his mouth and walk in the way that is pointed out by his Word and Spirit you shall have enough to direct you in all your ways 2. It doth warn us of all our dangers It doth not only in the general call upon us to watch Mat. 13. 37. and walk circumspectly Eph. 5. 15. but it discovers all those deceits particularly whereby we may be surprized diverted and turned out of the way There are snares in Prosperity snares in Adversity Temptations you meet with in praying trading eating drinking in your publick undertakings and in your private converse it shews your danger in all your ways before you feel the smart of them therefore give up your selves to God's direction reading hearing meditating believing and practising read hear it often then the deceits of Satan will be laid open and the snares of your own hearts Christians an exact Rule is of little use if you do not consult it Gal. 6. 16. Peace and mercy be upon all them that walk according to this Rule That order their conversations exactly the word signifies that try their work as a Carpenter doth by his square they examine their actions by the Word of God what they are now a doing therefore consult with it often then meditate of it ponder it seriously 2 Tim. 2. 7. Consider what I say and the Lord give thee understanding in all things If we would have understanding by the Word there must be consideration Man hath a discursive faculty to debate things with himself Why this is my duty what would become of me if I slep out of God's way here 's danger and a snare What if I should run into it now it is laid before me And then believe it surely Heb. 4. 2. The Word profited not not being mixed with faith in them that heard it Believe God upon his Word without making tryal You hear much of living by sense and by saith living by faith is when we bear up upon the bare Word of God and encourage our selves in the Lord but living by sense is a trying whether it be so or no as they that will not believe Hell shall feel Hell and they that will not believe the Word of God shall smart for it Heb 11. 7. Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark. It may be there were no preparations to the accomplishment of the Curse and Judgment the Word threatned it 's a thing not seen yet he prepared an Ark. When a man is walking in an unjust course all things prosper for awhile the misery the Word threatens is unseen Ay but if you would grow wiser by the Word than men can by Experience you must look to the end of things Psal. 73. 17. I went into the sanctuary of God then understood I their end And then practise it diligently A young Practiser hath more understanding than an ancient Notionallist Psal. 111. 10. A good understanding have all they that do his commandments It is not they that are able to speak of things and savor what the Word requires but they that do what they hear and discourse of Gregory saith We know no more than we practise and we practise as we know these two always go together The Word doth us no good unless there be a ready obedience therefore this is wisdom when we give up our selves to God's direction whatever it cost us in the world Doct. 2. That young ones may have many times more of this wisdom than those that are ancient Divers instances there are Ioseph was very young sold into Egypt about 17 years of age and when he was in Egypt Psal. 105. 22. He taught his Senators wisdom speaking of the Senators of Egypt With how much modesty did he carry himself when his Mistriss laid that snare Isaac was young and permitted himself to be offered to God as a Sacrifice Samuel was wise betimes 1 Sam. 2. 26. It is said The child Samuel grew on and was in favor both with the Lord and also with men From his Infancy he was dedicated to God and God gives him wisdom to walk so that he was in favor with God and men yea God reveals himself to Samuel when he did not to Eli. David when he was but 15 years of age fought with the Lion and Bear and somewhile after that with Goliah when he was a ruddy youth Iosiah when he was but eight years old administred the Kingdom before he was twelve sets upon serious Reformation Ieremiah was sanctified from the womb Ier. 1. 5. And Iohn the Baptist leapt in his Mother's womb Luke 1. 35. In the 32d of Iâ—…b the Ancients Iob's Friends are spoken of pleading their Cause wise young Elihu brings wiser words and better arguments than those that came to comfort Iob. Solomon asked wisdom of God when he was young Daniel and his Companions those four children as they are called Dan. 1. 17 18. it is said The Lord filled them with wisdom above all the ancient Chaldeans And Timothy the Apostle speaks of his youth and bids him flee youthful lusts he was young yet very knowing and set over the Church of God Our Lord Iesus at 12 years old puzled the Doctors In Ecclesiastical Stories we read of one at 15 years of age dyed with great constancy for Religion in the midst of sundry tortures Ignatius pleads the cause of the Bishop when he was but a very youth but a man powerful in doctrine and of great wisdom and therefore he saith He would have them not look to his appearing youth but to the age of his mind to his wisdom before God And he saith There are many that have nothing to shew for their age but wrinckles and gray hairs So there are many young ones in whom there is an excellent spirit and in all Ages there are instances given of youth of whom it may be said That they are wise beyond their years For the Reasons why many times young ones may have more wisdom than those that are aged God doth so 1. That he might shew the freedom and sovereignty of his grace He is not bound to years nor to the ordinary course of nature but can work according to his own pleasure and give a greater measure of knowledge and understanding to those that are young and otherwise green than he will to those that are of great age and more experience in the world You have this reason rendred Iob 32. 7 8 9. I said days should speak and multitude of years should teach wisdom There 's the ordinary course But there is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding Great men are not always wise neither do the aged understand judgment Though all men have reason and a spirit yet the Spirit of God is a wind that blows where he lists Those that exceed others in time may come behind them in grace He gives a greater measure many times of grace and knowledge to shew his
thing observable from hence is the necessity of directing grace Oh that my ways were directed I shall first premise some Distinctions 1. There is a general direction and a particular direction 1 The general direction is in the word there God hath declared his mind in his statutes He hath shewed thee O man what is good Micah 6. 8. 2 A particular direction by his Spirit who doth order and direct us how to apply the rule to all our ways Isa. 58. 11. The Lord shall guide thee continually Now this particular direction is either to our general choice Psal. 16. 7. I will bless the Lord who hath given me counsel It is the work of God only to teach us how to apply the rule so as to chuse him for our portion Or secondly as to acts and orderly exercise of any particular grace so 2 Thes. 3. 5. The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ. Or thirdly as to the management of our Civil actions as the pillar of the Cloud went before the Israelites in their Journeys so doth God still guide his people in all their affairs both as to duty and success As to Duty Prov. 3. 6. In all thy ways acknowledg him and he shall direct thy paths Ask his counsel leave and blessing in doubtful things ask his counsel in clear cases ask his leave Shall I go up or not and then ask his blessing As to Success Prov. 16. 9. A mans heart deviseth his way but the Lord directeth his steps Events cross expectation we cannot foresee the event of things in the course of a mans life what is expedient and what not Prov. 20. 24. Mans goings are of the Lord how can a man then understand his own way We purpose and determine many things rightly and according to rule but God disposeth of all events Rom. 1. 10. Making request if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you God brought Paul to Rome by a way he little thought of Therefore we need to call God to counsel and to enquire of the Oracle in all matters that concern Family Commonwealth or Church We need a guide Ier. 10. 23. O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself neither is it in man that walketh to direct his steps Affairs do not depend on our policy or integrity but on the Divine Providence who ordereth every step to give such success as he pleaseth II. Distinction There is a Literal direction and an effectual direction 1. The Literal direction is by that speculative knowledg that we get by the Word Psal. 119. 105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path Sufficient not only for general courses but particular actions 2. The effectual direction is by the Holy Ghost applying the Word and bending the hearts to the obedience of it Isa. 61. 8. I will direct their work in truth and I will make an everlasting Covenant with them That is I will so shew them their way as to work their hearts to the sincere obedience of it Now to give you the Reason for the necessity of this Direction Three things prove it 1. The blindness of our minds We are wise in generals but know not how to apply the rule to particular cases The Heathens were vain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their imaginations Rom. 1. 21. And the same is true of us Christians though we have a clearer knowledg of God and the way how he will be served and glorified yet to suit it to particular cases how dark are we A Dial may be well set yet if the Sun shine not upon it we cannot tell the time of the day The Scriptures are sufficient to make us wise but without the light of the Spirit how do we grope at noon-day 2. The forgetfulness of our Memories We need a Monitor to stir up in us diligence watchfulness and earnest endeavours Isa. 30. 21. And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying This is the way walk ye in it When ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left The cares and businesses of the world do often drive the sense of our duty out of our minds One great end of Gods Spirit is to put us in remembrance to revive truths upon us in their season A Ship though never so well rigged needs a Pilot we need a good guide to put us in mind of our duty 3. The obstinacy of our hearts so that we need every moment to enforce the Authority of God upon us and to perswade us to what is right and good The Spirits light is so directive that it is also perswasive there needs not only counsel but efficacy and power We have boisterous lusts and wandring hearts we need not only to be conducted but governed We have hearts that love to wander Jer. 14. 10. We are sheep that need a shepherd for no creature is more apt to stray Psal. 95. 10. It is a people that do err in their hearts not only ignorant but perverse not in mind only apt to err but love to err Thus you see the necessity of this direction Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes The USES Well then give the Lord this honour of being your continual guide Psal. 48. 14. For this God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide even unto death You do not own him as a God unless you make him your guide Psal. 73. 24. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterwards receive me to glory In vain do you hope for eternal life else Therefore 1. Commit your selves to the tuition of his Grace a man is to chuse God for a guide as well as to take him for a Lord to ask his counsel as well as submit to his Commandments Ier. 3. 4. Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me My father thou art the guide of my youth 2. Depend upon him in every action The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord all his particular actions Rom. 8. 26. For we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered 3. Seek his Counsel out of a desire to follow it Ioh. 7. 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self Still walk according to light received and it will increase upon you Such as make conscience of known truth shall know more He that cometh with a subjected mind and fixed resolution to receive and obey shall have a discerning spirit God answereth men according to the fidelity of their own hearts SERMON VII PSAL. CXIX 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandments THE Psalmist had prayed for direction to keep Gods Commandments here
what is to come yet fear of punish ment alone sheweth you are slaves and only love your selves the Devils fear and tremble but do not love You may fear a thing though you hate it So far as the heart is affected with the fear of Hell 't is good 3. There are very good and sound Principles yet do not always argue Grace as when duties are done out of the urgings of an enlightened Conscience this may be without the bent of a renewed heart but yet the principle is sound for the first thing that influenceth a man is to consider himself a Creature and so to look upon himself as bound to obey his Creator I shall illustrate it by the Apostles words in another case I must preach the Gospel and wo unto me if I preach not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9. 16. 17. Whether I do it willingly or unwillingly yet a Dispensation is committed to me So saith the Soul whether I be fitted to do God service or no God must be obeyed but because Gods precept is invested with a Sanction of Threatnings and Rewards here comes in the fear of Hell and the hopes of heaven The Lord hath commanded me to fly from Hell this is a good principle So the hope of Heaven Heb. 11. 26. 't is a sound principle a man may be gracious or he may not Many have a liking to Heaven and Eternal Life as 't is a state of happiness not of likness to God where 't is not alone 't is a very sound principle but as 't is it may sometimes be the sign of a renewed man and sometimes not 4. There are rare and excellent Principles when we Act out of thankfulness to God when we consider the Lords goodness that might have required Duty out of meer Soveraignty he hath laid the Foundation of it in the bloud of his own Son 1 Ioh. 4. 29. When we love him out of the sense of his love to us in Christ And when the grace of God that hath appeared teacheth us to deny ungodliness Tit. 2. 11. when the Mercies of God melt us Rom. 12. 1. when there are no intreaties so powerful as that of Love Again another principle that is rare and excellent is when the Glory of God doth season us in our whole Course that it may be to the praise of his glorious grace 1 Cor. 10. 31. Another is Complacency in the Work for the Works sake When we love the Law because it is pure when I see it will ennoble me and make me like God when I love God and his wayes when nothing but so noble imployment doth ingage me to his service and service to God is the sweetest life in the World SERMON CLVIII PSALM CXIX VER 141. I am Small and Despised yet do I not forget thy Precepts HEre David proveth the Truth of his former Assertion that seeing the Word of God was so Pure he loved it for its own sake and that he did not Court Religion for the portion that he should have with it but for it self Some are meer Mercenaries no longer then they are bribed by some Worldly profit they have no respect for God and his Wayes The Man of God was of another Temper if God would bestow any thing on him well if not he would love his Word still yea when it brought him apparent Loss Meanness and Contempt yet this could not make any divorce between his Heart and the Word I am small and despised c. In the Words we have 1. David's Condition 2. David's Carriage under that Condition His Condition might have been a Snare to him yet still he keepeth up his Affection 1. His Condition is set forth by two Notions the one of which implyeth the other Gods Providence I am small God had reduced him to streights the other Mans Treatment of him and despised the one sheweth what he was really in himself the other what he was in the opinion of others Mean in himself and Contemptible in the eye of others The Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am the younger and set at nought Therefore the Greek Interpreters suppose it relateth to the story when God bids Samuel to anoint one of the Sons of Iesse to be King and the elder Children were brought forth who were Taller and more likely too and they said of them surely the Lords Anointed is before him and when Samuel enquired for another they told him 1 Sam. 16. 7. That there remaineth the youngest and he keepeth sheep then when he was but an Youth and a despised stripling his heart was with God and God favoured him Or else they refer it to the time when Eliab his eldest Brother despised him 1 Sam. 17. 28. Others think this was verified when the Elders of Israel forsook him and clave to Absalom rather I think it generally to any Afflicted Condition when he was little in Estate and Reputation rather than in years elsewhere so is this word small taken Amos 7. 2 5. Iacob is small by whom shall he arise When his Condition was helpless and hopeless and Interest inconsiderable in the World So here I am small and despised I am looked upon as a man of no Value and Interest 2. Davids Carriage under this Condition Yet do I not forget thy Precepts First here is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 less is said more is intended I do earnestly remember them Again a man may be said to remember or forget two wayes Notionally or Affectively Notionally a man forgets when the Notions of things formerly known are quite vanished out of our Minds Affectively when though he retaineth the notions yet he is not answerably affected he doth not act suitably So 't is taken here and implyeth as much as I am stedfast in the profession of this Truth as they say in a like Case Psal. 44. 17. We have not forgotten thee nor dealt falsely in thy Covenant not parted with any point of Truth or neglected and dispensed with any part of Duty Precepts is put for the whole word of God I do not forget thy Word the Comforts and Duties of it None do so far forget God and his Precepts as those that make defection from him The sum of all is My mean and despicable Condition doth not make a breach upon my Constancy but still I keep the Credit of being a Faithful Servant to thee His Temptation was double his Faithfulness had made him small God seemeth to forget us in our low Estate yet we should not forget him and had made him despised though we lose esteem with men by sticking to the Word of God yet the Word of God should lose no esteem with us Doctrine They that love God may be reduced to a Mean Low and Afflicted Condition I am small saith David The Lord seeth it meet for divers reasons 1. That they may know their happiness is not in this World and so the more long for Heaven and delight in Heavenly things Psal. 17. 14 15. From men
as long as he sits still feels not the lameness of his joints but upon exercise 't is sensible Now these prayers are a profession of weakness upon a trial Rom. 7. 18. For to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not That presupposeth a search Not I cannot but I find not and then we run to prayer Every prayer is an acknowledgment of our weakness and dependance Who would ask that of another which he thinketh to be in his own power 3. That the Creature may express his readiness God will have us will though we cannot do It is true he giveth both Phil. 2. 13. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure But the one by preventing the other by assisting grace Rom. 7. 18. Though we are unable to do what we should yet it is the desire of our hearts Prayer is the expression of our desire When we heartily beg grace it is a sign the Commandment is not grievous but our lusts It much discovereth a mans heart what he counteth to be his bondage and the yoke 1 Ioh. 5. 3. For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous Which do we groan under the burden of the Law or the body of death That is best seen by our heartiness in prayer 4. To bring us to lye at his feet God will be owned not only as a Law-giver but as a fountain of Grace The precept cometh from God to drive us to God his Soveraignty maketh way for his grace He calleth upon us for obedience that we may call upon him for help First he giveth us a Law that he may afterwards give us an heart Gods end is to bring us upon our knees As hard Providences conduce to bring God and us together so do hard Commandments Till we be reduced to a distress we never think seriously of dealing with God Use. It teacheth us what to do when we meet with any thing that is difficult and impossible to us as to repent believe to renounce a bewitching lust or perform a spiritual duty Two ways we are apt to miscarry in such a case either by murmuring against God as if he were harsh and austere and had reaped where he hath not sown and gathered where he hath not strewed or by casting off all out of a foolish despondency Cut at heart or else wax faint These are the two evils I shall never get rid of this naughty heart Or else we fret against God Prov. 19. 3. The foolishness of man perverteth his way and his heart fretteth against the Lord. Now to prevent these evils spread the case before the Lord in this manner 1 Acknowledg the debt God will keep up the sense of his Authority his command must be the reason of our care as well as his promise the ground of our hope 2 Confess your Impotency 2 Cor. 3. 5. Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God This is to empty the bucket before we go to the fountain When we are full of self there is no room for grace 3 Own Gods power Mat. 19. 26. But Iesus beheld them and saith unto them With men this is impossible but with God all things are possible The difficulties that we meet with in the way to Heaven should serve only to make us despair of our own strength and abilities not of Gods with whom nothing is impossible It is a relief to consider of the Divine power from whence we fetch all our supplies necessary to life and godliness 4 Deal with God earnestly about help The Command sheweth how pleasing such requests are to God and you own God not only as a Law-giver but Author of Grac. Do not come in a lukewarm careless fashion but Oh that my heart were directed Sluggish wishes will do no good you bespeak your own denial when you ask grace as a thing of course Ier. 31. 18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God 2. The next thing that we may note is the serious desire that is in Gods people after Holiness Mark it is not a velleity but a volition Oh that noteth the vehemency and heartiness 'T is his first desire David had hitherto spoken assertively when he cometh to speak Supplications his first and chief request to God is Oh that my ways were directed c. Mark again It is not a desire of happiness but holiness not Oh that I were blessed but Oh that my ways were directed A mind to know a will to obey and a memory to keep in mind Gods precepts It is Practical holiness O that my ways God hath his ways They walk in his ways vers 3. And we have our ways Oh that my ways were directed That is all my thoughts counsels inclinations speeches actions were directed by thy statutes Every Commandment is a Royal Edict a statute which God hath made for the governing of the World Now the Saints have this desire of Holiness 1. From the new Nature that is in them The Appetite followeth the Nature Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would Desires being the vigorous bent of the soul discover the temper of it The carnal nature puts forth its self in lustings so doth the new nature The main thing we have by grace is a new heart that is new loves new desires and new delights Rom. 8. 5. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit 2. Out of love to God which implieth subjection and conformity to him Love to God is testified by a desire of subjection for his love is a love of bounty ours a love of duty 1 Ioh. 5. 3. For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous It is the great desire of their souls that they may be subject to God As he that loveth would not offend the party loved so it is their desire to please God in all things And as Holiness implieth a conformity to God they study to be like him It is their hope their desire their care their hope 1 Iohn 3. 2. But we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is It is their desire and care in every Ordinance 2 Cor. 3. 18. But 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 even as by the Spirit of the Lord. And it
of neither have entred into the heart of man to conceive Therefore the word hath a notable instrumentality that way 3. The Doctrine of the Scripture holds out the remedy and means of cleansing Christs blood which is not only an argument or motive to move us to it So it is urged 1 Pet. 1. 18. Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable c. It presseth holiness upon this argument why God hath been at great cost to bring it about therefore we must not content our selves with some smooth morality which might have been whether Christ had been yea or no. Again the word propounds it as a purchase whereby grace is procured for us so it is said 1 Ioh. 1. 7. He hath purchased the spirit to bless us and turn us from our sins And it exciteth faith to apply and improve this remedy and so conveyeth the power of God into the soul Act. 15. 9. Purifying their hearts by faith 2. The manner how the word is applied and made use of If he take heed thereunto according to thy word This implieth a studying of the word and the tendency and importance of it which is necessary if the young man would have benefit by it David calleth the statutes of God the men of his counsel Young men that are taken with other books if they neglect the word of God that book that should do the cure upon the heart and mind they are with all their knowledg miserable Psal. 1. 2. His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night If men would grow wise to Salvation and get any skill in the practice of godliness they must be much in this blessed book of God which is given us for direction 1 Ioh. 2. 14. I have written unto you young men because ye are strong and the word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one It is not a slight acquaintance with the word that will make a young man so successful as to defeat the temptations of Satan and be too hard for his own lust it is not a little notional irradiation but to have the word dwell in you and abide in you richly The way to destroy ill weeds is to plant good herbs that are contrary We suck in carnal principles with our milk and therefore we are said to speak lies from the womb A kind of a riddle before we are able to speak we speak lyes namely as we are prone to error and all manner of carnal fancies by the natural temper and frame of our hearts Isa. 58. 2. And therefore from our very tender and Infant-age we should be acquainted with the word of God 2 Tim. 3. 15. And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures It may be children by reading the word get nothing but a little memorative knowledg but yet it is good to plant the field of the memory in time they will soak into the judgment and conscience and thence into the heart and affections 2. It implieth a care and watchfulness over our hearts and ways that our will and actions be conformed to the word This must be the young mans daily prayer and care that there be a conformity between his will and the word that he may be a walking Bible Christs living Epistle copy out the word in his life that the truths of it may appear plainly in his conversation All that I have said issueth it self into three Points 1. That the great Duty of Youth assoon as they come to the full use of reason is to enquire and study how they may cleanse their hearts and ways from sin 2. That the Word of God is the only rule sufficient and effectual to accomplish this work 3. If we would have this efficacy there is required much care and watchfulness that we come to the direction of the Word in every tittle not a loose and unattentive reflection upon the Word careless inconsiderateness but a taking heed thereunto Now why in youth and as soon as we come to the use of reason we should mind the work of cleansing our way 1. Consider how reasonable this is It is fit that God should have our first and our best It is fit he should have our first because he minded us before we were born His love to us is an eternal and an everlasting love and shall we put off God to old age shall we thrust him into a corner Surely God that loved us so early it is but reason he should have our first and also our best for we have all from him Under the Law the first-fruits was Gods to shew the first and best was his portion All the Sacrifices that were offered to him they were in their strength and young Levit. 2. 14. And if thou offer a meat-offering of thy first-fruits unto the Lord thou shalt offer for the meat-offering of thy first-fruits green ears of corn dried by the fire even corn beaten out of full ears God would not stay till ripened God will not be long kept out of his portion Youth it is our best time Mal. 1. 13. when they brought a weak and sickly offering should I accept this of your hand saith the Lord The health strength quickness of spirit and vigour is in youth Shall our health and strength be for the Devils use and shall we put off God with the dregs of time Shall Satan feast upon the flower of our youth and fresh time and God only have the scraps and fragments of the Devils Table When wit is dulled the ears heavy the body weak and affections are spent is this a fit present for God 2. Consider the necessity of it 1. Because of the heat of youth the passions and lusts are very strong 2 Tim. 2. 22. Fly also youthful lusts Men are most incident in that age to pride and self-conceit to strong affections inordinate and excessive love of liberty 1 Tim. 3. 6. Not a Novice lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil A man may make tame fierce creatures Lyons and Tygers and the fury of youth needs to be tempered and bridled by the word It is much for the glory of Grace that this heat and violence is broken when the subject is least of all disposed and prepared 2. Because none are tempted so much as they Children cannot be serviceable to the Devil and old men are spent and have chosen their way but youths who have a sharpness of understanding and the stoutest and most stirring spirits the Devil loveth to make use of such 1 Joh. 2. 13. I write unto you young men because ye have overcome the wicked one They are most assaulted but it is for the honour of grace when they overcome when their fervency and strength is employed not in satisfying lusts but in the service of God and fighting against Satan Therefore
