they dream on Suppose they should keep the Law as they vainly boast yet here 's a righteousnesse beyond it a righteousnesse beyond that of Adam in the state of Innocency nay beyond that of Angels it is the righteousness of God 2 Cor. 5.21 He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Not in our selves but in Christ not righteous but righteousnesse it self even the righteousnesse of God in him The Righteousnesse of God 1. Therefore the most absolute exact and perfect righteousnesse that can be imagined The righteousnesse which they speak on suppose it were as big as they boast yet it is but the righteousnesse of the creature and it hath its blemishes but this is the righteousnesse of God therefore without spot and without blemish Hence we read those high expressions Cant. 4.7 Thou art all fair my love there is no spot in thee And as the Spouse in the Old Testament so the Church in the New Ephes 5.27 That he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish 2. Therefore an unchangeable righteousnesse The righteousnesse of the creature is as the early dew which soon vanisheth Adam first in an estate of innocency but he fell away and the Angels kept not their first estate but left their own habitation and therefore saith St. Jude they are reserved in everlasting chains under darknesse to the judgement of the great day But Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not And as is himself so is his righteousnesse unchangeable Dan. 9.24 Seventy weeks are determined upon the people and upon the holy city to finish transgression and to make an end of sin and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousnesse It must needs be unchangeable because everlasting This then is a sure rock that will never fail us Hence the Apostles triumph Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth Who shall condemn It is Christ that died 3. Therefore a most acceptable and wel-pleasing righteousnesse God must needs own himself the righteousnesse which is of God Mat. 3.17 This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased Not with whom but in whom the meaning is that God in Christ is well pleased with us also Ephes 5.2 He hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour When Jacob appeared before his father in the garments of his brother Esau See saith Isaac the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed so when we appear in the righteousnesse of Christ those white robes of our elder brother then we are unto God indeed a sweet savour in Christ Jesus Righteousnesse belongeth unto thee saith Daniel but to us confusion and Daniel found favour in Gods sight The more that we take shame and confusion to our selves the more we give God the glory of his righteousnesse and the more that we give him the glory of his righteousnesse the more shall we finde favour in the sight of God So not to denude the people but to cloathe them with that absolute and perfect righteousnesse that everlasting and unchangeable righteousnesse that acceptable and wel-pleasing righteousnesse the righteousnesse of God which is my faith But to give it yet a further vindicaon from the standers of our foul-mouth'd Adversaries take notice The righteousnesse of Faith is no Doctrine of Licentiousnesse This Doctrine doth not open a door to profanenesse but on the contrary 1 Joh. 2.1 These things write I unto you that ye sin not This is the ingagement on our souls If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins These words are recorded for us not to harden but to melt our hearts These things saith St. John write I unto you that ye sin not When Saul saw the goodnesse of David in sparing his life he lift up his voice and wept It is impossible for a man to believe that God hath done all this for him impossible I say truly and indeed to believe this that God hath wrought such a righteousnesse for us but it must needs melt us into godly sorrow that ever we should sin against so good a God It is the strongest tye that can be laid upon any rationall and ingenuous spirit This is the true Evangelical way Rom. 4.2 Know ye not that the goodnesse of God leads you to repentance This is Gods way Hos 11.4 I drew them with cords of a man with bands of love and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jawes and I laid meat unto them These are as cords and bands as the strongest cords beyond those of Philistims Samson himself cannot break these bands if once they be laid on indeed 1 Joh. 3.3 Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure And it must need be thus if we consider 1. The end of that great work by which our righteousnesse is wrought What was his purpose in it Luk. 1.74 He hath delivered us out of the hands of our enemies that we might serve him without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all our daies This was his end therefore was it he delivered us that we might serve him as in righteousnesse so in the truth of holinesse Thus Tit. 2.14 He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works He gave himself for us as to redeem us from our sins to justifie us so to purifie us to himself to sanctifie us that so we might be a special a peculiar people separated from the world a people zealous of good works Shall I give you a third Scripture And therefore is it that I multiply because I would have you to take notice of it Col. 1.21.23 You that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minde by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight Therefore was it that he took flesh upon him therefore was it that he suffered death this was his end as to reconcile us unto God so that we might be holy and unblamable and unreprovable in the sight of God And now do but seriously consider this Hath Christ thus suffered for us and will he be disappointed of that for which he suffered or do we think that we shall have our end of Christ and that Christ will lose his end of us That we shall be made the righteousnesse of God in him yet still continue in our wickednesse Be not deceived you cannot thus disappoint him of his purpose conclude rather that you have
