the stones which they give them instead of bread the Scorpions they feed them with instead of fish speak it plain enough But this is not enough to a godly Minister My little children saith the Apostle with whom I travel in birth till Christ be formed in you Paul laboured to present his people a pure and châ— Virgin to Christ and saith that he come wish himself accursed and separated frâ—â— Christ for his Brethrens sake The godly Minister is touched with a zeal â— the glory of God with a true â—â— for the people of God committed to lâ— charge and desires they might be approved though himself should be aâ—probate he blusheth and is ashand for the hardness of heart the Stâ— borness Rebellion and Apostacy of his people How saith he shall I loâ— God in the face another day as to the soul He hath an ambition in the grâ— day to speak after his Lord and Mester Of all those whom thou hast give me I have lost none Now brethâ— If you love them that love you saith our Saviour what reward have you How inexcusable will you be if you love not them who love you But if you have any love for the Ministers Christ who have spent themselves the service of your souls If any kindness for us if you would be our â— and crown and glory not our trouble and grief and shame in the great dâ— when our Lord shall appear Abide in him Now abide in him that you may have a Crown for your own heads and help a Crown on to our heads that when Christ shall appear you may have confidence and not be ashamed to look the Captain of our salvation in the face as all renegadoes will and that we may have confidence and come forth cheerfully when the Lord shall â—all us out in the day of judgment and be able to say Lord here are we and those whom thou hast given us Thine they were trusted to us and they have kept thy word I will adde but one word more to his branch of Exhortation 4. Whether should you go This Peter considered when our Saviour said to him Will ye also go away Lord saith he whether should we go thou hast the words of everlasting life God complained of his people Jer. 2. that they committed â—oo horrible evils forsaking the fountain â—living waters and digging up to themslves cisterns broken cisterns that would hold no water This must be the case of every Christian not abiding in Christ But to speak more distinctly 1. What faith will you embrace There 's nothing so dissonant to the rational nature of man than to believe a lie Whatsoever pretends to a divine truth and is not bottomed on Scripture is no other 2. Where will you fix your hope and considence Christ is the hope and the alone hope of his people whoso pureth hope or considence in any thine else trusteth to a bruised reed and a broken staff 3. To what course of life will you turn Will you again go back to the onion and garlick of Aegypt Will you lick â— your former vomit and verifie the proverb The swine returns to the walloning in the mire again Let me speak you as the Apostle to the Romans Who fruit had ye of those things of which you have been ashamed Have you mourned for your former courses in vain with you repent of your repentance with you because your Lord delayeth hâ— coming eat with the gluttons and drue with the drunkards and fall to smitiâ— your fellow-servants Take that of oâ— Saviour concerning such servants Matth. 24.49 50. Matth. 24.49 50 51. The Lord of that servant shall come in a day that he looketh not for him and in an hour that he is not try are of and verse 51. shall cut him â—sunder and appoint him his portion with hypocrites there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Once more Whether will you go to what society will you addere Take the company of professors with all their faults they are the best society in the world I mean not the best with reference to a Christians spiritual nature and temper but the best is men None more than they none so much as they live up to the principles of humane nature and reason The drunkard the unclean person the covetous worldling the profane curser and swearer and blasphemer of the holy name of God the unjust man that defrauds and cheateth his neighbour the fawning flatterer the godless atheist are so far from living like Christians that they live not like men Leave the flocks of Christs companions of the stricter sort of professors and find an assembly if you can not full of these spots there may be a severe Cato a just Aristides a composed Seneca amongst them but Oh! how rare are they Would you be glad Sirs to stand amongst these at the day of judgment would you be willing to have your portion with them If you would not let not your soul enter here into their secrets to their assemblies let us your honour be united But enough is spoken to this first Branch of Exhortation to them who through mercy yet is their first works I shall finish this discourse with one branch of Exhortation more 2. Exhor To those that have not abode in Christ pleading with them that they would return Here let me first shew you the persons to whom I speak Then I shall plead my Masters cause with them with a few arguments In the opening the point shewed you that men and women may have a three-fold state in Christ 1. The first Sacramental having been listed in the Lords Army given up their names unto him the Apostle saith we are baptized into Christ 2. The second Professional as members of the Church which is his body having walked with some Church of Christ in the Ordinances of the Gospel and made an outward shew of living within the Gospel compass 3. The third real and more inward and spiritual as having been by the grace of God the distinguishing grace of God taken out of the wild Olive of a natural estate and condition and ingrafted into Christ who is the true Olive and made true partakers of his grace From the first and second state there may be a toral and final apostasie from the last a sad and gradual apostasie but neither total nor final First then so many as have been baptized into Christ and since their baptism have lived in the service of the world of sinful lusts and pleasures instead of the service of God I say so many have not abode in Christ Oh! that they would remember the Covenant of their youth that by the smart punishments which they see earthly Princes inflicting on them that take their Oaths of Allegiance and then turn Traitors that take their press-mony and then refuse to fight for them nay instead of it openly fight against them they would collect what dreadful vengeance they must expect who in Baptism have
