of neither have entred into the heart of man to conceive Therefore the word hath a notable instrumentality that way 3. The Doctrine of the Scripture holds out the remedy and means of cleansing Christs blood which is not only an argument or motive to move us to it So it is urged 1 Pet. 1. 18. Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable c. It presseth holiness upon this argument why God hath been at great cost to bring it about therefore we must not content our selves with some smooth morality which might have been whether Christ had been yea or no. Again the word propounds it as a purchase whereby grace is procured for us so it is said 1 Ioh. 1. 7. He hath purchased the spirit to bless us and turn us from our sins And it exciteth faith to apply and improve this remedy and so conveyeth the power of God into the soul Act. 15. 9. Purifying their hearts by faith 2. The manner how the word is applied and made use of If he take heed thereunto according to thy word This implieth a studying of the word and the tendency and importance of it which is necessary if the young man would have benefit by it David calleth the statutes of God the men of his counsel Young men that are taken with other books if they neglect the word of God that book that should do the cure upon the heart and mind they are with all their knowledg miserable Psal. 1. 2. His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night If men would grow wise to Salvation and get any skill in the practice of godliness they must be much in this blessed book of God which is given us for direction 1 Ioh. 2. 14. I have written unto you young men because ye are strong and the word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one It is not a slight acquaintance with the word that will make a young man so successful as to defeat the temptations of Satan and be too hard for his own lust it is not a little notional irradiation but to have the word dwell in you and abide in you richly The way to destroy ill weeds is to plant good herbs that are contrary We suck in carnal principles with our milk and therefore we are said to speak lies from the womb A kind of a riddle before we are able to speak we speak lyes namely as we are prone to error and all manner of carnal fancies by the natural temper and frame of our hearts Isa. 58. 2. And therefore from our very tender and Infant-age we should be acquainted with the word of God 2 Tim. 3. 15. And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures It may be children by reading the word get nothing but a little memorative knowledg but yet it is good to plant the field of the memory in time they will soak into the judgment and conscience and thence into the heart and affections 2. It implieth a care and watchfulness over our hearts and ways that our will and actions be conformed to the word This must be the young mans daily prayer and care that there be a conformity between his will and the word that he may be a walking Bible Christs living Epistle copy out the word in his life that the truths of it may appear plainly in his conversation All that I have said issueth it self into three Points 1. That the great Duty of Youth assoon as they come to the full use of reason is to enquire and study how they may cleanse their hearts and ways from sin 2. That the Word of God is the only rule sufficient and effectual to accomplish this work 3. If we would have this efficacy there is required much care and watchfulness that we come to the direction of the Word in every tittle not a loose and unattentive reflection upon the Word careless inconsiderateness but a taking heed thereunto Now why in youth and as soon as we come to the use of reason we should mind the work of cleansing our way 1. Consider how reasonable this is It is fit that God should have our first and our best It is fit he should have our first because he minded us before we were born His love to us is an eternal and an everlasting love and shall we put off God to old age shall we thrust him into a corner Surely God that loved us so early it is but reason he should have our first and also our best for we have all from him Under the Law the first-fruits was Gods to shew the first and best was his portion All the Sacrifices that were offered to him they were in their strength and young Levit. 2. 14. And if thou offer a meat-offering of thy first-fruits unto the Lord thou shalt offer for the meat-offering of thy first-fruits green ears of corn dried by the fire even corn beaten out of full ears God would not stay till ripened God will not be long kept out of his portion Youth it is our best time Mal. 1. 13. when they brought a weak and sickly offering should I accept this of your hand saith the Lord The health strength quickness of spirit and vigour is in youth Shall our health and strength be for the Devils use and shall we put off God with the dregs of time Shall Satan feast upon the flower of our youth and fresh time and God only have the scraps and fragments of the Devils Table When wit is dulled the ears heavy the body weak and affections are spent is this a fit present for God 2. Consider the necessity of it 1. Because of the heat of youth the passions and lusts are very strong 2 Tim. 2. 22. Fly also youthful lusts Men are most incident in that age to pride and self-conceit to strong affections inordinate and excessive love of liberty 1 Tim. 3. 6. Not a Novice lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil A man may make tame fierce creatures Lyons and Tygers and the fury of youth needs to be tempered and bridled by the word It is much for the glory of Grace that this heat and violence is broken when the subject is least of all disposed and prepared 2. Because none are tempted so much as they Children cannot be serviceable to the Devil and old men are spent and have chosen their way but youths who have a sharpness of understanding and the stoutest and most stirring spirits the Devil loveth to make use of such 1 Joh. 2. 13. I write unto you young men because ye have overcome the wicked one They are most assaulted but it is for the honour of grace when they overcome when their fervency and strength is employed not in satisfying lusts but in the service of God and fighting against Satan Therefore
thing observable from hence is the necessity of directing grace Oh that my ways were directed I shall first premise some Distinctions 1. There is a general direction and a particular direction 1 The general direction is in the word there God hath declared his mind in his statutes He hath shewed thee O man what is good Micah 6. 8. 2 A particular direction by his Spirit who doth order and direct us how to apply the rule to all our ways Isa. 58. 11. The Lord shall guide thee continually Now this particular direction is either to our general choice Psal. 16. 7. I will bless the Lord who hath given me counsel It is the work of God only to teach us how to apply the rule so as to chuse him for our portion Or secondly as to acts and orderly exercise of any particular grace so 2 Thes. 3. 5. The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ. Or thirdly as to the management of our Civil actions as the pillar of the Cloud went before the Israelites in their Journeys so doth God still guide his people in all their affairs both as to duty and success As to Duty Prov. 3. 6. In all thy ways acknowledg him and he shall direct thy paths Ask his counsel leave and blessing in doubtful things ask his counsel in clear cases ask his leave Shall I go up or not and then ask his blessing As to Success Prov. 16. 9. A mans heart deviseth his way but the Lord directeth his steps Events cross expectation we cannot foresee the event of things in the course of a mans life what is expedient and what not Prov. 20. 24. Mans goings are of the Lord how can a man then understand his own way We purpose and determine many things rightly and according to rule but God disposeth of all events Rom. 1. 10. Making request if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you God brought Paul to Rome by a way he little thought of Therefore we need to call God to counsel and to enquire of the Oracle in all matters that concern Family Commonwealth or Church We need a guide Ier. 10. 23. O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself neither is it in man that walketh to direct his steps Affairs do not depend on our policy or integrity but on the Divine Providence who ordereth every step to give such success as he pleaseth II. Distinction There is a Literal direction and an effectual direction 1. The Literal direction is by that speculative knowledg that we get by the Word Psal. 119. 105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path Sufficient not only for general courses but particular actions 2. The effectual direction is by the Holy Ghost applying the Word and bending the hearts to the obedience of it Isa. 61. 8. I will direct their work in truth and I will make an everlasting Covenant with them That is I will so shew them their way as to work their hearts to the sincere obedience of it Now to give you the Reason for the necessity of this Direction Three things prove it 1. The blindness of our minds We are wise in generals but know not how to apply the rule to particular cases The Heathens were vain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their imaginations Rom. 1. 21. And the same is true of us Christians though we have a clearer knowledg of God and the way how he will be served and glorified yet to suit it to particular cases how dark are we A Dial may be well set yet if the Sun shine not upon it we cannot tell the time of the day The Scriptures are sufficient to make us wise but without the light of the Spirit how do we grope at noon-day 2. The forgetfulness of our Memories We need a Monitor to stir up in us diligence watchfulness and earnest endeavours Isa. 30. 21. And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying This is the way walk ye in it When ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left The cares and businesses of the world do often drive the sense of our duty out of our minds One great end of Gods Spirit is to put us in remembrance to revive truths upon us in their season A Ship though never so well rigged needs a Pilot we need a good guide to put us in mind of our duty 3. The obstinacy of our hearts so that we need every moment to enforce the Authority of God upon us and to perswade us to what is right and good The Spirits light is so directive that it is also perswasive there needs not only counsel but efficacy and power We have boisterous lusts and wandring hearts we need not only to be conducted but governed We have hearts that love to wander Jer. 14. 10. We are sheep that need a shepherd for no creature is more apt to stray Psal. 95. 10. It is a people that do err in their hearts not only ignorant but perverse not in mind only apt to err but love to err Thus you see the necessity of this direction Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes The USES Well then give the Lord this honour of being your continual guide Psal. 48. 14. For this God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide even unto death You do not own him as a God unless you make him your guide Psal. 73. 24. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterwards receive me to glory In vain do you hope for eternal life else Therefore 1. Commit your selves to the tuition of his Grace a man is to chuse God for a guide as well as to take him for a Lord to ask his counsel as well as submit to his Commandments Ier. 3. 4. Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me My father thou art the guide of my youth 2. Depend upon him in every action The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord all his particular actions Rom. 8. 26. For we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered 3. Seek his Counsel out of a desire to follow it Ioh. 7. 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self Still walk according to light received and it will increase upon you Such as make conscience of known truth shall know more He that cometh with a subjected mind and fixed resolution to receive and obey shall have a discerning spirit God answereth men according to the fidelity of their own hearts SERMON VII PSAL. CXIX 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandments THE Psalmist had prayed for direction to keep Gods Commandments here
his mouth and walk in the way that is pointed out by his Word and Spirit you shall have enough to direct you in all your ways 2. It doth warn us of all our dangers It doth not only in the general call upon us to watch Mat. 13. 37. and walk circumspectly Eph. 5. 15. but it discovers all those deceits particularly whereby we may be surprized diverted and turned out of the way There are snares in Prosperity snares in Adversity Temptations you meet with in praying trading eating drinking in your publick undertakings and in your private converse it shews your danger in all your ways before you feel the smart of them therefore give up your selves to God's direction reading hearing meditating believing and practising read hear it often then the deceits of Satan will be laid open and the snares of your own hearts Christians an exact Rule is of little use if you do not consult it Gal. 6. 16. Peace and mercy be upon all them that walk according to this Rule That order their conversations exactly the word signifies that try their work as a Carpenter doth by his square they examine their actions by the Word of God what they are now a doing therefore consult with it often then meditate of it ponder it seriously 2 Tim. 2. 7. Consider what I say and the Lord give thee understanding in all things If we would have understanding by the Word there must be consideration Man hath a discursive faculty to debate things with himself Why this is my duty what would become of me if I slep out of God's way here 's danger and a snare What if I should run into it now it is laid before me And then believe it surely Heb. 4. 2. The Word profited not not being mixed with faith in them that heard it Believe God upon his Word without making tryal You hear much of living by sense and by saith living by faith is when we bear up upon the bare Word of God and encourage our selves in the Lord but living by sense is a trying whether it be so or no as they that will not believe Hell shall feel Hell and they that will not believe the Word of God shall smart for it Heb 11. 7. Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark. It may be there were no preparations to the accomplishment of the Curse and Judgment the Word threatned it 's a thing not seen yet he prepared an Ark. When a man is walking in an unjust course all things prosper for awhile the misery the Word threatens is unseen Ay but if you would grow wiser by the Word than men can by Experience you must look to the end of things Psal. 73. 17. I went into the sanctuary of God then understood I their end And then practise it diligently A young Practiser hath more understanding than an ancient Notionallist Psal. 111. 10. A good understanding have all they that do his commandments It is not they that are able to speak of things and savor what the Word requires but they that do what they hear and discourse of Gregory saith We know no more than we practise and we practise as we know these two always go together The Word doth us no good unless there be a ready obedience therefore this is wisdom when we give up our selves to God's direction whatever it cost us in the world Doct. 2. That young ones may have many times more of this wisdom than those that are ancient Divers instances there are Ioseph was very young sold into Egypt about 17 years of age and when he was in Egypt Psal. 105. 22. He taught his Senators wisdom speaking of the Senators of Egypt With how much modesty did he carry himself when his Mistriss laid that snare Isaac was young and permitted himself to be offered to God as a Sacrifice Samuel was wise betimes 1 Sam. 2. 26. It is said The child Samuel grew on and was in favor both with the Lord and also with men From his Infancy he was dedicated to God and God gives him wisdom to walk so that he was in favor with God and men yea God reveals himself to Samuel when he did not to Eli. David when he was but 15 years of age fought with the Lion and Bear and somewhile after that with Goliah when he was a ruddy youth Iosiah when he was but eight years old administred the Kingdom before he was twelve sets upon serious Reformation Ieremiah was sanctified from the womb Ier. 1. 5. And Iohn the Baptist leapt in his Mother's womb Luke 1. 35. In the 32d of Iâ—…b the Ancients Iob's Friends are spoken of pleading their Cause wise young Elihu brings wiser words and better arguments than those that came to comfort Iob. Solomon asked wisdom of God when he was young Daniel and his Companions those four children as they are called Dan. 1. 17 18. it is said The Lord filled them with wisdom above all the ancient Chaldeans And Timothy the Apostle speaks of his youth and bids him flee youthful lusts he was young yet very knowing and set over the Church of God Our Lord Iesus at 12 years old puzled the Doctors In Ecclesiastical Stories we read of one at 15 years of age dyed with great constancy for Religion in the midst of sundry tortures Ignatius pleads the cause of the Bishop when he was but a very youth but a man powerful in doctrine and of great wisdom and therefore he saith He would have them not look to his appearing youth but to the age of his mind to his wisdom before God And he saith There are many that have nothing to shew for their age but wrinckles and gray hairs So there are many young ones in whom there is an excellent spirit and in all Ages there are instances given of youth of whom it may be said That they are wise beyond their years For the Reasons why many times young ones may have more wisdom than those that are aged God doth so 1. That he might shew the freedom and sovereignty of his grace He is not bound to years nor to the ordinary course of nature but can work according to his own pleasure and give a greater measure of knowledge and understanding to those that are young and otherwise green than he will to those that are of great age and more experience in the world You have this reason rendred Iob 32. 7 8 9. I said days should speak and multitude of years should teach wisdom There 's the ordinary course But there is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding Great men are not always wise neither do the aged understand judgment Though all men have reason and a spirit yet the Spirit of God is a wind that blows where he lists Those that exceed others in time may come behind them in grace He gives a greater measure many times of grace and knowledge to shew his
what is to come yet fear of punish ment alone sheweth you are slaves and only love your selves the Devils fear and tremble but do not love You may fear a thing though you hate it So far as the heart is affected with the fear of Hell 't is good 3. There are very good and sound Principles yet do not always argue Grace as when duties are done out of the urgings of an enlightened Conscience this may be without the bent of a renewed heart but yet the principle is sound for the first thing that influenceth a man is to consider himself a Creature and so to look upon himself as bound to obey his Creator I shall illustrate it by the Apostles words in another case I must preach the Gospel and wo unto me if I preach not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9. 16. 17. Whether I do it willingly or unwillingly yet a Dispensation is committed to me So saith the Soul whether I be fitted to do God service or no God must be obeyed but because Gods precept is invested with a Sanction of Threatnings and Rewards here comes in the fear of Hell and the hopes of heaven The Lord hath commanded me to fly from Hell this is a good principle So the hope of Heaven Heb. 11. 26. 't is a sound principle a man may be gracious or he may not Many have a liking to Heaven and Eternal Life as 't is a state of happiness not of likness to God where 't is not alone 't is a very sound principle but as 't is it may sometimes be the sign of a renewed man and sometimes not 4. There are rare and excellent Principles when we Act out of thankfulness to God when we consider the Lords goodness that might have required Duty out of meer Soveraignty he hath laid the Foundation of it in the bloud of his own Son 1 Ioh. 4. 29. When we love him out of the sense of his love to us in Christ And when the grace of God that hath appeared teacheth us to deny ungodliness Tit. 2. 11. when the Mercies of God melt us Rom. 12. 1. when there are no intreaties so powerful as that of Love Again another principle that is rare and excellent is when the Glory of God doth season us in our whole Course that it may be to the praise of his glorious grace 1 Cor. 10. 31. Another is Complacency in the Work for the Works sake When we love the Law because it is pure when I see it will ennoble me and make me like God when I love God and his wayes when nothing but so noble imployment doth ingage me to his service and service to God is the sweetest life in the World SERMON CLVIII PSALM CXIX VER 141. I am Small and Despised yet do I not forget thy Precepts HEre David proveth the Truth of his former Assertion that seeing the Word of God was so Pure he loved it for its own sake and that he did not Court Religion for the portion that he should have with it but for it self Some are meer Mercenaries no longer then they are bribed by some Worldly profit they have no respect for God and his Wayes The Man of God was of another Temper if God would bestow any thing on him well if not he would love his Word still yea when it brought him apparent Loss Meanness and Contempt yet this could not make any divorce between his Heart and the Word I am small and despised c. In the Words we have 1. David's Condition 2. David's Carriage under that Condition His Condition might have been a Snare to him yet still he keepeth up his Affection 1. His Condition is set forth by two Notions the one of which implyeth the other Gods Providence I am small God had reduced him to streights the other Mans Treatment of him and despised the one sheweth what he was really in himself the other what he was in the opinion of others Mean in himself and Contemptible in the eye of others The Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am the younger and set at nought Therefore the Greek Interpreters suppose it relateth to the story when God bids Samuel to anoint one of the Sons of Iesse to be King and the elder Children were brought forth who were Taller and more likely too and they said of them surely the Lords Anointed is before him and when Samuel enquired for another they told him 1 Sam. 16. 7. That there remaineth the youngest and he keepeth sheep then when he was but an Youth and a despised stripling his heart was with God and God favoured him Or else they refer it to the time when Eliab his eldest Brother despised him 1 Sam. 17. 28. Others think this was verified when the Elders of Israel forsook him and clave to Absalom rather I think it generally to any Afflicted Condition when he was little in Estate and Reputation rather than in years elsewhere so is this word small taken Amos 7. 2 5. Iacob is small by whom shall he arise When his Condition was helpless and hopeless and Interest inconsiderable in the World So here I am small and despised I am looked upon as a man of no Value and Interest 2. Davids Carriage under this Condition Yet do I not forget thy Precepts First here is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 less is said more is intended I do earnestly remember them Again a man may be said to remember or forget two wayes Notionally or Affectively Notionally a man forgets when the Notions of things formerly known are quite vanished out of our Minds Affectively when though he retaineth the notions yet he is not answerably affected he doth not act suitably So 't is taken here and implyeth as much as I am stedfast in the profession of this Truth as they say in a like Case Psal. 44. 17. We have not forgotten thee nor dealt falsely in thy Covenant not parted with any point of Truth or neglected and dispensed with any part of Duty Precepts is put for the whole word of God I do not forget thy Word the Comforts and Duties of it None do so far forget God and his Precepts as those that make defection from him The sum of all is My mean and despicable Condition doth not make a breach upon my Constancy but still I keep the Credit of being a Faithful Servant to thee His Temptation was double his Faithfulness had made him small God seemeth to forget us in our low Estate yet we should not forget him and had made him despised though we lose esteem with men by sticking to the Word of God yet the Word of God should lose no esteem with us Doctrine They that love God may be reduced to a Mean Low and Afflicted Condition I am small saith David The Lord seeth it meet for divers reasons 1. That they may know their happiness is not in this World and so the more long for Heaven and delight in Heavenly things Psal. 17. 14 15. From men
