an Habitation the place of our Abode in a time of Peace whatever our Condition be our dependance must be on God When all things are prosperous God must be owned as the Fountain of our Blessings all our Comforts taken out of his hand and that we hold all by his Mercy
and bountiful Providence because of our forfeiture by sin and the uncertainty of these outward Comforts and the continual necessity of his Providential influence and support the heart must still be exercised in the acknowledgment of God and his gracious hand over us and so the heart is not inticed by our outward comforts but raised by them Indeed in some cases it is harder to trust God with means than without when there are visible means of supply the heart is prone to Carnal Confidence Good Paul was in danger 2 Cor. 1. 9. We had the Sentence of Death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the Dead But then in Adversity when kept bare and low then is a time to shew trust how hard soever our condition be grounds of Confidence are not lost Zeph. 3. 12. I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor People and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. Every man thinketh trusting in God easie when things go well with him but indeed he trusteth in other things he eateth his own Meat and weareth his own Apparel only God carrieth the name of it but now when we are without all Comfort and Incouragement from the Creatures as David when he was left alone Refuge failed me No man cared for my Soul I cried unto thee O Lord and said thou art my Refuge and Portion in the Land of the Living Psal. 142. 4 5. When men fail God never faileth when riches take wing and worldly friends forsake us then is a time for trust and dependance upon God It is the end of Providence that we should have the less Comfort in the Creature that we may have all in God Now we are to depend on God for whatsoever we stand in need of as at all times so for all all things Temporal and Spiritual Mercies for God will withhold no good thing from us he hath undertaken not only to give us Heaven and happiness in the next World but to carry us thither with Comfort that we may serve him without fear all the days of our lives Luke 1. 75. His Providence concerneth the outward and inward man and so do his Promises an whole Believer is in Covenant with Cod Body and Soul and he will take care of both But all the Difficulty is how we ought to depend on him for Temporal Supplies 1. It is certain that we ought not to set God a task to provide Meat for our Lusts. Psal. 78. 18. And they tempted God in their Heart by asking meat for their Lusts. Carnal affections and hopes do but make trouble for our selves though it be the ordinary Practice of Gods free Grace and Fatherly cares to provide things Comfortable and necessary for his Children whilst he hath work for them to do yet he never undertook to maintain us at such a Rate to give us so much by the Year such Portions for our Children and Supplies for our Families We must leave to the great Shepherd of the sheep to choose our Pastures bare or large and he that will depend upon God must be sure to empty his Heart of covetous Desires and be contented with our Lot if we would cast our selves upon his Providence Heb. 13. 5. Let your Conversation be without Covetousness and be content with such Things as you have for he bath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee We do but ensnare and perplex our own Thoughts while we would reconcile the Promises with our Lusts and crave more than ever God meaneth to give 2. It is as certain that we ought not to be Faithless and full of Cares about these outward supplies Mat. 6. 23. Take no thought what ye shall Eat or what ye shall Drink or where withall ye shall be Cloathed because if we had no Promises there is a Common bounty and goodness of God which is over all his Works and reacheth to the Preservation of the smallest Worm decketh the Lillies feedeth the Ravens and the Fowls of the Air and certainly more noble Creatures such as men are may expect their shares in this Common bounty how much more when there is a Covenant wherein God hath promised to be a Father to us and temporal Blessings are adopted and taken into the Covenant as well as other Blessings Will not he give that to Children which he gives to Enemies to Beasts and Fowls of the Air You would count him a barbarous and unnatural Father that feedeth his Dogs and Hawks and lets his Children dye of hunger and can we without Blasphemy think so of God 3. As we ought not on the one Hand to think God will supply our Lusts nor on the other Hand distrust his Care of necessaries so we cannot be absolutely confident of particular Success in temporal Things For they are not absolutely Promised but with Exception of the Cross and as God shall see them good for us God reserved in the Covenant a Liberty both of shewing his Justice and his Wisdom his Justice in Scourging his sinning People Psal. 89. 33. He will visit their Iniquity with Rods and their Transgression with Scourges The World shall know God doth not allow Sins in his own Children Sin is as Odious to God in them as others yea more and therefore they feel the Smart of it The Liberty of his Wisdom Psal. 84. 11. The Lord God is a Sun and a Shield the Lord will give Grace and Glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly Psal. 3. 4. 9 10. O fear the Lord ye his Saints for there is no want to them that fear him The young Lyons do lack and suffer Hunger but they that fear the Lord shall not want any good thing They may want many Comforts but no good thing Good is not determined by our Fancies but Gods Wisdom Well then we cannot expect a certain Tennure of Temporal Happiness there is great Danger in fixing a deceitful Hope much of the subtlety of Satan is to be seen in it who maketh an Advantage of our Dis-appointments and abuseth our rash Confidence into a Snare and Temptation to Atheism and the mis-belief of other Truths 4. The dependence we exercise about these things lyeth in committing our selves to Gods Power and referring our selves to Gods Will. He is so able that he can secure us in his Work so good that we should not trouble our selves about his Will but refer it to him without hesitancy which if we could bring our Hearts to it would ease us of many burdensome Thoughts and troublesome Cares Pet. 4. 19. Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their Souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creator Prov. 16. 3. Commit thy ways unto the Lord and thy Thoughts shall be Established Put your selves into Gods hands so trusting him with the issue of our affairs though we know not how it will fall 1 Cor. 19.
Oppression and Deceit this was the reason why they rose up against Moses and would go back to Egypt they would not believe God could maintain them in the Wilderness warping and declining from God cometh from want of Faith The first Use is to perswade us to trust in God upon his Word I will direct you 1. As to the Means 2. The Nature of this Trust. 1. As to the Means if you would do so 1. Know him Psal. 9. 10. They that know thy name will put their Trust in thee if God were better known he would be better trusted 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know whom I have believed 2. Get a Covenant Interest in him if our Interest be clouded how can we put Promises in suit but when it is clear you may draw comfortable conclusions thence Psal. 31. 14. I trusted in thee O Lord I said thou art my God Psal. 23. 1. The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want he will provide for his own Lam. 3. 24. The Lord is my Portion saith my Soul therefore will I hope in him 3. Walk closely with him Micah 3. 11. The Heads thereof Iudge for reward and the Priests thereof teach for Hire and the Prophets thereof divine for Money yet will they lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord among us None evil shall come upon us God will shake them as Paul did the Viper Shame Fear and Doubts do always follow sin will a man trust him whom he hath provoked Doubts are the Fumes of Sin like vapours that come from off a foul Stomach If we mean to make God and keep a friend we will be careful to please him A good Conversation breedeth a good Conscience and a good Conscience Trust in God 4. Observe Experiences when he maketh good his Word Psal. 18. 30. As for God his way is perfect the word of the Lord is tryed he is a Buckler to all them that trust in him All these Providences are confirmations that feed and nourish Faith Psal. 56. 10 11. In God will I praise his Word in the Lord will I praise his Word in God have I put my trust I will not be afraid what man can do unto me 2. As to the Nature of this Trust. Let me commend to you 1. The Adventure of Faith Luke 5. 5. At thy Word we will let down the Net At thy Command when we cannot apply the Promise venture for the Commands sake see what God will do for you and what Believing comes to 2. The waiting of Faith when expectation is not answered and you find not at first what you wait for yet do not give God the lye but resolve to keep the Promise as a pawn till the Blessing promised cometh Isa. 28. 15. He that believeth maketh not hast it is Carnal Affection must have present Satisfaction greedy and impatient longings argue a Disease Revenge must have it by and by Covetousness wax Rich in a day Ambition would rise presently Lusts are earnest and ravenous like Diseased Stomachs must have green Trash 3. The Obstinacy and Resolution of Faith resolve to dye holding the horns of the Altar you will not be put off as she cryed so much the more and the woman of Canaan turned Discouragements into Arguments Iob 13. 15. Though he slay me yet will I trust in him 4. The Submission and Resignationof Faith Mark 6. 33. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof and all these things shall be added to you Set your hearts upon the highest interest make sure of Heaven and refer other things to God be at a point of indifferency for Temporal supplies 5. The Prudence of Faith settle your mind against present necessities and for future contingencies leave them to Gods Providence Mat. 6. ult Sufficient for each day is the evil thereof Children that have to allay present hunger do not cark how to bring the Year about they leave that to their Father Manna was to be gathered daily when it was kept till the Morning it putrified 6. The Obedience of Faith mind Duty and let God take care of success let God alone with the Issues of things otherwise we take the Work out of his Hands A Christians Care should be what he should do not what shall become of him Phil. 4. 6. Be careful for Nothing and 1 Pet. 5. 7. Be careful for Nothing But cast your Care on him for he feareth for you There is a Care of Duties and a Care of Events God is more Solicitous or you than you for your selves Use 2. Do we thus trust in the Lord All will pretend to trust in God but there is little of this true Trusting in him in the World 1. If we trust God we shall be often with him in Prayer Psal. 62. 8. Trust in the Lord at all times pour out your Hearts before him 2 Sam. 22. 2 3 4. The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer the God of my Rock in him will I Trust He is my Shield and the Horn of my Salvation my high Tower and my Refuge my Saviour thou savest me from Violence I will call on the Lord who is worthy to be Praised so shall I be saved from mine Enemies We act our Trust at the Throne of Grace incourage our selves in God 2. It will quiet and fix the Heart free it of Cares Fears and anxious Thoughts Phil. 4. 6. 7. Be careful for Nothing but in every Thing by Prayer and Supplication with Thanks-giving let your request be made known unto God and the Peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your Hearts and Minds through Iesus Christ. Psa. 94. 19. In the Multitude of my thoughts within me thy Comforts delight my Soul 3. A Care to Please for Dependence begets Observance they that have all from God will not easily break with him II. Doct. Those that do trust in God must look to be Reproached for it by carnal Men. 1. There are two sorts of Men in the World ever since the beginning contrary Seeds Gen. 3. 15. I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy Seed and her Seed Some born of the Flesh some of the Spirit the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent some that live by Sense some by Faith ever it will be so And there is an Enmity between these two and this Enmity vented by reproach Gall. 4. 27. But as he that was born after the Flesh Persecuted him that was born after the Spirit even so it is now that Persecution was by bitter Mockings so Ishmael Gen. 21. 9. Sarah saw the Son of Hagar the Egyptian which she had born unto Abraham Mocking 2. The occasion from their low Condition hence they will take Liberty to mock at their interest in God and to shame them from their Confidence as if the Promise of God were to none Effect Carnal men measure all things by a Carnal interest and therefore the Life of those