institutions because by it we come to the enjoyment of all other publick Ordinances How shall they hear without a preacher saith the Apostle and how shall they preach except they be sent Ordinances of publick communion with God being justly precious to gracious souls the key to them the hand which brings them must needs also be precious I say true able and faithful Ministers 1. True Ministers Every pretender is not so there were Prophets of old there are Ministers now in the world whom Christ never sent Under the Gospel there were false Apostles that brought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 high fine words Those whom God hath sent are easily distinguished from others not so much from the particular Church that sendeth them which may disser in her external Rites and forms of mission but from their ability and faithfulness the two following things 2. Able Ministers 2 Cor. 3.6 Able to what To read a Prayer or a Sermon a little ability serveth for this Able to teach able to pour out his peoples souls unto God in prayer to speak a word in season to the weary to instruct the ignorant resolve the doubting confirm the staggering Through Gods assistance to open the eyes of the blind Acts 26.18 to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Able to open the whole counsel of God unto people To divide the word of God aright shewing themselves workmen that need not be ashamed 3. Faithful Ministers A man may be able that is not faithful that 's faithful Minister that doth the Lords work faithfully feeding the souls of people with food convenient for them not with notions and language they understand not A faithful Minister is one that considereth his end to convert build up and perfect souls to eternity and proportioneth due means and applieth them faithfully to that end He preacheth in season out of season rebuketh exborteth with all faithfulness meekness authority gravity c. that he may save his own soul and the souls of others He administreth holy institutions according to the rule his Master hath given him and durst not erre from it Now I say it is impossible but such as these should be exceeding precious to gracious souls and for the same reason others must be as vile and abominable to them As they are the cheats of immortal souls and that in things of highest importance and concernment such as instead of being means to convey the waters of life to them are the means to keep them from them and to deceive them with the puddle waters of mens fancies But I shall not dwell longer on this Thirdly 3. Br. Observe from hence That a good Christian is to be judged much from his affection to Ordinances As in other pieces of his duty so in this he is not so much to be determined from his actions as from his affections St. Paul did the things which be would not and could not do those things which he would but yet he delighted in the Law of God as to the inward man So it is here Presence at Gods Ordinance will not conclude a Christian indeed formalists and hypocrites may be present Isa 58.2 Yet they seek me daily saith God A godly man may be absent David is forcedly absent Or it may be as 1 Sam. 2.17 1 Sam. 2.17 The Priests were so vile and their administrations so irregular that Gods people may as they did there abhor the offering of the Lord. But here 's the difference A wicked man though he drinks yet doth not thirst his going to Ordinances is like the drunkards going to the ale-house more to satisfie his lust than to quench any thirst he hath a lust to appear to be something when he is nothing to give what credit he can to some particular person that administreth or to some particular way of worship or to run thwart to others The godly man though he cannot though he dare not always drink yet he always thirsts A temptation may awe him from drinking at the purest and most wholesome waters of the Sanctuary Or some mixture may make him afraid but nothing can keep him from a due thirsting after Gods holy and pure Institutions In the next place therefore Vse 2 let us take an hint from hence to try whether the true Spirit of Christians breatheth in us yea or no. Grande est Christianum esse non dici It is a small thing to be called Christians it is a great thing to be a Christian indeed If thou beest so thy soul will thirst after the institutions of God As a new-born babe thou wilt desire the milk of the Word that thou maist grow thereby And that thou maist not deceive thy self consider what thou hast heard 1. Thy thirst will be after God in the Ordinance For thee for the living God saith David If thy thirst be such as can be allaied without any thing of God I mean any influence of God upon thy soul through the conduit of the Ordinance it is no more than a formal hypocrite may have What sayest thou Christian Is this the temper of thy soul Thou longest for an hour of prayer to hear a good Sermon and when thou hast had thy desire art thou