his Disciples I have meat to eat that ye know not on So the Saints have joyes that the world sees not nay that they cannot see The natural man perceives noâ— the things of God so nor are they able to perceive the joy of the Saints of God They are so far from prceiving them that count them but a burden It is the joy of Saints to see the light of Gods countenance this puts gladnesse in their hearts more then in the time that corn and wine and oyl increaseth But they think not upon God God is not in all their thoughts When the thoughts of God are brought into their mindes it marrs all their mirth The thoughts of God are melancholick thoughts therefore they think as seldom of him as they can It is the joy of Saints to think of those sweet experiences of Gods love and kindnesse Thy loving kindnesse is better then life and it is their delight to recount his favours I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high But these live by chance they never regard the works of the Lord nor the operations of his hand therefore they mock the Saints He trusted in God that he would deliver him let him deliver him seeing he delighted in him It is the joy of Saints the knowledge of the Word of God His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in that Law doth he meditate day and night Nay thy Commandements are my delights saith David not delight but delights a plurality of delights One man pleaseth himself in this thing and another in that but here he meets the pleasure of all recreations a multitude of delights But these they grow weary of it Whilest their ears are tyed to the Scriptures they are as a Bear tyed to the stake Therefore they say unto God Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy waies It is the joy of Saints to meet God in his Ordinances My soul thirsteth for God yea even for the living God Oh when shall I come and appear before God! So they count the Sabbath a delight But these how quickly they are tired of it When will the new Moons be gone that we may sell corn and the Sabbaths that we may set forth wheat As the Heathens thought so think they that the Jewes lost a seventh part of their time because they kept the seventh day a holy rest unto the Lord. It is the joy of Saints to attend Gods service As their Lord and Master It is my meat and drink to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work So David I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart But these say they let us break his bands asunder and cast away his cords from us It is in vain to serve the Lord and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances In a word It is the joy of Saints to think of heaven Where the treasure is there will the heart be also So their conversation is in heaven all their thoughts longings desires and endevours after it But these their affections are set upon the things below And as that French Cardinal they prefer their part in Paris before that in Paradise And Gallio cares for none of these things Thus we see their mistakes accounting that a joy which is indeed their sorrow and that a burden which is the only joy Oh but secondly say they Do not we hear your complaints and see your tears and your lives are bitter Do we not read the lamentations of a Jeremy and David's soul melts with weeping All the night long wash I my bed and water my couch with my tears For answer to this It is true indeed and as well may you desire mirth from a dead man as from the Saints in some conditions But 1. Take notice this is their weaknesse So David doth acknowledge it Psal 77.10 This is my infirmity It is their ignorance of Gods fatherly love toward them Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth Sorrow is sometimes as necessary for us as is joy The truth is whilest we carry flesh about us such is the frailty of our sinful nature either of both endangers if they be not tempered God therefore in the wisdom of his providence such is his care over us he mixes the cup for us He sweetens our sorrow with some joy lest we should despair and imbitters our joy with some sorrow lest we should presume Either of both might ruine us but of the two sorrow may seem lesse dangerous or rather that which brings us the more good A pleasant potion is more delightful but a bitter pill is sometimes more healthful Eccles 7.2 It is better to go into the house of mourning then to go into the house of feasting And lest you should think this a word rashly spoken for who would not prefer the one far before the other therefore he seconds it vers 3. Sorrow is better then laughter Nay not only sayes it but proves it For by the sadnesse of the countenance the