that live by Faith is Ridiculous to them those that trust in a Promise are Exercised with delay and Distress Heb. 6. 12. Be ye followers of them who through Faith and Patience have inherited the Promises here is matter for Faith and Patience Now they that know no Arm but Flesh no security but a Temporal interest no Happiness but in the things of this Life have them in Derision that look Else-where Use 1. Not to count it strange when this is our Lot to be exercised with Reproaches because of our Trust so was Christ. Psal. 22. 6 7 8. I am a Worm and no Man a Reproach of men and despised of the People all they that see me Laugh me to Scorn they shoot out the Lip and shake the Head saying he trusted in the Lord that he would deliver him Let him deliver him seeing he delighted in him Mat. 27. 39. 40 41 42 43. And they that passed by reviled him Wagging their Heads and saying thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three Days save thy Self if thou be the Son of God come down from the Cross c. If Christ Jesus was mocked for his Trust we should bear it the more Patiently So the People of God 2 Tim. 4. 10. Therefore we both Labour and suffer Reproach because we trust in the living God It is no new thing for the Adversaries of Religion to scorn such as trust in God and rely upon his Promises therefore bears it the more patiently 1. Whether they be upbraidings of our Trust Mat 27. 43. He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him for he said I am the Son of God Job 4. 6. Is not this thy Fear thy Confidence and the uprightness of thy ways thy hope 2. Or insultings over our low and comfortless condition men will tread down the Hedge where they find it low the Psalmist complaineth Psal. 69. 26. They speak to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded pour in Vinegar and Salt where they find a Wound and add Affliction to the Afflicted You will hear bitter words Christ himself was thus exercised Mat 27. 29. Hail King of the Iews to be mocked and scorned we must expect and that men will insult 3. Or whether they be perverse applications of Providence thus Shimei insulted over David in his Distress 2 Sam. 16. 78. Come out thou bloody man thou man of Belial the Lord hath returned upon thee all the Blood of the house of Saul c. So men will say this is for your Rebellion c. Use 2. Since there are two Parties in the World they that Trust and they that Reproach them for their Trust consider in what number you are it is needfull to be far from the disposition of the Seed of the Serpent and not to have your Tongues set on fire of Hell to be far from the disposition of those that are governed by Sense and Carnal Interests 1. It is unmannerly to insult over any in Distress and to Reproach them with their Condition Places blasted with Lightning were accounted Sacred amongst the Heathens because the hand of God had touched them so you should not speak to the grief of those whom God hath wounded but pity them and pray for them if they are fallen into Gods hands 2. It is unchristian to Reproach those that trust in God It is easie to know them who are they that pray that plead Promises that carry not on their hopes by present likelihoods though they have their faults they are for the main strict holy charitable 3. It is dangerous to offend any of Christs little ones and to grieve their Spirits Doct. III. That these Reproaches are grievous to Gods Children and go near their hearts therefore David desires God to appear for him that they may have somewhat to answer them that Reproached him 1. Mans Nature cannot endure Reproach especially a scornful Reproach every man thinketh himself worthy of some Regard 2. Religion encreaseth the sence of it as the Flood increased when the Fountains of the great Deep were broken up and the Windows of Heaven were opened Gen. 7. 11. When the Deep below and Heaven above the Flood was the greater so when Grace and Nature joyn it is very grievous David said Psalm 42. 11. It was a Sword in my Bones when they said where is now thy God these were cutting words to Davids heart 1. It is a dishonour to God and they are sensible of that as well as a Misery to themselves It is a dishonour to his Power as if he could not help to his Love as if he would not to his Truth as if he would fail in the needful time or were fickle and inconstant as if he would desert his friends in Misery to his Holiness as if he favoured wicked men in their evil Courses and formal dead-hearted Services Psal. 50. 21. These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thy self how can a Soul that loveth God endure this that the Power of God should be lessened or his truth questioned Rabshekah said what confidence is this wherein thou trustest Isa. 36. 4. compared with 18. 19 20. Beware lest Hezekiah perswade you saying the Lord shall deliver us hath any of the Gods of the Heathens delivered his Land out of the hand of the King of Assyria Where are the Gods of Hamath and Arphad where are the Gods of Sepharvaim and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand who are they amongst all the Gods that have delivered their Land out of my hand that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand As if the Living God had no more Power than dumb Idols therefore Hezekiah goeth and spreads the Letter before the Lord you touch a godly man to the quick when you strike at Gods honour they have a tender sence and feeling of this 2. It reflects upon the ways of God to bring them out of Request you thought you were one of Gods Darlings you thought no body served God but you this is your Godly Profession your Fasting and Prayer what need such Niceness thus they count his way folly his life madness 3. These Reproaches strike at the Life of Faith and therefore go very near the hearts of Gods Children Trust and Confidence in God it is the Life of their Souls Psal. 3. 2. There is no help for him in God Such Temptations are very catching when he seemeth opposite to them Now our Unbelief put in to make the Temptation stronger there is some visible pretence for what is said Where are the Promises thou talkest of Where the Promises and the Deliverance What have thy Prayers brought from Heaven thou hast called and none answered cried and none hath pity on thee What Profit in serving the Lord and then what followeth after this open Objection Unbelief cometh and whispereth in our Ears do you think those things true the Word speaketh Well then
of kings Prov. 8. 15 16. By me kings reign and princes decree justice by me princes rule and nobles and all the judges of the earth And as they hold it in dependence on him they must use it in subordination to him God who is the Beginning must also be the End of their Government They are not Officers of Men but Ministers of God from whom they have their Authority and therefore must rule for God and seek his Glory 2. That they may be carried through their Cares and Fears and Snares and may know what Reward to expect from the Absolute Sovereign who is the great Patron of Humane Societies It is trust and dependence upon God that maketh good Magistrates 2 Kings 18. 5. He trusted in the Lord God of Israel so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Iudah nor any that went before him Oh it is a blessed thing when they can go to God for Direction and depend upon God for Success Great are the Cares and Fears which belong to a Governour and who can ease him of this Burthen but the Lord who hath shewed in his Word how far he is to be trusted It is not Carnal Policy which helpeth them out in their work but trust in God in their high Calling Whosoever will improve his Power for God will meet with many discouragements now that which supports his heart in his work is this holy trust Prov. 29. 25. The fear of man bringeth a snare but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe Every Publick Calling hath its Snares and Temptations from the fears of Men. A Minister if he doth not trust God to bear him out in his Work he will do nothing with that Courage which becometh a Minister but comply with the Lusts of Men grow luke-warm and prostitute the Ordinances for handfuls of Barley and pieces of Bread and Family-conveniencies The Magistracy is a higher Calling which is more obnoxious to Temptations from the different Humours of Men who are to be governed nothing will carry a Man through it but this holy Courage and dependence on God The fear of Man brought a snare to Ieroboam that he perverted the Worship of God 1 Kings 12. 30. And this thing became a sin for the people went to worship before the one even unto Dan. So Iehu so others for their Cares But he that trusts in God in his discharge of this publick Office though many difficulties interpose finds the blessed experience of the Psalmist verified In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. 3. As to Success and Acceptance Obedience to God makes them a double Blessing to the People as Governours as Holy As they have the natural Image of God in Dominion and Authority 1 Cor. 11. 7. Forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God which must be reverenced and respected not resisted so the spiritual Image of God in Holiness the People doubly see God in their Rulers And besides it bringeth down God's Blessings while they command and the People obey in the Lord 2 Kings 18. 7. And the Lord was with him and he prospered whithersoever he went forth Good Magistrates are usually more prosperous than good Men in a private condition because they are given as a Publick Blessing Use 1. Is to inform us That Religion hath a great influence on the welfare of Humane Societies for it equally respects Governours and Governed carving out their respective Duties to them causing the one to rule well and the other to obey for conscience sake The Testimonies of the Lord prescribe the Duty of Rulers 2 Sam. 23. 3. He that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the fear of God There is a word belonging to either Table Iustice to the second Fear of God to the first Now all this Duty is best learned out of God's Testimonies For the Governed it interposeth express Rules for their Obedience Rom. 13. 1. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers and 1 Pet. 2. 15. For so is the will of God that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men There are many Arguments why we should reverence Magistrates They bear God's Image Psal. 82. 6. I have said ye are Gods visible Representators of his Authority and Dominion over the Creatures because of their Majesty largeness of Command and Empire and because of their Use they are exalted supra alios above others in their Authority but propter alios for others in their Use and Benefit But the supreme Reason is the Will of God The Magistrate was then an enemy to Religion when this Commandment was given forth even then when that part of the World in which the Church was seated was under the Command of Nero whose universal wickedness and particular cruelty against the Christians might tempt them to disobedience and scorn of his Authority then God said Obey not for fear of wrath but conscience sake then Fear God Honour the King for so is the will of God Now let Atheists and Antiscripturists or the enemies of those who profess to live by Scripture think if they can that the Christian Religion doth not befriend Humane Societies or doth contain dangerous Principles to Government Use 2. It sheweth us what to pray for for our Princes and Governours even a wise and an understanding Heart and a Spirit of the Fear of the Lord that they may Rule for God and take his Blessing along with them in all their Affairs 2. Doct. That God's Testimonies are so excellent that we should not be afraid nor ashamed to own them before any sort of men in the world for David saith I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings and will not be ashamed 1. Observe Here are two things supposed which might shut his mouth and obstruct the confidence and boldness of his Profession Fear and Shame Fear represents danger in owning the ways of God Shame representeth Mockage Scorn and Contempt Fear considereth our Superiours and Governourrs we fear them that have Power and Authority in their hands Shame may arise not onely from the consideration of Superiours but Inferiours and Equals also Fear respects the danger of the Party professing Shame the Cause or Matter professed Therefore of the two to be ashamed of the ways of God doth more destroy Godliness than to be afraid to own them for then it is a sign we are not so soundly convinced and deeply possessed of the Goodness of them for Pudor est conscientia turpitudinis It is a consciousness of something that is base Look as on the contrary to be ashamed of Sin doth more wound it to the heart than to be afraid of Sin Many a Man is apprehensive of the danger of Sin who yet doth not hate it in his heart but onely abstaineth out of the fear of Punishment But when he is ashamed of Sin then he beginneth to hate Sin as Sin In Conversion