unsatisfied still unless thou hast found God coming into thy soul in Prayer and speaking to thee in the Sermon this speaks a Christian indeed if any thing less than this will satisfie thee thou wilt fetch nothing of evidence from it it is no more than hypocrites may do who take these attendances for their righteousness and have a kind of thirst to them that they may have something to glory in before God 2. Thy thirst secondly will be after divine institutions in their purest and most powerful administrations The end of a Christian in waiting upon God in holy institutions being partly that he might pay an homage to God i. e. do what God hath required of him as his duty and partly that in them he may meet with God and find his presence and power His thirst must necessarily be thus circumstanced for he argueth thus with himself Hath God any where prescribed me this service or mode of Worship If not how can I think to please or do homage to him by an action which he never required of me nor did it ever come into his heart to direct me any such thing Again Wherefore should I desire Ordinances but that in them I may see the presence and power of God Can I expect either the presence or power of God in humane iffventions And as his thirst is after the most pure so it is after the most quick and lively administrations after such praying where the heart is most melted and poured out like water before the Lord. Such preaching where the Preacher comes closest to the soul and does not play off in generals only as if he were afraid to touch the sores of souls or to tell people of their sins
I am the Lord their God But I will for their sake remember the covenant of their ancestors c. Very like the Prophet eyeing that promise in the Law cries out Hath thy soul loathed Zion Zion there 's a great argument couched in that word All the dwellings of Jacob were dear to the God of Jacob but the Psalmist saith God loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Zion was the name of a Mountain at the foot of which Hierusalem and in it the Temple stood thence it is called the habitation of Gods holiness his dwelling place and it is put for the Church of God Lord saith the Prophet this is Judah against which thine anger smokes hast thou utterly rejected Judah There are but two Tribes and an half left of that people whom thou chosest to draw nigh unto thee hast thou rejected them utterly rejected them In this Judah is Zion thy Temple the place which out of all the earth thou chosest for thy habitation and in which above all thou didst delight hath thy soul abhorred Zion She was as thy Spouse and thou lovedst her doth thy soul now loath her As to the form of the words you see they are by way of Interrogation Interrogations in Scripture sometimes adde force to Affirmations and Negations Hath the Lord as great a pleasure in sacrifices as in obeying his commandments that is he hath not And so some would have it here then the sense is this Lord I know thou hast not utterly rejected Judah thy soul hath not abhorred Zion which is true as to the spiritual part of his people Hath God cast off Israel saith the Apostle God forbid he hath not cast off the people whom he fore-knew But all are not Israel that are of Israel Then the words have in them the force of an argument Lord I know thou hast not utterly cast off thy people thy soul hath not abhorâ—â—â— them therefore spare them as to this judgment So he pleads from Gods certain spiritual love to a part of the people formerly for the whole But I must confess I think this not the sense Interrogations sometimes are the language of persons inquiring for further certainty and satisfaction so I take it here as if the Prophet had said Ah Lord is the decree gone forth is there no hope art thou not to be spoken to for this people hast thou utterly reprobated them If not c. It follows Why hast thou smitten us and there is no healing These words have in them an Interrogation and an Expostulation No soundness in the Hebrew Here the Prophet begins to represent unto God the state of the people 1. They were smitten already smitten with a dearth 2. And in Gods purpose smitten with an approaching sword and captivity He owns God as the primary efficient cause Thou hast smitten he addes and there is no healing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word used in the Hebrew signifies health or soundness and healing or cure And so the complaint denotes two things 1. 〈◊〉 universality of the judgment they had no part sound no foundness 2. The desperateness of their distemper they could find no cure no remedy no healing their State Physitians were of no value they had tried but they could no help no healing he Expostulates with God not enquiring the cause Jeremiah was not signorant of cause enough in this people to justifie God in the severity of this dispensation but he speaks like a troubled man who would gladly have had it otherwise with his people if God had pleased 2. He further represents the sadness of this peoples case in this that their expectations were frustrated We looked 〈◊〉 peace and there is no good and for the time of healing and behold trouble There is nothing difficult in the words they only signifie the disappointment which God had given them in their great expectations The words may â—e understood either of the generality of the people who might have presumptuous hopes or of Gods own people who upon that great reformation which Josiah had began look't for peace â—oth were deceived no peace no good came but more trouble more disturbance still I intend not to speak to every Proposition might be drawn from these words I shall only fix upon one and that founded upon the words in the latter part