as to a sense and participation of the choice fruits of the death of Christ procured for those who are justified by their acceptance of the Attonement It flourisheth not without his sealing witnessing establishing and shedding abroad the Love of God in our hearts See Rom. 5. 2 3 4 5. And what Believer ought not to long for and press after the enjoyment of these things Nay to read of these things in the Gospel not experiencing them in our own hearts and yet to sit down quietly on this side of them without continual pressing after them is to despise the blood of Christ the Spirit of Grace and the whole work of Gods Love If there are no such things the Gospel is not true if there are and we press not after them we are despisers of the Gospel Surely he hath not the Spirit who would not have more of him all of him that is promised by Christ. These things are the hundred fold that Christ hath left us in this world to counterpoise our sorrows troubles and losses And shall we be so foolish as to neglect our only abiding riches and treasures In particular it is the product of an exercised vigorous active faith That our faith should be such alwayes in every state and condition I suppose it our duty to endeavour Not only our comforts but our Obedience also depends upon it The more faith that is true and of the right kind the more obedience For all our obedience is the obedience of faith 2. For its own fruit and what it produceth they are the choicest actings of our souls towards God as Love delight rejoycing in the Lord Peace Joy and Consolation in our selves readiness to do or suffer chearfulness in so doing If they grow not from this root yet their flourishing wholly depends upon it So that surely it is the duty of every Believer to break through all difficulties in pressing after this particular Assurance The Objections that persons raise against themselves in this case may afterwards be considered 2. In ordinary dispensations of God towards us and dealings with us it is mostly our own negligence and sloth that we come short of this Assurance It is true it depends in a peculiar manner on the Soveraignty of God He is as absolute in giving Peace to believers as in giving Grace to sinners This takes place and may be proposed as a relief in times of tryals and distress He createth light and causeth darkness as he pleaseth But yet considering what Promises are made unto us What encouragements are given us what love and tenderness there is in God to receive us I cannot but conclude that ordinarily the cause of our coming short of this Assurance is where I have fixed it And this is the first thing that is supposed in the foregoing Assertion Secondly It is supposed that there is or may be a saving perswasion or discovery of forgiveness in God Where there is no Assurance of any particular interest therein or that our own sins in particular are pardoned This is that which hath a Promise of gracious Acceptance with God and is therefore saving Isa. 50. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voyce of his Servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God Here is the fear of the Lord and Obedience with a blessed encouragement to rest in God and his Alsufficiency yet no Assurance nor light but darkness and that walked in or continued in for a long season For he cannot walk in darkness meet with nothing but darkness without any beam or ray of Light as the words signifie who is perswaded of the Love of God in the pardon of his sins And yet the faith of such an one and his Obedience springing from it have this Gracious Promise of Acceptance with God And innumerable testimonies to this purpose might be produced and instances in great plenty I shall only tender a little Evidence unto it in one Observation concerning the nature of faith and one more about the proposal of the thing to be believed or forgiveness And 1. Faith is called and is a cleaving unto the Lord Deut. 4. 4. Ye that did cleave or adhere unto the Lord that is who did believe Josh. 23. 8. cleave or adhere unto the Lord your God The same word is used also in the New Testament Acts 11. 23. He exhorted them that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord or continue stedfast in believing It is also often expressed by trusting in the Lord rolling our burden or casting our care upon him by committing our selves or our wayes unto him Now all this goes no further than the souls Resignation of it self unto God to be dealt withall by him according to the tenor of the Covenant of Grace ratified in the blood of Christ. This a soul cannot do without a discovery of forgiveness in God But this a soul may do without a special Assurance of his own interest therein This faith that thus adheres to God that cleaves to him will carry men to conclude that it is their Duty and their Wisdom to give up the disposal of their souls unto God and to cleave and adhere unto him as revealed in Christ waiting the pleasure of his Will It enables them to make Christ their choice and will carry men to Heaven safely though it may be at some seasons not very comfortably 2. The Revelation and discovery of forgiveness that is made in the Gospel evidenceth the same truth The first proposal of it or concerning it is not to any man that his sins are forgiven No but it is only that there is Redemption and forgiveness of sins in Christ. So the Apostle layes it down Acts 13. 38 39. Be it known unto you therefore Men and Brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses All this may be believed without a mans Assurance of his own personal interest in the things mentioned Now where they are believed with the faith the Gospel requires that faith is saving and the root of Gospel acceptable Obedience The Ransome I say the Attonement by Christ the fulness of the Redemption that is in him and so Forgiveness in his blood for Believers from the Good Will Grace and Love of the Father is the first Gospel discovery that a sinner in a saving manner closeth withal Particular Assurance ariseth or may arise afterwards and this also is supposed in the Assertion 2. That which is affirmed in it is That a discovery of forgiveness in God without any particular Assurance of personal interest therein is a great supportment to a sin entangled soul. And let no man despise the day of this small thing small in the eyes of some and those good men also as
of the soul. 1. A Resolution to abide with God and to commit all unto him This the word as was observed teaches us There is forgiveness with thee and therefore thou shalt be feared Because this I found this I am perswaded of therefore I will abide with him in the way of his Fear and Worship This our Saviour calls unto John 15. 4. Abide in me except you do so ye can hear no fruit So the Lord representing his taking of the Church unto himself under the Type of the Prophets taking an Adulteress in vision doth it on these terms Hos. 3. 3. Thou shalt abide for me many dayes Thou shalt not play the Harlot and thou shalt not be for another man so will I also be for thee Now this abiding with God intimates two things 1. Oppositions Solicitations and Temptations unto the contrary 2. Forbearing to make any other choice as unto that end for which we abide with God 1. It argues Oppositions To abide to be stable and permanent is to be so against Oppositions Many discouragements are ready to rise up in the soul against it In Fears especially that it shall not hold out that it shall be rejected at last that all is nought and â—ypocritical with it that it shall not be forgiven that God indeed regards it not and therefore it may well enough give over its hopes which seem often as the giving up of the Ghost will assault it Again Oppositions arise from corruptions and temptations unto sin contrary to the Life of faith And these often proceed to an high degree of prevalency so that the guilt contracted upon them is ready to cast the soul quite out of all expectation of mercy I shall one day perish by these means saith the soul if I am not already lost But now where faith hath made this discovery of forgiveness the soul will abide with God against all these discouragements and Oppositions It will not leave him it will not give over waiting for him So David expresseth the matter in the instance of himself Psal. 73. 2. But as for me my feet were almost gone my steps had well nigh slipt and v. 13. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain but yet after all his conflicts this at last he comes unto v. 26. Though my flesh and my heart faileth yet v. 28. It is good for me to draw near unto God I will yet abide with God I will not let go his fear nor my profession Although I walk weakly lamely unevenly yet I will still follow after him As it was with the Disciples when many upon a strong temptation went back from Christ and walked no more with him Jesus said unto them will ye go away also to which Peter replyes in the name of the rest of them Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of Eternal Life John 6. 66 67 68. It is thus and thus with me saith the soul I am tossed and afflicted and not comforted little life little strength real guilt many sins and much disconsolation What then faith God by his word Wilt thou go away also no saith the soul there is forgiveness with thee thou hast the words of Eternal Life and therefore I will abide with thee 2. This abiding with God argues a forbearance of any other choice Whilst the soul is in this condition having not attained any evidences of its own special interest in forgiveness Many Lovers will be soliciting of it to play the harlot by taking them into its embraces Both self-righteousness and sin will be very importunate in this matter The former tenders it self as exceeding useful to give the soul some Help Assistance and supportment in its condition Samuel doth not come saith Saul and the Philistins invade me I will venture and offer Sacrifice my self contrary to the Law The Promise doth not come to the soul for its particular relief it hath no evidence as to an especial interest in forgiveness Temptation invades the mind try thy self sayes it to take relief in somewhat of thine own providing And this is to play the harlot from God To this purpose self-righteousness variously disguises it self like the Wise of Jeroboam when she went to the Prophet Sometimes it appears as duty sometimes as signs and tokens but its end is to get somewhat of the faith and trust of the soul to be fixed upon it But when the soul hath indeed a discovery of forgiveness it will not give ear to these solicitations No saith it I see such a Beauty such an Excellency such a desireableness and suitableness unto my wants and condition in that forgiveness that is with God that I am resolved to abide in the Gospel desire and expectation of it all the dayes of my life here my choice is fixed and I will not alter And this Resolution gives glory to the Grace of God When the soul without an evidence of an interest in it yet prefers it above that which with many reasonings and pretences offers it self as a present relief unto it Hereby is God glorified and Christ exalted and the spiritual life of the soul secured 2. This discovery of forgiveness in God with the effects of it before mentioned will produce a Resolution of waiting on God for peace and consolation in his own time and way He that believeth will not make haste Isa. 28. 16. not make haste to what not to the enjoyment of the thing believed Haste argues precipitation and impatience this the soul that hath this discovery is freed from resolving to wait the time of Gods appointment for peace and consolation God speaking of his accomplishment of his Promises sayes I the Lord will hasten it Isa. 60. 22. Well then if God will hasten it may not we hasten to it nay saith he I will hasten it but in its time All oppositions and impediments considered it shall be hastned but in its time its due time its appointed time And this the soul is to wait for and so it will As when Jacob had seen the beauty of Rachel and loved her he was contented to wait seven years for the enjoyment of her to be his wife and thought no time long no toyle too hard that he might obtain her so the soul having discovered the beauty and excellency of forgiveness as it is with God as it is in his gracious Heart in his eternal purpose in the Blood of Christ in the Promise of the Gospel is resolved to wait quietly and patiently for the time wherein God will clear up unto it it s own personal interest therein Even one experimental embracement of it even at the hour of death doth well deserve the waiting and obedience of the whole course of a mans life And this the Psalmist manifests to have been the Effect produced in his heart and spirit For upon this discovery of forgiveness in God he resolveth both to wait upon him himself and encourageth others so to do 3. This prepares
are said to learn the Truth as it is in Jesus Eph. 4. 21. It is in Jesus originally and from really and from him it is communicated unto us by the Word We are thereby taught and do learn it for thereby as the Apostle proceeds we are renued in the Spirit of our mind and do put on the new man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness ver 23 24. First the Truth is in Jesus then it is expressed in the Word this Word learned and believed becomes Grace in the heart every way answering unto the Lord Christ his Image from whom this transforming Truth did thus proceed Nay this is carried by the Apostle yet higher namely unto God the Father himself whose Image Christ is and Believers his through the Word 2 Cor. 3. 18. 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 by the Spirit of the Lord whereunto add Chap. 4. 6. God who commanded light to shine out of darkness hath shined into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ. The first pattern or example of all Truth and Holiness is God himself hereof Christ is the Image ver 4. Christ is the Image of God The brightness of his glory and the express Image of his person Heb. 1. 3. The Image of the invisible God Col. 1. 15. Hence we are said to see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ because he being his Image the Love Grace and Truth of the Father are represented and made conspicuous in him For we are said to behold it in his face because of the open and illustrious manifestation of the glory of God in him And how do we behold this glory in a Glass as in a glass that is in the Gospel which hath the Image and likeness of Christ who is the Image of God reflected upon it and communicated unto it So have we traced Truth and Grace from the Person of the Father unto the Son as Mediator and thence transfused into the Word In the Father it is Essentially in Jesus Christ originally and exemplarily and in the Word as in a transcript or Copy But doth it abide there No God by the Word of the Gospel shines into our hearts Chap. 4 6. He irradiates our minds with a saving light into it and apprehension of it And what thence ensues the soul of a believer is changed into the same Image by the effectual working of the Holy Ghost Chap. 3. 18. that is the likeness of Christ implanted on the Word is impressed on the soul it self whereby it is renewed into the Image of God whereunto it was at first created This brings all into a perfect Harmony There is not where Gospel Truth is effectually received and experienced in the soul only a consonancy meerly between the soul and the Word but between the soul and Christ by the Word and the soul and God by Christ. And this gives assured establishment unto the soul in the things that it doth believe Divine Truth so conveyed unto us is firm stable and immoveable And we can say of it in a spiritual sense that which we have heard that which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life we know to be true Yea a Believer is a Testimony to the certainty of truth in what he is much beyond what he is in all that he saith Words may be pretended Real effects have their Testimony inseparably annexed unto them 3. Hence it appears that there must needs be great Assurance of those Truths which are thus received and believed For hereby are the senses exercised to discern good and evil Heb. 15. 14. Where there is a spiritual sense of Truth of the Good and Evil that is in Doctrines from an inward experience of what is so good and from thence an Aversation unto the contrary and this obtained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by reason of an habit or an habitual frame of heart there is strength there is stedfasiness and Assurance This is the teaching of the Unction which will not which cannot deceive Hence many of old and of late that could not dispute could yet dye for the truth He that came to another and went about to prove by Sophistical reasonings that there was no such thing as motion had only this return from him who either was not able to answer his cavilling or unwilling to put himself to trouble about it he arose and walking up and down gave him a real confutation of his Sophystrie It is so in this case when a soul hath a real experience of the Grace of God of the Pardon of sins of the Vertue and Efficacy of the death of Christ of Justification by his blood and peace with God by believing let men or Devils or Angels from Heaven oppose these things if it cannot answer their Sophisms yet he can rise up and walk he can with all holy confidence and Assurance oppose his own satisfying experience unto all their arguings and suggestions A man will not be disputed out of what he sees and feels And a Believer will abide as firmly by his spiritual sense as any man can by his natural This is the meaning of that Prayer of the Apostle Col. 2. 2. That your hearts might be comforted being knit together in love unto all riches of the full Assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mysterie of God and of the Father and of Christ. Understanding in the mysteries of the Gospel they had but he prayes that by a farther experience of it they might come to the Assurance of understanding To be true is the property of the Doctrine it self to be certain or assured is the property of our minds Now this experience doth so unite the mind and truth that we say such a Truth is most certain whereas certainty is indeed the property of our minds or their knowledge and not of the truth known It is certain unto us that is we have an assured knowledge of it by the Experience we have of it This is the Assurance of Understanding here mentioned And he further prayes that we may come to the Riches of this Assurance that is to an abundant plentiful Assurance And that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the acknowledgement of the Mysterie of God owning it from a sense and experience of its excellency and worth And this is in the Nature of all Gospel Truths they are fitted and suited to be experienced by a believing soul. There is nothing in them so sublime and high nothing so mysterious nothing so seemingly low and outwardly contemptible but that a gracious soul hath experience of an Excellency Reality Power and Efficacy in it all For instance look on that which concerns the Order and Worship of the Gospel This seems to many to be a meer
are is known Prayer Meditation Reading Hearing of the Word Dispensation of the Sacraments they are all appointed to this purpose they are all means of communicating Love and Grace to the soul. Be not then heartless or slothfull up and be doing attend with diligence to the Word of Grace be fervent in prayer assiduous in the use of all Ordinances of the Church in one or other of thern at one time or other thou wilt meet with him whom thy soul loveth and God through him will speak peace unto thee Thirdly There is Expectation in it which lyes in a direct opposition to all the actings of unbelief in this matter and is the very life and soul of the duty under consideration So the Psalmist declares it Psal. 62. 5. My soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is only from him The soul will not cannot in a due manner wait on God unless it hath Expectations from him unless as James speaks he looks to receive somewhat from him chap. 1. 7. The soul in this condition regards forgiveness not only as by its self it is desired but principally as it is by God promised Thence they expect it This is expressed in the fourth Proposition before laid down namely that sin-distressed souls wait for God with earnestness intention of mind and expectation As this ariseth from the redoubling of the Expression so principally from the nature of the Comparison that he makes of himself in his waiting with them that watch for the morning Those that watch for the morning do not only desire it and prepare for it but they expect it and know assuredly that it will come Though darkness may for a time be troublesome and continue longer than they would desire yet they know that the morning hath its appointed time of return beyond which it will not tarry and therefore they look out for its Appearance on all occasions so it is with the soul in this matter So sayes David Psal. 5. 3. I will direct my prayer unto thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and look up So we the words before are defective 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the morning or rather every morning I will order unto thee We restrain this unto prayer I will direct my peayer unto thee But this was expressed directly in the words foregoing In the morning thou shalt hear my voice that is the voice of my prayer and supplications as it is often supplied And although the Psalmist doth sometime repeat the same thing in different Expressions yet here he seemeth not so to do but rather proceeds to declare the general frame of his spirit in walking with God I will saith he order all things towards God so as that I may wait upon him in the waies of his appoinment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and will look up It seems in our Translation to express his posture in his prayer But the Word is of another importance It is diligently to look out after that which is coming towards us a looking out after the Accomplishment of our Expectation This is a part of our waiting for God yea as was said the life of it that which is principally intended in it The Prophet calls it his standing upon his watch tower and watching to see what God would speak unto him Hab. 2. 3. namely in answer unto that prayer which he put up in his trouble He is now waiting in Expectation of an answer from God And this is that which poor weak trembling sinners are so encouraged unto Isa. 53. 3 4. Strengthen the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees say unto them that are of a fearfull heart be strong fear not behold your God will come Weakness and discouragements are the effects of Unbelief These he would have removed with an Expectation of the coming of God unto the soul according to the Promise And this I say belongs unto the waiting of the soul in the condition described Such a one doth expect and hope that God will in his season manifest himself and his Love unto him and give him an experimental sense of a blessed interest in forgiveness And the accomplishment of this purpose and promise of God it looks out after continually It will not despond and be heartless but stir up and strengthen it self unto a full expectation to have the desires of his soul satisfied in due time as we find David doing in places almost innumerable This is the duty that in the first place is recommended unto the soul who is perswaded that there is forgiveness with God but sees not its own interest therein Wait on or for the Lord. And it hath two properties when it is performed in a due manner namely patience and perseverance By the one men are kept to the length of Gods time by the other they are preserved in a due length of their own duty And this is that which was laid down in the first Proposition drawn from the words namely that continuance in watching until God appears unto the soul is necessary as that without which we cannot attain what we look after and prevailing as that wherein we shall never fail God is not to be limited nor his times prescribed unto him We know our way and the end of our Journey but our stations of especial rest we must wait for at his mouth as the people did in the wilderness When David comes to deal with God in his great distress he sayes unto him O Lord thou art my God my times are in thine hand Psal. 31. 14 15. His times of trouble and of peace of darkness and of light he acknowledged to be in the hand and at the disposal of God so that it was his duty to wait his time and season for his share and portion in them During this state the soul meets with many Oppositions difficulties and perplexities especially if its darkness be of long continuance as with some it abides many years with some all the daies of their lives Their hope being hereby deferred makes their hearts sick and their spirit oftentimes to faint and this fainting is a defect in waiting for want of perseverance and continuance which frustrates the End of it So David Psal. 27. 13. I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord. Had I not received supportment by faith I had fainted And wherein doth that consist what was the fainting which he had been overtaken withall without the supportment mentioned it was a relinquishment of waiting on God as he manifests by the Exhortation which he gives to himself and others v. 14. Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart wait I say on the Lord. Wait with courage and resolution that thou faint not And the Apostle puts the blessed Event of Faith and Obedience upon the avoidance of this evil Gal. 6. 9. We shall reap if we faint not Hence we have both encouragements given against it and promises that in the