then his Providence is not just Nay the People of God themselves are so offended that they break out into such words as these Psal. 73. 11 12 13. How doth God know is there knowledge in the most High Behold these are the ungodly who prosper in the world they increase in Riches Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency They dispute within themselves Doth God indeed so discerne and take notice of all this how cometh it about that he permitteth them for it is visible that the Wicked enjoy the greatest Tranquillity and Prosperity and have the Wealth and Greatness of the World heaped upon them then what reward for purity of hearts or hands or the strict Exercise of Godliness Till God doth arise and apply himself to vindicate his Law these are the Thoughts and Workings of Mens hearts at least it is a great Vexation and Trouble even to the godly and doth tempt them to such Imaginations and Surmises of God 2. I shall prove that the Remembrance of his Judgments of old is one means to confirm the heart for so we are inabled to tarry till God's Judgments be brought to the effect We see onely the beginning and so like hasty Spectators will not tarry till the last Act when all Errours shall be redressed We shall make quite another Judgment of Providence when we see it all together and do not judge of it by parts Surely then they shall see there is a reward for the righteous there is a God that judgeth the Earth At first none seem so much to lose their labour and to be disregarded by God as the Righteous or to be more hardly dealt withall but let us not be too hasty in judging God's Work while it is a-doing but tarry to the end of things In the Word of God we have not onely Promises which are more firm then Heaven and Earth but Instances and Examples of the Afflictions of the Righteous and their Deliverance therefore let us but suspend our Censure till God hath put his last hand unto the Work and then you will see that if his People seem to be forsaken for a while it is that they may be received for ever All is wont to end well with the Children of God let God alone with his own Methods after a walk in the Wilderness he will bring his People into a Land of Rest. But more particularly why his Judgments of old are a Comfort and Reliefe to us 1. It is some Reliefe to the Soul to translate the Thoughts from the present Scene of things and to consider former times One cause of Mens discomfort is to look onely to the present and so they are overwhelmed but when we look back we shall find that others have been afflicted before us it is no strange thing and others delivered before us upon their dependance on God and adherence to him You were not the first afflicted Servants of God nor are likely to be the last Others have been in the like Case and after a while delivered and rescued out of their Trouble Psal. 22. 4 5. Our Fathers trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliver them They cryed unto thee and were delivered they trusted in thee and were not confounded In looking back we see two things the Carriage of the godly and their Success or the Salvation of God the patience of Iob and the end of the Lord James 5. 11. They trusted God and trusted him patiently and constantly in all their Troubles at last this trust was not in vain they were delivered and not confounded depending on God for rescue and deliverance they never failed to receive it Now in looking back we look forward and in their Deliverance we see our own at least you are fortified against the present Temptation whilst you see his People in all Ages have their Difficulties and Conflicts and also their Deliverances so that you will not miscarry nor be over-tempted by the present Prosperity of the Wicked Psal. 73. 17. I went into the Sanctuary and there understood I their end that is entring into a sober Consideration of God's Counsels and Providences we may easily discerne what is the ordinary Conclusion of such Men's felicities at last they pay full dear for their perishing Pleasures 2. Because these are Instances of God's Righteous Government and Instances do both inliven and confirm all matters of Faith Here you see his Justice God hath ever been depressing the Proud and exalting the Humble gracious to his Servants terrible to the Wicked These examples also of rescuing others who have been in like Condition before us shew us what the Wisedom and Omnipotency of God can doe in performing Promises when the performance of them seemeth hopeless and all lost and gone then they are infallible Evidences of his Tenderness Care and Fidelity towards all that depend upon him Now though we have nothing of our own experience to support us yet the Remembrance of what hath been done for others the Experiences of the Saints in Scripture are set down for our learning for the support of our Faith and Hope They trusted in God and found him a ready help why may not we God is the same that he was in former times and carrieth himself in the same ways of Providence to Righteous and Unrighteous as heretofore still Promises are fulfilled and Threatnings are executed They on whose behalf God shewed himself so just powerfull wise good and tender had not a better God then we have nor a more worthy Redeemer nor a surer Covenant If they had a stronger Faith it is our own fault and we should labour to increase it The Saints are as dear to God as ever And as to the Wicked they that inherit others Sins shall inherit others Judgments It is true we live not in the Age of Wonders but God's ordinary Providence is enough for our turn and those very Wonders shew that he hath power and love enough to protect and deliver us Well then these are Instances of his Righteous Government and Instances which concern us which is my second Reason 3. By these Judgments of old you see the exact Correspondency between his Word and Works where his Voice is heard but his Hand not seen his Word is coldly entertained but by his Providence he establisheth the Authority of his Law The word spoken by Angels was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a stedfast word Heb. 2. 2. A Word may be said to be stedfast either in respect of the unalterable Will of the Law-giver or in respect of Execution or with respect to the party to whom it is given who firmly and certainly believeth it The one maketh way for the other God is resolved to govern the World by this Rule therefore he doth authorize it own it by the Dispensations of his Providence accordingly the World learneth to reverence it Hos. 7. 12. I will chastise them as their Congregation hath heard God's Word against Sin and
Goodness and they are made to be remembred as it after followeth there he is ready to doe the like Works when his Church standeth in need thereof Now they must be sought out for there is more hid Treasure and Excellency in them then doth at first appear he that would reape the Use and Benefit of them should take Pleasure to search out matter of Praise for God and Trust for himself Of all other study this is the most worthy Exercise and Employment of Godly men to study and find out the Works of God in all their purposes and designs there is more pleasure in such Meditations then in all other the most sensual Divertisements 3. The End is to be strengthened and confirmed in the way of our Duty in Dependance upon God and Adherence to him or that Faith may be strengthened in a day of Affliction and our Hearts incouraged in cleaving to the Ways of God 1. Dependance upon God which implyeth a committing our selves to his Power a submitting our selves to his Will and a waiting his leisure all these are in Trust and all these are encouraged by remembring his Judgments of old 1. Committing our selves to his Power is Trust and Dependance Our God is able to deliver us from the fiery Furnace Dan. 3. 17. Rom. 4. 21. Being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform Now this is abundantly seen in his Judgments of old Isai. 51. 9. Awake awake put on strength O arm of the Lord awake as in the ancient days in the generations of old Art not thou he which hath cut Rahab and wounded the Dragon which hast dried the Sea and the waters of the great deep If God will but take to himself his great Power and bestir himself as in ancient days what should a Believer fear 2. Submitting our selves to God's Will is a great Act of Dependance submitting before the Event Now how may a Believer acquiesce in God's Providence and injoy a quiet Repose of Heart he knoweth not what God will doe with him but this he knoweth he hath to doe with a good God who is not wont to forsake those that depend upon him he hath Wisedom and Goodness enough to deliver us or to make our Troubles profitable to us Now his Judgments of old do much help to breed this composedness of Mind Psal. 9. 10. They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee they that know any thing of God's wont and have learned from others or experimented themselves or by searching into the Records of Time have found with what Wisedom and Power Justice and Mercy God governeth the World will be firmly grounded in their Trust and Reliance on thee without applying themselves to any of the sinfull aides or policies of the World for succour or troubling themselves about success for God never forsook any Godly man in his Distress that by Prayer and Faith made his humble and constant Applications to him 3. If you take in the third thing tarrying or waiting God's leisure for he that believeth will not make haste Isai. 26. 16. God will tarry to try his People to observe his Enemies till their Sins are full and tarry to bring about his Providences in the best time 1 Pet. 5. 6. Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you i. e. deliver you in due time It may be he will not at all afford temporal Deliverance but will refer it to the time when he will judge the world in Righteousness Acts 17. 31. Now what will relieve the Soul ingage it to waite his Judgments of old at the long-run the good Cause hath prevailed the suppressed Truth hath got up the buried Christ hath risen again and after labours and patience the Fruit sown hath been reaped therefore in due time he will look upon our Afflictions in the Sanctuary we understand the end of things The beginnings are troublesome but the end is Peace 2. Adherence to God this followeth necessarily from the former for Dependance begets Observance Till a Man trusts God he can never be true to him for the evil heart of unbelief will draw us from the living God Heb. 3. 12. but if we can depend upon him Temptations have lost their force The great Cause of all Defection is the desire of some present sensible Benefit and we cannot tarry God's leisure nor wait for his help in the way of our Duty Now if God's People of old have trusted and were never confounded it is a great engagement in the way of his Judgments to wait for him without miscarrying A Case of Conscience may be propounded How could David be comforted by God's Judgments for it seemeth a barbarous thing to delight in the destruction of any it is said Prov. 17. 5. He that is glad of calamities shall not be unpunished Answ. 1. It must be remembred that Judgment implies both parts of God's Righteous Dispensation the Deliverance of the Godly and the Punishment of the Wicked Now in the first sense there is no ground of scruple for it is said Psal. 94. 15. Iudgment shall return to Righteousness the sufferings of good men shall be turned into the greatest advantages as the context sheweth that God will not cast off his People but Judgment shall return unto Righteousness 2. Judgment as it signifieth Punishment of the Wicked may yet be a Comfort not as it importeth the Calamity of any but either 1. When the Wicked is punished the snare and allurement to Sin is taken away which is the Hope of Impunity for by their Punishments we see it is dangerous to sin against God Isai. 26. 9. When thy Iudgments are abroad in the Earth the Inhabitants of the world will learn Righteousness the Snare is removed from many a Soul 2. Their Derision and Mockage of Godliness ceaseth they do no longer vex and pierce the Souls of the Godly saying Aha aha Psal. 40. 15. It is as a wound to their heart when they say where is your God Psal. 42. 10. 3. The Impediments and Hindrances of worshipping and serving God are taken away when the Nettles are rooted up the Corn hath the more room to grow 4. Opportunity of molesting God's Servants is taken away and afflicting the Church by their Oppressions and so way is made for the enlarging of Christ's Kingdome 5. As God's Justice is manifested Prov. 11. 10. When it goeth well with the Righteous the City rejoyceth but when the Wicked perish there is shouting Psal. 52. 6. The Righteous also shall see and fear and shall laugh at him Loe this is the man that made not God his portion Rev. 18. 20. Rejoyce over Babylon ye holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you on her when the Word of God is fulfilled surely then we may rejoyce that his Justice and Truth are cleared SERMON LIX PSAL. CXIX 53. Horrour hath taken hold of me because