of the Verse We looked for peace and no good came for the time of healing and behold trouble Prop. It pleaseth God in the wisdom of his Providence oft times to give people great disappointments in their expectations of peace and healing as to their outward concerns You may if you will take it in these two branches 1. People are very prone in evil times and disturbed times to look for good to look for healing 2. It pleaseth God oft times to give them great disappointments in their expeciations Trouble instead of peaceâ— wounds instead of healing I say 1. It is natural to us in evil and disturbed times to look for good and to looâ— for an healing It is true this Proposition is not universally verified in the Sons of men and the thing depends though not wholly yet in a great measure upon the sutural disposition There is much truth in that Maxim of Physitians and Philosophers Mores sequuntur humores Where any persons are more enclined â—o melancholly and that humour more prevails persons so enclin'd are more disposed to fears and jealousies and suspicions Where some other humour prevails in the body the person is more enclined to hope and presume so as you shall generally find men and women thus divided Some are more naturally disposed to fear the worst to be suspicious and jealous of every thing others â—â—e naturally enclined to hope the best and to promise all good to themselves and the most of people either from this Natural cause or some Moral â—ouses for they also have some inscience on us are very prone to look â—or good for peace and healing and this â—s not only ordinary to the more ignorant and sinful sort of men but even â—o Gods own people The wicked cry â—â—ace Peace when there is no peace to â—â—e wicked saith the Lord. The Mother of Sisera looks out at the window when her Son was dead with agnail struck through his temples and cryes Why is his Chariot so long incoming Have they not sped Have they not divided the prey The false Prophets daub with untempered mortar Three hundred false Prophets spake good to Ahab and bid him go up to Ramoth-Gilead and prosper Nor are the better and wiser sort Gods own dear people exempted from this infirmity Even David saith in his prosperity I shall never be moved nor are we only vain in prosperity to promise our selves a stability in that state but in a time of adversity we are as ready to promise our selves a quick deliverance and freedom from it When the children of Israel were carried captives into Babylon they would needs believe
iniquity Judas in all probability was baptized yet a Son of perdition Will it relieve thee to think thou hast believed the Scriptures to be the Word of God and Christ to be the Son of God so do the Devils believe and tremble Will it relieve thee to think that thou hast been obedient to the orders of the Church Dost thou not see that those are most universal in that Obedience which is so called whose lives proclaim the greatest opposition to the plain letter of Scripture in almost all the moral precepts of it Shall they also have peace 2. For thy new Practices Heretofore thou wer 't wont to pray in thy family and to instruct them in the things of God to spend thy time in reading the holy Scripture to spend dayes in fasting prayer communion with the Saints of God Believing thy obligation from a moral Precept to keep the Lords Day holy thou wer't wont in it to exercise thy self in reading the word hearing of it in prayer instructing thy children Now thou hast forgotten thy family duties thy chamber practice in Religion thy religious care of thy children and servants and all thy Devotion is turned into a little Formality of which thou makest no great conscience neither Thy Sabbaths are spent in vain and idle discourses and in a vain conversation and if any acts of devotion still continue possibly they are such as to which God will say to thee Who hath required these things at your hands Where did I ever speak a word to you or your Fathers of such homage to be performed to me nor did it ever come into my heart The time on other dayes which thou wer't wont to spend in fasting is now spent in feasting what was wont to be spared for hearing Sermons is now spent in hearing Playes Hark my friend shalt thou not one day thinkest thou be sick unto death as Hezekiah was Isa 38.1 will the Providence of God thinkest thou never speak to thee saying Set thy house in order for thou shalt dye and not live Wilt thou upon these practices be able to say as Hezekiah ver 3. Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how lâ—â— have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which was good in thy sight Doth thy conscience tell thee these things are good in the sight of the Lord. Such an absurd verdict may possibly be given in by the conscience of one muffled up in ignorance but thou hast known thou hast proved better things thy conscience must tell thee the courses which I formerly took were better than these Thou after thou hast escaped the pollution of the world 2 Pet. 2.20 through the â—nowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ art again entangled therein and overcome Thy latter end is worse than thy beginning It had been better for you never to have known the way of righteousness then having known it to turn from â—he holy commandment delivered unto you 3. For thy new Company Thou heretofore wer 't a companion to those that â—eared the Lord. The Excellent on the Earth were those in whom thou didst delight or at least pretend to do so Ministers of the Gospel who had beside their habit something else to approve them such powerful constant Preachers of the word that knew hâ—â— to speak a word in season to the weary how to satisfie a