sole foundation of all our expectations of a blessed portion in that which is to come it certainly requires the best and utmost of our endeavours as to look into the nature causes and effects of it so especially into the wayes and means whereby we may be made partakers of it and how that participation may be secured unto us unto our peace and consolation as also into that Love that Holiness that obedience that fruitfulness in good works which on the account of this Grace God expecteth from us and requireth at our hands An Explication of these things is that which I have designed to ensue and follow after in these discourses and that with a constant eye as on the one hand to the sole rule and Standard of Truth the Sacred Scriptures especially that part of it which is under peculiar consideration so on the other to the Experience and Service unto the edification of them that do believe whose spiritual benefit and advantage without any other consideration in the World is armed at in the publishing of them Imprimatur Octob. 12. 1668. Rob. Grove R. P. Humph. Dom. Episc. Lond. Ã sac Dom. AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM CXXX Psalm 130. OUt of the depths have I cryed unto thee O Lord. Lord hear my voyce let thine ears be attentive to the voyce of my supplications If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand But there is forgiveness with thee that thou maist be feared I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous Redemption And he shall redeem Israel from all his Iniquities A PARAPHRASE Verse 1 2. O Lord through my manifold sins and provocations I have brought my self into great distresses Mine Iniquities are alwayes before me and I am ready to be overwhelmed with them as with a flood of waters for they have brought me into depths wherein I am ready to be swallowed up But yet although my distress be great and perplexing I do not I dare not utterly despond and cast away all hopes of relief or recovery Nor do I seek unto any other remedy way or means of relief but I apply my self to thee Jehovah to thee alone And in this my Application unto thee the greatness and urgency of my troubles makes my soul urgent earnest and pressing in my supplications Whilst I have no rest I can give thee no rest Oh therefore attend and hearken unto the voyce of my crying and supplications Ver. 3. IT is true O Lord thou God great and terrible that if thou shouldst deal with me in this Condition with any man living with the best of thy Saints according to the strict and exact tenor of the Law which first represents it self to my guilty Conscience and troubled soul If thou shouldst take notice of observe and keep in Remembrance mine or their or the Iniquity of any one to the end that thou mightest deal with them and recompence unto them according to the sentence thereof there would be neither for me nor them any the least expectation of deliverance all flesh must fail before thee and the spirits which thou hast made and that to Eternity for who could stand before thee when thou shouldst so execute thy displeasure Ver. 4. BUt O Lord this is not absolutely and universally the state of things between thy Majesty and poor sinners Thou art in thy Nature infinitely Good and Gracious ready and free in the purposes of thy will to receive them And there is such a blessed way made for the exercise of the holy inclinations and purposes of thy heart towards them in the mediation and blood of thy dear Son That they have assured foundations of concluding and believing that there is pardon and forgiveness with thee for them and which in the way of thine appointments they may be partakers of This way therefore will I with all that fear thee persist in I will not give over leave thee or turn from thee through my fears discouragements and despondencies but will abide constantly in the observation of the worship which thou hast prescribed and the performance of the Obedience which thou dost require having great encouragements so to do Ver. 5. ANd herein upon the account of the forgiveness that is with thee O Lord do I wait with all patience quietness and perseverance In this work is my whole soul engaged even in an earnest expectation of thy approach unto me in a way of grace and mercy And for my encouragement therein hast thou given out unto me a blessed word of Grace a faithful word of promise wherein my hope is fixed Ver. 6. YEa in the performance and discharge of this duty my soul is intent upon thee and in its whole frame turned towards thee and that with such diligence and watchfulness in looking out after every way and means of thy appearance of thy manifestation of thy self and coming unto me that I excell therein those who with longing desire heedfulness and earnest expectation do wait and watch for the appearance of the morning and that either that they may rest from their night watches or have light for the duties of thy Worship in the Temple which they are most delighted in Ver. 7 8. HErein have I found that Rest peace and satisfaction unto my own soul that I cannot but invite and encourage others in the like Condition to take the same course with me Let then all the Israel of God all that fear him learn this of me and from my experience Be not hasty in your distresses despond not despair not turn not aside unto other remedies but hope in the Lord for I can now in an especial manner give testimony unto this that there is mercy with him suited unto your relief Yea whatever your distress be the Redemption that is with him is so bounteous plenteous and unsearchable that the undoubted issue of your performance of this duty will be that you shall be delivered from the guilt of all your sins and the perplexities of all your troubles General Scope of the whole Psalm THE design of the Holy Ghost in this Psalm is to express in the Experience of the Psalmist and the working of his faith the state and condition of a soul greatly in it self perplexed relieved on the account of Grace and acting it self towards God and his Saints suitably to the discovery of that Grace unto him A great design and full of great Instruction And this general Prospect gives us the parts and scope of the whole Psalm for 1. We have the state and condition of the soul therein represented with his deportment in and under that state and condition in ver 1 2. Out of the depths have I cryed
unto thee O Lord Lord hear my voyce let thine ears be attentive to the voyce of my supplications 2. His enquiry after relief and therein are two things that present themselves unto him the one whereof which first offers the consideration of its self to him in his distress he deprecates ver 3. If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquity O Lord who shall stand The other he closeth withal and finds relief in it and supportment by it ver 5. But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared Upon this his discovery and fixing on relief there is the acting of his Faith and the deportment of his whole Person 1. Towards God ver 5 6. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning 2. Towards the Saints ver 7 8. Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous Redemption And he shall redeem Israel from all his Iniquities All which parts and the various concernments of them must be opened severally And this also gives an account of what is my design from and upon the words of this Psalm namely to declare the perplexed intanglements which may befall a gracious soul such a one as this Psalmist was with the nature and proper workings of Faith in such a condition Principally aiming at what it is that gives a soul relief and supportment in and afterward deliverance from such a perplexed estate The Lord in Mercy dispose of these Meditations in such a way and manner as that both he that writes and they that read may be made partakers of the benefit relief and consolation intended for his Saints in this Psalm by the Holy Ghost The State and Condition of the soul represented in the Psalm The two first Verses opened The State and Condition of the soul here represented as the Basis on which the process of the Psalm is built with its deportment or the general acting of its Faith in that state is expressed in the two first Verses Out of the depths have I cryed unto thee O Lord. Lord hear my voyce let thine ears be attentive to the voyce of my supplications 1. The present state of the soul under consideration is included in that expression out of the Depths Some of the Antients as Chrysostom suppose this expression to relate unto the depths of the heart of the Psalmist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not from the mouth or tongue only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but from the depth and bottom of the heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the deepest recesses of the mind And indeed the word is used to express the depths of the hearts of Men but utterly in another sense Psal. 64. 6. The heart is deep But the obvious sense of the place and the constant use of the word will not admit of this Interpretation è Profund is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 profundus fuit is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plural number Profunditates or depths It is commonly used for Vallies or any deep places whatever but especially of Waters Vallies and deep Places because of their Darkness and Solitariness are accounted places of horror helplesness and trouble Psal. 23. 4. When I walk in the Valley of the shadow of Death that is in the extremity of danger and trouble The Moral use of the word as expressing the state and condition of the souls of men is metaphorical These Depths then are difficulties or pressures attended with fear horror danger and trouble And they are of two sorts 1. Providential in respect of outward distresses Calamities and Afflictions Psal. 69. 1. Save me O God for the waters are come in unto my soul I stick in the mire of the deep and there is no standing I am come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the depths of waters and the flood overflows me It is trouble and the extremity of it that the Psalmist complains of and which he thus expresseth He was brought by it into a condition like unto a man ready to be drowned being cast into the bottom of deep and miry waters where he had no firm foundation to stand upon nor ability to come out as he farther explains himself ver 15. 2. There are internal Depths Depths of Conscience upon the account of sin Psal. 88. 6. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit in darkness in the deeps What he intends by this expression the Psalmist declares in the next words v. 7. Thy wrath lyeth hard upon me Sense of Gods wrath upon his conscience upon the account of sin was the deep he was cast into So v. 15. speaking of the same matter saith he I suffer thy terrors and v. 16. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me Which he calls water waves and deeps according to the Metaphor before opened And these are the deeps that are here principally intended Clamat sub molibus fluctibus iniquitatum suarum sayes Austin on the place He cryes out under the weight and waves of his sins This the ensuing Psalm makes evident Desiring to be delivered from these depths out of which he cryed he deals with God wholly about mercy and forgiveness and it is sin alone from which forgiveness is a Deliverance The Doctrine also that he preacheth upon his Delivery is that of Mercy Grace and Redemption as is manifest from the close of the Psalm And what we have deliverance by is most upon our hearts when we are delivered It is true indeed that these deeps do oftentimes concurr as David speaks Deep calleth upon deep Psal. 4. 2. 7. The deeps of Affliction awaken the Conscience to a deep sense of sin But sin is the Disease Affliction only a Symptome of it and in attending a Cure the disease it self is principally to be heeded the symptome will follow or depart of its self Many Interpreters think that this was now Davids condition by great trouble and distress he was greatly minded of sin and we must not therefore wholly pass over that intendment of the word though we are chiefly to respect that which he himself in this address unto God did principally regard This in general is the state and condition of the soul mannaged in this Psalm and is as the key to the ensuing discourse or the hinge on which it turns As to my intendment from the Psalm That which ariseth from hence may be comprized in these two Propositions 1. Gracious souls after much Communion with God may be brought into inextricable depths and intanglements on the account of sin For such the Psalmist here expresseth his own condition to have been and such he was 2. The inward root of outward distresses is principally to be attended in all pressing tryals sin in Afflictions Gracious souls may be brought into depths on the account of sin What those Depths are Before I
fearful expectation of judgement and fiery indignation as to the prevailing apprehension of their minds And Sixthly God secretly sends his Arrows into the soul that wound and gall it adding pain trouble and disquietness to its disconsolation Psalm 38. 2. Thine arrows stick fast in me and thy hand presseth me sore Ever and anon in his walking God shot a sharp piercing arrow fixing it on his soul that galled wounded and perplexed him filling him with pain and grievous vexation These arrows are Gods rebukes Psal. 39. 11. When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity God speaks in his Word and by his Spirit in the Conscience things sharp and bitter to the soul fastning them so as it cannot shake them out These Job so mournfully complains of Chap. 6. 4. The Lord speaks words with that efficacy that they piecce the heart quite through and what the issue then is David declares Psal. 38 3. There is no soundness saith he in my flesh because of thine anger nor is there any rest in my bones because of my sin The whole person is brought under the power of them and all health and rest is taken away and Seventhly Unspiritedness and disability unto Duty in doing or suffering attend such a condition Psal. 40. 12. Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up His spiritual strength was worn away by sin so that he was not able to address himself unto any communion with God The soul now cannot pray with life and power cannot hear with joy and profit cannot do good and communicate with cheerfulness and freedom cannot meditate with delight and heavenly mindedness cannot act for God with zeal and liberty cannot think of suffering with boldness and resolution but is sick weak feeble and bowed down Now I say a gracious soul after much communion with God may on the account of sin by a sense of the guilt of it be brought into a state and condition wherein some more or all of these with other the like perplexities may be its portion And these make up the Depths whereof the Pfalmist here complains What are the sins or of what sorts that ordinarily cast the souls of Believers into these depths shall be afterwards declared I shall now shew both whence it is that Believers may fall into such a condition as also whence it is that oftentimes they actually do so Whence it is that Believers may be brought into depths on the account of sin Nature of the supplies of Grace given in the Covenant How far they extend Principles of the power of sin First The Nature of the Covenant wherein all Believers now walk with God and wherein all their whole provision for obedience is enwrapped leaves it possible for them to fall into these depths that have been mentioned Under the first Covenant there was no mercy or forgiveness provided for any sin It was necessary then that it should exhibit a sufficiency of Grace to preserve from every sin or it could have been of no use at all This the Rigteousness of God required and so it was To have made a Covenant wherein there was no provision at all of pardon and not a sufficiency of Grace to keep the Covenanters from need of pardon was not answerable to the Goodness and Righteousness of God But he made man upright who of his own accord sought out many inventions It is not so in the Covenant of Grace There is in it pardon provided in the blood of Christ It is not therefore of indispensible necessity that there should be administred in it Grace effectually preserving from every sin Yet is it on all accounts to be preferred before the other For besides the relief by pardon which the other knew nothing of there is in it also much provision against sin which was not in the other First There is provision made in it against all and every sin that would disannull the Covenant and make a final separation between God and a soul that hath been once taken into the bond thereof This provision is absolute God hath taken upon himself the making of this good and the establishing this Law of the Covenant that it shall not by any sin be disannulled Jor. 32. 40. I will saith God make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me The security hereof depends not on any thing in our selves All that is in us is to be used as a means of the accomplishment of this Promise but the event or issue depends absolutely on the faithfulness of God And the whole certainty and stability of the Covenant depends on the efficacy of the Grace administred in it to preserve men from all such sins as would disanull it Secondly There is in this Covenant provision made for constant peace and consolation notwithstanding and against the guilt of such sins as through their infirmities and temptations believers are daily exposed unto Though they fall into sins every day yet they do not fall into depths every day In the tenour of this Covenant there is a consistency between a sense of sin unto humiliation and peace with strong consolation After the Apostle had described the whole conflict that Believers have with sin and the frequent wounds which they receive thereby which makes them cry out for deliverance Rom. 7. 24. He yet concludes Chap. 8. 1. that there is no condemnation unto them which is a sufficient and stable foundation of Peace So 1 John 2. 1. These things have I written unto you that you sin not and if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous Our great business and care ought to be that we sin not but yet when we have done our utmost if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves Chap. 1. 8. What then shall poor sinful guilty creatures do why let them go to the Father by their Advocate and they shall not fail of pardon and peace And saith Paul Heb 6. 17 18. God is abundantly willing that we might have strong consolation who fly for resuge to lay hold on the hope set before us What was his condition who fled of old to the City of refuge for safety from whence this expression is taken He was guilty of blood though shed at unawares and so as that he was to dye for it if he escaped not to the City of Refuge Though we may have the guilt of sins upon us that the Law pronounceth death unto yet flying to Christ for refuge God hath provided not only safety but strong consolation for us also Forgiveness in the blood of Christ doth not only take guilt from the soul but trouble also from the conscience And in this respect doth the Apostle at large set forth the Excellency of his Sacrifice Heb. 10. The Sacrifices of the Old Law he
we will go and do as at other times Bones are not broken without pain nor great sins brought on the Conscience without trouble But I need not insist on these Some say that they deprive even true Believers of all their interest in the Love of God but unduly all grant that they bereave them of all comforting evidence and well grounded Assurance of it So they did David and Peter and herein lyes no small part of the depths we are searching into Secondly There are sins which though they do not rise up in the conscience with such a bloody guilt as those mentioned yet by reason of some circumstances and aggravations God takes them so unkindly as to make them a root of disquietness and trouble to the soul all its dayes He sayes of some sins of ungodly men as I live this iniquity shall not be purged from you until ye dye If you are come to this height you shall not escape I will not spare you And there are Provocations in his own People which may be so circumstantiated as that he will not let them pass before he have cast them into depths and made them cry out for deliverance Let us consider some of them First Miscarriages under signal Enjoyments of love and kindness from God are of this sort When God hath given unto any one expressive manifestations of his Love convinced him of it made him say in the inmost parts of his heart this is undeserved love and kindess then for him to be negligent in his walking with God it carrieth an unkindness with it that shall not be forgotten It is a remark upon the miscarriages of Solomon that he fell into them after God had appeared unto him twice And all sins under or after especial mercies will meet at one time or other especial rebukes Nothing doth more distress the conscience of a sinner then the remembrance in darkness of abused light in desertions of neglected love This God will make them sensible of Though I have redeemed them saith God yet they have spoken lyes against me Hos. 7. 15. So Chap. 13. 4 5 6 7. When God hath in his Providence dealt graciously with a Person it may be delivered him from straights and troubles set him in a large place prevented him with many fruits and effects of his goodness blessed him in his Person Relations and Employments dealt well with his soul in giving him a gracious sense of his love in Christ for such a one to fall under sinful miscarriages it goes to the heart of God and shall not be passed over Undervaluations of Love are great provocations Hath Nabal thus requited my kindness saith David I cannot bear it And the clearer the convictions of any in this kind were the more severe will their reflections be upon themselves Secondly Sins under or after great Afflictions are of this importance also God doth not afflict willingly or chasten us meerly for his pleasure He doth it to make us partakers of his Holiness To take so little notice of his hand herein as under it or after it not to watch against the workings and surprizals of sin it hath unkindness in it I smote him saith God and he went on frowardly in the wayes of his own heart These provocations of his Sons and Daughters he cannot bear with Hath God brought thee into the Furnace so that thou hast melted under his hand and in pity and compassion hath given thee enlargement if thou hast soon forgotten his dealings with thee is it any wonder if he mind thee again by troubles in thy soul Thirdly Breaking off from under strong convictions and dawnings of Love before Conversion are oftentimes remembred upon the conscience afterwards When the Lord by his Spirit shall mightily convince the heart of sin and make withal some discoveries of his Love and the Excellencies of Christ unto it so that it begins to yield and be overpowred being almost perswaded to be a Christian if then through the strength of lust or unbelief it goes back to the world or self righteousness its folly hath unkindness with it that sometimes shall not be passed by God can and often doth put forth the greatness of his power for the recovery of such a soul but yet he will deal with him about this contempt of his Love and the Excellency of his Son in the dawnings of them revealed unto him Fourthly Suddain forgetfulness of endearing manifestations of special Love This God cautions his people against as knowing their proneness thereunto Psal. 85. 8. God the Lord will speak peace to his People and his Saints but let them not turn again to solly Let them take heed of their aptness to forget endearing manifestations of special Love When God at any time draws nigh to a soul by his Spirit in his Word with gracious words of peace and love giving a sense of his kindness upon the heart by the Holy Ghost so that it is filled with joy unspeakable and glorious thereon for this soul upon a temptation a diversion or by meer carelesness and neglect which oftentimes falls out to suffer this sense of Love to be as it were obliterated and so to lose that influencing efficacy unto obedience which it is accompanied withal this also is full of unkindness An account hereof we have Cant. 5. 1 2 3 4 5 6. In the first Verse the Lord Jesus draws nigh with full provision of Gospel Mercies for his Beloved I am come unto thee saith he O my Sister I have brought myrrh and spice honey and Wine with me What ever is spiritually sweet and delightful Mercy Grace Peace Consolation Joy Assurance they are all here in a readiness for thee v. 2. The Spouse in her drowsie indisposition takes little notice of this gracious visit she is diverted by other matters and knows not how to attend fully and wholly to the blessed Communion offered unto her but excuseth her self as otherwise engaged But what is the issue Christ withdraws leaves her in the dark in the midst of many disconsolations and long it is before she obtain any recovery Fifthly Great opportunities for service neglected and great gifts not improved are oftentimes the occasion of plunging the soul into great depths Gifts are given to trade withal for God Opportunities are the market dayes for that trade To napkin up the one and to let slip the other will end in trouble and disconsolation Disquietments and perplexities of heart are worms that will certainly breed in the rust of unexercised Gifts God looseth a revenue of glory and honour by such slothful souls and he will make them sensible of it I know some at this day whom omissions of opportunities for service are ready to sink into the grave Sixthly Sins after especial warnings are usually thus issued In all that variety of special warnings which God is pleased to use towards sinning Saints I shall single out one only When a soul is wrastling with some Lust or Temptation God by his
Providence causeth some special word in the Preaching of the Gospel or the Administration of some Ordinance thereof peculiarly suited to the state and condition of the soul by the wayes of rebuke or perswasion to come nigh and enter the inmost parts of the heart The soul cannot but take notice that God is nigh to him that he is dealing with him and caling on him to look to him for assistance And he seldom gives such warnings to his Saints but that he is nigh them in an eminent manner to give them relief and help if in answer unto his call they apply themselves unto him but if his care and kindness herein be neglected his following reproofs are usually more severe Seventhly Sins that bring scandal seldom suffer the soul to escape depths Even in great sins God in chastening takes more notice oft-times of the scandal than the sin as 2 Sam. 12. 14. Many professors take little notice of their worldliness their pride their passion their lavish tongues but the world doth and the Gospel is disadvantaged by it and no wonder if themselves find from the hand of the Lord the bitter fruits of them in the issue And many other such Aggravations of sins there are which heighten provocations in their own nature not of so dreadful an aspect as some others into a guilt plunging a soul into depths Those which have been named may suffice in the way of instance which is all that we have aimed at and therefore forbear enlargements on the several heads of them The consideration of some Aggravations of the guilt of these sins which bring the soul usually into the condition before laid down shall close this discourse First The soul is furnished with a Principle of Grace which is continually operative and working for its preservation from such sins The new Creature is living and active for its own growth increase and security according to the tenor of the Covenant of Grace Gal. 5. 17. it lusteth against the flesh It is naturally active for its own preservation and increase as new born Children have a natural inclination to the food that will keep them alive and cause them to grow 1 Pet. 2. 2. The soul then cannot fall into these entangling sins but it must be with an high neglect of that very Principle which is bestowed upon it for quite contrary ends and purposes The labourings lustings desires crying of it are neglected Now it is from God and of God and is the Renovation of his Image in us that which God owneth and careth for the wounding of its vitals the stifling its operations the neglect of its endeavours for the souls preservation do alwayes attend sins of the importance spoken unto Secondly Whereas this new Creature this principle of life and obedience is not able of it self to preserve the soul from such sins as will bring it into depths there is full provision for continual supplies made for it and all its wants in Jesus Christ. There are treasures of relief in Christ whereunto the soul may at any time repair and find succour against the incursions of sin He sayes to the soul as David unto Abiathar when he fled from Doeg Abide with me fear not he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life but with me thou shalt be in safety Sin is my Enemy no less than thine it seeketh the life of thy soul and it seeketh my life abide with me for with me thou shalt be in safety This the Apostle exhorts us unto Heb. 4. 16. Let us come boldly to the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need If ever it be a time of need with a soul it is so when it is under the assaults of provoking sins At such a time there is suitable and seasonable help in Christ for succour and relief The new Creature beggs with sighs and groans that the soul would apply it self unto him To neglect him with all his Provision of Grace whilst he stands calling unto us open unto me for my head is filled with dew and my locks with the drops of the night to despise the sighing of the poor Prisoner the new Creature by sin appointed to dye cannot but be an high provocation May not God complain and say see these poor creatures they were once intrusted with a stock of Grace in themselves this they cast away and themselves into the utmost misery thereby That they might not utterly perish a second time their portion and stock is now laid up in another a safe Treasurer in him are their lives and comforts secured But see their wretched negligence they venture all rather than they will attend to him for succour And what think we is the heart of Christ when he sees his Children giving way to conscience wasting sins without that application unto him which the life and peace of their own souls calls upon them for These are not sins of daily infirmity which cannot be avoided but their guilt is alwayes attended with a neglect more or less of the relief provided in Christ against them The means of preservation from them is blessed ready nigh at hand the concernment of Christ in our preservation great of our souls unspeakable to neglect and despise means Christ souls peace and life must needs render guilt very guilty Thirdly Much to the same purpose may be spoken about that signal provision that is made against such sins as these in the Covenant of Grace as hath been already declared But I shall not farther carry on this discourse And this may suffice as to the state and condition of the soul in this Psalm represented We have seen what the depths are wherein it is intangled and by what wayes and means any one may come to be cast into them The next thing that offers it self unto our consideration is the deportment of a gracious soul in that state and condition or what course it steers towards a delivery The Duty and Actings of a Believer under distresses from a sense of sin His Application unto God To God alone Earnestness and intention of mind therein The words of these two first Verses declare also the deportment of the soul in the condition that we have described that is what it doth and what course it steers for relief I have cryed unto thee O Lord Lord hear my voice let thine ears be attentive to the voyce of my supplications There is in the words a General Application made in a tendency unto relief wherein is first to be considered to whom the Application is made and that is JEHOVAH I have cryed unto thee Jehovah God gave out that Name to his people to confirm their faith in the stability of his Promises Exod. 3. He who is BEING himself will assuredly give being and subsistance to his promises Being to deal with God about the promises of grace he makes his Application to him under this name I call upon thee Jehovah In