the Argument be not absolutely and infallibly conclusive yet here is such a concurrence of Probabilities that we should go and try what he will doe for our Souls 2. They in their rank have their supplies and we in our rank have our supplies therefore his kindness to all Creatures should incourage new Creatures to expect their help from him for God doth good to all his Creatures according to their necessity and capacity his giving them supplies convenient for them is a pawn of God's pleasure to bestow upon his Servants greater gifts than these All things that look to God have necessaries provided for them according to the condition of their Nature and therefore if you have another Nature and besides the good things of this Life do need the good things which belong to the Life to come he will give us gifts and graces as he giveth them their food for these are as necessary for this kind of life as food for that As they in their rank find Mercy so we in ours his general Goodness confirmeth us in expecting these more special Favours For as there is a general Benignity to all Creatures so there is a special to his Children Psam 36. 6 7. Thou preservest Man and Beast How excellent is thy loving kindness O Lord therefore the Children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings His common kindness and his special love are often compared together they agree in this that both come from a good God Therefore the Argument holdeth strong if good to all Creatures then good to new Creatures Why should we think that he would not shew his Goodness to us also Again they agree in this that in doing good God doth not consider the worthiness of the Creature but his own Goodness and Self-inclination to preserve what he hath made as he did not disdain to give Life to the meanest Creatures so he doth not disdain to preserve them as they had their Life from him at first so they have their Life still in him the poorest Worm not excepted Not a Worm not a Gnat not a Fly but tastes of God's Bounty God disdaineth not to look after the most abject things So the plea of unworthiness lyeth not in bar against the new Creature for necessary supplies God giveth out of his own goodness Now they differ in the kinds of the Mercy one common the other saving and the special subjects of them one is to all Creatures the other is to God's peculiar People and in the manner of conveyance the one floweth in the Channel of common Providence the other is conveyed to us by the golden Pipe of the Mediator Well then the Creatures have their Mercies and Wicked men their Mercies have that they prize and value and the People of God have also what they prize and esteem 3. God doth good to every one according to their necessity and capacity He doth not give meat to the Trees nor stones to the Beasts but provideth food and nourishment convenient for them so to his People according to their condition of Nature and special capacity The general capacity is the condition of their Natures the special capacity is want or earnest desire if we extremely need or earnestly desire these Blessings then we may reason from God's general Goodness to all the Creatures to that special act of Goodness which we expect from him Pray mark how God's general Goodness is expressed Psalm 145. 15 16. The eyes of all things wait upon thee and thou givest them their meat in due season Thou openest thy hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing He keepeth a constant eye of Providence and if the desire be great he doth not frustrate the natural expectation of hungry Creatures but giveth them that sort of Food which is fit for them Now God expecteth the same from New Creatures if necessity and vehement desire meet he promises supply open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Psalm 81. 10. and Psalm 145. 19. The Lord will fulfil the desire of them that fear him he also will hear their cry and will save them The Beasts mourn and cry in their kind we pray and cry in our kind Needy desires will be heard he is in a capacity to receive spiritual Blessings who is sensible of their Necessity for the Happiness of his immortal Soul and doth prize and value them and earnestly desire them The Man of God was under a Necessity for he apprehended himself miserable and at a loss without it for he desired no other Mercy A gracious Heart cannot be satisfied with low things be thus affected and then this Argument will be of use to you Use 1. Is for Reproof Since God is so mercifull how much are they to blame 1. Who render themselves uncapable of the benefit of Mercy by Impenitence persisted in against the means of Grace They slight his common Mercy and cut off themselves from his saving Mercy Abused Goodness will be destructive Rom. 2. 4 5. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous Iudgment of God 2. The Stupid and Senseless which do not take notice oâ—… the Mercy of God which shineth forth in all the Creatures A Man can turn his Eye no where but in every place and quarter of the World he shall see plain Testimonies of God's Mercy but alas how much of this is lost and past over for want of observation Isa. 1. 3. The Ox knoweth his Owner and the Ass his Masters Crib but Israel doth not know my People doth not consider All this Goodness was left in the Earth to invite our minds and hearts to God therefore as the Bee sucketh honey out of every Flower so should we still dwell on the thoughts of God's goodness represented to us in every thing we see and feel 3. Those that think of God's Mercy with extenuating and diminishing thoughts do not raise their Hopes and Confidence by a serious reflection upon that ample discovery which he hath made of it in all his Works if God be good to all his Creatures why should we be left out of the number surely God will not be backward to those that earnestly desire his Grace therefore those that deject themselves that say God will not hear me or regard my Prayers are to be condemned Use 2. Information the lively light of the Spirit is a special Mercy Our Misery lieth in the ignorance of God and the transgression of his Law our Happiness in being inlightened and sanctified by the spirit of Wisdome and understanding It is God's great gift Ier. 24. 7. I will give them an heart to know me that I am the Lord and they shall be my People and I will be their God for they shall return unto me with
to enjoy him hereafter Rom. 1. 12. Comforted by the mutual faith both of you and me Doct. That God's mercies bestowed upon some of his Children should be and are an occasion of joy and comfort to all the rest When David was a pattern of Gods gracious help and deliverance he saith they that fear thee will be glad when they see me I shall give you some Scriptures Psal. 142. 7. The righteous shall compass me about for thou shalt deal bountifully with me When any one of Gods Children are delivered all the rest flock about him to assist and joyn in thanksgiving and to help one another to praise the Lord. So Psal. 34. 2. My Soul shall make her boast in the Lord the humble shall hear thereof and be glad that God had preserved and reserved David still So Psal. 64. 10. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord and trust in him and the upright in heart shall glory that is when David was delivered when God had shewed mercy to him then all the upright would come and make their own profit and advantage by such an experience and deliverance The Reasons of the Point 1. They are all members of one Body they are all called into one Body and the good and evil of one member is common to the whole this reason is rendred by the Apostle 1 Cor. 12. 25 26. But that the Members should have the same care one for another And whether one Member suffer all the Members suffer with it or one member be honoured all the rest rejoyce with it v. 27. Now ye are the Body of Christ and Members in particular The meaning of that place is That the Church all together is the Body of Christ and every several person a Member and every Member should be as sollicitous for one another as for it self they have the same common Interests and Concernments whether of suffering or rejoycing You know in the natural Body when the Toe is trod on the Tongue cryeth out You have hurt me We are concerned in the Good or Ill of our fellow Members their Joy is Joy to us and their Sorrow Sorrow to us to this sense some expound that place Heb. 13. 3. Remember them that are in Bonds as bound with them and them that suffer Adversity as being your selves also in the Body Some understand it of Christ's mystical Body when they suffer our Souls are bound with them but I think it bears another sense there to be in the Body is to be in the Flesh during which state we are liable to many Vexations and Miseries and therefore if God doth so order it that the whole Body or all the Members of the Church should not be afflicted at one time but whilst some are afflicted others are free and when we are not involved by Passion there may be Compassion while we are in the Body we are obnoxious to the same Adversities and should pity and comfort them as our selves and use all means to do them good but if it be not the Truth of the Place yet 't is a Truth the more any patrake of the Spiritual life the stronger is Spiritual Sympathy They Rejoyce with them that Rejoyce and Mourn with them that Mourn Rom. 12. 15. Are bound with them that are in Bonds and inlarged with them that are inlarged one part of us is in Bonds when they are in Bonds one part of us is inlarged when they are inlarged still we should have common Interests and Affections with our Brethren and for those that fear God to be selfish and senseless of the condition of others 't is a kind of self-Excommunication or an implicite renouncing the Body because we are in the Body we should be affected as they are Look as there was the same Spirit in Ezekiel's Vision in the living Creatures and the Wheels I say the same Spirit was in both when one moved the other moved so there is the same Spirit in Christ's mystical Body we should be affected as they are 't is a kind of depriving our selves of the Privileges of the Mystical Body if we are not 2. 'T is for the Honour and Glory of God God hath most Glory when praised by many Therefore they flock together 2 Cor. 1. 11. That for the Gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many in our behalf God loveth to have us act with joynt Consent both in Prayer and Praise because he would interest us in one anothers Mercies and Comforts and so knit our hearts together in more holy Love Prayers made by many are mighty with God when we come to God with many supplicants make up a great party to besiege Heaven so Praises rendred by many are the more honourable to God and acceptable with him 1 Cor. 4. 15. That the abundant Grace might through the Thanksgiving of many redound to the Glory of God When many are ingaged and many are affected with it God's Glory is the more diffused the Revenue of the Crown of Heaven increased One string maketh no Musick when there are many and all in tune there is Harmonie There are three things in it many Righteous persons and joyning together with one Spirit in the same work then the Lord hath more Honour than he could have in a single person In Heaven God is praised in consort We are brought all together that we may make one Body and Congregation to Laud and Praise and Serve God for evermore So here they that fear God and hope in his mercy they often flock together to congratulate and joyn in thanksgiving for the Mercies which any one of them hath received when Christ was born there was a whole Consort of Angels Luke 2. 13. A multitude of the Heavenly host praising God saying Glory to God on high on earth peace good will towards men 'T is a kind of Heaven upon Earth when all the People of God are led by one Spirit to praise and glorifie God a Closet prayer or thanksgiving is not so honourable as that of the Congregation 3. 'T is for the Profit and Comfort of all partly because by this means they come to understand one anothers experiences for their mutual support and edification what God is to one that feareth him he is to all that fear him sincerely affected to them all therefore the goodness of God to one Believer bringeth joy and comfort to all the rest They are Spectacles and monuments of Mercy for the Saints to look upon that they may learn thereby to depend upon God Look as in converting Paul a Persecutor the Apostle saith 1 Tim. 1. 16. Christ did shew forth all long-suffering in me for a Pattern to them that should after believe on him in pardoning so great a Sinner in saving such a distressed Soul to invite others to Christ So in all other cases when God delivereth one he inviteth others to the same hope they are Presidents of Mercy to the rest as David implyeth