heart is made better In mirth many times we are apt to forget our selves but sorrow puts us in a godly frame It is our ignorance therefore of Gods fatherly care over us that deprives us of our happinesse Besides it is sometimes with us as with Elisha's servant Alas Master what shall we do for his eyes were held Or as it was with old Jacob when they brought him the newes that Joseph was alive and Governor over the whole land of Egypt His soul fainted in him and he believed them not Or as with the Disciples when they brought the first newes of Christs resurrection Their words seemed but as idle tales and they believed not the women So it is our ignorance our infidelity it is not our righteousnesse but our weaknesse which brings all this sorrow But 2. Are you not again mistaken You hear their moans and you see their tears and is there not a joy in weeping The weeping of the Saints doth not intermit their joyes This may seem a paradox but they understand it As sorrowing saith St. Paul yet alwaies rejoycing We finde something even in natural experience It is sometime an ease unto a troubled soul Est quaedam flere voluptas When the vessel 's full and begins to work if it want a vent it soon bursts asunder When the heart is sore opprest with grief and ready to sink under the burden happy man that can give vent unto his soul with tears that can empty himself with weeping But further sometimes we finde it even that which is the matter of our tears is also the matter of our joy We shall see a man in reading of some sad story how the tears trickle from his eyes he weeps and reads and reads and weeps and the more he reads still the more he weeps yet is he delighted in his reading Ipse dolor voluptas That
THE GRAND INQUIRY WHO IS THE Righteous Man OR The Character of a true Beleever in his approaches towards Heaven Whereunto is added The Resolution of a Case of Separation betwixt Man and Wife Propounded to the Author by a party much concerned By William Moore Rector at Whalley in Lancashire London Printed by E. Cotes for Henry Eversden at the Gray-hound in Pauls Church-yard 1658. To the Honourable Sir RALPH ASHTON Baronet SIR YOur request is a command I have transcribed these notes and as near as I could to a very syllable as they were delivered in the Pulpit Not that I judge them worthy your further view but because I judge you worthy to command any thing which is called mine And it is an honour to me that you do accept of this poor mite If in the least a furtherance to the joy of Faith it will more then recompense That you take heed to the better part searching the Scriptures whether these things be so bespeaks you a Berean and of more noble spirit But second thoughts I presume will correct your motion for the Presse We live in a bold age indeed Scribimus indocti doctique And Jeremie's Figs have their applause both those that are extremely good and those that are extremely bad but this you 'l finde in neither basket The Subject I confesse is worthy to be seen abroad and now perhaps more necessary then at other times We see how the Jesuit hath exchang'd his poyson and the generation of vipers multiply Oh how they rend the bowels of their Mother And the Church of England once the most glorious Church in the Christian world now fled into the Wildernesse Yet Eliah hath some Thousands and a John in Patmos companions in tribulation and in the Kingdome and patience of Jesus Christ The Lord put it into the hands and hearts of our Nehemiahs to reedifie Jerusalem The chief stone in the foundation is here laid But I could wish a Bezaleel in the work a more skilful builder Mihi curta supellex It holds good with me in more senses then in one Besides you know my constant task and it fals out with me as with the man that hath many children the younger still robs the elder nor have I done the double service of one day but another is stil calling on me Both shoulders have their burden Yet such as it is both my self and it lie prostrate at your Honours feet I am Sir Your devoted Servant in the Lord William Moore THE GRAND INQUIRY WHO IS THE Righteous Man PSAL. 32.11 Rejoyce ye Righteous BEloved we live in dismal and sad times as that day of Joel A day of darknesse and of gloominesse a day of clouds and of thick darknesse And now if ever Isa 22.12 the Lord oals to weeping This Text then may seem unseasonable at this time As the rain in harvest so is musick in the day of mourning Be not mistaken There 's a sorrow in rejoycing I said of laughter it is mad and there 's a joy in sorrowing As sorrowing saith S. Paul yet alwaies rejoycing How miserable is mans condition upon earth whilest his joy and sorrow meet so close together that tears expresse both Habet gaudium suas lachrymas habent lachrymae suum gaudium Joy hath its tears and tears hath their joy I speak not now of that frothy flashy foolish mirth of the world Oh miseri quorum gaudia crimen habet Miserable we that cannot be merry without sin But of that solid serious severe mirth Mihi crede res severa est verum gaudium saith Seneca Believe me true joy it is a severe thing true spiritual and reall joy And let me tell you further that sorrow is sometimes unseasonable but this joy never This may seem a paradox but so the Apostle cals upon you and with a duplication also Phil. 4.4 Rejoyce in the Lord alwaies and again I say rejoyce And when ever was the word more