the Application it self may be observed First The Anthropopathy of the Expression He prayes that God would cause his ears to be attentive after the manner of men who seriously attend to what is spoken to them when they turn aside from that which they regard not Secondly The Earnestness of the soul in the work it hath in hand which is evident both from the Reduplication of his request Lord hear my voyce let thine ears be attentive to my voyce and the Emphaticalness of the words he maketh use of Let thine ears saith he be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diligently Attentive The word signifies the most diligent heedfulness and close attention let thine ears be very attentive and unto what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the voice of my supplications deprecationum mearum generally say Interpreters of my Deprecations or earnest prayers for the averting of evil or punishment But the word is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gratiosus suit to be gracious or merciful so that it signifies properly supplications for grace Be attentive saith he O Lord unto my supplications for grace and mercy which according to my extream necessity I now address my self to make unto thee And in these words doth the Psalmist set forth in general the frame and working of a gracious soul being cast into depths and darkness by sin The foundation of what I shall farther thence pursue lyes in these two Propositions First The only attempt of a sinful entangled soul for relief lyes in an application to God alone To thee Jehovah have I cryed Lord hear Secondly Depths of sin intanglements will put a gracious soul on intense and earnest application unto God Lord hear Lord attend Dying men do not use to cry out slothfully for relief What may be thought necessary in general for the direction of a soul in the state and condition described shall briefly be spoken unto from these two Propositions First Trouble danger disquietment arguing not only things evil but a sense in the mind and soul of them will of themselves put those in whom they are upon seeking relief Every thing would naturally be at rest A drowning man needs no Exhortation to endeavour his own deliverance and safety And spiritual troubles will in like manner put men on attempts for relief To seek for no remedy is to be senslesly obdurate or wretchedly desperate as Cain and Judas We may suppose then that the principal business of every soul in depths is to endeavour deliverance They cannot rest in that condition wherein they have no rest In this endeavour what course a gracious soul steers is laid down in the first Proposition negatively and positively He applyes himself not to any thing but God he applyes himself unto God An eminent instance we have of it in both parts or both to the one side and the other Hos. 14. 3. Ashur say those poor distressed returning sinners shall not save us we will not ride upon Horses neither will we say any more to the work of our hands ye are our Gods for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy Their application unto God is attended with a renunciation of every other way of relief Several things there are that sinners are apt to apply themselves unto for relief in their perplexities which prove unto them as waters that fail How many things have the Romanists invented to deceive souls withal Saints and Angels the Blessed Virgin Wood of the Cross Confissions Rennances Masses Pilgrimages Dirges Purgatories Papal Pardons Works of Compensation and the like are made entrances for innumerable souls into everlasting ruine Did they know the terror of the Lord the nature of Sin and of the mediation of Christ they would be ashamed and confounded in themselves for these abominations they would not say unto these their Idols ye are our Gods come and save us How short do all their contrivances come of his that would fain be offering Rivers of Oyl yea the fruit of his body for the sin of his soul his first born for his transgression Mich. 6. 7. Who yet gains nothing but an Aggravation of his sin and misery thereby Yea the Heathen went beyond them in devotion and expence It is no new enquiry what course sin perplexed souls should take for relief From the foundation of the world the minds of far the greatest part of mankind have been exercised in it As was there light or darkness such was the course they took Among those who were ignorant of God this Enquiry brought forth all that Diabolical Superstition which spread it self over the face of the whole world Gentilism being destroyed by the power and Efficacy of the Gospel the same enquiry working in the minds of darkned men in conjunction with other lusts brought forth the Papacy When men had lost a spiritual acquaintance with the Covenant of Grace and Mysterie of the Gospel the design of eternal love the efficacy of the blood of Christ they betook themselves in part or in whole for relief under their entanglements unto the broken Cisterns mentioned They are of two sorts Self and other things For those other things which belong unto their false Worship being abominated by all the Saints of God I shall not need to make any farther mention of them That which relates unto self is not confined unto Popery but extends it self to the limits of Humane Nature and is predominate in all that are under the Law that is to seek for relief in sin distresses by self-endeavours self-righteousness Hence many poor souls in straights apply themselves to themselves They expect their cure from the same hand that wounded them This was the life of Judaism as the Apostle informs us Rom. 10. 3. And all men under the Law are still animated by the same principle They return but not unto the Lord. Finding themselves in depths in distresses about sin what course do they take This they will do that they will do no more this shall be their ordinary course and that they will do in an extraordinary manner as they have offended whence their trouble ariseth so they will amend and look that their peace should spring from thence as if God and they stood on equal terms In this way some spend all their dayes sinning and amending amending and sinning without once coming to repentance and peace This the souls of believers watch against They look on themselves as fatherless in thee the fatherless findeth mercy that is helpless without the least ground of hopes in themselves or expectation from themselves They know their repentance their amendment their supplications their humiliations their fastings their mortifications will not relieve them Repent they will and amend they will and pray and fast and humble their souls for they know these things to be their duty but they know that their goodness extends not to him with whom they have to do nor is he profited by their righteousness They will be in the performance of all duties but
they expect not deliverance by any duty It is God say they with whom we have to do our business is to hearken what he will say unto us There are also other wayes whereby sinful souls destroy themselves by false reliefs Diversions from their perplexing thoughtfulness pleaseth them They will fix on something or other that cannot cure their disease but shall only make them forget that they are sick As Cain under the terror of his guilt departed from the presence of the Lord and sought inward rest in outward labour and employment he went and built a City Gen. 4. 6. Such courses Soul fixed on first Musick then a Witch Nothing more ordinary than for men thus to deal with their convictions They see their sickness feel their wound and go to the Assyrian Hos. 5. 13. And this insensibly leads men into Atheism Frequent Applications of Creature diversions unto convictions of sin are a notable means of bringing on final impenitency Some Drunkards had it may be never been so had they not been first convinced of other sins They strive to stifle the guilt of one sin with another They fly from themselves unto themselves from their consciences unto their lusts and seek for relief from sin by sinning This is so far from Believers that they will not allow lawful things to be a diversion of their distress Use lawful things they may and will but not to divert their thoughts from their distresses These they know must be issued between God and them Wear off they will not but must be taken away These rocks and the like whereof there are innumerable I say a gracious soul takes care to avoid He knows it is God alone who is the Lord of his Conscience where his depths lye God alone against whom he hath sinned God alone who can pardon his sin From dealing with him he will be neither enticed nor diverted To thee O Lord saith he do I come thy word concerning me must stand upon thee will I wait if thou hast no delight in me I must perish Other remedies I know are vain I intend not to spend my strength for that which is not bread Unto thee do I cry Here a sin-intangled soul is to fix its self Trouble excites it to look for relief Many things without it present themselves as a diversion many things within it offer themselves for a remedy Forget thy sorrow say the former ease thy self of it by us say the latter the soul refuseth both as Physitians of no value and to God alone makes its Application He hath wounded and he alone can heal And untill any one that is sensible of the guilt of sin will come off from all reserves to deal immediately with God it is in vain for him to expect relief Secondly Herein it is intense earnest and urgent which was the second thing observed It is no time now to be sloathful The souls All its greatest concernments are at the stake Dull cold formal customary Applications to God will not serve the turn Ordinary actings of saith love servency usual seasons opportunities duties answer not this condition To do no more than ordinary now is to do nothing at all He that puts forth no more strength and activity for his deliverance when he is in depths ready to perish than he doth or hath need to do when he is at liberty in plain and smoorths paths is scarcely like to escape Some in such conditions are careless and negligent they think in an ordinary course to wear off their distempers and that although at present they are sensible of their danger they shall yet have peace at last in which frame there is much contempt of God Some despond and languish away under their pressures Spiritual sloth influenceth both these sorts of persons Let us see the frame under consideration exemplified in another We have an instance in the Spouse Cant. 3. 1 2 3. She had lost the presence of Christ and so was in the very state and condition before described v. 1. It was night with her a time of darkness and disconsolation and she seeks for her Beloved By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth Christ was absent from her and she was left unto depths and darkness upon that account Wherefore she seeks for him but as the most are apt to do in the like state and condition She mends not her pace goes not out of or beyond her course of ordinary duties nor the frame she was usually in at other times But what is the issue saith she I found him not This is not a way to recover a sense of lost Love nor to get out of her entanglements And this puts her on another course she begins to think that if things continue in this estate she shall be undone I go on indeed with the performance of duties still but I have not the presence of my Beloved I meet not with Christ in them My darkness and trouble abides still if I take not some other course I shall be lost Well saith she I will rise now v. 2. I will shake off all that ease and sloth and customariness that cleave to me Some more lively vigorous course must be fixed on Resolutions for new extraordinary vigorous constant Applications unto God are the first general step and degree of a sin intangled soul acting towards a recovery I will rise now And what doth she do when she is thus resolved I will saith she go about the streets and in the broad wayes and seek him whom my soul loveth I will leave no wayes or means unattempted whereby I may possibly come to a fresh enjoyment of him If a man seek for a Friend he can look for him only in the streets and in the broad wayes that is either in Towns or in the Fields So will I do saith the Spouse in what Way Ordinance or Institution soever in or by what duty soever publick or private of communion with others or solitary retiredness Christ ever was or may be found or peace obtained I will seek him and not give over until I come to an enjoyment of him And this frame this Resolution a soul in depths must come unto if ever it expect deliverance For the most part mens wounds stink and are corrupt because of their foolishness As the Psalmist complains Psal. 38. 5. They are wounded by sin and through spiritual sloth they neglect their cure this weakens them and disquiets them day by day yet they endure all rather than they will come out of their carnal ease to deal effectually with God in an extraordinary manner It was otherwise with David Psal. 22. 1 2. Why saith he art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring O my God I cry in the day time and in the night season and am not silent What ayles the Man Can he not be quiet night nor day never silent never hold his peace And if he be somewhat disquieted can
he not contain himself but that he must roar and cry out Yea must he roar thus all the day long as he speaks Psal. 32. 3. and groan all the night as Psal. 6. 6. What is the matter with all this roaring sighing tears roaring all the day all night long Ah let him alone his soul is bitter in him he is fallen into depths the Lord is withdrawn from him trouble is hard at hand yea he is full of anxiety on the account of sin there is no quietness nor soundness in him and he must thus earnestly and restlessy apply himself for relief Alas what strangers for the most part are men now adayes to this frame How little of the workings of this Spirit is found amongst us And is not the reason of it that we value the world more and Heaven and heavenly things less than he did that we can live at a better rate without a sense of the love of God in Christ than he could do and is it not hence that we every day see so many withering Professors that have in a manner lost all Communion with God beyond a little lip-labour or talking the filthy savour of whose wounds are offensive to all but themselves and so will they go on ready to dye and perish rather than with this holy man thus stir up themselves to meet the Lord. Heman was also like unto him Psal. 88 11 13. What sense he had of his depths he declares v. 3. My soul saith he is full of troubles and my life draweth nigh unto the grave And what course doth he steer in this heavy sorrowful and disconsolate condition Why saith he O Lord God of my salvation I have cryed day and night unto thee let my prayer come before thee encline thine ear unto my cry v. 1 2. Day and night he cryes to the God of his salvation and that with earnestness and importunity This was his business this was he exercised about all his dayes This is that which is aimed at if a gracious soul be brought into the depths before mentioned and described by reason of sin when the Lord is pleased to lead him forth towards a recovery he causeth him to be vigorous and restless in all the duties whereby he may make Application to him for deliverance Now wherein this intensness and earnestness of the soul in its Applications unto God doth principally consist I shall briefly declare when I have touched a little upon some considerations and grounds that stir it up thereunto First The greatness of mens concernments may well put them on this earnestness Men do not use to deal with dull and slothful spirits about their greatest concerns David tells us that he was more concerned in the light of Gods countenance than the men of the world could be in their Corn and Wine Psal. 4. 6 7. Suppose a man of the world should have his house wherein all his stock and riches are laid up set on fire and so the whole be in danger under his eye to be consumed would he be calm and quiet in the consideration of it Would he not bestir himself with all his might and call in all the help he could obtain and that because his portion his all his great concernment lyes at stake And shall the soul be slothful careless dull secure when fire is put to its eternal concernments when the light of Gods countenance which is of more esteem unto him than the greatest increase of Corn and Wine can be to the men of the world is removed from him It was an argument of prodigious security in Jonah that he was fast asleep when the Ship wherein he was was ready to be cast away for his â—â—ke And will it be thought less in any soul who being in a storm of wrath and displeasure from God sent out into the deep after him shall neglect it and sleep as Solomon sayes on the top of a Mast in the midst of the Sea How did that poor creature whose heart was mad on his Idols Judg. 18. 24. cry out when he was deprived of them You have taken away my Gods saith he and what have I more And shall a gracious soul lose his God through his own folly the sense of his love the consolation of his presence and not with all his might follow hard after him Peace with God joy in believing such souls have formerly obtained Can they live without them now in their ordinarily walking can they choose but cry out with Job O that it were with us as in former dayes when the candle of the Lord was upon our Tabernacle Chap. 29. 2 3 4. and with David O Lord restore unto me the joy of salvation Psal. 51. 12. for Oh my God I remember former enjoyments and my soul is cast down within me Psal. 42. 6. They cannot live without it But suppose they might make a sorry shift to pass on in their pilgrimage whilst all is smooth about them what will they do in the time of outward tryals and distresses when deep calleth unto deep and one trouble excites and sharpens another Nothing then will support them they know but that which is wanting to them as Hab. 3. 17 18. Psal. 23. 4. So that the greatness of their concernment provokes them to the earnestness mentioned Secondly They have a deep sense of these their great concernments All men are equally concerned in the Love of God and pardon of sin Every one hath a soul of the same immortal constitution equally capable of bliss and wo. But yet we see most men are so stupidly sottish that they take little notice of these things Neither the guilt of sin nor the wrath of God nor death nor Hell are thought on or esteemed by them they are their concernments but they are not sensible of them But gracious souls have a quick living sense of spiritual things For First They have a saving spiritual light whereby they are able to discern the true nature of sin and the terror of the Lord. For though they are now supposed to have lost the comforting light of the Spirit yet they never loose the sanctifying light of the Spirit the light whereby they are enabled to discern spiritual things in a spiritual manner this never utterly departs from them By this they see sin to be exceeding sinfull Rom. 7. 13. By this they know the terror of the Lord 2 Cor. 15. 11. And that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10. 31. By this they discover the excellency of the love of God in Christ which passeth knowledge the present sense whereof they have lost By this they are enabled to look within the vail and to take a view of the blessed consolations which the Saints enjoy whose communion with God was never interrupted This represents to them all the sweetness pleasure Joy Peace which in former dayes they had whilst God was present with them in Love By this are
from your sloth and despondency of spirit you will not gird up the loyns of your minds in dealing with God to put them to a speedy issue in the blood of Christ. You go on and off begin and cease try and give over and for the most part though your case be extraordinary content your selves with ordinary and customary Applications unto God This makes you wither become useless and pine away in and under your perplexities David did not so but after many and many a breach made by sin yet through quick vigorous restless actings of Faith all was repaired so that he lived peaceably and dyed triumphantly Up then and be doing let not your wounds corrupt because of your folly make through work of that which lyes before you be it long or difficult it is all one it must be done and is attended with safety What you are like to meet withal in the first place shall nextly be declared Verse 3. The words of the Verse explained and their meaning opened THE general frame of a gracious soul in its perplexities about sin hath been declared It s particular actings what it doth what it meets withal are nextly represented unto us First Then in particular it cryes out If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand There is in the words a Supposition and an Inference on that Supposition In the Supposition there is first the Name of God that is fixed on as suited unto it And Secondly The thing it self supposed In the Inference there is expressed the matter of it to stand and the manner of its proposal Wherein two things occur 1. That it is expressed by way of Interrogation 2. The Indefiniteness of that Interrogation Who shall stand If thou Lord He here fixes on another name of God which is Jah A name though from the same root with the former yet seldom used but to intimate and express the terrible Majesty of God He rideth on the Heavens and is extolled by his name Jah Psal. 68. 4. He is to deal now with God about the guilt of sin and God is represented to the soul as great and terrible that he may know what to expect and look for if the matter must be tryed out according to the demerit of sin What then saith he to J A H 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If thou shouldst mark iniquities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to observe and keep as in safe custody To keep preserve and watch diligently So to remark and observe as to retain that which is observed to ponder it and lay it up in the heart Gen. 37. 11. Jacob observed Josephs dream that is he retained the memory of it and pondered it in his heart The marking of Iniquities then here intended is Gods so far considering and observing of them as to reserve them for punishment and vengeance In opposition unto this marking he is said not to see sin to overlook it to cover it to forget it or remember it no more that is to forgive it as the next Verse declares I need not shew that God so far marks all sins in all persons as to see them know them disallow them and to be displeased with them This cannot be denyed without taking away of all grounds of his fear and Worship To deny it is all one as to deny the very Being of God deny his Holiness and Righteousness and you deny his Existence But there is a day appointed wherein all the men of the world shall know that God knew and took notice of all and every one of their most secret sins There is then a double marking of sin in God neither of which can be denyed in reference unto any sins in any persons The first is Physical consisting in his omniscience whereunto all things are open and naked Thus no sin is hid from him the secretest are before the light of his countenance All are marked by him Secondly Moral in a displicency with or displeasure against every sin which is inseparable from the nature of God upon the account of his Holiness And this is declared in the sentence of the Law and that equally to all men in the world But the marking here intended is that which is in a tendency to Animadversion and punishment according to the tenor of the Law Not only the sentence of the Law but a Will of punishing according to it is included in it If saith the Psalmist thou the great and dreadful God who art extolled by thy glorious name Jah shouldst take notice of iniquities so as to recompence them unto sinners that come unto thee according to the severity and exigence of thy holy Law What then It is answered by the matter of the Proposal who can stand That is none can so do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes Chrysostom This WHO is NONE No man not one in the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quis stabit or consistet who can stand or abide and endure the tryal Every one on this supposition must perish and that eternally This the desert of sin and the Curse of the Law which is the Rule of this marking of their iniquity doth require And there is a notable emphasis in the interragation which contains the manner of the Inference Who can stand is more than if he had said none can abide the tryal and escape without everlasting ruine For the Interrogation is indefinite not how can I but who can stand When the Holy Ghost would set out the certainty and dreadfulness of the perishing of ungodly men he doth it by such a kind of expression wherein there is a deeper sense intimated into the minds of men than any words can well cloath or declare 1 Pet. 4. 17. What shall be the end of them that obey not the Gospel and v. 18. Where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear So here Who can stand there is a deep insinuation of a dreadful ruine as unto all with whom God shall so deal as to mark their iniquities See Psal. 1. 5. The Psalmist then addressing himself to deal with God about sin layes down in the first place in the general how things must go not with himself only but with all the world upon the supposition he had fixed This is not my case only but it is so with all mankind every one who is partaker of flesh and blood whether their guilt answer that which I am oppressed withal or no all is one guilty they are all and all must perish How much more must that needs be my condition who have contracted so great a guilt as I have done Here then he layes a great Argument against himself on the supposition before laid down If none the Holiest the humblest the most believing soul can abide the tryal can endure how much less can I who am the chiefest of sinners the least of Saints who come unspeakably behind them in holiness and have equally gone beyond them in sin This is the sense and importance