〈◊〉 unmixed milk The more natural the milk is and without any mixture the more kindly to a gracious appetite To mix it with Sugar and the luscious strains of a humane wit doth but disguise it and hide it from a spiritual tast But to mix it with Lime as Hierome saith of Hereticks makes it baneful and noxious Thus he speaks of his faithfulness as a Prophet a publick Teacher in the Church 2. As to the extent all the Judgments of thy mouth without adding or diminishing No part of Gods counsel must be forborn either out of fear or favour Our work is not to look what will please or displease but what is commanded Acts 20. 27. I have not shunned to declare the whole counsel of God If it be the counsel of God let it succeed how it will it must be spoken so David here all the judgments of thy mouth 3. David may be considered as a private Christian and so I would declare all the judgments of thy mouth in a way of conference and gracious discourse This is the sense I shall manage The Consideration I shall insist upon is this Doct. It concerns all that fear God to declare upon meet occasions the Iudgments of his mouth How in the way of publick teaching shall every one that hath knowledg and parts teach I answer No there are some separate for that work Act. 13. 2. Separate unto me Paul and Barnabas for the work whereunto I have called them Paul and Barnabas were gifted and called by the Spirit yet were to be solemnly authorized by Prophets and Teachers at Antioch by Officers of the Church Was it not enough they were called by the Holy Ghost What can man add more There must be Order in the Church though they were called yet they were to be ordained and to have a solemn Commission It is true all Christians are Prophets yet they are not to invade the Office Ministerial As they are also all Kings yet they are not to usurp the Magistracy or to disturb the Ruler in his Government If Christians would but meditate more and see how much they have to do to preach to their own hearts if they would but regard the unquestionable duty that they owe to their Families more this itch of publick preaching would be much abated and many other confusions and disorders among us would be prevented and they would sooner find the Lords blessing upon interchangeable discourse gracious conferences than this affectation of Sermoning and set-discourses Well then we are to declare the Judgments of his mouth not by way of publick teaching but by way of private conference edifying others and glorifying God by the knowledg and experience that we have First In our own Families Secondly In our Converses 1. In our own Families in training up children and servants in the way of the Lord and inculcating the Doctrine of God upon them This is a commanded duty as you may see Deut. 6. 6 7. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart What then and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest down and when thou risest up Morning and evening rising up and lying down at home and abroad they should be instructing their Families When the word of God is in the heart thus it will break out And ch 11. 19. you have the same again This is a duty God reckoneth upon that you will not omit such a necessary piece of service Gen. 18. 19. I know Abraham that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord. God promiseth himself that from Abraham and his Family he should have respect God hath made many great promises to Abraham as he doth now to all believers but if you would have him bring upon you that which he hath spoken you must not disappoint him The seasoning of youth betimes in your Families is a very great advantage The Family is the Seminary of the Church and State and usually those that are bred ill in the Family they prove ill when they come abroad A fault in the first concoction is not mended in the second and therefore here you should be declaring the mind and counsel of God to them Many that afterwards prove eminent Instruments of Gods glory will bless you for it to all Eternity It is the best love you can express to your children when you take care to season them with the best things A husband is charged to love his wife how shall he express this love Eph. 5. 25 26. Even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it c. I suppose the degree is not only commended for a Pattern but the kind it must be such a love as Christ bore to his Church He gave himself for her that he might sanctifie her It must be such a love as tends to sanctification It is a poor kind of love Parents express to their Children in providing great Estates and Portions for them or bringing them up in Trades that they may thrive in the world but when you train them up for Heaven there 's the best love Prov. 4. 3 4. For I was my fathers son he was the Darling tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother And wherein was that love exprest He taught me also and said unto me Let thine heart retain my words keep my commandments and live So for servants it is not enough to provide bodily maintenance for them so we do for the beasts if we would use their strength and service but we are to instruct them according to our Talents and that 's the best love we can shew to provide for their souls 2. In our Converses speaking of God and of his word in all companies instructing the ignorant warning and quickning the negligent encouraging the good casting out some savoury discourse wherever we come So Psal. 37. 30. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom and his tongue talketh of judgment A good man studieth in his speeches to glorifie God to edifie those he speaks to I will declare thy judgments saith David Wise and gracious discourse drops from him So Cant. 4. 11. Thy lips O my Spouse drop as the honey-comb honey and milk are under thy tongue The passages of that Song are to be understood in a spiritual sense now the lips and the tongue being Instruments of speech and milk and honey things by which the word is exprest I suppose it is meant of a conference and because the word of God is compared to milk and honey-comb it shews that their conference should be gracious and edifying this is that which drops from a sanctified mouth For the Reasons of this 1. I shall argue from the interest which God hath in the lips and tongue and therefore they
his Law and Grace which are means in the nearest vicinity with our End Psal. 37. 4. Delight thy self also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart Phil. 4. 4. Rejoyce in the Lord always and again I say rejoyce 3. Delight if not right set of all the affections it is apt to degenerate We have a liberty to delight in earthly things the affection is allowed the excess is forbidden Thou maist delight in the Wise of thy youth in thy Children Estate in the Provisions heaped upon thee by the indulgence of Gods Providence Pleasure is the sawce of life to better digest our sorrows It is allowed us but it must be well guarded We are most apt to surfeit of pleasant things and to miscarry by sweet affections Sorrow is afflictive and painful and will in time wear away of it self Pleasure is ingrained in our natures born and bred with us and therefore though we may delight in the moderate use of the refreshments of the present life in Estate Honour Reputation yet we should take heed of excess that our hearts be not overjoyed and too much taken up about these things Carnal joy is the drunkenness of the mind it besotteth us maketh us unmindful of God weakens our esteem of his favour and blessing it chaineth us to present things Pleasure is the great Witch and Sorceress that inchants with the love of the world maketh us unmindful of the Countrey whence we came and whither we are a going therefore we should be jealous of our delight and how we bestow it USE 3. To exhort us to this delight in Gods Statutes or this spiritual rejoycing 1. Here is no danger of exceeding the greatest excesses here are most praise-worthy In other things we must exercise it with jealousie feed with fear rejoyce as if we rejoyced not a man may easily go beyond his bounds when he rejoyceth in the creature but here enlarge thy heart as much as is possible and take thy fill of pleasure Cant. 5. 1. Eat O friends drink yea drink abundantly O beloved This is ebrietas quae nos castos facit chast Flagons Eph. 5. 18. Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess but be ye fill'd with the Spirit 2. We shall never be ashamed of these joys 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience c. All carnal joys have a turpitude affixed to them and therefore affect to lye hid under a vail of secresie The world would cry shame of him that would say of his bags or his dishes Here is my joy as much as men affect these things yet they desire to conceal them from the knowledg of others 3. We shall be never weary of these joys The delights of the senses become nauseous and troublesome our natural dispositions become weary and importunate a man must have shift and change pleasures refreshed with other pleasures But these delights add perfection to Nature therefore when fully enjoyed they delight most A good conscience is a continual feast a dish we are never weary of The blessed spirits in heaven are never weary of beholding the face of God God is new and fresh every moment to them The contemplation of such excellent objects doth not overcharge and weaken the spirits but doth raise and fortifie them It is true the corporeal powers being weak may be tired in such an employment as much reading is a weariness to the flesh but the object doth not grow distastful as in carnal things How shall we get it 1. Get a suitableness to the word Every man's delights are as his principles Rom. 8. 5. They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit A man is much discovered by his savour and relish of things All creatures must have suitable food There must be a sutableness between the Faculty and the Object spiritual things are spiritually discerned 2. Be in a condition to delight in the word A guilty soul readeth its own doom there it revealeth themselves to themselves accuseth and condemneth them As Ahab said of Micajah He prophesieth evil against me and therefore could not endure to hear him Joh. 3. 20. Every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh he to the light lest his deeds should be reproved 3. Purge the heart from carnal distempers lust envy covetousness love of pleasures these are Diseases that need other diet than the word Such persons must have other solaces they cater for the flesh to please the senses An earthly heart will not delight in spiritual things Doct. It standeth Gods children upon to see that they do not forget the word I. What is it to forget the word A man may remember or forget two ways Notionally and Affectively 1. Notionally when the notions of things formerly known are either altogether or in part worn out Jam. 1. 25. He is like one that looks his natural face in a glass but goeth away and straightway forgetteth what manner of person he was 2. Affectively when though he still retain the notions yet he is not answerably affected nor doth act according thereunto Thus the Butler did not remember Ioseph that is did not pity him Thus God is said not to remember the sins of them that repent when he doth not punish them and to forget the afflictions of his people when he doth not deliver them and we are said to forget God Psal. 106. 21. when we do not obey him and to forget his word when we do not remember his commandments to do them Psal. 103. 18. In this place both are intended the Notional and Practical remembrance II. The Reasons why we should not forget his word 1. Meditation will fail else A barren lean soul is unfit to enlarge it self in holy thoughts shall never grow rich in the spiritual understanding Col. 3. 6. Let the word of God dwell in you richly in all knowledg c. Men of small substance grow rich by continual saving and holding together what they have gotten but if they spend it as fast as they get it they cannot be rich Luk. 2. 19. Mary kept all these sayings and pondered them in her heart 2. Delectation will grow cold unless the memory be rubbed up ever and anon When they fainted under affliction the cause is intimated Heb. 12. 5. Have ye forgotten the exhortation that speaketh unto you as unto children Distrust in straits is from the same source Mar. 8. 13. They remembred not the miracle of the loaves for their hearts were hardened Ye see and hear and do not remember David was under great discomfort till he remembred the years of the right hand of the Most High Psal. 77. 10. Lament 3. 21. This I recall to mind therefore I have hope 3. Practice and conscience of obedience will grow more remiss Nothing keepeth the heart in a holy tenderness so much as a presence of the truth and when
of men therefore this is to go to the fountain-head to stop all opposition there and on the other side without this care of pleasing God all goes to loss Counsels though never so wisely laid yet are blasted if we do not make this our business to approve our hearts to God in those actions Remember in one place it is said The counsel of the froward is carried headlong Job 5. 13. forward and in another place Isa. 44. 25. The counsel of wise men he turneth backward When men do not study to please God and approve their hearts to him God leaves them to precipitate Counsels sometimes they are carried forward at other times they are carried backward the event is cross to their design Sometimes God lets them fall into precipitant Counsels that they may undo themselves at other times disappoints their Counsels and that which they have designed Prop. 2. Whosoever would keep in with God he needs good counsel and direction in all his ways Both in regard of the darkness of his understanding his corrupt affections and inordinate self-love Man is not able to rule and govern himself but needs counsel Prov. 12. 15. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise When a man engageth in any action such is the darkness and perversness of man's heart that he should not be over-confident of his own apprehensions or of his own inclinations but should hearken after counsel And Prov. 28. 26. He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool Both these Proverbs are to be understood not so much of wise managing of civil affairs as of spiritual direction Surely it is ill trusting our selves and counsels and inclinations of our own hearts Blind affections usually govern a mans life and all sinners have an evil counsellor in their bosom some lust or other and therefore need to be directed The Counsel of the flesh is Favour thy self Every evil affection gives ill counsel Covetousness saith Preserve thy worldly interest Voluptuousness saith You need not be so strict and nice and abridge your selves of the comforts of the world Paul saith Gal. 1. 16. I conferred not with flesh and blood Flesh and blood are evil counsellors and under pretence of safety will suggest what is for our ruin What will the flesh say when it is to be denied and the blood say when it is to be spilt and shed for Gods sake these will perswade us rather to please our selves than please God They will perswade us to desert our duty Prop. 3. The only good counsel that we can have is from God in his word Psal. 73. 24. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterwards receive me unto glory We have it from God and we have it from his word for there 's a Guide and a Rule Man is so weak and so perverse that he needs both a Guide and a Rule the Guide is the Spirit of God and the Rule is the Word of God Thou shalt guide me but by thy Counsel by these two alone can we be led in the way to true happiness The Spirit he is a sure Guide and the Word that 's a clear Rule We are dark but the Scriptures are not dark I observed out of the 18th Verse when the Saints called upon God they do not say Lord make a plainer Law but Lord give me better eyes We are dark and need the illumination of the Spirit the Scriptures are light Prov. 6. 23. The Commandment is a lamp and the Law is light In all matters of practical obedience it is clear and open Prop. 4. The counsel that God hath given us in his word is sufficient and full out to all our necessities Let me instance this in particulars 1. The word gives us counsel for our general choice it is the rule of all faith and obedience The Scriptures are the counsel of God sent to remedy the miseries of the fall therefore it is said Acts 20. 27. I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsel of God It is Gods counsel how man should be reconciled how he should be converted and come to the enjoyment of himself David when he had chosen God for his portion he saith Psal. 16. 7. Blessed be God who hath given me counsel In the word he gives us counsel how to come to him for our happiness and by grace he sets it on upon the heart this is the counsel of God concerning our salvation 2. Not only in our general choice but in all our particular actions so far as they have a tendency unto that end Psal. 119. 105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my paths It is a lamp and a light We are full of darkness and error but as we follow the direction of God it is a lamp not only to our path but to our steps to our feet not only to our path to our general course but it directeth us in every particular action 3. In dark and doubtful passages when a man multiplieth consultations and perplexed thoughts and changeth conclusions as a sick man doth his bed and knows not what course to take whether this or that then the word will direct him what to do so as that a man may find quiet in his soul. Indeed here 's the question How far the word of God is a Counsellor to us in such perplexed and doubtful cases 1. The word of God will help him to understand how far he is concerned in such an action in point of duty and conscience for otherwise it were not able to make the man of God perfect and throughly furnished unto all good warks 2 Tim. 3. 17. Now it is a great relief to the soul when a man understands how far he is concerned in point of duty The Conflict many times lyes not only between light and lust or light and interest then a gracious man knows what part to take but when it lyes between duty and duty then it 's tedious and troublesome to him Now the Word clearly will tell you what 's your duty in any action whatever it be 2. As to the prudent management of the action in order to success the Word will teach you to go to God for wisdom Iames 1. 6. and to observe his answer 3. So in all actions the word will teach you to ask God's leave and God's blessing Christians it is not enough to ask Gods counsel but ask his leave in any particular action in disposing our dwellings or our concernments of children and the like Judg. 1. Who shall go up and sight against the Canaanites They would fain have the Lord decide it And again Shall I go up to Ramoth Gilead In all actions our business is to ask Gods leave David always runs to the Oracle and Ephod Shall I go up to Hebron And Iacob in his journeys would neither go to Laban nor come from him without a warrant and leave from God So we
acts of Duty but by every act of Mercy what 's the argument he urgeth for Sion Zech. 3. 2. Is not this a brand pluckt out of the fire The Lord rebuke thee Satan Have not I delivered Sion and shall I suffer that to be destroyed which I have delivered the Lord urgeth his own mercy and his former kindness USE To quicken us not to grow weary of dealing with God Let us go often to God Men think it an uncivil importunity to require to do more when they have done already Solomon gives us that advice Prov. 25. 17. Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbours house lest he be weary of thee and so hate thee men waste by giving but God doth not when you have been with him and he hath done liberally for you yet he upbraids you not God that hath vouchsafed Grace you may desire the continuance of his Grace and to crown his own Grace II. Secondly Observe the mercy which he asks is Gods help in a course of holiness namely to walk worthy of the mercy Doct. 2. They that upon declaring their ways have found mercy with God their care should be to walk worthy of the mercy The Lord hath heard me what then teach me thy statutes So Psal 85. 8. The Lord will speak peace to his people but let them no more return unto folly Mark when God hath spoken peace when they have an answer of peace after you have prayed to God take heed of turning to folly do not lose the favour you have got walk more holily and more worthy of such a mercy Mat. 6. 12. forgive us our sins what then lead us not into temptation Upon supposition the Lord hath forgiven us our sins O let us not sin again Many would invite God to favour their ways when they have no respect to his ways which is in effect to make God a servant to our Lust but if you would have mercy from the Lord beg that you might walk worthy of the mercy The Children of God should do so upon a double ground in point of Prudence and Thankfulness In point of Prudence as they have smarted under their former folly and in point of Thankfulness as they have tasted the Lords Grace in his answer 1. When you have declared your way with brokenness and bitterness of heart you have experience of the evil of sin and when you know how bitter it is by sound remorse it is folly to return to it again Ioshua 22. 17. mark the reason Is the iniquitie of Peor too little for us from which we are not cleansed unto this day Our former sense of the evil of sin when declaring it should be a restraint to us else your cure is in vain A man that is recovered out of a deep disease is willing to escape the like again or as Christ said to the man that had an infirmity 38 years Go thy way sin no more lest a worse thing happen unto thee When a man hath had the bitter sense of the fruit of sin this will make him more cautious for the future they are foolish children that remember beating no longer than it smarts when they are scarce yet whole of the old wound Though God hath taken out the sting of the sin and granted us comfort yet remember your former smart that you may not fall into it again 2. Out of Thankfulness for Gods gracious answer Every answer of Grace leaves an obligation upon the sinner that he may not offend God again See what a holy argument is used Ezra 8. 13. Should we after such a deliverance as this break thy Commandment will you again relapse So Luke 7. 47. for her sins are forgiven her therefore she loved much Grace melts the heart When a man hath received much mercy from God his heart his wrought out into thankfulness and the more they have been in sin the more will they be in godliness when once they have tasted the sweetness of pardon and had an answer of Grace from God Thirdly Note They that would steer their course according to Gods holy Will had need of the conduct and assistance of his holy Spirit for he goes to God Lord teach me thy statutes Psal. 25. 4. Shew me thy ways O Lord teach me thy paths And Psal. 27. 11. Teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a plain path because of mine enemies And Psal. 86. 11. Teach me thy way O Lord I will walk in thy truth unite my heart to fear thy name These places shew that he addrest himself to God that he might not follow any sinful course in the time of trouble and temptations that he might not dishonour God SERMON XXVIII PSALM CXIX 27. Make me to understand the way of thy precepts so shall I talk of thy wondrous works IN the former Verses the man of God layeth forth his calamitous condition and beggeth comfort and audience not meerly to prosper his affairs but to better his heart Many will invite God to favour their ways when they have no respect to his ways which in effect is to make him a servant to their lusts But David's chiefest care was about Duty rather than Success therefore he desireth God to direct him how to walk in the way of his precepts his heart was much upon that In the close of the former Verse he had said Teach me thy statutes And here again Make me to understand the way of thy precepts c. In the words there is 1. A Request 2. An Argument Wherein is intimated 1. The fruit of Divine Illumination He should thereby see his wondrous works 2. His duty thereupon Then will I talk of them The word signifieth also to meditate Sept I will exercise my self It should be his delight to think and speak of the admirable goodness of God and the divine excellencies of his word and the pleasures that result from the practice of it 3. He intimateth the sincerity of his desire propounding this as his end That I may talk that I may be useful and edifying in my converse with others 1. The first thing that I shall observe is That David doth so often beg again and again for understanding Doct. That a sound and saving knowledg of the Truths of the Gospel is such a blessing as the children and people of God think they can never enough ask of him We have abundant proof of it in so much of this Psalm as we have already gone over 1. What is a sound saving knowledg 1. Such as doth establish the heart against all delusions and keepeth us on Truth 's side Many have some scraps of knowledg loose and uncertain motions but they are not setled and grounded in the Truth and therefore the unlearned and unstable are joyned together 2 Pet. 3. 16. Which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures to their own destruction Unskilful and unsetled Christians lye open to every fancy they have not such a stock
a poor little hearsay Knowledg availeth not They abhor themselves when they have more intimate acquaintance none so confident as a young Professor that knoweth a few Truths but in a weak and imperfect manner the more we know indeed the more sensible we are of our ignorance how liable to this mistake and that that we dare not trust our selves for an hour 4. Because of the profit that cometh by knowledg All grace from first to last cometh in by the understanding God in the work of grace followeth the order which he hath established in Nature Reason and Judgment is to go before the will and therefore when the work of Grace is first begun in us it beginneth in the Understanding Renewed in knowledg Col. 3. 10. So the encrease of grace 2 Pet. 1. 12. Grace be multiplied unto you through the knowledg of God and of Iesus Christ our Lord. As the beginning is by light so is all the gradual progress of the spiritual life strength to bear afflictions strength in conflicts is by powerful reasons yea the perfect change that is made in us in glory is by the vision of God We shall see him as he is and shall be like him If we had more knowledg of God and his ways we should trust him more fear him more love him more Trust him Psal. 9. 10. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee If God were more known he would be better trusted 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know whom I have believed I dare trust him with my soul. More feared 3 Joh. 11. Beloved follow not that which is evil but that which is good He that doth good is of God he that doth evil hath not seen God Right thoughts of God would not let us sin so freely one Truth or other would fall upon us and give check to the temptation as feared so loved more The more explicite thoughts we have of his excellency the more are our hearts drawn out to him Joh. 4. 10. If thou knewest the gift c. Christ would not lye by as a neglected thing if he were more known in all his worth and excellency USE The first Use is to press you to get Knowledg and look upon it as a singular Grace if the Lord will give you to understand and apply the comfort and direction of his Holy Word Joh. 15. 15. Henceforth I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you To be taught the mind of God is a greater act of friendship than if God should give a man all the treasures of the world To make himself known so as you may love him fear him trust him When we can apply this for our comfort O then cry for knowledg lift up thy voice for understanding seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures Prov. 2. 3 4. Go to God and be earnest with him Lord make me to understand the way of thy precepts We can walk in the ways of sin without a Teacher but we cannot walk in the ways of God And cry lift up thy voice We are earnest for quickning and enlargement but be earnest also for understanding Now a large prayer without endeavours is nothing worth Dig in the Mines of knowledg search into the Scripture do not gather up a few scattered notions but look into the bowels Silver doth not lye in the surface of the earth but deep in the bottom of it and will cost much labour and digging to come at it If we would have any good stock of knowledg which will prevent vain thoughts carnal discourse abundance of heart-perplexing scruples and doubts and much darkness and uncomfortableness of spirit it will cost us some labour and pains The more knowledg we have the more are we established against error 2 Pet. 3. 17. Ye therefore beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness The more you have of this divine saving knowledg the greater check upon sin Psal. 119. 11. I have hid thy word in my heart that I might not sin against thee One Truth or another will rise up in defiance of the Temptation The greater impulsion to duty the more of the Law of God the more it urgeth the conscience Prov. 6. 22. It maketh us more useful in all our Relations 1 Pet. 3. 7. Husbands Dwell with them according to knowledg c. Parents Eph. 6. 4. Fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Friends Rom. 15. 14. And I my self also am perswaded of you my brethren that ye also are full of goodness filled with all knowledg able also to admonish one another Magistrates that they may discern Christs Interest Psal. 2. 10. Be wise now therefore O Kings be instructed ye Iudges of the earth When Solomon asked Wisdom the thing pleased the Lord. And lastly More comfortable in our selves that they may comfort and build up one another whenever they meet together USE 2. To press you to grow in knowledg None have such confidence and rejoycing in God as those that have a clear sight and understanding of his will revealed in his word Let your knowledg 1. Be more comprehensive At first our thoughts run in a narrow channel There are certain general Truths absolutely necessary to salvation as concerning our misery by sin and the sufficiency of Christ to help us but if we might rest in these why hath God given us so copious a Rule The general sort of Christians content themselves to see with others eyes get the knowledg of a few truths and look no farther why then hath God given so large a Rule Fundamentals are few believe them live well and you shall be saved This is the Religion of most This is as if a man in building should only be careful to lay a good foundation no matter for roof windows walls If a man should untile your house and tell you the foundation standeth the main butteresses are safe you would not like of it A man is bound according to his capacity and opportunity to know all Scripture the consequences of every Truth God may and doth accept of our imperfect knowledg but not when men are negligent and do not use the means To be willingly ignorant of the lesser ways of God is a sin VVe should labour to know all that God hath revealed 2. More distinct why Truths are best known in their frame and dependance as Gods works of Creation when viewed singly and apart every days work was good but when viewed alltogether in their correspondence and mutual proportion to each other were very good Gen. 1. 31. So all Truths of God take them singly are good but
must run in the way of Gods Commandments It noteth speedy or a ready obedience without delay We must begin with God betimes Alas when we should be at the Goal we scarce set forth many of us And it noteth earnestness when a mans heart is set upon a thing he thinks he can never soon enough do it And this is running when we are vehement and earnest upon the enjoyment of God and Christ in the way of obedience And it notes again when the heart freely offereth it self to God Now this running is very necessary as it is the fruit of effectual calling When the Lord speaks of effectual calling the issue of it is running when he speaks of the Conversion of the Gentiles Nations that know thee not shall run to thee And draw me and we will run after thee And in the day of thy power thy people shall be a willing people There are no slow motions but when God draws there 's a speedy an earnest motion of the soul. And this running as it is the fruit of effectual calling so it is very needful for cold and faint motions are soon overborn with every difficulty and temptation Heb. 12. 1. Let us run with patience the race that is set before us When a man hath a mind to do such a thing though he be hindred and justled he takes it patiently he goes on and cannot stay to debate the business A slow motion is easily stopt whereas a swift one bears down that which opposeth it so when men run and are not tired in the service of God And then the prize calls for running 1 Cor. 9. 24. So run that ye may obtain There is a prize which is eternal life in Christ Jesus the reward or Crown which he keepeth for us in Heaven They that ran for a Garland of flowers in the Isthmick Cames the Apostle alludes to them how would they diet themselves that they might be in breath and heart to win a poor Garland of Flowers There 's a Crown of glory set before us therefore we should so run that we may obtain and be temperate in all things we should keep down the body deny fleshly lusts and the like Use To reprove faint cold motions in the things of God Many instead of running lye down or which is worse go back again or at best but a very slow pace Christ is running to you to snatch you out of the fire and will you not run towards him when we have abated the fervor of our motion towards God then we lye open to temptation therefore let us not loiter run it is for a Crown If Heaven be worth nothing lye still but if it be run wicked men run fast to Hell as if they did strive who should be soonest there bewail your slowness and lameness in obedience SERMON XXXVI PSALM CXIX 33. Teach me O Lord the way of thy Statutes and I shall keep it unto the end THE man of God had promised to run the way of God's commandments but being conscious of many swervings beggeth God further to teach him In the words two things are observable 1. A Prayer for Grace 2. A Promise made upon supposition of obtaining the grace asked He promiseth 1. Diligence and Accuracy of practice I will keep it 2. Perseverance unto the end 1. In the prayer for grace observe 1. The Person to whom he prays O Lord. 2. The person for whom teach me 3. The grace for which he prayeth to be taught 4. The object of this teaching the way of God's statutes The teaching which he beggeth is not speculative but practical to learn how to walk in the way of God 1. David a man after Gods own heart maketh this Prayer the more Love any have to God the more they desire to know his ways Carnal men are of another spirit they say Iob 21. 14. Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy ways The more ignorant the more quiet they that love their lusts cannot heartily desire the knowledge of those Truths which will trouble them in the following of their lusts We often consult with our Affections about our Opinions and where we have a mind to hate we have no desire to know Ordinary Professors a little knowledge serveth their turn some few obvious Truths but others such as David follow on to know the Lord. David that had a singular measure of knowledge already yet there is no end of his desire in this Psalm and shall we be contented as if we needed no more 2. Consider David a Prophet a Teacher a Pen-man of Scripture There was some Knowledg which the Prophets got by ordinary means and some by immediate Revelation as Daniel by vision and Daniel by reading of books Dan. 7. 〈◊〉 either by a new Revelation or by the study of what was already revealed and if extraordinary men were bound to the ordinary duties of Gods service as the means of their improvement and growth in Grace such as Reading Prayer Hearing Meditation use of Seals c. surely none can plead exemption or conceit themselves to be above Duties Now that they were thus bound we find by David's prayer for Knowledg Daniel's reading of Books namely that of Ieremiah and all of them meditating or inquiring diligently what manner of salvation should ensue 1 Pet. 1. 10 11. Of which salvation the Prophets have enquired and searched diligently who prophesied of the Grace that should come unto you searching what or what manner of time the spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when it testifyed before-hand of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow meditating and prying into the meaning of that salvation which by the motion of the spirit they held forth to others labouring to make these Truths their own and to get their hearts affected therewith In their prophetick revelations they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1. 21. forcibly moved by the spirit and carryed beyond their intention and the line of their natural strength but in other things they get knowledg by the same means that we do and as Believers were to stir up the gifts and graces which they had in the ordinary way of Duty waiting and crying for the Influences of the Lords grace You must distinguish then of what they did when they acted as Prophets and when they acted as Believers 3. David that had means external sufficient to direct him in the way of God as the Scriptures then written and the Ordinances of the Law the Expositions of the Scribes yet beggeth God to teach him So must we beg God to teach us whatever means we have It is true we have an advantage above the Old Testament Church as we have their helps and more and the Doctrin eof salvation is now clearer and the gifts and graces of the Spirit more plentifully dispensed since the price of Redemption is actually payed than before when God gave out grace and glory only upon trust yet still