great comfort to you when you dye that your great work is over Oh what a sad thing is it that when the body is going to the grave the soul hath not yet learned to converse with God! Hos. 8. 12. I have written to them the great things of my law but they were counted a strange thing God hath written an Epistle to us and we will not read it nor consult with it are wholly strangers to it but now when acquainted with God it will not be so irksome to go to him SERMON XI PSAL. CXIX 10. With my whole heart have I sought thee O let me not wander from thy Commandments THE Psalmist had in the former Verse directed the young man to diligence and attention unto the word but the word doth nothing unless we join Prayer and therefore now he gives an example in his own person Having spoken of the power of the word to cleanse the way now saith he With my whole heart c. Here take notice 1. Of David's Argument With my whole heart have I sought thee 2. His Request O let me not wander from thy Commandments First For David's Argument I have sought thee with my whole heart He pleadeth his own sincerity I shewed you largely what it is to seek God and that with the whole heart in the second Verse I shall not repeat any thing only that I may not dismiss this clause without some note observe That it is the duty and practice of Gods children to seek him You have Davids instance in the Text and elsewhere It is their general character Psal. 24. 6. This is the generation of them that seek him that seek thy face O Iacob Selah Gods children are a generation of Seekers They find hereafter but now they seek Their great business is to be seeking after God more ample and full communion with him Seeking of God implies three things 1. There 's a more general seeking of God for relief of our sin and misery by nature 2. More particular upon special occasions 3. There 's a constant seeking of God in the use of his Ordinances First There 's a more general seeking of God for relief of our sinful and wretched condition by nature Adam when a sinner ran away from God and therefore all our business is now to seek him that we may find him again in Christ Jesus The general address that is made to God for pardon and reconciliation it is often called a seeking of God in Scripture so 't is taken Isa. 55. 6. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call upon him while he is near That is get into favour with God before it be too late So Amos 5. 6. Seek the Lord and ye shall live This notes our general address for pardon and reconciliation Secondly There 's a more particular seeking of God that notes our addresses to God either in our exigencies and straits or in all our business and employment 1. In our exigencies and straits and so we are said to seek God when in doubts we seek his direction Iames 1. 5. when in weakness we seek strength in sickness health in troubles comfort Asa is blamed that he sought not to the Lord but to the Physicians Paul's messenger of Satan drives him to the throne of grace 2 Cor. 12. 8. For this I sought the Lord thrice He would knock again and again to see what answers he could get from God 2. In all our businesses and affairs God must be sought unto and we must ask his leave his counsel and his blessing Pagans before the awe of Religion was extinguisht would begin with their gods in every weighty enterprise A Iove principium was an honest heathen principle Laban consults with his Teraphim Balac sends for Balaam they had their Oracles that they would resort to So far as any Nation was touched with a sense of a Divine Power they would never venture upon anything without consulting with their gods And it is injoined as a piece of Religious good manners to own God upon all occasions Prov. 3. 5. In all thy ways acknowledg him It is an acknowledgment of God an owning him as a God that we would be asking his leave counsel and blessing His leave must be asked though the thing be never so lawful and easie We are taught every day to ask our daily bread though we have it by us that we may not like thieves and robbers use his goods without his leave So for his Counsel he is sure to miscarry that makes his bosom his Oracle his wit his Counsellor It is a high piece of spiritual Idolatry to lean upon our own understanding and think to carry even the ordinary affairs of any day without asking counsel from God and then his blessing God is not an idle spectator he disposeth of all events and giveth the blessing Jer. 10. 23. The way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps That is as to any happy issue God doth the more stand upon his right that he may the oftner hear from us and that we may have many occasions to bring us to the throne of grace Now this is the constant practice of Gods children David always ran to the Oracle or the Ephod when he had any business to do 1 Sam. 23. Shall I do thus and thus or shall I not Iacob in his journey would neither go to Laban nor come from him without a warrant Iehoshaphat in the business of Ramoth-Gilead would not stir a foot until he had counsel from God he sends not only to the Captain of the Host but to the Prophet of the Lord Enquire I pray thee of the Lord to day 1 King 22. 2. Judg. 1. 1. Judg. 2. 28. I have spoken this to shew why the children of God are called the generation of them that seek him The third thing that may be called seeking of God is our observance of him in the use of his Ordinances It is one thing to serve God another thing to seek God one thing to make God the object another thing the end of our worship To seek God only in our necessity and not to seek God in his Ordinances argueth a base spirit Christians our losing God in Adam that makes us seek him in a way of Reconciliation Our want of God in straits and in the course of our affairs maketh us seek him by way of supply But now our duty to God and love to him should make us seek him in his Ordinances by way of communion And in this sense seeking God is often spoken of in Scripture Psal. 22. 26. They shall praise the Lord that seek him that is that wait upon him and maintain communion with him in the means of grace Well then let us be more in seeking of God If we would find him in heaven we must seek him on earth Heb. 11. 6. He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him They that seek his
of it There is a service of God and constant influences in that God supplieth all immediately from himself Thirdly This is upon free terms Ioh. 1. 16. Of his fulness have we all received and grace for grace III. The Word of God especially the Gospel-part doth only teach us the way how we may be blessed in the enjoyment of God That 's a notable place to this purpose 1 Tim. 1. 11. The glorious Gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust Mark there first he calls it the glorious Gospel When he speaks of the Law in that place he saith We know that the Law is good compare it with v. 8. but when he comes to speak of the Gospel he calls it the glorious Gospel the Law is good but the Gospel glorious because more of the glory of God is display'd and discovered to the Creature And the glorious Gospel of the blessed God Titles are always suited to the case in hand therefore it is called The glorious Gospel of the blessed God because there God is discovered as ready to bless us there 's the way how we may come to be blessed in God how he may with respect to us be a fountain of blessedness there we have the highest discoveries of this mystery the most moving arguments to perswade us to look after it and with this Gospel there 's a grace a vertue dispensed to enable us to walk in this way So that if we would enjoy the blessed God we must consult with his statutes and especially the Gospel The IV. If we would profit by the Word of God we must go to God and desire the light and strength of his grace If we would enjoy the blessed God according to the direction of his Word we must not only consult with the Word but with God nothing else can draw us off from the world and perswade us to look after Heavenly things nothing else will teach us the vanity of the Creature the reality of spiritual priviledges Until we see these things in a Divine light the heart hangs off from God and therefore saith David Psal. 16. 7. I will bless the Lord who hath given me counsel He had chosen God for his portion and then I will bless the Lord c. We shall still run after lying vanities until God doth open our eyes to see the mysteries of the Word and to be affected with the way Those that are drawn to God must first be taught of God Ioh. 6. 44. No man cometh to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him For Christ adds presently They shall be all taught of God Our hearts can never be drawn unto God until he take us into his own hands V. The more we are brought to attend upon the Word and the more influence the Word hath upon us the nearer the blessing Christians we are not far from the Kingdom of God There is some blessedness when we begin to look after the directions of the Word and to wait upon the teachings of God Prov. 8. 34. Blessed is the man that heareth me watching daily at my gates waiting at the posts of my doors Then you are in a hopeful way to true blessedness when you begin to be careful to attend upon Gods teaching much more when you have the fruits of it when you know him so as to love him so as to have your hearts drawn off from sin and folly Act. 3. 26. Him hath God sent to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities The great business of Jesus Christ is to make us blessed in the enjoyment of God but how is it only by bare knowledg no 't is by turning every one from his iniquity So the more this teaching of God prevails upon the heart the more blessed we are Psal. 119. 1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the law of the Lord. Otherwise to have a golden head and feet of clay that 's monstrous as in Nebuchadnezzar's Image to have a naked knowledg of God and not brought under the power of it You read of the Heathens when they sacrificed to their gods they were wont to hang a garland upon the head of the Beasts and to crown them with Roses so they were led on to sacrifice Many may have garlands upon their heads ornaments of knowledg yet are going on to destruction therefore that light and teaching which conveyeth blessedness is such as prevaileth upon the heart and doth effectually turn us to God VI. It is not only an affront put upon God but also a great wrong to neglect the Word of God and the way he preseribes and to seek blessedness in temporal things Here you have the true way to blessedness set down in Gods statutes but in outward things there wants fulness sincerity eternity 1. There wants fulness That which makes us blessed it must fill up the heart of man As a vessel is never full until it have as much as it can hold so we can never be said to have a full happiness and contentment until we have as much as we can hold That which fills must be greater than the thing filled Now mans heart is such a Chaos of desires that it can never be filled up but in God Psal. 16. 11. In thy presence is fulness of joy at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore Therefore of the joy and happiness we have in God 't is said Enter into thy Masters joy Mat. 25. When we speak of a cup of water that enters into the man that is taken down into the man but if we speak of a river of water or tub of water that is greater than the man is capable of or can receive the man enters into it so this joy and happiness which is truly and genuinely so it must exceed our capacity greater than we can receive that we may enter into it it is the infinite God can only satisfie the heart of man In temporal things there is no kind of fulness you have not one worldly comfort but you desire more of it Ahab was a King yet still he wants something Naboth's Vineyard A man is not satisfied with abundance neither is his soul filled with increase of worldly things yet we may desire more Eccles. 5. And if we have one thing to the full yet we shall need another If a man be strong he may need learning it may be though he hath some kind of learning and knowledg yet he hath not wisdom Naaman was rich wise valiant and honourable but he was a Leper There is a But upon all worldly happiness therefore there is no fulness in these things 2. There is no sincerity in them All that is in the world it is but a semblance and an appearance that which tickles the senses it doth not go to the heart You would have thought Belshazzar was merry at the heart when he was quaffing and carousing in the Cups of the Temple but how
〈◊〉 unmixed milk The more natural the milk is and without any mixture the more kindly to a gracious appetite To mix it with Sugar and the luscious strains of a humane wit doth but disguise it and hide it from a spiritual tast But to mix it with Lime as Hierome saith of Hereticks makes it baneful and noxious Thus he speaks of his faithfulness as a Prophet a publick Teacher in the Church 2. As to the extent all the Judgments of thy mouth without adding or diminishing No part of Gods counsel must be forborn either out of fear or favour Our work is not to look what will please or displease but what is commanded Acts 20. 27. I have not shunned to declare the whole counsel of God If it be the counsel of God let it succeed how it will it must be spoken so David here all the judgments of thy mouth 3. David may be considered as a private Christian and so I would declare all the judgments of thy mouth in a way of conference and gracious discourse This is the sense I shall manage The Consideration I shall insist upon is this Doct. It concerns all that fear God to declare upon meet occasions the Iudgments of his mouth How in the way of publick teaching shall every one that hath knowledg and parts teach I answer No there are some separate for that work Act. 13. 2. Separate unto me Paul and Barnabas for the work whereunto I have called them Paul and Barnabas were gifted and called by the Spirit yet were to be solemnly authorized by Prophets and Teachers at Antioch by Officers of the Church Was it not enough they were called by the Holy Ghost What can man add more There must be Order in the Church though they were called yet they were to be ordained and to have a solemn Commission It is true all Christians are Prophets yet they are not to invade the Office Ministerial As they are also all Kings yet they are not to usurp the Magistracy or to disturb the Ruler in his Government If Christians would but meditate more and see how much they have to do to preach to their own hearts if they would but regard the unquestionable duty that they owe to their Families more this itch of publick preaching would be much abated and many other confusions and disorders among us would be prevented and they would sooner find the Lords blessing upon interchangeable discourse gracious conferences than this affectation of Sermoning and set-discourses Well then we are to declare the Judgments of his mouth not by way of publick teaching but by way of private conference edifying others and glorifying God by the knowledg and experience that we have First In our own Families Secondly In our Converses 1. In our own Families in training up children and servants in the way of the Lord and inculcating the Doctrine of God upon them This is a commanded duty as you may see Deut. 6. 6 7. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart What then and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest down and when thou risest up Morning and evening rising up and lying down at home and abroad they should be instructing their Families When the word of God is in the heart thus it will break out And ch 11. 19. you have the same again This is a duty God reckoneth upon that you will not omit such a necessary piece of service Gen. 18. 19. I know Abraham that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord. God promiseth himself that from Abraham and his Family he should have respect God hath made many great promises to Abraham as he doth now to all believers but if you would have him bring upon you that which he hath spoken you must not disappoint him The seasoning of youth betimes in your Families is a very great advantage The Family is the Seminary of the Church and State and usually those that are bred ill in the Family they prove ill when they come abroad A fault in the first concoction is not mended in the second and therefore here you should be declaring the mind and counsel of God to them Many that afterwards prove eminent Instruments of Gods glory will bless you for it to all Eternity It is the best love you can express to your children when you take care to season them with the best things A husband is charged to love his wife how shall he express this love Eph. 5. 25 26. Even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it c. I suppose the degree is not only commended for a Pattern but the kind it must be such a love as Christ bore to his Church He gave himself for her that he might sanctifie her It must be such a love as tends to sanctification It is a poor kind of love Parents express to their Children in providing great Estates and Portions for them or bringing them up in Trades that they may thrive in the world but when you train them up for Heaven there 's the best love Prov. 4. 3 4. For I was my fathers son he was the Darling tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother And wherein was that love exprest He taught me also and said unto me Let thine heart retain my words keep my commandments and live So for servants it is not enough to provide bodily maintenance for them so we do for the beasts if we would use their strength and service but we are to instruct them according to our Talents and that 's the best love we can shew to provide for their souls 2. In our Converses speaking of God and of his word in all companies instructing the ignorant warning and quickning the negligent encouraging the good casting out some savoury discourse wherever we come So Psal. 37. 30. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom and his tongue talketh of judgment A good man studieth in his speeches to glorifie God to edifie those he speaks to I will declare thy judgments saith David Wise and gracious discourse drops from him So Cant. 4. 11. Thy lips O my Spouse drop as the honey-comb honey and milk are under thy tongue The passages of that Song are to be understood in a spiritual sense now the lips and the tongue being Instruments of speech and milk and honey things by which the word is exprest I suppose it is meant of a conference and because the word of God is compared to milk and honey-comb it shews that their conference should be gracious and edifying this is that which drops from a sanctified mouth For the Reasons of this 1. I shall argue from the interest which God hath in the lips and tongue and therefore they
his Law and Grace which are means in the nearest vicinity with our End Psal. 37. 4. Delight thy self also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart Phil. 4. 4. Rejoyce in the Lord always and again I say rejoyce 3. Delight if not right set of all the affections it is apt to degenerate We have a liberty to delight in earthly things the affection is allowed the excess is forbidden Thou maist delight in the Wise of thy youth in thy Children Estate in the Provisions heaped upon thee by the indulgence of Gods Providence Pleasure is the sawce of life to better digest our sorrows It is allowed us but it must be well guarded We are most apt to surfeit of pleasant things and to miscarry by sweet affections Sorrow is afflictive and painful and will in time wear away of it self Pleasure is ingrained in our natures born and bred with us and therefore though we may delight in the moderate use of the refreshments of the present life in Estate Honour Reputation yet we should take heed of excess that our hearts be not overjoyed and too much taken up about these things Carnal joy is the drunkenness of the mind it besotteth us maketh us unmindful of God weakens our esteem of his favour and blessing it chaineth us to present things Pleasure is the great Witch and Sorceress that inchants with the love of the world maketh us unmindful of the Countrey whence we came and whither we are a going therefore we should be jealous of our delight and how we bestow it USE 3. To exhort us to this delight in Gods Statutes or this spiritual rejoycing 1. Here is no danger of exceeding the greatest excesses here are most praise-worthy In other things we must exercise it with jealousie feed with fear rejoyce as if we rejoyced not a man may easily go beyond his bounds when he rejoyceth in the creature but here enlarge thy heart as much as is possible and take thy fill of pleasure Cant. 5. 1. Eat O friends drink yea drink abundantly O beloved This is ebrietas quae nos castos facit chast Flagons Eph. 5. 18. Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess but be ye fill'd with the Spirit 2. We shall never be ashamed of these joys 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience c. All carnal joys have a turpitude affixed to them and therefore affect to lye hid under a vail of secresie The world would cry shame of him that would say of his bags or his dishes Here is my joy as much as men affect these things yet they desire to conceal them from the knowledg of others 3. We shall be never weary of these joys The delights of the senses become nauseous and troublesome our natural dispositions become weary and importunate a man must have shift and change pleasures refreshed with other pleasures But these delights add perfection to Nature therefore when fully enjoyed they delight most A good conscience is a continual feast a dish we are never weary of The blessed spirits in heaven are never weary of beholding the face of God God is new and fresh every moment to them The contemplation of such excellent objects doth not overcharge and weaken the spirits but doth raise and fortifie them It is true the corporeal powers being weak may be tired in such an employment as much reading is a weariness to the flesh but the object doth not grow distastful as in carnal things How shall we get it 1. Get a suitableness to the word Every man's delights are as his principles Rom. 8. 5. They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit A man is much discovered by his savour and relish of things All creatures must have suitable food There must be a sutableness between the Faculty and the Object spiritual things are spiritually discerned 2. Be in a condition to delight in the word A guilty soul readeth its own doom there it revealeth themselves to themselves accuseth and condemneth them As Ahab said of Micajah He prophesieth evil against me and therefore could not endure to hear him Joh. 3. 20. Every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh he to the light lest his deeds should be reproved 3. Purge the heart from carnal distempers lust envy covetousness love of pleasures these are Diseases that need other diet than the word Such persons must have other solaces they cater for the flesh to please the senses An earthly heart will not delight in spiritual things Doct. It standeth Gods children upon to see that they do not forget the word I. What is it to forget the word A man may remember or forget two ways Notionally and Affectively 1. Notionally when the notions of things formerly known are either altogether or in part worn out Jam. 1. 25. He is like one that looks his natural face in a glass but goeth away and straightway forgetteth what manner of person he was 2. Affectively when though he still retain the notions yet he is not answerably affected nor doth act according thereunto Thus the Butler did not remember Ioseph that is did not pity him Thus God is said not to remember the sins of them that repent when he doth not punish them and to forget the afflictions of his people when he doth not deliver them and we are said to forget God Psal. 106. 21. when we do not obey him and to forget his word when we do not remember his commandments to do them Psal. 103. 18. In this place both are intended the Notional and Practical remembrance II. The Reasons why we should not forget his word 1. Meditation will fail else A barren lean soul is unfit to enlarge it self in holy thoughts shall never grow rich in the spiritual understanding Col. 3. 6. Let the word of God dwell in you richly in all knowledg c. Men of small substance grow rich by continual saving and holding together what they have gotten but if they spend it as fast as they get it they cannot be rich Luk. 2. 19. Mary kept all these sayings and pondered them in her heart 2. Delectation will grow cold unless the memory be rubbed up ever and anon When they fainted under affliction the cause is intimated Heb. 12. 5. Have ye forgotten the exhortation that speaketh unto you as unto children Distrust in straits is from the same source Mar. 8. 13. They remembred not the miracle of the loaves for their hearts were hardened Ye see and hear and do not remember David was under great discomfort till he remembred the years of the right hand of the Most High Psal. 77. 10. Lament 3. 21. This I recall to mind therefore I have hope 3. Practice and conscience of obedience will grow more remiss Nothing keepeth the heart in a holy tenderness so much as a presence of the truth and when
of men therefore this is to go to the fountain-head to stop all opposition there and on the other side without this care of pleasing God all goes to loss Counsels though never so wisely laid yet are blasted if we do not make this our business to approve our hearts to God in those actions Remember in one place it is said The counsel of the froward is carried headlong Job 5. 13. forward and in another place Isa. 44. 25. The counsel of wise men he turneth backward When men do not study to please God and approve their hearts to him God leaves them to precipitate Counsels sometimes they are carried forward at other times they are carried backward the event is cross to their design Sometimes God lets them fall into precipitant Counsels that they may undo themselves at other times disappoints their Counsels and that which they have designed Prop. 2. Whosoever would keep in with God he needs good counsel and direction in all his ways Both in regard of the darkness of his understanding his corrupt affections and inordinate self-love Man is not able to rule and govern himself but needs counsel Prov. 12. 15. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise When a man engageth in any action such is the darkness and perversness of man's heart that he should not be over-confident of his own apprehensions or of his own inclinations but should hearken after counsel And Prov. 28. 26. He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool Both these Proverbs are to be understood not so much of wise managing of civil affairs as of spiritual direction Surely it is ill trusting our selves and counsels and inclinations of our own hearts Blind affections usually govern a mans life and all sinners have an evil counsellor in their bosom some lust or other and therefore need to be directed The Counsel of the flesh is Favour thy self Every evil affection gives ill counsel Covetousness saith Preserve thy worldly interest Voluptuousness saith You need not be so strict and nice and abridge your selves of the comforts of the world Paul saith Gal. 1. 16. I conferred not with flesh and blood Flesh and blood are evil counsellors and under pretence of safety will suggest what is for our ruin What will the flesh say when it is to be denied and the blood say when it is to be spilt and shed for Gods sake these will perswade us rather to please our selves than please God They will perswade us to desert our duty Prop. 3. The only good counsel that we can have is from God in his word Psal. 73. 24. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterwards receive me unto glory We have it from God and we have it from his word for there 's a Guide and a Rule Man is so weak and so perverse that he needs both a Guide and a Rule the Guide is the Spirit of God and the Rule is the Word of God Thou shalt guide me but by thy Counsel by these two alone can we be led in the way to true happiness The Spirit he is a sure Guide and the Word that 's a clear Rule We are dark but the Scriptures are not dark I observed out of the 18th Verse when the Saints called upon God they do not say Lord make a plainer Law but Lord give me better eyes We are dark and need the illumination of the Spirit the Scriptures are light Prov. 6. 23. The Commandment is a lamp and the Law is light In all matters of practical obedience it is clear and open Prop. 4. The counsel that God hath given us in his word is sufficient and full out to all our necessities Let me instance this in particulars 1. The word gives us counsel for our general choice it is the rule of all faith and obedience The Scriptures are the counsel of God sent to remedy the miseries of the fall therefore it is said Acts 20. 27. I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsel of God It is Gods counsel how man should be reconciled how he should be converted and come to the enjoyment of himself David when he had chosen God for his portion he saith Psal. 16. 7. Blessed be God who hath given me counsel In the word he gives us counsel how to come to him for our happiness and by grace he sets it on upon the heart this is the counsel of God concerning our salvation 2. Not only in our general choice but in all our particular actions so far as they have a tendency unto that end Psal. 119. 105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my paths It is a lamp and a light We are full of darkness and error but as we follow the direction of God it is a lamp not only to our path but to our steps to our feet not only to our path to our general course but it directeth us in every particular action 3. In dark and doubtful passages when a man multiplieth consultations and perplexed thoughts and changeth conclusions as a sick man doth his bed and knows not what course to take whether this or that then the word will direct him what to do so as that a man may find quiet in his soul. Indeed here 's the question How far the word of God is a Counsellor to us in such perplexed and doubtful cases 1. The word of God will help him to understand how far he is concerned in such an action in point of duty and conscience for otherwise it were not able to make the man of God perfect and throughly furnished unto all good warks 2 Tim. 3. 17. Now it is a great relief to the soul when a man understands how far he is concerned in point of duty The Conflict many times lyes not only between light and lust or light and interest then a gracious man knows what part to take but when it lyes between duty and duty then it 's tedious and troublesome to him Now the Word clearly will tell you what 's your duty in any action whatever it be 2. As to the prudent management of the action in order to success the Word will teach you to go to God for wisdom Iames 1. 6. and to observe his answer 3. So in all actions the word will teach you to ask God's leave and God's blessing Christians it is not enough to ask Gods counsel but ask his leave in any particular action in disposing our dwellings or our concernments of children and the like Judg. 1. Who shall go up and sight against the Canaanites They would fain have the Lord decide it And again Shall I go up to Ramoth Gilead In all actions our business is to ask Gods leave David always runs to the Oracle and Ephod Shall I go up to Hebron And Iacob in his journeys would neither go to Laban nor come from him without a warrant and leave from God So we