of the words Let us now consider how they are expressive of the actings of the soul whose state and condition is here represented unto us and what directions they will afford unto us to give unto them who are fallen into the same state What first presents it self to a soul in distress on the account of sin This opened in four Propositions Thoughts of Gods marking sin according to the tenor of the Law full of dread and terror What depths the Psalmist was in hath been declared in them what Resolution he takes upon himself to seek to God alone for relief and recovery hath been also shewed and what earnestness in general he useth therein Addressing himself unto God in that frame with that purpose and resolution the first thing he fixeth on in particular is the greatness of his sin and guilt according to the tenor of the Law It appears then that First In a sin perplexed souls addresses unto God the first thing that presents it self unto him is Gods marking sin according to the tenor of the Law The case is the same in this matter with all sorts of sinners whether before conversion or in relapses and entanglements after conversion There is a proportion between Conversion and Recoveries They are both wrought by the same means and wayes and have both the same effects upon the souls of sinners although in sundry things they differ not now to be spoken unto What then is spoken on this heâ—d may be applyed unto both sorts to them that are yet unconverted and to them who are really delivered from their state and condition but especially unto those who know not whether state they belong unto that is to all guilty souls The Law will put in its claim to all It will condemn the sin and try what it can do against the sinner There is no shaking of it off it must be fairly answered or it will prevail The Law issues out an arrest for the debt and it is to no purpose to bid the Serjeant be gone or to entreat him to spare If payment be not procured and an acquittance produced the soul must to prison I am going unto God saith the soul. He is great and terrible a marker of sin and what shall I say unto him This makes him tremble and cry out O Lord who shall stand so that it appears hence that Secondly Serious thoughts of Gods marking sin according to the tenor of the Law is a thing full of dread and terror to the soul of a sinner But this is not all he is not swallowed up in this amazement crying out only who can stand there is included in the words a through sincere Acknowledgement of his own sin and the guilt thereof Mentioning the desert of sin in his own case he acknowledgeth his own So that Thirdly Sincere sense and Acknowledgement of sin with self-condemnation in the Justification of God is the first peculiar especial working of a gracious soul rising out of its entanglements All this is included in these words He acknowledgeth both his own guilt and the Righteousness of God if he should deal with him according to the demerit of sin And these things lye in the words absolutely considered But the state of the soul here represented carries us on farther He rests not here as we shall see in the opening of the next Verse the chief thing aimed at in the whole And as a transition from the one to the other that we may still carry on the general design at the entrance laid down we must take along with us this farther observation Fourthly Though self-condemnation be an eminent preparation for the discovery of forgiveness in God yet a poor distressed soul is not to rest in it nor to rest upon it but to pass on to the embracing of forgiveness it self There is yet a general proposition lying in the words that we may make use of in our passage and it is this Gods marking of iniquities and mans salvation are everlastingly inconsistent I mean his marking them in the persons of the sinners for the ends before mentioned Of some of these I shall farther treat according as the handling of them conduceth to the purpose in hand That which I shall begin withal is that which was first laid down about the effects of serious thoughts concerning Gods marking sin according to the tenor of the Law which as I said is the first thing that presents it self unto a sin entangled soul in its addresses unto God But this shall not pass alone I shall draw the two first Observations into one and make use of the first only in the confirmation of the other which will express the sense of the words absolutely considered The third and fourth will lead us on in the progress of the soul towards the relief sought after and proposed That therefore which first is to be insisted on comes up to this Proposition In a sin perplexed souls addresses unto God the first thing that presents it self unto him is Gods marking of sin according to the Tenor of the Law which of its self is apt to fill the soul with dread and terror I shall first somewhat speak unto it in This as considering in its self and then enquire into the concernment of the soul in it whose condition is here described The Lord speaks of some who when they hear the words of the curse yet bless themselves and say they shall have peace Deut. 29. 19. Let men preach and say what they please of the terror of the Lord they will despise it which God threatens with utter extermination And he notes it again as an amazing wickedness and the height of obdurateness Jer. 36. 24. Generally it is with sinners as it was with Gaal the Son of Ebed Judg. 9. when he was fortifying of Sichem against Abimelech Zebul tells him that Abimelech will come and destroy him Let him come saith Gaal I shall deal well enough with him let him bring forth his Army I fear him not but upon the very first appearance of Abimelech's Army he trembleth for fear v. 36. Tell obdurate sinners of the wrath of God and that he will come to plead his cause against them for the most part they take no notice of what you say nor have any serious thoughts about it but go on as if they were resolved they should deal well enough with him Notwithstanding all their stoutness a day is coming wherein fearfulness shall surprise them and make them cry out who amongst us shall dwell with devouring fire who amongst us shall inhabit with everlasting burnings Yea if the Lord be pleased in this life in an especial manner to draw nigh to any of them they quickly see that their hearts cannot endure nor can their hands be strong Ezek. 22. 14. Their hands hang down and their stout hearts tremble like an aspen leaf He who first sinned and had first occasion to have serious thoughts about Gods marking sin gives us a
propitious and is opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word composed of the same letters varied which is common in that Language signifying to cut off and destroy Now it is constantly applyed unto Sin and expresseth every thing that concurrs to its pardon or forgiveness As First It expresseth the Mind or Will of pardoning or Gods gracious readiness to forgive Psal. 86. 5. Thou Lord art good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and ready to forgive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 benign and meek or sparing propitious Of a gracious merciful heart and nature So Nehem. 9. 17. Thou art O God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propitiationum of propitiations or pardons or as we have rendered it ready to forgive a God of forgivenesses or all plenty of them is in thy gracious heart Isa. 55. 8. So that thou art alwayes ready to make out pardons to sinners The word is used again Dan. 9. 9. to the same purpose Secondly It regards the act of pardoning or actual forgiveness it self Psal. 103. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who forgiveth all thine iniquities actually dischargeth thee of them which place the Apostle respecting renders the word by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 3. 13. Having freely forgiven you for so much the word imports all your trespasses And this is the word that God useth in the Covenant in that great Promise of Grace and Pardon Jer. 31. 34. It is warrantable for us yea necessary to take the word in the utmost extent of its signification and use It is a word of favour and requires an interpretation tending towards the enlargement of it We see it may be rendered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or propitiation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Grace and venia or pardon and may denote these three things First The gracious tender merciful Heart and Will of God who is the God of pardons and forgiveness or one ready to forgive to give out mercy to add to pardor Secondly A respect unto Jesus Christ the only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or propitiation for sin as he is expresly called Rom. 3. 25. 1 John 2. 2. And this is that which interposeth between the gracious heart of God and the actual pardon of sinners All forgiveness is founded on propitiation Thirdly It denotes condonation or actual forgiveness it self as we are made partakers of it comprizing it both actively as it is an Act of Grace in God and passively as terminated in our souls with the deliverance that attends it In this sense as it looks downwards and in its effects respects us it is of meer Grace as it looks upwards to its causes and respects the Lord Christ it is from propitiation or attonement And this is that pardon which is administred in the Covenant of Grace Now as to the place which these words enjoy in this Psalm and their Relation to the state and condition of the soul here mentioned this seems to be their importance O Lord although this must be granted that if thou shouldst mark iniquities according to the tenor of the Law every man living must perish and that for ever yet there is hope for my soul that even I who am in the depths of sin-entanglements may find acceptance with thee for whilst I am putting my mouth in the dust if so be there may be hope I find that there is an Attonement a propitiation made for sin on the account whereof thou sayest thou hast found a Ransome and wilt not deal with them that come unto thee according to the severity and exigence of thy Justice but art gracious loving tender ready to forgive and pardon and dost so accordingly THERE IS FORGIVENESSE WITH THEE The following words therefore thou shalt be feared or that thou maist be feared though in the Original free from all Ambiguity yet are so signally varyed by Interpreters that it may not be amiss to take notice of it in our passage The Targum hath it that thou mayst be seen This answers not the word but it doth the sense of the place well enough God in his displeasure is said to hide himself or his face Isaiah 8. 17. The Lord hideth his face from the house of Jacob. By forgiveness we obtain again the light of his countenance This dispels the darkness and clouds that are about him and gives us a comfortable prospect of his face and favour There is forgiveness with him that he may be seen Besides there is but one letter different in the Original words and that which is usually changed for the other The LXX render them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for thy names sake or thy own sake that is freely without any respect unto any thing in us This also would admit of a fair and sound construction but that there is more than ordinary evidence of the places being corrupted For the Vulgar Latin which as to the Psalms was translated out of the LXX renders these words propter legem tuam for thy Laws sake which makes it evident that that Translator reads the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as now we read Now though this hath in its self no proper sense for forgiveness is not bestowed for the Laws sake yet it discovers the original of the whole mistake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Law differs but in one letter from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that thou maist be feared by a mistake whereof this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for thy Law sake crept into the Text. Nor doth this any thing countenance the corrupt figment of the novelty of the Hebrew Vowels and Accents as though this difference might arise from the LXX using a copy that had none that is before their invention which might occasion mistakes and differences for this difference is in a Letter as well as the Vowels and therefore there can be no colour for this conceit unless we say also that they had Copies of old with other Consonants than those we now enjoy Bellarmine in his Exposition of this place endeavours to give countenance unto the reading of the Vulgar Latin for thy Laws sake affirming that by the Law here not the Law of our Obedience is intended but the Law or Order of Gods dealing with us that is his Mercy and Faithfulness which is a meer new Invention to countenance an old error which any tolerable ingenuity would have confessed rather than have justified by so sorry a pretence For neither is that expression or that word eyer used in the sense here by him faigned nor can it have any such signification Hierom renders these words utsis terribilis that thou maist be dreadful or terrible doubtless not according to the intendment of the place It is for the relieving of the soul and not for the increasing of its dread and terror that this observation is made there is forgiveness with thee But the words are clear and their sense is obvious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore thou shalt be feared or that thou maist be feared
hath surprised the Hypocrites who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire Who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burnings The persons spoken of are sinners great sinners and Hypocrites conviction of sin and the desert of it was fallen upon them a light to discern forgiveness they had not they apprehend God as devouring fire and everlasting burnings only One that would not spare but assuredly inflict punishment according to the desert of sin and thence is their conclusion couched in their Interrogation that there can be no entercourse of peace between him and them there is no abiding no enduring of his Presence And what condition this consideration brings the souls of sinners unto when conviction grows strong upon them the Holy Ghost declares Mich. 6. 6 7. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and how my self before the high God shall I come before him with burnt offerings with Calves of a year old will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Ramms or with ten thousands of Rivers of Oyl shall I give my first born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul Sense of sin presseth forgiveness is not discovered like the Philistins on Saul Samuel not coming to his direction and how doth the poor creature perplex it self in vain to find out a way of dealing with God Will a sedulous and diligent observation of his own Ordinances and Institutions relieve me Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings and Calves of a year old Alas thou art a sinner and these Sacrifices cannot make thee perfect or acquit thee Heb. 10. 1. Shall I do more than ever he required of any of the Sons of men O that I had thousands of Ramms and ten thousands of Rivers of Oyl to offer to him Alas if thou hadst all the Bulls and Goats in the world it is not possible that their blood should take away sins v. 4. But I have heard of them who have snatched their own Children from their Mothers breasts and cast them into the fire until they were consumed so to pacifie their consciences in expiating the guilt of their iniquities shall I take this course Will it relieve me I am ready to part with my first born into the fire so I may have deliverance from my Transgressions Alas this never came into the heart of God to approve or accept of And as it was then whilst that kind of Worship was in force so is it still as to any duties really to be performed or imaginarily Where there is no discovery of forgiveness they will yield the soul no relief no supportment God is not to be treated upon such terms Greatness and rareness of the Discovery of Forgiveness in God Reasons of it Testimonies of Conscience and Law against it c. Secondly This discovery of Forgiveness in God is great holy and Mysterious and which very few on Gospel grounds do attain unto All men indeed say there is most men are perswaded that they think so Only men in great and desperate extremities like Cain or Spira seem to call it into question But their thoughts are empty groundless yea for the most part wicked and Atheistical Elihu tells us that to declare this aright to a sinful soul it is the work of a Messenger an Interpreter one among a thousand Job 33. 23. that is indeed of Christ himself The common thoughts of men about this thing are slight and foolish and may be resolved into those mentioned by the Psalmist Psal. 50. 21. They think that God is altogether such a one as themselves That indeed he takes little or no care about these things but passeth them over as slightly as they do themselves That notwithstanding all their pretences the most of men never had indeed any real discovery of forgiveness shall be afterwards undeniably evinced and I shall speedily shew the difference that is between their vain credulity and a Gracious Gospel discovery of forgiveness in God For it must be observed that by this Discovery I intend both the Revelation of it made by God and our understanding and Reception of that Revelation to our own advantage as shall be shewed immediately Now the grounds of the difficulty intimated consist partly in the hinderances that lye in the way of this discovery and partly in the nature of the thing it self that is discovered of both which I shall briefly treat But here before I proceed somewhat must be premised to shew what it is that I particularly intend by a discovery of forgiveness It may then be considered two wayes First For a doctrinal objective discovery of it in its truth 2. An experimental subjective discovery of it in its power In the first sense forgiveness in God hath been discovered ever since the giving out of the first Promise God revealed it in a word of Promise or it could never have been known as shall be afterwards declared In this sense after many lesser degrees and advancements of the light of it it was fully and gloriously brought forth by the Lord Jesus Christ in his own Person and is now revealed and preached in the Gospel and by them to whom the Word of Reconciliation is committed And to declare this is the principal work of the Ministers of the Gospel Herein lye those unsearchable Treasures and Riches of Christ which the Apostle esteemed as his chiefest Honour and Priviledge that he was intrusted with the declaration and dispensation of Ephes. 3. 8 9. I know by many it is despised by many traduced whose Ignorance and blindness is to be lamented But the day is coming which will manifest every mans work of what sort it is In the latter sense how it is made by faith in the soul shall in its proper place be further opened and made known Here many men mistake and deceive themselves Because it is so in the Book they think it is so in them also Because they have been taught it they think they believe it But it is not so They have not heard this voyce of God at any time nor seen his shape it hath not been revealed unto them in its power to have this done is a great work For First The constant voyce of Conscience lyes against it Conscience if not seared inexorably condemneth and pronounceth Wrath and Anger upon the soul that hath the least guilt cleaving to it Now it hath this advantage it lyeth close to the soul and by importunity and loud speaking it will he heard in what it hath to say It will make the whole soul attend or it will speak like thunder And its constant voyce is that where there is guilt there must be judgement Rom. 2. 14 15. Conscience naturally knows nothing of forgiveness Yea it is against its very trust work and office to hear any thing of it If a man of courage and honesty be entrusted to keep a Garrison against an Enemy let one come and tell him that there is peace made
that sinned he spared them not but inflicted on them the punishment due to sin shutting them up under chains of darkness for the Judgement of the great Day Hitherto then God keeps all thoughts of forgiveness in his own Eternal Bosom There is not so much as the least dawning of it upon the world And this was at first no small prejudice against any thoughts of forgiveness The world is made sin enters by the most glorious part of the Creation whose recovery by pardon might seem to be most desirable but not the least appearance of it is discovered Thus it was hid in God from the foundation of the world Eph. 3. 9. III. God gave unto Man a Law of Obedience immediately upon his Creation Yea for the main of it he implanted it in him by and in his Creation This Law it was supposed that man might transgress The very nature of a Law prescribed unto free Agents attended with Threatnings and Promises of Reward requires that supposition Now there was not annexed unto this Law or revealed with it the least intimation of pardon to be obtained if Transgression should ensue Gen. 2. 17. we have this Law In the day thou eatest thou shalt surely dye dying thou shalt dye or bring upon thy self assuredly the guilt of death temporal and eternal There God leaves the sinner under the power of that commination Of forgiveness or pardoning mercy there is not the least intimation To this very day that Law which was then the whole Rule of life and Acceptance with God knows no such thing Dying thou shalt dye O sinner is the precise and final voyce of it From these previous considerations added to what was formerly spoken some things preparatory to the ensuing discourse may be inferred as 1. That it is a great and rare thing to have forgiveness in God discovered unto a sinful soul. A thing it is that as hath been shewed Conscience and Law with the inbred Notions that are in the heart of man about Gods Holiness and Vindictive Justice do lye against A matter whereof we have no natural presumption whereof there is no common notion in the mind of man A thing which no consideration of the Works of God either of Creation or Providence will reveal and which the great Instance of Gods dealing with sinning Angels renders deep admirable and mysterious Men who have common and slight thoughts of God of themselves of Sin of Obedience of the Judgement to come of Eternity that feed upon the ashes of rumors reports hearsayes traditions without looking into the reality of things may and do take this to be an ordinary and acknowledged truth easie to be entertained which upon the matter no man disbelieves But convinced sinners who make a tryal of these things as running into Eternity have other thoughts of them And as to that which it is pretended every one believes we have great cause to cry out Lord who hath believed our report to whom hath this arm of the Lord been revealed 2. That the discovery of forgiveness in God being a matter of so great difficulty is a thing precious and excellent as being the foundation of all our Communion with God here and of all undeceiving Expectation of our enjoyment of him hereafter It is a pure Gospel truth that hath neither shaddow footstep nor intimation elsewhere the whole creation hath not the least obscure impression of it left thereon so that 3. It is undoubtedly greatly incumbent on us to enquire diligently as the Prophets did of old into this Salvation to consider what sure Evidences faith hath of it such as will not as cannot fail us To be slight and common in this matter to take it up at random is an Argument of an unsound rotten heart He that is not serious in his enquiry into the Revelation of this matter is serious in nothing wherein God or his soul is concerned The Holy Ghost knows what our frame of heart is and how slow we are to receive this blessed truth in a gracious saving manner Therefore doth he confirm it unto us with such weighty considerations as Heb. 6. 17 18. God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsell confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong consolation It is of forgiveness of sin that the Apostle treats as hath been made evident by the description of it before given Now to give evidence hereunto and to beget a belief of it in us he first engages a Property of Gods Nature in that business He with whom we deal is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Tit. 1. 2. The God that cannot lye that cannot deceive or be deceived It is impossible it should be so with him Now as this extends it self in general to all the Words and Works of God so there is peculiarly in this whereof he treats 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an especial immutability of his counsel Men may think that although there be words spoken about forgiveness yet it is possible it may be otherwise no saith the Apostle it is spoken by God and it is impossible he should lye Yea but upon the manifold provocations of sinners he may change his mind and thoughts therein no saith the Apostle there is a peculiar immutability in his counsel concerning the execution of this thing there can be no change in it But how doth this appear that indeed this is the counsel of his will Why saith he he hath declared it by his Word and that given in a way of promise which as in its own nature it is suited to raise an expectation in him or them to whom it is made or given so it requires exact faithfulness in the discharge and performance of it which God on his part will assuredly answer But neither is this all but that no place might be left for any cavilling Objection in this matter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he interposed himself by an oath Thus we have this Truth deduced from the veracity of Gods nature one of his Essential Excellencies established in the immutable purpose of his Will brought forth by a word of promise and confirmed by Gods interposing himself against all occasions of exception so to put an end unto all strife about it by an Oath swearing by himself that so it should be I have mentioned this only to shew what weight the Holy Ghost layes upon the delivery of this great Truth and thence how deeply it concerns us to enquire diligently into it and after the grounds and evidences which may be tendred of it which among others are these that follow Discovery of Forgiveness in the first Promise The Evidence of the Truth that lyes therein And by the Institution of Sacrifices Their Use and End Also by the prescription of Repentance unto sinners The first Discovery of forgiveness in God and which I place as the first Evidence of it