doubt resolve case of conscience give to every oâ— their portion c. People who math a conscience of their wayes aâ— though they had possibly their error and failings yet they were not such 〈◊〉 the very light of nature and reason shewed abominable such as cursing aâ— swearing blaspheming the God whoâ— they served reviling persons an things that had ought of his Imâ—â— and Superscription upon them Thâ— art now become a companion of soeâ— such I mean as the Scripture calls 〈◊〉 leud profane persons Sons of Bâ—â— that live without any yoke either Scripture or Moral Principles thâ— catest with the Glutton and sittest with the Drunkard and thy Chair is set 〈◊〉 them who sit in the seat of the scornsâ— and whiles they are smiting thy onâ— fellow servants if thy hand be not wâ— them yet thy heart is if thy â— throwest no stones at the Lord 's Sâ—phen's yet thou holdest the cloaths them that do it Will thy day of vâ—tation thinkest thou never come Send in that day for those that have sat at the Tavern with thee and see â—f they be able to speak a word to thy â—oul weary of life Remember Saul who had rejected Samuel enough when he was in distress he goes to a Witch and who must she raise up but Samuel What satisfaction wilt thou have â—n an evil day in a dying day from â—hose whom living thou hast preferred to be thy companions before such as have feared the Lord. I shall shut up this Head with minding you that by this Argument God by his Prophet Jeremiah endeavoured to reduce backsliding Israel Jeremiah 2.28 Jer. 2.28 But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee Let them arise if they can save thee in the day of trouble I will only add one thing for thy termor It is like enough that in the day of trouble God may leave thee to fetch thy relief from these empty cisterns When Judas's conscience smote him God left him to his Masters the Scribes and Pharisees alone to comfort him how cold a cup of consolation they afforded him the Gospel tells you When the Jewes had apostatized and the Philistins and Ammonites opposeâ— them and they cryed unto the Lord they met with a rough answer ver 13. Jude 10.11 12 13 14. I will deliver you no mâ—â— Go and cry untâ— the Gods whom you haâ— chosen and let them deliver you in the day of your tribulation Take heed thâ— the Providence of God speaks not that language to your souls in the day oâ— their tribulation Go and fetch their comfort from the principles practice and company which you have chosen 7. I will add but one Argument more That shall be from the mercy 〈◊〉 God which he hath for backsliding children making timely returns unto him This is an Argument which the Prophet Jeremy largely insisted upon Chap. 3. v. 1 2 3 4 5 12 13 14 22. First He sheweth them that this is above the mercy of men If a mâ— putteth away his Wife shall he take bâ— again c. It is very observable that the Jews defection chiefly insisted upon by the Prophet was in matters of Divine Worship where the sin charged upon them was the highest in genere suo idoâ—try which is a failer in the object of Worship either more immediate or meâ—iate and therefore exprest in Scripture by the sin of whoredom which is the highest error in conjugal relations There 's no sin so separates a people or person from God as this sin Superstition which is failer in the more external manner and rites of
Worship is a great sin but something lower than this Now God comparing the case betwixt him and them to the case betwixt a Man and his Wife that had dealt falsly with him tells him that in case of a â—ivorce a man doth not use to be reâ—onciled to his Wife yet Jerem 3.1 Return again unto me saith the Lord ver 5. Will he reserve his anger for ever Will he keep it to the end Again v. 12. Go and proclaim these words to the North and say Return thou back sliding Israel â—ith the Lord and I will not cause mine â—nger to fall on you for I am merciful â—aith the Lord and I will not keep anger for ever Only acknowledge thine iniquiâ—y that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God and hast scattered thy wayes to strangers under every green trâ—â— and you have not obeyed my Voice saith tâ—â— Lord Turn O back sliding children saâ—â—â— the Lord for I am married unto you aâ—â— I will take you one of a City and two 〈◊〉 a Tribe and bring you to Zion Anâ— again ver 22. Return you backslidiâ—â— children and I will heal your back sliding Oh that I could hear you saying as iâ— the next words of that Text Behâ—â—â— we come unto thee for thou art the Lâ—â—â— our God Truly in vain is Salvatin hoped for from the hills and from 〈◊〉 multitude of Mountains truly in the Lâ—â—â— our God is the salvation of Israel 〈◊〉 vain is salvation hoped for from course of profaneness formality or superstitiâ— or from any righteousness of your own In vain is peace of conscience in vaâ—â— is any good thing hoped for from them in vain is any blessing of Goâ— in this life hoped for from them 〈◊〉 the Lord is the salvation of people 〈◊〉 the faith of Christ In the Love 〈◊〉 Christ In a strict obedience to thâ— Gospel of Christ In a close walkiâ—â— with God In these things is the hopâ— the salvation of people the true peaâ—â— and tranquility of conscience Return â—hen with the Prophets words in your â—outh with which I shall conclude We lye down in our shame Jer. 3.25 and our conâ—sion covereth us for we have sinned gainst the Lord our God and have not â—eyed the voice of the Lord our God FINIS Psalm 42.1 2. As the Hart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God for the 〈◊〉 ving God when shall I come and appear before God THE Title of this Psalm is To the chief Musitiâ— for the Sons of Corah 〈◊〉 remember Justine Maâ—tyr answering the Jewish Question Why wâ— use not Musick in our Gospel Service as the Jewes did sayes it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Church in her infantil estate Just Mart. Quest Resp. 107. though singing be not so anâ— therefore still continued However that Musick was in David's time though since ceased a Divine Institution not meerly introduced by the discretion of the chief Magistrate we are assured by 1 Chron. 