ask Gods leave in prayer and observe the bent of our hearts after prayer 4. The word of God teacheth a man when he understandeth his duty and hath Gods leave to submit the event to God and that easeth the heart because he may be sure of success comfort and support Psal. 37. 5. Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass And Prov. 16. 3. Commit thy work unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established It easeth us of a great deal of trouble and care so that when a man hath brought his affections to submit to whatever God should determine in point of success when he hath moderated and calm'd his spirit that he is resolved to bear the event whatever it be this easeth the soul of a deal of trouble Thus you see how we may make the statutes of God to be the men of our counsel USE 1. What a singular mercy is it that God hath given us the Scripture where we have counsel upon all occasions how to manage our affairs prudently bear afflictions comfortably and with composed hearts to get through all events and dangers that we meet with in our passage to heaven We should have groped up and down as the Sodomites for Lot's dore if we had not this rule of faith and obedience It is a Rule that teacheth us how to think well for it reacheth to the thoughts to speak well for it giveth a law to all our words to do well in all our civil actions and trading how to keep a good conscience and approve our selves to God how in natural actions eating drinking to season them with Gods fear and religious actions how we may pray and worship how to govern our selves our own hearts and affections to converse with others in all relations as Fathers Children Masters Servants Magistrates Ministers People and how to hold communion with God all which are demonstrations of the sufficiency of the Scripture for our direction and what reason there is that we should take the testimonies of God to be the men of our counsel USE 2. For reproof to those that turn the back upon Gods Counsels Who are those 1. Such as neglect the general duties of Christianity as Faith and Repentance God hath given us counsel what to do in order to eternal life and we regard it not The great quarrel between God and sinners is about the neglect of this counsel which he hath given them for their souls good Pro. 1. 25. They set at nought all my counsel and v. 30. They would none of my counsel O! when your friends have advised you and you despise it and take another course it troubleth them You know how heinously Achitophel took it when his counsel was despised Equals when their counsel is despised take it very ill much more Superiors when they give counsel The entreaty and advice of a Superior carrieth the force of a command So it is here with God it is called counsel not as if it were an arbitrary thing whether we did regard it or no but because of Gods mild condescension when men are in danger of perishing for ever the Lord gives us counsel You are in a miserable estate he is pleased to tell you how to come out of your misery the word of God therefore is called the counsel of God It is sad when we shall reject the counsel of God Luk. 7. 30. They rejected the counsel of God against themselves There 's two sentences they rejected the counsel of God and it was against themselves it was to their own loss and destruction God Ioseth nothing when we despise his counsel but you lose all your eternal happiness This is so great an evil that God punisheth it with it self When men will not take Gods counsel then it is the most dreadful Judgment he can lay upon us to give us up to our own counsel Psal. 81. 11. O what a heavy judgment was it to be given up to the counsels of their own heart 2. It reproves such as do not consult with Gods word about their affairs but meerly live as they are acted by their own lusts or walk at all adventures so the expression in the marginal reading is Lev. 26. 21. It is as the action falls they do not care whether it please God or be the rule of their duty yea or no. These are far from the temper of Gods children It is sad in persons much more in Nations when men run head-long upon all manner of disorders against right and honesty it tends to ruin Deut. 32. 28. They are a Nation void of counsel neither is there any understanding in them 3. Such as go flatly against the counsel of God and to gratifie their own interest pervert all that is just and honest Psal. 107. 11. They rebelled against the word of the Lord and contemned the counsel of the Most High These do but expose themselves to speedy ruin Job 18. 7. Bildad said of the wicked His own counsel shall cast him down They need no other means to ruin them than their own brutish course When men dare break the commandment of God without any relâ—…tancy to gratifie a worldly interest though for the present no evil comes of it yet afterwards they shall smart Prov. 19. 20. Hear counsel and receive instruction that thou mayest be wise for thy latter end Consider what it will come to afterwards when thou comest to dye then you will wish O that I had taken Gods counsel that I had not gone with such a daring spirit against the plain counsel of Gods word 4. Such as pretend to ask counsel from the word but it is according to the Idol of their own hearts that come with their own conclusions and preconceptions and prejudices against Gods counsel Ezek. 14. 3 4. Son of man these have set up their idols in their heart c. Men will come and pretend to ask Gods counsel and leave upon their undertakings when they are resolved upon a wicked enterprise before then God must be called upon and sought to and so they make Gods Ordinance a Lacquey meerly to be a covert to their evil practices as those in Jer. 42. that came to the Prophet and they were prepossest and had their resolutions aforehand USE 3. To press us to this consulting with the word of God to make the testimonies of the Lord the men of our counsel There are many qualifications and tempers of heart necessary 1. Fear of God Psal. 25. 12. What man is he that feareth the Lord him will he teach the way that he shall chuse He that is in doubt and perplexed and would have counsel from Gods word who is the man that is like to have it He that feareth the Lord. There is a great sutableness between the qualification and the promise partly he that fears God hath a greater awe of the word than others have and is loth to do any thing contrary to Gods
meditating for meditating frequent turning the key maketh the Lock go more easie Good dispositions make way for good dispositions Psal. 27. 14. Psal. 31. 24. Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart Pluck up your spirits strive to take courage and then God will give you courage To shake us out of laziness God maketh the precept to go before the promise God biddeth us pray though prayer be his own gift Act asyou would expect 7. There is a supply cometh in ere we are aware Cant. 6. 12. Or ever I was aware my soul made me like the chariots of Aminadab in the very work A strange difference of temper is to be observed in David before the Psalm be over 1 Chron. 22. 16. Arise therefore and be doing and the Lord be with thee God will not help that man that hath legs to go and will not 8. We are to rowse up our selves Psal. 64. 7. And there is none that calleth upon thy name that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee When we are willing to get the work over and wrestle not for life and power in praying we do not all we are able The Cock by clapping the wings addeth strength to the crowing We should rowse up our selves We use not the bellows to a dead coal c. 2. The next circumstance is the argument according to thy word what word doth David mean Either the general promises in the books of Moses or Iob which intimate deliverance to the faithful observers of Gods Law or help to the miserable and distressed or some particular promise given to him by Nathan or others Chrysostome saith Quicken me to live according to thy word but it is not a word of command but a word of promise Mark here 1. He doth not say Secundum meritum meum but secundum verbum tuum the hope or that help which we expect from God is founded upon his word there is our security in his promises not in our deservings Promittendo se fecit debitorem c. 2. When there was so little Scripture written yet David could find out a word for his support Alas in our troubles and afflictions no promise occurreth to mind As in outward things many that have less live better than those that have abundance so here now Scripture is so large we are less diligent and therefore though we have so many promises we are apt to faint we have not a word to bear us up 3. This word did not help him till he had lain long under this heavy condition that he seemed dead Many when they have a promise think presently to enjoy the comfort of it No there is waiting and striving first necessary We never relish the comfort of the promises till the creatures have spent their allowance and we have been exercised God will keep his word and yet we must expect to be tryed 4. In this his dead condition faith in Gods word kept him alive When we have lest feeling and there is nothing left us the word will support us Rom. 4. 19 20. And being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead when he was about an hundred years old neither yet the deadness of Sarahs womb he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God 5. One good way to get comfort is to plead the promise to God in prayer Chirographa tua injiciebat tibi Domine shew him his hand-writing God is tender of his word These arguings in prayer are not to work upon God but our selves USE Well then let us thus deal with God looking to him in the sense of our own weakness praying often to God for quickning as David doth in the Text. God keepeth grace in his own hands and dispenseth it at his pleasure that he may often hear from us and that we may renew our dependance upon him it is pleasing to him when we desire him to renew his work and bring forth the actings of grace in their vigour and lustre And let us acknowledg Divine Grace if there be strong actings of faith and love towards God He is to be owned in his work SERMON XXVII PSALM CXIX 26. I have declared my ways and thou heardest me teach me thy statutes IN this Verse you have three things 1. David's open and free dealing with God I have declared my ways 2. God's gracious dealing with David and thou heardest me 3. A Petition for continuance of the like favour teach me thy statutes 1. For the first I have declared my ways that is distinctly and without hypocrisie laid open the state of my heart and course of my affairs to thee Note Doct. They that would speed with God should learn this point of Christian ingenuity unfeignedly to lay open their whole case to him That is to declare what they are about the nature of their affairs the state of their hearts what of good or evil they find in themselves their conflicts supplies distresses hopes this is declaring our ways the good and evil we are conscious to As a sick Patient will tell the Physician how it is with him so should we deal with God if we would find mercy This declaring his ways may be looked upon 1. As an act of faith and dependence 2. As an act of holy friendship 3. As an act of spiritual contrition and brokenness of heart for this declaring must be explain'd according to the sense of the object of what David means by this expression My ways First His businesses or undertakings I have still made them known to thee committing them to the direction of thy Providence and so it is an act of faith and dependence consulting with God and acquainting him with all our desires This is necessary 1. That we may acknowledg the Soveraignty of his Providence and Dominion over all Events Prov. 16. 9. A mans heart deviseth his way but the Lord directeth his steps Man proposeth but God disposeth and carrieth on the event either further than we intended or else contrary to what we intended 2. We must declare our ways to God that we may take God along with us in all our actions that we may ask his leave counsel blessing Prov. 3. 6. In all thy ways acknowledg him and he shall direct thy paths There 's a twofold direction one of Gods Providence the other of his Counsel The direction of his Providence that 's understood Prov. 16. 9. A mans heart deviseth his way but the Lord directeth his steps But then there 's the direction of his Counsel and the latter is promised here if we acknowledg God and declare our ways to him God will counsel us And David did thus declare his way upon all occasions 2 Sam. 2. 1. David enquired of the Lord saying Shall I go up into any of the cities of Iudah It is a piece of Religious manners to begin every business with God to go to God Lord
shall I do so or shall I not to desire him that is Lord of all to give us leave who is the Fountain of Wisdom to give us Counsel who is the disposer of all Events to give us a blessing 3. The declaring of our ways is necessary that we may be sensible of Gods eye that is upon us and so act the more sincerely Certainly it is a great advantage to make God conscious to every business we have in hand when we dare undertake nothing but what we would acquaint him withal There are some to whom the Prophet pronounceth a wo Isa. 29. 15. Wo unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord and their works are in the dark and they say Who seeth us and who knoweth us For the opening of this place surely none can seriously be so vain and grow up to such sottish Atheism as to think to hide a thing from God but they are loth solemnly to draw it forth in the view of conscience to revive a sense of Gods Omnisciency upon themselves We are said to deny that which many times we forget and will not think of So that those which hide their counsels from God are those that will not take God along with them In short this declaration is not necessary for God who knows our thoughts a far off Psal. 139. 2. not only our words and works but purposes before we begin to lift up a thought that way But this declaration is necessary for us to encrease the awe of God upon our heart and that we may undertake nothing but what we will solemnly acquaint the Lord with Well then this declaring our ways is an act of dependence Secondly By his ways may be meant all his straits sorrows and dangers and so this declaring it is an act of holy friendship when a man comes as one friend to another and acquaints God with his whole state lays his condition before the Lord in hope of pity and relief We have liberty to do so to tell God all our mind Heb. 10. 19. Let us come with boldness by the blood of Iesus and Heb. 4. 16. The word signifies with liberty of speech speaking all to God your whole state and condition if you have any sins to be pardoned any miseries to be redressed that where you are doubtful you may be helped by Gods counsel where you are weak you may be confirmed by his strength where you are sinful you may be pitied by his mercy where you are miserable you may be delivered by his power This is holy friendship to acquaint God with our doubts wants griefs and fears and we may do it with more confidence because we go to him in Christs name Joh. 16. 23. Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name it shall be granted unto you It is no fiction or strain but a real truth Will Christ deceive us when he saith Verily And then whatsoever you ask you have liberty to go to God for the removal of any fear the granting any regular desire or for satifying any doubt Whatsoever you ask the Father in my name our prayers by this means are Christs request as well as ours For instance if you send a child or servant to a friend for any thing in your name the request is yours and he that denies a child so servant denies you so saith Christ Go to the Father in my name God cannot deny a request in Christs name no more than he can deny Christ himself therefore you may use a holy boldness Thirdly By ways is meant temptations and sins and so this declaring is an act of spiritual contrition or brokenness of heart Sins they are properly our ways as Ezek. 18. 25. the Lord makes a distinction between my ways and your ways God hath his ways and we ours Our ways are properly our sins Now these saith David I will declare that is distinctly lay them open before God This is a part of our duty with brokenness of heart to declare our ways to acquaint God fully how it is with us without dissembling any thing It is a duty very unpleasing to flesh and blood natural pride and self-love will not let us take shame upon our selves and out of carnal ease and laziness we are loth to submit to such a troublesome course and thus openly to declare our ways Guilt is shy of Gods presence and sin works a strangeness Adam hid himself when God came into the garden and when he could shift no longer he will not declare it but transfers the fault upon Eve and obliquely upon God himself and ever since there are many tergiversations in mans heart and therefore it is said Job 31. 33. If I have covered my sin as did Adam Iunius renders it more hominum after the manner of men but Adam's name is used because we shew our selves to be right Adam's race apt to cover our sins The same expression we have Hos. 6. 7. But they like men have transgressed the covenant in the Hebrew 'tis like Adam so if I covered my sin as did Adam this is the fashion of men Now David brought his heart to this resolution with much strugling Psal. 32. 5. I said I will confess my sins he forced himself and thrust his backward heart forward by a strong resolution for we are loth to deal thus openly plainly and truly with God being shy of his presence and would fain keep the Devils counsel and come with our iniquity in our bosom But though this is a troublesome displeasing exercise to flesh and blood yet it is profitable and necessary For us thus to declare our ways 1. Because it is made to be one of the conditions of pardon and the act of Repentance that 's necessary to the pardon of sin Prov. 28. 13. He that hideth his sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsakes them shall find mercy so it runs And 1 Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins Gods Justice is satisfied by Christ but it must be glorified and owned by us So Jer. 3. 13. I am merciful saith the Lord only acknowledg thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God God hath mercy enough to pardon all only he will have it sued out his own way he will have his mercy asked upon our knees and have the creature stoop and submit And David Psal. 51. 3. I acknowledg my transgression 2. It is the only means to have our peace setled If you would not have your trouble and anxious thoughts continued upon you go open your selves to God declare your ways Psal. 32. 5. I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin As soon as David did but take up a resolution presently he felt the comfort of it If David had confest sooner he had come to his case sooner Distress of conscience is continued upon us until this be
and overflow of his Love 2. His Care for our Security For by his Promise he giveth his People an hold-fast upon him as he maketh himself a Debtor to them by his own Promise who was otherwise free before such Ingagement to poor Creatures Psal. 89. 34. My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips The Word is gone out of his Lips not to be recalled nor reversed The Promises are as so many Bonds wherein he stands bound to us and these Bonds may be put in suit and his People have liberty and confidence to ask what he hath promised to them Austin saith of his Mother Chirographa tua injiciebat tibi Domine Lord she shewed thy own Bond and Hand-writing It is a mighty Argument in Prayer when we can plead that we ask no more than God hath promised 2. That there is usually some time of delay between making the Promise and fulfilling the Promise For therefore God promiseth because he meaneth to do us good but not presently And this delay is not for want of kindness or out of any backwardness to our good for so it is said he will not tarry Hab. 2. 3. Though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry nor out of ignorance as not knowing the fittest time to help his People for his waiting is guided by Judgment Isa. 30. 18. He waiteth that he may be gracious for he is a God of judgment he will take hold of the fittest season or occasion Not from forgetfulness of his Promise for he is ever mindful of his holy covenant Psal. 111. 5. Not from any mutability of Nature or change of Counsel for he is Iehovah that changeth not Mal. 3. 6. I am the Lord I change not therefore ye sons of Iacob are not consumed He hath a due foresight of all possible difficulties and needeth not to alter his Counsels Not from impotency and weakness as if he could not execute what he had promised as the Sons of Zeruiah were too hard for David 2 Sam. 3. 39. all things are at the beck and signification of his Will But 1. Partly with respect to his own Glory he will do things in their proper season Eccles. 3. 11. Every thing is beautiful in its time This is the wise Providence of God in the Government of the World that every thing is brought forth in its proper season and in the time when it is most fit God humbleth and God exalteth his People in the due time 1 Pet. 5. 6. Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time So it is said of their Enemies Deut. 32. 35. Their foot shall slide in due time Summer and Winter must succeed in their seasons 2. With respect to us God will try our Faith whether we can stay on his Word and hug it and embrace it till the Blessing come As it is said of the Patriarchs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11. 13. They embraced the promises Psal. 56. 4. In God I will praise his word I have put my trust in the Lord I will not fear what flesh can do unto me During this time we may be exercised with divers Troubles and difficulties so that to appearance God seemeth to forget his Promises and this he doth 1. Partly to try our Faith to the utmost to see if we can trust and depend upon God for things which we see not nor are likely to see Faith in the general is a Dependence upon God for some thing that lieth out of sight Now when the Object is not onely out of sight but all that is seen and felt seemeth to contradict our Hopes and God seemeth to put us off and we meet with many a rebuke of our Confidence in stead of an Answer as the Woman of Canaan that came to Christ at first meeteth not with a Word then his speech more discourageth than his silence Mat. 15. 26. It is not meet to take the childrens bread and to cast it to the dogs she turneth this Rebuke into an Encouragement ver 27. Truth Lord yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters table Ver. 28. Then Iesus answered and said unto her O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Many times we come and pray for Blessings promised and the Oracle is dumb and silent though God love the Supplicant yet he will not seem to take notice of his Desires but will humble him to the dust Now to pick an Answer out of God's Silence and a gracious Answer out of his Rebukes sheweth great Faith Iob saith chap. 13. 15. Though he slay me yet I will trust in him Faith supports us under the greatest Pressures when God seemeth to deal like an Enemy yet even then trusts in God as a Friend and that his Dispensations will never give his Word the lie 2. To try our Patience as well as our Faith God's dearest Children are not admitted to the enjoyment of the Mercies promised presently Heb. 6. 12. Be not sloathful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises And Heb. 10. 36. Ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye may receive the promise We must first do and sometimes suffer the Will of God The Promises are to come and at a great distance and if we hope for that we see not and enjoy not then do we with patience wait for it Rom. 8. 25. But especially is Patience tried when we meet with Oppositions Difficulties Dangers many things done many things suffered before we can attain what we hope for Now quietly to wait God's leisure is a great trial of our Patience Our times are always present with us when God's time is not come An hungry Stomach would have Meat e're it be sodden or roasted and a sickish Appetite must have green Fruit But to wait like the Husbandman in all Seasons and Weathers till the Corn ripen and to persevere in hoping and praying that is that which God requires 3. Our Love though we be not feasted with felt Comforts nor bribed with present Satisfaction and Benefits in hand God will try the deportment of his Children whether they will adhere to him when he seemeth to cast them off It is not said In the way of thy mercies but In the way of thy judgments O Lord have we waited for thee the desire of our soul is to thy Name and to the remembrance of thee Isa. 26. 8. Love for himself without any present Benefit from him yea when kept under sore Judgments and deep Distresses 4. To inlarge our Desires that we may have the greater sense of our Necessities and value for the Blessings promised A Sack that is stretched out holdeth the more Delay increaseth Importunity Ask and ye shall have seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you Mat. 7. 7.