is a great deal of profit for God looks to the affection and of all affections to the delight 4. When this delight is not set upon priviledges but upon grace and obedience this is more acceptable to God I delight in thy ways When we set upon obedience it 's a sign we mind Gods interest more than our own comfort that 's our own interest but subjection to God and holiness that 's for his glory therefore when the heart is set upon obedience then he will give in supplies of grace USE Oh that we could say so that we take joy and pleasure in the way of his Commandments Thou hast given me delight in thy ways give me strength to keep them To corrupt nature the ways of God are burdensome but to his children the Commandments of God are not grievous we shall not then want influences of grace SERMON XL. PSALM CXIX 36. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies and not to covetousness IN the former Verses David had asked understanding and direction to know the Lord's will now he asketh an inclination of heart to do the Lord's will The understanding needs not only to be enlightned but the will to be moved and changed Man's heart is of its own accord averse from God and holiness even then when the wit is most refined and the understanding is stock'd and stor'd with high notions about it therefore David doth not only say Give me understanding but incline my heart We can be worldly of our selves but we cannot be holy and heavenly of our selves that must be asked of him who is the Father of lights from whom cometh down every good and perfect gift They that plead for the power of Nature shut out the use of prayer for if by nature we could determine our selves to that which is good there would be no need of grace and if there be no need of grace there 's no use of prayer But Austin hath said well Natura verâ confessione non falsâ defensione opus habet We need rather to confess our weakness than defend our strength Thus doth David and so will every broken-hearted Christian that hath had an experience of the inclinations of his own soul he will come to God and say Incline my heart unto thy testimonies and not to covetousness In which words there is something implied and something exprest That which is implied is a Confession that which is exprest is a Supplication That which he confesseth is the natural inclination of his heart to Worldly things and by consequence to all evil for every sin receiveth life and strength from Worldly inclinations That which he begs is that the full bent and consent of his heart may carry him out to God's testimonies Or briefly here is 1. The thing asked Incline my heart 2. The Object of this inclination exprest positively unto thy testimonies Negatively and not unto covetousness Here is the object to which and the object from which To which Incline me to thy testimonies and suffer me not to decline to Worldly objects exprest here by the lust which is most conversant about them Covetousness Let me explain them more fully Incline my heart The word implies 1. Our natural obstinacy and disobedience to God's Law for if the heart of man were naturally prone and of its own accord ready to obedience it were in vain said to God Incline my heart I but till God bend us the other way we lye averse and aukward from his Commandments As God is said here to incline us so Iohn 6. 44. he is said to draw us There is a corrupt will which hangs back and desires any thing rather than that which is right we need to be drawn and bent again like a crooked stick the other way 2. It implies Gods gracious and powerful act upon the soul whereby the heart is fixed and set to that which is good when there 's a proneness another way this is the fruit of effectual grace Now let us see when the heart is enclined and how this is brought to pass 1. When is the heart said to be inclined I answer when the habitual bent of our affections iâ—… more to holiness than to worldly things for the power of sin stands in the love of it and so doth our aptness for grace in the love of it or in the bent of the will the strength of desire and affections by which we are carryed out after it Amor mens est pondus meum eo feror quocunque ferâ—…r Our love is the weight that is upon our souls Nothing can be done well that is not done sweetly Then are we inclined when our affections have a proneness and propension to that which is good New these affections must be more to holiness than to Worldly things for by the prevalency is Grace determined if the preponderating part of the soul be for God It is not an equal poyse we are always standing between two parties there 's God and the World There 's a sensitive good drawing one way and there 's a spiritual good draws us another way Now grace prevails when the scales are cast on grace's side I say it is the habitual bent not for a pang the heart must be set to seek the Lord 1 Chron. 22. 19. Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God and the course of our endeavours the strength and stream of our souls runs out this way then is the heart said to be inclined to Gods testimonies 2. How is it brought to pass or how doth God thus reduce and frame our hearts to the obedience of his will There are two ways which God useth by the word and by his spirit by perswasion and by power they shall be taught of God and they are drawn of God Joh. 6 44. The Lord will allure Iapheâ—…h so he works by perswasion Gen. 9. 27. and then by Power Ezek. 36 26 27. I will cause you to walk in my wâ—…ys c. God tempers an irresistible strength and sweetness together fortiter pro te Domine sâ—…aviter pro me He worketh as a God therefore he works strongly and invincibly but he perswades men as men therefore he propounds reasons and arguments goes to work by way of perswasion Strongly according to his own nature Sweetly according to mans By perswasions accompanied by the secret efficacy of his own grace First He gives weighty reasons he casts in weight after weight till the scales be turned then he makes all effectual by his spirit Morally he works because God will preserve mans nature and the principles thereof therefore he doth not work by violence but by a sweet inclination alluring and speaking comfortably unto us Hos. 11. 4. I drew them with cords of a man with bands of love God knows all the wards of mans heart and what kind of keys will fit the lock therefore he suits such arguments as may work upon us and take us in our month and then really and prevailingly
God failed not and surely he that hath been true hitherto will not fail at last 3. When the Word is performed in part it assureth us of the Performance of the whole 'T is an earnest given us of all the Rest 2 Cor. 1. 21. 22. For all the Promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen A Christian hath a great many Promises and they are a performing daily God is Delivering Comforting Protecting him speaking peace to his Conscience but the greater Part are yet to be performed Present Experiences do assure us of what is to come Thus Stablish thy word that is make it good by the Event that I may learn to trust another time either for the same or other Promises or Accomplishment of thy whole Word Doct. That it is Matter of great Consequence to have the Word of God established to us or to be confirmed in a certain belief of his Promises David asketh it here as a very necessary thing Stablish thy word unto Servant give me Lord to look upon it as a stable and firm thing This will appear if you consider the Conveniency Necessity Utillity and the Profit of this Establishment First The Conveniency and Suitableness of it It is very convenient that we should build strongly upon a strong Foundation That sure truths should be entertained with a certain Faith and things taken as they are uttered There is Certitudo Objecti a certainty of the Object it self and Certitudo Subjecti The certainty of the Subject our being perswaded of the certainty of it the one warrants the other and both are necessary to our Comfort that is as the Word is certain in it self so it should be certain to us No matter how strong the Foundation be if the Building upon that Foundation be weak down it falleth The Word of God is stable in it self but if we are not perswaded it is so we are soon shaken with Temptations To stay a Ship from being tost upon the Rocks it is necessary the Anchor hold be good its self and be fastened upon somewhat that is firm therefore 6 Heb. 18. 19. 20. The Apostle speaks first of the Stability of the ground and then of the strength of the Anchor There 's a firm rocky Ground to build upon the Immutable Promises of God and a solid strong Anchor which is our Faith and Affiance As faith without the Promises is nothing but Groundless and Fruitless conceit so the Promises yield us no Comfort without faith The promises are Yea and Amen in Christ. 2 Cor. 1. 20. And then presently Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ is God It is not sufficient that the Promises be Established but we mustbe Established upon them They are Yea and Amen in Christ but what 's that to us God may lose the glory of his Truth and we the comfort if we be not Established Second The Necessity of it will appear if we consider 1. How natural Unbelief is to us all and 2. How weak the Faith of most is 1. If we consider how natural Unbelief is to us it is a Sin we suck in with our Milk When our first Parents sinned against God his Word was not believed and thereupon the Sin was committed 3. Gen. 4. The Devil contradicted that which God delivered with his own mouth his Nay prevails above Gods Yea Ye shall not surely dye that was that which let in the first Sin And ever since it is very natural to us 3. Heb. 12. Take heed left there be an Evil heart of unbelief in you in departing from the living God Unbelief is the special part of the Hearts wickedness Partly because we have wronged God therefore are apt to suspect him for men are always jealous of those whom they have wronged and that they cannot mean well to them from whom they have received ill we have wronged God and therefore are suspicious of him and of his Good-will to sinners And partly because the truths of God lie cross to our Lusts and carnal Interest which maketh us so ready to pick Quarrels with him Ahab would not hear Micajah not because he prophecied False but Evil. Iohn 3. 20. They will not come to the Light lest their deeds should be reproved I say such strict Rules such close and quickening truths as God hath published in the Gospel men could wish they were not true that there were no Heaven nor Hell nor World to come and therefore because it lies so cross to our Lusts our wishes gain upon our understanding and blind us and we are not apt to believe these things Who will close with that which makes against him Men that are loath the Word of God should prove true are therefore slow of Heart to believe it 24. Luk. And Partly because ever since we were born we have been trained up to live by Sense and are affected only with the things we see hear and feel and therefore are little Skil'd in Faith which is the Evidence of things not seen 11. Heb. 11. which carrieth us to things above Sense to the concernments of another World In short then for these Reasons because it is natural to us to live by Sense to indulge our own Lusts and to suspect those whom we have wronged therefore Unbelief of God is so rife in the World 2. The necessity of Establishment in the Word of God will appear if we consider how weak the Faith of the most is There are few that entertain the Word as a sure and certain truth There are several degrees of Assent there is Conjecture Opinion Weakfaith and Faith that is stronger and that which comes up to an assurance of understanding as the Apostle calls it There is Conjecture or a lighter inclination of the mind to the Word of God as Possibly or Probably true a suspicious knowledge of things or bare guess at them when we go no higher than it may be so that all this is true which God hath spoken concerning Christ and Salvation There is beyond this Opinion when the mind is more inclin'd to think it true when we are so convinced of the truth of it that we are not able reasonably to Contradict it we think it true but there is still a fear of the contrary that it is not true which prevails over us and taints our Practice and weakens our Affections and withdraws them from things to come Then beyond this there is Faith or a firm and undoubted perswasion of the Truth of Gods Word which also hath it's Latitude There 's weak Faith which hath it's incident Doubts And there is beyond this receiving the Word in much Assurance as the experssion is 1 Thes. 5. 1. still we may increase higher in the degree of our assent for in this Life there is never so much but there may be more there is not so much Faith but there may be more There is something lacking to our Faith and it is not easie to grow up to the Riches of the
and overflow of his Love 2. His Care for our Security For by his Promise he giveth his People an hold-fast upon him as he maketh himself a Debtor to them by his own Promise who was otherwise free before such Ingagement to poor Creatures Psal. 89. 34. My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips The Word is gone out of his Lips not to be recalled nor reversed The Promises are as so many Bonds wherein he stands bound to us and these Bonds may be put in suit and his People have liberty and confidence to ask what he hath promised to them Austin saith of his Mother Chirographa tua injiciebat tibi Domine Lord she shewed thy own Bond and Hand-writing It is a mighty Argument in Prayer when we can plead that we ask no more than God hath promised 2. That there is usually some time of delay between making the Promise and fulfilling the Promise For therefore God promiseth because he meaneth to do us good but not presently And this delay is not for want of kindness or out of any backwardness to our good for so it is said he will not tarry Hab. 2. 3. Though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry nor out of ignorance as not knowing the fittest time to help his People for his waiting is guided by Judgment Isa. 30. 18. He waiteth that he may be gracious for he is a God of judgment he will take hold of the fittest season or occasion Not from forgetfulness of his Promise for he is ever mindful of his holy covenant Psal. 111. 5. Not from any mutability of Nature or change of Counsel for he is Iehovah that changeth not Mal. 3. 6. I am the Lord I change not therefore ye sons of Iacob are not consumed He hath a due foresight of all possible difficulties and needeth not to alter his Counsels Not from impotency and weakness as if he could not execute what he had promised as the Sons of Zeruiah were too hard for David 2 Sam. 3. 39. all things are at the beck and signification of his Will But 1. Partly with respect to his own Glory he will do things in their proper season Eccles. 3. 11. Every thing is beautiful in its time This is the wise Providence of God in the Government of the World that every thing is brought forth in its proper season and in the time when it is most fit God humbleth and God exalteth his People in the due time 1 Pet. 5. 6. Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time So it is said of their Enemies Deut. 32. 35. Their foot shall slide in due time Summer and Winter must succeed in their seasons 2. With respect to us God will try our Faith whether we can stay on his Word and hug it and embrace it till the Blessing come As it is said of the Patriarchs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11. 13. They embraced the promises Psal. 56. 4. In God I will praise his word I have put my trust in the Lord I will not fear what flesh can do unto me During this time we may be exercised with divers Troubles and difficulties so that to appearance God seemeth to forget his Promises and this he doth 1. Partly to try our Faith to the utmost to see if we can trust and depend upon God for things which we see not nor are likely to see Faith in the general is a Dependence upon God for some thing that lieth out of sight Now when the Object is not onely out of sight but all that is seen and felt seemeth to contradict our Hopes and God seemeth to put us off and we meet with many a rebuke of our Confidence in stead of an Answer as the Woman of Canaan that came to Christ at first meeteth not with a Word then his speech more discourageth than his silence Mat. 15. 26. It is not meet to take the childrens bread and to cast it to the dogs she turneth this Rebuke into an Encouragement ver 27. Truth Lord yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters table Ver. 28. Then Iesus answered and said unto her O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Many times we come and pray for Blessings promised and the Oracle is dumb and silent though God love the Supplicant yet he will not seem to take notice of his Desires but will humble him to the dust Now to pick an Answer out of God's Silence and a gracious Answer out of his Rebukes sheweth great Faith Iob saith chap. 13. 15. Though he slay me yet I will trust in him Faith supports us under the greatest Pressures when God seemeth to deal like an Enemy yet even then trusts in God as a Friend and that his Dispensations will never give his Word the lie 2. To try our Patience as well as our Faith God's dearest Children are not admitted to the enjoyment of the Mercies promised presently Heb. 6. 12. Be not sloathful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises And Heb. 10. 36. Ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye may receive the promise We must first do and sometimes suffer the Will of God The Promises are to come and at a great distance and if we hope for that we see not and enjoy not then do we with patience wait for it Rom. 8. 25. But especially is Patience tried when we meet with Oppositions Difficulties Dangers many things done many things suffered before we can attain what we hope for Now quietly to wait God's leisure is a great trial of our Patience Our times are always present with us when God's time is not come An hungry Stomach would have Meat e're it be sodden or roasted and a sickish Appetite must have green Fruit But to wait like the Husbandman in all Seasons and Weathers till the Corn ripen and to persevere in hoping and praying that is that which God requires 3. Our Love though we be not feasted with felt Comforts nor bribed with present Satisfaction and Benefits in hand God will try the deportment of his Children whether they will adhere to him when he seemeth to cast them off It is not said In the way of thy mercies but In the way of thy judgments O Lord have we waited for thee the desire of our soul is to thy Name and to the remembrance of thee Isa. 26. 8. Love for himself without any present Benefit from him yea when kept under sore Judgments and deep Distresses 4. To inlarge our Desires that we may have the greater sense of our Necessities and value for the Blessings promised A Sack that is stretched out holdeth the more Delay increaseth Importunity Ask and ye shall have seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you Mat. 7. 7.
of a soft Heart which must be asked of God 2 Chron. 34. 27. Because thine heart was tender and thou didst humble thy self when thou heardest the words of the Lord against this place There was an high peace and calm at that time but a tender Heart relenteth at the Threatnings Beg of God to sosten thy Heart 2. There needeth eminent Holiness for such a Frame that we shine as Lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation Phil. 2. 15. The Mourners must not be infected and tainted themselves but save themselves from an untoward Generation condemn the Sins of the Tâ—…es by their Conversation 3. We must have a Fear animated by Faith By Faith Noah was moved by fear concerning things unseen Heb. 11. 7. The danger of the Floud was unseen as yet and they married and gave in Marriage We must not judge of things by the present or by carnal Appearance there is a righteous Judge in Heaven Faith in his Word will shew us our Danger for God's Threatnings are all fulfilled and the more we seek to establish our selves by carnal Means the more our Ruine is hastened 4. There must be a grief set awork by a Love to God and the Souls of Men. In Calamities the true temper for Humiliation is a due Sense of our Fathers Anger and Brethrens Miseries in Sins our Fathers Dishonour and Man's Destruction those who are the same Flesh with our selves Now it should trouble us to see them in the way to eternal Ruine Of some have compassion making a difference And others save with fear pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment spotted with the flesh Jude 22 23 verses SERMON LX. PSAL. CXIX 54. Thy Statutes have been my Songs in the House of my Pilgrimage DAVID had in the former Verse expressed his great Trouble because of the increase of the Wicked and their Defection from the Law of God Now he sheweth what comforted him the Children of God have a great deal of divine Consolation from the Word in the midst of all their Sorrows and Evils of the present Life David's Comfort is here expressed 1. By the Matter or Object of it thy Stdtutes 2. The Degree of his Rejoycing intimated in the Word Songs The Effect is put for the Cause Joy and Mirth which usually breaketh forth into singing or the sign and indication for the Thing signified 3. The place where he rejoyced in the House of his Pilgrimage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wheresoever I sojourn 1. By God's Statutes is meant his Word in general more especially the Precepts and Promises in the one we have the offer of Life in the other the way and means how to attain it In the Word is both our Charter and our Rule in both regards it is matter of Rejoycing Psal. 19. 8. The Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the Soul Nothing is commanded there but what is equitable in it self and profitable to us 2. By Songs a Metonymy of the Effect for the Cause or the Sign for the Thing signified such Pleasure Joy and Contentment as other men had in Songs David had in the Word of God Travellers use to lighten and ease the tediousness of the Way by Songs thy Word doth comfort me wonderfully Or you may take it literally the Themes and Arguments of his singing Profane Spirits must have Songs suitable to their Mirth as their Mirth is carnal so the Songs of carnal Men are obscene filthy and fleshly but an holy Man his Songs suit his Mirth and Joy he rejoyceth in the Lord and therefore his Songs are divine thy Statutes are my Songs Singing of Psalms is a delectable way of Edification which God hath not onely instituted in the Scriptures but Heathens saw an use of it by the light of Nature Aelian lib. 3. nat Hist. cap. 39. telleth us of the Cretians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a spiritual Channel wherein our Mirth may run Iames 5. 13. Is any merry let him sing Psalms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is the Harmony that is a natural Delight the Matter that is a spiritual Comfort I cannot exclude this because it is one way of expressing that Delight which we take in the Word but I prefer the former for David speaketh of the Comfort he took in keeping God's Precepts when they were violated by others 3. In the House of my Pilgrimage you may take it literally for the time of David's Exile when banished by Saul or driven from his Palace by Absalom when he fled from place to place and wandred up and down in great distress then God's Statutes by which his Life was directed Innocency vindicated Hopes confirmed both of present Support and seasonable deliverance were as Songs to him his real and cordial Solaces Wheresoever the Believer is or whatsoever his Case and Condition be he hath still matter of Rejoycing in the Word of God So had David when he was exposed to continual Wandrings without any fixed Habitation Indeed the Children of God in Babylon say Psal. 137. 4. How shall we sing the Lord's Song in a strange Land The meaning is not to exclude their own spiritual Delight and Solace but they would not gratify the carnal Pleasure of the Enemies with a Temple-song or subject Religion to their sportive fancies and humours Rather Metaphorically for the whole Course of his Life whether spent in the Palace or in the Wilderness in whatsoever place he was he was still in the House of his Pilgrimage so he accounted his best and his worst Condition compare verse 19. I am a Stranger in the Earth and Psal. 39. 12. I am a stranger with thee and a Sojourner as all my Fathers were with 1 Chron. 29. 15. We are Strangers before thee and Sojourners as were all our Fathers Not onely when hunted like a Partridge upon the Mountains but also when he was at Rest and able to offer so vast a quantity of Treasure for the building of the House of God Two Points are observable 1 Doct. That the Godly count this World and their whole Estate therein the House of their Pilgrimage 2 Doct. That during this Estate and the Inconveniencies thereof they find matter of Rejoycing in the Word of God 1 Doct. That the Godly count this World and their whole Estate therein the House of their Pilgrimage I shall not handle this Doctrine in its full Latitude having spoken largely thereof in the 19 Verse onely now a few Considerations 1. Here is no fixed Abode there where we live longest we count our home and dwelling not an Inn which we take up in our passage but the place of our constant Residence in this World We are onely in Passage and so should consider it Heb. 3. 14. Here we have no abiding City but we look for one to come whose builder and maker is God Here we stay but a little while passing through to a better Country The Mortality of the Body and the Immortality of the Soul
thy words Keeping God's word notes an exact and tender respect when a Man keeps it as a Jewel as a precious Treasure that it may not be hazarded or keeps it as the Apple of his Eye Prov. 7. 2. The Eye is soon offended with the least dust so when we are chary of the word of God loth to offend God in any thing then are we said to keep his Word Two Points lye clear in the Text. 1. That God alone is the Godly Man's Portion 2. That those which have chosen God for their Portion will manifest it by a fixed Resolution and strict care of Obedience It must needs be so if God be his Portion his great business will be to keep in with him Doct. 1. That God alone is the Godly Mans Portion This will appear by Scripture and by Reason By Scripture Psalm 16. 5. The Lord is the Portion of mine Inheritance and of my Cup. There 's a double Metaphor first an Allusion to the shares of the Land of Canaan so God is the Portion of mine Ineritance saith David and an Allusion to the manner of a Feast where every Man had his allowance of Meat set by his Cup but Snares and Brimstone is said to be the Portion of a wicked Mans Cup. As every Man had his allowance set by his Flaggon of Wine specially in a solemn Feast so God is the Portion of my Cup. So Psalm 73. 26. The Lord is the strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever when my Flesh and my Heart faileth that is when my Body yields to the decay of Nature yea when all our Courage seems to be lost born down by difficulties that we endure in the Flesh God is a Portion that will never fail 2. To give some Reasons of it It will appear to be so 1. By considering what is requisite to a Mans Portion 2. Why a Godly Man looks upon God under this Notion I. If a Man were left to his free choice what he would choose to take for his Portion not what is his Portion in his strait when he can have no better but if he were left to his free choice 1. He would require that it be something good or apprehended to be so 2. That it be something to which he hath a Title and Interest to which he can lay claim or is in possession or expectation of according to right 3. He would choose that which is suitable to the capacities necessities and desires of him whose Portion it is 4. That it be sufficient to supply all his Wants so as he may live upon it 5. That it be such a thing wherein he may finde satisfaction and acquiescence so that he needs seek no more and ask no more 6. Such a thing wherein he may take complacency and great delight where he may be well pleased and rejoyced Now all these things are to be found in God and with good reason the Saints make this choice and say Thou art my Portion O Lord. First That which is to be chosen for our Portion must be God There is none good but one and that is God Matth. 19. 17. It is Christs own Proposition He is Good of himself Good in himself yea Good it Self There is no good above Him besides Him or beyond him But if any thing else be Good it is either from him or with him But that I may more distinctly speak to this 1. God is Primitively and Originally Good the Creature is but derivatively Good He is Good of himself which nothing else is the Fountain Good and therefore is called the Fountain of living Waters Ier. 2. 13. The Creatures are but dry Pits or broken Cisterns Other things what good they have it is of Him God must needs be infinitely Better and Greater then they for all things which are Good they have it from God 2. God is the chiefest Good and other things are onely Good in subordination All Creature goodness is but a stricture of that perfect Good which is in God and therefore if we finde any Good in them that should lead us to the greater Good even to the Creator Who would leave the Substance to follow the Shadow or desire the Picture to the dishonour and neglect of the Person whom it Represents Certainly so they do that run after the Creature and neglect God that seek happiness in sublunary enjoyments to the wrong and neglect of God That small Good which the Creatures have is not to hold us on them but to lead us to him as the Streams will direct us to the Fountain and the steps of the Ladder are not to stand still upon but to ascend higher If your Affections be detained in the Creature you set the Creature in Gods stead you pervert it from its natural use which is to set forth the invisible things of God his Excellency his Goodness his God-head and his Power to do you good and to send you to Him that made them But how usually doth that which should carry us to God divert and detain us from him If a Prince should wooe a Virgin by a Messenger and She should leave him and cleave to the Messenger and those He sent as Spokesmen and Servants this were an extream folly By the beauty and sweetness of the Creatures God's end is to draw us to himself as the chiefest Good for that which we love in other things is but a shadow and an obscure resemblance of that which is in Him There is sweetness in the Creature mixt with imperfection the sweetness is to draw us to God but the imperfection is to drive us from setting our hearts on them There is somewhat good in them look up to the Creator but there is vanity and vexation of Spirit and this is to drive us off from these sublunary things 3. He is infinitely Good In this Portion one hath not the less because another enjoys it with him Here is a sharing without division a partaking without prejudice of a Copartner for every Man hath his Portion whole and intire it is no less to us because others enjoy it too We straiten others in worldly things so much as we are enlarged our selves for these things are finite and cannot be divided but they must be lessened and therefore are not large enough But this Good is infinite and sufficeth the whole World and every one possesseth it entire As the same Speech may be heard of all yet no Man heareth less because another heareth it with him Or as the same Sun shines upon all I have not the less light because it shines upon an other as well as me So God is all in all if there be any difference the more we possess him the better As in a Quire of Voices every one is not onely solaced with his own Voice but with the harmony of those that sing in Consort with him worldly Inheritance is lessened by a multitude of Coheirs In outward estates many a fair Stream is drawn dry or