is a sure effect of great arrogancy and pride They think they may do what they please They have no changes Therefore they fear not God and put forth their hands against such as be at peace with them Psal. 55. 19 20. whilest they go on prosperously and undisturbedly they cannot abstain from violence and oppression This is certainly Pride for it is a lifting up the heart above God and against God and without God And they do not consider his Providence who alternately lifts up and casts down that Adversity may not be without a Cordial nor Prosperity without a Curb and Bridle But when men sit fast and are well at ease they are apt to be insolent and scornful Riches and worldly greatness maketh men insolent and despisers of others and care not what burdens they impose upon them they are intrenched within a mass of wealth and power and greatness and so think none can call them to an account Solomon speaketh of two sorts of people Prov. 18. 10 11. The Name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous runneth into it and is safe The rich mans wealth is his strong city and as an high wall in his own conceit Every man is as his trust is For as the Psalmist speaketh of Idols in general They that trust in Idols are like unto them so it is true of spiritual Idols If a man trust in vain things his heart groweth vain proud and insolent promiseth him an uninterrupted course of felicity from poor perishing things that come and go at God's pleasure If a man trust in God then he is kept holy humble carried on with a noble and divine Spirit and findeth more safety than another that hath all the strength and power of the world to support and back him The Name of the Lord is a real Refuge but wealth and honour and worldly greatness is but an imaginary Refuge He that hath nothing but the Name of the Lord to trust in Worldlings think he buildeth Castles in the Air but the Godly knoweth that Worldlings indeed build Castles in the Air while they look big and and think their greatness shall bear them out Alas Wealth is but a Wall and a strong Tower in their own conceit not really so but this puffeth them up and they are quite other men when they are at top than what they were when they were under 3. Because they affect a life of Pomp and Ease and carnal Greatness and so despise the Affliction and Meanness and Simplicity of the People of God The false Church hath usually the advantage of worldly Power and external Glory and the true Church is known by the Divine Power Gifts and Graces and the lustre of Holiness Psal. 45. 13. The kings daughter is glorious within is found out by Faith Love Patience Sobriety Heavenly-mindedness Humility Purity and the like rather than by a splendid appearance And holiness becomes God's house Psal. 93. 5. rather than Gold and Silver and costly Furniture The false Church vaunts it self in costly Temples Officers richly endowed with Temporal Revenues and a pompous attendance And so the simplicity of the Gospel is corrupted and turned into a worldly Domination As for instance The Church of Rome boasts of her Grandeur and Magnificence and upbraids the Reformed with their abject condition Ministris eorum nihil vilius saith Campian They can tell of the pompous Inauguration of their Popes their stately Train of Cardinals Lordly Prelates whereas the poor Ministers of the Gospel live hardly and precariously Whereas indeed the glory of the true Church doth not make a fair shew in the flesh is not external corporeal and visible but internal incorporeal and invisible Cant. 1. 5. And like its Head Jesus Christ who to appearance was humble poor and afflicted but in him were hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge yea the fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily External splendor pleaseth the flesh and is not a sign of Virtue so much as Pride Luke 16. 19. What shall become of the Primitive Church for the first 300 years if outward greatness be a mark of it Naz. Orat. Con. Aroc The World is with them but the Faith with us they have pure Gold but we pure Doctrine So â—…ilary against Auxentius Unum moneo cavete Antichristum male enim vos parietum amor cepit male Ecclesiam Dei in tectis artificiisque veneramini male sub iis pacis nomen ingeritis anne ambiguum est in iis Antichristum cessurum Montes mihi Sylvoe Lacus Carceres Voragines sunt tutiores in iis enim Prophetoe aut manentes aut demersi Dei Spiritu prophetabant Well because of their affectation of worldly greatness they are called proud and so it is taken Mal. 3. 15. Ye call the proud happy And because of this they hate and molest the People of God because there is a contrary spirit They hear Christ's voice Mat. 11. 29. Learn of me for I am meek and lowly They hate them because they contemn that Felicity which they affect and so put a scorn on their way 1 Pet. 4. 4. think it strange that you run not with them into the same excess of riot speaking evil of you 4. They are called proud because of their insolent carriage towards the Lord's People partly in their Laws and Injunctions requiring to give them more Honour Respect and Obedience than in Conscience can be afforded them as Haman would have Mordecai to devote himself to him after the manner of the Persians Esther 3. 5. The man though a Favourite was an Amalekite one that came of that stock whose remembrance God would have to be blotted out Exod. 17. 14. And possibly more worship and honour was required than was due to a man God had forbidden to give divine honour to any but himself now according to the custom of Persia these honours did somewhat savor of divine worship vide Brisson pag. 10 11 12 13 14 with the 18th So Ieroboam would have his Calves worshipped 1 Kings 12. 32. And yet all that complied with him therein are charged for walking so willingly after the Commandment Hosea 5. 11. We dare not offend God to please men the good Levites are commended 2 Chron. 11. 14. So it was Pride in Nebuchad-nezzar to command all men to bow before his image Dan. 3. 15 16. God's Prerogative must not be incroached upon there is a superior Sovereign Partly in vexing molesting and oppressing them at their pleasure the formal Christian hateth the spiritual Gal. 4. 29. Now this cometh from their Pride Psal. 10. 2. The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor Would not have their lazy course upbraided and disgraced by the seriousness and strictness of others they malign what they cannot imitate And 't is carried on by their Pride or abuse of Power God counteth it Pride Psal. 12. 5. For the oppression of the poor for the sighing of the needy the Lord will arise to deliver him and
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
he is reduced to exigences then is the time to put the Bonds in suit God by promise hath made himself a Debtor As having nothing yet possessing all things 2 Cor. 6. 10. They have all things in the promise though nothing in sense If we have but one gracious promise left to subsist upon we cannot be poor 't is better riches than all the world for then our right to God and eternal Life still remaineth If an Estate here should last till death yet then certainly men try the weakness of their portion When other men find the worthlesness and baseness of their portion you find the sweetness fulness and comfort of yours Carnal men have but an Estate for life at best Luke 16. 25. Son in thy life time thou receivedst thy good things when they come to die they can look for no more then they find the gnawing Worm of Conscience prove matter of vexation and torment but then your heritage comes to the full Psal. 73. 26. My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Not only when all outward comforts fail all Creatures in the world have spent their allowance but when the flesh begins to fail when we consume and faint away and hasten to the Grave Lord then thou failest not thou art the strength of my heart and my portion for ever We have an interest in the eternal God and we shall live eternally to enjoy him God lives for ever and we live for ever that we may enjoy God 2. Now I come to give the Reasons Why it is the property of Believers to chuse this for their portion and why no others can do it It is the property of Believers to do so upon two Grounds 1. Because of the wisedome that is in Faith Faith is a spiritual prudence You shall see Faith is opposed not only to ignorance but to folly because it teacheth us to make a wise choice Reason makes us wise to chuse a good portion in this World The Children of this world are wiser in their Generation than the Children of Light Luke 16. 9. But Faith is for the inward and spiritual life Worldly men are wise in worldly employments to make a wise choice and accomplish such things they affect turn and wind in the world there they excel the Children of God but Faith makes us wise for Eternity and therefore it chuseth the better portion Faith is a spiritual light and seeth a worth in other things It is a notable Saying Prov. 23. 4. Labour not to be rich cease from thine own wisdom How came these two things to be coupled If we had no better wisedom than our own we should spend our time strength and care to labour to be rich Humane wisedom doth only incline and enable us to the affairs of the present life but God infuseth a supernatural light into the Saints they have counsel from the Lord Psal. 16. 7. I will bless the Lord who hath given me counsel my reins also instruct me in the night seasons as if he had said Ah Lord if I am left to my self and the workings of my own natural spirit I should be as vain and foolish as others are but thou hast given me counsel 2. The next Reason is Because of the nobleness and height of spirit that is in Faith Faith will not be satisfied with any slight fancies it must have better things than the world yieldeth The great priviledg of the Covenant and work of Grace is to give us a new heart that is another manner of Spirit than we had before Our natural spirit is the spirit of the world a cheap vile low spirit that will be satisfied with every base thing Every man seeketh something for his portion for no man hath sufficiency in himself but seeketh it without natural men go no further than the world riches honour pleasure they seek it some in one thing some in another there is none more unsatisfied than a worldly man for his heart cannot find rest and yet none are sooner satisfied a worldly man is not dainty but taketh up what is next at hand You think there is no such excellent spirited men as they that have high designs in the world and can atchieve Greatness and Honour But a poor Christian is of a more excellent spirit these things will not give him contentment nothing on this side God Faith yieldeth a man a choise spirit it makes us take the testimonies of the Lord for our heritage A renewed Soul it hath its aspirings it gets up to God and will not be satisfied with worldly delights but thou art my portion saith my soul Lam. 3. 24. Others hunt after other things beneath God Heaven the Graces of the Spirit the righteousness of Christ. Therefore thus it must needs be the property of Gods Children because they have another understanding and another heart And then none but the Children of God can have these priviledges Why Because though they are very magnificent and glorious yet they are invisible and for the most part future and to come they make no fair shew in the flesh this is hidden Manna meat and drink the world knows not of Carnal men look upon an Estate that lies in the Covenant to be but a notion and mere conceit and they cannot believe they shall be provided for if God bears the purse for them they cannot live immediately upon God they must have something visible outward and glorious and partly this inheritance is to come therefore they cannot have this property Heb. 6. 12. Be ye Followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises The testimonies of the Lord are an inheritance we cannot come at presently there needs a great deal of faith and patience in waiting upon God As a hired Servant must have money from Quarter to Quarter and cannot with the Child expect when the inheritance will befall him A carnal heart dares not trust God cannot tarry his leisure wicked men have their reward Mat. 6. 2. they must have present wages glory honour and profit here they discharge God of other things because it 's a thing which costs them much waiting an humble dependance upon God conflicts with many difficulties and hardships carnal men see no beauty in it and because it is to come it turns their Stomachs SERMON CXXII PSAL. CXIX VER III. Thy Testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart USE 1. It informs us what 's the reason why a Believer that hath nothing in hand nothing to live upon yet is not only patient but comfortable and joyful as the men of the world when their Corn Wine and Oil encrease Whence are these men maintained supplied and kept up at such a rate of cheerfulness Their inheritance lies in the promise As Christ said I have meat and drink the world knows not of so they have Land and Estate the world knows