28.11.19 which speaks it no president for Humane Inventions in Acts or Modes of Divine Worship Korah was a Levite he perished in his gainsaying against Moses as you read Num. 16. But his children died not Nu. 16.1 To these it seems by holy David according to the Pattern he had from the Spirit of God 1 Chron. 28.12.13 The charge of the Musick was committed 1 Chron. 6.37 Who was the Author of this Psalm some question judging it one of the Sons of Corah and so interpreting it by the Genitive Case V. de Muci ad loc a Psalm of Instruction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thinking it composed in the time of the Captivity of Babylon But the Spirit that breatheth in it is so like the Spirit breathing â—salm 63. and Psalm 84. That I rather judge holy David the Author of it V. Mollerum ad loc c. and that it was composed by him in the time when Saul hunted him out of Judea so as he could not as formerly enjoy the Institutions of God which is the great business he lamenteth in this Psalm expressing his earnest longings for them and raising up hiâ— soul to an hope and confidence iâ— God that he would one day change his estate It is termed Maschil a Psalm of Instruction and may generally serve to instruct us in the frame of a gracious Spirit what it will be and our duty what we ought to doe under such a dispensation when either by any natural or moral causes we are hindered from a communion with God in hiâ— publick Institutions for Worship for of such it is apparent David speaketh both from ver 2. When shall I come and appear before God and ver 4. where with sadness he remembers how he 〈◊〉 wont to go to the House of God with thâ— multitude The Proposition I shall insist on iâ— this Prop. Vnder the severest dispensation of God to gracious souls Doctrine there will 〈◊〉 found in them a singular thirst after Gâ—â— in his Institutions of publick Worship Who ever was the Author of this Psalm the Language of it speaks a godly gracious heart if it was not the man it was certainly a man according to Gods heart The dispensation he was under was sad enough if he were in the captivity of Babylon as de Muci and others think or if it was David separated from the Tabernacle by the Violence of Saul The dispensation was every way sad enough Yet under these circumstances see the temper of this gracious person he cannot enjoy publick Institutions but he can look after them and long he can with Daniel open his window towards Jerusalem and pray He cannot drink but of the Wells of Salvation but he can thirst for the waters of them he cannot appear before God but he can say unto God When shall I come and appear In fine his Enemies have taken away his food but they have not taken away his stomach In the prosecution of this point I shall 1. Open the Metaphor of thirsting panting breathing 2. Shew you the singularity of the gracious souls thirst 3. Thirdly give you the causes of if and prove the point 4. Lastly Make some short appliction 1. Thirst is a natural affection caused through the want of some liquâ—â— thing to cool and refresh our naturâ—â— parts alwayes attended with a deâ—â—â— of the thing thirsted for so it implieth 1. An apprehended suitableness 〈◊〉 some object to the creaturâ— wants that is thus affected to iâ— 2. A sensible want of it we thiâ—â— not for drink when our 〈◊〉 mach and mouth is filleâ— with it 3. A desire and endeavour after iâ— 1. Every gracious soul apprehendeth 〈◊〉 suitableness in Gods Institutions to 〈◊〉 wants That there is such a suitableness I shall demonstrate anon this 〈◊〉 not apprehended by every soul but 〈◊〉 every gracious soul it is which preceedeth from his spiritual illumination and sense of his condition to which 〈◊〉 unregenerate soul is
best of souls are growing but â—â—ver come to their full growth Now the â—â—titutions of God are the souls food and â—â—ment in order to this growth The mark which is set in a Christians eye is The fulness of the measure of stature which is in Christ Perfection Being holy as Christ is holy perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect These are high marks every good Christian levels at them none hits them St. Paul himself had not attained but this one thing he did forgetting what was behind he pressed on to what was before A good Christian never standeth still but is always moving adding to his faith vertue to vertue temperance c. Growing in grace and in the knowledge of Christ Going on from strength to strength Now the institutions of God are the means of growth they are the souls food and nourishment 1 Pet. 2.2 As new born habes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby Psal 119.130 The entramâ— of thy word giveth light it giveth understanding to the simple They make wise the simple enlighten the eyes By them the servants of God are warned c. As well then can a growing child not hunger and thirst after food the propâ—â— nourishment of its body as soon mâ— a man not hunger and thirst for his mâ—â— and drink by which his soul is keptâ—â— life as a Christian not hunger and thirâ—â— after the institutions of God by which he groweth and by which he is preserved in his spiritual state 2. Though the weakest of Gods childrâ— be in a better state than the best unregâ—â— rate man yet none of their souls are in persect health Now the Ordinances of God are