we are sooner made evil by evil Company than good by good Company 1 Cor. 15. 33. Be not deceived evil communications corrupt good manners evil words or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evil converses corrupt good manners We convey a disease to others but not our health oh how carefull should we be of our friendship that we may converse with such as may go before us as examples of Piety and provoke us by their strictness heavenly-mindedness mortification and self-denial to more love to God zeal for his glory and care of our Salvation Especially doth this concern the Young who by their weakness of Judgment the vehemency of their Affections and want of Experience may be easily drawn into a snare 3. Our love to God should put us upon loving his People and making them our intimates for Religion influenceth all things our Relations common Imployments Friendships and Converses It is a smart question that of the Prophet 2 Chron. 19. 2. Shouldst thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord Surely a gracious heart cannot take them into his bosome he loveth 〈◊〉 with a love of good-will as seeking their good but not with a love of complacency as delighting in them Our Neighbour must be loved as our selves our natural Neighbour as our natural self with a love of Benevolence and our spiritual Neighbour as our spiritual self with a love of Complacency In opposition to Complacency we may hate our sinfull Neighbour as we must our selves The wicked is an abomination to the righteous Prov. 29. 26. the hatred of Abomination is opposite to the love of Complacency as odium inimicitiae to amor benevolentiae So David saith Psalm 139. 21 22. Do not I hate them O Lord that hate thee and am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee I hate them with a perfect hatred I count them mine enemies I cannot cry up a Confederacy with them they that have a kindness for God will be thus affected 3. There is a threefold Friendship Sinfull Civil and Religioâ—…s 1. Sinfull when men agree in Evil as Drunkards with Drunkards or Robbers with Robbers Prov. 1. 14. Cast in thy lot among us let us all have one purse When men conspire against the Truth and Interest of Christ in the World or league themselves against his People as Gebal and Ammon and Amalek Psalm 83. 3. divided in Interests but united in Hatred as Herod and Pilate against Christ. This is unitas contra unitatem as Austin or consortium factionis a bond of Iniquity or confederacy in evil Again 2. There is Civil Friendship built on natural Pleasure and Profit when men converse together for Trade or other civil Ends thus men are at liberty to choose their Company as their Interests and course of their Imployments leade them The Apostle saith a man must go out of the World if he should altogether abstain from the Company of the Wicked 1 Cor. 5. 9 10. I wrote to you in an Epistle not to company with Fornicators Yet not altogether with the Fornicators of this world or with the Covetous or Extortioners or Idolaters for then must ye needs go out of the world But 3. There is Religious Friendship which is built on Vertue and Grace and is called the unity of the Spirit Eph. 4. 3. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Now this is the firmest bond of all Sinfull Societies are soon dissolved Drunkards and prophane Fellows though they seem to unite and hold together yet upon every cross word they fall out and break and Civil Friendship which is built on Pleasure and Profit cannot be so firm as that which is built on Honesty and Godliness This is among the Good and Holy who are not so changeable as the Bad and Carnal and the ground of it is more lasting This is amicitia per se the other per accidens from constitution of Soul and likeness of Spirits The good we seek may be possessed without envy the Friends do not streighten and intrench upon one another Self-love and Envy soon breaketh our Friendship but these seek the good of another as much as their own delight in the Graces of one another 4. In Religious Friendship we owe a love to all that fear God Acts 4. 32. The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul. Love is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bond of perfectness Col. 3. 14. all things are bound together by a holy Society and preserved by it There is in Love a desire of Union and Fellowship with those whom we love 1 Sam. 18. 1. Ionathan's Soul was knit to the Soul of David and he loved him as his own Soul and the Apostle biddeth all Christians to be knit together in brotherly love Col. 2. 2. without this they are as a besome unbound they fall all to pieces 5. Though there must be a Friendship to all yet some are to be chosen for our Intimacy our Lord Christ had Peter Iames and Iohn Matth. 17. 1. Matth. 26. 37. He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee When he raised Iairus Daughter he suffered none to go in but Peter Iames and Iohn Luke 8. 51. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this may be because of sutableness or special inclination or their excellency of Grace sicut se habet simpliciter ad simpliciter ita magis ad magis 6. Our Converse with these must be improved to the use of Edifying to doe one another good by Reproof Advice Counsel Levit. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy heart thou shalt in any wise reprove him and not suffer sin to be upon him This is kindness to his Soul Rom. 1. 11. I long to see you that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift to the end you may be established SERMON LXXII PSAL. CXIX 64. The Earth O Lord is full of thy Mercy teach me thy Statutes IN this Verse I observe 1. David's Petition Teach me thy Statutes 2. The Argument or Consideration which encourageth him to ask it of God The Earth O Lord is full of thy Mercy The sum and substance of this Verse will be comprised in these five Propositions I. That saving Knowledge is a Benefit that must be asked of God II. That this Benefit cannot be too often or sufficiently enough asked It is his continual request III. In asking we are encouraged by the Bounty or Mercy of God IV. That God is mercifull all his Creatures declare V. That his Goodness to all Creatures should confirm us in hoping for saving Grace or spiritual good things I Prop. That saving Knowledge is a Benefit that must be asked of God for three Reasons 1. God is the proper Authour of it 2. It is a singular Favour where he bestoweth it 3. Prayer is the appointed means to obtain it 1. God is the proper Authour of it The Fountain of Wisdome is not in Man himself but God giveth
art mindfull of him and the son of man that thou visitest him The lowest Heaven affordeth us Breath Winds Rain the middle or second Heaven affordeth us Heat Light Influence and the third Heaven an eternal Habitation if we serve God In Earth all the things daily in our view speak to God's praise if we had the leisure to hear them these Creatures and Works of his that are daily in our view represent him as a mercifull God This is the Lesson which is most legible in them whether we sit at home in our Houses or go abroad and consider Land or Water Go to the animate Creatures the Beasts of the Field Psalm 36. 6. Thou preservest Man and Beast Job 12. 7 8. But ask now the Beasts and they shall teach thee and the Fowls of the Aire shall declare unto thee Or speak to the Earth and it shall teach thee and the Fishes of the Sea shall declare unto thee Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this His Providence reacheth to an innumerable multitude of Creatures giving them Life and Motion and sustaining them and relieving their Necessities and doth largely bestow his Blessing upon them according to their Nature and Condition And this Goodness of God shineth forth in all his Creatures not onely what he doth to them themselves but in what he doth about them for Man's sake they were defiled with Man's Sin and therefore he might in justice have abolished them or made them useless to Man or Instruments of his Grief but they are continued for our Comfort that we might live in a well-furnished World Now come to Man himself good bad wicked godly His Sun shineth his Rain falleth on the evil and good just and unjust Matth. 5. 44. great Mercy is still continued to the fallen Creature even to the impenitent Acts 14. 17. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness in that be did good and gave us rain from Heaven and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness What was God's Witness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth good much patience is used mens Lives continued while they sin and means vouchsafed for their reclaiming Food Raiment Friends Habitations Health Ease Liberty afforded to them and all to shew that we have to doe with a most mercisull God who is willing to be reconciled to the sinning Creature Go to the godly and what is all their Experience but a constant course of Mercy David's admiration declares it Psalm 139. 17. How precious are thy thoughts to me O Lord how great is the sum of them if I should count them they are more in number than the sand He was in a maze when he thought of the various dispensations of God's Providence there was no getting out The Lord filleth up his Servants lives with great and various Mercies even in their Warfare and Pilgrimage here in this World abundance of unvaluable Mercies that if we do but consider what we do receive we must needs be confirmed in this Truth by our own Senses Every thing is a mercy to a Vessel of Mercy 2. Wherein God expresseth his Mercy to them in Creation and Providence 1. In creating them it was great Mercy that being infinitely perfect in himself from all Eternity and so not needing any thing he took the Creatures out of nothing which therefore could merit nothing and communicated his Goodness to them for thy pleasure they are and were created Revel 4. 11. 2. In preserving and continuing them so long as he seeth good the Heavens continue according to his Ordinance the Beasts and Fowls and Fishes continue according to his pleasure all the living Creatures need many things for their daily sustentation which their Creatour abundantly supplyeth to them and therefore the whole Earth is full of his Mercy One Creature the Scripture taketh notice of Luke 12. 24. Consider the Ravens for God feedeth them And Again Iob 37. 41. He feedeth the young Ravens when they cry and wander for lack of meat And Psalm 147. 9. He giveth to the Beast his food and to the young Ravens which cry Why is the Raven made such an instance of Providence above other Fowls or other living Creatures some say it is Animal sibi rapacissimum others other things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 casts its young out of the Nest assoon as they are able to fly and put to hard shifts for themselves all this sheweth his Mercy how ready he is to supply the miserable V. Prop. His Goodness to all the Creatures should confirm his People in hoping for saving Grace or spiritual good things Why all the business will be to shew you the force of this Argument and that it is a prop to Faith 1. We may reason from the less to the greater our Lord hath taught us so for food and cloathing Matth. 6. 28 29 30. And why take ye thought for raiment Consider the Lilies of the field how they grow they toile not neither do they spin And yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arayed like one of these Wherefore if God so cloath the grass of the field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the oven shall he not much more cloath you O ye of little faith From Fowls and Lilies they have no arts of tilling spinning are not of such account with God as Mankind as his People So for Protection Matth. 10. 29 30 31. Are not two Sparrows sold for a farthing and one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father But the very hairs of your head are all numbred Fear ye not therefore ye are of more value than many Sparrows The Reasoning is good if he hath Mercy for Kites he hath also for Children who are not onely in a higher rank of Creatures but in a renewed Estate and reconciled to him by Christ become his Friends and Children whom he tendereth as the apple of his Eye much more when they come for spiritual Benefits pleasing to the Lord 1 Kings 3. 9 10. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people that I may discern between good and bad for who is able to judge this thy so great a people And the speech pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing Now all these amount to a strong probability if not a certainty It is a mistake to think that Faith onely goeth upon Certainties no sometimes it is mightily encouraged by Probabilities These must not be left out for if I want any spiritual Blessing is it not a great incouragement to remember God's mercifull Nature shining forth in all his Works if kind to his Creatures will he not be kind to me if he causeth his Sun to shine upon the Wicked will he not lift up the light of his Countenance upon my Soul if his Rain fall upon their Fields will he not let the Dew of his Grace fall upon my barren Heart Though
in Affection and Estimation Alas the best of us are scarce dark shadows of his Goodness 4. God's Goodness is the Life of our Faith and Trust so long as the Goodness of God endureth for ever we have no cause to be discouraged If we want Direction in the Text 't is said Thou art good and dost good teach me thy Statutes If we want Support and Deliverance Nahum 1. 7. The Lord is good a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him In every streight the People of God find him to be a good God When we feel the burthen of Sin and fear God's Wrath Psalm 86. 5. The Lord is good and ready to forgive and plenteous in Mercy to all them that call upon him David when his old Sins troubled him the Sins of his Youth Psalm 25. 7. Remember not the Sins of my youth nor my Transgressions according to thy Mercy remember thou me for thy goodness sake O Lord. When his Enemies consulted his Ruine Psalm 52. 1. Why boastest thou thy self in mischief O mighty Man the goodness of God endureth continually They cannot take away the Goodness of God from you whatever they plot or purpose against you Thus may Faith triumph in all Distresses upon the sense of the Goodness of God In the Agonies of Death the Goodness of God will be your Support Non sic vixi ut pudeat me inter vos vivere nec mori timeo quia bonum habeo Dominum We have a good Master who will not see his Servants unrewarded the Goodness of God and his readiness to be gracious to every one that cometh to him is the Fountain of the Saints Hope Strength and Consolation 5. The Goodness of God is the great Motive and Invitation to Repentance Rom. 2. 4. Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance How so God is good but not to those that continue in their Sins Psalm 68. 19 20 21. Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with Benefits even the God of our Salvation Selah He that is our God is the God of Salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death But God shall wound the head of his Enemies and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his Trespasses If Goodness be despised it will be turned into Fury How great soever the Riches of the Lords Bounty and Grace offered in Christ are yet an impenitent Sinner will not escape unpunished God is good oh come try and see how good he will be to you if you will turn and submit to him There is Hope offered and Goodness hath waited to save you so that now you may seek his Favour with hope to speed While he sits upon the Throne of Grace and alloweth the Plea of the New Covenant do not stand off against Mercies God hath laid out the Riches of his gracious Goodness upon a design to save lost sinners and will you turn back upon him and despise all his Goodness provided for you in Christ In point of gratitude the least kindness done men melteth them as coals of fire The Borrower is servant to the Lender God hath not only lent us but given us all that we have therefore it should break our Hearts with sorrow and remorse that we should offend a God so Good so Bountifull so Mercifull The odiousness of sin doth most appear in the unkindness of it that infinite Goodness hath been abused and infinite Goodness despised and that you are willing to lose your part in infinite Goodness rather than not satisfie some base lust or look after some trifling vanity Saul wept at the thoughts of David's kindness 1 Sam. 24. 16. Every man will condemn the wrongs done to one that hath done us no evil but much Good and will you sin against God who is so Good in himself so Good to all his Creatures and so Good to you and waiteth to be better and more gracious and return evil for all his good and requite his Love with nothing but unkindness and Provocation Oh be ashamed of all these things What heart is that that can offend and so willingly offend so good a God Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you by the Mercies of God there is Argument and Endearment enough in that that ye present your bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable Service that ye consecrate dedicate your selves to his glory address your selves chearfully to his Service Let the Soul be warmed into an earnest resolution to please him for the future lest you make Goodness your Enemy and Justice take up the quarrel of abused Grace 6. The Goodness of God is the great Argument to move us to Love God If he be Good he is worthy to be Loved and that with a superlative Love for God is both the Object and the Measure of Love a less Good should be loved less and a greater Good more All that is not God is but a finite and limited Good and must be loved accordingly God only is Infinite and Eternal and therefore he is to be loved of all and above all with our chiefest and most worthy Love by preferring his Glory above all things that are dear to us and being content for his sake to part with all that we have in the world But if any lower thing prevail with us we prefer it before God and so contemn his Goodness in comparison of it If the object of Love be Good none so properly deserveth our Love as God For 1. He is Originally Good the Fountain of all Good therefore if we leave God for the deceitfull vanities of this present life we leave The Fountain of Living waters for a broken Cistern Jer. 2. 13. The Creatures are but dry pits and broken Cisterns 2. He is Summum Bonum the Chiefest Good Other things what good they have they have it from him therefore it is infinitely better and greater in him than in them all the Good that is in the Creature is but a Spark of what is in God If we find any good there it is not to detain our Affections but to lead us to the greater Good not to hold us from him but to lead us to him as the Streams lead to the Fountain and the steps of a Ladder are not to stand still upon but that we may ascend higher There is Goodness in the creature but mixed with Imperfection the Good is to draw to him the Imperfection to drive us off from the Creature 3. He is Infinitely Good Other things may busie us and vex us but they cannot satisfie us this alone sufficeth for health wealth peace protection grace glory Necessities that are not satisfied in God are but Fancies and the desires that are hurried out after them apart from God are not to be satisfied but mortified If we have not enough in God it is not
some renewed evidences of God's favour ask him then is it good to be afflicted Oh yes I had else been vain neglectfull of God wanted such an experience of the Lord's Grace Faith should determine the case when we feel it not Secondly That according to these Measures you will find it Good to be Afflicted 1. 'T is Good as 't is Minus Malum it keepeth us from greater evils Afflictions to the Righteous are either cures of or preservatives from spiritual Evils which would occasion greater Troubles and Crosses They prevent sin 2 Cor. 12. 7. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of Revelation there was given me a Thorn in the Flesh the Messenger of Satan to buffet me lest I should be exalted above measure They purge out Sin Isa. 27. 9. By this shall the Iniquity of Iacob be purged out We are apt to abuse prosperity to Self-confidence Psalm 30. 6 7. In my prosperity I said I shall never be moved Lord by thy Favour thou hast made my Mountain to stand strong And Luxury Deut. 32. 15. But Iesurun waxed fat and kicked thou art waxen fat thou art grown thick thou art covered with fatness then he forsook God that made him and lightly esteemed the rock of his Salvation The Godly have evil Natures as well as others which cannot be beaten down but by Afflictions We are froward in our Relations Hagar was proud in Abraham's house Gen. 16. 4. her Mistriss was despised in her Eyes but very humble in the Desart Gen. 21. 16. David's heart was tender and smote him when he cut off the lap of Saul's garment 1 Sam. 24. 5. but how stupid and senseless was he when he lived at ease in Ierusalem 2 Sam. 12. His Conscience was benum'd till Nathan roused him Before we are chastened we are Rebellious Frail Fickle Mutable apt to degenerate without this continual discipline we are very negligent and drowsy till the Rod awakeneth us God's Children have strange failings and negligences and sometimes are guilty of more hainous sins 'T is a great Curse for a man to be left to his own ways Hos. 4. 17. Let him alone So Psalm 81. 12. I gave them up to their own hearts Lust Men must needs perish when left to their selves without this wholesome profitable discipline of the Cross. 2. 'T is Good because the Evil in it is counterpoised by a more abundant Good 't is Evil as it doth deprive us of our natural comforts Pleasure Gain Honour but 't is Good as these may be recompensed with better Pleasures richer Gain and greater Honour There is more Pleasure in Holiness than there can be Pain and Trouble in Affliction Heb. 12. 11. No Affliction for the present seemeth Ioyous but Grievous but afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of Righteousness more gain than Affliction can bring loss Heb. 12 10. But he for our profit that we might be partakers of his Holiness more honour than Affliction can bring shame surely then 't is good There is a threefold Profit we get by Affliction 1. The time of Affliction is a serious thinking time Eccles. 7. 14. In the day of Adversity consider 1 Kings 8. 47. Yet if they bethink themselves in the Land whither they are carried Captive We have more liberty to retire into our selves being freed from the attractive allurements of Worldly vanities and the delights of the Flesh. Adversity maketh men serious the Prodigal came to himself when he began to be in want Luke 15. 17. Sad objects make a deep impression upon our Souls they help us to consider our own ways and God's righteous dealings that we may behave our selves wisely and suitably to the dispensation Micah 6. 9. The man of wisdome will hear the Rod. 2. 'T is a special hearing time in the Text That I might learn thy statutes and 't is said of Christ Heb. 5. 8. that He learned obedience from the things that he suffered he did experimentally understand what obedience was in hard and difficult cases and so could the better pitty poor Sinners in Affliction we have an experimental knowledge of that of which we had but a notional knowledge before We come by experience to see how false and changeable the World is how comfortable an interest in God is what a burden Sin is what sweetness there is in the Promises what a reality in the Word Luther said qui tribulantur c. The Afflicted see more in the Scripture than others do the secure and fortunate read them as they do Ovid's Verses Certainly when the Soul is humble and when we are refined and raised above the degrees of Sense we are more tractable and teachable our understandings are clearer our Affections more melting our spiritual learning is a blessing that cannot be valued if God write his law upon our Hearts by his stripes on our backs so light a trouble should not be grudged at 3. 'T is an awakening quickening time 1. Some are awakened out of the sleep of Death and are first wrought upon by Afflictions this is one powerfull means to bring in Souls to God and to open their Ears to Discipline God began with them in their Afflictions and the time of their Sorrows was the time of Loves The hot Furnace is Christ's Workhouse the most excellent Vessels of honour and praise have been formed there Isa. 48. 10. I have chosen thee in the Furnace of Affliction Manasses Paul the Jaylor were all chosen in the Fire God puts them into the furnace and chuseth them there melts them and stamps them with the Image of Christ. The Hogs Trough was a good School to the Prodigal Well then doth God do you any harm by Affliction when he saves you by it If we use violence to a man that is ready to be drowned and in pulling him out of the waters should break an Arm or a Leg would he not be thankfull it you have broken my Arm you have saved my life So God's Children 't is good that I had such an Affliction felt the sharpness of such a Cross. Oh Blessed Providence I had been a witless Fool and gone on still in a course of Sin and Vanity if God had not awakened me 2. It quickeneth others to be more carefull of their Duty more watchfull against Sin and doth exercise and improve us in heavenly Vertues and Graces of the Spirit which lay dormant in us through neglect since pleasing Objects which deaden the Heart are removed Even God's best Children when they have gotten a carnal Pillow under their Heads are apt to sleep their Prayers are dead Thoughts of Heaven cold or none little Zeal for God or delight in him Isa. 26. 16. Lord in trouble they have visited thee they pour out a Prayer when thy Chastening is upon them Hosea 5. 15. In their Afflictions they will seek me early Because they do not stir up themselves God stirreth them up by a smart Rod. The Husbandman pruneth the Vine left it run
may discern much of faithfulness in their Afflictions this will appear to you by these Considerations 1. In the Covenant of Grace God hath promised to bestow upon his People real and principal Mercies those are promised absolutely other things conditionally God doth not break his Covenant if he doth not give us temporal Happiness because that is not absolutely promised but onely so far forth as it may be good for us but eternal Life is promised without any such exception unto the Heirs of promise Eternal Promises and Threatnings being of things absolutely good or evil are therefore absolute and peremptory the Righteous shall not fail of the Reward nor the Wicked escape the Punishment but temporal Promises and Threatnings being of things not simply good or evil are reserved to be dispensed according to God's Wisdome and good pleasure in reference and subordination to eternal Happiness It is true 't is sad 1 Tim. 4. 8. That godliness hath the promise of this life and that which is to come but with this reference that the less give place to the greater if the Promises of this life may hinder us in looking after the Promises of the life to come God may take the liberty of the Cross and withhold these things and disappoint us of our worldly hope A man lying under the guilt of Sin may many times enjoy worldly Comforts to the envy of God's Children and one of God's Children may be greatly afflicted and distressed in the World for in all these Dispensations God looketh to his end which is to make us eternally happy 2. This being God's end he is obliged in point of fidelity to use all the means that conduce thereunto that he may attain his eternal purpose in bringing his holy ones to glory Rom. 8. 28. All things shall work together for good to them that love God Good what good it may be temporal so it falls out sometimes a man's temporal good is promoted by his temporal loss Gen. 50. 20. Ye thought evil against me but God meant it for good they sold their Brother a slave but God meant him to be a great Potentate in Egypt It may be spiritual good Psal. 119. 71. 'T is good for me that I have been afflicted but to be sure eternal good to bring about his eternal purpose of making them everlastingly happy And in this sense the Apostle saith all things are yours 1 Cor. 3. 22. Ordinances Providences Life Death all dispensed with a respect to their final Happiness or eternal Benefit not onely Ordinances to work internal Grace but Providences as an external help and means for God having set his end he will prosecute it congruously and as it may agree with man's nature by external Providences as well as internal Grace see Psal. 125. 3. The rod of the wicked shall not always rest upon the back of the righteous God hath power enough to give them grace to bear it though the Rod had continued and can keep his People from iniquity though the Rod be upon them but he considereth the imbecillity of man's nature which is apt to tire under long Afflictions and therefore not onely giveth more Grace but takes off the Temptation He could humble Paul without a Thorn in the Flesh 2 Cor. 12. 7. but he will use a congruous means 3. Among these means Afflictions yea sharp Afflictions are some of those things which our need and profit requireth they are needfull to weaken and mortify Sin Isa. 27. 9. By this shall the iniquity of Iacob be purged to increase and quicken Grace Heb. 12. 10. But he chasteneth us for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness Without this Discipline we should forget God and our selves therefore that we may return to God he afflicts us Hos. 5. 6. In their afflictions they will seek me early and come to our selves Luke 15. 17. The Prodigal came to himself Afflictions are necessary for us upon the former Suppositions namely that God hath ingaged himself to perfect Grace where it is begun and to use all means which may conduce to our eternal welfare that we may not miscarry and come short of our great hopes 1 Cor. 11. 32. When we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world The carnal reprobate World are left to a looser and larger Discipline Brambles are not pruned when Vines are New Creatures require a more close inspection than others do Self-confidence and spiritual Security is apt to grow upon them therefore to mortify our Self-confidence to awaken us out of spiritual sleep we need to be afflicted and also to quicken and rouse up a spirit of Prayer We grow cold and flat and ask mercies for forms sake Isa. 26. 16. Lord in trouble have they visited thee they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them And that we may be quickened to a greater mindfulness of heavenly things the best of us when we get a carnal Pillow under our heads are apt to sleep secure God will not let us alone to our ruine but afflicts us that we may be refined from the dreggs of the Flesh and that our gust and relish of heavenly things may be recovered and that we may be quickened to a greater diligence in the heavenly Life Look as earthly Parents are not faithfull to their Childrens Souls when they live at large and omit that Correction which is necessary for them Prov. 29. 15. The rod and reproof give wisdome but a Child left to himself bringeth his Mother to shame The Mother is mentioned because they are usually more fond and indulgent and spare many times and marr the Child but our heavenly Father will not be unfaithfull who is so wise that he will not be blinded by any passion hath such a perfect love and does so fixedly design our eternal welfare that he rebuketh that he may reform and reformeth that he may save 4. God's faithfulness about the Affliction is twofold in bringing on the Affliction and guiding the Affliction 1. In bringing on the Affliction both as to the time and kind when our need requireth and such as may doe the work 1 Pet. 1. 6. Ye are in heaviness for a season if need be When some Distemper was apt to grow upon us and we were straggling from our Duty Psal. 119. 67. Before I was afflicted I went astray Some disappointment and check we meet with in a way of Sin which is a notable help in the spiritual Life where God giveth an heart to improve it 2. As to guiding the Affliction both to measure and continuance that it may doe us good and not harm 1 Cor. 10. 13. God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able to bear but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it Violent Temptations are not permitted where the Lord seeth us weak and infirm as Iacob drove