men hate God as a Law-giver and as a Judge they cannot hate him as a Creator and Preserver under that formality they do not hate God but the ground of our hatred to God is his Law Rom. 8. 7. The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be But now saith David I love thy Law I do not fear it but love it I do not only keep it but love it A Child of God will bless God for his Commands as well as his Promises he ownes God in the holiness of his Law and looks upon it as a Copy and draught of Gods own perfection 't is a good Law there is a suitableness between it and a renewed heart and therefore I love thy Law The one of these is inferred out of the other his love to the Law is mentioned as a ground of his hatred against vain thoughts Love is the great wheel of the Soul that sets all a going Therefore sin is hated because the Law is loved He that hath a true respect to the Law of God is sensible of the least contrariety to it for hatred is uniform the Philosopher tells us it is to the whole kind as Haman when he hated Mordecai sought to destroy all the people of the Jews and when a man hates sin he hates all sin even where he finds it in thoughts words speeches love will not allow it Well then I love thy Law therefore do I hate vain thoughts that is though I cannot wholly keep them out of my heart yet I hate them resist them watch against them they are not allowed there Without further glossing the Point is this Doct. It is a sign of an unfeigned love to the Law of God when we hate vain thoughts I observe it because a man never begins to be really serious and strict till he makes conscience of his thoughts his time and is sensible of his last account Of his thoughts for that 's a sign he minds an intire subjection to the Law of God that he may obey it from his very soul. Of his time that it may not pass away before his great work be done Of his account that is not far off the Christian that lives in a due sense of his great account is always preparing to reckon with God The one of these doth inforce the other A man that is sensible he shall be called to a reckoning will be careful how he spends his time and he that is careful how he spends his time will make conscience of his thoughts I. To give a tast of the vanity of thoughts II. Shew what sins most occasion vanity of thoughts III. The reasons why a godly man will make conscience of his thoughts I. Some tast of the vanity of thoughts There are three solemn words by which the New Testament expresseth thoughts 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Discourses with its compound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render imaginations 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 musings 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render devices These three ways the Dunghil of Corruption reaks out by our thoughts Sometimes in our vain arguings and reasonings by way of image and representations in our musings sometimes by way of foolish inventions and devices that are in the heart of man 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carnal Discourses of the mind come under the notion of vain thoughts If our more refined reason came to scan them how light and vain would they be found Our reasonings are usually against the Soveraignty of God Rom. 9. 22. Who art thou O man that repliest against God We cannot see how it is just that by one mans transgression all should be made sinners that God should chuse some and endow them with Grace and leave others in their corruption how he should have mercy on whom he will have mercy and harden whom he will harden Man would be free from God but would not have God free and therefore contrary to these reasonings and vain discourses the Scripture pleads the Sovereignty of God Mat. 20. 15. to shew he may do with his own as pleaseth him And as against the Right and Sovereignty of God so there are strange discourses against the Providence of God many anxious traverses and debates in our minds and therefore the Scripture takes notice how distrust works by our thoughts Matt. 6. 25. Take no thought for your life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink c. and v. 27. Which of you by taking thought can add one Cubit to his Stature We are tortured with many suspensive workings and discourses of mind within our selves whereas a little trust in God would save many of these vain arguings Prov. 16. 3. Commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established He sheweth that want of trust in God and his word and Providence and committing all to his Dispose is the cause of a great deal of confusion and darkness in our thoughts and breedeth such perverse reasonings against the Providence of God So against the truth of the Gospel the Law is natural and runneth in by its own light with evident conviction upon the heart but the Gospel is suspected looked upon with prejudice received as a golden Dream and as a well devised Fable we have reasonings in our selves against that which is discovered concerning the salvation of Sinners by Christ therefore the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 10. 5. Bringing into Captivity every thought imaginations or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reasonings Those thoughts that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God in Christ. Then disputes against Christian Faith the Mysteries of the Trinity the Incarnation of Christ we are saying as the Virgin Mary when the Angel brought her tidings of it How can these things be So we have perverse reasonings against positive Institutions 2 King 5. 12. Are not Abana and Pharpar better than all the Rivers of Israel We are apt to say Why is this The means of Grace seems foolish and weak 1 Cor. 1. 19. It pleaseth God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe So our arguings in perverting the truth of the Gospel and holy principles of the Word to the countenance of our Lusts as Deut. 29. 19. When we reason thus within our selves we shall have peace though we walk in the imagination of our own hearts we need not be so nice and strict God will be merciful he will pardon all Iude 4. turning the Grace of God into lasciviousness wresting the truth from its purpose to countenance a laziness It is good to observe the different arguings in Scripture from the same principle To instance in this principle Our time is short what doth a holy man argue from it 1 Cor. 7. 29. Let those that have wives be as those that have none those that weep as though they wept not c. Therefore we should be strict temperate sober
defence against the evil of trouble If God did leave us to shift for our selves and never express'd himself in his word for our comfort then we were more excusable though not altogether if we did shift and turn aside to crooked Paths because we are under an obligation to obey whatsoever it cost us But when he hath offered himself to be our shield and our hiding place to stand by us be with us carry us through fire and water all dangers and difficulties shall we warp now and turn aside from God Gen. 17. 1. saith the Lord I am God alsufficient walk before me and be thou perfect there is enough in God why should we trouble our selves or why should we run to any practices which God will not owne Use 4. It presseth us to depend upon Gods protection Shall I urge Arguments to you 1. This is one Every one must have a hiding place Saith Solomon The Conies are a feeble folk yet they have their burroughs and holes All Creatures must depend upon somewhat especially the Children of God that are exposed to a thousand difficulties you must expect to have your faith and patience tryed if ever you come to inherit the promises and during that time it is good to have a hiding place and a shield 2. Your hearts will not be kept in safety unless you make God your strong defence When Phocas fortified Cities to secure his ill-gotten Goods a voice was heard Sin within will soon batter down all those Walls and Fortifications Unless God be our hiding place and shield the strongest defences in the world are not enough to keep us from danger All the shifts we run into will but intangle us the more and drive us the more from God and to greater inconvenience 2 Chron. 28. 20. As the King of Assyria to Ahaz He distressed him but helped him not so many run away from Gods protection and seek out means of safety for themselves and will not trust him but seek to secure themselves by some shifts of their own they do but plunge themselves into troubles so much the more and draw greater inconveniences upon themselves There is a great deal of sin and danger in departing from God and he can soon blast our confidences All those places of safety we fancy to our selves can soon be demolished and battered down God will blast our carnalshifts 3. It is a thing that we owe to God by virtue of the fundamental Article of the Covenant If you have chosen God for your God then you have chosen him for your refuge Every one in his straits runs to the God he hath chosen Nature taught the Heathens in their distress to run to their gods You may see the Pagan Mariners a sort of men usually not much haunted with religious thoughts yet when the storm arose the Sea wrought and was tempestuous danger grew upon them and they were afraid they called every man upon his God Jon. 1. 5. they were sensible that some Divine Power must give them protection It immediately results from the owning of a God that we must trust him with our safety and so if we have taken the true God for our God we have taken him for our refuge and hiding place Ruth 2. 12. A full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel under whose wings thou art come to trust When Ruth came to profess the true God by taking the God of Israel for her God it is exprest thus she did commit her self to his Providence and protection and therefore Covetousness because of its trust in Riches is called Idolatry it is a breach of the fundamental Article of the Covenant taking God for our God 4. This trust ever succeeds well It will be of great use to you to still and calm your thoughts and free you from many anxious cares and in due time it will bring deliverance according to his promise How may we thus trust in God Why commit and submit your persons and all your conditions and affairs to his Providence This is to trust in God to make him your hiding place and your shield These Notions are often used in Scripture 2 Tim. 1. 12. Prov. 16. 3. Psal. 37. 5. If there be a thing to be brought about for you commit it and submit it to God he is able wise loving and faithful he will do what shall be for the best commit your comforts your health liberty peace your all into Gods hands for he is the Authour of all let the Lord do what he will This is to trust in God when you can thus without trouble or anxious care referr your selves to the wise disposal of his Providence 1. No hurt can come to you without Gods leave No Creature can move or stir saving notonly by his permission but by his influence others may have a will to hurt but not power unless given them from above as Christ told Pilate The Devil is a raging Adversary against the people of God but he is forced to ask leave to touch either Iob's Goods or his Person he could not touch his Skin or any thing that belonged to him without a Commission from God Iob 1. Nay he must ask leave to enter into the Herd of Swine Matth. 8. 31. And Tertullian hath a notable gloss upon that If God hath numbered the Bristles of Swine certainly he hath numbered much more the Hairs of the Saints if he cannot enter into a Herd of Swine he cannot worry a friend of Christs without Gods leave 2. Consider how much God hath exprest his singular affection and his care and Providence over his people There are many emphatical expressions in Scripture that 's one Matth. 10. 29 30. The very hairs of your head are numbered Mark he doth not speak of the heart or hands or feet those that we call parts which are necessary to the conservation of life but he speaks of the excrementitious parts which are rather for convenience and ornament than necessity What 's more slight than the shedding a hair of the head Thus he expresses the particular care of his people Again Zech. 2. 8. He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye No part is more tender than the eye and the apple of the eye how hath Nature guarded it that it may receive no prejudice So Isai. 49. 15. Can a mother forget her sucking Child c. See how his tender affection and yearning Bowels are exprest passions in Females are most vehement therefore God alludes to mothers affections And mark it is not to a Child that can shift for it self but a sucking Child that is wholly helpless that was but newly given her to draw her love Nature hath left tender affections on the hearts of parents to their tender infants yet if a woman should be so unnatural yet will I not forget thee saith the Lord. Now shall we not trust him and make him our hiding place Isai. 27. 3. I the Lord do keep it I will