now white when stamped with the printing Irons hath a Story written upon it in legible Characters 6. How much it concerneth you to come out of this Condition speedily for God is not a God to be neglected or dallied with When he calls in the seasons of Grace he will be observed otherwise you may call and he will have no regard They shall call and I will not answer they shall seek me early but not find me Prov. 1. 28. When you receive many checks of Conscience intreaties of Grace motions of the Spirit in vain God will be gone God doth commonly give Men a Day and no Man or Angel knoweth how long this Day shall last God gave Cain a day if thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted if thou dost ill Sin lieth at the door Oh then when you begin to have thoughts of turning unto God let them not be quelled God reckoneth every hour these three Years this second Epistle this second Miracle and when his Patience will expire you cannot tell 7. How happy it will be for you when once you change your Course The Prodigal remembred the plenty in his Fathers House you will find a manifest difference Rom. 6. 21 22. What fruit had you then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end of those things is Death But now being made free from Sin and become Servants to God ye have your fruit unto Holiness and the end everlasting Life In the way no such gripes of Conscience no shame sorrow fears in the end everlasting Life It was your mistaking that called the days of Sin good days Oh but when fruitfull in Holiness you will have present Comfort and serenity of Mind a tast of the clusters of Canaan in the Wilderness hope of a glorious State and the best will be at last Compare Pain with Pain Pleasure with Pleasure We do not compare right the pains of Godliness with pleasures of Sin and yet there you may see the discharging of our Duty will yield more true Comfort and Peace than all the Pleasures of Sin can bring us 8. What Hopes by Christ Heb. 3. 1. Wherefore holy Brethren partakers of the heavenly Calling consider the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Iesus Christ what Provision God hath made Thirdly Let me argue the Necessity of this Consideration 1. Otherwise Men are rash careless and precipitant and act as they are carried on by their own Lusts whereas if they did consider it would stop them in the course of Sin they rush like an horse into the Battle because no man saith what have I done Jer. 8. 6. Men run on like a head-strong Horse after their Lusts and Fancies whereas if they do seriously bethink themselves and cast in a few grave thoughts about things to come it would be like the putting in of cold water into a boiling Pot abate the fervour of their Lusts. Men are wicked because they are Inconsiderate there are Arguments enough against Sin if they would but pause and weigh them seriously but we do not think of Heaven and Hell and therefore they do not work upon us Eccles. 11. 9. Remember that for all these things God will bring thee to Iudgment 2. This serious Consideration is a good means to awaken us from the sleep of security when we consider the end why we were made the Rule we are to walk by and pose our selves about Conformity or Inconformity to this Rule and do withall revolve the issues of things in our Minds it cannot but rouse us up out of our sloath and stupidness and make us act more vigorously and regularly as to the ends of our Creation Oh what shall I doe the first Grace is Awakening that maketh way for other Graces Eph. 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee Light Whereas otherwise when we consider not we are stupid and sottish Isa. 44. 19. None considereth in his heart is there not a lye in my right hand I have burnt part in the fire Eccles. 5. 1. They offer the Sacrifice of fools for they consider not that they have done evil they do not weigh their Actions The Reason why they goe wrong and continue wrong is they do not seriously ponder and debate with themselves what it will come to 3. By Consideration we come to find where the Work of God sticketh with us and so Conviction being the more particular worketh the more kindly A blunt Iron that toucheth many points doth not so soon go to the quick as a Needle that toucheth but one point Mal. 3. 17. Return and they said wherein shall we return we do not see the need of Repentance so much as by prying narrowly into our own Ways In short without this Life is not so regular the Heart is not overpowred with such strong and full Reason to comply with God's Counsel II. How much it concerneth us after we have considered our Ways to turn to the Lord and diligently to pursue the Course which he hath prescribed I turned my feet unto thy Testimonies a sound Conversion is here described 1. I turned in the thorough purpose of his Heart that is the Act on our part It is by God's Grace that we are turned but we turne our selves when the purpose of our Souls is fixed Turne me and I shall be turned God inclineth the Heart and we manifest it by binding our selves by a thorough purpose A wish an offer when it endeth onely in that we have not considered enough but when the Heart is bent I am turned The Prodigal when he took up came to himself and had reasoned the case says I will goe to my Father Luke 15. 18. it must be such a purpose as is diligently pursued 2. The Object or Rule my feet unto thy Testimonies By his Feet is meant the course of his Life Our Will and natural Inclination should be no Rule to us but God's Testimonies We must intirely give up our selves to the direction of his Word As many as walk according to this Rule Gal. 1. 16. we are not to walk as we list There is a fixt determinate Rule which must be kept with all accurateness and attention a Godly man is very tender of breaking this Rule he makes Conscience of keeping to this Rule Now it concerneth us to make sure work of it 1. Because Convictions lost occasion the greater hardness of Heart No Iron so hard as that which has been often heated and oft quenched and no Heart so bad as theirs that seemed to have some serious and anxious thoughts about their eternal Condition The Devil is the more busy and watchfull about them because of their offer to escape and God is the more provoked because they started aside when they were at the point of yielding As better a Match were never proposed then to break off just as it is ready to be concluded Always according to the closeness of the Application if it succeed
in Affection and Estimation Alas the best of us are scarce dark shadows of his Goodness 4. God's Goodness is the Life of our Faith and Trust so long as the Goodness of God endureth for ever we have no cause to be discouraged If we want Direction in the Text 't is said Thou art good and dost good teach me thy Statutes If we want Support and Deliverance Nahum 1. 7. The Lord is good a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him In every streight the People of God find him to be a good God When we feel the burthen of Sin and fear God's Wrath Psalm 86. 5. The Lord is good and ready to forgive and plenteous in Mercy to all them that call upon him David when his old Sins troubled him the Sins of his Youth Psalm 25. 7. Remember not the Sins of my youth nor my Transgressions according to thy Mercy remember thou me for thy goodness sake O Lord. When his Enemies consulted his Ruine Psalm 52. 1. Why boastest thou thy self in mischief O mighty Man the goodness of God endureth continually They cannot take away the Goodness of God from you whatever they plot or purpose against you Thus may Faith triumph in all Distresses upon the sense of the Goodness of God In the Agonies of Death the Goodness of God will be your Support Non sic vixi ut pudeat me inter vos vivere nec mori timeo quia bonum habeo Dominum We have a good Master who will not see his Servants unrewarded the Goodness of God and his readiness to be gracious to every one that cometh to him is the Fountain of the Saints Hope Strength and Consolation 5. The Goodness of God is the great Motive and Invitation to Repentance Rom. 2. 4. Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance How so God is good but not to those that continue in their Sins Psalm 68. 19 20 21. Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with Benefits even the God of our Salvation Selah He that is our God is the God of Salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death But God shall wound the head of his Enemies and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his Trespasses If Goodness be despised it will be turned into Fury How great soever the Riches of the Lords Bounty and Grace offered in Christ are yet an impenitent Sinner will not escape unpunished God is good oh come try and see how good he will be to you if you will turn and submit to him There is Hope offered and Goodness hath waited to save you so that now you may seek his Favour with hope to speed While he sits upon the Throne of Grace and alloweth the Plea of the New Covenant do not stand off against Mercies God hath laid out the Riches of his gracious Goodness upon a design to save lost sinners and will you turn back upon him and despise all his Goodness provided for you in Christ In point of gratitude the least kindness done men melteth them as coals of fire The Borrower is servant to the Lender God hath not only lent us but given us all that we have therefore it should break our Hearts with sorrow and remorse that we should offend a God so Good so Bountifull so Mercifull The odiousness of sin doth most appear in the unkindness of it that infinite Goodness hath been abused and infinite Goodness despised and that you are willing to lose your part in infinite Goodness rather than not satisfie some base lust or look after some trifling vanity Saul wept at the thoughts of David's kindness 1 Sam. 24. 16. Every man will condemn the wrongs done to one that hath done us no evil but much Good and will you sin against God who is so Good in himself so Good to all his Creatures and so Good to you and waiteth to be better and more gracious and return evil for all his good and requite his Love with nothing but unkindness and Provocation Oh be ashamed of all these things What heart is that that can offend and so willingly offend so good a God Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you by the Mercies of God there is Argument and Endearment enough in that that ye present your bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable Service that ye consecrate dedicate your selves to his glory address your selves chearfully to his Service Let the Soul be warmed into an earnest resolution to please him for the future lest you make Goodness your Enemy and Justice take up the quarrel of abused Grace 6. The Goodness of God is the great Argument to move us to Love God If he be Good he is worthy to be Loved and that with a superlative Love for God is both the Object and the Measure of Love a less Good should be loved less and a greater Good more All that is not God is but a finite and limited Good and must be loved accordingly God only is Infinite and Eternal and therefore he is to be loved of all and above all with our chiefest and most worthy Love by preferring his Glory above all things that are dear to us and being content for his sake to part with all that we have in the world But if any lower thing prevail with us we prefer it before God and so contemn his Goodness in comparison of it If the object of Love be Good none so properly deserveth our Love as God For 1. He is Originally Good the Fountain of all Good therefore if we leave God for the deceitfull vanities of this present life we leave The Fountain of Living waters for a broken Cistern Jer. 2. 13. The Creatures are but dry pits and broken Cisterns 2. He is Summum Bonum the Chiefest Good Other things what good they have they have it from him therefore it is infinitely better and greater in him than in them all the Good that is in the Creature is but a Spark of what is in God If we find any good there it is not to detain our Affections but to lead us to the greater Good not to hold us from him but to lead us to him as the Streams lead to the Fountain and the steps of a Ladder are not to stand still upon but that we may ascend higher There is Goodness in the creature but mixed with Imperfection the Good is to draw to him the Imperfection to drive us off from the Creature 3. He is Infinitely Good Other things may busie us and vex us but they cannot satisfie us this alone sufficeth for health wealth peace protection grace glory Necessities that are not satisfied in God are but Fancies and the desires that are hurried out after them apart from God are not to be satisfied but mortified If we have not enough in God it is not
though he kept God's Commandments yet he craveth farther Grace and desireth that he may be still taught because he knew not all that he might know and was ready to erre both in Practice and Judgment and this must teach us to desire God's guidance and direction not onely when we have erred but when we doe well Many when they have smarted for their Errours will desire God to teach them but David kept this continual dependance upon God for daily Grace both for turning away of evil and also for doing good Prov. 3. 5 6. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not upon thine own Understanding In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy Paths which we are to follow in our Places and Callings We are apt to ascribe too much to our present Frame and Resolutions God must still be called to for his Counsel and Blessing in every Business 5. An Evangelical Frame He pleadeth not Merit appealeth not to Justice but to God's Grace and Goodness This should be the special ground-work of our Prayers The Lord doth all to the praise of his glorious Grace Eph. 1. 7. and he will not have that Glory infringed either in part or in whole The Spirit of God is very tender of it in Scripture and we should be very tender of it in our Addresses to God that all Conceits of our own worth be laid aside and that we wholly fly to God's Goodness and Mercy The whole work of Sanctification from its first step to its last period is all of Grace all must be ascribed to God's free Goodness 6. The Will of God revealed in Scripture is a Subject that is never perfectly known While we are in the way to Glory there is always some new thing to be learned of it and from it even by those that are the greatest Proficients in the knowledge of it and therefore we must be still Scholars in this School and when we have learned never so much we must still be learning more This is continued lasting work for David is ever and anon at his old request Lord teach me thy Statutes and not without reason since ' tâ—…s not sufficient to know God's Will in some few great and weighty Actions of our livâ—… but in all whether of greater or lesser Concernments And when we know Generals yet we are so apt to erre in particular Cases and since the Commandment of God is â—…o exceeding broad Psal. 119. 96. Every day we may see more into it and may be more fully informed of the mind of God We every day see more in a Promise than we did before in a Precept than we did before therefore the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 8. 2. And if any man think that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know Use. Here is a Pattern and President for us especially now we have ingaged our Souls to God let us seek this directive Grace It implieth Pardon and that maketh way for Joy and Comfort for God teacheth pardoned Sinners A sure Light and Direction prevents many troubles of Spirit and anxious doubts 't is a pledge and assurance of our getting home to God those whom God guideth are sure to be safe in the issue First It sheweth what should be the matter of our Prayers David beggeth not to increase him in Riches and Honours nor to flow in temporal Delights no if God would shew himself a good God to him he desireth it may be in giving him the spirit of Understanding and some increase of Holiness this he would take as the principal sign of God's Favour and Grace to him The World generally imploreth God's Goodness to another end they think they are dealt liberally with when every man hath his Lust satisfied they pray from the intemperateness of the Flesh but David professeth it was enough to him if he might find God answering him in that one thing which most others neglect and pass by in their Prayers or if they mention it 't is for fashion sake and to comport with the usual way of praying But because there is great deceit and we often pray for what we have no mind to have granted let us see if this be our temper 1. We must discover it in our Thanksgiving and blessing God for this Gift though he denieth us other which make a fair shew in the World Matth. 11. 25 26 27. At that time Iesus answered and said I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to Babes Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight All things are delivered to me of my Father and no man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him Christ sheweth that the Mystery of Grace is at God's disposing who manifests it as he seeth good that if he hath cut us short in other things and been liberal to us in this we should not onely be contented but highly thankfull and how contemptible soever we be in the World yet 't is matter of Praise and Thanksgiving in that God hath bestowed his Grace and Love to us according to his Will and Pleasure 2. By our Patience and Contentedness in the want and loss of other things for this things sake want if God's Providence be so loss if occasioned by our adherence to Truth want we have no reason to envy carnal Men Psalm 17. 14 15. From men which are thy hand O Lord from men of the world which have their portion in this life and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure they are full of Children and leave the rest of their substance to their Babes But as for me I will behold thy face in Righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness We have no reason to repine our present Condition of entertaining Communion with God in a practice of Holiness countervaileth all their Happiness especially our future Hopes to increase in Knowledge and abound in the work of the Lord and to own and stand up for an hated and despised Truth will bring more Comfort to our Souls than all the Pleasure the Wicked have in their sensual Delights Are they the happy Men that goe on in opposition against the ways of God Prov. 3. 31 32 33. Envy thou not the Oppressour and choose none of his ways For the froward is an abomination to the Lord but his secret is with the Righteous The curse of the Lord is in the House of the Wicked but he blesseth the Habitation of the Iust. They are not happier than the Godly 't is a greater Happiness to know more of God's Mind than any thing they injoy Iohn 15. 15. Henceforth I call you not Servants for the Servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I call you Friends for all things that I have heard of my
set him in safety from him that puffeth at him 'T is the Pride of the Oppressor which God taketh notice of his puffing scoffing and mocking at the hopes of God's despised ones he never dreameth of any checks from any but despiseth and contemneth all And partly because of the insulting over their misery and low estate Zeph. 2. 10. This shall they have for their pride because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts But God taketh notice of it and will call them to an account in due time Prov. 3. 34. He scorneth the scorners but giveth grace unto the lowly Psal. 14. 6. You have shamed the counsel of the poor because the Lordâ—… is his refuge i. e. mocked at a man because he is resolved to trust in the Lord laughed at those that made conscience of their duty that consulted whether lawful or unlawful not whether danger and profit not whether safe or unsafe but whether pleasing to God or not They trust in the Lord that in conscience of their duty venture upon hazards expecting their security from Heaven these thoughts seemed foolish to worldly wisdom you shamed his counsel scoff at it Isa. 51. 7 8. Fear ye not the reproach of men nor their revilings For the moth shall eat them up like a garment and the worm shall eat them like wooll Those that make reckoning of the ways of God need not be discouraged with their spiteful vaunts USE Let us take heed of Pride the Lord that hated the Pride of Moab doth also hate the Pride of Iacob Amos 6. 8. 1. Take heed wittingly and willingly of opposing any Command of God Psal. 119. 21. Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed which do err from thy commandments Nehem. 9. 16. But our fathers dealt proudly and hardned their necks and hearkned not to his commandments so ver 29. These proclaim a War with the Lord of Hosts especially when not reclaimed by grievous Judgments Isa. 26. 19. I will break the pride of your power And this is that we should lay to heart at this day Ier. 13. 17. But if ye will not hear my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride When a People will not be brought to any serious consideration of God's Judgments nor abate their haughty minds he would bewail their foolish arrogancy and the miseries ensuing thereupon This standing out against God is the greatest Pride 2. Take heed of murmuring against his Providence Entertaining Crosses with anger and Blessings with disdain are sure Notes of unmortified Pride when God's dispensations still displease and the heart swelleth against his Sovereignty First To entertain Crosses with anger 2 Kings 6. 33. This evil is from the Lord why should I wait any longer upon the Lord Words of desperate distrust and murmuring Secondly Blessings with disdain Mal. 1. 2. I have loved you saith the Lord and they said Wherein hast thou loved us As if God owed them more than others and were a kind of Debtor to them Habak 2. 4. Behold his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him but the just shall live by his faith The lofty and unsound are distinguished from the just who can tarry God's leisure those mens souls are lifted up who cannot acquiesce in their lot and portion assigned by God but censure his way of proceeding and are loth he should have the disposing of them at his pleasure 3. Take heed of despising any of Christ's little ones and scorning and mocking at those that fear the Lord. The 51 verse of this Psalm The proud have had me greatly in derision To make a mock of others upon any account is a sign of Pride though they be meaner in Gifts though differing in Judgment though walking in a lower Dispensation but especially to scorn at them because more godly 2 Tim. 3. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Despisers of those that are good This is to reflect upon God himself whose Image in his Saints is made a by-word and a strict obedience to his Will matter of scorn and derision If a Slave should mock a Child because he is like his Father would this be well taken so the jealous God will not long endure this horrible indignity that his Image should be scorned in his children Isa. 63. 9. In all reproaches he is reproached But they will say 't is not their Holiness but their demure Hypocrisie and affected Preciseness which they reproach and scorn but God seeth the heart 't is as if a Leper did upbraid others with Pimples The Infirmities of the Godly do not justifie your contempt of Godliness and because of their Faults you must not scorn at their Holiness and expect Indempnity 4. Take heed of Moral Pride which consists in a lofty conceit of our selves joined with a contempt of others This was the Pharisees sin Luk. 18. 9. He spake this Parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others And 't is notably personated in the Pharisee and Publican who went up to pray and is daily seen in them who are speaking of their own things boasting of their own excellencies elevating their own but extenuating the gifts of others Most men are too great and too good in their own esteem Self-love representeth our selves to our selves in a feigned shape and likeness much more wise and holy and just than we are it maketh us loath other mens Sins rather than our own to extenuate other mens Gifts and Graces and cry up our own but this should not be Philip. 2. 3. Let each esteem another better than themselves Humility is content to sit in the meanest place Ephes. 3. 8. Who am the least of all the Saints 1 Tim. 1. 15. Christ came to save sinners of whom I am Chief We know our own weakness better than others and they may have secret excellencies which we see not this Moral Pride discovereth it self in three things First In disdain of Inferiors or contempt of those who are of meaner gifts or rank and place in the world Every member hath its use in the body the toe as well as the head neither can one say to another I have no need of thee 1 Cor. 12. 21. All Christians have their peculiar gifts by which they are rendered acceptable and useful to the body as every Countrey hath its proper Commodities for the maintaining of Trade and Commerce between all parts of the world or as to the beauty and use of the Universe there is need of Hills and Vallies so all Ranks of Men contribute to the beauty use and service of the whole The strong should not despise the weak nor the weak prescribe to the strong Now 't is impossible to keep all in their due order and proportion unless every one consider their own weakness and want and the usefulness of others As among Christians some are useful to preserve order others to keep afoot the life and power of godliness
Some to revive the pristine Purity others the old peaceable Spirit God hath so counterballanced all Parties that they may be mutually helpful But not that we despise and contemn any other and seek to destroy and subvert another and so make way for great mischiefs Every one hath enough to humble him and enough to render him useful to humane Society Therefore we must not set at nought our brother Rom. 14. 10. God hath made him something which thou art not and given him an ability to do something thou canst not do or wouldst not submit unto Contempt is the fruit of Pride there are none but deserve some respect Scorn is the bane of humane Society Secondly It betrayeth it self in contention with Equals Wrath and contention cometh by pride Prov. 13. 10. Every one seeks to be eminent and would excel Not in graces and gifts that 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an holy emulation but in rank and place We set too high a price upon our selves and when others will not come up to our price we are troubled We ascribe too much to our selves and when we meet not with that respect and honour which we affect we fall into contention and break out into strifes supposing our selves neglected We see it often what a make-bait this is in the world if others do not accommodate themselves to our sense if they approve not all things we say if their Opinion differeth a little or it may be nothing from ours Men pertinaciously obstinate in their Preconceptions will not change Opinion upon apparent evidence But now humble men are always peaceable they can better give and take these respects which are done to one another than others can The Apostle saith Ephes. 5. 21. Submit your selves to one another in the fear of God There is a service of love which every one oweth to another for their mutual good and advantage and is called Submission though it be to Equals because our proud and lofty spirits look upon it as below us There are none living whom God alloweth to live only to themselves Now that there may be an equality we are to stoop and condescend to one another others are to live to us and we to them 1 Pet. 5. 5. Be subject one to another and be cloathed with humility for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble This mutual subjection to another in the duties of love can never be obtained till we learn to moderate our esteem of our selves and heighten our esteem of others we can neither advise nor instruct nor esteem one another nor maintain peace in our Relations and perform all Christian offices to each other till this spirit prevail with us Thirdly By undutifulness to Superiors or those that are preferred in honour before our selves Proud men would be admired of all well thought of and spoken of by all and preferred above all and if it be not so they are discontented and a secret enmity and malignity invadeth their spirits and setleth it self there it is an apparent fruit of natural corruption Iam. 4. 5. The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy Men cannot endure either the real or reputed excellency of others The proud creature would shine alone Therefore we are secretly nibling at the credit of others blasting their reputation and desire by all means to lessen them or that they should be lessened and where this disposition prevaileth into any degree of strength and tyranny it groweth outragious Prov. 27. 4. Wrath is cruel and anger is outragious but who is able to stand before envy For when we are grieved at the prosperity and excellency of others we seek to undermine them by all the means we can devise As when the Brothers of Ioseph sought to put him out of the way And when Saul envied David he was still plotting his destruction So when the Pharisees envied Christ If we let him alone all men will run after him This brought them to crucifie the Lord of glory Anger venteth it self in sudden flashes and Wrath in some present act of violence but Envy is injurious and treacherous Anger and Wrath suppose some offence but Envy is troubled at the goodness and excellency of others Anger and Wrath are assuaged by degrees and when the raging Billows and Tempest ceaseth there is a Calm but this groweth by time and is exasperated more and more the longer those whom we envy are in good condition Now this affection reigned in us in our natural estate Tit. 3. 3. and remaineth in some degree in the best 4. Another expression of Pride is impatiency of Admonitions and Reproofs that is the cause of the wickeds hatred of the Godly because their lives are a real reproof Ioh. 7. 7. The world hateth me because I testifie of it that the works thereof are evil Heb. 11. 7. But surely it argueth a proud spirit when men cannot endure friendly counsel and will not have their privy sores touched but they grow fierce and outragious especially when they excel others in Rank and Power As when the Prophet reproved Amaziah 2 Chron. 25. 16. Art thou made of the King's Counsel forbear why shouldst thou be smitten so 2 Chron. 18. 23. He smote him on the cheek and said When went the spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee So the Pharisees hated Christ because of his free Reproofs Ioh. 9. 40. Are we blind also They cannot endure to hear of their faults especially from one in an inferiour condition and think every reproof to be a reproach though never so wisely and compassionately managed and that it is beneath their rank to stoop to it though Iob despised not the cause of his maid-servants Job 31. if they had any thing to say against him And David stopped upon Abigails motion 1 Sam. 25. 26. 5. Take heed of building too securely upon earthly enjoyments as if your Estate were so firm and secure that it could not be altered because you are high and great in Wealth Power Honour and Esteem Confidence in our outward Estate is a sure note of Pride Psal. 10. 4 5. The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts His ways are always grievous thy judgments are far above out of his sight as for all his enemies he puffeth at them He hath said in his heart I shall not be moved I shall not be in adversity There the Psalmist chargeth Pride on the wicked and such a Pride as ariseth from confidence in outward prosperity and mentioneth a double effect not only slighting their Adversaries but God himself 'T is no matter for any terms of peace or moderation towards their Adversaries his ways are always grievous Therefore are they violent fierce and high and severe towards them do not need the protection of God therefore cold flat negligent in Prayer yea scorn to implore God by Prayer for any Blessing They are so high in Place and Power