Invitation to Repentance and to disbelieve forgiveness is to call the Truth Holiness and Faithfulness of God into question If you will not believe forgiveness pretend what you please it is in truth because you hate Repentance You do but deceive your souls when you pretend you come not up to Repentance because you cannot believe forgiveness For in the very Institution of this duty God engageth all his Properties to make it good that he hath pardon and mercy for sinners 4. Much less cause is there to doubt of forgiveness where sincere Repentance is in any measure wrought No soul comes to Repentance but upon Gods call God calls none but whom he hath mercy for upon their coming And as for those who sin against the Holy Ghost as they shut themselves out from forgiveness so they are not called to Repentance 5. God expresly declares in the Scripture that the forgiveness that is with him is the foundation of his prescribing repentance unto man One instance may suffice Isa. 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a perverse wicked one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the man of iniquity his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy and to our God for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he will multiply to pardon You see to whom he speaks to men perversely wicked and such as make a trade of sinning What doth he call them unto plainly to Repentance to the duty we have insisted on But what is the ground of such an invitation unto such profligate sinners Why the abundant forgiveness and pardon that is with him super-abounding unto what the worst of them can stand in need of as Rom. 5. 20. And this is another way whereby God hath revealed that there is forgiveness with him and an infallible bottom for saith to build upon in its approaches unto God it is Nor can the certainty of this Evidence be called into question but on such grounds as are derogatory to the Glory and Honour of God And this connexion of Repentance and forgiveness is that principle from whence God convinces a stubborn unbelieving people that all his wayes and dealings with sinners are just and equal Ezek. 18. 25. And should there be any failure in it they could not be so Every soul then that is under a call to Repentance whether out of his natural condition or from any back-sliding into folly after Conversion hath a sufficient foundation to rest on as to the pardon he enquires after God is ready to deal with him on terms of mercy if out of love to sin or the power of unbelief he refuse to close with him on these terms his condemnation is just And it will be well that this consideration be well imprinted on the minds of men I say notwithstanding the general presumptions that men seem to have of this matter yet these principles of it ought to be inculcated For 1. Such is the Atheism that lyes lurking in the hearts of men by nature that notwithstanding their pretences and professions we have need to be pressing upon them Evidences of the very Being and Essential Properties of God In so doing we have the assistance of inbred notions in their own minds which they cannot eject to help carry on the work How much more is this necessary in reference unto the free Acts of the Will of God which are to be known only by meer Revelation Our Word had need be line upon line And yet when we have done have cause enough to cry out as was said Lord who hath believed our report and to whom hath this arm of the Lord been revealed 2. What was spoken before of the obstacles that lye in the way hindring souls from a saving reception of this Truth ought to be remembred Those who have no experience of them between God and their souls seem to be ignorant of the true nature of Conscience Law Gospel Grace Sin and Forgiveness 3. Many who are come to a saving perswasion of it yet having not received it upon clear and unquestionable grounds and so not knowing how to resolve their faith of it into its proper principles are not able to answer the Objections that lye against it in their own Consciences and so do miserably fluctuate about it all their dayes These had need to have these principles inculcated on them Were they pondred aright some might have cause to say with the Samaritans who first gave credit to the report of the woman John 4. They had but a report before but now they find all things to be according unto it yea to exceed it A little experience of a mans own unbelief with the Observation that may easily be made of the uncertain progresses and fluctuations of the spirits of others will be a sufficient conviction of the necessity of the work we are engaged in But it will yet be said that it is needless to multiply Arguments and Evidences in this case The Truth insisted on being granted as one of the fundamental principles of Religion As it is not then by any called in question so it doth not appear that so much time and pains is needful for the confirmation of it For what is granted and plain needs little confirmation But several things may be returned in Answer hereunto all which may at once be here pleaded for the multiplication of our Arguments in this matter That it is generally granted by all is no Argument that it is effectually believed by many Sundry things are taken for granted in point of opinion that are not so believed as to be improved in practice We have in part shewed before and shall afterwards undeniably evince that there are very few that believe this Truth with that faith that will interest them in it and give them the benefit of it And what will it avail any of us that there is forgiveness of sin with God if our own sins be not forgiven no more than that such or such a King is rich whilst we are poor and starving My aim is not to prove it as an opinion or a meer speculative Truth but so to evidence it in the principles of its Being and Revelation as that it may be believed whereon all our blessedness depends 2. It needs never the less confirmation because it is a plain fundamental Truth but rather the more and that because both of the Worth and Weight of it This is a faithful saying saith the Apostle worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners So say I of this which for the substance of it is the same with that It is worthy of all acceptation namely that there is forgiveness with God And therefore ought it to be fully confirmed Especially whilst we make use of no other demonstrations of it but those only which God hath furnished us withal to that purpose and this he would not have done but that he knew them
be encouraged by it to use it unto the end and purpose for which it is exercised towards us You that are yet in doubt of your condition consider that the patience of God was extended unto you this day this very day that you might use it for the obtaining of the remission of your sins Lose not this day not one day more as you love your souls For wosul will be their condition who shall perish for despising or abusing of the patience of God VI. The faith and experience of the Saints in this world give in testimony unto this truth and we know that their Record in this matter is true Let us then ask of them what they believe what they have found what they have Experience of as to the forgiveness of sin This God himself directs and leads us unto by appealing unto our own experience whence he shews us that we may take relief and supportment in our distresses Isa. 40. 28. Hast thou not heard hast not thou known Hast not thou thy self who now cryest out that thou art lost and undone because God hath forsaken thee sound and known by experience the contrary from his former dealings with thee And if our own Experiences may confirm us against the workings of our unbelief so may those of others also And this is that which Eliphas directs Job unto Chap. 6. 1. Call now if there be any that will answer thee and to which of the Saints wilt thou look It is not a supplication to them for help that is intended but an enquiry after the Experience in the case in hand wherein he wrongfully thought they could not justifie Job 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to which of the Saints on the right hand or left wilt thou have regard in this matter Some would foolishly hence seek to confirm the Invocation of the Saints departed when indeed if they were intended it is rather forbidden and discountenanced than directed unto But the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 16. 2. The Saints that are in the Earth whose experiences Job is directed to enquire into and after David makes it a great encouragement unto waiting upon God as a God hearing prayers that others had done so and found success Psal. 34. 6. This poor man cryed unto the Lord and the Lord heard him and saved him out of his troubles If he did so and had that blessed Issue why should not we do so also The experiences of one are often proposed for the confirmation and establishment of others so the same David Come saith he and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. He contents not himself to mind them of the Word Promises and Providence of God which he doth most frequently but he will give them the encouragement and supportment also of his own Experience So Paul tells us that he was comforted of God in all his tribulation that he might be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith he himself was comforted of God 2 Cor. 1. 4. That is that he might be able to communicate unto them his own experience of Gods dealing with him and the satisfaction and Assurance that he found therein So also he proposeth the example of Gods dealing with him in the pardon of his sins as a great motive unto others to believe 1 Tim. 1. 13 14 15 16. And this mutual communication of satisfying experiences in the things of God or of our spiritual sense and evidence of the Power Efficacy and Reality of Gospel Truths being rightly managed is of singular use to all sorts of Believers So the same Great Apostle acquaints us in his own Example Rom. 1. 11 12. I long to see you that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift to the end you may be established that is that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me He longed not only to be instructing of them in the pursuit of the work of the Ministry committed unto him but to confer also with them about their mutual faith and what Experiences of the peace of God in Believing they had attained We have in our case called in the Testimony of the Saints in Heaven with whom these on earth do make up one family even that one family in Heaven and Earth which is called after the name of the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Eph. 3. 14 15. And they all agree in their Testimonie as becomes the Family and Children of God But these below we may deal personally with whereas we gather the Witness of the other only from what is left upon record concerning them And for the clearing of this Evidence sundry things are to be observed As 1. Men living under the profession of Religion and not experiencing the power vertue and efficacy of it in their hearts are whatever they profess very near to Atheism or at least exposed to great temptations thereunto If they profess they know God but in works deny him they are abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate Tit. 1. 16. Let such men lay aside Tradition and Custome let them give up themselves to a free and a rational consideration of things and they will quickly find that all their profession is but a miserable self-deceiving and that indeed they believe not one word of the Religion which they profess For of what their Religion affirms to be in themselves they find not any thing true or real And what Reason have they then to believe that the things which it speaks of that are without them are one jot better If they have no Experience of what it affirms to be within them what confidence can they have of the Reality of what it reveals to be without them John tells us that he who saith he loves God whom he hath not seen and doth not love his Brother whom he hath seen is a lyar Men who do not things of an equal concernment unto them wherein they may be tryed are not to be believed in what they profess about greater things whereof no tryal can be had So he that believes not who experienceth not the power of that which the Religion he professeth affirms to be in him if he sayes that he doth believe other things which he can have no Experience of he is a lyar For instance he that professeth the Gospel avows that the death of Christ doth crucifie sin that faith purifieth the heart that the Holy Ghost quickens and enables the soul unto duty that God is good and gracious unto all that come unto him that there is precious Communion to be obtained with him by Christ that there is great Joy in believing These things are plainly openly frequently insisted on in the Gospel Hence the Apostle presseth men unto Obedience on the account of them and as it were leaves them at liberty from it if
glorious before the Creation of all or any thing whatever than he will be when he shall be encompassed about with the praises of all the works of his hands And such is his absolute perfection that no Honor given unto him no Admiration of him no Ascription of Glory and praise can add any thing unto him Hence saith the Psalmist My goodness extends not unto thee Psal. 16. 2. It doth not so reach thee as to add unto thee to profit thee as it may do the Saints that are on the Earth As he in Job Chap. 22. 23. Can a man be profitable unto God as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous or is it gain unto him that thou makest thy wayes perfect There is no doubt but that it is well pleasing unto God that we should be righteous and upright But we do him not a pleasure therein as though he stood in need of it or it were advantage or gain unto him And again Chap. 35. 7. If thou be Righteous what givest thou him or what receiveth he at thine hand And the Reason of all this the Apostle gives us Rom. 11. 36. Of him and through him and to him are all things Being the first Soveraign Cause and last absolute End of all things every way perfect and self-sufficient nothing can be added unto him Or as the same Apostle speaks God that made the world and all things therein seeing that he is Lord of Heaven and Earth is not worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing seeing he giveth unto all life and breath and all things Acts 17. 24 25. As he himself pleads at large Psal. 50. 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. 2. Wherefore All the Revenue of Glory that God will receive by his Worship depends meerly on his own voluntary Choice and Appointment All Worship I say depends now on the Soveraign Will and pleasure of God It is true there is a natural Worship due from rational creatures by the Law of their Creation This was indispensably and absolutely necessary at first The very Being of God and order of things required that it should be so Supposing that God had made such creatures as we are it could not be but that Moral Obedience was due unto him namely that he should be believed in trusted and obeyed as the First Cause Last End and Soveraign Lord of all But the entrance of sin laying the sinner absolutely under the Curse of God utterly put an end to this Order of things Man was now to have perished immediately and an end to be put unto the Law of this Obedience But here in the Soveraign Will of God an Interposition was made between sin and the sentence and man was respited from destruction All Worship following hereon even that which was before natural by the Law of creation is now resolved into an Arbitrary Act of Gods will And unto this end is all worship designed namely to give glory unto God For as God hath said that he will be sanctified in all that draw nigh unto him that is in his worship and that therein he will be glorified Lev. 10. 3. and that he that offereth him praise that is performeth any part of his Worship and Service Glorifieth him Psal. 50. 23. So the nature of the thing it self declareth that it can have no other end By this he hath all his glory even from the inanimate Creation 4. Consider That God hath not prescribed any Worship of himself unto the Angels that sinned They are indeed under his Power and he useth them as he pleaseth to serve the ends of his holy Providence Bounds he prescribes unto them by his Power and keeps them in dread of the full execution of his Wrath. But he requires not of them that they should believe in him They believe indeed and tremble They have a natural Apprehension of the Being Power Providence Holiness and Righteousness of God which is inseparable from their Natures and they have an expectation from thence of that punishment and vengeance which is due unto them which is inseparable from them as sinners And this is their faith But to believe in God that is to put their trust in him to resign up themselves unto him God requires it not of them The same is the case with them also as to Love and Fear and Delight all inward Affections which are the proper Worship of God These they have not nor doth God any longer require them in them They eternally cast them off in their first sin And where these are not where they are not required where they cannot be there no outward Worship can be prescribed or appointed For External instituted Worship is nothing but the way that God assigns and chooseth to express and exercise the inward Affections of our minds towards him He rules the fallen Angels per nutum Providentiae not per verbum praecepti Now as God dealt with the Angels so also would he have dealt with mankind had he left them all under the Curse without remedy or hope of relief As he doth with them he eternally satisfies himself in that Revenue of Glory which ariseth unto him in their punishment so also he would have done with these had there been no forgiveness with him for them He would not have required them to fear love or obey him or have appointed unto them any way of Worship whereby to express such affections towards him For to what end should he have done it What Righteousness would admit that Service Duty and Obedience should be prescribed unto them who could not ought not to have any Expectation or hope of Acceptance or Reward This is contrary to the very first notion which God requires in us of his Nature For he that cometh unto God must believe that he is and that he is a Rewarder of all them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. which would not be so should he appoint a voluntary Worship and not propose a Reward to the Worshippers Wherefore 3. It is evident that God by the prescription of a Worship unto sinners doth fully declare that there is forgiveness with him for them For 1. He manifests thereby that he is willing to receive a new Revenue of Glory from them This as we have proved is the end of Worship This he would never have done but with a design of Accepting and Rewarding to his creatures For do we think that he will be beholding unto them That he will take and admit of their voluntary reasonable service according to his Will and Command without giving them a Reward yea and such on one as their Obedience holds no proportion unto no such thing would become his infinite sell sufficiency Goodness and Bounty This the Wife of Manoah well pleads Judg. 13. 23. If saith she the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have received a meat offering and a burnt-ofsering at our hands His
Now this God doth 1. By express Affirmation that he hath so sworn by himself which was the form of the first solemn Oath of God Gen. 22. 16. By my self have I sworn saith the Lord. The meaning whereof is I have taken it upon my self as I am God or let me not be so if I perform not this thing And this is expressed by his soul Jer. 51. 14. The Lord of Hosts hath sworn by his soul that is by himself as we render the words Secondly God doth it by the especial Interposition of some such Property of his nature as is suited to give credit and confirmation to the Word spoken as of his Holiness Psal. 89. 35. I have sworn by my Holiness So also Amos 4. 2. Sometime by his life As I live saith the Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I live saith God it shall be so And sometimes by his Name Jer. 44. 26. God as it were engageth the Honour and Glory of the Properties of his Nature for the certain accomplishment of the things mentioned And this is evident from the manner of the Expression as in that place of Psal. 89. 35. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lye unto David so we in the Original the words are eliptical If I lye unto David that is Let me not be so nor be esteemed to be so if I lye unto David Secondly For the End of his Oath God doth not give it to make his Word or Promise sure and stedfast but to give Assurance and Security unto us of their accomplishment Every Word of God is sure and certain truth it self because it is his and he might justly require of us the belief of it without any further Attestation But yet knowing what great Objections Satan and our own unbelieving hearts will raise against his Promises at least as to our own concernment in them to confirm our minds and to take away all pretences of unbelief he interposeth his Oath in this matter What can remain of distrust in such a case If there be a matter in doubt between men and an Oath be interposed in the confirmation of that which is called in question it is an End as the Apostle tells us unto them of all strife Heb. 6. 16. How much more ought it to be so on the part of God when his Oath is engaged And the Apostle declares this End of his Oath it is to shew the immutability of his counsel Heb. 6. 17. His counsel was declared before in the Promise but now some doubt or strife may arise whether on one occasion or other God may not change his counsell or whether he hath not changed it with such conditions as to render it useless unto us In what case soever it be to remove all doubts and suspicions of this nature God adds his Oath manifesting the unquestionable immutability of his counsel and Promises What therefore is thus confirmed is ascertained unto the height of what any thing is capable of And nor to believe it is the height of Impiety Thirdly In this Interposition of God by an Oath there is unspeakable condescention of Grace which is both an exceeding great motive unto faith and a great Aggravation of Unbelief For what are we that the holy and blessed God should thus condescend unto us as for our satisfaction and surety to engage himself by an Oath One said well of old Foelices nos quorum causa Deus jurat O infoelices si nec juranti Deo credimus It is an inestimable advantage that God should for our sakes engage himself by his Oath So it will be our misery if we believe him not when he swears unto us What can we now object against what is thus confirmed What pretence colour or excuse can we have for our unbelief How just how righteous how holy must their destruction be who upon this strange wonderful and unexpected Warranty refuse to set their seal that God is true These things being premised we may consider how variously God hath engaged his Oath that there is forgiveness with him First He sweareth that he hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner but rather that he repent and live Ezek. 33. 11. As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of a sinner Now without forgiveness in him every sinner must dye and that without remedy Confirming therefore with his Oath that it is his will the sinner should return repent and live he doth in the first place swear by himself that there is forgiveness with him for these sinners that shall so repent and turn unto him Again Whereas the great means he hath appointed for the forgiveness of sins is by the Mediation of the Lord Christ as we shall afterwards shew he hath on several occasions confirmed his purpose in him and the counsel of his Will by his Oath By this Oath he promised him unto Abraham and David of old which proved the foundation of the Churches stability in all generations and also of their Security and Assurance of Acceptance with him see Luke 1. 73 74 75. And in his taking upon him that Office whereby in an especial manner the forgiveness of sins was to be procured namely of his being a Priest to offer Sacrifice to make an Attonement for sinners he confirmed it unto him and him in it by his Oath Heb. 7. 20. He was not made a Priest without an Oath And to what end Namely that he might be a surety of a better Testament v. 22. And what was that better Testament Why that which brought along with it the forgiveness of sin Chap. 8. 12 13. So that it was forgiveness which was so confirmed by the Oath of God Further the Apostle shews that the great Original Promise made unto Abraham being confirmed by the Oath of God all his other Promises were in like manner confirmed Whence he draws that blessed conclusion which we have Heb. 6 17 18. As to every one saith he that flyes for refuge to the hope that is set before him that is who seeks to escape the guilt of sin the curse and the sentence of the Law by an Application of himself unto God in Christ for pardon he hath the Oath of God to secure him that he shall not fail thereof And thus are all the concernments of the forgiveness of sin testified unto by the Oath of God which we have manifested to be the highest security in this matter that God can give or that we are capable of The Name of God confirming the Truth and Reality of Forgiveness with him As also the same is done by the Properties of his Nature X. Another foundation of this Truth and infallible Evidence of it may be taken from that especial Name and Title which God takes unto himself in this matter For he owns the name of the God of Pardons or the God of forgiveness So is he called Nehem. 9. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have rendred the