love Much work driveth them oftner to the Throne of Grace None rest in duties so much as they that have least cause Mal. 1. What a weariness is it 2. These ask more regularly therefore 't is said Psal. 37. 4. Delight thy self in the Lord and he shall give thee the desire of thy heart Why so unlimitedly Because delight in the Lord retrencheth carnall desires and moderateth earthly desires their hearts are not so set upon outward things as the hearts of other men are Iohn 15. 7. If ye abide in me and my words abide in you ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you Why doth God make so large an offer he trusteth such as keep communion with Christ. There is a conformity between their wills and ' Gods in the matter of their desire so far as we are renewed and hold communion with him their unruly lusts will be subdued and their unlawfull desires for matter manner and end be laid aside and they will acquiesce in the good pleasure of God and the most excellent things Therefore God maketh them this offer ask what ye will not that men are warranted to pray for what they will or to expect an answer in whatsoever they desire but as their delight in his Law is prevalent their wills are limited by his word and will and the Spirit in them maketh intercession according to the will of God Rom. 8. 26 27. 3. These may with most confidence ask mercy Others are excluded Prov. 28. 9. He that turneth away his ear from hearing the Law his Prayer is an abomination to the Lord. These are included 1 John 3. 22. And whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight If we refuse God speaking to us in infinite wisdom as he does in the word no wonder if God refuse us stammering foolishly in Prayer Ier. 9. 21. Men that purpose to continue in their sins shall not be heard in other things otherwise the grossest sinners may come to God to have their sins pardoned and removed and expect to be accepted and heard through Christ but the perpetuall assistance and favour of God is not given to them Such as would be heard and accepted and come with assurance of welcome and audience ought to be devoted to him to worship him to call on him 2. These are qualified to receive mercy according to the tenour of that covenant in which mercy is dispensed and magnified in the covenant of Grace or the covenant of Gods mercy in Christ Heb. 5. 9. and Heb. 10. 14. This being apt to be abused let us explain how obedience is a condition of the covenant A condition meriting and purchasing the blessings of the covenant it cannot be For God giveth the ability to obey whole and solely of his own Grace it is short of the rule and infinitely inferiour to the reward A condition applicatory whereby we apply our selves to the covenant on our part it is and therefore necessary It is a secondary condition disposing us to communion with God in and by the covenant At first we must be turned by repentance towards God through faith in the Redeemer before we receive remission of sins Acts 20. 18. Faith and Repentance are conditions of Pardon and sincere Obedience a condition of Salvation The first condition containeth a resolution of obedience for the future though we have not actually so obeyed The secondary condition that we should make good our resolution We must keep covenant as well as make covenant Faith is an entring into covenant for 't is a consent to take Christ as Lord and Saviour and constant and delightfull obedience is a constant keeping covenant Psalm 25. 10. and Psa. 103. 17 18. The making covenant was necessary for our entrance the keeping covenant for our continuance Consent to take any for King Husband Master draweth another condition after it that we carry our selves in these relations dutifully besides promising there must be performing he that is my soveraign must be obeyed There must be conjugal fidelity to the Husband and faithfull service to the chosen Master so in the covenant between us and God us and Christ. Object But you will say how then shall we take comfort in the new covenant who are so many ways faulty Answ. We must consider 1. What it exacts 2. What it accepteth 1. What it exacts To quicken us to more earnest endeavours and humble confession of failings It exacteth perfect obedience admits of no imperfection either of parts or degrees 2. It accepteth a perfection of parts there being truth of Godliness and a single-hearted inclination to observe the whole will of God then our defects and weaknesses are covered by Christ's perfect righteousness The unregenerate lye under the rule of exaction but being out of Christ are denyed the benefit of acceptation The Use Is to inform us that Petitions of mercy and the plea for new obedience are very consistent Let thy tender mercies come unto me And his argument is For I delight in thy Word Mercy is nevertheless free though the creature mind his duty for when we have done all we are but unprofitable servants Luke 17. 10. and Grace helpeth us to doe what we doe Luke 19. 18. Thy pound not my Industry And 1 Cor. 15. 10. By the Grace of God I am what I am and his Grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain But I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the Grace of God which was with me 'T was Grace to appoint such reasonable terms to accept of them though done in that sorry fashion which our frailty permitteth us to tender them to God 2. Use. To quicken us to a delightfull course of Obedience if we would have the sense of Mercy The same spirit that urgeth us to obey a sense of God's Love urgeth us also to delight in his Law The same Spirit that urgeth us to sue out the Promise urgeth also to obey the Precept 1. Consider how God hath twisted his Honour with our Interest and ordered both for his own Glory God's Interest and Honour is to be considered as well as our Salvation We must never look for such Mercy and Grace from God as shall discharge us from our duty and subjection to God or give you liberty to dishonour and disobey him No Christ redeemed us to God Rev. 5. and Luke 1. 74 75. Salvation is our benefit Obedience is Gods Right and Interest Happiness man is not averse from but he sticketh at the terms Some part of this Happiness suiteth well enough with our natural desires as Pardon and life But we care not for his Law and the Obedience we owe by virtue of it We are naturally more willing of what maketh for our selves for our comfort than what maketh for the Honour of God 2. Consider A great part of Gods first mercy is expressed in healing our natures and
them afar off were persuaded of them and embraced them Secondly That the same common promises have been fulfilled to the Faithful in all Ages there is but one and the same way to eternal life in necessary things and the dispensations of God to every Age are still the same and so in every Generation the promises of God are still fulfilled as if they were directed to that time only God's Faithfulness hath been tryed many ways and at many times but every Age furnisheth examples of the truth of his promises from the beginning of the world to the end God is ever fulfilling the Scripture in his Providential Government which is double External or Internal 1. External in the deliverance of his People the answers of Prayer and manifold Blessings vouchsafed to Believers and their seed See Psal. 22. 4 5. Our father 's 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 The Godly in former times trusted God and trusted constantly in their Troubles and in their trusting they cryed and did never seek God in vain which should support us in waiting upon God and to depend on his mercy and sidelity For they that place their full affiance in God and seek his help by constant and importunate addresses shall never be put to shame 2. Internal in conversion to God the comforts of his Spirit establishment of the Soul in the hopes of the Gospel as to the pardon of sins and eternal life Certainly God that hath blessed the Word thoroughout many Successions of Ages to the converting and comforting of many Souls sheweth that we may depend upon the Covenant for pardon and eternal life How many have found comfort by the promises Now as the Apostle speaketh of Abraham It was not written for himself alone but us also Rom. 4. 23 24. So these comforts were not dispensed for their sake alone but for our benefit that we might be comforted of God having the same God the same Redeemer the same Covenant and Promises and the same Spirit to apply all unto us if they looked to God and were comforted why should not we his faithfulness is to all generations he is alike to Believers as they be alike to him Rom. 3. 22. there is no difference 5. That the experience of God's Faithfulness in former Ages is of use to those that follow and succeed to assure them of God's Faithfulness for God's wonderful and gracious works were never intended meerly for the benefit of that Age in which they were done but for the benefit also of those that should hear of them by any creditable means whatsoever 't is a scorn and a vile contempt put upon those wonderful works which God made to be had in remembrance if they should be buried in oblivion or not observed and improved by those that live in after-ages yea 't is contrary to the Scriptures 〈◊〉 Psal. 145. 4 One generation shall praise thy works to another and shall declare thy mighty acts Joel 1. 3. Tell ye your children of it and let your children tell their children and their children another generation Joshua 4. 6 7 8. That this may be a sign among you that when your children ask their fathers in time to come What mean you by these stones then shall you answer them That the waters of Iordan were cut off from before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God So Psal. 73. 3 4 5 6 7. That which we have heard and known and our fathers have told us We will not hide them from their children shewing to the generations to come the praises of the Lord and his strength and his wonderful works that he hath done For he established a testimony in Iacob and appointed a law in Israel which he commanded our fathers that they should make them known to their children That the generation to come might know them even the children which should be born who should arise and declare them to their children that they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God but keep his commandments From all which I observe 1. That we should tell generations to come what we have found of God in our time and more especially Parents should tell their children they are bound to transmit this knowledge to their children and they to improve it either by word or deed by word by remembring the passages of providences and publishing his mercies to posterity Psal. 89. 1. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever with my mouth I will make known thy faithfulness to all generations Or by deed putting them in possession of a pure Religion confirmed to us by so many providences and instances of God's goodness and truth 2. That this report of God's gracious works and owning his Covenant is a special means of Edification why else should God enjoin it but that the Ages following should receive benefit thereby Surely 't is an advantage to them to hear how God hath owned us in Ordinances and Providences 3. And more particularly I observe that this Tradition is a great means and help to Faith for 't is said Ver. 7. That they may set their hope in God 6. That to be satisfied in point of God's Faithfulness is of great importance to Believers Partly because their fidelity to God is much encouraged by his fidelity to us They that do not trust God cannot be long true to him Heb. 3. 12. Take heed lest there be found in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God And Iam. 1. 8. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that doth not stick fast to God and is ever unresolved being divided between hopes and fears concerning his acceptance with God A wavering Christian that is divided between God and some unlawful course for his safety divided between God's ways and his own and cannot quietly depend upon his promises but is tossed to and fro doth not intirely trust himself in Gods hands but doth wholly lean upon his own Carnal confidence And partly because God is Invisible and dealeth with us by proxy by messengers who bring the word to us We see not God in person Heb. 13. 7. Remember them which have the rule over you who have spoken to you the word of God whose faith follow considering the end of their conversations Their manner of living their perseverance till death in this faith and hope And partly because the Promises are future and the main of them is to be accomplished in another world Now nothing will support us but the faithfulness of God Prov. 11. 18. The wicked worketh a deceitful work but to him that soweth righteousness there shall be a sure reward Men think to be happy by their sin but find themselves deceived at last but none can be deceived that trust in the living and true God Partly because
would desire to know more of God therefore the Word is dear and precious to them because it discovers so much of God Hosea 6. 3. This is their property they follow on to know the Lord. They do not content themselves with their first and infant Notions but aspire to know him more and more for their love fear and trust and all doth depend upon the knowledge of God If we had more knowledge of God we should love him more and trust him more Psal. 9. 10. They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee We know God but as men born blind know the fire they know there is such a thing as fire for they feel it warm them but what it is they know not so that there is a God we know but what he is we know little and indeed we can never search him out to perfection a finite creature can never fully comprehend that which is infinite The Saints are following on to know the Lord they desire to know more and more and there is no such means to discover God to them as this way 2 The use of the Word is to convert the soul and to bring it home to God Psal. 19. 7. The Law of God is perfect converting the soul. There is the perfection of God's Word it is God's instrument for converting of souls or turning of them back to him again For Conversion take it in its whole latitude compriseth this to humble us to cleanse us to bind up our broken hearts because of all these uses the children of God love his Word It serves 1. To humble us for sin Ier. 23. 29. Is not my Word like as a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces He appeals to it as things that we may find by experience that the Word of God is not only a hammer to break but a fire to melt As a batter'd Vessel when it is to be new form'd must be melted that it may be capable of this new form so no such way to melt the heart and make it capable of God's pâ—…pose as the Word of God no such thing to break the heart no such terrors and agonies like those the Word works and to melt the heart to make it pliable to God's use no such thing as the Word of God to affect us for sin for sin as it is a breach of God's Law or an offence to God 2. It hath this use to cleanse the heart and subdue it to the obedience of Christ Psal. 119. 9. Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy Word Young men who more stubborn and boistrous than they that are carried on with great strength and fervor in the very heat of their rebellion against God Well the Word of God can cleanse the heart of a young man As Plato saith of Youth That it is such a Beast as will not easily come to hand Now for cicurating and taming this Beast for the captivating those rebellious affections in youth and cleansing and working out the filthiness that is in us nothing like the Word and it is by these spiritual weapons that every thought is brought into captivity to Christ 2 Cor. 10. and then as it is obstinate the power of the Word breaks the force of our lusts 3. For comforting and binding up the broken hearted Humane wisdom and eloquence can do nothing to purpose this way but when God by the Word reveals to a man his righteousness then his flesh shall come again as a childs he shall return to the days of his youth Iob 33. 25. Though a man before did walk up and down as a Ghost was as it were a walking Skeleton and his marrow was suck'd out of his bones by the terrors of the Lord that were upon him yet when he hath Godâ—…s Word to shew under God's hand for his pardon this brings his comfort his flesh shall revive he shall return fresher than a child and shall return to the days of his youth his strength joy and comfort shall come again therefore O how they love the Law because they have felt in their heart it must be God's Word for that which wounds must also heal 3 To make us perfect as well as to begin the work 2 Tim. 3. 17. it is said The Word of God is able to make the man of God perfect throughly furnished to all good works so that in this perfection there are three Uses for which the Word serves 1. For building up in Faith or increasing in internal Grace The Word of God is not only for Novices but for grown persons that there may be a continual dropping into the lamps as it was in the Vision of Zechariah Acts 20. 32. I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified It is not enough to lay a foundation but there must be a building up Now what is that which builds us up The word of his grace that is God's blessing upon the reading and hearing the Word for the Apostle speaks it when he was taking leave of the Ephesians I commend you to God and the word of his grace that is the word of grace sent among them by their ordinary Officers continued to them blessing the reading and hearing the Word by their ordinary Officers there would be no need of Paul the room should be supplied Habits of grace must still be maintained by fresh influences and they always come into us by the Word of God therefore after we are converted and born again the Word is useful that we may grow thereby 2 Pet. 2. 2. 2. To direct our practice that 's one use the Word serves for so it is said 2 Pet. 1. 19. We have also a more sure word of prophecy whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place In this state of ignorance wherein we are for that 's figured by those words in a dark place sure it is a great blessing to have a light shining to us that we may not wander and fall into the snares wherewith we are encompassed We are apt to forget and mistake our way we are very forgetful and our way is narrow hardly found and hardly kept and Satan is full of wiles and deceits like an ignis fatuus ready to lead us out of the way therefore we had need have a sure guide and a sure light Psal. 119. 105. Thy word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our paths It is a light not only to our paths for the choice of our general way but for all our steps to direct us in all our ways 3. To comfort us in all conditions under our crosses confusions and difficulties we have all from the Word of God Psal. 119. 50. This is my comfort in my affliction for thy Word hath
feet and path First In general observe this It is not a light to our brains to fill us with empty Notions but a light to our feet to regulate our practice and to guide our actions Ier. 6. 16. He doth not say hearken after the true Religion but walk therein For a man to study the Scripture only to satisfie curiosity only to know what 's right and good and not follow it with all his heart is but to make a rod for his own back and doth but cause his own condemnation to be sore and terrible Luke 12. 47. To be able to dispute for truth and not lie under the power of it to avoid Heresie and live in Vice will never bring him to Heaven Gal. 6. 16. It is not them that are able to talk of it but to walk according to this rule not to play with it but to work with it Knowledge and practice must be joined together they do never well asunder but excellent together Secondly In our Practice 1 Our Path our general choice A man that consults with God's Word The Lord will teach him the way that he shall chuse Psal. 25. 12. Every thing appointed to an end must have all things absolutely necessary to that end else it is not perfect in its kind though perfect to guide us to eternal life therefore it must contain all things that belong or conduce to that end It is not a Rule given us to be rich or safe but to be eternally happy 2 As 't is a light to our path so to our feet How in the particular actions that we perform and in the particular conditions that we pass through 1. In the particular actions that we perform Every action we go about must be guided by the Word why because obedience in particular actions we are most apt to miscarry in Many are wise in generals but in particulars they quite mistake their way We have general Notions that we must be holy ay but we are not holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1. 15. In every creek and turning of your lives in all your actions of eating drinking sleeping and waking we are to be mindful and respect the command of God in all these No path of a Christian's conversation but ought to savor of grace and holiness not only his religious but his common and civil actions Every action is a step to Heaven or Hell for this life is compared to a walk and in a walk every step brings us onward in our way Briefly in every act either sin or grace interposeth therefore we had need look to every step and still to walk according to Rule 2. It guides us in all the conditions that we pass through In every Age here 's milk for the weak and strong meat for men of ripe age In every calling from the King to the lowest Beggar In every state of life adversity prosperity still here 's light for you There are two Parties whose interest it is to decry the clearness of Scripture Papists and Libertines Papists they are afraid to stand to this tryal they would bring all to the judgment of the Church therefore 't is for their interest that the Scriptures were not a clear safe and a full direction Libertines they decry the clearness of Scripture upon several grounds Those that plead for a boundless Toleration what 's their great Argument Nothing is certain in Religion If the Word be a clear Rule then c. SERMON CXIII PSAL. CXIX VER 105. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path HEre I shall answer five Objections that are made by Cavellers Object 1. First If it be so clear a Light why do men so often mistake that have the Scriptures and consult with them yea why is there such differences among good men Answ. I answer in general There is Light in the Scriptures but there is darkness in men that are conversant about them The Object may be well represented when the faculty is not well disposed There are defects in them to whom this discovery is made though they have light yet they want eyes the Sun giveth light enough though blind men cannot see it the Word doth whatsoever is necessary on its own part To the beholding of any thing by the outward sense there must not only be light to make the object conspicuous but also a faculty of seeing in the eye blind men cannot see at noon-day nor the sharpest sighted at midnight There is light in the Scriptures surely for God would not deal hypocritically with us that are his people if he hath given us a rule he would not wrap it up in darkness so as we should not know his meaning so that the defect is in us This in general But secondly there are many causes of mens mistake 1. Some come to the Word with a presumption of their own wit and leaning upon their own understanding as if that should discover the whole counsel of God and these God never undertook to teach Psal. 25. 9. The meek will he guide in judgment and the meek will he teach his way Those that in an humble sense of their own nothingness depend upon his direction them will he teach Iam. 1. 21. Receive with meekness the ingrafted Word of God We have caution given us and admonitions against pride and arrogance and self-dependence Prov. 3. 3 4 5 6. 2. Many bring their prejudicate Opinions along with them and are biassed and prepossessed before they come to the Word of God and so do not so much take up the sense which the Scriptures offer as seek to impose their own sense on them and regulate the Scriptures to their own hearts not regulating their hearts and principles and senses according to the Word of God Optimus ille lector est qui dictorum intelligentiam saith Hilary expectat c. That mind which is preoccupied with evil opinions and enslaved to preconceived conclusions they do not take any thing from the Word but impose something upon it which God never revealed there If the weights be equal yet if the balance be not equipendent wrong may be done They come with an Idol in their own hearts Ezek. 14. 2. as those that would ask counsel of the Lord that were resolved beforehand Ier. 42. While we look through the Spectacles of our own fancies and preconceptions the mind poisoned with Error seemeth to see what we see not 3. Some search the Scriptures not out of any love to the truth or to know the mind of God but to oppose it rather and so seek a pretence from thence to justifie their private faction in way of opposition against God The Devil gets Scripture to wrest it to his own purpose Mat. 4. 6. They read not to be better but to cavil and put a greater varnish upon the Devil's cause as Iulian did search the Scriptures to pick an advantage against the true Religion and scoff at them that profest it and
glory Use 2. Reproof 1. Of those that walk in the midst of this light and yet perceive no more of the things of God than if they were in darkness these lose the Benefit which God vouchsafeth to them Iohn 1. 5. The light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not And Iohn 3. 19. The light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light It had been better for them they had never heard of the Scriptures and that God had never set up such a lamp in the Church These men believe the Word of God is a light and a lamp yet never take care of nor give heed to it they are careless and never measure their actions according to this Rule 2. It reproves those that set up another Rule and look for an infallible Interpreter 1 Those that set up Reason instead of the Word of God Alas this is an imperfect Rule these men would bring down all things before the Tribunal of their own Reason these are not Disciples of Christ but Masters they will not be taught by the directions of the Word but by their own dark hearts I have told you the Candle of the Lord did burn bright within us but alas now 't is weakned by sin it is an imperfect irrational thing we can never be saved by it 2 Others are guided by their Passions and Lusts this is their direction and their lamp this will surely lead them to utter darkness If you live after the flesh you shall dye Rom. 8. 13. 3 Some take the counsel and example of others this will leave them comfortless and make them fall into the snare 4 Some go to Witches in straits as the Prophet reproves such Isa. 8. 19 20. Should not a people seek unto their God 5 Others expect new Revelations from Heaven to counsel them they would converse with Angels now God hath spoken to us by his Son Gal. 1. 8. If an Angel from heaven should bring another Gospel than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed Use 3. Caution To enterprize nothing but what you have a Warrant for out of the Word of God When you are going about any action say Where 's my warrant If I do it upon my own brain I must stand to my own hazard and all the evil that comes upon me it is the fruit of my own counsel Numb 27. 21. The Priest was to ask counsel of the Lord who shall go out and who shall go in And 1 Sam. 23. 9 10. To do things with a doubting Conscience with an uncertainty whether it be good or bad it is a sin for whatsoever is not of faith is sin still seek your direction from the Word Use 4. It exhorts us to bless God and be thankful for this light Isa. 9. 2. The people that sate in darkness saw great light There is the same difference between the Church and other places as there was between Egypt and Goshen Exod. 10. 23. Here is light and in other places thick darkness What a mercy is it that we have present direction a light to guide us here in grace that will bring us to glory Give thanks to God for so great a benefit 2. Walk according to the directions of the Word walk in the light Ephes. 5. 8. believe it Heb. 4. 2. the true and infallible truth that came out of God's mouth and then apply it say this truth which is spoken is spoken to me Mat. 13. 37. and urge thy heart with the duties of it this was spoken for our learning be persuaded of this truth and so walk and so do and you shall not find any miscarriage 1 Cor. 15. 58. Here 's my warrant and my direction I will keep to it though it expose me to many hazards and straits I know it will be made up at last it will not be lost labor to do what God biddeth thee to do SERMON CXIV PSAL. CXIX VER 106. I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgments IN the former Verse David had commended the Word for a sure direction it is a light and a lamp how so not only by God's designation and appointment but by Davids choice It was a light to my feet and a lamp to my steps Now in this Verse he speaks of his firmness and constancy to that choice I have taken thy Word for my guidance and direction and there he did resolve to stick his constancy was grounded upon a vow or upon a promissory Oath which he saw no cause to retract or repent of I have sworn and I will perform it c. In which words you may observe 1 The strength of David's resolution and purpose expressed in his Oath not I must or I will keep but I have sworn c. 2 The matter of this purpose or Oath and that was to keep God's judgments 3 One great motive and reason that inclined him so to do in the word Thy righteous judgments the marvellous equity that was to be observed in the things commanded by God 4 The conscience that lay upon him of observing this Oath I will perform it As if he had said I saw a great deal of reason to make the promise so solemnly to God and I see no reason at all to retract it Four Points I shall observe 1. That it is not only lawful but good and profitable to bind our selves to our duty by a Vow solemnly declared purpose and holy Oath so David I have sworn 2. That this help of an Oath or Vow should be used in a matter lawful weighty and necessary I have sworn saith David but what hath he sworn To keep thy righteous judgments A great duty which God had enjoined him in his Covenant 3. Those that are entred into the Bond of a holy Oath must religiously observe and perform what they have sworn to God I have sworn and I will perform 4. That we may perform our Oaths and lie under a sense and conscience of our Engagements to God it is good that they should be often revived and renewed upon us for so doth David here recognize his Oath I have sworn that c. Doct. 1. That it concerns us sometimes to bind our selves to God and the duty that we owe to him by an Oath 1 That it is lawful so to do appears from Gods Injunction and the practice of the Saints 1. From God's Injunction He hath commanded us to accept of the Gospel Covenant and not barely so but to submit unto the Seals and Rites by which it is confirmed which submission of ours implieth an Oath made to God Baptism is our Sacramentum Militare Sacramental Vow our Oath of Allegiance to God and therefore it is called 1 Pet. 3. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The answer of a good conscience towards God an answer upon God's demands in the Covenant God does as it were in the Covenant of Grace put us to the question Will