seasonable then whilest the Saints are weeping to behold those sad rents and schisms of their mother the Church the wounds she receives in the house of her friends It is Solomons counsel Prov. 31.6 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts Let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his misery no more Therefore is it that I call upon you Rejoyce ye righteous Rejoyce ye righteous In handling of these words I shall first shew you who this Righteous man is and then what reason he hath of rejoycing The resolving of this is a work of difficulty Certain I am that all men are sinners Prov. 20.9 Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin The affirmative interrogation implies a more vehement negation that indeed none can say it and say truly And if none can say that he hath made his heart clean if none can say that he is pure from his sin then who can say that he is righteous How righteous and yet a sinner and this before God too who sees all things as they are This is indeed the darkest riddle in Divinity one of the greatest mysteries in the Gospel Nor is it to be resolved with the help of Reason but of Faith The more we seek for it in the strength of our own brain the further we are carried from it and it seems impossible But God hath revealed it to his Saints To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdome And as it is a work of difficulty so of great necessity for till this be done we do but build without foundation What is it to tell you of a seed-time of light here and a harvest of joy hereafter we see the strain of the Scriptures full indeed of precious and sweet promises but these only to the Righteous Whilest every man therefore is conscious to himself of his own guilt that he is a sinner who shall presume to put in his sickle or to lay hold upon those joyes When they brought before him the woman that was taken in adultery saith our Saviour to her accusers He that is without sin cast the first stone at her And they all went out one by one every man left her That indeed was our Saviours purpose for they came to intangle him So here whilest the Psalmist cals upon the righteous only seeing there is no man without sin what is it but as if he should say Let no man rejoyce This word is as the Cherubims at the gates of Paradise to exclude all hope that none might enter in at those everlasting doors Till therefore we understand this Riddle How a man may have sin and yet be without sin how a man may be a sinner and yet righteous we do but preach as V. Beda to a heap of stones there is none to hear us This then is the foundation of all our Evangelical comfort The understanding of this is that upon which depends all our joy
God and his doctrine be evill spoken on through your vain conversation As ye have received this righteousness of Christ so walk as those that are arrayed in these long white robes Get into the number of the righteous Beloved I know that ye desire it at least when you come to die I know there is none in this congregation but could wish with Balaam Num. 23.10 O let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his And if we desire it at our deaths why should not we endevour it in our lives What a folly is it nay do but consider seriously what a desperate madness that we should desire this so seriously at our end and yet never look after it till we come to die that this should be the first the chief in our desires and yet the least the last in our endevours Nay whilest thus we cast off the care of Christ and of his righteousness in our health is it not just with him so to cast off the care of us when we lie upon our beds of languishing Go cry unto the gods whom ye have chosen let them deliver you now in the time of your tribulation Whilest we disown him in our lives have we not just cause to fear that so he will disown us at our deaths Depart from me ye workers of iniquity verily I know you not If there be yet a profane heart in this congregation Oh do not deceive your selves with the righteousness of your faith nor flatter your selves with the hopes of joy As Peter to Simon Magus I perceive thou art yet in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity and hast neither part nor lot in this matter for thy heart is not right in the sight of God Repent therefore of thy wickednesse and pray God if perhaps the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee This is a messe provided only for a Benjamin Rejoyce ye righteous Beloved we have now found out the righteous man I have been long in this discovery So it concerns us A wise builder will be carefull to lay his foundation firm And a steward must be faithfull to give every man his own portion So here lest on the one hand we should take the childrens bread and give it unto dogs or on the other hand lest we should withhold bread from the children Having therefore thus clear'd the way now we may more cheerfully proceed to The joy of the Righteous Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart In these words we finde a Trinity in Unity a trinity of expressions in an unity of sense Be glad and rejoyce and shout for joy all to set forth the greatnesse of the joy of these happy men Yet here not only to word it to the ear but to lay it open to the eye let us look about us Where can we fix our eye but we finde matter of the greatest joy I shall now give the reasons