This will further improve and carry on the former consideration If God reveals any thing for one end and purpose and men use it quite unto another they do not receive the Word of God nor believe the thing revealed but steal the Word and delude their own souls Let us then weigh to what Ends and purposes this forgiveness was first revealed by God for which also its manifestation is still continued in the Gospel We have shewed before who it was to whom this Revelation was first made and what condition he was in when it was so made unto him A lost wretched Creature without hope or help he was how he should come to obtain Acceptance with God he knew not God reveals forgiveness unto him by Christ to be his all The intention of God in it was that a Sinners All should be of Grace Rom. 11. 6. If any thing be added unto it for the same End and purpose then Grace is no more Grace Again God intended it as a new foundation of Obedience of Love and Thankfulness That men should Love because Forgiven and be Holy because Pardoned as I have shewed before that it might be the Righteousness of a Sinner and a spring of new obedience in him all to the praise of Grace were Gods Ends in its Revelation Our Enquiry then is whether men do receive this Revelation as unto these Ends and use it for these purposes and these only I might evince the contrary by passing through the General abuses of the Doctrine of Grace which are mentioned in the Scripture and common in the world but it will not be needfull Instead of Believing the most of men seem to put a studyed despight on the Gospel They either proclaim it to be an unholy and polluted way by turning its Grace into Lasciviousness or a weak and insufficient way by striving to twist it in with their own Righteousness both which are an Abomination unto the Lord. From these and such other Considerations of the like importance as might be added it is evident that our Word is not in vain nor the Exhortation which is to be built upon it It appears that notwithstanding the great noyse and pretences to this purpose that are in the World they are but few who seriously receive this fundamental truth of the Gospel Namely that there is forgiveness with God Poor Creatures sport themselves with their own deceivings and perish by their own delusions Exhortation unto the Belief of the Forgiveness that is with God Reasons for it and the Necessity of it We shall now proceed unto the direct uses of this great Truth For having laid our foundation in the Word that will not fail and having given as we hope sufficient Evidence unto the truth of it our last work is to make that improvement of it unto the Good of the Souls of men which all along was aimed at The persons concerned in this Truth are all Sinners whatever No sort of sinners are unconcerned in it none are excluded from it And we may cast them all under Two heads First Such as never yet sincerely closed with the promise of Grace Nor have ever yet received forgiveness from God in a way of believing These we have already endeavoured to undeceive and to discover those false presumptions whereby they are apt to ruine and destroy their own souls These we would guide now into safe and pleasant paths wherein they may find assured Rest and Peace Secondly Others there are who have received it but being again entangled by sin or clouded by darkness and temptations or weakned by unbelief know not how to improve it to their Peace and Comfort This is the condition of the soul represented in this Psalm And which we shall therefore apply our selves unto in an especial manner in its proper place Our Exhortation then is unto both to the first that they would receive it that they may have life to the latter that they would improve it that they may have peace To the former that they would not overlook disregard or neglect so great salvation as is tendred unto them to the latter that they would stir up the Grace of God that is in them to mix with the Grace of God that is declared unto them I shall begin with the first sort those who are yet utter strangers from the Covenant of Grace who never yet upon saving grounds believed this forgiveness who never yet once tasted of Gospel Pardon Poor sinners this word is unto you Be it that you have heard or read the same word before or others like unto it to the same purpose It may be often it may be an hundred times It is your concernment to hear it again God would have it so The Testimony of Jesus Christ is thus to be accomplished This Counsel of God we must declare that we may be free from the blood of all men Acts 20. 26 27. And that not once or twice but in preaching the Word we must be instant in season out of season reproving rebuking exhorting with all long-suffering and doctrine 2 Tim. 4. 2. And for you wo unto you when God leaves thus speaking unto you when he refuseth to Exhort you any more wo unto you This is Gods departure from any person or people when he will deal with them no more about forgiveness and faith he Wo unto them when I depart from them Hos. 9. 12. O that God therefore would give unto such persons seeing Eyes and hearing Ears that the word of Grace may never more be spoken unto them in vain Now in our Exhortation to such persons we shall proceed gradually according as the matter will bear and the nature of it doth require Consider therefore 1. That notwithstanding all your sins all the evil that your own hearts know you to be guilty of and that hidden Mass or evil treasure of sin which is in you which you are not able to look into notwithstanding that charge that lyes upon you from your own Consciences and that dreadful sentence and curse of the Law which you are obnoxious unto notwithstanding all the just grounds that you have to apprehend that God is your Enemy and will be so unto eternity yet there are Terms of Peace and Reconciliation provided and proposed between him and your souls This in the first place is spoken out by the Word we have insisted on Whatever else it informs us of this it positively asserts namely that there is a way whereby sinners may come to be accepted with God For there is forgiveness with him that he may be feared And we hope that we have not confirmed it by so many Testimonies by so many Evidences in vain Now that you may see how great a priviledge this is and how much your concernment lyes in it Consider 1. That this belongs unto you in an especial manner it is your peculiar advantage It is not so with the Angels that sinned There were never any terms of Peace or
holy God whom ye have provoked all your dayes and whom you yet continue to provoke who hath not the least need of you or your salvation who can when he pleaseth eternally glorifie himself in your destruction should of his own accord send unto you to let you know that he is willing to be at peace with you on the terms he had prepared The Enmity began on your part the danger is on your part only and he might justly expect that the message for peace should begin on your part also But he begins with you and shall he be rejected The Prophet well expresseth this Isa. 30. 15. Thus saith the Lord God the holy One of Israel in returning and rest shall ye be saved in quietness and confidence shall be your strength and you would not The Love and Condescention that is in these words on the one hand on the part of God and the folly and ingratitude mentioned in them on the other hand is inexpressible They are fearfull words But you would not Remember this against another day As our Saviour sayes in the like manner to the Jewes You will not come unto me that ye may have life Whatever is pretended it is will and stubbornness that lye at the bottom of this refusal Wherefore that either You may obtain Advantage by it or that the way of the Lord may be prepared for the Glorifying of himself upon you I shall leave this word before all them that hear or read it as the Testimony which God requires to be given unto his Grace There are terms of peace with God provided for you and tendred unto you It is yet called to day harden not your hearts like them of old who could not enter into the Rest of God by reason of unbelief Heb. 3. 19. Some of you it may be are old in sins and unacquainted with God some of you it may be have been great sinners scandalous sinners and some of you it may be have reason to apprehend your selves neer the grave and so also to hell some of you it may be have your Consciences disquieted and galled and it may be some of you are under some outward Troubles and Perplexities that cause you a little to look about you and some of you it may be are in the madness of your natural strength and lusts your breasts are full of milk and your bones of marrow and your hearts of sin pride and contempt of the wayes of God All is one This word is unto you all And I shall only mind you That it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God You hear the voyce or read the words of a poor worm but the Message is the Message and the Word is the Word of him who shaketh Heaven and Earth Consider then well what you have to do and what answer you will return unto him who will not be mocked But you will say Why what great matter is there that you have in hand why is it urged with so much earnestness We have heard the same words an hundred times over The last Lords day such a one or such a one preached to the same purpose And what need it be insisted on now again with so much importunity But is it so indeed that you have thus frequently been dealt withall and do yet continue in an Estate of irreconciliation my heart is pained for you to think of your wofull and almost remediless condition If he that being often reproved and yet stiffeneth his neck shall perish suddenly and that without remedy Prov. 29. 1. how much more will he do so who being often invited unto Peace with God yet hardeneth his heart and refuseth to treat with him Methinks I hear his voyce concerning you Those mine enemies they shall not taste of the Supper that I have prepared Be it then that the word in hand is a common word unto you you set no value upon it then take your way and course in sin stumble fall and perish It is not so slight a matter to poor convinced sinners that tremble at the Word of God These will prize it and improve it We shall follow then that counsel Prov. 31. 6. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish and wine to those that be of an heavy heart We shall tender this New Wine of the Gospel to poor sad hearted conscience distressed sinners sinners that are ready to perish to them it will be pleasant they will drink of it and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more It shall take away all their sorrow and sadness when you shall be drunk with the fruit of your lusts and spue and lie down and not rise again But now if any of you shall begin to say in your hearts that you would willingly treat with God oh that the day were come wherein we might approach unto him let him speak what he pleaseth and propose what terms he pleaseth we are ready to hear Then consider Secondly That the Terms provided for you and proposed unto you are equal holy righteous yea pleasant and easie This being another General Head of our work in hand before I proceed to the further explication and confirmation of it I shall educe one or two Observations from what hath been delivered on the first As 1. See here on what foundation we preach the Gospel Many disputes there are whether Christ died for all individuals of Mankinde or no if we say No but only for the Elect who are some of all sorts some then tell us we cannot invite all men promiscuously to believe But why so we invite not men as all men no man as one of all men but all men as Sinners And we know that Christ died for Sinners But is this the first thing that we are in the dispensation of the Gospel to propose to the Soul of a sinner under the Law That Christ dyed for him in particular Is that the beginning of our Message unto him were not this a ready way to induce him to conclude Let me then continue in sin that Grace may abound No but this is in order of Nature our first work even that which we have had in hand This is the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the voyce of one crying in the Wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord. There is a way of Reconciliation provided God is in Christ reconciling the World to himself There is a way of acceptance there is Forgiveness with him to be obtained At this Threshold of the Lords house doth the greatest part of men to whom the Gospel is preached fall and perish never looking in to see the Treasures that are in the house it self never coming into any such state and condition wherein they have any ground or bottom to enquire whether Christ dyed for them in particular or no. They believe not this report nor take any serious notice of it This was the Ministry of the Baptist
into Eternity leads to the Glory of God the honour of Christ in the Gospel and your own comfortable account at the last day This encourageth the soul to labour to Trade to endeavour all things now looking forward and unto his advantage 4. Find you not in your selves an impotency a disability unto the dutyes of Obedience as to their performance unto God in an acceptable manner It may be you are not so sensible hereof as you ought to be For respecting only or principally the outward part and performance of dutyes you have not Experience of your own Weakness How to enliven and fill up Duties with Faith Love and Delight you know not and are therefore unacquainted with your own insufficiency in this matter yet if you have any Light any Convictions and to such I speak at present you cannot but perceive and understand that you are not able in your Obedience to answer what you aim at you have not strength or power for it Now it is this faith of Forgiveness alone that will furnish you with the Ability whereof you stand in need Pardon comes not to the Soul alone or rather Christ comes not to the Soul with pardon only It is that which he opens the door and enters by but he comes with a Spirit of life and Power And as without him we can do nothing so through his enabling us we may do all things Receiving of Gospel Forgiveness engageth all the grace of the Gospel unto our assistance This is the summe of what hath been spoken the obedience that you perform under your convictions is burdensome and unpleasant unto you it is altogether unacceptable to God You lose all you do and all that you hope to do hereafter if the foundation be not layd in the receiving of pardon in the blood of Christ. It is high time to cast down all that vain and Imaginary fabrick which you have been erecting and to go about the laying of a new Foundation which you may safely and chearfully build upon a building that will abide for ever Again It is such a way so excellent so pretious so neer the heart of God so relating to the blood of Christ that the neglect of it will assuredly be sorely revenged of the Lord. Let not men think that they shall despise the Wisdom and Love of the Father the blood of the Son and the Promises of the Gospel at an easie rate Let us in a very few words take a view of what the Holy Ghost speaks to this purpose There are Three wayes whereby the Vengeance due to the neglect of closing with forgiveness or Gospel Grace is expressed 1. That is done Positively He that believeth not shall be DAMNED Mark 16. 16. That 's a hard word many men cannot endure to hear of it They would not have it named by their good wills and are ready to fly in the face of him from whose mouth it proceeds But let not men deceive themselves this is the softest word that Mercy and Love it self that Christ that the Gospel speaks to despisers of forgiveness It is Christ who is this legal terrifying Preacher it is he that cryes out if you believe not you shall be Damned and will come himself in flaming fire to take vengeance of them that obey not the Gospel 2 Thess. 2. 8. This is the end of the disobedient if God if Christ if the Gospel may be believed 2. Comparatively in reference unto the Vengeance due to the breach of the Law 2 Cor. 2. 16. We are in the preaching of forgiveness by Christ unto them that perish a savour of death unto death a deep death a sore Condemnation so Heb. 10. 29. Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye he shall be thought worthy Sorer than ever was threatned by the Law or inflicted for the breach of it not as to the Kind of punishment but as to the degrees of it Hence ariseth the addition of many stripes 3. By the way of Admiration at the unexpressibleness and unavoidableness of the punishment due unto such sinners Heb. 2. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Surely there is no way for men to escape they shall unavoidably perish who neglect so great salvation So the Holy Ghost sayes 1 Pet. 4. 11. What shall be the end of them that obey not the Gospel What understanding can reach to an apprehension of their miserable and wofull condition None can saith the Holy Ghost nor can it be spoken to their capacity ah what shall their end be There remains nothing but a certain fearfull looking for of Judgement and fiery indignation that shall consume the Adversaries Heb. 10. 27. A certain fearfull expectation of astonishable things that cannot be comprehended And these are the Enforcements of the Exhortation in hand which I shall insist upon On these foundations on the consideration of these Principles let us now a little conferre together with the words of Truth and Sobriety I speak to such poor souls as having deceived themselves or neglected utterly their Eternal Condition are not as yet really and in Truth made partakers of this forgiveness Your present state is sad and deplorable There is nothing but the wofull uncertainty of a dying life between you and Eternal ruine That perswasion you have of forgiveness is Good for nothing but to harden you and destroy you It is not the Forgiveness that is with God Nor have you taken it up on Gospel grounds or Evidences You have stollen painted beads and take your selves to be lawfull possessors of Pearls and Jewels As you are then any way concerned in your own Eternal Condition which you are entring into and how soon you shall be ingaged in it you know not prevail with your selves to attend a little unto the Exhortation that lyes before you it is your own business that you are entreated to have regard unto 1. Consider seriously what it is you bottom your hopes and expectation upon as to Eternity Great men and in other things wise are here very apt to deceive themselves They suppose they think and believe much otherwise than indeed they think and believe as their cry at the last day will manifest Put your souls a little unto it Do you at all seriously think of these things Or are you so under the power of your Lusts Ignorance and Darkness that you neglect and despise them Or do you rise up and lye down and perform some duties or neglect them with a great Coldness Remisness and Indifferency of Spirit like Gallio not much caring for these things Or do you relieve your selves with hopes of future amendment purposing that if you live you will be other persons than you are when such and such things are brought about and accomplished Or do you not hope well in Generall upon the account of what you have done and will doe If any of these express your condition it is unspeakably miserable You lye down and rise up under the
in themselves from them they draw conclusions arguing from one thing unto another and in the end oft-times either deceive themselves or sit down no less in the dark than they were at the entrance of their self-debate and Examination A mans judgement upon his own reasonings is seldom true more seldom permanent I speak not of self-examination with a due discussion of Graces and Actions but of the final sentence as to state and condition wherein the soul is to acquiesce This belongs unto Christ. Now there are Two wayes whereby the Lord Jesus Christ gives forth his decretory sentence in this matter 1. By his Word He determines in the Word of the Gospel of the state and condition of all men indefinitely Each Individual coming to that Word receives his own sentence and doom He told the Jews that Moses accused them John 5. 45. His Law accused and condemned the transgressors of it And so doth the acquit every one that is discharged by the Word of the Gospel And our self-judging is but our receiving by faith his Sentence in the Word His process herein we have recorded Joh 33. 22 23. His soul that is of the sinner draweth neer to the grave and his life to the destroyers This seems to be his state it is so indeed he is at the very brink of the grave and hell What then why if there be with him or stand over him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Angel interpreting or the Angel of the Covenant who alone is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the one of a thousand what shall he doe He shall shew unto him his uprightness He shall give in unto him a right determination of his interest in God and of the state and frame of his heart towards God whereupon God shall speak peace unto his Soul and deliver him from his entanglements v. 24. Jesus Christ hath in the Word of the Gospel stated the condition of every man He tells us that sinners of what sort soever they are that believe are accepted with him and shall receive forgiveness from God that none shall be refused or cast off that come unto God by him The Soul of whom we are treating is now upon the work of coming unto God for forgiveness by Jesus Christ. Many and weighty Objections it hath in and against its self why it should not come why it shall not be accepted Our Lord Jesus the Wisdom of God foresaw all these Objections he foreknew what could be said in the case and yet he hath determined the matter as hath been declared In General mens arguings against themselves arise from Sin and the Law Christ knowes what is in them both He tryed them to the uttermost as to their penalties and yet he hath so determined as we have shewed Their particular Objections are from particular considerations of sin their Greatness their Number their Aggravations Christ knows all these also And yet stands to his firmer determination Upon the whole matter then it is meet his Word should stand I know when a Soul brings it self to be judged by the Word of the Gospel it doth not alwayes in a like manner receive and rest in the sentence given But when Christ is pleased to speak the word with power to men they shall hear the voyce of the Son of God and be concluded by it Let the Soul then that is rising out of depths and pressing towards a sence of forgiveness lay it self down before the Word of Christ in the Gospel Let him attend to what he speaks and if for a while it hath not power upon him to quiet his heart let him wait a season and light shall arise unto him out of darkness Christ will give in his sentence into his Conscience with that power and efficacy as he shall finde rest and peace in it 2. Christ also judgeth by his Spirit not only in making this sentence of the Gospel to be received effectually in the Soul but in and by peculiar Actings of his upon the heart and soul of a Believer 1. Cor. 2. 11. We have received the Spirit of God that we may know the things that are freely given us of God The Spirit of Christ acquaints the Soul that this and that Grace is from him that this or that duty was performed in his strength He brings to mind what at such and such times was wrought in men by himself to give them supportment and relief in the times of depths and darkness And when it hath been clearly discovered unto the Soul at any time by the Holy Ghost that any thing wrought in it or done by it hath been truely saving The Comfort of it will abide in the midst of many shakings and Temptations 2. He also by his Spirit bears witness with our Spirits as to our state and condition Of this I have spoken largely elsewhere and therefore shall now pass it by This then is our first General Rule and Direction Selfdeterminations concerning mens spiritual state and condition because their minds are usually influenced by their distempers are seldom right and according to Rule Mistakes in such determinations are exceedingly prejudicial to a Soul seeking out after relief and sence of Forgiveness let Christ then be the Judge in this Case by his Word and Spirit as hath been directed RULE II. Self-condemnation and abhorrency for sin consistent with Gospel Justification and Peace The nature of Gospel-Assurance what is consistent with it What are the Effects of it Self-Condemnation and Abhorrency do very well consist with Gospel-Justification and Peace Some men have no peace because they have that without which it is impossible they should have peace Because they cannot but condemn themselves they cannot entertain a sence that God doth acquit them But this is the mystery of the Gospel which unbelief is a stranger unto Nothing but faith can give a real subsistence unto these things in the same Soul at the same time It is easie to learn the notion of it but it is not easie to experience the power of it For a man to have a sight of that within him which would condemn him for which he is troubled and at the same time to have a discovery of that without him which will justifie him and to rejoyce therein is that which he is not lead unto but by Faith in the mystery of the Gospel We are now under a Law for Justification which excludes all boasting Rom. 3. 27. So that though we have joy enough in another yet we may have we alwayes have sufficient cause of humiliation in our selves The Gospel will teach a man to feel sin and believe Righteousness at the same time Faith will carry Heaven in one hand and Hell in the other shewing the one deserved the other purchased A man may see enough of his own sin and folly to bring Gehennam è Coelo a Hell of wrath out of Heaven and yet see Christ bring Coelum ex inferno a Heaven of blessedness out of an
because he hath more opposition more Temptation Isa. 41. 17. And sense of the want of all is a great sign of somewhat in the soul. 2. As to what was alledged to the nothingness the selfishness of Duty I say It is certain whilest we are in the flesh our duties will taste of the vessel whence they proceed Weakness defilements treachery hypocrisie will attend them To this purpose whatever some pretend to the contrary is the Complaint of the Church Isa. 64. 6. The Chaffe oftentimes is so mixed with the Wheat that Corn can scarce be discerned And this know that the more spiritual any man is the more be sees of his unspiritualness in his spiritual Duties An outside performance will satisfie an outside Christian. Job abhorred himself most when he knew himself best The clearer discoveries we have had of God the viler will every thing of self appear Nay further duties and performances are oftentimes very ill measured by us and those seem to be first which indeed are last and those to be last which indeed are first I do not doubt but a man when he hath had distractions to wrestle withall no outward advantage to further him no extraordinary provocations of hope fear or sorrow on a natural account in his duty may rise from his knees with thoughts that he hath done nothing in his duty but provoked God when there hath been more workings of Grace in contending with the deadness cast on the soul by the condition that it is in than when by a concurrence of moved natural affections and outward provocations a frame hath been raised that hath to the party himself seemed to reach to Heaven so that it may be this perplexity about duties is nothing but what is common to the people of God and which ought to be no obstruction to peace and settlement 2. As to the pretence of Hypocrisie you know what is usually answered it is one thing to do a thing in hypocrisie another not to do it without a mixture of hypocrisie Hypocrisie in its long extent is every thing that for matter or manner comes short of sincerity Now our sincerity is no more perfect than our other graces so that in its measure it abides with us and adheres to all we do In like manner it is one thing to do a thing for vain glory and to be seen of men another not to be able wholly to keep off the subtle insinuations of self and vain glory He that doth a thing in hypocrisie and for vain glory is satisfied with some corrupt end obtained though he be sensible that he sought such an end He that doth a thing with a mixture of hypocrisie that is with some breaches upon the degrees of his sincerity with some insensible advancements in performance on outward considerations is not satisfied with a self end attained and is dissatisfied with the defect of his sincerity In a word wouldst thou yet be sincere and dost endeavour so to be in private duties and in publick performances in praying hearing giving alms zealous actings for Gods glory and the Love of the Saints though these duties are not it may be sometimes done without sensible hypocrisie I mean as traced to its most subtle insinuations of self and vain glory yet are they not done in hypocrisie nor do not denominate the persons by whom they are performed hypocrites Yet I say of this as of all that is spoken before it is of use to relieve us under a troubled condition of none to support us or incourage us unto an abode in it 3. Know that God despiseth not small things he takes notice of the least breathings of our hearts after him when we our selves can see nor perceive no such thing He knows the mind of the spirit in those workings which are never formed to that height that we can reflect upon them with our observation Every thing that is of him is noted in his Book though not in ours He took notice that when Sarah was acting unbelief towards him yet that she shewed respect and regard to her Husband calling him Lord Gen. 18. 12. 1 Pet. 3. 6. And even whilst his people are sinning he can find something in their hearts words or waies that pleaseth him much more in their duties He is a skilfull refiner that can find much Gold in that Ore where we see nothing but Lead or Clay He remembers the duties which we forget and forgets the sins which we remember He justifies our persons though ungodly and will also our duties though not perfectly godly 4. To give a little further support in reference unto our wretched miserable duties and to them that are in perplexities on that account know that Jesus Christ takes out whatever is evil and unsavoury out of them and makes them acceptable When an unskilfull servant gathers many herbs flowers and weeds in a Garden you gather them out that are usefull and cast the rest out of sight Christ deals so with our performances All the ingredients of self that are in them on any account he takes away and adds Incense to what remains and presents it to God Exod. 28. 36. This is the cause that the Saints at the last day when they meet their own duties and performances they know them not they are so changed from what they were when they went of their hand Lord when saw we thee naked or hungry so that God accepts a little and Christ makes our little a great deal 5. Is this an Argument to keep thee from believing The Reason why thou art no more Holy is because thou hast no more faith If thou hast no holiness it is because thou hast no saith Holiness is the purifying of the heart by faith or our Obedience unto the Truth And the reason why thou art no more in duty is because thou art no more in believing the reason why thy duties are weak and imperfect is because thy faith is weak and imperfect Hast thou no holiness believe that thou maist have hast thou but a little or that which is imperceptible be stedfast in believing that thou maist abound in Obedience Do not resolve not to eat thy meat until thou art strong when thou hast no means of being strong but by eating thy bread which strengthens the heart of man Object 4. The powerfull tumulating of indwelling sin or corruption is another cause of the same kind of trouble and despondency They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the lusts thereof But we find say some several corruptions working effectually in our hearts carrying us captive to the Law of sin They disquiet with their power as well as with their guilt Had we been made partakers of the Law of the Spirit of Life we had ere this been more set free from the Law of sin and death Had sin been pardoned fully it would have been subdued more effectually There are three Considerations which make the actings of indwelling sin to be so perplexing to