6. Though the Lord be high yet he hath a respect to the lowly and the proud he knoweth afar off Partly as he is the Portion of the afflicted and oppressed Psal. 140. 12. I know the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted and the right of the poor When Satan stirreth up his Instruments to hate those whom the Lord loveth the Lord will stir up his power to protect and defend them So Psal. 10. 14. Thou hast seen it for thou beholdest mischief and spite to requite it with thy hand the poor committeth himself to thee thou art the helper of the fatherless When they have layed forth their desires poured forth their heart before the Lord they quiet themselves 'T is God's office practice nature to relieve poor helpless Creatures that commit themselves to his custody 3. Innocency giveth confidence in Prayer when we are molested and troubled without a cause The testimony of Conscience giveth boldness towards God and men 2 Cor. 1. 12. and Heb. 13. 18. Pray for us for we trust we have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly If God's Children would carry it more holily and meekly they might cut off occasion from them that desire occasion and in their addresses to God experience more humble confidence But is not this a revengeful Prayer Answ. No First Because directly they pray for their own deliverance that they may more freely serve God by consequence Indeed by God's shewing mercy to his People the pride of wicked ones is suppressed Psal. 119. 134. Secondly As it concerneth his Enemies he expresseth it in mild terms That they may be ashamed that is disappointed their counsels hopes machinations and endeavors And therefore it is not against the Persons of his Enemies but their Plots and Enterprises and shame and disappointment may do them good They think to bring in the total suppression of God's People that would harden them in their sins Therefore God's People desire he would not let their innocency be trampled upon but they disappointed that the Proud may be ashamed in the failing of their attempts Thirdly The Prayers of the Faithful for the overthrow of the Wicked are a kind of Prophecies so that in praying David doth in effect foretell that such as dealt perversly should be ashamed as a good cause will not always be oppressed Isa. 66. 5. But he shall appear to your joy but they shall be ashamed They met with despiteful usage at the hand of their Brethren for their loyalty and fidelity to God Fourthly Saints have a liberty to imprecate vengeance but such as must be used sparingly and with great caution Psal. 71. 13. Let them be confounded and consumed who are adversaries to my soul. Malicious Enemies may be expresly prayed against SERMON LXXXVII PSAL. CXIX VER 78 79. But I will meditate in thy precepts Let those that fear thee turn unto me and those that have known thy testimonies WE now come to David's Resolution But I will meditate in thy precepts The word Precepts is not taken strictly but largely for the whole Word of God DOCT. It is a blessed thing when the Molestations we meet with in the World do excite us to a more diligent study of the Word of God and a greater mindfulness of spiritual and heavenly things I. I shall shew what advantages we have by God's Word and Precepts for the staying and bettering of our hearts II. How this cometh by deep and serious meditation III. How Afflictions and Troubles in the Flesh do quicken us to it 1 In the Word of God there are notable Comforts and Supports as also clear directions how to carry our selves in every condition I shall shew what good thoughts do become as a ground of comfort and support and direction 1. That God hath a fatherly care over us Be once persuaded of that and Trouble will not be so grievous and hard to be born This our Saviour opposeth to worldly cares and fears Matth. 6. 32. Your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of these things And Luke 12. 32. Fear not little flock it is your Father's good pleasure to give you a kingdom There are two Notions and they are both Christian which are the great support of the heart under any Trouble Adoption and particular Providence The Heirs of Promise are cared for in their Non-age And by the way once be persuaded of this and it will allay our distrustful cares Carking and shifting is a reproach to your heavenly Father as if your Child should beg or filch God knoweth our wants is able to relieve them willing to supply us this God is my Father 2. That the humble Soul which casts it self into the arms of God's Providence shall either have a full and final deliverance or present support Isa. 40. 31. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength To wait on the Lord is with patience and tranquility of spirit to expect the performance of the Promises Now these shall have what they wait for or a supply of strength yet enabling them to bear up or hold out when they seem to be clean spent Psal. 123. 2. Behold as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their master and the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God until he have mercy upon us 'T was in a time when they were filled with the contempt of the Proud let us be patiently submissive to God's dispensations there is hope of help 3. That God doth wonderfully disappoint the designs of wicked men Psal. 37. 12 13. The wicked plotteth against the just and guasheth upon him with his teeth The Lord shall laugh at him for he seeth that his day is coming Haman's Plot was destroyed so was the Conspiracy of them that would have killed Paul There is no wisdom nor counsel nor understanding against the Lord Prov. 21. 30. What is God now a doing in Heaven but defending his own Kingdom Psal. 2. Wherefore doth Christ sit at his right hand but to promote the affairs of his Church and to blast the devices of the wicked Mat. 18. The gates of hell shall never prevail against it 4. That the Proud are near a fall Prov. 16. 5. Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord Though hand join in hand they shall not go unpunished Sometimes they seem to be supported by such combined Interests so woven in the Laws and Constitutions of a Nation but who can keep up him whom God will pull down Pride is a sure note and forerunner of destruction Prov. 16. 18. Prov. 15. 25. The Lord will destroy the house of the proud but he will establish the border of the widow Weak and oppressed Innocence standeth upon surer terms than the Proud though they excel in Wealth and Opulency 5. That God will never leave us wholly destitute and to difficulties insupportable Heb. 13. 5. I will never leave thee
of Balaam that he caused Balak to lay a stumbling block before the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication This was the Plot to send some beautiful Women of Midian to wander about the Camp of Israel to tempt their lusty Youth and martial Men first to Uncleanness and then to Idolatry that so God might be provoked against them A Plot so full of refined Malice that it can hardly be parallel'd Thus the Devil and his Instruments play their part sufficiently to divide God's People to prejudice their Rulers yea to disaffect God himself II. Plots to discourage and suppress Religion So there are many ways which wicked Men take who can name them all I shall only instance in two Policies of Iulian the Apostate the most refined Instrument the Devil used either for Wit or Malice two ways especially did he seek to undermine Religion 1. One was to forbid the use of Schools to the Christians and suppress Humane Learning To make a people irreligious the way is to make them ignorant discourage Learning and Piety will not be long in fashion not able long to maintain itself in the dark Men will adore any fancy This was like Nahash his condition to Iabesh Gilead Put out their right eye God's two famous Instruments who wrote most both of the Old and New Testament Paul and Moses were both excellently skill'd in secular Learning 2. Another was to put none to death for Religion but to oppress them with all manner of vexations and discouragements To put them to death he apprehended to be glorious but sometimes banished them Towns As Athanasius deprived them of all Offices Civil and Military wasted them with burdensom Levies and Exactions Let us make them poor saith he scoffingly for it is a hard matter for the Rich to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven The Devil doth his work more cleverly and handsomly when Christians are not called out to the Fire and Gibbet but are wasted by lingring Inconveniences and loss of Priviledges III. Plots to introduce Persecution 1. Defamation Infamy is the Forerunner of more Trouble and the Showers of Slander are but Presages of grievous Storms of Persecution The Devil is first a Lyar and then a Murtherer Iohn 8. 44. When the Children of God are represented as Criminal they are more easily destroyed 'T was a fashion in the primitive Persecutions to invest Christians with a Bears skin and then to bait them as Bears And 't is an usual practice of Satan and his Instruments to blast the repute of Religious persons to cloath them with the Livery of Reproach and then prosecute them as Offenders Psal. 5. 9. Their throat is an open sepulchre The Slanders of the wicked are preparatives to Death as the Sepulchre when opened is prepared to receive the dead Carkass Men first slander and then molest The Devil is afraid to meddle with unstained innocency A good report is a great security against open violence 2. To destroy the Church under the pretence of the Church as the Beast in the Revelations pushed with the horns of the Lamb Rev. 13. 11. 'T was a Proverb All Evil began in the Name of the Lord In Nomine Domini incipit omne malum And it hath been a false pretended Zeal for the Church that hath of later years raised and fomented all or most of the Persecutions of Christians 3. To destroy Christians upon the pretence of Civil Quarrels and Laws and to disguise Hatred against Religion under a pretence of Publick Peace Kill you as well as cast you out of the Synagogue Dan. 6. 4. The Persian Noblemen sought to find occasion against Daniel because of the kingdom though they find none 4. To make way for Errors and Falshoods so many Pits do the wicked dig to beguile unwary and unstable Souls sometimes by more than ordinary pretences of Love Meekness and Sweetness They come to you in sheeps cloathing saith our Lord but inwardly are ravening wolves Mat. 7. 15. Sheeps cloathing that is all for love and kindness and so steal away the hearts of the people as Absolom by his submission and servile Flattery And then by debasing opposing and crying down a faithful Ministry Demosthenes's Fable of the Wolves agreeing with the sheep in lusu would send away their Dogs Now thus they do by questioning their calling as the false Teachers did Pauls And we have been so long Unministring one another that all Ministry is hated in the hearts of many an Anti-Ministerial spirit Sometimes by decrying Maintenance The Lamp is starved when not supplied with Oil. Some to gain credit and entrance and to disgrace Paul and the true Evangelick Ministers whose Poverty needed a supply will take no Maintenance therefore Paul saith 2 Cor. 11. 12. That wherein they glory we might be as they but there is no end of raking in this Puddle 2dly Private Persons Cain against Abel drew him into the Field disputed with him about God and Providence and the World to come Gen. 4. The Princes of Darius against Daniel Dan. 6. the Kingdom was but newly subdued by the Medes This would try the affection of his Subjects no request to be made to God or Man for 30 days The Medes and Persians were wont to ascribe Divine Honours to their Kings as Brissonius proveth The report of this Reverence would be glorious Religion was at stake therefore Daniel would venture the Lyons Den. Iudas his Treason against Christ Luke 22. 3. The Devil entred into Iudas The Iews laying in wait for Paul Acts 23. 12 13 14. Certain Iews banded together and bound themselves under a curse or oath of execration that they would not eat or drink till they had killed Paul And they were more than forty that had made this conspiracy And this they would do with the consent of the chief Priests as he was coming to the Sanedrim A Parallel in the Fifth of November So Iezabel's Plot against Naboth for his Vineyard makes use of God's Name and Worship to bring it about 1 Kings 21. 8 9 10. But I must stop being carried beyond my first intention plotted Mischiefs are an ancient practice Use of all How much are we obliged to God's Providence who doth not only defend us against open violence but secret Machinations 'T is the Lord taketh the wise in their own craftiness and disappointeth the counsels of wicked men against his people Iob 5. 12. Many things are contrived against us in the dark that we know not and see not but the eye of the Lord watcheth for us Isa. 8. 10. Take counsel together and it shall come to nought speak the word and it shall not stand for God is with us Second Point That these Plots usually begin in Pride For David saith here The proud have digged pits for me Therefore it is Pride that puts Men upon designs of mischief and ruine to others Pride sheweth itself in the envy of Superiors contention with Equals or the disdain of
Inferiors 1. Take Pride as it venteth it self by envy at any excellency or supposed excellency in others Search the Scriptures and you will say this puts Men upon plotting the mischief of their Neighbors Religious Eminency Man cannot endure to be out-stripped in Religion therefore Men malign and hate what they will not imitate and then seek to destroy and undermine God's people 'T was Abel's goodness that made Cain plot against him to draw him into the Field that he might kill him 1 Iohn 3. 12. The power of Godliness is an Eye-sore to those that would look no further than the form of it or it may be the Men of the world do envy the Godly should thrive by them This made the Presidents lay a Snare and Gin for Daniel When the Gospel was likely to get credit the Iews moved with envy seek to suppress it Acts 17. 5. Pride is loth to stoop or to see Opposites in any honour and request The Pharisees conspired to take Christ John 12. 19. Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing the whole world is gone after him They were galled to the heart to see such flocking and resorting to Christ after he had raised Lazarus from the dead Some Men will neither serve Christ themselves nor endure that others should do it therefore Christ must be taken out of the way The Plots of Sanballat and Tobiaâ—… were their envy at the Iews 2. As Pride venteth it self by Contention with Equals For only by Pride cometh Contention Thus the Iews conspired to kill Paul they looked upon him as one that had cried down the Customs of their Nation This made Absalom plot the death of Amnon because of the quarrel he had with him and the dishonour he had done his Sister he bids him to dinner and plieth him with Cups till he was merry and then killeth him 2 Sam. 13. 22. 3. As it venteth it self by the disdain of Underlings Haman could not endure to see Mordecai in the King's Gate Esther 5. 13. and therefore contriveth how to root him out and all his Nation Pride disdaineth the meanness of God's people and that they should have any subsistence and think they may oppress them freely and root them out Psal. 123. 4. We are filled with the scorning of those that are at ease and with the contempt of the proud They scorn the people of God and think they may do what they please with them without controul Well then this informeth us how much we should look to things betimes The wickedness of David's Enemies began in Pride went on in malicious plotting and then they stick at no iniquity When once we are engaged in a course of Sin there is usually no stop Pride in some sense is the original of all wickedness but more especially of malicious dealing with the people of God Psal. 10. 2. The wicked in the pride of his heart doth persecute the poor The Godly many times are in a mean condition when their Adversaries are in power and can easily oppress them as Underlings But Men forget the great God who is their Defender and whose work and business it is to cast down the proud Iames 4. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He standeth in Battel Array And proud they are certainly who use their power to oppression and care not what terms they put upon them Third Point That God can when he will and usually doth protect his People against the Plots of the Proud For therefore David bringeth the Cause before God First That God can when he will protect his People against the fraud and violence of their Enemies There are two grounds of trust his Wisdom and the vigilancy of his Providence 1. His Wisdom As we have God's power to trust in against their violence so God's wisdom against their frauds and deceits Job 12. 13. With him is wisdom and strength he hath counsel and understanding Wisdom implieth his accurate knowledge of things Counsel his advised Government of them Wisdom his disposing and ordering things aright with respect to their ends He hath understanding to find out all secrets Counsel to know fit means to bring his purposes to pass and Wisdom to order the means for attaining these ends Observe there first how Wisdom and Strength are there coupled as in that Text so elsewhere Iob 9. 4. He is wise in heart and mighty in strength As he hath Wisdom to judge so Power to execute or effect all his counsels So Job 36. 5. Behold God is mighty in strength and wisdom There is no standing out against supreme Wisdom and invincible Power both together make God the most dreadful Enemy and the most desirable Friend Observe again how God's Wisdom is set forth by these three words Understanding Counsel Wisdom To assure the hearts of the Faithful that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church of God Mat. 16. 18. In the Gates anciently was their strength and there their Magistrates and Council sate Now they that believe that God is wise of whom should they be afraid Prov. 21. 30. There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. There may be wisdom counsel and understanding in the Enemies of the Gospel and in the Lord there is wisdom and strength counsel and understanding Only against him there is the wisdom counsel and understanding of the creature in him of the Creator Surely the wisdom counsel and understanding of the creature can do nothing without him nothing against him not without him for it is dependant whatever the creature hath it cometh from him otherwise our understanding is but ignorance our counsel rashness our wisdom folly Pharaoh thought to go wisely to work Exod. 1. 10. but that wisdom costs dear when it tends to suppress God's interest Ahab when God threatned to cut off his Posterity begets Seventy Sons bestowed them in fenced Cities 2 Kings 10. 1. but those Seventy Sons were slain Herod thought to go wisely to work to destroy him that was born King of the Iews in the Cradle but Christ was preserved for all that The Synagogue of Satan is hatching crafty Counsels to destroy the Spouse of Christ but with what effect The Man of Sin is consumed more and more We are afraid of our subtle Enemies but are we in such streights as God knoweth not how to bring us out They cannot over-wit the Lord Whatever is plotted in Rome or Hell against us God knoweth it for he hath understanding God counterworketh it for he hath counsel therefore they will but play the Fool for he hath wisdom he heareth every word they say knoweth their secret juglings is at work for those that depend upon him therefore let us rest in God's wisdom and not be disquieted with every rumor 2. The care and vigilancy of his Providence 't is emphatically expressed in two places Heb. 13. 5 6. He hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee So that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper and I
will not fear what man shall do unto me And Psal. 121. 4. Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep In both there is a negative Gradation his Eye-lids try the Children of Men the Lord waketh for us all Secondly That usually he doth protect his People against the Plots of the Proud and bringeth the Mischief they intend to others upon their own heads Job 15. 35. They conceive mischief and bring forth vanity and their belly prepareth deceit But to keep the Notion of the Text. Psal. 7. 15. He made a pit and digged it and is fallen into the ditch which he made Psal. 9. 15 16. The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth the wicked is snared by the work of his own hand They are sunk down into the pit they digged in the net which they hid is their own feet taken So Psal. 35. 7 8. For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit which without cause they have digged for my soul. Let destruction come upon him at unawares and let his net that he hath hid catch himself into that very destruction let him fall And Psal. 10. 2. Let them be taken in the device they have imagined And Psal. 57. 6. They have prepared a net for my steps my soul is bowed down they have digged a pit before me in the midst whereof they are fallen themselves All these places shew how usual it is that their devices do not succeed yea that the wicked cannot take a nearer course to ruine themselves than to seek the overthrow of God's Church and People All their Machinations turn to their own loss and the Mischief they design to others falls constantly on themselves As a Stone thrown up or an Arrow shut up against Heaven returneth upon the head of him that throweth it Their Acts and Attempts of hurting others are converted to their own ruine and destruction seizeth upon them by that very means by which they thought to bring it upon other Men. This God doth partly as they are proud as they despise God and his People Psal. 10. 4. The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts They are so confident of all they design that they will not so much as call upon God for a blessing this is so firmly laid that all things shall succeed They will not seek after God through the pride of their countenance or suppose they should pray 't is but as Balaam offering sacrifice to entice God to curse his own people The Lord tells us Prov. 21. 27. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind Partly because of God's care and respect to his People The poor committeth himself unto thee thou art the helper of the fatherless Psal. 10. 14. He trusts his All with God who is the Patron of the innocent and oppressed USE To direct us to carry the Cause to God as David in the Text. Psal. 83. 2 3 4. For lo thine enemies make a tumult and they that hate thee have lift up the head They have taken crafty counsel against thy people and consulted against thy hidden ones They have said Come and let us cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance You must make the Lord the Party still against the wicked So Psal. 37. 12. The wicked plotteth against the just and gnasheth upon him with his teeth The wicked plotteth but do the just countermine him No the Lord interposeth he laugheth at him 'T is a mighty support to the soul to oppose his Justice to their wickedness his Omnipotency to their power his Wisdom to their craft his Love to their enmity They are in God's hands and cannot stir without him as if one designed to poyson me but cannot do it without my Fathers consent Wicked men are full of their boasts but their brags and threats are but as the brags of a man on the Scaffold who is ready to be executed Their day is coming 2dly When God doth so it must be acknowledged with thankfulness and praise yea though an old mercy Micah 6. 5. The Godly are preserved though there be Pits digged for them surely such experiences ought much to engage his Peoples hearts to him for it sheweth how mindful he is of their safety and welfare Blessed be God that yet we subsist that their devices are disappointed and their designs brought on them what they had projected against others Fourth Point That God's Law forbiddeth all Ungodly Treacherous Designs Attempts and Actions As contrary to Justice To design mischief and treachery against the life of any is the guise of wicked men As contrary to Sincerity and Godly Simplicity 2 Cor. 1. 12. For our rejoycing is this that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world and more abundantly to you wards Crafty and subtile dealings consenteth not with those that profess to direct their ways by the Word of God As contrary to Charity and Mercy which we owe to all men How God hath guarded the life of the innocent by his Precepts and what a base perverse spirit is it to dig Pits for them USE Here is some plea for Religion 'T is not Feralis Superstitio Tantum Religio potuit suadere malorum It is not a false unnatural unkind Superstition when men under pretence of it commit such evils digging Pits laying Mines and Barrels of Gunpowder that Religion should persuade aâ—…l this The world thinks that Religion is a sowr superstition that it makes men ill natur'd no it is the peaceable and meekest thing that can be A false Religion indeed efferates the mind begets a bloody spirit Jud. 11. Gone in the way of Caâ—…n in the way of blood and murther They that have either a false Religion or are false in the true Religion indeed they are ill-natured and possest with a rough spirit unfit for humane society The true Religion which God hath established in his Law is the meekest thing in all the world Fifth Point That the Innocent should not be much troubled to be maligned and hated by them who contemn Gods Laws Why For their Wickedness Fraudulency and Cruelty is a certain Prognostick of their ruine The more their sins are aggravated their judgment cometh the sooner God's Law is wronged as well as our Interest endangered 'T is a great ease to the Conscience of the Godly that they dig Pits for us without a cause Psal. 35. 7. The most Godly and Innocent may have Pits digged for them It enencourageth us in our Addresses to God that we have no Enemies but those who are Enemies to God also and his ways and the most wicked men are most violent against Godâ—…s people Who was it first raged against the Christians but Nero and what a Beast
would desire to know more of God therefore the Word is dear and precious to them because it discovers so much of God Hosea 6. 3. This is their property they follow on to know the Lord. They do not content themselves with their first and infant Notions but aspire to know him more and more for their love fear and trust and all doth depend upon the knowledge of God If we had more knowledge of God we should love him more and trust him more Psal. 9. 10. They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee We know God but as men born blind know the fire they know there is such a thing as fire for they feel it warm them but what it is they know not so that there is a God we know but what he is we know little and indeed we can never search him out to perfection a finite creature can never fully comprehend that which is infinite The Saints are following on to know the Lord they desire to know more and more and there is no such means to discover God to them as this way 2 The use of the Word is to convert the soul and to bring it home to God Psal. 19. 7. The Law of God is perfect converting the soul. There is the perfection of God's Word it is God's instrument for converting of souls or turning of them back to him again For Conversion take it in its whole latitude compriseth this to humble us to cleanse us to bind up our broken hearts because of all these uses the children of God love his Word It serves 1. To humble us for sin Ier. 23. 29. Is not my Word like as a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces He appeals to it as things that we may find by experience that the Word of God is not only a hammer to break but a fire to melt As a batter'd Vessel when it is to be new form'd must be melted that it may be capable of this new form so no such way to melt the heart and make it capable of God's pâ—…pose as the Word of God no such thing to break the heart no such terrors and agonies like those the Word works and to melt the heart to make it pliable to God's use no such thing as the Word of God to affect us for sin for sin as it is a breach of God's Law or an offence to God 2. It hath this use to cleanse the heart and subdue it to the obedience of Christ Psal. 119. 9. Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy Word Young men who more stubborn and boistrous than they that are carried on with great strength and fervor in the very heat of their rebellion against God Well the Word of God can cleanse the heart of a young man As Plato saith of Youth That it is such a Beast as will not easily come to hand Now for cicurating and taming this Beast for the captivating those rebellious affections in youth and cleansing and working out the filthiness that is in us nothing like the Word and it is by these spiritual weapons that every thought is brought into captivity to Christ 2 Cor. 10. and then as it is obstinate the power of the Word breaks the force of our lusts 3. For comforting and binding up the broken hearted Humane wisdom and eloquence can do nothing to purpose this way but when God by the Word reveals to a man his righteousness then his flesh shall come again as a childs he shall return to the days of his youth Iob 33. 25. Though a man before did walk up and down as a Ghost was as it were a walking Skeleton and his marrow was suck'd out of his bones by the terrors of the Lord that were upon him yet when he hath Godâ—…s Word to shew under God's hand for his pardon this brings his comfort his flesh shall revive he shall return fresher than a child and shall return to the days of his youth his strength joy and comfort shall come again therefore O how they love the Law because they have felt in their heart it must be God's Word for that which wounds must also heal 3 To make us perfect as well as to begin the work 2 Tim. 3. 17. it is said The Word of God is able to make the man of God perfect throughly furnished to all good works so that in this perfection there are three Uses for which the Word serves 1. For building up in Faith or increasing in internal Grace The Word of God is not only for Novices but for grown persons that there may be a continual dropping into the lamps as it was in the Vision of Zechariah Acts 20. 32. I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified It is not enough to lay a foundation but there must be a building up Now what is that which builds us up The word of his grace that is God's blessing upon the reading and hearing the Word for the Apostle speaks it when he was taking leave of the Ephesians I commend you to God and the word of his grace that is the word of grace sent among them by their ordinary Officers continued to them blessing the reading and hearing the Word by their ordinary Officers there would be no need of Paul the room should be supplied Habits of grace must still be maintained by fresh influences and they always come into us by the Word of God therefore after we are converted and born again the Word is useful that we may grow thereby 2 Pet. 2. 2. 2. To direct our practice that 's one use the Word serves for so it is said 2 Pet. 1. 19. We have also a more sure word of prophecy whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place In this state of ignorance wherein we are for that 's figured by those words in a dark place sure it is a great blessing to have a light shining to us that we may not wander and fall into the snares wherewith we are encompassed We are apt to forget and mistake our way we are very forgetful and our way is narrow hardly found and hardly kept and Satan is full of wiles and deceits like an ignis fatuus ready to lead us out of the way therefore we had need have a sure guide and a sure light Psal. 119. 105. Thy word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our paths It is a light not only to our paths for the choice of our general way but for all our steps to direct us in all our ways 3. To comfort us in all conditions under our crosses confusions and difficulties we have all from the Word of God Psal. 119. 50. This is my comfort in my affliction for thy Word hath