of it 1. While we look above us God is our father and have ye not here Homers Iliads in a nut-shel Heaven in a word 2 Cor. 6.18 I will be a father unto you and ye shall be me sons and daughters saith the Lord God Almighty Is not here matter of great joy How did it raise the spirit of David when Saul had given him his daughter Seemeth it a small thing unto you to be the son-in-law of a King But then 1 Joh. 3.1 Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us that we should be called the sons of God But farther as God is our Father so Christ is our Saviour The birth of Christ is glad tidings of great joy so it was sung by a whole quire of Angels O ye that are highly favoured climb up into the Sycomore-tree Do ye not hear his voice and it is sweet This day is salvation come unto thy house Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace saith old Simeon for mine eyes have seen thy salvation And the blessed Virgin My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour So the Ethiopian Eunuch when he had got but a glimpse of Christ he went on his way rejoycing Nay 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love in whom though ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce even with joy unspeakable and glorious But yet further as Christ is our Saviour so the Holy Ghost our Comforter Joh. 14.16 I will pray unto the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive but ye know him Do we not finde the comforts of this Spirit confirming the Adoption of the Father He hath given us the earnest of the Spirit even the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father So sealing the redemption of the Son Oh grieve not the Spirit by which ye are sealed unto the day of redemption And now do not your hearts leap for joy whilest thus you behold God your Father Christ your Saviour and the Holy Ghost your Comforter the whole Trinity of Persons in the unity of your consolation Perhaps the world frowns upon you And what a poor thing was that of Haman so to vex and fret himself for want of the knee of Mordecai when he had the favour of the King himself But then what a pitifull thing is this in us to vex and torment our selves at the frowns of men whilest we have the love and favour of the Lord himself Why art thou cast down Oh my soul As once Elcanah to his wife Am I not better to thee then ten sons So is not the love of God better to us then ten thousand worlds Psal 4.6 Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us This puts gladnesse in the heart more then in the time that corn and wine and oyle increaseth Oh ye Favourites of heaven be not awanting to your selves If Haman had cause to pride himself in the favour of Ahasuerus that great King of Assyria how much more may it cheer up your spirits that ye have the favour of God the great God of heaven Rejoyce ye Righteous 2. Whilest we look below us Behold the Pit that bottomless pit Are you not affrighted with the horror of it such a fearfull pit So think upon that place of darknesse that blacknesse of darknesse Oh how comfortlesse how frightful to be reserved in everlasting chains under darknesse with the prince of darknesse And think upon those chains those everlasting chains Ah wofull eternity Were it on a bed of down if chain'd upon that bed how wearisome but there bound for ever Oh what heart is able to conceive the horror of this word for ever Nay yet worse Go ye cursed into everlasting fire Do not your sinews shrink to think upon this fire this everlasting fire Oh how afflictive and tormenting
and see if we have not great reason of rejoycing even in our greatest trials It is true indeed no affliction for the present is joyous but grievous O but afterwards it works the quiet fruit of righteousnesse to them that are exercised therewith And take notice of it Beleved these are times of triall and one way or other we are sure to come to it So hâ—d we need to have our strength about us for the flesh is weak We have the word in general Rom 8.28 We know that all things work together for good to them that love God This is a sweet word And is not here matter of great joy whatsoever our condition is be it prosperity or adversity Nay observe further if not in adversity rather then prosperity David will acknowledge it Thou Lord of very faithfulnesse hast caused me to be troubled Do we not see how it files off the rust Isai 27.9 By this the iniquity of Jacob shall be purged and this is the fruit to take away his sin So the drosse consumes and we come out of the fire of affliction as gold refined out of the furnace So it excites our graces And the more our Camomile is trodden on it sends forth a sweeter savour Jam. 1.2 My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations When ye fall into temptations into divers temptations enough to make others stagger to reel to and fro like a drunken man and put them to their wits end yet count this your joy count it all joy And why so knowing that the triall of your faith worketh patience and let patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire wanting nothing So Rom. 5.3 Now we rejoyce in hope of the glory of God and not only so but we glory in tribulation also In ipsa tribulatione spes gloriae in ipsa tribulatione gloria spei In tribulation it self is the hope of glory nay in tribulation it self is the glory of our hope and wherefore The Apostle followes it Knowing that tribulation worketh patience patience experience experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts What heap upon heap and grace upon grace and all flowing on us through the benefit of afflictions Are ye not now satisfied 1 Pet. 4.14 If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you The Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God The Spirit of God never rests so gloriously upon the Saints as in the time of suffering Then appears the glory of their faith the glory of their patience hope long-suffering gentlenesse meeknesse goodnesse all the fruits of the Spirit Nor only an increase of grace here but of glory hereafter 2 Cor. 4 18. Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Our light affliction light because but momentany that short affliction compare it with eternity it works glory for us and a weight of glory a great weight an exceeding weight a more exceeding weight a far more exceeding weight a far more exceeding and eternall weight So do but compare your sufferings your layings out with your comings in happy men could you but see your own happinesse how it purifies you from the drosse of sin how it refines your graces how it works you for that weight of glory Mat. 5.11 Happy are ye when men revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven The more you suffer here the greater measure and degree of glory shall you have hereafter Rejoyce therefore nay double and treble your rejoycings rejoyce and be glad and exceeding glad Rejoyce in the Lord and be glad ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart 7. Whilest we look behind us Consider the time past As David Psal 77.10 I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High I will remember the works of the Lord and call to minde his wondrous works of old time So do but recount your former experiences of Gods mercies And is not here matter of great joy but think with your selves how it lift up the heart of Haman when he cast his eyes back upon those favours which Ahashuerus had bestowed upon him Esth 5.11 And Haman told them of all the glory of his riches and the multitude of his children and all the things wherein the King had promoted him And when he had been with the King at Esthers Banquet Vers 9. Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart If Haman could rejoyce so much in the favour of a wavering and unconstant man how much more reason have we of rejoycing in the favours of Almighty God with whom is no variablenesse neither shadow of changing So do but cast your eyes back upon what he hath already done and shall we not much rejoyce in his mercies Psal 126.3 The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad And as good as great yea and many of them Psal 139.17 How precious are thy thoughts toward me O God How great is the sum of them If I should count them they are more in number then the sand Not a minute of time passeth over our heads but we taste his mercies every day that we uprise Lam. 3.22 It is of the Lords mercy that we are not consum'd because his compassions fail not they are new every morning Besides those ordinary and common favours none of us all if we look behinde us at some time or other we have had experience of special and particular deliverances What dangers do continually surround us we may easily guess if we do but consider our adversary the devill how like a roaring Lion he still walks about seeking daily whom he may devour and then the enmity that is in the creatures but especially that desperate wickednesse that lies in our own hearts How are we hunted as a partridge upon the mountains But blessed be God we are escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken and we are delivered The greater our danger the greater our deliverance the more that our sorrow was the greater is our joy As a man that hath been long tost upon the troublesome seas Haec olim meminisse juvabit he then rejoyces when he gets into the harbour As the Israelites when they stood safe upon the banks of the red sea and beheld the drowning of the Egyptians So shall we not look behinde us that we may rejoyce whilest thus we behold the salvation of our God But above all observe that great deliverance from the hands of Satan from the chains of sin wherein we were led captive by him at his pleasure Cast your eyes behinde you and consider Eph. 2.1 You hath
which causeth him to weep even that is it which so much delighteth him Thus is it here The faints tears are the saints joy and it is the rejoycing of their souls that they weep and sorrow The tears of Saints is the joy of Angels as I told you before There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth Nay let me tell you further they have greater cause to rejoyce in their sorrowes then others in their greatest jollities The Apostle understands it Therefore saith he 2 Cor. 7.8 Though I made you sorry with a letter I do not repent though I did repent Now I rejoyce not that ye were made sorry but that ye sorrowed to repentance that ye were made sorry after a godly manner for godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death There 's a vast difference between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow the one tends to death but the other to life to repentance salvation The sorrow of the godly is like the sorrow of a woman travelling with childe