the soul. 1. Because they are unexpected The soul looks not for them upon the first great conquest made of sin and universal engagement of the heart unto God When it first sayes I have sworn and amstedfastly purposed to keep thy righteous Judgements commonly there is peace at least for a season from the disturbing vigorous actings of sin There are many Reasons why so it should be Old things are then passed away all things are become new and the soul under the power of that universal change is utterly turned away from those things that should foment stir up provoke or cherish any lust or temptation Now when some of these Advantages are past and sin begins to stir and act again the soul is surprized and thinks the work that he hath passed through was not true and effectual but temporary only Yea he thinks perhaps that sin hath more strength than it had before because he is more sensible than he was before As one that hath a dead arm or limb whilst it is mortified endures deep cuts and launcings and feels them not when spirits and sense are brought into the place again he feels the least cut and may think the instruments sharper than they were before when all the difference is that he hath got a quickness of sense which before he had not It may be so with a person in this case he may think lust more powerfull than it was before because he is more sensible than he was before Yea sin in the heart is like a Snake or Serpent you may pull out the sting of it and cut it into many pieces though it can sting mortally no more nor move his whole body at once yet it will move in all its parts and make an appearance of a greater motion than formerly So it is with lust when it hath received its deaths wound and is cut in pieces yet it moves in so many parts as it were in the soul that it amazes him that hath to do with it and thus coming unexpectedly fills the spirit oftentimes with disconsolation 2. It hath also in its actings an Universality This also surprizeth there is an universality in the actings of sin even in Believers There is no evil that it will not move to there is no good that it will not attempt to hinder no duty that it will not defile And the reason of this is because we are sanctified but in part not in any part wholly though savingly and truly in every part There is sin remaining in every faculty in all the Affections and so may be acting in and towards any sin that the nature of man is liable unto Degrees of sin there are that all Regenerate persons are exempted from but unto solicitations to all kinds of sin they are exposed and this helps on the Temptation 3. It is endless and restless never quiet conquering nor conquered it gives not over but rebels being overcome or assaults afresh having prevailed Oft-times after a victory obtained and an opposition subdued the soul is in expectation of Rest and Peace from its enemies But this holds not It works and rebels again and again and will do so whilst we live in this world so that no issue will be put to our conflict but by death This is at large handled elsewhere in a Treatise lately published on this peculiar subject These and the like Considerations attending the actings of indwelling sin do oftentimes intangle the soul in making a Judgement of it self and leave it in the dark as to its state and condition A few things shall be offered unto this Objection also 1. The sensible powerfull actings of indwelling sin are not inconsistent with a state of Grace Gal. 5. 17. There are in the same person contrary principles the flesh and the spirit these are contrary And there are contrary actings from these principles The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these actings are described to be great vigorous in other places Lust wars against our souls Jam. 4. 1. 1 Pet. 2. 1 l. Now to war is not to make faint or gentle Opposition to be flighted and contemned but it is to go out with great strength to use craft subtlety and force so as to put the whole issue to a hazard So these lusts war such are their actings in and against the soul. And therefore saith the Apostle You cannot do the things that you would see Rom. 7. 14 15 16 17. In this conflict indeed the understanding is left unconquered it condemns and disapproves of the evil led unto and the will is not subdued it would not do the evil that is pressed upon it and there is an hatred or aversation remaining in the Affections unto sin but yet notwithstanding sin rebels fights tumultuates and leads captive This Objection then may receive this speedy Answer Powerfull actings and workings universal endless struglings of ind welling sin seducing to all that is evil putting it self forth to the disturbance and dissettlement of all that is good is no sufficient ground to conclude a state of Alienation from God see for this the other Treatise before mentioned at large 2. Your state is not at all to be measured by the opposition that sin makes to you but by the opposition you make to it be that never so great if this be good be that never so restless and powerfull if this be sincere you may be disquieted you can have no reason to despond I have mentioned these things only to give a specimen of the Objections which men usually raise up against an actual closing with the Truth insisted on to their consolation And we have also given in upon them some Rules of Truth for their relief not intending in them absolute satisfaction as to the whole of the cases mentioned but only to remove the darkness raised by them so out of the way as that it might not hinder any from mixing the Word with Faith that hath been dispensed from this blessed testimony that there is forgiveness with God that he may be feared Verse 5 6. PRoceed we now to the second part of this Psalm which contains the deportment of a sin-perplexed soul when by Faith it hath discovered where its Rest doth lye and from whom its relief is to be expected even from the forgiveness which is with God whereof we have spoken There are two things in general as was before mentioned that the soul in that condition applies it self unto whereof the first respects its self and the other the whole Israel of God That which respects its self is the description of that frame of heart and spirit that he was brought into upon faiths discovery of forgiveness in God with the duties that he applied himself unto the grounds of it and the manner of its performance v. 5 6. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his Word do I hope My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that
watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning Herein I say he describes both his frame of spirit and the Duty he applied himself to both as to matter and manner I shall as in the method hitherto observed first consider the reading of the Words then their sense and importance with the suitableness of the things mentioned in them to the condition of the soul under Consideration all which will yield us a foundation of the Observations that are to be drawn from them The Words rendred strictly or word for word lye thus I have earnestly expected Jehovah my Soul hath expected and in his Word have I tarryed or waited My Soul to the Lord more then or before the watchmen in the morning the watchmen in the morning or unto the morning I have waited or expected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to expect to hope to wait Verbum hoc est magno animi desiderio in aliquem intentum esse respicere ad eum ex eo pendere The word denotes to be intent on any one with great desire to behold or regard him and to depend upon him and it also expresseth the earnest inclination and intention of the Will and Mind Paul seems to have expressed this word to the full Rom. 8. 19. by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an intent or earnest expectation expressing it self by putting forth the head and looking round about with earnestness and diligence And this is also signified expresly by this word Psal. 69. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and I looked for some to take pitty huc illuc anxie circumspexi siqui fortè me commiseraturus esset I looked round about this way and that way diligently and solicitously to see if any would pitty me or lament with me Thus I have waited is as much as I have diligently with intention of soul mind will and affections looked unto God in earnest expectation of that from him that I stand in need of and which must come forth from the forgiveness that is with him 2. I have saith he waited for or expected Jehovah he uses the same Name of God in his Expectation that he first fixed on in his Application to him And it is not this or that means not this or that Assistance but it is Jehovah himself that he expects and waits for It is Jehovah himself that must satisfie the Soul his favour and loving kindness and what flows from them If he come not himself if he gives not himself nothing else will relieve 3. My soul doth wait or expect it is no outward duty that I am at no lip-labour no bodily work no formal cold careless performance of a duty no my soul doth wait it is soul work heart work I am at I wait I wait with my whole soul. 4. In his word do I hope or wait There is not anything of difficulty in these words the word used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sunt qui quod affiue sit verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 velint anxietatem nisum includere ut significet anxie seu enixe expectare sustinere sperare It signifies to hope expect endure and sustain with care solicitousness and indeavours Hence the 70 have rendred the word by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Vul. Lat. Sustinui I have sustained and waited with patience And this on the Word or he sustained his soul with the Word of promise that it should not utterly faint Seeing he had made a discovery of Grace and forgiveness though yet at a great distance he had a sight of Land though he was yet in a storm at Sea and therefore incourageth himself or his soul that it do not despond But yet all this that we have spoken reaches not the intensness of the soul of the Psalmist in this his Expectation of Jehovah The earnest engagement of his soul in this duty riseth up above what he can express Therefore he proceeds ver 6. My Soul saith he for the Lord that is expects him looks for him waits for his coming to me in Love and with forgiveness more than the watchers for the morning the watchers for the morning These latter words are variously rendred and variously expounded The LXX and vulgar Latin render them from the Morning watch untill night Others from those that keep the Morning watch unto those that keep the Evening watch More than the watchers in the morning more than the Watchers in the Morning The Words also are variously expounded Austin would have it to signifie the placing of our hopes on the Morning of Christs Resurrection and continuing in them untill the night of our own death Hierome who renders the Words from the morning watch to the morning watch expounds them of continuing our hopes and expectations from the morning that we are called into the Lords Vineyard to the morning when we shall receive our reward as much to the sense of the place as the former and so Chrysostome interprets it of our whole life It cannot be denyed but that they were lead into these mistakes by the Translation of the 70. and that of the Vulgar Latine who both of them have divided these Words quite contrary to their proper dependance and read them thus My soul expected the Lord. From the Morning watch to the Night watch Let Israel trust in the Lord so making the words to belong to the following Exhortation unto others which are plainly a part of the expression of his own duty The words then are a Comparison and an Allusion unto Watchmen and may be taken in one of these two senses 1. In things Civil As those who keep the Watch of the Night do look and long for and expect the morning when being dismissed from their Guard they may take that Sleep that they need and desire which expresses a very earnest expectation inquiry and desire Or 2. In things Sacred With the Chaldee Paraphrast which renders the words more than they that look for the morning watch which they carefully observe that they may offer the Morning Sacrifice In this sense as faith he the Warders and Watchers in the Temple do look diligently after the Appearance of the Morning that they may with Joy offer the Morning Sacrifice in the appointed season So and with more diligence doth my Soul wait for Jehovah You see the reading of the words and how far the sense of them opens it self unto us by that consideration Let us then nextly see briefly the several parts of them as they stand in Relation one to another We have then 1. The Expression of the Duty wherein he was exercised and that is earnest waiting for Jehovah 2. The bottome and foundation of that his waiting and expectation that is the Word of God the word of promise he diligently boped in the Word 3. The Frame of his Spirit in and the manner of his performance of this Duty Expressed 1. In
the words themselves that he uses according as we opened them before 2. In the Emphatical reduplication yea triplication of his expression of it I wait for God my soul waiteth for God my soul for the Lord. 3. In the Comparison instituted between his discharge of his duty and others performances of a corporal watch with the greatest care and diligence more than they that watch for the morning So that we have 1. The duty he performed earnest Waiting and Expectation 2. The Object of his waiting Jehovah himself 3. His Supportment in that duty the Word of promise 4. The Manner of his performance of it 1. With Earnestness and diligence 2. With Perseverance Let us then now Consider the Words as they contain the frame and working of a sin entangled soul. Having been raised out of his depths by the discovery of forgiveness in God as was before declared yet not being immediately made partaker of that forgiveness as to a comforting sense of it he gathers up his soul from wandring from God and supports it from sinking under his present condition It is saith he Jehovah alone with whom is forgiveness that can relieve and do me good his favour his loving kindness his communication of mercy and Grace from thence is that which I stand in need of on him therefore do I with all heedfulness attend on him do I wait my soul is filled with expectation from him surely he will come to me he will come and refresh me though he seem as yet to be afar of and to leave me in these depths yet I have his word of promise to support and stay my soul on which I will lean untill I obtain the enjoyment of him and his kindness which is better than life And this is the frame of a sin entangled Soul who hath really by faith discovered forgiveness in God but is not yet made partaker of a comforting refreshing sense of it And we may represent it in the ensuing Observations Obs. 1. The first proper fruit of faiths discovery of forgiveness in God unto a sin distressed soul is waiting in patience and Expectation Obs. 2. The proper Object of a sin distressed souls waiting and expecting is God himself as reconciled in Christ I have waited for Jehovah Obs. 3. The Word of promise is the souls great supportment in waiting for God in thy Word do I hope Obs. 4. Sin distressed Souls wait for God with earnest intention of mind diligence and expectation from the redoubling of the Expression Obs. 5. Continuance in waiting untill God appears to the soul is necessary and prevailing Necessary as that without which we cannot attain assistance and prevailing as that wherein we shall never fail Obs. 6. Establishment in waiting where there is no present sense of forgiveness yet gives the soul much secret Rest and Comfort This Observation ariseth from the influence that these Verses have unto those that follow The Psalmist having attained thus far can now look about him and begin to deal with others and exhort them to an Expectation of Grace and mercy And thus though the soul be not absolutely in the haven of Consolation where it would be yet it hath cast out an Anchor that gives it Establishment and Security Though it be yet tossed yet it is secured from Shipwrack and is rather sick than in danger A waiting Condition is a condition of Safety Hence it is that he now turns himself to others and upon the Experience of the discovery that he had made of forgiveness in God and the Establishment and consolation he found in waiting on him he calls upon and incourageth others to the same duty v. 7 8. The Propositions laid down I shall briefly pass through still with respect unto the State and Condition of the Soul represented in the Psalm Many things that might justly be insisted on in the improvement of these Truths have been anticipated in our former General Rules To them we must therefore sometimes have recourse because they must not be again repeated On this account I say we shall pass through them with all briefness possible yet so as not wholly to omit any directions that are here tendred unto us as to the guidance of the soul whose condition and the working of whose faith is here described This therefore in the first place is proposed The first proper fruit of faiths discovery of forgiveness in God unto a sin-distressed soul is waiting in patience and expectation This the Psalmist openly and directly applies himself unto and expresseth to have been as his duty so his practice And he doth it so emphatically as was manifested in the opening of the words that I know not that any duty is any where in the Scripture so recommended and lively represented unto us You must therefore for the right understanding of it call to mind what hath been spoken concerning the state of the soul inquired into its depths intanglements and sense of sin with its Application unto God about those things As also remember what hath been delivered about the nature of forgiveness with the Revelation that is made of it unto the faith of Believers And that this may be done where the soul hath no refreshing sense of its own interest therein It knows not that its own sins are forgiven although it believes that there is forgiveness with God Now the principal duty that is incumbent on such a soul is that laid down in the proposition namely patient waiting and expectation Two things must be done in reference hereunto First The nature of the duty it self is to be declared And secondly The necessity and usefulness of its practice is to be evinced and demonstrated For the Nature of it something hath been intimated giving light into it in the opening of the words here used by the Psalmist to express it by But we may observe that these duties as required of us do not consist in any particular acting of the soul but in the whole spiritual frame and deportment of it in reference unto the End aimed at in and by them And this waiting as here and elsewhere commended unto us and which is comprehensive of the especial duties of the soul in the case insisted on and described comprehends these three things 1. Quietness in Opposition to haste and tumultuating of spirit 2. Diligence in Opposition to spiritual sloth despondency and neglect of means 3. Expectation in Opposition to despair distrust and other proper immediate actings of unbelief 1. Quietness Hence this waiting it self is sometimes expressed by silence To wait is to be silent Lam. 3. 6. It is good both to hope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to be silent for the salvation of the Lord that is to wait quietly as we have rendred the word And the same word we render sometimes to rest as Psal. 37. 7. Rest on the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be silent unto him where it is joyned with hoping or waiting as that which belongs unto
way of God we shall not be overtaken with it Consider the Lord Christ saith the Apostle the Captain of your salvation lest you be wearied and faint in your minds Heb. 12. 3. Nothing else can cause you to come short of the mark aimed at And they saith the Prophet who wait on the Lord that is in the use of the means by him appointed shall not faint Isa. 40. 11. This continuance then in waiting is to accompany this duty upon the account of both the things mentioned in the Proposition that it is indispensibly necessary on our own account and it is assuredly prevailing in the end it will not fail 1. It is necessary They that watch for the morning to whose frame and actings the waiting of the soul for God is compared give not over until the Light doth appear or if they do if they are wearied and faint and so cease watching all their former pains will be lost and they will lye down in disappointments So will it be with the soul that deserts its watch and faints in its waiting If upon the eruption of new lusts or corruptions if upon the return of old temptations or the Assaults of new ones if upon a revived perplexing sense of guilt or on the tediousness of working and labouring so much and so long in the dark the soul begins to say in it self I have looked for light and behold darkness for peace and yet trouble cometh the Summer is past the Harvest is ended and I am not relieved such and such blessed means have been enjoyed and yet I have not attained rest and so gives over its waiting in the way and course before prescribed it will at length utterly fail and come short of the Grace aimed at Thou hast laboured and hast not fainted brings in the reward Rev. 2. 3. 2. Perseverance in waiting is assuredly prevalent and this renders it a necessary part of the duty it self If we continue to wait for the vision of peace it will come it will not tarry but answer our expectation of it Never soul miscarried that abode in this duty unto the end The Joyes of Heaven may sometimes prevent consolations in this life God sometimes gives in the full Harvest without sending of the first fruits aforehand But Spiritual or Eternal peace and Rest is the infallible End of permanent waiting for God This is the Duty that the Psalmist declares himself to be ingaged in upon the incouraging discovery which was made unto him of forgiveness in God There is forgiveness with thee that thou maist be feared I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope And this is that which in the like condition is required of us This is the great direction which was given us in the Example and practice of the Psalmist as to our Duty and deportment in the condition described This was the Way whereby he rose out of his depths and escaped out of his entanglements Is this then the state of any of us let such take directions from hence 1. Encourage your souls unto waiting on God Do new fears arise do old disconsolations continue say unto your souls yet wait on God why are you cast down O our souls and why are you disquieted within us hope in God for we shall yet praise him who is the health of our countenance and our God as the Psalmist doth in the like case Psal. 43. 5. so he speaks elsewhere wait on God and be of good courage shake of sloth rouse up your selves from under despondencies let not fears prevail This is the only way for success and it will assuredly be prevalent Oppose this Resolution to every discouragement and it will give new life to faith and hope say my flesh faileth and my heart faileth but God is the rock of my heart and my portion for ever as Psal. 73. 26. Though thy perplexed thoughts have even wearied and worn out the outward man as in many they do so that flesh faileth and though thou hast no refreshing evidence from within from thy self or thy own Experience so that thy heart faileth yet resolve to look unto God there is strength in him and satisfaction in him for the whole man he is a Rock and a portion this will strengthen things which otherwise will be ready to dye This will keep life in thy course and stir thee up to plead it with God in an acceptable season when he will be found Job carryed up his condition unto a supposition that God might slay him that is add one stroke one rebuke unto another untill he was consumed and so take him out of the world in darkness and in sorrow Yet he resolved to trust to hope to wait on him as knowing that he should not utterly miscarry so doing this frame the Church expresseth so admirably that nothing can be added thereunto Lament 3. 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26. Thou hast removed my soul far off from peace I forgat prosperity and my hope is perished from the Lord remembring mine Affliction and my misery my Wormwood and my Gall My soul hath them still in remembrance and is humbled in me This I recall to my mind therefore have I hope It is of the Lords mercy that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not They are new every Morning great is thy faithfulness The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him The Lord is good unto them that wait for him to the soul that seeketh him It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of God We have here both the Condition and the Duty insisted on with the method of the souls actings in reference unto the one and the other fully expressed The Condition is sad and bitter the soul is in depths far from peace and rest v. 14. in this state it is ready utterly to faint and to give all for lost and gone both strength for the present and hopes for the future v. 18. This makes its condition full of sorrow and bitterness and its own thoughts become unto it like Wormwood and Gall v. 19 20. But doth he lye down under the burden of all this trouble doth he despond and give over no saith he I call to mind that there is forgiveness with God Grace Mercy Goodness for the relief of distressed souls such as are in my condition v. 21 22 23. Thence the conclusion is that as all help is to be looked for all relief expected from him alone so it is good that a man should quietly wait and hope for the salvation of God This he stirs up himself unto as the best as the most blessed course for his deliverance 2. Remember that diligent use of the means for the end aimed at is a necessary concomitant of and ingredient unto waiting on God Take in the consideration of this direction also Do not think to be freed from your entanglements by