honours and pleasures and are notable in this kind of skill in promoting their secular ends in these things A child of God may be a Fool to them for this kind of wisdom for it is our Saviour's observation Luke 16. 8. The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light Though David was wiser than his Enemies yet the children of this world are wiser in their Generations that is as to carnal fetches and devices to accomplish their worldly purposes In their Generation that is about the course of their affairs Thus David is not wiser than his Enemies 3. It is not great skill in Arts and Civil Discipline This is indeed a gift of God but given promiscuously sometimes to the good and sometimes to the bad sometimes to the good for Solomon could unravel all the secrets of nature and dispute of every thing from the cedar to the hysop 1 Kings 4. 23 29 30 31. and sometimes to the bad as the Heathen Philosophers many of whom knew all things almost within the circuit of the world yet how little this wisdom is to be valued in regard of that wisdom which we get by God's Commandments God hath in some short shew'd in that he hath suffered those Books which Solomon writ concerning Trees Plants Beasts to be lost whereas to this day the writings of the Heathens are preserved as Aristotle's Book de Animalibus c. But now those Books in which Solomon taught the fear of God and true wisdom which is godliness are by the singular care of God's Providence conserved for our use and benefit God hath herein shew'd that we might want those other Books without the loss of true wisdom but those Books that indeed make us wise to salvation those are kept Learning is a glorious endowment indeed but God would give us that gift by the writings of Heathens but grace which is true wisdom he would give us that by the holy Scripture A Man may excel in learning yet after all the profound researches and enquiries of his high flown reason into the mysteries of nature he may be a very Fool and be damned for ever for Paul saith of the Philosophers Rom. 1. 22. Professing to be wise they became fools since they had not the true knowledge of God and the way of salvation 4. 'T is not a bare knowledge of God's will but wisdom Knowledge is one thing and wisdom another I wisdom dwell with prudence Prov. 8. 12. Many are knowing men well skill'd with notions but they want prudence or practical direction for the governing of their hearts and ordering of their ways In the Scripture you shall find Faith is not only opposed to ignorance but to folly Luke 24. 25. O ye fools and slow of heart to believe Every natural Man is a Fool Tit. 3. 3. though never so notionally wise and skill'd in the theory of divine knowledge Prov. 14. 8. The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way Not to soar aloft in speculation abstract from practice and remote from spiritual influence but to direct his course so as he may attain to the chiefest good not only to know what is to be done but to do what is to be known Carnal men they have great knowledge and yet are spiritual Fools for all that they may lick the glass and never taste the honey or like Negroes that dig in Mines of knowledge while others enjoy the gold they may search out the mysteries of that Religion which the godly man lives upon dispute of Heaven while others surprize it and take it by force or like the Lark soar high but fall into the Net of the Fowler A careful strict walking that 's the true wisdom and thus we have stated the Benefit II. Secondly Here 's the Author of this Benefit which is God Thou through thy Commandments which I note not only to shew to whom we must go for this wisdom If any man lack wisdom let him ask it of God Jam. 1. 5. Nor to shew to whom we must ascribe the glory of it if we get any benefit by the Word praise belongeth to God who is the Father of lights from whom cometh every good and perfect gift Jam. 1. 17. All Candles are lighted at his Torch and all the Stars owe their brightness to this Sun to the Father of lights we owe all the light wisdom and direction that we have I say not only for these ends do I note it but to shew the main and principal reason why a Child of God is far more safe by his godly wisdom than their Enemies by all their worldly policy why God is of his side counselling directing and instructing him what to do whereas they are acted and influenced by Satan Psal. 37. 12 13. The wicked plotteth against the just the Lord shall laugh at him for he seeth that his day is coming The wicked plotteth against him but there 's a wise God that acts for him He doth not say the just countermineth the wicked and strains himself to match his Enemy with policy and craft but God watcheth for him If it were only this Policy against Piety it were not so much but it is Mens craft against God's wisdom Prov. 21. 30. There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. These three words express the sum and heighth of all natural abilities Wisdom notes a quick apprehension Understanding a wise foresight grounded upon experience Counsel a designation of some rare artifice and device now neither Wisdom nor Understanding nor Counsel none of these can stand against the Lord. God's Children are sometimes dismay'd when they consider the advantages of their Enemies their wisdom learning malice experience But here 's their comfort that they may set God against all these God who is the Fountain of wisdom for he is interested in their cause his wisdom against their craft and so having the direction of the mighty Counsellor they are safe III. Thirdly Here is the means Through thy Commandments or through the directions of the Word You will say What can we learn from the Word to match our Enemies in Policy What wisdom will that teach us for our safety and preservation against the malice of our wicked Enemies There is our Rule and the more close and punctual we are in the observance of it the more safe we are A double wisdom we learn from the Word of God which is our security against the malice and craft of our Enemies 1. This wisdom we get by the Commandment it directs us how to keep in with God which is our great wisdom this is to stop danger at the fountain head Prov. 16. 7. When a man's ways please the Lord he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him The way to get peace and safety in evil times is not to comply with Enemies but to comply with God All our danger lies in his anger not in their wrath and rage for God can
feet and path First In general observe this It is not a light to our brains to fill us with empty Notions but a light to our feet to regulate our practice and to guide our actions Ier. 6. 16. He doth not say hearken after the true Religion but walk therein For a man to study the Scripture only to satisfie curiosity only to know what 's right and good and not follow it with all his heart is but to make a rod for his own back and doth but cause his own condemnation to be sore and terrible Luke 12. 47. To be able to dispute for truth and not lie under the power of it to avoid Heresie and live in Vice will never bring him to Heaven Gal. 6. 16. It is not them that are able to talk of it but to walk according to this rule not to play with it but to work with it Knowledge and practice must be joined together they do never well asunder but excellent together Secondly In our Practice 1 Our Path our general choice A man that consults with God's Word The Lord will teach him the way that he shall chuse Psal. 25. 12. Every thing appointed to an end must have all things absolutely necessary to that end else it is not perfect in its kind though perfect to guide us to eternal life therefore it must contain all things that belong or conduce to that end It is not a Rule given us to be rich or safe but to be eternally happy 2 As 't is a light to our path so to our feet How in the particular actions that we perform and in the particular conditions that we pass through 1. In the particular actions that we perform Every action we go about must be guided by the Word why because obedience in particular actions we are most apt to miscarry in Many are wise in generals but in particulars they quite mistake their way We have general Notions that we must be holy ay but we are not holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1. 15. In every creek and turning of your lives in all your actions of eating drinking sleeping and waking we are to be mindful and respect the command of God in all these No path of a Christian's conversation but ought to savor of grace and holiness not only his religious but his common and civil actions Every action is a step to Heaven or Hell for this life is compared to a walk and in a walk every step brings us onward in our way Briefly in every act either sin or grace interposeth therefore we had need look to every step and still to walk according to Rule 2. It guides us in all the conditions that we pass through In every Age here 's milk for the weak and strong meat for men of ripe age In every calling from the King to the lowest Beggar In every state of life adversity prosperity still here 's light for you There are two Parties whose interest it is to decry the clearness of Scripture Papists and Libertines Papists they are afraid to stand to this tryal they would bring all to the judgment of the Church therefore 't is for their interest that the Scriptures were not a clear safe and a full direction Libertines they decry the clearness of Scripture upon several grounds Those that plead for a boundless Toleration what 's their great Argument Nothing is certain in Religion If the Word be a clear Rule then c. SERMON CXIII PSAL. CXIX VER 105. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path HEre I shall answer five Objections that are made by Cavellers Object 1. First If it be so clear a Light why do men so often mistake that have the Scriptures and consult with them yea why is there such differences among good men Answ. I answer in general There is Light in the Scriptures but there is darkness in men that are conversant about them The Object may be well represented when the faculty is not well disposed There are defects in them to whom this discovery is made though they have light yet they want eyes the Sun giveth light enough though blind men cannot see it the Word doth whatsoever is necessary on its own part To the beholding of any thing by the outward sense there must not only be light to make the object conspicuous but also a faculty of seeing in the eye blind men cannot see at noon-day nor the sharpest sighted at midnight There is light in the Scriptures surely for God would not deal hypocritically with us that are his people if he hath given us a rule he would not wrap it up in darkness so as we should not know his meaning so that the defect is in us This in general But secondly there are many causes of mens mistake 1. Some come to the Word with a presumption of their own wit and leaning upon their own understanding as if that should discover the whole counsel of God and these God never undertook to teach Psal. 25. 9. The meek will he guide in judgment and the meek will he teach his way Those that in an humble sense of their own nothingness depend upon his direction them will he teach Iam. 1. 21. Receive with meekness the ingrafted Word of God We have caution given us and admonitions against pride and arrogance and self-dependence Prov. 3. 3 4 5 6. 2. Many bring their prejudicate Opinions along with them and are biassed and prepossessed before they come to the Word of God and so do not so much take up the sense which the Scriptures offer as seek to impose their own sense on them and regulate the Scriptures to their own hearts not regulating their hearts and principles and senses according to the Word of God Optimus ille lector est qui dictorum intelligentiam saith Hilary expectat c. That mind which is preoccupied with evil opinions and enslaved to preconceived conclusions they do not take any thing from the Word but impose something upon it which God never revealed there If the weights be equal yet if the balance be not equipendent wrong may be done They come with an Idol in their own hearts Ezek. 14. 2. as those that would ask counsel of the Lord that were resolved beforehand Ier. 42. While we look through the Spectacles of our own fancies and preconceptions the mind poisoned with Error seemeth to see what we see not 3. Some search the Scriptures not out of any love to the truth or to know the mind of God but to oppose it rather and so seek a pretence from thence to justifie their private faction in way of opposition against God The Devil gets Scripture to wrest it to his own purpose Mat. 4. 6. They read not to be better but to cavil and put a greater varnish upon the Devil's cause as Iulian did search the Scriptures to pick an advantage against the true Religion and scoff at them that profest it and
glory Use 2. Reproof 1. Of those that walk in the midst of this light and yet perceive no more of the things of God than if they were in darkness these lose the Benefit which God vouchsafeth to them Iohn 1. 5. The light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not And Iohn 3. 19. The light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light It had been better for them they had never heard of the Scriptures and that God had never set up such a lamp in the Church These men believe the Word of God is a light and a lamp yet never take care of nor give heed to it they are careless and never measure their actions according to this Rule 2. It reproves those that set up another Rule and look for an infallible Interpreter 1 Those that set up Reason instead of the Word of God Alas this is an imperfect Rule these men would bring down all things before the Tribunal of their own Reason these are not Disciples of Christ but Masters they will not be taught by the directions of the Word but by their own dark hearts I have told you the Candle of the Lord did burn bright within us but alas now 't is weakned by sin it is an imperfect irrational thing we can never be saved by it 2 Others are guided by their Passions and Lusts this is their direction and their lamp this will surely lead them to utter darkness If you live after the flesh you shall dye Rom. 8. 13. 3 Some take the counsel and example of others this will leave them comfortless and make them fall into the snare 4 Some go to Witches in straits as the Prophet reproves such Isa. 8. 19 20. Should not a people seek unto their God 5 Others expect new Revelations from Heaven to counsel them they would converse with Angels now God hath spoken to us by his Son Gal. 1. 8. If an Angel from heaven should bring another Gospel than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed Use 3. Caution To enterprize nothing but what you have a Warrant for out of the Word of God When you are going about any action say Where 's my warrant If I do it upon my own brain I must stand to my own hazard and all the evil that comes upon me it is the fruit of my own counsel Numb 27. 21. The Priest was to ask counsel of the Lord who shall go out and who shall go in And 1 Sam. 23. 9 10. To do things with a doubting Conscience with an uncertainty whether it be good or bad it is a sin for whatsoever is not of faith is sin still seek your direction from the Word Use 4. It exhorts us to bless God and be thankful for this light Isa. 9. 2. The people that sate in darkness saw great light There is the same difference between the Church and other places as there was between Egypt and Goshen Exod. 10. 23. Here is light and in other places thick darkness What a mercy is it that we have present direction a light to guide us here in grace that will bring us to glory Give thanks to God for so great a benefit 2. Walk according to the directions of the Word walk in the light Ephes. 5. 8. believe it Heb. 4. 2. the true and infallible truth that came out of God's mouth and then apply it say this truth which is spoken is spoken to me Mat. 13. 37. and urge thy heart with the duties of it this was spoken for our learning be persuaded of this truth and so walk and so do and you shall not find any miscarriage 1 Cor. 15. 58. Here 's my warrant and my direction I will keep to it though it expose me to many hazards and straits I know it will be made up at last it will not be lost labor to do what God biddeth thee to do SERMON CXIV PSAL. CXIX VER 106. I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgments IN the former Verse David had commended the Word for a sure direction it is a light and a lamp how so not only by God's designation and appointment but by Davids choice It was a light to my feet and a lamp to my steps Now in this Verse he speaks of his firmness and constancy to that choice I have taken thy Word for my guidance and direction and there he did resolve to stick his constancy was grounded upon a vow or upon a promissory Oath which he saw no cause to retract or repent of I have sworn and I will perform it c. In which words you may observe 1 The strength of David's resolution and purpose expressed in his Oath not I must or I will keep but I have sworn c. 2 The matter of this purpose or Oath and that was to keep God's judgments 3 One great motive and reason that inclined him so to do in the word Thy righteous judgments the marvellous equity that was to be observed in the things commanded by God 4 The conscience that lay upon him of observing this Oath I will perform it As if he had said I saw a great deal of reason to make the promise so solemnly to God and I see no reason at all to retract it Four Points I shall observe 1. That it is not only lawful but good and profitable to bind our selves to our duty by a Vow solemnly declared purpose and holy Oath so David I have sworn 2. That this help of an Oath or Vow should be used in a matter lawful weighty and necessary I have sworn saith David but what hath he sworn To keep thy righteous judgments A great duty which God had enjoined him in his Covenant 3. Those that are entred into the Bond of a holy Oath must religiously observe and perform what they have sworn to God I have sworn and I will perform 4. That we may perform our Oaths and lie under a sense and conscience of our Engagements to God it is good that they should be often revived and renewed upon us for so doth David here recognize his Oath I have sworn that c. Doct. 1. That it concerns us sometimes to bind our selves to God and the duty that we owe to him by an Oath 1 That it is lawful so to do appears from Gods Injunction and the practice of the Saints 1. From God's Injunction He hath commanded us to accept of the Gospel Covenant and not barely so but to submit unto the Seals and Rites by which it is confirmed which submission of ours implieth an Oath made to God Baptism is our Sacramentum Militare Sacramental Vow our Oath of Allegiance to God and therefore it is called 1 Pet. 3. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The answer of a good conscience towards God an answer upon God's demands in the Covenant God does as it were in the Covenant of Grace put us to the question Will
for such a time Heb. 4 16. when need comes then it 's a time to improve our interest to put promises in suit when God seems to be an Enemy to us when to appearance he executes the curse of the Old Covenant O then we should work through all discouragements then we should hold God to his second Grant and Charter and come to his Throne of Grace and keep him there For the Reasons 1 God is the Party with whom we have to do whence soever the trouble doth arise there 's his hand and his counsel in it therefore it is best dealing with him about it in all afflictions publick or private Amos 3. 16. Is there evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it Let Men but awaken their Reason and Conscience who is it that is at the upper end of Causes that casts our lot upon such troublesom and distracted times So in private afflictions David owned God's hand Shimei had mocked him but he looks higher the â—…ord hath bid him curse So Iob he doth not say the Caldean and Sabean hath taken away but the Lord hath taken Iob 1. 21. Afflictions have a higher cause than Men ordinarily look at they do not come out of the dust but come from God See what inference Eliphaz draws from this principle Iob 5. 8. I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my cause That is I would go and deal with him about it 't was Eliphaz's advice to Iob and it is seasonable to us all 2 It is God onely that can help us and relieve us either by giving support under the trouble or removing it from us so saith David Psal. 57. 2. I will cry unto God most high unto God that performeth all things for me A Believer looks for all things from God when all things go well with him God is his best Friend when all things go ill with him God is his onely Friend he runs to none so often as to God Now upon these Principles we go to God but for what end let us see what we go to God for 1. That we may know his mind in all his Providences The affliction hath some errand and message to us something to deliver us from God now we need to ask of God to know his mind Micah 6. 9. Hear the rod and who hath appointed it We should not only be sensible of the smart but look to the cause therefore if we would know the cause let us go and expostulate with God about it As Ioab when Absalom set his Corn field on fire he sent for him once and twice but he comes not until he sets his Corn-field on fire and then he comes and expostulates with him Who hath done this 2 Sam. 14. 30 31. So when we make bold and will not come to God nor take notice of his messages God comes and lets out his wrath upon our comforts and conveniences now let us deal with God about it Wherefore is all this 2. That we may have strength to bear it Alas we can bear or do little of our selves for that doing refers to bearing Phil. 4. 13. I can do all things through Christ that strengthneth me That is I can suffer want need hunger thirst nakedness and run through all conditions through Christ that strengthneth me Now you must ask it of God Iam. 1. 5 If any man lack wisdom let him ask it of God It is wisdom to bear affliction if he would wisely carry himself under the Rod that he may not discover his folly he must ask this strength and grace of God 3. Wisdom to improve our chastisement that we may have the benefit and fruit of them Isa. 48. 17. I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit That is to profit by afflictions to reap the fruit of them So Iob 33. 16. He openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction God by a powerful work upon the heart impresseth their duty upon them that they may see wherefore it is that he hath afflicted them 4. We go to God for deliverance and freedom from the trouble Psal. 34. 19. Many are the troubles of the righteous but out of them all the Lord will deliver them It is God's Prerogative to set us free We break Prison when we attempt to escape meerly by our own means therefore either we shall have no deliverance or no kindly one God hath deliver'd doth deliver and we trust will deliver This must be sought out of God God helping together with your prayers 2 Cor. 1. 10 11. Prayer must fetch it out from God or it is no kindly deliverance Well then in our affliction we need to be often with God SERMON CXVII PSAL. CXIX VER 107. Quicken me O Lord according to thy Word Use 1. TO reprove the stupidness and carelesness of them that neglect God in their troubles Dan. 9. 13. All this evil is come upon us yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God A very sensless slight spirit that when they are under the blows of God's heavy hand they will not be much in calling upon God this is contrary to God's injunction who expects now with earnestness they will seek him God reckons upon it he could not hear from them before but now they 'll pray hard and will make up their former negligence when God sends a Tempest after you as on Ionah yet will you keep off from him It is contrary to the practice of the Saints in their chastisements troubles and afflictions they are much with God opening their hearts to him Nay it is worse than Hypocrites for they will have their pangs of devotion at such a time Iob 27. 10 11. In short you lose the comfort of your affliction Seasons of affliction are happy seasons if they prove praying seasons when they bring you nearer to God it is a sign God is not wholly gone but hath left somewhat behind him when the heart is drawn into him This is the blessing of every condition when it brings God nearer to you and you are more acquainted with him than before Use 2. Then it takes off the discouragements of poor disconsolate ones who misexpound his Providence when they think afflictions put us from God rather than call us to him O no! it is not to drive you from him but to draw you to him Do not think God hath no mercy for thee because he leaves thee to such pressures wants and crosses This is the way to acquaint your selves with God yea though you have been hitherto strangers to him he hath invited you to call upon him in time of trouble he is willing to have you upon any terms A Man will say you come to me in your necessities God delights to hear from you and is glad any occasion will bring you into his presence and therefore be much with God Secondly I observe when this affliction was sore and pressing yet then he hath a heart to pray
will be so far from sleeping that he will not so much as slumber when we know nothing his Providence finds out the secret contrivances that are against us I tell you God is our Father he will maintain us and take care for us when we live by Faith and not by shifts in a good plain down-right course of honesty Gen. 17. 1. I am God all sufficient walk before me and be thou perfect That is they should go on doing their duty and refer the care of their safety to God Oh then cast your selves upon the Lord he will either direct your way to eschew these snares or pluck your feet out of them if you be taken therein Psal. 25. 13. Mine eyes are ever towards the Lord he shall pluck my feet out of the snare Look to him for direction and counsel 2. Bless God for your safety and preservation 't is a mercy to have a Being in the midst of so many dangers and snares as way-lay us everywhere especially should we bless God when we have escap'd some notable Trap and Pit that was digged for us Psal. 124. 7. Our soul is escaped like a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken and we are escaped This is a passage we may use to God this day there are two grounds usually of thanksgiving for this deliverance 1. That their Devices came to nought Job 15. 35. They conceive mischief and bring forth vanity It discovereth the wisdom power goodness and watchfulness of God that this dark and hellish machination that they thought so wisely laid that all Devils in Hell could not discover it yet the God of Heaven brought it to light Prov. 21. 30. There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. Those three words set out the quintessence of parts Wisdom noteth a quick apprehension Understanding a wise foresight grounded upon Experience Counsel a designation of some rare Artifice Isa. 8. 9 10. Associate your selves O ye people and ye shall be broken in pieces and all ye of far countries gird your selves and ye shall be broken in pieces Take counsel together and it shall come to nought speak the word and it shall not stand for God is with us 2. The mischief return'd back upon themselves Psal. 7. 15. He made a pit and digged it and is faln into the ditch which he made Higgaion Selah Their instruments 't is a high Note that we may observe it An Iron heated red hot burneth their fingers that hold it they are taken in their own Pit poison'd in their own Cup holden in cords of their own vanity so that in the issue it appeareth they laid a snare for themselves rather than for us USE II. As they are Inticements to Sin so we may make many uses of it 1. You ougâ—…t to ask God's counsel for you walk in the midst of snares that he would guide you and lead you Psal. 27. 11. Teach me thy way O Lord lead me in a plain path because of min enemies Those that watch for our halting are many their craft is great therefore go to the wise God for counsel ask of him what your way and course shall be for he seeth that which you see not 2. Get spiritual wisdom and understanding An ignorant credulous heart is soon seduc'd but a man of understanding that seeth his danger is not easily drawn and allur'd into it Prov. 1. 17. In vain is the snare laid in the sight of any bird The vain credulous simple young man is soon entiâ—…'d by the lewd woman in the 7th of the Proverbs 3. Keep the High-way of Duty and walk by a sure Rule and then you are safe David saith here I erred not from thy precepts In a time of snares often consult with your Rule 't is Satan's aim to put us out of our way As when the Fisherman would get the Fishes into the Net he seeketh to rouze them out of their place Take a man out of God's way and he becometh a ready Prey to Satan In doubtful cases there is no man chuseth the worst but first he breaketh some known Rule and clear moral Precept therefore be punctual and keep close to God's directions in clear and known cases and you are safe 4. There needs a mortifi'd heart to worldly Interests our temporal Interest is to be shaken off Men of carnal affections seeketh out the snare Job 18. 8. He is cast into a net by his own â—…eet and he walketh upon a snare If we will find the sin and disposition of heart God will find the occasion and a man that hath a Commodity to put off Faith and a good Conscience will soon find a Chapman to truck with him Iudas was thinking of betraying Christ and the High Priests were plotting how to do it just at the same time worldliness layeth us open to the snare 1 Tim. 6. 9. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition But he that is dead to worldly interests remaineth firm whatever bait be proposed 2. We come to the Persons that manag'd the Temptation the wicked The wicked have laid a snare for me Doct. It is the property of a wicked heart to plot and lay snares for the mischief and ruine of others especially God's People David saith here The wicked have laid snares for me 1. 'T is a deliberate voluntary Sin and the more will and advisedness in any sin the greater it is Laying of snares is not a thing done in passion but in cool blood there is art and cunning in it and the heart dwelleth long upon it The Will sets the Wit awork to weave the Net and frame the Devise Involuntarium minuit de ratione peccati When a thing is involuntary it lesseneth sin a man may be overtaken with a fault Gal. 6. 1. But when he studieth it 't is much the worse God's children are surpriz'd through unweariness and made to stumble in a Fit of Temptation but when mens wits are bended to project and plot sin 't is not an infirmity but an iniquity Prov. 6. 14. Frowardness is in his heart he deviseth mischief continually he soweth discord 'T is the description of a naughty heart so the Prophet Micah 2. 1. Wo to them that devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds when the morning is light they practise it because it is in the power of their hands Their wickedness is premeditated then wo to them 2. 'T is a sign that Evil is connatural to them when they are plotting as Poison is to a Spider they are always working it never out of their way by night and by day their hearts run upon it Prov. 4. 16. Whenever they are abroad they sleep not unless they have done mischief and their sleep is taken away unless they cause some to fall Then when others cannot rest they examine themselves Psal. 4. 4. Commune with