It is not a barren but a fruitfull sorrow The sorrow of world is barren it brings forth nothing but sorrow but the sorrow of the godly is fruitful it is a joy-bearing sorrow Joh. 16.21 A woman hath sorrow when she travelleth because her hour is come but as soon as she is delivered of a childe she remembers no more the anguish for joy that a man is born into the world And ye now have sorrow but I will see you again and your hearts shall rejoyce and your joy no man taketh from you Thus you see the mistake The sorrow of the righteous is a joyful sorrow Oh but thirdly It may be objected that sometimes God requires it as a duty Es 22.12 In that day did the Lord God of hosts call to weeping and to mourning and doubtlesse the sorrow of the Saints is hearty when the Lord cals for it For answer to this we must confesse it is so indeed Neither do any sorrow as they sorrow Therefore as if they only sorrowed saith God Ezek. 9.4 Set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that are done in the midst of Jerusalem Their sighs are sighs indeed and their cries are cries indeed God sets a mark upon them as if they only were the mourners Yet withall take notice that it is not for righteousnesse but for wickednesse all the abominations that are done in Jerusalem righteousnesse is not the cause but it is sin either in themselves or others 1. In themselves For so the Saints have their failings Seek thy servant O Lord for I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost And as they have theirs sins so they have their sorrows It cost David many a salt tear How he weeps and prayes Psal 51. Lord make me to hear the voice of joy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce The cry of his sin had made such a noise of sorrow that it deaft his ears from the voice of joy And he is afraid O cast me not away in thy displeasure but restore to me the joy of thy salvation Do not charge your sorrows on the waies of righteousnesse but your swarving from those wayes He that goes out of Gods way he goes into harmes way and returns again by the weeping crosse Or if it be not the sense of their present sins which causes all this sorrow perhaps they consider the time past and it is their trouble that they have spent so much of their time in vanity so they mourn not because they are righteous but because they were no sooner such Or if they be troubled at their present condition it is not because they are good but because they are not so good as they desire to be They count not themselves as if they had already attained or were already perfect they see others that are far before them so they are heavy not because they are holy but because not so holy as they should As some covetous worldling who frets and toyles in the world as if he were not worth a penny and out of a greedy desire of more still complains of poverty So the Saints sometimes so earnestly desirous to be yet more righteous they lose the joy and comfort of those graces they already have Let us not then impute that to their godlinesse which proceeds rather from the want But certainly conclude there 's much sweetnesse in it whilest they thus hunger and thirst after it Thus in themselves 2. In others The Lord cals to weeping and they mourn in Sion It is for the abominations that are done in the land So David Psal 119.136 Mine eyes run down with tears because men keep not thy commandements And Lot amongst the filthy Sodomites 2 Pet. 2.8 In seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawfull deeds It is the sorrow of the Saints to see God dishonoured and poor souls endangered To hear on the one hand men speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them and to see on the other hand men so unreclamable from their foolish and vain courses and running headlong to their own damnation If there be any consolation in Christ Jesus if any comfort of love if any bowels and mercies must it not needs grieve them to see men so fool away their hopes of glory to dwell with everlasting burnings Their charity is great and they could wish all men like themselves in that which is good As Paul to Agrippa I would to God that not only thou but all that hear me this day were both almost and altogether such as I am excepting these bonds And if they will not be perswaded Jer. 13.17 If ye will not hear my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride Thus weeping for them that weep not for themselves And Elijah betakes himself unto the cave And why so They have broken the covenant they have thrown down the altars they have slain the Prophets with the sword Are the lives of the Saints sorrowful But examine your own hearts if the fault lie not in your selves Were your selves lesse wicked their lives would be more comfortable Thus still you see it is not the righteousnesse of the Saints which makes their hearts sad but rather the want of it either in themselves or others Nay yet further even this sorrow is their joy Whilest they thus mourn though others provoke God and perish in their own devices yet God will set a mark upon them that mourn in Sion that the destroying Angel may passe over Es 4.5 God will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Sion and upon her Assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the glory shall be a defence So that nothing might hinder their peace and joy in believing but so still Rejoyce ye