their spiritual physick The child of God while he lives on this side heaven is like a man or woman that hath a weak crazy constitution he is not always alike ill disposed nor always complains of the same distempers but 't is seldom that he is not complaining of one distemper or other One while of an hard heart another while of an heavy â—ull and dead spirit one while of a sad and dejected spirit another while of a diâ—racted vain spirit c. some ailment or other he always carries about with him and will do while his body of death abides in him the fountain of all spiritual diseases One while he is buffeted by â—â—atan another while he is pressed with â—s own corruptions Now the Ordiâ—â—nces of God are the leaves of the tree of life appointed for the healing of the Nations David was sadly distempered with a temptation from the prosperity of the wicked while he was in adverfity till he went into the sanctuary Psal 73.13 Hannab was of a troubled spirit till she went into the tabernacle to pray then her countenance was no more sad Psal 119.81 My soul fainteth for thee but I hope in thy word verse 50. And so in many other Texts As soon therefore may one labouring under daily pain weakness and distempers not desire deliberately what shall heal him as the child of God noâ— thirst after the institutions of God which are All-heal to his soul The greâ—â— and easie means for his spiritual cure Thirdly The gracious soul is alway looking after God but never in this liffully seeth him Gods institutions are aâ— glasses to the soul by which it hath a cleareâ— and fuller sight of God The power and glory of God are seen in the Sanctuary Psal 63.3 Next to the beholding oâ— God face to face it this beholding of him in duties of communion with him Oâ— what a communion with God doth the soul of a godly person oft-times enjoy in a Prayer in a Sacrament in the hearing of the Word and every sighted God is exceeding sweet Thus I have opened to you the second thing which is the cause of this singular spirituâ— thirst 3. A third is The Saints experiences God in Or dinances There is no gracious soul but at one time or other in Prayer in hearing the Word in receiving the Sacrament hath tasted and seen how good the Lord is Now it is of our nature having tasted that which we have found good and excellent the more to long for it But I shall adde no more to the Doctrinal part of this discourse I shall now come to the Application In the first place we may learn what to judge of those 1. Vse In truct who either despise Gods institutions or at least are very indifferent to them 1. There are too too many that despise them they mock at Preaching at Sacraments at Prayer they like a Play better or see no need of them at all some out of a principle of profaneness fordid souls that savour nothing of heaven and heavenly things nothing of that noble end for which man is created or to which he is obliged to direct his actions whether they have souls or no they scarce understand or if they have whether they differ from the sensitive souls of Dogs or Swines they consider not What the natural and animal life means they understand but what the spiritual life meaneth they understand not The drunkard thirsts after his cups of wine or other liquor the voluptuous man after his pleasures the covetous man after wealth but for those holy institutions of God which are pabulum animae those precious things by which mens souls live they understand them not they trample them under foot and it may be rend them who bring them to them Others there are that are not altogether thus bad but yet are very indifferent as to these things they can hear a Sermon and they can let it alone whether ever they be at one or no whether ever they sit at the Lords Table or no whether ever they pray or no they are very mdifferent O how unlike is the spirit of these men to the spirit of holy David What would you say to a child that should be born and never cry for food would not you sit it had nothing in it of humane nature or that it would not live longâ— You may as certainly conclude conceming such souls as these that they have nothing in them of the Divine Nature and they do not live at all the life of grace nor ever will live the life of glory There is no sadder sign either of a dead soul dead while it lives dead in trespasses and sins or of a decaying perishing soul than the want of this spiritual appetite this hungring and thirsting after the institutions of God Hence secondly observe 2. Br. How necessarily precious the true able faithful Ministers of the Gospel must be to gracious souls They are the earthen vessels which bring this heavenly treasure It was said of old Blessed is he that comes unto us in the name of the Lord. And Rom. 10.15 Rom. 10.15 How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of peace The Ordinance of the Ministry in this hath the preheminence of other