he is reduced to exigences then is the time to put the Bonds in suit God by promise hath made himself a Debtor As having nothing yet possessing all things 2 Cor. 6. 10. They have all things in the promise though nothing in sense If we have but one gracious promise left to subsist upon we cannot be poor 't is better riches than all the world for then our right to God and eternal Life still remaineth If an Estate here should last till death yet then certainly men try the weakness of their portion When other men find the worthlesness and baseness of their portion you find the sweetness fulness and comfort of yours Carnal men have but an Estate for life at best Luke 16. 25. Son in thy life time thou receivedst thy good things when they come to die they can look for no more then they find the gnawing Worm of Conscience prove matter of vexation and torment but then your heritage comes to the full Psal. 73. 26. My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Not only when all outward comforts fail all Creatures in the world have spent their allowance but when the flesh begins to fail when we consume and faint away and hasten to the Grave Lord then thou failest not thou art the strength of my heart and my portion for ever We have an interest in the eternal God and we shall live eternally to enjoy him God lives for ever and we live for ever that we may enjoy God 2. Now I come to give the Reasons Why it is the property of Believers to chuse this for their portion and why no others can do it It is the property of Believers to do so upon two Grounds 1. Because of the wisedome that is in Faith Faith is a spiritual prudence You shall see Faith is opposed not only to ignorance but to folly because it teacheth us to make a wise choice Reason makes us wise to chuse a good portion in this World The Children of this world are wiser in their Generation than the Children of Light Luke 16. 9. But Faith is for the inward and spiritual life Worldly men are wise in worldly employments to make a wise choice and accomplish such things they affect turn and wind in the world there they excel the Children of God but Faith makes us wise for Eternity and therefore it chuseth the better portion Faith is a spiritual light and seeth a worth in other things It is a notable Saying Prov. 23. 4. Labour not to be rich cease from thine own wisdom How came these two things to be coupled If we had no better wisedom than our own we should spend our time strength and care to labour to be rich Humane wisedom doth only incline and enable us to the affairs of the present life but God infuseth a supernatural light into the Saints they have counsel from the Lord Psal. 16. 7. I will bless the Lord who hath given me counsel my reins also instruct me in the night seasons as if he had said Ah Lord if I am left to my self and the workings of my own natural spirit I should be as vain and foolish as others are but thou hast given me counsel 2. The next Reason is Because of the nobleness and height of spirit that is in Faith Faith will not be satisfied with any slight fancies it must have better things than the world yieldeth The great priviledg of the Covenant and work of Grace is to give us a new heart that is another manner of Spirit than we had before Our natural spirit is the spirit of the world a cheap vile low spirit that will be satisfied with every base thing Every man seeketh something for his portion for no man hath sufficiency in himself but seeketh it without natural men go no further than the world riches honour pleasure they seek it some in one thing some in another there is none more unsatisfied than a worldly man for his heart cannot find rest and yet none are sooner satisfied a worldly man is not dainty but taketh up what is next at hand You think there is no such excellent spirited men as they that have high designs in the world and can atchieve Greatness and Honour But a poor Christian is of a more excellent spirit these things will not give him contentment nothing on this side God Faith yieldeth a man a choise spirit it makes us take the testimonies of the Lord for our heritage A renewed Soul it hath its aspirings it gets up to God and will not be satisfied with worldly delights but thou art my portion saith my soul Lam. 3. 24. Others hunt after other things beneath God Heaven the Graces of the Spirit the righteousness of Christ. Therefore thus it must needs be the property of Gods Children because they have another understanding and another heart And then none but the Children of God can have these priviledges Why Because though they are very magnificent and glorious yet they are invisible and for the most part future and to come they make no fair shew in the flesh this is hidden Manna meat and drink the world knows not of Carnal men look upon an Estate that lies in the Covenant to be but a notion and mere conceit and they cannot believe they shall be provided for if God bears the purse for them they cannot live immediately upon God they must have something visible outward and glorious and partly this inheritance is to come therefore they cannot have this property Heb. 6. 12. Be ye Followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises The testimonies of the Lord are an inheritance we cannot come at presently there needs a great deal of faith and patience in waiting upon God As a hired Servant must have money from Quarter to Quarter and cannot with the Child expect when the inheritance will befall him A carnal heart dares not trust God cannot tarry his leisure wicked men have their reward Mat. 6. 2. they must have present wages glory honour and profit here they discharge God of other things because it 's a thing which costs them much waiting an humble dependance upon God conflicts with many difficulties and hardships carnal men see no beauty in it and because it is to come it turns their Stomachs SERMON CXXII PSAL. CXIX VER III. Thy Testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart USE 1. It informs us what 's the reason why a Believer that hath nothing in hand nothing to live upon yet is not only patient but comfortable and joyful as the men of the world when their Corn Wine and Oil encrease Whence are these men maintained supplied and kept up at such a rate of cheerfulness Their inheritance lies in the promise As Christ said I have meat and drink the world knows not of so they have Land and Estate the world knows
not be at our beck We have deserved nothing but must wait for him in the diligent use of the means as Benhadad's servants watched for the word Brother or any thing of kindness to drop from the King of Israel 2. Work for it for I press you not to a devout sloth All good things are hard to come by 't is worth all the labour we lay out upon it There is no having peace with God any sense of his love without diligent attendance in the use of all appointed means 2 Pet. 3. 14. Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless And 2 Pet. 1. 10. Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure That comfort is to be suspected that costs nothing but like Ionah's Gourd grows up in a night that comes upon us we know not how IV. Gods Children when they beg comfort also beg Grace to serve him acceptably For teaching Gods Statutes is not meant barely a giving us a speculative knowledge of Gods will for so David here Make thy face to shine and Teach me thy Statutes And why do they so 1. Out of gratitude They are ingenuous and would return all duty and thankfulness to God as well as receive mercy from him therefore they are always mingling resolutions of duty with expectations of mercy and when they carry away comforts from him are thinking of suitable returns And while they take Christ for righteousness they devote and give up themselves to his use and service The nature of man is so disposed that when we ask any thing we promise especially if a Superior Hos. 14. 2. Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render the calves of our lips The Children of God resolve upon duty and service when they ask favour So Psal. 9. 13 14. Have mercy upon me O Lord consider my trouble that I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the Daughter of Sion We are thinking of honouring and praising God at that time when we seek his favour 2. The Children of God do know that this is the cause of Gods aversion from them that his Stautes are not observed and therefore when they beg a greater experience of Gods special favour they also beg direction to keep his Statutes They cannot maintain and keep up a sense of the love of God unless they be punctual in their Duty He knows nothing of Religion that knows not that the comfort of a Christian depends upon sanctification as well as justification and the greater sense of obedience the fuller sense of the love of God and the degrees of manifesting his favour are according to the degrees of our profiting in obedience for these go along still Jesus Christ is King of righteousness and King of peace He is Melchizedeck King of Salem he pours out the Oil of grace that he may pour out the Oil of gladness Heb. 7. 2. But especially see one place Iohn 14. 21. He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Christ was then most sweetly comforting his people but 't was not his mind that they should be emboldned thereby to cast off Duty No he says the only way to assure them that they were not delusions and to clear their right to these comforts was this He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him That 's the way to get confirmation and evidence of the love of God 3. This is a notable effect and evidence of Gods favour to guide you in his ways therefore 't is a branch of the former for whom the Lord loveth he teacheth and guides Rom. 8. 14. As many as are the Children of God they are led by the Spirit Others are left to their own hearts counsels And Psal. 25. 14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant The communication of Secrets is a note of friendship Now the secret of the Lord the knowledge of his Covenant and what belongs thereto it is to those that fear God There 's the qualification 4. He sheweth that he does not desire a greater proof of Gods love He would chiefly experience the good will of God to him in being taught the mind of God The most sleight that which David prizeth But if our hearts were as they should be we would prefer this before all other good things sanctification to be taught of God For First 'T is a better evidence of Gods favour than worldly comforts Pardon freeth us from punishment sanctification from sin and pollution sin is worse than misery and holiness is to be preferred before impunity Christ in the work of redemption considered the Fathers interest and honour as well as your salvation The taking away of worldly comforts doth not infringe our blessedness yea when it is accompanied with this benefit it maketh way for the encrease of it Psal. 94. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy Law All the comforts of the world are not worth one Dram of Grace The loss of them may be supplied with Grace and man be happy comfortable and blessed for all that but the loss of Grace cannot be supplied with temporal things We cannot say Blessed is the man that hath lost Grace for the worlds sake Again all the riches and honours heaped upon a man cannot make him better they may easily make him worse but Grace can never make us worse but always better more amiable in the eyes of God and fitter for communion with him These may be given to those whom God hateth Psal. 17. 74. But this is the favour of his people Grace is never given but to those whom he entirely loveth These may be given in wrath but sanctifying Grace never in wrath The more we have of these things the more wanton and vain Deut. 32. 15. They are often used as an occasion to the Flesh Gal. 5. 13. prove fewel to our lusts encrease our snares temptations difficulties in Heavens way Luke 18. 25. Our Table becometh a snare Psal. 69. 22. But the saving Graces of the Spirit make all easie and help us towards our own happiness Secondly Profiting in obedience or sanctification is a greater effect of God favour Sanctification is a greater priviledge than Justification Perfect and compleat holiness and conformity to God is the great thing which God designed as the glory of God is holiness Exod. 15. 11. Moral perfections exceed natural and of all moral perfections Holiness is the greatest 'T is better to be wise than strong to be holy than wise Beasts have strength Man hath reason but holy Angels a holy God Sanctification is a real perfection
Faith and Love to the Word and therefore they never feel the power of it It cometh with power when it 's the Evidence of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 4. humane credulity breedeth no true love to the Word of God 2. This love 't is not a bare approbation of Purity and Holiness many approve that which they never chuse and follow None in the face of the Church can be such a wretch as not to think that 't is a good thing to be holy that strictness is commendable Mark 6. 26. Herod reverenced Iohn There is an excellency in Holiness and it winneth esteem even there where 't is not embraced Purity 't is a stricture of Gods Majesty and so 't is feared Where 't is not loved it breedeth an awful respect in wicked men Natural Conscience so far doth homage to the Image of God and doth incline men to think well of holiness and to shew some respect to it 3. 'T is not a pang or passionate delight as some when the Word falls upon them they may be stirred a little 't is not a love that is controulable or easily overcome by other loves Iohn 5. 45. How can ye believe that seek honour one of another As Herod rejoyced in Iohns light for a Season and Mark 6. 20. he loved Iohn's preaching but he loved his Herodias better and therefore off goes Iohns head The love that he had 't was controulable by a higher Love Unless we be so addicted to the Word that it prevaileth over all contrary inclinations we do not love the Word Whether it be sensuality or pride or convetousness it will be casting off the dominion of the Word Iohn 8. 37. My Word hath no place in you it doth not sink down into their hearts that it may bring forth fruit in their lives Secondly Positively what is it then 1. 'T is such a love as causeth us to wait at Wisdoms gates to consult with the word upon all occasions to read it hear it meditate on it as the great Instrument of Sanctification You will take it for your Counsel Psalm 119. 4. That we love we will be thinking on often and exercising our minds in it Ps. 1. 2. But his delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night Oh how few love the word thus Few read and delight in the Scriptures because of the Purity and Holiness that is in them They read them for disputes sake or to know the mystery or to be able to hold up an Argument but as they serve to make us pure and heavenly who loves them so As they forewarn us of sin and quicken to grace and love to God Psalm 19. 10 11. Thy word is sweeter then Hony or the Hony-comb because by them thy Servant is forewarned then we love the word when we love it for this reason 2. We love the Word when we are chary of Transgressing it or doing any thing contrary to to the tenour of it We are bidden to keep the Commandment as the Apple of the Eye Prov. 7. 2. The Eye is a tender thing offended with the least dust Oh! take heed of offending the word of God Fear of offending is a sure note and effect of love So he that loves God he feares the Commandment Prov. 13. 13. Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed but whoso feareth the Commandement shall be rewarded A wicked man maketh no bones of a Commandment regardeth not what the word saith but doth according to the bent of his own Will Those that will turn their back upon a Commandment for the least Temptation they have no true love to the word of God But now a godly man is one that feareth a Commandment he is afraid to do any thing against the express will of God If a Commandment stands in his way t is as much as if an Angel with a drawn Sword stood in his way as the Angel stood with a drawn Sword in Balaams way they had rather have all the world against them then the word against them Isaiah 66. 25. This awful regard of the word of God 't is a good evidence of our love to it 3. Then we are said to love the word when we chearfully and readily delight to do what it requireth in order to the glory of God and our own Salvation That 's love For true love is not only notional but practical 1 Iohn 2. 4. He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a lyar and the Truth is not in him Our love to God is known by our obedience to him So our love to the word is known by our obedience to it And therefore we love the word in good earnest when we observe it readily and diligently what ever it costs us Rom. 6. 17. Ye have obeyed from the heart the form of Doctrine that was delivered to you Look as there is a cold love to a mans Brother when we say be clothed be warmed So there is a pretended love to the word that endeth in talk and not in action Which is as if a man should hope to pay his debts by the noise of money and instead of opening his purse to shut it as ridiculous it is to think to put off our duty with good words 4. 'T is a rooted affection a carnal man may have his affections moved and be a little stirred with this pure Doctrine but he is soon put out of humour he is not changed by it he hath not a constant Affection to God and Holy things Gal. 4. 18. It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing To hold out to the end and still to keep up a warm respect to the word of God This is to love it to have the word ingrafted into the stock of corrupt nature Iam. 1. 21. 'T is not something tyed on but ingrafted into the soul it hath place in the heart II. Let me shew you why 1. The necessity of this love to the word appears Because without this love we cannot be accepted of God unwilling and constrained service is of little acceptation with him 1 Cor. 13. 1 2 3. If I should give my Goods to the Poor and my Body to be burnt and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing If a man hath never so many excellencies if he spend his Goods and Life and all for God without this sincere love to God and his ways all is nothing God doth not value men by the Pomp of their services but by the affection of their hearts in them he needeth not the service and he seeth the heart A man is pleased so his work be done willingly or unwillingly for he needeth the labour of the Slave but he seeth not into his heart But God hath no need of us and he seeth whether we give him the heart or no So that if we have not Charity all that we do is nothing 2. VVithout this love your work will be very
seriously give up our selves to the observation of Gods Will and attend upon this work Thus wicked men do not seek it is the least of their Cares Psal. 73. 27. Lo all they that are far from thee shall perish The whole stream and course of their Affections Lives and Actions do run from God to the Creature they care not whether they please God yea or no Prov. 19. 16. He that keepeth the Commandments keepeth his own soul but he that despiseth his ways shall dye He slights his way that goeth on as his own heart leadeth him as a Traveller that regardeth not to choose his way but goeth through thick and thin he despiseth his way so he that careth not whether his way be pure or filthy Well then the sum is wicked men care not to know and obey Gods Word II. Reasons Why they are wicked that do not seek Gods Statutes 1. Because Omissions where they are of Duties absolutely necessary and total and universal and do necessarily draw sins of Commission along with them do argue a state of wickedness but such is the Case here to live in a known sin whether of Omission or Commission is damnable Iam. 4. 17. To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not to him it is sin but especially when Total c. The wicked are thus described them that forget God Psal. 9. 17. The wicked shall be turned into Hell and all the Nations that forget God Iob 8. 13. So are the paths of all that forget God Psal. 50. 22. Now consider this ye that forget God left I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver This sayeth a man open to all Sin and maketh way for his Destruction So Zeph. 1. 6. They have not sought the Lord nor enquired after him that is enough to damn them if they do not break out into Excess 2. Because they are guilty of great wrong to God and to their own Souls 1. To God It is a Contempt of his Authority when men will not study to know and do his declared Will that is make it their business to do so For it is a great slighting of him looking upon his direction as of little importance Hos. 8. 12. I have written to him the great things of my law but they were counted as a strange thing and therefore were strangers to it as if there were no danger in walking contrary to it 2. To themselves Gods Statutes concern our Salvation as well as his own Glory Luk. 7. 30. The Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves Thus a wicked man is Felo de se. Prov. 8. 35 36. Whose findeth me findeth life and shall obtain favour of the Lord but he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul all they that hate me love Death Use. I. You see now who are far from Salvation they that do not study the Word of God to conform themselves thereunto Use. II. Let us be sure to be far from the disposition of the Wicked let us with all our hearts seek to comply with the Precepts of God and be more diligent and earnest in bringing our hearts to a true Scriptural Holiness that we may not be in this danger Motives 1. From the excellency of these Statutes to be employed in the service of God is the greatest honour and the most blessed Life upon Earth if it be irksome it is a sign of a Disease and some great Distemper or Inclination to some base dreggy delights of the Flesh if the Soul were rightly constituted it would be our greatest pleasure honour and content other work spendeth our strength this increaseth it the way of the Lord is strength to the upright 2. From Salvation it is great sure near Great both as to Body and Soul Sure Gods Word past is unalterable Near should we faint in the sight of our Country and be sluggish and negligent when heaven is at hand 3. There is present content in the sight of our Qualification and clear distinction from the wicked SERMON CLXXIV PSALM CXIX VER 156. Great are thy tender Mercies O Lord quicken me according to thy Iudgments IN the former Verse we presented you with the Judgment of God against the wicked we shall now present you with a more comfortable Argument his Mercies to his people When ever we think or speak of the Damnable Condition of the Wicked we should remember the Grace of God that hath made the difference between us and them We were no better by Nature than they only Mercy interposed for our rescue and snatched us as brands out of the burning So here David flyeth to Gods Mercy as the original Cause of all that he had or hoped for from him great are thy tender mercies O Lord c. In the words there is I. An Eulogy or an Ascription of Praise to God Great are thy tender mercies O Lord. II. A Prayer Quicken me according to thy Iudgments The one maketh way for the other for because Gods Mercies are so great therefore he is incouraged to come unto him for help In the Eulogy we have the thing praised Gods Mercy 'T is set forth by a double adjunct one taken from the Quality the other from the Quantity From the Quality 't is Tender and Bowel-Mercy from the Quantity 't is great Or the word may be rendered many the Mercies of God as one saith are many and Motherlike Having layed this Foundation for his hope the Man of God proceedeth to his Prayer which is our second branch where you have the Request Quicken me the Argument according to thy Iudgments that is thy Promises in the New Covenant as we before explained the word Those Premises are called Judgments because they are Rules of proceeding in the New Court which God hath set up Many things might be observed from these words 1. That the Primary Cause of all that we have and expect from God is his Mercy The Man of God beginneth here when he expected different usage from the wicked or that God should deal with him in another manner than with them 2. That this Mercy is so great and large that it is every way sufficient for our help 3. The Termes and Rules according to which we are to expect this Mercy are set forth in the New Covenant where God hath bound himself to shew Mercy to his People upon such Conditions as are there specified So that this Covenant doth inform us and assure us both of Gods Mercy and Gods Quickning 4. One special New-Covenant-blessing is the preservation of the Life of grace in our Souls There is a great necessity of it because in the spiritual life we are subject to fainting and the Children of God have a great value and esteem for it for they are more sensible of Soul-distempers than other men and when they see others stark dead in Trespasses and Sin they are the more displeased with their own remaining deadness and therefore would have the
his Misery notwithstanding sin And so the giving of Christ to be the Saviour of the World Tit. 3. 4. But after the loving-kindness of God our Saviour to mankind appeared his Man-kindness this was pity to us above the Angels no remedy was plotted for them And then his peculiar Mercy is to his Elect in Christ so the Lord saith Rom. 9. 15. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy This is again seen either in the first Grace or bestowing that upon us or in all the subsequent Grace that we stand in need of 1. The first Grace is Pardoning all our past sin or receiving us into a state of Favour upon our Repentance so 't is made the motive Ioel 2. 13. Turn unto the Lord for he is merciful Penitent sinners will find him so to be The Apostle saith 1 Tim. 1. 13. But I obtained mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was overwhelmed in mercy So also in giving us an heart to Repent and turn unto him 1 Pet. 1. 3. we were unworthy and miserable sinners could not help ourselves and then his eye pitied us and his handsaved us by his preventing grace he brought us home to himself 2. In all the subsequent Grace that we stand in need of so the Objects of his Mercy must have a qualification such as fear God Psal. 103. 12. Such as love him and keep his Commandments Exod. 20. 6. That walk according to the Rule of his Word exactly Gal. 6. 16. To the Merciful Matth. 5. 7. For to the Unmerciful God will not shew himself Merciful Iam. 2. 13. but to those that are thus qualified he reneweth his pardoning mercy in taking away the guilt of our daily failings Psal. 25. 7. His sanctifying mercy by freeing them more and more from the dominion of Sin Rom. 6. 14. His preserving mercy by delivering them from Afflictions so far as it is convenient Psal. 119. 41. Let thy mercies come unto me O Lord even thy salvation according to thy Word Lam. 3. 22. It is of the Lords mercy we are not consumed because his compassions fail not His rewarding mercy Iude 21. Looking for the mercy of God unto eternal Life So Psal. 62. 12. Also unto thee O Lord belongeth mercy for thou renderest to every man according to his work He will graciously Accept Reward and Crown every sincere and faithful Servant of his when they have done their work Sincerity and faithfulness shall be accepted and rewarded when Infirmities and Weaknesses shall be pardoned and covered Secondly Let me now open the two Adjuncts of his Mercy 1. 'T is Tender Mercy Luk. 1. 78. Through the tender mercy of our God The word signifieth Bowels as when you see a poor miserable Creature your Bowels work within you especially if you be related to him Misericordia complectitur affectum effectum Let us take the nearest Relation If you be a Father we need not much intreat a Father to pity a poor helpless Child his own Bowels will perswade him to it Psal. 103. 13. Like as a father pitieth his Children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him Or if you think passions in Females more vehement take the relation of a Mother as Hagar was affected to Ishmael when the water was spent in the Bottle she sate over against the Child and lift up her Voice and wept Gen. 21. 16. God will take the Affections of a Mother as Isa. 49. 15. Can a woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea she may forget yet will I not forget thee 'T is passionately set out by the Prophet if all the Compassions of all Fathers and Mothers were joined together 't were nothing to God he is the Father of Mercies he is Pitiful and Merciful Iam. 5. 11. 't is true there is in God no Sickness or trouble of Mind no Commotion but there is Pity and tender Love though no Perturbation which will not stand with the perfection of his Nature that is he layeth to heart and taketh notice of our Misery The tenderness of God may be known by the Compassion which Christ had in the dayes of his Flesh for he was the express Image of his Fathers Person now we read Matth. 9. 36. When he saw the multitude he was moved with compassion on them because they fainted and were as sheep scattered abroad that had no shepherd Their Teachers did not do their duty to them in any profitable way this wrought upon Christ heart when he saw the Multitude So when he saw many sick and under noisom Diseases Matth. 14. 14. when they followed him he pitied them and helped them So Matth. 15. 37. Iesus had compassion on the multitude when they continued with him three dayes and had nothing to eat The Care of mans welfare lieth near unto Christ's heart before the Disciples took notice of it he taketh notice of the Peoples Necessities and is affected with it he would not send them away fasting The two Blind men when they feelingly layed out their Miseries Matth. 20. 34. Iesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes So Luk. 7. 13. The Widow of Naim lamented her only Son the Lord saw her and had compassion on her and said unto her weep not This for a taste what a tender heart Christ had and in heaven he is still a Merciful High-Priest he came down on Purpose to acquaint himself with our Greifs and Sorrows Surely he is touched with the feeling of our infirmities and Gods Pity though it hath no Trouble with it is real operative and efficacious 2. His Tender Mercy is seen in his readiness to hear and help and come in to the Cry of his People if they be but any thing humble and profitable in their Afflictions Isa. 58. 10. And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry and satisfie the afflicted soul then shall thy light rise in obscurity and thy darkness be as the noon day Luk. 15. 20. And he arose and came to his father but when he was yet a great way off his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him When the Son was coming the Father run to meet him Isa. 65. 2 4. Before they call I will answer as if God could not tarry to hear the Prayer made Psal. 32. 5. I said I would confess my transgression unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Ier. 31. 19 20. Surely after I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant Child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. The first relentings of the Creature work upon the Bowels of Gods Mercy when we do but conceive a