for such a time Heb. 4 16. when need comes then it 's a time to improve our interest to put promises in suit when God seems to be an Enemy to us when to appearance he executes the curse of the Old Covenant O then we should work through all discouragements then we should hold God to his second Grant and Charter and come to his Throne of Grace and keep him there For the Reasons 1 God is the Party with whom we have to do whence soever the trouble doth arise there 's his hand and his counsel in it therefore it is best dealing with him about it in all afflictions publick or private Amos 3. 16. Is there evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it Let Men but awaken their Reason and Conscience who is it that is at the upper end of Causes that casts our lot upon such troublesom and distracted times So in private afflictions David owned God's hand Shimei had mocked him but he looks higher the â—…ord hath bid him curse So Iob he doth not say the Caldean and Sabean hath taken away but the Lord hath taken Iob 1. 21. Afflictions have a higher cause than Men ordinarily look at they do not come out of the dust but come from God See what inference Eliphaz draws from this principle Iob 5. 8. I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my cause That is I would go and deal with him about it 't was Eliphaz's advice to Iob and it is seasonable to us all 2 It is God onely that can help us and relieve us either by giving support under the trouble or removing it from us so saith David Psal. 57. 2. I will cry unto God most high unto God that performeth all things for me A Believer looks for all things from God when all things go well with him God is his best Friend when all things go ill with him God is his onely Friend he runs to none so often as to God Now upon these Principles we go to God but for what end let us see what we go to God for 1. That we may know his mind in all his Providences The affliction hath some errand and message to us something to deliver us from God now we need to ask of God to know his mind Micah 6. 9. Hear the rod and who hath appointed it We should not only be sensible of the smart but look to the cause therefore if we would know the cause let us go and expostulate with God about it As Ioab when Absalom set his Corn field on fire he sent for him once and twice but he comes not until he sets his Corn-field on fire and then he comes and expostulates with him Who hath done this 2 Sam. 14. 30 31. So when we make bold and will not come to God nor take notice of his messages God comes and lets out his wrath upon our comforts and conveniences now let us deal with God about it Wherefore is all this 2. That we may have strength to bear it Alas we can bear or do little of our selves for that doing refers to bearing Phil. 4. 13. I can do all things through Christ that strengthneth me That is I can suffer want need hunger thirst nakedness and run through all conditions through Christ that strengthneth me Now you must ask it of God Iam. 1. 5 If any man lack wisdom let him ask it of God It is wisdom to bear affliction if he would wisely carry himself under the Rod that he may not discover his folly he must ask this strength and grace of God 3. Wisdom to improve our chastisement that we may have the benefit and fruit of them Isa. 48. 17. I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit That is to profit by afflictions to reap the fruit of them So Iob 33. 16. He openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction God by a powerful work upon the heart impresseth their duty upon them that they may see wherefore it is that he hath afflicted them 4. We go to God for deliverance and freedom from the trouble Psal. 34. 19. Many are the troubles of the righteous but out of them all the Lord will deliver them It is God's Prerogative to set us free We break Prison when we attempt to escape meerly by our own means therefore either we shall have no deliverance or no kindly one God hath deliver'd doth deliver and we trust will deliver This must be sought out of God God helping together with your prayers 2 Cor. 1. 10 11. Prayer must fetch it out from God or it is no kindly deliverance Well then in our affliction we need to be often with God SERMON CXVII PSAL. CXIX VER 107. Quicken me O Lord according to thy Word Use 1. TO reprove the stupidness and carelesness of them that neglect God in their troubles Dan. 9. 13. All this evil is come upon us yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God A very sensless slight spirit that when they are under the blows of God's heavy hand they will not be much in calling upon God this is contrary to God's injunction who expects now with earnestness they will seek him God reckons upon it he could not hear from them before but now they 'll pray hard and will make up their former negligence when God sends a Tempest after you as on Ionah yet will you keep off from him It is contrary to the practice of the Saints in their chastisements troubles and afflictions they are much with God opening their hearts to him Nay it is worse than Hypocrites for they will have their pangs of devotion at such a time Iob 27. 10 11. In short you lose the comfort of your affliction Seasons of affliction are happy seasons if they prove praying seasons when they bring you nearer to God it is a sign God is not wholly gone but hath left somewhat behind him when the heart is drawn into him This is the blessing of every condition when it brings God nearer to you and you are more acquainted with him than before Use 2. Then it takes off the discouragements of poor disconsolate ones who misexpound his Providence when they think afflictions put us from God rather than call us to him O no! it is not to drive you from him but to draw you to him Do not think God hath no mercy for thee because he leaves thee to such pressures wants and crosses This is the way to acquaint your selves with God yea though you have been hitherto strangers to him he hath invited you to call upon him in time of trouble he is willing to have you upon any terms A Man will say you come to me in your necessities God delights to hear from you and is glad any occasion will bring you into his presence and therefore be much with God Secondly I observe when this affliction was sore and pressing yet then he hath a heart to pray
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
will be so far from sleeping that he will not so much as slumber when we know nothing his Providence finds out the secret contrivances that are against us I tell you God is our Father he will maintain us and take care for us when we live by Faith and not by shifts in a good plain down-right course of honesty Gen. 17. 1. I am God all sufficient walk before me and be thou perfect That is they should go on doing their duty and refer the care of their safety to God Oh then cast your selves upon the Lord he will either direct your way to eschew these snares or pluck your feet out of them if you be taken therein Psal. 25. 13. Mine eyes are ever towards the Lord he shall pluck my feet out of the snare Look to him for direction and counsel 2. Bless God for your safety and preservation 't is a mercy to have a Being in the midst of so many dangers and snares as way-lay us everywhere especially should we bless God when we have escap'd some notable Trap and Pit that was digged for us Psal. 124. 7. Our soul is escaped like a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken and we are escaped This is a passage we may use to God this day there are two grounds usually of thanksgiving for this deliverance 1. That their Devices came to nought Job 15. 35. They conceive mischief and bring forth vanity It discovereth the wisdom power goodness and watchfulness of God that this dark and hellish machination that they thought so wisely laid that all Devils in Hell could not discover it yet the God of Heaven brought it to light Prov. 21. 30. There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. Those three words set out the quintessence of parts Wisdom noteth a quick apprehension Understanding a wise foresight grounded upon Experience Counsel a designation of some rare Artifice Isa. 8. 9 10. Associate your selves O ye people and ye shall be broken in pieces and all ye of far countries gird your selves and ye shall be broken in pieces Take counsel together and it shall come to nought speak the word and it shall not stand for God is with us 2. The mischief return'd back upon themselves Psal. 7. 15. He made a pit and digged it and is faln into the ditch which he made Higgaion Selah Their instruments 't is a high Note that we may observe it An Iron heated red hot burneth their fingers that hold it they are taken in their own Pit poison'd in their own Cup holden in cords of their own vanity so that in the issue it appeareth they laid a snare for themselves rather than for us USE II. As they are Inticements to Sin so we may make many uses of it 1. You ougâ—…t to ask God's counsel for you walk in the midst of snares that he would guide you and lead you Psal. 27. 11. Teach me thy way O Lord lead me in a plain path because of min enemies Those that watch for our halting are many their craft is great therefore go to the wise God for counsel ask of him what your way and course shall be for he seeth that which you see not 2. Get spiritual wisdom and understanding An ignorant credulous heart is soon seduc'd but a man of understanding that seeth his danger is not easily drawn and allur'd into it Prov. 1. 17. In vain is the snare laid in the sight of any bird The vain credulous simple young man is soon entiâ—…'d by the lewd woman in the 7th of the Proverbs 3. Keep the High-way of Duty and walk by a sure Rule and then you are safe David saith here I erred not from thy precepts In a time of snares often consult with your Rule 't is Satan's aim to put us out of our way As when the Fisherman would get the Fishes into the Net he seeketh to rouze them out of their place Take a man out of God's way and he becometh a ready Prey to Satan In doubtful cases there is no man chuseth the worst but first he breaketh some known Rule and clear moral Precept therefore be punctual and keep close to God's directions in clear and known cases and you are safe 4. There needs a mortifi'd heart to worldly Interests our temporal Interest is to be shaken off Men of carnal affections seeketh out the snare Job 18. 8. He is cast into a net by his own â—…eet and he walketh upon a snare If we will find the sin and disposition of heart God will find the occasion and a man that hath a Commodity to put off Faith and a good Conscience will soon find a Chapman to truck with him Iudas was thinking of betraying Christ and the High Priests were plotting how to do it just at the same time worldliness layeth us open to the snare 1 Tim. 6. 9. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition But he that is dead to worldly interests remaineth firm whatever bait be proposed 2. We come to the Persons that manag'd the Temptation the wicked The wicked have laid a snare for me Doct. It is the property of a wicked heart to plot and lay snares for the mischief and ruine of others especially God's People David saith here The wicked have laid snares for me 1. 'T is a deliberate voluntary Sin and the more will and advisedness in any sin the greater it is Laying of snares is not a thing done in passion but in cool blood there is art and cunning in it and the heart dwelleth long upon it The Will sets the Wit awork to weave the Net and frame the Devise Involuntarium minuit de ratione peccati When a thing is involuntary it lesseneth sin a man may be overtaken with a fault Gal. 6. 1. But when he studieth it 't is much the worse God's children are surpriz'd through unweariness and made to stumble in a Fit of Temptation but when mens wits are bended to project and plot sin 't is not an infirmity but an iniquity Prov. 6. 14. Frowardness is in his heart he deviseth mischief continually he soweth discord 'T is the description of a naughty heart so the Prophet Micah 2. 1. Wo to them that devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds when the morning is light they practise it because it is in the power of their hands Their wickedness is premeditated then wo to them 2. 'T is a sign that Evil is connatural to them when they are plotting as Poison is to a Spider they are always working it never out of their way by night and by day their hearts run upon it Prov. 4. 16. Whenever they are abroad they sleep not unless they have done mischief and their sleep is taken away unless they cause some to fall Then when others cannot rest they examine themselves Psal. 4. 4. Commune with
Iosiah ran upon his own death by his own folly 2 Chron. 33. 22. 2. The resolution of his obedience that is renewed and promised upon obtaining of this mercy And there take notice First Of the accuracy of that obedience promised I will have respect unto thy Statutes Secondly The constancy of it Continually not for a moment only a few days in a pang or when the mercy is fresh and warm upon the heart but constantly without intermission without defection First Observe from the repeating of the same request Doctr. I. That sustaining Grace must be sought with all earnestness and importunity Uphold me before and now again hold thou me up and I shall be safe Reason 1. First They that have a due sense of things upon their hearts will do so that is to say that have a sense of their own weakness the evil of sin and the comfort of perseverance in obedience 1. That have a sense of their own weakness as David was touched with a sense of his own necessity therefore he repeats this prayer Hold thou me up and if David need to be held up what need have we If Pillars are not able to stand of themselves what shall Reeds do If Giants are overthrown and vanquish'd Children much more Prov. 28. 14. Happy is the man that feareth always How so With a fear of caution not a fear of distrust with a fear of reverence not with a fear of bondage otherwise it were a torture not a blessedness That man that is sensible of his own frailty is more blessed than other men why Because he will ever have recourse to God to set his power a work for the good of his Soul Rom. 11. 20. Be not high-minded but fear Though weakness be a misery yet a sense of it is a degree towards blessedness because it makes way for the great Christian Grace which is trust and dependance 2. They have a sense of the evil that is in the least sin This is the difference between a tender Conscience and a hard heart one is afraid to offend God in the least matter the other makes nothing of sin and so runneth into mischief Prov. 28. 14. Well then a man that hath a tender heart is loth to fall into the least sin he is ever drawing to God to be kept from all sin When we are earnest in this matter it is a sign we are sensible what an evil sin is Men that side with their own lusts and interests may wonder at the frequent requests of the Psalmist here establishment and preservation from sin But those that have a tender Conscience are like the eye soon offended and make it their business to keep it from offence they are thus sollicitous and earnest with God to be upheld 3. They are sensible of the good of perseverance in obedience There are two things here First Obedience is good the more we experiment it the more we would desire to keep it up in an even tenour of close walking with God without interruption without intermission God appeals to experience Micah 2. 7. Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly And when men wander they have this experience Am I a barren Wilderness Mic. 6. 3. O my people what have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearied thee testifie against me The more we find liberty sweetness and comfort in the ways of God the more we should desire to continue in them Secondly As obedience is good so perseverance in obedience is good for it strengthens Grace especially in an hour of temptation when many make defection The choicest discovery of good men is in bad times Noah was upright in his Generation Gen. 6. 9. to stand when others decline to be like Fish that keeps its freshness in salt water to hold fast there where Satan hath his Throne Rev. 2. 13. and to be faithful as is said of Iudah Hos. 11. 12. when Ephraim compassed me about with lies and the house of Israel with deceit It is a comfort and honour to persevere with God Reason 2. Secondly This sustaining Grace must be asked because God will shew his Sovereignty that it is not at our beck it must cost us waiting striving and earnest and renewed prayer 2 Cor. 12. 8. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice God will not answer at the first knock but at the third then God came in So Christ Matth. 26. 44. the third time he came and repeated the same thing then if you compare Luke he received his consolation by an Angel God doth not come at the first knock therefore we must pray again Uphold me Reason 3. Thirdly Without continued influences of Grace we cannot be safe therefore they must not be sought once and no more but daily As we seek daily Bread so we should seek daily Grace the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this day hath respect to all the petitions this day we must have our daily bread this day lead us not into temptation this day keep us from evil While temptations continue we must continue prayer Long suits though often denied may prevail at length In short the continuance of strength and assistance from God is necessary to preserve both habitual and actual Grace therefore they must be continually asked 1. To preserve habitual Grace the seed that remains in us We would wonder to see an Herb to thrive and grow in the midst of many Weeds so that Grace should be there where there is so much pride love of pleasure worldly care and bruitish lusts especially when any of these are set awork by temptations without The Angels and Adam fell when there was nothing within to work upon them but the mutability of their Nature so when there is so much within to work and temptations without it is hard to keep Grace in the Soul 2. For the quickning and actual stirrings of the Soul to good We should soon faint and tire in the ways that we have begun were it not for Gods sustaining Grace these sparks would quickly go out if God did not keep them alive 1 Chron. 29. 18. When the people were in a high point of willingness Lord keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people When we have gotten any good frame of spirit we cannot preserve it without this continual influence Reason 4. Renewed prayer is a means of persevering not only for it but by it God keeps us alive in the way of Grace as by the word so by prayer Praying in the Holy Ghost is one means of establishment Iude 20. Prayer is a solemn preaching to our selves or a serious warming of our souls in our duty in the sight of God now means of supports must be used not once but often There must be constant meals for the encrease of bodily strength If a man be never so strong yet he cannot always grow in strength by one meal there must be new refreshment so this
our best actions Gal. 6. 16. Peace and Mercy when we have done most exactly yea the very plea of servant excludeth all thought of merit for a servant ipso jure Ministerium Domino debet Luke 17. 9. Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded I trow not 2. 'T is not contrary to humility 'T is not we are thy Children we are thy Saints but we are thy Servants 'T is the meanest of relations it speaketh duty rather than perfection and pleads not property of the house but propriety and interest in God The best of us are but servants to the high God and therefore should not carry it proudly either to our Master or to our Fellow-Servants 'T is an humble claim 3. It speaketh comfort for God will provide for his Family and will give maintenance protection direction help and finally wages where he requireth and expecteth service for the present necessaries by the way for the future a blessed reward For the present we may depend on him as Servants on their Lord Psal. 123. 2. Behold as the eyes of servants look to the hands of their masters and the eyes of maidens to the hand of their mistress c. Servants had their Dole and Portion from their Masters the Males from the Master the Females from the Mistress therefore is the expression of looking here used First God will give direction In the Text David upon the account of being Gods Servant beggeth to know his will as all good servants study what will please their masters and will God appoint us work and not tell us what it is Psal. 143. 10. Teach me to do thy will for thou art my God thy spirit is good lead me into the land of uprightness God doth not only shew us what is good in his word but teacheth us also by his spirit and directs us in every turn and motion of our lives and we ask it of him as he is our God and Lord. Secondly Help and assistance God is no Pharaoh to require Brick and give no Straw his Grace is ready to help the endeavouring Soul Gal. 2. 12 13. Work out your salvation for God worketh in you both to will and to do He exciteth the first motions and still carrieth them on to perfection Thirdly Protection while he hath a mind to use us vers 122. of this Psalm Be surety for thy servant for good let not the proud oppress me Under the Law if a servant was hurt the Master was to take an account and satisfaction to be made to him for his servant Deut. 21. 32. so God taketh an account of the wrongs of his servants and will demand satisfaction Fourthly Maintenance 1 Tim. 5. 8. Every man hath a care devolved upon him to take care of his Family and provide for them as instruments of Gods Providence and will not God provide for his own And then for time to come Gods servants have good wages Heb. 11. 6. He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him We need not seek another pay-master there is a sure reward Prov. 11. 18. But to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward And a great reward Psal. 19. 11. And in the keeping of them is a great reward And a full reward 2 Iohn 8. But that we receive a full reward No desire remaineth unsatisfied Use. Is to perswade us to become the Servants of the Lord. 1. I will plead with you upon the account of right you ought to be so jure Creationis you were created by him As a man expecteth fruit from the Vine which he hath planted so may God expect from the Creature which he hath made yea you were made for this end If God had made us for another purpose our living to that end and purpose had been regular But this was his end that he might be served by us Let us lay these things together consider what an absolute power God hath by Creation no Lord hath such a right over his Slave or Servant as God over us The Slave or Servant is either taken in battel or bought and hired with our money but God made us out of nothing he that made a thing at his own pleasure hath a greater right than another can have by purchase yea greater right than a master over his Beast A master hath a greater right over his Beast than over his Servant the dominion over the Beast is more natural to us than over a Servant the Servant and Master have the same common Nature When he gave us dominion over the Beasts of the Field the one is founded in Gods original Grant the other is but a civil right founded in temporal accidents Something is due even to a Slave as our own Flesh. Yet a man cannot absolutely do with his Beast as he will the Law of God interposeth a good man is merciful to his beast God will not allow a cruel disposition nor give us the absolute disposal over the Creatures which we made not Nay more than a Potter over the Vessels which he hath framed or a Workman over his work he only giveth external shape or figure by art out of matter already prepared But God giveth the whole Being out of nothing nothing but what is his A Potter hath power over his work to dispose of it as he pleaseth here the Law interposeth not Surely if a Potter hath power to dispose of his Vessels God hath an absolute power to smite or heal lift up or cast down save or condemn none can say What dost thou He doth not fashion us out of matter prepared but out of mere nothing But this was his end that we should love and fear and serve and glorifie him Our business was not to eat and drink and please our selves and others and live a merry life All things act to the end for which they were created the Sun to shine by day and enlighten the World the Moon and Stars by night and they answer their end Their ultimate end is to serve God their next end to serve Man All things in the World are either subjected to our dominion or created for our use the Heavens though not under our dominion as Beasts yet are for our use the lower Heaven to give us breath the middle Heaven to give us light and heat the highest Heaven for our Dwelling Place the Sun runneth and hasteneth to give us light The Sun shineth for us the Wind bloweth and the Water Howeth for our use The Earth and Air are for our use the Earth to tread on the Air to breathe in and shall not we serve him that made the whole Course to serve us All the Creatures are at work for us day and night for a poor Worm of six foot long yea the Creator is at work for us My Father worketh hitherto and I work We complain if the Creatures do not serve us and shall not we serve God who gave us those Servants 2. A right
servants they are they do nothing but what their master commandeth and what he commandeth they see reason to obey Second Branch Give me understanding that I may know thy testimonies This is subjoined to the former Plea First Because David would not be a servant in name and title only but in deed and in truth and therefore would fain know his duty Secondly To shew the difference between Gods servants and the servants of other Lords who command us Prov. 14. 25. The Kings favour is towards a wise servant they see them wise find them wise and then love them but God must begin with us his favour maketh us wise Doctr. Gods best Servants think they can never enough beg Divine illumination David doth often enforce this request Reasons 1. Our blindness in the matters of God is a great part of our spiritual misery Ephes. 5. 8. Ye were sometimes darkness There is a Veil lying upon our hearts not easily removed and taken away All the mischief introduced by the Fall is not cured at once but by degrees as spiritual strength encreaseth we grow up into it so spiritual light The maim of the understanding as well as the will is not wholly cured till we come to Heaven for here we know but in part till God give us understanding we are utterly blind the best of Gods servants have cause to acknowledge it in themselves the remnants of ignorance and incredulity The Apostle biddeth them to adde to faith vertue to vertue knowledge that is skill to manage the work of our heavenly Calling 2. None are so sensible of this blindness as they 'T is some proficiency in knowledge to understand our ignorance Prov. 30. 2 3. Surely I am more bruitish than any man and have not the understanding of a man I neither learned wisdom nor have the knowledg of the holy The most knowing see they need more enlightening The best of our knowledge is to know our imperfections 1 Cor. 8. 2. He that thinketh he knoweth any thing knoweth nothing as he ought to know 3. There is room for encrease for in the best we never know so much of Gods ways but we may know more Hos. 6. 3. Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord. Prov. 4. 18. But the path of the Iust is as a shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day True sanctified knowledg is always growing If we sit down with measures received 't is a sign we do not know things as we should know them Christ grew in knowledge not in Grace for the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily Practical knowledg is never at a stand though a man may see round the compass and light of saving truth yet he may know them more spiritually and more feelingly 4. The profit of Divine Revelation as to these three things First A clear discerning of the things of God not a confused Notion as the blind man in the Gospel saw men as Trees walking So 2 Cor. 4. 6. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledg of the Glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. And 1 Iohn 5. 20. And hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true Every degree of knowledg is Gods gift What other men see confusedly we see more distinctly in this light Secondly Firm assent Then shall I know thy testimonies know them from others that have not Divine Authority 'T is the spirit of Wisdom and Revelation that openeth our eyes to see the truth and worth of heavenly things contained in the promise Ephes. 1. 17 18. The father of glory may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledg of him the eyes of your understandings being enlightened that ye may know the hope of his calling and the riches of the glory of the inheritance of the Saints in light And Matth. 16. 17. Flesh and blood hath not revealed these things unto thee Humane credulity we may have upon the report of others the evidence of the truths themselves but this firm assent is the fruit of Divine illumination Thirdly Hearty practice Let thy testimonies not only strike my ear but affect my heart command my hand let me know them so as to do them for otherwise our knowledge is little worth God doth so direct that he doth also enable us to approve our obedience to him sincerely and faithfully There is a knowledge that puffeth us up 1 Cor. 8. 1. which yet is a gift and floweth from the common influence of the Spirit Ier. 22. 16. Was not this to know me saith the Lord But there is a greater efficacy in practical knowledge such as warmeth the heart with love to the truths known Iohn 4. 10. If thou knewest the gift c. Such a light as proceedeth from the gracious influence of the Spirit Use 1. Let us be often dealing with God in prayer that our judgments may be enightened with the understanding of the word and our affections renewed and strengthened unto the true obedience of it beg for that lively light of the Spirit 1. We need it In how many things do we erre in the things which know how weak are we both as to sound judgment and practice The Apostle saith We know but in part 1 Cor. 13. 9. We are but of yesterday and we know nothing Job 8. 9. Therefore we have need to go to the Ancient of days that he may teach us knowledge and kindle our Lamps anew at the Fountain of light Alas we take it in by drops or by degrees as a tender and sore eye must be used to the light We have but little time to get knowledg in and do not improve that little time we have 2. We have leave to ask it Iam. 1. 5. If any man lack wisdom let him ask it of God and why do we not seeing we have a liberty to ask it 3. God hath promised to bestow it he will give his spirit to them that ask it Luke 11. 13. And to beget Faith in us If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts to your Children how much more shall your heavenly father give the holy spirit to them that ask him Here is a notable Argument he reasoneth and promiseth And Prov. 2. 3. we must cry for knowledg Well then let us be earnest that we may not miss that which is to be had for asking beg for an heart to know Ier. 24. 7. I will give them an heart to know me that I am the Lord. Use 2. It informeth us That there is somewhat more than the Word necessary to give us knowledge God must not only reveal the Object but prepare the Subject David having a Law beggeth understanding that he might know Gods testimonies The literal sense and meaning of the words may be understood by common gifts and ordinary industry unless men be exceedingly blinded and