part of it whose sufferings may be sad enough and yet the promise not fail 3. A third errour may be as to Persons and that 1. As to persons that shall receive this mercy 2. As to persons that shall be Gods instruments in bring 〈◊〉 about the desired mercy 1. As to persons that shall receive thâ— desired mercy Promises as to outward mercies are more limited to the purity and holiness of a people than those made as to spiritual and eternal good things God hath said I will heal your back-slidings and God will save his people eternally notwithstanding their back-slidings but for outward prosperity and selicity it is no where promised to a back-sliding and impure people Supposing therefore a people that radically are good and the Lords people but a revolting back-sliding people and continuing in their revoltings without dup repentance if they build up expectations for the fulfilling of divine Promises as to outward prosperity and felicity while their soum is not taken off but bolleth into them they will most probably be disappointed 2. As to persons who shall be Gods instruments in bringing about the mercy desired And here let me only observe two things to you 1. No great expectations can be builded upon profane persons I do not say no great things for the good of Gods people may be done by them I know Cyrus was Gods servant to proclaim liberty to the Jews and oft-times God hath made the wrath of men to praise him Pharaoh shall keep the seed of Jacob alive and provide for them in a time of famine But I say expectations cannot be raised on these foundations If the Assyrian doth Gods work howbeit he meaneth not so saith God As the wife Faulkener maketh use of the ravenous quality of the Hawk to serve his turn and make it get that for him which the Bird gat for it self so the wise God will make use of an Assyrian an Egyptian a Cyrus an utter enemy to his people and make his selfish politick designs to serve his everlasting purpose but here is no ground for Gods people to build expectations 2. Nay secondly Be the persons never so holy that appear to us probable to do us good no certain expectation can be raised upon them Who would have thought that Moses and Aaron should not have been Gods instruments to have carried his people over Jordan and set their feet in Canaan yet they did not they sinned at the waters of Meribah and so died on mount Nebo holy men may fail and provoke God to cut them off So that to build expectations upon any particular persons is to lay a foundation for our disappointments 4. The fourth and last errour may be as to particular means It is true God doth most of his works by means but he wonderfully varies in the nature and kind of means he useth sometimes he doth it by what we call fair means sometimes by force and what we call foul means The people of Israel shall be delivered our of Egypt by the ruine oâ— Egypt yet not by sword and battel but by plagues and the Red-sea They shall be by the sword delivered from the Canaanites they shall by a Proclamation of Cyrus without any plague or sword be delivered from Babylon Mean which appear to us probable possibly shall not do the work what appear to us improbable and likely to work quite contrary that shall do it Oh the depth of the ways and judgments of God! how unsearchable are his judgments how are his ways past finding out Thus I have as shortly as I could opened the Proposition to you I shall now come to the application of it 1. Is not this Scripture this day fulfilled in your ears May not we in our addresses to God say O Lord hast thou utterly rejected England hath thy soul â—athed thy Church there Why are we â—itten and there is no healing We looked for peace and there is no good for healing and behold trouble That God dealeth with us as a people rejected and hathed is apparent Our Fathers are â—one our Prophets where are they We see not our signs nor is any Prophet to tell us how long We have â—en the Sanctuary of the Lord polited his Ordinances defiled we have â—eard our Sabbaths mocked at The Lord hath covered the Daughter of â—â—r Zion with a cloud in his anger â—nd not remembred his foot-stool in the day of his wrath As to our Civiâ— concerns How doth the City sit solitary that was full of people how is she become aâ— a widow She that was great amongst thâ— Nations and Princess amongst the Provinces May not we say Why are wâ— smitten and there is no healing Are noâ— we smitten in our spiritual things yeaâ— and with a dreadful smiting too Have we that preaching those Sacraments that communion of Saints which wâ— formerly had Have we those convictions and conversions of souls unto God those mournings under the Word of God such affected hearts as formerly I am sure I speak to those whâ— know we have not We see not thâ— Word of God go forth with that power and life to rouze up secure souls to convince and to change the hearts oâ— sinners to strengthen confirm anâ— comfort the wearied souls of Gods people as formerly We are full of deaâ—â— sapless dry unprofitable discourses 〈◊〉 Pulpits but where 's the power of thâ— Lord in his Ordinances where are thâ— weeping eyes where are the trembling souls we have formerly known where are the cries of them we have formerly heard Men and brethren what shall we do to be saved This is a smiting brethren and a dreadful smiting too it is true it is not in the most sensible part to the generality of people the Gadarenes you know came and besought our Lord to go out of their Country they have not now so many Sermons to disquiet them in their beds of lust and make their heads to ake but to them that fear God and truly understand and judge of the interest of a Nation it is I say a dreadful smiting and that in the tenderest part and possibly the cause of other smitings too But are not we smitten in our persons 〈◊〉 men will not believe they have souls â—et they know they have bodies Hath â—ot God smitten us with a dreadful Plague not parallel'd either in our days 〈◊〉 the days of our fore-fathers Hath â—â—t God smitten us both in our persons â—â—d estates with a consuming War and â—â—ce that with a dreadful Fire hardly â—o be parallel'd in any modern story And is there yet any healing for us again May we not say We looked for peace and no good for bealing and behold trouble Did not we in the year 1660 look for good for peace upon that miraculous revolution but did any good come instead of it all these dreadful judgments of God have succeeded Did not we again the last year upon the peace with our neighbours look for good did not we look for