Promises with a qualification Rom. 2. 7. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory honour and immortality eternal life God hath not simply promised Blessedness but the Promise requireth a qualification and a performance of Duty in the Person to whom the Promise is made and therefore before we can have a certainty of Hope we must not only look upon the Assurance on Gods part but make out our qualification So Psal. 1. 1 2. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night So Psal. 119. 1 2. Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the law of the Lord Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and seek him with the whole heart and many such places which intimate that blessedness belongeth to such as are of an holy Heart and intirely give up themselves to an holy Course that doing the Commandments uprightly and in a Gospel Sense is a necessary Condition to qualifie those Persons which shall be saved And therefore they that live in any sin against Conscience may take notice how fearful their Estate is for the present and how needful it is to begin a good course before they can have any hope toward God 2. And Partly Because true hope is operative and hath an influence this way There are two parts in Sanctification Mortification and Vivification and true Hope hath an influence upon both Mortification 1 Ioh. 3. 3. And every man that hath this hope in him purisieth himself as he is pure that when we see God we shall be like him he that hopeth for such a pure and sinless Estate either to see God will he appear before him in his filthy Rags Ioseph washed himself when he was to come before Pharaoh so when to appear before God what with this wanton vain unclean heart We are to be like him is this to be like Christ where there is such a disproportion between Head and Members And if this hope be fixed in our hearts it will set us a purifying more and more So for Vivification it urgeth and incourageth to Obedience Tit. 2. 12 13. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in the present world Look backward or forward it urgeth the heart to Obedience Why backward to the duties of Holiness shall we be Lazy in his work when we expect such a great Reward 3. Because there is no such thing to damp Hope and weaken our Confidence as Sin We cannot trust him whom we have offended freely and without restraint and therefore while we please the flesh we break our Confidence Sin will breed shame and fear and 't is impossible to hope in God unless we serve him in love and seek to please him if we feel it not presently we shall feel it sin that now weakeneth the Faith which we have in the Commandments will in time weaken the Faith that we have in the Promises Every part of Gods revealed Will cometh to be tried one time or another our Confidence in Gods Mercy is not earnestly and directly assaulted till the hour of Death or the time of extraordinary Trial When the evil day cometh then the Consciousness of my own sin whereunto we have been indulgent will be of like force to withdraw our assent from Gods Mercies as the delight and pleasure we took was to cause us to Transgress his Commandments 1 Cor. 15. 56. The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law 4. Because our hope is increased by our diligence in the holy life This fostereth and augments it Heb. 6. 11. And we desire that every one of you doth shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end It must needs be so for since there is a qualification the more clear our qualification is the more full is our assurance of hope and so far as a man neglects his duty and abateth in his Qualification so far doth his Assurance abate To look on one side of the Covenant is a groundless presumption 2. None do and can keep the Commandments but they that hope for Salvation This is plain from the order of the words in the Text first I hoped for thy Salvation therefore done the Commandments implying that thereby he kept the Commandments without this none can have an heart nor hand to do any thing for God Peccator saith Bernard nihil expectat indique peccator est quod bonis presentibus Non modo delectus sed etiam contentus nihil in futurum expectat He that looketh for nothing from God can never be diligent in his service nor faithful and true to him Hope 't is our strength Lam. 3. 18. And I said my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord we first begin continue and go on with God upon the hope he offereth to us Use. I. It reproveth those that hope well but take no care to do any thing for God Every one will say they must hope in God but none looketh after this lively and operative hope their hope is barren and unfruitful who are they that can make Application of the Promises 2 Tim. 4. 8. Use. II. Is to perswade us to the coupling of these two when this Conjunction is founded then are we in a right frame if we would keep the Commandments we must hope for the Salvation of God if we would hope for the Salvation of God we must keep the Commandments This is most acceptable to the Lord Psal. 147. 11. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him and hope in his mercy Such as believe and fear to offend him they have acceptable Communion with him 'T is for your Comfort Acts 9. 31. 't is for the honour of Religion on the one side to avoid the carnal Confidence of Papists on the other the cold Profession of Protestants if you hope for temporal Deliverance They that make no Conscience of obeying God cannot hope for Deliverance from him for his Salvation must be expected in the way of his Precepts Psal. 37. 3. Trust in the Lord and do Good so shalt thou dwell in the land So Wait on the Lord and keep his way and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land when the wicked are cut off thou shalt see it Then we may commend our selves and all our Affairs to Gods care and trust it becometh them that look for Salvation and to be helped out of their troubles to be more earnest than others in keeping his Law If you would enjoy the comfortable Assurance that you shall be saved at length live so as you may never mar your Confidence 1 Pet. 1. 13. Be sober and hope to the end Live
freedom and sovereignty 2. Sometimes to manifest the power of his grace both in the person that is endued with it and the power of his grace upon others As to the person himself in whom this wisdom is found when they are young the Lord doth shew he can subdue them by his Spirit and make their prejudices vanish enlarge their understanding and over-rule their heart 1 Iohn 2. 14. I write to you young men because ye are strong and the Word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one In that slippery Age when Lusts were boistrous Temptations most violent and they usually uncircumspect and head-strong and give up themselves to an ungoverned licence yet then can God subdue their hearts and make them stand out against the snares of the Devil And then with respect to others when by the foolish he will confound the wisdom of the wise and blast the pride of man and cast down all conceit in external priviledges and give young ones a more excellent spirit than the aged as the Apostle intimates such a thing 1 Cor. 1. 26. Not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty And our Lord Mat. 11. 25 26. Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto Babes Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight Usually God will do so when he will punish the unfaithfulness of those that are in publick place and office The Law shall perish from the Priest and Counsel from the Ancient God will not take the usual way and course but will give his Spirit and graces of his Spirit to them and deny it to those that should be Builders Now what Use shall we make of this There may be an Abuse of such a Point as this and there may be a very good Use. To prevent the Abuse 1 This is not to be taken so but that there should be reverence shewed to the aged Job 32. 4 5 6. Elihu had waited till Iob's Friends had spoken because they were elder than he It is an abuse of men of a proud persuasion of their own knowledge and learning to despise the aged especially when they also have a competent measure of the same Spirit The Scripture speaks of Paul the aged certainly there is a reverence due to gray hairs And it argues a great disorder when the Staff of Government is broken and the established Order is overturned when a child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient Isa. 3. 5. And young men shall peark up to the despising of their Elders Deut. 28. And 2. this is not to be applied so to prejudice the general case of consulting with the Ancients which was Rehoboam's sin though God sometimes giveth wisdom to young men yet the usual course is that Iob 32. 7. I said days should speak and multitude of years should teach wisdom Certainly those that are old they are freer from passions bettered by use and experience and long continuance in study have more advantages to add to their knowledge therefore usually though the bodily eyes be dim the understanding may be most clear and sharp Use 2. The Use in general is twofold That young men should not be discouraged nor despised 1. Not discouraged We use to say youth for strength and age for wisdom but if they apply their hearts to Religion and the study of God's will and with knowledge join practice they may profit and so as they may be a means to shame those that are elder while they come behind them in many gracious endowments They are not to be discouraged as if it were too soon for them to enter into a strict course or grow eminent therein for God may glorifie himself in their Sobriety Temperance Chastity Zeal Courage and the setting their strong and eager spirits against sin it is a mighty honour to God Psal. 8. 2. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies c. The graces of God in young ones do mightily turn to the praise of his glorious grace and God is admired in them and it is an honour and comfort to you also Eph. 1. 12. In Christ before me it is a just upbraiding to elder people that lie longer in sin 2. Nor yet should youth be despised 1 Tim. 4. 12. Let no man despise thy youth God's gifts should not be despised in any nor stir up rancor God may speak by them as he spoke by Samuel and to Samuel when he spoke not to old Eli. Having premised this let me come to apply it particularly though briefly it conduceth then 1. To the encouragement of youth to betake themselves to the ways of God O consider let us begin with God betimes do not spend your youth in vanity but in a serious mortified course This is your sharp and active time when your spirits are fresh therefore if your Watch is set right now you may understand more than the Ancients Give up your hearts to a religious course let not the Devil feast upon the flower of your youth and God be put off with the fragments and scraps of Satan's Table while you are young take in with God it 's a great honour to God and it will be an honour and advantage to you Mat. 11. 15 16. When the Children cry Hosanna to the Son of David and the Pharisees reproved him for it Christ approves of it saying Have ye never read Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise When young ones take kindly it is a great blessing therefore is judgment hanging over this Nation that youth is so degenerated whereas formerly they were addicted to Religion now they are addicted to all manner of lusts and vanity Then it would be an honour and comfort to you the sooner we begin with God the more we glorifie God and the more praise to God Eph. 1. 12. That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ. They that get into Christ above others they glorifie Grace above others Rom. 16. 7. They were in Christ before me He that first gets into Christ he hath the advantage of others Seniority in Grace is a preferment as well as in Nature And then it is a great advantage Eccles. 12. 1. Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth When we begin betimes with God we have more opportunity of serving and enjoying God than others have A man should bear the yoke in his youth Lam. 3. If the bent of our inclinations were set right in our youth it would prevent much and hinder the growth of sin Though a man cannot plant Grace in his heart that 's the Lord's own work yet it keeps sin in and prevents inveterate custom
for they will grow upon us and therefore it makes for the encouragement of you that they should sooner begin with God 2. It makes for the encouragement of those that have the Education of Youth as Masters of Families Parents and the like Do not say it is too soon for them to learn No Age is too soon for God 2 Tim. 3. 5. Thou hast from thy Infancy learned the Scriptures When we suck in Religion with our milk it 's a great advantage those things we keep with us that we learn young Prov. 22. 6. Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it When the new Vessel is seasoned with this precious liquor it will keep the taste tender Twigs are bent this way when they are as Wax capable of any impression Use 3. Caution for young ones If young men should obtain this benefit to grow wiser than the Ancients notwithstanding this yet they should learn to shew reverence to the aged Iob 32. 4 5 6. And then to ascribe it to God saith he ver 8. There is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding It is not the sharpness of our wit but the inspiration of his Grace he is the Author of all this wisdom that is wrought in us Use 4. To humble the Aged that have not made conscience of their time and ways and therefore are more blockish than many Children Isa. 65. 20. There shall be no more an infant of days nor an old man that hath not filled his days Old men that are ignorant of the mysteries of Faith after they have long sate under the Word of God and have many advantages to improve their youth Heb. 5. 12. When for the time ye ought to be Teachers ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the Oracles of God and are become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat In this sense God is said to take away the understanding of the Aged that is by a just judgment for their unfruitfulness and unprofitableness under the means of Grace They that are much younger than you are wise in comparison of you when they excel you for ripeness in wisdom for solidness and setledness in manners in a course of godliness Those old men that draw near to the Grave before they have consider'd either the end wherefore they came into the world or the state into which they shall be translated when they go out of it those are Children of 100 years old that have nothing to reckon Age by but wrinckles and gray hairs Doct. 3. That the way to increase in spiritual understanding is to be studious in practical holiness The Word that will give you understanding will keep you out of all snares sufficiently direct you to true happiness But how shall we get it refer it to practice practise what you know and you shall know more it must needs be so 1. Because these are such as have God's Promise Iohn 7. 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self They that make conscience of their ways season their course in the fear of God that take Gods direction with them God will tell them they shall know what doctrine is of God 2. They have a greater clearness of mind and understanding therefore must needs discern holy things why because they are freed from the clouds of lust and passion which do insensibly blind and make them stay in generals Mat. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Saith Nazianzene Where there is purity there 's brightness where there 's a pure heart there 's a great deal more clearness in the understanding Reason and Fancy are dark unless a Man have a command over his Passions and Affections over his Passions of Anger Fear Grief and over his Affections of Love and Joy and Appetite towards sensual delights unless he be able to govern these things he will never truly discern the mind of God for the seasoning his course in living a holy life that of the Apostle is notable 2 Pet. 1. 5. Add to your faith virtue and to virtue knowledge and to knowledge temperance unless they be able to govern their affections in the use of worldly delights pleasures and profits they will never have this practical knowledge and therefore the only way to know divine things as Nazianzene well observes is conscientiously to keep the Commandments of God If you would know the Will of God do not spend your time in heaping up Notions but framing your heart to obedience governing your affections by the fear of God and suiting your hearts to the Word of God Alas Those that seek knowledge out of ambition curiosity and vain ostentation and lie under the power of vile affections get but very little true spiritual light they may have the understanding of Teachers but not the understanding to season them and guide them in their communion with God 3. The more we practise the more Religion is exemplifi'd and made sensible so that we come to understand more of the sweetness of it and on the other hand the more of difficulty is in it when there is nothing but bare Notions and naked apprehensions There we have a double advantage an exact Rule and more experience of the sweetness of Religion Prov. 3. 17. All her ways are ways of pleasantness When we practise what we know then we come to know the sweetness of entertaining communion with the Lord and they know more of the difficulty of Religion they know where their hearts are more averse and more in danger whereas others that soar aloft in Notions and idle and lofty speculations have not this experience 4. They that practise study things with more affection than others mightily help their understanding The more piety and zeal any man hath the more will the Lord bless his Studies Paul profited in the Iewish Religion above many of his Equals why Gal. 1. 14. Being more exceedingly zealous of the tradition of my Fathers A man that hath a zeal in any thing will profit more than others so he that hath a zeal for the things of God profits above others A blunt Iron if red hot will pierce through an Inch-board sooner than a cold Tool though never so sharp so those that have blunt parts in comparison of others yet if they have zeal and good affections they will pierce deep into the mysteries of Religion they that have sharper parts want the fire of zeal 5. The more fruitful any Grace is the more doth it abound with us and therefore when your knowledge is fruitful you will find it increased by laying out your Talents Col. 1. 10. Be fruitful in every good work always increasing in the knowledge of God First he presseth knowledge in order to practice then he presseth
I had been a brand fit for the burning Secondly Take heed of sensuality Hos. 4. 12. My people ask counsel of their Stocks and their Staff declareth unto them for the spirit of whoredome hath caused them to err and they have gone a whoring from under their God It taketh away the heart the tenderness and softness no one thing doth more brawn the spirit To be given to uncleanness past feeling Ephes. 4. 18. Having the understanding darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their hearts Thirdly Beg the assistance of Gods Spirit he can smite the Rock and make waters gush out That thou may'st not be discouraged look upon Precedents in Scripture the tender hearts of Gods people there the Spirit of God wrought them to this frame Cry O arm of the Lord put on strength as in the ancient days God hath promised it Zach. 12. 10. I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son c. And then it follows And the Land shall mourn every Family apart c. SERMON CLIII PSAL. CXIX VER 137. Righteous art thou O Lord and upright are thy Iudgments THIS Psalm is spent in commendation of the Word of God The man of God sometimes commends it for its efficacy sometimes for its sureness and certainty and at other times for its sweetness In this Octonary or Portion the Word of God is commended for its righteousness David was troubled with sore grief for the wickedness of his enemies yea tempted greatly to impatiency and distrust by looking upon their prosperous estate for if you consult with the Context you shall find this was spoken in a time of defection when Rivers of tears ran down his eyes because men kept not the Law of God When carnal men pass their time in joy and the Godly in tears it is good then to meditate of Gods righteousness So does David when they were making void Gods Law he was in deep sorrow and tears It is good so to do that we may humble our selves under his mighty hand and compose our soul to patience and a quiet submission and with hope to wait upon God in the midst of wrongs and injuries Simo Caltu telleth us That the Emperor Mauritius used these Words when he saw all his Children slain before his face and himself ready to be slain after them by Phocas The Historian tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he did in the presence of all meekly submit to this great and heavy calamity crying out Righteous art thou O Lord and upright are thy Iudgments In the words the man of God reasons ab efficiente ad effectum à Legislatore ad Leges from the property of God to the Laws that he hath given us God being essentially righteous and perfectly righteous yea righteousness it self nothing contrary to Justice can proceed from him no iniquity from equity it self nor injustice from justice it self Gods Law all his dispensations that proceed from him are as himself is Therefore in the Text you have two things 1. What God is Thou art righteous O Lord. 2. What his Word and Works are Upright are thy Iudgments The Word Misphatim Judgments implies both both the rule and his Providential dispensations according to that rule In Gods Word there 's a Judicial Sentence concerning our thoughts words and works therefore his Law is called Judgments It is the Judgment of the great God concerning the actions of men and then the effect thereof when his Sentence takes place The Points are three I. That God is a righteous God II. That this righteous and holy God hath given a rule of Equity and Justice to his Creature III. That all the dispensations that proceed from him according to that Rule are all exactly righteous I. That God is a righteous God Here I shall shew 1. What is the righteousness of God 2. Prove that God is righteous 1. What it is Amongst men there 's a general and a particular Justice The general Justice is that whereby we carry our selves conformable to the rule of Religion 1 Pet. 2. 24. called there living unto righteousness And the particular Justice is that whereby we give every man his due so it is taken Tit. 2. 12. That we should live soberly righteously and godlily Godliness is that Grace which enclines us to give God his portion and sobriety is that Grace which helps us to govern our selves and righteousness that Grace whereby we give our Neighbour his due First Justice is sometimes put for the whole rectitude and perfection of the Divine Nature When God acts becoming such a pure holy and infinite Being and so God cannot do any thing that is against the perfection of his Nature he cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2. 13. He will not give his Glory to another Isai. 42. 8. He cannot be indifferent to good and evil he will not damn and punish an innocent Creature there is a condecency in all his actions to the perfection of his Nature Secondly There 's a particular Justice with respect to his dealings with the Creature especially man And before I come to open that I must tell you That God must be considered under a twofold relation First As absolute Lord. Secondly As Governour and Judg of the World First As absolute Lord and so his Justice is nothing but the absolute and free motion of his own will concerning the estate of all Creatures In this respect God is wholly arbitrary and hath no other rule but his own will he doth not will things because they are just but therefore they are just because God wills them For 1. He hath a right of making and framing any thing as he willeth in any manner as it pleaseth him as a Potter hath power over his Clay to form what Vessel he pleaseth either of honour or dishonour Rom. 9. 21. and Ier. 18. 6. As the Clay is in the Potters hand so are ye in mine hand O house of Israel He hath not only might and power but full right to dispose of the Creature according to his own pleasure As he sustaineth the person of a Lord he doth what is agreeable to his free and sovereign will As the good man of the house pleaded Matth. 20. 15. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own so God as absolute Lord and Sovereign may do as he pleaseth Nothing before it had a Being had a right to dispose of it self Neither did God make it what it was by the necessity of Nature nor by the command counsel or will of any Superior or the direction of any Coadjutor neither is there any to whom he should render an account of his work but merely produceth things by the act of his own will
as absolute and sovereign Lord of all his own actions He works all things according to the counsel of his own will Ephes. 1. 11. and Rev. 4. 11. Thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created As his wisdom saw fit so he hath placed Creatures in several ranks of Beings the Fish cannot complain that it was made without feet or hands nor the Ass that it was made for burthen that it is not fierce and mettlesome as the Horse which was made for battel And we men whatever was given us by Creation it was not a matter of right but the mere effect of Gods good will and pleasure He might have made us Stocks and Stones and not living Creatures and among living Creatures Plants only with the life of vegetation and growth Or if he had given us a sensitive life he might have placed us in the lowest rank he might have made us Toads or Vipers or Horse and Mule without understanding and not men And among men all the blessings and priviledges to which we were born might have been withheld without any injustice 2. He hath a right of using and disposing of them so made according to his own pleasure to appoint them to be high or low miserable and afflicted or prosperous and happy as it shall be for his Glory Rom. 11. 36. All things are of him and from him and to him to whom be glory As God made the Creatures for himself so he governs them ultimately terminatively for himself There is no cause of murmuring and repining when he will use us as he pleaseth for his own Glory Isai. 45. 9 10. We cannot say Why dost thou thus It is enough to silence all Tempests in our souls God did it Psal. 39. 9. I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it Now this is true in the dispensations of Grace as well as in the blessings of this life to some God gives Grace to others not some are elected to mercy others left to perish in their own sins one is taken and another left Matth. 24. 40 41. There were two Thieves upon the Cross together with Christ God saves the one passeth by the other He may do with his own as he pleaseth He being Sovereign is obliged by no Debt of Law or the Command of any superior power and therefore-hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth Rom. 9. 18. Election is an act of Sovereignty and Dominion God might have left all in misery as he left the faln Angels none of them that sinned are recovered out of their misery and are we of a more noble consideration than the Angels than those Spirits One of them could have done God more service than many men could do therefore as he left all those Angels in their sinful condition so it 's a mercy that when he might have destroyed all mankind he would save any God could have given Iudas a soft heart as well as Peter but he does not He will be master of his own gifts Only this clears his Justice None are denied Grace but those that deserve it should be so none by God are compelled to sin none are punished without sin but in all his gifts and in what he doth as supreme Lord his will is his reason Secondly God may be considered as Governour and Judge and so he gave a Law to the Creatures and his governing Justice consists in giving all their due according to his Law This is to be distinguished from the former for God that is arbitrary in his gifts is not arbitrary in his judgments Observe that he is arbitrary in his gifts he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy but in his judgments he proceedeth with men according to their works according to a law or outward rule Of this governing Justice the Scripture often speaks Deut. 32. 4. He is a righteous God and all his ways are judgment So Psal. 7. 9. He will judge the world in righteousness and will minister judgment to the people Now this governing Justice of God is twofold either Legislative or Judicial First Gods Legislative Justice This determines mans duty and binds him to the performance thereof and also decrees and sets down the rewards and punishments that shall be due upon mans obedience or disobedience God made man rational or a voluntary Agent capable of good and evil with desires of the good and fears of the evil and therefore God as universal King that he might rule him according to his nature hath made for him a Law that revealeth good and evil with promises to move him by desire and hope of the good and with threatnings to drive him by a necessary fear of the evil So Deut. 30. 15. See I have set before thee this day life and good and death and evil It is true of the Law of Moses and it is true of the Gospel of Christ Jesus he deals With us this way that I may not make a distinction between the Law and the Gospel what 's the Law of the Gospel Mark 16. 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Now this Law is the rule of mans duty and Gods dealings with all those that have received it Secondly There is his Judicial Justice called also distributive and this is that whereby he renders unto men according to their works whether they do good or evil without any respect to persons 1 Pet. 1. 17. Without respect of persons he judgeth according to every mans work The persons that may be respected in Judgment is some external thing that hath no affinity with the cause in hand Now when God comes to judge of the breach of his Law or the keeping of his Law he hath no respect of persons high or low rich or poor professing or not professing Christianity he deals with them as they have walked according to his Law His Judicial or distributive Justice is declared at large by the Apostle Rom. 2. 5 6 7 8 9. There Gods executing Judgment according to his Law is described and you find it twofold remunerative or vindictive First His remunerative or rewarding Justice It is just with God to reward our obedience and to give men what his promise hath made due to them It is true we cannot expect reward from God in strict righteousness or by the exact Laws of Commutative Justice and strict righteousness in this fallen estate as if there were an inward condignity of our works to that which God gives Oh no that is disclaimed by the Saints Psal. 103. 3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities Psal. 143. 2. Enter not into judgment with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified From any exuberancy of merit we cannot expect a reward from God but we may and ought to encourage our selves from his righteousness even that it is not an unrighteous thing with God to give us