the Lord blesseth this institution and this means for it is not bare truth but instituted truth with which God will associate the operation of his Spirit By this Word of his that was indicted by the Spirit and penn'd by holy men that were moved by the Holy Ghost he doth joyn his virtue and power and efficacy of his Spirit to sanctifie the souls of men 3. They that make it their scope and business to please God in all things and take his Word for their Rule their souls will soon see a need for Divine direction and the establishment of his Grace This reason is taken from the temper of the persons that are to walk in this strict way according to his strict rule they are such as are naturally blind and naturally opposite to God now certainly such need to go to God for direction I gather that from these words Order my steps Every man is a poor blind Creature and hath a heart opposite to the ways of God he need beg this grace of God Lord encline my heart Every man is a blind Creature partly because our own spirits are blind crooked and unstable that we shall neither consult our Rule nor understand our Duty nor like it when it is represented to us until the Lord doth enlighten us A mans heart is naturally blind 2 Pet. 1. 9. He cannot see afar off he hath no skill in spiritual things 1 Cor. 2. 14. The heart is naturally full of darkness and then this darkness grows upon us Partly by prejudice or custome and many evil habits 2 Cor. 4. 4. The God of this world hath blinded mens eyes There are many inordinate affections that encrease upon us So 't is then that a man is blind by nature more blind by custome and inordinate affection is exceedingly blinded which have a great influence upon our judgments in all practical Cases Though we should know general Rules yet to bring them down to every particular action is very grievous and hard to bring the heart to But you will say When we have received the Spirit God hath put his Law into our minds this blindness is cured therefore why should such as David pray Lord order my steps c. Yes we are cured but in part non totaliter Grace doth heal us but in part much of the matter that clouded the mind before is yet upon us and when lusts are awakened by temptations we strangely forget our selves our own reason our senses and examples of others we are misled so that we know not what to do unless the Lord order our steps Well as we are blind so we are opposite too When we know our way what we should do yet we are apt to stumble at every Stone Naturally the wisdom of the Flesh is opposite Rom. 8. 7. The carnal mind is enmity against God And so much as the wisdom of the Flesh still remains we are apt to be discouraged from walking with God according to his strict rule and in the way that he hath given us and we are extreamly slack that unless we be quickened by the lively and strengthning light of the Spirit alas how soon shall we miscarry Therefore this ordering is a strengthening against the reluctancies of the flesh Psal. 17. 5. Hold up my goings in thy paths that my foot-steps slip not Alas when a man finds a good way he is either apt to lye down out of laziness or to stumble and fall and we cannot keep our footing against temptations Every man of experience seeth the need of this Therefore Lord direct me Order my steps The 4. Reason is taken from the value of the blessing here asked It is one of the chiefest blessings of his grace and favour to have his illuminating Afer he had said Lord be merciful unto me presently follows Lord order my steps To prove this must needs be a great blessing and favour It will appear out of the Words of the Text partly from the word order it makes our lives orderly and regular Alas what a confused disproportionable thing is a man that is half in and half out with the ways of God! His conversation is not all of a piece sometimes right and sometimes wrong there is not that beauty that harmony that holiness to be found in them Solomon tells us Prov. 26. 7. The legs of the lame are not equal so is a parable in the mouth of fools Baines on the place saith thus The man hath knowledge to speak well but he lives ill so his conversation is halting like the legs of the lame Sometimes his speculative light will encline him to do easie things but his practical endeavours will carry him another way there is no even and uniform strain of godliness Then is a mans Conversation ordered when all is carried on with a fair respect to his last end for it is the last end that fixeth a mans mind and cuts off impertinencies and inconsistences and makes a mans Conversation beautiful otherwise the man is tost up and down in a various uncertain motion distracted by a multiplicity of ends and objects that his will is in no composed and settled frame I remember David prays Psal. 86. 11. Unite my heart to fear thy name It 's a blessed thing when a man is united when his conversation is all of a piece And Iames 1. 8. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways A divided mind will beget an uncertain life I say the last end of our lives doth unite all the parts of it and there 's a regularity and harmony between them But others their life is a mere Lottery the fancies by which they are governed they are jumbled together by Chance and they live at peradventure and hap-hazard and there is not a comely intire uniform order to a blessed end Again partly too from the reason here Order my steps according to thy word and let no iniquity have dominion over me This will prevent the dominion of sin perverse affections are apt to sway us but when the Lord supplies fresh directions the tyranny and dominion of sin is prevented and crushed in the Egg. Sin usually steals into the Throne by insensible degrees temptations and occasions reduce us to some evil practice Well and that produceth another then do multiplied acts get strength then they insnare us and when once the soul is insnared then this bondage daily encreaseth and is hard to be broken for by multiplied acts custome creeps upon us and that 's another nature and that which was but indifferent at first grows more difficult As Diseases looked to at first are easily cured otherwise they grow desperate so sins when they come to a slavish tyranny and custome they cannot help it All this is prevented by the seasonable warnings of the holy Spirit Partly too because this is only vouchsafed to Gods special people God as he loves any so he manifests himself to them this appears out of the Text for in the Verse before
Saints and the blessed means to pluck up their Spirits Whilst there is a God in Heaven we are not at an utter loss So Verse 9. I will say unto God my Rock Why hast thou forgotten me Why go I mourning because of the Oppressor David first reasoned with himself yet the Distemper continued but when he comes to reason the Case with God in prayer then he gets ease Thirdly The violent passions of anger envy and revenge against Oppressours these are all naught and do a world of mischief Anger discomposeth us and transports the soul into uncomely motions against God and men makes us fret and male-content it tempts us to Atheism Psal. 73. maketh us weary of well-doing Psal. 37. tempts us to imitation of their wicked Course The Devil worketh much upon spleen and stomach and discontent and we are apt to run into these Disorders Now how shall we do to get rid of these Distempers By prayer in which we get a sight and prospect of the other world and then these things will seem nothing to us acquaint our selves with God and the process of his Providence and so we shall see an end of things Psal. 73. 17. then all is quiet And as for revenge too that is an effect of the former when we plead before God we see the justice of what is unjust and hard dealing from men to be justly inflicted by God and so the heart is calmed The Lord bid him curse 2 Sam. 16. 11. There is reason enough for this dispensation in the upper Tribunal whereunto when we appeal we should render no man evil for evil Rom. 12. 17. We ought not we need not 't is Gods work Deut. 32. 35. Vengeance and recompence are mine Nay our very praying is a committing our selves to him that judgeth righteously 1 Pet. 2. 23. In prayer we vent our zeal and that hindreth us from venting our carnal passions 'T is a resignation of our Person and Cause to him under unjust sufferings not out of malice desiring judgment and vengeance on Persecutors that is to make God the Executioner of our lusts to establish that which we would prevent in prayer But Saints in prayer labour only to shew their faith and meekness and to leave things to the righteous Judge to do what is for his own Glory and their good Fourthly For the other evil impatience and despair 't is a very great evil and contrary to faith and hope and dependance which the Christian Religion doth mainly establish and maketh way for the worst evils either total Apostasie from God or Atheism or self-destuction Now this is very incident to us when oppressions lye long upon us 2 King 6. 33. This evil is from the Lord why should I wait on the Lord any longer So Ier. 2. 25. But thou saidst There is no hope Desperately No for I have loved Strangers and after them will I go I will take my own course there is no hope 't is in vain to wait upon the Lord any longer And if things do not grow to that height yet the Children of God grow weary and faint in their minds Heb. 12. 3. Now we keep afoot some hope while we have an heart to call upon God The Suit is still depending in the Court of Heaven when it seems to be over on Earth and we see there is cause to wait for Gods answer He that shall come will come Hab. 2. 3. God may tarry long but will never come too late Thus why 2. But how is this to be asked First This is not to be asked in the first place as our main blessing Matth. 6. 33. First seek the Kingdom of God If we seek our ease and temporal felicity only that prayer is like a brutish Cry Hos. 7. 14. They howled upon their beds for Corn and Wine A Dog will howl when he feels any thing inconvenient You will never be freed from murmuring and quarrelling at Gods dispensations and questioning his love if this be the first thing that you seek and so your prayers will become your Snare Besides the great dishonour to God it argues the great disorder of your affections that you can be content to have any thing apart from God Psal. 105. 4. Seek ye the Lord and his strength seek his face evermore In all Conditions that must be our great request that we may have the favour of God Secondly It must be asked with submission 'T is not absolutely promised nor intrinsecally and indispensably necessary to our happiness but if the Lord see it fit for his own Glory and our good We cannot take it ill if a friend deny us to lend a Summ of Money which he knoweth we will lay out to our loss and detriment God seeth it fit sometimes for his own Glory and our good to continue us under oppression rather than to take us out of it There are two Acts of Providence relieving and comforting the oppressed and punishing the Oppressors Sometimes God doth the one without the other sometimes both together sometimes God will only comfort the oppressed we cry to him in our afflictions and God will not break the yoke but give us a supply of strength to bear it Psal. 138. 3. In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and hast strengthened me with strength in my soul. He giveth you strength to bear the burthen if you continue in your integrity Sometimes God doth punish the Oppressor yet that 's no relief and reparation to you you must bear it for you are to stand to Gods will and to wait his leisure to free you from it Thirdly Your end must be that God may be glorified and that you may serve him more cheerfully So 't is in the Text Deliver me from the oppression of man then shall I keep thy precepts Psal. 9. 13 14. Have mercy upon me O Lord consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me thou that liftest me up from the gates of death that I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Sion and I will rejoyce in thy salvation So David beggeth salvation in order to praise Temporal mercy should not be loved for it self nor sought for it self but as we may glorifie God by it that 's to be our end Lord I seek not my own interest but thine If you have a carnal end you miss Iames 4. 3. Because you ask to consume it upon your lusts that we may please the Flesh as sweetly and quietly as we did before live in the height of pomp and splendor gratifie our lusts without disturbance or see our revenge or if a meer natural end the meer conveniency of the outward man we bespeak our own denial Fourthy We must pray in faith that God can and is ready to deliver from the oppression of man and will do so in due time when 't is good for us First God can deliver us Though our Oppressors be never so mighty and strong God can break
not be at our beck We have deserved nothing but must wait for him in the diligent use of the means as Benhadad's servants watched for the word Brother or any thing of kindness to drop from the King of Israel 2. Work for it for I press you not to a devout sloth All good things are hard to come by 't is worth all the labour we lay out upon it There is no having peace with God any sense of his love without diligent attendance in the use of all appointed means 2 Pet. 3. 14. Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless And 2 Pet. 1. 10. Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure That comfort is to be suspected that costs nothing but like Ionah's Gourd grows up in a night that comes upon us we know not how IV. Gods Children when they beg comfort also beg Grace to serve him acceptably For teaching Gods Statutes is not meant barely a giving us a speculative knowledge of Gods will for so David here Make thy face to shine and Teach me thy Statutes And why do they so 1. Out of gratitude They are ingenuous and would return all duty and thankfulness to God as well as receive mercy from him therefore they are always mingling resolutions of duty with expectations of mercy and when they carry away comforts from him are thinking of suitable returns And while they take Christ for righteousness they devote and give up themselves to his use and service The nature of man is so disposed that when we ask any thing we promise especially if a Superior Hos. 14. 2. Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render the calves of our lips The Children of God resolve upon duty and service when they ask favour So Psal. 9. 13 14. Have mercy upon me O Lord consider my trouble that I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the Daughter of Sion We are thinking of honouring and praising God at that time when we seek his favour 2. The Children of God do know that this is the cause of Gods aversion from them that his Stautes are not observed and therefore when they beg a greater experience of Gods special favour they also beg direction to keep his Statutes They cannot maintain and keep up a sense of the love of God unless they be punctual in their Duty He knows nothing of Religion that knows not that the comfort of a Christian depends upon sanctification as well as justification and the greater sense of obedience the fuller sense of the love of God and the degrees of manifesting his favour are according to the degrees of our profiting in obedience for these go along still Jesus Christ is King of righteousness and King of peace He is Melchizedeck King of Salem he pours out the Oil of grace that he may pour out the Oil of gladness Heb. 7. 2. But especially see one place Iohn 14. 21. He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Christ was then most sweetly comforting his people but 't was not his mind that they should be emboldned thereby to cast off Duty No he says the only way to assure them that they were not delusions and to clear their right to these comforts was this He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him That 's the way to get confirmation and evidence of the love of God 3. This is a notable effect and evidence of Gods favour to guide you in his ways therefore 't is a branch of the former for whom the Lord loveth he teacheth and guides Rom. 8. 14. As many as are the Children of God they are led by the Spirit Others are left to their own hearts counsels And Psal. 25. 14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant The communication of Secrets is a note of friendship Now the secret of the Lord the knowledge of his Covenant and what belongs thereto it is to those that fear God There 's the qualification 4. He sheweth that he does not desire a greater proof of Gods love He would chiefly experience the good will of God to him in being taught the mind of God The most sleight that which David prizeth But if our hearts were as they should be we would prefer this before all other good things sanctification to be taught of God For First 'T is a better evidence of Gods favour than worldly comforts Pardon freeth us from punishment sanctification from sin and pollution sin is worse than misery and holiness is to be preferred before impunity Christ in the work of redemption considered the Fathers interest and honour as well as your salvation The taking away of worldly comforts doth not infringe our blessedness yea when it is accompanied with this benefit it maketh way for the encrease of it Psal. 94. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy Law All the comforts of the world are not worth one Dram of Grace The loss of them may be supplied with Grace and man be happy comfortable and blessed for all that but the loss of Grace cannot be supplied with temporal things We cannot say Blessed is the man that hath lost Grace for the worlds sake Again all the riches and honours heaped upon a man cannot make him better they may easily make him worse but Grace can never make us worse but always better more amiable in the eyes of God and fitter for communion with him These may be given to those whom God hateth Psal. 17. 74. But this is the favour of his people Grace is never given but to those whom he entirely loveth These may be given in wrath but sanctifying Grace never in wrath The more we have of these things the more wanton and vain Deut. 32. 15. They are often used as an occasion to the Flesh Gal. 5. 13. prove fewel to our lusts encrease our snares temptations difficulties in Heavens way Luke 18. 25. Our Table becometh a snare Psal. 69. 22. But the saving Graces of the Spirit make all easie and help us towards our own happiness Secondly Profiting in obedience or sanctification is a greater effect of God favour Sanctification is a greater priviledge than Justification Perfect and compleat holiness and conformity to God is the great thing which God designed as the glory of God is holiness Exod. 15. 11. Moral perfections exceed natural and of all moral perfections Holiness is the greatest 'T is better to be wise than strong to be holy than wise Beasts have strength Man hath reason but holy Angels a holy God Sanctification is a real perfection
escape was some while after 2 By giving in spiritual Manifestations to the Soul though he doth not give the particular Mercy prayed for As when upon the prayer he reviveth the soul of him that prayeth Iob 33. 26. He shall pray unto God and he will be favourable to him and he shall see his face with joy The Lord giveth them the light of his Countenance and special discoveries of his love or support till the Mercy come Psal. 138. 3. In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my Soul Support is an Answer such an Answer had Paul My Grace is sufficient for thee Or when the heart is quieted though we do not know what God will do with our requests yet satisfied in the discharge of our Duty and that we have commended the matter to God So it is said of Hannah When she had prayed her Countenance was no more sad 1 Sam. 1. 18. And Phil. 4. 6 7. Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Iesus Christ. Sometimes by a secret Impression of Confidence or a strong inclination to hope well of the thing prayed for Psal. 6. 8. The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping Or Experiences as they that travailed to Ierusalem passing through the Valley Baca they met with a Well by the way Psal. 84. 6. a sweet refreshing thought or some help in the Spiritual Life by serious dealing with God some Consideration to set you a work or some new ingagement of the soul to God as a recompence of the Duty some Principles of Faith drawn forth in the view of Conscience not shewed before Some truth or other presented with fresh Life and vigour upon the heart 3. Sometimes by way of Commutation and Exchange and so God doth answer the prayer though he doth not give the mercy prayed for When he giveth another thing that is as good or better for the party that prayeth though not in kind the same yet in worth and value as good This Commutation may be three wayes First In regard of the Person praying David fasts and humbleth and melteth his soul for his Persecutors Psal. 35. 13. and it returned into his own bosom was converted to his own benefit his fasting had no effect upon them but his Charity did not lose its reward David prayeth for his first Child by Bathsheba but that Child dieth and God giveth Solomon instead thereof 2 Sam. 12. 15. Noah Daniel Iob shall save their own Souls Ezek. 14. 14. Your peace shall return to you again Luk. 10. 5 6. the Comfort of discharging their Duty Secondly In regard of the matter Carnal things are begged and Spiritual things are given Acts 1. 6 7. The Apostles asked him wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel They did not receive the Kingdom to Israel but received the promise of the Spirit Moses would fain enter into Canaan with the People Deut. 3. 23 24. And God said let it suffice thee speak no more of this matter but God gave him a Pisgah sight and ease of the trouble of Wars We would have speedy riddance of Trouble but God thinketh not fit as showers that come by drops soak into the Earth better then those that come in a Tempest and Hurricane We ask for Ease in Troubles and God will give Courage under Troubles Lam. 3. 55 56 57. I called upon thy name O Lord out of the low dungeon Thou hast heard my voice hide not thine ear at my breathing at my cry Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee thou saidst Fear not His gracious and powerful Presence in Trouble was enough Christ was heard in that he feared Heb. 5. 7. not saved from that Hour but supported and strengthened in it Iob sacrificed prayed for his Children when they were Feasting Iob 1. 5. and though they were all destroyed God gave him Patience verse 22. for in all that befell him he sinned not nor charged God foolishly Thirdly In regard of means we pray such means may not miscarry God will use other As Abraham would fain have Ishmael the Child of the Promise but God intended Isaac Gen. 17. 18. O that Ishmael might live before thee Thus doth God often blast instruments we most expect good from and maketh use of others to be Instruments for our good which we did least expect it from God may give us our Will in Anger when the Mercy turneth to our hurt Therefore the kind of Gods Answer must be referred to his own Will in all things for which we are not to pray Absolutely and when we have discharged our Duty endeavoured to approve our Hearts to God take what Answer he will give Doct. 2. From the manner of praying with the whole Heart the Saints have the more confidence of being heard in Prayer David alledgeth his crying with the whole heart as an hopeful intimation of a gracious Answer 1. Because a Prayer rightly made hath the assurance of a Promise the Promise is Ioh. 16. 24. Ask and you shall receive that your joy may be full Now this beareth no exception but that we ask according to his Will 1 Ioh. 5. 14. Si bona petant boni bene ad bonum Good men asking good things in the name of Christ for a good end thou canst not miss 2. Where there is sincerity and fervency we have two witnesses to establish our Comfort and Hope the Spirit of God that knoweth the deep things of God and the Spirit of Man that knoweth the things that are in man Gods Spirit who stirreth up these groans in us Rom. 8. 26 27. He that searcheth the heart knoweth the mind of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God And the Testimony of our own Spirits that we have done our part and discharged our Duty and so have true Joy and Confidence Iob 16. 19 20. My witness is in heaven and my record is on high My friends scorn me but mine eye poureth out teares to God 3. God doth not use to send them away comfortless that call upon him in spirit and truth because by one grace he maketh way for another by the grace of Assistance for the grace of Acceptance Psal. 10. 17. Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou hast prepared their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear Where God hath given an Heart to speak he will afford an ear to hear for God will not lose his own work he cannot refuse those requests which are according to the direction of his Word and the motions of his holy Spirit when they are brought to him Use. This exhorteth us to look more after the manner of praying An earnest and sincere prayer cannot miscarry judge by this and you cannot want
come too easily but that which costs us much pains and long crying is more prized the Reason is because Delay and Difficulty sharpen our Desires and the sharper our Desire in the absence of a Blessing the greater gust and sweetness we find in it when it cometh at last A sack that is stretched out is more capacious and holdeth the more so is the Soul more widened by inlarged desires to intertain the Blessing for always our delight is according to the proportion of our Desires as an hungry man or one long kept from meat relisheth his food better than another that hath it always at hand Isa. 25. 9. And it shall be said in that day lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us this is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation We that know Blessings more by the want than the worth of them in waiting we are acquainted with the difficulties and inconveniencies that attend the want of things and so are more fitted to prize them then ever we should have been if we had not so long waited 2. It is more thankfully Improved this follows upon the former and may be further made good because when we know the difficulty of getting a Blessing we will not easily part with it as they that get an estate are usually more careful how they spend it than they that are born to one therefore God holdeth his People long at prayer to prepare and season their hearts that when they have it they may know better how to imploy it for his glory and his own good Questionless Hannah would never have devoted her Child to God had she not continued so long without him and prayed for him with such bitterness of Heart but that wrought on her 1 Sam. 1. 11. And she vowed a vow and said O Lord of Hosts if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid and remember me and not forget thine handmaid but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man-child then I will give him unto the Lord all the dayes of his life and no razor shall come upon his head Compare this with the 27 28 verses For this Child I prayed and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him therefore also I have lent him to the Lord as long as he liveth he shall be lent unto the Lord. The same effect you may observe in any spiritual Comfort you obtain for your Souls or any temporal Mercy or Comfort of the present Life which you get by Prayer if God had answered you at first it had been reckoned among the ordinary effects of his Goodness and so pass't by but what is won by Prayer is usually worn with Thankfulness you would not have been so sensible of the hand of Providence the graciousness of the Answer or your obligation to God or indeed that it had been an answer of Prayer at all III. Things often and earnestly asked of God come with the greater fulness of Blessing when they come and so as one saith God payeth them Use for forbearance the Mercy is the more ample and so every Prayer hath its reward Christ denied the woman of Canaan long but at length yieldeth up himself to her importunity Mar. 15. 26. O Woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee as thou wilt She lost nothing by the delay Hannah was long without a Child but at length the Child proved the more eminent she gets both a Child and a Prophet too Let God alone and do you continue praying and he will recompence you abundantly for all his delay Peter was in Prison and the Church made prayers without ceasing Acts 12. 5. and God doth not only bring him out but bring him out with a Miracle so that they were astonished verse 16. God delayed for a while and seemed to refuse their Prayers but when Herod was just about to bring him forth to Execution God brought him forth to Deliverance Every Prayer is upon the file and contributeth to make the Mercy the more compleat it remaineth day and night before the Lord 1 Kings 8. 59. And let these my words wherewith I have made supplication before the Lord be nigh unto the Lord our God day and night as a memorial Acts. 10. 4. Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God IV. It argueth an ill spirit when we will not continue praying though we have not presently that which we pray for To be sure 1. There is dis-obedience in it for it is contrary to Gods Injunctions Luk. 18. 1. Men ought always to pray and not to faint We ought not to surcease our suits so Eph. 6. 18. Praying always and with all perseverance alwayes relateth to the constant exercise of this Duty upon all occasions with all perseverance to particular suits we put up to God Now our Duty must not be omitted whatever the discouragements be as Moses was to hold up his hands till the going down of the Sun so are we to continue our suits and press hard for an Answer till God give us the thing we pray for 2. There is weakness of Faith to yield to the Temptation and to go off upon every repulse yea sometimes too too plain Unbelief and Atheisme as if there were no Mercy to be expected from God or no good to be obtained by spiritual means Faith is to believe what we see not the Woman of Canaan cometh to Christ at first she gets not a word from him and afterwards his speech is more discouraging then his silence she is put out of the compass of his Commission I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel but still she is importunate afterwards a rough Answer it is not meet to take the Childrens bread and cast it unto dogs she turneth his Rebuke into an Encouragement then O woman great is thy Faith Mat. 15. 26. Many times we pray for Blessings and the Oracle is dumb and silent though God love the Supplicant yet he will not seem to take notice of his desires yea the more they pray the more they may go away with a sense of their unworthiness and revived Guilt yet the work of Faith is to make an Answer out of Gods silence a gracious Answer out of his Rebukes and to increase our importunity the more 3. Want of Love to God or coldness of Love it is the property of Love to adhere to God though we be not feasted with felt Comforts and present Benefits Yea though he appear an enemy for so will God try the Affection and Deportment of his Children Isa. 26. 8. Yea in the way of thy Iudgments have we waited for thee the desire of our Souls is to thee and to the remembrance of thy Name Iob 13. 15. Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Not only when our Affections are bribed a Child of God should Love God for his
Judgments as well as fear him for his Mercies as Lime the more water you sprinkle upon it the more it burneth It was an high expression of Bernard's affection to those that he took to be the people of God adhaerebo vobis etiamsi velitis etiamsi nolitis so should we adhere to God now When you can onely wait on him in the way of his Mercies not in the way of his Judgments your waiting and praying is discouraged upon every difficulty and disappointment you have little Love to him 4. Want of Patience or tarrying Gods Leisure till the Promise bring forth Some are hot and hasty if God will appear presently they can be content to observe him but to be crying and crying till their Throat be hoarse and weary of crying and no good come on it they cannot away with this 2 Kings 6. 33. This evil is of the Lord why should I wait on the Lord any longer They are discontented that God maketh them stay so long Though God wait long upon them and had reason enough to take the discouragement and be gone yet they cannot tarry a little for God and think prayer an useless work unless it yield them a quick return and that it is better to shift for themselves Use. Reproof to two sorts 1. To those that cease Praying or Crying to God if they have not a present Answer especially if they meet with a contrary Rebuke in the course of his Providence You must cry and cry again not imagine that God will be at your beck but foolish men suddenly conclude Mal. 3. 14. It is in vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinance and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts Oh no! consider something is due to the Soveraignty of God that we should wait his Leisure for he is supreme and will Govern the World according to his own Will not ours And therefore we must stay his time for the Mercies we expect Psal. 106. 13 14. They soon forgat his word they waited not for his Counsel but lusted exceedingly in the Wilderness and tempted God in the Desert And something is due to the stated course of his Providence we cannot expect that God should turn all things upside-down for our sakes and invert the beautiful order of his Dispensations Iob 18. 4. Shall the earth be forsaken for thee and the rock removed out of his place Shall God alter the Course of Nature or change the order of Governing the World for us or to please our humour Something is due for the present Estate of Mankind who are not to live by sense but by Faith Hab. 2. 3 4. For the vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lye though it tarry waite for it because it will surely come it will not tarry Behold his Soul which is lifted up is not upright in him but the just shall live by his Faith And that appointed time is for our Tryal to see if we not of Duty and principles of Faith can keep up our respects unto God though his Providence doth not presently gratifie our desires or satisfie our necessities Besides it concerneth us to suspect our selves rather then to blemish Gods dispensations those alwaies complain most of Gods not hearing prayer who least deserve to be heard Isal. 58. 3 4 5. Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest not Wherefore have we afflicted our soul and thou takest no knowledge Behold in the day of your fast you find pleasure and exact all your labour Behold you fast for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickedness ye shall not fast as ye do this day to make your voice to be heard on high Is it such a fast that I have chosen a day for a man to afflict his soul Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him wilt thou call this a fast and an acceptable day to the Lord 2. That though they do not cease praying yet do not pray with any Life and Hope because of his delays and seeming denials There are certain general Blessings which we are alwaies praying for because though we have them yet we ought dayly to ask them of God the continuance of them the sense of them the increase of them here never cease praying There are other particular Blessings that either concern our selves or the Church of God which we are to ask with earnestness and yet submission in these we put it to the most sensible Trial whether God will hear us or no. Now for these things we must seek the face of God with Hope and Zeal 1. Because it is not enough to keep up the Duty unless we keep up the Affections that must accompany the Duty Rom. 12. 12. Continuing instant in Prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In long Afflictions men will pray but they pray as men out of Heart for fashions sake or with little and weak Affection rather satisfying their Consciences then setting awork the Power of God 2. A seeming Repulse or Denial should make us more vehement as blind Bartimeus the more they rebuked him he cryed so much the more Mark 10. 48. God suffereth the Faith of his Servants to be tryed with great discouragements but the more it is opposed the more should it grow and the more powerfully and effectually should it work in our hearts as the Palm-tree shooteth up the faster the more weight is hung upon it or as Fire the more it is pent up the more it striveth to break out therefore we should not only have fresh Affections at first but in every new prayer we should act over our Faith again and put forth spiritual desires anew 3. Gods dearest Children are not admitted at the first knock Mar. 7. 7. Ask and it shall be given you seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened to you It may be we have not at first asking we need seek and knock Mercy doth not come to us all in haste we have not at first what we lack delays are no denials therefore we must not take the first or second Answer but continue with instance give the Lord no rest Isa. 62. 7. Be importunate with him to hasten the deliverance of his People 4. We must not onely continue praying when Christ seemeth to neglect us or to give no Answer but when he giveth a contrary Answer When he to appearance rejecteth our Persons and Prayers and seemeth to forbid us to pray Sometimes he seemeth to neglect us and pass us by as if he took no notice but yet he heareth when he doth not Answer yea his not Answering is an Answer Pray or continue your prayer it is said Mark 6. 48. He saw them toiling in rowing for the wind mas contrary to them and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them walking upon the Sea and would