blind guesses Promises are the eruptions and overflows of Gods love he cannot stay till accomplishment but will tell us aforehand what he is about to do for us that we may know how to look for it Use 2. Is to exhort us to rest contented with Gods word and to take his promises as sure ground of hope I shall shew you how you should count it a word of righteousness what is your Duty and that first you are to delight in the promise though the performance be not yet nor like to be for a good while Heb. 11. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being perswaded of them they embraced them Oh how they hugged the promises at a distance and said in their hearts O blessed promise this will in time yield a Mâ—…siah Iohn 8. 56. Your father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and saw it and was glad Yâ—… hold the blessing by the root this will in time yield deliverance Heb. 6. 18. not only yield comfort but prove comfortable Psal. 119. 111. Thy testimonies I have taken fâ—… an heritage for they are the rejoycing of my heart For your Duty Secondly You are to rest confident of the truth of what God hath promised and be assured that the performance will in time be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11. 13. Faith is not a failable Conjecture but a sure and certain Grace Rom. 8. 28. We know that all things shall work together for good to them that love God So Psal. 140. 12. I know that God will maintain the Cause of the afflicted and the right of the poor There is a firm perswasion I know I shall find this to be a truth Men who are conscionable and faithful in keeping their word are believed yet being men they may lye Rom. 3. 4. Let God be true and every man a liar Every man is or may be a liar because of the mutableness of his Nature from interest he will not lye but he can lye If we receive the testimony of men the testimony of God is greater Surely God cannot deceive or be deceived He never yet was worse than his word Thirdly You are to take the naked promise for the ground of your hope however it seem to be contradicted in the course of Gods Providence when 't is neither performed nor likely to be performed 't is his word you go by whatsoever his dispensations be Many times there are no apparent evidences of Gods doing what he hath said yea strong probabilities to the contrary 'T is said Rom. 4. 18. That Abraham against hope believed in hope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abraham had the promise of a Son in whom all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed but there was no appearance of this in Nature or natural hope of a Child both he and Sarah being old yet he believed 'T is an Antanaclasis an elegant Figure having the form of a contradiction he goeth upon Gods naked word Then Faith standeth upon its own Basis and Legs which is not probabilities but his word of promise Every thing is strongest upon its own Basis which God and Nature have appointed For as the Earth hangeth on nothing in the midst of the Air but there is its place Faith is seated most firmly on the word of God who is able to perform what he saith Fourthly This Faith must conquer our fears and cares and troubles Psal. 112. 7. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. He must fix the heart without wavering Psal. 56. 4. In God I will praise his word in God have I put my trust I will not fear what man can do unto me The force of Faith is seen in calming our passions and sinful fears which otherwise would weaken our reverence and respect to God Fifthly Above all this you are to glorifie God publickly not only in the quiet of your hearts but by your carriage before others Iohn 3. 33. Put to his Seal that God is true 't is not said Believed or professed but put to his Seal We seal the truth of God as his Witnesses when we confirm others in the faith and belief of the promises by our joyfulness in all conditions patience under crosses diligence in holiness hope and comfort in great streights Numb 20. 12. God was angry with Moses and Aaron because ye believe not to sanctifie me in the eyes of the Children of Israel We are not only to believe God our selves but to sanctifie him in the eyes of others as when the Thessalonians had received the word in much assurance in much affliction and much joy in the Holy Ghost The Apostle telleth them They were examples to all that believed in Achaia and Macedonia 1 Thess. 1. 5. The worthiness and generousness of our Faith should be a confutation of our base fears but a confirmation of the Gospel But we are so far from confirming the weak that we offend the strong and instead of being a confirmation to the Gospel we are a confutation of it Use 3. Is reproof to us that we do no more build upon this word of righteousness 1. Some count these vain words and the comforts thence deduced fanatical illusions and hopes and joys phantastical impressions Psal. 22. 7 8. All they that see me laugh me to scorn they shoot out the Lip they shake the head saying He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him let him deliver him seeing he delighted in him Nothing so ridiculous in the worlds eye as trust or dependance or unseen comforts Ungodly Wits make the life of Faith a sport and matter of laughter 2. Some though not so bad as the former they may have more modesty yet as little Faith since they are all for the present world present delights present temptations With many one thing in hand is more than the greatest promises of better things to come 2 Tim. 4. 10. they have no patience Afflictions are smart for the present Heb. 12. 11. No affliction for the present seemeth joyous but grievous Yea they do not deal equally with God and man If a man promise they reckon much of that Qui petat accipiet c. They can tarry upon mans security but count Gods nothing worth They can trade with a Factor beyond Seas and trust all their Estates in a mans hand whom they have never seen and yet the word of the infallible God is of little regard and respect with them 3. The best build too weakly on the promises as appeareth by the prevalency of our cares and fears If we did take God at his word we would not be so soon mated with every difficulty Heb. 13. 5 6. Let your conversations be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee So that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper I will not fear what man can do unto me There would be more resolution in trials more hardness
against troubles Besides maintenance there is protection in the promise If we had Faith to believe this it would effectually quiet our minds in all our necessities and streights and perplexities Man can do much bring them low even to a morsel of bread we need not much desire the best things of the world nor fear the worst need not be covetous nor fearful Where Faith is in any life and strength it moderateth our desires and fears 'T is an ill part of a Believer to hang the head II. Second Point from that Clause David's eyes were to Gods salvation That Gods word being past his people do and must wait for the accomplishment of it The lifting up of the eyes implies three things Faith Hope and Patience all which do make up the Duty of waiting for help and relief from God 1. The lifting up the eyes implies Faith and confident perswasion that God is ready and willing to help us 2 Chron. 20. 12. But our eyes are unto thee Psal. 123. 1 2. Unto thee I lift mine eyes O thou that dwellest in the Heavens The very lifting up of the bodily eye towards Heaven is an expression of this inward trust so David in effect saith From thee Lord I expect relief and the fulfilling of thy promises So that there is Faith in it that Faith which is the evidence of things not seen How great soever the darkness of our calamities be though the Clouds of present troubles thicken about us and hide the Lords care and loving kindness from us yet Faith must look through all to his power and constancy of truth and love The eye of Faith is a clear piercing Eagle eye Heb. 11. 27. Moses endured as seeing him that was invisible A man is very short-sighted before 2 Pet. 1. 9. He that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off can only skill in the things of sense and reason see a danger near him as Beasts or a bait while 't is before him a Brute thinketh of no other or else goeth by probabilities as it seeth things by the light of reason in their causes But Faith seeth things afar off in the promises Heb. 11. 13. at a greater distance than the eye of Nature can reach to take it either for the eye of the body or the mind Faith will draw comfort not only from what is invisible at present but not to come for a long time 't is future as well as invisible its supports lye in the other world and are yet to come 2. There is hope in it for what a man hopeth for he will look for it if he can see it a coming The earnest expectation of the Creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. 19. the stretching forth of the head Iudg. 5. 28. They looked out at the window and cried through the Lattice Why is his Chariot so long a coming So by spiritual hope there is a lifting up of the eyes or a looking out for what God hath promised or an intent observing all together Our conversation is in Heaven from whence we look for a Saviour Phil. 3. 20. Faith keepeth the eye of the mind fixed upon the promise and is ever looking out for deliverance Psal. 121. 1 2. I will lift mine eyes to the Hills from whence cometh my help my help cometh from the Lord which made Heaven and Earth Thence they look and wait for succour it must come out of Heaven to them They see it they can spy a Cloud a coming that which a man careth not for he doth not look for David saith I will pray and look up Psal. 5. 3. Hope hath expectation of the thing or object hoped for 3. There is patience in it in persevering and keeping on our looking till mercy come With faith and ardency in expecting Gods help Looking and waiting is to be conjoined notwithstanding difficulties till it procure deliverance Psal. 123. 2. Our eyes wait on the Lord who will have mercy on us This lifting up of the eyes doth not imply a glance or once looking to Heaven but that we keep looking till God doth help Isai. 8. 17. I will wait on the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Iacob and I will look for him There is a constant depending and patient attending upon God notwithstanding the present tokens of his wrath and displeasure As a man withdraweth himself from a party and will not be seen of him nor spoken to by him but the resolute Suitor tarrieth to meet and speak with him So Mic. 7. 7. Therefore I will look unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my salvation My God will hear me Not give over upon every discouragement as a Merchant doth not discontinue trading for every loss at Sea Certainly 't is not faith and hope unless we can endure and bear out Natural courage will bear out for a while but not long A little touch breaketh a bubble and a sleight natural expectation is soon discouraged but to hope against hope to pray when God forbids praying to keep waiting when we have not only difficulties in the World but seeming disappointments from Heaven it self when the promise and Christ seem to be parting from you and refuse you yet then to say I will not let thee go until thou bless me as Iacob said to the Angel Gen. 32. 25 26. when God saith let me alone Use. Let us turn our selves towards God for help and have our eyes on him and keep them there Psal. 141. 8. But mine eyes are unto thee O God the Lord in thee is my trust leave not my soul destitute Let us not give way to discouragements though God delay us so long till all our carnal provisions are spent no Meal in the Barrel nor Oil in the Cruise and we are brought to the last Morsel of Bread though brought to complain for pity to them that will shew none but pour Vinegar into our Wounds yea till our spiritual provisions be spent faith will hold out no longer hope can do us no service patience lost and clear gone we fall a questioning Gods love and care I say Though we grow weary let us strive against it acquaint God with it renew Faith in the word of promise There is an holy obstinacy in believing To get this eye of Faith 1. There is need of the Spirits enlightening Nature is short-sighted 2 Pet. 1. 9. A man cannot look into the other world till his eyes be opened by the Spirit of God Ephes. 1. 17 18. The Father of Glory give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints There needs spiritual eye-salve to get this piercing eye to look through the Curtain of the Clouds 2. When your eye is opened you must keep your eye clear from the suffusions of lust