that awe of his Greatness upon our hearts as that we shall learn to tremble before him and to be willing to wait for him in all things 3. Thoughts of the Holiness of God or infinite self-purity of this Eternal Immense Being are singularly usefull to the same purpose This is that which Eliphaz affirms that he received by vision to reply to the complaint and impatience of Job chap. 14. 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19. After he hath declared his vision with the manner of it this he affirms to be the Revelation that by voice was made unto him Shall mortal man be more just than God shall a man be more pure than his Maker Behold be puts no trust in his Servants and his Angels he chargeth with folly How much less on them that dwell in houses of Clay whose foundation is in the dust who are crushed before the moth If the Saints and Angels in Heaven do not answer this infinite Holiness of God in their most perfect condition is it meet for Worms of the Earth to suppose that any thing which proceeds from him is not absolutely Holy and perfect and so best for them This is the fiery property of the nature of God whence he is called a Consuming fire and Everlasting burnings And the Law whereon he had impressed some representation of it is called a fiery Law as that which will consume and burn up whatever is perverse and evil Hence the Prophet who had a representation of the Glory of God in a vision and heard the Seraphims proclaiming his Holiness cryed out Woe is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips Isa. 6. 5. He thought it impossible that he should bear that near approach of the Holiness of God And with the remembrance hereof doth Joshuah still the people with the terrour of the Lord chap. 14. 19. Let such souls then as are under troubles and perplexities on any account endeavour to exercise their thoughts about this infinite Purity and fiery Holiness of God They will quickly find it their wisdom to become as weaned children before him and content themselves with what he shall guide unto them which is to wait for him This fiery Holiness streams from his Throne Dan. 7. 10. and would quickly consume the whole Creation as now under the curse and sin were it not for the interposing of Jesus Christ. 4. His Glorious Majesty as the Ruler of all the world Majesty relates unto Government and it calls us to such an awe of him as doth render our waiting for him comely and necessary Gods Throne is said to be in Heaven and there principally do the glorious beams of his terrible Majesty shine forth But he hath also made some Representation of it on the Earth that we might learn to fear before him Such was the appearance that he gave of his glory in the giving of the Law whereby he will judge the world and condemn the transgressors of it who obtain not an acquitment in the blood of Jesus Christ. See the description of it in Exod. 19. 16 18. So terrible was the sight hereof that Moses himself said I exceedingly fear and quake Heb. 12. 21. And what effect it had upon all the people is declared Exod. 20. 18 19. They were not able to bear it although they had good assurance that it was for their benefit and advantage that he so drew nigh and manifested his Glory unto them Are we not satisfied with our condition cannot we wait under his present dispensations let us think how we may approach unto his presence or stand before his Glorious Majesty Will not the dread of his Excellency fall upon us will not his terrour make us afraid shall we not think his way best and his time best and that our duty is to be silent before him And the like manifestation hath he made of his Glory as the great Judge of all upon the Throne unto sundry of the Prophets as unto Isaiah chap. 6. 1 2 3 4. to Ezekiel chap. 1. to Daniel chap. 7. 9 10. to John Rev. 1. Read the places attentively and learn to tremble before him These are not things that are forraign unto us This God is our God The same Throne of his Greatness and Majesty is still established in the Heaven Let us then in all our Hastes and heats that our spirits in any condition are prone unto present our selves before this Throne of God and then consider what will be best for us to say or do what frame of heart and spirit will become us and he safest for us All this Glory doth encompass us every moment although we perceive it not And it will be but a few daies before all the vails and shades that are about us shall be taken away and depart And then shall all this glory appear unto us unto endless bliss or everlasting woe Let us therefore know that nothing in our dealings with him doth better become us than silently for to wait for him and what he will speak unto us in our depths and streights 5. It is good to consider the instances that God hath given of this his Infinite Greatness Power Majesty and Glory Such was his mighty work of creating all things out of nothing We dwell on little Mole-hills in the Earth and yet we know the least part of the excellency of that spot of ground which is given us for our habitation here below But what is it unto the whole habitable world and the fulness thereof And what an amazing thing is its Greatness with the wide and large Sea with all sorts of creatures therein The least of these hath a beauty a glory an excellency that the utmost of our enquiries end in admiration of And all this is but the Earth the lower depressed part of the world What shall we say concerning the Heavens over us and all these creatures of Light that have their habitations in them who can conceive the beauty order use and course of them The consideration hereof caused the Psalmist to cry out Lord our Lord how excellent and glorious art thou Psal. 8. 1. And what is the rise spring and cause of these things Are they not all the effect of the Word of the Power of this glorious God And doth he not in them and by them speak us into a Reverence of his Greatness the like also may be said concerning his mighty and strange works of Providence in the Rule of the World Is not this he who brought the Flood of old upon the world of ungodly men Is it not he who consumed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire from Heaven setting them forth as Examples unto them that should afterwards live ungodly suffering the vengeance of eternal fire Is it not he who destroyed Aegypt with his Plagues and drowned Pharaoh with his Host in the red Sea Is it not he one of whose servants flew an hundred and fourscore and five thousand in Senacheribs Army in one night
and the Son of man is but a worm Job 25. 6. And therefore sayes Job himself I have said to corruption thou art my father and to the worm thou art my mother and my sister chap. 17. 14. His Affinity his Relation unto them is the nearest imaginable and he is no otherwise to be accounted of and there is nothing that God abhors more than an Elation of mind in the forgetfulness of our mean frail condition Thou sayest said he to the proud Prince of Tyrus that thou art a God but saith he wilt thou say thou art a God in the hands of him that slayes thee Ezek. 28. 9. That severe conviction did God provide for his pride Thou shalt be a man and no God in the hand of him that slayes thee And when Herod prided himself in the acclamations of the vain multitude the voice of God and not of a man The Angel of the Lord filled that God immediately with worms which slew him and devoured him Acts 12. 23. There is indeed nothing more effectual to abase the pride of the thoughts of men than a due remembrance that they are so Hence the Psalmist prayes Psal. 9. 20. Put them in fear O Lord that the Nations may know themselves to be but men so and no more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poor miserable frail mortal man as the word signifies what is man what is his life what is his strength said one the dream of a shadow a meer nothing or as David much better Every man living in his best condition is altogether vanity Psal. 39. 5. and James our life which is our best our all is but a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away chap. 4. 14. But enough hath been spoken by many on this subject And we that have seen so many thousands each week in one City carryed away to the grave have been taught the truth of our frailty even as with Thorns and Briers But I know not how it comes to pass there is not any thing we are more apt to forget than what we our selves are And this puts men on innumerable miscarriages towards God and one another Thou therefore that art exercised under the hand of God in any severe dispensation and art ready on all occasions to fill thy mouth with complaints sit down a little and take a right measure of thy self and see whether this frame and posture becomes thee It is the great God against whom thou repinest and thou art a man and that is a name of a worm a poor frail dying worm and it may be whilst thou art speaking thou art no more And wilt thou think it meet for such a one as thou art to magnifie thy self against the great possessor of Heaven and Earth Poor clay poor dust and ashes poor dying worm know thy state and condition and fall down quietly under the mighty hand of God Though thou wranglest with men about thy concernments let God alone The poâ—sheards may contend with the potsheards of the earth but wo unto him that striveth with his Maker 2. Consider that in this frail condition we have all greatly sinned against God So did Job chap. 7. 20. I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men If this consideration will not satisfie thy mind yet it will assuredly stop the mouths of all the Sons of men Though all the Curses of the Law should be executed upon us yet every mouth must be stopped because all the world is become guilty before God Rom. 3. 19. And why should a living man complain saith the Prophet Lament 3. 39. Why it may be it is because that his trouble is great and inexpressible and such as seldom or never befell any before him but what then saith he shall a man complain against the punishment of his sins If this living man be a sinful man as there is none that liveth and sinneth not whatever his state and condition be he hath no ground of murmuring or complaint For a sinful man to complain especially whilest he is yet a living man is most unreasonable For 1. Whatever hath befallen us It is just on the account that we are sinners before God and to repine against the judgements of God that are rendred evidently righteous upon the account of sin is to anticipate the Condition of the damned in hell a great part of whose misery it is that they alwayes repine against that sentence and punishment which they know to be most righteous and holy If this were now a place if that were now my design to treat of the sins of all professors how easie were it to stop the mouths of all men about their troubles But that is not my present business I speak unto particular persons and that not with an especial design to convince them of their sins but to humble their souls Another season may be taken to press that Consideration directly and prosessedly also At present let us only when our souls are ready to be entangled with the thoughts of any severe dispensation of God and our own particular pressures troubles miseries occasioned thereby turn into our selves and take a view every one of his own personal provocations And when we have done so see what we have to say to God what we have to Complain of let the man hold his tongue and let the sinner speak Is not God holy righteous wise in what he hath done and if he be why do we not subscribe unto his wayes and submit quietly unto his Will 2. But this is not all We are not only such sinners as to render these dispensations of God evidently holy these Judgements of his righteous but also to manifest that they are accompanied with unspeakable patience mercy and Grace To instance in one particular Is it the burning of our houses the spoiling of our Goods the ruine of our estates alone that our sins have deserved if God had made the temporary fire on earth to have been unto us a way of entrance into the Eternal fire of hell we had not had whereof righteously to complain May we not then see a mixture of unspeakable patience grace and mercy in every dispensation and shall we then repine against it Is it not better advice go and sin no more lest a worse thing befall thee for a sinner out of hell not to rest in the will of God not to humble himself under his mighty hand is to make himself guilty of the especial sin of hell Other sins deserve it but repining against God is principally yea only committed in it The Church comes to a blessed quieting resolution in this case Micah 7. 9. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him bear it quietly patiently and submit under his hand therein 3. Consider that of our selves we are not able to make a right judgement of what is good for us what evil unto us or what tends most directly unto our chiefest
promise and learn to measure things not according to the present state and apprehensions of their mind but according unto what God hath declared concerning them And there are sundry Excellencies in the promises when hoped in or trusted in that tend unto the establishment of the soul in this great duty of waiting As 1. That Grace in them that is the Good Will of God in Christ for help relief satisfaction pardon and salvation is suited unto all particular conditions and wants of the soul. As Light ariseth from the Sun and is diffused in the beams thereof to the especial use of all creatures enabled by a visive faculty to make use of it so cometh Grace forth from the Eternal Good Will of God in Christ and is diffused by the promises with a blessed contemporation unto the conditions and wants of all Believers There can nothing fall out between God and any soul but there is grace suited unto it in one promise or another as clearly and evidently as if it were given unto him particularly and immediately And this they find by experience who at any time are enabled to mix effectually a promise with faith 2. The Word of promise hath a wonderfull mysterious especial impression of God upon it He doth by it secretly and ineffably communicate himself unto Believers When God appeared in a dream unto Jacob he awaked and said God is in this place and I knew it not He knew God was every where but an intimation of his especial presence surprized him So is a soul surprized when God opens himself and his Grace in a promise unto him It cryes out God is here and I knew it not Such a near approach of God in his Grace it finds as is accompanied with a refreshing surprizal 3. There is an especial Engagement of the Veracity and Truth of God in every promise Grace and Truth are the two ingredients of an Evangelical promise the matter and form whereof they do consist I cannot now stay to shew where in this especial engagement of Truth in the promise doth consist Besides it is a thing known and confessed But it hath an especial influence to support the soul when hoped in in its duty of waiting For that hope can never make ashamed or leave the soul unto disappointments which stayes its self on Divine Veracity under a special engagement And this is that duty which the Psalmist engageth himself in and unto the performance of as the only way to obtain a comfortable interest in that forgiveness which is with God and all the gracious effects thereof And in the handling hereof as we have declared its nature and necessity so we have the Psalmists directions for its practice unto persons in the like condition with him for the attaining of the end by him aimed at so that it needs no further Application That which remains of the Psalm is the Address which he makes unto others with the encouragement which he gives them to steer the same course with himself and this he doth in the two last verses which to compleat the Exposition of the whole Psalm I shall briefly explain and pass through as having already dispatched what I principally aimed at Verse 7. Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous Redemption 8. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities I shall proceed in the opening of these words according unto the method already insisted on First the meaning of the principal words shall be declared then the sense and importance of the whole Thirdly the Relation that they have unto the condition of the soul expressed in the Psalm must be manifested from all which Observations will arise for our Instruction and Directions in the like cases wherein we are or may be concerned Let Israel hope in the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hope Israel in Jehovah Trust or expect the same word with that vers 5. In his word do I hope properly to expect to look for which includes hope and adds some further degree of the souls acting towards God it is an earnest looking after the thing hoped for expecta ad Dominum hope in him and look up to him For with the Lord quia or quoniam because seeing that with the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mercy the verb substantive as usual is omitted which we supply there is Mercy Grace Bounty Goodness Good-will This word is often joyned with another discovering its importance and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Goodness or Mercy and Truth These are as it were constituent parts of Gods Promises It is of Goodness Grace Bounty to promise any undue mercy And it is of Truth or Faithfulness to make good what is so promised The LXX commonly render this word by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is pardoning mercy as it is every where used in the New Testament And with him is plenteous Redemption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with him as before speaking unto God v. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with thee there is the meaning of which expression hath been opened at large Redemption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to redeem the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Redemption This word is often used for a proper Redemption such as is made by the intervention of a price and not a meer Assertion unto liberty by power which is sometimes also called Redemption Thus it is said of the money that the first born of the children of Israel which were above the number of the Levites were redeemed with that Moses took 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Redemption that is the Redemption money the price of their Redemption Numb 3. 49. And Psal. 49. 8. The Redemption of mens souls is precious it cost a great price The Redemption then that is with God relates unto a Price Goodness or mercy with respect unto a price becomes Redemption that is actively the cause or means of it What that price is see Matth. 20. 20. 1 Pet. 1. 18. Plenteous Redemption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multa copi sa much abundant plenteous It is used both for Quantity and Quality much in quantity or plenteous abundant and in Quality that is precious excellent And it is applied in a good and bad sense so it is said of our sins Ezek. 9. 6. our sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are increased or multiplied or are great many in number and hainous in their nature or quality And in the other sense it is applied unto the mercy of God whereby they are removed it is great or plenteous it is excellent or precious V. 8. And he that is the Lord Jehovah he with whom is plenteous Redemption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall redeem or make them partakers of that Redemption that is with him He shall redeem Israel that is those who hope and trust in him From all his iniquities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his
for with him there is Redemption All other grounds of hope are false and deceiving Obs. 3. Inexhaustible stores of Mercy and Redemption are needful for the incouragement of sinners to rest and wait on God With him is plentiful Redemption Such is your misery so pressing are your fears and disconsolations that nothing less than boundless Grace can relieve or support you there are therefore such Treasures and stores in God as are suited hereunto With him is Plenteous Redemption Obs. 4. The Ground of all the dispensation of Mercy Goodness Grace and forgiveness which is in God to Sinners is laid in the blood of Christ. Hence it is here called Redemption Unto this also we have spoken at large before Obs. 5. All that wait on God on the account of Mercy and Grace shall have an undoubted Issue of peace He shall redeem Israel let him saith God lay hold of my Arm that he may have peace and he shall have peace Isa. 27. 3. Obs. 6. Mercy given to them that wait on God shall in the close and issue be every way full and satisfying He shall redeem his people from all their Iniquities And these Propositions do arise from the words as absolutely considered and in themselves If we mind their Relation unto the peculiar Condition of the soul represented in this Psalm they will yet afford us the ensuing Observations Obs. 1. They who out of depths have by faith and waiting obtained mercy or are supported in waiting for a sense of believed mercy and forgiveness are fitted and only they are fitted to Preach and declare Grace and mercy unto others This was the Case with the Psalmist Upon his emerging out of his own depths and streights he declares the mercy and redemption whereby he was delivered unto the whole Israel of God Obs. 2. A saving participation of Grace and forgiveness leaves a deep Impression of its fulness and excellency on the soul of a sinner So was it here with the Psalmist Having himself obtained Forgiveness he knows no bounds or measure as it were in the extolling of it There is with God Mercy Redemption Plenteous Redemption redeeming from all Iniquity I have found it so and so will every one do that shall believe it Now these Observations might all of them especially the two last receive an useful improvement But whereas what I principally intended from this Psalm hath been at large insisted on upon the first verses of it I shall not here further draw forth any Meditations upon them but content my self with the Exposition that hath been given of the design of the Psalmist and sense of his words in these last verses FINIS 1. Out of the depths have I cryed unto thee O Lord. 2. Lord hear my voice let thine ears be attentive to the voyce of my supplications 3. If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand 4. But there is forgiveness with thee that thou maist be feared 5. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope 6. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning 7. Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous Redemption 8. And he shall redeem Israel from all his Iniquities General Scope of the whole Psalm The two first Verses opened Depths of trouble on the account of Sin Depths of Sin wherein they consist The Nature and Extent of supplies of Grace according to the Covenant The Power of Indwelling Sin Gods Soveraignty in dealing with Believers in their sins Sins occasioning great distresses Aggravations of sins causing distresses The second Verse opened Actings of a Believer under distress from sin False ways of relieving souls in distress Earnestness of a distressed soul in its Applications unto God Grounds of earnestness in Applications unto God Earnestness c. wherein it consisteth Verse 3. opened Propositions from Verse 3. Terror arising from a sense of the guilt of sin Gods marking sin and mans salvation inconsistent The souls actings towards a Recovery Sense of sin wherein it consists Nature and Causes of Gospel convictions of sin Acknowledgement of sin the true nature of it Self-condemnation wherein it consists Miscarriages in persons convinced of sin The fourth Verse opened Doctrinal Observations from V. 4. No approaching unto God without a discovery of forgiveness Forgiveness a great Mysterie Testimony of a natural consciscience against the forgiveness of sin Testimony of the Law against the forgiveness of sin False Presumptions of Forgiveness The true Nature of Gospel forgiveness Forgiveness as it relates to the Nature of God Forgiveness as it relates to the free Acts of Gods Will. Forgiveness as it hath respect to the blood of Christ. Forgiveness as it relates unto the Promise What faith respects in Forgiveness Forgiveness discovered to Faith alone Discovery of Forgiveness a great supportment Particular Assurance attainable Duty of Believers to endeavour Assurance Causes and Effects of Assurance Saving Faith where there is no Assurance Discovery of forgiveness a great supportment to intangled souls Effects of the Discovery of Forgiveness in God Means whereby a Discovery of Forgiveness yields supportment Abiding with God wherein it consisteth Waiting on God from a Discovery of Forgiveness Discovery of Forgiveness prepares the soul to receive it Vain pretences of Faith discovered Essential properties of Gods nature how made known Free Acts of Gods Will how they may be known Forgiveness not revealed by the work of Providence about the first sin Forgiveness discovered in the first Promise Sacrifices an Evidence of Forgiveness Forgiveness with God manifested by his Prescription of Repentance Confirmation of the Truth of Forgiveness necessary Necessity of producing Arguments to prove forgiveness Some sinners actually pardoned and accepted with God Patience of God towards the World an evidence of forgiveness Experience of the Saints giveing Testimony to Forgiveness The Evidence that is in Spiritual Experience Religious Worship of sinners an Evidence of Forgiveness with God Especial Ordinances evidencing forgiveness Prayer for the Pardon of sin commanded Forgiveness manifested in the New Covenant Nature Use and End of the first Covenant Reason of Alteration of the first Covenant Forgiveness confirmed by the Oath of God Forgiveness confirmed by the Name of God 〈◊〉 of Gods Nature manifesting Forgiveness What it is to give Glory to God Glory arising to God by Forgiveness Forgiveness manifested in the Death of Christ. Our Obligation unto mutual forgiveness proves forgiveness in God Properties of Divine forgiveness Forgiveness believed by Few Exhortations unto Believing Terms of Peace with God Equal and Holy Certainty of the final Ruine of them who believe not Exhortation to Believing enforced Christ the only Judge of our spiritual condition Self-condemnation consistent with Gospel Justification and Peace Gospel Assurance wherein it consisteth Sense of sin consistent with Assurance Sorrow for sin consistent with Assurance Sense of the power of sin consistent with Assurance Fears and Temptations consistent with Assurance The Nature and Effects of Gospel Assurance Effects of Gospel Assurance in Believers Waiting necessary to obtain Peace Search of Sin necessary to consolation Unbelief and Jealousie distinguished Different Effects of Unbelief and Jealousie Differences between faith and spiritual sense Spiritual sense wherein it consists Foundation and Spiritual Building distinguished Complaints fruitless and heartless to be avoided Hasty Expressions concerning God to be avoided Judgement of mens states in the hand of Christ alone The least Appearances of Grace to be improved Afflictions a cause of spiritual disquictments Means of the Aggravation of Affliction Rules to be observed concerning Afflictions Objections against Believing from the State of the Soul Two different estates whereunto all men belong Saving Grace specifically distinct from common Grace Difference between the State of Grace and Nature discernable Believers may know themselves to be born of God Rules whereby men may judge of their Condition in respect of Inherent Grace Objections from weakness in Duty and the power of Sin V. 5 6. V. 5 6. opened Waiting the first fruit of Faith in a way of Duty Waiting on God wherein it consists God himself the Object of our Waiting Waiting on God whence so necessary Considerations of Gods Being and Attributes rendring Waiting necessary Considerations of Gods Righteousness in his Judgements Considerations of our own Condition tending to Humble us Supportment in trouble from the Word of Promise Psal. 130. v. 7 8. Exposition of vers 7 8.