draw us to the same Fountain of Grace for Pardon and Life to our selves These Examples do more than the Doctrinal declaration because they do not onely shew that Mercy and Grace may be had but that it hath been attained unto by those who in all respects did judge themselves and were really unworthy of it as unable to lay hold of it and to make good use of it afterwards as we our selves The Ice is broken the Ford ridden before us therefore we may venture our Salvation and Acceptance with God upon the same Grace 3 His former love to our selves At first he took us with all our faults and betrothed us unto himself in Loving-kindness and tender Mercy Hosea 2. 19. and therefore he will still do us good freely and bountifully And so we may answer all Objections from Gods wonted goodness towards us When he hath entred into Covenant with us out of his Love and Bounty we may well expect that upon the same terms he should keep Covenant The continuance is more easily believed and asked than the beginning and first grant Psal. 36. 10. O continue thy loving-kindness unto them that know thee and thy righteousness to the upright in heart When by Experience we have found what it can do for unworthy creatures we may the better expect it should help us upon all occasions 4. The End why God exerciseth it which is his Glory even the glory of his Grace and Loving-kindness That that might be acknowledged and exemplified by those that are partakers of it even to be altogether glorious Eph. 1. 6. To the praise of his glorious grace wherein he hath accepted us in the beloved That it may be owned and esteemed as free and liberal and working of its own accord We only cross Gods End when we do not plead it admire it and esteem it highly and improve it for our Comfort for this is Gods End in the whole business of our Salvation from first to last that Men and Angels might be excited to set forth the praises of his rich Mercy and free Grace And here is a new incouragement to ask gracious supplies of God according to his Loving-kindness or upon the account of that Attribute even that his Grace may be more esteemed and exalted in our hearts Psal. 109. 21. But do thou for me O God the Lord for thy names-sake because thy mercy is good deliver thou me It concerneth him in point of his chief honour and glory to do good to his People that he may be known and owned to be a good and a gracious or loving God Use Well then If this be the great plea of the Saints 1. Let us meditate often of the Loving-kindness of God of his pitying and pardoning and lovingly intreating poor sinful and broken-hearted creatures that come to him This should be our daily Meditation bonum est primum potentissimum nomen Dei saith Damascene It is the first-born and chiefest name of God We cannot conceive of God by any thing that concerneth us so much as his Goodness by that we know him and for that we love him We admire him with Reverence for his other Titles but this doth first insinuate with us and command our respect to him The first Temptation that ever was in the World was to weaken the conceit of his Goodness in the heart of the creature as if God were envious harsh and sowre in his restraints still it is a great Temptation yet God is good to Israel Psal. 73. 1. Oh let us fortifie our Hearts with frequent thoughts of his Goodness and Loving-kindness As we should do this every day so especially upon the Sabbath day Psal. 92. 2. I will shew forth thy loving-kindness in the morning and thy faithfulness every night We should do this with all the advantage we can use more especially when we are in his presence conversing with him and ministring before him Psal. 48. 9. We have thought of thy loving-kindness O God in the midst of thy Temple We should often and seriously think when we come to God surely now we have to do with a loving and gracious God whether we wait upon him in Prayer or the Word or Sacraments if any prayer to make or comfort to expect 2. Observe the fruits and effects of it and value them They that are Students in Providence shall not seek long before they find God to be a God full of loving-kindness and tender Mercy Psal. 107. Whoso is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord. Few regard it or look after it but they that do pry into the course of his dealings shall not be without many instances of Gods love and free favour to them now when you have found it out value it Psal. 63. 3. Because thy loving-kindness is better than life my lips shall praise thee You shall have rich experiences such as will fill you with joy unspeakable and glorious to be esteemed above all comforts whatsoever 3. Praise God for it This should be a lively motive to praise him Psal. 138. 2. I will worship towards thy Temple and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth These two are the cause of all we have 't is without any deserving of ours only because we have to do with a gracious and faithful God Isa. 63. 7. I will mention the loving-kindness of the Lord and the praises of the Lord according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us and the great goodness towards the house of Israel which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies and according to the multitude of his loving-kindness The Prophet speaketh as if he could never find words enough or pregnant enough to express his sense of Gods gracious dealing so bountifully had he dealt with his People 4. Let us improve this loving-kindness and readiness of Gods Mercy to help penitent Supplicants 1. In a way of Trust the least degree of which is enough to keep the sinner from running away from him how grievous soever his offences and demerits be yet come to him say as David Psal. 51. 1. Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving-kindness according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions Yea make it a ground of confidence and support Psal. 69. 16. Hear me O Lord for thy loving-kindness is good turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies 2. In a way of Fear that we may not interrupt the sense of it or stop the current of his good will Psal. 26. 3. Thy loving-kindness is before mine eyes and I have walked in thy truth 'T is the ground of all our Confidence lose not that the Lord taketh notice of them that trust in his goodness Nahum 1. 7. The Lord is good a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him There is one word yet undiscussed According to thy Iudgment Some
his Misery notwithstanding sin And so the giving of Christ to be the Saviour of the World Tit. 3. 4. But after the loving-kindness of God our Saviour to mankind appeared his Man-kindness this was pity to us above the Angels no remedy was plotted for them And then his peculiar Mercy is to his Elect in Christ so the Lord saith Rom. 9. 15. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy This is again seen either in the first Grace or bestowing that upon us or in all the subsequent Grace that we stand in need of 1. The first Grace is Pardoning all our past sin or receiving us into a state of Favour upon our Repentance so 't is made the motive Ioel 2. 13. Turn unto the Lord for he is merciful Penitent sinners will find him so to be The Apostle saith 1 Tim. 1. 13. But I obtained mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was overwhelmed in mercy So also in giving us an heart to Repent and turn unto him 1 Pet. 1. 3. we were unworthy and miserable sinners could not help ourselves and then his eye pitied us and his handsaved us by his preventing grace he brought us home to himself 2. In all the subsequent Grace that we stand in need of so the Objects of his Mercy must have a qualification such as fear God Psal. 103. 12. Such as love him and keep his Commandments Exod. 20. 6. That walk according to the Rule of his Word exactly Gal. 6. 16. To the Merciful Matth. 5. 7. For to the Unmerciful God will not shew himself Merciful Iam. 2. 13. but to those that are thus qualified he reneweth his pardoning mercy in taking away the guilt of our daily failings Psal. 25. 7. His sanctifying mercy by freeing them more and more from the dominion of Sin Rom. 6. 14. His preserving mercy by delivering them from Afflictions so far as it is convenient Psal. 119. 41. Let thy mercies come unto me O Lord even thy salvation according to thy Word Lam. 3. 22. It is of the Lords mercy we are not consumed because his compassions fail not His rewarding mercy Iude 21. Looking for the mercy of God unto eternal Life So Psal. 62. 12. Also unto thee O Lord belongeth mercy for thou renderest to every man according to his work He will graciously Accept Reward and Crown every sincere and faithful Servant of his when they have done their work Sincerity and faithfulness shall be accepted and rewarded when Infirmities and Weaknesses shall be pardoned and covered Secondly Let me now open the two Adjuncts of his Mercy 1. 'T is Tender Mercy Luk. 1. 78. Through the tender mercy of our God The word signifieth Bowels as when you see a poor miserable Creature your Bowels work within you especially if you be related to him Misericordia complectitur affectum effectum Let us take the nearest Relation If you be a Father we need not much intreat a Father to pity a poor helpless Child his own Bowels will perswade him to it Psal. 103. 13. Like as a father pitieth his Children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him Or if you think passions in Females more vehement take the relation of a Mother as Hagar was affected to Ishmael when the water was spent in the Bottle she sate over against the Child and lift up her Voice and wept Gen. 21. 16. God will take the Affections of a Mother as Isa. 49. 15. Can a woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea she may forget yet will I not forget thee 'T is passionately set out by the Prophet if all the Compassions of all Fathers and Mothers were joined together 't were nothing to God he is the Father of Mercies he is Pitiful and Merciful Iam. 5. 11. 't is true there is in God no Sickness or trouble of Mind no Commotion but there is Pity and tender Love though no Perturbation which will not stand with the perfection of his Nature that is he layeth to heart and taketh notice of our Misery The tenderness of God may be known by the Compassion which Christ had in the dayes of his Flesh for he was the express Image of his Fathers Person now we read Matth. 9. 36. When he saw the multitude he was moved with compassion on them because they fainted and were as sheep scattered abroad that had no shepherd Their Teachers did not do their duty to them in any profitable way this wrought upon Christ heart when he saw the Multitude So when he saw many sick and under noisom Diseases Matth. 14. 14. when they followed him he pitied them and helped them So Matth. 15. 37. Iesus had compassion on the multitude when they continued with him three dayes and had nothing to eat The Care of mans welfare lieth near unto Christ's heart before the Disciples took notice of it he taketh notice of the Peoples Necessities and is affected with it he would not send them away fasting The two Blind men when they feelingly layed out their Miseries Matth. 20. 34. Iesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes So Luk. 7. 13. The Widow of Naim lamented her only Son the Lord saw her and had compassion on her and said unto her weep not This for a taste what a tender heart Christ had and in heaven he is still a Merciful High-Priest he came down on Purpose to acquaint himself with our Greifs and Sorrows Surely he is touched with the feeling of our infirmities and Gods Pity though it hath no Trouble with it is real operative and efficacious 2. His Tender Mercy is seen in his readiness to hear and help and come in to the Cry of his People if they be but any thing humble and profitable in their Afflictions Isa. 58. 10. And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry and satisfie the afflicted soul then shall thy light rise in obscurity and thy darkness be as the noon day Luk. 15. 20. And he arose and came to his father but when he was yet a great way off his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him When the Son was coming the Father run to meet him Isa. 65. 2 4. Before they call I will answer as if God could not tarry to hear the Prayer made Psal. 32. 5. I said I would confess my transgression unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Ier. 31. 19 20. Surely after I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant Child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. The first relentings of the Creature work upon the Bowels of Gods Mercy when we do but conceive a
of his People may be tryed and yet his Enemies reckoned with 3. He hath Love enough God doth concern himself in all our Affairs 1 Tim. 4. 10. We trust in the living God who is the Saviour of all men especially of those that believe A protector and deliverer yea 't is said he saveth Man and Beast Psal. 36. 6. The object of his providence is very large all Creatures have their Being and Preservation from him much more Man much more his Children they are allowed to believe a special providence and the more they depend upon him the more is his care assured to them 1 Pet. 5. 7. Cast all your care upon the Lord for he careth for you The Lord is free from all passions of Care and Sorrow but we shall find no less proof of his keeping off danger or delivering us from danger than if we were solicitous for our selves surely our Father is not unmindful of us 3. Because there is no difficulty that can fall out to check this Confidence which is built upon Gods undertaking and sufficiency to make it good 1. Not any danger from men though of never so dreadful an appearance 2 Cor. 1. 10. Who hath delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us The danger was Trouble in Asia a great danger pressed above measure and above strength great Trouble was at Ephesus where the people in an Uproar were ready to tear him in pieces so that he received the sentence of Death in himself yet God found a way and meanes to save and he came off safe and sound 2. Not any appearance of Anger from God himself Iob 13. 15. Though he slay me yet I will put my trust in him Sometimes Trouble may represent God as the party dealing with us yet Faith can take him for a Friend when he seemeth to deal like an Enemy and we must resolve to adhere to God and his wayes and trust his power with submission to his good will and pleasure and believe that he hath more respect and care over us than is seen in the present dispensation III. 'T is natural to all to seek deliverance out of Troubles Isa. 51. 14. The captive exile hasteth that he may be delivered and that he should not die in the pit How then is it any part of Grace to Long for Gods Salvation I Answer 'T is proper to the Godly to love no Deliverance but what God sendeth by his own Means in his own Time and to wait for it in Gods way 1. There is somewhat of Grace in it that they look for Salvation from God alone as the Author and are resolved to take it out of his hands whencesoever it cometh Man naturally would be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 live upon himself be sufficient to his own happiness and so they are vexed when they are left upon God and put upon dependance and submission and waiting upon him for they think it little worth to wait upon God as long as any other shift will serve the turn As Ahaz when troubled with the fear of Rezin and Pekah and the Prophet assureth him of Gods Salvation and biddeth him ask a sign Isa. 7. 11 12 13. I will not tempt the Lord. I will not trust the Lord he meaneth though he useth that pretence his expectation was fixed on the friendship of his Confederates if he had asked a sign of God he must wait for the issue in Gods way now Ahaz could not indure to trust God alone he depended on the Assyrianâ—… and not on Gods Salvation he believed nothing the Prophet spake but counted it vain and frivolous and was resolved to go another way to work 2. Gods salvation as to the means not by our shifts that maketh a breach upon our sincerity Gen. 17. 1. I am God almighty walk before me and be thou upright A man that doth not trust God cannot be long true to him you go off from God to the Creature by distrust and unbelief Heb. 3. 12. this is making more hast than good speed Isa. 28. 16. it plungeth us in sin 't is the greatest Hypocrisie that can be to pretend respect to God and shift for our selves 't is to break prison to get out of Trouble before God letteth us out 3. In his own Time thy Salvation they resolve to wait till he sendeth it carnal men when other means and expectations fail will seek to God they are beaten to him but if their expectation in waiting upon God be delayed they wax weary and faint as that King put on Sackcloth for a while 2 King 6. 30. afterwards said This evil is from the Lord why should I wait on the Lord any longer They give it over as an hopeless service 4. That in the height of Trouble they still go to God and will not cast away their confidence and dependance come what will come Isa. 26. 8. In the way of thy Iudgements we have waited for thee our desires are to thee and to the remembrance of thy name They still look to him and though often disappointed will seek Salvation from no other they still cleave to Gods way Psal. 44. 17. All this is come upon us yet have we not forsaken thee nor dealt falsely in thy Covenant They persevere in prayer Psal. 88. 13 14. Unto thee have I cryed in the morning my prayer shall prevent thee Lord Why castest thou me off why hidest thou thy face from me They will not give over but shew their vehement Longings after God whereas wicked and carnal men when great Troubles continue are driven to despair and give over all hope Use. In times of Trouble let us look to God and continue looking all the time that God will exercise our Faith and Patience and express our Longings and Desires of Gods salvation in humble and earnest prayer 1. 'T is no time to look else-where for God will shew us that vain is the help of man by many disappointments Isa. 48. 11. I even I am the Lord and besides me there is no Saviour He will break all Confidences till we come to this he shall be my salvation As Iob resolved when God brake him with his Tempests and pursued him with his Waves and was ready to slay him as he thought In all extremities this should be our fixed ground of Faith that Salvation and Deliverance is to be expected from God only Ier. 3. 23. Truly in vain is Salvation hoped for from the hills and the Mountains truly in the Lord our God is the Salvation of Israel God will teach us this Lesson e're he hath done with us Usually there is no serious dealing with God till we find the vanity and inability of all other dependancies looking to the Hills and Mountains strength of situation Forces all these will fail us 2. 'T is no time to dally with God and his service any longer for when Troubles come close and near the spirit of Prayer should
freedom and sovereignty 2. Sometimes to manifest the power of his grace both in the person that is endued with it and the power of his grace upon others As to the person himself in whom this wisdom is found when they are young the Lord doth shew he can subdue them by his Spirit and make their prejudices vanish enlarge their understanding and over-rule their heart 1 Iohn 2. 14. I write to you young men because ye are strong and the Word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one In that slippery Age when Lusts were boistrous Temptations most violent and they usually uncircumspect and head-strong and give up themselves to an ungoverned licence yet then can God subdue their hearts and make them stand out against the snares of the Devil And then with respect to others when by the foolish he will confound the wisdom of the wise and blast the pride of man and cast down all conceit in external priviledges and give young ones a more excellent spirit than the aged as the Apostle intimates such a thing 1 Cor. 1. 26. Not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty And our Lord Mat. 11. 25 26. Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto Babes Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight Usually God will do so when he will punish the unfaithfulness of those that are in publick place and office The Law shall perish from the Priest and Counsel from the Ancient God will not take the usual way and course but will give his Spirit and graces of his Spirit to them and deny it to those that should be Builders Now what Use shall we make of this There may be an Abuse of such a Point as this and there may be a very good Use. To prevent the Abuse 1 This is not to be taken so but that there should be reverence shewed to the aged Job 32. 4 5 6. Elihu had waited till Iob's Friends had spoken because they were elder than he It is an abuse of men of a proud persuasion of their own knowledge and learning to despise the aged especially when they also have a competent measure of the same Spirit The Scripture speaks of Paul the aged certainly there is a reverence due to gray hairs And it argues a great disorder when the Staff of Government is broken and the established Order is overturned when a child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient Isa. 3. 5. And young men shall peark up to the despising of their Elders Deut. 28. And 2. this is not to be applied so to prejudice the general case of consulting with the Ancients which was Rehoboam's sin though God sometimes giveth wisdom to young men yet the usual course is that Iob 32. 7. I said days should speak and multitude of years should teach wisdom Certainly those that are old they are freer from passions bettered by use and experience and long continuance in study have more advantages to add to their knowledge therefore usually though the bodily eyes be dim the understanding may be most clear and sharp Use 2. The Use in general is twofold That young men should not be discouraged nor despised 1. Not discouraged We use to say youth for strength and age for wisdom but if they apply their hearts to Religion and the study of God's will and with knowledge join practice they may profit and so as they may be a means to shame those that are elder while they come behind them in many gracious endowments They are not to be discouraged as if it were too soon for them to enter into a strict course or grow eminent therein for God may glorifie himself in their Sobriety Temperance Chastity Zeal Courage and the setting their strong and eager spirits against sin it is a mighty honour to God Psal. 8. 2. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies c. The graces of God in young ones do mightily turn to the praise of his glorious grace and God is admired in them and it is an honour and comfort to you also Eph. 1. 12. In Christ before me it is a just upbraiding to elder people that lie longer in sin 2. Nor yet should youth be despised 1 Tim. 4. 12. Let no man despise thy youth God's gifts should not be despised in any nor stir up rancor God may speak by them as he spoke by Samuel and to Samuel when he spoke not to old Eli. Having premised this let me come to apply it particularly though briefly it conduceth then 1. To the encouragement of youth to betake themselves to the ways of God O consider let us begin with God betimes do not spend your youth in vanity but in a serious mortified course This is your sharp and active time when your spirits are fresh therefore if your Watch is set right now you may understand more than the Ancients Give up your hearts to a religious course let not the Devil feast upon the flower of your youth and God be put off with the fragments and scraps of Satan's Table while you are young take in with God it 's a great honour to God and it will be an honour and advantage to you Mat. 11. 15 16. When the Children cry Hosanna to the Son of David and the Pharisees reproved him for it Christ approves of it saying Have ye never read Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise When young ones take kindly it is a great blessing therefore is judgment hanging over this Nation that youth is so degenerated whereas formerly they were addicted to Religion now they are addicted to all manner of lusts and vanity Then it would be an honour and comfort to you the sooner we begin with God the more we glorifie God and the more praise to God Eph. 1. 12. That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ. They that get into Christ above others they glorifie Grace above others Rom. 16. 7. They were in Christ before me He that first gets into Christ he hath the advantage of others Seniority in Grace is a preferment as well as in Nature And then it is a great advantage Eccles. 12. 1. Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth When we begin betimes with God we have more opportunity of serving and enjoying God than others have A man should bear the yoke in his youth Lam. 3. If the bent of our inclinations were set right in our youth it would prevent much and hinder the growth of sin Though a man cannot plant Grace in his heart that 's the Lord's own work yet it keeps sin in and prevents inveterate custom
for they will grow upon us and therefore it makes for the encouragement of you that they should sooner begin with God 2. It makes for the encouragement of those that have the Education of Youth as Masters of Families Parents and the like Do not say it is too soon for them to learn No Age is too soon for God 2 Tim. 3. 5. Thou hast from thy Infancy learned the Scriptures When we suck in Religion with our milk it 's a great advantage those things we keep with us that we learn young Prov. 22. 6. Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it When the new Vessel is seasoned with this precious liquor it will keep the taste tender Twigs are bent this way when they are as Wax capable of any impression Use 3. Caution for young ones If young men should obtain this benefit to grow wiser than the Ancients notwithstanding this yet they should learn to shew reverence to the aged Iob 32. 4 5 6. And then to ascribe it to God saith he ver 8. There is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding It is not the sharpness of our wit but the inspiration of his Grace he is the Author of all this wisdom that is wrought in us Use 4. To humble the Aged that have not made conscience of their time and ways and therefore are more blockish than many Children Isa. 65. 20. There shall be no more an infant of days nor an old man that hath not filled his days Old men that are ignorant of the mysteries of Faith after they have long sate under the Word of God and have many advantages to improve their youth Heb. 5. 12. When for the time ye ought to be Teachers ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the Oracles of God and are become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat In this sense God is said to take away the understanding of the Aged that is by a just judgment for their unfruitfulness and unprofitableness under the means of Grace They that are much younger than you are wise in comparison of you when they excel you for ripeness in wisdom for solidness and setledness in manners in a course of godliness Those old men that draw near to the Grave before they have consider'd either the end wherefore they came into the world or the state into which they shall be translated when they go out of it those are Children of 100 years old that have nothing to reckon Age by but wrinckles and gray hairs Doct. 3. That the way to increase in spiritual understanding is to be studious in practical holiness The Word that will give you understanding will keep you out of all snares sufficiently direct you to true happiness But how shall we get it refer it to practice practise what you know and you shall know more it must needs be so 1. Because these are such as have God's Promise Iohn 7. 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self They that make conscience of their ways season their course in the fear of God that take Gods direction with them God will tell them they shall know what doctrine is of God 2. They have a greater clearness of mind and understanding therefore must needs discern holy things why because they are freed from the clouds of lust and passion which do insensibly blind and make them stay in generals Mat. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Saith Nazianzene Where there is purity there 's brightness where there 's a pure heart there 's a great deal more clearness in the understanding Reason and Fancy are dark unless a Man have a command over his Passions and Affections over his Passions of Anger Fear Grief and over his Affections of Love and Joy and Appetite towards sensual delights unless he be able to govern these things he will never truly discern the mind of God for the seasoning his course in living a holy life that of the Apostle is notable 2 Pet. 1. 5. Add to your faith virtue and to virtue knowledge and to knowledge temperance unless they be able to govern their affections in the use of worldly delights pleasures and profits they will never have this practical knowledge and therefore the only way to know divine things as Nazianzene well observes is conscientiously to keep the Commandments of God If you would know the Will of God do not spend your time in heaping up Notions but framing your heart to obedience governing your affections by the fear of God and suiting your hearts to the Word of God Alas Those that seek knowledge out of ambition curiosity and vain ostentation and lie under the power of vile affections get but very little true spiritual light they may have the understanding of Teachers but not the understanding to season them and guide them in their communion with God 3. The more we practise the more Religion is exemplifi'd and made sensible so that we come to understand more of the sweetness of it and on the other hand the more of difficulty is in it when there is nothing but bare Notions and naked apprehensions There we have a double advantage an exact Rule and more experience of the sweetness of Religion Prov. 3. 17. All her ways are ways of pleasantness When we practise what we know then we come to know the sweetness of entertaining communion with the Lord and they know more of the difficulty of Religion they know where their hearts are more averse and more in danger whereas others that soar aloft in Notions and idle and lofty speculations have not this experience 4. They that practise study things with more affection than others mightily help their understanding The more piety and zeal any man hath the more will the Lord bless his Studies Paul profited in the Iewish Religion above many of his Equals why Gal. 1. 14. Being more exceedingly zealous of the tradition of my Fathers A man that hath a zeal in any thing will profit more than others so he that hath a zeal for the things of God profits above others A blunt Iron if red hot will pierce through an Inch-board sooner than a cold Tool though never so sharp so those that have blunt parts in comparison of others yet if they have zeal and good affections they will pierce deep into the mysteries of Religion they that have sharper parts want the fire of zeal 5. The more fruitful any Grace is the more doth it abound with us and therefore when your knowledge is fruitful you will find it increased by laying out your Talents Col. 1. 10. Be fruitful in every good work always increasing in the knowledge of God First he presseth knowledge in order to practice then he presseth