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
only allowed to plead for themselves but they have an Advocate to plead for them The very Judge is their Advocate Oh let us hold God to this latter Covenant and Judgment of Grace Mercy and Goodness Lord upon these terms we dare come unto thee Secondly Consider the Blessing offered in this Covenant Heb. 4. 16. Mercy and grace to help It offereth Mercy for Pardon of Sins a Blessing which the Law knew not and Grace to help that 's for our purpose 'T is a Covenant which alloweth you expences to run the way of Gods Commandements gives you straw to make your Brick filleth your hand to pay the Master's Rent 'T is not an hard Master to reap where it soweth not but will cause you to walk and run whither it sends you Thirdly Consider There is nothing in God contrary to us or standeth in our way for it is all removed by this Judgment or Covenant If any thing 't is the Justice of God but that doth not stand in our way being satisfied by Christ. 1. If you take Justice as it implyeth his Remunerative and Vindictive Justice we have the Merit of Christ to plead There is a Ransom paid by him to whom the sinner is fled for refuge So that God may do us good without any blemish or imputation of defect to his Righteousness and Justice against Sin Rom. 3. 24 25. 1 Ioh. 1. 9. 2. As Righteousness implyeth the rectitude of his Nature In thy faithfulness answer me and in thy righteousness Psal. 143. 1. These things that terrifie others comfort the Godly The Righteousness and Truth of God are their Support His veracity is a part of his Righteousness as it becometh every Just man to make good his Promises SERMON CLXVIII PSALM CXIX VER 150. They draw nigh that follow after mischief they are far from thy Law HEre in this Verse he giveth an account what was the cause of his frequent and earnest crying unto God of his Hope Meditation begging for Quickening because he was ready to be destroyed by those who every day went off further and further from Gods Law they were ready to accomplish their wicked and malicious purpose upon him and prepared for it and even now at his heels to do him harm and mischief they draw nigh c. In the Words we have First An Intimation of approaching danger they draw nigh that follow after mischief Secondly A Description of those from whom the danger was feared they are far from thy law First They draw nigh c. The enemy is at hand even at the doors the Prophet speaketh as if he did hear the sound of his feet yet they are as far from thy Law as near to destroy me Doctrine Extream danger may sometimes draw nigh unto and even tread upon the heels of Gods People Reasons I. From the implacable Malice of their Enemies 1. They seek the Destruction of the People of God nothing less will content them this is implyed in the word mischief in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 83. 4. Come let us cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel may no more be in remembrance That 's their aim that not one of that denomination be left Psal. 137. 7. Rase rase it even to the foundation thereof Nothing will satisfie them but utter Ruin and Extirpation they that expect milder Terms from the seed of the Serpent flatter themselves with a vain hope 2. They follow this end with all industry and diligence this is implyed in the phrase that follow after mischief They watch all occasions pursue every advantage to bring their purpose to pass Some in Scripture are said to follow after Righteousnes Isa. 51. 1. it noteth their constant Trade and Study It may be rendred Pursuers of Righteousness as in the text Pursuers of Mischief They that follow after Righteousness are such as continue constant in the serious and sedulous practice of Holiness and they that follow after Mischief are such as are unwearied in the Prosecution of their Malicious Designs It implyeth a Metaphor taken from the vehemency of Huntsmen in the pursuit of their Foe or Prey So Prov. 21. 21. He that followeth after Righteousness and Mercy findeth life And Heb. 12. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 follow peace and holiness As Asâ—…el pursued Abner 2 Sam. 2. 19. and turned not to the right hand or to the lefâ—… from following after Abner The Sept. render here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they earnestly seek to undo me II. From the Providence of God who permitteth malicious Enemies to draw nigh to his people and to have many advantages against his people for Holy and Righteous Ends. 1. That this it the usual Course of Gods Providence to suffer his people to be reduced to great dangers and extremities that there is not an hairs breadth between them and ruin Paul was in the very mouth of the Lion 2 Tim. 4. 17. before God delivered him by the Lion he meaneth Nero a bitter enemy to the Christians and the Lamb was brought bound to him the Prey was in the Lions mouth before God delivered him 2 Cor. 1. 10. compared with 1 Cor. 15. 32. and both with Acts 14. 19. I gave my self for dead 't was a thousand to one he had not been sacrificed to the fury of the multitude So was David often near taking dangers which he did or could hardly escape Psal. 54. the Title When the Ziphims discovered him to Saul So Psal. 57. the Title When he fled from Saul in the Cave the Army of Saul at the mouth of the Cave and Saul cometh into it and yet God blinded him so that he escaped So the Church Psal. 124. 1 2 3. If it had not been the Lord that was on our side now may Israel say if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us then they had swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled against us They were in the midst of their fears 2. Why is this his usual Course 1. To exercise their Trust and Dependance Graces are seldom exercised to the life till we are near the point of Death now rather than God will suffer his people to live by sense without manifesting Grace and bringing honour to their Profession and the Truth of his Promises he will cast them into great dangers The skill of a Pilot is seen in a storm so is Faith put to 't in great conflicts as 't is in Cares so in Fears many are reduced to great streights in the Family no Meal in the Barrel no Oyl in the Cruise Ioh. 6. 4 5 6. When Iesus then lift up his eyes and saw a great multitude come unto him he saith unto Philip Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat And this he said to prove him for he himself knew what he would do A poor Believer is put to 't Children increase Trading seemeth dead what shall we do When danger is danger
of these things This is the Assurance of Faith spoken of Heb. 10. 22. I know I shall find this to be a Truth Men are Conscionable and faithful in keeping their Word much more God who can neither deceive nor be deceived 2. You are to delight in the promise though the performance be not yet nor like to be for a good while neither performed nor likely to be performed Heb. 11. 13. They saw them afar off and yet being perswaded of these things they embraced them And Ioh. 8. 56. Abraham saw my day and was glad You hold the Blessing by the root where you have the promise Heb. 6. 18. 3 You are to take the naked promise for a ground of your hope however it seem to be contradicted in the course of his providence 't is his Word you are to go by and stand by and according to which you must interpret all his Dispensations 'T is said Rom. 4. 18. That Abraham believed in hope against hope When Faith dependeth upon God naked Word then it standeth upon its own Basis and proper Legs every thing is strongest in its props and pillars which God and nature hath appointed for it He hangeth the Earth upon nothing in the midest of the Air but there is its place So Faith standeth fast upon his Word who is able to perform what he saith 4. This Faith must conquer our Fears and Cares and Troubles Psal. 112. 7. He shall not be afraid of evil tydings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. And Psal. 56. 3 4. In God I will praise his word in God have I put my trust I will not fear what man can do unto me The force of Faith is seen in calming our passions and sinful Fears or else it is but a Notion and our Reverence and Respect to God will be weakened by it 5. When Faith hath done its work in the quieting of our own hearts you must glorifie God in your Carriage before others Ioh. 3. 33. Put to his Seal that God is true that is when we confirm others in the faith and belief of the promises by our joyfulness in all Conditions Patience and Contentedness under the Cross Diligence in Holiness Hope and Comfort in great streights You shall see Numb 20. 12. that God was angry with Moses and Aaron because they believed not to sanctifie him in the eyes of the Children of Israel We are not only to believe in God our selves but to sanctifie him in the eyes of others As the Thessalonians by receiving the Word in much Affliction much Assurance and Joy in the Holy Ghost were Examples to all that believed in Achaia 1 Thes. 1. 5 6 7. Thus we should do but how few do thus believe Some count these vain words and the Comforts thence deduced Fanatical illusions or Fantastical impressions nothing so ridiculous in the Worlds Eye as Trust and dependance on unseen Comforts Psal. 22. 8. He trusted on the Lord that he should deliver him let him deliver him seeing he delighted in him Ungodly Wits make the life of Faith a sport or matter of Laughter Some have more modesty but as little Faith they are all for the present World 2 Tim. 4. 9. present delights please them but present Temptations altogether unsettle them Heb. 12. 11. cannot bear present smart nor despise the present World Rom. 8. 19. any thing in hand is more than the greatest promise of better things to come they do not deal equally with God and man if man promise they reckon much of that but cannot tarry upon Gods security count his promise little worth they can trade with a Factor beyond Sea and trust all their estate in a mans hand whom they have never seen and yet the Word of the infallible God is of little respect with them The best build too weakly upon the promise as appeareth by the prevalency of our Cares and Fears Heb. 12. 4 5 6. If you did take God at his Word you would not be so soon Mated with every difficulty there would be more resolution in Trials more hardiness against ttoubles A man may boldly say the Lord is my helper I will not fear what man can do unto me If we had Faith to believe it it would more effectually quiet our hearts and minds in all our streights necessities and perplexities it would calm our desires and fears we would not desire the best things of the World nor fear the worst SERM. CLXXXVIII PSALM CXIX VER 174. I have longed for thy Salvation O Lord and thy law is my delight WE now come to the second Acceptation of the Word Salvation as it implyeth Eternal Salvation and so the Points are two Doctrine I. That we should vehemently Long and earnestly Wait for Eternal Life Doctrine II. That we should not only Long for Salvation but delight in the way which leadeth us to it For the first Point That Longing for Salvation is the Duty and Property of Gods Children The Reasons are taken from I. The Object of these Desires II. The Subject of these Desires III. The Use of these Desires IV. The State and Condition of the present World I. The Object The Object of Desire is Good considered as absent and not yet obtained Good All desire that it should be well with themselves This Desire is confused and general not the hundredth part Longeth after the true Good Psal. 4. 6. Who will shew us any good Some are carried by Ambition others by Covetousness others by Sensuality 1 Ioh. 2. 16. All that is in the World is either the lust of the Flesh the lust of the Eye or pride of Life And Isa. 53. 6. All we like sheep have gone astray we have every one turned to his own way As the Channel is cut so Corrupt Nature finds a vent But now Gods Salvation is the true good and ought to be desired and will be desired by all his Children It Importeth a freedom from all Misery and an Injoyment of all Good and a freedom from all Misery there sin and sorrow shall be no more and all Tears shall be wiped from our Eyes Rev. 21. 4. the blessed Spirits above have none of our cares and fears and sorrows here we are sighing and they are praising we sinning and they pleasing God we full of infirmities and they are perfect and without blemish And in the full enjoyment of all good Psal. 16. 11. At thy right hand is fulness of Ioy and in thy presence pleasures for evermore Psal. 17. 15. As for me I will behold thy face in Righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness Alas the preparations to this Estate in the World are far above the vain delights of the Flesh much more the pleasures there these the soul longeth for though they are thankful for a refreshment by the way yet they long to be at home II. Reason is taken from the Subject of these Desires and there we have 1. The Suitableness 2. The Experience 3. Our